Summer hours are now in effect here at IMPACT headquarters, which means our office closes at 3PM on Fridays, which means I’ll be able to catch a matinee showing of Pixar’s Up. Huzzah! Since the release of Toy Story in 1995, Pixar has been batting a thousand, and it looks like Up is par for the course. Am I mixing my metaphors? Maybe so. Anyway, we’ve come to count on Pixar’s combination of wit, depth and amazing animation, and I don’t think Up will disappoint. Check out the official trailer here.

Have a great weekend!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USpI6Jzl3No

IMPACT University is the single most important even for any artist or writer looking to make it in the world of comics and graphic novels. Don’t believe me? Just check out this list to see why this even isn’t to be missed!

1. The comics industry is a lucrative and growing market. Don’t work for The Man—make a career out of writing, drawing, inking or coloring killer comics of your own!

2. You won’t have the opportunity to learn first-hand from so many awesome pros anywhere else. Yes, they’ll be at Comic-Con, surrounded by hundreds of fans and you won’t even get close to them. This is your only chance to talk one-on-one with the folks who are living the dream!

3. You know you have the talent—the key is letting the rest of the world know it, too. At IMPACT University, you’ll learn to self-promote ad build a professional network for yourself and your work. Writers can find illustrators, illustrators can find writers. It’s your first stop on the road to success.

4. There are thousands of artists and writers out there right now trying to do exactly what you’re doing—break into comics. The exclusive insider info you’ll glean at IMPACT University will put you miles ahead of the competition.

5. Our speakers are experts. And while not everyone can be the next Amanda Conner or Jimmy Palmiotti, they’ll help you find your niche in the industry and hone your skills.

Attending IMPACT University is a small investment that will make a huge difference in your career as a comics writer or artist. There are dozens of reasons why you simply must sign up!

In my hunt for news that you might like to read I stumbled upon a March 2009 Newsarama.com interview with comic book writer David Hine, discussing FVZA: Federal Vampire And Zombie Agency, his new mini series out this October from Radical Publishing.

Determined to dig to the heart of this announcement and provide meat for this post, I went further and found the source of inspiration: FVZA.org. The mission and background of the FVZA and FVZA.org may be best described in the words of the site’s founder: 

Federal Vampire & Zombie Agency (FVZA),, also known as “the Vanguard,” was responsible for controlling the nation’s vampire and zombie populations while overseeing scientific research into the undead. This site is a tribute to the men and women who served in the FVZA, especially the over 4000 Agents who lost their lives fighting to keep our country safe. In addition to paying tribute to the FVZA, this site hopes to call attention to dangerous research…research that runs the risk of bringing back a scourge of vampires worse than any before. -Dr. Hugo Pecos

FVZA.org provides a host of information on zombies & vampires including identification of famous historical figures who have undergone “transformation” (did you know Ivan the Terrible and Edgar Allen Poe ultimately met their deaths as a result of having come into contact with vampires), reviews of recent incident reports, and links to other vampire and zombie hunters. You can even brush up on your hunting skills with help from the Vampire, Zombie or Werewolf Knowledge Tests.

Yummy!

Not comfortable hunting for real zombies, vampires or werewolves?

Draw your own monsters and aliens from the safety of your home with Creature Features.

Disney’s The Princess and the Frog is set to open in theaters this December. This will be the first traditionally animated movie that Disney has released in theaters in quite a while. (Lately, Disney has been concentrating on CGI animation with its extremely successful Pixar studios.)

In the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, Disney released some of the weakest movies of its long animation history (Pocahontas, Hercules, Atlantis, Lilo & Stitch, etc.). Now the studios seem to be trying to regain the Disney magic of its earlier masterpieces. It isn’t a coincidence that the Princess trailer includes clips from Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King.

With The Princess and the Frog, Disney is going back to the traditional princess movie that’s always worked well in the past, albeit with a few new twists. This movie will feature the first black Disney princess. It also takes place in New Orleans rather than the more Disney-typical Old World city or exotic foreign land. Looks like a winner. Check out the official trailer here.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6DmEgtibOg

Check out this article excerpt from the 2008 edition of Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. IMPACT event coordinator, Greg Hatfield, asks super-star comics and graphic novel writer Peter David about his experiences as a writer. Find out what he has to say below.

A: Sure it’s fair. Many fans wring their hands and decry changes in characters and characterization as if this is something remotely new. People think what makes a character iconic is that he never changes, and that’s just not right. What makes a character iconic is that he is extremely malleable. No matter what you do to them, no matter how much you man change their look, background or environment, they are still recognizable that same character. Tarzan remains Tarzan whether he’s an English lord with Jane by his side or a confused New York resident with Jane now a police detective (although the TV version kinda sucked for entirely different reasons).

Q: Do writers have a responsibility to their readers to keep their characters constant?

A: Change is constant in comics. Change is good. If iconic characters couldn’t survive change, they wouldn’t be iconic.

Q: What’s better, creating a new character or working on an established one?

A: They both have advantages. The nice thing about a new character—presuming it’s creator-owned like Fallen Angel—is that you’re in total control of everything that’s going on. It’s a blank slat that you have total license to write on. An established character naturally has tighter rules. . . but it also presents a greater challenge to a writer in terms of finding new and different ways to keep the character interesting for changing audiences.

Q: What’s the one thing every writer should know?

A: Don’t take rejection personally. It’s not a commentary on you as a person. Keep your own self-esteem separate from your work. It helps to have a huge ego.

And that they should buy my book Writing for Comics [and Graphic Novels] with Peter David, published by IMPACT Books, so they can stop asking me for advice all the time.

Sign up for IMPACT University’s Pro Comics and Art Workshop and get more advice on the art of writing for comics and graphic novels, straight from Peter himself!

This isn’t your English teacher’s Sherlock Holmes!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4K3aM5H5KM

Let’s face it, aliens are among us. While the true intentions of these mysterious intruders are unknown, there’s no doubt that their actions are nefarious. It’s your right—your civic responsibility—to learn the skills necessary to protect yourself, your loved ones, and, ultimately, your planet. Here are 3 ways to do just that thanks to The Alien Invasion Survival Handbook:

1. HEAD FOR THE HILLS. The safest place during an alien invasion is away from major urban centers. Head for isolated rural locations or wilderness areas, but be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice. Note that your biggest threat, apart from the aliens, will be from desperate gun-toting brigands who will want to take advantage of your preparations. Avoid fleeing masses as much as possible.

2. SEEK ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION. You and millions of other people will be attempting to get out of the major urban centers at the same time, probably on foot. Consider the use of older vehicles without electronic circuitry what could be immobilized by the aliens’ electromagnetic pulses. Now is the time to oil that rusty bicycle chain.

3. GO TO GROUND. Subterranean environments, such as caves and mining shafts, make ideal fortresses against invading aliens. The provide protection not only from being located, but also from death rays and other forms of alien weaponry. They can also act as a base from which to launch your guerrilla campaign against the alien invaders. Forays can be made above ground for food and other essentials. 

Whatever happens, don’t be caught off guard. The future of the human race may depend upon you!

Learn more about The Alien Invasion Survival Handbook here.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX_Vj9o6CQo