What’s SHOOT THE MESSENGER?
Well, AICN COMICS: SHOOT THE MESSENGER is your weekly one stop shop for comic book -EWS. What’s comic book –EWS? Well, it’s our hodge podge of everything not reviews here at AICN Comics. Sure you can find out the @$$Holes’ critical opinions of your favorite books every Wednesday at AICN Comics. But here, you’ll find special reports such as previews, interviews, special features, and occasionally news gathered here from our online brethren at Newsarama, CBR, Wizard, etc. Sure those guys are the best at reporting news as it breaks. Click on the links for the original stories. This column cuts the crap to run down all the vital information for those of you who don’t follow it as it comes in, and serves it all up with that special ingredient of @$$y goodness.
This week we’ve got quite a bit of stuff for you, starting off with a plea from REYNARD CITY creator Will Turner to you our readers. Take it away, Will…
Ambush,Basically, I've got some good news of my own and it'd be fantastic if you could help me spread it.
I've been working with a local production company (Nudge) and we're working on a pilot for a REYNARD CITY cartoon series. The audio is already finished (I'll happily send you some audio stuff- Kevin Wilkinson, the guy who voices Mega Fox, sounds perfect!)
What we need though are more animators. Doesn't matter where they're from, so long as they're hard working and can match the style of Issue 6 (in my opinion, Dan Butcher's style lends itself best to a cartoon).
It's not an immediately paying gig, but it will be if we get the series, plus I'm happy to give people references and contacts to help them out as much as I can.
We also hope to be updating the website soon, which was delayed due to some server problems. Issue 9 though is ready for perusal and I have it here.
Thanks once again.
All the very best, Will Turner Polycomical www.reynardcity.co.uk
Good luck with this project, Will. REYNARD CITY is definitely a fun indie series and worth the animated adaptation. Here’s hoping some talented readers respond.
Hey folks, Ambush Bug here with an interview with Bluewater Publishing’s Darren G. Davis and Jason Schultz (Vice President of Bluewater Productions). Bluewater Productions has been gaining steam for a while now and recently they’ve been all over the place from CNN to FOX News to BET to People Magazine due to their yet-to-be-released yet smash hit series of one-shots called FEMALE FORCE, which focus on the life stories of prominent female political leaders. I had a chance to ask Darren and Jason a few questions about FEMALE FORCE and his company Bluewater Productions, and they were kind enough to answer them…
AMBUSH BUG (BUG): Your FEMALE FORCE series of one-shots focuses on prominent female political figures in modern times. What made you want to do comics on these powerful ladies?
Jason Schultz (JS): This last presidential election was the first time I really did my homework on all of the candidates - I became a political junkie! I started to notice that people were becoming informed by sound bites and by cable news anchors. They did not really know the candidates and their history. Hillary Clinton is a polarizing figure - you either are for Hillary or against Hillary - there is no middle ground with her and I wanted to find out why? I find her fascinating and wanted the dialog to continue after the election.BUG: The comics have gained quite a bit of media attention. You've done interviews on CNN, Fox News, BET, and tons of other broadcast companies. Bluewater Productions is a relatively new company. What's it like to gain such attention so soon and so quickly in the comics biz?
JS: There is an audience for these types of books; they really have never been done before. We are introducing a whole new group to the “Comic World”. I get calls and e-mails every day from people who say “There are stores that just sell comics?” Hopefully when they go to pick up the Hillary or Michelle Obama comic they will also see another comic that they like. They will then in turn tell someone else about this fascinating place called a comic shop!
BUG: Darren, although Bluewater is a new comic company, you've been in the entertainment biz for quite a while. Did your experience in other media help you in any way with Bluewater?
Darren G. Davis (DGD): I started working at E! Entertainment Television and learned about marketing and advertising. Everything I have done since I have been in comics has to have a marketing tie in. As much fun as publishing/writing comics is, it still is a business. When I first started to get into comics I developed the 10th MUSE. We needed something extra to make sure people picked it up, so we had Sable from the WWE play the part of the character. This with adding a Top Cow artist and Marv Wolfman as the writer made 10th MUSE the 6th highest selling comic on the Diamond charts. This was unheard of back in the days at Image Comics. Ever since then, we have always tried to come up with a marketing plan for each one of the books.What also makes us different is that we sell ads in our books which helps offset the costs of the books. We have national advertisers such as SONY, NEW LINE and video game companies.
BUG: In the past, some political comics have been used as propaganda, carrying a message or a set of ideals or political views and communicating them to readers. How are you dealing with issues such as bias and objectivity when it comes to these biographies?
JS: These are biographies and they are only 22 pages of real content. We want to be fair and non-biased on all of these books. We don’t touch on the tabloid part of politics. Everyone’s story has some controversy; we acknowledge it but we don’t run with it.BUG: Some of the political bios I've read in the past have been pretty dry, doing a bullet point factoid list of prominent events in a person's life rather than focusing on events and developing them into scenes with dramatic effect. This makes for a pretty boring read. What measures are you taking so that you don't make those same mistakes with FEMALE FORCE?
JS: Yes, they are a biography but they are a comic book first. I didn’t want the FEMALE FORCE series to be just information condensed into 22 pages. I wanted the reader to finish the book and learn something new about the person and also have fun while doing it.BUG: With politics being such a polarizing topic these days, are you afraid of losing a certain segment of readership if you cover a Republican or a Democratic politician?
JS: No, not at all - the FEMALE FORCE series covers both sides of the aisle. My hope is that if you are a Hillary supporter you will give the Palin book a fair shot and visa versa. In doing research on all of these fascinating women I walked away understanding them all a little more and generally it was in a more positive light.BUG: Do you know if the people portrayed in these comics have read them? Have you gotten any feedback from any of them?
JS: I know that Secretary of State Clinton and Governor Palin are aware of the books. I haven’t heard if they like what we did, I can only assume that if we haven’t heard from their people then that is a good thing. We did this series to celebrate women, not to tear them down.BUG: You (Darren) do a frequent blog on the Bluewater website, talking to readers about your take on the state of comics on a pretty frank level. What is your reasoning behind doing this? Are you afraid your honest opinions may come back to bite you?
DGD: I think I have played it safe for such a long time. I do not think everything in my life is open to blog about. If it pertains to business I will only talk about that. I also do not think people want to hear about what food I eat or what movies I go to. For the people that read my blog, I want them to get something out of it. I am also a person who stands by what I say. People that write things and hide behind avatars are sad. If you have something to say – say it. The thing that drives me nuts is that people can write anything that is considered libel. You are responsible for what you post.BUG: Now that the big dogs have been covered, do you have further plans for future FEMALE FORCE books? Geraldine Ferraro? Nancy Reagan? Barbara Bush? Monica Lewinski?
JS: Maybe, maybe, maybe and No! The overwhelming interest has made us rethink the series. We will cover strong women not only in politics but also in all areas from media moguls to royalty. We have put no limits on how far we can take it. I don’t want the series as a whole to be defined as a political comic.
BUG: Bluewater seems to be a comic book company on the rise. Any other projects we should be looking out for from your company in the upcoming year?
JS: Darren went to Los Angeles recently to meet with William Shatner and while he was there he met with a well-known producer about several upcoming projects. These are exciting times for Bluewater and we are very humbled by all of the attention we are getting. Thank you.Thanks, Darren & Jason, for the interview. Look for FEMALE FORCE: SARAH PALIN #1 and FEMALE FORCE: HILLARY CLINTON #1 on the shelves in March!
Ambush Bug is Mark L. Miller, reviewer and co-editor of AICN Comics for over seven years. Check out previews to his short comic book fiction here and here published in MUSCLES & FIGHTS 3 and MUSCLES & FRIGHTS on his ComicSpace page. Bug was interviewed here and here at Cream City Comics. Look for more comics from Bug in 2009 from Bluewater Productions, including the just-announced sequel to THE TINGLER for their VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS ongoing series.Before we move on to take a whirl on the Spinner Rack to the Future, we’ve got a few links to some cool interviews @$$hole reader Owen Vaughan did for Times Online. Owen was kind enough to bring my attention to them and I thought they were worth sharing with the Shoot the Messenger readers.
First is a lengthy interview with Marvel’s top dog, Joe Quesada.
Next is one with artist Tim Sale.
Then one with Kevin O’Neil.
And finally a word with Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. concerning the upcoming KICK-ASS film.
Thanks, Owen, for bringing these cool interviews to our attention.
Spin, spin, spin goes this week’s Spinner Rack to the Future. This week, we’ve got a whole bunch of new and exciting comics to preview for ya, starting off with Marvel’s CABLE series. Now, I haven’t followed the book in quite a while, but this preview may convince me to pick the title up and give it a look see. Check out what I mean below with this preview of CABLE #13.
Love the art and I’m really liking the cast. May be worth checking out. CABLE #13 time-slides onto shelves this Wednesday.
Next is an advanced look as a pretty intriguing series, UNTHINKABLE from BOOM! Studios. Seems a think tank is put together to deduce end of the world scenarios, but when the tank is breached, some of the scenarios become real threats. Check out the high tension below in this advance preview of issue #1.
Very nice. BOOM!’s always done a good job with out of the ordinary action and intrigue. This book seems to be another winner. Do the unthinkable and check out UNTHINKABLE #1 when it drops in May.
Issue three of one of the best miniseries to come along from DC comes out this week. THE MIGHTY is Pete Tomasi & Keith Champagne’s baby and I can’t help but be enveloped by the mystery and wonder of this comic. It’s a hell of a lot of fun and worth checking out. Look below to see what I mean…
THE MIGHTY #3 is released on Wednesday and you’ll be mighty disappointed if you don’t pick it up.
This new series from Mark Waid at BOOM! Studios looks promising. Basically, the premise is what happens when the world’s most powerful hero decides to become a bad guy? It’s even got an afterword by Grant Morrison. This preview definitely had me raising my eyebrows. Check out this 10 page preview of IRREDEEMABLE #1.
Looks damn brutal to me. Check out IRREDEEMABLE #1 shade-of-greying itself silly in stores on Wednesday.
Jim McCann is kicking @$$ with his new Hawkeye (although he’s wearing that neon ninja Ronin outfit) & Mockingbird miniseries, NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION. Below is a preview of issue #2.
Check out Marvel’s coolest couple in NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION #2 this Wednesday.
BEYOND WONDERLAND is a pretty damn dark take on the ALICE IN WONDERLAND legend. Raven Gregory and Zenescope Entertainment have been releasing this Wonderland Saga for a while now and his latest issue is especially brutal. Take a look through Gregory’s warped Looking Glass in this preview to issue #6 of BEYOND WONDERLAND.
See what I mean. Dark, dark, dark. You can catch BEYOND WONDERLAND twisting your childhood favorites in stores Wednesday.
Fraction and Larrocca’s INVINCIBLE IRON MAN may borrow heavily from the movie, but they are making a damn dynamic comic while they’re doing it. Check out the preview below, which has everything from Iron Maidens, to Underwater Iron Armor, the obligatory Norman Osbourne appearance, and a threat from Namor. Here’s a preview to issue #12.
Can’t wait to see this slugfest when INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #12 hits the shelves Wednesday.
