FOG! Chats With ‘Stumptown’ Artist Justin Greenwood at FORCES OF GEEK

Stumptown is your favorite Rockford Files private detective story in comics form that you may or may not be reading!

Greg Rucka puts leading tough gal Dexedrine Parios in danger every issue but she can get to the bottom of the jig when that jig is certainly up, or in this instance, the bottom of a very dank coffee cup. Volume 4 of Stumptown, The Case of The Cup of Joe, comes out in January but is available for pre-order today (Diamond code: SEP161833)

Artist Justin Greenwood joins us to talk about the mystery comic set in Stumptown aka Portland, Oregon, cat-shit coffee and ‘silent’ issues of comic books!

* * * * *

FOG!: The Case of the Cup of Joe was one of the funniest crime comics and of a lighter tone than the previous volumes. Was it fun to play with Portland’s barista and coffee culture obsession?

Justin Greenwood: Yeah, we had a lot of fun with it! I remember Greg telling us about the idea for building a case around some very valuable, sought-after coffee beans and you couldn’t help but chuckle at the premise.

 [READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. November 23, 2016

COMICS

Dawn starts training with the Arashikage in G.I. Joe #234! … Art & Franco are back with Super Powers #1! We like pink VERY much! … Luthor, Lois and Godslayer all star in Action Comics # 968 - Man of Steel part 2! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

‘Allied’ (movie review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Written by Steven Knight
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard,
Jared Harris, Simon McBurney,
Matthew Goode, Lizzy Caplan

Robert Zemeckis Allied is a decent Nazi spy romance film that is not without its problems with pacing and story, but still has some great scenes and overall looks great.

From the dizzying ‘when is he going to touch ground’ of Brad Pitt’s opening paratrooper scene to another steamy desert sex scene, the movie sure is great to look at. With the gorgeous Marion Cotillard (Dark Knight Rises, Inception) dripping a satin sensuality and Pitt’s leading man charisma, the sexiness can blow the gasket off of an RAF Jeep.

To be honest, Allied is a bit of a slogger, resting most of the burden on pure star power.

The movie has it’s very own identity crisis, switching sides from being a romantic period piece to a Nazi-punching war flick with behind the enemy lines grenade-throwing action. Where Zemeckis and writer Steven Knight go wrong is in the focus of the thing.

Most, if not all, of the plot is revealed in the trailer, which sets ones’ expectations up for failure from the first scenes in French Morocco. Max (Pitt) is a Canadian Airman fighting for the RAF. He’s dropped into a desert reconnoiter with his inside man who gives him a weapon and a cover story, complete with fake wedding ring.

In Casablanca, he meets his cover, a beautiful Marianne (Marion Cotillard).

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FOG! Chats With The Inimitable Paul Dini About ‘Jingle Belle: The Whole Package’ at FORCES OF GEEK

Paul Dini is a legend in television animation and the father of DC Comics’ Harley Quinn. Dini has a fondness for the holiday spirit, a yearn for the Yule, a sizzle for the season! His lesser known creation, the blonde spitfire and daughter of the Kringle, Jingle Belle, has had books released in issues by various outlets over the years, and most recently, IDW has collected the rebellious teenager’s tales into one big volume!

It will hardly fit in the Santa Sack at 340 pages! Jingle Belle: The Whole Package is available now, just in time for that Yankee Swap.

Paul joined us today over some mulled cider for some questions to give us the origin of Santa’s spawn, Jingle Belle.

* * * * *

FOG!: Paul, thanks so much for joining us! You are well known in the comics and superhero world for creating Harley Quinn and your work in animation. When did the first Jingle Belle comic come in to your head?

Paul Dini: In 1998 I was talking to Oni Press about doing some new original characters, and they gave me the chance to try out two ideas in Oni Double Feature. One was “Honor Rollers,” which was based on some guys I had known in boarding school, and the other was “Jingle Belle.”

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. November 16, 2016

COMICS

Thanos. Big, Purple. Mean. He’s more famous for his one glove than the other guy. Get to know the Mad Titan over in Thanos #1 from Jeff Lemire! Over in the ‘As Seen on TV’ aisle, we have Jessica Jones #2 as secrets of the Marvel Universe will unfold! … Archie #14 gets Mean Girls on Betty and Veronica with Queen Bee Cheryl Blossom! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. November 9, 2016

COMICS

Hammer Films presents: The Mummy #1 written by Peter Milligan! … There is a new vigilante in town by the name of Mother Panic #1 aka Violet Paige, the latest in DC’s Young Animal imprint. … Animation’s greatest heroes Batman and TMNT team up for a new #1 from IDW and DC in Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

‘Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders’ (Movie review) - at FORCES OF GEEK

Holy Cash Cow, Batman! Batman ’66 the Comic, The Toys, The Franchise…and now the Movie!

Which came first, Robin? The revisit or the reboot? What peril faces The Caped Crusader and The Boy Wonder fifty years after the debut of the Batman television series? Of course, reuniting the original cast would be impossible, but somehow Adam West, Burt Ward and Catwoman Julie Newmar are able to return to the booths to voice their famous characters.

These cherished after-school versions of The Not-So-Dark-Knight (West) in satin gloves and his ward (Ward) are revisited in Warner Animation’s Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders.

I’m on record in these very pages of being a huge DC Animation fan, with only a few misses over these past few years. My favorite stories are when they take risks. This one, was risky for a number of reasons but truly I think they pulled it off once again.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. November 2, 2016

COMICS

VOTE! 
That’s what President Bitch wants you to do in Bitch Planet #9. Consider it a friendly reminder! Meet Eleanor Doane: President Bitch. … Thor Odinson is back in Jason Aaron’s epic run on Thor with The Unworthy Thor #1 (of 5) … Cap, Spidey, Vision, The Wasp and more make up the new Avengers post-Civil War II in Avengers #1 from Mark Waid. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

FOG! Picks The Can’t Miss ‘Halloween Comic Fest’ Titles! at FORCES OF GEEK

Free Comic Book Day actually comes twice a year, and tomorrow, October 29th, the day wraps itself in gauze and dabs black makeup around it’s eyes.

That’s right, Halloween Comic Fest 2016 is here, at your participating LCS. Be sure to find grab bags of goodies, some Smarties and other healthy tricks at your local comic book store and as always, buy something, even a little thing to help out the store. Lots of stores have their own costume contests and more. Be sure to check with your store to see if they are participating or if they may have something else fun in store for the whole family!

And remember, kids, just like the speed limit, obey your store’s limits for free comics. If you are in an urban area riddled with comic shops this may be your opportunity to hit up more than your regular shop to be able to ‘collect ’em all’!

We’ve made some selections of Halloween Comic Fest 2016 books, labeled in creepy categories that have never seen the light of day, until now! Perhaps they were meant to be hidden forever! Klaatu Barada Nikto!

BEST COMIC FOR THE WALKING DEAD FAN
Afterlife with Archie Season 2 (Archie Comics
)

ZOMG! I can’t believe BLANK got BLANKED with a BLANK on this week’s The Walking Dead!

Almost as much as I can’t believe Archie has been publishing a daring ZombieVerse Riverdale comic from artist Francesco Francavilla and writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Zombie Jughead. That is all!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. October 26, 2016

COMICS

Eric Powell (Goon) presents his first issue of Spookhouse, Scary Comics for Kids! Gather around the campfire, kids (and beware the hook on the rearview mirror! …Frank Castle is out hunting a different kind of monster on Halloween night in Punisher Annual #1 from co-creator Gerry Conway! … Our new friend Benjamin Percy (Green Arrow/Detective Comics) forces together a new Teen Titans #1 team with the not-so-friendly Robin Damian Wayne at the helm! …Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

FOG! Chats With DC Comics’ Team Arrow, Benjamin Percy, Juan Ferreyra & Nate Piekos at FORCES OF GEEK

With CW’s Arrow going into it’s fifth season and 100 episodes (how did that happen?) spawning a superhero revolution on TV with the Arrowverse, a new spike has been given to the Emerald Archer’s popularity.

DC’s Comics recent Rebirth initiative made comic stores great again and writer Benjamin Percy was able to give Ollie back his goatee and reunites castaway with Black Canary along with selling a ton of Green Arrow Rebirth #1s.

We talked pre-Rebirth and post-Rebirth with Ben and Rebirth #1 cover artist and co-writer Juan Ferreyra at the DC Comics booth at New York Comic Con last week as Mr. Queen and Black Canary face the Island Of Scars.

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FOG!: Hey guys, it’s an honor to talk with you, I’m a big Green Arrow fan, and I’ve been reading what you’ve been doing since before Rebirth. My first question is, did you feel like Rebirth was a good opportunity to revisit some things, or did you feel like you weren’t done telling part of your (New 52) story?

Ben Percy: When I jumped into the New 52, and first pitched Green Arrow, I wanted to write Black Canary into it, I was told, “You can’t do that”. I said, “He’s gotta have a goatee,” and I couldn’t do that.

I was also trying to do the novelist thing, which is playing the long game, which you should never do in comics! Because, I could have been kicked out after a few issues. But early on, I was keeping Ollie away from his costume, away from his bow and arrow in an effort to really get to know him as a person. It felt kid of schizophrenic prior to that in the New 52.

I really wanted to build up the character, and I had in my mind a Rebirth revitalization of the character, anyway. I was going to move towards that moment when he truly became Green Arrow. It just got sped up a bit for me.

I did have another storyline involving The Outsiders that I was working towards. There were a lot of hints in there, about that, but its fine. We got rid of that, we just jumped right into the new era.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. October 19, 2016

COMICS

Comics picks of the week, Post- New York Comic Con Edition! We’re talking today over at Forces of Geek with Team Green Arrow! Green Arrow #9 has Ollie and Black Canary on Island of Scars. Want to know more, check out the video interview! … Gerard Way’s Young Animal Vertigo ‘popup imprint’ continues with Cave Carson has a Cybernetic Eye #1. We’re hoping the title is enough to get you intrigued. … Trinity #2 with Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman from one of our favorite Flash creators in recent years, Francis Manapul puts the team’s friendship in Jeopardy. Suck it, Trebek! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

NYCC Report: DC Entertainment ‘Meet The Publisher’s’ Panel - at Forces of Geek

For answers to the many questions Rebirth leaves the fans with, we headed to “Meet The Publishers” panel at New York Comic Con on Saturday afternoon.

The packed room full of Damian Waynes, Reys and our favorite, an older gentleman dressed as Wonder Woman, munching on some Kettle Korn.

DC Entertainment’s co-publishers, Dan DiDio and Jim Lee opened with the usual jokes and self-congratulation for the Rebirth line.  Among the tidbits mentioned during the presentation:

• Dan admitted that last year’s lukewarm NYCC panel reaction was partly the catalyst for the line wideRebirth change.

• Respect for legacy and character relationships were two of the other main reasons for the change.

• 14 million Rebirth books have shipped, and the numbers were strong for Wave 1.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. October 12, 2016

COMICS

The final issue of Darth Vader is here! Vader faces Aphra, the droids, Cylo’s creations and the Emperor in this giant-sized conclusion to an epic run from Gillen & Salvador Larroca in Darth Vader #25. … Mark Millar and Greg Capullo’s anticipated sci-fi tale Reborn #1 hits the shelves today! … Don’t cry little sister, Kiefer is on TV again as the President after protecting him for so many years! Tim Seeley (Nightwing, Hack/Slash) unleashes a Vertigo version of The Lost Boys with a brand new #1 today! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

FFOG! Chats With Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire About ‘A.D.: After Death’ at Forces of Geek

A superstar creative team of this caliber only comes together rarely to create a book that can change how comics are consumed and touch us with such personal stories. 

Scott Snyder (Batman, Wytches, American Vampire, Swamp Thing) writes A.D.: After Death for Image Comics with artist Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, Essex County, Descender, Animal Man) contributing illustrations for this mostly prose comic book story.

These modern masters of comic storytelling joined Forces of Geek to talk about November’s upcoming first oversized volume in three parts of A.D.: After Death. The book proposes what it might be like if someone cures death itself.

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FOG!: Thanks for joining us guys!, We’re here to talk about After Death. I gotta say, this is really different and unexpected, two huge talents coming together. How did this come about?

Jeff Lemire: Scott and I have been friends and colleagues for quite a while, and mainly working on superhero stuff together for a bit (Animal Man/Swamp Thing). We’re developed quite a friendship and this started when Scott mentioned the initial idea of the story to me a couple of years ago.

At that time it was just going to be a straight forward, 20-page comic, a sci-fi, high-octane bombastic story, as a fun side project. We just wanted a chance to work together. We sat down and started to work on it, and the scope of the project started growing and changing and evolving. It became a much bigger project, what it is now.

Scott, this is your story, correct? Is Jeff writing too?

Scott Snyder: I’m writing it, but everything in it, I’ve run by Jeff. He has been an incredible help, sound-boarding stuff, brainstorming it, troubleshooting. He definitely deserves a credit toward the creation of the story as well. Having someone who is such a terrific writer, I feel like I have only a quarter of the work! He’s a terrific artist, he’s drawing it, and he helps me with the story.

If anyone got off easy, it was probably me! (Laughs)

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. October 5, 2016

COMICS

Comics picks of the week, New York Comic Con Edition! Hey, Ho, Let’s Go…To Riverdale! The Ramones meet Archie in Archie Meets The Ramones One-Shot! Hang your brain upside-down with this incredible Francavilla variant cover! … The Avengers and Spidey strike out on their own in the post- CIVIL WAR II Champions #1 from Mark Waid and Humberto Ramos! What a lineup! … Thunder, Thunder, Thunder, ThunderCats…HO! The Power of Grayskull and The Sword of Omens collide with He-Man/ThunderCats #1 with incredible artwork by Freddie E. Williams II. … See you at the Con? … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

Dean Haspiel Bids Adieu To ‘The Red Hook’ (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Dean Haspiel’s latest original comics creation lands on the scrolling pages of the Line Webtoon (browser and app) and introduces a new superhero universe in New Brooklyn. The Red Hook takes elements of Silver and Golden Age heroes, borrows from modern art and takes cues from Scott McCloud’s Reinventing Comics. 

By releasing content weekly, the webcomic is not like anything you may have seen before. The pages tell their story by scrolling continuously from top to bottom on your screen (tablet/phone/computer screen), stopping at the chapter markers.

The setting is New Brooklyn, a borough seceding from the rest of the world that is not unlike Batman’sNo Man’s Land storyline. The American flag has been replaced by a white flag, not of surrender but independence.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. September 28, 2016

COMICS

Chart-topping Josie and the Pussycats are back in the new version of Riverdale started by Mark Waid last year. The new #1 is written by Marguerite Bennett (DC Comics Bombshells) and drawn by Audrey Mok! … To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, IDW is publishing anthology series Star Trek: Waypoint #1, starring super sleuths Data and Geordi! … Love and Rockets Magazine #1 is back from the Hernandez Bros., split into a Jaime and Gilbert side. Relive L&R with this brand new stories in Vol. 4! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. September 21, 2016

COMICS

D & Q sent us Tom Gauld’s mellow Mooncop for review, and to be honest, we weren’t quite sure what to do with sardonic wit in the story about a cop stranded on the moon in the simply illustrated book. It kind of grew on us from there, though. … Malcolm vs. Ant in Savage Dragon #216 with a special guest appearance from Spawn! … Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman take a break from Snickers ads to star in their own book, Trinity #1 by Flash writer Francis Manapul and Clay Mann. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

League Podcast & Do617 Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. September 13, 2016

COMICS

Gerard Way kicks off DC’s new Young Animal imprint by taking over Doom Patrol with a new #1. …Spencer and Lieber’s (Superior Foes of Spider-Man) The Fix kicks off a new story arc of good cops turned terrible people in The Fix #5, Roy Meets the Mayor. …School is back in session with Gotham Academy Second Semester #1. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.