Secret Identity--What's New?

Review--Swamp Thing #37 (DC)

1/11/2015

by Brian LeTendre

Charles Soule’s run on Swamp Thing is setting up for an epic finish, and that’s saying a lot given some of the mega-events that have occurred in the pages of Swamp Thing over the past few years.

In this issue, we see the Machine Kingdom choosing their new avatar, and who better than someone who absolutely loathes Alec Holland--Lady Weeds. She exudes so much evil that as a reader I’m just as afraid for the machines as I am for Swamp Thing. Jesus Saiz and Matt Hollingsworth are in perfect sync with the tension Soule is building, as this book is as fun to look at as it is to read.

Everything in this book is racing toward a battle that will rival anything we’ve seen in Swamp Thing before. It’s clear Charles Soule is intent on ending his run with a bang. I’m happy to have been along for the ride and can’t wait to see how this one ends.

'Cover'-ing 75 Years Of The Flash

1/9/2015

by Matman

Listeners to the show know that both Brian and I share a love for the legacy and the current incarnation of THE FLASH. For me the day I picked up my first Flash comic back in 1977, saw his wife Iris killed by the Reverse Flash and witnessed his sacrifice in CRISIS are some of my greatest comic book memories.

And Brian is always quick to point out the fact that every major DC event; reintroduction to Earth 2, all the CRISIS series and FLASHPOINT, had the Flash play a significant role.

And the new Flash series on the CW... don't get us started on how much we love it!

This month, DC is celebrating the Flash with variant covers for 21 comics in the DC line. These covers will be paying homage to some classic covers and done by some of comics best! And some comics like the current Green Lantern feature the Flash making an appearance!

Come celebrate the fun and check out the Flash!

Secret Identity Podcast Issue #639--Lone Ranger and Memetic

1/9/2015

It's Friday, and that means some sweet treats are waiting for your ears. Here's the rundown:

News:
Matt’s upcoming Kickstarter campaign
See Brian Write--Writing Comics episode (http://www.seebrianwrite.com/2014/12/see-brian-write-episode-24-writing.html)

Reviews:
Lone Ranger: Vindicated #1
Memetic #3

Boob Tube:
Constantine
Gotham
Arrow
Twilight Zone
John Carter

Creator Spotlight: Justin Gray
Matt spoke with the writer about his work on All-Star Western and his collaborations with Jimmy Palmiotti at New York comic Fest 2014. You can check out Justin’s past and current projects over at www.paperfilms.com and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/JVGray. You can also grab his short story The Relic Raiders at http://www.amazon.com/Relic-Raiders-Justin-Gray-ebook/dp/B00F0L309C.

You can listen to the episode right here in the player above, or grab us on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening!

Armageddon For The Carbonaro Effect

1/7/2015

by Matman

Longtime listeners of the podcast
may remember early on when Brian
and I traveled down to New York
City for the film premier of the
film ARMAGEDDON FOR ANDY. A
few years later, the films
creators Eugene Lehnert and
Mark Dworkin got to show the film
at United Fan Con in Springfield.
Those in attendance didn't get to
see the conclusion of the film because William Shatner (yes Captain Kirk himself) put an end to the fun.

ARMAGEDDON FOR ANDY is an amazing film about a guy named Andy who has been in love with Bethany since they were little but now she is dating the school jock and as prom draws closer so does a possible nuclear war!

...and not to mention, a cool 'Andy' comic lovingly drawn by Chris Giarrusso! If you are a news site, blog, podcast or any other comic book media, please send me an email and you could get a digital copy of this awesome book.

Now looking back at that time it is great to look back and see where everyone is now...

Eugene Lehnert is working his magic in the OUTER BURROUGHS as well as working with many indie filmmakers and IFC. Look for an interview REAL SOON on an upcoming episode of the show.

Mark Dworkin works at Disney on such shows as PAIR OF KINGS and currently THE THUNDERMANS.

Emme Rylan (who played Bethany) is on General Hospital and has appeared on many soap operas since the film.

Mike Carbonaro (Chip) is the host of his own magic/comedy show on TruTV called THE CARBONARO EFFECT which is a fun and amazing show!

Review--Daredevil #10 (Marvel)

1/7/2015

by Brian LeTendre

I can’t believe I almost missed this issue. My “to read” comics had really started to pile up, and it wasn’t until after I’d read Daredevil #11 that I realized I hadn’t finished the two-part arc with the Purple Man. Digging back through my pile, I found and read what is probably my single favorite issue of a comic in 2014.

While the Purple Man storyline wraps up in a satisfying way, it’s the larger issue Mark Waid and Chris Samnee tackle here that makes this issue special. This is an issue all about depression, and what it does to someone who’s in the throes of it. As someone who has dealt with depression myself, this issue really resonated with me, and the way Waid and Samnee handle it is not only respectful, but important. There’s a clear message to be taken about letting other people help you, and it results in some of the most emotionally powerful pages I’ve read in a long time.

Even if you don’t read Daredevil, or if you missed the first issue of this arc, it’s worth picking up Daredevil #10. This issue is a shining example of how powerful a medium comics can be, and that having a powerful message doesn’t have to come at the cost of an entertaining story. In this case, it elevates a story from entertaining to special.

IDW Purchases Top Shelf

1/6/2015

Press Release

IDW Publishing is purchasing Top Shelf Productions, a leading publisher of independent graphic novels. The news was announced this morning via press release. Financial terms of the purchase was not disclosed.Top Shelf was founded in 1997 by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock and quickly established itself as one of the top publishers for high-quality independent graphic novels. Among the company's notable releases are Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Craig Thompson's Blankets, March by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell, and From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. Top Shelf's publishing model tended to focus on launching comic releases during conventions, which has been controversial with retailers at time.

Per the press release, IDW will be retaining the Top Shelf brand as an independent imprint, and all Top Shelf employees will be retained. Staros will also be joining IDW as the editor in chief of the Top Shelf Brand. His long time partner Warnock will be retiring from comics. IDW will also honor all of Top Shelf's publishing deals and plans, and will continue to pay creators on their current royalties agreement.

Upcoming Top Shelf releases that will now presumably be distributed by IDW include the second volume of March, a new League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Nemo graphic novel and new graphic novels by Nate Powell, James Kochalka and Keith Knight. Top Shelf's website also lists approximately 20 additional upcoming titles with no release date that will now be published under IDW's ownership.

Top Shelf's purchase positions IDW to better compete with publishers such as Boom! Studios, who purchased their own boutique brand in 2013 with the acquisition of Archaia Entertainment. This could also mean wider distribution of Top Shelf books, as IDW has more resources than the smaller publisher.

We wish all those affected by the purchase the best and hope for a smooth transition by all parties involved.

Secret Identity Podcast Issue #638--Copperhead and Daredevil

1/5/2015

It's the New Year, but some things never change, which means it's solid gold ear candy time. Here's the rundown:

Feedback

Reviews:
Daredevil #10
Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1
Copperhead #1
Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952 #1
Tomb Raider Vol. 1: Season of the Witch

Out of the Longbox:
New Teen Titans #1

You can listen to the episode right here in the player above, or grab us on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening!

Kellustrations by Michael Kelleher

1/4/2015

Our friend and fellow Springfield-ian has some awesome news about his latest project!

Restored for the first time directly from the original artwork.

In January 2015, Kellustration will be releasing the first of it’s new ‘MASTERS SERIES’ prints featuring high quality restorations of some of the most important comic art in history.

“We don’t want to throw around another series of ‘scan and publish’ reprints of old material like a lot of publishers do. We want the world to see what these beautiful illustrations really look like.” says Michael Kelleher, president and head illustrator at Kellustration, one of the world’s largest digital comic art restoration companies. “I love how comic fans have embraced collected editions, but I feel that a lot of the collections are lacking when it comes to representing the artwork.”

The Masters Series is a collection of 18 x 24 inch, full color prints reprinting the work of the world’s greatest comic illustrators.

Each image is painstakingly restored using the original art and tear-sheets.
Kelleher explains “We put in upwards of 80 man hours per illustration to ensure that these images receive the respect that they deserve. We will be showing art fans the details and line quality that they’ve most likely never seen. And unlike the wonderful ‘original art’ collections that are popular today, these prints present the line art in the way it was intended to be viewed... clean, complete and in color.” “Printing technology was primitive one-hundred-plus years ago when these comic strips were originally published.” Kelleher added, “When you look at reprints today that are literally just scans of the original printed Sunday comic strips, you are seeing a horrifyingly low quality version of that art. We want remedy that.”

Each print is 2-sided with the full restored image on one side, reproduced at original print size, and a reduced sized scan of the original art and tear sheet on the back.
High quality offset on an off-white stock, the prints are suitable for framing or display in a standard 18 x 24 inch portfolio.

The current release schedule will bring two new prints every two months. The focus of the first few releases will be on Winsor McCay’s ‘Little Nemo in Slumberland’, then Kelleher hopes to expand to other artists and properties. “We are already in talks with licensors about restoring the work of some incredible artists and characters.”

The first two prints will be released on January 27, 2015. A special ‘pre-sale’ price will be available if you order your copies before January 20, 2015. “If you pre-order, you’ll get both prints for $25 plus shipping. That’s $12.50 per print, compared to retail price of $20 each after the release. We’ll also be offering quantity discounts for retailers looking to buy 5 copies or more.”

You can visit kellustration.com for ordering information and get a more detailed look at this important new series of art restorations.

The Art Of McCartney - A Review

1/3/2015

by Matman

I am a huge fan of Paul McCartney from 1962 to 1988. The music he has made since then has not been very good, at least in my opinion. But when you look at one performer no one has a better or more impressive musical legacy than Sir Paul. I feel that Paul needs to work with a producer and a songwriting partner to tell him what is good or not. Look at Paul's ;ast amazing album FLOWERS IN THE DIRT to see what Elvis Costello did for Paul.

so when I first heard about the cover album, THE ART OF MCCARTNEY i got a little concerned mostly because of how I feel about cover songs. I have one simple rule if you're going to cover a song, especially a famous one. The song must be the same length of its original; start the same and end the same. Sure I want the artist to do their style in the song, but I want it to mirror the original.

So here is a brief look at the line-up; KISS, Heart, Brian Wilson, Alice Cooper, Def Leppard, Jeff Lynne, Perry Ferrell, Owl City and about 20 more artists covering 34 of Paul's greatest. Some sound amazing like (my favorite) Owl City's 'Listen To What The Man Says', Smokey Robinson's 'So Bad', KISS doing 'Venus And Mars/Rock Show at 'The Long And Winding Road' by Cat Stevens.

Some don't work at all like Cheap Trick doing 'Jet' and the butchering of one of my favorite Beatles songs 'Things We Said Today' by Bob Dylan.

But this is a serious fun collection! The 2 disc collection comes in a nice box with a DVD showing many of the recording sessions and final versions of the songs.

Beatles fan, McCartney fan or Wings fan... this made me remember why I loved Paul's musical history so much.

Matman Rating: 4.5 out of 5 yeah yeah yeahs!

cover

Forward>>

Review--Swamp Thing #37 (DC)

'Cover'-ing 75 Years Of The Flash

Secret Identity Podcast Issue #639--Lone Ranger and Memetic

Armageddon For The Carbonaro Effect

Review--Daredevil #10 (Marvel)

IDW Purchases Top Shelf

Secret Identity Podcast Issue #638--Copperhead and Daredevil

Kellustrations by Michael Kelleher

The Art Of McCartney - A Review

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