News from Shangri-La

On Vox: Another Giant Update of Doom...

2009-11-10T20:35:42Z

This Wednesday, I have three comics shipping from DC:

Action Comics #883, which I co-wrote with my friend Greg Rucka;
The Shield #3, which features an Inferno co-feature written by my friend Brandon Jerwa;
JSA Vs. Kobra #6, the conclusion of the miniseries.

I'll be signing at Olympic Cards & Comics this Wednesday, along with Greg and Brandon.

For the full skinny, please visit my website (or it will be very lonely, and very sad).

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: Updates...

2009-10-09T19:05:34Z

Fairly substantial update over on my website... Next Wed. I have two comics coming out (JSA Vs. Kobra #5, and The Shield #2); on November 11th, I have three comics coming out (the final issue of JSA Vs. Kobra, The Shield #3, and my first issue as co-writer of Action Comics).

Oh, and if you're interested, Jeffrey Renaud at Comic Book Resources interviewed me about Action Comics recently. Check it out.

I'm thinking seriously about shutting down my Vox and LJ accounts, frankly, because I've not used them as blogging spaces of any worth in quite a while, and I'd honestly prefer to interact with people via www.eric-trautmann.com/www.erictrautmann.us). Just a heads-up.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: Observatory 005

2009-10-07T18:31:33Z

[x-post from www.eric-trautmann.com and Vox]

The fifth installment of my column for MSN's Parallel Universe site is live. This week is an overview of fall "genre" TV shows, and some commentary.

For grins, it inspired a BONUS column, as well, on comic series and graphic novels that ought to be adapted to TV. (Odds are MSN won't run the bonus column, so I'll post it here next week.)

Observatory 005 can be found here. As always, comments welcome here or mailed to observatory@live.com.

On Vox: JSA Vs. Kobra #4...

2009-09-15T23:29:42Z

12877_400x600

IN STORES TOMORROW!

To celebrate the release of JSA Vs. Kobra #4, I finished up the revs to JSA Vs. Kobra #6 today. Which means, barring last-minute editorial tweaks, the series is basically wrapped up on my end.

Holy crow!

JSA Vs. Kobra #4: ask for it by name at your Friendly Local Comic Shoppe. (Here's a link to the Newsarama free preview.)

---

Written by Eric Trautmann; Art by Don Kramer and Michael Babinski; Cover by Gene Ha

The trail of Kobra leads the Justice Society of America to Fawcett City! Jason Burr may think that it's safe to venture into former Shazam territory, but he's about to learn that the JSA protects each other's turf no matter what. And now that Burr has gotten them mad, there's no holding the Justice Society back!

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: Giant update o' DOOOM.

2009-09-09T18:52:41Z

Lots of stuff going on right now--one new comics project has presented itself, a couple more are well underway, a possible return to an old property I haven't been able to play with for some years (and no, it is neither Halo, nor Star Wars) is in the offing... all stuff I can't really discuss, yet.

But here's all the stuff I can discuss:

First: The Shield #1 hits store shelves this week (Thursday, rather than the traditional Wednesday this week, courtesy of the Labor Day shipping delay). Superheroes jumping out of planes! A wrecked country! Men with guns hiding in the mountains! Magog! Bombs! It's got something for everyone. PLUS, it's also got a second feature, starring Inferno, written by my buddy Brandon Jerwa, making his DC comics debut. So, please, do pick up a copy! (Click here for a preview of both The Shield and Inferno!)

Second: My latest Observatory column on the MSN "Parallel Universe" site is up now. It's a long-form interview with Greg Rucka, plus a bonus interview with Steve Lieber, and the subject is, of course, Whiteout (the Eisner-winning series these two gents put together, and which makes the leap to the big screen this very Friday). Here's the link!

Third: Not only did I write the column, I did an Observatory podcast! Featuring an excerpt of the Rucka interview, it's my first attempt at podcasting. So, be gentle! Download link is here, and it will have a permanent home on my website. (You do remember my website, right?)

Fourth: Not only did I write the column, and record the podcast, I also did some Observatory desktop wallpaper (and here's a reminder: there's also a TON of "Wide Awake" desktop wallpapers, as well). All are free to download and distribute. Share and enjoy.

Fifth: Speaking of Wide Awake... fairly extensive retooling of the Wide Awake website, in case you missed it, including a new viewer for the comics which we tested out and are now rather fond of. LINK! Expect more frequent updates there, as we get closer to actual new story pages!

Phew. Busy week.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: Raise The Shield this week!

2009-09-07T19:58:57Z

Just a reminder: The Shield #1 hits store shelves this week!

The street date is "officially" Wednesday, September 9th, but with the Labor Day holiday shipping delay, it'll likely hit comic stores on Thursday, September 10th. The Shield is my first ongoing monthly book for DC, and has artwork by the insanely talented Marco Rudy (Final Crisis: Resist), inks by Mick Gray and colors by Art Lyon.

The Shield travels to the ravaged wasteland that is Bialya (still decimated from Black Adam's rampage), on the hunt for several American special operations teams that have gone missing while battling Bialyan insurgents. Somewhere, in the mountains between Bialya and Kahndaq, something evil lurks... something unlike anything Joe Higgins -- the Shield -- has yet encountered...

PLUS: Brandon Jerwa's DC debut! The Inferno co-feature -- penciled by Greg Scott -- sees Inferno (aka Frank Verrano) on the run in Star City, trying to unravel the mystery of his own existence, a mystery which has put him in the path of Green Arrow and Black Canary! For a preview of both stories, check out DC Comics' official blog, "The Source."

---

In addition, the webcomic Jerwa and have been working on is inching closer to launch. The first part of that process? A redesign of the Wide Awake website, mostly cosmetic, but also including a new delivery system/viewer for the comic itself (via the "Issuu" viewer). To view the comic, click on the image; it'll launch a full-screen, animated viewer, which you can customize to taste. Most folks have preferred the "presentation" view.)

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On Wednesday, the fourth installment of my MSN column, The Observatory, goes live. This installment features a long-form interview with Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber, about Whiteout, their Eisner Award-winning comic series-turned-feature film (which debuts this Friday, September 11th). It came out well, I think, and I learned many Lost Secrets and Forbidden Knowledge™ of the origins of the series.

In the interim, in case you missed it: here's the last column (in which I wax nostalgic about good-bad movies, movies the new GI JOE: RISE OF COBRA film reminded me of.)

This column earned me my very first hate mail, believe it or not. Apparently, some people are very, very fond of Megaforce.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: Olympic Cards & Comics in the running for a "best of Western Washington" Award...

2009-09-02T18:59:08Z

My wife's store, Olympic Cards & Comics, has been nominated for a "Best of Western Washington" award, a local "thing" sponsored by one of the Seattle TV stations/programs, as near as I can tell.

There are several noms, and the winner is selected through votes: Despite the numerical disadvantage we have (Olympia/Lacey being considerably smaller than Seattle), Gabi's store is in second place.

So, if you'd be so kind, sign in and give her your vote? A vote for OCC is a vote for FREEDOM.

(And yes, it requires clicking through an incredibly annoying Seahawks ad.)

Thanks!

http://best.king5.com/olympic-cards-and-comics/biz/169809

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: "Action and Thriller 2-fer."

2009-08-28T19:20:50Z

Vaneta Rogers at Newsarama chats with me about The Shield and with Brandon Jerwa about Inferno. Vaneta's always a good interviewer, and I'm shocked she managed to cull a focused piece out of the disjointed ramblings from the pair of us; originally, the interview was conducted over breakfast in San Diego, and we covered a lot of ground.

Check it out.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: "Whiteout" clips online.

2009-08-28T17:11:25Z

A handful of clips from the upcoming Kate Beckinsale-fronted movie "Whiteout" have hit the internet.

"Whiteout," for those who don't know, is based on the comic series of the same name (and its sequel, "Whiteout: Melt)," by my friends Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber. The film comes out September 11th of this year and you should all go see it.

"Whiteout" is the tale of a U.S. Marshal, Carrie Stetko, investigating the first murder in Antarctica. The comic version was beautifully drawn by Lieber, thoroughly engaging and marked by Rucka's signature strong female character and clever, witty plot.

If the film is half as good as the comics, it's going to be wonderful.

Whiteout - Kate Beckinsale - Clip 4

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: Quick update: Interview on Comicbook.com and The Source teases some artwork from The Shield.

2009-08-17T23:58:11Z

Nick Winstead at ComicBook.com chats with me about JSA Vs. Kobra, The Shield, Wide Awake, and more. The article can be found via this link.

In addition, Alex Segura over at the DC Comics blog, "The Source," teased out a wonderful piece of Marco Rudy's artwork from The Shield #1. (Click on the image to see a larger version of the piece.)

Marco has been just terrific to work with; the pages look amazing.

Theshield_issue1_page_02_03

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: Some thanks are in order...

2009-08-02T18:57:40Z

So, despite my not really wanting to go to SDCC (and my schedule is still recovering, alas), my wife managed to arrange the travel, lodgings (courtesy of our good friend Jeremy, who also doubled as chauffeur and aide-de-camp), and general hurly-burly in such a way as to not make my head blow clean off.

This, then, is the public declaration that my wife was completely and totally right; thanks, baby. :)

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: "The Pull List" podcast interview.

2009-07-22T21:14:22Z

PLlogo-1

The guys at The Pull List podcast not only give a glowing recommendation for JSA Vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith #2, they also took some time to chat with me about the series, The Shield, and Wide Awake.

I had a wonderful time talking with 'em, and I hope you enjoy the results.

To download the podcast, head on over to their website...

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: "Wide Awake" optioned for film.

2009-07-18T17:39:16Z

Wide Awake Poster

Was offline most of the day yesterday, so naturally, that's when this news broke:

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As has been making the news rounds, Wide Awake (the webcomic scribed by myself and my partner-in-crime, Brandon Jerwa), has been optioned by an independent film company.

The film company, Do Over Productions, is run by some very smart, very talented, very driven folks, and I'm really excited to see what they do with the project.

The press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 17, 2009

Do-Over options ‘Wide Awake’

Do-Over Productions has optioned the rights to the online serialized graphic novel “Wide Awake” (www.wideawakeonline.com).

“Wide Awake” is the story of Amanda Carter, a young woman whose dreams of terrifying monsters are much more than just figments of her unconscious mind. If she doesn’t defeat them before she wakes up, the horrors from her dreams get loose in the physical world and she must deal with them there.

The weird horror / adventure series is created and co-written by Eric Trautmann (Checkmate, JSA vs. Kobra, Final Crisis: Resist) and Brandon Jerwa (Battlestar Galactica, Highlander, G.I. Joe), with art by Mirco Pierfederici (Doctor Who, Star Trek Alien Spotlight). David Messina (Star Trek: Countdown, Angel) serves as art director and coordinates covers for each chapter.

Jarrod Feliciano and Mirjana Novkovic will produce and write the film adaptation. They are repped by attorney Bianca Bezdek-Goodloe.

Do-Over Productions is currently in production of the crime drama “Fallen Moon,” directed by Peter Medak and produced by Feliciano, Novkovic, Valerie McCaffrey, and co-produced by Roger Pugliese.

Eric Trautmann can be found at his web site: www.eric-trautmann.com. Brandon Jerwa can be found online at www.brandonjerwa.com.

###

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: Greg Rucka signing at Olympic Cards & Comics, Lacey WA

2009-07-14T18:43:22Z

This coming Saturday, July 18th, Greg Rucka will be signing / meetin' and greetin' at Olympic Cards & Comics in Lacey, WA (aka the Best Comic Store In The Known Universe™). The festivities start at noon and run 'til around 5 pm or so.

Greg is promoting, among other things, his stellar work on the current run of Detective Comics for DC (featuring the controversial new Batwoman). It is astoundingly good work, and Greg deserves a lot of praise for it.

The store is located at 4230 Pacific Avenue, Lacey WA, 98503, and can be reached at (360) 459-7721.

For driving directions, click here.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: JSA Vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith #2 in stores Wednesday!

2009-07-14T18:34:48Z

12074_400x600

Issue #2 of my DC Comics miniseries, JSA Vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith, hits store shelves this Wednesday, July 15th. I've been very pleased at response to issue 1, which has been almost uniformly positive; if you enjoyed issue 1, expect even more nefarious Kobra shenanigans, superheroic derring-do, and a memorable moment of snake-vomiting.

(From the DC Comics' solicitation for JSA Vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith #2 (of 6):

Written by Eric Trautmann; Art by Don Kramer and Michael Babinski; Cover by Gene Ha

A reinvigorated Kobra has attacked the Justice Society in their home, thrusting the heroes into a maelstrom of deception and violence, and the evidence points to an even bigger target on the horizon: S.T.A.R. Labs. As the Justice Society tracks Kobra sleeper cells through the streets of Metropolis, the mystery of Jason Burr's master plan deepens. Can the team defuse the threat in time – or will the growing tensions between them spell victory for Kobra? Continuing the new miniseries event from Eric Trautmann (CHECKMATE, FINAL CRISIS: RESIST) and artist Don Kramer (DETECTIVE COMICS, NIGHTWING)!

DC Universe | 32pg. | Color | $2.99 US | On Sale July 15, 2009)

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: Eric's (tentative) SDCC schedule...

2009-07-14T18:30:12Z

Eric Signing

Though I didn't expect to be going to the show, it appears I will be dancing the dance at Nerd Prom 2009! If you're in San Diego for Comic Con International, and can fight your way through the crowds, look me up!

I must confess to a bit of trepidation; the DC panel in particularly has me nervous, so if you're a JSA fan, and you enjoyed JSA Vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith, I encourage you to stop by.

Also, Brandon Jerwa and I will be doing at least one stint at the newly inaugurated POPGUN booth, and we should have some of the Wide Awake posters with us. They're lovely, and you should totally get one.

In any event, this is my current schedule, and it's subject to change/random whim...

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THURSDAY

5-6pm – PANEL: JSA (Room 5AB)

FRIDAY

10-11am -- SIGNING (with Brandon Jerwa): POPGUN booth
2-3pm – SIGNING: DC booth

SATURDAY

11am-12pm – SIGNING: DC booth
12:45-2pm – PANEL: DC Editorial Presentation (Room 6B)

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Hope to see you there!

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: Observatory 002

2009-07-14T18:16:10Z

Observatory_Logo

The second installment of my MSN column, The Observatory, is up on the Parallel Universe website. This month's column covers San Diego Comic Con, and what it's like to be "talent" at the show. Features guest stars galore! Jen Van Meter! Brandon Jerwa! Steve Lieber! Darick Robertson! Gene Simmons!

Click early, click often.)

Comments or questions can be sent here in the comments section, or to observatory@live.com.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: JSA Vs. Kobra #2 over on The Source.

2009-07-01T21:21:00Z

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

Keep being awesome.

2009-06-23T18:39:50Z

With all apologies to kali921 , I thought this was highly amusing.

On Vox: Pop Culture Zoo interview with Brandon Jerwa and I

2009-06-19T00:00:14Z

My friend Brandon Jerwa and I had a chat recently with Joseph Dilworth, Jr. of Pop Culture Zoo, discussing the upcoming DC monthly book, The Shield (which I'm writing, and for which Brandon is providing scripts for a co-feature starring another Red Circle hero, Inferno).

Click the link and check it out.

Originally posted on erictrautmann.vox.com

On Vox: ...and the cat is now out of the bag: My new DC project announced.

2009-06-13T20:29:53Z

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

On Vox: As long as I'm talking about comics non-stop...

2009-06-13T18:29:18Z

...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

On Vox: First review of JSA vs. KOBRA #1 on Pop Culture Zoo

2009-06-11T17:22:44Z

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

On Vox: JSA Vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith #1 Preview

2009-06-11T00:31:50Z

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

On Vox: The Observatory 001

2009-06-10T17:57:10Z

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