Profile: Rachel Penn
Feb. 1, 1998
This month, we're kicking off a new feature in The Finish Line: capsule profiles of the DH editors -- a chance for you to get to know some of the folks who help bring you the finest in comics entertainment all year long. We toyed with different methods to determine the order in which we'd present these profiles (alphabetical, from most senior to Read More...
The Bad News and The Good News
Sept. 1, 1996
Now that the summer convention season and its attendant wave of high-profile projects and releases has wound down, it seems like a good opportunity to take stock of the comics business and look at what the future holds.The Bad NewsNo doubt about it, the past two-and-a-half years have been a tough time for the comics business. Sales are down across Read More...
Profile: Chris Warner
Sept. 1, 1998
PROFILE: CHRIS WARNER, EDITORThough best known for his kick-ass art on books like Black Cross and Barb Wire: Ace of Spades, and his crackling smart scripts for the same, Chris Warner is also one heck of a fine editor (which he proved during his first stint at Dark Horse, 1989-'93). Recently, Dark Horse was lucky enough to lure Warner back to a sta Read More...
Profile: Peet Janes
March 1, 1998
PROFILE: PEET JANES, EDITOR To hear him tell it, his career in comics has been a rags-to-slightly-better-rags story. After traveling across the U.S. in a beat-up Volkswagen van ("the Conestoga wagon of the late twentieth century"), Peet ended up in Portland, Oregon. "My old boss back in North Carolina always told me that my skills would serve m Read More...
How to Prepare Your Work for Review by an Editor at a Convention
July 1, 1997
Every year or so we devote a Finish Line to explaining to aspiring writers and artists exactly how to prepare an unsolicited, mail-in submission for a favorable reception from an editor. This column deals with similar subject matter:How to Prepare Your Work for Review by an Editor at a ConventionApproaching an editor at a convention and showing him Read More...
On the Other Hand...
Oct. 1, 1997
A couple months ago in this column, I asked the question, "Is passion for the medium enough to save comics?" Last month, I ran reader Dennis DeRobertis' response. In short, his answer was no, and he went on to present some thoughtful comments on areas in which the comics industry could stand improvement. This month, I have a letter (edited for l Read More...
A New Year Brings New Challenges
Jan. 1, 1997
As we open up our new 1997 calendars this month to begin a new year, it is a time for both anticipation and reflection. In speaking to some of my friends and associates in the comics industry during the year past, I have come to the conclusion that many in the business have grown depressed in what most describe as an industry downturn. It is undeni Read More...
Profile: Phil Amara
May 1, 1998
PROFILE: PHILIP AMARA, EDITORIf you ask Philip Amara, he'll tell you that having your car booted in downtown Milwaukie, Oregon means that they care.As a child of '70s television who has spent time in the trenches at both Kitchen Sink and Dark Horse Comics, Phil has a healthy appreciation for the unorthodox and the quirky. (He can also recite the Read More...
Dark Horse Goes to the Movies (and Vice Versa)
April 1, 1996
When comics are compared to film, it's usually by apologists who are struggling to draw comparisons between the two mediums -- as if, 1) demonstrating that the storytelling techniques used in film have their direct counterparts in comics storytelling will, 2) somehow validate comics as an art form. (The fact that they're wrong on both counts is b Read More...
How do you like your man?
Oct. 1, 1998
Girls, are you tired of the average superhero doofus? Looking for someone whose brains are bigger than his biceps, but he can still kick ass? A thinker? A guy with passion? A guy with wisdom and experience? Someone who may not be all good? Maybe you'd like to meet a guy with a mysterious past. Or a tragic flaw. A secret identity, or maybe just a b Read More...