Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers Returns

This December, Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers returns with an ongoing comic book series.  If this is as good as the new Darkwing Duck title (same writer) it will be great!  "Some times, some crimes, go slipping through the cracks..."

Free Toy Story Comic Book

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY is May 1st!  Stop by your local comic shop and get a free copy of the Toy Story comic book!  Tell your kids so you won't forget!

Darkwing Duck Returns

Darkwing Duck returns this June in a 4 issue mini series from Boom Studios.  From an interview with the author:
“Drake Mallard has given up being Darkwing to get a job in a cubicle. He and Launchpad are not speaking to each other. Gosalyn’s in a school that’s suffocating her. There are lots of external adversaries that challenge this new status quo and reminds our three heroes how important they are to each other.

“There are a ton of villains in these four issues, too. Darkwing has such a great rogue's gallery, I couldn’t pick just one. By the time you get to the end of the first issue you'll see four, and then there are only going to be more as the series progresses. All the villains’ lives have been changed, too. There have been big changes in St. Canard and everyone’s dealing with them in their own way. This series has the familiar characters you want but given new situations that we hope gives a sense of vitality to the stories.”

I reccomend Disney Comics Future blog for info on current and upcoming releases in Disney comics.  Mostly because I write that one too.

The new WDCC Scrooge sculpture is based on this cover from Uncle Scrooge #5 by Carl Barks

Duck figurines series 2

The second series of Dark Horse syroco-style figures based on Barks images will kick off in July with a figure of Uncle Scrooge based on the Barks cover for the famous story “Back to the Klondike.” The second, planned for August, will feature Donald in a scene from “Lost in the Andes” (the square egg story). The other three figures in the series will feature two other Scrooge images and a figure of Huey, Dewey, and Louie stacked in a totem pole pose, all at $49.95.

Photo & text from ICV2.com

Disney Comics Future

I have no idea if anyone here has been interested in my posts about Disney comics but if you aren't you'll be happy to know that I've spun my interest off into a seperate blog so you wont have to read about them anymore. If anyone is interested, you now have a blog exclusively about them. Enjoy!
The Disney Comics world is about to take off in a very exciting way, what with Disney buying Marvel, Kingdom Comics still unanounced titles and something called Disney Digital Comics coming soon.
Latest news: Disney Stores will be carrying at least some of the trade paperback collections which is great news for the publisher and something previous publishers were never able to accomplish.

Mickey Mouse and Friends Sells Out

Mickey Mouse and Friends #296, the first issue published by Boom Studios and the beginning of a serial featuring Mickey as a sorceror's apprentice in a fantasy world has sold out from the distributor and will go into an immediate 2nd printing with the cover pictured below.

You know, a long time ago, I propsed to Gladstone comics that they do a comic with a sorceror apprentice Mickey living in the land of Fantasia where he could meet characters like reluctant dragons and have advs like camping out on Bald Mountain. Nobody liked the idea. Oh well.

Disney Comics Future

Here's some cover art for comic books that will be published by Boom Studios. These should be in stores in approximately 3 months. The first issue of the new Mickey series featuring a fantasy serial went on sale this week. There is a 14 page preview here.

Future Disney Comics

Here's some covers of some future Disney Comics coming from Boom Studios. Christmas Classics is a hardcover book.

Advance solicitations reveal that Boom Studios will be publishing Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge titles as well as the previously announced Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney's Comics and Stories. All will be joining the Pixar and Muppet titles allready in production.

Disney Comics

No new snowglobe news so I guess I'll talk about the upcoming comics some more.

Seems the superhero and wizards series that will be published in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories and Mickey Mouse and Friends are series that were created in Italy. They are ongoing series that will fill the titles for some time. the fan community doesn't seem to care for either series much according to what I've been reading in the fan forums. I do like this artwork for the covers of the first issue of the wizards story so maybe it won't be too bad.

It's a shame, Boom doesn't seem to want to bring new american made stories to the titles like they did for the Pixar and Muppet lines. In a interview with Newsarama.com announcing these two series, Boom Studios publisher, Ross Richie seems to contradict himself:

Richie said that Boom’s immediate plan for the license is to start telling new stories, much like they have done with The Incredibles, Cars, The Muppets and others. “The Gemstone material that was being printed most recently are some of the greatest comics in the world – you’re talking about Carl Barks and Don Rosa and all these incredible creators, but what we’re going to be doing is branching off and going in a completely different direction,” Richie told Newsarama. “We’re going to start to approach the Mickey and Donald material from a completely different direction, and we’re going to try to have something that at the same time is less the ‘greatest hits’ reprints and more dovetails into what the Boom Kids stuff is, which is sort of an add to and extension of, modern presence creative take on these classic characters that I think can connect with kids today.”

These are not new stories but a translation of italian comic books that were published a couple of years ago. This is the same sort of thing that Gemstone was publishing besides the classic stories by Barks, Rosa and Gottfredson, yet judging by the above you have to wonder if they were even familiar with what was being published.

Ah well, at least I can read the classic Mickey strips on D23 (when they aren't censored).

On Vacation

My brother and his family came down to florida for the past week and we've been doing the parks. That's why I haven't been posting but now I'm back (and tired!)

While I was gone, the news was announced that (as I predicted) Boom Studios has gained the rights to the classic Disney comics. My elation was quickly deflated however, when I read the solicitations for their first issues:

WALT DISNEY'S COMICS & STORIES #699(W) Riccardo Secchi (A) Stefano TurconiOne of the longest-lived, greatest comics in history comes to BOOM! Studios! A direct market event — the title that was host to Walt Disney's most cherished characters that helped build a decades-spanning global empire, originally launched in 1942, has come to BOOM! Kids! Ever wondered what would happen when all the superheroes of the Disney comics universe star in an epic clash against all the super villains with the fate of the world at stake? Join The Duck Avenger, Super Goofy, and the man himself Mickey Mouse for an all-new team of heroes, an all-new era in Disney publishing! (C: 0-0-1)24pgs, FC SRP: $2.99

MICKEY MOUSE & FRIENDS #296(W) Stefano Ambrosio (A) Lorenzo PastrovicchioFirst BOOM! Kids issue! One of the longest-lived, most-successful comic book series in the industry's history comes to BOOM! and brings a little magic — presenting Wizards of Mickey! Student of the great wizard Grandalf, Mickey Mouse hails from the humble village of Miceland. Allying himself with Donald Duck and his pet dragon named Fafnir, and team mate Goofy, Mickey's come to the great tournament to get his revenge on Peg Leg Pete, who has stolen the Rain Crystal from Miceland! Join Mickey Mouse and his friends on an epic tale of magic and wonder! (C: 0-0-1)SC, 24pgs, FC SRP: $2.99

Sounds like more of the same thing that has killed every Disney comics license since the gold key/whitman days.

I can only hope that this is just filler until they can find creators capable of understanding and creating adventure stories that work for the Disney characters. The gimmick stories of watered down fantasy, science fiction and super heroics do not work. Kids are intelligent and if they want to read stories of those types, they will read the real thing.

Disney Comics go BOOM?

There is a rumor making the rounds that Boom Studios has gotten the license to publish Donald, Mickey and Scrooge comics. They seem to be having great success with their current muppet and Pixar line. I hope the rumor is true and I hope they give the titles new stories instead of a never ending series of reprints like Gemstone did. There is no official word yet on the rumor, but Boom does list the D23 expo on their website so it looks like they will have a booth. Seems like a great time for an announcement.

Muppets Robin Hood

Also coming soon to a comics store near you: Muppets Robin Hood!

The Muppets tell the Robin Hood legend for laughs, and it’s the reader who will be merry! Robin Hood (Kermit the Frog) joins with the Merry Men — Sherwood Forest’s infamous gang of misfit outlaws — to take on the stuffy Sheriff of Muppetham (Sam the Eagle) and the wicked Gonzo of Gisbourne! Series features “A” covers from David Petersen, the Eisner Award-winning creator of Mouse Guard!

New Disney Comics

After successfully launching the Cars, Muppets and Incredibles comic book series, Boom Studios is adding Finding Nemo and Toy Story to their all-star line-up!
The biggest selling DVD of all time comes to comics! Nemo, Dory and Marlin have become local heroes, and are recruited to embark on an all-new adventure. Their reef is mysteriously dying and no one knows why! Facing dangerous waters and incredible odds, Nemo travels the great blue sea to save the one thing that matters most of all--home.

Woody and Buzz are back! Andy has a new addition to his room—a circuit-laden egg. Is this new gizmo a friend or foe? While Woody and Buzz welcome the mysterious stranger, Mr. Potato Head and Rex are terrified of it, plotting to destroy the orb before Andy comes home! Can they do it? Story by Eisner Award-nominated writer Dan Jolley!