From: Richard Johnston <[t--i--t] at [ketchup.cts-group.co.uk]> Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.info Subject: Rich's Reviews: The Very Bits Date: Thu, 04 Jan 96 21:33:38 GMT Rich's Revelations for January Happy New Year all! Let's have some news and rumours. Take everything you read below with as much salt as you deem necessary. Some is from magazines, some from trade papers, some from chatting to the creators involved, some from the drunken lips of comic book dealers. Elfquest cancelled? Aaaargh! Well, okay, cancelled for now... The licensed Marvel titles will start in October 1996, giving both Windstorm and Extreme to build up a backlog of work on the titles. Alan Moore was offered the chance to write Avengers/Hulk but declined, and is also staying away from the current Wildstorm crossover. Brendan McCarthy has been approached and asked whether of not he'd like to work on the X-Men film. For the last month or so, the Marvel Comics indicia has changed, so that all the characters are copyright, not Marvel Entertainment, but Marvel Characters. Easier to sell off, I suppose... Titan is starting to collect Preacher as trade paperbacks. Vertigo can't be far behind. Avengers/Justice League may restart now that Liefeld has Avengers control. And remember, he bought all of Perez' pencils for the project. Get ready for Mike Deodato and Stephen Platt on Captain America! Dave Elliot's editorship on Penthouse Comix means that we'll see a lot of Brit artists commissioned by this ex A1/Tundra guy. One Glasweigan artist, after being offered work has received offers from female friends offering to pose. With page rates at 500 pounds to one thousand pounds each, do these artists really need such perks of the job? But since neither Diamond or Palan/Capital are bringing them in, no Brit reader will get to read them. Ditto with Lost Girls from Kitchen Sink. One enterprising Northern comic shop will be smuggling copies, but they will be few and far between. Alan Moore has finished his novel and is, as we speak, finishing From Hell. 1963 Annual will happen, but its in Liefeld's hands and he hasn't found an artist for it. He's probably a bit busy, and may want Warchild finished first. If you're surprised by Hellstrike's Irish accent in WildCATS, the character has been stated as Irish, but not enough people knew. Hell, Warren Ellis was writing a Wildstorm character for 2 months before he found out he was meant to be Australian. Deadline is dead? So why is it still being solicited? Remember Gary Erskine's Usenet posts SNIVEL: THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARY? Well, Snivel: TWAT Gary is now being printed in Tripwire with a rather fetching caricature. The Knockabout plane jumps raised £1500 for their legal case, importing My Troubles With Women, by Crumb. Alan Moore's Twilight: A Proposal ain't happening folks. Talks with DC have stalled. Stalled, as in up shit creek without a hardback Watchmen. And apparently, every DC editor has now heard of me. Well, perhaps I can turn that around into an opportunity (thank you Quark.) However Gary Erskine has said he'll write and draw a four pager for Twist and Shout's Twist anthology for this summer. We'll be taking submissions from others too. Anyone interested? X-Flies Conspiracy has been spotlighted in Previews. Terry Fitzgerald has promised a reply to the allegations made by Lance Guek in the comic, but we have had no response yet. Deadlines approach... which reminds me, Fabian? How is Life Bytes going? 8-) This has been Richard Johnston, investigative reporter signing off. This column may be reprinted as long as my name is attached, and if any magazine would like to sign me up, I'm available! Richard Johnston Advertising copywriter for Buckfield Lord and Co. Creator and Publisher of Dirtbag and X-Flies as Twist and Shout Comics Networks Columnist for Comics International, and writer for Indy.