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 next week’s “Star Wars” #45.
– Ten Speed Graphic has unveiled its Fall 2024 lineup. September 9 will see Volume 1 of Tri Vuong’s paranormal Webtoon mystery “The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn” get a physical release. On October 1, John “MrBallen” Allen will release “MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious,” a compilation of strange and scary tales, not unlike those from his podcast or the same name. It features art from Andrea Mutti. Then releasing on October 15, from the Eisner-winning “Black Panther Party” team of writer David F. Walker and artist Marcus Kwame Anderson, is “Big Jim and the White Boy,” a radical retelling of Huckleberry Finn centered on the escaped slave from the original novel.
The rest of the season will see more physical Webtoon releases; Wendy Martin’s LGBTQ+ merman romance “Castle Swimmer,” will be available on October 22. “Nothing Special, Vol. 2: Concerning Wings,” the second installment of Katie Cook’s fantasy series, hits October 29. The last release of the season will be “Suitor Armor,” the fantasy romance between a lady-in-waiting and an enchanted suit of armor from Purpah, which is set for a November 12 release.
– Mad Cave Studios unveiled its latest sci-fi series, one that it claims not only explores the depths of space, but also the complexities of the human psyche. “Galaxy of Madness” sees 41st century space archeologist Virgil Virgo search for a “universe-shattering” galactic secret, as she dives into the deep abyss. Magdalene Visaggio writes, with art from Michael Avon Oeming, while Taki Soma and Morgan Martinez handle colors and letters respectively. Issue #1 will be available in print and digitally June 19, 2024.
– Basketball star Stephen Curry is headlining his own middle grade graphic novel. “Sports Superheroes Volume #1: Stephen Curry” will be written by Josh Bycel and Rich Korson, with art from Damion Scott. The book will be released by Penguin Workshop on August 13, in partnership with Curry’s own Unanimous Publishing multimedia company. While Curry leads the first volume, subsequent editions will focus on the lives and history of other giants in the sports world. The book is available for preorder on the Penguin Random House website.
– Chris Mould’s adaptation of H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds will be published by Faber on October 10, 2024. Publisher Leah Thaxton purchased the world rights, acquiring them from Penny Holroyde at Holroyde Cartey. In a statement, she called Mould a “draughtman of our age,” claiming the creator had “taken a story that has fascinated readers for decades and brought even greater immediacy to the diary format. And never have the monsters looked more relevant or terrifyingly beautiful.” The book will be released as a full color hardback.
– Paramount+ series Big Nate has been pulled from the streamer along with several other Nickelodeon shows, including the Rugrats reboot that also premiered on the service. The move came as a surprise, as Nickelodeon’s programming consistently ranks among the most watched on Paramount+. It comes as Paramount are trying to improve profits by emphasizing projects with “mass global appeal” on its service. The animated series, following the adventures of the sixth grade students from the comic strip by Lincoln Peirce, ran for two seasons from 2022 to 2023, and is still available to buy and rent digitally.
– In a Hasbro Pulse stream, the company unveiled their latest Transformers Collaborative figure, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Transformers Party Wallop, which transforms from the iconic TMNT Party Wagon into one of the four Ninja Turtles, depending on which head you attach to it. The 7-inch figure comes with four attachable heads, two ninja swords, two sais, two nunchucks, a bo staff, and rotating belt buckle. It costs $49.99, and will be available for purchase on October 15, 2024 (limit 5 per customer). It marks the first crossover between both series in their 40-year history.
Continued below– Producer David Permut, filmmaker Oscar Boyson, and author/filmmaker Matthew Klickstein are setting out to tell the origin story of San Diego Comic Con. The documentary, titled See You at San Diego, is based on Klickstein’s book of the same name, originally published by Fantagraphics in 2022. It’s set to explore how the title pop culture event grew from a handful of fans to the media giant it is today. It was Klickstein’s second attempt to trace the con’s history, after the six-party audio series for SiriusXM/Stitcher in 2021 tilted Comic-Con Begins.
– Dear White People and Haunted Mansion director Justin Simien, along with writer Christopher Yost, will adapt Vault Comics’s “Heist: Or, How to Steal a Planet” into a major motion picture. The original comic was created by writer Paul Tobin and artist Arjuna Susini, and followed a group of thieves attempting to steal a planet full of the galaxy’s worst criminals (a planet appropriately named “Heist.”) Simien is also in the process of adapting Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s “Geiger” for Paramount.
– Finally, following the cancellation of its Creator Rewards program, Webtoon has introduced a new online tip jar system, where readers can purchase “Super Likes.” These Super Likes can then get used on episodes the purchaser enjoyed. The new Super Like system is the latest attempt to monetize the platform for creators, dolling ad-revenue, purchasable content, and an “international localization program.” Webtoon Canvas creators also receive separate funding. While details are vague on how creators can sign up for the program, Webtoon states that Super Likes will “initially be available to Canvas series that meet eligibility requirements.”
