Newsarama holds its annual powwow with DC publisher Paul Levitz. The whole thing is worth reading, especially for its status report on DC’s sales in various channels, but here’s an excerpt to whet your appetite:

NRAMA: As you said, DC is seeing good penetration into the bookstore market, but obviously, there’s still room for growth, which you said in regards to the distribution deal DC has signed with Random House. So what’s the next outlet? What’s the next frontier to move into? Is it a big push for mass merchandise retail, or other ways to get them in front of more eyes?

PL: Let’s be serious about what we’ve accomplished and what we haven’t accomplished. Nobody knows exactly the size of the present audience for graphic novels as a category. My suspicion is that there are probably more people reading graphic novels today than there are reading periodical comics. I think that has probably crossed in the last year or two years. That still means that maybe we’re reaching, as an industry, half a percent or one percent of the American population. I think we’ve got a pretty good challenge just increasing that.

When you look at the demographics, behavioral information of the people that are reading comics on a regular basis, comic shops are a good place to sell them, bookstores are a good place to sell them, online is a good place to sell them. I’m not sure that we match that wonderfully to the mass merchandiser. I think you can create comics that can do very well in a mass merchant’s environment, but I’m not sure that the bulk of what we publish as an industry fits that definition.

Word on the street — aka Marvel’s website– reveals that one of their once or twice yearly “creative summits” is taking place. It’s at these conclaves that Civil War was hatched, Cap was killed, and Spidey’s marriage was annulled. This time out participants include Ed Brubaker, Brian Michael Bendis, Jeph Loeb, Allan Heinberg, Greg Pak, Dan Slott, Matt Fraction and the entire Marvel editorial staff led by Joe Quesada. We said hi to Bendis!, Fraction and the Brub at last nights Comics Book Club One Year anniversary show, and they assured us they didn’t want to kill anyone. It isn’t like that, they said. But then we read this at the Marvel website:

As Brian Bendis laid out his plans for the final phase of 2008’s massive Secret Invasion crossover—first phase coming your way in just a few short months!—one thing became clear: once again, the Avengers will never be the same following Skrull-a-palooza (his words). Bendis’ proposals for the Avengers in general and a certain Iron Avenger in particular, kicked off the most spirited debates of the day, as everybody seemed to have an opinion of where the Avengers should end up—well, where those who survive war with the Skrulls will end up. 2007 saw the death of Captain America—will another Avengers cornerstone fall in 2008? Things are getting pretty intense…

See! We told you! Nothing will be the same. NOTHING.

PS: The aforementioned Comic Book Club included not only comics luminaries Brubaker, Fraction and Bendis, but Bill Hader and Seth Meyers from SNL and many funny movies you may have seen. Hader and Meyer are both comics readers, and they described various comics/nerd centric sketches that hadn’t made it past dress on SNL, including one in which Hader as Peter Falk showed Natalie Portman how to be a tauntaun. Let’s just say it was a very amusing evening and congats to Alex, Justin, Pete and Booth Man for a whole year of merriment.

[The above is a grainy phone cam shot from the show. Sorry we didn’t do better but…you know, it’s the holidays!]

Warren Ellis points us to a new site for GRAVEL his upcoming book from Avatar. The book is co-written by Mike Wolfer and art is by Raulo Caceres. who also drew the well-received CRECY.

GRAVEL features the combat magician Sgt. Major William Gravel in his own monthly series, beginning with the specially priced #0 issue which is available for only $1.99. Like the launch of Ellis’ hugely popular Black Summer series, Gravel #0 is not a preview, but is actually the opening part of this new Gravel saga. The full-size regular series will follow with issue #1 in March.

Te site includes”tons of preview material for the upcoming GRAVEL series, background, interview links, script excerpts, just a whole bunch of stuff.”

#1: A Year in Comics and Graphic Novels by R.C. Baker sums up the year with a nicely diverse list:

Comics. They began more than a century ago as a circulation booster during Hearst and Pulitzer’s newspaper wars. But with an ever-refreshing youth demographic, they remain eternally hip and popular. How best to sort through 2007’s many offerings?

#2: A Review of Persepolis, which is expected to garner a few Oscar® nods:

Persepolis is a small landmark in feature animation. Not because of technical innovation—though it moves fluidly enough, and its drawings have a handcrafted charm forgotten in the era of the cross-promoted-to-saturation CGI-’toon juggernauts—but because it translates a sensitive, introspective, true-to-life, “adult” comic story into moving pictures. While Robert Crumb only achieved the big screen as a porno-groovy shadow of himself and Daniel Clowes decamped to live- action, Marjane Satrapi’s made the crossing; with the aide of French comic-book artist Vincent “Winshluss” Paronnaud (both making their first feature here), Satrapi’s four autobiographical Persepolis volumes have been smartly streamlined and storyboarded into 95 minutes of screen time.

PR:

The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) today announced that cancer survivor and fashionista cartoonist Marisa Acocella Marchetto (The New Yorker, Glamour) has joined MyBreastCancerNetwork.com as an expert. Author of the acclaimed graphic novel Cancer Vixen, Acocella Marchetto will write and illustrate a weekly cartoon blog for the site that chronicles her life as a breast cancer survivor and activist.

“I’m going to blast a bright light on the dark details of this dreaded disease, as I continue kicking cancer’s bony ass, in killer five-inch heels. We are not victims, we are Vixens,” Acocella Marchetto said. “I can’t wait to meet and connect with all you Vixens out there.”

In joining MyBreastCancerNetwork.com, Acocella Marchetto is connected to a vibrant network of experts and community members who share their personal stories of living with an often life-changing condition. The site, which offers targeted clinical information and resources on treating and managing breast cancer, is well known for its unique, reality-based Breast Cancer Comics. The comics chronicle women’s experiences with breast cancer, offering patients an accessible and inspirational way to understand living with the condition.

“We’re excited that Marisa is offering her support and advocacy for the women on MyBreastCancerNetwork.com who are dealing with and recovering from breast cancer,” said Chris Schroeder, CEO and President of The HealthCentral Network. “Her personal stories and knowledgeable advice will be a needed source of inspiration for the site’s community.”

Virgin Comics has a new marketing director:

Neil Marks has been named Marketing Director of Virgin Comics, it was announced today by Larry Lieberman, Virgin Comics’ Chief Marketing Officer to whom he reports. In his new role, Marks will work closely with Lieberman in overseeing brand marketing initiatives for Virgin Comics, inclusive of driving sales for Virgin Comics titles across multiple distribution platforms and supervising activities at Comic-Con and other consumer and trade events. Marks, who will be based in New York, will also play an integral role in the evolution of Virgin Comics’ Licensing and Retail programs.

Marks most recently spearheaded marketing initiatives for the East Coast sales office of National CineMedia, the largest digital in-theatre movie network in North America. Prior to National CineMedia, Marks spent over 8 years at Comedy Central, the Viacom owned cable television network. As Director, Marketing & Advertising at the network, he was charged with overseeing the strategic creative development and media planning for off- channel consumer & trade marketing for such award-winning programs as South Park, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, Chappelle’s Show and the annual celebrity Roast. Before his tenure at Comedy Central, Marks held a media planner position at Ammirati Puris Lintas, and graduated with a B.S. in Accounting from Penn State University.

“We are thrilled that Neil is joining the Virgin Comics family, and look forward to working with him as the Virgin Comics brand continues to grow and evolve,” said Lieberman. “Neil played a key role in the growth of the Comedy Central brand, and I know he’ll bring the same creativity and expertise to Virgin Comics.”

NIkki Finke has all the details on New Line head Robert Shaye making up with Peter Jackson so that finally there shall come a HOBBIT movie.

The two Hobbit films – The Hobbit and its sequel – have long been stalled. Now they are scheduled to be shot simultaneously, with pre-production beginning as soon as possible. Principal photography is tentatively set for a 2009 start, with the intention of releasing The Hobbit in 2010 and its sequel the following year, in 2011.

SEQUEL???? WTF? Is that the one where Fingon rescues Maedhros from Morgoth and has to cut off his hand? Personally, we would like to see ONE Hobbit movie! One nice tidy Hobbit movie with Thorin and Elrond and Smaug. But I guess they need to leave in Bombadil this time by including Beorn and so on and split it into two? Whatevs…Hopefully Ian McKellan will be back as Gandalf!

According to Finke, Shaye had to make nice with Jackson to keep his job after THE GOLDEN COMPASS tanked. Jackson won’t direct the Hobbit since he’s busy on TINTIN and so on. Sam Raimi’s name is still being tossed around.

Art by and copyright The Brothers Hildebrandt.

If you are like us, and you think that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of the greatest movies ever made, and this, this, this and this are among the greatest musical videos ever made, you may be excited to know that director Michel Gondry is finally making a comic book movie — or at least a comic book short film, based on Gabrielle Bell’s “Cecil and Jordan in New York.”

Mel Valentin sends along word about Eternal Sunshine director Michel Gondry’s 30-minute short film which will appear in the upcoming Tôkyô!, a triptych film in the same tradition of New York Stories or Paris, je t’aime). Not so coincidentally, Gondry was originally set to direct a segment of Paris, je t’aime, but had to drop out for unknown reasons.

The film tells three separate stories of the Japanese capital, one by Leos Carax, one by Bong Joon-Ho, and one by Gondry. Gondry’s segment is titled “Interior Design”. Written by Gondry and comic author Gabrielle Bell, Design is based on Bell’s comic book “Cecil and Jordan in New York” from “Kramer’s Ergot #5”. The story follows a girl [Ayako Fujitani] who tries to move into Tokyo with her boyfriend. Unable to find an apartment or a job, she eventually turns into a chair. Sounds like something Gondry would make.

Bell was on-set throughout the filming. The movie is now in post production. No release details have been released.

Above: Illo for the MySpace page for Lynda Barry’s Writing the Unthinkable writing seminars.

Harvey Pekar Talks Politics at Billion Dollar President. Click on link for complete comic.

§ ComixTalk has it’s annual roundtable on the state of webcomics up, including blatherings by some idiot.

§ Is a film about “Calvin and Hobbes” and its reclusive creator in the works? Well, is it????

§ The Comic Book Club– the live actionn comic book talk show–is profiled in the New York Times:

The heart of the show is the chemistry among the three men, all aspiring comedians, whether discussing the annual, a comic book series’s larger, bonus issue, traditionally published in the summer (Mr. Zalben: “I miss annuals. You don’t get them anymore. You used to expect them every year.” Mr. Tyler: “Hence the word annual.”) or their recollections of a particular fan who has attended nearly every show.

Mr. Zalben recalled the polite e-mail messages sent by the fan when he cannot attend. Mr. Tyler said: “He represents ‘the crowd’ to me. He checks up on us,” and offers questions for guests. Mr. LePage remembered the fan’s reaction to the show’s three-week hiatus in July and August. “He said, ‘I actually went out and got a girlfriend!’ He was not happy!”

§Professor Carol Tyler? Yes, it’s true!
More high schools and even grade schools are seeking advice on ways to foster student interest in cartooning, said Michelle Ollie, managing director at the Vermont school. The center has had to add a second section to its pre-college workshops to accommodate demand. The graphic novel’s increased critical acclaim and greater visibility in mainstream bookstores and libraries have contributed to the growing respect for comics art. Educators also cite the worldwide popularity and influence of Japanese comics known as manga - written for children and adults - and the transformation of graphic novels such as “Ghost World” into Hollywood films.
§ Another country heard from:BostonNOw’s Best comics of ‘07

Best Series: Teen Titans (DC)
Runner-up: Astonishing X-Men (Marvel)
Comeback of the Year: The Flash (Wally West) and family
Runners up: Angel (Angel: After the Fall)

§The Fake Vomit Capital of the world:

From the outside, it is another two-story brick warehouse on Chicago’s West Side. Step inside, and visitors return to a certain back-of-the-comic-books kind of American childhood.

The secret is this: It’s the world capital of fake vomit, where it’s still made the old-fashioned American way, ladle by ladle, formed and coagulated for the next generation of pranksters and troublemakers.

Some rumors about the upcoming Spider-Man musical are beginning to leak out:

Director Julie Taymor revealed that they recently had a workshop of the Broadway musical version of “Spider-Man.” Julie who directed “Across the Universe” is working on the show with U2’s Bono and The Edge. At the recent workshop, Evan Rachel Wood played Mary Jane and her “Across the Universe” co-star Jim Sturgess played Spider-Man.

The Beat’s quest for ‘08 is very simple: we are not resting until we have scored an interview with Bono about what it’s like to write a SPIDER-MAN musical. This is right in our wheelhouse!

refinancing loan

iMelody: Most new phones that don’t do Nokia’s Smart Messaging are using this format.

Yet another business launch for Platinum Studios, this one billed as “the first web syndicated on-demand video network featuring free comic book-inspired animated content powered by the Splastk player.”

Platinum Studios, Inc., an entertainment company that controls an independent library of comic book characters from all over the world, and Comflix Studios, Inc., a Los Angeles and New York based multi-media company, announced today the creation of “Splastk,” the first web syndicated on-demand video network featuring free comic book-inspired animated content powered by the Splastk player and anchored by http://www.splastk.com/.

“Adding a dynamic element to the static print comic is the specialty of Comflix Studios,” said Platinum Studios President, Brian Altounian. “This partnership not only gives Platinum and Comflix an innovative vehicle to deliver great comics, it also benefits affiliate websites by supplying targeted premium content, enhancing overall user experience, while generating ad revenue.”

(more…)

THE SIMPSONS MOVIE was not only a damned funny movie which spawned many many great lines to add to the pile of great Simpsons lines, it is probably the best marketed movie ever. The string continues for today’s DVD release, as the SImpsons go Manhattan:

Today’s Simpsonfest is an all-day Fox affair in the heart of the city marking the hit toon’s DVD release. Anyone in Midtown will find it difficult to miss the yellow-jacketed street teams, the “Simpsons on Ice” show at Bryant Park, the giant inflatable Homers and the Empire State Building lit up yellow in the landmark’s first-ever movie tie-in.

Needless to say we’ll be on the lookout for giant inflatable Homers.

How would you like to wake up and find one of these beasties going through your marshmallows? :

The giant rat is about five times the size of a typical city rat, says Kristofer Helgen, a scientist with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, US.

“With no fear of humans, it apparently came into the camp several times during the trip,” he says.

{Via Neil Gaiman]

If you look closely the book he’s carrying is some kind of book about Dragons. Luckily, Wacko Jacko has not yet discovered yaoi.

§ Scott Dunbier has been blogging some stories of comic book culture and history over at his blog. This one has a twist. A sad twist.

§ Douglas Wolk’s top GNs of 2007 at Salon:

It has been a banner year for graphic novels, and although Salon reviewed some of the highlights (the conclusion of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s serial thriller “Death Note,” Brian Chippendale’s overwhelming experimental book “Ninja,” Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s long-awaited “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier”), there were plenty of other excellent new volumes of comics. This year also saw a mountain of fancy collections of vintage cartooning — following the success of the Seth-designed “Peanuts” reprints and art-object books like “Little Nemo in Slumberland: So Many Splendid Sundays!” the earliest years of strips from “Dick Tracy” to “Mutt & Jeff” are turning up as deluxe hardcovers. Here are a dozen notable books that would look just fine under an appropriate tree.

PS: Cut ‘n’ paste this link to more book world GN Best of lists.

§ Dave GIbbons visits the Watchmen set.

The actual trailer for THE DARK KNIGHT is finally up so you can watch it over and over and prepare for the time when this is known as “the Batman movie with Heath Ledger in it.”

Pantoja, that is. Here’s a sneak peek at her adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE coming eventually from Tokyopop.

There was little surprise that Will Smith’s I AM LEGEND was the #1 movie at the box office this weekend — apparently the sight of the world’s most popular movie star and his lovable Alsatian wandering through a destroyed New York City is just what the public wants, to the tune of a record smashing $76.5 million.

However, what audiences WEREN’T expecting was the shock twist behind the destruction of the human race as shown in the film: the box office success of the CGI ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS, which brought in a stunning $45 millions, shattering all expectations and setting the human race on a collision course with doom. :

“Alvin,” based on another property dating back to the 1950s, also made box office history and could easily be spawned into a new Fox film franchise. Pic is a Fox 2000/New Regency co-production.

Showing strength across all age groups, “Alvin” enjoyed the second-highest December opening ever for a film rated G or PG after Disney’s “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” which opened to $65.5 million in 2005. “Alvin” is the eighth highest-grossing December film ever, and places in the top 20 of all-time best openings for family friendly films.

“Alvin and the Chipmunks” were created by Ross Bagdasarian as a novelty musical recording group before being adapted into a TV toon. Feature film adaptation cost less than $60 million to produce.

Scientists and pundits alike were gloomy with the prognosis for humanity after ALVIN’s triumph.

“It is a dark day for humanity,” warned Dr. Otto von Rocketship of the Cornell University Astrophysics lab. “Will future generations look back and say that we did nothing to stop ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS? Or will there even be future generations? We may have reached the tipping point.”

“Despite all the overwhelming evidence of the danger, we have unleashed ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS,” agreed Dr. Linus Itoldyouso, a professor of Symbology at MIT. “Humanity’s been on a slow rise for centuries, but this has dealt a tremendous setbeck from which we may never recover.”

Von Rocketship believes the success of ALVIN will not be an isolated incident. “This has tentpole franchise written all over it,” he predicted. “The studio is already planning sequels out the kazoo which will take a slight concept which might have been funny for about five minutes and drain it of all life and charm for movie after movie. As I AM LEGEND’s doomsday scenario showed, mankind has basically sealed its fate, and dumb CGI movies about cute little farting animals who talk with speeded up voices will rule the earth for the next five hundred years.”

News is slowing down and we’ll be coasting along for the next couple of weeks. So don’t expect any fireworks, okay?

Via Blog Flume: Alvin Buenaventura

(more…)

assumption loans of adavantagesequity home 454 loanservices loan academicloan edge academic$1000 cash loan coloradodollar loan $2500americandream home loan2.9 auto loans financing Map