Like a Submarine on Silent

SO I haven’t gotten around to posting (even though I wanted to put up some of the nice words said about the Namor Annual).   It struck me that this might make it seem like I have less going on – though it’s actually the opposite.

Some BIG NEWS (for me, anyways) will be coming out in the next few weeks.

In the meantime – I’m working on that, a commissioned project (that probably won’t be available to the public), two spec (film) scripts, teaching myself how to letter comics for an independent submission, and performing comedy again.

I’ll post the relevant and interesting stuff as it comes up.  In the meantime, I wanted to thank any and all the people who have popped by.

Please feel free to LEAVE COMMENTS!  Some have started to, but I’d love to know what brought you, and what were you hoping to find here?  — I’d be happy to put more of whatever that would be up on the site.

A sneak preview page from an independent comic I'll be pitching out in a few weeks. Art by REMUS BREZEANU

<—  In The Meantime

Check out handsome art for a comic I co-created with my buddy Jim Festante.  The art is by the awesome (and German!) illustrator Remus Brezeanu.

 

More Online Distractions!

– Check out the aforementioned Jim Festante hosting THE GAME SHOW (video games) on TheStream.TV

– Dig Remus’ art for web comic SOCIALFIST! – a riff on Socialist Superheroes  I recommend starting at the link.

– And 180 degrees away from those things – the fantastic APPLE SISTERS (a modern WWII girl group) has a comedy podcast on Earwolf that’s already getting great traction.  I love them.  You should give it a try.

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Go buy comics! (esp. MINE!)

Steve Rogers Super Soldier Annual #1 : part 2 of "Escape From the Negative Zone"

If you’ve thought of reading any of my comics – I seriously recommend “Escape from the Negative Zone!” The crazy-fun smash-up with gorgeous art continues this month in STEVE ROGERS: SUPER SOLDIER ANNUAL #1 – out now!

STEVE ROGERS! (Captain America) X-MEN! NAMOR! Steve Rogers goes on an interdimensional rescue mission after the X-Men find themselves imprisoned by Blastaar! But the Negative Zone alien isn’t the biggest problem that the #1 Avenger and the X-Men are going to face. The most visually spectacular Marvel story in years is not to be missed! This issue, IBRAIM ROBERSON (X-MEN: SECOND COMING) joins writer JAMES ASMUS for the latest chapter of this blockbuster.  Part 2 (of 3)

CHECK OUT SOME PREVIEW PAGES:

*** *** *** *** *** ***And while you’re at your local comic shop…

Pick up Part 1, Uncanny X-Men Annual #3! (with amazing art by Nicholas Bradshaw)

Ask them to reserve you a copy of Part 3, Namor Annual #1! (explosively illustrated by Max Fiumara)

And finally, if you take a minute to browse around, I’d recommend you check out some other great new comics by great people:

Axe Cop! written by a 6 year old, drawn by his 30 year old brother

Batgirl - recommended for fans of Buffy... and Smallville

Madman - beautiful, kinetic, and warm-hearted - my #1 favorite

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For once, some things that aren’t mine.

Hey kids,

A lot of folks lately have asked me for recommendations of comics.  I’ll throw some up here occasionally that I think you should check out.  I should mention – these aren’t comics’ “greatest hits”.   These will all be books that I think are really worthwhie – and ones that DON’T require you to ‘know’ comics.   So while there may be more ‘famous’ stories out there – these ones will actually make sense to a new reader.

MARVEL  - (Obviously, this first entry will be about my employer.)

NEXTWAVE – One of my favorite Marvel comics of all time.  These are bat-shit crazy & completely awesome!  Only 12 issues came out, so it’s really easy to read & collect.  Essentially – B&C-List characters find out that their secret anti-terrorist team is actually run by terrorists.   Terrorists who use weapons like Robot Stephen Hawkings with Laser Eyes.  Warren Ellis’ scripts are insanely energized, and Stuart Immonen’s art is near-flawless.

RUNAWAYS. They also have a f*cking dinosaur.

RUNAWAYS – The first few collections are available pretty cheap – and I can’t recommend them highly enough.   This comic is brilliantly accessible and relate-able for ‘non-comic’ people.  Essentially, a group of kids find out that their parents are a cabal of super-villains – and then things get really weird.   This series is written (by Brian K Vaughan) with a tremendous amount of humor and humanity without all that weird stuff like spandex and codenames.   Seriously, if you’re interested in superhero comics at all – read the first three volumes.

ASTONISHING X-MEN – This is more well known than it is ‘definitive’ for comic fans.  But this 25 issue run by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and John Cassaday (the wonderful comic Planetary) gives you a heaping helping of action, character, and – most importantly – is REALLY EASY TO READ.   That’s no easy feat for X-Men comics (or any title that has 50+ years of history).   This run is filled with joy, thought, and craftsmanship.  And punching.  Lots of punching.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

PUNISHER MAX – If you can’t get into superheroes, but love crime & violence – this is your book.  It’s got a wickedly dark sense of humor.  It takes place in a different ‘world’ than the other Marvel comics.  So there are no capes.  Just guns.  -  The title has run for a while, but you should basically be able to pick up any collection and the story will make sense.

IRON MAN: EXTREMIS - This storyline essentially reworked Iron Man in a way that brings you from his origin and into a very intriguing exploration of the very idea behind the hero.  Plus, the art is beautifully (and fairly realistically) rendered by Adi Granov.  This is intelligent, thematic stuff that still has nice character work & great action.

I’m sure there’s more.  But it’s late.  And I’m tired.

Happy reading!

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Deadpool Team-Up #890!

Deadpool Team-Up #890 - cover art by Humberto Ramos!

IN STORES NOW!!!

Pick it up next time you’re within 10 miles of a comic book shop.   Actually, pick it up the next 3 times you’re within 10 miles of a comic shop.

Q: WHY?  A: BECAUSE EVERYONE LOVES IT!!

“Capturing the right balance between snappy humor and bad ass action for Deadpool is actually pretty tough and Asmus handles it quite deftly…definitely one of the better contributions to this series.”  - Comic Vine

The only “BUY” title of its week! “funnier the more times you read it…this book can win you over.” - Comic Book Resources

“Funny, action packed, and, most importantly, coherent.  … I wish every issue could be like this.” – Platypus Robot

If you don’t like it, you’re dead inside.

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5 Minutes of Fun & Distraction

HEY!  If you haven’t been hipped to this yet, check out this art site that lets all sorts of artists (and, shall we say…aspiring artists) rework, re-imagine, and remix comic book covers.   It’s called COVERED, and for those of you who are artistically inclined, it’s an open submission!   Super cool! Pun intended!

SELFISHLY – if anyone is considering a project for COVERED, might I ask you to consider the cover to my forthcoming issue of Deadpool Team-Up #890 ?(!)   In addition to ‘our hero’, it includes Machine Man (Nextwave!) and Puppet Master.  Surely, that’s a lot to work with.

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NATION X #1 out WEDNESDAY from MARVEL! MIKE ALLRED!!

This is a literal dream-come-true, and the second thing in my life to make me feel like a Make-A-Wish kid.*   My favorite comic book creator, Mike Allred, illustrated my most recent story for Marvel Comics.   Allred created, wrote, and illustrated Madman comics and plenty other awesome titles over the last few decades.

The book is Nation X #1 – a collection of four 8-page stories featuring various X-Men characters.    Mine features Nightcrawler and Wolverine on a roadtrip!  And MIKE ALLRED!!!

http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album_view.php?gid=1542&page=20

http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album_view.php?gid=1542&page=21

The other stories are by great people as well!

MIKE ALLRED!!!

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CALLS TO BLOOD

A little too late, but it’s worth recording for posterity that my latest play and first full-length drama “Calls to Blood” just closed its extended run at Royal George theater in Chicago.

I never got to actually see the show, but I am so incredibly grateful for the hard work of everyone involved and how well it was recieved.   I really, really look forward to revisiting this piece for future productions.  I’m 90% sure that it’ll have a different title, BTW.

—————

A few quotes, all from writer/editor recommended reviews (!):

“Sex, relationships and intensity done right – when I search in my memory for a comparably provocative, promising and closely observed experience, I can only come up with the early LaBute scripts I saw at the old Cafe Voltaire in the mid-1990s.” — CHICAGO TRIBUNE

“Calls to Blood masterfully manipulates dramatic clichés, veering from cheerful chick-flick to terrifyingly twisted quick enough to cause emotional whiplash — manipulating audience mindsets, too, along the way.” —CENTERSTAGE

“Lots of people have nuggets of experience that could presumably anchor a drama, but not many of them have Asmus’s technical chops…Asmus uses an improbable but apparently true scenario to demonstrate his gift for capturing the rhythms of contemporary talk. ” / “Both gut-wrenchingly tragic and very, very funny.” —TIME OUT

“Revealing a horrifying family secret straight out of Sam Shepard…Asmus packs his seemingly incompatible scenes with accurate, telling observations of human behavior.  Against all odds, nearly everything in this New Colony premiere rings poignantly true.” —CHICAGO READER

“Trust me that once again, The New Colony has gone to a place most theatre companies wouldn’t even think to go. [Asmus's] skill in writing sharp comic dialogue shows he’s a writer to watch.”  —TALKIN’ BROADWAY

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