NEWS
5-12-08: Christos Gage and the Man With No Name!
Dynamite Entertainment has done a great job in the old West. With Zorro and the Lone Ranger proving not all great comics have to have a guy in a cape. Yes, Zorro has one, but it’s more of a cloak kinda thing. In the 1960’s Clint Eastwood made a name for himself in Spaghetti Westerns like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Thanks to Dynamite and Christos Gage, the Man With No Name continues the adventures of the Eastwood character. Secret Identity asked Christos if it was hard for him to write a western?
" It's not so much the challenge of writing "a" western as a "Man With No Name" western," tells Christos. " I think it's important to preserve the feel of the films, so I am working in a much more decompressed style than I usually do, and of course the main character is not the most loquacious guy in the world. So you have to find ways to tell the story visually as opposed to with words. It's challenging, but I think it stretches me as a writer."
What did Matman think? It’s a Western by Christos Gage…what do you think he thought? Click here to see.
5-11-08: Happy Mother's Day!!!
Secret Identity wants to wish a very happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there in geek land. Thanks for letting us kids explore the worlds of superheroes, aliens, ninjas and all of the other cool things that made us who we are today. You rock!
5-10-08: Free Comic Book Day Presents Love And Capes
Free Comic Book Day 2008 introduced readers to some incredible books they may not ever be exposed to. Our very own Most Excellent Comics ordered about 20 different titles from superhero to fantasy. One such title is Love And Capes by Thomas Zahler and Maerkle Press. This book (Issue # 7 to be exact) shows that even the most powerful superhero can struggle when it comes to love. For Matman’s review of the book, click here.
5-9-08: New Quake Wars Trailer
You’ve heard Brian raving about EnemyTerritories: Quake Wars since he got back from Comic Con. Well, in addition to putting together a great game, it seems Id and Activision have also launched a pretty cool marketing campaign, in the vein of monster truck rally-style commercials. Check out the player to the right to see why you’ll be needing to pick this game up.
5-8-08: How Can You Help The Inkwell?
The Inkwell Awards are an incredible way to celebrate some incredibly talented folks that may not get the credit they deserve. Founded by our good friend Bob Almond, the Inkwell is about celebration and learning; teaching about a certain element of comic creation and awarding those who do it well. Helping to raise money to support this has turned into a who’s who of comic talent and incredible concepts. One of the most unique ways they’re doing this is by getting artists to remark the blank cover of Secret Invasion # 1. From the breathtakingly beautiful Mike Lilly / Bob Almond creation of Skrull Quasar to the silly (but very good) Mike McKone’s Superman Skrull, these one of a kind treasures are a site to behold. You can see and bid on some of these by searching eBay for inkwell_awards.
And don’t forget to vote in the awards! Who is the best inker of the modern or classic era? The only requirement to vote is to know and understand comics. And stay tuned for Brian’s interview with Bob Almond from New York Comic Con in The Second Helping 113.5.
Go to www.inkwellawards.com and tell ‘em Secret Identity sent ya…
5-7-08: Is This the New Captain America?
Rejoice, or be very afraid! According to Cinema Blend, Matthew McConaughey may be the next Captain America. Word is that he is on Marvel’s short list of candidates for the lead in the upcoming film, although no formal announcement has been made about the casting. If Marvel does decide to go with Matthew, let’s hope his portrayal of Cap isn’t patterned after Tripp from Failure to Launch. You can read the full scoop here.
5-6-08: Dynamite Gives Us Two On 'The Chin'!
For Bruce Campbell fans, we (they) have an understanding of how comic book Bruce Campbell should act and speak, especially when he’s portraying Ashley J. Williams. Where DC / Wildstorm missed the mark with their Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash (especially with their portrayal of Ash), Dynamite and more specifically John Layman, have gotten it right. His take on Ash is true to the character we know and love from the Evil Dead films.
In Army Of Darkness / Xena (Why Not?) # 2, confusion is the key and misunderstanding is the driving force to the story. Ash and Autolycus (Campbell’s character form Xena) are confused with one another in classic form with dialogue you’d expect from the two. During all this a little Ash, Ash – It, has taken over a kingdom of fairies. He’s being guided by a mini version of the Nomicon! This Nomicon may be small, but still bad and causing big trouble!
Focusing a little more on the horror side of the series, Army Of Darkness continues the adventures of the films. Writers James Kuhoric and Mike Raicht bring us a more mature story complete with Deadites, Boomsticks and Sugarhumps! Artist Fernando Blanco illustrates it with all the gore you’d want! Army Of Darkness # 9 kicks off a new era in Ash's life with Home Sweet Hell.
And remember, thank you for shopping at S Mart!
5-5-08: Iron Man Review
The wait is finally over! Brian checked out the big screen debut of ol’ Shellhead this weekend. Click here to see what he thought of Iron Man.
5-4-08: Flash Gordon returns to comics
Making its debut at New York Comic Con, Flash Gordon # 0 from Arrden Entertainment, made a much bigger splash than expected! It was reported that the NYCC / Midtown Comics exclusive sold out of its 3,250 print run. On the Saturday of the show reports that the same issue (selling for $4.00) was already attracting a hefty price on the secondary markets. Average eBay selling price was $40.00. It’s easy to create hype, but would the book deliver where it needed to? Matman picked up a copy (the $4.00 variety) and gave it the once over. Click here to see his review.
5-3-08: Biff Bam Boom Closing Its Doors
Sad news in the Secret Identity community this week. One of our more beloved Springfield area comic shops will be closing its doors. Biff Bam Boom was the place I met Matt, and at different points in time, most of the Secret Identity crew picked up their books at the shop. They will be closing sometime in May, and the local comic scene will be worse off for it. We want to wish the guys at Biff Bam Boom a fond farewell and wish them the best of luck in the future.
5-2-08: New Artist Gets Drafted!
One of the Secret Identity must reads is Devil’s Due’s Drafted. This Mark Powers penned story chronicles an Earth under siege from a superior alien race bent on total destruction. The premise may not be that original, but what makes this story unique is the fact that another alien race is training and arming the human race to fight. Forget political and religious division, that’s now history. In order to survive, the Earth’s population must unify and work as one. As you’ll read, this is easier said than done.
But the big news is starting in May; Drafted (issue # 7) will have a new artist! And who’s the new guy? As you’ll see on our interview page, it’s not a guy at all. Ladies and gentlemen… Rebekah Isaacs! To read the interview, click here!
5-1-08: Free Comics and More at Jetpack Comics
Jetpack Comics of Rochester, New Hampshire is celebrating Free Comic Book Day in a BIG WAY! Do you want free comics, deals and cool stuff? How about the chance to win a piece of Ed McGuinness original art? Saturday, you’ll get to hang out with Jabba The Hutt and dozens of your favorite Star Wars characters! And what’s a store event without creators? You’ll get to meet and hang out with Secret Identity chums like Gunplay’s Jorge Vega and Dominic Vivona plus Scott Wegener (Atomic Robo) and more great talent including Ed McGuinness (Hulk). Enter the town wide scavenger hunt for more prizes and fun! For more information, you can go to www.jetpackcomics.com or contact them at jetpackcomics@choiceonemail.com. It all happens Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm at Jetpack Comics in Rochester, NH!
5-1-08: Free Comic Book Day is Almost Here!!
Mark your calendars! This Saturday, May 3rd, is FREE COMCI BOOK DAY! Local comic shops around the country will be giving away free books all day long. FCBD is a great time to introduce someone to comics for the first time, or to help former comic readers get back into our beloved hobby. So, grab your kids, grab your friends, and get down to your local comic shop fro FCBD 2008!
For a list of all this year’s free comics, as well as a participating store locater, head to http://www.freecomicbookday.com/.
4-30-08: "Yer Gran'ma Wears Combat Boots!"
People who’ve known writer Tom Van Zandt for any length of time know about Unhappy Gran’ma! This is a project that has been a million years in the making. Last year, Van Zandt enlisted the talents of artist Matt Ryan and soon the wheels were in motion! Well, the time is now! For a review of Unhappy Gran’ma from Radbu Productions, click here. To order a copy or find out more about all things Radbu, click here!
4-29-08: Download the Incredible TrackMania Nations Forever for Free!
TrackMania is an arcade-style racing game that debuted a couple of years ago to critical success. The game was lauded for its variety of tracks, single and multiplayer racing modes, and high degree of customizability. In April of 2008, an updated, free version of the game, entitled TrackMania Nations Forever, was released. The game has an incredible amount of features for a free game, and must be seen to be believed. Tons of tracks, in-game achievements, car and track customization, and the ability to save videos of your races are just some of the high points of this game. You owe it to yourself as a gamer to download and check this game out!
Click here to download TrackMania Nations Forever! To see the trailer for the game, click here.
4-28-08:David Nakayama: A Tale of Two Styles!
After winning Wizard Magazine’s “Be The Next Top Cow Superstar”, artist David Nakayama has made the most of his opportunities. Working under the eye of Top Cow’s top cow Marc Silvestri, David has seen his style go from very Manga influence (see his first published work in Star Wars Tales # 17 ‘The Apprentice), to a more open and pure style. As you’ll see on his on line gallery at http://david-nakayama.deviantart.com/, David is a rarity! His work can shift styles depending on his subject and according to Matman, he is a name to watch! “If you look at his gallery, you can see he can go from a young reader friendly cartoon look like his work in the Marvel Adventures line, to a more adult and emotional style like his City of Heroes or even more so, his Zenescope covers. Very Amanda Connor-ish with a dash of Adam Hughes and a smidge of Frank Cho! But during all that, he still remains true to who he really is as an artist.” Matman, who spent some time with David at New York Comic Con wasn’t as amazed at his talent as he was his booth dimeanor. “I’ve been a fan of David’s art for years, but after spending some time with him at NYCC and seeing him sketch and interact with fans, it’s his personality that made me a bigger fan.”
Watch for Matman’s interview with David in an upcoming episode of Secret Identity! Our thanks to our “kissin’ cousins” over at Alternate Reality for inadvertantly hooking us up with David, and our sadness in informing those same “kissin’ cousins” that we have now become David’s favorite Comic Book Based Podcast…recorded in Springfield, MA.
For more on David, go to his official and soon to be updated site at www.davidnakayama.com.
For our ‘kissin’ cousins’, go see our friends Jon and Charlie at http://alternatereality.podomatic.com/.
4-27-08: The Captain is Back in Action!
That’s right kids! Your favorite action figure from the 60’s is back in an all-new comic! Launched the week of New York Comic Con, Captain Action #0 from Moonstone Comics features art by our very good friend Mr. Mark Sparacio! Ed Catto and the guys at Captain Action Enterprises are so excited, they put together a trailer for the new book. Click on the player to the right to view it, and then head to www.captainactionnow.com for more information.
4-26-08: Historic Past and Bright Future at Archie
Sometimes overlooked in the world of comics is a ‘little’ publisher called Archie Comics! Since late 1941, Archie and his pals of eternal High School Juniors have remained true to the image and vision of their founders with little variation…until recently!
At New York Comic Con, Jughead’s Double Digest # 139 features the ‘new look’ Jughead, rendered by comic legend Joe Staton (Green Lantern and E-Man). Many comic fans got a free copy, autographed by Joe as they passed the Archie booth last week. In fact, the Archie booth was buzzing with not only free giveaways, but with news of another big project. Since ‘Year One’ stories have become essential in super hero mythos, it’s only fitting for Archie Comics to do one as well. Get ready for Freshman Year! Watch as Riverdale High is introduced to a new Freshman Class and see what events help mold the gang into the kids we know today.
Also on hand at Booth # 1821 were many of the Archie Staff including Publisher Michael Silberkleit, Editor-In-Chief Victor Gorelick, and Managing Editor Mike Pellerito who are all very passionate and excited about the future of the line. Mike introduced us to new Sabrina artist Lindsay Cibos, who became another victim of the Secret Identity interview. Lindsey, along with Mr. Pellerito (done at Kids Comic Con) will be featured in a future issue of Secret Identity.
Not only was the Archie booth buzzing with plans of the future, but a special guest brought back memories of the past. Ron Dante, the voice behind the band The Archies, was there on Sunday signing and meeting fans. And, with guitar in hand, Ron sang the # 1 hit “Sugar, Sugar”!
For more on the amazing world of Archie Comics, please go to www.archiecomics.com
4-25-08: First Impressions: Monster Madness--Grave Danger
Brian’s back with some thoughts on another game he saw at New York Comic Con. This time it's South Peak's Monster Madness: Grave Danger! Click here to see what he thought after spending some time with the game.
4-24-08: Nauck 'in on Heaven's Door!
One of the busiest creators in artist alley last weekend was Todd Nauck! Todd had one of the farthest tables away from anyone (although he had some nice neighbors with Phil Jimenez and Dale Eaglesham) yet that didn’t stop the fans from finding him. Todd has had a run of incredible books like Young Justice, Teen Titans Go! and Wildguard. Wildguard is the story of a made-for-TV super team who tried to make the cut to be super heroes. Todd wrote and drew this incredibly innovative story and fans of this series have two things to get excited about! This May Wildguard is back with an all new three issue series. Now, for the toy collector, Shocker Toys is doing a line of Indy characters that will feature Ignacia from Wildguard! Much to Todd’s surprise, The New York Comic Con featured a prototype figure. A full interview with Todd will appear in a future edition of Secret Identity complete with Todd and Matman talking about some earth shattering topics like Kimberly the Pink Power Ranger. To find out more about Todd, go to www.wildguard.com. Our thanks to Mr. Nauck for giving us some time when he really had none to spare
4-23-08: First Impressions--Deca Sports
Brian got to spend some time with Hudson’s Deca Sports for the Wii at New York Comic Con. Click here to head to the gaming page and see what he thought!
4-22-08: Seeing New York Comic Con thru Platinum Eyes
Making its debut this past weekend at New York Comic Con was Gunplay! This trade paperback from Platinum Comics was, if you remember, the winning concept of the 2007 Comic Book Challenge that Secret Identity got behind (and somehow it still won). Writer Jorge Vega and artist Dominic Vivona were on hand all weekend signing book for fans and new comers. And how much is Platinum behind Gunplay? They were giving free sample comics away all weekend and talking to fans about their incredibly diverse line of comics featuring Secret Identity favs like Hero By Night and Arcana’s Clockwork Girl. Acting in the role of 'booth babe' was Dan Forcey, Vice President of Content Development for the Comic Book Challenge. Not only is he an incredible guy, his passion brought people to the land of Arcana and Platinum!
Now the buzz of the show is slowly fading and it’s time to get ready…for the 2008 Comic Book Challenge! Secret Identity is primed to help Platinum and some lucky folks make their comic dreams come true. Who will be this years D.J. Coffman or Mr. Vega? Only time will tell. For more information on submission guidelines and rules, just go to www.comicbookchallenge.com/ and get ready!
Our thanks to everyone at Platinum / Arcana / Drunk Duck / Platinum Studios Mobile for making the weekend special and making Secret Identity feel like part of the family… like our friends Adam Black, Joe Caramagna, Alana Abbott, Fred Van Lente, Rick Hershey, Frank Laperch, D.J., Jorge and Dominic!
Look for a review of Gunplay once Matman stops shaking and hiding!
For more on Platinum Studios go to http://www.platinumstudios.com/
For Sean O’Relley and Arcana Press go to http://www.arcanacomics.com/
...to be continued
4-21-08: New York Comic Con by the Matman
What an incredible weekend! Words and pictures can’t begin to describe how Brian and I feel about everyone we hung out with, interviewed and just bonded with over the past four days! We’ll be talking about this show for months so don’t worry, everyone will get a mention. From the starting gun on Friday to the closing bell on Sunday, it was a whirlwind of interviews, foot blisters and sore throats. Overall we did almost 40 interviews and schmoozed and partied with some of the brightest talent in the comic business.
Our first round of thanks goes to Reed Exhibitions who, for a third year in a row brought the comic world to New York City and invited Secret Identity to cover it. Second would be message boarders (and new BFF’s) Poppadeath and Merrett for not only sharing a room, but sharing the fun and magic with us. Third would be the huge list of people we interviewed and spoke with, from comic book legends to up and coming stars.
Some incredible things that happened to me on a personal level will be expanded on later, but let me give you some highlights:
WatchIng Brian in the Marvel booth talking with Dan Slott. He loves that guy so it made me happy!
Meeting and hanging out with Scott Christian Sava. You all know I’ve been a fan of his Dreamland Chronicles since it first came out and to finally meet face to face was special.
Spending time with Jorge Vega and Dominic Vivona of Gunplay! To see them sell and sign actual copies of the book at the Platinum / Arcana booth was an incredible thing to watch.
Any chance to catch up with Man Of Action Joe Kelly (see picture to left by Perry Fishman). A great guy and a talented writer.
We realized a couple of things on the ride home. First, how lucky we are that people love and enjoy what we do. Second and most important, that it isn’t Brian and I who make Secret Identity fun to listen to, it’s the many talented people who give us something to talk about and those same people who let us interview them. It’s a privilege you even talk to us!
4-21-08: New York Comic Con '08--We've Got Pictures!
Presented for your viewing pleasure, we've posted a bunch of pictures we took at New York Comic Con this past weekend. There will be more on the way, so this is just to get you started. Also, we’ve updated the “Friends of Secret Identity” photo set with new pictures from the show as well, so click here to check out the pictures we took with all of our friends!