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Friday, October 30, 2009

In the News--New Bubble on the Horizon!


Got this message from my friend Ray regarding the upcoming commodities bubble. Athough Arthur has been telling me for months that he also suspected this same bubble was looming....looks as if he might be right. And here I was going to go and change my remaining $20 into gold, LOL....it's always something.

FYI, I love the above illustration by one of my favorites, Wally Wood. I'll call it, "In the News." --R. :-)

___

New Economic Bubble to Burst? 

Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Investors worldwide are borrowing dollars to buy assets including equities and commodities, fueling “huge” bubbles that may spark another financial crisis, said New York University professor Nouriel Roubini. 

“We have the mother of all carry trades,” Roubini, who predicted the banking crisis that spurred more than $1.6 trillion of asset writedowns and credit losses at financial companies worldwide since 2007, said via satellite to a conference in Cape Town, South Africa. “Everybody’s playing the same game and this game is becoming dangerous.” 

The dollar has dropped 12 percent in the past year against a basket of six major currencies as the Federal Reserve, led by Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, cut interest rates to near zero in an effort to lift the U.S. economy out of its worst recession since the 1930s. Roubini said the dollar will eventually “bottom out” as the Fed raises borrowing costs and withdraws stimulus measures including purchases of government debt. That may force investors to reverse carry trades and “rush to the exit,” he said. 

“The risk is that we are planting the seeds of the next financial crisis,” said Roubini, chairman of New York-based research and advisory service Roubini Global Economics. “This asset bubble is totally inconsistent with a weaker recovery of economic and financial fundamentals.” 

‘Wall of Liquidity’ 

The MSCI World Index of advanced-nation equities has surged 65 percent from this year’s low on March 9, while the MSCI Emerging Markets Index has jumped 96 percent. The Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index of 19 commodities has added 33 percent. 

Roubini said he sees a bubble in emerging-market equities and that gains in some developing-nation currencies are becoming “excessive.” The rally in oil “is not justified by the fundamentals,” he said. 

An asset “bust” may not occur for another year or two as a “wall of liquidity” pushes prices higher, Roubini said. In a carry trade, investors borrow in countries with low interest rates to invest in higher-yielding assets. 

Roubini said the U.S. recession seems to be over, though the economic recovery in advanced nations will be “anemic.” He’s “more optimistic” on the outlook for emerging-nation growth. 

The U.S. economy probably expanded at a 3.2 percent pace from July through September after shrinking the previous four quarters, according to the median estimate of 65 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News before the Commerce Department’s report on gross domestic product due Oct. 29. 

Roubini on Stocks 

The economy shrank 3.8 percent in the 12 months to June, the worst performance in seven decades. 

Roubini’s July 2006 warning about the financial crisis protected investors from losses in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index’s worst annual tumble in seven decades. The U.S. equity benchmark has surged 58 percent from a 12-year low in March even as Roubini said that month the advance was a “dead-cat bounce,” that it may “fizzle” in May and warned in July that the economy is “not out of the woods.” 

The S&P 500 gained was little changed at 1,067.30 as of 12:44 p.m. in New York, while the MSCI emerging markets index lost 1.8 percent. South Africa’s rand dropped 0.9 percent against the dollar as developing-nation currencies weakened. Crude oil for December delivery added 1.2 percent to $79.60 a barrel. 

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Patterson in London at mpatterson10@bloomberg.net.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Golden, Texeira and Witterstaetter Join Forces in Lille!


Well, here I am in Lille, a few days left of our massive European Tour that started in Spain, went to Paris and now to Lille. Steve Scott joined us for the first part of the tour and now Tex is with Golden and I in Lille. It's been an amazing journey.

Lille itself is a beautiful and historic city. I've been able to walk around a bit and sit in the square with my cup of cafe au lait. I hope to see a little bit more before I leave and maybe go to Flanders Field. We'll see. In the meantime, there is work to do as well...
--R.


Golden, Texeira and Witterstaetter Join Forces in Lille!

France--The lille Comics Festival doesn't start until Saturday, but Michael Golden, Mark Texeira and Renee Witterstaetter are in the city early to jump start the event with art classes and store signings each day before the show.

Guest of Honor, Michael Golden, known for his groundbreaking work on titles such as The 'Nam, Micronauts, G.I. Joe Yearbook, The Avengers,Batman, and Dr. Strange has dazzled generations of fans and establisheing him as one of the most influential creators in comics, with a body of work that inspired countless artists over the years.

During his career, Golden has been an editor at DC Comics as well as senior art director at Marvel Comics, and has worked on numerous movie production projects, including some currently in development. 

His art has been the focus of gallery shows in places as diverse as New York, Gijon and Barcelona, Antwerp and Brussels, and his class on storytelling has been conducted in Spain, Brussels, Canada, the United States and China. Golden’s recent work can be seen on the covers of Heroes for Hire, Exiles,Demon's Regret, Uncanny X-Men, and Spiderman, among others. Vanguard Production's recently released top-selling art retrospective "Excess: The Art of Michael Golden," written by Renee Witterstaetter, which has gone into a second printing. This year will also see the release of Golden’s new sketchbook, "More Heroes and Villains," from Eva Ink Publishing—a perfect match for last year’s "Heroes and Villains" sketchbook.

In addition, while in Lille, Golden is teaching a 2 hour course at the local art school as part of this important cultural exchange, adding this beautiful and historic city to the list of venues where he is previewing this truncated version of his longer 2 day art class to debut next year.

Mark Texeira is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as Wolverine, Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, Black Panther, and more, showcasing a knack of bringing striking reality, powerful mood, and visceral feeling to any story he tackles. 

His fine-art style has also graced numerous album covers, magazine covers, paperback books, movie tie-ins, and gaming merchandise. His clients include Def Jam Records, Marvel Entertainment, Dynamite, Harris, DC Comics, and pretty much every publisher we could name. His brush has brought to life characters such as Vampirella, Conan, and Batman, as well as Tex's creator-owned character Pscythe. 

Mark is currently working on a new Punisher mini-series for Marvel among much more.

Writer, editor, color artist, and publisher, Renee Witterstaetter began her career working for DC, Marvel, and Topps. After a storytelling immersion in comics, film work was a natural progression for her, and she worked on dozens of commercials and music videos for the likes of Madonna, Seal, and Usher, as well as the feature films Rush Hour Two, and Red Dragon, among others. She is the author of numerous books, including "Dying for Action: The Life and Films of Jackie Chan," "The Fantastic Art of Arthur Suydam," and "The Art of the Barbarian, vols. 1 and 2, the top-selling "Excess: The Art of Michael Golden" and "Tex: The Art of Mark Texeira," and her upcoming mystery novel. She has just recently returned from presenting a new paper at an animation forum in China, as well.

Michael, Mark and Renee will be appearing at comic shops in Lille the two days leading up to the show, signing and taking commission requests. All three will also be on hand both days of the festival. Other guests joining the trio will be: Niko Henrichon, Barry Kitson, Phil Winslade, Mitch Breitweiser, Gary Erskine, Stepahnie Hans, Gerald Parel, Ramon Perez, Karl Kershl,Cameron Stewart, Dave Taylor and Michael Lark.

For more information contact: www.lillecomicsfestival.com

For more information on Golden and Texeira, their commissions, work and appearances, contact: evaink@aol.com

(Above--Texeira, Witterstaetter and Golden on a recent appearance in China.)

Saturday, October 24, 2009

My First Comics in the Forbidden Lair!


Scoop had this article on Feedback this week and I have to say it was very nostalgic to me. And ironically, I was just talking about these very comics in my recent presentation in Gijon, Spain last week... 

When I was a kid, around 6 or 7, my brothers were the ones who had all the good books in their room. Sure, I had all the hand me down Dr. Seuss and "Never Tease a Weasel" tomes. I have fond memories of reading "Horton Hears a Who," and the one about the town that gets covered in green goo!? Which one was that? Sort of demented when you read it as an adult.  

Anyway....my brothers Robbie and Ray had the room down the hall in our one story house in Wake Village, and THAT was the forbidden lair. So, of course it was also the most interesting room in the house. Like all bad little sisters--especially the ones with the tomboy bent, I would devise ways to get in (but hey, not like they didn't do the same to my room, ya know.) Many a time, G.I. Joe (the one with the real stubbly beard, I believe with red hair in this case) would disappear to go and take Barbie to a dance or vie with Ken in some way. Several times Barbie would be in the army and go on wild jungle adventures in the the Joe's green military tank. Forget that pink car! Many a Doc Savage book would somehow find it's way into my room as well....some of my favorite books were the Wild West magazines that my brother Robbie collected, full of morbid true tales and grizzly after death photos of gunfighters, cattle rustlers and accounts of hardships on the wild frontier.  

The forbidden lair is also where I discovered my first comic books. Stuck down in the bottom of the closet in a neat little pile, I distinctly remember one--a Jerry Lewis comic from DC....I don't remember the cover--I think it had a pig in love with Jerry on it--and I'm not saying they were great comic literature, but they sparked my imagination even then. The story featured Lewis stuck out on a Hillbilly farm somewhere and being chased around by the farmer's daughter too, along with threats of a shotgun wedding... of course!

I also remember the other comic I found that day. It didn't have a cover, and was battered and torn by multiple readings-- it was about some guy named Peter that was meeting some girl named Mary Jane for the first time.... and calling him Tiger for some reason...I knew it was sexy too, even though I didn't know the word back then.  

Wonder what happened to all of these comics and magazines and books....I really don't know! Perhaps still put away in our time capsule old toy box where all retired soldiers and ponies also eventually went. We'll look someday...  

Looking back, it's interesting to me now, how a chance meeting with a story led to a life of working in an industry that I very much love, giving me the opportunity to meet and work with some amazing talents. In some ways it also led to my own career as a writer and publisher outside of comics as well, and to my desire to work in storytelling for film too!  

It also reminds me of some marvelous days when we had such diversity in subject matter--comics for all ages...something we are lacking now and to the detriment of the industry, I feel. And something to think about..  

Whatever it was about that comic, it got me wanting to read more. Not only comics but books too. Anything I could get my hands on!! And for that, thanks DC and Marvel.  

One door leads to another...or perhaps one book leads to another. 

Both apply.  

_________________ 

Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin in comics!  

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis stormed stages, televisions, phonographs and movies on their way into the hearts of a very adoring public. After initial successes as solo performers, they began working together as an act in January 1947,though they had been on the same bill several times previously by that point. With their music, comedy and lively banter, they quickly became in demand for radio shows and eventually television. This lead to 16 movies, as well as licensed products such as puppets, note pads and many other items. It's difficult today to understand just how popular they were, but they could sell out large venues for weeks, make the girls scream with delight, and make America laugh. But did you know that the comedic reign of Martin and Lewis extended to comic books? 

The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis was published by DC Comics (then National Periodical Publications) for 40 issues from July-August 1952 until October 1957, the year after the duo actually ended the act. The comic, of course, tried to capture the humor and camaraderie that they exuded in their on-stage personas. 

In fact, that might have been the real part of the act that people fell in love with, and that would go a long way to explain the decades-long fascination with their split. The subject of endless speculation and even a fairly recent TV movie, the journey of Martin and Lewis has been highly documented by entertainment writers, but perhaps only they know why they only appeared together in public three times after their 1956 split. Dean Martin passed away December 25, 1995. The comic book changed its title to The Adventures of Jerry Lewis beginning with #41 and

Monday, October 19, 2009

WHO REALLY WANTS TO KNOW!


I generally hate these things, but I can't sleep, so here goes:


Can you fill this out without lying? Paste these instructions in the body of a note, if you want to try,delete my answers, and type yours: 

1.What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
pear yogurt, just now. Although I spilt half of it on the floor.

2.Where was your profile picture taken?
On a cruise with my Mom. Probably in the Carribbean a few years ago. I like the formal nights. And there is usually dancing. :-) 

3.Can you play Guitar Hero?
Naw

4.Name someone who made you laugh today. A cute little baby named Lucas.


5.How late did you stay up last night and why?
2 am checking e-mails. Then I slept 2 hours. Now I'm up again.

6.If you could move somewhere else, would you?
Yes. Or at least also have a house in another country.

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
Oh yes.

8. Which of your FB friends lives closest to you?
Kenny

9. Do you believe ex's can be friends?
Most of the time, yes. 

10. How do you feel about Dr Pepper?
Love it.

11. When was the last time you cried really hard?
Oct. 9th.

12. Who took your profile picture on Facebook?
My Mom, Erma.

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of?
Michael Golden. Just yesterday. :-) He was goofing around for some picture. :-)

14. Was yesterday better than today?
It's always better. It's a new opportunity to either continue to do the things we love, or do change the things we don't.

15. Can you live a day without TV?
I hardly ever watch TV. Hate it. I do watch a few select shows though.

16. Are you upset about anything?
not today

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?
Yes.

18. Are you a bad influence?
I don't think so.

19. Night out or night in?
Working out at the gym or in the park, then, a NIght in with good food, a movie and someone I like.

20. What items could you not go without during the day?
Coffee and sunscreen.

21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?
My Grandmother, Maw Maw before she passed away in 2003. 

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say?
Sorry to have missed everyone at the Big Apple Con this past weekend.

23. How do you feel about your life right now?
I always love my life and try to find ways to move in different and interesting directions work wise. I love being places, although I don't like flying so much. And I'm lucky enough to work with some incredible people like Golden, Texeira and Steve Scott. I have friends all over the world and some very loyal and wonderful friends at home. So, yeah, life is good. Wish we all had health care, but other than that, I can't complain. :-) 

24. Do you hate any one?
I have been disappointed by people....but I think I have only probably hated one person really, and it took alot to reach that point. Before that, I pitied them and their craziness. Now, a few years later, I think I pity them and their delusions again...

25. If we were to look in your facebook inbox, what would we find?
Lots of messages that I should probably clear out. LOL But most answered. I'm getting better about that.

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
Yup. Don't do drugs.

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
Yes, but they were wrong.

28. What song is stuck in your head?
"Time is on my side."

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m., who do you want it to be?
We'll it would be someone who knows I'm still up at that time usually, but has miraculously found a way to get to a 9th floor window. And that would be impressive! :-)

30. Do you want to have grandkids before you’re 50?
It might have been nice, but since I don't have kids, isn't gonna happen.

31. Name something you have to do tomorrow.
Work. Perhaps get a massage.

32. Do you think too much or too little?
Too much sometimes. Most of the time just the right amount.

33. Do you smile a lot?
I'm pretty happy right now, so I guess I do.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Gijon Comic Salon Underway! Golden Interview Kicks off Event!


Spain-- The renowned Gijon Comic's festival and salon is underway in Spain, with an extensive interview with creator Michael Golden kicking off the festivties on Oct. 13, 2009, and featuring many other events planned for throughout the week!

It was a particularly special opening as Golden singled Russ Heath out in the crowd as one of the greats in comic history, and the man who also showed Golden himself just what good inking could be over his pencils. "Based on the knowledge I was fortunate enough to get by working with Russ," says Golden, "I saved a decade on a learning curve."

The oldest convention of it's kind in Spain, the Gijon show is known for style and grace as well as the Haxtur industry awards. Started by the man we all know and love as Faustino, and in association with "El Wendigo" magazine, the show is set along the beautiful shores of Spain in the Asturian region. There could not be a more beautiful setting for this event honoring sequential art.

In addition to artist and creator Michael Golden, the festival is also hosting Russ Heath, Steve Scott, Diego Olmos, Daniel Acuna, Santiago Arcas, Renee Witterstaetter, Pau, and many more, and includes art classes for local students, a gallery show at the Antiguo Instituto (which 2 years ago hosted a Golden exhibition), and numerous events open to the public.

Michael Golden's interview took place on October 13th with press interviews to follow on October 15th, while the Steve Scott interview is scheduled for October 16th and Russ Heath is slated for October 17th and the closing of the festival.

For more information, contact Renee at: evaink@aol.com

(above: Golden, Faustino, and Mark Texeira from 2007)

Friday, October 9, 2009

Golden at Baltimore/ Eva Ink and Woodcrest Participate in Harvey Awards!



Hi Ya'll--It's that time of year again. Baltimore ComiCon is happening a little later this year. Autumn is in the air--my favorite time of year, and it's time to board that train and get to the harbor and some great seafood. Crab Cakes are on the agenda.

Also for the second year in a row, I'm proud to say that my company, Eva Ink Publishing and Eva Ink Artist Group, along with our partner, Woodcrest Productions, will be donating some of our "Creator Chronicles" DVD series on industry creators as part of the gift bags for Harvey Awards attendees. There is always some cool stuff in these bags folks! It's not too late to get your tickets for the gala dinner and awards ceremony. We always have such a good time there, too. Last year I got to sit with the legendary artist Nick Cardy, and shared some wonderful conversation with this amazing man. :-)

Creator Michael Golden will also be a guest at the show all weekend, so stop by and see us. I'll be in Artist's Alley as well. At Mid-Ohio I had many of my old book I'd forgotten brought up for a signature. I'm sure I'll see some in Baltimore too.

Above, Golden scares up some spooky art for Halloween! :-)

Best,
Renee
:-)
____

Michael Golden Helps Baltimore Celebrate 10th Year!
Eva Ink and WoodCrest Productions Support Harvey Awards!



Baltimore--Fall is in the air and that can only mean one thing! It's time for the 10th Annual Baltimore ComicCon! And, just announced, joining the amazing line-up, and returning to one of his favorite shows is Co-creator of the X-men’s Rogue character, Michael Golden! Baltimore HAD to be on the agenda! And no matter if via plane, train or automobile, it should be on yours as well!

"I look forward to the gathering of pros and fans, in the great atmosphere that this show fosters, each year," says Golden, having just spent most of the last year conducting classes in sequential art storytelling worldwide, and accepting a few Guest of Honor nods along the way. "I wouldn't miss it."

Golden's pivotal and groundbreaking work can be seen in and on such books as "The 'Nam," "Micronauts," "G.I. Joe Yearbook," "Dr. Strange," “Nightwing,” “Detective,” “Heroes for Hire," "Hulk," "Spiderman," "Uncanny X-men" and “Iron Man” "Spartan X," "Bucky O'Hare," among much, much more.

Michael, no matter on which character, is indeed known for his unique art style that at various times seems detailed and at other times seems to be amazingly streamlined--cutting away the excess and maintaining the true essentials of a piece. Thus the title of his recent top-selling art book, "Excess: The Art of Michael Golden," from Vanguard Productions!

Current projects include “Manga Bucky O’Hare” from Vanguard Productions; “Michael Golden Monsters” portfolio from Eva Ink; “Heroes and Villains Sketchbook” from Eva Ink; “Modern Masters in the Studio with Michael Golden" DVD and trade from TwoMorrows; “The Creator Chronicles : Michael Golden” DVD from Woodcrest Productions, and Michael's new sketchbook "MORE Heroes and Villains," due out in the fall.

Honored with gallery shows in places as diverse as New York, Brussels, Antwerp, Gijon, Paris and Barcelona, Golden is sought after for his signature art class in storytelling, which he has conducted throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and now China. Michael has served as an Editor at DC Comics as well as Senior Art Director at Marvel Comics, and has worked on scores of movie production projects, including some currently in development. As well as design work for both Universal and Disney.

Guests joining Golden, Oct. 10-11 for Baltimore include: Brian Michael Bendis, Robert Kirkman, David Finch, Marc Silvestri, Chris Claremont, Bernie Wrightson, Frank Cho, Tim Sale, Doug Braithwaite, Matt Fraction, Stan Sakai, George Perez, Joe Kubert, J.G. Jones, Rob Liefeld, Neal Adams, J.Scott Campbell, Jimmy Cheung, Cully Hamner, Sanford Green, Barry Kitson, David Mack, Mike Manley, Mike McKone, Terry Moore, Steve Niles, Walt Simonson, Matt Wagner, and many more!

Also, don't forget the Harvey Awards on Saturday night as the industry honors some of our great talents. Eva Ink and Woodcrest Productions are happy to once again be donating DVD's from their "Creator Chronicles" series for the gift bags at the event. "This has become a tradition for us,' says Renee Witterstaetter of Eva Ink. "We are thrilled to be part of the Harvey's and what they stand for, and Baltimore has provided such a classic home for the event."

So grab that nearest car, train or plane, and get thee to the ComiCon!

For more information on the Baltimore Comic Con, visit www.comicon.com/baltimore/

For more information on Michael Golden and his work, contact: evaink@aol.com; www.evaink.com

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

This is ONLY a Test!


Hello All--


Okay.... so I just got back from China....where they treated us SOOO well, and put us up in a fantastic hotel near a beautiful lake (probably full of fish, but didn't get a chance to buy a line and go see.)

Here's my problem: Maybe it's because I was speaking at a Comics and Animation Forum near Beijing, or maybe it was delirium after flying all the way around the world-- but the carpet in the hotel haunted me the entire time I was there! Really. And, it was a big hotel, so there was LOTS of this carpet, let me tell you!

But, let me explain: I kept seeing the face of one particular animated character in the design OVER and OVER again. I could NOT get it out of my head! The name reverberated in my brain with EVERY step, like some weird marching tune...

I tested Michael and Tex to see if they saw it too. They didn't at first...not until I pointed it out. Then they said..."Oh yeah....I see it now!!"

Now, keep in mind, I loved this character when I was a kid. Still do....so it wasn't all that terrible.

So, my question....do you see it too? Or is it just me. LOL

--Renee
:-)