Wednesday, May 19, 2021

PR: NoVa's Sal Buscema on a new comic book for a new company


INDUSTRY LEGENDS ROGER STERN, RON FRENZ AND SAL BUSCEMA JOIN TOGETHER TO UNLEASH NEW SUPERGROUP IN THE HEROES UNION #1 

Exemplifying The Modern Binge-Age Of Comics, Fans To Get Access To Entire Adventure In Massive, 68-Page Edition Hitting Stands August 4

Los Angeles (May 18, 2021) - Acclaimed writer Roger Stern (The Avengers, Captain America) joins celebrated artists Ron Frenz (Thor, The Amazing Spider-Man) and Sal Buscema (Captain America, The Defenders) to chronicle the explosive journey of a marvelous new generation of superheroes in The Heroes Union #1. Arriving August 4, 2021, this is the first of several planned releases to be made available as a modernized, Binge Book edition. Created by veteran TV writer Darin Henry ("Seinfeld," "Futurama," "KC Undercover"), Binge Books are tailored for today's audiences used to "bingeing" their favorite content. At 68 pages, The Heroes Union #1 will be longer than the average comic, allowing for the complete, family-friendly adventure to be released all at once as a standalone story for $4.99.

In addition to their length, Binge Books have a number of other attributes that make them unique in the comic space. The Heroes Union #1 reunites Stern and Frenz, the creative team behind the iconic Spider-Man story, "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man," (The Amazing Spider-Man #248). By special arrangement with the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, The Heroes Union #1 will be the first comic in over a decade to feature the official Comics Code Authority Seal and each copy will also be uniquely numbered for collectors. The publisher has hinted that some of these numbered variants may eventually entitle their owners to additional perks, but further details have not yet been revealed.

With an action-packed, engrossing story featuring compelling new superheroes with names such as 'Startup,' 'Windfall,' 'Protégé' and more, The Heroes Union #1 will also offer adults a unique way to teach children about business. 

"Like millions of other kids, I grew up devouring comics by Roger Stern, Ron Frenz and Sal Buscema, so to have some of the 20th Century's greatest creators introducing readers to the 21st Century's greatest heroes is a personal and professional dream come true," said Binge Books creator, Darin Henry.  "I was inspired to create Binge Books by European comic albums like TinTin and Asterix because I wanted to publish affordable graphic novellas for US readers to enjoy." 

The Heroes Union #1, and other soon-to-be-announced Binge Books releases, will all be distributed by Diamond Comics. To learn more, please visit www.BingeBooks.fun.

The Heroes Union #1
Written by Roger Stern, Art by Ron Frenz (p), Sal Buscema (i), Chris Nye (i), Cover by Ron Frenz (p) & Brett Breeding (i)
Distributed by Diamond Comics | Order Code: JUN211347 
On Sale 8/4/2021
68 Pages | All Ages | $4.99
Naucrate the Auteur Cosmic — half the universe celebrates her genius, the other half cowers before her world-shattering power. And the only ones who can stop her are Earth's foremost super-group… The Heroes Union! Legendary creators Roger Stern (The Avengers), Ron Frenz (Thor) and Sal Buscema (Captain America) unite to chronicle the adventures of a marvelous new generation of heroes in a cosmic epic bursting with so many breathtaking twists and thrills, it should probably come with seat belts!  This 68-page, standalone story introduces all-new 21st Century Heroes in an exciting new, square-bound "Binge Book" format!


About Binge Books
Binge Books is a new comic book company that is tailored for today's audiences used to "bingeing" their favorite content. Created by veteran TV writer, Darin Henry ("Seinfeld," "Futurama"), Binge Books brings 21st century characters to 21st century readers created by iconic writers and artists. The Heroes Union #1, and other soon-to-be-announced Binge Books releases, are distributed by Diamond Comics. To learn more, please visit www.BingeBooks.fun.

 

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Cavna talks to webcartoonist KC Green

The 'This Is Fine' dog is back. And his creator wants to show he's more than a meme. [ KC Green, "Funny Online Animals"]

That darn Clay Jones

Our buddy Clay Jones was briefly blocked from Facebook yesterday.

DDD has the story -

Israel-Palestine Cartoon Sends Clay Jones to Facebook Jail

Monday, May 17, 2021

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Mow The Lawn"

From DC's anarchist cartoonist, Mike Flugennock -

"Mow The Lawn"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=3224
 
So, the other day I'm doomscrolling the news from Gaza, and I stumbled over this 8 year-old Truthout article that somebody dug up and tweeted. The callousness of Washington foreign-policy think tanks — and the Israeli general public — is perversely spectacular:

      "Israeli hardliners joke about the periodic need to decimate each new generation of Palestinian militants as "mowing the grass," a process underway 
again in new bombardments of Gaza. This ugly metaphor has also penetrated the think-tank world of Official Washington, as ex-CIA analyst Elizabeth Murray learned:

      In early 2010, one of Washington DC's most prestigious think 
tanks was holding a seminar on the Middle East which included a discussion of Israel's December 2008- January 2009 assault on Gaza which killed about 1,300 Palestinians. When the death toll  was mentioned, one expert on the panel smiled enigmatically and intoned: 'It's unfortunate, but every once in a while you have to mow the lawn'."

----------

"Likening Palestinians to Blades of Grass", Elizabeth Murray, 
Consortium News, in Truthout 11.17.2012 
https://truthout.org/articles/likening-palestinians-to-blades-of-grass/

Mike Flugennock, Political Cartoons: http://www.sinkers.org/stage
and follow me on Mastodon at https://mastodon.social/@flugennock

On the passing of comics scholar Tom Inge

Word is moving through the comics academic community that M. Thomas 'Tom' Inge passed away last week. I didn't know Tom deeply, but for a long time I sent him comics ephemera for his collection at VCU, and articles about Edgar Allan Poe in comics. He was a big fan of my friend, Richard Thompson too.

Tom and I probably met at an ICAF meeting, but we became better acquainted when I was called up from the minors to fill in for two Harvey Pekar interviews at SPX. I did them, and then transcribed them for John Lent's International Journal of Comic Art. Not wanting to miss a wider audience, I offered them to Tom for whomever might do a book in Tom's Conversations with Comics Artists intervew series at the University Press of Mississippi.

Tom instead wrote back, changing one direction of my life - "How about your doing the Pekar volume in the Conversations series?  I don't have anyone signed up for him, strange to say, and you already have two interviews I assume.  Have you resources to locate the previously published ones? " ( Jul 19, 2006)

Never having edited or compiled a book before, I wrote back that I'd think about it, and then a day later, "Tom,  I'm still mulling it over although I'm leaning towards doing it." (Jul 20, 2006)

So I did it, and Harvey Pekar: Conversations came out in 2008. Not learning from experience, I wrote to Tom about doing a collection of Herblock interviews. He responded favorably to me and the Press' editor -

"[Mike] raises the question of doing another volume for the series on the political cartoonist Herblock. I think that is an excellent idea.  It is a shame that we have had not titles yet on political cartoonists, and Herblock is a very good place to begin (we need them on Bill Mauldin, Jeff MacNelly, Pat Oliphant, and Doug Marlette, among lots of others as well)." (May 1, 2008)

Unfortunately the Herblock Foundation never really got behind the idea, and they controlled his rights, so the idea faded away. Tom didn't though and he continued to be a major force in comics studies. I saw him for the last time at the PCA meeting in DC in 2019, I think? I snuck into the meeting and just said hello in passing after watching his panel. One always assumes there's more time...

Tom was one of the best and most productive members of the first group of academics to study comics. He was an immense help to my second career, and to many others, and the field is much richer for his time spent cultivating it. He'll be missed by many.

Sports cartoons found at estate sale - Christy Walsh and Morris Scott

 I grew up in the tail end of the life of the sports cartoon. Bill Gallo was still at the NY Daily News, and the local Bergen Record had a sports cartoonist. By now, the field is mostly gone, but as Eddie Campbell has written about it, in its heyday, it launched the careers of many a cartoonist.

This past weekend I found an original sports cartoon and a pritnted comic strip at an estate sale.

The original cartoon is by Christy Walsh, a failed sports cartoonist. However, Michael Cavna, of the Washington Post, used to be a sports cartoonist himself and he put me on the track of finding out Walsh was the Kevin Bacon of his day and knew everybody. He might have not been a great cartoonist, but he became a fantastic sports agent and syndicator and became a rich man, representing Babe Ruth and others. (UPDATE 5/26/2021: I gave this to the Library of Congress' Prints & Photos division)

Blue, All-American First Baseman, 1923 

Comics historian Steven Rowe tells me "Blue is wearing a cap with what seems to be the letter D.
Since Lu Blue played first base for Detroit in 1923, Blue is indeed likely to be Lu Blue."


The other item is a clipping of a comic strip about the World's Series in baseball by Morris Scott from the Boston Post, October 8, 1913. The New York Giants are facing the Philadelphia Athletics.* I've cleaned the image up; the original is perfectly legible, but yellowed from being displayed for years.


 

Two crack comics historians helped out with tracking this bit of history. Rodrigo Baeza provided me with the artist identification, and Art Lortie found a couple of the articles that Rodrigo suggested from Newspaper.com. Here's 3 items about Morris Scott, who appears to have died rather young, as well as another comic strip from 1918.

 *Rod Beck sent in the following bit of baseball history - "Frank Baker (shown on the back of the elephant) was known as Home Run Baker. The year 1913 was in what is called The Dead Ball Era. Baker led the American League in home runs from 1911 thru 1914 with 11,12,10 and 9 homers respectively. The Philadelphia Athletics beat the New York Giants 4 games to 1 to win the 1913 series."

Boston Post March 3, 1918
Obituary, BP Dec 5, 1922

"Scott with Squad," BP March 3 1918


Funeral, BP Dec 7, 1922





June 4: Miles Morales panel

Friday, June 4 at 6 p.m.
A Super-Powered Panel with Miles Morales, Justin A. Reynolds, Jason Reynolds, Nic Stone, John Jennings, and Angélique Roché
Shock Waves | Ages 8+
Purchase

PR: Baltimore Comic-Con 2021 is a GO!



Baltimore Comic-Con 2021 is a GO! 
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - May 17, 2021 - The Baltimore Comic-Con has received numerous inquiries from fans, exhibitors, retailers, guests, and even staff members as to the status of our 2021 event. We are very happy to announce that we expect to be on again in-person at the Inner Harbor's Baltimore Convention Center on October 22-24, 2021. The current status of the U.S. is migrating from a very conservative posture to a much more open approach to gatherings. We continue to be in contact with the Baltimore Convention Center staff, and all signs point to our ability to having our event this fall.

The Baltimore Comic-Con will be working with the convention center as well as following conservative best practices to ensure the safety of all attendees of our event on either side of the table. We encourage everyone to follow healthcare recommendations to ensure the safety of everyone (yourself included!), and plan for a fun return to Baltimore this fall!
Buster Crab by Marty Baumann
Tickets for the show are now on sale. Tickets currently available include:
  • VIP*
  • Weekend Pass
  • Friday only
  • Saturday only
  • Sunday only
As always, children 10 and under are free with a paid adult admission!

If you had tickets to our 2020 show, those will act as your 2021 tickets. 2020 tickets are valid for the same tier of admission at the 2021 event.
 
* VIP ticket holders receive the following package items and benefits:
  • Exclusive early admission to all 3 days of the show
  • 2021 Baltimore Comic-Con t-shirt
  • 2021 Baltimore Comic-Con yearbook
  • $40 gift voucher to the Baltimore Comic-Con Exclusives table
  • Show-exclusive Frank Cho print
TICKETS
General Admission and VIP Package tickets for Weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are now on sale! Visit https://purchase.growtix.com/e/Baltimore_Comic_Con_2020/ for more information and to purchase your advanced tickets now, and as always, kids 10 and under get into the show free with a paid adult General Admission!

2021 GUESTS

When we return to our live event on October 22-24, 2021, in addition to on-site CGC grading, next year's confirmed guests for the show include: Chris Bachalo (Non-Stop Spider-Man), Marty Baumann (Disney/Pixar), John Beatty (Secret Wars), Brian Michael Bendis (Action Comics), Brett Breeding (Superman), Howard Chaykin (Hey Kids! Comics!), Cliff Chiang (Paper Girls), Frank Cho (Harley Quinn), Becky Cloonan (Dark Agnes), Steve Conley (The Middle Age), Katie Cook (Nothing Special), Kristina Deak-Linsner (Vampirella: Roses for the Dead), Garth Ennis (The Boys, Friday and Saturday only), Mitch Gerads (Mr. Miracle), Joe Giella (Green Lantern), Gene Ha (Mae), Dean Haspiel (The Red Hook), Greg Hildebrandt (Wolverine), Jamal Igle (Wrong Earth), Tom King (Batman), Joseph Michael Linsner (Red Sonja), Bob McLeod (New Mutants), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), Frank Miller (Dark Knight III: The Master Race, Saturday only), Pop Mhan (Aquaman Annual), Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise), Mark Morales (The Next Batman: Second Son), Richard Pace (Second Coming), Tom Palmer (Hawkman), James Pascoe (Azrael), Andrew Pepoy (Simone & Ajax), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), Brandon Peterson (Sinestro: Year of the Villain), Tom Raney (Guardians of the Galaxy), Amy Reeder (Wonder Woman: Black and Gold), Afua Richardson (Omni), Louise Simonson (Power Pack), Walter Simonson (Ragnarok: The Breaking of Helheim), John K. Snyder III (Killers), Joe Staton (Dick Tracy), Brian Stelfreeze (Black Panther), Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother), Timothy Truman (Grimjack), Robert Venditti (Hawkman), Mark Waid (Dr. Strange), Gene Luen Yang (Superman Smashes the Klan), and Thom Zahler (Love and Capes).
In the coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We are looking forward to highlighting our guests, the Ringo Awards, programming, and more. The latest developments can always be found on our websiteTwitterInstagram, and Facebook pages, and follow us on YouTube and Snapchat.
Contact Information
Please use the following e-mail addresses to contact the Baltimore Comic-Con:
press@baltimorecomiccon.com - for any general press inquiries or to be added to our PR distribution
promoter@baltimorecomiccon.com - for requesting exhibitor, publisher, and Artist Alley applications
registrar@baltimorecomiccon.com - for inquiries about submitted registrations
general@baltimorecomiccon.com- for general Baltimore Comic-Con inquiries
About The Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 22nd year of bringing the comic book industry to the mid-Atlantic area. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.
FOLLOW US



Friday, May 14, 2021

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Panic Buying"

From DC's anarchist cartoonist, Mike Flugennock -

"Panic Buying"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=3220

The Colonial Pipeline hack attack caused gas shortages all around the US, sparking massive amounts of mindless — and straight-up stupid — panic buying, and Israel was no exception — and the US, of course, was happy to sell them all the shit they could burn in Gaza this week.

12x14 inch medium-res color .jpg image, 1.2mb

----------

"More than 100 killed as Israel intensifies Gaza onslaught", Maureen Clare Murphy at Electronic Intifada, 05.14.2021 
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/maureen-clare-murphy/more-100-killed-israel-intensifies-gaza-onslaught

"Government Warns Not To Fill Plastic Bags With Gasoline Because People Are Idiots", Aaron Ryan at Whiskey Riffs, 05.13.2021 
https://www.whiskeyriff.com/2021/05/13/government-warns-not-to-fill-plastic-bags-with-gasoline-because-people-are-idiots/

-----

Mike Flugennock, Political Cartoons: http://www.sinkers.org/stage

and follow me on Mastodon at https://mastodon.social/@flugennock

Thursday, May 13, 2021

Cavna takes 2nd place award for Online Blog in NHA contest

PR: Dead Reckoning Announces Fall 2021 Titles, Including Adaptation of James D. Hornfischer’s New York Times Bestseller

 [I'm most excited about my friend Ben Towle's new book]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dead Reckoning Announces Fall 2021 Titles, Including Adaptation of James D. Hornfischer’s New York Times Bestseller

 

ANNAPOLIS, Md., May 13, 2021 – Dead Reckoning will bring you three new graphic novels in Fall 2021. First up is Four-Fisted Tales by four-time Eisner-nominated cartoonist Ben Towle, which tells the story of how animals have been used to fight in the trenches, jungles, and deserts of the world’s battlefields. Next, The Jewish Brigade by Marvano follows how the Jewish Infantry Brigade Group came to fight against and hunt down Nazis who sought to murder them and their families. Last, but not least, James D. Hornfischer along with Doug Murray and Steven Sanders bring us The Last Stand of The Tin Can Sailors. Out gunned and outnumbered, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors brings to life the New York Times bestseller on the Battle off Samar where a small American task force fought to turn back an overwhelming Japanese force at Leyte Gulf.

Four-Fisted Tales: Animals in Combat

By Ben Towle

978-1-68247-416-7 | August 18, 2021

Paperback | $24.95

In virtually every military conflict in recorded history animals have fought—and often died—alongside their human counterparts. While countless stories of the men and women who’ve served in the trenches, jungles, and deserts of the world’s battlefields have been told, Four-Fisted Tales: Animals in Combat shares the stories of the animals who fought alongside them.

From Hannibal’s elephants in ancient Rome to mine-sniffing rats in Vietnam and everything in between, Four-Fisted Tales highlights the real-life contributions of these underappreciated animal warriors. Whether in active combat or simply as companions, these animals served and made their mark on history.

Ben Towle is a four-time Eisner-nominated cartoonist. His previous works include Oyster War; Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean (with Sarah Stewart Taylor), which received accolades from The New York Times and Publishers Weekly and was a Junior Library Guild selection; Midnight Sun; and Farewell, Georgia.

 

The Jewish Brigade

By Marvano

978-1-68247-723-6 | September 15, 2021

Paperback | $24.95

In the waning years of World War II, as the tragic plight of the European Jews was coming to light in ever more horrific detail, a Jewish fighting force, known as the Jewish Infantry Brigade Group, was born as part of the British Eighth Army. Leslie Toliver, a racecar driver in the pre-war years, eagerly joined the all-volunteer force for a chance to fight with his people against those who sought to murder them. 

Born in Belgium, Marvano, started out as an interior designer. Years later, he began an alternate career as an illustrator, eventually becoming editor-in-chief of the magazine Kuifje, then managing the comics department of Flemish publisher Den Gulden Engel. All the while he published his own comics and went on to write and illustrate dozens of graphic novels over decades, most notably adapting Joe Halderman’s famous novel The Forever War. 

 

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour

By James D. Hornfischer; Adapted by Doug Murray; Drawn by Steven Sanders; Colored by Matt Soffe; Lettered by Rob Steen

978-1-68247-338-2 | October 20, 2021

Hardcover | $29.95

Adapted from the naval history classic and New York Times bestseller, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors pieces together the action of the Battle off Samar, bringing to life a riveting story of heroism against daunting odds, duty, and sacrifice in a way never seen before.

James D. Hornfischer’s gripping account of the battle, based on declassified documents as well as extensive interviews with veterans, is acclaimed as one of the most compelling works of naval history ever published. Hornfischer’s awards include the 2018 Samuel Eliot Morison Award, given by the Board of Trustees of the USS Constitution Museum.

Doug Murray is a comic book writer and novelist. He served as a non-commissioned officer in the Army in Vietnam and was the main writer on the popular comic book series The 'Nam, published by Marvel Comics.

Steven Sanders is an illustrator. His work has appeared in the distinguished SPECTRUM anthology and has drawn a number of comics for Marvel and Image Comics.

 

www.deadreckoning.org

www.usni.org/books

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Steve Conley interviews

Steve Conley 2021

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-7ce5x-10325a0

The Astounding Steve Conley drops by to talk about his latest Kickstarter;"Astounding Space Thrills: Undersea Menace from the Year 3200" and to share his secrets of Kickstarter success! Steve & Geoff talk comics and life in the days when the internet was young!  One of Geoff's favorite conversations-at least since the last time he talked with Steve Conley!

Steve Conley : https://steveconley.com

https://astoundingspacethrills.com/kickstarter

https://steveconley.com/the-middle-age/

Geoff Grogan: https://geoffgrogan.com

on Instagram:

@greenscreencomic

https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/greenscreen/list?title_no=571704

-------

Spotlight SquadCast Interview with Steve Conley and His Astounding Space Thrills

We got the chance to catch up with cartoonist Steve Conley recently. This is an interview we have been wanting to do for some time and the timing worked out great as Steve is in the middle of a fantastic Kickstarter campaign.

Steve is best known for his multi-award nominated webcomic The Middle Age, but this time around he is collecting and printing his turn of the century webcomic Astounding Space Thrills. The campaign is doing excellent and is something you definitely want to get in on.

Please enjoy this conversation where we talk about the Kickstarter for Astounding Space Thrills, Steve's career, the history and future of The Middle Age, and we throw in a little pop culture etymology for good measure.


Check out the trailer for the Kickstarter campaign below:

 

What is Astounding Space Thrills about?

According to Steve:

Astounding Space Thrills is a fun, retro-futuristic, sci-fi adventure following hero Argosy Smith as he solves cosmic mysteries. Think of Argosy as 1/3 The Doctor, 1/3 Buckaroo Banzaii, and 1/3 every kid who grew up playing RPGs and video games.

There are very accessible backer reward tiers and so far the campaign is blowing by the stretch goals.

It is an amazing effort that Steve is undertaking by resurrecting and remastering a webcomic that was designed to be viewed on a monitor that used a VGA cable and a computer that required a hard wired cable to a dial-up modem to get to the internet. This is definitely a labor of love and we are looking forward to seeing the final results.

In our conversation, Steve mentioned that he is willing and excited to go back to the world of Argosy Smith if the people want more of it.  I say that sounds like a great idea.

What are the important things to know?

The campaign ends on May 26, 2021.

You can find the campaign page here.

Steve's website is steveconley.com.

You can follow Steve on Twitter at thesteveconley.

Don't forget to check out The Middle Age as well. You can find it at Webtoon, GoComics, Tapas, or even in Kindle or Print formats on Amazon.

Steve also has a Patreon page that we highly recommend.