CHEW Wins "Best Series" Eisner Award

Wilson and Dapper Men Tie for Best Graphic Album at 2011 Eisner Awards

IDW Garners Five Trophies

SAN DIEGO – The 2011 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, presented by Comic-Con International (Comic-Con®), ended on an unusual note Friday night with the Best Graphic Album-New category going to two winners: Jim McCann and Janet Lee's Return of the Dapper Men (published by Archaia) and Dan Clowes's Wilson (published by Drawn & Quarterly). The awards, considered the "Oscars®" of comics [Considered by whom? Morons? - Leroy], were presented in a gala ceremony at the Indigo Ballroom of the Hilton Bayfront. The "Eisners," which honor comics' best and brightest, were held as part of Comic-Con, the world's largest comic book and popular arts event in the Western Hemisphere.

The Graphic Album category is somewhat comparable to "Best Picture" in the comics industry [What a ridiculous thing to claim - Leroy]. Other notable winners included horror novelist Joe Hill for Best Writer (Locke & Key, IDW), Chew (Image) by John Layman and Rob Guillory for Best Continuing Series, Daytripper (Vertigo/DC) by Brazilian brothers Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon for Best Limited Series, and American Vampire (Vertigo/DC) by Scott Snyder, Stephen King, and Rafael Albuquerque for Best New Series.

Creators who received multiple awards were Hellboy creator Mike Mignola (Best Cover Artist, Best Single Issue for Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil, published by Dark Horse), famed French cartoonist Jacques Tardi (Best Reality-Based Work and Best U.S. Edition of International Material for It Was the War of the Trenches, published by Fantagraphics), and artist Skottie Young (Best Adaption from Another Work and Best Penciller/Inker for The Marvelous Land of Oz, published by Marvel).

The publisher taking away the most awards was IDW, with five total, including two for Dave Stevens' The Rocketeer Artist's Edition, in addition to Joe Hill's Best Writer nod and Darwyn Cooke's win for Best Writer/Artist. DC Comics had four winners plus two shared, along with bragging rights for the Best Comics-Related Book: 75 Years of DC Comics, by Paul Levitz. Dark Horse had three winners (including the two for Mignola) plus two shared. Marvel Comics received three trophies, while Archaia and Fantagraphics receive two. Other publishers taking home trophies included BOOM!, Drawn & Quarterly, Image, Scholastic, and VIZ.

The evening was presided over by Bill Morrison, creative director for Matt Groening's Bongo Comics. The evening was divided into three segments, each with special hosts. It kicked off with writer/actors Ben Garant and Tom Lennon (Reno 911, Night at the Museum), who acted out their script for a multimillion-dollar Eisner Awards opening number. The second segment was hosted by Comic-Con special guests Anina Bennett and Paul Guinan, creators of the steampunk bestseller Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel. The host for the final segment was actor/voice actor Phil LaMarr (Pee Wee's Playhouse, Futurama, Samurai Jack).

Presenters during the evening included actor/author Lance Henriksen (Millennium, Aliens); bestselling author Glen David Gold (Carter Beats the Devil); British talk show host and comics author Jonathan Ross; Eisner nominees Gerry Alanguilan, Ian Boothby, Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez, Greg Rucka, and Jill Thompson; and Comic-Con special guests Dave Gibbons, Joëlle Jones, Patrick McDonnell, and Walter and Louise Simonson.

Sergio Aragonés once again presented the Hall of Fame Awards. The eight inductees and their acceptors were: Nancy creator Ernie Bushmiller (accepted by Denis Kitchen), MAD cartoonist Mort Drucker (accepted by MAD art director Sam Viviano), underground comix pioneer Jack Jackson (accepted by his son, Sam) Green Lantern co-creator Martin Nodell (accepted by his son, Spencer), autobiographical comics writer Harvey Pekar (accepted by his wife, Joyce Brabner), comics writer/editor Roy Thomas, pioneer graphic novelist Lynd Ward (accepted by his daughter, Robin Ward Savage), and comics writer/artist Marv Wolfman.

Among the other awards given out over the evening were the Comic-Con's Clampett and Manning awards. The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, presented by Bob's daughter Ruth, went to Mutts cartoonist Patrick McDonnell, for his efforts for animal welfare. The Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award went to Nate Simpson (writer/artist of Nonplayer, published by Image Comics) and was presented by past Manning recipient Chris Bailey.

The seventh annual Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing was presented by Mark Evanier to 93-year-old Del Connell (prolific Dell Comics/Disney writer, Space Family Robinson), accepted by his son, Brady, and to the late Bob Haney (Metamorpho, Brave & the Bold, Doom Patrol), whose award was accepted by Ramona Fradon. Maggie Thompson (editor of Comics Buyers Guide) introduced the special In Memoriam video salute.

The Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, given to a store that has done an outstanding job of supporting the comics art medium both in the community and within the industry at large, went to Comics & Vegetables of Tel Aviv, Israel. Baby Tattoo, publishers of books for kids and adults, sponsored the retailer award.

The title sponsor for this year's Eisner Awards was Advanced Micro Devices which gave away a free computer to a lucky audience member. The principal sponsors were Gentle Giant Studios and Lebonfon Printing. Supporting sponsors were Alternate Reality Comics of Las Vegas; Atlantis Fantasyworld of Santa Cruz, CA; Diamond Comic Distributors; Flying Colors and Other Cool Stuff of Concord, CA; mycomicshop.com; Strange Adventures of Halifax, Nova Scotia; Warp 1 of Edmonton, Alberta; and Mel Thompson and Associates.

The Eisner Awards are part of, and underwritten by, Comic-Con International: San Diego, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular art forms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contributions of comics to art and culture.

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for July 27 2011

IDW PUBLISHING

NOV100391 AMAZING 3D COMICS HC $39.99

MAY110341 COBRA ONGOING #3 $3.99

APR110388 DANGER GIRL CAMPBELL SKETCHBOOK HC $19.99

MAY110337 DAVE STEVENS COMPLETE SKETCHBOOK COLL HC $50.00

MAY110422 DEATH VALLEY GN $17.99

MAY110396 DOCTOR WHO ONGOING VOL 2 #7 $3.99

MAY110384 GODZILLA KINGDOM OF MONSTERS #5 $3.99

MAY110357 INFESTATION OUTBREAK #2 (OF 4) $3.99

MAY110414 IRON SIEGE TP $17.99

MAY110325 JOE HILL THE CAPE #1 (OF 4) $3.99

MAY110393 JOHN BYRNE NEXT MEN #8 $3.99

MAY110415 RIP KIRBY HC VOL 04 $49.99

APR110338 TRANSFORMERS HC COMPLETE ALL HAIL MEGATRON $75.00

MAY110355 TRANSFORMERS ONGOING TP VOL 03 $19.99

FEB110308 TRANSFORMERS PRIME TP VOL 02 $7.99

MAY110391 TRUE BLOOD TAINTED LOVE LEGACY ED #1 (MR) $4.99

Leroy Douresseaux on ROCKETEER ADVENTURES #2

ROCKETEER ADVENTURES #2
IDW PUBLISHING

WRITERS: Mark Waid, Darwyn Cooke, Lowell Francis
ARTISTS: Chris Weston, Darwyn Cooke, Gene Ha
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Chris Mowry, Darwyn Cooke
PIN-UP: Geof Darrow with Dave Stewart
COVER: Alex Ross (alternate cover by Dave Stevens with Laura Martin)
32pp, Color, $3.99

Long live The Rocketeer!

The Rocketeer is a superhero created by the late writer/illustrator Dave Stevens that first appeared in 1982. The character’s style and the mode of his adventures are also an homage to the Saturday matinee heroes of the 1930s and 1940s and to adventure movie serials like Republic Picture’s King of the Rocket Men. The Rocketeer’s exploits are mainly set in Los Angeles in and after the year 1938. The Rocketeer made it onto the big screen in a 1991 film from Walt Disney Pictures.

The Rocketeer is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack that allows him to fly. Secord’s girlfriend, Bettie Page, is based upon real life, 1950s pin-up and fetish model, Bettie Page.

The Rocketeer has made infrequent comic book appearances in several publications from several publishers. The Rocketeer’s first comic book appearances were in 1982, as backup features in Starslayer, a comic book series by Mike Grell from the now-defunct Pacific Comics. Two more installments of The Rocketeer appeared in Pacific's anthology comic book, Pacific Presents.

The character appeared at Eclipse Comics in Rocketeer Special Edition and in a single-volume graphic novel entitled, The Rocketeer, which concluded the story begun in Starslayer. The character appeared in Rocketeer Adventure Magazine from the now-defunct Comico Comics and also finally at Dark Horse Comics

The Rocketeer returns in Rocketeer Adventures, a new anthology series from IDW Publishing. Edited by Scott Dunbier, Rocketeer Adventures features Rocketeer short stories (about 7 or 8 pages in length) from some of the premiere creators in comic books. Rocketeer Adventures #2 has stories by the teams of Mark Waid and Chris Weston and also Lowell Francis and Gene Ha, with a short story by Darwyn Cooke and a centerfold pin-up from artist Geof Darrow and colorist supreme, Dave Stewart.

I must say that, at a cover price of $3.99, Rocketeer Adventures is a bargain. The art is exceptional, even if most of the stories are, for the most part, mere trifles, though entertaining. Anytime we get to see Dave Stewart’s magnificent comic book coloring, we are in for a treat.

Mark Waid and Chris Weston’s “It Ain’t the Fall that Kills Ya…” features some gorgeous Dave Stevens-inspired art from the talented Weston, a master of composition and a superb draftsman. For Waid’s part, the story is either ironic or is simply unintentionally hypocritical. Lowell Francis and Gene Ha’s “TKO” is clever-lite, a play of mixing an aerial battle with a boxing match. Ha’s execution in the graphical storytelling of “TKO” is skillful. As for the Geof Darrow pin-up – YAWN – been there, seen that.

Leave it to genius Darwyn Cooke to offer this issue’s best story, a slam-bang piece, entitled “Betty Saves the Day.” It is only seven-pages long, but it reads like a great stand-alone, 22-page comic book. An Eisner Award nomination (at least) for best short story is a must.

A-

IDW from Diamond Distributors for June 22 2011

IDW PUBLISHING

APR110341 COBRA ONGOING #2 $3.99

APR110296 INFESTATION OUTBREAK #1 (OF 4) $3.99

APR110300 JOHN BYRNE NEXT MEN #7 $3.99

FEB110371 MISS FURY HC $49.99

APR110302 NEXT MEN HC VOL 01 $21.99

APR110288 ROCKETEER ADVENTURES #2 (OF 4) $3.99

MAR110505 SUICIDE GIRLS #3 (OF 4) (MR) $3.99

APR110317 TRANSFORMERS 3 MOVIE ADAPTATION #3 (OF 4) $3.99

Dark Horse from Diamond Distributors for June 22 2011

DARK HORSE COMICS

NOV100060 365 SAMURAI BOOK AND FIGURE SET $75.00

MAR110044 ART OF DOUG SNEYD HC (MR) $39.99

MAR110029 AVATAR LAST AIRBENDER TP VOL 01 LOST ADVENTURES $14.99

MAR110186 BETTIE PAGE GIRL OF DREAMS DAVE STEVENS MINI STATUE $59.99

JAN118121 BETTIE PAGE QUEEN OF HEARTS TP NEW PTG $19.99

SEP108095 BORIS KARLOFF TALES OF MYSTERY ARCHIVES HC VOL 01 $49.99

MAR110020 CONAN ROAD OF KINGS #6 (OF 6) $3.50

OCT100140 COUSIN EERIE STATUE $149.99

MAR110038 CREEPY COMICS TP VOL 01 $19.99

APR110022 DARK HORSE PRESENTS #2 NEAL ADAMS CVR $7.99

APR110023 DARK HORSE PRESENTS #2 SANFORD GREENE CVR $7.99

MAR110042 DETHKLOK HC $19.99

FEB118147 GRANDVILLE HC NEW PTG $19.99

APR110017 GUILD BLADEZZ ONE SHOT #1 KERSCHL CVR $3.50

MAR110031 JANET EVANOVICH TROUBLEMAKER TP $16.99

NOV100056 LAST KISS STICKY NOTE BOOK $8.95

NOV108243 NEXUS ARCHIVES HC VOL 01 NEW PTG $49.99

APR110015 RAGE #1 (OF 3) FABRY CVR $3.50

MAR110041 SCARY GODMOTHER COMIC BOOK STORIES TP $24.99

APR110010 STAR WARS JEDI DARK SIDE #2 $2.99

IDW from Diamond Distributors for May 18 2011

IDW PUBLISHING

MAR110478 DOCTOR WHO FAIRYTALE LIFE #2 (OF 4) $3.99

MAR110428 GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #166 $3.99

MAR118248 GODZILLA KINGDOM OF MONSTERS #2 2ND PTG $3.99

MAR110442 ROCKETEER #1 100 PENNY PRESS $1.00

MAR110416 ROCKETEER ADVENTURES #1 (OF 4) $3.99

MAR110424 SNAKE EYES ONGOING (IDW) #1 $3.99

MAR110435 TRANSFORMERS 3 MOVIE PREQUEL FOUNDATION #4 (OF 4) $3.99

MAR110440 TRANSFORMERS FOUNDATION TP $17.99

FEB110309 TRANSFORMERS MOVIE SLIPCASE COLL VOL 01 $39.99

FEB110310 TRANSFORMERS MOVIE SLIPCASE COLL VOL 02 $39.99

MAR110432 TRANSFORMERS ONGOING #19 $3.99

MAR110441 TRANSFORMERS RISING STORM TP $17.99

MAR110464 ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS UNDERCITY #2 (OF 4) $3.99

Dark Horse Debuts New Bettie Page Statue at Toy Fair

NEW BETTIE PAGE STATUE FROM DARK HORSE DELUXE HONORS THE WORK OF DAVE STEVENS


One of the main factors in the resurgence of interest in 1950s glamour icon Bettie Page can easily be traced to Dave Stevens, who made her a character in his The Rocketeer comics, which started in 1982 and remain popular today. Dark Horse has made a special arrangement with the estates of both Bettie Page and Dave Stevens to create a limited-edition statue based on one of Stevens’s best Bettie Page images.

Dark Horse called on Dave’s close friend and sometime collaborator Kent Melton, a top sculptor with whom he had always hoped to do a project of this sort. Dark Horse and Melton went over Stevens’s many Bettie Page images, and the result is the most accurate representation of the pair’s many conversations on the subject.

“We have enormous respect for both Dave and Bettie, and we felt an obligation to make this piece a home run,” David Scroggy, Dark Horse’s vice president of product development, remarked. “Dave was a tough critic, especially when it came to his own work. We knew we had to satisfy him, so we were meticulous in every detail. I think we might have succeeded.”

Kent Melton observed, “Dave and I talked frequently about how female anatomy should work in sculpture. When I started to sculpt, it felt almost as if Dave were there guiding me. The piece came together quickly, almost as if we’d rehearsed it over the years.”

The statue, which will be a numbered, limited edition (quantity still to be determined), stands approximately thirteen inches from base to top, and comes prepainted and presented in deluxe packaging. Also includes an oversized certificate of authenticity reproducing the Dave Stevens illustration that inspired it.

Dark Horse has a long association with both Dave Stevens and Bettie Page, having served as one of the original publishers of The Rocketeer and produced over 150 licensed Bettie Page items.

This beautiful new statue made its premiere appearance at Toy Fair this past weekend and is scheduled for a worldwide release in August 2010, carrying a $150 price tag.