Director Angela Robinson to write DC's the Web

Angela Robinson, who directed Herbie: Fully loaded, shows for the L-word and directed and write D.E.B.S (both the short film and it's feature length movie) has been announced to write the new comic series The Web (featuring the character form Archie's Red Circle comics) the first issue will come out in September.

The book will also have a back up series featuring the hangman being written by John Rozum (former writer of Milestone's Xombie)

Dwayne McDuffie fired off of JLA for telling fans the truth

It seems that writer Dwayne McDuffie has recently been let go from writing Justice League of America because he gave a little to much information about some of the things that go behind the scenes in the comic book biz.

almost a month after lying in the gutter collected a number of comments Mr. McDuffie posted on DC comics own message boards over a 2 year period when he talked about things like the stories he had to change because of editors, or the character he wanted was being used in another book etc.

it's a shame that DC decided to do this. He didn't say anything negative about DC comics or the editors he worked with, his comments where basically things like I had to cut this story short because we need the book to tie into a big event cross-over or I couldn't use this or that character because he or she or it was being used by someone else and so they where off limits.

The odd thing is that these comments where posted on DC's message board and so one would think that if they had a problem with him telling to much someone would have seen his post over the last 2 years and could have told him keep it down if they didn't want this type of info out.

I think JLA editors made a stupid decision to fire a talented writer for a dumb reason.

But on his board Dwayne is taking this all well he stats he has lots of work, with a number of other projects such as the TV show Ben 10 and a new Milestone project.

his says he is only sad that he doesn't get to finish is plans which included a JLA centered big event next year and his storyline with Black Canary.

I'm distressed by where I left Black Canary, as my intention was to use the current subplot to strengthen her character and relationships with the new membership

he was also sad over the fact that they finally gave him a regular artist for him to work with instead of the revolving door of artist he had one his run.

Grant Morrison documentary

it seems that there is going to be a documentary done on comic book writer Grant Morrison coming out next year. You can see a trailer for the film below

Looking back @ Cloak & Dagger

it's interesting when as an adult you go and look at something you liked as a kid.

I did this recently when I reread the issues I have of cloak and dagger (minus there stunt in strange tales) and man was I shock at all the stuff I didn't really pick up on as a kid.

for those who don't know Cloak & Dagger are Marvel Comic book characters that where two teenage runaways who get kidnapped and have a drug tested on them that ends up giving them superpowers.

Cloak is a guy wearing a cloak, he is basically a door way to a dark diminison where those who enter it are force to confront their greatest fears and/or the worst thing they have ever done and he can also teleport

Dagger shoots out daggers of light that basically make people feel shame and she can also heal people.

Cloak happens to be an African-American guy and Dagger a white girl.

the first thing I notice rereading these comics is that even thought the character are both around the same age (teenagers) Cloak is drawn to look much older (he looks like a guy in his 40's or 50's instead of being 16 or 17) which makes it look creepy that he is hanging out with a 16 year old even though the characters are the same age.

Next looking at there origin story, both kids are runaway who ended up in new york at same time and place, when Cloak first sees Dagger his first thought is that he should rob her because she looks rich (which she was) this only changed when someone else mugs her and he decides to rescue her.

and the racial uncomfort doesn't stop there. the title is full of saying things like dagger being pure of white light of good and cloak being said to be an evil force. basically white is good and black is bad, which doesn't come of well giving the race of the two characters.

as a kid I think I over looked all this because Dark characters are cool, and that was what Cloak came off as.


another thing as I pointed out Dagger's power is to make people feel shame (or to be correct over powered by it) in the book it is written that she is attacking people with goodness and that the bad people she attacks just can't handle it. But as I said the only thing that happens in the book is that those character feel guilt over what they did, but from the issues I read it doesn't look like anyone started to become a good person because they where hit by Dagger's daggers. So really even thought the book tries to play these characters powers as being connected to good and evil, it's really about fear and guilt.

Obama fights in an alien war and becames a barbarian,

we've already seen the president make guest appearances in Spider-Man, Savage Dragon and Youngblood comics as well as a few biography comics.

now Devil Due comics is getting into the game as they announced that they will release two comics starring the president of the united states.

Drafted: 100 days ties into the companies Drafted series in which earth is in a war with an alien race. in this one shot we will fallow the adventures of Obama...who because this story takes place in an alternate reality, isn't the president and he is also mute.

the other comic is Barack the Barbarian. Which kinda of takes the president and cast him in a Conan type figure. In this story Barack must save America which as been over taken by "overpaid despots of the time". Unlike the Drafted one shot this series is planned to be an ongoing comic book series.


my first reaction is that this is all going to far...but I have to be honest I may check out the Barack the Barbarian comic

R.I.P Scans Daily

the livejournal group Scans Daily has been shout down due to them breaking livejournal's TOS

for those who don't know scans daily posted scans of comics books for the last 6 or so years. but they had a rule that someone couldn't post the entire comic (I think the rule was no more then half an issue can be posted on the site)

it seem like one of the property owners didn't like it and reported them for copyright violation. which is something that is in the companies right to do.

But giving that they had a rule not to post a full comic, their post where really survived as previews for comics. I know I have bought comics that I would have ignored because I read some parts of the comic on scans daily and I am sure their are others just like me. Now that they are gone that will be one less way for me to find some new comics that I may like.

though I guess on the flip side of the coin it also allowed me to know what comics not to pick up because they where crap

some people in the comic iindustry think the kindle and similar tech will spell doom for comics

on Ad Age, their is a video featuring DC comics VP of advertising, John Cunningham saying that because comic book fans are early adopters of tech their market will be hit with a large number of their fan base going to things like the kindle or other ebook readers to get their comics.

It's clear by listening to him that he is both fearful of the ideal of losing their market...but honestly if the comic book publishers keep up with the new mediums they can SELL their comics they really shouldn't be worried.

That right instead of thinking this is doom for DC comics and other publishers I think this is time (past time really) that more publishers put out versions of their comics for things like the kindle. it's a new market that will lead to new sells as well as keep current sells study (every month the comic book market loose more and more fans, this can be a way to stop the lose or shrink it)

and if itunes is an example people will pay for content online