Via Sree Sreenivasan

Spider-Man in India. Not sure about the dhoti, but the concept to have a super-hero fighting evil in India sounds good to me. The press release (see link below) seems to be well-timed for the June 30 release of the Spider-Man sequel.

SPIDER-MAN INDIA!

SPIDER-MAN EXTENDS FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD TO STREETS OF BOMBAY!

Bangalore, India (June, 2004), Marvel Enterprises, Inc. & Gotham Entertainment Group, Indian publishing licensee of Marvel Comics and the leading publisher of international comic magazines in South Asia, announces the launch of Spider-Man India.

Spider-Man India interweaves the local customs, culture and mystery of modern India, with an eye to making Spider-Man?s mythology more relevant to this particular audience. Readers of this series will not see the familiar Peter Parker of Queens under the classic Spider-Man mask, but rather a new hero, a young, Indian boy named Pavitr Prabhakar. As Spider-Man, Pavitr leaps around rickshaws and scooters in Indian streets, while swinging from monuments such as the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal.

Mumbai's (Bombay's) first web-swinging Super Hero will be joined by a reinterpretation of the classic Spider-Man villain, the Green Goblin — reinvented as a Rakshasa, an Indian mythological demon.

“We feel this is one of the most exciting and unique projects in comic history,” said Gotham Entertainment Group CEO Sharad Devarajan. “Unlike traditional translations of American comics, Spider-Man India will become the first-ever ‘transcreation,' where we reinvent the origin of a Western property like Spider-Man so that he is an Indian boy in Mumbai and dealing with local problems and challenges?

Marvel Enterprises President of Publishing, Gui Karyo offered, “Marvel has continuously done its best to push the boundaries of traditional comic books and to look for new venues for our characters. Gotham is helping us to expand the Marvel brand with a truly global vision.”

The first four issues of the new comic series will be published and released by Gotham Entertainment Group in India. Marvel Comics will provide publishing details for the States at a later date.

For additional images on the new Indian Spider-Man go to:http://www.gothamcomics.com/spiderman_india/

Contact:

FOR GOTHAM ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, LLC

USA: Sharad Devarajan; (732) 335-1094; sharad@gothamcomics.com
INDIA: Suresh Seetharaman; +91 9844077707; press@gothamcomics.com

FOR MARVEL ENTERPRISES, INC.
Andrew Lis; (212) 576-4022; alis@marvel.com

Life is about making the right choices and perhaps making the right exceptions, especially when opportunities you can't pass up arise.

As a matter of principle, I am not fond of working for free. Here comes the exception – if it is a worthy cause and the experience will teach me something new. So, right now here is such an opportunity that I urge students to investigate and apply. I hope you will make that exception and consider an internship at Julia Dean's studio.

Julia Dean whom I love and respect as a photojournalist, a teacher and a humanitarian is offering a non-paying internship at her photography studio in Los Angeles (actually Venice, right off of the beach!).

As a former intern of Julia's, I learned a great deal just by being around the studio. If you are at all interested in combining your love for photography and social justice issues, this is the place to cut your teeth. Apply!

From Julia Dean:

We're looking to add to our “family” here and are looking for additional “intern” positions. Of course, it's the best non-paid job around! Rather than money, you get classes and other terrific perks for your work.

We're looking for someone who can give us (no fewer) than 3 hours/week on a regularly scheduled day. The job description includes everything from sweeping the floor, running errands, to assisting teachers with their classes, to helping host our events. It's a responsible job that we take seriously and are looking for people who can commit to a six-month time period.

If you are interested, please call us soon. Our cut-off date for you to call to set up an interview is:
Wed., June 23 by 6 pm.

We have one day only scheduled for interviews (with no exceptions). Interviews are on Thursday, June 24 , starting at noon.

If you're interested, or want more details, please give us a call. You can talk to either Rio Leyva — my studio manager — or me.

Thanks for your interest.

Julia Dean & Associates
The Julia Dean Photo Workshops
3111 Ocean Front Walk, Suite 102
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
310-821-0909 phone
310-821-0809 fax
email: julia@juliadean.com
workshops: http://www.juliadean.com
child labor project: http://www.childlaborphotoproject.org

What is your Graphics IQ?

Gracing the cover of the resurrected LIFE magazine is none other than Norah Jones. According to the New York Times, the magazine will be distributed to almost 12 million people as a news supplement. If you remember LIFE died several deaths before.

“LIFE was first published as a weekly in 1936. It ceased publication in 1972, but returned as a monthly in 1978, going briefly to weekly frequency during the first Gulf War before suspending publication in 2000. LIFE has periodically published a number of special issues as well as series of books under the LIFE imprint.”

Time Warner Inc. which owns LIFE knows all too well about brand identity. So here they are again, giving it one more shot. This Time Warner press release has more information.

I am not sure what all of this means for photographers and writers. It comes down to advertising dollars and whether they can give Parade magazine a run for its money.

Time will tell.

Via Himal magazine

The editors of Himal Southasian have decided to suspend publication of the magazine for four months starting June 2004 in order to reorganise editorial, marketing and sales efforts. More than ever before, Southasia requires a top class periodical that takes a dispassionate, professional look at the region as a whole, with an eye on bettering the lives of its 1.4 billion people.

Recent events between and within Southasian countries indicate even more than before the need for an independent and extra-nationalist approach to issues and trends. Himal Southasian remains the magazine with the worldview and commitment to carry out such a mission, but the editors feel the need to carry out an introspective overhaul. This is the reason for the publishing hiatus, which will be a period to examine editorial content, carry out institutional restructuring, energise region-wide distribution, induct new staff, and so on.

Have questions? Address queries to: editors@himalmag.com .

Hope the navel gazing works out in their favor, though from my limited perspective, the magazine was still doing great work.