Chrissie Zullo appearing at Richard's this Saturday

Chrissie Zullo’s cover to Vertigo’s new Cinderella mini-series is in shops across the country this week, and to celebrate she’ll be appearing at Richard’s Comics and Collectables this Saturday. If you are or can be in the area of his great shop in Greenville this Saturday, drop in to meet her and have your issue of Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love #1 signed. She will also have some sketchbooks and prints for sale and who knows you might even be able to get a sketch from her.

CINDERELLA: FROM FABLETOWN WITH LOVE #1

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Shawn McManus
Cover by Chrissie Zullo

When supernatural artifacts from the Homelands begin surfacing in the modern world, it falls to Cinderella, Fabletown’s best kept (and best dressed) secret agent to stop the illegal trafficking. But can Cindy foil the dark plot before Fabletown and its hidden, exiled inhabitants are exposed once and for all? And how does her long lost Fairy Godmother factor into the equation?

George Perez covers Blackest Night Titans #3

The third issue of this mini-series tying into DC’s big Blackest Night crossover is in stores today. I have not been reading this series or most of the Blackest Night tie-ins, so I can’t really preview the contents on the inside like the folks at IGN have. But this post isn’t about the story it is about the awesome variant cover by George Perez.

For this variant Perez makes an homage to a previous Titans cover that he crafted way back in 1983 during one of my favorite runs ever in comics the Wolfman/Perez era of the New Teen Titans. And since this is George Perez we are talking about, he does an awesome job. I am really not one to usually consider buying a comic just for a cover but…

The Art of Ditko

IDW and YOE Books Announce The Art of Ditko

Coming this November, IDW Publishing and its imprint YOE Books are proud to announce, The Art of Ditko, a beautifully designed, large format retrospective on the art and influence of Steve Ditko. Comics legend Stan Lee provides a glowing introduction, while P. Craig Russell, John Romita, and Jerry Robinson each offer their own insights into this enigmatic and incredible creator. In addition to these one of a kind essays, The Art of Ditko also introduces fans to the very best of Ditko’s rare and striking work. The Art of Ditko is the first book from IDW’s new imprint YOE Books, and is edited and designed by Craig Yoe (Secret Identity).

A lifelong fan of comics, Ditko began his professional career as a student of Robinson at the Cartoonists and Illustrators School in 1950, and was quickly recognized as a hard working and talented creator. Ditko went on to add his unique style to some of the biggest names in the business, co-creating Spider-Man and Dr. Strange with Lee, and working at both Marvel and DC during his career. In addition to these famous characters, Ditko also heavily influenced the world of comics through his innovative and groundbreaking stories, challenging the accepted boundaries of the medium.

“I’m excited to show these rare stories that pull back the curtain on how Ditko pushed the comics medium’s story telling techniques in radical, revolutionary ways that have been hidden by his stellar co-creation of Spider-man and Dr. Strange,” said Yoe. “The Art of Ditko also meticulously reproduces, in color, full page pieces of original Ditko art—including unpublished works—that breathtakingly show off the creator’s powerful artistry.”

The Art of Ditko combines riveting essays about the legendary creator with some of his most revolutionary, yet little known, works. In his introduction, Lee details his relationship with Ditko and how their co-creating of Spiderman and Dr. Strange came about. More fascinating essays follow by Robinson, who created the Joker. John Romita described what it was like to follow Ditko on Spiderman and P. Craig Russell gives careful insight into the task of inking his idol. Drawn during his little known “Innovation Period,” the twenty-eight stories exquisitely presented in full color amply show Ditko as a great auteur experimenting with, twisting, and transforming the comics form.

“The addition of YOE Books to IDW has brought a new creative direction and spirit to our book line,” said IDW Editor Justin Eisinger. “Craig’s unique vision and spirit have a contagious quality, a quality that we’re ready to release onto the reading public.” The Art of Ditko is the groundbreaking first book of the IDW imprint, YOE Books, edited, designed and written by Yoe, winner of both an Eisner Award and the Society of Illustrator’s Gold Medal.  Vice Magazine had deemed Yoe “The Indiana Jones of Comics Historians.”

The Art of Ditko will be available in stores this November and a preview is available at TheArtofDitko.com

Bloom County Library Volume One Release and Raffle

Creator Berkeley Breathed to raffle off Sunday strip original art at Long Beach Comic Con on Saturday, October 3^rd and a limited number of Bloom County Library Volume One will be available for first time.

Capping off his inaugural appearance as a convention guest, Bloom County creator Berkeley Breathed will raffle off a piece of original strip art on Saturday, October 3rd at Long Beach Comic Con. Breathed will be a special guest at Long Beach Comic Con, and will give a rare presentation on the much-loved Bloom County comic and the new Bloom County Library Volume One in Room B beginning at 3:00 PM. All attendees of the presentation will receive one raffle ticket. The panel will close with Breathed selecting a raffle ticket and presenting the original art to the lucky winner.

Beginning at Long Beach Comic Con, IDW Publishing will unveil The Bloom County Library Volume One, the first of five volumes featuring every daily and Sunday strip in chronological order, many reprinted for the first time. In addition to premiere access to this beautiful new hard cover, published under IDW’s imprint, Library of American Comics, edited by Scott Dunbier and designed by Eisner-winner Dean Mullaney, LBCC attendees who join Breathed for his presentation will each be entered to win this valuable strip, featuring a hilarious depiction of the hazards of the art world.

Bloom County is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed newspaper strips of modern times. Created by Breathed, the strip premiered on December 8th, 1980 and featured the beloved and quirky denizens of Bloom County including Opus, Steve Dallas, Bill the Cat, Milo Bloom, Michael Binkley, and Cutter John.  The strip was published in over 1,200 newspapers. 

The Bloom County Library Volume One contains a series of “Context Pages” sprinkled throughout the volumes, providing perspective for the reader and presenting a variety of real-life events and personalities that were contemporary at the time of original publication. Breathed has also added his own commentary at points throughout the book. 

The Bloom County Library Volume 1 will be available in stores on October 6^th. Visit IDW Publishing to learn more about the company and its top-selling books. For a complete list of Long Beach Comic Con events, guests, activities, ticket prices and times, visit LongBeachComicCon.com.

Andrew Mangum Cancer Benefit Auction

Andrew Mangum is a talented artist (Grimm Fairy Tales, American Wasteland) that has worked all over the comics industry most notably in the horror genre for publishers like DC Comics, Image, and Frazetta Comics to name a few. This summer he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and some of his friends and colleagues have come together to try to raise money for his medical expenses.

There is going to be a ton of stuff available via E-bay auction from some great comic creators like: Steve Niles, Phil Hester, Eric Powell, Andrew himself and many more. Plus there will be a lot of hard to find and collectable CGC-rated comic books and a lot of signed books from artists like John Cassiday, Matt Wagner, J.G. Jones, George Perez, J. Michael Linsner, and Mark Kidwell. If you are a comic fan or collector you are sure to find items of interest in these special offers.

So if you’ve got some spare cash, try to check out these auctions and get some great swag for a great cause. Here’s the link for the Andrew Mangum Cancer Benefit Auction.