tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65263015413553342052011-11-27T16:25:10.455-07:00Comic books and the creative process in the SPOTLIGHT...J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.comBlogger311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-45168615193458561962009-07-10T11:06:00.005-06:002009-07-10T11:12:34.668-06:00

Here's what's posted on Matt's site:Have a Slave Leia costume? Wanna be in an upcoming episode of How To Draw STAR WARS? Artist Matt Busch and the folks at www.LeiasMetalBikini.com are teaming up to do a video shoot at Comic-Con International on July 24.If you want in this fun opportunity, then meet at the Gentle Giant booth at 1:00 PM on Friday, dressed ready to kill... Jabba!For more

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-22632746676286205642009-06-23T21:02:00.005-06:002009-06-23T21:11:16.999-06:00

Over on Scoop, I've just posted the obituary of Harry Roland, a great artist gone to soon. Harry wasn't a close friend, but I got to know him a bit and worked with him on my McCandless & Company story "No Man is an Eyelid."I hope you'll check it out. He did some truly great covers over the years, including one of the best Famous Monsters of Filmland covers from the early 1970s.

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-59472339466213828862009-05-20T23:15:00.002-06:002009-05-20T23:16:58.019-06:00

For fans of 24 and Burn Notice, or of the original comic book adventures of the Human Target, this looks pretty darn keen...

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-12846824606829481452009-05-15T13:56:00.005-06:002009-05-15T14:10:12.431-06:00

I love the Beatles. Almost every song they ever did is a classic, a standard, a pillar of almost total perfection. Even today, many of the music industry's top singers and songwriters freely admit that they hope to attain even the tiniest portion of the Beatles success, ability and creativity. That's why I love it when artists are able to cover a Beatle tune and not just reproduce the original

Michael solofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225138314126309279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-22166404903832838202009-05-15T13:53:00.003-06:002009-05-15T14:14:36.083-06:00

A funny thing happened on the way to writing this review, I was forbidden to actually try out the product by my house mate. But I'll get into that in a minute. Matt Busch was kind enough to send me the newest version of IRM Foundation's Konxari (pronounced kon-zar-ee) Cards to try out. Konxari is a form of Cartomancy, which is divination or fortune-telling through the use of cards. Konxari itself

Michael solofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225138314126309279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-29791196214151197692009-04-18T06:53:00.000-06:002009-04-18T06:54:32.525-06:00

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-88636487625608010362009-04-07T11:37:00.022-06:002009-04-11T11:43:57.049-06:00

Powers. Hammer of the Gods. Mice Templar. Ship of Fools. Six. Parliament of Justice. Rapture. Thor: Blood Oath. Omega Flight. Foot Soldiers. Bastard Samurai. Red Sonja.The list of Michael Avon Oeming’s projects could go on and on and on and on (it does, just trust me on this one), and he always has something more on the way.Whether as an artist, a writer, or even a filmmaker, there is always at

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-62513260018508666762009-03-15T23:58:00.006-06:002009-03-16T00:04:24.527-06:00

My pal Mike Solof recently posted his “I Hate Comics!!!” column here on Comics Spotlight. In its own way, his “Make Mine Make Sense” cry turned out to be something of a manifesto, and while I don’t want to address each of his points, I do instead want to point out something going on in comics that I think is very good.The addition of Blue Beetle and Ravager, respectively, as back-up features in

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-56679523930344818382009-03-12T10:45:00.010-06:002009-03-12T13:46:44.518-06:00

Ok, I don’t actually hate comics, but my old public speaking teacher said to start every speech off with a bang. So, I don’t hate comics. Yet.They are just currently frustrating to me. Very frustrating.First, a little background: I have been collecting comics for over 15 years. I have been to over 40 conventions nationwide, including the big ones in San Diego and New York, smaller ones like

Michael solofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225138314126309279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-72885987041081894942009-03-11T20:42:00.002-06:002009-03-11T20:54:37.934-06:00

Over on Comix 411, our pal Tom Mason (veteran writer of things from YA novels to cartoon show, but for us he could have stopped after creating Dinosaurs For Hire and still been cool forever) took last Friday's release of the Watchmen movie to check in with comic book industry folks about their memories of the initial release of Watchmen #1 in 1986.It was a random, unscientific sampling to be

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-4075165082232550832009-03-03T20:49:00.023-07:002009-03-03T21:46:17.823-07:00

In the short time since we started the Comics Spotlight blog and offering these “20 Questions With…” insights into the creative process, I most often have found myself trying to get information I didn’t know out of people I knew pretty well. That isn’t the case with Brandon Jerwa, though, who I only knew through his work.Rather quietly, he has been moving up in the field of comic book scribes,

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-23993468870881389912009-02-26T17:55:00.002-07:002009-02-26T18:06:21.481-07:00

Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation will release the all-new animated original movie Wonder Woman on March 3, 2009 in multiple formats.The Direct-to-DVD will be available as a Single Disc DVD for $19.98 (SRP), 2 Disc Special Edition DVD for $29.98 (SRP) and Blu-ray Disc for $34.99. It’s produced by Bruce Timm, and features the vocal talents of Keri Russell (Waitress, Felicity),

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-64072351365775181882009-02-26T17:47:00.003-07:002009-02-26T17:53:48.320-07:00

Michael Avon Oeming, the writer-artist-filmmaker and man about town has launched a new website, michaeloeming.com. The site will include, according to Herr Oeming, blog style updates full of news and daily sketches, art galleries, links to the Powers and Mice Templar sites and message boards. It will lso include updates and interviews about Rapture, his new six-issue mini-series from Dark Horse

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-58531365493523818272009-02-18T20:55:00.001-07:002009-02-18T20:57:08.292-07:00

A funny video animation by our pal James Nelms and his niece.

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-63492370025423021382009-02-16T22:34:00.012-07:002009-02-16T23:02:47.607-07:00

I first met Barry Lyga in the offices of Diamond Comic Distributors. I worked one floor up at Gemstone Publishing and pretty quickly had scoped out who were the other creative types that worked there. He was definitely top of the list.In describing his personal projects, the stuff he did outside of working the marketing department, he frequently used the word “re-writing.” Frequently enough to

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-40044596551322084452009-02-16T11:30:00.006-07:002009-02-16T11:47:28.824-07:00

Mike Solof's late father, Charles Solof, was the subject of a neat article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sunday, February 15, 2009.It's a very nice feature and has a good selection of illustrations. It does mis-identify Mike as a writer for Gemstone Publishing (he's a contributing photographer for us on Scoop and has been for years), but it's otherwise spot-on.On a personal note, based on my

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-50004782675003234302009-02-13T15:00:00.003-07:002009-02-13T15:03:57.625-07:00

Mike Solof's work is on display in "New York Comic-Con in Photos" which is now posted in this week's Scoop newsletter and website from Gemstone Publishing. Check it out!

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-76471425035126387182009-02-12T15:25:00.013-07:002009-02-13T15:04:45.591-07:00

Our official Comics Spotlight photographer Michael Solof just filed these photos, along with his usual unusual observations. You'll have to trust me on the translations...Longtime X-Men scribe Chris Clarmont looks like he's either in desperate need of the cup from Starbucks in his hand or he's in equally desperate need of someone taking it away from him...if they dare.Walter Simonson, one of our

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-11418551669769223632009-02-10T18:31:00.008-07:002009-02-13T15:05:01.840-07:00

Comics Spotlight's Michael Solof, who regularly contributes his comic convention photography to Gemstone Publishing's Scoop, attended the New York Comic-Con for this blog (and, well, for his unending quest to get all of his comic books autographed). He's seen at right with Sgt. Rock writer-artist Billy Tucci, who is also known as the creator of Shi. That's Mike, left, with Billy, right.Mike

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-61606051057307460402009-02-04T20:13:00.014-07:002009-02-04T20:30:06.589-07:00

For some years now, creators who have known James Anthony Kuhoric have been waiting for his breakout comic book work, something that had his distinctive stamp all over it.When he scripted Army of Darkness, he did so with a capacity to capture Ash’s voice in such a way that it was nearly impossible not to hear Bruce Campbell saying the lines. It’s been observed by fans that clearly he “gets” the

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-81836033443891635122009-02-02T08:40:00.000-07:002009-02-02T08:41:04.535-07:00

When Chris Ryall arrived at IDW Publishing, Mark Haynes and I had already taken a run at 24 with Jeff Mariotte, Chris’s predecessor as Editor-in-Chief, so we wondered who this new guy was. We knew his name from his online presence, but that was about it.After seeing what the company had brilliantly they had made CSI: Crime Scene Investigation work as a comic (it didn’t hurt that the great Max

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-15115640534507213272009-02-01T05:00:00.003-07:002009-02-01T05:00:00.759-07:00

Long before he became Associate Editor of a hit comic book line from Dynamite Entertainment, I met Joseph P. Rybandt on my first day as Associate Editor of Gemstone Publishing. It was back in April 1995, and I had been hired to work on Overstreet’s FAN, a monthly glossy magazine akin to Wizard. Joe had been hired before me, so he was there when I walked in and discovered the magazine’s first

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-53735300102519341312009-01-31T07:00:00.024-07:002009-01-31T12:27:31.179-07:00

The first thing you think when you meet him isn’t, “Well, he’s very quiet.”Outgoing and always ready with a handshake, an enthusiastic greeting, a story to tell, an off-color joke, or a point to make, he’s seems the same whether talking with fans or old friends. It’s the same whether he’s signing autographs at a convention, posting his blog-column on Newsarama, or raving (or ranting) on his Paper

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-44844343157638595512009-01-29T19:46:00.003-07:002009-01-30T22:40:25.434-07:00

It looks like our debut week, starting Tuesday, February 3, 2009, will be a bit more packed than we thought at first. In addition to 20 Questions with Jimmy Palmiotti (he of many hats) and 20 Questions with Joe Rybandt (of Dynamite Entertainment), will be adding 20 Questions with Chris Ryall, who is IDW Publishing's Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, as well as being one of their many writers.It's

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-83566779350324297872009-01-28T22:04:00.004-07:002009-01-30T21:46:03.687-07:00

For the most part, I won't be reviewing comics here. Mike and Charlie will handle that, and I'll do the interviews and features. Here's an exception, and a book you should really know about... from the January 23, 2009 edition of Scoop is this collection you simply should not miss:The Complete Little Orphan Annie - Volume TwoIDW Publishing; $39.95When Ted Adams and the other heroes at IDW

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-24827437821203403732009-01-28T06:02:00.009-07:002009-01-30T22:42:04.111-07:00

It's been a fait accompli for some time that the TV series The A-Team would make it to the big screen. Some of the episodes of the series were mind-numbingly horrible, but the basic premise was fun and the casting was spot-on perfect.Well, they could bring George Peppard back from the dead as a flesh-eating ghoul and let him gnaw off Mary Hart's arm during an interview with Entertainment Tonight

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-7845566332346205782009-01-27T21:34:00.004-07:002009-01-30T22:39:36.577-07:00

The January 2009 issue of Toy Collector Magazine, which is online and free to view or dowload, features an article on Batman at 70 by yours truly. You can also get to the print quality PDF version on the magazine's site, too. Once February's issue is posted, you can search the back issues.

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-34424660018810041882009-01-27T21:17:00.004-07:002009-01-30T21:44:37.607-07:00

While I think the trailer is entirely too frenetic and the original version sucked all the enthusiasm out of me that the teaser trailer instilled, I have to admit that I desperately want this movie to be not only good but great. Other than Manny Coto's superb last season of Star Trek: Enterprise, it's been since Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan that we saw truly awesome Star Trek. That's my two

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-43267176542977899602009-01-27T18:36:00.006-07:002009-01-30T22:38:52.108-07:00

Following next week's official launch interview, 20 Questions with Jimmy Palmiotti, we'll also hit with 20 Questions with Joe Rybandt. If you don't know Dynamite Entertainment's Associate Editor yet, this will be your chance to get to know him!And if you ever read the famous "all stalker" letters column in Powers #9 (original series), letter hack - photographer -interviewer Mike Solof is going

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-43949177639665970712009-01-25T22:19:00.003-07:002009-01-30T22:38:12.119-07:00

Our first interview is presently set to publish on Tuesday, February 3, 2009. It's a career-spanning (thus far), genre-hopping, which-hat-are-you-wearing-now 20 Questions with Jimmy Palmiotti.

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6526301541355334205.post-34675666105484866992009-01-25T21:40:00.003-07:002009-01-30T22:43:11.357-07:00

Back in 2002, several of us got together and put out a short-lived magazine about comic books, Comics Spotlight. While the magazine only lasted a few short issues, our love of the medium, what it's been and what it can be, has never changed. That's why we're starting this blog.There are a lot of places to get industry news on a very timely basis, and we're not going to try to compete with them.

J.C. Vaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891181063753371242noreply@blogger.com0