Comic Books's topics - tribe.net

Malcolm McDowell at Big Apple Convention NYC 7-8

2008-03-28T05:30:29Z

Malcolm McDowell at Big Apple Convention NYC 7-8

Malcolm McDowell, who has been in everything from “A Clockwork Orange” to “If...” to “Tank Girl” to ”Superman: The Animated Series” to “The Princess of Thieves” to “Star Trek: Generations” to “Heroes” to “Doomsday,” will be at the Big Apple Convention June 7-8 at the Penn Plaza Pavilion in New York City.

He will be joining Ice-T, Coco, Doug Jones, Tony Moran, Katherine Leigh Scott, David Zen Mansley, and the Friday the 13th Part 3 reunion as the star-studded lineup of celebrities continues to grow.

Be sure to check the website http://www.bigapplecon.com for more details, http://www.myspace.com/bigapplenyc for the latest updates and pictures, and join http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bigapplecon/ for discussion and more pictures

Captain Zorikh

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

artist wanted

2008-01-31T15:44:31Z

I’m a writer seeking a Seattle-ish based comic artist/illustrator to collaborate with on a graphic novel.

It’s a supernatural/horror/thriller rock-opera joint.

Please message me with your reply, as I’ve posted this in a bunch of tribes.

Thanks.

posted in Comic Books - 2 replies

Top 23 Comic Book Storylines from ‘The Age of Freedom’: Part 1

2007-12-05T18:33:30Z

I just wrote this article (part 1) and posted it on my blog

thought some here would like…

best

chycho
www.chycho.com

ps. I’m cross posting this on a couple of other tribes as well … would love to hear what people think

Top 23 Comic Book Storylines from ‘The Age of Freedom’: Part 1
http://www.chycho.com/?q=node/1378

To help better understand the choices made in The List, below is a brief introduction to the world of Comic Books.

The Beginning:

One of the most important contributions the United States of America has made to modern civilization is the creation and the popularization of the comic book genre. It is widely accepted that the present form of the comic book, in which word balloons are used, began in New York in 1896 with ‘The Yellow Kid’. This simple comic about a “snaggle-toothed child with a goofy grin” was the genesis of what has become a multi billion-dollar sector of commerce known as the Comic Book Industry.

In the early years free artistic expression was encouraged, resulting in growth and prospering. Initially it was humor, horror, mystery, adventure, and science fiction stories that dominated the medium, nurturing the imagination of millions of people around the world. Entrepreneurial artists with creative minds who wanted to share their perspective on reality formed small companies producing some of the greatest visual and literary works of the 20th century. Unfortunately however, the conservative minds that dominated the political spectrum of the United States at the time regarded most of the content morally unacceptable. As a result the Comics Code Authority (CCA) was created in 1954 to censor undesirable elements from the American conscience.

Creatures such as vampires, werewolves and zombies and words such as ‘crime’, ‘horror’ and ‘terror’ were forbidden to appear in print. The result of the suppression of this freedom of expression was the termination of some of the greatest stories ever told.

One of the worst tragedies occurred when EC comics, which was one of the most imaginative companies to have emerged from the American empire, was forced to only concentrate on its humor magazine, ‘Mad’, and cancelled all of its crime, horror, satire, military and science fiction comics. This lost opportunity for creating an extensive library of materials based on these forbidden genres is unimaginable. As Diane Di Prima once stated, “The only war that matters is the war against the imagination”, and the restrictions in intellectual and social development imposed by the CCA was a devastating blow for humanity.

With the censorship of comics that delved into the deeper and darker side of human nature, Superhero comics flourished. Certain underground comics that refused to abide by the CCA obtained a cult following, however, in general, it was the companies that abided with the government regulators, hence giving them a wider distribution, that gained in popularity.

The Rebellion:

For the next few decades after 1954 there were minor skirmishes between artists and the CCA. Over time these confrontations resulted in the softening of some restrictions, such as the ban on referring to homosexuality in 1989. This allowed the first mainstream character to be to be outed in 1992 with ‘Northstar’ from the ‘Alpha Flight’ series. This event was heralded as a major breakthrough and embraced by comic book enthusiasts, but it was condemned by certain religious and conservative organizations.

The independent comic book companies however were ahead of their time and were more innovative then the large corporations that self-censored their artists to maintain their good standing with the government regulators. Before Northstar was outed, Kitchen Sink Enterprises had already introduced gay characters in 1980 with the first issue of ‘Gay Comix’. After Northstar’s minor claim to fame and the cancellation of the series in 1994, it was the independent comic book companies that challenged the status quo. The same year that ‘Alpha Flight’ was cancelled, ‘Go-Go Boy’ was released through select comic book retailers as the first openly gay, lesbian and transgender monthly superhero comic book dealing with such important issues as AIDS, gay-bashing, personal identity and family, as well as evil corporations that wanted to rule the world.

Even though during the 1980’s and 90’s the mainstream companies maintained their dominance of the industry, Alternative Comics gained in popularity. This forced the large corporations to take an aggressive stance staving off the coming onslaught from the independent creators while trying to retain their market share. Marvel Comics tried to reduce exposure of comic fans to the independent publishers by flooding the market, hence retail shelf space, with poorly developed stories and shallow characters. In 1994, they even went as far as acquiring Heroes World distributors to exclusively distribute their comics. This started what is referred to as the “exclusivity wars”, the end result of which was that most distributors went out of business by 1997, and 90% of the Direct Market share went to Diamond Comic Distributors. This futile attempt to stifle creative evolution also almost bankrupted Marvel Comics.

The Triumph:

During this time of strife, many of the top artists in the industry broke away from the major companies and formed co-ops in which they published their books under umbrella-corporations. The main benefit obtained from these alliances was that artists were able to retain the rights and the creative development for their characters. Once creative confines were removed, the caliber of comics drastically improved, shifting the mindset of readers into demanding more intellectually changeling material. As a result there was an explosion of creativity reminiscent of the early years before the CCA’s censorship. This era is referred to as the beginning of the Modern Age of Comics, and was the setting for the real life Corporate Comic Wars.

During this period, amidst this unsuitability, some of the most successful comic books in history were developed. The emergence of these Alternative Comics was a rebirth for the industry the impact of which can still be felt today. It is as a direct result of the commoditization of the Worlds created through these comics that the film and television, textile and toy, and the gaming industries have prospered to the extent that they have. Licensing agreements with publishers and creators have produced what is now one of the major business growth sectors within the United States.

The Implications:

During the 2006 Comic-Con, Deepak Chopra made the following statement about comic books:

"Comics engage both your left brain, because they are linguistically structured and there's language, and at the same time they engage your right brain because of the images. In fact, ... I’m sure ... brain waves would show coherence between the right and left brains, which is the prelude to creativity.

“Art has a function because it not only reflects what’s happening in the collective psyche and collective consciousness, but it also in many ways mirrors of the evolution of our collective consciousness. If you track the evolution of these comics… from the 1930s right up to this moment, you’ll see that they actually mirror human evolution and particularly, the evolution of human consciousness.”

By finally reducing the constraints set by the CCA from the development process of comic books, we have been ushered into a new era of imagination brought about by unrestrained creativity. The effects of this newfound freedom are still in its infancy, which means that we must continue to nurture its growth, providing a medium for artists to create without government censorship.

At a time when conservatives minds are trying to tightened their stranglehold on the American conscience, it has become crucial for us to remember what has been accomplished up to this point, and the long hard battle that has been waged to gain these freedom. For our society to flourish, government and corporate censorship must be removed in all its forms.

The List:

The period known as the Model Age of Comics is probably the most important era since the dawn of the Comic Book Industry. The shakeup that occurred in the 1980’s and 90’s resulted in a surge of creativity that tested the boundaries set by our society. I have dubbed this period ‘The Age of Freedom’ since it gave birth to Alternative Comics and marks the beginning of the dismantling of the CCA and the censorship of human thought from comic books. Below are 8 out of the top 23 of the most important comic book storylines from this period. Some were a brilliant desperate attempts by the major companies to retain market share, others a mastery of imagination and freedom of expression. In no particular order the list is as follows:

1. Cerebus: This series was started in 1977 by Dave Sim and ended in 2004. It is one continuous tale, spanning 300 issues and 6,000 pages, making it the longest running storyline in comic book history. With Cerebus, Sim demonstrated that an independent creator could obtain a core fan base and grow to be a formidable force in the industry. This inspired a whole generation of artists to create and distribute their own comics. As for what this comic is about, you could say it’s about everything: from morality to brutality, from sorcery to spiritually, from drunken debauchery to strategic warfare: Cerebus is an epic that has it all.

2. Love and Rockets: The first issue of this collection was released in 1981 making it one of the first self-published comics from the “alternative comics revolution of the 1980s”. L&R is not about a specific story line, but an assortment of intricate characters, primarily chicano, that interact and grow over time from the late 70’s to the present.

3. Frank Miller’s Batman: Miller has produced two of the most important comics in history. First is ‘The Dark Knight Returns’, a fictional tale set 20 years in the future where Batman is forced out of retirement to deal with a crime ridden Gotham. This series reintroduced a darker Batman to a whole new generation of comic fans and helped usher in a new era of tougher and grittier superheroes. The second book is ‘Year One’. This time Miller recounted the origin of Batman in the same humanistic form as before. This storyline turned out to be just as popular as the DKR and galvanized Batman’s fan base created a year earlier. Miller was able to use the recognition he obtained from this work, and his work with ‘Daredevil’, to kick off his independent carrier which introduced the now classic ‘Sin City’ published through Dark Horse Comics.

4. Lobo: The Last Czarnian: Lobo is one of the most controversial characters in comic book history and this is the series that kicked it off. Before this four part mini-series, Lobo was a secondary character introduced in ‘Omega Men’ and maintained in the DC universe. The Last Czarnian was a quirky tale of a bounty hunter bound by honor to carry out a mission which involved his fourth-grade teacher, a murderous gang of groupies, a vengeful truck driving Elvis look alike, ruthless paramilitary grannies, a pan-galactic demolition dance company, a planetary S.W.A.T. team, a Spelling Bee to the death, and a few secondary themes to boot. In 1990 it was surprising to see a major company like DC comics release a book which was based on pure violence and sadistically masochistic humor, which explains why it was completely sold out in the first few days. As if this wasn’t enough, DC comics followed the success of this series with Lobo being hired by a drunken Eastern Bunny to kill a “cross-dressing” sweatshop running evil Santa Clause, in the ‘Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special’.

DC’s final act of defiance through Lobo occurred with the release of ‘Infanticide’, a carnage ridden tale in which the bastard children of Lobo try to kill their father. As a reviewer noted, “if you enjoy dark, twisted humour and love those B-rated Brian Yuzna gore fests, this book should be right up your alley.”

5. Death of superman: The initial reaction from the comic book community to the ‘Doomsday’ storyline was lukewarm at best, however by the time the final battle took place the North American populace was in a frenzy. The mainstream media disseminated the news about the demise of Superman and people desperate to get their copy began to rush into comic book stores, to find out that there were no copies to be found. At the time this storyline was released, Superman fans were in decline and most comic book stores had not predicated the demand from the general populace. Regular customers who had pre-ordered their copy were selling their books to people on the streets for outrageous amounts. Rumors were circulating that the bagged issue of Superman #75 was selling for as high $200 on the day of its release. The importance of this series was not that Superman was dead, because everyone in the Industry knew that he would be revamped, it was the fact that the story generated so much interest. It proved to fans, artists, and companies that there was a huge market yet untapped. Considering that right now hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent to create movies based on comic books, we can assume that the Industry was able to capitalize on this market.

6. Batman: Bane and Venom: One of the most important sagas in the DC universe began with Batman becoming a drug addict in Legends of the Dark Knight #16-20. This story introduced the drug Venom, a “strength-enhancing super-steroid” which was later used by Bane to break Batman's back in the ‘Knightfall’ epic. The result of this saga sent the Batman books into a tale spin with guest appearences by almost every major Batman villain and the introduction of Jean-Paul Valley as the new Batman, who later gained his own series with ‘Azrael’. This was DC’s way of shaking up the Batman universe in the same manner as ‘Death of Superman’, and resulted in two other mega-sagas in ‘Knightquest’ and ‘KnightsEnd’. The success of this storyline was compatible to the death of Robin in ‘Death in the Family’, a series where, for the first time in history, fans decided the outcome to a story by casting their votes for a possible ending.

7. Watchman: This series by Alan Moore, the creator of ‘V for Vendetta’, ‘From Hell’, and numerous other books, is considered by many to be the greatest comic book ever created. Moore accomplished more for the Industry, from 1986 to 87 in twelve issues, then had ever been done by any artist in the past. He and Dave Gibbons created a science fiction story that was regarded as a literary masterpiece and awarded the prestigious Hugo Award in 1988. The only graphic novel to ever receive this praise. The story “is set in 1985, in an alternative history United States where costumed adventurers are real and the country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union.” In this not-so-fictional reality we are introduced to super heroes without super powers and serious personal issues. It is a masterpiece and if I was to have provided a ranking to this list based on a must read criteria then ‘The Watchman’ would be sitting near the top.

8. Spawn: Todd McFarlane, the creator of Spawn, gained fame within the Industry through his work with Spiderman. McFarlane worked on numerous projects for both Marvel and DC comics before venturing off to form Image Comics in 1992 with six other “high-profile illustrators”. Spawn, a netherworld character, was at best a cross between ‘Batman’ and ‘Spiderman’ and at worst a blatant rip-off. It is not because of the story that Spawn has become one of the most important comics from this period; it is because of what McFarlane was able to accomplish with the book. In the early 1990’s, I recall seeing an interview in which McFarlane was asked what he wanted to do with his art, and his reply was (paraphrasing) ‘I want to develop a unique style, and make millions of dollars’, and this is exactly what he did. By creating a character which pushed the boundaries of what was morally acceptable by the regulators he proved that by creating something beyond the constraints set by government censors, he could fill a gap within the industry. McFarlane set an example for other artists who wanted to break away from their shackles by showing them that monetary success was attainable outside of the corporate structure.

to be continued ...

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

A new page added today.

2007-09-04T11:30:22Z

Hello my family and friends. A new page of "POLO" was added today. Please go by and check it out and also take a look at my art blog! You will see more of my original paintings and some comic sketches of everything.

thank you for your support

http://www.webcomicsnation.com/ecom/polo/series.php

posted in Comic Books - 1 reply

Frank Miller to direct Batman movie?

2007-09-03T17:50:41Z

from www.slashfilm.com by Peter Sciretta

Could Frank Miller’s classic The Dark Knight Returns be up for a possible feature film adaptation? The question was asked at this year’s New York Comic Con and Batman producer Michael Uslan gave his glowing endorsement.
Miller’s four-issue comic book miniseries, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, was first published in 1986. It has since become one of the most popular graphic novel/trade paperbacks of all time. It reintroduced Batman to the general public as the psychologically dark character of his original 1930s conception, and helped to usher in an era of “grim and gritty” superheroes from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s.

Set 20 years in the future, criminals run amok and a gang called the Mutants terrorize Gotham City as superheros are a thing of the past. Bruce Wayne has been retired from crime fighting for ten years following the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin. Despite Wayne’s funding the rehabilitation of Harvey Dent (Two-Face), Dent returns to crime. Wayne dons the Batman costume again and apprehends Dent, but the populace debates whether Batman is a savior.

posted in Comic Books - 7 replies

Not Happy With DC

2007-08-27T20:41:25Z

http://occasionalsuperheroine.blogspot.com/2007/08/countdown-to-change-after-reading.html

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Captain America...

2007-08-14T20:13:03Z

is dead? Marvel has decided to kill of Captain America, the long-lasting hero from WWII, if I remember correctly is getting offed. This month is when it's supposed to happen, if I remember correctly. Who knows if he'll be back for more, but wait and see?

posted in Comic Books - 17 replies

Feeding Comic Books

2007-07-09T13:50:11Z

I've been off doing other things for awhile.
I look in here to watch the discussions from time to time.
I've recently been developing webpages of my own that digests several comic book sites to make it easier to see everything.
If you want to do this with Google Personal Pages or some of the other personal webpage generators you can start putting together something like
http://www.entertaining-arts.com/comics

posted in Comic Books - 2 replies

ComicBookLover

2007-07-07T03:46:40Z

no, I am NOT promoting this...

Just wannt know if anyone else has:

http://bitcartel.com/comicbooklover/index.html

posted in Comic Books - 8 replies

Any body else a memeber here....?

2007-06-22T15:28:30Z

Online Comic price guide.
Curious for feedback about it..........

http://www.comicspriceguide.com/default.asp

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Trading Comics

2007-06-07T14:10:17Z

I'm thinking of any idea. Someone tell me if this is already being done.

Establish a website based on a social network, just like tribe.net is. The users of the site are connected not by their online friends, but by the comic books they have and want to trade. Once a trading partner is found, the users conduct a trade.

The trades could be backed up by an online bond in case the trader fails to complete the trade.

Perhaps a method to allow for "degrees of separation". I want Hulk #102 and am willing to trade #182. The person who has #102 to trade actually is looking for Batman #151.

Let me know your thoughts

posted in Comic Books - 4 replies

Inviting the Wrong People

2007-05-28T12:49:08Z

I was trying to invite a few more people to this tribe.
I'm sorry I ended up inviting you guys who were already here.

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Selling Comic Books

2007-05-23T15:11:16Z

I starting collecting comics with I was 8 years old. My 1st book was a Rawhide Kid issue I still have 35 years later.
During the later 1980's and 90's I bought and sold a lot of comics. I'm still very interested in the hobby and plan to pass it down to my daught who also now eight years old.

But I have a lot of comics.

So here's the topic:
What's the best way to sell comics

1. Yard sale
2. Convention
3. eBay
4. roll your own web-site

what do you think?

posted in Comic Books - 6 replies

Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man

2007-05-09T22:48:33Z

Can anyone tell me how many issues Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man ran?

Thanks in advance.

posted in Comic Books - 2 replies

Hawthorne High School Comic Book Convention

2007-05-08T21:04:52Z

The Hawthorne High School Comic Convention
arrives this Saturday with many new comic creators
added to the guest list!

The Hawthorne High School Comic Convention arrives this Saturday May
12th from 10am â€“ 4pm. With a guest line up all but the biggest comic
conventions would be envious of, the school looks forward to its
greatest convention ever.

Here are some of the most recent additions to the guest list:

Mike Oeming (Powers, Cross Bronx)
Mark Texiera (Black Panther)
Ivan Brandon (NYC Mech, Cross Bronx)
Andy MacDonald (NYC Mech)
Rags Morales (Identity Crisis)
Tom Raney (Civil War, Uncanny X Men)
Rich Buckler Sr. (almost every character at DC & Marvel!!!)
Dennis Calero (X Factor)
Bob Smith (Batman)
Mercy Van Vlack (Richie Rich, Evolution Comics)
Ken Gale (Creepy, Good Guys, Nuff Said)
Chris Moreno (Sidekick, WW Hulk: Frontline)
M. Sean McManus
Rob Granito
Louis Small Jr. (Vamparella)
Bob Hardin (Sgt. Rock)
Buddy Scalera (7 Days to Fame)

This is in addition to the amazing guests we already booked:

Gene Colan (Dracula, Daredevil, Batman)
Jim Salicrup (Editor Papercutz, Marvel)
Danny Fingeroth (Editor Marvel, Write Now)
Mark Schultz (Cadillacâ€™s & Dinosaurs, Prince Valiant)
Joe Sinnott (Fantastic Four, Spiderman)
Ian Dorian (painter, penciller, sculptor)
Guy Dorian (painter, penciller)
Scott Roberts (Pattycake, Nickelodeon, Prince Valiant)
Tania Del Rio (Sabrina)
Joe Giella (Tent.) (Batman, Green Lantern, Flash and Americaâ€™s
sweetheart Mary Worth)
Rudy Nebres (Vamperilla, Creepy, Eerie)
Doug Baron (penciller, Kubert School teacher)
Tommy Castillo (Batman, Toe Tags, duCret School teacher)
Paulo Rivera (painter Marvel)
Daniel Reed (Retro Dead)
Mark Romanowski (painter, duCret School instuctor)
Mark Sparacio (painter, Miss Liberty)
John Workman (Heavy Metal, letterer extraordinary!)
Bob Wiacek (inker Marvel, DC)
Paul Banono (penciller)
Dave DeVries (painter, creator of Monster Engine)
Museum of Cartoon and Comic Art
Students from the Joe Kubert School
Melissa Goldberg (independent creator)
Caitlyn Flynn (independent creator)

The guests are not the only activity at the convention. Ken Gale will
be moderating a panel at 3pm featuring comic creators from every era of
comics. The panel will include comics great Gene Colan and be held in
Room 111.

We will have our yearly auction featuring original artwork, books and
prints from some of the attending artists and items generously donated
by Fantagraphics Books (a limited edition signed book by Neil Gaiman)
and Eva Ink Publishing (items from Arthur Suydam and Michael Golden).
Winnerâ€™s names will be drawn at 2:30 pm at the auction booth. You must
be present at the time of the drawing to win!

Here is the schedule of art lessons being offered at the show. Art
supplies will be supplied by the school, except for painting supplies
(you must bring your own).

ART LESSONS held in Room 122:

10:30am ANATOMY taught by Kubert School instructor Ian Dorian

11:30am CREATING COMICS FROM A â€“ Z taught by editors Danny Fingeroth
(Write Now and Marvel) and Jim Salicrup (Papercutz, Marvel and Topps)

12:30 pm DRAWING MANGA taught by Sabrina the Teenage Witch artist Tania
Del Rio

1:30pm PAINTING COMIC ART taught by duCret School instructor Mark
Romanowski

There are a few dealer tables still available.

Here is all the info you will need to get to the convention:

Hawthorne High School Comic Convention
Saturday May 12th, 2007
10am â€“ 4 pm
Hawthorne High School
160 Parmelee Avenue
Hawthorne, NJ 07506

Admission is only $3!

If youâ€™re driving MAPQUEST is great for directions. You can get to
convention from NYC by taking NJ Transit from Penn Station, just a
30-minute ride from midtown.

Wonderful food is available within walking distance in Hawthorne and
with so much going on plan to stay for the day.

This will be a very special day for the school and students, for the
comic creators and for you the fans. For more information, or dealer
tables contact Allan Rosenberg at: alllal@aol.com.

Our web page is at the Big Apple Conventions website: bigapplecon.com.

We send our get well wishes to our best friend Irwin Hasen!!!!!!!!!!

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

batman665

2007-04-21T05:58:47Z

posted in another tribe but I wanna see which replies

the truth behind what happened in 52-- the story of what bruce went through in the cave in isolation. . . what happened?

It's revealed in 665 but I dont trust Morrison, I know he had a direct hand in this as he writes both Batman and 52 but I dislike the direction he's going in.

Anyone else feel the same way or am I alone?

I think Bats is better left alone and not broken down. Morrison is going into the Joe Cool shit and that is ridiculous. . . or maybe I'm wrong. . . . .

D.C.U. has gotten so clean that Bats should just find his place and stay== stop sending him into space and elsewhere he belongs in gotham. If JLA needs Tactical info, course of action etc. that's one thing but c'mon. He's my fav character but dont stretch it . . . I love and hate Grant Morrison's run.
posted by:

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

First batch of artists for Big Apple Con June 23-24 confirmed!

2007-04-01T08:58:26Z

Hey, folks, we've got the first batch of artists confirmed for the Big Apple Convention June 23-24! In no particular order, they are...

Mitchell Breitweiser
Michael Lark
James Rodriguez
Irwin Hasen
Khary Randolph
Rudy Nebres
Guy Dorian
Ian Dorian
Tommy Castillo
Melvin Yaglan
Mark Sparacio
Ray Felix
Mark Mazz
Ed Tranquino
Mike Mazerko

...And you can be sure we will be adding to that list soon!

Captain Zorikh
http://www.bigapplecon.com
http://www.captainzorikh.com

Be sure to join the group of your choice for the latest updates, discussion, and pictures from the Big Apple Convention:

Tribe:
http://tribes.tribe.net/bigapplecon
Yahoo:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bigapplecon/
MSN:
http://groups.msn.com/BigAppleCon/
MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/bigapplenyc

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Big Apple Convention Tribe!

2007-03-03T14:53:49Z

ANNOUNCING BIG APPLE CONVENTION TRIBE

The longest-running comic boock/sci-fi/fantasy/horror/pop culture convention in New York now has its own Tribe! The Big Apple Convention invites you to join this tribe and share pictures and discussion. Updates on the coming conventions will be posted there. Feel free to comment on your experience at the convention and let us know what you would like to see there!

Captain Zorikh
http://www.captainzorikh.com
http://www.bigapplecon.com

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Spider-Man unmasked in comic book

2007-01-20T01:06:17Z

At first, I was a but surprised, but the more I thought about it, who doesn't know his real identity? What are your thoughts on other consequences, i.e. giving up his day job and staying with the Avengers?

It's a Marvel: Spidey Unmasks

By Geoff Boucher
Times Staff Writer
Published June 15, 2006

Behind the 'Spider' mask, he's just Peter Parker.

Forty-four years after first donning a mask, Spider-Man takes it off in public in a comic book that hits stores Thursday.

In the book, the second issue of "Civil War," Spider-Man, Captain America and other familiar heroes in Marvel Comics are struggling not with villains but with federal legislation requiring that they register and reveal their identities. That federal crackdown begins after hundreds of children are killed at an elementary school when a battle between heroes and villains spills onto their campus.

In the issue now on sale, Spider-Man is the first major hero to acquiesce, pulling off his mask at a Washington news conference. Captain America, meanwhile, goes underground and leads a faction of heroes who believe the government has gone too far.

The government versus masked men theme has become a staple of superhero lore (it was memorably defined by "The Watchmen" comics in the 1980s but was recently made far more famous by "The Incredibles" and "X-Men" films) but with Spider-Man revealing to the world that his real name is Peter Parker, Marvel is sacrificing one of the core components of its most famous character's mythology.

It is also creating a major divide between the comic-book continuity and the hit Hollywood franchise.

"It can be very intimidating if you don't know where the story is going or how it ends; we do, so we're just excited about where it takes us and the story possibilities it offers," Joe Quesada, Marvel's editor-in-chief, said Wednesday.He also promised that Marvel won't be backing-off of Spidey's big revelation by zapping the public with a forget-me ray or saying the press conference was a dream or a hoax.

"We won't be pulling a Bobby Ewing with this."

Copyright © 2006, The Los Angeles Times

posted in Comic Books - 6 replies

OM-fucking-G !!!!! Coolest shyt EVER......!!!!! (maybe...)

2007-01-05T07:34:02Z

Had NO idea this was gonna be THIS year...... !!!!!

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/fantasticfourriseofthesilversurfer/large.html

posted in Comic Books - 3 replies

Grant Morrison and the Wildstorm Relaunch

2006-11-28T02:39:36Z

Apparently, everybody's favorite psychedelic cue-ball, Grant Morrison is going hogwild for Wildstorm, he's going to be writing several books for the imprint.

Yesterday I picked up issue #1 The Authority but haven't had a chance to read it yet. I actually skipped on WildC.A.T.s, since I never really got into the concept from the beginning.

He's doing some other books but I forget what.

I guess the whole Wildstorm universe is being relaunched, did anybody read those books before, will you be reading the new versions?

posted in Comic Books - 2 replies

"I really DC and Justice League"

2006-11-21T17:42:16Z

I have nothing against super heroes but honestly I just hate Super man and Wonderwoman and all those other heroes except for Batman in the Justice League cartoon. First off Superman is cocky as hell, and everyone is scared of him including Joker from batman. The villains in this cartoon are also extremelly weak, thats why I like Marvel a hell allot better than DC. Marvel have better heroes and villains.

Its like if X-men villains were in Justice League they wouldn't be taking crap from Superman or wonder woman.Magneto would stomp both their faces into the ground. Thats why I always liked Marvel characters, for instance Cyclops is always acting like the leader of the X-men but Wolverine doesn't give a damn he's his own boss and would take Cyclops down any givin day. In Justice League all the characters do what Superman says, their like all straight cowards. The bad guys always surrender and the fights are too unrealistic. Isn't the bad guys suppose to win somtimes too????????? I know in X-men they always win in few episodes to make the fights seem more real.

Marvel will always conqueror DC comics. Plus Marvel is more mature and real. DC created two over powered characters that cant lose.

posted in Comic Books - 7 replies

Heroes NBC

2006-10-28T20:50:35Z

The billboards caught my attention. The reviews are great. I just watched the trailer. This TV Show, capitolizing on the comic book fad, looks really good!

posted in Comic Books - 20 replies

Second issue done!

2006-10-02T17:39:04Z

Read the first issue free! While your at it comic lovers read the four page preview!

link link www.beckrosestudios.net

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

DC postage stamps

2006-09-02T20:40:14Z

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060719/ap_en_ot/super_stamps

Plastic Man? Gimme a break.
And no Alex Ross art? I'm so bummed...

posted in Comic Books - 3 replies

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes

2006-08-02T18:23:09Z

Deepak Chopra and Grant Morrison explore the social subconscious.

Thursday at the San Diego Comic-Con brought an intriguing collaboration. Grant Morrison and Deepak Chopra, having met for the first time the previous night, had a discussion about the role superheroes play in the social fabric.

A superhero is "symbolic expression of the social subconscious," according to Chopra. "The superhero is a mythological being" who exists "beyond outerspace and innerspace, creating a new idea of being."

Even deconstructing superheroes, a '90s movement fronted by the likes of Morrison, "comes from fear," according to the comics writer. "People are scared to be hopeful." And though writers and society pummeled Superman, he persevered and the core character survived for the new era of comics just now emerging.

Chopra suggested that the seven spiritual laws could mirror the seven chakras. "A Chakra is a junction point between consciousness and reality," Chopra explained before leading the audience through all seven.

"First chakra - Stability. Infinite centered awareness and dynamism.
Second chakra - Transformation. An absolute allegiance to transformation. Willingness not to have a permanent identity
Third - Power. Not in the sense of muscle, but in intention.
Fourth -- Love and compassion. Nothing better it is integrated with the rest of the Chakras.
Fifth - Creativity. Always creative solutions.
Sixth - Intuition.
Seventh - Transcendence."

The seven chakras can also be linked to the idea of seven gods, a theme that clearly parallels the seven main characters of the JLA.

"Look at the JLA," Morrison said. "They all map on the chakras. Batman is a human being of ultimate power [and intention.] Flash is communication. Superman is about giving selflessly He represents the sun. He is that thing that loves us unconditionally."

He added later that "Batman is like Christ harrowing Hell, because only he can withstand it. He endures everything for us. Batman is a character who was almost brought to the brink of his destruction," but who persevered. Batman is our shadow and "we have to look at the shadow and integrate the shadow [into our consciousness]."

And "yeah," Morrison admitted, Seven soldiers is an allegory to seven gods. "Mr. Miracle is the transcendent character," the seventh Chakra.

Superheroes are our new mythology. They are not so different from the Greek Gods, who were not as deeply seeded in religion as some may think. But what is mythology on a deeper level?

As Deepak Chopra asserts, a mythology "must address the collective consciousness in a certain archetypal way. It must offer an idealist vision to aspire [towards]." He added that, "a good story should never end and good guys should never win."

"There are six plots that people retell," Morrison said. "These stories are told again and again."

Myth is related to the word mother. As Chopra called it, "the womb of creation." Myth is not just hokey stories that explain why the sun rises and falls. That's a very simplistic view. To put it poetically, myths are where "we express our deepest longing and aspirations of collective being." Myth is a social experience beyond genetic codes or organized religions.

"The human story is about a quest, falling down, but getting up again," Chopra said. "Death and rebirth. It's about redeeming yourself and then redeeming others."

Our existence is still young in the eyes of the universe. "In many ways," Chopra said, "we are reaching puberty. There's a lot of curiosity, mistakes, risk-taking. But it is an exciting time." One full of possibilities, though there are certain to be some growing pains.

Chopra proposed that our current destructive nature may not mean the end of human existence. In fact, it could be part of the natural order of evolution. "The are no fossil records of the evolutionary transition between lizard and bird." It happened, but we have no true proof, just as we cannot find the missing link between ape and man. Chopra suggested that it is possible a species can experience a "creative quantum leap."

Think of a caterpillar. "A caterpillar consumes more than it needs to eat until it reaches a point where its body begins to decay and die. Imaginal cells cluster. The send communications to each other. The caterpillar is imagining a new entity. [The imaginal cells] use the dying carcass of the caterpillar to feed. A dormant gene awakens and the dying caterpillar becomes a butterfly, a completely new creature."

Now consider that "cloning, tinkering with the intelligence of the universe," are "ideas that existed in ancient mythologies." Yesterday's mythologies are today's science.

So think of our modern myths. Think of the superhero. "Look at destruction of environment," Morrison said. Look at what has become of our world and our society. "We are the imaginal cells."

Chopra put it plainly. "Superheroes may be a prelude to an actual leap in our evolution," as our social conscious has the knowledge of the possibility of flight and other incredible, superhuman feats.

posted in Comic Books - 2 replies

Since I joined the party late....

2006-06-18T22:25:40Z

and havent already seen people asking this I will go ahead and do it, I'd introduce myself but everything is really there on my profile.

So here goes.....

Has anybody here written or drawn their own comics?

posted in Comic Books - 4 replies

Complaint about film adaptrations

2006-06-17T00:13:01Z

I rewatched "Painkiller Jane" last night and it seemed a lot more interesting when she was first figuring out about her new, superhuman powers of healing and learning. Once she started fending off govt. attempts to kidnap or kill her, it got really predictable.

"Batman Begins" did, I think, a much better job of establishing its hero's origins by really going into great detail. Instead of rushing through in the first hour or so, like most comic book movies tend to do, it made his origin *the entire plot of the picture* which is probably a good way to do it. The first "Blade" pretty much went the other way, more or less pushing aside any talk about his origins and simply showing him kicking vampire ass from his first appearance (which, by the way, was a spectacularly effective scene -- it really brought his power and the fear he generated in his enemies vividly to life).

I think in many cases the producers simply take a character, figure out they have to show the change or event that gives the hero/ine new abilities to fight evil, and then graft on a silly secondary plot in order to show the character in action.

posted in Comic Books - 11 replies

Is It Too Much To Ask?

2006-06-12T11:41:49Z

I mean, is it too much to ask for a comic book that doesn't insult my intellegence?

Case in point, the most recent issue of the Ultimates. I could rant for HOURS on all the problems in it, from S.H.I.E.L.D. flunking Basic Military Secure Networks 101 to some of the dialog in it (there's a single word bubble stating that the Chinese forces captured the X Men. Considering that Charles Xavier is living proof that paranoids DO have enemies-everybody at the school would have vanished in thirty seconds or less the moment the Chinese showed up on campus grounds. Believe it). Choice of firearms. Not having a contingency plan for certian circumstances. Hell, even the whole money-line at the end "We've liberated the Great Satan." It pissed me off on so many fundimental levels.

And, the "edgy" comic books merely being confusing as hell...damn it, I want plot lines and stories to stick my teeth into. The first three plotlines of the Ultimate Fantastic Four were great. I've fallen in love with Queen and Country and The Red Star. But, the rehash plotlines of Ultimate X-Men leaves me cold, the new D.C. "darkening" has been done before-and better. And, don't even get me started on Ultimate Iron Man...

I'm seriously looking into just not buying comic books for a while. Maybe trade paperbacks, but not the actual comics themselves.

posted in Comic Books - 7 replies

ok time to post the post we all hate to se but sign up anyway:)

2006-06-12T02:30:37Z

So whoi are you,. where did you "com rfrom " and why are you into comics or graphic novels ?

i'm jjames .. i live in maryland and I'm a graphic designer.
I starting loving comic books after seeing ReevesSuperman movie asa child and then came swamp trhing.. transformers voltorn.. gi joe etc.. early 80's tv was FILLEd with fantasy toon everywhere So it just peakeeed my mind to find all i could. So now i do some drawing on the side when i'm not designing ads posters cd covers and such :)
Well this is a very short intro to who i am.. I am curious who our other Members are in the group...

posted in Comic Books - 16 replies

SAVAGE SWORD & Spawn's ANGELA for Sale

2006-06-05T18:36:43Z

Hello everyone,
I've been doing some spring cleaning (better late than never) and put some stuff on ebay that you may be interested in. Back issues and memorabilia. Take a look. You may find something interesting. <a href="http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZqqrkQQhtZ-1"> CLICK HERE</a>

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Alex Toth

2006-06-05T13:13:19Z

On May 27, Alex Toth (the creator of such Hanna Barbara characters as Space Ghost and Birdman) passed away.

posted in Comic Books - 1 reply

SALE in the North Bay!

2006-06-01T23:18:59Z

Just wanted to let you know there's a sale on. I just ended up in a store where the fellow is blowing out all his inventory of old comics at 3 for a dollar prices. The place is Billco's on third street in Napa (the game store part, not the pool hall). Mapquest it on up, and scoot up for a day if you are in to it enough. Found quite a few old school tales, such as most of the Secret Wars. The guy has about ten boxes on display, six more in store, and ten more in storage. He just wants them gone, so I'd bet that if you wanted a bunch you could talk him into a good price on a whole box. I saw stuff from the 80s and 90s, not so much current stuff though. I did get my hands on Transformers #1, and M.A.S.K. #2,3, and 4 though! Boo-yah! I'm a big ol geek!

Cheers!

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Qool online comic....

2006-05-26T18:54:29Z

lol And i have NOTHING to do with it..
Stumbled across it, literally..... Anyone else use 'Stumble!' ...?

http://www.bbxstudio.com/ngc/flash/Crumb200.html

Got a Richard Corben feel to it... Noir-ish, stylish, horror, sci-fi ...
A rather GOOD job....

Let me know who agrees......

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

RECOMMENDED:Fun FanBoy Sute

2006-05-20T12:16:04Z

http://www.dialbforblog.com/

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

THE END IS NEAR FOR THE HUMAN RACE!

2006-05-15T20:56:25Z

CURTIS HAMILTON'S WEBCOMIC "HALFBREED COMING SOON!...

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

World's Largest Dr. Strange collection on display @ Meltdown Comics in LA

2006-03-01T17:23:07Z

My collection of Dr. Strange original art, comics, toys, sculptures and one of a kind memorabilia is now up at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood, CA. in their art gallery and display cases. The show will be running from today, March 1st thru the 25th, and there's an opening reception this weekend from 6 to 10pm. Come on by! Mark Miller from Skeeter Truck will be performing!

More info here:
http://www.howardhallis.com/drstrange/meltdown

And here:
http://www.meltcomics.com

Meldown: 7522 Sunset Blvd. 323.851.7223

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

The FF Movie

2005-12-12T15:34:01Z

Okay, I'm watching this now and...

...explain to me how Sue Storm can't hold back Doom's attack, but can contain Johnny's supernova?

and to really obsess on the obscure, how's Sue gonna wear a wedding ring and stay invisible?

posted in Comic Books - 6 replies

BOLDFACED Intrusion

2005-12-08T01:07:40Z

Time for a little rant...

One thing that bugs me while reading a comic is the tactic some writers have of putting a character's name in BOLDFACE when they're addressed for the first time.

"Oh, hello SUPERMAN, I was just talking to BLACK CANARY."
"Yes, HAWKMAN, I overheard you."

Since boldface type is used when a character uses a word in a certain situation, like "Don't you DARE point that HIDEOUS THING at ME!", it seems silly when it's the chatracter name that is being stressed, "What a beautiful day, isn't it BATMAN?". It doesn't feel like natural dialogue. Is it that writers feel a reader just aren't paying attention and not get who a character is talking to?

I know, it's a nit-picky thing, but hey, Tribe is free.

posted in Comic Books - 4 replies

Mahfood and Crosland!

2005-12-05T17:51:02Z

STAPLE! The Independent Media Expo is proud to
announce those very Silky Bureaucrats themselves, Jim
Mahfood and Dave Crosland! Jim (www.40ozcomics.com)
and Dave (www.hiredmeat.com) will be bringing their
own unique brand of artistic madness to STAPLE! Come
see the Bureaucrats at the show on March 4, 2006 in
Austin, Texas, and then check out one of their now
famous Live Art performances later that evening
(location TBA)!

More Quick Questions!

The newest installment of Quick Questions at the
STAPLE! website – www.staple-austin.org features Tom
Beland (www.tombeland.com) creator of True Story,
Swear to God. Tom talks inspiration, digital tools,
and life experience in our second Quick Questions
interview.

Tables running out!

Only about 15 spots left! Tables are $55 for an 8’
full table and $30 for a half table. In order to
appear in the official program your registration must
be received by December 31st, 2005. Download a
registration form at www.staple-austin.org/register.

STAPLE! The Independent Media Expo is Texas’ first and
only convention for independently produced comics,
zines and graphic arts. The second annual expo will be
held Saturday March 4th, 2006 in Austin, Texas. For
more information go to www.staple-austin.org or email
info@staple-austin.org

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Joss Whedon on Wonder Woman

2005-11-30T00:53:29Z

Talks about his vision for the new movie and how to bring the Amazon Princess to the big screen.

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/news/wonder-woman.asp

His main obstacle to success, in my opinion, lies in finding anyone who can do the character justice better than Lynda Carter did. This sums up his challenge pretty well, I think:

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/pictures/?id=Wonder%20Woman|1|5

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Garage Sale in SF that Includes Lots of DC Comics

2005-11-22T18:22:48Z

Garage Sale this Saturday, November 26, 9:00am - 3:30pm
350 Corbett Ave. in San Francisco, between Mars and Clayton

Recording Studio equipment
Kitchenware
Clothes
Drag
CDs
DVDs
Books

Over 20,000 DC Comic Books from 1985 - present (and a few older ones in the mix). Most will go for just 10 cents each.

Some highlights:

The complete run of Blue Devil
Tons of Superman Stuff
A number of older Batman titles
Secret Origins and Secret Files
The complete run of L.E.G.I.O.N./R.E.B.E.L.S.
Basically almost everything from All-Star Squadron to Zatanna

And some that'll run a bit more than a dime each:

The complete run of Hitman*
The first 12 issues or so of the Giffen JLA*
The first 30 issues or so of the Vertigo Shade Series*
Sandman #1*
The Watchmen #1 - #3*

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

STAPLE! November Update - Tony Millionaire!

2005-11-15T04:11:41Z

STAPLE! November Update!

Tony Millionaire at STAPLE!

STAPLE! The Independent Media Expo is pleased to announce the appearance of Mr. Tony Millionaire at our second annual expo to be held March 4th, 2006 in Austin, Texas. Mr. Millionaire is the creator of Maakies (www.maakies.com), Sock Monkey, the new Billy Hazelnuts, and other fine comical adventures. We are proud and excited to have Tony Millionaire at STAPLE!

Xeric Grant Panel!

Five recent winners of the Xeric Grant - Alex Cahill & Jad Ziade - Something So Familiar (www.newradiocomics.com), Emily Benz & Summer McClinton – Thread (www.threadcomics.com), and Michael LaRiccia - Black Mane (www.michaellariccia.com) – will discuss their work and the processes involved in acquiring this prestigious grant. Indispensable for the aspiring self-publisher, this presentation is not to be missed.

Quick Questions!

Quick Questions is a new feature at the STAPLE! website – www.staple-austin.org. Five questions posed to artists working in the comics medium, updated with answers from a new person each week – so be sure to keep checking back! First up is Paige Braddock, creator of Jane's World, www.unitedmedia.com/comics/janesworld. Come see Paige at STAPLE!

Tables still available!

Vendor tables are still available but moving fast. We sold out last time and fully expect to do so again. Tables are $55 for an 8’ full table and $30 for a half table. Don’t miss your chance to show your stuff at STAPLE! – register today at www.staple-austin.org!

Exhibitors!

Our list of exhibitors is growing and includes the folks mentioned above plus Chris Moreno, Silent Devil Productions, Rafael Navarro, Viper Comics, Drew Edwards, Danielle Corsetto, Jeffery Stevenson, John Thornton, Justin Humphries, Nate Southard, Dylan Edwards, Jason Degroot, Toby Craig, and more!

STAPLE! The Independent Media Expo is Texas’ first and only convention for independently produced comics, zines and graphic arts. The second annual expo will be held Saturday March 4th, 2006 in Austin, Texas. For more information go to www.staple-austin.org or email info@staple-austin.org

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Infinite Crisis, or House of M????

2005-11-03T17:49:27Z

What does everyone think of these "blockbuster" summer crossover events?? Are they worth all of the hype?? Wich one has more potential to be a decent read?

posted in Comic Books - 24 replies

selling my whole collection

2005-10-18T23:49:09Z

Im currently in chicago but will ship anywhere as long as you pay for it. Highest bid in a week gets the whole shebang
====================================

I used to be an avid comic book collector, worked in some comic shops and geeked out all the time. These are currently just sitting around and i would liek them to goto a good home.

Heres how it works, check out what I have and make an offer, best off by monday of next week gets it and it needs to be picked up on monday as well.

this list below is only partial... i skipped about half the stuff and all the stuff listed here is near-mint to mint, most of it in protective sleeves and backings. The items at the top I might parse out if you want to bid on those singularily.

Might Sell these indiviually to highest bidder
xmen 248 (first jim lee on Xmen - signed by jim lee)
xmen #212 wolverine vs sabertooth
Ghost rider #1
Amazing Spiderman 328 mcfarlane
Amazing Spiderman 293
Amazing Spiderman 324 mcfarlane
Xmen 266 Gambits first appearance
run of Mcfarlanes Spiderman 1,2 (4 copies),3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,21,23
Punisher war journal #1
Ghost Rider #15

The rest of them
darkhawk 1
wolverine 2
john byrnes next men #0 (3 copies)
john byrnes next men #1 (2 copies)
punisher war journal 14,15 (both with spiderman)
marvel comics presents 72 - wolverines origin 3 copies
marvel comics presents 77 2copies, 78,80,81
xforce 1 (6 copies sealed with cards)
new mutants 100 (1st edition x2 copies)
Xmen 150,277,279,280,281 (3 copies), 282 284 x3 285, 286 x3 287 288 x 2
valiant comics - archer and armstrong #1

deathlock issue 1 (2copies), 8
incredible hulk 393
Xforce issue ,2 (3 copies), issue 3 (3 copies),4 (2 copies),5, 6 (2 copies) 7 (4 copies)7,8 (x3), 9
xFactor 70,71,75 x2, 77
xmen #1, (4 copies) 2 (4 copies),3 (6 copies), 4 (2 copies) 6
Wolverine 9, 42, 43(8 copies),41 (2 copies), 42 50
the amazing spiderman 331,353 x3, 354,358 x3359, 361 x3
superman man of steel #1
punisher warzone 1 (4 copies) ,2,3
cage 1
New Mutants #87 cables 1st appearance 2nd printing
fantastic 4, 358

DC Comics

robin #1 hologram (4 copies) 4

Darkhorse
Batman vs Predator 2 of 3 (6 copies)
Aliens Genocide 1 of 4 (four copies) 2of4
predator bloody sands of time 1,2
aliens hive #1 3 copies

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

bad guys

2005-10-09T15:30:16Z

hey, can anyone rattle off some badguys in the fantastic 4 comics?
like who would be some good ones for the next movies.
shrug
-frank

posted in Comic Books - 10 replies

Marvel Ent. = More Movies

2005-09-07T02:42:30Z

MARVEL IS NOW MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT
by Jonah Weiland, Executive Producer
Posted: September 6, 2005

Official Press Release

Marvel Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: MVL) announced today the completion of a $525 million non-recourse debt facility which will finance Marvel's production of up to ten films based on characters from its famous stable of comic book characters, including Captain America, Nick Fury and The Avengers. Paramount, a unit of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIAB), will distribute the film slate, with the first theatrical release expected for summer 2008. This transforming arrangement gives Marvel complete creative control, the ability to build a film library and greater profit potential than it has received from films licensed to other studios. To reflect this major expansion of its Hollywood presence, Marvel will change its name to "Marvel Entertainment, Inc."

These film production activities, to be carried out by subsidiaries of Marvel Studios, Inc., will complement existing and future film projects licensed to other studios. Marvel has a strong track record of working closely on Marvel character-based films it has licensed to other studios, such as Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, New Line Cinema, Universal Studios, and Lions Gate Entertainment. In 2006, Marvel anticipates the release of Ghost Rider, X-Men III and Punisher II through Sony, Fox and Lions Gate, respectively.

The seven-year, $525 million facility was arranged by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. and consists of $465 million in revolving senior bank debt and $60 million in mezzanine debt. Both S&P and Moody's have given the senior bank debt an investment grade rating. In addition, Ambac Assurance Corporation has insured the senior debt, raising its rating to AAA. MVL Film Finance LLC, a special purpose, bankruptcy-remote subsidiary of Marvel, will be the borrower under the facility. That subsidiary has pledged the theatrical film rights to the ten characters included in the film slate as collateral for the borrowings. The borrowings are non-recourse to Marvel Enterprises, Inc. and its other affiliates.

Avi Arad, Chairman and CEO of Marvel Studios, commented: "The film slate financing enables us to evolve our entertainment operations into film production, an area where we have experienced past success with our partners and which offers significant profit potential for our company. The characters involved are some of the most valuable in the Marvel Universe, and we are excited to launch them as consumer brands via feature film releases under our direction. We look forward to working with Brad Grey and the exceptional team he has put together at Paramount and are confident that this will be a successful venture for us both."

Brad Grey, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, commented: "Marvel has emerged as one of the strongest, most successful entertainment brands around the globe, with an enviable track record in feature films. We are excited to be working with Marvel on this new business."

"Merrill Lynch is pleased to have worked with Marvel in structuring and arranging this innovative and unique financing," said Michael Blum, head of global structured finance at Merrill Lynch. "Obtaining a vast majority of financing at the AAA rating level backed by the intellectual property value of ten Marvel characters plus the movies created by Avi and his team is at the cutting edge of entertainment structured finance techniques."

Funds under the facility will be used for the production of films. Marvel will receive a gross participation on all revenues from the facility as the producer of each film and will retain all of the film-related merchandising revenues. These merchandising revenues and the gross participation are neither pledged as collateral nor subject to any cash restrictions under the facility. Marvel will also receive all profits, including all revenue streams (including box office receipts, DVD/VHS sales, television, and soundtrack sales) after film costs, distribution fees, marketing, principal repayment, and interest. In addition, Marvel will have the ability to build its own film library through this initiative.

Marvel's distribution agreement with Paramount guarantees distribution for 10 films and encompasses two prime release periods each year - the spring/summer and fall/holiday seasons. Paramount has guaranteed Marvel wide distribution with commensurate advertising and marketing efforts. This is a worldwide arrangement with the exception of Japan, Germany, Australia/New Zealand, Spain and France, which Marvel will sell directly.

The ten Marvel characters in the arrangement are Captain America, The Avengers, Nick Fury, Black Panther, Ant-Man, Cloak & Dagger, Dr. Strange, Hawkeye, Power Pack, and Shang-Chi. Each film is expected to have a budget of up to $165 million dollars and a rating no more restrictive than PG-13. Although the financing allows for the production of animated films, Marvel currently intends to use the financing to make only live-action films.

Marvel will fund initial development including scripts for each production. Once a film is "green lit" (approved for production), the facility will reimburse Marvel for these costs. Marvel Studios will oversee the slate and has sole green light control. Unreimbursed overhead expenses and any unreimbursed development costs represent Marvel's only direct financial risk. The operating results for the film slate will be consolidated with those of Marvel and separate segment disclosure will be provided in Marvel's periodic financial reporting. However, there are restrictions on the cash generated by the films that will prevent Marvel from withdrawing any profits until after the release of the third film, and then only if financial tests are met. As is consistent with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, the costs of each film will be capitalized until theatrical release.

Relativity Media LLC assisted Marvel with the structuring of the financing.

Marvel will host a conference call and simultaneous webcast today at 11:00 a.m. EDT to provide an overview of the non-recourse film slate facility:

WEBCAST URL: www.marvel.com/webcasts or at www.fulldisclosure.com. An archived version of the webcast will be available for 30 days.

About Marvel Enterprises

With a library of over 5,000 characters, Marvel Enterprises, Inc. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies. Marvel's operations are focused in three areas: licensing and entertainment (Marvel Studios), comic book publishing and toys. Marvel facilitates the creation of entertainment projects, including feature films, DVD/home video, video games and television programming based on its characters and also licenses its characters for use in a wide range of consumer products and services including apparel, collectibles, snack foods and promotions. Marvel's characters and plot lines are created by its publishing segment that continues to expand its leadership position in the U.S. and worldwide, while also serving as an invaluable source of intellectual property.

About Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom, Inc., one of the world's largest entertainment and media companies and a leader in the production, promotion, and distribution of entertainment news, sports and music.

Except for any historical information that they contain, the statements in this news release regarding Marvel's plans and expectations are forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including Marvel's potential inability to attract and retain creative talent, the potential lack of popularity of Marvel's films, the expense associated with producing films, union activity which could interrupt film production, that Marvel has, in the past, worked along side film studios on its film projects, changes or disruptions in the way films are distributed including a decline in the profitability of the DVD market, piracy of films and related products, a limited number of releases, fluctuations in reported income or loss or difficulties in implementing internal controls related to the accounting of film production activities, Marvel's dependence on a single distributor, the potential inability of Marvel's subsidiaries to meet the conditions necessary for an initial funding of a film under the film financing and the potential inability of Marvel's subsidiaries to obtain financing to make more than four films if certain tests related to the economic performance of the slate are not satisfied (specifically an interim asset test and a foreign pre-sales test). These and other risks and uncertainties are described in Marvel's Current Report on Form 8-K filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Marvel assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Find this article at:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=5858

All contents ™ & © 1995-2005 Boiling Point Productions DBA Comic Book Resources.
All Rights Reserved.

posted in Comic Books - 6 replies

this is me

2005-08-28T02:39:48Z

so, im new here and i was just wondering if there were any survivors from the comic-con in san diego ?
any good (or bad ) stories? anyone have ANY random con stories? fire at will (duck Will !)

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Getting rid of old issues

2005-08-27T20:48:34Z

My spouse and I are remodeling our place and want to get rid of some of our old comic books. Any recommendations where to give/donate them? Forget ebay or the local comic book stores: none of the comics are valuable (e.g., X-men #1 with all the variant covers, etc.)

posted in Comic Books - 8 replies

DC Comics Illustrator James Aparo ...

2005-08-26T23:11:41Z

James N. Aparo, an illustrator for DC Comics for more than 30 years who drew Batman, the Green Arrow and other action heroes, has died.

...

Besides Batman and the Green Arrow, Aparo also did illustrations for Aquaman, the Brave and the Bold, Phantom Stranger and Spectre.

Full story here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050720/ap_on_re_us/obit_aparo

posted in Comic Books - 2 replies

House of M #5 No Spoilers

2005-08-11T04:57:30Z

I know there's a heated battle between HOM and IC, but those of you that are follwing House of M, PICK UP #5!!!! Talk about a mind f*ck. This thing guest stars EVERYONE. It's a great read.

Ok I am done now.

:)

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Heroes In Birmingham This Summer - three issues!

2005-05-23T02:50:05Z

Check out some of our reviews and a free preview of the first issue here

www.bestfriendsproductions.com/hib

And we'd like to be at your convention. Check out a report on our attempts here

"http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/pulse.cgi?http%3A//www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi%3Fubb%3Dget_topic%26f%3D37%26t%3D004431"

posted in Comic Books - 4 replies

Space Ghost

2005-05-05T06:02:08Z

Anyone here reading the new Space Ghost series? Is it any good? The art looks spectacular.

posted in Comic Books - 4 replies

Teen Titans Go

2005-05-04T05:01:38Z

Can anyone tell me the origin or Robin ... like how he got super-strength or whatever...?

posted in Comic Books - 6 replies

May 14 - NinjaPenguin Art Show

2005-05-03T18:38:34Z

FREE EVENT - FREE EVENT - FREE EVENT - FREE EVENT

NinjaPenguin
May 14 8p-2a

Location:
Basswerks
5411 W. Adams St
Los Angeles, CA

Come check out the NinjaPenguin Art Show at Basswerks on May 14! Ninjas, Penguins, Dead Pirates, and a whole lot more! This is a tactile art event - all of the artwork is meant to be touched! Awesome DJs from the Ninja Skillz crew. Martial Arts from Sae Cha Ki Karate. Come dressed in your best ninja gear and get free stuff!

Lots and lots of comic book artists - go to http://www.penguinpalace.com to see the list!

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

batman begins

2005-05-02T05:34:26Z

saw the new trailer twice yesterday.. *drool*
think its gonna be one of the best comic book movies to date..

it just looks SO good..

posted in Comic Books - 2 replies

I Love My Comic Book Peeps!

2005-04-28T18:09:11Z

"This is the maximum depth for responses. Additional responses will not be threaded."

It's been a while since I laughed out loud reading a thread. I'll bet the folks at tribe got a good laugh out of it, too. This moderator thread has been most entertaining. I just flipped my three-sided coin. I change my vote from the San Fran guy to the Ralph Nader guy. And we should have new elections every third week to keep the seratonin levels up in my brain. And our official t-shirt should feature the image of wolverine, ego - the living planet, and robo-cop mud-wrestling.

posted in Comic Books - 5 replies

superman costume hi res

2005-04-23T01:53:48Z

http://www.supermanhomepage.com/images/superman-returns1/superman-costume2.jpg

i dunno S could be bigger.. cause i dunno too small makes it look retro but retro in a bad way.. wha do ya'll think?

posted in Comic Books - 7 replies

24 hr comic book day!!

2005-04-21T22:15:13Z

its this saturday!!! who's doing a 24 hr comic?

ill be at the comic bug in manhattan beach, ca with a ton of other pros to do this =)

http://www.thecomicbug.com/
1015 Aviation Blvd.
Manhattan Beach

more info on 24 hr comic book day: http://www.24hourcomics.com/

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Comic book shops?

2005-04-18T17:36:45Z

I've been to at least a hundred(I swear to God I am not lying) Comic book shops across the US and three different countries Canada,U.K,Mexico . I would say that almost 90% have crappy service. The unbelievable loosers I've seen working in these places are enough to make me stop collecting. I have talked to alot of other people who feel the same way. What is the deal with comic shop employees?
I have met only a few people ( I can count on both my hands) who actually care about customer service. To the rest of the jag offs who I have met I salute them with the middle finger,and a hardy FU!!!
Anybody else get lousy treatment? Like I really have to ask. The guy on the Simpsons is an amalgom of just these types. Only I've met far worse and I don't find it funny.

posted in Comic Books - 8 replies

Gone and Forgotten

2005-04-11T17:39:21Z

This is a great site about hilariously bad comics. It's very entertaining.

http://ape-law.com/GAF/

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

APE!

2005-04-08T23:19:06Z

Alternative Press Expo is in SF this weekend, hooray! Don't forget to come visit if you're in the area, and also stop by the Penguin Palace booth =)

posted in Comic Books - 2 replies

Comics on eBay

2005-04-07T14:04:09Z

I have a new auction on eBay for Daredevil #1 vol2
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6523016724

posted in Comic Books - 2 replies

comic book podcasts

2005-04-05T15:54:54Z

Hey Tribers,

I just wanted to point out a site where you can fine different comic book related Podcasts.

http://comicology.net

For more info on podcasting go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podc...ng

take care.

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Superwoman comics

2005-04-05T04:08:19Z

is there anyone in this tribe interested in Super Woman comics from 1975????
perfect condition........a whole stack..
tribe me separately if so,,
elecktra

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Legion of Super-Heroes

2005-03-20T22:09:39Z

I never thought Triplicate Lass could be written so powerfully. The way she dealt with that guy in the window sent a Phoenix-level jolt up my spine.

This threatens to be the best Legion incarnation, yet.

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

New Book, New Site!

2005-03-18T19:46:48Z

Howdy y'all.

Tribe.net lurker here, I just wanted to let everyone know my new book SHOOTING STAR COMICS ANTHOLOGY #6 is out this week, at fine comic book shops across the land everywhere.

My story, "DEATH BECOMES ME" is drawn by Spawn artist Nat Jones. The books is from Shooting Star Comics and runs $4.95, I hope everyone will pick up a copy. Nat did an amazing job!

Also the lovely Angel made me a wonderful new site to showcase all my upcoming and current work so please stop by http://www.dannydonovan.com and see what drove that poor girl insane.

Thanks,
-Danny

-----------------
Danny Donovan
Writer at large and shameless self promoter.
www.dannydonovan.com
www.mightyminicon.com
www.platinumstudios.com
www.committedcomics.com
www.indyworld.com/relief

"The extreme limit of wisdom, that's what the public calls madness." - Jean Cocteau

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

NEW BOOK! NEW SITE!

2005-03-18T19:40:11Z

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

Batman or Superman?

2005-03-08T20:48:59Z

The WB Animation

I recently bought Batman Seasons 1&2 on DVD as well as Superman Season 1. I gotta tell ya, the Superman one has me HOOKED. I loved the Batman ones more, perhaps there were key ones. I keep eatching the Superman one however, and see a much nicer flow from episode to episode, and even look for loose ends that they always seem to neatly tie up!

Anyone have a preference, and why?

posted in Comic Books - 22 replies

Comic flash test

2005-03-04T01:53:19Z

Can you name them all:
http://tinyurl.com/5zjub

Name that comic book:
http://tinyurl.com/5uf2v

posted in Comic Books - 11 replies

Ultimate X-Men

2005-03-03T18:45:01Z

Your thoughts? Just started getting into the Trade Paper Backs this weekend. Not bad. Good art, I think.

Also, anyone going to ComicCon this weekend at the Moscone Center in SF?

posted in Comic Books - 18 replies

New Marvel "What If?" 's

2005-03-02T15:37:19Z

Did anybody read these? I'm curious as to whether they were any good or not.

posted in Comic Books - 6 replies

Special Tribe Comic Book Sneak Preview!

2005-02-22T21:13:17Z

Check out "raw scan" of page 11 of issue #2 of HEROES IN BIRMINGHAM (loaded in the photo gallery to your left), and read 17 pages from issue #1 here:

www.bestfriendsproductions.com/hib

- Rachel

posted in Comic Books - 0 replies

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