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Updated! Zombieland TV Series Begins Casting Process

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 07:33:58 +0000

Bet you didn’t see that one coming, did you? Ruben Fleischer’s Zombieland was a breath of fresh air in regards to bringing something new and unique to the horror-comedy genre. Aside from being a well written film, the cast of Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin were a cohesive group that only added to the greatness.

For a couple years now, there have been two rumors floating around concerning Zombieland, with the most logical being that a sequel was in the works, which is kind of has. Writers have been trying to come up with something, but it doesn’t look like anything will actually come of it. The second rumor is that a television series was being worked on for CBS and oddly enough, that’s the project that may be moving forward, as a casting call just went out.

According to I09, the call went out to cast the series main characters, which would carry over from the film. There are some minor spoilers ahead, so read on with caution. Below are some abbreviated descriptions for the characters, which also includes a couple of new characters. the series looks to delve into the back story of our four heroes.

Tallahassee is still kind of a snarky weirdo, but he seems to have a much less spiky relationship with Columbus. He and Columbus have a pretty amusing thing where they riff on the fact that Steven Seagal movies always have three-word titles like “Marked for Justice” or “May Cause Diarrhea.” But Tallahassee also dispenses homespun wisdom about how to feel happy with your life. He also tells a weird story about being in a trailer park with a perpetually nude Matthew McConaughey. He also has a somewhat heartwarming scene where he tells Columbus that he’s been wandering aimlessly for a long time, but maybe he’s been put here for a reason — to help Columbus and the others.

Columbus is much the same, except that he tracks down his grandma and grandpa (Bubbie and Peepaw) only to find them recently zombiefied. Also, Columbus is trying to deal with his new-found relationship with Wichita, after their first kiss. He has started calling her “Krista,” her real name — but there are some problems, especially after she finds him reading a book about fatherhood. He tries to organize a romantic scavenger hunt for her in the IKEA they’re camping out in, but it goes kind of horribly.

Wichita is still trying to look after Little Rock, trying to teach her math with problems about someone stealing from a liquor store and jumping on a train going 42 miles per hour, with a cop chasing in a car going 88 miles per hour. We also learn a lot more about Wichita’s backstory, including how she ran away from her father after he had her stealing people’s Christmas presents — and later, she found out she had a sister who was also being a grifter with her dad.

Little Rock seems actually kind of excited about meeting Columbus’ grandparents, before they turn out to be zombies. And she shares some of her own backstory, about how her dad parked her at a school while he went off grifting on his own — and then yanked her out of school right before a dance that she was looking forward to.

Fred and Ainsley are two office workers at the start of the zombie apocalypse, obliviously complaining about problems with their iPhones and getting the wrong order at Starbucks, which they admit are “first world problems” with a hashtag — while people are being disembowled just outside the window they’re not facing. Tallahassee shows up to bring them their lunch orders, wearing a green polo shirt.

As you can see, the writers plan to keep much of the same tone to the series that helped make the movie so enjoyable. Not unsurprisingly, they seem to be making the relationship between Columbus and Wichita the main focus, but also seem to be making a family out of the group. Not a terrible concept, especially considering they series will be a half-hour comedy. Things look promising!

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UPDATE! It’s been revealed by Broadcast that this series will actually end up streaming on Amazon, rather than be a traditional aired TV series, much like the resurgence of the cult favorite Arrested Development. No mention of time frame, but as with Netflix, it can be expected that Amazon won’t be restrained by the usual “seasons” as with traditional television series.

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Updated! Zombieland TV Series Begins Casting Process

Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven and Juno Temple Join Sin City Sequel

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 07:24:17 +0000

Despite the fact that Sin City: A Dame to Kill For has been filming for several weeks now, Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez continue to add more stars to their gritty sequel. Last week, star of the moment Joseph Gordon-Levitt joined the cast as Johnny, along with Chris Meloni. Josh Brolin, who is another hot commodity in Hollywood, signed on to replace Clive Owen in the role of Dwight.

Three more actors are set to join the already star studded cast in Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven and Juno Temple. According to the Playlist, details on the characters are being kept under wraps. This trio will be joining Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Jamie King, Dennis Haysbert and the previously mentioned Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Josh Brolin and Chris Meloni.

Ray Liotta is enjoying a bit of a resurgence in recent months, having starred alongside Brad Pitt in Killing The Softly and several new films landing in theaters this year. Temple was most recently seen in The Dark Knight Rises as Selina Kyle’s accomplice and will also be featured in numerous films this year.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For will arrive in theaters October 4th, 2013

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven and Juno Temple Join Sin City Sequel

Toby Jones Set To Play Arnim Zola Again In Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 01:22:53 +0000

The brilliant Toby Jones, known for such roles as Carl Rove in W. and the Dream Lord in Doctor Who, had said last week that he was up for reprising the role of Arnim Zola in the Captain America sequel. The actor said he’d like to come back as the HYDRA scientist and right-hand man to the Red Skull, but hadn’t received a call from directors the Russo brothers. Well it seems sometime between early last week and tonight Jones got the call he was waiting for.

Hey U Guys caught up with the actor at the Critics Circle Awards in London. After chatting up all Jones has on his plate right now, they asked the big question. You can check it out around the 3:50 mark, but Jones said he will be coming back to Captain America. He seemed very happy about it which is always a good sign. Of course at this stage there are no details on whether it will be in flashbacks or we’ll be seeing his robotic form that was teased in The First Avenger. Whenever more info hits we’ll have it for you. What do you think about Jones’ return? Do you hope he’s more than a scientist this time around?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Toby Jones Set To Play Arnim Zola Again In Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Weekly Dose Of Awesome: Masta Artisan

ZenithWillRule — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 21:00:26 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Dose Of Awesome, where I talk about a piece of media that I consider to be overlooked or just plain awesome. Today I take a look at the underground rapper: Masta Artisan.

ZenithWillRule, Weekly Dose Of Awesome: Masta Artisan

Holy Car Auction Batman! Original Batmobile Fetches High Price

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 04:55:25 +0000

The original Batmobile from the 1960s Adam West series sold just a little while ago at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction. The car was the first one built by the legendary George Barris out of a Lincoln Futura. It had been on display in Hollywood for a while, but Barris finally decided to part ways with his creation. The decision came down to a coin flip according to Barris.

The car has been the talk of the auction world this week as some experts predicted the ride would go for a few million dollars. When the gavel finally landed, the car sold for an astounding $4.2 million.The car was brought out and followed by what can only be described as a mob trying to get close to the famous auto. Bidding hit a million as soon as it started, with the action going on for several minutes. George Barris was on hand to help entice bidders as well. Before the final bid was placed Barris took the Batman jacket off of his back and offered it to the winning bidder as an added incentive. The man who won the auction was Rick Champagne from Arizona. He said he would put the Batmobile in his living room and display it proudly.

The winner, his lady friend, and George Barris posed with the car shortly after the auction ended (via Barrett On Speed’s Twitter page). The Speed channel also posted a video chat with Barris about the famous car earlier today. Check out pictures from the auction and the video below. I was watching on TV and the whole thing was a pretty amazing sight. What do you think? Is the Batmobile worth $4.2 million to you?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Holy Car Auction Batman! Original Batmobile Fetches High Price

Amazing Spider-Man 2: Shailene Woodley, Dane DeHaan, And A Possible Villain Spoiler

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 22:35:55 +0000

Work on Marc Webb’s Spider-Man sequel is coming along nicely. It seems the majority of the cast is in place and filming will start soon. Two of the new additions to the movie were out and about promoting their movies at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Shailene Woodley, who will be playing Mary Jane Watson, and Dane DeHaan, Harry Osborn, talked a little about the upcoming Spidey movie.

Woodley spoke with MTV about joining the cast and how excited she was about the film. The actress couldn’t reveal too much, but she said she’s a fan of the character and really enjoyed the reboot:

Spider-Man has always been my favorite super hero dude, since I was a little girl. I think there’s something really special about flying. When I watched the previous Spider-Man with Andrew Garfield, he made me feel invincible. I think Marc Webb is amazing. I’m so stoked to work with Andrew and Emma [Stone], they’re the best of the best.

She went on to say that she didn’t know any real details about the film, but she assumes she’ll be part of a love triangle if the comics are anything to go by. Woodley also hinted that she’d be making the transition and become a redhead soon. You can watch the full video interview by clicking here.

Chronicle break-out star Dane DeHaan also chatted about The Amazing Spider-Man sequel while on the red carpet for his film with Daniel “Harry Potter” Radcliffe called Kill Your Darlings. The actor remained tight lipped on what he knows, but he did confirm that he will be involved in a love triangle. Is it with Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane, Aunt May? We’ll have to wait and find out. The director of Darlings may have spoiled a big plot point for the film though. HitFix reports an incident that occured during the cast introductions:

[Director] Krokidas introduced the cast of “Darlings” which includes Daniel Radcliffe, Ben Foster and Michael C. Hall. When he got to DeHaan he said “He’s the Green Goblin.” DeHaan just smiled, but it didn’t seem like Krokidas was kidding.

Is this a case of a director who doesn’t know a lot about comics or is Webb planning on skipping Norman and having Harry don the Green Goblin gear? I would say it’s the first, but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the second happened. The Green Goblin was used in Sam Raimi’s first film, so it would be a little too soon to simply rehash the character. What do you think? Would you be pleased if Harry is the first Green Goblin?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Amazing Spider-Man 2: Shailene Woodley, Dane DeHaan, And A Possible Villain Spoiler

Plans Revealed For Detective #19: What Would Have Been Issue 900 Of Detective Comics

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 21:44:17 +0000

The New 52 not only brought a whole new take on DC characters, but newly renumbered books. That’s not as big a deal for some comics, but it leaves longtime readers of Detective and Action Comics from reaching an unheard of #900 issue. DC will be marking what would have been a milestone achievements for both books this year by offering up special giant-sized stories. First up is Detective in April. Detective #19 will feature a celebration that is a little on the nose. The 80 page issue will feature Batman tackling the “Mystery of the 900.” Since #900 won’t be plastered on the cover, they’ll jam the big number in the story. Here’s the solicit info for the issue written by John Layman.

DETECTIVE COMICS #19

Written by JOHN LAYMAN
Art and fold-out cover by JASON FABOK
Backup story art by ANDY CLARKE
1:25 MAD Variant cover by The Usual Gang of Idiots
On sale APRIL 3 • 80 pg, FC, $7.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $8.99 US

• In a special oversized celebratory issue, Batman is challenged by the “Mystery of the 900!”

This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Plans Revealed For Detective #19: What Would Have Been Issue 900 Of Detective Comics

Chris Roberson To Write The Shadow Ongoing

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 05:47:24 +0000

Chris Roberson will be sticking with the pulp heroes beyond the pages of Masks. The writer of the well-received Dynamite crossover event, which we’ve been raving about, will be writing The Shadow ongoing series starting in April. Roberson pointed out the April solicitations for the series:

THE SHADOW #13
Chris Roberson (w)
Giovanni Timpanol (a)
Alex Ross, Paolo Rivera, Tim Bradstreet, Francesco Francavilla (c)
4 regular covers will be shipped in equal ratios
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
A grisly string of random murders has left the authorities baffled, but The Shadow believes there is method to the killer’s madness. At each crime scene, eyewitnesses have spotted the spectral figure of a woman in white. Is “The Light” behind the murders, or a victim’s lost spirit? The Shadow must unravel the mystery before the killer strikes again!

When asked on Twitter if this would be longer than the upcoming “Light” arc, Roberson said he didn’t plan on going away anytime soon. This is great news for Shadow fans. Roberson has handled the cast of Masks well, but his Shadow writing stands out. The writer mentioned he particularly enjoyed writing the character in our interview last month (click here for that). It will be interesting to see what Roberson brings to his first arc. He has written a lot of great stories and comics, but I’ve been particularly impressed with Masks. Having Chris Roberson continue on with the pulp characters will be something you can’t miss. What do you think about the news? Will you be tuning in for The Shadow vs. The Light?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Chris Roberson To Write The Shadow Ongoing

MARVEL-ous Previews: Young Avengers #1 And Deadpool Killustrated #1

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 05:17:20 +0000

We’ve got two previews for some new books hitting comic book stories January 23rd. Our double preview page features the debut of Young Avengers and the follow-up of sorts to Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe.

Young Avengers debuts featuring a new team. The crew includes Wiccan, Hulkling, Hawkeye, Loki, Marvel Boy, and Ms. America. Kieron Gillen writes the series and Jamie McKelvie and Mike Norton provide art.

Also kicking off is a new Deadpool miniseries that follows hot on the heels of Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe. Cullen Bunn returns to guide Deadpool in his journey to destroy all of fictions most popular characters. First up- Moby Dick! The series features art by Matteo Lolli and Sean Parsons. Check out the solicit info and preview pages below!

Legacy isn’t a dirty word… but it’s an irrelevant one. It’s not important what our parents did. It matters what WE do. Someone has to save the world. You’re someone. Do the math. The critically acclaimed team of Gillen/McKelvie/Wilson (with added Norton Sauce) decide to reinvent the teen superhero comic for the 21st century, uniting Wiccan, Hulkling and Hawkeye with Loki, Marvel Boy and Ms. America. No pressure. Young Avengers is as NOW! as the air in your lungs, and twice as vital. It’s the book that knows Hyperbole is the BEST! THING! EVER!

• Deadpool has already killed every hero in the Marvel Universe.

• He isn’t through.

• This time…Deadpool’s gonna take most famous characters in classic literature!

• YOU NEVER KNEW HOW BADLY YOU NEEDED THIS SERIES!

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, MARVEL-ous Previews: Young Avengers #1 And Deadpool Killustrated #1

Variant Covers Show An Evolving Ultron

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:00:51 +0000

The Age of Ultron is finally upon us as Marvel continues to release solicit info and covers for the highly anticipated series by Brian Michael Bendis and Bryan Hitch. The ten issue story will affect the entire Marvel Universe and have a major impact on characters moving forward. Several variant covers have been released showing off Ultron upgrading and evolving throughout the storyline. If you’re looking for a rainy day activity, you could make a flip book out of the covers to see Ultron upgrade his armor and weapon systems. What do you think about the changes?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Variant Covers Show An Evolving Ultron

Scott Snyder’s War On Horses Continues

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 19:42:31 +0000

If you’ve been keeping up with Scott Snyder’s Twitter page, you know the writer has declared war on horses by abusing his powers as Batman head writer. The scribe has killed a total of three horses in the pages of his Death of the Family arc, and countless others which were probably graciously cut by DC’s editorial staff. Mr. Snyder has had The Joker shoot a horse in the face in a backup story, set a horse ablaze to run down the halls of Arkham Asylum, and finally had Mr. Freeze freeze and then punch a horse into little horse bits. This man has repeatedly dodged questions on Twitter as to why he hates horses so much. He has flippantly stated the following:

A horse shot my parents in an alley when i was a young boy. RT @shaunh22: @ssnyder1835 Why don’t you like horses?

— Scott Snyder (@Ssnyder1835) January 16, 2013

A horse shot my Uncle Ben. RT @juventuz: @ssnyder1835 Read Batman 16 finally, you got something against horses? — Scott Snyder (@Ssnyder1835) January 17, 2013

As a boy, I thought a horse killed my father. He was my father RT @broughstuff: Batman #16 was awesome, but what’s snyder got against horses — Scott Snyder (@Ssnyder1835) January 17, 2013

I hate horses. RT @taitanorules555: @ssnyder1835 do you hate horses because why did you make freeze kill a freaking horse? — Scott Snyder (@Ssnyder1835) January 18, 2013

Mr. Snyder continues to avoid answering the hard hitting question of why he dislikes horses. The writer seems to have a personal vendetta against our equine friends. Where does this deep-seated hatred come from? One could not venture to guess, but we have obtained this footage of someone taking their hatred from the land of fantasy to the reality. Is that Scott Snyder punching a horse in the face? It’s not for us to say, but it does look like him doesn’t it?

GIFSoup

Mr. Snyder continues to taunt fans about horse hatred. Earlier today he sent out the link to the following Amazon review [click to see larger image] through is personal Twitter. This man must be stopped before more fictional horses are destroyed. I propose a petition to prevent Mr. Snyder from ever writing a My Little Pony book. Just think what he would do to them?! *if you can’t tell, this is an article in the style of The Onion making fun of the supposed horse controversy and the gif is from Blazing Saddles.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Scott Snyder’s War On Horses Continues

Indie Spotlight: Yumi Sakugawa

Muy Mareado! — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:00:11 +0000

Welcome to Indie Spotlight! The independent scene is filled with many writers and artists alike and we here at Comic Book Therapy wanted to explore and reach reach out to these talented people to have the opportunity to learn about their works. For our first edition we present to you Yumi Sakugawa!

I am Yumi Sakugawa and I am a comic book artist and illustrator based in the Southern California. I am a regular comic / illustrator online contributor to Sadie Magazine and Wonderhowto.

Most recently, my comic zine “Mundane Fortunes for the Next Ten Billion Years and Other Stories” was selected as Notable Comics of 2012 by the Best American Comics anthology editors.

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Comic Book Therapy – Thank you very much for taking the time out to do this interview. How have you been doing?

Yumi Sakugawa – It is my pleasure! I’m finally fully recovered from a week-long cold so right now I am feeling pretty amazing.

CBT – You’re a self published comic book artist. How did you start?

Yumi – After I graduated from UCLA, I spent a year teaching English in Japan… because that’s what you do when you have just graduated from college with an art major and you have no idea what you’re going to do with yourself. During that time, a fellow English-teaching American artist friend and I spontaneously decided to sign up for a small booth at the bi-annual Tokyo Design Festa, a giant arts and craft convention that happens in Tokyo every May and November. I didn’t have any art on hand and I definitely did not want to show up as a first-time exhibitor empty-handed–so I furiously whipped up my first self-published 30-page comic zine “Milk and Moo” just in time for the event. Note to new artists, there is nothing like a convention deadline to really force yourself to kick your own butt to get something done.

This was back in 2008, and I had no idea that a zine culture even existed. When I moved back to Los Angeles, I made serendipitous connections with fellow artists in 2010 who introduced me to the zine scene and really got me hooked to showing comic zines at zine conventions.

CBT – What projects have you completed? Currently working on?

Yumi – I’ve self-published about eight comic zines in the last four years, ranging from illustrated guides on meditation to short comic story collections. My most recent self-published comic zine was a 50-page autobiographical diary comic of my travels in Paris and Rome.

Things I’m currently working on? I’ll definitely be releasing more self-published comics about meditation and mindfulness (people seem to really like those), and more short comic story collections. And since the world always needs more self-love and creative inspiration, I’m thinking of releasing a comic zine that deals specifically with self-love and staying inspired as an artist.

I’m also working on a longer fictional comic project right now, longer than anything I have ever made. It’s kind of a secret so either a lot of people will get to read it once it’s done or I won’t finish it and no one will ever know about it. Hopefully it will be the former and not the latter.

CBT – How long have you been in the art world? What inspired you to pick up the pencil/pen and create?

Yumi – I honestly don’t know what counts as being in the art world! I was in my first group art show in 2008 that wasn’t an art school student campus gallery show, so maybe since then? As for what inspired me to pick up the pencil / pen and create, I’ve always been drawing and doodling since I was a small kid, and drawing is the perfect medium to express yourself when you’re a really painfully shy kid and you’re trrified of talking to people.

CBT – As an artist, conventions and other means of showcasing are pretty important to promote your work. Have you attended conventions?

Yumi – Yes! I’ve attended maybe 6 different comic and zine conventions in the last few years and I really love the convention scene. For 2013, I’m really excited that I will be tabling away from the West Coast for the first time ever–at the Brooklyn Zine Fest in April and at the Toronto Comics and Arts Festival in May. Come visit my table if you think you’ll be going to either of those events!

I always make the coolest new friends and discover amazing new artists at every convention event. Seriously, I feel like there is a significantly lower percentage of douchey, pretentious creative types in the zine scene compared to other creative scenes or maybe I have just been really lucky with the people I’ve met. That, and I love having the opportunity to share my work with new people and connect in real-time with people who have seen my work previously on the internet or elsewhere.

If you are just starting out as a comic book artist, then I really recommend signing up for a table or a booth at a comic convention. Even if you don’t sell that many comics in the beginning, you get so much from the whole experience.

CBT – What is your best Convention memory?

Yumi – I think my best convention memory is the first comic and zine convention I’ve ever attended in 2010. I was crammed in one car with three other zine friends and left at 3 in the morning from Los Angeles to arrive just in time in Sacramento at around 10 A.M. to table at Indy Euphoria. I was only there for one day and I hitched a ride back to Los Angeles with another friend that same night. That convention memory is particularly special to me because that was the first time I had the chance to meet Dylan Williams, the late founder of Sparkplug Comic Books. It was at the convention when he actually bought copies of my first comic zine from me to distribute through Sparkplug and as a total newbie, I was so blown away by the possibility that complete strangers would really take a genuine interest in reading my comics. I feel so fortunate to have met him at that time and one more time before his unfortunate passing in 2011.

CBT – Things can be a bit difficult getting into the comic business. What encourages you to continue?

Yumi – I honestly don’t think much about the difficulty of getting into the comic business. Not because I naively think it won’t be difficult for me or anything like that, more so because I’m much more preoccupied on a narcissistic, mundane level with the daily difficulty of motivating myself every single day to find the time and the inspiration to move forward with my comic projects, regardless of busyness or creative blocks.

What keeps me going? Fan mail from an eleven-year-old girl. Complete strangers from countries I’ve never visited ordering my zines online. Seeing my self-published comics on display in my favorite independent bookstores. Kind messages from strangers. The painstakingly slow progress I make as an artist with every new project I finish. Being held accountable to my inner eleven-year-old who always dreamed of becoming a cartoonist.

CBT – Have you done work for other publishers?

Yumi – I’m actually working on something with another comic publisher. I can’t disclose too much information for the moment and more details will be revealed later in 2013. Stay tuned!

CBT – What do you enjoy most about doing comics?

Yumi – I think comics is the best creative medium for me to fully and honestly express myself as an artist and as a human being. Growing up, I was always torn between wanting to become a writer and wanting to become an artist; thankfully with comics, you can do both things at the same time.

CBT – With the year of rebirths and reboots, do you feel it contributes well to the comic business or takes the interest away from longtime readers?

Yumi – I’m the worst person to ask this question. I haven’t actually read any rebirth or reboot comic storylines.

CBT – Who is your favorite comic book artist? Favorite title or series that features his/her art?

Yumi – What a difficult question! I have many favorite comic book artists that changes with what I am interested in at the moment, but I always find myself revisiting again and again “Skim” illustrated by Jillian Tamaki and written by Mariko Tamaki. Coming-of-age stories with interesting female teenage protagonists are my personal catnip.

CBT – What comic book character would you find easy to relate to?

Yumi – This is a Japanese manga character, but I can relate too well with Maruko from the shoujo manga series “Chibi Maruko-Chan.” She’s lazy and disorganized, and prone to retreating to her own imaginary world a lot, just like me. (I can’t relate, however, to her immense dislike of nattou)

As for an American comic book character, this may be an extreme cliche answer but I think Charlie Brown and I would have had a lot of great coffee hang-outs. I was a pretty melancholy kid prone to over-nostalgizing my own childhood experiences in my head as they were happening in real time.

CBT – What would you consider your greatest piece to date?

Yumi – I don’t know if this would be my greatest, but I will always have a huge fondness for my first self-published comic story “Milk and Moo.” There is a wonderful magic that comes out of having no idea what you’re doing but somehow getting it done anyway.

CBT – For those who want to have a start in illustration, what advice would you share with them?

Yumi – Give the world as many opportunities as possible to see your artwork. Have a regularly updated art blog. Show your work at shows. Exhibit at conventions. Meet other artists. Make friends with artists whose skills and work ethic intimidate the shit out of you. Being an artist can be a lonely business, so find a community of artists you can join or make your own community. Find excuses to get your illustration out there, whether it’s volunteering to illustrate for a someone’s music event flyer or challenging yourself to publishing a weekly web comic with a friend.

In the beginning, all of this may seem like shooting darts in the dark. It is all worth it for the momentum that you create for yourself that will carry you over to your next great opportunity.

CBT – Thank you very much! Is there anything you’d like for us to be on the lookout for?

Yumi – Since so many people have asked about this, I will be releasing a limited artist booklet print of my emo-comic “I Think I Am In Friend-Love with You” sometime this month (January). If you are looking for the perfect not-so-subtle gift to give to your friend-crush for Valentine’s Day, this is it.

>Click Images for Bigger Versions<

Check out the sites below to see more of Yumi’s work and updates on her projects!

Bigcartel: yumisakugawa

Facebook: www.facebook.com/yumiverse

Flickr: yumisakugawa

Twitter: @yumisakugawa

Tumblr sketch blog: acrosstheyumiverse

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Hey writers and artists!! As the continuing interest in independent works grows, we want to reach out to the indie community and highlight those who dedicate their time and effort to a passion for their work. Tell us YOUR story! If you know someone that you would like to be featured in this section let us know!

To be featured in Indie Spotlight, please complete the following steps:

Contact us at: dezdewberry@comicbooktherapy.com (Please put “Indie Spotlight” in the subject line)
Provide a short bio and 5-10 pictures if you’re an artist
Sit down, relax and get ready to be contacted back!

Muy Mareado!, Indie Spotlight: Yumi Sakugawa

Brad Bird Shows Off An Amazing Unused Incredibles Poster

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 03:25:26 +0000

Brad Bird, the Academy Award-winning director, screenwriter, animator, and producer, made one of the best superhero movies of all time with The Incredibles. Fans have been begging for a sequel since the films initial release to no avail. While no sequel is in sight, the director did show off an unused poster by Robert McGinnis. The poster was painted by McGinnis known for his James Bond posters among other works. We can all look at this poster and think about what could have been.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Brad Bird Shows Off An Amazing Unused Incredibles Poster

IDW Seems To Hint At Klingon Involvement In Star Trek Into Darkness

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 02:49:50 +0000

Star Trek fans have been hoping for Klingons to appear on film for a while. JJ Abrams had the Klingons appear in his first film, but it was in a deleted scene from the 2009 reboot. More recently the alien race were teased in a skit featuring the director for the MTV Movie Awards last year. Star Trek Into Darkness is still shrouded in mystery, but many reports, rumors, and quick shots in the trailers have been circulating saying the sequel will indeed mark the Klingons return.

IDW is releasing a comic book prequel for Star Trek Into Darkness, called Countdown to Darkness, written by Mike Johnson with a story by Roberto Orci. It is an official prequel comic to the movie and works to bridge the gap between the first film and the second. The cover to #4, the final in the miniseries, shows a Klingon warrior with the much debated helmet. The comic comes out in April and the film in May. Could it be setting the Klingons up for a big role for Into Darkness? Time will tell. What do you think?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, IDW Seems To Hint At Klingon Involvement In Star Trek Into Darkness

Scott Snyder Teases Death Of The Family Conclusion: Plus Preview Pages

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 01:25:31 +0000

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo brought the high heat with Batman #16 released yesterday. The Joker is reaching the conclusion of his deadly game as he lures Batman into his final trap. Assembling all of Batman’s deadliest rogues together to form the court of the Bat King, Joker is finally ready to give Batman the feast he’s been promising. Batman #17 will bring everything to an end. Scott Snyder has been making the rounds today talking about the sure to be shocking conclusion.

Of course the Batman scribe gave nothing big away, but he did whet fans appetites for the big finale:

I can tell you there are definitely some insane moments in the conclusion and some crazy things happen so, I’ve always been braced for it as something that isn’t designed to just shock for the sake of shocking, but is the culmination of the story in a way that feels organic and surprising. I can’t remember who it was, but I had a teacher that gave me a writing quote when I was a student that said ‘Every ending should be both inevitable and totally surprising,’ and I completely believe that. Hopefully this is an ending that feels organic to the story we’ve been telling, and when you get there you’ll say ‘I can’t believe this just happened,’ and at the same time, you’ll feel that it’s a cumulative, horrible thing out of everything that’s been going on.

It’s hard to imagine with a title like Death of the Family that everyone is going to make it out in one piece. While the story won’t conclude the Batman line, it does have some parallels to Dan Slott’s Spider-Man #700. Snyder recalls joking about the conclusion with his friend Slott:

I was actually joking on the phone with Dan Slott after “Spider-Man” #700. I was telling him how I felt so bad because it sounded like things got crazy for him, and he said, “Wait until you get to ‘Batman’ #17! You’ll have the same.” So honestly, maybe I will go be in a bunker somewhere the day that issue comes out. But I believe in the ending very strongly. I believe in the story beat we’re headed towards.

Two pages of Greg Capullo’s art have also been released to hype up the highly anticipated finale. Issue #16 was an absolute treat. The two page spread featuring the “throne room” was stunning. What do you think will happen in the final pages of Death of the Family?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Scott Snyder Teases Death Of The Family Conclusion: Plus Preview Pages