Newsarama has ALL the books for this year’s Free Comic Book Day, and there are many things of interest to many people…Spider-man! Lynda Barry! Owly! Eddie Campbell! Peanuts! We may just need to collect ‘em all.

For the 27th consecutive year, we are missing the Angoulême comics fest, but luckily many folks are on the scene and blogging. Bart Beatty is over at The Comics Reporter with his usual examplary reportage:

One of the lead stories in the Charente Libre this morning was an interview with the director of Casterman. He says that 2007 is make or break time for the festival in this city. All of the publishers were unhappy with last year and revenues being down. Now that it is clear that the festival can never return to its old location in the center of the old town, the publishers demanded a central site where they would all be together. They have received this, but the drawback is that it is far from downtown. I walked it this morning and it took 40 minutes, although that was hampered by the snow and ice.

Much more on icy conditions, food problems, gossip, issues and so on in the link. Bart is posting each day we believe so keep checking back.

Meanwhile a blog called metabunker has also sprung up up, also blogging the big Euro activities, stopping off in Paris for the Herge exhibit.

Since it’s Tintin-creator Hergé’s centennial this year, the rights holders at Moulinsart have organized a large retrospective showing of works from his whole career in collaboration with Paris Beaubourg (that’s the Pompidou Centre to anyone not on the team). The show takes up a large part of the basement area that opens to the main hall, as well as the catwalk behind it. We get a little of everything Totor, the boy scout, and Quick and Flupke, the street urchins, to illustration and publicity work and, of course a large selection of original pages spanning the almost 60 year-long career, as well as sketches other drawn and written preparatory work (no models!)

[LInk via Dirk.]

Andi Watson has also headed out; French-speakers may enjoy Le BD Blog.

We have stayed away from what has become known as THE RICK OLNEY MEGA-THREAD, because, well, it’s like 10,000 posts long. Maybe if we get snowed in and the lights flicker out. We keep meaning to post our own sure to be humorous photo album entitled “One Night In Herkimer”, but you know, we don’t even have time to mop the floor let alone do that. Maybe one of these days.

Anyway, word has come of a new website called UNSCREWED where creators wronged by Olney and his Tight Lips Productions — and their friends — are uniting to produce a benefit anthology. Here’s the press release:

Creators get UNSCREWED!

People working their way up the ranks in comics, or other creative endeavors often become acquainted with the phrase “Paying Your Dues”. Often times paying your dues winds up with you not getting yours.

Speak with any creator about their “war story” and you’ll likely hear tales from their first few years, working on projects that never paid out, publishers who vanished like thieves in the night, or have even worse horrors wrought upon them.

One thing that unites most creative types is they all have at least one of those stories to trade. In some cases more than one, and therein lies a problem. Over the years a phrase has been coined speaking of “weekend publishers” people who come in, with pie in the sky promises, and deliver nothing, hurting only those that sought to create.

The UNSCREWED! anthology one-shot, to be released later this year, is intended to benefit victims of a large scale scam that has been perpetrated over many years by one such individual, uniting in a single volume dozens of voices that scream for accountability, and for getting just deserts.

Once relegated as being “just one of those things” goes through, this situation is now being challenged. No longer will people have to pay the ultimate cost for being conned.

There will be an auction to benefit those affected by this all to common occurrence. Countless items will be offered, from Names You Know to Names You Don’t, But Will Soon!

Look for one-of-a-kind specialty items, all offered for a worthy cause.. The proceeds of the book will go to a fund and be dispersed to those that fell victim to hollow words, and even more hollow actions.

In a world where we feel all alone chasing our dreams, where we fall prey to the dark nightmares lurking in desperate times, we are in reality a family, a community. What affects one of us will assuredly affect all of us, if it is left unchecked. Together we will stand up to abusive practices and declare that our business is not just an idle hobby

For more information concerning this project, visit http://www.unscrewedcomic.com for details and how YOU can join in the battle for accountability.

Having taken his graphic novel AMERICAN BORN CHINESE to literary heights previously unscaled by graphic novels, just what is creator Gene Yang up to now? Well, he told CBR :

I’m currently working on a graphic novel with Thien Pham, a fellow Bay Area cartoonist. I wrote it, he did the break-downs, he’s pencilling, and I’m inking. It’s called “Three Angels,” and it’s loosely based on my brother’s experiences as a med school student.

My brother is in his fourth year at UCSF Medical School right now, and he comes back and tells me the craziest stories. After hearing a few of them, I told him, “These need to be in a comic. “And now, with the help of Thien, they will be.

Mysterious nexus/enabler and comics editor Jeff Newelt is interviewed at Gothamist talking of rasta, his work for Samsung the comics for SMITH magazine and his role with Act-i-vate:

Katrina Came Calling, the print version of Josh’s LiveJournal online diary of his time volunteering with the Red Cross in Biloxi after Hurricane Katrina, blew my mind with the brutal picture it painted and to me was screaming for the comics treatment. When I introduced Josh to Larry Smith at the Shooting War launch party last summer at Sutra, and Josh gave Larry a copy of Katrina Came Calling, my eyes went blank, head went back, a gargle-like sound ensued, foam came out of mouth, and my brain fast forwarded 10 months to SMITH inviting Josh to turn that experience and then some into a web comic for SMITH, as sort of an American Splendor 2.0 Altmanesque simultaneously panoramic and microscopic look at the ongoing effect of this tragedy on the lives of five real New Orleans residents and also other regions, such as Biloxi, where Josh volunteered.

Jeff has a big help to The Beat over the last two years in many ways we never even realized, and it’s nice to see him get some coverage of his own.

the New York Comic-Con is running a cntest for PODCASTERS! Get those videos up!

New York Comic Con (NYCC) is accepting applications immediately for anyone who wants to be the official “voice” for its recently announced podcast initiative. Do you have what it takes to be a reporter for the 2007 New York Comic Con? Go behind the scenes, meet the creators and talent, interview the fans, report on the pulse of the industry. This is the ultimate fan opportunity to be the official broadcast voice of the 2007 New York Comic Con.

NYCC will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, February 23 – 25.

NYCC’s podcast program is an ambitious endeavor that is free to the general public and will significantly extend the show’s reach both nationally as well as throughout the world, virtually making NYCC a convention “without walls,” featuring coverage of the event, interviews with celebrities, clips and previews. Fans may subscribe to the podcasts through the official podcast web site at www.nycccast.com or through popular podcast portals such as iTunes. They will be able to download the podcasts to their iPod, portable player or cell phone, or they will be able to watch or listen to the episodes directly on their computer through streaming technology.

(more…)

A nomination page is open for The Eagle Awards 2006, the venerable British comics awards.

Nominations are now being solicited for the 2007 Eagle Awards. The winners will be announced at the Bristol International Comic Expo on Saturday, May 12 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Bristol. To submit your nominations, simply fill in the form below.

The following award nominations should be based solely on work published during 2006. Except where otherwise indicated, they cover creators and work published in the US and Canada only (irrespective of the country of origin of the work or the nationality of its creators).

Nominations close on February 28. The top five nominees in each category will go forward to the voting round, which begins on March 12.

We see someone has nominated The Beat for Favourite Comics-Related Website.We are touched…nay HONOURED. Only the top five vote getters will make the final ballot, so…do the right thing. We’re just saying.

The finalists for the 2006 Day Awards, a small press award sponsored by SPACE, with nominees and winners chosen by Dave Sim and Gerhard, have been announced. Pictures of all nominees in the link.

While laying flat on his back, sick in bed, Dave Sim has decreed the following comics have made the 2006 Day Prize Finalists:

Abominable
Lunchbreak Comics
Pat Lewis, 5326 5th Ave. #24 Pittsburgh PA 15232
$5.00

Beaver
Eight Ball Graphics
Jim Coon
174 Madison St. Cortland NY 13045
$2.00

Being Different
Michelle Arcand
434 Colorado Ave. Kansas City MO 64124
$1.00

Chemistry-Comic & CD Soundtrack
Awakening Comics
Steve Peters
17 N. York Rd. #3 Willow Grove PA 19090
$3.00-Comic
CD-$7.00
Both-$8.00

Guitar Solo
Mike Dawson
17 Berkeley Pl #2R Brooklyn NY 11217
$3.00

One Horse Town
Lunchbreak Comics
Pat Lewis
5326 5th Ave. #24 Pittsburgh PA 15232
$2.00

Potlatch #5 “Too Much Matheson”
Angry Dog Press
Chad Lambert-writer
Tom Williams-artist
2982 Calusa Dr. Hamilton OH 45011
$6.95

Under the Midnight Sun
Dusty Neal- Artist
Christopher Studabaker-Writer
2708 South County Home Rd. Bluffton IN 46714
chiristopherstudabaker@yahoo.com

Congrads to the finalists.

About the Day Prize.

Dave Sim, creator of Cerebus and one of the comics industry’s leading advocates of small- and self-publishing, awards the Howard Eugene Day Memorial Award annually.

The award is named in honor of Gene Day, Sim’s mentor in his early years in comics, and is awarded in connection with the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (SPACE) held in Columbus, Ohio. Entries are submitted by the exhibitors of that show with the nominees and winner chosen by Sim and Gerhard.

Recipients of the Day Prize receive a commemorative plaque, a check for five hundred dollars.

§ Spike is 2/3rds of the way to pre-selling enough copies to print TEMPLAR, AZ.

Oh MAN, did I have a busy weekend. Sorry I didn’t update three times last week, guys, but I was just overwhelmed. And there’s still a lot more to tell you guys about. I’ve been getting some great stuff in the mail, and The Pre-Order Project is over 2/3rds of the way to the goal, and popular demand is going to get a new t-shirt designed if you guys aren’t careful. But I’ll get into all that later.

§Marvel writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is really a playwright at heart, and one of his plays is opening in Pittsburgh to no little interest:

The world premiere of a revised version of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s thriller The Muckle Man bows in previews Jan. 25, at City Theatre in Pittsburgh.

Aguirre-Sacasa, the rising playwright whose Based on a Totally True Story was seen at Manhattan Theatre Club in 2006, has been in residence at City Theatre during rehearsals of The Muckle Man in January. The play, about a giant squid, a mysterious man from the sea and a family in crisis, had its world premiere in August 2001 in a staging by the Source Theatre Company in Washington, DC.

A play about a giant squid? We’re sold! More here.

§Channel Frederator has announced the winners in the First Annual Channel Frederator Awards, presented to the best user-uploaded humor videos, including cartoons.

§ Sponge Bob Square Pants has received the rare distinction of being popular in Japan:

Square and loud, SpongeBob wasn’t supposed to have much chance for success in Japan, a nation famous for its love of more cuddly characters like Hello Kitty and Pikachu. But the perky, bucktoothed American cartoon is proving the skeptics wrong. “SpongeBob SquarePants” attracts nearly 1.9 million Japanese households to his TV show daily and is raking in a growing share of the US$5 billion (€3.8 billion) in annual retail sales for Nickelodeon, the Viacom Inc. unit behind the show. And he’s doing it by capturing the hearts of Japan’s young women — not children, his most loyal fans in the U.S.

§ Stop the press! And You Thought Comics Were Just For Kids! Wait, the article includes some interesting demographic info on Virgin Comics, source unknown:

–Virgin Comics retains an 86% male, 14% female readership, with a median age of 23 and age concentration from 16 to 29, with a median household income of $50.69k.

§Hippie-era sexism reviewed, via the works of R. Crumb:

Dealing with gender roles was equally as difficult. While young men of the movement loved the sexual equality part (more women saying yes meant more sex all around), they balked at allowing women what they considered male freedoms. It was only a short decade after the restrictive ‘50s, when women were expected to have dinner on the table and a nightcap in their perfectly-manicured hands before Father came home from work. The perfect woman of the ‘60s counterculture, an image propagated in literature and art, was a hippie chick who had a good time, took care of her man, and didn’t complain when he dumped her for the open road: the “old lady”. As John Denver’s popular lyrics went, “Kiss me and smile for me / tell me that you’ll wait for me.” Although women were peers in theory, in reality they continued to handle the same homemaking chores their mothers had done: taking care of children, tending the garden, and cooking the food.

§ The Utne Reader sums up comics in one handy page of links.

Are Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz just friends?. We have no idea, but it would be cool if they BOTH starred in the movie version of LUBA wouldn’t it? Salma would be Luba and Penelope could be…Pipo!

Don’t worry, we’re going to keep this running gag up for quite a while. We know all our straight male readers have had to suffer through the Clive program and the DDGB program, not to mention a new upcoming program starring a newish drool-worthy star just for 2007! So in the meantime, let’s just keep casting that dream Luba movie.

We are way behind on everything here at Stately Beat Manor. We mean…everything. Like, we were wondering what to buy for the houseboy to use to clean the floors. Well, maybe a Swiffer Wet-Jet was the answer. But wait. What about the Clorox Ready-Mop? Is that better? We only have ONE CHANCE to get this right. Oh man, which to pick.

This is why we love the Internets! It didn’t take more than 30 seconds of googling to find this articleWhich mop is best? at SLATE no less! This woman drops kitty litter and orange juice on the floor and tests SEVEN different mops! WOW. This is like a FANTASY. It turns out the Swiffer does the best of the models we’d consider, but — and here is where it gets really freaky — it turns out the best mop of all is the old Medusa-head, friend of lonely sailors, Gene-Kelly-danced-with-one model!
Now this kind of makes sense, because many times we’ve been in a hospital, or detention, or a warehouse or whatever, and we’ll see some crazy old janitor dude cleaning up, and he is ALWAYS pushing around a Medusa-head mop! Always. And every time we see that, we think… “Man that mop head is FILTHY, isn’t it just pushing the dirt around???” but then we look at the floor, and we’re not saying we would eat off it but, it doesn’t look that bad.

It turns out the crazy old janitor dudes know best. But the medusa-head is too hard to wring out. So for SBM? Nothing but Swiffer will do!

“The Beat is blogging about mops!” you complain. “Has the Beat gone insane?”

Candidly?

Maybe a little.

[PS: yes yes, we know Mickey Mouse was menaced by a broom.]

Newsarama reports THE BOYS has been cancelled:

Newsarama has learned that Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s Wildstorm series, The Boys has been cancelled by DC, effective with issue #6 of the series, which is currently on shelves. Issues #7-#10, as well as the trade collection – all of which have been solicited – will not ship.

DC declined to comment on the series or even confirm that the series has indeed, been canceled.

As the story pointed out, THE BOYS’ sales had been strong, one of the better performing recent Wildstorm launches. However, content issues were the problem, according to insiders close to the situation—the book that promised to “out-Preacher Preacher” indeed included plenty of extreme violence and potty humor.

Asked for comment, writer Garth Ennis provided the following statement:

It’s become obvious to all concerned that The Boys should never have been published at DC, and to their credit they’re working hard to release the rights so that Darick and I can find the book a new home. We’re already looking at offers from a number of publishers, and plan to return with #7 and the first trade collection in a matter of a few months.

Thank you to everyone who’s bought and supported The Boys to date. I’ve gotten a real kick out of the response we’ve gotten over the first six issues, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the next fifty-four. Believe me, what we’ve got coming up will make #1-6 look like a quiet evening on Sesame Street.

One other thing: I want to say thank you to Ben Abernathy, Scott Dunbier and Jim Lee for all their help and support. Good guys, pleasant to deal with, never anything less than gentlemen. I’m going to miss doing the book with them.

That seems to cover it all. Robertson confirms that he has plenty of work lined up at DC, where he is exclusive, but will be given dispensation to work on THE BOYS wherever it lands.

Comics fare for young and old — and Phil Jimenez at Marvel — highlight Marvels Free Comic Book Day offerings:

Spider-Man 3 won’t be the only new Spider-Man tale swinging into the collective consciousness on the weekend of May 5, 2007.

For the sixth annual Free Comic Book Day, Marvel’s rolling out a brand new Spider-Man tale by the blockbuster creative team of Dan Slott (She-Hulk) and Phil Jimenez (New X-Men). Much like 2006’s Runaways/X-Men FCBD offering, the story in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: SWING SHIFT is steeped in continuity, yet accessible and enjoyable by all Spider-Man fans.

Slott, for one, is more than a bit excited about SWING SHIFT. “[It’s] unbelievable,” says the elated writer. “And, seriously, how can anyone pass this up? It’s got three of the biggest draws that I can think of: Spider-Man, Free Comic Book, and Phil Jimenez!”

Speaking of Jimenez, Slott leads the pack of fans who can’t wait to see Phil’s rendition of Spider-Man. “I am so psyched for this! I am a HUGE fan of Phil’s work! And the art that’s been coming in is AMAZING! I think this is going to be one of the sweetest things coming out on Free Comic Book Day– give-away or no.”

But Slott and Jimenez aren’t the only new faces joining Spidey with this year’s FCBD issue. Marvel Heroes editors Tom Brevoort and Steve Wacker are also onboard.

Is Wacker excited to be working on Spider-Man? “Absolutely. When the unholy Marvel trinity of Buckley, Gabriel and Quesada brought this idea up, I almost shoved Brevoort out the window out of sheer joy,” notes Wacker who’s been with Marvel since September. “FCBD has a great track record of tackling one of the most difficult challenges in comics: getting books into new readers hands. The whole team is working to make this an exciting taste of what’s to come.”

(more…)

Jeff Tundis posted the following at the Cerebus Yahoo message board:

Effective as of December 31st, 2006 Gerhard has parted ways with Aardvark-Vanaheim and long time partner Dave Sim.

Dave is still in the process of gathering the funds necessary to buy out Gerhard’s 40% share of the company, but this will not affect the publication of future Cerebus volumes or, presumably, Following Cerebus (which is experiencing its own in-house delays at Win-Mill Productions). In fact, the proofs are in for the fourth printing of Form & Void and soon we will see the first Cerebus book not printed by Preney Press.

As a result of the split, Gerhard will not be attending the SPACE convention in Columbus, OH this year. Bob Corby has been notified and will be adjusting the website accordingly in due time.

Sorry I couldn’t say anything earlier, but with SPACE approaching and people trying to finalize plans I asked Dave, and he said it was OK to announce it.

You’ll recall that Gerhard was the background artist through many long years of CEREBUS, responsible for the intricate rendering and architectural details. It’s the end of an era.

A while ago, everyone linked to an interview with Marvel editor Tom Brevoort in which he told many insider stories, including one about Steve Gerber that was not very flattering to the latter. Well, Gerber
recently responded to the tale at his blog, and he’s pretty gracious about it.

About 98% of what Tom says in this interview is accurate. The other two percent look different from his point of view than from mine, but I fully understand why he interprets my actions the way he does.

I hope he won’t consider the following a “nonapology apology”:

Tom, I am genuinely sorry for having put a very talented editor and a very nice guy — i.e., you — in a very difficult position.

Well, Walmart.com was, anyway. § Johanna has the scoop on Walmart.com Selling Porn! It seems Wal-Mart.com picked up a bunch of Diamond products including some racy manga. CLick link for the whole story, including outraged bloggers. Is THIS the beginning of the end?

§ Ruwan Jayatilleke has been upped to Vice President of Development, Publishing at Marvel. Congrats, Ruwan.

§ Viz announced a new VP of Content Management, Linda Espinosa.

Espinosa will spearhead the strategy for acquired animation properties, providing creative direction for the Consumer Products division and supervising the Approvals and Content Management teams. Espinosa effectively joined the Company on January 8, 2007 and will report to Executive Vice President, Akira Fujita.

Espinosa has over 20 years experience in entertainment branding, licensing and product design for a variety of high profile global clients. For the past seven years, she owned and operated Piece O Cake Design, Inc. in New York City which specialized in the same services. Her previous experience has included directing product design for the Viacom properties Nickelodeon, Nick@Nite, MTV and Paramount, and she served as Creative Director for retail at Warner Bros. and Creative Director for Consumer Products at the Walt Disney Company.

Over at Newsarama, a couple of youngsters have reviewed all the all-ages comics at LUNCHBOX. We couldn’t find the ages of the reviewers given, but they seem to have differing tastes.

Cow & Buffalo by Mark Maihack

Tracy says: Stupid Cow + smart Buffalo = funny. I really enjoyed the early strips in black and white – pretty funny stuff. But when Maihack started adding color shading, well, it just isn’t my cup of hot chocolate. For me, it actually made it harder to see the characters. I also liked the writing up until about the same point, but I just didn’t find the time travel storyline as entertaining as the earlier stuff. Many, many clicks, going back to 2003

Shelby says: The cow is a boy with udders – it explains how that happened and it’s funny. They try to eat the hen’s eggs and they tease her like on one that’s Halloween costumes, they say, “What are you dressed up as?” and she says, “I’m a witch,” and they say, “No, really, what’s your costume?” It’s funny.

Martial Hearts Demo

Al Davison is an English cartoonist who was born with spina bifida — doctors thought he would never walk — and his graphic novel THE SPIRAL CAGE chronicled growing up and struggling to be accepted as a whole person. Despite his handicap he’s studied martial arts for 30 years, and gained a couple of black belts. Here’s a video of Davison putting on an MA demonstration he recently put up on his MySpace page. He also runs a comics shop in Conventry called the Astral Gypsy which just celebrated its first anniversary.

If you ever run into Al at a show, chat him up — he’s one of the most unforgettable characters you’ll ever meet.

The Final YALSA list of top books for teens for 2007 is up, and there are several graphic novels in the list. We’ll let you click and find yourself. We will note that AMERICAN BORN CHINESE made the Top Ten list. Congrats again, Gene Yang and First Second!

As you all know, it is the Age of the Graphic Novel, a time of peace, harmony and awards being heaped upon the comics. But even among the approbation, there are still a few doubters. It’s always good to remember the few that have resisted conversion to Our Way.

For instance, we saw this recent story from Arizona Central on the Guardian line of Christian comics but didn’t link to it because it seemed like a typical piece on the efforts to get Christian comics into the lucrative religious market. However, it seems we missed this clear cut example of comics dissing:

Not everyone agrees that God and his teachings belong in the same medium occupied by the Hulk. The Rev. Oscar Tillman, president of the Maricopa County branch of the NAACP, said comics can cheapen the message.

Tillman, who had not seen the books but had studied the Guardian Line’s online site, said he was disappointed by the examples he saw. He was particularly distressed by the character of a young boy who is told that God took away his father.

Children, Tillman said, should learn about the Bible in Sunday school, not the comics.

“We have other ways to responsibly address religious and moral values,” he said. “These do not get my stamp of approval.”

CHEAPEN! Oh dear. Regular reader “Birmy” also sent us a quote from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about the proposed revitalization of a local shopping strict that contained this gem:

Bob Greenstreet, the city planning director, calls the revised, $50 million plan “a real step forward, using very sound urban strategies.”

If it fails, he says, “I’m afraid we’re dangerously close to check-cashing stores and comic book shops.”

Check cashing shops! What century is this? Pow! Sock!

While no longer regaling us with daily updates on his BMs, Kevin Smith tells us about his diet.

Here’s the thing: I’m thirty seven and I come from a long line of diabetics. My Father was diabetic; his sister, his brothers, his parents, their parents - all diabetics. And considering the amount of sugar I put into my body (pre-Christmas, I kid you not, I was laying around watching Oscar screeners and putting away two and sometimes three quarts of Ben & Jerry’s a day), I was just asking for it.

Smith takes a glucose tolerance test…and waits for the bad news.

After taking the test, I went to Jersey for a week to hit some Devils games and play some poker - all while ignoring the distinct possibility that I’d passed the point of no return, and had, indeed, developed diabetes. Today, I went to the doctor’s office for my weigh-in and to face down the test results…

Which I passed with flying colors.

Apparently, my body knows what to do with sugar: it stores it as fat. Not great, but very awesome, considering the alternative. It was a wake-up call. I’ve beat the genetic odds thus far, but just because you haven’t shot yourself yet doesn’t mean you keep playing Russian Roulette. I’m putting the gun down, folks: the gun that’s filled with cake frosting.

Smith lists 230 as his weight goal…we wish him all the best.

§ Comics artist Tomm Coker turns out to have done the cinematics for the new 300: MARCH TO GLORY video game:

On the technical and artistic front, 300 is a decent-looking PSP game. Despite the movie tie-in, this is a PSP original, so the artists weren’t constrained by the necessity of porting to other platforms. The characters are fairly detailed and there are a lot running around and hurting each other at any given time. The comic-style cinematics are the work of Tomm Coker, and their style definitely evokes the original Frank Miller artwork and the uniquely stunning visuals of the upcoming film — see the trailer if you haven’t.

§ Meanwhile, manga-ka Shinji Mizushima, famedfor a long career producing sports manga, has become a real life commish, by backing a bew independent pro baseball league:

Mizushima has pulled some strings among his extensive personal network to select managers for the Hokushinetsu Baseball Challenge League, which consists of four teams from Niigata, Nagano, Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures.

Mizushima also has been helping to promote the new venture by drawing posters and will even feature the league–the second independent pro league in the nation after the Shikoku Island League, which began playing ball in 2005–in his serial comics.

§ Handsome Olivier Martinez DESPERATE to play comics character!

Q: Do you like comic books (I guess this was asked because Hugh Dancy’s character in the film writes and draws graphic novels)?

Olivier: Oh yeah. I love them. The Marvel ones I know by heart. I don’t know why nobody has offered me a superhero [role]. Maybe it’s because I don’t speak the language. You don’t have superheroes in France. We have super cooks (laughs). It’s more an American vision. Captain Marvel.

§ Microsoft is launching an anti-piracy campaignusing the international power of comics:

Dubbed “Genuine Fact Files,” the campaign is now launching in the U.S. It went online last month in Italy, France, the U.K., Indonesia, Brazil, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. Microsoft plans to draw attention to it through banner ads on its Web sites and promotional material that it will hand out through partners. By using comics, the company aims to make the message more accessible to a broader audience. They are black and white, in a style similar to newspaper comics.

DC announces a returnability program in the direct sales market for THE PLAIN JANES, the debut book in the MINX launch:

With this month’s solicitation of THE PLAIN JANES, the inaugural title from Minx, DC Comics’ new young adult graphic novel imprint, DC offers qualifying Diamond retailers full returnability on THE PLAIN JANES at a future date.

“We have a great deal of confidence in THE PLAIN JANES as a title that can sell well in all channels,” says Bob Wayne, DC’s VP - Sales. “With that in mind, we’re offering comics retailers this low-risk way to increase their orders on the title.”

Retailers may qualify for this offer as follows:

DC Comics Retailer Discount Minimum Qualifying order

35% 2 copies
40% 2 copies
50% 4 copies
52.50% 4 copies
55% 6 copies
56% 10 copies
57% 15 copies

For example, a retailer with a 50% DC Comics discount must order a minimum of 4 copies of THE PLAIN JANES to qualify for full returnability.

The offer is valid through the Final Order Cutoff date of March 8, and only in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. DC will announce the return window for this title at a date to be named later.

THE PLAIN JANES is solicited in the February Previews (Volume XVII #2) and is scheduled to arrive in stores on May 16.

They also announced JLA #0 and THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY #1 as their Free Comic Book Day offerings:

THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY #1, DC’s gold-level title for this year, is all-new, all-ages Johnny DC series spinning out of the smash-hit animated series on Kids WB on the CW! In this debut issue, the Legion travels back in time for reinforcement to stop the Fatal Five from destroying Metropolis because this looks like a job for - Clark Kent?! Can six teenagers from the future help a mild-mannered teenager become the Man of Steel, or will the Fatal Five determine his destiny before it’s even begun?

THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY #1 is a 32-page comic book written by J. Torres, with art by Chynna Clugston-Flores and a cover by Steve Uy.

DC’s silver-level title is JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #0. Best-selling author Brad Meltzer broke the JLA down in the top-selling, critically acclaimed IDENTITY CRISIS - and now he puts all the pieces back together again! The core heroes of the DC Universe, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, are back - but where do they stand with each other? Join us for this historic and unforgettable new beginning of the Justice League of America as we look at the past, present and future of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes!

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #0 is written by Brad Meltzer, with art by Eric Wight, Dick Giordano, Tony Harris, George Pérez, J.H. Williams III, Luke McDonnell, Paul Neary, Gene Ha, Rags Morales, Ethan Van Sciver, Kevin Maguire, Adam Kubert, Dan Jurgens & Kevin Nowlan, Jim Lee, Howard Porter & Dexter Vines, Andy Kubert & Jesse Delperdang, Phil Jimenez & Andy Lanning, and Ed Benes & Sandra Hope, and a cover by Michael Turner.

Both of these titles are solicited in the February Previews (Volume XVII #2). Retailers, please see this month’s order form for details.

[Please note these are the figures for DECEMBER, not November as I mistakenly posted — Ed.]

By Paul O’Brien

CIVIL WAR is still going, but with the core title running late (because you demanded it), and many of the crossover arcs having finished, it’s started to relinquish its grip on Marvel’s line. But December still saw three CIVIL WAR one-shots, along with several crossover issues. It’s a relatively quiet month for new launches, but we do have the debut of Warren Ellis and Salvador Larroca’s NEWUNIVERSAL, and new miniseries including NEW AVENGERS: ILLUMINATI, SPIDER-MAN: REALM, WONDER MAN and X-23: TARGET X.

Once again, Marvel comfortably beat DC in market share. In dollar terms, it’s 38% to 35%. In units, it’s 43% to 39%. And that’s with DC taking most of the top 10, not to mention plenty of Marvel’s big sellers skipping a month.

Thanks as always to Milton Griepp and ICV2 for permission to use their figures for these calculations.

3.  NEW AVENGERS
12/01  #49  -  57,715
12/02  #62  -  55,145
12/03  #75  -  57,814
12/04  #1   - 240,724
=====
12/05  #14  - 126,583  (  +0.3%)
01/06  #15  - 124,143  (  -1.9%)
02/06  #16  - 124,256  (  +0.1%)
03/06  #17  - 122,847  (  -1.1%)
04/06  #18  - 121,550  (  -1.1%)
05/06  #19  - 125,223  (  +3.0%)
06/06  #20  - 125,600  (  +0.3%)
06/06  #21  - 154,911  ( +23.4%)
07/06  #22  - 143,391  (  -7.4%)
08/06  #23  - 155,550  (  +8.5%)
09/06  —
10/06  #24  - 136,811  ( -12.0%)
11/06  #25  - 136,504  (  -0.2%)
12/06  #26  - 122,670  ( -10.1%)
               6 mnth  ( -20.8%)
               1 year  (  -3.1%)
               2 year  ( -49.0%)
               3 year  (+112.2%)

With CIVIL WAR missing, NEW AVENGERS is Marvel’s top book of the month, although it was beaten into third place by two issues of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA. The CIVIL WAR tie-in arc is over, and sales duly drop straight back to their previous levels.

This month also marks the second anniversary of the book’s relaunch. Some purists continue to protest that this isn’t really the Avengers, and that the upcoming MIGHTY AVENGERS sister title isn’t the Avengers either. Metaphysically, they might have a point, but the reality is that even two years after the relaunch, it’s still selling more than twice as well as the previous version of the book. No wonder Marvel see this as the way forward for the franchise.
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The Academy Award noms are in and Guillermo Del Toro will henceforth be known as “Oscar® nominated del Toro” in the halls of Comic-con. PAN’S LABYRINTH received six nominations, including Foreign Language Film, Original Screenplay, Art Direction, Score, Cinematography and Make-Up.

SUPERMAN RETURNS received a nomination for Visual Effects, along with PIRATES 2 and POSEIDON. PIRATES got a bunch of those weird sound editing noms, as well as Art Direction.

Animated nominees included CARS, HAPPY FEET and a randomly selected third film, this time MONSTER HOUSE.

AND of course, the category you have all been waiting for, the TIE BREAKER category…ANIMATED SHORT FEATURE!

“The Danish Poet” Torill Kove; A Mikrofilm and National Film Board of Canada Production(National Film Board of Canada)
“Lifted” Gary Rydstrom; A Pixar Animation Studios Production (Buena Vista)
“The Little Matchgirl” Roger Allers and Don Hahn; A Walt Disney Pictures Production (Buena Vista)
“Maestro” Geza M. Toth; A Kedd Production (Szimplafilm)
“No Time for Nuts” Chris Renaud and Michael Thurmeier; A Blue Sky Studios Production(20th Century Fox)

The Beat will be back with our EXCLUSIVE Animated Short Film handicapping closer to the awards, and as always, will help you win the Oscar® pool. We are three for three since we started this feature!

In other notes, we were happy to see Al Gore, Jennifer Hudson, Ryan Gosling, Eddie Murphy and Abigail Breslin get their noms, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t let Clint beat Marty again. Please. It’s getting old.