ricketts@uicsl.UUCP (07/10/85)
According to one of the owners of the Book Nook (a comics and fantasy book store in Champaign): Howard Chaykin is not leaving American Flagg! or First Comics. He may be leaving the art chores to work on another project, but not the writing. Chaykin does own American Flagg, although under their contract (or whatever), First technically "owns" AF for five years, after which time ownership reverts back to Chaykin. Marc Ricketts (University of Illinois Coordinated Science Lab) uicsl!ricketts
blumberg@ihuxw.UUCP (Marc R Blumberg) (07/12/85)
> > According to one of the owners of the Book Nook (a comics and fantasy > book store in Champaign): > Howard Chaykin is not leaving American Flagg! or First Comics. > He may be leaving the art chores to work on another project, but > not the writing. Chaykin does own American Flagg, although under > their contract (or whatever), First technically "owns" AF for five > years, after which time ownership reverts back to Chaykin. > Well, now that it has reached the net, I suppose I should add my two cents. According to a friend of mine who works at First Comics in Evanston, Chaykin is indeed going to continue WRITING American Flagg, although the art will be done by Bill Willingham. What Bill's arrangement is at Comico, I'm not sure. Speaking of Chaykin, it was very conspicuous of him to cancel his appearance at the Chicago Comicon this past weekend. Rumor has it that First is not paying him promptly. I think the real reason is that he's in the middle of a Coast to Coast move (this according to the CBG). My feelings about the future of Flagg! are mixed. The book is of course one of the best, but it certainly hasn't lived up to the story/art of say, the first twelve issues. Perhaps a change of artist is what it needs. Willingham is certainly a good choice, other choices proving to be shall we say, less than adequate (issues 13,14). It would be nice to see Alan Moore step in to write a lead story sometime. Marc Blumberg AT&T Bell Laboratories Naperville, IL ihnp4!ihuxw!blumberg