Resumen de las comic con de san francisco, seattle y chicago 2012

WonderCon is an annual comic book, science fiction, and motion picture convention, held in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1987.

The convention was conceived by retailer John Barrett (a founder of the retail chain Comics and Comix) and originally held in the Oakland Convention Center, where it remained until 2003, when it moved to San Francisco's Moscone Center. The show's original name was the Wonderful World of Comics Convention.

Retailer Joe Field (of Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff) and his partner Mike Friedrich owned and operated the convention for fifteen years. In 2001, they brokered a deal with the management team that runs the San Diego Comic-Con International to make it part of the Comic-Con International convention family. This gave the San Francisco show a wider audience and has made it a venue for previews and early screenings of major motion pictures, in particular ones based on comic books. These have included Spider-Man 2 in 2004, Batman Begins and Fantastic Four in 2005, Superman Returns in 2006, 300 in 2007, Watchmen in 2009, and Kick-Ass in 2010. All of these events featured the stars of the films fielding questions from the audience. In addition, WonderCon features an event called "Trailer Park," wherein trailers for upcoming films are shown.

While the main attraction of WonderCon has always been various retailers selling back issues of comic books and action figures, the exhibitorship has grown to include retailers of specialty DVDs. There is also an "Artists Alley" featuring mainly comic book artists selling artwork, signing books, and doing sketches; and mainstream celebrities signing autographed pictures. Academicians and comic industry professionals have held the Comics Arts Conference in conjunction with WonderCon.
The Nickelodeon booth at WonderCon.

In addition to the comic and movie previews is the Wondercon masquerade, which usually takes place on Saturday after the convention closes. Awards are given to those with the most creative performances, but anyone can participate.

In 2010, the convention had an attendance of 39,000 fans with 34,000 fans in 2009

Womanthology: Heroic was such a big, wonderful experience, and not in my wildest dreams could I have hoped that it would go on to further adventures! I hope that Womanthology: Space is just the start of a long line of amazing books that further open doors for women in comics everywhere. I hope this will be a continued outlet to have their work showcased and appreciated, and help many take that next big step towards a career in comics. Again there will be all ages and experience levels accepted. This has always been so important to me, as I know first hand how even one show of support can offer so much confidence and motivation in your work. This not only helps aspiring creators gain valuable experiences and a platform to help further careers, but it also allows established professionals to reach out and lend their comics knowledge and know how. I am so glad that the positivity and fun of Womanthology is going further, this time into Space!

Presente durante los últimos años gracias a la miniserie y los especiales publicados por IDW durante los últimos años, el mítico superhéroe pulp creado por Dave Stevens a principios de los ochenta vuelve a la carga con una nueva serie de la mano del incombustible Mark Waid y la futura superestrella del cómic -si es que existe la justicia- Chris Samnee.

Centrada en las andanzas de Cliff Secord (un piloto de pruebas que inventa una mochila voladora que le permite emprender una carrera como justiciero en Los Ángeles de los años 30), la serie se convertirá en una de las grandes apuestas de la editorial para este año narrándonos como Rocketeer debe enfrentarse a la llegada de un buque que desatará el caos en la ciudad cuando se libere en ella su misterioso cargo. Haciendo frente a la amenaza mientras el auge de la Administración Federal de Aviación le pone en serios aprietos, la serie estará como de costumbre repleta de referencias a la cultura de los años treinta incluyendo al enigmático hombre con complexión de bronce que creó el dispositivo del protagonista, el hampon de nariz aguileña “Mr Jonas”, como no, a la novia del protagonista (que para quien no este al tanto del tema, solo decir que Peter Parker y Superman son unos pobres pringados por haber tenido que compartir sus vidas con una supermodelo y una periodista estrella cuando la chica de Rocketeer no es otra que BETTIE Page).

Sin embargo, Waid no esta dispuesto a ponerselo fácil a la encantadora Bettie y en esta ocasión el mito de los pin ups encontrará competencia con la introducción de la sobrina de Peevey. Declarándose fan acerrimo del personaje, si estáis siguiendo la actual etapa del guionista al frente de las aventuras del diablo guardián (en caso contrario no se como podéis haceros llamar aficionados al cómic) probablemente no se os ocurra un candidato mejor para relanzar las aventuras de Rocketeer que el creador de Ruse e Incorruptible.

El que además de los guiones de Mark Waid la serie vaya a contar con el talento de Samnee hacen que esta se convierta inmediatamente en un must have imprescindible para este verano. Si además tenemos en cuenta que ambos colaborarán también en la serie de Daredevil (una inesperada coincidencia según palabras de Waid, quien estaba preparando la serie de Rocketeer junto a Samnee en secreto cuando su editor en Marvel se lo propuso como nuevo dibujante de la colección de Matt Murdock) todo apunta a que las carreras del guionista y el dibujante van a proseguir con el meteórico ascenso que llevan protagonizando durante los últimos años y que los ha convertido en dos nombres de referencia ineludibles dentro del cómic de entretenimiento en su más pura e imaginativa esencia.

Implicándose de forma muy personal en el proyecto desde que pusiera sus manos sobre él tras su llegada a IDW, el editor Scott Dunbier ha mostrado sumo cuidado a la hora de hacer de la serie un producto a la altura de la obra original de Stevens manteniéndose en constante comunicación con sus amigos y herederos. Es por ello que hasta que no ha dado con un equipo creativo perfecto para relanzar la serie prefirió limitar las apariciones del personaje a un puñado de apariciones con las dos antología que recopilaban las aventuras clásicas de Rocketeer así como la miniserie publicada el año pasado en cuyas páginas pudimos disfrutar de una vistosa antología de relatos cortos a cargo de algunos de los más notables nombres de la industria.

Continuando lo visto en Rocketeer Adventures, esperamos con ganas la llegada de esta nueva serie a cargo de Waid y Samnee para regresar a la edad dorada de Hollywood deseando que la combinación entre su buen hacer y el producto que tienen entre manos este a la altura de lo que sugieren las expectativas.

Que vuelvan al panorama comiquero antiguas editoriales siempre es motivo de enhorabuena. Eso significa que el medio tiene futuro y de paso se ofrece una alternativa más de entretenimiento. Este es el caso de Valiant, que tras una serie de idas y venidas tras su creación de manos de Jim Shooter y Bob Layton en 1989, la editorial vuelve con fuerza para ofrecer una serie de títulos con viejos conocidos para este año 2012.

La primera serie en ser anunciada ha sido X-O Manowar, que tendrá su bautismo el próximo mayo con su primer número y otro cómic más para el Free Comic Book Day de ese mismo mes, toda una promoción para reintroducir la editorial en el mercado norteamericano. Los autores encargados del estreno de esta serie son el escritor Robert Venditti (The Surrogates, The Homeland Directive) y el dibujante Cary Nord (Conan), además de contar con los lápices de Esad Ribic y David Aja para las portadas. Hay que añadir que, como novedad, este cómic vendrá acompañado de un código qr que reproducirá un archivo de voz en el que escucharemos la voz de X-O Manowar.

El resto de series, tres para ser concretos (por lo pronto), también han sido anunciadas y serán publicadas mes tras mes después del relanzamiento de X-O Manowar, por lo que tendremos un verano completo de estrenos de la editorial Valiant. Estos son los títulos, sus autores correspondientes y un breve adelanto de la historia:

Junio: Harbinger #1
Con Joshua Dysart como escritor (Unknown Soldier, BPRD) y Khari Evans (Carbon Grey) a los lápices. Pete Stanteck no tiene trabajo pero tiene un don con el que puede cambiar el curso de la historia de la humanidad. Toyo Harada conoce bien ese poder porque él también lo posee ¿Ayudará este magnate de los negocios a Pete? ¿Le ofrecerá un camino de redención o uno de extorsión y conspiraciones?

Julio: Bloodshot #1
Duane Swierczynski (Immortal Iron Fist, Birds of Prey) en los guiones junto con Manuel García (Checkmate, Spider-Man: Breakout) y Arturo Lozzi (Immortal Weapons) como artistas. Su nombre es Angelo Mortalli y su hermano está atrapado tras las líneas enemigas y… no. Su nombre es Raymon Garrison, un soldado retirado de los campos de batalla que regresa bajo petición de sus antiguos camaradas para que… no. Él es Bloodshot, la combinación perfecta de conocimientos militares y tecnología punta. Un WikiLeaks andante lleno de sucios secretos que puede prender el mundo en llamas y que acaba de ser capturado.

Agosto: Archer & Armstrong #1
Con Fred Van Lente (Amazing Spider-Man, Hulk: Season One) de guionista y Clayton Henry (Uncanny X-Men) de dibujante. Obadiah Archer nació y fue criado para convertirse en el asesino perfecto. Entrenado por La Secta, un culto extremista, su misión es la de destruir el mal encarnado. Pero cuando Archer pone sus ojos sobre su objetivo, un bebedor inmortal llamado Armstrong, se forja un vínculo entre ambos que los lleva a recorrer el mundo y estar un paso por delante del siguiente plan de La Secta.

A mysterious , hulking white man known only as ROUNDEYE stumbles out of the jungle, and into the arms of a woman (Tulip) who is forbidden to all who know her. She is the wife of Roundeyes soon to be Master, Yoshitsuni, a fierce Samurai, who controls the region with an Iron fist and little mercy. Their cursed love affair produces a child that damns them both to fates they can't possibly imagine, ripping them apart and flinging their helpless souls to the farthest corners of the planet.

ROUNDEYE is left for dead, and his Tulip banished to a Brothel by her vengeful husband.

Yoshi, praying in his temple is approached by a Shinto underworld demon who offers him "SIGHT". An ability to "see" his opponents every move in battle before they make it, transforming Yoshi into an invincible and horrible man. His price? He must blind himself in return for the Dragons Claw, which contains it's eye, protected inside it's balled up fist. Yoshi, blinded, and able to see clearer than ever before amasses a blind Army of Samurai that ride the land wielding the Dragons Claw as their standard, unstoppable, and terrible.

ROUNDEYE is found by a retired swordsmith on the verge of death and nurses the Hulk back to health at the cost of his arm, which the Smith has replaced with an artificial limb. He gifts ROUNDEYE the last sword he created before retiring, and sends ROUNDEYE on a path to regain a love lost, twisting and turning on a blood-soaked road to the ultimate battle against Yoshitsunis unstoppable army, with the hope of reuniting with his Tulip.

"Sunset" combines elements of noir, revenge stories, crime capers, romance -- but at heart it's what Duane Swierczynski calls "Old Man Noir." It has common ground with movies like "Unforgiven," "Taken" and "The Limey." As for seeing the story in its final form, I love it. Jorge Lucas did a masterful job. My wife isn't a comics person, but we co-wrote our episodes of "Law & Order: SVU" together, so she knows something about hard hitting crime fiction, and she constantly raved about his work.

James Stokoe will be both writing and illustrating a new Godzilla miniseries titled Godilla: Half Century War for release this August. Stokoe, who is best known for his work on Orc Stain, may also be familiar to ComicsAlliance readers for his Spider-'Nam fan comic and gargantuan Galactus drawing. A Godzilla ongoing series by Duane Swierczyski and Simon Gane is also due out from IDW in May, although Half Century War will take place in its own continuity and, as evidenced in our exclusive preview art, look incredibly cool.

IDW described the the title in a solicitation:

Introducing a new and exciting look at Godzilla's reign of destruction, courtesy of Orc Stain creator James Stokoe! The year is 1954 and Lieutnant Ota Murakami is on hand when Godzilla makes first landfall in Japan. Along with his pal Kentaro, Ota makes a desperate gamble to save lives... and in the process begins an obsession with the King of the Monsters that lasts fifty years! Don't miss the first decade in a tale of a lifetime!


"What's great about the movies, is there is no hard continuity," said editor Bobby Curnow. "The Godzilla movies of the '60s are not necessarily part of the history of Godzilla in the '90s. So the films themselves support this type of approach. No difficult history to get bogged down in. Just jump in and enjoy the ride."

Stokoe came to Curnow's attention both through both his work on Orc Stain and a Godzilla fan comic by the artist. "When I first started working on Godzilla last year, I was scoping out artists," said Curnow. "A basic google search of "Godzilla art" brought me to a four or five page Godzilla comic that James did for fun called World War G. I was sort of flabbergasted that a creator I was such a fan of just happened to be a huge Godzilla fan. We started talking and it was clear that he had a full story dancing around in his mind."

Each issue will take place in a different decade, and Curnow says fans can expect easter eggs and nods to Godzilla films tailored to each time period. "You'll see some hippies that are very into Mothra as the book goes on... There will be plenty of fun stuff for Godzilla fans, but at the same time it will be unique and accessible to the average reader."

Stokoe, who cites Mothra vs. Godzilla as the very first movie he remembers watching, calls himself a huge, life-long Godzilla fan:

It's one of those things that's almost impossible to peg down why I like it, just because it's always been around me. I've done quite a few on and off Godzilla fan comics over the years, but getting the chance to work on an official Toho sanctioned book has pretty much been a dream come true. I think Bobby and IDW are some secret arm of the Make A Wish Foundation, here to treat malnourished comic artists to their lifelong goals.

There's a lot of little nods to Godzilla and kaiju film tropes I'm trying to cram into the book; some are just visual (drills on everything!), some are part of the story. The second issue even has the first test firing of the Maser, which anybody who has seen a Godzilla movie will know barely ever works as intended. I got completely stumped trying to figure out what the sound effect for Godzilla's trademark roar would be, so I looked up what it looked like run through an oscilloscope and just traced over that with some vague lettering. Godzilla has almost 60 years worth of movies, in different eras and with some radically different tones, so it's great to pick through and try to figure out how to make those ideas work in a comic book.

"Victories" is set in a world where superheroes and villains battle it out, but this is quite different from what we think of as a superhero story, and even unique from the "dark" superhero epics of recent years. How would you describe the story you're telling here?

Michael Avon Oeming: This is actually a pretty personal story and I'm using superheroes as a vehicle to tell it. I think heroes are way under used in the vast possibility of stories that can be told with them. I could have very easily told this same story as a slice of life indie book replacing heroes and battles with people and daily conflicts. I was looking to do something that bridges a gap between books like David B.'s "Epileptic" and mainstream heroes. I was going through a year of pretty intense therapy to deal with anxiety attacks and depression when I started "Victories" and wanted to get it on paper as part of that therapy. It grew from that into superhero fantasy, so I like to think of "Victories" as "true fiction"

The conflict we see in issue one is between the Jackal, a vigilante who styles himself a hero but tortures and kills criminals, and Faustus, a bantering Batman-esque hero. What sort of history do these guys have as adversaries?

If we get to do more stories after these, we might get more into the specifics, but as it starts here, we learn that despite the book having a dark violent tone to it, our heroes here are Heroes -- they do not kill. Jackal is a true vigilante, meaning he has no problem with killing. He admires the work that Faustus and the Victories do, but sees them as hypocrites, and he swears to Faustus that he's going to get him to see the light, to take the full step into vigilantism and kill those who deserve it. In this world, the authorities are all corrupt, so Jackal sees arresting the criminals as another way of setting them free. He swears to Faustus that he'll turn him into a killer, and by the end of the book, that just might happen --especially when Jackal learns about a secret that could destroy Faustus

El pasado fin de semana, del 30 de marzo al 1° de abril, tuvo lugar una convención importante en la ciudad de Seattle: la Emerald City Comic Con. A lo largo de esos días se realizaron varios anuncios interesantes de editoriales que no son “las dos grandes”. Aunque las noticias ya tengan un par de días de antigüedad (que en nuestro mundo actual, fluido y acelerado, parece muchísimo tiempo) vale la pena detenerse y comentarlas, y tomar nota de su fecha de publicación.
Revival, Tim Seeley y Mike Norton (Image Comics)

Luego de una semana de teasers que buscaban generar curiosidad se efectuó el anuncio de la nueva serie de Tim Seeley junto a Mike Norton para Image Comics, editorial que sigue sumando nuevos títulos que consiguen como mínimo interesarnos para leer su #1 y ver de qué van.

Esta nueva serie regular es Revival, definida por los autores como un noir rural, género que ellos mismos están inventando, con una combinación de Fargo y The Walking Dead. De todos modos, Revival no será una serie específicamente de zombies sino que tratará de personas que vuelven de la muerte en un pequeño pueblo de Estados Unidos de una forma diferente, con el propósito de continuar con sus vidas como si nada.

Revival, a publicarse desde julio, será un comic de terror/policial con inevitables toques de comedia, abordando también la cuestión religiosa de la vida después del a muerte desde diferentes posiciones.

Para reforzar el interés que pueda generar la breve descripción, tenemos también una muestra de algunas páginas:


Scott Pilgrim a color (Oni Press)

Una de las primeras noticias de la ECCC 2012 fue el anuncio de que se publicará la obra de Bryan Lee O’Malley se publicará a color y en tapa dura. Los seis volúmenes de Scott Pilgrim recibirán este tratamiento, lanzándose el primero en el mes de agosto, el segundo en octubre, y continuando con un plan de dos volúmenes por año.

Ya pueden ir decidiendo si prefieren la versión original en blanco y negro, o esta nueva edición con coloreado de Nathan Fairbairn viendo las páginas de muestra:


Sunset, Christos Gage y Jorge Lucas (Top Cow)

En formato de novella gráfica, Sunset es otro de los nuevos cómics anunciados en la convención, a publicarse en el mes de julio a través del sello Minotaur Press, de la editorial Top Cow. La premisa es una conocida que no por eso deja de funcionar: un rudo envejecido que, sin nada que perder porque sólo espera la muerte, busca venganza luego de que su pasado oscuro salde cuentas con él, quitándole toda su familia; sub-género Old Man Noir, según cuenta Gage que le gusta llamarlo al escritor Duane Swierczynski.

Cuenta como un interés extra para Sunset tener de artista al dibujante argentino Jorge Lucas, quien parece una elección ideal para realizar una historia de este tipo. Es algo que personalmente quiero ver.

La novela gráfica tendrá una inteligente estrategia comercial, vendiendo a un dólar las primeras 32 páginas del comic, a todo color, el mismo día que se publicará la novela gráfica, en blanco y negro. Con esa larga muestra se podrá probar la historia, a la vez que tendrá el añadido de la comparación colores-blanco y negro.
Colder, Paul Tobin y Juan Ferreyra (Dark Horse)

Es curioso y llamativo ver el nombre de un guionista usualmente relacionado con los cómics para “todas las edades” creando un comic de terror y misterio, pero bienvenido sea. Eso será Colder, contando la historia de una persona cuya temperatura corporal es la de un cadáver, por lo cual no se enferma ni muere, que se ve envuelta en una trama de misterio en el asilo en el cual está confinado.

Recién llegará en noviembre el #1 de esta serie, por lo cual habrá que esperar mucho para ver cómo funciona esta premisa.
The Victories, Mike Oeming (Dark Horse)

Un último anuncio que merece ser tenido en cuenta es esta nueva serie del gran dibujante Mike Oeming, que se propone abordar a los superhéroes postmodernos para lectores maduros de una manera que vaya más allá de lo que ya se hizo.

Esto lo intentará lograr contando la historia de un grupo de seis personajes con poderes que tienen la misión de proteger a la sociedad y luchar contra el crimen, con uno de ellos cayendo en la violencia extrema que sufrirá un trauma que deberá resolver. No es fácil tarea, y veremos cómo funciona recién en agosto próximo con el lanzamiento de su #1.

C2E2 2012 Chicago: Feria del Comic y Entretenimiento USA - Comic Chicago & Entertainment Expo, es una convención que abarca el último y más grande del mundo de la historieta, comic, cine, televisión, juguetes y videojuegos, y que se celebrará del 13 al 15 de marzo de 2012 en el recinto ferial de McCormick Place
C2E2 2012 será una exposición llena de cientos de expositores, paneles y sesiones de autógrafos darles a los fans la oportunidad de interactuar con sus creadores favoritos, a la salas de proyección con Stanfor en películas y programas de televisión meses antes de que lleguen bien la pantalla grande o pequeña, trae C2E2 la mejor de la cultura popular del centro de Chicago!

Concursos, fiestas, presentaciones, entrevistas... todo sobre el mundo del Comic.


La Feria y Exposición C2E2 2012 de Chicago: Feria del Comic y Entretenimiento, se celebrará entre los próximos días 13 al 15 de abril 2012, en las instalaciones del recinto ferial McCormick Place de Chicago, IL, Estados Unidos de América.

The Tower Chronicles, the new Prestige format series from Legendary Comics, has now added another legend to its line-up: superstar artist and DC Co-Publisher Jim Lee.

Today at C2E2, Bob Schrek, the editor-in-chief at Legendary, revealed Jim Lee's cover for the first issue of the series. Schrek said there will be three other "big-name" artists on the subsequent issues of the series.

The Tower Chronicles, which will be released in four 72-page books expected later this year, is the brainchild of Legendary Pictures founder Thomas Tull.

The Last American was originally released in 1990 from Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, written by John Wagner and Alan Grant with art by Mike McMahon, and was one of the most innovative comics of its day, with a political message that couldn't be ignored. Even years later, the thematic content is completely relevant to the 21st century.

The story of a man that emerges from suspended animation decades after nuclear annihilation -- the titular last American -- he embarks on a journey to discover what happened to the world he knew and if there is anybody left. The Last American was out of print for years until Com.x published a trade paperback in 2004, but even that is long since out of print. However, the digital market is allowing the publisher to get this tale back under the noses of the comics reading public.

Image Comics' Hoax Hunters -- which began its existence as a two-page back-up comic in Hack/Slash -- has just been turned into a full-fledged ongoing series. Written by Steve Seeley and Michael Moreci, the book takes the idea of shows like Finding Bigfoot or Myth Busters and suggests that they are just cover-ups for the supernatural truths that the general public can't handle.

A true-life tale of revenge from the 18th century that has been called "Japan's national legend" and been turned into opera, television, movies and woodblock prints for more than two hundred years is coming to comics, courtesy of Dark Horse Comics. But if you're worried that the story of the 47 Ronin won't be treated with the respect that it deserves, you needn't be; one half of the creative team is Usagi Yojimbo creator and multiple-award winner Stan Sakai, and one of the creators of classic manga Lone Wolf and Cub is also involved.

The legend of the 47 Ronin is based on the actions of a group of former samurai who set out to avenge the death of their daimyo (feudal lord) after he had been forced to commit ritual suicide. Becoming ronin by nature of losing their leader, the 47 warriors plotted for years to kill the man responsible for their daimyo's death before, in turn, being forced to kill themselves for having committed murder by doing so.

47 Ronin will mark the first long form collaboration between Sakai and another writer, in this case Dark Horse President Mike Richardson. "For years I've been looking for just the right artist and it finally dawned on me that he was right here at Dark Horse," Richardson explained, adding that "Stan Sakai is a master storyteller who knows the material, and his artistic interpretation is perfect for the story."

Sakai - who plans to draw the series in a stylized fashion that'll recall traditional Japanese woodblocks - says that he has been familiar with the legend "all [his] life," and that he's even visited their gravesite in Japan a few years ago. "This is a significant event in Japanese history, and when Mike asked me to illustrate the story I jumped at the chance," he's quoted as saying in Dark Horse's official announcement of the project. "I'm known for the research I do, but I was amazed at the research and knowledge Mike already had. I'm having a blast with this."

In addition to Richardson and Sakai, Lone Wolf and Cub writer Kazuo Koike is involved with the project as an editorial consultant. Final details about the comic are still to be revealed, but a November 2012 release date is already promised.

Battle Beasts fans are going to want to get ready to party like it's 1987. As revealed at the new Battle Beasts website, a fresh take on the brand is set to debut in both toy and comic book form at this weekend's C2E2 in Chicago. Current North American license holders, Diamond Select Toys have partnered with IDW to release a print version of its currently online ashcan promoting an upcoming Battle Beasts comic miniseries by writer Bobby Curnow (Night of 1000 Wolves) and artist Valerio Schiti (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Donatello), along with an exclusive figure of one of the comics' Ram protagonist known as Vorin.

A proper Battle Beasts toyline has been in the works since 2009, but has until now only manifested in the form of several promotional Alligator figures. Come San Diego Comic-Con International in July, DST will unveil the first issue of IDW's Battle Beasts comic miniseries, along with a look at its first wave of new toys. Fans will also be able to buy an exclusive Battle Beasts figure two-pack at the show.

The new toys and comic will usher in a new continuity for the originally Japanese toys and animated series from Takara (who may be releasing a new line of their own figures overseas) known as BeastFormers. The toys will also differ from the late 1980s line distributed in North America by Hasbro, which came equipped with heat-sensitive stickers that revealed an elemental power symbol when pressed. The symbol was part of a battle mechanic not unlike Pokémon (a water symbol would beat a fire symbol, a fire symbol would beat a wood symbol, etc.). DST's new figures won't include these stickers, but will sport an as-yet unrevealed gameplay element.

llo delved into the history behind his Dark Horse series "Orchid," which is currently on its sixth issue. His path to writing a comic was a long one, dating back to his childhood in Liberty Bell, Ill, where his mother would buy him comic books from the spinner racks at pharmacies. He accumulated thousands of comics during his early teens, before discovering music and politics, but the escapism of epic fantasy stuck with him through his music career. When the story for "Orchid" came to him, he knew comics were where the story belonged.

The Q&A kicked off with a question about the inspiration for "Orchid," which Morello described as a mixture of childhood escapism and adult politics. "Why are the vassals always trying to put their knights back into power? What is the story of the vassals in [J.R.R. Tolkein's] Minis Tirith?" With "Orchid," Morello said he hopes to bring that story to the fore. In order to lend an authenticity to his story, the characters in "Orchid" are based in a large part on Morello's friends from his early days in L.A. when he was trying to make it as a musician. He knew many drug addicts and prostitutes who took him in and treated him well even when no one else would. His hope is that "Orchid" makes real people in those walks of life more relatable and human to readers.

While there are no follow-ups to the series currently planned, it's possible that he will one day return to the "Orchid" universe to tell another story. Morello finds the deadline system of the comics industry a hindrance to the creative process and method he is accustomed to in other endeavors. "In my rock life, people usually wait for you to work up to a new show. In comics, I have a very cruel taskmaster sort of -- waiting for the next issue." Morello explained. "So it doesn't matter if you're Tom Morello?" "Hell, no!" Morello answered, to a round of laughter and applause.

Thrillbent.com will launch with a new series, "Insufferable," which Waid described as a "dramedy" about an estranged superhero team that is forced to get back together again. The reunites Waid with his original creative team from "Irredeemable" -- artist Peter Krause, colorist Nolan Woodard and letterer Troy Petrie. Waid stressed that the series is designed specifically for the digital medium, as opposed to comics that are designed for print and put online, a distinction he sees as critically important.

Scar webcomics will be created for NAMCO BANDAI Games by Singapore-based art and design house Velvet Engine Pte Ltd., with writing by Edmund Shern and art by Skan Srisuwan. Webcomics launch on April 12th and will run every Monday and Thursday thereafter.

"Scar exemplifies exactly what ShiftyLook is all about," said ShiftyLook Producer & Editor-in- Chief Rob Pereyda. "Not only can we discover new worlds for our characters through webcomics, but we can entirely turn those worlds upside down, which is exactly what we are doing with Edmund and the folks at Velvet Engine on Scar."

"Ex Sanguine," a five-issue miniseries debuting in October. Seeley will illustrate the series and co-write with his Four Star Studio partner Josh Emmons. Seeley spoke exclusively with CBR News about the project and his vision of vampires in love.

"It started off as our take on the vampire romance genre, which obviously is very popular, very prevalent," Seeley said of the projects origins. "We were talking about the kind of people these stories, it's usually the mopey sad girl finding eternal love with the supportive immortal guy. We thought that relationship would go very differently. If you were someone who spent his entire long existence killing people, you would 1.) get bored, and 2.) you'd be looking for someone to make it exciting and you wouldn't be able to relate to normal people. The longer we talked about it, we realized the perfect romance would be between a vampire and a serial killer.

"That's the high concept: it's a romance between a vampire and a serial killer. But it's lots of other things," Seeley continued. "It's kind of a detective story. And the vampire and the serial killer kind of try to set each other up for a series of murders. But in the meantime, they're having this twisted romance. Kind of 'Dexter' meets 'True Blood,' that's the Hollywood pitch.

The high school setting will definitely play a role in "New Crusaders" over time. When we first start out, we're kind of thrown in to the middle of an explosive situation. As the dust settles and everybody is hit with the reality of what's happened, those same realities of their everyday, day-to-day functions in society do return – which means for the kids being normal high school kids. That means that some of them aren't necessarily popular, some of them are extremely withdrawn, and some of them are kind of jocky. Like Steel Sterling, he's kind of like Chris Kline's character in "American Pie." He's like an all-American football player with a heart of gold. I mean, obviously we hope to go more in depth than "American Pie." [Laughs] But those social hierarchies continue to play a role. The Web is more nerdy and maybe a little more passive aggressive – a jokester type. Fireball seems like more of a delinquent and a little more sarcastic. Fly-Girl is more popular. And they will be in a regular high school throughout the story.

How did the idea come about to do "Triggergirl 6" as an anthology with Steve Niles?

Creator Owned Heroes Palmiotti, Gray & Noto launch "Triggergirl 6" in the pages of their "Creator Owned Heroes" anthology series

Jimmy Palmiotti: Steve and I would run into each other at assorted comic conventions and we had a mutual respect for each other's work and we got along great. Same background growing up with the same influences and so on. Yes, we are both fans of "Heavy Metal" and horror, sci-fi and so on. We were talking about how basic anthologies don't sell and how, if done now, it should be hyper focused. We got Justin involved in the discussion early on and thought of an idea where we would be running four-part stories in a monthly book and later decided that we should pad the book with some other material since the prices of comics have gone up. We were looking at two different audiences for our work and thought that it might be cool to do a team-up and put out a monthly featuring our most out-there, out-of-control ideas and "Creator Owned Heroes" was born. Our hope is that there is something for everyone between the covers.

When he's taking a break from his job as Top Cow's President and Chief Operating Officer, Matt Hawkins reads about science and dreams up new comics. The July-shipping four issue miniseries "Think Tank" is a direct result of his extracurricular activities. The Image Comics series, featuring art by Rahsan Ekedal ("Echoes"), is being published under Top Cow's Minotaur Press label and follows the adventures of a super genius named Dr. David Loren who works for the titular think tank. Well, sort of.

The arguably brilliant Dr. Loren helped create a weapon of mass destruction, but now regrets his actions. Because of this revelation, Loren has been dragging his feet with his other work, leaving a number of projects in various stages of incompletion. That is, until Colonel Harrison shows up to metaphorically -- and possibly literally -- kick David in his scientific butt. With not only his future at stake but also that of his collaborator, Dr. David Loren sets his sights on creating his own future.

The interactivity is the most unique aspect of "Brandon Generator." Chapter one is primarily set-up, as the user is introduced to Brandon's world and his ongoing struggles to find inspiration. It's not just in a choose-your-own-adventure, as the audience is hopefully inspired to create stuff from scratch. The audience can write ideas and prose for Brandon on his laptop, record ideas on his Dictaphone, call his mobile, choose his music and more. You can even draw characters on Brandon's legal pad and design environments. There will be more and more of this stuff in each chapter. All of these interactive elements can be shared in a very social manner and will inspire Brandon's next chapter and in turn affect all of the creative work done by Edgar Wright and me. It's much more than choosing up, down, left or right. Edgar has worked up a very rough structure to act as the glue to hold this sucker together, but most of Brandon's adventures are completely open and need the audience to steer it. I personally can't wait to see the crazy crap people throw our way. I'm really hoping that this will be a cool chance for somebody to get their ideas out there, too. "Brandon Generator" will be a nice way for people to share their creativity.

This July, IDW Publishing will bring you Secret Battles of Genghis Khan, the story of how a boy named Temujin became the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. Adapting Khan’s engrossing life to graphic-novel form are writer Daryl Gregory, award-winning novelist of The Devil’s Alphabet and Pandemonium, and artists Alan Robinson (Weekly World News, Phoenix Without Ashes) and Jay Fotos (Locke & Key). The all-new, 104-page graphic novel will also feature a special painted cover by Sam Shearon as well as back-up material detailing Khan’s life and battles.

“My job,” Gregory said, “was to comb through his history to find the key moments in his life and discover what drove him. Alan had the toughest job, though. He had to show not only the emotional lives of a huge cast of characters, but deliver the epic sweep of the story, with one bloody battle after another. People are going to be blown away by what he's done.”

To this day, Khan is known as one of the greatest leaders by conquering lands one military victory after another. By the end of his life, the Mongol Empire occupied a large percentage of Central Asia and China. Although famous for being heartless, Khan was a man that was both brutal and fair. He was cruel to his enemies, but even-handed to those that were loyal, no matter what their tribal background or ethnicity. Secret Battles of Genghis Khan outlines the history and experiences of the man that is regarded as the founding father of Mongolia.

Best Short Story
“A Brief History of the Art Form Known as Hortisculpture,” by Adrian Tomine, in “Optic Nerve” #12 (Drawn & Quarterly)
“Harvest of Fear,” by Jim Woodring, in The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror #17 (Bongo)
“The Phototaker,” by Guy Davis, in “Metal Hurlant” vol. 2 (Humanoids)
“The Seventh,” by Darwyn Cooke, in “Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition” (IDW)
“The Speaker,” by Brandon Graham, in Dark Horse Presents #7 (Dark Horse)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
“Daredevil” #7, by Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, and Joe Rivera (Marvel)
“Ganges” #4, by Kevin Huizenga (Fantagraphics)
“Locke & Key: Guide to the Known Keys,” by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
“Princeless” #3, by Jeremy Whitley and M. Goodwin (Action Lab)
“The Unwritten” #24: “Stairway to Heaven” by Mike Carey, Peter Gross, and Al Davison (Vertigo/DC)

Best Continuing Series
“Daredevil,” by Mark Waid, Marcos Martin, Paolo Rivera, and Joe Rivera (Marvel)
“Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys,” by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)
“Rachel Rising,” by Terry Moore (Abstract Studio)
“Ultimate Comics Spider-Man,” by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli (Marvel)
“Usagi Yojimbo,” by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)

Best Limited Series
“Atomic Robo and the Ghost of Station X,” by Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener (Red 5)
“Criminal: The Last of the Innocent,” by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel Icon)
“Flashpoint: Batman – Knight of Vengeance,” by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso (Vertigo/DC)
“The New York Five,” by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly (Vertigo/DC)
“Who Is Jake Ellis?” by Nathan Edmondson & Tonci Zonjic (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7)
“Beauty and the Squat Bears,” by Émile Bravo (Yen Press)
“Benjamin Bear in Fuzzy Thinking,” by Philippe Coudray (Candlewick/Toon Books)
“Dragon Puncher Island,” by James Kochalka (Top Shelf)
“Nursery Rhyme Comics,” edited by Chris Duffy (First Second)
“Patrick in a Teddy Bear’s Picnic,” by Geoffrey Hayes (Candlewick/Toon Books)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 8-12)
“The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” by Sholly Fisch, Rick Burchett, and Dan Davis (DC)
“Amelia Rules: The Meaning of Life … And Other Stuff,” by Jimmy Gownley (Atheneum)
“The Ferret’s a Foot,” by Colleen AF Venable and Stephanie Yue (Graphic Universe/Lerner)
“Princeless,” by Jeremy Whitley and M. Goodwin (Action Lab)
“Snarked,” by Roger Langridge (kaboom!)
“Zita the Space Girl,” by Ben Hatke (First Second)

Best Publication for Young Adults (Ages 12-17)
“Anya’s Ghost,” by Vera Brosgol (First Second)
“Around the World,” by Matt Phelan (Candlewick)
“Level Up,” by Gene Yang and Thien Pham (First Second)
“Life with Archie,” by Paul Kupperberg, Fernando Ruiz, Pat & Tim Kennedy, Norm Breyfogle et al. (Archie)
“Mystic,” by G. Willow Wilson and David Lopez (Marvel)

Best Anthology
“Dark Horse Presents,” edited by Mike Richardson (Dark Horse)
“Nelson,” edited by Rob Davis and Woodrow Phoenix (Blank Slate)
“Nursery Rhyme Comics,” edited by Chris Duffy (First Second)
“The Someday Funnies,” edited by Michel Choquette (Abrams ComicArts)
“Yiddishkeit: Jewish Vernacular and the New Land,” edited by Harvey Pekar and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Humor Publication
“The Art of Doug Sneyd: A Collection of Playboy Cartoons” (Dark Horse Books)
“Chimichanga,” by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)
“Coffee: It’s What’s for Dinner,” by Dave Kellett (Small Fish)
“Kinky & Cosy,” by Nix (NBM)
“Milk & Cheese: Dairy Products Gone Bad,” by Evan Dorkin (Dark Horse Books)

Best Digital Comic
“Bahrain,” by Josh Neufeld, www.cartoonmovement.com/comic/24
“Battlepug,” by Mike Norton, www.battlepug.com
“Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant,” by Tony Cliff, www.delilahdirk.com
“Outfoxed,” by Dylan Meconis, www.dylanmeconis.com/outfoxed
“Sarah and the Seed,” by Ryan Andrews, www.ryan-a.com/comics/sarahandtheseed01.htm

Best Reality-Based Work
“Around the World,” by Matt Phelan (Candlewick)
“Green River Killer: A True Detective Story,” by Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case (Dark Horse Books)
“Marzi: A Memoir,” by Marzena Sowa and Sylvain Savoia (Vertigo/DC)
“Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths,” by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)
“Vietnamerica,” by GB Tran (Villard)

Best Graphic Album – New
“Bubbles & Gondola,” by Renaud Dillies (NBM)
“Freeway,” by Mark Kalesniko (Fantagraphics)
“Habibi,” by Craig Thompson (Pantheon)
“Ivy,” by Sarah Olekysk (Oni)
“Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand,” adapted by Ramón K. Pérez (Archaia)
“One Soul,” by Ray Fawkes (Oni)

Best Graphic Album – Reprint
“Big Questions,” by Anders Nilsen (Drawn & Quarterly)
“The Death Ray,” by Dan Clowes (Drawn & Quarterly)
“Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition,” by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
“WE3: The Deluxe Edition,” by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (Vertigo/DC)
“Zahra’s Paradise,” by Amir and Khalil (First Second)

Best Archival Collection/Project – Strips
“Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim,” by Alex Raymond and Don Moore, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)
“Forgotten Fantasy: Sunday Comics 1900-1915,” edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)
“Prince Valiant” vols. 3-4, by Hal Foster, edited by Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)
“Tarpé Mills’s Miss Fury Sensational Sundays, 1944-1949,” edited by Trina Robbins (IDW/Library of American Comics)
“Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse” vols. 1-2, by Floyd Gottfredson, edited by David Gerstein and Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project – Comic Books
“Government Issue: Comics for the People: 1940s-2000s,” edited by Richard L. Graham (Abrams ComicArts)
“The MAD Fold-In Collection,” by Al Jaffee (Chronicle)
“PS Magazine: The Best of Preventive Maintenance Monthly,” by Will Eisner (Abrams ComicArts)
“The Sugar and Spike Archives,” vol. 1, by Sheldon Mayer (DC)
“Walt Simonson’s The Mighty Thor Artist’s Edition” (IDW)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
“Bubbles & Gondola,” by Renaud Dillies (NBM)
“Isle of 100,000 Graves,” by Fabien Vehlmann and Jason (Fantagraphics)
“Like a Sniper Lining Up His Shot,” by Jacques Tardi and Jean-Patrick Manchette (Fantagraphics)
“The Manara Library, vol. 1: Indian Summer and Other Stories,” by Milo Manara with Hugo Pratt (Dark Horse Books)
“Night Animals: A Diptych About What Rushes Through the Bushes,” by Brecht Evens (Top Shelf)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Asia
“A Bride’s Story,” by Kaoru Mori (Yen Press)
“Drops of God,” by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto (Vertical)
“Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths,” by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)
“Saturn Apartments,” vols. 3-4, by Hisae Iwaoka (VIZ Media)
“Stargazing Dog,” by Takashi Murakami (NBM)
“Wandering Son,” vol. 1, by Shimura Takako (Fantagraphics)

Best Writer
Cullen Bunn, “The Sixth Gun” (Oni)
Mike Carey, “The Unwritten” (Vertigo/DC)
Jeff Jensen, “Green River Killer: A True Detective Story” (Dark Horse Books)
Jeff Lemire, “Animal Man,” “Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown,” “Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.” (DC); “Sweet Tooth” (Vertical/DC)
Mark Waid, “Irredeemable,” “Incorruptible” (BOOM!); “Daredevil” (Marvel)

Best Writer/ArtistRick Geary, “The Lives of Sacco and Vanzetti” (NBM)
Terry Moore, “Rachel Rising” (Abstract Studio)
Sarah Oleksyk, “Ivy” (Oni)
Craig Thompson, “Habibi” (Pantheon)
Jim Woodring, “Congress of the Animals” (Fantagraphics), “Harvest of Fear,” in “The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror” #17 (Bongo)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Michael Allred, “iZombie” (Vertigo/DC); “Madman All-New Giant-Size Super-Ginchy Special” (Image)
Ramón K. Pérez, “Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand” (Archaia)
Chris Samnee, “Captain America and Bucky,” “Ultimate Spider-Man” #155 (Marvel)
Marcos Martin, “Daredevil” (Marvel)
Paolo Rivera/Joe Rivera, “Daredevil” (Marvel)

Best Cover Artist
Michael Allred, “iZombie” (Vertigo/DC)
Francesco Francavilla, “Black Panther” (Marvel); “Lone Ranger,” “Lone Ranger/Zorro,” “Dark Shadows,” “Warlord of Mars” (Dynamite); “Archie Meets Kiss” (Archie)
Victor Kalvachev, “Blue Estate” (Image)
Marcos Martin, “Daredevil,” “Amazing Spider-Man” (Marvel)
Sean Phillips, “Criminal: The Last of the Innocent” (Marvel Icon)
Yuko Shimizu, “The Unwritten” (Vertigo/DC)

Best Coloring
Laura Allred, “iZombie” (Vertigo/DC); “Madman All-New Giant-Size Super-Ginchy Special” (Image)
Bill Crabtree, “The Sixth Gun” (Oni)
Ian Herring and Ramón K. Pérez, “Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand” (Archaia)
Victor Kalvachev, “Blue Estate” (Image)
Cris Peter, “Casanova: Avaritia,” “Casanova: Gula” (Marvel Icon)

Best Lettering
Deron Bennett, “Billy Fog,” “Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal,” “Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand,” “Mr. Murder Is Dead” (Archaia); “Helldorado,” “Puss N Boots,” “Richie Rich” (APE Entertainment)
Jimmy Gownley, “Amelia Rules! The Meaning of Life … And Other Stuff” (Atheneum)
Laura Lee Gulledge, “Page by Paige” (Amulet Books/Abrams)
Tom Orzechowski, “Manara Library,” with L. Lois Buholis(Dark Horse); “Manga Man” (Houghton Mifflin); “Savage Dragon” (Image)
Stan Sakai, “Usagi Yojimbo” (Dark Horse)

Best Comics-Related Journalism
The AV Club Comics Panel, by Noel Murray, Oliver Sava et al., www.avclub.com/features/comics-panel/
The Beat, produced by Heidi MacDonald et al., www.comicsbeat.com
“The Comics Journal,” edited by Gary Groth, and The Comics Journal website, www.tcj.com, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel (Fantagraphics)
The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon, www.comicsreporter.com
TwoMorrows Publications: “Alter Ego” edited by Roy Thomas, “Back Issue” edited by Michael Eury, “Draw” edited by Mike Manley, and “Jack Kirby Collector” edited by John Morrow

Best Educational/Academic Work
“Alan Moore: Conversations,” ed. by Eric Berlatsky (University Press of Mississippi)
“Cartooning: Philosophy & Practice,” by Ivan Brunetti (Yale University Press)
“Critical Approaches to Comics: Theories and Methods,” edited by Matthew J. Smith and Randy Duncan (Routledge)
“Hand of Fire: The Comics Art of Jack Kirby,” by Charles Hatfield (University Press of Mississippi)
“Projections: Comics and the History of 21st Century Storytelling,” by Jared Gardner (Stanford University Press)

Best Comics-Related Book
“Archie: A Celebration of America’s Favorite Teenagers,” edited by Craig Yoe (IDW/Yoe Books)
“Caniff: A Visual Biography,” edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)
“Drawing Power: A Compendium of Cartoon Advertising,” edited by Rick Marschall and Warren Bernard (Fantagraphics/Marschall Books)
“Genius Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth,” designed by Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)
“MetaMaus,” by Art Spiegelman (Pantheon)

Best Publication Design
“Genius Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth,” designed by Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)
“Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand,” designed by Eric Skillman (Archaia)
Kinky & Cosy, designed by Nix (NBM)
“The MAD Fold-In Collection,” designed by Michael Morris (Chronicle)
“Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition,” designed by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)