Michael Jackson tries to be a superhero, because it’s the only way not to die.  After his double bluff – King of Pop’s new hit This is it was written by Paul Anka – jacko mania keep on overrunnig our entertainment planet: while This is it movie is going to be out and on line music shops earn money selling CDs, DVDs and limited edition boxes, here you are another advertising gimmick to extend Jacko’s life: Fated, a graphic novel co-written by Michael Jackson himself with Gotham Chopra, may arrive at comic stores next June. It’s the story of a musician and it seems he had been working on it long before his death. Top secret about drawings… What does Jackson have to do it with comics? Long life to King of Pop!

La última vez que hablé con mi amigo Michael Jackson fue hace un mes, tres semanas antes de su muerte. Me llamó de madrugada para preguntarme por una de mis amigas cercanas sobre la que había leído en la prensa. Laura Ling, ex-colega y amiga, fue detenida en la frontera de Corea del Norte junto con su colega Euna Lee el 17 de marzo. Desde entonces, han estado en prisión y han tenido poco contacto con sus familias o personalidades de occidente, y han soportado un extraño juicio donde fueron sentenciadas a doce años de trabajos forzados. En este momento actual, no se sabe dónde están Laura y Euna – si siguen en las dependencias del gobierno, en un hospital por problemas médicos o desplazadas a los campos de trabajo de Corea del Norte donde podrían no sobrevivir.

Michael había leído algunos detalles sobre Laura y Euna. Como solía informarse de los eventos globales como del hambre en Africa a las victimas de desastres naturales en países lejanos, hasta orfanatos creados por las guerras, sentía un profundo sentido de empatía por Laura y Euna. Cuando le dije que Euna tenía una hija de cuatro años, todavía quedó más angustiado.

Me preguntó si había tenido forma de contactar con Laura. Le dije que le había escrito algunas cartas y me había asegurado de que llegaran. A parte de esto, su própia familia sólo había tenido dos breves llamadas monitorizadas en los tres meses que estuvieron encarceladas. Cuando le dije eso, Michael hizo una pausa.

Me preguntó con interés “¿Crees que el líder de Corea del Norte será fan mio?”

No supe qué responder. No se sabe mucho sobre el reclusivo Kim Jong Il o “Querido Líder” como le han de llamar en su país. A lo largo de los años se ha dicho que le gusta Hollywood, algunas estrellas de la NBA, Elvis, y algunos licores americanos. Pero no tenía ninguna conexión que me sonara entre Michael Jackson y Kim Jong Il.

Michael dijo que había visto algunas fotos del Querido Líder en internet. “¿Sabes? lleva chaquetas como las mías”

No pude evitar reirme. Es cierto. Michael siempre ha tenido fascinación por las chaquetas estilo militar, con galones y chapitas en el cuello y los hombros. Si buscáis fotos en la red, encontraréis muchas imagenes de Michael y Kim Jong Il, con ropas parecidas.

“La verdad es que no lo se. Pero intentaré enterarme” le respndí a Michael.

Michael respondió empeñado “Por favor, porque si fuera fan, yo podría intentar que esas chicas volvieran a casa”

Le expliqué a Michael que había grandes fuerzas geopolíticas implicadas, programas nucleares, la nueva administración Obama intentando una estrategia de asuntos exteriores y otra nueva en Corea del Norte aproximandose a una especie de transferencia de poder.

“Si” dijo Michael “pero si alguien quiere hacer algo bueno, puede hacerlo. No tienen que preocuparse de todo eso”.

Y ahí acabó la conversación. Mantuve mi promesa de intentar enterarme sobre una posible conexión entre MJ y KJI, pero tristemente no pude. Antes de poder volver a hablar con Michael, apareció la noticia de su trágica muerde. Before I was able to get back to Michael, the news regarding his tragic passing broke. Los tributos y conmemoraciones han empezado y no han terminado.

Luego pensé en la ironia, la extraña, lejana e imposible posibilidad: sólo hay una persona en el mundo que pueda hacer un tributo significativo a Michael Jackson. Si Kim Jong Il fuera fan de Michael Jackson, o hubiera intentado alguna vez el moonwalk, sonreído con Thriller, tarareado a los Jackson Five o Michael, su perdón a Laura Ling y Euna Lee y dejar que volvieran a casa con sus familias sería un profundo acto de compasión, un verdadero tributo a un hombre cuya muerte deja al mundo entero recordándole. (…)

- Gotham Chopra

Cuando estaba en mi segundo año de Universidad viviendo en un campus (en Columbia, NYC) con cuatro compañeros de habitaicón, cada vez que sonaba el teléfono había carreras para vier quién respondía. Todos queríamos ser el que escuchara el “hola” al otro lado por si se trababa de una llamada de mi amigo Michael Jackson.

La mayoría de esos días, Michael estaba alojado en el ático del Four Seasons, a unas 60 manzanas de donde yo vivía en el Upper Westside de Manhattan cerca de Harlem. Yo atravesaba felizmente la ciudad, pasaba el control de seguridad que sabía que yo tenía acceso libre a la suite de Michael, subia en el ascensor y pedía comida al servicio de habitaciones y veía peliculas.

Eventualmente, Michael y yo nos poníamos a trabajar. Trabajaba en un nuevo disco y me preguntó si le ayudaría a escribir letra para las canciones. Era una relación informal – atravesaba la ciudad con una mochila llena de diccionarios, y libros de antónimos y sinónimos y de ritmica. Michael solía tararear las cancioes y hablar de lo que quería decir con la canción y ambos intentábamos unir nuestras habilidades y sacar la letra. Hicimos buenos trabajos. Michael me hizo jurar secretismo aquellos días. Lo hice feliz.

Cuando acababamos esas sesiones, normalmente sobre las 2 de la madrugada o así, Michael sacaba del cuarto de baño un saco que tenía allí guardado. Dentro había varios miles de dólares. Me preguntaba cuando quería. Yo me encogía de hombros y me daba un par de miles. Luego, recogía mis diccionarios y resto de libros en la mochila y llamaba a mis amigos para quedar en la ciudad. Una hora más tarde lo estabamos fundiendo en Flashdancers.

Michael siempre sentía envidia cuando el contaba mis aventuras con mis amigos. Mas de una vez, se vestía, poniéndose algo casi como disfraz, y se preparaba para salir conmigo, pero en el último minuto daba marcha atrás o sus guardaespaldas le decían que no podía hacer ese tipo de cosas. En su lugar, se ponía un gran vaso de zumo de naranja y se ponía a ver viejas películas en TV, pidiendome que me gastara unos dólares extra por él. Yo lo hacía felizmente.

Mi amistad con Michael fue muy especial para mi, y quiero pensar que también lo fue para él. Durante los últimos años, siempre me fastidió tener que explicar los origenes de nuestra amistad – que le conocí cuando yo tenía 15 años y nos caímos bien enseguida. Pasé días en Neverland Ranch, mi hermana, primos, u otros amigos se nos unian en días fantásticos llenos de caramelos, recreativos, peliculas a media noche y las absolutamente mejores galletas de chocolate de todos los tiempos. Asímismo él visitaba nuestra casa en Massachusetts (también era muy amigo de mi padre) donde dormia en la habitación de invitados. A mi madre le daba mucha impresión el hecho de que cada mañana, Michael intentara hacer su cama (muy malamente) y se ofreciera a hacer el desayuno (muy malamente). Cuando tuve 17 años, Michael me invitó a ir de gira con él, iba a Europa a hacer los mayores conciertos de rock de su época (Dangerous tour) y quería compañía. Supliqué y pedí a mis padres que me dejaran ir y finalmente me dijeron que si. No era una mala forma de pasar el verano de la Highschool.

Al pasar los años, cuando Michael tuvo que plantar cara a los escandalos, yo recordaba mis experiencias con él cuando era joven. La gente me solía preguntar si yo había tenido que experimentar algo extraño o molesto con él. Yo respondía con la verdad de todos mis años con él, en todos y cada uno de los momentos, Michael no hizo nada más que tener un comportamiendo digno y apropiado, ni una sola vez hizo nada que pudiera parecer escandaloso para mi. Así de simple.

Mirad esto. En aquellos días de estudiante. Una noche me llamó con pánico. Se había casado con Lisa Marie Presley y necesitaba consejo… consejo sexual. Estaba increíblemente nervioso y dijo que quería asegurarse de que Lisa quedara impresionada por sus “movimientos”. Me preguntó si tenía algun consejo. Le respondí con una palabra “preliminares.”

“¿De verdad?” Contestó. “¿A las chicas les gusta?”

Durante los últimos años, mi relación con Michael evolucionó y maduró muy bien. Ambos llegamos a ser padres y esa fue la piedra angular de nuestras más recientes conversaciones de los últimos meses. Devolvíendole el favor de mis días como “consejero de composición,” él le puso un apodo a mi hijo medio indio, medio chino, “The Chindian” algo que acompañará siempre al pequeño Krishu Chen Xing Hua Chopra. Hablamos sobre lo genial que sería para nuestros hijos crecer juntos, ser tan buenos amigos como nosotros, y comerse el mundo. Michael admiraba el hecho de que yo hubiera podido encontrar a una esposa, mantenerla y ganarme su confianza. Yo bromeaba diciéndole que todo era ¡por los “preliminares”! Cuando su hija Paris sufrió una caída accidental hace unos años, Michael llamó a mi mujer Candice (fisioterapeuta) pidiendo que fueramos a su casa para hacerle un reconocimiento.

Lo hicimos, Paris se había caído de un arbol y se había hecho un corte profundo cerca de un ojo. Michael estaba devastado y me confesó que se sentía como el peor padre del mundo. Le calmé mientras Candice ayudaba a Paris a levantarse de la cama donde estaba tumbada para llevarla a Urgencias donde le dieron unos simples puntos. Cuando le dije el plan a Michael, me metió en el baño, cogió un saco lleno de dolares de debajo del baño y me preguntó cuando necesitaría para Urgencias.

Sacudí mi cabeza y le dije: “esto lo pago yo.”

Descansa en paz mi amigo.

Gotham Chopra

Who do you think taught him to moon dance?

Now there are two names you don’t  often see in a sentence together. But according to TMZ and Gotham Chopra, Michael Jackson was trying to find a way to contact Kim Jung Il! Hmm, seems MJ was thinking if he could teach the Dear Leader to moonwalk or something, he might be able to talk him into pardoning the two American journalists. You remember them, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, the reporters who were sentenced to 12 years hard labor after being caught “spying” on the North Korean border. Anywho Michael had contacted Chopra (a few months before his death) to see if he could help in convincing North Korea’s leader  to release the reporters. Michael thought Kim Jong Il might be a fan of his because “You know, he wears jackets like mine.” Bless, that would have been bigger than his comeback tour. Geez, they could have recorded a duet together…. imagine, the two “Kings of Pop”. And don’t get me started on the music video!

Psst You can read the whole story here Gotham Chopra.

Gotham Chopra (of Liquid Comics, and how I remember him and Laura Ling, a former Channel One news anchor) shared a touching and unheard posthumous story about Michael Jackson empathizing for Laura Ling and Euna Lee, two American journalists who were detained in North Korea and currently prisoned in a hard labor camp.

Understandable, as my heart seems to also go out to people who are away from their families, and to children who are away from their parents. Michael’s demise meant so much to many, but reading this article was the first time his death touched me in the past couple weeks. I feel for those who are without family, and also feel for those who know what I’m feeling.

Below is an excerpt from Chopra’s article, “Michael Jackson and Kim Jong Il”. Read the entire article here.

“The last time I spoke to my friend Michael Jackson was about a month ago, three weeks before his shocking death. He had called me late one night to ask about another of my close friends who he had read about in the news. Laura Ling, a former colleague and friend, was detained originally by North Korean border guards along with her colleague Euna Lee on March 17th. Since then, they have been imprisoned, had very little contact with their families or western officials …. Michael had read some of the details regarding Laura and Euna’s predicament. As was often the case with him and global events he read about – from famine in Africa to victims of natural disasters in far off countries, to orphans created by wars – he felt a deep sense of empathy for Laura and Euna. When I shared with him that Euna had a four-year-old daughter, he was even more anguished….”

Many thanks to Gotham for sharing this story.

Author and entrepreneur Gotham Chopra is a multi-media voice on issues of spirituality, culture, and news. Click on the image below to check out his blog at Intent.com.

There’s a special welcoming committee for celebrities in heaven.

Johnny Carson was there on June 23rd, 2009 when Ed McMahon entered the Pearly Gates. He welcomed him and asked him to go golfing after he got settled in with God and got caught up with his long lost relatives.  They set up a tee time for Friday morning, June 27th.  When they met up at the PGGC (Pearly Gates Golf Course), Johnny just stood there, leaning on his club, arms folded, shaking his head, with that grin on his face, looking Ed square in the eyes.  Ed thought Johnny was going to say something like, “It’s good to see you old friend, it’s been way too long”.  But no.  Johnny’s words were typical Johnny.  “Ed, you stupid fool!  You couldn’t have chosen a worse week to die.  People are going to be saying for years, “Who were those other two celebrities that died the same week as Michael Jackson?”  They both laughed, embraced, and teed off at #1.

And together, Johnny and Ed next welcomed Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Farrah seemed to only have about 15 minutes of fame for her final demise, which is sad.  At least she had that special on a few weeks back which has re-aired several times.  She had her time with us, her fans.

Billy Mays, best known for his hawking of products such as Orange Glo and Oxyclean, also passed away this morning. Many complained of his voice when it came on TV.  He was loud, annoying, but hey, he sold product.  That’s the point of being a Pitchman.  He was only 50 also, much too young.

I can already see a Saturday Night Live skit coming.  Fodder for sure, but sad for the celebrity world

All were important icons in our lives.  They all made a difference.

I grew up with Michael Jackson. No, not literally, but he and his family were ever present in my days spent as a child, and well into my adult life. What is so powerful about his music, is that it has transcended time and generations. It’s pretty cool to be a 54 year old mom, and when a Michael Jackson song comes on the radio with your 18 year old daughter, you’re both singing along, and actually know all the words, at least to the chorus. My three male grandchildren wouldn’t even think of being so uncool to sing along with Grandma, but I know they know the songs and the lyrics.

I found the following two links via a friend on Facebook which may or may not change your mind about some of the media blitz that has been circulating. What stuck out most was wondering if people truly remember when Michael was acquitted of child molestation charges, or was it simply the fact that he was accused, more than once, which makes him outright guilty in many mind? Do we have that much doubt in our judicial system that those even remotely accused of molesting children, are always guilty, no matter what a judge and jury says? Is there always that element of doubt lingering in our minds?  The media and public imprisoned him for life. The verdict might as well have been guilty, because apparently you can’t be forgiven of such a crime in this world, no matter what.

Me? What do I think? Really doesn’t matter, but since you asked…..
I believe that Michael was obviously haunted by something in his youth. His life was odd from the beginning, in that he was famous from a very early age. Some people can handle it in a way most would call “normal”, and some people can’t. In a society that claims to be so diverse and accepting of differences, we certainly tend to jump up someones craw when they go against the norm, of what WE* would do.

I believe Michael just wanted that raw, pure friendship of youth. I remember friends from my childhood that weren’t ever judgmental, could laugh at my guffaws and their own, without worry or repercussions. Why wouldn’t we want to latch on to those moments in life, and recapture our youth? He had younger friends, he enjoyed the laughter and pureness of children. So what?   Yes, it’s unfortunate that some may have misconstrued his relationships, but if I were to bet my life savings, I would venture that adults with ulterior motives were behind the accusations, and not the children. They told their innocent stories, and then the masses swarmed with a vengeance.  The greed was overpowering.

We live in a society where everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  I praise God each and everyday that I live in America for that and many other reasons.  Read the articles I’ve linked below.  It just may change your mind, or not.  That’s totally up to you.  Or continue to read the tabloids.  They suck you in, and that’s right where they want you, no matter what the cost.  As long as you buy and read, that’s all that matters to them.

Peace and Love,

Chris

Postcards from Row Land » Blog Archive » MJ.  Another WordPress Blogger

Gotham Chopra: Writing Songs With My Friend Mike.  Co-Founder of Liquid Comics

Roxana Saberi (courtesy of Reuters), Euna Lee & Laura Ling (courtesy of Getty Images) and Esha Momeni (courtesy of Sanam Dolatshahi)

Think about all of the information that you never would’ve known had someone not put their safety or life at risk. Think about how many scandals have been uncovered by investigative reporters and how the truth obtained changed the world. Heck, a U.S. president resigned due to the investigative work of reporters at The Washington Post.

There’s no doubt that journalists play a major role in the way the world is viewed and shaped. Many of these media professionals are thanked. However, some might consider their work tactics a nuisance, which is where the level of appreciation could fall by the wayside.

Bracing the headlines over the past few weeks has been the unfortunate news of Roxana Saberi, Euna Lee, Laura Ling and Esha Momeni who were jailed in Iran and North Korea while collecting data for news stories, or academic research.

Roxana Saberi, who has been jailed in Iran since January, was recently convicted of espionage by an Iranian court and sentenced to eight years in prison. On Tuesday, she began a hunger strike (today is Sunday) and sources say that she has (obviously) become very weak. I’m not in the U.S., so I can’t watch the coverage of her status, but based on what I’m finding online, this looks like big news back home.

Then last month, Euna Lee and Laura Ling from Current TV were arrested on the China/North Korea boarder while working on a story about women seeking refuge in China from North Korea’s communist rule. One witness says that the reporters were on the China side of the boarder when the arrest occurred, but there hasn’t been much development on this situation due to the lack of communication that the U.S. has with North Korea. A Swedish Ambassador is doing the mediating and sadly, it doesn’t sound like Lee and Ling are heading home anytime soon. Candlelight vigils for these two women will be held in both Sacramento and San Francisco, California early next week.

On October 15, 2008, Esha Momeni, a Iranian-American graduate student from my alma mater, California State University, Northridge, was working on her thesis in Iran when she was stopped by police for allegedly passing a vehicle illegally. Her case is confusing because technically, she’s not a journalist. Her study at CSUN is in Mass Communications within the School of Journalism and the focus of her research is on Iranian feminism.

Esha was finally released from jail in November on $200,000 bail, but since, her passport has been denied, so she’s unable to leave the country. The Bull Magazine, a publication by students at Pierce College in the San Fernando Valley, interviewed CSUN faculty and others for a video about Esha’s situation. Click here to watch. And to sign a petition for her immediate release, click here.

China doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to tolerance toward media professionals, so my friends often question some of the ideas that I have for stories. What has happened to these ladies could happen to anyone. Just yesterday, I read an article by Gotham Chopra where he talks about his cross with avoiding arrest in a “rouge nation.” Some journalists aren’t always so lucky.

Keep these women in your thoughts and don’t ever take your freedom of speech (if you’re reading this in a country that allows freedom of speech) for granted.

***********UPDATED  5/16/09***********

Great news for Roxana Saberi last week. She was released from an Iranian prison with a suspended two-year term and a five-year ban on practicing journalism in Iran. Fair enough! Her two-week hunger strike might have had something to do with this, but in any case, it’s great to see that she’s alive and “free.”

I’m sure that she has book deals and Lifetime made for TV movie pitches flying at her left and right. She says that she needs time before speaking about the whirl wind she experienced over the past months. Read the full report here.

In North Korea, Laura Ling and Euna Lee will be put on trial on June 4th. If convicted on charges of espionage, they could be looking at up to 10 years in prison.

Al Gore has taken a step forward in speaking out for the release of the two women. This isn’t the first time that North Korea has used the capture of U.S. citizens as possible bargaining tools. Read the full report here.

***********UPDATED  8/4/09***********

After a visit from former U.S. President Bill Clinton earlier today, North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Ill, has pardoned Laura Ling and Euna Lee for illegally entering the country back in March. In June, the two Current TV journalists were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for entering North Korea illegally. A few days ago, Lisa Ling, Laura Ling’s older sister who is also a journalist, made a statement that during a recent phone conversation her younger sister admitted that they had broke law. Laura Ling said that the only way they would ever be released by N. Korea was if amnesty was sought and that’s exactly what was accomplished by President Clinton today.

***********UPDATED  8/17/09***********

After nearly a year, the Iranian government has finally allowed Esha Momeni to leave the country and return to the United States. A student from California State University, Northridge interviewed Momeni about her experience and the four part video can be viewed on YouTube. For more updates, visit the blog set-up for Momeni, For Esha’s Return.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

From Wired:

With Hollywood hitting up comic books for blockbusters, a new comics publisher is looking to India for ideas. “The world is increasingly realizing that India is a source for creativity and great ideas, not just a back office to execute them more cheaply,” said Gotham Chopra, part of the management team at Los Angeles-based Liquid Comics.

One of the first projects for the publisher will be bringing its Ramayan 3392 AD (pictured) – a colorful, 21st-century re-imagining of Indian literary epic the Ramayana – to movie theaters. Liquid has teamed up with Mandalay Pictures and 300 producer Mark Canton for the film, which has a planned release date of 2011.

Chopra talked with Wired.com about Liquid’s birth, a new wave of Indian comics artists and the challenge of bringing an ancient Sanskrit epic to the silver screen.

Wired.com: Condensing the Ramayana into a comic book must have been hard, but condensing it into a film seems harder. What do you think about the challenge, and how do you think it will do with audiences unfamiliar with the venerable narrative’s mythology?

Gotham Chopra: Can you say, “Trilogy?” Seriously, this is something we’ve talked about at length even in relation to the original comic series. Obviously, our goal is to create a narrative structure that doesn’t require a familiarity with the original story. That’s an important note, not only so that people who have never heard of Ramayan can enjoy it, but also so those who are familiar with it are not offended by the film.

More:

Virgin Comics’ new one-shot, The Leaves, has been raked up and bagged for a feature film adaptation by Summit Entertainment. The supernatural action-thriller tells the story of Max Mellick, a NY surgeon who, at a friend’s funeral in India, is told by a seer that he will bring about the end of the world. In a desperate search for answers, Max goes on the run; but can he, let alone any man, outrun fate? You’ll have to read to find out!

The Leaves was written by Kevin J. Walsh, who will also pen the screenplay. Virgin Comics’ CEO Sharad Devarajan and Creative Director Gotham Chopra will produce. Look for this exciting thriller soon on our Virgin Comics Store.

The New York Times best-selling author and spiritual thinker Deepak Chopra recently sat down with Cliff Biggers of Comic Shop News in an article posted on Newsarama. Deepak spoke about his involvement in the founding of Virgin Comics, how Buddha relates to superheroes, and the possibility of adapting his upcoming book Jesus: The Story of the Man Who Would be Christ as a comic book.

To read the full article go here. If you’d like to watch the trailer or read a free widescreen digital comic of Deepak Chopra’s Buddha click here. Issues 1-3 of Deepak Chopra’s Buddha are available now at comic shops everywhere and at our Virgin Comics store.

In an interview with thequarterbin, acclaimed comics writer Ron Marz discusses his approach to adapting Deepak Chopra’s Beyond, a sci-fi thriller about an American businessman in India on a desperate – and interdimensional – search for his wife.

In addition to Ron’s groundbreaking work on Silver Surfer for Marvel, Green Lantern for DC, and Samurai: Heaven and Earth for Dark Horse, he has edited Devi, The Sadhu, and Ramayan Reloaded, and continues to be a major figure in the development of our Shakti line. Here’s an excerpt of what Ron had to say about his adaptation of Beyond:

And with BEYOND you’re adapting a Deepak Chopra story?

Yeah, it’s actually a screenplay Deepak wrote, so I’m translating the screenplay into the comic format. It’s really a matter of preserving as much as I can of what’s there, and deciding on what parts we’re going to trim back on a little bit to fit everything into the comic. For the most part we’ve been able to get all the main points in, it’s just some of the details that we don’t have room for in a 22-page comic. So far I’m really happy with the way it’s come out.

I’ve read through the advance copy and one of the things I was curious about was how much of your own style and voice are you able to put into BEYOND since it is an adaptation?

Truthfully, when I took on the gig I spoke to Gotham about it. Deepak is his dad, and I wanted to make sure that I was as faithful to the material as I could be. I said to Gotham, “Look, I feel like my job is to faithfully translate what your dad wrote.” Gotham’s viewpoint was to do what I had to do to make it work as a comic story. So I’m probably being more faithful to the material than even they expected me to be.
I’m bringing to it more of my visual style than I am the dialogue because I’m trying to preserve as much of Deepak’s dialogue as possible. That’s what my job is. I’m here to serve his story, not the other way around.

To read the rest of the interview click here. To jump into the suspenseful adventure of Deepak Chopra’s Beyond, go here.

Check out the Wizard interview with Virgin Comics Chief Creative Officer, Gotham Chopra and Top Cow’s Publisher, Filip Sablik as they discuss the first crossover between the two companies—Witchblade/Devi.

The first issue, published by Top Cow, is on sale now and the second half of the story (published by Virgin Comics and featuring art by Mukesh Singh) will hit comic shops on June 25th.

“Living on the inside of the New Age world as I have done has given me a front row seat to what truly makes a profit. I mean prophet. Destiny, Serenity, and Tranquility are not just the names of my three favorite exotic dancers in Las Vegas. They are states of awareness. Guru Pitka taught me that as well.”—Gotham Chopra

Growing up as Deepak Chopra’s son must have been a spiritually rich experience for Gotham Chopra, Virgin Comics’ Editor-In-Chief. But we were all stunned to learn that Deepak is not in fact Gotham’s spiritual guiding light. Guru Pitka, the chief rival of Deepak Chopra, is the man that has been leading Gotham on his life-long spiritual journey. Read his shocking confession here.

For those of you who saw the episode of Sundance Channel’s Iconoclasts with Deepak Chopra and Mike Myers, you’re already aware of The Love Guru, Mike’s new film in which he plays the protagonist Pitka, an American raised by the gurus of an ashram in India. Under the guidance of the yogis, Pitka becomes an expert in teaching spirituality, motivation, bliss, and peace. He moves to America to break into the self-help business and manages to land a multi-million dollar assignment from the owner and coach of Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team. We’re really excited for this film and rumor has that our very own Gotham Chopra will be making his feature film debut in it!

Sadhus do not know love or hate, desire or fear. They are detached from all emotional ties, devoted to a spiritual journey said to unleash unimaginable powers. This is the path James Jensen is fated to tread. But he must tackle his biggest obstacle yet… HIMSELF.

Music by Livebody Productions

Is it September already? Is the summer already gone? Wow—that was fast. Here at Virgin Comics, we’ve had a summer full of excitement, celebrating our one-year anniversary, finding new partners to play and create with, and building out our business so we have stuff to celebrate at our two-year anniversary and beyond.

Along the way, we’ve also been asking the oh-so-existential question: “who are we?”You see, it’s not just our own corporate adolescence we are dealing with, it’s also the fact that, you, our audience, and even some of our partners, are asking that question in an effort to figure us out. We get that our projects aren’t exactly classifiable into one overarching category. We generate stories that stem from great Asian mythos (Ramayan 3392 AD, Devi) and then tap into the creative minds of some of the coolest filmmakers and creators on the planet (Guy Ritchie’s Gamekeeper, Dave Stewart’s Walk In), churning out a fusion of eastern, western, and admittedly bizarre elements of storytelling. See, we’re obsessed with funky stories and funky creative partners and resist anything that puts us in a box. So as we continue down this path of self-discovery, we search for more ways to expand our creative horizons to further perplex, inspire and excite our audiences, our partners and ourselves.

In that spirit, we’ve partnered with Studio 18, one of India’s premiere film and television studios to create a line of graphic novels, as well as animation, games, and movies that cater to the teen horror genre. We thought it would be fitting to expand on our crazy fictional fantasies and delve into the wildly horrific, dark and twisted world of thrillers. For centuries India has enchanted the world with its entrancing and spiritually-minded stories, so it’s about time we turned up the freak factor.

Eat the Dead, included in the following pages as a sneak peek, is the first from our India Horror imprint, the premiere of our truly “graphic” graphic novels. It’s a story about what lurks in the shadows of our pasts, what happens when our karmic duties defy the laws of “humane” nature, and the dark deeds one must do to rectify their wrongs. And then, there’s also one crazy looking beast of a woman who’s not interested in playing nice. I won’t tell you more, because it’s wrong to ruin a great story, but I can say that this comic is a true testament to what we represent here at Virgin Comics… you’ll never know what to expect next.

See you on the inside….

—The Chief
and the Virgin Comics Editorial Team

The Sadhu returns this month with the launch of a 5-issue miniseries, ‘The Silent Ones‘, written by Saurav Mohapatra, art by R. Manikandan, and edited by Ron Marz. Virgin Comics is giving away 10 free copies of The Sadhu Vol. 1 Trade Paperback signed by Gotham Chopra—Chief Creative Officer and writer of The Sadhu Vol. 1.

Attached below is an image of a real Sadhu—post a caption or title for the image in the comments section of this post to participate. The top ten entries will be announced on July 22, 2007.

Click here to read the The Sadhu #1: Widescreen Edition.

© medicalmission, 2007. http://www.flickr.com/photos/95585138@N00/286458042/

 Edit: Comments have now closed and winners will be announced shortly.