Monday, May 4, 2009

MR. STUFFINS TO TAKE TWITTER BY STORM, FORCE


MR. STUFFINS GETS FED UP WITH CORPORATE MEDIA ELITE TAKES HIS PAWS TO TWITTER

Starting Today, Mr. Stuffins will be trying This Darn Twitter Thing Oprah Keeps Talking About.

Creators Andrew Cosby and Johanna Stokes Live in Fear of What Their Creation Will Say!

Tired of being at the mercy of media conglomerates who do not seem to "get" him, Mr. Stuffins announced today that he's twittering... starting immediately @MisterStuffins.

"I got stuff to say that people need to hear," Stuffins told BOOM! Studios. "Seriously, why are you laughing?"

MR. STUFFINS #1 hit store shelves this past Wednesday, April 30th with the tag line, "My teddy bear's a secret agent!" and follows the adventure of a cute cuddly teddy bear who has all the moves of James Bond. When a scientist succeeds in creating Artificial Intelligence, he discovers to his horror that the government plans on making it a weapon. On the run, he hides the program inside a mechanical toy bear. An unsuspecting family buys the toy bear and a little boy discovers a new best friend - a cute, cuddly toy bear with all the training of Jason Bourne! Chaos, fun, and mayhem ensue, from the creator of EUREKA Andrew Cosby and EUREKA writer Johanna Stokes!

Greeted with unanimous critical praise, MR. STUFFINS #1 was given a 5 out of 5 rating by Major Spoilers, who called it "one of the most fun comics I've read this year." Diamond Comic Distributors' newsletter THE SCOOP raved, "We're ready for another issue of this series right now." Comic Book Jesus called it "an impressively cuddly debut" and went on to say, "this is something parents could read with their kids, with both getting enjoyment from it."

"The bear's outta control," MR. STUFFINS co-creator Andrew Cosby said. "He must be stopped. Don't read his twitter updates, it'll only encourage him."

"Stuffins? He can't possibly start twittering," Johanna Stokes, MR. STUFFINS co-creator, said. "He doesn't have opposable thumbs. I don't think. And what's your name again? How did you get this number?"

MR. STUFFINS Features A covers by the Eisner Award-winning creator of MOUSE GUARD David Petersen.

MR. STUFFINS #2 hits stores on May 27th, 2009.

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Review of Batman: The Brave and the Bold #4 (DC Comics) By Eddie R.


Adult tested, kid approved.

It’s been a while since I have wanted to review the comic book version of Batman: The Brave and the Bold animated series, currently showing on the Cartoon Network. Like many of you out there, when the show first aired, I was kind of hesitant about how it was going to turn out. Personally, I grew up with the Batman animated series from the 90’s, and adored it. And as the years have passed, there have been a few more series, which have managed to show the caped crusader in various incarnations, but they always seemed to be lacking something. Same can be said with the comic books which were published to be tie-ins with those other animated shows.

That’s why I have waited until Batman: The Brave and the Bold #4 to do a review. I wanted to see if that missing aspect, the link which would tie both the show and the comic together, would eventually show up. And I am glad to say it finally has.


All the things which make the newest Batman animated series fun to watch are in this issue. The mixture of adventure, action, and a good dose of DC Comics history are all there. Yes, the book is just as campy as the show, but in this case, it’s not a bad thing. One of the key moments I really enjoyed in this issue was the appearance of Rip Hunter and Bonnie Baxter: The Time Masters, who Batman recruits in order to help with this time traveling adventure. I was really surprised at how a piece of string could so simply and elegantly explain the temporal problems our heroes were facing. Who knew?

Now, for all you parents out there who have been wondering if you, or your kids (especially the under 7 crowd), should be reading this series or not, personally I would highly recommend it. The book is not only very kid friendly, but it allows even the adults who have been out of the habit of reading comic books, but who do enjoy the action on the Brave and the Bold animated series, to gain quick and easy access to what’s going on and who the major players are.

The only downside I see with the comic series though is the inconsistent art, spanning between the style shown on the animated series and what’s drawn in the book, especially when it comes to the female characters. The previous issue had an appearance by Wonder Woman, and although the guest star was well received, the way she was drawn wasn’t exactly too flattering in my opinion.

Other than that, this book does do justice for the show it’s based on.

7.5/10

Eddie R
Review Editor
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5 Quick Questions With Sean McKeever


Sean McKeever is an American comic book writer.

Since the end of his creator-owned teen drama series The Waiting Place, which was published from 1997 to 2002, he has written several series for Marvel Comics, including The Incredible Hulk, Sentinel, Mary Jane, Inhumans and Gravity.

In 2005, he won an Eisner Award for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition.

He has written for the monthly comic books Gravity, Marvel Adventures Spider-Man, Sentinel and Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, all for Marvel Comics, and on January 9, 2007, DC Comics announced that McKeever had signed an exclusive contract with the publisher. He is a part of the writing team working on DC's weekly series Countdown, and took over for Gail Simone as the writer of Birds of Prey after issue #112, however, his last issue was #117 due to time constraints with deadlines. Sean also took up writing duties on Teen Titans with the double sized August issue #50 and also wrote the Terror Titans limited series that spins off from this.



He agreed to answer 5 Quick Questions.

1) What would you say is your greatest achievement in comics?

I'm extremely pleased to have written my own creator-owned series (The Waiting Place) for 18 issues, and that it got me where I am today.

2) Who was your favorite writer or artist that you worked with & why?

I actually just co-wrote a crossover with Marv Wolfman, and he was a really smart collaborator. In terms of artists, it's Mike Norton, hands down. No one understands my scripts like he does.

3) What character you have never worked .., would you like to do & why?

I wouldn't mind writing Batman. I feel like there are aspects of his life as Bruce Wayne that would be a treat to explore.

4) Who are your influences?

In terms of comics writers, I'd say, in no particular order: Garth Ennis; Paul Jenkins; Kurt Busiek; J.M. DeMatteis; Warren Ellis; and old-school Peter David.

5) What hero or villain would you like to change if you could and why?

Oh, I dunno that I'd change any characters. If I want to do something different than what some other talent had intended or devised, then I should create something different rather than force my changes onto an existing character.

I did have a fun idea once of making The Punisher a teenager, though I guarantee you no one would ever publish it.


Brian Isaacs
Story Editor
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DARE YOU GAZE UPON THE FACE OF MEDUSA?


Now Shipping from Yamato USA - Fantasy Figure Gallery: Medusa’s Gaze Inspired by the Work of Luis Royo

you gaze upon the face of Medusa? Legend has it that even a fleeting glance would turn a man to stone. But perhaps the real question is: Will you be able to resist?

Fear not! And feast your eyes upon the exquisite beauty of Yamato USA’s Fantasy Figure Gallery: Medusa's Gaze. Yamato USA’s Fantasy Figure Gallery is our very own groundbreaking collection of resin quality PVC statues, bringing together the unrivaled talent of Asia’s foremost portrait sculptors with the leading fantasy artists of Europe and the Americas. Featured here, Luis Royo’s stunning Medusa’s Gaze as interpreted by master sculptor Shungo Yazawa. The second piece in Yamato USA’s Fantasy Figure Gallery, Medusa’s Gaze stands approximately 11.80” tall, features amazingly intricate paint details, and comes complete with display base all packaged in a collector’s style window box.

Yamato USA is pleased to announce that this fantastic fantasy piece is now available through our retail partners BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, Hobbyfan, Sideshow Collectibles, A & R Computer World, ABCToy4Me, Anime Alley, Anime King, The Anime Palace, Athens Anime, Big Apple Comics, Bud’s Art Books, Cards and Comics Central, ChainLynx Studio, Heroes & Comics, Kirin Hobby, Statue Galaxy, Toyeria, and ToysLogic, as well as through our distribution partners AAA Anime, Diamond Comics, and BBCW Distributors.

For more information, contact your local comic shop or visit us at www.YamatoToysUSA.com.
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The New Thor By GP & FVL




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Josh Medors Benefit Auction Open Letter

This is a call to action!

As many of you may know already, artist Josh Medors (Frazetta's Swamp Demon & Sorcerer, Runes of Ragnan, 30 Days of Night) has been fighting a losing battle against a terminal form of cancer for well over a year, and it has recently taken a turn for the worst. The doctors and conventional medicine have all but given up on him and say there isn't anything else they can do. But he has found an alternative treatment that has the possibility of extending his life a bit and can help improve the quality of his life near the end so he can spend it with his wife and son. There is even a slim chance it can make him somewhat better, so he has to try. But of course the treatment is very expensive and Josh has no medical insurance.

So myself and my brother, Andrew Mangum (currently Josh's inker on Frazetta's Sorcerer) decided to arrange another benefit auction like the one they did at Emerald City Con back in '08. This auction is different though because the last one was organized by Jay Fotos to help Josh pay his rising medical bills to fight the cancer, and this one is specifically to get the treatment he needs to be keep him around. I know there are a lot of fans and friends out there that want to help, so this auction series will be that opportunity. A wide variety of artists are contributing personal works and art from their collections just like last time, but this time it's open to collectors, fans, and everyone else. as well anyone can donate if they want to help! We just ask that it be comic or comic art related.

I have set up a special "preview gallery" for all the items as they come in on my Comic Art Fans webpage at http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryRoom.asp?GSub=80032

You can see all of the artwork & items we will be auctioning there, as well as who donated it (unless they request to be anonymous) and all artists who donate their art will also have their websites listed if desired. Many packages of art are already on the way now and will be up soon, and the list of artists donating grows by the minute, so there is A LOT more art coming! Be sure to check back periodically to see what we'll be listing!

To donate something to the auctions, just email me at madman1138@yahoo.com or through my Comic Art Fans gallery (where all the art is) with a scan or photo of the item and the item information and I will send you the mailing address to send the goods to. I only ask the items be shipped to me in advance because there will be a lot to organize and package, and simplicity dictates that only one location handle it all. This is shaping up to be quite an undertaking, so I have to keep it as easy as possible. All donations must be received no later than Friday, May 22nd 2009 in order to be included in the auctions, which will start listing to Ebay on Saturday May 23rd.

Josh will also be selling off all of his remaining artwork to help cover these costs, and I will be helping him with that as well. So if you would like to buy something of his now, please see the green "Art for sale-Josh Medors" gallery also on my Comic Art Fans at http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryRoom.asp?GSub=77910

I will update this gallery with more art as Josh sends me more scans, but pages are available from Frazetta's Swamp Demon, Chucky, GI JOE, and more! All proceeds, after selling fees from all of this, will go to Josh to help him and his family in this dire time of need.

Because so many people have been asking about sending monetary donations directly to Josh as well, his Paypal email address is: jmedors3@columbus.rr.com

Sending $5 or $10 might not seem like much, but remember the water drops principle. A drop of water isn't much, but enough drops eventually fill the bucket. Every bit counts here and time is of the essence. Now is the time to act!

Please be sure to also include your name and address with the payment email through Paypal when sending money, because Josh wants to try and do Thank You cards with little sketches to all who donate (and some of the other artists might help out with that for him, so you never know what you'll get!)

Lastly, please only use his email address for Paypal payments and don't deluge his inbox with questions and well wishes. Although appreciated, he won't be able to reply to them.

Thank you for looking, and especially for helping! Together we CAN make a difference!

Dave Kopecki
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DARK HORSE LAUNCHES MOBILE COMICS PROGRAM WITH TERMINATOR!


Dark Horse Comics, the third-largest American comics publisher, makes the leap into the digital world of mobile content today with the launch of a new app for the iPhone. With the release of the upcoming Terminator Salvation film in mind, Dark Horse has chosen a classic The Terminator story from its vast publishing archives to launch this program.

Following in its rich tradition of innovation, Dark Horse turned down multiple offers from various media developers, and instead opted to develop an application in-house. The result is a reading experience that Dark Horse feels best utilizes the mobile platform and delivers the same standard of quality fans have come to expect from the industry leader.

President Mike Richardson explained “Dark Horse has always attempted to work with great creators in order to create great stories. Over the years, we have been successful in taking those stories into other media. We have always been on the cutting edge of technology, and our new iPhone application allows us to reach a whole new generation of readers. We have always felt that it is important to provide our readers with the best reading and viewing experience possible, and this new endeavor is no exception. People have come to expect nothing less from us, and we will do our best to deliver.”

Chief Information Officer Dale LaFountain commented, “We’re very excited about the Apple iPhone platform and enabling fans to enjoy Dark Horse Comics in digital form. This is an evolution for the comics industry and we look forward to bringing our tradition of innovation and creativity into this new medium.”

The Terminator: Death Valley, originally published in 1998, features a story by Alan Grant and art by Steve Pugh. All four issues are available for download now at
http://www.darkhorse.com/Features/Mobile for $0.99 an issue.

The four-issue The Terminator series is the very first of what will soon be an ongoing program for the Dark Horse iPhone app. More titles from Dark Horse’s immense collection will be announced in the near future.
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April O'Neil Figure As SDCC Exlcusive


NECA has announced that their San Diego Comic Con exclusive will be April O'Neil from their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.

April comes with Battle Damaged Mouser and a Regular Mouser with a new head featuring an articulated jaw

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Free Comic Book Day Reviews by Heretic


So I thoroughly enjoyed most of the comics I got on the most popular holiday for any comic book geek. I picked up one of each comic that was available and took them home and read every single one. I particularly enjoy reading the reprint of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, brought back a lot of memories for me.


Now of course the most anticipated comic was Blackest Night #0. With everything happening with all the different lantern corps, and Geoff Johns building up Blackest Night ever so well, I would say that Blackest night #0 is one of the most anticipated and most wanted free comics on free comic book day to ever come around. And it does not disappoint. It's a great and epic comic giving readers an amazing segue into the Blackest Night series.

However, as much as I enjoyed Black Night #0, it wasn't my favorite read. Our of all the super hero comics, there was only one that made me smile through all of its art based literature,(thanks Nick!) And that would be issue number 10 of Love and Capes. now its not a title I'll pick up regularly, but it was a nice change of pace from what I typically read. It was funny, not necessarily laugh out loud funny, but it made me smile and laugh on the inside. As far as typical comics go, it's actually longer with a lot of dialog...and I loved that! I wish more of my comics I read regularly would be longer like love and capes was. i give Love and capes #10 a solid 5 stars!

Of course, there were other great fun reads like the Transformer/G.I. Joe comic, which was done in preparation for the Transformers and G.I. Joe films coming this summer. And Top Cow Comics is really doing well with story development and innovative material.This years free comic book day was a complete success in my humble opinion. Last years free comic book day was somewhat of a let down. I have no complaints about this year.
Heretic
Reviewer
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Marvel Comics On-Sale 05/06/09


Hey there True Believers, here’s your official list of comic books, collections and posters arriving in comic stores on May 6th, 2009.

For more information on any of these titles, and on upcoming mighty Marvel releases, please visit http://www.marvel.com/catalog/?date=2009-05-06 or contact your local comic book retailer at 1-888-comicbook. Stay tuned each week for a brand new list of Marvel releases so that you’ll never miss your favorite heroes in action!

Comics On-Sale:
AGENTS OF ATLAS #4 (DR)
AGENTS OF ATLAS #4 MCGUINNESS VARIANT (DR)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #593
ASTONISHING TALES #4 (MDCU)
AVENGERS/INVADERS #10 BREITWEISER VARIANT
CABLE #13 2ND PRINTING VARIANT (MW)
CABLE #14 (MW)
CABLE #14 OLIVETTI VARIANT (MW)
DAREDEVIL NOIR #2
DAREDEVIL NOIR #2 CALERO VARIANT
DEADPOOL #10 (DR)
DEADPOOL #9 2ND PRINTING VARIANT (DR)
DESTROYER #2
EXILES #2
FIN FANG FOUR RETURN! ONE-SHOT
HULK: BROKEN WORLDS BOOK TWO
HUMAN TORCH COMICS 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
HUMAN TORCH COMICS 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL MARTIN VARIANT
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #13 (DR)
MARVEL 70TH ANNIVERSARY POSTER BOOK
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: NEW MUTANTS
MARVEL ZOMBIES 4 #2
MARVEL: YOUR UNIVERSE #4
NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION #3 (DR)
NEW MUTANTS #1 WRAPAROUND COVER
NEW MUTANTS #1 ROSS COVER
NEW MUTANTS #1 BENJAMIN VARIANT
NEW MUTANTS #1 MCLEOD VARIANT
OFFICIAL INDEX TO THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #5
SOLEIL: UNIVERSAL WAR ONE - REVELATIONS #2
TERROR, INC. - APOCALYPSE SOON #1
TROJAN WAR #1
WAR OF KINGS #2 2ND PRINTING VARIANT (WOK)
WAR OF KINGS #3 (WOK)
WAR OF KINGS #3 PELLETIER VARIANT (WOK)
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS FINALS #4

Collections On-Sale:
ALIAS ULTIMATE COLLECTION BOOK 1 TPB
ESSENTIAL SPIDER-MAN VOL. 9 TPB
FANTASTIC FOUR: TRUE STORY TPB (DM ONLY)
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE INCREDIBLE HULK VOL. 5 HC
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE INCREDIBLE HULK VOL. 5 HC (VARIANT)
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE UNCANNY X-MEN VOL. 4 HC (2ND PRINT)
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE UNCANNY X-MEN VOL. 4 HC (VARIANT, 2ND PRINT)
SPIDER-MAN: DEATH AND DATING PREMIERE HC
ULTIMATES 3: WHO KILLED THE SCARLET WITCH? TPB
ULTIMATES 3: WHO KILLED THE SCARLET WITCH? TPB (DM ONLY)
ULTIMATUM: X-MEN/FANTASTIC FOUR PREMIERE HC

*DR= Dark Reign tie-in
*MW= Messiah War tie-in
*WOK= War of Kings tie-in



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