52 editor Steve Wacker is ankling DC for Marvel, Wizard Entertainment reports:

Capping off a tumultuous summer of editor swapping, DC editor and overseer of 52 Stephen Wacker is leaving his office for a new job at Marvel Comics.

“I tenured my resignation with DC today,” said Wacker. “I’m quitting DC to go edit comics at Marvel.”

No word on what Wacker will be taking over at Marvel, but as one of the rising stars at DC editorial, as well as the ringmaster behind 52, he leaves behind some large loafers.

UPDATE: Newsarama adds that the departure was…sudden.

UPDATE UPDATE: Wizard’s story has now been taken down. Man, this is developing fast!

by Marc-Oliver Frisch

With Marvel’s Civil War #4 delayed by a month, DC Comics was August’s biggest publisher in the North American direct market. DC claimed the top spot with crime novelist Brad Meltzer’s Justice League of America #1. Next in line was the weekly event title 52, which made a surprising comeback and placed each of its five August issues in the Top 10. Other notable DC Comics debuts in August included the limited series Trials of Shazam, Martian Manhunter and The Creeper, a revamped Deadman at Vertigo and Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s The Boys at WildStorm. Oh, and Snakes on a Plane.
(more…)

Meanwhile over at Newsarama, Bob Wayne discusses DC’s implementation of the FoC system. You’ll recall that this system–which Marvel has been using for some time now–allows retailers to lower or raise their orders for books much closer to the on-sale date based on feedback, and other evolving factors. It’s probably as close to “returnable” as the DM can get under current conditions:

NRAMA: Is this a win-win for both you and the retailers, or do the retailers come out slightly on top here?

BW: It’s a positive for DC in that our feedback loop tightens up – we can know what’s working – not just from anecdotal information, but with hard number information, because retailers are voting with their adjustment numbers. If something’s not working, then they’ll be cutting their numbers, and if something is working, there’s a focus period where they’ll be looking at their numbers, and have the chance to raise them.

Our experience with 52, and conversations we’ve had with retailers about similar adjustment systems leads us to think that we’ll probably end up with more comics being ordered with this program than less. In that sense, it’s a good thing for DC. For retailers, they’ve been asking for this, and feel that they benefit by knowing that, if they’re not going to be able to sell something, by not having it shipped to them, and not having to pay for it. It’s a virtuous cycle.

Winter McCloud’s interview with Raina Telegemeier and Dave Roman is up at CBR. Winter is 11 and this is, yes, adorable…but also a good inetrview!

O.C.T.: OCCULT CRIMES TASKFORCE, the comic co-written by and starring Rosario Dawson about a supernatural crime solving NY cop and which everyone thought was a pilot for a movie will indeed be turned into a movie, Variety reports. And shockingly, it will star Rosario Dawson! :

Dimension is crafting the project as a star vehicle for Rosario Dawson. Thesp has headlined five recent films for the genre division, and she co-created and co-writes “O.C.T.,” whose protag is an animated version of her. Dawson will produce as well.
[snip]
Thesp grew up in New York a comicbook geek, watching her uncle Gus Vasquez draw them for a living. Influenced by her experience making “Sin City” with co-director and famed graphic artist Frank Miller, Dawson got the idea of launching her own.

Everyone on the OCT team gets a credit: Vasquez gets associate producer credit on the film, co-creators Tony Shasteen and David Atchison get co-producer, and Ford Lytle Gilmore is exec-producer.

The success thus far of the O.C.T. gambit illustrates the current juice of comics in Hollywood: For a minimal investment, Dawson got to publicize a vehicle created just for her, and Dimension gets a property that already has built in “comic book” buzz. Indeed, our spies on the ground in Hollywood report that many minor thespians are looking to hitch their wagon to their very own comics properties.

Of course, not just any one can do it. Thomas Jane is another comic-loving celeb who has been using comics to launch his own movie properties. But both Jane and Dawson do have one thing going for them: they actually read and like comics, and have been accepted into the comics community– believe it or not — not just because they are glamourous movie stars. Certainly, Dawson’s goodwill tour of comics conventions this summer proved that she was a good sport and a real trouper in addition to being so beautiful that most people had to wear jaw slings when in her presence.

So all you Stephen Baldwin’s out there beware: just showing up at a few conventions for a few minutes will not be enough. You must grovel in the mire and the muck with us! Unless your name is Johnny Depp, of course. Then you can do whatever the hell you please.

Over at Activate Nick Bertozzi is recounting a tale of Ernest Shackleton, the English explorer who was trapped in the Antarctic for over a year. Bertozzi has a previous story about Shackleton, Patience Camp, up as well.

We think Bertozzi is one of our finest cartoonists, but what’s interesting here is that he actually has redrawn the first chapter of this comic, having realized he wasn’t stretching himself. You can see the first version here and the new version here.

We Were Wrong Dept: While reporting on Barbie and Tanner, the amazing crapping toy, yesterday, we mentioned that the Teresa and Mika cat-themed playset does not come with cat turds. It turns out that it doesn’t, but it does come with piddle.

Teresa doll has an adorable cat named Mika who is just like a real cat! Mika can drink some water from a bottle and then wets in her litter box. Teresa scoops up the litter clumps. Teresa doll and Mika come with a kitty litter box, bottle, cat litter in a variety of colors, litter scooper, cat food bowl and cat toys. Teresa doll measures 12″ tall.

The product information also notes that the toy is intended for “ages 3-14″ which might be a bit over-optimistic, we think. Any 14-year-old who has nothing better to do than sift pretend cat pee clumps from a tiny litter box has more problems than we can solve.

Barbie also comes with a horse, so there may be no end to Mattel’s line of toys that poop and pee.

Rick Remender, Tony Moore and Jerome Opena move their book FEAR AGENT from Image to Dark Horse, a move a couple of books have made recently, but one that Image’s creator oriented publishing deal allows. Remender talks about the move at CBR:

:”The move is a business decision based on things that we’re going to keep quiet about,” he said. “We all love and respect both companies very much. Dark Horse gave Jerome Opena and I our first big penciling gigs and Image gave me my first big writing gigs and Tony his first big penciling gig, they have both been supportive and wonderful to us all. Though I will not go into many details about the move I hope to stop any speculations before they begin, this move is not because of any ill-will toward Image Comics. In fact Kieron Dwyer, ‘Fear Agent’ co-creator Tony Moore and I have a new ongoing series, ‘XXXOMBIES’ launching at Image in February. Everyone still loves everyone.”

If you’re thinking that this move might be motivated by Dark Horse’s success in translating its properties into other media (“Hellboy” being a prime example), Remender isn’t going to try and dissuade you of that notion. “Obviously, Dark Horse is a powerhouse in this area. I’d be a liar if I said this wasn’t one of the motivations in the move,” he admitted.

Actual PR in the jump which adds that Dark horse will be re-releasing the first FEAR AGENT collection which originally came out from Image.

(more…)

A couple of days ago we covered — or uncovered — the censorship in Marvel’s TOMB OF DRACULA reprints where several previously topless young victims got new wispy smoke bras.

Around Comics – The Comic Book Podcast contacted the artist, Gene Colan, for his take, and he responded:

I’m not personally upset or affected by the alterations. But, I suspect those in charge of making those decisions would be wiser to clean up their own ‘dirt’ than worry about blood, gore or naked ladies.

More in the link.

The schedule for International Comic Arts Festival, held Octover 12-14 at the LIbrary of Congress is up. Events include talks with Jules Feiffer, and a look at the Rwandan genocide through comics. And also superheroes and politics.

Steve Bunche alerts us to one of the most alarming Barbies ever: Poopin’ Pup Barbie. This Barbie comes with a lovable Lab named Tanner who just can’t stop pooping! In fact, since Barbie is feeding him shit, it’s no wonder it goes right through him. You can see a video of Barbie and her pooper scooper in action here at the Mattel website.

But wait, there’s more! For those more feline-friendly, there’s Teresa, who spends her days joyfully lifting turds from cuddly Mika’s litter box. Sadly, this play-set does not come with toy turds, because nothing says fun like cleaning clumps of cat shit. And trust us, we know.

You might think that this was the worst Barbie ever, but it probably isn’t. There was Potty Training Kelly, who sat on the pot herself (accompanied by a merry tinkling sound in the TV ads), and Cock-Ring Ken, of course. Kids gotta learn somehow.

By Paul O’Brien

Even with the parent title running late, CIVIL WAR dominated Marvel’s output again in August, with a raft of crossover titles including the newly launched HEROES FOR HIRE. The Ultimate titles ship their second annuals, and the core ANNIHILATION miniseries gets underway. Other than that, it’s a fairly quiet month, as Marvel hold off on the big launches while the massive crossover is still getting all the attention.

As usual, even though DC did take the top spot, Marvel are still the largest publisher in the North American direct market. In unit share, it’s 41.0% to 39.0%; in dollar share, it’s a slightly closer 36.3% to 35.4%. Pretty close, then. But perhaps the most remarkable feature of this month’s chart is the sheer number of high-selling comics. Thirteen comics broke the 100K mark, which is a remarkable figure.

Granted, five of those thirteen comics are issues of DC’s weekly title 52, but a comic is a comic. If ULTIMATES had shipped this month, it wouldn’t have made the top ten. It would have been somewhere in the mid-teens.

Thanks as always to Milton Griepp and ICV2 for permission to use their figures for these calculations.

2.  NEW AVENGERS
08/01  #45 -  61,572
08/02  #57 -  55,931
08/03  #69 -  57,850
08/04  ---
======
08/05  #8  - 156,037  (  -1.7%)
08/05  #9  - 147,501  (  -5.5%)
09/05  #10 - 143,014  (  -3.0%)
09/05  #11 - 134,125  (  -6.2%)
10/05  #12 - 130,110  (  -3.0%)
11/05  #13 - 126,148  (  -3.0%)
12/05  #14 - 126,583  (  +0.3%)
01/06  #15 - 124,143  (  -1.9%)
02/06  #16 - 124,256  (  +0.1%)
03/06  #17 - 122,847  (  -1.1%)
04/06  #18 - 121,550  (  -1.1%)
05/06  #19 - 125,223  (  +3.0%)
06/06  #20 - 125,600  (  +0.3%)
06/06  #21 - 142,625  ( +13.6%)
07/06  #22 - 143,391  (  +0.5%)
08/06  #23 - 154,262  (  +7.6%)
              6 mnth  ( +24.1%)
              1 year  (  -1.1%)
              2 year  (   --- )
              3 year  (+166.7%)

With CIVIL WAR itself running late, NEW AVENGERS picks up the slack as Marvel’s top selling book of the month. This is, of course, a Civil War crossover storyline, and the title continues to gain sales as the arc continues. Meanwhile, last month’s issue #22 picks up 18,774 reorders to chart at number 112. As usual, those sales are included in the figures above.

These are huge numbers, and although the crossover obviously helps, it’s hardly gratuitous – the storyline really is central to events in this title. Plenty for Marvel to be happy about here, although delays to CIVIL WAR itself mean that this title is set for an unwanted hiatus at the end of the year.

(more…)

Last Friday Brian Hibbs had one of his usual thought provoking columns at Newsarama, and this one looked at a very interesting trend: comics shops opening up accounts with Baker & Taylor to buy graphic novels. B&T is NOT a comics distributor, but rather a traditional book distributor, meaning the books are returnable. B&T even has an online brochure called “Graphic Novels At Your Doorstep”.

Hibbs writes:

…Diamond’s next big challenge isn’t coming from a Direct Market distributor (they’ve killed most of those) – it’s coming from the bookstore distributors.

This next part is hard, because it takes me having to admit I’ve been a dumb-ass. I should have read the deal and figured it out two years ago (no, this isn’t a new program) when my peers first started telling me about it, but I, as many comic retailers, am slow to change sometimes.

Baker & Taylor has a program called “First Call� where you agree to make them your primary source when buying from the book channel. It makes no claims over the Direct Market channel. That’s about it – there are no minimums, or any other hoops to jump through. B&T doesn’t have a fixed discount per book like Diamond.

Hibbs runs through some numbers which shows that a retailer can order a small number of books from B&T at just about the same discount as through Diamond, while the books are still returnable.

In addition, B&T has been making lots of actual graphic novels available as much as a month before Diamond. In a post at his LJ Cold Cut’s Matt High basically agrees with Hibbs and offers this:

This is a trend I’ve really been tracking for the past two or three years, from inside the comics distribution chain (I can certainly tell, based on ordering patterns, which of Cold Cut’s customers have switched their orders over primarily to the bookstore distributors). I’m sure Brian Hibbs and various other retailers have been aware of it for some time as well, it’s just really never been talked about much. One recent example is a discussion on the CBIA board a month ago, where one retailer said “Hey, don’t forget to order the latest Bone trade paperback, which only appeared in the Diamond weekly update, and not in the Diamond Previews catalog”. Half a dozen retailers replied back immediately with, “Yeah, we’ve actually had that book in stock for weeks now, ordering it from Baker and Taylor, and we’ve restocked it repeatedly already. Anyone who’s waited to order it through Diamond missed the boat.”

Everyone, including myself, was lamenting the death of virtually every comic book direct market distributor, leading to a de-facto monopoly of comic book distribution in America. But very people were noticing that a new form of competition was growing outside the direct market, as mainstream book distributors gained a tiny toehold in the comics market, and have been edging into Diamond’s territory little by little ever since.

Naturally, only stores that carry a significant amount of graphic novels will need to set up a B&T account. But with more and more high selling, and profitable book-format material coming out, and traditional book publishers like Houghton Mifflin (FUN HOME) and Pantheon (BLACK HOLE) putting out material of interest in the Direct market, it’s making more economic sense for comics retailers to order some material from B&T.

What does this mean? We’re not exactly sure. But we’re open to interpretations.

It’s up here.

He also has a new book coming out: The Mother’s Mouth

The first HEROES webcomics are up, this first by Aron Collette, Michael Turner and Koi Turnbull, telling a tale of Suresh’s childhood.

UPDATE: HEROES’ debut issue was a ratings winner for NBC quoth Variety:

NBC drama “Heroes” opened to strong numbers on Monday, dominating its broadcast rivals and looking like the first breakout performer of the fall season. The Peacock captured the night in 18-49, with CBS on top in 25-54 and total viewers.

According to preliminary nationals from Nielsen, “Heroes” (5.9 rating/11 share in adults 18-49, 14.3 million viewers overall) topped CBS’ second-place comedy block of “Two and a Half Men” (5/12 in 18-49, 15.7 million viewers overall) and “Old Christine” (4/10, 12.6 million viewers overall) by a hefty 31% in adults 18-49 and also led in total viewers. This is the best fall premiere for an NBC drama since “Crossing Jordan” five years ago.

An excited Shannon Wheeler writes to tell us that the world premiere of the Too Much Coffee Man opera was a big success — the run has sold out and been extended. Two city commissioners were at the opening. “We have buzz,” Shannon writes–a common occurrence when working with coffee, it seems. He also sent to above pic from the dress rehearsal.

The Oregonian has a very positive review:

There was a special brew on tap Friday night at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts to celebrate the world premiere of “Too Much Coffee Man,” and it wasn’t exactly coffee.

Jim Parker, publican of Oaks Bottom Public House, had brewed a delicious stout with a heavy dose of Stumptown Roasters coffee, and it was strong stuff, with just a pint leaving a person simultaneously tipsy and buzzed. Which is to say, it was pretty much like the opera itself.

In a very long interview with Scott King the best selling author talks about doing creator owned material:

Scott: …I know you write comics but do you have any desire to do a creator owned comic book?

Brad: You know, if time was not an issue I would. But when I do the comics I love playing with those established toys. I love playing with Superman and Batman, but as much as I love that there is nothing like your own toy. Even though a creator owned book can be like that the novels are the houses I get to build brick by brick with my hands and I like that. My novels are my creator owned books. So I feel like when I play with comics I’m going to go play with the established toys and when I do the novels I’m going to build a house. But if time weren’t an issue I probably would do creator owned comics and that’s something I may try to figure out in the future.

[Yes this is our first attempt at being a little more organized about events listings. It's definitely a work in progress, so please, hold your applause. And still way to NY-centric, but we're working on that.]

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th
Boston, MA: Scott McCloud at Northeastern U.
When: Tuesday, September 26, 2006, 6:00 PM
Where: Northeastern University’s Blackman Theatre, 360 Huntington Avenue
A book signing will immediately follow McCloud’s talk.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th
– Toronto, ON : J. Torres Signs Ninja Scroll #1 at the Beguiling. Wednesday, September 27th from 5pm-7pm at The Beguiling, 601 Markham Street, Toronto
FREE. All attendees will receive a FREE 8 page preview of the upcoming DEGRASSI graphic novel.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28th

– New York, NY: Opening reception of “FANTAGRAPHICS 1976 – 2006″ at the Society of Illustrators in New York. This massive art exhibition features over 100 original pieces by dozens of authors published by Fantagraphics over the last 30 years, including Daniel Clowes, Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, Chris Ware, Peter Bagge, Jim Woodring, Joe Sacco, Carol Tyler, Ivan Brunetti, Tony Millionaire, Roberta Gregory, Bill Griffith, Richard Sala, Bob Fingerman, Steve Brodner, David B., Kim Deitch, Al Columbia, Drew Friedman, Kaz, Frank Frazetta (!) and many others. It will be an amazing show, with many iconic pieces from Fantagraphics’ history.

OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, September 28th, 5:30 – 8:00PM

EXHIBITION: September 27th through October 21, 2006

WHERE: Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators
128 East 63rd Street, New York, NY 10021
Tuesday 10 – 8, Wed-Fri 10 – 5, Sat 12 – 4

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29th
–New York, NY: Marisa Marchetto signs CANCER VIXEN, 7:00 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 2289 Broadway @ 82nd Street, New York, NY 10024. Talk, Q&A and booksigning.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 30th

–New York, NY Nog a Dod opening
Reception: Saturday, September 30, 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Show: September 30 – October 25th
Curated by Marc Bell and Dan Nadel for PictureBox Inc.
Giant Robot Gallery, 437 East 9th Street, New York, New York 10009 (212) 674-GRNY (4769)

Okay here’s some news of the weird we just can’t resist:a director who took on his critics in the ring…and won:
It’s seems German director Uwe Boll was angered by the critical reception of his film BLOODRAYNE, based on the videogame of the same name. So angered that he challenged his critics to a fight. And four internet critics decided to take on the 41-year-old director — and they are sorry they did.

Jeff Sneider of Los Angeles, a journalist with Ain’t It Cool News, went down in a technical knockout in the first round after his trainer threw in the towel.

He said Boll, 41, had told him it was just a joke, a public relations stunt.

“Then he started beating the crap out of my head,” he said. “I think he’s a jerk. This might be PR but I don’t want to keep getting punched in the head.”

Another of the critics was more creative: he spwed fake blood from his mouth after taking a few punches.

(Kotaku has a picture of the spectacle.)

The victorious helmer was jubilant.

“I like now the critics,” Boll told a news conference after the fights on Saturday. “Everybody who was in the ring showed (guts). Nobody dived.

“If they write about my movies without even seeing the movies then it’s really annoying. If you make a movie like ‘House of the Dead,’ a zombie movie, what are they expecting? ‘Schindler’s List’?”

YouTube has the humiliating video which proves that wimpy internet writers should avoid physical activities at all costs.

Emboldened, Boll will take on another videogame for his next movie, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale. Will audiences throw in the towel? Developing…

The cover to ONE of Jeffrey Brown’s new books from Top Shelf.