The Beat |
- The HUGO AWARDS 2021 finalists have been announced!
- GRAPHIC NOVEL CLUB: The OH MY GODS! team on how to become a comics master
- Doug Wright Award nominees announced for 2021
- INTERVIEW: Joseph P. Illidge, Hannibal Tabu, & Meredith Laxton on MPLS SOUND
- DC ROUND-UP: I know…but THE JOKER #2 is very good
- Tillie Walden and Donny Cates join The Walking Dead in Skybound X
- EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: Silence in the library in Ostow & Pitilli’s RIVERDALE: THE TIES THAT BIND
- THE FABULOUS FURRY FREAK BROTHERS cartoon adds La La Anthony & Andrea Savage
| The HUGO AWARDS 2021 finalists have been announced! Posted: 13 Apr 2021 12:15 PM PDT The Hugo Awards join the scrum as gong season beckons. Unfortunately it will be quite the wait to know who wins. In a 28-minute Youtube video, the finalists for 2021’s Hugo Awards were drawn. These were nominated by the WorldCon 2020 and 2021 membership – which amounted to 1,249 valid ballots.
The full list of Hugo Awards finalists are below. The winners will be announced at DisCon III, which takes place – COVID-willing – December 15-19 2021 in Washington, DC. Voting will open later this month and will close November 19. This year a special videogame Hugo Award was added by this year’s Worldcon host DisCon III – as announced November 2020. The finalists are largely non-surprises of the 2020/2021 videogame awards scene (Animal Crossing, Last of Us Part II, Hades, Final Fantasy VII Remake). The Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form category oddly has two separate episodes of the most recent season of The Mandalorian nominated among the batch of six Hugo Awards finalists. The Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story or Comic has a decent mix – Image Comics have two books (Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda‘s Monstress vol 5; alongside Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans‘s DIE vol 2), but Marvel, Dark Horse, BOOM! and Abrams get a finalist in apiece. Once again, Kieron Gillen has two books listed in the category, as he also has the first volume of his BOOM! Studios title Once & Future with artist Dan Mora in the mix. Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda’s Monstress has had excellent luck when it comes to the Hugo Awards. Every volume in their series has been nominated, and the first three were winners in the category in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Kieron Gillen has also seen his work make finalist at the Hugo Awards in recent years. Last year Gillen had the final volume of his and Jamie McKelvie‘s opus The Wicked + The Divine), as well as the first volume of DIE. Both Gillen and Marjorie Liu were pipped to the finish by Nnedi Okorafor and Tana Ford‘s LaGuardia (Berger Books/Dark Horse), however. Congrats and good luck to all Hugo Awards finalists! Best Novel
Best Novella
Best Novelette
Best Short Story
Best Series
Best Related Work
Best Graphic Story or Comic
Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Best Editor, Short Form
Best Editor, Long Form
Best Professional Artist
Best Semiprozine
Best Fanzine
Best Fancast
Best Fan Writer
Best Fan Artist
Best Video Game [One-time Special Hugo Award Category]
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| GRAPHIC NOVEL CLUB: The OH MY GODS! team on how to become a comics master Posted: 13 Apr 2021 10:30 AM PDT The Beat is a proud sponsor of Comix Experience's Graphic Novel of the Month Clubs, which bring comics fans a curated mix of the best of new release graphic novels and conversations with the creators who make them. Each month, the staff of Comix Experience votes on two sets of upcoming books they are most excited—one gets presented to adults and another to middle readers. Each club provides swag like original signed custom bookplates for adults or buttons and magnets for the kids (in this case, the latter, to support the featured book, Oh My Gods!).
Most excitingly, the Graphic Novel Clubs bring in the creators of selected books to talk exclusively to GNC members in interviews conducted by Comix Experience owner Brian Hibbs, who brings 30 years of experience in comics to the table. These talks are livestreamed to members all over the country and are a fun and informative mix of conversation on craft and form, as well as on the business of making comics. The Graphic Novel Clubs make a point of being inclusive, inviting creators from a wide variety of age, race, sex, and cultural perspectives to speak to members. Membership is what propels these conversations, so if you like what you see, please support these discussions of comics, and the creators who make them, by joining the club. Today: Brian Hibbs talks to writers Stephanie Cooke and Insha Fitzpatrick and artist Juliana Moon about their recently released graphic novel, Oh My Gods! The story follows your average teenager, Karen, as she moves to Mt. Olympus and discovers her new classmates are gods and mythological creatures. In this clip, the Oh My Gods! team gives advice on how to get started and keep improving as a comic creator. The post GRAPHIC NOVEL CLUB: The OH MY GODS! team on how to become a comics master appeared first on The Beat.  |
| Doug Wright Award nominees announced for 2021 Posted: 13 Apr 2021 10:15 AM PDT The Doug Wright Awards for Canadian Cartooning have announced their nominees for 2021. Leading the pack in nominations is Montreal-based publisher Drawn & Quarterly, with four nominations in all, including three books nominated in the Best Book category.
The Doug Wright Awards have annually taken place during the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) weekend. This year TCAF will be held in a virtual format from May 8 to 15. On the Doug Wright Awards blog, they said:
For Giants of the North, Canadian Cartooning Hall of Fame, since 2019, the category has inducted one living and one deceased noteworthy member of the Canadian comics community. Because of COVID restrictions, the living recipients of the induction both last year and this year have been deferred until restrictions are lifted so that they may be inducted in person. 2021's deceased inductee into the Canadian Cartooning Hall of Fame will be Mr. Monster creator Fred Kelly (1921-2005).
Check out the full list of nominees below. Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees. The winners of the 17th annual Doug Wright Awards will be announced via a pre-recorded live stream on YouTube and Facebook on Saturday May 8, 2021. Don McKellar will host. The Doug Wright Award for Best Book
The Nipper: The Doug Wright Award for Emerging Talent
The Pigskin Peters: The Doug Wright Award for Best Small- or Micro-Press Book
The Egghead: The Doug Wright Award for Best Kids' Book
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| INTERVIEW: Joseph P. Illidge, Hannibal Tabu, & Meredith Laxton on MPLS SOUND Posted: 13 Apr 2021 10:00 AM PDT In MPLS Sound by Joseph P. Illidge, Hannibal Tabu, Meredith Laxton, Tan Shu, Troy Peteri, and Ryan Lewis, with a cover by Jen Bartel, readers follow the musical journey of Theresa Booker, the front woman for the fictional band Starchild. The graphic novel is available at your local bookstore today, April 13th, 2021, and at your local comic book shop tomorrow, April 14th, 2021.  The Beat caught up with writers Illidge and Tabu and interior artist Laxton over email to find out more about the complicated process of capturing 1980s Minneapolis on the comics page, which comics were inspirational for MPLS Sound, and what it is like to convey music through the panels of a graphic novel! AVERY KAPLAN: What was the genesis of this graphic novel? Was there a specific influence or inspiration for Therese? JOSEPH P. ILLIDGE: Humanoids and MPLS Sound's first editor, Fabrice Sapolsky, came to us with the premise for the book, which was both daunting and exciting! Creating a fictional history between the raindrops of Minneapolis's real music history. They were committed to having Black writers tackle this story, which I will always applaud them for, the insight behind that decision. Theresa is the fusion of a number of people in my life as well as celebrities. My mother and Prince are two of the core inspirations. My mom never gives up and Prince never gave in, even when the world thought corporations beat him. HANNIBAL TABU: Theresa Booker is very specifically modeled on a woman named Theresa that I worked with at Image Magazine in the early 1990s. Both visually and in terms of the ambition there, the graphic novel adds musical talent (the Theresa I knew was an editor), but in many ways, it's the young woman shyly surprised when people spoke to her at the magazine's launch party.
KAPLAN: In addition to Prince, we also meet other real-life musical legends over the course of MPLS Sound. Was there any other musician who was particularly important or exciting for you to include? TABU: I'm a huge fan of Morris Day, so seeing his part in the book, as well as learning that Alexander O'Neal was the Peter Gabriel to his Phil Collins (both drummers turned vocalists, too) was a big deal for me. It was a particular hoot to learn that O'Neal, like the Rock, referred to himself in the third person, which was about the funniest thing in the world to me while I was writing. ILLIDGE: Definitely, but I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise. For people who know Prince's history and the great players in music that came from his camp, there are at least two people who we had to put in MPLS Sound. When you see them, it'll be important even though they're not "on stage" for a long time.
KAPLAN: Did any of the characters present a specific challenge during development? MEREDITH LAXTON: My biggest concern was getting Prince right in each of his scenes. He's such an iconic character that his look and body language had to be convincing, especially for readers who are long-time fans of his music. It was also just important to me, personally, because Prince has been an influential part of my life and I desperately wanted to do him justice in this book.
KAPLAN: There are several splash pages over the course of MPLS Sound that give a visual representation of the sound of the band. Can you tell us a bit about the (possibly magic) process of conveying music through images? LAXTON: Making comics about music is super challenging but, luckily, we were working with a genre and era that has a recognizable look. I took a lot of inspiration from funk groups such as Parliament and Lipps Inc. to start the design of the musical spreads in question and tried to make them as flashy as possible. My favorite aspect of MPLS Sound is that these scenes feel like they take place in a different universe from the real world.
KAPLAN: Comics and music have a long history together. Is there any particular "music comic" that was especially inspirational for MPLS Sound? ILLIDGE: The biggest inspiration for MPLS Sound from my perspective is the film "Purple Rain," in terms of capturing the feeling of a musical and music videos in a quasi-biography romance. If you come away from MPLS Sound feeling like you've been through a funk music ballad drama romp through history, that's what's up. Since you mentioned it, though, much respect and reverence to Voodoo Child: The Illustrated Legend of Jimi Hendrix by Martin I. Green and the visual Godfather Bill Sienkiewicz, Prince: Alter Ego by Milestone co-founders Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan, and KRS-ONE: Break The Chain by the legendary KRS-One and the number one stunna' Kyle Baker. There wouldn't be a MPLS Sound without the groundwork laid by those books, and others. TABU: I can't say there's a music specific comic, but I clearly had a lot of V For Vendetta in mind in terms of how Theresa discovers her own power and her own definition of success, despite the comparisons that were easy to make. LAXTON: When I think of "music comic" I instantly think of Solanin by Inio Asano. I wouldn't be surprised if I took a bit of subconscious inspiration from that manga.
KAPLAN: What was the process of capturing 1980s Minneapolis like? ILLIDGE: It was a LOT of work. The thing about research is that you need multiple sources to align before you can consider anything history. The timeline between Prince's 1999 tour and the introduction of The Revolution is tricky and full of anecdotes from various sources, so building an infrastructure under that in which the paths of various people aligned was very helpful. TABU: I pursued two avenues of investigation. First, I contracted with two people born and raised in Minneapolis – one a white woman in her forties whose child went to the same school my daughter attended, and the second, a Black woman in her late thirties who still lives on the south side of the city. I did extensive interviews with them to try and understand the detail and nuance of their disparate experiences. Concurrently with that I did a lot of reading, books published about the era and the personalities therein. I read the book that talked to Prince's high school music teacher, who implied Prince wasn't even the most talented student he had. I also listened to interviews, such as the amazing Jimmy Jam coverage Questlove did on his podcast, and that gave so much detail (like the club where Jimmy Jam used to DJ, and how he'd leave a long record playing so he could go check out other things happening, something I've done as a DJ). LAXTON: For me, it was collecting a lot of historical photos and magazine/news clippings for reference. Taking a trip to Minneapolis wasn't available to me, especially in 2020, but the internet provides.
KAPLAN: Is there any comic, album, or other media that you have enjoyed lately? ILLIDGE: That's a big question with so many answers! The graphic novel Infinitum by Tim Fielder was a breathtaking experience and I recommend it highly. I'm digging back into Jaden Smith's work from the last few years, and "Icon" is on replay when I'm editing for Heavy Metal. The "Small Axe" anthology of films by filmmaker Steve McQueen showing on Prime is one of the most heartfelt mic drops I've seen on film. I'm Jamaican-American, and seeing the historical portraits of Jamaican life in the UK is both familiar and new. TABU: Far Sector is breathtaking. I read an indie book called Cello which was one of the most unexpected things I've ever seen. Jed McKay is doing some subversive, fun work at Marvel these days. The Geoff Thorne Green Lantern book is really effective. LAXTON: I just got the first volume of Dryad, drawn by Justin Barcelo, and recently contributed to a kickstarter for Young Offenders, drawn by Mike Becker. Two very talented friends of mine.
KAPLAN: Is there anything else you'd like me to be sure and include? ILLIDGE: Kudos to some of the invisible players in the MPLS Sound band: Editor Rob Levin and Publisher Mark Waid, the World's Finest gents behind the scenes. TABU: This week, my twelve issue run on Time Corps from Wunderman Comics hits the 1/3 mark, a cross-temporal science fiction adventure that I had so much fun writing. Later this year, another Wunderman Comics release will be a supernatural western three issue mini series called War Medicine, I just got pencils back from Roy Allan Martinez for the first issue. Finally, this November, Second Sight Publishing will bring Project Wildfire to comic book stores everywhere, so I'm very hyped about that. You can find MPLS Sound today at your local bookstore and public library, and tomorrow at your favorite LCS. The post INTERVIEW: Joseph P. Illidge, Hannibal Tabu, & Meredith Laxton on MPLS SOUND appeared first on The Beat.  |
| DC ROUND-UP: I know…but THE JOKER #2 is very good Posted: 13 Apr 2021 09:15 AM PDT THIS WEEK: Look, I am as surprised as you are but it’s time to talk about The Joker #2 because this series is excellent so far. Note: the review below contains spoilers. If you want a quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendation on the comics in question, check out the bottom of the article for our final verdicts.
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| Tillie Walden and Donny Cates join The Walking Dead in Skybound X Posted: 13 Apr 2021 09:00 AM PDT
Have you always wanted to see Eisner Award winning cartoonist Tillie Walden draw characters from The Walking Dead universe? That dream and many more are coming true in SKYBOUND X, a five-issue mini-series anthology that also features Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Donny Cates, Joshua Williamson, Chip Zdarsky, James Harren, and Daniel Warren Johnson. It’s also a zombie jamboree for characters from across the Walking Dead universe, with everyone from Rick Grimes to the beloved Clementine from Telltale’s The Walking Dead video game as well as all new content from top creators. AND every issue will debut all-new series and characters in every issue, making this a FIRST APPEARANCE issue on eBay. And it’s all to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Skybound Entertainment, Robert Kirkman’s media company.
Issue #1 launches for print and digital on Wednesday, July 7, 2021. And here’s the line-up: JULY 7 / 52 PAGES / FULL COLOR / M / $4.99 Celebrate a sensational 10 years of Skybound with a cavalcade of your favorite creators for all-new stories of your favorite series past, present and future! Each issue of this oversized, weekly series will kick off with a new chapter of a serialized THE WALKING DEAD story—RICK GRIMES 2000—by Robert Kirkman & Ryan Ottley! In addition, we'll be debuting all-new series and characters every issue, starting with the First Appearance of the most requested WALKING DEAD character of all-time: Clementine, star of the bestselling Telltale's The Walking Dead video game series! Did we mention new ULTRAMEGA and MANIFEST DESTINY stories?! If you want to know what to expect in Skybound's next 10 years, it all starts here! SKYBOUND X #2 JULY 14 / 44 PAGES / FULL COLOR / M / $4.99 The second chapter of the wildest WALKING DEAD story ever–RICK GRIMES 2000! Plus, the debut of a major new STILLWATER character, a rip-roaring MURDER FALCON throwdown, and the First Appearance of EVERYDAY HERO MACHINE BOY! SKYBOUND X #3 JULY 21 / 44 PAGES / FULL COLOR / M / $4.99 The third chapter of RICK GRIMES 2000! Plus, a surprising coda to the BIRTHRIGHT saga, a spotlight on ASSASSIN NATION fan-favorite, F*ck Tarkington, and the latest installment of the greatest genius canine adventurer, SCIENCE DOG! SKYBOUND X #4 JULY 28 / 44 PAGES / FULL COLOR / M / $4.99 The fourth chapter of RICK GRIMES 2000! Plus, new REDNECK and EXCELLENCE stories, and the First Appearance of SEA SERPENT'S HEIR! SKYBOUND X #5 AUGUST 4 / 44 PAGES / FULL COLOR / M / $4.99 RICK GRIMES 2000 concludes! Plus, new THE SIX SIDEKICKS OF TRIGGER KEATON and GASOLINA stories! ALSO, something COMPLETELY NEW from ROBERT KIRKMAN & JASON HOWARD! SECRETS!         
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| EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: Silence in the library in Ostow & Pitilli’s RIVERDALE: THE TIES THAT BIND Posted: 13 Apr 2021 07:00 AM PDT
One of the signature elements of the Riverdale TV series has been the noir-soaked narration of actor Cole Sprouse‘s Jughead Jones. In Riverdale: The Ties That Bind, the first original graphic novel set in the world of the hit CW series, Jughead takes center stage for one of the book’s four interconnected stories. Today The Beat has an exclusive excerpt from “Nightcrawlers,” the Jughead-centric tale from writer Micol Ostow and artist Thomas Pitilli‘s new book, out in stores this week. Along with the preview, Ostow and Pitilli both told The Beat about what went into the creation of the chapter that finds Jughead and Moose trapped in the library at Stonewall Prep:
Check out the exclusive twelve-page preview from Riverdale: The Ties That Bind below. The original graphic novel from Archie Comics goes on sale in comic shops this Wednesday, April 14th, and in bookstores on Tuesday, May 4th. You can also check out The Beat‘s review of the book by our resident Riverdale recapper, Billy Henehan, now.
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| THE FABULOUS FURRY FREAK BROTHERS cartoon adds La La Anthony & Andrea Savage Posted: 13 Apr 2021 06:15 AM PDT The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers has yet to hit our screens but news hasn’t dried up on the series. The animated adaptation of the Gilbert Shelton underground comix classic has announced new additions to the cast and a partnership with major studio Lionsgate. Joining the already packed all-star cast of the show – whose first eight-episode season has already wrapped production – are Andrea Savage and La La Anthony, according to Deadline. The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers follows a trio of (non-related) stoners and their misadventures while scoring the next bit of weed. It debuted in Austin, Texas, underground newspaper The Rag in 1968 and was regularly reprinted nationwide, building a cult following. The animated show was first announced as being in development in 2019, and a mini episode was aired on YouTube. The cast had a digital panel at NYCC last year which the Beat covered.
The show starts out with the premise of the original anarchic comic before suddenly taking the original group of stoners on a magical weed trip from the familiar world of the 1960s to the 2020s. The eponymous trio will be played by Woody Harrelson, John Goodman and Pete Davidson. Other names cast in the show are Tiffany Haddish, Adam Devine, Blake Anderson, and Phil LaMarr. According to the Deadline article, comedian Savage and Anthony will play siblings Harper and Gretchen: 'Harper [is] a no-nonsense tech badass who undoubtedly wears the pants in her household.' Gretchen meanwhile is 'a social-advocate lawyer who is the more idealistic and compassionate younger sister of Harper'. Anthony, who more recently starred in Starz series Power, said this about joining the series:
Lionsgate, who have signed on to the production, are to handle the global distribution rights of the series. Currently production on an eight episode pilot season has wrapped but no broadcaster or streamer have signed up as yet. Jim Packer, Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television Distribution, chimed in on this new collaboration:
The Rick & Morty workshop Starburns Industries and Pure Imagination Studios handled the initial eight episode pilot season of the show. The rights to the comic are handled by WTG Enterprises with WTG's Courtney Solomon and Mark Canton acting as executive producers alongside writers and showrunners Alan Cohen and Alan Freedland. Creator Gilbert Shelton and the cast are also named executive producers. With the announcement of the partnership with Lionsgate, WTG's Courtney Solomon and Mark Canton said:
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