Friday, August 2, 2002

COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: HELLBOY MOVIE PANEL

Director Guillermo del Toro, star Ron Perlman and creator Mike Mignola conducted a panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego on Thursday to discuss the upcoming Hellboy movie.

The panel was fast-paced and spirited as del Toro professed his desire to make the movie and love of Mignola's work, Perlman gave his take on the character and Mignola provided a glimpse into the movie's story.

Dark Horse also handed out 2,004 posters -- to commemorate the movie's release year -- of a Mignola drawing of Perlman as Hellboy.

For an edited transcription of the panel, with photos, CLICK HERE.

COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: X-MEN PANEL

A Wolverine/Doop crossover and a more consistent artist rotation for the two core X-Men books were announced Thursday at the X-Men panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

Peter Milligan, writer of X-Statix, will write the crossover, with art coming from Darwyn Cooke.

For more news from the panel, CLICK HERE.

COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: SPIDER-MAN PANEL

Spider-Man editor Axel Alonso said who will be working on which Spider-Man titles hasn't been completely firmed yet.

"We're one sloppy family at Marvel," Alonso said during the Spider-Man panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego on Thursday. "It changes week to week."

For a complete report on the panel, including comments from J. Michael Straczynski, Paul Jenkins and John Romita Jr., CLICK HERE.

COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: WILDSTORM PANEL

Kurt Busiek's Astro City is returning and a new Danger Girl one-shot will be drawn by Phil Noto, it was announced at the WildStorm Productions panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego on Thursday.

"Astro City is coming back," said Busiek, who added his health has improved over the past year. "Scott Dunbier has three scripts in the drawer. We're going to be doing a series of mini-series, so in the event I need more time again, we won't look stupid in doing it."

For a complete report on the panel, including more announcements from all of WildStorm's imprints and comments from creators, CLICK HERE.

MR. GUM FROM AAA POP AND ONI

Oni Press has announced the third book in its relationship with Mike Allred's AAA Pop, Mr. Gum.

Due in March Mr. Gum is written by Allred, drawn by J. Bone, and colored by Team Allred.

"Bone is a versatile cartoonist who can do just about anything," Oni publisher Joe Nozemack said. "Each project is such a tremendous leap forward in terms of making his style more dynamic. Alison Dare, Gotham Girls, Jingle Belle: The Mighty Elves, Spider-Man's Tangled Web, and Mutant, Texas have all been distinctive, yet uniquely Bone. There's a reason that this guy has been nominated for an Eisner two years in a row."

"It's exactly that versatility that made me think of J. when casting about for ideas for the last book," said Oni editor-in-chief Jamie S. Rich. "I started to think about Mr. Gum and what kind of artist could really take his stretching powers to its most fantastic extreme. Who could live-up to that Jack Cole tradition of rubbery men. It took about two seconds to come up with the guy."

"I remember being in Excalibur Comics in Portland with Jamie and seeing Solar Stella on the rack," Allred said. "I loved the look of it-the pin-up girl in outer space-and snagged it immediately. When Jamie told me he knew J., I asked him to tell him that I was a fan. He did a pin-up for the Madman Picture Exhibition that blew me away with its adventurous spirit. J. Bone has since climbed my list of faves so you gotta know that no one had to twist my arm to launch Mr. Gum. Can't wait to see what J. does with it!"

"I keep telling Oni I am ready to do my own comic again," Bone said, "but they keep tossing these wonderful collaborators at me. First it was Paul Dini, and now Mike Allred. They make it really hard on a guy to turn them down. Mike Allred is an artistic hero to anyone with an ink brush doing indie comics today. And Mr. Gum is my chance to do some classic Kirby-style superheroes."

Mr. Gum will be 24 color pages and will cost $2.95.

BRIEFLY

Ashley Scott's Huntress continues to be the focus of The WB's marketing efforts for Birds of Prey at Comic-Con. A large monitor with alternating images of Scott sits at the end of a stairway at the San Diego Convention Center. The images again use the tagline, "Batman's little girl is all grown up."

Click on the thumbnails for larger images and look for more on Birds of Prey soon here in The Continuum.

GIVE'EM A CLICK