Stan Lee saving journalism in Lunch Lady Land

While you don't get much of the feel of racing through Marseilles, I thought my portrayal of the motorcycle was pretty well done, and the car was even close to good. I'm not a strong drawer of vehicles, but I was pretty happy with this.

I imaged a long, drawn out race scene, but figured that not everyone wanted to wait for three weeks, while I drew three pages of the story not progressing. Granted, this might be the type of thing that's more exciting to read, that there doesn't necessarily have to be a lot of talking to progress the story, IF you're moving it forward visually. In any case, here's page 73 from Escape From M__.

Dr. Casey Miller, Dr. Howard Bolam and Evelyn escape from an unknown assailant in Escape from M____.

See more by following the links:

• Fundraising Faux-Pas,
  
• King Street Capers
• General comics
• Tomb of the Undead (updated Jan. 28), or the
• Mugabe comic strip (Pinocchio parody)

Folks I'm following
Here are a few links from the blogs I'm following these days. A great post from the talented Skottie Young [Snow Day], a series of podcasts from the incredibly useful (and edgy) Your Screenplay Sucks [PODCASTS #10, #11, #12 are reaaaaaady and waiiiiiiting! More Filmmaking Sins!] here's something of a year in review from Script Magazine [WGA News: End of Year 2011] and an amateur project that deserve just as much recognition as mine, Wonder [Newfoundland and Other Things]

Graphic novel news
Read a one-on-one interview with Stan Lee, reflecting on his story in comics. As they put it, Lee's story is really the story OF comics. Pretty cool. Read how Caleb Melby (I think Caleb is a sweet name) is looking to using graphic novels as a new form of story telling (like unique maps) and finding the human element in stories to keep people reading. And one for my wife her passion for Adam Sandler + Chris Farley. A graphic-novel series on the Lunch Lady has GOT to be funny, or else it'd be nothing more than a tragedy.

Check it out!

Stan Lee Reflects on 70 Years in Comics
Joey Esposito
http://comics.ign.com

"Stan's story is really the history of comics and he was inspired by so many real-life events that were happening at the time, so it was covering history, comic book history, and it was covering his personal life which is the part that everyone is responding to," explained Dougas. "His relationship with his business partners, his friends, his wife. The guy's not as tough as he seems to be. He's a sweetheart."

Click to read more.

Why The Graphic Novel Will Save Business Journalism
Aziz Ali
psfk.com

[J]ournalism remains an industry in crisis. Caleb [Melby] believes that focusing on newer ways of storytelling (i.e. interactive maps, unique story ideas) and finding the human element (i.e business leaders, relationships within a particular industry) are the keys to saving journalism. The graphic novel therefore, is one form that can easily be leveraged to achieve this.

Click to read more.

Author of 'Lunch Lady' children's book series visits students at George L. Hess in Hamilton Township
JOEL LANDAU
pressofatlanticcity.com

Children's author Jarrett J. Krosoczka used an active imagination and perseverance to turn stories he wrote in elementary school into a successful career and a popular graphic novel series.

Krosoczka spoke to the fourth- and fifth-grade classes Monday at the George L. Hess Education Complex to encourage children to write and draw using their imagination and creativity. Krosoczka, who writes and illustrates his books, showed students stories, which featured kitchen appliances, that he wrote and drew as an elementary school student.

Click to read more.

Stan Lee, agents and Set to Sea

The latest post has taken a long time to get ready, which is too bad. I have been playing a lot of catch-up with the Nanowrimo competition this month and that's significantly affected my time spent on Tomb of the Undead. However, the good news is that I'm only about 4,000 words away from finishing Nanowriomo, getting the little .gif that says "Winner" and then being done with it and getting back to drawing comic pages.

Anyhow - here's the latest update, page 13.


A lot more backgrounds coming up as the characters continue to move through the museum - I didn't really take much advantage of actually having much of this story happening in a museum. There really could have been some awesome sights - but really, there's only going to be one cool museum location that's awesome.

List of agents who take graphic novels
If you're interested in pitching your graphic novel, some user named elae (a.k.a. Niki Smith) over at absolutewrite.com has compiled what I imagine is a lengthy list for your reference.

Graphic Novel Review: Set to Sea
Steve Duin
The Oregonian

In the postscript to his debut graphic novel, Drew Weing extends gratitude "to all of the friends who gave me advice and support in the two cities and five years it took me to get this book together."

I have no idea how many months Weing was handcuffed to his drawing board before he found the rhythm in this book. But find it he did, producing a series of 134 panels that -- finally collected here by Fantagraphics -- betray an admirable gift for storytelling.

Had I been following along when Weing was posting individual panels on his website, I don't know that I would have similarly swept away by the story he tells in Set to Sea. A lazy lug of a poet is trying to write a book about the sea-faring life. As he is wedged at the end of a dock, it's not surprising that he eventually concludes, "Something's still missing." He promptly falls asleep, waking only to find that he has been shanghaied and is now serving at the pleasure of Captain Conrad Porter aboard a clipper ship that won't see land for months.

In a panel that Weing draws from the crow's nest, the lug turns that last good eye to the stars, the stars that abandoned him long ago. Over the next 21 pages, not a word is spoken. The poet has found all that he will ever find of his purpose in life, Weing has found his rhythm, and years -- 10? 15? 30? -- pass in a sequence of images that have my hands shaking. There are icebergs, a whale, a sexton, a card game, a storm, and a lonely sailor curled beneath a palm tree with his journal. We are witness to a man's life unfolding, unraveling, before us in a series of postcards that leave nothing -- or is it everything? -- to the imagination. I don't know Drew Weing, or whether he's lucky or good, but in Set to Sea, he has reminded me once again just how much story you can share in a brief flurry of comic panels, so long as you know how to trim the sails and catch the wind.

Stan Lee working on sci-fi Romeo and Juliet graphic novel

The busiest man in comics keeps getting busier, as Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment and 1821 Pictures are teaming up for three new graphic novels.

Per Deadline Hollywood, Lee and Terry Douglas will write the first one, Romeo and Juliet: The War, which sets William Shakespeare’s famous lovers in a futuristic setting. Skan Srisuwan will provide the art, and the book is due out in the spring.

Here’s the description of the project provided by Deadline: “Two groups of superhuman soldiers turn the Empire of Verona into the most powerful territory on earth. The Montagues (powerful cyborgs made of artificial DNA) team with the Capulets (genetically enhanced humans with super speed and agility) to destroy all threats to Verona. When they succeed, they turn on one another in a race for total dominance. In this volatile backdrop, a young Monague boy and Capulet girl fall in love and plan to marry in secret.”