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, underground cartoonist Ron Cobb passed away aged 83: you can read about his legacy and lasting impact on the worlds of comic strips and films here.
– A new graphic novel from Emily McGovern has been bought by Picador, entitled “Twelve Percent Dread.” McGovern is best known for her webcomic “My Life as a Background Slytherin,” and her first graphic novel from 2019, “Bloodlust and Bonnets.” Her new book is about two women in their twenties, navigating a near future London, with a focus on technology, politics and humor. The synopsis describes the book as a mixture of Broad City and Black Mirror, comparing McGovern’s style to Daniel Clowes, Alison Bechdel and Kate Beaton. Available in 2021, “Twelve Percent Dread” will be releasing through Dark Horse Comics in the US.
– The comic book adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology will be getting exclusive limited edition covers from artist Bill Sienkiewicz. The original book was Gaiman’s retelling of ancient Norse myths, with issue #1 of the comic book version available for release on October 7, or October 30 for the newly announced limited editions. Two hundred copies of Sienkiewicz’s regular edition will be available at $49.99, with another hundred signed copies priced at $59.99, both with an 11”x14” holographic foil litho print of the cover. They are now available to pre-order from Dark Horse Direct.
– IDW Entertainment announced new hires to work toward new animation and live-action productions based on comic books and novels, aimed towards children and young adults. As detailed in the press release on IDW’s site, Jeff Brustrom will be the new Vice President of Kids, Family and Animation, Daniel Kendrick will be Director of Animation, and Erika Turner will be the Senior Editor of Original Content for IDW’s publishing arm. All three have impressive CVs working in entertainment, with the company making the most out of recent successes like Wynonna Earp and the Netflix adaptation of “Locke & Key,” originally an IDW comic book from Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez.
– First Second announced a new book in their Maker Comics series aimed at 9-13 year olds. The line is designed to teach readers about various hobbies or activities, within a story structure. The newly announced “Maker Comics: Survive in the Outdoors!” features two youngsters learning how to make camp, and survive in the wilderness with their grandpa after being stranded. Written and illustrated by Mike Lawrence, “Maker Comics: Survive in the Outdoors!” will be released in June 2021, in softcover for $12.99 and hardcover for $19.99.
– The new teaser for the English dub of Lupin III: The First was released on GKIDS Films’s Twitter account. Based on the “Lupin the Third” manga by Monkey Punch, the movie was originally released in Japan at the end of 2019, and is the latest of a number of TV and big screen adaptations of the Japanese gentleman thief’s adventures. Western audiences are likely to be familiar with the character through Hayao Miyazaki’s directorial debut The Castle of Cagliostro from 1979. The new CGI animated feature was written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, and the English dub will reportedly be released in late 2020.
– The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes head writer Chris Yost celebrated the series’ tenth anniversary by imagining a hypothetical third season on Twitter. Begun in 2010, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes ran for two seasons and 52 episodes on Disney XD, before being replaced by the much more MCU-inspired Avengers Assemble. Yost stated he would’ve introduced Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, the X-Men and Doctor Strange, and that the major villains would’ve been Surtur, Kulan Gath, Chthon, the High Evolutionary, and Dark Phoenix. You can read Yost’s thread, and the unauthorized script for the cold open in the first episode, here.
– Finally, Variety reported that Supergirl will end after six seasons. The show’s fifth season ended earlier this year, with the upcoming final season to air in 2021. Beginning on CBS, the programme moved to the CW after one season, crossing over multiple times with other ‘Arrowverse’ shows on the network, most notably in last year’s ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths.’ Supergirl’s own spin-off show, Superman and Lois, will also be debuting on the network next year, with no word yet on whether Melissa Benoist may continue to appear as the titular character in future crossovers after Supergirl ends.
Benoist herself released a statement, saying, “To say it has been an honor portraying this iconic character would be a massive understatement. Seeing the incredible impact the show has had on young girls around the world has always left me humbled and speechless. She’s had that impact on me, too. She’s taught me strength I didn’t know I had, to find hope in the darkest of places, and that we are stronger when we’re united. What she stands for pushes all of us to be better. She has changed my life for the better, and I’m forever grateful.”
