The Hero Initiative has announced that long-time Flash Writer Mark Waid has joined its Board of Directors. Waid will take the place of director Guillermo del Toro on the Executive/Fundraising Board.
Among Flash fans, Waid is best known for writing the Wally West series through most of the 1990s. Some of his more notable contributions to the mythos include the speed force, centering the book on the Wally/Linda relationship, co-creating Impulse, more-or-less creating Max Mercury based on the golden-age Quicksilver, and generally building up the Flash Family of characters.
The Hero Initiative is dedicated to helping comics creators in need. You can read more about their mission at www.heroinitiative.org.
Mindless Ones takes an extensive look at the Morrison/Millar Flash run, focusing on the excellent Jay Garrick spotlight issue, Flash v.2 #134.
Flash: Rebirth #1 makes up a large chunk of the Weekly Crisis’ Moments of the Week.
4thLetter! asks, “You know what was hilarious?”
Daryl Tay wonders, New Flash or Old Flash? — contrasting the quick sell-out of Flash: Rebirth #1 with Newsarama’s “Who’s your favorite Flash” poll in which visitors overwhelmingly chose Wally West over Barry Allen.
The Four Color Media Monitor is glad to hear that Bart Allen is back.
Comicbook.com has 10 “Are You JOKING” Moments in Comic Books including the April 2008 return of Barry Allen
The Hero Initiative has announced their schedule for Free Comic Book Day (Saturday, May 2). Among other events, former Flash writers Mark Waid and Marc Guggenheim will be appearing at Collector’s Paradise in Winnetka, California from 12:00-3:00.
The first issue of Mark Waid’s Irredeemable sold out in one day, and will get a second printing.
The Weekly Crisis talks about corporate comics, with DC and Marvel as Intellectual Property companies first, and comics companies second.
Once Upon a Geek digs up an old ad for COIE…back when the title was going to be “DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths.”
And totally off-topic, there’s Rorschach Reviews Watchmen.
The Hero Initiative has released a variant edition of Marvel Apes #1, penciled by the late Mike Wieringo and inked by Karl Kesel.
Daregorilla, the Ape Without Fear, penciled before Mike’s passing.
Marvel Apes writer and cover inker Karl Kesel said:
It was a blast working on Marvel Apes — one of the most far-out, fun assignments I’ve ever had! And inking Mike Wieringo’s “Daregorilla” variant cover only made it better. This drawing is one of the initial inspirations for the entire mini-series — chances are the comic would have never happened without it — so this cover brings everything full circle. And it’s only fitting that it helps The Hero Initiative, because Mike was a big believer in giving back to the comics community, and that’s exactly what The Hero Initiative is all about.
The book is limited to only 3000 copies worldwide and is available now at Atomic Comics. Retail price is $8, and the book will also be available at the Hero Initiative booth at the Baltimore Comic-Con (Sep. 27–28), Mid-Ohio Con (Oct. 4–5), Adventure Con (Oct. 25–26) and Wizard World Texas (Nov. 7–9).
The Hero Initiative is dedicated to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays’ creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work.
(Adapted from the Hero Initiative’s press release.)
(Edit: Fixed the typo in the title. *sigh*)
Anyone who read The Flash during the mid-1990s will remember artist Mike Wieringo‘s run on the book with Mark Waid. Wieringo’s brief run as regular artist and occasional covers over the next year or so set a standard for Wally West as the Flash, and he co-created Bart Allen, a.k.a. Impulse. His sudden death last August shocked fans around the world.
This weekend, Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina will see two tributes to Mike Wieringo.
First, the Hero Initiative will release What If…This Was The Fantastic Four?: A Tribute to Mike Wieringo. This was the project he was working on at the time of his death.
With Mike’s passing, Marvel Comics generously provided access to the script and Mike’s art to The Hero Initiative, and Mike’s friends stepped up to finish the story, and pay tribute to Mike. Now, What If…This Was The Fantastic Four?: A Tribute to Mike Wieringo is a massive, 48-page tribute book that contains the full story, and additional written tributes to Mike.
The tremendous list of talent participating in the book includes Jeff Parker, Arthur Adams, Paul Renaud, Stuart Immonen, Cully Hamner, Alan Davis, David Williams, Sanford Greene, Humberto Ramos, Skottie Young, Mike Allred, Barry Kitson, and Val Staples. Cover artwork is by Mike Wieringo and Paul Mounts, and The Hero Initiative is publishing the book with the full support of both Marvel Comics, and the family of Mike Wieringo.
The book will be available at the Hero Initiative booth at the con, and will arrive in stores next week. (There’s also a Newsarama interview from back in March.)
Second, the artist’s family has gotten together with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) to create the Mike Wieringo Scholarship, or ’Ringo. (via Warren Ellis)
Created by Mike’s brother Matt and his sister-in-law Suzanne, the ‘Ringo is designed to help provide similar help to artists at the Savannah College of Art and Design or SCAD. Domestic and international students with have a minimum 3.0 grade point average who demonstrate financial need and display a serious interest in pursuing comics as a career are eligible. The scholarship will take effect in the artist’s second year of classes, and is renewable for up to two additional years, provided the student continues to meet the criteria.
The recipient will be chosen from three finalists determined by the college in a portfolio review by Matt and Suzanne Wieringo, along with a rotating group. The ultimate goal for the ‘Ringo is to raise enough funds so that it can cover a full year’s expenses at SCAD, approximately $30,000.
The scholarship will be raising funds in Artists Alley at Heroes Con through selling sketchbooks, comics featuring his artwork, original art, sketches by other artists, and collecting donations.
Update June 22: Newsarama has coverage of the scholarship at HeroesCon, and adds that they plan to have an annual presence at the con.
