Sometimes I’m left dumbfounded that many people covering the comic book industry couldn’t understand how Marvel Comics, the publishing arm of the organization, fits perfectly into the overall business strategy for Marvel Entertainment and its parent company Disney — that it is the central hub that connects the dots between all the various departments utilizing Marvel-branded content or licensed products. (It’s also not that important, unless you start writing speculative pieces with a limited understanding of, well, business.)
That was the intention behind a SXSW panel featuring Marvel Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada and Editor in Chief C.B. Cebulski earlier this week. Sure enough, the pair spent nearly an hour outlining the various ways original work in the comic book publishing arm translated over to other mediums with great financial success. Some of the best examples included major comic event storylines being adapted to blockbuster big budget films (Civil War, Infinity War) and mobile game Contest of Champions using exact costume designs from current comic series runs.
Bringing together creator/showrunner Neil Gaiman, seasoned British television director Douglas Mackinnon (Sherlock, Jekyll), and fan favorite actor David Tennant for Amazon Studio’s forthcoming TV series Good Omens not only means the show will impress, but also that it’ll be chock-full of references to Doctor Who.
Austin, Texas feels like the center of a nonsensical apocalyptic event of biblical proportions, with random people floating around dressed in vivid white angel wings and evil dark suites characteristic of a demon. Bikers roam the streets, while grifters hold signs and pass out literature to reinforce their insistence that “the end is nigh.”
Also, nuns are literally everywhere. Every. Freaking. Where.
First off, yes, Texas’ weirdest city is full of rowdy, unapologetic sinners from all walks of life. Secondly, no, none of them caused this “” rather it’s an enormous promotional blitz Amazon Studios created at the annual SXSW conference for its adaption of the novel Good Omens written by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.
American Gods, the Neil Gaiman novel adapted into a Starz TV series, is properly represented at this year’s SXSW event to hype up fans ahead of the season 2 premiere tonight, March 10.
The world got its first glimpse of the series at SXSW in 2017, where Starz assembled much of the insanely large cast for a panel discussion following a screening of the first episode. And as Gaiman is as (if not more) popular than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for this year’s SXSW, there’s no way they were going to miss out on a chance to do something to celebrate the show.
I have been to the Garden of Earthly Delights, and it is stocked with good beer, puppies, and free manicures. By that I mean the adaptation of Good Omens to the small screen is going to make massive waves when it premieres later this year, at least if the show’s presence at this year’s SXSW is any indication.
Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
The Mercuri Bros.™ comic cover used with permission of Prodigal Son Press