Sunday, June 7, 2009

5 Quick Questions with Fred Van Lente



Fred Van Lente is the New York Times bestselling author of Incredible Hercules (with Greg Pak) and Marvel Zombies 3, as well as the American Library Association award-winning Action Philosophers. His other comics incldue Comic Book Comics, MODOK's 11, X Men Noir and Amazing Spider-Man.

Wizard magazine nominated him for 2008 Breakout Talent (Writer). Comics Should Be Good named Fred one of the 365 Reasons to Love Comics. He's been called "one of the most idiosyncratic and insightful new voices in comics."



He agreed to answer 5 Quick Questions


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

Doing ACTION PHILOSOPHERS wound up being a profoundly moving experience, both through the process of reading through all these great thinkers and their lives and ideas in order to do funny comics stories about them, and me being able to apply their wisdom to my life, and also through the astounding fan reaction artist Ryan Dunlavey and I continue to receive from it. To have people tell you that your comic literally changed their life is a very special thing and something I'll cherish always. To know that your work is being used to help students at the high school level, at the college level, and is being used at the U.S. military academy in West Point in cadets' ethics classics, is indescribably satisfying.

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

I don't think it's fair to single out an artist because I've worked with so many wonderful ones-- Ryan Dunlavey, my ACTION PHILOSOPHERS co-creator, Steve Ellis, without whom I never would have gotten my start, now Dennis Calero, Rafa Sandoval, Barry Kitson, Kev Walker, Leonard Kirk, Khoi Pham, Scott Koblish, Michael Ryan, Clayton Henry, Francis Portela, Colleen Coover, Salva Espin, Andea Di Vito, the ladies of Gurihiru... I could go on and on and on. One of the great privlidges of working for a powerhouse like Marvel is being able to work with talent individuals all around the world, from Japan to Brazil to Italy to Mexico to the UK to Canada to Spain.

In terms of writers, what Greg Pak and I are doing together on INCREDIBLE HERCULES is some of the work I'm most proud of, taking the old Greek myths and adapting them to modern day. It's a great journey we've been going on together and it's one of the few books I've worked on where I feel like I'm as excited -- if not more excited -- to find out what happens next as the reader. The presence of a co-writer contributes to that thrilling sense of not-knowing.


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

I wouldn't mind doing a run on the mainstream Fantastic Four. I had a bunch of ideas during my run on MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR that weren't appropriate for a short-form kids title but would work really well in the MU.

4) Who are your influences?

Kafka, Dracula, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Shirley Jackson, The Wire, Kirby, Ditko, Lee, Jack "Jaxon" Jackson, Mad magazine, Two-Fisted Tales, Raymond Chandler, John Byrne's Alpha Flight, Gruenwald and Ryan's DP7, O'Neill and Cowan's The Question, The Sopranos, The Prisoner, the great historical fantasy novelist Tim Powers, Monty Python, Willingham's Elementals, Jules Verne, Flannery O'Connor, Woody Allen pre-1994 or so.

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

The Chameleon. Why? Because he should be awesome. Read AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #602-604 and see if you agree with what I did.

Check out Fred's website at fredvanlente.com.
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The Runic Review: The Warlord #3 (DC Comics) By John H.



Let’s pretend.....

My imagination as a child was my favourite toy. Anything could be anything, a stick would become a sword or a magic wand, and a box could be a chariot, castle, tank or even a space ship! I guess that’s why, as an adult, I am such an avid fan of Dungeon & Dragons. With an aptness for role playing, and perhaps a prop or two, I can become anyone…Gods know I have! With my group of fellow gamers, I have played many roles: the wily wizard, a bearded female dwarf barkeep with a thing for elves, even a spiteful, immature god with a chip on his shoulder.




The Warlord #3 was first and foremost, an easy read. But what it really does is allow you to feel like you’re part of the adventure, just like in role-playing. It also leads you into liking the characters, even if you never followed the series from the 70’s & 80’s. The backdrop of the story is set in the sword and sorcery world of Skarteris, where a fighter pilot (why are they always fighter pilots???) crash lands and through turmoil, grief and believing in what he holds true, becomes known as the legendary Warlord. In this latest series, the world of Skarteris is at war with an old enemy: Deimos, a villainous wizard with claims to godhood. What’s great about this story is how it shows the influence of our modern life into the timeless and not so quite serene setting of this mythical realm, along with how the stresses, greed and power of our modern society can corrupt the most innocent of people.

The artwork, something I personally hold most of the time as not quite as important as the story itself, is very complementary in this case. It adds to the overall experience of the book.

Now after reading the first two issues, I must admit I was a bit “meh” about this new series, but Mike Grell has done an incredible job at bringing this storyline together, and making the reader curious about what will happen next.

If you’re like me and you’re into D&D, I would highly recommend reading this series.

8.0/10

John H
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5 Quick Questions with Larry Stroman



Larry Stroman is an American comic book artist best known for his pencils for Epic Comics' Alien Legion series and regular and guest drawing duties for Marvel Comics series including The Uncanny X-Men and X-Factor with writer Peter David. He is known for his heavy use of graphic design (which he was originally trained in), unusual and oddly geometric shaping and unusual perspectives. His style created a stylized, unique look for Alien Legion (vol. 2), as well as making his mark as a guest and occasional regular artist for more mainstream comics series.

Stroman and writer Todd Johnson co-created the million-selling Image comic Tribe, which is the largest African-American-created comic of all time.

Stroman did limited work throughout the last decade, such as Jim Lee's Wildcats Annual and Marvel Comics' Heroes Reborn: Iron Man. There has been renewed interest in Stroman, with a featured mention along with partner Todd Johnson in the Road to Independence book celebrating Image's ten-year anniversary.

Stroman returned to Marvel in December 2007 with the What If one-shot What-If X-Men: Rise And Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire, followed by the Black Panther Annual #1 with Reginald Hudlin and Ken Lashley. It was announced that Stroman will be working on X-Factor with Peter David, starting with issue #33. Stroman left the series after four issues to work on the highly anticipated Bishop mini series featuring Mark Farmer inks in February 2009.



He agreed to answer 5 Quick Questions


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

Greatest achievement is Tribe #1 other than my run on X-Factor its the book I'm most known for. And its the biggest selling book I've ever done and its mine.

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

Todd Johnson. For a writer who's never written a book previous to Tribe #1 his ideas and input inspired me to push my self as a professional. I don't have a favorite artist there are way too many to mention.

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

The Inhumans guest starring Black Panther and Devil Dinosaur. I still enjoy these characters.

4) Who are your influences?

Ma, Laurel, Joanna, Todd, Chaykin, and a lot of the independent comic and small press publishers.

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

I would change the Trapster back into Paste Pot Pete. I liked the paste gun.

Check out Larry's website at www.larrystroman.com.

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The Twilight Zone Invader Bobble Head



Or-- SPOILER ALERT!-- Invaders from Earth! These bizarre, tiny men plagued Agnes Moorehead (Sam's mom on Bewitched) in the classic Twilight Zone episode "The Invaders." If anything, these unique costumes stand as evidence that NASA should really stick to less freaky looking survival gear. For the first time ever, these cool characters are being made in bobble head form, and they're roughly the same size as the invaders from the show! Pre-order yours now.


The Twilight Zone Invader Bobble Head
Description:

* "These are the invaders…"
* Based on an episode of The Twilight Zone.
* Authentically detailed.
* Answer its beckoning call!

"These are the invaders, the tiny beings from the tiny place called Earth, who would take the giant step across the sky to the question marks that sparkle and beckon from the vastness of the universe only to be imagined. The invaders, who found out that a one-way ticket to the stars beyond has the ultimate price tag. And we have just seen it entered in a ledger that covers all the transactions of the universe, a bill stamped 'paid in full,' and to be found, on file, in the Twilight Zone." Standing about 6 1/2-inches tall, this eye-catching, authentically detailed statue is based on the memorable "The Invaders" episode of The Twilight Zone that starred Agnes Moorhead. Answer its beckoning call by ordering this one-of-a-kind collectible today!

"You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead. Your next stop… the Twilight Zone." (Spoken by Rod Serling at the beginning of each The Twilight Zone episode.)

Twilight Zone Space Invaders

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