Comics Briefly
This story originally appeared in PW Comics Week on December 19, 2006 Sign up now!
-- Publishers Weekly, 12/19/2006
Stephen King To Be Guest Of Honor At NYCC
The New York Comic Con has announced that legendary author Stephen King will appear as a guest of honor. King will join creator and Marvel Entertainment editor in chief Joe Quesada in a special panel to discuss the upcoming comic book adaptation of King's well known series The Dark Tower. The first issue of the comic adaptation is set to debut on February 7 of 2007. The adaptation will delve into and expand upon the life of Roland Deschain, a character that is sure to be discussed during King's NYCC convention appearance. King is not the only individual involved with the project who is set to appear at the convention. Robin Firth, who penned Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance and is the plotter of the comic series, will also take part in the panel discussion.
Tokyopop Gets New Rising Star
Tokyopop has announced the winner of its second annual Rising Stars of Manga contest for the UK and Ireland. John Aggs of West Sussex, England took first place in the contest with his prize-winning manga title Knives. Aggs will receive a monetary gift of £1,000.00 and publication in a future issue of Rising Stars.
Cancer Vixen Cartoon in PW
What happens when a carefree downtown fashionista, usually obsessed with shoes, clothing and lip gloss, is diagnosed with breast cancer just weeks before her wedding? Marisa Acocella Marchetto is probably best known for the witty cartoons she creates for the New Yorker and for Glamour. She is also the author of Cancer Vixen, a graphic memoir that retells the story of her battle with cancer and her love affair and wedding to the always charming Manhattan restaurateur Silvano Marchetto.
Cartoonist Acocella Marchetto has created a funny (and unusual and useful reference) memoir-in-comics about a traumatic, downright terrifying experience. In this week's issue of Publishers Weekly, Marchetto collaborates with PW senior news editor Calvin Reid to create a cartoon author profile about her diagnosis, her recovery and creating a graphic story about the whole experience.
Archie & Gang Get A Makeover
The residents of Riverdale will be get a makeover in an upcoming issue of the Betty and Veronica Digest. Artist Steven Butler, who has worked on Marvel’s Spiderman, will give Archie Andrews and the rest of the Riverdale crew a new, more naturalistic contemporary comic book art style in a new story coming in May 2007. The story, "Bad Boy Trouble," will be written by Melanie Morgan and debut in Betty and Veronica Double Digest # 151. The story will experiment with a longer format. It will be a four-part story and each part will be 25 pages. If the story meets fan approval, look for the mini-series to be collected into a single volume graphic novel. Archie Comics public relations manager Rick Offenberger said the makeover is strictly an experiment to try an attract older readers and the art style will not be used on any other Archie series. He noted that the manga redesign of Archie Comics’s Sabrina series has been "extremely sucessful." Offenberger said, "This is a real change for us. If it works we’ll collect it into a book. If the fans hate it; we’ll never do it again."
The Hero Initiative has announced the release of a DVD presentation of the live program Marvel Then and Now: An Evening with Stan Lee and Joe Quesada. Proceeds from the sales of the DVD will benefit the non-profit organization The Hero Initiative. The DVD contains almost five hours of original programming with interviews from Stan Lee, Joe Quesada, Kevin Smith and more. Individuals interested in owning the DVD can pre-order a copy from ThenAndNowDVD.org.
Blair Butler’s Comics Gift Guide on G4TV Friday
G4tV’s comics expert Blair Butler will offer the Fresh Ink Holiday Gift Guide, this Friday on G4TV’s Attack of the Show. Blair’s picks include: Absolute Sandman (DC/Vertigo); Alias Omnibus (Marvel/Max); Absolute Watchmen (DC) and The Last Christmas (Image).
