Chances are you’ve seen Sergio Cariello’s work in comics, but might not know much about the man behind the art. Gritty characters seem to come naturally for this comic artist. Having worked on DC legends such as Batman, Deathstroke, and Azrael, Sergio’s artwork can now be found gracing the interior pages of the Eisner-nominated Dynamite series “The Lone Ranger”. I met Sergio at Megacon 2008 and was truly blown away by not only his artwork, but his professionalism as well. It was an honor to interview Mr. Cariello in this Baker’s Dozen about his beginnings as an artist, his work on the Lone Ranger, and how big an influence God has played in his life and career.
Dear Green Arrow,
You know this is gonna be difficult for me. Truth is, I don’t want to hurt your feelings. After all, you have been at the top of my list of favorite comic heroes for going on fifteen years now.
Man Ollie, I remember the good old days. I can call you Ollie, right? Anyway…back to what I was saying. The good old days. You, Mike Grell and I.
Welcome to the incredibly long review of the new Batman film, though to be honest, Batman has been out for so long in the theaters now, that a movie review isn’t really the right description. Think of this more as a review of Bats in general. If you hate long reviews, go ahead and head elsewhere. If you hate movie reviews by armchair quarterbacks, move along. If you dislike Batman, it is probable that you never should been on this website in the first place. This article is long, full of commentary (NO SPOILERS) and delves into comic book and character history, which, for most, probably makes it boring. Still, as a fo-realz comic book geek, I wanted to put my thoughts on the matter here on the interweb. With that in mind, here we go…
Geoff Johns should write every comic that DC releases. I mean that statement with all due respect to all of the other phenomenal writers at DC Comics. Over the last decade, Geoff Johns has impressed me more times than I can count and I don’t think I’m alone. I should probably hate Johns after all of the horrors he’s put my favorite characters through. Technically, Geoff Johns should be considered the most evil, villainous man in the DC Universe. Just look at his list of crimes. Johns put the Green Lantern Corps through the Sinestro Corps War. He killed numerous heroes in Infinite Crisis. He’s torn the Justice Society down and left them battered and bloody more times than I can count.
It was 6:00 in the evening on June 22, 1989 and I had six hours of standing in line ahead of me. I was part of the second group in line for the biggest event of my young life and I asked my mom if I could jump out of line for a few minutes so that my cousin, Ben, and I could go over to the little cart parked in the middle of our hometown mall that was set up for the summer to sell Batman merchandise. That’s right, kids! This wasn’t your every day ordinary merchant trying to pawn off hand cream or toy helicopters. This cart sold Batman stuff. Batman shirts, Batman figures, Batman key chains, Batman buttons, Batman watches…
I've always been a western guy. Grab some snacks, toss in a DVD of Big Jake, The Outlaw Josey Wales, or Lonesome Dove and, in my opinion, you've got a great Saturday afternoon. My love of westerns was passed to me from the same person that gave me my first love of comics, and that was my dad. My dad grew up during a time when westerns were the cool thing to be into. A large portion of the comics that he passed down to me from his youth were about Roy Rogers, Annie Oakley and other western characters from that era. Unfortunately, except for the rare gem that would pop up from time to time (I'm thinking of Marvel's Blaze of Glory: Last Ride of the Western Heroes.), good western comics were a thing of the past...until recently.
Interviewing Chris Batista is like critiquing a piece of his artwork: it’s quick, clean, and tells a great story without distraction. If you haven’t had the chance to see Mr. Batista’s work on comics such as Steel, Robin, Legion, JLA or the epic weekly DC title 52, you should put down your copies of ‘Secret Invasion’ and check it out. With a penchant for capturing youthful emotion like none other, Batista’s facial expressions evoke instant connections that break the 4th wall between reader and character.
The summer has barely started and we've already seen the deaths of two fan favorite heroes. With the loss of Martian Manhunter in Final Crisis #1 and Kitty Pryde getting a heroic send off in Giant Size Astonishing X-men #1, two of the most beloved comic book characters have been sent to that back issue bin in the sky. When we last saw Martian Manhunter, he was a prisoner of Lex Luthor and company in the pages of the villain-centric Salvation Run mini-series. Left on the prison planet by the escaping villains at the end of that series, Martian Manhunter is brought back to Earth at the conclusion of Justice League of America #21.
The year was 1993. I was flipping through a stack of VHS tapes I kept at the small comic shop I owned looking for something to throw in to kill time. I came across a copy of the first Indiana Jones movie: Raiders of the Lost Ark. Feeling nostalgic (I was only 7 when I saw Raiders in theaters), I put the cassette in and began to watch it. Now, I’d seen it before, but I guess I had forgotten how really unique it was. All the characters were engaging, the sets were incredible, and those warm ‘fanboy-fuzzies’ kicked in. I was 7 all over again.
You don’t have to be a billionaire industrialist/super-hero to be famous. But it helps. Hauling in over $100 million dollars on its’ opening weekend, “Iron Man” could be Marvel’s biggest motion picture success story yet. Before Robert Downey Jr. suited up for the Armored Avengers film, Iron Man was another creation of the legendary Stan Lee, first appearing in Tales to Astonish #39 in March 1963. With a rich history that includes a terrific supporting cast, a prior battle with alcoholism and a firm status in the Marvel Universe, ol’ Shell-Head continues to delight readers young and old.
If you’re looking for a job as an artist in the comic book biz, and Doug Klauba’s resume is in front of yours… go home.
A traditional artist with experience in the artistic side of advertising and marketing, Doug has made his way into the comic book industry one gorgeous brushstroke at a time. His artwork can be found exploding from the covers of several Moonstone publications, such as the Phantom, Zorro, and Kolchak: the Night Stalker. Mr. Klauba’s work can also be found in Dynamite’s “Project: Superpowers” #0 alongside comic greats Alex Ross and Steve Sadowsky. Doug sat down with CCL for 13 questions to discuss his artwork...
Part Two of the story that shakes the Phantom mythology to its core continues with the latest variant issue from Comic Collector Live and Moonstone Publishing. The special variant cover is the work of Brian Denham ( IRONMAN: Hypervelocity) one of the comic book industry’s emerging talents.
Jimmy Palmiotti is your average, everyday comic book genius. Having established himself as both an accomplished writer and inker on several titles for various comic book companies, Palmiotti stands alone as a rare breed in this crazy world we call the comics biz. Not unlike some of the characters he writes, Jimmy is a straight shooter; pun intended. Comic Collector Live had the honor of talking with Palmiotti about his career, his relationship with artist Amanda Conner, and why ‘The Maltese Falcon’ is a film you can listen to and still enjoy.
“Good Girl” artist and Rocketeer creator Dave Stevens died March 10th, 2008 at the age of 52 due to complications from leukemia. Stevens first appeared on the scene as an inker for Russ Manning’s “Tarzan” newspaper strips in the 1970’s, and also as a storyboard artist for several Hanna-Barbara cartoons including the popular “Super Friends” animated TV show...
He’s stared down the barrel of the Punisher’s gun and found him lacking. He’s looked Aquaman straight in the eye and let him know how boring he is. He’s even destroyed the Marvel Universe. If comic book satire has a name, it MUST be Fred Hembeck.
Twenty years ago, if you walked into a supermarket or 7-11 station looking for comics, you probably snagged one of these little goodies with your Slurpee or candy bar. 100 pages of action from DC COMICS crammed neatly into a pocket-sized format that you easily fit in your backpack or back pocket. They are the DC Digests, and yes, they are still as cool as you remember.
It’s time for The Ghost Who Walks to spring into action for a whole new generation of fans! Comic Collector Live, America’s newest comic book fan site, and Moonstone Publishing is proud to offer fans a chance to reacquaint themselves with the Phantom, America’s first spandexed superhero with an exclusive PHANTOM #21 comic book!
What began as a fascination with comic books at the age of 12, Kevin’s one-time childhood love has turned into a career that has spanned both comics and movies. From his beginnings as an artist at Marvel Comics to the formation of his visual effects company, Kevin sat down with CCL and answered 13 questions about his life, his wife, and whether or not he’d ever return to Valiant again.
Stories of Native American warriors have interested readers for years, but when you throw in some dinosaurs, add some characterization and a “Lost Valley” or “Land”, you have a recipe for success that has endured in some form or another for over 50 years. The story of Turok has always been a popular one for comic book fans for decades ; a tale that helped launch...
Big City Comics Studio, the publishing company responsible for Ant Unleashed, Dragon Cross, Tempest, Totem, and soon-to-be released Omega 1, has had numerous issues sell out at the distributor. What sets Big City Comics apart from other publishing companies? Publisher/Writer Jeffery Kaufman of Big City Comics breaks the mold in more ways than one...
In 2004, DC Comics and writer/artist Darwyn Cooke re-imagined the birth of DC Comic’s Silver Age of Heroes with “DC: The New Frontier”. Taking place during the Cold War, this 6-issue limited series retells the origin of Green Lantern, Flash, and other DC super heroes from the perspective of an America in need of heroes in a time of fear, frustration and an uncertain future. The series has been collected in both hardcover and soft cover formats, and has even spawned a series of action figures directly based off...
(Hendersonville, TN) Dec 1, 2006. A revolutionary FREE software for comic book enthusiasts is set to take a bite out of EBay. Comic Collector LIVE is not scheduled for release until February, but already is on pace to register over 100,000 users by Valentine’s Day! Joe Butler, the developer, calls it the Superhero of ...
What happens when a comic book enthusiast mixes the joy of reading comics with his internet business? The answer may surprise you.
John Cassaday, Eisner Award-Winning artist, has been commissioned by Comic Collector Live for a special variant cover of the Lone Ranger (#10) series from Dynamite Entertainment and available exclusively at Comic Collector Live.
The Lone Ranger's second exciting story arc featuring The Lone Ranger and Tonto
Since the creation of ‘King Kong’ 75 years ago there have been several adaptations in print and in movies. Some have been admirable and some downright cheesy. But now a new mini-series based on Joe DeVito’s Kong: King Of Skull Island is being published by AAM/Markosia. This mini-series is the only one endorsed by the estate of the creator of Kong, Merian C. Cooper, and coincides with the 75th anniversary of the original King Kong movie of 1933.
When Stanley Davis was 12 he got hooked on comics. He especially loved the western comics like Gene Autrey, Roy Rogers and Red Rider. One day while enjoying a western comic,