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, we have an exclusive preview of Humanoids’ all-ages book “Bigby Bear,” due out in stores tomorrow.
– Marvel announced their Gold Free Comic Book Day 2019 offering will be an “Avengers” special, consisting of two stories. The first, written by Jason Aaron and illustrated by Stefano Caselli, will set up events in Aaron’s main title, while the second by Gerry Duggan and Mike Deodato will introduce “one of the most unique, dynamic, and deadly versions of the Avengers ever – stay tuned to learn more!” This year’s Free Comic Book Day will fall on May 4.
– Marvel also revealed writer Benjamin Percy and artist Juan Ferreyra will create the Moon Knight story announced for April’s “Marvel Comics Presents” #4. The latest issue of the anthology title, due out April 24, was solicited two weeks ago but without any mention of the creative team. Percy and Ferreyra previously collaborated on DC’s “Green Arrow.”
– Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse topped Saturday’s Annie Awards, honoring the year’s best animation, with seven wins, including Best Animated Feature Film. Netflix’s adaptation of Luke Pearson’s Hilda won three awards, including Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Children, while BoJack Horseman won two Annies for Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production, and Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production (for Will Arnett). Big Hero 6: The Series and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles also respectively won one Annie each. You can read the full list of winners here.
– Alita: Battle Angel (due out February 14), Captain Marvel (March 8), and Avengers: Endgame (April 26) all received TV spots during the Super Bowl LIII. Disney have also released stylish posters for all their 2019 releases, including the latter two comic book movies, to mark Chinese New Year.
– Speaking of Alita: Battle Angel, Passport to Iron City, an escape room experience based on the film, will be held open in Los Angeles, New York City, and Austin, Texas, until March 3. The attraction will allow visitors to explore the film’s titular setting. Details and tickets are available at AlitaExperience.com.
– A federal judge has denied AMC’s request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by comic book writer Mel Smith. Last July, Smith alleged that the second season of Fear the Walking Dead was plagiarized from his series “Dead Ahead,” which shared the premise of survivors fleeing a zombie apocalypse through the Pacific Ocean by boat. The case remains ongoing.
– “Dog Man” creator Dav Pilkey has signed a deal with licensing agent MerryMakers, who will in turn sign licensees to produce games, figurines, clothing, accessories and bags based on the character. The first range of “Dog Man” products are expected to launch in the fall of 2019. The “Dog Man” graphic novels, published by Scholastic Graphix, have regularly topped The New York Times bestseller list, and an off-Broadway musical is set to debut this summer.
– Author and illustrator Mira Jacobs’s upcoming graphic memoir “Good Talk” is being developed into a half-hour comedy series by Peter Berg and Michael Lombardo’s production company Film 44. Jacobs will write the adaptation, and Fresh Off the Boat author Eddie Huang is attached as executive producer. “Good Talk,” which will be published on March 26 by Penguin Random House imprint One World, follows Jacobs as she answers difficult questions from her six-year-old son Zakir – questions like whether “the new president hates brown boys like him.”
– Comic book artist Ben Matsuya (Action Lab’s “Jupiter Jet”) has created five comic strips based on some of 2018’s most critically acclaimed films: Black Panther, The Favourite, First Reformed, Eighth Grade, and You Were Never Really Here. Matsuya also gave the same treatment for five of 2017’s most acclaimed films last year: you can order prints of his work here.
– Finally, before the weekend, we asked which musician makes the best comics? It was a landslide for Gerard Way, who won 85.5 percent of the vote, while former “Moon Knight” writer Max Bemis came in second place with 7.3 percent. Claudio Sanchez, will.i.am, Jane Wiedlin and Lights all tied for third place with one vote each.
