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How To Get A Raise From Marvel Comics
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Marvel Comics,
When Marvel Comics made some rapid-fire changes to their business model back in 1995, they called it Marvelution. In addition to pulling out of the traditional Direct Market distribution channels and buying Heroes World so they could self-distribute their books, Marvel divided all of their books into five “families,” each with its own editor-in-chief.
They also issued a little booklet to help explain their new world order and to try to answer questions from an anxious public that included retailers, consumers, and their freelance artists and writers.
The little 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inch black and white saddle-stitched booklet was the 1995 Marvel Editorial Handbook, and there’s a part that freelancers of the day might’ve been the most interested in - how to get a raise under the new system Marvel had just installed.
Here’s that section of the handbook:
“Q: Are the processes for establishing and raising rates going to change under the new structure?
Click to continue reading How To Get A Raise From Marvel Comics
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Weekend Reading: Starlog, Christopher Golden, Gerry Conway, Tarzan and Steve Milo
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,
Lots of cool to click on lately, from horror and comic book author Christopher Golden to comic book and television writer Gerry Conway, with a dash of The Simpsons and a blast from the Direct Market past with the ghost of Steve Milo. Check ‘em out:
Christopher Golden: When I first read Golden’s Of Saints And Shadows, I was struck by two things: (1) he’s really good and (2) this book reads like a horror version of X-Men. Novelist Ed Gorman plays Q&A with Golden over at his website.
Gerry Conway: One of my absolute favorite comic book writers (and now a TV writer in the Dick Wolf empire), Mr. Conway is excited about the new Predator reboot, Predators. He tweets: “Not that it matters: Predators seems to have a similar plot device to a movie Roy Thomas & I pitched years ago. Great minds, etc.” He expands on that in subsequent tweets, “I’m not claiming idea theft, ‘cause Roberto Rodriquez would’ve been 14-years-old when Roy & I made our pitch, and somehow I doubt…” Since he curtailed his blogging, his tweets make for fun reading.
Hugh Jackman Talks Wolverine Origins Sequel
Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Interviews, Movies, Marvel Comics,
Filming for the X-Men Origins: Wolverine sequel doesn’t begin until January 2011, but
Hugh Jackman is openly sharing his approval of the latest script, written by Christopher McQuarrie (in case his name doesn’t ring a bell for you, he penned The Usual Suspects and Valkyrie).
The film will be based on Chris Claremont and Frank Miller’s take on Logan’s experiences in Japan; Jackman confirmed that at least some of the movie will be filmed there.
Jackman was also asked whether or not we’ll see this latest X-Men installation in 3D…
Click to continue reading Hugh Jackman Talks Wolverine Origins Sequel
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Hugo Awards: Neil Gaiman, Phil Foglio, Howard Tayler and Captain Britain
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,
I love awards, although it’s just an honor to be nominated, right? The Hugo Awards are named for Hugo Gernsback, the founder of Amazing Stories. They are science fiction’s most celebrated award and are sponsored by the World Science Fiction Society, who hands them out at each year’s Worldcon. They’ve been around since 1955, and the new 2010 nominees have just been announced.
The good news for funnybook fanatics is that the Hugos have a comic book category and this year’s nominees (under the heading of “Best Graphic Story”) offer a pretty wide-ranging bunch.
In alphabetical order, they are:
Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Written by Neil Gaiman; Pencilled by Andy Kubert; Inked by Scott Williams (DC Comics)
Click to continue reading Hugo Awards: Neil Gaiman, Phil Foglio, Howard Tayler and Captain Britain
Read More | John Scalzi
I didn’t know Dick Giordano. By the time DC Comics was negotiating to buy Malibu Comics, Dick had retired. My one encounter with him was so hysterically overwrought and requires so much useless backstory about marginal players that I can only tell it at convention bars over microbrews. But I do know – or think I know – a lot of things about him. He was responsible for a superhero renaissance at Charlton Comics back in the 1960s when he oversaw Ditko’s creation of The Question and his revival of The Blue Beetle and Captain Atom as well as a number of other superhero projects.
When he moved to DC, a number of his Charlton freelancers ended up there as well, including Denny O’Neil, Jim Aparo and Steve Skeates (and under Giordano’s stewardship, Aparo and Skeates had a remarkable run on Aquaman). He co-founded Continuity Studios with Neal Adams, providing an alternative business model (and freelance work) for artists working in corporate comic books. He could edit, write, pencil and ink – he drew some of the most beautiful long-legged women in comics.
Click to continue reading R.I.P. Dick Giordano
Read More | The Comics Reporter
I get tired of hearing about Mozart. Yeah, he’s a genius and he started composing music when he was 5-years-old. I get it, fine, blah, blah, blah. You know who else is brilliant? Harold “Hal” Foster, the critically-acclaimed creator-writer-artist on Prince Valiant. He created his most famous and enduring work when he was 45-years-old. Malcolm Gladwell, take note.
Continuing my series on cartooning and cartoonists, Hal Foster wrote about himself and his work back in 1964. This is pulled from an oversized saddle-stitched magazine from Allied Publications with the creatively-challenged title These Top Cartoonists Tell How They Create America’s Favorite Comics. It featured an introduction by Beetle Bailey’s Mort Walker and was compiled by Allen Willette.
Here’s Foster on Foster:
Click to continue reading Hal Foster and Prince Valiant
When you think of Pennsylvania, do you think of (1) The Pittsburgh Steelers or the Pittsburgh Pirates? (2) Coal-Mining? (3) Vampires?
If you answered “Vampires,” then you know the realities of suburban western Pennsylvania, a target-rich environment for vampire hunters like Dean Marklin. Dean didn’t used to believe in vampires, but then he met a hot one, and a bunch of not-so-hot ones who keep trying to kill him. Life is hard enough in Vampire, PA without having to carry a wooden stake in your pocket all the time.
From The Twilight Saga to Dracula and every point in between, vampires are the new Vin Diesel and my pal J.C. Vaughn has come up with an excellent twist on the genre that’s worth a look. He’s written Zombie-Proof, the adventures of Jack Bauer in 24, some nice Shi comics with Billy Tucci, and a host of other stuff, and now he’s reunited with his Antiques co-horts, Brian Fraim and Brendon Fraim for a 3-part full-color series.
Click to continue reading Sneak Peek: Vampire, PA From Moonstone Books
I met Mike Valerio at a pre-convention party on the upper east side of New York City. He was funny, caustic, opinionated. He made me laugh right away and we became instant friends, bonding through sarcasm. Over the course of the long con weekend, we bumped into each other regularly, scouted out the dealer’s room together, and dropped in on a few panels. Towards the end of the con, at lunch, he asked me what else I’d done while I was in New York. When he found out I’d done nothing, he said, “You can’t go back to your hillbilly hometown and tell them all you saw in the big city was a bunch of comic books and Jim Steranko’s girlfriend.” He led the way out of the con and within minutes we were atop the Empire State Building. Thus began a friendship that would span many years and several states.
We stayed friends over the years and eventually and without planning it, we both ended up in Los Angeles about a year apart. He came west for a career as a writer/producer in film and television while I turned my attention to the comic book industry before jumping into television as well. A lifelong comic book fan, he was a regular at Golden Apple on Melrose Avenue and then Earth II on Ventura Blvd.
Click to continue reading R.I.P. Mike Valerio
Read More | News From Me
After her short-lived gigs on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Joss Whedon‘s shows Firefly and Dollhouse, Summer Glau landed another role in a sci-fi, superhero-themed series The Cape.
The pilot centers on a former cop, played by David Lyons, who dons a superhero alter ego to clear his name of criminal charges. Glau portrays “Orwell, a cute and intrepid investigative blogger who fearlessly goes after corrupt cops and costumed bad guys.” So… Dollhouse‘s Bennett meets Kick-Ass‘s Hit Girl?
Considering all three Fox shows she worked on were cut short, let’s hope that moving to NBC will fare better for the actress.
Is this the nail in the Heroes coffin? Bah, I’ll still watch it if I can catch Glau being her adorable, geeky-cute self!
Read More | The Hollywood Reporter
Gilligan’s Island: Casting The Castaways
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Television,
If you’re like me, the second you heard there was going to be a Gilligan’s Island movie updated for the 21st Century, the first thought that went through your mind was “Ginger-Mary Ann Lesbian Kiss.”
After spending about 30 minutes dwelling on that, I started to cast the movie. I’ve always thought of Gilligan as a live-action cartoon; perfect entertainment for those times when an episode of Scooby-Doo won’t satisfy and Batman: The Animated Series seems a tad too challenging.
Who would be Gilligan, The Skipper, The Professor? Who, indeed. Who could take the place of Bob Denver, Alan Hale, Russell Johnson, Tina Louise, Natalie Schaefer, Jim Backus and Dawn Wells? Who would play the Harlem Globetrotters this time? And since vampires are the new black, would they feel the need to bring in Dr. Boris Balinkoff?
Click to continue reading Gilligan’s Island: Casting The Castaways
Read More | Slash Film
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