How to use this Page

Roaming around Austin during SXSW is a perfect way to stumble into discoveries. One such find this year was the Nordic Lighthouse—a showcase of Nordic startup tech, cinema, music, food, and design. Lucky for me Simon Stålenhag, the author of Tales From The Loop, was part of that showcase. I managed to get some time where he talked about inspiration, Swedish countryside, the eighties, why his dad's bedtime story was Alien, and poetry.

Sony's "Sausage Party" was a hit tonight at SXSW. Watch the trailer.

The post ‘Sausage Party’ Just Blew The Roof Off SXSW, Red Band Trailer Released appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup are joining the party in Austin next month.

The post SXSW 2016: Competition Shorts, ‘Powerpuff Girls’ Premiere Announced appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

A filmmaker offers a few tips for festivals to attract animators—and ensure that they keep coming back.

A full list of animation winners from SXSW in Austin, Texas.

Hip-Hop and rap are experiencing a strong resurgence of late (don’t call it a comeback!). After years of indie rock and pop ruling the airwaves, young people are looking for a new sound to call their own, branching out into electronic and... Read the rest of this post

The Angry Birds Space app has flown to the top of the charts (in more than 28 countries just hours after its release! We bet the promo video that was filmed in space is partially responsible for the games’ rocket speed success. In other Angry... Read the rest of this post

Get ready for a very different kids’ media landscape (as Disney and Nickelodeon go head to head for ratings. Disney is trying to bolster itself for the fallout after losing shows like “Hannah Montana” and “The Wizards Of... Read the rest of this post

By Todd Allen

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll notice Marvel has a panel at SXSW.  SXSW is sort of like the Consumer Electronics Show for digital media and entertainment.  The show has been in a transitory state in the last couple of years, shifting from more of an indie-centric event to an even larger spectacle with corporate sponsors galore, but at it’s heart, it’s still about bringing products to the masses through digital technology.  So just what is Marvel announcing?

First we have the SXSW notice of the panel:

Comic fans rejoice! Marvel Entertainmenthas some ground-breaking news to reveal Sunday, March 11 at 1pm on the Arcade Stage presented by IGN . The event will take place at the Palmer Events Centerand is free and open to the public.

“Marvel has always been the industry leader in graphic fiction and digital media and with the announcements we’ve planned, we couldn’t have picked a more appropriate show than SXSW,” said Dan Buckley, Publisher and President of the Print, Animation & Digital Divisions, Marvel Worldwide, Inc. “We’re big believers that both print and digital can work hand-in-hand to bring more readers to comics than ever before — and if you’re at SXSW Interactive you’ll be the first to see just how we’re going to do that.”

After the Marvel: Digital House of Ideas panel concludes, fans in attendance will receive a limited edition lithograph (while supplies last) and a chance to have it signed by Marvel’s Editor in Chief Axel Alonso and EVP and Head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb in a special Marvel signing session.

“Marvel’s fans are the best in the world — bar none — and I’m excited to meet more of them at SXSW,” said Alonso. “We have exciting new plans that you’ll see implemented with the release of Avengers VS X-Men #1 that’ll take the biggest comics event in history and make it even bigger!”

Then, over at Comic Book Resources, Marvel’s Dandy Dan Buckley reiterates:

We’ve just announced we’ll be at SXSW in Austin this March to make some major publishing announcements. That’s an important distinction for Marvel — we see print and digital as partners in the overall publishing plan, so you won’t hear us calling these “digital media announcements” or anything like that.

Does it seem like somebody is just a little too preemptively defensive?  I mean, you only go to SXSW for digital announcements.  That’s just what the festival is for.

Obviously, it’s about comics material or Buckley wouldn’t be overemphasizing the print/digital partnership.  You don’t hear nearly as many apologies for eBooks from the prose publishing community.  The question is, what could Marvel possibly be announcing that’s big enough news for its own SXSW panel?

• March/April is roughly when Marvel is supposed to have all of its books transitioned over to simultaneous p
  9 Comments on Just What is Marvel Announcing at SXSW, last added: 2/10/2012
  Display Comments
  Ricardo A said, on 2/9/2012 2:14:00 PM
  

  Funny was for them to hand people a lithograph – very digital.
  And I’ll go with a proprietary format/device for Marvel Comics.

  Neil said, on 2/9/2012 2:54:00 PM
  

  A further alternative: bringing their Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited subscription offering to the iPad etc.

  Dan Veltre said, on 2/9/2012 5:31:00 PM
  

  I know I’ll get killed for this here (especially on such a pro-digital site like The Beat)…. but if Marvel & DC (and others) would spend a fraction of what it costs to create & support these digital efforts on the direct market retailers, the industry and it’s retailers would be better of …and comic sales would be better.

  And if you want some suggestions on what they could do to support retailers, check out Wizards of the Coast and their retailer support programs (limited edition promo cards, standees, lit boards, etc.). MTG has never been hotter, never sold better and it’s all because of the support WOTC gives it’s retail partners…

  Dan
  Dewey’s Comic City
  Madison

  CitizenCliff said, on 2/9/2012 6:56:00 PM
  

  Marvel will be announcing which of their creators they’ll be suing next. Most likely some really old guy, who’s down on his luck, but nevertheless someone they can make an example of.

  JM Ringuet said, on 2/9/2012 8:21:00 PM
  

  Marvel is going digital only. That will be the announcement.

  uthur said, on 2/9/2012 9:03:00 PM
  

  hey dan—what discount do you get from wizards?

  probably not what you get from comic publishers.

  but hey, who needs money, right? extra base discount, deals on new titles out yer wazoo, and now aggressive promo allotments—why not ask to get your electricity bills paid while you are at it?

  oh, and no investing in the future either, publishers!

  but i do adore you characterization of the Beat as “a pro-digital site”—in the pejorative!

  good grief…

  Brian said, on 2/10/2012 8:19:00 AM
  

  ICV2.com has an interview with David Gabriel, and they talk about Marvel’s digital initiatives amongst other things. After talking about the recent $5 print coupon for digital customers, and saying it would happen again, David had this to say:

  “I’m also happy to drop here that we’ll soon be announcing a major new program in the free digital download content–something no one’s done yet; but you’ll have to wait a bit to hear more on that.”

  Chances are this announcement is at least connected to the SXSW announcement.

  After reading Dan’s comments, my first thought was digital subscriptions. That would definitely be a first for a comics publisher, and the release of A vs X would be as good a time as any to promote that. But after Dan’s comment about it being free, I wonder if it’s the inclusion of “behind the scenes material” with digital downloads. So we might get a commentary track from the writer. Or there’ll be options to view a page at it’s various stages of production – script, pencils, inks, colours, letters, etc.

  Or maybe Marvel will expand the free digital download code programme to all comics, and maybe even trades/hardcovers?

  Bewarned, some of these ideas are fueled by wishful thinking and may have no basis in reality. :)

  Brian said, on 2/10/2012 8:23:00 AM
  

  DOH! I knew I’d make a typo. The 2nd line of the 4th paragraph is about David’s comment, not Dan’s.

  Micah said, on 2/10/2012 9:12:00 AM
  

  $3.99 digital copies! Marvel’s marketing is all hyperbole. Who cares. Show me, don’t tell me.

  Add a Comment

BY JEN VAUGHN My SXSW Interactive review continues. You can find previous discussions on new technology, content creation and how comics fit in all of it here.

In the oddly-timed-as-in-several-years-late Fanboys to Fanatics panel, Robert Rodriguez (co-director of Sin City) and Greg Rucka (writer of comic Whiteout) spoke about the pitfalls for comic book movie adaptations. With the visual narrative of a comic book built inside the head of the readers, how can you create a cohesive two hour movie that is still is both true to the source material and all its details?

Comic fans care about the character or than a particular story. Be true to the characters and fans (in general) will be pleased. Unlike most directors-cum-fans, when Rodriguez wanted to make a movie he did not have to run the studio gauntlet given his particular relationship with the Weinsteins. It was more a “fuck or walk” situation and we all know what happened with the Director’s Guild of America when they told Rodriguez he couldn’t have Frank Miller as a co-director (He walked away from the DGA). Rodriguez’s best advice was to write your own story in the end.

Rucka brought up the excellent point that strict adherence to the script cannot work and people often mistake comics serve as storyboards for the movie. Even as a barely seasoned cartoonist, I can guaran-damn-tee you will NOT go an entire comic convention without hearing someone on the floor spouting the phrase, “Well, I want to make a movie but couldn’t generate interest so I thought I’d make this graphic novel/comic book .” When Whiteout was optioned, Rucka made the smart move of acknowledging that the movie Whiteout was not the comic (especially since we know who ‘did it’ from the get go). Perhaps he allowed it to evolve since it was was the first story he wrote, he knew more ideas would keep coming.  Rucka illustrated his point by contrasting the scene of Kerrie’s finger amputation in the comic book and the movie. Both very different, beautiful and evocative. Tragic moments can become lurid when a creator cannot control how long people’s eyes trail over the panels. Is the lesson for professionals to let ideas evolve over time? Edward Gorey used to keep files and then file cabinets and then a ROOM of file cabinets of ideas, just in case. One day he threw them away, knowing the good ones would stay locked in his brain.

With my favorite panel buddy, Sara Reyes of Fresh Fiction by my side I attended 27 Ways to Kill Your Online Community. Patrick O’Keefe, a community whiz, covered each point effectively and humorously. Some favorites were Way #10: Shame People Who Ask Repetitive Questions like adminis who take the time to make a screen shot of the search bar or FAQs page instead of just answering a question. Pictured below, Way #13: Branding, Schmanding suggested that you make your site look different every day! Change the colors and definitely change button or l

For the acceptance into the SXSW and Tribeca Film Festivals, the animated short “The Beaufort Diaries” released a limited edition print poster and a series of free wallpaper downloads for your desktop or mobile device. For downloads and more information on the film check out The Beaufort Diaries online.

BY JEN VAUGHN

If TED Conventions had an OKCupid profile it would have listed itself as Expensive, Elite and Closed. But in 2006 they made a change towards radical openness and as TED Media Executive Producer June Cohen found out “all the untended consequences were explosively positive.” These lectures and talks all recorded from one convention and released periodically throughout the year. They range from urban forest integration to living forever to blaming your muse.

TEDtalks stands out in that they are reaching out to the world. With dropdown menus you can listen and read the talks in over 80 different languages. They even have an interactive script so when you click on a part of the script, it takes you to that part of the video. In some ways this reminds me of First Second’s webcomic Zahra’s Paradise (by Amir and Kahlil) that has twelve language options and the text actually changes inside the word balloons! Extension of this openness is witnessed as foreign languages are translated by one person and reviewed by another, a partnership allowing for responsibility and credit. TEDx events are being held independently world-wide (after applying, of course) and serve as small grass-roots version of the TED conference.  TEDtalks success lies in that they put forward clear goals to inspire a user base, provide understandable guidelines and the community polices itself. The comic community has plenty of opportunities to hear our own voices but it is nice to know there are inspirational lectures to listen to while you are inking late into the night. Time for TEDtalks to update their profile to Free and Online.

A Guitartown Gibson painted by Craig Hein on the streets of Austin.

Much to my surprise there was not only a SXSW comics meet up but an anime AND a furry meet up yet I only had time for one. Noah Kuttler, local creator, moderated between aspiring cartoonists, publishers and one sassy-ass reader. The disconnect became apparent. The creators in the room were all working only with ink or digital ink but predominately by themselves. The publishers were hungry for eBook money and original new content created FOR those mediums, instead of tagging on features. It was excellent to see the exchange as the brains began to bash together. Christopher Allen, a transmedia producer, pointed out that you should treat every panel as it if bigger than you are cropping for publication JUST IN CASE. In fact, the future of independent digital comics may be in the past: using layered art, like early animations with cels and painted background, for multiple uses in the media. It might behoove the more creators to make themselves available to the producers of mobile apps who need not only cartoonists but excellent and flexible ones.