Joshua Hagler is a contemporary painter and multi-media artist living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is represented by Frey Norris Gallery in San Francisco and shows throughout North America and Europe including New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, London, Antwerp, Brussels, and Berlin. He is the winner of various grants and awards and has been included in juried shows with the Saatchi Gallery, MOCA (Santa Rosa), Headlands Center for the Arts, and many others.

One of Joshua Hagler’s work includes “The Boy Who Made Silence”. For anyone who hasn’t seen or read this book, you don’t know what you’re missing. The art in the book is brilliant and flows with the story nicely. This book is a must have for any comic collector.

The Boy Who Made Silence Description:

SUMMARY: When twelve-year-old Esmé saves small-town deaf boy Nestor Gudfred from drowning, he is inexplicably able to cast the townspeople into each others’ pasts and dreams. Nestor begins to receive visitations from Peter’n’Charlie, a strange cat-headed rhetorician and Pastor Buddy, a minister in search of a prophet. While the town seems to regard Nestor as a prophet, he begins a search for his long-lost father in this surrealist meditation on the nature of religious belief.

Currently The Boy Who Made Silence is available to order from Markosia Website located at: http://www.markosia.com/Comics.aspx?ID=9

Joshua has recently launched a special incentive bonus program so that you will be able to start reading the book for free online. The official serialization has not begun but will be made available at the following website: http://theboywhomadesilence.blogspot.com  

In the meantime you can read issue one in its entirety at: http://www.myebook.com/index.php?option=ebook&id=713

If there’s anything else left to say than I leave with this… YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT THIS BOOK! You won’t be disappointed.

For More information about Joshua Hagler please visit

The game takes place in late 15th century, early 16th century, Italy during the Renaissance, approximately three hundred years after the first game. Like Assassin’s Creed, characters based on historical figures will be present in the game including Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli, Caterina Sforza, Lorenzo de’ Medici, the Pazzi Family and Pope Alexander VI.

http://www.assassinscreed.com

The most revealing trailer yet for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Available worldwide on November 10th, 2009.

http://www.infinityward.com

If you are a one man army then this article is not for you… (But I still suggest you check it out, you may learn about some tools that might make your life a little easier, and “knowing is half the battle”… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZysLhEla4A&feature=related

There is a lot involved in creating a comic. Concept, story, editing, scripting, story layout, pencil work, ink, color, cover art, lettering, graphics, promotion, marketing, advertising, PR, social networking, online exposure….and on and on and on. Yes this can be done, more or less, by yourself but it doesn’t have to be. I am sorry to break it to you but it is very unlikely that you are Amazing in all areas of comic development, if you are Congratulations! If you think you are…well good luck! Sometimes it’s best to reach out and find other comic creators to help you with your mission. There are a lot of really good people willing to work for free or for modest fees that can help you get your comic project to a new level. Where can you find these people you ask??? Well www.workincomics.com  is a start but there are other good places out there like www.comicspace.com  , www.devieantart.com  , and www.comicvine.com

But this article is not going to be so much about where to find collaborators or how to collaborate, I will be saving those topics for future posts. In this article we will be discussing several online platforms to use to facilitate wicked cool collaborations.

An online communication and collaboration platform that I can’t wait for is Google Wave. You’ve probably been hearing about Google Wave for a while now and a lot of people really think that this will make collaboration online a whole lot more efficient and effective. But what the heck is Google Wave and how will it affect comic collaboration? Well, simply put, Google Wave is designed as the next generation of Internet communication. Welcome “Back to the Future”. It’s like if someone melted email, instant messaging and social networking into a pot, the ooze that you would get would be Google Wave. I realize that isn’t the best explanation so here is a video that will visually and quickly break down Google Wave using cartoons…what more could you ask for. Check it out:

Here is another good video explanation from the people who designed Google Wave (check out the very cool language translation feature @ about 7 minutes in)

Want more? Here is “The Complete Guide to Google Wave”

Some of the reasons Google Wave might work out very well for comic creation and collaboration are because of the visual aspects of it, the ability to exchange multiple large files, the ability to involve several parties, real-time communication and collaboration, everything can be done through your Gmail account and best of all it will be Free. The only problem with Google wave at the moment is that it isn’t available. As far as I know from the rumours online it should be out later this year. If you still have questions about Google Wave check out this post on Lifehacker.com http://lifehacker.com/5288931/google-wave-questions-and-answers  for a pretty concise list of answers.

Yeah, I know it sucks that we are going to have to wait a while but in the meantime here are a few other good collaboration platforms to fill the Google Wave hunger gap.

www.zoho.com   Zoho.com is a comprehensive suite of award-winning on-line business applications. Customers use Zoho to run their business processes, manage their information and be more productive while at the office or on the go, without having to worry about expensive or outdated hardware or software. To date, Zoho.com has launched 19 different applications — from CRM to Mail, Reports, and Wikis. Zoho has received numerous awards, including an InfoWorld 2009 “Product of the Year” award, a 2008 PC World “25 Most Innovative Products Award” and a 2007 TechCrunch “Best Enterprise Start-up.” Free for personal use.

www.tgethr.com  Easy group collaboration over email for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and families. Email is still the most prominent form of communication we have. Do you really need that fancy collaboration tool or do you just need to get together? Free plan available.

www.box.net  Box.net was founded on a simple, powerful idea: it should be easy for people to access, work with, and share all their content, wherever they are.

Since 2005, co-founders Aaron Levie and Dylan Smith along with our fast-growing team have established Box.net as one of the most popular and trusted web-based services for accessing and sharing content from anywhere. Today, more than 2 million individuals, small businesses, and Fortune 1000 companies around the world use Box to easily connect with the content and people that matter most. Free plan available.

www.drop.io   Drop.io is an easy to use, online collaboration and file sharing service that provides users with a simple, real-time and private way to chat and share images, video, audio, documents and other digital content through unique, user-created and controlled sharing points called ‘drops.’ watch our how to video once you have the hang of the basics, check out what it means to do it all in real-time for seamless collaboration. Free plan available.

www.mediafire.com  MediaFire is the simplest file hosting service built for businesses, professionals, musicians, artists, students, or anyone in between.

Share your files through just one site without ever having to worry about disk space, hosting, or bandwidth again. MediaFire was specifically designed to be extremely simple to upload files and instantly manage and share them from any computer. Free plan available.

The collaboration platforms above are all actually pretty decent and they all have free plans available. If you know of other collaboration platforms or techniques that have worked for you let us know about them in the comments. Also let us know what you think about Google Wave as a possible new tool to help people create comics together.

404 Beach from carsonting on Vimeo.

404 Beach is a collaborative stop-motion animation piece of a wall mural done by Mike Nowland of Company Policy, Carson Ting of Chairman Ting Industries and Tom Pettapiece.

The entire music track was composed and recorded specifically for 404 Beach by Tom Pettapiece.

Title: 404 beach
Artists: Mike Nowland & Carson Ting
Music: Tom Pettapiece
Cameo appearance: Leanna Wilson
Location: 404 Beach, Vancouver, Canada.
October 2009.

www.companypolicy.tv 
www.chairmanting.com

Work In Comics: Demo Trailer from Work in Comics on Vimeo.

Our goal at Work In Comics is to help you find independent creators in all areas of comic development. It is a place where people looking for work in comics can find opportunities or create their own. We have great tools and resources available to help get you started on your way to building your comic team and getting your comic project realized.

Key Features
• One stop to finding all the people you need to get your comic project off the ground
• Current listings
• Multiple search options
• Lets you upload resumes, demo reels and artwork
• Variety of filters to optimize searching
• Opportunity to look for a jobs or employees on the global scale
• Post your Announcements and Events
• Find help in any area of comic development
• Make some moolah
• Make some friends
• Make a comic!
• It’s all FREE!

http://www.workincomics.com

Mister Cok is the owner of a large bomb factory. Looking for efficiency and profit, he decides to replace his workers by sophisticated robots. The formers stare helplessly at the toil of the robotic labourers. But one of the workers does not accept being discarded so easily …

Find out more www.monsieurcok.com

Work In Comics is a job and collaboration platform which is designed specifically for the needs of putting together comics. Users looking for work or looking to hire will be able to come to Work In Comics to find potential prospects. Why go surfing all over the net when you can come to one place and find what you’re looking for?
The site is designed to gather comic book creators in all areas of comic development to help fulfill their needs of various comic services. Work In Comics is built upon the experiences of many independent creators, and how their careers in the comics industry could have used one or two fewer challenges; this platform will serve as an aid for those creators. Work In Comics provides an all-in-one platform to help aspiring creators build their comic team.

The website also offers various services such as a Creator Announcement section where creators are free to post upcoming events, convention appearances, or project launches, a Work In Comics blog where users will be able to get the latest tips and advice on how to get involved in the comics industry, and more. Best of all, Work In Comics is a FREE service.

Many more great features will be added shortly; we encourage our users to read the various guidelines and help topics in order to get started in creating their first post. We also encourage our users to provide feedback and suggestions through our “give feedback” feature on the Work In Comics blog, so as to help improve the site.

Some Features of Work In Comics include:
• Targeted Job Postings
• Multiple Search Options
• Upload Your Resume and demo reels
• Subscriptions and RSS features.
• Post Your Announcement
• It’s ALL FREE!

About Work In Comics:
www.workincomics.com

Our goal at Work In Comics is to help you find fellow creators in all areas of comic development. It is a place where people looking for work in comics can find opportunities, or create their own. We have great tools and resources available to help get you started on your way to building your comic team and getting your comic project realized.

• Find a Writer
• Choose an Artist
• Search for opportunities
• Build your comic team

Work In Comics

Opportunities. Resources. Collaboration.

Work In Comics Video demo and FAQ
http://workincomicsblog.septagonstudios.com/?p=69
http://workincomics.septagonstudios.com/faq

Work In Comics Blog and Tutorials at:
http://workincomicsblog.septagonstudios.com

Work In Comics founded in 2009, a division of Septagon Studios, Inc.

street tests from Najork on Vimeo.

Testing out Particular 2, ON THE STREET!
Sound design by www.skeletonsuit.com
Shot with a little Canon SD960.
Tracked with PFHoe Pro www.pfhoe.com

Quicktime at the Trapcode Gallery: www.trapcode.com/gallery.html

One of the biggest misconceptions with comics is that they are just superhero stories. Don’t get me wrong, I like reading about the men in tights as much as anyone else. Superheroes do have a place and as a concept, rock. That said there are so many different kinds of books out there. To say that superheroes are all there is would ill serve the industry. Each one of my columns will have themes that tie in to what I’m talking about.

This week’s theme is horror. Now there are many different kinds of horror out there. There are the classic monster horror stories. There are also the blood and gore fest kind of stories out there. Both of these are cool, but I found personally that my favorite section of horror wasn’t the blood and gore, but rather the psychological kind of horror.

Psychological horror in my view is the kind of story that reflects the world in a distorted yet often terrifying way – often twisted morality tales are the result. It gives us pause, and frightens us because deep down you can imagine such a place or a person or a time, and it gives you pause when you do this. Alfred Hitchcock was one of the best at it. A lot of his films mastered the art of making you imagine the scene that was occurring – it was often more shocking then ever seeing it on the screen.

Those are the kinds of horror that give me chills and make me pause. Yet no matter which genre of horror you like, comics have a rich vein of history for it all. In fact, comics were arguably at their creative best in this genre, going back to the EC Comics days. What is EC Comics? Glad you asked.

Rekindled Finds

EC Comics was a horror based comic company who published some of the most compelling stories of their time. Using talents such as Al Feldstein, Jack Davis, Johnny Craig, Wally Wood, Graham Ingels, Harvey Kurtzman and others, the comics line produced some ground breaking and memorable stuff that still impacts comics today.

Tales From the Crypt always welcomed you with the host of the series, the cryptkeeper, who would use a variety of puns and insulted readers to add a little levity between tales. As for the stories themselves? Twisted and ironic. More often then not, the protagonist would meet an ironic fate. Other common themes included readapting fairy tales. One of my personal favorites was “The Sleeping Beauty” (Issue 39).

Unfortunately, comics at the time were under heavy scrutiny and the comics code proved to be EC Comics doom. The company continued to do well with MAD magazine. Tales from the Crypt began with issue 17 and lasted until issue 54. You can still buy reprints of this series at gemstone books.

I think every comic fan should at least glance at these works of art. The stories were amazing, but the art was truly ahead of its time. If you have the bucks, they are worth at least a glance.

Another common theme for EC was adapting stories by an author named Ray Bradbury, which I found to be ironic, as my first review is a Bradbury story. Ray Bradbury is noted as a science fiction writer; the truth is that Ray was a masterful storyteller, and quite often his stories would transcend any genre. His imagination was incredible.

I remember reading this novel as a kid, and it terrified me. I could see this world so vividly. It made me question the world and made me think about it in a way I never saw before. For me at least, there has been no greater horror than this graphic novel I’m about to review.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and Tim Hamilton

So last week, I find this in the comic shop and I know I must own it. I confess to being a huge Ray Bradbury fan, and this book faithfully adapts my favorite novel. This to date, is the only book that ever scared me. For those of you unaware, Fahrenheit 451 is a story about a fireman named Guy Montag, who starts fires instead of fights them. He burns books because that is how the cities function.

One night he talks to a girl named Clarisse and realizes that he isn’t happy. Curious, he picks up a book and starts reading. Guy realizes that he isn’t happy, and finds himself alone in a place where everyone is told what to think and what to say. This is a world without reading. Looking back, I see why this book scared me so much; I think this world can very easily come to be.

From the opening page Tim Hamilton captures the mood of this story perfectly. His colours in particular capture the emotion of the story. I love the blues when Clarisse and Guy talk. I love the black and orange flame that seems to surround the firemen when they play poker. Or when Beatty, the antagonist of the story, tries to push and prod Montag at his new discovery. Hamilton is incredibly talented. Hamilton makes the world of Fahrenheit 451 dark and creepy – a surreal mirror to our own.

Ray Bradbury provides the introduction and the dialogue. It feels just like the novel I read when I was 15. It was both new and old. I find myself asking the same questions I did when I was a kid, and find that after all this time, this book is still amazing. I can’t recommend it enough.

Fahrenheit 451 is available at your local comic shop now.

Finally, we live behind crypts and burning books, and arrive in a world where Armageddon is right around the corner. I’ve been a fan of this series for years now, and hope that it continues growing. Nightmare World is horror done right, and I for one hope it continues to find success. Here is an interview with the creator of Nightmare World: Dirk Manning.

Nightmare Come True: Nightmare World has arrived.

If you’ve ever been to Newsarama, you’ve had a chance to read Dirk Manning’s Column Write or Wrong. I enjoyed the column as a guy in a top hat in glasses gave advice about breaking into comics, all the while promoting his very cool Nightmare World series on his website. Curious, I checked it out. What I found as I read each story was some very well crafted tales that were reminiscent of Tales from the Crypt with a modern edge to them. Some of the tales were funny, others horrifying – each one reflecting a corner of our world in unique and challenging ways – something good horror always does.

After years of struggle, Shadowline is finally releasing these tales in Trade Paperback. The first book entitled “13 Tales of Terror” hits comic shops this October. I had a chance to chat with Dirk about his success and achievement.

Joshua Pantalleresco: We’ve talked about NIGHTMARE WORLD before, but can you give readers a quick recap of what the series is about?

Dirk Manning: NIGHTMARE WORLD is a series of seemingly stand-alone genre-hopping supernatural/thriller stories (think “The Twilight Zone” if you need a frame of reference) that, when read collectively, all slowly intertwine to tell one massive uber-story about – among other things – Lucifer’s grand plan to use Cthulhu and some other influential monsters and demons as part of his final strike against God.

Honestly, though, that uber-plot is secondary to how all of these stories can (and should) be read as stand-alone tales of terror about everything from romantic ghosts to vengeful fairy lovers to slasher-pic parodies to samurais fighting ninjas to sexy Cthulhu priestesses to frontier-style justice in space to, well, just about everything in-between. Variety and high standards of quality entertainment are the spices of life in NIGHTMARE WORLD. [laughs]

JP: Now the book is making the jump from online to print. Can you describe some of the ups and downs publishing your own creation in comics?

DM: Sure! I mean, after all, NIGHTMARE WORLD is an overnight success seven years in the making. [laughs]

We started as exclusively an online web comic series back in 2002, and over the years I dabbled in self-publishing and even worked with a few smaller “indie publishers” in order to collect the series in print.

While they were all great (or at least valuable) learning experiences, I ultimately learned that if I was to ever properly take NIGHTMARE WORLD to print it would either have to be through self-publishing or through Image Comics. Period.

The Image guys were really the pioneers of high-profile self-publishing in comics (along with a few other notable creators such as Jeff Smith, Terry Moore and Dave Sim, of course)… and because of this Image Comics really stands as “thee” publisher for creators like me who want to do something new without sacrificing quality, content or – most importantly – my ownership of the property itself.

Luckily, though, when Jim Valentino and Kris Simon of Image Comics’ Shadowline imprint started their web comic hub they invited NIGHTMARE WORLD to join the party, and that was really a game-changer for me. I was on the verge of going strictly to self-publishing on my own with a few friends, but being affiliated with Image/Shadowline is the best-case scenario for me. As cheesy as this sounds, it’s literally a dream come true to have by work now being released side-by-side with the works of creators like Robert Kirkman and Frank Cho among countless other amazing “do-it-yourself” guys and gals who I’ve looked-up to for years.

JP: What Nightmare World stories will be included in the first trade?

DM: As the title says, this first collection will have 13 of the best-received stories from the online series as we’ve run it at Shadowline to date, including “The Same Deep Water As You,” “Violet,” “Life in a Glass House,” “You Oughta Know,” “Bitter Wine,” “Break Stuff,” “Knee Deep in the Dead,” “Try Honesty” and “Mine” among others.

Basically we’re trying to balance between some of the more seemingly stand-alone stories and a couple of them that pretty blatantly give hints as to the big uber-story about how Lucifer has decided to use Cthulhu to kick-start the Armageddon in his final assault against God.

Considering this, people who pick-up the first collection will get a lot of cool “stand alone” stories… but then by the time they finish the book they’ll hopefully go “Hey… wait a minute… a lot of these stories are trying together!” and then go back and find it worthy of multiple re-readings in order to connect the dots.

Then, if all goes according to plan there will be three more similar TPB collections of 13 more stories each collecting the whole series in a similar format.

JP: So you said there could be four trades total. Will we be seeing the rest of the series collected anytime soon?

DM: That’s a perfect case scenario, yeah, but first I want to make sure that we sell enough copies of NIGHTMARE WORLD “Thirteen Tales of Terror” Vol. 1 so that it’s justifiable to do a second, third and finally forth collection. I would love to see the whole series collected in print in TPB form, of course, and I would imagine everyone who reads the series would too… so the key is PRE-ORDERING the book through your local comic shop or Amazon.com.

We’re in the current issue of PREVIEWS on p155 (Order Code: AUG09-0327) and the book is also now available for pre-order through www.Amazon.com  by searching “NIGHTMARE WORLD MANNING”… so anyone who eventually wants to see the whole series of all 52 in print (along with three more prose stories, more re-mastered art and other cool bonuses) should pre-order. Pre-ordering is the key!

JP: What are some of the cool bonuses in NIGHTMARE WORLD: “Thirteen Tales of Terror” Volume One you can tell us about?

DM: For starters, the art for “You Oughta Know” has been completely re-mastered for this collection. Ray Dillon of Golden Goat Studios (who himself is a multiple-time contributor to NIGHTMARE WORLD) inked and colored Jeff Welborn’s original pencils exclusively for the print collection – and our resident Cthulhu Cult priestess Vanessa has never looked so good as a result! [laughs]

Additionally, since we’re going to print we went back and tweaked some of the art from some of the earlier stories a little more in subtle ways that will really add a lot to “the uber-story” that connects all of the individual tales of terror together… but you’ll have to get the print edition to see how. It’s subtle, but it’s there and the collection reads even better as a result.

Aside from all of that coolness, NIGHTMARE WORLD: “13 Tales of Terror” Vol. 1 will also feature nicely framed full-sized editions of each story’s original cover, a gorgeous painted cover by fantasy artist Kristen Perry, a really cool introduction by REX MUNDI author Arvid Nelson and some other additional exclusive treats reserved just for people who pick-up the trade…. such as a brand-new in-continuity prose story written by me.

Basically, we’re going out of our way to jam this thing to the gills to make it the coolest reading experience possible.

JP: About your prose story, can you give away a little about it?

DM: Yeah! I just finished the last draft of it the other day and Josh Ross sent me a cool spot illustration to go with it. It’s called “The Long, Hard Road Out of Hell” and it lets us see inside Lucifer’s head as his plan for how to free himself from Hell finally crystallized in his mind.

I have to admit, too, that while Lucifer has always been one of my favorite characters to write in NIGHTMARE WORLD, it was really hard for me to “get in his head” to write this story. I mean, his intentions, motives and tactics are all pretty obvious… but to actually get into his thought-process took me a lot of time and several false-starts.

Finally, I went back and re-read all of the stories he’s featured in throughout NIGHTMARE WORLD (including several that haven’t been released yet) and, weirdly enough, it was when I re-read “Mine” that it finally “clicked” for me and I got in the groove.

The end result is a very cool story that really lays bare Lucifer’s true plans and intentions for all to see, including a few neat little tidbits that I think will surprise even the most die-hard readers who think they’ve got it all figured out. [laughs]

JP: Is there a chance of any of the covers being made into art prints? Some of them would make great posters.

DM: I’m glad you mentioned the covers, man, because the covers to the NIGHTMARE WORLD stories are a real point of pride to me. Not only has Kristen Perry done amazing work on the cover to the first collection, but the various artists and I put a lot of work each individual story’s cover to really make them all pop. In fact, more often than not each story’s cover also serves as the “last panel” to the story itself. Once people realize this it oftentimes puts stories like “Violet” into a whole new light! [laughs]

As for art prints or posters, though, I think it’s only a matter of time before I release a really snazzy art print or poster of the TPB cover, at least. I’ve teased about releasing that image as a poster for years, and I know that Kristen Perry has sold art prints of it herself here and there over the years when she’s done signings – but I think come October we’re going to have to do something official and release a really kick-ass poster version of the girl in the boat. It’s time. [laughs]

JP: What were some of the challenges bringing the whole series to print? What has made this edition possible compared to some of the other publishers in the past?

DM: Honestly, there were no real difficulties in bringing this edition to print through Shadowline once we started running the series at the Shadowline Web comics hub (http://www.shadowlinecomics.com/webcomics/#/nightmareworld ) and were able to “show” that people liked the comic enough to support going to print with it.

Once we started pulling good numbers of daily/weekly hits it was just a matter of Kris, Jim and I deciding which thirteen stories would be in the first (and hopefully not last) collection… and even that was a fairly painless process. What’s interesting is that with a series like NIGHTMARE WORLD everybody has different favorite stories, but we were all able to decide on which thirteen to include in a fairly drama-free fashion.

JP: Why a trade format and not a miniseries?

DM: Honestly, aside from maybe doing fairly inexpensive “flip-books” all I’ve ever wanted to do is a collection of four nice, bookshelf-worthy TPB collections that would collect the whole series in print.

I mean, let’s be real here: NIGHTMARE WORLD is already available for free online at the Shadowline web comics hub, and while that’s cool, there are also a lot of people who want a version of the series in print that they can hold in their hand and presumably read in the bathroom without having to lug their laptop in there.

Considering this, the last thing I want to do is triple-dip on my readers by putting out a mini-series and then recollecting it in a TPB format. If the series wasn’t already available online I would definitely consider doing that, but all I’ve ever wanted to do was put the series online, maybe release some cool little “flip-book editions” of some of the stories (something I did in my self-publishing days) and then do a nice, definitive bookshelf TPB edition for people to love and cherish forever.

Times are tough and money is tight for everyone right now, and providing a great book with a low-price-point was something Jim, Kris and I all agreed upon from the get-go. Considering this, I’m really pleased about how the NIGHTMARE WORLD collection has come together as a package. It’s going to be a really cool treat for old and new readers alike.

JP: Finally, now that you’ve hit print, what is the best advice you can give to anyone attempting to travel the same road you have?

DM: I discuss a lot of my own experiences – warts and all – and also give a lot of advice in my column “WRITE OR WRONG” over at www.Newsarama.com , and since I get this question a lot I’m also going to move towards taking that collection of columns to print in the next year, I think.

The biggest tips I can give, though, are these: Treat your collaborators fairly and don’t rely on publishers to give you your first break. Like I said at the beginning of this interview, it took me seven years to get to Image Comics – and that was seven years of me (and the artists) slaving away at the original NIGHTMARE WORLD web comic on a daily basis… and when I say daily basis, I mean that LITERALLY.

What burns my biscuits are people who think they whip together a comic, put it online and then have publishers come knocking at their door. The real world is not “Field of Dreams,” folks. [laughs]

With the glory of the Internet and programs such as Wordpress/Comicpress it’s now easier than ever to publish finished comics online – and certainly much easier to do so than when I got started – but that doesn’t mean that you still don’t have to bust your butt to get noticed.

The key is consistency, quality, courteousness in all aspects of your comic book creation and promotion. If you do those three things you’ll be a lot farther ahead than those people who don’t adhere to those three guidelines.

And that will do it. I hope you enjoyed this oddyssee into horror, and I for one hope you come back next time when I talk about children’s fiction. Until then, keep chasing your passions.

That will do it this week. Email me at wandererofthoughts@yahoo.ca  or visit me at http://jpantalleresco.livejournal.com  for comments, questions, a book you wish reviewed, or anything for that matter. I’m also on http://www.facebook.com/joshua.pantalleresco  and http://twitter.com/jpantalleresco  as well.

Wolfenstein Graphic Novel Trailer #4 The third of a four-part Wolfenstein video graphic novel series (2:17) – you must be 17 or older to view it. HD GLOBAL VIDEO GAMING NEWS Santa Barbara Arts TV Cliff Baldridge YouTube Partner is Distinguished Credentialed Broadcast Press Media in the Global Video Gaming Industry and Attends E3 ESA and CES each year. Covering Comic-Con San Diego and GDC 2009.

This week the Spotlight is on Comic Press

Author: Tyler Martin/Mind Faucet
ComicPress surfaced in November of 2005. Blogging was becoming enormously popular and the software to power it was being created and perfected. Website designer Tyler Martin took an interest in the quickly advancing WordPress blogging software and developed a theme for it to publish comics that would become the ComicPress publishing platform. Several developers contributed various amounts of code to the project and ComicPress would soon become an industry standard for publishing comics on the Web.

Description from Website:
Using the popular blogging software, WordPress is ideal for publishing comics online as blogging software is specifically designed for regularly posting and archiving blocks of content to the Web. ComicPress provides you a WordPress theme with the necessary comic display, navigation and archiving features built in as well as seemlessly presenting your comic and blog posts yet handling them accordingly.

Try out the Demo Today
http://comicpress.org/demo/
To use the demo click on your preferred style and view that style in its entirety.

Favorite Features of the Template/Software

• Clean, easily styled theme
• Choice of 5 page layouts (Standard, 3-Column, Vertical, Vertical 3-Column, Graphic Novel)

• Full comic navigation first, previous, next and last as well as chapter navigation (accessible navigation above the comic)
• 5 archive page templates for displaying your archives (in addition to WordPress native archiving)
• Built-in comic transcription and search
• Comic specific Widgets to customize sidebars
• Support for threaded comments
• Infinite hierarchy storylines* (categorize by volumes and chapters to any depth level)

See what’s new in the latest version 2.8
2.8 Comes fully loaded with new features that improve the overall look of Comic press and the usability of the template. The new version also makes plug-in integration more simplistic. All of your edits are done in the admin no need to go into your code to customize anything. More layouts options with 5 to choose from all placed under one theme.

For all the new advancements in 2.8 visit http://comicpress.org/about/#features

Support: If you need any support in helping to setup your comic press related website the developers have opened up a community forum with multiple resources and is a very active community. If you have a bug report, technical issues and new templating help their forum is second to none.

http://comicpress.org/forum  You can also Follow ComicPress on Twitter to get the latest updates at http://twitter.com/comicpressusers

5 Websites that Septagon Studios Recommends that use Comic Press

http://www.heroes-inc.net
http://runnersuniverse.com
http://www.front-space.com
http://clamnuts.com/spazz
http://www.zerodays.com
http://www.viciousprint.com/6commando/

It’s extremely easy to setup and run ComicPress if you are a web comic creator there isn’t any other blog publishing platform that supports a great template with multiple styles to keep your comic fresh. ComicPress is the ultimate Web comic Publishing platform for any creator. If you are interested in getting a web comic off the ground, check out ComicPress it has everything you need and more.

Kseniya Simonova – Sand Animation (??????? ??? ?????? / Ukraine’s Got Talent)

Ólafur Arnalds – Ljósið (Official Music Video) from Erased Tapes on Vimeo.

Official music video for ‘Ljósið’ taken from Ólafur Arnalds – ‘Found Songs’ (2009) available on Limited Edition CD/10″ Vinyl and Download here: store.erasedtapes.com

Director: Esteban Diácono
Label: Erased Tapes Records
Year: 2009
Album: Found Songs
Length: 3’30’’
Music written by: Ólafur Arnalds
Publisher: Nettwerk One
Copyright: © 2009 Erased Tapes Records.
Website: www.foundsongs.erasedtapes.com

“Worldwide leader in family entertainment agrees to acquire Marvel and its portfolio of over 5,000 characters.

Acquisition highlights Disney’s strategic focus on quality branded content, technological innovation and international expansion to build long-term shareholder value

Building on its strategy of delivering quality branded content to people around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:MVL) in a stock and cash transaction, the companies announced today.”

For full Press Release article click here.

From the new announcement this past week many industry professionals have weighed in on their opinions and thoughts.

Matt Hawkins, President of Top Cow Productions
“Well, for comic publishers this is great news because it increases the valuation of all our companies. In regard to creators, I have no idea. Disney seems to leave Pixar alone and let them do their thing so I think Marvel may maintain its own corporate culture but who knows? Marvel and Disney both are primarily work-for-hire companies so most people already working at Marvel probably will never notice the difference. DC has been part of the Time Warner (Warner Bros.) empire for decades so Disney owning Marvel isn’t a big game changer, at least in the short run. This is a long term play for IP development on Disney’s part for all the ancillary markets.
As a Marvel stockholder I couldn’t be happier.”

Joe Nozemack, Publisher, Oni Press
“This deal is further evidence of the maturation and importance of the comic book community to the overall entertainment industry. It also highlights the enormous value of the next generation of comic book companies such as Oni Press, who – by developing amazing stories and characters in every genre that go beyond superheroes – become even more valuable as the remaining studios and financial institutions seek intellectual property.”

The retailers have also had their fair share in the reactions as well here’s an excerpt from Newsarama

J.C. Glindmyer, owner of Earthworld Comics in Albany, N.Y., said that Disney should use Marvel’s history as a guide when approaching distribution. In the late ’90s, Marvel attempted to self-distribute products through its own company, Heroes World Distributing. The effort failed, and Diamond Comic Distributors ended up emerging as the leading distribution company.

“My main concern is with Disney’s vast resources, will they self-distribute and leave Diamond Comics?” said Glindmyer. “I hope not. One ‘Heroes World’ debacle is more than enough.”

For more industry reactions towards the news please visit the links below:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22765
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090831-marvel-disney-reaction.html
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090901-marvel-disney-retailers.html

With various mixed reactions due to film properties implications and licenses outside the Marvel House of Ideas, Disney’s initial plan may take some time for it to take its animated state. The real issue being if Disney is willing to wait for the licenses to expire or buy the rights of the current holders of the properties. Either route may be costly in the short term and long term. However Disney can bounce around in the mean time by producing second tier characters into TV Series, or animated movies.

Are we going to be seeing Disney self-distribute Marvel comics? Are we going to be seeing an all Marvel comics TV channel? Are comic fans finally going to see the Incredible Hulk pulverize Donald Duck??? What do YOU think?

Wolfenstein Graphic Novel Trailer #3 The third of a four-part Wolfenstein video graphic novel series - you must be 17 or older to view it. HD GLOBAL VIDEO GAMING NEWS Santa Barbara Arts TV Cliff Baldridge YouTube Partner is Distinguished Credentialed Broadcast Press Media in the Global Video Gaming Industry and Attends E3 ESA and CES each year. Covering Comic-Con San Diego and GDC 2009.

Avatar is an upcoming 3-D science fiction epic film directed by James Cameron, due to be released on December 18, 2009 by 20th Century Fox. This is Lightstorm Entertainment’s latest project.

http://www.avatarmovie.com

We’re calling this a premier before the premier. A zero issue before the column officially debuts. What is this column exactly? It’s called Re-ignition.

I’ve loved comics since I was eight years old. I have been blessed with a lot of opportunities because of the love and passion I have for the hobby. In the past I’ve done interviews, reviews, and occasionally, some journalism about the art form. It has lead to some very cool opportunities.

Fast forward to just a few months ago however, and I found myself wondering what exactly I was doing in Northern Arizona. I had gone as far as I could go, and had realized that this place I dwelled at was draining my desire dry. I needed to leave and start again.

Ever since I’ve been back, I’ve felt like I’ve been born again. It’s been cool to get back into comics again. One of the reasons I moved back to Canada was because it was here that I formed my love for this art form and I wanted it back. Since I have come back I’ve been fortunate enough to pursue this hobby and love of mine again.

This column will feature different comics by many different talents at many different levels. All of which I enjoy immensely. This column is going to help me rediscover comics all over again, and hopefully make people aware just how many good books are out there waiting to be read.

This column will be divided into three parts. The first part which you just read, deals with anything topical I want to talk about. Whether it’s something about the art form I’ve learned, or just an opinion about something in comics that bothers or inspires me.

The second part of this column will be a review of an issue or trade or graphic novel. Since this is the pre launch to the launch column, you’ll have to look for this feature next time.

And finally there will be a third part. This will involve an interview, or even the occasional journalism piece. Comics as a medium is changing and I feel there are a ton of stories and opportunities out there for it. All in all my goal is to expand people’s horizons with just what is going on out there.

This week I bring a really special treat as I interview one of the greats in comics to talk about his new graphic novel Timmy and the Transgalactic Towel.

I have to admit that Mike Bullock intimidates me. Not because he’s a mean, tough guy or anything like that, but because he is one of the nicest human beings I’ve met in comics – as well as one of the most talented. Anyone that’s read Lions, Tigers, and Bears , The Gimoles or The Phantom know that Mike is an incredible storyteller, who creates entertaining, thoughtful and inspiring stories about the imagination and what it can do. These are the kind of stories I enjoy the most. Maybe I haven’t grown up, but reading stuff like Mike’s makes me not want to.

I think that’s why he intimidates a little bit – I want to try real hard for creators like this, and I feel that I come up short.

Joshua Pantalleresco: Describe Timothy James. Who is he?

Mike Bullock: Timothy is a fairly normal young boy, overflowing with energy and an overactive imagination. He spends far too much time alone, which begins to blur the lines between make believe and reality. While many young kids spend a fair amount of their lives with imaginary friends, Timothy spends far more than normal, which leads to many adventures and misadventures.

JP: Why is Timmy always alone?

MB: His mother is out of the picture and his Father, in response to losing his wife and being a single dad, has thrown himself into his work in order to keep a roof over their heads. Thus, Timothy spends a lot of time by himself at home.

JP: Without giving too much away, describe some of the other characters in the book Timmy imagines.

MB: Well, you have Dash Lightrider, a commander in the Zoom Patrol. Dash is the typical all-American hero, except he’s never been to America. Dash’s assistant is Mortimer, the Adjunct Droid. Mortimer might be the only droid in space to suffer from clinical depression. And then there’s Mourn, the Star Dragon, but I don’t want to spill too much on him just now…

JP: So is Timmy intended to be a planned set of books of a series?

MB: I do have plans for many more Timothy stories, yes.

JP: Why go with a graphic novel format over a standard miniseries?

MB: Silverline is a new breed of publisher, pushing the envelope of format, style etc. To that end, they shy away from monthly comics and go more for things that are off the beaten path. TIMOTHY is an OGN, but turned on its side, to give the reader really epic visuals. In addition, the book is something of a hybrid between comics and storybooks, with some prose/storybook pages alongside more conventional comic book pages. All in all, I think it came together into a very nice package.

JP: I notice a lot of your all ages stories deal with the theme of imagination. Your tales really explore that vein. Where’s your love of it come from?

MB: From my point of view, imagination is the greatest blessing God’s ever given us. Imagination brought us the light bulb, lasagna, corvettes and F22 fighter planes, as well as Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and the entire library of Mozart. When I was young, nothing excited me more than the promise of impending imagination. When you’re daydreaming, there are no boundaries, no restrictions and nothing to stop you from experiencing anything you can imagine… kind of like creating comic books.

JP: Finally, why a towel? Is there any special significance to it?

MB: The towel idea came in the initial inspiration. Then, after my beautiful wife and I returned from a rare vacation (in Hawaii), Towel took on a whole new life that far outreached the original concept.

JP: Plug your book.

MB: TIMOTHY AND THE TRANSGALACTIC TOWEL is a far flung flight of fantasy, adventure and unbridled make-believe. The first book is 98 pages of pure escapism. If you’re looking for lighthearted, exciting entertainment, grab this book up, find a comfy place to curl up and join Timothy and Towel on a wondrous journey to the edge of imagination.

That will do it this week. Email me at wandererofthoughts@yahoo.ca  or visit me at http://jpantalleresco.livejournal.com   for comments, questions, a book you wish reviewed, or anything for that matter. I’m also on http://www.facebook.com/joshua.pantalleresco and  http://twitter.com/jpantalleresco as well.

The official TRON Legacy film web site has recently gone live!

The theatrical trailer for “Ninja Assassin” releasing November 25 2009

We have been following Project Fanboy for a long time. Project Fanboy since its inception, has conducted numerous interviews and reviewed works of various comic book authors, publishers, creators, and artists. Such interviews include the likes of Jim Balent, Peter Laird, Dan Berger, and Darren Sanchez. But this has a lot more to offer nowadays besides all the interviews and wicked content. They just keep on growing and growing and growing. If you are into video reviews, they got them. If you want to talk comics, they got a growing active forum with all kinds of topics. If you are looking to promote your comic, they could even help you with that. Project Fanboy has become a respected name in the online comic book community that continues to deliver.

Description from Website: Project Fanboy began in 2005 when founders Drake Jondrew and Steven Sykora decided they needed a place to express their comic book interest. They wanted to create a website that focused on mainstream comics, but also give independent and smaller works a place to advertise their work. Project Fanboy was born.

Skip ahead several years (and several website re-designs/database changes later) and the current Project Fanboy was re-launched in 2008. The website was revamped to help smoothly merge the independent works and mainstream works. The redesign allowed Project Fanboy to create a lot of exposure for publishers and creators. Project Fanboy’s readership and traffic continues to grow and it’s easy to see why. They continue to add more features to the site and they are not afraid to try new things.

Favorite Features of the Website:

Feature #1: Columns

This section of the website has opinionated columns and reviews. They talk about and discuss various industry topics surrounding comics, prices, grading, and distributions.

For further details visit: The Columns Section.

Feature #2: Blogs

In this section you’ll find various blogs from the members of Project Fanboy. You’ll hear what the “peeps” have to say about various comics and the state of the comic book industry or just some random comic talk. This is a great place to learn about the current ideas and opinions within the comic scene as well as speak your mind.

For further details visit: The Blogs Section.

Feature #3: Project Fanboy Awards

Showcasing 25 categories ranging from professional to independent creators and publishers that have excelled in the previous year. Feel free to cast your nomination for this year’s awards and show your support.

For further details visit The Fanboy Awards.

3 Articles that Septagon Studios Recommends are:

Why Companies Fail
http://forums.projectfanboy.com/showthread.php?t=3599  

The Realities of CGC
http://forums.projectfanboy.com/showthread.php?t=3689

Declaration of INDEPENDENTS
http://forums.projectfanboy.com/showthread.php?t=3660  

Make sure to visit Project Fanboy. They are constantly continuing to push the envelope with their online presence in the comic world and the site is updated frequently. Project Fanboy has come such a long way from when they first came out, they have really evolved into a great place for comic fans and creators. These guys got a really good thing going and they just keep getting better and better, but don’t take our word for it, check it out for yourself at www.projectfanboy.com you won’t be disappointed. These guys are the Baddest Geeks you’ll ever meet…….

Cheers.

Part Two of the trailer release series.

The Spear of Destiny makes its mark alongside the Nazi occult.

Academy Guy introduces George Pratt doing pen and ink / multi-media drawing.

During the summers of the past several years, The Illustration Academy has brought together some of America’s most accomplished and best-known illustrators to share their insights and advice with students. The students range in age from eighteen to sixty years old and have come from not only the United States, but as far away as Hong Kong, England, Belgium, Sweden, Brazil, and Argentina.

http://www.georgepratt.com

1. The Comics Reporter

2. Mark Evanier - POVonline

3. Planet 715

4. About.com - San Diego Guide

5. Evilgeniuses.org

6. Sequential Tart

7. Old Man Musings

8. IGN

9. OC Weekly

10. Gamespy

11. Gametrailers

12. Broken Frontier

It is the year 1943. The Second World War is at its height. While Allied forces have stalled the expansion of Hitler’s Third Reich, the Nazi war machine still has its boot on the throat of mainland Europe. Enter Heinrich Himmler’s feared SS and its plan to master an occult force known only as the Black Sun. With this mysterious power source at its disposal, no army on Earth could stand in the Reich’s path. No army but the man who had single-handedly shut down Himmler’s Übersoldat program and thwarted the resurrection of ancient superhuman King Heinrich I, that is. Once again, the world requires the particular talents of special agent B.J. Blazkowicz.

http://www.wolfenstein.com

The most incredible piece of video released for the game thus far.

Celebrating “the definitive version” on Games for Windows. Releasing on July 14, 2009.

Jeff and Steve talk about going from beginning to end discussing the process for creating a page of their upcoming comic series Underground. He demonstrates structure and layout and explains inks, pencils, and colors.

It’s a very informative piece on how pages are created and transformed as they go through various stages. For more information check out the process at:
http://www.undergroundthecomic.com/2009/06/how-we-make-a-page-of-underground/

About Underground Comic series from Image Comics

UNDERGROUND is a five issue color series beginning in September from IMAGE COMICS. Written by Jeff Parker, drawn by Steve Lieber, and colored by Ron Chan, the story follows Park Ranger Wesley Fischer as she tries to save Stillwater Cave– and then has to save herself.

Flinch is a collection of stories to inspire wonder…and question the darkness within us all.

Established and emerging graphic novelists share their interpretation of flinch, from facing the other within ourselves, to the tale of a prison inmate discovering what keeps him going, to a handful of stories exploring traditional (and non-traditional) hauntings alike.

www.flinchbook.com
www.gestaltcomics.com
www.detektivbyran.net

Possibly the best Freakout video.

Rantz Hoseley, the editor behind Image’s “Comic Book Tattoo” anthology of comics inspired by Tori Amos, introduced his latest endeavor at Heroes Con this weekend. Longbox, a digital comic’s platform similar to iTunes, it is expected to launch later this year as a free download for Mac, PC, and Linux. Developed by Quicksilver Software, Longbox comics can be download for a suggested price of $.99 per issue, with the potential for block and subscription pricing. The first two publishers confirmed for Longbox are: Top Cow and BOOM! Studios.

Rantz goes on to explain the platform which will be catered towards more secure digital files and how they would be integrated with the publishers existing creation process which allows for Adobe Indesign as an export option. One great feature is that it allows for a subscription system with a voucher towards the printed graphic novel of that particular book. Other features include DVD-Style commentary of the digital content.

The formats for the Longbox platform will include PC, MAC, and the potential release of mobile and console editions such as Kindle, iPhone, Wii-Ware and X-Box Live.

With the revelation of this news the question that will be on everyone’s mind is, how will this ultimately affect existing publishers and distributors at other levels? And is this good or bad news for the digital comic’s world? These distributors include Uclick, Iverse Media, Clickwheel, Eagle One Media, Drive Thru-Comics, Wowio, and new-comer ComicsXp.

Give us your feedback, and let us know what your take is on all of this.

For more information about LongBox Comics visit the link below:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21693