X-Ray Studios

Danger Club 6 solicitation...

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 23:06:14 GMT

DANGER CLUB #6
from IMAGE COMICS

story LANDRY Q. WALKER
art / cover ERIC JONES

NOVEMBER 28
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$2.99
As all of reality collapses, Kid Vigilante travels through the land of the dead in search of salvation.

Jamal Igle's Molly Danger Kickstarter...

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 23:00:24 GMT

Hi again internet. Just wanted to come by and encourage support for Jamal Igle's upcoming comic project: Molly Danger. It looks great, and I have alot of respect for where Jamal is coming from with this book. You can read more about it and donate to the Kickstarter fund via the link below:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mollydanger/molly-danger

Danger Club at SDCC 2012 Limited edition prints!

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 22:02:24 GMT

Coming up on SDCC 2012, and we have some special very limited edition prints available from our current series, Danger Club. Each 11x17 print one is limited to 20 copies and will sell for $20.00 each (or $15.00 with any 2 issues of Danger Club 1-3).

Each print will only be available one day.

We will be permanently situated at the Image Comics Booth, and can alos be contacted online at any time via twitter @landryqwalker.

Available Thursday.

Available Friday.

Available Saturday.

Available Sunday.

Danger Club Preview

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:32:01 GMT

Hi internet! Here's the preview of Danger Club that ran in Invincible.

We have one week until FOC, so please let retailers know if you'd like to get a copy of this book. Every order counts! Retailers, please help us out. We have poured everything we can into this book. Time, money, and energy. We need orders and we need readers and we need you to help us reach them.

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Danger Club Preview in Invincible #89

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:08:48 GMT

Check out Invincible # 89 for this special preview of Danger club.

Danger Club Preview

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:44:31 GMT

Sorry it's been awhile. The events of last Fall lead me to a more introverted lifestyle, plus I have been working on new projects non-stop.

Anyway, here's a four page preview for the first issue of Danger Club! Available April 4th!

Go to hell, (a few very specific) Kate Beaton fans.

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 22:16:40 GMT

Look, I get that you were anxious to see Kate Beaton speak on a panel at APE this past weekend. Her comics are awesome and her art is fantastic. By all accounts, she's also very nice. I'm a fan of her work myself. So... sure. You want to make sure you have good seats. I get that.

But listen, that panel you came in on that was only halfway through? The one that was running before Kate Beaton's panel? The one that you pushed your way into the few empty seats left in the front row - sandwiching your way in-between teary eyed - and in some cases - openly weeping people?

It was a fucking memorial.

Yeah, you basically crashed a memorial for someone very dear to the world of comics who died at a young age just so you could make sure you had the very best seats to see Kate Beaton talk in a panel that will probably be available on the internet.

Now, to be fair: Some of you waited patiently in the back. No problem with you guys. Some of you didn't wait in the back - but had the good taste to get up and leave when you realized what was happening. You're okay too. But some of you stuck to your guns, ignoring the emotional upheaval around you, and played games on your phone.

You're the ones I take issue with. I honestly wanted to walk down from the table I was sitting at, and punch you right in your faces. But I didn't, mainly because I have more courtesy than you showed yourselves capable of. Yes, it was a memorial open to the public. But if you're going to crash such a thing, maybe you should at least pretend to pay attention, rather than gossip with each other while smiling and pointing to things in the program guide between your inconsiderate bouts of texting. It was rude and it was distracting and it was a perfect example of what I have learned to hate in comics fandom and humanity in general.

Yes, you were few. But it takes very few people to disrupt a memorial. Seriously, what the hell were you thinking? And how the hell can you feel okay with what you just did?

Oh wait, I know the answer. You didn't care. You don't care. Because you're self entitled assholes. Thanks so much for reinforcing my hatred of the world.

Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures - Reviews and interview

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 23:15:04 GMT

It's been a rough week. But seeing these reviews pop-up has been a tremendous help. This is all from the website: The Brave and the Old - a fan website dedicated to all-ages comics where the reviewers are primarily children. Awesome to see.

Here's the first part of the interview.

Here's a review of issue #1.

Here's a review of issue #2.

And here's a review of issue 3.

I just have to say, it's exciting and rewarding to see this level of dedication and interest in fans so young. Here's a picture of the two reviewers, The Comic Wizard and Super Reader:

Dylan Williams and our imaginary feud...

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 17:07:55 GMT

Things keep coming back to me. There's 20 years of history constantly welling up in my mind whenever I stop repressing my gut reaction to this.

Sometime in the mid-nineties, Dylan and I began an imaginary feud. This was mostly born out of a response to some poorly informed observations made about Eric Jones and myself and our relationships with certain people (Dylan included) that Ariel Bordeaux had made in an interview (1997?). The same interviewer was speaking to us and doing a Puppy Toss retroactive article for a local Berkeley paper, and Dylan and I each spoke separately to him about the huge conflict between us that never happened. I think Eric was in on this fabrication too. We claimed that it all ended in a brutal fist fight. We tried to spread word of this feud whenever possible, but I don't think anyone actually ever believed it. Eventually, we just gave up.

Eric, Dylan and I also had plans on working together under the name Darcy Lynn Lidera (I'm probably misspelling it, it was a combination of our three names). We did a one page piece, meant to appear in an anthology that Scott Morse invited us to participate in. Sadly, that anthology (also the comic Little Gloomy was originally created for) was never published. I believe Scott (maybe) still has the original page, something I will have to harass him about someday.

Dylan took the art of comics very seriously. But he found taking ourselves as comics creators seriously, in an industry that should be fun, kind of amusing. We never had the energy to really pursue the practical jokes we planned. But we liked planning them.

R.I.P. Dylan Williams

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 01:54:44 GMT

I'm not ready to write this. But I won't ever be. Dylan Williams, artist and publisher of Sparkplug Comic Books has passed away.

I first met Dylan over twenty years ago. It was a brief meeting at a run down comic book store. Months later, I met him again on the street while I was in the middle of a scavenger hunt. One of the items to collect was "a stranger". I tried to get Dylan to join us, though as I had met him before it was a bit of a cheat.

He declined to participate, but we still became good friends. We worked together at Comic Relief. We were two of the founding members of the small press collective called Puppy Toss. We collaborated on several comics projects together. We would critique and proof-read each other’s work. He was with me the first time I met my wife, and he drove me to Sacramento at the drop of a hat when she was in the hospital. We went to Disneyland together when his girlfriend broke up with him. I was there when his wife Emily wasn't his wife yet and was only known as "that Paper Heaven Girl" - the one Dylan had an obvious obsession for.

Dylan taught me about the history of comics. He helped me understand the beauty of Toth and the genius of Ditko. We spoke every week, working out various problems with life together. So much of who and what I am as writer and as a human being can be laid at his feet.

I just spent a week with Dylan at the hospital. We talked about comics and Doctor Who and what makes storytelling strong. I was there on my 40th Birthday and Dylan and Emily conspired to pick me up a hamburger cake. It was a great birthday for me, getting to spend time with my friend. He kept apologizing for the circumstance, but it wasn't important to me. His company overshadowed any negative impact of the surroundings.

When I left, he was getting healthier every day. We planned my return trip. Despite his ongoing health concerns, his passing was unexpected. I will miss him. I cannot describe how much I will miss him. But more importantly, the entire world of comics should mourn his passing. His understanding of the medium was exceptional and his efforts and dedication to help bring unusual artistic perspectives to the world was invaluable to the evolution of the medium.

When he became ill, I alsked him what I could do. He said "promote Sparkplug Comic Books". His work as the publisher of Sparkplug Comic Books can be found here.

Rest in peace Dylan.

A picture of a picture of Dylan, me and Eric at Disneyland around 1995 - I think.

Interview on Supergirl Comic Box Commentary

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 17:21:09 GMT

Eric Jones and were interviewed about a Supergirl sequel, writing Mad Hatter, The Danger Club and... well that's mostly it. But it's extensive, as neither Eric or myself are very good at shutting up.

Also, in a separate post on Comic Box, there's some more never-before-seen production art. This time, it's Kara Zor-El, a bit older and posing as the Kryptonian hero of ancient legend: Flamebird.

Danger Club preview posted at Bleeding Cool.

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:09:03 GMT

This is a scan of the mini-comic thing Eric and put together (with kind help from SMDconcepts in Livermore) and passed around SDCC. Click here for the full preview.

Doctor Who - Seeds of Destruction - Part 7

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 18:02:48 GMT

7th installment of the Doctor Who webcomic by me and Rich Morris, in which the menace reveals itself.

Click here for the full page.

Doctor Who - Seeds of Destruction - Part 5

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:00:11 GMT

5th installment of the Doctor Who webcomic by me and Rich Morris, in which Peri discovers trouble in paradise is available for reading by clicking here.

Doctor Who - Seeds of Destruction - Part 3

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:01:57 GMT

The 4th installment of Doctor Who: Seeds of Destruction - In which Peri is being watched - is available now.

R.I.P. Granma

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 08:13:27 GMT

I really don't have the words.

Doctor Who - Seeds of Destruction - Part 3

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:43:32 GMT

Part three of a Doctor Who webcomic I wrote. Here's an excerpt-

Click here for the whole page.

Fanmade Facebook support group/petition for Supergirl sequel...

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:39:54 GMT

A fan named Jude Deluca created a Facebook page to support the publishing of Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 9th Grade. If you're on Facebook, show your love and join. I will post some never before seen art from the previous series on the site, as way of temptation.

Doctor Who - Seeds of Destruction - Part 1

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 17:16:47 GMT

Part one of a Doctor Who webcomic I wrote just went up on Rich's ComixBlog.

Seeds of Destruction was originally conceived of as a pitch for a Doctor Who audio book, and I decided I would be happier with my pitch if it was presented with some art. So Rich was kind enough to illustrate the first chapter for me.

Here's a excerpt-

Rich also does the very fun comic strip titled "Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic". Check out YAFGC here.

Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 9th Grade - Concept art

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:40:25 GMT

Been sitting on this for a couple of years now. Figured might as well let people see a bit of what we had been thinking for Supergirl's future as she enters the turbulent world of high school.

One of the things I would like to point out about these images is the evolution of Kara's design. When the first series was announced (along with an image never intended for the public) the common complaint was that our Supergirl was boyish. That she was rough looking. That she looked awkward and maybe even a little weird.

Eric could have drawn Supergirl as the epitome of style and grace. But that wouldn't have been our Supergirl. Our Supergirl was a character who needed to grow. She was overly self-aware, insecure and gangly, that's part of being a young teenager (particularly as younger teens see themselves from within) and therefore an important part of the storytelling.

I think with the slight changes to the artwork here we really begin to see Kara's self confidence manifest physically. This would have continued on a curve, all through 12th Grade. By the end (and there was a definitive end planned) 18 year old Kara would have looked like an adult - particularly because you watched her grow up.

I guess what I'm saying is: It's a mistake to expect a character to be perfect right out the gate. Where do you go from perfect? Perfect makes for boring storytelling and boring reading.

Ideally we would have similar development with the emotional status of the character. And I think we do see that evolution just over the course of the 8th Grade mini-series. It was a trend intended to continue.

We would have seen some similar evolution for Belinda and Lena - for at least as long as they were around. And if that sounds vaguely sinister, it probably is. Or maybe it really isn't. Hard to say.

Anyway, that's some Cosmic Adventures 9th Grade stuff for you. Otherwise, Eric and I have been very busy working on new things. We will be making an announcement as to what exactly that might be at this years San Diego Comic Con.

In stores now - Batman: The Brave and the Bold TPB

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 20:36:05 GMT

Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Emerald Knight is now available in stores.

This book collects the last 4 issues of Batman: The Brave and the Bold that Eric and I produced and includes appearances by The Huntress, Mister Camera, Plastic Man, The Scarecrow, Wonder Woman, The Lady Blackhawks, King Rex and the Dinosaur Gang, The menace known as Robert, The Martian Manhunter, Doctor Fate, The Dreaded Y'gg Phu Soggoth (Egg Fu), and the first full comic book appearance of the 1960's TV series villian Egghead! It also includes our Green Lantern story which was called "Best Single issue of the Year" over at CBR.

Here's the original covers for the stories we produced for this book.

The last cover is the one they used for the collection. Probably because Green Lantern is on it and I hear he might be in some movie or something.

There's also another great Batman/Green Lantern team-up written by Adam Shlagman that's alot of fun, and a story where Batman gets his leg broken by current series writer Sholly Fisch that includes just about everyone ever. Check it out.

Zombie Cupcakes

Tue, 17 May 2011 10:11:58 GMT

I'm working on about five different projects right now, and can't talk about any of them. In the meantime, my wife is painting zombie cupcakes, called Zombee Cakes.

More of her work can be seen at her Facebook page.

Mezmerella incorporated into Pixar/Incredibles float at Disneyland California Adventure.

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:15:28 GMT

A life size cutout of Mezmerella is a part of the "Pixar and Pals" presentation at Disneyland/California Adventure.

Mezmerella was created in late 2009 for the Boom! Studios Incredibles series I was co-writing with Mark Waid. Although he did not work on the Incredibles, Eric Jones stepped in and designed the character, which in turn was rendered by Marcio Takara (I think it's his art used here) and Ramanda Karmarga (who I believe drew the Underminer in the above image). The colors scheme for the character was selected by editor Aaron Sparrow and the name (originally Hypnotica) was the idea of my wife Belinda Adams.

So alot of credit goes to alot of people for the character. It's pretty exciting seeing something I conceived of being a part of a Disney attraction of any kind. Even more fun to see young children interact with the inanimate character by throwing things at it.

My favorite quote from the video: "Mezmerella gets kneecapped!"

Here the full video:

Special thanks goes to FigmentJedi from the Pixar Planet forum for pointing this out.

New release - Joker's Asylum 2 Trade paperback

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 22:48:49 GMT

Apparently (and I have not been able to confirm this) the collected edition of the Joker's Asylum mini-series came out in stores yesterday. This trade paperback leads with the Mad Hatter story that I wrote last spring, illustrated by Keith Giffen and Bill Sienkiewicz with colors by David Baron.

A preview of the story can be found here.

The collected edition also features: Harley Quinn story, by James Patrick and Joe Quinones. The Riddler, by Peter Calloway and Andres Guinaldo. Clayface, by Kevin Shinick and Kelley Jones and Killer Croc by Mike Raicht and David Yardin.

Tron.

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 02:01:08 GMT

There seems to be a new Tron movie. My understanding is that it follows some similar themes that the comic explored. Makes sense. There are only so many logical directions for the Tron storyline to go in.