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Blue Bloods: Masquerade

Publishing | Italian movie producer Domenico Procacci has purchased Bologna-based graphic novel publisher Coconino Press, adding it to his Fandango filmmaking and book-publishing company. In addition to its own titles, Coconino publishes the Italian editions of works by such artists as Charles Burns, Daniel Clowes, and Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi. [Variety]

Publishing | Young-adult novelist Melissa de la Cruz has signed new contracts with Hyperion, the Disney Book Group imprint that publishes her bestselling Blue Bloods series. The deal calls for three companion books to the teen-vampire drama, including Blue Bloods: The Graphic Novel. [Variety]

The Last Unicorn

Publishing | IDW Publishing will adapt Peter Beagle's bestselling 1968 fantasy novel The Last Unicorn as a six-issue miniseries. The comic, by writer Peter B. Gillis, artist Renae De Liz and colorist Ray Dillon, will debut in April. [ICv2.com]

Publishing | Simon Jones offers commentary about declining manga sales in Japan: "Some blame was again placed at the industry’s increasing focus on niche genres (just as comics is a spandex ghetto, manga is facing a crisis of the moe slum), but I think this is being overstated as a cause, when it’s really a symptom that is self-feeding.  Manga sales have gone down … it could be lower birth rates, or competition from other media, or internet piracy (come on guys, we don’t need to couch this in flowery language), or any combination of those.  But it all comes down to fewer companies being able to produce mainstream products, because a growing segment of mainstream audiences are no longer willing to pay for them despite increasing demand." [Icarus Publishing]

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Thin wallets, fat bookshelves: A publishing news round-up

Snooker

• Cartoonist Ben Towle has announced the release of Snooker, a 64-page collection of his various minicomics. It's available for $10 at this site.

• I mentioned awhile back that Charles Burns was the editor for this year's edition of The Best American Comics series from HoughtonMifflin. It looks like Michael Kupperman is handling the cover chores on that book as well.

• In case you missed it: Archaia is partnering up with Henson Studios to make comics based on the Fraggle Rock, Labryinth and Mirrormask franchises.

• In case you missed it part II: Movie producer and comic book author Jeff Katz has started a new entertainment company, American Originals, that will publish comic books, among other things

• Broken Frontier reveals that Drawn and Quarterly will be publishing an English version of Brecht Evens' The Wrong Place early next year.

• Save your mana points now: Wizards of the Coast will release their first ever Magic: The Gathering graphic novel, Path of the Planeswalker, in October.

• Hey, Osamu Tezuka's Swallowing the Earth is now on sale at Akadot Retail, though it looks like you might pay for the privilege of being a first-buyer.

• Wondering what's up with the Graphic NYC book? The authors of the photo book of Big Apple cartoonists spill the beans on their publishing plans.

Straight for the art | Del Rey reveals Talisman cover

Talisman Issue #0

You may have heard that Del Rey was planning to offer a graphic novel adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub's best selling novel, The Talisman, featuring art by Tony Shasteen and a script by Robin Furth.  Now Del Rey has revealed that Massimo Carnevale (known for his work on Y: The Last Man) will be the cover artist for the monthly series. What's more, a special preview ssue, as seen above, will be released at this year's Comic-Con.

Full press release from Del Rey after the jump.

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Straight for the art | Vollenweider's Cave

Panel from CF's 'Cave'

Vice Magazine, never one to shy away from comics, presents a decidedly odd and somewhat gruesome comic by Christopher Forgues (aka CF).

What are you reading?

The Color of Earth

Welcome to another edition of What Are You Reading? Our special guest this week is Brigid Alverson, whom dedicated manga fans will know as the force behind the excellent Mangablog. If that's not enough, she's also a contributor to the Digital Strips podcast, and oversees the School Library Journal's Good Comics for Kids blog, which is about ... well, you figure it out.

Anyway, click on the link below to find out what Ms. Alverson and the rest of the Robot 6 gang is reading this week.

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