Check out the Ripper Promo Video!
February 21, 2012 by Stefan Petrucha
Okay, for some reason, the video did not post! Once again, with a little over a week left before the release of my new book Ripper, the folks at Penguin have released this terrific video trailer.
Have a look, then please spread the word!
Super cute Ninjago birthday party from designer Sherry Wright’s blog
January 27, 2012 by Janna Morishima
I love this post on paper artist Sherry Wright’s blog about the adorable LEGO Ninjago-themed birthday party she planned for her son. Her little boy is very lucky.
In case you know someone who loves LEGO Ninjago, too, check out the first volume of our LEGO Ninjago graphic novel series (the second volume is coming in February!)
Available for purchase wherever you like to buy graphic novels:
Monster Mess: “a stroke of genius”
January 18, 2012 by Janna Morishima
SLJ‘s Good Comics for Kids just posted an excellent little review of Monster Mess by Lewis Trondheim. As they put it, “Monsters and messes are two things kids love to make, so combining them into one book is a stroke of genius. Papercutz continues to bring out fun and interesting books that fit perfectly into any Elementary school/young reader library.”
Well, you certainly can’t go wrong with a comics master like Lewis Trondheim.
Available for purchase wherever you like to buy graphic novels:
Hello World! from Janna at Papercutz
January 13, 2012 by Janna Morishima
I just celebrated my first month anniversary as director of marketing at Papercutz. It’s great to be jumping in to a small company at such an exciting time in its development. Over the past few years, Papercutz has seen tremendous growth and has been very busy bring new graphic novel series to kids from The Smurfs to Geronimo Stilton to the Slices parodies — and their latest hit, the LEGO Ninjago series.
I am, and have always been, a major LEGO fan. Who couldn’t smile at the combination of ninja action adventure with LEGO mini-figure cuteness — and in comics format?
Right now I’m working on a revamp of the Papercutz website with designer extraordinaire Sandra Schmitt. Here’s a little sneak preview:
We’ll be unveiling the brand new site in late February….
The Incredible George Gladir!
December 13, 2011 by Jim Salicrup
THE THREE STOOGES #1 Bed-Bugged!” is coming in March 2012, and we’re really proud of who we’ve got lined up to work on it. Writing the Stooge’s all-new funny book adventures is none other than George Gladir!
George Gladir began writing back in 1959 for Archie Comics and wrote such titles as ARCHIE’S JOKEBOOK, ARCHIE’S GALS BETTY AND VERONICA, ARCHIE’s PAL JUGHEAD, REGGIE AND ME, BETTY AND ME, and my favorite, ARCHIE’S MADHOUSE, where he created, with artist Dan DeCarlo, Sabrina the Teen-Age Witch! In fact, there’s even a beautiful hardcover collection of ARCHIE’S MADHOUSE, edited by Craig Yoe, out from our friends at IDW, and george tells me he wrote every single story in the book.
Archie's Mad House
If that weren’t enough, he also was the head writer for thirty years for CRACKED magazine. CRACKED was the most successful of all the magazines that imitated MAD, and many of the thousands of pages written by George were illustrated by the incredible John Severin. If you never heard of MAD magazine, it’s the inspiration for PAPERCUTZ SLICES. MAD features all sorts of pop culture parodies, while PAPERCUTZ SLICES focuses on one main target in each volume.
More recently George collaborated with Stan Goldberg on the comic CINDY AND HER OBASAN. In 2007, George won the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing. And now he’s creating the new adventures of Moe, Larry, and Curly in their new Papercutz graphic novel series.
Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the guy bringing George’s scripts to comicbook life– the one and only Stan Goldberg!
Funny Comics!
December 12, 2011 by Jim Salicrup
As we posted last week, THE THREE STOOGES are coming to the big screen in April 2012. But the reason we’re talking about it on the Papercutz Blog is that the Stooges are also to returning to comics– right here at Papercutz! Picking up where the Farrelly Brothers-directed film leaves off, THE THREE STOOGES #1 “Bed Bugged!” features Moe, Larry, and Curly in all-new, full-color adventures written by George Gladir and illustrated by Stan Goldberg.
Best of the Three Stooges Comicbooks #1
But that’s not all, we’re also publishing a deluxe hardcover series entitled THE BEST OF THE THREE STOOGES COMICBOOKS featuring great classic comics featuring Moe, Larry, Shemp, and Curly Joe! With comics written and illustrated by Norman Maurer, who went on to write, direct, and produce movies starring the Three Stooges, and by acclaimed comicbook artist and animator Pate Alvarado, there’s a lot of fun packed into these pages! Not to mention a special introduction by Joan Maurer, who also happen to be Moe’s daughter.
The Three Stooges #1
We’ll talk more about the Stooges tomorrow, but we have to send out a belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Lewis Trondheim! His birthday was yesterday, and we wish him all the best. It looks like folks are picking up copies of “Monster Christmas,” which is great news for everyone!
We hope to publish even more Trondheim graphic novels at Papercutz, but we can only do that with your support. If you haven’t picked up your copy of “Monster Christmas” yet, I suggest you act fast, as we’re already hearing that the title is selling out, and we’re now temporarily out of stock. We suspect many folks are picking it up as a holiday present for the comics fans in their lives, and we think that’s perfect! But even when the holidays are over, a Trondheim graphic novel is still a lot of fun.
More on the Stooges tomorrow!
The Three Stooges are Coming!
December 8, 2011 by Jim Salicrup
Before we talk about the next big project from Papercutz tomorrow, please check out this movie trailer:
Papercutz on TV! (Sort of)
December 7, 2011 by Jim Salicrup
There’s a great show on tonight at 7:00 PM– “The Prophets of Science Fiction: H.G. Wells” — on the Science Channel. Now, as you might suspect, it’s not just because it’s a great overview of the life of one of the founding fathers of science fiction, that I’m mentioning it here in the Papercutz Blog. Several months back, the producers of the show asked us for permission to show a few panels from the awesome adaptation of H.G. Wells’s “The Island of Dr. Moreau” by Steven Grant and Eric Vincent, that ran in CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED #12 from Papercutz! Well, how can we possibly say no? Well, turns out, they actually animated a couple of very short sequences from the graphic novel! The show’s already aired once, but it’s on again tonight, and chances are it’ll be rebroadcast again in the future.
Classics Illustrated #12
We’re honored that the comics adaptation was included on the show, as it just goes to show how comics as a medium is being taken more and more seriously. And it’s just an extra bonus that it’s being shown now during the 70th Anniversary of CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED.
And we gotta admit, we love seeing the Papercutz name flash across our TV screens!
Ernest & Rebecca
December 6, 2011 by Jim Salicrup
I was thrilled to attend Saturday’s Brooklyn Comics & Graphics festival. It was great to attend such a show and to attend panels, look at exhibitors’ booths, and chat with friends. Usually when friends ask me “what’s new?” I’ll mention whichever Papercutz project I’m working on. After all, if I’m excited by these comics, wouldn’t my friends be excited too? But I’ve discovered it makes a huge difference if I can actually show people what I’m talking about! It’s true, one picture is worth a thousand words!
So, I decided to bring a couple of sample Papercutz graphic novels with me to play show and tell. But which ones? Well, titles such as NINJAGO, THE SMURFS, GARFIELD, and GERONIMO STILTON are already so popular, they really don’t need any more help from me. So, I decided to bring the holiday-themed “Monster Christmas” by Lewis Trondheim and ERNEST & REBECCA #1 “My Best Friend is a Germ” by Guillaume Bianco and Antonello Dalena.
The reaction was even better than I could’ve imagined! While almost everyone at this somewhat sophisticated comic art-gathering was aware of the work of award-winning cartoonist Lewis Trondheim, no one I met knew about ERNEST & REBECCA! Fortunately, once I told them about this remarkable six and a half year old girl named Rebecca, who has a weak immune system and is sick a lot, and is trying to keep her parents from breaking up with help from her friend, Ernest, who is a super microbe, and after they looked at the awesome artwork by Dalena, they were sold! They asked where they could buy a copy of their own.
It really is a great feeling to share something you love with your friends! If there’s a Papercutz graphic novel you love, why not let your friends know about it? They’ll thank you for it!
Stalking Jack Davis
December 5, 2011 by Jim Salicrup
Last Thursday another dream came true for me– I got to meet legendary cartoonist Jack Davis. Okay, I admit I really admire the work of a lot of cartoonists, and it’s always a thrill to meet the cartoonists themselves in person. I’ve been lucky to meet so many, but there are always a few that for one reason or another have managed to elude me over the years. Such is the case with Jack Davis.
The man is a true cartooning legend. His work on MAD (both the comicbook and the magazine) and TALES FROM THE CRYPT, as well as the Harvey Kurtzman-edited EC war comics alone are an amazing accomplishment, showing how he was able to master three separate genres of comics. Yet he went on to become one of the top magazine cover and movie poster artists, also mastering the art of celebrity caricature. He also did a gazillion other things– everything from designing animated cartoon characters to tons of advertising work.
Anyway, I finally got the pleasure of meeting the man himself. It was at a signing event at the Strand bookstore for Jack Davis: Drawing American Pop Culture – A Career Retrospective published by our friends at Fantagraphics. The evening started off with publisher/editor Gary Groth chatting with Mr. Davis, discussing the cartoonists’ long career. There was some Q&A afterwards, and then Jack proceeded to sign books. Of course, I had him sign mine! The event was held in the Strand’s Rare Book Room, and it gave the evening an extra touch of class. Mr. Davis is the sweetest man you’d ever want to meet– modest to a fault and kind to one and all. I’m very happy I saw him here, because even though he appeared the next night, on his 87th birthday, at the Scott Eder Gallery in DUMBO, and the next day on a panel, moderated by Drew Friedman and Garty Groth, at the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival, those events were so jam-packed and crowded, they simply couldn’t be as relaxed and intimate as that night at the Strand.
When I spoke to Jack at the Scott Eder Gallery, after meeting his delightful daughter, I told him how much I enjoyed his talk the night before. He replied saying his family criticized his performance, and said he wasn’t a good public speaker. I disagreed and told him he was perfect! Everyone came to see Jack Davis, not to hear a fancy speech. He seemed to appreciate that, while he generously sketched a self portrait in my copy of TALES FROM THE CRYPT #7 “Something Wicca This Way Comes”– the only Papercutz CRYPT to feature an original EC story in it– “Lower Berth” by Al Feldstein and Jack Davis.
I also ran into a lot of friends at these events, and a few of them seemed shy about actually talking to Jack Davis. They asked, “What do you say to Jack Davis?” My suggestion: “Thank you.”
Monster Christmas
December 2, 2011 by Jim Salicrup
Being an Editor-in-Chief is a little like being a dad, so when someone asks me which is my favorite Papercutz series, just like a Dad asked to name his favorite child, I say “I love ‘em all equally!” Each and every title we publish has special meaning to me, and while titles such as THE SMURFS, NINJAGO, and GERONIMO STILTON have already built up sizeable followings, a new title such as the MONSTER graphic novels by Lewis Trondheim might need an extra push.
So, I’m constantly asking all my comics-loving friends if they’re familiar with the incredible work of cartoonist Lewis Trondheim. While Trondheim is an incredibly popular cartoonist in Europe, he’s virtually a well-kept secret in North America, despite being published by First Second (Kaput & Zosky, Tiny Tyrant, A.L.I.E.E.E.N.), Fantagraphics (Approximate Continuum Comics), and NBM (Little Nothings, Mister i, Mister o, and the Dungeon series).
The MONSTER series of graphic novels feature the almost normal adventures of an almost ordinary family… with a pet monster. If you’re familiar with Little Nothings, then you’ll recognize the family as a younger version of Trondheim’s own family, even if they do seem somewhat bird-like with those beaks and everything. The Dad is a cartoonist, the Mom is a colorist, and everything is seen through the kids’ point of view. While Kriss is supposedly a monster created by the kids, he acts like a great big loveable family dog, in my humble opinion.
Which is why I’m thrilled to see that the first few reviews are so positive! First off is this perceptive review in The Comics Reporter, Tom Spurgeon’s Web site of comics news, reviews, interviews and commentary. We’re big fans of Tom’s columns, and truly appreciate his kind words.
Ian Chapman, writing for Chicago’s Book List, opined “Holiday trifles don’t come any zanier– nor as weirdly touching– as this, and the kids somehow wind up helping Santa save Christmas while Kriss gets a gift-wrapped vending machine of his own.”
We’re also thrilled, that USA Today has chosen “Monster Christmas” as a great gift idea for comics fans. We couldn’t agree more!
Who knows, with all this positive press, “Monster Christmas” could turn into a hit! But best case scenario is that everyone would become familiar with the amazing comics of Lewis Trondheim. That would be yet another dream come true!
Sharing Smurfs
December 1, 2011 by Jim Salicrup
Have you ever “discovered” a movie, book, TV show, or comic that you loved so much you couldn’t wait to share it with your friends? Feels great, right? Well, that’s what my job as Editor-in-Chief of Papercutz is like!
For example, it seemed like everyone else in the world was aware of how wonderful the original SMURFS comics by Peyo were, but they were virtually impossible to find in North America. Thanks to the efforts of Papercutz publisher Terry Nantier, after several years of chasing after the elusive publishing rights to THE SMURFS, we finally were able to make a deal to publish Peyo’s masterwork both in print — there are ten graphic novels available now– as well as digitally (go to comiXology.com). We’re really proud that we’ve been able to make these great comics available to generations of Smurfs fans.
Tomorrow we’ll discuss another series we’re eager to share with you!
SMURFS: The Good, The Bad, and the Smurfy!
November 30, 2011 by Jim Salicrup
The big SMURFS news this week (last week it was Clumsy Smurf appearing in the big Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade) is the release of The Smurfs movie on DVD and Blu-Ray discs.
But before I go any further, I want to get my two cents in on the topic of Smurf-Haters. I know, the very concept seems insane, but I’ve noticed that certain male Baby-Boomers of a certain age, have always had a strong dislike of our little blue buddies. My theory is that when the old animated series appeared on TV way back in the ’80s, these Boomers were at an age when they wanted to turn their back on all things they considered too “kiddie” for them. The Hanna-Barbera animated adaptation of Peyo’s classic comics characters could be a tad cloying at times, certainly far cutesier than the comics, but it was still a great cartoon show for children. The theme song also seemed to bug these Smurf-hating Boomers as well. Even in the new live action movie, Neil Patrick Harris’s character touches on the (to some) unbearably happy tone of the song. I’ve always thought that if these folks would just take a deep breath, and check out the original comics by Peyo (now published in north America by Papercutz) they’d be happily surprised. In fact, I’ve even asked several Smurf-Haters to do just that– I usually suggest they read “The Smurf King”– and sure enough, they all come back with a new-found appreciation the Smurfs.
But aside from that one specific strain of Boomers, the rest of the world has embraced the Smurfs. Just as the original comics and the H-B animated series were huge hits, the new Smurfs movie and the Papercutz graphic novels have also been wildly successful, both critically and commercially. An all-new movie sequel is in the works, scheduled for release on August 2, 2013, while new printings of all ten THE SMURFS graphic novels are rushing back to bookstore shelves everywhere to meet demand. The graphic novels did well even before the movie was released, but once the movie hit, they’ve been selling out faster than we can print new ones!
One of the many things I loved about the Smurfs movie was its inclusion of Peyo’s original Smurfs comics– in French no less! While The Smurfs are known throughout most of the world as comicbook characters, in North America they are probably still best known as animated cartoon characters. So, it was incredibly cool to see Peyo and his original comics acknowledged not only in the movie’s credits, but slyly as part of the story as well.
But the really BIG NEWS is that available exclusively on the 3 disc Blu-Ray + DVD Gift Set of The Smurfs movie is an all-new Mini Movie “The Smurfs A Christmas Carol.” Fans of both the movies and the H-B cartoons will get a kick out of how the “real” portions of the story feature the computer-animated Smurfs seen in the movie, while the “dream” sequences are in 2D animation, like the H-B cartoons. Follow the links to see the trailer: http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thesmurfs/
But perhaps the biggest Smurfy news at Papercutz is that today is our very own Smurf Consultant Matt. Murray’s Smurfday! The acclaimed author of the wonderful “The World of Smurfs: A Celebration of Tiny Blue Proportions” and “Smurfology:The Blog” (at http://smurfology.blogspot.com/ ) is also the Self-Proclaimed World’s Leading Smurfologist. But most importantly, he’s a friend, whose undying faith in the Smurfs inspired us at Papercutz to never give up until we acquired the publishing rights to THE SMURFS. We wish you all the Smurfy best, Matt.!
All in all, 2011 has turned out to be a great year for Smurf fans, wouldn’t you say? And there’s only more Smurfy greatness to come! Excelsismurf!
Let’s welcome Janna Morishima to Papercutz!
November 29, 2011 by Jim Salicrup
Very exciting news today! Janna Morishima is the new Papercutz Marketing Director! Janna started in publishing at Scholastic and was a founding editor of its Graphix line of graphic novels, where she helped bring Jeff Smith’s BONE to a much wider audience, as well as launching Raina Telgemeier’s successful graphic novel adaptation of the BABYSITTERS CLUB series by Ann Martin. She then went on to become Director of Diamond Kids at Diamond Book Distributors, in charge of its general trade distribution clients’ growing kids’ lines. There she helped Francoise Mouly to launch her pioneering Toon Books line for very young children. She also pushed for and helped to implement brand new children’s graphic novel sections in chain stores and elsewhere, which was a really big deal!
Papercutz publisher Terry Nantier released a statement saying “we’re very excited to welcome Janna to our team as Papercutz experiences explosive growth with such licenses as the Smurfs and now Ninjago which has debuted with a 200,000 copy print run. I’ve known her for a few years already and with her combined experience of editing and marketing children’s graphic novels from the very start of this category’s introduction and growth, she will bring an added dimension of knowledge and energy. Anybody who knows her can see what a dynamo she is! She will bring boundless enthusiasm to our line and aggressive goals.”
I join Terry in welcoming Janna to Papercutz. Marketing Director is a super-important job—merely creating and publishing great graphic novels is merely part of what it takes for Papercutz to ultimately succeed. We need to be able to stand out from the competition and let people know that we exist! I’m sure Janna will be able to do just that!
Janna herself adds “I love how graphic novels attract such a wide range of readers, from diehard bookworms to the most reluctant readers, so when Papercutz offered me the opportunity to help spread the word about their fun and burgeoning line of children’s graphic novels, I was happy to accept.”
And we’re happy to have Janna on our team! As I always say, watch out for Papercutz!
Jim Salicrup is Thankful
November 28, 2011 by Jim Salicrup
It’s the first Monday after Thanksgiving, and the whole Papercutz crew is back to work on the 13th floor at the palatial Papercutz offices, doing our best to create great graphic novels for all ages. I’m Jim Salicrup, your bleary eyed Editor-in-Chief, and I want to offer a sincere apology to all our Papercutz fans for not posting on the Papercutz Blog for such a long time. I’ve mainly been limiting my direct communication with you to the “Watch Out for Papercutz” pages we try to include in each of our titles, as well as my personal Twitter and Facebook pages. But this recent Thanksgiving made me realize how thankful I am to have this wonderful opportunity to be working at Papercutz. I’m so very thankful to you for your support. So, if all goes well, I’m hoping to post something every day I’m here in the office– to let you know what we’re up to, and to better communicate directly with you.
We’re all also tremendously excited and thankful for the unbelievable success of NINJAGO #1 “The Challenge of Samukai!” Written by Greg Farshtey and drawn by Paulo Henrique, NINJAGO #1 is the most successful graphic novel Papercutz has published yet!
Even though NINJAGO #1 just went on sale in November, it’s already up to its fourth big printing! Obviously, fans of the LEGO toys can’t get enough of their favorite ninja! There’s already been a hit Cartoon Network movie, trading cards, and a video game, but fans want more, more, MORE! And we’re happy to offer the NINJAGO graphic novel series to help meet that demand.
It’s truly an understatement to say we’re thankful for writer Greg Farshtey. As the author of all nine of the BIONICLE graphic novels from Papercutz, as well as the two incredible BIONICLE Guide books– MAKUTA’S GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE and MATA NUI’S GUIDE TO BARA MAGNA, Greg was the perfect choice to write NINJAGO! Greg is not only a great writer, but he also works for LEGO, which gives him insights and knowledge to all these amazing characters an outsider couldn’t possibly have.
We’re also thankful for NINJAGO artist Paulo Henrique. Believe it or not, it’s a tricky transition for an artist to make– to go from the human proportions of THE HARDY BOYS, which Paulo has illustrated for years, to the unique anatomical requirements of LEGO figures. Fortunately, Paulo is one of the most enthusiastic artists we know, and he accepted the challenge and completely threw himself into the exciting world of NINJAGO! We think the results speak for themselves!
We’re also thankful to Laurie E. Smith who provided the blues on Jay, the black on Cole, the white on Zane, and the red on Kai! Laurie’s one of the very best colorists in comics, and we’re fortunate to have her at Papercutz! She’s been the long-time colorist on THE HARDY BOYS, so she has lots of experience making Paulo’s dynamic artwork look even more dramatic and exciting in color!
We’re also thankful to letterer Bryan Senka, who has been with Papercutz since the very beginning– lettering our premiere titles NANCY DREW and THE HARDY BOYS. Lettering is one of the great unsung arts in comics, and it’s especially important at Papercutz because all of our titles are aimed at all-ages. That means our comics must be as clear as possible, so even if someone has never picked up a comicbook before, they won’t have any problem following the captions, word balloons, and sound effects on every page. Poor placement of word balloons and captions would be like watching a movie with the sound all messed up, and not being able to tell who is speaking at any given moment.
And last, but far from least, we’re all very thankful for the valiant efforts of Associate Editor Michael Petranek. Not only did Michael work very closely with both Paulo and LEGO to make sure every detail in the story was drawn correctly, but Michael was intimately involved in making sure that NINJAGO was printed at the very best printers in the world, meeting the high standards of The LEGO Group, as well as virtually tracking every copy of NINJAGO #1 as it made its way through various distribution systems to your favorite booksellers. While ordinarily such things flow rather smoothly, many unforeseen circumstances combined to create even more stress than usual for our poor put-upon Petranek, but he hung in there like a real ninja, and never gave up until each and every NINJAGO graphic novel wound up where it was supposed to be! Thanks again, Michael!
Well, that’s it for today. As you can see, I do tend to get a tad long-winded whenever I talk about anything related to Papercutz, but I promise to not get so carried away on a daily basis. Somedays I may just pop in with just a few sentences, keeping it short and sweet, but being me, I suspect I may not always be able to shut up. That’s because when it comes to Papercutz, I can’t help getting passionate! I believe it’s my duty to share my enthusiasm with you and let you know what we’re up to. Every day all of us at Papercutz are trying our very best to produce comics that you will truly love, and as I said, for that I’m incredibly thankful.
Thanks,
Jim
Come See us at New York Comic Con!
October 7, 2011 by Michael Petranek
Hi Everyone,
Associate Editor Michael Petranek here, excited about next week’s New York Comic Con. If you’re attending, be sure to stop by booth #1831 to say “hi” and check out the newest Papercutz graphic novels! Also appearing will be Rick Parker and Stefan Petrucha for signings. Here’s when to catch ‘em:
Rick Parker: Saturday October 15th from 1-2:30PM and Sunday October 16th from 10:30AM to noon and 2:30 to 4:00PM.
Stefan Petrucha: Friday October 14th from2:30 to 4:00PM, Saturday October 15th from 2:30 to 4:00PM, and Sunday October 16th from 1:00 to 2:30PM.
Hope to see you there! It’s always a lot of fun.
-Michael
Papercutz Around the USA!
September 28, 2011 by Michael Petranek
Hi There,
Associate Editor Michael Petranek here, gearing up for New York Comic Con at the Javits Convention Center October 13th-16 with appearances by Stefan Petrucha and Rick Parker! Our booth number is 1831. More on that in the coming weeks. For now, I’d like to turn to reviews that have been coming in from all over the country recently. It feels like people coast to coast are enjoying our graphic novels, and we couldn’t be happier.
Over in the North West part of the United States, the Portland Book Review got their hands on a copy of THE HARDY BOYS The New Case Files #1 “Crawling with Zombies,” calling it “a great series to get hooked on.” You can read the review here. Don’t forget about The Hardy Boys “Crawling with Zombies” video, either! Head over to our website’s video page to watch it. That was a lot of fun to make– I got to direct the video as well as record the original music I wrote for it. It was a blast!
Over in Tennessee, Andy Smith, or as he’s sometimes known “Captain Comics,” of The Comics Buyers Guide got his hands on graphic novels of THE HARDY BOYS The New Case Files, NANCY DREW The New Case Files, PAPERCUTZ SLICES, and TALES FROM THE CRYPT, reviewing all of them for his article in the guide’s upcoming November issue. Cap’n Andy reviews a lot of graphic novels, discussing our series at the end of the article because he says he’s “saved the best for last.” His review isn’t up yet, but as soon as it is I’ll post it. Thanks, Cap’n!
We hope wherever you are, you are enjoying our graphic novels. We want to hear from you! Let us know what you think. Until next time, have a great day, and thanks for stopping by.
-Michael
Percy Jerkson Has Arrived!
August 30, 2011 by Michael Petranek
Hello There!
Associate Editor Michael Petranek here, very excited to see that PAPERCUTZ SLICES #3 “Percy Jerkson” is available now at booksellers everywhere! Here’s a look at the cover…
Rick Parker, Stefan Petrucha, and Margo Kinney-Petrucha keep the laughs coming in the third installment of our parody series. Not only that, but so far reviewers have been cracking up too! Check out what the reviewers at comicattack.net had to say! If you’re looking for a good laugh, look no further. Thanks for stopping by!
-Michael
Smurftastic Friday!
August 12, 2011 by Michael Petranek
Smurfulations!
Associate Editor Michael Petranek here, very excited about THE SMURFS. August has been a Smurftastic month for our little blue friends. The really big news is that THE SMURFS graphic novels from Papercutz are now available digitally! That’s right! The Smurfs now have their very own app from comiXology.com for the iPad and the iPhone! Just visit the Apple store here or go to comiXology.com to download. It’s an all-new way to experience the classics Peyo SMURFS comics. I got a big kick out of being able to zoom in on my favorite panels featuring my favorite Smurf, “Dreamy Smurf” or as he is known in the latest SMURFS graphic novel, “Astro Smurf.” Here’s an example of an Astro Smurf panel blown up, just like you can do when you enjoy the comics digitally:
Have you downloaded any of THE SMURFS graphic novels or comicbooks from comiXology? Did you get to see something new that features YOUR favorite Smurf? Leave a comment and let me know.
All of the SMURFS graphic novels that are available in stores are also available on the comiXology site. And the best part is—unlike what keeps happening in bookstores and comicbook stores, the digital versions are never sold out! You can find all of our SMURFS comics 24 hour a day 7 days a week on the comiXology site.
As excited as all of us at Papercutz are about THE SMURFS graphic novels, the rest of North America has been flocking to movie theaters to see the new SMURFS 3-D movie! The new movie blew away so-called “expert” expectations, finishing at #1 at the US box office its first week, and at #2 its second week. In other words, the Smurfs movie is a big smash hit! This lead to Sony Pictures announcing a SMURFS sequel scheduled for August 3rd, 2013. It’s already grossed over $130 million so far– that can buy a lot of smurfberries!
I’ve enjoyed walking around my neighborhood in Queens, NY, and seeing funny SMURFS ads such as this one on the side of a New York City bus:
Believe it or not, I haven’t seen the SMURFS movie yet, but that’s because all of us at Papercutz have been working around the clock on Papercutz graphic novel series such as MONSTER CHRISTMAS, ERNEST & REBECCA, SYBIL THE BACKPACK FAIRY, and NINJAGO, that we barely have enough time to eat or sleep, let alone see a movie! As soon as I can, I’ll be lining up at my local multiplex to see THE SMURFS in glorious 3-D! Have a smurftastic day, and keep an eye on this blog for more news about Papercutz!
-Michael
From Potter to Potty–Harry Potter & the Five Big Buts…
August 3, 2011 by Stefan Petrucha
No, not sir Mix-A-Lot, but my latest column at Boomtron takes a look at the slightly convoluted path leading the grand Potter finale. Here’s the opening graph to get y’all started…
WARNING! WARNING! DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!
There are easier ways, right? Toss the ring into Mount Doom and you’re done with it!Darth Vader’s your dad, love him and redeem his soul! The Red Skull (who, let’s face it, didn’t do much evil to begin with, since all his plans – save one assassination – were spoiled by Cap) touches the wrong glowy thing and vanishes in a puff of cosmic smoke! Sure all those villains can come back, hale and hearty and ready to roll, but at least defeating them was quick, clean and made some sense.
And then there’s Voldemort.
To be clear, I think JK Rowling is hands-down brilliant. I’ve no doubt the seven book/eight film Harry Potter saga will be part of our culture, download, e-book or otherwise, for decades to come. At the same time, though, among the crucial hallmarks of great storytelling, I’ve always considered elegance and simplicity, well… important. And there’s something wildly inelegant and increasingly complicated about the battle twixt Harry and Voldemort.
Not that the Empress has no clothes, but I think she could have dressed a little better. Much of the series seems planned – hey, I’m tickled to go back to the first book and see mention of Sirius Black’s motorcycle. Then, as we get to the end of the fifth book, The Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore takes Harry aside and, for about a hundred pages, to says, in effect, “Here’s the real plot, but I kept it secret because I didn’t want to hurt you.” At that point, I have to at leastsuspect a certain someone had written themselves into a corner and was now performing a variety of literary-contortionist moves to get out of it.
To read the rest, click here.
And be sure to also check out the Goodreads Giveaway for my upcomingzombie detective novel Dead Mann Walking!