LUCIDMEDIA

Lucid Comics – January 28th

Written by Adam A. Donaldson Wednesday, 28 January 2009 12:49

In the News

Tough Economy hits DC

It appears the DC Comics took its share of Time Warners’ 800 lay-offs last week when it was announced that venerable editor Bob Schreck, Subscriptions Manager Christine Sawicki and several Mad Magazine staffers had been let go from the company. The loss of Schreck came as a particular surprise because of the man’s influence and standing in the industry. He’s the one that helped put Dark Horse on the map with Sin City and Mad Man; started Oni Press with Kevin Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob characters; and brought Greg Rucka to DC and put him on Detective Comics. His latest success has been the launch of DC’s All-Star line.

GLAAD announces Media Award nominees

Some big names have been listed as nominees in the comic book category for the annual Media Awards handed out by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD. Best-selling comics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Final Crisis and Young Avengers were highlighted because of their positive depiction of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered characters. Meanwhile, in the TV category, genre shows like Reaper, True Blood and Torchwood, were also awarded with nominations. The complete list of comic nominees can be read below:

The Alcoholic by Jonathan Ames (Vertigo/DC Comics)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Drew Goddard, Jeph Loeb and Joss Whedon (Dark Horse Comics)
Final Crisis: Revelations by Greg Rucka (DC Comics)
Secret Six by Gail Simone and Nicola Scott (DC Comics)
Young Avengers Presents by Ed Brubaker, Brian Reed, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Paul Cornell, Kevin Grevioux and Matt Fraction (Marvel Comics)

Obama Spidey goes to a fourth printing

Retailers had to get their orders in this past Monday if they wanted to get any more copies of Amazing Spider-Man #583 in their stores in the near future. According to a Marvel press release, “A record three sold out printings in three weeks will now be surpassed with a record fourth printing.” If other stores have been anything like my local comic book shop, they’ve probably been inundated with requests for the first appearance of President Obama in the Marvel U. If you haven’t got your copy, then mark your calendar for February 4th. And if you want to follow the continuing adventures of President Obama then check out his appearance in Thunderbolts #128.

Paramount loses Torso

In what’s been a surprise move on a couple of levels, Paramount Pictures failed to renew their option on the Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Andreyko graphic novel Torso. The film, which was being scripted by Ehren Krueger for David Fincher to direct, is about the Kingsbury Run serial killer who operated in Cleveland in the 1930s. The case is even more infamous because of the involvement of Elliot Ness, a part which apparently has already attracted the attention of big name actors like Matt Damon and Casey Affleck. Rumour has it that Paramount was upset with Fincher over creative disagreements concerning The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. One would think that studio brass would let bygones be bygones though considering the film’s commercial success and armful of Oscar nominations. In the meantime, Fincher and Co. are free to set up Torso at another studio, but the current script is property of Paramount, so they’ll have to start again from scratch.

More for Scott Pilgrim

Several actors have recently been announced as additions to Edgar Wright’s film version of Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim. The new additions to the cast include comic book movie veterans Chris Evans (Fantastic Four) and Brandon Routh (Superman Returns). Evans and Routh will play two of the seven evil ex-boyfriends that the title character, played by Michael Cera, has to defeat in order to win the heart of Ramona V. Flowers (who’ll be played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead). In other casting news, the film will feature an Arrested Development reunion of sorts now that Mae Whitman (Ann “Annabelle” Veil, AKA: Her?) has been hired to play Roxy Richter, one of Scott’s exes.

Marvel lowballs Rourke?

It was leaked last week that Mickey Rourke may be getting less green, not more, should he take on a part in the Iron Man sequel. It wouldn’t be the first time that money came between the production and talent; reportedly Terrence Howard walked away because of money issues, and Samuel L. Jackson doubted his further involvement as Nick Fury because the money wasn’t shown. Depending on who believe, Rourke is up for either the role of Whiplash or the Crimson Dynamo, both villains in the Iron Man books.

Stan Lee back in court

Marvel Comics co-creator Stan Lee and Marvel Entertainment have been named in a lawsuit filed in a New York court by the shareholders of Stan Lee Media, Inc. who are claiming that they’re owed profits from Marvel-based media properties and films. The group is seeking $750 million in compensation, claiming that profits from projects based on Lee’s superhero creations belong to the company, and thus should have been distributed to shareholders. Lee’s attorney, Mark W. Williams, made a brief statement to the press rebuffing the claims. While Marvel lawyers called them “ridiculous,” Williams said, “We look forward to a positive resolution for Stan Lee and his family.” Stan Lee Media was founded in the 1990s, but went bankrupt in 2001. It emerged from bankruptcy in 2006.

Watchmen Watch

In case you haven’t heard, all’s well that ends well with the legal action that threatened to delay the release of Watchmen in March. Two weeks ago (after the publication of the last Lucid Comics column), it was announced that Twentieth Century Fox had reached a deal with Warner Bros, which would allow the release of the film move forward as scheduled. Fox had petitioned a federal court judge to delay Watchmen until issues regarding restitution for Fox’s share of the development cost had been sorted out; the studio had tried for years to develop their own film based on the graphic novel.

Under the deal between the studios, Fox will get a cut in the gross receipts of the film or any sequels or spin-offs (up to 8.5 per cent), an amount that could ultimately total in the tens of millions of dollars, according to a person briefed on the deal. Fox will also get back its costs in developing the movie as well as legal fees that total in the millions of dollars. And this concludes what will hopefully be the final obstacle to the adaptation of the most revered graphic novel of all time on its way to the big screen. Recommence the hype.