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.
– Women Write About Comics have reported in length, on a series of allegations made against Action Lab Comics regarding pay and marketing practices. In this case, the piece looks at “Supermom: Expecting Trouble” by Gordon McLean and Caio Oliveira. McLean has been missing since December 17, 2019, when “Supermom: Expecting Trouble” was set to be released. As of now, the missing persons report remains unsolved. According to Stuart Kane, McLean’s friend and owner of two Big Dog Books shops, Action Lab decided that the book didn’t have enough preorders and had shelved it, but never told McLean. The article examines Action Lab’s conduct as publisher and goes over the many allegations against Action Lab by creators who work for the publisher. For example, it’s reported that “Oliveira has not heard from Action Lab nor received payment from them following the successful release of ‘Supermom: Expecting Trouble’ on the digital platform comiXology.” For the full story, head on over to Women Write About Comics.
– This year’s Dragon Con Award winners have been announced. Taking home the award for Best Comic Book is “X-Men” by Jonathan Hickman and Mahmud Asrar, while the award for Best Graphic Novel went to “The Magicians: New Class” by Lev Grossman, Lilah Sturges, and Pius Bak, and the award for Best Sci-Fi or Fantasy Movie went to The Old Guard. You can see a list of all of this year’s Dragon Award winners here.
– Disney+ tweeted out a poster for the new animated feature Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The movie will be available for streaming on December 3, 2021. Based on Jeff Kinney’s book series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid has also been turned into a series of live-action movies. The animated film stars Chris Diamantopoulos, Brady Noon, and Ethan William Childress. It was directed by Swinton O. Scott III.
– Via Empire, Netflix has released a trailer for Hellbound, a new horror series from Train to Busan‘s Yeon Sang-ho, based on his webcomic “Hell” with Choi KyuSuk. The official synopsis reads “In Hellbound, supernatural beings appear out of nowhere to condemn people to hell. It doesn’t matter whether these events are a blessing or a curse: a new religious group is interpreting them all as the will of the divine. What unfolds through this predicament is an intense and highly-charged story about people who must survive under conditions of utter social chaos.” Yeon directed all six episodes. It is unknown when the series will premiere.
– Via Variety, Sony has once again altered the release date for Venom: Let There be Carnage. The film will now release earlier than expected, on October 1, 2021. Sony announced the move shortly after Disney reported higher-than-expected earnings for Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Sony has changed the release date for Venom: Let There be Carnage five times.
– Variety also reports that Michael K. Williams has died at the age of 54. The New York Police Department confirmed that the actor was found dead inside his Brooklyn residence on Monday, at 2 p.m. Williams starred in The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, and Lovecraft Country, and is currently in Emmy contention for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Lovecraft Country. He also appeared in The Night Of, Gone Baby Gone, 12 Years a Slave, When They See Us, and The Incredible Hulk, and originally played Dryden Vos in Solo: A Star Wars Story, before the film was reshot by Ron Howard.
– Via Deadline, Gamechanger Films has partnered with Angry Little Girls, the 27-year-old brand from artist and webcomic creator Lela Lee, with plans to adapt Lee’s cult comic strip of the same name into a television series and a number of holiday movies. Lee’s webcomic previously inspired a 12-episode animated series that aired on Asian American network Mnet in 2015. Gamechanger’s scripted projects will feature numerous characters from diverse backgrounds originally depicted in the comic strip, including Deborah, Maria, Wanda, Xyla, Pat, and Bruce, in addition to protagonist Kim.
– Finally, via USA Today, Howard University has officially renamed its fine arts building after late alumnus and actor Chadwick Boseman. Boseman graduated from Howard in 2000 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Directing. During his time at the university, Boseman and fellow students protested the school’s proposal of closing the college of fine arts and having it be absorbed by the College of Arts and Sciences.
