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, Image announced “Inkblot” by Emma Kubert and Rusty Gladd; BOOM! revealed “We Only Find Them When They’re Dead” by Al Ewing and Simone Di Meo; and we interviewed Tony Daniel on his story in tomorrow’s “The Joker 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular” #1.
– Marvel will now be releasing its 2020 Free Comic Book Day this July. Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz, Tom Taylor and Iban Coello’s “Free Comic Book Day 2020: X-Men” will be going on sale July 15, and will set-up both ‘X of Swords’ and an as-of-yet unnanounced ‘X-Men’ event. Next is “Free Comic Book Day 2020: Spider-Man/Venom” by Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, Jed MacKay and Patrick Gleason, which will provide two stories connecting the ongoing series “Venom,” “Black Cat” and “Amazing Spider-Man” on July 22.
– DC Black Label’s “The Last God” is getting another spin-off with the one-shot “The Last God: Songs of Lost Children” #1, by writer Dan Watters (“Lucifer,” “Deep Roots”) and artist Steve Beach (“The Witching Hour,” “The Last God: Tales from the Book of Ages”). The issue follows Queen Cyanthe, and is set between the two time periods of the main series. “An incognito Queen Cyanthe and her handmaiden embark on a journey to the poverty-stricken villages outside Tyrgolad,” reads the DC press release. “When faced with stories of disappearing children and a real-life encounter with a great and ancient monster, Cyanthe realizes that tales of lurking monsters are anything but folklore and must return to her warrior roots to slay this new and ghastly threat.” The issue goes on sale September 22, retailing for US$4.99 with a cover by Kai Carpenter.
– Today Noelle Stevenson (“Nimona,” “Lumberjanes”) and Molly Ostertag (“The Witch Boy,” “Shattered Warrior”) are going to be livestreaming to raise money for the Black Lives Matter campaign and Black LGBT charities. The livestream will be on Twitch at 5pm PST/8pm EST/12am GMT. Those interested can donate here and leave any questions/drawing requests with all profits going to Black Lives Matter, Black Visions Collective, Center for Black Equity and the Martha P. Johnson Institute.
– Indie publisher Short Box are accepting applications for mini-grants this month. Five £100 (US$127) grants will be available to independent cartoonists who e-mail in by June 20th.
– A film adaptation of Ollie Masters (“The Kitchen,” “Sons of Anarchy: Redwood Original”) and Tyler Jenkins’s (“Grass King,” “Black Badge”) “Snow Blind” is currently being shopped around to film studios. The comic follows a teen in Alaska who discovers his parents are in the Witness Protection Program. The film will star Jake Gyllenhaal who will also be producing, and directed by Gustav Möller (The Guilty) in his English-language debut. BOOM! Studios is attached to co-produce and a deal is expected to be made in the near future.
– Black Canary is making the leap to prose this December with Black Canary: Breaking Silence. The novel by Alexandra Monir is set in a dystopic futuristic Gotham City controlled by the Court of Owls, who deny women their rights to work, learn and play music. In the book a teenage Dinah Lance will learn the power of her voice. Black Canary: Breaking Silence will be the fifth book in the DC Icons series following Leigh Bardugo’s Wonder Woman: Warbringer, Marie Lu’s Batman: Nightwalker, Sarah J. Maas’s Catwoman: Soulstealer, and Matt de la Pena’s Superman: Dawnbreaker. The book comes out December 29.
– This October, IDW Publishing will be releasing Pearl Jam: Art of Do The Evolution, a visual guide to Pearl Jam’s hit music video, directed by Todd McFarlane (“Spawn,” “The Amazing Spider-Man”) and animator Kevin Altieri. The 200-page hardcover delves into the history and creation of the video and includes animation cels, storyboards and designs from production. “The history of mankind in as condensed a version as you will ever see. In this book, you’ll see and read about some of the process of how we pulled off such a Herculean task,” said McFarlane. “It’s filled with so many wonderful examples of how dozens of creative people come together to put together what would soon become a Grammy-nominated video.” The book retails for US$39.99.
Continued below– Japan will be imposing stricter manga copyright laws next year, banning ‘leech sites’ and punishing those caught pirating manga, in addition to magazines and academic papers. Penalties for those who repeatedly download illegal materials will receive a maximum two years in jail and/or a fine of up to 2 million yen (~US$18,000). Penalties for those who operate and maintain leech sites will include up to five years in jail, or a maximum fine of 5 million yen (~US$46,000).
– Journalist Shiori Ito, who has become a cornerstone of Japan’s #MeToo movement, sued cartoonist Toshiko Hasumi yesterday for defamation. The 5.5 million yen (US$50,000) lawsuit comes in response to five posts made by Hasumi on her Twitter account between 2017 and 2019. Ito gained respect and recognition after coming forward to detail her experience of sexual assault at the hands of Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a chief of Tokyo Broadcasting System Television Inc. Hasumi’s cartoons allegedly accuse Ito of fabricating her sexual assault. “I kept telling myself that I only have to refrain from looking online but decided to take action because if I don’t, it will continue to spread,” said Ito.
– Lastly, actor Hartley Sawyer, who plays the Elongated Man/Ralph Dibny on The Flash, has been fired from the series after a collection of racist and sexist tweets resurfaced over the last two weeks. “Hartley Sawyer will not be returning for season seven of The Flash,” said executive producer Eric Wallace. “In regards to Mr. Sawyer’s posts on social media, we do not tolerate derogatory remarks that target any race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation. Such remarks are antithetical to our values and polices, which strive and evolve to promote a safe, inclusive and productive environment for our workforce.” Sawyer’s tweets contain references to sexual assault, homophobia and the mistreatment of Black Americans. Those looking for ways to support the Black Lives Matter movement can go here for ways to help.
