Wednesday, May 16, 2001

MARVEL LEAVES CODE, ANNOUNCES WOLVERINE ORIGIN SERIES

Marvel Comics' Bill Jemas and Joe Quesada had two major -- although not unexpected -- announcements on Wednesday: the company will be publishing a mini-series telling the origin of Wolverine and that it will be leaving the Comics Code Authority.

The Wolverine mini-series will be called Origin. It will start in September and last six issues. Marvel did not name the creative team, although Quesada has provided an image that ran in USA TODAY.

Quesada said that Chris Claremont will not be involved in the mini-series. "It didn't come with Chris' consultation and it didn't necessarily need it," he said.

Current Wolverine writer Frank Tieri told The Continuum that he is also not involved.

Quesada first hinted about the project at the MegaCon in Orlando in March. When word leaked about the mini-series, Marvel deflected any questions from the comics press, hoping for mainstream coverage, which it received in Wednesday's USA TODAY.

Here's what Jemas had to say about Marvel leaving the Code:

"Marvel's decided that we are going to go ahead and institute new content guidelines and parental advisory system for our comic books. Let me start by saying that most Marvel comics will continue to be suitable for readers of all ages. But we have been expanding and diversifying the line. And in the future, books that are specificially targeted for teens and adults will be labeled accordingly.

"We've taken a long hard look at the 50-year Comic Code, of past years of which we've been a very active member, and we concluded that the current standards as written down and administered by the Comic Code are just inappropriate for our consumers and our retailers and our business in the 21st Century."

Jemas said that there will be three levels in Marvel's advisory system: no label, parental advisory and mature readers. He didn't have a timetable for implementation of the system, but said it would be soon and "certainly" by the end of the summer.

Come back soon to The Continuum for more details and a complete transcription of the press conference.

MARVEL COMICS FOR AUGUST

Marvel Comics has released its solicitation information for August.

For a complete rundown, CLICK HERE.

SMALLVILLE/WB LINEUP ANNOUNCED

The WB announced on Tuesday that Smallville - the new series featuring a teenage Clark Kent - will air on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. (ET) beginning this fall.

Smallville stars Tom Welling as Clark Kent, Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor and Kristen Kreuk as Lana Lang.

Here's how the network describes the series:

"This new action-adventure drama is a dynamic reinterpretation of the enduring Superman franchise and its classic characters as seen through the eyes of teenage Clark Kent. The series explores Clark's struggle to come to grips with his emerging superpowers during his formative years in Smallville, Kansas. Clark feels responsible for the strange and unexplained phenomena that have plagued Smallville since the meteor shower that brought him to Earth, and he vows to use his ever-growing powers to put an end to them. With realistic portrayals and state-of-the-art special effects taking the mythology back to its roots, Smallville will introduce Clark Kent, Lex Luthor and Lana Lang to a new generation."

The series also stars Eric Johnson, Samuel L. Jones, Allison Mack, John Schneider and Cynthia Ettinger. Writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are executive producers along with Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola and David Nutter, who directed the pilot for Tollin/Robbins Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Smallville will follow Gilmore Girls in The WB's Tuesday lineup.

"The fact that Gilmore Girls beat Friends' in female teens this May sweep and is building Emmy buzz has been extremely gratifying for a freshman series," said Jordan Levin, co-president of The WB. "The show's broad appeal will perfectly platform Smallville, a project with three breakout young stars that promises to be another successful chapter of the evergreen Warner Bros. Superman franchise."

In other WB news:

* The network has renewed Sabrina, the Teenage Witch - based on the Archie Comics character - for multiple seasons. The show returns for its sixth season - and second on The WB - with stars Melissa Joan Hart, Caroline Rhea, Beth Broderick, David Lascher, Elisa Donovan, Trevor Lissauer, Nick Bakay and Soleil Moon Frye all returning.

* Leaving behind its former time period for Smallville, Angel will be moving to Mondays at 9 p.m. (ET). It will follow WB staple 7th Heaven on Mondays.

"While Angel may not be an obvious lead-out for traditional family fare, we've had the most success following at 9 p.m. with action-adventure series in one of television's most competitive timeslots," said Susanne Daniels, co-president of The WB.

Angel will be entering its third season on the network and first without Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is moving to UPN.

X-MEN: EVOLUTION UPDATE

Kids' WB! viewers will get to select which two episodes of X-Men: Evolution will air on Saturday, June 2.

The network will air episodes of the show at 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. (ET) that day. Viewers get to vote online at www.kidswb.com to pick their favorite episodes in a "Click & Pick" event.

Once voting begins, viewers will have until May 27 to choose their episodes.

Kids' WB! will show the "Grim Reminder" episode that features Wolverine on Saturday, June 9.

ONI'S KISSING CHAOS

Oni Press has announced a new eight-issue mini-series, Kissing Chaos, by Arthur Dela Cruz.

Previously working in the industry as a colorist, this is Arthur's first full-blown comic book project, and he'll be writing, drawing, and providing gray tones. Kissing Chaos is the story of three young people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances that force them to go on the lam, with reporters, authorities, and one very angry hitman in pursuit.

To further highlight the newness of Kissing Chaos, Oni will be presenting the book in a new format and new price. Kissing Chaos will be sixteen pages in length with no ads, digest-sized, and published every three weeks-a format designed to match the fast-paced nature of the story.

While the regular price on the last seven issues will be $2.25, the first issue of Kissing Chaos will be priced at $1.95.

"When I first saw the mini-comic Arthur gave us at last year's Wizard World, I saw something really different from what we normally pursue," said Oni publisher Joe Nozemack. "Kissing Chaos is of a special mood, and Arthur's art is a neat blend of European and Japanese influences. I felt that with a new creator and a new kind of style, Oni needed a new kind of presentation."

"I'm glad Kissing Chaos ended up at Oni," Dela Cruz said. "They aren't just throwing the book out there, but rather want to make sure that people see it. The format has become a hook to encourage readers to pick it up, and hopefully I will have done my job and they'll find the characters and the situations they find themselves in to be interesting enough to keep reading."

"The characters are indeed the heart of this book," Nozemack said. "You have Damien who tries to be the ultra-tough bad boy and Raevyn who thinks she has the whole world figured out, and between them is Angela. Angela is the innocent, the one who has been shocked by the real world and now has a world of fantasy to replace it. Her visions end up being a great motivational element of the story, as well as lending itself to special visuals."

Last November, as part of the Sunday Morning Comics program, Oni ran an exclusive five-part Kissing Chaos comic strip on onipress.com. Those strips have been archived on the site and are still available at http://www.onipress.com/kc1.shtml. There is also a special Kissing Chaos short story in full color in June's Oni Press Color Special 2001.

Kissing Chaos #1 is shipping on Sept. 14.

BOB LAYTON LAUNCHES SITE

Artist/writer/editor Bob Layton has launched his own Web site at www.boblayton.com.

Besides featuring original art and never-before-seen design sketches, Layton said he will offer a variety of entertainment on the site.

"It not just a venue for original art," Layton said, "but it will serve as a launching pad for a slew of original comic art projects."

In conjunction with the launch of the site, Layton announced the reformation of CPL/Gang Publications. Originally operating in the mid-1970's, CPL published a handful of fan magazines which included Witzend, Heroes, Inc, CPL and the Charlton Bullseye. Much of that original material has been featured in recent issues of The Two Morrow's Comic Book Artist.

Those publications also were instrumental in the launch of many well-known creators, such as Roger Stern, John Byrne and others.

"The site will feature interviews with well-know comic creators and commentaries from myself and guest contributors, as well," Layton said.

Layton has also announced he will be inking Manuel Garcia's pencils on "several" upcoming issues of Avengers.

BRIEFLY