Comic Book Resources

New Yorker holds yet another cartoon contest

One of the cartoon entries

In addition to that neat Chris Ware strip in this week's New Yorker magazine (I should note he did the cover too), the venerable magazine is holding a do-it-yourself cartoon contest. Using the cartoon kit provided on the Web site (using art by Alex Gregory), simply create as many gags as you like and send them in by Nov. 22. The top five winners will be featured in a slide show. Yeah, I know, that's not much of a prize, but still, it beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, as my father used to say. Oh, if you register the kit (which you have to do anyway to use it) you'll enter a sweepstakes to win a trip to New York City. Now that's more like it.

Reactions to The Comics Journal's changes abound

The Comics Journal #300

Tom Spurgeon followed up his initial breaking news yesterday with a quick Q&A with publisher Gary Groth about the proposed changes to the venerable magazine. Among the revelations: The new site should launch next month, the magazine's staff will stay the same and no changes will be made to the daily Journalista feature or the message board.

Oh, and there will be more Kenneth Smith. Here's Groth speculating on some of the details:

I suspect that little of the material on the website will be reprinted in the print edition; rather, I'm anticipating that short pieces that appeared on the website may be expanded for the print edition -- or the reverse, an excerpt of something we plan for the print edition may be previewed on the website. But there's going to be a learning curve while we figure out the different editorial requirements for both the website and the print edition. My main goal is to maintain the editorial impetus of the magazine on the website, making it an intelligent and sometimes provocative source criticism and commentary.

The mood on the Internet regarding the planned changes seems tentatively positive, although a certain amount of nostalgia for the magazine as it was once still lingers, judging by the reactions from folks like Alan David Doane, Johnny Bacardi, Heidi MacDonald and folks on the TCJ message board.

UPDATE: Steven Grant considers the Journal's legacy in his latest column.

Comics Journal to beef up print, Web presence

The Comics Journal #300

Tom Spurgeon broke the news yesterday that The Comics Journal, Fantagraphics' long-standing magazine of comics news and criticism, will be altering their coverage and format following the release of their 300th issue.

The announcement came via a letter sent to subscribers that Spurgeon posted online. In it, the staff unveiled a two-fold plan which entailed enhancing the magazine's Web site considerably and turning the print publication into an elaborate, twice-yearly affair.

Acknowledging the changing role the Internet has played in comics coverage, the letter states the current TCJ site will become "full-service," with daily updates, and deliver "everything you love about the magazine," including the interviews, news and "real journalism" the magazine has become known for. The site is currently best known as the home of Online Editor Dirk Deppey's daily Journalista column.

As for the print magazine, it will become "considerably larger and more elaborate" than the current iteration, and will only come out semi-annually. While the price of the new magazine is still up in the air, individual issues will cost more than they do now, though the letter promises that a single issue will never cost more than $19.99.

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'Wearing a dramatic eye and form-fitting outfits, Ali is ready to fight the crimes of fashion at any moment'

Ali Stephens by Thierry Le Gouès for French Revue de Modes

Hey look, more fashion/comic book action today ... the blog Fashion Gone Rogue has pictures from a photo shoot featuring model Ali Stephens and a guy in a Batman suit. The pictures are from the latest issue of French Revue de Modes (caution: their home page may cause a seizure and is potentially NSFW).

Via Super Punch

D'oh!: Marge Simpson poses for Playboy

Where's Nelson Muntz when you need him?

TMZ ruined a lot of people's mornings today by revealing that The Simpsons' blue-haired matriarch Marge will appear on the cover of the November issue of Playboy. "Sexy cartoon lingerie" will feature in her non-nude pictorial, or whatever you'd call it, inside. That sound you heard is your childhood dying.

Link via Topless Robot, whose reaction--"I'm going to get a large glass of scotch now. I'm not sure whether I'm going to drink it or pour it in my eyes, but if a f*cking jet engine falls out of the sky on to me on the way, I won't mind"--is typical of many Simpsons fans. (Go grab a copy of the awesome new Treehouse of Horror issue to cleanse the palate, gang.)

Slash Print | Following the digital evolution

Internet radio | SLG Publishing is testing out an internet radio call-in show, where fans can call in and ask Dan Vado questions about their titles or the comic industry in general. If you've ever attended one of SLG's panels, you know Dan has a lot to say, so this should be worth checking out.

Tablets | Although the Apple tablet I mentioned a few days ago hasn't even been officially announced yet, this Ad Age story says traditional publishers are already talking about ways to bypass iTunes and offer "an industry-wide digital storefront where tablet users could buy digital issues or subscriptions without going through iTunes or the App Store."

Tablets | Speaking of tablets (and SLG, for that matter), SLG chief Jennifer de Guzman talks about digital comics in her latest column for Publisher's Weekly, noting the difficulties that come with trying to make comics for Amazon's Kindle.

"To be acceptable to Amazon's Kindle store, a comic needs to be 'reflowed,' which means breaking each page into individual panels and saving each as a separate file," she writes. "This is a process that could take hours for every graphic novel—and that means additional costs for a publisher."

Digital Comics | If you missed part one of the Brian Michael Bendis interview I linked to earlier because you were too busy checking out what he had to say about Avengers, he talks with Blair Butler about the Spider Woman Motion Comic and the future of digital comics.

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Straight for the art | Ryan Kelly draws doomsday for Wired

by Ryan Kelly

Local artist Ryan Kelly has posted two images he contributed to the Oct. 9 issue of Wired magazine, for an article on the Soviet "Dead Hand" nuclear launch plan. Something fun to think about as we head into the weekend ...

Proving once again who the real superheroes are

A firefighter pays homage to Superman

From Time's "Pictures of the Week" feature for last week comes this picture, which has the feel of a Superman cover. Even better is the fact that the copy editor who wrote the caption made the connection.

(Thanks, Tom!)

New Yorker cartoonist comments on Marvel/Disney deal

The Beat, er, beat me to this Lee Lorenz cartoon in this week's issue of the New Yorker (I always seem to get my subscription issue several days late), but it's amusing enough I think to warrant reposting here.

Clowes New Yorker illustration in running for magazine cover of the year

Dan Clowes' New Yorker cover

Daniel Clowes' cover for the May 11 issue of The New Yorker is among the finalists in the Association of Magazine Editors' cover of the year contest at Amazon.com.

You can vote for your favorites in 10 categories, from Best Obama Cover to Best in News & Business to Sexiest Cover, and be entered to win a $10,000 gift card from Amazon.

Voting on the finalist will run through Sept. 20. Voting for the grand-prize winner will open the following day. Winners will be announced Oct. 14 at the Magazine Publishers of America's Innovation Summit in New York City.

Clowes will release his original graphic novel Wilson in May 2010 through Drawn & Quarterly.

(via FishbowlNY)

Reed trying to sell Publishers Weekly, other magazines [Updated]

Publishers Weekly

Business publisher Reed Business Information is putting several of its trade magazines, including Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and School Library Journal, up for sale.

Publishers Weekly, which covers the book industry, is parent to The Beat and PW Comics Week. The School Library Journal website plays host to the Good Comics for Kids blog.

Owner Reed Elsevier attempted to sell its entire magazine-publishing division, which includes Variety, in February 2008, but withdrew its plans when it couldn't get its asking price.

The global publisher also owns Reed Exhibitions, which produces New York Comic Con, the New York Anime Expo, BookExpo America and the upcoming Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.

Update: Folio reports that Reed is putting additional magazines on the block, including Broadcasting & Cable and Tradeshow Week. It will keep Reed Construction Data, RSMeans, Variety, MarketCast, LA411 and BuyerZone.

Vice tells you where it's at, comics-wise

The Vice comics issue

Vice magazine has put together a handy Guide to Comics, which isn't really a guide so much as a great compilation of  comics-related articles, including interviews with Al Jaffee, Chip Kidd, Anders Nilsen, Chris Onstad, Gerard Way and Craig Yoe. Plus, comics by Lisa Hanawalt, an essay on the glory that is Jimmy Olsen and Gary Panter runs down his top 10 favorite comics.

(via Sean Collins)

SDCC '09 | CBLDF, creator updates and more

All the Fun

A few more updates on con activities, including the CBLDF, Tripwire Magazine, creator plans and more. I have more coming as well ...

Creators | Artist Ryan Kelly shares his schedule and the cover to All the Fun, his art book he'll be selling at the show.

Organizations | The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has updated their website with a lot of info on their activities at the con this year, including some offsite events with Amanda Palmer, an art auction and their "Master Sessions" panels. They'll also host a welcome party on Thursday night, which is co-sponsored by Comic Book Resources, so be sure to stop by if you get a chance.

Free T-shirts | Capcom will be giving away this reversible zombie T-shirt at their booth this year, if you try out a co-op level of the new Resident Evil game.

Games | The SDCC folks have posted information on their games schedule, which includes Magic:The Gathering, Pokemon and a Tekken tournament.

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Video: Paul Pope illustrates Complex Magazine photo shoot

Complex Magazine enlisted artist Paul Pope to illustrate their models as part of a photo spread. Here's a video of Marc Ecko and Pope talking about how they approached it, along with some of Pope's art:

FYI, while there's no nudity, there are scantily clad models rolling around on the floor, so it might be NSFW in some instances ...

(Thanks, Tim!)

Mom! Dad! Buy stuff! A liveblog of FunFare magazine

FunFare magazine

Wizard CEO Gareb Shamus isn't going to let paltry matters like financial insolvency and an ever-dwindling staff keep him from putting out new magazines. Hence, Wizard Entertainment's latest endeavor, FunFare. According to the PR release, this new glossy mag "takes the humor and consumer focus of Wizard's collector-targeted magazine Toy Fair and expands the focus to the family and general consumer." That certainly sounds like fun, right?

By a unique stroke of luck, we happened to get our sweaty hands (and yes, they are a little sweaty. It is summer after all.) on a copy of the very first issue of FunFare. Taking a page from Christopher Butcher's monthly Previews breakdowns, we thought we'd go page by page through the magazine and jot down our initial impressions. Will it measure up to Wizard's past standards of excellence? Read on and find out ...

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