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Around the Tubes

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Graphic Policy Team

The weekend is almost here! What geeky things will you all be doing? Sound off in the comments below. While you think about that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web.

Kotaku – Twitch Forces U.S. Army To Stop Tricking Viewers With Fake Giveaways – Isn’t there something illegal about this?

Tor – A Brief History of Mexican Horror Comic Books – Some interesting comic history.

Reviews

Talking Comics – Avengers #34
Talking Comics – Empyre #1
Bubbleblabber – Rick and Morty Go to Hell #2

Around the Tubes

Around the Tubes

Posted on May 30, 2019 by Graphic Policy Team

It was new comic book day yesterday! What’d everyone get? What’d you like? What’d you dislike? Sound off in the comments below! While you think about that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.

The National Interest Online – Fact: The U.S. Army Had Its Very Own M-16 Rifle Comic Book – Some interesting history.

Reviews

We Got this Covered – Batman: Last Knight on Earth #1
Newsarama – Doomsday Clock #10
Newsarama – Heroes in Crisis #9
The Beat – She Said Destroy #1

Around the Tubes

The Department of Defense Presents a Day with Comic Writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson

Posted on June 2, 2018 by Brett

Phillip Kennedy Johnson is an Eisner nominated comic writer as well as a musician in the Army. The Department of Defense has put together a video to take us into a day in the life of Johnson. Phillip has written The Power of the Dark Crystal, Smoketown, Last Sons of America, Warlords of Appalachia, Adventure Time, Aquaman, and more. His Smoketown has been optioned and being developed as a film.

Find out more about Phillip as he balances his multiple roles of a soldier, musician, teacher, father, and comic book writer!

IDW to Release America’s Army #9 Comic This Week

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Brett

IDW Publishing and the U.S. Army announced today the digital release of America’s Army #9 and the availability of a printed special edition America’s Army #0 for fans at the upcoming WonderCon show in Anaheim, CA. The America’s Army comics series is available through IDW on the web and virtually every digital platform including the IDW Comics app, ComiXology, Kindle Fire, Nook, Apple iBooks, and Kobo.

In the latest issue, U.S. Army Captain Carl Reed and the Mustang squad have infiltrated a Pipeline facility looking for clues as to why enemy forces have returned to the derelict structure. But when Czervo Special Forces arrive at the facility in droves, the danger of the team being discovered sky rockets in America’s Army Issue #9 – Into the Wolf’s Den.

At WonderCon, fans will be treated to a printed copy of the special edition America’s Army Comic Issue #0, a recap of the first eight issues. America’s Army writer M. Zachary Sherman will be signing comics and collector’s edition posters at IDW’s booth (#309) on Friday, April 18 from 3:00-4:00pm and on Saturday, April 19 from 11:00am -12:00pm.

The America’s Army comic series is based on the highly successful America’s Army PC game and provides an inside perspective into the world of Soldiers in the U.S. Army, their assignments and the challenges they face. Follow American forces deployed to the small nation of Czervenia where President-General Kazimir Adzic and his advanced army set upon a campaign of annihilation in the neighboring country of the RDO, setting in motion a mysterious plan that could change the course of world power. A Coalition led by America’s Army must form new experimental combat teams and fight to stop the General’s plot before time runs out.

Canadians Spent $14,000 On What to do with Superheroes?!

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Brett

This might be up there as some of the stupidest government spending of the year, and it involves a survey about superheroes conducted by our Canadian friends to the north. A study by the research arm of the Canadian National Defense asked whether superheroes can “fly through the air, see through walls, hear whispers from miles away, become invisible, and walk through walls.” Somehow this online survey which only had 150 people involved cost $14,000.

This was all part of a study from October to “help the Canadian Forces win the hearts and minds of the local populations it faces when deployed overseas, such as recently in Afghanistan.” The above questions were part of a “supernatural” category.

The study was carried out by Toronto researcher M. Afzal Upal for the Defence Research and Development Canada, or DRDC. The University of Toronto received $13,750 of the amount. DRDC staff were also involved.

From a summary of the research:

This work will not only allow cultural scientists to better understand the spread of non-natural and religious concepts but also allow the Canadian Armed Forces … to design messages that are more memorable for their target audiences.

The results were general agreement that superheroes can fly and leap over skyscrapers, but there was less agreement whether they can walk through walls or become invisible.

All of this is during a time of defense budget cuts. The justification is this was a way to test messaging in certain populations and is part of their “psychological operations” or “PSYOPS.” PSYOPS are designed to influence attitudes and behaviors and in this case as a tool for the military to meet and complete their objectives.

IDW To Feature America’s Army in Digital Distribution Agreement

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Brett

IDW and the U.S. Army announced today they have entered into an all-new digital distribution agreement to feature the U.S. Army’s America’s Army Comics on virtually every digital platform — the IDW Comics app; Comics by comiXology for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Nook, Windows 8 and the Web; Apple iBooks; Amazon Kindle; Barnes & Noble Nook; and Kobo. The America’s Army Comics let readers delve into the storyline behind the highly successful America’s Army PC game that provides players an inside perspective and virtual role in the U.S. Army.

For over eleven years America’s Army players have been able to experience Army-influenced training and missions as they learned about the necessity of teamwork and leadership for success. The America’s Army Comics were created as a way to let players further explore the game’s storyline and character plots of Soldiers’ lives when deployed or at home. Initially launched for America’s Army 3, the new America’s Army Comics are setting the stage for the upcoming America’s Army: Proving Grounds game to be launched later this year.

America’s Army Comics tell the story of U.S. Soldiers deployed to Czervenia, a tiny foreign nation in the middle of a chaotic conflict. From a seemingly insignificant nation of Czervenia, President-General Adzic and his army set upon a campaign of annihilation against the neighboring Republic of the Ostregals, setting in motion a mysterious plan that could change the course of world power forever. America’s Army must create new experimental combat teams, forged together in secret Proving Grounds, and uncover the General’s insidious plot before time runs out.

Today’s announcement kicks off with the release of four America’s Army Comics — America’s Army Issue 1: Knowledge is Power, America’s Army Issue 2: Rise to the Challenge, America’s Army Issue 3: Under a Watchful Eye and America’s Army Issue 4: Escalation. Over the coming months, the Army will release new issues that further the plot for the game’s missions and maps.

The America’s Army comic series is produced by Michael Barnett and written by M. Zachary Sherman. At the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con, M. Zachary Sherman and comic book artist Scott Brooks will be signing special edition art and comics at the IDW booth.

Batman Is Teaching The US Army Safety

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Brett

The United States Army is using “Bagram Batman” to teach soldiers safety in these special public service announcements.

“Don’t Forget Your Weapon”

“The Bagram Batman”

It is cool to see the Army releasing the videos under Creative Commons allowing for folks to reuse the video with attribution.

Random

U.S. Army Launches Their Latest Recruiting Tool, Comics

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Brett

After a successful recruiting run using video game, America’s Army, the U.S. Army has expanded the property into the world of comic books. Launched last week, America’s Army are digital comics you can read them on the web or an app if you choose. While three issues are currently available, the plan is to release six in the coming months followed by a print trade paperback, collecting them all.

The comic is produced by the same team behind the video game and sprung out of talking to soldiers and hearing their stories. They felt the comic book medium was the best way to tell those stories.

I took some time to flip through the releases and found the story to be boring and characters non-existent with bad guys cut out of a choose a bad guy template. For a better recruitment tool, the Army might want to check out what’s going on with Image Comics’ The Activity, an excellent series that adds both action and features characters with multiple dimensions.

From a Fox article on the release:

Brought to life by the same masterminds that produce America’s Army PC games, this new comic series offers an authentic Army experience with animated panels and sound effects, with every single storyline, weapon, mission and training tactic verified by U.S. Army soldiers to ensure accuracy.

I will say, the Army is at least using the power of the web allowing you to instantly find out more about subjects or terms as you read. A neat addition I wish more comics publishers used. We’ll see how this latest tool to bolster ranks pans out, but without solid writing and art, I don’t see it catching people’s attention quite like a video game.