Captain Nepto Prime -- New Issue Now Online! Legacy Numbering Begins!

By Bob Barnes

Special to DFG ONLINE!

After a hiatus of one year, Captain Nepto Prime is back on the stands. "This issue marks a new direction for the series," said Captain Nepto creator and DFG VP, Darryl Andrews. "The series continues to feature stories of Cap "in his prime," that is, the mid-1980's period and as such we decided to adjust the numbering our issues to reflect the legacy numbering." Legacy numbering is when a series that has been rebooted returns to its original numbering, with the cumulative addition of any other issues published in the interim. "The original series ended in 1985 at #9. Cap then became a regular feature in the second Spy Comics series. Last year we relaunched Cap in his own title under the Prime banner. Those issues were unnumbered and known only by their month of release. For example, Captain Nepto Prime - July. Only three issues were released (May, June & July). Thus, this issue is actually Captain Nepto Prime #4, but in order to avoid further confusion we just decided to return to the numbering of the original series, plus the addition of the 3 Prime issues from last year... as a result, we are now at Issue #13! Future issues will be reckoned by the legacy numbering system! It's an exciting development and it really links us to our history while at the same time looking forward to the future."

Captain Nepto Prime #13 marks another development for the series. "The Todd Abbot Studio is taking complete responsiblity for the series from this point on," noted DFG President and Co-Publisher Dan Graves. "Darryl's corporate responsiblities at the Peterborough Office have really taken him away from the drawing board of late, and we feel that it is important that he focus primarily on those very important duties which include licensing and product development. Thus, Mr. Abbot who did both 'ghosted' and credited work in the original series, as well as the pencilling duties of the Prime series has taken over the entire creative duties of the new series and will be doing so with the able assistance of the creative team at his studio. We are very happy that Todd was able to step in for us. He has a deep commitment to Captain Nepto and the Nepto family of characters."

When asked about the fate of the unfinished and previously solicted Captain Nepto Prime August 2008 (the original #4), Mr. Andrews noted, "It's still a project that I'm working on. Due to its length ... over 20 pages ... it slowed up our schedule. I still plan to complete it and release it as either an Annual or King-Sized Special.

When reached for comment, Mr. Abbot stated, "Yes, I'm very happy to finally get to work on the creation that I LARGELY CREATED ON MY OWN. And for the record, while my studio will be assisting me, their contributions will be largely minor. I will write, pencil, and ink all the issues. They will provide assistance with paste-up, colouring and lettering only."

Captain Nepto Prime #13 is now online and can be read by clicking here.

Breaking News! DFG Colourist Flora Lovartalot Found Alive in the Jungles of Mbingo!

By Bob Barnes

Special to DFG ONLINE!

Word has just arrived in the DFG News Office that DFG Colourist, Flora Lovartalot, has been found alive in the jungles of Mbingo! Yes, that's right, Flora is alive! Over the past several months, DFG fans have been mourning the loss of one Canada's comic book greats. Last November, when DFG Comics moved into its new head office, tragedy struck when an untethered shelf of artwork fell on the popular colourist. After several days of keeping vigil, DFG fans were saddened to learn that Flora had succumbed to her injuries. It was a sad day for DFG, and an especially sad one for comic book legend Todd Abbot, who had been romantically linked to Flora in the days leading up to her death. But late last night, DFG legal counsel, Sir Milton Goldfarbstein, Q.C., K.G. PhD, LLB, who was on Safari in his birth country of Mbingo in Africa, stumbled onto an ancient village populated by a primitive, pre-industrial civilization deep in the jungle, in which he discovered that Flora Lovartalot is alive and well and being worshipped as a goddess by the local tribes. Goldfarbstein immediately notified DFG president and co-publisher Dan Graves and has begun legal proceedings against Ms. Lovartalot and Todd Abbot, who are now believed to have staged the entire accident as an elaborate piece of life-insurance fraud. When reached for comment, DFG VP and co-publisher Darryl Andrews made the following public statement:

"We are, of course, greatly relieved that Flora is alive. However, if she is in
anyway invovled in any kind of fraudulent activity with respect to the
corporation known as DFG Comics she (and any accesory) will be prosecuted to the
full extent of the law."

At press time, Chief Smith, head of DFG security has initiated a full investigation.

Spy Comics Villains #2 -- The Latest Todd Abbot Masterpiece!

Well, you just can't keep a creative genius down! Fans have been asking, "Where is Todd Abbot?!?!" Well, DFG faithful ones, here he is! Todd has been sequestered away for the last six months working on this newest issue of Spy Comics Villains #2 featuring that all-time favourite DFG villain, The JESTER! This new issue will be posted online soon when the cover becomes available. We just wanted all you DFG fans out there to know that Todd Abbot, that comic book giant, that legend, that Godzilla of the comic book industry is back! And as you can see from the care taken in the above samples, Todd is at his finest ever! Never has his impressionistic and esoteric vision looked so good. View this issue on our online publications page: click here.

With special thanks to Frank Daniels for the colouring job.

Spy Classics Annual -- Will It Finally Appear THIS YEAR?

By Bob Barnes

Special to DFG ONLINE!

Frank Daniels has been a busy man since he returned last week to DFG after an extended medical leave. "There's much to be done," said Mr. Daniels. "The biggest thing accomplished this week was the move to the Webcomics Nation community for all our online publications. To date Spy Comics Presents, Captain Nepto Prime, and Spy Comics: Villains have all made the move. We hope to have Retro-Spy and Spy Classics posted over there later this week! And speaking of Spy Classics, it is my earnest desire to bring out the long-delayed Annual, this spring." Mr. Daniels was, of course, refering to the much anticipated Spy Comics Annual #1 - Origins Issue, which was slated to be released last spring. "It's easily our most delayed book, even more delayed than the Captain Nepto Prime August 2008 issue. I really want to get our publications back on schedule. The fans expect something better from us and we plan to deliver! Thus, I am starting with our most delayed book and plan to have it available very, very soon. As a teaser, we have released the completed cover which is a composite piece with art by both Dan Graves and Darryl Andrews. I did the colouring, myself." When asked why the book has been delayed so long, Mr. Daniels noted, "Well, it is the work of so many different DFG talents. Both Dan and Darryl have work in the issue, Todd Abbot has a story and last year's legal disputes with him caused some delays. And of course, the death of our colourist Flora Lovartalot has also been a problem. I'm confident, though, that we can get this thing done and that the fans will be very pleased."

Spy Comics #5 -- Back on Track!

By Bob Barnes

Special to DFG ONLINE!

Spy Comics Presents...#5 has been plagued by publication delays since last fall. It continues to carry the Winter 2008 date, but 2008 has come and gone. Where is it? "We had some problems," commented DFG publisher Dan Graves, "After the death of Flora Lovartalot, our colourist, the project was temporarily delayed. It was passed along to Frank Daniels to finish, but with his recent problems we have removed him from the project. I'm pleased that Todd Abbot stepped up to the plate and has been colouring the issue." Mr. Graves indicated that we will likely see the completed issue online in early February.

DFG Comics to Help Form Coalition Government?

By Bob Barnes
Special to DFG ONLINE!

Word has just hit the streets that DFG Comics Co-Publisher and Vice-President Darryl Andrews has been approached by Federal NDP leader Jack Layton to help form a coalition government. Support for the Liberal-NDP-Bloc alliance seems to be crumbling as the Liberal party seeks to install a new leader and seems determined to go it alone. Jack Layton, determined to topple the Harper government, approached the DFG VP late yesterday in a reported back-room deal that will bring an NDP-DFG alliance into the House of Commons to form a government. "People are really fed up with what is happening in Canadian politics, right now," said Mr. Andrews, "Jack called me and said, 'Look, Darryl, DFG Comics is just about as popular as any of the parties in the House at present. I think with the support of DFG fans, we could have a groundswell of support and convince the Governor General that we could topple the Harper government and form a government of our own that would ensure at least 4 years of stability for Canadians during this time of economic crisis.'" When asked how he responded, Mr. Andrews, clearly enthused said, "Hell, ya! I'm in Jack." Todd Abbot is already reported to be seeking a cabinet seat in the prospective government.

DFG Colourist is Hospitalized... Todd Abbot Keeps Vigil at her Bedside

By Cynthia Martin

Freelance Reporter

Tragic news greeted the comic book industry this morning as we learned of the hospitalization of DFG colourist, Flora Lovartalot. Ms. Lovartalot, who has been at DFG Comics for less than a year has taken the industry by storm with her bold style, appears to have been the victim of a freak accident at DFG corporate headquarters. Precise details of the accident are unclear at this hour, but an inside source at DFG corporate HQ has told this reporter that the tragic accident occured shortly after a late-night staff meeting. "Apparently," says the unidentified source, "Ms. Lovartalot left the meeting after receiving her latest assignment. She went to the inventory shelves to retrieve artwork for colouring and as she reached for the artwork, the whole shelf toppled onto her and she was crushed." DFG Comics has just moved into its new HQ and the shelf apparently contained hundreds of heavy boxes of artwork dating back to the early 1980's. "It was just awful," said Antiquda Recordafile, DFG's head researcher, "I heard a crash, came running out and all I could see was this shelf, piles of boxes, scattered comic book pages and poor Flora's arms and legs protruding from underneath the fallen shelving unit -- there was no screaming, all I could hear was poor Flora wimpering in pain." DFG co-publisher and Vice-President Darryl Andrews was reached for comment, "I'm certainly not commenting to the press on such vicious rumours of our corporate irresponsbility. Just get that microphone out of my face, NOW!" While DFG bosses weren't talking, I caught up with DFG legal counsel Sir Milton Goldfarbstein, QC, KG, LLB, PhD, who noted, "DFG can bear no legal responsiblility for Ms. Lovartalot's carelessness and colossal stupidity." Another source noted that due to the haphazard nature of the recent move, the new shelving had not been properly tethered to the wall. DFG janitor and maintenence manager, Ernest Wontellalie was questioned by this reporter about this apparent oversight, "Tethered? Tethered?" he said, "Does anybody actually pay attention to those IKEA instructions that say you have to tether a bookshelf to the wall? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. They're bookshelves for crying out loud... People need to be careful, bookshelves fall over sometimes... sheesh." And what of poor Ms. Lovartalot's condition? Dr. Mortificus P. Dulytle commented that she is in critical condition at Carnage City General Hospital and in the ICU. He would not give any further information other than that DFG comic book legend Todd Abbot was keeping vigil by her bedside. This seems to confirm other reports that Ms. Lovartalot & Mr. Abbot have become romantically involved in recent days. Mr. Abbot was reached on his cellphone at the hospital, "It's just another example of the corporate irresponsiblity exercised by this friggin' company...Somebody's gotta bring those jackasses down before someone else is hurt... They hide behind that Goldfarbstein clown and his friggin LLB and pretend all is well in the friggin' DFG universe, well I can tell you, it's not all well, Flora's clinging to her life, here! DFG is cursed, man!" Mr. Abbot was obviously referring to the reputed "DFG Curse." The so-called "DFG Curse" as been dubbed such by observers who have noted the various calamities that have struck DFG staff members over the past year (Darryl Andrews was assaulted by thugs who broke into his villa earlier this year and looted his priceless art collection, Sir Milton Goldfarbstein was hospitalized after a mysterious illness, and Todd Abbot was suspected of having Kaposi's Sarcoma as well). We will keep you posted on Ms. Lovartalot's condition as information becomes available.

DFG President Comments on Todd Abbot Resignation

Press Release
DFG Corporate Head Office
Carnage City
August 7th, 2008

From the Desk of the President and Co-Publisher
Dear Fans:
Earlier this week, Mr. Todd Abbot announced on his website that his "25 year exclusive contract" with DFG Comics had expired and that he intended to pursue work with other publishers. I wish to inform the DFG readership that Mr. Abbot has never had an "exclusive contract" with DFG Comics, much less an exclusive contract for 25 years. Mr. Abbot has done much work for DFG over this time frame and we at DFG consider him part of the DFG family. There is also no truth to the rumour that I was not pleased with Mr. Abbot's work on Captain Nepto Prime and that is why I removed him from the title. Nepto creator Darryl Andrews wanted to take the book in a new direction so I immediately reassigned him to some work on the Spy Classics Annual (origins issues), in which he was allowed to complete his long-delayed Cyclone & Tornado origin story. In addition, I assigned him the origin of the Warrior, but he has yet to turn it in.

To summarize, Mr. Abbot has always been welcome to work with other publishers and I continue to welcome any contributions that he might make to the DFG stable of titles. We are grateful for his past contributions and wish him well in his future endeavours.

Sincerely,
Dan Graves
President and Co-Publisher

Captain Nepto picture courtesy of Todd Abbot. Colouring by Flora Lovartalot. Scan by Oscar Foodlecollins.

Canadian Comic Insider Interviews DFG President Dan Graves

By Millicent Mortificus - Special to DFG ONLINE!

Superheroes are everywhere these day; in print, in film and as toy/food tie-in promotions at your favourite fast food restaurants. Daniel F. Graves is the President of the Canadian Small Press Juggernaut, DFG Comics. We were granted an exclusive interview, over breakfast, at Toronto's Fairmount Royal York Hotel to discuss the comic book industry and, more specifically, the present day goings-on at DFG Comics Corporate Head Office.


CCI: Thanks for meeting with us.
DFG: I must say, it is always a pleasure to do these interviews. Of the thousands that I've done over the past two decades, I've always enjoyed interviews with your esteemed publication.

CCI: With 25+ years of DFG comics in the DFG canon, do you have any intention to slow down?
DFG: Absolutely not! DFG Comics, and its subsidiaries are a lifetime passion and labour of love. As I've said in the past, one of the great things about DFG publications and productions is that they occur in "real time." Unline many of our competitors, and especially those south of the border, 25 years of DFG comics is 25 years of real time. That's why the Spymaster and Nepto have aged; that's why we've introduced a whole new generation of heroes; and that's why the DFG universe will forever remain full of surprises.

CCI: Has the success of DFG Comics surprised you?
DFG: Not really... I always knew we had something great on our hands. That's why we we've been able to outlast so many small presses, and as an aside, why we were able to acquire other small presses over the years. We're simply the best. I mean, come on, who has a hero like Captain Nepto in their stable. He can do most anything, fly, swing on a rope when he's tired of flying, go deep sea in that super-scientific sub of his, and don't get me started on the wig -- can you tell me any other company who has a superhero known for his wigs? Fanbloodytastic, I say.

CCI: The Spymaster has greatly evolved over the years, what's your personal favourite period?
DFG: My all-time favourite Spymaster period is the early-eighties, when his character and identity were just forming. He started out a bit grim, but eventually took on a more mainstream, brighter persona. I mean, falling in love with Nova, a voluptuous woman from another dimension? That's hardly grim and gritty, yet that period had a charm of its own. In the mid-eighties when I went dark with him again -- a period I also like very much -- I think we lost something, particularly his connection to the rest of the DFG universe. That was what was so great about the early period. He and Nepto were the two lead characters, and Darryl seemed to have them teaming up, all chummy and buddy-buddy every other issue or so. In the recent years I've tried to catch that flavour of he and Nepto remaining the leaders of the DFG stable of heroes. In Spy '96 they had one final team-up and in the recent story-arc, he and Nepto are adversaries as they have come to represent very different perspectives on what it means to lead the next generation of DFG heroes. I suppose when it comes down to it, I really prefer the Spymaster out of costume, as Julius Smithers. I feel that Julius has grown beyond the Spymaster role and has become the elder statesman of the DFG universe. Again, this is the result of naturally ageing our characters. You can't have a 70 year old running around in a costume.

CCI: Is there any particular storyline you would like to change?
DFG: Absolutely not. I am dead-set against retcons (retroactively changing continuity -- ed.). Some of our competitors take great pride in changing the origins and history of their characters every second month or so. If it's in the DFG canon, it's in the DFG canon! Period! However, I'm not opposed to going back and adding details here and there -- things that were not revealed the first time around that can be nicely added without contradicting old continuity. I made a mistake early in my career as a comic book creator and attempted to do that with the Spymaster. Faithful DFG readers will know that he has two different origins, one from the original Spy Comics series (1981-84), and one from the 1985 series. In the first series he gets amnesia and becomes a criminal called the Swift Mugger. When his memory returns he becomes the Spymaster in order to right his wrongs. In 1985, his wife is killed and he becomes the Spymaster to exact revenge and track down her killer. I have long wanted to resolve this discrepency and will be doing so in Spy Comics Annual #1 (the origin issue) due out later this summer. I can assure you that neither origin will be contradicted or wiped out! Those who are faithful to either version will be happy with the result, I think.

There are many things that I could regret doing. For example, the Radiation Master is probably the silliest villain ever created, but instead of ignoring him, I think that he has a great place in the DFG universe as a "loser villain." We can make gold out of whatever old crap we might find in the canon!

CCI: What's you favourite cover and why?
DFG: I always loved the Spymaster/Nova wedding cover from the original Spy Comics series. It was just so silly. I never drew the inside story until last year when I did the story for Retro-Spy #2. Instead of having them actually get married, it was just a hook to draw in the reader and serve as the plot point on which the Invincibles come to be! Other favourites include the very first cover Spy Comics #1 (1981) cover, which I redrew for #1 of the second series (1985). I'm planning on doing it again, with a twist. I always loved Darryl Andrews' cover for Captain Nepto #1 (1981) and have recently recreated it for Spy Classics #3! My other favourite is Captain Nepto (original series) #9 from 1984 (the last issue of the original series) that Flora just coloured as part of our collectors' series.

CCI: Have you had any experience with the big American publishers like Marvel or DC trying to cherrypick some of DFG's talent?
DFG: Repovski did some work for Dark Horse, but that was with my blessing, of course. I never want to hold anyone back from following their dreams. If working for DC or Marvel is their dream, well then let them go, I say. The truth is, most of our creators love DFG so much that you couldn't pay them enough to work anywhere else!

CCI: Does DFG still obtain all filming rights or are some characters already optioned for possible film productions?
DFG: We are very protective of our film rights. As you know, DFG has its own production studio and has done several television series and big-screen films (as well as some made for TV films). Perhaps our biggest success was the Bates & Holden TV series. This is one example where the film characters made the transition to the comic page. This is why we retain all rights -- it's called synergy, my friend. If we let the rights go, then we can't capitalize on such cross-over possibilities. Another area that we will be moving into is toy production. Watch for DFG Action Figures Series One which will be hitting toy stores for Christmas. Figures will include the golden age Spymaster, Nepto, Redman, the original Sy Clopps, Killer Shark, the Blaster, and the Radiation Master.

CCI: Would you like to be the 'Stan Lee' of DFG with walk-ons in every movie?
DFG: What? Are you kidding me? Haven't you seen any of our films? I'm in every one of them! I was doing that before Stan Lee even thought of the idea. And by the way, missy, I have much more substantial roles that Mr. Lee.

CCI: You have two brothers, yet neither has produced a comic...any reason for that?
DFG: They can't draw. But they are award-winning actors. Again, watch the movies.

CCI: Which villain is your favourite?
DFG: The original Sy Clopps. You'll understand why next year when the 2009 Spy Classics Annual #2 finally tells his origin. If you want a hint, check out the Sylvester Clopps family photo posted elsewhere on this page. I've also recently developed a real soft-spot for the Radiation Master, just because he's so absurd. I mean, the guy has no head!

CCI: Which character do you think has the greatest potential that to date remains a secondary character?
DFG: Freddy.

CCI: Tell me a little about the upcoming finale of Spy Comics Presents The Invincibles.
DFG: It will all wrap up in Issue #5. While it is a battle between Julius' team and Nepto's team, it really is the culmination of the psychological battle between Julius and Nepto. It will set the stage for the next major era of the DFG universe, changing it forever.

CCI: In terms of sales, which DFG title is the most successful? The most popular?
DFG: Spy Comics Presents and Captain Nepto Prime seem to always go head-to-head in sales, with Spy Classics coming third and Retro-Spy in fourth.

CCI: Spy Classics is one of my favourite titles , what can fans expect to see in the upcoming year?
DFG: Well, you know about the "all-origins" annual, and I've mentioned plans for next years' all-villains origin annual. Issue three retells Captain Nepton #1 (from 1981) and includes story and art by Andrews, Repovski and myself. I'd like to retell the first Cap/Spymaster team-up... watch and see!

CCI: Any plans for a special Christmas Holiday edition?
DFG: Oh yes, you must be psychic. It will actually be an issue of Retro-Spy and will take place in DFG Golden-age period. It will be entitled, "The Invincibles Save Christmas!"

CCI: Are you and Todd Abbot friends?
DFG: No.

CCI: Describe your best day.
DFG: Every day is a great day at DFG!

End of Part One of Interview

DFG President Comments on Todd Abbot Letter

By Bob Barnes
Special to DFG ONLINE
(the above image is taken from SPY Classics #1, and courtesy of Mr. Todd Abbot).

"I was shocked..." were the words of DFG president and co-publisher, Dan Graves, earlier today when asked to comment on a letter by Todd Abbot, posted on the DTA Comics website (click here for the text of the letter), in which Mr. Abbot claimed that Captain Nepto Prime was coming to and end after only four issues and that he had been reassigned to other work. "After all that we went through to get Prime up and running and honour his contribution to the early Captain Nepto era, I'm really quite frustrated that he continues to grand-stand like this," said Mr. Graves. Mr. Graves was, of course, referring to the drawn out-legal battle with Mr. Abbot after he registered the defunct DTA label, under which Captain Nepto had originated, and announced that he would launch his own classic Nepto series to compete with DFG's Captain Nepto Prime. Through the herculean efforts of Sir Milton Goldfarbstein, QC, DFG legal counsel, an agreement was reached to bring Abbot and DTA back into collaboration with DFG's Darryl Andrews. "We were moderately pleased with the results of the new series," added Mr. Graves, "but Todd came to me and said that he had other projects that he wanted to pursue. Being the stand-up fellow that I am, and being committed to offering the 'the best in Canadian comics,' Darryl and I brainstormed a new direction for Prime, thus allowing Todd to continue on other projects. What really frustrates me, though, is that Todd would make a public announcement before details have been confirmed. The media frenzy has been out of control and the phones ringing off the hook. Sometimes I just wish Mr. Abbot would keep his own counsel and leave the promtional work to our DFG professionals." Mr. Graves also took the opportunity to introduce DFG's newest staff member, their new publicist, Selina Silvurtungdevull, who will be handling such press releases in the future.

A Message from the Publisher

May 18th, 2008

Dear Fans:

As you will know, DFG Comics has recently been embroiled in a series of "creator-related" controversies with former DFG artist and staffer, Mr. Todd Abbot. The most recent controversy involved Mr. Abbot's seizing of an old DFG trade imprint (DTA Comics) and the rights to early Captain Nepto material. We at DFG planned to launch a new series, Captain Nepto Prime, set during the Silver Age of DFG (mid-late 1980's), while Mr. Abbot announced that DTA would be launching a rival Captain Nepto, Captain Nepto: The Original, set during DFG's Golden Age period (early 1980's). Things appeared to be at a stalemate, but thanks to the herculean efforts of DFG legal counsel, Sir Milton Goldfarbstein, LLB, PhD, QC, KG, who acted as mediator, Mr. Abbot & DFG Comics have come to an agreement. Mr. Abbot, and Nepto creator Darryl Andrews, will be collaborating on a single new Captain Nepto series, Captain Nepto Prime, co-published under the DFG and DTA banners. However, the series will differ significantly from DFG's previously announced series of the same title, as it will be set in Cap's earliest period (the period of Mr. Abbot's series). Mr. Andrews will handle the scripting and inking chores, while Mr. Abbot will provide the pencil artwork. I am pleased to add that Flora Lovartalot will be doing the colouring. I will be personally editing the title.

This agreement has meant that the previously solicted cover cannot be used for the first issue (the costume worn by Cap on the cover is from the late silver age period, whereas the new series will feature his original costume, wig and all!). We hope to be able to use Mr. Andrew's cover art for a future issue of Spy Comics.

I wish to thank DFG fans for their patience during this controversy. I am pleased that Mr. Abbot has returned to the DFG fold, and I am especially thrilled that we will be reuniting two giants from the original Captain Nepto series to return their hero to his former glory.

Committed to bringing you "the Best in Canadian Comics,"

I remain,

Dan Graves
President and Co-Publisher,
DFG Comics

DFG President Asserts Ownership of Captain Nepto

By Robert Kahn
Freelance Reporter

DFG President and Co-Publisher Dan Graves responded this morning to Todd Abbot's relaunch of the now defunct DTA Comics line and appropriation of Captain Nepto: "It's theft, pure and simple," said Mr. Graves, "DFG owns both DTA and Cap, lock, stock and barrel. If Mr. Abbot thinks that that he can win this one, he is sadly mistaken." DTA Comics was the original imprint under which Captain Nepto was released by Darryl Andrews (DFG's Vice-President and Co-Publisher). DFG and DTA merged in the early 1980's and DTA characters immediately began to appear under the DFG banner. Apparently, DFG let the trademark for DTA lapse and Mr. Abbot legally purchased the trademark earlier this week. In addition, Mr. Abbot claims that he created both Captain Nepto and pivotal supporting characters, such as the Jester, while "ghosting" for Mr. Andrews back in the 1980's. "It's all nonsense," said Darryl Andrews, when asked about Abbot's claim to Nepto, "he was working for DFG, doing some inking, background artwork and the occasional fill-in work, nothing more. I created Nepto and all related characters and they are wholly owned by DFG Comics." According to the newly-launched DTA website, Abbot is planning to launch a new Captain Nepto series entitled The Original Captain Nepto featuring stories of Captain Nepto from the earliest stage of his career (early 1980's). "This series is clearly intended to compete with DFG's new Captain Nepto Prime set somewhat later in the mid 1980's," said Mr. Graves. "Todd Abbot is clearly trying to use DFG copyright characters for his own personal gain and to attempt to hurt DFG, but let me tell you, we will not be distracted. Captain Nepto Prime is set to launch this summer and we believe that fans will be loyal to our version of Nepto." When reached for comment, Todd Abbot made the following statement: "I have no desire to use any of the later DFG interpretations of Captain Nepto as I believe them to be spurious and false interpretations. DFG seriously corrupted the character and universe that I so brilliantly created nearly thirty years ago. In The Original Captain Nepto we will be seeing the real Cap - that is, the one with super powers, with the "CN" insignia on his chest, and the classy wig. In addition, watch for MY classic villains such as the Jester, not the Darryl Andrews knock-offs that we've seen over the past number of years."

More on this story as it develops.

Picture of DFG President Dan Graves courtesy of Darryl Andrews, personal collection.

DFG's "Big Three" -- or was that DFG's "Big Four"

By Bob Barnes

DFG ONLINE Staff Reporter

Todd Abbot is once again reported to be "furious" over another DFG "snub." The latest altercation comes on the heels of the "Captain Nepto Prime" snub earlier this week, in which Abbot was excluded from contributing to the new Captian Nepto Prime series. However, the latest controversy involves a picture posted to the DFG website by Vice-President and Co-Publisher Darryl Andrews, earlier today. The photo is entitled "DFG's Big Three: Pete, Dan and Darryl." But note, there is a fourth individual (whose hand and arm can be seen on Pete's left shoulder) who was cropped out. Abbot claims that this is him. "I was in on the ground floor during the Golden Age of DFG," said Mr. Abbot, "It's common knowledge throughout fandom that we were known as the 'big four.'" The picture was apparently taken at a DFG reunion c. 2000, at which Mr. Abbot was reportedly present, but had imbided considerable quantities of alcoholic beverages. "This photo was taken for a prominent fan magazine and it was supposed to acompany an article that outlined the influence of the 'big four,'" said Mr. Abbot, "Obviously the brass at DFG not only wants to cut me out of the current picture, but out of the canonical history of DFG as well! I can only say that I find this behaviour very hurtful." When asked about the photo, DFG President and Co-Publisher Dan Graves commented, "It's always been the 'big three.' There was never a 'big four.' Mr. Abbot is clearly delusional and has never adequately dealt with his alcohol problem. Incidentally, the figure cropped out of the picture is actually Pete's Dad, Jim Repas, who was present when Peter received a life-time achievement award for his contribution to the industry." Mr. Graves asked any further questions to be directed at DFG legal counsel, Sir Milton Goldfarbstein, who, incidentally has completely recovered from his earlier health scare.

Captain Nepto Website Launched!

By Cynthia Martin
Freelance Reporter
Special to DFG ONLINE!

Well, there's a real buzz around DFG Corporate HQ these days about the many exciting new projects on the go at DFG. One project that is garnering considerable attention is the return of Captain Nepto to his own series Captain Nepto Prime. There are several rumours about this series but Nepto creator Darryl Andrews has confirmed that this series take place somewhere between 1987 when Spy Comics (second series) wrapped up and before 1996 when Spy '96 began. "The 1985-87 series was where we introduced Cap's 'new look'," said Mr. Andrews, "and where we had Cap dealing with a lot of his personal demons, like tracking down his parents' killers. That series ended with both the Spymaster and Cap hanging up their cowls." For Julius Smithers it was basically permanent, for David Anderson, well, he just couldn't let Nepto die. This series is about these lost years." In addition, DFG President and Co-Publisher, Dan Graves, has announced the launch of a new site for all things Nepto. At a press conference earlier today he stated, "I'm very pleased with the direction Darryl's taking on this new series. We've previewed the cover and fan response has been fantastic. In this series, Darryl is really taking Nepto back to his roots, with self-contained single-issue stories. This is what made the original series from the early eighties so great. I think we lost something when we cancelled the book back in '84 and consolitated everthing under the Spy Comics banner. To this end, I am announcing the launch of a new Captain Nepto website that will feature new and previously unpublished artwork, Nepto news, and more!"


Darryl Andrews also noted, "This new book really is about bringing the fun back into the Nepto mythos. It's a homecoming of sorts for me. It's been a long time since I really felt this connected to the character. We've spent a lot of time on Nepto's darker side. We dealt with that in the 1985-87 Spy series, and again in Spy '96. Dan's doing a fantastic job of dealing with David Anderson's dark side in the current Spy Comics "Invinicibles" series. What I really want to do is get back to the playful Cap and have some fun with the characters, just like I did in the original series." When asked if the book will be a solo effort on his part, Mr. Andrews responded, "Oh yeah, for sure. This is the character that catipulted me to fame as a comic book celebrity a quarter century ago and as long as I have life and breath in me I will be writing, drawing, colouring and lettering Captain Nepto!" We asked Mr. Andrews if we might be seeing any contribution to the book by Todd Abbot, "Absolutely not," replied Mr. Andrews, "Dan is going to have that second-stringer busy on other projects, like Cyclone and Tornado, Nova, and the Flea, or some such thing. Nepto is mine."


Captain Nepto Prime will be on sale soon!
Click Here to visit Cap's new website!

The Many Faces of Chief Smith -- Panoramic Poster!

DFG Comics has released a retrospective of the career of Chief Augustus Smith in the form of a panoramic poster entitled The Many Faces of Chief Smith. Since his first appearance in the very first DFG comic, Spy Comics Vol. 1, #1, in 1981, Chief Smith has been one of the most important supporting characters in the DFG universe. As DFG executive Darryl Andrews noted, "In the DFG universe everyone ages naturally, there's none of this 'slowed time' crap that you encounter in our competitors' publications. That's why we've seen Chief Smith go through the aging process over the years and his appearance has changed. We all get older and we all look different as the years go by."

Chief Smith has gone through many changes in his life since his first appearance. Perhaps the most traumatic event in his life was the death of his daughter Sarah at the hands of Capt. Nepto's foe, the Unknown Strangler, back in Spy Comics Vol. 2, #3 (Jan/Feb 1985). Her death left Smith a grimmer and more driven figure, as he was now all alone in the world with the exception of his younger brother, Sgt. John Smith, also of the Carnage City Police Force.

Smith retired from the force in 1996 (as seen in Spy '96 #3, Mar. 1996) handing over the reigns to his former Chief Inspector, Shamus McMullen. However, after Julius Smithers became Governor General, Smith was pressed back into active service as the director of the national Security and Intelligence Service (and also serves presently as tactical advisor to the Invincibles). He remains, even at his advanced age, a crucial character in the DFG universe.

The character of Chief Augustus Smith is based on his real-life namesake who now serves as a security advisor to the management of DFG Publications.

The poster features art from throughout the publishing history of DFG Comics by DFG artists Darryl Andrews, Dan Graves, Frank Daniels, and comic book legend Todd Abbot.

For a closer view of the poster, click on the image, above.

Spy Comics Vol. 4, No. 2 advance preview is now online!

By Bob Barnes
DFG ONLINE Staff Reporter

DFG Comics has posted an advance preview of Spy Comics (vol. 4) #2. DFG President and Co-Publisher, who is writing and drawing the company's flagship title had this to say: "We're pleased to offer this preview to our faithful fans. We realize that we had fallen behind schedule and are doing everything in our power to get things back on track." It had been suggested that delays are the result of various legal proceedings against the company by disgruntled former staffers. When asked about his rumour, Mr. Graves said, "There is nothing farther from the truth. The demands of writing/drawing/editing a title AND captaining Canada's preeminent comic book publisher sometimes come into conflict. I have also been hard at work on a couple of other creative projects including writing and drawing some pieces for the upcoming Spy Classics origin issue as well as having recently completed Retro-Spy #2. I'm afraid that I'm a hands-on publisher who is involved in the creative process as well as all the administrative and executive duties. My time get spread pretty thin." When asked if this is why co-publisher Darryl Andrews is listed as "co-plotter" for Spy #2, Mr. Graves resonded, "No, not at all. You see, Darryl was originally scheduled to write and draw the second issue but other creative responsibilites in the company kept him busy. I actually had issues three and four nearly completed, and we were waiting for number 2. When it became clear that Darryl couldn't do it, I decided to pick it up and run with his plot outline and basic script adding several elements of my own." Mr. Andrews is currently working on several projects including a New Captain Nepto title, as well as some stories for Retro-Spy, and of course, some material for the eagerly anticipated Spy Classic origin issue, which will also feature work by the controversial superstar, Todd Abbot.

Spy #2 opens with Captain Nepto and his renegade heroes responding the developments of Spy #1 (in which Sir Julius Smithers, formerly the Spymaster, and now Governor General) has reconstituted the Invincibles super-team to respond to the actions of Nepto and his renegades. Nepto and co. had allegedly assassinated the prime minister, Randy Anderson. Anderson, Nepto's half-brother and former supervillain the Sea Serpent, had reformed in the mid-nineties and subsequently led a neo-conservative party to electoral victory last year. After the assassination, Sir Julius, as head of state, dissolved parliament and assumed executive control to deal with the crisis. Spy #2 will also feature the funeral of prime minister Anderson.

Spy #2 is expected to be available sometime this month, with issues #3 & 4 to follow in April and May.

Click here to view the advance preview, or click on our "ONLINE Publications" in the right-hand column of this page.

Todd Abbot confirmed for Spy Classics Origin Issue

Sure to be one of D.F.G.'s biggest sellers to date, Co-Publisher Darryl Andrews has already confirmed the Spy Classics Origins Issue will feature art by comic book icon Todd Abbot! When reached for an in-person interview at his Modular Home, Todd commented that he'd be doing one of the Big Three D.F.G. heroes and wouldn't have signed onto the project for a lesser hero. "Listen," said Todd, "No way would I participate in this project to provide the orgin of the Agent or the Warrior or some other lower-rung hero; Dan knows this project will sell out because of my participation. Nothing is finalized yet, but I expect to have the plum job of retelling the Spymaster's orgin Todd Abbot style. Don't ya dare miss it!!"

Todd Abbot Commissioned Work

D.F.G. Online is proud to announce that as of February 2008 you can commission a superhero drawing from Todd Abbot directly through this website! That's right! Todd Abbot, comic book legend, has made it possible for you to collaborate with him on producing awesome artwork for you! So if you would like to commission a superhero pinup drawn by Todd, act fast as this offer won't be always be available!

Here are his prices for a 5"x7":
First Character & No Background: $105
First Character & Basic Background: $180
Per additional Character: Add $95

Samples of sketches and commissioned artwork to be posted soon!!

Also note: This site will be the ONLY place to purchase, "Todd Abbot's Making Money Drawing Comix", which will be released later this year!!

The Todd Abbot Interview - Part II

For part one of this interview, click here.

DFG-Online: Todd, before we leave the early days of DFG, can you tell us about the legendary battle you had with Dan over the Cyclone-Tornado storyline?

Todd Abbot: First of all, let me say this: Those two characters were mine. Period. I created them from start to finish. I also wrote and drew an entire two-parter for the Captain Nepto comic that never saw the light of day. I might also add that it was to be my debut as a writer! Well, I sent it in and then I get this phone call from Dan’s secretary. Apparently he wants to talk to me about the issue. Well, at first I figure that I’m getting a friggin’ award because it would have been the best thing DFG had ever published. At the very least, I thought that maybe he was going to suggest a “Cyclone and Tornado” solo title.

DFG-OL: But it didn’t quite pan out the way you were expecting…

TA: Oh boy…it sure didn’t! So, I walk into Dan’s office and he’s behind his desk as usual, but behind him he had his freakin’ lawyer. So I said, “Dan, baby, what’s with the suit with the LLB?” He didn’t answer. After a long pause, he says to me, “Todd…we can’t print it?” Well, let me tell you, I lost and it and said some things that you sure as hell can’t print. I’d poured my heart and soul out on that friggin’ storyline, you know what I mean?

DFG-OL: So what did you do?

TA: Well, first of all, I wanted some things clarified. “Is it the art?” I asked him, “Does it make all the other DFG hacks look bad?” I have to admit, it was a bit avant garde – I knew some people, that is some small minded people, would look at it and all they would see was a bunch of scribbles, but I was in a bit of an impressionistic phase in those days. But it wasn’t that. Dan said, “Todd, it’s not the art, per se, we’ve published worse crap and got away with it. Actually its what you drew on panel 3 of page 5.”

DFG-OL: Which was…?

TA: The goon thought I’d drawn genitalia on Cyclone! That was why he had legal counsel in the room. He told me that to publish the book I’d have to change that panel. Well… I told him that he must be wearing his friggin’ glasses upside-down and that the book was a friggin’ masterpiece and that I wasn’t going to change one freakin’ detail of that panel.

DFG-OL: And then…

TA: He told me that he wouldn’t publish it, plain and simple. And he never did.

DFG-OL: I heard that Dan destroyed the artwork.

TA: No. Dan may have been a spineless whelp, but we would never destroy another guy’s art. He still had a spark of creative integrity underneath all his corporate bravado. No, I took all the pages back and burned them, except for the panel in question (shows it to the interviewer – and is reproduced in this column). I dare anyone to see what Dan and his brain-dead lawyer saw. In fact, I dare you to tell me the difference between Cyclone and Tornado!

DFG-OL: Okay. So you left DFG in the mid-eighties. What came next?

TA: Well, fortunately, my advertising career was beginning to take off at this point. I got a contract designing kitty-litter packaging. It was quite lucrative. I even got to use some of my talent as a writer and came up with their jingle, which you may remember: “Plop, plop, wiz, wiz, Kitty’s done his biz biz.”

DFG-OL: Oh yeah, I still hum it in the shower sometimes.

TA: Well, it was a great contract, and those guys at the firm really appreciated what I brought to the company. It was then that I realized how “small-potatoes” the comic industry was compared to kitty litter. I was working with the big boys, now!

DFG-OL: But…

TA: Yeah, there’s always a “but.” About the mid-nineties the bottom fell out of the kitty litter market and things dried up.

DFG-OL: Is that when you approached DFG again?

TA: Are you kidding, I resolved that I’d be on skid row before I’d ever work for DFG again! However, Darryl called me up one day out of the blue and told me about DFG’s newest relaunch: Spy ’96. I asked him if he’d found some new shmuck to do all his work for him. “Well, that’s why I’m calling,” he said. DFG was expanding again, and they were letting me in on the ground floor. If you ask me, the only thing that was expanding was Dan’s ego, as usual. Anyway, I sucked up my pride and went in to see Dan. There he was behind that same big desk, a little greyer, still with the same K-Mart suit that he used to wear back in the eighties. Man, that guy needs to get some help with his wardrobe. Anyway, he turns on his famous charm and next thing you know, I’m redoing the old Jester story arc from Cap #2 for a new title, Spy Classics. You remember the original story… it was one of the ones that I ghosted for Darryl. It was just like old times, except I made sure I got my name on the book.

DFG-OL: And then?

TA: Well as usual, Dan over-expanded and by mid-’97 he was out of the game again. Fortunately, that Spy Classics issue brought me back into the game and I’ve been doing the convention circuit, other freelance work, and lecturing at art colleges ever since.

Next: Todd talks about his return to DFG for the 2008 line-up and talks about his several new projects!

This interview is copyright 2008 by DFG ONLINE and may not be reproduced, either in whole or part, by any means, without the express, written consent of the editors.

The Todd Abbot Interview: Part I

In considering the most influential and important comic book artists of all time, Todd Abbot's name is never far from the top of anyone's short list—indeed many of today's industry professionals wouldn't hesitate to call him simply the best there ever was. Few artists of his calibre contemplate and study the art form as intensely—and with such obvious love for the form—as our passionate (and often, angry) interview subject, Todd Abbot. Our DFG ONLINE staff reporter, Bob Barnes had the pleasure of interviewing the artist in his Modular home in February 2008. The first part of this serialized interview is presented below:

DFG On-line: Todd, you were in on the early days of DFG. Can you tell us how you came to the company?

Todd Abbot: Well, as I recall, it was about 1982, and I was still a student in art college looking for a part-time job to break into the industry, trying to fill out my portfolio, and build up my resume. An acquaintance told me about DFG and set me up for an interview with DFG president & publisher, Dan Graves. It was around the time that DFG was first expanding, you’ll remember those days…

DFG-OL: Actually, that was a bit before my time…

TA: Oh, yes, well – when you get to be a giant like me, you forget that not everyone else has been around so long. Anyway, Dan was basically snatching up a whole bunch of small presses. Even Captain Nepto started out under a different publisher, Darryl Andrews’ DTA Comics, before it was published under the DFG label. Dan was very aggressive and was on a spending spree. He snatched up DTA, SPM, Superb and a few others – I can’t remember them all – and consolidated a whole bunch of their characters and titles under the DFG banner. In the process, Capt. Nepto creator Darryl Andrews came on as co-publisher and vice-president of DFG and eventually became so consumed in his management responsibilities that he had less time to draw. He needed some help on the Capt. Nepto books and basically, I was brought on to help out Darryl. At the time Dan was inking a lot of Darryl’s stuff to keep things on track in terms of our publishing schedule. Dan was really too busy, too, what with running the company and jet-setting around the world, so I started doing some of the backgrounds, eventually took over much of the inking, and pretty soon Darryl was only drawing heads and faces and I was doing pretty much everything else. I was really “ghosting” for Darryl when all was said and done.

DFG-OL: You say, “ghosting,” but I’ve seen your name on many of those early issues…

TA: After the legal disputes began, Dan & Darryl went back and credited me on a chunk of my work. They just didn’t seem to want the lengthy, drawn-out legal battle I was prepared to give them. And frankly, I don’t blame them – I’m one formidable son of a gun! They didn’t credit me on everything, though. There’s still a lot of early DFG stuff that you can go back and say, “That’s Todd Abbott’s work.”

DFG-OL: Your years at DFG seemed to come to an end as quickly as they began.

TA: Yeah, about the mid-eighties, I think. They did their first re-launch of Spy Comics around ’85 and I was gone by the time all that business shook down.

DFG-OL: So what happened?

TA: Well, it’s complicated. I alluded to the legal troubles earlier. You see, I wanted a fair shake at what I drew and what I created. And everything had either Dan or Darryl’s “John Henry” all over the friggin’ place. Well, dammit, I’m Todd Abbot … I’m my own man with my own friggin’ creative integrity. I went to the bosses and they began to give me this sob story about how times were tough for the industry. This was the early days of the black & white explosion when every Tom, Dick, and Harry were setting up presses in their basements and publishing any old crap. To be fair, they did need to do some consolidating, but cripes, I was the friggin’ backbone of DFG! They whined on about how they’d over-expanded, all the while telling me how much they valued me. I just said, “You friggin’ jokers can tell a judge just how much you friggin’ value me ‘cause I’m gonna sue your pants off for creator rights!” Well, that’s when Dan went back and put my name on all the reprints and gave me a tidy little royalty check to shut me up. Boy, did I have those two clowns shaking in their boots.

DFG-OL: But that little conversation had some negative repercussions, too…

TA: Oh yeah, you bet! They were hopping mad! They never showed it in person. In person they were all nice and buddy-buddy, and “we’re all one big DFG family.” But they stopped giving me work. They brought in some guy, I can’t remember his name, Colin something-or-other, and he started picking up the inking and backgrounds on Nepto. That sure was a mistake ‘cause it looked like the guy had pigeons in his pen – it was all one big, scribbly freakin’ mess! Well, needless to say, after a couple of issues he was gone.

DFG-OL: And they didn’t call you back?

TA: Call me back? Nah, they were so busy acting like corporate fat-cat big-shots that they hired some guy named Curtis-something to act as editor-in-chief. This guy basically had no experience in the industry – like, you know, he couldn’t tell a comic book from a “Big Little Book.” You know what I’m saying? The guy was a friggin’ “suit.” Anyway, when they sacked Colin, I made an appointment with Dan and he told me to talk to Curtis. Well, after weeks of not returning my calls, I finally get in and he tells me that they’re scaling back, consolidating, putting both Nepto and Spymaster in a relaunch of Spy Comics and that I was no longer needed. That was late ’84. So, I shook the dust off my feet and left town.

DFG-OL: That must have hurt.

TA: Hurt? Hurt?! What are you, stupid? Of course it hurt. Here I was – Todd friggin’ Abbot – a comic book legend, man, and these two goons and their lap-dog in a suit give me my walking papers?! After all we’d been through together? It more than hurt. It stung deep, man.

DFG-OL: This really touches a soft spot, then…

TA: Well, I eventually got over it. I later learned that they let Peter (Repas) Repovski (creator of Nitro: The Man with the TNT Punch) go, too. If I was giant, then Repovski was friggin’ Godzilla, man. He was THE KING. Nobody came close to him. No one could touch him. And these two friggin’ no-talents sack us, we’re two friggin’ giants.

DFG-OL: I think they also let Frank Daniels go, too.

TA: Who?

Coming Soon: Part II of the Todd Abbot Interview, which will include the famous fight over the Cyclon/Tornado issues of Capt. Nepto, some lost artwork, a recounting of Todd’s late 1980’s advertising work, and Todd’s Return to DFG in 1996.

This interview is copyright 2008 by DFG ONLINE, and may not be reproduced or redistributed, in whole or part, by any means without the express written permission of the editors.