Wednesday, February 22, 2012

More Joe Jusko commission pieces










The wonderful web has always been a bountiful place to share and find glorious artwork on juuuuust about anything. Today I'd like to share some commission artwork I found that Joe Jusko created in his travels around the globe while visiting conventions and providing opportunities for folks on different continents to enjoy his work. Who don't love Joe Jusko? He's the best in the biz.

One day...I'm gonna save me up enough to get my very own commission piece.

More Killer Conan Fan Art from Ostoja Mitric!


Frost Giant's Daughter Fan Art by Tomás Morón Aranda!

More incredible artwork from Tomás Morón Aranda (visit his blog at http://eldibujantesinpoderes.blogspot.com/), and this time we see a classic scene from the Conan mythos, but I have to say that this is the.... umm... perkiest... version of the Frost Giant's Daughter that I have ever seen!


Great work, Tomás! And thanks for sharing!



Friday, February 17, 2012

Rest in peace John Severin...




I was probably around 14 years old and the year was maybe 1981. I was already hooked on CONAN and had already read 4 or 5 novels as well as a nice collection of Savage Sword and CTB comic books. I used to hoof it up to my local comic shop and spend hours browsing through back issues and just generally getting lost in a world of fantasy. Then I came across it…KULL number 2…a comic book I had no idea existed…I snatched it out of the box and asked HOW MUCH…I was told 2 dollars…well all I had was 2 dollars…so I bought it right up.
I got home and read that comic book from page to page…every word and even the ads. Then I read it again. Then…I looked at the cover mesmerized for maybe 15 minutes straight…then opened it up and read it one more time. I repeated this process two more times.
I could not get over the art. The storytelling and action and the snake men and the sealed chamber and the ghost of the former king roaming the halls. It was one of the greatest comic books I had ever read and to this day remains so.
I brought it to school and showed my friends who played DnD and loved the “Lord of the rings” and used to talk about the books and the old Bakshi cartoon for hours on end.
They all took a turn reading it…between the pages of an open composition notebook so it did not get soiled and they all loved it. Then I told them about REH and CONAN and the ACE books and John Buscema and Frazetta and YES…even John Severin whose name I had recognized from some of the western comics and SGT FURY reprints in my collection.
It may not be commonly known but John and Marie Severin the brother and sister dynamic duo of Marvel are two of the greatest artists in Marvels History…they were there from the earliest times.
Many years later John and Marie once again worked together on an REH creation…this time on the Graphic novel "CONAN the REAVER" for Marvel comics…it was a sequel of sorts to the story in KULL number 2…KULL sealed the chamber and Conan breaks the seal unloosing eternal evil….once again we see John and Marie producing breathtaking beautiful artwork.
( Now I have to go read those comics again )
A few years ago John did a fill in issue I believe it was CONAN 18 for DARK HORSE….the story was called the HELMET…or HELM…Dahhh I can’t recall but it was awesome…John's work was as immaculate as ever and the story ironic and entertaining. John Severin is and always will be part of me in spirit. I never met the man but his work will be with me forever. I’ll never forget how I was entertained and enthralled by his look and style and attention to detail. He was 90 years old when he died February 12, 2012. He lived a long life.
Rest in peace Sir…

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Stan Lee Media Fails to Reclaim 'Conan the Barbarian' Rights

Via The Hollywood Reporter

A decade ago, Stan Lee Media Inc. declared bankruptcy. Since then, the company has been furiously fighting to reclaim rights to valuable intellectual property that the company's board of directors believes was fraudulently taken during the bankruptcy process. Next month, the company is set to appear before the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals to make the argument that a lower court should let continue a case questioning whether comic book genius Stan Lee validly terminated his contract with the company that bears his name.

In the meantime, SLMI has experienced another defeat. Last week, a federal judge in California tossed SLMI's attempt to reclaim ownership over rights to "Conan the Barbarian."

SLMI was founded by Lee in the late-1990s, before the company hit a rocky period and Lee returned to the House of Marvel.

STORY: 'Conan the Barbarian' Lawsuit Seeks Character Rights (Exclusive)
Since filing for bankuptcy, SLMI has struggled to reformulate itself. Finally, in 2010, the company was able to get court approval on a new board of directors. Since then, against its founder's wishes, the company has been attempting to revive claims that it experienced a conspiracy to rob it of its assets.

This includes an ongoing lawsuit over characters such as Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk and the Fantastic Four. On March 8, the 2nd Circuit is scheduled to hear SLMI's arguments that it now has standing to pursue efforts to reclaim these multi-billion dollar properties.

As SLMI waits for the showdown, the company has experienced another stinging defeat.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Wilson dismissed SLMI's lawsuit against Conan Sales Co., Paradox Entertainment, and Lee's long-time attorney Arthur Lieberman, among others, in an action that sought to restore SLMI's rights to the "Conan the Barbarian" character and gain proceeds from exploitation of the character, including last year's film release of Conan the Barbarian 3D.

SLMI made the claim based on arguments that in early 2002, when Conan Sales Co. bought back rights to the "Conan" character, 1,800 SLMI shareholders weren't given proper notice. The company also alleged that Lieberman had made misrepresenations during the ordeal and failed to disclose conflicts. Finally, the company asserted that its interests were not properly represented during the proceedings that led to "Conan" being taken from them.
Judge Wilson has rejected these claims on various grounds, including that notice wasn't required during the bankruptcy process, and even if it was, SLMI couldn't show standing and harm. Additionally, the judge determined that SLMI hadn't shown that Lieberman provided services to the company's officers and shareholders to support allegations he misled them, and that SLMI did in fact have proper representation at the bankrputcy proceedings.

The long-running, complicated, and bi-coastal litigation over SLMI's break-up closes a chapter, but perhaps doesn't finish the book.

For instance, we hear that when Wilson ruled last week that "SLMI has not demonstrated why SLMI would have standing to sue on behalf of any such shareholders," it has been received as a possible invitation to some of the larger hedge funds who owned SLMI stock to make their own claims and pleas to reconsider.
And, of course, there's the coming 2nd Circuit appeal, which might determine whether SLMI's day in court is coming to an end once and for all or instead spark many more years of litigation concerning some of the biggest superhero characters in entertainment.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Friday, February 3, 2012

Good News for Battlepug Fans!


From the official Dark Horse press release:

The epic tale of blood and drool begins here! Keeping the tradition of its creator-owned mentality, Dark Horse Comics is pleased to announce its newest venture with Mike Norton—Battlepug!


 “I was really happy when people first reacted to the comic. It’s hard to predict if the public needs another ‘Giant Pug Epic Fantasy’ story. I mean, we all know those are a dime a dozen, right? Luckily, the story of a barbarian’s quest for revenge with the aid of our favorite four-legged freak seems to have legs,” said Norton. “When I first made the Battlepug T-shirt, people kept asking when the comic was coming out. So, I put out the webcomic and now everybody wants to know when the book is coming out! I guess now people will want to know when the movie is happening?”

 This volume collects the first year of Mike Norton’s Battlepug—the perfect opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the fan-favorite webcomic by Mike Norton, Allen Passalaqua, and Crank!
 Join Moll and her dogs Mingo and Colfax, as she recounts the legend of “The Warrior and the Battlepug”—a tale of a fearless barbarian, his trusty and freakishly large pug, and evil baby harp seals.

“I’m a huge fan of Dark Horse and couldn’t be more excited to have Battlepug published by them. Hellboy, B.P.R.D., Buffy, Star Wars—they put out some of the best comics currently being made and it’s humbling to even be on the same shelf with that kind of product! I’m super excited for people to read it and look forward to much more in the future!” stated Norton.

 Mike Norton’s Battlepug Volume 1 is on sale July 4, 2012!