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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2007

SCI FI CANCELS PAINKILER JANE

Sci Fi Channel has canceled Painkiller Jane, the live-action series starring Kristanna Loken and based on the comic book created by Jimmy Palmiotti and Joe Quesada.

The series will complete its 22-episode run, with the finale scheduled for Sept. 21.

Palmiotti told The Continuum he saw the end coming.

"I watch the ratings, notice how hard or not hard the show was pushed and added it up from there," he said. "My reaction is that I saw it coming in a number of ways, the biggest was in San Diego and SciFi doing nothing to support the show except giving away some buttons. That was the loudest and clearest of all the messages sent my way.

"On a personal level, I am happy that all 22 episodes are airing; it's more than most network shows ever get and in the bigger picture of things I continue with the comic without missing a beat and Joe Quesada and I eventually get the rights back. This cancellation effects the actors and the crew behind the show and I feel for all of them after all the hard work they put into this extra large season. My heart goes out to all these fine people and all I can do is hope there are new things waiting for them to take on. They are a talented bunch and deserve continued success.

"Really, just getting Painkiller Jane on air a second time is amazing in itself and then getting a green light for 22 one-hour episodes ... well, that is just unheard of. That in itself shows how this character lives up to her powers of never dying."

So what did and didn't work?

"I think the actors were amazing and growing with every episode. Each and every one of them...especially Kristanna, who holds a special place in my heart," Palmiotti said. "I think what didn't work, and I will say this again, is taking a character that works in the comic that people love and changing it to fit someone else's idea of what it should be, is setting yourself up for failure.

"My biggest gripe was the fact that there was not enough action and the show was obsessed with a Neuro theme and never delineated from it to build up the characters more. The Jane character is an against-all-odds, bigger-than-life character and not a big team-player type and the format they agreed on was not loyal to the book. The show was more about a group and not the single character and when you have the people running the show proudly saying the show is nothing like the comic, you start to question why they bought the property in the first place. For me, there were good things and bad, but in the end, it wasn't the comic bookŠlike the TV movie before it, it was an alternate universe version of the character that I thought was an interesting take.

"That said, I was proud to push and flag wave for the show every chance I got and will continue to do so since some of the best episodes are going to air in the next few months."

Palmiotti said the show was a good learning experience.

"I got to meet an amazing amount of wonderfully talented people that I will stay friends with for a long time and I got to oversee a few episodes and be involved with them and even write one as well as go overseas and do press and promotion," he said. "My time spent working with some good people at Starz, Insight and Sci Fi was great and the show has opened the door to me getting other work because of it. Painkiller Jane was a great educational experience overall and gave me some insight to how the process is done. Like anything that happens in life, you learn and absorb what you can and apply it as best you could to your next projectŠand I already have. It's all good resume work in the end."

Palmiotti said he and writing partner Justin Gray have written the first three episodes of the new Speed Racer animated series and are in the middle of two screenplays, one an animated feature and the other a horror film.



CHRIS KIRBY TALKS THE LOST SQUAD MOVIE

Chris Kirby told The Continuum that the movie based on The Lost Squad comic book could reach theaters as early as 2009.

The film is set up at Rogue Pictures. In late June, it was announced that writer and director Stephen St. Leger and James Mather -- the Irish duo best known for directing commercials as the team of Saint and Mather -- were on board.

Producers are Daniel Alter and Adrian Askarieh, who also have another Devil's Due comic book property, Hack/Slash, set up at Rogue.

"Rogue Pictures is one one those companies that don't buy properties to develop them, they buy them to make them," Kirby told The Continuum. "I've been very happy with them."

Kirby said he thinks he will be involved in the film process.

"I would love to see it be as close to the comic book as possible," Kirby said. "But I know they're going to do what's best for the movie."

Will there be more The Lost Squad comic books? Kirby said he's waiting for artist Alan Robinson to return from another project.

"We're hoping to do a couple of one-shots next year, something with a nice big chunk of story," he said.



MARVEL COMICS FIRST LOOKS

For covers and five- to seven-page previews of upcoming Marvel Comics titles, CLICK HERE.

Titles include Daredevil #100 and Moon Knight #12.

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OCTOBER SOLICITATIONS ROUNDUP

For previously published solicitations for October, click on the publishers' names below:

* Archie Comics.

* Aspen Comics.

* Avatar Press.

* BlueWater Productions.

* Dark Horse Comics.

* DC Comics.

* Devil's Due Publishing.

* Digital Webbing.

* Dynamite Entertainment.

* Fangoria Comics.

* Heroic Publishing.

* IDW Publishing.

* Image Comics.

* Markosia Publishing.

* Marvel Comics.

* Moonstone Books.

* Oni Press.

* Red 5 Comics.

* TwoMorrows Publishing.

Family Guy T-Shirts


BRIEFLY

* Artist Cliff Richards returns to Dark Horse Comics' Buffy the Vampire Slayer with #10 in January.

* The first episode of Kids' WB!'s upcoming The Spectacular Spider-Man will feature the Vulture.



COMICS CONTINUUM BACK ISSUES

In case you missed The Continuum's coverage over the past month, here are some links. Click on the date to get the day's full report.

* Friday, August 10: From Wizard World Chicago -- Mondo Marvel panel, DC Nation panel and X-Men panel, The Spectacular Spider-Man animated series and Marvel First Looks.

* Thursday, August 9: Image Comics First Looks, Marvel Comics First Looks and HBO in October.

* Wednesday, August 8: Flash Gordon and First Looks.

* Tuesday, August 7: Flash Gordon's Karen Cliche, Iron Man movie, Incredible Hulk movie, Image Comics Firs Looks, Devil's Due Publishing First Looks, Image Comics' Proof and Amazing Spider-Man.

* Monday, August 6: Legion of Super Heroes, Heroes, Avengers Reborn and Flash Gordon.

* Sunday, August 5: Stardust and First Looks. Save $20 on any Simpsons Fathead!

* Saturday, August 4: Spider-Man 3 DVD and First Looks.

* Friday, August 3: The Spirit casts Gabriel Macht, Flash Gordon and Marvel First Looks.

* Thursday, August 2: Legion of Super Heroes, The Batman, Teen Titans and First Looks.

* Wednesday, August 1: The Spirit film, new Punisher movie, IDW Publishing's new titles, First Looks and Spider-Man: One More Day covers.

* Tuesday, July 31: Bluewater Productions for November, Heroic Publishing for November, Moonstone Books for November, First Looks, Aspen Comics roundup and Ed Burns at Virgin Comics.

* Monday, July 30: The Simpsons Movie, WildStorm, DC Big Guns, WildStorm and Fables.

* Sunday, July 29: The Incredible Hulk, Sam Raimi, Todd McFarlane, Spider-Man, MINX titles and Marvel's Ultimate Universe.

* Saturday, July 28: Battlestar Galactica, Flash Gordon, DC Nation, Vertigo, Mark Waid at Boom! Studios, Nightwolf television series and Image Comics.

* Friday, July 27: Marvel Comics First Looks, Mark Verheiden, Matt Wagner, Heroes, Devil's Due's Halloween and Mondo Marvel panel.

* Thursday, July 26: From Comic-Con International -- Iron Man movie, DC Comics Countdown, Darwyn Cooke, Legion of Super Heroes, Heroes, Incredible Hulk movie, Boom! Studio's The Godfather, Dark Horse roundup and SciFi/Virgin's The Stranded.

* Wednesday, July 25: Heroes Season 2, Virgin Comics/Jenna Jameson, Marvel First Looks and Archie First Looks.

* Tuesday, July 24: Superman Doomsday, Flash Gordon, Oni Press for October and Marvel First Looks.

* Monday, July 23: Dynamite Entertainment for October, Fangoria Comics for October, Dynamite First Looks and World of Warcraft from DC.

* Sunday, July 22: Avatar Press for October, Red 5 Comics for October, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven and Archie Comics First Looks.

* Saturday, July 21: Legion of Super Heroes and Devil's Due Publishing for October.

* Friday, July 20: Smallville's Supergirl, Marvel First Looks and Image First Looks.

* Thursday, July 19: Aspen Comics for October, Emmy Award nominations, Kids' WB! for August, Bluewater Productions' Jason and the Argonauts, Garth Ennis' Streets of Glory, Captain Action and Marvel First Looks.

* Wednesday, July 18: The Simpsons Movie, Flash Gordon, Bluewater Productions First Looks and Dynamite's Superpowers.

* Tuesday, July 17: Marvel Comics for October, Image Comics for October and Dynamite Entertainment First Looks.

* Monday, July 16: DC Comics for October, IDW Publishing for October, Archie Comics for October, Marvel First Looks and Watchmen movie.

* Sunday, July 15: The Spectacular Spider-Man and First Looks.

Save up to 75% off your new comics!



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