Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for March 31 2010

MARVEL COMICS

JAN100557 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #627 $2.99
JAN100676 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY JMS ULTIMATE COLL TP BOOK 03 $34.99
JAN100681 CAPTAIN AMERICA WINTER SOLDIER ULTIMATE COLLECTION TP $24.99
JAN100569 CLOAK AND DAGGER #1 $3.99
JAN100511 DARK WOLVERINE #84 SIEGE $2.99
JAN108072 DOOMWAR #1 (OF 6) 2ND PTG JRJR VAR (PP #910) $3.99
JAN100691 ESSENTIAL RAMPAGING HULK TP VOL 02 $19.99
JAN100572 FANTASTIC FOUR #577 $2.99
JAN100678 GUARDIANS OF GALAXY TP VOL 03 WAR OF KINGS BK 02 $19.99
JAN108113 INCREDIBLE HULK #607 2ND PTG PELLETIER VAR (PP #910) $3.99
DEC090580 IRON MAN EXTREMIS HC $24.99
DEC090581 IRON MAN EXTREMIS HC DM VAR ED $24.99
JAN100635 IRON MAN I AM IRON MAN TP $16.99
JAN100512 NEW MUTANTS #11 SIEGE $2.99
JAN100673 NOMAD GIRL WITHOUT A WORLD TP GN $14.99
JAN100542 PRELUDE TO DEADPOOL CORPS #5 (OF 5) $2.99
JAN100594 PUNISHER #15 $2.99
JAN100564 PUNISHER MAX MGC #1 (MR) $1.00
JAN100606 REALM OF KINGS INHUMANS #5 (OF 5) $3.99
JAN100522 SHE-HULK SENSATIONAL #1 $4.99
DEC090610 SPIDER-MAN COMPLETE CLONE SAGA EPIC TP BOOK 01 $34.99
JAN100668 SPIN ANGELS PREM HC (MR) $24.99
JAN108112 THUNDERBOLTS #141 2ND PTG VAR (PP #910) $2.99
JAN100620 WOLVERINE ORIGINS #46 $2.99
JAN100687 WOLVERINE ORIGINS ROMULUS TP $14.99
JAN100519 WOMEN OF MARVEL POSTER $8.99
JAN100617 X-FORCE #25 $2.99
JAN100625 X-MEN FOREVER #20 $3.99
JAN100608 X-MEN SECOND COMING #1 XSC $3.99

Image and Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for March 31 2010

IMAGE COMICS

OCT090422 GODLAND #31 $2.99
FEB100327 IMAGE FIRSTS WALKING DEAD #1 (MR) $1.00
FEB100326 IMAGE FIRSTS YOUNGBLOOD #1 $1.00
MAY090397 IMPALER #5 $4.99
FEB092429 PVP #45 $3.50
JAN100467 SWORD #23 (MR) $2.99


DARK HORSE COMICS

DEC090075 DOMO 2 INCH MYSTERY QEE FIG SER 2 COUNTER PI
DEC090076 DOMO QEE 2 INCH FLOCKED CLASSIC BROWN FIGURE $8.99
DEC090078 DOMO QEE 2 INCH FLOCKED PINK FIGURE $8.99
DEC090079 DOMO QEE 2 INCH METALLIC ORANGE FIGURE $8.99
DEC090080 DOMO QEE 2 INCH RUSTY FIGURE $8.99
DEC090077 DOMO QEE 2 INCH SKELETON FIGURE $8.99
JAN100193 STAR WARS LEGACY #46 MONSTER PT 4 (OF 4) $2.99
JAN100123 TERMINATOR #1 (OF 3) $3.50
JAN100139 USAGI YOJIMBO #127 SWORD OF NARUKAMI $3.50

Comics and Magazines from Diamond Distributors for March 31 2010

PREVIEWS PUBLICATIONS
FEB100001 PREVIEWS #259 APRIL 2010 PI

WIZARD
FEB100640 WIZARD MAGAZINE #224 IRON MAN 2 CVR $5.99
FEB100639 WIZARD MAGAZINE #224 MARVEL ULT UNIVERSE CVR $5.99

COMICS
DEC090972 2000 AD PACK FEB 2010 $18.00
DEC090980 ALADDIN LEGACY OF THE LOST #2 (OF 3) A CVR SUYDAM $4.99
DEC090981 ALADDIN LEGACY OF THE LOST #2 (OF 3) B CVR PARRILLO $4.99
FEB101072 AMELIA RULES S&S ED TP VOL 04 WHEN PAST IS A PRESENT $10.99
DEC090809 ARMY OF DARKNESS OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 $29.99
JAN100732 BETTY #185 $2.50
FEB101038 BIG KAHN GN (O/A) $13.95
DEC091044 BUTTERFLIES FLOWERS GN VOL 02 (MR) $9.99
JUL090869 CLASSIC PINUP ART OF JACK COLE SC $18.99
FEB100886 DF GREEN HORNET #1 ROSS NEG ART CVR $14.99
JUN090879 DF ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #1 STAN LEE SGN $149.99
JAN100826 DISNEYS HERO SQUAD #3 $2.99
JAN100806 DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP #10 (OF 24) $3.99
DEC090733 DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP HC VOL 02 (OF 6) $24.99
NOV090997 ESCAPE FROM WONDERLAND #6 (OF 6) A CVR BONK $2.99
NOV090998 ESCAPE FROM WONDERLAND #6 (OF 6) B CVR LEISTER $2.99
JAN100811 FARSCAPE HC VOL 01 LTD SDCC SP ED $74.99
JAN101100 FATE STAY NIGHT GN VOL 07 (OF 7) $10.99
JAN100785 FEMALE FORCE #13 ELLEN DEGENERES $3.99
FEB101041 GERONIMO STILTON HC VOL 04 MARCO POLO $9.99
DEC090650 GOLD DIGGER PEEBO TALES TP $15.95
JAN100713 GOVERNATOR #1 $3.99
JAN101103 HACK SLACK 4 KOMA GN $12.99
OCT090825 HACK SLASH SERIES #30 A CVR SEELEY (MR) $3.50
OCT090826 HACK SLASH SERIES #30 B CVR LEISTER (MR) $3.50
NOV090585 HAIRY THINGS #1 (OF 3) $3.95
JAN101109 HAPPY CAFE GN VOL 02 (OF 14) $10.99
FEB101042 HARDY BOYS GN VOL 19 CHAOS AT 30000 FEET $7.95
NOV090974 HARUKA BEYOND THE STREAM OF TIME GN VOL 07 $9.99
DEC090866 HIGH SOFT LISP GN (MR) $16.99
FEB101037 HOME FOR MR EASTER GN $13.99
NOV090756 HOW TO SEDUCE A VAMPIRE GN $12.95
JAN100814 INCORRUPTIBLE #4 $3.99
JAN100829 INCREDIBLES FAMILY MATTERS SP ED HOLOFOIL SET $99.99
JAN100942 IT WAS WAR O/T TRENCHES HC $24.99
DEC090840 JOHN STANLEY LIBRARY MELVIN MONSTER HC VOL 02 $24.95
NOV083737 JOHNNY THE HOMICIDAL MANIAC HC NEW PTG (MR) $44.95
FEB100804 KEVIN SMITH GREEN HORNET #2 $3.99
JAN100886 LEGENDARY TALESPINNERS #2 (OF 3) $3.99
FEB100666 LITTLEST ZOMBIE #1 $3.50
NOV090890 LOCAL HC NEW PTG (O/A) $29.99
DEC090719 LOGANS RUN #2 $3.99
FEB101066 LORDS OF MISRULE HC (O/A) (MR) $24.95
JAN101107 LOVE KNOT (A) $14.99
JAN101110 MAID SAMA GN VOL 04 (OF 8) $10.99
JAN101111 MIKANSEI NO 1 GN VOL 02 $10.99
JAN101112 MUGEN SPIRAL COMPLETE 2 VOL SERIES GN $14.99
SEP090793 OBERGEIST ESSENTIAL ED HC $29.99
JAN100738 PALS N GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #140 $3.99
DEC090868 PENNY CENTURY TP $18.99
DEC091026 PLUTO URASAWA X TEZUKA GN VOL 08 (OF 8) $12.99
FEB101232 POKEMON COLLECTORS STICKER BOOK JOHTO ED $6.99
FEB101231 POKEMON REGION TK DLX ACTIVITY BOOK $5.99
JAN100788 POLITICAL POWER #9 BILL CLINTON $3.99
DEC090774 RASL #7 (MR) $3.50
JAN101104 RED HOT CHILI SAMURAI GN VOL 01 (MR) $10.99
JAN100784 ROGER CORMAN PRESENTS BATTLE AMONGST STARS #1 (MR) $3.99
JAN101102 SAMURAI HAREM ASU NO YOICHI GN VOL 04 (OF 10) (MR) $12.99
DEC091020 SILENT MOBIUS COMPLETE ED GN VOL 03 $14.99
JAN100739 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #211 $2.50
JAN100895 TALISMAN ROAD OF TRIALS #5 $3.99
JAN100848 TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #61 (MR) $2.95
JAN101108 TEA FOR TWO GN VOL 04 (OF 4) (A) $14.99
JAN101172 TEZUKAS BLACK JACK TP VOL 10 $16.95
FEB101148 TEZUKAS ODE TO KIRIHITO SC PART 01 $14.95
FEB101149 TEZUKAS ODE TO KIRIHITO SC PART 02 $14.95
JAN101105 TRINITY BLOOD GN VOL 12 (MR) $10.99
JAN108014 VAGABOND TP VOL 31 (MR) $9.95
JAN100793 VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS #16 (MR) $3.99
DEC091085 WAKING #2 (OF 4) A CVR CAMPBELL $3.99
DEC091086 WAKING #2 (OF 4) B CVR ERIC J $3.99
DEC090635 WHOREHOUSE MADRIGALS SC (MR) $14.99
JAN100847 WIZARDS OF MICKEY #3 $2.99

MAGAZINES
DEC091135 BUFFY & ANGEL FIGURINE COLL MAG #4 MASTER $20.00
JAN100959 HEAVY METAL MAY 2010 (MR) $6.95
FEB101171 HI FRUCTOSE MAGAZINE QUARTERLY #15 $6.95
DEC091137 SOLOMON KANE OFFICIAL MOVIE MAG $14.99
JAN101267 STAR TREK MAGAZINE #25 NEWSSTAND ED $6.99
JAN101268 STAR TREK MAGAZINE #25 PX ED $6.99
FEB101227 SUPERNATURAL MAGAZINE #16 NEWSSTAND ED $6.99
FEB101228 SUPERNATURAL MAGAZINE #16 PX ED $6.99
FEB101176 TOMARTS ACTION FIGURE DIGEST #187 $5.95
JAN101628 WHITE DWARF #362 PI

Fantagraphics Books and Rick Marschall Form Partnership

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS ANNOUNCES PUBLISHING AGREEMENT WITH COMICS HISTORIAN RICK MARSCHALL

The Launch of the “Marschall Books” Imprint

Fantagraphics Books and noted historian and critic Rick Marschall have announced the establishment of a new line of books, Marschall Books, an imprint devoted to comics, cartoons, and graphic humor.

“Marschall Books will offer a unique and wide range of comics and cartooning projects,” said Fantagraphics Books publisher Gary Groth. “The breadth and depth of Rick’s historical vision is such that he will be editing anthologies of complete strips, ‘Best Of’ collections, critical appreciations, biographies, and some new multi-media projects.”

Rick Marschall is the author or editor of more than 62 books and hundreds of magazine articles, mostly in the area of popular culture and many on comics history. A former editorial cartoonist, he has served as comics editor at three newspaper syndicates. Marschall was also an editor at Marvel Comics (founder of Epic Magazine) and a writer for Disney comics. Recipient of many awards for his projects including the Eisner, Harvey, and Friend of Fandom awards in the US; the RTL award in France; the Max und Moritz Prize in Germany; and the Torre Giunigi and Yellow Kid awards in Italy, Marschall has been the American representative of the Lucca, ExpoCartoon (Rome) and Angouleme comics festivals, and has worked for several European graphic novel publishers, including as Vice President of Dargaud USA. He was consultant to the US Postal Service for the 20-stamp set of commemoratives marking the comic strip’s centennial and has taught various popular culture and comics classes at the School of Visual Arts, Rutgers University, the Philadelphia College of Art (now University of the Arts), and the Summer Institute for the Gifted at Bryn Mawr University.

“I am happy to be associated again with Fantagraphics Books,” Marschall said. “Together we made history about comics history with the magazine nemo: the classic comics library, which ran for 30 issues. Many other projects we did together – among them the original Complete E C Segar Popeye; Caniff’s Dickie Dare; Will Gould’s Red Barry; Winsor McCay’s Daydreams and Nightmares – pioneered the reprints-and-anthology genre.” Marschall was also the editor of packager of The Complete Color Little Nemo in Slumberland (which ultimately was packaged for 11 publishers around the world, including Fantagraphics Books), The Komplete Kolor Krazy Kat, and color reprints of Polly and Her Pals and Terry and the Pirates.

Said Mr Groth: “Our association with Rick began in 1981 when he began editing the now legendary and ground-breaking magazine nemo, the most breathtaking magazine about newspaper strips and cartoon illustrations ever published, and our first Popeye series shortly thereafter. We’re thrilled that he’ll be editing books on a regular basis.”

The Marschall Books imprint will draw upon the extensive and famed collection of Rick Marschall, arguably the nation’s largest private collection of comics and cartoon archives. It is a collection comprised of thousands of original drawings; complete runs of newspaper comics beginning in 1893; complete runs of the major cartoon and humor magazines from American and Europe; comic books and reprint comics, graphic novels, political cartoons and protest graphics, specialty collections including posters, ads, toys and games, post cards and greeting cards, pinbacks; cartoonist letters and sketches; biographies and anthologies.

“The major commitment to a publishing program that will re-introduce much of this material to the public will commence in the Fall of 2010 and continue in every Fantagraphics Books publishing season, as many as 4-5 projects a year,” said Groth. “Marschall Books will vary in size and format, always appropriate to the subject matter, and with an uncompromising dedication to quality.”

In addition to the first two releases described below, and the subsequent releases in production for the next two years, Marschall Books also plans several series: Cartoon Masters, monographs on major artists; and Cartoon Masterworks, anthologies based on themes, eras, and topics. Also projected is a definitive three-volume history by Rick Marschall, Comics: The American Art.

DRAWING POWER: A COMPENDIUM OF CARTOON ADVERTISING
Release Date: November 2010

While critics debate whether comics are high art, or is low art… the truth has been, is, and will be, that the comic strip was born as a commercial medium and was nurtured by competition, commerce, and advertising. Drawing Power will be the first book-length examination (and celebration) of the nexus of commerce and cartoons. It will focus on the commercial roots of strips; the cross-promotions of artists, their characters, and retail products; and of the superb artwork that cartoonists invested in their lucrative freelance work in advertising. The book will examine cartoonists as celebrities, and their advertising efforts from the first heartbeat of the comic strip as an art form. Here are surprising and familiar examples of products and memorable ad campaigns… histories of the major ad agencies... catch-words… popular examples. Cartoon ads through the years will include Yellow Kid advertising; Buster Brown Shoe campaigns; Dr Seuss’ “Flit” cartoons; WWII ads; Pepsi and Pete by Rube Goldberg; Peanuts shilling Falcons and BC shilling Mountain Dew; Duke Handy selling cigarettes; Dagwood selling atomic energy; and virtually every superhero trafficking in the mortal realm to shill every product imaginable. A special section will showcase ads that featured cartoonists themselves as hucksters; can you believe Walt (Pogo) Kelly selling cement? Includes bibliography and publication-sources. By Rick Marschall with Warren Bernard.

MR. TWEE-DEEDLE: RAGGEDY ANN'S SPRIGHTLY COUSIN: The Forgotten Fantasy Masterpiece of Johnny Gruelle
Release Date: February 2011

Before he created Raggedy Ann, the great Johnny Gruelle drew Mr Twee Deedle, an astonishing graphic and fantasy Sunday page. He secured the job with the New York Herald by winning an open competition for a strip to succeed Little Nemo in Slumberland! Twee Deedle was a worthy successor to McCay’s masterpiece. This Sunday color page (1911-1914) by Johnny Gruelle is unjustly forgotten by history: charming fantasy; a wonderful child’s world (the title character was a sprite who appeared to the strip’s two human children, Dickie and Dolly); moral lessons, light whimsy, bizarre surrealism; stunning artwork and composition; and impressive color work that made every full Twee Deedle page look like a painting. This oversize collection will reprint the best of Gruelle’s pages; information and artwork from the competition that won his place as Little Nemo’s successor; background information on Johnny Gruelle, including his earlier work (when he worked at George Herriman’s side) and later work (… a doll named Raggedy Ann); and much more. // John Barton Gruelle (1880-1938) drew for newspapers in Indianapolis and Cleveland before joining the pre-print syndicate World Color Printing Co of St Louis. He won a nationwide talent contest to draw a Sunday page for the New York Herald, intended to succeed Little Nemo in its pages. Mr Twee Deedle ran between 1911 and 1914 and generated two color reprint books. Subsequent to this strip, Gruelle created Raggedy Ann, whose tales and fellow characters became staples of American children’s literature. Gruelle wrote and drew many other books; full-page cartoons for Life and Judge (subjects of a future Marschall Books anthology); and another Sunday page, Brutus, for newspapers. The book will feature an introduction by the cartoonist Tony Millionaire (Maakies).

Future Marschall books will include:

Krazy Kat's Birthday Party -- A Celebration In Song and Dance: Release Date: T.B.A.

The music and movement of Krazy Kat are as characteristic as the brick and changing landscapes, and this important book will complete the circle for Kat fanciers. This book-and-disk set will deal with the multi-media lives of the kat who walks, and dances, among us. An unprecedented treatment of the legendary Krazy Kat jazz ballet and rare animated cartoons.

Of Extraordinary Interest: Sherlock Holmes' Vital Evidence: Release Date: T.B.A.

Fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s immortal creations will rejoice at this overflowing art book featuring faithful reproductions of original book illustrations, unpublished artwork from Doyle’s era, theatrical and movie posters, and complete runs of Sherlock Holmes comic strip and comic book versions, and parodies.

Mail Order Geniuses: The Cartoon Correspondence Schools: Release Date: T.B.A.

This glorious history-and-compilation is long overdue – filling a hole in the tracking America’s cartoon and comics heritage. Mail-Order Geniuses is a survey of the legendary correspondence courses of the Landon School, the Federal School, W L Evans, ZIM, Clare Briggs, Billy DeBeck, Russell Patterson, Jefferson Machamer, Charles Kuhn, Bill Nolan, Joe Musial, Famous Artists, etc.

Rose O’Neill – The Fairy-Tale Bohemian: The Life and Work of a Pioneering Cartoonist: Release Date: T.B.A.

Rose O’Neill shattered glass ceilings her entire career. She was the first major female cartoonist, more than a century ago. She achieved her greatest fame as creator of the inimitable Kewpie dolls. This mature treatment of Rose O’Neill’s life and place in cultural history will be accompanied in this oversized color book with hundreds of her compelling wet-brush cartoons and full-color art, along with photos of Rose and her sculptures.

The Big Big Book of the Teenie Weenie World: An Anthology of William Donahey’s Fantasy Cartoon: Release Date: T.B.A.

The dozens of Teenie Weenies characters were stars of a little-mentioned but fondly recalled and long-running classic of newspaper cartoons and children’s books. William Donahey was a Chicago Tribune cartoonist who created the next generation of Brownies in 1914, and the diminutive cast sought adventures and withstood trials through glades and dells into 1970. This breathtaking collection features biography, photographs, the characters’ merchandising history – and, for the first time, a major portion of full-size reproductions of the Teenie Weenies’ adventures.


Other Marschall Books in planning stages include a book-and-disk series that traces the history of animated cartoons through the various studios; Santa Claus in Cartoons; Uncle Sam in Cartoons; an annotated anthology of Pulitzer Prize winning cartoons; an anthology of artwork and prose from Dutch Treat Club annuals; an anthology of radical cartoons; annotated cartoon histories of World Wars I and II; a treasury of comic pages from Boy’s Life; biographies and anthologies of Heinrich Kley, F Opper, A B Frost, Gluyas Williams, Ralph Barton, Bill Holman, Dr Seuss, and Virgil (VIP) Partch.

It should be noted that many of the projects in the Marschall Books line are being produced with the cooperation of cartoonists and artists’ estates, as well as museums and institutions. Says Marschall, “My own archives and image bank notwithstanding, I want to assure readers of my commitment to secure the best visual material, and to uncover the fullest historical accounts I can. A lifetime of research and associations will enable Marschall Books to produce definitive treatments of every artist and title we will publish.”

Many Marschall Books releases will be supported by, or inspire, productions of Rosebud Archives, which Marschall has established with Jon Barli, and whose products will be available through Fantagraphics Books. These formats include prints, portfolios, posters, limited-edition art, framed and frame-ready works, stationery, and card sets. The mission and product offerings of Rosebud Archives can be found at: http://www.rosebudarchives.com/wp/

Fantagraphics Books ( www.fantagraphics.com ) has been the world’s leading publisher of comics and graphic novels since 1976.

New Stephen King Book Due from Cemetery Dance

Cemetery Dance Publications Announces Blockade Billy by Stephen King Surprise New Book Coming Next Month

Cemetery Dance Publications, the world's leading independent publisher of collectible horror and suspense books, has just announced Blockade Billy by Stephen King, an original, never-before-published novella that only the King of Horror could have dreamed up. The Cemetery Dance exclusive hardcover will ship mid-April.

"I love old-school baseball," Stephen King said, "and I also love the way people who've spent a lifetime in the game talk about the game. I tried to combine those things in a story of suspense. People have asked me for years when I was going to write a baseball story. Ask no more; this is it."

Cemetery Dance and Stephen King kept Blockade Billy under tight wraps so it could be a surprise publication for the beginning of the baseball season. Even diehard baseball fans don't know the true story of William Blakely, but in just a few weeks readers will be holding this dark tale in their own two hands.

"As a lifelong baseball fan -- and long suffering Orioles' fan -- I can't think of a better way to open the 2010 season than publishing Blockade Billy," said Cemetery Dance Publisher Richard Chizmar. "Stephen King and I have corresponded about baseball and books for almost 20 years now... So to combine the two is a dream come true for me."

Chuck Verrill, King's agent, said: "Any time a Red Sox fan, an Orioles fan, and a Yankees fan can cooperate on something, the result is bound to be fantastic."

For a very limited time only, Cemetery Dance Publications will include an authentic William "Blockade Billy" Blakely baseball card with every copy of the trade hardcover.

Please visit http://www.BlockadeBilly.com or http://www.CemeteryDance.com for more information.

Cemetery Dance Publications is widely-considered the world's leading specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense. Now celebrating over twenty years in business, Cemetery Dance magazine has won every major genre award and the Cemetery Dance Publications hardcover imprint has published over 200 affordable and collectible Limited Edition hardcover books from the genre's most acclaimed authors. These authors include Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Ray Bradbury, William Peter Blatty, Peter Straub, Graham Masterton, Richard Laymon, Michael Slade, Douglas Clegg, Jack Ketchum, William F. Nolan, Joe R. Lansdale, and hundreds of others, along with the best new writers in the genre.

Kim Deitch in Baltimore

CARTOONIST KIM DEITCH TO SPEAK AT JOHNS HOPKINS APRIL 26

The Homewood Art Workshops wraps up its 35th anniversary celebration with a slide talk by legendary cartoonist Kim Deitch on Monday, April 26. Deitch’s talk, “The Search for Smilin’ Ed and Other Tales,” will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Room 101 of the F. Ross Jones Building, Mattin Center, on the Homewood campus at 3400 N. Charles St. in Baltimore.

Along with Robert Crumb, Bill Griffith and Art Spiegelman, Deitch transformed the art of cartooning in the psychedelic late 1960s. Combining a love of early 20th century comic strips and animation with the media-savvy satire of mid-century MAD Magazine, these artists gave a raucously subversive jolt to a nearly moribund medium.

Deitch, 65, began doing comic strips for the New York underground newspaper, the East Village Other, in 1967. Since then, his work has appeared in dozens of publications, including RAW, Pictopia, Details, Nickelodeon Magazine, and Little Lit. Among his groundbreaking comic books and graphic novels are Hollywoodland, The Mishkin Files, A Shroud for Waldo, The Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Alias the Cat! His latest book, The Search for Smilin’ Ed, will be published by Fantagraphics in June. Deitch will sign advance copies of Smilin’ Ed at the Johns Hopkins Barnes & Noble, 3330 St. Paul Street, on Sunday, April 25, from 4 to 6 p.m.

Deitch has been recognized with the comics industry’s highest honors, including an Eisner Award, an Inkpot Award and a retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in 2008. He lives in New York City with his wife, Pam.

“The Search for Smilin’ Ed and Other Tales” is co-sponsored by Homewood Art Workshops and Homewood Arts Programs. Visitor parking on campus is available in the South Garage, 3101 Wyman Park Drive, Baltimore, Md. 21211. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, call 410-516-6705.

I Reads You Review: Ultimate X #1

ULTIMATE X #1
MARVEL COMICS

WRITER: Jeph Loeb

PENCILS: Arthur Adams

INKS: Aspen MLT’s Mark Roslan

COLORS: Aspen MLT’s Peter Steigerwald

LETTERS: Richard Starkings & Comicraft’s Albert Deschesne

Last year Marvel Comics brought an end to its Ultimate Comics line with a big event called Ultimatum. Never one to let its suckers… I mean customers keep a few extra bucks in their wallets, Marvel has relaunched the line and Ultimate X-Men is now Ultimate X.

Ultimate X #1 introduces readers to shirtless Jimmy Hudson, the adopted son of trailer park denizens, James and Heather Hudson. In the regular Marvel Universe, the Hudson’s were part of Alpha Flight. Here, James is a redneck sheriff and Heather is a home-bound harpy. Their little Jimmy is actually the spawn of Wolverine and some unnamed female. It’s a good thing that Bill Jemas and his regime of “realistic” comic book stories no longer reigns at Marvel or Jemas would make Jimmy’s mother an actual Wolverine.

The rest of the story (Chapter One: “His Father’s Son”) involves Kitty Pryde showing up to tell Jimmy all the secrets he should know. God forbid that he could learn that on his own and give this story a little more drama and action.

When I first heard of this comic, I was excited because I am a long time fan of artist Art Adams. I figured that it would be hit or miss with Jeph Loeb, and it is all miss. I’ve often wondered why Loeb is so acclaimed and popular. He has written some good comics, but most of his work is so stunningly mediocre. I figure that Loeb gets so many writing assignments because (1) people like him and (2) he is good at kissing ass, brown-nosing, and/or bee-jaying. The script for Ultimate X #1 is so dull that it is practically a strong dose of sleeping pills. Obviously, it is not good, but it isn’t so much bad as it is flat. In fact, even when Loeb attempts to create intrigue, it comes out as the opposite of intrigue.

As for Adams, he’s good enough to keep me coming back. I think Adams best days are behind him, having peaked in the 1990s around the time of his work on Monkeyman and O’Brien and his work with Wildstorm. Peter Steigerwald’s colors are professional, if not inspired. The coloring on Jimmy’s jeans, however, really stands out for some reason. Overall, I don’t see myself paying $3.99 per issue for Ultimate X, unless there is improvement, but I’ll continue to read it even if I have to shoplift a copy or download a pirated copy.

C

[This comic also includes a preview of New Ultimates #1.]


Buy Ultimatum