ariekaplan.com - what's new

FROM KRAKOW TO KRYPTON is out now from JPS!!

2008-09-05T13:16:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to share some news with all of you: My new book, FROM KRAKOW TO KRYPTON: JEWS AND COMIC BOOKS, is out now from JPS!!

FROM KRAKOW TO KRYPTON is a comprehensive volume which showcases the unique contribution Jews have made to this American art form. The book features original interviews with such legendary comics creators as Stan Lee, Joe Kubert, Paul Levitz, Al Jaffee, Jerry Robinson, Art Spiegelman, Judd Winick, Chris Claremont, Trina Robbins, Drew Friedman, Will Eisner, and more. Lavishly illustrated with over 100 full-color drawings and photos, FROM KRAKOW TO KRYPTON boasts a foreword by acclaimed graphic novelists Harvey Pekar and J.T. Waldman.

And I'll be talking about my book on the Joey Reynolds Show tonight Sept 5th (well technically early tomorrow morning Sept 6th) at some point between 12am and 2am EST. The show is on WOR Radio 710AM.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of links to more info about the book:

Here's a link to JPS's FROM KRAKOW TO KRYPTON page, where you can see a sample chapter, cover art, back cover blurbs, a link to the online interview I recently did with WIZARD, etc: http://www.jewishpub.org/product.php?isbn=9780827608436
You can also see it on the "New This Month" section on JPS's homepage: http://www.jewishpub.org/
Here's the link to the FROM KRAKOW TO KRYPTON page of my site. On that page, you can see some early reviews of my book, as well as other info: http://www.ariekaplan.com/krakow.htm
And you can buy the book on Amazon (or post a customer review) here: http://www.amazon.com/Krakow-Krypton-Jews-Comic-Books/dp/0827608438

San Diego Comic Con signing

2008-07-22T19:15:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone,

For those of you who'll be at the San Diego Comic Con this week, I wanted to let you know that I'll be signing copies of the miniseries I recently wrote, SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER, at the IDW Publishing booth (#1705) on Thursday July 24th from 4-5pm. Robby Musso, artist of SPEED RACER: COTR, will also be there. Feel free to stop by!

In other news, I wrote the biting showbiz satire "Jumping the Shark" which is the cover story in the sixth issue of the Papercutz horror title TALES FROM THE CRYPT, on sale now. In "Jumping the Shark," a reality TV producer, fond of dreaming up horrible ways to torture the show's contestants, doesn't stop pitching shows, even after he dies! It features interior art by Mr. Exes, and cover art by Steve Mannion. Here's a link to the official promo copy about the issue, and the cover art:
http://www.papercutz.com/crypt/cryptcomic6.html

And you can read a really great review of my upcoming book FROM KRAKOW TO KRYPTON: JEWS AND COMIC BOOKS in the current issue of DIAMOND
PREVIEWS. I'll have a couple of advance copies of FROM KRAKOW TO KRYPTON on hand at Comic Con. Here's an online version of the review:
http://previewsworld.com/public/default.asp?t=1&m=1&c=6&s=221&ai=71150&ssd=

BTW, I just wrote these two pieces for the PRISONER blog at AMCtv.com (about the 1960s TV show THE PRISONER). Anyway, the first is a series summary (my bio can be seen at the very end), and the second is a trivia quiz. Here are links to both of them:

http://blogs.amctv.com/the-prisoner/2008/06/original-series-synopsis.php

http://blogs.amctv.com/the-prisoner/2008/06/the-prisoner-trivia-quiz.php

2008-04-14T14:55:00.006-04:00

Hello everyone,

Are you ready to break from tradition?

That's the question posed to Speed Racer in part four of SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER, which went on sale Wednesday, April 9th. Here's the promo copy for the fourth and final issue of this miniseries: "Writer Arie Kaplan and artist Robby Musso conclude their story of past Racers throughout history. In the Old West, a lunatic has rigged a train to explode, and it's heading for the sleepy town of Mahfoon, Arizona. Only Navajo bounty hunter Sleek Raven can out-race the locomotive and save the town...using a newfangled contraption called an 'automobile.' Meanwhile in the present, the immortal cyborg responsible for the mysterious car-jacking crime wave unveils his grand scheme...and the part he wants Speed to play in it!"

And yes, Speed fans, you read that correctly: this is the FINAL issue of SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER. BUT! The trade paperback collection of all four issues goes on sale on April 23rd! It boasts a cover gallery, as well as portraits of Robby Musso and I as Racer X and Speed Racer respectively (no, I'm not kidding). Also, keep checking www.idwpublishing.com in the coming weeks for special "director's commentary" pages by yours truly, where I'll be revealing all the hidden Easter Eggs and "geek-out" moments layered throughout every issue of this SPEED mini. Meanwhile...

SPEED RACER #4 isn't my only comic book story currently on sale. "Special Defects," a BEN 10 comics story where Ben fights a deranged Hollywood special effects whiz, can be found in CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #24. Published by DC Comics and boasting knockout art by Min S. Ku, it's the only BEN 10 story to date to feature a full-on battle between Dracula and the Wolfman -- how can you NOT read it?

Also, here are links to more information about SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER:

"Comic Books" page on my website which includes additional info about the SPEED RACER mini, including a press release, a cover gallery, B&W art preview, and promotional copy: http://www.ariekaplan.com/comics.htm
Interview with BlogTalk Radio's MR. MEDIA, aka journalist Bob Andelman, where I discuss everything SPEED RACER. SPREAD THE WORD! RATE THE INTERVIEW! Check it out at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mrmedia
Interview on the comics podcast HALF HOUR WASTED. Here's the official promo copy about this interview: "Writer Arie Kaplan chats with Brad and Frank about his new series from IDW, 'Speed Racer: Chronicles of the Racer.' Join us as we get into the mind of THE RACER!" Here's a link to Episode 62: http://www.halfhourwasted.com/index.php?post_id=320482
And here's an "Insert interview" with me for comics podcast INDIE SPINNER RACK issue #112, dated Tuesday, March 11, 2008 (as it's an insert interview, it doesn't start until 44 minutes into the podcast): http://indiespinnerrack.blogspot.com/
Interview on the comics podcast COMIC GEEK SPEAK. Here's CGS co-host Peter Rios' description of the interview: "The Speakers of Geek take a look at IDW's new Speed Racer: Chronicles of the Racer series with writer Arie Kaplan as well as his work on MAD, his new book Krakow to Krypton: A History of Jews in Comicbooks, the Speed Racer cartoon, writing for all ages, Terry Gilliam and more." Here's a link to the interview (CGS Episode 377): http://www.comicgeekspeak.com/episodes/comic_geek_speak-508.asp
Q&A with Beliefnet's MOVIEMOM Columnist Nell Minow, who interviews me about SPEED RACER: http://blog.beliefnet.com/moviemom/2008/04/arie-kaplan-contacts-in-the.html
Review of SPEED RACER #1 on COMICBLOC: http://www.comicbloc.com/
Review of SPEED RACER #4 from PAPERBACK READER: http://www.paperbackreader.com/newcolumn2.php?ColumnID=592

And last BUT NOT LEAST, for those of you attending the NEW YORK COMIC CON, legendary MAD cartoonist Al Jaffee, longtime SPIDER-MAN writer/editor Danny Fingeroth, and I are doing a panel there on Sunday, April 20th at Noon (room 1E04) to promote Danny's recent book DISGUISED AS CLARK KENT: JEWS, COMICS, AND THE CREATION OF THE SUPERHERO. During the event, I may even talk a little about my upcoming book FROM KRAKOW TO KRYPTON: JEWS AND COMIC BOOKS. Here's the promotional blurb from the NYCC website:

"Is the mighty Thor Jewish? Danny Fingeroth, longtime Spider-Man editor and author of SUPERMAN ON THE COUCH, discusses his new book, DISGUISED AS CLARK KENT, which explores how the Jewish backgrounds of the creators of the best-known superheroes helped make them our most familiar pop culture icons. Fingeroth, Arie Kaplan (MASTERS OF THE COMIC BOOK UNIVERSE REVEALED!), and others discuss
Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster (Superman), Stan Lee & Jack Kirby (X-Men), and Will Eisner (The Spirit)."

Hope to see some of you there! Thanks, and I hope you're all doing well!
Speed-ily yours,
Arie

2008-03-10T18:36:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone,

It is written: "He Who Pulls the Fuel-Injected V8 Out From the Stone Shall Henceforth Be King of All England!"

Well, okay, that brilliant bit of writing never actually appears in the second issue of the IDW Publishing miniseries SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER - which was written by yours truly - and which went on sale at comics shops everywhere Wednesday March 5th. (March 5th sounds suspiciously like "Mach 5," doesn't it?) But the story IS a riff on the Arthurian legend. And it boasts incredible art by Robby Musso and German Torres. Here's the promo copy:

"Arie Kaplan and Robby Musso continue to tell the story of past Racers throughout history. In medieval England, inexperienced teenager Sprint Rackham must outrace a madman who's kidnapped Lady Beatrix via his giant mechanical dragon. Even with a suit of armor designed by a wizard, can Sprint rescue her in time? Meanwhile in the present, Speed, Racer X, and Trixie find themselves one step closer to the mystery carjacker, as they come under attack in a super-garage beneath Mercury Pictures!"

And I was recently interviewed by the Internet podcast COMIC GEEK SPEAK. Here's CGS co-host Peter Rios' description of the interview: "The Speakers of Geek take a look at IDW's new Speed Racer: Chronicles of the Racer series with writer Arie Kaplan as well as his work on MAD, his new book Krakow to Krypton: A History of Jews in Comicbooks, the Speed Racer cartoon, writing for all ages, Terry Gilliam and more." Here's a link to the interview (CGS Episode 377): http://www.comicgeekspeak.com/episodes/comic_geek_speak-508.asp

Scroll down to the "Monday, March 3rd" entry on IDW publisher Chris Ryall's blog RYALLTIME to see the first page of SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER #2:
http://www.ryalltime.blogspot.com/

Also, feel free to check out the "Comic Books" page of my website, which contains cover art for all four issues of my SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER miniseries, as well as links to IDW's press release for the series and B&W art promo for SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER #1:
http://www.ariekaplan.com/comics.htm

2008-02-07T17:18:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone,

The demon on wheels is back! Only this time, they're chariot wheels.

I've recently written a new four-issue comic book miniseries for IDW Publishing called SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER, and the first issue came out yesterday! It boasts amazing art by Robby Musso and German Torres, and turbo-injected variant covers by Alex Garner and E.J. Su.

In SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER, Speed finds himself pursued by a mysterious stranger...and the stranger seems to know more about Speed's family history than he does. Soon, Speed discovers that he's the last in a long line of "Racers," champions who were chosen by fate to out-race the evils of this world. The story alternates between the present-day adventures of Speed chasing after his cryptic foe, and the past Racers battling an eerily similar villain. Specifically, we see the Racers of Ancient Rome, Medieval England, the Golden Age of Piracy, and the Old West. Like TIME BANDITS or STAR WARS, SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER is the ultimate children's adventure story, chock full of chariot races, knights in shining armor, princesses, dragons, pirates, monsters, giant robots, and cowboys. And lots and lots of racing. Also, while it's largely a children's comic, there are also plenty of Easter Eggs and pop culture references for older, long-time SPEED RACER fans to enjoy.

Don't believe me? Check out this glowing review of SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER #1 from Comicbloc:

http://www.comicbloc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1088&Itemid=61

And here's IDW's official press release for SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER:

http://www.idwpublishing.com/news/pressreleases/speed_racer_chronicles.shtml

Here's a link to a 5-page B&W preview of the art for SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER #1, as well as a cover gallery for that issue: http://www.idwpublishing.com/titles/speedracer-chronicles.shtml

Or you can just check out the “Comic Books” page of my website, where you can see cover art for all four issues of my SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER miniseries, as well as links to the press release and other info on the mini:

http://www.ariekaplan.com/comics.htm

I may also be signing copies of SPEED RACER: CHRONICLES OF THE RACER #1 at the IDW booth at WonderCon in San Francisco, which takes place from February 22-24th. However, I'm not certain of the exact details. WonderCon is being held at Moscone Center South, 747 Howard Street, San Francisco. Check out www.comic-con.org for more details on WonderCon, and check my website www.ariekaplan.com for more updates about SPEED RACER and news about other book signings/lectures/personal appearances. And speaking of which…

Something I definitely WILL be doing at WonderCon is the “History of Superhero Movies” event I'll be co-hosting with my colleague, Eddy Friedfeld. We'll be showing lots of obscure (and not so obscure) clips from various superhero-themed films and TV shows. Do you like seeing your favorite Hollywood stars in ill-fitting tights? Then this is the event for you! Here are the details:

History of Superhero Movies FRIDAY, FEB. 22 3:30-4:30pm Room 236/238

Comic books started out modestly seven decades ago printed on pulp paper and appealing to a very young audience. Today, comics have become American mythology with a broad ranging audience, with legendary characters and stories that have transcended time and inspired generations of readers and artists in all different mediums. With movie companies now issuing bonds to finance the purchase of rights to characters, superhero movies have become an international multi-billion dollar industry. Through clips and discussion, Arie Kaplan and Eddy Friedfeld will analyze the history of the comic book movie, from the innovative Fleischer animated Superman cartoons and the Columbia Batman and Superman serials of the 1940's to George Reeves and Christopher Reeve's Men of Steel, to the modern collection of Keaton, Kilmer, Clooney and Bale Batmans, Superman Returns, the Spiderman trilogy, and Ghost Rider and the upcoming Hulk and Iron Man.

Hope to see some of you there!

Arie

2006-10-26T17:30:00.001-04:00

Hello, everyone!!

Just wanted to share a few new developments with all of you:

My book "Masters of the Comic Book Universe Revealed!" (Chicago Review Press, Sept 2006) is in bookstores now! For Media Review Copies of "Masters of TCBUR!": Send request to Sara Hoerdeman, Publicity Manager, Independent Publishers Group. sara@ipgbook.com

Speaking of "Masters of TCBUR!" thanks to everyone who attended the launch party on August 28th at the Museum of Comic & Cartoon Art (MoCCA). Thanks also to Jerry Robinson, Danny Fingeroth, R. Sikoryak, Eddy Friedfeld, Matt Murray, Ken Wong, Kyle Baker, and Liz Glass for their help in making the evening such a success! And for those who didn't get a chance to attend, here's an article about the event from the Aug 31 New York Sun: http://www.nysun.com/article/38915

"Masters of TCBUR!" interviewee Kyle Baker was nice enough to plug my book on his blog. His wife Liz Glass wrote some really nice things about "Masters..." on the blog and even included an excerpt from the book! Here's the link: http://www.thebakersanimationcartoons.blogspot.com/

It can be found under the following date and title: "Saturday, October 21, 2006 Kyle Baker featured in Arie Kaplan's MASTERS OF THE COMIC BOOK UNIVERSE REVEALED!"

And I'll be doing a series of lectures/book signings from November 4-8 as part of the exhibit "ZAP! POW! BAM! The Superhero: 1938-1950 - The Golden Age of Comic Books" at the Janice Charach Epstein Gallery at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield, Michigan.

I'll also be lecturing as part of the center's 55th Annual Jewish Book Fair. To promote the event, there's an interview with me in last Wednesday's Detroit Jewish News, where I talk about MAD, my new book, and an unrealized dream project called "LepreCOPS".

Aside from my book, you can find my name elsewhere at bookstores and on newsstands right now:

In the October 2006 issue of Nickelodeon Magazine, my "Vampire Nerds" gag cartoon (which I both wrote AND drew) is on page 32. Some of you may notice that Kyle Baker wrote and illustrated "The X's" comic strip on pages 30-31. And my colleague Karen Sneider wrote and drew the "It's Laundry Day" gag to the left of mine on page 32.

And one of the first pieces I ever wrote for MAD, "New 'Rock & Rap Inspired' Ben & Jerry's Flavors" has just been reprinted on page 96 of MAD Classics #10, on newsstands now! That piece can also be seen on http://www.ariekaplan.com/mad.htm

In addition, my X-Men spoof "Are You Just Growing Up...Or Are You A Mutant?" is in MAD Kids #4, on page 10 in the Brain Drool section.

Last but not least, the latest installment of "Dave Danger, Action Kid," the episode titled "How to Stop A Golem!" is in the Fall 2006 issue of Reform Judaism Magazine, on pages 8-9.

It's illustrated (as always) by the amazing Leela Corman!

I was also recently interviewed about my book by the comics-themed Internet radio show Indie Spinner Rack (www.indiespinnerrack.com), and the interview should air some time in mid-November. I'll keep you all posted as to the exact air date!

Meanwhile, check out the constantly evolving www.ariekaplan.com for news, updates, cartoons, info on new projects, and more!!

Thanks, and I hope you're all doing well!