2009 February
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Batman #686
Awards | Online voting is open now through March 26 for the Hall of Fame category of the Will Eisner Industry Awards. The list of nominees can be found here. [Comic-Con International]
Publishing | I don’t typically link to reviews, but I enjoyed reading Douglas Wolk’s thoughts on Batman #686, particularly for this bit about the DC Universe’s weird drift back in time: “… Now the DCU has an official mandate that Green Lantern is really Hal, that the Flash is really Barry, that the Legion is really the Levitz-era Legion. No threat of change can be effective any more; the gravitational force of How It Was in ’83 is impossible to escape, and growing stronger all the time. Any change, any breakup, any death, any exploded planet will revert to its early-’80s form sooner rather than later. Superman says “pray for a resurrection”; we know one’s coming–the only question is when. It seems like some kind of backfiring corporate-psyche-repression that DC’s most interesting villain of the moment is literally a furious, bitter fanboy who wants everything to go back to the way it was when he was reading DC superhero comics in the mid-’80s.” [The Savage Critics]
Publishing | Tucker Stone tries to figure out DC Comics’ Wildstorm imprint: “Wildstorm, despite the rough go it’s had with direct market sales over the last two years, is an imprint that has the support of DC behind it, a support that seems likely to guarantee it placement in the Diamond distribution system whereas other companies may struggle. That fact alone makes it a company that has an opportunity few others do: they can publish off-the-beaten path titles for creators who might otherwise not be able to make it to comic stores, and apparently, they can do it in a way that makes the prospect viable to a comic’s creator in a way that Image (anecdotally) does not.” [ComiXology]
Creators | Writers G. Willow Wilson and Brian Wood chat about their Vertigo series Air and DMZ, the snark of the blogosphere, their process and more. [Newsarama]
- February 17, 2009 @ 06:22 AM by Kevin Melrose
Glyph Comics Awards nominees announced
Incognegro
Rich Watson put out a press release today announcing the nominees for the fourth annual Glyph Comics Awards, which “recognize the best in comics made by, for, and about people of color.”
The ballot for the fan award can be found here.
The 2009 GCA ceremony will be held May 15 in the Skyline Room of the Free Library of Philadelphia, Park Central branch, as part of East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention, which will take place at the Crown Plaza Philadelphia Center City.
The nominees for 2009 are after the break.
- February 16, 2009 @ 01:27 PM by JK Parkin
Talking Comics with Tim: Carol Lay
The Big Skinny
Name another graphic memoir that has readers raving about how it motivated them to lose weight or change their diet. A quick scan of the Amazon reviews for Carol Lay’s The Big Skinny: How I Changed My Fattitude reveals a sampling of folks who praise the book for helping them diet. As noted at the book’s website: “Cartoonist Carol Lay has had her work published everywhere from The New Yorker and The Wall Street Journal to More, Salon, and MAD Magazine. Her weekly comic strip, WayLay, has appeared in many papers here and abroad including The Hartford Courant, The San Francisco Examiner, L.A. Weekly, Salon.com, The National Post, and Hong Kong Weekly, to name a few.” In a recent email interview, I was able to get Lay to discuss the book, the challenges of being a cartoonist in a struggling economy and other matters.
Tim O’Shea: The Big Skinny initially got started as a pitch to a weight-loss clinic that evolved into your book–have any weight loss clinics contacted you since the book has been published?
Carol Lay: My idea was actually started as a pitch to do a continuing comic strip for Weight Watchers. They didn’t bite, but I just kept coming back to the idea. So a couple of years later I took time off to write and draw a proposal for a book. THAT worked out. But, no, I have not yet been contacted by weight loss clinics, perhaps because I lost weight and maintained that loss on my own. (You don’t have to spend money on packaged food or weekly meetings to lose weight! In fact, I’ve found that eating healthy, nutritious foods is cheaper than maintaining a “chunky” diet in the long run.)
- February 16, 2009 @ 11:36 AM by Tim O'Shea
Collect This Now! Egypt
Egypt
Welcome to Collect This Now, a weekly (or, if I’m hungover, semi-weekly) column where we look at good comics that for whatever reason have never been translated, archived or just collected into trade paperback.
Back in Vertigo’s heady days of the mid-1990s, when Sandman ruled the roost and a comic would be canceled if it hit below the $3,000 mark, writer Peter Milligan (X-Statix, The Programme) was the line’s go-to guy. At least that’s how it seemed at the time, since his name appeared what must have been weekly on one of their comics covers, be it a mini-series, regular monthly or one-shot. Continue Reading »
- February 16, 2009 @ 10:55 AM by Chris Mautner
Strangeways: The Thirsty – Page 039
I don’t know why I’m here posting this; I’ve got a column I’m supposed to be writing…
This whole “serving two masters” thing is grueling.
Written by Matt Maxwell. Art by Gervasio and Jok.
Hit the archives page to get the whole story from the beginning.
- February 16, 2009 @ 10:00 AM by Matt Maxwell
Food or Comics | A roundup of money-related news
Golgo 13, Vol. 1
• Retailer Christopher Butcher reports that Diamond Comic Distributors is dropping from its backlist nearly 1,000 manga published by Viz Media, including volumes from such series as Boys Over Flowers, Case Closed, Drifting Classroom, Golgo 13, Hot Gimmick and Prince of Tennis. That means those products no longer will be available through Diamond. (Butcher has the complete list of products.)
In the blog’s comments section, Matt High, formerly of Cold Cut, points out that the de-listed volumes are “all slow-to-no-sellers”: “… Most of the books on this list we would sell 2 or fewer copies per year. … Sorry, but you gotta draw the line somewhere. Not everything can be kept in stock and carried forever. Yes, there are plenty of ‘good’ books in this list, but critical acclaim does not pay the bills.”
Tom Spurgeon considers the pruning in light of Diamond’s new threshold for publishers. “I don’t understand what’s driving the company to move this quickly unless it’s fear, there are some outside financial factors involved, or they know about a game-changing move in the works at one of their suppliers. While this does push Diamond more towards a clear Big Picture identity along the lines of ‘we provide the newest comic books,’ I’m unconvinced that’s the best one available to them and confused they felt they had to make such a choice right now.”
• Print-on-demand company ComiXpress has announced it, too, is throwing its hat into the distribution ring. Details are promised soon. (via Simon Jones)
• Surprising enough, some publishers are actually hiring. DC Comics, which just cut some positions — including Senior Editor Bob Schreck — as part of layoffs at parent company Warner Bros., is searching for an executive director, publishing operations. Harry N. Abrams wants an editor for Abrams ComicArts line; Viz Media wants an editor, too. (via Comix 411 and ANN)
• The tone and wording of this essay at CHUD is very link bait-y, but the writer expresses some sentiments about rising prices and the “death of the monthly comic” that seem to be picking up steam.
• The barely 1-year-old Pulp Nouveau Comix in Canandaigua, N.Y., apparently is thriving.
- February 16, 2009 @ 08:56 AM by Kevin Melrose
Toy Fair 2009
Following hot on the heels of the New York Comic Con is the 2009 Toy Fair, which runs through Wednesday at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. MTV’s Rick Marshall is on the scene snapping pictures and reporting on various movie action figures, like those from X-Men Origins: Wolverine:
X-Men Origins: Wolverine figures
- February 16, 2009 @ 08:54 AM by JK Parkin
Revised 2008 bestseller list includes Bone, Dark Tower
Bone, Vol. 1
ICv2.com asks Nielsen Bookscan to revise its list of the Top 20 graphic novels sold in bookstores in 2008 to include kids and young-adult rankings. The result places two Scholastic volumes of Jeff Smith’s Bone series — Vols. 1 and 7 — at Nos. 10 and 12, respectively, Marvel’s The Dark Tower: The Long Road Home hardcover at No. 13, Tokyopop’s Warriors: Warrior’s Refuge at No. 15, and Viz Media’s Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Adventures, Vol. 1, at No. 16.
The reshuffling means that two volumes of Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto get squeezed off the list. So now there are seven volumes in the Top 20 instead of nine.
With the buzz surrounding the Watchmen adaptation and The Dark Knight, it’s not surprising that the Watchmen collection is at the top of the chart — as it has been for the past six months — or that a couple of Batman books rest comfortably on the list. What’s impressive, and encouraging, is that the first volumes of Bone, Naruto and Death Note are still picking up new readers in substantial numbers years after their release.
- February 16, 2009 @ 07:59 AM by Kevin Melrose
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Yotsuba&!, Vol. 6
Publishing | Writer Tina Anderson reports that Marc Weidenbaum, vice president of original publishing, has left Viz Media, which now has put plans on hold for its line of original graphic novels. The initiative, headed by Weidenbaum and Senior Editor Eric Searleman, was announced last April. The publisher conducted its first portfolio reviews in July at Comic-Con International. [Tina Anderson's blog]
Publishing | Yen Press Publisher Kurt Hassler talks about his company’s acquisition of Kiyohiko Azuma’s Yotsuba&!, previously published in North America by ADV Manga. [MangaBlog]
Creators | Xeric Award-winning cartoonist Ryan Alexander chats about self-publishing, and collaborating with William Ayers on To Teach: The Graphic Memoir. [Comix 411]
Publishing | This isn’t a shock or anything, but it’s still interesting to note: Forty percent of the readership of Japan’s Weekly Shonen Jump is between the ages of 12 and 14. How many American publishers would kill for that demographic? [Canned Dogs]
Webcomics | Dean Trippe and Evan Bryce have launched President Awesome, a weekly political comic devoted to Barack Obama: “Basically, it’s The Daily Show meets The Far Side, but you know, way better.” [President Awesome]
- February 16, 2009 @ 07:04 AM by Kevin Melrose
What are you reading?
LOEG -- Century: 1910
Welcome to another edition of What Are You Reading, where we exclaim as loudly and stout-heartedly as possible what comics and other reading material we’re enjoying this week.
Our special guest this week is none other than Comics Reporter extraordinaire Tom Spurgeon. To find out what he and the rest of the Robot 6 crew are currently reading, click on, my friend, click on …
- February 15, 2009 @ 07:55 AM by Chris Mautner
Black History Month ‘09 #14: Simple, Ain’t It? But Quite Clever.
Editor’s note: In honor of February being Black History Month, David Brothers is taking “every day in February to talk about specific aspect of black culture and comic books. It’s mainly focused on superhero comics, since that’s what I grew up reading and still makes up the bulk of my reading material.” The series is running over at the 4thletter!, and David was gracious enough to let us repost some of them each Saturday in February. The one reprinted below appeared on the 4thletter today.
by David Brothers
I don’t read comics because of Jack Kirby, but I do enjoy them more than I would because of the ones he created.
There are a few hero pairs out there, groups like Superman/Steel, Captain America/Falcon, Iron Man/War Machine, Scott Free/Shilo Norman, Captain Marvel/Monica Rambeau, Hal Jordan/John Stewart, and maybe a few others. Generally, I’m talking about either the black replacement or the black sidekick.
Most authors tend to set up a situation in which one hero is better than the other, sometimes even to the point where one hero defers to the other just based on stature. Other times, the black heroes are left to languish for years. John Stewart is kind of clearly the red-headed step child of the Green Lantern Corps, being the only one without regular panel time. Shilo Norman was in limbo for years and Monica Rambeau still hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s almost always a little off balance.
Kirby’s treatment of Captain America & the Falcon was pretty amazing. Even though Captain America is an icon and a war hero, their relationship was one based purely on friendship. Falcon wasn’t consumed with hero-worshipping Cap, nor was he just on sidekick status. They were just friends. They would hang out, do things together, and get into adventures. It was a buddy movie, rather than anything involving sidekicks.
- February 14, 2009 @ 09:52 AM by JK Parkin
Robot Love | It’s like fan fiction, only … OK, it’s fan fiction
Don't they make a cute couple?
In case all of the candy hearts and flower shop window displays didn’t clue you in, it’s Valentine’s Day today, or as I like to call the holiday, “Oh Christ, not that again.”
In our past life we looked at our favorite comics couples, but this we thought we’d have a bit of fun and play matchmaker by picking characters we’d most like to see shack up, regardless of genre or sexual orientation.
Below is our results. See if you can come up with some of your own unique romantic pairings in the comments section.
Aquaman and the Sub-Mariner – They have so much in common.
Little Lulu and Charlie Brown – After spending so much of her youth surrounded by hooligans like Tubby and Alvin, I’m sure Lulu would greatly appreciate a sensitive soul like Charlie Brown.
Jimmy Corrigan and the She-Hulk — Call it a hunch, but I get the feeling Jimmy’s got a thing for aggressive women.
Astro Boy and Jocasta – Robot love baby! Robot love!
- February 14, 2009 @ 08:47 AM by Chris Mautner
Marvel team-up: Spider-Man, Fraction and … Lincoln?
Presidents' Day Special
Matt Fraction teased on CBR TV last weekend that he’ll be “writing Spider-Man again sooner rather than later — really sooner rather than later.” But what he didn’t say is that he’ll also be writing … Abraham Lincoln.
And “sooner” is Monday.
In this week’s “MyCup o’ Joe,” Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada announced Marvel will release on Monday — Presidents’ Day — a free six-page digital comic in which Spider-Man and Captain America witness the Gettysburg Address.
The comic, by Fraction and Andy MacDonald, is in honor of Lincoln’s 200th birthday.
Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited’s Presidents’ Day Weekend celebration also includes the “Spidey Meets the President” story from Amazing Spider-Man #583, with a new prologue by Zeb Wells and Todd Nauck.
- February 14, 2009 @ 06:41 AM by Kevin Melrose
I ♥ Finder
Editor’s Note: With Valentine’s Day coming up tomorrow, we’ve declared this the week of Robot Love and resurrected I ♥ Comics. In one of our favorite features, various comics creators, bloggers, retailers and fans discuss the things they love about the medium.
Today’s guest contributor is Laura Hudson, a senior editor at Comic Foundry Magazine and contributing editor for Publishers Weekly Comics Week. She also blogs at Myriad Issues.
By Laura Hudson
from Finder
A beautiful college student falls in love with two of her professors, both lonely academics and outcasts who happen to be close friends. The book opens on young Vary propositioning one of them – both out of genuine affection and desire for a better grade – only to be rebuffed and passed to the other, who accepts her offer in a way that she never could had imagined.
Did I mention that the latter professor, Dr. Shar, is a giant talking dinosaur whose idea of being pleasured is running at top speed down highways while Vary clings to his back? Or that his less indulgent friend, Dr. Zivancevic, is a blind, exiled misanthrope who walks around on giant mechanical ostrich legs? Or that Vary is majoring in prostitution?
Welcome to Finder.
- February 13, 2009 @ 03:27 PM by JK Parkin
Robot Love | Q&A with Love and Capes creator Thom Zahler
Love and Capes Valentine
Since 2006 Thom Zahler has been chronicling the romance of Mark and Abby, a.k.a. The Crusader and, um, Abby in the self-published book Love and Capes. As a part of Robot Love week here at Robot 6, Zahler shares a little bit about the couple, romance, the future of the book and a special promotion for fans that ties into the couple’s big day.
JK: What I love about Love and Capes is that the relationship between Abby and Mark is the kind everyone wants, the kind to root for. What kind of relationship advice do you think Mark and Abby would offer somebody less lucky at love than they’ve been?
Thom: Abby would say that you have to kiss a lot of frogs. She was a little unsure of dating Mark when they first met. She took a chance on him after a lot of bad dates with other guys, and wound up being surprised with this quiet guy. We’ll see how, too, because in an upcoming issue, we’ll see their first date.
She’d tell you to be confident, too. Your vision of yourself and how you really are don’t always mesh. Abby dating a superhero is very much like a grade-school teacher dating a rock star. You do kind of look and say “What does the rock star see in that little common person when they hang out with supermodels and actors all the time.” What the other person is looking for is something only they know, so don’t be surprised when they find it in you.
Abby’s very much Mark’s rock in a way Amazonia never could be. Some people think, “Oh, she’d NEVER go for me” or “I’m not good enough for her.” You’ve got to trust that the other person knows what they want.
And she’d also say, “Watch out for the ex.”
- February 13, 2009 @ 12:40 PM by JK Parkin