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Ex-Con #1. Cover by Tim Bradstreet.

Duane Swierczynski is the writer of such comics as X, judge Dredd, Deadpool vs. X-Force, Bloodshot, as well as more. Now, he’s composing Ex-Con as part of Dynamite’s creator driven comics. Westfield’s Roger Ash got in touch with Swierczynski to discover more about this upcoming release.

Westfield: What was the genesis of Ex-Con?

Duane Swierczynski: Nick Barrucci as well as Joe Rybandt got me drunk, locked me in a room, then told me not to find out unless I had five problems of a criminal offense comic prepared to go. Worst part of all — they didn’t even leave me paper or a pencil. Do you understand exactly how much blood it takes to totally cover the walls of a seminar space with panel descriptions as well as cuss-laden dialogue?

Okay, I youngster (they really provided me crayons as well as a legal pad). The story started with a short synopsis Nick as well as Joe had cooked up: “Ex-con gets sprung from prison owing a favor to a criminal offense boss.” then I went off as well as just started riffing, as well as discovered that the story was moving in some truly strange directions. Which thrilled me to no end.

Ex-Con #1 preview page 1. Art by Keith Burns.

Westfield: What can you tell us about the story as well as who are a few of the characters we’ll be meeting?

Swierczynski: Cody Pomeray is a grifter as well as con guy with a strange gift: he can checked out his mark’s “lights,” which tell him if they’re lying, or in love, or greedy, as well as so on. One day, though, he runs a short con on the wrong guy — a powerful genuine estate mogul who has Cody sent to prison as well as arranges for him to be killed. however his life is spared by Barnaby Creed, an similarly powerful criminal offense lord currently serving at the state’s pleasure. In exchange, Cody has to do a special bit “favor” for Creed when he’s paroled. Which is when things truly get interesting…

Ex-Con #1 preview page 2. Art by Keith Burns.

Westfield: Why did you choose to set the series in the ‘80s?

Swierczynski: I like it when stories are set in a specific location (in this case, L.A.) as well as time (in this case, the late 1980s) since it assists define the rules of that world. For instance, nobody’s utilizing their cell phone in this story to get them out of a jam. Also, I’m a significant fan of 80s criminal offense flicks like To online as well as die In L.A. as well as police officer as well as The Grifters, as well as I wished to play in a similar sandbox.

Ex-Con #1 preview page 3. Art by Keith Burns.

Westfield: What is the charm of a criminal offense comic for you?

Swierczynski: I’m a significant fan of criminal offense novels (which is what I compose when I’m not doing comics), as well as criminal offense movies — as well as it seems like criminal offense comics can take the very best of both worlds — hardboiled prose as well as dialogue, together with vivid action as well as moody noir moments. Hell, I just can’t get sufficient of criminal offense stories in general. I’ll take ’em anyway you’re serving them up.

Ex-Con #1 preview page 4. Art by Keith Burns.

Westfield: You’re working with artist Keith Burns on Ex-Con. What can you state about your partnership with him?

Swierczynski: I was extremely lucky to be paired with Keith — we’re approximately the exact same age, as well as have a similar fascination with both the City of Angels as well as the 80s in general. I understood our partnership clicked in the extremely very first problem when I saw the very first pages as well as saw exactly how much gleeful fun he was having. as well as it ended up being fun to keep Keith guessing throughout; he declares he didn’t understand where it was headed up until he checked out the last script. Which is the biggest compliment I might have received.

Purchase

Ex-Con #1

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IN COMIC stores everywhere THIS COMING AUGUST! 

Thun’da #1

May 17th, 2011, Runnemede, NJ – Thun’da makes his return to comic books this August from Dynamite!  Written by Robert location Napton with art by Cliff Richards as well as an incredible cover by Jae Lee!  As a bonus, this over-sized problem likewise includes the original very first Thun’da story with amazing art by the one-and-only Frank Frazetta at no additional cost!

A Thun’da sketch

In August’s Thun’da #1, a armed forces helicopter accident lands in a remote valley in Africa.  A lone survivor awakens without any memory of who he is or what he was doing there, however he’s using a uniform as well as is a skilled combatant.  From the wreckage he learns only his name — ROGER DRUM.  As he explores his new surroundings he is faced by a bizarre lost world of dinosaurs as well as other strange creatures.  Drum must discover to make it through in this frightening new truth while coming to terms with fragments of a past he isn’t sure he wishes to remember.

Dinosaurs in the world of Thun’da

“What excited me about THUN’DA is the elements that differentiate him from other Jungle Lords,” states writer Robert location Napton.  “One of the coolest aspects of the original story that we are broadening on as we move the character into the contemporary day is that he is a CIPHER — ROGER DRUM has amnesia as a result of his accident in Africa so the details of his past life are murky.  He was like JASON BOURNE before there was JASON BOURNE, so we are choosing up the baton on that element as well as taking it a step further.  He has armed forces training, he’s a poor ass, however instead of being pitted against other combatants he’s dealing with the dangers of a lost world so even with all his skill, he is dealing with difficulties he’s not prepared for, with the added burden of being haunted by his past.”

A jungle woman

“This job came as a gift to me,” adds artist Cliff Richards. “Since I was young reader, Frank Frazetta´s drawings always fascinated me. I couldn’t be happier about Thun’da as well as I bet the visitors will like the book!”

Other denizens of the lost world.

“Robert location Napton’s story will surely please all Thun’da fans everywhere,” states Dynamite president as well as publisher Nick Barrucci.  “The interior art by Cliff Richards is incredible in exactly how much enthusiasm Cliff is pouring into every page.  We don’t want to provide away a great deal yet, however these sketches by Cliff states a lot.  as well as the Jae Lee cover is just amazing!  as well as with a 48-page count sold at routine price, visitors can likewise enjoy the very first Thun’da story by Frank Frazetta!”

A T-Rex as well as a mammoth

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Join the conversation on Dynamite Entertainment’s twitter page at

For art as well as more information, please visit:www.dynamite.net

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Kevin Nowlan

by Roger Ash

So, you know that I work for Westfield and have read various blog posts, interviews, and you’ve seen the work I, along with Brook, Sean, and others do for the print Worlds of Westfield and the Westfield web Site. but that is hardly where my involvement with comics ends. I’ve been doing some freelance writing for TwoMorrows the last few years and this fall I undertook a new adventure as I programmed the panels for the Baltimore Comic-Con.

I’ll talk a lot more about upcoming work from TwoMorrows at a later date – look for a Power pack interview with Louise Simonson, June Brigman, and Jon Bogdanove in Back issue #38 as well as as an post in #39 – as I want to focus on the Baltimore Comic-Con this time.

Last year, convention organizer Marc Nathan asked if I’d be interested in programming the panels for this year’s Baltimore Comic-Con. After thinking about it for a while, I said yes as I thought it would be fun and interesting. and it was fun and iteresting. It was also a ton of work.

Don’t get me wrong, I expected it to be a lot of work. and I’m not complaining, simply stating a fact. I always knew that putting together a convention was a major undertaking, but until I did this, I had no idea how much w0rk was involved and all I knew was my little corner of the convention. What Marc – along with folks like Brad Tree and Andie Trahan – goes through to put the Baltimore Comic-Con together is mind boggling. When you attend the convention as a guest you have no idea how much has gone on behind the scenes and that’s as it must be.

My goal for the panels this year was to have something that any individual attending the convention could enjoy. I’m not sure if I succeeded, but the panels were packed on Saturday so I’m hoping that indicates that I did. The guests who agreed to be on the panels were terrific to work with. My on site co-workers – Tim, David, and Kevin – made my job so much fun and made things run smoothly.

Comic Rewind: The 70s panel (left to right: mark Waid, Walter Simonson, Len Wein, Bernie Wrightson, Chris Claremont (leaning back), and Steve Englehart.)

There were lots of terrific moments for me during the weekend, but one that was special to me was attending the Comic Rewind: The 70s panel. I started reading comics in the 70s and hearing Steve Englehart, Chris Claremont, Bernie Wrightson, Len Wein, and Walter Simonson, along with moderator mark Waid, talk about the comics of that era made me feel like a kid again. It was wonderful.

Every panel had special moments and I’d like to thank everyone who helped to make it a memorable weekend. I look forward to doing this again in the future.

Now, go read a comic!

welcome back to the blog writer Dome! Here, blog writers will suggest different topics including the comic book market as well as industry.  This will be a combination of the huge Bang theory satisfies the WWE.  Smack talk mixed with comic book debates.  blog writers going at each other to amuse as well as inform our readers.  as well as we want to hear what YOU have to state about it. Today’s topic is Luke Cage – aka Power Man- vs. Danny Rand– aka Iron Fist. So, tune in, get comfy, as well as let’s do this!

Ding ding! enable me to present your newest fighters in the blog writer Dome ring… ALAN as well as DOUG! Fight!

ALAN:  Stalwarts of the Bronze Age of comics, Power Man, as well as Iron Fist are kids of the 1970s.  A time when race as well as culture were a lot more in focus than superpowered aliens or radiated spider bites.  It was a time of Kung Fu as well as stereotype-busting.  These were the days of disco as well as … well… nothing legitimate went well with disco.  however the world was prepared for a new type of hero, Luke Cage.  Indestructible on the outside as well as a heart of gold on the inside.  Hero for hire is undoubtedly the much better investment as well as the much better character.  shall we get it out of the method early Luke Cage fans? wonderful Christmas! This is an simple battle!

DOUG:  Look, Alan, this is going to be extremely simple.  Iron Fist is a far remarkable hero to “Power Man,” both in terms of value in collecting as well as as a skilled kung fu strategist, as I will show throughout this blog.

Round #1   very first Blood!

ALAN: cultural Significance 
Hero for hire #1 is the most investible comic of the Bronze era.  Martial arts was definitely a fun pattern of the 1970s, however the Hero for hire series is culturally considerable as well as shows an outstanding turning point in American history, as I argued in a blog publish celebrating Black history Month. Luke Cage is all about a new type of hero, a guy of color, a champion of the daily people living as well as working in Harlem.  Danny Rand is… not.

Iron Fist does have some books drawn by the incomparable John Byrne.  between that as well as joining the Power guy book, Iron Fist barely survived.  however in the pantheon of John Byrne art, when does a collector get around to getting these books?  nearly never.  GoCollect has tracked the sales of marvel Premiere #25 in a 9.8 grade, which typical about $200 over the past two years, all four problems of them.  For all graded marvel Premiere #25s offered going back years there are a whopping overall of 59 graded books sold.  We phone call that the opposite of demand.  To be a great investment there must be some demand.

The early Hero for hire problems are in large demand.  These books are an crucial part of history as well as appropriate to a lot more than just comic fans.  A high quality Hero for hire issue, with its black cover art, which is notoriously tough to grade high, is something that will stay in demand as long as there is rate of interest in the struggle for racial equality in America.  Hey, Doug, a bit prediction for you –  that’s a long-lasting investment.

DOUG: SURE, THERE’S HERO FOR hire #1 – however WHAT ELSE YOU GOT?
I have two names for you – John Byrne as well as Sabretooth.  Mic drop!  however seriously, John Byrne was, by far, the most prominent artist in comics for a stretch running from the late 1970s to the early 1990s.  His early work – as well as marvel Premiere #25 as well as the entire run of Iron Fist volume 1 represent his very first routine work at marvel – has always fetched top dollar.  as well as Sabretooth!  Don’t even get me started on Wolverine’s famous foe making his very first appearance in Iron Fist #14.  It doesn’t get much bigger than that!

Yes, I will concede the point of Hero for hire #1 as well as its cultural importance.  However, not one problem after that is of any type of genuine value for a collector.  Some… respectable stories.  however what does the series have to offer compared to John Byrne as well as Sabretooth – George Tuska as well as Cottonmouth?  Please.  That’s a win for me by a landslide, as well as doesn’t even get into the value of the very first appearances of Colleen Wing – marvel Premiere #19 – or Misty Knight – marvel Premiere #21.  D.W. Griffith can’t hold a candle to those two!

But to take a a lot more severe look at the value of Iron Fist, comparing marvel Premiere #25 to Hero for hire #1 is a bit like comparing apples to oranges.  While I’m definitely ready to concede that Hero for hire #1 is a much better investment than even marvel Premiere #15, all one needs to do is look at the CGC census of the problems within each series to see which ones collectors value more.  Is it Power guy #25 with a grand overall of 38 CGC graded copies?  Or is it Iron Fist #14 (the 25th problem if you include the marvel Premiere run) with a grand whopping overall of 5,064 grnullnull

In the seedy Los Angeles underworld, lives intersect like freeway overpasses. When a crime boss’s poker game is robbed, three lowlifes—a bad cop, a drug addict, and a haunted thug—attempt to stay one step ahead of the others, as redemption or destruction is their only ticket out…

Bullet points:
• From new York Times bestselling writer Brian Buccellato (Injustice: The Gods among Us, Sons of the Devil) comes this neo-noir thriller!
• With sun-drenched streets and shadowy alleys skillfully illustrated by French artist Alexis Sentenac (Siberia 56)!

Lowlifes #1—Cover A: Brian Buccellato
Brian Buccellato (w) • Alexis Sentenac (a) • Brian Buccellato (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

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