Image Comics titles has adopted a rating system consistent with that instituted by DC Comics in January of this year. This rating system will be used for both print and digital releases.
Beginning with July 2011 titles, all Image titles will use the following rating system:
E - EVERYONE (all ages, may contain minimal violence)
T - TEEN (12 and up, may contain mild violence or mild profanity)
T+ - TEEN PLUS (16 and up, may contain moderate violence, moderate profanity use and suggestive themes )
M - MATURE (18 and up, may contain nudity, profanity, excessive violence and other content not suitable for minors)
"Retailers have been asking us to more clearly define which audiences our various comics are aimed at for some time, and we're pleased to finally comply with those requests," said Image Comics Publisher, Eric Stephenson. "It's been nearly a decade since the comics industry began the process of abandoning the Comics Code Authority, but during that time there hasn't been one consistent rating system. The system DC employs is by far the clearest, so it makes sense to go with that."
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Two newcomers are making an epic comics debut this August with a new series from Image Comics. VESCELL, by writer Enrique Carrion and artist John "Roc" Upchurch, merges science-fiction and mysticism into a sexy, dangerous noir thriller. The futuristic setting that their twisted characters inhabit will draw readers into a world of science, sex, money, and spirituality. In short, VESCELL is a world of morality on the rocks.
"VESCELL is a project I was excited about from the beginning," said Upchurch. "As an artist, you want to create something unique and different and this is it. Enrique molded this insanely beautiful and imaginative world, so for me to bring it across visually is an amazing task."
"I can't draw for the life of me, not even a straight line, so I try to paint pictures with my words," explained Carrion. "When the reader picks up our book they are getting two layers of art: one from my artist, "Roc" Upchurch, and one from me."
Carrion continued, "I feel honored to be drafted to the Image team and plan to work hard so I can have a fantastic rookie year. Image Comics is experiencing a renaissance with a variety of new titles that are getting beautiful reviews. I want to be part of this wave; I want to be part of the Image Comics vision.”
The first issue of VESCELL will throw the readers straight into the sexy, futuristic world of former Icarus City Detective, Mauricio "Moo" Barrino. This seemingly straight-laced man is now charged with assisting the most high-profile, dangerous, and strange individual's desires to transfer their mind and spirit from one body to another: a process which the highly successful international company Vescell is best known for. As readers will soon discover, Moo may be hiding some secrets and vices of his own though!
VESCELL #1 (JUN110502), a 32-page full-color comic with a cover price of $2.99, is available for order in the June issue of Previews and will be on sale August 31st.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
The captivating world and quirky characters detailed by award-winning artist Sonny Liew's (LIQUID CITY VOL. 1 and 2, My Faith in Frankie, Wonderland, Sense and Sensibility) loose and emotive watercolor-drenched pencil work are set to charm readers in August, with the release of MALINKY ROBOT: COLLECTED STORIES AND OTHER BITS from Image Comics.
A recipient of the Xeric Award and Best Science Fiction Comic Album award at the Utopiales International SF Festival, MALINKY ROBOT blends dystopic sci-fi and indie sensibilities into a uniquely oddball world, where street urchins Atari and Oliver scrounge, steal bicycles, and watch Giant Robot movies.
Liew says, “The stories of MALINKY ROBOT have always been the ones that I feel most personally connected with, from their rhythms and structure, to the character and architectural designs. It’s very exciting to see them collected together in this book.”
MALINKY ROBOT not only includes short stories like "Stinky Fish Blues" and "Karakuri" from the LIQUID CITY and Flight anthologies, but also a gallery of Liew's concept and sketch art, along with pinups by incredible artists such as Mike Allred, Roger Langridge, and Skottie Young. Writer Gail Simone (Birds of Prey, Secret Six, Deadpool, Wonder Woman) described the collection as “[a] book so full of wonders and treasures it feels like you should need a pirate's map to find it. A stunningly gorgeous mix of urban fantasy and charming adventure that I plan to read until the spine falls off.”
MALINKY ROBOT: COLLECTED STORIES AND OTHER BITS TP (JUN110503), a 128-page, full-color collection of short sequential art stories retailing for $16.99, will be available at a comic store near you on August 3rd, 2011.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Okay, so I got the Genre Directories installed, though I'm still working on them. These are some truly plum picks from across the Web - hand-picked by myself, of course - as well as indeces to the content covered on The Weirding. Lots of streaming media (movies, film, and TV), Internet radio stations, and references, as well as assorted odds and ends.
There is always more coming, especially across the blogs, but I need time to go through it all and organize it effectively. These are really just basic lists of links to content by genre, but I went with this so it's easier to later addend. Download and install the Book Antiqua font from the main Genre Directory in order to see everything the way it was designed (across the site).
I also fixed the splash page and a handful of internal pages. I have more work to do across the Genre Directories and the Entertainment department in general, but I am working on better integrating The Rundown with the site, as well as introducing new features here.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Image Comics and Shadowline recently announced that 27, the first story arc of the sell-out miniseries by writer Charles Soule (Strongman) and artist Renzo Podesta, will be followed by a second story arc. The second arc, 27: SECOND SET, will include more mysteries of rock and roll history, more of those talented and famous musicians that become legend, and more untimely deaths!
27: FIRST SET has wrapped-up and is already on sale. This first collection includes issues 1-4 as well as a new 12-page backup story called “Crossroad Blues.”
“We’re thrilled to bring readers more of this excellent comic,” said Shadowline Publisher and Image founder Jim Valentino. “Everything about this book, from Scott Forbe’s gorgeous covers, Renzo Podesta’s edgy interior art, and Charles Soule’s dark twists about the mysteries of rock and roll legend spells great storytelling. This book has it all!”
Not only does the first volume include new material, but as a show of appreciation to fans, Charles Soule hid a puzzle contest within the pages of the first miniseries story arc. The first person to solve the puzzle will win a plane ticket to this year’s San Diego Comic Con!
“While I know a ton of people have been working on it, I may have made it too tricky, because no one has actually solved the puzzle yet!” explained Soule. “So, I decided to change up the rules just a bit - after all, I do want someone to win. I put the answer to the puzzle into the 27: FIRST SET trade - it's right there in the back, in plain English. The solution involves doing a certain thing, and anyone who picks up the trade and does that thing within a week after the book hits shelves will be entered into a drawing for the plane ticket. It's open to everyone, and I hope plenty of people give it a shot!”
27: FIRST SET TP (APR110417), a 136-page, Golden Age size, full-color trade paperback, is on sale now for $16.99. 27: SECOND SET #1 (JUL110437), a 32-page, full-color comic book for $3.99, is available to order in the July edition of the Diamond Previews catalog, and goes on sale in September.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
I hope everyone is having a good Fourth of July here in the States. I know most of you probably grilled-out and got knee-walking drunk over the weekend, and are now nursing a hangover and a sunburn, but that's what holidays are for.
Here's a little South Park to remind you of what's really important in America: foul-mouthed kids.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
So it's a holiday weekend and all, but I've actually been busy behind-the-scenes here and elsewhere. I'm finally getting around to making the site and blogs more robust in their features and so forth, which basically means meeting other bloggers and webmasters and culling cool links.
I lost a wealth of bookmarks when the last PC died, but I'm hoping to retrieve them once I have the HD slaved or the data transferred. However, I "rediscovered" a slew of old bookmarks as part of an add-on I'd thought defunct that had saved my records. So I've been going through, organizing and sharing them.
You'll find several new Links along the sideboard, as well as some neat goodies I hope to have available by the start of next week. I may drink a few oat sodas this weekend and light a firecracker or two, but I'll be steadily working in the interim because these times are about the only ones where I know for certain that orders will be low.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Image Comics is pleased to announce that writer Sam Sarkar and artist Garrie Gastonny (Warren Ellis' Supergod), the team behind Caliber: First Canon of Justice, have reunited to unlock the horror and action within their new miniseries THE VAULT.
THE VAULT is about a small team of treasure hunters, struggling to excavate a dangerous and legendary treasure pit before a massive storm hits Sable Island, the "Graveyard of the North Atlantic." Equipped with all the latest technology, the scientists believe they are prepared against all of nature's fury, but nothing can prepare them for what they are about to unleash.
"THE VAULT is kind of a contemporary Pandora's Box story," explained creator and writer, Sam Sarkar. "Though it appears on the surface to be a pretty straightforward story, it has most of its mythology buried deeply. It gets uncovered both literally and figuratively as the pit gets excavated."
When asked how THE VAULT found its home at Image, Sarkar replied: "Well, I’m incredibly fortunate that most of the lasting gifts of Caliber were the relationships it helped to cement. Chief among them, David Elliott. Dave and I have soldiered through quite a few storms personally and professionally, and when I asked him to edit THE VAULT, he didn’t hesitate. There are few people I trust as much. I asked Dave what he thought the best way to release THE VAULT would be and Image was at the top of his list of publishers to approach. I’ve always been a fan of Image, not just because of their model, but because of the quality of titles they have represented and continue to represent."
THE VAULT #1 (1 of 3), a 32-page, full-color comic book, will be on sale in stores July 27th for $2.99.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
