Nerdy News
Sad news to report once again in the world of comics. Artist Michael Turner passed away last night in California at the age of 37 after a long struggle with cancer.
April 21, 1971 – June 27, 2008Turner is probably best known for being the co-creator of Witchblade with Brian Haberlin and Christina Z for Top Cow in 1995. He also created his own comic publishing company, Aspen Comics (Aspen MLT Inc.), in 2002. Hi creator-owned series’ Fathom and Soulfire were also on his lists of accomplishments.
Over the course of his career, Turner contributed to many DC and Marvel comics titles. His Marvel work included variant covers for Civil War and Wolverine: Origins. Most prominently he drew all the covers for the DC’s Identity Crisis and illustrated the return of Supergirl in her six-issue arc in Superman/Batman.
If you would like to make a charitable donation in his name, his requested charities were The American Cancer Society and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
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Sigh. The Buffy Tarot deck I told you about a few months ago and updated a few weeks later has been canceled. My good blogging buddy Geekboy was actually the first to break the news to me. I’ve been out of the loop the last few days because of a lack of internet at my house (don’t ask). It’s not even back yet and I’ve been blogging from my real job or other peoples houses when I can.
Anyway, Dark Horse has a message up on their site that reads:
Please Note: Due to circumstances beyond our control, Dark Horse will not be producing the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Tarot Deck. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, but no existing orders will be filled. We appreciate your support of this program, and again apologize to those who placed advance orders and to fans alike.
I always hate the “circumstances beyond our control” answer. Just tell us what the circumstances were. Rights issues? Printing costs too high? What?! I’m not the only one disappointed by this as seen on the Whedonesque board.
More news as I get it, or rather when Geekboy fills me in. :)
@Patrick, but can this “mystical profile” of tarot be maintained in the Internet era? You can simply Google “tarot” and “history” and discover that tarot was really made for an Italian card game. This is no longer a secret. If the “mystical profile” could be maintained, should it be maintained? If there’s any morality involved in tarot, it is not fortune telling or the occult, but that a part of culture may be misrepresented and stereotyped. Does the tarot industry have a moral right to represent this object as being only for divination instead of being for card games as was originally intended? Does this “mystical profile” still serve any useful purpose to our culture?
Earth-2, he was 4 years younger than me, so I know what you mean. Very sad. I’ve always loved his art, but for whatever reason, I’ve never particularly been a fan of the books he’s worked on. He was undeniably a huge talent, though.
Well, since no one else has commented…I’m saddened by Michael Turner’s untimely passing. I admit to being a fan of his art. I have numerous t-shirts with his work on them. All related to Identity Crisis.
Jeez, he was only 2 years younger than me. That’s what I can’t get over.
My condolences to his friends and family.
Yeah, I suppose it’s moving the plot along but I really have no idea what’s going on in that book yet.
Really? I assume it either moved the plot along or were the trappings for characters. My objection to the Promethea issue was that it was one of the major arcana per page with emphasis on what the cards meant – but only in a general sense, not in a way that really advanced the plot.
@dave, I doubt it has anything to do with a controversy over tarot cards themselves. I mean, they’re sold at chain book stores and all kinds of other places here. But, I don’t disagree with you entirely, a Star Wars tarot could be fun!
@geekboy, it’s ok, I forgive you. :)
@patrick, funny you should mention that. The last two issues of Trinity have revolved around the tarot. At least the second half of the book anyway.
But Dave, admitting that the Tarot is actually a set of Italian playing cards would seriously dilute their mystical profile in the English speaking world. (I love Alan Moore, but it annoys me that he wasted my time by making an entire issue of Promethea about the Tarot deck.)
Sorry to be the messenger on that one! If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.
This is not meant as a put down of tarot fortune telling, but if the cancellation of that Buffy deck is related to any controversy about tarot cards, I think it’s time for tarot to be rebranded in the US.
The fact that tarot cards are sold in the US only for fortune telling is limiting the ability of those cards to fully become a part of our culture. In Italy where people play real card games with tarot, they had dancers dressed as tarot cards as part of the Olympics ceremony. Try to do that in the USA and the fundamentalists will shoot it down.
I have this thought that entertainment corporations could make more money with the gaming side of tarot than they would always stressing the fortune telling aspects. In France where tarot is recognized as a game there are all kinds of pop culture tarots. There’s even been a Disney tarot published for game playing in France. If American companies knew what the French know about tarot cards, that they could be used for card games, tarot could be like all the different versions of the Monopoly boardgame on the market. We could buy tarot decks based on Star Wars, Elvis, Betty Boop, Looney Tunes, the Simpsons, Scooby Doo and much more!