WHO ARTED?!

A Look Inside & Outside of THE SHADE #3

2011-12-13T10:47:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow's the day for my final issue of THE SHADE, not to mention the end of my reunion with the dashing and superlative James Robinson, with whom I last worked on Malibu Comics' FIREARM in 1995. It's been a blast, to be sure, and I hope I get to work with him again sometime-- and hopefully, it won't be 15 years until then. ;)

Also, I'd like to highlight the absolutely stellar artistic partner I had in colorist Dave McCaig. Coloring comics is often a thankless task, and Dave did whatever he needed to do with sometimes impossible deadlines, and what an amazing job he did.

And I'd be remiss not to throw a nod at Wil Moss, my now-gray-haired editor at DC Comics. A better facilitator doesn't exist, if you ask me.

DC's THE SOURCE blog has posted a couple of previews for the issue. First, the interiors:

Exclusive Preview of THE SHADE #3

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

By Alex Nagorski

In issue #3 of the critically acclaimed miniseries, THE SHADE, Shade’s quest for answers sends him to Australia to locate an old acquaintance named Diablo Blacksmith. But when a dark force who knows all of Shade’s weaknesses appears, will Diablo’s advice be enough for Shade to defeat the monstrous creature?

THE SHADE #3 comes to you from the creative team of James Robinson and Cully Hamner. Look for it in stores tomorrow.

And second, a look at my variant cover:

Cully Hamner’s Variant Cover for THE SHADE #3

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

By Alex Nagorski

Earlier today, we gave you a first look at tomorrow’s THE SHADE #3. Now, since it’s the season of giving and we’re feeling festive, we’re showing you one more exclusive asset from the issue. Below, check out Cully Hamner’s awesome variant cover for the issue.

“This cover’s an example of the results I can get when I’m not allowed to romance the art for too long,” Hamner exclusively told THE SOURCE. “I had an extremely short window in which to get it done, and the idea design and execution came really fast, especially considering that I’m not known as a really fast artist. I did the concept sketch in about a half-hour, and I’d guess from starting the drawing to locking the colors was about two, maybe two-and-a-half hours. I had to stay extremely simple in my design and color composition (which, luckily, I had also done in the two previous covers), and the result is an image I really like. I guess the lesson here is that you can’t go wrong with simple and direct!”

“The first three-issue arc of THE SHADE required an artist who’d be as comfortable drawing battles with armored assassins in Germany and giant lizard gods in Australia as he or she would be drawing conversations between two lovers in a bedroom and between two old drinking buddies in a nightclub,” series editor Wil Moss told us. “Thankfully just such an artist was available — the great Cully Hamner!

Ably abetted by color maestro Dave McCaig, Cully revitalized the look of The Shade and Opal City, depicting anything writer James Robinson could think to ask of him with style and ease. Cully’s set the bar pretty high for the artists who have to follow him, but if any group can hold their own, it’s Darwyn Cooke (#4), Javier Pulido (#5-7), Jill Thompson (#8), Frazer Irving (#9-11), and Gene Ha (#12).

But in the meantime, don’t miss THE SHADE #3, where Cully draws the coolest-looking fight between a giant lizard god and a man made of shadows that you’ll ever see. (Trust me, they’re going to be everywhere in 2012.)”

It's out tomorrow in North America, folks. Thanks for checking it out!

Exclusive Preview of THE SHADE #2

2011-11-15T10:52:00.000-08:00

From DC's THE SOURCE blog this morning:

Exclusive Preview of THE SHADE #2

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

By Alex Nagorski

SPOILER ALERT: If you have not read THE SHADE #1, do not continue reading this preview or look at the preview pages after the jump.

Seriously.

Last month, THE SHADE #1 ended with a major cliff hanger and MTV GEEK named the comic as their #1 comic book for the month of October.

In tomorrow’s issue #2, we immediately learn that Deathstroke is not the only one thirsty for Shade’s blood. In order to discover who else is after him (and why!), Shade must embark on a globe-trotting adventure. The first stop? Hamburg, Germany, where the private investigator Von Hammer seems to have the first piece of the puzzle. But can Shade find the answers he’s looking for before the vicious beast Bete-Noire gets to Von Hammer?

THE SHADE #2 comes from the fan-favorite creative team of James Robinson and Cully Hamner.

Cully's Variant Cover For THE SHADE #2

2011-11-01T13:11:00.001-07:00

My variant cover for THE SHADE #2's been revealed over at DC's THE SOURCE blog, along with a brief review roundup:

THE SHADE Travels Beyond Opal City

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

By Alex Nagorski

(Cully Hamner’s variant cover for THE SHADE #2)

When it first appeared in 1994, Opal City became home to the characters of acclaimed writer James Robinson’s NEW YORK TIMES bestselling series, STARMAN. Fast forward nearly two decades and Opal City still serves as these characters’ home base.

But that might not be the case for too much longer. Robinson recently let us know that in upcoming issues of THE SHADE, the 12-issue miniseries that spun out of STARMAN, the series’ protagonist would be crossing Opal City’s borders and taking his adventures across the globe.

“I’m excited for readers to see the Shade outside his usual milieu of Opal City,” Robinson told us. “As the mystery around Deathstroke’s attack on him deepens, look forward in issues #2 and #3 to the Shade venturing to the moody alleys of Hamburg, Germany and the barren, bright Australian outback where he will encounter both deadly native gods and the mysterious world of dreamtime.”

Illustrated by Cully Hamner, THE SHADE #1 was an instant hit with fans and critics alike. Check out some highlights of the praise it received below and be sure to pick up issue #2 when it hits stores on November 16th.

“This is a perfect comic book … This is writer James Robinson at his best, working on a character he knows better than anyone, and we couldn’t be happier.” – MTV GEEK, #1 comic book for the month of October

“THE SHADE #1 is a glorious return to form, topped with a beautiful painted cover from Tony Harris, and a welcome trip back to the STARMAN corner of the DC Universe … THE SHADE #1 is fantastic, that’s all you need to know, and we’ve still got 11 more issues. Bring them on.” – COMIC BOOK RESOURCES

“Robinson’s story is compelling so far, giving us charming, intriguing characters and having fun with the form.” – CRAVE ONLINE

“The writer closes on a deliberately shocking ending that will leave you intrigued to pick up issue #2 as soon as possible.” – IGN

“Really beautiful book, well written with good structure.” – COMICVINE, 5/5 star review

“James Robinson is at his best when he is able to play with words and that’s what Shade gives him; a character who enjoys words as much as the author does.” – NEWSARAMA

New York Comic Con Signing Sked!

2011-10-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

I'll be at New York Comic Con, October 13-16, and if you want to catch up with me to say hello or get me to do any of those things I do at cons, you can find me in Artist's Alley at booth H18 most of the time. Also, I'll be signing at DC a bit:

Friday 10/14
1-2pm - SIGNING (DC BOOTH #1254)

Saturday 10/15
2-3pm – SIGNING (DC BOOTH #1254)

Looking forward to signing all of your brand-new copies of THE SHADE #1!

Exclusive Preview of THE SHADE #1

2011-10-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

Hey, check out a preview of my new book with James Robinson, THE SHADE #1, over at the DC Source Blog:

Exclusive Preview of THE SHADE #1

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

By Alex Nagorski

Next Wednesday, acclaimed writer James Robinson returns to the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling series STARMAN with a new spin-off miniseries, THE SHADE.

Illustrated by fan-favorite artist Cully Hamner, THE SHADE #1 brings an unexpected encounter with a familiar face and ends in a jaw-dropping twist. Speculation starts now!

And don’t miss the rest of this 12-issue miniseries, featuring art by such luminaries as Darwyn Cooke, Javier Pulido, Jill Thompson, Frazer Irving and Gene Ha.

Cully Interview Tonight On COMIC GEEK SPEAK!

2011-09-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

Hey, I'll be on the Comic Geek Speak podcast tonight at 7:30 ET. Check it out!

***Update*** The interview is now live! Go and listen at the link!

Dragon*Con!

2011-09-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

My Dragon*Con sked at the "Artists Formerly Known As Gaijin" table:

Friday 9/2/11
4:00PM - 7:00PM

Saturday 9/3/11
10:00AM - 2:30PM

Sunday 9/4/11
2:30PM - 7:00PM

Monday 9/4/11
10:00AM - 1:30PM

I'll be in and out, as I have to get some work done this weekend, but I'll be there as much as I can!

San Diego Post-Game

2011-07-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

Had a FANTASTIC time out at Comic-Con International, seeing a lot of pals (and reconnecting with some, as well), and seeing a lot of YOU guys. There was a really nice, positive feeling around the DC booth-- I kept hearing that from everybody-- and people were very kind about all the redesign stuff I've been doing for the New52 DC Relaunch.

And I think the thing I loved the most was the new Drawing Demo feature at the DC booth. They mike us up, stick us up on a stage with a camera pointed at our hands and a big screen behind us, and they turn us loose. I did four of them, one a day, and I got to see great artists like Jim Lee, Jill Thompson, Francis Manapul, Mark Buckingham, and Chris Burnham doing them, too, drawing very interested and appreciative crowds, let me tell you. I hope DC keeps doing them.

I also did a couple of panels, "Designing the New 52," with Mark Chiarello and Jim; and "Drawing DC," with Mark, Jim, and my old pal/roomie/studiomate Adam Hughes. It was really... cool. I can't think of a better word-- it was just cool.

Here's the audio from both "Designing the New 52" and "Drawing DC," along with some pix from the panels and demos below (courtesy DC Comics and Tom Taylor)

UPDATED: Cully's Updated Sked For COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL

2011-07-13T07:29:00.001-07:00

Well, I must say it's nice to have no work secrets to be kept anymore. Pretty much everything I've been involved with this year-- mainly the SHADE kickoff and the design work on DC's New 52-- has been on the down-low. So, it'll be nice to be on hand with DC in San Diego to talk about all this stuff freely.

Anyway, my panel-and-booth schedule for the show has been finalized:

Thursday, July 21
2-3pm – DRAWING DEMO (Stage/DC booth #1915)

Friday, July 22
3-4pm – DRAWING DEMO (Stage/DC booth #1915)

Saturday, July 23
12:00-1:00pm - SIGNING (DC booth #1915)

2-3pm – DRAWING DEMO (Stage/DC booth #1915)

Sunday, July 24
11:30-12:30pm - DRAWING DEMO (Stage/DC booth #1915)
1:45-2:45pm – PANEL: DESIGNING THE NEW 52 (Room 6DE)
4-5pm – PANEL: DRAWING DC (Room 30CDE)

You'll notice that I'm not doing any time at an Artist's Alley or exhibitor's space. This is partly by design. I was initially going to take a break from the show this year, but with all that's been happening, DC decided about a month ago that I ought to be there, and I agreed. Last year, as you'll recall, I was out to help promote RED, and found that I had no time to do what I normally do at any other con (like occupy a table, sign books, do commissions, and basically just chat with folks). It was unlike any con experience I'd ever had-- I got to glimpse SDCC from the VIP side of things for a change, and it was just very managed and... different. And while I'm sure that helping to promote all the excitement at DC right now won't hit that level for me this year, there's still a lot going on.

So, I'm considering myself sort of "on call" for DC this time out. No table for me, specifically, no sketch list this time. I'll only be officially signing the last day, but if you catch me on the floor somewhere, and you want a book or two signed, please ask, and I'll be happy to oblige!

True Thing: Robinson & Hamner Reunite for SHADE

2011-07-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

Whew... so this cat's finally out of the bag! As list in the October solicits and as reported over on CBR, I'm drawing the first arc, issues #1-#3, and working with my old FIREARM cohort, James Freakin' Robinson, in about 16 years...! From DC's THE SOURCE blog:

COMIC BOOK RESOURCES ANNOUNCES THE SHADE #1

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

By David Hyde

This morning, COMIC BOOK RESOURCES announced THE SHADE #1. Below, check out the solicitation information for this book and be sure to head over to COMIC BOOK RESOURCES to see Tony Harris’ cover art.

THE SHADE #1
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by CULLY HAMNER
Cover by TONY HARRIS
1:10 Variant cover by CULLY HAMNER
On sale OCTOBER 12 • 1 of 12, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
James Robinson returns to the world of his acclaimed STARMAN series with a new 12-issue series starring the antihero known as The Shade! An attack at the Starman museum kicks off a globe-hopping, centuries spanning quest that will irrevocably change The Shade’s life, and ultimately shed light on his true origin! Artist extraordinaire Cully Hamner (RED) kicks off the series, and upcoming issues will feature art by such luminaries as Darwyn Cooke, Javier Pulido, Jill Thompson, Frazer Irving and Gene Ha!

How cool is that?!

Designing The New DCU At Comic-Con International

2011-07-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

So, DC just released their panel sked for Comic-Con, and despite saying I'd be skipping this year, turns out I'll be in San Diego after all. DC decided it'd be worthwhile to have me alongside DC's Co-publisher Jim Lee and DC's VP of Art Direction & Design Mark Chiarello to discuss the task of redesigning so many of DC characters (and sign at the DC booth, of course):

1:45-2:45 Designing the New DCU
Moderator: Bob Wayne EDITOR: Jim Lee
What does it take to remake a universe? There are new stories, new characters, and especially new designs! Join DC’s Co-Publisher Jim Lee, VP – Art and Design Mark Chiarello, exclusive artist Cully Hamner and others for a look as they discuss their visual approach to reshaping the DC Universe! Room 6DE

Now, I won't be sitting anywhere outside DC. Since this is on short notice, I'll have no booth or table space, and I won't be doing my normal, fully-realized commissions. I'll only be signing and doing quick sketches at DC, maybe a few portfolio reviews if anyone asks. I'll post DC's signing schedule as soon as I get it.

Anyway, can't wait to see you all there!

'Red' Producer Offers More Details On Sequel Plans

2011-06-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

Little bit o RED 2 news, via MTV Splashpage:

'Red' Producer Offers More Details On Sequel Plans

Posted 8 hrs ago by Rick Marshall in DC Comics, News, Wildstorm
Way back in January, we got word that a sequel was in the works for "Red," last year's well-received adaptation of Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner's comic book miniseries. After all, Helen Mirren is on board for another go-around as one of the greatest secret agents ever to wield a sniper rifle, so why not?
When MTV News snagged some time with "Red" producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura at the "Transformers: Dark Of The Moon" premiere, we asked him about his plans for "Red 2."
Tags: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

"We're trying to put it together," he told MTV News. "We just got a script and it's really good. We're all just now discussing how to put it all back together again."

"You know, it's so much fun to work with that much talent," said di Bonaventura of the first film's star-studded cast — which included Mirren, Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, and Richard Dreyfuss. "It's amazing how much people love that movie. It's caught us all off guard a little bit. We're all very proud of it, but it's over the top how much people love it. We want to go back and play with those characters, because it was so much fun to do it.""

As for what form the sequel will take, the producer indicated that fans can expect to see a mix of familiar faces and new characters in the sequel.

"I think the audience would be disappointed if we didn't bring back the crew, but we've got to freshen the crew," he explained. "We'll bring in one or two characters that'll play a really big part — maybe three, but definitely one or two."

"You know, Marvin and Frank and Sarah, you want to spend more time with those guys," he continued. "Sometimes there's a tendency to want to do too much of a good thing so you don't really service anything, so we're really trying to stay focused on our core crew with one or two new additions."

What would you like to see in a "Red" sequel? Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter! You can also follow me, Splash Page editor Rick Marshall, on Twitter!

NOW IT CAN BE TOLD: Redesigning The DCU

2011-06-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

I've had a secret for the last few months-- one that's excited me and challenged me creatively. There are times I thought I'd explode if I couldn't tell someone... but I managed. This is a business where the first thing out of most of your colleagues' mouths at conventions is "So, what are you working on?" As you might imagine, it's been tough to say enough of nothing to keep people from knowing that something was up.

But now it can be told: I've been playing a substantial role with DC Co-publisher Jim Lee, VP-Art Direction and Design Mark Chiarello, and pretty much the entire editorial staff from top to bottom, in redesigning and relaunching the DC Comics universe of characters. Not one or two characters, but dozens. And you know what? I've been enjoying the hell out of it-- not just the working on the characters, but working with the people.

The details of all this are still emerging, and will become more clear in the coming weeks. And I'll be at Comic-Con International at Jim's side to tell you more. For now, though, I'll just repost what Jim himself had to say over on DC's The Source blog:

Project: Up Up and Runway
Thursday, June 9th, 2011

By Jim Lee

Apollo/Cully Hamner
Months ago, when the decision was made to launch 52 new number ones, Co-Publisher Dan Didio, Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras along with DCU Executive Editor Eddie Berganza and VP-Art Direction and Design Mark Chiarello and I went over the entire proposed DCU lineup and bookmarked the characters we felt would benefit the most from a visual redesign. That initial list started at around 30 characters but quickly ballooned up as books got under way. Realizing the amount of time and effort it would take to complete the long list of designs, Mark Chiarello and I enlisted artist Cully Hamner onto the team, giving us not just another set of hands but another style altogether so we would have a variety of styles to literally draw from.

Cully, as many of you know, is a veteran artist with diverse professional experiences, one of the co-founders of Atlanta’s Gaijin Studios and also the co-creator of the WildStorm comic RED. He had also done a spectacular redesign of Blue Beetle some years back which Mark and DC loved so he was a natural choice for this project. Having known Cully both professionally and personally over the years, I knew his collaborative mindset and sheer creative skills would be perfect for this massive undertaking. Cully in particular took point in creating many of the designs you guys have seen debut in our staggered announcements, and his feedback and input and revisions on countless others were just as instrumental. On top of all this, there was the input provided by Mark Chiarello, a terrific artist in his own right, who gave countless notes and corralled all the images and feedback to make sure all the creators working on the titles had the information they needed and that every voice in this highly collaborative project was taken into account.

Deathstroke/Jim Lee
The entire redesign process was very organic in that every character’s final design came about in an entirely unique fashion. More often than not, Cully and I worked independently or in parallel but sometimes, we jammed together on the same set of designs. And of course, all the designs were shaped and refined by the input of a series editor, writer and artist. In the end, we wanted to make sure all the key creators on a title were satisfied with the final look of the characters as the creative teams were the ones who had to live with and draw the new looks on a near daily basis. For instance, on Birds of Prey, the design process started with initial sketches by the series artist Jesus Saiz which Cully and I then used to riff off of. After rounds of input and alterations, the near final looks were then tweaked by Jesus himself at the end. Or on a series like Teen Titans, Brett Booth contributed most of the designs and Cully and I served as sounding boards, tossing out suggestions and visual counterpoints as we hammered out the final looks almost in real time over massive email chains. And lastly, for other titles altogether, the series’ artists did all the designs and Mark and I just chimed in and signed off on the final approvals.

All in all, a huge project, one which only now is finally coming to light. On a reader level, we realize changing even the smallest detail of any character’s costume brings out the passion in every fan, but I thought it important to describe the process so you all knew the time and care and thought that was put into each and every redesign. In the end, while you may not always agree with the changes, at least you know they were not made lightly or without great effort.

Finally, I wanted to thank all the DC editors for their incredible patience and invaluable input and so many of the the creative teams for allowing Cully and me to jam along with you. It was definitely an honor.

Best,
Jim Lee
Co-Publisher
DC Comics

Mr. Terrific/Cully Hamner

I'll Be At HEROES AREN'T HARD TO FIND This Saturday!

2011-05-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys, don't forget that this Saturday is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! What's that, you ask? Free Comic Book Day is a single day - the first Saturday in May each year - when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away certain comic books absolutely FREE to anyone who comes into their stores. It's an awesome thing that promotes the medium and gives retailers a nice reason to have an event. A lot of stores also bring in creators to sign, and make a real party out of it.

Anyway, I'll be making my return after a three-year absence to the FCBD celebration at HEROES AREN'T HARD TO FIND in Charlotte, NC. I missed the last three FCBD's to various reasons beyond my control, but I'm back, baby. I'll be there with Chris Brunner, Ian Flynn, Sanford Greene, Jason Latour, Laura Martin, Rico Renzi, Budd Root, Bridgit Scheide, Chris Schweizer, Andy Smith, Brian Stelfreeze, and Matt Wilson-- signing books, running our yaps, and doing sketches for anyone who walks up. And I don't know about the other guys, but me? I won't charge you a cent.

So, if you're in Charlotte and you get a few minutes, please come on down to Heroes, get some free stuff, and maybe even buy a few things on your way out. Hope to see you there!

Blue Beetle on SMALLVILLE!

2011-04-06T06:17:00.000-07:00

The SMALLVILLE episode, "Booster," written by all-around good guy (and DC CCO) Geoff Johns, is imminent. It features not only the Booster Gold character that Dan Jurgens created, but Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle, created by Giffen, Rogers, and me. The episode airs on CW on April 22nd. Here's a gallery of what's to come:

Emerald City Comicon!!!

2011-02-24T16:05:00.000-08:00

You might be interested to know that I'll be appearing at Emerald City Comicon in Seattle March 4th-6th. I haven't been in a few years, but I'm told that it's gotten about ten times better even than it already was. Take a look at that guest list. This is gonna be a good one, folks...

Come see me!

RED: EYES ONLY Now Available For iPad!

2011-02-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

RED :EYES ONLY #1, the prequel comic I wrote and drew as a companion to Warren's and my original RED series (which in turn, of course, spawned a hit film just out on DVD and Blu-Ray), is now available for iPhone and iPad from DC Digital and Comixology.

Make with the clickie!

Hitting The Stores This Week!

2011-01-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

Couple of things hitting the shelves this week:

First up, on Tuesday, is the DVD/Blu-Ray release of the hit film RED, based on Warren Ellis' and my book of the same name. You can order it from Amazon, of course, but the Best Buy exclusive has a comic included.

Then, on Wednesday, at your local comics shop, you can get the trade paperback edition of THE QUESTION: PIPELINE, collecting the run of DETECTIVE COMICS co-features by Greg Rucka and myself. It's got not only all those stories, but a bunch of conceptual stuff I did. It's a nice-looking package, if I do say so myself, and you can order it from Amazon, as well.

In With The New.

2011-01-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

You may notice a new look on the blog here. Not sure if it's permanent, but since we're in a new year and a new decade, and since all the RED hoopla and related projects have come and gone, I decided to do something a little less, well, red. Obviously, the background is, for the moment, from my RED prequel, RED: Eyes Only, but as I'm cleared to talk about my next project, I'll be updating the look of this place. And I'll be sure to show some new stuff here and there, and maybe even talk more about my process.

Anyway, as far as what's up with me lately:

1) You can still get RED: Eyes Only at comics shops. It's basically some added backstory to the original RED, my 2003 comic with Warren Ellis, which was recently loosely adapted into a hit film with Bruce Willis. It's also one of the rare occasions that I've also written what I've drawn. It was nerve-wracking, but also fun. I'm variously told it'll show up digitally at some point on Comixology; that it's possibly going to be included as a printed preview in the packaging of the RED DVD; and that it might be included in some later collected edition of the original mini... but I have nothing firm on any of that. Keep your eye out, though.

I do know that it will be collected in April with the film-continuity prequels in a trade paperback called RED: BETTER R.E.D. THAN DEAD. While I think it'll probably lead to even more confusion as to what continuity it belongs to (FYI, it's a prequel to the comic and doesn't have much to do with the film), I'm gratified that DC is doing what it can to keep it in print.

2) I was flattered to see that Jeff Lemire and I were named as a "dream team" Blog@Newsarama would like to see tackle the original Captain Marvel character. It's nothing official, of course, but my love for that character dates back to when I was around five or so. It would be a dream job for me to be able draw him professionally, especially if he's being written by a guy like Jeff. So, thanks, Newsarama.

3) Something you probably don't know is that I was recently asked to extend my exclusive contract with DC, and I did. DC's an exciting place to be right now, as you might imagine, and I'm looking forward to another two years of fun projects.

That's all I can think of for now, but if you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them in the talkback below.

Popping The Cork

2010-12-31T07:32:00.000-08:00

It's been a wild ride, people.

2010, I mean. This year has been the busiest, most stressful, most harrowing year I've ever had-- and also the most exhilarating and satisfying.

Professionally, it's been just about my best ever. I had the last half of my run on "The Question" in DETECTIVE with my pal, Greg Rucka. I got to see RED, my book with Warren Ellis, turned into a feature film-- and a successful one, at that-- and along the way, and got to spend several days on the set and met celebrities and film people aplenty. I got to do press junkets and red carpets alongside them, which is definitely not a common occurrence in this job.

And I was able to expand my repertoire and creatively stretch myself a bit by writing and drawing a 40-page one-shot (RED: EYES ONLY, which just came out a couple of days ago to some good reviews). Other opportunities have presented themselves, as well. Can't talk about them just yet, but 2011 looks to be another good year.

(I've at times felt a little uncomfortable talking about how good this year has been, mainly because with the economy and all, it's been so bad for so many others. But I find that a lot of people have just been happy to hear that somebody out there has had some good fortune, so...)

Personally, it's been good, though with some downs, as you might expect. I could definitely have done without the worry that the illness of a close family member brings. Also, the frenetic pace of my work and the movie stuff in 2010 has meant that it's been very difficult to have the personal time that we all need. But Alisa, patient and understanding love-of-my-life that she is, has stuck by me every step of the way, even with her own load of job stress and crazy schedules. Movies and all that are great, but none of it would matter much without her, would it?

On both the personal AND professional front, it's no small thing that we closed the doors of Gaijin Studios in 2010. That studio had been a home to me in more ways than just professionally since 1992, and the people in it have been my family almost as much as my real one. It was bitterweet to walk away from it, but it felt like the right thing for all of us, under the circumstances. Of that last lineup-- Brian, Doug, Karl, Laura, and myself-- we're all still good buddies, and to be honest, I wouldn't be at all surprised if some sort of office/studio situation with some combination of Gaijinners got started again. But an unbroken run of nineteen years of a comic book studio with the same core of people has got to be some kind of record. It'll always be a very special chunk of my life.

I had thought that I might post a list of year-end acknowledgments, a tip of the hat to people who made my 2010 what it was. But as I began to do that, it became evident that, while there were those who did directly made an impact, there were many more who affected things indirectly just by virtue of having supported me over the years. That made the list very long, increased the chance of forgetting someone by a lot, and just would have been unfair to too many people. So, let me just throw out a blanket of thanks to all of these folks. I think you all probably know who you are.

So, HAPPY NEW YEAR, my friends. Let's be good to each other in 2011.

FINALLY! RED: EYES ONLY Prequel Released in North America

2010-12-28T19:03:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow's the day that my prequel to the original RED comic, RED: EYES ONLY (which I both wrote AND illustrated) hits the shelves. It's one of the last Wildstorm books EVER. Go and by it, if you know what's good for you!

And to celebrate this, I'll be appearing for two hours at Oxford Comics in Buckhead Atlanta. Details are below. I'd love it if you'd stop in.

The place:

Oxford Comics and Games
2855 Piedmont Road Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30305-2767
(404) 233-8682

The time:

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

The reason:

RED: EYES ONLY 40-page one-shot
Written & Illustrated by Cully Hamner

Emerald City Con Charity Piece

2010-12-16T18:23:00.000-08:00

I'll be at Seattle's Emerald City Comic Con in March-- a great show the one other time I've been, and from what I hear, it's only gotten bigger and better, with a TON of great guests. Anyhoo, con honcho (concho?) Jim Demonakos asked me to contribute a piece to their Monsters & Dames book, which raises money for the Seattle Children's Hospital. How could I say no to that?

So, here's what I did. Started with a li'l sketch, of course:

Penciled and inked version...

...And finally the finished colors.

It's really a worthy cause, so if you're going to be there at the show, please pick up one of these books.

Oh, and MANY thanks to Jim for so patiently putting up with the endless delays in my getting him this piece. :)

What A Crazy Morning.

2010-12-14T06:57:00.000-08:00

Got a sudden flurry of e-mails and texts all at once this morning-- apparently, the film version of RED has been nominated for a Golden Globe.

Crazy cap to a crazy year, but congrats all around to Summit, Warren, the producers, the writers, the director, and that wonderful cast...

Signing at OXFORD COMICS in Atlanta!

2010-12-13T10:54:00.000-08:00

I'll be doing a quick signing at Oxford Comics in Buckhead to celebrate the release of RED: EYES ONLY (which I both wrote AND illustrated) on Wednesday, the 29th, from 7PM to 9PM. It's a prequel to RED, the 2003 comic by Warren Ellis and myself which, in turn, was the basis for the recent hit movie of the same name. I'd love to sign a ton of these, so please come on out!

The place:

Oxford Comics and Games
2855 Piedmont Road Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30305-2767
(404) 233-8682

The time:

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

The reason:

RED: EYES ONLY 40-page one-shot
Written & Illustrated by Cully Hamner

Wizard World ATL This Weekend!

2010-12-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

So, I'll be at Wizard World Atlanta Comicon Saturday and Sunday, along with my old Gaijin pals Brian Stelfreeze and Karl Story. I've never done a Wizard show before, so let's make it a good one! I'll have art with me, and I'll be taking a VERY limited sketch list. I'll also have the complete RED: EYES ONLY to show off. It's not out quite yet, but you can get a peek.

Thankful.

2010-11-25T07:24:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't been around much lately, guys. I literally had to take myself down the rabbit hole to get Red: Eyes Only wrapped up (which should FINALLY be in stores in just a couple of weeks, by the way), and I haven't been very social or communicative on of off the web. This is sometimes how artists, writers, or creatives of any industry have to conduct themselves, you know.

I've had such a great year, really. And while no one's life is without complication or sadness, I'd be a nut if I didn't realize just how lucky I've been, and how good I have it. It's easy to get caught up in the negative-- this I know, believe you me. But one thing I've learned over the years is that concentrating on the positive in one's life makes it grow, no matter how much it's outweighed by whatever's not going right at the time. To commandeer a sentiment from a campaign that's been going around lately: It gets better. That has an incredible amount of resonance for me, personally, considering my life, say, five or ten years ago.

In any case, I just wanted to wish all of you a happy day of thanks, and remind you that you don't have to be American and/or religious to be thankful. Thankful to whom is up to you. Just be thankful.

2010-11-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

To clear up some confusion: I WILL be appearing at Wizard World Atlanta in December, after all. The original announcement was mistakenly posted before I had been asked, but now I have, so I'll be there.

I WILL NOT be appearing at Wizard World Austin this month. That announcement was also a mistake, and is completely erroneous.

Go Vote Today. No, REALLY. Go Vote.

2010-11-02T05:17:00.001-07:00

It's really, really important. And if you don't know where, look here:

http://yourfuckingpollingplace.com/

RED Carpet Interviews

2010-10-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

Somebody just sent me a couple of RED carpet interviews with ME-- and y'know, a few actors or something:

First one is here.

Second one is here.

By the way, RED is apparently doing very well, having made close to $45 Million bucks after about 10 days of release in the States. If you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for?

RED OPENS (And I Return From The Hollywood Premiere)

2010-10-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

It's been... well, "hectic" doesn't begin to describe the last week. Hell, it barely covers the last few months. But it all comes to fruition today with the release of RED, the feature film version of my and Warren Ellis' 2003 comic, starring Bruce Willis, Mary Louise Parker, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Karl Urban, Helen Mirren, and Helen Mirren's Guns. Oh, and Brian Cox. And a bunch of other recognizable actors.

I think that Warren and I have said all that can really be said about the movie at this point. The movie should really speak for itself, so please try and make it out to a theater for a big opening weekend!

In the meantime, over at Wildstorm's THE BLEED blog, I give the lowdown on my experience of the Hollywood premiere and the party that followed. Enjoy!

Cully's New York Comicon Schedule! UPDATED

2010-09-30T23:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been around much, people, but MAN, have I been busy. Too busy, really, to go to a con-- but courtesy of those fine folks at DC Entertainment, I'll be appearing at New York Comic Con 2010. Who am I to argue? And I'm hoping that, unlike my otherworldly experience this past San Diego Comicon, I can actually have a somewhat normal con this time.

In Artists Alley, I'll be at Table P-5. If you swing by and I'm not there, chances are I'm doing one of these things:

FRIDAY, OCT 8
12:30-1:30pm: SIGNING @ Hero Initiative booth
2:30-3:30pm: SIGNING @ DC booth

SATURDAY, OCT 9
12-1pm: SIGNING @ DC booth
1:15-2:15: PANEL – RED and other Astounding Tales (Room 1A24)

SUNDAY, OCT 10
1:30pm-2:30pm: SIGNING @ DC booth

I'll be doing my normal list of sketches (my list fills up fast, folks, so get there early-- if you e-mail me, I might even open up a few spots early!), plus I'll have some prints and such.

***Edit 10/6: My pre-show commission list is now closed! If I took any more, then walk-ups at the show would be out of luck, so... sorry!***

I'll be leaving just a little early on Sunday to catch a plane to the West Coast-- for the premiere of RED at Grauman's Chinese Theater. :)

Wildstorm, We Hardly Knew Ye...

2010-09-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

In the wake of the announcement yesterday of DC Entertainment's "realignment" plan that leaves its primary publishing in New York, it was also revealed that Wildstorm would cease to function as a publishing imprint, and most of its other operations (and staff, presumably) would be absorbed into DC's new Burbank digs on the Warner lot.

I have to admit that the full weight of what was happening took a day to really sink in, and multiple comment requests from comics news sources has caused me to fully consider just how much of my career has been associated with the place. The answer turned out to be more than I had really ever thought about, and I guess I also didn't realize that I'm somewhat identified as a Wildstorm guy. Not as much as some, obviously, but it's there. And you know what? I'm definitely cool with that.

Anyway, I don't know that I can do much better than my comment over on Comics Beat:

My history with Wildstorm goes back a ways—a LOT of memories are coming to me. I remember first visiting Homage Studios a couple of times back in the early ‘90s when I was still fresh to the business. I remember being asked by Jim Lee to do my first Wildstorm work, which was a pinup in one of the Swimsuit Specials (the first of many). I remember Fax Wars between Homage and Gaijin Studios, where I worked; late into the night, we’d send funny and offensive pictures to each other long before any of us had e-mail. I remember doing the STORMWATCH SPECIAL with Ron Marz for editor Bill Kaplan. I remember being on the phone what seemed like every day with my pal Sarah Becker, just making each other laugh. I remember Scott Dunbier honoring us Gaijinners by allowing us to celebrate by publishing a tenth anniversary book, the WILDSTORM SUMMER SPECIAL. It was the first time we’d packaged anything, and as I recall, I flew out to San Diego several days before the con to help John Layman put it to bed. I got to do a Jack Hawksmoor story with Warren Ellis, which had been a dream of mine. Did a bit of AUTHORITY stuff—those characters were so cool to draw. I remember drawing a giant Hawksmoor with a dying Sharpie on the wall of John Nee’s office, later inherited and preserved by my good friend Hank Kanalz. I remember being so happy for Hank when I found out that he’d been hired to run the place.

And RED, last but not least. Warren, Layman, and I got to work together again, and this was when I met Ben Abernathy, who picked up where Layman left off. I got a signature work out of the deal, something that is now always next to my name. And now, my prequel to it will be one of the last Wildstorm comics, I guess, just as the film version of the original book hits theaters. Weird.

This is the second big door closing this year for me, as Gaijin Studios also decided call it a day a few months ago, and even there, one of my final Gaijin studiomates was Laura Martin—a noted Wildstorm alum if there ever was one. I didn’t really put it together until this announcement, but really… the whole of my career is tied to that place in one way or another. But you know, some doors close, while others open. The name looks to be at an end, but Wildstorm was always made up of people, and people go on. So much history, so many friends– I thank them for my career and wish them all the best of luck.

I have to admit to a little trepidation, if only because I hope everyone gets to keep his or her job (or at least leave with a smile), but as the cliche goes, all good things must come to an end.

Wildstorm, by and large, was a very good thing.

New Interview At iFanboy

2010-09-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

Run on over to iFanboy for a new interview with me. In it, I talk about the movie RED, the comics prequel RED:EYES ONLY, and back-rubs.

Dragon*Con Is Upon Us!

2010-09-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

...is this weekend, folks. If you've ever been, then you know what it's all about; if you haven't... trust me, you have no idea. It's the weirdest, most unique, most interesting con out there, and part of that is comics. It's not often thought of as much, but check out the comics guests this year: Neal Adams, Mark Bagley, Mark Brooks, J. Scott Campbell, Olivier Coipel, Amanda Conner, Darwyn Cooke, Peter David, Paul Dini, Georges Jeanty, Paul Jenkins, Kelley Jones, Stan Lee, Joseph Michael Linsner, David Mack, Laura Martin, Mike McKone, Mike Mignola, Ted Naifeh, Jimmy Palmiotti, Jason Pearson, George Perez, Tim Sale, Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, William Stout, Koi Turnbull, Ethan Van Sciver, Dexter Vines... oh, yeah, and I'll be there, too! How many comics conventions would KILL for that guest list?

In any case, the Artists Formerly Known As Gaijin Studios will be trying something a little different at our booth this year. Given the work schedules we all have right now, we opted for less table space and an appearance schedule. Here it is:

Friday: Karl Story and Laura Martin
Saturday: Cully Hamner and Brian Stelfreeze
Sunday: Brian Stelfreeze and Karl Story
Monday: Cully Hamner and Laura Martin

Also, I'll be doing a couple of panels:

Comics2Film & Back2Comics Again
Time: Sat 10:00 am in Hanover F - Hyatt (60 min)
Description: What makes a hit and what makes a miss? Is there any way to take the box office success of some films and use it to broaden the audience for comics? Guests: Cully Hamner, Scott Allie, Mike Mignola, Darwyn Cooke, Jimmy Palmiotti

Seeing “Red”
Sun 04:00 pm in Hanover F - Hyatt (60 min)
Get the skinny on the new Red movie adapted from the hit comic book. Spend some time with co-creator Cully Hamner for previews and a few surprises.

So, come on down, and say hey, will ya?

RED Prequel Covers Revealed!

2010-08-26T12:52:00.000-07:00

Finally, I can show you guys the actor/character covers I did for the four RED movie prequels that Wildstorm's doing. There's one each for Frank (Bruce Willis, above), Marvin (John Malkovich), Victoria (Helen Mirren), and Joe (Morgan Freeman). I would have posted these a while ago, but the approvals process on movie tie-ins can sometimes be a little on the glacial side.

You can see the rest of them over at Slashfilm!

I WON'T Be At Baltimore Comicon, Unforunately... :(

2010-08-26T05:38:00.000-07:00

The post's title says it all, friends. I have way too much work to get done in way too little time, at this point. So I've decided to sit this year out. That should NOT stop you guys from going, though!

It's one of the best cons of the year, and my ol' comrades from Gaijin will be there to represent: Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, Laura Martin, and Doug Wagner. So drop by the table and tell them how much you wish they were me! ;)

Three Years.

2010-08-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

It's a little hard to accept that today it's been three whole years since we all lost our pal-- MY pal-- Mike Wieringo. You know how they say that there are certain events that are seared forever in your memory, and you'll always remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when they happened? People usually say Pearl Harbor, the JFK Assassination, and 9/11. For me, I'll always add the day I heard that Mikey had passed away. It was just devastating, as I'm sure you can imagine. And while I'm really pretty at peace with it now, I'm not sure I'll ever truly be over losing the guy-- even now, when posting the pic you see below, I still tear up a little. Mikey meant a lot to many, not least of which me. So much great stuff has happened with me over the last few years, and what still hurts is that I can't share it with him they way we used to share things.

Mikey, as ever, you are missed, my friend.

Not RED, But BLUE over at NEWSARAMA

2010-08-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

Blue Beetle, that is. The reactions of Jaime Reyes' creators (meaning Keith, John, and myself) to that BB test footage (below) you all saw in San Diego:

GIFFEN, ROGERS, HAMNER React To BLUE BEETLE On TV

By Vaneta Rogers

09 August 2010

It's not something that usually happens with brand new superheroes. Although the character was just created four years ago, Jaime Reyes has already been on TV as an animated character, is showing up this year in an episode of Smallville and might even get his own TV show.

As Geoff Johns said when he announced that DC Entertainment was exploring the possibility of a live action Blue Beetle show: "Thanks to the Blue Beetle series launched by Keith Giffen and John Rogers with a great design by Cully Hamner, Jaime Reyes rocks. Great character, great story, great look. He's already appeared in animation, had action figures, and right now he's on my computer in live-action glory."

Because of his position as the chief creative officer at DC, Johns was able to share some early test footage done to see how Jaime would look on screen. Stills were released first, then DC shared the full video with fans (still available to view here).

While fans have reacted enthusiastically, Newsarama checked with the character's creators to see what they thought of the live action effects. And the response was just as positive.

"What I saw of it looked cool. Actually, it looked straight off the pages I drew! Right?" said Jaime's artistic designer Hamner, who also drew the Red mini-series that is being released this fall as a movie. "Even the actor they had looked like Jaime — perhaps just slightly older than what I pictured, but still amazingly close. I mean, even his bedroom. How weird is that? It was just a test, as I understand it, so I can’t wait to see what it looks like when they do it for real."

Giffen, who came up with the original character concept, said he also thought the actor chosen for the test looked ideal. "This is going to sound really, really funny, because I'm sure that's just a guy they got to do the test, but man... I saw that guy and I thought, 'Yeah! That's Jaime!'" he said. "It looks good. And I certainly wish the character all the luck in the world. But I really think when he appears on Smallville or if he goes into his own show, if it's not the same guy, I'm going to feel a little disappointed!'"

Jaime is not the first Blue Beetle (he's actually the third), having replaced his deceased predecessor, Ted Kord. He was created when then-editorial VP Dan DiDio approached Giffen in 2005 and asked him to come up with the next Blue Beetle.

"When I sat down with DiDio, he threw the name Blue Beetle at me and said, 'What would you do with it?' And I came up with the whole Jaime idea, with a family in El Paso and his crew," Giffen explained. "And then Cully came along and designed that costume and made it a really sharp-looking superhero suit, and John Rogers, as my writing partner on the book, really helped flesh out these characters and make them 3-D."

The Mexican-American character debuted in 2006 within the pages of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis, then got a spin-off of his own ongoing title, Blue Beetle, which lasted 36 issues. Giffen, Rogers and Hamner were the creative team when the comic was launched.

According to Rogers, a TV writer who created the current TNT show Leverage, Jaime has the type of look and cast that would play well on television.

"The test looked good for an early test, but I'd say the more encouraging thing is that Jaime as a character plays well even in that brief scene. As a 15-year veteran of TV, I know that not just Jaime, but his whole family would be a great ensemble capable of carrying a show," he said. "Smallville is a great place to take the character for a test run."

"I always thought this would make a great TV show because it's so rooted in kids being kids," Giffen said of the concept behind Blue Beetle. "They weren't superhuman."

At first, Jaime was a reluctant superhero. An alien scarab grafted itself onto his spine and turns into the Blue Beetle suit that gives Jaime a number of powers, including flight. And according to Giffen, the character's suit was depicted almost exactly like it was in the comic.

"My main fear, when I heard they were doing a Blue Beetle test, is that it would be something like Shazam, where Jaime stands there and flexes his muscle and the suit comes on him heroically," Giffen said. "But it was done almost like we did it when we revealed that the character's costume is attached to his spine, painful and frightening. I love that they put in the coda with a little sister too.

"How great is it, by the way, to see a character done on TV or in the movies and it's actually his comic book costume? No muscle suit, no screwing around with it, because people look really crappy in spandex," Giffen said. "I was really pleased with it."

The creators said Smallville also seems like a perfect fit for Jaime, since he's already a young DC hero and doesn't need to be changed to fit the storyline as the show introduces more and more of the comic book universe.

"I’m all for it. Why not?" Hamner said. "I have to admit, I’m not a regular watcher of the show, but the bits and pieces I have seen the last year or two make think that it’s actually evolving into more of a straight super-hero show. I mean, we’ve seen... what, Green Arrow, Aquaman, the JSA? I’m hearing rumors about the Superman we all know finally appearing, too. So, I’m all for Blue Beetle making an appearance and being a part of the DCU on TV."

Giffen said his one caution for the makers of Smallville is to treat Jaime like just another teenage superhero and not an ethnic superhero.

"Blue Beetle was a deliberate attempt to do an ethnic character that did not traffic in his ethnicity," Giffen said. "It wasn't about being Mexican-American. It was about being Jaime. I hope they can capture that and not turn it into some kind of issue-oriented show... something like, 'tonight on Smallville, Superboy deals with immigration!' No, that's not what Blue Beetle is about. But I was really pleased with this test, so I'm hopeful they understand the character."

All the creators were proud they were involved with the creation of a character who has gotten so much attention over the four years since he first appeared in comics.

"Of course I'm very proud that a character Keith, Cully and I created seems to have the mix of fun and depth necessary to work in different mediums," Rogers said.

"And you know, if they need anything from me at all, all they have to do is whistle," Hamner said with a laugh.

"If it goes someplace, great! Fantastic! I'd love to see what happens," Giffen said. "And if it doesn't go someplace? I have this great test footage in my computer, and I can keep going back to it to see what might have been."

New Interview

2010-08-03T15:04:00.000-07:00

There's an interview over on Newsarama that I did several weeks back. I talk mainly about RED: EYES ONLY, and the daunting prospect of writing and drawing a project.

Go and check it out!

Also, just for the hell of it, check out this character sheet for the younger Paul Moses:

What's "Bruno Frank" all about, you ask? You gotta read the book to find out. ;)

Apologies, My Friends...

2010-07-31T17:04:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to apologize to anyone who came by the Big Wow booth at Comic-Con last week looking for me. All I can say in my defense is that it was my first San Diego con as a DC-exclusive guy (which meant way more signings than I've done before), and my first as someone with a big feature film that I'd committed to help promote-- I had to be somewhere pretty much every couple of hours and I had WAY more people vying for my attention than I'm used to. I really just had absolutely no idea of the demands on my time that would happen this year. I spent a pretty negligible amount of time at the booth, and felt just awful about it. Things should be back to normal next year, I'm sure.

Anyway, you have my sincere apologies. Hope you guys give me another shot next year.

My Year Is Turning RED.

2010-07-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

Just noticed that DC's full solicitations for October just went online, and the cat is now out of the bag. My next project is RED: EYES ONLY, a 40-page prequel to the 2003 mini-series by Warren Ellis and myself. Not sure why it's not in the online solicit, but that's the title. Anyway, on this one, I'm both writing AND drawing it! Here's the cover:

Also, as a tie-in with the upcoming Summit Entertainment film adaptation of RED starring Bruce Willis, Wildstorm is releasing four comic book prequels to the movie. I did the covers for all of them, based on the movie posters, which I'll show you as soon as I get the all-clear.

UPDATED: Cully's Full REVISED San Diego Comic-Con Schedule!

2010-07-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21

7-8pm: SIGNING @ DC Entertainment booth (#1915)

THURSDAY, JULY 22

2:15-3:15pm: PANEL – Summit Entertainment presents RED with stars Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Mary Louise Parker, Karl Urban; director Robert Schwentke; graphic novel creators Warren Ellis, Cully Hamner (Hall H)

Please note that I will not be signing at DC on Thursday from 4-5PM, after all, nor will I be at the Big Wow Art booth that entire day, due to commitments elsewhere. The balance of my schedule, however, remains unchanged. -CH

FRIDAY, JULY 23

10-11:30am SIGNING @ Hero Initiative booth (#5003)

3-4pm: SIGNING @ DC Entertainment booth (#1915)

SATURDAY, JULY 24

4-5pm: SIGNING @ DC Entertainment booth (#1915)

SUNDAY, JULY 25

12-1pm: PANEL – DC/WildStorm Focus on RED: the Comic Book with co-creator Cully Hamner, RED screenwriters Erich & Jon Hoeber, writer Doug Wagner, DC SVP/Creative Affairs Gregory Noveck, Wildstorm VP & General Manager Hank Kanalz, and others (Room 4)

2:30-3:30pm: SIGNING @ DC Entertainment booth (#1915)

Outside of these specific times, I’ll be home-based at the Big Wow Art booth (#4902). I'll be taking a very limited number of sketch request starting Wednesday, possibly Friday if there are still spots open. If you'd like to buy original art (including pages from
RED), my art rep, Randy Martin, will be at the Mighty Fine Art booth (#4405).

2010-07-09T18:08:00.001-07:00

Reposted from The Beat:

Cully Hamner will be on the RED panel

POSTED ON Jul 09 2010 AT 7:36 pm BY The Beat

As the SD10 schedule drifts out, the big movie panels are shaping up and one of the biggest comic book movies at this year’s show is surely RED, based on the Warren Ellis/Cully Hamner mini series. Dame Helen Mirren,Bruce Willis, Mary Louise Parker and Karl Urban will all be on the Hall H panel for RED as will creator Warren Ellis and director Robert Schwentke. But in the excitement, it was noted that one person was missing, artist Hamner.

Some deemed this a snub, although there have certainly been lots of comics creators who have been left off the big Hall H panels when their movies were discussed– Several years ago Steve Lieber couldn’t even get in to the Whiteout panel due to over-zealous security — but it is a bit of a sad comment on our times.

Hamner has remained silent in the hubbub, but via twitter he has just announced a VERY happy and appropriate outcome:

Hokay. This is going to be a tweet in a few parts, so please bear with me. Re: the RED SDCC panel/Where’s Cully brouhaha from yesterday, some of you may have noticed how quiet I was on the subject all day. I was basically trying to keep my trap shut until I knew what was happening, first, & how (or whether) it would resolve itself before I said anything. Certainly didn’t expect such a clamor & I surely do appreciate that people cared so much that I be on the thing. It really meant a lot that so many of you felt that it was important. Thank you! Anyhoo, I’ve been in contact with Summit, & as I understand it, it was an oversight in that the announcement of the SDCC sked had to go out on that day & Summit had not yet been able to finalize the details yet. It was unfortunate, but just one of those things where everything happens at once and gives the wrong impression. So I just wanted everyone who made the effort to have me there (to know) that I WILL BE ON THE PANEL with everyone else. The problem/misunderstanding/whatever has been resolved. It’ll be probably my only comment on this, so you heard it from the horse’s mouth. Thanks, everybody!

One more thing: After all this hubbub, let’s make it a FULL ROOM, okay? ;)

With the happy ending unfolding, and Hamner’s word of wisdom ready to entertain the 6,500 strong crowd in Hall H, it’s a sure sign that studios are getting always more savvy about keeping th ecreatros in the loop — it just looks too crappy when they don’t.

All's well that ends well. :)

Happy Independence Day (And Hey, Look: Art For A Change)!

2010-07-04T06:53:00.000-07:00

A few years back, Heroes Con (my favorite convention, BTW) was held on the Fourth Of July weekend, and a bunch of us did a portfolio to commemorate that and raise money for the show. So, below is the piece that I did with my fellow Gaijinner, inker Karl Story. Thought you might like to see it:

The intent was to remind people that so many have sacrificed for this country over the years, from Independence to now. Maybe we lose our way from time to time, but the ideals are always worth fighting for.

UPDATED AGAIN: RED Trailer & Official Site Now Online!

2010-06-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

A little bird has informed me to keep my eye on tonight's Entertainment Tonight (see local listings) and on Yahoo Movies for the premiere of the RED trailer...

***Update*** RED trailer can now be seen right here!

***Update #2*** And now, the official site of the movie is now online!

Heroes Con This Weekend!

2010-06-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

Hey, I'll be at Heroes Con in Charlotte this weekend! I'll be doing sketches and selling prints! Come say hello!

More Cully Convention Dates!

2010-05-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

On the heels of my San Diego announcement, it occurred to me that I haven't let anyone know any of my other upcoming con dates. I guess I always just assume that people already know I'll be at some of these shows every year ('cause I pretty much am, right?), but in case you don't, here's the full rundown for the rest of the year:

Heroes Con 2010, Charlotte, NC, June 4-6. This one holds a special place in my heart, guys, and it's right around the corner, timewise. The nicest, most fan-friendly show in the country, bar none, put on by people who LOVE comics.

Comic-Con International, San Diego, CA, July 21-25. This was, of course, the subject of my previous post, but I include it here for the sake of completeness. This is the big one, as I'm sure you know, and I'll be there not only to promote my upcoming projects with DC, but to help promote the upcoming Red feature film starring Bruce Willis.

Baltimore Comic-Con, Baltimore, MD, August 28-29. Another show I just love, put on by a great group of people.

Dragon*Con, Atlanta, GA, September 3-6. I live in Atlanta, so this is my hometown show. A weirder, wilder con weekend you will not find-- you won't know what I'm talking about unless you go.

New York Comic Con, New York, NY, October 8-10. My first one was last year's show, and I enjoyed it (even though I got REALLY sick). I'm betting this year will be more fun for me...!

That takes care of 2010. However, since they just announced it, I'll go ahead and include:

Emerald City Comicon, Seattle, WA, March 4-6, 2011. I went to this show a few years back-- what a great show! I hear it's gotten even better.

Hope you can come out and see me at one of these!

Cully @ COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL In Sunny San Diego!

2010-05-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

FYI, I'll definitely be attending Comic-Con this year, July 22-25, 2010 in San Diego, CA! I'll definitely be doing time at both the DC Comics and Summit Entertainment booths, but mostly I'll be home-basing at the Big Wow Art booth, along with some AMAZING artists, like Dan Brereton, Ted McKeever, Brandon Peterson, Frank Cho, Doug Sneyd, Travis Charest, Ernie Chan, Linda Tran, Leinel Yu, Jason Eden, Wade Furlong, and Liam Sharp. If you're looking to get me to sign something, or to get a sketch, a print, a sketchbook, or even just to say hi, that's where you can find me! See you there!

What I DON’T Want In A Superman Movie

2010-05-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

Every year, we get ebbs and flows of information about what’s happening with producing a Superman movie, who rumored to be in the cast, and whatnot—just today I say that Billy Zane is rumored to be playing Lex Luthor.

For some reason, it tends to be different iterations of the same stuff. It’s like there’s an equation that the people who work on these things accept as the only way to translate the Man of Steel to the silver screen. Almost all of them are things of which I’m tired and just don’t want to see any more. To wit:

• Superman’s origin: We know it already. We get it. IT’S THE MOST FAMOUS ORIGIN STORY ON THE PLANET—except for maybe The Nativity. We DON’T. Need to SEE IT. AGAIN. At best, it should be covered quickly in a credits sequence, a la Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk (which I liked, actually). Say what you will about that movie, but that was one thing it got right.

• Krypton: …And Kryptonians and Kryptonite. Like the origin story, this is all played out. Look there’s more to be done with the character than to have him constantly looking backwards to the past. Just about everything that seems to get proposed with this character on film has to do with Krypton. There are other, non-Kryptonian villains who can give him a run for his money, and there are other ways to physically challenge him. Brainiac (the non-Kryptonian version)? The Parasite? Doomsday? Intergang? Hell, even the Toyman and Mister Mxyzptlk would different—maybe even cool if given the right coat of paint. Which leads me to…

• Villains who are versions of Superman himself: I guess this includes my rant above about Kryptonians, but it’s certainly not limited to it. In Superman: The Movie, the hero struggled with Luthor. Fine, fine—it was the first major production featuring the character, so they can be forgiven for recounting his origin and including his most famous enemy (even a watered-down version of him). They got so much more right than wrong. But in Superman II, The Man of Tomorrow fought three Kryptonians with similar powers; in Superman III, he split into good and evil counterparts, who then fought each other; in Superman IV, he fought Nuclear Man—a guy with a cape and roughly analogous powers. Sensing a pattern? Three out of the last five movies, folks. Again, there are other villains. I’m not saying they shouldn’t be powerful, but do they have to be just like Superman?

• Lex Luthor: Even more prevalent than Superman-like villains, he has been in four of the last five Superman movies, plus every TV show based on the character. There are other villains, guys—a lot of them! Luthor should be the special one, the one man Superman can’t totally beat. He’s the one you use sparingly. Oh, and when you do use him, lose the obsession with real-estate, okay?

• Christ allegory: Yes, yes, I get the similarity—Jor-El sends his only son from the heavens to Earth, where he is raised in humble surroundings, and grows up to be a beacon for Truth and Justice and an example to humanity. But you know what? Jesus didn’t have a secret-identity, super-strength, or frigging heat-vision. I don’t want a peaceful, aloof, and remote Superman. I want a man of the people who has a crush on a girl he works with, and who is sometimes called upon to lift and punch big, heavy things. And giant robots. And monsters.

• A Superman who can do anything he wants as soon at it occurs to him: A hero without limits, without struggle, is not a hero at all. This is a simple, basic rule to follow, and since Superman is supposed to be the greatest hero of them all, he shouldn’t be exempt. He shouldn’t be able to lift anything he wants, or fly as fast as he wants. He shouldn’t be creating new powers to fit the situation, a la Superman IV’s wall-rebuilding vision or Superman II’s inexplicable cellophane S-insignia-orang (or whatever the hell that was). He shouldn’t be able to just ignore power-sapping Kryptonite when it’s story-convenient, as Superman Returns. And as much as I love Superman: The Movie, he shouldn’t be able to open the can of worms that turning back time to get what you want has to be. If you go back and look at those great old Fleischer Superman cartoon shorts, you can see Superman struggle when he lifts something heavy or rips open a steel door. Superman is still mortal, and subject to nature, even when he’s much more able to defy it than the rest of us.

I’m sure there are more, but those are my biggies. I still hold out hope that new DC film mogul Christopher Nolan, who took Batman so seriously and give him a... a heft he’s never had on film before, will look inside the character more than others who have stewarded him. Were there things I wish he hadn't done with Batman? Sure. Were there things I wish he had done? Of course. But one can't argue with the overall. And maybe like Superman himself, I’m an optimist.

Gaijin-to The Sunset...

2010-04-29T23:17:00.000-07:00

Well, today is it: The last day of Gaijin Studios, at least for the immediate, foreseeable future. This place, this group, has been a defining part of my life for the last 18 years. It's a cliche most of the time, but the phrase "end of an era" really does apply here for me. But, hey, even though we're closing the doors, I think I'll always be able to say "Ich bein ein Gaijinner." :)

Anyway, once more, I'd like to tip my hat to those I've been lucky enough to know and work next to all these years: Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, Adam Hughes, Dave Johnson, Jason Pearson, Tony Harris, Georges Jeanty, Jason Martin, Joe Phillips, Rick Mays, Kelsey Shannon, Stine Walsh, Tony Shasteen, Laura Martin, and Doug Wagner (whom I've actually known the longest-- almost a quarter of a century!). Great and talented folks, all.

ALERT! Free Comic Book Day @ Heroes!

2010-04-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

I'll be at Heroes Aren't Hard To Find in Charlotte, NC for this year's Free Comic Book Day, alongside these stellar folks:

MARK BROOKS (Amazing Spider-Man)
CHRIS BRUNNER (Legends of the Dark Knight, Loose Ends)
NATHAN EDMONDSON (The Light, Olympus)
IAN FLYNN (Sonic the Hedgehog)
ADAM HUGHES (Wonder Woman, Tomb Raider)
JASON LATOUR (Loose Ends, The Expatriate)
BUDD ROOT (Cavewoman)
ANDY SMITH (Nevermore, Superman Confidential)
ALLISON SOHN (Lord of the Rings: Evolution)
BRIAN STELFREEZE (Batman, The Ride)
TOM LYLE (Amazing Spider-Man)
SANFORD GREENE (Wonder Girl, Method Man)

I had the misfortune to miss the last couple of FCBD's due to unforeseen circumstances. Fingers crossed for this one, and I hope to see you all there!

Day 2 On The Set Of RED...

2010-04-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

Man, today was a long day, but I was introduced to John Malkovich, Mary Louise Parker, and Karl Urban; got to casually chat here and there with Bruce Willis, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and director Robert Schwentke, all very pleasant guys, along with tons of really nice folks with the production; had a long conversation with Willis' stunt double, Stuart, who's a fascinating guy; sat for interviews w/ foreign press and DVD people; and just generally made note of the fact that feature film crews work really, really hard.

So, Today Was A Good Day...

2010-04-05T18:34:00.001-07:00

...To be in New Orleans:

So, Yeah, It's True: Gaijin Is Taking A Break...

2010-04-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

...For at least a little while, and no, it's not an April Fool's joke.

Change is in the air, and after almost twenty years— can you believe it?— Gaijin Studios has decided to take a break.

It’s for a couple of reasons. The fact is that Doug and Karl are both moving on to different living situations too far away to reasonably commute, and Brian, Laura, and I are left with just too much office to be economically feasible for us. So, to that end, we’ve decided to take a hiatus and work from our individual homes for at least six months, with a hopeful eye toward possibly reconvening as a studio later this year or the next. No drama, we're all still tight and all-- we'll probably all still try and sit together at cons.

But whatever happens next... wow, nineteen years. I don't have proof, but my sense is that it may be a record for this kind of place. How many freelancers could keep a studio together that long? I mean, people have come and gone, obviously, but a core group has remained for all that time. If you're curious, here's a list of the people who have made this place something special over the years: Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, Adam Hughes, Dave Johnson, Jason Pearson, Tony Harris, Georges Jeanty, Jason Martin, Joe Phillips, Rick Mays, Kelsey Shannon, Stine Walsh, Tony Shasteen, Laura Martin, Doug Wagner, and me. Quite a roster, wouldn't you say?

Anyway, I won't call it an end to anything but a chapter. After all, who knows what the future holds?

Rest In Peace, Dick Giordano (1932-2010)

2010-03-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

I was very, very sorry to see this today, over on Bob Layton's Facebook:

Dear Friends & Colleagues, It is my sorrowful duty to announce that legendary artist/editor/entrepreneur Dick Giordano passed away today, due to complications from pneumonia. Few could ever hope to match what he accomplished in his chosen profession, or to excel while maintaining great humor, compassion for his peers and an unwavering love for the art form.

Dick Giordano was such a fantastic guy: Great artist, great mentor to artists and writers, great editor, great everything. He just set the standard. He was in his last year or two as Executive Editor up at DC when I was just starting, and was always so kind to me. He and his aide de camp Pat Bastienne made DC such a warm place be when they were there, and it was never quite the same after they left.

After his retirement from DC, he always remembered to stop by and say hello when we were at the same con, and I never lost my awe of him. His work remained solid to the end-- see his recent Jonah Hex issue for proof.

There's just a giant hole in this business right now. Vaya con dios, Uncle Dick.

GLAAD honors DETECTIVE COMICS as Outstanding Comic Book

2010-03-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

Hey, check it out:

GLAAD honors DETECTIVE COMICS as Outstanding Comic Book

Monday, March 15th, 2010

By Alex Segura

This past Saturday, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation took a moment to honor writer Greg Rucka and artists J.H. Williams III and Cully Hamner’s work on DETECTIVE COMICS’ Batwoman by naming the book the year’s “Outstanding Comic Book” at their 21st Media Awards, held in New York City.

A description of the awards, from the GLAAD site: “The GLAAD Media Awards elevate and promote fair, accurate and inclusive stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues, people and allies that have increased awareness, understanding and respect for the lives of LGBT people. The GLAAD Media Awards also fund GLAAD’s work to amplify stories of LGBT people and issues that build support for equality.”

Congratulations to Greg, J.H. and the entire team behind Batwoman’s adventures for this much-deserved honor.

Feeling honored to be a part of this book. :)

DC's New Executive Team: DiDio, Lee, & Johns

2010-02-18T11:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know how lame I am. I've repeatedly sworn to be better at updating this blog and posting more art. I've just been incredibly busy, and during what little non-work time I've had, I'm just mush. Hopefully, I can make good on my repeated promises soon.

Anyway, the BIG news today-- in comics, anyway-- is that Dan DiDio and Jim Lee have both been named as Paul Levitz's successors as Co-Publishers of DC Comics, and that Geoff Johns has been named as Chief Creative Officer. And you know what? I think it's good news. They're all three pretty great guys-- and although I'd say it's Dan I know best, both Jim and Geoff have never been anything but the nicest of guys to me, and they're impressive creative talents to boot. Also, I think it's pretty cool and rare that we have an artist as a publisher. Correct me if I'm wrong, but DC hasn't had that since... what, Carmine Infantino, over thirty years ago?

So, congrats to all three guys. With Dan, Jim, and Geoff running the joint, it's going to be fun for everybody.

RED Set Photos!

2010-01-21T11:36:00.000-08:00

Some shots (via The HSX Dude) from the set of RED, now shooting in Toronto, with Bruce Willis and Mary Louise Parker:

Couple Of Quick One-Cheek Sneaks...

2010-01-18T12:42:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been AWOL lately. A couple of things have been going on that I can tell you about:

First, as of last Monday, principal photography on the film version of RED was underway. Today, Summit made it official with this press release. And I'm trying to nail down a set visit sometime over the next month or so, as is Warren, I noticed. It'd be nice if we could be up there at the same time, wouldn't it?

Second, DETECTIVE COMICS has been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Best Comic Book. Hearty congrats to Greg and J.H. (and to DC, for not only being brave enough to star not one, but two LGBT characters in their flagship book, and for really getting behind it).

New Interview!

2010-01-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

There's a new interview with me over at CBR/Robot 6 about The Question in Detective Comics, Red, and a bunch of other stuff. You'll want to go to there.

TREK's Urban in RED?

2009-12-22T17:29:00.000-08:00

Mania.com (via MTV) thinks so:

'Star Trek' Actor Karl Urban To Join 'Red'?
by Blair Marnell

Director Robert Schwentke’s adaptation of Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner’s “Red” already boasts an impressive lineup of stars including Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, John C. Reilly and Mary-Louise Parker. However, a report has surfaced naming Karl Urban as the latest addition to the cast.

According to Mania.com, Urban will portray a character named “Cooper.” The report also states that Julian McMahon will play the Vice President of the United States and that Ernest Borgnine and Richard Dreyfuss have officially signed on to the film — reiterating an earlier report of their involvement.

Urban is well known among genre fans for his roles in “The Chronicles of Riddick”, “The Lord of the Rings” series and his turn as Doctor McCoy in last summer’s “Star Trek.” If the report is confirmed, then “Red” will be Urban’s second comic book related film of 2010 following the release of “Priest.”

Originally published in 2003 as a three-issue miniseries by Wildstorm, “Red” follows a retired black ops agent as he is targeted for assassination by his former agency.

Much has been written about Schwentke’s “lighter” approach for the adaptation of “Red” . However, Ellis recently spoke out about why the decisions were made to change the tone and expand the story with a larger cast of characters.

“Red” is scheduled to begin shooting next month with a recently announced release date of October 22, 2010.

RED FAQ: Now Even MORE Updated AGAIN!!!

2009-12-18T00:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, here's what I know (which is probably what a lot of you already know):

1) RED, the 2003 comic by Warren Ellis and me, is going to be a feature film from Summit Entertainment, and produced by Lorenzo diBonaventura and Mark Vahradian. The writers are Jon and Erich Hoeber, and the director is Robert Schwentke.

2) The announced cast, as of today, is headed by Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, and Helen Mirren. I'm sure there are others, but to my knowledge, they haven't yet been revealed. *Update 11/5* Hollywood Reporter has added Weeds' Mary Louise Parker and Walk Hard's John C. Reilly. *Update 11/13* HR has now also added Julian McMahon, Ernest Borgnine, Richard Dreyfuss and Brian Cox. *Update 12/15* Actor James Remar has been added to the cast. *Update 12/21* According to Mania.com, STAR TREK'S Karl Urban joins the cast.

3) The film starts shooting in Toronto on January 11th, 2010, and will continue in Louisiana.

4) The release date has previously been reported November 19th, 2010. Summit has now officially pegged the release for a month earlier, on October 22nd. 2010.

5) No, I am not involved in the production. I'm angling for a set visit, though. We'll see.

6) Yes, I'm aware that there apparently going to be changes to our original story, and no, I'm not angry about it. It was a tight little comic, perfect for its format, but frankly, I don't see how it can be adapted to film without some revision. It's in the way that it's done, and I won't judge until I've seen what they're gonna do.

So, there you have it. I'll update the FAQ periodically, as various folks continue to send info my way.

James Remar Cast In RED

2009-12-15T12:57:00.000-08:00

Just in from Variety:

JAMES REMAR JOINS RED

By Justin Kroll

James Remar ("Dexter") has been cast in Summit Entertainment's "Red." Remar joins Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, John C. Reilly and Mary-Louise Parker in the film about a black-ops agent played by Willis now in retirement, who has to contend with younger more high-tech assassins who show up to kill him.

Cool. I always liked that guy.

Ellis On RED...

2009-12-08T14:33:00.000-08:00

Warren has posted some thoughts on the soon-to-shoot film adaptation of our graphic novella, RED.

Haven't yet had the time to read the latest draft of the Hoeber Bros.'s script for the film, as Warren has, but I'm hoping to get around to it this weekend. If I have any stray opinions that don't violate the script's confidentiality, I'll try to post 'em.

DETECTIVE COMICS #859 IS OUT NOW

2009-11-24T09:46:00.000-08:00

Some preview pages of the Question from DETECTIVE COMICS #859 (out in comics shops TODAY in North America) are over on DC's The Source blog. You'll want to go to there.

Go out and buy the thing so you'll have something to read tomorrow after dinner!

And The RED Stars Keep On Comin'...!

2009-11-13T06:47:00.000-08:00

This is shaping up to be a really stunning cast. From HOLLYWOOD REPORTER:

McMahon, Borgnine, Dreyfuss and Cox Join Red

November 13, 2009

Julian McMahon, Ernest Borgnine, Richard Dreyfuss and Brian Cox are in negotiations to join the all-star cast of “Red,” Summit's adaptation of the Wildstorm/DC Comics miniseries being directed by Robert Schwentke.

“Red” tells the tale of a former black ops agent (Bruce Willis), now in retirement, who has to contend with younger, more high-tech assassins who show up to kill him.

McMahon would play a Vice President with a dark side who is at the center of a shadow conspiracy.

Borgnine will play the keeper of the CIA’s darkest records, while Dreyfuss will be a wealthy man who builds a fortune out of lucrative government contracts. Cox is a former Cold War spy and nemesis of Willis.

The actors join a cast that includes Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, John C. Reilly and Mary Louise Parker.

Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian are producing, while DC’s Gregory Noveck exec produces with Jake Myers. Jon and Erich Hoeber wrote the script. The film is scheduled to begin shooting early next year.

McMahon is best known for starring in FX’s “Nip/Tuck.” The actor, repped by UTA and ROAR, also played Dr. Doom in Fox’s “Fantastic Four” movies.

“Red” marks the 92-year-old Borgnine’s first role in a major feature in quite some time; the Oscar winner and Bensky Entertainment-repped actor has been appearing in Hallmark movies such as “A Grandpa for Christmas” and making TV appearances for the past decade.

ICM-repped Dreyfuss next appears in “Piranha 3-D,” which is due to bow this spring, while Cox, repped by IFA Talent and Insight, can be heard in “Fantastic Mr. Fox.”

RED FAQ.. OK? UPDATED

2009-11-01T17:22:00.001-08:00

Okay, here's what I know (which is probably what a lot of you already know):

1) RED, the 2003 comic by Warren Ellis and me, is going to be a feature film from Summit Entertainment, and produced by Lorenzo diBonaventura and Mark Vahradian. The writers are Jon and Erich Hoeber, and the director is Robert Schwentke.

2) The announced cast, as of today, is headed by Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, and Helen Mirren. I'm sure there are others, but to my knowledge, they haven't yet been revealed. *Update 11/5* Hollywood Reporter has added Weeds' Mary Louise Parker and Walk Hard's John C. Reilly. *Update 11/13* HR has now also added Julian McMahon, Ernest Borgnine, Richard Dreyfuss and Brian Cox.

3) The film starts shooting in Toronto on January 11th, 2010, and will continue in Louisiana.

4) The release date is November 19th, 2010.

5) No, I am not involved in the production. I'm angling for a set visit, though. We'll see.

6) Yes, I'm aware that there apparently going to be changes to our original story, and no, I'm not angry about it. It was a tight little comic, perfect for its format, but frankly, I don't see how it can be adapted to film without some revision. It's in the way that it's done, and I won't judge until I've seen what they're gonna do.

So, there you have it. I'll update the FAQ periodically, as various folks continue to send info my way.

The Question in DETECTIVE COMICS #859

2009-10-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

New preview pages are up over at DC's THE SOURCE blog. You'll want to go to there!

"Con Wars?" Try Con Diplomacy...

2009-10-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

Take note. This is how grown-ups do it:

Heroes Con & Supercon make Con Love, not Con War

Posted on October 26, 2009 - 10:45 AM by Sean T. Collins

Not every comic-convention conflict has to end in tears. So Heroes Con organizer and Heroes Aren't Hard to Find retailer Shelton Drum discovered when he ran into a seemingly unavoidable scheduling overlap with Florida Supercon, the Miami-based show organized by Mike Broder. The two shows have announced that Supercon has voluntarily switched its 2010 dates to July 18-20 in order to accommodate Heroes Con, which will be held on June 4-6.

According to Drum, the increasingly busy convention season and a booked-solid schedule at the Charlotte, NC convention center during the June-July timeframe during which Heroes Con is traditionally held combined to limit his scheduling options.

"I had actually just about given up on doing anything at the Charlotte Convention Center in 2010," Drum tells Robot 6. "Using a smaller venue was an option as well as just taking a year off." But when Drum put out feelers in these directions at the Baltimore Comic-Con, he was met with such an overwhelming response that he feared hosting the show at a smaller site would lead to overcrowding.

Things changed last week, when Drum learned that the June 4-6 weekend had opened up at the Convention Center.

"The only problem was the already planned Miami Supercon that I had promised myself to respect," he says. "I called Mike Broder actually to apologize that I was going to have to use that weekend if I was going to have a show at all in the summer of 2010. Mike's response without hesitation was, 'I love your show. I enjoy attending it. I think I have some flexibility with my center, let me see if I can reschedule.'"

Broder tells Robot 6 he wasted no time when he heard of Drum's predicament. "He gave me a call to see what could be done on Thursday. I have the utmost respect for Shelton and Heroes Con, and I think they're a great show, so [I told them if there's] anything I can do to help I will. I called my convention center and set up a meeting for Friday to see what our options were. They had the June 18-20 date open on the space I needed, so we moved things around to make it work. It was mostly a matter of pushing a bunch of different papers around."

Both Drum and Heroes' Creative Director Dustin Harbin report that they'll try to return the favor by attending Supercon as a vendor, promoting the Florida show to their customers, and even helping out with its guest list. It's a method of dealing with other shows they prefer, given their contentious history with Gareb Shamus's Wizard Entertainment. "We’re sensitive to that sort of thing, having been on the David side of the David/Goliath metaphor before," Harbin says.

Whatever their reasoning behind their confrontational recent scheduling against Reed Exhibitions-hosted events like NYCC, Wizard seems to have learned that their perceived bigfooting of regional shows like Heroes Con in the past has done their convention efforts more harm than good. In an interview with the Philadelphia Daily News (scroll down to the last item), Wizard VP of Business Development Stephen Shamus (brother of Gareb) calls the show's past scheduling against Heroes Con in 2007 and 2009 "stupid" and lays the blame at the feet of unnamed former employees: "The people that did that are gone and I can guarantee Wizard Philly will never again be going head to head with Heroes Con. Ever!" Presumably Shamus is not referring to former staffers Adam Tracey or Benjamin De John, both of whom had spoken to Drum in order to ensure that no conflict would take place in 2010 after a last-minute 2009 date switch by Wizard led to their Philly show's second overlap with Heroes Con.

It's worth noting, however, that the surrounding article appears to have a rather dubious grip on the facts -- avoiding any mention of the Big Apple/NYCC kerfuffle despite ostensibly being about con conflicts, referring to Big Apple as "the New York Con," and claiming that the Philly/Heroes conflict "hurt both shows." Nothing could be further from the truth, according to Heroes' Dustin Harbin, who recalls how pros like J. Michael Straczynski, Greg Rucka, Tony Harris, Cully Hamner, and Brian Stelfreeze were among many who rallied to Heroes Con's side following Wizard's soon-to-be-aborted Wizard World Atlanta counter-scheduling in 2006.

"The upshot was that 2006 was one of our best years ever," says Harbin. "It was just a great resolution to that story, to be honest. Does that sound petty? When someone does something bad and your entire community responds by lining up behind you, resulting in a hugely successful convention...well, how can you help loving turning that frown upside down?"

Is Wizard frowning or smiling lately? Their official and semi-official stance continues to emerge only in drips and drabs -- a mainstream-media promotional piece here (like Stephen Shamus's Philly.com interview), a message board post there (like the series of posts by staffer Mark Allen Haverty*, which were since deleted from both the Wizard Universe message board and from Rich Johnston's BleedingCool.com, per Haverty's request).

Perhaps the most interesting indication of where Wizard's coming from emerged through Johnston, who recently posted a seemingly Wizard-derived "origin story" for the current "Con War" with Reed. The story centers around some antagonistic promotion for a party hosted by retailer Chicago Comics during this summer's Wizard-owned Chicago Comic Con and cross-promoted by Reed -- but the explanation has been met with skepticism, most notably by Chicago Comics manager Eric Thornton.

Elsewhere, Heidi MacDonald's epic Con War round-up chronicles a variety of problems Wizard/Shamus's conventions arm has experienced, many of which predate or exist independently of the battle with Reed's C2E2 and NYCC. And former Wizard convention staffer Brett White has posted a before-and-after photo comparison of Wizard's 2008 staff in which only one of the pictured employees remains at the company today.

The ultimate source of the Con War notwithstanding, Drum, Harbin and Broder all agree that when it comes to comic conventions, communication rather than competition is key. "I'm very happy that we could do this with Heroes Con," Broder says. "It's great that it was so easy to fix the problem, and not cause any more drama in the con world. There are 52 weeks in a year, so there's generally always another weekend to do a show when a date conflict arises."

Conflicts can cause trouble not just for those promoting the cons but for those selling at them as well. "The fact is that most of us 'regional' convention promoters are comic retailers as well," Drum explains. "I want to go to most of the shows as a vendor, or attendee. I can't do it if I'm having a show on the same date. Plus a lot of the dealers at our shows count on making every one. They miss a 'payday' if they have to choose one show instead of another."

"We are pretty close with our 'sister' conventions like Baltimore Comic-Con, Emerald City Comic Con, and others," Harbin elaborates. "These are the shows that would be our competition if we weren't such good buddies with Marc Nathan and Jim Demonakos. Instead we gossip, share information, promote each others shows; basically do whatever we can to help each other." Indeed, both Drum and Broder report that Baltimore's Nathan played a key role in facilitating communication between Heroes Con and Supercon.

"I mean seriously, this is comics, right?" Harbin continues. "It is not so small an industry that there isn't room for everyone who wants a seat at the table."

*It should be noted that Mark Allen Haverty has notified me that he's not on staff at Wizard, but is, in fact, a freelancer, and does not represent Wizard's policies in any way. He was merely expressing an opinion. Apologies to Mark.

A RED New Year...?

2009-10-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

From MTV:

'Red' To Begin Shooting In January

By Blair Marnell

The film adaptation of Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner's “Red” will reportedly start shooting in January.

According to Mania, principle photography will begin in Toronto before moving to Louisiana. Bruce Willis is attached to star as a retired CIA Agent who is targeted for assassination. Morgan Freeman is also signed for a currently unrevealed role.

Earlier this summer, “Red” director Robert Schwentke exclusively told MTV News that the tone of the film would be much lighter than Ellis’ original story.

“I love the script," Schwentke said. "It's very funny, which the comic book isn't. I like switching gears and this is a movie that allows me to do something lighthearted in tone and is also an action movie."

At the time, Schwentke defended the change in tone as necessary due in part to the short length of the original three-issue miniseries. Mania is also reporting that screenwriters Jon and Erich Hoeber have expanded the story for the big screen; including the previously unexplored backstory of Willis’ character.

While Ellis is not directly involved in the production of “Red”, he is taking a much more active role in the film adaptation of his ongoing series “Gravel”; which Ellis will write and produce for Legendary Pictures.

All Quiet On The Cully Front...

2009-10-21T21:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates lately, guys. What with Baltimore, and being under the gun getting pages in, I haven't had much time to post anything. I'll get back to normal soon, though, and I'm thinking I'm going to be trying to post more in the way of art, process, and craft musings in the future. We'll see.

In the meantime, check out this pretty cool interview with my partner-in-crime-comics, Greg Rucka, over at NEWSARAMA. He has a lot to say about Detective, Batwoman, and the Question, as well as working with JH Williams and me.

Go forth and read.

Cully @ BALTIMORE COMICON

2009-09-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

Yup, that's right, I'll be at Baltimore Comicon, October 10th and 11th, 2009, along with my Gaijin pals Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, Doug Wagner, and Laura Martin.

Also, I've noticed the last couple of years that more and more people are inquiring ahead of time about getting on my sketch list via e-mail or Facebook. To that end, I've decided to accept up to eight people right now, if anyone's interested. E-mail me about it at cully@gaijinstudios.com...

And you can see many examples of my con sketches at the following links:

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_4079/subcat_34211/BigAppleConNov06CullyHamnerBatman.jpg

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_2684/subcat_33531/cullygatcha1.jpg

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_95/subcat_24345/HamnerCullyZamWesell.JPG

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_24340/subcat_43735/billy%27s%20stuff%20101.jpg

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_22812/subcat_40573/hamner_batgirl.jpg

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_6434/subcat_47833/Hamner-BlueBeetle.jpg

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_24204/subcat_50078/Hamner-Ferro.jpg

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_24204/subcat_50078/Hamner-CosmicBoy.jpg

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_24204/subcat_63221/Hamner-Apollo.jpg

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_18009/subcat_33855/Hamner_Nightcrawler.tif

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_5679/subcat_10605/IMG_2756.jpg

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_7282/subcat_34066/cullythor1.jpg

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_37101/subcat_82782/Nightwing%20--%20Cully%20Hamner%20NYCC%2009.jpg

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_15090/subcat_35525/SCAN295.jpg

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_32007/subcat_79983/Cully%20Hamner.JPG

You Can Be BLUE BEETLE For Halloween...!

2009-09-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I must say that this has never happened to me before:

Batman Brave & Bold Deluxe Blue Beetle Child Costume-- New for 2009!

Overtake criminals with your immense strength!

Become Batman's right hand man in the Batman Brave & Bold Deluxe Blue Beetle costume, which includes a muscled Blue Beetle scarab jumpsuit complete with bold blue and black contrasts and attached boot covers. A brilliant blue eye poppin' Beetle mask is also included in this courageous costume. With you around, villains won't have time for chillin'.

* Available in Child Sizes: Small, Medium, Large.
* Includes: Jumpsuit, Mask.
* This is an officially licensed Batman ™ costume.
* Invite friends to dress as superheroes for a heroic group look!

Awesome.

SNEAK PEEK: The Question In DETECTIVE COMICS #857

2009-09-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

Over at DC's blog, The Source:

Take a look at the latest QUESTION co-feature

Monday, September 21st, 2009

By Alex Segura

Have you checked out the great work writer Greg Rucka and artist Cully Hamner are doing monthly in the pages of the QUESTION co-feature in DETECTIVE COMICS? If not, you’re missing out. But here at The Source, we’re all about spotlighting all the fun stuff coming out of these offices, and THE QUESTION is no exception. In DETECTIVE COMICS #857, the Question’s search for a missing girl leads Renee to a human trafficking ring, and the Question suddenly finds herself in way over her head.

DETECTIVE COMICS #857 hits 9/23. Check back later today for a preview of the main feature, from Rucka and the super-talented J.H. Williams III.

The Day.

2009-09-11T08:38:00.001-07:00

I'm struck by how sharply I still remember what happened eight years ago today. Over on the Gaijin Forum a couple of years back, I asked the question, "Where were you and what were you doing when you heard the news?" This is what I wrote then, and I invite you to share the moment that you first realized what was happening:

I was at the studio when Karl called me from home, and said that I'd better turn on the TV or get to the computer.

"An airliner hit the World Trade Center," he said. "While I was watching CNN, another one hit the other tower."

"Another one? Another airliner?" I had already opened up my homepage, the USAToday website. There was a grainy photo of the smoldering towers. "Holy shit."

"Yeah, this wasn't an accident," Karl said.

I got off the phone with him, and called out to Brian as I walked into the breakroom. As I was looking around for the remote, he walked in.

"A what hit the what?" I turned on the TV, and we sat in stunned silence. We watched as the footage of the second plane hitting was run and rerun. We watched the towers both come down. There was disbelief as they reported that the Pentagon had been hit, and then the crash in Pennsylvania. For some reason, I had trouble sitting still, and kept getting up to go to the rest room, to wash my hands, to go outside, to do anything but sit there and feel completely unable to Do Something. We all tried, with some success, to at least call and e-mail friends and colleagues in New York, to make sure they were okay.

For the rest of the day, as we all showed up at the studio, we wondered: Are they going to hit us next?

So, where were you?

Hoeber Talks RED

2009-09-10T07:10:00.000-07:00

Screenwriter Erich Hoeber on the film version of RED over at Cinefools:

BG: It seems Red is gaining momentum, is the script finished for the film? and how would you describe the script you've written?

EH: The script is done and we may start production pretty soon. Summit just hired a fantastic director, Robert Schwentke - who most recently did The Time Traveller's Wife - and we're trying to round out the cast. Red is an action comedy with a lot of really meaty character parts and a lot of heart. The tone's a bit like Butch and Sundance. Both dramatic and comedic at the same time.

BG: It's been announced that Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman have signed on to star in the film do they fit the characters you've written?

EH: They're really perfect. And the studio's making offers to other actors of that caliber, so there may be more big announcements soon.

Breaking: Levitz Steps Down, DC Entertainment Created...

2009-09-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Wow.

WARNER BROS. CREATES DC ENTERTAINMENT

Diane Nelson to Serve as President, DC Entertainment

Paul Levitz to Segue from President & Publisher of DC Comics

To Writer, Contributing Editor and Overall Consultant to DC Entertainment

(Dateline – Burbank, CA) Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI) has created DC Entertainment Inc., a new company founded to fully realize the power and value of the DC Comics brand and characters across all media and platforms, to be run by Diane Nelson, it was announced today by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, and Alan Horn, President & COO, Warner Bros.

DC Entertainment, a separate division of WBEI, will be charged with strategically integrating the DC Comics business, brand and characters deeply into Warner Bros. Entertainment and all its content and distribution businesses. DC Entertainment, which will work with each of the Warner Bros. divisions, will also tap into the tremendous expertise the Studio has in building and sustaining franchises and prioritize DC properties as key titles and growth drivers across all of the Studio, including feature films, television, interactive entertainment, direct-to-consumer platforms and consumer products. The DC Comics publishing business will remain the cornerstone of DC Entertainment, releasing approximately 90 comic books through its various imprints and 30 graphic novels a month and continuing to build on its creative leadership in the comic book industry.

In her new role, Nelson will report to Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, in order to best capitalize on DC Entertainment’s theatrical development and production activities and their importance to drive its overall business with each of the divisions of Warner Bros.

Nelson will bring her expertise and more than 20 years’ experience in creative brand management, strategic marketing and content development and production to ensuring DC Entertainment’s dual mission of marshalling Warner Bros.’ resources to maximize the potential of the DC brand while remaining respectful of and collaborative with creators, talent, fans and source material. Additionally, Nelson will continue to oversee the franchise management of the Harry Potter property, which she has done since 2000, and also continue to represent the Studio’s interests with the author of the Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowling. Nelson will segue from her post as President, Warner Premiere but maintain oversight responsibilities of that division. (An executive succession plan for Warner Premiere will be announced shortly.)

Paul Levitz, who has served as President & Publisher of DC Comics since 2002, will segue from that role to return to his roots as a writer for DC and become a contributing editor and overall consultant to DCE. This transition will take place as expeditiously as possible without disrupting DC’s business operations.

In his new role, Levitz will be called upon for his deep knowledge and more than three-decade history with DC Comics, both as a comic creator and an executive. Besides serving as a writer on a number of DC Comics titles, he will be a contributing editor and consultant to DC Entertainment on projects in various media. Additionally, he will consult as needed on the transition and integration of the DC Comics organization into DC Entertainment and will utilize his unique experience, knowledge and relationships with the comics industry’s creative community to help achieve DC Entertainment’s goal of maximizing the value of DC properties. Further, Levitz will advise DC Entertainment on creative and rights-holder relationships, in particular regarding the legacy relationships that have been a part of DC Comics for decades.

Widely recognized and respected for his support of writers, artists and creators in the comics industry, Levitz is best known creatively for his work with DC Comics, having written most of the classic DC characters, including Batman, Wonder Woman and the Superman newspaper strip. At Comicon International in 2008, Levitz was awarded the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award as part of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the only industry executive ever so honored.

“DC Comics and its super hero characters are truly touchstones of popular culture, and the formation of DC Entertainment is a major step in our company’s efforts to realize the full potential of this incredible wellspring of creative properties,” said Meyer. “Diane knows our studio as a creative executive, a marketer and a senior manager, and this varied background will help her effectively and creatively integrate the DC brand and properties across all our businesses. We’re also thrilled that Paul will remain involved with DC and we’ll be able to tap his expertise to help us reach our goals for this new business.”

“It’s no secret that DC has myriad rich and untapped possibilities from its deep library of iconic and lesser-known characters,” said Horn. “While we’ve had great success in films and television, the formation of DC Entertainment will help us to bring more DC properties across additional platforms to fans around the world, while maintaining brand integrity and authenticity. Diane is a terrific choice to lead DC Entertainment, and with Paul in his new role as a valued consultant and contributing editor, both our company and comic fans win.”

“Based on the great success we’ve had working with DC Comics to create some of the most popular and successful super hero films of all time, I’ve long believed that there was much more we could do across all of Warner Bros.’ businesses with this great body of characters and stories,” said Robinov. “The prioritization of DC and the creation of DC Entertainment is a great opportunity that reaches far beyond the film group. There are endless creative possibilities to build upon the many significant successes already achieved by my colleagues Kevin Tsujihara and the Home Entertainment Group in the videogame, home video and direct-to-platform arenas and Bruce Rosenblum and the Television Group in live-action, animated and digital series. Collectively, we have the ability to grow a body of properties highlighting the iconic characters and the diversity of the creative output of DC Comics.”

“The founding of DC Entertainment fully recognizes our desire to provide both the DC properties and fans the type of content that is only possible through a concerted cross-company, multi-platform effort,” said Nelson. “DC Entertainment will help us to formally take the great working relationships between DC Comics and various Warner Bros. businesses to the next level in order to maximize every opportunity to bring DC’s unrivalled collection of titles and characters to life.”

“After so many roles at DC, it’s exciting to look forward to focusing on my writing and being able to remain a part of the company I love as it grows into its next stage,” said Levitz. “It’s a new golden age for comics and DC’s great characters, and I hope my new position will allow me to contribute to that magic time.”

DC Comics will celebrate its 75^th anniversary in 2010 (NEW FUN COMICS #1, the first DC comic, began publishing in 1935), at which time more explicit details regarding DC Entertainment’s corporate and management structure, film and content release slate, creative roster and business objectives will be unveiled at a multi-faceted anniversary celebration and press conference in the first quarter of the year.

Current DC properties in development and/or production at Warner Bros. Entertainment include:

– “Human Target” is being produced by Warner Bros. Television for a mid-season debut on Fox.

– “Midnight Mass” is in series development at Warner Bros. Television for consideration for the 2010-11 season.

– “Jonah Hex,” Warner Bros. Pictures’ supernatural Western starring Josh Brolin, Megan Fox and John Malkovich, recently wrapped production in Louisiana.

– “The Losers,” Dark Castle/Warner Bros. Pictures’ action-adventure drama starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana and Chris Evans, began principal photography mid-July in Puerto Rico.

– “The Green Lantern,” Warner Bros. Pictures’ next big superhero tentpole release, recently cast Ryan Reynolds as the titular character. The film has a projected second quarter 2011 release date.

– “Lobo,” based on the DC Comics anti-hero, has Guy Ritchie attached as a director; Joel Silver, Akiva Goldsman and Andrew Rona are producing for Silver Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures.

– Warner Premiere’s direct-to-platform DVD animated release of “Green Lantern: First Flight” debuted July 28.

– Warner Bros. Animation currently produces “Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” which airs on Cartoon Network.

– Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released “Batman: Arkham Asylum” on August 25, a dark, action packed videogame adventure for Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows.

Prior to being named President, DC Entertainment, Nelson most recently served as President, Warner Premiere since its founding in 2006. Warner Premiere is a Studio-based production company which develops and produces high-quality, direct-to-DVD and short-form digital content, including the highly successful line of DC Universe animated DVD titles, and also pioneered the development of the motion comics category. Under Nelson’s leadership, Warner Premiere functions as a full-service production entity with its own resources and release schedule, furthering the Studio’s mandate of being a destination for both established and up-and-coming talent to create stand-alone properties as well as experiment in new media.

Before that, Nelson served as Executive Vice President, Global Brand Management, Warner Bros. Entertainment, with the primary responsibility of working cross-divisionally and throughout Time Warner to maximize and optimize all the various windows and outlets available to the Studio’s signature franchises, brands and event properties on a global basis. In this post, Nelson’s primary focus was the management of the Harry Potter brand, which she has overseen since the brand’s launch at the Studio in 1999. These efforts have helped drive the success of the brand to become the most successful film franchise of all time, as well as a respected consumer property that has generated billions of dollars for the Studio.

At Global Brand Management, Nelson and her team of more than 15 employees worked in all media and platforms to support a number of other key franchise properties, including “The Matrix Reloaded,” “The Matrix Revolutions,” “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight,” “Happy Feet,” “Polar Express” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” among others.

Prior to overseeing Global Brand Management, Nelson had served as Executive Vice President, Domestic Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures. Nelson rose quickly through the ranks, having also served as Senior Vice President, Domestic Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures and prior to that, Senior Vice President, Family Entertainment, Warner Bros. Corporate Worldwide Marketing and Planning. She was also Vice President, Worldwide Corporate Promotions, a post to which she was promoted in March 1998, after joining the Studio in September 1996 as Director of Worldwide Corporate Promotions.

Nelson came to the Studio from Walt Disney Records, where she served as Director of National Promotions. She is a graduate of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications.

Art Happens While Listening.

2009-09-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

In this kind of work, one spends long hours sitting in one place, focused on one thing. If you love to read, like I do, the lack of time for books can be frustrating. So, in my first year of drawing comics, I began to devour audiobooks, first on cassette and later on CD. I used to rent them from this cool little store near the studio called Bookears, but with the advent of downloadable content, they went out of business. Nowadays, I download two books a month from Audible.com for about 20 bucks.*

Anyway, here are some examples from my Audible library. You'll notice that I lean in the non-fiction direction:

1776 and Truman, both by David McCullough. Titles are pretty self-explanatory, but McCullough's voice is so elegant and both books are really engaging.

No Ordinary Time, by Doris Kearns Goodwin, which examines the importance of the Roosevelt White House and the relationship between FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt.

The Greatest Story Ever Sold, by Frank Rich. A look at the trail of fictions that led us into the Iraq War.

Kiss And Make-Up, Gene Simmons' memoir. Interesting, if a bit arrogant (as you'd expect from Simmons)

Manhunt, by James L. Swanson. A gripping account of the hunt for John Wilkes Booth, written almost in the style of a thriller.

Gasping For Airtime, Jay Mohr's memoir of his time as a cast member on SNL. Funny, entertaining, and pathetically self-involved.

109 East Palace, by Jennet Connant, about Dorothy McKibbin, a widow who ran a front for the Manhattan Project.

The Cell, by John Miller, Michael Stone, & Chris Mitchell. A handful of FBI agents, New York cops, and journalists on the trail of Osama bin Laden in the years leading up to 9/11. Fascinating stuff.

Broken Government and Conservatives Without Conscience, both by former Nixon White House Counsel John Dean. In the first book, he traces the decline of the federal government, starting with the Nixon Administration; in the second, he examines neo-conservatives' authoritarian leanings, and posits that they have run amok, throwing American political discourse into chaos. Agree or not, it's a very interesting book.

The Godfather, by Mario Puzo. If you haven't heard of it, something's wrong with you.

A Ball, A Dog, And A Monkey, by Michael D'Antonio. The first year of the Space Race, 1957-58, was pretty nutty, believe it or not. Worth a read/listen.

Walt Disney, by Neal Gabler. Very thorough and balanced biography of a guy who really was a brilliant and deeply flawed person.

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, by Peter Biskind. Scorsese, Coppola , Spielberg, Lucas, Bogdanovich, et al.... the Hollywood generation that defined cinema in the 70's and 80's. You'll slap your forehead at some of the craziness.

Band Of Brothers and The Wild Blue, both by Stephen Ambrose. The first is the definitive account of Easy Co, 101st Airborne, 506th PIR, which you'll remember was made into a great mini-series for HBO. Some of the material was repurposed for Ambrose's other books, D-Day and Citizen Soldiers, but this is the one you should read. The second book is about the boys who flew the B-24's. It focuses on George McGovern, a hero of 35 missions and later a U.S. Senator, who still later ran for President. Love this book.

Born Standing Up, Steve Martin's memoir. Funny, affecting, and very real.

The Last Campaign, by Thurston Clarke. A pretty absorbing look into Robert Kennedy's transformation from ruthless political operative to inspiring voice for change, his run for the presidency, and his tragic death.

AC/DC, by Tom McNichol. No, not the band. It's about the fight over how electricity would be transmitted, and how Thomas Edison lost control of what would eventually become General Electric.

All The President's Men. Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward won a Pulitzer for the investigation of the Watergate scandal, and this book was made into an excellent film. Both are worthwhile.

America (The Book), by Jon Stewart & The Writers of The Daily Show. Need I say more?

*This is a legacy deal, though, as I'm a longtime customer. I do believe it's slightly more expensive now.

Make Mine Mouse? UPDATED

2009-08-31T09:06:00.000-07:00

Um... wow:

Disney Acquires Marvel For $4 Billion

RYAN NAKASHIMA | 08/31/09 10:22 AM | AP

LOS ANGELES — The Walt Disney Co. said Monday it is buying Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion in cash and stock, bringing such characters as Iron Man and Spider-Man into the family of Mickey Mouse and WALL-E.

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of 5,000 Marvel characters. Many of them, including the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, were co-created by the comic book legend Stan Lee.

Analyst David Joyce of Miller Tabak & Co. said the acquisition will help Disney appeal to young men who have flocked to theaters to see Marvel's superhero fare in recent years. That contrasts with Disney's recent successes among young women with such fare as "Hannah Montana" and the Jonas Brothers.

"It helps Disney add exposure to a young male demographic it had sort of lost some balance with," Joyce said, noting the $4 billion offer was at "full price."

Disney said Marvel shareholders will receive $30 per share in cash, plus 0.745 Disney shares for every Marvel share they own. That values each Marvel share at $50 based on Friday's closing stock prices.

Marvel shares jumped $10.17, or 26 percent, to $48.82 shortly after the market opened. Disney shares fell 47 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $26.37.

Disney said the boards of both companies have approved the transaction, but it will require an antitrust review and the approval of Marvel shareholders.

Disney last made a big purchase in 2006 when it acquired Pixar Animation Studios Inc., the creator of the "Toy Story" franchise, for $7.4 billion in stock.

Disney CEO Robert Iger said the latest acquisition combines Marvel's "strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters" with Disney's "unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties" and ability to maximize value across multiple platforms and territories.

Marvel earned a net profit of $206 million last fiscal year, up 47 percent from a year earlier, on revenue of $676 million, as it took movie production in house instead of just cutting licensing deals.

***

Some questions answered over at CBR:

UPDATE 8:30 AM PDT - There have been a number of developments since the initial press release about Disney’s acquisition of Marvel went out. Disney held a conference call with investors that just finished to discuss the deal and while much of it was focused on the financial aspect of the deal – with regards to both current and future opportunities – there were a number of comments concerning publishing and Marvel’s film slate that are of interest. The bullet points are:
Existing licensing and distribution deals should remain where they are.
Disney believes there’s real opportunity with the Marvel catalog of characters and will work on where those opportunities are greatest and how best to leverage them across the existing Marvel and Disney infrastructure.
Disney executives went to great lengths during the call to make the point that they don’t pretend to be more expert than Marvel is in handling their characters, citing the hands-off relationship Disney has had with Pixar since the acquisition of that studio. Disney said Marvel manages the properties from a business perspective very intelligently and trusts them to make the right decisions for these products for a long time to come.
Disney said the deal was attractive not just because they’re buying great characters, stories and brand, but about working with people who know these characters best and how best to work with them in other media.
Again, referencing the Pixar deal, Disney finds working as one company with Marvel removes friction and creates value that’s very compelling. Licensing offers very attractive opportunities, but nothing is better than being one. International expansion of Marvel properties through Disney was cited as a potential growth area.
Cable channel Disney XD is currently running about 20 hours a week of Marvel content and Disney has been looking to license more Marvel content and this deal gives them that opportunity as well as the opportunity to expose these characters internationally.<.li>
With regards to video game publishing, Disney praised Marvel’s licensing agreements with some of the best video game producers and publishers in the business and said moving forward they will consider what’s best for each individual property as each licensing deal comes up for renewal and that there would likely be a blend of licensed and self-produced/self-distributed titles.
With respect to Paramount’s distribution deal with Marvel and the Iron Man franchise, Disney has every intention to respect the deal that’s in place, but noted that it’s in their best interest, overtime, to become the sole distributor of Marvel films.
Will Disney3D be used for Marvel movies? That will be determined by those who are in charge of producing Marvel’s theatrical films.
When asked if there was potential for cross-polination between Marvel and Pixar, Disney said that Pixar’s John Lasseter has met with key Marvel creative executives recently and the group got “pretty excited, very fast.” Disney will look at all opportunities and thinks there are some exciting product that could come from this sort of partnership.
Disney said this deal is expected to benefit Marvel’s retail efforts, being able to leverage Disney’s shelf space and relationships with major chains and distributors.
The deal began when Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger reached out to Marvel Chief Executive Ike Perlmutter earlier this year. Again, Disney noted that they believe in the creative team at Marvel and see no reason to upset that applecart.
Disney has not made any real estate decisions and sees no reason to move Marvel Studios from their headquarters in Manhattan Beach, California. No mention of Marvel Publishing’s offices in New York City was made.

In addition, Marvel Editor-In-Chief twittering this morning and has made some comments on the deal:

“G' morning, Marvel U! Welcome to this moment in history. Everyone relax, this is incredible news and all is well in the Marvel U.”

“Everybody take a deep breath, all your favorite comics remain unchanged and Tom Brevoort remains grouchy.”

“If you're familiar with the Disney/Pixar relationship, then you'll understand why this is a new dawn for Marvel and the comics industry.”

Developing…

On MOSIAC

2009-08-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

I don't want to make a habit of responding to months-old message board threads, but I happened across this recently over on CBR, and the thread is closed to responses. It was one of those stupid threads where someone who doesn't like how a particular comics creator or editor handles things complains about them having a job. In this case the thread drifted into how a book gets cancelled. My friend Kurt Busiek weighed in with:

...Canceling a book is a financial decision. It gets made by the financial side of the company, not the creative side. An editor can't decide, "I don't like this book, so I'll cut off all the profit my company is making from it" any more than he can decide, "I like this proposal, so I'm going to put a new book on the schedule."

A poster replied:

See, this is not how I understood it from reading an interview of Cully Hamner about Mosaic's cancellation, in which he claimed the book was actually selling pretty well but was cancelled because DC Editorial didn't understand it, I wrongly assumed Mike Carlin was the big wig at DC Editorial at that time. I guess he was mistaken.

And Kurt responded thusly:

All due respect to Cully, but I doubt anyone called him up and said, "We're canceling this because we don't understand it." He's offering an interpretation -- and a guess -- based on whatever information he had. But it's not eyewitness testimony -- Cully lives a long way from the office, and wouldn't have been at the meetings.

True enough, Kurt. But the only problem with this is that it wasn't my interpretation, and it isn't what I said. What I did say was this:

...As I was told at the time, it didn’t fit with DC editorial vision (whatever that means). Sales didn’t matter, fan support didn’t matter; the first issue sold about 210,000 copies and my last issue sold about 70,000, so there was plenty of support for the book. It was marked for cancellation when issue #5 came out, and they allowed Gerry Jones a year to wrap it up, but there was no doubt that it was being canceled because somebody upstairs just didn’t care for it.

All due respect to Kurt (who is one of the most reasonable men of all time), the fact is that I was told this same thing by three different people at DC, including the EIC at the time, Dick Giordano, that it "didn't fit with DC's editorial vision." I was told that DC had plans to take Green Lantern in a drastically different direction and that Mosaic didn't fit the plan. This is not my interpretation of what I was told-- it's what I was told. And it came to pass within a year of the final issue of Mosaic that Hal Jordan became Parralax and Kyle Rayner became Green Lantern, so I tend to believe what I was told-- no interpretation required.

Now, if it had been canceled purely due to low sales, I see no reason why I wouldn't simply have been told that. In fact, it's the simplest answer to digest for a freelancer in most similar situations. Thing is, I was privy to the sales figures via my royalty statements, and word of the cancellation came down a year before the end of the series, while sales were still good. So, I took them at their word that Mosaic didn't fit with their plans to reinvigorate the core Green Lantern book. I was also told more than once that the title wasn't well-liked up at DC, and I do understand that this is subjective on the part of the teller, but it is what I was told. Again, not my interpretation, and not a "guess."

Maybe the difference is subtle, but I just hate being misunderstood. So, now and for all time: I didn't say that DC canceled it because they didn't understand it, but rather that it didn't fit with their larger plan for reinvigorating Green Lantern as a whole. Financial decision? Sure, they all are to varying degrees, but in this case it was indirect. Mosaic wasn't canceled due to its own sales, but the core title's. The decision to revamp Green Lantern was surely a financial one, but the cancellation of Mosaic was at least in part an editorial call to help facilitate the revamp. Again, I was told this in no uncertain terms.

So, make of it all what you will. But you know what? How cool is it that a book I did seventeen years ago is still being talked about? :)

DETECTIVE COMICS #856

2009-08-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

'TEC #856 is on sale today at comics shops everywhere. You'll want to go to there!

GAIJIN @ DRAGON*CON 2009!

2009-08-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

Just a gentle reminder: We-- and by "we," I mean Cully (DETECTIVE COMICS) Hamner, Brian (WEDNESDAY COMICS) Stelfreeze, Laura (THE ROCKETEER) Martin, Karl (TOM STRONG) Story, and Doug (HAMMER SOUND) Wagner-- will all be at Dragon*Con 2009, Labor Day weekend (September 4 - September 7, 2009) in Atlanta. Come gawk at us!

An UNusual Suspect...!

2009-08-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

Holy shit. From AICN:

Can the WOLVERINE sequel possibly make up for the turd that came out this summer? McQuarrie gives us hope...

Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. One of the strangest, but best pieces of news to hit this week is that Fox has hired Christopher McQuarrie to pen the next WOLVERINE film, which follows the Frank Miller mini-series following Logan in Japan.

Bet last month you wouldn't have believed you'd be anticipating the next Wolverine flick, right? McQuarrie gives me hope. If you're not familiar with the name shame on you, but it's never too late to learn. McQuarrie wrote THE USUAL SUSPECTS, did some uncredited work on Singer's first X-MEN film (he told me once in an interview for his awesome directorial debut WAY OF THE GUN that the only bit of his that remained in X-MEN was the introduction of young Magneto in the concentration camp, one of my favorite parts of the movie) and more recently he wrote VALKYRIE.

McQuarrie can balance character and action, which by itself would make a WOLVERINE sequel tower above the original film, which was just a jumbled mess of multiple characters and random action.

McQuarrie onboard doesn't mean Fox will take the surely well-executed and thought out script and use it well, but it's a step in the right direction. If he could shake loose the execs I'd love to see McQuarrie himself take the reins and direct the flick.

Click here to read Borys Kit's break over at Hollywood Reporter!

What do you folks think?

-Quint

Wow, this just took a step up in my eyes. It's almost like Fox is apologizing for the steaming pile they just released. McQuarrie is incredibly solid, and the fact that it's going to be based on the first Wolverine mini is interesting. Of course, this could still suck-- in fact it probably will, given Fox's history. But if the stars align, and it gets a worthy director, and Fox and Jackman adopt a more subordinate stance and let people who know the material advise... you never know.

We'll see. If nothing else, maybe Wolverine will finally stop his blubbering.

Mikey.

2009-08-12T08:56:00.000-07:00

Didn't want to let the day pass without remembering my friend-- everyone's friend-- Mike Wieringo.

Mikey passed away two years ago today. This business is surely much poorer without his talent adorning it, and while the lives of his friends and family have since scabbed over and marched on... I think I can safely say we all still keenly feel the loss. I still think of him often, and I know others do.

Here's to you, Mike.

Droooooooool.

2009-08-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

Just got my copy of PARKER: THE HUNTER, by the ever-amazing Darwyn Cooke, and what a gorgeous book...! Haven't read it yet, but I will this week. Anybody else read it?

Fanholes

2009-08-10T12:10:00.001-07:00

You know, 99% of the people I meet at conventions are at least well-mannered and courteous, and a whole lot of them are just out-and-out great people. And then there's this guy:

Read his blog post, and you'll understand why.

'TEC #855 Question Art Now Available

2009-08-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

My art rep, the redoubtable Randy Martin of Mighty Nib Original Comic Art, has posted all of my Question pages from Detective Comics #855. They're for sale right here, along with a number of pages from #854, as well:


Detective Comics #854, P. 1 $50.00	Detective Comics #854, P. 2 $90.00	Detective Comics #854, P. 3 $125.00
Detective Comics #854, P. 4 $75.00	Detective Comics #854, P. 5 $225.00	Detective Comics #854, P. 6 $175.00
Detective Comics #854, P. 7 $150.00	Detective Comics #854, P. 8 SOLD
Detective Comics #855, P. 1 $100.00	Detective Comics #855, P. 2 $150.00	Detective Comics #855, P. 3 $150.00
Detective Comics #855, P. 4 $150.00	Detective Comics #855, P. 5 $125.00	Detective Comics #855, P. 6 $125.00
Detective Comics #855, P. 7 $125.00	Detective Comics #855, P. 8

Director Talks RED...

2009-08-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

From MTV:

EXCLUSIVE: Robert Schwentke's 'Red' Adaptation To Be A 'Funny' Take On Warren Ellis' Story

by Brian Warmoth
Negotiations between Robert Schwentke and Summit Entertainment must have gone well, because the "Time Traveler's Wife" director has confirmed his status onboard their film adaptation of Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner's WildStorm miniseries "Red." And by his own admission, the project will be a much lighter vision of the source material.
In fact, the new movie starring Morgan Freeman and Bruce Willis could turn out to be more of a comedy than Ellis originally envisioned.

"I love the script," Schwentke said told MTV News. "It's very funny, which the comic book isn't."

Humor might not be the only difference between the comic and movie if the script Schwentke saw makes it into production.

"It's not as violent as the comic book," the director explained. However, he was quick to add that the espionage elements of the revised tale first attracted him to the property.

"I like switching gears and this is a movie that allows me to do something lighthearted in tone and is also an action movie," he said.

The director called the alterations necessary, at least in part, due to the length of the three-issue miniseries about an ex-CIA agent being chased by a high-tech assassin.

"The script that I've read is obviously different from the comic, because i don't think the comic gives you enough for a two-hour movie," he said.

Both lead actors in "Red" have had experience straddling genres between comedy and action, though, so Schwentke should have able talent to work with.

"Morgan Freeman and Bruce Willis are definitely signed on for it," he clarified. "Morgan plays Joe, and Bruce Willis is the main character, Frank."

Newsarama Best Shots Extra: 'TEC #855

2009-07-31T10:47:00.000-07:00

Not to turn this blog into a serial back-patting exercise, but as I've had little time lately to post much more...

Best Shots Extra: DETECTIVE COMICS #855

By David Pepose
posted: 31 July 2009
Last month I raved about the opening issue of the all-new, all-different, all-awesome Detective Comics, and I'm happy to say that this sophomore issue isn't half-bad, either. While it doesn't have quite the same blow-you-out-of-the-water effect of the first issue, it still helps raise the bar for DC's overhaul of the Batman franchise, with a story that stretches itself as far as it can go to produce a value not often seen in today's industry.

The best way to split this up is to look at the writing and the art separately. Greg Rucka, having wrapped up much of Kate's current status quo in the last issue, goes full throttle with Batwoman's war on the Cult of Crime. If you haven't read the first issue yet, get that one first, as Rucka puts the pedal to the metal in Round One of Batwoman versus Alice. Looking at it from a script perspective, Rucka really is upping the ante nicely here, with a nice scene reminiscent of the Dark Knight where Batwoman begins removing weapon after hidden weapon from Alice's costume. He also establishes a weird sense of menace for the villainous Alice: "How do you know I'm mad?" she asks. "Maybe because you speak fluent crazy," Batwoman shoots back. It's moments like these that really add a zing to the story: "I will get my answer," Kate vows, "And I will shut you and your freakshow down!"

Yet the highlight of this story is getting into Kate's storied past, as she begins hallucinating due to a poisoned blade. As our hero struggles valiantly to survive, we see Kate's history of torture that goes far beyond the followers of the Crime Bible, and yet we also get a nice tease of who she sees as her salvation -- not herself, not her father, but of the strongest woman she ever met -- Renee Montoya. Even two issues in, it looks like Rucka is setting up the seeds for these two lovers to get back together (or at least to have one epic, swashbuckling team-up), but it really says volumes about what this character can strive to become. But it's the last page that really turns the story on its ear, and makes you really wonder what'll happen next.

Now, for the art. J.H. Williams III, while not knocking it out of the park as repeatedly as he did last issue, still stands head and shoulders above many of his contemporaries. One sequence that really had a Frank Quitely style of visceral imagination was suddenly taking the "camera" into Alice's mouth, as she slowly tongues a razor blade to her lips, slashing Batwoman across the face with it. "Okay," Batwoman says, after a look of disbelief washes across her face. "That was just nasty." As a reader, I definitely agree. While sometimes Williams' double-page splashes don't quite hit the mark with their composition, it's really in the second half of the book that he kicks things into high gear, with a spectacular-looking shot of Batwoman leaping from a castle parapet, gliding across a sky sliced in half with a lightning bolt.

While Williams' art is still top-notch, the color work felt occasionally muddy to me. In the first issue, Dave Stewart really made Kate pop off the page with her bright red hair and porcelain skin. In this issue, Batwoman seemed to match her surroundings more, but that realism sometimes kept the character from really getting her hooks into the reader. That said, because of the way this book suddenly energizes itself two-thirds from the end, part of me wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't some sort of printing error -- because when Stewart puts his mind to it, his colors sing.

But what about the backstory? Rucka makes The Question primarily an action story, which is fine by me. Renee Montoya has a nice bit of bravado, as slave trafficker Vargas says he's going to have to teach the Faceless Warrior a lesson. "Great," Renee says. "I love school." Hamner has a nicely choreographed fight scene, with a great panel of Renee looking at us as she tosses a scattergun behind her. That said, I'm still not sold on an all-blue costume for the Question, and in this case, the decision to drench the fight sequence in shades of brown -- from the house to the sky to the fence to even bits of Vargas' bloody nose -- didn't thrill me. Yet Hamner and Martin really sell me on this feature when they team up for a nice page of Renee infiltrating Chandless' office, giving some great facial expressions to the page. It certainly ends abruptly, but I'm excited to see where Rucka and company take us next with this feature.

All in all, while Rucka, Williams, and Stewart aren't firing on all cylinders like they did last issue, this is definitely a story that I'm going to be in for the long haul. With 35 pages of story -- counting Rucka's main feature, the Question second feature, as well as a compelling five-page preview of Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul's Adventure Comics -- you're certainly getting a lot of bang for your buck with Detective Comics #855, and with Rucka masterfully leading a set of artists that really shoot for the moon, you can't ask for much more in a comic.

Again, appreciate the kind review. I do, however think Mr. Pepose's fixation on the color of The Questions clothes (which was also on display in his review of #854) is... well, kind of weird, isn't it? To each his own, I guess. But hey, I won't look a gift horse (or a good review) in the mouth!

DETECTIVE COMICS #855... UPDATED

2009-07-29T06:10:00.000-07:00

...Is out today at your local comics shop, along with the second printing of DETECTIVE #854. Go and grab 'em!

***

CBR has posted a very complimentary review:

Detective Comics #855

by Chad Nevett

Two issues in with its new creative teams, “Detective Comics” is probably the best looking superhero book available. 22 pages of J.H. Williams III and eight pages of Cully Hamner held together by Greg Rucka’s writing make for a gorgeous book with some solid writing. While Rucka is the common denominator over the lead story starring Batwoman and the ‘co-feature’ starring the Question, the art dominates this book.

In the lead feature, Williams is beyond words. I am not sure the proper descriptors exist to properly sum up what he, along with Dave Stewart, does. But, I’ll give it a shot. Like some of the best cartoonists in comics, Williams crafts exquisitely designed pages that function both as a large work of art but also function almost perfectly on a panel-to-panel basis. Many artists focus on doing one or the other, but to illustrate lavish pages that need little context to appreciate and tell the story with clarity at the same time? Well, Williams may just be the best artist working in superhero comics today.

The preview pages only provide the barest of glimpses into his work in this issue as plot events cause Williams to change styles mid-page -— mid-panel even! He uses panels within panels to highlight details, different styles to suggest different levels of consciousness, and a variety of page designs that suit the material. He’s so good that the actual plot almost gets in the way.

Thankfully, Rucka crafts an entertaining story that keeps up with Williams, although can’t match him. Batwoman confronts the new leader of the Religion of Crime, the cult that tried to kill her and cut out her heart, and things go awry when the new leader turns out to be an almost certainly insane woman who thinks she’s Alice Liddell from Lewis Carroll’s two famous books. Not much actually happens in this issue, but Rucka and Williams work to further establish how Batwoman acts as a vigilante, and even throw in a nice callback to last issue.

If that weren’t enough, the Question ‘co-feature’ continues its serial detective fiction plot with Renee Montoya trying to find a missing girl for her brother. Like the pulp stories that Rucka and Hamner are no doubt drawing upon, there’s lot of action and banter in this short chapter. Hamner is a different sort of artist than Williams, but his style is suited quite well to Rucka’s story. He’s one of the best action artists there is and he puts those skills on display here. Again, the writing doesn’t rise to the level of the art, but it’s very entertaining, and is suited to a comic titled “Detective Comics.”

You’re not likely to find a better looking superhero comic on the stands than “Detective Comics” #855 with J.H. Williams III and Cully Hamner delivering career-best work in already stunning careers. That is, until issue 856 comes out next month.

More RED News

2009-07-29T05:38:00.000-07:00

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Director closes in on 'Red'

Robert Schwentke circling Summit thriller

By Jay A. Fernandez

July 28, 2009, 11:00 PM ET

Robert Schwentke is painting the screen "Red."

The director of "The Time Traveler's Wife," who has been flirting with a number of projects, is in negotiations to take the reins of the Summit Entertainment thriller, starring Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman. Erich and Jon Hoeber wrote the screenplay, which is based on the WildStorm/DC Comic.

The spy film follows a former black-ops agent forced out of retirement when a high-tech assassin threatens him and his girlfriend. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian are producing.

Schwentke, repped by CAA and Jennifer Davisson Killoran, directed "Flightplan" and "The Family Jewels." He also has been developing the Enron drama "Conspiracy of Fools" for Appian Way at Warner Bros.

New Line opens "Time Traveler's Wife" on Aug. 14.

Forest For The Trees ***UPDATED With Some DETECTIVE News from San Diego

2009-07-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

It's interesting staying home from Comic-Con International once in a while. I see all the hype, all the announcements, all the buzz-- everything on my computer right here in my office at the studio.

When I actually am at the con, right in the middle of it, at the epicenter of the buzz... I don't hear shit. Not a thing. It's just a blur of drawing, signing, lunches, dinners, meetings-- everything I deal with really only pertains to my own experience and career. Outside of getting to meet the odd celebrity here or there, it's only outside the con do I get the lowdown of the show.

This year, at least, I feel pretty good about staying home. I think I'm getting more out of it!

***

Was checking out Newsarama's live-blog of the Batman: New Dynamic panel in San Diego, and just noticed the following:

"Rucka then announced that after seven issues with Williams, Jock (of The Losers fame) will come on board for three issues. Following that, the Question backups will move to the front of the book for a time, with either Williams or Jock drawing a 10-page Batwoman Second Feature. Then Williams (and Kate Kane) will come back to the front of the book."

So, I guess that's out there now! Not sure of the issue numbers, but stay tuned. And if anything else is announced regarding 'TEC via a panel in San Diego, I'll definitely let you know here.

***

Actual quotes from the Bat-Panel, this time from CBR:

"When recent JH Williams pages for DETECTIVE was brought up, Rucka looked to the audience and announced, 'If you picked up 854 ... it's unbelievable, but it gets better looking [than that]. I think JH is changing the form. He's changing the language of comics with this.' According to Rucka, In DETECTIVE COMICS #858, the artist's style will change dramatically. 'You won't believe it's still JH on the book,' he says. 'You're really going to like it.' 'The Question' goes to ten pages (per issue) as of issue #858. Cully will still be on art with Dave (McCaig) on color.

Asked about the co-features, the crowd responded with enthusiasm."

And

"Rucka: ...We are seven issues in. You're getting seven issues of JH uninterrupted. We're doing three issues with Jock from 861. In 864, Cully will do twenty pages of Question and Jock or JH will do ten pages of Kate leading into the end of JH's final five issues (returning to the front of the book). I'm loving it. It's great. This is the best job in the world."

Yes, you read right: Dave McCaig will be stepping in on The Question as of 'TEC #857, replacing my studiomate, Laura Martin. What's up with Laura, you ask? Well, the answer, my friend is over on Newsarama: Laura Martin Signs Exclusive With Marvel!

Sad as I am to lose her from doing any work with me for a while, I know it's the right move for her. Hell, I still get to hang out with her every day and see what she's working on before anyone else even knows about it!

And if I can't work with La Colorista anymore, how great is it that Dave McCaig of the Clan McCaig is her replacement? :)

Freeman In RED?

2009-07-20T06:19:00.000-07:00

Many people have been emailing me this morning about Variety's story :

Morgan Freeman in talks to star in 'Red'
Actor eyes Summit thriller starring Bruce Willis

By DAVE MCNARY

Morgan Freeman is in talks to star alongside Bruce Willis in Summit Entertainment's espionage thriller "Red," based on the WildStorm/DC Comic.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian are producing with DC exec Gregory Noveck serving as exec producer. Brothers Erich Hoeber and Jon Hoeber are penning the script.
Summit acquired rights to "Red," originally written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Cully Hamner, last year. The three-book series, published in 2003 and 2004, tells the story of a former black-ops CIA agent now living a quiet life in retirement until the day a high-tech assassin shows up intent on killing him.
Freeman's toplining Nelson Mandela biopic "Invictus," directed by Clint Eastwood for Warner Bros. with a December release date.

It does indeed look real promising, and I'm very hopeful. But I have to point out that, to my knowledge, neither actor is a done deal, and even if I'm wrong and they are, it doesn't necessarily mean the movie will even get made. Such is Hollywood-- always proceed with caution. Until they're actually shooting it, it's a big "if."

Still... pretty damn cool. Fingers crossed. :)

***And by the by, The original series Red was recently re-released in a deluxe edition from DC/Wildstorm. Not only does it contain the entire original series, but it includes Warren Ellis' original first-issue script, my first-issue layouts, and all the concept art and covers I could dig up. You can buy it at Amazon, or at your local bookstore or comics shop.

Treason Season

2009-07-14T10:04:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to me that people can hate the President so much that they're willing to commit treason:

U.S. Army Maj. Stefan Frederick Cook, set to deploy to Afghanistan, says he shouldn’t have to go.
His reason?
Barack Obama was never eligible to be president because he wasn’t born in the United States.
Cook’s lawyer, Orly Taitz, who has also challenged the legitimacy of Obama’s presidency in other courts, filed a request last week in federal court seeking a temporary restraining order and status as a conscientious objector for his client.
In the 20-page document — filed July 8 with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia — the California-based Taitz asks the court to consider granting his client’s request based upon Cook’s belief that Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States and is therefore ineligible to serve as commander-in-chief of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Cook further states he “would be acting in violation of international law by engaging in military actions outside the United States under this President’s command. ... simultaneously subjecting himself to possible prosecution as a war criminal by the faithful execution of these duties.”
Cook, a reservist, received the orders mobilizing him to active duty on June 9.
According to this document, which accompanies Cook’s July 8 application for a temporary restraining order, he has been ordered to report to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday. From there, the Florida resident would go to Fort Benning before deploying overseas.
Documents show Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961, two years after it became a state.
A hearing to discuss Cook’s requests will take place in federal court here Thursday at 9:30 a.m.

Oh, and by the way.

WHO ARTED?!

A Look Inside & Outside of THE SHADE #3

Exclusive Preview of THE SHADE #2

Cully's Variant Cover For THE SHADE #2

New York Comic Con Signing Sked!

Exclusive Preview of THE SHADE #1

Cully Interview Tonight On COMIC GEEK SPEAK!

Dragon*Con!

San Diego Post-Game

UPDATED: Cully's Updated Sked For COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL

True Thing: Robinson & Hamner Reunite for SHADE

Whew... so this cat's finally out of the bag! As list in the October solicits and as reported over on CBR, I'm drawing the first arc, issues #1-#3, and working with my old FIREARM cohort, James Freakin' Robinson, in about 16 years...! From DC's THE SOURCE blog:

How cool is that?!

Designing The New DCU At Comic-Con International

'Red' Producer Offers More Details On Sequel Plans

Little bit o RED 2 news, via MTV Splashpage:

NOW IT CAN BE TOLD: Redesigning The DCU

I'll Be At HEROES AREN'T HARD TO FIND This Saturday!

Blue Beetle on SMALLVILLE!

Emerald City Comicon!!!

RED: EYES ONLY Now Available For iPad!

Hitting The Stores This Week!

In With The New.

Popping The Cork

FINALLY! RED: EYES ONLY Prequel Released in North America

Emerald City Con Charity Piece

What A Crazy Morning.

Signing at OXFORD COMICS in Atlanta!

Wizard World ATL This Weekend!

Thankful.

Go Vote Today. No, REALLY. Go Vote.

RED Carpet Interviews

RED OPENS (And I Return From The Hollywood Premiere)

Cully's New York Comicon Schedule! *UPDATED*

Wildstorm, We Hardly Knew Ye...

New Interview At iFanboy

Dragon*Con Is Upon Us!

RED Prequel Covers Revealed!

I WON'T Be At Baltimore Comicon, Unforunately... :(

Three Years.

Not RED, But BLUE over at NEWSARAMA

New Interview

Apologies, My Friends...

My Year Is Turning RED.

UPDATED: Cully's Full REVISED San Diego Comic-Con Schedule!

Happy Independence Day (And Hey, Look: Art For A Change)!

UPDATED *AGAIN*: RED Trailer & Official Site Now Online!

Heroes Con This Weekend!

More Cully Convention Dates!

Cully @ COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL In Sunny San Diego!

What I DON’T Want In A Superman Movie

Gaijin-to The Sunset...

ALERT! Free Comic Book Day @ Heroes!

Day 2 On The Set Of RED...

So, Today Was A Good Day...

So, Yeah, It's True: Gaijin Is Taking A Break...

Rest In Peace, Dick Giordano (1932-2010)

GLAAD honors DETECTIVE COMICS as Outstanding Comic Book

DC's New Executive Team: DiDio, Lee, & Johns

RED Set Photos!

Couple Of Quick One-Cheek Sneaks...

New Interview!

TREK's Urban in RED?

RED FAQ: Now Even MORE Updated AGAIN!!!

James Remar Cast In RED

Ellis On RED...

DETECTIVE COMICS #859 IS OUT NOW

And The RED Stars Keep On Comin'...!

RED FAQ.. OK? *UPDATED*

The Question in DETECTIVE COMICS #859

"Con Wars?" Try Con Diplomacy...

A RED New Year...?

All Quiet On The Cully Front...

Cully @ BALTIMORE COMICON

You Can Be BLUE BEETLE For Halloween...!

SNEAK PEEK: The Question In DETECTIVE COMICS #857

The Day.

Hoeber Talks RED

Breaking: Levitz Steps Down, DC Entertainment Created...

Art Happens While Listening.

Cully's New York Comicon Schedule! UPDATED

UPDATED AGAIN: RED Trailer & Official Site Now Online!

RED FAQ.. OK? UPDATED

Make Mine Mouse? UPDATED

By David Pepose
posted: 31 July 2009

DETECTIVE COMICS #855... UPDATED