22 Mar 2014
23 Feb 2014
Marvel man in need
Unless you're a die-hard fan of comics, you may not have heard of Rocket Raccoon just yet, but by this time next year you'll probably own the action figure. The first trailer for Marvel's latest superhero franchise film, Guardians of the Galaxy, appeared online this week – and many expect its break-out star to be the gun-toting, wise-cracking raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper.
Marvel's most recent movie, Thor: The Dark World, has passed the $200m (£120m) mark at the US box office, and the studio could earn up to a half a billion more from Rocket and co when Guardians is released in August. The character was originally created in 1976 by Bill Mantlo, but Marvel's ownership of the title means Mr Mantlo will not benefit directly from the movie's anticipated success.
That fact is all the more poignant because Mr Mantlo – once one of Marvel's most beloved contributors – has been seriously disabled since a hit-and-run accident in 1992. His family has struggled to pay his medical bills, and thanks to the vagaries of the US healthcare system, he now lives in unsatisfactory long-term care at an assisted-living facility in New York.
Bill Mantlo was a legendary writer for Marvel Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. But today, he inhabits a broken body abandoned by both the health insurance industry and the federal healthcare reform meant to help people like him. This is his story on Tragic Tale.
1 Sept 2013
29 Jun 2013
MouseGuard
In the world of MouseGuard, mice struggle to live safely and prosper amongst harsh conditions and a host of predators. Thus the Mouse Guard was formed: more than just soldiers, they are guides for common mice looking to journey without confrontation from one village to another. They see to their duty with fearless dedication so that they may not simply exist, but truly live.
10 Mar 2012
Jean Giraud (Moebius) is Dead
One of France’s best-known cartoonist and comic book creators, Jean Giraud, has died aged-73 in Paris after a long-illness. Giraud was the creator of the hugely popular character Lieutenant Blueberry for a Western series of the same name. (RFI)
Jean Giraud (born 8 May 1938; died 10 March 2012) was a French comics artist. Giraud has earned worldwide fame, not only under his own name but also under the pseudonym Mœbius, and to a lesser extent Gir, the latter appearing mostly in the form of a boxed signature at the bottom of the artist's paintings. He died on March 10th 2012 at age 73 in Paris. Giraud and the movies on Bleeding Cool.
Jean Giraud on Wikipedia – Official website - The art of Jean Giraud on theartboardstudio