Stan Lee creates superheroes to promote hockey. What?
Source: Darren Franich @ ew.com
Superheroes and hockey seem to have nothing to do with each other…possibly because they have nothing to do with each other. That’s all going to change: According to Variety, comic book legend and cameo superstar Stan Lee is creating 30 new superheroes based on NHL franchises. The superheroes will debut during January’s All-Star game, and will be cross-promoted across several platforms (TV, movies, books, Jumbotrons). Each superhero is based on a team’s mascot or their city, so the Anaheim Ducks’ hero “wears a wet suit and wields a spear while riding a surfboard.” (He’s from California, get it?) This utterly surreal news can’t help but make you wonder: Can superheroes sell hockey? Can hockey sell superheroes? And is Stan Lee just cashing in on his legacy?
Trying to launch a new mega-franchise from scratch is always a dicey proposition, especially when you consider that Lee hasn’t really created anything new and memorable in…well, a long time. (Unless you count Stripperella.)
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Neil Gaiman Talks Comics in Union Square
Source: tor.com
New York City fans of Neil Gaiman, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Gabrielle Bell, or just comic stories in general were treated last night to a discussion between the aforementioned creators and the editors of the recently released Best American Comics 2010 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) collection, illustrators Matt Madden and Jessica Abel.
Gaiman was the guest editor for this year’s collection, responsible for paring down a field of over 100 greats to a small selection indicative of the quality of the comic medium published in 2009. The book features more popular titles such as O’Malley’s “Scott Pilgrim” series, or Robert Crumb’s graphic interpretation of the book of Genesis (aptly titled “Book of Genesis”) alongside quieter releases like Todd Brower and Steve MacIsaac’s “Ex Communication” and Gabrielle Bell’s “Mixed Up Tales.”
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