Results tagged “talisman”

Yesterday I visited Zanadu Comics here in Seattle to ensure that on Wednesday I would be able to buy a copy of The Talisman: Road of Trials #1.

I’m careful like that. You should be too!

Find your local comic book shop now!

The comic book guru working at Zanadu, John, pulled up his Diamond Distributors page to let me know when Issue #2 and #3 would be coming in, and—whammo! I saw a cover I had not seen before and had to look closer.

After a quick search this morning, here is the cover to The Talisman: Road of Trials #3!

It is a simple cover but it powerfully conveys the force that drives young Jack on his quest between this world and the Territories. It is his dying mother, Lily. In our world, the once-great and beautiful movie star is smoking her characteristic cigarette, but behind her is the x-ray scan featuring the lung cancer that is slowly killing her.

Jack must find a magic cure for it, ultimately saving his mother and his Twinner mother Queen in the Territories.

If he is strong enough.

Massimo Carnevale has supplied another wonderful cover for this Talisman run. He has done exceptional work and gets stronger with every issue that is released. I can’t wait to see his Wolf. It should be something to behold!

A reminder: The Talisman: Road of Trials #1 is released tomorrow in fine comic bookstores everywhere!

Hope you enjoy it!

There will be a new Dark Tower novel!

It seems the doors into Roland Deschain’s universe are not entirely closed to Stephen King after all! It is widely known that such doors were not readily open to him over the years. It took ka to open them and ka can be a fickle thing. But it seems the door has opened one more time and King will be writing a new novel set in the middle of the Dark Tower timeline, the plot to take place between the end of Wizard & Glass and Wolves of the Calla.

Back in March 2009, Stephen King spoke to USA Today where he hinted at the prospect of possibly re-entering Roland’s world:

When we were chatting about his (King’s) upcoming book Under the Dome, a novel with political subtext out in November, King said he had recently had an idea for a short story. “And then I thought, ‘Well, why don’t I find three more like this and do a book that would be almost like modern fairy tales?’ Then this thing started to add on bits and pieces so I guess it will be a novel.” That idea, according to King, is for a new Dark Tower novel, a continuation of his epic seven-part fantasy/sci-fi/Western series about a lone gunslinger named Roland and his ongoing hunt for the Man in Black. “It’s not really done yet,” King admits of his magnum opus. “Those seven books are really sections of one long uber-novel.”

With that said, it left a lot unknown, specifically in my mind if King would really venture back into his opus. Apparently while out on tour in support of Under the Dome, King has made a concrete statement about it:

King stated he will write another Dark Tower novel. It will center around supporting characters and revolve around some important events between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla. One fan asked him to make sure Oy comes back, and King said not to worry, that Oy would return.

This is great news for Dark Tower fans! Even if the story doesn’t revolve around Roland, it will assuredly be a lot of fun. Now if we could only find out how far King is into writing this new book and when he conceivably believes it will be published…?

Ka is a wheel…

The Talisman: The Road of Trials #0 was released last week in comic books stores!

Lilja’s Library, a haven of information for Stephen King fans, has conducted an interview with artist Tony Shasteen. Tony was chosen by Stephen King and Peter Straub to illustrate the adaptation of The Talisman and from what I have seen so far he is doing a great job.

To read the new interview with Tony, click here!

If you haven’t checked out the The Talisman: The Road of Trials #1 Preview, do so! It really illustrates—no pun intended, honest—the penciling power Tony is bringing to this project.

Got your Issue #0? It’s only $1.00 at comic book stores now!

I am back in the Territories!

The Talisman: The Road of Trials #0 is published today in fine comic book stores for $1.00!

I read and reviewed Issue #0 of the Stephen King / Peter Straub comic book adaptation two months ago. I enjoyed it a great deal. It is a prequel to the novel of the same name, a look at events that helped shape young Jack Sawyer before he took his first step into the Territories. I reviewed the San Diego Comic Con edition of #0, a black and white issue given away for free at the convention.

The #0 released today is in glorious full color.

I received my copy a few days ago and I opened it immediately. I wanted to see if Nei Ruffino, the colorist on the project, could bring Tony Shasteen’s artwork alive similar to how Richard Isanove colors for penciler Jae Lee on the Dark Tower comic book adaptations. In short, she does. Nei brings a vibrancy to Tony’s intricate pencil work, leaving any last apprehensions I had about this project behind.

And today is not only the release of Issue #0 for $1.00, but MTV.com has also posted an exclusive early look at the first six pages of Issue #1!

It is easy to see why Del Rey hired the creative team they did. Those first six pages of The Talisman: The Road of Trials #1 have me even more excited than before.

Accompanying the release of Issue #0 and the posting of the Issue #1 excerpt, plotter and writer Robin Furth has a new interview at Lilja’s Library where she talks about the adaptation of The Talisman in greater detail.

Get out there! Locate the closest comic book store today and buy Issue #0 for $1.00!

M-O-O-N! That spells Issue #0!

“The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.

That opening sentence to The Gunslinger by Stephen King will be imprinted on my brain until the day I die. It is just one of the best opening lines of any book—ever—and sets up a conflict that resonates for another six books, a short story, and numerous prequel comic book issues.

It appears as though Marvel Comics is not through with Stephen King just yet!

It was just announced that the creative team of Robin Furth, Peter David and Richard Isanove would be returning for another series of mini-series devoted to the adaptation of The Gunslinger. Next month the last arc of new material begins, Dark Tower: The Battle of Jericho Hill, and as it is the climax to his first ka-tet Stephen King and Marvel want to shed more light on why the last gunslinger is the way he is and what pushed him toward his quest for the enigmatic Dark Tower.

I am happy about this. I love that piece of artwork above. I only pray, sai King and sai Quesada, that Jae Lee is doing the pencil artwork throughout the series. Without him or a true penciler on board, this project will be lackluster.

Time will tell!

Ka is a wheel. And it turns, turns, turns…

M-O-O-N! That spells early excerpt!

The Talisman #0 will be released on October 21st in comic bookstores but Del Rey Books has allowed Entertainment Weekly to release early a 12-page full-color excerpt from the issue!

The issue is a prequel to what was written in novel The Talisman. Jack Sawyer is still alive and traveling between our world and that of the Territories. I think Robin Furth and Tony Shasteen do a great job setting up the major conflict that eventually leads to one of my favorite stories of all time.

Visit HERE to read a portion of the prequel issue to the Stephen King and Peter Straub adaptation of The Talisman!

Then locate your nearest comic book shop by using www.comicshoplocator.com!

Enjoy!

We have less than a month and November will be here.

What happens in November? Well, let’s see:

• November 10th: Under the Dome, the new massive horror novel by Stephen King, will be published.
• November 18th: The Talisman #1, the comic book adaptation of the novel written by Stephen King and Peter Straub, hits fine comic bookstores everywhere.
• November 25th: Dark Tower: The Battle of Jericho Hill #1, the story of one of the most important tales hinted at in Stephen King’s opus the Dark Tower, also hits comic book stores.

It is basically a month owned by Stephen King!

But do you want to get a jump on November in October? Of course you do!

First, read the new Newsarama interview HERE with comic book adapter and writer Robin Furth! She was once King’s assistant but now she is ensuring his books are adapted correctly at Marvel and Del Rey Books.

Second, on October 20th, Del Rey and the creative team of Furth, Shasteen and Ruffino will publish in comic bookstores The Talisman Issue #0, a full color prequel to the novel of the same name!

Get the jump on, in October!

M-O-O-N! That spells… Halloween?

Happy weekend!

I love books.

I love signed books.

I love signed books that make people money.

For almost a decade now I have run The Signed Page, a small online signed books business that suddenly is not so small. It has been great fun watching it grow; it has been more fun meeting people from all over the world who share my love for signed genre books. I have even met a few of them in person and all have been true enthusiasts.

For cover price, I feel I’ve helped build some pretty nice libraries out there!

Last week I received an email from one of my customers. She has been there from almost the beginning and has ordered dozens if not hundreds of the signed books that have graced the website. She is a voracious reader but she genuinely loves collecting. In the email she reminded me of a book she had purchased and how it has been a great book but also a great investment financially. It was a first printing book that took the fantasy genre by storm, had a low print run, and now is quite rare to find.

If you do find it, it is going for more than $200 on the low end and $500 plus on the high.

That signed book is The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

My customer asked me if I had any forthcoming events that could yield a similar outcome—the combination of great read and financial investment.

So it got me thinking: What books are coming out this fall that might be read, sit still on one’s shelf for a few years and yet make them money?

Here is what I came up with!

Dark Tower fans, get ready.

In November the battle of Jericho Hill begins!

Gilead has fallen. Few survive. Roland and his ka-tet flee the horde of the Crimson King, who is bent on reducing reality to utter chaos. The battle of Jericho Hill looms and nothing for Roland will ever be the same again.

Those who are Dark Tower fans know the significance of Jericho Hill. It was mentioned in the novels but much of it is still a mystery. When Marvel announced they would be adding new stories of Roland and his search for the Dark Tower to canon, all Dark Tower fans I can safely say wanted the battle of Jericho Hill told.

And it is coming. On November 25th.

And not only that, but Jae Lee returns to penciling duties!

So not only does the new Stephen King epic novel Under the Dome (Nov. 10th) and The Talisman #1 (Nov. 25th) comic book adaptation come out in November, but the Dark Tower: The Battle of Jericho Hill #1 does too!

What a great month to be a Stephen King fan, eh?

Let the horn be blown!

For more than 3 decades Del Rey Books has been bringing the best books to fine bookstores everywhere. So when the sci-fi and fantasy publisher announced they would be adapting the Stephen King and Peter Straub story The Talisman into a monthly comic book series, I knew they would do justice to one of my favorite novels of all time.

And beginning next month, Del Rey will be bringing the best to comic book stores too!

The Talisman #0, a prequel to the beloved novel, will be published next month in full color. That is just a reminder.

But every month that passes we are given glimpses into how Del Rey is handling this, and I must say I am extremely excited!

Click on the cover and its variant to The Talisman #2!

The Talisman #2 Cover

The Talisman #2 Variant

Once again, Massimo Carnevale has done an absolutely brilliant job! His cover art is blowing me away. I thought his cover on Issue #0 was great. Then it got better in Issue #1. And Issue #2 above is by far my favorite, dark and moody!

Today Del Rey announced Tommy Lee Edwards as the variant cover artist for Issue #2 of The Talisman, on sale in December. He is an illustrator whose comics credits include The Question, published by DC Comics, and Marvel 1985, published by Marvel. I think his variant cover is gorgeous. It must be Morgan of Orris. I love the pose, the colors and the look in Morgan’s eyes—confident evil.

This project is truly shaping up to be something special!

More soon.

Maybe you were unable to attend Comic Con to stand in the long lines for books and posters signed by your favorite authors or just maybe you are STILL upset that you stood in the long line but were cut off before you could get a signed prize. Disappointing wasn’t (and isn’t) it?! Well, you may just be in luck as Suvudu has a bunch of signed titles and Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi/Death Troopers posters signed by Aaron Allston, Christie Golden and Troy Denning from Comic Con ‘09 to giveaway.

The San Diego Comic Con 2009 is less than a month away!

That’s right, fan boys and girls! The largest extravaganza of pop culture is mere weeks away!

Comic books, comic book artists, comic book writers—all in one place. Novelists, editors, dust jacket artists—all in one place. Graphic artists, sculptors, special FX people—all in one place. Free advanced reader copies, free comic books, free goodie bags—all in one place. People dressed as Wookies, people dressed as Darth Vader, people dressed as Slave Princess Leia—all in one place. Hollywood actors, Hollywood directors, Hollywood trailers and premieres—all in one place. Stan Lee, Jim Lee, Jae Lee—all in one place.

Last year, Stan Lee even bumped into me while gaining his hotel room key.

It’s enough to put a big grin on my face! Once again, Team Suvudu will be bringing coverage of the San Diego Comic Con 2009 to the internet(s), through posting, interviews, pictures and video!

But I have a guilty pleasure in going—the Exclusives galore!

Comic Con. 126,000+ people crammed into a convention center. The San Diego Fire Marshall must sweat every minute of all four days every year. With all of those people in one spot, exhibitors must do what they can to entice the most people to their booths instead of a competitor’s booth. They do this in various ways, but the coolest is the use of Exclusives—rare items either given away or sold at Comic Con or bear the Comic Con logo in some way.

Here is a list of my Top 5 Comic Con 2009 Exclusives!

#5. Grifball Spartan
McFarlane Toys has been a leading toy manufacturer for more than a decade now, creating some of the coolest toy figures on the market. One such property that has been given the toy treatment is the Microsoft game Halo, a first-person shooter released in 2001 to much acclaim. With sales comes merchandising and Todd McFarlane has taken advantage of that, producing very cool Halo figures for the franchise.

The Grifball Spartan is a character from a team-oriented game called Grifball that is similar to lacrosse but with hands. The ball is used to score points but the other team tries to prevent its foe from scoring by wielding gravity hammers and/or swords. Since I played Halo quite often when I was in college, this figure appeals to my past and is a pretty cool exclusive at Comic Con this year!

The Grifball Spartan is limited to 6,000 pieces and will sell for $15. This exclusive will be available at the Toys “R” Us Comic Con booth, in limited quantity at the Toys “R” Us Times Square store, and through www.toysrus.com.

As you may have already heard, Del Rey Books has acquired the right from Stephen King and Peter Straub to adapt in a monthly comic book the very successful novel The Talisman, one of the stories loosely tied to the Dark Tower saga.

In an effort to have this project be the best it could be, Del Rey hired Robin Furth, the long time friend and research assistant of Stephen King, to write the series. Robin knows more about the Dark Tower than anyone and she will be bringing the skills she learned on the Dark Tower comic book adaptations into this project.

Del Rey also hired a wonderful artist, Tony Shasteen, whom both Stephen King and Peter Straub have complete confidence in bringing the worlds of The Talisman to life on the page.

Since I am really excited about this project—having been a long time fan of The Talisman and the Dark Tower in general—I thought it would be fun to have those two creators stop by monthly and let us know what is going on with the project as well as answer some questions you all may have.

So write your questions HERE!

It will of course require you to join Suvudu but it is a quick process and wholly free. Post your questions beneath in that thread and from now until Issue #0 hits the San Diego Comic Con between 3 and 7 of them will be chosen at the end of each month—Robin answering the writing/adapting questions, Tony answering the art questions.

Starting on April 1st, I will post the Questions and the Answers in a separate Forum here and add onto it as the rolling interview progresses month to month. That way all questions are gathered in one spot for easy access!

And apparently Del Rey Books will be giving us early looks at the process in the next two months. That should bring the questions rolling in!

If you have any questions about ASK ROBIN/TONY, feel free to write me at shawn@suvudu.com!

As I said in my accompanying article NYCC Interview: Robin Furth, I can’t wait for the Del Rey Books adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub’s The Talisman.

Can’t wait. Can’t wait. Can’t wait.

I love revisiting books through adaptations, whether the adaptations are comic books, movies or games. It reminds me of the great reading I’ve done in the past and how it is always fun to view the material through someone else’s eyes in a new medium.

Tony Shasteen, the artist on The Talisman, took a few moments to answer some my questions concerning his new project and what it is to come. The interview is broken into seven video pieces!

Part I of VII: Who is Tony Shasteen?

Continue onward to interview parts II-VII with Tony Shasteen!

Every comic con has a highlight for those who go—and a highlight for one person might not be for another.

For me, the 2009 NY Comic Con will always be remembered as the first time I met Robin Furth.

The Dark Tower series, written by Stephen King, is a foundational piece in who I am. I am a fantasy reader at heart, but the combination of fantasy, horror and western really gripped me at a young age and it followed me long into adulthood. Roland Deschain is probably my favorite character in literature and those he surrounds himself with—from David, Alain, Bert and Susan, to Oy, Jake, Eddie and Susannah—live inside of me like they do for millions of other Dark Tower fans (junkies).

I have two framed Michael Whelan prints, both with the Dark Tower in the background, both with Roland staring longingly at it from a vast distance.

To remind me of my own Tower I hope to gain entrance to one day.

Robin Furth has her own Tower of sorts. She is the person responsible for researching the Dark Tower series from The Gunslinger to Wizard & Glass, enabling Stephen King to finish his saga with barely a continuity glitch. She has worked closely with Stephen King and the Dark Tower series for years, and to talk to to her about her experiences was fantastic. She exudes Dark Tower lore and I always love being around people like that. She is also one of the sweetest women I’ve ever met—always carrying a ready smile, always willing to put people at ease.

Robin has recently signed on with Del Rey Books to adapt The Talisman, a novel written by both Stephen King and Peter Straub which is irrevocably tied into the Dark Tower series. Along with artist Tony Shasteen, Robin will bring the story of Jack Sawyer to life as he tries to save two worlds and two mothers.

And so far I love what I am hearing and what I have seen from this project!

Here is my Interview with Robin Furth!

Part I of VIII: The Mistress behind The Tailsman!

To watch the rest of Robin’s interview (Parts II-VIII), make the jump!

Being Stephen King must be something grand! I swear!

Why? Because although he is really talented and financially stable and is successful and has a supportive family and has seen his stories come alive in various forms over the years, he also gets to work with some of the best people to adapt his projects into different mediums—and they do it right.

Just look at the Dark Tower comic book series as an example.

The Talisman, written by Stephen King & Peter Straub, is one of my favorite books. It also ties into the Dark Tower series and you all already know what a huge fan I am of Roland’s journey. Now that Del Rey Books has begun adapting The Talisman into a monthly comic book series, you can bet you’ll be seeing more posts like this one concerning the progress of the project.

We all know who Robin Furth is. She was Stephen King’s Dark Tower research assistant and now she is plotting and writing his comic book adaptations. She has a direct line to the man himself, so that always bodes well.

But what about the artist, Tony Shasteen? What will his artwork look like? If you are like me, artwork can kill a comic book reading experience. Will that happen with The Talisman comic book adaptation?

I’m happy to see it won’t!

Below are two character designs/sketches penciled by Tony Shasteen. He has done four or five others as well. These were the first two to be approved by Stephen King: Morgan Sloat and Speedy Parker - Click to Enlarge!
I have to do a re-read of The Talisman as it has been at least eight years since I read it for the second time, but those character designs look great to me! And I can’t wait to see Jack and his mother and the Queen and Wolf and… M-O-O-N, that spells moon!

So, what do you think of the character designs?