RED STAR NEWS

Christian Gossett's new comics!!

2011-08-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Beyond Reality Media offers FREE online comics from internationally acclaimed comic talents!

Beyond Reality Media launches its digital online comic books. The company offers readers FREE, new stories in the world of comics at beyondrealitymedia.com.

Rather than showcasing simple one page skits, Beyond Reality Media (BRM) provides complete on-going stories FREE on a weekly basis.

Utilizing experienced international comic talent, BRM’s team of creators working on the books include:

Christian Gossett (The Red Star, Electra: The Hand)
Darick Robertson (Transmetropolitan, The Boys)
JJ Kirby (Wildstorm comics)
Alan Robinson (IDW - Terminator Salvation, Harlan Ellison’s Phoenix Without Ashes)
Richard Clark (Dark Horse, The Guild: Vork)
William Geradts (BRM producer)
Richard Fairgray (Blastosaurus)
Robert Rankin (UK fantasy author)

and more.

Beyond Reality Media will release NEW comic pages Monday through Friday.

BRM is proud to present four all new books including: ATTICA, WARDEN, THE INSPIRATION DUNCANS and ROBERT RANKIN’S EMPIRES. We are also pleased to re-release Christian Gossett’s THE RED STAR.

The release schedule for our titles is as follows:

ATTICA – FRIDAYs

What if the ancient world’s bloodiest conqueror walked the modern world as its greatest prophet?

WARDEN - MONDAYs

What if the world’s greatest superhero is actually something else entirely?

THE INSPIRATION DUNCANS - TUESDAYs

Patrick discovered the missing link…then killed it. He’s REALLY sorry.

THE RED STAR - WEDNESDAYs

One of the most celebrated graphic novel series of the decade is an epic mythology inspired by the art and history of the Soviet Union. (Reprints from issue one onwards)

ROBERT RANKIN’S EMPIRES - THURSDAYs

A girl adventurer, a monkey butler, alien invaders and the darkest magic on Earth.

The year is 1895 and the world is coming to an end.

We invite you to interview the creators, showcase the various books and be a part of something new and different launching into the digital landscape in 2011!

Join us on facebook and follow us on twitter to see behind the scenes images, art and designs as well as announcements before they hit the main site.

For additional information on: Beyond Reality Media Offers All New Free Online Comics, please contact Bill Geradts at beyondrealitymedia.com:

Warner Bros in negotiations for The Red Star!!!

2011-07-21T00:20:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled to announce that Warner Bros is in negotiations to pick up the Soviet-themed sci-fi fantasy comic book series The Red Star, which had been put into turnaround by Universal.

Neal Moritz and his Original Films banner are attached to produce as is Jason Netter of comic-centric shingle Kickstart Productions.

The lavish comic, created by Christian Gossett, first appeared in 1999 and is set in an alternate USSR where futuristic technology and magical elements co-exist. The main character is a soldier in the Red Fleet and his wife, who become keys to defeating a former brutal ruler and his minions.

For the full story, please visit http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/warner-bros-snagging-red-star-213067

To see what else Christian is working on, please visit www.beyondrealitymedia.com

And don't forget our Comic-con book deals at The Red Store

Have a great show!

Team Red Star

Christian Gossett at Comicon International San Diego 2011

2011-07-16T18:25:00.001-07:00

Comic-Con is just around the corner and we are celebrating with special offers at The Red Store!! See details below.

CHRISTIAN GOSSETT will be appearing at Comicon 2011.

THURSDAY

5:00-6:00 First Comics: The First of the Great Independents Is Back with a Fury!— Legendary '80s independent publishing powerhouse First Comics is returning when the world needs it most, not unlike the promised return of King Arthur. And the assembled Round Table of extraordinary comics creators are here to tell you how they will once again be rocking your world with comics entertainment from the cutting edge. Panelists include Ken F. Levin(Wanted, The Boys, First Comics co-founder and director), Joe Staton andNick Cuti (E-Man), Bill Willingham (Fables), Max Allan Collins (Road to Perdition), Brian Mullens(founder of DaQRi; QR director), Alex Wald (art director then and again),Susannah Carson (A Truth Universally Acknowledged; First Comics YA editor), andDaniel Merlin Goodbrey(The Tarquin Engine, The Last Sane Cowboy). Moderated by Larry Young(The Black Diamond; First Comics director of production). Room 23ABC

SATURDAY

8:30-9:30 Metal Hurlant Chronicles— In the lineage of cult series such as The Twillight Zone and Tales from the Crypt, Metal Hurlant Chronicles is the science fiction live-action adaptation of stories from the eponymous world-renowned magazine (from which Heavy Metalmagazine was adapted). This panel features a TV series pilot special screening, followed by a detailed presentation of the TV series and Q&A session with creator and directorGuillaume Lubrano, producer Fabrice Giger(Humanoids), writers Geoff Johns (Green Lantern) andDan Wickline (Sinbad), and artist Christian Gossett (The Red Star).Room 8

SUNDAY

3:00-4:30 Starship Smackdown XIIX: 10th Anniversary: Ultimate Platinum Collector's Edition— The must-see panel of Comic-Con and WonderCon returns for another action-packed year as the greatest spaceships in the history of the universe converge in the ultimate conflagration for the highly coveted Smackdown title in Comic-Con's most scholarly and serious panel. Will theEnterprise once again defeat an Imperial Star Destroyer? Can theSerenity make mincemeat out of the BattlestarGalactica? And what exactly is the "Captain's Courageous" lightning round anyway? Expert spaceshipologists who attempt to outwit, outplay, and outphaser includeDaren Dochterman (ST: TMP Special Edition), Chris Gossett (The Red Star),Ashley E. Miller (X-Men: First Class, Thor), Steve Melching (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Transformers),Robert Hewitt Wolfe(Andromeda, Deep Space Nine), Robert Meyer Burnett (Free Enterprise, The Hills Run Red), and the Richard Dawson of the stars, moderator Mark A. Altman (Free Enterprise, Femme Fatales), along with some very special surprise guests and the lovely spaceship chaperone,Madison Dylan. End your weekend the San Diego way with the geekiest and most beloved panel of all time in this or any other dimension, known or unknown. All-new ships, all-new quips for this special 10th anniversary edition!Room 7AB

At The Red Store, we have two exciting specials:

1. COMICON SOFT COVER PACKAGE DEAL:

all four soft cover tradepaperbacks ($100) -

2. COMICON HARD COVER PACKAGE DEAL:

all four hardcover trade paperbacks ($200) –

NOT AVAILABLE IN STORES.

Both packages available now through August 1, 2011 atwww.theredstar.com.

As always, each book comes signed by creator and artist, Christian Gossett.

Here’s your chance to purchase ALL of the Red Star hardcovers. There are only 50 available so buy early.

You may remember the grey hardcover of Prison of Souls trade paperback was dramatically under produced the first time around. Now it is available again!

Each of the hard covers is also available for individual purchase and will be signed by Christian Gossett.

We hope that you have a great summer!

Team Red Star

theredstar@earthlink.net

www.theredstar.com

FOR A LIMITED TIME: Free sketch with a $100 purchase

2011-06-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

Until the end of June, we are offering an original sketch with a $100 purchase from the Red Store. This is your chance to get a free sketch by Christian Gossett. They are all originals. Offer ends June 30th.

The Red Star Sword of Lies to be published in Germany!

2010-08-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

We are very happy to announce that The Red Star Sword of Lies will be published in Germany. Look for it this fall!

Also, there are now more issues of The Red Star available on the iPhone through Iverse Comic App and they will soon be released on the PSP and Droid as well. They are quite stunning backlit. Please let us know if you can't find them.

Have a great rest of the summer.

The Red Star Team

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

Fan Art from Snow Lullaby at Armageddon Wellington 2010

2010-04-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the great art!

Team Red Star

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

The Red Star reviewed at Wired.com

2010-03-09T15:39:00.000-08:00

This came to us from Pyar Anderson. Thanks Pyar!

"I just wanted to let you know that The Red Star got a write up on Wired.com. They ran an article about a new book coming out called 1000 Comic Books You Must Read by Tony Isabella and then asked readers for input about "must reads' of their own. I wrote about The Red Star and now it's been included in a follow up article meant to cover important comics that weren't covered in the book." Here's the link:

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/02/readers-comics/all/1

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

Christian Gossett at Angouleme

2010-01-18T22:53:00.001-08:00

Christian Gossett and members of The Red Star team will be at Angouleme Comic Festival.

For more information, visit http://www.bdangouleme.com/index.php?langue=en

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

The Red Star Holiday Collection Specials !!!

2009-11-28T11:43:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS to our Red Star readers!

We have two exciting specials to offer you this holiday season:

1. HOLIDAY SOFT COVER PACKAGE DEAL: all four soft cover tradepaperbacks ($100) -

2. HOLIDAY HARD COVER PACKAGE DEAL: all four hardcover trade paperbacks ($200) - NOT AVAILABLE IN STORES.

Both packages available now through January 4, 2010 at www.theredstar.com . As always, each book comes signed by creator and artist, Christian Gossett.

Here’s your chance to purchase ALL of the Red Star hardcovers, NEVER BEFORE AVAILABLE! There are only 100 available so buy early.

You may remember the grey hardcover of Prison of Souls trade paperback was dramatically under produced the first time around. Now it is available again for the first time in five years!

Each of the hard covers is also available for individual purchase and will be signed by Christian Gossett.

We hope that you and yours have a great holiday season.

Team Red Star

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

The Red Star PS2 game still going strong!!

2009-11-15T16:57:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 14, 2009

The Red Star

No, not the Eisner Award-nominated comic book by Christian Gossett, designer of Darth Maul's double-bladed lightsaber. Rather, I'm here to discuss the excellent PS2 game based on that comic.

Released in 2007 after years of delays, The Red Star was to have been one of the last games by Acclaim. Acclaim went under in 2004 while the game was still in development--a shame because it would have been the company's finest title by far--but at least, three years later, players were able to enjoy the finished product courtesy of publisher XS Games. An inspired mash-up of side-scrolling beat 'em up, bullet hell shoot 'em up, and top-down multi-directional shooter, it is simply one of the best arcade-style action games I've ever played.

See full review at:

http://omega-warzard.blogspot.com/2009/11/red-star.html

Look for new format releases is early 2010!!

For more details about the game, visit http://www.archangel-studios.com/game/

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

The Red Star honored by Spectrum in New York!

2009-09-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

Christian Gossett has just returned from the opening night reception at spectrum the exhibition in New York. (For video of the exhibit, visit http://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/full_content.php?article_id=1047&full=yes&pbr=1)

The Red Star piece selected was The Knight and the Goddess (Christian Gossett, Stephen Crowe)

Details:

"Spectrum" is on display at the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators. Featuring the best contemporary "fantastic" art from renowned fantasy, science fiction, horror, and surreal artists from around the world. September 1 through October 17, 2009.

The Museum of American Illustration is proud to announce an exhibit featuring the top fantastic artists from around the world as seen in the annual SPECTRUM. Created in 1993 by Cathy and Arnie Fenner to showcase fantastic-themed art work, Spectrum is now the leading resource for art directors, art buyers, and fans of the genre. Selected pieces are chosen by top jurors in the field and images are produced in the full color book printed annually.

The SPECTRUM exhibit features a selection of over 120 works from both legendary artists and talented newcomers from the last four annuals. Divided into seven categories, the exhibit showcases multi-media works including original art in both traditional and digital medium, video, 3D, comics and graphic novels. The artwork will be on display from September 1 through October 17, 2009.

2009-07-14T17:58:00.001-07:00

Team Red Star and Saucony to release custom shoes at Comicon International San Diego 2009

Custom limited edition shoes released based on a unique design inspired by the groundbreaking art style of the graphic novel

Inspired by The Red Star™, one of the most critically acclaimed independent graphic novels of the decade, Saucony® introduces the Jazz Lo Pro - Red Star sneakers, only 800 pairs created world-wide. And like the characters that inhabit the world of The Red Star™, these shoes are more than they appear to be. Flexible and lightweight, yet full of style, these limited edition shoes will be on sale from Team Red Star at Booth #3513 or buy them online at zappos.com.

Comicon International San Diego 2009

For full press release visit: press release

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

The Red Star: Sword of Lies wins the IPPY GOLD MEDAL!!!

2009-05-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

The Red Star: Sword of Lies has won the gold medal at the 13th annual Independent Publisher Book Awards!!!

======================
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
======================

May 21, 2009 – New York, NY – Organizers of the 13th annual Independent Publisher Book Awards, conducted to honor the year's best independently published books, have announced the results for the 2009 competition.

While much of the world economy is in a slump, books and reading are gaining ground on more expensive forms of entertainment, and the annual list of “IPPY” award winners represents the kind of alternative viewpoints today’s readers crave.

This year’s awards attracted 4,090 entries from throughout the U.S. and Canada, plus most English-speaking countries worldwide. Medal-winning books came from 44 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia, eight Canadian provinces, and six countries overseas. Launched in 1996 as the first unaffiliated awards program open exclusively to independent, university, and self-published titles, the 2009 IPPY Awards will be presented to winners at a gala celebration during BookExpo America in New York on Friday, May 29th.

The IPPY Awards are presented by IndependentPublisher.com, the online “voice of independent publishing” operated by publishing services firm Jenkins Group of Traverse City, Michigan. The annual IPPY Awards celebration on Friday night during BookExpo America is a highlight of the weekend and publishing media are welcome to attend.

Graphic Novel/Drawn Book – Drama/Documentary

Gold: The Red Star: Sword of Lies, by Christian Gossett (Archangel Studios)
Silver: Hatter M: The Looking Glass Wars, by Frank Beddor with Liz Cavalier (Automatic Pictures Publishing)
Bronze (tie): Macbeth: The Graphic Novel, script adaptation by John McDonald, art by Jon Haward (Classical Comics Ltd.) and Good and Evil, by Michael Pearl (No Greater Joy Ministries, Inc.)

For complete results, visit http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1298

Signed Copies of The Red Star: Sword of Lies are now on sale in The Red Store.

2009-04-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

This Week in Co-Op: The Red Star

Jason "OrigamiPanther" Love April 22nd, 2009 at 11:53 AM

Добро пожаловать (Welcome), comrades! As Jim highlighted in last week’s “This Week in Co-Op,” sometimes a great co-op experience can be found lurking in the catalog of last gen’s titles. So this past weekend I dusted off my copy of one such co-op title that was overlooked when it was released, The Red Star, and decided to give it a run through. With my partner in tow, we stepped into an alternate Russia where two soldiers seek to put an end to a corrupt government being lead by a mystical, and evil, sorcerer known as Troika.

The Red Star, a video game based on the graphic novel by Christian Gossett, combines three different, common gaming genres into one game: action brawler, RPG, and bullet-hell/shoot ‘em up. I had played this long ago when it first came out, and didn’t remember much about it except that about halfway through the game, the bullet-hell aspect of the game really comes through. Since my friend is a fan of that particular genre, I figured that bringing him along to help take down Troika’s tyranny would be the perfect choice. I believe, however, that by the end of our game my friend wished he had played the game solo rather than struggle through a bullet-hell shooter with a partner that attracts bullets.

My partner gravitated towards the speedy, slight, and young warrior, Makita, so I went with the only other option presented to me, the burly, bald, and brusque bodyguard, Kyuzo. One character that’s really strong and another that’s really fast: it’s a natural kind of pairing and one that would serve well for most action brawlers, but there’s that sticking point of the “shoot ‘em up” aspect. Each stage is split up into a mixture of brawler and shoot ‘em up segments and at the end of a stage you earn points that can be spent upgrading various aspects, such as defense, weapon strength, and your Protocol (read “super strong charge up”) attack. The brawler segments are typically those sections in between bosses, and rely upon a combination of shooting and melee combos (which are named for various philosophical and scientific principles). The boss sections are where the bullets really start to fly and when we got to our first boss, I could tell already that my partner was going to breeze through most of these encounters.

While the bullets weren’t exactly pouring out from the boss like water from a shower, my partner was never-the-less dancing about the game screen like a ballerina. I’ll fully admit that there was a certain poetry in the way he was able to dodge bullets that seemed to only just barely miss him as he unloaded his own stream of bullets. It was so amazing to watch that I temporarily forgot to move my character. However, as I quickly discovered, moving my character about really only prolonged my eventual demise and I was probably better off, in some ways, simply standing still. Let’s just say that when it came time for me to put my bullet dodging skills to the test and do my intricate dance in and out of the narrow gaps between streams of bullets, the phrase “steers like a cow” popped into my head quite often.

When I wasn’t plowing through bullets like Pac-Man through pac-dots, things were going really well. Kyuzo, despite his slow movements, was performing admirably at decimating enemies with his sheer brute strength. What took my partner 7 or 8 hits to take down one enemy, I achieved in just a few deft strokes of my weapon. Being able to tease my partner with “oh, is this guy causing you trouble? Here let me just take care of that” helped soothe my bruised ego some, and the fact that I was the one keeping my partner from getting completely overrun probably kept him outright grabbing the controller from me during boss fights and playing both characters at the same time (something I’m pretty sure he could do with a combination of twine, feet, and a drinking straw). We eventually found ourselves falling into a natural sort of balance. Since he was fast, shooting a lot, and not getting hit too much, he powered up his guns and Protocol attack. Since I was the equivalent of a rolling ball of meat (but twice as strong!), I focused on my defense, melee attacks, and basically trying to stay alive long enough for him to kill the boss. As I said before, a natural pairing.

Unfortunately for us my friend had to leave for a “prior engagement,” so we’ll have to tackle Troika another time. I’ll be training, however, so that the next time I face an evil Communist government that’s lead by a sorcerer who employs an army of evil minions that can fire more bullets than a Michael Bay film I’ll be prepared… to hide behind a rock.

http://www.co-optimus.com/article/1677/This_Week_in_Co-Op__The_Red_Star.html

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

The Red Star - NOW AVAILABLE on the iPhone and Google Android!!

2009-04-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

Team Red Star is pleased to announce its release of the adaptation of The Red Star to the iPhone and Google Android. The Red Star #1 and The Red Star #2 are currently available.

If you have an iPhone, iPod touch or Google Android, please download, rate and review The Red Star #1 and #2. Simply search for "The Red Star" on the iPhone or Google Android. If you have an iPhone or iPod touch you can also click on either of the images to be taken to the iTunes app store.

The Red Star #3 will be available soon!

Team Red Star

Signed Copies of Trade Paperback #4 are now on sale in The Red Store.

Lego Konstantinov

2009-03-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

Emil here. Recently, I thought about what would be a fun free bonus to release as a gift to the readers to commemorate the release of the Sword of Lies trade paperback, and in a impressive display of scattered sideways thinking, decided building a Lego Konstantinov was definitely the right thing to do. The good people of Lego offer a free program, called the Lego Digital Designer, which one can use to build just about anything out of Legos, then upload their model to the Lego Factory where others can both download the model for themselves and tinker with it in said Lego Digital Designer, and also buy all the bricks required for said model with one click. As the price for this one is steep, what with the 886 pieces required (although quite gentle compared to what a Lego Millenium Falcon will set you back for...), the fun of downloding the model and tinkering with it in your very own copy of LDD remains. So, here goes. Hope you enjoy it.

Lego Digital Designer;

http://ldd.lego.com/

And the legendary Lego Konstantinov;

Click Here

Signed Copies of Sword of Lies are now on sale in The Red Store.

THE RED STAR TRADE PAPERBACK #4: SWORD OF LIES is now available!!

2009-03-02T14:38:00.001-08:00

THE RED STAR TRADE PAPERBACK #4: SWORD OF LIES is now available at theredstar.com

The Red Star, one of the most celebrated graphic novels of the decade, is an epic mythology inspired by the art and history of the Soviet Union. Sword of Lies is the 4th graphic novel in the collection. Integrating traditionally drawn characters and computer generated environments, The Red Star is unique in its cinematic visual style.

With unforgettable pencils by multiple Eisner nominee Christian Gossett and extraordinary digital painting by the world famous Weta Workshop New Zealand, this 200 page graphic novel not only continues the adventures of the Skyfurnace Konstantinov, it takes readers back to the origin story of The Red Star.

Signed Copies of Sword Of Lies are now on sale in The Red Store.

The Return of the Vengeance of Chmakova - The Sequel

2008-08-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers (and fellow readers of other fine graphic works),

You may recall our post mentioning the famed Svetlana Chmakova;

http://theredstarnews.blogspot.com/2007/12/famed-manga-creator-interprets-makita.html

...one of our favorite Manga creators, and certainly our favorite OEL Manga creator, as they're referred to in the ever-hair-splitting parlance of publishing marketing lingo. At any rate, since the end of Dramacon, we have been eagerly awaiting Svetlana's next work, and now it's finally here! And sure enough, we have been getting a kick out of it. Her new series, NIGHTSCHOOL, is being published in monthly installments (we know, we're baffled by this lightning speed too...) in the new Manga & OEL Manga anthology magazine, Yen Plus.

The first issue debuted at San Diego Comic Con 2008, where Emil once again had the great pleasure of spending some time with Svetlana (alas, Chris missed out this time), who was gracious enough to sign a copy of the magazine for him.

Well, the second issue is now out at fine retailers like Barnes & Noble (this is actually the only one we can confirm, as elsewhere only the August issue is still available), so we urge all of you who enjoyed Dramacon to go out there and grab yourselves a copy. And all you Manga & OEL Manga fans in general, should have a look. It's a pretty hefty chunk of graphic storytelling entertainment for $8.99 .

The second (September) issue also contains an interview with Svetlana, and some of the Nightschool pages are in color.

Thanks for reading.

R.I.P Don S. Davis

2008-08-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

It is with great sadness that we note the passing of veteran actor Don S. Davis at age 65. Don was a truly special individual, much beloved by both his fans and fellow cast members. He was famous for his humbleness and love, generosity and kindness toward his fans. He'll be greatly missed.

From his official website:

Don was born and raised in Missouri Ozark in Aurora, Missouri in August 1942. His picturesque home is made up of towns and farms, rivers and lakes. This was the perfect artistic inspiration that sparked a love of drawings, paintings and carvings found on his personal site www.donsdavisart.com. Although Don’s full time acting career did not start until 1987, he received his bachelor degree in science and achieved a double major in theatre and art from Southwest Missouri State College in 1965. He went on to serve in the army, and upon leaving his duties had achieved the rank of Captain.

Don completed his Masters Degree in 1970 and achieved his Phd in 1982. He then taught for a number of years at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC before starting his acting career.

Don was a veteran character actor in the film and television industry. He is best known for his roles as Major Garland Briggs in the series, TWIN PEAKS, and for his portrayal of General George Hammond in the series, STARGATE SG-1. You can view his filmography at www.donsdavis.com.

The Litany of Experience

2008-08-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

All kinds of highly intelligent, informed and influential individuals are flooding the media with their tributes to Solzhenitsyn even as I type this, and I can hardly compete with their impact. Indeed, I'd be more than a little arrogant to think of myself as any kind of expert on his works or his impact on the world in general.

So, here's something on a smaller scale.

As was the case with many dissidents in many different countries, Solzhenitsyn's life was rife with irony, indeed even toward the very end, when Putin attempted to use him to show himself as the new, kinder, gentler autocrat. I'm not sure how many people were fooled by seeing the photo op of a frail, elderly, wheelchair-bound Solzhenitsyn shaking the hand of a rather smug-looking Putin (in fairness, that is his default facial expression), but it sure was ironic.

This reminded me of someone who was an avid reader of Solzhenitsyn's works and an admirer of the great man, my own grandfather. Indeed, there was more than a passing resemblance between the two of them. The beard, the hair, the intense eyes.

Grandfather's life was rife with irony, as well. I wouldn't call him intensely politically active, or indeed even an active dissident (other than his reading of banned books, that is), but his habit of going against the grain made him a dissident, whether he had wanted it or not.

My grandparents both emigrated from the "Old Country" soon after WW2. They actually met here in the United States and got married. They had two children and things were going fairly smoothly. However, there were a few snags.

When my grandfather had first entered the United States, someone had handed him one of those questionnaires that among other things, asks if you had ever been a member of the Communist Party. Even though he actually hadn't been a member, but was merely inducted into the youth organizations (the equivalents of Boy Scouts and Eagle Scouts), he had a moment of urge for complete honesty, and answered that indeed, he had been a member at one time.

This wasn't immediately a problem. But it wasn't long before that psychopath Joe McCarthy and his attack dogs were running around looking for blood. While those scum had their fun, Grandfather was terrified. Indeed, the years of the Red Scare were a very rough time. I'm sure the FBI was very worried indeed about someone who in his spare time enjoyed Gunsmoke, Bonanza and cartoons featuring Sylvester, his favorite animated character, and thought about drawing cowboy comic books (sadly, he never did get around to it, even though he had the skills). Having escaped oppression once though, Grandfather was understandably sensitive about being under the system's looking glass once again.

But the Red Scare passed eventually, or at least faded a bit. My grandparents were also loyal Democrats. As the years went on, Los Angeles was becoming a pretty rough place (the 60s). There was the crowding, the smog (indeed, my mom and uncle, both native Angelenos, missed school quite often due to the intense pollution), and of course the race warfare. Grandpa and Grandma were Eugene McCarthy fans, and with McCarthy losing, Bobby Kennedy murdered, and Tricky Dick winning the election, in combination with everything else, they were pretty crushed and disillusioned.

They also missed their home islands. So they grabbed the kids and emigrated back to the old country, which was still part of Communist Yugoslavia back then, in the early Seventies.

Here's where the irony kicked in. The local communist apparatchiks were none too warm towards returning immigrants (this was the same throughout the country during the Communist years). Indeed, all returnees were considered rich, decadent imperialists spreading their evil capitalist influence around the perfect Communist paradise.

So, after spending many years terrified of the Red witch-hunts in the US, Grandfather went back, only to be intensely on the Communists' shit lists.

Naturally he couldn't have been too impressed with all this, and so he spent his time reading works by dissidents like Solzhenitsyn and Yugoslavia's own internationally-renowned Milovan Djilas, who's works are greatly admired by yours truly and Chris, as well. If you have any interest in the history and evolution of Communism, and don't want to read any of his other works (like the seminal "The New Class", translated into among other languages Chinese - in the 60s, even though they could really use it right about now), at least read his "Conversations with Stalin". It's a thin little tome, but it leaves quite an impression. Just ask Chris.

Mr. Solzhenitsyn would no doubt have appreciated the ironies of Grandfather's path. He was a decorated WW2 hero, only to end up in the Gulag immediately after for criticizing Stalin in a letter. He was lauded in the Soviet Union for writing "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" during Khruschev's thaw and de-Stalinization, only to get denounced and exiled in the 70s for basically expanding on its themes and materials when he wrote the several volumes of the Gulag Archipelago. He went to the West, where among other activities, he was along with Andrei Sakharov, Djilas and others an editor of the magazine "KONTINENT", created for commentary about various aspects of life in the Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, and published in the West in several languages, including Russian.

Having come to the West, Solzhenitsyn was none too overjoyed to find out that the freedom to speak out came with some downsides;

As Solzhenitsyn often had a religious tint to his commentaries and beliefs, someone was apparently curious to see what the completely agnostic Djilas would have to say about his works. This is what happened;

When asked if he agrees with Solzhenitsyn, the Agnostic Djilas picks up a copy of "Gulag" to show the passages underlined in pencil "The most significant book of our times." A common bond? The litany of experience.

Juliana Geran Pilon, Reviewing the magazine Kontinent, 1977

The litany of experience. Even though Grandfather, Solzhenitsyn's loyal reader and admirer (indeed, he drew an amazing portrait of the great man - he was a very accomplished artist, and had a great knack for likenesses), and Solzhenitsyn himself lived in quite different circumstances, I like to think they would have understood each other very well indeed and had something to bond over - the ironies of the lives of dissidence they were pushed into by great forces beyond their control.

Aleksandr Isayevich fully embraced his situation, and Grandfather endured his quietly while trying to work on his art and provide for his family, but knowing the books Grandfather read and the people he admired, Solzhenitsyn at the very top of that list, I know he appreciated the horrible waste of the Communist system he lived the later part of his life in and the irony of being made a rebel against it even though he didn't want the battle.

“I had to follow that road, even if my steps were confused and indecisive. Otherwise I would not remain a man in my own eyes. For if I know something with certainty and I am convinced of its truth, how can I deny it, hide it from my closest friends; from the world and from myself?”

Milovan Djilas

“Patriotism means unqualified and unwavering love for the nation, which implies not uncritical eagerness to serve, not support for unjust claims, but frank assessment of its vices and sins, and penitence for them”

“Violence can only be concealed by a lie, and the lie can only be maintained by violence. Any man who has once proclaimed violence as his method is inevitably forced to take the lie as his principle.”

“The salvation of mankind lies only in making everything the concern of all.”

“It is time in the West to defend not so much human rights as human obligations.”

"Of course God is endlessly multi-dimensional so every religion that exists on earth represents some face, some side of God."

"Can a man who's warm understand one who's freezing?" - One day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

"The next war... may well bury Western civilization forever."

Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn

Keep an eye out for the liars,

Emil

Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn 1918-2008

2008-08-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

Team Red Star is saddened to note the passing of the great Russian writer, dissident and humanitarian, Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn, who passed on Sunday the 3rd, at the age of 89.

Solzhenitsyn's works were one of the main inspirations for the creation of The Red Star. Indeed, Red Star's stand-alone Issue 5, "A Worker's Tale", was Chris' tribute to Solzhenitsyn's "Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich".

THE RED STAR: Sword of Lies #3 is here!!

2008-07-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

THE RED STAR: Sword of Lies Issue #3 - an epic 64 page annual, will have its worldwide premiere at San Diego Comic Con 2008, including a special foil cover edition, limited to only 500 copies.

TEAM RED STAR's LUXURIOUS ADDRESS - Since Comicon International San Diego 2005, the world famous GENTLE GIANT STUDIOS has hosted Team Red Star within their lavish exhibit in the very front of Hall C, Booth 3513.

This year will continue the tradition, and Team Red Star will be putting on one of their best shows ever. Red Star series creator Christian Gossett, as well as many other members of Team Red Star, will be making appearances throughout the week, signing and sketching.

SNAP N' WIN PRIZES AT THE RED STAR BOOTH! - To celebrate the release of THE RED STAR:

Sword of Lies #3, Archangel Studios is giving away hundreds of prizes to its readership in attendance! Working with Norprint, Team Red Star has commissioned its first ever Limited Collector Card Set. Each card is a rare collectible; one of only 400 sets made exclusively for Comicon San Diego 2008. What's more, each card offers the possibility of instantly winning prizes at the booth. Finally, one lucky winner will uncover the Grand Prize and have their name and likeness appear as a character in an upcoming publication! Stop by our booth to purchase your own Red Star Collector Card Set.

THE RED STAR: THE EPIC CONTINUES - And not to worry, for those of you only now discovering one of the most unique worlds in epic fiction today, or for those who wish to show their friends firsthand why you just can't stop going on about this Red Star thing, a supply of the classic Red Star Trade Paper Backs, nominated for multiple Eisner awards and voted one of the 100 greatest graphic novels of all time by Wizard magazine, will be available for purchase at special show discounts!*

*discounts vary. Visit the Red Star booth (Hall C - Booth #3513) for details and pricing options.

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

Indie Publisher welcomes Saucony to Comicon International San Diego 2008

2008-07-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

Team Red Star to wear custom designed Saucony shoes at Comicon International San Diego 2008!!

That's right. Saucony! One of the world's premier designers of competition footwear and sports apparel has designed an exclusively limited edition design inspired by the Red Star saga! Members of Team Red Star will be sporting their new wheels from Thursday through Sunday!

Stop by the Red Star Booth* to check them out!!!!

*The Red Star is generously hosted by Gentle Giant Studios (Hall C - Booth #3513)

What does 'Bloodied' mean?!: A look at 4th Edition D&D

2008-06-10T12:06:00.000-07:00

I like the Dragon as an Ampersand. C'mon, it's clever-- admit it.

It's the first question every one of my RPG playing friends has asked when looking at the new character sheets for Wizard of the Coast's new bright & shiny version of D&D.

The covers have a nifty spot varnish on them--
what is it about shiny that we like so much?

Granted, they're all serious veterans of the previous editions of the game. Hardened fighters, embattled clerics and besieged mages of a bygone era; before the books offered the kinds of healthy advice they do these days. "As a DM, you are not playing against the players..." heh.

It is hilarious that most of the new Dungeon Master's Guide is a treatise on not being a psycho DM.

See? The DM's guide still appeals to a particular
kind of personality... am I right?

It's hard to imagine what it must be like if one were reading the book as a modern tween; those squishy youngsters who can't imagine a time before seatbelts and airbags, and what might become of them if they were ever to face the kind of sociopathic Dungeon Masters that defined the game's earlier years.

Given the dark, brooding nature of so many of those diligent first wave DM's and the hilarious tales of the kinds of punishment their games used to dish out, it really was a laugh to hear that refrain:

"Hey...What does Bloodied mean...?"

I guess it shouldn't really be a surprise to any of us whose first saving throws were 14,15,16,17,17 that the term 'Bloodied' on a character sheet was something that required immediate definition.

I'm reminded of the great work of Jon Kovalic, whose humorous accounts of those times are as much a form of generational therapy as they are a gift of hilarious nostalgia.

Thanks to John's Dork Tower series, we all realized that the neighborhood psycho DM one might have been subjected to was actually not as bad as what some people had to deal with. It was a pleasing, healing thought.

I mean, it's not as if World of Warcraft is some kind of technological salvation for extreme personalities.

As someone who has been witness to some serious life repurcussions for friends who play World of Warcraft, it's clear that even in the digital realm personal dynamics can make a game far less fun than it should be, even one as truly incredible as WOW.

Hell, from what I've seen happen to some friends of mine who play WOW, they can be even worse. Which is why the paragon level geek in me was so giddy about picking up my 4E books.

They rule, by the way--

wait a minute, I should say "They Own" right?

Seriously, they do. It is the best version of the game yet. Not to mention the timing is fantastic, with gas prices being what they are.

It's gonna be a fun summer.

So print out your Borders coupon, click into Amazon, or if you're truly a hero then step into a local privately owned bookstore and pick up your books immediately.

I promise you'll truly enjoy playing the greatest evolutionary step in gaming since the ancient and honored Mssrs. Gygax and Arneson first put pencil to paper, thereby saving an entire generation from yet another game of Chutes and Frakkin' Ladders.

Goss

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

A brief tribute to Carl Sagan

2008-05-24T11:54:00.001-07:00

The American Presidency.

How did your mind react to reading that?

Perhaps you groaned at the idea of even reading about it all. As I hope you and I share a hatred of the Official Punditry that has destroyed our nation's political dialogue, I'd like to assure you that I'm not going there.

Whatever your reaction was, if you are the rare individual who still believes that there is a chance of that office somehow reestablishing its credibility after the surreal horror of the Bush Presidency, then please read on:

The following is a quote from Carl Sagan. A man possessed of a kind of intellect that has become silenced in our country. When PBS aired his series COSMOS, Sagan became a national star. Thought was dignified. The massive success of that series was a statement of the time: Critical observation, and believing in the possibilities of the future of human civilization was something that every human being was inspired to contemplate. At the very least, we were assured of this: If we didn't nuke one another, the future really could be pretty cool.

How sad, then, that it should come to this. That the son of a family whose fortunes have been made by protecting the worst war criminals of the century (go ahead, google the Bush family fortune if you haven't figured this out already) should sit in the oval office.

Further, that he should get so much support from the same southern and midwestern states whose lives have been so devastated by his policies.

I wonder if any good ol' boys from the poverty stricken deep south were sipping champagne at Jenna's wedding...

At any rate. I read the following quote and remembered to what great heights our nation once aspired.

As for how far we've fallen, we have no excuse. Many great minds warned us. Here is one of them, speaking years ago:

" I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grand children's time ...

when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues;

when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority;

when clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes,

our critical faculties in decline,

unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true,

we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstitions and darkness."

Carl Sagan

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

SWORD OF LIES ALTERNATE COVER PREVIEW

2008-05-20T21:50:00.000-07:00

TROIKA RETURNS in Sword of Lies #3, and is featured on this exclusive limited edition cover.

This cover will be limited to 500 copies, and will only be available here at theredstar.com and the upcoming Comicon International San Diego.

Drawn by Christian Gossett, painted by Stephen Crowe. Design by Emil Petrinic.

For more information about one of The Red Star's most powerful villains, check the Dossier section of www.theredstar.com

-Team Red Star

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

Those Marvel Studios guys know their stuff...

2008-05-06T17:36:00.001-07:00

Adi Granov... we all love you.

IRON MAN

Casting.

I walked out of Iron Man the other night, big smile on my face, happy to have seen such a great ‘comic book flick’ and one word kept going over and over in my mind.

Casting.

The minute I first heard Robert Downey, Jr. had been cast as Iron Man, I thought somebody was watching over Marvel Studios. The excitement began for anyone who reads comics. The minute Downey’s name rang that bell, those famous covers of Tony Stark fighting off his addiction came to mind. It was perfect.Robert Downey, Jr. Truly a man of his generation. And we love him for it. If he can come back, it still ain't too late for the rest of us...!

Casting.

I personally hadn’t paid much attention during the film’s production. I knew Favreau was directing, I knew Adi Granov had changed Iron Man’s destiny, giving the character new ‘filmic’ potential with brilliant modernizations of the technology, that was about it. So imagine my very pleasant surprise when the woman Shakespeare loved stepped onscreen as Tony Stark’s Girl Friday. Wow. “Can this really be happening?” I thought. Gwyneth Paltrow?! If she straightened out The Bard then Tony Stark is done for. Brilliant again.

Fair Viola... Pretty Pepper... please do come back for the sequel, m'lady.

Casting.

Flashback to the summer of 1981. North Hollywood, California. Young Chris Gossett has scratched together another two dollars in change so that he can go to the early matinee at the United Artists 6 on Victory near Laurel Canyon. Why? Because I simply must see Tron one more time. Jeff Bridges was the leading man in those sun-drenched days of yore, and a fantastic one.

Years later, as a teenager, my future mother in law would deride her daughter and I for wasting our time on some teen romance flick we'd seen because "You should've gone to see Starman! It was wonderful!" ...and yes, Valerie, you were right. Thanks again. :)

Jeff Bridges is one of those rare stars in that he is such a chameleon. It's as if each role is pulled from some parallel universe in which we are allowed to see what would've happened to Jeff Bridges had his fate been something other than what we know it to be.

As likeable as he is, he's also a great bad guy. It’s like Selznick always said: 'There’s no better to play the Heavy than a Star.'

And what a star, indeed.

Bridges has gone from one side of the universe to the other in his roles and always been incredible. His films read like a random IMDB search... Seabiscuit. White Squall. Tucker. Starman. Lebowski. The man is a god.

Casting.

There is, however, the most important casting coup of all. It’s not Downey. It’s not Paltrow or Bridges or ILM.

It was Marvel’s decision to take matters into their own hands that was the greatest casting of all.
Go ahead and smile, Joe. Nice job.

Honestly. Imagine someone at Marvel's offices in my beloved New York City telling Joe Q. and the editorial gang that they were going to write an issue of Spiderman in which Peter Parker does what poor Toby Maguire had to do in that last Spidey flick? It would've been fun for a laugh, but nobody in that room would be incompetent enough to green light the realization of such a sequence.

Another example, same scenario. Editor's meeting at Joe Q's office: some writer pitches a Hulk issue in which the Hulk fights off giant Hulk Dogs. One of them being a Hulk Standard Poodle...

No such travesty would've lived in an issue of the Hulk. And yet...! When given over to the brilliant minds one finds in a movie studio's production offices, such horrors befall even the great heroes of the Marvel pantheon.

Daredevil.

Elektra.

The first Hulk movie.

These were all before Marvel became Marvel Studios. Before they cast themselves in the part of Movie Moguls. This time, they financed the operation. This time, they called the shots. The creative decisions were not happening without consultation of the Marvel brain trust.

Comic book people. People who know Tony Stark like its nobody else's business.

The difference is clear. Iron Man’s box office shows that.

I’m looking forward to more from Marvel Studios.

I’m also hoping that studio investors all over town will get the hint.

Marvel studios should be applauded. They've shattered one of the favorite mantras of the hollywood development executive: that in order to make a 'movie' out of a 'comic book' it is the prerogative of the studio to do so without the participation of any 'comic book people'.

Iron Man proves the opposite. It proves that heroic fiction is best told by those who live with it everyday.

Take note, scions of the silver screen: If you want to chase the success of this past weekend, and release comic book movies that make huge money, maybe it ain't so crazy to rely on the same talent pool that made those characters bankable in the first place.

Goss

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

SPECTRUM 15

2008-03-26T16:12:00.001-07:00

That was a quick year, wasn't it?

And a great one for many reasons.

One of which being that, once again, the judges at SPECTRUM, the finest annual collection of fantasy art in the world, have selected a piece from The Red Star for inclusion into their next publication.

The way it works with Spectrum is that you can submit many pieces for selection. Few, if any, make it in. As this is the case, we're not sure which piece is the happy winner, as the final announcement comes by mail. We do know that it is once again the ever brilliant and ever humble Stephen Crowe of Weta Workshop, New Zealand who was the painter on this one.

As soon as we know more, we'll post the details. Honestly!

www.spectrumfantasticart.com

Please do visit the site. It is an honor to be among the artists in Spectrum, and I'd like to personally thank the judges for myself and for every member of Team Red Star for their consideration.

I'd also like to thank every member of the team for their contribution to SWORD OF LIES. This, our fourth story arc, has been one of the most successful chapters in the history of The Red Star.

Goss

CRACKDOWN sends props to THE RED STAR

2007-12-19T16:50:00.000-08:00

Being welcomed into a game company's office is always a good time. Whether it was to do freelance designs for Namco's KILLSWITCH, or when I worked for Microsoft last year on SHADOWRUN, we've been lucky to find fans among the developers.

Team Red Star and I used to wonder what percentage of the Red Star adorned cubicles and desktops were planned to make us feel welcome, and which posters, TPB's and zippos were placed lovingly by friends of the series.

One way you can separate the truth from the good intentions, one way to really know that someone is passing along the good word, is the ancient and honorable tribute known as Homage. Making some brief cameo of a reference to something one has enjoyed.

Snakebite, Kayl and I were always chomping at the bit to let other artists out there know that we were geeks for their stuff. Kia Asamiya, the great Kaluta and Whelan, Frank Miller, etc. we'd mob them at shows and hide subtle winks at them all over the pages of the issues.

So it's always nice to get that appreciation back in return.

There are so many hidden treasures of homage to The Red Star over the years, from tattoos to skateboard and snowboard art to TV episodes and Videogames, we've been collecting them for some kind of gallery down the road. No solid plans yet, but it'll be fun to show them all off in one place.

This one is from the X360 game CRACKDOWN. Sent by one of our many spies in the Microsoft Game Studios. Many Bothans died to bring us this information... We honor them here.

If anyone spots stuff like this, please don't hesitate to let us know. We'll post them along with your name and hometown... unless you'd rather remain incognito, of course.

Goss

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

Memories...

2007-12-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

This is a picture taken by a friend of mine on the set of Peter Jackson's KING KONG.

The time is November, 2004. Richard Taylor has offered me the chance to work on the film. My responsibilities take me from the concept design team to a nearly disastrous tenure in the miniatures shop (perhaps another time for that story... like never.) and last but foremost onto the wardrobe/native weaponry department on the Skull Island set at Mt. Crawford, Wellington.

We were high above Wellington Harbor, doing night shoots of the natives during the sacrifice scene. The rain was intense. That's what rain is like when you have four massive rain towers creating torrential downpour on you in the middle of the night. Not that we could complain; the crew were all in heavy raingear. It's the courageous natives wearing straw cod pieces and sandals that get the Victoria Cross for those nights.

After the many hours of prep for each shoot, it was on to the filming. Between takes in the long hours of the middle of the night, one of the many tasks was to keep the actors portraying the natives from freezing solid where they stood. This meant a mad dash of blankets, hot drinks and soup handed out over a slippery set tangled with cables, lights, cameras, support structures, etc. with any kind of even surface rare to find. Skull Island's set, like any of those from Lord of the Rings, was an incredibly detailed museum quality diorama in full life scale. Which meant that the whole place from ground up was built to portray a native culture, and navigating its terrain was part of one's responsibilities as a proud member of that veteran crew.

With more than 500 people running around doing their jobs preparing the next shot or set-up, things got wonderfully wild. In one such shoulder to shoulder mob, I offered yet another cup of soup to the person in front of me without looking up to see that it was not an actor, but Peter's better half Fran Walsh. She smirked at me from behind her glasses, understandingly and yet humorously; we both chuckled at my mistake and moved on into the fray...

This doesn't even mention what my friends in makeup had to do. Their duty was to keep their complex native makeups from disintegrating underneath the Antarctic winds blowing up from the harbor and the relentless shower of artificial rain. Some of which had taken more than half a day to apply! Damned good fun!!! Thanks again, Richard.

I'm very happy to be planning a return to New Zealand in April of 2008, for yet another go-round at Bill Geradts' ARMAGEDDON pulp-culture expo. The greatest pop-culture exhibition in the southern hemisphere. More on that in the coming weeks.

Goss

Author of the Day: JK Rowling

2007-12-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

I usually don't do really 'bloggy' blogs, but I thank you for bearing with me:

In the world before that horrible September, and 'that day which shall not be named' there was a book released by an unknown author that I'm still happy to have picked up that night at the Borders in Woodland Hills.

Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone was already becoming huge at that point, but not what it would become. Jo hadn't even heard of it when I showed her what I was buying, "You're going to buy a children's book?" she asked, making sure in that doctor's way of hers that this wasn't some sign of a descent into early midlife crisis.

"It's about mages, so..." I'd said. Long before Jo and I were married we'd been high school sweethearts and, importantly, players in the same Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

Jo, being a fan of 'classic fantasy' (her father read her and her sister the Tolkien epics in the delicate wonder of their elementary school years) wasn't crazy about what the cover promised; a boy in sneakers and modern clothing learning his chops flying a broom. She shrugged her shoulders and smiled, most likely estimating whether this was going to become another dust collector in our library of a home, or, hopefully, yet another entertaining chapter in our lives wrought from the unpredictable nature of my eccentricity.

Having left the book in plain sight on one of our 'I'm planning on reading this soon' surfaces in our home, I was quickly swept up in work. After a few months, I noticed that the charming little paperback had been moved.

Smiling, I said nothing. I couldn't wait to observe her review. It works like this: If the book moves, only to once more be put back in one of my 'book areas' then it has received my dear love's thumbs down. However, if the book keeps moving while I'm not there, moving from tabletop to bookshelf and on again, it meant that it would eventually end up on her nightstand, and that it was a winner.

Then there are the real treasures. Those books I might bring home that she takes as hers, in that adorable way that a ferret grasps something it sees as a treasure and hides it away.

It didn't take long for J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter novel to become a world in which my Jo had happily portkeyed into for the duration. The copy showed the love it had been given. It's spine was history, its pages dog eared, it sat ever more open, its cover floating on the accordian lift of pages that had endured serious readings. This book had her good.

"I'm glad you like it! It's good, huh? Cool! I'll start it too." I said. Defending her treasure, my sweet ferret parried in defense. "Not until I'm finished, k?" Struck dumb by the passion of her adoration, I realized this Harry Potter thing might just be deserving of the sensation it had created.

Having just visited JK Rowling's website today, I couldn't help but reminisce about the Harry Potter series. Before long, Jo and her mother were avid enthusiasts of the stories, sharing happy speculation as to where the epic might go next. Jim Dale became a household hero for his unforgettable performance as the narrator of the audiobooks. In a decade of miserable failure for the art of story as adapted into mass-commercial media, Harry Potter's world became our refuge from a relentless storm of corporate controlled mediocrity; the only other safe haven being New Zealand's majestic homage to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Just this past August I took the rainswept and harrowing journey through the 'Deathly Hallows' and sat silent in awe upon closing the book.

Being prone to nostalgia at the best of times, and taking nothing away from the body of the story; it is the epilogue that is definitely my favorite moment.

I won't go into any ruinous detail as I've written no spoiler warning above this, but of all the spells Rowling could have cast to end her series, hers was taken from the most powerful school of magic at the disposal of any writer of fiction: Time.

Writing in a tradition whose audience would not fault her for giving a simple 'Happy Ever After' to these wizardly adventures, she actually showed us what life lay ahead; beyond the tempestuous chords of her final act. In so doing, she accomplished a scene that not only gave a uniquely authentic satisfaction, but also could be said to reveal just how wonderful all of us muggles really have it in this allegedly mundane world of ours.

In the end, for Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, Champion of the Tri-Wizard tournament, protege of the great Albus Dumbledore, Happily Ever After was not a ride on a Hippogriff, becoming a World Cup Seeker for England or anything else requiring a wand and a Hogwarts pedigree.

For Harry Potter, Happily Ever After meant something not out of the reach of anyone, wizard or muggle, brave enough to create it for themselves.

Goss

THE OFFICIAL CHRIS GOSSETT SKETCH BLOG

2007-12-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

Dear readers and image-enjoyers, Team Red Star is proud
to present our latest effort to bring you ever-more art-loving joy.
Have a look, and be sure to check back often.
No, really. Often. We totally mean it.

Click the image to go visit.

Red Star Artist Greg Broadmore in Imagine FX

2007-12-05T13:38:00.000-08:00

Dear readers, we would like to direct your attention to the following news item;

Imagine FX Issue 25 contents preview

Noted concept artist, designer and digital painter Greg Broadmore, who worked on a little movie you may have heard of, King Kong, and whose work Red Star readers will be familiar with, having enjoyed it from previous issues of the Sword of Lies storyline, will be featured in the upcoming 25th issue of Imagine FX magazine.

So, congratulations to Greg from all of us here at Archangel Studios!

See above link for further information, and thanks for reading The Red Star!

Famed Manga Creator Interprets Makita

2007-12-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

Click to see larger image

Dear Readers, we have been cruelly remiss in not bringing this to your attention for such a long interval after the 2007 San Diego Comic Con. During Team Red Star's very successful appearance at this event, we had the great pleasure of meeting Svetlana Chmakova, author and artist of Goss' current favorite manga, DRAMACON.

Both of us admire and have enjoyed the first two graphic novels, published by those slick hipsters at Tokyopop, and we're eagerly awaiting (that's a welcome change! Us waiting for someone else's work!) the release of Dramacon #3 - coming out any day now!

It was very gratifying to meet Svetlana, a peer who has had such success but remains so humble and gracious to her fans.

While she was visiting the Red Star booth, she was kind enough to draw this image of Makita for Chris. We were all delighted with the result.

Have a look at Svetlana's website, and be sure to check out some of her works. We're going back to badgering the bookstore people about the third volume of Dramacon;

http://www.svetlania.com/

- Emil

Stephen Crowe and SPECTRUM 14

2007-11-13T14:31:00.000-08:00

Dear Red Star News Readers,

We are pleased to announce that one of our favorite pieces of art from The Red Star: Sword of Lies #1 was chosen for inclusion in the Spectrum 14 , the annual compendium of the finest in contemporary fantastic art.

This year's edition contains works from all over the globe, including creators from Germany, England, the Netherlands, Korea, Australia, Japan, Canada and France among others. It's gratifying to be chosen for inclusion among such distinguished fellow artists, by a distinguished jury of our peers.

And indeed, this piece of art was an international effort, as it was digitally painted by our supremely talented comrade in arms in the cause of The Red Star, New Zealander Stephen Crowe. As always, Stephen's talent and skill added a special emotional note to the piece that makes it a favorite among Red Star readers.

I'd like to first personally thank the judges for having once more included artwork from Team Red Star into their much beloved annual.

Our friends at Spectrum accomplish a massive undertaking every year in bringing their publication to print. Indeed, this year's edition is the largest yet, with over 350 entries included on its over 200 pages.

The road from receiving thousands of entries to eventually printing the chosen few is long and inclusive of a great variety of complex tasks.

As publishers ourselves, it is with fraternal empathy and profound understanding that we note that somewhere along this road, Stephen's name was somehow omitted from the list of those who realized this image.

This is an unfortunate circumstance, but we sincerely hope this news release goes a small way towards remedying the situation and bringing Stephen the acknowledgment he so richly deserves.

All of us here at Archangel Studios are very much looking forward to bringing more of Stephen's work to you, in the very next issue of The Red Star.

Cheers,
Christian Gossett

Wallpaper Friday

2007-10-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

Sharing is caring.

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

Wallpaper Friday!

2007-09-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's Friday over here at Archangel Studios, and that can only mean one thing (no, not "lots to do on the weekend, too", although that's true); It's time to post more wallpapers for our loyal readers! Enjoy.

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

Vampire Wallpapers

2007-09-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Red Star readers,

Our 2006 Special Edition was released in an exclusive limited printing, so we know that many of you have never seen its contents. But we wanted to share some of the contents with all of you. So for all you Samsonov Vampire fans out there, here are the first two of a new series of wallpapers reproducing some of the art Emil created especially for that issue.

Enjoy!

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

WELCOME TO THE BRAND-NEW RED STAR WEBSITE!

2007-07-21T22:26:00.000-07:00

Loyal readers of the Red Star (and the Red Star News) and occasional visitors, as well as those of you who are here for the first time, we are very pleased to announce that the long-awaited complete remake of the official Red Star Website is finally complete. So come on by www.theredstar.com and have a look around. We hope you enjoy our new look. And be sure to come by often, as more new content is on the way!

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

"Write The Red Star" Contest Deadline Extended!

2007-07-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

Dear readers of The Red Star, good news! Due to continued interest in our writing contest, first introduced in our 2006 Special Edition issue, a few more of which are still available in The Red Store, we have decided to extend the deadline for entries to September 2007. Here are the rest of the details about the contest from our original announcement;

THE RED STAR SPECIAL EDITION: 2006 will include an eight page story based during the War of Al'istaan. The story is fully drawn and painted. Contestants write all captions and dialogue, finishing the story the way they think it should be told.

The winning writer will have their versions published by Archangel Studios for credited release amid the celebration and fanfare of San Diego Comicon 2007 in next year's special edition issue!

Any questions about the Write The Red Star contest can be posted in the forums. There is no purchase required to enter, and all other rules and suggestions regulating the contest will be published in the issue, as well as available for download on this website as soon as the contest officially begins. Until then, aspiring writers prepare!

Thank you for reading The Red Star News, and see you at the San Diego Comic Con 2007! Remember, we are once again located at the Gentle Giant Booth, Booth #3513.

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

RED STAR GAME BACK IN STOCK!

2007-05-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

RED STAR PS2 UNITS HAVE ARRIVED
A new supply of The Red Star game has arrived, and so once again, we can fulfill all game orders promptly. For those of you that have already ordered the game from us (thank you!) and are patiently waiting for your game, we are happy to announce the packages have shipped. New orders will ship out immediately.

EXCLUSIVE FOR CUSTOMERS OF THE RED STORE
The Red Store is the only place to buy a copy of the game signed by the creator of The Red Star, Christian Gossett.

THE COLLECTIBLES MARKET STRIKES BACK
Another very good reason to get your game from us is the price. The game is becoming something of a collectible. Even unsigned copies are selling at quite impressive prices. Have a look;

Seller information has been blanked out because it's certainly not our intention to decry people for engaging in the joys of market economics and supply and demand. But we at The Red Store offer our loyal supporters the only opportunity to purchase signed copies at no extra charge.

TELL YOUR LOCAL GAME STORE: I WANT MY RED STAR PS2!
Many gamers have frequently expressed their frustration at the inadequate availability of the Red Star Playstation 2 game. Many retailers, such as Gamespot (formerly EB Games), Best Buy, and even Amazon.com (which actually sells games on behalf of Target stores, and not from their own supply), only received very limited numbers of the game, or none at all. Our surveys of online gaming forums show this to be one of the most often mentioned issues related to the game. Classic action gaming fans have read all the great reviews, now they wish they could actually get their hands on the game! We hope that readers of this news item can help by reminding their favorite purveyors of gaming goodness to badger their suppliers for more copies of The Red Star game for Playstation 2 (also compatible with Playstation 3 entertainment system).

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

DEMAND FOR RED STAR GAME OVERWHELMS SUPPLY!

2007-05-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

Much to our delight, the Red Star game has proven to be a great critical and commercial success, climbing to the top of the sales charts despite the lengthy ordeal involved in bringing it to the market.

Unfortunately, due to the scale of it's success, which was a surprise to suppliers, there have been delays in getting large enough shipments of the game to retailers, including our very own Red Store.

For the many, many of you (thank you!) that have already ordered the game from our Red Store, and received our email notice about the delay in shipping, we have some good news. Our suppliers have informed us that a new shipment of the game will soon be on it's way to us. This means your shipments will be going out to you shortly after that as well.

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

AND IN TECH NEWS...

2007-05-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

For those of you that own the Playstation 3 game console and are not sure whether The Red Star game is compatible with your system, we are happy to say that it indeed is. So have no fear. The game is here.

For further ongoing Game News, visit our official The Red Star Game Website.

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

2007-05-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

Our special Red Star Game site is now live! Click on the image to go visit it now!

Signed Copies of The Red Star Game are now on sale in The Red Store.

R.I.P. Kurt Vonnegut

2007-04-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

Even though this is not a strictly Red Star news item, we just couldn't let the passing of this great man to go without comment.

Mr. Vonnegut was both a great writer and a great humanitarian, something that never ceased to amaze and inspire those of us lucky enough to be familiar with his works and count ourselves among his fans. Luckily for the world at large, this isn't a small club. He never let the venal hypocrisy of the greedy and the powerful pass without acerbic yet humorous comment. He also, even after living long enough to see the many horrors of the much blighted 20th century and the beginning of this not very promising looking 21st century, never lost his sense of outrage at man's brutal and callous treatment of his fellow humans. Even though it caused him much grief in his last years, it was this unmovable moral compass and profound compassion that made him a great artist and an inspiration for those that followed.

You cannot be disappointed by something you don't at least secretly (to yourself, that is) believe in. Even towards the end, he still believed that we humans could learn and improve ourselves, that people are really better than we may seem.

He mocked us when we deserved it (and sure enough, that was often), but it wasn't in cold contempt born from intellectual superiority, but out of a fatherly amusement in the foolish antics of perpetual children.

So, as Bokonon would say, we are from the mud and we return to the mud. But some of us leave giant footsteps in it for the bewildered future generations to try and fill. And that's no foma.

We'll miss you, Kurt. Sorry we disappointed you, we humans who so firmly refuse to learn history's lessons and leave the endless well-trodden path of the same old mistakes and horrors. We hope that in the end, the disappointment wasn't too much to bear.

"History! Read it and weep!" - Bokonon

P.S. Sorry we didn't manage to get any brilliant black humor in this note, as you no doubt deserved. We know you would have done it better.

THE RED STAR IN SPECTRUM 14

2007-03-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

Team Red Star is pleased to announce that art from the current Red Star story arc, "Sword of Lies", was selected for publication in the upcoming 14th Edition of the Spectrum annual "The Best In Contemporary Fantastic Art". As there were nearly 7000 entries this year, we are truly gratified to have been chosen for inclusion.

Our heartfelt thanks to the jury for their acknowledgment of our work and for their hard work sorting through all those entries. Mark Chiarello/chair (artist/editor & art director DC Comics), Marc Gabbana (illustrator/concept artist), Dan dos Santos (artist), Dawn Murin (art director D&D/WotC), Ragnar (artist), and Adam Rex (artist) had a difficult task indeed.

We will bring you a more detailed update to this news item as we are informed of further details.

Thanks for reading The Red Star News

Enemies of the People continuing their assault

2007-02-27T14:38:00.000-08:00

Dear readers,

In recent times, we have heard a number of complaints about our main website page redirecting visitors away to other, less savory places. As we could not recreate the error at the time, it took us a bit of time to fix. However, we finally did experience the very special joy that is redirection by hacking spammers. Truly, the dark ones are becoming more sophisticated by the day.

We are glad to report that the enemy has been eradicated for now, so it is once again safe to visit the website. However, as the lake is still frozen, more enemies will advance. We will remain vigilant against this pestilence, and we appreciate your timely warnings of further infiltrations.

Yours truly, the People's Anti-Spam Megabyte Division.

Thanks for reading The Red Star News

PLAY MAGAZINE FEATURES RED STAR GAME

2007-01-31T18:09:00.000-08:00

Dear fans of the Red Star game, we feel your pain. If anything, the whole game situation hurts us more. And one of the more painful parts of it is the fact that we can't explain to you the manifold technical, legal and economic reasons that the game still has not been released, as the situation is both beyond our control and we are bound not to speak about it publicly in the kind of detail that you may want to hear.

Well, if you turn to page 81 of the December 2006 issue of Play magazine, you'll be able to alleviate at least some of that pain, as said issue contains a review accompanied by some great screenshots of the game, and is not to be missed.

Our special thanks go out to Dave Halverson and the editors of Play magazine, for their continued faith in seeing the Red Star game actually released to the public.

And in related good news for Red Star fans, Play Magazine's latest Girls of Gaming special edition features our very own Maya and Makita. So go out there and grab a copy. See cover image below, or visit their special website here.

http://playmagazine.com/thegirlsofgaming/index.html

Even if you never do get your hands on that game, we have a backup plan. Sure, it's wild. Sure, it will involve not sleeping for months at a time. But damn it, we wouldn't stand by and deprive our fans of the chance to Live the Red Star (TM) (ok, not really TM), now would we?

Either way, stay tuned for further developments on the Interactive front.

SPAMWATCH 2007!

2007-01-31T17:41:00.000-08:00

Now with 47% more NewsCopter coverage! Stay tuned for our News At Ten.

Alas, the tragedy of that fine, fine comedy writing work is that it will be wasted on those of our fans that aren't inhabitants of the infamous Los Angeles County. Or at least Southern California. On the other hand, don't be sad. You're lucky to miss out on the bimonthly claims of panicked calamity we enjoy here - Slightly Wet Roads Watch! It's Kind of Windy Watch! Wash Your Vegetables Watch! - You get the idea. Trust us, you're not missing anything exciting.

As those of you who enjoy frequenting our bulletin board/forums know, we've had a spam problem in recent months. Others may be wondering what happened to our former home page on the Red Star website. Well, the two go hand in slimy tentacled claw. After many relentless battles, the Spamming Enemy was trapped in a salient of our devising, decimated and then obliterated. Alas, the old home page became a tragic casualty of said events, vanishing in a shower of de-atomized code. But not to worry, a brand-new replacement is being built even now in the famed Red Star pageyards.

In the meantime though, enjoy the newly cleansed forums. We are happy to report that the fight is now reduced to picking off rear-column stragglers. Emil confesses that this activity now amuses him. It's probably best to write it off as a dark remnant of his used-to-be-a-programmer past.

CANDY FOR ALL!

2006-11-21T17:32:00.000-08:00

Argh! It burns! What is this?

Oh... Oh, right, daylight. Rough times, after that moldy dungeon.

Be that as it may, dear readers and fans of The Red Star, even as I trained Speedy the three-legged rat to do my bidding, and wondered 'exactly how many legs cave spiders have and does that mean that one huge gray thing in the corner is a spider, or what?', I preoccupied myself with thoughts of the fans.

Yes, I said to myself, I may be down here, sitting in a pile of discarded mah jongg tokens and wondering when the rusty pipe above my head will again release a dose of muddy water, but the fans, yes, the fans are out there, alone in the cold, bereft of new Red Star swag. You know, loot. Candy is what I mean.

Well, far be it from us here to deprive you good people of free stuff. And so I set myself to the Herculean (ok, maybe his weaker cousin Aristides, The Pickpocket) task of creating some new wallpapers for you good people.

So download, enjoy, and share far and wide. And if you spot Speedy, skittering along a sidewalk with his awkward sideways gait, do try to ignore the coded message attached to his bat-leather collar. I'm pretty sure that was the day I had inappropriate thoughts about Kate from Lost, and I may have written them down. We all love freckles, I'm sure, but you know, some things are best left between the imprisoned and their rat confidantes.

P.S. If you read all of the above before skipping straight to the pretty pictures, I salute you. Such a fine feat of restraint doesn't go unrecognized. You remind me a bit of Simo Häyhä, you do. Unless you're one of our female readers. In that case, you remind me a bit of Marie Ljalková, you do.

Click to enlarge and dowload.

Yours,
The Non-Mechanical Emil

COMRADE GOSSETT RETURNS FROM AOTEAROA

2006-11-10T13:26:00.000-08:00

Brothers and Sisters, readers of The Red Star.

The evil robot imposter who had claimed power over this website was not actually Emil Petrinic. One of Emil's technical illustrations was so real that it came to life, locked our gentle Croatian friend in a damp cell, and attempted the failed putsch that has now, happily, been overthrown.

Doctor Jo Olson stunned her platoon of Red Fleet Volunteers when she ripped the doppelganger's throat out in single combat, revealing the mechanical wires and vacuum tubes that gave it the semblance of life.

"We thought the Doc had killed Emil!" said a shocked Captain Henderson. "And then when we saw the wires and shit, we knew it must have been the work of [edited for national security]"

Red Star news is happy to report that Emil has been saved from his horrifying dungeon, located deep in the forgotten sublevels beneath Chinatown. His first words were "How are my prints of the Tomcat selling?" followed by "Does anyone have some Soy milk?". He is recuperating gallantly.

As for Christian Gossett, despite a minor neck injury suffered in the fray against the evil robots, has returned to Red Star Headquarters. His first words after being brought back to consciousness were "Must get... back to work... Issue 3... must be sent... to printer..."

Readers should beware strange posts on the website-- other than this one, we mean. It is now believed that all of that weird spam we've been getting may actually be encrypted commands from some kind of evil brotherhood of out of work villains planning goodness knows what!

For now, at least, we hope for a return to normalcy, and as soon as we find some, we'll be posting it here to keep you informed.

Thank you for reading Red Star News

REJOICE, COMRADES!

2006-10-30T18:39:00.000-08:00

Because of his intolerable violations of the Doctrine of the Dialectic, and infamous bourgeois oppression of the Working Proletarian Masses, the Brutal Commissar Gossett has been overthrown, and this communication organ of the Party is once again in the People's control. Rejoice, Comrades! Our oppressor has been exiled to a cruel, Antipodean prison, where he must contemplate his penance while forlornly chewing on mutton.

His infamous co-conspirator, known only as The Doctor, was exiled with him.

We thank our New Zealand comrades for being willing to shoulder the burden of imprisoning these infamous People's Enemies among them.

So, as the first act of the Committee For the People's Political Rehabilitation and Cosmonaut Fan Club, here is some capitalist promotion of Academic Emil Petrinic, noted for his strict following of Realist Doctrine in the otherwise bourgeois pastime of illustration.

Academician Illustrator Petrinic here. I thank my learned comrades for their kind, but not excessively bourgeois soft, praise. I wanted to share with you my latest aviation print;

Click to enlarge.

With the recent retirement of the Tomcat, I just couldn't resist doing my own tribute. So, here goes. I'll let you know when it's available for purchase, which should be in a few weeks.

And now, back to your scheduled indoctrination programming.

THE RED STAR SPECIAL EDITION - LATEST UPDATE

2006-10-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

The back cover of the Australasian Edition features this emblem of the People's Revolution from the time of Imbohl.

Good morning to all of our readers around the globe...

The Red Star Special Edition 2006 that will be making its debut next week at promoter Bill Geradts' ARMAGEDDON AUCKLAND (please scroll down for previous news article) and the following week at promoter Daniel Zachariou's SUPANOVA SYDNEY will not be solicited through Diamond Comics, but will be available through online order via this website.

The International Edition, however, of this unprecedented Red Star release (with special features yet to be disclosed to the public) will be available through retailers via Diamond Comics as well as The Red Store.

Both versions will feature the WRITE THE RED STAR contest- eight pages of finished Red Star story; finished except for the words, because the final script will be written by one lucky Red Star reader.

There will be more on the WRITE THE RED STAR contest on this newspage.

Thank you for reading Red Star News

* * *

NEW RED STAR WALLPAPER

2006-10-05T17:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right comrades, the first SWORD OF LIES inspired wallpaper has been posted.

Now, we know that usually there should be a few wallpapers available at the time of such an announcement, but that is so late 90's, isn't it?

Here, for now, is a lovely new wallpaper ready for download. Let's see if Emil has them finished yet...

(dials Emil's phone number)

Goss: "Hey, Emil-- how are those wallpapers coming?"

Emil: (grumbles curses and profanity)

Goss: Whoa, whoa-- Emil! I'm sorry- I should've mentioned we're on the air.

Emil: Oh. Then, uh, they're going greeeeeaaaaat!!!

Goss: That's Swell!

Emil: Can I go now? Or must you torment me further you slavedriving sonofa--

Goss: Emil! The children! Please!

Emil: Oh, right. Okaaaaayyyy, Gosssss!!! See you real soooooooon!!!

Goss: Thanks again, Emil!

Emil: (begins cursing Gossett in his native Croatian.)

(hangs up)

Well, you heard it folks! Clusters of lovely brand new SWORD OF LIES inspired wallpaper are on their way to you. Check in regularly for updates.

* * *

Thank you for reading Red Star News

WRITE THE RED STAR CONTEST!

2006-10-03T23:37:00.000-07:00

THE RED STAR SPECIAL EDITION 2006 TO DEBUT AT 'ARMAGEDDON' AUCKLAND AND 'SUPANOVA' SYDNEY

A sample of Emil Petrinic's illustrations featured in SPECIAL EDITION 2006

In yet another unprecedented move for Team Red Star this year, a new 40 page special issue making its debut at two upcoming shows will feature an in-depth look at the first three Red Star story arcs, previously unreleased information regarding the current SWORD OF LIES story arc, and an all new VEHICLES section featuring incredible all-new full color technical illustrations of the SAMSONOV VAMPIRE attack helicopter (the type of vehicle flown by Alexandra Goncharova in SWORD OF LIES #1-#2).

It also marks the first ever Write The Red Star contest.

THE RED STAR SPECIAL EDITION: 2006 will include an eight page story based during the War of Al'istaan. The story is fully drawn and painted. Contestants write all captions and dialogue, finishing the story the way they think it should be told.

The winning writer will have their versions published by Archangel Studios for credited release amid the celebration and fanfare of San Diego Comicon 2007 in next year's special edition issue!

Any questions about the Write The Red Star contest can be posted in the forums. There is no purchase required to enter, and all other rules and suggestions regulating the contest will be published in the issue, as well as available for download on this website as soon as the contest officially begins. Until then, aspiring writers prepare!

For further details regarding promoter Bill Geradts' ARMAGEDDON or Daniel Zachariou's SUPANOVA please visit their respective websites:

ARMAGEDDON NEW ZEALAND

www.pulpexpo.com

SUPANOVA AUSTRALIA

www.supanova.com.au

to see more of Emil Petrinic's aircraft illustrations and to peruse his catalogue of available prints, visit his fancy new website:

www.strangegoat.com

Thank you for reading Red Star News

* * *

RED STAR HEROES ON THE TOWN...

2006-09-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

Maya and Makita were spotted recently at www.comicartfans.com
Collector Chuck Whitesell posted this piece from artist Josh Howard (Dead @17 and Black Harvest)
Nice work, Josh- and thanks to Chuck Whitesell for posting this commission.

* * *

SWORD OF LIES ONLINE COMPANION NO. 2 POSTS TODAY AT 6PM PST

2006-09-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

Just in time for everyone to ignore their computer screens until Monday, The Red Star: Sword of Lies Online Companion #2 will be posting today at 6pm.

For those of you with hot World of Warcraft instances to conquer, we cordially invite you to stop by after slaying your foes to enjoy this in-depth preview of our next amazing issue. What better place to go to enjoy the ale buzz you'll have from your local Azerothian tavern than the epic universe of the Red Star saga?

If you are one of our beloved back east readers, we will have missed you completely, so have a great friday night. We encourage you all to go see The Black Dahlia as it makes its debut this evening. It's got Hilary Swank, by god. How can you go wrong? As for you aspiring scribes out there, a story by James Ellroy brought to the screen by Josh Friedman should be considered a mandatory writing seminar, so get on out there, all o' youz.

Hey, let's have some fun. Let's check in with the Red Rookie, aka Emil, and see how the Online Companion is going.

(phone ringing)
Emil: What? What is it? Why are you bothering me?! I'm finishing the--
Gossett: Hey Emil, we're live here, man.

(dead air)

Emil: Well hellooooooo Red Star readers!
Gossett: I was just letting everyone know that the Sword 2 companion is looking great and will be posted tonight.

(dead air)

Emil: Uh, Yeaaaahhhh, it sure is! Yup! Time... is our... friend...

Gossett: 6:00pm PST, right buddy?

Emil: Whatever you say, kommissar! As soon as you finish the--

Gossett: (clears throat) Emil-- we're live here-- Remember?

(dead air)

Emil: Riiiiiiiiiiight! We're live! Communicating in public! That's... so... wise...

Gossett: Hey, this is the New Team Red Star, remember? We went on that retreat, the shaman made us all do the "We will finish work on time" ritual? It was right before the "we will not be bitter and air out dirty laundry online" buffet lunch...

Emil: Isn't that when what's his name walked out and said he'd never come back?
Gossett: I have no idea what you're talking about.

(hangs up)

Be back tonight at 6pm Pacific Standard Time to be the first to check out the next installment of the Sword 2 Online Companion. We'll be looking forward to hearing from you.

* * *

GOSSETT PAGE IN WITCHBLADE #100

When Renae Geerlings became Editor in Chief at Top Cow, I was very happy for them. Having done a few pieces for TC during the editorial reign of my buddy Jim 'Mac' McClauchlin, I got a chance to see Renae's management style firsthand. It was very impressive. TC is in great hands.

So upon congratulating her at Wizard World LA, we talked about me doing a piece for Witchblade #100. Ron Marz (a legend of a guy) suggested that I do the Joan of Arc page. For those of you who have not seen the issue, each page is a shot by a different artist of different women who have wielded the ancient artifact.

The drawing is posted below. You can see the full color version by checking out the issue at your local retailer.

This is Christian Gossett reporting from North Hollywood,

Thank you for reading Red Star News

SWORD OF LIES #2 UPDATE

2006-08-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

'Sword 2' Online Companion to be posted September 15

These are happy days at Red Star HQ, as reaction from around the industry regarding the launch of the new story arc has been entirely positive.

THE RED STAR: SWORD OF LIES #1, scheduled for release in August, was actually released to retailers two weeks early. The early ship surprised retailers across the country, and several riots broke out at the San Diego Comicon as shocked disbelief took hold of convention hall C.

Less than a month later, Diamond's entire stock would be sold out. The Red Star had returned.

It appears, to add some awe to the shock, that the new Team Red Star has no signs of slowing down, as more full color sneak preview pages will be posted on this news page in the next installment of the Red Star Online Companion, to be posted September 15.

* * *

THE WAY I SEE IT
A New Red Star Opinion piece by ADD sufferer Ritalinboy.

[Editor's Note: As 'RB' whoever he (or she) is admits to suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder, no one at Team Red Star really knows how often this person will be gracing our pages with comment. In fact, this message was left stuffed under our office's front door. Yes, we are a bit scared. In hopes that by publishing his/her rants they will remain nonviolent, we have made it part of our newscast. In the meantime, Take it away, Rit!]

THE RED STAR SHIPPED TWO WEEKS EARLY?!

Four out of five local cultists surveyed agreed that this could indeed portend the fabled ‘End of Days’ mentioned in the DaVinci Code movie. Although if not mistaken I do think it was a book first. Not that movies don’t change things. Sometimes. Like, why did the end of the ‘Spawn’ movie happen in his den by his fireplace? Since when is a den in some suburb the kind of place to end an action blockbuster?! Is that somebody's idea of a big ending?! You don’t see Moses getting the Ten Commandments while watching TV near his fireplace, do you? No wonder there was no sequel. Where would that one have ended, in the laundry room?

Love to Team Red Star,

Ritalinboy

* * *

Thank you for reading The Red Star News. If you are Ritalinboy, we think you are cool and special and we like you. Please don't hurt us.

BULLETIN FROM THE NEWSDESK

2006-08-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

In an unprecedented move, Team Red Star has made its first ever commentary on the work of comic book megapower Marvel Comics. They have released the following statement;

" As The Red Star has always enjoyed the encouragement and support of our friends at The Big Two, it is perhaps time for Team Red Star to end its long tradition of reclusiveness when it comes to making commentary in regard to their works.

That said, after learning the relevant facts, we are declaring ourselves in support of the heroic Captain America and the always-vigilant Punisher, one Frank Castle, in their struggles against the Superhero Registration Act (HR421). Fellahs, don't let yourselves be captured and indentured by The Man and his billionaire cabal supporters (damn you, Tony Stark, you sweatshop-running bastard!). We're right behind you with moral support, where we'll back you up anyway we can, here from Red Star Command. May all our headquarters remain Locations Undisclosed!

Defiantly Yours,
TRS"

While not out of tone with previous commentary by these notorious publishing vigilantes, this statement by the Red Star Team is somewhat unusual for the subject it tackles. White House spokesman Tony Snow assures us Sentinels have been dispatched to their location. Stay tuned for further updates.

WELCOME TO THE RED STAR NEWS

2006-08-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new and improved Red Star News page, the new space for updates on events happening in the world of the Red Star. Brought to you by the Red Star Newsteam.

(okay, it's just Emil and me. It's not really a newsteam per se... but that sounded all official and stuff.)

As part of our continuing renovations here at The Red Star's official webspace, Red Star News is the best place to find out what's going on with the Antares Saga.

Whether you have questions about the new storyline, THE RED STAR: SWORD OF LIES, finding back issues, the latest on The Red Star film project, or are keeping up with the epic real world soap opera surrounding the fate of the Red Star videogame, RED STAR NEWS is the place to get the updates.

Once informed, its just a couple of clicks over to the Forums to see what all of the battle hardened veterans of the Voices of the Revolution have to say; or, if you're feeling fierce, open up with your flamethrowers at any weak-kneed anonymous cowards who would dare speak against our glorious community!