LUCIDMEDIA

Lucid Comics – March 11th

Written by Adam A. Donaldson Wednesday, 11 March 2009 10:43

In the News

Marvel changes submission policy

Got a pitch for Marvel Comics? Well, unfortunately you’re best keeping it to yourself for now as the company discontinues its open submissions policy while they review their strategy in attracting new talent. In a press release, Marvel says that they’ve received an unprecedented number of unsolicited art and scripts in the last years and a half, but the volume has forced the publisher to rethink how they’re going to go about finding the next generation of writers and artists. However, Marvel was emphatic that they’re not going to stop trying to attract those people anytime soon.

"If you look at our track record over the last 18 months, I think you'll find the names of more new writers and artists in Marvel books than ever before," says Marvel Talent Liaison C.B. Cebulski. "We've examined all our past practices concerning talent recruitment and it quickly became clear that more 'reactive' methods such as open submissions were the least effective ways to open the Marvel door for up-and-comers. So instead we'll be continuing with the more 'proactive' methods of artist and writer discovery that we've found so successful of late."

Those methods still include looking at artists’ work at conventions where Marvel reps are in attendance, as well as new avenues like looking at online portfolios on websites like Deviant Art, says Cebulski. “Online comics are rapidly becoming a source for scouting as well. And, of course, we will still go to the comic book stores on Wednesdays and see what new artists are out there working for other companies and on independent books,” he adds.

BOOM joins forces with Fox

Fox Atomic has inked a deal with comic publisher BOOM! Studios to co-publish comics and graphic novels based on the studio’s properties. This partnership was formalized after successful release of books based on 28 Days Later and The Hills Have Eyes, as well as two volumes of The Nightmare Factory. According to the press releases, titles will cover a vast array of different titles and characters, some very familiar to fans, others being new turns on old favourites, as well as entirely new, original series. The new Fox Atomic Comics and BOOM! Studios collaboration will see titles serialized as individual single issue comic books before being collected into trade paperback graphic novels available in the direct and mass bookstore markets.

Watch Japanese Spider-Man on Marvel’s website

If you dare, you can now watch episodes of the “legendary”(?) 1970s Japanese TV series based on Spider-Man produced by the TOEI Company. If you’ve never heard of the series, it follows the exploits of motorcycle racer turned superhero Takuya Yamashiro as he slings and swings, battling the evil Iron Cross Army along the way. Oh, and he had a giant robot called Leopardon which he took into battle against other large monsters and robots (think Power Rangers if Spider-Man was one of the Rangers). Incidentally, TOEI blew the special effects budget in five episodes, so battles in subsequent episodes were all done with stock footage. To see the show for yourself, complete with typical, nonsensical theme music, visit http://www.marvel.com/animation/Japanese_Spider-Man every Thursday for a new episode. Plus, it’s free.

Comics 2 Film Report

Warners commits to Suicide Squad

Last week, Warner Bros announced that it was actively developing a movie based on the recurring team of super-villains called Suicide Squad. In the comics, the Squad is put together for “Dirty Dozen” style missions by the government where the risks are too high and the chances of survival are low. No word on who might be part of this Squad, but past members in the book have included Batman enemies Penguin, Poison Ivy and Deadshot, Flash enemies Captain Boomerang and Captain Cold, Green Arrow enemy Count Vertigo, Atom enemy Chronos, Justice League enemy Doctor Light, and Superman enemy Parasite. The script is being written by Justin Marks, who’s previously worked on the screenplay for “Supermax” about a wrongly accused Green Arrow being thrown into a prison full of villains. No word on a release date.

Two more for Hex

After being attached to so many comic book properties, in theory, it appears that John Malkovich is finally getting in the game by taking on the part of Quentin Turnbull in the Jonah Hex movie. In the supernatural western comic about a horribly scarred bounty hunter, Turnbull is a southern plantation owner that blames Hex for his son’s death in the Civil War. Actress Megan Fox has also signed on to the film, playing Leila, Hex’s gun-wielding love interest. Josh Brolin has already been cast as the title character, who in the film will fight to stop Turnbull from using an army of zombies to liberate the South.

Can you Fathom Fox as Aspen?

In more Megan Fox casting news, it seems that the Transformers actress also confirmed to play the heroine of Michael Turner’s Fathom. Fox will play Aspen Matthews, a marine biologist that discovers she’s part of an ancient, water-breathing race that lives in the oceans. No director or release date’s been announced, but Jordan Mechner, best known for his work designing the Prince of Persia video game, is writing the screenplay.

Save the Dates

Warners has announced the release dates for two of its comic properties based on Jonah Hex and Green Lantern along with other films on its 2010-11 slate. Tentatively, Hex is set for August 6th, 2010 and Green Lantern will bow in time for Christmas on December 17th, 2010. This will position these DC-based characters by sandwiching them between big Marvel releases Iron Man 2 and Thor which are also due in the summer of 2010 and the 2011 releases of Captain America and The Avengers. In other Green Lantern news, Producer Donald DeLine told Latino Review, that they’re in full pre-production mode, scouting locations in Australia next month and hiring a production and costume designer. Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) was announced last month as the director.