Lucky Star

Publishing | Longtime industry hand Jason Thompson has written a thoughtful essay on why the manga industry is in trouble, going beyond the American scene to point out structural problems in the Japanese market: An aging readership, the decline of print and the reluctance of Japanese publishers to embrace digital publishing in any coherent way. “Perhaps wary of creating an iTunes-like behemoth which could drive prices down,” Thompson writes, “publishers haven’t united in any reasonable way to create a consistent digital newsstand/bookstore format for their titles.” This, of course, has just made life easier for the scanlators. He also points to a shift toward the individual creator — it’s the big publishers who are hurting, while self-published and indy manga are on the rise. All this may sound familiar to American comics fans, but Thompson’s prescriptions for the future — more gag manga, simpler art, more color, and motion comics — don’t seem like convincing ways to rescue the industry. An iTunes-like behemoth is probably the way to go. [io9]

Awards | The Horror Writers Association has released the preliminary ballot for the 2011 Bram Stoker Awards, which includes a graphic novel category. [Horror Writers Association]

Awards | The Japanese publisher Shogakukan has announced its 57th annual manga awards. [Crunchyroll]

Retailing | The comics business is booming in Johnson City, Tennessee, and the retailers are giving a lot of credit to DC’s New 52. [Johnson City Press]

Fukitor

Creators | Jim Rugg interviews Jason Karns, the creator of Fukitor. Don’t feel bad if you have never heard of Fukitor, but do check out the article: Rugg starts out by explaining why the comic is important — and why he thinks it is deserving of greater renown. [The Comics Journal]

Creators | This interview with Caleb Melby, writer of The Zen of Steve Jobs, makes some interesting points about journalism and, in particular, journalism that uses the graphic novel medium. However, it’s hard to get past the fact that Forbes assigned Melby to write the Jobs book when he was an intern at the magazine, just out of college. [@PSFK]

From The Sixth Gun #5

Creators | Cullen Bunn walks through his process for writing an issue of The Sixth Gun. [CullenBunn.com]

Creators | Lunch Lady creator Jarrett Krosoczka hands out some solid advice to elementary school students about drawing comics and perseverance: “I tell the kids to write for the love of coming up with stories. I try to show them what I did as a child and show them it doesn’t have to be great … The main thing is they use their imagination. Writing is using your imagination on paper.” [The Press of Atlantic City]

Comics | Paul Gravett treats us to a brief survey of comics creators in the Middle East, an area where sequential art seems to be flourishing right now. [Paul Gravett]

Comics | An exhibit in New York looks at the way comics have portrayed Tibet over the past six decades. [PRI's The World]

As the name of the app suggests, the emphasis is on digital comics based on the LEGO Hero Factory toy line — they’re free! — other kid-friendly DC books like Teen Titans Go!, Young Justice and Superman Adventures are also available for 99 cents per download.

“LEGO Hero Factory is all about building heroes so it’s the perfect match for an app that also features DC Comics Super Heroes,” Hank Kanalz, DC’s senior vice president of digital, said in a statement.  “We’ve had a great, longstanding relationship with LEGO Systems and we’re really excited to bring these comics to kids through the LEGO Hero Factory app.”

From "The Little Tales of Otto & Olive," by Stephanie Buscema

J. Torres brings to our attention the premiere of Saturday Morning Webtoons, a new web “channel” linking readers to a lineup of all-ages webcomics from some familiar names: Boo Bear & Flo, by Jack Briglio (Digger & Friends, Scooby Doo) and Agnes Garbowska (Marvel’s Girl Comics, You, Me and Zombie); Gobukan, by J. Bone (Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Owl Magazine), The Little Tales of Otto & Olive, by Stephanie Buscema (Rocketeer Adventures, Pugs in a Bug); Orchard of Laughs, by Eric Orchard (Maddy Kettle, Yo Gabba Gabba: Comic Book Time); and Princess at Midnight, by Andi Watson (Glister, Skeleton Key).

In addition to the stable of weekly and biweekly comics, the site also offers each month a free downloadable comic; first up is Lopopo’s Lost Sock, by Alex Serra (Handy Manny, Teen Titans Go). Next will be Funnies Farm, by J. Torres (Archie & Friends, Disney/Pixar’s WALL-E) and Tracie Mauk (Comic Book Crossfire, Fight).

Legal

Legal | A teenager was sentenced Monday to seven years in prison for his role in the July 2010 theft of a valuable comic collection from an elderly Medina, New York, man, who later died of a heart attack. Eighteen-year-old Juan C. Javier, who pleaded guilty last fall to attempted second-degree burglary, is one of seven people whom police say were hired by businessman Rico J. Vendetti to break into the home of Homer Marciniak to steal his comics. Marciniak, 77, awoke during the burglary and was beaten, suffering only cuts and bruises. However, he had a fatal heart attack later that day. Eight people, including Vendetti and Javier, were indicted in November 2010; the indictments were dismissed against four of the accused so the U.S. Attorney could charge them with murder under federal law. [The Daily News]

National Cartoonists Society

Awards | Michael Cavna talks with National Cartoonists Society President Tom Richmond about the addition of the Online Comics Strips category to the prestigious Reuben Awards: “This is definitely a “first step” in recognizing online cartooning in the NCS divisional awards. It’s been discussed and explored for several years, and there are a lot of challenges involved. I picked the brains of several big names in online comics, and worked with the board to try and come up with criteria for eligibility that were in keeping with the other divisions and the NCS rules. This is what we came up with.” [Comic Riffs]

Digital comics | Comics and religious apps account for the 10 top-grossing iOS book apps this week. [eBookNewser]

Digital piracy | Bryan Young consider who should shoulder the blame for comics piracy: “Comic publishers need to understand why people are doing it and address the issues. People are pirating these comics, right or wrong, because they don’t believe they should be paying the same price as for a print copy of a comic. It’s as simple as that. The average comic book, in print or digital, costs about $2.99 per issue. With print, you have printing costs, shipping costs, wholesale costs and everything else to contend with to turn a profit. It makes sense that they’re priced the way they are. But a digital comic? Digital comics have far less overhead.” [City Weekly]

Thief of Thieves #1

Creators | Entertainment Weekly chats briefly with Robert Kirkman about Thief of Thieves. [Shelf Life]

Creators | Young artists should have a five-year plan, Sean Gordon Murphy firmly believes, rather than sitting around tweeting and waiting to be discovered. He offers some concrete steps, some of which are counterintuitive: “With a little bit of effort, could you write a C+ story? Of course you could! C+ is better than most comics. We deal in an industry where characters fight crime in their underwear — don’t be intimidated into thinking you couldn’t put together a half decent script if you tried.” Writing is not only an asset for the beginning artist, he points out, it also helps them become planners. [deviantART]

Comics | Oliver Sava considers what makes a good all-ages comic: “The best titles have elements adults can latch on to as well. Roger Langridge’s The Muppet Show is one of the best humor comics published in the past decade, using the comic-book form to capture the spirit and energy of the television series. Each issue has an overarching plot broken up by one- or two-page comic strips depicting the show’s different sketches, and Langridge’s experience with adult humor on titles like Fred The Clown keeps the jokes from being too infantile.” [The A.V. Club]

Justice League #4

Publishing | Number-crunching the direct-market charts, John Jackson Miller determines that sales of comics ranking in Diamond’s Top 300 increased by more than 3 million copies in 2011, bringing the total to 72.13 million. Dollar sales, too, rose by nearly $3 million, even as the average price of comic dropped by about a dime, from $3.58 to $3.49. [The Comichron]

Creators | Artist Fiona Staples has responded to Dave Dorman’s objection to her cover for Saga #1, which shows a woman breastfeeding an infant: “I find it a little hard to fathom why anyone would object to a depiction of breastfeeding, even if it were on a kids’ comic, which it isn’t. I have yet to hear a line of reasoning that makes sense to me. That said, anyone who wants to be grossed out by our comic is of course free to do so. I’m just going to fixate on the part where a master painter called me a ‘gifted artist.’” [ComicsAlliance]

ComicsPRO

Awards | The retailers association ComicsPRO has announced the nominees for its Industry Appreciation Award and the Industry Appreciation Memorial Award, which recognize individuals who have contributed to the success of the direct market: Cindy Fournier, David Gabriel, Robert Kirkman, Eric Stephenson and Bob Wayne. [press release]

Publishing | Valiant Entertainment, which in July announced the return of Valiant Comics, has signed an exclusive worldwide distribution deal with Diamond Comic Distributors and Diamond Book Distributors. [press release]

Creators | Kaiser Health News interviews MIT economist Jonathan Gruber — wait, why is this in Comics A.M.? Oh, yeah, because Gruber is the writer of the graphic novel Health Care Reform: What It Is, Why It’s Necessary, How It Works, which is that rare book that spoils the ending in the title. Artwork by Nathan Schreiber gives it some serious comics cred. [Kaiser Health News]

Creators | Lauren Davis has a fascinating interview with Achewood creator Chris Onstad, who recently brought his webcomic back from hiatus, about burnout, haters and the new things he has been trying lately, including a larger format to fit the new storyline. [Comics Alliance]

Gladstone's School for World Conquerors #1

Creators | David Harper talks to Mark Andrew Smith, writer of Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors, about his inspirations for the comic. I think Smith nails one of the best features of the book when he says, “I just like moments like these where we see supervillains being real people and doing things that normal people would do that we don’t get to see supervillains doing in other books. It’s great to pull back the curtain and see those moments of humanity there.” [Multiversity Comics]

Creators | This article on Kickstarter includes an interview with John Walsh, who recently raised $5,800 to support his webcomic Go Home Paddy. [Boston Herald]

Review | Larry Cruz reviews the intriguing webcomic Power Nap, about a future society in which drugs have eliminated the need for sleep — except for the one guy who is allergic to them. [The Webcomic Overlook]

Bandai Entertainment

Publishing | The anime and manga company Bandai Entertainment will stop distributing new products in February, although its existing catalog will continue to be available until the licenses expire. The company will shift its focus to licensing its properties for digital distribution and merchandising. President and CEO Ken Iyadomi said the decision to shut down new-product operations was made by the Japanese parent company without his input, and he strongly implied the underlying problem was that the corporate parent wanted to charge more for its anime than the current market will bear. Bandai published the Lucky Star, Kannagi and Eureka Seven manga, among others; all new manga volumes have been canceled, which means Kannagi will be left incomplete, at least for now. [Anime News Network]

Awards | The finalists for the Cybils, the blogger’s literary awards for children’s and YA books, have been posted, and they include five nominations each in the children’s and YA graphic novel categories. [Cybils Awards]

Fatale #1

Creators | Frequent collaborators Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips discuss their new horror-noir series Fatale, which debuts today. “You can scare people with a movie because you’re in control a lot more,” Brubaker says. “In a book, you’re making them imagine pictures, and it’s a different amount of control. With a comic book, it’s very hard to write something that puts people on edge. That’s an important thing: Let people know they have no idea what’s coming in this story and no idea what anything is going to be.” [USA Today]

Creators | Paul Grist digs into his new Image Comics series Mudman, whose fictional setting is inspired by his own town on the southwest coast of England. [USA Today]

Creators | King City writer and artist Brandon Graham talks about getting published, and names his favorite comics creators in an interview with David Harper. [Multiversity Comics]

Jerusalem

Creators | A Lebanese newspaper profiles cartoonist Guy Delisle, creator of Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City. [The Daily Star]

Comics | Larry Cruz takes an affectionate look at Golden Age vamp Phantom Lady, a creation of the Eisner-Iger studio. [The Webcomic Overlook]

Commentary | Alan David Doane argues that Alan Moore’s veto of a reprint of 1963 is an argument for, not against, creator-owned comics. “But Moore, as an individual and as a comics creator, has more than earned the right to associate with, both personally and professionally, only those he chooses to associate with. He should not be forced into business contracts or personal relationships he does not wish to be a part of, and we should respect that.” [Trouble With Comics]

Critique | Domingos Isabelinho discusses the decision to re-color Donald Duck: Lost in the Andes, as well as some of the tropes that were left untouched. [The Hooded Utilitarian]

Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors does for super villains what Harry Potter did for magicians—throws them together into an elite boarding school and lets the dynamics of the schoolyard take over, with a bit of intervention from the adults. The first six-issue arc, published by Image, was very well received, and writer Mark Andrew Smith announced yesterday that the next six-issue series, Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors: The Battle of the Superhero Archives, has been written and the first three issues are drawn. Artist Matthew Weldon, who illustrated Smith’s The New Brighton Archeological Society, is taking over the art chores from Armand Villavert for this arc.

Smith isn’t letting any grass grow under his feet: “I’m starting writing on series three and hope that the third series can be drawn while the second one is being created,” he writes. It’s worth noting that Gladstone actually was published on a monthly schedule; the fact that Smith works with a generous buffer may have a lot to do with that.

A few months ago, I picked up Braden Lamb and Shelli Paroline’s minicomic The Potter’s Pet and was really impressed — it’s a cleverly written, beautifully drawn, handsomely produced little comic. I have been a fan of Lamb’s work since I discovered his (unfortunately incomplete) webcomic Kitty Hawk years ago; Paroline’s work was new to me, but her lively lines quickly made me a convert.

So I was delighted to see that they will be handling the art for BOOM! Studios’ Adventure Time comics, which are based on the animated Cartoon Network series.

Everyone else seems to be excited about the concept here, but we don’t watch a lot of Cartoon Network in our house and, to be honest, I have never seen the show. It’s the creators who have me interested in this series, which is the opposite of how things used to work with licensed comics. When I was a kid, the Disney comics I read all looked alike, and they weren’t signed because the Disney folks wanted me to think that they all flowed from Walt Disney’s magic pen. More and more, though, creators are putting their own stamp on licensed comics and becoming an important part of the package. Think of Roger Langridge’s run on The Muppet Show comics, or Dan Hipp’s reinvention of Ben 10. What’s more, licensed projects give artists a chance to work on their skills and bring in a regular paycheck without the risks of creator-owned work. If you want to see the up-and-coming artists of the next decade, check out BOOM!’s Pixar and Muppets comics or Archaia’s Fraggle Rock anthologies.

Lamb and Paroline have honed their craft working on BOOM!’s Muppet comics: Paroline was the artist and Lamb the colorist for Muppet Snow White, which is apparently out of print, and Paroline actually drew the Muppet Show #0 comic. From what I have seen, Adventure Time will be worth picking up for their art alone.

Animal Man

As the end of 2011 approaches, websites and publications are unveiling various year-end lists and gift guides — so many that keeping up is a challenge. Here’s just some of what’s been released in the past few days:

• The Village Voice shares their list of the best comics and graphic novels of the year, a list that includes several collections of older material, Animal Man, Spaceman, Mister Wonderful and more.

• Comic creators Jim Woodring and Anders Nilsen, along with Thor star Chris Hemsworth, landed in the bottom quarter of Pop Candy’s annual 100 People of the Year list. The rest of the list will roll out all this week.

• The top ten comics list by Joe Gross of the Austin-American Statesman includes Criminal, Journey Into Mystery, Finder and Hark! A Vagrant, and is topped by Love & Rockets: New Stories #4.

• John Lucas at The Straight lists his favorite graphic novels of 2011, including The Cardboard Valise by Ben Katchor, Paying For It by Chester Brown and Habibi by Craig Thompson.

• Multiversity Comics wraps up their various “best of” categories with their list of the best ongoing series of the year.

• Spectrum Culture’s best books of the year list includes Luchadoras by Peggy Adam, Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Vol 1. Race to Death Valley by Floyd Gottfredson and Paying for It.

• Justin Giampaoli lists the best mini-comics and small press titles of the year, including The Wolf by Tom Neely, Soldiers of God by Kelly Clancy and The Disgusting Room by Austin English.

• Comic Attack shares a list of their top 15 all-ages comics of the year, which is topped by Reed Gunther.

• Meanwhile, the Good Comics for Kids bloggers, a group that includes our own Brigid Alverson, share their picks for the best all-ages comics. Their list includes Around the World by Matt Phelan, Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol and Bad Island by Doug TenNapel.

• John Hogan, Nathan Wilson, Peter Gutiérrez and Dr. Katie Monnin at Graphic Novel Reporter share their favorites from 2011.

• Johanna Draper Carlson shares her favorites ( and “Noble Failures”) of the year’s manga releases.

• FearNet’s list of favorite horror books of the year includes The Hidden by Richard Sala and The Lives of Sacco and Vanzetti by Rick Geary.

The big digital-comics news this week was that the publisher IDW, an early iVerse partner, migrated to comiXology for support of its apps. Where iVerse seems to be hanging tough is in the kids’ market—they also run the Pocket God app, and when I spoke to iVerse CEO Michael Murphey a few weeks ago, he said that their biggest selling properties were not adult comics on the iPad but children’s comics on the iPhone/iPod Touch: “Our largest selling products are kids’ products,” he told me. “Kids get the hand-me-down phones and iPod Touches. As they start getting the hand-me-down iPads after Christmas this year, that will evolve.”

In that context, a stand-alone app makes a lot of sense; Strawberry Shortcake is easy to discover in the iTunes store, and you don’t have to download a separate comics reader or create an account to use it. I do think some extras would really send this app over the top, though. A separate Strawberry Shortcake game app already exists, but it would be nice to see some puzzles, coloring pages, even music or videos, to bump up the fun content even more.

Here’s what’s interesting about this shortlist: It reflects what tweens and teens are actually reading, as opposed to what the adult gatekeepers think they should be reading. That means the list is fascinatingly eclectic and also devoid of any award winners — I know when I was a kid, that foil Newbery Award seal was the kiss of death. Things don’t seem to have changed much. Here’s the 2012 shortlist:

• Star Wars: Blood Ties
• Gate 7
• Wuthering Heights (Quick Text Version)
• FF, Vol. 1
• Marineman: A Matter of Life and Depth
• Sita: Daughter of the Earth
• Green Lantern: Secret Origin
• Chimichanga

Now that’s eclectic! Last year, the manga Black Butler took first place, Bryan Talbot’s Grandville, Mon Amour was second, and the graphic novel version of Twilight came in third. So when someone asks whether the kids these days are reading superheroes, manga, or original graphic novels, you can safely answer “Yes!”

(via the Forbidden Planet blog)

On a more upbeat note, Krosoczka is holding a pretty nifty auction to raise funds for the Joe and Shirl Scholarships, which he established in memory of his grandparents, who raised him. The scholarships will be used to pay for underprivileged children to attend art classes at the Worcester Art Museum. In an interview with the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Krosoczka talked about how his grandparents encouraged him to study art—and how much he looked forward to the classes at the museum.

“That time, 1989, was another time like we’re living through now where the art budgets were just slashed at public schools, so at Gates Lane Elementary School I actually went from having art class once a week to once every other week to once a month to not at all,” he said.

Because of those classes, Krosoczka said, he realized that a career in art was a real possibility. And it seems to be working for him; the Lunch Lady books are being developed into a movie, with Amy Poehler in the title role. The auction items include a sketchbook, original art, and lunch with Krosoczka in his studio, and the bidding ends on December 5.

Harvey Comics Classics Vol. 1

Yesterday we kicked off our holiday gift-giving guide, where we asked creators like Jim McCann, Matt Kindt and more for gift suggestion and what they’d want to receive this year. Today we’re back with six more creators, and we asked them the same questions:

1. What comic-related gift or gifts would you recommend giving this year, and why?
2. What gift (comic or otherwise) is at the top of your personal wish list, and why?

So without further ado, let the joy continue …

Jeff Parker

1. If you have young children, you can give them hours of quality time with any of Dark Horse’s Harvey Comics collections. My kids have been poring through them repeatedly. I’ll be following up with old back issues of Casper, Dot, Richie Rich and Hot Stuff from the local comics shops; they’re always very cheap.

2. I would not sneeze at getting that Donald Duck: Lost in the Andes volume from Fantagraphics.

Jeff Parker is the writer of Hulk, Thunderbolts and the webcomic Bucko.

Tim Seeley

All-Star Superman

1. I’m a firm believer in buying comics for everyone on your list, even if they aren’t an avid fan. Make ‘em a fan! All-Star Superman for the superhero fan, Dungeons & Dragons from IDW for the gamer, Habibi for the sophisticated reader, and, of course, my Hack/Slash Omnibi for the horror fan. Or, if you’re planning on dropping a bit more, might I suggest an iPad, loaded with comics apps?

2. I want the collected version of the web strip OGLAF, which I thoroughly enjoy. I wouldn’t mind a CS Moore Witchblade statue to inspire me while I write.

Tim Seeley seems to be all over the place lately, whether it’s writing the new Bloodstrike series from Extreme or Witchblade for Top Cow, drawing issues of Marvel’s Generation Hope, or working on his own creations like Hack/Slash and Jack Kraken. There’s a good chance I forgot something, but you can follow him on Twitter to learn more.

Ross Campbell

1. Comic-related gifts I recommend:

Remake

• Remake/Remake Special by Lamar Abrams (AdHouse): This is the funniest comic I’ve ever read. The first Remake is awesome and the second volume, Remake Special, somehow managed to top it, ending up one of my favorite comics of all time.
• IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hardcover volume one: since the old Turtles collections are so hard to find, it’s cool IDW is reprinting the original Eastman and Laird material. This first book has issues 1-7 and the Raphael one-shot, and even though it would’ve been cooler if they put the first 11 issues and all four one-shots together like the original collected book back in the day, this one is a great place to start. I hope they eventually get to a “City At War” collection!
• Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol (First Second): one of my favorite comics of the year and also Brosgol’s debut book, i think this is probably a pretty good gift to new and seasoned comic readers alike. awesome art, charming characters, solid one-and-done story.

2. Personal gifts:

• A new computer would be nice; my current one sure is finicky.
• The new X-Force books collecting the old Fabian Nicieza/Rob Liefeld/Greg Capullo stuff would also be nice. I think there are three out so far with a fourth yet to be released.

Ross Campbell is the creator of the Wet Moon and Shadoweyes series of graphic novels, and is the artist on the upcoming relaunch of Glory for Extreme Studios.

Kody Chamberlain

CLiNT #6

1. For those with (or receiving) a digital tablet, I would take advantage of the ComiXology “Gift This Comic” feature to share some of the great comics you know and love with friends and family. Just pick out a few titles you think they might enjoy and get ‘em hooked! I think this is a great gift for savvy readers AND new readers. It’s also a great opportunity to introduce kids to some of the better young reader titles on the market.

A subscription to CLiNT magazine is also a great idea for savvy readers AND new readers. The magazine offers quality pop culture coverage and a steady stream of quality serialized comics that readers might have overlooked. So far, each issue has been fantastic.

2. The top comic-related gifts on my list are Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition by Darwyn Cooke and Genius, Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth hardcover. Both from IDW Publishing.

Kody Chamberlain is the creator of Sweets: A New Orleans Crime Story, which is available at ” just about any quality comic shop or bookstore, including Amazon.com.” He and Joshua Fialkov will launch Punks: The Comic at MTV this month as a part of the MTV Comics digital imprint.

Ian Brill

The Storyteller

1. Jim Henson’s The Storyteller, Vol. 1: I was lucky enough to pick up an early copy at NYCC. It is one of the rare anthologies that delivers in both variety and quality. The format, based on the 1988 HBO show from Jim Henson, is based on exploring myths and folktales with visual flair. It’s a fantastic line-up of creators: Roger Langridge (being colored by the fantastic Jordie Bellaire), Colleen Coover, Paul Tobin, Jeff Parker, Tom Fowler, Katie Cook, and many more amazing talents. With its wide-ranging concept, all bound by a simple-to-grasp concept, I feel there’s something here to please all readers. I have experience editing anthologies before (the CBGB comic series) and I know the challenges therein. I feel editor Nathan Cosby did triumphant work here.

2. Evan Dorkin’s Milk & Cheese comic is an all-time fav. I discovered them pretty young, and they made a huge impression on me in terms of humor, storytelling, as well as how much you can jam into a short comic story. I wouldn’t mind the Milk & Cheese: Dairy Products Gone Bad collection from Dark Horse, which collects all of these little guys’ appearances under one cover.

Ian Brill, a former editor at BOOM! Studios, is the writer of things undead and feathered: he has three stories in Zombie Tales Omnibus: Outbreak and wrote the series Darkwing Duck and Chip ‘N’ Dale Rescue Rangers.

Jamaica Dyer

Batwoman

1. I would give the Batwoman graphic novel and first three issues of the new series. It is absolutely amazing to have a book with art this gorgeous, a story this strong, and such a complex cast of female characters. I love everything about it, and think I could turn a lot of my non-comic-reading friends on with the storyline.

2. A Winsor and Newton watercolor travel set. This is a vital tool for painting comics!

Jamaica Dyer is the creator of Weird Fishes and the upcoming Fox Head Stew, which will be released online in 2012. Follow the process at jamaicad.com.

Top Shelf goes digital

Both Top Shelf and comiXology sent out press releases this morning announcing that they’ve launched two new apps for the Apple iOS, one for general readers and one aimed at kids.

The Top Shelf Productions iOS App will include comics and graphic novels like From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, Essex County by Jeff Lemire and Infinite Kung Fu by Kagan McLeod. The Top Shelf Kids Club iOS App will feature books like Owly by Andy Runton and Johnny Boo by James Kochalka, among others. Purchases on these apps will sync across the Comics by comiXology platform — iOS, Android and the Web.

To help promote the launch, Top Shelf and comiXology are offering five graphic novels at reduced prices for the next week:

$1.99 for League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: 1910 by Alan Moore & Kevin O’Neill
$1.99 for Owly book 1 by Andy Runton
$0.99 for Johnny Boo book 1 by James Kochalka
$1.99 for Clumsy by Jeffrey Brown
$2.99 for The Surrogates by Robert Venditti & Brett Weldele

Additionally, Wednesday will see the comiXology debut of the newly remastered Top Shelf edition of Lost Dogs, the Xeric-award-winning first graphic novel by Jeff Lemire. The graphic novel returns to print next year.

Top Shelf emphasized that in addition to comiXology, their books are also available through other digital providers, like Graphicly, Comics+ by iVerse, Apple iBooks and Google Books. More titles will continue to roll out on every platform in the days to come, including the Nook and Kindle Fire devices, as well as the Diamond Digital program which partners with comic shops. New “buy digital” buttons now appear throughout their website, offering easy access to digital editions in every available format.

Archie Comics

Digital | Archie Comics announced that its comics will be available on the recently announced Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet. [Archie Comics]

Awards | Stan Lee will receive the Producers Guild of America’s 2012 Vanguard Award recognizing achievement in new media and technology. “Stan Lee’s creative vision and imagination has produced some of the most beloved and visually stunning characters and adventures in history,” Producers Guild Awards co-chairs Paula Wagner and Michael Manheim said in a joint statement. “He not only has created content that will forever be in our culture but continues to make strides in the digital and new media realms, keeping the comic book industry fresh and exciting. Stan’s accomplishments truly encompass the spirit of the Vanguard Award and we are proud to honor him.” George Lucas and John Lasseter are among the award’s previous recipients. [press release]

Creators | Laura Hudson interviews cartoonist Susie Cagle about her teargassing and arrest during Occupy Oakland. [ComicsAlliance]

Heart #1

Creators | The Pitch profiles Heart artist Kevin Mellon. [The Pitch]

Creators | Eva Volin interviews Owly creator Andy Runton. [Good Comics for Kids]

Creators | Todd Battis of CTV News spotlights Kate Beaton ahead of a broadcast profile. [CTV News]

Creators | Cully Hamner chats briefly DC’s New 52, The Shade miniseries and the planned big-screen sequel to RED. [ComicBookMovie]

Creators | The Bowling Green State University student newspaper previews a campus appearance by alum Marc Sumerak. [The BG News]

Conventions | Kevin Czap and Chris Pitzer report on last weekend’s Minneapolis Indie Expo, or MIX. [MIX]

Commentary | Charles Hatfield is writing a new column for The Comics Journal, KinderComics, which will focus on “visual narratives aimed at and/or depicting children, most especially comics.” In the first installment, Hatfield looks at First Second’s Nursery Rhyme Comics. [The Comics Journal]

Dwayne McDuffie

Creators | Eugene Son, a friend of late comics creator Dwayne McDuffie, announced plans to transform the writer’s website from “one that promoted his work to one that reflects his immense legacy.” The site’s blog will remain active, with plans to post old columns and scripts written by McDuffie, as well as tributes and stories from McDuffie’s friends. Earlier this week Son posted a 2002 essay he said was one of McDuffie’s most-read works, “Six Degrees of St. Elsewhere (aka The Grand Unification Theory).” [DwayneMcDuffie.com]

Publishing | Wizard has hired Kevin Kelly as managing editor of its “website, social media and digital content endeavors.” Kelly has previously worked for several entertainment websites, including io9, Moviefone, Cinematical and Joystiq, and was most recently senior features editor for G4tv.com. [press release]

Manga | Playback hosts a “Manga Moveable Feast” on Ken Akamatsu’s Love Hina, which returns to print from Kodansha Comics next week. [Playback:stl]

Conventions | Our own Brigid Alverson reports on the kids comics presence at this past weekend’s New York Comic Con. [Publishers Weekly]

New York Comic Con

Conventions | Alyssa Rosenberg gives her impressions of New York Comic Con: “… The other thing that stuck with me was the experience I’ve never had before, of being in a place essentially without a visible social hierarchy. Some of that is because this is a temporary community, and some of it’s because everyone there is pulling a Clark Kent, taking off their workaday clothes and putting on what makes them comfortable and most them, whether it’s Chuck Taylors or some really fantastic ladies-fit purple Mandalorian armor. But despite the fact that the audience ranged from black teenaged hipsters, to parents with their kids, to the standard, stereotypical white-dude comic fans, as well as up and down the age spectrum, it was essentially impossible to tell who had power among the attendees. Cosplayers? They get looked at, and praised, and have their pictures taken, but getting what you want out of an experience isn’t necessarily the same as having power in it. Consumers? To a certain extent, yes: you might have to wait in a lot of lines, and pay money, but the entire experience exists for your stimulation. But by the temporary nature of the situation, there’s no way to tell who’s cool, maybe because for once, for a couple of days, it just doesn’t matter.” [ThinkProgress]

Creators | Jeff Lemire chats briefly about his plans for DC’s Animal Man and Frankenstein, Agent of S.HA.D.E. [io9.com]

Creators | Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian discusses his passion for comics and working with artist Alex Ross on the band’s latest album cover, among other topics. [Denver Westword]

Commentary | Our own Matt Seneca looks at a recent collection of Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant comic. “A few pages into the fourth of Fantagraphics’ beautifully reprinted new editions of Hal Foster’s masterpiece and it’s difficult indeed to remember that this isn’t the greatest comic ever.” [The Comics Journal]

It looks as if Sesame Street, the television series that’s educated and entertained children since 1969, could be making the move to comics.

It all seems very tentative, but Ape Entertainment has announced it’s in talks with Sesame Workshop to produce a series of a series of comic books featuring such beloved characters as Ernie, Bert, Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Elmo. If the deal pans out, the comics would debut next year in print and digital editions.

“We are incredibly excited about our current negotiations with Sesame Workshop and the possibility of being able to bring their expertise in educating and entertaining children to comics,” Ape COO Brent E. Erwin said in a statement.

Ape already publishes several licensed children’s comics, including Richie Rich, Casper Scare School, Strawberry Shortcake and Shrek.

ICv2.com reports that while the traditional FCBD will still be held May 5, 2012, Diamond found interest from publishers in supporting a second, similar event on Halloween, “which has become, next to Christmas, the holiday with the most retail impact.”

Many retailers already hold kid-focused events on Halloween, with some giving away comics left over from Free Comic Book Day. Diamond has in the past encouraged stores to give away themed kid-friendly minicomics as “sugar-free safe bag stuffers.” This year’s selections include 16-page issues of Scary Godmother, Archie’s Laugh Comics, Donald Duck and The Smurfs. However, next year’s offerings will be part of a full-fledged Free Comic Book Day event.

Reggie the Veggie Crocodile

Expanding their partnership, Stan Lee and 1821 Comics will unveil a line of kids’ comics today at New York Comic Con.

Called Stan Lee’s Kids Universe, the imprint will feature characters like the Fuzz Posse, a group of police dogs, and Reggie the Veggie Crocodile, a reptile who becomes an outcast because he shies away from meat.

“The whole idea is to give them the kind of stories that they haven’t read before that they can easily understand and relate to,” Lee tells The Associated Press. “While we want these to be reasonably educational and good for kids — that goes without saying — but our main purpose to be entertaining … kids have a great sense of humor if you can reach them the right way.”

The characters were created by Lee and 1821 partners Paris Kasidokostas Lastis and Terry Dougas, who launched their comic company at New York Comic Con 2010 with the announcement of Romeo and Juliet: The War, a futuristic retelling of the Shakespeare play as envisioned by Lee and Dougas. The oversized graphic novel, the first in a three-book deal with Lee’s POW! Entertainment, debuts this week at the convention.

Stan Lee’s Kids Universe will kick off with Monsters Vs. Kittens, by Dani Jones, and Once Upon a Time in 2012, followed by The Fuzz Posse, Reggie the Veggie Crocodile and The Animal Band.

Justice League: Unstoppable Forces #1

DC Comics has struck a deal with General Mills to include custom editions of Justice League in specially marked boxes of Big G cereals, The New York Times reports. The partnership is expected to be announced at New York Comic Con.

The publisher is printing a whopping 12 million copies of four Justice League books — “Unstoppable Forces,” “Artificial Invasion,” “Sinister Imitation” and “Breakout!” — featuring a classic roster of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash and Aquaman. (And they’re in their classic costumes, to boot!) The stories will begin in print and continue online at BigCerealHeroes.com, where you can get a sampling of the four titles.

The 24-page comics, by Scott Beatty, Paul Tobin, Doug Wagner, Joshua Williamson, Christian Duce, Derec Donovan and Bruno Redondo, are 5 inches by 7 inches and ad-free, except for a mention that they’re “brought to you by Big G cereals.” They can be found inside designated boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Trix, Golden Grahams, Reese’s Puffs and Cocoa Puffs.

The DC Comics promotion, which runs through October and November, will be supported with advertising in traditional media, online and through social media.