Welcome back to The Rundown, our daily breakdown on comic news stories we missed from the previous day. Have a link to share? Email our team at rundown@multiversitycomics.com.
In case you missed it, Marvel have announced “Judgment Day,” while AfterShock Comics have announced “Dogs of London.” We also shared the first issue of Mark Millar and Stuart Immonen’s “The Magic Order 2,” available to read for free.
– Marvel have launched “Mighty Marvel Holiday Special – Year of the Wong.” Written by Amy Chu with art by E.J. Su, and colors by Antonio Fabela, this Infinity Comics exclusive sees Wong protect New York during Lunar New Year. Marvel writes, “With a mythological Nian on the loose, Chinatown is threatened, and the party may end early. But Wong, Doctor Strange, and members of the community step in to make sure that the Year of the Tiger starts off on the right note!” “Mighty Marvel Holiday Special – Year of the Wong” is available now on Marvel Unlimited.
– In celebration of Black History Month, DC have made several announcements. DC have announced a slew of variant covers from creators of color. Along with teasing the announcement of the inaugural class for the Milestone Talent Development Program, created to identify, develop and mentor aspiring comic book professionals of color, DC announced several books would feature variant covers by digital artist and illustrator Alexis Franklin. These books include “Green Lantern’ #11, “I Am Batman” #6, “Nubia and the Amazons” #5, “The Flash” #779, “Action Comics” #1040 and “Aquamen” #1. To see more, including some new art from Alitha Martinez and Emilio Lopez, head on over to DC Comics.
– Image have announced the lineup for Skybound Xpo: Creatorfest. The upcoming daylong Skybound virtual event celebrates and spotlights diverse creators across industries, from audio to animation. Some of the programming includes a look at Impact Winter, Skybound’s upcoming post-apocalyptic vampire thriller with Audible. There will also be a Black Cinema edition of Movie Trivia Schmoedown, as well as a brand-new installment of ATTACK! with Attack Peter, and a new episode of Comics Vault Live with Shawn Kirkman. Fans will also get a look at the state of Skybound’s animation. Skybound Xpo: Creatorfest is set to take place February 18, 2022 at 10 am PT. You can stream the event on Skybound’s YouTube channel.
– GeeksOUT announced the return of Flame Con as an in-person event. The convention is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, August 20-21 at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. Flame Con moved online in August 2020 as a result of the pandemic, and remained virtual as New York City began partially opening. Tickets for Flame Con are now available via Eventbrite, with full weekend and single day passes for sale. Flame Con will be free for all youth ages 21 and younger on Sunday, August 21.
– Yesterday, Diamond Comics distributors celebrated 40 years of service. President and CEO Steve Geppi said, “I am deeply grateful for the commitment to excellence and the dedication my teams bring to what they do every day. The fact that we are marking Diamond’s 40th anniversary today is a tribute to their hard work and gives us all reason to celebrate!” Diamond is marking a few other key milestones this year including the 400th issue of PREVIEWS. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of Diamond’s dedicated customer service team, and 20 years of Diamond’s consolidated inventory and shipping hub located in and around Olive Branch, MS. To read more head on over to Diamond.
– Via The Hollywood Reporter, Prentice Penny (Uncorked), LeBron James’s SpringHill and Universal are teaming up to adapt Jerry Craft’s graphic novel “New Kid” to the big screen. “New Kid” follows Jordan Banks, one of the few kids of color in a prestigious private school. Penny will direct the adaptation from a script by Eli Wilson Pelton, who worked with Penny on the HBO show Insecure. “New Kid” has garnered some attention as it has been banned in several school libraries across the country, as part of the recent spate of book bannings by conservatives targeting anti-racist and LGBTQ content; NBC News ran a report on the situation in Texas yesterday, which has affected children and teenagers’ access to various acclaimed books, including “New Kid.”
Continued below– Speaking of banned books, WATE-TV reports Nirvana Comics in Knoxville have raised $96,309, after nearly 3,000 people donated to a GoFundMe in response to McMinn County banning Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel “Maus.” Nirvana launched the GoFundMe on Jan. 28 with a goal to raise $20,000 to buy 1,000 copies to give away to local students. Since then, over four times as much money has been raised. Nirvana are also encouraging students to donate their copy of “Maus” to a local library or to another student who wants to read the award-winning book.
– In film/TV news, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu revealed he has written an autobiography, We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Story, which will be published in hardcover by HarperCollins on May 3, 2022. Meanwhile, Deadline reported Rick Cosnett is returning to the role of Eddie Thawne on several episodes of The Flash season eight, and that Absentia co-creator Gaia Violo is now attached to Paramount+’s in-development Starfleet Academy series. The Flash season eight returns Wednesday, March 9, while Starfleet Academy is expected to go into production within the next year.
– Via USA Today, second-grade student Dillon Helbig has gained national attention for a handmade comic book that he left at his hometown library. Helbig’s 81-page book, “The Adventures of Dillon Helbig’s Crismis,” is a Christmas adventure in a red-covered notebook illustrated in color pencils. The library’s branch manager processed his book, cataloging it under graphic novels, and it now has a 55-person wait list. The library also gave Dillon its first Whoodini Award for Best Young Novelist, a category created for him. For more, head on over to USA Today.
– Finally, Variety reports Walking Dead actor Moses J. Moseley has died at the age of 31. Moseley’s body was discovered by authorities in Stockbridge, Ga. last week. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of death. Moseley’s representation at Avery Sisters Entertainment paid tribute in a post on Facebook. AMC also offered a tribute to Moseley, sharing a photo of the actor on Twitter. Our condolences go out to Moseley’s family and friends.
