Ladronn's Inhuman Return To Marvel

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Source: Silver Bullet Comics

The material has never been available in comic book format before and the first three issues will feature cover art by Jose Ladronn.

"To work on the covers for this huge saga is very important to me, an extraordinary opportunity to re-create Jodorowsky's suicidal vision of the future" said Ladronn, who sites The Incal as one of his major influences. "After I first saw The Incal it started to be like the other side of my existence, the part that controls the subconscious mind and dreams. I absorbed everything, and the characters and places involved became part of my life".

Source: Comics Continuum

"I think Marvel decided at the end of the issue #3 that the best thing for The Inhumans book was to have a new penciler come on for issue #4 with me just doing the inks," said Ladronn. "I totally refused to accept that deal because I thought that it was a terrible mistake. But they said it was a final decision." Ladronn says the situation could have been avoided were the book originally placed on a bi-monthly schedule.

So what's next for Ladronn? In a interview with Silver Bullet Comics he explained that he'll be working with Semic, a publisher that specializes in reprinting and publishing new material for non-English speaking markets with licensed characters. "They do french language reprints of many books in the DC and Image lines, plus they also print some books of old french characters like Wampus, Kabur and Zembla," stated Ladronn. He'll be doing some fully painted covers, and also some black and white stories.

For the full interviews, please use the links below.

Source: Newsarama & Silver Bullet Comics

Answering an email by a reader asking what new projects Ladronn has coming up with Marvel, Yourman replied, "...after Inhumans, Ladronn has a killer Thor project lined up for the end of the year or early 2001."

According to Ladronn's agent, J.M. Lofficier, though he's discussed a Thor project with Marvel, Ladronn has not committed to it, and any announcment of one is premature. Lofficier reports the artist would still consider the project, but that it would have to be formally offered to him, that it would have to fit into his new schedule and that he and Marvel would have to agree to a page rate.

Source: Daily Buzz

According to Ladronn's agent, Jean-Marc Lofficier, Ladronn was to be exclusive to Marvel pending three conditions: 1)Marvel pay for Ladronn's work visa, a somewhat standard arrangement in the comics industry 2)Marvel would replace a project which Lofficier and Ladronn had secured at DC but had to forfeit due ot Ladronn's exclusive status with Marvel, which evolved into a 64-page Silver Surfer graphic novel; and 3)that a $5000 stay bonus would be paid to Ladronn if he completed ten out of twelve consecutive issues for Marvel, an agreement which had been a standard practice in the industry, but has been on the outs, and was recently given up by DC.

Ladronn's exclusive contract was in the form of a signed deal memo from January 16, 1998 as well as a longer agreement because which went unsigned because the work visa pending approval. The final agreement was later signed in May of 1999.

However, as a result of miscommunication and crossed wires within Marvel regarding Ladronn's visa, the artist was told in January of 1999 that Marvel would not employ him under the agreed upon terms, and that the agreement regarding Ladronn's visa was made without the knowledge of Marvel's editor in chief, Bob Harras. The changes cost Ladronn $6000 in immigration fees to set right.

Also, shortly after Ladronn signed the exclusive agreement in May, 1999, Marvel canceled the Silver Surfer project he and Lofficier understood they were to produce, something Lofficier clearly feels is a breach of contract by Marvel.

Finally, when Ladronn signed the agreement in May, 1999, the stay bonus provision had been removed.

"This is my interpretation of what happened," said Lofficier in a statement. "Marvel wanted José to be exclusive and had made and agreed to a good faith offer in early '98 which included all the conditions described above. Then, for some mysterious reason, later that year, they withdrew that offer, jeopardizing the visa application in the process. When they realized in early '99 that this meant that Jose would no longer be exclusive to them, they scrambled around and connived to have their immigration lawyer switch visa petitions back from Starwatcher to Marvel, effectively forcing Jose to sign their new contract. And at that point, they saw an opportunity to rid themselves of these other pesky obligations (the Surfer project and the stay bonus) and they grabbed it. Considering all the broken promises, there is no reason for José to remain exclusive to them any longer and he has therefore decided to become a free agent again."

Source: Daily Buzz

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THE RETURN OF THE INHUMANS! The last time you saw Black Bolt, Triton, Gorgon, Crystal, Medusa, and Lockjaw, they had pulled off a stunning last minute upset and successfully won the freedom of their kingdom. Now, hot on the heels of their Eisner Award-winning limited series, Marvel's strangest group returns this spring with an all-new adventure. Acclaimed penciler Carlos Pacheco (AVENGERS FOREVER) will try his hand at writing, joined by the talents of Jose Ladronn (CABLE), whose art in this month's THOR 2000 will blow the industry away. I managed to snag an inter-office memo that included a description of the story, and here's what it said: "A clan of wanderers possessed of incredible powers... a race of warriors bent on reclaiming their lost empire...a Royal Family torn between home and destiny! Eons ago, the alien Kree performed genetic experimentation on the fledgling human race, resulting in the mysterious offshoot of humanity. Now, after their recent battle against the encroachment of mankind, their galactic forebears have returned -- and Ronan the Accuser has stepped forward to claim the Inhumans! But how will the reforged chains of slavery restore the glory of the once-mighty Kree Empire?" Edited by X-honcho Mark Powers, the four-issue saga will present the next chapter in the lives of this amazing clan on April 5.