2002 Comic Book News Archives
November 26, 2002: Tom Palmer Talks Smallville Comic Books
With DC Comics announcing that they will be publishing an ongoing "Smallville" comic book to tie-in with the hit TV show, we thought it would be a good idea to catch up with the Editor on the up-coming "Smallville" comic books... Tom Palmer.Tom Palmer Jr is no stranger to the world of Superman, as he works alongside Editor Eddie Berganza as Associate Editor on the regular Superman titles. Tom was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer a few "Smallville" comic book questions for the Superman Homepage.
Q: Do you have an exact release date for the first issue of the on-going "Smallville" comic book?
A: Early March 2003.
Q: Who is writing, pencilling, and inking the series?
A: Smallville supervising producer Mark Verheiden (who also wrote the lead story in the one-shot) is co-writing the first issue along with Clint Carpenter, who also works on the show. Art is by Kilian Plunkett (Legion Worlds, the upcoming Superman Red Son) with inks by Mark Morales. Kilian's a great artist who has also drawn lots of Star Wars comics for Dark Horse, so he's the perfect choice to capture the likenesses of the Smallville cast. The whole thing's topped off with another beautiful painted/photo cover by John Van Fleet. John's been able to give us the best of both words: a photo cover that doesn't look like all the other comic book photo covers out there!
Q: What impact will the comic have on the TV series and vice versa?
A: Publishing lead time and TV production schedules being what they are, the comic won't have a noticeable impact on the TV series. But, we are able to reflect what happens on the show and fill-in some of the gaps between episodes. The first issue is a perfect example of that.
Q: Can we expect magazine type extra features such as was the case with the Smallville one-shot?
A: Of course! I'd like to think the magazine-style features helped make the Smallville one-shot a success, and made it appeal to readers who don't normally read comics. We're going to push that aspect even more with the regular series.
Q: Will this comic follow the "Freak of the week" pattern that defined the show for quite a while in the first season?
A: The first issue will have a "freak of the week," but that won't always be the case. Since the first issue could possiblty be a comic fan's first exposure to Smallville the TV series, we wanted a story that would establish the ground rules of the show and give us a chance to introduce all of the characters. Upcoming stories will focus on some of the other regulars on the show, like Chloe and Lex.
Q: Where will it take place in continuity in relation to the TV series?
A: Stories in the series will be self-contained, giving us ample opportunity to play off of events that happen on the show. The first issue's story takes place directly after the events in "Duplicity" where Pete Ross learns Clark's secret. Issue 2 has a short story that reveals what happened during Chloe's internship at the Daily Planet between Seasons 1 and 2.
Q: Any chance we'll see a regular comic continuity villain they can't show in the series due to copyright or special effects issues?
A: No villains from the comics just yet, but we are able to play with the unlimited special effects budget that comic books allow. The half-dinosaur teen from the one-shot is a perfect example of this, and the first issue has another Kryptonite-baddie that would be too costly for TV.
Q: As a "Consulting Producer" on the TV show and a long-time Superman comic book writer, will Jeph Loeb write any issues of the "Smallville" comic book series?
A: We'd love to have him! Jeph's a busy guy these days, with his work on Batman with Jim Lee and the upcoming Superman/Batman with Ed McGuinness, but hopefully we can get him to contribute.
Q: What level of input do Gough and Millar have in this affair?
A: Just like anything involving Smallville, Al & Miles are very involved to make sure the characters stay true to their television incarnations.
The Superman Homepage would like to once again thank Tom Palmer for taking time out to answer these questions.
2002 Comic News
Listed below are all the Comic News items archived for 2002.- January 3, 2002: Wizard Fan Awards Nominees
- January 8, 2002: New Look for Superman Books
- January 8, 2002: Casey Talks Adventures of Superman
- January 11, 2002: Alex Ross Interview
- January 13, 2002: John Buscema Dies
- January 16, 2002: Superman & Savage Dragon
- January 17, 2002: DC Comics Launches 9-11 Mini-Site
- January 18, 2002: Superman Homepage in Superman #178
- January 22, 2002: Dan Slott Talks Justice League Adventures
- January 26, 2002: Kurt Schaffenberger Dies
- January 26, 2002: First Time for DC Characters
- February 5, 2002: Jeph Loeb Talks Superman - The Secret Revealed
- February 5, 2002: Derec Aucoin Joins Superman Team - Update
- February 7, 2002: New DC Comics President
- February 23, 2002: Paul Levitz Talks Smallville Comic Book
- February 26, 2002: Wagner Talks DC Project
- March 5, 2002: Superboy Cancelled!
- March 8, 2002: DC Comics Sues Wella Corp.
- March 9, 2002: New Monthly Superman/Batman Comic!!!
- March 12, 2002: Comics and the Internet
- March 13, 2002: MAD Magazine Smallville Issue
- March 14, 2002: Mark Schultz Talks Superman
- March 24, 2002: Berganza Talks Smallville Comic Stories
- April 4, 2002: Bogdanove talks Superman/Aliens II: GodWar
- April 11, 2002: SCI FI Joins Free Comic Day
- April 14, 2002: JLA to go Bi-Weekly in August
- April 17, 2002: Daily Planet Crew in Marvel Comic
- April 20, 2002: Mark Millar Talks Superman
- April 21, 2002: DC Comics at WonderCon
- May 9, 2002: The JLA's Obsidian Age
- May 10, 2002: The Physics Behind Comic Books
- May 20, 2002: Superman Comics = Real Life
- May 27, 2002: Sorry! Says Superman Editor Eddie Berganza
- May 28, 2002: New Superman Comics Creative Team
- June 7, 2002: Doug Hazlewood Interview and Gallery
- June 16, 2002: Smallville: The Comic
- June 19, 2002: Superman's Ending Battle in September
- June 20, 2002: Steve Seagle Talks Superman
- July 6, 2002: Superman's Day of Doom
- July 7, 2002: Waid Talks Superman: Birthright
- July 7, 2002: Superman's Costume Change
- July 7, 2002: No More Superman Comics in Brazil
- July 22, 2002: San Diego Comic Con 2002 Information
- August 4, 2002: Seagle Talks Superman at San Diego Comic Con
- August 8, 2002: Nicolas Cage Selling His Comic Collection!
- August 15, 2002: JLA With Alex Ross and Paul Dini
- September 11, 2002: Superman Comics Back in Brazil
- September 15, 2002: Tom Derenick Draws Superman
- September 19, 2002: Superman 10 Cent Adventure
- September 22, 2002: Man of Steel Cancelled!
- September 22, 2002: Forbes Rates Richest Fictional Characters
- September 25, 2002: Mark Waid Sets the Record Straight
- September 29, 2002: 12-Part Superman: Metropolis Series
- October 14, 2002: Nicolas Cage Sells Comic Books for US$1.6 Million
- October 15, 2002: Duncan Rouleau Interview
- November 4, 2002: Berganza Talks Superman in 2003
- November 12, 2002: DC Comics for 2003
- November 14, 2002: Kurt Busiek Talks Superman
- November 15, 2002: Pantheon Books to Publish Alex Ross Book
- November 26, 2002: Nicolas Cage To Sell More Comics
- November 26, 2002: Tom Palmer Talks Smallville Comic Books
- November 27, 2002: Superman Comics Return to Brazil
- December 1, 2002: Casey Talks Adventures of Superman
- December 4, 2002: Kelly Talks Action Comics #800
- December 5, 2002: Joe Kelly Talks New JLA Lineup
- December 11, 2002: Steve Gerber Talks Superman: Last Stand on Earth
- December 19, 2002: Supergirl Cancelled!
- December 21, 2002: Eddie Berganza Promoted to Group Editor!
- December 27, 2002: Cavalieri Talks Superman: Secret Identity
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