2011 September
Gabrielle Bell and the incredible disappearing award-nominated webcomic
Cartoonist Gabrielle Bell spent the entire month of July posting one diary comic per day on her blog. They were very good. People, including us, got excited about them. They were even nominated for the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Webcomic.
And then they were gone.
Some time after the 31st and final strip was posted, Bell removed all but that last comic. It was a move she’d promised to make from the beginning, but it still came as a surprise given all the attention and acclaim paid to the project. Why’d did the Lucky and Cecil and Jordan in New York: Stories author send those 30 strips down the memory hole? In an interview with Bell at CBR, Alex Dueben asked her:
- September 13, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by Sean T. Collins
My 2011 SPX Photo Diary
Once again I found myself in ever-pleasant Bethesda, Md., this past weekend for the annual SPX show. After a really awful week involving a flooded basement and a possibly ruined comics collection, I was really looking forward to attending the show this year, and it did not disappoint. I hope to have a full report up on the CBR main site later this week, but for now you’ll just have to content yourself with this photo diary. Continue Reading »
- September 13, 2011 @ 11:00 AM by Chris Mautner
Webcomic launches as Facebook app
Ricardo Porven claims that his webcomic Donnie Goth is the first comic ever to be distributed entirely as a Facebook app, with no outside website and no other way to view it. In his press release, Porven says, “Facebook had all the tools I needed to run a successful webcomic. And the viral capabilities to position it for rapid growth. It was the perfect fit.”
That may be, but putting all your eggs in the Facebook basket seems to limit the potential audience somewhat. Aside from that handful of folks who aren’t on Facebook, many users (myself included) shy away from apps because they require you to turn over personal information. When I clicked on the Donnie Goth app, Facebook requested permission to share my “basic information,” which includes my name, gender, user ID, list of friends and “any other information I’ve shared with everyone.” Admittedly, all of that is already out there on my Facebook page, but the idea of handing it over in a neat package to an outside entity give me a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. On the other hand, if I could simply click over to the page, I’d do it — and maybe even “like” it.
It may be, though, that Porven is calculating that the intensity of the experience for those who do use apps outweighs the loss of Facebook-shy readers like me. He has already used MySpace to boost traffic to his original site, so he has every reason to be optimistic that Donnie Goth will go viral on Facebook.
- September 13, 2011 @ 10:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
DC’s push for New 52: Retailer reactions, previews and ‘epic’ Batman
On the eve of the third wave of releases from the DC Comics relaunch, we check in on the latest news and previews for the New 52:
• At Comic Book Resources, Kiel Phegley checks in with direct market retailers after the first full week of the DC relaunch.
• USA Today previews Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1, which kicks off the “War of the Monsters” story arc. “It’s basically Frankenstein and these classic Universal monsters against as many other monsters as I could throw at my poor artist [Alberto Ponticelli],” writer Jeff Lemire says. “Literally, I had pages where he was drawing thousands of monsters. It’s really fun and big and over the top and a lot of black humor as the team gets to know each other and interact, and the readers get to know them, as well.”
• TV Guide previews Suicide Squad #1, written by Supernatural co-executive producer Adam Glass, who details his take on the radically redesigned Harley Quinn: “The thought was, let’s see her operate outside of the Joker, not being obsessed 24/7. One thing that I think gets downplayed with her is how smart she is. This is a woman who is a mastermind in her own right. [...] We didn’t lose any of the humor. She’s still funny, she’s still sexy, she’s still a little crazy. This is Harley if she’s moved away from home, her chance to shine on her own.”
• IGN.com and iFanboy have previews of Red Lantern #1 and Grifter #1, respectively.
• Writer Scott Snyder talks at length with Complex about Swamp Thing, and his approach to Batman: “The way DC approached me about the relaunch was that it was a way to tell any story that you wanted about your favorite character, no holds barred. And the story I wanted to tell was one that was already really rooted in what’s already happened in Batman, but is accessible to anybody that hasn’t been reading Batman. It’s a big epic, ambitious story about Bruce Wayne and the way he thinks of Gotham as his friend and this kind of ancient evil under Gotham that exists, or may exist, that he has somehow overlooked as Batman. So it has to do with the history of the Wayne family and the Grayson family, and there will be big revelations about this enemy from the past, and this enemy is going to bring all the weight of history against the Bat family and try to crush them.”
- September 13, 2011 @ 09:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Retrofit Comics has arrived!
Box Brown started Retrofit Comics as a Kickstarter project, with the intention of publishing 16 alternative comics. And by “alternative comics,” we mean 32-page floppies, not webcomics or graphic novels but old-school ink-on-paper pamphlets.
The enterprise bore its first fruit last week with the publication of James Kochalka’s Fungus, which features two mushrooms that are also characters in the video game he is developing; Kochalka described both in a recent interview with the A.V. Club. The next comic is Drag Bandits, by Colleen Frakes and Betsy Swardlick, and it’s due out in October. The current plan is to publish one comic a month for 17 months, at a cover price of $5 each. Four- and six-month subscriptions are available; each gets you a free comic.
In the original Kickstarter solicitation, Brown opined that floppy comics are important for creators because they allow them to connect with their audience while the work is still evolving:
Without the floppy comic (or mini-comic) the artist is forced to work on a largescale graphic novel mostly in private and THEN sell it. What if it doesn’t sell? What if the audience isn’t there? What if there are kinks that could have been worked out somehow? The artist basically has to go back to the drawing board. If there is an avenue and audience to work with, the artist can produce better and more refined work.
But he hasn’t neglected the retail side: He has already arranged for a number of retailers to carry the comics, which should bring them more (and more regular) traffic from indy-comics fans. Check the Retrofit website for updates as well as sample pages from upcoming comics; looks like there’s some good stuff in the pipeline.
- September 13, 2011 @ 08:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Comics A.M. | Comic sales up in August; CDC looks to motion comics to fight HIV
Justice League
Sales charts | Dollar sales of comics sold through Diamond Comic Distributors were up more than 15 percent in August, while graphic novel dollar sales rose by more than 31 percent when compared to the year-ago period. ICv2 puts the gains in perspective, noting that comic sales were down 17 percent in August 2010 and graphic novel sales were down 21 percent. August 2010 also had four ship weeks compared to August 2011′s five. DC Comics topped the August charts with Justice League #1, followed by Flashpoint #5, Fear Itself #5, Flashpoint #4 and Ultimate Comics Fallout #4. Serenity Better Days and Other Stories from Dark Horse was the no. 1 graphic novel for August. John Jackson Miller offers commentary as well as a look at the best-selling comics of this century, a list that will include Justice League #1. [ICv2, Comichron]
Comics | The Centers for Disease Control has awarded a roughly $145,000 contract to Terminus Media to create motion comics to educate young people about HIV. The comics will be offered on “internet-capable platforms” including desktop computers, laptop computers, video gaming systems, wireless phones and tablet computers. [Politico, Via]
- September 13, 2011 @ 06:55 AM by Brigid Alverson and JK Parkin
Talking Comics with Tim | Sterling Hundley
Blue Collar/White Collar
When it comes to AdHouse Books’ Chris Pitzer, there’s one basic fact: When he publishes a book, I know it’s important to pay attention to it. So when I found out about Blue Collar/White Collar, which collects the work of award-winning illustrator and painter Sterling Hundley, I immediately contacted Pitzer to see the book and (soon after checking out the book) to get Hundley to commit to an email interview. In the course of this discussion I was pleased to find out that Hundley has plans to create his own characters and stories in the future. After reading the interview, be sure to enjoy the 10-page preview that Pitzer offers interested readers.
Tim O’Shea: In the Foreword to the book, you wrote: “In a time when access has reached the Faustian ideal, information is often confused with knowledge. I refuse to accept that appropriation and homogenization are the movements that will define our generation. The search for original thought is a journey of faith – a belief that art is necessary because it isn’t necessary. The compulsion to create is emblematic of life that has moved beyond the base functions of survival. Art is evolution.” How much living and pursuing of art did you experience before realizing “a belief that art is necessary because it isn’t necessary”?
Sterling Hundley: Coming from a family that is primarily Blue Collar, I’ve always questioned the validity of a pursuit of the arts. You can’t eat it, or use it. Art serves no utilitarian function. Having lived long enough, I’ve come to realize that art is as necessary as any other basic function.
- September 12, 2011 @ 04:00 PM by Tim O'Shea
DC’s push for New 52: Sales, reviews and continuity
Justice League #4
As week three of DC’s big relaunch begins, here are some more highlights of news, announcements and coverage of the New 52 thus far:
• So how is the relaunch doing overall? DC Comics put out a release this morning noting several fun facts about sales and the relaunch thus far, while Kiel Phegley at Comic Book Resources spoke with DC’s John Rood and Bob Wayne for context.
Also of note is Diamond Comic Distributor’s list of the top 100 comics in August. As DC noted in their release, Justice League #1 was not only the top seller in the direct market for the month, but is the top-selling book of the year so far. That’s not surprising. DC also noted it’s the highest first printing they’ve had since the 2006 Justice League relaunch. John Jackson Miller, meanwhile, looks at the top books of this century this far, pointing out that the new Justice League will likely land in the top 30 of that list.
We already knew that Justice League‘s print run was over 200,000, but today DC announced that Action Comics‘ second printing will push it over 200,000 copies as well. And speaking of second printings, DC confirmed that all of last week’s titles AND this week’s titles — yes, the ones that aren’t in stores until Wednesday — have sold out at the distributor level, and they’ll be going back to press on them all.
- September 12, 2011 @ 03:08 PM by JK Parkin
Artist Mikel Janin unleashes trailer for Justice League Dark #1
On the heels of Brett Booth’s teaser for Teen Titans #1 arrives this slick and creepy trailer for Justice League Dark #1 from series artist Mikel Janin. Written by Peter Milligan, the title brings together Shade the Changing Man, Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Zatanna and John Constantine to battle face the dark forces unleashed by The Enchantress.
Justice League Dark #1, which features a cover by Ryan Sook, arrives on Sept. 28.
(via DC Women Kicking Ass)
- September 12, 2011 @ 01:10 PM by Kevin Melrose
Wonder Woman wields a bloody labrys in Cliff Chiang’s promo art
Wonder Woman promotional art by Cliff Chiang
A lovely new piece of art popped up last night on Tumblr for Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang’s upcoming run on Wonder Woman. New to us, in any case, as Chiang writes that it’s actually “an early promo image we cooked up to visualize our take on Wonder Woman. The original version has pants!”
Wonder Woman #1, by Azzarello and Chiang, arrives Sept. 21.
- September 12, 2011 @ 10:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Tokyopop’s last gasp: One more volume of Hetalia?
The manga publisher Tokyopop shut down at the end of May, leaving a number of series unfinished, to the dismay of fans. The company’s website now redirects to its Facebook page, where a few of the more optimistic readers are trying to rally people to set up a charity to continue Tokyopop’s good works, but most of the comments are from people asking where they can get the next volume of their favorite series.
It’s clear from the general lack of responses (as well as the spam) that nobody at Tokyopop is actually looking at the page any more, but CEO Stu Levy made an appearance on Friday and asked “If there is a way to bring you Hetalia V. 3 but it’s a bit more limited than back in the old days, would you be interested?” The response was mixed: His post has 530 “likes” so far, but over 100 people added comments, and many of the comments are asking about other books. A number of people said they didn’t want Tokyopop to release volume 3 because that would delay transferring the license to a publisher that would commit to publishing the rest of the series.
Levy returned on Sunday with a few clarifications:
- September 12, 2011 @ 09:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Quote of the day | DC and Marvel should take their cues from TV
“A proposal for the comic book industry, specifically DC and Marvel, offered by a well-meaning comic book fanboy that wants to see the medium survive and thrive: Build on the positives of ‘The New 52′ by going totally TV. Turn the fall into an annual rite of heavily-hyped rejuvenation. More: Model the entire publishing year after the traditional television season. Market share giants Marvel and DC should launch the majority of their new series – and launch new storylines in all ongoing series – in September. Each season would last 9 monthly issues, or September through May. The three summer issues –June, July, and August – would be used for stand-alone stories or a company-wide crossover event. (Or just something more meaningful and valuable than TV’s offering of reruns, reality, and burn-offs.) Of course, companies should save a few high profile launches for January or February – splashy ‘midseason premieres’ that would bring a secondary wave of publicity to the publishing year. As the season comes to a close, companies should announce their slates for the next season at a major weekend comic book convention (i.e., WonderCon) — the comic industry equivalent of TV’s springtime ‘upfront’ week in New York City. Similarly, the San Diego Comic-Con in July would become something that it already is, but should be more grand – the comic book analog to the TV industry’s late summer press tour in Los Angeles.”
– Entertainment Weekly, and graphic novel, writer Jeff Jensen, suggesting that comics publishers
could learn a thing or two from television networks
- September 12, 2011 @ 08:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Scouts: Prepare for Adversity to debut from Ape
Ape Entertainment is a small publisher with an interesting line of all-ages comics that splits fairly evenly between licensed properties (Richie Rich, Strawberry Shortcake, Pocket God) and original works (Scratch 9 is the best known of these). Now they are launching a new all ages series, Scouts: Prepare for Adversity, about a hapless video game fanatic whose father sends him off to the “Shrub Scouts” to toughen him up. Brent Erwin came up with the concept; Mark Finn, who is best known for his book on Robert E. Howard but is also a seasoned comics writer, is writing the script, and Scott Ball, creator of the webcomic Scooter and Ferret, is handling the art. Richie Rich colorist Dustin Evans is also working on the project. The comics will be published as 48-page digests with stand-alone stories, and the first one will be available after the New Year.
- September 12, 2011 @ 08:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Brett Booth shares trailer for Teen Titans #1
If you thought the DC Comics New 52 trailers were done, think again. Teen Titans artist Brett Booth has posted one on his blog featuring the latest version of the young heroes.
In addition, Booth has also posted a couple of teasers for the book, featuring the emblems for Batman and Flash covered in graffiti. Check them out after the jump.
Teen Titans #1 by Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth arrives in stores Sept. 28.
- September 12, 2011 @ 07:00 AM by JK Parkin
RIP Dylan Williams
Dylan Williams (photo courtesy of Jamie Coville)
Sparkplug Books publisher Dylan Williams has passed away due to complications from cancer. He was 39 years old.
Williams became a force within the small press community through his creation of Sparkplug in 2002. A cartoonist himself (best known for his comic book series Reporter), Williams helped many cartoonists who might otherwise have trouble getting published, including folks like Chris Wright, Dave Kiersh, Edie Fake and Jason Shiga. Sparkplug and Williams very quickly became known as one of the more prominent indie comics publishers. As fellow Robot 6er Sean Collins noted, “he had an eye for really sharp writing that you don’t see in other artcomics publishers.”
I never had the opportunity to get to know Williams well, but he always struck me in our brief meetings and conversations as a warm, genial person who cared fiercely about the medium and the cartoonists he championed.
As Tom Spurgeon notes, there may well be outstanding medical bills and other costs Williams’ estate might have to face, so let me encourage everyone to please take a moment to purchase something from the Sparkplug store (I made a few recommendations here the other week). Similarly, a benefit auction enacted to help Williams with his medical costs is still ongoing and will be continued over the coming months.
Everyone at Robot 6 would like to extend our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to Williams’ family members and friends. This is a deeply felt loss and he will be missed for many, many years to come.
You can find some rather moving tributes to Williams from Elijah Brubaker here, Austin English here, Brett Warnock and Landry Walker here.
- September 11, 2011 @ 06:30 PM by Chris Mautner