Season's Greetings from Nemo Toys

Thank you to Joe Zierman for this holiday card featuring some of the newest Nemo Toys action figures.  

This summer, Nemo Toys expanded its offerings beyond its popular retro-style Commander X action figures to include new, original characters as well as public domain heroes from the Golden Age.

New original characters Jack Danger and Rogue Agent Zero are included along with a reworking of the Golden Age hero The Red Panther.  Each of these figures are designed by Capt'n Eli and Commander X creator Jay Piscopo and assembled with the help of  Paul Clarke, DrMego.

View action figures at this link.

Season's greetings to the kid in all of us!

Jay Piscopo and the Capt'n Eli Crew

Penny Kenny Reviews Commander X All-Star Special

Long-time comics reviewer and librarian Penny Kenny recently checked out Jay Piscopo's new "Commaner X All-Star Special." Here's what she has to say about this new comic book:

It was wonderful and terrible.

Wonderful because I really like how X works as a superhero type and a pulp hero type.  I love his attitude, which pretty much seems to be "Yep, another crazy day in the neighborhood.  Guess I'll just keep rolling with it."  

The only thing that's terrible about the issue is that I want more!  Now!

The set-up in each of these stories is well-done.  There's enough information to get the story going and to hint at a bigger story, without bogging things down.  And you still get an entire story in 9 pages or 11 or 16.  Can you tell I miss the old days of comics when you could have short stories that were still stories and not preludes to events?  

"Wake of the War-Beast" is probably my favorite by a hair.... Perfect.  I now want to see an extended version of this as an animated film. 

The art of course is great looking.  The yeti is especially impressive and the full-pager of "Little X" rising from the deep to tower over the fishing boat is superb.  Really looks like a movie poster.  The action scenes flow well and there's a sense of weight to the characters' movements...

I really want to know how all the pieces of the different stories fit together.  I want to know more about Lemuria and Atlantis and Circe and the rest of the Shiva missions and how Eli and X are connected.  So many questions waiting to be answered....
 

Ordering information:

“Commander X All-Star Special”

Published by Nemo Publishing

Written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo

40 pages | Full-color | $3.99

Order from August Diamond Previews

DIAMOND CODE:  AUG121224

Look for the Diamond Spotlight on page 323

Commander X Featured in New Comic Book

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nemo Publishing

Contact:

Tami Kennedy

207-838-0816

tami@maine.rr.com

Commander X goes solo in an all new “Commander X Adventures All-Star Special” comic book  

Up next:  Commander X will take to the skies in a cross-over comic with Captain Midnight

Note to Retailers: 

Order from August Diamond Previews

Look for the Diamond Spotlight on page 323

DIAMOND CODE:  AUG121224

Note to Reviewers:  Review copies available.   
Contact tami@maine.rr.com

PORTLAND, MAINE (July 31, 2012) Return to the Golden Age of high adventure with Commander X in three tales featuring giant monsters, robots, mystery and action.   The stories in this 40 page, full color comic book are told in the spirit of the great adventure yarns of the 1930s and 1940s and take place from Tibet, to the Sargasso Sea, to the Sea of Japan.  Written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo, this “Commander X All-Star Special” recaptures the excitement and energy of the Golden Age of comics when superheroes were born; featuring fast paced stories, science fiction gadgets, bright colors and breakneck action.

“In the sea, in the air, and on the land Commander X delivers the kind of ‘all in color for a dime’ entertainment that’s missing in comics,” noted award-winning comic book writer and editor Brian Augustyn.  

“This comic book is an homage that recaptures the magic of the pulps and Golden Age of comics with a modern twist,” said Piscopo.  “Our hero, Commander X, is a classic comic strip and movie serial hero with some high tech gizmos and time travel thrown in.”

Retailers can order “Commander X All-Star Special” from Diamond’s August Previews (DIAMOND CODE:  AUG121224 -- Look for the Diamond Spotlight on page 323).  View story pages at http://ow.ly/cCKe3.

“Fans first met Commander X in “Capt’n Eli,” then they got to experience him as a limited edition Mego-style action figure, and now they get to see him in his own one-shot comic book,” continued Piscopo.  “Next, fans will get to see him team up with the legendary Captain Midnight.” 

This December, Nemo Publishing and Moonstone Books will publish a cross-over one shot comic book featuring Commander X with the renowned Captain Midnight.  This 28 page, full-color book will be written by longtime DC Comics writer and editor Brian Augustyn.  Artwork and co-plotting will be by Piscopo.  View image gallery at this link:  http://ow.ly/cCBi5

Commander X in part of Piscopo’s Nemoverse of characters and is an integral part of his “Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” graphic novel series.   The tales in “Commander X All-Star Special” provide clues to some of the mysteries about Commander X uncovered in the first two volumes of “Capt’n Eli” and give hints to what’s to come in Volume 3, which will be released this winter

In the story “The Guardian of Tantarus,” the Red Octopus and the Axis powers want super weapons from Atlantis.  Can Commander X stop them? 

In “Allies,” fans meet Commander X as the Undersea Knight.  This version of Commander X is also available as a limited edition Mego-style action figure (http://captneli.shipyardshopping.com/index.html). 

“With this collectible figure, we’ve captured the nostalgic feeling of a special toy that could take you into another universe,” continued Piscopo.  “Seeing Commander X in his Undersea Knight uniform really sparks the imagination.”

In “Wake of the War Beast,” Commander X and his scarlet-clad ally, the mysterious Circe, Sorceress of the Sea, team up to subdue an ancient sea monster in the Sea of Japan. 

Ordering information:

“Commander X All-Star Special”

Published by Nemo Publishing

Written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo

40 pages | Full Color | $3.99

Order from August Diamond Previews

Look for the Diamond Spotlight on page 323

DIAMOND CODE:  AUG121224

More about Jay Piscopo and Nemo Publishing:  Piscopo is the author and illustrator of Nemo Publishing’s “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” graphic novel series and “The Sea Ghost #1:  The Sea Ghost in the Machine” comic book.   He was also the artist for Moonstone’s new “The Spider” and “The Phantom Detective” comics.  

Commander X is part of the Nemoverse of characters tied to the Capt’n Eli’s line of hand-crafted sodas from Portland Maine.  Capt’n Eli is the namesake of real-life World War II veteran Eli Forsley who was also the inspiration for Capt’n Eli’s soda.  Read the story behind the story at this link.   

On the web:

www.captneli.com

www.theseaghost.com

###

Nemo Publishing and Jay Piscopo Create Nemo Toys

Nemo Publishing is proud to announce the creation of Nemo Toys!

Nemo Toys expands the company's offerings beyond its popular retro-style Commander X action figures to include new, original characters as well as public domain heroes from the Golden Age.

Phase 1 will include new original characters Jack Danger and Rogue Agent Zero and a reworking of the Golden Age hero The Red Panther.  Each of these figures are designed by Capt'n Eli and Commander X creator Jay Piscopo and assembled with the help of Paul Clarke, DrMego.

"When I was a kid, I loved imagining my backyard to be an Amazon or African jungle full of treasure and dinosaurs.  A cool action figure and some twine for them to swing on was all I needed for endless adventures," said Piscopo.  "These new characters are an homage to those days."

These limited edition collectible Mego-style action figures are now available exclusively on the Capt'n Eli web store.  

Keep an eye out this December for the all new free Commander X-Mas online comic book to see these characters in comic action!

View more artwork at this link. 

Be sure to join us on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/NemoToys and get ready for Phase 2....  There's much more to come!

Dig Boston interviews Jay Piscopo about new Captain Midnight comic book

EARTH PRIME TIME: CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT & COMMANDER X PREVIEW WITH JAY PISCOPO
March 28, 2012
by CLAY FERNALD

Listen to the audio of this interview at this link.

Moonstone Books will co-publish a cross-over one shot with local publisher Nemo Publishing to rebirth the legendary golden age hero Captain Midnight in December 2012. We’re huge fans of the collaborators, Jay Piscopo (Nemo, Capt’n Eli) and Brian Augustyn (DC Comics, Gotham by Gaslight). Jay was kind enough to take us to the skies and give us a birds-eye view of what to expect!

I am here with Jay Piscopo, from Maine! Why don’t you tell us about your Captain Midnight book?
My character, Commander X is going to meet the Golden Age version of Captain Midnight. We are also including cameo appearances of the Airboy and the Airfighters.

It’s all that Brian and I have wanted to see from an aviator World War II comic. One way we describe it is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in WWII facing Nazi Super-Science. It’s a dream come true.

I’m not familiar with Captain Midnight but you were kind enough to send me some history. He first appeared nearly 75 years ago!
He’s always been a favorite character of mine, and the reason I zeroed in on him was exactly what you just said, you hadn’t heard of it. A lot of fans and lovers of comics and superheroes don’t realize that these pulp heroes are where they all came from.

Recently with John Carter, we have a situation where since the story and characters are so original, and that everything was derived from these pulp stories, the audience says “I’ve already seen this before.” What I found relevant about Captain Midnight is that we are still in a world of war.

There are issues brought out by World War II about what democracy is, and what war is all about. We can talk about these issues today, using something from the past.

Captain Midnight is visually interesting to me as well. Like a lot of people I watch YouTube more than I watch TV now. I love watching BASE jumping. Looking at the wing suits they wear I said, “Wait a minute…that’s Captain Midnight!” I like the fun of having a dogfight between a Nazi jet and a guy with cloth wings between his arms as wings. I thought those scenes would be fun for a modern comics reader without being too pastiche-y. Click HERE to continue reading the interview on Dig Boston.

Captain Midnight Returns to the Skies in December

The new Captain Midnight comic book is in the works. Click HERE to read all about it on Forces of Geek -- Commander X Meets Captain Midnight in a Pulp Comic Spectacular!

This 28 page, full-color book will be written by longtime DC Comics writer and editor Brian Augustyn. Artwork and co-plotting will be by Jay Piscopo.





View more artwork at these links:
Captain Midnight Gallery
Airboy and the Airfighters Gallery

Coming in December. Published by Nemo Publishing and Moonstone Books.

Read the full press release HERE.

Captain Midnight Returns in New Comic Book Coming in 2012

Take to the Skies with Captain Midnight and Commander X: New Comic Book on the Horizon from Moonstone Books and Nemo Publishing

At the end of this year, Nemo Publishing and Moonstone Books will publish a cross-over one shot comic book featuring the legendary Captain Midnight and Commander X from Nemo Publishing’s “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” graphic novel series. This 28 page, full-color book will be written by longtime DC Comics writer and editor Brian Augustyn. Artwork and co-plotting will be by Jay Piscopo, author and illustrator of “Capt’n Eli.”

"When real life casts long shadows over us and time seems to be running out, that's the time to look to the skies for the antidote to modern worries,” said Augustyn. “I couldn't be happier to be working with Moonstone, Nemo, and my great friend Jay Piscopo on this thrilling and timely project.”

This new book will feature guest stars from other Moonstone books, including Airboy and the Air Fighters, and will pay homage to the great heroes of yesteryear, particularly aviation heroes.

“I’m a huge fan of Captain Midnight and what Moonstone has done with the character. I see this as an opportunity to introduce new fans to this once very popular hero from American pop culture,” said Piscopo. “Working with a friend and a creator I admire so much and to team up with Moonstone is a dream come true.”

Captain Midnight is relevant today because he existed in a time similar to our own when the United States was in the midst of economic upheaval and the world was at war.

Augustyn noted “Captain Midnight has been a multimedia legend for 70 years and remains as vital today as when he first took wing. As ever, Cap delivers sky-high adventure and heroism in the classic style. Commander X is completely in sync with those ideals and will be the perfect partner in crime-fighting. Featuring the Air Fighters only makes it all that much more thrilling.”

Piscopo think it’s perfect timing to reawaken these WWII era characters and see what made them strong and interesting. “These characters stood for ideals; particularly the ideals of freedom, equality and fighting against fascism. The superhero genre blossomed during WWII because this is what they stood for.”

More about Moonstone Books: Moonstone publishes fine and distinct comic books, graphic novels, and prose featuring classic and new heroes in thrilling tales of adventure, mystery, and horror including wayward thriller-adventure heroes like Kolchak the Night Stalker, Buckaroo Banzai, Captain Action, The Green Hornet, The Avenger, The Spider, The Saint, The Justice Machine, Domino Lady, Zorro, The Phantom, Operator 5, G-8, The Green Lama, Honey West, Sherlock Holmes, Airboy, Zeroids, Secret Agent X, The Phantom Detective, and more. www.moonstonebooks.com

More about Brian Augustyn: Augustyn is an award-winning comic book editor and writer. He got his start in the industry in 1984 as an editor for Tru Studios’ “Trollords.” He then edited “Syphons” and “Speed Racer” for NOW Comics. In 1987, he joined DC Comics, starting out as a co-editor on “Action Comics” during its period as a weekly title. He then went on to edit “The Flash,” “Justice League” and the “Impact Comics” line of titles. Augustyn was recognized for his work in the industry with the Wizard Fan Award for Favorite Editor in 1994.

More about Jay Piscopo and Nemo Publishing: Piscopo is the author and illustrator of Nemo Publishing’s “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” graphic novel series and “The Sea Ghost #1: The Sea Ghost in the Machine” comic book. Captain Midnight and Commander X are similar and unique in that they both were created as a vehicle for advertising a product. In the case of Captain Midnight, it was Ovaltine in the 1940s. Commander X is part of the Capt'n Eli universe of characters tied to the Capt’n Eli’s line of hand-crafted sodas from Portland Maine. Capt’n Eli is the namesake of real-life World War II veteran Eli Forsley who was also the inspiration for Capt’n Eli’s soda. Read the story behind the story at this link. On the web at www.captneli.com and www.theseaghost.com.