BC Refugees Blog

          Nick Dragotta , the artist behind the popular EAST OF WEST monthly series made a special appearance at Captain Blue Hen Comics in Newark, Delaware on Saturday (12/28/2013) and stayed busy for more than two hours sketching and chatting with fans and admirers.           Dragotta, a former resident of Southern New Jersey now living with his family in the San Francisco Bay area, made a trip back East to visit his parents and stopped by Captain Blue Hen to renew acquaintances. He was a former customer when he lived in the area, often making the trip from New Jersey in order to obtain books not available through regular drugstore, mini-mart, and various spinner-rack sources. Picture at right: Nick shows by example the intricacies of artwork to a young fan/aspiring artist. . . . . . . . .           Nick’s fondness for comics goes back to his childhood days when he began collecting comic books as he puts it “beginning with simpler things” and then progressing to more adult the

                         I just saw AMERICAN HUSTLE and was blown away by the amazing performances.  I wasn't sure what to expect before I entered the movie theater, but I was impressed with all aspects of this great movie.       The movie begins with a disclaimer - - - "some of these events actually happened" - - which is very appropriate since most of the script is the creation of the clever writers.  AMERICAN HUSTLE is loosely based on the late 1970's ABSCAM scandal where the FBI baited some corrupt members of Congress to accept bribes in exchange for favors, and then caught them in the act.   The script writers for AMERICAN HUSTLE then built an elaborate backstory and wove it into the actual events.  I'm sure some moviegoers are going to be confused and end up believing that this is the way it actually happened.  Anyone who does a little research into the actual events will realize that once they learn that all the characters in the movie have d

ARTIST SIGNING Saturday, December 28, 2013 NICK DRAGOTTA

  The BC office received this jovial greeting card from Valiant Entertainment.   Have a wonderful holiday!  Best wishes for happiness in 2014!  Please remain a visitor to our blog site. Thanks for your support and interest in 2013.

THE REASON FOR DRAGONS  (Archaia  Entertainment, May 2013 original graphic novel hardcover $19.95, 120 pages) Written by Chris Northrop.  Art by Jeff Stokely.  Color by Chris Northrop and Andrew Elder.  Lettering by Chris Northrop.  Based on concepts by Chris Northrup and Sean Murphy 2007.  Fantasy.  Publisher disclaimer: This book may contain mild violence or mild profanity.  This book is intended for teen readers, 12 and up.      I have a special Christmas wish for every young person out there who feels like a misfit, that they are incapable of making a significant contribution to their own lives or lives of others, and considers themselves outcast in a school of their peers.  May you find a creative work that inspires you, restores your self-confidence and helps you discover that inner spark that makes you special and worthwhile.     There are tons of choices out there in graphic novels, fiction, audio books, movies and television shows waiting to be explored.  The young adult sec

ARCHER AND ARMSTRONG Volume 1 Writer: Fred Van Lente Artist: Clayton Henry Valiant | graphic novel | $9.99 Archer and Armstrong  are an unlikely duo. Archer was raised for the first eighteen years of his life on a defunct Creationist theme park along with his 22 brothers and sisters by their adoptive father who was also a fundamentalist preacher.  Armstrong is an ancient Egyptian named  Aram Anni-Padda  who stumbled onto immortality and now spends his time drinking around the world and wasting the years away in frivolity. When Archer is ordered to kill Armstrong, they are both captured by a sect called the 1% and as negotiations start for his safe return, Archer realizes his adoptive parents have been lying to and using him his whole life. Fred Van Lente  is best known for his work on  The Incredible Hercules  with  Greg Pak . You can hear my interview with Van Lente in the  NYCC  interview bonus cast located  here .   Clayton Henry  has done interior work mostly for the  X-fam

          It certainly seems awful early to be writing about Free Comic Book Day , which doesn’t occur until May 3rd, the first Saturday of May 2014.   However,  as this event gets bigger and bigger every year, the planning starts almost as soon as the prior year event ends.            There will be 60 FCBD titles offered in 2014.  As these are not free to the comic book stores that distribute them (they pay a small price to help offset printing and shipping costs) you should not expect to find all 60 available at your favorite local comics retailer.            A good plan would be to identify those issues you are most interested in, ask your comic store if they are planning to bring those titles in, and ask “would they please save a copy” for you.   There are also online outlets that will sell you these titles  (average price 25-30 cents plus shipping) but I strongly urge you to support your local comics store first and foremost.  After all, the annual Free Comic Book Day event is

    One of the few heavy metal bands I have an appreciation for gets me in the holiday mood.  Please give a listen here . . . . . . . . . . . . Happy Holidays from BC Refugees Blog !!!

EVIL JESTER PRESENTS #1  (Evil Jester Press, December 2013)  Anthology of short horror stories. Various authors and artists. 32 pages.  Full color.  $3.99 digital copy.  $3.99 plus shipping and handling for print copies.  http://eviljestercomics.com          That headline above  is the slogan that greets visitors to the website for EVIL JESTER PRESENTS   #1 , which debuted on December 12, 2013.  The good news is that Issue #1 delivers on the promise and deserves the attention.    When you click on the link for press releases, a giant comic page greets (and threatens) you and gives a good indication of what the contents of Issue #1 will contain . . . . . . .          "I’m a hopeless geek with nearly 60,000 comics in my collection—much of it horror—so this is truly a dream project for me," said Taylor Grant, Evil Jester Comics co-founder and editor-in-chief.   "For years I've wanted to bring back the types of horror comics I read as a kid and infuse them with the

WARS IN TOYLAND  (ONI Press hardcover 106 pages, $19.99)  Created by Joe Harris and Adam Pollina.  Finishes by Brent McCarthy.  Colored by Nolan Woodard.  Lettered by Jared M. Jones.           There is a double page single panel of art in this deluxe graphic novel that says it all:  elementary school level Matthew,  still clad in superhero pajamas and sprawled across the bedroom floor, with a giant wood toy box wide open . All his toys surround him, dominated by those familiar green army men and organized into battle groups with various vehicles and stuffed animals joining in.  The look of excited contentment on Matthew’s face is priceless.          Admittedly inspired by the classic BABES IN TOYLAND , the original graphic novel WARS IN TOYLAND is a darker look at the realm of Toyland under the rule of a large stitched-up and mean-spirited teddy bear named Roxbury.       This is my first exposure to a hardcover offering from ONI PRESS , and the results are very impressive.  This

from the official press release . . . . . . .  . Next summer…Earth will be the greatest hunt of all. The most ambitious crossover event of 2014 begins in ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (of 4) – the first issue of an all-new, four-issue mini-series by New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti ( X-O Manowar , Green Lantern ) and superstar artist Doug Braithwaite ( Unity , Justice ). When Aric of Dacia returned to Earth with the stolen X-O Manowar armor of an alien race, he thought he finally found a weapon to guard the peace and kingdom he’d struggled so long to secure.   But now, a relentless and surgical strike team from the farthest reaches of space – sworn to exterminate the armor and all like it – have found their final target.  The ARMOR HUNTERS are coming. They will hunt.  They will trap.  They will kill.  And they will rid the universe of the X-O Manowar’s incalculable destructive power…even if it means taking the Earth with it. “2014 will be a year of all-new jumping-on points

  from the report at www.pastemagazine.com . . . . . . . . .   According to multiple sources, Paul Rudd is nearly confirmed as a lead in Marvel’s Ant-Man movie. Both Variety and The Wrap (via A.V. Club ) are reporting that Rudd is close to closing a deal to become the newest Marvel hero. Both outlets claim sources close to the project have confirmed that Rudd is currently in early negotiations to play the role. Which Ant-Man Rudd will play is still up to speculation. Throughout Marvel’s history, the character/title of Ant-Man has served several owners. The Wrap has Rudd listed to play Henry “Hank” Pym, the original Ant-Man. Variety hints that director Edgar Wright may chose to focus on Scott Lang, a character who steals Pym’s shape-shifting technology to become Ant-Man 2.0. Variety also points out that the film may contain both characters, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt rumored to play Lang. Fans should have their answer in the near future. Shooting for the film is set to begin i

  I’m being teased.  How about you?

DESTINATION TRUTH: MEMOIRS OF A MONSTER HUNTER by Josh Gates.  Publisher: Gallery Books / Simon & Schuster, Inc.  Trade Paperback (258 pages)            Entertaining and engaging on multiple levels, Destination Truth: Memoirs Of A Monster Hunter is a fast-paced global journey through four years of exploration and investigation of creature sightings.  It stands as a companion piece to the popular SyFy Channel series of the same name, and provides insight into the character of narrator and leader Josh Gates.  It's a little bit Lewis and Clark, Stanley and Livingstone, and Indiana Jones.           Gates describes himself as "a professional vagabond, international monster hunter, and paranormal Hardy Boy."  He recounts his first four years of research for the television show in a casual style, as if the reader were hearing it tableside while sharing a drink with the author.  Gates intersperses his commentary with amusing asides and observations that should win

JLA: The Nail Writer: Alan Davis Artists: Alan Davis, Mark Farmer DC Comics | Graphic Novel | $14.95 As the  Justice League  movie approaches, the same question seems to get asked over and over again. How do you make the League seem relevant compared to  Superman ?  It’s a valid point. What can  Green Arrow  and  Black Canary  do that Superman can’t, other than play catch with a ball of  Kryptonite ? If you were in trouble would you rather call on  Hawkman  or The Big Blue Boy Scout? Let’s face it; even if you were underwater, you’d be infinitely happier with Superman than  Aquaman . So what would happen if the League existed but Superman wasn’t in it or even active in that universe? A three issue mini written by  Alan Davis  (best known for his work on  Batman, X-Men  and various UK comics) and illustrated by Davis and  Mark Farmer  (also best known for UK comics),  JLA: The Nail  seeks to answer this question. Getting ready to head out into town one day,  Martha and Jonathan

Short and to the point. Summer 2014? Rather cruel to tease it now. But I'm ok with being teased like this. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

       Compiled from press releases . . . . .               Lovers of genre fiction and new pulp can now sample short versions of potential purchases via a new digital line being introduced via Pro Se Productions .  The cutting edge independent publisher has introduced the PRO SE SINGLE SHOT digital imprint available now.               To kick off the line, Pro Se Productions has taken four of the best stories from its existing catalog and made them into PRO SE SINGLE SHOTS.  These are available for 99 cents via Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.  Although word count will vary, the featured stories will generally be 15,000 words or less.  Covers for the Ebooks will either be redesigned covers of the full length collections the stories appear in or, for the tales exclusive to the line, newly commissioned works of art.              "There's nothing like a really good short story to an avid reader," says Tommy Hancock, Pro Se's Editor In