Scott Pilgrim Reaches 1 Million Copies in Print
Bryan Lee O'Malley's indie graphic novel series Scott Pilgrim, the basis for the recent live-action film directed by Edgar Wright, has reached 1 million copies in print. Indeed, the number only includes Oni Press's North American English-language release of the book – there are an undisclosed number in print in the UK and in translation. More details are available at Heidi MacDonald's The Beat.
Marvel Moves to New Offices
Marvel comics is moving to a new address, still in Manhattan. The comics giant will relocate to a new home at the Sports Illustrated building on a nine-year lease. Their new address will be 135 West 50th Street.
Speculation on Possible DC Move
A cryptic article in The Hollywood Reporter has fueled speculation that DC Comics may be moving its offices to the West Coast. Warner Brothers CEO Barry Meyer said that DC would be playing a bigger role at the Warner Brothers film studio and hinted at a big announcement next week.
All-Star Superman Comes to Animation
Late last week, DC Comics announced a new animated feature based on Grant Morrison's acclaimed comic All-Star Superman. The movie will be released direct to video, like DC's successful New Frontier and Batman: Under the Red Hood. The cast will include James Denton as Superman, Christina Hendricks as Lois Lane and The Mary Tyler-Moore Show's Ed Asner. Veteran comics and animation creator Dwayne McDuffie is writing the script. More details are available in the LA Times Heat Vision exclusive that broke the story.
Cuba, My Revolution Exhibit
A special exhibition of work from the new graphic novel autobiography Inverna Lockpez's Cuba, My Revolution will include the premiere of six of the original artworks by the author that got her arrested in 1960's Cuba. Originally confiscated by the Castro government, the drawings have been retrieved from and smuggled out of Cuba and will now be put on display alongside artist Dean Haspiel's work for the comic. PWCW's own Calvin Reid wrote the essay accompanying the exhibit and will be the moderator for a public Artist's Talk with Lockpez and Haspiel at 4 p.m. on the exhibit's opening day, Saturday, October 2. The talk will be followed with an opening reception from 5 – 7 p.m. “Cuba, My Revolution”, the exhibit, will be hosted at the Kentler International Art Space in Red Hook, Brooklyn from October 2 – December 12. The Kentler is located at 353 Van Brunt Street, Brooklyn, NY and admission is always free.
Neil Gaiman to Guest Star on Arthur
Comics legend and best-selling author Neil Gaiman, creator of the acclaimed Sandman comics series and such bestsellers as Anansi Boys as well as several award-winning children's books, will appear on the public television cartoon Arthur as himself. Airing on October 25, the episode will feature a storyline in which Gaiman inspires a character to make her own graphic novel. The episode will also feature the storyline “Tales of the Grotesquely Grim Bunny” set at a local comic shop. Like all the other characters on the show, Gaiman will appear as an anthropomorphized animal, in this case, a cat. More details are available in this article at Wired.
Grant Morrison Stars in My Chemical Romance Music Video
Acclaimed comics writer Grant Morrison stars as the villain of a new music video by the rock group My Chemical Romance. The band's frontman, Gerard Way, is an Eisner-winning comics creator himself and a longtime admirer of Morrison's work. Art Is The Weapon is available to view online here.
This Week @ Good Comics For Kids
This week School Library Journal’s blog Good Comics for Kids had reviews of Volume 2 in four seriesand The Popularity Papers, this week's What We're Reading list andthe 9/15 listing of comics suitable for all ages.
This Week @ The Beat
This week PWCW editor Heidi MacDonald’s blog The Beat covered Marvel moving uptown while DC may be moving to the West Coast, the controversy surrounding a man's nomination to the (formerly?) all-female Kim Yale award, tough financial times at SPX and relatedly the fate of the mini-comic as well as the camera Heidi lost there, King Con 2010, comics creator Matt Fraction winning the brand new PEN center literary award, a debate over whether or not comic book movies are passe, August's disastrous comic sales, comic book critic Douglas Wolk's list of least-favorite genres, the Marvel and DC July month to month comics sales numbers, comics in Cambodia, the Marvel Cats phenomenon, Green Lantern's new rollercoaster, the return of Atlas Comics, comics at the West Hollywood book fair, a self publisher's digital survival plan and a discussion of whether or not $3.99 comics are killing the comic book industry.
