In between regular postings of This EMPIRE are “yesteryear” strips and sketches. 

Please note: For more information click on an image or text highlighted in Navy Blue.

Oops a little of parallel worlds smashup put the brakes on a finish comic but work continues. Up above is production of one the four thumbnail comics I post a couple of weeks ago. 

2013 Joe Shuster Awards 

“2013 marks the 75th year since the debut of Superman by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in the pages of Action Comics #1. “

Canada has a rich tradition of supporting our national arts communities with awards that recognize the achievements of our citizens like the Genie Awards for film and television and the Juno Awards for music – the JOE SHUSTER AWARD is Canada’s national award that honours and raises the awareness of Canadians that create, self-publish and sell all kinds of comics, graphic novels and webcomics.

Source: The Joe Shuster Award

Oh my stars and garters this years nominees are well as always outstanding. 

And the nominees are… continue reading here

Congratulations to all the nominees your work is greatly appreciated. 

Man of Steel 2013

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

2013-man-of-steel

Budget:  $225,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:  $116,619,362 (USA) (14 June 2013)

Gross:  $210,078,153 (USA) (24 June 2013)

Worldwide: $402, 915, 316

Jumpin’ Jiminy we took a night off #Sketchbomb-NC to attend a showing of Man of Steel at Mission Valley (shameless plug) 🙂

Some very skewed commentary on this latest outing of Man of Steel. Oh, I had some criticisms of it but will-not-ever be perfect so can we move onto the next story keep some continuity. If not how about a series of Elseworlds style films of DC Comics characters, new stories not shown in print.

By the way did you know that Warner Brothers and DC Comics really do not have a working relationship or discussion about the treatment of their characters in films? No “creative committee” as with Marvel Studios.

When “Iron Man” (released by Paramount) went on to sell $585 million in tickets worldwide, its success seemed to validate the suggestions from its publishing talent. That led to the formal creation of what Marvel calls its creative committee: Mr. Quesada, Mr. Bendis and Dan Buckley, the Marvel comics publisher, meet several times a year with Marvel studio executives to discuss film and multimedia projects.

Though Marvel’s publishing side does not directly control the content of Marvel films, Kevin Feige, the president of production at Marvel Studios, said the storytelling in the comics had a strong influence on the movies “because it’s a hell of a lot less expensive to take a chance in a comic than it is take a chance in a movie.” Repeating a phrase he said he had heard from Mr. Quesada, he added, “It’s the cheapest R&D there is, but the best R&D there is.”

Source: NY Times

– Michael Phillips, Film Critic: Man of Steel review – Chicago Tribune

– Kyle Baker, Cartoonist: Mass Murder Of Steel game

Brutal but fun critique

KyleBarker-Mass-Murderer-Of-Steel

“Cartoonist extraordinaire Kyle Baker has created a Mass Murderer Of Steel game, in which players can try and drag and drop a fighting Superman and Zod through Metropolis, destroying and killing all in their path.”

Source: Bleeding Cool 

Thank you for reading, back to making comics.

DGC