The enduring and malleable world of Archie Comics is headed or another medium with a Broadway musical now in development with Adam McKay and his Funny or Die production shingle. McKay (Anchorman, Talledega Nights) will write the book; a team for the music has not been announced. On the Archie side, the show is in good hands: CCO Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has a long history as a playwright and he was once brought in fix Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. President Jon Goldwater will also assist with the development of a show that will be “bright, colorful and slightly demented” according to McKay.

The Tony Awards nominations are out today, honoring the best on Broadway, and Fun Home tied for most nominations with 12 (An American in Paris also got 12.) The musical, based on the Alison Bechdel graphic novel, was nominated for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, Best Director, Best Actor in a Musical (Michael Cerveris), Best Actress in a Musical (Beth Malone), three in the Best Featured Actress category ( Judy Kuhn, Sydney Lucas and Emily Skeggs,) Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design and Best Orchestration.

I was lucky enough to see this last week, and its deserving of every honor it gets, a truly mesmerizing and heartbreaking night of theater. If I had to pick one performance to call out it would be 12 year old Sydney Lucas, who is simply astonishing as Small Allison. Alison Bechdel’s memoir about her family life, family secrets, coming out and dealing with the past has achieved a cultural significance that no graphic novel save Maus has ever come close to.

Bechdel drew a brief but powerful coda to the Fun Home experience as a webcomic for Vulture.

And the NY Times profiles her and the strange experience of seeing your life turned into a musical::

“She is a curious human being, and she’s curious about herself most of all,” Ms. Malone said of Ms. Bechdel. “Even her look is all about telling the truth — no ornamentation, nothing pretty. She hates lies — lies and embellishments are what got her dad killed.”

Ms. Bechdel has no formal role in creating the musical, but checks in often, answers questions by email and offers the periodic note. She asked them to change one sentence, to make clear that her father, a fastidious home restorer and antiques collector, had used real William Morris wallpaper, and not an imitation.

Photo ©2015 Joan Marcus

Fun Home opened on Broadway last night and the musical based on Alison Bechdel’s acclaimed graphic novel won rave reviews. The show stars Beth Malone, Emily Skeggs and Sydney Lucas (above) as Bechdel at various ages, and Michael Cerveris, Judy Kuhn and Oscar Williams as the rest of the Bechdel family.

A sampling:

Ben Brantley in the NY Times:

“Fun Home” knows where you live. Granted, it’s unlikely that many details of your childhood exactly resemble those of the narrator of this extraordinary musical, which pumps oxygenating fresh air into the cultural recycling center that is Broadway. Yet this impeccably shaded portrait of a girl and her father, which opened on Sunday night at the Circle in the Square Theater, occupies the place where we all grew up, and will never be able to leave. That’s the shifting landscape where our parents, whether living or dead, will always reign as the most familiar and elusive people we will ever encounter.

Choose from the most used tags
Variety:

New! Fresh! Original! We toss those kudos around a lot in this business. (It’s like calling everyone “darling.”) But “Fun Home” really earns the praise. Lisa Kron, who wrote both book and lyrics, assembles words and images in unexpected ways to dramatize the bittersweet memoir (based on the 2006 graphic novel by Alison Bechdel) of a grown woman remembering the troubled father she loved in spite of himself.  Sam Gold’s direction brings lucidity to the complex mechanics of staging a story that takes place in three time frames. And Jeanine Tesori’s haunting music doesn’t sound a bit like anyone else’s music.

….and so on and so forth. These kind of reviews should give the musical a kickstart, and it should be interesting to see if it runs longer than Spider-Man. I’m seeing it later this week myself and hope to have a few words.

If you want more reviews here’s Elizabeth Vincentelli in the NY Post.

The Hollywood Reporter:
Daily News

Somehow - perhaps it's the arrival of Spring and all that it promises - one anticipates updates as to the fate of one's (mine of course) literary send-outs. More specifically and to put it in simply and succinctly ('that's a lot of sss's, Eleanor'), will any of my plays see a stage this year.

Throughout the year minor dialogue changes were made, a few lines were eliminated or added but for the most part they were sent on their way based on the strength of the story line and characters, to seek their fate. Waiting to receive news about one's plays is comparable, at least for me, to sending your children out to seek their fortune in the jungle of life (feeling very philosophical today) for their own good, if not for the caregiver's good. So they're all "out there" and the wait for any updates is all-consuming wondering and hypothesizing what's happening at the 'other end', so to speak.

"How many more plays are left to be read?" a literary manager might ask a theatre producer and play readers while assessing the amount of plays still waiting to be read  "Seems like there are thousands more waiting to be read."

"We have to narrow it down to just a few promising plays, already," the literary manager will/could/might declare, while checking her/his cell phone for phone messages. "Time is marching on and we have to choose some potential money-makers for the coming season."

"I've come across a promising production," one of the readers could suggest, "although the playwright doesn't have any track record. The play, though, is really a good read."

"Nothing produced, anywhere, in the whole wide world?" the producer would ask of the reader.

"Not according to her biography and CV but really - she's good and this play is and an entertaining read  - really funny!" the reader would affirm.

"Could be problematic if she hasn't got a recognizable name that could sell tickets, though," the literary manager and/or producer would put forward.

"But it's a really good play," the reader would insist. "Why not give her a chance?"

"Not bankable," the literary manager and/or producer would answer, somewhat sadly (one would hope). "File away for future considerations."

Pure speculation on my part but one has to do something waiting for "the word". Then again, depending on what the word is, perhaps ignorance is bliss.

The Pulitzer Prize nominated musical version of Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home is coming to Broadway near year and the cast and crew have been announced. Michael Cerveris will be reprising his role as Bruce Bechdel, Alison’s closeted father.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a press preview event yesterday at which Bechdel, composer Jeanine Tesori, lyricist Lisa Kron and director Sam Gold talked about the show and were interviewed by actress Cherry Jones. Sydney Lucas who plays the young version of Alison also sang the song “Ring of Keys” which is based on the scene in the graphic novel where she sees a female delivery person and feels a heretofore unknown but thrilling kinship with her. It was quite a moving performance and surely will be a showstopper. (I didn’t see the original production alas.)

The show is being moved to the Circle in the Square theater where it will be staged in the round. Sounds pretty ground breaking in many ways, and it will definitely get a LOT of attention for a book that was already incredibly ground breaking.

Apropos of nothing, while I was fact checking (yes I do that) this post, I discovered that Alison Bechdel is a black belt in karate. Now you know.

Right now, people reading this are probably saying to themselves, "Eleanor hasn't given us any updates on her plays. I'd love to know how things are going with her." Okay - maybe the last sentence is a bit presumptuous on my part but maybe there are persons 'out there' who are curious.

Actually, I've been focusing a lot of my effort searching for a new literary address for my "babies." This includes cyber queries as to whether they would be welcome, to be followed by the actual execution (sounds so macabre) of hitting the 'send' key taking the plays on their cyber journeys. Waiting to receive news and/or updates on their suitability is stressful especially since theatres frequently restrict their responses to playwrights with plays in which they have an interest. It somehow doesn't seem logical to send a follow up if, say, there has been no response for a lengthy period of time. Then again, perhaps a reminder could be helpful:


"Dear blah-blah,

You might not remember me but five years ago (maybe more), I submitted my play to you/your theater/your literary manager. Having never heard back, I'm wondering if perhaps you never received it or somehow, it got deleted in your files (these things happen). Let me know if you'd like me to re-send the play and I'd be happy to oblige.

Yours in waiting,

Eleanor
(P.S. I'd very much appreciate it if you could advise me as to which play I sent you, since my cat did a dance on my keyboard and lost many of my files).


In as far as the plays themselves, I'm reviewing the content of "Retribution" with the intent of submitting it to an interesting competition. At the half-way point, I've made some minor changes but still very pleased with the overall content. The subject matter definitely isn't for everybody but the play itself  is a riveting drama.

Haven't read "Old Soldiers" since receiving the rejection advisement notice a few months ago. I had a gut feeling that it was on its way but it didn't make its reception any easier. A bit of ranting and raving occurred for a day or two followed by avowing to re-write. Thing is with rejection notices, rarely is there an accompanying explanation as to the reasons for the refusal, consequently there is always the nagging question as to why and what went wrong. In any case, time for a re-evaluation and the dastardly re-write(s) that will follow. It will require a complete overhaul having been written for radio and we'll have to see whether it's even feasible to turn it into a play. Some characters will have to be dropped in addition to scene changes and adaptations.

The newest playwriting project, "Storm Warning" is on the front burner. I've completed four scenes and I'm thinking some character sketches are required to define the purpose of everyone and where they fit into the story line.

One of my oldie but definitely good play, "Dead Writes" parts of which I've shared here in this blog, requires finishing. Actually, it needs a middle before it can be ended. A comedy, the play has been started and abandoned a number of times. Maybe not "abandoned" since this implies finality. Let's say - put to rest in cyber space for periods.  No particular reason other than I became distracted with other projects.

Finally, I'm toying with idea of writing a play based on a young teenage girl and her experiences growing up in the 1960's, while attending high school. Let's just say it's something I know about intimately. First though it back to work on Old Soldiers...maybe Dead Writes should be a priority since it's an older play...then again, Storm Warning is a fun challenge... Procrastination thy name is Eleanor.

I admit there are lot of things to do in New York City if you like comics, and here’s et another one. Please don’t hate us too much. The Comic Book Theater Festival will run from 6/3-29 @ The Brick and it’s just wha tit sounds like; a whole FESTIVAL of theater works inspired by comics. The line-up includes “King Kirby” by Fred van Lente and Crystal SKillman currently being Kickstarted. MUST SEE. There are also works by R. Sikoryak, Matthew Thurber and other comics/performance space regulars. Again so much to see and do!

The Astonishing Adventures of All American Girl & The Scarlet Skunk 
Written and directed by Charles Battersby 
Turn up the radio and get your decoder rings ready! Astonishing Adventures is a pulse-pounding tale of romance, comedy and action inspired by Golden Age comic books and radio shows. Thrill to the adventures of All American Girl and her plucky sidekick The Scarlet Skunk as they wage a two–fisted battle against injustice! Can they stand against the nefarious Doctor Mindshrinker and his deadly atomic ray gun? Will they find love on the rooftops of New York City? Find out in a tale unlike anything you have witnessed before! Brought to you by Chocolate Fluffo, the “Super delicious” dessert topping! 
Press Performances: Fri 6/6 @ 9pm, Tue 6/10 @ 8:45pm & Fri 6/13 @ 10pm 

El Coquí Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom 
Written by Matthew Barbot 
Alex, a comic book artist recently out of work because his ideas might be “too Puerto Rican” has taken on the trappings of one of his creations: El Coquí Espectacular, a hero that gets his powers from an enchanted carnival mask. When his brother Joe is fired from a project for not being Puerto Rican enough, the two, with the help of a young photographer, hatch a plan to debut El Coquí at the Puerto Rican Day parade and redeem themselves. 
Press Performances: Thu 6/5 @ 9pm, Sat 6/7 @ 4:45pm & Sun 6/15 @ 7pm 

Hero How To 
Presented by Dusky Projects/Konoa Joe Island, Written by Wi-Moto Nyoka, Directed by Charles Curtis, Music by Wi-Moto Nyoka and Tommy Turnstyles 
Hero How To is the origins story of the would-be hero Dusky Diana and the prologue to the web series The Last Days of Kartika. Hero How To uses Funk, Soul, and Hip Hop music to tell the story of the citizens of Kartika during their most troublesome times. 
Press Performances: Wed 6/4 @ 9pm, Fri 6/6 @ 7pm & Sun 6/8 @ 3pm 

King Kirby 
Written by Crystal Skillman and Fred Van Lente, Directed by John Hurley
Jack “King of the Comics” Kirby is the most famous artist you’ve never heard of. Husband-and-wife playwriting team Fred Van Lente (award-winning, New York Times best selling comics writer of Cowboys & Aliens and Action Philosophers) and Crystal Skillman (NYIT Award-winning playwright of Geek, Cut, and The Vigil) combine their talents with director John Hurley (Action Philosophers!, Lickspittles, Buttonholers and Damned Pernicious Go Betweens, and The Vigil) to produce this hysterical and heartbreaking tale of how he poured his quintestially Twentieth Century life into his comics, and the fateful, tragic mistake that led him to obscurity, while his creation became known to every person on Earth. 
Press Performances: Fri 6/20 @ 7pm, Sat 6/21 @ 3pm & Wed 6/25 @ 7pm

Lifetime Supply 
Written by Sarah Todes, Directed by John Kern and Andrew J. Scoville 
Lifetime Supply is a live graphic novel in which Hannah collects a lifetime supply of Acai-Berry Supplements in her basement to win back the heart of the man she loves. When faced with a brutal rejection, Hannah attempts to commit suicide by swallowing all of the pills – but instead gains powers beyond her wildest imagination as her body, and the basement itself, transforms. Plunging into an ocean of Acai Supplements, Hannah will discover a world beyond the dark secrets of her past. 
Press Performances: Wed 6/4 @ 7pm, Sat 6/7 @ 3pm & Sat 6/14 @ 4:45pm 

Mahogany Brown and the Case of The Disappearing Kid
Written by Gina Femia, Directed by Megan Kosmoski 
It was a day like any other, except different. It was different. The air was a little bit too still and the trees were a bit too tall. That day. The day Jimmy Jones’ little boy disappeared. Follow Private Eye Mahogany Brown as she searches for the child supposedly taken by “The Nameless”. As the case progresses, clues appear to reveal more about Mahogany Brown than she is ready to handle. 
Press Performances: Wed 6/11 @ 7pm, Sat 6/14 @ 3pm & Wed 6/18 @ 7pm 

Masterpiece Comics Theater 
Created by R. Sikoryak 
Masterpiece Comics Theater – Where Classics and Cartoons Collide! This hour long multimedia show adapts R. Sikoryak’s graphic novel “Masterpiece Comics” and its sequel and features re-tellings of classic literature in the styles of popular American comics. Inspired by epic poetry, Gothic romance, and Elizabethan tragedy, as well as superhero stories, cat cartoons, and gum wrappers, Masterpiece Comics Theater uses projections, a rotating cast of voice actors, and live sound effects in the manner of Sikoryak’s long-running Carousel comics performance series. 
Press Performances: Sat 6/14 @ 8:15pm & Tue 6/17 @ 7pm 

Mining the Moon 
Written and Directed by Matthew Thurber 
A werewolf who happens to be the president of the United States has remained in power by arresting the movement of the Moon. A cabal of businessmen have their sights on harvesting the lunar coal deposits, and attempt to depose him with the help of the last remaining Native Americans who hope to build a giant casino on their reservation that will reach into space – unless they can be stopped by President Furzedowne and his accomplice, a talking horse named Mr. Colostomy. Inspired by the deadpan theatrical works of Raymond Roussel and the puppetry–influenced plays of Alfred Jarry, as well as 19th century Bowery melodrama, Matthew Thurber’s musical adaptation of his own comic is enhanced by elaborate costumes, painted backdrops, scrolls, and lo–fi special effects. 
Press Performances: Sun 6/8 @ 5pm, Tue 6/10 @ 7pm & Sat 6/21 @ 8pm 

The Myth of Power with Caveman Robot & Drummond Pierce-Nez
Presented by Starsailor, Written by Adam McGovern and Jason Robert Bell 
Long thought taped over by an Arizona PBS station for a less significant Bill Moyers segment, The Myth of Power is not just in your imagination! Archetype hunter and mail-order tribal initiate Drummond Pierce-Nez gets to meet and interview his favorite pop deity, comic book paragon Caveman Robot, live and incarnate for one sleepless night only. Get a courtside seat to the conceptual cage-match of the last 150 million years as the mechanical man-child and the hero of a thousand of his own stories dish about what the elder gods and fire-breathing Yeti were really like when the scribes weren’t carving. Featuring artist and tent-show conceptualist Jason Robert Bell with comicbook writer and pop lecturer Adam McGovern, it’s a panopticon of staged conversation, video, cosplay and hallucination you can take all your ancestors to!
Press Performance: Thu 6/5 @ 7pm 

Out of Frame: Dance+Comics 
Curated by Patrice Miller 
Can Catwoman do the twist? What happens when Fire and Ice tango? [Out of Frame] brings choreographers and comic book artists together to answer these and other important questions. This bill of short dance and movement pieces explores the intersection of sequential art and movement, showcasing new and exciting collaborations from emerging and established choreographers, directors, and visual artists. 
Press Performances: Tue 6/24 @ 9pm & Sat 6/28 @ 9pm 

The Retardedly Boring Misadventures of Apathy Boy 
Presented by Foxy Henriques and The Circuit Theatre Company 
Written by Skylar Fox and Simon Henriques, Animation by Alex Lee 
“What part of ‘I don’t care’ don’t you understand?” he says in a measured tone, as he gives that signature “Whatever” shrug. It’s Apathy Boy. Yay. In a world that cares too much, Apathy Boy is really good at saving himself. In an alternate world, a high school boy tells Apathy Boy’s story as he draws it into life. As these worlds collide, a hero meets his maker, and nothing will ever be the same. This new play from Foxy Henriques combines live action with animation to tell a story about … whatever. If you want to know, come to the show. Or don’t. Nothing matters anyway. 
Press Performances: Thu 6/19 @ 7pm & Fri 6/20 @ 10:30pm 

RETCONtroversy 
Written by Natalie Zutter Directed by Shannon Lippert 
Stinger (a.k.a. Nora Echolls) was everyone’s favorite girl wonder, rooftop-jumping sidekick, until a tragic attack left her partially paralyzed. Slowly and painfully, Eleanor recreated herself as Echo, a brainy superhero support system. But twenty years later, she’s being retconned: Stinger is back, shiny and new, and was never paralyzed to begin with! Now, Echo has to use that big brain of hers to keep the canon from changing. Unfortunately, her smartest idea was to kidnap her younger self. 
Press Performances: Thu 6/19 @ 9pm, Sun 6/22 @ 5pm & Tue 6/24@ 7pm 
(on a double bill with White Space) 

Swell 
Adapted from the graphic novel by Juliacks, Directed by Kathleen Amshoff
Emmeline Grouse lives in a small town in Vermont, in a house overlooking an abandoned cemetery where she and her sister Lucy would often play. Adapted from the comic art novel by Juliacks, SWELL is an ongoing project that explores the memory-shifting and kaleidoscopic journey of grief, as Emmeline confronts her fears, dreams, and imagination. Following its March 2012 premiere at Culture Project’s Women Center Stage Festival in Manhattan, and its reimagining at the Atomic Centre by a new team of New York-, Lyon- and Winnipeg-based artists, SWELL is reincarnated for the Comic Book Theater Festival in a new version that draws from SWELL’s past to reenact moments in Emmeline’s stream of recollections. 
Press Performances: Thu 6/12 @ 7pm, Fri 6/13 @ 8:30pm & Sat 6/14 @ 10pm 

Switch to Kill 
Presented by Gemini CollisionWorks, Written by Dean Haspiel, Directed by Ian W. Hill 
In a world where no one knows anyone’s true identity, professional hit men Dallas Twilite and Buck Dangerzone engage in a psychological duel that triggers cold–blooded acts of murder. Haunted by his younger brother’s death years ago, Dallas, in a twist of events, realizes that he has never witnessed his partner, Buck, kill a man, while that partner insists that he’s been responsible for every kill and won’t admit how. Their disagreement breaks a trust that has bonded them since day one. All hell breaks loose when Frank the Shank sparks a distribution war, geriatric assassins Jimmy the Face and Massacre Mel deliver the wrong head to gang lord rival Bohannon, and gun salesman Stan the Man sells the right bullets to the wrong men. Through a series of harried gun play and emotional tests, a trust is reinstated and ghosts are lifted from the psyche of grief-stricken killers. 
Press Performances: Thu 6/12 @ 9pm, Sun 6/15 @ 5pm & Thu 6/26 @ 9pm 

White Space 
Written by Brett Ackerman Co-directed by Brett Ackerman & Nicola McEldowney 
Set within three panels of an old space adventure comic book, White Space follows two background characters, Alex and Samantha, as they attempt to understand their purpose in the grand scheme of the comic’s narrative. After part of Alex’s panel falls off, he finds Samantha was living in the panel next to him for years. Together, they conspire to bust out of their square prisons and discover where their destiny lies. What Alex doesn’t know is that his death is only a panel away. 
Press Performances: Thu 6/19 @ 9pm & Sun 6/22 @ 3pm & 5pm 
(on a double bill with RETCONtroversy) 

Before I get into the nitty gritty..

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I saw the final night of the ENCORE! concert staging of ythe Adams/Strouse Superman musical last night and I truly wish I had seen it earlier so I could have written about it earlier and told everyone to go see it because it was a DELIGHT! but the theater was jammed so I guess it didn’t need my rave! (I spotted Joss Whedon among those taking it in!)

Everything about this production was charming and fizzy and fun, starting with the bold splashy sets filled with pop art ben day dots and explosions. Originally produced in 1966, this was very much a period piece, but people were a lot more sophisticated in 1966 then we give them credit for, from Lois’s kicky mod dresses to the sly suggestion that Superman is a little more into his celebrity than his heroism might indicate.

The cast was note perfect, from Edward Watts strapping, slightly goofy but always sincere Superman; Jenny Powers as a pert, yearning Lois, David Pittu and Will Swenson bringing down the house as a pair of villains.

This musical came out a few months after the campy Batman TV show debuted, a reminded that the DC superheroes were already a significant part of the cultural consciousness. It’s a Bird’s Superman plays on the same kind of cartoonish approach to the idea of the Superhero — both Batman and Superman are just “good guys” who solves petty street crimes and vanquish the occasional wackadoo with an unlikely hairdo—but it’s a lot more amenable to the idea that we need an amazing hero to look up to, even if he is a little bit slow on the uptake about a few things, like romance and mad scientists with evil schemes.

All the singing and dancing and acrobatics was outstanding, and I left the theater humming the tunes…something I could not say about SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK. Different stories for different times.

Anyway, great fun, and I’m really glad I got to see it.

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Theater fans and Superman fans have some fun in store for them this week when the Encore production of It’s a Bird, It’s Plane…It’s Superman hits the stage with Edward Watts as Clark/Superman, Jenny Power as Lois Lane and Alli Mauzey as Sydney Carlton. Originally produced in 1966 with music and lyrics by Charles Strause and Lee Adams and book by David Newman and Robert Benton, it’s definitely a retro view of Superman—he’s dating Lois for one thing—but if you like the most iconic view of the Man of Steel, this fits the bill. Plus—show tunes.

We were lucky to attend the media day for this and Mauzey stole the show with an ultra-spunky “You’ve Got Possibilities” but Watts is a heroic, handsome Clark and Power is a winsome, tuneful Lois. The show runs from March 20-24 at City Center and tickets are available here. Enter “comics” at checkout for a discount.

One of the most colorful ephemera of Superman lore is his stage appearance in the show "It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman!" a musical with book by David Newman and Robert Benton, and music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adam (That's the guys behind Bye Bye Bride and Applause.) The show is being revived for a seven performance run at New York City Center from March 20 through 24. Tickets can be purchased here.

Realizing that getting new stores out there is crucial to growing the comics business. Diamond has announced a couple of new programs to help get new stores up and running by softening the financial blow of assembling opening inventory. New business director Chris Powell announced these at todays Diamond retailer lunch. One program is allows stores to order two month’s worth of books and make returns before being charged. The other is a bigger deeper discount.

Details via pr:

As part of its ongoing efforts to grow the comic book specialty market, Diamond Comic Distributors today announced a new initiative with leading suppliers to encourage existing retailers to open new locations and/or relocate their current stores to larger, higher traffic locations.

BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse Comics, DC Entertainment, Diamond Select Toys, Dynamite Entertainment, IDW Publishing, Image Comics and Marvel Comics have all signed on to provide incentives to qualifying retailers.
“Promising retail sales for comic book stores in 2011 and 2012 have encouraged a growing number of retailers to expand into larger stores or to open new ones,” said Diamond Executive Director of Business Development Chris Powell. “Together with our leading publishers and suppliers, we’re excited to announce a program that will allow these retailers to expand with confidence and, by doing so, continue to strengthen the entire comic book industry.”

Programs initially offered to qualifying retailers vary by supplier, but will include:

•​Increased discounts of up to 69% off orders of backlist products from Diamond and participating publishers and manufacturers;
•​Backlist consignment programs, allowing retailers to fully stock their stores with graphic novels, trade paperbacks and other pop-culture merchandise with extended payment terms and the ability to adjust stock levels after 6 months;
•​Increased discounts and/or consignment billing on a new store’s initial orders of comics for its first two months of operation, with consignment billing deferred until retailers have the opportunity to return overstocked product after keeping it on sale for a period of 6-12 weeks; and
•​Store Starter Kits, offering selections of free trade paperbacks and graphic novels from participating publishers that showcase the vast breadth and depth of comic stories that retailers can use to attract any audience into their stores.

Under the new programs, Diamond will continue to provide professional advice and in-depth instruction on Diamond’s systems from Powell and a team of Diamond personnel.

Expressing views held by many in the industry, DC Entertainment SVP-Sales & Marketing Bob Wayne said: “The weekly experience that the comic book specialty market provides for our fans is extremely important to all of DC Entertainment. We’re excited about this opportunity to work with our retail partners to expand the size of the market, in cooperation with Diamond and our fellow publishers.”

According to Powell, most retailers opening new locations of existing businesses must invest a significant portion of their cash-flow to fleshing out their backlist inventory and preordering monthly comics based on projected sales.

“With this new initiative,” he said, “we will work with retailers to minimize these risks and outlays. This allows the retailer to stock the hottest graphic novels, trade paperbacks and other bestselling merchandise from day one, which lets them make a great first impression on new customers. It also gives them more flexibility in their budgets for marketing their new store so that they can continue attracting customers and generating sales.”

Realizing that getting new stores out there is crucial to growing the comics business. Diamond has announced a couple of new programs to help get new stores up and running by softening the financial blow of assembling opening inventory. New business director Chris Powell announced these at todays Diamond retailer lunch. One program is allows stores to order two month’s worth of books and make returns before being charged. The other is a bigger deeper discount.

Details via pr:

As part of its ongoing efforts to grow the comic book specialty market, Diamond Comic Distributors today announced a new initiative with leading suppliers to encourage existing retailers to open new locations and/or relocate their current stores to larger, higher traffic locations.

BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse Comics, DC Entertainment, Diamond Select Toys, Dynamite Entertainment, IDW Publishing, Image Comics and Marvel Comics have all signed on to provide incentives to qualifying retailers.
“Promising retail sales for comic book stores in 2011 and 2012 have encouraged a growing number of retailers to expand into larger stores or to open new ones,” said Diamond Executive Director of Business Development Chris Powell. “Together with our leading publishers and suppliers, we’re excited to announce a program that will allow these retailers to expand with confidence and, by doing so, continue to strengthen the entire comic book industry.”

Programs initially offered to qualifying retailers vary by supplier, but will include:

•​Increased discounts of up to 69% off orders of backlist products from Diamond and participating publishers and manufacturers;
•​Backlist consignment programs, allowing retailers to fully stock their stores with graphic novels, trade paperbacks and other pop-culture merchandise with extended payment terms and the ability to adjust stock levels after 6 months;
•​Increased discounts and/or consignment billing on a new store’s initial orders of comics for its first two months of operation, with consignment billing deferred until retailers have the opportunity to return overstocked product after keeping it on sale for a period of 6-12 weeks; and
•​Store Starter Kits, offering selections of free trade paperbacks and graphic novels from participating publishers that showcase the vast breadth and depth of comic stories that retailers can use to attract any audience into their stores.

Under the new programs, Diamond will continue to provide professional advice and in-depth instruction on Diamond’s systems from Powell and a team of Diamond personnel.

Expressing views held by many in the industry, DC Entertainment SVP-Sales & Marketing Bob Wayne said: “The weekly experience that the comic book specialty market provides for our fans is extremely important to all of DC Entertainment. We’re excited about this opportunity to work with our retail partners to expand the size of the market, in cooperation with Diamond and our fellow publishers.”

According to Powell, most retailers opening new locations of existing businesses must invest a significant portion of their cash-flow to fleshing out their backlist inventory and preordering monthly comics based on projected sales.

“With this new initiative,” he said, “we will work with retailers to minimize these risks and outlays. This allows the retailer to stock the hottest graphic novels, trade paperbacks and other bestselling merchandise from day one, which lets them make a great first impression on new customers. It also gives them more flexibility in their budgets for marketing their new store so that they can continue attracting customers and generating sales.”

We’ve written about the BATMAN LIVE stage show here a few times…Since October, it’s toured throughout Europe, leaving audiences gasping at the stunts, spectacle and just plain weirdness of a live action show about Batman. The BATMAN LIVE show is the result of a lot of work: four years of concepting and rehearsals. The 42-person cast includes Batman, Robin, Alfred and a rogues gallery including The Joker, Catwoman, The Riddler, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and The Penguin. Based on what we’ve seen, it’s quite the spectacle.

Well, now the show is coming to the Western Hemisphere for a two-year tour, with a September 5 premiere in Anaheim. And here’s a BRAND NEW video featuring Geoff Johns, Jim Lee and Allan Heinberg (who wrote the book) talking about how the show brings Batman to life and their own thoughts on the production. The fellow with the English accent and the Bruce Timm-level jawline is Sam Heughan, who originated the role of Batman in BATMAN LIVE

There’s more information on how to see the show when it comes to your town on the website.

Following Anaheim, the tour will travel to Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN; HP Pavilion at San Jose, CA; Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA; Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV; Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, OK; Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, NM; World Arena in Colorado Springs, CO; Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, CO; and additional cities all over North America that will be announced in the coming months.

Thrill to the “wish” song, “I Want to Kill Your Dog” and the tender romantic ballad “Nik nik nik nik!” as MARS ATTACKS, the gory card set from the 60s, gets what it always needed to be: a Broadway musical with a book by…John Layman! It’s based on the story of the Mars Attacks miniseries Layman wrote for IDW, Mars Attacks: 21st Century Slaughter, which is coming out this summer.

Wow. Can this plucky bunch of kids succeed where Bono, Edge and Taymor failed? Or is this press release just misdated from Sunday, April 1st?

Originally a delightfully lurid card set painted by Norman Saunders, Mars Attacks has also been adapted into a film by Tim Burton starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Tom Jones.

Coinciding with the Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, trading card giant Topps and comic book publisher IDW announced today an exciting joint venture: the co-production of a thrilling, big-budget Broadway musical based on the MARS ATTACKS saga, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2012.  While Topps and IDW have each had success with their properties in film, a Broadway production is a first for both companies.

“Topps and IDW recently made a long-term commitment to MARS ATTACKS in the form of an ongoing comic book series, and this unique project is an extension of that,” said Ira Friedman, Topps VP of Publishing and Licensing.  

Greg Goldstein, President of IDW Publishing, continued, “We’ve been hard at work preparing our new comic series since last fall, and a live stage production was the logical next step in expanding our partnership.  This will be a ferocious, seat-of-your-pants musical that will engage audiences—a jaw-dropping extravaganza unlike anything theatre-goers have seen before.”

The musical, to be titled Mars Attacks: 21st Century Slaughter, will be written and produced by comics veteran John Layman, and set in the same continuity as the comic book that he is authoring.  His story, adapted for the stage, chronicles the modern-day invasion of Earth by grotesque aliens from Mars, who utilize giant insects, killer robots and a variety of stunning death rays to conquer the planet.

“Ever since I saw The Sound of Music as a youngster living in New York I have dreamed of a career on Broadway, and I’m very excited to be branching out into theatre,” said Layman.  “My approach to MARS ATTACKS on stage is sort of a science fiction version of West Side Story: a human and a Martian involved in a star-crossed romance, set against the backdrop of a violent interstellar war—with all of humanity caught in between!  It’s going to be a rollicking good time, with songs that will make you want to get up and dance!”

Mars Attacks: 21st Century Slaughter is scheduled for rehearsals later this year with a Broadway debut planned for 2013.  Topps and IDW are in negotiations with a high-profile director/songwriter team and are currently seeking a seven-foot tall male lead with extensive rock vocal experience.

IDW’s comic book series “Mars Attacks” launches this June.  Topps will release a commemorative card set this July.   For more information on Mars Attacks, follow their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MarsAttacks

Attention outtatowners who might be coming to NYC for New York Comic-Con, we know what you want to do. You want to look at comic books. And go to the theater. Well, here’s how you can do BOTH.

This weekend and next the Impetuous Theater Group is putting on ACTION PHILOSOPHERS!, an adaptation of the much admired comic by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavy, written by rising playwright Crystal Skillman (who is also van Lente’s wife) and directed by John Hurley.

The play was the hit of this summer’s Comic Book Theater Festival, telling the action-packed story of philosophers from Plato to Rand in a comedic rumble on the life of the mind. At the very least, it was easier to put together than the last comic book play we saw, SPIDER-MAN: THE MUSICAL.

Details below:

Thu & Fri at 8pm, Sat & Sun at 7pm
October 6 – 16, 2011
 
Direction: John Hurley
starring: Neimah Djourabchi, Joseph Mathers, Tim McCown Reynolds,
Matthew Trumbull, Kristen Vaughn & C.L. Weatherstone
 All tickets: $18
 Performances October 6, 7, 13 and 14 at 8pm, October 8, 9, 15 and 16 at 7pm
 Only at The Brick, 575 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
All tickets available at www.bricktheater.com or by calling Theatermania (212-352-3101)
SPECIAL Promo First Week! $15 with the code word SMASH

BONUS an interview with Skillman and Hurley:

LZ: Action Philosophers! returns for a second round of performances at the Brick. What are the challenges of staging a play adapted from a graphic novel?

JH: A graphic novel is clean. It exists in a series of carefully framed tableaus. Theatre is messy. Most of theatre bleeds between the frames of any two moments (as we watch actors enter, exit, and move about the stage). The primary challenge was to marry the stationary stagecraft of a graphic novel with the more liquid style of theatre.

CS: For me, the play is adapted from the graphic novel by my hubby Fred Van Lente (created with/drawn by our best friend artist Ryan Dunlavey) so the biggest challenge was all the crazy promises I made to those I loved the most including John and our cast! It was in March that I had the idea to adapt the book for the Comic Book Theater Festival at the Brick Theater, and we were going up in June. What I thought was a piece of cake turned out to be WAY harder than I thought! Luckily I had the advantage of Fred being right there in my house! He helped me realize what it was when I started to truly have fun with the material (really going all out playing with the Kung Fu Movie angle of the Bodhidharma scene, the Hollywood treatment of Ra

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