Like a Comic, only Better
Aug. 1, 2001
The quantum shift in the presentation of graphic literature is well under way, and I couldn't be more pleased. The 32-page pamphlet that has dominated the landscape for decades continues to diminish, while trade collections and graphic novels -- we can say it: books -- continue on an upward arc. Thank heavens. Before you start sticking pins in my Read More...
Back to Cool
Sept. 1, 2001
Hot enough for you? I hope you're finding ways to stay cool. Not cold, but cool. Not temperature, but attitude. When somebody walks by with a jaunty, self-possessed gait or a swagger that catches our attention, people say they're "cool." (But you and I know that not noticing the person walking by is really cool.) When, in a tense situat Read More...
Lucky Me, Lucky You
Oct. 1, 2001
One of the best... no, strike that, the very best thing about my job is that I get to help some incredibly talented writers and artists get their start in comics -- or at least get their work widely seen. Please understand, I'm not claiming that I have anything to do with their talent or developing it. I'm just a facilitator. But it's great, vi Read More...
Mike Mignola's B.P.R.D.
Nov. 1, 2001
With 1994's Hellboy #1, Mike Mignola introduced more than the character of Hellboy. He introduced fishman Abe Sapien, and an occult version of the C.I.A. where Hellboy and Abe work--the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.) He brought back to life historical madman Rasputin, and presented a fresh take on Hitler's experiments in t Read More...
September 11
Dec. 1, 2001
When life goes bad, when things don't work out, or horrible things happen,that's when you start to learn the importance of community. Things couldn'thave gotten much worse on September 11, 2001. On that day we all stood inhorror, aghast at what people are capable of doing to one another. But afterthe initial horror began to fade the majority of Read More...
Go, Go, Go Astroboy
Jan. 1, 2002
Here in the States, we regularly pay homage to artists like Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, and a host of others who developed a powerful visual language for telling stories in the comics medium. Their innovations and their intuitive grasp of which images, placed in conjunction with other images, would convey exciting, dynamic action on Read More...
Fett, but Not Boba
Feb. 1, 2002
In a few short months from now, Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones will arrive in theaters and end the widespread (and sometimes wildly off-target) speculation that has kept the on-line Star Wars message boards and news groups buzzing with activity since the release of The Phantom Menace. Still, there are a few tidbits that have been Read More...
Re-Imagining a Classic
March 1, 2002
It can be a risky thing, adapting, or extrapolating upon, or re-working classic works -- whether they be films, novels, or comics. The fact that so many of your audience love the original will work both for you and against you. Even if you manage to do a brilliant job, there will be those nay-sayers who dislike the new work simply because it isn' Read More...
How Real is Real?
May 1, 2002
How real is real? When you want to capture the true likeness of a person, is the best way a photograph? Perhaps. As we accelerate into the 21st century, however, a new technology has emerged that, properly used, surpasses all that has come before in terms of conveying realism and indeed the very essence of human characters. No, it's not cloning Read More...
You Wanted the Best....
July 1, 2002
Gene Simmons loves comic books. Ask anybody who's heard him on Howard Stern, or read Mojo magazine ... or listened to Terry Gross. Or anybody who's ever taken the time to consider where his band's whole schitck came from. And it is schtick. Gene's none too shy about that point. Which makes it easy to talk openly about how to reimagine KISS as Read More...