Fabio has been posting cryptic noir-ish hints about Smoke and Guns. Oh, you all will like this one, you will.

If you're in New England, you can meet Team Demo up in Portland, Maine, this weekend. Newsarama's got the info.

Shane Bailey at Near Mint Heroes says: "Demo #12- Beautiful in every way a comic can be. (Mint)." He elaborated a bit in an email to me (which I've posted up with his permission): "I didn't have a lot to say about Demo #12, but that's only because it left me almost speechless. It was truly a beautiful comic and a wonderful end to the series. A tip of the hat to you, Brian, Becky, and everyone else involved for producing one of the most magical comic books I've read in quite a long time. This series is something everyone involved can look back on and be proud of. I could say the same about most of the line, but that would seem to much like kissing ass. :) I wouldn't want you to get too big a head. Anyway, keep up the good work. If next year is half as good as the last (and from the solicits it looks like it may be) then we're in for quite a ride."

Thanks, Shane.

Don MacPherson, over at The Fourth Rail gives Demo #12 the nod for "Best of the Week," proving he's much more in touch with his feminine side than that scurrilous cowboy Randy Lander is. Don says, "On the surface, this series has been about young people with amazing powers or in fantastic circumsances and how those unusual factors shaped their lives. But in reality, this isn't about how those phenomena defined their lives... it's about how relationships shaped their lives. Linking the stories thematically instead of through plot or place was something of a risky move, but this series of self-contained stories was a real delight and a tremendous storytelling success."

No one seems to have gotten yet that the Mike and Marie of Becky and Bri's back-up in #12 are the Mike and Marie of #1, making it more of a bookend piece. But when the gradute theses start showing up, I'm sure it'll become more apparent.

Mike Sterling has a real nice review of Demo #12 that begins: " AiT/Planetlar's Demo, by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan, has been much ballyhooed and championed by the comicsweblogosphere over the last year, due in no small measure to the promotional efforts of AiT/P's head honcho, Larry Young." and just gets better from there. I particularly liked this one: "Demo was the comic that felt like a trade paperback. Just as a physical object, each issue feels a lot more solid than some of its four-color counterparts, due to the thick paper stock. I could make some kind of extended metaphor about how the contents of each issue are also more solid, et cetera, et cetera, but I think you get the point."

Brandon Schatz at comiXtreme takes a look at what he thinks are the best issues of Demo.

and Erin Schadt has a great review of Tales From Fish Camp where the one criticism she has of the book is that she wanted MORE.

Oooo, I love that one.

The best use of Macromedia Flash ever

"Dance," "Smooch," "Sing," "Get me a beer," "Handstand," and "Strip" are a few of my faves. No worries; completely work safe. As far as I can tell.

So far.

this cat is out of the bag

Variety.com

Helmer running a 'Fever'

Harlin adapts Casey's lunar comic

By DAVE MCNARY


Renny Harlin will develop and helm a feature based on the upcoming graphic novel "Full Moon Fever" for producers Adrian Askarieh and Daniel Alter.

Story, created by comicbook writer Joe Casey for publisher AIT/Planet Lar, is set in the not-too-distant future. A group of blue-collar workers is sent to repair the deserted first lunar base on the dark side of the moon; they soon discover they're not alone as they fall prey to a pack of ravenous werewolves.

Casey, whose background includes writing "X-Men" and "Superman" comics, pitched the project to Askarieh at this summer's ComicCon and will script the adaptation while working closely with Harlin, Askarieh and Alter.

Alter likened the project to "30 Days of Night," Steve Niles' tale of vampires in Alaska that was picked up by Sony Pictures and Sam Raimi in a bidding war two years ago. He said Harlin was the best fit for "Full Moon Fever" thanks to his experience directing "Deep Blue Sea" and his development work on the third "Alien" film.

"Full Moon Fever" has not yet landed at a studio. Askarieh and Alter also plan to develop a "Full Moon Fever" videogame to bow simultaneously with the film's release.

Askarieh is a producer on Universal's "Spy Hunter," set for 2006 release with Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson starring and John Woo directing; he's also producing the vidgame adaptation.

Askarieh's Prime Universe and Alter's Alter Ego Entertainment are partnered on several projects based on the Aftermath line of comicbooks from publisher Devil's Due, including "Blade of Kumori," "Defex," "Breakdown" and "Infantry."

Howard Sun, who with Alter maintains a lit management shingle, will be a co-producer on "Full Moon Fever."

© 2004 Reed Business Information © 2004 Variety, Inc.