This is exciting news for comics writers and artists looking to connect on a project. ComiXology is sponsoring the Comic Creator Connection at Comic-Con International 2013. This is a one-of-a-kind meet up for up-and-coming creators. ComiXology will guarantee marketing support for qualified participants.
Press release follows:
The stats here will not come as a surprise to regulars of the San Diego Comic-Con but it will prove enlightening to newcomers. Comic-Con International: San Diego is the place to be for the annual pop culture extravaganza of a lifetime. And, remember, it all began with some teenagers eager to have a place to meet to swap comics and celebrate related fandom back in 1970. Enjoy this colorful and informative graphic from our friends at BuyCostumes.com.
Comic-Con International: San Diego returns to the San Diego Convention Center in 2013, beginning with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 17, with the four days of the event running Thursday, July 18 through Sunday, July 21. 2013 marks the 44th year for the show, making it the country’s longest continuously-run comics and popular art convention.
“Femme Fatales: The Complete First Season,” is available as of today. This is a show with a genuine connection to comics and fandom as it springs from the men’s magazine, “Femme Fatales,” that focused on film and television actresses in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. It was the sister publication of the science fiction magazine, “Cinefantastique.” Mark A. Altman, well versed in sci-fi, who helped run the publication, now is co-creator and executive producer of the HBO/Cinemax series. Steve Kriozere, a televison veteran (“NCIS,” “Castle”) is also co-creator and executive producer.
“Femme Fatales” is, no doubt, a sexy show. It’s on the right track in mixing erotica with noir. “The White Flower,” the fifth episode of the series but first in the collection, is a fine example of what the show is capable of. After pulling off a perfect bank heist, Jimmy, played by William Gregory Lee, gets cocky and hatches a plan to rob his boss, Mr. Ryan, played by Stepehn Macht. He employs two gorgoeous call girls to help him out. First, he needs to get rid of his dim-witted partner, O’Brien, played by Geoff Meed. He invites him to enjoy some time with one of the call girls, Cynthia, played by Cristin Michele. Jimmy finds himself alone with Barbara, played by Tina Casciani. Just then, the host of the show, Lilith, played by Tanit Phoenix, makes a cameo and presents Jimmy with a bouquet of white flowers. What happens next is out of some good pulp fiction.
Tina Casciani
There are scenes, of course, that leave less to the imagination. In order for this all to work well, to get that Tarantino kick, everything needs to excel: the production, the writing, and the acting. And it does work well. Keep in mind, Tarantino can elicit a ton of sexual energy simply by focusing on an arched heel or the wiggle of toes. On “Femme Fatales,” the girls bare much more. It puts them in a vulnerable spot. “The White Flower” handles that loss of mystery well once the negligee slips off. Cynthia, we soon find to be the more earthy of the two girls and exerts a certain vibe. Barbara is the reserved and mysterious one. She’s the one who knows how to put a man in his place before ever removing any clothing. It all builds up to some satisfying tension.
While “Femme Fatales” will never be mistaken for “The Twilight Zone,” it does have a shot at rising to the level of “Tales from the Crypt.”
“Femme Fatales” made a big impression last year at San Diego Comic-Con with appearances during the con and a panel discussion. You will find a SDCC panel discussion from 2011 included in this collection. You can view an in-depth and lively interview with one of the great talents on the show, writer and producer Steve Kriozere, here. It is with TTN-HD’s Katie Uhlmann, part of her series of interviews, “Katie Chats.”
Keep up with “Femme Fatales” at the Cinemax website here. And you can purchase “Femme Fatales: The Complete First Season” here.
Filed under Comic-Con, Comic-Con 2012, Television
Anyone looking for an easy way to hook into comics can look no further than the legendary, Stan Lee. He’s a super easy gateway and, for those who look deeper, this will quickly lead to Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and so forth. Having been interviewed countless times, Stan Lee concluded that he can reverse the roles and be the host himself. Within the YouTube premium channel, “Stan Lee’s World of Heroes,” you will find “Cocktails with Stan.” This is something to see, believe me.
Stan Lee may appear all cute and cuddly, the super easy gateway to comics, but he’s still the same hard-edged guy from his heydey at Marvel. Felicia Day perhaps regrets how she stumbled into a description of her new hobby, ice sculptures. She sort of lazily described to Stan that it’s all done with a chainsaw. “A seesaw? Felicia, please enunciate!” “Chainsaw!” “Oh, chainsaw! But, how the devil would you get the finer details?” Then Felicia admitted that she also uses a chisel! “Oh, a chisel! Well, then it’s not all done with just a chainsaw as you would have had us believe,” lectures Professor Lee, to the surprise and utter dismay of his pupil. The above photo don’t lie, folks. Marvel over all the funky body language. Or view the interesting exchange for yourself here.
Next on the hot seat, the lovely Cara Santa Maria, host of science-centric “Talk Nerdy To Me,” who manages to hold her own with her signature sexy laugh used as a shield as masterfully as Captain America. This time, Stan goes in for the kill but it is a short-lived victory. Cara begins to describe her life’s journey. After getting a Masters degree in Neurobiology, she intended to pursue a PhD in New York but, as she puts it, she fell in love with a boy across the country. “You said that you were in New York but you fell in love with somone across the country. Did you see a picture of him?” No, Cara corrects herself, she met her beau in California. “Then that’s what you should have said. I have to teach you how to tell a story,” nags Stan. No sooner have they gotten through that bit than it comes out that the boy in Cara’s story is Bill Maher. Stan is insistent that Cara reveal details about her and Bill. Cara insists that the details he wants aren’t so private. As it turns out, by the time of this interview, Cara and Bill had broken up well over a year before. You can judge for yourself here.
Just as things are drifting off course, in jumps Jenna Busch, the co-host, or sidekick, to “Cocktails with Stan.” Jenna is a good egg. She has written tons of stuff about pop culture for a myriad of sites. However, she needs to remember that she’s no longer just a super blogger and she does not have the George Burns protective cover that Stan enjoys and seems to approve of anything he says. Jenna’s attempt to save the moment was to ask Cara a science question: “Why do men have nipples?” Not exactly a challenging question or even that interesting. Jenna could have provided an even better save for her boss by having prepped him beforehand about Cara and Bill Maher.
“Cocktails with Stan” is not going to be winning any Peabody awards or even give “Kathie Lee & Hoda” a run of their money. For now, it’s amusing and, what the hell, it’s Stan Lee, for God’s sake, and he’s 90-years-old. The good thing about this show is that everyone seems to want to have a cocktail with Stan. Everyone on the show ultimately comes out a winner. And you can end up learning about some very cool people, like Cara Santa Maria, who is doing a great service by energizing young, and not-so-young, people about science on “Talk Nerdy To Me.”
Filed under Marvel Comics, pop culture, Stan Lee, YouTube
Next time you’re in San Diego, which could be Comic-Con for many of you, keep an eye out for a group of Real Life Superheroes known as, “Xtreme Justice League.” Or maybe they’ll be keeping their eyes on you. Director Sheldon Candis has created a compelling short documentary, “The Subculture of Real Life Superheroes,” about this group of urban activists that you can see on Ashton Kutcher’s Thrash Lab, a YouTube Premium Channel. The short doc is part of Trash Lab’s popular web series, “Subculture Club.”
Be sure to see Candis’s LUV, which did well this year at the Sundance Film Festival. LUV is the story about a boy and his uncle during 24 hours on the mean streets of Baltimore. It is set for an exclusive run at AMC theaters starting on January 18.
More details follow:
Filed under Real-life Superhero, San Diego Comic-Con, Superheroes, YouTube
George Clayton Johnson makes his living by daydreaming, as he has put it. And those dreams have led him to some amazing places. You may know about him already or, perhaps, you’ve heard of his work. The story that he co-wrote with Jack Golden Russell was the basis for the 1960 and 2001 films, “Oceans Eleven.” He wrote the first aired episode of “Star Trek.” With William F. Nolan, he co-wrote the novel that was the basis for the cult classic film, “Logan’s Run.” Along with other remarkable television writing and countless science fiction stories, Mr. Johnson wrote some of the most poignant and beloved episodes of “The Twilight Zone,” including “Kick The Can,” which was remade in the movie version.
Mr. Johnson’s life is the stuff of legend. He was born in a barn, in 1929, Cheyenne, Wyoming, and not exactly set on a path for the success he has achieved. But with a strong force of will, George Clayton Johnson gave his life shape and purpose. Leaving behind a troubled upbringing, he set out at the age of fifteen to make his living as best he could. He started out as a shoeshine boy. Later, in the army, he mastered the job of draftsman and was involved with charting the intricate underground wiring systems related to the Panama Canal. By the late ’50s, he had set his mind on being a writer and this led to his story about an outrageous Las Vegas casino bank heist. This became his calling card and led to his joining a group of elite science fiction writers in Southern California. From there, he met Rod Serling who just happened to be preparing for a new show that would chart a new course for television, “The Twilight Zone.”
Where to begin with such a talent? One big point of interest: the remake of “Logan’s Run.”
During Comic-Con 2012, I had the pleasure of being in the company of the talented Clare Kramer, known for many things including her role as the villain, Glory, on “Buffy The Vampire Slayer.” It seems we’ve ended up with some video technical difficulties so I will provide you with a magazine style observation of our meeting. It was one of those things that you can’t anticipate. I had been contacted regarding my interest in doing an interview and, after some back and forth messaging, I found myself part of the interviews Clare was doing on a pedicab around San Diego. Clare was doing the interviews. I was the only one interviewing Clare! One moment, I am searching through a sea of mingling people and then suddenly I’m seated with a member of the Hollywood in crowd who has left her footprint on pop culture and is now embarking on a new pop culture venture, a website dedicated to all things geek, GeekNation.com.
I should mention here that I was more than a little self-conscious. I’m not the Hollywood glamour type. I’m just a guy, I thought. I mean, I’m not one extreme or another. I am neither freak nor jock. I’m more the bookish type. My role model is Dick Cavett, for those who have long memories or care about pop history. Anyway, I’m a guy who actually toils away writing and drawing comics. I do stuff like this. I think I do it well, if I do say so myself. And I’ve gone on to take my unique experience as an artist and cartoonist and have also become a commentator on comics and pop culture. I’ve written about comics and pop culture for about seven years now. I gravitate towards quality wherever I find it, be it in the most obscure self-published mini comic or an offbeat graphic novel that deserves a shout out. I spend too much time indoors reading.
But I try to mix it up too. That’s how I ended up crossing paths with Clare Kramer. Honestly, I’d never heard of Clare Kramer before Comic-Con! I am certianly glad to know her, or know about her, now. Hey, her success did not fall on my radar. So, when I got the chance to interview her, I did my research and got caught up in her prestigous education in drama. After reading that she’d gone to NYU and acted in some serious stage plays, I guess I was thinking of conducting the interview with her like I was James Lipton, host of “Inside The Actors Studio” on Bravo. I’m not James Lipton so I shouldn’t have even tried that route.
Clare saved the day by simply being herself. I think she did a beautiful job of staying on point when she described GeekNation.com and the many shows you will find within the site that focus on various aspects of the geek lifestyle, be it “Doctor Who” or even just focusing on a geek connoisseur’s love of beer. It’s all there at GeekNation.com.
The bottom line is that Clare comes across as a fun-loving and sincere person. When I asked her if she’d had a chance to keep up with “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” comics published by Dark Horse Comics, she immediately said yes, and described in detail story arcs from “Season 8.” And when I asked her about her Comic-Con experience so far on that Saturday afternoon, she spoke with great admiration about geting to walk the convention floor at the beginning of the Con and getting to meet up with friends and then went into detail about panels she’d been on. Suffice it to say, it was a delightful exchange between us after she kept me from drifting off into platitudes about the actor’s life.
And then the ride was suddenly over and I was back on my own amid the sea of mingling people and wondering about what had just happened.
Filed under Clare Kramer, Comic-Con 2012, Entertainment, movies, pop culture
If I had one question to ask writer Ben McCool, I would ask him why he chose to write a graphic novel about the 13th Century Russian Hero-Prince Alexander Nevsky. But then I think I can come up with some good reasons why. One good reason is a somewhat similar venture: “300,” a successful 1998 graphic novel, also about a David versus Goliath type of battle, written and drawn by Frank Miller, inspired by the 1962 film, “The 300 Spartans.” Miller’s graphic novel went on to become, “300,” a successful movie in 2006.
In the case of “Nevsky: A Hero of the People,” McCool says his inspiration is the 1938 film, “Alexander Nevsky,” by the great Russian filmmaker, Sergei Eisenstein. And that’s all well and good but it is not a film that will ring bells with anyone. If you were to mention to staff at any comics shop, Eisenstein’s most well known scene in his body of work, the “Odessa steps” sequence in “Battleship Potemkin,” it would be met with blank stares. So, in that respect, it is a curious and hard sell. However, if you mention that the 1938 “Nevsky” film influenced George Lucas in some way, namely Darth Vader’s hat, then you’ve got sort of a viable hook.
Part of this is a waiting game. There is always the possibility that the relatively unknown “Nevsky” graphic novel will indeed lead to a new “Nevsky” major motion picture. You can read all about those details at the L.A. Times’s Hero Complex site. And then it’s a whole other playing field.
Everyone loves an underdog. And an action story with a great battle. And a true story is a good thing too. Alexander Nevsky is one of the great heroes of Russian history as he was there to fend off the Mongol invaders to his territory of Mother Rus and then he went on to join a significant neighboring territory and, with a hope and a prayer, was able to lead a victory over the marauding Teutonic Knights. This is truly the stuff of legend. It was just the sort of legend that Stalin needed to associate himself with when he put Eisenstein to work. The end result, the 1938 film, “Alexander Nevsky,” satisfied Stalin’s ends but, as for artistic integrity, not so much. Like “Star Wars,” this film does well with the epic battle scenes, muddles through human interaction, and is blunt without a hint of subtlety.
The best thing about the original film is how Eisenstein was able to work with another legend, the composer Sergei Prokofiev. They achieved a magnificent synchronizing of action and musical score with the rushing into battle of the Teutonic Knights.
What McCool set out to do was work with the film company, Mosfilm, that owns the original film, and create a companion graphic novel. You can think of it as you would any other graphic novel that supplements a major motion picture. It is not at all a, frame by frame, tribute to the original film or really an interpretation of the film. It is a retelling of the basic script: Nevsky, against all odds, finds a way to defeat the German invaders in what was then a collective of states coming into their own as Russia, in the 13th century. In that regard, this graphic novel does an excellent job of providing a quick read of a significant period in Russian history. It would also serve to inspire readers to view the original film.
As a graphic novel on its own merits, the story is well paced. It is the art, and the role it plays in this story, that is really interesting. The artwork by Mario Guevara is a curious mix of mystery and understatement. I think that style worked really well in “Victorian Undead.” And it works in “Nevsky” too in an unconventional way. Whereas Frank Miller’s style is ballsy, Guevara’s is contemplative. You get a sense that all the characters, including the hero, are making it up as they go. They are not larger-than-life, none of them are. In fact, the characters rather blend into each other. So, in an odd way, it is leaning more toward realism and not evoking a hero’s tale. There are exquistely drawn scenes throughout to be sure. Overall, it’s the mood that is dialed down and that’s actually an improvement over the original film.
Given the desire to be flexible and experiment with having any and all subjects open to a graphic novel treatment, “Nevsky” is a welcome addition on the shelves. “Nevsky: A Hero of the People” is a 110-page graphic novel published by IDW. You can order your own copy through Amazon and you can check out the Nevsky site here.
Filed under Ben McCool, Comics, Comics Reviews, graphic novels, IDW Publishing, Mario Guevara, movies, Russia, Sergei Eisenstein, Stalin
I have a video interview with Clare Kramer on the way. Clare is the founder of GeekNation.com. You can also catch her in the new Mike Mendez action thriller, “Mega Spider,” coming out this fall.
Clare describes “Mega Spider” as a cross between “Ghostbusters” and “Cloverfield.” The interview with Clare, by the way, was in one of San Diego’s finest pedicabs. That’s not a taxi that provides pedicures. No, it’s like a rickshaw but with a bicycle instead. I guess we have some of those here in Seattle. I don’t usually ride in pedicabs but I would definitely ride with Clare. She assured me that it would be a safe and fun ride so I went along with it. You can’t make this stuff up. Only at Comic-Con. Come to think of it, I think we might have ridden past that giant spider, that giant mega spider!
Filed under Clare Kramer, Comic-Con 2012, GeekNation
William Clausen wrote and drew the mini comic, “Alf #3,” in honor of Richard Alf. The mini comic was part of the gifts to attendees at the Richard Alf memorial dinner during Comic-Con. Inside the specially made mug, right next to the Thor bottle opener, was “Alf #3.” I wanted to ask Mr. Clausen a few questions regarding his putting together the mini comic and about his recollections about Mr. Alf, and related subjects. What follows are Mr. Clausen’s observations and recollections from our interview after Comic-Con.
Mr. Clausen is an excellent artist and writer and an all-around nice guy. He’s also a pretty busy guy with a number of projects on his plate. He is known for his work on Trimark’s “Leprechaun,” Marvel Comics’s “The Silver Surfer,” and as the co-creator of “The Chameleon Commandos.” And for his involvement with a very special project known as, “Alf.”
COMICS GRINDER: William, tell us about this mysterious little mini comic, “Alf.”
WILLIAM CLAUSEN: Steve Garris did this for Richard Alf’s mail order comic business in 1975. #2 followed not that far after. It was published by Steve just before Comicon the same year he published my Starduster poster (possibly ’76). This led to me (being Steve’s roomate at the time) being asked to do #3 by Steve. I started doing so. Steve insisted he pencil the cover (without ever penciling it, he had me take CTHULHU off an Alan Dean Foster (who was doing mostly novelezations for movies at the time) cover he had done for Ken Krueger. We had done illustrations together for the book “The Final War” for Ken so I put the book in John Pound’s Lazy Lucy projector, traced the monster, and added Alf. So, I started drawing Alf #3. When it came to CTHULHU’s death, Steve told me I had to redraw the death scene because it looked like the death of Casper so I put it aside and went on to create The Chameleon Commandos (soon to be a movie) and did Leprechaun (Trimark) and The Silver Surfer (Marvel). I had kept in touch with Richard, and he convinced me to finish it. I redrew CTHULHU’s death and finished the trilogy. Unfortunately, Richard didn’t live to see its completion.
CG: Tell us about your early development and how your career unfolded.
WC: My first professional job was working for a local San Diego newspaper called The Coast Chronicle. I did the editorial cartoon, the comic strip, ad layout and design, negative stripping, plate burning, bundling, and collating. I assisted Shel Dorf on Steve Canyon, I helped Frank Brunner on The Prince and The Pauper educational filmstrip. I co-created The Chameleon Commandos and Rivit for Blackthorne (1986/87). I did Leprechaun #1 for Trimark pictures, inks for Marvel comics, backup features for Real Deal Magazine. A poster for Mighty Joe Young, phone Cards, label Designs, tattoo designs, model designs, prop designs, custom paint jobs, and album covers.
CG: Share with us your Comic-Con memories.
WC: Okay, Comicon memories: sitting around the pool at The El Cortez with Jack Kirby and Don Rico; getting kicked out of The Pro Lounge with John Carpenter by Tia Carrera’s goons; watching George Clayton Johnson come crawling into a party by way of the window…stark naked! And nobody else seemed to notice! Me and George looking down from the balcony while people below in Sandman costumes chased each other; bringing Shel Dorf to my gig and singling him out like Dead Sullivan used to do; doing a panel with Kelley Freas; Mark Hamill freaking out when he met me (which freaked me out); becoming good friends with my childhood idols (Like Frank Brunner) and other young artists (Like Whilce Portacio); serving on the Comicon committee for a few years; making the transition to Comic Pro, then Marvel Artist, and beyond; hanging out on the parking garage roof with Richard Alf and Clayton Moore; chasing down the parties with my deceased best friend Cham; occasionally crashing out in the all night film room; hanging out with my brother in the early days; meeting Peter Chung, getting a Frankenstein sketch from Mike Ploog, meeting Frazetta. Ah, yes…I remember it well.
CG: Feel free to add any other comments regarding upcoming projects:
WC: I am currently working on Young Merlin, Insectman, The Starduster, U.S.O. hunters, Rivit and many others as well as The Chameleon Commandos movie.
CG: Thank so much, William.
WC: You’re very welcome.
Filed under ALF, Comic-Con 2012, Comics, Richard Alf, William Clausen
