Pixar Animation Studios has always had a keen eye for finding truly unique and individualistic artistic talents to create visually stunning ways to drive their stories forward. In the highly stylized opening title sequence for their fourth film, Monsters Inc., the notable influence of 1950’s animation began to appear. Of the many talented artists working at the studio, four names are most commonly associated with pushing this distinctive look forward: Lou Romano, Don Shank, Nate Wragg and, last but certainly not least, Scott...

For those of us living in the L.A. area there is a sensational art/signing event at Gallery Nucleus this Saturday evening, August 28th, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Firstly, the brilliant illustrator William Stout will be on hand to sign copies of his new fantasy art collection Hallucinations as well as his 2011 Zombies wall calendar (for more on his work that has shown at Gallery Nucleus see here and here.) Stout is a living legend having worked on comic books, album covers, as a production designer on films like Conan and Pan’s...

A small town with something weird happening, in this case everybody in the town is disappearing. Not the most original way to start a story, but when it’s the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense you know it’s going to be interesting. B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: New World is a new series from Mike Mignola that continues where King of Fear left off. There’s a lot of stuff going on in this issue that makes it a tough read, but I have high hopes that it will pay off. Dr. Kate Corrigan is the current field director...

Along with Hellboy: The Storm #2 (which was phenomenal), Mike Mignola also has another comic on the stands this week, and it goes by the name of Baltimore: The Plague Ships #1. Along with fellow writer Christopher Golden and artist Ben Stenbeck, Mignola and co’ give us the first issue of a 5 issue mini series focusing around the character Lord Baltimore. I am aware that Mignola and Golden have worked together before on an illustrated novel about this very character, though I must admit I’ve never read it. Truth be...

Last weekend at San Diego Comic Con 2010 we got a chance to talk to Multiple Eisner Award winners Fábio Moon and Gabriel Ba. You’ll know their work from such books as ‘Casanova’ and ‘Umbrella Academy’, also their latest comic Daytripper, which has been talked about on a lot of the our POW podcasts and has even been our pick of the week. We got the chance to talk to Fábio Moon and Gabriel Ba about the future of Casanova and Umbrella Academy, and to ask how Daytripper will end. So join us as we...

We love Rick Remender here at Comic Impact, and we made his comic Punisher #12 our ‘Pick Of The Week’, and that series is also one of the top books we talk about on our weekly podcast. But this past weekend we got a chance to talk to him at San Diego Comic Con’ about a few projects that will be coming out very soon. Projects such as the all new ‘Uncanny X-Force’ and Rick’s baby ‘Fear Agent’. If you have not read Fear Agent before, then I guess this is the best time to read it as...

In last week’s installment of Sequential Sunday we took a look at the work of the great Al Williamson who passed away on June 12. As an addendum to that article I’d like to give some suggestions to those who’d like to explore the work of this comic art master via some of the books currently in print as well as those that are soon to be released. Al Williamson’s Flash Gordon: A Lifelong Vision of the Heroic by Mark Schultz (Flesk Publications) One of Williamson’s greatest influences was Flash Gordon,...

In a career that spanned more than five decades, Al Williamson (1931-2010) earned a reputation for being a genre-defining science fiction artist, constant encourager of up and coming comics artists, and an all around wonderful human being who enriched the lives  of others through his loyalty and friendship. Since his recent passing after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, there have been many warm tributes written of the man and his outstanding work. To get a better understanding of how one person can affect so many...

On Wednesday June 9th, Dark Horse Comics will be releasing Predators #1 (of 4). This series is being published in support of the upcoming film; ‘Predators‘, directed by Nimrod Antal. I am excited for the film as it has my favourite actor of all time in it, Adrien Brody. Therefore, in celebration of the film’s release later this year, I know I’m not going to miss out on this 4 issue limited series by Dark Horse. Predators #1 is written by Mark Andreyko and David Lapham, with artwork by Guileherme Baldi...

I love the universe that Mike Mignola created to play host to the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence (B.P.R.D), and Hellboy. I love it so, because the stories which it unfolds are mostly based on historical truths (such as WWII, The Nazis and various other figures and events of historic significance), but with a paranormal twist. The paranormal twists it gives them though, are done in an entirely believable way. This may sound odd, but they are indeed believable stories. Why are they so appealing though? We crave to learn...

Dark Horse Comics had a special release this past week, with their ‘Hellboy In Mexico’ one shot. Dark Horse don’t put out Hellboy one shots all that often, if anything I’d say they put them out every 2 months at least, so whenever one gets published, I see it as a little gem that is there for the taking. I am personally a huge fan of quite literally everything to do with Hellboy and the BPRD universe created by Mike Mignola. As the proud owner of every Hellboy trade to date, I feel if anything, that it...

At the retailer’s summit occurring in Chicago before C2E2 last weekend, Diamond Comics, distributor of weekly comic book issues, floated the idea of moving the release day for comic books to Tuesday, with the comic book retailers paying 5 dollars a week more. They put the idea to a show of hands vote to the retailers in the audience, and Tuesday releases narrowly won out. Now it sounds as if this is all speculation and discussion amongst Diamond. Why do they want to make comics come out on Tuesdays? Because of Hollywood....

It is always exhilarating to discover an artist whose output is such a visceral rush that viewing their work is like going from 0 to 60 in two seconds. This is just the rush I felt recently when, in my favorite comic shop, I opened Mesmo Delivery to a random page and this is (not kidding) the first image I see: Now, that single image above is a perfect indicator as to whether or not one will buy the book and love it, or just put it down and try to forget they ever saw it. As for me, my mind was already made up: this one’s...

Goon’s been running strong since 1999, but it may have gone under your radar.  This bi monthly series has everything a growing boy needs, zombies, crime syndicates, foxy dames, noir language and cartoony violence.  If you’ve never bothered to pick this series up in its ten year run, the Chinatown Hardcover is a great place to start. Chinatown tells the story of Goon’s lackluster love life and how he came to be the tragic hero we see in the current pulp run.  The story is divided, half taking place in the...

Now that 2010 is in full swing I’d like to wish all of our Comic Impact readers all the best in the new year and charge right back into my Best of 2009 list. Up, up and away we go…. Criminal The Deluxe Edition by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips and Val Staples (Marvel/Icon) It comes as no surprise that Ed Brubaker can write a great crime comic. What does come as a surprise is that any wirier, even one as talented as Brubaker, can take the crime/noir genre and make it feel so fresh and invigorating that it’s almost...

I initially thought the task of compiling a list of the best in comics and related art books released in 2009 would be relatively easy. Boy was I wrong. We saw a wealth of amazing output from the indie press, mainstream publishers and collected works of illustrative artists of the past and present. 2009 has been a fantastic year overall for sequential art, the best of the last several, with my only real problem being finding the time (and money) to take them all in. So without further ado here is Part I in my two-part series...

When I go to pick up my comics next week on Christmas Eve, I can tell you that out of the reasonably meaty list of comics I’ll be getting, the one I will be most looking forward to reading is a brand new one shot from Dark Horse Comics, called ‘Hellboy: The Bride of Hell’. As a particular fan of Mike Mignola’s fantastic Hellboy Universe, I always look forward to most books published that tell tales from within his universe, be it B.P.R.D, Lobster Johnson or Hellboy himself. The previous Hellboy one shot...

Since writing my last Sequential Sunday entry about the supremely talented artist Mark Schultz, I have been giving much thought to his influences and what the work of those artists have meant to me as well. The name that kept entering my mind the most, one whose work I’ve admired since childhood, is that of Al Williamson. Even though Williamson has had a long and highly esteemed career spanning several decades, the work of his that invariably jumps to my mind is the one that I was exposed to first - his comic book movie adaptations,...

Many of the best creative endeavors are bound to be short lived. An artist will usually know when he’s said all he has to say before running the risk of going stale or to simply move on to the next phase of his artistic career. This certainly happens in the world of comics and seems to now apply to the brilliant strip The Perry Bible Fellowship by Nicholas Gurewitch. Describing The Perry Bible Fellowship (which premiered in 2001 and is named after an actual church in Maine) to someone who has not seen it is near impossible...

Dylan Dog is kind of like a cross between movie Constantine and Hellblazer Constantine, with a little bit of Marx Brothers thrown in to spice things up. It’s quirky, at times horrifying and the artwork will confuse and amaze you. The Cover for Dylan Dog Case Files The first thing that stood out to me about the book was the size of it. A mammoth 680 pages of comics! Mike Mignola’s cover art (and inserts!!!!) drew me in, and the quick witted dialogue sold me on the whole idea. To be honest, it didn’t hurt that...

The undisputed master of the Japanese horror manga genre is Kazuo Umezu. Born in 1936, Umezu is part of the generation of artists and writers who grew up in the wake of the devastating atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki followed by the humiliating defeat of Japan in WWII. The generational shell-shock of these events undeniably shaped the future of their work and served as the starting point for what is now the massive Japanese pop culture landscape. Although he had started producing manga while still in high school,...

With Halloween right around the corner and all the spooky connotations that come with it hanging in the air it seemed like a good time to scour the shelves of my favorite comic book store for some seasonally appropriate material. The store in question is Comics Factory in Pasadena, CA where, if you’re an indie reader like me, you’re in luck as their selection of independents is so wide it almost rivals all the stock of the Big Two put together. Another huge plus for my ghoulish spree is that there seems to be more horror...

Umbrella Academy I’m a big fan of the small series. Things that have an established beginning, middle, and end. I like stories like this because they free me of investing in arbitrary volumes dedicated to super heroes fighting struggles I sometimes don’t care about.  I either like it or I don’t. Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba’s Umbrella Academy is one of those comics that sits on the shelf, in my store’s case it’s the bottom shelf, and waits for you to notice it. Once you do, I think we can both agree that it’s...

Putting aside the fact that the comics themselves featured many of the same classic characters we’ve known all our lives, the often-forgettable releases from Marvel in the 1990’s bares little resemblance to the company’s output today. When you factor in the abolishment of the Epic line, bad business practices leading to a glut of material (over 100 titles at one point), and their top name creators jumping ship to launch the instantly successful Image, you get a titan of the industry not exactly in the midst of a new...

One of the features we do here at Comic Impact is the cosplay girl (NO anime, manga, role-playing games just comics) of the month, that’s  right hot girls dressing up like your favorite super- hero characters. This month we’re privileged to have Elizabeth-Amber Love as our Cosplay Girl of the Month! Find out  more about Elizabeth-Amber Love and her love for fashion when it comes to the world of costuming. 1.   What is your name ? Elizabeth-Amber Love 2.    How old are you ? 37 and counting 3. Do you read comics and...

Existential dread and despair are feelings that are not easily communicated to a reader via text or imagery. That uneasy, creeping sense of malaise that accompanies being emotionally numb in a seemingly unending urban landscape of concrete and refuse is hard to nail down recognizably without seeming overdone or heavy-handed. However, one comics artist that understands these feelings and the environment that conjures them is Mark Beyer, and his favored method of expression are through his two key characters, the queasily comical...

Part 2 of 2: The Best of The Rest Well whew made it through that Marvel report in part 1 now it is onto everything else that wasn’t Twilight and actually had something to do with Comics. Starting out we will hit Icon’s (Marvel ’s imprint comic) big movie KICK ASS! If you read Simon’s report and saw pretty much what every one else did at the con if not what the hell are you wating for!!! Go read that and I will wait for you to come back ohh and before you go check out the awesome poster they were giving...

I really have no good, justifiable reason why I’ve never attended Comic-Con until this year. Growing up in the mid-west certainly makes the commute difficult, but now that I’ve lived on the west coast for 11 years (and the last 6 of those years in Southern California) it really makes no sense why I’ve waited until now to go. However, all that changed this year and I can now safely say I will never miss one again. What follows is a rundown of just a few of the notable people, places and things at the massive sensory overload...

If you have been reading Comic Impact for sometime now, you know we have a Tattoo of the Month feature that is posted on the 10th of every month. Are you a fan of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy? well so is the owner of our selected tat, Daniel! Read on to find out what made him want to get a Hellboy tattoo and what his aunt said when she first saw his new work of art… 1. What is your name? My Name is Daniel Sebastian Villela. 2. How old are you and where do you live? Im 27 years old. I live in New York City. 3. Do you read...

So I was asked to cover this story because I’m the CI staff member who loves horror films… and also because Sheldon has to keep his eyes close when he watches Buffy, and Andy can’t stand Metalocalypse. Maybe because I saw all the Friday the 13th and Hellraiser films over 100 times in my life (that’s not a joke) is the reason why I love horror films. Anyway, it looks like Eric Powell and the creators of Adult Swim’s Metalocalypse TV show are making a crossover that will kick you right in the nuts. I...

Universal Pictures is planning to make Umbrella Academy the first project to come out of its three-year production pact with Dark Horse Comics Mark Bomback who worked on Disney’s film Race to Witch Mountain will be working on this film and  has been hired to write the film. For sometime I have been saying that I have been loving this series of books. We did not get the chance do are Q and A with Gerard Way this past weekend since he was busy with a project. “Umbrella Academy” which premiered in 2007 on Free...

Remember back in the late 1980’s when Dark Horse came along and put out books that not just comic fanboys would enjoy such as Predator, The Terminator and Aliens. The franchise Aliens comics where some of the top books in the industry.  they took over the market for a bit .The Aliens franchise also had some big name working on the  such as Mike Mignola, Peter Milligan and Simon Bisley. Then a few years back Dark Horse put  out these  very cool Aliens Omnibus (I have Aliens vs. Predator Omnibus, Vol. 1 and it still a...

Do you enjoy Gerard Way ’s The Umbrella Academy ? Or do you love it?!! Well then what are you doing next  Saturday ? Because Gerard Way, will be doing a signing on April 4th at the Things from Another World store in Universal City walk! TFAW Universal Citywalk, CA 1000 Universal Center Drive Citywalk #179 (818) 622-8464 Stay tuned to Comic Impact as we have more on this event . I know my self and Sheldon will be down there. Who knows we might be working on a special guest for you the Comic Impact readers Simon Daoudi Simon@comicimpact.com

She is a professional illustrator,cartoonist and comic artist .Her love of cartooning and comics has led her to where she is today. Katie has done licensed and comic work for DC, Marvel, Star Wars, Heroes, Lord of the Rings, She was also in myspace dark horse presents anthology vol. 1. 8 page story “tricks of the trade and more. She is the total fan girl and she is this month Artist Spotlight she is the one and only Katie Cook. Currently working on the new Star Wars the Clone Wars webcomic for starwars.com She will be...

I know is a day late I am sorry about that here is my pull list for the last week of February.Here is what I most excited to read  this week. Green Lantern #38, New Avengers # 50, Savage Dragon #145,Umbrella Academy Dallas #4 (OF 6),War Machine #3.What will make the pick of the week for next week I guess you will just have to wait for the next  episode of POW to find out. Simon Daoudi Simon@comicimpact.com

This week was hard to find a Pick of the week because of the great stuff that came  out but at the  end of the day how can you not  go with a book that has a line “Eat their #%&@ing ovaries ! ” SHOW NOTES Running time: 0:09:45 0:00:01  Intro with Comic girl 0:00:11  Welcome message 0:02:32  PICK OF THE WEEK -Buffy the Vampire Series #22 0:09:30 Outgoing message with Comic girl. Simon Daoudi Simon@comicimpact.com DOWNLOAD EPISODE (Right-click and choose “Save As…” and save locally) HOW TO SUBSCRIBE...

Ok with two books that I can’t wait to read that are not weekly (Scott Pilgrim vol.5 and Mini Marvels: Secret Invasion) New comics will be hitting your stores on Wednesday February 04th Here are the top five that I (Simon) am the most excited to read. Adventure Comics, Amazing Spider-Man, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Deadpool , Invincible Iron Man What is on your pull list ? Simon Daoudi Simon@comicimpact.com

With the last issue of Final Crisis coming out and twelve other  books on my pull list here is what I am waiting to get my hands on this week at my comic book store. Astounding Wolf-Man #12,Fantastic Four #563,Final Crisis #7 (OF 7), New Avengers #49,,Umbrella Academy Dallas #3 (OF 6) What is on your pull list for this week ? Simon Daoudi Simon@comicimpact.com

Are you a fan of The Umbrella Academy  ??? If so you can win a ONE OF A KIND character sketch of Spaceboy autographed by Gerard Way .Please note this not a print this a hand drawn by Way him self and also a copy of the limited edition Apocalypse Suite book check out this EBay auction for more info. This is going to a great cause. I am not one to blog about stuff like this but when people help out with  cancer I don’t mind to post a blog .Since my self I had cancer two times in my life and I lost my mom to cancer.  All proceeds...

So it is that time of the week where I talk about the five books that I am the most excited to read. Also I am happy that my pull list is not that bad this week only 7 comics. Here is what I most excited to read  this week. Amazing Spider-Man # 582 ,Buffy The Vampire Slayer #21 , Cable #10,Invincible Iron Man #9,Punisher #1, What will make the pick of the week for next week I guess you will just have to wait for the episode of POW. Simon Daoudi Simon@comicimpact.com

One of the big hits in the world of comics in 2008 was Gerard Way ’s The Umbrella Academy. At first I told my self this is going to suck. I enjoy his music (My Chemical Romance) a lot but what does this guy know about comics.  I love Gabriel Bá’s artwork. Yet I did not feel like reading this book. Later on I talk to people and they told me it was great. When the trade came out I got my self a copy. I told my self-let’s see what this is all about. I remember the day. I went to get some lunch at Jack in the...