The fine people at Cinerati just posted a review of Marked for Death. It’s a good, solid piece with what I think are fair criticisms of the book.
Sam’s Story
I met Jeph Loeb several years back, when I was working on the WildStorms Collectible Card Game for WildStorm Productions (which was then part of Image Comics but is now owned by DC). We played in Jim Lee’s annual poker game at Comic-Con International, and I got cleaned out quick. I saw him again at the same convention in 2004, and he told me he’d given up playing in that game. “It’s easier just to hand those guys my money,” he said with a smile.
I don’t know Jeph all that well, but I admire his work as a writer, both in comics and on television. When I read last year that his son Sam had died, I felt horrible for him. As the father of five myself, the thought of a child dying drives a cold spike straight through me.
In an arrangement with DC Comics, Jeph has come up with a special benefit issue of Superman/Batman (#26). Sam was to write the issue, but he died before he could complete it. A roster of 26 of the top artists and writers in the comics industry rallied together to finish it, and each of them has pledged his or her proceeds from the book to the Sam Loeb College Scholarship Fund.
See the Newsarama interview with Jeph for all the details. Then be sure to go out and pick up a copy (or several if you like) this April. And be sure to scroll down to the end of the interview page for a six-page preview sure to tear at your heart.
New Knights Covers
Amazon.com has posted the covers to my next two Knights of the Silver Dragon novels: Prophecy of the Dragons and The Dragons Revealed. These form a two-part story (“Revelations”) due out this summer, the results of which shake the world of Kellach, Moyra, and Driskoll to its core.
Click the thumbnails for larger pictures of the covers. Note that they form a single image when placed next to each other. Thanks to artist Emily Fiegenschuh for doing such a great job with them!
New Marvel Battle Dice Playmat
Playmates has released a PDF of a demo-ready playmat for Marvel Heroes Battle Dice. This puts the regular playmat together with the reference sheet that describes all the different powers in the game. It’s the perfect tool for teaching people how to play, and the Playmates demo team will be using it at their premiere appearance at Megacon next weekend.
Marvel Battle Dice Figure Gallery
Playmates has posted a gallery of many of the figures from Series 1 of the Marvel Heroes Battle Dice game. These are great, professional shots that really capture the way the figures look.
Marvel Battle Dice Previews
The fine people at Superhero Times have posted 31 photos from the New York Toy Fair of upcoming products for the Marvel Heroes Battle Dice game line from Playmates Toys. The coverage includes the battle arena, the huge carrying case, and the character lists for the next three expansions.
Alliterates Assembled!
I had a great time at the Alliterates‘ monthly meeting last night. Doug Niles brought a bar puzzle that took us forever to figure out, and we only managed it all because Steve Sullivan refused to give up. (Okay, Steve managed it himself long after the rest of us had let it go.) We also had a guest, Steven Schend, who I’d not met before, although I’m well familiar with his work. Don Perrin, Lester Smith, and Rob King also showed up and helped chew the philosophical and literary fat well into the late-night hours.
Marvel Heroes Battle Dice Fan Site Up
The first fan site I’ve seen for Marvel Heroes Battle Dice is up. It does a great job of explaining the game and features complete spoilers lists, checklists, and a growing figure gallery.
Pent-Up Raves
I’d like to run through a number of recommendations fast, so hold on to your seats.
The Beloit International Film Festival (BIFF) was a blast. I only got out for one night, but Ann and I crammed three films into those hours. Two of them were excellent.
Novem is a documentary about nine college students from the ’70s who recorded an album over the course of a week and then died in a car wreck on the way home. The film features footage shot in the ’70s spliced together with interviews with the college kids who found the old recordings and film at a garage sale. The most amazing part of it is that it’s a work of fiction, but it’s utterly convincing as the documentary it purports to be. Stop by the film’s website to pick up a free MP3 of “Born and Raised,” one of the best tracks in the fictional album.
We also saw The Aristocrats. It’s the filthiest, funniest film I’ve ever seen. Leave the kids at home, and try not to look them in the eye the next day.
We managed to see The Real Dirt on Farmer John later, and we loved it too. This is a real documentary about a farmer that lives less than 10 miles from our house. It’s a great examination of what’s happened to farming in our region over the years and the solutions that farmer John Peterson found for these troubled times for small farmers. He now runs a successful CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm called Angelic Organics.
Over this past weekend, Ann, my mother, and I took our whole crew out to see the new Curious George film. It was gorgeous and brilliant, and we all loved it. It’s a real kids’ film, without the extra layer for adults so common to animated features these days (see Shrek for the clearest example). This made it refreshing and light and a real joy to experience with a bunch of kids at your side. Jack Johnson’s soundtrack fit it perfectly too.
Gen Con in Indy through 2010
ICv2.com reports that Gen Con (the long-running summer games convention) will remain in its current home in Indianapolis through 2010. While I might long for a return to Milwaukee, the convention’s home for 17 years (and my own birthplace), Indy’s been a great venue for the show, so this is all good news. Fewer moves for the show means more stability and a better chance to keep growing and growing, the way it has under Peter Adkison’s excellent stewardship.
This summer will mark my 25th Gen Con in a row. When I was a kid, my father would drive me and my pals out to the show in the morning, drop us off, and come back and pick us up in the evening. We had an absolute blast, and I got hooked for life.
I’m going to have to come up with something fun to celebrate that milestone. For my 20th year (which coincided with my birthday on the Saturday of the show), I held a party that became the basis for the Diana Jones Award ceremony every year since. Should that be enough, or should there be something more? Hmm.