AICN COMICS STM:AVATAR Contest Winners!THE TALISMAN Contest! Q&@ ROBOT CHICKEN/JUGHEAD's Tom Root!Andy Smith on WWE! + PREVIEWS!
What’s SHOOT THE MESSENGER?
Well, AICN COMICS: SHOOT THE MESSENGER is your weekly one stop shop for comic book -EWS. What’s comic book –EWS? Well, it’s our hodge podge of everything not reviews here at AICN Comics. Sure you can find out the @$$Holes’ critical opinions of your favorite books every Wednesday at AICN Comics. But here, you’ll find special reports such as previews, interviews, special features, and occasionally news gathered here from our online brethren at Newsarama, CBR, Wizard, etc. Sure those guys are the best at reporting news as it breaks. Click on the links for the original stories. This column cuts the crap to run down all the vital information for those of you who don’t follow it as it comes in, and serves it all up with that special ingredient of @$$y goodness.
Richard Chapman
Brian Simpson
Deb Nilsen
Ersal Aslam
John Christopher Scott
Thanks to the guys at it! Books for setting this contest up for us!
STEPHEN KING’S THE TALISMAN
Contest!
One contest ends, and another one begins. Del Ray Comics’ first comic book, THE TALISMAN: ROAD OF TRIALS, is a pretty sweet read. The folks at Del Ray have five copies of issue #0 signed by Stephen King and Peter Straub and want to give them to you. Now, just as with the above contest; winning this contest comes with a price. To win this contest, send me an email with your name, your full address, and a heartfelt promise to give this book a one paragraph review and you may just have a signed copy of THE TALISMAN: ROAD OF TRIALS #0 on your doorstep. This is a very cool comic, if you don’t believe me, check out this preview to issue #2 (in stores Wednesday!) below…
See what I mean? Look for the winners to be announced in next week’s AICN COMICS: SHOOT THE MESSENGER column! Good luck with the contest!
Optimous Douche talks JUGHEAD
with ROBOT CHICKEN’s Tom Root!
Hi kids, it’s your old friend Optimous Douche here with one of my personal heroes, ROBOT CHICKEN and TITAN MAXIMUM scribe Tom Root. Tom is throwing himself head first into the comic writing world by taking on the landmark issue of Archie Comics’
JUGHEAD #200 releasing to your local comic shop in March 2010. Tom graciously gave me a few minutes of time to answer my insightful and insipid questions alike.
Optimous Douche (OD): The jump from the adult fare of ROBOT CHICKEN to ARCHIE Comics seems about as natural as Jenna Jameson going to work for Chuck E. Cheese, so…just how did you get involved with JUGHEAD #200?
Tom Root (TR): Apparently you're not familiar with Jenna's chain of buffalo wing restaurants opening next year. The animatronic characters promise to have kids asking their parents some uncomfortable questions. I met the ARCHIE crew at this past Comic-Con and it turns out they love ROBOT CHICKEN as much as I love ARCHIE. JUGHEAD #200 was the next big event on the company's schedule, so they asked me if I had a take on it.
OD: So JUGHEAD is just a one issue stand for you then, or are you in for future issues?
TR: One issue for now. My day job is a real fun-killer. Insert frowny-face emoticon here.
OD: Can we expect that this synergy will bleed into some stop action antics for the Riverdale gang on ROBOT CHICKEN in the future?
TR: We've already done our mashup of ARCHIE and the FINAL DESTINATION movies, but who knows? Archie seems to be marrying the hell out of everything on two legs these days -- maybe there's a sketch in there somewhere.
OD: We all know Archie recently got married and then with issue 603 became a Mormon by asking Betty to also marry him; are there similar life changing events in store for Jughead’s landmark issue?
TR: Similar, no. Jughead doesn't marry a woman sculpted entirely of mozzarella cheese or anything. But I can promise something even MORE life-changing. More life-changing than marriage to a cheese sculpture! That should be in the ad copy somewhere.
OD: Dude, this is AICN -- you have to give me something about this change or AICN readers will just start making it up themselves. Here, I'll start: Part of the Obama health care plan allows high school graduates to practice medicine on only the lower half of the human body. Issue #200 sees Jughead enter a career in proctology and podiatry because they both start with P’s...
Seriously Tom, put a stop to this...Please...
TR: ...ending in a pap smear pandemic where Pop Tate punches Jughead in the pancreas!
OD: As we all know the mantra of bros before hos gets thrown out the window when a man gets married (naturally, since wives are not hos), with Archie entering more complex relationship grounds will we see a similar maturation of Jughead?
TR: While the story isn't a peek into Jughead's future, Jughead is forced to re-examine his priorities in life. What's important in life isn't the next slice of pizza; it's the people -- both the bros AND the hoes! In that sense, he does mature.
OD: Ahh, then Reggie Mantle isn't in the issue then since he is neither bro nor ho?
TR: Reggie is ALL bro and ALL ho. He's a hobro. And he definitely makes an appearance.
OD: So would you write another comic either inside or outside the Archie Universe?
TR: Definitely. I'd also like to pencil an issue of X-MEN, but only if they don't demand to see samples before the contracts are signed.
OD: Given Jughead’s propensity for overeating, perpetually falling asleep and love of jazz, in your eyes is Jughead a narcoleptic with thyroid issues or simply Riverdale’s sole stoner?
TR: The real answer has been staring readers in the face for 70 years. That crown-shaped beanie isn't a hat...it's part of his head. Jughead is part of the next stage in human evolution. Next issue, Jughead leaves Riverdale for a quiet school in Westchester County run by a bald guy with useless legs.
OD: Since you’ve primarily been an episodic TV writer did you have any issues shifting gears to write a comic book script?
TR: Writing comics is twice as hard as writing TV. When you put a joke down on paper for a TV script, you know down the line you can play with the timing, and the actor's performance, and the music, and tell it in a single unbroken shot or a dozen intercutting angles. In a comic book, you've got one shot to marry the dialogue to the visual, and a finite amount of page space to do it in. It kind of sucks ass. The next time you meet a comic book writer, give them a hug. They need it.
OD: Any other future comic related projects on the horizon or any other projects you just want to pimp?
TR: The TITAN MAXIMUM season one DVD will be out mid-year. ROBOT CHICKEN season five is on the way, as well as STAR WARS ROBOT CHICKEN EPISODE III! And the Adult Swim website is full of good Christmas gift ideas at very, very reasonable prices.
Thanks, Tom. Remember, AICN-ers: keep an eye out for JUGHEAD #200 for the wee ones (or the wee one in all of us) in stores in March and the upcoming ROBOT CHICKEN and TITAN MAXIMUM goodness for yourselves.
When Optimous Douche isn’t reading comics and misspelling the names of 80’s icons, he “transforms” into a corporate communications guru. "What if the whole world had superpowers? Find out in the pages of Optimous’ original book AVERAGE JOE. Read the first full issue on Optimous’ New Blog and see original sketches by fellow @$$hole Bottleimp. If you are a publisher or can help these guys get AVERAGE JOE up, up, and on the shelves in any way, drop Optimous a line."
Artist Andy Smith talks about
WWE HEROES!
The folks at Titan Books were kind enough to send us this exclusive interview with WWE HEROES artist Andy Smith. Artwork for WWE Heroes comic is provided by comics artist Andy Smith, who has worked as a penciler for major comic publishers such as Marvel, DC, Image, Acclaim, and CrossGen Entertainment. Mr. Smith had a chance to answer these questions about his upcoming comic, WWE HEROES…
Why should readers pick up the WWE comic?
ANDY SMITH (AS): Because it is super cool! Seriously though, it’s a high action story with some supernatural themes that will appeal to the straightforward super hero type readers, as well as die hard WWE fans!
With a lot of real wrestlers involved in the comic, you must use a lot of photo reference, yet you’ve got a very bold, dynamic style. How do you accurately capture likenesses without making the artwork stiff?
AS: For this particular job photo reference is key to get the likenesses down of the individual wrestlers. I try not to rely on it too much, though, so I can keep the drawing as organic as possible.
How much time do you spend on each page?
AS: Ah, a magician never reveals his tricks. Seriously, though -- it really depends on what is on the page. I’d say an average for me is between 8 and 12 hours. Since I’m doing my own inking the process does take longer but it is more rewarding in the end.
Which other comic artists do you admire? Is there any one strong influence on your work?
AS: Too many to list! I love classic guys like Neal Adams, Joe Kubert and Jose Luis Garcia Lopez as well as Alan Davis, Carlos Pacheco, Bart Sears, and Bryan Hitch, and that’s just naming a few!
Hey folks, Ambush Bug here with another batch of comic book previews, most of which will be available this Wednesday! But first, we have a preview of a book in stores right now. DANTE’S INFERNO has some amazing art by Diego Latorre. Click the pics and see what I mean!
DANTE’S INFERNO #1
Writer: Christos Gage
Art: Diego Latorre
Publisher: DC Wildstorm
In stores now!
MARVEL SUPER HERO SQUAD #4
Writers: Eugene Son & Cort Lane
Art: Marcelo Dichiara
Publisher: Marvel Comics
In stores this week!
INCORRUPTIBLE #1
Writer: Mark Waid
Art: Jean Diaz
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
In stores this week!
ESCAPE FROM WONDERLAND #3
Writer: Raven Gregory
Art: Daniel Leister
Publisher: Zenescope Entertainment
In stores this Wednesday
UNDERGROUND #4 (OF 5)
Story: Jeff Parker
Art & cover: Steve Lieber
Publisher: Image Comics
In stores this week!
BLACK PANTHER #11
Writer: Jonathan Mayberry
Art: Ken Lashley & Paul Neary
Publisher: Marvel Comics
In stores this week!
LOCKE & KEY: CROWN OF SHADOWS #2
Writer: Joe Hill
Art: Gabriel Rodriguez
Publisher: IDW Publishing
In stores this week!
ANGELUS #1
Writer: Ron Marz
Art: Stjepan Segic
Publisher: Top Cow
In stores this week!
DEAD MAN’S HOLIDAY #-1
By Colin Panetta
Publisher: Mysterious Transmissions
Available on December 30th!
DOCTOR VOODOO #3
Writer: Rick Remender
Art: Jefte Palo & Gabriel Hardman
Publisher: Marvel Comics
In stores this week!
FORGETLESS #1 (OF 5)
Story: Nick Spencer
Art: W. Scott Forbes & Tim Daniel
Publisher: Image Comics
In stores this week!
X-FACTOR #200
Writer: Peter David
Art: Bing Cansino, Marco Santucci, & Patrick Piazzalunga
Publisher: Marvel Comics
In stores this week!
ANGEL #28
Writers: Bill Willingham & Bill Williams
Art: Brian Denham, David Messina & Gaetano Carlucci
Publisher: IDW Publishing
In stores this week!
GRIMM FAIRY TALES 2009 HOLIDAY EDITION #1
By Joe Brusca & Ralph Tedesco
Publisher: Zenescope Entertainment
In stores this Wednesday
WALT DISNEY’S COMICS AND STORIES #701
Writers: Giorgio Salati, Riccardo Secchi, Alessandro Ferrari
Art: Stefano Turconi
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
In stores this week!
CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #5
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Art: Bryan Hitch & Butch Guice
Publisher: Marvel Comics
In stores this week!
And finally, in the spirit of the season, there’s this…
Editing, compiling, imaging, coding, logos & cat-wrangling by Ambush Bug
Proofs, co-edits & common sense provided by Sleazy G
