Comics Cross The Border

The Dallas Quick reviews two comics from DC that focus on immigration issues. Blue Beetle and Manhunter incorporate real world issues on immigration in the DCU in their current story lines.  And even though Matthew Sturges didn’t get top billing for BB#29, that didn’t fool Quick columnist Dan Koller one bit.  Hop over the fence and pick up these issues at your LCS.

Fanboy: Comics cross the border:

Illegal immigration and border security have long been issues in the real world. Now they’re also getting attention in the DC Universe.

The current storyline in Blue Beetle, a series about a teenage superhero who lives in El Paso, features illegal immigrants and a volunteer militia modeled after the Minuteman Project. Nonetheless, new writer Matthew Sturges of Austin plans to keep it appropriate for kids.

“It’s an all-ages book that’s very well-written,” he said in May, at Dallas’ Comic and Pop-Culture Expo. “I think that’s really important for DC to be putting books like that out.”

(Via Quickdfw.com Pop: Comic Books)

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Seth Kushner makes us look good.

If you haven’t seen his site yet, I’d recommend checking out Seth Kushner’s photography (click here). He’s working on a portrait series featuring NYC comic book creators. I can’t wait to purchase the completed book. His photo of Art Spiegelman is my new desktop background image.

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JEFFREY BROWN WARHAMMER 40,000 ART AUCTION TO BENEFIT RETAILER

In April, David Pirkola, a Kentwood, MI retailer, was shot and critically wounded during a robbery attempt.  The good news is that he’s slowly recovering and has been back at home but he has a lot of physical therapy to still go through.  iFanboy and Boom Studios are teaming up for the first eBay auction to help raise money to offset the medical bills and help his store Apparitions get through this tough time.

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SDCC: One recap to rule them all

Not all of us were fortunate enough to be part of the bedlam and mayhem of this year’s SDCC, but we we had all of our diligent bloggers and twitters to keep up-to-date with the latest buzz.  Plus, everyone’s mobile devices must have had a direct connection to YouTube from the various leaked clips of Wolverine and Tron 2 (TR2N?).

The line to mount Neil Patrick Harris’ white unicorn at the “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” DVD promotional island in the middle of the football-field-sized vendor floor at the annual San Diego Comic-Con was pretty long or I would have considered going for it. Where else would I have a chance to ride a fiberglass unicorn? Or have my picture taken next to a gigantic statue of Jabba the Hutt? Or get the autograph of woman who starred in “Frankenhooker?”

Any review that brings unicorns and Frankenhook to MSNBC can only be written by the one and only Dave White.

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SDCC 08 buyers guide

SDCC attendees already dropped a chunk of change just to be a part of a fire marshall’s worst nightmare.  This year is sure to be a major spending spree for the con goers.  Only one problem, now airlines are charging extra for luggage.

Folks will need to pick their items wisely to maximize their shopping experience.  We can’t have another Lost Girls debut.  Sure, it was pretty porn, but it was heavy too!  Plus, retail stores picked up a few months later anyway.

Read your shopping list after the jump.

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Robert Kirkman now a partner at Image Comics

The NY Times writes that Image Comics plans to announce their newest partner at SDCC.  Any guesses who it could be?  Any superheroes out there with a giant “I” logo as their outfit?

I think Scott C is on the money that we could expect an expanded Kirkman-verse with Image or even his own imprint.

Either way, big congrats to the bear magnet for this news, the MTV thing, and for writing great comics in general.

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The New Image with Robert Kirkman

The New York Times reports that Image will announce Robert Kirkman as a new partner this weekend.

Mr. Kirkman, who began by self-publishing his comics, is a star on the rise. His books are favorites of fans and critics alike. MTV has announced plans to adapt Invincible, his superhero series. And this week at Comic-Con International in San Diego, Image Comics will announce that Mr. Kirkman is becoming its newest partner. Under the company’s structure, partners profit mainly from their own work but also have a say in what will be published.

“This is kind of a big deal for me,” Mr. Kirkman, 29, said by phone from his base in Richmond, Ky. “Image Comics as a company was founded by comic book creators for comic book creators.”

With the addition of Eric Stephenson as publisher and now Kirkman as a full partner, could this be the beginning of a new age at Image? Well, I kind of doubt that too but both moves show the organization's (we can't really call it a company, can we?) growth beyond the original 7 partners who've controlled Image for almost 15 years now. Stephenson is quoted as saying "...Robert has a pretty strong vision of what he wants to do and what comes he wants to make.” Could Kirkman be starting his own imprint similar to McFarlane's, Top Cow and Shadowline? His books and a number of others are tied together so I could see a "Kirkman-verse" starting up.

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Rich Johnston explains it all

Since he’s not going to SDCC this year, he’s got some time to kill.  In All The Rage, episode 1, Rich Johnston reenacts the career path of your favorite comic book artists from a really old couch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r17DdPaLQQI

Rich Johnston looks at what happens when comic book creators go bad - with the able assistance of Tony Lee, Dan Boultwood, David Hine and more.

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Homophobe cartoonist/commish Brent Rinehart interview/smack down on CNN

When Oklahoma County Commissioner isn’t surrounding himself with “the ladies” to prove his virile hetero status, Brent Rinehart is busy drawing men in super-fabuous outfits who carry picket signs that twice misspell pedophilia.

While this story borderlines on sad/funny/stupid to imply that there would be a homosexual agenda in Oklahoma (other than trying to stay alive), using a comic book in order to defend the county’s roads and bridges from the wear and tear of gay pride parades is too far fetched.

Come on dude, just admit you like drawing gay guys.

See the video in all its stretched out glory.

No word yet of his booth number at SDCC or when his book will be available in HC edition.

OKLAHOMA DEVIL-HOMOSEXUAL COMIC GUY ON CNN:  Hilarious accused felon &...:

OKLAHOMA DEVIL-HOMOSEXUAL COMIC GUY ON CNN: Hilarious accused felon & Oklahoma county commissioner Brett Rinehart tells the teevee news, “I’m not even sure as to what ‘homophobic’ means, but let’s just keep in mind that we are in a cultural war.” [CNN/Raw Story]

(Via Wonkette)

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Happy Birthday, Zeus Comics!

They grow up so fast.  Zeus Comics turns 8 today.  Congrats the the crew and all the loyal customers who’ve made Zeus the best comic shop ever.

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