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Monday, Oct. 9, 2000

KABUKI MOVIE UPDATE

David Mack told The Continuum that works continues on the Kabuki animated movie at Fox.

"Lots of exciting progress, but not much that I'm allowed to talk about yet," Mack said. "I had to sign a contract that included a confidentiality clause.

"I'm only able to speak of what capacity that I have been employed with Fox. Which is: Besides writing the treatment, and the writing work I've already done with them, my new credits and work on the Kabuki film presently include -- as listed on my contract -- visual designer, creative consultant and co-producer."

Mack is working on Kabuki with Catherine Winder, who was a producer of HBO's Spawn animated series.

ALLRED TALKS ULTIMATE TEAM-UP

Mike Allred confirmed that he will be one of the artists working with Brian Michael Bendis on the Ultimate team-up book for Marvel Comics.

It's been reported that Allred would be working on a Spider-Man team-up with either Iron Man or Inhumans, and he now says it will be Iron Man.

"I ran off a list of several characters for Brian that I was wanting to work with. The Inhumans, among others, were mentioned but when I listed Iron Man, and Brian jumped on it," Allred said. "I knew that was the perfect choice. My excitement for this project is out-of-control! I can't wait to get Brian's script!"

Allred said his team-up is tentatively scheduled to be the third team-up in the series. The first team-up will be Spider-Man/Wolverine, drawn by Matt Wagner.

LAND TALKS CROSSGEN

Greg Land, who is leaving DC Comics' Nightwing to be an exclusive artist with CrossGen Comics, told The Continuum a visit to CrossGen's facilities clinched the deal for him.

"We went down there not knowing much about the company and got to see the operation first hand," Land told The Continuum in a telephone interview on Sunday. "They made a very good impression on us."

Land, who also drew Birds of Prey for DC, said that he has liked working out of his home, but wants to try CrossGen's studio format.

"There was something about the set-up, the whole enthusiasm," Land said. "They are definitely serious about this and want it to work out. I saw this as a good opportunity."

Another change for Land in moving to CrossGen is the genre of books.

"That was a concern of mine," Land said. "Nightwing and Birds of Prey, especially Nightwing, is in a real city with cars and buildings. It will be quite a change for me going to do more science fiction and fantasy."

Land said that he can't say what book he'll be working on for CrossGen. "Not yet," he said. "They've got an idea of what they want me on, but aren't saying yet."

Land said that he expects his final issue of Nightwing to be Nightwing #57. He will join CrossGen at the first of the year.

SIGIL ARTISTS CHANGES

CrossGen Comics has announced that Sigil inker Ray Lai has been released by the company, and penciler Ben Lai has subsequently resigned, as of issue Sigil # 7.

According to CrossGen, the staff change was precipitated by "a sustained pattern of significant creative differences over the direction of the book."

A new art team, consisting of penciler Kevin Sharpe, inker Randy Elliott and regular Sigil colorist Wil Quintana, will take over Sigil as of issue #7, after the scheduled fill-in by penciler Steve McNiven and inkers Jordi Ensign and Batt for Sigil # 6.

Quintana will remain the regular colorist for Sigil, while the team of Sharpe and Elliott has committed to perform the art chores of Sigil through issue #10. The bulk of the work on those issues, while contracted to Sharpe and Elliot as freelancers, will actually be performed in CrossGen's Florida studios.

Cross Gen said that a permanent team for Sigil will be announced soon.

"Deciding to let people go is the hardest thing to do in any creative enterprise, and we agonized long and hard about this decision," said CrossGen's Mark Alessi. "Of course, we have a tremendous amount of respect for Ray and Ben's work, and we wish them success in all their future endeavors. Let me assure all our fans that making this change was the absolute last thing we wanted to do, but we saw the day coming when those creative differences might have stood in the way of us meeting our responsibilities to our fans and retailers. In the meantime, we are ecstatic with the initial work turned in by Kevin, and we're looking forward to this very exciting four-issue run."

After the first major staff change at CrossGen, Alessi reflected on what CrossGen's studio method of creating comics means to the creators who work here.

"The fact of the matter is that working for CrossGen isn't for everyone," Alessi said. "The mission we've carved out for this company is an extremely difficult one. It's hard creating high-quality comics. It's hard delivering them month in and month out, topping ourselves with each subsequent issue. It's hard making people change the way they work and create in order to fit a framework that enables us to continue to make good on our promises to the fans and retailers. Is this type of job for everyone? Hell, no. Does it make them bad people if it's not? Hell, no. It just doesn't make them compatible with CrossGen's goals and mission."

FIRST LOOK: TRANSMETROPOLITAN #39

Transmetropolitan #39 will ship on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Warren Ellis, with art by Darick Robertson and Rodney Ramos and a cover by Tim Bradstreet.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"The conclusion to the three-part 'Back to Basics.' Tensions have risen in The City as anger burns in the political power structure. Revolution fever sparks in the underground and police brutality increases on the streets. Which means that Spider Jerusalem is unchained and crazy with freedom and completely in his element -- becoming the voice of the people, whether they like it or not."

Transmetropolitan #39 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.50.

YOU GOTTA CLICK'EM!

FIRST LOOK: HELLBLAZER SPECIAL: BAD BLOOD #4

Hellblazer Special: Bad Blood #4 will ship on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Jamie Delano, with art by Philip Bond and a cover by Sean Phillips.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"The crazed conclusion. New London riots and hair-brained assassination plots abound as the very-pregnant Dolly prepares to ascend the throne as the New Queen of England. But the elderly John Constantine learns a secret about her bloodline that threatens to dash the Royalist plans."

Hellblazer Special: Bad Blood #4 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.50.

YOU GOTTA CLICK'EM!




BRIEFLY

  • Darren Aronofsky, the director of Requiem for a Dream who has been attached to the Batman: Year One movie, will be featured on CNN's ShowBiz Today on Monday.

  • Randy Green's Dolls series will launch in April from Image Comics.

  • Bruce Davison, who played Senator Kelly in X-Men, will appear on ABC's Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher on Thursday.

  • Sarah Michelle Gellar, star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, will appear on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Monday, Oct. 16.

  • A new story arc will begin in Image Comics' The Red Star #6.
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