FlashBack on your iPhone/iPod Touch

A secret about the origin of the Flashback Universe is that I originally decided to begin my time/money investment in the project after using one of the first 5th generation iPods (the ones that could playback movies...) While admiring how slick the videos looked and how easy it was to use, I knew it would be just a matter of time before someone (most likely Apple) developed a device that would function as an all purpose iTablet, where you could watch TV, surf the net, phone friends and listen to music. So, one of my goals for the Flashback Universe was to build comics for that day... and while that day is still just a little ways off, it got a LOT closer when Apple introduced the iPhone.

So since the the iPhone went live last Summer, I've been waiting to see who would develop a cbr (rar) reader for the iPhone (and likewise, the iPod Touch)

So, it brings me great pleasure to present jComix!




jComix is a CBR reader written in Ruby by a talented Australian named Jeremy. It has been specifically tailored to the browser in a iPhone/iTouch.

Features
Support for CBR/RAR archives (requires the unrar command line tool)
Detects JPEG, PNG and GIF images
Portable code (does not write to anything outside of its own folder)
Cross Platform

Now, I suspect not a lot of you reading this blog actually own an iPhone or iPod Touch because currently, they cost quite a bit for what they deliver. However I also suspect that within another year or two, they will be much cheaper and pretty much all the rage amongst the kids in the know. :)

And when that happens, the phrase, "Hey, Kids! Comics!" might just become popular again! :D

Creature/WildCard Preview pages +LOSH homage

Note: Sorry this post is late. I'm involved in a rather complicated Sharepoint site Deployment for Microsoft, so feel free to blame Microsoft. :)

Following up on Monday's Paladin pages preview, I thought I'd show a couple of new pages Jerry Hind's has turned in for the upcoming Creature/WildCard story that will soon be appearing in Flashback Team-Up.

This first image is the splash page where UltraxThe Unconquered makes his grand appearance...notice the excellent details Jerry put into the crowd behind Ultrax. Also, check out the Counselor coming out of the space ship. Notice how the colors of both aliens uniforms seem to match. Really nice touch by Jerry on that! Jerry thinks of all these details I (and Chris) just don't think about. He's really quite brilliant!



This page shows two recent battles between Ultrax and the champions of other planets he's invaded...



Now, if you look carefully at the bottom half of the page, AND you are a fan of the old Bronze Era Legion of Super-heroes, I think you'll see a couple of familiar *faces.* It sort of looks like Ultrax is giving the Mon-El of that world a huge beatdown!

That single panel is pretty much an allegory for how the legion has been treated since Crisis On Infinite Earths. :(

start RANT tag...
What we can learn from the Legion of Super Heroes' decline in popularity and how it relates to comics in general...

It's funny because in many ways, what has happened to the LOSH over the years is really representative on a grander scale to comic books in general.

In the 60's, with innovative story telling and the introduction of a wide cast of characters, Jim Shooter managed to give readers a long run of stories that to this day cast a huge shadow on all writers who take a turn on the title. But as the Silver Age began to wain, so did the popularity of the title.

That was until Dave Cockrum and Mike Grell stepped up as artists on the title, reenvisioning the costumes of the classic characters, and bringing a slick look to the comic. This inspired the writers to bring their A game to the title as well. So in the 70's the book started to climb again in popularity (up until Grell left, then it sort of wandered a bit...)

Then in the 80's Keith Giffen and Paul Levitz reignited the Legion with the Great Darkness Saga. What they did wasn't so much a total shakeup of the legion or their mise en scene, but a nudge forward into recognized DC Continuity. Really, examine the Great Darkness Saga and specify the one exact moment where it completely outstrips the previous 20 stories before it...I argue, it's ONLY the inclusion of Darksied that makes that story special

After that story, we have one where Karate Kid is killed, and then Princess Projecta kills to avenge him. Then the series sort of meanders its way into oblivion...

So, back to my original hypo, Levitz and Giffen *really* only ignited some fire in the Legion by realigning it with the DC Continuity. After that card was played, they had to resort to a round of deaths to keep readers excitement going.

DC Countdown analogies can begin now. ;)

- Jim

Paladin Preview Pages

I've gotten quite a number of e-mails asking me about my opinion of Zuda. And while I do have my thoughts on the project, I'm going to defer comments to Heidi MacDonald's The Beat Zuda Reax for the time being because she's doing an awesome job keeping tabs on the Zuda pulse.

So instead for today, I'm going to post some of the first couple of pages of Pierre's Paladin artwork. Enjoy!

Here's the cover (yes, it's a Steranko tribute.)



Here's Page 1 - The Vanguard returniong from a successful mission!



Pages 2, 3 and 4







And our tribute to Hulk 181!



Hope you enjoyed those! Maybe Wednesday I'll do a big Zuda write up. ;)

Submissions: Can I Write For You? part 2

Picking up from yesterday, here are a few more things to consider when submitting a story to Flashback Universe...

3) Be prepared for a lot of tweaking by me (or your editor) as you work on your story.
Now, this really isn't a rule that's exclusive to the Flashback Universe. Any professional company that pays for writing has this rule. And in actuality, many companies won't go through the trouble of suggesting story tweaks, but rather just say, "No, thanks." without ever telling you why. Which really doesn't help you as a writer I'm sad to say. So, when I'm tweaking your story, realize I'm trying to help you develop the best Flashback Universe story I think you are capable of. Any help from someone who's going to pay you for your story is something you should fully respect.

For instance, the second story I ever published professionally was a horror story I submitted to a small press magazine called DeathRealm. Well, on the first submission, Mark Rainey, the editor, passed on the story, but said it showed promise. He didn't say exactly what was good and what needed work, so I did the unthinkable...

...I called up Mark (this was before e-mail) and asked him what he liked and what he didn't like. He told me my dialogue was stilted and one action scene dragged a little. I thanked him for the criticism and then I did another unthinkable thing...

...I changed my dialogue and fixed the action scene exactly as he suggested. then I sent it back to him with a note saying, I made the changes you suggested, and I think it's a much better story now.

Mark agreed. My story got published and I got paid.

So, to circle back around to my point, when I am reading your submission, I am thinking about how much money it will cost me to publish your story, and will it add to the overall mise en scene of the Flashback Universe. So, if I ask for 2 or 12 story changes, be prepared to work with me on them. Some will be things I won't compromise on. Some will be things we can discuss and meet in the middle on.

For example, and I'm going to pick on Chad Bowers here for a second...Chad's currently working on a Prometheus story. And to be honest, I've just gotta think Chad must hate me at this point, because I've made about a zillion suggestions to his story so far. (NOTE: not because Chad's story is deficit in anyway, but because Chad comes up with these GREAT ideas, and I like to push him to flesh them out more in his story.)

So far Chad's been a true professional, and rolled with every suggestion I've given him (when I was adamant about them.) A lot of these suggestions are prefaced with the phrase: Here's an idea, but I'm not married to it... meaning just that - I'm suggesting something for the writer to consider, but I'll be okay if the writer decides to not use this suggestion.

Now, a lot of this may sound like common sense to most people who want to work as writers, but I'm sorry to say, it's not. A lot of people who want to submit stories get all freaked out when you, the guy *paying* for the story dare suggest that they make a change to their story.

To those writers I say, That's cool - you have an artistic vision and don't want to compromise it. I can respect that. However, you should really just publish your own story then because you'll may never be happy working for other people.
:)

Submissions: Can I Write For You? part 1

Okay, I get a lot of e-mails about Flashback Universe, but far and away the most popular one is Can I Write For You?

The simple answer is yes, but to be honest, unless you understand the core concepts behind Flashback Universe, you will probably not be able to send me a story I'll want to publish. Here are some simple guidelines:

1) The story must be self-contained.
Every FBU comic on the site might be a visitors first exposure to the Flashback Universe, so it's critical that the story is a done-in-one. People don't download things in sequential order. They just don't. They download based on what appeals to them. And that's how it should be. If you send me an idea for a 6 part Lady Nemo story, you will get a rejection.

2) The story must have that Bronze Age feel to it.
I'm sorry to say this concept is a little tougher for people who are not familiar with Bronze Age comics to grasp. Still, this doesn't mean you have to be born in the 60's to understand them. Chris Sims is one of my youngest writers, and he TOTALLY gets what the Bronze Age stories are all about.

About Comic Book Covers

So, one of my favorite blogs, The Beat linked to this article about ICV2 [ Sharpening the Swords - Where Are The Villains? ] which discusses the cross generational appeal of the old Silver Age Covers. Since much of what I'm trying to do with Flashback Universe is capture the look and feel of the old Silver Age Bronze Age comic books, I thought I'd take a few moments to compare covers today with covers from the Silver/Bronze Age...

First, let's compare the cover of our First Flashback Universe comic...




And here is the latest cover of Marvel's Nova relaunch (I think this is version 3)



Now, I'll be honest with you - obviously the Nova 8 cover is a *more realistic* image (I guess) but GEEZ is it ever boring! Look at the action and images shown on the Saturn Knight Cover - it instantly makes you go, "What's going on here?"

If you want to know why both DC and Marvel are failing to establish new characters (and trust me, they are...) it's because of these horrible GENERIC (there I said it) covers...

Has there even been a cover as cool as this published in the last year?



Mummy + Spider-Man + Fainted JJ Jameson = AWESOME!

What is: alt.binaries.comics.dcp?

I'm going on my 15th wedding anniversary this weekend, and I'm probably going to miss posting on Monday, so to make up for it I'm going to present one huge post today: The complete DCP Newsgroup FAQs.

Many of you may not have ever hear of DCP, even those of you that *ahem* get your comics in digital format, but DCP are one of the biggest newsgroup communities of comicbook scanners/uploaders on the internet. At one time, they were responsible for about 90% of all weekly comicbook scans. Now, several other groups of scanners have started uploading comics, so the pond has gotten bigger. Still, to many, DCP are the *go-to* guys for weekly 0-day scans.

Now, while we at Flashback Universe do not advocate illegal downloading, we don't pretend it doesn't exist either. Nor do we pass judgement on those people who chose to scan their comics and upload them to the internet. That's for Dan Slott to do. ;)

What I will say is this: People like to download stuff and keep it on their own personal devices. Apple found a way to make kajillions of dollars from this axiom. iNuff Said.

So, without further adieu: the alt.binaries.comics.dcp FAQs

1. Who is DCP?
DCP stands for Digital Comics Preservation. Unlike mother nature and father time, we want comics to be around for a long, long time. Therefore, we work towards digitally preserving ALL comics we can find. This includes new comics, old comics, popular comics, small-press comics, and even a few fan made comics that only a handful of people ever saw. If it's a comic, we'll scan it.

A. But don't I also sometimes see cartoons and stuff?
Sure. If we find some kind of comic related media - newspaper articles, cartoons, funny song about Superman, etc... - we tend to preserve that too.

B. So do you guys follow the OYATM (One Year Ago This Month) rule?
Nope. We scan it. We share it.

2. Why is this newsgroup here?
Primarily for sharing files with each other. Many people can download from a newsgroup faster than they can from a p2p service.

A. So this isn't the only place you can find DCP scans?
Not at all. People tend to put them on Bittorrent, DC++, and irc all the time. Sometimes we do it, sometimes people do it because they want to share our stuff. It's cool. Sharing is what it's all about.

B. Can we use this Newsgroup for discussion?
If you want to talk about a particular book with someone else, fine.If you want to talk about the geo-political ramifications of the current state of unrest in the world, go find a friggin' message board or crazy group of demonstraters. Political or religious postings will get you ridiculed, ignored, etc...PLEASE refrain from criticizing other scanners' work, regardless of their group affiliation. Scanners spend their time and money producing content for you free of charge - if you're not going to thank them, you can at least refrain from insulting them and their work. If you really find a book so awful, then buy the book and scan it yourself!

3. Do you only release DCP scans here?
Nope. DCP gets along really well with a lot of other scanners. If they say it's OK, we'll post their scans too.

A. Can I post my scans here?
Sure, but don't call yourself a DCP'er if you do. You have to work towards that.

B. Can I post anything comics related at any time?
We used to ask that you please refrain from making posts on Wednesday - Friday so that the new stuff can get out uncluttered. However, a lot of people bitched and bitched, so that's no longer a "rule." It's generally a nice thing to keep in mind and posting a flood will probably make people hate you.

C. Can I repost your stuff other places?
Sure, but be respectful of the rules there. If they follow OYATM, then please don't post our scans that are less than OYATM. Also, please don't change the files. Renaming them is OK, but don't take out scanner tags or ad pages. Respect the scanner and respect the scan.

4. Can I make requests (REQs)?
Try not to make any requests on Wednesday or Thursday or until late on Friday. During that period, people are focused on new scans. If you make a requests it will be ignored - not out of spite, but because no one pays attention to anything other than new comics during that time.

A. How many books can I request?
Use your best judgement. Asking for 100 issues of Legends of the Dark Knight may fill the hole in your collection, but I doubt anyone wants to take the time to post them all. Plus, people can't help others if they are spending all their time helping you. Be polite. Shoot for a handful at a time.

B. Can I request a flood?
You can, but that doesn't mean anyone will fill it. Read the answer above.

C. How often should I repost a request if it's not filled?
Once a year. It might take time for someone to find the books you want. Or, they may be filling other requests. Or, they may be busy scanning new books. Or, maybe no one has them right now. If no one has them after a couple weeks, send Mile High Comics your credit card information and get your scanner ready...

D. But what if I know it was posted last week?
Then you should download last week's post. If your news server has such poor retention that you can't get books a few days old, then you should pay for a better service.

F. What about pars?
Most people will post pars with the books. If they didn't, ask nicely and they, or someone else who downloaded it, will post some. If you need more pars, ask nicely and someone will help you out? See the pattern here? Ask nicely...

G. What if I know in my heart of hearts that a book came out this week, but I don't see the scan?
Wait. Wait. Wait. I know it's hard, but give it time. Books are scanned by people nice enough to spend their money on them and their time scanning them. Obviously, they will scan the books they want to first. Believe it or not, there are some who scan boooks that no one else wants to - just to make sure they get preserved even if they don't really like them.

So, just wait and give it time. Sometimes, the skipped books will be picked up by a friendly scanner when he grabs next week's books, so give it a couple weeks before you start asking. Or better yet, get your cheap ass out of the house, and buy a friggin' comic and scan it yourself. Or just shut the hell up. Either way.

5. Do you guys only post comics?
Nope. Some members like to encode cartoons, video game manuals, and magazines like Wizard or Knights of the Dinner Table. While none of these are comics and sometimes aren't comic related, we welcome these to our group as well.

A. Should I post all the cartoons in the world here?
Try not to. You can go to other groups to get cartoons. We'll post DCP encodes here.

B. Should I post other video game manuals here?
Try not to. The best place to post them would be in the group for that console. We'll post DCP scans here.

C. Should I post scans of all magazines here?

Try not to. The best place to post them would be in the groups for those magazines or topics.
We'll post DCP scans here. However, if someone requests a CBG, KotDT, or Wizard and you can fill that REQ with a scan from somewhere else, knock your self out. Make sure you read the whole FAQ first though...

6. Do you guys make PDFs?
Ugh. F' no. There are groups out there ripping off the comics that are scanned by your favorite DCP, OCD, HaCsA, RIP, etc scanners, and calling them their scans, repackaging them as PDF and sharing them via another distribution system. If you have any of these "scans" do yourself a favor and delete them and get the .cbr, .cbz, .zip, or .rar version, the way comics should be.

Sharing PDF comics will get you ridiculed, ignored, etc... If you don't like it, grow up and get over it.

7. How do I find out if a comics has been released? Or what if I want to request a scan, but I don't know if the actual comic book has come out yet?

http://www.google.com