Well this stinks, the great “underground” comic book creator Harvey Pekar has reportedly died. And not long after I had started a skeleton post to share the Pekar Project — Harvey’s first regular webcomic series.  I put together a PDF download of the first part of the latest story “Kibbitzin’ How Life Got Incorporated” but please please please visit the Pekar Project at Smith Magazine and pick up some of Pekar‘s books like American Splender and The Quitter if the chance arrises.

Kibbitzin about how Life got Incorporated by Harvey Pekar and Doug Kushkoff [PDF]

From the website:

Master storyteller Stephen King presents a revolutionary new form of entertainment: his short story “N.” brought to vibrant life through a series of 25 graphic video episodes. The original series tells the story of a psychiatrist who falls victim to the same deadly obsession as his patient—an obsession that just might save the world!

Drawn by award-wining comic book artist Alex Maleev, and colored by famed comic book colorist José Villarrubia, the episodes were adapted by Marc Guggenheim, co-creator of the ABC-TV series “Eli Stone” with creative oversight from Stephen King.

I’ve watched the six available episodes.  So far, not bad.  A new, roughly two minute episode will be released each weekday until August 29.  Twenty five episodes in all.  Stephen King’s short story “N.” will be released in comic book form by Marvel in early 2009.

I recently returned from Wizard World in Chicago.  If I had to offer a watered down description of Wizard World to the uninformed, which I will now do and most likely fail horribly at, I would say it’s a “comic book” related event.  There are isle after isle of people, stores and companies selling comics, graphic novels, toys, t-shirts and other assorted memorabilia — mostly of a superhero nature.   Many fans dress up, parade around and pose for photos.  Comic artists and writers, both indie and big name, sit at booths signing and promoting their work.

With The Dark Knight coming to theaters July 18, the focus was on Batman at Chicago.  Further fueling the pointy-eared caped crusader mania was the world premier of Batman: Gotham Knight, a full length anime consisting of six separate, but interlocking chapters, bridging the gap from Batman the beginner to Batman the Dark Knight.

It was fun.  Picked up a bunch of free stuff and bought The Watchmen in graphic novel form.  A Watchmen movie, directed by the guy who did 300, is scheduled for a March 2009 release.

Below are a few photos from Wizard World Chicago.