Pak Talks Comics: Apple tablet may not ship until June -- and I'm happy?

By Greg Pak

As you might have guessed from my voluminous post about comic books and the Apple tablet, I want the iSlate, and I want it now. But recent rumors indicate that although the long-rumored machine will supposedly be announced on January 27, it won't actually ship until June. And as far as comics go, that might actually be a very good thing.

According to Apple Insider, an analyst named Shawn Wu claims that "checks with supply chain sources" indicate the tablet won't ship until June. Meanwhile, MacRumors notes that Amazon has tweaked its Kindle royalty program to offer better rates to publishers -- with the new deal beginning in June, presumably to compete with the new Apple tablet.

As a reader eager to get my hands on an Apple tablet, June is way too late. But as a creator with an interest in getting as many new readers as possible buying comics for the Apple tablet, an extra few months to prepare may be invaluable.

If we're lucky, the tablet will be able to display regular ol' pdfs, which will make it possible to put old content into readers' hands almost immediately. But the tablet may use different formats -- or may introduce a brand new format. My hope is that Apple reveals the formats at or shortly after its January 27 event. And then publishers and individual creators will have plenty of time to prepare their content to take advantage of whatever new features the format will allow.

Even if the tablet uses only preexisting formats, we'll benefit from having a little more time to prepare our content -- at the bare minimum, by adding hyperlinks and supplemental material that will allow readers to immediately access new comics by clicking on links within the comic they're reading. (See my previous post for a whole lot more on this subject.)

And if we're extremely lucky, Apple will reveal what online stores will support the new format (an updated iTunes store? Longbox?) so we'll get a soft launch of the sales tools and can hammer out any kinks before the actual tablet hits.

It's also possible that a June launch could benefit smaller publishers and creators by giving them more time to work out deals with Apple to get into the stores. As I recall, the first iteration of the iTunes store had only big record labels. It took a while for independents to get access. If we're lucky, we can avoid that kind of logjam and get comics of all kinds into the Apple store in time for the tablet's launch.

Finally, the extra time will allow individual creators to continue to build their networks and mailing lists so they're ready to spread the word about their comics when the tablet finally hits.

Sooo... join my mailing list?

Pak Talks Comics: Comic books and the Apple tablet

Disclaimer: Everything written below is the sole opinion of yours truly based on personal experience and published news reports. I have no insider knowledge about any actual tablet or any company's efforts to prepare for its coming.

By Greg Pak

In 1999, Apple changed my life as a filmmaker by introducing Final Cut Pro, a digital video editing program that allowed me to cut professional quality video on my home computer. Without Final Cut Pro, I might never have been able to make any of my post-film-school short films or my feature film "Robot Stories." And so I might never have gotten a job working as a writer for Marvel Comics.

This month, I'm hoping Apple changes my life as a comic book writer by releasing the much-hyped but never confirmed Apple tablet, which according to the latest rumors is called the iGuide or iSlate, has a 10.1 inch touch screen, and will be announced on January 26, 2010.

In my digital comics fantasy, a gorgeous tablet computer supported by an integrated, easy-to-use and reasonably priced online store will lead to the exponential growth of the comics buying audience. Prices of individual comics will fall, but the circulation will be so much higher that profits will increase handsomely. A whole new generation will grow up reading comics every day, big comics will become blockbusters, small comics will build healthy niche audiences, and we'll all grow sleek and fat and happy.

How can that fantasy become reality? Read on for one comic book writer's two cents:

Pak Talks Comics: Reader Q&A on filmmaking!

Welcome to Pak Talks Comics, wherein comics writer and filmmaker Greg Pak answers your questions. Click here to submit your own questions -- and read on for the latest answers!

Jeffrey Thompson: What attracts you to filmmaking?

Greg Pak: Filmmaking lets me flex every muscle in my body and brain. I grew up drawing, writing stories, doing black and white photography, and performing with school drama groups. All of those interests come together in making movies.

Also, I just plain love movies.

Finally, I love the process of filmmaking -- particularly working with actors, the cinematographer, and the sound designer and composer to find the emotional core of a scene. There's something absolutely beautiful about figuring out what a scene's really about and being able to support that from every angle.

JT: Does a background with comics help with film making?

GP: It actually worked the other way around for me -- I started off in film and then became a professional comics writer. Then again, when I was a kid, I was drawing cartoons long before I ever had the chance to make a movie, so I guess it works that way, too.

So the answer is yes -- going in both directions. Working in film definitely helped me get my sea legs in comics. I'd written dozens of shorts and a few feature films before I ever wrote a comics script. And since the basic principles of dramatic storytelling are the same, I suppose I had a pretty good foundation. Of course, there were a ton of comics-specific quirks and techniques I had to learn (and continue to learn to this day). But all that practice in thinking about how to tell stories visually was incredibly helpful.

And now, moving back into filmmaking with my latest short film, "Mister Green," I'm finding that there are some things I've learned from comics that are helping me with filmmaking. I had a great time working with my cinematographer Sam Chase on the "Mister Green" set largely because the two of us found a really great vibe and in the face of some insane scheduling pressures, we were willing to take some big chances regarding the look of the picture that paid off in a big way. (That's Sam and yours truly to the right there, thinking big thoughts on the set of "Mister Green.")

I think working in comics, where there's always an insane deadline that forces a constant series of nearly instantaneous creative decisions, has helped me become a little more fearless about taking the big creative leaps necessary to find beautiful solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems.

Thanks for reading and click here to submit your own questions for the next column!

Pak Talks Comics: Reader Q&A

Welcome to Pak Talks Comics, wherein comics writer and filmmaker Greg Pak answers your questions. Click here to submit your own questions -- and read on for the latest answers!

Taimur Dar: Hey Greg, as always great to see the return of this column and your continuing awesome work at Marvel. It's been almost two years since the launch of "Incredible Herc" and the title is still as good as ever. Really hoping for a Thor/Herc reunion when Hercules comes to Asgard this summer, but any chance of another face off against Ragnarok, the newly returned clone of Thor?

Greg Pak: He's wearing some funny togs, but that might just be the Odinson on the cover to "Incredible Hercules" #136... Add it to your pull list, amigos!

TD: Were there ever any plans of Herc meeting California's Initiative Team The Order especially since they're ripping off his family names?

GP: Funny you should ask! Way back when we were planning the first story for the book, my co-writer Fred Van Lente and I talked a lot about a showdown with the Order, but the timing didn't work out and soon we had a big storyline underway that took us in another direction. And as I've teased above, we do have an upcoming storyline involving characters stealing other characters names -- don't ya dare miss "Incredible Hercules" #132, #134, and #136 for the "Replacement Thor" storyline.

Pak Talks Comics - Super Giant Reader Q&A!

By Greg Pak

Over the next few months, I'm reworking the format of my "Pak Talks Comics" column for BrokenFrontier.com. The new and improved column should appear towards the end of the summer. But in the meantime, I'll continue the Reader Q&A portion of the column right here at PakBuzz.com, so keep those questions coming and read on for answers to the latest batch!

WARNING: Some spoilers ahead for a few recent issues of "Incredible Hercules," "Skaar," and "Magneto Testament."

Hrungr: With the Olympians now on Earth along with the Asgardians, does anyone remember that the Celestials had ordered them to stop interfering with humanity? Or is it a case where humanity has grown to the point that the gods are simply another group of superpowered beings?

GP: Thanks for the question, Hrungr. As you’ll see, Bill has a similar question about the nature of the gods below - I’ll answer them together in a second. Also, since we're on the subject, "Incredible Hercules" #129 hits comic book stores today -- feel free to check out the preview!

Bill Frank: I just want to start out by saying that I am really enjoying your and Van Lente's run on "Incredible Hercules." You both seem to have caught the real feel for a mythological character that some writers miss. With that in mind, I was wondering a few things about your run that can be roughly divided into three sets of questions, if you don't mind:

In universes like Marvel’s there are a myriad of super powerful beings with powers and abilities rivaling if not surpassing gods. Some beings like Eternals have been mistaken for gods in the past and have almost identical power-sets except they are science based instead of magic based. When writing a series like "Incredible Hercules," what separates gods from other super powered beings? What distinguishes Hercules, an immortal super-strong man from other immortal super-strong men like Gilgamesh or Wonder Man or makes him different from being just some ancient superhero?

GP: I'm not saying this is the case, but it's within the realm of possibility that all of the powers of Herc and his relatives could be explained via Marvel science; maybe they're not gods, just immortal superhumans. But for millennia, Herc has been told he's literally a god and has been worshipped as a god. So a huge part of his story is this struggle with questions of a god's prerogatives and responsibilities. Characters like Wonder Man and the Hulk and Wolverine, who might be functionally immortal, haven't had that millennia-long struggle with the question of godhood that Herc has, nor do they come from a family and culture of fellow gods struggling with the same issues. Those are major differences that create different animating themes for these characters.

Pak Talks Comics: Cosmic Colloquy with new Skaar artist Ron Lim!

"Skaar" writer Greg Pak interviews new "Skaar" artist Ron Lim for BrokenFrontier.com -- and shows off new preview pages from "Skaar" #8, which hits comic book stores this Wednesday!

Check it out.

Pak Talks Comics: Giant new Reader Q&A!

Greg Pak's latest "Pak Talks Comics" column is up at BrokenFrontier.com -- and it's chock full of Reader Q&A about Skaar, War Machine, and Magneto -- along with a few sneak preview pages from "Incredible Hercules" #126. Here's an excerpt:

IH: 3) When can we be expecting another Warbound story? I'm not asking anything about the specifics of what’s going on in it if you are writing it but rather when we will get to see them in action again?

GP: Soon! And yes! And thanks for asking!

...

Taimur Dar: It's been hinted that Skaar will soon be coming to Earth and meeting his dad. Any chance of him meeting up with the Warbound? Do you still have plans for them in one of the books you write?

GP: Hey, two Warbound questions in one sitting! Yes, we will see the Warbound again. And yes, that will happen in the pages of “Skaar.” As to the rest, keep on reading!

...

BS: ... are you going to explain how Magda survived the liquidation of the Gypsy families at Auschwitz? Fans have speculated that Magneto, in his position as a Sonderkommando, was somehow able to arrange for her to be smuggled into the Jewish women's camp. But it's just a theory, and I hope you'll address it. Thanks for staying true to history, and at the same time writing a truly compelling story.

GP: We absolutely will address this question in the last issue of “Magneto Testament.” Things won’t play out the way you might expect, but everything that happens matches the actual history of the Gypsy Family Camp in Auschwitz.

Another excerpt from the Pak Talks Comics "War Machine" #1 director's commentary

Greg Pak has written a column for BrokenFrontier.com about the creative decisions behind "War Machine" #1. Here he talks about the scene on page 1:

... Santo Marco is a fictional country found only in the Marvel Universe. Every atrocity in “War Machine” has real world antecedents and we’re striving for immediacy and realism in both the storylines and Leo Manco’s brilliant art -- the image of anguished UN peacekeepers standing by while people are murdered because their mandate prevents them from intervention is based on horrific accounts of the genocide in Rwanda, for example.

But I always planned to use fictional countries because for better or for worse, War Machine’s actions will have a transformative, long-term impact on the nations he visits. Magneto’s history in the real world events of the Holocaust works because the history informs the character rather than the other way around. But the stories we’re telling in “War Machine” require the character to change the course of history for the nations he deals with. It just didn’t sit well with me to use real world human beings who are suffering unbelievably horrific atrocities even as we speak as characters in a story that would require outcomes that ultimately contradict real world events.

And click here to read the first six pages of "War Machine" #2, which hits comic book stores on January 21.

Pak Talks Comics: Inside the engine of "War Machine" #1

Greg Pak's latest "Pak Talks Comics" column for Broken Frontier features an inside look at the creative decisions behind "War Machine" #1 -- along with some hints of what's coming up in "War Machine" #2 and beyond. Here's an excerpt:

I’d had an eye on Rhodey for a while -- I’d written an alternative version of him into the “1602 New World” miniseries and had tried to work him into a couple of other projects over the years. And I’d been researching the Holocaust for the “Magneto Testament” miniseries, which had led me to read about more recent genocides and atrocities. The new “War Machine” series seemed like a perfect place to tackle a character I’d always loved while exploring difficult questions of war, interventionism, and violence in the name of justice.

Pak Talks Comics: Comics and Charity

As the year draws to a close, Greg Pak suggests a few possibilities for charitable giving that might be of particular interest to comic book fans in his latest "Pak Talks Comics" column for BrokenFrontier.com, complete with handy links and addresses.

Click here to read the column -- and Happy New Year!

Pak Talks Comics: Interview with David "Get Your War On" Rees!

In the latest "Pak Talks Comics," Greg Pak interviews David Rees, the creator of the brilliant, angry, harrowing, and hilarious "Get Your War On" comic strip and web video series. As an extra bonus, the interview includes four BRAND NEW GYWO COMIC STRIPS! Click here to check it out. And here's an excerpt:

GP: You once promised to stop making "Get Your War On" comics when Bush leaves office. Is that still the plan? If so, what's next for you?

DR: Just this morning I realized I have no post-GYWO plan, and that maybe this isn't the best time to quit the one career I've ever had -- seeing as how the entire financial system is collapsing and soon we'll all be subsisting on a diet of roadkill and dryer lint. But for now, yes, I look forward to quitting GYWO when Bush leaves office. Maybe I can get a job burning books in his presidential library.

GP: You've been traveling like a madman to promote your new book. Any advice for other independent writers/artists for setting up and conducting a good book tour?

DR: Cultivate a desire to sleep on sofas. If you can't manage that, write a huge bestseller, so you can stay in hotels while on tour.

GP: What are the best experience and worst experiences you've had while on the road with the book?

DR: Best experience: Meeting people and making friends!

Worst experience: Pegging my self-esteem to audience size at readings. THIS IS A DANGEROUS GAME.

Pak Talks Comics: Reader Q&A

Greg Pak's latest "Pak Talks Comics" column is up at BrokenFrontier.com. Here's an excerpt:

Scott H.: Now that Herc and Amadeus are back on Earth, will we see Amadeus searching for the real Kirby?

GP: Funny you should ask -- “Incredible Hercules” #126, which hits comic book stores in February 2009, will include a story called “The Search for Kirby” that involves -- you guessed it! -- the search for Kirby! I’m particularly thrilled to report that Takeshi Miyazawa, the brilliant artist who illustrated the very first Amadeus Cho story back in “Amazing Fantasy” (v2) #15, is on board for this new tale. I just saw the layouts, and they’re every bit as subtle, funny, and moving as we’ve come to expect from Tak’s work.

Pak Talks Comics: Reader Q&A about Cho, Hulk, Emma, Magneto... and Squirrel Girl?

BrokenFrontier.com has posted Greg Pak's latest "Pak Talks Comics" column, featuring Reader Q&A about everything from Amadeus Cho to Magneto to where Squirrel Girl was during "World War Hulk." Click here to read the column, and click here to submit your own questions for future columns.

Pak Talks Comics: Interview with Michael Woods about "Outlaw Territory"

Greg Pak is contributing an eight page Western story called "Rio Chino" to an anthology book entitled "Outlaw Territory," edited by Michael Woods. Click here to read Pak's interview with Woods about "Outlaw Territory."

Pak Talks Comics: Hulk Slash for the Hero Initiative

In his latest BrokenFrontier.com "Pak Talks Comics" column, Greg Pak shows off his contribution to the Hero Initiative's Hulk cover benefit. Check it out.

And click here to submit your questions for next week's column.

Tuesday Sneaks: What the heck is this?

Find out this Thursday in the next edition of the "Pak Talks Comics" column at BrokenFrontier.com!

Pak Talks Comics: Interview with comic book store owner Randy Lander

In his latest "Pak Talks Comics" column for BrokenFrontier.com, Greg Pak interviews Randy Lander, the proprietor of Rogues Gallery Comics and Games in Round Rock, Texas. Click here for Part One of the interview and check back tomorrow for Part Two.

UPDATE: And Part Two is up!

Pak Talks Comics: "Warbound" #3 preview with commentary!

The latest "Pak Talks Comics" column has gone live at BrokenFrontier.com -- this time featuring six colored, lettered preview pages from "Warbound" #3, along with commentary by writer Greg Pak. Pak also answers a few Hulk-related reader questions.

Click here to read the article and click here to submit your questions for future columns.

A Tribute to Stephane Peru

Today's "Pak Talks Comics" column at BrokenFrontier.com is a tribute to Stephane Peru, the brilliant "Incredible Hercules" colorist who passed away over the weekend.

"Incredible Hercules" writers Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, editors Mark Paniccia and Nate Cosby, and penciller Khoi Pham show off five gorgeously colored pages from "Incredible Hercules" #114 and discuss sky textures, embers and ash, pink convertibles, and the greatness of Stephane Peru.

Click here to read the column.

Pak Talks Comics: Reader Q&A and Ann Marie Fleming interview

The latest "Pak Talks Comics" column has hit BrokenFrontier.com. This week's installment features Reader Q&A and an interview with Ann Marie Fleming, a filmmaker who recently turned her documentary, "The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam," into a graphic novel. Here's an excerpt from the interview:

GP: The book uses photographs, archival material, your own cartoons, and sequential art by Julian Lawrence. Tell us about the challenges in adapting this particular story to comics and how you made your decisions about how to tell the story.

AMF: I was really intimidated, and didn't know how to begin to make this into a comic. I am a huge fan of indie comics, graphic novels and have such respect for the artistry of people in the field. It was like, I was stuck. I took a page (sic) out of the world of 'zines... which said "collage is okay".

After all, it had worked for the film, and I think was a good parallel expression to the nature of Long Tack Sam's act and life. I used so many different media and techniques because I did not have any film of Long Tack Sam's act, and it turned out that the scrapbook nature was perfect for my subject... which really is finding a life.