The News Blog of Comics Culture
Tweet Disney continues its road to profitability by cutting staff, this time at ESPN, where as many as 400 people lost their jobs in a cost-cutting measure to offset increased licensing fees for various sports. Although ESPN is sort of a fiefdom of Disney, it is still subject to the same kind of bottom line [...]
It seems Disney has wimped out from using the famous “Demon in a Bottle” storyline in Iron Man 3. A few scenes in Iron Man 2 suggested that Tony Stark’s partying was a little out of control, but the hero can’t take a fall this time out.
TweetPatton Oswalt has been rather busy over the last few weeks. When not convincing the World that he should be cast as The Penguin in the next Batman movie, he’s appearing in Parks and Recreation, and delivering a message of unity. And that message of unity is for the union between Star Wars and Marvel. [...]
Indie and Disney master Don Rosa has posted online the final chapter of a bio intended for a collected edition of his works. after it was rejected by Disney. Rosa explains his decision to retire from drawing comics last year as the result of both the psychological effects years of working, his failing eyesight, and some ongoing difficulties with how Disney deals with it’s comics licenses. It’s an entertaining read — especially for ow his early years intersected with those of his hero, Disney artist supreme Carl Barks, but it’s also not hard to see why Disney may not have been thrilled to publish it.
In honor of the release of the 60th Anniversary edition of Peter Pan, here’s a brief Disney supplied sildeshow highlighting some of the concept art by the great Mary Blair.
TweetNot one, but two videos have popped up with George Lucas talking about sending his intellectual properties and sundry companies over to Disney.
Tweet______________________________________________________________ A quick list of non-Marvel titles being offered by Disney Publishing Worldwide. Rick Riordan, a unique sketchbook, a Tim Burton graphic novel, and Marvel U, A 2 Z! (There are lots of media tie-ins to “Wreck It Ralph”, but nothing of interest, just the “art of” book: 9781452111018.) — — Hyperion Book CH Kane [...]
A few details of Ike Perlmutter’s moves within the Disney hierarchy leak out in thisprofile in the LA Times, by brave writer Dawn C. Chmielewski who gets, naturally, zero cooperation from Disney, Marvel, or Perlmutter. Ike is of course Marvel’s legendarily cheap—and successful—CEO, who has begun to make his influence felt inside the Magic Kingdom, as shown by the rumors of some epic battles that Chmielewski’s uncovered:
“I have spent 17 years in the dark, wondering what the readers of my stuff really wanted,” wrote Barks to Willits. “It would be an enlightening experience to talk to one. In the event you phone, my wife will answer the call, my hearing aids which are okay for ordinary conversation are shuttery for telephonic jazz.”
Mickey Mouse diplomacy? Disney characters were recently seen at a state concert in North Korea.
Disney comics is a complicated topic. Disney bought Marvel, but the BOOM! had some of their licenses. BOOM! lost the licenses, but Marvel didn’t exactly come charging out of the gate with a lot of Disney titles. If you were paying attention to job listings, you’d also see Disney was hiring comics editors and digital comics people for their publishing office in White Plains (which is about to move to Burbank). It looks like we’re seeing their first product: the “Brave Interactive Comic.”
Although it is branded as a Pixar movie, “Brave” is more like a Disney feature. Is the Golden Age of Pixar over?
It’s been a while since we checked in on Disney Publishing and their impending move. Since then a lot has happened. As we recall from our own time at Disney, they have an entire department that does nothing but move people around, and this switch sounds like it was put in place just to give them something to do. Basically, as reported by Publishers Weekly, Disney is swapping its East and West Coast publishing houses, moving 100 people from White Plains and the NY office to Glendale, and 50 Disney Press people back to New York. Wha–? The moves will roll out from now until September 30th.
As expected, today’s firing of Disney Studio head Rich Ross has Tinsel Town buzzing, and a picture of a Mouse House in disarray is emerging. Marvel Studio head Kevin Feige has been named several times as a potential replacement, but Nikki Finke’s must-read analysis also confirms what we wrote about last year: legendary skinflint Ike Perlmutter is very much in the mix at Disney, and his personal dislike of Ross certainly didn’t help matters. (Ross was also on the outs with Pixar’s John Lasseter, according to Finke.) But even Disney chairman Bob Iger is feeling the Ike pinch:
Rich Ross, the head of Disney Studios since October 2009, has just been removed from his post. We can’t hope to know what it means—although lots of theories will be floated very soon—but flops like MARS NEEDS MOMS and JOHN CARTER are probably part of it. “Mars killed Rich Ross.” Even the impending mega-colossal worldwide superhit AVENGERS didn’t help Ross.
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