Thursday, May 3, 2012
Noted
• Charles Vess is one of five finalists in the Best Artist category in Locus Magazine’s Locus Awards. The other nominees are Bob Eggleton, Michael Whelan, Shaun Tan, and John Picacio.
• With the settlement of the lawsuit with Neil Gaiman, Todd McFarlane Productions has emerged from bankruptcy. The $1.1 million paid in the past quarter year to Gaiman and his lawyers — any proceeds will be donated, according to Gaiman — aren’t the only suit that forced the company into Chapter 11 in late 2004. The lawsuit brought against McFarlane by former NHL player Tony Twist for usage of his name in Spawn, was settled in 2007 for $5 million after Twist initially sought $15 million.
• It’s now just two days until Free Comic Book Day. Are your plans finalized?
Yesterday’s Panel Quiz Answer
The first words said in comics by Lightning Boy (later Lightning Lad) were, “Hello there, Superboy!” He said them in Adventure Comics #247 (Apr 58).
Today’s Panel Quiz
Whose first lines in comics were, “What a character Flash was – battling crime and injustice everywhere! And what a unique weapon he had against the arsenal of crime! Speed! Supersonic speed! Undreamed-of speed!”?
Born Today
John Cullen Murphy (1919), comics artist
Mell Lazarus (1927), comics artist
Denny O’Neil (1939), comics writer
Bill Sienkiewicz (1958), comics writer and artist
Chris Ulm (1963), comics editor
Harrison Fong (1964), comics artist
Adam Hughes (1967), comics artist
Birthdays 2 Weeks from Now
Steve Geiger, comics artist
Gary Leach, comics artist and publisher
Dave Sim (1956), comics writer and artist (Cerebus creator)
Chris Ecker (1958), comics writer
(Dr.) Malcolm Bourne (1962), comics writer
Pete Fitzgerald (1968), comics artist
Today’s Flashbacks
85 yrs May 3, 1927 Novelist and cartoonist Mell Lazarus is born. He is best known for his creations Miss Peach and Momma.
10 yrs May 3, 2002 Artist Tom Sutton dies of a heart attack at age 65. He drew for Warren (including the first Vampirella story), Charlton, First, DC, and Marvel.
Every Wed. and Sat. California: City of Industry. Comic Book & Collectible Show.
May 4-6 Missouri: Columbia. DoDeca-Con.
May 5 Everywhere. Free Comic Book Day.
May 6 California: Los Angeles. Comic Book & Science Fiction Conv.
May 6 Illinois: Chicago. Toys, Comics & Statues Convention.
Question of the Week
What would you like to see in Today’s Comics Guide?
Comics-Related Media
• The Big Bang Theory is new at 8 p.m. E.T. on CBS with “The Launch Acceleration.”
• At 4 p.m E.T., Turner Classic Movies has The Mighty McGurk (1946). Do you suppose that’s where DC writers came up with the name of Mr. Mxyztplk’s buddy? (Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, as Mxyztplk’s search for his missing pal came with the fifth-dimensional imp’s first appearance in Superman #30 in September 1944.)
The Magazine
