2010 February
Thin wallets, fat bookshelves: Del Rey/Villard’s 2010 plans
Wonder Woman Encyclopedia
We’re continuing our look at various publishers’ plans for the new year with an in-depth look at the Random House imprints Del Rey and Villard, which are best know for the number of manga, Webcomics and licensed material they release. What’s on their schedule for 2010? Click on the link to find out.
- February 1, 2010 @ 11:20 AM by Chris Mautner
Straight for the art | Superheroes, Picasso style
Picasso Joker by Mike of the Wonder Bros.
Welcome to Earth-Cubist: Painter Mike of the Wonder Bros. presents a gallery of superheroes in the face-melting style of Pablo Picasso. Spider-Man, Hellboy, Superman, the Punisher and many many more are all up there, but I think Dr. Manhattan really captures the blue period.
(Hat tip: Ceri B.)
- February 1, 2010 @ 10:48 AM by Sean T. Collins
Your video of the day: ‘Smile’ trailer
In case you didn’t know, Raina Telgemeier has a new book coming out this month, entitled Smile. Above is the trailer.
- February 1, 2010 @ 10:00 AM by Chris Mautner
How to cook the Moomin way
Just one more reason to wish you lived in the U.K. The independent publisher Self Made Hero will be releasing a Moomin-themed cookbook this July.
Moomin, Vol. 3
“They’re traditional Finnish recipes – it’s an introduction to Finnish cuisine,” said editor Emma Hayley at independent publisher SelfMadeHero. “There’s drinks, salads, desserts, breakfast at the end of a Nordic summer night – it’s great fun, with dialogue and Moominisms interspersed throughout the recipes.” Other recipes will include the Snufkin’s picnic pot, the Lighthouse Keeper’s fish pie and potato au gratin for hungry Moomins.
The cookbook has already been published in Finnish, Swedish and French, where it is doing well, Hayley said. Jansson’s writings have recently undergone a revival in the UK, with her adult novels The Summer Book, The Winter Book, Fair Play and The True Deceiver all reissued in the last 10 years.
Jansson is beloved throughout Europe (and other places as well) for her Moomin series of books, comics and other printed matter, about an unflappable, gentle hippo-shaped family that frequently find themselves engaged in some rather bizarre adventures. Drawn and Quarterly has been publishing Jansson’s Moomin comic strips in some rather handsome hardbacks, and the fifth volume is due to come out later this year.
But, hey, if have trouble trying to import the book, you can always just gaze longingly at this Moomin gingerbread house. (via)
- February 1, 2010 @ 09:15 AM by Chris Mautner
Shamus announces Cincinnati Comic Con Wizard World Convention
There are almost more words in the name than there are conventions on the “Wizard World Tour,” but there you have it: Wizard Entertainment CEO Gareb Shamus has acquired the Cincinnati Comic & Anime Show after its first year of operation and rebranded it as part of his seemingly never-ending expansion of his convention line-up.
As is now custom with Wizard shows, the con’s previous organizer, dealer Marc Ballard, will remain with the show — Shamus’ tenth — as a consultant. New dates and venue information are forthcoming. “Attendees can anticipate the strong caliber lineup of stars and exhibitors that fans across the nation have come to expect,” according to Shamus’s press release.
The announcement comes one week after the creation of the New Jersey Comic Con Wizard World Convention, to be held just one week after dueling Manhattan-based shows: Reed Exhibitions’ New York Comic Con and Shamus’s own Big Apple Comic Con.
- February 1, 2010 @ 08:37 AM by Sean T. Collins
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Amazon Kindle
Publishing | Amazon has backed down in its standoff with Macmillan over the price of digital books. On Friday the Internet giant surprised everyone when it removed both electronic and traditional books from Macmillan after the publisher announced plans to raise the price of e-books from $9.99 to $14.99. Macmillan and other publishers have been engaged in a pricing dispute with Amazon, which insists that all e-books for the Kindle be priced at $9.99.
As Johanna Draper-Carlson notes, Amazon’s move on Friday affected Macmillan graphic-novel imprint First Second Books and publishing partners Seven Seas Entertainment and Hill & Wang. [Media Decoder, GalleyCat]
Awards | French cartoonist Baru won the Grand Prix at the 37th annual Angoulême International Comics Festival, held Jan. 28-31. Tom Spurgeon has the complete list of winners, as well as a good round-up of coverage. [The Comics Reporter]
- February 1, 2010 @ 08:31 AM by Kevin Melrose