Wednesday, May 23, 2001

DC COMICS FOR AUGUST

DC Comics has released its solicitation information for August.

For a complete rundown, CLICK HERE.

BATMAN/ONSTAR CAMPAIGN CONTINUES

OnStar is staging an online promotion, with the prize being a walk-on role in the next Batman movie.

Starting May 31, fans will have a chance to enter a sweepstakes at www.onstar.com to win a walk-on role in the next Batman movie, which is still in the planning stages with no firm dates set yet.

The promotion is part of OnStar's marketing campaign, teaming with DC Comics, that includes two new TV spots, print ads and an interactive animated comic on the Internet.

"The relationship between OnStar and Batman has been extremely successful, helping to push OnStar awareness to new heights," said Mike McEnaney, OnStar director of sales and marketing services. "With this new integrated campaign, OnStar and DC Comics have created a simple, yet compelling way to tell more of the OnStar story."

GIVE'EM A CLICK

The TV ads highlight OnStar's newest services, Personal Calling and Virtual Advisor.

In one, which premiered during the Academy Awards, while fighting off an attack by the Penguin on his Batmobile, Batman places a hands-free call to longtime girlfriend Vicki Vale to warn her that he might be late for their dinner date.

The second ad pits Batman against the Riddler, who sends an e-mail via the OnStar Virtual Advisor. Batman also uses the Virtual Advisor to solve the riddle and prevent a crime.

The commercials were directed by Vincent Ward.

Along with the print and TV ads, OnStar and DC Comics have created an animated interactive comic at www.onstar.com, allowing readers to shape their experience by using Personal Calling and OnStar Virtual Advisor at critical moments in the story.

HUNTER: THE AGE OF MAGIC

Tim Hunter returns in Hunter: The Age of Magic, a new Vertigo series that begins on July 11.

The monthly series is written by Dylan Horrocks, with art by Richard Case - the same creative team from The Names of Magic mini-series.

"We are jumping forward," Heidi MacDonald, the book's editor, said during a recent convention appearance. "Tim's been a little teenage boy until now, and now he's an older teenage boy. He could be 17.

"Tim has always had this tremendous power and he's always had a lot of ambivalence about using it. I think the first 75 issues of Books of Magic, we really explored what it was like to be an ordinary kid and suddenly have these extraordinary powers.

"But now, in Age of Magic, Tim has discovered who he is finally and he's ready to use powers. Even though he's ready to use them, it doesn't mean he knows how to use them. And, also, he's still a kid."

John Bolton is providing painted covers.

"It's funny because Tim Hunter was originally based on John's son, who was 11 years old when he originally drew it 10 years ago," MacDonald said. "So when John's doing the cover, I said, 'John, you can get a photo of your son when he was 17 and use him for inspiration still.'"

MacDonald said that in the first issue Tim encounters a girl from Gemworld.

"None of the Amethyst characters shows up," MacDonald said. "It's kind of like a little bit of Vertigo in Gemworld, I guess you could say. "Tim always has problems with the ladies, he always has a crush on the ladies, and he gets swept up again in this adventure and learns a lot about magic."

The first story line, "The Lake of Fire," will likely last six issues.

X-MEN: EVOLUTION UPDATE

Just after completing its first season on Kids' WB!, X-Men: Evolution earned a Daytime Emmy Award last week.

The series was honored for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing - Special Class. Listed were Thomas J. Maydeck and Robert Hargreaves as re-recording mixers.

Kids' WB continues its weekday airings on X-Men: Evolution on Tuesday with "Shadowed Past." Following that are "Grim Reminder" on Wednesday, "The Cauldron, Pt. 1" on Thursday and "The Cauldron, Pt. 2" on Friday.

This Saturday's episode is "Speed and Spyke." The two episodes on June 2 will be a result of the "Click & Pick" promotion at www.kidswb.com.

BRIEFLY