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Hagar PanelWhen I lived on the East Coast, I knew a lot of old school cartoonists like Jerry Marcus and Orlando Busino. I’d met Mort Walker and his son Brian and Ron Goulart and comics historian Rick Marschall. The cartoonist and their friend Dik Browne, creator of Hagar The Horrible, had long left Connecticut for the warmer pleasures of Florida so I never got to meet him.

But they spoke of him with such awe - of his abilities as a cartoonist and how his irreverent sense of humor was perfect for his chosen profession - that I was really sorry I hadn’t moved to the area much earlier.

Click to continue reading British Comics: Hagar The Horrible?


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Dylan DogSo who’s going to win the big summer comic book movie sweepstakes? Will it be Marvel’s Thor? DC’s Green Lantern? Cowboys & Aliens?

You might not know it, but there’s another comic book based movie coming out and it’s opening this Friday, April 29th.

Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night.

It’s based on an Italian comic book series created by writer Tiziano Sclavi back in 1986. The series claims nearly 60 million readers worldwide, though almost none of them are in the U.S. The series was reprinted by Dark Horse in 7 volumes between 1999-2002.

The movie is set in New Orleans where Dylan is an investigator of the undead. Brandon Routh from Superman Returns plays Dylan, and the supporting cast includes Taye Diggs and Peter Stormare (so great in Fargo).

Click to continue reading Brandon Routh Is Dylan Dog: Comic Book Movie

Read More | Dylan Dog Trailer

Law & Order: Criminal IntentYou didn’t think Law & Order producer Dick Wolf and his writers would let this one get away, did you?

Famous for taking criminal cases from the news and twisting them in new, dramatic ways, the gang at Law & Order: Criminal Intent have tickets to the new Spider-Man on Broadway musical debacle.

Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark is the long-troubled show that has been criticized by the usual theater crowd, theater critics and fans that have seen it. The play has been plagued by problems: injuries to the cast, effects that don't work, a story that makes no sense and bears little resemblance to the classic source material, and delays that have pushed the official opening farther and farther away.

According to press reports, the Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark-inspired episode is about a “high-flying, fast-crashing show called Icarus” (see what they did there?) where an actor is killed during the production, the director is a high-strung born-again drunk and the composer is a bi-sexual rock star.

Click to continue reading Law & Order: Spider-Man Musical


Elisabeth SladenI was saddened by the recent death of Elisabeth Sladen who played Sarah Jane in Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures. Of all the reminiscences online, the one I thought the most touching was by her co-star, Tom Baker.

Dinosaurs: Topless Robot looks at the “10 Most Badass Dinosaurs In Comics.” Something I created made the list, so naturally, I’m linking to it! Thanks to author Jesse Thompson for the shout out.

Royalty: Evan Lewis at Davy Crockett’s Almanack likes Prince Valiant Vol. 2: 1939-1940 from Fantgraphics. “Amazing as the artwork in Volume 1 was, it just keeps getting better.”

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Dr. Who, Dinosaurs, Rob Hanes and Thor


Toxic MagazineToxic, the British humor magazine for boys 7-12-years-old is looking for a designer.

Toxic's subjects "range from games to movies to sports to loads of other random stuff in features, facts & stats, puzzles, jokes, comics, competitions etc. In short, anything and everything that’s in a boy’s life." And the comics can be really funny.

They're looking for a "creative and experienced magazine designer with the vision to help take Toxic to the next level of its development," whatever that means for a British boy's humor mag.

You'll be working "in close collaboration" with the Art Editor and the Toxic team.

All the usual computer design skills are needed, as is magazine experience. And if you have experience in children's entertainment, even better.

Egmont is a huge Scandanavian publisher with lots of opportunities inside so if you get in and impress, there's always the chance to move forward. Or you could just stay at Toxic and design pages of boogers and farts and Justin Biebers.

But do hurry. The job listing closes on April 26.

You can read a bit more about Toxic at Lew Stringer's excellent British comics-related blog.

[Artwork: Toxic, © Egmont]


FrankensteinSo, not a great week for comic book publishers as Tokyopop finally called it quits. If you have a project over there, it's a good time to get a lawyer to look over your contract and see about rights reversion when the publisher goes away without declaring bankruptcy (yet) or getting sold.

Then Dark Horse laid off a bunch of employees, many of them beloved and had been there a long time.

But at least the US Government is stepping in to try to stop Borders executives from looting the stores they’ve already ruined.

Rise: I love the way the new Planet of the Apes comic book from Boom! is looking. The Scoop has a sneak preview of the first issue, on sale April 27.

Victor: Here’s a great interview with writer Don Glut that’s mostly about Frankensten. “Why don't I do a series of Frankenstein novels that would be based on the movies and all of these other things? In each one I would bring in some other character from fiction or whatever. I would create this whole Frankenstein universe.”

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Dark Horse, Tokyopop, Borders, Glut & Apes


LeonardoAttention Great Britain!

If you're going to be around what you folks call a telly on Monday evening April 11, you might want to check out a TV series called Leonardo that's airing on CBBC at 5:15pm (17:15).

The first episode is called "Anything Goes." UK's Telegraph has already given the show a thumbs up, saying it "has its roots in traditional adventure drama. And thoroughly engaging it is too."

Click to continue reading Leonardo On CBBC


Write More GoodEveryone who’s anyone in the indie comics scene is currently at MoCCA Fest 2011 in New York. But me? I’m just linking to stuff.

Write: Comic book retailer and blogger Mike Sterling is part of a group that runs Fake AP Stylebook. They’ve got a book out, Write More Good, and for those of us who love to laugh, it’s a must-have. Back away from the DC and Marvel relaunches and put your money to a better use. Here's a taste from the book: "While it's tempting to call them baristi because of the Italian roots, the plural of barista is journalism majors."

It even got a nice review in The New Yorker. “Write More Good, like the account from which it grew, is a tongue-in-cheek takedown of an industry already on shaky ground.”

Maberry: Marvel Comics writer Jonathan Maberry is also a novelist. SF Signal breaks down his latest Joe Ledger novel and gives it thumbs up. “Great conspiracy thinking with large events; misdirection; interesting, complex criminals who don't like each other; a great dog and destruction of one of Maberry's favorite writing places!”

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Maberry, Wes Craven, Tamara Drewe and Dave Dorman


Girls LoveIt's that time of the week again! Time to check out my favorite website for job listings in the wide-ranging and eclectic field of comic book jobs.

Here's what's happening on craigslist:

A production company in the San Fernando Valley (California) is "seeking a lead actress for a live action comic book film." For the right superheroine, they'll be $350 per day. "Think comic book meets really goofy lines and fight scenes."

And if you're a guy, they're also looking for a villain. But comic book movie villainy pays less, $125 per day.

The Los Angeles Comic Book And Science Fiction Convention is looking for vendors interesting in setting up at their April 17th show.

Nostalgic Books and Comics in San Gabriel (California) is looking for "any comic-related costume people who may be interested in showing up and being a part of" their Free Comic Book Day celebration.

Click to continue reading Comic Book Jobs: Checking Out Craigslist


Glenn BeckWord has reached us that crazed Fox News commentator Glenn Beck was recently pitching around Hollywood to create an animated series based on his life as a child.

I'm sure someone saw this as a good idea in the same way that someone thought Happy Days, Gilligan's Island and The Harlem Globetrotters would make good cartoons.

But Beck will need something now that his Fox TV show is going to be cancelled at the end of this year.

We asked around the various Hollywood studios and got a list of the rejected pitches for various Beck-based cartoon shows, none of which have materialized.

"Development Hell" must also be part of a vast conspiracy.

Here then, are the Top 10 Beck cartoon projects that may yet find their way to your flatscreen:

Click to continue reading The Glenn Beck Animated TV Show


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