Marvel’s Marvelman...?

Above: Marvel’s Marvelman by Joe Quesada.

Marvel has swooped in and bought the rights to Marvelman? They own the property? This is a sudden shock. What rights does Marvel think it has to the character? I’m sure we’ll be hearing from Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane to see how they fit into all of this. I’m not sure I like the idea (if this ends up being the case) that Marvelman becomes part of the work-made-for-hire monster of Marvel Entertainment.

Marvel reports:

The biggest news of Comic Con International in San Diego was revealed moments ago and jaws are still on the floor-the world-renowned super hero MARVELMAN is now part of the Marvel Comics family! Marvel Comics has purchased the rights to MARVELMAN from creator Mick Anglo and his representatives, finding a home for one of the most sought after heroes in graphic fiction!

More on the Neil Gaiman versus Todd McFarlane feud.

Update: The InterWeb is all-abuzz about this topic.

Mr. Steve Bissette shares his insights, and gives an excellent history on the Marvelman/Miracleman ownership and feud with his "Thoughts on Marvelman: Making Sense of Marvel, Emotiv, Mick Anglo and Marvelman/Miracleman":

Freelancer and Creator Rights activist Al Nickerson has expressed his own misgivings, given Marvel’s poor track record with creator rights — but again, I note that Neil and Bucky have been quietly working with Marvel Comics since the founding of Marvels and Miracles LLC, which was announced six years ago.

Neil Gaiman does some Twitting on the matter:

they bought them from Mick Anglo's representatives. Todd mcfarlane could still sue everyone but I hope he won't.

Bleeding Cool has a bunch of insights and info, as well, with "Marvel To Publish Mick Anglo’s Marvelman - And They Own It":

But recently Emotiv Records in Glasgow, headed by Jon Campbell, claimed that they were now representing Mick Anglo’s interests in the character and some big people got involved. This is worthy of a piece in itself but figures started to include budgets for a movie, as well as all sorts of accoutrements. And then nothing. Silence. Until yesterday afternoon when I started to hear that Marvel had been contacting everyone assosciated with Marvelman. The deal has been done. Marvel have paid a considerable sum to the agents of Mick Anglo to secure the property once and for all. They are ready and confident to beat off any legal challenge from another party.

Preview IMAGE UNITED PREVIEW...

Above: Cover to IMAGE UNITED PREVIEW.

Can’t wait for IMAGE UNITED? Well, then, you might want to check out IMAGE UNITED PREVIEW.



Above: Sample page from IMAGE UNITED PREVIEW.

Here’s what The New York Times had to report:

IMAGE UNITED is akin to a Beatles reunion. This six-issue comic-book series, which will be previewed at Comic-Con International in San Diego on Wednesday, brings together six of the seven founders of Image Comics— a group of prominent illustrators who defected from Marvel in 1992 to start their own publishing company— as well as some of the most successful characters they have created or developed there. It is not your typical comic-book team-up, in which a single artist interprets several other artists’ characters. Whenever Spawn, say, or Savage Dragon appears, he is illustrated by his creator. Throw in ShadowHawk, Witchblade and Youngblood, along with Fortress, a new character, and you have a gathering of superheroes that is also a logistical nightmare.

ECHO news...

Above: Cover to ECHO #1 by Terry Moore.

VARIETY is reporting that Hollywood producer Lloyd Levin (WATCHMEN and HELLBOY) has optioned Terry Moore’s ECHO. ECHO is also nominated for an Eisner Award for "Best new series." Congratulations go out to Terry for both the Eisner nomination and the film deal.

Here’s what Terry had to say:

It's official: Movie deal for Echo with Watchmen producer Lloyd Levin!



Above: Artwork from ECHO #1 by Terry Moore.

A while back in the letters column of STRANGERS IN PARADISE #78, Terry Moore gave a nice plug to my and Brandon J. Carr’s The Kenmore/Nihilist-Man team-up story (see below). The team-up first appeared as a webcomic, and then saw print in NIHILIST-MAN AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS #1. It looks like Nihilist-Man enjoys reading STRANGERS IN PARADISE, as well…



Update: Terry Moore blogs about the ECHO movie.

LETHARGIC LAD 2008 review...

Above: My copy of LETHARGIC LAD 2008 which includes a sketch of everyone’s favorite Iron Clad Lethargic Lad by Greg Hyland.

LETHARGIC LAD is awesome! I’ve been a fan of LETHARGIC LAD and it’s different incarnations since (I think) 1992. LETHARGIC LAD has consistently been a great comic. I’m not saying this because I inked several "No Mutants" stories that appeared in LETHARGIC COMICS. I’m not saying this because Lethargic Lad teamed-up with Nihilist-Man. I am saying this because Greg Hyland’s LETHARGIC LAD has always had a certain intelligence, charm, and wit that is rarely found in comics. Plus, Greg’s cartoony artwork is rockin’! And LETHARGIC LAD 2008 is no exception. This book collects all of the lethargiclad.com webcomics from last year. The comics are in full color and are displayed in a windscreen format to best capture all of their comic book goodness. I consider Greg Hyland a friend, but I have been a LETHARGIC LAD fan even longer.

I give LETHARGIC LAD 2008 four and a half out of five NM’s:




Above: Who is the real Evil Cyborg Lethargic Lad? Panels from LETHARGIC LAD 2008.

LETHARGiC LAD 2008 now on sale!

Above: Cover artwork to LETHARGiC LAD 2008 by Greg Hyland.

Greg Hyland’s LETHARGiC LAD 2008 is now on sale! Me want!

Here’s what Greg had to say:

My new book, LETHARGiC LAD 2008, is now on sale exclusively here at lethargiclad.com. LETHARGiC LAD 2008 contains all the ll.com strips done in 2008 in one 46 page full colour book, in a format featuring one strip per page. The colour version of the book will be signed and numbered and limited to a run of 50 copies. Also, an area on the cover has been left blank for me to do an original Lethargic Lad sketch.

Now, finally, a good reason to read the newspaper…

Above: Artwork from the ARCHIE comic strip by (penciler) Fernando Ruiz and (inker) myself.

If you read the comics in the newspapers, then you have to check out the ARCHIE comic strip appearing in newspapers from July 6th to July 11th, and the Sunday strip on July 26th. I usually work on the regular Archie comic books and digests, but I also helped out with the ARCHIE newspaper comic strip. Even though I’m not getting credit, I did ink the strips mentioned above. Anyway, I think this is kinda cool. So, if ya read the comics’ section in the newspapers, then check out ARCHIE.

Update: If your local newspaper does not carry the ARCHIE comic strip, then you can read the strips online here or here.

Happy Independence Day!

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.





Above photo: Independence Hall is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The United States Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution were both signed at Independence Hall.



Above photo: In October 1997, P.I.C. visited Philadelphia and Independence Hall.



Above photo: The assembly room of Independence Hall.



Above photo: We also visited the Liberty Bell which is displayed across the lawn from Independence Hall.



Above photo (left to right): Jen, Pro, Bucky, Korn, and Miguel in Philadelphia (October 1997).



Above photo (left to right): Bucky and me in Philadelphia (October 1997). Remember kids,… smoking is bad, bad, bad. It’ll kill you. So, don’t smoke.