Monday, March 3, 2003
CROSSGEN COMICS' TV/MOVIE SLATE
Branded Entertainment producer Michael Uslan unveiled 11 television and movie projects based on CrossGen Comics characters at a special MegaCon panel on Sunday.
Uslan, who was hired by CrossGen president and CEO Mark Alessi last year, continually emphasized that in all of the CrossGen deals, CrossGen creators will have input into projects. "We're trying to re-invent the wheel on how comic-book movies are done," Uslan said.
For a rundown of the current CrossGen projects, where they stand and comments from Uslan, CLICK HERE.
DREW JOHNSON TALKS WONDER WOMAN
Artist Drew Johnson, who joins writer Greg Rucka as the new creative team of Wonder Woman, said the character will be undergoing some changes.
"Greg is actually doing a pretty intense overhaul on the Wonder Woman book," Johnson said during the Studio Phoenix panel at MegaCon. "He's introducing about nine new supporting characters, creating a new environment that she's going to be in day-to-day. She'll be operating out of the Themysciran embassy. It's really focusing on the diplomat/soldier aspect of the character.
"We're going to change the overall appearance of the character just a touch. She's actually going to look Greek. She'll have a longer nose, a broader face and she'll be colored with olive skin."
Johnson said it took him a while to get the new look.
"It's hard to draw Greek people," he said. "I think I finally settled on an area and made some compromises to get it right. I basically spent several weeks just trying to get the feel on how to properly draw a Greek woman."
Johnson said that a small braid and ponytail have been approved. "And we're drawing the tiara deeper down the bridge of her nose," he said.
DC Comics is keeping the costume designs under wraps for now.
Look for more Studio Phoenix news soon here in The Continuum.
MEGACON: DC COMICS PANEL
The JLA/Avengers crossover is targeted to start this fall, DC Comics announced at its MegaCon panel on Sunday.
The four-issue mini-series, by Kurt Busiek and George Perez, was announced at MegaCon two years ago.
In other news from DC's panel:
* Editor Matt Idelson said that Batman: Death and the Maiden, by Greg Rucka and Klaus Janson, will start in either September or October. The nine-issue mini-series will be previewed in Detective Comics #783.
The story involves Wayne Enterprises closing up sites where Ra's Al Ghul might be putting a Lazarus pit. "When this story is over, their little war is going to be done," Idelson said.
* Wonder Woman, Hawkman and Superman will launch the JLA Mini-Busts this fall, with Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern following.
* Jill Thompson's At Death's Door will be 192 pages.
* Ale Garza will return as penciler of Gen13 after Ramon Bochs' fill-in on Gen 13 #9.
* Although The Resistance is ending with #8, Jimmy Palmiotti said that that book's creative team will be on a new book, probably to be announced at Comic-Con International in San Diego.
* Arrowsmith, the new Homage Comics title by Busiek and Carlos Pacheco, is described as "a coming-of-age epic set at the height of World War I."
* Brian Stelfreeze said that Matador, the Homage Comics book he is drawing and Devin Grayson is writing, will probably launch in the fall.
* Look for summer releases for Red, by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner; Terra Obscura, by Alan Moore, Pete Hogan, Yanick Paquette and Karl Story; Sgt. Rock: Between Hell and a Hard Place, the graphic novel by Brian Azzarello and Joe Kubert; and The Losers, by Andy Diggle and Jock.
EL CAZADOR FROM CROSSGEN
Chuck Dixon will be writing El Cazador, a new pirate title announced by CrossGen Comics at MegaCon over the weekend.
Dixon will be joined on the series by Steve Epting, who was working with him on Crux. The series' title comes from the name of the ship; the lead character is a female.
The new artist on Crux will be Sergio Cariello, whose credits include Azrael: Agent of the Bat as well as collaborations with Dixon on Batman/Wildcat and Catwoman/Wildcat. Cariello begins on the title with Crux #28, on sale in July.
"As much as I hate to see Steve leave his signature CrossGen title, I'm excited that Sergio is aboard," Dixon said. "I worked with him on two projects while we were both at DC and had a blast. He's going to bring a new look to Crux that will mesh well with the direction the book is taking. He's the consummate pro and I can't wait to see him fall under the CrossGen effect: the certain something that makes any artist who comes here do the best work of their career."
"It will be a change for me working in a studio with other artists, but I know so many of those guys already that it's like coming home," Cariello said. "It's great to be in a place where everyone has this much faith in me and where I've been made to feel so welcome.
"Though it's a little intimidating to be following a comics master like Steve Epting, Chuck has promised me some great stuff to draw. I can't wait to get going."
To the right is a first look at Cariello's Crux art.
NEW CODE 6 TITLES
Ian M. Feller, editor of CrossGen Comics' Code 6 imprint, told The Continuum that a pair of Hollywood writers will be contributing titles.
Bob Gale is writing Illustrated Warriors, a six-issue mini-series. Gale is also writing the Meridian animated film.
Chuck Russell, who is turning in a script for a Way of the Rat movie on Monday, is writing Metal Storm, also a six-issue mini-series.
Feller told The Continuum that neither series has an announced artist or release date.
"They're tentatively scheduled for a late 2003 release date," he said.
BRIEFLY
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