Category Archives: Art

Elton John Joins Graphic Novel Reimagining of Oz Universe

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Elton-John-Joins-Graphic-NovelLegendary musician Sir Elton John is lending his voice to a bold new graphic novel reimagining the world of Oz, writing the foreword for Ultimate OZ Universe: Vol. 1 – The Lost Lands. The book, set to be released on November 12 by AWA Studios, marks the launch of a sweeping new take on L. Frank Baum’s classic fantasy realm.

The 144-page graphic novel, co-written by comic veteran Cullen Bunn and songwriter Larry King, explores hidden corners and forgotten lore from Baum’s original 14-book series. With artwork by Mike Deodato Jr. and contributions from Oz historians, the project aims to expand the canon rather than reinvent it.

“This is not fan fiction,” said AWA Chief Creative Officer Axel Alonso. “This is a canon-faithful exploration of Oz beyond what most people know.”

The release comes amid renewed cultural interest in Oz, following a successful film adaptation of Wicked and the continued popularity of The Wizard of Oz. The Lost Lands will be available in both print and digital formats, enhanced with video footnotes, original music, and behind-the-scenes features.

Elton John, who has long cited Oz as an inspiration—including for his song “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”—described the new series as a continuation of the magic that captivated him in childhood.

More volumes and potential film adaptations are already in development.

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Toronto Comic Arts Festival Returns to New Venue This June

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tcafThe Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) will return on June 7–8, 2025, taking place for the first time at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Mattamy Athletic Centre. Free and open to the public, the annual event celebrates its 20+ year legacy as one of the world’s leading comic arts festivals.

TCAF 2025 will feature over 315 Canadian and international independent comic creators, with more than 28,000 attendees expected. This year’s programming highlights the political dimensions of comics, emphasizing their role in activism, expression, and global dialogue.

Leading up to the main festival weekend, satellite events include a June 3 screening of Paying for It at TIFF with a panel discussion featuring director Sook-Yin Lee and cartoonist Chester Brown, a June 5 launch event for Kate Beaton’s Ducks hosted by Drawn & Quarterly, and a June 6 panel titled Canadian Comics Now: Cartooning In a Dangerous Time.

For a full schedule and details, visit www.torontocomics.com.

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Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague Premieres at Cannes, First Trailer Released

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nouvelle-vagueRichard Linklater’s latest film, Nouvelle Vague, premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, marking the director’s first French-language feature. Shot in black and white and entirely in French, the film is a dramatized account of the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s landmark 1960 film Breathless.

Nouvelle Vague reconstructs the early days of the French New Wave through the lens of Godard’s directorial process, using a cast of mostly new French actors to mirror the spirit of the movement. Guillaume Marbeck plays Godard in his feature debut, alongside Zoey Deutch as Jean Seberg and Aubry Dullin as Jean-Paul Belmondo. Additional cast members include Paolo Luka Noé, Alix Bénézech, and Jade Phan-Gia.

The film is co-written by Linklater with Vince Palmo, Michèle Halberstadt, Laetitia Masson, and Holly Gent, with cinematography by David Chambille. International sales are being handled by Goodfellas. The project follows Linklater’s other recent 2025 release, Blue Moon, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival.

The teaser trailer, now released, offers a stylized preview of Nouvelle Vague, combining footage with a French voiceover listing key elements of the story: “A pretty boy. A pretty girl. Paris 1959. A gym. A director. A camera…”

The film is expected to be released in theaters on October 8.

Watch the teaser trailer for Nouvelle Vague below:

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Kana to Publish Iconic Manga Classics City Hunter and Cat’s Eye by Legendary Mangaka Tsukasa Hojo

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kanaKana has announced the release of two landmark manga series by legendary mangaka Tsukasa Hojo: City Hunter and Cat’s Eye. Both series, beloved for decades, are now set to captivate English-language audiences in gorgeous collector’s omnibus editions on sale in September 2025.

City Hunter, the iconic manga inspired by1980s Tokyo nightlife, arrives in a deluxe English-language omnibus edition containing the first three volumes of the original Japanese series, featuring all original art and a stunning six-page full-color insert. Known worldwide for blending action, comedy, and romance, City Hunter follows Saeba Ryo, an exceptional marksman and charismatic antihero, as he navigates the thrilling and dangerous underbelly of Tokyo. The recent Netflix adaptation of City Hunter (2024) was a monumental success, becoming the #1 most-watched film on Netflix Japan for two consecutive weeks, as well as the top non-English film globally upon release.

Joining City Hunter, Cat’s Eye, a sparkling romantic-action-comedy, receives its first-ever English manga release. Following sisters Rui, Ai, and Hitomi as they embark on high-stakes art heists to uncover the mystery behind their father’s disappearance, Cat’s Eye masterfully blends romance, suspense, and humor. Fans can also look forward to a new anime adaptation exclusively premiering on Disney+ in fall 2025, perfectly timed to coincide with Kana’s English release.
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blink-182 And Hozier To Headline Sea.Hear.Now 2025

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seahearnowfestival2025Sea.Hear.Now will bring headliners blink-182 and Hozier to the beaches of Asbury Park, NJ on September 13-14, 2025. Lenny Kravitz, LCD Soundsystem, Alabama Shakes, Sublime, ZZ Top, Public Enemy, Remi Wolf, TV On The Radio, Phantogram, 4 Non Blondes and many more will perform at the world-class 2-Day festival that takes place at the iconic North Beach and Bradley Park in Asbury Park, NJ.

Sea.Hear.Now celebrates music, surf, and art with over 25 artists, three stages, a professional surf contest and art installations throughout the weekend. For the full lineup and by-day performances visit www.seahearnowfestival.com.

Between the two main stages fans can watch some of the biggest east coast surf legends catch waves between the jetties. This year’s surf contest returns with the ocean calling the winner; the “North Beach Sessions” pro surfer who catches the “wave of the day” will take home the prize purse. The 2025 esteemed surf lineup includes: Landon McNamara, winner of the 2024 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, alongside east coast surfers Cam Richards, Balaram Stack, Sam Hammer, Rob Kelly, Cassidy McClain, Pat Schmidt, Mike Gleason, Tommy Ihnken, Logan Kamen, Jamie DeWitt, Cole Deveney, Audrey Iglay, Paul Francisco, and Mia Gallagher.
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Claude Lelouch’s “A Man And A Woman” New Restoration

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a-man-and-a-womanClaude Lelouch’s arthouse classic A MAN AND A WOMAN (1966), starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Anouk Aimée, will run at Film Forum from Friday, April 4 to Thursday, April 17, in a new restoration supervised by the director. Mr. Lelouch will appear in person at screenings on opening weekend, as well as at a special screening of his latest film, the comedy-drama FINALEMENT, on Thursday, April 3.

In A MAN AND A WOMAN, race car driver Jean-Louis Trintignant and “la scripte-girl” Anouk Aimée meet at their kids’ boarding school, and then the flashbacks and Francis Lai’s can’t-get-it-out-of-your-head main love theme begin, in the undeniably romantic international smash hit – winner of the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or, two Academy Awards® (Best Foreign Film and Best Original Screenplay), and two nominations (Best Director and Best Actress).

Lelouch’s LA BONNE ANNÉE, CAT AND MOUSE, LES UNS ET LES AUTRES, AND NOW MY LOVE, and LES MISÉRABLES will also be shown during the run of A MAN AND A WOMAN.
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Alex Maleev’s Breathtaking Hank Howard Painting Revealed, Five Days To Launch

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The-Complete-HANK-HOWARDBad Idea has unveiled the stunning cover to The Complete HANK HOWARD ultra-deluxe hardcover. Beautifully painted by superstar artist, Alex Maleev (Batman, Daredevil).

One of the most talented and respected artists in comics, Maleev rarely ventures outside of the big two. An Eisner award-winning master illustrator, known for his seminal work on Daredevil, with frequent collaborator Brian Michael Bendis, which became the visual template for the hit Netflix television adaptation.

For Hank Howard, Pizza Detective, Maleev paints a stunning vision of a Hollywood, Florida besieged by pizza crime. His painting is both reminiscent for and a modernization of the evocative paperback pulps covers that adorned crime and mystery novels of the 1920s and 1930s, while simultaneously invoking, through color, modernist fare such as the work of Sean Baker and A24 in The Florida Project. Against it all, he casts Hank as the prototypical detective of noir cinema in the vein of such giants as Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade and Ed Exley.

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Lumen Prize Announces Winners of 13th Annual Competition

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lumen-art-tech

Left to right: UchanSun, AI Nüshu; Keiken, Spirit Systems of Soft Knowing ༊*·˚;
Chia Amisola, We Are Only Moving Towards Each Other.


The Lumen Prize—the world’s preeminent award for art created with technology—has announced the winners of its 13th annual competition at a ceremony held at Kachette, London. Since 2012, The Lumen Prize has awarded over 140 artists leading the way in technology-based arts, including Refik Anadol, Sougwen Chung, Mario Klingemann, Malitzin Cortés (CNDSD), Iván Abreu, Operator, and Casey Reas. This year’s winners represent the pinnacle of technology-driven creativity, selected from a pool of 65 finalists and nearly 2,000 entries from 62 countries.

“The 2024 Lumen Prize winners exemplify the innovative spirit and technical mastery that define the intersection of art and technology,” said Gillian Varney, Director of The Lumen Prize. “Their work pushes the boundaries of what’s possible, offering new perspectives on our rapidly evolving digital world.”

The largest International Selectors Committee (ISC) in Lumen Prize history—featuring over 65 members from world-renowned institutions, including Sotheby’s, Royal College of Art, Google, Tezos, and Gucci—selected this year’s finalists. The winners were then chosen by a distinguished Jury Panel, a body of 5 individuals from prestigious institutions, including the Whitney Museum, V&A Museum, M+ Hong Kong, and HeK.
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