Be there or be square, my dudes (and dudettes)

Today was supposed to be the release date for the new issue….but apparently that’s not the case. Next Week! It sucks, my friends, but it is what it is. The release party for tomorrow is still on, PS, and we’ll still have copies on hand for the lucky first 50 that arrive…

I love my job. Some days I REALLY love my job. Yesterday was one of those days, as I was one of a select few to see exclusive Watchmen footage — hosted by Zack Snyder and Dave Gibbons. Let me be frank with you — it was pretty fucking cool.

They screened three sequences — The first 12 minutes of the film, which included the Comedian’s fight/death and the movie credits, which helps establish the backstory of the Minutemen and group progression. The second sequence was Dr. Manhattan on Mars and showed his creation via voiceover flashbacks. The last bit was Nite Owl and Silk Spectre breaking Rorschach out of prison.

There’s all kinds of little easter eggs (look for the number 300) and subtle book references. It definitely made me want to re-read the book, which is probably a good sign.

Notes from the event:
-Zack Snyder mentioned that they’re going to 1. Release a DVD of the animated Black Freighter when the film premieres. 2. In an extended movie DVD, they’re going to incorporate the Black Freighter bits into the film.

-Dr. Manhattan’s junk is clearly visible. I’m waiting for the first blue balls joke to hit the web.

-Paul Levitz is a very eloquent speaker.

-Rorschach’s ink blots move. Awesome.

-Prediction: Almost every print magazine will design their Watchmen stories with Futura. Please don’t be that predictable.

-The Nixon makeup was the weakest part.

-Overall, it was pretty amazing stuff. If the rest of the film and pacing matched what I saw, I think fans will be very happy

Minx will cease publication beginning January ‘09. Minx was an experimental imprint for DC Comics and we are extremely proud of the books we published and the stories we told during the past two years. We thank all of the writers and artists who lent their talents to our endeavor and especially thank readers who came along for the ride. DC Comics remains committed to publishing diverse material for diverse audiences as we continue to welcome new readers.

Are you guys familiar with Meggs? He’s an amazing Australian graf artist who has done a bunch of comic-inspired pieces. Check out a sampling, and then check out the rest at his gallery site.

Limited Soles has some, um, limited edition shoes. The current line is all comic-inspired, and feature shoes for Batman, Joker and Superman fans. Each run is limited to less than 2000 (1,938 Superman shoes. Familiar number, anyone?). These aren’t exactly CF-approved, fashion-wise, but whatever floats your boat.

Is THIS close to being done. SOOOOO close. Stay patient, gentle ones.

Paolo Rivera is a dirty, dirty man.