Friday, July 22, 2011

Missing San Diego


For the second straight year and much to my chagrin, I am not in San Diego. I've already heard from a bunch of folks who are attending and they tell me it's a mad house -- again. In a bad economy it's great to see the show remain strong. I do miss it.

The show is supposed to be a week earlier next year and I am shooting for a triumphant return in 2012!

Lost Squad stuff: I don't want to call it news but I am working on a new story arc and toying with the idea of just putting it out online or through a digital platform. I don't want to say too much at this point, but I've got some ideas of how I can pull this off. I'd love to put it out through a publisher in print format. Maybe Image Comics? That I would LOVE but I need to think that through first.

The new arc will have a different artist. I have approached two VERY solid artists about taking on the position as Alan is simply too busy and too high profile now. I am hoping that we can get Alan to do an eight page story as backup for the first issue or maybe to include in an upcoming Digital Webbing Presents issue.

BTW, drop Alan a line and say congrats on the birth of his second child, Matilda, who arrived into the world on May 18th.

Movie Stuff: As always Hollywood moves at it's own pace. The team that is in place right now is simply finalizing contracts and putting together a small LLC production company to handle the rights and such. As I have said before, I am VERY happy with the players involved. They simply get it. The treatment that I've read is very faithful to much of the comic, both in content and spirit, but also expands and changes things in a fantastic way. The new layers really open things up. The writer has been in the news a bit somewhat recently for a mid-profile project that has a tremendously high geek factor. It also helps that he's a WWII buff of the highest order and is British and has a cool accent. The Brits have a great advantage in pitch meetings I'm told because of their accents. Maybe I can fake one.

So I'm spending the week plotting and missing San Diego. Although I don't miss the crowds I will miss seeing friends and playing the networking game.

I will be doing a small show in Indiana in October. I am excited for that. More details to come.

I won't be setting up this year in Chicago in August. It just doesn't make sense. I may be in attendance, but I need to square some things away first.

So, game on for Comicon 2012!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Kody Chamberlain talks creating comics


My pal Kody Chamberlain the awesome auteur (a little Stan Lee alliteration there) of the dark thriller SWEETS from Image comics has given a tremendous interview to NEWSARAMA about the sausage making that is creating comics. He's not only a great artist but a terrific storyteller as well.

Check out the interview and enjoy the peek-behind-the curtain of one of comics' hottest creators and his process.

Kody gives a checklist of great books for the aspiring creator. I have every book on his "writer's guide" list (save one) and would recommend them unconditionally as well.

Kody is one of the truly good guys in comics and an extremely talented cat as well. Click on over and give the article a read. It's good stuff.