Meltdown, Inc.

When I first heard Boom! Studios would be releasing a new Planet of the Apes series, I was instantly hit with wonderful nostalgic memories. Planet of the Apes holds a special place in my heart because I can vividly remember watching the old movies with my father on local television in the 70′s. I can definitely credit my father for my early love of genre since our Sundays were mostly comprised of rerun Apes and Godzilla movies. I even owned all of the Planet of the Apes dolls complete with the treehouse playset. What I wouldn’t give to still have those toys today!

Now Boom! is cashing in on the Planet of the Apes craze which has already begun with the release of the trailer for the upcoming feature “Rise of the Planet of theApes” hitting theaters on August 5. Once the trailer hit the internet, comic retailers nationwide suddenly made an unprecedented amount of late-breaking advanced re-orders leading to an early sell out of the title.

The official description of the comic series tells us the first issue begins before the original 1968 PLANET OF THE APES movie , but true to the continuity of the first five films. Although Ape society has reached a new golden age, there are ripples of dissent amongst both the ape and human ranks. Tensions will rise and soon all will be caught in chaos, and amidst all this uncertainty, the the fate of The Lawgiver remains an unknown.

Written by Daryl Gregory with art by Carlos Magno, Planet of the Apes #1 will be in stores this Wednesday, April 27. Better get one while you can!

Peace, love and all that jazz.

Follow me on twitter: @TVStaceyLevin

Awards season is coming to a close with the grand finale of the Oscars this Sunday. But not to be outdone, we present last, but certainly not least, the esteemed nominees for the 2010 Meltdown Comic Awards!

It’s been an amazing year for our favorite genre and choosing the best of the best was no easy task. This year’s Golden Melty list was comprised from multiple “Best of” lists, sell-through numbers, reviews, Publisher’s Weekly lists and combing through dozens of message boards to hear what true comic fans are saying. So, without further ado, the nominees are:

Best Indie Comic Series

Green Hornet (Dynamite)
The Walking Dead (Image)
Scarlet (Icon)
Chew (Image)
Stumptown (Oni)

Best Superhero Comic Series

Invincible Iron Man (Marvel)
Batman and Robin (DC)
Thor: The Mighty Avenger (Marvel)
Irredeemable (Boom!)

Best Non-Superhero Comic Series

Daytripper (Vertigo)
American Vampire (Vertigo)
Kill Shakespeare (IDW)
The Unwritten (Vertigo)

Hero of the Year

Captain America/Steve Rogers (Marvel)
Scott Pilgrim (Oni)
Kick Ass (Icon)
Zack Overkill – “Incognito” (Icon)

Villain of the Year

Nemesis (Icon)
Skinner Sweet – American Vampire (Vertigo)
Red Skull – Captain America (Marvel)
Norman Osborn (Marvel)

Most Horrific Death

Ares – “Seige #2″
Nightcrawler – “X-Force #26″
Bras – “Daytripper” (all issues)
Cable – “X-Force #28″
Multiple robots – “Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers”

Best Return from the Dead

Aquaman, Hawkman, Firestorm, Martian Manhunter, etc. – ”Blackest Night #8″
Batman – ”Batman and Robin #8″
Dracula – “X-Men #3″

Best New Series

Northlanders: Plague Widow (Vertigo)
Black Widow (Marvel)
Green Hornet (Kevin Smith, Dynamite)
Secret Avengers (Marvel)

Best Graphic Novel

Dark Tower: Fall of Gilead
Absolute Justice
Batwoman: Elegy
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8

Best Writer

Ed Brubaker – Captain America (Marvel)
Mark Millar – Nemesis (Icon)
Jason Aaron – Scalped (Vertigo)
Geoff Johns – Brightest Day (DC)
Mark Waid – Irredeemable (Boom!)
Grant Morrison – Batman and Robin (DC)

Best Artist

J.H. Williams – Detective Comics (DC)
Steve McNiven – Nemesis (Icon)
Fiona Staples – North 40 (Wildstorm)
Naoki Urasawa – Pluto : Urasawa X

Best Celebrity-Written Title

Green Hornet – Kevin Smith
The Guild – Felicia Day
Frenemy of the State – Rashida Jones
Pantheon – Michael Chiklis

Best Event of the Year

Artifacts (Top Cow)
Heroic Age (Marvel)
Brightest Day (DC)
Second Coming (Marvel)

Best WTF Moment

DC issues go back to 2.99
Nick Simmons accused of plagiarizing “Bleach”
Lady Gaga gets her own comic
The ending of Greek Street
Sony Pictures making “Green Hornet” with that script instead of Kevin Smith’s
Tron – ’nuff said

Best Cover of the Year

Spiderman #641 ”One Moment in Time”
Batwoman #0
The Avengers #1 – Variant 7
I Zombie #1
Superman #702
We Will Bury You #1

Were your favorites nominated? Who gets your vote this year for the best of the best in comics? To find out who will take home the Golden Melty, check back here next week for the winners of the 2010 Meltdown Comic Awards!

Come Jingle Your Bells With Boom! Studios..!

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Dec 022010

by: Jason Vaughn

It’s that time of year again where the bravest of us venture to malls filled to the brim with over-caffeinated parents trying to get that last talking Elmo plush. Or maybe you’re trying your best not to drink too much eggnog (what’s really in that stuff anyway) while suppressing an overwhelming desire to snicker at your girlfriend’s mother’s overly festive sweater. I don’t know about you guys, but I would rather spend my holiday season knocking back a few cold ones and picking the brains of some of the most talented people working in the industry. Wait a minute, what did I just hear? Was that a jolly fat man and eight tiny reindeer ? Not quite, but it’s a holy Christmas miracle, Batman. The fine peeps at Boom! Studios are giving me exactly what I wanted for the holidays! Check out their latest announcement.

COME ONE, COME ALL TO THE BOOM! STUDIOS 2010 HOLIDAY PARTY @ MELTDOWN COMICS DECEMBER 13, 2010!

IT’S A PARTY AND EVERYONE’S INVITED!

December 1, 2010 – Los Angeles, CA – Can you believe it’s been a year since our last celebration? Neither can we! But it’s true. It’s time again for the BOOM! Studios holiday party at Meltdown comics, happening Monday, December 13 at 8pm! So won’t you join us? No guests lists, no velvet rope, if you’ve got the gas or the bus fare to make it to Meltdown Comics, you’re invited!

Who: Mix and Mingle with the BOOM! Crew!

When: Monday, December 13th, 8:00pm – till they kick us out!

Where: Meltdown Comics & Collectibles
7522 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA, 90046

Why: FREE BEER while supplies last!
About BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios (www.boom-studios.com) 2009 “Best Publisher” of the year, generates a wide-ranging catalog of multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated comic books and graphic novels featuring some of the industry’s top talent, including Philip K. Dick’s DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?, 20th Century Fox’s 28 DAYS LATER and DIE HARD, The Henson Company’s FARSCAPE, and the original Mark Waid series IRREDEEMABLE. This fall sees BOOM! teaming up with the legendary Stan Lee, creator of Marvel Comics’ characters Spider-Man, The Hulk, and The X-Men for a line of original superhero series, the legend’s first new superhero creations in nearly 20 years. BOOM!’s youth imprint, BOOM Kids!, is an undisputed industry leader publishing Disney/Pixar’s THE INCREDIBLES, CARS, and TOY STORY, as well as Disney’s THE MUPPETS, DONALD DUCK, UNCLE SCROOGE and WALT DISNEY’S COMICS AND STORIES. This year, BOOM! Studios celebrates its fifth anniversary.

Follow on twitter: Jason -@GoTodash

Grab your overnight and watch out for the hidden baggage fee, because “The Traveler” is preparing for take off.

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Sep 252010

What’s up Melt-heads?.. Meltdowners?.. The Dead Melt-Men?… Oh well we’ll come up with that nickname sooner or later, but until that time, check out this quick preview of Stan “The Man” Lee’s latest. (I still have several of his “Superhuman’s” currently on my dvr. For a guy his age he certainly gets around.) “The Traveler” is out of Stan’s own shingle “POW! Entertainment” in conjunction with “Boom! Studios.” (What’s up with the exclamation fetish?) Scroll down and click on the thumbnails below for larger images of the first six pages of Stan Lee’s ” The Traveler” written by Mark Waid with interiors by Chad Hardin, along with several cover art examples. I personally dig the first one – what do you guys/gals think?

STAN LEE’S THE TRAVELER #1

6 PAGE PREVIEW!

WRITTEN BY IREDEEMABLE’S MARK WAID

ART BY AMAZING SPIDER-MAN’S CHAD HARDIN

About POW! Entertainment

(Purveyors of Wonder) Entertainment, Inc. (Pinksheets: POWN) An advanced media and entertainment company, POW! was founded by Stan Lee together with award winning producer Gill Champion and intellectual property attorney Arthur Lieberman, Esq. to create, produce and license original intellectual properties. POW! specializes in franchises for the entertainment industry, including animation and live-action feature films, plus television, DVDs, video games, merchandising and related ancillary markets, all of which contribute to global expansion.

About BOOM! Studios

BOOM! Studios (www.boom-studios.com) 2009 “Best Publisher” of the year, generates a wide-ranging catalog of multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated comic books and graphic novels featuring some of the industry’s top talent, including Philip K. Dick’s DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?, 20th Century Fox’s 28 DAYS LATER and DIE HARD, The Henson Company’s FARSCAPE, and the original Mark Waid series IRREDEEMABLE. This fall sees BOOM! teaming up with the legendary Stan Lee,creator of Marvel Comics’ characters Spider-Man, The Hulk, and The X-Men for a line of original superhero series, the legend’s first new superhero creations in nearly 20 years. BOOM!’s youth imprint, BOOM Kids!, is an undisputed industry leader publishing Disney/Pixar’s THE INCREDIBLES, CARS, and TOY STORY, as well as Disney’s THE MUPPETS, DONALD DUCK, UNCLE SCROOGE and WALT DISNEY’S COMICS AND STORIES. This year, BOOM! Studios celebrates its fifth anniversary.

And if you’re not getting your daily dose of Stan the Man, then I suggest you follow the “Generalissimo” on twitter at @TheRealStanLee as he brandishes his baton to bravely lead his bold brigadiers into battle against the likes of the evil Craig Ferguson.

“Excelsior!”

(There’s that exclamation thing again… I’m just sayin’…)

by: Jason Vaughn

You can also stalk me on twitter as well: @GoTodash.

Meltcast SDCC Edition: Comic Con 2010 Prt.1

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Jul 232010

We kick off our first COMIC-CON 2010 Morning After bonanza by getting down and dirty before friday’s festivities by recapping Chris & Caleb’s con adventures thus far, are wowed by passing costumes and creatures, and get a special visit by BOOM! Editor Bryce Carlson.

The weekend is officially on!

Music: Collective Soul – Simple