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OMNIBUS: SAN DIEGO
by Michael Doran
It's empty out our notebook time … the following is
a compilation of some news and notes that didn’t make
it into our con coverage the last week, and some other news
and notes from around the industry…
• ITEM! Recently ex-Marvel editor
Stuart Moore tells Newsarama.com he has a new project in early
development at Penny-Farthing Press, publisher of his Zendra
series.
Para is the name of a paranormal phenomena/high-tech
thriller that according to the now-freelance writer combines
the supernatural with nuclear psychics.
The story is set in an abandoned supercollider in the American
desert (based on a real place) that's been radioactive for
20 years. Just now habitable, it's being explored for the
first time and mysteriously, the team studying it find the
work "Para" written on the walls of the supercollider,
and the mystery becomes who wrote it and what does it mean?
The series will have a certain level of authenticity regarding
the science, as Moore’s father was a nuclear psychisist
who ran the cyclotron at Princeton University for 15 years.
“So I may not know all the physics, but I know how
to make it sound right!” he said.
No artist for the series has been chosen yet and it’s
expected to be a 2003 release.
• ITEM! We’ve been talking about
new Image Comics properties a lot this weekend, and here’s
news on another.
Writer Ben Raab tell us he and artist Pat Quinn are preparing
a sequel to their property Cryptopia, originally
published as a ‘pilot’ one-shot by Image. The
creators will do sequel in full-length graphic novel format
and tell us the publisher is still to be determined.
“So far, we're about 1/4 done with it, and we hope
to be finished no later than early 2003,” said Raab,
who was showing a preview ashcan at San Diego of the project,
that tells the story “what's in store for Dr. Shannon
Palmer and her team of cryptozoologists as they journey to
the mysterious island where all kinds of hidden species dwell!”
”I measure the success of the one-shot in a few different
ways,” said Raab, asked if he regarded the one-shot
a success. “Because we were able to sell an option to
develop Cryptopia into a possible feature
film or television series, then it was a total worthwhile
endeavor, and one I believe very strongly in continuing. Plus,
at the end of the day, every who worked on the book walked
away with a little cash in their pocket, which is great considering
this was a totally unknown quantity with the odds of making
any money stacked against it.
“Though we won't be publishing the sequel with Image,
we do have a potential publisher lined up that's very interested
in spreading the good word about this project. More on that
as things develop.”
In addition, this year Raab will also help launch Comiculture,
a 64-page quarterly anthology series that he’s working
on with fellow creators Klaus Janson, Walt Simonson, Steve
Buccellato, Don Hudson, Jessica Wolk-Stanley and a host of
others.
Raab says the project was the brainchild of “Wizard
fan-fave colorist Steve Buccellato” and features short,
serialized stories from “all kinds of genres”.
“From noir crime to romance to westerns to science
fiction... You name it, it's gonna be in there!” said
Raab. “My contribution is a 'supernatural horror noir
in six chapters' entitled The Lost Tribe: A Mile In
the Devil's Shoes. It's being drawn by a talented
newcomer named Allen Gladfelter, who's done an incredible
job so far, and keeps getting better with every panel.
”But comics are only part of the equation. Comiculture
is also launching on the Web, with a site that's part content,
part commerce. People should check it out @ www.comiculture.com“
• ITEM! Earlier this year Mark Waid
got readers scratching their heads when he asked that his
name be removed from consideration for the Harvey Awards for
this work on CrossGen’s Ruse. Apparently
not one to seek credit and praise where he feels it’s
not warranted, this week he posted on CrossGen’s message
boards, to make readers aware of this involvement –
or lesser thereof – in a recent issue of that series.
“I bought and read RUSE #10 today
- and I have to admit, I was surprised at CrossGen's generosity
in crediting me for the full plot to the issue since what
I turned in and was paid for bore almost no resemblance to
the actual published story,” wrote Waid, wish the new
team the best of luck - but I thought it important to set
the record straight, as it's not fair to Scott [Beatty] and
Butch [Guice] to credit me with work that is obviously so
much theirs. Again, I appreciate CrossGen working to make
me feel included, but I don't want or need it at the expense
of others.
”Oh - and once more, Laura [colorist Laura DePuy] demonstrated
why she deserves every award she receives, and more,”
concluded Waid, signing off his letter with “Best, MW".
Given Waid is credited as writer of issue #11 and co-writer
of issue #12 in the publisher’s solicitations, Newsarama.com
asked him to describe his involvement with those two issues,
from his perspective.
"Having not seen Paul Ryan's pages on issue #11 - which
I'm greatly looking forward to since I became a fan of Paul's
during our Flash run - I'm unsure how much,
if any, of the plot I turned in for that issue will be used,
but I've been offered a co-plot credit on that story and on
the following issue, so that says something. Again, it really,
truly makes no difference to me, as I'm as eager as anyone
to see what Butch and Scott do with the raw material; remember,
up until now, I'm the only human being on Earth who couldn't
be surprised reading a final, dialogued issue of Ruse,
and it's kinda fun as an experience. Just want to make certain
credit goes where credit's due, that's all. And Laura still
rocks. As does that rapscallion, [Mike] Perkins, who deserves
more attention than he gets, stalwart that he is."
• ITEM! A reader by the name of Michelle
wrote to us telling us a few websites dedicated to George
Perez ( http://perezgallery.crosswinds.net
and http://perezgallery.crosswinds.net/JLAAOriginals.htm
) have been asked to remove images of his original JLA/Avengers
(circa 1983) artwork from that infamous/never-published project.
“I've been asked to remove the original pages for JLA-Avengers
for the near future,” reads the notice on one website.
“I've been asked to remove the original art for JLA-Avengers
for reasons I'm not sure I can discuss right now,” reads
the notice at the other.
Though neither site specified who asked them to remove the
work or why, current fan speculation is the artwork could
possibly be reprinted as part of an eventual collected editions
of the upcoming new JLA/Avengers project
by Perez and Busiek, published cooperatively by Marvel and
DC.
Asked to comment, representatives for DC Comics told us they
had no knowledge of who asked the artwork to be removed and
why, or plans for the original 1983 artwork.
• ITEM! Speaking of Kurt Busiek, at
his ‘Spotlight’ panel at San Diego, the writer
revealed some details as to the upcoming five-issue story
arc marking the return of his series Astro City.
According to the writer, issue #1 of the story arc is a story
seen through the eyes of doorman at a midtown hotel.
Issue #2 tells the story of a girl who moves from the city
to a farm and finds superheroes there as well.
In issue #3, a girlfriend of a superhero is determined to
find out his secret identity.
Issue #4 stars an Astro City defense lawyer and in issue
#5 a long-retired superhero comes back for one last battle.
• ITEM! At Chuck Dixon’s San
Diego ‘Spotlight’ panel, the writer was asked
about a favorite storyline that he never got to do, and the
writer explained during his run on DC Robin, he wanted Ted
Kord to give Tim Drake the Blue Beetle persona, and have Tim
be Blue Beetle ll for six months while Spoiler became Robin
lV for that same time period.
Dixon said they took the storyline “upstairs”
eight times but were consistently told no.
Dixon also hinted at doing a long-promised pirate-themed
series at CrossGen next year and said to look out for some
things familiar to Alien Legion fans in Sigil
#31.
Readers can contribute leads and items for Omnibus
by emailing SeenNHeardarama@aol.com
And once again, thanks to our www.ifanboy.com
, www.comicworldnews.com
and Dwight Williams for their help in San Diego.
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