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Fans got the chance to read the brand new A-Force #1 last week but Marvel has already announced a brand new creative team for the series. Writer Kelly Thompson (Gem and the Holograms) is joining artist Ben Caldwell (Prez) to take over the series from writers G. Willow Wilson (Ms. Marvel), Marguerite Bennett (Angela: Queen […]

It’s time for our annual look at what’s happening in comics and where creators see things going and what impacted them in the past year. This time as always we have a wide range swath of creators, publishers and retailers, with all kinds of opinions. And if you look closely you’ll see lots of news […]

We’ve been writing quite a bit in the last year about the slow death of comics media, and one of the reasons is that it’s hard for a small, passion run site to compete with…the New Yorker? Here’s a think piece on the Jem and the Holograms comic by Stephen Burt whose bio tells us […]

Via Tumblr, the amazing painter Stephanie Hans has gone totally pink for this variant cover for IDW’s Jem comic. Written by Kelly Thompson, with art by Sophie Campbell, this comic is a nice throwback to the Jem and the Holograms most Gen Xers remember as opposed to the Pitch perfect 3 treatment the movie is […]

IDW Publishing will adapt the Jem And The Holograms cartoon into a new comic series.

The creative team behind this project includes writer Kelly Thompson, illustrator Ross Campbell, and artist Sara Richard. The premiere issue will be released in March 2015. Five rainbow foil covers have been created for this first book.

Here’s more from the press release: “It’s the 21st century, and Jem and The Holograms are 21st century girls! Meet Jerrica Benton, the gifted singer of The Holograms, a band that has the right look and the right sound…But one thing is holding them back—Jerrica’s crippling stage fright. Luckily, Jerrica is about to find help in the most unlikely of places when she discovers a forgotten present left by her father. And what she finds is truly outrageous!”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Beloved 80s cartoon icons Jem and the Holograms are coming back big time, with a Honda ad (below), a movie in the works for the end of next year starring Aubrey Peeples, and a new comics from IDW, to be written by Kelly Thompson (Storykiller, The Girl Who Would Be King) and drawn by Ross Campbell (Glory, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Sub covers will be by Sara Richard (My Little Pony, Kitty and Dino).

Thompson is also a long running columnist for CBG (She Has No Head) that The Beta has quoted many times, so congrats on netting such a great gig!

 It’s the 21^st century, and Jem and The Holograms are 21^st century girls! Meet Jerrica Benton, the gifted singer of The Holograms, a band that has the right look and the right sound… But one thing is holding them back—Jerrica’s crippling stage fright. Luckily, Jerrica is about to find help in the most unlikely of places when she discovers a forgotten present left by her father. And what she finds is truly outrageous!

 
“As a kid I was a huge fan of the original 80’s JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS cartoon and so the chance to breathe new life into it for a savvy modern audience, not to mention to work with Ross, an artist practically destined to draw this book, is really a dream come true,” said series writer, Kelly Thompson.
 
Don’t miss the chance to get the five stunning rainbow foil covers that will be available for Issue One—one for each Hologram by artist Amy Mebberson (My Little Pony, Pocket Princesses), plus the whole band by series artist Ross Campbell—in a deluxe rainbow foil and hologram collectible box. A second box set for Issue two will feature another set of four covers by Mebberson and a group shot by Campbell—this time starring Jem’s greatest nemeses, The Misfits!
 
“Getting a JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS comic going was a top priority for me when I started at IDW,” says Senior Editor John Barber. “It took three years, but Kelly and Ross came in with a style and attitude that really got Jem. They understand Jem’s appeal—I can’t overstate the impact Jem has had on generations of fans and readers.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxokHywIlEs

Kelly Thompson has been writing non-fiction for over 20 years, working as a reporter, news editor, commercial copywriter, and in government publications. She recently decided to try her hand at fiction; this is her first writing contest and she is honored to have made it to the Top 10. Whether reading or writing, she looks for a story with sharp characters, smart dialogue, and a good twist. Her fiction has appeared in River Life, and is currently looking for other publications to grace. Her recent writing projects include a nearly completed screenplay and a novel that is patiently awaiting edits. In her non-writing hours, she stays busy doing a weekly radio show, reading, camping, shooting pool, and spending time with family and friends.

interview by Marcia Peterson

WOW: Congratulations on placing as one of the Runners Up in our Winter 2010 Flash Fiction Contest! How do you feel?

Kelly: Thank you! I'm thrilled and honored to have been chosen as a runner-up, and I'm very appreciative of the positive response to my story. After reading the other Top 10 stories, I definitely feel that I'm in good writing company. The experience has helped to reaffirm my commitment to my writing. Thank you, WOW, for making these opportunities possible.

WOW: You’re welcome, and we love your reaction! You mentioned in your bio that the WOW! contest was the first writing contest you’ve ever entered. What made you decide to do it?

Kelly: Although I've been writing non-fiction for a long time, I'm fairly new to fiction writing, especially flash fiction. I have a group of family and friends that read my work and they've been very supportive and encouraging but sometimes because they want me to succeed, they're not the most objective of critics. I felt it was important to get my writing out to a broader audience, and see how I fared against other writers. I read some of the winning entries from past WOW contests and I was impressed with the variety of the submissions, as well as the diverse experiences of the writers. I liked that the Winter 2010 Flash Fiction Contest was an open prompt so I could write virtually anything. After years of assignment work, it was a nice change to tell a story I wanted to tell, instead of being told what to write about. I was surprised and excited to make it to the Top 100 and blown away to make the Top 10 my first time out. Entering the contest was definitely a good move!

WOW: Can you tell us what encouraged the idea behind your story, Meet Me at Dorsky’s?

Kelly: I was intrigued by the thought that sometimes the hardest people to talk to about what's going on in your life are the people you're closest to, and the way you talk to them can determine how they react to the news. Add to that the complexity of family relationships and the desire for acceptance, and you've pretty much got the gist behind "Dorsky's". When I write, I strive to create strong characters who really have something to say and are direct in how they say it. And I personally enjoy stories that have a good twist, whether it's a subtle one that you can sort of see coming or one that springs up when you don't expect it. In "Meet Me at Dorsky's",