Best Short Story
“A Frog’s Eye View,” by Bill Willingham and James Jean, in Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Vertigo/DC)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Batman/The Spirit #1: “Crime Convention,” by Jeph Loeb and Darwyn Cooke (DC)

Best Continuing Series
All Star Superman, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC)

Best Limited Series
Batman: Year 100, by Paul Pope (DC)

Best New Series
Criminal, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel Icon)

Best Title for a Younger Audience
Gumby, by Bob Burden and Rick Geary (Wildcard)

Best Humor Publication
Flaming Carrot Comics, by Bob Burden (Desperado/Image)

Best Anthology
Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall, by Bill Willingham and various (Vertigo/DC)

Best Digital Comic
Sam and Max, by Steve Purcell

Best Reality-Based Work
Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel (Houghton Mifflin)

Best Graphic Album - New
American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang (First Second)

Best Graphic Album - Reprint
Absolute DC: The New Frontier, by Darwyn Cooke (DC)

Best Archival Collection/Project - Strips
The Complete Peanuts, 1959-1960, 1961-1962, by Charles Schulz (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project - Comic Books
Absolute Sandman, vol. 1, by Neil Gaiman and various (Vertigo/DC)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
The Left Bank Gang, by Jason (Fantagraphics)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Japan
Old Boy, by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi (Dark Horse Manga)

Best Writer
Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil (Marvel); Criminal (Marvel Icon)

Best Writer/Artist
Paul Pope, Batman: Year 100 (DC)

Best Writer/Artist - Humor
Tony Millionaire, Billy Hazelnuts (Fantagraphics); Sock Monkey: The Inches Incident (Dark Horse)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Mark Buckingham/Steve Leialoha, Fables (Vertigo/DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
Jill Thompson, “A Dog and His Boy” in The Dark Horse Book of Monsters; “Love Triangle” in Sexy Chix (Dark Horse); “Fair Division,” in Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Vertigo/DC)

Best Cover Artist
James Jean, Fables, Jack of Fables, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Vertigo/DC)

Best Coloring
Dave Stewart, BPRD, Conan, The Escapists, Hellboy (Dark Horse); Action Comics, Batman/The Spirit, Superman (DC)

Best Lettering
Todd Klein, Fables, Jack of Fables, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall; Pride of Baghdad, Testament (Vertigo/DC); Fantastic Four: 1602, Eternals (Marvel); Lost Girls (Top Shelf)

Special Recognition
Hope Larson, Gray Horses (Oni)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)

Best Comics-Related Book
The Art of Brian Bolland, edited by Joe Pruett (Desperado/Image)

Best Publication Design
Absolute DC: The New Frontier, designed by Darwyn Cooke (DC)

Hall of Fame
Judges’ Choices (2): Robert Kanigher and Ogden Whitney
- Ross Andru & Mike Esposito
- Dick Ayers
- Wayne Boring
- Joe Orlando

Other Awards:

Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comics Writing: Gardner Fox, George Gladir

Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award: David Petersen

Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: Neil Gaiman

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailing Award:
Earth-2, Sherman Oaks, CA, owned by Carr D’Angelo

Hey there, we decided to love blog the Eisner Awards! Our spot by a power outlet doesn’t allow for very good pictures, but we’ll have all the banter and excitement.

The evening begins with Jackie Estrada introducing MC Bill MOrrison, who recounts a wonderful deram of comics before admitting he’s having a nightmare of nervousness appearing before the gathered crowd. Of course he is silly as everyone loves Bill Morrison. Morrison introduces the even more loved Jane Weidlin, who was once a member of the much-loved Go-Gos.

And we’re off!

The Bill Finger Award is first up and Paul Dini and Mark Evanier are presenting it. WHO WILL GET THE FINGER THIS TIME?

Why it’s Gardner Fox as the deceased winner. Roy Thomas accepts who recounts Fox’s career creating many great characters. “Google him!” Thomas urges.

The living iwnner is Sabrina creator George Gladir, who has a 47-year career writing Archie comics. Gladir acknowledges the “Ahtists” he worked with and says they really deserve the awards.

A break in the action as Jackie describes the rules and introduces judges and sponsors.

Jerru Duggan and Brian Posehn are the first “celebrity” presenters, although we know they are just nerds like us. Posehn is wearing the Alex Ross Vampire George Bush t-shirt. Posehn goes on to say that just being nominated sucks because you don’t win! Preach it, Brian! First award —

Best Publication for a Younger Audience
* Gumby, by Bob Burden and Rick Geary (Wildcard)

Yay! Burden and Geary! Burden brings up a gang of helpers to share the high. Burden thanks editors Diana Shutz and Bob Schreack for getting the Gumby comic started 20 yeras ago, which they won an Eisner for back then, as well. “One of the things about Gumby that really echoes throughout the whole book and the business is it’s supposed to be fun, so let’s have some fun.” urges Burden. Geary thanks Steve Oliff the colorist and his wife Deborah for her tolerance for his bizarre career.

Nest award is Digital Coimics, and the presenter s struggling manfully over some of the names, but Posehn apologies.

Best Digital Comic
* Sam and Max, by Steve Purcell, telltalegames.com/community/comics/samandmax/issue-3

Legardy Purcell is on hand to accept wearing a straw boater. Purcell sgives a good piece of advice: don’t pick the cute girl bicycle cab driver — the burly guy is better to make it on time back to the awards.

The next award is announced in Klingon by Posehn!!! A great moment in Eisner history. This is getting pretty funny, although his accent is more Romulan, in our opinion. Kasimir Strzepek is already in Kingon!

Special Recognition
* Hope Larson, Gray Horses (Oni)

Larson friend Mike Holmes from Halifax is up to accept. Living in Halifax everyone is friends!

Morrison announces that Paramount has optioned “Esiner AWards: The MOtion Pictures” with Michael Chiklis as Bill Morrison. Wiedlin will be portrayed by William Shatner.

James Sime and Kristen Blaylock are nest presenters. Sime is his usual natty self in a striped suit, and Blaylock is elegant in a black jewel-nacked dress.

Best Coloring
* Dave Stewart, BPRD, Conan, The Escapists, Hellboy (Dark Horse); Action Comics, Batman/The Spirit, Superman (DC)

Well that was no surprise…to anyone but Stewart who is humble in the face of his overwhelming excellence.

Next up lettering…will Todd Klein win AGAIN?

Best Lettering
* Todd Klein, Fables, Jack of Fables, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall, Pride of Baghdad, Testament (Vertigo/DC); Fantastic Four: 1602, Eternals (Marvel); Lost Girls (Top Shelf)

YES! “Here I am again,” says the oft winning Klein. “IO appreciate this very much as always,” says the lettering master, even while mourning his lost luggage.

Back for best Anthology. A tight category! So many indie favorites here.

Best Anthology
* Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall, by Bill Willingham and various (Vertigo/DC)

….annnnnd to no one’s surprise the more mainstream — but still indie-powered anthology wins. Shelly Bond and Jill Thomson are on stage as Bill Willingham accepts. Bond looks sharp in a white Pop inspired ensemble, and Thompson is rocking a long white dress. Jeams Jean and Mark Wheatley are also on the stage wearing more casual attire. At least they are wearing long pants.

Next up! Russ Manning Award presented by Steve Rude, a former winner. We should note here that the presenters and winners are being accompanied by music cues, including the Star Wars theme for Rude. Rude is emotional remembering his win back in the 80s. ‘He tells a story, “Drawing is not enough, you must have a style. Style is not enough you must be able to tell a story. If you have all that and you have spirit you have grabbed all the elements to be a superior talent.”

Rude messes up and forgets to name the nominees but the winner is Mouse Guard’s David Petersen.

MC Morrison acknowledges the nominee snafu and mentions the noms so they can get their applause.

PERSONAL ASIDE: Everyone says the Eisners are …a long night….but with our new spot over on the side live blogging it’s a whole new thrill.

The next opresenters are….PAUL POPE AND WHITNEY MATHESON???? Hsssssssssssss! Whitney is wearing a balck and white frock and Paul Pope is wearing a black wifebeater. WHITNEY MATHESON! We were a judge in the 90s! We were a presenter when you were just a pig tailed school girl! Boo! Hiss

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
* The Complete Peanuts, 1959–1960, 1961–1962, by Charles Schulz (Fantagraphics)

Eric REynolds accept,s and we all know Eric has a big Crush on Jane Wiedlin! Sure enough he gets his pictures taken with her and waves with triumph! This is the comic book equivalent of Adrien Brody and Halle Berry.

Whitney is calling Paul Foxy during a computer glitch. WHITNEY YOU HUSSEY! LEAVE PAUL ALOLNE! WE SAW HIM FIRST! Paul is talking about old archival comics to defuse the tension. Come on now kis, Whitney is using old jokes from the monolog. Come on now if the BEat were there there would be laughs galore.

OH DEAR GOD, they are reduced to a PALDROME CONTEST. A MAN A PLAN A CANAL PANAMA! Come on kids. Sit on a potato pan Otis. Luckily Matheson and Pope are the cutest presenters so far.
Time out for AV problems. Av the achilles heel of all live presenters.

Matheson says I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DOWNFALL OF THE EISNER AWARDS. Our Triumph is complete.

YAY BACK!!!!

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
* Absolute Sandman, vol. 1, by Neil Gaiman and various (Vertigo/DC)

“I’ve been joking about the fact that you could actually kill somebody with Absolute Sandman. It hasn’t happened so far,” quips Gaiman who calls up colorist Danny Vozzo, the hero of the reprint. Gaiman thanks everyone who was stupid enough to carry one around in case they ran into Gaiman to sign it, “the biggest the heaviest and the most likely to kill you.”

We’ve had a few glasses of wine now, so buckle your seat belts, you’re in for a bumpy ride.

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
* The Left Bank Gang, by Jason (Fantagraphics)

YAY we love Jason, and now Eric can complete his stalking of Jane Wiedlin!

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Japan
* Old Boy, by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi (Dark Horse Manga)

Samantha Robinson from Dark Horse is up to accept.

Next up, Bill Morrison mentions that Sergio Aragones is in his 25th year of Groo and is up to present the Hall of Fame Awards. YAY first a wonderful moment as Ramona Fradon comes up to accept her award that she wasn’t here to get last year. She gets a well-deserved standing ovation.

“They always said, if you live long enough you get one of these,” says Fradon. “I want to thank the folks at DC for always having an open door for me, particularly Paul Levitz, who I’ve watched grow into a fine young man now.” She thanks her editors and Will Eisner always a hero of hers. “I want to say fianlly to thank all you folks out there who have refused to grow and continued to support comics over the years.

The first HoF is Robert Kanigher, Paul Levitz, that young whipper snapper, accepts. Levitz was just over at the Zuda party showing us the interface. Levitz admits that Kanigher was a “notoriously difficult” writer and editor, but a great contributor to comics, creating Metal Men.

The second Judges choice is Ogden Whitney, accepted by Dan Nadel. who is wearing a blue and white striped polo shirt. Why is it that women know they have to get dressed up for this but a guy can wear a black wife beater.

Next the regular awards We’re rooting for Cliff Sterett.

Ross Andru and Mike Esposito are the first winners. Daniel Herman, Esposito’s publisher accepts on their behalf with…a long speech that involves prosecco.

The next winner is Dick Ayers, upholding the tradition of a LIVING Hall of Famer! Ayers is very honored and thanks Eisner up in the sky, and “you fans, and you people who put out this convention.” He goes into how he met Eisner …in 1942 he was aware of his work but didn’t meet him…we traverse the years in which Eisner lived in the same town as Ayers, then somehow an insurance guy hooks them up. Ayers admits he proud and speechless because he never thought it would happen, but “I got it!”

Okay, we are now an hour in. there are, by our count, 18 AWARDS to go. Now you know why people joke about the Eisners. Especially when you are sitting on the floor hooked up to a power outlet.

There is another HoF winner…Wayne Boring. The jokes write themselves. Mike Carlin accepts. “Wayne Boring drew a kick ass Superman,” says Carlin, demonstrating a Wayne Boring Superman pose.

WAIT THERE IS A FOURTH WINNER…huh? Were there that many in the past. It’s Joe Orlando, and Levitz is back and admits it’s very special to get it from Sergio, one of Orlando’s dearest friends. Levitz reads a note from Karen Orlando.

We’re happy for all the winners, but sad that Lilly Renee didn’t win when she is in attendance at the con.

ASIDE, it’s very cold in the corner we’re sitting in, and our laptop is the warmest thing within reach.

Next up retailer Joe Ferrera comes up accompanied by his own recording of “If I were a Rich man.”

The Spirit of Retailing Award is Carr D’Angelo of Earth 2. People texting us from the Oni Party. Temptation.

Ellen Forney and Alison Bechdel are the next presenters. Bechdel is natty in a white shirt, Forney has a form fitting green dress.

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
* Mark Buckingham/Steve Leialoha, Fables (Vertigo/DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
* Jill Thompson, “A Dog and His Boy” in The Dark Horse Book of Monsters; “Love Triangle” in Sexy Chix (Dark Horse);”Fair Division,” in Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Vertigo/DC)

Winner Thompson thanks Steve Rude for teaching her about Andrew Loomis.

Forney and Bechdel stop the show to salute women cartoonsits by saluting Madonna and Britney Spears and kissing. HAWT!!!!

Best Cover Artist
* James Jean, Fables, Jack of Fables, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Vertigo/DC)
We are always happy when James wins an award since we helped discover him, but it’s his fourth win in a row, and he humbly claims JG Jones should have won for drawing weekly covers for 52.

Eric Powell and sidekick come up in some comedy gear and go into a long comedy routine to announce …
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
* Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)

Well, we’re thrilled by this result, for many reasons…losing feeling in our fingers and forced to leave the room….So cold…losing feeling…Elizabeth, I’m coming to join you……

News spread rapidly over the floor that Mark Waid has been named Editor-in-Chief of Boom! Studios. No other details available.

UPDATE: PR

In a surprise announcement that rocked the comic-book world, BOOM! Studios revealed that fan-favorite scribe Mark Waid will become BOOM!’s Editor-in-Chief effective August 1st, 2007. Waid will fill a key position in the company previously held informally by Publisher and co-owner, Ross Richie.
“BOOM! Studios is the next generation comic book company. They are doing innovative work of astounding quality,” Waid says. “Co-owners Ross Richie and Andy Cosby have an incredible vision for the future of the industry and the company, and they approached me to partner with them to realize that vision. ‘Here’s a comic-book company,’ says Ross. ‘Go run it, and run it your way.’ It’s an unbelievable offer.”

“Mark is as close to the Leonardo DaVinci of comics as you can get. There’s nothing he hasn’t done. The man can write. The man can edit. He designs characters, he can do production and layout, I’ve gotten files on his books back with the colors Photoshop-corrected by the man himself. He knows comics inside and out. And he is just an honest-to-goodness genuine human being who loves this medium and got taught all the right lessons by the heroes he grew up reading. His standing in the comics community speaks for itself,” said BOOM! Publisher and co-owner Ross Richie. “Mark is at the top of his game and we look forward to him taking BOOM! into the stratosphere.”

Chief among Waid’s duties will be to institute a steady hand at a company that has seen explosive growth. Day-to-day, he will oversee the creation of all the BOOM! titles, work with established and non-established talent on new properties designed to ignite the medium’s boundaries, and shepherd BOOM!’s exciting slate of licensed properties.
“BOOM!’s exploded - quite literally — in the last two years. Mark’s two decades of experience will help us bring our A-game to the fans,” co-owner Andrew Cosby said.
Waid’s relationship with BOOM! grew organically given his involvement with the company since its inception two years ago.

“Back when BOOM! started as four guys in a barn, they corralled me into writing for their first comic, ZOMBIE TALES, and the experience was terrific. They earned my trust, so I brought them my new creation, POTTER’S FIELD with artist Paul Azaceta. That led to the E-I-C offer. Working with Ross and Andy and all their little office Boomlets has been a pleasure,” Waid said.

Fans who enjoy Waid’s mainstream superhero series such as FLASH or BRAVE AND BOLD need not fret; the award-winning writer has no plans to abandon his outside commitments, but BOOM! will serve as the home for his upcoming–and numerous–creator-owned projects.

While most recently in the spotlight as part of the writing team that spawned DC’s sales mammoth 52 which Waid wrote on a weekly basis along with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Geoff Johns, Waid began his career as an editor. Waid’s editorial accomplishments include Morrison’s run on DOOM PATROL, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, SECRET ORIGINS, and a host of one-shot titles. Waid has written stories for every major comics publisher, including well-loved stints on DC Comics’ THE FLASH and Marvel Comics’ CAPTAIN AMERICA and FANTASTIC FOUR. Waid and Alex Ross’ seminal graphic novel, KINGDOM COME, is one of the best-selling graphic novels of all time.

The relationship with Waid solidifies BOOM! as a leader in the industry, particularly on the heels of Thursday’s announcement regarding the acquisition of THE GODFATHER license. THE GODFATHER will be one of the many titles Waid will oversee in his new position when it launches Winter 2007.
BOOM! has gone through a growth spurt like no other publisher this past year. At the 2007 Book Expo in New York, BOOM! announced their new mass market book distribution deal via Perseus, a unique relationship for a comic book publisher that positions BOOM! with one of the market leaders to book retailers. Perseus just recently acquired Publisher’s Group West and continues to grow and expand its reach into the mass market.
By the end of this summer, BOOM! will be offering a line of trade paperback graphic novels collecting their popular series, including TALENT, HERO SQUARED, TAG, DEATH VALLEY, and X ISLE.
In the last twelve months, BOOM! has sold three of its comic book series to Hollywood: THE FOUNDATION was just bought in a preemptive pre-publication bid by Paramount Pictures, while Universal Studios bought TALENT and TAG last year.

Last December’s launch of WARHAMMER 40,000: DAMNATION CRUSADE initiated a new, successful series of comic books and graphic novels followed up by the summer’s launch of WARHAMMER: FORGE OF WAR. BOOM! enjoys the unique position of being one of only four licensors of Games Workshop material, and will continue to grow and expand its line of WARHAMMER 40,000 and WARHAMMER series.

Following on the heels of its success with these comics, BOOM! announced a comic book and graphic novels license with Epic Games’ mega-selling GEARS OF WAR video game. This fall will see a huge launch for this exciting new property.

Prior to joining BOOM!, Waid was under exclusive contract to DC Comics.

Posting live from the promised land of Hall H. The loud speaker reminds the people who have been camped out here all day that there is food available, but they need to remove their garbage to keep it clean.

There are seats here, but getting in is still a hassle. Not only was Kate Beckinsale delayed for the WHITEOUT panel by getting stuck on the other side of the train tracks, but word is that the executive producer of the movie and artist Steve Lieber — who were supposed to be ON the panel — couldn’t find the people who had their passes and had to stand in line.

OFF TOPIC: Big ups to Thunderbird Laura Ciporen for getting the comments running again. Also thanks to Mark Coale for manning the home internet connection.

What’s up with the viral game tied into the Batman movie going on at the Con this afternoon?

It apparently started this morning with the Why So Serious website giving out coordinates this morning to a location right outside the convention center.

As of this writing (3:30 ET), the website says “Checkpoint 1″ and a cryptic message scrawled across the page:

Ready to play a joke? Tell your stooges on the ground to look up. They’ll tell you what to do next.

There’s also a place to apparently enter a password. No word on what that is yet.

According to Rich Johnston, it all ends up leading to the new DARK KNIGHT trailer, the one that was up on You Tube yesterday and can be seen in front of THE SIMPSONS movie.

the trailer is back up on You Tube.

edit: Here’s the screen as of now (5:00 ET). The police report (when clicked) talks about a dead “Joker” who was found in an abandoned van (from this morning?) and holding something that said “See you in December.” The small pixel on the right takes you to the trailer.

Posted by Mark Coale

A few photos from the panoply of Day 0. Above, Andrew Pepoy, a gentleman whose name we did not write down, The Beat, Lee Nordling (The Pack) and Disney Legend Floyd Norman.
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With the Lone Ranger stuck in the middle of the San Diego maelstrom, it’s left to poor Tonto to try and cobble together some of the other news going on at the Con.

We recommend going to the big news sites (the ones that have mobilized armies of reporters to live blog from the show) for in-depth coverage of everything that’s going on this weekend.

CBR talks to Terry Moore about Runaways.

CBR on Bruce Timm’s new toons.

CBR on Matt Wagner and Grendel.

Newsarama talks Marvel Exclusives with Jimenez, Guggenheim.

Newsarama on IDW’s new Dr Who title.

6 PM ET update

CBR on Warren Ellis on Astonishing X-Men

CBR on Mark Waid being named Boom! EIC

9 PM ET update

** Grant Morrison and JG Jones named as creative team for FINAL CRISIS, a seven-issue, over-sized mini-series.

More news later in the day.

Posted by Mark Coale

STAY AWAY! No one goes there; it’s too crowded! Another sell-out at Comic-Con:

Comic-Con, the nation¹s largest comic book and pop culture event announced that Sunday admissions have sold out.

“I guess this was bound to happen, but it¹s still surprising,” said David Glanzer, spokesperson for the non profit event, “for the first time in our 38 year history, Comic-Con has sold out of Friday, Saturday and= now Sunday admissions.”

Because of capacity concerns during last years Comic-Con, organizers made a concerted effort to address potential overcrowding.

“One way to anticipate attendance was to encourage early online registration,” continued Glanzer “which progressed much quicker than in previous years.” Pointing out that while registration was closed for a time last year the facility never reached capacity.

Comic-Con¹s efforts at early registration presumably will help them better control crowd issues at what has become the largest comic book and pop culture event in the United States.

Comic-Con International is a non profit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular art forms primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture.

We give up.

The secret word is DIGITAL! You can’t spell Web 2.0 without COMICS, it seems, as all sorts of digital deals are being announced at this year’s San Diego, or else bubbling under the surface. Today’s big news: MySpace and Dark Horse are teaming to bring back the digital version of DARK HORSE PRESENTS with creators such as Joss Whedon, Rick Geary and Gerard Way on tap. The site goes live today.

More: PWCW’s son coverage.

MySpace, the nation’s most trafficked website, and Dark Horse Comics, pioneers of creator owned and licensed comics material, today announced a partnership to revive one of the most celebrated comic anthologies with the launch of a new online comic book, “MySpace Dark Horse Presents” (http://www.myspace.com/darkhorsepresents). The online series will include original content by top creators and premiere artists, all available exclusively on MySpace and free of charge to users. The announcement was made on-site at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

“MySpace Dark Horse Presents” takes its cues from the original Dark Horse Presents, a hard copy comic book published from 1986 to 2000, where high celebrated comics including Frank Miller’s Sin City and Paul Chadwick’s Concrete, made their mark in issues of the anthology and were later spun off into their own standalone comic franchises.

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We were late for the actual ceremony and missed getting any pictures, but the winners are:

Women Cartoonist’s Hall of Fame: Colleen Doran

Lulu of the Year: Abby Denson

Kim Yale Award for Best New Female Talent: Rachel Nabors

Women of Distinction Award: Jennifer De Guzman

Volunteers of the Year: MK Reed and Robin Enrico

One of the biggest buzz books of Preview Night at San Diego was a sneak peek of Jeff Smith’s new series Rasl. While the preview was only six pages long, the oversize 11×17 format was definitely eye-catching. Published by Cartoon Books, Smith’s own company, in a limited edition of 2200, it’s expected to sell out quickly.

Much of the excitement is due to this being Smith’s first original series since finishing his epic fantasy Bone and Shazam:Monster Society of Evil for DC. Rather than sitting back and riding the popularity of the neo-classic Bone, Smith is getting back in the game with a stark SF thriller about a thief with an amazing artifact that he can only use at a price. “Rasl is an art thief who created a spectral immersion suit,” Smith explained. “He can go through the light in between dimensions. But using it is very painful—it sometimes takes him days to recover. In the meantime, he drinks and smokes and gambles. He’s needs all these human pleasures of the flesh to help him recover from the blinding pain. Then he has to go through it all again to get back to where he came from.”

Rasl’s job as an art thief and who is financing him is the subject of some mystery that will unfold as the series progresses. “He has a lot of stories,” said Smith. “There’s a tattoo of woman his arm, who is another man’s wife; he’s got issues.”

Smith plans the ongoing comics periodical to start some time next year. “I’m trying to mix the old market with the new market, so it will probably be about 2 years of comic books for the direct sales market. In the end I’ll collect it into a graphic novel.” The ongoing series will be oversized and in black and white, while the collection will be in a smaller, color version of about 250 pages.

Smith is enjoying his post-Bone work, and says that he works on Rasl much more loosely. The idea for the story came from some of his reading in popular science books by Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking and Brian Green. “I started thinking about all these other dimensions. Since Rasl can go to different universes, if a collector wanted to pay enough money to get a Mona Lisa, Rasl would go to another dimension to get him one. That’s his life.”

Rasl is the first of what Smith hopes will be many new series from his pen. “I’ve got tons of ideas and energy left. I want to keep working. This is the first show in a while where I’ll have a new indie project.”

While few Rasl copies are available at the show, a few copies have been held back to for Smith’s appearance at this October’s Small Press Expo in Bethesda

Just a very quick post, alas. Day 1 feels like day 1000. Everyone has 1000 yard stares, dry mouth and blisters. And dread, numbing, seeping dread.

We’ll try to roundup some of the news emanating from the show, but the big news is that Preview Night and Thursday are now just as crowded as Friday used to be.

There doesn’t seem to be huge amounts of news that anyone is talking about AT the show. It’s all meeting and pacting and solidifying the pacting. The main booths are frantically busy giving away free stuff, and gangs of people descend every time something is given out, like piranhas around a scrap of flesh.

Seriously, everyone is so preoccupied with survival that everything else seems secondary! When just getting a cup of coffee means a half hour minimum wait, the misery factor begins to creep towards too much.

We spent the day just trying to survive, buffeted from place to place. It started with a nice hearty breakfast perhaps the only thing to keep us from the abyss. From there it was a series of missed meetings, close encounters and milling around. At one time we ran into an old timer from the show we first went to in 1984 and enjoyhed a conversation about a Rocketeer cookei jar. It was truly a pictish moment.

Swapping survival strategies is a popular pastime, with the main controversy being whether it;s better to have no agenda or a tight agenda. We favor the latter, and our buddy John Green agreed. “When you just wander around with no purpose, it turns into an end of the world scenario, and you gradually succumb to feelings of depression and hopelessness.”

With Friday now sold out– and the con capacity said to be 130,000– the trope “Wait until Saturday!” is now meaningless. Friday is the new Saturday, and every day may be Saturdaty from here out.

Or as the local media puts it:

Yup, it was a big steaming slice of hell on a stick.

“I’m already tired of Comic-Con,” said Michael Uman, the owner of a design shop in New York City. “Between the meetings, the drinking and the sensory overload … ”

For some exhibitors, getting here is half the hassle.

“Once you get here, it’s fine,” said Douglas Paszkiewicz, Milwaukee-based author and cartoonist of the “Arsenic Lullaby” comic books. “But the stress of getting here, of getting all of your stuff here, of making sure your help gets here when you get here, setting up all your stuff – and then recovering to talk to 100,000 people … ”

Not to mention having to pull this off in such punishing surroundings.

Bill Cunningham in the comments says there is a bizarre scam going on in San Diego. Is this true? Beware!

A word of warning if you are standing in the pre-registration line, there were scammers working the line. They would come up asking for anyone who had one-day registrations, that ou could get in ahead of the actual line by registering with them. They had a bunch of preview night admission stickers which you have to actually look at closely to see were for preview night. They were collecting people’s registration barcode sheetsn giving them the stickers and telling them they were good to go. Of coure, they were not. My friends got snared by this, ad though security was very understanding and professional, and my friends had extra printouts of their passes, it was definately a scam.

I have no idea what the point was. I presume they were collecting printouts to scalp to others on the sold out days as though they were valid one day registration sheets.

Kitty bar the door! Friday is going to be as bad as Saturday! According to a press release from
Comic-Con’s David Glanzer, Friday at the show is completely sold out, a n hour previously reserved only for Saturday.

Comic-Con, the nation’s largest comic book and pop culture event
announced that Friday admissions have sold out due to early, online
registration.

“I feel a little like a broken record,” said David Glanzer,
spokesperson for Comic-Con, “we sold out of Saturday admissions, four-day
admissions, and now Friday and three-day admission.”

Last year the convention drew over 123,000 people over the
four-day show and this year appears to top, or at the very least, match that
number.

“You never want to be in a situation where you advertise an
event that people can¹t attend,” continued Glanzer, “however as it relates
to Friday and Saturday, this may be the case, especially if they don¹t
already have tickets.”

Single day admission for Sunday is still available. For a
complete schedule of events and up to date information on admission
availability, visit www.comic-con.org.

Click on pic or here for video.

Damn I was so perky on Day 0! Click on pic or here for vid. sapphic movies hotmovie blowjob freemovie sex teengay free gay movies free videosmovies big free pornfree gay free movies gay videossoftware movie editingfree porn movies Map

For nerds not in San Diego, the biggest news of the week is probably the release of the Simpsons movie. But, maybe more important than that is what you can see before the movie: the trailer for THE DARK KNIGHT movie.

Of course, it’s 2007, so someone who saw a preview has already put it up on You Tube.

Edit: The clip is down. If another link shows up, we’ll add it. The official trailer will likely be up Friday.

Posted by Mark Coale

Now that Harry Potter is passed, what’s the next thing for Nerd Nation over which to obsess over? How about CLOVERFIELD aka 1-18-08, the new film project headed up by ALIAS/LOST maestro J.J. Abrams?

You’ve already seen the trailer. You’ve been to the website. What’s next?

Well, this week’s “Entertainment Weekly” (Harry Potter cover) has the first look at the movie’s one-sheet, but it seems to raise just as many questions as it might answer.

And in today’s “Washington Post,” there’s a story about the project and how it relates to Alternate Reality Games.

Abrams was supposed to be a late afternoon panel today at Comic-Con possibly revealing more about the movie. If word does filter out, we’ll throw the details in here.

Edit: At the panel, JJ said that it’s not called “Monstrous” and that he always wanted to make a monster movie.

Posted by Mark Coale

New York filmmaker and actor, Ed Burns (Brothers McMullen, Saving Private Ryan) is creating a new series of comic books, it was announced today by Burns at Comic-Con, the industry’s annual super-festival in San Diego.

The series, entitled Dock Walloper, debuts in comic shops and online comic retailers in November. The complete 144 page Dock Walloper book will be available in May 2008 at all major book sellers. A new site, DockWalloper.com, will host additional information, previews and pre-orders of the comic art and books. The comic series will be written by Burns, along with comic book legend, Jimmy Palmiotti (Painkiller Jane, Monolith). Cover and interior art for the series will be created by Virgin Comics’ in-house illustration studio and led by rising comic book star, Siju Thomas.

“As we are approaching the centennial of Prohibition in America, I wanted to re-imagine some of the characters and icons of that era with a mythic spin, in a story set in a stylized New York City of the 20’s,” said Ed Burns. “The story takes the classic American gangster tale, and transposes it to this atmospheric landscape, where the characters and inhabitants possess exaggerated strength, ability and power, capturing a modern American mythology.”

(more…)

Some would say this license is hardly a surprise!

DC Comics, the world’s largest English language comic book publisher and home to Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman announced plans to publish a hardcover collection of graphic novels based on NBC’s Emmy and Golden Globe nominated “Heroes,” the #1 new series on television for the 2006-2007 season, from executive producer-creator Tim Kring (NBC’s “Crossing Jordan”). The stories, which mark the first printed graphic novel adaptation of the show, were originally created for and new chapters continue to be exclusively available on NBC’s “Heroes” website. The collection will also feature the artwork of legendary comic book artist Tim Sale (“Batman: The Long Halloween”), whose work was featured prominently throughout the first season of the series through the visuals created by a drug-addled painter with apocalyptic visions of the future.

The book is slated to reach stores this fall and will be published under DC’s WildStorm imprint. It is developed through a licensing agreement with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group.

“We are very excited to be releasing the compilation of “Heroes” comics through DC Comics. Until now, most of these stories have only been available on NBC.com. To have this first printing coming from DC, the premier publisher of comic books, is a dream come true,” said Tim Kring, creator-executive producer, “Heroes.”

From creator/writer Tim Kring (NBC’s “Crossing Jordan”) comes the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated “Heroes,” an epic drama that chronicles the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary abilities. In its first season, “Heroes” has been honored with a People’s Choice Award, an AFI Award, a Multicultural Prism Award and this year’s TV Land Future Classic Award, as well as nominations at the Golden Globe Awards, NAACP Image Awards, WGA Awards and Satellite Awards.

They include a genetics professor (Sendhil Ramamurthy, Blind Guy Driving) in India who is led by his father’s disappearance to uncover a secret theory – that there are people with super powers living among us. Also featured are a young dreamer (Milo Ventimiglia, Gilmore Girls) who tries to convince his politician brother (Adrian Pasdar, Judging Amy) that he can fly. A high school cheerleader (Hayden Panettiere, Ice Princess) learns that she is totally indestructible while trying to relate to her father (Jack Coleman, Dynasty) who has a keen interest in people with special abilities. A Las Vegas single mother (Ali Larter, Final Destination) struggles to make ends meet to support her young son (Noah Gray-Cabey, My Wife & Kids) and discovers that her mirror image has a secret. In addition, a fugitive from justice (Leonard Roberts, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) continues to baffle authorities. A gifted artist (Santiago Cabrera, Empire), whose drug addiction is destroying his life and relationship with his girlfriend (Tawny Cypress, Third Watch), and whose paintings, done specifically for the show by comic book artist Tim Sale, open a visual gateway to a possible dark future. A down-on-his-luck Los Angeles beat cop (Greg Grunberg, Alias) can hear people’s thoughts, which puts him on the trail of an elusive serial killer. In Japan, a young man (Masi Oka, NBC’s Scrubs) develops a way to stop time through sheer will power.

Joining Kring as executive producer are Dennis Hammer (NBC’s Crossing Jordan), Allan Arkush (NBC’s Crossing Jordan) and Greg Beeman (Smallville). The drama is produced by Universal Media Studios in association with Tailwind Productions.

Tim Sale will be appearing at the “Heroes” booth at the San Diego International Comic-Con to sign paintings from the series on display on Wednesday, July 25 from 8:00 – 8:30pm, and he will be signing at the DC Comics booth at the San Diego International Comic-Con on Friday, July 27 from 4:30 – 5:30pm and Saturday, July 28, from 4 – 5pm.

Yikes! Somehow this never got posted

THURSDAY, JULY 26:
12:00 - 1:00 Joshua Dysart: Conan and the Midnight God
1:00 - 2:00 Tara McPherson: Lonely Heart
2:00 – 3:00 Will Vinton & Andrew Wiese: Jack Hightower
2:00 - 3:00 Chris Grine: Chickenhare
3:00 – 4:00 Matt Wagner: Celebrating 25 years of Grendel!
4:00 - 5:00 Jeff Smith: The Art of Bone
4:00 – 5:00 Eric Powell: The Goon, Chinatown
5:00 - 6:00 Rick Remender: Fear Agent

(more…)

Not much time to blog, alas. The crowds were as big as a Saturday, some said. Freebies were snatched up at an alarming rate, the most popular being an oversized cloth Smallville bag and a cardboard shield for 300.

The big evening event was a screening of some 20 minutes of BEOWULF, the Robert Zemeckis-directed 3d cgi mo-cap retelling of the classic legend. The script is by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary and the duo was on hand to introduce the clips and answer questions. We’ll have a fuller report on the footage after some sleep.

On a personal note, while wandering the vast hall, it dawned on us that Twittering comic-con is really the only way to cover it. Whenever we ran into someone we knew, the first words out of their mouth were usually “mobile” or “web” followed by “content.”

We spent our now traditional sleepless night before getting stuffed into Supershuttle for the dawn ride to JFK for the 8:30 Jet Blue flight, otherwise known as the Hogwarts Express, because everyone who isn’t on the 11;)) flight is on the 8:30. The sun came up over Queens like a crimson King Vidor melodrama. At the gate, we ran into Phyllis Novin, who we ran into last year, same place, same time, and caught each other up on the past year’s events, some happpy, some very sad.

On the plane, we were praying that a total stranger would sit next to us so we could avoid chit chat and get some much needed sleep. The result was even better — our seatmates were none other than Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti. We all had the same up all night schedule, so a big communal nap was called for when we weren’t oohing and aahing over the baby polar bears on Animal Planet. Amanda also lent me a neck pillow which helped me fall asleep in no time.

A word about Jet Blue: although when they fuck up they REALLY FUCK UP they are still so superior to any other airline in terms of leg room, seat comfort and of course 40 channels of satellite TV. They are still my preferred airline no question.

Anyway back to SD, we also chit chatting at the luggage carousel with AdHouse prexy Chris Pitzer who’s got a REALLY BIG SHOW this year (he only exhibits every other year) and First Second’s Gina Gagliano. We made the Hogwarts Express joke about 12 times, and then spotted Scholastic’s David Saylor, the art director of the US editions of Harry Potter, but didn’t get a chance to find out how hilarious our joke really was.

Now we’re at the swanky Omni (view from our room above, although we didn’t catch one of the helicopters gliding by) and can see the madness unfold quite nicely. Our cab driver from the airport was already mentally girding his loins for the madness to come.

The Omni is swell. Free Wifi, some vietnamese coffee, bathrobes. Our cel phone is already abuzz with text messages about secret meetings and plans.

Meanwhile San Diego dreaming is capturing the REAL goings on:

25/07/07 10:18 EMAIL: Overheard in the Hyatt at closing time:

Waitress1: That’s nothing. Come Friday there’ll be 400 of ‘em here.
Waitress2: 400?
Waitress1: Just on our side of the bar. Make sure you get their money every round. And be sweet. They’ll tip better.

TRAVEL TIP: A pal of ours took an early flight from NYC to SD that connected in Chicago and said it was empty and cheap AND arrived half an hour early. Something to think about.

25/07/07 10:18 EMAIL: Overheard in the Hyatt at closing time: Waitress1: That’s nothing. Come Friday there’ll be 400 of ‘em here. Waitress2: 400? Waitress1: Just on our side of the bar. Make sure you get their money every round. And be sweet. They’ll tip better.

Immigration Official TELLS IT LIKE IT IS to Tony Lee:
There was one concern while I was in customs - when asked why I was there, I explained that I was going to the San Diego Comic Con, no, I mean superheroes, not comedians - and the customs officer goes ‘You know about solvent abuse?’

Now, what the hell am I supposed to say here? Did I look like some kind of deviant comic professional? Should I reply with ‘I’m from London, mate - we invented glue sniffing’?

I make a vague agreeing motion, wondeing what the hell I’ve brought into the country in my luggage - am I about to be deported back? But no. The customs guard wants to inform me that one of the current ‘trends’ in California is that when people who have severe solvent abuse addiction well, die - their possessions are put up for public auction, and many of them have boxes of comic books, usually sold off at a dollar a box. I tried to sound vaguely interested in this (as opposed to horrified) and escaped into the terminal where I had a burger. Of course, it’s now