Comics in the Bay
Did you know Spider-Man is currently in San Francisco? Apparently, he’s been operating in our backyard with a whole host of Spider-Folk for at the least a year. I haven’t been spending much time in the Marvel Universe so this fact managed to fly under my radar. Anyway, he’s here and over the last couple of issues of Amazing Spider-Man has been investigating a San Francisco-based medical lab called “New U.” This investigation leads to a run-in with the Jackal in the well-received first issue of The Clone Conspiracy.
Dynamite Comics has signed a deal with CBS to start publishing a comic based on the TV show Charmed. Its likely Dynamite will continue to use the show’s hometown, San Francisco, in the comic.
Speaking of witches, Marv Wolfman is currently writing a mini-series for DC based on his creation and long-time Teen Titans member, Raven. She’s currently residing with her Aunt in San Francisco and attending the fictional Madison High School.
Comics by the Bay
Oakland artist Carlos Ramirez rarely gets the recognition he deserves for creating the iconic Trollface. The image made its way to television last week via the third season of the series Black Mirror. This weekend, Bleeding Cool ran a profile on the history of Ramirez’s Trollface.
San Francisco-based writer Dani Colman has launched a Kickstarter for her Couture graphic novel project. Colman has enlisted the help of 15 artists, including Bay Area artists Kevin Wada and Justin Greenwood, to bring her stories influenced by moments in haute couture history to the page. Per the Kickstarter, “influenced by designers from Christian Dior to Hussein Chalayan, Couture’s short stories span romance, science fiction, historical drama, fantasy and horror, drawing from fashion that shook the runway and changed the face of haute couture.” The additional artists are Alexander McQueen, Marguerite Sauvage, John Galliano, Thom Browne, Jen Bartel, Thierry Mugler, Robbi Rodriguez, Howard Chaykin, Tony Parker, Taki Soma, Comfort Love, Adam Withers, Jed Dougherty, and Valentine De Landro.
Bay Area Comic Industry and Shop News
Flying Colors Comics (Concord, Calif.) owner Joe Field is stepping down from the ComicsPRO Board of Directors. Field was the founding President of ComicsPRO which is a trade association of comic book retailers. Under Field’s stewardship, ComicsPRO started the popular annual Free Comic Book Day event.
Berkeley-based Madefire has partnered with Oculus to bring a whole new dimension to comics. The company is known for developing motion comics for both independent publishers and some of the industry’s top publishers. According to The Daily Californian, MadeFire previewed the new technology at New York Comic Con, “The free preview app for Oculus-powered Samsung Gear VR, a virtual reality device, features digital comics that are specifically optimized for virtual reality reading. The comics include motion, sound and the ability to see the story in 3D.”
The Skyline View has released a list of “the five must visit comic stores in San Francisco.” For the record, there are seven comic shops in San Francisco proper. The comprehensive list is here.
The SF Bay Guardian is back (sort of) and they’ve released their annual Best of the Bay issue! Hayes Valley’s Isotope: The Comic Book Lounge has once again snagged best comic shop in San Francisco.
Cape and Cowl Comics has started preparations for a one-year anniversary celebration on November 19. The Oakland comic shop is posting event updates on both Facebook and Twitter.
For a list of upcoming Bay Area comic events visit this link.
For a list of Bay Area Comic Shops visit this link.