THE LONG ROAD HOME06/25/07 @ 4:37 pm EST
Source: wizarduniverse | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentJim Lee's former protégé Brett Booth quietly went from superstar artist to living out if a van, here's how 'Anita Blake' pulled him from the Abyss
Suffer in silence. Grin and bear it. Accept the pain. Whatever idiom you choose to describe the plight of Brett Booth—who went from overnight success during the comics boom of the early 1990s to a 2003 stretch living homeless along with his wife and an army of dogs—words don’t do it justice.
|  “A lot of people don’t seem to understand. It’s very difficult to work when you live in a van for a year,” says Booth, who today has found himself revived from his financial troubles and quarter-bin obscurity with a best-selling stint on Marvel and the Dabel Brothers Productions’ adaptations of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of novels. But never one to brag about his successes or complain about his struggles, Booth’s quiet nature caused his yearlong stint without a home to go unnoticed by longtime friends and industry co-workers as well as fans.
With a stoic work ethic, Booth was a surprise superstar in the mid-1990s as part of Jim Lee’s WildStorm Productions, but the comic marketplace’s crash at decade’s end found the artist working in an industry with fewer and fewer freelance opportunities. By 2003, searching for a regular gig took a backseat to searching for a place to live. Years later, even former co-workers find it difficult to believe.
“Part of me is in shock as you’re saying that. It’s like, ‘Wait a minute…they lived out of their van?’” says WildStorm editor and longtime colorist Alex Sinclair (All Star Batman & Robin), the last editor at the company to work with Booth before his troubles began. And although his former studio mate’s situation takes him by surprise, Sinclair admits Booth “was definitely the quietest of [the ’90s WildStorm studio]. The least outgoing, I guess you’d say.”
However, coupled with Booth’s modest demeanor is a drive that helped him relaunch his life and career on Anita Blake. “He’s really laid back, and he’s really dedicated,” says Les Dabel, vice president of Dabel Brothers. “If he says he’s going to do something, he’s not only going to do it, but he’s going to do it right. Sometimes he’s going to surpass what he set out to do.”
| 
| Count Sean Ruffner among the believers. At least nowadays. At first, he needed a little convincing.
Fresh out of college with an art degree and no job, Ruffner balked at the “heads up” phone call that his former classmate at the International Fine Arts College of Miami made to him in 1993. “Brett just calls me and says, ‘Hey, you might be getting a call from Jim Lee,’” recalls Ruffner. “And I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s funny.’”
But the call wasn’t just another college prank. It was a legitimate offer.
Booth had submitted the pair’s unpublished comic to Image founder and comic book idol Jim Lee’s Homage Studios Talent Search, a contest promoted in the back of Lee’s WildC.A.T.S #2. The first artist to receive a callback from the search, Booth soon found himself on the ground floor of what would become WildStorm, bringing Ruffner and fellow classmate Ryan Benjamin (Grifter & Midnighter) along for the ride.
Booth remembers the sudden recognition and success as a flurry of drawing, travel and the occasional ping-pong game in the studio, but for Ruffner, his friend’s initial comic connection came as a result of a passion for drawing. “Brett has always been, especially in college…I don’t want to say ‘to himself,’ but he didn’t hang out with a lot of people,” says Ruffner. “He would go to school and then for the most part just be in the dorms drawing.”
The practice paid off, as Booth’s sleek and stylish pencils propelled him from random fill-in artist to The Kindred, a miniseries starring Lee’s popular Grifter character and the joint Lee-Booth creation, Backlash. “That was during the time where Image books were just basically, ‘do whatever the hell you want and then write the story later,’” laughs Booth about the series drafting paramilitary intrigue against a backdrop of “Island of Dr. Moreau”-like creatures. With a script written by Ruffner and Booth’s distinctive animal designs a hit in comic shops, The Kindred soon gave way to a long-running Backlash monthly, which brought with it stardom and financial reward.
“Comics were huge at the time, so everybody was making money,” Booth recalls. “Everybody had sports cars. Royalty checks were all coming in because all of the books were selling hundreds of thousands of copies. It was really a lot different than today.”
However, the camaraderie experienced in the WildStorm studio was accompanied by a competitive spirit that resulted in some jealousy of Booth’s dedication and reliability. “He was definitely the hardworking guy of the group,” recalls Sinclair. “He turned his stuff in, so maybe he wasn’t necessarily the one that everyone got along with because he was quiet like that. Since he was the one turning in the work, the other guys were looking bad.”
|  By 1996, Booth left the studio with his new wife (WildStorm colorist Jessica Ruffner, no relation to Sean) and returned home to Florida just before the comics industry hit a wall. Unable to sustain its rapid growth from the speculator-driven sales of the Image generation of artists, the market nearly collapsed, leaving a much smaller comics industry, which Booth felt the effects of the hard way.
As the year 2000 rolled in, Booth found himself getting significantly fewer freelance opportunities and increasingly less interested in continuing on the characters with which he had made his name. “You get tired of drawing the same stuff over and over and over again,” he explains. “I was on Backlash since 1993. You get bored with the characters, and you can’t think of new stuff, and you need a break.”
With scattered WildStorm work and the occasional X-Men fill-in to pay the mortgage, Booth and his wife spent more of their time with dogs they adopted, bred and saved from animal shelters. Booth also spent a lot of time reading, including a novel his wife had given him. A far cry from the military superheroes he’d drawn before, Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series provided a mix of romance, fantasy and horror that lit a much-needed creative fire for Booth.
“[Adapting Hamilton’s novels was] something I wanted to do, and I talked to WildStorm years ago about doing some of her books,” he says. “I was like, ‘This might be cool to get into,’ but WildStorm, they weren’t interested at the time.”
By 2003, Booth’s freelance work dried up after completing the Thundercats: Dogs of War miniseries, so he cut his losses and headed west—and wound up hitting several bumps in the road. “Spending a thousand dollars a month on a mortgage was just getting unbelievably difficult to do, so we decided to pack up and move out to a bunch of land in Nevada,” he says, noting that the trip for Booth, Jessica and his growing number of dogs took one bad turn after another when a broken transmission gave way to a dead-end home. “We go up to Nevada and get to the property, and even though it shows roads in all the pictures and stuff that we were sent, we actually can’t get to the property.”
|  Aside from buying a home that was essentially landlocked, Booth was also slowly finding himself locked out of the WildStorm freelance loop.
“I think [it was poor timing]. I don’t think it had anything to do with anything personal,” says Sinclair about Booth’s withdrawal from the WildStorm roster, a roster that consisted of a stable of new, young artists. “He definitely wanted to nail something down before they moved, but at the time, we didn’t have anything lined up.”
Without a steady paycheck or a place to live, the Booths settled in for a year of searching for a new home that was both affordable and open to their animals. And although family members and friends gave support, the artist matter-of-factly describes that time as the year they were “living in a van out in the middle of nowhere.”
“I don’t know exactly how he pulled it off, where he was staying and how long he was staying in a van,” says Ruffner, who reconnected with Booth in recent years after shifting jobs caused the pair to lose touch. “I tried talking to him about it, and it was one of those things where you could tell he was going through a lot. And I was as well, so it was like we were back in the college days again. It was like, ‘Oh man! We’re trying to re-establish ourselves.’”
That task became easier for Booth when he connected with Dabel, a fan-turned-comics publisher, who offered the artist a project he could sink his teeth into and help him rise to prominence once more.
“He told me right away his situation,” says Dabel of the first time he spoke with Booth in a marathon, three-hour conversation. “And when I spoke to him, he just seemed like a dedicated person, and to this point he hasn’t missed a deadline. His situation never affected the way his work came out or his deadlines at all. Especially since he loves the project.”
|  Late in 2003, as Booth continued to hunt for a permanent home that could accommodate his budget as well as his league of animals, Dabel—who had admired Booth since his college days reading Backlash—offered the artist work on DBP’s growing line of fantasy literature adaptations. While the books the studio produced had a hard time finding a stable publisher, bouncing from Image to Devil’s Due to a self-publishing setup, offerings such as its adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s The Hedge Knight were a modest sales success with a growing readership. And as Booth began working for the Dabels on other comic series, the one he’d been waiting for finally presented itself.
“We ended up getting the license for Anita Blake,” explains Dabel. “When I mentioned it to Brett, he said, ‘Hey, I’m a big fan!’ Then we found out how knowledgeable he was on the project. He drew some concept art, and we showed it to Laurell. She fell in love with it.”
For Booth, the job was a creative coup that finally played into both his interests and strengths. Anita Blake: Guilty Pleasures, the first novel in the series, allowed Booth to draw his signature slim figure work alongside supernatural and animalistic beasts. “It was fun and adventurous, and I just thought it would make a great comic book,” says Booth. “There’s like a ton of action in it. And Laurell’s actually really good at writing that, so it’s very easy to visualize.”
Debuting last year as one of the first projects published under the Dabel Brothers’ distribution deal with Marvel, Booth’s Guilty Pleasures adaptation has proven a rare breakout sales success in comic shops. But more importantly for the Booths, the Dabel paycheck gave them the opportunity to settle on their own 20-acre patch of Texas ranch land where their closest neighbors are the occasional border patrol helicopters flying overhead.
“We’re still working on the little house, living out of this big trailer right now,” Booth explains over the constant sound of barking. With the calamitous canine orchestra he now owns slightly drowning him out—conservative estimates start at 30 dogs—Booth finds no need to shout about his re-emergence. “I try to distance myself from the hype because you get into it when you’re younger. You get an attitude. I’ve done all that stuff. I’ve been an assh---. So I’ve decided to just enjoy drawing the books.”
|
Source: Deadline | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentAfter two seasons of undercover antics and family drama, Netflix has officially pulled the plug on FUBAR, the action-comedy series starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro. The cancellation, confirmed on August 1, 2025, comes just weeks after the show’s second season premiered to lukewarm reception. FUBAR debuted in May 2023 with strong numbers, thanks in part to Schwarzenegger’s global star power and the novelty of his first leading role in a television series. The show’s premise—a CIA operative discovering his daughter is also an agent—offered a mix of espionage, humor, and family tension. Season 1 racked up over 11 million views during its premiere weekend. But Season 2, released more than two years later in June 2025, failed to recapture that momentum. It peaked at just 3.3 million views in its first full week and quickly dropped out of Netflix’s Top 10. The 73% decline in viewing minutes between seasons was a major factor in the streamer’s decision to cancel. The series featured: Arnold Schwarzenegger as Luke Brunner, a veteran CIA agent, Monica Barbaro as Emma Brunner, his daughter and fellow operative, Carrie-Anne Moss joined in Season 2 as Greta Nelso, a former East German spy with ties to Luke. Supporting cast included Milan Carter, Fortune Feimster, Jay Baruchel, and Travis Van Winkle. Despite the star-studded lineup, critics and fans noted that Season 2 lacked the charm and pacing of its predecessor. Some viewers described the follow-up as “uninspired” and “ridiculously flanderized”. The cancellation leaves several plot threads unresolved: Tina’s mysterious loyalties and ties to the “Grey Division”, The fate of Emma and Aldon’s relationship and the fallout from CIA exposure and Luke’s retirement plans. 
Source: Deadline | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentMarvel Studios has officially kicked off production on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the fourth installment in the MCU’s Spider-Man saga, and fans are already buzzing over the fresh developments. Tom Holland unveiled his new Spider-Man suit in a dramatic teaser released on August 2, 2025. The costume features: Bolder colors and a larger spider emblem, echoing classic comic book aesthetics, Raised webbing and a design that blends elements from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s suits. A short clip where Holland steps into the light and asks, “We ready?”—marking his return since No Way Home The film boasts a stacked cast, blending familiar faces with exciting newcomers: Zendaya (MJ) and Jacob Batalon (Ned) return, though their characters’ memories of Peter remain a mystery. Jon Bernthal makes his big-screen MCU debut as The Punisher. Mark Ruffalo joins the Spider-Verse as Bruce Banner/The Hulk, marking his first appearance in a Spidey film. Michael Mando reprises his role as Mac Gargan/Scorpion, last seen in Homecoming. Sadie Sink and Liza Colón-Zayas have been cast in undisclosed roles, with rumors swirling that Sink may play a variant of Gwen Stacy or Lily Hollister (Menace) Set videos from Glasgow reveal intense action sequences including a stunt involving an armored vehicle crashing through a van, possibly linked to Mr. Negative’s Inner Demons. Speculation about multiple suits being used in the film, hinting at evolving identities or multiverse variants Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton ( Shang-Chi), the film promises a grounded, emotionally rich story. Holland described it as a “fresh start” and likened the production to the vibe of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Filming is underway in London and Glasgow, with a release date set for July 31, 2026. 
Source: Deadline | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentThe DC Universe is expanding once again, and this time it’s giving center stage to one of its quirkiest and most beloved underdogs: Booster Gold. After years of fan speculation and stalled attempts, the time-traveling hero from the 25th century is finally getting his own live-action television series on HBO Max. Booster Gold, real name Michael Jon Carter, is a former Gotham City college football star who fell from grace due to a gambling scandal. Disgraced but ambitious, he steals advanced technology and a time machine from a museum and travels back to the present day. His goal? To become a famous superhero—not out of altruism, but for fame and fortune. Despite his self-serving motives, Booster often ends up doing the right thing, earning a complicated but endearing reputation among DC’s pantheon of heroes. The show was first announced as part of DC Studios’ “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters” slate, but progress was slow until recently. Now, David Jenkins, creator of Our Flag Means Death, has been tapped to write the pilot and potentially serve as showrunner. Jenkins’ knack for blending humor, heart, and genre storytelling makes him a promising fit for Booster’s offbeat tone. 
Source: Deadline | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentMarvel Studios President Kevin Feige has officially confirmed that Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier will helm the highly anticipated X-Men reboot, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Feige made the announcement during a press roundtable promoting The Fantastic Four: First Steps, stating, “It’s official, Jake Schreier is doing X-Men for us, and we’re very, very lucky to have him”. The script is currently underway, with screenwriter Michael Lesslie ( The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) attached to the project. Schreier’s appointment follows his critically praised work on Thunderbolts, which showcased his ability to handle ensemble casts and emotionally grounded storytelling. Feige emphasized Schreier’s connection to younger audiences, noting that the X-Men film will be “a very youth-oriented, focused and cast movie”. Feige also promised a more comic-accurate portrayal of the X-Men, a departure from previous cinematic iterations. “We want to embrace that which was not embraced 25 years ago… those comic-accurate looks,” he said, referencing costumes and character dynamics that fans have long hoped to see on screen. The reboot is being positioned as a franchise reset, not a multiverse continuation. Feige clarified, “Reboot is a scary word… Reset, singular timeline—we’re thinking along those lines”. This approach aims to reintroduce the X-Men with fresh faces and stories, while honoring the core themes of identity, adolescence, and belonging that define the mutant mythos. The film is expected to arrive in 2028, following the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga with Avengers: Secret Wars. 
Source: Deadline | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentDC Studios has officially tapped Ana Nogueira, the rising screenwriting talent behind Supergirl, to write the script for its upcoming Wonder Woman reboot—a major step forward for the studio’s evolving cinematic universe. Nogueira’s selection marks her third major project with DC Studios, following her work on the Supergirl film (set to release June 26, 2026) and the in-development Teen Titans live-action movie. James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, has emphasized that Wonder Woman is a priority, though not fast-tracked. “Nothing is going to be shot unless we’re as sure as we can be that the script is good,” Gunn stated, underscoring the studio’s commitment to quality over speed. Gal Gadot, who previously portrayed Diana Prince in two solo films and several ensemble appearances, will not return in the role. The reboot aims to introduce a fresh take on the Amazonian warrior, aligning with the studio’s broader narrative overhaul. In addition to the film, DC Studios has been developing Paradise Lost, a television series set on Themyscira. While its status remains uncertain, the show was initially pitched as a Game of Thrones-style prequel exploring the political intrigue of Wonder Woman’s homeland. 
Source: Deadline | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentJames Gunn’s Superman has proven to be more than just a reboot—it’s a box office revival for DC Studios. In its first 10 days, the film has soared past expectations, delivering impressive numbers both in the U.S. and abroad. It has earned $235 million domestically, holding strong in its second weekend, dropping only 54% to bring in $57.2 million, a better-than-expected hold for a superhero film. The film now ranks as the biggest domestic hit for DC since Aquaman in 2018. It has already surpassed the lifetime domestic total of Justice League ($230M) and Thunderbolts ($189M). Overseas, Superman brought in $171.8 million, bringing its global total to $406.8 million all while the film faced challenges in some international markets due to Superman’s strong American identity, but still managed solid numbers in Latin America and parts of Europe. Top international markets include: UK: $9.8M, Mexico: $8.8M, Brazil: $5.9M, Australia: $5.3M and France: $4.2M. With a reported $225 million production budget, the film is on track to recoup costs and potentially reach $600–700 million globally. It has already outgrossed Marvel’s Thunderbolts ($383M) and is closing in on Captain America: Brave New World ($415M). Studio insiders project a domestic finish between $350M and $400M, with international markets expected to contribute further as word-of-mouth spreads. The film’s success has reignited interest in Superman across platforms: Man of Steel viewership surged on HBO Max. Christopher Reeve’s Superman: The Movie and the documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story saw massive streaming spikes. Even Peacemaker Season 1 got a boost, showing the ripple effect across DC content. In just 10 days, Superman has not only proven its box office muscle but also reestablished the character as a global icon. With strong legs and a clear runway before Fantastic Four arrives, the Man of Steel is flying high—and the future of DC looks brighter than ever.  THE PENGUIN SOARS WITH 24 EMMY NOMINATIONS07/19/25 @ 2:18 pm EST
Source: Deadline | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentHBO Max’s The Penguin has officially cemented its place as one of the year’s most celebrated limited series, earning 24 Emmy nominations—the most in its category and second only to Severance across all shows. The gritty Batman spinoff, starring Colin Farrell as Gotham’s infamous crime lord Oz Cobb, has captivated critics and audiences alike with its noir aesthetic, powerhouse performances, and meticulous production design. In the acting categories, Colin Farrell received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, adding to his Golden Globe and SAG wins for the role. Cristin Milioti, who plays Sofia Falcone, earned a nod for Outstanding Lead Actress. Deirdre O’Connell was recognized for her supporting role as Oz’s mother, Francis Cobb. Behind-the-scenes the show also scored with nominations across technical categories, including: Outstanding Writing for Lauren LeFranc’s episode “A Great or Little Thing”, Outstanding Directing for episodes helmed by Helen Shaver and Jennifer Getzinger, Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup, honoring the transformative work that turned Farrell into the scarred and bloated Penguin, Outstanding Music Composition, with Mick Giacchino’s haunting score earning its own spotlight. The Penguin was recognized for: Production Design, Casting, Cinematography, Hairstyling Title Design, Sound Editing and Mixing, and Stunt Coordination and Performance. With 24 nominations, The Penguin now holds the second-highest Emmy nod count for a comic book series, trailing only HBO’s Watchmen (26 nominations in 2019). 
Source: Deadline | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentWith all the coverage for Superman, James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, seems to be everywhere being asked everything. In a recent set of interviews, he has offered fresh insights into the future of several iconic heroes in the evolving DC Universe. Gunn confirmed that a new Wonder Woman film is actively in development, with a script currently being written. He expressed strong enthusiasm for the project, calling it “a very distinct take” that will differ significantly from the Gal Gadot-led version in the previous DCEU continuity. The DCU’s Batman reboot, The Brave and the Bold, is also in the scripting phase. Gunn emphasized that production won’t begin until the screenplay meets his high standards, stating, “I’d rather wait a year than go too soon”. This film will introduce a new Batman and explore his relationship with Damian Wayne. However, Gunn is mindful of overlapping timelines with Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II, which is set for October 2027, and has hinted that the two films won’t release in the same calendar year. Fans hoping to see The Flash and Aquaman in the near future may be disappointed. Gunn revealed that neither character is expected to appear in the DCU for at least the next two years, pushing their potential returns to 2028 or later. This strategic delay allows DC Studios to rethink their approach after mixed receptions to their last solo outings. 
Source: Deadline | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentSony Pictures Animation has officially shifted the release date of Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, the highly anticipated conclusion to its animated trilogy, from June 4 to June 25, 2027. While the delay is a modest three weeks, it marks yet another adjustment in the film’s long and winding journey to theaters. Studio insiders revealed that the new date was chosen to better align with summer break schedules—by June 25, all U.S. schools will be out, compared to only 65% on the original date. This strategic timing is expected to boost attendance among younger audiences and improve performance in international markets. Beyond the Spider-Verse picks up immediately after the cliffhanger ending of Across the Spider-Verse (2023), with Miles Morales on the run in an alternate universe. Directors Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson return, while the screenplay is penned by franchise architects Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and David Callaham. The trilogy began with Into the Spider-Verse (2018), which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and grossed $384 million globally. Its sequel, Across the Spider-Verse, earned a staggering $690 million and cemented the franchise’s reputation for bold storytelling and groundbreaking animation. 
Source: Variety | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentIn a twist worthy of a Hollywood script, Ryan Coogler’s breakout horror film Sinners—a 2025 box office juggernaut—owes part of its haunting aesthetic to a Marvel movie that never made it to set. The film’s eerie, period-perfect costumes were originally designed for Marvel Studios’ long-delayed Blade reboot, which remains in production limbo. According to Sinners producer Sev Ohanian, the film’s costume designer, Oscar-winner Ruth E. Carter ( Black Panther), had been working on Blade when the project was shelved indefinitely. That version of Blade, starring Mahershala Ali, was once envisioned as a 1920s-set vampire thriller—eerily similar in tone and era to Sinners. When Sinners was greenlit on a tight schedule, Carter had a warehouse full of unused, period-appropriate costumes. Marvel, in a rare behind-the-scenes collaboration, allowed Coogler’s team to purchase the wardrobe “at price”. While the main cast including Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, and others wore custom-designed costumes tailored specifically for their characters, many of the extras in Sinners were dressed in the repurposed Blade costumes, giving the film a rich, textured authenticity without the usual prep time. First announced in 2019, Marvel’s Blade reboot has faced repeated delays due to creative changes, director exits, and industry strikes. The film was removed from Disney’s release calendar in 2024 and remains without a confirmed production date. Despite the setbacks, Mahershala Ali has expressed continued interest in the role, recently telling reporters, “Call Marvel. I’m ready”.  |
