Comics Briefly
This story originally appeared in PW Comics Week May 5, 2009 Sign up now!
compiled by Kate Fitzsimons -- Publishers Weekly, 5/4/2009 4:48:00 PM
Sheila Keenan Joins Abrams ComicArts
Editor Sheila Keenan, late of Scholastic’s Graphix line of graphic novels, has joined Abrams ComicArts as Senior Editor. Keenan has been a writer and editor for over twenty years, working with children’s books, young adult books and graphic novels. She has edited such comic creators as Kyle Baker, Dean Haspiel and Ted Naifeh among others.
Starstruck Reprinted with New Material
Starstruck, the cult-classic space opera comic by Elaine Lee and artist Mike Kaluta, is being reissued and digitally remastered by IDW with all-new colors from fantasy artist Lee Moyer. Each issue of the thirteen-part series will also contain a Galactic Girl Guides backup story by the Starstruck team with additional art by acclaimed illustrator Charles Vess, of Stardust and Sandman fame. More information is available on the IDW website.
Michelle Obama Comic Sells Out
Female Force: Michelle Obama sold out entirely, on the first day the comic was available in stores. Part of Bluewater Productions’ Female Force line of biography comics about women currently prominent in political discussion, the book is written by Neil Bailey with art by Ryan Howe. The Female Force series was featured on CNN, Fox News and “Live with Regis and Kelly” and is being rushed back into print in a second edition with a special “Nighttime at the White House” cover. Other subjects of the Female Force series include Secretary of State Clinton, Secretary of State Rice, Governor Palin, former Senate hopeful Caroline Kennedy and Princess Diana.
New Takahashi Manga Free Online
Rumiko Takahashi, creator of such classic manga series as Inuyasha, Ranma ½ and Maison Ikkoku, has a brand new manga series available free online in English. Rin-ne, the tale of a girl can see spirits, a spirit-guide who did not expect to be seen and their dealings with the Wheel of Reincarnation, is officially available online at Takahashi’s English-language website TheRumicWorld.com. The English-language edition of the manga goes online for free at the same time every week that the Japanese edition is released in the magazine Shonen Sunday, courtesy of Takahashi’s publisher Viz Media. More information is available in this article from PW.
A Weekend with Yoshihiro Tatsumi
Kai-Ming Cha, PWCW’s contributing editor for manga, talks about the weekend she spent with A Drifting Life’s creator Yoshihiro Tatsumi on her blog Boiled Egg.
This Week @ Good Comics for Kids
This week School Library Journal’s blog Good Comics for Kids has posted reviews of Osamu Tezuka’s classic manga Dororo Vol. 1 and Black Jack Vol.1, the April edition of the Good Manga for Kids feature, and a roundup of links about the recent Kids Comic Con.
SLJ Book Club Comic
School Library Journal features a new comic based on a true story by Sarah Stevenson, illustrated by Gary Dumm and adapted for comics by Mark Tuchman. The comic tells the story of how a group of reluctant readers reached out to their librarian with a request for a Bluford High book club.
Marvel Streams 90’s X-Men
Marvel Comics is now offering their 1990’s X-Men cartoon for free online in streaming video format. Every Tuesday, a new episode will be added to those available on the site. The show ran for five seasons and 76 episodes, from 1992-1997. Other Marvel videos available on the site include Wolverine and the X-Men, Japanese Spider-Man and X-Men: Evolution.
Cartoon Network Manga from Del Rey
The Cartoon Network and Del Rey announced that Del Rey’s graphic novel division will be creating two graphic novels based on the Cartoon Network show The Secret Saturdays. Like similar Del Rey adaptations of Ben 10: Alien Force and Bakugan Battle Brawlers, the novels will be illustrated with stills from the animated series. The Secret Saturdays is also adapted into comic form in the pages of the ongoing DC Comics title Cartoon Network Action Pack.
Halo Uprising Collected
Halo Uprising, the four part limited series by the Eisner award-winning of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev based upon the iconic bestselling video game series Halo, has finally come to hardcover. The first issue was released in August 2007, before the release of the game Halo 3, and the story is set in the time between the events of Halo 2 and Halo 3. The book’s predecessor, The Halo Graphic Novel, was an instant hit, debuting at #2 on both the Diamond Comic Distributors and Neilson BookScan graphic novel sales charts.
