Mags - Video Games Magazine (Jan 2000)

Found this cool review of the first Shadow Man video game in a German magazine called, believe it or not, Video Game.  I have no idea what they are saying about the game other than they give it a 95% rating on the Dreamcast. Check it out:

Mags - Internal Correspondence 1994

Before Diamond Comics Distributors alone ruled the land of comics distribution there was a time when comic book distributors where plenty. Upon this age appeared Capital City Distributors who then-st produce-st-ed ... a magazine called Internal Correspondence (yeah, I gave up on whatever it was I was just doing).The December 1994 issue of the (I believe) quarterly magazine features a cool Christmas image of Bloodshot and Eternal Warrior (why are these guys always hanging out together) drawn by Sean Chen.

I love all the Christmas presents in the background.  Here's a quick list:

• A binosaur from Turok is hanging over the mantle (with a bow no less!).
• Solar, Man of the Atom's severed left hand (which he gave to Geoff during UNITY) is on the mantle.
• Timewalker's Tachyon Compass is also on the mantle.
• A bottle of Armstrong Ale (a promotional item given to retailers by Valiant) is on the fireplace
• A seasons greetings card from the Harbinger Foundation is also on the fireplace
• A seasons greetings card from Capital City Distributors is also on the fireplace
• A picture of someone I can't recognize on the fireplace
• A stocking for Geoff
• A stocking for Nev[ille Alcott]? (Are they at Gilad's house?)
• There is also a large axe to the left of the fireplace. No idea what that is.

Now, as a bonus here is a scan of the original art for the cover of Internal Correspondence December 1994:

Original Art - Harbinger #6 cover

I love featuring the original black and white pencil and ink art to famous Valiant covers.  Today, I have for you the cover to Harbinger #6, by David Lapham and Bob Layton, featuring the infamous image of Torque with no shoes - a homage to the "Paul is dead" rumors that went around in the 1960s that Paul McCartney was dead and that someone else had replaced him. Somehow, these rumors were related to an image of Paul not wearing any shoes. Anyway...

And here is the raw file sans photoshop corrections.

Interestingly, it looks like there was a stat on at least one of Torque's feet (could there have originally been a shoe?) and on Flamingo. It looks like Flamingo was changed to look more straight. Finally, here is the cover as printed:

30 Succesful Corporate Logo Redesigns - Valiant Comics

Best PSD to HTML compiled a list of 30 successful corporate logo redesigns which not only includes the redesigns of Apple Computers, Sony, IBM, Starbucks, AT&T, Starbucks, MTV, Ford, FedEx, Yahoo and Adidas but also, you guessed it, Valiant Comics.

Check out the article or see the excerpt below to read what they had to say about Valiant.

A new logo was created to symbolize the synergism between Valiant and Acclaim, merging the letters “V” and “A” into one logo. The compass logo has lately reappeared along with the addition of the wording “Entertainment”.

Shadow Man video game to appear on the Wii?

According to an article on JoyStiq.com, Valiant Entertainment and Nintendo have been in discussions about bringing the N64 versions of Shadow Man to the Wii Virtual Console since at least 2006. Check out the article here or read the email from Valiant that is cited in the article below.

Yes, we have been speaking with Nintendo regarding Shadowman for the Virtual Console. Although, they have a ton of games to review and select from, Shadowman is on their radar.

Diamond's 10 Best Collected Editions of 2008 - #9 Archer & Armstrong and #8 Harbinger

Diamond Comics Distributors has a free e-newsletter / blog on all the goings on in the comic book world and at the end of 2008 they held a vote and produced a list of the The Ten Best Collected Editions of 2008. The list included some truly great books and a few all time classics including the definitive Batman: The Killing Joke hardcover and the first volume of the long awaited Creepy Archives. But sitting pretty at #9 is none other than Archer & Armstrong: First Impressions and sitting even prettier at #8 is Harbinger: The Beginning! Both are the first hardcover collections of the stories and both feature kick ass new story pages by Jim Shooter.

Check out the article to see what Diamond had to say about the two collected editions or read the excerpts below.

Best Collected Edition of 2008 #9 – Archer & Armstrong: First Impressions
Valiant Entertainment; $24.95

While some of the original Valiant’s first hits were updated versions Gold Key characters such as Magnus, Turok, and Solar, others such as Harbinger were original creations. Out of their core eight titles, Archer & Armstrong was the seventh released and it was one of the most original. It was conceived as a buddy action-comedy that would confront some of the more common clichés of the genre. 

The first three issues (Archer & Armstrong #0-2) tied into the Unity event and were written by Jim Shooter. After his tenure, artist Barry Windsor-Smith took over the scripting duties as well. The result, at least for the stories collected in this trade, is a really enjoyable romp with two distinctly different characters who are getting to know each other amid non-stop calamity.

Perhaps because of Windsor-Smith’s art style or perhaps simply because they did a better job, this is the best of hardcover collections from the new Valiant in terms of production. The colors are vibrant and consistent, and of course the stories stand up just fine.

In addition to an interview with him, the collection includes a new short story featuring the origin of The Sect (the group that was seemingly destined to plague Archer and Armstrong during the series’ original run) written by Shooter and illustrated by Sal Velluto. A highly enjoyable read and a must for anyone who wonders what all the fuss was about back in the day.

Best Collected Edition Of 2008 #8 – Harbinger: The Beginning Valiant Entertainment; $24.95 

The collection of the origin story arc of Harbinger is something long overdue, and for many years it looked like something that would never happen. While post-Jim Shooter Valiant Comics sold millions of comics, the company quickly slid into the gimmick of the month club and forgot its story-rooted origins. Even when they did publish a trade paperback, it didn't feature the whole story.

This new hardcover from Valiant Entertainment changes all that. Featuring Harbinger #0-7 by Shooter and David Lapham and a new story by Shooter and Bob Hall, another Valiant alumni, this edition is storytelling the reader can really sink his or her teeth into. Unlike some of its contemporaries, the material has aged very well. The new story fits in tightly with the original material, adding nicely to its depth.

The re-done coloring reproduces too darkly in this edition, but if you're interested in the book, don't let that put you off. While it is definitely shy of superb in that area, the rest of the production more than makes up for it. Whether you remember Harbinger in its prime or you've only heard about it, this is a great way to investigate it.

Foreign Valiants - Italian Solar #0

Also known as Solar, L'uomo Dell'Atomo #0. Found this on eBay the other day and just had to have it.

It's an Italian reprint, by a company called Play Press, of the Alpha & Omega storyline that was serialized in the English language versions of Solar, Man of the Atom #1 - 10. The book has a nice card-stock cover but is printed on cheap looking newsprint that makes the colors run and the ink blot:

But how cool is it to see Phil say "Mio Dio...!"?? A Solar by any other name reads just as sweet. The back of the book has some ads for other Italian language versions of Valiant Comics - Archer & Armstrong, Magnus Robot Fighter, Timewalker, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter - and even some DC Comics such as Superman and Lobo.