The first comic book convention to take place in San Diego was a small affair. The three day convention, Golden State Comic Con was founded by Shel Dorf, Richard Alf, Ken Krueger, Mike Towry, and Greg Bear and organized by Dorf, drew in 300 people in August 1970. ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
Your New Look at This Iconic Marvel Tale Remastered!
On May 6th, 2015, Marvel Comics is releasing a remastered (& recolored by Chris Sotomayor) hardcover version of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope by Roy Thomas & Howard Chaykin with a new cover by Adi Granov.
Press Release
Lucasfilm Ltd. and Marvel Entertainment have already taken the industry by storm with blockbuster new stories set in the Star Wars universe. This May, we’re proud to return you to the story that started it all as the first original comic adaptation of the greatest space-fantasy film of all time is reborn as the STAR WARS™: EPISODE IV A NEW HOPE OGN!
Here’s your first look at interior art from The Michael Moorcock Library – Volume 1: Elric of Melnibone, by writer Roy Thomas and artists P. Craig Russell & Michael T. Gilbert, on sale February 18th, 2015 from Titan Comics.
Press Release
Collecting the first volume of the classic adaptation of Michael Moorcock’s bestselling fantasy saga, Elric of Melniboné marks the perfect introduction to the series’ iconic antihero, his fabled blade, Stormbringer, and his harrowing adventures across the Dragon Isle.
This Fall, Marvel & Taschen are publishing an enormous 700+ page magnum opus, written by Roy Thomas, entitled 75 Years of Marvel: From The Golden Age to The Silver Screen.
Press Release
In celebration of Marvel’s 75th anniversary, this fall, TASCHEN presents 75 YEARS OF MARVEL: FROM THE GOLDEN AGE TO THE SILVER SCREEN, a 700+ page magnum opus of the most influential comic book publisher today with an inside look, not only at its celebrated characters – Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor and Iron Man, but also at the “bullpen” of architects whose names are almost as familiar as the protagonists they brought to life—Stan “the Man” Lee, Jack “King” Kirby, along with a roster of greats like Steve Ditko, John Romita, John Buscema, Marie Severin, and countless others. With essays by comic book historian and former Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas, this book delves into the hearts of thousands of costumed characters who continue to fight the good fight in comics, movies, and toy aisles of the world.
Press Release
This November, celebrate the milestone anniversary of the Children of the Atom as the X-Men turn 50 years old! Marvel is proud to present your first look at X-Men: Gold #1, featuring all-new stories by legendary creators from the 50 years of rich X-Men history!
“Over the last 50 years, the X-Men have changed people’s lives, myself included.” Says X-Men Senior Editor Nick Lowe.
“Through Cyclops, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Kitty Pryde and the rest of the X-Men, the creators of these merry mutants taught us that it’s not only okay to be different, but that difference is to be celebrated! To honor the characters and the creators we wanted to do something special… hence X-MEN: GOLD!”
The 20th Century Danny Boy blog has posted several depositions in the latest Marvel Comics v. Jack Kirby lawsuit.
I had first read about how Jack Kirby was suing Marvel Comics in The Comics Journal back in the 1980’s. He wanted to get his artwork back from the company where he had worked for many years. Marvel had stated that it was a work-for-hire contract and Kirby wasn’t entitled to the work he created for them. Eventually, over 1900 pages of artwork was returned to Kirby before his death in 1994, but that was less than 25% of what he’d produced for them.
At the time, he had stated that he either created or co-created a number of core Marvel Universe characters including Captain America, Silver Surfer, X-Men, Thor, Incredible Hulk, Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and a score of others. He was just looking to get his work back from his former employer.
Recently the Jack Kirby Estate (his family) has brought a lawsuit against Marvel Entertainment/Disney, Sony, Universal, 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures in order to reclaim copyright ownership of the characters created by Jack Kirby. They hired lawyer Marc Toberoff to represent them. Toberoff was recently successful in obtaining the full rights to Superman’s origins for Siegel and Schuster, the creators of Superman.
For those interested in reading the depositions, they offer an insight into how things were done back during the Golden and Silver Ages of comics. Who are we to believe? That’s for the judge to decide.
I wonder why Kirby’s Estate would decide to bring this issue up now. Is it purely for monetary gain? Is it for the recognition of his creativity and fantastic worlds he has created? The fans and industry at large already know the immense contribution he has made to the world of entertainment. There are many questions that can be asked, but few that may ever be honestly answered. Either way, enjoy the following links containing the texts of the depositions.
