Monday, July 30, 2007

Comic-Con Decompression

We're alive! We just got back from the San Diego Comic-Con, and now it's time to sleep. More to come, but the show was great. If you missed the party be sure to check out the video player below to see a couple of our booth signings, featuring the likes of Kevin Bacon, Saw director James Wan, Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray, Futurama voice talent (listen for Maurice to spout Brain's classic 'YES'), and, of course, me.

Later

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Live from Comic-Con!

If you're on the Fox Atomic Comics MySpace page, check out the new window below - Fox Atomic Comics is live at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con! We're uploading pictures of our days and nights from Andre's iPhone, and when we have booth signings we will be broadcasting LIVE! Check the schedule:

Thursday
5:00 – 6:00: The Nightmare Factory / Fox Atomic Comics
- Ben Templesmith, Ted McKeever, Michael Gaydos, Joe Harris, and Stuart Moore

Friday
12:00 – 1:00: The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning / Fox Atomic Comics
- Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray

2:30 – 3:30: The Tripper
- David Arquette, Thomas Jane, Joe Harris

4:00 – 5:00: 28 Days Later: The Aftermath / Fox Atomic Comics
- Steve Niles and Tim Bradstreet

Saturday
12:30 – 1:30: Wrong Turn 2
- Henry Rollins, Joe Lynch, Erika Leerhsen, Daniella Alonso

3:00 – 4:00: Death Sentence
- Kevin Bacon(!), James Wan, and Garrett Hedlund (Note this panel will require tix that will be distributed at the booth on Saturday morning)

Be sure to stop by booth #4429 and say hi if you're at the show!

Later

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Fox Atomic at the San Diego Comic-Con

It's almost here - Comic-Con! If you are going to the show, please stop by the Fox Atomic / Fox Atomic Comics booth (#4429) to check out our set-up, pick up our free swag (believe me, we’ll have LOTS of it), meet the gang, and perhaps score an autograph or two.

Keep watching the Fox Atomic Comics MySpace page for a few Comic-Con surprises... I will tease them much more when I can! ;) Just waiting on our tech goblins to work their magicks.

Here’s our signing schedule as well:

Thursday
5:00 – 6:00: The Nightmare Factory / Fox Atomic Comics
- Ben Templesmith, Ted McKeever, Michael Gaydos, Joe Harris, and Stuart Moore

Friday
12:00 – 1:00: The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning / Fox Atomic Comics
- Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray

2:30 – 3:30: The Tripper
- David Arquette, Thomas Jane, Joe Harris

4:00 – 5:00: 28 Days Later: The Aftermath / Fox Atomic Comics
- Steve Niles and Tim Bradstreet

Saturday
12:30 – 1:30: Wrong Turn 2
- Henry Rollins, Joe Lynch, Erika Leerhsen, Daniella Alonso

3:00 – 4:00: Death Sentence
- Kevin Bacon(!), James Wan, and Garrett Hedlund (Note this panel will require tix that will be distributed at the booth on Saturday morning)

Later

Friday, July 20, 2007

Comic-Con!

Heading down to Comic-Con next week? You are? Well, so are we! Wow, what a coincidence. Come here often?

Anyway, I digress, as I am want to do (I know better to post blogs before I head to the bar). Where was I? Oh yes – COMIC-CON! If you are going to the show, please stop by the Fox Atomic / Fox Atomic Comics booth (#4429) to check it out, pick up our free swag (believe me, we’ll have LOTS of it), meet the gang, and perhaps score an autograph or two.

Here’s our signing schedule!

Thursday
5:00 – 6:00: The Nightmare Factory / Fox Atomic Comics
- Ben Templesmith, Ted McKeever, Michael Gaydos, Joe Harris, and Stuart Moore

Friday
12:00 – 1:00: The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning / Fox Atomic Comics
- Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray

2:30 – 3:30: The Tripper
- David Arquette, Thomas Jane, Joe Harris

4:00 – 5:00: 28 Days Later: The Aftermath / Fox Atomic Comics
- Steve Niles and Tim Bradstreet

Saturday
12:30 – 1:30: Wrong Turn 2
- Henry Rollins, Joe Lynch, Erika Leerhsen, Daniella Alonso

3:00 – 4:00: Death Sentence
- Kevin Bacon(!), James Wan, and Garrett Hedlund (Note this panel will require tix that will be distributed at the booth on Saturday morning)

Later

Thursday, July 19, 2007

San Diego Atomic-Con 2007

As most of you (should) know, next week is that glorious bacchanal of geekdom known as the San Diego Comic-Con. This week, however, is more akin to HELL WEEK, given the amount of prep that is required before yours truly jets down to San Diego all next week (hence my rather infrequent blog postings… I know). If you are going to the show be sure to stop by our booth (#4429) to say hi, and we’ll also be hosting signings with Steve Niles, Tim Bradstreet, Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, Ben Templesmith, Michael Gaydos, Ted McKeever, Joe Harris, Stuart Moore, Henry Rollins (!) Kevin Bacon (!!), and more! Check back tomorrow for the full schedule…

In the meantime, those loveable horror-hounds over at DREAD CENTRAL just posted a kick-ass review of the Hills graphic novel! Here's a sampling:

"There is enough blood and body parts littered throughout this book to satisfy any hardcore horror fan while telling a well planned, engrossing story at the same time." NICE!

FULL REVIEW:
"The Hills Have Eyes remake presented a faster, meaner animal living among the vast American wasteland. Luring wayward travelers into what literally became their “"dead end" is just a way of survival for the misshapen refugees of the atomic age. The Carters were one such unlucky family, coming face to deformed face with terrors you never dream possible as we go about our mundane lives. Only 4 would make it out alive, or so it seemed.

Hills 2 initiates a silent war as our military forces spill into the hills to back up scientists running tests on this poisoned patch of land. Unfortunately, the hills are still occupied and before long, army green turns to deep, blood red. Each movie ended in the typical Hollywood horror fashion, leaving plenty of room for a sequel, with the subtlety of a hammer on a bag of kittens, so you know there are more stories to come should the box office hold out. Still, there is even more that can be told. What happened between the first and second film? Better still, how did the residents of these irradiated badlands become those predatory creatures with faces even their momma’s dry heave over? Fox Atomic has the answers in The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning.

The Sawney Bean clan first came to this place along with so many others, dreaming of untold fortunes in gold buried beneath them. When the gold dried out, some left but the Bean clan remained with others who made a home among the acrid landscape. Years pass and the government decides one person’s community is just as good a place as any for the testing of good ole’ American firepower ...namely the Atom Bomb. This is where the fun begins. Honest, hard working folk go head to hear with military forces that don’t take no for an answer and inadvertently pave the way for the birth of generations of human monstrosities. The animals we call man and woman have a miraculous will to survive...one might say is encoded right into our DNA. When faced with adversity, we adapt. In the case of the Sawney Bean clan, you could call it De-volution. Basically, they fucked their way to a brighter tomorrow. Sounds almost cheery, eh?

Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning spins an American tale, much in the way our Grandfathers sit with us when we are small and recall the events of their youth. These are usually happy memories, but America was built on the backs of others who often lay broken and battered for the sake of progress when the job is done. Hills is that sort of tale, only the broken and battered pick up the pieces and become reborn into living nightmares preying on anyone who cross their path. What’s more American that that? It ain’t called the land of opportunity for nothing! Also, keep in mind, it’s not exactly Grandpa in a rocking chair doing the telling. You’ll most likely be eaten when the story is done.

Comics have an excellent track record of taking a story told through film, adapting it to panels on a page with fantastic art, and then, if you’re lucky, continuing that story, answering all the "what ifs" you conjured up when the movie ended. Hills: Beginning is one such golden opportunity to build a history around a fairly simple premise, turning it into a multi generational epic you never expected. Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray construct a tangible world from some pretty visceral architecture, carving out a new blueprint written in the language of revenge, violence and ultimately, survival. Amazing how fleshing out a story can turn insane, pick wielding mutants into a sympathetic family! Art from John Higgins; smacking of work I’ve personally come to love in a little book called Preacher; plays up the raw quality woven throughout the story. On every page, things go from bad to worse with a gritty coating over every face, home and even the landscape rendered. Anyone can flick red splotches onto a page. Not everyone can re-enact carnage like this.

Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning holds nothing back. I can say I was a fan of the remake, but the sequel left me with nothing more than a hope that a further installment might tell a new story instead of parading out the same old trappings. The Beginning goes a long way to fill my wish list! You finish reading, put the book down and immediately get the notion you need to wash your hands. There is enough blood and body parts littered throughout this book to satisfy any hardcore horror fan while telling a well planned, engrossing story at the same time. If only Hollywood could boast the same. It’s time, once more, that I start making my argument to have comic writers pen all movies and television in the future. Seems we’d be a hell of a lot better off. At the end of the day though, this is The Hills Have Eyes. Be prepared for mutant mayhem and mongoloid lovin ... and lots of both. If you want pretty people, go read Witchblade."

Later

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

The Hills Have a DVD

Today marks the release of The Hills Have Eyes 2 on DVD! If you pick up the disc there's a really cool 'making of' feature that explores the background and creation of The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning, which features interviews with writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, artist John Higgins (taped in London), editor Heidi MacDonald, colorist Dennis Calero, and yours truly (hiding in my fat suit). I was very impressed with the feature; it's quite nicely put together. IGN.com reviewed the Hills Have Eyes 2 DVD a week or so ago, and had very nice things to say about the aforementioned ‘making of’:

“Finally, the hands-down best piece of content is the engaging, dynamically-produced look at the making of the Hills Have Eyes which, not shockingly, has nothing to do with the film itself. Featuring interviews with the comic creators and some captivating glimpses at the creation of a graphic novel, this feature illustrates how the writers have taken the basic premise and built out sixty years of prequel history that the viewer actually finds themselves wanting to read.”

Later

Monday, July 16, 2007

San Diego Atomic-Con 2007

It approaches! The yearly bacchanal of geekdom known as the San Diego Comic-Con is almost upon us, and I for one cannot wait. Granted the planning that goes into it is rather hellish (which, in and of itself, is an understatement), but the show itself is beyond compare. I will be posting more details about our talent signings and giveaways, but if you’re planning to head down to the show be sure to stop by booth #4429 and say hi!

Also, Rue Morgue has posted a giveaway for The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning graphic novel. CLICK HERE to enter!

Or enter two! Why not! E-Splatter.com is also hosting a Hills graphic novel giveaway; CLICK HERE to enter!

Later

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Hills Signing Alert and New Interview!

For those of you lucky enough to live in New York (I used to be one of you), be sure to catch Jimmy Palmiotti, co-author of The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning, who will be signing copies of the book live and in person TONIGHT (Friday)! Here're the details on Jimmy's signing:

Friday, July 13, 2007
05:00 PM - 07:00 PM
FORBIDDEN PLANET
840 Broadway
New York, NY 10003

Stop by and say hi! I wish I could be there, but i will be happily ensconced at some bar in Venice.

If you're like me and can't make it, then be sure to read this new interview with Jimmy and Justin Gray that was posted by the fine folks over at BROKEN FRONTIER:

"The seemingly perennial writing duo of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray recently released their first non-DC work in some time, the graphic novel The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning, for Fox Atomic Comics. We spoke…

BROKEN FRONTIER: The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning is basically the story behind the story in that it goes back to the early days of the townspeople in the New Mexico desert while at the same time bridging the gap between the two Hills films. How did you make that work structurally?

JUSTIN GRAY: It was relatively easy given the wealth of material to work with.

JIMMY PALMIOTTI: It was just a matter of digging into a time line based on events happening in the real world and making them work in the context of the story. If we were going to do a book like this we wanted to give the actual story a bit more of a background and establish a telling of the story from both sides.

BF: Was it hard to find your "writer’s voice" for the real stars of the book, seeing that they’re, well… mutated freaks?

JUSTIN: Mutated freaks are my people! Actually, when you approach the characters from a point where you accept them as human beings it makes it much easier to see their side of the story. We’re looking at the genesis of transforming simple rural people into carnivorous monsters.

JIMMY: And for this story to work on any level, you really needed to see and understand what they are going through and what drove them to do what they do. I think once a person reads this book they will have a bit if empathy for their situation… But really, at the end of the day they are still eating people, so some things don’t change.

BF: Has your involvement in this project opened any doors when it comes to working on Fox Atomic properties in other media, mainly film?

JUSTIN: Hopefully yes when the DC contract expires. I’d love to work with them again, the quality of the books combined with the extremely open-minded and creative editorial staff made for a great working relationship.

JIMMY: What Justin said! And, we hope if they make another film they actually go to this book and try to adapt it. I think it will give the fans what they really want on a lot of levels from a Hills movie. If I was at Fox, I would just hand over their next project to us and let us take a shot at it… wink wink!

BF: Palmiotti the Pitcher! [Laughs] Did it cost you more sweat to tell this story as a graphic novel, as opposed to the periodical format you’re more accustomed to?

JUSTIN: We tend to enjoy working on all-inclusive material and delivering a complete story in one sitting, be it comics, film or TV. The transition is relatively simple to expand outward into a Graphic Novel format.

JIMMY: I would much rather always work in this format any day than the 22 page limited format that monthly comics are. Give me a graphic novel every time. There is no comparison.

BF: Jimmy, you’re also the line editor for all of Fox Atomic’s graphic novel releases. Was this an opportunity you jumped at, especially considering the professional atmosphere you’d be working in, with FA being part of the HarperCollins group and all?

JIMMY: I was only the start-up editor. When I signed the DC deal I had to move on, but what I did while there was try to establish with Eric Lieb the format, page count and look of the books and how they should be approached. I think 2 books out of the gate and they are doing well. My good friend Heidi MacDonald is now the editor.

And yes, working with professionals like Fox and Harper Collins are always a plus for me since I work with a lot of people who have no clue what they are doing on a daily basis. You know who you are… [Laughs]

BF: Was it also your call to bring in John Higgins to handle the art? Did it take much persuading?

JIMMY: Well, I was showing Eric a lot of people’s work, but the guy I was always pushing for was John… and we got him. John is a classic storyteller and we really needed someone that understood that this was a story about emotionally driven people put in unusual situations and I knew John was our man. Just look at the level of quality presented in these pages.

John and Dennis knocked it out of the park on this one. I would work with John again in a heartbeat, and actually am on another project to be announced soon.

BF: Since the two of you hardly go anywhere without each other, what other projects do you have coming through FA?

JUSTIN: Right now you’ll have to be content with the Hills Have Eyes. Perhaps in a year or so we’ll have the opportunity to work with them again.

JIMMY: we are hoping to land something as soon as possible. They have such a wealth of characters.

The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning went on sale last week through Fox Atomic Comics.

Later

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

New Comics Day!

It’s morning again in America, made even more glorious by the fact that it’s New Comics Day. Before I launch into my weekly comic picks, however, I must once again don my purple pimp hat (with plume) to remind ya’ll that The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning is currently in stores! Check out this excerpt from a review posted over at Aint It Cool News:

“Textured and perfectly paced, this is one helluva good read. And it’s a girthy bastard too weighing in at 89 pages with additional production notes from the artist and a trio of nice pinup pages from Bill Sienkiewicz, Tim Bradstreet, and Greg Staples. All in all, this is another slick production from Fox Atomic Comics. These guys have been churning out some pretty impressive books with this and their previous offering 28 DAYS LATER: THE AFTERMATH. I look forward to seeing what this company has in story for us in the future.”

Wait! Since you’re probably rushing out to the bookstore, why not pick up some other cool books that are coming out today? I’m so helpful!

100 BULLETS #84
COUNTDOWN 42
DMZ #21 (I love me some DMZ)
FABLES #63
GEN 13 #10 (Yes, I am a sucker for ‘90s comics)
GREEN ARROW YEAR ONE #1
GREEN LANTERN #21
ALIEN PIG FARM #4 (Go RAW!)
AMORY WARS #2 (I’ve always kinda liked Coheed and Cambria)
SPAWN #169 (Spawn is good again! Another sign of the apocalypse!)
ANITA BLAKE VH FIRST DEATH #1
EXILES #96
NEW AVENGERS #32
OMEGA FLIGHT #4
X-FACTOR #21
30 DAYS OF NIGHT EBEN & STELLA #3
STEPHEN COLBERTS TEK JANSEN #1

Later

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

The Hills Have MORE Reviews

As you (should) know, The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning is in stores RIGHT NOW, and the excellent reviews keep rolling in! Check this blurb from the review by those fine folks over at MANIA.COM:

“I normally eschew licensed comics. But, The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning is a fantastic, gritty examination of how far people will go when you force them to survive. But, it is also intensely violent and frequently disturbing, both for its graphic depictions and its portrayal of humanity at its worst. John Higgins’s art brings the pain in ways I haven’t seen in a long time. This story serves to forcefully remind you of the terrible things people will perpetrate against each other. It also reminds you of the equally terrible backlash that often follows. You can almost detect a subtle commentary about the Iraq war within the work. But, first and foremost, Palmiotti and Gray tell a story that drags you through the mud and keeps you interested the entire time. But, while you feel a small measure of sympathy for Karen Bean and her mutant children, that sympathy gives way to disgust about the entire situation and all involved – the National Guard, the mutants, and the townspeople that shun them. Any smug that’s-what-you-get moralizing dissipates and you feel sorry that the entire situation happened in the first place.”

Makes you wanna read it, no? It’s good so just go buy the bloody thing so I can take off my purple pimp hat (with huge plume) every once in a while.

Later

Monday, July 9, 2007

The Hills Have MORE Reviews

As you (should) know, The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning is in stores RIGHT NOW, and the excellent reviews keep rolling in! Check this blurb from the review by those fine folks over at MANIA.COM:

“I normally eschew licensed comics. But, The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning is a fantastic, gritty examination of how far people will go when you force them to survive. But, it is also intensely violent and frequently disturbing, both for its graphic depictions and its portrayal of humanity at its worst. John Higgins’s art brings the pain in ways I haven’t seen in a long time. This story serves to forcefully remind you of the terrible things people will perpetrate against each other. It also reminds you of the equally terrible backlash that often follows. You can almost detect a subtle commentary about the Iraq war within the work. But, first and foremost, Palmiotti and Gray tell a story that drags you through the mud and keeps you interested the entire time. But, while you feel a small measure of sympathy for Karen Bean and her mutant children, that sympathy gives way to disgust about the entire situation and all involved – the National Guard, the mutants, and the townspeople that shun them. Any smug that’s-what-you-get moralizing dissipates and you feel sorry that the entire situation happened in the first place.”

Makes you wanna read it, no? It’s good so just go buy the bloody thing so I can take off my purple pimp hat (with huge plume) every once in a while.

Later

Friday, July 6, 2007

The Hills Have a Holiday

I'm currently in Texas, as we at Fox Atomic Comics have been given a few fishin' days to celebrate the July 4th holiday. There's no rest for the weary, though, as this week marks the release of The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning, the second graphic novel from Fox Atomic Comics! Tell your ma, tell your pa, just get them to the bookstore! I am very proud of this book, and if you like mayhem and maddness you'll dig it as well. The book's release is timed to coincide with The Hills Have Eyes 2 DVD (July 17th), and on that DVD you will find some fun special features that tie into the Hills Have Eyes graphic novel! The coolest is a ‘making of’ feature on the graphic novel itself, which features interviews from yours truly, Jimmy Palmioti, Justin Gray, John Higgins, Dennis Calero, Heidi MacDonald, and more! IGN.com reviewed the Hills Have Eyes 2 DVD today, in fact, and had very nice things to say about the aforementioned ‘making of’:

“Finally, the hands-down best piece of content is the engaging, dynamically-produced look at the making of the Hills Have Eyes which, not shockingly, has nothing to do with the film itself. Featuring interviews with the comic creators and some captivating glimpses at the creation of a graphic novel, this feature illustrates how the writers have taken the basic premise and built out sixty years of prequel history that the viewer actually finds themselves wanting to read.”

So be sure to check out the DVD when it comes out on July 17th, and also don’t forget to pick up The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning this week! We’re already getting some great reviews for the book; check ‘em out:

AINT IT COOL NEWS
FANGORIA

Later

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Today's the Day!!!

TODAY marks the release of The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning, the second graphic novel from Fox Atomic Comics! Tell your ma, tell your pa, just get them to the bookstore! I am very proud of this book, and if you like mayhem and maddness you'll dig it as well.

The book's release is timed to coincide with The Hills Have Eyes 2 DVD (July 17th), and on that DVD you will find some fun special features that tie into the Hills Have Eyes graphic novel! The coolest is a ‘making of’ feature on the graphic novel itself, which features interviews from yours truly, Jimmy Palmioti, Justin Gray, John Higgins, Dennis Calero, Heidi MacDonald, and more! IGN.com reviewed the Hills Have Eyes 2 DVD today, in fact, and had very nice things to say about the aforementioned ‘making of’:

“Finally, the hands-down best piece of content is the engaging, dynamically-produced look at the making of the Hills Have Eyes which, not shockingly, has nothing to do with the film itself. Featuring interviews with the comic creators and some captivating glimpses at the creation of a graphic novel, this feature illustrates how the writers have taken the basic premise and built out sixty years of prequel history that the viewer actually finds themselves wanting to read.”

So be sure to check out the DVD when it comes out on July 17th, and also don’t forget to pick up The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning this week! We’re already getting some great reviews for the book; check ‘em out:

AINT IT COOL NEWS
FANGORIA

Later

PS - I saw Transformers last night. Sigh. More on that later

Monday, July 2, 2007

The Hills Have Eyes!

This week marks the release of The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning, the second graphic novel from Fox Atomic Comics! The release is timed to coincide with The Hills Have Eyes 2 DVD (July 17th), and on that DVD you will find some fun special features that tie into the Hills Have Eyes graphic novel! The coolest is a ‘making of’ feature on the graphic novel itself, which features interviews from yours truly, Jimmy Palmioti, Justin Gray, John Higgins, Dennis Calero, Heidi MacDonald, and more! IGN.com reviewed the Hills Have Eyes 2 DVD today, in fact, and had very nice things to say about the aforementioned ‘making of’:

“Finally, the hands-down best piece of content is the engaging, dynamically-produced look at the making of the Hills Have Eyes which, not shockingly, has nothing to do with the film itself. Featuring interviews with the comic creators and some captivating glimpses at the creation of a graphic novel, this feature illustrates how the writers have taken the basic premise and built out sixty years of prequel history that the viewer actually finds themselves wanting to read.”

So be sure to check out the DVD when it comes out on July 17th, and also don’t forget to pick up The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning this week! We’re already getting some great reviews for the book; check ‘em out:

AINT IT COOL NEWS
FANGORIA

Later

PS - I know I didn't post a new blog on Friday... I was out fishing. Oops.