The esteemed Alex Segura provides a quick teaser for JSA Vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith #2 over on DC Comics' blog, The Source.

The article includes some teaser art and comments from the series' illustrator, Don Kramer.

Check it out.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

Newsarama has a preview of the Sept. '09 DC solicits up, so that means I can say that I'm writing a new monthly ongoing series: The Shield, spinning out of J. Michael Straczynski's "Red Circle" series.

For the full skinny head on over to my website: www.eric-trautmann.com.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

...I thought I might take a break from pimping JSA Vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith #1.

My good friend, Greg Rucka, has an interview up on IGN.com, talking about his Batwoman run in Detective Comics, which will be kicking JSA v K's ass in the sales charts.

Greg's Batwoman stories -- what little I've been privileged to see -- are astoundingly good, and JH Williams III's artwork is even better; a Rucka/Cully Hamner "Question" co-feature in each issue is also an excellent reason to shell out your hard-earned cash for a copy.

And you really should.

In any event: here's Greg's interview. Enjoy.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

Joseph Dilworth, Jr. gives the first fairly lengthy review of JSA vs. Kobra #1 over on Pop Culture Zoo, and he says lots of nice things (for which there'll be a little somethin' extra in his check this week).

Check it out!

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

Apparently, DC has made available a preview of JSA vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith #1. Follow this link, and click "Download Preview" for a .PDF of the first 7 or 8 pages, if you're interested or on the fence about the series.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

The first installment of my monthly column for MSN's Parallel Universe site is live.

Here's the link.

Go, read, enjoy.

I'm going to be throwing some "overflow" from the interviews up on my website later this week, so stop by and check that out, too.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

Jsavskobra_cvr-02

For those in the Olympia/Lacey, WA. area, I'll be signing at Olympic Cards & Comics (4230 Pacific Ave, Lacey, WA 98503) to celebrate the release of JSA vs. KOBRA: ENGINES OF FAITH #1.

I'll be there from noon to five (and probably later), so if you'd like me to deface your pristine copy with my illegible scrawl, I'm happy to oblige.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

Observatory_Logo

On Wed., June 10th, 2009, the first installment of a monthly pop-culture/commentary column I'm writing goes live.

The column, "The Observatory," will be included as part of MSN.com's "Parallel Universe" science-fiction/fandom apparatus, marking a return to my labors for Microsoft.
 
Part of my job here comes from my time spent working at the intersection of various media—comics, videogames, film/TV, science fiction novels, roleplaying games, and so on—and to provide a sort of a view from the trenches.
 
Watch this space for the live link on Wednesday, and please do weigh in on what you like, what you don't like, what you'd like to see, and so on.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

California Supreme Court upholds same-sex marriage ban, 6-1.

Because, you know, it would be wrong to treat gay people like they're human beings, entitled to the same rights, privileges and responsibilities of hetero couples.

Dear California Supreme Court:

Your homework tonight is too look up the word "Justice," and write it, and it's complete definition on the board until you  get it. (Dissenting vote is excused from this assignment.)

::headdesk::

Some bright spark somewhere should figure out the legal argument that posits that, since a gay couple is denied the same legal rights as hetero couples, they do not enjoy the full range of state-proffered services, and thus should be exempt from full taxation.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

As I continue to "move in" to my new website, I've been setting up some file downloads of scripts, vector-based artwork for making comic book sound effects, and today, some custom scatter brushes for use in Adobe Photoshop CS1 (and later).

Help yourself, y'all. :)

-E

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

I love Robert Downey, Jr.; particularly of late, with Iron Man, Tropic Thunder, even A Scanner Darkly, he's quite a chameleon.

But, this?

No. Just...no.

Some Jeremy Brett to cleanse the palate, I should think.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

Will Murray (who, among other things, wrote for Starlog, and wrote much of The Destroyer series from Lester Dent plots) was recently interviewed by Comic Book Resources, and he delivers a fascinating survey course on pulp fiction.

Wonderful stuff.

Here's the link.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

Couple minor tweaks over on the website, plus some freebies -- some vector-based source files for comic book lettering sound effects, which I've used in a few projects here and there. (They require Adobe Illustrator to edit, but are offered free of restriction, and can be imported -- with some finagling -- into a good image editor like Photoshop.)

Share and enjoy.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

So, after several days of trying to navigate GoDaddy's HORRIBLE, convoluted dashboard, I have managed to finally get my website up and running again.

My thanks to my friend Wendy for all her help.

So, I'm quite excited to finally have a decent web space set up, one which I'm actually able to update regularly.

PLEASE do check it out -- it's lonely.

www.eric-trautmann.com

HA!

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

A while back, someone sent me a link to a design blog, where someone had done these really cool "novel"-style designs for graphic novel covers. Just mockups, but there was a really neat Daredevil cover, and a few others.

I can't find that link anywhere. Anyone know what I'm talking about? And if so, can you send me that link?

Thanks!

-E

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

So, a simple domain redirect has turned into a giant, three-day nightmare (culminating with my website pretty much being inaccessible at the regular address: www.eric-trautmann.com; don't go there for now, I guess).

Thanks, Go Daddy! You're the best.

::headdesk::

For the moment, if you wanted to zip on over to my temporary web presence @ http://www.erictrautmann.us, you can see what my website is supposed to look like.

Over time, I'm going to gradually phase out a lot of blog activity, and consolidate it there.

There's some free goodies (Wide Awake desktop wallpapers in all kinds of sizes, a Creative Commons script for you artist types, and more coming). It's lonely. Go say hi.

(On the plus side, I'm starting to really love hating Go Daddy.)

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

So, a simple domain redirect has turned into a giant, three-day nightmare (culminating with my website pretty much being inaccessible at the regular address: www.eric-trautmann.com; don't go there for now, I guess).

Thanks, Go Daddy! You're the best.

::headdesk::

For the moment, if you wanted to zip on over to my temporary web presence @ http://www.erictrautmann.us, you can see what my website is supposed to look like.

Over time, I'm going to gradually phase out a lot of blog activity, and consolidate it there.

There's some free goodies (Wide Awake desktop wallpapers in all kinds of sizes, a Creative Commons script for you artist types, and more coming). It's lonely. Go say hi.

(On the plus side, I'm starting to really love hating Go Daddy.)

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

William, at the Between the Panels Podcast interviewed me the other day, probably the most in-depth discussion I've had, with topics ranging from JSA vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith to webcomics to why the industry needs young-readers comics, to my experiences at Microsoft.

It was a lot of fun, and you should check it out.

I particularly liked the graphic that was whipped up as a promo for the piece. Very nice. :)

Between+the+Panels+-+10

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com