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11/06/13 @ 3:41 pm EST
In another peer to peer interview from Dynamite Entertainment, Nancy Collins chats with Devin Grayson and Gail Simone about taking on Red Sonja as part of the new Legends Of Red Sonja series being released during the characters 40th anniversary.
First Devin Grayson:
NANCY COLLINS: What inspired you to give your Red Sonja story in LEGENDS OF RED SONJA #1 a nautical spin?
DEVIN GRAYSON: I haven’t played with magic much in my comics writing, but it’s been factoring heavily into some prose work I’m doing now–a YA novel series about a young ghost hunter and her friends, one of whom is a mage. So the chance to work with an artist who could bring some of those themes to life was irresistible. Magic in Sonja’s world—as shown so beautifully in your story– is dark, powerful, raw and dangerous…essentially a force of nature in and of itself. So I wanted something that would echo that visually, a setup in my story that would lead to people being visibly out of control of their environment, such as fire at sea. And the moment I seized on that, a whole mood and tone and antagonist for the story fell into place.
Or maybe I just watched that Science Friday “Where’s the Octopus?” video on YouTube too many times.
NC: Did you have an interest/background in heroic fantasy prior to being brought on the Legends of Red Sonja project?
DG: Not in my reading or writing life, but I’m an avid RPGer, and when you’re gaming—whether online or in traditional pencil and dice campaigns—you’re going to end up submerged in heroic fantasy. Most relevant to this project was the online game Age of Conan. I never actually played it, but before the game officially launched, the role playing crowd took over one of the Beta message boards to use for Conan-themed round robin story-telling. I was very active there, playing an Aquilonian guard, so Sonja’s world felt like a place I’d already lived.
NC: You’ve worked in the video game industry in the past. How does writing for games compare to writing comics?
DG: There are a lot of similarities. Both start as blank pages but grow up to be primarily visual media, both have a commitment to inviting the audience to identify with the characters in as immediate a way as possible and both are shaped by external story limitations—continuity in the case of comics and game mechanics in the case of video games. Both are also unusually social experiences for a writer. Unless you’re working with a partner, writing is usually a pretty solitary exercise. Being alone with a story is one of my favorite parts of the writing experience. But with both comics and video game scripts, you’re just a cog in the wheel, working as part of a team and relying on those other team members to bring your vision to life. I love finishing a manuscript and eventually getting to hold an actual book in my hands, but it’s a whole different kind of thrill to finish a script and eventually get to see the characters acting out the dialog.
NC: Do you have anything on deck for 2014 that your fans should keep an eye out for?
DG: In addition to the YA novel series I briefly mentioned –which won’t make its debut in 2014–I’m currently working on a radio play, which will, and a few other projects it’s too early to talk about. I’m really enjoying being back in comics though and, who knows, there may even be some more work with Dynamite in my future.
And now over to Gail Simone:
NC: What inspired you to propose an All-Woman jam to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Red Sonja?
GAIL SIMONE: I have to give a lot of credit for this to Dynamite and to Nick Barrucci. They are just fantastically open to ideas, and consequently, you don’t feel like the doors are all shut and locked before you even try to open them.
I had what I thought was a fun idea, to have all the covers of my run on the ongoing RED SONJA title be drawn by women, all my favorites, and it’s just worked out amazingly well…they all turned out beautiful. And it made this nifty little side statement, as well, that some of the very best artists in the business are female, AND could draw this sword and sorcery stuff beautifully.
It was such a success, it made me think of how fun it would be to invite a bunch of my writing heroes to try the same thing, women who had provided inspiration to me with the quality of their work.
It turned out to be one of the most fun and rewarding things I’ve ever been a part of, we were all collaborating immediately. And we brought back people like Devin Grayson, Tamora Pierce and yourself, Nancy, to comics, who have been gone for too long. And we got Mercedes Lackey’s and Meljean Brook’s first comics stories, and a-list artist Nicola Scott’s first scripting credit…it just makes me happy. I am proud to be in this company, even if I cheated and put myself in!
NC: Did you have an interest in heroic fantasy prior to landing the monthly RED SONJA gig?
GS: Oh, yeah, absolutely. I often see people who object to the blood or flesh in this genre, particularly in the Robert E. Howard-inspired stuff, but really, I like it. It feels very primal, very ill-mannered. It’s not like the Tolkien stuff that I also love, it’s sweatier and lustier. But you can tell very sophisticated stories with the genre, heartbreaking and heart-soaring stuff. I love it.
C: How does it feel being the first woman to write for Red Sonja in the 21st century?
GS: Is that actually true? I believe one of my other heroes, the great Jen Van Meter, did a Sonja one-shot just a couple years back.
But as ONE of the first, what can I say, it’s one of those joyful things that happen that could never be predicted. I always loved Sonja, now I get to do ferocious things with her.
NC: What up-coming comics and special appearances can your fans look forward to in 2014?
GS: A lot, and some things I can’t mention yet, but the hugely successful Kickstarter graphic novel I did with co-creator and artist Jim Calafiore, LEAVING MEGALOPOLIS, is finally out to backers, and I am thrilled about that. I’m writing the TOMB RAIDER comic for Dark Horse, which has all the good history and travel stuff I love so much. I’m writing BATGIRL and THE MOVEMENT for DC Comics, both very close to my heart.
And of course the LEGENDS OF RED SONJA anthology and the ongoing Sonja monthly title for Dynamite. There may be a few surprises, as well, it’s been a year of big changes for me.
As for appearances, yikes, my convention calendar is mostly filled up until 2015, but very few have been announced yet, so I have to keep mum about that.
Legends Of Red Sonja #1 goes on sale November 6th and features a cover by Jay Anacleto and interior art by Jack Jadson, Noah Salonga and Carla “Speed” McNeil.
Nancy A. Collins is the author of numerous novels, short stories, and comic books, including DC Comics’ Swamp Thing. A recipient of the Horror Writers Association’s Bram Stoker Award, The British Fantasy Society’s Icarus Award, as well as a nominee for the International Horror Guild, John W. Campbell, James Tiptree, Eisner & World Fantasy Awards, her works include Sunglasses After Dark, Lynch: A Gothik Western, and Knuckles And Tales. Legends of Red Sonja #1 marks her return to comics, and her newest novel is Magic And Loss, the 3rd book in the Golgotham series, scheduled to be released November 5th.
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04/25/24 @ 12:24 pm EST
Today Skybound and Image Comics, in partnership with Universal Products & Experiences, revealed an impressive slate of variant covers and a first look at interior pages from Universal Monsters: Creature from The Black Lagoon Lives! #2, the next issue of the new four-issue limited comic book series from acclaimed writers Dan Watters (Home Sick Pilots, Lucifer) and Ram V (The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, Batman: Detective Comics), along with artist Matthew Roberts (Manifest Destiny), and colorist Dave Stewart (Ultramega, Hellboy). The next installment of the new Universal Monsters phenomenon hits comic book shops May 22, 2024. In addition to the main cover by Matthew Roberts and Dave Stewart, Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 boasts a variant cover lineup from top artists including both an open to order cover and “classic horror” black and white 1:25 incentive variant by Francis Manapul, the continuation of a four-part 1:10 incentive connecting cover series by DANI, a 1:50 incentive variant by Stephanie Pepper, and a 1:75 incentive variant by Christian Ward. Kate Marsden has miraculously survived – but just who, or what, is the creature that she saw? As Doctor Thompson and Kate work to discover the truth, they come face to face with an elusive serial killer...who’s also the man that Kate has dedicated her life to destroying. Picking up where the original films left off, this Universal Monsters tale takes readers back to the mysterious Amazonian lagoon where terror lurks beneath its murky waters. This series is perfect for new readers and longtime fans alike. Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! is the second Universal Monsters series launch from Skybound, following James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds’ Dracula, and will be followed by Universal Monsters: Frankenstein by writer/artist Michael Walsh coming in August and more new limited series pairing the biggest names in comics with pop culture’s most iconic monsters. Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 (of 4) (Lunar Codes Below SRP: $4.99) will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. The full list of covers is below: Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 Cover A by Matthew Roberts & Dave Stewart (Lunar Code 0324IM295) Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 Cover B by Francis Manapul (Lunar Code 0324IM296) Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 Cover C (1:10 Connecting Copy Incentive) by DANI (Lunar Code 0324IM297) Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 Cover D (1:25 “Classic Horror” B&W Copy Incentive) by Francis Manapul (Lunar Code 0324IM298) Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive) by Stephanie Pepper (Lunar Code 0324IM299) Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 Cover F (1:75 Copy Incentive) by Christian Ward (Lunar Code 0324IM300) 
     
... 04/25/24 @ 12:16 pm EST
A new Harry Potter audiobook series is coming to Audible. As part of a partnership with Pottermore Publishing and Audible, the two will release seven new English language audiobooks scheduled for late 2025. The audiobooks will feature a full range of character voices, with the Audible CEO citing more than 100 actors, Dolby Atmos sound design and new scoring. Each book will be released sequentially and globally. This is in addition to the original single-voice audiobook recordings by Jim Dale and Stephen Fry, which were first released in 1999 and have reached 1.4 billion global listening hours after launching on Audible in 2015.The Harry Potter audiobooks on Audible also include The Tales of Beedle the Bard performed by Jude Law, Harry Potter: A History of Magic performed by Natalie Dormer, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them performed by Eddie Redmayne, and Quidditch Through the Ages performed by Andrew Lincoln. (via The Hollywood Reporter) 04/25/24 @ 12:16 pm EST
The feast-for-the-eyes, bestselling comic book series Seven to Eternity—by fan-favorite and New York Times bestselling team of Rick Remender (Napalm Lullaby, Deadly Class, LOW), Jerome Opeña (The Avengers, The Punisher), James Harren (Ultramega, Rumble), and colorist Matt Hollingsworth (Love Everlasting, Wytches)—will be collected in its entirety into one complete compendium paperback edition this September and join the Giant Generator line at Image Comics. The Seven to Eternity Compendium will include Seven to Eternity issues #1-17 of the series with a brand new cover by Opeña and Hollingsworth. The God of Whispers has spread an omnipresent paranoia to every corner of the kingdom of Zhal; his spies hide in every hall spreading mistrust and fear. Adam Osidis, a dying knight from a disgraced house, must choose between joining a hopeless band of magic users in their desperate bid to free their world of the evil God, or accepting his promise to give Adam everything his heart desires. “I couldn’t be prouder of a project than Seven to Eternity. The sum of my relationship with Jerome, which began 20 years ago at Image on Strange Girl, you’ll find no better comic with our names on it. We’re very excited to put the entire tale in one compendium to allow a whole new audience to enjoy the entire journey,” said Remender. Opeña added: "Seven to Eternity represents seven years of my life and is one of the projects I’ve worked on that I am most proud of. I’m extremely thankful to everyone that has supported the book over the years and hopeful that new readers will be able to enjoy the book with this new Compendium Collection." Seven to Eternity Compendium paperback (ISBN: 9781534363861) will be available at local comic book shops on Wednesday, September 11 and independent bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indigo, and Waterstones on Tuesday, September 24. Seven to Eternity is also available in trade paperback and hardcover editions: Vol. 1 trade paperback - ISBN: 9781534300613 Vol. 2 trade paperback - ISBN: 9781534303218 Vol. 3 trade paperback - ISBN: 9781534306981 Vol. 4 trade paperback - ISBN: 9781534312425 Book One deluxe hardcover - ISBN: 9781534319318 Seven to Eternity will also remain available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.    
... 04/24/24 @ 5:02 pm EST
Briarcliff Entertainment has acquired domestic rights to Valiant One, a military action thriller starring Chase Stokes (Outer Banks) and Lana Condor (To All the Boys franchise), slating it for release in theaters nationwide on January 24, 2025. Check out a first-look still above. Marking the feature directorial debut of producer Steve Barnett, the film watches as a routine mission goes awry when a U.S. army helicopter crashes deep within North Korean territory. Now, a team of non-combat tech specialists, led by Captain Edward Brockman (Stokes), must navigate the hostile terrain and fend off North Korean forces as they desperately race to escort a civilian tech specialist across the treacherous Demilitarized Zone. A Monarch Media production written by Barnett and Eric Tipton, with counsel from former members of the U.S. Military, CIA and Department of Defense, Valiant One also stars Desmin Borges (Only Murders in the Building) and Callan Mulvey (The Grey Man). The film is produced by Bernie Goldmann and Alan Powell, and executive produced by Vicky Patel. Stokes served as co-executive producer. (via Deadline) 04/24/24 @ 4:46 pm EST
Marking the milestone 50th issue of Benjamin Percy’s run and hitting stands during Wolverine’s 50th anniversary year, next month’s WOLVERINE #50 will be one of the character’s most pivotal issues ever! In anticipation of this landmark issue, fans can check out never-before-seen artwork from each story now. Packed with bonus material, the giant-size issue presents the explosive final chapter of Percy, Victor LaValle, Geoff Shaw, and Cory Smith’s 10-part epic “Sabretooth War” storyline plus a story co-starring Jubilee from legendary Wolverine scribe Larry Hama and a special sneak peek at Wolverine’s upcoming adventures in the From the Ashes era! Having masterfully guided Logan over the last few years, Benjamin Percy will also bid farewell to the character in WOLVERINE #50. After closing out Wolverine’s Krakoan age adventures in the main story, Percy will team up with artist Javi Fernández in a special send-off that explores Wolverine’s incredible legacy. On closing out his run, Percy shared, “Fifty issues of Wolverine is a hell of a lot to be thankful for. But the math gets hairier when I do some accounting. I've actually been writing Logan -- in the audio drama, in X-Force and Wolverine and all the crossovers and spin-off events -- for seven years, twenty episodes, and a hundred thirty-ish issues. That’s a whole lot of SNIKT. That’s a big part of my life and career, and I feel nothing but gratitude for the experience. I can’t believe I’ve been lucky enough to serve as the custodian of a character who is so important to me. Thanks, bubs, for joining the mayhem.” The Sabretooth War concludes in the way it began - a violent, bloody battle - but WHO will be left standing? Preorder WOLVERINE #50 at your local comic shop today!       
... 04/24/24 @ 2:50 pm EST
Jeffery Self (Search Party, The Horror of Dolores Roach) and Gabrielle Ryan (Power Book IV: Force, Bonding) have boarded Christopher Landon’s coming fast-paced thriller Drop from Blumhouse, Platinum Dunes and Universal Pictures. The duo join the previously announced cast including Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar. The film’s logline is being kept under wraps at this time. Drop is written by Jillian Jacobs & Chris Roach. Michael Bay, Jason Blum, Brad Fuller and Cameron Fuller are producers. Ron Lynch and Sam Lerner are EPs. Drop is a Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse production for Universal. (via Deadline) 04/24/24 @ 2:52 pm EST
Today Skybound Comet and Image Comics revealed all-new interior pages from Sea Serpent’s Heir Book Three: Queen of Mercy, the third and final installment of the high seas fantasy trilogy about growing up and changing your fate from acclaimed creators Mairghread Scott (Netflix’s Dragon Age: Absolution, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy) and Pablo Tunica (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Sea Serpent’s Heir Book Three concludes the fantasy Young Adult trilogy from Skybound Comet, the original graphic novel imprint aimed at Young Adult (Ages 12+) and Middle Grade (Ages 8-12) audiences, but sure to captivate readers of all ages. In the final chapter of the Sea Serpent’s Heir Trilogy, the hunter becomes the hunted after Aella’s aunt Kiana steals the power of Xir for themselves! Can Aella stop the person who taught her everything she knows about magic from destroying the world? Sea Serpent’s Heir Book One: Pirate’s Daughter (Lunar Code 0623IM958, ISBN 978-1-5343-2129-8 I SRP: $14.99) and Sea Serpent’s Heir Book Two: Black Wave ( Lunar Code 0723IM381, ISBN 978-1-5343-9993-8 I SRP: $14.99) are available everywhere books are sold now. The Skybound Comet slate also includes the upcoming release of Ava's Demon Book Two: Aftermath (Lunar Code 0324IM187, ISBN: 978-1-5343-9852-8 SRP: $17.99), the next chapter of the groundbreaking YA graphic novel by acclaimed author Michelle Fus, available for the first time in the book market in May 2024 along with the July release of Super Dinosaur Compendium One (ISBN: 978-1-5343-2775-7 I MSRP: $34.99) from Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead) and artist Jason Howard (Batman, The Flash). Clementine Book Two (Lunar Code 0923IM926, ISBN: 978-1-5343-2519-7 SRP: $14.99) by acclaimed writer/artist Tillie Walden (Spinning, On a Sunbeam) is available everywhere books are sold now. Sea Serpent’s Heir Book Three: Queen of Mercy (ISBN: 978-1-5343-3209-6 SRP $14.99) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday September 4, 2024, and at booksellers, along with digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play Tuesday, September 17, 2024.           
... 04/24/24 @ 2:33 pm EST
The New York Times bestselling, multiple award winning writer Chip Zdarsky (Newburn, Batman), fan-favorite artist Rachael Stott (Fantastic Four, Dr. Who) and stellar colorist Eren Angiolini (Justice League: Last Ride) bring fans of the Eisner Award winning series Public Domain its comic-book-within-the-comic-book in the upcoming new title, The Domain. This five-issue miniseries is the in-universe comic book at the center of the Public Domain series and will launch this July from Image Comics. In the pages of Public Domain, Syd Dallas and the team at Dallas Comics reimagine their classic character The Domain for a new audience, and… this is that comic! “When I realized that my characters from Public Domain would be creating a new superhero comic, I just knew I had to actually make that comic! It was an opportunity to create a fun, classic superhero comic while also enhancing the narrative of Public Domain and those characters’ journeys," said Zdarsky. "But to do it right I needed a great art team who could pull off a kinetic, explosive superhero style, and Rachael Stott and Eren Angiolini are the perfect fit for this story. The only problem has been that fact that they’re too good and have, in fact, made Public Domain look bad by comparison. I did this to myself!" Stott added: "Every single time I get to work with Chip Zdarsky I feel like the luckiest artist in comics—we've worked in his sexy Sex Criminals universe on the Sexual Gary Annual, and then an equally sexy Spider-Man one shot, but now we get to create a world and characters together for Domain. Every (sexy) page has been a joy and delight to draw. And sexy. Then add Eren Angiolini into that equation and you have a dream project. They are one of the most talented colourists working today, and I'm so lucky to get to collaborate with them again. I love being a part of this team, and we've made a really cool, beautiful book together and I'm so proud excited for people to read it. Chip, did I say sexy enough? How many times did you say it would take to get the book on Oprah's book club?" In the upcoming The Domain, three best friends discover a crashed UFO and uncover technology that imbues them with incredible abilities. But there’s a catch: only one of them can use the powers at a time! Can their friendship survive the power’s temptation? The Domain promises a classic superhero story for those coming in fresh, and a fun meta story for readers of Public Domain. "Do you know what is better than working with Chip Zdarsky on Justice League and better than working with Rachael Stott on Doctor Who? Working with BOTH Chip AND Rachael on a fun, cosmic adventure filled with badass characters and handsome aliens," said Angiolini. "I had a wonderful time colouring this series and I couldn't be prouder of the result! Also, they let me go wild with illustrating the TTRPG variant covers! Pretty cool, right?!” The Domain #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 10: Cover A by Stott - Lunar Code 0524IM229 Cover B by Angiolini - Lunar Code 0524IM230 The Domain will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play. Public Domain, Vol. 1 trade paperback (ISBN: 9781534324572) is available now at local comic book shops and independent bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indigo, and Waterstones. Public Domain #6 (Lunar Code 0524IM245) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 3.        
... 04/23/24 @ 5:33 pm EST
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Famke Janssen isn't expecting another X-Men rebirth. The Boy Kills World star played the telepathic mutant Jean Grey / Phoenix in five X-Men movies between 2000 and 2014, including cameos in The Wolverine and X-Men: Days of Future Past. Sophie Turner took over the role as young Jean in two prequels, 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse and 2019's X-Men: Dark Phoenix, the latter marking the final film in the Fox franchise following Disney's purchase of 21st Century Fox. But — like a phoenix — the X-Verse has slowly risen from the ashes in the MCU. Hugh Jackman will soon return as Logan in Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine. With the just-released trailer revealing multiversal cameos of actors and characters from past X-Men movies, could Janssen's Jean Grey make her first appearance in more than a decade? "I don't know. I mean, I didn't expect to come back after dying as Jean Grey," Janssen told ComicBook ahead of her new movie, the bloody action-thriller Boy Kills World. "I came back as the Phoenix [in 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand], and I came back in flashback scenes in The Wolverine, and then in Days of Future Past." Jean's post-X2 returns "were all surprises that I never anticipated," Janssen added. As for yet another unanticipated return in July's Deadpool & Wolverine, she said: "I don't know. I doubt it, but you never know." ... 04/23/24 @ 5:13 pm EST
The trailer for Zoe Kravitz's directorial debut thriller Blink Twice has hit the internet. Written by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum, the film stars (Channing Tatum), Naomi Ackie, Alia Shawkat, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Christian Slater, Kyle MacLachlan and Geena Davis. Producers are Bruce Cohen, Tiffany Persons, Garret Levitz and Kravitz. Tech billionaire Slater King (Tatum) meets cocktail waitress Frida (Ackie) at his fundraising gala, and sparks fly. He invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. It’s paradise. Wild nights blend into sun-soaked days and everyone’s having a great time. No one wants this trip to end, but as strange things start to happen, Frida begins to question her reality. There is something wrong with this place. She’ll have to uncover the truth if she wants to make it out of this party alive. (via Deadline) Trailer: https://youtu.be/aMcmfonGWY4 |
