Erik Burnham's Blog, page 7

Something Savage This Way Comes

Available for order RIGHT NOW and on sale May 02 is SAVAGE TALES: VAMPIRELLA, a fun little one-shot I wrote throwing everyone's favorite space vampire against straight up barbarians in a pulp fantasy world.

The art is by Anthony Marques and J.Bone with color by Chris O'Halloran -- it's old school and I hope you'll all consider grabbing a copy for yourselves, physically or digitally.

Here's a peek at the cover at the first (uncolored) page!

Cover art by Robert Hack
Art by Anthony Marques and J. Bone

CONVENTION ANNOUNCEMENT: Oak City Comic Con!

I'm pleased to announce that I'll be in Raleigh, North Carolina in March for this year's Oak City ComicCon -- ready to sign comics, chat, heck, maybe even do some sketches!

I could not be more excited.

Want more info? Here's the link!

OAK CITY COMIC CON

HAPPY NEW YEAR

As I write this, 2017 is not much longer for the world

As a year, it has brought happiness and pain, more of one than the other for some, but for most of us, an even mix of each.

My (long) recap follows the break!



So, 2017.

I continued to have a fantastic time doing my job -- telling stories. It's a blessing to be able to do the thing that feels like your true calling.

And what a year I had -- I closed out the KISS: The Demon series co-written with Amy Chu, then the Ghostbusters 2017 annual, followed by Ghostbusters 101, The KISS: Forever and Red Sonja: Long Walk to Oblivion one shots, the TMNT Universe: Karai's Path arc, and finally, the TMNT/Ghostbusters crossover sequel. I worked with tons of great artists and had a fantastic time.

Here's a twitter thread with lots of art cred and links to the Comixology purchase links! (:

Click This Link For The Twitter Thread!

I got to go visit pals at Nickelodeon Studios (Dan Milano and Andy Suriano have some GREAT series upcoming in Glitch Techs and the newest iteration of TMNT; I'm so psyched to see their hard work pay off!)

I also got to drop by Sony and visit the Ghost Corps offices. That was a blast -- I love working with these folks and I love working on this property. Also, I got to zoom around a studio lot on a little golf cart, which, heck, that was something else.

Lots of conventions across the country this year, which was great, and which allowed me to hang out with pals I never otherwise get to see -- like my Ghostbusters collaborator Dapper Dan Schoening, who is usually hiding over off the west coast of Canada.

I got to see bunches, and I mean bunches, of friends and colleagues do some of their best work to well-deserved recognition.

I also got to do a little bit of vacationing, seeing Disneyland for the first time since Bush 41 was president of the US, and the amazing San Diego Zoo. Great times.

I lost 40 pounds to start the year off and then put 20 back. Let's see if I can drop them in the first quarter of 2018.

One of my biggest pluses -- going to see Tom Petty live -- became one of my biggest minuses as I got vertigo from my seats. (Height? Not bad! Angle? Yeah, I can't do straight down, apparently.) Had to listen to the whole show from the hall, but I'll catch him next ti--oops.

At the very least every other live event I was lucky enough to go to -- MST3K Live, Dylan Moran, John Cleese, and a Minnesota Viking game -- went off without a hitch. The Vikes even won.

I hope for a busy year, a year that isn't lonely, and a year where we come out better, not worse.


via GIPHY

PS -- this blog post is also my most recent newsletter. They don't all go public, so if you want to keep up on things, sign up in the box to the right!

Guess Who Has A Newsletter

That's right!

I'm jumping back to 1997 and starting up an email newsletter.

Why? Well.

I love social media, but sometimes the algorithms of the facebooks of the world -- or the churn of the twitters -- has obscured my missives to folks who want to know when work is coming, or where I'll be appearing... I can't tell you how many times I've heard "this miniseries is happening? When is it coming out?" after a month of promoting.

Things fall through the cracks.

I don't plan on giving up social media by any means, but I do want folks who are interested in me and my work to not miss out on stuff... and it's a busy world; missing out is easy.

Thus the list.

How often will it be coming out? That'll change on my workload. Expect it no less than once a month, and no more than once a week. I don't want to inundate anyone.

What will it include? Release dates, preorder numbers, interviews (links to some asking me questions, and me interviewing others), signing and convention appearances, and the occasional thoughts on pop culture (which is where I make my living!)

Again, I don't want to inundate anyone.

So look to this space (and all the old usual spots, too) for news on books, comics, appearances, a patreon, and more.

SPEAKING OF BOOKS...

Up for preorder right now is the Ghostbusters annual 2018! 


Art by Dan Schoening/Luis Antonio DelgadoWhen urban miners discover what appears to be a centuries-old, man-made chamber 600 feet below the streets of New York City, they unwittingly unleash an unnamed entity with designs on dominance... an entity that will soon answer to the name SAMHAIN. Join the original Ghostbusters in this double-sized annual that will also sow the seeds for Crossing Over!

Here's the preorder code you'll need to bring to any shop -- brick and mortar or online -- to get the right comic:

DEC170466

And please, folks, if you have a pull list or order at a comic shop, pick up your books and pay for them! These shops operate on razor-thin margins, and that can mean a LOT.




Coincidentally, you've just read my first newsletter. If you'd like to sign up for more, just put your email into the sign up form to the right!

That said, I'm off to enjoy me some Christmas. I hope everyone has the best possible new year in front of them; I'll talk to you all in January 2018!


--Erik


EDIT -- For those looking at this on a mobile version of the site, the newsletter signup is at this link: SIGN UP FOR ERIK'S NEWSLETTER!

It's a Blog! Con announcement, Star Wars, and a happy holiday to you all!

First up!
It's not my first appearance of the year chronologically, but it's the first one to be announced!

In June, I'll be down in the gulf coast of the Sunshine State -- Fort Myers, Florida -- for Space Con! Should be a fun time for geeks of all stripes. Here's where you can dig up some info on that:

SWFL SpaceCon!
Second off, some non-spoilery talk about Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Holy cow.

I haven't seen so much fan divisiveness (of a critically praised movie) in a loooooong time. There's plenty to unpack with that, but in all honesty... I loved it.

I loved that it wasn't quite the A-B-C of a hero's journey. I loved that it didn't give is all the same things, simply packaged in a different way.

And I loved the voice Rian Johnson brought to it. I loved the humor, and I loved (this could be me being an Indiana Jones fan over and above a Star Wars fan) that there was so much more about how the characters -- hero and villain -- coped with failures. 

Some of these failures were big, some small (not limited to death, indignity, misunderstandings, insults, failure to act on an impulse, and perhaps largest of all, for many of the characters, failure to be what you expect of yourself.)

That resonated with me. In fact, I can't overstate how much I connect with that.

I do expect enough was left vague for JJ Abrams to pivot the story back to grand high mythology, but if I'm being honest, this is a Star Wars movie I connected to in ways I didn't expect. I know Mark Hamill was disappointed in Luke's storyline. I know fans are mad because it didn't follow the feel of TFA.

And without a doubt, I would've done things differently.

But -- even with the longer running time -- I loved this flick.\
Okay, last but not least...
It's the end of the year, and 2017 has been one tough cookie in so many, so VERY many ways. Political incompetence and infighting, natural disasters, conspiracies, illness, and darkness in the human spirit on display.

I'm kind of cynical, but I still believe there is better coming, and that's because I fundamentally believe, despite my grousing, that there is better in us.

So here at the end of 2017, I want to wish all of you a 2018 that is so great, we're not ready for it to be over twelve months from now. I wish you health and happiness. I hope to see some of you at conventions or signings or elsewhere, and to laugh about the good we've seen recently.

And of course, I hope my work will continue to entertain some of you when the good is otherwise hard to spot.

Thanks for being here, there, and everywhere.

And Happy Holidays!--Erik

New Project: Pitching in on RED SONJA

I'll be helping out on Amy Chu and Carlos Gomez' RED SONJA series over at Dynamite, scripting issues 12-16.

There's plenty of craziness in Amy's story, and Carlos is killing it on art.

#12 should be out pretty soon, but in the meantime, here's a short interview about it!


Erik Burnham pitches in on RED SONJA 

Movie Review: JUSTICE LEAGUE

Warner Bros. PicturesI haven't done a movie review on this site in a while -- mea culpa, I've been busy -- but I couldn't let the Justice League movie pass by without one.

Bear in mind, I liked half of Man of Steel, a third of Suicide Squad, 2/3 of Wonder Woman, and ... let's not talk about BvS. How does the League fare?

I had too many thoughts on it. Some, I admit, may not be fair, as there were quibbles and observations that are coming more from my place as a creator than as a member of the audience...

But though there was stuff I didn't like, I did like a lot of it. A whole lot.

I do want to say -- for those whose favorite version Superman started with John Byrne's revamp, this is arguably the best overall onscreen representation of the character.

Needless to say, spoilers will be HEAVY after the break, and there will be some rambling, too. (Much.)

Let's do it.





He smiles and accepts. This is the Superman I've been waiting to see. Pardon my characterization of a fictional character -- the real version. Not something defensively played for "realism" or themes arbitrarily decided as more adult, but a good man (he's at the scene of a rescue, talking with responders) that is patient and kind.

He smiled; I smiled.

When they asked him if his symbol meant hope, he said yes -- and then gave a Pa Kent anecdote that made Jonathan seem like the kind of guy who would raise a Superman. "Hope is a lot like car keys..."

And then the screen went black, and "A Warner Bros. Picture" signaled the start of the film. I was already anticipating Superman's return.

We cut to Gotham and some wonderful visuals of Batman doing what he does. The physicality here was -- in the best sense of the word -- comic booky in a way Nolan's Dark Knight was not, let alone the Burton version. And he was certainly less violent than in BvS. He's after a parademon! It explodes.

The thug Batman had chased to scare enough to draw out the parademon -- a creature attracted to fear as a food source -- sticks around with a level head to ask if the monsters have come because Superman is gone. There's no reason he wouldn't have either run away or huddled in the corner after Batman and a monster had scared him so; ludicity felt a bit off. Alfred could have asked the same question.

We segue to the world mourning Superman (the Superman shown in the two DCU films so far doesn't feel like the kind of guy that would be this missed, but it would feel accurate to the character as a whole, so we let it slide.)

A cover of "Everybody Knows" plays. I think the Leonard Cohen original may have been a bit more somber, but hey... it's nice to know Prince and David Bowie were up there with Superman. That title made me laugh out loud.

Wonder Woman's introduction now, rescuing folks from a terrorist plot in the most impressive bullets and bracelets moment depicted onscreen (followed by a clever Whedon line "...I'm a believer" that doesn't quite work as well in execution than concept.)

Many clever Whedonisms pop up and announce themselves with a neon sign and don't quite feel organic. Others work quite well.

I'm not going to go scene by scene anymore, I promise. I've only seen it once and hardly have a photographic memory. I'll just jump to stream of consciousness.

Let's talk about the Amazons. Comments were made about the costume change. To wit:

Warner Bros.There were comments of sexism. In the context of the scene, however... most of the Amazons retained the look from Wonder Woman, cuirass and all. There weren't as many of those in a bare midriff; just a few. And it was all for a purely visual moment. The cuirass is a battle-ready look -- but it hides the abs. See the muscles in those women to the left? In a scene were Steppenwolf comes after one of three hidden Mother Boxes (the MacGuffin of the film) the Amazons try to keep it from him. They race it out of the chamber it's held in. A heavy stone door is falling as Hippolyta flees with the Mother Box... two Amazons catch it long enough to let her get past.

That catch and the rippling in their abs. That one visual cue. That's it, that's the whole reason the midriffs were bared. It was certainly a powerful image, and Snyder's interest has always been in visual. Mileage will vary, and some will still be irritated that there was a change made at all for the sake of one brief moment.

Aquaman's introduction in Iceland... was the first time I was looking at my watch. Momoa wasn't given the lines (except for once, much later) and I was kind of bummed. I think he'll do fine, but his dialogue didn't seem to get much TLC, comparatively. I also was driven nuts that he swam like a torpedo ("Arthur Curry here; I like beans. Maybe a little too much...") And Mera conjuring an air bubble at one point so that they could speak... that took me more out of the scene than somehow communicating through water... which, y'know, does carry sound.

Back to dialogue -- Cyborg and Flash got a little bit more of the TLC; Vic Stone got two lines that stuck with me -- his response to his dad telling him he wasn't a monster (which was a great response and really displayed a character in one moment) and his later aside to Batman "--While you were being an asshole..."

Flash suffered (for me) solely by virtue of a comparison to the several-years deep performance of Grant Gustin on TV. Ezra Miller did well with decent material, and was very likable. Lotta quips, most of which worked.

Batman... Affleck looked tired. He looked like he didn't want to be there. And, looking at what I feel is a plot misstep of BvS, Batman having been on the job for 20 years just feels off. It's something I think Flashpoint is going to change -- or else something that will be retconned and ignored.

The music cues! I was listening hard for the Elfman Batman theme (it was hard to hear over the SFX of the scene itself) and the Williams Superman theme was just barely more noticeable -- but it was, and it was at a great point.

I'll get back to the characters in a bit; now I want to talk some story.

Overall plot backstory: thousands of years ago, Steppenwolf showed up to turn the earth into another Apololips. He was driven away by a coalition of Amazons, Greek gods, Atlanteans, Green Lanterns (!) and men. The three Mother Boxes, the devices that would've transformed Earth, are divvied up and hidden away for safekeeping. Steppenwolf is driven away, and perhaps a little mad by his first defeat.

We cut back to the present. He returns. He easily gets the Mother Boxes from Themyscira and Atlantis. He gets the Mother Box hidden by mankind just after the League uses it to resuscitate Superman. Superman goes a bit nuts, but Lois is brought in to calm him down and remind him of his life as Clark Kent. Then the League stops Steppenwolf's plan, and we end.

With me?

Okay. On its surface, not too bad. A simple story. It mostly holds... but some details do not -- again, some past choices affecting things for the worse -- and some others are inexplicable.

In BvS. Superman dies. Clark Kent could have been considered lost -- and then hey, he's been found! He was wounded, he lost his memory, whatever. But no; they buried Clark as well, and with a showy funeral. (Showy maybe because a famous billionaire attended.) They raided his grave, they called him Clark in public, in the internet world, those dots would eventually connect. It was a lazy bit of plotting and it was because of past choices.

Wonder Woman hiding from the world for a century was, at least, addressed.

But they bring Superman back. And he's... not quite all there. Memories, yes. He remembers and doesn't like Batman (there is an amusing callback to "Do you bleed?") The League -- through Cyborg's automated defenses -- attacks Superman first, and we got to see a great bit of fighting action. The presentation of super speed -- Flash moving his fastest, everything frozen, and Superman's eyes tracking him... was a great bit.

Superman doesn't stop until Lois (a famed reporter who was engaged to Clark Kent... and aren't they in Metropolis?) starts calling Superman by that name. He flies off, goes to the Kent farm, gets his head right.

The League preps to go after Steppenwolf, in a backwater rural Russian town where the villain plans to start the conversion (sorry, Unity) to an Apololiptian hellscape.

The FX rendering Steppenwolf did look a little bit like the cinematics in any given PS3 and above level Elder Scrolls game, but that's okay... and he got one of the best lines of the movie, noting that Wonder Woman had the blood of the old gods in her.

"The old gods died."

A direct Kirby lift, and it was great.

Anyways, back to the showdown. They're fighting parademons, trying to help the townsfolk, doing their thing, and finally, Superman shows up.

"I've always been a big fan of truth. And justice." BOOM.

He fights, he rescues people, he saves the day, and it felt right.

The pacing of this film was uneven -- nothing felt missing, but scenes ended abruptly. Efficient but lazy explanations and credibility straining moments showed their faces. Paying for the roadblocks of past story choices.

All of these things, and some ups and downs in dialogue, bothered me as a writer. I think they could have been fixed, but maybe not under the circumstances that were presented to the filmmakers. It is what it is.

I've specifically left out reactions to a few things (okay, Momoa's Aquaman sitting on the golden lasso was, well, gold) and it may sound to some like I'm being overcritical.

But I'm going again, and I'm buying the movie -- because what didn't work didn't work, but what did work was wonderful and made me feel good for watching it.

Superman's mid-credits racing of the Flash.

Batman having not just a dry sense of humor, but a knowledge of himself. (That came out in his discussion of Superman -- "He's more human than me.")

When it could, this movie ignored past DCU films, and that felt weird. But the characters felt right, and that was worth a lot.

You're not going to get a star rating or a number value... just that for all the quibbles, this comic book guy felt like he was seeing old friends, some for the first time in a long while.

And I loved that.

New Appearance: VALLEYCON

Hey, folks!

I'll be at VALLEYCON in Fargo, North Dakota this year!

Well -- for most of it. I'll be appearing on Friday, October 20 and Saturday, October 21 -- but will have to leave on Sunday for a previous engagement... so if you want to say hi, be there before Sunday!

Looking forward to seeing everyone--!

--Erik

Couple of Sketch Cards

Did these sketch cards late at night when sleep just straight up wouldn't come -- and it's funny to me that these two fellas are what my brain wound up doodling.

They're up for grabs this week, and if no one calls out for 'em, I'll just bring 'em with me to the MCBA FallCon in a coupla few weeks!

Drop a line if interested! $13 for either, $20 for both (shipping included.)

DragonCon, TMNT/GB II, a Kickstarter, and more!

Had a great time at the craziest con in existence with my Ghostbusters parter-in-crime Dan Schoening. We were busy sketching and chatting and signing all four days -- talk about a whirlwind.

As always, I saw some of the most incredible cosplay, and I got to chat with a LOT of Ghostheads.

....And thankfully, being on the fourth floor of the hotel, I was also able to take the stairs instead of waiting for the perpetually clogged elevator.

I wish I had been able to explore a little bit more, but that's the price you pay for having a lot of readers in one place. Fair trade.

...I did get, at least, to hang out with the incomparable Wilfredo Torres for a bit. He's got a lot of big things coming up this year, which is good news for fans of great art.

I've just about recovered. And none too soon! I have some more scripts to write... news on that soon.

Meantime, there's a few other things to talk about.....


First: make sure you pre-order TMNT / GHOSTBUSTERS II: THE STORY WITHOUT A SUBTITLE! Time is running out for that!

It's a five-issue weekly series coming out this November, and it features art by Dan Schoening, Pablo Tunica, Mark Torres, Tadd Galusha, Charles Paul Wilson III, and color from Luis Antonio Delgado!

(Expect the unexpected!!)
PREORDER NOW!!! These are the codes you need -- remember, this is a weekly book! Don't miss out on the adventure!

ISSUE 01: SEP170484
ISSUE 02: SEP170489
ISSUE 03: SEP170492
ISSUE 04: SEP170495
ISSUE 05: SEP170498

If you don't have a local comic book store (like me) check out DCBS, GMart, or TFAW -- they can hook you up!
Second, my good friend Scott McCullar has just launched a Kickstarter for his THRILL SEEKER COMICS. This was his pulp-fueled pastiche that debuted in the Shooting Star Comics Anthology back in 2002 -- the same book that launched my career in comics.

Scott has 128 pages of nazi-punching pulp here, much of which was in the six issue run of the Shooting Star anthology, but some of which is BRAND NEW to this edition. And it's all gone from black and white to glorious color.

Not to mention, one of the stories was guest-written by me.

Scott's almost 1/3 of the way to goal as of this posting... go on over and check out his wares:

Click here to check out the THRILL SEEKER COMICS Kickstarter!

Last bit of business -- I'll be at the MCBA FallCon on Saturday, October 7. I hope to get my brother down there with me to share copies of his first Inner Child collection -- he's kept a daily schedule on that strip for over a YEAR now, and that's no small feat as he also has a full time job and a girlfriend who's always on the go. (Seriously, she marathons like a madwoman.) Come show your support -- or visit the strip at www.innerchildcomic.com!
All right, that should be it. I may have some more news soon -- and when I can share, I'll share it here.
Thanks, everyone!
--Erik