Wednesday Comix! BEA & DC

Last week, Michael Dahl, Capstone Editorial Director, traveled to BookExpo America, the largest book trade show in the United States. Although BEA isn’t exactly Comic Con, the show did highlight some buzzworthy graphic novels, including the Graphic Novel Reporter’s Hottest Graphic Novels of 2012! Be sure to check them out.

A special congrats to our friends at DC Comics, who received two Honorable Mentions for two AMAZING Batman titles! Michael, for one, couldn’t be prouder. Below, this lifetime comic book GEEK recalls his BEA/DC connections from this past week...

MICHAEL DAHL: You’d think that after spending days surrounded by comics and graphic novels that I would have gotten my fill. Nope. Even though I visited the comic books row at BEA twice during the conference, and helped out at the Art Baltazar signing at the Capstone booth, I still wanted more.
  

Here I am, standing between two giants of the comic biz: Art B. and Franco.
These guys are not only two of the most talented and prolific creators working today
(check out their stunning new series Superman Family Adventures!),
but they are funny, friendly, and have a genuine passion for kids as well as comics. 

So later in the week, I visited my friend Steve Korte at DC headquarters in Manhattan. Steve had been the group editor for DC’s licensed publishing, and now he is their archivist/librarian. His new office is on the opposite side of the building, he has a great view of Broadway, and he is alone – with thousands of original comics and illustrations dating back to the 30s. I was able to hold a copy of the original Action Comic with the first Superman story. One copy sold recently for more than $1 million dollars. I also saw the first Detective Comic (where DC got its name), and the first Wonder Woman comic.

Steve sitting next to a replica of the famous Action Comic.

I'm holding one of the very first Superboy comics.

Steve knows I love Superboy and Jimmy Olsen stories, as well as The Legion of Super-Heroes and Wonder Woman from the 60s, so he let me peruse dozens and dozens of the originals. What a strange feeling! I would pull out a comic and was immediately transported back decades to when I first read it. In some cases, I could remember where I was when I read the story: in my yard lying in the grass during summer vacation, sitting in the backseat of the family car, or in my bedroom, totally immersed in Krypton or Paradise Island or Earth in the 30th century. For me, comics were not simply escapist literature. They changed the way I looked at life. The codes of honor and self-sacrifice and courage of those young heroes became goals for my younger self. As an 11-year old, I dreamed about one day joining the Legion of Super-Heroes. I might not ever be able to fly, or turn invisible, or bend steel with my bare hands, but I could be brave and honest and stick up for people in trouble. Now, as my love of comics has led me to meet and work with so many talented and inspiring people, I think, maybe I did join after all.

Fiction Friday: New York Comic Con 2010

Check out Bob's post on Comic Con New York over at the Capstone blog! (And don't forget — over at Capstone Connect, every Friday is Fiction Friday. Join us!)

San Diego Comic-Con 2010

My eyes ache. Okay, probably not as much as that dude’s from Hall H, but they're pretty sore. More than a week after returning from SoCal (as any good Geek would call it), I’m still digesting the five-day, all-things-comics, all-things-movies, all-things-television, all-things-toys, all-things-gaming, all-things-cosplay festival that is SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON!

Now, although Capstone Publishers has sent several representatives every year, this was my first pilgrimage to the Mecca of Nerdness. Of course, several veteran Con-goers had already told me all about the good (swag), the bad (long lines), and the ugly (Slave Leia costumes . . . for men!). And, after experiencing it for myself, I’m here to tell you that everything is true. Yes, even the He-Leias!!
In fact, this “everything-ness” has become somewhat of a controversy to Comic-Con insiders. Many hardcore comics fans are quickly becoming skeptical of the event, stating, “Comic-Con? More like ‘Culture Con’! Hollywood has taken over!” Conspiracy theories aside, the movie and television industry has definitely invaded the Con. Giant, billboard-size banners for ALIEN, SALT, SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, IRON MAN and even HBO’s TRUE BLOOD dominated the central corridor of this year’s convention floor. As for comic sellers, creators, and small presses, many of them have been banished to the fringes — stuck between lines for the over-used restrooms and under-stocked concession stands.


And the Stone Arch booth? Somewhere in between. Standing in our eight-by-eight plot between media moguls and comic book insiders was overwhelming, to say the least. The first day, I stood in awe as 130,000 people (and some very convincing aliens) swarmed the convention floor, and I wondered, “Where do we fit in among all this everything?” However, faster than a speeding bullet, I got my answer. Not from bird, not from a plane, but from a tiny Man of Steel. A seven-year-old boy, wearing a custom made Superman uniform, sprinted up to our booth, yelling, “Mom! Mom! Look!” He leaped into the air like a real caped hero and snatched a DC SUPER HEROES book from our table. His mother followed closely behind, and, before I could even ask her name, told me how her son had checked out “EVERY one of these books from the library!” Then as quickly as he came, the boy sped away, probably to investigate other booths filled with Superman movies, video games, comics, and television shows.


That boy got it. He understood that Comic-Con isn’t just about comics anymore. And, it’s not just about movies or television either! Comic-Com has become a place for fans to meet their heroes in ALL forms, face-to-face, eye-to-eye. During the next three days, I met my own heroes. I met authors, creators, illustrators, licensors, a whole lot of fans . . . and few more He-Leias. These interactions rejuvenated me and inspired me to create better books for that tiny Man of Steel. And now that I’m back, yes, my eyes still ache, but they ache for more.


Donnie Lemke
Managing Editor—comics and licensed properties
Capstone Fiction

Introducing DC Super-Pets!

It’s a bird . . . it’s a dog . . . it’s a . . . monkey? Yep — it’s DC Super-Pets!

Almost everyone who’s read a magazine, watched television, or stepped outside the front door knows the name Superman. Or Batman. Or even Wonder Woman, for that matter. They’re three of the most recognized super heroes (and pop icons) of all time. But did you know that the Man of Steel has an entire collection of pets, including a dog, a cat, a monkey, and even a horse, all complete with the same powers as Superman? How about Wonder Woman’s Amazonian pet kangaroo? Or Aquaman’s pet seahorse with telepathic powers?

Though these heroic critters have been making cameos in the pages of DC comic books for more than 50 years, they’ve never been given the star treatment that many feel they deserve. Well, take heart, animal lovers: you’ll soon be introduced to the crazy and exciting world of DC Super-Pets! This new series, coming in January 2011, follows the adventures of super-hero counterparts Krypto the Super-Dog, Ace the Bat-Hound, Streaky the Super-Cat, and a cast of dozens more as they battle villainous pets and humans alike (and maybe some aliens, too!). Similar to our DC Super Heroes line, but written, illustrated, and designed for a younger audience, these full-color chapter books continue the proud partnership between DC Comics and Capstone Fiction, and will be printed under our younger Picture Window Books banner.

Even more exciting is that Eisner Award-winning artist (and comic book fan-favorite) Art Baltazar is our illustrator on this series. Mr. Baltazar is the creator/writer/artist of the hilarious comic-book series Tiny Titans, and now he’s bringing his considerable talents to the chapter book format and introducing a new world of readers to the wild side of the DC Universe. With a cute, humorous, and whimsical style, Art’s work on this series is sure to be a hit with emerging readers hungry for high-flying adventure from the far reaches of the cosmos to the depths of the sea.

Here at the Capstone Fiction offices, we couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to bring DC Super-Pets! to the masses. From the stories, to the logo, to even some of the characters, we’re working closely with our friends at DC Comics to create a totally original series. As we begin to dive into the interior design of these books, we’ll look to add even more value and original material – stuff you won’t find anywhere else in an early chapter book.

Until then, “take a gander” (as my main contact at DC likes to say) at the final covers for the inaugural season of DC Super-Pets! below...

Bob Lentz
Art Director
Capstone Fiction


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