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Italy’s Rainbow Group – the company led by Iginio Straffi, creator of the hit “Winx Club” animation franchise – is set to launch into the high seas with a live-action series adaptation of Hugo Pratt’s “Corto Maltese” graphic novels. The comics follow the title character, a swashbuckling sea captain whose adventures take him around the world.

On Wednesday, Rainbow announced a partnership with Cong Sa, the company which owns all of Pratt’s IP. In addition to producing the new live-action TV series, which is currently in development, Rainbow will manage the “Corto Maltese” licensing rights worldwide, the companies said in a joint statement.

Pratt, whose real name was Ugo Eugenio Prat, is legendary figure in the international comic book community, best known for his work on “Corto Maltese,” the long-running historical adventure strip that ran in a number of European publications from 1967-1989. His first, and perhaps most revered,...

Written by Juan Diaz Canales | Art by Juanjo Guarnido | Published by Dark Horse Comics | Format: Hardcover, 64pp

Review by Matthew De Monti

Detective John Blacksad deals with the mob, the unions, and mid-century ‘master builder’ Lewis Solomon, who plans to pave over New York City’s green spaces, come hell or high water. While Blacksad must navigate from the lofty world of 1950s theater all the way to the city’s seedy depths, Solomon looms above it all in pursuit of his own dreams-but at what cost? Meanwhile, Weekly finds himself in the hot seat just as an old flame comes back to burn his pal Blacksad!

In the latest instalment of Diaz Canales & Guarnido’s Blacksad, our hero P.I John Blacksad has his work cut out for him as he manoeuvres the seedy world of blackmail, corruption and murder.

Construction magnate Lewis Soloman intends to pave over the...

The 2013 Eisner Award Winners have been announced at San Diego Comic-Con with Chris Ware leading the wins for his celebrated work Building Stories, alongside Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ Saga which also won a number of awards.

The Eisners are awarded each year at the San Diego Comic-Con and are the most prestigious awards in the comics industry, being the comics equivalent of the Oscars.

The Eisners are named after Will Eisner, one of the most celebrated artist/writers in comics whose works included creating the superhero series The Spirit as well as his masterpiece, A Contract with God, one of the best books of the 20th century.

This year saw artist/writer Chris Ware pick up the lion’s share of the awards for his book/construction project Building Stories, winning Best New Graphic Album, Best Writer/Artist, Best Lettering, and Best Publication Design.

Also among the winners...

Comic-Con International has released the complete list of nominees for the 2013 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards. The winners of the award will be revealed during the annual ceremony held at Comic-Con International in San Diego on July 19.

Official Press Release

Comic-Con International (Comic-Con) is proud to announce the nominations for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards 2013. The nominees, chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of judges, reflect the wide range of material being published in comics and graphic novel form today, from crime noire to autobiographical works to cartoon adventures.

Three titles lead the 2013 list with 5 nominations each. Chris Ware’s critically acclaimed Building Stories (published by Pantheon) has nods for Best Graphic Album–New, Best Writer/artist, Best Coloring, Best Lettering, and Best Publication Design. Also garnering 5 nominations are Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’s Fatale (published by Image) and Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye (published by Marvel...

Comic-Con International is proud to announce the nominations for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards of 2013. The nominees, chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of judges, reflect the wide range of material being published in comics and graphic novel form today, from crime noir to autobiographical works to cartoon adventures. Three titles lead the 2013 list with 5 nominations each.

Chris Ware’s critically acclaimed Building Stories (published by Pantheon) has nods for Best Graphic Album–New, Best Writer/artist, Best Coloring, Best Lettering, and Best Publication Design. Also garnering 5 nominations are Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’s Fatale (published by Image) and Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye (published by Marvel). Both are nominated for Best Continuing Series, Best New Series, Best Writer, Best Penciller/Inker, and Best Cover Artist. (Fatale also shares the coloring nomination for Dave Stewart.)Close behind with 4 nominations are Boom!/kaboom’s Adventure Time (Best New Series,...

Update 8/21: What a night. So here are the winners:

Best Letterer: John Workman, Thor, Marvel Comics

Best Colorist: Jose Villarrubia, Cuba : My Revolution, Vertigo/DC Comics

Best Syndicated Strip Or Panel: Doonesbury, Garry Trudeau, Universal Press Syndicate

Best Online Comics Work: Hark! A Vagrant, Kate Beaton, http://harkavagrant.com/ (assuming fellow nominee Scott Kurtz, http://www.pvponline.com/, ever lets her have it.)

Best American Edition Of Foreign Material: Blacksad, Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido, Dark Horse Comics

Best Inker: Mark Morales, Thor, Marvel Comics

Best New Series: American Vampire, Scott Snyder, Stephen King and Rafael Albuquerque, Vertigo/DC Comics

Most Promising New Talent: Chris Samnee, Thor: The Mighty Avenger, Marvel Comics

Special Award For Humor In Comics: Roger Langridge, The Muppet Show, Boom! Studios

Best Original Graphic Publication For Younger Readers: Tiny Titans, Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani, DC Comics

Best Graphic Album Previously Published:...

After three separate announcements (here, here and here), the Toronto International Film Festival has announced the final line-up for their Galas and Special Presentations, as well as a few other categories. Most notable is Andrea Arnold‘s Fish Tank follow-up Wuthering Heights, the next film from Timecrimes director Nacho Vigalondo, as well as Dogtooth director Yorgos Lanthimos’ Alps.

We also get Whit Stillman‘s Damsels in Distress starring Greta Gerwig and Geoffrey Fletcher’s Violet & Daisy starring Saoirse Ronan and James Gandolfini. In what should be a little fun we have Gary McKendry‘s Killer Elite starring Robert De Niro, Clive Owen and Jason Statham. We also get Owen’s horror flick Intruders and Joel Schumacher‘s Trespass starring Nicole Kidman and Nicolas Cage. Check out the full line-ups below.

Galas

Closing Night Film

Page Eight David Hare, United Kingdom

International Premiere

Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy) is a long-serving M15 officer.

But why cover comic book awards, you ask? Well, because comic books (aka Graphic Novels) are awesome. Because the award ceremony will be here in Baltimore during the Baltimore Comic Con. And because there are so many movies being made from online and print comics nowadays. So, herewith:

Best Letterer

____ Scott Brown, Box 13, http://www.comixology.com and Red 5 Comics

____ Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark’S Parker: The Outfit, Idw

____ Dustin Harbin, Casanova, Icon Comics

____ Troy Peteri, Witchblade, Top Cow

____ Robbie Robbins, Locke & Key: Keys To The Kingdom # 1, Idw

____ John Workman, Thor, Marvel Comics

Best Colorist

____ Veronica Gandini, Mice Templar: Volume 10, Image Comics

____ Laura Martin, The Stand, Marvel Comics

____ Ed Ryzowski, Gutters, http://www.the-gutters.com

____ Dave Stewart, Bprd, Dark Horse Comics

____ Jose Villarrubia, Cuba : My Revolution, Vertigo/DC Comics

Best Syndicated Strip Or Panel

____ Cul De Sac, Richard Thompson, Universal Press Syndicate

____ Doonesbury, Garry Trudeau, Universal Press Syndicate

____ Mutts,...

Well, we know who we’re voting for and ComicMix will be on hand, covering events and news happening at next month’s Baltimore Comic-Con.

Baltimore, MD (July 5, 2011) — The 2011 Harvey Awards Nominees have been announced with the release of the final ballot, presented by the Executive Committees of the Harvey Awards and the Baltimore Comic-Con. Named in honor of the late Harvey Kurtzman, one of the industry’s most innovative talents, the Harvey Awards recognize outstanding work in comics and sequential art. They will be presented August 20, 2011 in Baltimore, MD, in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con.

Nominations for the Harvey Awards are selected exclusively by creators – those who write, draw, ink, letter, color, design, edit or are otherwise involved in a creative capacity in the comics field. They are the only industry awards both nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. Thank you to all that...