Modern Mythology

Comic writer, publisher ZEN at the 2012 Long Beach Comic Expo. (Photo courtesy Robert's iPhone)


In the indie comic book "Pink Power," a pair of magic underpants are all that stands between an unsuspecting world and pure evil.

It's OK to laugh, it's a comedy.

Pink's publisher and writer ZEN is all good about keeping the funny in the funny books. When he's not battling discrimination against folks who go by one name, the Long Beach-based creator hits local comic shows to pimp his latest works.

ZEN spoke with us from the expanded artist alley at the 2012 Long Beach Comic Expo on May 12.


MODERN MYTHOLOGY: Tell us about "Pink Power."

ZEN: "Pink Power" is about a teen superhero who finds a pair of magic panties and then an evil secret society sends skateboarding ninjas to get them back.

(Laughs, mostly from me but Zen's probably used to that by now)

MM: Where's it based?

ZEN: It's actually based in Manhattan Beach which is local to here. So, it's like I want a little bit of sense of reality for people who are local. And It's a beach town that kind of represents California in a real nice way for people who don't really know California.

MM: How long have you been publishing comics?

ZEN: 2007. So we've been slowly been building this up over time. Being an independent publisher it takes a little time and effort so we can't put out things every month but you know every year we put out something new.

MM: You also have "Project 17"

ZEN: Yeah, "Project 17" I co-wrote it with a friend. It's about an off-shore oil rig that starts drilling off the coast of Florida and monsters from another world come through the oil. And basically, it's a like a social allegory for the evils of oil and human behavior.

MM: So you're out in print are you going with digital as well?

ZEN: Right now through Graphic-ly we have "Pink Power" for 99 cents. And pretty soon once it gets cued up it'll be available on the iPad and Nook and everything basically.

MM: Is this your first show?

ZEN: No, no this is regular. This is the fifth Long Beach show I've done. I do the one in October and also the one in the spring as well. And last week I was at Free Comic Book Day in Rancho Cucamonga. And a couple weeks I was inland Empire Comic Expo. and WonderCon last month so I try to do everything local that I can.

Learn more about HCMP (High Concept Media Properties) publications at pinkpoweronline.com

Hang on, allow me to channel Dennis Hopper's memorable performance from "Speed."

"Pop quiz, hotshot...

You have a major jones for stories chock-full of monsters, pirates and pistol packin' heroines.

What do you do?"

Well, if you're writer-artist Stephanie Lesniak and love Robinson Crusoe-type stories with a twist, you co-create the comic book "Blazin' Brandy."

The animation designer, who has worked on several Cartoon Network shows, including "Regular Show," was an exhibitor at the Long Beach Comic Expo. Lesniak took a few beats to talk to Modern Mythology about her comics work.


MODERN MYTHOLOGY: Tell us about "Blazin' Brandy"

STEPHANIE LESNIAK: It's basically about a young girl from the 1700s from England who's running away from home and while she's en route to America her ship gets attacked by pirates and so she ends up marooned on the island that's filled with all of these monsters.

LESNIAK: Well then, to makes matters worse, she loses her memory and then lapses into this split personality of this trigger-happy large game hunter.

MM: How did you come up with the concept?

LESNIAK: I was a really big fan of Robinson Crusoe and a lot of the classics that I thought I wanted to kind of my own kind of a spinoff, not a spinoff but kind of a story into that kind of action-adventure but kind of DATED action adventure.

MM: That's cool. How long have you been writing and drawing?

LESNIAK: Drawing and writing my own comic books? Maybe about five years. But I've been drawing since I was really little.

MM: Do you do a lot of shows (conventions)?

LESNIAK: Yeah, I'm based in Pasadena so I usually go to all the shows in Southern California and then the ones that they have up north over in the Bay Area.

MM: How's the show been going for you?

LESNIAK: It's been really good. It's a nice show, it's a nice one-day show and there's a lot of people who turned out for it so it's really cool.

MM: Is "Blazin' Brandy" available digitally?

LESNIAK: Currently, I just have a website but I don't have my comic book available online as an e-read yet.

MM: Any plans on doing that?

LESNIAK: You know, I think eventually I'll probably move into doing it as an e-read but for right now I just like to keep it very traditional with print.

Learn more about "Blazin' Brandy" at the Scrap Pictures website www.scrappictures.com

Creator James O'Barr's avenging anti-hero "The Crow" will be resurrected to comics by IDW this summer, the publisher announced Thursday.

The new series will be in the hands of writer John Shirley and artist Kevin Colden. Shirley served as co-screenwriter on the first "The Crow" film starring the late Brandon Lee. This new 5-issue series, described by Shirley as a "new incarnation of the The Crow for IDW," is set for release in July.

The story focuses on a young exchange student in Japan who takes on the form of the spirit of revenge when "the love of his life is stolen away from him." While the tale starts in familiar territory, this upcoming series doesn't appear to be a retread.

Predictably, there's a few story beats that echo O'Barr's original comic series otherwise it's not "The Crow."  But the publisher hints at something more behind the curtain.

The setup suggests a more insidious set of circumstances behind it all that could steer this vengeance story into unpredictable territory.

Shirley says readers can expect some serious twists along the way. 

"It feels like The Crow is taking me on the journey into some very dark realms," said Shirley in a statement. "All I can do is come along and hope to survive the trip. It helps to have a great talent like Kevin Colden along."

"The Crow" will be available in July; 32 pages in color at $3.99.

Read the full press release after the jump.

Related articles: Interview: 'The Crow' creator talks new special edition and works in progress

With an expanded artist alley and panel programming schedule, the Long Beach Comic Expo is poised for a heroic comeback.

The one-day Comic Expo returns May 12 to the Long Beach Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. showcasing a bevy of exhibitors, creators and local comics retailers.

Among those expected to attend are "I, Vampire" writer Joshua hale Fialkov, DC Comics artist Dustin Nguyen and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" artist Georges Jeanty

For the fans of "Womanthology," a series of volumes to be published by IDW collecting the works of women comics creators across the industry, comics editor Barbara Kesel will moderate a panel at 5 p.m. to discuss the fundraising sensation.

The anthology project raised more than $100,000 on Kickstarter and the latest release, "Womanthology: Heroic" will feature the work of Jody Houser (CupcakePOW!), Kimberly Komatsu (In America's Shadow), Nicole Sixx (Comics in the City) and Jean Kang (Girls Drawin Girls Vol. 4). All of whom are expected to join Kesel on the panel.

Martha Donato, co-organizer of the Comic Expo, said the panel discussing the origin of the anthology project was suggested by Kesel and would be a strong addition to Comic Expo programming.

"To have IDW pick it up as an ongoing (series) is really exciting," said Donato.

Attendee-favorite Kesel will also be on hand on the exhibit floor to offer portfolio reviews to aspiring artists.

Comic book writers Joshua Hale Fialkov ("I, Vampire,") and Rob Levin ("Seven Days From Hell") will offer two workshops on launching careers in comics. The "Intro To Careers in Comics" and "Advanced Careers in Comics" are both two-hour sessions and $45 each. Space is limited to about 30 seats per session and tickets are currently available at longbeachcomiccon.com

The first workshop will focus on the various steps it takes to get a comic project off the ground, including writing tips, hiring an artist and getting your work seen. The second workshop focuses on the business side of releasing comic books.

Alex Albrecht and Alison Haislip, hosts of the show 4 Points on the Nerdist Channel on YouTube, will appear on a panel to talk all things geeky at noon. 4 Points looks at pop culture topics from four perspectives with special guests from all corners of the nerdiverse.

Pendant Audio will present a comedy performance "Macy Sampson and the Lamentable Long Beach Botheration" at 3 p.m. while Miko Simons moderates a Cosplay 101 panel featuring professional seamstress Luck in Spades also at 3 p.m.

The Artists Alley where illustrators gather to sell their wares, sold out of exhibit space about eight weeks ago, says Donato. But the Long Beach Convention Center agreed to allow some artists to set up in the lobby outside of the exhibit hall. Guests will be able to visit these creators even before buying tickets but show organizers say that it's beneficial to the show overall.

"Some people walk in and they're not sure and this way they can get a feel for it," Donato said.

Tickets are $15. Children ages 10 and younger are admitted free with an adult admission.

The full programming schedule for the 2012 Long Beach Comic Expo on May 12 follows after the jump.

FILE - In this July 26, 1990 file photo, artist Maurice Sendak signs his individual prints from "The Mother Goose Collection," in New York. Sendak, author of the popular children's book "Where the Wild Things Are," died, Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Conn. He was 83. (AP Photo/Susan Ragan, file) (Susan Ragan)

By Hillel Italie
The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Maurice Sendak didn't think of himself as a children's author, but as an author who told the truth about childhood.
| PHOTO GALLERY

"I like interesting people and kids are really interesting people," he explained to The Associated Press last fall. "And if you didn't paint them in little blue, pink and yellow, it's even more interesting."

Sendak, who died early Tuesday in Danbury, Conn., at age 83, four days after suffering a stroke, revolutionized children's books and how we think about childhood simply by leaving in what so many writers before had excluded. Dick and Jane were no match for his naughty Max. His kids misbehaved and didn't regret it and in their dreams and nightmares fled to the most unimaginable places. Monstrous creatures were devised from his studio, but no more frightening than the grownups in his stories or the cloud of the Holocaust that darkened his every page.

"From their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions - fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, they continually cope with frustrations as best they can," he said upon receiving the Caldecott Medal in 1964 for "Where the Wild Things Are," his signature book. "And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming wild things."

Rarely was a man so uninterested in being loved so adored. Starting with the Caldecott, the great parade marched on and on. He received the Hans Christian Anderson award in 1970 and a Laura Ingalls Wilder medal in 1983. President Bill Clinton awarded Sendak a National Medal of the Arts in 1996 and in 2009 President Obama read "Where the Wild Things Are" for the Easter Egg Roll.

In this film image released by Disney, Chris Hemsworth portrays Thor, left, and and Chris Evans portrays Captain America in a scene from "The Avengers," expected to be released on May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Disney, Zade Rosenthal)

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Hulk, smash.

That's what Captain America tells the Incredible Hulk to do in "The Avengers," and that's what the Marvel Comics superhero mash-up did at the box office, smashing the domestic revenue record with a $207.4 million debut.

It's by far the biggest opening ever, shooting past the previous record of $169.2 million for the debut of last year's "Harry Potter" finale.

"The Avengers" added $151.5 million overseas over the weekend to bring its total to $441.5 million since it began opening internationally a week earlier.

That raised the film's worldwide haul to $641.8 million in barely a week and a half, more than its Marvel superhero forerunners "Iron Man," ''Iron Man 2," ''Thor" and "Captain America" took in during their entire runs.

If distributor Disney's domestic estimate Sunday holds when the final weekend count is released Monday, "The Avengers" would be the first movie ever to haul in $200 million in a single weekend.

Skip it if you don't want to see this before the film debuts next weekend, I understand.

But the ad campaign for Marvel Studios' "The Avengers" has hit us harder than a bolt of lightening and we've all seen more than a minute or two of the flick by now. Earth's Mightiest Heroes have to show prospective audiences how mighty they are if they want to fill seats.

So enjoy this preview of the "face off" between Iron Man and Thor.

Heck, even WIFE wants to see it. But then again, it stars Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner. So why wouldn't she want to see it, right?

"The Avengers" opens May 4 and ALSO stars Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Captain America is getting another solo shot on the big-screen.

Walt Disney Studios announced Thursday that a sequel to last year's superhero hit "Captain America: The First Avenger" will arrive in theaters on April 4, 2014.

The first movie starred Chris Evans as the patriotic fighter for justice dressed in red, white and blue. "Captain America" took in $368 million at the worldwide box office.

Evans reprises his role as Captain America in "The Avengers," an ensemble adventure featuring Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth and Jeremy Renner as a team of Marvel Comics heroes.

"The Avengers" is due out May 4.

ABOVE: Chris Evans is shown in a scene from the film "Captain America: The First Avenger." (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures)

And so it begins ...

In about a month, fans of the "Iron Man," "Thor" and "Captain America" films will assemble at their local cinema May 4 to see all their on-screen champions join forces in "The Avengers."

I found this clip at Bleeding Cool of Scarlett Johnasson (the Black Widow) being summoned to duty by S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson played by Clark Gregg. This teaser segment from the film reminds those who didn't get the picture in "Iron Man 2" that the Black Widow has quite a bite.

Is it just me or are you constantly explaining what the heck Johansson's character can do? Email this video to the next person who asks.

"The Avengers" stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo and opens May 4, 2012.

  

In this image released by Lionsgate, Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen in a scene from "The Hunger Games," opening on Friday, March 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Lionsgate, Murray Close)

By The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - The feast is on: "The Hunger Games" has taken in $68.25 million domestically in its first day, a record for a non-sequel.

The Friday total for Lionsgate's "The Hunger Games" was the fifth-best opening day ever and puts the movie on track for the best debut weekend ever in March. That record is held by "Alice in Wonderland" with $116.1 million.

The big start should translate into an opening weekend of as much as $140 million domestically, according to Paul Dergarabedian, analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

First-day revenues for "The Hunger Games" were well behind the record $91.1 million for last summer's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2." But "The Hunger Games" came within a few million dollars of each of the last three "Twilight" movies, whose opening days ranged from $68.5 million to $72.7 million.

"The Hunger Games" stars Jennifer Lawrence as a teen forced to compete in a televised death match against other youths in a future North American society where a privileged capital city oppresses the people of 12 outlying worker districts. The film is based on the first book in a best-selling trilogy by author Suzanne Collins.