Comics Briefly

This story originally appeared in PW Comics Week on October 3, 2006 Sign up now!

-- Publishers Weekly, 10/3/2006

Gerberg Cartoon Title Goes for Six Figures

Scribner's Nan Graham has acquired worldwide rights to Last Laughs: Cartoons on Retirement and the Great Beyond, a hardcover collection of cartoons edited by New Yorker cartoonist and author Mort Gerberg, at auction for six-figures. The book will collect cartoons about retirement and about the ultimate act of retirement—death. About 80% of the cartoons will be new and the book will include cartoons from about 20 famous cartoonists, including many of Gerberg's New Yorker colleagues. The deal was negotiated by agent David Kuhn of Kuhn Projects and is slated for publication in the fall/Winter of 2007. A longtime New Yorker cartoonist, Gerberg has also done cartoons for Publishers Weekly, Playboy and other publications.

SPX Set for October 13

SPX, the Small Press Expo, is set to launch on October 13, 2006. The two-day convention will be held at the Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center on 5701 Marinelli Road in North Bethesda, Maryland. The independent cartooning and comics art festival provides a chance for smaller independent publishers to showcase their products and reach out to fans. The convention also marks the tenth annual presentation of the Ignatz Awards which celebrate individuals who have produced outstanding work that has challenged many of the stereotypical notions held about sequential art. For more information on SPX visit www.spxpo.com.

Downey Cast In Iron Man Lead Role

Actor Robert Downey Jr. has been cast as Marvel's famed heroic billionaire playboy Tony Stark in Marvel Entertainment's upcoming Iron Man movie.

Downey is perhaps best known for his role as Charlie Chaplin in the movie Chaplin, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. Iron Man will be the first feature film to be produced independently by Marvel Entertainment. However, Paramount will be responsible for distribution. Filming for the production will begin in February in Los Angeles and the movie is scheduled to debut on May 2, 2008. Supporting roles for the film have yet to be cast.

Manga Sudoku Guides from MG Press

Japanime and Top Line Creative, a publishing house and idea bank specializing in Japanese and American pop culture, have launched MG Press, a publishing imprint focused on original manga publications aimed at the teenage to twenty-plus market. MG Press's first two releases are The Manga Guide to Sudoku and The Manga Guide to Double Sudoku, both titles are written by Jay Morrison and illustrated by award-winning mangaka Atsushi Okura. MG Press copublisher Glenn Kardy says the two guides are the first to use manga to create an entertaining fictional setting to explain basic Sudoku strategies. Kardy says MG Press will publish 5 to 7 books in 2007. MG Press titles are distributed by Diamond Comics. Kardy says the company was founded by a group of American expats and Japanese living in Tokyo and San Francisco. "We're committed to taking manga in new directions," says Kardy. MGP's next book is Lafacadio Hearn's Kwaidan, a manga illustrated version of the classic Japanese horror collection. Japanime is also the English-language publisher of the popular How to Draw Manga series.

MangaNEXT, a convention dedicated to manga, will open its doors this weekend October 6 to 8 in Secaucus, NJ at the Crowne Plaza Meadowlands at 2 Harmon Plaza.MangaNEXT programming and events will include a cosplay cabaret, dating games and human chess. Representatives from major manga publishing houses Dark Horse, Del Rey and Drama Queen will also be on hand to converse with fans and participate in panels. For more information on MangaNEXT, visit www.manganext.com.

24 Hour Comics Day Begins October 7

The third annual 24 Hour Comics Day begins this Saturday on October 7 and will take place at over 85 locations worldwide. Participants in the event will attempt to write and draw a 24-page comic in a 24 hour period. Many comic stores, libraries, and educational institutions have agreed to open their doors and provide cartoonists with a place to work and brainstorm during the event. Over 1000 people have previously participated in the project. For additional information on 24 Hour Comics Day, please visit www.24hourcomics.com.