Well, it's April Fool's Day & Mattel decided to have some fun the Q&A this time around.We at Pendragon's Post are not amused at all.
1. Toyguru and Matty confirmed several times that the hyper-stylized, so called 'anime" look of the 200X figures, should be retired for good. And also that POP/NA/200X figures that didn't have an action figure in the '80s MOTU line would be introduced in MOTUC, sculpted in the same way as if the figure was going to be made in the '80s but with added detail and improved articulation. However She-Ra and Count Marzo were sculpted with static body parts that are entirely reminiscent of the 200X line and NECA statues (windblown hair for both and windblown cape for Marzo). This is a very modern approach to action figure sculpting that didn't even exist in the '80s. Although it might make head movement easier it actually limits pose-ability in the sense that the figures can only be posed in display settings that allow for blowing wind (it's impossible to place them in settings like the indoors of Castle Grayskull or Royal Palace where there is supposed to be no wind). Online polls done on the Mattycollector forums show that collectors would prefer "vintage style" neutrally positioned hair and capes. Why have Mattel and/or the Four Horsemen opted for such a modern approach for these two figures, in a line that is supposed to be strictly classic?
As I see it yes.
2. We know you can't comment on specific characters that haven't been announced, but are "civilian" "historical" DC characters like Sgt. Rock or Jonah Hex being considered for a DCU treatment?
My sources say no.
3. On Mattycollector.com, you explained what the status descriptions meant, but you forgot one. Can you explain when it says "Currently Unavailable"?
Reply hazy try again.
4. With all the constant problem there are every month with Digital River, are you looking into change to another provider?
Cannot predict now.
5. Back to the Walmart issue, you keep saying Mattycollector is listening to the fans. But doing another wave exclusive to a store that has proven time & time again that they don't care about the DCU line, doesn't seem like you are listening to the fans. The fans are frustrated & just about had it with Walmart Waves. We do not want another exclusive wave. We want all waves available everywhere.
Yes.
We'll keep trying to get some real answers for these questions.
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Cowboy Ninja Viking gets collected in April
COWBOY NINJA VIKING, written by AJ Lieberman and drawn by Riley Rossmo gets it first collection in April with 160 full-color pages of story and never-before-seen material!
The COWBOY NINJA VIKING trade paperback collects issues 1-5 and features 30 pages of brand new material, including the original pitch for the book, a script for an alternate version of the series, unused cover art, and pinups by Nathan Fox (Fluorescent Black), Dean Trippe (Comic Book Tattoo), and Christian Ward (Olympus).
Lieberman promises, "If ever there was time a reader who has been debating whether or not to jump on the bandwagon of insanity and mayhem that is Cowboy Ninja Viking, the time to leap has come with the release of our first TPB collecting issues #1-5 (plus 30 pages of extras) all for $16.99! Still not sure? We'll toss in a free index!"
COWBOY NINJA VIKING is the creation of Doctor Sebastian Ghislain, a psychotherapist who recruits Multiple Personality Disorder patients to produce a unit of counter-intelligence agents called Triplets. But what happens when Triplets become out-of-control assassins? That's when the deadliest Triplet of them all, COWBOY NINJA VIKING, is called in to take down his own brethren.
COWBOY NIJA VIKING TP (FEB100353), a full-color 160-page trade collecting issues 1-5 and featuring all new material, will be in stores April 21, 2010. Issue #1 can be viewed in the online comics section of www.imagecomics.com.
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.
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Dragon Age: Origins was one of the major videogame hits in 2009, a brand new franchise in an original fantasy setting from legendary RPG developer Bioware. The setting, the continent of Thedas, is rich with potential for storytelling in multiple media, far more than can be contained in any single comic series, novel, or videogame. I was thrilled to hear that IDW, publisher of some of my favorite current comics (such as G.I. Joe: Cobra) had the comic license, and I couldn't wait to read the first issue. Unfortunately, Dragon Age 1 met only one expectation; that video game tie-ins are a bad idea. 
What went wrong with this comic? Everything, that's what. First of all, aside from the following words - Chantry, Templar, Circle of Mages, Ferelden, Hurlock, Blood Mage - there was nothing that made this comic feel like it belonged in the Dragon Age world. Names and terms are window dressing, and in this comic, I'm frankly not entirely sure that the writers know what they mean or what some of the Dragon Age types, specifically blood mages and hurlocks...are actually capable of. Templars, in this comic, are a one note "all mages should just probably be executed" stereotype. The religion of Dragon Age...the fact that the actions of mages led to a perpetually vengeful, absentee deity...is ripe with complex storytelling possibility. Instead, what superstar writers Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston give us is a tired cliche about forbidden love (or lust) between two characters who are given zero motivation and zero development.
What do I mean by this? I would say that if you've played Dragon Age, really thoroughly explored its setting and know the world, and you drew up a list of "most cliched stories we can tell in this setting," love between a Templar and a Mage would be very high on the list, yes? I know it would be for me. Probably tops, in fact. And that's the story we're told. Characters who act without any apparent motivation are poor characters, period. When they act without motivation in a tired, cliched story...and are clearly doing what they are doing simply because the plot demands they do it...that's bad writing. Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston are not bad writers; Card has written some genuine classics. What happened here? I don't know. I do know that our main characters in this first issue...Sadatt and Veness...have no reason to fall for each other. None. I know that we know nothing about them except one is a Mage, one is a Templar, and they have a relationship because that's the story. We know nothing about their personalities. It's entirely possible they engage on their relationship based on adolescent hormones; great stories have been told that way (e.g., Romeo and Juliet) but this isn't one of them.
In the comic medium, great art can save a mediocre or even a bad story. But this art, by Mark Robinson, is so heavily stylized that I simply cannot stand it. In some panels, characters have no mouths. And I don't mean background characters. I mean characters in the foreground. Who are speaking. From behind a featureless wall of flesh, apparently. This is a problem for me. I also find the lack of visual continuity from one panel to another very distracting. In one panel, a character on horseback has a torch in one hand and the reins of his horse in the other. Next panel, the reins of his horse are tied around the scabbard of his sword, which would be distractingly dumb even if it didn't contradict what I just saw. When characters do have mouths, they are capable of two expressions; sneer and surprise. Mostly sneer. The swordplay is incredibly static and lackluster, as is the magic, which apparently always occurs in giant swooshy loops, instead of the balls, clouds, bolts, clouds, or bursts that happen in the game.
I cannot recommend this comic for anyone. I consider myself, honestly, as big a Dragon Age fan as there is; I've played the game to completion 4 times (and am still playing it). I've voraciously read its entire Codex. I'd bought every piece of DLC, would love to play the RPG, and plan to read the novel tie ins. This comic isn't a good comic or a good Dragon Age comic. You'll have to be a more devoted fan than me to love it.
Dan Ford
Staff Reviewer
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Fanboy-themed stand-up show at the best comic book store in the world: Meltdown Comics.
All-Fanboy Stand-Up comedy at Meltdown Comics on Friday, April 2nd. "Comics And Comics" (featured on NPR) brings the geekiest stand-up show in the world to the world's best comic book store (http://www.meltcomics.com)!
FEATURING:
Angelo Bowers
Ed Greer
S.A.X.
Jackie Kashian
Blaine Capatch
Tom Franck
Free Cane Sugar Soda Bar with $4 admission.
A new "But Let's Face It"
Meltdown Comics
7522 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90046
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Image Comics announces its WonderCon 2010 lineup
Image Comics is bringing wonder back to WonderCon, April 2-4, 2010. Fans will have a chance to meet Jonathan Ross, the entire Man of Action crew, and pick up convention exclusives at booth #407!
An exclusive creator's edition of TURF #1 will be available at booth #407, and writer Jonathan Ross - popular UK television host and patron of cult entertainment - will be on hand for autograph sessions Saturday and Sunday. You won't be able to find this edition of TURF #1 anywhere else unless you make your way to Forbidden Planet in the UK!
When you visit the Image booth, you'll find Man of Action - Joe Casey (Godland), Joe Kelly (I Kill Giants), Duncan Rouleau (The Great Unknown), and Steve Seagle (Soul Kiss, The Crusades) - the creators of BEN 10 and the upcoming Cartoon Network series GENERATOR REX. We'll also be joined by ELEPHANTMEN creators Richard Starkings and Moritat, JERSEY GODS creator Glen Brunswick, and SAVAGE DRAGON auteur Erik Larsen! Top Cow creators Sheldon Mitchell (Pilot Season: Stealth), Michael Broussard (The Darkness, Artifacts), Rick Basaldua and Nelson Blake II (Witchblade) will also appear.
PANELS
SATURDAY, 2:00-3:00 p.m., Room 104 - The Image Comics Show
Image kicks off their hometown show with a slate of exclusive announcements featuring some of your favorite creators, including WonderCon special guest Frank Cho (Liberty Meadows, New Ultimates), who will discuss his all-new series, and Savage Dragon's own Erik Larsen, who will reveal new artwork from an upcoming project! Find out the next word on what Image has in store for 2010, including never-before-revealed news and art from Walking Dead, Spawn, Turf, Chew, Choker, Haunt and more!
AUTOGRAPHS
SATURDAY, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., Booth #407
Jonathan Ross
SATURDAY, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m., Booth #407
Frank Cho
SUNDAY, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m., Booth #407
Jonathan Ross
OTHER EVENTS
SATURDAY, 8:00 p.m. Comix Experience 21st Anniversary Party
Comix Experience is extremely proud to celebrate its 21st anniversary, and youre invited! CE:21 is a benefit for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights for the comics community. Featuring the El Toyanese Taco Truck, sponsored by Image Comics, and delicious beer courtesy of 21st Amendment Brewery! Attendees who contribute to the CBLDF will receive a goodie bag filled with incredible items from various comics publishers (while supplies last). There will also be an art auction to benefit the CBLDF. Comix Experience is located at 305 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA, 94117.
Don't miss Image Comics at WonderCon 2010, booth 407!
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.
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Comic Based On Hit Game By EA
Written By Sci-Fi Great Orson Scott Card
Available In North American Stores and Digital Download
BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and IDW Publishing today announced the launch of Dragon Age™, the comic book series, based on the critically acclaimed BioWare-developed video game Dragon Age: Origins. Dragon Age, the comic book series is now available at comic book stores throughout North America, as well as in digital format for mobile devices such as Apple’s iPhone™ and iPod touch® through the iTunes® App Store®, and the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) Digital Comics system. Written by award-winning science-fiction author Orson Scott Card (Ender’s Game, Ultimate Iron Man), the issue ranked among the top 20 paid book apps for the iTunes App Store within hours of its release. A preveiw of Dragon Age #1 is available here.
Dragon Age #1 will take readers to Thedas, a world where war has ravaged the land and mages once ruled through their mastery of dark arts and forbidden spells. Their lust for power nearly destroyed all existence when they unleashed the darkspawn, an unholy pestilence bent on the destruction of all life. Today, magic is carefully controlled, and rogue mages are hunted and put down with ruthless efficiency. These dangerous arts are taught only within the confines of the prison-like Circle of Magi, and monitored by the ever-vigilant Templars. Against this grim backdrop, a new generation of Mages must become masters, defy the Templars, and face a foe determined to bring about the annihilation of the world.
The Dragon Age comic book series also features other renowned writers and artists, including writer Aaron Johnston (Ender’s Game: Mazer in Prison), breakout artist Mark Robinson (Skrull Kill Krew), and renowned cover artist Humberto Ramos.
Six issues are planned for the Dragon Age comic book series.
Please visit idwpublishing.com for more information about the Dragon Age comic book series, unique “behind the scenes” content, news, blogs, and art.
For more information on Dragon Age: Origins the video game, please visit www.dragonage.com.
About BioWare
BioWare develops high quality console, PC and online role-playing games, focused on rich stories, unforgettable characters and vast worlds to discover. Since 1995, BioWare has created some of the world's most critically acclaimed titles, including Baldur's Gate™, Neverwinter Nights™, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™, Jade Empire™ and Mass Effect™. BioWare operates in Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), Montreal (Quebec) and Austin (Texas). BioWare’s announced projects include the dark heroic fantasy game Dragon Age: Origins, as well as Mass Effect™ 2, the epic sequel to Mass Effect, and the story-driven massively multiplayer online game, Star Wars®: The Old Republic™. In 2008, BioWare was acquired by Electronic Arts, a leading global interactive entertainment publisher. For more information on BioWare, visit www.bioware.com; to join the millions of fans already registered on our community, go to http://social.bioware.com.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EATM, EA SPORTSTM, EA Mobile TM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
BioWare, Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Jade Empire are trademarks of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile and POGO are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc.. iTunes, App Store and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc. “PlayStation” and PSP are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro's The Transformers and G.I. JOE, Paramount's Star Trek; Fox's Angel; the BBC's Doctor Who; and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studios; and is the print publisher for EA Comics and ComicMix.
IDW's original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.
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