RyallTime

RyallTime has moved!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 05:49:00 +0000

The blog has shifted from Blogger to Wordpress as a way to deal with the spam situation, and it seems off to a good start. I'll be cleaning it up even more as I get more comfortable with Wordpress, but I'm back on. In fact, I posted a brand-new FALLEN ANGEL cover by original artist David Lopez tonight.

So from here on out, please note the new location of the blog: http://ryalltime.wordpress.com/.

I've imported all the archives from here to there, so it's experienced a slight facelift and new URL but will be the same ol' thing. Hope to see you there.

BlogSpam

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 03:15:00 +0000

So, my enthusiasm to update this blog at least once daily, as I've done for the past 2+ years, has waned considerably after the recent onslaught of spam just suffocating the comments here. I've spent a lot of time going back and deleting it, and trying to combat it, but Google doesn't seem too interested in actually helping block spam here. So I've basically had to limit comments here to about zero, which defeats the whole purpose of the blog--I like the feedback and the give-and-take, and losing that is a bit deflating. So I'm looking into moving it over to Wordpress, but the functionality doesn't seem as instantly easy to jump into, so it might take me some time to actually get it running properly. So I'll be back soon in some form or other. Meanwhile, this blog's looking like yet another casualty of Google's "couldn't care less" approach to spam-blocking, which is a shame.

UPDATE 4.7.10: Everything is importing into WordPress as I type this, so I'll be back up and running very soon.

Ball on Blood

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:34:00 +0000

Anatomy of a comic book cover

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 22:59:00 +0000

Who says comics aren't literate? John Byrne's cover for the final issue of his STAR TREK: LEONARD McCOY, FRONTIER DOCTOR, has its roots in art history. It's inspired by Rembrandt's "Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulip:

This isn't the first time the painting has inspired comic artists. It was also used as the basis for this image from 1972's ASTERIX AND THE SOOTHSAYER, by Albert Uderzo:

Incidentally, the recent onslaught of spam comments here has necessitated me limiting the way comments can be posted. So hopefully if you have something to say, you're still able, or else you can contact me directly through my e-mail here, too. Meanwhile, I'm mulling over moving the entire blog to Wordpad since Google doesn't seem particularly adept at blocking spam here.

Happy Easter from the IDW family circus

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 22:57:00 +0000

TRUE Story, Swear to God

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 05:22:00 +0000

Famous Monster Mash

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 05:24:00 +0000

The final cover for the returning FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND magazine, issue #251, shipping in July. Art by Richard Corben. Being revealed in a big way at WonderCon this weekend.

Incidentally, I've been a little reticent to post here lately since every comment section on each entry is just getting choked out by spam. Anyone has any good suggestions for how to prevent that other than me having to approve every single post, I'm open to suggestions.

We've got Wood

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 03:33:00 +0000

Some new Ashley Woodness for you. First, a page from his FUCK IT! magazine:

And the cover for the concluding ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS AVENTURE #4:

Almost Famous

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:09:00 +0000

FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND ISSUE #251 HISTORIC COVER PREVIEW

Limited Poster Giveaway and Full Cover Art to Be Unveiled at WonderCon

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. and SAN DIEGO, CALIF., March 29, 2010 - Famous Monsters of Filmland and IDW join forces to bring fans a second exclusive sneak peek at the cover for Famous Monsters of Filmland Issue #251, a landmark issue, featuring new, dynamic artwork by legendary comics artist Richard Corben.

The final cover will premiere at WonderCon, one of the country’s leading comics and pop culture conventions, held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, April 2-4. IDW will host Famous Monsters at their booth #519 and during their panel discussion on Friday, April 2 at 5:30pm in room 220/224. We will have 1000 limited exclusive posters on hand for giveaway to WonderCon attendees.

The magazine will be available for pre-sale at the Famous Monsters Convention in Indianapolis, July 9-11, and will be officially released at Comic-Con International, in San Diego, July 22-25.

Royal decrees

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 22:19:00 +0000

The first issue of our new TANK GIRL series, THE ROYAL ESCAPE, got a couple nice early reviews, here at Comics Bulletin (4-1/2 stars!) and here at Blair Butler's Fresh Ink video podcast, too.

Diamond head

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:07:00 +0000

Diamond's Bill Schanes talked to Comic Book Resources about what it means for IDW to now be classified as a Premier Publisher. You can read the piece here.

GETAWAY Driver

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:17:00 +0000

Darwyn Cooke’s Second Parker Novel Previewed at WonderCon
Friday, Mar 26th, 2010
Prelude to The Outfit offers bargain-price, oversized first look
Available in comic stores in July

San Diego, CA (March 26, 2010) - IDW Publishing and award-winning creator Darwyn Cooke are pleased to announce an exclusive prelude to The Outfit, the second of Richard Stark's Parker novels that Cooke is adapting. Cooke's initial Parker release, The Hunter, has been a critical and popular success, appearing on over 50 "best of the year" lists as well as the New York Times best-seller list.

Titled The Man With the Getaway Face: A Prelude to the Outfit, a limited number of copies will debut next week in San Francisco at WonderCon, one of the country's leading comics and pop culture conventions. This 8"x12" preview book offers one entire chapter of The Outfit and will be included in the finished graphic novel, coming in October. Available for the bargain price of $2.00, the prelude will offer fans a beautiful introduction to The Outfit. Cooke, a special guest of WonderCon, will be on hand to sign copies at the IDW booth #519. WonderCon will be held April 2nd through the 4th at the Moscone Center.

"The Man with the Getaway Face special is a fun and inexpensive way for new readers to check out Richard Stark's famous master criminal," commented Cooke. "It's our hope that this oversized, underpriced kidney punch will pull them in to the violent world of Parker."

In addition to debuting at WonderCon, the preview will be available in comic stores everywhere in July at the same low price and large size. Retailers should check the IDW section of the Diamond May Previews catalogue for details.

"We wanted to do something to make this preview special, something to make Darwyn's incredible work really pop off the shelves," said IDW Special Projects Editor, Scott Dunbier. "And at this size and price point, I think we've succeeded!"

Beat on, the Brat-Halla

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 04:54:00 +0000

Back when I was running MoviePoopShoot for Kevin Smith, one of the best Web comics I ran at the site was the ever-reliable and entertaining BRAT-HALLA by Jeffrey Stevenson and Seth Damoose. Now the strip about the young Norse godlings is finally getting collected into a TPB, and Jeff asked me to do the intro for it. Seth then took all the words I tossed their way and dressed it up nicely while at the same time serving my seemingly insatiable need (well, want) to see myself illustrated as often as possible... although I should mention that many of these cameos, like this one, are just nice surprises for me and certainly not anything I request...

The TPB'll be available for order soon. Keep an eye on the BRAT-HALLA site for more information. Meanwhile, I'm off to Memphis for the ComicsPro meeting for the rest of the week.

June-I. Joe

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:28:00 +0000

Covers for a couple of G.I. JOE books being released in June -- available for viewing in various places online today and in the Previews catalog that'll be in stores next Wednesday. First up, Max Brooks' G.I. JOE: HEARTS AND MINDS #2, by Howard Chaykin:

And an all-new image on a reprint TPB, the cover to G.I. JOE: SPECIAL MISSIONS, VOL. 1 by Robert Atkins:

World Premier

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:26:00 +0000

IDW co-founder/CEO Ted Adams -- also the keynote speaker at this year's retailer summit around the C2E2 convention in Chicago next month -- talked with Comic Book Resources about our new move to Diamond's Premier status. You can read the whole piece here.

The original lizard kings

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 03:58:00 +0000

Earlier today, the press release mentioning our upcoming JURASSIC PARK comics made the rounds and included the Frank Miller/Dave Stewart cover that'll adorn issue 1. The text of the release is reprinted below if you haven't seen it (among other details, it talks up Bob Schreck, our Senior Editor who's making his comic-writing debut here, as well as other upcoming variant covers by guys like Arthur Adams (issue 2), Paul Pope (issue 3), Bernie Wrightson, Bill Stout, and Mark Schultz) but I also wanted to show the other cover for issue 1, from artist Tom Yeates and colorist Jamie Grant. Tom's doing covers for issues 1-5, and Jamie's the series colorist.

Welcome Back to Jurassic Park
IDW partners with Universal Partnerships & Licensing to develop
all-new comics based on blockbuster property

San Diego, CA (March 23, 2010) – IDW Publishing is pleased to announce a publishing agreement with Universal Partnerships & Licensing to create an entirely new series of comics based on the always-popular Jurassic Park franchise. Launching in June, IDW’s Jurassic Park comics will bring all of the oversized action and prehistoric adventure that fans love in a brand-new story. Plus, IDW will also reprint all the original Topps Jurassic Park comics in a trade paperback collection, most of which have never before been reprinted. Fans attending WonderCon 2010, one of the country’s leading comics and pop culture conventions, held April 2nd through the 4th in San Francisco, can get a sneak peak of the new series at the IDW booth #519 and at the Jurassic Park panel on Friday.

“I’ve been a fan of Jurassic Park since we first published it at Topps back in the 90’s, and it’s exciting revisit and reinvigorate the property after all these years,” said IDW chief operating officer, Greg Goldstein. “There’s so much potential for interesting stories, and we have a great team in place to bring them to life.”

Available in both print and digital, IDW’s Jurassic Park comics kick off with a five-issue story arc, written by IDW Senior Editor and comics veteran Bob Schreck. Nate Van Dyke provides interior art, while comics’ legends Tom Yeates and Frank Miller offer their awesome and gory covers to the first issue, with Arthur Adams, Paul Pope, and Bernie Wrightson also providing variant covers for the first storyline. IDW will be giving away a Jurassic Park poster at WonderCon, featuring Frank Miller’s cover art for issue #1. Schreck, Van Dyke and Yeates will also all be on hand throughout the weekend to sign autographs.

“Having been born in the Jurassic Era myself, I just couldn’t pass up this opportunity,” Schreck commented. “I was raised on a strict diet of Willis O’Brien and Ray Harryhausen movies and adore the Jurassic Park films. I can’t begin to convey the thrill of bringing this tale to life with so many old (and new) super-talented friends and fellow dinosaur lovers.”

The first five-issue story arc in IDW’s new Jurassic Park series, Jurassic Park: Redemtion, takes up thirteen years after the very first Jurassic Park motion picture and finds John Hammond’s grandchildren, Tim and Lex Murphy, as well-to-do young adults. While Lex is working with the UN to continue keeping people off of both Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna -- her brother Tim has other ideas about how to get their grandfather’s name back in good standing.

Each issue in the arc will feature a cover by Yeates and a variant by another major artist. For issue #2, fans can expect great things from Arthur Adams, followed by Paul Pope on issue #3, Bernie Wrightson on issue #4 and the hugely popular dinosaur connoisseur Bill Stout on issue #5.

Wrecked 'em? Damn near killed 'em!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:53:00 +0000

I think I've used this particular blog title before, but come tomorrow and the release of TRANSFORMERS: LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #3, you'll see that it's especially appropriate. Issues 1 and 2 are now up on iTunes as downloadable comic apps if you want to do any digital cramming before that issue's released on Wednesday, too.

*Poster design by New York Times bestselling author/designer Chris Mowry.

Desperado in June

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:12:00 +0000

Continuing the look at June books being featured in the next issue of Previews, here're a couple titles from Joe Pruett's Desperado Publishing imprint, a new NEGATIVE BURN collection and a hardcover artbook featuring Dave Dorman.

Craig Yoe's bag of tricks

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 20:45:00 +0000

IDW's June solicits will be released at Diamond's site this Wednesday, so here're a couple more titles coming that month. Both of these are for our Yoe Books imprint, produced by Craig Yoe.

No murder in the Rue Morgue

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:25:00 +0000

Not murdered at all -- WEEKLY WORLD NEWS got a nice write-up in Rue Morgue magazine.

* Thanks to Josh Jabcuga for the scan.

Picks of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 22:59:00 +0000

Some recent IDW reviews, including this one for the latest episode of Fresh Ink, where Blair Butler anoints LOCKE & KEY: CROWN OF SHADOWS #4 as her Pick of the Week, and further confesses that Gabriel Rodriguez is her favorite artist working in comics today (starting at the 6:15 mark).

Another good L&K: CoS #4 review, this one at IGN.com.

A glowing review of STAR TREK MOVIE ADAPTATION #2 at TrekWeb.com.

GeekWeek reviews our iPhone-only GARTERS & GHOULS digital comic.

Making advances

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 22:50:00 +0000

Some advance copies fresh off from the printer and just delivered today:

John K talks Milt G

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:02:00 +0000

Over at his blog, REN AND STIMPY creator John Kricfalusi had some very nice words about the Craig Yoe-produced THE COMPLETE MILT GROSS COMIC BOOKS AND LIFE STORY book. Among other things, John K said:

"This is a must for every funny cartoonist and fan of cartoons!"

Read the entire blog entry, complete with images, here.

Giant-Sized Shadow-Thing

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:26:00 +0000

Here's what you're in for in LOCKE & KEY: CROWN OF SHADOWS #5, coming April 28.

Weekly World Twos

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Ryall) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:13:00 +0000

Issue 2 of WEEKLY WORLD NEWS by Alan Robinson and I is now available for download at the Sony PSP comics store, complete with a separate audio commentary track from me, too.