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CAPTAIN ACTION 0

Fabian Nicieza

21 pages (April 2008)

Moonstone; ISBN: MOON-00051

The super spy master of disguise is back again for the first time! Brand new story by Superman/Thunderbolt writer, the Captain, Fabian Nicieza!

Led by the original Captain Action, the A.C.T.I.O.N. Directorate fought the Red Crawl for decades. The alien threat was thought long vanquished, so no one notices when Earth is conquered. Literally, no one notices it! He wakes up to learn the father who fired him is dead, and the job he never wanted is his.

He has to save a world that doesn’t know it needs saving.

He has to reclaim his identity while impersonating others.

He has to become the very thing he tried his entire life to avoid…

CAPTAIN ACTION!

That got your attention?  Well I asked Joe Ahearn for any news and he came through so:

“Here’s an easy way to take a look at Captain Action #0 from April. We just went live the other day on WOWIO.  http://www.wowio.com/users/product.asp?BookId=5179 

 Further, our new Novella which came out just before San Diego Comicon ia garnering alot of attention.Attached is a low- res of the interior . and also attached are the 2 finalized covers. 

As respects what’s next for Captain Action, we are currently putting the finishing touches on our first issue which will be out in September. The story of Captain Action continues and there will be a 6 page back up story of Classic Captain Action written by Paul Kupperberg and aother 6 page stale of Mandrake the Magician! All that plus an introduction by the famous Jim Shooter who got his first coic book byline scripting DC’s first 2 issues of Captain Action 40 years ago. 

Beyond that, we have our exclusive Mego Style action figures from Castaway Toys which are due in any time now for those who pre ordered and the next wave are currently on sale through the Castaway website right now.

Our beautiful Captain Action statue from Electric Tiki and Sideshow was just solicited in August Previews. That beauty, sculpted by the talented Ruben Procopio will be coming in just in time for the holidays.  

We also just had a great show out at the San Diego Comicon and have been greenlighted on several projects, one being a deluxe edition reissue of Michael Eury’s 2003 collector’s book “Captain Action, The Original Super Hero Action Figure” from Twomorrows Publishing. The book will be an expanded hard cover edition in full color with lots of additional new updates. We’re targeting that for a late Spring release. So, how’s that for an update!” 

I think that’s as complete an up-date as we could ask for!”

Sadly,though CA #0 looks good the CBO policy [for legal reasons which I think have been explained enough now-so don’t ask!] is we can only review based on hard copy and I look forward to the pleasure of reading the new comic [though Forbidden Planet Bristol say they can’t order it in?!].The original CBO feature is at:

http://www.comicbitsonline.com/2008/03/13/prepare-for-action/ And who’ll be waiting for the action figure?

PRESS RELEASE - MARK MILLAR AND TONY HARRIS WANT YOU FOR THE WAR HEROES TOUR OF DUTY!

Mark Millar and Tony Harris launch WAR HEROES TOUR OF DUTY! 

7 August 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - This upcoming week WANTED’s Mark Millar and EX MACHINA’s Tony Harris storm the United States to support their sold-out, superhero hit WAR HEROES!

“The reaction Tony and I have received for WAR HEROES from fans and retailers alike has been phenomenal so we arranged this tour to say ‘thank you’ to as many of them as possible,” Millar said. “In fact, these trips may be the only way to get the book since the initial printing sold out instantly!”

The tour spans the globe, with a farewell launch party at London’s Forbidden Planet on August 9th, followed up by spots to New York’s Midtown Comics, North Carolina’s Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find, Texas’ Lone Star Comics, Arizona’s Atomic Comics, Las Vegas‘ Comics Oasis, Los Angeles‘ Golden Apple and finally, San Francisco’s Isotope. All stores will feature the extremely limited WAR HEROES #1 TOUR OF DUTY EDITION, which will never be made available again!

COMPLETE WAR HEROES TOUR OF DUTY SCHEDULE

Saturday, August 9th: Forbidden Planet - London, England - 1-4pm

179 Shaftesbury Avenue London, WC2H 8JR, United Kingdom +44 20 7420 3666

Saturday, August 16th: Midtown Comics - New York, NY - 4-6pm

200 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018 (212) 302-8192

Sunday, August 17th: Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find - Charlotte, North Carolina - 2:00-5:00 PM

1957 e.7th st. Charlotte NC 28204 (704) 375-7462

Tuesday, August 19th: Lone Star Comics - Dallas, TX - 3-5:30pm

6465 E. Mockingbird Ln., Dallas, TX 75214 (214) 823-0934

Wednesday, August 20th: Atomic Comics - Chandler, AZ - 1-5pm 

Atomic Chandler Fashion Center 3155 West Chandler Blvd Chandler, AZ 85226 (480) 940-6061

Thursday, August 21st: Comic Oasis - Las Vegas, NV - 4-7pm

 3121 N Rainbow Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89108 (702) 212-8885

Friday, August 22nd: Golden Apple - Los Angeles, CA - 6-8pm

7018 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038 (323) 658-6047

Saturday, August 23rd: Isotope, San Francisco - SIGNING: 5-7 - PARTY: 8-12

326 Fell St San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 621-6543

In addition, WAR HEROES #1 2nd Printing, a 32-page full color book for $2.99, is available for reorder now and will be released later this August.

This news just in from Rik Offenberger over at Archie.

Michael I. Silberkleit, the chairman of Archie Comic Publications, died August 5^th in New York City at the age of 76, after a short battle with cancer.

For much of the 60 years he worked at Archie Comics, Silberkleit shared the leadership of the company with Richard Goldwater, whose father, John Goldwater, and his partner, Louis Silberkleit, Michael’s father, founded the company.

The sons, who began working at the company as boys, later steered Archie Comics into the modern era of publishing as electronic production techniques and brand licensing became important. They encouraged the development of new characters, such as Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and Josie and the Pussycats, and successfully licensed these and other characters through Archie Comics Entertainment. Silberkleit was also Executive consultant to the TV program, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, a long running series starring Melissa Joan Hart. The company also published comic books as a licensee, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sonic the Hedgehog. At various times Silberkleit was chairman of the Comics Association of America.

The centerpiece identity of the company, which is based in Mamaroneck, New York, remains the brightly innocent presence of Archie and his girlfriends, Betty and Veronica, who made their comic debut in 1941.

Over the decades Michael Silberkleit and Richard Goldwater steadfastly refused to introduce the worldlier and darker elements of teenage life, like sex and drugs and violence, into the Archie storylines. In doing so they preserved an image of adolescence for the target audience of 7-to-14 year olds.

Silberkleit was determined to keep Archie an American institution, pure as childhood, yet up-to-date with the latest technology used by children today. For generations of readers, Archie and the Gang have represented the wonder and magic of  childhood and Silberkleit fought successfully to keep this vision alive. 

Unlike some competitors who use longer formats, Archie Comics continues its tradition of telling accessible, short stories. In one of the many interviews Silberkleit gave, he said, “The fact that our stories are funny, are non-violent, believable, clean and appropriate for youngsters makes us so appealing to the younger reader. This philosophy hasn’t changed for more than 60 years. Many parents grew up reading Archie Comics and feel that our comics are appropriate for their kids.”

After an initial public offering in the early 1970s, when Silberkleit served as Treasurer, Archie Comics shares were traded publicly. But after ten years Silberkleit and his partner Goldwater bought the company back from shareholders and held it as a private, family-owned business thereafter.  Currently, the company publishes over 10 million comics per year in a dozen languages worldwide.

Born in New York City in 1932, Silberkleit attended the Fieldston School before going to Albright College as an undergraduate. He studied law after his graduation.

Silberkleit was also active in the community, volunteering as an auxiliary policeman for the Scarsdale Police force.

A resident of Rye and East Hampton, N.Y., Silberkleit indulged his mechanical aptitude with vintage sports cars, spending several  years restoring a 1966 Austin Healey 3000 MKIII.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy Lind Silberkleit, and their daughter, Alexandria, and by three adult children from a prior marriage to Karen Silberkleit: Susan Berkley, David Silberkleit and Amy Silberkleit, as well as grandchildren Isis and Elijah Shiffer.

A private funeral and memorial service is planned for Sunday, August 10^th.  The family asks that, in lieu of flowers or other memorials, donations should be made to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Research.

DO NOT PANIC!  You have not had a stroke or suddenly become dyslexic.  The above title is Finnish.  See -you knew there was a rational explanation,right?

Well,as regulars know,I am a big fan of Finnish creator Pekka A. Manninen and one of his creations in particular -Kapteeni Kuolio [Captain Gangrene].

I’ve interviewed Pekka and published up-dates as new books appear.  And today I received in the post not just the latest Sarjari comic [cat themed] but the first 147pp Kapteeni Kuolio novel titled “ja Suomen salainen kuningas” -and it includes a map drawn by the good Captain himself.

Wonderful stuff.

All in Finnish but available via Zum Teufel! [see Blogroll].

But here is what really gave me a turn. The first thing I pulled out of the envelope were two photographs of..Kapteeni Kuolio..I sat there in panic. Was reality merging with fantasy in my mind again?  Were the pills not working??

Then I read:”Kapteeni Kuolio opened this years FinnCon with a speech I wrote..”

So,Kapteeni Kuolio IS real -and makes rare public appearances?!

Wow.

Really must get to Finland one year and track him down. That said,check out Zum Teufel and even though the books are in Finnish you will enjoy the stripwork. Honest.

Kapteeni Kuolio at FinnCon.  Its just all too much for me!

CHARLTON SPOTLIGHT #6, soliciting in the April 2008 Previews (order code APR08 4250), is a special ALL ART & COMICS ISSUE featuring vintage, never-before-published, full-length E-MAN and MICHAEL MAUSER stories by JOE STATON and NICK CUTI, fronted by a new full-color STATON cover.

We also offer a gallery of unpublished, obscure and rare Charlton art and artifacts, editors and oddities, photos and fantasies. Featured creators and creations include Steve Ditko, Tom Sutton, Dick Giordano, Don Newton, John Buscema, Bill Fraccio, Tony Tallarico, Ray Dirgo, George Wildman, Sal Gentile, Joe Gill, Pat Masulli, John Santangelo Jr., Walter Gibson, Jim Janes, Tom Christopher, Paul Kirchner; Space Western, Doomsday+1, Sarge Steel, Dr. Graves, Peacemaker, Thane, Son of Vulcan, Mastermind; and much more. There’s also a new selection of Nick Cuti’s popular WEIRDLINGS cartoons, and we round out the issue with news, reviews, letters, and another installment of the complete Charlton comics checklist. Back cover is an unpublished Charlton horror painting in full color by PAT BOYETTE.

CHARLTON SPOTLIGHT is the only magazine that focuses on the history of the Charlton Comics Group — the comics and their creators — appealing to the same readers who enjoy the eclectic, authentic comics history featured in ALTER EGO, BACK ISSUE, and COMIC BOOK ARTIST.
Order your copy NOW from your friendly neighborhood comics dealer and please tell all your friends! Heck, tell your enemies, too! If you don’t live near a comic shop, no problem: see below for preorder details. Please join us in this new Charlton Comics outing of epic and downright historic proportions!

CHARLTON SPOTLIGHT #6 is 64 8.5 x 11-inch pages, with full-color covers and B&W interiors. Ask for the magazine from your local comics dealer (available through Diamond Comics Distributors, order code APR08 4250), or order directly from the publisher. Price to a US address is $7.95 plus $2.00 postage; add $3.00 postage to Canada, $9.00 postage elsewhere. Checks/money orders in U.S. funds payable to Argo Press, P.O. Box 4201, Austin, TX 78765-4201, USA; or PayPal to charspot01 AT austin.rr.com.

PRESS RELEASE - DNAGENTS COME FULL STRENGTH THIS OCTOBER!

DNAGENTS: INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH EDITION comes this October!

6 August 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - This October, the prototypical supersoldiers of tomorrow return in DNAGENTS: INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH EDITION TP, a comprehensive omnibus of the hit superhero series by writer Mark Evanier and artist Will Meugniot. 

“DNAGENTS signaled the creator-owned superhero craze years before it started,” Shadowline Publisher Jim Valentino said. “The work Mark and Will did foreshadowed a lot of what was to come in superheroes. It’s very much the precursor to some of the biggest team books out today. Bringing DNAGENTS under the Image I and Shadowline is a true pleasure and something I’ve hoped to do for years.”

DNAGENTS: INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH EDITION collects the entire initial run on the series by Evanier and Meugniot, which introduced the world to the Matrix Corporation and the superpowered teens who rebelled against it. As one of the first independently published superhero books, DNAGENTS members Tank, Surge, Rainbow, Amber and Sham broke away from the typical genre norms of the day and paved  the way for the independent superhero movement that was to come years later. Their unique combination of lush art and compelling characterization made DNAGENTS one of the most influential books of its era!

DNAGENTS: INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH EDITION TP (AUG082271), a 452-page black & white tradepaperback for $24.99, will be in stores October 14th.

 Well,one thing Mr.Northall brought with him at our now sadly-no-more Tuesday meetings,was the September issue of movie magazine Empire. 

Empire Online provided that high quality Watchman trailer posted a couple weeks back.  And,surprise,their September issue has two cover variants [Version 1 above.  Version 2 below].

I,of course,opted for the cover featuring Malin Akerman as the Silk-Spectre. And there is a nice big feature on the Watchmen movie for movie or comic buffs to enjoy.  And there is more -The Day The Earth Stood Still [WHY remake a classic?!],Transformers 2,Clone Wars and Hell Boy II.

Great read.  180pp for £3.90/$9.99

Recommended.  Malin Akerman is in it.

’nuff said. [sorry,Stan]

While Archie Comics maintains its silence over the MLJ characters deal with DC,sending the rumour mill into overdrive,we get back to basics!

LOOKING FOR ACTION, ADVENTURE AND INTRIGUE?  THEN YOU HAVEN’T BEEN KEEPING UP WITH SONIC & SABRINA LATELY!

One’s a teenage witch who’s been on the scene since the early 1960s.  With at least two animated series under her belt and a smash-hit live-action sitcom seen the world over, Sabrina is the reigning queen of magical comic teens. 

The other is a video game hero who has thrilled fans the world over since he leaped on the scene in the early 1990s.  Also a veteran of several animated series, he can also boast one of the longest-running licensed comics of the past 15 years.

The reason for Sabrina and Sonic’s longevity is simple: engaging characters and intriguing storylines that keep their loyal fans satisfied and coming back for more!  If you haven’t read a Sabrina or Sonic comic lately, don’t delay – pick up a copy today and find out what you’re missing!

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #97

The Art of Joe Staton : August 2-31

The Storefront Artist Project presents ‘The Art of Joe Staton curated by Lawrence Klein’ a collaborative exhibit between the Storefront and the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art.

August 2: Fundraising Opening Reception on Saturday,5-8pm

August 3: Art workshop,demonstration,sketch-a-thon,and discussion with Joe Staton 12pm - 2pm

August 6th: Comic Book Theater 12PM-1PM with Sarah Hodge-Wetherbe.

August 9: A Local cartoonist Todd Casey will conduct a drawing workshop that emphasizes the use of individual style. A During the workshops,participants will learn how to create characters and move them through a series of panels to make the comic strips come to life on the page.

August 14th: Making Monsters with Marc 1PM - 3PM with Marc Wrzesinski.

August 13: Artist Salon, Wednesday 6 - 8pm

August 17: Educator and author Tim Callahan leads a session of superhero splendor from 12pm - 2pm when participants can create their own super-powered characters and draw stories about their exploits. During this two-hour workshop, participants will learn how to put characters into trouble and get them out alive.

August 21: Pittsfield’s 3rd Thursday celebration with Joe Staton 5pm - 8pm

Sponsored by Berkshire Gas

August 23: Event with Jim Salicrup,Editor-in-Chief,of Papercutz,the youth-friendly publisher of Hardy Boys,Nancy Drew,Tales from the Crypt, and the Classics Illustrated library with author Stefan Petrucha (Nancy Drew Graphic Novels) will talk about writing,art,publishing and review the artwork and writings of those attending,12pm-3pm

August 30: Closing reception 6 - 8pm

Storefront Artist Project
124 Fenn Street
Pittsfield, MA
413-442-7201

ELEVENTH HOUR VOL 1 HITS WOWIO!Read the Eagle Award Nominated anthology for free online! 

Eleventh Hour Vol 1, the latest installment in the Eagle Award Nominated anthology series produced by Orang Utan Comics Studio and published by AAM/Markosia has joined the digital revolution in comics this week. The full 80 page trade paperback is now available in four parts on the popular online comic download site, Wowio (www.wowio.com). Not only can you now read every page of this groundbreaking anthology for free, but each part also includes exclusive bonus material drawn from the extremely rare and hard to find first two issues of Eleventh Hour, released by Orang Utan Comics Studio back in 2007. 

“Many people have told us that they’d love to read the book,” commented Orang Utan Comics managing editor, Ian Sharman, “but they’ve had trouble finding a copy as their local comic shops have refused to order it for them as, apparently, anthology comics don’t sell. Now that we’re on Wowio we can reach a much wider audience, with readers from across the globe being able to download the  book or read it online.” 

Comic fans from anywhere in the world can use Wowio’s new “Read Online” feature to read through the entire book online for free, and readers based in the USA can currently download it for free (those outside the USA can download each part for just $0.99). 

Please follow these links to find Eleventh Hour Vol 1 on Wowio: 

Eleventh Hour Vol 1: Part 1 

Eleventh Hour Vol 1: Part 2 

Eleventh Hour Vol 1: Part 3 

Eleventh Hour Vol 1: Part 4 

Orang Utan Comics Studio are currently hard at work on Eleventh Hour Vol 2, with exciting new writers joining the team, including Cy Dethan (Starship Troopers) and Dwight L. MacPherson (Surreal Adventures of Edgr Allan Poo), and the hugely talented Azim Akberali (Ray Harryhausen Presents Return to Mysterious Island) and Diego Simone (Starship Troopers) among the returning artists. 

For more information on Orang Utan Comics visit them online at www.orangutancomics.co.uk 

Further Information
Orang Utan Comics
 Orang Utan Comics Studio began life in 2007, bringing together rising talent from across the World.  Since coming together to form the studio OUC creators have worked on titles including Contraband, Starship Troopers and Kong.  Their Eagle Award Nominated Anthology “Eleventh Hour” was recently picked up by AAM/Markosia.  They are also developing a number of new comic projects including Slam Ridley, Young Gods, Mamluk and 5^th Outlaw.. For more information about Orang Utan Comics visit www.orangutancomics.co.uk. 

AAM/Markosia 

http://markosia.com