Hey folks, Ambush Bug here. While I was doing scores and scores of interviews, AICN COMICS’ pal and all around great guy Jamie Coville took in 20 panels and brought his handy dandy recording device along to bring it all back to you. So even if you missed out on these panels, you can sit back and enjoy these audio files at your leisure without having to wait in line or sit in a room full of smellies…

How to Get News Coverage for Small Press Publishers (50:52, 46.5mb)

This was moderated by Rik Offenberger from the First Comic News website. On the panel was Albert Ching (Newsarma), Glenn Hauman (ComicMix), Tanya Tate (Justa Lotta Tanya), Rich Johnston (Bleeding Cool), Alan Kistler (AlanKistler.com), Heidi MacDonald (The Beat), Chris Thompson (Pop Culture Hound), Holly Golightly (Jim Balent Studios), Josh Waldrop (M1W Entertainment), J.C. Vaughn (The Scoop) and Bryan Young (Big Shiny Robot). The group was there mainly to answer questions for creators/publishers in the audience. They started off by going down the line to explain the best way to be contacted if you are looking to get your work promoted. They also gave advice on what not to do like using exclamation points in a press release. They had talked about when not to be contacted (eg right now, as they are at a convention and theirs are piling up) and how much lead time is required for types of coverage. Kickstarter was a big topic as everybody gets swamped with pleas to promote Kickstarter campaigns and why they rarely do them. They also talked a bit about sending them PDF files.

Dan Parent Spotlight (46:48, 42.8mb)

This was an interview of Dan Parent by Rik Offenberger and Chris Thompson. Parent started by talking about reading comics as a kid, how we went to the Kubert school and how that lead to a job in the Archie Comics production office. He said he worked there for 10 years getting a good on the job education, including the switch to a more digital form of producing comics. He talked about pitching stories while at Archie and how many of them were rejected at first (and for good reason). Eventually he started getting stories approved and he talked about some of the stories that got a lot of mainstream media coverage. Regarding stories they talked about the move to doing longer stories and using the parent characters more. Regarding art Parent talked about working with Dan DeCarlo and drawing clothes on the female characters. They also talked about the Veronica solo series he pitched and has been successful with Archie and the Kevin Keller character and how he came about. His work outside of Archie was talked about, including Felix the Cat, Barbie Comics, Carney Comics and Bratz. The audience asked questions about Archie's Madhouse, his favorite Archie characters, artists outside of Archie he's currently reading. Dan mentioned Archie's 50th Anniversary year is coming up. Some outside of comics stuff has come up, including his being on the Weakest Link and Who Wants to be a Millionaire TV shows. He also told a funny story about being in Tijuana once.

Jose Delbo Spotlight (52:58, 48.4mb)

Moderated by his daughter/agent Silvana Frontera. Jose talked about differences between European and US comics. How he worked on superheroes except for the Flash. He didn't want to draw him. He loves doing Westerns and the Lone Ranger in particular. He did a number of other media type adaptations over many years, including the Beatles Yellow Submarine, Monkee's Comic Book, Transformers and NFL Superpro among others. He said he liked working on the Monkee's because he can be comical and not be so strictly on model as he was with other books. Jose revealed that his father wanted him to be a lawyer and was worried that he would be poor as an artist. When he got his first cheque he gave it to his father and he never cashed it, he saved it as a symbol of his son having made it and making good living. Jose talked about learning under Carlos Clemen (a famous Argentina artist). He would move to Brazil to work. His wife had a uncle who was an US citizen and asked him if he'd like to come to USA, he said yes and came over. He also told a story about almost getting drafted to go to Vietnam, he told them he was married with 2 kids and they put him at the bottom of the list to put into service. He said he is happy for comic book conventions because 8 year olds do not know what comic books are, that blew his mind and he knew comics were in trouble then. He said he finds artists today too similar in style and colourists don't believe that white is a colour. He talked about his love of Joe Kubert and working as a teacher in his school. He talked about his former Dell editor/writer DJ Arneson. He said Dell/Western destroyed all the original art, but he knew a kid who spoke Spanish in the production dept and he snuck him some of his art back, he mentioned getting some of his Turok art, but he didn't get any of his Lone Ranger which is disappointing for him. He also said credits were not allowed in those books but he would sneak his name in the rocks of Turok. Jose was asked about his relationship with editors. He mentioned Paul Levitz came by and asked him how he was doing earlier which he thought was very nice. He told a funny story about a kid who wanted a transformers sketch at a convention but he couldn't remember how to draw the character. As he was drawing the kid kept correcting him and a reporter was nearby and wrote a story in the paper about a kid teaching him how to draw, which was embarrassing at the time. He said when he was drawing Transformers he was given the toys to help towards refrence but he had to keep his grandkids from playing with them. He felt the superheroes today have bodies that are too super. Said Superman gets his powers from another planet and doesn't need Arnold Schwarzenegger's body and Batman is an intelligent detective. Said they have him flying and super strong now. In regards to working digital, he only uses computers for reference photos. Regarding inkers he liked, in named Al Williamson in particular. He said for a while he wasn't inking his work and Al called him and asked why. He said he didn't know why and it wasn't his decision, but he would ask that his pencils would go to him. So he called his editor and asked for Al and then Al got Transformers pages to ink. Al hated them, only did 5 or 6 pages and quit. Jose would have liked to ink his own work but he couldn't justify the time to do it. He mentioned doing some work on a new Transformer book but couldn't say what. Jose also got an inkpot award from the Comic Con organization.

Comic Arts Conference Session #22: Superman On Trial: The Secret History of the Siegel and Shuster Lawsuits (50:36, 46.3mb)

Moderated by Heidi MacDonald, on the panel was Jeff Trexler and Brad Ricca. They talked about how the lawsuits became part of the superman mythos now. Ricca talked about how Donenfeld actually had published the Lone Ranger but the creator took it back and thinks that had a lot to do with Donenfeld wanting to own and keep Superman. The group talked about what if scenarios. Jeff talked about the early 90s settlements between Siegel and Shuster families that are at this time in effect (and might remain that way). Brad also talked about Joe Shuster's last years and how it wasn't all doom and gloom. He had been married once (but divorced, his wife was into a cult) and had a girlfriend. Also on the panel and spoke towards the end was Peter M. Coogan, who said he had some some research for the DC side. Also in the audience was Wayne Smith, Senior Vice President, Senior Litigation & Chief Patent Counsel at Warner Bros. Entertainment Group of Companies and Lillian Laserson, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of DC Comics Inc. Lillian gave a what if senario at the end of the panel believing that if Siegel and Shuster not sued DC in 1947 they would have been treated the same way Bob Kane was treated and Bob died a very wealthy man. [Jamie's note: This is bullshit in my opinion and other comic historians I've talked to also do not agree with this scenario.]