Interview with the former co-executive producer of “Fringe” and “New Teen Titans” writer Felicia D. Henderson

Comicbook Resource has a interview with New Teen Titans writer Felicia D. Henderson.  She was co-executive producer of “Fringe,” “Gossip Girl” and “Soul Food: the Series,” which she also directed. She also wrote “Cheetah Girls 2″ and for the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and was a consulting producer and writer for “Everybody Hates Chris.”    Her first issue of Teen Titans #75 will be released on September 30.

Here’s a few excerpts from the article:

CBR: What can you tell us about the story you’re going to tell in your first arc of “Teen Titans?” Who’s the villain? Who are the key players?

FELICIA D. HENDERSON: What can I tell you? Well, not much because it’s changing even as I’m writing it and I’m writing it now. In fact, I should be writing now instead of talking to you. I have to go.

Joking, of course. Let’s see. In the first arc some characters will come, other characters will go, a villain will go on a terror that will wreak havoc on our team. Yes, I know I’m “Queen of Vague.”

Are you a long-time fan of the “Teen Titans” and comics in general?

I am a long time comic book fan. I was a sickly child, which meant lots of time on the Asthma inhaler and lots of time in the house while my brothers and sisters played outside. So I created my own alternate universe and comic bookshelped me do that. My sisters were reading Archies and I was reading “Batman” and coming up with ways the villains could take out my younger brother. Yes, I was dark even at ten years old.

 Getting a chance to write “Teen Titans” is so cool because it combines my strengths in writing teens, my love of comics, my science background, and my sci-fi sensibilities. And I’ve always loved the idea of creating stories about where this realm meets the spiritual/mystical one. In other words, I’m in heaven.

 

What are the major differences between writing for comics and television? “Teen Titans” is your first comic assignment, correct?

The biggest difference between the two is that you can rely on dialogue in television and you haveto rely on visual story telling in comics. In that way, comics are more like film, even more like silent film, which I love.

Also, because I’m so committed to doing a great job, the process is all-consuming for me now. Every page, every panel, every word of dialogue takes me forever because I take way too long to commit. This is my first full-length issue. To get my feet wet, I did a 10-page “Citizen Steel” story for the upcoming “Justice Society of America Annual” and that took me forever, too. But with “Teen Titans,” I’m on a serious time crunch so I won’t have the luxury of contemplating everything for so long.

Another difference is the intensity of weekly deadlines in television. You know you have to have an episode ready to go every week no matter what and that can be stressful, as well. Both mediums are very collaborative but the way the collaboration works is a little different. Breaking stories in a writers’ room surrounded by fellow writers means that television writing is never a lonely job. Also, there’s no better place to be than with other writers. I love the process.

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This post was written by Lobo on July 22, 2009

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Interview with Benson and Glass on “Luke Cage Noir”

Source: Newsarama

 

Here’s a few excerpts from the article

Newsarama: To begin, can you tell readers a little bit about ‘Moon Over Harlem’, Mike?

‘Moon Over Harlem’ is a classic film noir kind of story. You have a protagonist who finds himself trapped in a spider’s web of invisible forces that are out to get him, or manipulate him for their own ends. It’s a dark story; and Luke Cage is such a wonderfully hard boiled character. It’s great fun to watch him fight (and think) his way out of his predicament.

NRAMA: Fair enough. I sounds like there will be similarities, but how is this Luke Cage different from his contemporary counterpart?

MB: The modern Luke Cage was created in the ‘70s and is very much a creature of that era. He’s basically a Blaxploitation character…

AG: He’s been reinterpreted several times since then and kind of cut loose from his roots. But in our story, the Luke Cage Noir character is very grounded in the Prohibition Era of gangsters, speakeasies and segregation. And in a funny way he’s actually closer to the original ‘70s conception of the character.

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This post was written by Lobo on May 26, 2009

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Comics: Black Panther #4, Azrael: Death’s Dark Knight #3, New Comics 5-20-09

Last week I was really looking forward to Black Panther # 4 and I was a little disappointed.    The story seems to be dragging or at least be so predictable that I know whats going to happpen before it happens.    Overall I have like Hudlins run on the series (at times it was a little uneven) but I prefer his version of BP over Christopher Priests run from a few years back.   I just wish he would pick up the pace a little bit.

My reccomendation for week is  Azrael: Death’s Dark Knight #3.  Its nice to see some new blood in Gotham the Azrael an African American ex-cop named Michael Washington Lane. He is approached by the Order of Purity to reclaim the mantle of Azrael after the Order of Dumas’ new Azrael went mad and killed an undercover police officer. On his first night as Azrael he fought Talia Al Ghul, new team of mercenaries led by Merlyn and Dick Grayson. After convincing Nightwing that he was not responsible for the murdered police officer, Dick persuades Talia to allow Michael to keep the Suit of Sorrows. Michael Lane is currently active in Gotham City working on an “eye for an eye” style of justice.    The last page of the book reveals that this will be an ongoing series starting in the fall.   Hopefully they will keep Fabian Nicieza as the writer and  Frazier Irving doing the art.  

This weeks picks 

 DC Comics » Batman: Battle For the Cowl #3 (of 3) Preview

 Marvel » Captain America #50 Preview

 Marvel » Uncanny X-Men #510 Preview

 Marvel » Black Panther: Who Is Black Panther HC

 

This weeks comics below the break 

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This post was written by Lobo on May 20, 2009

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Reginald Hudlin to leave Black Panther.

Source: IGN

In an IGN interview with Reginald Hudlin, Jonathan Maberry  and editor Axel Alonso,  Hudlin announced that he was leaving the book after a four year run.  Hudlin will move onto a new Marvel project and continue work on the upcoming BP animated series. Hudlin will still be involved with the series as a consultant going forward. Hudlins replacement is Jonathan Maberry an acclaimed horror writer.

Heres a few excerpts,  click for the image for the article

IGN Comics: Reggie, what was behind your decision to leave the series? It’s our understanding you’ll still be a consultant on the series – what will that entail? Will you still be providing plot ideas or long-term plans?

Hudlin: I started this book as a mini-series, not an ongoing series. But the guys at Marvel liked my work enough to turn it into a regular series. Then out of the blue I got a corporate world as the President of Entertainment at Black Entertainment Television. I carved my Black Panther commitment out of my deal because it was a great creative outlet during a time when I didn’t have the time or latitude to do my own projects. But it was always a juggling act. When I was doing Panther and Marvel Knights Spider Man while being an exec it almost killed me. Once I left BET, I could really devote myself to the new arc. But once it got out there that I was available, suddenly there were a lot of film, television and other comic book projects popping up. I had to make some hard choices.

IGN Comics: Jonathan, a simple question of sorts – who is the Black Panther to you? To the Marvel Universe? What makes this character stand apart from the thousands of other heroes?

Maberry: The Panther has always been a favorite of mine. I grew up in a very white racist neighborhood in Philadelphia and it was initially through reading, particularly comic books that I learned about racial equality. I remember the landmark story from Fantastic Four #119, in which the Panther is imprisoned in what is essentially South Africa. The Torch and Thing help his break out, and break down the walls –literally and figuratively—that stand for segregation. That blew my mind and made me want to learn as much as I could about the clash between races. I can say with complete honesty that the Black Panther was responsible for setting me on the path to understanding the nature and dangers of bigotry

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This post was written by Lobo on May 15, 2009

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New Comics 5-6-09: Pick of the Week Ultimate Wolverine vs Hulk, Kingdom Come

Last week was a close call between Ultimate Hulk vs Wolverine  #5 and Dark Avengers #4 .    Ultimate Hulk vs Wolverine # 5 won for one reason Wolverines decapitated head on a table having a conversation with Nick Fury.   I never saw it coming and its nice to be surprised.   We got some insight into the real nature of Wolverines power its not a healing factor its adaptation.   His body changes in order to ensure his survival.  The art by really fits the story Leinil FrancisYu really compliments Lindelof’s story.   If you want a reminder of what Marvel’s Ultimate line was like at its best this is it. 

  I’m going to start tossing  out some older trades  that I think people might like.  This week its Kingdom Come by writer Mark Waid and artist Alex Ross.    The art is beautiful enough that it could be a book by itself.    This riveting story set in the future pits the old guard – Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and their peers – against a new, uncompromising generation of heroes in the final war to determine the fate of the planet.    This is a  all time classic that you need on your book shelf. 

 

Recommendations

Batman The Resurrection Of Ras Al Ghul TP, $19.99

Cable #14 (Ariel Olivetti Cover)(X-Men Messiah War Tie-In)(Messiah War Part 4), $2.99

New Mutants #1 (Alex Ross Variant Cover), AR

Invincible Iron Man #13 (Dark Reign Tie-In), $2.99

Boys #30 (Darick Robertson Regular Cover), $2.99

 

New comic after the break

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This post was written by Lobo on May 5, 2009

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Quick Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Wolverine Movie Poster

This was one of the most anticipated movies of the Spring/Summer movie season.  I’ll make this review short.  Fanboys are going to hate it.  Fans of the Wolverine comics aren’t going to like it.  Fans of the X-Men series of movies are going to like it.  As far as the story goes, its fits into the story line of the X-Men trilogy of movies.  It gives the origin of our favorite mutant, Wolverine.  Questions about his past that were raised in the first movie are answered.  As with most origin stories, the action sequences were spread out by exposition.  But, when there was action, it was impressive.  Its easy to tell that they spent much time on getting the effects just right.  Hugh Jackman was his typical brooding Logan.  Liev Schrieber was excellent as Sabretooth.  Most of the other acting was okay.  However, Will.i.Am’s performance left little to be desired.  I was looking forward to him as Wraith, but he just didn’t do it for me.   One performance that stood out to me was Taylor Kitsch as Remy Lebeau/Gambit.  When I first saw him as Riggins on Friday Night Lights, I thought to myself, “He’d make a great Gambit.”  He did.

Problems:  No matter how good CGI gets, you can’t take years off an old man’s face and make him young again without it looking wierd.  No matter how far the stories of the X-Men are off base, at least they try to stay true to characters and their powers; however, Deadpool was so far off base as to make me almost completely dismiss Ryan Reynolds performace in the first part of the movie.  How do you have that much destruction at a Nuclear Power plant and not upset one of the reactors?  If I use an adamantium bullet and put a whole in your head, how do the wholes get filled in with adamantium?  I could go on, but I said I’d be short.

Fans of the series of movies and who have less than a passing knowledge of X-Men and Wolverine will enjoy the movie.  Everyone else, its going to be hit and miss.

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This post was written by Bedlam on May 4, 2009

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Marvel Comics on Sale 4-1-09

My reccommendations are highlighted in green.

Comics On-Sale:
AGENTS OF ATLAS #3 (DR)» Preview
AGENTS OF ATLAS #3 MCGUINNESS VARIANT (DR)
AGENTS OF ATLAS #3 WOLVERINE ART VARIANT (DR)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #590
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #590 WOLVERINE ART VARIANT
ASTONISHING TALES #3
AVENGERS/INVADERS #9» Preview
AVENGERS/INVADERS #9 SUYDAM VARIANT
AVENGERS/INVADERS #9 ROSS SKETCH VARIANT
BLACK PANTHER #3 (DR)» Preview
CABLE #13 (MW)» Preview
CABLE #13 OLIVETTI VARIANT (MW)
CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL» Preview
CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL MARTIN VARIANT
CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL MARTIN SKETCH VARIANT
DARK REIGN: FANTASTIC FOUR #2 (DR)» Preview
DEAD OF NIGHT FEATURING WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #4
DEADPOOL #9 (DR)» Preview
DESTROYER #1
DOCTOR DOOM AND THE MASTERS OF EVIL #3» Preview
FRANKLIN RICHARDS: APRIL FOOLS» Preview
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #12 (DR)» Preview
MARVEL ASSISTANT-SIZED SPECTACULAR #1
MARVEL PREVIEWS #68
MARVEL: YOUR UNIVERSE #3
NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION #2 (DR)» Preview
NEW MUTANTS SAGA
OFFICIAL INDEX TO THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #4
PRIDE & PREJUDICE #1» Preview
SECRET WARRIORS #3 (DR)» Preview
SECRET WARRIORS #3 WOLVERINE ART VARIANT (DR)
SOLEIL: UNIVERSAL WAR ONE – REVELATIONS #1
SOLEIL: UNIVERSAL WAR ONE – REVELATIONS #1 VARIANT
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #3 YOUNG 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
THUNDERBOLTS #129 DE LA TORRE 2ND PRINTING VARIANT (DR)
WAR OF KINGS #2 (WOK)» Preview
WAR OF KINGS #2 COIPEL VARIANT (WOK)
WOLVERINE MAGAZINE #1
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS FINALS #3» Preview

Collections On-Sale:
DEADPOOL CLASSIC VOL. 2 TPB
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE X-MEN VOL. 4 HC (2ND PRINT)
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE X-MEN VOL. 4 HC (VARIANT, 2ND PRINT)
WHAT IF?: SECRET WARS TPB
WOLVERINE OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC MILLER COVER
WOLVERINE OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC MCNIVEN COVER (DM ONLY)
WOLVERINE: FIRST CLASS – WOLVERINE-BY-NIGHT TPB
WOLVERINE: TALES OF WEAPON X GN-HC

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This post was written by Lobo on March 31, 2009

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DMC of RUN DMC on Hip Hop and Comic books

Great two part interview on his upcoming comic and his background in comics.  

Source: Newsarama

http://www.newsarama.com/common/media/video/player.php?videoRef=NA_090209_DMC1

http://www.newsarama.com/common/media/video/player.php?videoRef=NA_090209_DMC2

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This post was written by Lobo on February 11, 2009

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Random things from NYCC 2009

New Mutants is a new ongoing series by writer Zeb Wells that begins in May and features the classic characters from New Mutants, including Cannonball, Magma, Sunspot, Illyana, Xi’an, and Dani Moonstar. The artist will be Diogenes Neves, most recently seen on X-Men Worlds Apart
The entire Ultimate line will be cancelled, sent off with a number of “Requiem” specials, and re-launched as Ultimate Comics.

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This post was written by Lobo on February 9, 2009

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“Life and Times of Lucas Bishop” article

Source: Comic Book Resources

He shot Professor X in the head, plotted ecological disaster, and tried to kill a mutant baby named Hope — but don’t call him a monster! His name is Lucas Bishop, and he’s done these terrible things because he wants to save us all.

Marvel Comics readers will get their chance to see what makes the temporally challenged Bishop tick in “X-Men: The Times and Life of Lucas Bishop,” a three-issue miniseries from “Cable” writer Duane Swierczynski and artist Larry Stroman. CBR News spoke with Swierczynski about the series, issue #1 of which is in stores this week.

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This post was written by Lobo on February 5, 2009

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