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
Friday, May 22, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
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
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
Saturday, February 28, 2009
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
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
Saturday, February 21, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Diamond NOT the end for the indy comic publishers
with the news of Diamond raising the amount of money comics need to make to be listed in their catalog, there has been a lot of talk about this being the death of the indy comic.
the reasoning behind the panic is because Diamond is the largest comic book distributor and pretty much every comic shop orders from them (mainly because they have exclusive distribution deals with Marvel and DC)
But even thought Diamond is the biggest game in town, doesn't mean their are other distributors out there with large reaches into the comic book market.
One distributor that has a bigger reach into the comic book market then people realize is Haven Distributors. Their catalog reaches 2300 comic book retailers.
Where as
going by information ICv2, diamond has an active customer base of 4300
Which makes Haven nearly half the size of Diamond in terms of the retailers that order form them. Not bad, giving that with the news of diamond changing their terms, in most likelihood Haven's numbers will grow.
and giving that a lot of comic shops only stick with Marvel and DC, the stores that order with Haven are the types of stores that have a good (or at least decent) amount of Indy comics. So even though you may not get your comic in diamond, by being in Haven you're more likely to be seen by the types of stores that will order your title(s)
the reasoning behind the panic is because Diamond is the largest comic book distributor and pretty much every comic shop orders from them (mainly because they have exclusive distribution deals with Marvel and DC)
But even thought Diamond is the biggest game in town, doesn't mean their are other distributors out there with large reaches into the comic book market.
One distributor that has a bigger reach into the comic book market then people realize is Haven Distributors. Their catalog reaches 2300 comic book retailers.
Where as
going by information ICv2, diamond has an active customer base of 4300
Which makes Haven nearly half the size of Diamond in terms of the retailers that order form them. Not bad, giving that with the news of diamond changing their terms, in most likelihood Haven's numbers will grow.
and giving that a lot of comic shops only stick with Marvel and DC, the stores that order with Haven are the types of stores that have a good (or at least decent) amount of Indy comics. So even though you may not get your comic in diamond, by being in Haven you're more likely to be seen by the types of stores that will order your title(s)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Diamond makes policy changes that will have huge effect on smaller comic book publishers
Diamond has just raised it's threshold for minimum orders on the products they carry from $1500 to $2500 in whole sale orders.
This of course will effect many small publishers since they wont be able to meet the sales now need to keep their product in the diamond catalog.
it will also effect publishers who get by selling low volumes of reprinted stuff every month.
Diamond is also getting rid of the print version of their catalog for porn comic (and going to an online version)
not sure how much that's going to effect the industry because I didn't know they had this type of catalog.
it also seems that diamond is cutting the amount of time they give retailers to reorder periodicals (such as comics and magazines) to 60 days.
This of course will effect many small publishers since they wont be able to meet the sales now need to keep their product in the diamond catalog.
it will also effect publishers who get by selling low volumes of reprinted stuff every month.
Diamond is also getting rid of the print version of their catalog for porn comic (and going to an online version)
not sure how much that's going to effect the industry because I didn't know they had this type of catalog.
it also seems that diamond is cutting the amount of time they give retailers to reorder periodicals (such as comics and magazines) to 60 days.
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