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Review: She Makes Comics

Posted on February 1, 2015 by

As a literary critic and cultural historian with both feminist and queer-ally persuasions, I am often frustrated by the type of historical revisionism that provides the history of a marginalized group by telling their story as adjunct or incidental to “mainstream” or “normative” history. Such scholarship marginalizes the narratives of oppressed groups in the very attempt to recover their histories.

I was thankfully relieved, then, to enjoy the hour-plus-long documentary She Makes Comics, directed by Marisa Stotter and made by Sequart Organization in association with Respect! Films. This documentary does what very little of comics scholarship (and journalism) has been able to achieve: it narrates the story of women comics creators, editors, and readers through dozens of personal interviews (see a list of interviewees below), incorporating them as central to the history of the comics industry while highlighting individual creators’ push toward greater inclusion and respectability in a medium largely controlled by men.

She Makes Comics begins with an opening montage of interviews in which creators Kelly Sue DeConnick, Chondra Echert, Wendy Pini, Gail Simone, and others speak to the importance of the comics medium for female creators and readers. Particularly powerful is DeConnick’s declaration that “representation in comics is absolutely vital,” followed by the injunction that “we need to celebrate the women who work in comics and who have always worked in comics, and we need to go back and find their stories and bring them to the fore” (00:55-01:07). DeConnick bring an absolute necessity to the project of reclaiming the history of women in comics.

DeConnick’s spirited call drives Stotter’s She Makes Comics as it traverses the editorial bull-pens, creator biographies, convention floors, retail spaces, and four-color universes that make up the world(s) of comics. The documentary begins by establishing the medium’s long history of female readership in comics strips of the late 19th century and the early 20th century, pointing at the same time to the generous number of female comics strip creators, including Jackie Ormes and Nell Brinkley. Trina Robbins reminds us that “nobody at that time thought, ‘Oh how unusual! She draws comics!'” Despite the comparative preponderance of women in comics in the early 20th century, a cultural moment that abounded in strong women heroes and adventurers (and with a 55% female readership!), the “comics crusade” of the early 1950s began by Frederic Wertham resulted in the Comics Code Authority. The CCA significantly reduced the type and quality of comics produced, and the documentary makes the very brief argument that the “sanitization” of comics led to a boom in the masculinity-celebrating superhero genre and a subsequent decline in female readership.

The documentary then tracks the work of Ramona Fradon at DC and of Marie Severin at Marvel in the 1960s, transitioning rather quickly to the misogynist, cliquey underground comix scene of the 1960s and 1970s, where creators such as Trina Robbins and Joyce Farmer carved out a feminist space for comics. As Robbins recalls, “if you wanted to do underground comix [with the male creators] you had to do comics in which women were raped and tortured. You know, horrible things!” But in the pages of feminist comix and zines creators were allowed the freedom to depict women from women’s point of view—points of view that occasionally had legal repercussions.

The remainder of She Makes Comics focuses heavily on the history of women creators in comics from the mid-1970s to the present, owing both to the interviewees’ considerable experiences in the period following the late 1970s and to the growing visibility of female readers and creators. Particular highlights include the description of early comic book conventions and the fan scene, which Paul Levitz describes as 90/10 men/women. Creators and fans like Jill Thompson and Wendy Pini bring their personal fan and creator experiences to bear on this unique moment in comics fandom history. Wendy Pini’s entrance into fandom via her (in)famous Red Sonja cosplaying is historicized and linked directly to her entrance into the comics industry as writer and, later, creator of Elfquest. For those with an interest in cosplay, Pini’s Sonja is marked as the beginning of an opening up of convention competitions to women, and the documentary subsequently details the critical importance of cosplay to fandom, to female fans, and to creators.

The documentary also gives considerable attention to Chris Claremont’s run on Uncanny X-Men, uniquely noting the considerable influence of Louise Simonson and Ann Nocenti as Claremont’s editors on one of the most famous runs in comic book history. Interviews by female fans, creators, editors, and retailers highlight the importance that Claremont’s X-Men saga had to marginalized groups, with a number of interviewees describing the “mutant metaphor” as particularizable to women’s experiences in geek culture.

The documentary also gives attention to particular auteurs such as Kelly Sue DeConnick and Gail Simone, as well as the editor Karen Berger, who founded DC’s Vertigo imprint at a fairly young age in the early 1990s. She Makes Comics points especially to the rise of the independent comics scene in the 1990s and its boom in the contemporary moment, especially in the form of Image’s new-found success, as a meter for the rising prominence of women comics creators and a female (but also queer and non-white) comics readership. Anyone who reads Image comics regularly knows that its creators do not shy away from feminist themes even while Wonder Women is avowedly “not feminist.”

She Makes Comics ultimately signifies that a change in the comics industry has occurred, albeit slowly, in favor of greater inclusion and representation of women and other oppressed minorities. Despite this, the documentary comes dangerously close to assuming that all the good that needs doing, has been done, asserting a stance that suggests a triumphant growth of women in comics (or as readers) as a victory over patriarchy. While I do agree that strides have been made, as my articles on Wonder Woman and Neko Case show, I don’t think we can ever be complacent. She Makes Comics reifies “women” as a singular, almost non-intersectional category and in doing so creates a narrative of emerging possibilities for that monolithic category without discussing the many and complex factors that continue to challenge, harangue, and complicate both women’s participation in comics and women’s representation. There is, in fairness, a brief moment in which Marjorie Liu speaks about using her position to empower women of color, though its importance is overshadowed by its anecdotal treatment.

She Makes Comics has very few shortcomings and is ultimately a treasure trove of information that is otherwise spread across thousands of online or print media articles, books, and interviews. Marissa Stotter and her crew, in collaborations with a riot (isn’t that what mainstream media calls a gathering of political dissenters?) of talented creators and fans, have made a unique contribution to the history of women in comics. I challenge academics and journalist, myself included, to heed Kelly Sue DeConnick’s introductory injunction with a critical eye to the politics of representation. If we could get a few books about gender politics in comics that aren’t solely about masculinity, that’d be a start.

Interviewees listed in the order that I happened to write them down (after I realized it would be good to write them all down): Marjorie Liu, Nancy Goldstein, Trina Robbins, Ramona Fradon, Janelle Asselin, Heidi MacDonald, Paul Levitz, Michelle Nolan, Alan Kistler, Karen Green, Ann Nocenti, Chris Claremont, Colleen Doran, Joyce Farmer, Wendy Pini, Jackie Estrada, Jill Thompson, Lauren Bergman, Team Unicorn, Chondra Echert, Jill Pantozzi, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Gail Simone, Colleen Coover, Holly Interlandi, Blair Butler, Louise Simonson, Jenna Busch, Amy Dallen, G. Willow Wilson, Tiffany Smith, Jenette Kahn, Shelly Bond, Karen Berger, Joan of Dark, Brea Grant, Joan Hilty, Lea Hernandez, Christina Blanch, Liz Schiller (former Friends of Lulu Board of Directors member), Andrea Tsurumi, Miss Lasko-Gross, Molly Ostertag, Hope Larson, Amy Chu, Nancy Collins, Ariel Schrag, Raina Telgemeier, Miriam Katin, Felicia Henderson, Carla Speed McNeil, Shannon Watters, Jennifer Cruté, Nicole Perlman, Kate Leth, Portlyn Polston (owner of Brave New World Comics), Autumn Glading (employee of Brave New World Comics), and Zoe Chevat.

You can purchase She Makes Comics on Sequart’s website for as low as $9.99. If you ask me, it’s a fantastic deal.

Sequart Organization provided Graphic Policy with a free copy for review.

IDW’s Killogy in Development as an Animated Series

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Brett

Award-winning executive producer/writer Rodney Barnes is teaming up with acclaimed comics creator Alan Robert to develop an animated television series based on Robert’s hit IDW Publishing graphic novel Killogy. Barnes and Robert will serve as executive producers on the series, with Barnes penning the screenplay for the pilot. Celebrities Frank Vincent, Marky Ramone and Brea Grant, who all appeared as main characters in the graphic novel, will now lend their voices to the show. Producers Chris White and Jeff Mazzola are also on board.

Killogy leverages a unique mix of humor, horror and pop culture to tell the unique tale of a group of murderers who inadvertently unleash an ancient voodoo curse upon New York.

In a release, Robert said:

For me, it’s all a bit surreal. I basically get to mash-up some of my favorite childhood heroes, throw them into these outrageous situations, and sit back and imagine what happens next. The series practically writes itself!

Additionally, Ex-Misfits horror-punk legend Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein will star in a special Halloween edition of Killogy. The one-shot comic continues where the graphic novel left off. It introduces new character, Doyle, as humanity’s last hope in a post-apocalyptic world flooded by an ocean of blood. Thebook will also feature a 10-page exclusive first-look at Robert’s forthcoming IDW series The Shunned One.

Killogy was nominated for Best Mini-Series at the 2013 Ghastly Awards and picked up a Horror Comic Award for Best Scene from ComicMonsters.com. Bloody Disgusting listed Killogy at #4 on their Top 10 Best Mini-Series of 2013. The Killogy graphic novel was recently licensed out to territories outside of the U.S. and will see a Brazilian release this summer from publisher NFL ZINE. The book will be translated in Portuguese.

SDCC 2012 – Get Your Shinebox this Halloween with Alan Robert’s Killogy

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Brett

Announced earlier this year, noted comics creator and musician Alan Robert is returning with Killogy, an insane new series from IDW Publishing that features some familiar faces.

Frank Vincent, Marky Ramone, and Brea Grant lead the cast of Killogy as three inveterate murderers thrown in the same cell! It’s safe to say there’s a warden out there who’s going to be out of a job. A comic that marches to a different beat, Killogy is a mayhem-laden mixture of gritty crime, grisly horror, and dark comedy. Suffice it to say, with a combination like that, no prison could hold it!

For more information on the series, steer your internet to killogycomic.com.

IDW Unleashes Zombies vs. Robots Prose ePub Program

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Brett

IDW Unleashes Zombies vs. Robots Prose ePub Program

“8×8 Plan” offers one new story each week for eight weeks starting Jan. 20, 2012

Writer/actress Brea Grant spearheads ZVR e-single pulp-lit push for New Year.

San Diego, CA (January 20, 2012)—IDW Publishing continues expanding its prose publishing activities with a two-month-long “e-singles” promotion featuring all-new stories set in the gleefully gory ZOMBIES VS. ROBOTS universe. The property was first published in 2006 as a two-issue mini-series from the creative team of artist Ashley Wood and writer/editor Chris Ryall. Helpless to resist ZVR’s rowdy mix of clunky, wise-cracking robots trying to stem the zombie apocalypse (the fault of clumsy scientists), with the remnants of mankind caught in the middle. There have been multiple ZVR miniseries, and in 2010, Sony Pictures optioned the film rights for Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes production company.

Beginning on January 20, IDW will digitally release one new ZVR prose story each week for eight weeks.

“We’re calling this our ‘8×8’ plan,” explains Jeff Conner, the IDW contributing editor responsible for the ZVR prose line. “Each week, from January 20 to March 9, we’ll debut a new short story torn from the festering jaws of the shambling, clanking world that is ZOMBIES VS. ROBOTS. And these all-new tales will be a tasty $0.99 each—it’s our New Year’s gift to the brain-eating reading public.”

“Pammi Shaw: Creator of Gods and Also Blogger” is the first 8×8 offering, and comes from the multi-talented actress/writer Brea Grant (Heroes, Dexter, Halloween II). Told via blog entries, her story extends the recent Zombies vs. Robots: Undercity comic book miniseries, which introduced readers to the young blogger from India, and ended with the members of an elite subterranean enclave underneath the Washington Monument being wiped out by ravenous zombies—or so we are led to believe.

“I wanted to put someone in one of the most difficult places possible by ripping away her community, family, and everything she knows, leaving her with her own thoughts,” states Grant, whose writing credits include the IDW comics We Will Bury You and Suicide Girls. “I wanted this person to deal with religion, love, gods and sanity all alone, separated from the raging violence outside. And who better to put in that position than a jaded, flippant teenage blogger named Pammi?”

“We’re quite committed to e-singles,” Conner noted. “They’re such an effective way to present our scintillating shambling dead vs. gun-crazed warbot content. Going exclusively digital with 8×8 was, as we say around IDW, a no-brainer. For sure we’ll be doing more digital-only promotions as the year unfolds.”

Debuting weekly starting on January 20, 2012, the ZVR e-singles will be available on the Kindle, Nook and in iBooks. The full 8×8 schedule is:

Brea Grant — “Pammi Shaw: Creator of Gods and Also Blogger” (1/20/12)
UnderCity’s lone survivor continues her blog and meets (creates?) a digital deity with its own ideas about fighting the zombie apocalypse.
Brea Grant is sometimes a writer (We Will Bury You; Suicide Girls), sometimes an actress (Heroes; Dexter; Halloween 2) and all-the-time a nice person. She is currently directing her first film.

Steve Rasnic Tem — “To Denver (with Hiram Battling Zombies)” (1/27/12)
What happens when high-test chronic is tainted with potent zombie blood? Will it be a high to die for?
Multiple award-winning author Steve Rasnic Tem has published over 300 short stories in the areas of fantasy, science fiction, crime, and horror. His latest novel is Deadfall Hotel.

Nancy A. Collins — “Angus: Zombie-Versus-Robot Fighter” (2/03/12)
A young man is trained by his scientist father to fight zombies, robot-style. What could go wrong?
Nancy A. Collins is the author of numerous novels and short stories, including the best-selling Sunglasses After Dark, and was a writer for DC Comics’ Swamp Thing. She is a recipient of the Bram Stoker and British Fantasy Awards, and has been nominated for the World Fantasy, Eisner & International Horror Guild awards. Left Hand Magic, the newest installment in the acclaimed Golgotham series, is now available.

Nick Mamatas — “Throckmorton’s Bad Day” (2/10/12)
Years before the zombie apocalypse, an enterprising and amoral young college student (later to become “Dr. Throckmorton in the ZVR comics) tests experimental street drugs on the local users. The results will have unforeseen consequences for his future self.
Nick Mamatas is the author of several unusual novels, including The Damned Highway with Brian Keene, and The Last Weekend. His short fiction has appeared in Asimov’s SF, Long Island Noir and many other magazines and anthologies.

Amber Benson — “Mademoiselle Consuela and Her Army of One” (2/17/12)
Like a princess locked in a tower, Consuela lives on a secluded island with only her loyal warbot for company. Then the pirates come…
Amber Benson is an actor, filmmaker, novelist and amateur occultist who sings in the shower. Best known for her work as Tara Maclay on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, she is also the author of the Calliope Reaper-Jones series and the co-director (with Adam Busch) of the feature film, Drones.

Don Webb — “The Wizards vs. the Bots” (2/24/12)
Can black magic control zombies? What about warbots?
Don Webb has 20 published books ranging from the nonfiction occult classic Uncle Setnakt’s Nightbook to the best weird west book, Webb’s Weird Wild West.

Kaaron Warren — “The River of Memory” (3/02/12)
An Amazon goddess thinks she can restore humanity to zombies; a warbot has doubts.
Kaaron Warren is an award-winning horror and science-fiction writer based in Australia. She has two short story collections and three novels in print.

Lincoln Crisler — “Kettletop’s Revisionary Plot” (3/09/12)
A distraught scientist travels back in time in a desperate attempt to save his wife and prevent the discovery of the deadly Z Virus.
Lincoln Crisler is author, editor and reviewer as well as an active-duty soldier in the United States Army. His books include Magick & Misery and Wild. He is the editor of the dark-superhero anthology Corrupts Absolutely? He has served as a contributing writer for The Horror Library and Shroud Magazine.

Analog media fans needn’t worry that IDW’s new ZVR stories will only be available in e-pub formats. “We aren’t abandoning print in any way,” confirms Conner. “From the beginning we designed the ZVR prose program to have distinct identities for print and digital. So while it’s true that there will never be print incarnations of any of the 8×8 series themselves, we do have a full slate of ZVR collections and novellas in production on the print side; the ‘8×8’ stories will appear there, just in different contexts.”

The first print collection will be THIS MEANS WAR!, set to appear in March, 2012.

“PAMMI SHAW: Creator of Gods and Also Blogger” ($0.99, digital only) will be available on the Kindle, the Nook, in iBooks, and Kobo on January 20, 2012.

ZVR: THIS MEANS WAR! ($17.99, 342 pages, 6″ X 9″ hard cover, full color) will be available in stores in March 2012. ISBN 978-1-61377-143-3.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s DOCTOR WHO; Toho’s Godzilla; and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio.

IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.

Apple, the Apple logo, and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Content purchased from the iTunes Store is for personal lawful use only. Don’t steal music.

Creators Come Together to Occupy Comics

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Brett

Inspired by the Occupy protests taking place not just in the U.S. but worldwide, a group of comic book creators have banded together to create Occupy Comics. The project is the latest use of Kickstarter but with a twist. The project will see it’s proceeds going directly to purchase items to support the Occupy movement.

All of the writers, artists, business executives, and the publisher are being paid to produce this book… and they ALL are donating 100% of their revenue (not profits, but ALL monies they receive) to the occupiers. They want to support the movement through the winter by providing warm clothes, heaters and bathrooms if possible, and other amenities. For a more detailed breakdown on how the money will flow from pledges to production of the book to the protesters, visit www.occupycomics.com and check out the blueprint.

The list of creators participating is impressive. There’s some hot talent, great vets and numerous comic book creators heavily involved in the Occupy movement. Here’s the beginning list of participants:

Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead)
Marc Andreyko (Manhunter)
Susie Cagle (Notes on Conflict, arrested at Occupy Oakland)
Kevin Colden (I Rule the Night, Grimm’s Fairy Tales)
Molly Crabapple (Dr. Sketchy’s)
Tyler Crook (Petrograd, B.P.R.D.)
J.M. DeMatteis (Justice League, Spider-Man, Imaginalis)
Joshua Dysart (Swamp Thing, The Unknown Soldier)
Zoetica Ebb (Biorequiem.com)
Joshua Hale Fialkov (I Vampire, Tumor)
Brea Grant (We Will Bury You, Suicide Girls)
Zane Grant (We Will Bury You, Suicide Girls)
Joe Keatinge (Hell Yeah, Glory, Brutal)
Ales Kot (upcoming projects w/ Image Comics & DC Ent)
George Krstic (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Megas XLR)
Joseph Michael Linsner (Dawn)
Patrick Meaney (Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods)
Mark L. Miller (Luna, Nanny & Hank)
Caleb Monroe (Batman: Fearless, Hunter’s Fortune)
B. Clay Moore (Hawaiian Dick, Superman Confidential)
Jerem Morrow (Drive-In Horrorshow, Kingdom Suicide)
Amancay Nahuelpan-Bustamante (Hijos de P)
Steve Niles (30 Days of Night, Batman: Gotham County Line)
Laurie Penny (Penny Red)
Matt Pizzolo (Godkiller)
Steve Rolston (Ghost Projekt, Queen & Country)
Riley Rossmo (Proof, Cowboy Ninja Viking)
Douglas Rushkoff (Testament, media theorist)
Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash, Witchblade)
Simon Spurrier (2000 AD, X-Men: Curse of the Mutants)
Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night, Fell)
Ronald Wimberly (MF GRIMM: Sentences)

As I said, an impressive list.

The project seems to get the heart of the Occupy movement by using crowdsourcing to fund it but also it’s use of social media in a way speaks to the movement. The Occupy movement is leaderless without structure, and Occupy Comics instead of having a “mouth piece” Twitter account, links to a search for their name to show the numerous others speaking about the project.

The project won’t see release until 2012, but the donations will occur this Fall. The gifts are great and for me I’m at least doing the $10 for a digital copy of every comic they release.

Head to Kickstarter now to kick in some cash.

Hit Graphic Novels Get Literary Treatment

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Brett

Official Press Release

Hit Graphic Novels Get Literary Treatment

IDW Unleashes Prose Program for Breakout Comic Series: Zombies vs Robots

35 Writers Explore, Expand and Remix ZvR World

San Diego, CA (September 6, 2011)—IDW’s gleefully subversive ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS comic book series from creators Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood will soon be eating readers’ brains from the inside via a series of short stories, novellas and more. As announced at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con in July, the company plans for an ambitious slate of original prose stories set at different points in this epic adventure of a zombie apocalypse. In ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS, the clanking robots are built to fight the shambling braineaters, in a desperate attempt to save Earth’s dwindling population. “It’s gratifying to see that ZvR has taken on an unlife of its own,” asserts Ryall, series co-creator and Chief Creative Officer/Editor-in-Chief for IDW. “Expanding from comics into prose is a logical progression, though as the heretofore sole writer of the series I must admit that letting other writers into our subversive little world was at first troubling. But now I’m fine with it. Really. Mostly. Especially since editor Jeff Conner has corralled such a talented array of writers to tackle some really bizarre and creative prose stories. As long as no one expects me to let them write ZvR comics, too…” A lurching cohort of writers—including such notable talents as John Shirley, Nancy A. Collins, Rio Youers, Brea Grant, Steve Rasnic Tem, Amber Benson, James A. Moore, Rachel Swirsky, Norman Prentiss, and John Skipp & Cody Goodfellow, led by Ryall himself—has been assembled to pen original stories of life during wartime in the ZVR world. “It’s our biggest project so far,” states Conner, the IDW contributing editor helming the ZVR prose program. “In a way it’s a follow-up to our Classics Mutilated release, at least in terms of its anything goes spirit. The results so far have been—um, riveting.”The rest of the ZVR writer roster includes: Dale Bailey, Amelia Beamer, Jesse Bullington, Simon Clark, Lincoln Crisler, Stephen Dedman, Rain Graves, Rhodi Hawk, Robert Hood, Stephen Graham Jones, Nicholas Kaufmann, Steven Lockley, Nick Mamatas, Jonathan McGoran, Joe McKinney, Gary McMahon, Mark Morris, Bobby Nash, Yvonne Navarro, Hank Schwaeble, Ekaterina Sedia, Sean Taylor, Simon Kurt Unsworth, Kaaron Warren, and Don Webb.

A film version of ZVR is currently in development through Sony Pictures, with Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes as producer.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s Doctor Who; Toho’s Godzilla and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio.

IDW Publishing Announces San Diego Comic-Con Signing Schedule

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Brett

Official Press Release

IDW Publishing Announces San Diego Comic-Con Signing Schedule

All-Star Signings at booth #2643!

Joe Hill! Ashley Wood! Steve Niles! Gabriel Rodriguez! Anne Rice! Kevin Eastman! Eric Powell! George R.R. Martin! Walter Simonson! J. Scott Campbell! Jonathan Ross! And many more!

San Diego, CA (July 14, 2011)—Once again making a splash at Comic-Con, IDW Publishing today announced the company’s action-packed signing schedule, featuring exclusive appearances with such fan-favorite talent as George R.R. Martin, Walter Simonson, Anne Rice, Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez, Ashley Wood and Kevin Eastman.

“Try and find a booth with more talent in it in San Diego, you won’t!” exclaimed Dirk Wood, IDW’s director of retail marketing, responsible for the impressive signing roster. “We really went all out this year, and while I’m personally already exhausted just thinking about it, fans are going to love being at the IDW booth.”

IDW kicks off Comic-Con with a special Walter Simonson event during preview night, celebrating the launch of the WALTER SIMONSON’S THE MIGHTY THOR: ARTIST’S EDITION with Simonson on hand to sign the SDCC exclusive variant.

Other signing highlights include Anne Rice (Servant of the Bones) on Thursday, George RR Martin (Doorways) on Friday, Michael McMillian (True Blood: Tainted Love) on Friday and Saturday, and Kevin Eastman and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles party on Saturday. Plus, Eisner nominated Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (Locke & Key), Comic-Con guest Ashley Wood, and comics historians Dean Mullaney and Craig Yoe will all be headquartered at the IDW booth #2643 throughout the convention.

See the full, all-star list below!

Wednesday July 20th Preview Night

OPEN – 8:00 SPECIAL EVENT! Walter Simonson’s The Mighty Thor: Artist’s Edition
Book Release Featuring IDW Guest of Honor – Walter Simonson (*Check out the show exclusive hardcover!)

Thursday July 21st

10:00 – 11:00 All-Ghouls School – Marc Sumerak, Brian Miller (Get a free limited signing card!)
11:00 – 12:00 Walter Simonson’s The Mighty Thor: Artist’s Edition – Walter
Simonson (*Check out the show exclusive hardcover!)
12:30 – 2:00 Servant of the Bones – Anne Rice (Check out the show exclusive Comic!)
(Signing items limited – See employee for details)
2:00 – 3:00 Code Word: Geronimo – Capt. Dale Dye, Dr. Julia Dye (Get a free limited
signing card!)
3:00 – 4:00 Walter Simonson’s The Mighty Thor: Artist’s Edition – Walter
Simonson (*Check out the show exclusive hardcover!)
3:00 – 4:00 Tribes: The Dog Years – Michael Geszel, Inaki Miranda
4:00 – 5:00 The Rocketeer Adventures – Tommy Lee Edwards, Jonathan Ross, Mike Allred
5:00 – 6:00 Locke & Key – Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez (*Check out the show exclusive
hardcover! And don’t miss the debut of The Cape #1 by Joe Hill!)

Friday July 22nd

10:00 – 11:00 Doorways – George R.R. Martin
(Signing items limited – See employee for details)
11:00 – 12:00 IDW Special Guest – Ashley Wood (*Check out Ash’s multiple exclusives!)
11:00 – 12:00 True Blood – Michael McMillian, Marc Andreyko, MariahHuehner, J. Scott Campbell, Joe Corroney
(Get a free limited signing card!)
12:00 – 1:00 Walter Simonson’s The Mighty Thor: Artist’s Edition – Walter
Simonson (*Check out the show exclusive hardcover!)
12:00 – 1:00 Love and Capes – Thom Zahler
1:00 – 2:00 Doctor Who – Tony Lee, Kelly Yates, Matthew Sturges, Mark
Buckingham, Brian Shearer (Get a free limited signing card!)
1:00 – 2:00 *Special Announcment! New Series Signing – Chris Roberson
(Get a free limited signing card!)
2:00 – 3:00 Locke & Key – Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez (*Check out the show exclusive hardcover!
And don’t miss the debut of The Cape #1 by Joe Hill!)
2:00 – 3:00 G.I. JOE – Mike Costa (Get a free limited signing card!)
2:00 – 3:00 Yoe Books! 3D Comics! – Craig Yoe
3:00 – 4:00 Torpedo – Jordi Bernet
3:00 – 4:00 *Special Announcment! New Series Signing – Menton3, Kasra
Ghanbari (Get a free limited signing card!)
4:00 – 5:00 Star Trek – Mike Johnson, Tim Bradstreet, Roberto Orci (Get a free limited
signing card!)
4:00 – 5:00 All-Ghouls School – Marc Sumerak (Get a free limited signing card!)
5:00 – 6:00 Celebrating the upcoming major motion picture Dorothy of Oz! – Roger S. Baum,
Denton Tipton (*Get a free comic!)
5:30 – 7:00 Presenting The Cast of the upcoming Chiller movie Remains! – Miko Hughes,
Evalena Marie, Grant Bowler & co-creator Steve Niles
(*Get a free poster!)

Saturday July 23rd

10:00 – 11:00 Tank Girl – Rufus Dayglo
10:00 – 11:00 Kill Shakespeare – Andy Belanger
11:00 – 12:00 Silent Hill– Tom Waltz, Menton3
11:00 – 12:00 Angel Yearbook – Chris Ryall, Scott Tipton, Brian Lynch
12:00 – 1:00 Walter Simonson’s The Mighty Thor: Artist’s Edition – Walter Simonson (*Check out the show exclusive hardcover!)
12:00 – 1:00 Horror Hour with Steve Niles! – Steve Niles, R.H. Stavis, Fiona Staples
1:00 – 2:00 Launch Party! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Kevin Eastman, Dan Duncan, Tom Waltz
(*Get an exclusive SDCC TMNT Ashcan!)
1:00 – 2:00 Celebrating the upcoming major motion picture Dorothy of Oz! – Roger S. Baum, Megan Hilty,
Amy Mebberson, Denton Tipton (*Get a free comic!)
2:00 – 3:00 Jericho – Dan Shotz, Robert Levine, Matt Federman, Tom Davidson &
Special guest – Cast member Brad Beyer!
2:00 – 3:00 Ghostbusters – Nick Runge (Get a free limited signing card!)
3:00 – 4:00 Walter Simonson’s The Mighty Thor: Artist’s Edition – Walter
Simonson (*Check out the show exclusive hardcover!)
3:00 – 4:00 Transformers– Mike Costa, John Barber (Get a free limited signing card!)
4:00 – 5:00 Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters – Eric Powell (Get a free limited signing card!)
4:00 – 5:00 True Blood – Michael McMillian, Marc Andreyko, Mariah
Huehner, Joe Corroney (Get a free limited signing card!)
5:00 – 6:00 Locke & Key – Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez (*Check out the show exclusive
hardcover! And don’t miss the debut of The Cape #1 by Joe Hill!)
5:00 – 6:00 Devil’s Concubine – Palle Schmidt
6:00 – 7:00 Zombies vs Robots – Ashley Wood, Chris Ryall (*Check out the exclusive
hardcover!)
6:00 – 7:00 Archie Celebration! – Victor Gorelick, Jon Goldwater, Mike Pellerito,
Dan Parent, Craig Yoe

Sunday July 24th

10:00 – 11:00 Kill Shakespeare – Andy Belanger
11:00 – 12:00 True Blood – Marc Andreyko, Mariah Huehner, Joe Corroney (Get a free limited signing card!)
11:00 – 12:00 The Last Unicorn – Peter S. Beagle
12:00 – 1:00 Suicide Girls – Missy Suicide, Brea Grant, Zane Grant, Cameron
Stewart, David Hahn
12:00 – 1:00 Eternal Descent – Llexi Leon
1:00 – 2:00 Miss Fury & The Library of American Comics! – Trina Robbins, Dean Mullaney
1:00 – 2:00 Yoe Books! 3D Comics! – Craig Yoe
1:00 – 2:00 Walter Simonson’s The Mighty Thor: Artist’s Edition – Walter
Simonson (*Check out the show exclusive hardcover!)
2:00 – 3:00 Torpedo – Jordi Bernet
2:00 – 3:00 Tribes: The Dog Years – Michael Geszel, Inaki Miranda
3:00 – 4:00 Doctor Who – Tony Lee, Kelly Yates, Matthew Sturges,
Mark Buckingham, Brian Shearer, Amy Mebberson (Get a free limited signing card!)
3:00 – 4:00 Tank Girl – Rufus Dayglo

IDW and Heroes Star Launch New Zombies Comic Series

Posted on December 14, 2009 by Brett

Official Press Release

Zombie epidemic sweeps 1920s New York City in We Will Bury You

Written by Heroes star Brea Grant

San Diego, CA (December 14, 2009) – In 1920s New York City, life is hard — and then the zombies appear. Actress Brea Grant (Heroes) and her brother, Zane, weave a historical horror in We Will Bury You, debuting in February 2010. The four-issue series follows two unlikely heroines from the margins of society as they fight to survive and battle the spreading zombie infection.

“Zane and I have been working together on music or other creative endeavors for a long time,” said Brea Grant. “We have a similar sense of the world, sense of humor and work ethic, so it just really works out.”

Set during the Roaring Twenties, a time of great change for American society, We Will Bury You takes this challenging era and adds the chaos of zombies for an ingenious new horror story that offers an engaging look at the human condition.

“Besides the aesthetic of the Roaring Twenties being a great and underused environment for horror, there were a lot of big changes going on during that time period,” said Zane Grant. “The country was divided in a lot of complicated ways that are still relevant today.”

The series’ stark images are provided by artist Kyle Strahm, with covers by Ben Templesmith, Eisner-winner Nate Powell, and Trevor Hutchison.

“We wanted someone who could conceptualize both the beauty of the era and the grotesque nature of the zombies,” added Brea. “Kyle’s portfolio had these amazing, scary monsters alongside futuristic images and realistic faces. Everything he draws feels a little mystical, yet bizarre. He has no trouble showing the sickening nature of what we were visualizing.”

Issue #1 debuts in February and sets the stage for disaster, introducing the series protagonists and painting a historically accurate picture of this pivotal time.

“Brea and Zane have crafted a compelling story with a unique take on the zombie subgenre,” commented IDW editor Denton J. Tipton. “Their shared love for the comics medium really shines through, as does their understanding of dramatic storytelling, all delivered with a distinctive voice.”

We Will Bury You #1 (of 4; $3.99; 32 page) will be available in stores in February. Diamond order code DEC09 0924.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renown for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The Transformers and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; Fox’s Angel; the BBC’s Doctor Who; and television’s #1 prime time series CBS’ CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; YOE Books, a partnership with YOE! Studios; and is the print publisher for ComicMix.

IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.