Marvel App for the iPad

The release of the iPad last Saturday flooded Apple stores around the country with eager customers anxious to get their hand on the latest creation from the masterful mind of Steve Jobs. Here in Seattle was no different as excited University Village Apple Store employees ran and cheered past the throngs of customers standing in line, just moments before opening their doors to release the iPad with all its promises to be a magical and revolutionary product.

The iPad is a different way to experience the web by providing a new device for checking email, looking at photos, watching videos, and using apps. There are over 150,000 apps for the iPhone and the iTouch all of which will be available on the iPad. There are also new apps developed specifically with the iPad in mind. One such app is Marvel Comic's app for the iPad that will include digital copies of some of Marvel's classic titles like the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, and, of course Spider Man. Each new title would cost $1.99. The iPad and all it's glory aside, this is a big move for comic books. Since it's advent, the form has stayed the same, but with the iPad, comic books are finally made it's debut in the digital age.

With a product as new as the iPad, many people are still finding uses for their devices and learning how to use it. The University Village Apple store has daily classes in which they teach you about some of the major features of the iPad as well as showing you how to set up your iPad for optimal use.

Graphic Novels at the Seattle Public Library.

The Seattle Public Library has undergone tremendous budget cut backs in the past couple of months forcing many branches around the city to reduce their hours of operation. The irony of the situation is recently the library system has seen an increase in the number patrons utilizing services like computers to access to the Internet. Even though some libraries have reduced their hours, they have not reduced the selection of comic books, or graphic novels, available to borrow. While many interested in comic books are attracted the collection aspect as well as the stories, but for those new to reading comics the library is the perfect place to nurture a budding interest.

The Seattle Public Library has a wide selection of graphic novels, everything from Maus: A Survivor's Tale, an account of a Jewish Holocaust survivor who has a difficult time relating to his son because of his wartime experiences to Alan Moore's Watchmen that tells the story of superheroes who come out of retirement because one of their own gets murdered.

Also available is Buddy Does Seattle by local writer Peter Bagge. The story follows a cynical Buddy Bradley as he makes his way through Seattle during the early 1990's.

The Central Library is located at 1000 Fourth Avenue in Seattle, their hours are as follows:

Hours:
Mon:
10 am - 8 pm
Tue:
10 am - 8 pm
Wed:
10 am - 8 pm
Thu:
10 am - 8 pm
Fri:
10 am - 6 pm
Sat:
10 am - 6 pm
Sun:
Noon - 6 pm

Comic Evolution Artist Signing

Saturday afternoons are the perfect time to get out of the city and take a trip to the country and if you live in Seattle this Saturday would be a nice time to drive out to Puyallup to visit Comic Evolution. On April 03, 2010 from 4 PM to 7 PM Comic Evolution will have three artists in store to sign their recently released work.

Randy Kintz of Red 5's Drone fame will be there to sign the concluding issue of the comic that was released on March 31st. Clayton Crain, known for this work with Garth Ennis on Ghost Rider: Road to Damnation, will be there to sign the last chapter of the necrosha story in the X factor series which was also release on March 31st. Finally, Jason Metcalf, who has a penchant for drawing wings, will be signing another March 31st release, Eternal Descent.

Comic Evolution is located at 20 South Merdian in Puyallup.

Comic Frenzy!

Today marks a very special day for writers in Seattle, especially those writers wanting to break into the script, screen play, or comic book writing industries. April 1st is the beginning of Script Frenzy the month long challenge for writers who want to test their limits and creativity to see if they can write 100 pages of script in 30 days. Script Frenzy is a non profit, donor funded contest that provides an avenue for writers to try something they might not ordinarily do and to push themselves to accomplish what can be seemingly impossible.

Script Frenzy provides an introduction to the comic book writing style and the basic format that most comics follow. They explain that a 'splash page' conveys a big action sequence or a major turning point in the comic and such pages can be placed any point in the book. There is also instruction on how to use bold font and capitalized letters when introducing a new character. While Script Frenzy is about crafting a certain style of writing, they also acknowledge that the comic book form relies heavily on the artwork and one of the guidelines emphasizes respect of the artist as the drawings are what really tell a story in a comic.

Although Script Frenzy is an individual project, cities take the initiative to organize writing groups where participating writers can meet up to write together or bounce ideas off each other or just talk about the madness they are undertaking and how they coping with the delightful, self induced stresses of the project. Currently Seattle has a Capitol Hill Write In Group, a Queen Anne/Fremont/South Lake Union/Magnolia/Belltown/Downtown Seattle Writing Group and a North Seattle/Lake City/U District/Shoreline Writers Group.

Arcane Comics and More

Driving along 15th Avenue NW through Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, there is a sign on the side of the road near 58th street. The occasional passerby may not notice it, but those familiar with the area, know that the sandwich board advertising Arcane Comics braves the rain and even the sporadic sunshine 365 days a year. Tucked into an office building next to a dental clinic, Arcane Comics and More is home to a vast selection of comic books, everything from the mainstream, well known titles, to the more obscure, lesser known books like Alan Moore's A Disease of Language. While the quantity may seem overwhelming, it's a joy to spend an afternoon in a place that has such well stocked shelves you're guaranteed to find exactly what you're looking for or discover something new.

In addition to comics, the store is home to apparel, toys, and manga, but what sets them apart from other local stores is their subscription service. There is no initial fee to start a service and no minimum number of titles you have to subscribe. An added bonus of the service is receiving 10% off other store merchandise. While their selection and services are great, what truly makes the store a gem is the knowledgeable and friendly staff always ready to greet customers with a welcoming smile. Arcane comics is open seven days a week from 10 am to 8pm, with another location in West Seattle.

Sakura-Con!

There is a section in every local comic book store that is dedicated to a very specific type of comic, it is not the Marvel heroes or the DC crime fighter, or even to the lessor known Wildstorm sidekicks; this is a section focused on a certain style of art called anime. Anime is a Japanese drawing style whose characters can be identified by their exaggerated expressions, wide, innocent looking eyes, and long legs and arms. While anime has it's roots in Japan, there is a strong following here in the US that began in the early 1990's with the introduction of cartoons such as Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z. A combination of these shows, along with video games and comic books catapulted the anime industry in the US to be the 4 billion dollar market that it is today. The popularity has grown tremendously over the years, so much so that there are conventions held around the country that celebrate the anime industry. Seattle is host to the eighth largest anime convention in North America called Sakura-Con. It is a three day event held at the Washington State Convention center and it is happening this weekend April 2-4. The convention will have discussion panels and anime artists and cosplay participants. On Saturday April 2, the Seattle Women's Anime Meet up with have a panel from 10:00 - 11:00 AM to introduce themselves to the larger community and to hopefully recruit more members for their fan base. Another local group attending the convention is a Soul Candy, a Seattle based band that combine their love for anime with music. For anyone with a passion for anime or just a budding curiosity, Sakura-Con is definitely the place to be this weekend.