The Comic Book Overlord

This year of Hell, and happiness...

2010-02-19T23:36:00.000-08:00

What the Hell just happened? Wasn't I sitting at a drawing table hundreds of miles away this time last year? How the heck did I get in Wilmington, drawing the final chapters of a graphic novel being published in a few months? Where was my brain when all of this was going on? I can tell you for the past five or six months I have been drawing at a breakneck speed. It has been unlike anything I have tackled in the past. Jesus Christ, before this the longest story I had ever drawn was forty pages long. I've never done a monthly series. Who the hell do I think I am taking on a 150 page graphic novel?

But, then I look at pages 79-80...

This is some of my best work...

This year has also been my best. I've BEEN my best. It has been the peak performance Joseph Campbell talked about. The glimpse into the infinity of parallel mirrors. Jesus, I draw comics. I made money this year DRAWING COMICS! One of the books I worked on in 2009 won a bronze medal Independent Publishers Award. Who the HELL do I think I am doing this kinda crap?

Don't get me wrong...some of it sucks. I don't get out much. I work and I sleep. I cook dinner, drink some wine, then I work. Then, I sleep. Then...you get it. But at the end of every day, which is usually very early in the morning, I have the moment of "man, I draw comics." Yeah, I sleep pretty well.

Behind 50% of the guys hanging art in galleries is a comic book geek wishing for the legitimate chance to work in comics. I know, I was one and know many others. We tend to go pretty extreme and throw the artwork way into left field for the chance to shake things up. But, deep down, we all want to draw Superman. When we don't get the chance we tend to take the "fuck you" attitude and go about painting our id and sexuality all over the canvas. It's childish, I know, but it's pretty sweet getting away with it, I must admit.

When Quarantine comes out this year a lot is going to change. It's all going to be a little different. It's cool. I'm ready for it. But I'm really going to miss it. Mike and I are talking about future projects already. And, Bob Heske and I have a book we're pushing this spring too, but, Quarantine, damn it. I miss you already. I don't know what it's going to be like coming home in the afternoon and only having a single page to draw. Or to wake up in the morning and turn on a television instead of slurping coffee at a drawing table.

But, it is getting late...and holy shit, I draw comics.

20 questions with Monty Borror

2010-01-16T23:03:00.001-08:00

This is a REALLY old interview that I am posting. At a guess I would say...um...8 years? I've just been going through some old files and came back to it. I copied and pasted it from the original site so forgive the typos... but it was fun for me to read it again after soooo long ago. P.S. the Inferno Graphic Novel I'm talking about never took off.

1. Where did you grow up?
On a farm in southern Virginia. Very close to the North Carolina border. My parents moved my sister and me to Raleigh when I was nine or ten. We did some more moving around after that but eventually settled in Charlotte permanently. I consider that my hometown

2. That’s a lot of time in the Bible belt. What kind of effect do you think that had on you?

The opposite of what was intended, I’m sure.

3. Were you drawing as a little kid?

The quick answer would be: My mother has graffiti in her uterus.

4. What brought you to Colorado?

I didn’t so much move to Colorado as move away from Seattle. I was basically getting nothing done there. Just wasting time really. I was always drawing but nothing was really coming from it. I was kind of stuck in that typical artist ego trap of thinking you’re brilliant and no one else can see it because they are so beneath you. The truth of the situation is that the artist becomes a lazy imbecile and expects the world to come to them. That was me.

5. So what changed when you moved to Colorado?

Nothing but my cruddy attitude. and that was all that was necessary. I started doing better immediately. Some of it had to do with the opportunity I had teaching art classes. Generally one’s students become one’s best following. But I think I started taking more responsibility for myself then as well. Instead of wondering why the world wasn’t “letting” me do what I want to do I allowed myself to take on the task of making myself more professional. and actually investing my money in myself was a big help. I know so many artists, many of whom have actual talent but they romanticize this rags to riches story to such a degree they can’t see the sensibility of spending their own money to promote themselves. I’ve learned that if you don’t value your own art no one else will.

6. Did you get shows and work quickly?

Pretty much. There was a gallery here called axis Mundi that showed interest in the first few months I lived here. I hung work there a few times made some sales and showed work at coffee houses in between. Then the restaurants I’ve done work for approached me for illustration and some design work. at the time I was making more money at art than I ever had before in my life. Forget that it was only a few hundred here and there. To me that was a fortune.

7. When did you meet your painting teacher?

My first year in Boulder. I had just been hired at the art store here and one day Bob Venosa walked in. To this day he has no idea that I knew who he was already from the Museum Morpheus web site. It was Bob who gave me my training in classical oil painting. One of the oldest techniques in the world. It was soon there after that I actually found my voice in art. I am convinced it was this painting technique that did this for me. I owe Bob and his partner Martina Hoffman every cent of what I make, metaphorically of course.
8. Do you consider yourself part of the fantastic realists then?

Yes and no. I enjoy it and love the roots it has in the surrealism works. My teachers and their teachers are all part of it. My work is a little more in the field of story telling though. It’s dark. I can’t argue that. It’s fantasy in more of the illustration realm than fine art.

9. Have you ever done a series of paintings or drawings?

Only on a very small scale. I did three paintings bases on the Ctuhulu Mythos by Lovecraft. Just sketches of some of his ideas. I like them but they’re too rough to exibit. I suppose you could say my charcoal portraits are an ongoing series. I’ve done eight of those so far. I think all but two of those are portraits of old Hollywood stars. Myrna Loy, Boris Karloff, Joan Crawford and a few others. I really like doing those. There’s a lot of detail that goes into those charcoals. More than enough to keep me interested.

10. If you had to pick one what would your favorite genre be for painting?

I would say horror or really far out fantasy. I think those are the two facets of art that require the most in translating the imagination into a readable image for the audience. They let an artist expand the possibilities of their own thoughts and forces them to paint those thoughts in a convincing manor. For me, I think that has integrity. I know that some people find horror childish and I really don’t mind because that’s not the only art I do. But I do get very exited when I meet another artist who appreciates it as well.

11. What’s your favorite word?

Stentorian.

12. Name three movies you’ve loved in the past few years.

Donnie Darko. Way of the Gun. Waking Life.

13. Three books?
Blood Meridian by Corrmick McCarthy. American Scream, which is the biography of Bill Hicks. Time Out of Joint by Phillip K. Dick.

14. You’re obviously a fan of comic books. What comics have had the biggest influence on you?

V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd. That book shaped so much of what I still hold true. A lot of my own personal philosophies were shaped by that book when I was fourteen or fifteen years old. I think that book shows so many people what is out in the world. How ugly it gets but how beautiful too. It was a fantastic introduction to a character with perfect integrity. I’ll of course buy anything drawn by Bernie Wrightson, and of course I’ll still pick up X-Men every now and then just to keep in touch. I was a freak for anything Batman when I was a kid. I think I liked that character so much because it showed a guy without any amazing powers being amazing in spite of it. I’ve been looking at Richard Corben’s work lately. I love how distinct his style of drafting is.

15. How important is music when you’re drawing or painting?

It’s everything. Music drives me like a train when I’m working. Entire albums go by with the speed of a single song. That’s how I’ve always pictured myself as a professional artist, sitting in front of my drafting table with fast and loud music filling the room. I would hate to think of being an artist as anything else.

16. How do you think an artist like yourself can be famous in the society we have today. I mean with the internet anyone can post their work and say they’re an artist. Or start a ‘zine to promote their own work.

I really don’t care about that sort of thing anymore. Who cares how you get famous? I think artists should just worry about how to get good. and what’s more, they should worry about it their entire lives. If they’re not constantly concerned with getting better then they’ll be the same their entire life. They create a ceiling for themselves that will never be breached. So get famous. Good advertising will do that. But the people who know will know it’s fake, and it’s the opinion of one’s peers that reflects most.

17. So how do you work into that picture?

If you’re asking what I expect from my art then I would have to say that I expect the work to be famous, not my face. It’s not so much Montgomery Borror doing well as the art itself doing well.

18. You’ve been working on a graphic novel for a while. Can you tell me about it?

The graphic novel is based on Inferno and it’s just a modern retelling of the story with modern characters. I’m over three quarters of the way through it but, luckily, I’ve been busy enough to put it on the back burner for a while. I’m not too concerned about it. It will be finished sometime this year. There’s a funny thing about taking your time like this though. I am so happy with the look of the book but if I go back and look at it from the beginning I see a few inconsistencies. Like the stuff I did a year ago is just a bit different in style from what was done last month. Unfortunately, no matter how much I may like them I will have to go back once I’ve finished and redraw those pages that are just a bit off.

19. Is that part of the pursuit of artistic perfection or just an anal retentive personality?

Well I hope it’s more philosophical than Freudian.

20. The final question is always the same one: What do you want to see happen most in the world in the next decade?

I want the people of the world to assume ultimate responsibility for themselves and stop blaming each other for their personal problems. I would like to see the majority of people acting with clear integrity. I would like for us all to stop being so terracentric and begin to look positively towards exploring what is beyond our own little dome of life. People are too proud of being well grounded and I think it hurts our intelligence as a race to not look up and be curious of what’s outside of the Earth. I don’t believe the aliens are coming to us. I don’t think they ever have. I think it is our responsibility to go to them. If we truly want to evolve we have to take on the burden of deciding our own fate.

Marvel and Disney...What the hey?

2009-10-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

Sure it is unusual...but is Disney owning Marvel a terrible thing? I can't be entirely sold on either argument just yet. But I can say that Disney owning Miramax has actually worked out pretty well. They are now great production company and a distribution company that gives a shot to new independent movies, and with the purchase power of Disney behind them. So one would be inclinded to think it to be a good move.

Of course it is Disney which alone is cause for concern. Are our hopes of rated R comic book movies dashed upon the rocks? Well, look at it this way, if it keeps Fox's paws off of Marvel properties I am all for it.

I do have to comment as well, Marvel really sucks at making their own movies. They are truly terrible. They are falling back on the old habits in the 80's and 90's when they made the Dolph Lungren Punisher and Marc Salinger (yep, J.D.'s kid) Captain America. So putting the character properties in someone else's hands is not so incredibly terrible. I really wish they could have done it on their own, with no one to answer to, but better this than sending themselves into bankruptcy again.

So I would guess my stance is worried...but not panicking.

Here is what happened

2009-09-12T01:29:00.000-07:00

Well...been a few months since I've bothered to write. Write ANYTHING. But I have to preface with the fact that busy doesn't even begin to describe what my days have been like lately. I'll try to elucidate and if you follow, great. If you just think I'm a lazy ass... well, you wouldn't be entirely unfair in that assessment.

So for the past several months I have been working on not one, not two, but three comic book titles. I knocked one out of the way and another grew in its place so until the end of September that is just the way life is. And let me tell you, I love it. I am making the deadlines, albeit barely. This is what an illustrator wants.

The details:

Code Red from Pickle Press, issue one is done and on the shelves. One could order a copy by emailing picklepress.com and paying 5.00 plus shipping if one were so inclined. So incline yourself.

Next up, I just finished a short story for the one and only Robert Heske (The Night Projectionist writer.) Fans of horror are definitely going to dig this. It is another book of short stories based on the idea of 2012 myths as reality. When the printin' is done you will be told where to get your copy but good bets are on keeping up with coldbloodedchillers.com to find out. Hell, the last book I did with him won the bronze IPPY award so who knows what roof this will blow off.

The new title is a story for a book called Grave Conditions from Scott Nicholson at hauntedcomputer.com. You can trust be on the baddassedness of Scott's writing and this will be a book to look for and demand from your local retailer. I'm doing things a little differently for this one just to shake up my own artwork a bit. No more details until Scott sees the work.

Lastly, the BIG KAHUNA. I am working on a new graphic novel for Insomnia Publications. Those who know me already know I was published in their anthology book Layer Zero, Choices. After another title's writer flaked out on me they were kind enough to throw me another bone. This book is called Quarantine and is written by the hyper talented Michael Moreci. Describing this one is hard without being derivative. I could say things like 28 Days later meets Escape from New York, but really not like New York, more like The Stand. But not entirely. You see were this is going... it would take another paragraph. But Mike and I were already discussing the push for San Diego next year so you can see that this is going to be huge. I'll be done with the drawing on this by the end of 2009. We will have to see what happens with the colors as I'm trying to find someone with no life to color it for me. If not, I'll be doing the deed myself which will add about another two months. After which, I think I'll have a drink.

Heske and I are already plotting for 2010 so be on the lookout for more from us as well...

As far as my waking life is concerned, much has happened as well. I have, after almost 20 years become a non-smoker. Believe me, I am a complete dick right now so better that I stay at home and get my drawing done. I don't know who out there has attempted this before but I'm pretty sure I could shake heroin after this. It is truly awful so, kids, don't ever start.

I also have moved back to my home state of North Carolina. In the process I have reconnected with so many of my old friends and family and am kind of gushing over it. You never know exactly how much you missed someone until you get the chance to see them or hear from them. It sounds stupid I know, but it is on my mind and this IS a blog, isn't it?

That's about it for tonight. This entry doesn't really follow the format of this site. Hell, I'm supposed to be writing about new comics and movies. But, screw it, I like this site and so what if it has become a little personal. Next entry: Marvel and Disney and DC getting their own studio at WB. I promise I have a few things to say about these.

Sorry for any typos. I kinda puked this one out.

That's : Award Winning Bone Chillers Thanks very much.

2009-06-07T13:20:00.000-07:00

BONE CHILLER has won a Bronze medal at the 2009 Independent Publisher Book Awards in the Horror category.

This just doesn't seem to stop for us. Every time I turn around either it's a good review on USAtoday's site or a damn IPPY award. WHEN WILL IT END????!!!

This is actually my first association with a book that won an award so you can imagine I am more than elated. I think R. Heske has been incredibly kind to include me in his anthology and am happy just to contribute at all.

This calls for a beer.

But then what doesn't?

I've had it with FOX

2009-04-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

Normally, I try not to be a Negative Nancy with my blog. I'm not about burning bridges or anything and am very interested in giving everyone a fair shake. But after much internal dialogue I feel it is my duty to rant a little bit. So get ready with your grains of salt as this is just one guy's opinion of sticking it to The Man.

Fox Studios as a film company has been more than dubious of late and their "Let's take 'em to court" business model has me suspicious of their creative abilities. After sitting on The Watchmen for so long and being on record as saying the movie was "impossible" to make they went forth with a contract to WB to allow them the rights to make one of the best adaptations I have ever seen. But of course WB in their rush of giddiness failed to read the fine print and got slapped with a lawsuit regardless. Lately we have watched Fox destroy the story lines to many of fandom's favorite characters to dumb them up for a public who loves American Gladiators and Professional Wrestling. It would almost seem as though Rupert Murdoch doesn't have a lot of faith in the average American intellect. This is obviously the reason that Fox News can exist at all by creating false news stories.

I would love for everyone to remember the fact that every time you watch Fox television or a Fox movie, one way or another you are putting money into the pocket of Bill O'Reilley. By spending your hard earned dollars for a Fox film, Fox News can exist whether it turns a profit or not. I think Fox is a perfect example of what happens to an entertainment company when they have no one creative in charge of anything and the company is run entirely by business executives.

Unfortunately, Marvel is in a lock with Fox at this point and WB and DC Comics are the same entity. All that leaves are the independents. Although it is difficult to refer to Dark Horse and Image as independent anymore. But as far as I am concerned there is absolutely no reason an independent comic book company should be dealing with Fox at all. For your consideration I would like to recommend a company by the name of Screen Gems Studios located in beautiful Wilmington, North Carolina. They are one of the studios behind the Underworld films among others successful franchises. I would love to see Screen Gems corner the market on films produced by independent comics. They seem to be more of a company willing to take creative risks and for that I applaud them.

Just click the video below to see where your money really goes.

Marvel seeks the New Generation

2009-03-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

I got the following post from www.superherohype.com

Marvel Entertainment is Hiring Writers
Source:Variety March 27, 2009

Marvel Entertainment is readying to assemble a group of writers who will pen scripts for various properties Marvel wants to develop, reports Variety.

Marvel will invite up to five writers each year to work on specific projects. Those could include staffers behind Marvel's comic books.

The trade adds that the company will provide the specific pitches it wants the writers to tackle. Those could involve certain plot points for movies already in development or characters it would like to see in its future film slate.

The gathering of screenwriters will help Marvel come up with creative ways to launch its lesser-known properties, such as Black Panther, Cable, Doctor Strange, Iron Fist, Nighthawk and Vision.

So far, it has focused its efforts on more popular superheroes like Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America.

A group of Marvel executives will choose the writers, with the final decision made by Kevin Feige, Marvel Studio's president of production.

Terms call for Marvel to own whatever the writers work on during the year. Company has the option to continue a relationship with the writers after that period

Now could be your chance, Attention Robert Heske, Attention Scott Phillips

Updates: long over due

2009-03-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

For those who actually do follow this blog, I suck. But in defense of my absense let me say: I have been REALLY busy. And I don't mean the kind of busy you tell your friends when you just don't feel like hanging out. I mean drawing every day for hours upon end. Marketing for any amount of time I can possibly manage. Not to mention keeping my day job going during the second Great Depression.

To start, the progress on The Legend of Boudicca has been nothing short of spectacular. I am nearly done with the inks on issue one and we will start promoting the book to publishers this spring. The Legend of Boudicca is written by Joey Ellison.

I will start work imediately after on a project for Nik Havert at Pickle Press featuring the fitness model April Hunter titled Code Red. It is an incredibly cool promo comic for April so keep in touch with Pickle Press on release dates.

Also this summer you can see a pin-up that I created for Robert Richardson's up coming release Old School published by Arcana Comics. The precursor, The Matriarch is available for order at Arcanacomics.com

Finally you can order copies of Layer Zero: Choices from Insomnia Publications featuring the story Nearest and Dearest written by Greg Carruthers and illustrated by myself. You can visit their site at theredeye.co.uk/

Check back with me in a day or two as I have a few reviews I've been working on and may have some more of my info available as well.

Cheers

More Heske Horror!!!!

2009-02-28T14:22:00.000-08:00

This is the brilliantly producd trailer for the Upcoming BONE CHIILER, a new book from Heske Horror. This book is an anthology of short stories brought together from the Cold Blooded Chillers mini series (issue 2 featuring art by yours truly.) It feature not one but two pages from the story I worked on with Mister Heske. Just look for the lady with the blood flying all around her and you will know its me.

This series and now this new book has been so acclaimed by reviewers and critics it has been like shooting fish in a barrel. I highly reccomend picking up an issue and seeing what all the hubbub is about.

Thank you GOD!!!!!!!!!

2009-02-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

The following was posted 5 days ago on a message board and is the best possible news for independent comic creators and publishers. The only thing I ask of readers is not to get too excited, yet. Until the official launch and announcement is made all of your questions can not be answered. Please do not inundate these guys with phone calls and emails until they make the official announcement. You are only going to take up their time, precious time they need to work out all the kinks. So let it be for right now and just be happy that something this cool is being worked on as we speak.

"Ka-Blam Digital Printing to Launch Direct Market Comics Distribution SystemFebruary 1st, 2009
First things first, we really appreciate all the well-wishing and kind words directed our way since our cryptic little announcement a few days back.
Distribution into the direct comics market system is something we've had on the drawing board almost since we launched in 2005. It's a daunting prospect and we've spent a lot of time over the last couple of years puzzling through how we wanted to approach it. We had planned to roll out a brief pilot program of sorts – offering a limited catalog of items available only to a handful of volunteer retailers – by summer of this year. And then take what we learned from that program, retool a bit, add the full catalog, and launch the actual service sometime this fall.
The best laid schemes of mice and men …
With news of the developments in the direct market in January and their impact on independent publishers, we began getting pummeled with messages and emails all asking a variance of the same thing "When are you guys going to start distributing to comics shops?"
We realized that a multi-month pilot program, an indeterminate retooling period, and an official launch 9 months or so from now were off the table for good. Circumstances were dictating the pace. We couldn't wait any longer.
We've got to go now.
This is less than ideal, but unavoidable. We know that just as with the launch of Ka-Blam and then again with IndyPlanet, there will be unforeseen complications, fits and starts, and hiccups aplenty along the way. Things will not always go smoothly. We'll make mistakes, but we'll correct them. It'll certainly take us a while to get our legs under us and to fully hit our stride. We beg your indulgence during this time and promise you that your patience will be rewarded.
There will be a lot more information in the coming days, but for now here are the basics –
Ka-Blam Digital Printing is launching a print-on-demand distribution service to direct market comics shops.
To avoid confusion with our existing business model at Ka-Blam.com the direct market distribution system will be its own entity with its own unique site and url.
ComicsMonkey is the entity and comicsmonkey.com is the url. Other than this blog, there's not much to see here just yet. We're putting the site together behind the curtain.
As in the current distribution system ComicsMonkey will sell products to retail outlets on a non-returnable basis at a discount off of cover price. And that's pretty much were the similarities with the current system end.
This is true print-on-demand … so the entire ordering process will be very different for both suppliers and retailers. But particularly for suppliers (publishers and creators).
How so? No benchmarks. No thresholds. No minimum orders. No prejudice against offering items again … as matter of fact your items once listed will always be available. ALWAYS.
For those of you familiar with our online shop IndyPlanet.com you'll find a lot of similarities between the way IndyPlanet operates and the way ComicsMonkey will operate. The primary difference of course being that IndyPlanet is a retail site that will accept orders from anyone and ComicsMonkey will accept orders only from registered, verified comics retailers.
For suppliers (publishers) here's how it will work.
For retailer specific information please click here.
Go read. We'll wait.
Back? OK, so … that's the basics.
Like, I mentioned there will be a lot more in the way of specifics in the coming days.
I know that this information probably excited many of you and at the same time I'm sure there are a few reading this who had hoped for more or are disappointed by parts of our plan. There are aspects of the plan we're not happy with, but in all cases we've made an effort to create the best program that the circumstances allow. Do we wish the retailer discounts could be steeper? Absolutely. Would we like to be able to pay publishers a higher percentage of cover price? Goes without saying. But we're subscribers to the economic theory of enlightened self-interest. So while our goal is to create a system that not only preserves independent comics and allows their publishers and creators to prosper in a way that they haven't for almost a generation, we recognize that we can't help anybody if we can't first stay a profitable business.
There's no road to follow here. No one's tried anything exactly like this before. But we're excited to be blazing the trail.
So what's next?
Right now the shopping cart system is installed and we're working on the custom code and modifications to the system that will integrate with the software at Ka-Blam and track the sales and earnings. Once we're convinced that's functional and working properly, we'll begin the process of building the catalog and registering retailers.
We'll announce here whenever the ComicsMonkey listing editor is in place at the Ka-Blam User Control Panel. We're working on a mechanism that will allow those of you with IndyPlanet listings to create a similar ComicsMonkey listing with a few simple clicks.
OK … so this has already run on much longer than I had intended it to but I've got just a couple of more things …
Earlier I asked for your patience while we get our infrastructure in place. I'm also going to ask that you not deluge me with messages and emails. I know you've got questions and I want to give you answers. That's why we've started this blog. Things will go a lot more smoothly if I answer those questions publicly once rather than having to answer them over and over again privately. Please keep in mind that at the same time we're building this new system, we're also cranking out orders at Ka-Blam for convention season and IndyPlanet orders are absolutely exploding!
So feel free to ask your questions here if you'd like. But please check and make sure someone else hasn't already asked and received an answer to the same or a similar question.
Lastly, I want to ask your help.
This is a huge undertaking and we've got a small staff and only so many hours in a day. A print-on-demand distribution system has enormous potential for growing the independent press. Many creators could benefit greatly from this, but only if we work together.
What we need is for creators to voluntarily act as liaisons between us and their local retailers.
If you're an independent creator or publisher then it's very likely that you've got a good relationship with your local comics shop owner or manager. You know them a lot better than we do or ever could. Let them know what we're doing. Tell me them who we are and why you're excited about it all. Show them the site once it goes live. Show them your books on the site. Show them some of the other great titles at the site. Tell them why they should register and why they should place an order. Tell them that if they support us, then we'll support them. We'll build a section here showcasing our retail partners. We'll post a picture of their store, their location, their store hours, etc. And we'll encourage our customers at Ka-Blam – and even at IndyPlanet – to shop there.
We can do this, but we can't do it without your help.
I'll stop here for now. If you have questions … fire away.
Barry Gregory
Posted in News and Information 1 Comment »Retailer InformationFebruary 1st, 2009
Retailers must be registered and verified to place orders at ComicsMonkey.com.
– Please NOTE: Retail order registration is not yet open. We'll announce here as soon as it is. –
Both processes are far less painful than they sound. Registration is simply a matter of creating a username, password, and profile – basically telling us who you are and where you want your products shipped. Verification is about providing us with a valid resell certificate from whatever state or states (or country if outside the US) in which you do business. We'll sell to brick and mortar stores as well as to online shops (however online shops must have an active, functioning comics-based site already in place).
At the time you register you can request a free sample packet. The sample packet will contain a few items from our catalog – some comics, a trade paperback, and a t-shirt, etc.
No cost to you. We want you to see the type of comics we offer and the quality of the printing.
As to ordering from us … it couldn't be easier. There's no phonebook-sized monthly catalog for you to slog through, no advance ordering, no new-book-Wednesday. With print-on-demand there's no need for advance ordering at all.
Our entire catalog will be online and available 24-7-365. If it's listed on our site it is available immediately. You can order today and have it on your shelves in about a week. We're anticipating a few dozen products available at launch and (if our growth rate at IndyPlanet.com is any indicator) hundreds and hundreds more to follow in very short order. The catalog will be categorized by genre, product type, and rating, as well as by status — "New"', "Featured", etc. Browsing will be easy to the point of almost effortless.
If you think the only great comics out there are found in that phonebook-sized catalog mentioned earlier, then you're in for an enormous surprise. Just hop on over to IndyPlanet.com and take a look around if you don't believe me. There's some absolutely TERRIFIC stuff there. Many (hopefully ALL) of the comics you see there will also be available at ComicsMonkey in relatively short order.
At ComicsMonkey.com there will be detailed descriptions of each product and large sample graphics. The ordering process will be driven by an OS Commerce based shopping cart system. Powerful, but very simple to use. Find an item or items you want, put it in your cart, adjust the quantity, and checkout. Your discount will be calculated at checkout and you'll receive an invoice.
Our beginning discount will be 35%. Yes, we'd like to be able to increase that over time and after building working relationships with retailers, but for now that's what it will be. All sales must also be prepaid at least for the foreseeable future.
All sales are final and non-returnable (except for damages of course). Retailer pays all shipping costs, though we'll use the lowest cost shipping on a given order. USPS flat rate will be used whenever possible, unless the retailer requests otherwise.
There's no minimum order, no order fees of any kind.
Posted in Retailers No Comments »Supplier (Publisher) informationFebruary 1st, 2009
So for suppliers (publishers) here's how it will work –
1) You must be a registered user at Ka-Blam.com. It's free and easy so don't worry about that.
2) For anything you want to offer for sale at ComicsMonkey you must first place an order at Ka-Blam. You don't have to actually buy anything if you don't want. Your order can have a quantity of "0" and there's no setup fee. The purpose of the order is to get you and your items into the Ka-Blam system. Each user is assigned a user number and each item has an item number – this is how we track and manage everything. If you're already a registered Ka-Blam user and have placed orders in the past for the same items you'd now like to sell them you're already covered.
3) Once you and your items are in our system you'll be able to be to access the ComicsMonkey listing editor. Publishers are responsible for creating and maintaining their own listings and sample graphics (within our guidelines of course). Publishers will set their own prices as well (although again this MUST be within our guidelines).
4) Once your listing has been approved, it'll go live in the catalog.
5) With each order of your item … from the very FIRST item sold … you'll accumulate earnings.
Everything so far is virtually the same as at IndyPlanet, but here's where things vary. At IndyPlanet you set your price and then receive the difference between that price and your printing costs. It can't work that way here because ComicsMonkey is selling to retailers who in turn have to resell the item at an increased price to make a profit. So instead you'll get a percentage of the cover price, probably 10% but we haven't set this in stone yet. I know that sounds like a low number, but it's really not. If your cover price is $3.99 (which will be a common cover price) then your earnings on each sale will be $0.40. If you have a trade paperback priced at say $19.99 then you'll earn $2 on each sale.
Yes, those numbers are lower than what you would make on a similar sale at IndyPlanet. However, IndyPlanet is just one outlet. ComicsMonkey has the potential to get your products into many, many outlets worldwide. So while your earnings per item will be lower, the volume could potentially be much higher.
Keep in mind that you as publisher at ComicsMonkey have NO out of pocket costs. None. You have no printing costs, no shipping costs. We sell your book, we print your book, we ship your book, we pay you.
And — as we do with IndyPlanet listings — you'll be able to monitor your sales and earnings from your Ka-Blam User Control Panel and request a payout via Paypal at ANY time and for ANY amount that you've earned.
And at ComicsMonkey (as at IndyPlanet) you'll be able to list comics, trade paperbacks, posters, and t-shirts."

Attack of the Show

2009-02-05T22:38:00.000-08:00

Hey!!! I'm on TV!!!!

2009-02-04T23:45:00.001-08:00

Not really me, But this artwork was. It is a page I'm working on for an upcoming coming comic from Imagination Comics called The Legend of Boudicca. It aired tonight on Attack of the Show on G4. I'm going to try to get a copy of the show for the site so you can check it out later. But for now bask in the glory of my brush with notoriety. The truth is anyone could have faxed anything into the show tonight, and by the looks of things, they did. But Mine was the first piece on the show and I thank them for their kind words in regards to my art.

Hey, Joey, We're FAMOUS!

Gimme Skelter: The Manson Revival

2009-01-27T17:26:00.001-08:00

Gimme Skelter arrived last week from writer/director Scott Phillips and I have had the opportunity to watch it twice. This is pretty common for me to do when reviewing but I can honestly tell you that I would have watched it twice review or not.

Like a call back to 1970's slasher flicks, Gimme Skelter is set in a dusty New Mexico fly spec of a town. Everyone knows everyone. Convenience stores run on the honor system. There is a little strip club up the highway, far enough away so your wife won't find you. One restaurant on the main street and if you were to cheat on your girlfriend she is more likely to catch you red handed than finding out from a friend.

Our story begins with such a scenario when the main character is introduced to a group of new arrivals in town. Like a horrific version of the Scooby-do gang these kids have traveled to town with one purpose: kill as many local yokels as possible before sunrise. The group is held together by their Messianic leader who is, or believes himself to be, the son of Charles Manson. Their will and there actions are brutal, when you see the fate of Deputy Lester you will understand. I cringe ever time I see that blade twist. And pay particular close attention when you see the random posters for a missing girl. Just...trust me. I'm not saying another word about that.

This film is more of a fun slasher romp (I can't believe I wrote that...that's terrible) than Scott's previous movie "The Stink of Flesh." The comedy seems to fly a little easier with "Gimme Skelter," which makes sense considering Scott is writing without the weight of a zombie Apocalypse on his back. The production seems a litter slicker too. The shots are framed a bit more consistently and like all good editing, you can't tell the editor is there.

I always like it when a director makes a new film using a regular group of actors and crew. It has a great welcome back, we have a new story for you feeling. So if you have seen Stink of Flesh you will recognize a lot of the talent and actually be impressed by some of the new comers. Plus you have the added luxury of watch none other than Gunner Hansen (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) do some quality acting and some quality ass kicking. Hansen's performance has a swagger to it that can't be denied.

So all told the film is fun, sexy, and when you figure out what's up with the missing girl you are going to love this movie.

Art contest

2009-01-25T19:25:00.000-08:00

Just as a heads up to those who may be aspiring artists. Go to www.comicbookmovie.com to enter the Hulk Vs. art contest. First prize is 200 bucks and there are dvd givaways for the runners up.

Chow.

Melissa Harris spoken word film

2009-01-25T12:24:00.000-08:00

For a bit of backround, Melissa Harris and I are great friends. We were inseperable for years when I lived in Charlotte. Considering ourselves to be young intellectuals, there was no world problem we could not solve over a Guinness and shots of Jack Daniels. Having just moved back to the southeast we have gotten back in touch and I am so proud of what she has been up to in my absense. The video below is her spoken word, documentary style, and it is incredibly powerful. You can find Melissa on facebook and for those of you living in Charlotte you may actually be able to catch her spoken word live.

2009-01-22T22:24:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered this company on comicspace.com and was intrigued as to what they were about. I'm quoting directly from the interview questions I wrote so you will be wont of any of my own geek savvy writing on this posting. If you are an artist out there looking to have someone besides your mom in your corner I would recommend dropping this site a mail. You can get there by clicking the image above.

About BelkisNYC
Belkis NYC is a online marketing tool created specifically for independent artists. The website officially opened in January of 2009 to provide marketing tips, ideas, and strategies for its readers. Belkis NYC seeks to open opportunities for all artists to have their works recognized by the public.

About Belkis:
Belkis is best known for being the co-host of The Comic Book Novice radio show on the Long Island station, WGBB, and being the cover model for the Novastar Studios 2009 Fantasy Illustration Calendar. After leaving the radio show, she concentrated on producing strategies for online marketing.

1 What is your attraction to comics and the comic book industry?

My attraction to comics and the comic book industry are the artists. They have passion and love for the craft. I have never met another group of people who do this because they genuinely enjoy creating something.

2 What does your website/company do best?

BelkisNYC successfully gives basic marketing tips to creative minds who need direction for promoting their projects, company, or business.

3 What is your personal definition of success?

My personal definition of success is making a difference. If I can get just one person to buy a book or attend an event, it can help spread the word about an unknown talent.

4 Who is getting it right? Or give an example within the industry

of what you admire.

I definitely know that Marvel is doing something right. Although not an independent company, they certainly know how to impact you with great stories, characters, artists, events, promotions, advertisements and marketing. They use everything the world has to offer in order to get a huge audience. I know people may argue that they have money to spend but they are using internet tactics that individuals with little financial help can use as well.

5 what significant change would you like to see within the next

five years?

I would like the public to demand more independent work.

More good reviews

2009-01-22T22:14:00.000-08:00

http://indycomicreview.com/

Just to give you guys a heads up the comic Cold Blooded Chillers which I illustrated the story "Her First Day Alone" was reviewed again. Some very nice word written on us there.

Thanks

Penguin, Killer Croc and Riddler in one film

2009-01-19T23:25:00.000-08:00

Casting:
Riddler= Hugh Laurie
Killer Croc= Tyler Mane
Penguin= Paul Giamatti

How these characters fit together is a bit of a rip off on my part. But it keeps with the over all tone of the new incarnation of Batman films. Intertwining these three characters into one story and one film is actually a task I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. But for the love of God if something isn't done we are just going to get Catwoman again. So this is a vain attempt to block that avenue before the parade leaves.

I would like to see the Penguin treated as a mob boss. Plain, simple, no super-villain status. What's more the umbrella and quacking laugh have to be discarded. Replace the umbrella with a cane that has a retractable blade on one end and a single shot shotgun shell on the other. Black suits only, no tux. Most importantly, the name Penguin is only used as an insult in hushed tones. If Oswald even hears the word penguin there is a body on the floor with a puncture wound draining blood.

We work in Killer Croc as a bodyguard for Oswald and hired hand. I believe Tyler Mane to be a no brainer for this role. Like the character he is a professional wrestler and could work that in to Croc's fighting style. Not to mention he's bigger than a Swedish thyroid gland. To take away the mutation in the comics that leaves him looking A LOT like a crocodile, the movie back story simple says his looks are a result of Proteus Syndrome (see Elephant Man.)

Most Batman hardcore's consider the Riddler to be Joker-lite and many despise him for that reason. So the film should use that, and run with the sentiment, making the Riddler a Joker copycat. Equal delusions but far less talent.

The Riddler's attempts to disrupt and embarrass Penguin's mafia operations is merely annoying at first. But after he manages to actually kill a few of the mafia enforcers the Penguin is after him in the worst way, killing dozens of minor B-list badguys to get after him. This forces the Batman's hand as to protect the Riddler from getting himself killed.

Nolan likes to set themes or motifs for these movies, "It gets worse before it gets better," being the idea behind The Dark Knight. My suggestion for the third installment? "To be good, sometimes you must protect the bad." As the United States releases victims of our recent torture policies who may or may not be guilty, I think we can all agree it has relevance.

The Stink of Flesh

2009-01-15T00:39:00.000-08:00

Alright, there is a little background to cover with this one. Please hang in there. I promise it will be worth it.

A few years ago I worked at an art supply store in Boulder, Colorado. One of our favorite pastimes at the store was to write our "Top Ten " or Top Five" lists. Yeah, we had all seen High Fidelity and we happened to be like minded individuals. I was the second oldest, next to a forty-something intellectual who happened to be a walking encyclopedia of punk rock and horror film knowledge. Needless to say, conversations were interesting, heated and this may have been one of the best moments of my life working in this environment.

ANYWAY...one day this guy walks in and buys some kinda crap on my day off. While the forty year old future version of myself is ringing him up, this guy is very amused by all of our top tens which at this point we had placed under Plexiglas at the register. He looks over our "top ten Zombie films" and speaks up, " I just worked on/produced a Zombie movie. I'll give you a copy if you want to see it"

Who this man was I can't tell you. Like I said, it was my day off. But the next week was my birthday, and this film was what my coworkers gave me, not escaping my attention that it was free.

This film was "The Stink of Flesh" and was by far the best birthday present I have ever received.

Now I am not one that needs to be converted to the "Zombie Film" genre. In fact, you're speaking to the choir. So if you're not one for this sort of thing, this film is not about converting you. But if you are already there, do yourself the favor. One thing, NEVER addressed in any apocalyptic setting is the fact that we can't control who lives and who dies. Sometimes the people making do with what they have are not the stereotypical versions we have been spoon fed for the past few decades of film making. In fact, sometimes they are far from what we could ever expect. But, that's just the way it is. And these fringe characters can be even more interesting than those films that show cardboard images of what we know and are comfortable with. Oddly enough, that fact is half the entertainment of this film.

The writer/director, Scott Phillips, found a really good "IN" for this script. A starting point that most who consider themselves writers never would have come up with. I find myself wanting to quote instances from the film but I am terrified of giving ANYTHING away. What has to be brought to your attention is the fact that he made this movie for nothing. Last I heard, "Clerks" cost a total of 25,000 with a lot of maxed out credit cards at the end of filming. That is a micro budget. "The Stink of Flesh" can only be called a Nano-budget by comparison. I have heard between 2-3 thousand. We throw the word genius around a lot in film making, but even Woody Allen gets tens of millions to shoot celluloid these days. Who the hell makes a GOOD movie for a few grand? Well, Scott Phillips does.

Currently Scott has a few more projects in the works, a mini series comic that Tim Seeley from "Hack/Slash" is illustrating and a short story comic illustrated by Andy Khun. He also happens to be one of the staff writters for Kamen Rider Dragon Knight airing Saturdays on the CW network. I believe the next two episodes specifically are writen by Scott. I am also terriby excited that his new film "Gimme Skelter" has become available and in a short time I will have a copy to review. Stay tuned to this guy. Be happy these sort of filmmakers exist, and be a bit sad there aren't more of them.

Click on the image above to order a copy of The Stink of Flesh

The Night Projectionist

2009-01-12T18:29:00.000-08:00

I received word recently that Robert Heske has outdone himself and his comic book "The Night Projectionist" published by Studio 407 and illustrated by Diego Yapur has been picked up by Myriad pictures for film rights.

For all of you independents out there this is great news. It proves to you that hard work does indeed pay off and to keep your nose to the grindstone. No stopping, no giving in. It may take a year, it may take a decade. Less whining, more working.

One thing I would I would like to point out beyond the obviously accomplished writing is the ultra professional artwork, worthy of being emulated by whomever gets the directors chair. His work has created a detailed , scratchy world where imperfections blend into highly representational line work Visually, the concept art for the film would do well to start there.

As far as Heske is concerned, I don't think there's any stopping this guy. In five years I am betting there will be a new film studio or some such entity with the name HESKE emblazoned on the top of a skyscraper. To pick up more of his comics go to coldblooded chillers.com and view one of his recent creations. Do it now because once this movie is out these books are going to sell out quickly.

Cold Blooded Chillers

2009-01-07T16:55:00.000-08:00

This comic series has an obvious personal investment. I actually drew the story "Her First Day Alone" in the second issue of the series. Having admitted my personal bias I have a strong recommendation for all comic readers, pick up this series as soon as you possibly can. The writer of the series is a Mister Robert Heske and while not only being one of the best publishing experiences I've had he is one of the hardest working men in this business. His work is breaking into the mainstream in a big way that I will reveal in my next couple of postings. Point being, one would be wise to get on the Heske bandwagon now.

Remember how superior you felt when you were the first of your friends to listen to The Stooges or The Misfits, its going to be a similar feeling.

The cover art in this images was created by Jay Fife

As if you needed more reason:

"psychological suspense at it's best" USAToday

click the cover art to go to coldbloodedchillers.com

Check Out COMICBOOKMOVIE.COM

2009-01-07T16:05:00.000-08:00

In case anyone is wondering my source for the vast majority of info I write about, 90% of my research is done on comicbookmovie.com. Not to mention I have exchanged emails with their man Jim, (give him a raise) and he couldn't be a nicer guy. For other sites out there, no matter what your genre, you would do well to be this good and this personable with your readers.

Keep up the good work.

More Self Promotion

2008-12-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

I had some requests to post a few pages that I have yet to place on my blog. These are all from stories I have illustrated in the last year or so. Hope you enjoy what yous ee here and let me know if there are further requests.

The Flash

2008-12-14T22:18:00.000-08:00

As a kid The Flash was another favorite of mine. I can't really say why, There are cooler characters out there, but in elementary school, if I had a red shirt on I was the Flash during recess. So should The Flash be essentially a kids movie that retains the charm I saw in it as a child or should it make the same leap as a lot of other comics and present itself to an adult audience? Most often studios seek to compromise and make a movie somewhere between adult and child. Too often this leads to mediocrity . It is a priority for the producers and director to be on the same page about this and decide what kind of movie they want to make.

I prefer the Bartholomew "Barry" Allen days, but I am admittedly nostalgic. This would require an origin rewrite because I don't see anyone buying the lightning bolt striking a bunch of chemicals on a shelf crap. But I have already had an idea that would be a better substitute. For those of you who may not know, Barry Allen stores his costume in a ring he wears. Once he opens the ring and the costume fibers are exposed to air the costume expands to normal, wearable size. So Barry is a chemist by trade, in my version of the origin he is working on a protective suit for soldiers encountering different environments. The suit is actually a series of nanobots stored in a ring to expand over the soldiers body once the ring is activated. But for the purpose of this story the nanobots spread over the body too slowly, he is looking for an instantaneous effect. To overcome his quandary, Barry invents a synthetic gas that accelerates the nano-technology...an accident occurs...aaaaand you see where this is going.

Now my redesigns for the Flash uniform have reasons behind the redo. First I think it should look more like a runners outfit and this is one of the few times I forgo my aversion to spandex. aerodynamics would be important so to this one I'll turn a blind eye. I based my design on an old Cadillac style and you can see I've skipped the gold and replaced it with chrome. Much more sleek and modern in my opinion.

The director of this film needs to keep in mind that the old fail-safe of just running the actor in fast forward is not going to work anymore. We are going to need some truly sci-fi worthy special effects to show The Flash's amazing powers. It would be wise to assign a concept art team that only works on those effects.

I'll add more to this post concerning the main villians but I want to have some casting in mind before I write those parts.

Superman: The Man of Steel

2008-12-07T22:12:00.000-08:00

It took me a few scenes, but I think I started getting used to Brandon Routh as Superman at about the same time he did. He started with the acting chops of oil soaked cardboard but seemed to progress with the film and perhaps he could just make out Christopher Reeves boots (in need of filling) just over the horizon. I think pretty much every avid fan wants to give the kid another chance and see what he can really do.

The same, unfortunately can not be said of Brian Singer. I read an article a while back that stated Singer was at a loss to create conflict for a character that powerful, hence the Superbaby story line, arguably the worst plot line in film history. Now, if one has been handed a movie franchise of this magnitude and can't think of a conflict then they are just not the right person for the job. Hate to say it because pretty much all of his other films are brilliant but there should be no invitation to return for Mister Singer.

One thing I must always insist upon are those fantastic opening credits. Singer actually did such a good job on this part of the movie I got chills. Maybe a tear or two.

WHAT I WANT TO SEE:

Immediately following those credits we should see an alien entering our solar system. An alien with no space suit riding on what appears to be a chopper. Enter Lobo, stage right. He arrives at Earth and eventually, Metropolis. Lobo is a bounty hunter for those of you who may not be familiar, and he has a contract to find Superman. After making enough of a mess Superman confronts him and pretty much wipes the road with him. But it was never Lobo's job to take Superman in, or out as the case may be. All he had to do was find him. There is another, bigger and far more dangerous being coming for the Last Kryptonian, that is Doomsday.

But in my little version of the DC Movie Universe, Doomsday is just a thug. He too was sent by another being, an entity from another world who simply wants the honor of extinguishing every atom of Krypton that ever existed: Darkseid.

There is a lingering problem. How the hell to we get rid of Superbaby?Do we just reboot and pretend it never happened? Perhaps there is a crystal in the Fortress of Solitude that can wipe the kids memory, and Lois' memory as well. Hell while you're at it, wipe my memory that it ever happened along with all the other mistakes in Superman Returns.

CASTING:

I know the hate mail is revving up but Vin Diesel is my choice for Lobo. A couple of design changes and just leave out the wig altogether and I say give it a chance. I based my Lobo drawing on this page on Vin Diesel and think it could work. (p.s. the changes in the Superman costume are mine as well.)

The Green Lantern

2008-12-05T16:52:00.000-08:00

I'm going to try and not over gush on this film as I have spent way to much of my daily life fantasizing about it as it is.. I know pre-production has begun and already I've been hearing things through the grapevine that make me cringe with horror. An example would be I have heard they are going the tight spandex look which is just bad memories of eighties attempts at comic book film making. Personally, I would have gone with a lightweight spacesuit approach. I had envisioned it as a sort of moisture suit from Dune all black with green details.

Also we must act as a single voice hear and scream at the top of our lungs, NO MASKS!!!! Replace the masks with intense green glowing eyes. How are we going to take all of those aliens seriously running around in 40's style adventure masks. Defenders of the galaxy do not need secret identities.

Also, I would cut back on the power of the rings in the first film, assuming it is decent enough to spawn sequels. They should have a set amount of effects, shields, lasers, life support, flight and maybe a few others. As a plot device, I would have Hal Jordan discover the actual, true power of the ring and as the greatest Lantern of all time, teaches the other Lanterns how to weild the massive energy. This would create some cool friction between Hal and Kilowog (trainer of the Lanterns) at first until Kilowog comes around and discovers he is extremely powerful with this new ability.

I have not been particular on the lead role in this film as of yet, nothing really great has come to me.But I think that as far as story line is concerned, Sinestro should be a Lantern at the beginning of the film a should have betrayed them by the end. My pick for Sinestro= Sean Gullette. He is the main character, Maximillian, in Daren Aronofsky's feature "Pi." Check out his photos on imdb.com and see what you think.

The way I see it, The Green Lantern has the potential to be Star Wars for a new generation. and I truly hope it is taken that seriously. We need more quality fantasy and science fiction in the world. No to mention DC needs another hit besides Batman pulling their asses out of the fire eveycouple of years.

I will definately be posting more on this subject so keep an eye out.

HBO get off your ass and pick up The Walking Dead

2008-12-03T22:58:00.000-08:00

As far as I'm concerned The Walking Dead is straight up 100% crack cocaine. My good friend Ryan, the writer of our comic book, Addicts (addictscomic.com, plug, plug) turned me on to it a ways back and my life has been screwed up ever since. I have been late to work because of reading this book. This series is the Magnum Opus of writer Robert Kirkman and has an underlying psychological significance I have only recently began to deal with. The message: we love stories of misery. I have never read so many terrors overcoming a group of characters in my life of reading. I have to continue with it just to see how much worse things can get in one damn month.

It seems to me a perfect fit for HBO to start an ongoing series with The Walking Dead. Now that the Soprano's is dead and gone there is a tremendous void to fill in their weekend programing. We know by that show's success that audiences are wont for something darker and grittier. But with a bit of intelligence to it. Really, is there anything better than watching zombies devour the living after your own family dinner? I think not.

I love the idea of listening to the conversations at the water cooler the following Monday. "Hey, Ralph, did you see The Walking Dead this weekend?"

"Sure did. Sucked that guy's eye right out of his head, didn't they?"

"Did you see the part where they had to hack the guy's leg off?"

"Dude, that was so sick!"

Sick being good.
Move quickly, HBO, before Showtime comes along and scoops you on this one.

Self promoting bastrd that I am...

2008-12-03T16:40:00.000-08:00

While I'm doing this I figured it would be a good time for some shameless self-promotion. These are images from Addicts (addictscomic.com) and a story that was published recently in the UK

Iron Man: The Mandarin Solution

2008-12-03T11:42:00.000-08:00

John Favreau is having some understandable problems working a character like the Mandarin into his reality based Iron Man universe. The Mandarin is a character surrounded by mysticism and alien technology that just too far fetched to lay into the network of what he has built in is film so far. I agree that this sort of garbage has no place in the continuity. However, the Mandarin is a fan favorite and Favreau himself has admitted to the desire to find a way to make him fit.

The Solution: The Mandarin is a liar.

Were it me The Mandarin would be a rival weapons manufacturer based in a fictional asian country. He has deep ties to terrorism that have made him very weathy. And he has recently invented a satelite weapons system that is so powerful he decides to launch it and keep it for himself.

The only actual purpose of his "magical" rings is to put on a light show to convice others that the effects of the satelite system are coming from him. With all the power and influence this offers he decides to become the ultimate terrorist and begins to make demands and shape the world as he sees fit.

Catsing:

Mandarin= Sonny Cheeba

PLEASE, OH, PLEASE! This would be the Amrican debut of a film LEGEND! Not o mention the potential of some small martial arts scenes. Last I heard Cheeba was running a martial arts school for actors in Japan. This means he alrady hasan army of actors to be his henchmen. How's that for practial?

The Future of Batman

2008-12-02T21:22:00.000-08:00

I'm not entirely sure if this is too soon or not. Let me start by saying Ledger did an amazing job as the Joker. I don't mean to offend anyone by this. But there is an actor out there that would be evil personified in this role. That, my friends, is Kevin Howarth.

I first came across him in a gem called The Last Horror Movie, which if you have not seen, shame on you. He has the chops and the talent to pull this off in a way we have never seen before. Now many would hate the very idea of someone else stepping into this role and utterly destroying the continuity without Ledger. I disagree. I think in the third film, only tease the Joker in a scene or two. A scene reminiscent of The Killing Joke opening would be nice, a la Silence of the Lambs. The Joker hidden in the shadows of his cell in Arkham, conversing with the Batman, only to escape at the end of the film and return as the main heavy in the forth film.

I really would like to see this given a chance or even discussed. If Christian Bale would sit back and watch The Last Horror Movie I'm sure he would agree.

Thor: The Movie

2008-12-02T21:09:00.000-08:00

I really only have one thing to say about this. Thor= Sean Bean. Just think about him in TLOTR as you will see the brilliance in this. That's the beauty of a character having supernatural strength, He doesn't actually have to be big.

The Avengers

2008-12-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

I suppose this one is the most debatable, so I'll start here.

The characters I am most insistent upon seeing are as follows:

Captain America
Hawkeye
Vision
Wonder Man
Iron Man
Thor
Henry Pym (as any hero)
Wasp

My selection of minor characters is sparse but worth mentioning:

Scarlett Witch
Tigra
Marvel Girl
other

As far as the main villains are concerned I have been on and around the fence. I have considered HYDRA, Skrulls, a combination of the two and even heard they were considering using the Hulk as the villain. I'm fine with anything, I think as long as HYDRA is involved. Ultron would be a great possibility to get Hank's storyline going quickly.

Here is where everyone is going to groan but these are my choices for actors playing certain roles. No one likes to complain like a fanboy so with full warning here is what I would like:

Captain America= Josh Brolin
Vision= Hank Azaria
Hawkeye= Matthew Lillard

I know, I know, sssshhhhhhhh... be calm. How could I possibly cast these two comedic hams in these oh-so important roles. I'll tell you. But first, Brolin.

Cap really needs to be confident, have swagger, and a strong sense of honesty, one that comes through the eyes. Josh Brolin has these things and for that reason I think Johnah Hex is a total waste of his ability. I really don't know of an actor who can pull it off better than he.

Azaria I cast for two reasons, with a shaved head and some pasty makeup he could really look the part. Throw some all black contact lenses on his eyeballs and he could be downright creepy in the role. I picture the Vision as almost a cenebite, like a artificial human experiment gone nearly wrong. Also, he could invent the voice of an android with no sfx.

OK...if you think Lillard can't act go see SLC Punk and call me in the morning. This kid just can't get a role to suit him. So I say, give him Hawkeye. Make the role funny and offensive. Clint could almost be a redneck, but a complete baddass. But one thing the writers absolutely must do is change his M.O. He can't just have a bow and dumbass trick arrows. We know we are getting a Green Arrow movie so why compete with that. I say change Hawkeye to an expert marksman with ANYTHING. Give him throwing stars, darts, a gun even. I say don't break out the bow untill the last fight scene in the movie, right at a highly climactic moment. Audiences will cheer and no one will leave angry.

There are also certain plot elements I have to be insistant upon.

How can all of this action in New York happen without some cameos? First and foremost, Spider-man. Even just crawling on the side of a building. Or even pitching in for a second. The beauty of this is that in full costume, Maguire doesn't have to show up.

Also the Hulk or Bruce Banner should have SOME involvement. To what degree I'm not certain but the set up in the Incredible Hulk pretty much demands it.

Also in need of a change up is Wonder Man. WAAAAAYYYYYY to Superman. The glowing eyes will help but certain things have to go including the flying. That's right Wonder Man no fly. Also it would be helpfull if he had to power up before he can use his strength and such. Any other suggestions would be helpful.

That's all for this one. I'll add more as it comes to me.
Also, look for pics, coming soon

12-1-08

Got two new thoughts for this posting. First Thor, with no doubt in my mind should be Sean Bean. And I'm leaning towards Drew Barrymore as Wasp.