Continuing our look forward with writers, artists, editors, publishers, retailers and other people who make the comics. Lots of news, art previews and insight in the jump.

201001051315Paul Gravett, author, publisher

2010 projects Curating exhibitions on the Moomins, Jack Kirby and Hypercomics. Preparing some major new books about comics. Planning the next evolution of the Comica Festival. And above all, relaunching Escape Books, the seminal publishing company I ran with Peter Stanbury between 1983 and 1989. It’s the perfect time to bring this back. We’ll be putting out graphic novels, new books of our own about comics, and reviving Escape as an anthology showcase for the internet age. Because we all need an Escape. www.escape-books.com

What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? I guess either Disney buying Marvel or Crumb illustrating Genesis, but to me the biggest under-reported story was the banning by an Egyptian court of the country’s first adult graphic novel by Magdy El Shafee entitled Metro.

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? The impact of the Apple e-reader 

What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010? Indulging my lifelong love of Jack Kirby and luxuriating in original art for this exhibition, co-curated with Dan “Picture Box” Nadel, for the Fumetto Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland.

When I think of comics in the 00s I think of: The medium coming into its own more and more internationally, resulting in utterly unexpected, wonderful comics I’d never dreamt I’d see – I have to keep pinching myself. 

Robert Venditti - HeadshotRobert Venditti, writer
 
2010 projects: 2 new graphic novels: “The Homeland Directive” for Top Shelf (July), and an adaptation of “The Lightning Thief” for Hyperion (October). 
 
What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? Disney acquired Marvel.
 
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? What happens in the aftermath of Disney acquiring Marvel.
 
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010? Same as every year: NCAA March Madness.
 
When I think of comics in the 00s I think of: Andy Runton (“Owly”) going from a guy who submitted a minicomic to Top Shelf at a convention in 2003, to a veritable juggernaut of all-ages books and merchandise by decade’s end.

Ps-BigsmilehbkScott Bieser, artist and general director for Big Head Press

2010 projects ODYSSEUS THE REBEL, a graphic novel written by Steven Grant and illustrated by Scott Bieser, was released in October 2009. It seemed to fly under the radar at first but is starting to be noticed by critics and we hope it will become a “sleeper hit” in the coming months.

ESCAPE FROM TERRA, a sci-fi adventure web-comic strip written by Sandy Sandfort and Scott Bieser, illustrated by Lee Oaks, has been on-line for more than a year and will see its first trade pb collection in April 2010.

PHOEBUS KRUMM, a graphic novel written by L. Neil Smith and illustrated by Scott Bieser, began its on-line serialization September 8, 2009, will continue through 2010 and conclude in early 2011. The dead-tree version is planned for a July 2011 release.

What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? The release of The Watchmen movie, what it did for sales of the graphic novel and what it didn’t do for the rest of the industry.

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? The launch of Project Longbox and the general development/maturation of comics-delivery on various electronic platforms.

When I think of comics in the 00s I think of: The arrival of web-comics as an important industry segment, and as a haven for independent and experimental cartoonists.

VansciverNoah Van Sciver, cartoonist

2010 projects I’m working on a graphic novel about Abraham Lincoln’s battle with Deression, called The Hypo as well as continuing my on going comic book series Blammo. 

What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? Probably Crumb’s Genesis book finally coming out. I feel like I waited forever for that thing.  

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? I don’t know yet. Perhaps Wizard Magazine or MAD will kick the bucket this year. Or Al Jafee will. Maybe Disney will buy Fantagraphics.
 
When I think of comics in the 00s I think of: Graphic Novels becoming what we talk about when we talk about comics. 
 
Comics   31Gabriel Fowler, retailer and publisher, Desert Island

2010 projects Continuing with our free quarterly comics paper Smoke Signal, as well as planning the next Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival

What was the biggest story in comics in 2009?   The line between art and comics gets ever blurrier, with the release of works like Pim and Francie, Asterios Polyp, Hot Potatoe, and a ton of others.

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? The printed word will exist as an artform only.  Physical books, when they’re printed at all, will become increasingly well-crafted and image-heavy, while more disposable information will go straight to digital.

What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010? When that new Clash of the Titans movie comes out, I’ll definitely pop in the old version a few times for the killer Harryhausen animation sequences.  Actually, that sounds like a good idea for tonight.

Cb Head ShotCalista Brill, editor, First Second

2010 projects Our awesome lineup for Fall 2010 is going out the door to the printer right now! More ADVENTURES IN CARTOONING (this one is an activity book!) from Andrew Arnold, Alexis Frederick-Frost, and James Sturm; DAWN LAND  (adapted from the novel by Joe Bruchac) from Will Davis; tween horror tale BRAIN CAMP from Susan Kim, Laurence Klavan, and Faith Hicks; quarter-life crises in KOKO BE GOOD from Jen Wang; outrageous adventures in THE UNSINKABLE WALKER BEAN from Aaron Renier; and the poetic THE ZABÎME SISTERS from the late French comics sensation Aristophane. We’ve got something for everyone this season!

What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? The economy! The…fantasy economy? It exists? Yes? No? Have we decided?

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? Scott Pilgrim! I can’t wait for this movie, and I’m hoping it does a lot for the kind of serious attention people pay this kind of comic.

What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010? Finally sitting down and reading A DISTANT SOIL.

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Gabriel Hardman - TimfGabriel Hardman, artist

2010 projects : Artist: Heathentown OGN (Image/Shadowline), Avengers vs. Agents (Marvel) Agents of Atlas backups in Incredible Hercules (Marvel) Some preview pages from Avengers vs. Agents of Atlas are above.
 
What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? Disney buys Marvel. Not just for how it will effect Marvel. Mainly for the unforeseen ramifications industry wide that will shake out over the next couple years. 

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? Hopefully an itunes-like store that will give digital comics a central purchasing location and work in concert with the emerging tablets. I personally prefer print but more than anything I want comics to be available to a wider group of readers than are currently served by the direct market. 

When I think of comics in the 00s I think of: I think mainstream comics of the 00’s are a reaction to comics of the 90’s in almost every way. I see that more starkly than a lot of pros. I worked in the comics from 1993-1996 then had virtually nothing to do with the industry (besides reading) for over a decade. Comics look more beautiful than ever and the stories are very good. But in a lot of ways the process of making comics has shifted away from the artist to the detriment of the overall strength of the visual storytelling. That’s why Darwyn Cooke’s The Hunter and Jeff Smith’s RASL fell so amazingly fresh.

Bq6 2 Previewssmall1Jimmie Robinson, cartoonist
2010 projects Bomb Queen, by Image Comics, Fractured Fables, by Image Comics

What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? Disney’s acquisition of Marvel Entertainment.

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? Longbox digital service (and others) will be the tipping point for online distribution of comic content. This will work in conjunction with the new tablet-size technology (like the Kindle and others).

What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010? I’ll enjoy watching the ticket prices and hotels go through the roof when the San Diego Comic Convention sells out months in advance. Likewise, I’ll enjoy watching the Con Wars on the East Coast and Midwest.

When I think of comics in the 00s I think of:Comics making the full grade in mainstream Hollywood movies.
Prior to this decade comic-based films were limited by technology and considered nerd specific. In this decade EVERY YEAR had a super-hero / comic-based feature film. Now everyone lines up for even obscure heroes and Hollywood grabs properties across the board.

ColortT Campbell, author, webcomicker
 
2010 projects I’ve got three online comics going at present: Fans, Guilded Age and Penny & Aggie.
 
What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? The “newspaper implosion” is a strong candidate. It was overrated– only the giant papers are seeing huge drops, the “long tail” is doing much better– and it had almost no visible impact on the newspaper comics community, which has been in grim survivalist mode for ages anyway. Hope for future growth in that business seemed to check out around the time Bill Watterson did. But this was the year my mother started to be grateful that I didn’t go into print journalism. My students don’t ask about syndication any more. I think the general public now sees newspapers as a lost cause, whereas before, that was kind of our dirty little secret.

Also, Michael Jackson, fantasy president of Marvel, passed away. Actually, I just threw him in there so this article will get more search hits.
 
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? Marvel and DC’s reorganization seems like a pretty safe bet. Sure, the deals were done this year, and Paul Levitz left. But next year is when we find out if it really meant anything to comics (as opposed to, y’know, “properties”). If Disney can’t make some profound changes to the business, then I will give up all hope, and admit that Americomicbooks will spend the next decade locked into their current strategy of “keep serving the same people until our audience is as old as the newspaper audience, only smaller and more prone to heart disease.”

What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010?About half the comics I read are guilty pleasures.
 
When I think of comics in the 00s I think of: A magnificent Macy’s Thanksgiving Day balloon, with Superman’s costume and Charlie Brown’s fragile smile. It has a small rip in its base, through which pixies are escaping, electricity arcing along their wings. Don’t blame us pixies! We didn’t hate the balloon! It was warm and snug in there, just like it was for our mothers and fathers, and we would have patched it if we could! But we’re outside now, and the air might be colder, but the sky… the sky goes on forever.
 
10-31-05 Mullaney PicDean Mullaney, editor

2010 projects Editing and designing a massive bio/art book about Alex Toth, with his family’s cooperation. Plus, an oversized collection of Polly and Her Pals! Life ain’t bad at 55.

What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? That it took the film industry so long to completely take over the major comics companies, completing the move to vertical integration.

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? How comics as an artform will struggle so long as the end goal is to sell the “product” as a film. 

When I think of comics in the 00s I think of:This is the Golden Age of newspaper strip reprints, beginning with Peanuts and continuing today.

Img 0429-1Lance Fensterman Sr. v-p, Reed Exhibitions

2010 projects :   NYCC, C2E2, Star Wars Celebration, etc

What was the biggest story in comics in 2009?  The mouse buying the Marvel house.

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010?  Wizard and Reed engaged in a turf battle over Fargo Con.

What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010?  Popcorn from Nuts on Clark in Chicago and playing with Legos.

CarlblogshotCarl Potts, Creative Director, Editor, Writer, Artist

2010 projects New Alien Legion series at Dark Horse. A book on sequential visual storytelling techniques and another “secret” book project in collaboration with several other comics pros.
 
What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? Hmm – I suppose the pending Disney acquisition or Marvel.  
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010?Fishing in the tropics.

When I think of comics in the 00s I think of:Incredible diversity of genres, subjects and styles.
 
Pic.PhpBob Mecoy, agent

2010 projects : G.B. Tran’s Vietnamerica, Dash Shaw’s BodyWorld, Andres Vera Martinez’s memoir comic Little White Duck, the second Drawing Word, Writing Pictures from Matt Madden and Jessica Abel, and our first two full-length online comics–Dan Goldman’s Red Light Properties and Jim Ottaviani’s sure-to-be controversial graphic biography of Alan Turing (being drawn by Leland Purvis). 
 
What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? That graphic novel sales were impacted less by the economic downturn than publishing in general. That Dave Mazzucchelli’s Asterios Polyp finally saw the light of day and was as good as any of us ever imagined it would be. That a library with an okay YA graphic novel section can see as much as half their volume come from graphic novels.

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? As e-readers multiply (and get color screens), how comics adapt or are adapted to this form. And, as the economy comes back whether growth of the medium continue to outpace publishing as a whole.

When I think of comics in the 00s I think of: Jack Nicholson in the “The Shining” saying “Here’s Johnny.” Comics kicked a huge hole in the door of the mainstream in the oughts and the next few years should see a creative explosion as comics become an increasingly important narrative tool.

Img 0028Tom Hart, cartoonist

2010 projects : I’m working on three projects. The main one is I am finishing HOW TO SAY EVERYTHING, a book guiding people towards writing visual stories that come naturally to them. Giving them the tools and courage to say what they mean even when they don’t know what that is.

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I subtitle it “How to get started, how to remain unstuck and how to create forever in any art form.” The blog for it is at http://www.howtosayeverything.net and offers a lot in the way of previews-in-progress.

(But a there is a special complete preview of it here. (and above)

I think this a great, unique and necessary book. I’m thrilled with it so far.

The second project is collecting the Hutch Owen comic strips I did from 2003-2007. Finally readers will get to see an expanded Hutch Owen world that I always longed for but couldn’t nail down in the earlier longer stories. These strips are fun, rambunctious and some of my best work.

Meanwhile, on Act-i-Vate, I’m serializing “Barney Banks: Extra Life“, a story about a big jerk just trying to be liked.

What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? Walking into middle school English classrooms and seeing Epileptic, Persepolis, Age of Bronze and countless other graphic novels.

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? Everyone will be working on a graphic novel. Everyone. Writers, journalists, housewives, musicians, everyone.

When I think of comics in the 00s I think of: The promise of Maus finally coming true.

Rushkoffbiosm
Douglas Rushkoff, author (Photo credit: Gisela Torres)

2010 projects :  “real” book, Life Inc.  graphic novel for upcoming video game, “Exoriare”
 
What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? Gosh, I don’t know. Probably Disney buying Marvel? 
I think R Crumb’s Genesis was pretty cool.  Maybe the real arrival of online comics. Finally. 

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? DC becoming something sustainable. 

What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010? taking time to not work. 

When I think of comics in the 00s I think of: poverty but love.

Fp Authorrev-1 Eric Wight, writer, cartoonist

2010 projects : FRANKIE PICKLE AND THE PINE RUN 3000 (Simon & Schuster) is at the printer and hits stores February 9, 2010. Meanwhile, I’m pulling double duty illustrating Frankie’s third adventure, FRANKIE PICKLE AND THE MATHEMATICAL MENACE (S&S, June ’10), as well as writing the manuscript for my middle grade fantasy/graphic novel hybrid, SWORD OF FOOLS (S&S, Spring ’11).
 
What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? The Disney/Marvel acquisition was intriguing, although I doubt it will change much in the way Marvel makes comics. I’m more intrigued to see what will happen from the Kirby Estate attempting to revoke the copyrights to the characters Jack had a hand in creating.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? Apple launching an iTunes equivalent comic store to coincide with the release of a full color tablet/e-reader.
 
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010? To find the time to catch up on reading all of the comics I bought in 2009.

When I think of comics in the 00s I think of: The dawn of webcomics. The oversaturation of the manga market. The glut of “event” comics. The explosion of brilliant, indie graphic novels, and their mainstream acceptance. The resurgence of quality comics for kids.   

Christian-BeranekChristian Beranek, writer, editor

2010 projects Still busy rocking Disney’s Kingdom Comics. Oh, and you’ll be able to get Dracula vs. King Arthur on Itunes soon!
 
What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? The Disney/Marvel deal is the biggest comic story of not only 2009, but our lifetimes. The reverberations of it will be felt for decades. 2009 was also the year that everyone finally started to wake up and realize there was something to this whole comics on the web thing.

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? The webcomic revolution.

What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010? I’m not ashamed to say I really love Lady Gaga. I’m hoping she puts out some more music.

When I think of comics in the 00s I think of:The slow death of the monthly format. It’s sad in many ways, but change is inevitable. We must progress on!

201001051356David Seidman, writer, teacher

2010 projects :Teaching comic-book and graphic-novel writing through MediaBistro.com and hosting the monthly dinner for Los Angeles’ comics industry.

What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? The continuing Hollywood permeation of DC and Marvel, what with Disney’s buying Marvel and Hollywood executive Diane Nelson replacing Paul Levitz at DC Comics (now DC Entertainment). 

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? If the economy continues recovering, we should see more and more publishers, retailers and readers spending more and more on comics.  Also, as tablet e-readers, enhanced cell phones and other new media with screens continue to grow, we’ll see more and more comics transmitted electronically.  These stories are general trends rather than startling events, but they’ll matter as much as any shocking comics-related headline.

What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010? I was raised by a Jewish mother, so all of my pleasures are guilty.

When I think of comics in the 00s I think of: The rising acceptance of graphic novels in bookstores, in libraries, in universities, in Hollywood (as source material for productions), and in the public sphere (in most big cities, it’s no longer a big surprise to see an adult reading a graphic novel in a coffee shop or other public places).

Cr Angel16Cameo HiChris Ryall, E-i-C, IDW Publishing

2010 projects Weekly World News miniseries, issue #1 of which is out January 13. Zombies vs Robots Aventure miniseries, starting in February

What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? The Mouse’s purchase of Marvel seemed to capture a few headlines this year.

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? Depending on who they hire to replace Paul Levitz and what happens from there, DC could stay active in the news cycle. I also think some developments in the digital comics realm will stand out.  

What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010? With my schedule as hectic as it is, almost anything I read for pleasure makes me feel guilty… but as far as actual guilty pleasures go, I’ll admit I’m looking forward to seeing what my pal David Slade does with the third Twilight film. That’s right, I’m actually planning to see a Twilight movie in the theater next year, what of it? Team Rosalie, all the way (thanks, IMDb)!

When I think of comics in the 00s I think of:The Ultimates line of books. Ultimate Spider-Man is as good a book as any to really encapsulate the decade. I also, in my biased way, think of IDW when I think about the 00s, since we came into existence not long after the decade started, and it’s very much defined my decade of comics, anyway.

11433 559426707361 13001926 33172225 142051 NStephen Christy, Director of Development, Archaia

What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? By far it was the buyout of Marvel by Disney. I think that this more than anything is going to determine the future of the direct market as we know it over the next decade as what Marvel looks like as part of the Disney family. Don’t get me wrong… I think this is actually a fantastic thing for Marvel and a huge validation for Ike Perlmutter and his whole Marvel team, who single-handedly took the company from the brink of bankruptcy to a four billion dollar buyout. Still, I wonder what Disney’s financial people are going to think when they start taking a hard look at Marvel’s P&L through the direct market, and at how much more money they could potentially be making through more of a bookstore/mass market focus and digital distribution as well….

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? I think the biggest story could be Diamond. Everyone knows 2009 was a challenging year for them, especially with some of the problems that came out of them transferring warehouses. Then again, the biggest story in comics might be if the Apple Tablet is as good as everyone says it is and we finally have a decent digital replacement for paper comics!

What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010?The final season of LOST! My ex-girlfriend was close friends with one of the main producers on the show and spoiled the ending of it for me two years ago. I want to see if she was right! :)

NatheadshotNat Gertler, writer, publisher
2010 projects As editor/publisher: The Misadventures of Prince Ivan, written by New York Times best-seller Diane Duane. As a writer/publisher: humorous Division Squad (tentative).
 
What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? Diamond basically closes the door on new creators in the black-and-white pamphlet field  with its raised minimums.

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010?Name creators doing designed-for-Kindle/Nook comics.
 
When I think of comics in the 00s I think of:Mainstream works which try to bridge the pamphlet, squarebound, and electronic markets, as well as other reuse of the art, and thus never takes full advantage of any one form.

Lyn Wpg-5Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

1 – I am doing the color on Dr. Who and G.I. Joe: Cobra at IDW. I will be coloring a graphic novel on the War of 1812 in the new year. There are two others I would really love mention but can’t just yet, one of which  is this fan boy’s dream come true.

2 – Blackest Night. Not just for its page count when all of the tie-ins were counted, but for the success in rebuilding the Green Lantern archetype. Even with the introduction of all the new kids on the block the story marched right along without losing momentum or letting our interest wain.

3 – The big story for 2010 will be how the acquisition of Marvel by Disney will play out and how it will define the new identity of the House of Ideas.

4 – In 2010 I will be looking forward to even more trashy comic book movies! They may not be art, but they sure as Hell are entertaining!

Naif PictureNaif Al-Mutawa, Publisher Teshkeel comics

2010 projects The Justice League of America’s crossover with THE 99 and THE 99 animated series that is slated to broadcast in 2010.
 
What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? Disney’s acquisition of Marvel and the subsequent restructuring at DC Comics.

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? Time Warner and Disney will begin to acquire more comic content to differentiate their offerings further. Time Warner may specifically look for more “girl “ properties to offset Disney’s getting into the “boy” market.

What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010? Time at home with my children. I’ve been living in an airplane!

Kleinprintteaser12-09

Toddklein05 2009Todd Klein, letterer extraordinaire

2010 projects My next signed print. Can’t say too much about it yet, as I don’t have the finished art in hand, but I’ve attached a teaser.

What was the biggest story in comics in 2009? Mergers and acquisitions! Disney buying Marvel is quite interesting, and DC being drawn more closely into the Warner film division is, too.

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2010? I’ll be watching to see what effect those changes have on the comics from those companies. I’m hoping any changes will be positive.

What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2010?Continuing to research and write about all the DC logos on my blog. I’m having way too much fun with that!

12 COMMENTS

  1. Gabe Gecko!!! Naif Al-Mutawa!!! NICE! I would totally read The 99 drawn by Gabe. Heidi, you gotta put these two in touch!

    Seriously, though, I am really looking forward to The 99 / JLA crossover thingy. I really enjoyed Fabian’s seven issues of The 99 that he did, and I wish the book kept going.

  2. I’d like to see Disney hurry up and reorganize Marvel’s comic book department right NOW. Its ridiculous what they’re doing over there. Only a rich person could afford to buy the dozens of issues it takes to follow a single storyline. Avengers is “cancelled”, but I presume relaunching, in April. They wasted 6 years of readers time disassembling and then reassembling the Avengers with “nu-Avengers”. It was a sales success but if you only bought a single issue of any one book, you’d be completely lost.

    For Marvel, its all short term sales gains and the real money is in movies. 2 hour epics that can be sold for a lot less ($5 rental) but cost millions to produce. A movie storyline written by Brian Michael Bendis probably be told in about 60 issues of a comic book or the equivalent of 5 years, and $180.00 dollars at $3 dollars per issue. So each has its advantages and disadvantages how insignificant and moot they may be.

    Comics. Disposable and an instantly forgettable form of entertainment. You read one issue, you’ve probably read it all.

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