LYING IN THE GUTTERS VOLUME 2 COLUMN 114

Welcome to the most popular and longest running comics column on the internet. In its various forms, Lying In The Gutters has covered rumours and gossip in the comics industry for thirteen long glorious and quite scary years.

All stories are sourced from well-connected individuals and checked with respective publisher representatives before publication. Mostly. The veracity of each story is judged by me and given a spotlight - Green is the most reliable, Amber means there's likely an interest involved or the likelihood isn't set and Red means even I can't quite bring myself to believe it.

Lying In The Gutters is for your entertainment. Neither Fair Nor Balanced.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK- "I wish I hadn't lost my password to the Bendis boards" - Mark Millar.

SIN CITY

On Wednesday, the San Diego International Comic Con starts. Expect announcements of projects, exclusives, signing and deals all over the place. Photos of booth babes, of pissing stormtroopers, of parties and of people falling off the CBR boat. A great time for comics and its associated hanger on industries like film, games, toys and little beany hats.

Of course conventions do bring out the worst in people. The heady mix of success, drink, drugs and Hollywood types has seen senior members of various companies risk their marriages on a spin of the dice with an employee and/or spouse of a freelancer (with heavy repercussions meted out to any who speak out of turn). And as some marriages fail or separate, with people finding themselves back "in the game" suddenly it's a whole new world. A chance for geeks and those in administrative positions in the comic industry to behave like coke-addled rock stars.

Conversely, it's also chance for the comic starfuckers to emerge, fans to shag their way round the pro circuit and at one recent San Diego one was responsible for a minor STD outbreak. One person's hot tub hijinks is another's personal trauma, one person's near-nude booth babe becomes a wardrobe malfunction and a chase through the Hyatt hotel at 2 in the morning. When I was first at San Diego in 1997, I had sexual advances made towards me eleven times in four days. Mostly by women. Since then it's got a whole lot worse.

My advice? Stay safe, if you're fucking around. And if you're married don't fuck around. For all that San Diego is large, the industry is tiny and it all has a horrible act of getting back to you. Or the spouse of the person you're fucking. And then suddenly there are people packing boxes and calling lawyers, company allegations of sexual impropriety and late books getting even later.

No I'm not going.

Anyway, if you'd like to be my eyes and ears on the floor, in the Hyatt lift, on the CBR boat or trawling the Gaslight district for cheap waffles, e-mail and text message me at any point. I'll put up the best observations, quotes, gossip, rumours and examples of NerdCon at RichAndMark.com through the convention.

And if you missed your SDCC tickets, don't worry, the eBay ticket touts are out. I've got my own stuff to sell as well you know.

SPIN CYCLE

The upcoming artists for "Amazing Spider-Man" so far?

Well, "Brand New Day" is obviously Chris Bachalo. Like, duh. And Phil Jimenez lined himself up for an arc up a while back.

The rest get revealed in a few days time.

And what's this little visual of Simone Bianchi's that someone left lying by the photocopier?

COUNTING UP

I understand that, disappointed with "Countdown" sales to date, Mike Carlin is bringing in a few artistic "ringers," big names to help draw attention to the teetering weekly. Bet a few get announced at SDCC.

Also, I hear this week's issue should be quite interesting for all sorts of good reasons…

ANGEL DELIGHT

"FreakAngels" is a new series for Avatar that Warren Ellis will announce on his panel on Saturday night.

Or rather "confirm."

CONTAINING MULTITUDES

Alex Serra and J Torres will be the regular team on the Johnny DC "Legion" book from issue #10. As the cartoon has been revamped for the second season for an older audience, the comic will follow. It's the Legion anniversary next year, and there's quite a lot riding on Legion as a franchise.

MORE COW

I understand that Top Cow will be re-signing their deal with Marvel Comics for an extended period of time. Expect more details at SDCC.

DEGRASSIS ALWAYS GREENER

Look for the "Degrassi" graphic novels to move to DC's Minx line. Degrassi executives have been dining DC people and line editor Shelley Bond is a big fan of the TV series.

LAUNCHING

It won't be just the CBR boat that will be launched at SDCC.

I'm told Bryan Talbot will debut his "Naked Artist" collection of industry anecdotes. Do make sure you get him to sign the naked photo of himself at the back.

While you're there, the "Supernatural Law Companion" debuts, with a guide to the Batton Lash series from Exhibit A.

And in a coup for the Prism Comics table, they have "Fun Home's" Alison Bechdel doing a signing just before the Eisner Awards on Friday. Looking after the people who looked after her.

BORDER PATROL

Alex Fitch's radio show "Panel Borders" on Resonance FM here in London is wonderful for some of the more intriguing comics-related interviews around. Four episodes are currently streamable here, with a Transformers Geoff Senior/Simon Furman on the way.

My favourites are Patty Jeres and Peter David. The latter has the true story behind the Captain Marvel/Bill Jemas farrago, and the first mention of David's Doctor Who short story that's coming out in March.

OUT OF THE LAMP

From Radical Publishing, created by Dave Elliot. A new, harsh, down to earth take on Aladdin. Expect to hear more at SDCC.

Image by Dave Wilkins.

EXTREME ART

Pencils from the newly-announced "Lord Havok and the Extremists" by Frank Tieri and Liam Sharp for the DC Universe.

Looking lovely there, Liam!

AS SOUGHT AFTER AS THE LAST HORCRUX…

Something special this column has donated to the CBLDF is the "Get Out of LITG Free." One chance for a creator of publisher to get rid of an LITG story either before or after publication.

Interested parties can bid on the item at the CBLDF Comic-Con Welcome Party on Thursday. Anonymous bids can also be sent to info@cbldf.org by Wednesday, 12 AM PST. More Welcome Party items can be seen here.

FRIDAY FEELING

I understand that DC had so much success with giving employees every other Friday last year that they're doing it again this year and included an extra floating holiday in the summer.

Which should bring cheer to every DC employee.

SCRAP METAL

Anybody want to buy a used fantasy anthology magazine?

Back in 1998, Heavy Metal owner and Turtle creator Kevin Eastman said "If there was an opportunity to get a fair price for Heavy Metal, I would sell it . Why? Because I just would, I guess. There's other things I want to do."

Last year, Eastman apparently told a friend that he had sold the magazine. Double Zero, the singer of a rock band in Los Angeles posted on his blog that Kevin Eastman was giving him the main role in the movie adaptation of "Fistful of Blood", the graphic novel Eastman and Simon Bisley did for Heavy Metal, that Eastman is directing himself:

He wrote"Fuck a band! I am starring in Kevin Eastman's next movie with Pam Anderson! Kevin Eastman (ninja turtles & heavy metal) is doing a movie called "fistful of blood" and has asked me to star and I have said "yes!'" also he will be doing the Double Zero "The American hero" book and movie with Bruce Willis playing me in the year 2012! wow!"

And during last years San Diego, he