THE ADVENTURES OF LUTHER ARKWRIGHT
AWARD-WINNING GRAPHIC NOVEL IN NEW FILM DEAL
KouKou Productions, a Melbourne-based film production company, today
announced plans to develop the award-winning British graphic novel, The
Adventures of Luther Arkwright as a feature length film.
"The Adventures of Luther Arkwright is a stunning, quasi-futuristic graphic
novel that deserves the big-screen treatment," says Sophie Patrick,
Producer, KouKou Productions.
"It¹s an intricate adventure story that spans multiple universes, combing
the best elements of science fiction, action movies and historical drama,"
explains Sophie.
Most of the action in The Adventures of Luther Arkwright takes place on one
of many alternate parallels, where psychically gifted agents Luther
Arkwright and Rose Wylde are sent to investigate a cosmic conspiracy that
threatens to destroy the very fabric of the multiverse.
"Luther and Rose are not your typical action heroes and Luther Arkwright
isn¹t going to be your typical 'buddy' action movie," says Sophie Patrick.
"They are complex and fascinating characters, with unique abilities, but who
aren't afraid of using deadly force when the fate of the multiverse is at
stake!"
The Adventures of Luther Arkwright was created by celebrated British
writer-artist Bryan Talbot. First published as a nine-issue comic, the
series won the prestigious Eagle Awards for "Best New Comic" and
"Favourite Character," before being published in America by Dark
Horse comics, where it became a best-seller.
Melbourne-based comic book writer and artist Bruce
Mutard has been commissioned to write the screenplay adaptation.
Bruce's writing credits include the forthcoming graphic novel The Bunker
which will be released by Image Publishing in America later this year, as well
as humorous strips for international comics such as DEE VEE (Australia) and
Small Press Expo (USA).
Sophie Patrick, together with her husband Kevin
Patrick, is also the publisher of the popular vintage Australian
superhero comic The Panther.
KouKou Productions predicts that production of
Luther Arkwright will commence in 2004.
For further information, please contact Sophie Patrick at
Can you believe it!? After four years in the making, what may well be
the most highly-anticipated graphic novel in years -- Craig Thompson's
BLANKETS -- is here! Not only that, we also have Jeffrey Brown's all-new
graphic novel, UNLIKELY, and the fantastic second issue of COMIC BOOK
ARTIST -- all being solicited in the current MAY Diamond PREVIEWS
catalog for books shipping to stores in July.
BLANKETS
by Craig Thompson
Here's what's already being said about BLANKETS:
"I thought it was moving, tender, beautifully drawn, painfully honest,
and probably the most important graphic novel since JIMMY CORRIGAN."
-- Neil Gaiman
"Blankets officially confirms Craig Thompson's place in the world of
graphic novels as one of the true greats." -- Brian Michael Bendis
"In this book, Craig Thompson emerges as a young comics master. In the
purest narrative form he tells a highly charged personal story, crammed
with pain, discovery, hi-jinx, penance, religious conviction and its
loss . . . and along comes self-loathing. In this story of family and first
love, that which goes awry in life, goes well as art. Mr. Thompson is
slyly self-effacing as he bowls us over with his mix of skills. His
expert blending of words and pictures and resonant silences makes for a
transcendent kind of story-telling that grabs you as you read it and
stays with you after you put it down. I'd call that literature."
-- Jules Feiffer, Pulitzer Prize-Winner
"Craig has documented his youth in the most honest of ways. Not too warm
and fuzzy nor too harsh and cold, showing us the insecurities of growing
up in what is often a strange and sometimes painful world. The perfect
marriage of words and pictures. It's as if Francios Truffaut had written
and drawn his own comic with the artistry Will Eisner. His sense of
timing is impeccable, always knowing when not to hit you with a heavy
hand. It's the genuine article." -- Bob Schreck, Group Editor, DC Comics
"Thompsons graphic novel debut, Good-bye, Chunky Rice, was a delicate
parable of loss that garnered deserved acclaim. [This] eagerly awaited,
follow-up to it is more ambitious, more accomplished, and more
accessible... this is a genuine graphic novel, with a universal appeal
..." -- Gordon Flagg, Booklist, American Library Association
From the author of the critically-acclaimed and best-selling graphic
novel, GOOD-BYE, CHUNKY RICE comes Craig Thompson's all-new masterpiece.
Clocking in at 592 pages, BLANKETS may well be the single most
anticipated graphic novel of the year. Wrapped in the landscape of a
blustery Wisconsin winter, BLANKETS explores the sibling rivalry of two
brothers growing up in the isolated country, and the budding romance of
two coming-of-age lovers. A tale of security and discovery, of
playfulness and tragedy, of a fall from grace and the origins of faith.
A profound and utterly beautiful work.
$29.95 (US), 592 pages, 6 1/2" x 9 1/2", Deluxe Graphic Novel, ISBN 1-891830-43-0
"Blankets is one of the most ambitious original graphic novels ever
produced in the medium . . . both universal and enlightening."
-- Peter Siegel, www.artbomb.net
"Victory" from Cold Fusion studios.
My name is Sara Stevens and I am colorist/creative manger with Cold Fusion
studios. Cold Fusion is currently producing a Manga based comic book called
"Victory" with Image Central that will be shipping this May 2003.
SHADES OF BLUE #2: The Gang Discovers More Clues to Heidi's Secret Origin!
HAVERHILL, MA, April 2, 2003 - Heidi remembers a key piece of information
about the day she received her powers in SHADES OF BLUE #2 from Digital
Webbing Press!
In "Shadows and Masks: Part Two," one of Heidi's friends has been possessed
by a body snatching foe, and a mysterious group returns to resolve the
situation. Marcus discovers that there may be a connection between his
mother's illness and the shadowy group operating in Harrington. "And, if
that's not enough, Heidi remembers a key piece of information about the day
she gained her powers," adds writer James Harris.
"The book's getting to the juicy part of the storyline," says artist Cal
Slayton. "For all the fans who've been following Heidi's adventures from
the beginning, it's gonna start paying off!"
SHADES OF BLUE, co-created by Harris and Rachel Nacion, recently moved to
the Digital Webbing Press imprint. "We knew the new relationship with
Digital Webbing would be successful, but we had no idea we'd receive so much
support from consumers and retailers," says Harris.
Slayton agrees. "I was pleasantly surprised with the sales of the new
series. I'm so glad that people are getting into SHADES OF BLUE and seeing
what it's all about. We're gonna do our best to give them a great book each
time out!"
SHADES OF BLUE #2, by James S. Harris and Cal Slayton, is released in June
from Digital Webbing Press, 24 pages, $2.95 US, full color cover with black
and white interiors.
About Digital Webbing
Digital Webbing (www.digitalwebbing.com), created by Ed Dukeshire, is the
acclaimed source of comprehensive information on comic book-related
websites. In addition to providing daily comic news and daily columns, DW is
well known for its "talent engine" - matching writers with artists, both
amateur and professional.
Digital Webbing Press ()
is a direct result of the talented creators who frequent the DW message boards. Its flagship title,
DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS, is an anthology of stories by both aspiring and
established creators. Recently, comic titles SKUMM, ARCHEON and GUTWALLOW
have joined Digital Webbing Press.
Tooth And Nail!
We've finally coughed up the rules for using Wendigoes and Sasquatches in
The Great Rail Wars! Thanks to Rob Lusk and the FlatCon Convention crew for
this awesome update!
Big Sale
We have added the Deadlands Boxed Set Bundle to the Big Bundle Sales.
Next Week
The update next week will include an absolutely free and quite beefy Savage
Worlds / Deadlands conversion guide.
Savage Worlds itself, plus the dice and Smilin' Jacks, will be available for
order next Tuesday!
David Ross
FREE COMICS
NEW YORK -- In the wake of what promises to be one of the summer's most anticipated movie sequels,
the comic book industry responds with a sequel of its own: Free Comic Book Day 2003!
In 2002, the inaugural Free Comic Book Day event was an historical landmark, uniting publishers and
retailers for a day in which anyone could go to a participating comic book store and receive a free comic
book. More than 2.5 million comic books were given away by over 2,000 participating stores around the
world.
This year, on May 3, Free Comic Book Day returns, bringing together more than a dozen comic book
publishers with more than 2,000 retailers. Conceived by comic book store owner Joe Field of Flying
Colors Comics in Concord, CA, the event has multiple goals: to celebrate comics' rich history; to salute
the medium's energy, vitality, and boundless creativity; and, most importantly, to invite new readers to visit
their local comics shops and see what comics have to offer.
More than 2 million comics will once again be given away to all visitors.
The event takes place one day after the theatrical premier of X2, the sequel to 2000's smash hit X-Men,
based on the top-selling Marvel comic book property.
"With public attention so focused on comic books, their characters, and their stories, it's the perfect time to
remind people of the enjoyment and quality storytelling available in comic books," said Barry Lyga, a
spokesperson for the Free Comic Book Day Committee. "From last year's blockbuster Spider-Man and
Oscar®-winner Road To Perdition to this year's top Valentine's Day hit Daredevil, through to X2 and
the upcoming The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Hulk, the entertainment industry has
realized that comics have unique, compelling content...and the movie-going audience agrees in record
numbers!"
As part of the promotion, the following titles will be available at all participating stores:
Archie & Friends (Wholesome children's entertainment from Archie Comics)
Frank Miller's Robocop/Stargate SG1 (Avatar Press's adaptation of two sci-fi favorites)
Way of the Rat Special #1 (Martial arts fantasy from CrossGen)
Rocket Comics: Ignite (The beginning of a new line of comic books from Dark Horse)
Batman Adventures #1 (A new series of adventures for Batman from DC Comics, based on the
character's appearance on the Cartoon Network)
Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave Productions' version of the 1980s toy line, now hotter than
ever)
Metallix #1 (Classic super-hero action with a modern twist from Future Comics)
Leave It To Chance #5 (Mystical adventure in the Harry Potter tradition, from Image Comics)
Ultimate X-Men #1 (A special X-Men comic from Marvel Comics, developed and written with
the movie fan in mind!)
In addition, dozens of other comic book publishers will be contributing free titles, covering the entire
spectrum of genres and styles.
Free Comic Book Day is supported by an extensive online initiative, point of sale posters, co-op
advertisements, and a massive PR and advertising campaign. The official website for the event is
- which contains a
search function to help readers find a participating store near them, features on the history of
comic books in America, recommended reading lists, and a complete list of available free titles.
"Unlike video stores, bookstores, and movie theaters, comic book stores are usually independently owned
and operated, with no national chains dominating the market," said Lyga. "As a result, each store is as
individual as its owner, and the breadth of stories available in the comic book field is similarly diverse. If
there's a book on a certain topic or in a particular genre, you can bet there's a comic book, too. Readers
should treat themselves to something new on Free Comic Book Day - we know people will be pleasantly
surprised by the broad range of reading material available at their local comic book store."
Knightshift Studio: Assassin's Guild
We just got the site for the Comic up so you can see the sample pages and everything. The company is
called Knightshift Studio and it is part of Millenium Knight Entertainment.
The comic is called Assassin's Guild. Here is the link to the info you will
need as well as samples of the pages and covers. Take a look and lets talk.
I can set up a time for them to talk with you or can get you their numbers
and everything.
Daniel Lee Camp
BENDIS AND "Y: THE LAST MAN" LEAD THE LIST OF 2002 SQUIDDY AWARD WINNERS
USENET--MARCH 24TH, 2003
2002 was a good year for Y: THE LAST MAN, Brian Michael Bendis, and an
eclectic array of other winners in this year's Squiddy Awards. 2002's
Squiddies featured quite a few close races (and even several ties),
reflecting a wide variety of deserving nominees from a diverse pool of
quality comics and creators.
Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's Y: THE LAST MAN won both the "Best New
Series" award and share of the "Best Multi-Part Story" honors, tying for
the latter with past Squiddy favorite BLACK PANTHER's "Enemy of the State
II" storyline. Meanwhile, Squiddy voters named Brian Michael Bendis "Best
Writer" and gave the "Best Comics Novella" prize to ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN
SPECIAL.
PROMETHEA artist J.H. Williams III was the Squiddy voter's choice for "Best
Penciler," while the "Best Inker" prize was split between BLACK PANTHER's
Bob Almond and veteran inker Mark Farmer (with too many credits to list).
Kaare Andrews won "Best Cover Artist" for his inventive work on Marvel's
HULK, and Marvel spider-books editor Axel Alonso was picked as "Best
Editor." Rounding out the creator awards, perennial winners Alex Ross, Todd
Klein, and Laura DePuy Martin all repeated past Squiddy victories in the
"Best Painter," "Best Letterer," and "Best Colorist" categories.
In the story awards, Squiddy voters ignored the medium's traditional genre
boundaries, selecting science fiction, fantasy, humor, and western comics
as winners. Mike Carey & Peter Gross' LUCIFER (DC/Vertigo) won the "Best
Ongoing Series" honors, while John Ostrander and Leonardo Manco's gritty
western APACHE SKIES (Marvel/MAX) was picked as "Best Limited Series" and
DC/Vertigo's science fiction comic, Y: THE LAST MAN won "Best New Series."
The two-volume SEPTEMBER 11 tribute/charity anthology (from DC and Dark
Horse/Image/Chaos) won the "Best Anthology" prize. Finally, Aaron
McGruder's BOONDOCKS was picked as "Best Comic Strip" and McGruder himself
won "Best Political Cartoonist."
"Representing the men-in-tights, JLA/JSA: VIRTUE & VICE (by Geoff
Johns/David Goyer and Carlos Pacheco/Jesus Merino) grabbed the "Best
Original Graphic Novel" award, while DC/Wildstorm's high-end ABSOLUTE
AUTHORITY (collecting the original Warren Ellis/Brian Hitch run) was voted
"Best Reprint Collection." Representing perhaps the cats-in-capes, DC
Direct's STREAKY THE SUPERCAT SOFT TOY won the "Best Comics-Related
Merchandise" prize.
Turning to the online world, NEWSARAMA.COM took the "Best General Comics
Web Site" award, and Rich Johnston was once again selected "Best
Journalist." Mark Evanier's POV ONLINE (at povonline.com) was a surprise
winner of the "Best Focused Comics Web Site," beating out favorites such as
the late Warren Ellis Forum and X-Fan. Matt Black's GRAVERS (at
www.opi8.com) won "Best Web Comic."
A complete list of the 2002 Squiddy winners appears below. Detailed results
are available on Usenet in all the rec.arts.comics.* newsgroups and on the
web at
CBLDF Joins MPAA Brief In Jonah Hex Case
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has joined the Motion Picture
Association of America, Association of American Publishers, and six
other trade organizations in an Amicus Brief supporting the DC Comics
and the creators of "Jonah Hex: Riders of the Worm & Such" in
their First Amendment fight against the rock duo Johnny and Edgar
Winter. The new brief is filed in the Supreme Court of California,
where arguments in the case will be heard on April 1.
The brief is filed to challenge the California Appeal's court
decision that the Winters' rights of publicity were violated
under California Civil Code Section 3344. The Winter Appeal's
court cites Comedy III Productions vs. Saderup in that ruling. In
Saderup, the company holding the license for the Three Stooges sued
artist Gary Saderup . . . and won . . . because the court felt that
the artists' interpretations of the Three Stooges had moved from
expression into merchandising, and was not transformative of the
original subjects. The Court found that Saderup's image of the
Stooges, when reproduced on t-shirts and lithographs, was no longer
expressive art, but instead, commercial speech. As such, the First
Amendment doesn't apply to it as it does to expressive speech.
Applied to this case, the court concluded that triable issues of fact
exist whether or not the Winters' likenesses in the comic books
qualify as "transformative use," upholding their
misappropriation of likeness claim.
At issue in the latest round of Winter v. DC is whether
California's Right to Publicity laws apply to creative speech,
and whether the comics in question are seen as commercial speech and
thereby afforded a lesser degree of First Amendment protection.
The Amici argue that the court misapplied section 3344 and contend
that "the Court of Appeal's misapplication of section 3344
and its misinterpretation of the 'transformative use' test
- may result in a reduced level of constitutional protection for
traditionally protected expressive works by stripping away important
First Amendment protection historically accorded to such uses of
celebrity figures."
The CBLDF and Amici focus on four points in the MPAA brief: "1)
the appropriately high level of First Amendment protection afforded
to traditionally protected audio-visual, literary and dramatic works;
2) The Court of Appeal's disregard of California Civil Code
Section 3344's express definitional limitation to 'products,
merchandise, or goods'; 3) The inapplicability of the
'transformative use' test to publicity rights claims based
upon traditionally protected expressive works; 4) The importance of
adopting a brighter line and more protective standard for publicity
rights claims arising from disputes involving such expressive
works."
Citing Saderup as well as Twist and many other similar cases, the
MPAA Amici argue that a decision in favor of the plaintiffs would
have a chilling effect on First Amendment rights.
"Just as comics are at the forefront of entertainment, here we
see that they are also at the frontline of entertainment law,"
says CBLDF Director Charles Brownstein. "Should the California
Supreme Court uphold the lower court's view that the Winters'
right to publicity was violated, it will impose a chilling effect
upon the First Amendment rights of authors, cartoonists, filmmakers,
and other creators of expressive works when they use public figures
in the context of their work."
Brownstein adds, "This case matters not only in regard to
maintaining comics' right to full First Amendment protection, but
to how celebrity can be commented on in creative work. We are proud
to join the MPAA, AAP, Author's Guild, Dramatists Guild of
America, PEN American Center, American Booksellers Foundation for
Free Expression, and Freedom to Read Foundation in supporting DC
Comics and respondents in this important fight."
ITEM! CBLDF Visits Planet Comicon & I-Con This Weekend
The Fund is on the road this weekend visiting supporters in Kansas
City and Stony Brook New York.
I-Con 22
Join Fund board member Peter David and authors Harlan Ellison, Walter
Simonson, Phil Jimenez, and more at I-Con 22 in Stony Brook, NY. The
CBLDF will be on the show floor meeting and signing up new members
during the weekend's convention. I-Con 22 is at Stony Brook
University in New York. For directions and more information visit
Planet Comicon
The Fund will also be appearing at Planet Comicon in Overland Park,
Kansas, where comics guests include Dick Ayers, Ale Garza, Bruce
Jones, George Perez, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Phil Hester, Bill
Morrison, Greg Rucka, Jim Valentino, and more! The show starts
Saturday, March 29 and closes on Sunday. Be sure to stop by on
Saturday afternoon for the Fund's benefit auction featuring great
art and collectibles that benefit our fight for free speech in the
comics industry! For more information on Planet Comicon visit
If you're not near either of those conventions, you can still
support the Fund on eBay, where a variety of signed scripts, books,
and art are offered every week. Visit the Fund on eBay by clicking
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was founded in 1986 as a 501 (c) 3
non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of First
Amendment rights for members of the comics community. Donations and
inquiries should be directed to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund at
P.O. Box 693, Northampton, MA 01061.
Send press releases to:
Collector Times Online
P. O. Box 882
Bellaire, TX 77402-0882
