Never before in the history of comics (and likely never again) you can win the ENTIRE contacts of an iconic true-blue pop-culture phenomenon’s ART STUDIO with only one bid!

The KEVIN EASTMAN ART STUDIO auction will run for 10 days beginning on Dec 25th – Christmas Day – at 9:00 PM (PST). It will wrap the evening of January 4th at 9:00 PM, which will be the final night of the 35 DAYS OF KEVIN EASTMAN event at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood. It will be a HUGE blowout, and we’ll follow the final hours of the auction live at the closing night party!!

A portion of the proceeds from this auction will go to benefit THE HERO INITIATIVE, a non-profit organization that raises money to assist comic book creators in need.

We don’t have a link to the auction page yet (it won’t be available until it goes live) but here’s a link to the eBay account that will be hosting the auction: http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/oranj - – feel free to publicize this link if you wish. It will be running Kevin Eastman related auctions throughout the special event.

Here are some of the highlights you’ll find contained within this treasure trove!

* Kevin’s Drawing Table and Chair (table is as it was when Kevin decided to do this auction). Includes Pens, Shotglasses, Empty Redbull Cans, etc.
* Original Illustrated Storyboards for HEAVY METAL 2000
* Highlander Animated Series: press pack, Early Cut of the Movie, Copies of entire Movie as Directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri
* Over 600 DVDs – most of them partially watched while working on art in the studio. Includes DVD deck and monitor.
* Double-Sized Production Prototype of OZZY OSBOURNE “Bark At The Moon” Action Figure sculpted by Digger T. Mesch
* Photocopy of Simon Bisley’s Lobo/Authority Pencils & Layout for the entire story
* 2 Pgs of Original Art from TNMT Movie Adaptation – 1 Featuring Twin Towers – 1 Featuring Statue of Liberty – Framed with US Flag from Kevin’s Home
* Richard Corben Original Art (at least two pieces – there may be more!)
* Signed Elizabeth Hurly Photo from Austin Powers.
* Kevin’s personal San Diego Comic Con Badges going back about 10 years
* Various Movie Posters – Comic Prints – and More . . . used to “wallpaper” the studio!
* Toy Guns, Knives and a Hand-Grenade (non-functional) used as reference for comics
* Original art portrait of Kevin by Simon “BIZ” Bisley (there’s actually quite a bit of BIZ art in here!)
* Trigun, Lain, and other favorite Anime Animation Cells
* A Fishtank (formerly held Kevin’s gecko) filled with various odds and ends tossed in over a six year period – ???
* TMNT Comic 5-Color Press Proof Overlays (from back in the days before digital press proofs)
* Box of Original Photos of Playmates & Models (mostly nude) – Photography by Julie Strain
* Turtles Car Windshield Sunblock – Still in Original Shrinkwrap
* Turtles Cereal Box (cardboard mock up – never assembled)
* TONS of random Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles goodies . . . prototypes . . . and oddities
* Original Comic Art by Various Creators
* Statues & Action Figures – - Pin-Up, Fantasy, Superhero, Turtles (natch) and more!
* Various Billiken Models From Japan (Frankenstein, Dracula, Creature, Mummy and MORE)
* LOTS OF HEAVY METAL ART . . . BOOKS . . . UNUSED TREASURES!
* and so much more . . . some of these boxes have not even been opened. Who knows what lurks inside?!

NO MINIMUM – NO RESERVE – INCREDIBLE, BUT IT’S ALL HERE – YOU GET WHAT YOU GET!

Auction starts December 25th at 9:00 PM (PST). Search KEVIN EASTMAN ART STUDIO or go to http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/oranj

“Chick Lit” By Stacey Levin

Commentary, News, Read This!, Stacey and Jason, The Beautiful People, Wise Up! 3 Responses »

Jan 282010

Chick Lit

By Stacey Levin

As a new blogger to the site, I’d like to share my story of how I got hooked on reading comics. Lots of women read them, some are starting to write and draw them, but the ladies still aren’t fully represented in the genre. Hopefully I can be a tiny voice for the chicks. Yo, where my ladies at? Get your hands up!

Ok, so it’s not like I’d never read a comic book before in my life. It had just been a while. Fine, a really long while since I last read the odd issue of “Archie,” “Richie Rich,” “Star Wars” and “Wonder Woman.” Those were a few titles I frequented when I was a kid. But since then, not so much other than the occasional “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” book when I was at work.

So when I met Jason, fellow blogger, my boyfriend and writing partner, and he suggested I get back into reading them, I thought, why not? I mean, how much could I have possibly missed? Um, hello? Was I living under a rock? Apparently so. A really big honking rock the size of Rhode Island. Yeah, my bad. Somehow I missed an entire generation of amazing literature. I had a lot of work to do.

First he gave me some of his favorite titles to start with – “The Ultimates,” “Y- the Last Man,” “Spiderman,” “The Green Lantern,” and “The Umbrella Academy.” He was worried it might be too much for me to start. Pfft, whatev. I got this. They looked cool so let me at ‘em. Wait, how many freakin’ issues do I need to catch up on?? And with that one little question, thus began my journey into finding my inner comic geek.

So, how does a typical “chick” who admittedly reads US and People weekly get indoctrinated into the comic book world? By diving in head first, baby! I started reading… and reading… and reading. Before I realized it, I got so hooked on Y, I would lose sleep trying to finish issues before I went to bed. And as fast as I would complete an issue or a title, Jason would be right there to replace it with another one. It wasn’t long before I began recognizing the names of writers and artists. And as is typical for me, I started critiquing. I liked the “soapy” stories like “Y” (yeah, yeah, I know, typical chick), the humor of “Spiderman,” the kick ass girls like “Batwoman” (I know, shocking) and the violent crime mysteries like “Greek Street” (ha, gotcha there, didn’t I?) At that point, Jason told me I was ready. Ready for what? Did I pass some sort of test? Yes, fellow comic bookers, I was graduating and it was time to go to the next level – time for my very first trip to… wait for it… Meltdown Comics!
Continue reading »

Comics, Screenwriting and Superheroes

Did you know?, Do Something, Educate, Get to Know, Meltdown University, News, Wise Up! No Responses »

Aug 172009

It’s All Words And Pictures:

COMICS, SCREENWRITING AND SUPERHEROES

Throw a rock out your bedroom window in this town and your chances of hitting a budding screenwriter are pretty good. Here at Meltdown, we see many people looking to write for the movies and also many people who want to do superhero comics. Every year, more and more comics get not just optioned, but actually made into films. The past year saw Iron Man, The Dark Knight, Watchmen, and Wanted. There are also movies that have been done over the years that have clearly been influenced by superhero comics: Hancock, The Matrix, The Incredibles, and My Super Ex-Girlfriend, just to name a few. Even the Indiana Jones and James Bond films use the archetypes of the comic book superhero. September will be the first anniversary of our successful school for comic book artists and writers, Meltdown University. This August, Meltdown U teacher and program director Jim Higgins is taking his experience as a writer, comic book editor, and film teacher and presenting a workshop for screenwriters interested in doing a superhero story. It’s All Word and Pictures is a one-day boot camp for movie scribes who want get a fresh take on their approach to writing and also take on the engaging task of writing a tale of people with extraordinary abilities.

The first part of the seminar will be an overview of the super-powered character in comics and in history, from its trajectory through pulp fiction and 70 years of comic books post-Action Comics #1 (the first appearance of Superman), to it’s earlier origins in hero myths and legends like Hercules, Robin Hood, and wuxia kung-fu stories. We’ll then look at how superheroes have been handled in contemporary comics, film, and television, from “heroes in the real world” models like the Watchmen, Batman: Year One graphic novels, and the Heroes TV series, to more fantastical takes like Hellboy and X-men (both the comics and films), and The Matrix.

The last half of the day will involve learning a step-by-step story structure with a slant toward the superheroic. The structure is the core of the writing part of the Meltdown U comics classes and can be used to put together a fictional tale in any medium: comics, films, TV series, novels, etc. By the end of the day, you’ll have gotten a primer on superheroes and a framework to tell a very good version of that kind of story (and other types of stories, too).

There’s no need to prepare a script or have an outline ready for the day. This will be a seminar where you’ll learn the ins and outs, take away what you want, and then tackle that story of more-human-than-humans in your own time. But don’t expect a dry lecture – the day will be interactive and full of discussion and lively conversation.

Attendance will be limited by space so sign up now so you don’t miss out. The cost is only $100 for a day of material you’re not going to find anywhere else. Once you’ve paid and signed up, you’ll receive a list of comics and movies to read and watch beforehand so we can examine a common set of examples during the seminar. The movies you’ll find and see on your own. The comics and graphic novels will be available for you to buy at Meltdown (book costs are not included in the price of the seminar. But we think there are worse things in the world than being required to read a bunch of cool comics.)

Date: August 29th

Time: 12 to 7pm with an hour break for lunch

Cost: $100, payable in the store or over the phone by credit card

That’s it! Any questions, e-mail us mlt_u@meltcomics.com

Fresh off LBNelert: DC Comics “INSIDE STORY”

News No Responses »

Feb 122009

Just 2 months after his untimely death, the creators of Gotham Citys crime-fighting superhero, Bruce Wayne, have finally unveiled his politically-correct replacement: a ginger-haired, lesbian socialite called Batwoman. The publisher of DC Comics, the iconic title which for 60 years has revolved around the recently-deceased Wayne, revealed this week that future editions of the comic book will star his long-standing female counterpart, whose real name is Kathy Kane. Described as a lesbian socialite by night and a crime-fighter by later in the night, Batwoman will be the subject of at least 12 issues. It will be the most high-profile appearance by a gay superhero in any book published by the legendary DC Comics.

Comic Book Store Clerks of America: Chris from Meltdown

Did you know?, Family, Interviews, The Beautiful People No Responses »

Jan 302009

Chris Rosa of Meltdown Comics and Collectibles They have no super powers, but they are heroic: they are the store employees across America who sell comics and, like the guys in “High Fidelity,” bicker with each other all day long about the true treasures of the discount bin. They are the Comic Book Store Clerks of America and we salute them.

Meet Chris Rosa, a 30-year-old dead ringer forÂ “Green Lantern” (circa John Stewart) who works in brighest day and blackest night at Meltdown Comics & Collectibles (7522 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, [323] 851-7223). Rose is mighty proud of the store’s pop-culture bonanza range “from vinyl toys to art books to a vast children’s section to weird imports back to comics” and he bravely answered all our questions.

Be honest — think about your life and tell us which stereotype about comic-book geeks applies to you?

I refer major moments in my life to events in comics. For example, my best friend and I both refer to our “one that got away” as Dandel, the long-lost girlfriend from “Goodbye, Chunky Rice.”

Which comic book series is in desperate need of becoming a TV show?

Without question, “Scalped” by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera.Â Done on either FX, HBO, or Showtime, it would be the next great American crime epic.

The Marvel superheroes just challenged the DC capes to a battle to the death. Was this a smart move for Marvel?

That would be a typically brash Marvel move. But unlike their great business successes, this would backfire terribly.Â Why? DC has Batman, and Batman always wins, even when he dies, as in “Final Crisis” #6.

Which comic book star would you take on a date and where would you go?

Since you pose this as “comic book star,” I’m going to take Lynda Carter, the great star of the “Wonder Woman” series.Â I’d take her to see a movie at Hollywood Forever … or someplace really nice, like the Music Center on Grand.

A customer walks in and tells you that “Ghost Rider,” is their favorite movie of all time and that Jennifer Garner probably shoulda got an Oscar for “Elektra.” What do you say?

I’d put my arm around them and say, “If you dug that, I’ve got some stuff for you — the current Ghost Rider series, written by Jason Aaron (collected thus far in the “Hell Bent and Heaven Bound” trade paperback), straight-up grindhouse insanity.Â You know you want to see Ghost Rider face off with a motorcycle gang made up of nuns.Â As for “Elektra” — take this here “Elektra Omnibus” by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz.Â Do not attempt to drive or operate heavy machinery after reading.

– Michelle Castillo
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/

Photo: Courtesy of Chris Rosa