Super Human Resources (Not really Calm or Cool Just Collected: Super Human Resources Season One) sits comfortably in the aforementioned category. I had read these comics separately. I thought that they were very good. But recently I was sent the “Collected” edition and suddenly I find myself telling everyone about the book. It’s cohesive and funny and very original and I loved reading it in this singular, tight, all in one, format.

Ken Marcus’s writing for Super Human Resource along with his oddball sense of humor makes this comic a spot on perfect read. I’m so happy that I had a chance to re-read this book! Justin Bleep’s artwork is crazy-fun and the extra’s that are included with the TPB are great. You get a chance to check out Justin’s sketches for the issues along with fan art. Every page of this trade is loaded with inside jokes and fan-boy chuckles. There is way too much to love here and priced at a paltry $12.95, for 128 pages, this is killer deal.

If you love superhero comics than you have to read Super Human Resource.

Read more about Super Human Reaources

5 Questions with Ken Marcus
10 Questions With the Creative Team Of “Super Human Resources”
Buy Super Human Resources

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1. Tell us about your comic. What’s it about? Why is it cool?

I’m the writer of Super Human Resources. It’s about the HR department of the worlds’ mightiest super team. It’s about all the folks behind the comic panels that keep your favorite heroes up and running. They fill out purchase orders, answer phone calls, administer health insurance and clean up conference rooms after crossovers go horribly wrong. It’s basically like the office you work at, with all the same kinds of morons. Except these morons have super powers.

2. Who are your biggest influences?

I’m a big Simpsons fan. That’s probably the biggest for me. I also love Venture Bros, Frisky Dingo and Bloom County.

3. On a more personal note: how did you end up where you are today? What lead you to comics?

My main career is in advertising. That’s how I support myself and my family. Comics are just a passion. I’m a long time fan that, like many, decided to jump in the deep end of being a creator. I’m under no illusions that I could make a career of it. I just want to stay in our weird, dysfunctional Super Human Resources playground and hope a few people enjoy it.

4. What advice would you give to someone trying to break into comics?

Do what you love. Don’t try and follow a fad, ala zombies or vampires. Tell the story you’ve always wanted to. Look at the market and see what kind of story isn’t being told. And plant your flag there. And if you’re trying to do it for money or fame, you’re in it for the wrong reason. Because it’s highly unlikely, you’ll find either. Do it because you have no other choice but to.

5. What’s your all-time favorite movie?

I’ll give you five, in order. Blade Runner. Caddyshack. Napoleon Dynamite. Borat. Ghost in the Shell.

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The culmination of more than fifteen years of photography by renowned photographer Greg Preston, this book is a living history of the men and women who have shaped the imaginations of countless millions of people around the world through their work in the fields of animated cartoons, comic books, comic strips and editorial cartooning. The list of more than two hundred artists includes such luminaries as Frank Miller, Al Hirschfeld, Joe Barbera, Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, Moebius, Walter and Louise Simonson and many more, all in photographs exclusive and shot expressly for this book.

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“The win is incredible,” said an overjoyed Petersen. “Luke did an amazing job of making the Mouse Guard RPG more than jut a typical RPG where you happen to be mice, but where being mice is the RPG. Luke deserves the lion’s share of the praise.”

The Mouse Guard Roleplaying Game beat out the popular and much-favored Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition by Wizards of the Coast, as well as Pelgrane Press’ The Trail of Cthulhu for the “Best RPG of 2008” award. The win joins Archaia’s Artesia, designed by Archaia Publisher Mark Smylie, which captured the same award in 2005.

“I am still in a state of shock,” said a surprised Crane. “I can’t believe we beat D&D!”

Examiner.com’s Berin Kinsman reported on the upset and explained how Mouse Guard was able to take down the RPG giant. He said, “Mouse Guard is an independent production aimed at a different audience with different tastes, and it does feature innovative and original concepts that expand the horizons of the media, which surely played in to how people voted.”

For more information on Archaia or any Archaia titles please visit www.Archaia.com.

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Here’s what the story is about (At least in the series):

Avatar: The Last Airbender takes place in a fantasy world that is home to humans, fantastic animals, and spirits. Human civilization is divided into four nations: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads, and the Fire Nation. Each nation has its own natural element, on which it bases its society. Within each nation exists an order called “Benders” who have the ability to manipulate the eponymous element of their nation. The show’s creators assigned each Bending art its own style of martial arts, causing it to inherit the advantages and weaknesses of the martial arts it was assigned. The Bending types are Waterbending, Earthbending, Firebending, and Airbending.

Each generation yields one person who is capable of Bending all four elements, the Avatar, the spirit of the planet manifested in human form. When an Avatar dies, they are reincarnated into the next nation in the Avatar Cycle. The Avatar Cycle parallels the seasons: autumn for the Air Nomads, winter for the Water Tribe, spring for the Earth Kingdom and summer for the Fire Nation. Legend holds the Avatar must master each bending art in order, starting with his native element. This can sometimes be compromised when the situation requires it, as Aang demonstrates in the show. For the Avatar, learning to bend the element opposite his native element can be extremely difficult. This is because opposing Bending arts are based on opposing fighting styles and disciplines. Firebending and Waterbending are opposites, as are Earthbending and Airbending.

The Avatar possesses a unique power called the Avatar State, which endows the Avatar with the knowledge and abilities of all past Avatars and acts as a self-triggering defense mechanism, although it can be made subject to the will of the user if he/she opens his/her bodily Chakras. If an Avatar is killed in the Avatar State, the reincarnation cycle will be broken, and the Avatar will cease to exist. Through the ages, countless incarnations of Avatar have served to keep the four nations in harmony, and maintain world order.[20] The Avatar serves as the bridge between the physical world and the Spirit World, allowing him or her to solve problems that normal benders cannot.

Okay now watch the trailer, that’s the only reason your here anyway.

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FORULI PUBLICATIONS is proud to announce the publication of two limited edition box sets of the graphic novel tour de force RAZORJACK by JOHN HIGGINS, in association with Loco Motive Studios and Com.x. They can be ordered from all good bookshops and are also available online from www.amazon.com and www.foruli.co.uk.

Deluxe Edition **available exclusively from www.foruli.co.uk**

Buy your copy here: http://foruli.co.uk/?p=12

Edition size: Signed and lettered limited edition of 15

Publisher: Foruli Publications

Publication date: 30th June 2009

Dimensions: 285 (h) x 190 (w) x 25 (d) mm

Price £250

Standard Edition

You can buy your copy here: http://foruli.co.uk/?p=12

Hand bound 96 page book contained in a handmade slipcase, accompanied by a hand pulled 8 colour screenprint. Each book & print signed by John Higgins.

Edition size: Signed and numbered limited edition of 45

Publisher: Foruli Publications

Publication date: 30th June 2009

ISBN-13: 978-1905792047

Dimensions: 265 (h) x 175 (w) x 10 (d) mm

Price £150

Story

A trio of college kids inadvertently create an unstable nexus which enables the Death-Bitch, Razorjack, to break into our world from the Twist Dimension. Two maverick cops, Frame and Ross, are assigned a disturbingly horrific multiple-murder case which draws them into what is potentially the final battle between good and evil. For the first time John Higgins’s Razorjack stories are collected into one complete graphic novel. Also includes new story and art by John created exclusively for this book.

Reviews

“It’s always a pleasure to see John’s work, and Razorjack is one of his best kept secrets. If there’s any justice, this new collection should find the audience the story has always deserved.” Garth Ennis – Writer of Preacher, Punisher, The Boys

“Razorjack delivers something rare: a solid story and artistic brilliance by John Higgins. It must be nice to be getting better with age.” Jimmy Palmiotti – Writer of The Hills Have eyes: The Beginning, Jonah Hex, Vampire Hunter D: American Wasteland

“I’ve always thought Razorjack was a killer concept. A cosmic horror story of huge scope, breath-taking visuals and insane ambition: unique, wonderful, quintessential John Higgins.” Mike Carey – Writer of Lucifer, X-Men, Hellblazer, Crossing Midnight

“Good trashy fun.” Craig Taylor in ‘The Guardian’

About the Author

John Higgins is one of the three co-creators (with Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons) of the seminal graphic novel ‘Watchmen’, for which he was colourist. His many other artist credits include Judge Dredd (2000 AD), Star Wars (Marvel UK), The Hills Have Eyes (Fox Atomic) and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (DC Comics).

Read our interview with John Higgins.

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I just received an advanced copy of the new BOOM! book Swordsmith Assassin #1. Typically a new title will sit on my desk for at least a week before I get around to reading it, but the first couple pages of Swordsmith grabbed my attention, so I read it.

The Plot
Toshiro Ono has spent his life making the best swords that have ever been forged and selling them to the highest bidder. But when his family is killed by a blade of his own making… Toshiro will do whatever it takes to make sure none of his swords ever kill again. Andrew Cosby, creator of EUREKA, and Michael Alan Nelson, creator of HEXED, brings feudal Samurai Japan to life like no other comic has done before

The Art
Ayhan Hayrula artwork is really good. I haven’t done much research so I can’t say what he’s filled his portfolio with, but if it is anywhere near as good as Assassin, than he is worth keeping an eye on.

The Writing
I was very impressed with Andrew Cosby and Michael Alan Nelson’s scripting and storyline. This was an easy story to follow. The dialog was believable and the characters were easy to relate to. This story could have been really lame but instead it was compelling and original.

The Verdict
Two thumbs way up. I could use a little more action, but all and all the story was really good. I have a feeling Toshiro’s life is going to get brutal, those swords aren’t just going to be handed to him freely. If the next issue isn’t filled with blood I’ll be surprised.

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That means you can get caught up on the whole series for just $11 bucks!

IRREDEEMABLE #5 will ship with three covers in a 50/25/25 split. IRREDEEMABLE Volume 1 TPB features cover art by John Cassaday, and reprints the special afterword by Grant Morrison that appeared in issue #1.

“BOOM! has always been about getting comics into the hands of fans,” said BOOM! Studios Director of Marketing and Sales Chip Mosher. “IRREDEEMABLE has been a huge hit and this is our chance for fans to get caught up with the whole series for just 11 bucks. No one in their right mind will be missing out on this deal!”

IRREDEEMABLE #1 sold out the day of release, followed by a second print that quickly sold out soon after. IRREDEEMABLE #2 sold out before the issue even hit store shelves, also accompanied by a second printing that quickly sold out. Tremendous re-order activity for IRREDEEMABLE #3 has ensured another sell out in coming weeks. IRREDEEMABLE #4 arrives the first week of July.

Mark Waid’s IRREDEEMABLE has received near unanimous praise for all quarters:

“…one of the most intriguing, suspenseful, grab-you-by-the-throat comics I’ve ever read. I highly recommend picking it up.” – Ain’t It Cool News

“Mark Waid has served up a powerful little story of love and betrayal… “irredeemable” may be the last thing you want to call this series.” — Newsarama

“…the visuals present are nearly tangible. Krause has brought his best work to this book, and Waid makes good use of Krause’s talents…Yes, Mark Waid is evil. It makes me a little bit uneasy to say that I hope he continues to be evil, because I sure enjoyed reading it.” – Comic Book Resources

“Not just another dismantling of the mythology, IRREDEEMABLE is a masterful tale of the fall of a great hero…” – Project Fanboy

“There really is a tremendous piece of fiction being unveiled here, with precision and fury.” – Comic Book Jesus

“…this book wants me to just spout out superlatives like fantastic, great, page turner, stunning visuals, wonderful characterization, not a page or panel wasted, so I’m forced to try and find some other way to tell you 2009 best new series is at BOOM studios and it is called IRREDEEMABLE.” – Comics And….

“…one of the strongest debuts of 2009… this is probably one series you won’t want to miss.” – Paradox Comics Group

“My local comic shop displays a black shirt with bold white lettering proclaiming ‘Mark Waid is Evil.’ He’s proving it in this book with a devilish grin. Sometimes, as in this case, evil is good.” – Jimmy in the Garden

“It’s definitely worth a look, especially if you want something that isn’t your straight traditional Marvel or DC title.” – Comic Vine

“This is an amazing book! I cannot stress how much I truly enjoyed it. Mark Waid has crafted a tale that has captured my attention and left me wanting more… 5/5″ – Comics Bulletin

“IRREDEMABLE is an enigmatically twisted tale which grasps your attention from the first page and refuses to let you go…” – Comics Waiting Room

“Anyone who’s read superhero comics for any length of time needs to read this…” – Extra Sequential

“When you see this on the shelf of your local comics store, when you see the tick box on your online order form. MAKE SURE YOU PICK THIS UP. … unrelenting in its flow, its shocks, its power and its pure brilliance.” – 32 Pages

IRREDEEMABLE Volume 1 TPB price at $9.99 features cover art by John Cassaday interior art by Peter Krause, and carries a Diamond Order Code of JUN090793 with ISBN: 1-934506-90-7 and ISBN13: 978-1-934506-90-5.

IRREDEEMABLE #5 priced at .99 cents features three covers in a 50/25/25 split with cover art by Gene Ha, Dennis Calero, Dan Panosian, and carries a Diamond Order Code: JUN090778.

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This looks amazing! If you would like to see these pictures at a bit larger scale jus visit USA today online, here is the link: http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-06-21-alice-in-wonderland_N.htm#photo1

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Olivia Munn, host of G4’s daily “Attack of the Show” has landed roles in Marvel Studios’ “Iron Man 2,” and well as Fox’s “Date Night,” with Tina Fey and Steve Carrell. Munn also co-stars in the upcoming Broken Lizard comedy “The Slammin Salmon” and “Freeloaders,” from director Dan Rosen.

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God of War III – Plot:
God of War III takes place right after the events of God of War II, with Kratos upon Gaia’s back eager to exact vengeance on the Gods and make them “suffer”. As seen in the trailers, the whereabouts of the Blade of Olympus is unknown, even though Kratos had been wielding the blade at the ending of God of War II. Little information has been released on the battle between the Gods and Titans that will explain the end of Greek Mythology. A more recent screen shot shows Helios on his knees with a bloodied face, Kratos is also in the picture grasping the god’s head, about to tear it off with his bare hands. A game demo released at E3 2009 shows Kratos, with assistance from Perses, bringing down Helios and his chariot and then ripping off the god’s head. Helios’ head is also shown to be a weapon that can be used to reveal secrets and to illuminate dark areas or blind enemies. Later on, Kratos uses his Wings of Icarus to be lifted from an updraft in the cave he was exploring. Seen in a gameplay trailer are iron or bronze boots with wings on them that greatly augment Kratos’ acrobatic abilities. The wings and nature of the boots suggest that Kratos, at some point in the game, battles and kills Hermes, before taking his boots. It has also been said that Kratos is looking for a “back door” for his attack on Mount Olympus.

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Irredeemable is my new favorite comic. The story revolves around a character called Plutonion. Plutonion is a very Superman-ish hero and he does all the Superman-like things; he is the ultimate good guy/boy scout and there is almost nothing that can stop him. The great thing about Superman of course is that he has a weakness, everyone knows that Batman can kick Superman’s ass with a Kryptonite ring. So far it doesn’t seem like Plutonion has a Kryptonite, he is just all powerful.

The question that Mark Waid has decided to delve into with Irredeemable is this: What would happen if Superman lost it one day? What would he do? Who would die? how would we react? Well let me tell you, Superman would kill a lot of people and that’s exactly what Mr. Waid’s Plutonion is in the middle of doing now.

Along with Plutonion, Irredeemable is loaded with mirror images of other great characters like “Inferno” a billionaire crime-fighter (Batman anyone) and Gilgamos who has giant “Angel” wings, I could go on but it would ruin the fun.

The first 3 issues of Irredeemable are intriguing and inventive. I’m dying to read issue number 4, I want to know what the deal is with this guy and what set him off. Mark Waid has written an incredibly entertaining “What If?” style superhero comic and I’m addicted. If you liked Watchmen or thought that Rising Star was a cool read, than you will love Irredeemable. It is true comic book goodness. Thank you Mr. Waid!

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Warner Home Video will distribute the all-new film – as a special
edition 2-disc DVD, a Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def edition, as well as single disc
DVD – on July 28, 2009. The action-packed movie will also be available
OnDemand and Pay-Per-View as well as available for download day and
date, July 28, 2009.

Timm, the executive producer on Green Lantern: First Flight, has been
the driving creative force behind many of Warner Bros. Animation’s
modern-day successes, elevating DC Comics’ canon of super heroes to
new heights of animated popularity and introducing generations of new
fans to the characters via landmark television series and made-for-DVD
films. The latter task includes the creation of the current series of
DC Universe animated original movies, which have drawn critical
acclaim and further whetted the public’s appetite for comic book
entertainment with the release of Superman Doomsday, Justice League:
The New Frontier, Batman Gotham Knight and Wonder Woman.

In the midst of producing several more films for the DC Universe
series, Timm paused briefly to offer praise for two of the key players
in the production of Green Lantern: First Flight – character designer
Jose Lopez and screenwriter Alan Burnett.

Submitted for your journalistic needs and reading pleasure, this
week’s short Q&A with Bruce Timm regarding Green Lantern: First Flight
…

QUESTION:
There was no downtime for you and director Lauren Montgomery between
Wonder Woman and Green Lantern: First Flight. How did you two make
that quick transition, and what kept it fresh for you?

BRUCE TIMM:
Lauren did such a great job on Wonder Woman, she was immediately my
first choice for Green Lantern. I thought she might be a little
burned out after the massive Wonder Woman project, but to my immense
relief and gratefulness, she was eager to do it.

All that said, Lauren definitely needed to take a little bit of a
break in terms of character design and I wasn’t about to step up to
that role, either. The tricky thing about Green Lantern is that we
wanted to have a unique style sensibility. We’ve done quite a bit
with the Green Lantern and characters on the Justice League, including
the entire Green Lantern Corps, and we certainly didn’t want to go
back and reuse any of those designs. Another really talented young
artist named Jose Lopez, who had worked with Mike Goguen and Jeff
Matsuda on the recent The Batman series, was brought to our attention.
I looked at his portfolio and I thought, “Wow, this guy is really
cool.”

Jose has a completely different design sensibility than I’m accustomed
to working with. He’s a little bit anime-flavored, but not
specifically anime. We brought him in to do some designs on Green
Lantern, and he ended up being pretty much our entire character design
department. He designed not just Green Lantern and most of the major
characters but zillions of background aliens. Jose brought a really
unique visual sensibility to the movie.

QUESTION:
Did you need to restrain Jose Lopez in any way, or did you just let
him run wild with the character design?

BRUCE TIMM
This is a total science fiction film – we spend maybe 10 minutes on
Earth at the beginning of the movie and then the rest of it all takes
place in outer space and in several different alien environments. So
while we did base the initial, broad strokes design on pre-existing
comics characters, we still needed armies of Green Lanterns and tons
of aliens. Jose designed virtually all of them – literally hundreds of
unique alien species for all of these different polyglot worlds. And
they are all really cool. I mean, some of the designs are really out
there. Sometimes they’d hand me his designs and I’d say, “Wow, what
am I even looking at? That’s a sentient being? You’ve got to be
kidding me.” It’s funny because both Lauren and I encouraged him to
think way outside the box. And he did – maybe further than we even
imagined. Jose came up with some really weird, bizarre life forms and
they’re all good.

QUESTION:
You’ve always been the driving, controlling influence on your projects
in terms of all aspects of the production, and especially design. Are
you enjoying letting go of the reins slightly and allowing other
artists to explore new directions with these films?

BRUCE TIMM
The nature of these projects, and the sheer volume of films we’re
working on now, means that my involvement must be in an overseeing
capacity – guiding and supervising, but not leading the way
design-wise. That’s both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it’s
really great to let somebody else come in and drive the boat. On the
other hand, my instincts are to step in and say, “No, do it this way.”
So it’s tough to just limit myself to giving notes purely on a
technical level, to only say “Okay, I know that’s not going to animate
that well.” Otherwise, whether it’s Lauren or Jose, other artists will
do things in a way that’s completely different from what my natural
instinct would be. It may be valid in its own right to say “No, let’s
do it the Bruce Timm way,” but I literally have to stop and think
“Okay, forget about the way I would do it. Does this work on its own?”
I just have to be practical about it and not aesthetic. It’s
ultimately really rewarding and fun for me to look at these movies
because it’s interesting to see other people’s design approach. I’ve
been working with these familiar characters for so many years – it’s
nice to see them interpreted differently.

QUESTION:
You and Alan Burnett have been working together for a long, long time.
What’s that relationship like, and what does he bring that makes
these projects so special?

BRUCE TIMM
Alan is the quiet man of Warner Brothers Animation and, to a degree, I
feel bad because he doesn’t really get enough credit for all that he
has done over the years – going all the way to Batman: The Animated
Series and all these shows he’s worked on since. He actually kind of
prefers to stay in the background and just do his job and not get in
front of the cameras and go to conventions and speak in front of
crowds. He doesn’t enjoy that aspect of it. He’s never been about
tooting his own horn, but he’s always been the rock on our projects.
Alan is the stabilizer. I think it was Glen Murakami who referred to
Alan as the glue that binds everything together. And it’s true. He’s a
really solid professional. He knows all the ins and outs of story
construction and character dynamics and then all of the extras that a
good writer knows to plus out a story. At the same time, he likes to
push himself to do things that he hasn’t done before and explore
different avenues of story lines. He’s got a sense of humor that
sometimes comes out in really odd, unique ways. On BTAS, he would go
down story lines and even I would be saying, “Wow, you really want to
do THAT in a children’s cartoon?” He’s funny that way – he likes to
upset the apple cart and take chances. So Alan is really solid and
dependable and at the same time he’s also very experimental. It’s
like the best of both worlds. That makes him the perfect collaborator
on these films.

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Much confusion has been made across the webs on exactly what Rourke’s character was to be called even when some concept art came out that screamed Whiplash, speculation was still up in the air. Now the cat is out of the bag. However I am still a little vexxed and confused as to who his character is and this is why:

In the Marvel comics there is 2 Whiplash characters: one is a girl that was a mutant with unrevealed abilities and she used adamantium wires which were connected to her gloves as whips.

In the Iron Man continuity there is character named Mark Scarlotti, who was called Whiplash, and then he became the nemesis Backlash. Courtesy of rival industrialist, Justin Hammer ( same name of character Sam Rockwell plays in Iron Man 2), Blacklash wields a pair of cybernetically-controlled titanium whips that can extend to be swung fast enough to deflect bullets, or become rigid and be used as nunchaku or vaulting-poles. This looks a lot like the concept art we have seen.

Blacklash also carries a variety of devices in a weapons pouch, including anti-gravity bolas and a necro-lash which releases electrical energy generated by his gauntlets. Blacklash’s costume is also bulletproof. Scarlotti was a research engineer and weapons design specialist, with a college degree in engineering. In Ultimate Iron Man there was a male Whiplash not Backlash.

It seems like Rourke’s character to be a combination of Whiplash/Backlash/Crimson Dynamo – but is being called Whiplash (confusing isn’t it? Welcome to Comic to film). Something like a former Russian prisoner, Rourke will most likely join forces with Justin Hammer who builds him a nice suit such as the one described above to fight against Stark. I am just speculating though.

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For Green Lantern: First Flight, Romano – arguably the best known
casting/dialogue director on the animation scene for more than 25
years – has brought together a pair of voiceover novices in the lead
roles, along with assorted veterans of feature film and primetime
television, including an 82-year-old character actor whose screen
appearances date back to Mighty Joe Young.

As usual, the mix works perfectly.

Green Lantern: First Flight is the fifth DC Universe animated original
film in the ongoing series, and Romano has been the voice behind the
voices in each successful instance. This particular production was a
bi-coastal affair, starting with a New York recording in late June
2008 of Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) and
Victor Garber (Milk, Titanic) as hero Hal Jordan and villain Sinestro,
respectively. Neither Meloni nor Garber had ever recorded for
animation, nor had they worked together, and yet Romano had the two
actors perform their lines opposite each other in the same studio –
which added a new degree of difficulty for both director and actors.

Back in Burbank, Romano selected Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica)
and animation rookie Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs) to complete the
primary quartet of voices. The remainder of the cast did their voice
work at the Warner Bros. Ranch, as well, and that crowd included
Juliet Landau (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), John Larroquette (Night
Court), Kurtwood Smith (That ‘70s Show), Larry Drake (Darkman),
William Schallert (The Patty Duke Show), Olivia d’Abo (The Wonder
Years), David Lander (Laverne & Shirley) and veteran voice actor Rob
Paulsen.

Romano has been one of the driving forces in animation voiceovers for
more than a quarter century, her credit list reading like the honor
roll for the Saturday morning cartoon Hall of Fame. From dramatic
(Batman: The Animated Series) to silly (Animaniacs), contemporary (The
Boondocks) to timeless (Smurfs), Romano has set the standard for
matching actor to character with absolute savvy. Along the way, she
has become a household name to legions of animation fans.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has listed her name
20 times among their annual nominations, Romano taking home six of
those Emmy Awards – and promptly attiring those statuettes in Barbie
clothes. It’s a Romano tradition.

Green Lantern: First Flight, an all-new DC Universe animated original
movie, is set for distribution July 28, 2009 by Warner Home Video.

Somewhere between recordings for new DC Universe films and her weekly
chores at the helm of sessions for Batman: The Brave and the Bold,
SpongeBob SquarePants and The Boondocks, Romano found a few moments to
discuss the casting and performances of the voices within Green
Lantern: First Flight. Fortunately, she speaks very quickly …

QUESTION:
Did Christopher Meloni’s rave reviews as a detective on Law & Order:
SVU lead you to casting him as the ultimate space cop, Hal Jordan?

ANDREA ROMANO:
Given the age range and the character type, and the fact that he is a
very good actor, I thought Christopher Meloni would be the right
voice. His voice has a nice strength and honesty to it, and his acting
is really wonderful.

This is a role that requires the character to come off as very smart,
but he also gets duped when he probably should’ve have seen it coming.
That’s a tough tightrope to walk, but I found Christopher so
incredibly believable. Every note in his acting was true, and real,
and organic, and believable. He had not done much voiceover, if any,
but he learned so fast that he sprang forth fully formed. He had it
down. I don’t think he ever had a technical problem.

QUESTION:
From Broadway to primetime to major motion pictures like Titanic and
Milk, Victor Garber has quite the resume. What made him right for
Sinestro, and how did you talk him into doing his first voiceover for
animation?

ANDREA ROMANO:
I have known Victor Garber’s work since Godspell, and there have been
several connections over the years. Carl Lumbly played J’onn J’onzz
for us on Justice League while he was doing Alias with Victor Garber,
and I tried many times to hire Victor to do an episode with Carl as a
fun crossover – but he was never available. I had met Victor a few
times and I met him again at Diedrich Bader’s surprise birthday party.
We spoke about him coming to work for me again, and this time his
schedule worked out.

Sinestro needed to be elegant. There are many, many different Green
Lanterns – some females, some male, some alien, some looking more
human. They’re all different. This particular Green Lantern – Sinestro
– is a bad guy. But we, as audience members, are not supposed to know
that he’s a bad guy in this particular film. So I needed someone who
could seem egotistical and strong, but not tip us off that he’s got an
ulterior motive all the way through the piece.

Victor hit every note perfectly. There was a musicality to his
delivery. You don’t even have to tell someone like Victor Garber to do
that – he just naturally finds the vocal music and brings it to the
character.

QUESTION:
Were you at all worried about casting two actors who had not done
voiceovers for animation, and having them record together?

ANDREA ROMANO:
You would have thought they had worked together for years and years.
They play well together, and it was a dream for me. When you’re a
casting director, you never really know how it’s going to work out
until you’re in the room doing the gig. This was one of those
instances where I thought, “I know what the heck I’m doing!” I
actually cast exactly the two right actors – they were perfect for the
roles. They knew exactly what they needed to do and they did it. And
they had fun in the process.

We struck this nice combination of Victor Garber playing this sort of
duplicitous, sophisticated, elegant, eloquent guy and Christopher
Meloni playing this kind of not necessarily blue collar, but much more
down to earth, real guy that your everyman can relate to. Putting them
together and having them play off each other was wonderful. Absolutely
wonderful. I sat in that recording session and smiled. They needed me
fix and finesse a few things here and there, and explain certain bits
of action. But as far as the acting beats, I didn’t have to tell them
one thing. For the most part, I just got out of their way – because
they knew exactly what they were doing.

QUESTION:
Michael Madsen is another voiceover novice, but that voice is made for
character animation. What prompted you to cast him as Kilowog?

ANDREA ROMANO
Kilowog is an alien Green Lantern, and we really wanted a voice with
texture and character and some edges to it; a voice that sounded gruff
and big and strong, but also smart. I did not want someone who sounded
like a big dopey guy. For years and years, I wanted to hire Michael
Madsen and this was just the perfect marriage of role, actor and
availability.

It’s a lot about availability, and Michael is a great example. He
hadn’t done any animated roles before Green Lantern, and yet when I
finally got him in the room, we found out how much he had wanted to do
it and, now, how much he loves doing voiceover work. He loves this
whole world of animation, and characters like Batman and Superman.

You need an actor who has an enthusiasm for the project, for the role,
and for the process – and Michael was there, in the moment, he
understood, and wanted to do more takes than we needed. That is very
generous and brought some really beautiful texture. I love those
raspy, deep, dark voices – that sound that tells you that there’s been
some life experience there, whether it’s been smoking cigarettes or
drinking booze or just living. I don’t think I’m the only person that
responds to that kind of voice with character. That’s a voice that’s
lived.

QUESTION:
You cast Virginia Madsen in Wonder Woman and her brother Michael
Madsen in Green Lantern: First Flight. When was the last time you cast
siblings in back-to-back projects?

ANDREA ROMANO:
Never. Never ever. But that was so cool having both Madsens in
consecutive films. Though not being able to hire siblings hasn’t been
for a lack of trying. I was seated next to Tyne Daly once and we got
to talking and I asked “Do you want to do voiceovers?” And she said,
“I’d love to do it – my brother (Tim Daly) does it.” And I said, “I
know, he’s my Superman!” So I’ve tried for years to find the right
role for her, but there are not that many significant roles for women.
Wonder Woman was the only one that really had nice, big, beautiful
parts for women. But I’ll find something for Tyne – I love her work.

QUESTION:
And how was the final member of your lead quartet, Tricia Helfer as Boodikka?

ANDREA ROMANO:
We really needed Boodikka to be smart, sexy and strong. Tricia Helfer
was interested and available and we were lucky to get her. She is such
a very nice person, and such a good actress – especially for this kind
of piece. She really understands it. She’s big in the Sci-Fi world,
and she gets it. She plays this character so that you never know what
twists are coming. You think it’s very straightforward and then
something happens and you’re surprised because she never tips it off
ahead of time. She was spot on with her performance and I loved
working with her. She was just a joy.

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Promotion about the limited series describes its story as “the day evil won”. The series deals with alien villain Darkseid’s plot to overthrow reality, and the subsequent death and corruption of various DC characters and their universe. In Spring 2008 Morrison explained his conception of the series:
“ I wanted to do the biggest crossover there’s ever been… it’s got nods to everything, going back to “Flash of Two Worlds” and the first ‘Crisis on Earth-1′, ‘Earth-2′, all that stuff. So there’s little elements of all that, but… everything I’m doing right now is about people dying, or the apocalypse, so it’s kind of dark, and the ‘Final Crisis’ thing is just pushing that as far as it can possibly go. And it’s taking a lot of trends that I see in comics and pushing them to the max to see, ‘do we really want it to be like this’?”

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Joe Hill, Locke & Key (IDW)

Hill is the second child of authors Stephen and Tabitha King. He grew up in Bangor, Maine. His younger brother Owen is also a writer. Hill has three sons.

Hill chose to use an abbreviated form of his given name (a reference to executed labor leader Joe Hill, for whom he was named) in 1997, out of a desire to succeed based solely on his own merits rather than as the son of Stephen King. After achieving a degree of independent success, Hill publicly confirmed his identity in 2007 after an article the previous year in Variety broke his cover (although online speculation about Hill’s family background had been appearing since 2005).

Joe Hill is a past recipient of the Ray Bradbury Fellowship. He has also received the William L. Crawford award for best new fantasy writer in 2006, the A. E. Coppard Long Fiction Prize in 1999 for “Better Than Home” and the 2006 World Fantasy Award for Best Novella for “Voluntary Committal”. His stories have appeared in a variety of magazines, such as Subterranean Magazine, Postscripts and The High Plains Literary Review, and in many anthologies, including The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror (ed. Stephen Jones) and The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror (ed. Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link & Gavin Grant).

Hill’s first book, the limited edition collection 20th Century Ghosts published in 2005 by PS Publishing), showcases fourteen of his short stories and won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Fiction Collection, together with the British Fantasy Award for Best Collection and Best Short Story for “Best New Horror”. In October 2007, Hill’s mainstream US and UK publishers reprinted 20th Century Ghosts, without the extras published in the 2005 slipcased versions, but including one new story.

Hill’s first novel, Heart-Shaped Box, was published by William Morrow/HarperCollins on February 13, 2007 and by Victor Gollancz Ltd in UK in March 2007. Simultaneous to these two editions, a limited edition of Heart-Shaped Box was also released by Subterranean Press; it sold out several months prior to publication. The novel reached number 8 on the New York Times bestseller list on April 1, 2007.

About Locke & Key

Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them…. and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all…! Acclaimed suspense novelist and New York Times best-selling author Joe Hill (Heart-Shaped Box) creates an all-new story of dark fantasy and wonder, with astounding artwork from Gabriel Rodriguez.

J. Michael Straczynski, Thor, The Twelve (Marvel)

(born July 17, 1954), known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an award-winning American writer/producer. He works in a variety of media, including films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is also a playwright, former journalist and author of The Complete Book of Scriptwriting, a well-regarded tome on the subject. He was the creator and showrunner for the science fiction TV series Babylon 5, its spin-off Crusade, and Jeremiah. Straczynski wrote 92 out of the 110 Babylon 5 episodes, notably including an unbroken 59-episode run through all of the third and fourth seasons, and all but one episode of the fifth season. He also wrote the four Babylon 5 TV movies produced alongside the series.

In 2009, Straczynski was nominated for the BAFTA Award for his screenplay for Changeling.

Straczynski has also been a long-time participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums (including GEnie, CompuServe, and America Online) since 1984. He is often credited as being the first TV producer (”showrunner” in Hollywood parlance) to directly engage with fans on the Internet, and have their comments affect the look and feel of his shows (see Babylon 5’s use of the Internet). Two of the more prominent areas where he had a presence were GEnie and the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated. Some of these fans call him The Great Maker (based on a Centauri deity).

Straczynski is a graduate of San Diego State University (SDSU), having earned Bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology (with minors in philosophy and literature). While at SDSU, he wrote prolifically for the student newspaper, The Daily Aztec, at times penning so many articles that the paper was jokingly referred to as the “Daily Joe.” Straczynski currently resides in the Los Angeles area.

Mariko Tamaki, Skim (Groundwood Books)

Mariko Tamaki is a Toronto writer and performer with an avid interest in freaks, weirdos, and other fabulous forms of human behaviour. In the past, Mariko has appeared on stage with a variety of performance troupes, including fat activists Pretty, Porky and Pissed Off, The Corporate Wet Nurse Association, and theatre misfits TOA. In addition to her work in theatre, Mariko has published collections of creative non-fiction: True Lies: The Book of Bad Advice (2002), and Fake ID (2005), and one novella, Cover Me (2000).

Mariko is currently completing work on two graphic novels: Skim, illustrated by her cousin Jillian Tamaki which will be released by Groundwood Books in 2008 and Emiko Superstar, illustrated by Vancouver’s Steve Rolston, which will be released as part of DC Comic’s MINX series in Summer 2008.

In her spare time, Mariko is a columnist for Kiss Machine and Herizons, and a graduate student in Linguistic Anthropology at the University of Toronto where she studies language, performance, and gender.

About Skim:

Skim is a “not-slim” wannabe wiccan goth student at an all-girls catholic school. When popular girl Katie Matthews gets dumped by her athlete boyfriend, who days later kills himself, the entire school goes into mourning overdrive. With the school councilors breathing down her neck and the popular clique (including Katie’s best friend Julie Peters) forming a new club in its wake, Skim finds herself in the crosshairs, deepening her “depression”. And if things cannot get more complicated, Skim starts to fall for an equally quirky teacher.

Matt Wagner, Zorro (Dynamite); Madame Xanadu (Vertigo/DC)

Matt Wagner has enjoyed a career in comics for over twenty years. Born and educated in Pennsylvania, his first published work was a short story that would introduce one of comicdom’s most respected creator-owned characters–the mastermind assassin, GRENDEL. Best known for this epic creation and his other, more personal, allegory, MAGE, Matt has also worked on a variety of established characters. These include his ground-breaking work on the character of Batman villain, Two-Face, in the graphic novel, FACES, as well as a five-year stint both developing and generating the stories for the fan-favorite Vertigo title, SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE. His more recent efforts in this vein have included writing the DR. MID-NITE mini-series for DC Comics and serving as the regular cover artist on the Kevin Smith-penned relaunch of GREEN ARROW.

Known for his character-driven stories and his obvious love of the world’s mythologies, Matt has also enjoyed the distinction of being one of the only writer/artists allowed to team his own creation with one of DC’s flagship characters in two successive BATMAN/GRENDEL cross-overs.

In the past few years, Matt has also written and drawn several high profile projects for DC; a three-issue prestige series starring Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman; titled TRINITY and a year-long, project which comprised two mini-series that chronicled some of the earliest aspects of Batman’s career, collectively titled DARK MOON RISING.

This year sees the 25th anniversary of GRENDEL and Matt is hard at work on a variety of projects to commemorate this significant milestone.

Bill Willingham, Fables, House of Mystery (Vertigo/DC)

I’m only posting the first half of this bio, if you want to read the rest you will have to visit Bill’s website. http://www.billwillingham.com/biography.html

Bill Willingham has been writing, and occasionally drawing, funnybooks for 20 years now. Hes also recently taken up writing prose fiction as well. He is best known for creating the following comic book series: Elementals; Ironwood; Coventry; Pantheon; Proposition Player; and currently, Fables. He lives in one of the hot places in the American Southwest.

Here’s the first part of the longer bio. Most of this is true. read more

More about the Eisner Awards

The 2009 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees

2009 Eisner Award Nominees – Best Short Story

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