Coming Home To Comics

For those who didn’t see it, here’s the news about the new comic, DC Universe 1: Last Will and Testament. It’s been in the works for a while now, and I'm so excited to see the news out there. Feels like coming home for sure. And even including a few new characters I’ve never played with before. Sorry to be cryptic over the past few weeks, but that’s modern comics. As for Adam Kubert, the man is just incredible. Wait till you see the magic. Anyway, the comic will be out the week before the new novel, The Book of Lies. And for more on that...we are days away.

Thanks to all who made me miss it so much.

MELTZER RETURNS TO THE DCU FOR LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT (Newsarama)

Paul Pope

This is why being an artist is cooler than being a writer. For your nephews.

Source: PULPHOLE

BRACES

Tablecloth drawings with my nephew, waiting on spagetti. "Do a cartoon animal we haven't seen before," he says.

"Like what?"

He thinks a minute. "Bugs Bunny as a squirrel teenager who comes from the world of Fat Albert."

"With braces?" I ask.

"With braces."

Posted by pulphope at 4/17/2008 10:48:00 AM

Broken email

Just an apology to all those who have tried emailing me through the site (bradmeltzer.com). We know, we've had a major breakdown in email there, so if you sent me something and you're like, "what a pud -- didn't even reply," bear with us and please resend in a week or so when we finally get our pants back on.

Also, thanks for all those sending love for the Eisner nomination. Neither Gene Ha nor myself had any idea until someone else emailed us and said, "Schmucks, you're nominated." Needless to say, JLA 11 is one of the stories I'm most proud of. But the real love needs to go to Gene (and colorist Art Lyon!), who really are the ones who pulled it off and made a hack like me look far better than I am. If I had enough, I'd love to give that issue away during the book tour to anyone who's never read a comic.

Enjoy the weekend and don't do drugs.

EW's First Comics

This is fun.

Especially seeing how much that first comic so so effected the craft that each person puts out. Read into it all you want. It's true.

BTW, Kirkman's first comic was an Erik Larsen Spider-Man. F***. WE ARE OLD!!!

Comic Books: The One That Hooked Me! (Entertainment Weekly)

Siegel and Action Comics

Forget all those Supreme Court cases, this is the most fascinating case around right now -- especially in light of the new novel. More news to follow soon on this.

Also, picking a new author photo. Will post the 3 worst soon. So many to choose from. Hope you had a great weekend. And sorry I've been away for a bit. Just the crunch of trying to finish the book in time for Book Expo.

The Lightning Saga Hardcover

Just got the hardcover for The Lightning Saga, which I think comes out this week (if I'm gonna whore and plug away, I gotta get better at this). But let me say this: working on that storyline -- especially with Geoff, who I love like a brother -- that was living the dream. All the hours spent playing "wouldn't it be cool if X met Y" when we were eleven were finally put to use. Dawnstar and the Hawks. Vixen and Gorilla City. Jay and Hal. Batman and Karate Kid. Wildfire and Red Tornado. All the character moments that I hope bring out the best in each character. Plus, we got to bring the old "real" Legion back, a detail that makes me as proud as can be (silly but honestly true). And we got to bring yet another character back in that lightning wand (see Geoff's current Action Comics story, which is breathtaking). I love these characters. And I love even more when we acknowledge the old stories that came before. Nothing makes me prouder as a writer.

Top 300 Comics Of 2007

Fascinated by this. And owe a huge thank you to you for JLA. As for more comics, more news soon.

Diamond’s Top 300 Comics of 2007

Y: The Last Issue

Just back from NY, and the best part of the plane ride home? Reading the final, beautiful issue of Y: The Last Man. Brian knows my love for his work, but I'd be a putz if I didn't tell all those who haven't dabbled in the Y world, you really did miss something special. And yes, we always celebrate everything once it's taken from us (usually overstating how great it is as emotions take hold). But Y is worth celebrating. So don't forget to give the swan song some love shack tomorrow.

Happy Happys

Just swelling with some pent up love and thanks for you all. I get mushy this time of year. I'm soft. I'm okay with it. And this morning, I got an email from a younger writer friend who's still trying to break into the novel world. His first novel is being rejected in lots of places. Just like mine. But he's still starting the next one. I can't tell you how much I hope you do the same in your own life. Never never never never let anyone tell you no. It's the only reason I'm so lucky to sit here today typing this instead of still scooping ice cream. So dream big. And love what you love. And thanks for checking in.

Also, early present: got this image from the Italian publisher of an Alan Moore tribute book I contributed to.

Gabriele Dell'Otto did it over Dave Gibbons's pencils.

You can see the credits of the book here: (all profits donated/to be donated to AIMA, Italian Alzheimer org. Just a print run of 1,000 copies for the Italian market.)

And something about the Dell'Otto illo creation here:

JLA Statue

Been waiting for so long to reveal this. I still think the cover to issue 7 is my favorite piece of art Ed did, and now, you get to own it for yourself. I begged them to do this. Of course, I wanted the whole team too, but the financials and tiny details are so hard. Anyway, I think it's a knockout and next to my Dark Knight statue (the first one, duh) and a Charlie Brown one, will be the only one I'll put in my office.

JLA BUILD-A-SCENE STATUE: PART 1
Based on the art of Ed Benes
Sculpted by Alterton Bizarre

(click on image to enlarge)

Ed Benes' legendary image from the cover of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7 stands tall as it becomes a multi-part statue! Sold in three parts, each features two of the world's greatest superheroes and includes a piece of a bonus Red Tornado figure. (To fully assemble Red Tornado, all three Build-a-Scene statues are needed.) All of the pieces slide together to make a complete cover scene in striking 3-D!

• The first part of the statue includes Batman, Wonder Woman, and the base and tornado portion of Red Tornado.
  
• Part two will include Superman, Black Canary, and the torso of Red Tornado.
  
• Part three will include Green Lantern, The Flash, and the head and cape of Red Tornado.
  

The JLA BUILD-A-SCENE STATUE is a limited-edition, hand-painted, cold-cast porcelain statue measuring approximately 8" tall x 14" wide x 10" deep when fully assembled. (Each piece measures approximately 8" tall x 5" wide x 5" deep, except for Red Tornado, which measures approximately 10.375" tall x 8.5" wide x 5.5" deep.) It includes a certificate of authenticity and is packaged in a 4-color box. This limited edition statue is manufactured to order.

Advance-solicited; on sale August 13, 2007 * Statue * $150 US

Minor assembly is required.

Comics for Soldiers

When the war started, I got an email from a soldier on a submarine saying how small their library was there and how much he liked reading The First Counsel. I love that guy. Within a month, we'd gotten a bunch of publishers to donate 40,000 thrillers to the troops (not just mine...we got everyone). The USO helped distribute and fun for all.

All these years later, people aren't nearly sending what they used to. So please take a look at this. Plus, we love Whitney and trust her with anything.

Shipping culture across the globe
via Pop Candy by Whitney Matheson on 12/12/07

I believe no one should be deprived of comics -- when I'm having a rough day, a good book almost always puts a smile on my face.

The non-profit group Heroes4Heroes also appreciates the power of pop culture, and they send comics and other goodies to the troops overseas. Visitors to their website can donate money, send them items, submit a soldier's address and learn more about the organization. The main page includes video from a recent live-art fundraising event, where artists drew amazing portraits of Captain America and other superheroes.

Cheers to the Dallas-based group for "keeping our soldiers culturally tuned in." Next time you head to the comic-book shop, consider picking up two issues of Angel instead of one.

Gene Ha

Dinner with Gene Ha was a like a rock and roll tour bus, but without all the blow and women and well, everything. But we had corn bread! Anyway, love the guy -- and loved every waiter and waitress who stopped at the table as I was oogling his art.

Otherwise, much love to this blog post from (postmodernbarney):

Thursday, December 06, 2007
What Nerds Need To Remember

"Made lots of money" is not the same thing as "was good."

"I liked it more than X" is not the same thing as "it was better than X."

"They" don't owe "the fans" anything.

"The fans" did not save it.

"The people who only like it now that it's popular" are not inferior to "the longterm fans."

"Enjoyable" is not the same as "good."

The creators are not beholden to your "personal canon" or fan-fiction.

"They" are not out to personally ruin your enjoyment.

Someone who likes it for a different reason than you do is not wrong.

Someone who doesn't like it is not wrong.

Sharks! And Big Dinner

Saw a great documentary last night -- Sharkwater, which was done by Rob Stewart. I never thought I'd hug a shark, but you have to love this kid's passion. Plus, there's a great interview moment with one of the renegades of the environmental movement. He's talking about how most people don't care what happens in the world. Most people don't want to make a change. Then he looks right at the camera and says, But you only need a few.

Ohh, I feel like I'm in college again discussing theories of the universe. Anyway, trailer is here

Also, after 25 comics pages, and two covers together, tonight I finally get to meet Gene Ha face-to-face. This is the benefit of living where there's warm weather: people come down to get away from the cold. And go to comic conventions.

Now to figure out if there's more work we can do together...

JLA: Lightning Saga

Just got the proofs for the JLA hardcover of Lightning Saga. It's just packed with comics -- not just the JSA crossover, but issue 11 with Gene Ha, 12 with Benes and Wight, and issue 0 with everyone. Plus Patton Oswalt doing the intro. And the interesting part is the cover. This weekend, I saw two comics on the main octagons in Barnes & Noble: Dark Tower and Shooting War. Comics are competing for that mainstream eye. So expect a Mr. Alex Ross making a great appearance.

And for those who aren't watching, the next step in the story is taking place in Action Comics right now with Geoff writing. Superman and the Legion of Superheroes. Just check it out. Worth every penny.

Heroes Indeed

Most of you know my love of The Hero Initiative, which gives money to comic writers and artists who need it. Bad. We donate ALL the profits from our t-shirt/whatever sales to them. And here's why. Yes, it's a week after Thanksgiving, but that doesn't mean we stop giving thanks.

Giving Thanks, Indeed
Posted by McLauchlin at 11:09:00 AM

I just wrote checks totaling $3000 for a creator who Hero just benefited. He wishes to remain anonymous, but our Disbursement Committee knows who he is. He lives in an area of the country, where the cost of living is moderately cheap, but still…he and his wife just rolled pennies to buy milk, and they luckily had a coupon for a free box of Cheerios. After the milk, they had $3 to their names.

The creator in question had cancer about a decade ago, and his wife was diagnosed with cancer a few years later. When she found she was going to lose her hair in treatment, she had it cut off and donated to the Locks of Love program. That's just the kind of folks they are. Her cancer is still an issue to this day. It took six years for her to get government help, as with no under-18 children living in their home, they had to get below 200% under the federal poverty guidelines before they could qualify.

Probably needless to say, due to health and mobility issues, finding work is difficult for these folks. The funny part is they're STILL plugging away, still writing and even self-publishing comics. Their spirit is indomitable. Some of the checks I wrote were to a landlord for rent and a propane company for heat. I spoke to said recipient today to tell him the checks went out and he remarked that "The prospect of a warm winter with no bills facing disconnect is more than we hoped for."

And it hit me: He had already resigned himself to the fate that the heat was probably going to get turned off for part of this winter. It was just going to happen. Until us. And until you, reading this.

So there. Just a quick reminder that the work we do, yes, is indeed important. Thanks to all who have donated their money, time, effort, and energies.

And happy Thanksgiving weekend, huh?

Jim McLauchlin

Shooting War

Anyone read Shooting War yet? Yes, it's noteworthy because it's a webcomic with loads of press for now being a hardcover graphic novel. And yes, it's from my publisher (who really does believe that these 'funny books' can tackle great stories). But for me, well...artist Dan Goldman is a great guy and from my old 'hood. And beyond that, he's spent the last dozen years busting his ass to bring his vision to life (life being defined as: as many eyeballs as possible). So take a look. And support anyone from your 'hood (except for the dicks who used to make fun of us).

Patton Oswalt

Just got the introduction for the next JLA hardcover, written by Patton Oswalt, who...c'mon...we love. And not just because he wrote a beautiful intro. The guy yells out, "Hal Jordan" in the middle of his act to signify will power. My hero.

And yes, this last hardcover has The Lightning Saga as well as issues 11, 12, and zero.

Green Lantern Film

Been getting lots of email about the Green Lantern movie since all three principals are Jack & Bobby people. So stop panicking. Michael and Marc will no doubt be doing the good stuff with the ring slinging. If you don't believe me, check out their current runs on Batman Confidential and Wolverine. I can't wait for it. Very excited about all.

GREG BERLANTI TO DIRECT GREEN LANTERN FILM

DC Comics’ Flash has apparently gotten some love in regards to making the leap to the big screen, and now, according to Variety, the Flash’s pal, Green Lantern is making the move as well, with Greg (Dirty Sexy Money, Brothers & Sisters) Berlanti named by the trade as the director for the film.

Berlanti will write the script for the film with Marc (Wolverine, Amazing Spider-Man under exclusive contract to Marvel, Brothers & Sisters) Guggenheim and Michael (Heroes) Green. Donald De Line will produce, with Andrew Haas named as executive producer.

For the director, this will be his second film – he directed The Broken Hearts Club in 2000.

As with many DC Comics characters, Green Lantern has had a long slog to get to this point – many attempts on the character have been rumored to be in the works over the past years, including a more comedic take with actor Jack Black in the title role.

No word was given as to which Green Lantern will be featured in the film, but, given the recent revamp and return of Hal Jordan to the role, the test pilot introduced in 1959’s Showcase #22 would be the best bet, beating out Alan Scott, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner.

Berlanti told The Hollywood Reporter: "To me, this was on the last great comic book movie that hasn’t been made. It was a comic book with a real mythology that you would see in a lot of the space operas and the sci-fi books. The best part about it, anybody can be become one of the Green Lanterns because anyone can end up with that ring.”

And the Reporter confirms that the film will be about Jordan, adding that the director originally pitched a series of GL movies to Warner Bros., the first being the origin story, showing how Jordan became a member of the Green Lantern Corps.

Breaking In As A Writer

When Doris Lessing was told she won the Nobel Prize for her novels, her response? "I couldn't care less."

I love her for that. I love anyone that acknowledges how arbitrary and silly and snobby the literature crowd can be. Indeed, my goal has always been to take the barriers down and to let everyone in -- treating everyone -- and all genres (including snob lit, thrillers, and comics) -- equally. And that's why I love this story below.

I remember when Geoff told me it right after it happened. And I remember saying, "Good for you for taking care of the new guy." I tried very much the same this past summer, and I know my guy will be there soon. So to all the writers out there, I believe.

From Newsarama:

WHO IS STERLING GATES? MEETING THE NEW DC WRITER
by Vaneta Rogers

When the solicitation was first released for this week's Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman-Prime #1, the response to the writers listed for the comic was pretty universal. "Who is Sterling Gates?"

The unknown writer was listed as a co-writer on the comic along with Geoff Johns because Gates penned the issue's back-up story, a Tales of the Sinestro Corps installment titled, "Fear is a Baby's Cry!" Everyone knew who Johns was, but nobody had heard the name Sterling Gates before.

Then when we interviewed Johns on Newsarama a few weeks ago about the Sinestro Corps War, the writer kept bringing up this guy Sterling Gates again, even mentioning his work on an upcoming Secret Files issue, which sure enough had Gates listed as a co-writer again. And the questions about the mysterious writer continued.

Now it's time to put the mystery to rest. Newsarama tracked down Gates and found out that his story is one most fans will envy terribly, yet one that anyone who's been to a comic convention can completely identify with. Much like the story told in our recent interview with Matt Yocum, another unknown writer given a chance over at Marvel after literally buying time with Joe Quesada, Gates has a unique story of being "discovered" by a generous comics creator – this one involving a drunk friend, an ice cream sundae and a few awkward encounters with Geoff Johns.

Newsarama: When people saw the solicitation, you know what they said. "Who the hell is Sterling Gates?"

Sterling Gates: [laughs] That was my favorite internet post of all time.

NRAMA: You saw that one too, huh?

SG: I did. I did.

NRAMA: Have you written any comics before? Or are you completely new to the industry?

SG: I did some self-published work in college. Some autobiographical, slice-of-life kind of stuff that I wrote and drew – but this is my first foray into the "big leagues" of comicdom.

NRAMA: But you grew up around comics, right?

SG: Sure. My dad owned a comic book store in Tulsa, Okla., called Sooner Books and Comics, which was this really, really tiny used book store, but we had a big comics section. We owned that for over 10 years, and we finally closed in 1998. And so, yeah, comics were always sort of there and a part of my life from about age 7 onward. They were just around our house everywhere. We had a garage full of comics for as long as I could remember and I would sit and read them for hours, then sneak them under the covers and read them in bed.

And when I got to college, I started working part-time at my local comics store, Speeding Bullet Books and Comics in Norman, Okla.

NRAMA: When you went to college at University of Oklahoma, what was it you wanted to do?

SG: I earned a degree in Fine Arts with a specialization in film and television production. That said, my professors used to get really annoyed because everything I did, I wanted to relate to comics somehow. Like my capstone thesis wasn't about film or television so much as about sequential art theory and relating time theory in comics to our training in film and television. I must've referenced Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics a hundred times in that paper! [laughs]

NRAMA: So you got out of college with this degree, and you ended up in L.A., right?

SG: Well, I worked a little for the Oklahoma Film and Music Commission for about six months and for Speeding Bullet on the weekends, and then one day, some friends and I were talking over dinner, and I said, "So, we've all graduated. What are we going to do with our lives?" And nobody had a good answer. And I said, "Well, I'm going to fly to L.A. next week and get us a lease and we're moving." Then, over Christmas break we said goodbye to everyone we knew, 'cause no one thought they'd see us ever again. Like, I really think everyone thought L.A . was like the 'Welcome to the Jungle' video, and we'd all get off the bus and be robbed and murdered right there on the street. [laughs]

So on New Year's Day 2006, we packed up a U-Haul and we started going west.

NRAMA: But you had no job.

SG: I had nothing. Nothing. I had three months rent, a degree and a prayer. I was going to take over the world!

And then I moved out here and completely shut down for about six weeks. [laughs] Horrible depression. It was just such a culture shock. I just sat on the couch and watched Gilmore Girls reruns for six weeks. And then my friend called and said, "I'm going to go up to San Francisco to WonderCon. Want to come?"

NRAMA: Ah... here comes the story.

SG: You know where this is going. [laughs]

NRAMA: You met somebody in the comics industry that gave you a chance. How did it happen?

SG: On Saturday night at the con, my friend and I went out to dinner, and he tried to sort of hit on our waitress. And she totally rejected him -- rightfully so, I might add. And we went to this bar to console him. We get pretty liquored up, there was a lot of consoling to be done, and go back to the hotel. In the lobby were Geoff Johns and Steve Wacker. They were leaving the hotel as we were coming in. And my friend had a conniption and freaked, freaked out. He's a huge Geoff Johns fan. And he started literally singing praises to him. The Marriott lobby there is this huge echoing structure, so every word he said, I think everyone in every room could hear. It was really, really embarrassing.

I wanted to sober him up, so we walked over to Mel's Diner around the corner. We get there and Geoff and Steve are there, and they recognize us from the hotel from five minutes prior. So that was really awkward.

NRAMA: They were waiting for their table, right?

SG: Yeah. They were waiting outside, and we kind of awkwardly struck up a conversation. And they politely answered our questions and asked us a few back. I told them about how I just moved to L.A., and it turned out that Geoff and I shopped at the same comics shop, DJ's Universal, so we talked about that. We said our "good-byes" and our "nice-to-meet-you's" and then the host sat them, and then came back and sat us at the table literally right next to theirs. A table maybe five inches from their table. And we kind of all looked at each other and I thought, "Can this get more awkward? I doubt it."

But then it did, because Cody, my fantastically drunk friend, every couple seconds, would shield his face from their view with his menu and whisper to me, "Sterling! It's Geoff Johns!!"

NRAMA: They probably thought you were stalkers! [laughs]

SG: Well, yeah! [laughs] I'm surprised they didn't file restraining orders right then and there. And so we went through this whole dinner, and I finally told my friend not to say anything to them and for us to just get out of there because it was so weird. So, the waitress came with our check, and feeling like I should kind of make up for my friend, I got Geoff and Steve's check. I didn't tell them, I just grabbed their check and went out and paid it.

I came back and said, "Guys, it was awesome to meet you. Sorry about my drunk friend. I paid for your dinner. I'll see you at the con tomorrow. Have a great night." And literally, without missing a beat, Geoff looks up from his sundae and says, "Do you want a job?" And Wacker goes, "…What?" And Geoff had Steve give me his card, and told me to email Steve my resume.

NRAMA: That seems like an awfully nice way to respond to an awkward situation! So he knew you were looking for a job?

SG: Yeah, we had kind of loosely chatted about the fact that I'd moved to L.A. and had this degree and didn't have a job yet. I think he kind of, in the back of his head, knew I was looking. But it was pure luck. I emailed in my resume, and I got a call the next week from Blade: The Series. They were hiring for a production assistant for the writers room, and I think Geoff just thought, I'll see if this kid can make the interview. And I went in and interviewed with the entire writing staff, all at once, like a huge roundtable interview.

And I got the job.

NRAMA: You got a job in television because you stalked Geoff Johns at a comics convention. [laughs]

SG: [laughs] Oh, come on. I think stalking is too hard a word. It was just accidentally running into him over and over and over.

NRAMA: It was fate.

SG: Yeah! It was the fickle finger of fate!

NRAMA: So what does a writer's room production assistant do?

SG: Anything anyone asks! I would get the most random requests. My basic duties were making sure everyone had food, and I did script distribution and, you know, stocking basic office things. I drove back and forth to New Line's Television Department all the time. One day I had to find Dodge Chargers on the Internet for Blade to wreck. The next I had to research everything I could about Baron Blood.

NRAMA: For this you went to college, right?

SG: I think everyone, especially in this town, has to start somewhere, and it's always on the bottom rung.

NRAMA: Wait. This all sounds oddly familiar. This story. You know that, right?

SG: Uh... you mean Geoff and [Richard] Donner?

NRAMA: Yeah, because this is Geoff's story you're telling. He took off to L.A. with a group of friends after graduating from college with a film degree. He had no job and too little money. He lucked out getting a job as a P.A. and ended up as Donner's assistant. Then ended up writing comics. Same story. And now you're Geoff's assistant and writing comics. You became Geoff's assistant when Blade ended, right?

SG: Yeah, after Blade was unceremoniously canceled. At the end of the first season, we knew it wasn't coming back. Geoff had written a movie called Naughty or Nice with Matt Senreich from Robot Chicken, and they were interested in producing that film. Once they started moving on it, and once Seth [Green] got involved, things really started to go. Geoff called me on a Sunday and said, "Look, I don't know what you're doing post-Blade, but I need an assistant for this movie. Come on and do that." How do you say no to Geoff Johns? So that's where I am today!

NRAMA: OK, let's fast forward to this comic that just came out this week. How did you go from, "I majored in film and television, I'm working in film and television, so I'm going to pitch to DC." How did that happen?

SG: I really wanted to be a television writer when I moved out. And working in the writer's room on Blade, I was talking a lot about ideas I had, not just for Blade but all sorts of other shows. So Geoff knew I was interested in writing.

One day, we were talking about comics, and I said, "You know, I used to write comics in college." I hadn't told him that ever before, because when you're around Geoff Johns, you don't just blurt out, "Hey! You write comics! I've written some, too!" But he said, "Really? Can I read some?" And I gave a little nervous laugh and said, "Um, sure, you can read my comics…Geoff…Johns…" [laughs]

I had a couple up on the internet and I sent those to him. And he gave them a read and said they were really great. He asked if I wanted to write comics, and I said I would love to write comics. I would kill to write comics! And that was over a year ago, and nothing seemed to come of it. I thought it was just an idle conversation. I figured I'd just still pursue writing TV and feature scripts and that was fine.

But then, once Sinestro Corps really started taking off, I really got inspired by it and wrote up a pitch for five or six different Sinestro Corps members' stories and brought them in to work. And I said, "I know this is really weird, but can you read these?" He read them and said, "These are awesome. Let me send these in to [editor] Eddie Berganza and we'll see if maybe we can get some of these stories told." So, a whirlwind trip later, and my first story hits this week.

NRAMA: Let's talk about the story. It's about Kryb. She was first seen in the pages of the Sinestro Corps Special. Why did you pick her?

SG: Ethan [Van Sciver]'s designs are incredible. He is a genius, especially with his designs for the Sinestro Corps and all the different aliens and creatures. They're incredible. I started looking at that spread in the middle of Sinestro Corps Special #1, and I realized that the one that instantly visually scared the crap out of me was Kryb. Her collection of babies is one of the scariest things I can think of, because where did they all come from? Where do you find that many babies? And so I started thinking about that, and the things that frighten me. One of the most visceral basic threats, I think, and one of our biggest fears is the threat to family. So it clicked. Kryb targets certain, special children across the galaxy and uses them to instill great fear in their parents.

NRAMA: It's a really creepy read. You have a very twisted mind.

SG: Thanks. Wait, is that a compliment? [laughs]

NRAMA: And on your first published work at DC, you got to work with Jerry Ordway! How was that?

SG: Jerry's amazing. I really think he's one of the best pencillers of all time. He's so good. When I found out he was doing my story, I really freaked out. You know that scene at the end of 40 Year Old Virgin where everyone's singing 'Aquarius' and dancing and stuff? That's what I did. [laughs] I was really, really psyched.

NRAMA: Going forward, are you writing more things? Are we going to see your name again?

SG: The next thing, and I think it's hitting stands December 19th, is the Green Lantern/Sinestro Corps Secret Files that Geoff and I are co-writing. For all accounts and purposes, it's a Who's Who of all the Green Lanterns -- even all the dead ones. And we cover all of the Sinestro Corps, too. So it's like 250 guys in a 54-page comic, which is the most bang for your buck you can possibly get.

Also in that Secret Files is a Tales of the Green Lantern Corps story I wrote revealing the origin of the Green Lantern crypt-keeper, Morro. Joe Prado did some wonderful art for it, just did a bang-up job on it.

And I'd also like to take a quick second here and thank Eddie Berganza and Adam Schlagman, who've been working extra hard putting together this Green Lantern Secret Files. Those guys are fantastic, and I really appreciate their efforts to get it made. Oh, and a super special thanks to Eddie Berganza, for giving me a chance to tell Kryb's story. Eddie rules. Period. [laughs]

NRAMA: What does your family think of this?

SG: I called my mom way, way early in the process and told her I was going to be doing some comics stuff. She said, "Oh, that's amazing. Your father would be so proud of you, God rest his soul." But I didn't tell her anything after that because I knew it would be a much bigger impact if one day she opened the door to a Fed Ex box full of comics with my name on them. And so, I've neglected to tell her anything at all about it. So, no one tell her. [laughs] Anyone reading this, please don't tell my mom until after Superman-Prime #1 hits the stands and I have a chance to send it to her.

NRAMA: So she'll see it Thursday?

SG: Yeah, I'm going to overnight it to her, so she'll get it Thursday morning.

NRAMA: With all the experience of being around writers at Blade and working with Geoff, do you think you've grown as a writer?

SG: Absolutely! We had some of the best writers in television on Blade. Dan Truly, David Goyer. Some very, very talented guys to be around and learn from. And Geoff's been very interested in seeing me grow as a writer. I kind of wonder if he sees -- especially given the parallels between how we got our start-- a little of himself in me. Not that I would ever claim to be as good a writer as Geoff! The man's legendary. [laughs] But, I think Geoff really cares about fostering good writers and hopefully, knock on wood, he sees a good one in me and would like to see me continue to grow.

NRAMA: There really are way too many similarities in your stories.

SG: The creepy thing is, I found out about Jerry Ordway, and I went into Geoff's office, and I said, "I got Jerry Ordway on 'Baby's Cry'!!" And he said, "Wow, Jerry Ordway gave me my start in comics, too." Little did anyone know, but the first thing Geoff ever had published was a Jerry Ordway interview he did for Comic Shop News. And he said, "It's kind of come full circle. That's so weird." And he's right, it's bizarre.

But you know, it's also very cool. It's really, as someone who's living this life, it's odd to see parallels between what's happening to me and what happened to someone whose work I really admire and respect. And I think, as both my and Geoff's cases show, you really have to make that decision to take the plunge and follow a dream. It might not always work out exactly how you thought it would, but hey, seeing just how it works out is half the adventure!

Junot Diaz

Been rooting for him since my first publisher Rob Weisbach told me about him years ago. This means even more. You know the highbrow/lowbrow debate gets me more riled than just about anything. As do "literary" snobs who want to use and embrace comics, but refuse to lower themselves to go into a comic shop and buy anything current. So Diaz is officially my new hero.

(full article on Newsarama)

JD: Well, I know I’m going to get slammed for this…you know what? I’m just going to get into it.

I think the problem is that when you see literary people sort of dabbling in comic books, it’s kind of uni-directional. In other words, we literary types can go dabble in comic books, but it doesn’t change the fact that we’re still considered “high literary” writers. We can go through and rummage through this material and talk about supervillains, and we’ll still get nominated for Pulitzers and other awards.

Now…the same thing really ain’t true when you’re a comic book artist. Let’s say you’re a comic book artist, you draw superhero comics. It’s not like your average Superman artist (at least at this moment) going to gain mainstream literary acceptance doing comic books. In other words, I dream of a day when the guy who’s writing the Hulk is up for a Pulitzer, and not just the literary writer who jumps in and writes a novel about the Hulk.

It’s almost as if the literary writers have an American passport, and we can go into the third world of comic books any time we want, and we can come back fine. But comic book writers are like holding passports from North Korea, and when they try to enter the pearly gates of the high literary nation, they’re always stopped and blocked and stripped and denied access.

It’s an interesting thing. I think this kind of mashup between high and low culture is good, but I don’t want anybody to hide the privilege and the power that one has over the other. Michael Chabon writes a book about comic books and everyone’s on his jock, but Michael Chabon is never going to be competing with the poor guy who’s writing Sinestro Corps for an award of high literary merit. And I’m like, “Why not?”

There are superhero comic books – and I know people will laugh at this – there are superhero comic books that are as strong as the literature that’s given awards! There’s just this kind of bias against these people being on the same fuckin’ award table, you know?

State Of The Industry

Heidi is really good at this sort of temperature taking. I'm not sure I agree that only 2 series still exist (Ex Machina is one more that jumps to mind). And I also don't think that you can blow off Wildstorm and the imprints. Especially when some of their titles are exactly what's working. But well worth the insightful read.

Something is coming...

And my belief? It's the next turnover of creators. Always happens. Out with the old, in with the new. The kids have the steering wheel. Watch.

Meeting Your Heroes

I never met Jim Henson. Or Mr. Rogers. Or Will Eisner (who I was asked to do an event with, and I sadly missed the opportunity). But I did finally get to meet Jerry Robinson. He's not a hero because he created the Joker, or named Robin, or any of the creative stuff. He's a hero because he fought for Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster to get credit for creating Superman. And he still fights for Bill Finger as a true co-creator of Batman.

And so...highlights from last night's event:

• Robinson telling the story of reading Dark Knight and seeing Robinson Park -- and not realizing it was named for him.
  
• Any story he told of the old artists and writers cramped in some old room (at DC, he sat next to Kirby, Siegel, Shuster, etc).
  
• Bill Finger's granddaughter showing up at the event
  
• Seeing the original art from many of the WWII Superman covers (including the one with the eagle perched on his arm).
  
• And the oh-so-impossible feeling that I was somehow a tiny part of this twisted, incestuous, obsessive, introverted and spectacular world we call comics.
  

Thanks to those who came. Will try to get the video soon.

Jerry Robinson, Rags & Bair

Tonight is the event I'm doing with Jerry Robinson and I have to say, my spidey-sense is going wild. I honestly haven't been this excited for an event since...I must've been fifteen. This man is a hero. And a pal in comics told me never to meet my heroes. That it always ruins it. But with this, I'm risking it. More back here tomorrow -- and I'm hoping that the video will be available.

Also, I always get asked about Rags and where he's been since Identity Crisis and Wonder Woman. Gossip no further. Rags and Bair are back. Back as a team. Back in comics. Back on Nightwing. They just sent me some early art and it's -- as always -- incredible. So so happy to see this going.

Event Details

Jerry Robinson & Brad Meltzer: Discussing the Past and Future of Comics

Where: The Jewish Museum Of Florida
301 Washington Avenue• Miami Beach • Florida 33139 (Google Map link)

When: Tuesday, October 16 at 7:30 PM

Meet Brad and Jerry Robinson Tomorrow Night

Last reminder (at least until tomorrow) -- and yes, of course, I'll sign anything you wanna bring.

Jerry Robinson & Brad Meltzer: Discussing the Past and Future of Comics

Where: The Jewish Museum Of Florida
301 Washington Avenue• Miami Beach • Florida 33139 (Google Map link)

When: Tuesday, October 16 at 7:30 PM

Also, let me plug one of my favorite interviewers -- and nicest guys around: Jim Hall, who does Cult Pop. You can even see me yapping away at www.cult-pop.com. Go. See. Fun.

Simone Bianchi Interview

The best part of this is that the ONLY artist DC didn't let me approach for JLA 0 was Simone Bianchi. At that point, I'd just seen his 7 Soldiers stuff and said, "He's the next big gun. We have to get him." And that day, I heard he left for Marvel. I still give Loeb crap for stealing him away.

One day...

Full interview with him here.

Jerry Robinson & Brad Meltzer: Discussing the Past and Future of Comics

Where: The Jewish Museum Of Florida (301 Washington Avenue• Miami Beach • Florida 33139)

When: Tuesday, October 16 at 7:30 PM

This is going to be a lot of fun and I look forward to seeing all those that can attend. For those of you who don't know about Jerry Robinson, see below.

Jerry Robinson was a pioneer in comic art and began his cartooning career in 1939 illustrating the Batman comic books for which he create "The Joker," comics' first supervillain, and named Batman's partner "Robin," even designing his costume. He curated the exhibit, Zap! Pow! Bam! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books 1938-1950 which opens at the Museum on October 16.

Michael Moorcock On Watchmen

Yes, it's a blog link to a blog, but I love this one. And what I love is Moorcock admitting that he was a snob about comics -- how he saw them as lowbrow dreck.

Thanks to the Smoky Man for the link.

Hickman Is Back

The next generation of creators is arriving. Hickman is one of the few I'm most excited to watch. Nightly News was a clear favorite of mine, so I can't wait to see the new book. And very glad it's going in a totally new direction. He's brave. Brave!

HICKMAN'S PAX ROMANA DEBUTS IN NOVEMBER FROM IMAGE

---

Press Release

Jonathan Hickman, the innovative creator behind the critically acclaimed NIGHTLY NEWS, brings his unique sensibility to science fiction this November in PAX ROMANA, a four-issue, full-color miniseries.

"PAX ROMANA is probably not the book people expected next from me," says writer/artist Jonathan Hickman. "In many ways, it’s a better end product than The NIGHTLY NEWS, and I think people will be pleasantly surprised at the evolution of both my storytelling and art. And sure, there is the obvious difference: THE NIGHTLY NEWS was, more or less, grounded in a reality and PAX ROMANA is historical science fiction, but you’re also going to find the same amount of research, hard work and passion – just in a better package. I’m extremely proud of it.”

While THE NIGHTLY NEWS was a gripping, media-centric thriller with an edgy political slant, Hickman is best known for utilizing an art style consisting of double page spreads which married traditional comic art with elements of graphic design. With PAX ROMANA, Jonathan will again be pushing the boundaries of storytelling while telling the tale of 5,000 men sent on an impossible mission to change the past and save the future.

Image Comics Executive Director Eric Stephenson says, "Like The Luna Brothers before him, Jonathan Hickman submitted THE NIGHTLY NEWS to Image through the mail, and his distinctive voice and unique approach to storytelling was a true revelation. As impressive as as that first series was, though, PAX ROMANA is even better; Jonathan's really raising the bar with his new work and his creative vision has only become bolder."
PAX ROMANA #1 (SEP071955), a 32-page full color four-issue mini-series with a cover price of $3.50, will be available for order in the September issue of Previews and will go on sale November 28th.

Presents!

Still weaning off vacation, but came back to two of the nicest gifts around:

First, Alex Ross kindly sent the original pencil sketch (from our conversation) that became the cover for JLA 12 (Thanks, Alex -- truly first class);

And second, Eddie Berganza and DC Comics sent a framed JLA certificate with my name on it (and thanks to editors Adam Schlagman and Jeanine Schaefer who clearly had a hand in it). As I told them, I know the League isn't real. But c'mon...you know it is.

Still wiping the tears from my eyes.

Now...onto the novel...

Goodbye JLA

That's it...13 issues...well over 300 pages...11 members...and yes, despite Grundy, Amazo, Professor Ivo, Felix Faust, Dr. Impossible, Parasite, Electrocutioner, Plastique, Cavalier, Starro and others, plus the return of the "true" Legion of Super-Heroes, and Wally West, there wasn't enough action, fistfights or villains.

And so, let me answer the most asked questions:

Any regrets?

I wish I would've had Cyborg join. (Wanted to do it, but once 11 and 12 were planned out, just didn't have the room to make it happen).

What was the story with the older versions of Degaton, Despero, and Ultra Humanite?

As you can tell, The Lightning Saga is a smaller story within a bigger story (and it was our story -- Geoff and mine -- not a story that DC pushed on us). Geoff and I talked about whether to leave the villains in or pull them out entirely. Admittedly, this got a bit crunched for space (which is what happens when you have two writers and four different artists working simultaneously to make sure it all comes out on time), but this has clearly not been forgotten and was never meant to be a silly tease. Look at who the third team was. Time travel is a game of dominos.

What about Vixen's powers/Geo-Force/Deathstroke/etc?

Let me say this about all the so-called open threads: for each one, I asked DC: Do you want me to close this? Or would you rather build on it, in which case, I'll keep it open? The ones that are open, they said they wanted open. So check out JSA, and Geoff's Legion story, and the Green Arrow/Black Canary wedding special and, of course, JLA. Is that a ploy to get your money? Only if it doesn't involve great story. So, yes, the last thing I want is to be party to some fake "event" tie-in that simply has red skies in the background. But I feel these stories are in incredible hands, from Reddy to Vixen to Black Lightning to the rest. Even more important, this comic isn't a miniseries that was just for me. It's the Justice League of America, and it's ongoing, and at its best, its consequences should spill over into every part of the DCU.

When are you coming back to comics?

Buffy is next. But right now (and actually for the past year), it's been new novel full-time.

Anything you would change?

Every single story I write, the moment it comes out, I find new flaws/mistakes/words that I can't believe I didn't catch the first fifty times we went over it. But as a whole, each writer should only ever write the story that they have to tell. And these were the stories I had to tell: not about the giant menace (and believe me, I love giant menace stories), but about what makes the hero within. Issue zero, The Tornado's Path, The Lightning Saga, Walls, and Monitor Duty all deal with that same issue head-on. I don't love these heroes for their super-powers. I love them for their greatness within (which is just another way to say their humanity). I love that every day, even though they can die, they keep fighting forward. I love that Red Tornado would risk everything to be closer to his wife. I love that the Legion and JLA and JSA will risk it all to save their universe. I love that Red Arrow doesn't give up even when he should. And I love that the League will exist long after we're all gone. That is what greatness means: to keep going...to never let anyone stop you from what you love doing...even when the most impossible odds stand in your way.

I believe there is greatness in all of us. And especially in the smallest of us. Every single story I write is about that. Every story -- from JLA, to my novels, to Jack & Bobby -- is about fighting the fight for what you love (whether it's your wife, your universe, your family, yourself, or your team). And the best fights are the ones where you're fighting for who you are. The odds never matter. What matters is who we are underneath. What matters is that we're true to what we love. And what matters is never ever ever changing to be anything but who you are. And that's what I -- again -- learned from the Justice League.

See you on monitor duty. And can't wait to see Dwayne's run. It's gonna be beautiful, and best of all, it's just beginning.

Leaving JLA

Today is my last issue of JLA. I miss it like you wouldn't believe. But I'm leaving the big post/goodbye for tomorrow, just so you have a chance to read it first.

Thanks so much for reading it. Really.

More tomorrow...

JLA & Eternal Sunshine

Last JLA is this week, so looking forward to and so saddened at the same time. Like last issue, this is also a sort of risky experiment (and yes, no fistfights, again), but one that also ties back to issue zero (not the future stuff, the opening sequence). One day of Monitor Duty to show what the League is really made of. It's got extra pages, Eric Wight doing his magic and Ed Benes doing his as well. Plus Alex Ross and the final Turner cover.

Also, this trailer is so fun. If it were anyone else, I'd say the movie might suck. But Eternal Sunshine is a personal favorite, so let's have some faith. The best stories are indeed the ones we tell each other.

Bill Mantlo

If you read comics in the 70s and 80s, odds are you read Bill Mantlo.

So if you're looking for a good way to spend your money, lay off that book that you buy but don't really care about, and buy this instead, which is going to help with Mantlo's medical bills.

Thanks to reader "rockingo" for pointing it out.

Also, the JLA preview for the final issue is on Newsarama.

Best Day Of The Month

Spoke to Jerry Robinson today.

Almost squealed.

More news soon.

JLA Logos And Disney's No Smoking

First, we're bringing back the logos on the monitor chairs. It's so sad how much this excites me. Some are obvious. Here are the others:

Also, check out this article about how Disney is taking out ALL smoking from its films. It's amazing how Congress can't change the world, but some well placed politics can.

Most vital new news -- casting in Watchman. I've tried to remain clam, but Jackie Earle Haley as Rorshach? Best. Ever.

From Newsarama:

According to both of today’s Hollywood trades, the long-awaited big-screen adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons Watchman has the first additions to its cast, and they are Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Malin Akerman. Zack Snyder 300 directs.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, "Set in an alternate America, 'Watchmen' follows costumed hero Rorschach, who is living a vigilante lifestyle because most masked heroes have retired or been outlawed. While investigating a murder, Rorschach learns that a former masked-hero colleague has been killed, prompting him to begin investigating a possible conspiracy."

Haley - best known for this roles as a teen in Breaking Away and The Bad News Bears before mounting a comeback with his Oscar-nominated role in Little Children will play Walter Kovacs, aka Rorschach, "who ignores the ban on costumed vigilantes."

Crudup (Almost Famous, long-time voice of the Mastercard “Priceless” commercials) will play Dr. Manhattan, "a superpowered being with godlike powers and temperament."

Akerman will play Laurie Juspeczyk/the Silk Spectre, "who is involved with Dr. Manhattan -- but that relationship begins to fall apart as he becomes more disconnected from humanity."

Goode will play Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias, "a costumed adventurer who retired voluntarily, disclosed his identity and built a large fortune. He hatches a plot to avert a global catastrophe he believes will be caused by Dr. Manhattan."

Wilson will play the Nite-Owl, "a crime-fighter who uses technical wizardry and has an owl-shaped flying vehicle."

Morgan will play the Comedian, "a cigar-chomping, gun-toting vigilante-turned-paramilitary agent."

Shooting is set to start this fall in Vancouver, with Snyder reportedly employing many of the filming techniques he used for his adaptation of 300.

JLA 11 Redux

Just a huge thanks for the emails and postings and bits of love about JLA 11 -- and especially those who said they wanted to hate it and were surprised how much they enjoyed it. Gene and Art killed themselves on this issue. And to be honest, I was terrified we took too big a leap in a book that's lived so much with attacking aliens and world threats. But my one belief is you have to tell the story you have to tell. So thanks.

Gene Ha And Art Lyon

I love this Harry Potter New York Times story about the guy who does the audio books.

And with JLA 11 being previewed yesterday, people have been asking about Gene Ha's stunning art and what he did that's different from his other work. I can't explain it. So I asked him. And so...from Gene:

The short answer is gray Copic markers and Photoshop.

The first stage is tight thumbnails. I scan this into my computer and print it as a blueline onto good /inkjet/ paper or Copic marker paper.

I then go to work with graphite pencil, gray Copic markers, white charcoal pencil and white paint. I mostly used Copic paper on this issue for the grainy, dusty effect. I prefer good quality inkjet paper because it absorbs the marker better without bleeding.

I use the pencils for fine details (like outlines and facial details) and the markers for most everything else. The white media lets me to create clean highlights.

After that Art puts it into Photoshop and tints the gray originals (The finished artwork couldn't have been done without a fine colorist like Art Lyon.).

There are two main techniques. Our classic technique is to select an area and Ctrl-B it. The other technique is to create another layer that makes the area darker, lighter, glow, etc. You'll have to ask him for more details!

And from super-colorist Art Lyon:

Let me elaborate on Gene's description of the coloring, if I may. Maybe no one cares and I will cry.

This issue had more than the usual number of insertions, meaning stuff Gene drew separately from the full page of art which I then inserted into the art. These are usually backgrounds, but are often common in situations where we have similar looking panels with limited but significant differences: an arm has moved, something has come into frame, etc. I've learned that in most cases it's best to insert these into the art and then flatten it and color it all as one thing.

So, yeah, Control+B calls up the Color Balance tool in Photoshop. I saved Color Balance settings for all the colors I knew would be cropping up a lot: character costumes and skin tones and hair color, rebar, cement, blood, etc. I spent a lot of time consulting with my oil painter wife Ellen, and with Gene, to get these colors just so. I knew we were going to be seeing A LOT of these colors, so I wanted to get them just right. I sampled colors from recent JLA issues, pictures of Halle Berry and Eric Johnson, and 9/11 and World Trade Center (the movie) images.

First I go through and do the Color Balance thing, which also occasionally involves the Hue & Saturation tool, too. This colors the grays in the original art layer. There are other ways to do this, but actually playing with the original art (rather than just layering in see-through colors on top of the art) will emphasize the texture of the original art, so I went with that.

I had a Shadows layer and a Highlights layer on top of the colored art. It's in these two layers that I do all my detailed coloring work, the stuff that hopefully "sells it". I lightly brush in all the niggly skin tones. I have a nice, fairly light rosey color, a pale green, and a purplish gray. Then reflected colors on an object are sampled from surrounding objects, and lightly brushed in to tint different areas. The advantage of these layers is that I can adjust their opacity, darkness, hue, and the like, and I can erase any area large or small partially or completely.

The Shadows layer is where I did all the blood effects, as well as some dust effects, the secondary light source colors, and dark reflected colors. The Highlights layer is where I did most of the dust effects and lighter reflected color.

Vibration effects are copies of this finished, colored art that have been made less opaque and less saturated. I erased different areas to let the base colored image peak through enough to keep it clear what we're looking at, despite the shaking.

Part of the trick was figuring out how dark to make it down there, and how much to make the characters costumes stand out. I darkened things a lot, and despite the need for grit and dirt and the like, I wanted to make the costumes still colorful enough to make the characters pop and to make the fans happy. Realism and flashiness was a big struggle here, color-wise.

So, that's basically it.

JLA 11

Tomorrow is JLA 11 with Gene Ha. It's a risky one, folks. Not as risky as a JLA/JSA crossover with no villains at all, or the last 5 full issues with no fistfights at all, but you get the pretty pictures. Can't wait to see if it works.

The preview for 11 has been posted to Newsarama.

Also, this is my favorite cover in a long time.

Byrne Hates Meltzer

Oh, the joy I take in this.

From Lying In The Gutter, Volume 2 Column 112

HUNTING THE SNARK: PART TWO

Brad Meltzer on Newsarama internet and comics. "Most positive is that we're all not alone as readers anymore."

John Byrne on his forum. "I would call that the most negative! And right there we see the danger of what happens when fans turn pro, and are unable to stop thinking like fans."

Jewish Superhero Website Listing

Thanks to Jack G. for this. And I so admire The Acidic Jew.

Jewish superhero website listing:

http://www.adherents.com/lit/comics/comic_book_religion.html

http://www.adherents.com/lit/comics/comic_collage.html#Jews