Random Comics News Story Round-Up

* Tom Ziuko tells the harrowing story of recent kidney-related surgery and emphasizes support for The Hero Initiative.

* Jonathan Baylis wrote in to say that he was devoting this comics story to the recently-fired-from-Marvel Scott Elmer. Also, for what it's worth, I would buy a t-shirt featuring the Thing's head.

* Chris Cummins talks to Paul Kupperberg. Liz Armstrong talks to Ron Regé. JW Ward talks to Mike Carey not once but twice. Andy Burns talks to Joshua Williamson. James Romberger talks to Neal Adams. Melissa Tan Bio talks to Tom Gauld. RC Harvey profiles Jud Hurd. David Ulin talks to Art Spiegelman. Chris Mautner talks to Austin English.

* Daniel Wüllner on Pope Hats #2. Sean T. Collins on Ganges #4. Eddie Campbell on Setting The Standard. Sean Gaffney on Drifting Net Café Vol. 1. Don MacPherson on Star Trek/Legion Of Super-Heroes #1. Greg McElhatton on Liberty Annual 2011. Brian Hibbs on a bunch of new comics. J. Caleb Mozzocco on Holy Terror. Ted Brown on Eye Of The Gods.

* not comics: you'll surely be as relieved as I was to hear that Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger is still building that Batcave. Who says that the recent NBA lockout/players revenue dispute lacks a connection to the common man?

* Kevin Czap talks about comics in a gallery setting.

* Sean T. Collins point out that Ben Katchor's latest strip at Metropolis isn't just good, it's relevant.

* speaking of Collins, he writes about Love & Rockets and jumping-on points here. It's a good post, and it skirts around a subject related to advocating for comics that's of particular interest to me. L&R was maybe the first comic promoted as "you have to read this comic," which given comics' junk roots and general (still-lingering) self-hatred was an intriguing development all its own. I always thought there was a significant, underlying resentment towards the title because of that, as well as similar feelings aimed at any title that has been pushed the same way since. Comics readers are not only willfully iconoclastic, they tend to pride themselves on their taste, because in most cases it's hard-won relative to the general culture. I do wish people would stop indulging that kind of silly stance, though, the thought that there are a few comics out there that have to prove themselves to you, this cross-armed tapping of one's foot waiting to be convinced of something. What a waste of time. Read the comics you like or that you think you might like, and make up your own mind. Take other people's recommendations as recommendations, not as gauntlets thrown in your direction -- believe me, they're not thinking about you when they say these things. If there's one advantage to living in marketing-soaked times, it should be the sophistication to know that when people say "everybody should be reading this" it almost always means "I wish more people were reading this" and it's not really some theorem for you to disprove via personal objection. In general and as always, life's too short for that kind of fussiness.

* The Adventures of Mr. Phil presents some old exhibition notes on Maus in two parts.

* in light of the misfortune that befell cartoonist Ali Ferzat, Michael Netzer talks about his own experience with the Syrian military.

* finally, Chris Pitzer writes on the comics scene in Richmond, Virginia.
 
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