Pack your bags, kids... we're moving

I guess I can make it official now - after a year and a half on Blogger, Glyphs Online is moving to the Pop Culture Shock website. As you know, I've been writing a monthly column over there for almost a year, but now the PCS editors and I have agreed to include the entire blog as well, so please be sure to change the links in your blogs. The new URL is:

http://www.popcultureshock.com/category/blogs/glyphs/

You can also use
http://glyphs.popcultureshock.com

See you over there!

October 11 highlights and news

Earthlight V1
14-page preview (plus cover and intro by the editor)
interview w/Stuart Moore about Earthlight

The writer of Firestorm brings this new manga series about life on a futuristic space colony.

Tales of the Unexpected #1
3-page preview (plus cover)
Eric Battle's website

A new Crispus Allen-as-Spectre mini-series begins, with art in the lead story by Eric Battle.

Also this week:
Gen13 #1. The relaunched series, with pencils by Talent Caldwell.
Firestorm the Nuclear Man #30. Pencils by Igle, cover by Stelfreeze.
Bomb Queen V2 #1. The second BQ mini, with story and art by Jimmie Robinson.
Emissary #5
Pariah #3. Written by Orlando Harding.
Spawn Collection V2
Pulse: Fear TP. The story arc featuring the birth of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones' baby.

Just a few news bits for you today: here's an announcement about a John Ridley podcast interview.

Here's a new Rosario Dawson interview.

Thanks to Ragnell for the following links:
These people are putting together a zine about race and fandom and are looking for submissions.

Here's a discussion about the death of Goliath in Civil War from a racial angle.

Here's an analysis of John Stewart's early days as a Green Lantern from a new blogger named Bahlactus.

LA Banks interview

"...The hardest part was dealing with [Tony] Montana as such a huge icon. The only way I could approach it was to do a lot of research on Cuba, some of the issues from the Cuban viewpoint, not American viewpoint--realizing that just like African Americans, there is no 'monolithic voice.' Going back in time, which is what these Scarface books do, one has to also delve into some psychology to get in touch with what factors create a person who is fearless, who is more terrified of poverty and disrespect than getting shot. It's a truly profound point of view."

LA Banks

Also: Rich Koslowski talks 3 Geeks in general and the Jim's Jerky one-shot in particular.

Who are the Antidote Trust?

E-mail from M. Torez explains it all...

"Basically, while I was in San Diego, I spent a lot of time with Korby Marks - creator of Storm Bringers - and a few other veterans of the self-publishing game. He connected me with a lot of folks, one of whom was Robert Roach. Over the course of the week, Robert and a couple of his people talked it over and - I'm assuming - decided to put me onto this coalition of artists they were forming. The coalition is called The Antidote Trust, and its essentially a group of comic artists andwriters poolilng their talents, resources, advice and time together so that we can (1) make a much bigger impact at San Diego next year and (2) make a bigger impact on the comics game at large in general. Robert Roach is a member, as well as a bunch of other folks:

1. Dale Wilson/DWAP Prods
2. Hannibal Tabu
3. Kevin Grevioux/Astounding Studios
4. Korby Marks/Stormbringers
5. Malik Benin & Sterling Ashby/History In Action
6. Robert Roach/Hometown Prods.; Black Inc! Imprints
7. Blake Chen
8. Tim Hegarty/International Enterprise
9. Morgan Ogburn & Fiona Cherbak/Theme Park Studios

"It's been a very good relationship, so far. Robert in particular has been very helpful with his advice and support. We are making moves so that we can make a much bigger splash in San Diego next year. Also, some of us are taking steps toward getting national distribution into the black bookstore market. We should have a more substantial website up in a few weeks, that will have bios, artwork and writing samples for our whole crew. I'll drop you an email when it hits."

In other news: XMoor Studios and the Black Superhero Museum are holding a Galtow fan art contest.

PREVIEWS for December '06

Sorry for the brief absence... I came down with a bad case of Real Life...

The Bakers Meet Jingle Belle (DH). It's official - we won't see the end of Kyle Baker's Nat Turner this year. But we will get this cool Bakers crossover with Paul Dini's Jingle Belle character instead.

Perhapanauts: Second Chances #2 (of 4) (DH)

Scarface: Point of No Return novel (DH), Scarface: Scarred for Life #1 (IDW). Genre novelist LA Banks writes the Scarface novel; Dave Crosland draws the Scarface comic.

Firestorm the Nuclear Man #32 (DC). Pencils by Igle, cover by Stelfreeze (who also does the covers for Fallen Angel Volumes 1 and 2, also from DC).

Justice V2 HC, Justice #9 (of 12) (DC). Pencils by Doug Braithwaite.

Tales of the Unexpected #3 (of 8) (DC). Pencils by Eric Battle.

Gen13 #3 (DC/Wildstorm), Fathom: Dawn of War TP (Aspen). Pencils by Talent Caldwell.

Stormwatch: PHD #2 (DC/Wildstorm)

Astro City: The Dark Age Book Two #3 (of 4) (DC/Wildstorm)

Spawn/Batman: Inner Demons, Spawn #165 (Image). Spawny and Bats trade supervillains in this second crossover.

Occult Crimes Taskforce TP (Image). The collected edition. Co-written by Rosario Dawson.

Bomb Queen II #3 (of 3) (Image) .Story and art by Jimmie Robinson.

Emissary #7 (Image)

Beyond #6 (of 6) (Marvel). Final issue. Written by Dwayne McDuffie.

Blade #4 (Marvel)

Black Panther #23 (Marvel). Written by Reggie Hudlin. Civil War crossover.

Heroes for Hire #5 (Marvel)

Nextwave #11 (of 12)

Captain America/Falcon: Nomad TP (Marvel). The old-school story arc where Steve Rogers abandons his Captain America identity and becomes Nomad instead.

Yenny #10 (Alias)

Public Enemy #2 (AME)

Gold Digger #80, Gold Digger Sourcebook, Gold Digger Ultimate Collection 2-disc DVD-Rom V1 (Antarctic). Story and art by Fred Perry.

The Omen Negative Issue (Digital Noixe). Story and art by Robert Walker, from the pages of Delete.

Genesis Five #1, Joe and Max #1, Code #1 (Guardian Line). Michael Davis' line of Christian all-ages comics launches into the direct market.

The Red Line #1 (Ludovico Technique). The new series written by sci-fi novelist Geoffrey Thorne.

Brodie’s Law #10 (Markosia). Story and art by Bircham and Osiyemi.

The 3 Geeks: Jim’s Jerky (3 Finger Publications). The new one-shot of the long-running indy series about comic nerds, this one focusing on the character Jim - with a free piece of beef jerky inside! No joke!

Emissary article @ CBR

"...I've talked with friends of mine who are Evangelical Christians, and they get rather upset when I suggest that there is no way in hell Jesus was Caucasian. He was born in the Middle East 2000 years ago! That doesn't make any sense to me! But my friends have paintings of Jesus hanging on their walls that depict him giving Snow White a run for her money. I think people just get these ideas stuck in their heads, and that's that. If a messiah were to appear from the sky tomorrow, how would the Bible Belt feel about taking marching orders from a black man (or woman)? I think there would be some major issues with that."

Emissary

October 4 highlights and news

Beyond #4 (of 6). Written by Dwayne McDuffie.
Blackbeard Legacy #3
Gold Digger Halloween Special. Fred Perry does a new GD story in this, but it's also got stories by other creators.

Sci-Fi.com confirms Blade's cancellation. Not much more to say, except this: if we're ever gonna have another black science fiction series air on television (and I believe we will, somewhere), it can't be dumbed down, it shouldn't cater to the lowest common denominator, and it should mean something. Blade was 0-for-3, and I feel like it was a blown opportunity because of that.

Rapper Andre 3000 of the group Outkast, fresh off of his movie musical Idlewild, now has an animated series set to debut next month.

Stagger Lee creators Derek McCulloch & Shepherd Hendrix have pics from a Bay Area signing they did last weekend.

Scroll all the way down the page of this link to read about this Egyptian cartoonist and his really weird TV show.

Blade actress says show is cancelled

Well, that didn't take long, did it? If it's true, of course. Once we get official confirmation, I'll pass it along, but did anyone really think this show would be a big hit?

McDuffie to write Fantastic Four!

Joltin' Joe Quesada confirms it.

What can I say? Awesome choice. Let's hope he sticks around awhile.

Howard Chaykin talks Blade @ N'rama

"...Comic book readers wants a good read, but when I look at a script, I want to see how it breaks down, how the pictures work, the scale of the action compared to the scale of the panel itself. Marc's stuff is just perfect. Again, I had a great time doing the first one, a better time on the second, and the third…just wait until you see the stuff we have coming up."

Blade (the comic)

Also: MidEast publisher Teshkeel Media (they're the ones who do The 99) has a new source for capital.