|
05/09/14 @ 6:41 am EST
Ande Parks Talks The Lone Ranger at Bleeding Cool! As The Lone Ranger series from Dynamite hits issue #24, it seemed like a good time for Byron Brewer to check in with series writer Ande Parks to see what he has in store for the Masked Man and his companion Tonto.
BYRON BREWER: So Ande, was this your attempt to put into comic book form the 1994 runaway bus film Speed, except this is on a train? (lol)
ANDE PARKS: I actually didn’t think of Speed, but it is a good analogy. The train’s speed is out of our heroes’ control. It creates, I hope, a tension throughout the entire issue.
This issue came from me wanting to do something very high energy and action-packed. The confined spaces of a train seemed like a good setting. Plus, I will confess that the big action sequence at the end of the Lone Ranger movie stuck with me. It featured a train, so that was probably a factor.
BB: It is taking me sometime to realize the Ranger left Silver behind on this one!
AP: I had to do some real thinking to work out what to do with the horses! I knew I wanted to have Lone Ranger leap from his horse to the train, but then what? I have Lone Ranger mention that the horses will be along soon on the last page, the idea being that they’ve been running along the rails throughout the issue, playing catch-up. Poor horses. I guess they’re used to working long hours with little reward. They’re good like that.
BB: Esteve Polls’ renderings of a runaway Iron Horse in Lone Ranger #24 are just breath-taking! The pacing and the sense of urgency in the characters enhance your script greatly. Your thoughts?
AP: I’ve been really lucky to have had Esteve interpret so many of my scripts. He’s a wonderful storyteller, and he’s perfect for these Western stories. He gives everyone in the stories, good and bad, a unique personality that really comes through. He draws the quiet moments well and, as you noted, he really delivers with the action, as well. I knew he’d make the most out of this train issue.
BB: Is it hard to find comic book artists that can portray the Lone Ranger’s time period with the rugged Western realism needed for these stories?
AP: Somewhat, yeah? Like I said, we’ve been so lucky to have Esteve, and the same goes for our whole team, including letterer Simon Bowland and colorist Marc Rueda.
Esteve sets the tone by getting the settings right. He really creates a credible world for our people to move around in, and I think that adds something to our stories. He always nails the saddles, the guns, the clothes… all that stuff. In my opinion, the realistic world Esteve creates around our characters makes their heroic deeds that much more powerful.
BB: With all the innocents involved in such a closed environment, the pacing on this tale is certainly different than some Lone Ranger fare. Was it hard to pull off?
AP: Actually, it was a little easier than an average issue. I had a certain number of action sequences I wanted to include. When I plotted out the issue page-by-page, those action moments pretty much dictated the pace for the whole thing. There wasn’t much room left to worry about!
The challenge was trying to make sure that the villains were more than just cardboard bad guys. Yeah… we wanted to keep thing moving, but you still have to get to know the villains and understand their agendas. Without that, the whole thing in meaningless.
BB: Can you tell us anything about our “unkillable” foe?
AP: The villain for this issue was born when I re-watched Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary with my kids awhile back. It got me thinking about John Brown. He was an interesting figure… a man who did some horrible things (and died himself) in service to a noble goal; to end slavery. I started to think about a character with the same zeal, but with a different goal; the emancipation of oppressed Native Americans.
So, I had an idea for a villain who might have good intentions, but I wanted to make him more interesting. In the solicitation copy for this issue, I wrote something about the heroes fighting an “unkillable” foe. I didn’t really know what that meant when I wrote it. When it came time to tell the story, I just had to figure it out. I came up with a solution that, I hope, is unique but makes sense for the character.
BB: What makes Lone Ranger and Tonto characters you continue to enjoy writing about, and ones fans never seem to tire of reading about?
AP: I realized after writing more than a dozen scripts (including our Death of Zorro book) with these characters when I realized that every one of them was, in a way, about the same thing; why these two men have decided to do this together. What binds them so closely? Their friendship is the core of the book, I think.
I also find The Ranger’s values appealing. He has been through tragedy, but he refuses to let the hardship darken his world view. He remains idealistic. Tonto is less so, and that makes the partnership more interesting.
BB: Is it hard to come up with new threats for the Ranger, locked in a period genre as it were? You certainly throw a ton of action his way in #24.
AP: It can be challenging, especially when telling single-issue stories as we have been recently. I just try to find something new for our characters to face. I start with a real world threat/theme that I find interesting, and try to add a little comic book jazz where I can.
I love the setting, and I try to mix in a little history whenever possible. It can’t be a history lesson, though. Yeah… we’re telling fairly realistic stories, but it’s still a comic book with good guys punching bad guys.
BB: Ande, any projects current or future you’d care to discuss?
AP: I’m writing a new thing for Dynamite. I don’t know how much they want to discuss that right now. I think I can say that crimes are committed. Lots of ‘em. So… keep an eye out for that. Thanks! 04/30/24 @ 12:09 pm EST
The wait is over! Fans will be able to get caught up on the juggernaut new ThunderCats comic this July and add the initial instant classic story arc to their shelf, as Dynamite and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products announce the first collected edition of the hit series. The first issue of the new ThunderCats title shattered records for Dynamite and dominated the comics industry and community upon its release. With a second printing and third printing selling out, new waves of readers continue to discover the title through great reviews, and especially word of mouth on this viral story. This summer it's all ramping up even more.
ThunderCats #5 is set to feature a special spotlight story on Cheetara with guest artist Stephen Mooney (Half Past Danger, The Rocketeer) joining writer Declan Shalvey. Then the next month Cheetara pounces into her own essential companion series with the release of ThunderCats Cheetara #1 by creator Soo Lee (Disney Villains: Maleficent). That same month, ThunderCats #6 reunites ongoing artist Drew Moss on the book and kicks off a new story arc in the flagship series.
With this exciting whirlwind of developments in the comic series, Dynamite wants fans to be able to jump right in even if they've missed the earlier launch and releases. The ultimate cherry on top and gateway to the mythos releases July 17 as a special trade paperback edition of ThunderCats: Omens will be available exclusively in comic book stores. This Direct Market Special Edition reprints issues #1-5 of the hit series and will be limited to a single printing. Later editions planned as both paperback and hardcover available both in comics stores and other retailers will feature different covers.
Critics have lauded the series to date, as each issue builds on the last.
"Nostalgic and daring, ThunderCats is a thrilling remix of a beloved '80s classic." - AIPT
"Has set the foundation for a promising adventure, and it should only get better from here." - ComicBook.com
"I continue to enjoy the world being created in this series and how it delivers on everything that I loved about the original series and the lore behind it." - The Super Powered Fancast
"A gripping narrative with layers of drama, character conflicts, and mysterious connections. The introduction of Calica [issue #3] injects freshness into the storyline, keeping readers on their toes." - Comical Opinions
THUNDERCATS VOL 1: OMENS DIRECT MARKET SPECIAL EDITION TPB will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ May 2024 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in July 2024. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies of the book with their local comic book retailers. ... 04/30/24 @ 12:15 pm EST
Netflix has dropped the official trailer for Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, the animated follow-up sequel series to Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, and there’s one name that is conspicuously missing. Jenna Ortega, who voiced Brooklynn in Camp Creatceous, is not listed in the voice cast for Chaos Theory, or seen in the trailer. Deadline reports it has confirmed she will not be returning for the new series. Chaos Theory picks up with Brooklynn seemingly killed by a dinosaur attack. According to Ben (Sean Giambrone), she was targeted, and the other members of the Nublar Six are now in danger. Jurassic World: Chaos Theory is slated to debut on Netflix May 24. Trailer: https://youtu.be/bLgUKAAKyQw 04/29/24 @ 9:34 pm EST
Deadline reports that Studiocanal and Editions Albert René have signed an exclusive development agreement for the fifth live action movie inspired by the adventures of French comic strip hero Asterix.The deal comes as French publishing house Éditions Albert René marks the 65th anniversary of the creation of the plucky Gaul warrior Asterix and his sidekick Obelix by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo in 1959.Since then, 400 million Asterix books in 130 languages and dialects have sold worldwide, with 40 albums of Asterix adventures published since 1961. The Asterix & Obelix comic books are embedded in French culture and have inspired five live-action films to date. No details on the storyline, schedule, cast or director were available as yet. 04/29/24 @ 9:29 pm EST
BOOM! Studios today revealed a first look at MAN’S BEST #3, the next issue of an action-packed sci-fi romp full of heart by Pornsak Pichetshote, writer of the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning The Good Asian, Eisner Award-nominated rising star artist Jesse Lonergan (Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea), and letterer Jeff Powell (Infidel). Homeward Bound on an alien world, MAN’S BEST follows three emotional support pets living on the Starship Horizon—a spacecraft searching for a new home to house a humanity compromised by bad decisions and corporate greed, coming to comic shops this May. In the middle chapter of the epic space adventure featuring 3 animal best friends on a quest to save the earth, the splendor of the planet does little to comfort Athos as they feel at fault for the recent tragedy in the midst of searching for their missing comrade. And as they enter a new psychic realm and literally form a much deeper connection than before, what challenges and new discoveries lie ahead as they continue their desperate mission? MAN’S BEST #3 features a main cover by series artist Jesse Lonergan, and variant covers by fan-favorite artists JJ Harrison (New Masters), Paulina Ganucheau (Heartbeat), and Junggeun Yoon (The Expanse: Dragon Tooth). MAN’S BEST is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including BRZRKR by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney; Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera; Grim by Stephanie Phillips and Flaviano; Stuff of Nightmares by R.L. Stine and A.L. Kaplan; Damn Them All by Simon Spurrier and Charlie Adlard; Once Upon a Time at the End of the World by Jason Aaron, Alexandre Tefenkgi, Leila del Duca, and Nick Dragotta; Know Your Station by Sarah Gailey and Liana Kangas; A Vicious Circle by Mattson Tomlin and Lee Bermejo; The Neighbors by Jude Ellison S. Doyle and Letizia Cadonici; Ghostlore by Cullen Bunn and Leomacs; Sirens of the City by Joanne Starer and Khary Randolph; Coda by Simon Spurrier and Matías Bergara; Rare Flavours by Ram V and Filipe Andrade; Underheist by David and Maria Lapham; and Animal Pound by Tom King and Peter Gross. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties, including Dune: House Harkonnen from Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Michael Shelfer; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers by Melissa Flores and Simona Di Gianfelice; and The Expanse: Dragon Tooth by Andy Diggle and Rubine. MAN’S BEST #3 will be available in comic shops May 22, 2024. It is available for pre-order at your local comic shop. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play. Man's Best #3 A Main: MAR240088 Man's Best #3 B Variant: MAR240089 Man's Best #3 C 1:25 INCV: MAR240090 Man's Best #3 D FOC Reveal Var: MAR240091 Man's Best #3 E Unlockable Var: MAR240092 Check out DYNAMIC FORCE'S interview with MAN'S BEST writer PORNSAK PICHETSHOTE by Byron Brewer. https://www.dynamicforces.com/htmlfiles/interviews.html?showinterview=IN02222412024        
... 04/29/24 @ 9:19 pm EST
Greg Berlanti and Netflix are going for a ride in the Mystery Machine.The streaming giant is near a deal for a live-action TV series based on the beloved Hanna-Barbera animated cartoon Scooby-Doo. The project has a script-to-series commitment at Netflix, meaning if the script is well received, it would trigger a straight-to-series order for what is considered a live-action update of the classic cartoon.Reps for Netflix, producers Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions declined to comment, as a deal has not yet formally closed.Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg — who previously adapted Cowboy Bebop for Netflix and High Fidelity for Hulu — are attached to pen the script and exec produce via their Midnight Radio banner’s André Nemec and Jeff Pinkner. Berlanti and his Berlanti Productions partner Sarah Schechter will exec produce alongside the company’s Leigh London Redman. Berlanti Productions’ Jonathan Gabay and Midnight Radio’s Adrienne Erickson will be credited as co-exec producers. Warner Bros. Television, where Berlanti has been based for years, is the studio as the company owns animation studio Hanna-Barbera. (via The Hollywood Reporter) 04/29/24 @ 9:27 pm EST
Image Comics is pleased to reveal a sneak peek at the highly anticipated Blood Squad Seven by Joe Casey (MCMLXXV, Butcher Baker the Righteous Maker) and Paul Fry (Spider-Man 2099, Star Wars) set to hit shelves this May from Image Comics. Spinning out of the recent Dutch miniseries, this upcoming launch will explore ’90s superteam dynamics through a contemporary lens and feature surprise cameo appearances from some recognizable fan-favorite Image characters.
Thirty years ago, Blood Squad Seven was America’s most popular superhero team. Its members were seen on television, on magazine covers, scoring million-dollar endorsement deals…. They were celebrities and they were everywhere.
But that was then... this is now. And so, a new generation of modern-day heroes takes up the mantle—or perhaps, the poisoned chalice—fulfilling a promise made decades ago: to be the heroes that a fractured America needs.
While deconstructions of superhero nostalgia typically center around the classic characters of the Silver Age, Blood Squad Seven will delve deep into ’90s comic book themes with this reimagining of what would happen if heroes from that decade returned to action after a 30-year absence.
Variant covers for each issue of Blood Squad Seven will be provided by an army of celebrated artists, including: Chris Weston (Ministry of Space), Nick Pitarra (The Manhattan Projects), Jim Rugg (Street Angel), Chris Cross (Captain Marvel), Elizabeth Torque (Captain America: Secret Empire), Mike Hawthorne (Deadpool), Cory Walker (Invincible), Ryan Quackenbush (Junior Baker the Righteous Faker), Mirko Colak (Punisher MAX), Chris Sprouse (Tom Strong), Dustin Nguyen (Little Monsters), and many more.
Blood Squad Seven #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, May 22:
Cover A by Paul Fry - Lunar Code 0324IM161 Cover B by Chris Weston - Lunar Code 0324IM162 Cover C (1:10) by Nick Pitarrra - Lunar Code 0324IM163 Cover D (1:20) by Jim Rugg - Lunar Code 0324IM164 Cover E (1:50) by Fry - Lunar Code 0324IM165 Blood Squad Seven will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play. Check out DYNAMIC FORCE'S interview with BLOOD SQUAD SEVEN writer JOE CASEY by Byron Brewer. https://www.dynamicforces.com/htmlfiles/interviews.html?showinterview=IN04112484115         
... 04/29/24 @ 3:09 pm EST
Disney has dropped a teaser for Mufasa: The Lion King, a prequel for the studio’s 2019 photorealistic version of the animated 1994 classic The Lion King.Directed by Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), the film sees the baboon Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to his granddaughter Kiara. According to the trailer description, the story will be told in flashbacks and follows Mufasa (meaning ‘king’ in Swahili) as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The film is being released December 20, 2024. (via Deadline) Trailer: https://youtu.be/MjQG-a7d41Q 04/28/24 @ 3:00 pm EST
Is the future of physical media coming to an end? It used to be that DVD and Blu-Ray sales were the saving grace for some movies and you could walk into various stores and browse by genre in the same way you could for music. But like the music stores of the past, the days of swinging by your local shop and picking up the latest release are fading fast. Last year Netflix announced they were no longer doing the movie-by-mail program, so they wouldn’t be buying any more DVDs and Best Buy announced they were removing their Music/Movie sections as well. Now Target has come out and said they would be doing the same this year. A lot of studios have moved away from creating physical media, the exception being Disney who just made a deal with a third party to create their media and it has led to releases of WandaVision, Loki, Moon Knight, and the Mandalorian with SteeleBook editions. And when you purchase a movie or album digitally, there is always the chance that the hosting service you bought it on goes out of business, you will lose your purchases. While I don’t think there are any clear-cut answers here yet, I think the discussion definitely needs to be had. Physical media may seem antiquated to some, but when you computer crashes, your internet goes out or a company files bankruptcy… physical media may start looking a whole lot better.  04/28/24 @ 2:37 pm EST
The ouroboros created by the success of Marvel Studios is continuing with the latest round of speculation driven by nothing. With Marvel and other superhero films becoming so popular that it led to websites and YouTube channels focused on them and now those places need to keep feeding content to their viewers. So, when Michael B. Jordan reposts the trailer for the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine, we get stories of how this means he is going to return as Johnny Storm from the 2015 Fantastic Four film. Jordan did play a version of the Human Torch, but he’s also played Kilmonger in Black Panther so he could return as either character… or he could just be promoting the next movie from Marvel because he feels connected to the studio? This is the same type of thing as James Gunn posting the original Superman logo to social media last week and everyone running around trying to figure out what it means. It could just mean that Gunn had some free time and wanted to post something Superman related. This week he posted the bloodied fist of a Green Lantern as drawn by Dave Johnson. There are now articles trying to figure out what this means. He also posted a picture of his cat and then his two dogs… I’m sure this is supposed to mean we’re getting a Krypto & Streaky movie soon…  04/28/24 @ 2:13 pm EST
In an interview the other day, Nathan Fillion told the story of how he found out that he was going to be playing Guy Garner / Green Lantern in the upcoming Superman movie. The problem is that he made a slight error in his story, and it has led to a lot of online controversy. In the interview he said he ran into James Gunn at the premiere of Suicide Squad and was told there. Gunn took to social media to correct the statement, saying that it took place at the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 premiere instead. This made Zak Snyder fans come out and claim that Fillion’s story proves that Gunn had been lying about Henry Cavill and that now he was just trying to cover it up with his post. Supposedly the lie came about when Gunn said that he had no interest in taking over the DCU until Peter Safran came on board to do the “exec stuff” and could leave Gunn to do the creative stuff. Gunn stated he was confused and not sure who is supposed to have lied, he also made it clear that his Superman pitch was always geared for a new Superman from the beginning so it doesn’t really matter at which event Fillion found out, Gunn was never lined up to make a Cavill lead film.  |
|
|
|
|
