#Nick Barrucci

[downthetubes]

In Memoriam: Comic Artist John Cassaday

We’re sorry to report the passing of multiple Eisner Award-winning American comic and concept artist, and writer John Cassaday, who died yesterday, aged just 52.

[jimmyaquino]

Comic News Insider Episode 1540 - Celebrating John Cassaday Part 2

Comic News Insider: Episode 1540 is now available for free download! Click on the link or follow on Spotify/subscribe on iTunes!

We continue to celebrate the life of the legendary cartoonist John Cassaday who tragically died on September 9th. He was one of Jimmy's closest friends. Jimmy shares some stories of their friendship and adventures. He also asked some of John's friends/colleagues to send in their memories of him as well. They talk about his incredible body of work, how they met, fun times together and more. Thanks so much to Ben Raab, Paul Pope, Heidi MacDonald, CB Cebulski, John Layman, Fabio Moon, Laura Martin, Michael Avon Oeming, Lorraine Cink, Nick Barrucci, Dean Haspiel, Marta Balusek and Producer Joe for sharing their reflections on John. This is an emotional and raw episode but also full of love and light. We all love and miss him terribly. We were all lucky to have him in our lives. His legacy will keep his energy around us eternally. 

Thanks for listening.

[graphicpolicy]

Matilda Lutz, Wallis Day, and Robert Sheehan join Red Sonja

Matilda Lutz, Wallis Day, and Robert Sheehan join Red Sonja #redsonja #comics #comicbooks

The leads for Millennium Media‘s Red Sonja have been set. The movie will star Matilda Lutz, Wallis Day, and Robert Sheehan and be directed by M.J. Bassett. The film is based on the comics by Dynamite Entertainment and the heroine created by Robert E. Howard for Marvel and later adapted by Roy Thomas. Details of the film have been kept quiet. Joey Soloway and Tasha Huo handled the script for the…

[thecomicon]

Curiosity Ink Media And Dynamite Entertainment To Partner For New Line Of Kids Titles

Curiosity Ink Media And Dynamite Entertainment To Partner For New Line Of Kids Titles

Dynamite Entertainment is setting up a new presence in the kids’ market. On Tuesday, the company jointly announced with Curiosity Ink Media plans to launch a line of books aimed at children based on Curiosity’s original intellectual property and titles the company will develop for other brands. The first titles are planned for release in the Spring of 2022. The first will be Curiosity Books’…

[fearsmagazine]

JG Jones & Dynamite Debut New VAMPIRELLA Comic with Profits Going to Jones to Help Cancer Recovery.

Dynamite and JG Jones are teaming up for a breathtaking new Vampirella comic, with 100% of the limited edition variant cover profits going to Jones as he continues to recover from cancer and a stem cell transplant. Fans can get the exclusive collectible and support JG by securing their copies on Indiegogo right now.

"I’ve loved the Vampirella character since I was a kid, so when Dynamite asked me to paint a special cover for this classic horror icon, I couldn’t wait to get started," said Jones. "Inspired by the Vampirella covers of Sanjulian, this one-of-a-kind cover will depict will depict her in classic style, as she breaks free from the chains that bind her."

The new piece is very evocative of the character-defining covers of the original Warren magazine of the 1970s and '80s. Such artists as Frank Frazetta, Enrich Torres, Ken Kelly, Jose Gonzalez, and Manuel Sanjulian created indelible paintings with touches of horror, fantasy, science fiction, and sensuality. For his take, Jones started with a watercolor "sketch" and then executed the final version in lush oil paint to portray Vampirella in all her glory: powerful, strong, and beautiful.

"JG is one of the most talented creators this industry has ever had. He is also one of the nicest people the industry has ever had. Hands down on both accounts," said Nick Barrucci, Dynamite CEO and Publisher. "We've been creating these limited edition variant covers to help artists generate extra money during the pandemic, as there are no conventions. With JG's continuing to recover and going two years with sporadic work, we want to help and give him all of the profits of the variant cover. He has given a lot to the industry, and this is our way of showing the industry giving back."

To match the classic vibe, Jones and Dynamite have selected highlights from Vampirella #19 and #20 to be printed within the new book. This is a captivating one-two punch of classic stories from writer T. Casey Brennan and artist Jose Gonzalez. Plus a rare editorial feature on the behind the scenes origins of the Daughter of Drakulon!

Collectors can snag multiple variations of the cover - or a full set. Options range from the standard treatment, to a logo-free "virgin," to black and white, and even a limited metal variant. Signed and CGC graded copies are also available.

JG Jones is one of the most critically celebrated artists in modern comics. With nearly 30 years in the business, fans have cherished his rare meticulous interior artwork, always working with the biggest writers. Jones contributed to two key standouts of the industry-innovating Marvel Knights, with Greg Rucka on Black Widow and with Grant Morrison on Marvel Boy. Other career highlights include Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia, Mark Millar's Wanted, and the blockbuster event crossover Final Crisis.

Through his Eisner-nominated career he's also established himself in the upper echelon of cover artists. He tackled every single cover for the fan-favorite weekly series 52. The initial year plus of Y the Last Man was graced with his covers, as well as other hit titles like Avengers, Wonder Woman, and Villains United. He's also dipped his toes into writing, playing a pivotal role in the First Wave line. With Dynamite through the years he's done a couple Red Sonja covers and one for Army of Darkness.

Unfortunately, in 2009 Jones was diagnosed with the rare disease polycythemia vera, a kind of blood cancer also known as a myeloproliferative disorder. After dealing with extreme fatigue and occasionally falling asleep at the drawing table, Jones thankfully sought out answers. This condition results in mutations in bone marrow stem cells, which can affect the production and status of red and white blood cells, as well as platelets. An estimated 200 thousand people in the United States deal with this challenging condition. Due to symptoms that can often be unclear, it is a widely misunderstood and misdiagnosed disease.

[moviesandmania]

VAMPIRELLA (2022) New movie adaptation announced!

VAMPIRELLA (2022) New movie adaptation announced!

Vampirella is a 2022 American science-fiction horror film that is now in development it has been announced. The movie is being produced by Mark Newbauer of Mike The Pike Productions and Nick Barrucci and Juan Collado of Dynamite Entertainment. “We are thrilled with the opportunity to bring this amazing character to screen in a big way,” said Mark B. Newbauer. “Nick Barucci, founder and CEO of the…

[thesplintering]

Dynamite Comics Drops “Vampirella” Variant Cover after Cancel Culture Backlash

Dynamite Comics Drops “Vampirella” Variant Cover after Cancel Culture Backlash | #Dynamite #Comics #CancelCulture #ComicsGate #ComicBooks

Over the weekend, Dynamite Comics cancelled a crowdfunding campaign for a Vengeance of Vampirellavariant cover featuring the internet comedian known only as “Cecil.” The book was already an overnight success, achieving its original funding goal in the first hour and raising more than $10k before the project was nixed. The cover itself featured a caricature of Cecil himself betwixt two buxom…

[kenpiercemedia]

Dynamite Announces "KISS: Zombies" Series For November

Dynamite Announces “KISS: Zombies” Series For November

“KISS: Zombies” #1

The Press Release: Dynamite announces the next epic chapter in the comic book chronicles of the legendary rock band, KISS: Zombies!

After all, what can possibly happen after “The End” than a full-blown zombie apocalypse? That is the screwed up status quo that writer Ethan Sacks (Old Man Hawkeye, Star Wars) and artist Rodney Buchemi (Death of Hawkman) will tackle in this new…

[comic-watch]

Diamond Comic Distributors announced the upcoming release of PULLBOX™, a new cloud-based software application will allow comic shop customers to track their subscriptions and place their monthly pre-orders with their local comic shop retailer changing the way the comic industry operates, plus the recent announcement that both Dynamite Entertainment and BOOM! Studios have been promoted to Premier Publisher vendors, with both signing new publisher agreements.

Diamond Comic Distributors, the leading distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop-culture merchandise, announced today the upcoming release of PULLBOX™, a cloud-based software application that will allow comic shop customers a better way to preorder titles and products from their local comic book specialty shop.

Developed from the ground up to help customers place orders with their local comic shop, PULLBOX handles monthly comic subscriptions, preorders for upcoming titles and products, and special orders all from Diamond’s consumer pop-culture website, PREVIEWSworld.com, while also providing comic shop retailers with the back-end tools necessary to manage their pull-and-hold customer base.

The new cloud-based software is part of a broader strategy by Diamond to create an easy way to funnel orders to local comic book shops and make the preorder process a much more viable and vital process for the entire comics industry.

“We’re excited about the potential of PULLBOX to help comic shops and their customers,” said VP-Retailer Services, Chris Powell. “We want to make ordering from a comic shop as easy as possible for customers, and in turn, further improve our retailers ordering efficiency.”

PULLBOX has a variety of included features to help customers order and purchase from comic book shops:

Manage Preorders. Add titles to your monthly pull-and-hold list, order additional titles and products from that month’s PREVIEWS preorder catalog.

Synch with Your Participating Local Comic Shop. Powered by comicshoplocator.com, customers can choose a local participating comic shop and synch with them to send their monthly preorders, special orders, and more.

Place Special Orders or Keep a Wishlist. Forgot to order a title or saw something new coming into comic shops that you want to purchase? Customers can use PULLBOX to place a special order with their comic book shop to purchase. They can also keep a Wishlist of other items and then send it to their retailer to see if they have any items in their store.

Enhanced Search and Ordering. Customers will be able to access a more advanced search at PREVIEWSworld.comthat allows them to search the complete database of items offered by Diamond and place orders with their local comic shop.

Track Your Weekly Purchases. Customers will get additional tools to track which titles and products they ordered are releasing that week to stores, see future week’s orders, and more.

Retail Functions. Retailers will get a full suite of functions available from the Diamond Retailer Services website: Back-end approval of new PULLBOX Customers, Alerts to new orders, Set ordering dates, and Upload your own ordering requirements and guidelines. Retailers can synch orders with their initial orders online, or export orders into ComicSuite or other POS software.

Comic-Suite Integration. Seamlessly integrate PULLBOX Pull List, Subscription, and Special Orders directly into ComicSuite for approval and ordering, manage new pull-and hold customers, synch customer data and individual orders.

PULLBOX is slated for release later this Spring and will be available for free from PREVIEWSworld.com to comic shop customers. Retailer pricing and additional retailer information will be released in the coming months.

To see PULLBOX in action, retailers are encouraged to attend the upcoming Diamond Retailer Summit, April 4-6 in Chicago, where demos will be available, as well as sign-up for initial release.

In other BIG Diamond news, separate multi-year agreements feature many fresh initiatives, including Premier Publisher status in recognition of BOOM! Studios’ and Dynamite Entertainment’s success as top-tier comic book and graphic novel publishers. Under the agreement, Diamond will continue to be the exclusive distributor of comic books and graphic novels to the comic book specialty market for both BOOM! Studios and Dynamite Entertainment. Diamond will also continue to handle Dynamite’s book market business through its Diamond Book Distributors (DBD) division, as well as BOOM! Studios’ international book market business, excluding the UK and Ireland, through Diamond Book Distributors.

“This change recognizes the growth and importance of BOOM! Studios and Dynamite Entertainment to our business and the comics industry as a whole,” said Diamond VP-Purchasing, Tim Lenaghan. “We look forward to working with both publishers for many years to come to help nurture and grow the comic book specialty market.”

In April, Diamond’s PREVIEWS catalog and PREVIEWSworld.com website will showcase BOOM! and Dynamite’s new status as both companies move to the “Premier Comics” section, highlighting their new offerings to comic shop retailers and customers.

“It’s a supreme honor to advance to Premier Publisher status, and truly a reflection of both the dedication of everyone at Dynamite and the strength and success of our partnerships with creators and licensors and the comics we bring to our retailer partners and fans,” said Nick Barrucci, CEO and Publisher of Dynamite Entertainment. “We work shoulder-to-shoulder with amazing people and this achievement gives greater visibility to the monumental work that they do. Also, through our new agreement, we’ll coordinate with Diamond on many new ways to serve the retail community and further diversify our categories of product.”

“We’re so grateful to retailers, who have supported us for years, and appreciative to Diamond for recognizing BOOM! Studios’ growth,” said Founder and CEO, Ross Richie. “Becoming Premier represents a once in a lifetime opportunity for retailers and fans to discover even more amazing work our creators and partners create each and every week.”

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BREAKING NEWS: Diamond Comic Distributors confirms the release of PULLBOX plus MORE! PULLBOX will change the face of the Comic Industry plus, Dynamite Entertainment and BOOM! Studios have been promoted to Premier Publisher vendors! Diamond Comic Distributors announced the upcoming release of PULLBOX™, a new cloud-based software application will allow comic shop customers to track their subscriptions and place their monthly pre-orders with their local comic shop retailer changing the way the comic industry operates, plus the recent announcement that both Dynamite Entertainment and BOOM!

[capelesscrusader]

Dynamite Signs Meredith Finch to Write New "Xena: Warrior Princess" Series!

Dynamite Signs Meredith Finch to Write New “Xena: Warrior Princess” Series!

Dynamite Entertainment has announced that they will be releasing all-new comic book adventures of the cult favorite TV series “Xena: Warrior Princess” and have signed Meredith Finch to write the series, which is set to launch in February 2018.

Meredith Finch

Dynamite has extended their agreement with NBCUniversal to publish comics and graphic novels based on the iconic adventure series, a…

[downthetubes]

"Comic Book Shopping Experience" launches on Facebook this weekend

“Comic Book Shopping Experience” launches on Facebook this weekend

The Comic Book Shopping Experience, a new platform offering another way to shop for comics and merchandise, debuts this weekend. Launching with a virtual convention, The_EXP, this weekend, Hollywood Reporter notes the Comic Book Shopping Experience will feature online programming created by retailers available across multiple platforms — Facebook, YouTube, and its own website — with the intent…

[fighterxaos]

Comics News: James Bond Solstice

Comics News: James Bond Solstice

We have some Dynamite Comics news for you today. They’re coming out with a James Bond one-shot this fall. This will be written and drawn by Ibrahim Moustafa. You can read the press release down below. Personally, I’m so happy to see his career grow and flourish.

DYNAMITE ANNOUNCES CREATOR AND LAUNCH DATE FOR SOLSTICE, THE LATEST ENTRY IN THE ICONIC JAMES BOND UNIVERSE

Ibrahim Moustafa Named…

[graphicpolicy]

Hannah John-Kamen will Star in Red Sonja

Hannah John-Kamen will Star in Red Sonja #Comics #ComicBooks #RedSonja

Hannah John-Kamen will wield the sword of Red Sonja in the upcoming film from Millennium. John-Kamen is no stranger to blockbusters having played Ava/Ghost in Ant-Man and the Wasp, Sophie in Tomb Raider, and been on shows such as Game of Thrones, Black Mirror, and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. This is a potential breakout moment for the actress with her first major headlining role. Joey…

[thecomicon]

Dynamic Forces Joins 'The Experience' For Two Shows This Weekend

Dynamic Forces Joins ‘The Experience’ For Two Shows This Weekend

While YouTube Channel The Experience always features plenty of content on a daily a basis, they are please to announce two shows with Dynamic Forces and Nick Barrucci over the weekend. Tonight at 7pm, Barrucci and collector Will Gabri-El will appear to discuss and sell signed original artwork by the likes of Keith Pollard, Don Newton, Jerry Bingham, Jack Kirby and Bill Everett. And on Saturday at…

[lastsonlost]

What does Christopher Priest see when he looks at Vampirella?

Loneliness.

And in his new Vampirella ongoing launching July 17, the veteran writer will give Vampi the human connection she craves... before ripping it all away.

Illustrated by Ergun Gunduz, Dynamite's new Vampirella relaunch begins with the alien vampire as the last survivor of a plane crash which took away any friend or acquaintance she had. Now she's here on Earth and all alone. And this isn't a fictional world known to have vampires, witches, warlocks, or werewolves - this is the real world, and you know how real people would take to someone like Vampirella?

... but do you, really?

As Priest tells Newsarama in an email interview, Vampirella's supernatural abilities are "a metaphor for a univeral human condition, for being either rejected or idealized (or, in the case of our series, both) because you are different. Anyone who’s ever moved to a new town or a new school or taken a new job should be able to identify with Vampi’s challenges."

Priest, an ordained Baptist minister (as a reminder to readers, prefers to be addressed as 'Priest'), shared his thoughts with Newsarama on how the prospect of writing Vampirella was first received by him, how it fits within his religious life, and how he's using it to examine humanity.

Newsarama: Priest, what makes Vampirella interesting to you?

Christopher Priest: The fangs. Definitely the fangs.

When DC Comics approached me about writing Deathstroke, I’d really never thought much about the character. It wasn’t a book I’d normally read because I probably wasn’t the audience the book was targeted toward. But it presented an interesting challenge: what new things could I find to say with this character and what unexplored areas of the character were there to develop?

When Dynamite Publisher Nick Barrucci said “Vampirella,” I had nearly the identical reaction. I was, of course, familiar with the character but wasn’t a Vampirella fan, wasn’t the audience for that book, which made me an odd choice. You’ll have to ask Nick why he made it.

My immediate reaction was exactly the same: what new thing could I bring to this property? Where is the untapped potential? That, for me, is the interesting part; craft a Vampirella narrative that broadens the audience for the property while (hopefully) not putting off the hardcore Vampi fans.

Nrama: So what was the answer to that? What is the story?

Priest: I read this Bruce Springsteen Rolling Stone interview a couple decades back (yah... decades...) around "Born In The USA," where Springsteen said something remarkable that’s stuck with me all this time, about how each of us needs community. He said something like, “Without community (by which I presume he meant human attachment and interaction) we’d likely go crazy and kill ourselves.”

Over many interpretations Vampirella has developed many versions of a supporting cast, but she is fundamentally alone, one of few of her race living on Earth. Considering the Boss’s statement, I wasn’t eager to create yet another supporting cast and then echo adventures she’s had before. For better or worse, I wanted my at-bat with the character to be unique and in some ways challenging.

So the thought occurred to give Vampirella that community, that human connection... and then have it all ripped away. Our story arc revolves around a plane crash which effectively terminates many connections Vampi has built while forging new ones.

Nrama: You're setting this in the real world. A real fish out of water scenario, but one you're playing at for deeper cultural issues. What's a woman like Vampirella likely to face here on Earth?

Priest: With all due respect for the legion of much better writers who’ve handled the character, as I mentioned, I probably was not the audience for this book. Vampirella was created with a satirical flair and Vampi herself was in on the joke; not quite breaking the fourth wall but offering up a knowing come-hither smile. She’s existed in a reality that routinely and, for me, far too benignly, accepts the supernatural as fact.

Here in the real world, vampires are merely a thing of myth and the reality of hyperfactual supernatural events are subject to the interpretation of the particular tribe one belongs to. It bothers me that, in 2019, DC and Marvel universes are still mostly portrayed in an idealized hyper-reality where the average man on the street simply accepts superheroes as fact and, in fact, refers to them literally as “heroes” or “villains,” which is absurd. There’s no news anchor in the world who would start a broadcast piece with, “Arch-villain Saddam Hussein...” even though that description would be apt.

The world our Vampirella series takes place in doesn’t believe in vampires. Or witches or warlocks or werewolves. This world seeks rational scientific explanation for paranormal phenomena which it greets with enormous skepticism.

Which isn’t to suggest no one will believe Vampirella exists but that that acceptance is not as matter of fact as it seems to be in most of this genre.

In terms of what she’s facing, her number one enemy is loneliness. I am, hopefully, writing a woman first, a story about a woman who loves and wants to be loved but whose circumstances are complicated by the fact she has fangs and drinks blood. The supernatural attributes are a metaphor for a universal human condition, for being either rejected or idealized (or, in the case of our series, both) because you are different. Anyone who’s ever moved to a new town or a new school or taken a new job should be able to identify with Vampi’s challenges.

Anyone who wears their hair a different way, listens to a different kind of music, embraces a different religion, anyone who steps outside of or gets shoved outside of the so-called “mainstream” can identify with our take on Vampirella. I hope it is precisely this universality of theme that helps broaden her audience; the Vampi tent is large enough for everyone.

Nrama: Someone walking around in that Trina Robbins-designed costume is bound to get some headturns. If I know you as much as I think I do, you're going to tackle that head on, right? How are you getting into the subject of the costume?

Priest: Well, yes, we will have a go at it. The basic argument is simple: where do you draw the line between women’s liberation and women’s exploitation, and who gets to draw it? Who gets to define femininity and why should an extraterrestrial have to submit to that definition?

It’s like the world woke up in the last few years and realized we actually have two genders and both of them matter.

So we now have heightened scrutiny of themes and behaviors and that poor bastard Joe Biden gets caught up in the switches. I’ll confess, I’m terrified of women because I’m a Joe Biden. I was taught to pay a lady a compliment and open doors and I want to be friendly and accessible but I’m absolutely terrified of having my good intentions taken in a bizarrely paranoid light.

It is comical to me that I am far too often seen as creepy by women - especially black women - because they have been conditioned by their personal experience and their media consumption to misinterpret a simple "Hello." These days I cannot pay a woman a complement without a legal preamble and assurances that, no, I am not hitting on you and even then I get the skunk eye of suspicion.

Which is a little insulting because this “guilty until proven innocent” defensive posture presumes I am other people or that the bar is set so low for me that I’ll jump into bed with just anybody I happen to meet. It’s like we’ve just gone too far now to the point where women are not just being protected but being alienated to some extent because I have no earthly clue how to deal with them and I’m frankly scared to shake their hand.

So, is Vampirella’s wardrobe choice sexist? I don’t know. Vampirella obviously doesn’t think so. As I see her, she comes from a culture much like Star Trek’s Betazed, where people wear little or nothing at all. If anything, Vampi wonders why we humans choose to smother ourselves in so much fabric and why we’re all so bound by self-loathing.

There are hundreds of women who enjoy cosplaying as Vampirella, and maybe hundreds of thousands offended by the character. How do we reconcile all of that for the 21st century?

The one thing I won’t do is cover her up. I accepted the gig: write Vampirella. If you change the outfit, she’s no longer Vampirella. Frankly, her costume is the only thing about her (well, okay, that and her pansexuality) that makes her at all shocking or controversial.

My goal, and the readers will have to let us know if we’re passing or failing, is to make this a book as much about femininity as about bloodsucking. The storyline is driven by women, mostly populated by women, of all shapes and sizes and ethnicities, and most of them dress as sexy as they dare. The singer/rapper Lizzo is a terrific example of this. Is her blatant sexuality liberating or is she being exploited? How about Beyoncé? Do we put Vampi in a raincoat but cheer Bey on?

See what I mean? I’m screwed either way.

Nrama: So Priest - Vampirella's here on Earth. What would you do if you found yourself, I don't know, sharing a cab with Vampi?

Priest: I’d ask the driver to pull over and let me out. I’m a Christian, so I have these issues with all of that “fornicating in your mind” stuff. I don’t live a perfect life but I try to avoid cluttering up my conscience. Among the things the printed page cannot convey is the amazing, intoxicating glow and, yes, smell of a woman.

All women are beautiful, from 8 to 80, regardless of weight, height, or nationality. I wouldn’t share a cab with a woman as under-dressed as Vampi, which sounds hypocritical because I’m writing her. But I write Deathstroke, too, and wouldn’t share a cab with him, either.

Nrama: On the flip side of this, Vampirella's stranded on Earth. What's going through her mind in all of this?

Priest: How stupid and primitive we are. It’s not arrogance. I believe any visitor from another world would surf the net for a few hours and come away shaking their heads. I watched an episode of Little Miss Atlanta yesterday. Jesus. We’re just idiots. The moms fighting and bickering and cursing - cursing - in front of these little girls, berating the little girls. This sickening child abuse... That's entertainment?

I have Christian friends who will criticize me for writing Vampi but they watch that crap.

Nrama: This comes over a decade after your previous stint with Vampirella - Harris Publishing's Vampirella Revelations with artist Eric Battle. That run had some issues, but you're back here again. What makes is something you want to return to?

Priest: *scratches head* Really? I did a run...? I remember doing a silent issue... and vaguely remember doing something with Eric, a good bud. But that was way back. I really hadn’t considered this a “return.” I just pivoted and stared into Barrucci’s hypnotic vampire eyes and ran dozens of scenarios through my feeble brain, coming to one conclusion: this would be an interesting experiment, a writer’s challenge. Writers love challenges.

Nrama: Big picture, what are your goals with this ongoing?

Priest: To not have the women of America torch my house. This run will be as different a take on Vampi as any that have come before.

Which is not to say “better;” “better” is subjective. I’m sure a great many Vampi fans will hate what we’re up to. Maybe they’ll come along, maybe I’ll get fired. If I wasn’t nervous about it, it wouldn’t be worth doing.

Editor's Note: The above interview was conducted via email eariler this week, and we received all of Mr. Priest's responses along with all our original questions. Newsarama asked Priest if he would respond to follow-up questions Friday by email. He agreed and those questions and answers follow.

Nrama: Priest, our original questions to you were about the Vampirella comic book and our role is to talk about that and not audit your personal life, but your responses appear to be hyper aware of a social climate you seem to lament in terms of relationships between genders and conduct towards one another.

Priest: I lament the social climate in general, on all levels. I lament our lack of civility and lack of empathy, lack of patience and understanding. I hate the way we assassinate one another with our thumbs, all this hostility in social and other media. It's not just gender issues.

Nrama: Yet empathizing with Joe Biden without citing the actual specific behavior he’s under scrutiny for, stating things like "the amazing, intoxicating glow and, yes, smell of a woman" and by offering you’re “often seen as creepy by women,” it seems like intentionally inviting the sort of reaction/assumptions you state you’re “afraid” of and inviting the same scrutiny Biden is under.

Was this was your intent and are you prepared for pushback to your words and questions to be asked?

Priest: Wow, there's a lot to unpack, there. But let's start by saying I seriously doubt anyone reading this is NOT aware of the Biden issue to which I am referring. 

I come neither to defend Biden nor to bury him, so I think you're probably taking my "poor" Joe reference a bit too seriously. I wasn't trying to litigate Biden, only to make a point about how hyper-sensitive and overly politicized our nation is and how this will impact Vampirella in her series.

Assembling disparate quotes to paint me as some kind of deviant makes that point for me. I stand by my statements. "...the amazing, intoxicating glow and, yes, smell of a woman..."

 is something difficult if not impossible to convey in literature (which was my point), but your question was about me sitting in a taxi with a near-naked woman and I answered that honestly. 

And my point was relevant to understanding the challenges and conflicts Vampirella will face in this series.

This is the environment Vampirella finds herself in, people misinterpreting her actions, words, and motives. This is why I mentioned it, to place the work we are doing with Vampirella into context.

Were a person like Vampi walking around in our world (or riding in a taxi with me), she would be misinterpreted, and every word she says would be drilled into looking for the worst possible interpretation of it. I can't help but wonder why anyone anywhere speaks publicly because no words spoken by anyone can withstand this level of ridiculous scrutiny.

Nrama: In another response you state “It’s like the world woke up in the last few years and realized we actually have two genders and both of them matter”. While not assuming your intent one way or another, it seems it to overlook genders outside the male/female paradigm. Can you speak to that?

Priest: Gender: noun

1. either of the two sexes (male and female), especially when considered with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones. The term is also used more broadly to denote a range of identities that do not correspond to established ideas of male and female. "a condition that affects people of both genders"

I wrote an ecumenical commentary in support of gender and and LGBTQ issues, Chris. I invite everyone to read it.

It was a simple interview. I was promoting a comic book and, as a really busy writer, I was typing really fast and speaking honestly while engaging with you. What I won’t do, not even for my own safety, is censor myself or try and anticipate every horrible way someone might choose to misinterpret something I've written or said.

 If anything, that just makes my point for me about how free speech is being compromised. It's a tough environment to publish comic books in because every publisher is terrified by the spectrum of extreme possible reactions from an increasingly intolerant environment where everybody's playing "gotcha" and looking for the worst possible and most extremely negative interpretations of everything.

The whole point of free speech is my duty to defend others' rights to have it, not to shout them down or demonize them.

[thedeaditeslayer]

Ash teaming up with Elvis when teaming up for Army of Darkness/Elvis.

Imagine Bruce Campbell teaming up with himself with two different characters he has played to fight the army of darkness. Well, it’s happening with Dynamite Entertainment’s newest Army of Darkness crossover: Army of Darkness Bubba Ho-Tep.

Here’s the press release along with variant covers of the first issue below:

Dynamite Entertainment and IDW Publishing announced today an epic crossover series from writer Scott Duvall (Narcopolis: Continuum) and artist Vincenzo Federici (Pathfinder: Spiral of Bones) where two cult classics clash for the first time with Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep!

In Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep, Ash embarks on a soul-searching road trip to Texas on a hunch that Elvis Presley may still be alive and kicking (and supposedly vanquished a mummy)! What follows is a series of universe-spanning events that involve an Elvis jumpsuit with special time-travel abilities, a trip to 70’s Vegas, plus the reveal of an evil new Book of the Dead, the Necronomicon Ho-Tep.

“Being a huge fan of the character of Ash, and by extension, actor Bruce Campbell, I was instantly drawn to the movie Bubba Ho-Tep, based on an original story by the great Joe R. Lansdale, and starring Campbell as Elvis. Immediately upon release, I added it to my DVD collection, and I would group it with Army of Darkness because it felt like a companion piece to it,” said author Scott Duvall. “Often viewing them in close succession, I knew the Ash and Elvis team-up would go together like peanut butter and banana. These two worlds already fit so well together in tone, it made it totally plausible that they could co-exist on the same plane. Wanting to see what it would be like if Ash and Elvis interact is a big part of what sparked this, and so I’m thrilled we’ll get to finally see that in these pages. ”

Bubba Ho-Tep creator and author Joe R. Lansdale added, “Script and artist for the first issue of Army of Darkness vs Bubba Ho-tep are as delicious as a fried peanut butter and ‘nanner sandwich. I’m as excited as if I had good sense and owned Ft. Knox. Can’t wait.”

“This cross-over is definitely a no-brainer, especially with Ash involved ????. Seriously though, when this idea was discussed with our friends at IDW, we all agreed that this cross-over would be one of the grooviest cross-overs that we could do together! And we’re brought together a great story. Scott really brought a fun concept to the table pitting these two “Kings” against each other. As Army of Darkness was the first license we signed at Dynamite, we’re excited to have this new series as part of our publishing line,” said Nick Barrucci, CEO and Publisher of Dynamite Entertainment. “This is a cult classic comic in the making and fans of both franchises are going to love where this story goes.”

Dynamite Entertainment first published Army of Darkness in 2004 and has built into the story canon for over 14 years. IDW Publishing’s most recent series, Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic-Blood Suckers was released in May 2018.

The first issue of Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep delivers a wide selection of cover variants, providing fans and retailers a chance to collect the whole set! The cover artwork features the talents of Robert Hack (Mars Attacks), Carlos Gomez (Red Sonja), Emma Kubert (Miss Fury), Diego Galindo (Power Rangers) and Tom Mandrake (To Hell You Ride), respectively.

Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ December 2018 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in February 2019. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies of Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep with their local comic book retailers. Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, Madefire, and Dark Horse Digital.