Monday, April 2, 2001

TRENT KANIGUA TALKS GHOST RIDER

Trent Kaniuga is doing his most extensive work for Marvel Comics, joining writer Devin Grayson on Ghost Rider: The Hammer Lane, a six-issue Marvel Knights series that starts in June.

The Continuum caught up with Kaniuga, the creator of Creed, for his thoughts on the series.

The Continuum: How did Ghost Rider come about for you?

Kaniuga: Well, I was doing a lot of fashion design and web design around the time that I got the call from Joe Quesada (Marvel's editor-in-chief). We've always sort of kept in touch about doing something together, but the project was never right for it. Finally Ghost Rider came up on his table and I was the lucky guy to get a shot at it. Comic books are my first love, and Ghost Rider is one of my favorite characters so I really worked very hard to make him exciting. I think it may have worked. I hope so. I guess that started right around the time that I was getting back into drawing Creed, but hopefully people will be more interested in this Ghost Rider series.

The Continuum: Can you tell a little bit about the story? This is Johnny Blaze?

Kaniuga: This is all about Johnny Blaze after many years of being rid of Ghost Rider. The story that Devin Grayson put together is really packed with a lot of action and excitement. I'm having a blast drawing it, but I don't want to disclose too much.

The Continuum: What's your take on the character visually?

Kaniuga: The look that I saw when I envisioned Ghost Rider in this story is just a monster of energy. Heavy leather jackets, loose flying chain links, flames ... just everywhere. He's a madman howling through the night on a heavy metal hog, and when he comes ripping by, you just hear the pounding of that motor, and the scraping of heavy metal before you see anything.

The Continuum: Anything up with Creed?

Kaniuga: Yes, I'm working on pitching it for television right now -- still. I've got three recently released issues and I'm always working on new material for him. He's still my all time favorite character to draw. But my time is very limited.

The Continuum: Any new projects?

Kaniuga: As a matter of fact, yes. This is the busiest year of my life. I'm doing the Ghost Rider thing, new Creed books, animation character designs here and there, children's book designs and a lot of other pitches. Christina Z and I are working on a few of said projects, and I can't wait to see a few of our newest properties come to fruition. Her vision is brilliant and I always end up more and more excited about the ideas that we are making a reality. I really want to get her to write a few Creed books, but she's so busy with her other projects.

KURT BUSIEK TALKS THE POWER COMPANY

Writer Kurt Busiek is teaming with artist Tom Grummett on The Power Company, a new ongoing series from DC Comics.

The Continuum caught up with Busiek over the weekend for insights into the book.

The Continuum: What's the series about? It involves legal themes?

Busiek: Not quite -- the description DC gave was close, but not-quite-there. The Power Company is a series about a professional superhero team organized like a law firm -- partners, associates, support staff, billable hours, pro bono work, and so forth -- but they're not a law firm, they're a superhero team.

They'll be working for clients, providing protection, investigation and recovery services, crisis intervention and more, but they'll also be helping those who need it even if they can't pay -- though certain of the partners feel more strongly about different ends of that scale.

That's the motor that makes the series go, beyond the core concept. Each member of the Power Company is there for a different reason, has a different motivation. As such, they're not all pulling in the same direction, and there'll be a lot of character drama that comes out of that. It should be a lot of fun -- giving us the chance to do both the kind of big, sweeping adventure I get to do in Avengers, and the unpredictable, anything-goes approach of Thunderbolts.

The Continuum: This is a team book?

Busiek: Yes and no. They're a team, but just as a law firm doesn't all work on the same case, they won't all get involved in every case of theirs, either. We'll vary things, from having one or two members working on a particular job, all the way up to having the whole team in the field as needed. And of course, we'll have them handling multiple cases simultaneously, so even if we've got two members handling monsters in the Arctic, for instance, it doesn't mean the rest of them will be sitting around twiddling their thumbs. We plan to keep 'em pretty busy.

The Continuum: Does it involve new characters?

Busiek: Yep. Most of the team is new -- though there are two pre-existing DCU characters, and some of the new characters have ties to DCU events and history. And we've got new villains to introduce, too, along with some old favorites, and some lesser-known bad guys we think could make for good clashes.

The Continuum: How far along on it are you? When does it start?

Busiek: We're doing a 16-page preview for the December-shipping issue of JLA, and then a "DCU event" the following month. Then the series debuts for real in February -- or at least, such is the way things sit right now. Each of these things'll be self-contained -- anyone who picks up Power Company #1 won't have to worry if they missed any of the earlier stuff. But we'll be doing our best to make sure they want to see it all, of course.

This series has been in the works since last May, when I first pitched it to Bob Schreck at WonderCon, and we're under way on all of it, hoping to have a big stack of pages in the can before it debuts.

The Continuum: Have you worked much with Tom before?

Busiek: I've worked with him as editor, on Open Space, years ago -- and of course, we have Gorilla in common. But the only time we got to work together as writer and artist was on 4 pages of the first Thunderbolts Annual. But I've been a big fan of Tom's since his Privateers series back in the Eighties, and I'm thrilled to finally be working with him on a series. His sense of storytelling, of action and of character design all suit the series perfectly, so we're going to have a great time.

JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS LEARN TO ROCK

Rachael Leigh Cook learned how to play the guitar for the lead role in the upcoming Josie and the Pussycats live-action movie.

Cook is joined in the movie, based on the Archie Comics characters, which opens nationally on April 11, by Tara Reid as Melody and Rosario Dawson as Valerie. The three went through a rock 'n roll "boot camp" to prepare for the film.

"All three of them really committed themselves," said Deborah Kaplan, who co-wrote and co-directed the movie with Harry Elfont. "We wanted the movie to be authentic and it is.

"Rachael was playing until her fingers bled and Tara got so excited when she broke her first drum stick. When you see them playing on camera, they are playing the songs that you're hearing."

GIVE'EM A CLICK

"These girls had to be a band - they were going to play three songs on camera," Elfont said. "The first thing we did when we cast Rachael was take her to Guitar Center and buy her a guitar and amp. Then we got her a teacher. We had everybody work on their own with their instruments, then brought them together for two weeks and turned them into a band."

The actresses all sang back-up, but Josie's vocals are actually delivered by Kay Hanley, lead singer for Letters to Cleo.

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds produced all the music with David Gibbs, who wrote many of the songs.

SMALLVILLE UPDATE

Production of the pilot episode of The WB's Smallville television series is expected to wrap this week in Vancouver.

First-unit work on the pilot - directed by David Nutter from a script by Miles Millar and Alfred Gough - was completed on Friday. This week's work involves the second-unit with effects shots.

The cast of Smallville includes Tom Welling as Clark Kent, Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor, Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang, John Schneider as Jonathan Kent and Cynthia Ettinger as Marthan Kent.

Smallville is one of the few new pilots for the upcoming television season already to have an episode commitment. The WB has ordered 13 episodes.

FIRST LOOK: THOR #36

Thor #36 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by Dan Jurgens, with art by Walter Taborda and a cover by Ian Churchill.

Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

"Loki is back - and he's brought the Destroyer with him. To avenge himself on his hated half-brother, the god of mischief unleashes the power of the supreme Asgardian weapon - the dread Destroyer. And Thor is in no position to do anything about it - because he's been denied his godly heritage by an angry Odin. Featuring guest art by new Argentinian find Walter Taborda."

Thor #36 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: BEASTS: A UNIVERSE X SPECIAL

Beasts: A Universe Special will arrive in stores on Wednesday from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by Alex Ross and Jim Krueger, with art by Tom Yeates and John Totleben and a cover by Ross.

Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

"The X-Men step into the spotlight for the next tie-in chapter to Universe X. How do the X-Men impact the lives of the other heroes on the alternate world known as Earth X? Find out as the Children of the Atom, the Black Panther and the Hulk go on the run from an ever-growing pack of Wendigos. Plus: The Beast reveals the end of Wakanda."

Beasts: A Universe X Special will be 48 pages and will cost $3.99.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: FANTASTIC FOUR: THE WORLD'S GREATEST COMIC MAGAZINE #4

Fantastic Four: The World's Greatest Comic Magazine #4 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by Erik Larsen, Eric Stephenson and Jeph Loeb, with art by Keith Giffen, Ron Frenz, Larsen, Joe Sinnott and Bruce Timm.

Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

"Continuing Marvel's star-studded celebration of the Fantastic Four's 40th Anniversary. It's more wild action in the Mighty Marvel Manner guest-starring the X-Men, Captain America, the Falcon and Dr. Doom."

Fantastic Four: The World's Greatest Comic Magazine #4 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.99.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: CABLE #91

Cable #91 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by Robert Weinberg, with art and cover by Michael Ryan.

Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

"What is Cable's biggest problem, his deteriorating relationship with the X-Men, or the group of anarchist mutants know as the Dark Sisterhood?"

Cable #91 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: THE FIRST #6

The First #6 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from CrossGen Comics. The issue is written by Barbara Kesel, penciled by Andrea Di Vito, inked by Andy Smith and colored by Mike Atiyeh.

Here's how CrossGen describes the issue:

"During a remembrance ceremony for Kerspan, Seahn plots his revenge on the elders who 'forced' Kerspan's death to happen. This issue touches on Seahn's history, the formation of his group of friends, and his strange power to sense opportunity, as he looks for the new opportunity here. Meanwhile, Persha tries to work her way around Ingra's spell of compulsion. Orium gave her a lot of information, but she can't share it with anyone.

The First #6 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.95.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: MYSTIC #11

Mystic #11 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from CrossGen Comics. The issue is written by Ron Marz, penciled by Brandon Peterson, inked by John Dell and colored by Andrew Crossley.

Here's how CrossGen describes the issue:

"Realizing the true identity of the threat the Guild Masters have unleashed, Darrow recounts what he knows of her shocking origin, and how she ties in to the grand scheme of the CrossGen Universe. Once the history lesson is finished, Darrow must decide where his true loyalties lie. Meanwhile, an unsuspecting Giselle faces an attack by demonic minions sent to test her mettle."

Mystic #11 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.95.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

BRIEFLY