Behind the Curtain: SDCC 2014

San Diego Comic-Con is a special time for comic and pop culture fans across the board. It's our mecca, our Superbowl. All the biggest announcements usually come out, and it's one of the largest gatherings of "our people" for the year. For a comic news site, it's just as big, but for much different reasons.

Given that San Diego Comic-Con just wrapped (well, over a week ago now), I thought it would be apropos to do a special installment of the column specifically on the work that goes on behind the scenes for the biggest comic convention of the year for Comic Related and Comic Frontline.

Zone 4 #259: Starlight, The Veil & More

Zone 4 returns to Comic Frontline as the guys discuss Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Eric Stephenson's controversial speech, headlines, Starlight #1, The Veil #1, and more.

Behind the Curtain: Keeping Up with the Parkers

Like in any form of journalism - and yes, I realize "journalism" in comics reporting is a misnomer - one of the key aspects of success is keeping up with the latest news. Be it newly announced titles, new creative teams, the next big event or exclusive contract, or what have you. These are the types of things that catch readers' interest, and staying on top of every move made is a monumental task, especially with a staff of three!

Zone 4 #258: Pork-Chops, Heroes & Skype Hates Us

Zone 4 returns to Comic Frontline as the guys discuss con etiquette, which turns into more of a list of don'ts. But before they get to that, there's an update on Denver Comic Con, Heroes returning, Rocket Raccoon's comic series, Big Trouble in Little China, Constantine, Star Wars, True Detective, Farscape, and much, much more!

Behind the Curtain: What it Takes

Before I even get started, allow me to apologize for the absence of this column for the past couple of weeks. I have been very busy with Comic Frontline's official YouTube channel launch, CR, work and personal stuff, and I had about three weeks of ongoing colds and the like. So I'm sorry I did not have a column entry for you all.

With that said, where were we? Ah, yes...

2009 was a banner year for Comic Related. As I said last time, we exploded! We had relaunched the site, launched all kinds of new content, did our best San Diego Comic Con coverage ever, and everything was just so positive.

DC Comics Solicitations for April 2014

Comic Related has DC's April 2014 solicits, click the title of the post to check them out!

Several cancellations and a few new series beginning...

Behind the Curtain: Comic Related Ignites

In 2008, I met a bunch of people and hit the convention circuit for the first time. I mentioned last time that my first ever convention was Wizard World Chicago of that year. The very second was Mid-Ohio-Con later that year, which is now also a Wizard show. At the 2008 show, Scott DM Simmons and I got tables for Wannabez, my comic. It was at that show I first met both John Wilson and Bill Gladman if I'm not mistaken.

Mid-Ohio-Con took place in October that year, the first year it had ever not been on Thanksgiving weekend since its inception. It had new owners, and so it was a new experience all around. For a first showing, we did pretty well. We actually sat beside Alan Davis for a bit (before they moved him - and good thing, because he took ALL our traffic!) and Sean McKeever (who was cool to talk to but totally forgot who I was come 2009! lol).

IDW Solicitations for April 2014

Check out IDW's solicitations for April 2014 over on Comic Related by clicking the title of this post.

See the latest on titles like Star Mage, 24, Transformers (Megatron an Autobot?!), Red Star, Dexter's Laboratory and much more!

Marvel Solicitations for April 2014

Comic Related has Marvel's solicitations for products shipping in April 2014. Check out the end of Superior Spider-Man and the beginning of Amazing Spider-Man, Nightcrawler's return, the All-New Ultimate Universe, Deadpool's wedding, and so much more! 

Click the title of this post to go to the solicits...

Ultimate Marvel NOW! (Ultimate Universe Relaunched)

Announced today, the Ultimate Universe is being reborn once more this April, with three new titles spinning out of the chaos that ensues in Cataclysm. You can read the full story on Comic Related by clicking the title of this post...

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon (New Series)

The Living Weapon is back as Iron Fist gets his own series in April 2014. Check out a first look preview on Comic Related before it even hits the site by clicking the title of this post...

Invincible News Coming

Image has been teasing some big news with Invincible, that will be revealed at tomorrow's Image Expo. Check it out on Comic Related by clicking the title of this post...

Behind the Curtain: Haven & Comic Related

It was 2008, and I had just lost a potential job and a dream. Not the first for either occurrences, but to have it all happen at once, and in the way it did, really took its toll on me. I didn't know what to do or where to go. I had some lettering work, but not enough to sustain myself. And, at the time, I was helping support my mom and brother. Mom had had knee surgery recently, and my brother was still in school.

I began contacting other comic news sites, submitting to them, trying to get a job. You name a popular comic or popular culture news site around at the time, I sent them an inquiry. I got exactly ZERO responses.
At the time, I had been doing some work for Haven Distributors, which used to be Cold Cut Distribution. I have to back up to tell that tale...

Fixing the Black Character Death Problem

One of those bad TV tropes we've seen over and over again is the black guy being the first to die. We've seen this same trope ridiculed and played with in films, with a black character actually referencing that fact in a film. And it's still prevalent. Just look at AMC's The Walking Dead! Don't quote me, but it's possible there have been more black male deaths on that show than zombies!

There are websites dedicated to this TV trope even. There's even a Tumblr page dedicated to it, an IMDB list, and various questions about it on Yahoo Answers.

But, I think I may have found the solution to the problem.

Action Lab March 2014 Solicitations

Action Lab has released their solicitations for products shipping in March 2014, and Comic Related has them! Fracture Vol. 2 comes to an end, the bi-monthly series Bo, Plushy Gangsta returns, and Skyward continues to deliver fantasy goodness.

(click the title of this post to go to the solicitations.

Valiant March 2014 Solicitations

Valiant has released their solicitations for products shipping in March 2014, and Comic Related has them! Find out the latest happenings in UNITY, learn of the ARCHER & ARMSTRONG crossover with BLOODSHOT & the H.A.R.D. CORPS, and more!

(click the title of this post to go to the solicitations)

IDW March 2014 Solicitations at CR

IDW Publishing has released their solicitations for products shipping in March 2014, and Comic Related has them! G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero sees issue #200, Transformers: Regeneration One sees issue #100, Dark Cybertron comes to an end, Rocky & Bullwinkle get a mini, Superman newspaper strips are collected, and much more!

(click the title of this post to go to the solicitations.

Marvel Comics March 2014 Solicitations

Marvel has released their solicitations for products shipping in March 2014, and Comic Related has them! Avengers Undercover carries on from Avengers Arena, Daredevil starts anew, as does Wolverine and the X-Men, Moon Knight and Ghost Rider, among others, and much more.

(click the title of this post to go to the solicitations)

Behind the Curtain: Silver Bullet Comics Part 2

I was happy with a job for the first time in my life. When I was in college, I studied computers because they interested me, but I wasn't sure what aspect. I picked one and ended up hating the profession it led me into. I don't feel like college was a waste, though, because I also gained business degrees and found my love for writing while there. Still, I held crappy jobs that I hated until I started working for Silver Bullet Comics.

Doing comic news, like lettering, was something I fell into. It was in the industry I loved, somehow connected to those comics I always hoped to write or draw as a kid and an adult. So it felt like a foot in the door, but at the same time, I genuinely loved doing it. I loved following the news stories, getting the scoops from publishers and creators, and having access to inside knowledge before the public. It was, for me, kind of what this column is about: looking behind the curtain. Sure, it was from a distance, but I still felt part of the comics industry in whatever small part that might be.

A Gonzogoose Thanks

On this week's Dark Avenger INC Live Show (episode #20), toward the end we were asked to say what we're thankful for. As I went first, I felt the pressure of people needing to leave and kind of rushed through mine. So, I figured - if you'd indulge me - I'd take a minute to say a proper thanks here, if that's okay.