Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes

Publishing | The penultimate issue of DC Comics’ Blackest Night miniseries led a weak February in the direct market, which saw comic-book sales slip 3 percent from the same month a year ago. Sales of graphic novels, on the other hand, actually rose 1 percent — the category’s first increase since March 2009 — which the retail news and analysis website ICv2.com notes is “somewhat remarkable given that over 12,000 copies of Watchmen were sold in February 2009, over 10 times the number sold in February of 2010.”

Blackest Night #7 sold more than 130,000 copies, followed at No. 2 by Marvel’s Siege #2, with about 108,400. They were the only titles to break 100,000 in February. ICv2 notes that sales of Blackest Night increased some 30 percent from the previous issue’s first month while those of Siege were virtually unchanged. That seems like an impressive performance for both titles.

The 13th volume of Vertigo’s Fables topped the graphic-novel chart with sales just shy of 12,000, followed by the Kick-Ass Premiere Hardcover with just over 9,000. [ICv2.com]

Publishing | Deb Aoki speaks with Gary Groth, president and co-publisher of Fantagraphics Books, about the company’s newly announced manga line. [About.com]

Publishing | Mark Siegel, editorial director of First Second Books, talks briefly about the publishing imprint’s moves into webcomics with his Sailor Twain, or, the Mermaid in the Hudson, Amir and Khalil’s Zahra’s Paradise, and Derek Kirk Kim’s Tune. [ICv2.com]

Publishing | Sarah Morean talks with cartoonist Box Brown about his experience with Kickstarter, the social-networking fundraiser site. [The Daily Cross Hatch]

Publishing | U.K. publisher Titan Books is searching for a senior acquisitions editor for “illustrated books in the art, comics reference and related categories, plus graphic novels.” [The Bookseller]

Conventions | Jennifer de Guzman, editor-in-chief of SLG Publishing, considers the “sometimes touchy” relationship between San Diego and Comic-Con International. [PW Comics Week]

Conventions | Rick Klaw reports on the comics-related elements of last weekend’s STAPLE! Independent Media Expo in Austin. [San Antonio Current]

Creators | Bob Minzesheimer profiles legendary cartoonist Jules Feiffer, who discusses his new memoir Backing Into Forward. [USA Today]

Creators | Writer Fred Van Lente (The Incredible Hercules, Marvel Zombies 5) has signed an exclusive agreement with Marvel. [Comics Alliance]

Creators | Fabian Nicieza will be the new regular writer of DC’s Red Robin beginning with June’s Issue 13. [The Source]

Creators | Caroline Small wraps up a two-part interview with cartoonist Nina Paley. [The Hooded Utilitarian]

Creators | Ryan K. Lindsay interviews Justin Greenwood, artist of the Oni Press series Resurrection. [The Weekly Crisis]

Creators | John Geddes spotlights Mark Rahner and Robert Horton, creators of the Western-horror series Rotten from Moonstone Books. [USA Today]