Mid-Day Monday Manga News Round-Up
* I don't know the major players, don't know the background and I frequently have a hard time parsing some of Didier Pasamonik's writing flourishes, but it looks a major move by Japanese publishers in a more formal fashion into the French-language market may be taking place through a reconstituted KAZE imprint? Yeah, that looks weird to me, too. Anyway, it appears as if whatever is going on will result in a quarterly and many more titles being published, opposed, perhaps to a kind of sustained licensing effort. I'd compare it to Kodansha going live in the US with an imprint, but this looks at first glance more like the various major Viz partners adjusting their orientation. If someone can explain this to me, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
* over 3000 people attended a public memorial for manga creator Yoshito Usui, best known for his irrepressible Shin-chan character. I think this may be the first article where I've seen mentioned the possibility that his hiking-related accident in September just might have been a suicide, although the idea is fairly pooh-poohed right away.
* over at the Hero Complex blog, Liesl Bradner examines a recent work on Depression-era paper theater as a comics-equivalent, both in a formal sense and in the types of characters featured. If nothing else, you get to stare at a lot of bitchin' art. If you're more future-minded when it comes to your feature articles, there's an article here about how manhwa is maintaining its popularity as manga dips.
* finally, so as not to end this post on an arguable down note, the comics business news and analysis site ICv2.com notes that the latest volume of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece will set records for an initial printing in that market at 2.85 million copies pressed.
Go, Read: Exactly What The Man Says Dick Briefer's Frankenstein stories are probably best known in that they had both a humorous and serious run of stories, but they're just generally attractive, too.
Two That May Not Be Out In 2010; One Forgotten High-End Effort That Will
The blog at Forbidden Planet International notes that two potential comics of the year and decade, Footnotes in Gaza and Alec: The Years Have Pants, may both go Raging Bull on us and become part of lists done in early 2011 and in early 2020. That same posts links to a fine interview with each man, and I encourage you to follow them. I had previously thought we would get the Sacco but maybe not the Campbell, so that was news to me.
On the other hand, mysteriously not discussed much at all is the impending comics section to a special issue of McSweeney's celebrating the broadsheet-style newspaper. That looks to have gained a nice cross-promotional relationship with the San Francisco Chronicle. That comics section will be 16 pages long and features at least Chis Ware, Dan Clowes and Art Spiegelman.
Update:CR reader George Xydas notes as I certainly should have that both the books mentioned above are certainly out in an advanced sense, such as in copies for reviewers and through stores scheduled for advance signings, just not in that mass sense of an arrival date through Diamond and (perhaps) your local Barnes & Noble. Please forgive my sloppy analysis.
Go, Look: Great House Ad Gallery I could suggest that this gallery of old mainstream comic book house ads is of interest because of the sturdy design of the individual ads and what it says about what those companies wanted emphasized and when, but I'll admit there's a nostalgic thrill here as well.
When people think of ways the comics industry used to function they often cite the accessibility of 25-cent comics. Just as important was that slightly more hardcore fans had to work a bit money-wise and discovery-wise to get all the comics they probably wanted, without a real expectation this would ever happen. In other words, all the comics someone read as a kid may not be as important as all the comics they didn't get to read or that they wish they had; thus the power of these ads.
Your Danish Cartoons Hangover Update
* Yale and Yale University Press will receive a letter today signed by multiple free speech organization castigating their decision to leave images of Muhammad out of a new book on the Danish Cartoon Controversy.
* the wires and various newspapers of more focused, local interest are hopping with news that Mickey Mouse Plot co-conspirator suspect Tahawwur Rana has strongly denied involvement with attacks on Mumbai in 2008. For what it's worth, the group that's taken responsibility for those attacks deny involvement with Rana.
* if the next European Muslim controversy is to be about architecture, I can't tell if this is a boost or a step down for the comics medium. But the Danish Cartoons Controversy is sure as heck going to be cited about 10 billion times.
Prominent Retailer Buddy Saunders Doubles Down On Arguments That Comics Lacks Books For Kids
Over at the comics business news and analysis site ICv2.com, the prominent comics retailer Buddy Saunders revisits the notion of there being no kids comics for people to buy by pointing out that some retailers have expanded their inventory to include prose books that appeal to kids and that the prose industry has done a better job than the comics industry of meeting this readership. Saunders is an extremely prominent Direct Market retailer, a potential head on the Mount Rushmore Of Direct Market Retailers, so I think he needs to be listened to here.
Unfortunately, what he's done is essentially lashed an argument already exposed as "there aren't kids comics of the very specific kind that I recall when I bought comics as a child and demand to sell now" to a standard of "these kids comics initiatives of the very specific kind of comics that I recall when I was a kid and demand to sell now need to work as well as other initiatives in other industries aimed at kids." I mean, wow. As is the case with most arguments, if you define everything in very specific terms, you're going to win those arguments. I agree with Buddy Saunders: there will never be kids comics exactly like there were when his generation of retailers were kids that are going to work as well as current initiatives aimed at kids from major book publishers.
At the same time, I can also safely say that the entire nation will never again be held captive by the radio shenanigans of Fibber McGee and Molly.
So where does that leave us? It leaves us with a lot of all ages comics that could be sold and a lot of shops that won't even consider selling them because they're not exactly the way they'd prefer them to be: pre-existing best-sellers that celebrate a self-conception so specific it has its own smell. Saunders has partly re-defined the argument that the comics he would prefer not to sell and which many of his peers won't even begin to consider selling don't count because they don't sell well. The ironic thing is that this general attitude -- and I'm certain this is voiced by Saunders more than it's exemplified in his stores, but let's not begin to think one single second it's not exemplified in a lot of stores -- provides no one that might be in a position to make comics closer to what these sellers say they'd like to see any reason to believe that they should invest heavily in that kind of comic. Saunders wins; comics loses.
Postscript: I only wish it were as laughably simplistic as Saunders arguing there aren't enough comics for kids; if that were the case, I'd agree with him.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* the cartoonist Ty Templeton would like you to know that talent is bullshit.
* the comics agitator Frank Santoro shares a hilarious anecdote from a John Holmstrom interview in a forthcoming issue of 'zine supreme Cometbus as to how SVA put a pair of the all-time great cartoonists on their payroll.
* the critic and historian Charles Hatfield has penned a somewhat lengthy appreciation of JH Williams III here.
* not comics: it looks like they're going to hold off on making another Superman film until the legal hubbub surrounding the character comes to a conclusion. I figure this is good news; it'd be a weird time to make a Superman movie right now. I kind of feel bad for that Brandon Routh guy, though.
* the blogger and inker Charles Yoakum asks why people care so much about licensed properties.
In Case You Missed It, The CR Holiday Gift Guide Went Up On Friday I added a few books/ideas between first posting it and now; at some point in your life you really should consider giving someone you love a full run of Charlton's 6MDM comics
New TCJ.com To Launch December 1
I hadn't seen a formal launch date past sometime in December announced yet for the new on-line focused The Comics Journal, but contributor Rob Clough says that it's happening Tuesday, December 1. He also mentions that they are asking him for blog posts of less than 500 words and for a post (or more) on Saturday, which may indicate a more active, constant posting presence along the lines of, say, the Voices feature at Atlantic.com than the schedule maintained by holdover Journalista!, which has been weekdays-only and almost always one post per day.
First Thought Of The Day
I would like to thank my subconscious for the dream I had last night where I visited DC Comics and everyone was dressed in Curt Swan-style future clothing.
The top comics-related news stories from November 21 to November 27, 2009:
1. Former Union-Tribune cartoonist Steve Kelley files a reconsideration motion in his suit against his former employer; as one might suspect with the language involved, the case had been dismissed.
Quote Of The Week
"Everyone seems to know tie-ins are just cash-grabs. Everyone knows how much they suck. Everyone can even explain to 'newbies' like me why tie-ins have to suck. Nobody seems to expect any better of them. But then why are they still being published?" -- Curt Purcell
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today's cover is from one of the great publications of the underground comix era
Today is Black Friday 2009. Black Friday is the traditional first day of the hectic holiday shopping season.
Following are several suggestions for comics-related gift shopping. They are intended to help spur you along if you've decided that sequential narrative presents and things related to sequential narratives are to be on Santa's list this year.
As I have little chance of actually selecting something for your friend or loved one, please use this as a starting point only. There's a small chance I'll have discovered just the thing. More likely what follows will give you an idea as to what's out there, or spark some brainstorming that leads to an idea for something specifically suited to your loved one.
I'm also quite certain I'm forgetting a list of items and ideas equally as long as the one that follows. That list is almost certainly filled with quality works and books. I apologize profusely for their absence here.
Have fun today and the weeks ahead, and please remember a few simple rules about comics gift-giving:
1. When it comes to gifts, comics are best for people that already like them as opposed to people that may like them someday.
2. The bigger the comics fan, the more likely that person is to be very specific about what it is they want. Be careful!
3. Comics don't have the retail saturation of, say, DVDs, and some of the best things are carried by specific vendors or involve an element of handcraft, so make sure you have enough time to receive the thing it is you want to buy.
All that said: gifts are gifts. It's difficult to do anything wrong when giving someone a gift. Happy shopping, and here's to a fulfilling and safe holiday season.
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THE COMICS REPORTER BLACK FRIDAY HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE 2009 or 100-PLUS REASONS TO SPEND YOUR SHOPPING MONEY ON COMICS THIS YEAR
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TWELVE GIFT COMICS FOR THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
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1. HarperCollins' X-Mas Short-Story Adaptations
I had heard of two of these books as individual efforts but was surprised when a package from the publisher revealed all three -- The Gift Of The Magi, The Fir-Tree, A Kidnapped Santa Claus -- with similar design. It doesn't get much more Christmas-appropriate than gift items tied into the holiday. I think there will be people that like all of these. I liked the Alex Robinson one best -- something about his straight-forward adaptation flattered Baum's weird, stripped-down Santa legend.
3. Alec: The Years Have Pants, Eddie Campbell
I'm not sure this collection will get to you before Christmas, but Eddie Campbell's long run of autobiographically informed comics are about as dear and necessary as any comics made over the last 30 years. I so look forward to lugging this book around everywhere I go for the four weeks after I get it.
5. Footnotes In Gaza: Joe Sacco (Metropolitan)
My likely choice for book of the year, it's cartoonist/journalist Joe Sacco at the absolute height of comics-making powers walking us through an elaborate investigation into a pair of past atrocities and then, in a heartbreaking coda, gently questioning the entire enterprise in a way that pulls a second, just-as-compelling narrative out of the book like a spine and rib bones being lifted from whitefish.
6. A Drifting Life, Yoshihiro Tatsumi (D&Q)
Very few if any reviews of this massive autobiographical work from the great Yoshihiro Tatsumi note how completely mad it is on a certain level to follow a young man around as he reads and draws comics over the space of several decades. This book more than has the courage of that particular conviction, and I've never seen any artist invoke the relationship-warping monomania of creativity as well as Tatsumi does here.
7. Asterios Polyp, David Mazzucchelli (Pantheon)
It's said when the great David Mazzucchelli moved from Marvel comics to his Rubber Blanket, a lot of his fans stared at those books not sure exactly where he was taking them. I imagine many who understood Rubber Blanket without a hitch may have stared at Asterios Polyp in much that same way. I can't imagine too many more enjoyable journeys in comics than to follow a fine cartoonist to the places he wants to take you.
8. Stitches: A Memoir, David Small (WW Norton)
The mainstream publishing buzz comic of the year, and an effective use of art within the memoir genre, making it a nice book to have to close down the decade.
9. The Photographer, Didier Lefevre and Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)
I had mixed feelings about this award-winning book. Fortunately, 1) this isn't my Christmas list, and 2) Angelina Jolie and practically every adult art comics reader in Europe strongly disagree with me. With many more servicemen being sent into Afghanistan, it's also timely in a brand new way.
11. Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai, Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)
This is a stand-alone color volume from Stan Sakai done in conjunction with his anniversary year. It may have slipped some fans' notice or work as a gift to a newcomer or someone who used to read the series who doesn't anymore.
12. The Hunter, Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
Darwyn Cooke's career-changing adaptation of the first Richard Stark Parker book just looks like something I'd give my dad, were he still with us. It would look great under the tree between a bar of soap-on-a-rope and a tie with little Santa heads.
General Commentary: Some years there are other gift items that crash this initial burst of gift ideas, like the Jimbo doll two years ago. I noticed after compiling a quick list this year that it was going to be all-book, an appropriate strategy for a year stuffed with great books. I don't mean to place any of these here above the suggestions below as just open the guide in a representative fashion. In a few cases, they're not even my favorite recent books of their type, but they feel more "gifty" than the ones I like more. I'll leave you to puzzle out which ones.
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FIVE BARGAIN GIFT IDEAS FOR A YEAR OF RECESSION
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1. Something via AbeBooks
This is the interface that I use to access used bookstores. One thing that such stores tend to have that comic shops usually don't is classic "cartoon books" from artists like Peter Arno, Charles Addams, Pat Oliphant, B. Kliban and so on. But you can frequently find all sorts of comics and comics-related books for cheaper than the standard, going price. It's worth checking.
2. Crafts
Like most men around the age of 40, I like to make coasters out of old comic book pages. You can use just about any old coaster project description that comes up when you search on Google. I prefer the take old coasters and fasten laminated comics imagery onto the top of them technique, but I've also used old CDs and cork to assemble some pancake-style. The important thing is to get good lamination and to be careful as you attach the art. Comics art offers a lot of opportunities for such handmade gifts if you're inclined to go that way. Be creative.
3. Various Calvin and Hobbes Books -- or Something Similar -- at Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble carries a lot of the classic Calvin & Hobbes collections at a reduced rate. That's a tricky buy for someone right now as many older fans will certainly have this material while a lot of younger fans may not know Calvin from Hobbes. But if you have someone for whom it's appropriate, those are good deals. I have to imagine a lot of work from recent years gets processed into the discount sections of such stores, so it might pay to look around in the discount sections.
4. Amazon.com's Used Books Options
Most comics in trade collections or in original graphic novel form come with an ISBN. In most of those cases, that means used copies can be sold on Amazon. I don't believe in selling review copies, but from the number of used books that pop up in the listings every single time there's a new comics release, I'm guessing most folks disagree with me. Not only can you find slightly older books on Amazon.com at a highly reduced rate, you should be able to find all-but-new ones at a discount as well.
5. Non-Mint, Not Super-Popular, Older Comic Books From A Shop Or On-Line Store
Most comic book stores sell discounted comics in some fashion. Ebay has given price-point noogies to many a store owner who once upon a time held onto comic books no one wanted for 15 years or more because they were certain that a dollar's worth of desire out there would someday and somehow compound itself up to $7.50. With a little effort, you can snag readable runs of unpretentious adventure comics ranging from Master of Kung Fu to Power Man and Iron Fist to Thriller to Camelot 3000 to The Intimates for less than $1.50 an issue. Try reliable on-line retailers like Mile High and MyComicShop.com (especially during their sales); try eBay for things like Chicago Comics' manga sales; try Google Maps or the Comic Shop Locator service to find a store near you.
General Commentary: I'm not kidding about the crafts. I made wrapping paper for a friend of mine a couple of years ago, and I may try some fold-over stationery this year. It's probably technically a violation of some law out there with some of these things, so don't sell them. Also, I think I may have noticed that they have certain Peanuts books at Barnes & Noble for the same generally cheap prices at which they're selling Calvin and Hobbes volumes. One last note about wrapping paper: comic book spreads are perfectly sized to wrap most DVDs.
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SIX WAYS TO FACILITATE THEIR DOING THE SHOPPING FOR YOU
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1. Gift Certificate From Amazon.com
Here's one way to let people buy comics for themselves, a gift certificate/gift card to the bookstore Amazon.com, which of course by virtue of comics' journey into the world of book sales is a prominent comics retailer just about any way you measure it. I think it's all gift cards now, but I love the look of that certificate. It looks like it lurched out of a computer circa 1991.
2. Gift Card From Barnes and Noble
There's an added advantage with an Barnes and Noble gift offering in that you can use it in the brick and mortar locations of the chain.
4. Gift Certificate From Your Local Comic Book Shop
Your shop may not do this, but it never hurts to ask. I imagine there are several that would take money from you and apply it to store credit even if there's not an official certificate in the offing.
5. Something From Someone's Amazon.com Wish List
I have an Amazon.com Wish List devoted to Marvel's Essentials and DC's Showcase reprint series, but I'm a nerd. Most comics fans just have a few comics on their regular Wish Lists waiting for you to purchase them.
6. Something From A Want List Someone Made At Their Local Shop
Many comic shops will let their customers leave a list of comics they want their friends and family members to buy them. If your store doesn't have a program like this, they might be convinced to do it for someone that asks nicely. This has the advantage of keeping your comics fan's local store in the purchasing loop. Many comics readers are devoted to their local shop in a way that's admirable and slightly scary.
General Commentary: I have a few friends that swear by the holiday gift registry/want list at the local shop idea. The low-tech version, of course, is asking the person you know and love for a list of books and hoping there's no overlap.
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EIGHT SUBSCRIPTIONS, THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
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2. Subscription to a DC Comic Book
This could make a nice nostalgia gift for a one-time weekly comic shop visitor. I'm not as familiar with these titles as I used to be, but I always like whatever Grant Morrison is working on, I hear people speak well of various Superman titles, and Geoff Johns is fairly burrowed in at the publisher.
3. Subscription to a Marvel Comic Book
Where once this was maybe the best way to guarantee getting a comic book, it's now an equally nice way to have a recurring gift that the reader might not otherwise pick up. I'd suggest whatever books Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction are working on. With the movie, it might be a good year to think about a sub to Invincible Iron Man. I liked the first few issues of the Hickman/Eaglesham Fantastic Four, and I bet they make that a parking spot for talented teams for the next few years.
4. Subscription to a TwoMorrows Magazines
There are certainly enough of the TwoMorrows magazines that one of them at least should be worthy of your attention. You can't go on buying them at conventions forever, you know.
5. Subscription to Shonen Jump
I had a gift subscription this past year and it was great to see that fat little sucker peeking out at me from the mailbox once a month.
6. Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited Subscription
Marvel's first serious step into the world of digital comics may not last forever, but some form of Marvel Comics on-line is certainly going to be the norm from now on. The thought of having a bunch of Marvel as close as a click or two of the mouse without having to store them actually seems sort of cool to me at this point in my life; I may give one of these subs a whirl.
7. DailyInk.com Subscription
It may eventually go the way of the Dodo as more and more syndicates choose the strategy of "free," but for the conceivable future there's DailyInk.com from King Features, a site that features old and new material at a size that actually rewards your reading it on a computer screen. A solid gift for your friend that knows which strips run on the Houston Chronicle web site as opposed to which run on the Seattle P-I's.
8. Subscription To John Porcellino's King-Cat Comics And Other Stories
The greatest of all mini-comics and a national treasure, King-Cat can be purchased in subscription form which the cartoonist will faithfully service over the next few years. In a perfect comic book America, these would be available next to check-out in every store the moment they were published, but that America does not exist yet.
General Commentary: I was sad to see two items on this list from last year, Nick Magazine and Shojo Beat, go the way of the Saturday Evening Post. Another great subscription value, The Comics Journal, is going on-line full-time. I'm tempted to buy a few classic comic book subscriptions myself -- some are priced at half the cost of buying them on the stands. Also, I'm not sure they always did this, but it looks like Twomorrows also has digital subscriptions.
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TWENTY-ONE SUGGESTIONS FOCUSED ON YOUNG PERSON-FRIENDLY GNS, COMICS AND/OR KIDS BOOKS WITH CARTOONIST HOOKS
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1. A Kids Book From Toon Books
The new line spearheaded by Francoise Mouly employs a staggering number of talents familiar to older comics readers, from Frank Cammuso to Eleanor Davis to Art Spiegelman to Dean Haspiel to CR pal Jeff Smith.
2. One of the Kids-Focused Books From First Second
A number of the graphic novels in the First Second line are aimed at kids at a range of ages, including the Tiny Tyrant successful Sardine series (up to six volumes for the latter, I think) for very young kids and the award-winning Laika for slightly older ones.
3. Bow-Wow Books
Formalist comics master Mark Newgarden co-authors this line of children's books that count on subtle visual effects and bright, funny plotlines. I've given these to a couple of families with really little kids and they've liked them enough to keep them in the heavy rotation for the several months since then.
4. Something From Shaun Tan
The success of The Arrival may open up all of the Shaun Tan-illustrated books for reading by comics fans interested in how he employs imagery. Most of them are all-ages friendly.
5. One of Richard McGuire's Children's Books
Richard McGuire's children's books -- What Goes Around Comes Around, Night Becomes Day, What's Wrong With This Book? and Orange Book -- are full of the sharp visuals and formal play that distinguishes his comics like "Here."
6. One of Lorenzo Mattotti's Children's Books
Mattotti provided book illustration as idiosyncratically colorful as any of his more famous comics albums on works like Eugenio. If they're not still on the shelves where you are -- they aren't where I am -- they're pretty easy to find on-line.
7. The Usagi Yojimbo Series, Stan Sakai
Oh, to be ten years old all over again and have these solidly-crafted, cartoony violent and engrossing comics ahead of me to read.
8. All-Ages Superhero Comics Efforts
Both Marvel and DC Comics have comics they publish aimed at younger readers, and many of them are quite a bit more fun to read by readers of all ages than a lot of today's continuity-obsessive, clenched-sphincter, standard comic books and collections.
9. Various Kids Comics, James Kochalka
James does a lot of comics for kids, all of which have an undeniable power similar to his work intended for adults.
10. The John Stanley Library, John Stanley et al (D&Q)
D&Q has begun a super nice-looking series of Seth-designed reprints of comics from the great John Stanley. They'll probably be among those books of your kids you'd rather they not color in, but I know parents whose kids have taken to these in a big way.
11. Various Books, Edward Gorey
Although I've focused mostly on current books for kids, I can't let the comics-related books I loved most as a child go without mention. There are stand-alone Edward Gorey books that are perfect for slipping into a stocking, and there are four fine anthologies -- Amphigorey, Amphigorey Again, Amphigorey Too and Amphigorey Also -- that are easy to track down.
14. Various Manga Series Out There For Kids
A ton of manga out there is certainly suitable for kids, just as a ton of it may not be depending on the household rules that apply. There's material that's hilarious and I think totally harmless in some translated kids manga I read that would have ended with my parents grounding me had I sneaked it over to Chris Cotton's sleepover. There's also manga that's aimed at adults that I would have no problem giving to a child of someone that employed me. Of series out there that I would have liked as a kid, Naruto, Yotsuba&!, Dr. Slump, Slam Dunk and Hikaru No Go all spring to mind as stuff I might have obsessed over in one way or another. For older kids and teenagers, this list becomes like 200 titles long. One thing to keep in mind is that manga is an area where people are really, really into what they're into and not into what they're not, so you need to be careful and might opt for a gift certificate or shopping spree or something like that.
15. Kids-Oriented Comics From Boom! (Boom!)
It seems to me that kids does a lot of book that may be good for kids -- some obviously so, some with maybe a flip-through by the responsible adult in the equation. There's a point in my life I would have given up burning ants with a magnifying class for two years if I could have had a Muppet Show comic book series.
17. Chiggers, Hope Larson
I picked up a copy of this sweetly-told summer camp story for the 12-year-old daughter of a friend a summer or so ago and she was thrilled by it.
While this series has taken up space either outside or under the radar of traditional comic book talking poins, it has sold scads of copies in the book market.
19. The Book About Moomin, Mymble and Little My, Tove Jansson (D&Q Enfant)
The last but certainly not the least on this short list. This book is lovely-looking, from the incredible pedigree of all things Moomin, and marks D&Q's first, tentative steps into potential full-time book publishing of this type.
20. Andy Runton's Owly Books, Andy Runton (Top Shelf)
One of the few outright indy-comics debut hits of this decade. A nice thing about it is that Runton has stuck around to do several books rather than just one and done.
21. The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics, Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly and Jon Scieszka (Abrams)
The nasty thing people always say about children's anthologies is that they feel like a bunch of kids' comics that adults would like to read. That doesn't seem to be the case with this amazing compendium, if multiple reviews from my friends with kids are any indication -- adults surely loving this material is the dessert here, not the main course.
General Commentary: This is a strong sampling rather than a comprehensive listing. I wanted more than any one single thing promote the idea that there are a lot of comics and comics-related items of interest to kids, if you dig a bit. All warnings about the highly particular nature of comics reading when it comes to gift giving applies ten-fold to kids, who invest greater significance in Christmas presents than hopefully you or I do.
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ELEVEN BOOKS MY 67-YEAR-OLD MOTHER LIKES
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1. Bone (One-Volume), Jeff Smith
My mom's a longtime prose fantasy fiction fiend, and she took great pleasure in this lengthy blending of the Carl Barks and JRR Tolkien traditions. The ongoing color volumes from Scholastic have been a hit, too, to the point that she read a color book recently and wondered if she had a whole new book.
2. Persepolis: One Volume Edition, Marjane Satrapi
My mom enjoyed this peek into another culture through the eyes of Marjane Satrapi, first as a child and then a teen, in the cartoonist's award-winning and reputation-making work. For Mom, the relative simplicity of Satrapi's drawing was a bonus rather than a hindrance: it made the book much easier for her to read, and she could impress upon it a vision of revolution-era Iran that might have been impossible for any artist to do justice.
3. Jack Cole and Plastic Man: Forms Stretched to Their Limits, Art Spiegelman and Chip Kidd
Mom is old enough to have fond memories of buying Police Comics on the stands. You'd be surprised how many older people, if you have some on your list, can speak to some sort of memory of Cole in the comics pages or in Playboy. (Or if not Cole, someone like that.) This is an at-times melancholy book cut heavily with the energy of Cole's work in a way that comments on the text in a fashion missing from the prose when it appeared as an essay in the New Yorker. My mom was unfamiliar with the lives of of some of the poorly treated cartoonists out there, so this helped her see the field in a new light, as well.
4-5. Gemma Bovery and Tamara Drewe, Posy Simmonds
My mother really, really, really enjoyed both of these books, Posy Simmonds' breezy adaptations that offer readers an attractive prose-comics combination as opposed to a straight-up American comic book approach to the form. Mom appreciated how the comics provided a range of effects not available to prose, like the background events that crop up from time to time while something happens in the foreground simultaneously or how the atmosphere of a room can change as a number of people fill it. The link above is to the UK listing, but they're both available from American publishers now.
6. Little Orphan Annie Vol. 1, Harold Gray
My mom is extremely fond of Little Orphan Annie, and has fond memories of following her adventures as a young girl in the late 1940s. While this book of early material doesn't feature the absolute best of what Gray would go on to do a bit later, it was surprising how quickly and in how many ways the cartoonist was up to speed from day one. I love the strip, too. No one carved space from a strip better than Gray.
7-9. Aya, Aya of Yop City and Aya: The Secrets Come Out, Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie
The big attraction here for Mom was the sweetness of the stories and their insight into a little-discussed area of the world (the Ivory Coast) during an even less-discussed period of time for that area of the world (the late 1970s). I think Mom probably also had a positive reaction to the visual sumptuousness of these books. They can be lovely.
11. Grimwood's Daughter, Jan Strnad and Kevin Nowlan (IDW)
Again, like Mouse Guard, it's the fantasy thing that appeals here with this early Fantagraphics story reprint. You'd be surprised how you can put together a little gift bundle for someone matching comics to a genre or favorite kind of story.
General Commentary: This is an updated version of Mom's list from last year, to reflect her comics-related reading since then. Mom's a reader with specific genre interests and not a lot of patience for comics that don't provide a positive visual experience in terms of clear storytelling and strong craft elements on display. I think her taste reflects that of a lot of readers out there.
* apparently, a Cagle round-up on Sarah Palin's book is worth its own news article. Save for the people in the professional reflection-of-society business, I don't understand anyone's interest, pro or con, in this person.
* speaking of Collins, I felt badly for him that most of the posters here missed his point regarding the AV Club's best of decade list and rankings. His primary argument as I understood it wasn't that rankings always work and are always awesome and time well spent, but that he felt the AV Club's failure to order their list was another choice among many that contributed to their list lacking specificity and weight.
* I don't take the calls for boycott that lead this article all that seriously. It's probably a late 2011 film and that's a long time for more than a few people at a time to stay mad. Still, it's worth noting for signs of the Herge estate pressing litigation in those countries with less of a firm commitment to the idea of fair use.
* I can't tell you how many times in the mid-1990s Gary Groth and Kim Thompson dreamed of someone breaking into the Fantagraphics warehouse and stealing all their t-shirts. One imagines that t-shirts sell differently now than they did then.
* announced over the weekend was Desperado becoming an imprint at IDW. That's the indie comics company that splits time between art books featuring cartoonists and more traditional comics, headed by Joe Pruett of Negative Burn fame. Desperado left a special arrangement with Image in 2007. It has books planned by George Perez, Tony Harris and Dave Dorman, with more to come.
* Chris Grine has announced a new volume in his Chickenhare series.
* Karl Stevens described his plans for 2010 when I asked him to. "I'm planning a new book for either May or June. It's going to be the Failure comics that were published in the Boston Phoenix from this past year, plus unpublished color and black and white work that ties it together. There will also be a gallery show of the originals at the Carroll and Sons gallery here in Boston of all the originals opening June 20 through the end of August, I think."
* CBRexplains the background behind the forthcoming Hero Initiative book featuring the work of Ed Hannigan. I did not know the archetypal 1980s superhero cover artist suffered from MS. I love that these projects are being done, although I worry that we don't have enough of an industry to push these things over the top the way they need to.
* I'm not certain if variant covers is a strategy that will ever take hold in alternative book publishing, but I don't mind if people try as long as the results are as pretty as this.
* the cartoonist Scott Kurtz is doing a one-sheet print of his recent storyline "The Incident." I'm surprised more cartoonists don't do story-based prints when they're well-received like that one.
* Richard Thompson has released a cover rough for a forthcoming treasury edition collection of his comic strip Cul-De-Sac. I hope this means that Thompson's strip will have a two-avenue book publishing strategy for as long as Thompson continues doing it.
Trinidad, who also worked as Celso Trinidad, was for a a time an assistant to Francisco V. Coching. It was with Coching he was initially exposed to comics work an where he developed an early style reminiscent of Coching's. According to a profile by Arman T. Francisco, Trinidad's work began appearing in the late 1960s.
Trinidad was one of many Filipino artists to find work in the 1970s with American mainstream companies, particularly with their fantasy, kung-fu and horror-related titles. He worked briefly on a variety of properties, including Conan, Dracula, Morbius, White Tiger, Killraven, Skull the Slayer and Bloodstone. Among those whose work he either finished or inked were John Buscema, P. Craig Russell and Ed Hannigan.
The artist was also a significant presence in Filipino comics and illustration. Alanguilan notes he won Best Serial Illustrator and Best Novel Illustration Fantasy Category honors at the KOMOPEB Parangal sa Komiks. With Mike Tan he created the superhero El Gato. During this period Trinidad developed a more wide-ranging set of styles that included a more cartoon-oriented approach. He would remain active in Filipino comics and in book illustration at least through the 1990s.
Go, Read: Curt Purcell On Crossovers
There's a fine reader's perspective rant against the directionlessness of mainstream comics crossover tie-in at Curt Purcell's place that I thought interesting enough to highlight. Purcell notes a kind of jaded realism about the quality of such efforts that seems to me, and I think to Purcell if I'm reading him correctly, has crossed the line into some sort of nebulous area where the companies expect people to buy unsatisfying art despite knowing it's unsatisfying art out of some sort of duty or momentum or a very, very limited chance they might enjoy it. This is weird, and I think it's the best example of how comics publishing can sometimes be disconnected from what many think is an everyday, common-sense approach to its market in the long-term. I can't tell you exactly where that disconnect is taking place, and I'm not sure anyone can, but a lot of us feel it.
The comics review panel at AV Club, whose best-known member in comics is probably Noel Murray, has released its list of best comics for the decade. Split into categories for new comics and for archival projects, they are:
NEW COMICS
* Achewood, Chris Onstad (achewood.com, 2001-present)
* The Acme Novelty Library, Chris Ware (Pantheon, 2005)
* All-Star Superman, Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely (DC, 2006-08)
* American Elf, James Kochalka (americanelf.com/Top Shelf, 1998-present)
* Asterios Polyp, David Mazzucchelli (Pantheon, 2009) * Black Hole, Charles Burns (Pantheon, 2005)
* Blankets, Craig Thompson (Top Shelf, 2003)
* Box Office Poison, Alex Robinson (Top Shelf, 2001)
* Criminal, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Icon, 2006-present)
* Daredevil, Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev (Marvel, 2002-06)
* DC: The New Frontier, Darwyn Cooke (DC, 2003-04)
* Eightball #23 ("The Death Ray"), Daniel Clowes (Fantagraphics, 2004)
* Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, Alison Bechdel (Houghton Mifflin, 2006)
* George Sprott, 1894-1975, Seth (D&Q, 2009)
* Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography, Chester Brown (D&Q, 1999-2003)
* One Hundred Demons, Lynda Barry (Sasquatch, 2002)
* Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (Pantheon, 2000)
* Promethea, Alan Moore & J.H. Williams III (America's Best Comics/Wildstorm, 1999-2005)
* Pyongyang: A Journey In North Korea, Guy Delisle (D&Q, 2006)
* Tales Designed To Thrizzle, Michael Kupperman (Fantagraphics, 2005-present)
* The Golem's Mighty Swing, James Sturm (D&Q, 2000)
* The Goon, Eric Powell (Dark Horse, 1999-present)
* The Mystery Of Mary Rogers, Rick Geary (NBM, 2001)
* Why Are You Doing This? , Jason (Fantagraphics, 2004)
* Y: The Last Man, Brian K. Vaughan (Vertigo, 2002-2008)
THE ARCHIVES
* Bone One-Volume Edition, Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books, 2004)
* Krazy & Ignatz, George Herriman (Fantagraphics, 2002-present)
* Sundays With Walt & Skeezix, Frank King (Sunday Press, 2007)
* The Complete Peanuts, Charles M. Schulz (Fantagraphics, 2004-present)
* The EC Archives, various (Gemstone, 2006-present)
* I don't link a whole lot to Hooded Utilitarian, mostly because I frequently have no idea what Noah Berlatsky is getting at. A couple of weeks ago, Berlatsky responded to a post of Jeet Heer's that asserted Gary Groth's work in the Comics Journal was the magazine's best work because of reasons X and Y (best questions, most research) by ignoring X and Y, inventing his own Z (Gary's boomer indulgences) and then attacking the crap out of that Z. This week Berlatsky is answering Chris Butcher's article about retailers claiming there's a lack of children's comics by swearing that little boys love superhero comics. A debatable issue, maybe even an interesting one, but one that seems to me totally beside any point Butcher is making. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm genuinely confused.
* people are apparently upset about some Love Is... parody Zits characters. I have to admit, that doesn't sound like something I'd particularly enjoy seeing at breakfast, either.
* the writer Kurt Busiek would like everyone to know there are 10 years or more of Posy Simmonds comics out there waiting for someone to publish over here. Busiek has 63 Eisners! Somebody make this happen!
This Isn’t A Library: New And Notable Releases To The Comics Direct Market
*****
Here are the books that make an impression on me staring at this week's largely accurate list of books shipping from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. to comic book and hobby shops across North America.
I might not buy all of the works listed here. I might not buy any. But were I in a comic book shop tomorrow I would wrap each one in swaddling clothes to see if any were the Baby Book Jesus.
*****
Bring your platinum card, comics generalists:
AUG090239 SHADE THE CHANGING MAN TP VOL 01 AMERICAN SCREAM NEW PTG (MR) $17.99 AUG090240 SHADE THE CHANGING MAN TP VOL 02 EDGE OF VISION TP (MR) $19.99
I'm not sure how far into the series previous trade publishing initiatives for this seminal Vertigo title got, but my memory is that it wasn't very far, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that this is the first time some of this material is in book form. Vertigo's not a strength for a me, though, so double-check.
AUG090208 WINTER MEN TP (MR) $19.99
This is the long-anticipated collection of the highly-regarded science fantasy series. Sure looks awesome; I'll be buying this before the end of the year.
SEP090530 ASTONISHING X-MEN TP VOL 05 GHOST BOX $24.99
I think this is the first post-Whedon/Cassaday trade for this title. I've only seen bits and parts and haven't stumbled across anyone talking about the series, but the artwork is awfully pretty.
SEP090032 BEASTS OF BURDEN #3 (OF 4) $2.99 SEP090012 THE GOON (OSW) #33 $3.50 SEP090024 USAGI YOJIMBO #124 $3.50 SEP090092 BLACKEST NIGHT #5 (OF 8) $3.99 SEP090222 NORTHLANDERS #22 (MR) $2.99 SEP090435 INCREDIBLE HERCULES #138 $3.99 SEP090438 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #20 $3.99 AUG090718 DIE HARD YEAR ONE #3 $3.99 SEP090425 FANTASTIC FOUR #573 $2.99
A good week for pretty good serial comic books about which I have no extra comment beyond "there they are." The current Marvel books of interest -- Iron Man, Fantastic Four -- are included. It seems like it's been a while since an issue of The Goon came out. Incredible Hercules I think ends soon with a transformation into a title with a colon in it. I haven't caught up with the Dorkin/Thompson or the Chaykin Die Hard thing, although if I had a comic book shop within three hours I certainly would have.
SEP098102 IMAGE UNITED #1 (OF 6) BLANK CVR $3.99
There are about 8,000 cover variation on this Image founders + Robert Kirkman crossover, which is either hilarious or sad, I can't tell. Anyway, I have the same feeling when I see this as when I see movies like Transformers: they've moved on to someone else's childhood now.
SEP090494 INCOGNITO TP (MR) $18.99 JUN090606 CAPTAIN AMERICA DEATH OF OMNIBUS HC $64.99 AUG090543 CRIMINAL SINNERS #2 (MR) $3.50
Three sturdy to excellent efforts from Mr. Ed Brubaker and his talented comics-making partners. I'm not certain I'd ever want a giant book of Captain America comics, whether he dies or not, but I liked the individual comics. Like many people without a comics shop, I missed out on Incognito entirely.
JUN090890 A DISTANT NEIGHBORHOOD GN VOL 02 $23.00 MAY090842 PM23 YEARS OF THE ELEPHANT GN $18.95
Two from Fanfare/Ponent Mon in the same week? What's next, an offering from Star Comics? Seriously, these have to be in the top five of books you'll have offered to you this week and both are potential book of the year candidates. The Distant Neighborhood stuff is as good as advertised and I think a lot of people may be surprised by the Willy Linthout book.
SEP090832 GANGES #3 $7.95
The likely book of the week in a very, very, very strong week overall. I don't think people will fall in love with this Kevin Huizenga effort the way they did the first two (and particularly the first one) in this great-looking Ignatz series, but it's as challenge and rewarding a read as those two initial books.
JUL090829 MOYASIMON GN VOL 01 $10.99 OCT091124 NAOKI URASAWAS MONSTER TP VOL 01 (O/A) $9.99
Two auspicious manga debuts. The first is the new series you want to read, the second is an offered/again from a series I hope you're reading -- or will consider doing so now.
SEP090663 SPARKY O HARE MASTER ELECTRICIAN GN (MR) $8.99 SEP090662 PROPER GO WELL HIGH GN $19.99
Two from Blank Slate, even! I really like the cartooning in the first book, a comedy by Mawil with an anthropomorphic element, and I like the second book (from Oliver East) generally.
SEP090429 IMMORTAL WEAPONS #5 (OF 5) $3.99
I think this is the last of the Iron Fist books for now, or we're getting close to it. I was going to just post some Lost Horizon lyrics here, but the Internet has failed to cough them up. Are there no Bobby Van fans left?
SEP090523 STAR COMICS TP ALL-STAR COLLECTION VOL 01 GN $19.99
Well, shut my mouth.
*****
The full list of this week's releases, including some titles with multiple cover variations and a long, impressive list of toys and other stuff that isn't comics, can be found here. Despite this official list there's no guarantee a comic will show up in the stores as promised, or in all of the stores as opposed to just a few. Also, stores choose what they carry and don't carry so your shop may not carry a specific publication. There are a lot of comics out there.
To find your local comic book store, check this list; and for one I can personally recommend because I've shopped there, albeit a while back, try this.
The above titles are listed with their Diamond order code in the first field, which may assist you in finding comics at your shop or having them order something for you they don't have in-stock. Ordering through a direct market shop can be a frustrating experience, so if you have a direct line to something -- you know another shop has it, you know a bookstore has it -- I'd urge you to consider all of your options.
If I didn't list your comic here, we might gonna have us a showdown.
Steve Kelly Files A Motion Of Reconsideration In U-T Lawsuit According to a short piece in the San Diego Reader, former Union-Tribune cartoonist Steve Kelly has filed a reconsideration motion with Judge Jay Bloom, who threw out Kelley's suit against his one-time employer earlier this month. The motion focuses on documentation of a alleged progression in testimony by current Union-Tribune cartoonist Steve Breen. The article at the link has all the pertinent details.
Ken Krueger, 1915-2009
Kenneth C. Krueger, a co-founder of Comic-Con International and a human link between that convention and 1939's World Science Fiction Convention, died on November 21 following a heart attack. I believe he was born in the Buffalo area, and served in the U.S. Army during World War II after enlisting in July 1941.
Krueger was one of the initial generation of super-fans whose devoted interest in a number of areas of science fiction and fantasy helped give rise to institutions like CCI, for which he served as its first chairman. Krueger was a devoted collector, a shop owner, a bookseller, I believe briefly a science fiction publisher and also ran warehouses for prominent Direct Market distributors Pacific (Sparta, Illinois) and Capital City (Los Angeles). Krueger apparently maintained a relationship with Comic-Con International, and notices of his passing say was able to attend some of last year's anniversary celebrations, where he was honored for his early involvement.
Another Day, Another Sale: AdHouse
AdHouse Books joins Buenaventura Press and SLG as major fixtures in the indy/alt comics market having a pre-Black Friday shopping season launch sales event. The good news is that AdHouse isn't claiming financial hardship in their newly announced sale. The bad news -- not really bad news, maybe the opposite of bad news all things considered -- is that this site is less interested in sales unless there's a survival component involved. Still, a company like AdHouse can never be doing great, and what they're offering are a few of their best books and a lot of "let's see what that cartoonist is like" individual issues, so from that point of view the sales will serve any fans of quality funnybooks.
If I were doing an order it would be a copy of the latest in maybe their flagship series Process Recess Vol. 3; a copy of perhaps the best book they've done, Driven By Lemons; individual issues of J. Chris Campbell's Zig Zag because it's pretty and Zack Soto's The Secret Voice because it's imaginative and cool, and a copy of Lamar Abrams' Remake because it's the kind of new voice, one-shot book that AdHouse routinely does well. But that's a generally strong group at good prices.
* here's a fairly lengthy interview withNY Times comics reporter George Gene Gustines. I'm not sure if that article instigated these thoughts about the Times' lack of manga coverage by David Welsh, but I've always found the New York Times coverage fairly disappointing, for among many reasons that it seems to strongly favor mainstream publishers (especially DC). It's fine coverage, usually, for that kind of super-positive feature writing that marketing people and fannish boosters love, but it tends to be something other than "publication of record"-oriented coverage, at least not for this art form.
* it does not get any better in link-blogging than to be able to type "John P. videos."
* missed it: this post about the alumni activity regarding Class of Flight Vol. 1 is nice in that they all seem to be working, although it also underlines the fact that they did not, in fact, create a comic book revolution and change the industry around them. Well, not yet.
* prominent bloggers Chris Butcher and Heidi MacDonald ask the same question I did about the recent run of "where are the kids comics?" on ICv2.com, and come to roughly the same conclusions I did: that there are a fair amount of books aimed at kids, that there even a number of okay superhero books aimed at kids, that what many shoppers in traditional comic book shops are really looking for is to have their kids read the exact same kinds of books they read as a kid, and that this is sort of weird. I think it's worth mentioning that I believe the initial complaint about there being no comics for kids came from Buddy Saunders, one of the mainstays of the Direct Market as it has developed over the last 30 years. That's worth mentioning because it makes it hard to dismiss this restrictive conception of the comics medium as an aberrant view within that market. It's not, and that's frustrating for many people.
* finally, here's another article a lot of people are discussing: pioneering comics-friendly librarian Robin Brenner breaks out the circulation figures for her library, describes them in some detail, and ventures a conclusion or two. I always like hearing about under-publicized success stories, even if the parameters for that success are narrowly described.
* a bunch of you corrected the phrase "series and trade(s)" on those series that didn't have them. I intended at first that that describe the kind of approach the publisher took as opposed to whether or not the trade was actually published, but I muddied the waters there and appreciate your corrections.
* Williams Burns wrote in to say, "It's not an imperishable classic, but I'd say Incredible Hercules deserves a spot on a list of 83."
* John McCorkle wondered why I didn't include Captain America: What Price Glory, and suggested Startling Stories: Banner, Astonishing X-Men, Buffy Season 8, Captain Britain Omnibus, Orion, and Stormwatch: Team Achilles.
* Lee Leslie suggested one or more of the many Hellboy series; Casanova, Heavy Liquid, Northlanders, Scott Pilgrim, Conan and Y The Last Man.
* Chris Duffy risked my undying enmity by suggesting a book he worked on, Bizarro Comics. He also says "I also think for some reason Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers is important."
* a couple of you made suggestion lists that included so many books already on the list I didn't feel like sorting it out for you. I appreciate the effort, though.
* Mark Coale sent in a list of Agents of ATLAS, Wisdom, Incredible Hercules, Marvel Monsters, Hellcat, The Goon, Casanova, Batgirl: Year One, both runs of Detective Comics from Greg Rucka, Wonder Woman by Rucka, Checkmate by Rucka, Enemy Ace DC Archives, Green Arrow by Brad Meltzer, Starman Omnibuses, and then various kids comics by category.
* Chris Beckett enjoyed the list but suggested perhaps adding Nexus Archives.
* Don MacPherson wrote in to suggest, Irredeemable, Dr. Strange: The Oath, The Spirit #1-12, The Twelve, Secret SixThor, The Incredible Hercules and Agents of Atlas Vol. 1.
* Philip Rippke sent in a note suggesting the consideration of Fantastic Four #51 to the renumbered #524 (27 issues), Iron Man: The Inevitable, Marvel Boy and Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman: Trinity.
* Matthew Wave suggests The Doom Patrol Archives and The Herbie Archives.
* Kenny Penman wrote in to say we might consider giving the nod to Teen Titans Year One for Karl Kerschl's art the same way we revere runs of comics from previous decades for the art alone.
* Sean T. Collins wrote in to say I should maybe include the Hellboy stuff and books related to it, and says the Banner book is a better common than the same creative team's Cage.
* Cole Moore Odell wrote in suggesting Johnny Ryan's Marvel-related work and Jeff Parker's work generally.
* Marc-Oliver Frisch wrote in to suggest that CR consider Cable #97-107/Soldier X #1-8; The Hood, Blank Panther by Christopher Priest; Truth: Red, White & Black.
* Evan Dorkin likes Jack Staff.
* Steve Stwalley thinks it's not a good superhero list until it has some Flaming Carrot on it.
* Chad Nevett suggests the Casey-Phillips (and briefly, Dillon) run on WildCATS volume two as a supplement to the WildCATS 3.0 listing. He also thinks the last chapter of Casey and Adlard's Codeflesh makes the cut.
* Scott Puckett wants to know, "How is it that no one mentioned The Authority, Atomic Robo (not sure if that really hits the superhero genre), Demo, Global Frequency, Johns' Green Lantern run or Vaughan's Runaways?"
* Neil Kleid wrote in to yell at us: "How could you leave off the amazing Spider-Man: Tangled Web series? The Darwyn Cooke story alone should sell you if not the J Jonah Jameson story or Frog-man issues...!"
* Finally, David Welsh wrote in to suggest that original Agents Of Atlas mini-series and Empowered.
Your Danish Cartoons Hangover Update
* the Canadian news reporter Abbas Rana has come out in defense of his brother, Tahawwur Rana, one of the alleged Mickey Mouse Plot co-conspirators. I'm not sure there's all that much that's newsworthy in such a defense, although it's clear that Rana will be tried on a different track than David Coleman Headley and the family and friends of the Chicago-based travel agency owner have been forthright in their declarations of innocence. One thing I hadn't know is that Headley scouted the Jyllands-Posten newspaper where the Danish Muhammad Cartoons were published as a potential place for Rana's agency to place ads.
* no matter who's guilty and who's innocent, kudos to Abbas Rana's publisher for his public show of support to his not involved save by blood employee during what must be an awful time for that family.
* future US tourists hoping to go to Denmark may need to pass increased security scrutiny if not outright have some sort of purposeful visa. Blame in part goes to the Headley and Rana arrests.
Your ‘10 Prix De La Critique Finalists
The Association des Critiques et journalistes de Bande Dessinée (ACBD) has named the five finalists for their big 2010 prize, the Grand Prix de la Critique. I don't know anything about these books, but I find it somewhat odd that a critics' prize would come down to work from big publishers like this -- although maybe there's stratification of which I'm unaware and these are all different. Anyway, the books selected are:
* Dieu en personne, Marc-Antoine Mathieu (Delcourt)
* Droit du sol, Charles Masson (Casterman)
* Il était une fois Vol. 3, Sylvain Vallée and Fabien Nury (Glénat)
* Notre mère la guerre, Vol. 1, Maël and Kris (Futuropolis)
* Rébétiko: la mauvaise herbe, David Prudhomme (Futuropolis)
The grand prize winner will be named in early December.
Marvel Bigwigs Set To Make Out Like Bandits On Disney Acquisition Deal The article is pretty much what's described in the headline there, an accounting of what some of Marvel's major players stand to make as the acquisition deal is consummated. I don't want to sound all 3 AM in the dormitory hallway about it, but I do think it's worth noting just where the money goes when a deal takes place, and that we might keep that in mind the next time someone rages about the arrogance of a creator wanting some $5K they're owed, or a family expresses sadness that the patriarch of their family negotiated himself out of a credit 50 years ago or any number of similar, depressing circumstances. The system works, sure, but for whom?
Go, Look: The Excuse Club Allan Holtz suggests something here I'd never thought about before: that the evening papers were once upon a time more ribald because they were essentially commuter publications for working dudes
* the magazine empire publisher turned multiple-convention organizer Gareb Shamus is going back to Boston.
* Brendan Wright has a short post up about artists drawing on the back of their original art intended for more commercial purposes, and has a nice pair of examples from Stan Sakai. If I remember correctly, John Buscema was one of the kings of this.
* Graeme McMillan looks at why James Rhodes is the ideal black comics book hero. I'm not sure if I have anything to say on this subject. I remember when the movie came out I was talking about it with some long-ago comics fans who had fond memories of the comic from the late '70s and early '80s. When the subject of Rhodey came up one of them thought Terence Howard was a terrible choice and suggested, from out of nowhere, that Dale Earnhardt Jr. would be a better one. Okay, we were all a bit drunk, but I have no idea what it says about that character that Dale Earnhardt Jr. would actually work.
* in things about this site that only interest me news, I sat down the other week in a doctor's office and in 40 minutes wrote out all of the Five For Friday topics for 2010. If I had done this in a psychiatrist's office, it's all I would have talked about.
* it looks like some Green Arrow art was used without the artist's permission and without the comics company's permission. That's wrong no matter what politics are involved.
CR Sunday Feature: Building A List—The 83 Best Superhero Projects Of The Decade We’re Leaving
I'm still in the process of building my Best Of lists for the decade we are currently exiting. I realized that I was close on superhero comics to having a representative list, or at least a first good shot at one, so I thought I'd post that stage here today. My final superhero comics list, due in early 2010 along with my overall list, will be posted, shortened a bit, altered slightly (I may change my mind, I may find new comics, I'm still not sure what to do with some comics like Solo) and ranked #1 to #whatever. It will also have some hopefully insightful comments as to the value of each project.
In the meantime I thought I'd make this list public in the hopes that someone might point out those comics of high quality I'm clearly missing -- please note I'm running a pretty tight definition of superhero comic for the purposes of this list -- or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) For one thing, I'm completely drawing a blank as to what might be on-line, or what random book featuring a superhero might have come out in Europe, or quality short stories in anthologies or as back-ups.
I hope the list will spur conversation about an interesting decade in superhero comics.
As always, anyone who writes in suggesting/demanding their own work needs to have a place on the list does so at the risk of my long-term contempt.
*****
* "3 Jacks," Daredevil #500, stand-alone story, Ann Nocenti and David Aja, Marvel (2009)
*****
* 52, series and trades, Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison and Greg Rucka and Mark Waid and Keith Giffen and JG Jones et al, DC (2006-2007)
*****
* Absolute Watchmen, archival project, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, DC (2005)
*****
* Alias, series and trades, Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos, Marvel (2001-2004)
*****
* All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, series and trades, Frank Miller and Jim Lee, DC (2005-)
*****
* All-Star Superman, series and trades, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, DC (2006-2008)
*****
* Astro City: Dark Age Vols. 1-3, series and trades, Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson, DC (2005-2009)
*****
* Automatic Kafka, series, Joe Casey and Ashley Wood, WildStorm (2002-2003)
* "Teenage Sidekick," Solo #3, stand-alone story in anthology, Paul Pope, DC Comics (2005)
*****
* The Boys, series and trades, Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, DC/Dynamite Entertainment (2006, 2007-)
*****
* The Dark Knight Strikes Again, series and trades, Frank Miller and Lynn Varley, DC (2001, 2002, 2003)
*****
* "The Death Ray," Eightball #23, stand-alone publication, Dan Clowes (2004)
*****
* The Fletcher Hanks Collections: I Shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets and You Shall Die By Your Own Evil Creation, archival projects, Fletcher Hanks, Edited By Paul Karasik, Fantagraphics (2007, 2009)
*****
The Intimates, series, Joe Casey and Guiseppe Camuncoli, DC (2005)
*****
* The Invincible Iron Man, series and trades, Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca, Marvel (2008-)
*****
* The Middleman, series and trades, Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Les McClaine (2006)
*****
* The Order, series, Matt Fraction And Barry Kitson, Marvel (2007)
*****
* The Pulse, series and trades, Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos, Marvel (2004-2006)
*****
* The Secret Voice, stand-alone publication, Zack Soto, AdHouse (2005)
*****
* The Seven Soldiers Omni-Series, series and trades, Grant Morrison and A Cast Of Dozens, DC (2005-2007)
*****
* The Silver Star, archival project, Jack Kirby, Image (2007)
*****
* The Ultimates Vols. 1-2, series and trades, Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch, Marvel (2002-2008)
*****
* The Umbrella Academy Vols. 1-2, series and trades, Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba, Dark Horse (2007-2009)
*****
* Thor: Godstorm, series, Kurt Busiek and Steve Rude, Marvel (2001-2002)
*****
* "Ti-Girls Adventures," Love and Rockets Vol. 3 #1-2, story in series, Los Bros Hernandez, Fantagraphics (2008-2009)
*****
* Top Ten: The Forty-Niners, stand-alone publicationAlan Moore and Gene Ha, DC (2006)
*****
* U.S. War Machine, series, Chuck Austen, Marvel (2001-2002)
*****
* Ultimate Spider-Man, series and trades, Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley and Stuart Immonen, Marvel Comics (2000-2009)
*****
* Unstable Molecules, series and trade, James Sturm and Guy Davis, Marvel (2003, 2004)
*****
* Wanted, series and trade, Mark Millar and JG Jones, Image (2003-2005)
*****
* WildCATS 3.0, series and trades, Joe Casey and Dustin Nguyen, DC (2002-2004)
*****
* X-Force #116-129/X-Statix #1-26/X-Statix Presents Dead Girl #1-4, series and trades, Peter Milligan and Mike Allred, Marvel (2001-2004, 2006)
*****
* Zot! The Complete Black and White Collection: 1987-1991, archival project, Scott McCloud, HarperCollins (2008)
*****
Your Responses:
A ton of you wrote in with responses. Thank you so much.
* a bunch of you corrected the phrase "series and trade(s)" on those series that didn't have them. I intended at first that that describe the kind of approach the publisher took as opposed to whether or not the trade was actually published, but I muddied the waters there and appreciate your corrections.
* Williams Burns wrote in to say, "It's not an imperishable classic, but I'd say Incredible Hercules deserves a spot on a list of 83."
* John McCorkle wondered why I didn't include Captain America: What Price Glory, and suggested Startling Stories: Banner, Astonishing X-Men, Buffy Season 8, Captain Britain Omnibus, Orion, and Stormwatch: Team Achilles.
* Lee Leslie suggested one or more of the many Hellboy series; Casanova, Heavy Liquid, Northlanders, Scott Pilgrim, Conan and Y The Last Man.
* Chris Duffy risked my undying enmity by suggesting a book he worked on, Bizarro Comics. He also says "I also think for some reason Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers is important."
* a couple of you made suggestion lists that included so many books already on the list I didn't feel like sorting it out for you. I appreciate the effort, though.
* Mark Coale sent in a list of Agents of ATLAS, Wisdom, Incredible Hercules, Marvel Monsters, Hellcat, The Goon, Casanova, Batgirl: Year One, both runs of Detective Comics from Greg Rucka, Wonder Woman by Rucka, Checkmate by Rucka, Enemy Ace DC Archives, Green Arrow by Brad Meltzer, Starman Omnibuses, and then various kids comics by category.
* Chris Beckett enjoyed the list but suggested perhaps adding Nexus Archives.
* Don MacPherson wrote in to suggest, Irredeemable, Dr. Strange: The Oath, The Spirit #1-12, The Twelve, Secret SixThor, The Incredible Hercules and Agents of Atlas Vol. 1.
* Philip Rippke sent in a note suggesting the consideration of Fantastic Four #51 to the renumbered #524 (27 issues), Iron Man: The Inevitable, Marvel Boy and Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman: Trinity.
* Matthew Wave suggests The Doom Patrol Archives and The Herbie Archives.
* Kenny Penman wrote in to say we might consider giving the nod to Teen Titans Year One for Karl Kerschl's art the same way we revere runs of comics from previous decades for the art alone.
* Sean T. Collins wrote in to say I should maybe include the Hellboy stuff and books related to it, and says the Banner book is a better common than the same creative team's Cage.
* Jog suggests the "Soldier X version of Cable."
* Cole Moore Odell wrote in suggesting Johnny Ryan's Marvel-related work and Jeff Parker's work generally.
* John Vest recommends Steve Gerber's Countdown To Mystery.
* Marc-Oliver Frisch wrote in to suggest that CR consider Cable #97-107/Soldier X #1-8; The Hood, Blank Panther by Christopher Priest; Truth: Red, White & Black.
* Evan Dorkin likes Jack Staff.
* Steve Stwalley thinks it's not a good superhero list until it has some Flaming Carrot on it.
* Chad Nevett suggests the Casey-Phillips (and briefly, Dillon) run on WildCATS volume two as a supplement to the WildCATS 3.0 listing. He also thinks the last chapter of Casey and Adlard's Codeflesh makes the cut.
* Scott Puckett wants to know, "How is it that no one mentioned The Authority, Atomic Robo (not sure if that really hits the superhero genre), Demo, Global Frequency, Johns' Green Lantern run or Vaughan's Runaways?"
* Neil Kleid wrote in to yell at us: "How could you leave off the amazing Spider-Man: Tangled Web series? The Darwyn Cooke story alone should sell you if not the J Jonah Jameson story or Frog-man issues...!"
* Finally, David Welsh wrote in to suggest that original Agents Of Atlas mini-series and Empowered.
Go, Read: Mark Siegel Interview
It's kind of a "meet Mark Siegel" interview, but a) Mark's nice, and you should want to meet the First Second head honcho, b) the First Second people sent me one of those nice notes along the lines of "I'm sure you're just waiting to post this great link..." and I'm a sucker for that approach even when I wasn't waiting on anything because I missed it all together. Or maybe especially when I miss stuff.
FFF Results Post #190—Bargains
On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Four Great Comics You've Found for Free or at a Reduced Price And Something Memorable About One Of Those Transactions." This is how they responded.
Tom Spurgeon
1. Binky Brown and the Holy Virgin Mary
2. The Eternals #4
3. X-Men #59
4. The Early Morning Milk-Train
5. My dad's copy of The Early Morning Milk-Train was one of a dozen books that I kept upon his passing, and the only one that I hadn't read before.
1. Ethel & Ernest by Raymond Briggs
2. No. 5 Vol. 1 by Taiyo Matsumoto
3. Strontium Dog Search/Destroy Agency Files 04
4. Let's Declare Ourselves Winners ...And Get The Hell Out by Bill Mauldin
5. I have an exceptional collection of Bill Mauldin Books that mainly came from my local library sale for either two dollars each or as part of their bag sale: fill a paper bag with books for three dollars. Because of this I now also own three copies of his most astounding, and I think, best book, Back Home. I also got his Mud & Guts booklet for the Park Service that way. Support your local library!
1) The Little Monsters -- I don't know where this came from... it must've been in the house since before I was born. It was my first comic book and I read it a million times.
2) TMNT Donatello #1 in a One Issue Micro-series. I got this as a middle-comic in a 3 pack from a drug store called Wackers when i was about 11 years old. I loved the story because it was about an artist who drew monsters that came to life, and then he gets sucked into another dimension. It was around this time that I started telling people I wanted to be a cartoonist when I grew up.
3) Batman Dark Knight Returns #2 -- traded a G. I. Joe figure (one of the Dreadnaughts) to my friend for this comic that I couldn't seem to find at any of the places that carried comics in my town. I first heard about Frank Miller's Batman from an interview I read in one of my Dad's Playboys that I found in his closet.
4) Grit Bath #1 -- found it in a 25¢ longbox at Starbase 21 comic shop in Tulsa, OK. My first alternative/undergground comic. Totally blew my mind. Made me want to make comics.
5) Dan Clowes's 8 Ball collection Orgybound -- My first Clowes book stolen from my friend Josh. His apartment was such a mess, I used to steal stuff from him all the time just to see if he'd notice things missing. Most of it I returned... but I kept the Orgybound.
*****
Justin Colussy-Estes
1. the Dover Barnaby collection
2. Complete New Yorker Cartoons (for $15!)
3. Silver Surfer #3-4 (1rst series)
4. Iron Wok Jan Vols. 1-15
5. I found the Barnaby collection in a discount bin not three or four months ago for just a few bucks & had that sudden joy of discovery that I associate with my early days of discovering comics, an all-too-rare sensation these days what with internets and gorgeous reprints and all.
1. Creepy #1 - #6 @ $.25 each (mid-1980s convention special)
2. Eerie #2 - #6 @ $.25 each (mid-1980s convention special)
3. Up Front by Bill Mauldin first edition (purchased new by my father, given to me years later)
4. Back Home by Bill Mauldin first edition (purchased new by my father, given to me years later)
5. Not a comic, but I found a book on a shelf in the Burbank Ikea, placed there to prove the shelf in question could actually hold a book. The book was one of my favorite novels, so I took it down, thumbed through it, noted the indicia page, then asked the store manager if I could buy it. He said no, but he would trade it for a book of equal or larger size. So I hopped in my car, drove all the way home to Chatsworth, grabbed a long out of date computer manual, drove back to Burbank (total round trip 40+ miles), and traded it for a first edition of Ross Lockridge Jr.'s Raintree County.
*****
Justin J. Major
1. The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes 1 - Batman (2nd Hand Bookstore)
2. The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes 2 - Wonder Woman (2nd Hand Bookstore)
3. Krazy & Ignatz TPB 1927 (Fantagraphics Store Back Room)
4. Quimby Mouse TPB (Fantagraphics Store Back Room)
5. Promethea, TPB Books 1-4 for $2.00 TOTAL! at a White Elephant resale store. I nearly had to be hospitalized.
*****
Thomas Scioli
1. Classics Illustrated: The Last Days of Pompeii
2. The Dark Knight Returns
3. Maus
4. Alarming Tales #1
5. Among five or six comics that my father-in-law had found from his childhood and offered me was Alarming Tales #1. I'd never heard of it before, but it turned out to be a comics Holy Grail, containing Kirby's early versions of The Evil Factory, Metron and his Moebius Chair, Kamandi, and what looks like Kirby inventing Ditko's Dr. Strange extra-dimensional landscapes in 1959.
I got Avengers 247 for free from a mom and pop store in Rural Maryland because I showed the owners that I had a letter printed in it.
*****
Frank Santoro
1. stack of coverless Ogden Whitney comics
2. Stark Future #1
3. Conan Treasury by BWS
4. Yummy Fur #9 thru #25 for a dime each.
5. Realizing Yummy Fur #19 ("Showing Helder") is possibly my favorite comic of all time. And then selling the stack to Jim Rugg for 20 bux.
1. Air
2. Echo
3. Unwritten
4. Maus
5. My non-comic book reading friend Andy and I were having a discussion about how I had never read Maus. The next time I saw him he produced both volumes, telling me his mom had an extra set around just to give away.
1. Superman Vol. 1 & 2 and Batman Vol. 2 Archives for $30 total and free shipping (usenet sale).
2. Secret Wars 1-12 for $20 when #8 was worth $20 on it's own (LCS).
3. Batman #386 for free (I was a kid, with my mom sharing a cab with some guys, one of them gave it to me after laughing about Black Masks origin).
4. DP7 #30 for free.
5. It was April, 1996 and I was very new to the internet. I made a post of one of the alt.comics newsgroups mentioning how I loved DP7 but couldn't find the later issues. A guy named Robert Jahrling e-mailed me and offered to send me #30 for free, and did. When it arrived I never loved the internet more than on that day.
*****
Peter MacDonald
1. Amazing Spider-Man #129
2. Daredevil #176
3. Tales of Suspense #29
4. Giant-Size Marvel Triple Action #2
5. Bought Amazing Spider-Man #129 for a dime while on vacation in Bangor, Maine with my family when I was 12 or 13 at a store that had a display of old comics that were in like-new newsstand condition... sold it ten or fifteen years later for $100 to help pay rent.
1. Berni Wrightson, Master of the Macabre #2
2. Dark Horse Presents #14
3. Elric #3
4. Dark Horse Presents #56
5. I bought these from a four-for-a-dollar box at a convention. When I got them home and opened them up, I found that they were all autographed by the creators -- including Wrightson, P. Craig Russell, Michael T. Gilbert and John Byrne!
*****
Danny Ceballos
1. Comic Book Confidential promo comic with that amazing Chester Brown cover (free!)
2. All In Color For A Dime paperback (fifty cents at a used book store)
3. Classics Illustrated #11 "Don Quixote" (found in dollar bin)
4. Tantalizing Stories Presents Frank In The River (found in dollar bin)
5. The Comic Book Confidential promo comic is the first comic I ever owned. Back in the late '80s my little brother dragged me into a comic book store for the first time and I only picked this up because it was free and I recognized Lynda Barry's name on the back cover. Talk about jumping down the rabbit hole...
*****
Scott Dunbier
* Nostalgia Press Prince Valiant hardcover
* Nostalgia Press Flash Gordon hardcover
* Origins of Marvel Comics TPB
* Son of Origins TPB
* A copy of Despair, along with several other underground titles, that my friend Lawrence Krauss and I found in a box on the roof of our apartment building when we were both 10 years old.
*****
Philip Rippke
1. Thor #250
2. Savage Sword of Conan #22
3. Fight Man
4. Sleeper #3
5. I grabbed Sleeper #3 from the dollar box just after the end of its first run. It was my first Brubaker/Phillips collaboration. It was far from my last.
1. The Prisoner (1988)
2. The Return of Pogo (1965)
3. The Middleman (2006)
4. The Complete EC Library: Tales from the Crypt (1979)
5. I won the Tales from the Crypt boxed set from Diamond as part of their contest to promote Free Comic Book Day in 2003, in which they also named me "Comics' #1 Fan." As they haven't held the contest again since then, it's presumably a title I still hold.
*****
please note: I'd usually delete the entries that didn't follow format, because when people don't follow format other people tend to complain and not want to follow format themselves and then complain again that someone else was allowed to do something that they're not allowed to do and I develop a headache and dream of not having a web site. so please follow format in the future. thanks.
First Thought Of The Day
I think a good ending to this cycle of Marvel event series would be to find out that the same day that the US government hired Norman Osborn to run its security apparatus it also quietly hired Arcade to do health reform and his rollout of HealthWorld Amusement Parks has completely bankrupted the country.
The top comics-related news stories from November 14 to November 20, 2009:
1. A series of updates on the Mickey Mouse Plot co-conspirators indicates they were much better connected to world terrorism groups than initially believed and had some involvement with 2008's attacks in Mumbais.
Quote Of The Week
"All the folks from Andrews McMeel are from the Midwest, and their natural fear of offending gets them into a lot of trouble." -- Garry Trudeau
*****
today's cover is from one of the great publications of the underground comix era
According to a post at Daily Cartoonist, the Denver Post cartoonist Mike Keefe has received the 2009 Clifford K. & James T. Berryman Award for Editorial Cartoonist. Ann Telnaes of washingtonpost.com and Matt Wuerker of Politico were also cited for their work. A certificate of merit was give to a series by Bill Day on the subject of child abuse.
The Berryman award was endowed in 1989 by Florence Berryman in remembrance of her late father and brother, both esteemed cartoonists. Last year's winner was Nate Beeler. Keefe will receive a crystal trophy and a $2,500 cash prize at the National Press Foundation Awards Dinner in February 2010.
we won't know until the Berryman sites posts a few samples any of the exact cartoons for which Keefe won, but this was from earlier this year
I don't want to get into the habit of running people's sales as news articles. That way lies madness. At the same time, when the sale in question is important to someone in comics' bottom line in a way that doesn't just mean more profits or burning off back stocks, I'm inclined to pay attention. Alvin Buenaventura wrote me earlier this week to say the current sale at Buenaventura Press (20 percent off across the board, I believe) is not only the company's first sale of that type but is there "to encourage direct orders because we're really struggling."
I like their books as a general rule, but here are five projects I'd look into buying at such a sale.
* The Complete Jack Survives, Jerry Moriarty
I thought this was a beautiful, necessary collection.
* Kramers Ergot Vol. 7, Various
Let me put it to you like this: I would have to imagine this goes out of print and then never go back into print, which will make it an elusive want-to-have along the lines of the first RAW books.
* I Want You, Lia Hanawalt
One of four or five buzz books for 2009 and sure to be an anchor of the next round of "Holy crap, look at all the great young female cartoonists!" articles.
* Characters For An Epic Tale, Tom Gauld
I wasn't a huge fan of the latest Tom Gauld book The Gigantic Robot, but I adore his work generally and really like the prints he's done with BP.
* Injury #3, Ted May et al
BP has made an admirable commitment to the comic book format, and this is one of their better offerings in a strong suite of comics.
While I know that the Internet is less of a place where people run and buy things the second they're linked to than it was even five years ago, I hope you'll please keep BP in mind in the weeks ahead. There are a lot of great comics and pieces of cartoon art there. I think combined with SLG's sale, we should all keep in mind that for a lot of comics companies hard times were there long before the wider public economic mini-meltdown and things could remain fragile long for a long time.
If I remember correctly, pocket cartoons are the little cartoons that appear on things like the letters page; it's a term out of favor here for the lack of such cartoons. The Pont award is named for World War II-era Punch cartoonist Graham Laidler, who drew a series called "The British Character."
The awards were started in 1995 as a fund-raising and publicity mechanism for the Cartoon Museum and its primary backer the Cartoon Art Trust, which held an auction in conjunction with this year's dinner. Among the presenters was film director Mike Leigh.
There are a few supplementary "my night at the dinner" and "congratulations to XXXX" posts around the Internet, such as this one for Michael Heath.
Your Danish Cartoons Hangover Update
* this article goes into the arrests of alleged Mickey Mouse Plot co-conspirators David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana in terms of worries from western intelligence agencies as to what this implies about Lashkar-e-Taiba.
* links to the Pakistani military and Bollywood are also being explored, one hopes with the proper amount of diligence accorded to each.
* what was David Coleman Headley doing in Mumbai that would make him a participant in the 2008 attacks on the city? Scouting.
* Leigh Walton has a nice link and some brief commentary about the indie bookstores vs. big box chains that has blown up in recent weeks as Wal-mart has rolled out their holiday pricing strategies on several bestsellers.
LOEG Library Debate Goes Public
The case of two library workers who were fired for keeping a copy of League of Extraordinary Gentleman: Black Dossier out of the hands of a nine-year-old patron apparently led if only in a falling backwards way into a public meeting where a number of speakers held forth on the matter. Additionally, a petition was introduced asking to bar the Alan Moore/Kevin O'Neill graphic novel, a Ron White DVD and a movie and book related to writer Chuck Palahniuk. First, I'd like to extend an invitation to Pastor Watts to stop by the CR office any time he'd like to see some real comics pornography. Second, while I definitely believe in as open a borrowing policy as possible, I'm also always happy to see public discourse on matters like this. One of the things that was upsetting about the original case was that someone had taken it on themselves to represent the community in a way that clearly wasn't reflective of the panoply of opinions folks in the community hold.
Evan Dorkin says that SLG is having a 40 percent off sale right now to clear some recession-related hurdles heading into the holiday season. Well, Evan said the first part and suggested the second, actually. Anyway, a lot of people are having sales right now or are about to launch into one. CR will try to have as many of those sales as possible, but SLG's will be done by then and they're a big enough entity in comics I don't mind devoting a bit of space to their efforts of this type. Here's five books off the top of my head I'd recommend you think about adding to your collection.
Picketers At Newsday Over Cartoon
Members of the Long Island Hispanic community picketed the Newsday office in Long Island in Wednesday, upset over the timing and content of a Mallard Fillmore cartoon. Unless I'm missing certain subtleties in cartoonist Bruce Tinley's use of dinosaur metaphors, it looks like the offense came from a cartoon about hate crimes appearing on the anniversary of the stabbing death of Ecuadorean immigrant Marcelo Lucero. Tinley's response is unpacked a bit more in the article through the link. The publication released a statement saying they should not have run the cartoon.
* the fact that the Headley and co-conspirator Tahawwur Hussain Rana have been linked to the horrible sequence of events in Mumbai has set people gossiping about possible connections. The article through that same link asserts that officials are looking into Rana's travel business as a way potential terrorists may have entered the US through Canada, which is something that makes total sense even if it's not supported with a citation here.
* this profile of Rana's connections in Ottawa mentions that the bail hearing is now set for December 2.
* not comics: according to a funny post by Warren Ellis, they're trying Global Frequency as a TV show again. I don't know of any other outside pieces of material that get two shots like this; then again, I don't know much about TV. I think that would make a good TV show, and I'm surprised it didn't work the first time around.
* the columnist Steven Grant takes a look at the graphic novel as an evolving form rather than a static one, and makes a historical comparison between other evolving and devolving forms of comics.
* the always-interesting Matthias Wivel provides an update on the Danish Comics Council and all of that group's irons in various fires. It sounds so logical and forthright and smart that you may for a few seconds forget that an equivalent effort in the USA would almost certainly be a deep depression-inducing disaster.
* it's hard not to be happy for any creator that is happy about a book selling out, but how can they have a second cover ready this quickly unless they had a sneaking suspicion this one would sell out? And don't they get the orders before they print?
* finally, the people that make the funny Marvel action figurine videos seem pleased with their efforts on a new Twilight-related episode. So if you were looking for an excuse to go look at those videos, now's the time.
Angouleme Mayor Philippe Lavaud and Franck Bondoux of the FIBD met yesterday to work out the issues by bringing in a number of new government agencies to help defray the costs of the 2010 Angouleme Festival. So all will be fine in the land.
Of course, I also learned this morning that I may have lost my hotel room. It's always something with Angouleme.
* the Vertigo blog Graphic Content has a short preview up of the forthcoming Peter Bagge work Other Lives. Also previewed on a DC blog is the new Moon-Ba piece Daytripper.
* Shueisha is going to hit the US phone market hard with some of its best and most popular manga titles. In a way, these launches and major efforts have become quietly ubiquitous to the points it's difficult to point to any one announcement as a major thing, but I think this is the kind that might count. I've long felt that in general companies should be offering this material in matter-of-fact fashion on every platform that is viable, so it's nice to see people starting to push in that direction.
* not comics: the director Chris Brandt sent out an e-mail indicating that his Independents is now available via Netflix. That might be a perfect way to see the movie, a documentary about creativity in independent comics that I liked for the range of interviews, but which certain friends told me they liked only for the raw interviews rather than what the film does with them.
* the prominent blogger Mike Lynch reminds us that IDW has a big King Aroo book coming out next month. Of all the reprints we've seen recently, this is one of the two or three I feel particularly lucky that we're going to see.
* in case you missed it in today's Random Comics News: the New York Timeshas a profile up of Joe Kubert today, where among other topics he talks about his forthcoming standalone book Dong Xoai, Vietnam 1965. More at Robot 6 and The Bleed
* finally, Paul Gravett's recent Euro-Comics 101-type piece done in conjunction with Comica and now stored on his web site threw the spotlight on a dozen English-language translation projects for the UK market in 2010. Aya, Abouet & Oubrérie (Jonathan Cape); Corto Maltese, Hugo Pratt (Dalen Books); King Of Flies, Mezzo & Pirus (Fantagraphics); Lou!, Julien Neel (Highland Books); Nemi, Lise Myhre (Titan); Requiem, Mills & Ledroit (Panini); Sleepyheads, Randall C. (Blank Slate); The Little Prince, Joann Sfar (Walker); The Wrong Place, Brecht Evans (D&Q); Valerian, Christin & Mézières (Cinebook); West Coast Blues, Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics); XIII, Van Hamme & Vance (Cinebook).
* Craig Fischer, associate professor of English at Appalachian State University and comics critic primarly aligned with the Thought Balloons blog
* Francisca Goldsmith, director of branch services at the Halifax Public Libraries, Nova Scotia, and author of The Readers' Advisory Guide to Graphic Novels
* John Hogan, editor of Graphic Novel Reporter
* James Hudnall, comics writer and publisher
* Wayne Winsett, owner of Time Warp Comics and Games (Boulder, Colorado)
The judges' primary task is assembling the nominees list, which is then voted upon by qualifying industry members.
3X Ware, Barry, Groening, Feiffer Panel Starting with this partial transcript by Ed Choy Moorman, moving along to this report by Todd Allen and finally hitting this Lucy Knisley cartoon, one might come away with a much more comprehensive understanding of what was discussed at the Chicago Humanities Festival featuring the staggering line-up of Chris Ware, Lynda Barry, Matt Groening and Jules Feiffer than what anyone was able to give you on their own. thanks, Will Dinski
Not Comics: X-Men As Movie Franchise
I don't comment on films based on comics a whole bunch because a) films aren't comics even if they have comics things in them, b) the comics industry is isolated in a lot of ways even from those films that directly adapt their content, and c) I have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to movies. Still, I was struck by this article by the LA Times film and comics/comics and film guy Geoff Boucher because it seems to me less of an article than a thriving word colony of dangling, unsubstantiated argumentation.
I recognize the fact that people are going to actively consider the possibility of more X-Men movies because the three X-Men movies made a basket-load of cash money. That's the way those nice people work. I'm just not sure I buy what seems to Boucher's general assertion: that they'd be better off making more X2s than the so-far successful strategy of solo movies and concept re-launches they're considering now. Part of it is that as is the case with many superhero properties with which I'm familiar, I honestly don't know how rich the soil is for future movies that cling to the original conception of the X-Men comics. I read a staggering number of those comics, and I'm kind of lost as to something I'd enjoy seeing on film.
The thing is, I agree with Boucher there was an under-recognized sizable audience for that material ten years ago based on the number of people that encountered the comic book at some point or watched one of the cartoons. That audience is different now. In fact, I think there are some manga properties that operate just below widespread mainstream recognition in the same way right now that X-Men did back then and that this will serve those manga properties if they ever get around to making live-action movies of those stories. Maybe they should concentrate on making those movies as opposed to more X-Men exactly the way involved X-Men fans think X-Men movies should be made.
Your Danish Cartoons Hangover Update
* there are two pretty good articles today: the first is a The Globe and Mail piece about Mickey Mouse Plot co-conspirators David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana that focuses on Rana rather than Headley. That's because Rana splits time between Ottawa and Chicago, and the spur for the article is a discussion between Indian and Canadian official about working against terrorism. I wasn't all the way aware about Rana's own international itinerary, for example.
* speaking of itineraries, this article goes into a bit more detail about individuals targeted for assassination by the pair. I'm not sure how far along they were in making serious plans, but lists are always fun, right?
* the New York Timeshas a profile up of Joe Kubert, where among other topics he talks about his forthcoming standalone book Dong Xoai, Vietnam 1965. More on that book can be found at Robot 6 and The Bleed
* not comics: the artist and cartoonist Colleen Doran talks about what late payments cost freelancers. Late payments is also a significant reason why it's sometimes tougher for freelancers to manage money flow as opposed to simply making enough money in a calendar year.
* the writer and reviewer Johanna Draper Carlson is not having any of your double-standards when it comes to file sharing/copying stuff. I think I might actually be willing to different arguments for different media and the industries serving each medium, so don't tell Johanna.
* longtime Marvel editor Tom Brevoort recalls a month ten years ago when his editorial office facilitated a staggering number of comic books.
* Jon Bardyla has the same question I do about the recent wailing over there being no comics for kids. That question: really? It seems to me there's a decent number of comics for kids right now. It's not exactly 1958, but it's not 1998, either. Okay, I just took a second look and I think this retailer gets at the heart of the problem: that there aren't comics exactly like the old comics for kids. Well, there isn't a show like Happy Days on TV right now, either, and yet somehow children survive.
* I totally missed that Lynda Barry provided a pep talk to this year's participants in National Novel Writing Month. (html/pdf)
* there's a great picture of William Steig and a link to some of his work here.
This Isn’t A Library: New And Notable Releases To The Comics Direct Market
*****
Here are the books that make an impression on me staring at this week's largely accurate list of books shipping from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. to comic book and hobby shops across North America.
I might not buy all of the works listed here. I might not buy any. But were I in a comic book shop tomorrow I would pick them up and stare them up and down with theatrical intensity.
*****
MAY090063 ALIEN LEGION OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 $24.95
Strange to see this stuff collected, but I remember it being solid mainstream comics with a lot of monster and alien drawings as lead characters. The series also also had some ridiculously named badass breakout character whose name I'm going to resist looking up. I'm not sure how comics like this one and Strikeforce Morituri read now, but I'd sort of be interested in finding out.
JUL090643 DRIVEN BY LEMONS HC (MR) $19.95
Young Josh Cotter avoids the sophomore slump by following up his Skyscrapers of the Midwest with a year abroad in non-representational comics land. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm dying to.
AUG090031 CASPER FRIENDLY GHOST 60TH ANNIV HC $9.95
This is two complete older comics starring the character repackaged as a hardcover. I don't know if the comics are any good, but the Casper character sure seems to work on kids in that three- to five-year-old range, especially in that sweet spot when they're still earnestly and innocently engaging a world that's starting to become cynical and mean and not-friendly in a way that surprises and dismays them. Seriously, watch those early cartoons and see just how thoroughly Casper gets crushed in every way it would be meaningful for a little kid to get crushed. I used to think Casper was about the genre-flip, a ghost that's friendly, but it's really about making a horribly sad boy a tiny bit happy for a few more months.
MAY090070 PICTURES THAT TICK TP $19.95
I had to go look, but yeah, this is a re-release of the elusive Dave McKean short-story collection -- I can't remember what the original was, actually -- and a welcome one at that.
AUG090033 TARZAN THE JESSE MARSH YEARS HC VOL 04 $49.95
This is a lovely series, and I hope to collect them all.
SEP090129 BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #37 $2.99
SEP090124 BATMAN STREETS OF GOTHAM #6 $3.99
SEP090127 BATMAN THE UNSEEN #4 (OF 5) $2.99
I still think the fact that the market can support all of these odd-titled Batman comic books means there's something horribly, fundamentally wrong about the marketplace.
AUG090904 FIR TREE GN $14.99 AUG090905 GIFT OF MAGI GN $14.99
Two-thirds of the It Books Christmas line-up of holiday graphic novels.
SEP090332 INVINCIBLE #68 $2.99
Robert Kirkman's superhero title and early reputation-maker continues to chug along. I'm not sure how long its current storyline is slated to last, but I can't think of any looming business the title has past this current knot of plot points.
AUG091093 OISHINBO VOL 06 JOY OF RICE $12.99
AUG091094 PLUTO URASAWA X TEZUKA GN VOL 06 $12.99
SEP091002 TEZUKAS BLACK JACK TP VOL 08 $16.95
AUG091095 VAGABOND TP VOL 30 (MR) $9.95
This seems to me a fairly respectable bloc of manga volumes, although I'm only reading the second and third listed. I'm happy to see Vertical keep pushing the Black Jack material, although it's never been my favorite Tezuka.
JUL090947 RIP KIRBY HC VOL 01 $49.99
Guaranteed gorgeous. I think maybe this has been delayed a couple of months but you have to think this was going to be welcome whenever it came out.
*****
The full list of this week's releases, including some titles with multiple cover variations and a long, impressive list of toys and other stuff that isn't comics, can be found here. Despite this official list there's no guarantee a comic will show up in the stores as promised, or in all of the stores as opposed to just a few. Also, stores choose what they carry and don't carry so your shop may not carry a specific publication. There are a lot of comics out there.
To find your local comic book store, check this list; and for one I can personally recommend because I've shopped there, albeit a while back, try this.
The above titles are listed with their Diamond order code in the first field, which may assist you in finding comics at your shop or having them order something for you they don't have in-stock. Ordering through a direct market shop can be a frustrating experience, so if you have a direct line to something -- you know another shop has it, you know a bookstore has it -- I'd urge you to consider all of your options.
Editor Apologizes For Potentially Anti-Semitic Cartoon In UGA’s Red And Black
I was a little confused by this apology from Red and Black editor Carolyn Crist over the above Bill Richards cartoon from last Thursday. I could understand how people might complain about potential Anti-Semitism there, for sure, and I think that a polite apology for lack of clarity and a desire to clear the air is almost always welcome in such cases. What confused me is that I didn't know Richards, one of the more talent student cartoonists of the last several years and always in recent awards contention, was still doing stuff for the University of Georgia community newspaper. It doesn't stun me or anything, but I spent an hour worried that this might be an old story that a student newspaper's feed shot out on-line again or something. Anyway, I think the issues are pretty clear there: here's Richards' semi-occasionally updated blog.
Broelman Dominates ‘09 Stanley Awards It's making a slow wind through the wire services, but last weekend's Stanley Awards for Australian cartooning honored Peter Broelman twice, for Australian cartoonist of the year and editorial/political cartoonist. Broelman is a freelancer based in Adelaide and distributed on-line by Cagle.com.
Other winners were Gary Clark (comic strip), Matt Golding (gag cartoons), Anton Emdin (illustration), David Follet (media graphics), John Spooner (caricature). Norman Hetherington won the Jim Russell Award, which sounds like a lifetime achievement type of deal. An initial Hall of Fame class was also named: Jim Bancks, Stan Cross, Will Dyson, Percy Leason, Norman Lindsay and Pat Oliphant.
OTBP: No Cartoon Left Behind otbp = "off the beaten path," which right now includes just about any effort by an editorial cartoonist not named Oliphant
The Association des Critiques de BD has released its list of 15 albums in contention for its prix de la critique 2010. They'll get this down to five books before naming the prize winner. I would guess they go in stages to bring attention to a lot of books and to the award in a stuffed awards season.
* Alpha... directions, Jens Harder (Actes Sud/L'An 2)
* Blessure d'amour propre, Martin Veyron (Dargaud)
* Le Chant du pluvier, Erwann Surcouf, Joseph Béhé and Amandine Laprun (Delcourt)
* Dieu en personne, Marc-Antoine Mathieu (Delcourt)
* Droit du sol, Charles Masson (Casterman)
* Happy Sex, Zep (Delcourt)
* Il était une fois en France Vol. 3, Sylvain Vallée and Fabien Nury (Glénat)
* Jolies ténèbres, Kerascoët and Fabien Vehlmann (Dupuis)
* Lulu femme nue Vol. 1, Étienne Davodeau (Futuropolis)
* Notre mère la guerre Vol. 1, Maël and Kris (Futuropolis)
* Pachyderme, Frederick Peeters (Gallimard)
* Paracuellos, Carlos Gimenez (AUDIE/Fluide Glacial)
* Les Passagers du vent Vol. 6, François Bourgeon (12bis)
* Rébétiko : la mauvaise herbe, David Prudhomme (Futuropolis)
* Une vie chinoise Vol. 1, Li Kunwu and P. Ôtié (Kana)
A Couple Of On-Line Comics Notes
There were a couple of passing news stories -- barely news stories -- that caught my attention as a tandem. The first was that The Comics Journal put its entire 300th issue on-line in what seemed to be a trumpet call as to its new on-line strategy, but then the issue went back to subscriber-only status via a decision from publisher Gary Groth. Johanna Draper Carlson notes this isn't a nice thing to do to customers and potential customers, and I don't think anyone would disagree. A more interesting question to me is whether or not the issue should have gone on-line in the first place (which I guess means I'm also asking whether it should have been taken off). I think the competing impulses and their supporting arguments are fairly well-known now. I had a pair of prominent comics people tell me flat-out that with the issue on-line they wouldn't have purchased it as planned, and I'm in that camp, too, so I'm sympathetic to Groth's point of view. In addition, as is the case with convention sales, I don't think you should tell people (retailers, subscribers) one thing (you'll have this exclusive if you pay me this amount of money!) and then do another (sorry about that; we decided to try giving it away for free). At the same time, there was genuine excitement there about having that much great material to read that they could have used to launch into #301, perhaps if they had made the decision earlier. I think the most interesting way to look at it is that there is still, after all these years, no real, 100 percent right way and wrong way to do things on-line, despite people very strongly asserting they have the one and only answer.
The other one is that if I'm reading this correctly the Immonens may no longer offer their ongoing collaborative graphic novel projects on-line for free, and that this happened after some douchebag used the RSS feed to gank it and stream it as an offering somewhere. The decision had already been made, it seems, so maybe this wouldn't have been enough on its own to move them in that direction, but they still felt it worth noting. Like a lot of people, I discovered that work on-line, so that someone took it upon themselves to decide how best to publish something by web-friendly, creative, smart people like the Immonens pisses me off a bit. I still think that creator's rights is the missing component in this endless argument of what works better, these empty confrontations of dueling fantasy outcomes argued with the fury of the real thing. The thing is, if you respect artists, you shouldn't decide for them how best to distribute and publish their work, the same way you don't walk into their house to clean their kitchen or order healthier food for them in restaurants. And with strong options for self-publishing and decent contracts at a lot of different levels throughout the comics industry, you should also respect the choices of artists you admire to afford that control to other people.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* are comics any more not kid-friendly right now than they were five years ago? I'm trying to figure out what Buddy Saunders is talking about. Like the Olympics, this task seems to come up every couple of years.
* the writer of this massive, first-hand account of working in early 1980s comics distribution apologizes for a post in which very few people might be interested, but it's the kind of thing a certain comics fan including myself eats up with a spoon.
* RC Harvey has begun to write about Shel Dorf, as promised. Mark Evanier has notes here, and instructions on how to access Harvey's usually subscriber-only articles.
* not comics: the Winnie the Pooh heirs are suing Disney again, this time for under-reporting the royalties they're due despite losing their big for full ownership.
* not comics: it's not like I was going to watch it with the Colts playing the Pats, but The Prisonerapparently sucking gives me some slight hope that there will be a moratorium on unnecessary remakes of British television shows before we see Heather Locklear and Jeff Goldblum as Sapphire and Steel or Samuel L. Jackson as George Smiley.
Your Danish Cartoons Hangover Update
* one of the things we covered here was how hard officials in the UK came down on the Danish Cartoons protests in their country, jailing protest leader after protest leader in what some thought was an excuse to break the back of organized radical Islam in that country. Now we see one of the more horrible results: an interview with a man who fled the country during the arrests. He talks about slaughtering former countrymen in such a casual way it's hard to stomach.
* it's also hard to tell the strength of links asserted between information provided by Headley and alleged co-conspirator Tahawwur Hussain Rana and arrests being made overseas.
* finally, this is as strong a link as I've ever seen any conservative columnist make between the Danish Cartoons and other tragedies related to the friction between believers in a radical Islam and the West. I don't think I agree with any of it, but it's stated in a forthright, informed fashion.
Bobble Rep Decision Reversed
Tom Richmond reports with a significant dollop of glee that the Bobble Rep iPhone application for which he drew over 500 caricatures of national-level, elected officials is now available for purchase. This is after an initial decision not to offer the application, either in part or in full because of the potential upset derived from the caricatures. Richmond worked with Ray Griggs on the project, which is designed to give people easy contact information for the various sitting congresspeople and Senators.
Analysis From Folks With Whom I’m Not Familiar: Manga Industry In Trouble
The writer Paul Di Filippo sent me and several other folks a link to this post, which claims the domestic manga industry is in "dire straits." I'm not familiar with the specific author or the site, really, and the analysis in the piece seems like it was tossed from a blender rather than laid out in logical fashion, but there's a lot there to digest and I'm more than willing to take news of a decline at face value. Basically, I think what's being argued is that the industry has two classic signs of anything in decline: more than 1/3 of a drop over a several-year period and what could be more than 10 percent down since last year this time. When something contracts tightly all at once, it becomes harder for the supporting infrastructure to adjust, and so you have a definite potential weakness in the immediate market in question.
This isn't really news, although you've tended to see this kind of analysis in front of an article explaining why a) worldwide publishing efforts, b) crossover programs into other media, c) on-line publication, particularly through phones, are all now more important than ever.
Your 2009 Lulu Award Winners
The Friends of Lulu organization has announced the winners of its 2009 awards program. Nominees decided upon by a panel were announced in early October; the finalists were tabulated from an on-line vote. The winners are as follows in bold.
The 2009 winners were named on-line rather than at a planned ceremony, a ceremony still on the table in late October according to Friends of Lulu blog postings. Valerie D'Orazio, the organization's leader since being named national president in 2007, explained. "We had originally planned to have the ceremony at King Con in Brooklyn, and had a meeting to that effect. But time, money and resources became a factor in our decision to forgo a ceremony this year," D'Orazio said. "And because just about all the winners were not local, we felt it was better to have an online tribute to each one that they could appreciate and refer to no matter where in North America they live."
The Friends Of Lulu was founded in 1994 to promote women reading comic books and participating in the comic book industry.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* the prominent blogger and reviewer Matthew Brady has a massive write-up of the Dean Haspiel and Tim Hall appearance in Chicago over the weekend in support of the documentary about their Act-I-Vate artists collective.
* the great cartoonist Jack Kirby and the feel of a sturdy handgun were two of my five favorite things when I was 15 years old, so a pin-up combining the two would have probably gone up on my bedroom wall. It still might.
* Tom Richmond's report on the Stanley Awards in Australia -- where love for cartooning is most uniformly expressed through a reverence for in-the-trenches editorial cartooning -- contains video of Pat Oliphant drawing. (via)
* speaking of great bloggers and greater cartoonist, Eddie Campbell is both of those things. He's been doing a lot of interviews lately, and three CR readers suggest this one.
* we should all have room on our web sites for posts like this one.
* finally, the comics charity Hero Initiative is looking for Ed Hannigan art for a forthcoming book project, I would guess without knowing for sure on Hannigan's behalf. Hannigan was probably the mainstream comic book cover artist of the 1980s in terms of his ubiquity and the widespread use of his approach above and beyond when he himself was the one being employed.
A couple of you wrote in to gently chide me for not bringing attention to this fine interview with Irene Vartanoff -- the second e-mail made me scramble to go look at it, and you folks were right. Vartanoff did assistantship-editorial-management-writing stints with both mainstream comics companies from the early 1970s into the early 1980s. She was also a figure in the Jack Kirby art scandal, having done I think the only true attempt at a catalog and general inventory on Marvel's original art holdings.
It's a very clear-headed interview with some practical talk as to what happened to romance comics during the time she was in comics.
... if only because this Richard Thompson portrait of Alice Otterloop as a feral two-year-old is funny all by itself, and hopefully adds an element to the final joke that wouldn't be there otherwise. It just doesn't seem right that the quality we can perceive in the above should fail to contribute in a positive way to the end result, especially as a general rule.
I wonder if strips in particular end up being read as code more than consumed as a unique artistic experience. When I was writing for a strip, I was told by syndicate folks that some people frequently used the same art in a different strip, mostly as a way to catch up but also because no one would notice. That linked-to Cul-De-Sac may even employ this technique, with the two Alice. There are plenty of people that believe almost no one reads comic strip art at all, and that at best the art is used as a visual pushing-off point to keep the readers' eyes locked on the words. I'm not certain. What I worry about is that because they're read so quickly, that this has a longterm effect on limiting what strips do. I also wonder if old strips hang on so strongly in part because they're so familiar they provide reassurance, that they're recognizable as humor more than they are actually satisfying, that they convince us they're funny more than make us laugh.
FFF Results Post #189—Salute
On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Five Good Characters With A Real Or Fake Military-Style Rank." This is how they responded.
Tom Spurgeon
1. General Dum Dum Dugan
2. General Thunderbolt Ross
3. Private Sad Sack
4. Sergeant Spook
5. Captain Marvel, Jr.
*****
Justin J. Major
1. The Lieutenant Marvels (Fat Marvel, Tall Marvel, and Hill Marvel)
2. Captain Boomerang (Flash Rogues Gallery & Suicide Squad)
3. Major Force (Captain Atom)
4. Colonel Travis Morgan (Warlord)
5. General Zod ("Kneel before Zod!")
*****
Andrew Mansell
1. Colonel Steve Canyon
2. Lt Colonel Terry Lee
3. Sergeant Orville Snorkel
4. Captain Action (is his name, bold adventure is his game)
5. General Bullmoose "What's good for General Bullmoose is good for the USA!"
1. Willie & Joe (pvt.)
2. Nick Fury (sgt., with his Howling Commandos)
3. Nick Fury (col., agent of S.H.I.E.L.D)
4. Nick Fury (gen., Ultimate Marvel version: the one that looks and talks like Samuel L. Jackson)
5. General J.E.B. Stuart, The Haunted Tank.
The top comics-related news stories from November 7 to November 13, 2009:
1. The Bangladeshi cartoonist Arifur Rahman, out of jail since March of this year for what many considered an innocuous cartoon riffing on the name Muhammad, was tried and sentenced without his knowledge and may spend another two months or slightly more in jail.
2. A school board in South Dakota restricts access to teachers on the anthology Stuck In The Middle after a parental complaint.
3. Ex-NY Post staffer Sandra Guzman sues former employer, saying she was fired in part due to her objections to their running a much-criticized Sean Delonas cartoon that sought to compare the sitting President of the US to a dead chimpanzee
Bart Beaty With More On Funding Stand-Off Situation At Angouleme
From Bart Beaty:
As I predicted last week, the large publishers have responded to the suggestion that they maybe pay more for the space that is afforded them at Angouleme with a blunt: Non.
In a letter to the Philippe Lavaud, Louis Delas of Casterman indicates that it already costs too much for them to build attractive stands, and to move their books and their people to Angouleme. Delas claims that Casterman loses 250,000 Euros each year by participating in the FIBD, and considers that a marketing cost. It is suggested that if additional costs are incurred that some of the publishers would have to rethink their participation in the event, although there is no explicit threat to pull out at this time.
The association of comic book publishers also reminds Lavaud that without the FIBD Angouleme would have no public image in France, and that the city needs to recognize that they have the most to lose in this standoff.
Well, that didn't take long. Mayor Philippe Lavaud of Angouleme has already issued a response, in which he reaffirms the city's desire to host the 2010 FIBD, but also restates his case that the city of 43,000 inhabitants is already massively financially invested in the event (to the tune of more than 1,000,000 Euros each year) and that they shouldn't be the ones to carry the entire load.
Also, a reminder that the press conference for FIBD, at which time most of the major events and exhibitions will be formally announced, takes place just three weeks from today. Hopefully these issues will all be resolved by that time, or that will be one fascinating afternoon.
Ariel Schrag’s Full Statment On School Board Pulling Stuck In The Middle It's here. Schrag was the editor of Stuck In The Middle, two copies of which were removed from a South Dakota school systems library for smoking and swears, basically. I think the statement stands on its own without any additional analysis and re-posting any of it here even in quoted form without said analysis would do a disservice to the newspaper's get. I encourage you to read it. For the background and statements from two of the contributors, try here.
Go, Read: Feiffer Memoir Excerpt Here's a sudden surprise for a Friday morning. I'd like to say that I knew Jules Feiffer had penned a memoir that's coming out in 2010, but I'd be lying and I don't want to do that in a post about the cartoonist whose career-to-date I would prefer to have as my own above any other, given that choice. I like that we're being forced to deal with Feiffer as a cartoonist and writer through things like Fantagraphics' re-publication project of his seminal work and this forthcoming book, and enjoyed the interview and the chunk of memoir available through the link.
Post Cartoon Led To NAACP Turmoil?
Here's something I hadn't seen before, although I don't feel so bad about it as author Nat Hentoff says no one picked this up: apparently the reaction to the Sean Delonas dead-chimp-as-Obama cartoon led to turmoil within the NAACP. Apparently the educator Michael Meyers was silenced at a meeting when he objected to a planned boycott of Rupert Murdoch in response to the cartoon. I met Hentoff when I was a college student and even then he was kind of a clearinghouse for all close watching of major free speech-related events, so I'd trust his insight into and sources on such matters. The idea that we have to give wide leeway to speech involving powerful officials is an interesting one, although it's hard for me to apply it here: I never supported a reaction to that cartoon beyond pointing out at declaring "Wow, what an incredibly stupid and glibly insulting cartoon," and I think there's a history of tweaking offensive material there that provides some force to any criticism of that particular comic.
Go, Read: Matt Fraction Interview Popular mainstream comics writers like Matt Fraction seem to get interviewed a lot between all of the project-specific interviews they do with the big sites and the occasional one-and-out pieces for sites like this one. What you rarely see is a long interview with public input, which Warren Ellis has provided with a massive, devoted thread over at his Whitechapel board. Since many of Fraction's professional and personal collaborators show up it has a rollicking feel to it, and the quality of the answers remains pretty high throughout. Plus it gives me an excuse to run one of those Rian Hughes-designed Iron Man covers.
* I used to very much enjoy the B.C. paperbacks I found at garage sales and used bookstores; Mike Lynch found a few strips from the strip's heyday and just before that remind me this wasn't a crazy way to feel.
* hours of reading and contemplation and laughs ahead for those who read this rare, unearthed anti-Jack Kirby Dave Sim writing from the early 1970s. Anyone who was reading comics back then can probably confirm that the contempt for Jack Kirby's 1970s comics was pretty widespread, particularly among comics fans who valued a surface sophistication in their genre material in the Mighty McGregor Manner.
* this was an entertaining round-up review, and I'm going to at least consider adopting the reviewer's final step of burning the comics. Okay, probably not, but it still made me laugh.
* a columnist slams Nick Anderson for suggesting in a cartoon -- probably the one at right -- that the Fort Hood shootings could have been caused by mental illness. One imagines that the man either had mental illness issues or he did not, and that this will come out as we learn more about the tragic event.
* more from the Con Wars front lines. It's clear that the best thing to do if you're ever drafted into con wars is to shoot yourself in the foot and return home from the trenches as quickly as possible.
* Michael Cavna wonders why more comic strips don't recognize Veterans Day. A contributing factor could be that Veterans Day wasn't really on anyone's radar in that way until the last couple of years when it's made this mini-surge, a wave of interest that's even bigger this year coming right after the Fort Hood shootings. Cavna does ask the very good question as to why Beetle Bailey of all features doesn't at least do something with the holiday.
Arifur Rahman Sentenced To Jail For Cartoon; Cartoonist Unaware Of Trial
This is the story that's just awful enough I looked at it three times hoping it was an old wire piece that had somehow popped back up -- believe me, it happens -- but I'm 98 percent convinced it's new and true.
Arifur Rahman is a Bangladeshi cartoonist who in 2007 made a cartoon featuring a cat named Muhammad. This enraged groups of religious fundamentalists, as well as angered those that could be whipped into a fury by those same folks and general media coverage. This led to him being placed into detention first for his own protection and then as punishment, from which he emerged only this year (in March) after a High Court decision on his behalf. In the meantime, his then-employer apologized for the cartoon, fired the cartoonist and vowed to never hire Rahman again.
Now this article suggests that Rahman was tried in absentia for that cartoon in Jessore, found guilty, and has been sentenced to either eight weeks or nine weeks imprisonment depending on his ability to pay a fine. For his part, Rahman claims he had no idea any of it was going on and that as far as he was concerned, all charges against him had been dismissed.
Steve Kelley U-T Lawsuit Tossed
Newspaper industry bible Editor & Publishernotes that the lawsuit filed by Steve Kelley against his former employer the San Diego Union-Tribune was tossed from court after a ruling by San Diego Superior Court Judge Jay M. Bloom that no evidence had been produced. Kelley alleged that officials at the Union-Tribune had coerced cartoonist Steve Breen into no longer working with Kelley on a newspaper comic strip called Dustin. The judge asserted that any statements by U-T people potentially disparaging Kelley would fall under the realm of opinion rather than coercion.
Kelley left the Union-Tribune in 2001 and ended up at the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, although as I recall he worked out of San Diego back then, which is why a potential partnership with Breen makes sense. The article suggests the reason for his departure is a cartoon over low-rising jeans, which makes me really wish I had CR back then.
Hadi Heidari Released From Prison
Rob Tornoe has received word from a credible source that Iranian cartoonist and cartoon web site owner Hadi Heidari has been released from prison. Heidari has been arrest in October during his participation in a ceremony honoring recently-taken political prisoners. His wife, a journalist, was also arrested several days later. Heidari was a high-profile prisoner among 100 or so journalists taken into custody over a few-week period; reports say he was held in the famous political prisoner ring of Tehran's notorious Evin prison.
Cagle Blasts Apple For Bobble Rep
I'm still not able to find an avenue for personal comment beyond "there it is," but Darryl Cagle offers up a lengthy opinion on the story Apple turning down a phone application featuring over 500 Tom Richmond caricatures of various congresspeople. This totally screws the businessman who commissioned those cartoons, of course, and suggests that people feel comfortable making decisions based on a summary appraisal of how the art involved might or might not be enjoyed by the person drawn in that art.
The Healing Powers Of Gahan Wilson
I don't mean to make fun of this person's letter; it's just nice and unexpected and I wanted to mention it in its own post.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* congratulations to all-around swell guy and fine young writer Kiel Phegley on his promotion to CBR's News Editor. When I have to close this site next year, we'll all know when to mark the beginning of the end.
* the longtime comics reviewer Don MacPherson writes about superhero comics being icky as opposed to having adult content. The example at left sounds like somebody's father who's a history professor making gross words at his kid's prom date.
* not comics: I'm not certain there's any good way to run this particular headline, but that sure ain't it.
* the writer Steven Grant says superheroes are dead. Basically.
* not comics: RIP Smith/Spielberg Old Boy. I know for most people this is a "good riddance" situation, but I will miss being able to make my friends laugh by picking up a hammer and going, "Aw, hell nah!"
* if you are a cartoonist and you like Barnacle Press and you wouldn't mind doing a tiny bit of work for free, they'd like you to read this.
* finally, the game designer and writer Monte Cook reports back in glowing terms about the long-time comics and gaming festival in Lucca. One of the US conventions needs to import the gaming side of that show's method of closing the festival: "Sunday night brings the convention to a close and with it an odd tradition. This tradition is rooted in the past, when a young gamer annoyed members of the staff to distraction and they ended up chasing him around and gave him a faux beating. Now, every year, this gamer (now grown up) hides at the end of the show and the staff seeks him out, chases him down, and pretends to beat him."
* Darryl Cunningham of the forthcoming Blank Slate effort Psychiatric Tales (February 2010) wrote in about future plans.
"There will be a second volume [of Psychiatric Tales], as there are a ton of things I couldn't get around to covering, including ECT, staff burnout, forms of dementia, substance abuse, the homeless, and about a million other things. There's no end to subjects I could cover. I'm aiming for early 2011 for a completion date for the second volume.
"I'm also restarting my San Diablo strip for Activate at the end of November. This should finish sometime around April."
* according to a press release they sent out on November 5, Arcana Studios is launching a quarterly comics and pop culture magazine to be called Arcana, based on a re-design of the on-line magazine Extra Sequential. The new magazine will debut in late January and has the Diamond Code NOV09 0599. It will be 96 pages long.
* the writer Brian Bendis spent a portion of the weekend on twitter answering questions about forthcoming projects. He'll be doing a Daredevil book in summer 2010 with David Mack to be called Daredevil: End of Days. He may or may not do an Alias mini-series with Michael Gaydos next year. He has a creator-owned crime book in the works with Alex Maleev. There's a bunch of stuff about plotlines in his current Avengers-centric slate of book as well.
A school board in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, voted without discussion on a recommendation to restrict access to the comics anthology Stuck In The Middle. That book can now only be checked out by teachers, making it the first book in eight years to be removed from general circulation. A parent's complaint cited the book's language, sexual references and depictions of smoking.
Stuck In The Middle was edited by Ariel Schrag, who made her name as a cartoonist and writer depicting in forthright fashion her own experiences growing up and the difficulties inherent in many folks' experiences at that time in their lives. It was published by Viking Press in 2007 and features contributions by an impressive line-up of alt-comics creators, including Dan Clowes, Joe Matt, Gabrielle Bell, Vanessa Davis, Lauren Weinstein and Dash Shaw.
CR asked several of the creator involved with the projects about their reaction to the school board ruling. Vanessa Davis responded, "That is interesting and disappointing about Stuck in the Middle. I'm sad to say though that it's not surprising that a parent might overlook a book's entire content and instead focus on the appearance of the word 'bitch' or something. Also unfortunate that there was no discussion of the content at the meeting, or representation by the school's librarian, if there was one, especially since this type of thing hadn't happened in so long in their district." She added, "Whoever decided that it could be on the consent agenda was definitely in the wrong. It just goes to show how random and inconsistent this type of 'regulation' is."
Lauren Weinstein also reacted to the news. "There's this weird disconnect between 'keepin' it real' for teenagers by and really telling it like it is. People never want you to be too graphic about sex and drugs and offend impressionable minds, when that's exactly the time that teens might be helped by something that is bluntly realistic, rather than the exploitive materialistic sexuality that's in a lot of popular media today," the cartoonist told CR "Because this book doesn't glorify sex or drugs or profanity, it's way more disturbing than something like gossip girl or any of the trashy teenage books that the parents don't actually read. Plus, parents are always freaked out by pictures and words together because it's easier to point to the nasty parts."
Ex-Editor Sandra Guzman Sues New York Post Over Sean Delonas Chimp Cartoon-Related Job Dismissal
That former New York Post editor Sandra Guzman believed her firing to be related to her complaints about a February Sean Delonas cartoon making a strained link between President Obama and a dead chimpanzee became news early last month. While I had reservations about that kind of floating rumor as it existed at the time actually being a story, it sure is a story now: Guzman has sued the post and her objection to the Delonas cartoons and the friction that caused is apparently one of the key incidents in the suit. As might be expected, this will probably result in a much more severe portrait of the Post's institutional identity when it comes to racism than it will turn on the fundamentals of cartooning, but I think the cartoon part of it kind of fascinating, too. Why would you not a respected employee's objections seriously about a decision to run and then support such a goofy and inarticulate expression of free speech?
Your Danish Cartoons Hangover Update
* it's pretty much all Al Qaeda video, all the time in most major outlets. I guess more information has been found on how the pair of Chicago men arrested under suspicion of various terror-related activities planned to target the newspaper Jyllands-Posten that published the Danish cartoons.
* just to say it again, I think the bigger point of those videos (unless someone can provide a compelling counter-argument) is that the attempt to portray Tahawwur Rana as someone who had no clue as to what his friend, the much-more-traveled David Coleman Headley, was up to is wrong. It also shows a willingness for such a suspect to try and control the truth according to evidence provided against him, which I think could be worrying in a larger sense in terms of any wider dialogue.
Analysts: October 2009 DM Estimates
The comics business news and analysis site ICv2.com offers their usual array of lists, estimates and analysis regarding the performance of comic books and graphic novels in the Direct Market of comic and hobby shops, this time for September 2009.
John Jackson Miller at The Comics Chronicles has begun his analysis of the month right here, where I believe he was first out of the gate in noting DC clamped down on the top six positions for comic books. That would be the obvious big story, perhaps along with a continuing freeze-out of just about anything other than Marvel and DC in the top 50 of that same chart (a Buffy book and Haunted are the party crashers) and ICv2.com continuing to assert that retailers are ordering subsequent issues of $3.99 comics much more conservatively than issues of $2.99 comics (something that makes total sense, although I'm not sure there's enough evidence to divorce that choice from case-to-case content).
There are two different ways to look at the DC thing. Actually, there a probably a lot of ways many of which don't occur to me, but there are two ways that I look at the chart-topper story. One is to kind of note the pro-DC aspects of it, how they've put together a crossover the people want to see more of as the issues progress -- which I don't think you can say of recent DC efforts of this type at all -- and how this is a nice turn of events for DC given how methodically Marvel has kind of staked out a position for a wide variety its regular titles in the top 10 for the past couple of years. Another way of looking at this historical moment, however, is that the competitive nature of the DC vs. Marvel relationship -- and no one is sure yet whether this was intensified or dampened with recent changes up top at each company -- may force both companies to double-down on the event comic at a point when a different strategy, maybe any different strategy at all, might be more fruitful in the long term.
Go, Look: Cartoonists And Fort Hood There's one of those helpful gathering of cartoons up at Cagle.com, this time on the murder and wounding of military personnel at Fort Hood by a deranged gunman and military psychiatrist. What makes this grouping more interesting is that Cagle recently decried the lack of papers willing to use non-humorous cartoons on an event like Veterans Day. I know it's not a connection he likely intended, but I think that horrible story and its responses in cartoon form may provide something of a test case on the collective ability of editorial cartoonists to respond in sober, serious fashion to such a major story. If you're interested, you might look in.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* the great Paul Gravett writes an article on UK comics conventions that's helpful in a lot of ways, one of which is simply asking the question about why there are so many damn conventions right now. Seriously, ten years ago comics conventions in North America seemed like they might all die off except San Diego and maybe SPX.
* our pal Jackie Estrada drew my attention to the passing of Mike Nebeker of the Geek Tragedy podcast. I didn't know the man or his work, and am able to find very little on-line, but as a fellow comics enthusiast taking that next step into reportage our best wishes go to his friends, family and workmates.
* not comics: the newsman, memoirist and mystery writer Dick Stodghill died over the weekend. He was 84. He's the only guy with whom I ever worked who fought in Europe and was a Pinkerton operative: he had great stories. The Pinkerton fact just killed me: it was like meeting a character from a failed Peter Bogdanavich movie. Once when he took a vacation I received the gift of his column space four days in a row. As vividly as I remember that opportunity I think it's safe to say it had something to do with what I'm doing now. Thank you, Mr. Stodghill.
This Isn’t A Library: New And Notable Releases To The Comics Direct Market
*****
Here are the books that make an impression on me staring at this week's largely accurate list of books shipping from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. to comic book and hobby shops across North America.
I might not buy all of the works listed here. I might not buy any. But were I in a comic book shop tomorrow I would forget to write something in here until eight hours after I initially posted it.
*****
SEP090028 BPRD 1947 #5 (OF 5) $2.99 SEP090030 HELLBOY WILD HUNT #8 (OF 8) $2.99
All the Mignolaverse titles are ending! Okay, these two are. More on the way, I'm sure. This is an interesting corner of the comics publishing world.
JUN090047 INSOMNIA CAFE HC $14.95
This is where it kills me not to have a local comics shop, as a edition of MK Perker's comics seems to me exactly the kind of thing I'd want to hold in my hands before even thinking of buying it. It might be awesome, I don't know.
SEP090115 BATMAN AND ROBIN #6 $2.99 SEP090346 WALKING DEAD #67 (MR) $2.99
Morrison and Kirkman, these are the two mainstream serial comic book that pop out at me. These would likely end up in my bag no matter what else I bought, although you have to remember that my main mission when going into comic book shops tends to be procuring Marvel and DC comics. The others I get through other channels.
SEP090803 HOT POTATOE HC (MR) $39.95
Tom Devlin e-mailed substitution jpeg power activate!
AUG091207 PEANUTS 60TH ANNIVERSARY BOOK $75.00
Various Peanuts books of this type were a big, big deal in my household as a kid, so I feel the nostalgic pull of this one.
AUG090884 PIM & FRANCIE IN GOLDEN DAYS HC $28.99
The book of the week, by the great Al Columbia.
AUG091003 YEAR OF LOVING DANGEROUSLY HC $18.95
This is Ted Rall's book where he bangs like 10,000 chicks.
*****
The full list of this week's releases, including some titles with multiple cover variations and a long, impressive list of toys and other stuff that isn't comics, can be found here. Despite this official list there's no guarantee a comic will show up in the stores as promised, or in all of the stores as opposed to just a few. Also, stores choose what they carry and don't carry so your shop may not carry a specific publication. There are a lot of comics out there.
To find your local comic book store, check this list; and for one I can personally recommend because I've shopped there, albeit a while back, try this.
The above titles are listed with their Diamond order code in the first field, which may assist you in finding comics at your shop or having them order something for you they don't have in-stock. Ordering through a direct market shop can be a frustrating experience, so if you have a direct line to something -- you know another shop has it, you know a bookstore has it -- I'd urge you to consider all of your options.
If I didn't list your comic here, that's because I don't really care for you.
Alan Gardner gives me the nudge of reminder that is Dana Simpson's win in the comic strip superstar contest run by Amazon.com, Andrews McMeel and Universal. She'll get a developmental contract, which used to be the syndicate's way of seeing if you'd crack up given an actual slot and deadlines or had no strips beyond those in your submission. Today, it's a slightly more active state, usually including exposure on-line. Anyway, I think it's a strong, direct-in-a-good-way submission and has a chance to do well -- there are no real popular, iconic, young female characters right now. It all comes down to execution, of course, but playing to a perceived weakness on the comics page has worked for cartoonists like Jim Davis for decades now. Samples here.
Missed It: Blogger Held For Week By Tunisian Authories Suspicious She Was Famous Cartoonist/Blogger Dirk Deppey picked up on a news story this morning that I had heard without knowing there was a cartooning component: the seizure, five-day detention and eventual release of Tunisian blogger Fatma Riahi. It's an interesting story in part because despite Tunisia's almost decade-long history of jailing on-line commentators, the on-line community rallied to drive attention and attendant scorn to Riahi's story. What Dirk picked up on that I hadn't is that she was accused of being the cartoonist-blogger behind the site Blog De Z. That person denied it in cartoon form.
Trial For Real-Life Two-Face Ending
I won't steal the photographer's hard work by re-publishing their photo here, and I think the article is pretty straight-forward once you get into it so I don't need to republish huge chunks of prose, but it is odd when life mirrors fiction. I can't speak for Camden, but I'm pretty certain Philly is Gotham City the same way Cleveland is Metropolis. Also, "thinkative" is an amazing non-word, a potential hall of famer.
People Still Fear FIBD Not Happening
I asked CR columnist, Euro-comics expert and longtime Festival at Angouleme attendee Bart Beaty about a new prominent blog posting calling into question the fate of January's Festival International de la Bande Dessinée.
"I don't think that there's much there in the FPI thing, and their only link is to a story that's ten days old.
"I'm not sure that they're going to lose anyone unless this is still happening in January. Part of it is that the reaction is universally 'well, that's France', which is the response to most things. Massive train strike the opening day of the Festival? Well, that's France. Airports shut down? Well, that's France. I assume everyone else assumes that the Festival will just find a way to go on no matter what happens."
In that last graph Bart was responding to my assertion to him that if they don't make an announcement strongly in the other direction -- stronger than last week's governmental declaration that the show will go on -- they might start to lose people who have to make more elaborate traveling plans or have to put in for money or permission in order to attend, especially in a worldwide recession. He doesn't think so. I defer to Bart.
I think the key for right now is that today's eruption of worry doesn't seem based on any new information (the linked-to articles look like they're from October), and last we knew there was still an impasse over a few hundred thousand dollars (down from a higher amount), the Mayor and the Festival organizers are all back from their vacations and locals don't seem to be worried. I suspect there isn't a strong answer either way, at least not right this second, and to imply that someone out there really know what's going on but is refusing to share that information is wrong. There are real problems with one of the funding mechanisms related to infrastructure, they seem surmountable, a minor amount of political brinksmanship seems to be involved, and we'll see how serious it is next month as the run-up to the show intensifies. I think anyone declaring anything with more certainty than that is playing a hunch. Sometimes stories are like that, even when we want a firm answer either way.
Childs Play Charity Already At $260K
One of the five great things about comics culture, the Child's Play charity started by Penny Arcade cartoonists Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, has a $260,000 head start on this year's goal. I just wanted to get that out there and on your radar in case you'd care to help them along.
* I read a bunch of Newsboy Legion stories over the weekend for a project I took on. That's one of the two (I think) significant Golden Age Simon/Kirby kids comics efforts, and one of three significant efforts of that type (again, I think) in Kirby's career. I was surprised by how not terrible the stories were. There's a certain rudimentary A to B quality in the plots, by which I mean for example if there's a conversation of a nefarious nature anywhere in Suicide Slum to be overheard, one of the feature's lead kids is certain to be nearby. Still, the stories have a certain integrity when it comes to tone and keeping everyone within the parameters of their established character types, and there's a greater self-awareness in terms of genre and expectations of same than I remembered seeing during my past dips into the 1940s four-color pool.
* I'm not sure why I've never seen a review of Watchmen written this way before.
* a profile of Hugh Hefner, cartoonist. At one point at The Comics Journal in the late 1990s we were set to interview Hefner, and I don't know what happened. I was drinking a lot in those days.
* those damn muties 01: how Grant Morrison ruined the X-Men. I liked that run of comic books just fine, although I think the memory of those books is better than those books, if you know what I mean. I'm also a little bit baffled why everyone thinks those books were so forward thinking when they were as much a tribute to the original Claremont/Byrne run in point by point fashion as much as they were about adding a little emotional realism to the long-running series.
* those damn muties 02: here's some love for the X-Men story Days Of Future Past as a general time travel story. That was a cool comic to read when I was 12; its core elements have been yanked around and picked at so many times since then it's hard for me to judge the original's effectiveness. Murdering all of the good guys in brutal fashion like that was a jaw-dropper for a young superhero fan in that time period, though, and Colonel Logan of the Canadian Resistance Army sure looked cool in his black turtleneck and brown jacket.
* does anyone have direct experience moving pictures from classic slide-machine slides to a jpeg or file that can be utilized on-line? I already know there are machines you can buy to scan them, and I know there are sites out there that will teach you how to build some sort of light-manipulating cone to put on a flat scanner. I don't think I want to buy a machine just for 400 or so slides, and building a cone seems like it's an invitation to give myself a blood-pressure related stroke. I was hoping someone had more direct, practical experience with one of those options or simply getting them done by someone else. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
* this is for those of you that travel: can I really expect to pay over $600 from various cities west of the Mississippi to Toronto for TCAF? This seems like an absurd price to me by about 50 percent -- I flew to Rome in 2008 for $130 more -- but anywhere I look it seems to come in somewhere between $600-$700. I'd really like to go to that show, but I don't want to spend the weekend feeling ripped off. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if you've made this trip before and have any insight to share!
Your Danish Cartoons Hangover Update
* here's a bit more on the Indian interest in David Coleman Headley, and possible connections between the two Mickey Mouse Plot principals and established terrorist groups.
* I'm not certain why I can only find this in a Myanmar wire service story -- it could be my not-great link finding skills -- but that story says Al Qaeda-related tapes were found in the residence of that aforementioned secondary Mickey Mouse Plot figure, Tahawwur Hussain Rana. I'm not sure if that's something where it's quite common for such a tape to show up in someone who has those political interests, or if this glue traps the efforts to make Rana out to be the innocent half of that team. Or something between those two strident poles -- but there it is!
* so I guess there's a new book that's a bunch of Muhammad images buttressed by an essay in support of unfettered free speech. Sounds like a stunt than a serious book, depending on the quality and necessity of that essay and the intentions of its publisher. I'm not in favor of stunt-publishing pictures of Muhammad. I think it's obnoxious, and I think the people that do so are starting cultural conversations they have no inclination or skill to continue. But one certainly has the right to do so.
Go, Read: Amy Wilson’s Follow-Up Article On The KY Library LOEG Story
A bunch of you have e-mailed me this article that I guess appeared over the weekend from a reporter named Amy Wilson, who digs into the recent story of two Jessamine County, Kentucky library workers being let go for working to hold a copy of League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier from those wishing to check it out, primarily and vocally children, although through methods that don't necessarily guarantee that consideration. The article reveals a lot of the background story, and while I'm probably more sympathetic to people wanting to establishing community standards of some sort than most free speech defenders, to my eyes the pair comes across as self-righteous, willing to work outside the system and completely deserving of being fired. When I read about someone casually suggesting they spill tea or going so far as to check out books they don't like or feel are sorted incorrectly, my blood pressure goes through the roof. As much I know dozens and dozens of reasonable, forward-thinking parents who would probably raise an eyebrow over their elementary school age child having easy access to the book, I think after reading this article I would have fired these people, as well, and then I would have hired people that looked like them and fired them, too.
What follows is the list of "Les 20 indispensables de l'automne" as reported at various French-language comics news outlets like BDzoom. The list comes from the writers-about-comics group L'Association des Critiques et journalistes de Bande Dessinée (ACBD) and as far as I know is exactly what it sounds like. I like the idea of doing such a list, and hope that my repeating them here will lead whoever ends up doing an American writers-about-comic group (a group I won't join) to try something similar. Also, there's a lot of recognizable work on the list: American Splendor, Berlin, Genesis, that History Of American Empire project and work from familiar to English audiences BD creators like Zep and Marc-Antoine Mathieu.
* Amitiétroite, Bastien Vivès, (Casterman-KSTR)
* Anthologie American Splendor, Harvey Pekar (Çà et là)
* Berlin Vol. 2 : Ville de fumée, Jason Lutes (Delcourt)
* Blessures d'amour propre, Martin Veyron (Dargaud)
* Dieu en personne, Marc-Antoine Mathieu (Delcourt)
* La Genèse, Robert Crumb (Denoël Graphic)
* Happy Sex, Zep (Delcourt)
* L'Homme bonsaï, Fred Bernard (Delcourt)
* Il était une fois en France Vol. 3, Sylvain Vallée, Fabien Nury (Glénat)
* Léna et les trois femmes, André Juillard, Pierre Christin (Dargaud)
* Martha Jane Cannary Vol. 2, Matthieu Blanchin, Christian Perrissin (Futuropolis)
* Notre mère la guerre Vol. 1, Maël, Kris, (Futuropolis)
* L'Or et le sang Vol. 1, Fabien Bedouel, Merwan, Fabien Nury, Maurin Defrance (12 bis)
* Pachyderme, Frederick Peeters (Gallimard)
* Les Passagers du vent Vol. 6, François Bourgeon (12 bis)
* Le Petit rien tout neuf avec un ventre jaune, Pascal Rabaté (Futuropolis)
* Putain de guerre Vol. 2, Jacques Tardi et Jean-Pierre Verney (Casterman)
* Rébétiko : la mauvaise herbe, David Prudhomme (Futuropolis)
* Une histoire populaire de l'empire américain, Mike Konopacki, Paul Buhle (Vertige Graphic)
* Une vie chinoise Vol. 1, Li Kunwu, P. Ôtié (Kana)
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* researchers now believe that comic books are just as useful as prose reading in spurring reading by young people. I didn't know this was ever at question except on Cliché Island. (thanks, Paul D)
* the Forbidden Planet International blog is publishing various non-winners from the recent Cape/Observer/Comica contest. There's some very nice work in there if you want to dig in. By the way, a couple of you asked after something you'd heard about the Observer keeping rights to the winning stories in that contest. I asked Paul Gravett, and he says this is not true and the that rights are retained by the submitting artists.
* I'm not sure if this poster is funny, terrifying, or hilariously terrifying.
* the trailer for Marvel's next event comic is up here. I have yet to go look at it. I guess it's sort of interesting that they do trailers for comics like these now -- I don't know that it's effective, even a little bit, but it's interesting -- and this caught me eye because apparently this thing could be the last event series in Marvel's recent mega-cycle of event series.
* finally, Mike Lynch has pulled up a video from the Chicago Humanities festival featuring Lynda Barry and Matt Groening. I'm not sure if it's been around yet or not, but I sure can't remember seeing it.
The publishing year 2009 is far from over. It says something about the ridiculous wealth of comics talent making work right now that two book of the decade candidates have yet to arrive on shelves: Joe Sacco's wonderful new Footnotes In Gaza, featuring the cartoonist at the height of his considerable comics-making power, and the career-spanning Alec: The Years Have Pants from the great Eddie Campbell.
That doesn't mean we can't cheat ahead and look at new books, though. There are obvious highlights one can already pinpoint in the year 2010. For example, Drawn and Quarterly is working with Dan Clowes to publish his new and I would have to think much-anticipated book Wilson. Fantagraphics is adding what could be the last major strip multiple-volume reprint project they take on for a while with a fresh run at the frequently sublime Wash Tubbs/Captain Easy Roy Crane action-adventure comics. Belle Yang will be the latest illustrator and children's book author to take a shot at a long-form comic through a major book publisher with her Forget Sorrow. The manga companies continue to push new series they hope will buttress some of the continually successful titles later in their volume run. Even in a mainstream comics sense, we should start the see the impact of new ownership/management at the Big Two companies -- how DC plans to continue with its multiple imprints and program, how Marvel builds (or chooses not to build) to the release of another Iron Man movie. There are stop-and-watch stories galore.
As we all know, however, the strength of comics right now is the depth of the publishing efforts from the best houses. In that vein, here are five projects that caught my eye that I wasn't quite aware of before scoping out 2010.
1. Market Day, James Sturm, Drawn and Quarterly
I can't really tell if any of the big book companies are up to anything interesting for next year, which throws an even more penetrating spotlight on trustworthy art comics houses like D&Q and Fantagraphics. I liked James Sturm's editorial and occasional cartooning efforts on behalf of the kids books his school has done with Hyperion, but I miss engaging his work directly. Looks like I'll get to reintroduce myself this Spring.
*****
2. Set to Sea, Drew Weing, Fantagraphics
I wasn't aware at all that Fantagraphics was going to collect Drew Weing's ongoing on-line comic about a poet that get swept up and into a life at sea, but Amazon.com has this listed for early summer and I actually caught it this time. Weing's a natural cartoonist, I think, and his comics have an idiosyncratic sense of pacing and panel construction that makes his projects memorable.
*****
3. Night Animals, Brecht Evans, Top Shelf
At some point Top Shelf's European international connections are going to start resulting in a series of awesome books. That's not to suggest any sort of criticism in how this work has been handled, it's just that I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of these comics and I want them to hit as hard as possible when they arrive. I'm certain the company's first high-profile, Japanese alt-comics project Ax volume debuts this year. I'm also looking forward to some one-offs with European talents, too. Brecht Evans seems both a likely candidate for release in 2010 and for a shot at a bit of crossover success as a result -- there's a significant amount of visual appeal there. D&Q should have another book of Evans' out during the calendar year as well, which could help build buzz.
*****
4. Playboy's Trump! The Complete Collection, Harvey Kurtzman And Various, Dark Horse Comics
The title suggests that Dark Horse is publishing this work through their strong connection to the Playboy empire through some of the collections it has published. Getting to spend approximately two weeks' worth of evening time in the company of Fantagraphics' nice work with the Humbug material has me wanting to see as much Kurtzman-directed comics work as possible. There's Wally Wood work here, and I'm always susceptible to falling under the spell of Wood's work for a few days, weeks, months. I should mention that a project maybe more directly in line with the other choices here is Dark Horse's Carol Swain retrospective, Crossing The Empty Quarter, but that may still come out in 2009.
*****
5. I Will Bite You, Joe Lambert, Secret Acres
I don't know if the above comics panel is in Joseph Lambert's forthcoming collection from Secret Acres, I just know that I'm ready to read a collection of Lambert's work and Secret Acres seems like a good match for the cartoonist's work. In general, barring unique setbacks there should be a ton of good stuff coming out from the more boutique press publishers like Secret Acres, Buenaventura Press, Sparkplug Comics and PictureBox, it's just that it's harder to tell what and when. Just in stuff that's been spotlighted on previous days here at CR, Adhouse Books should kick the year off in style with its Afrodisiac book, while Blank Slate has two interesting books out early with Oliver East's Berlin and That (seen above) and Darryl Cunningham's Psychiatric Tales.
FFF Results Post #188—Design
On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Four Cartoonists You'd Hire To Do Interior Design In Your House and Name The Room You'd Have Them Do If They All Had To Do The Same One." This is how they responded.
Tom Spurgeon
1. Jack Kirby
2. Moebius
3. Steve Rude
4. Valium
5. Smoking Room
*****
Adam Casey
1. Darwyn Cooke
2. Michael Allred
3. Adrian Alphona
4. Charles Vess
5. Library
*****
Steve Thompson
1 - Marshall Rogers
2 - Winsor McCay
3 - Alfredo Alcala
4 - Michael Kaluta
5 - My Library
*****
Andrew Mansell
1. George McManus
2. Steve Rude
3. Windsor McCay
4. Gerhard
5. The Library/Billiard Room
First Thought Of The Day
A great thing that's come with living in New Mexico is that it's helped me get over my paralyzing fear of all things critter-related. A not-so-great thing about living in New Mexico is that it's helped me with this problem through a sort of forced roommate program.
The top comics-related news stories from October 31 to November 6, 2009:
1. Mickey Mouse plot suspects David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana are linked to planned terrorist attacks in Indiana and a Pakistani extremist group.
3. Fears of a canceled Angouleme begin to sizzle out as the municipality and festival organizers haggle over a smaller amount of pledged money than initially at issue.
Your Danish Cartoons Hangover Update
* it's not exactly the most glamorous way to end the week, but this story added a couple of foreboding elements in the last 24 hours.
* police in Bangladesh arrested three men earlier today that were targeting US-related sites in that country, ostensibly due to information recovered from suspects arrested in Chicago last month for plotting to harm Danish Cartoons cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, Jyllands-Posten editor Flemming Rose and the Jyllands-Posten office.
* two people have also been arrested in Pakistan related to both the arrested Chicago men, tying the plot into Lashkar-e-Taiba and making the whole thing slightly more scary. (A video commercial pops up when you hit that link and it's really annoying.)
* here's an article that ties the LeT thing with earlier reports that David Coleman Headley was being asked to consider targets in India either before or simply in addition to the cartoon-related targets.
* my interest in these stories, incidentally, isn't so much the unique information here -- although that's fascinating enough -- but that you could a) find the Danish Cartoon stuff being used as a recruitment tool more directly than ever, and b) could find the targets involved here included in wider lists of targets from now on.
John Jackson Miller On The Historical Precedents For DC’s Chart-Topping October 2009 DM Performance
For whatever reason, Diamond released its sales rankings early this month, which means we have a snapshot of how things sold relative to one another in October in the direct market of comic book and hobby shops. With that release comes realization that DC managed to take the top six spots on the new comic book sales chart. It's mostly Blackest Night material, DC's Green Lantern-related crossover, with a guest appearance by the high-profile Grant Morrison-written Batman and Robin:
1. Blackest Night #4
2. Batman and Robin #5
3. Green Lantern #47
4. Blackest Night: Batman #3
5. Green Lantern Corps #41
6. Blackest Night: Superman #3
Circulation figures expert John Jackson Miller goes into great detail about everything that means in an historical sense here. I'll have more to say about the modern significance when final numbers are released in I guess several days.
Crumb’s Genesis Book A GN Chart Hit? It looks that Robert Crumb's adaptation of the Book of Genesis may be building into a minor but respectable hit for publisher WW Norton, placing high on not-just-a-first-week appearance on the Bookscan chart devoted to graphic novels, according to its publication by comics business news and analysis site ICv2.com. As noted here last week, a strong showing by Crumb's book could do much to make for a good 2009 by the big book publishers, a group of comics-interested bodies that may not have enjoyed the best 2008.
I Guess FIBD Looks Good From Here
Just so you know: Le Mondecame to a different conclusion than I did from Tuesday's press conferences and meetings between the Mayor of Angouleme and the primary agent working with the municipality on behalf of the Angouleme Festival: emphasizing the "show will go on" declarations. I was more focused on the remaining differences between monies pledge and monies the municipality said it would pony up for infrastructure. My guess -- and it's a guess! -- is that things are pretty much okay now, and probably weren't all that dicey at any one time. You'll find some people still holding their breath, though. I imagine that public support for such shows if the worldwide recession continues or worsens could end up being a huge issue.
Powell began drawing for the Arkansas Gazette while still in college, and worked in San Antonio and Cincinnati before settling in at the News & Observer in 1975. He would go on to win awards from the Overseas Press Club and Headliners Club, share in the paper's 1995 Pulitzer Prize, and publish three collections of his work. In 2008 Powell fought against a financially related reduction in his services and won. He has been distributed in recent years by Creators Syndicate. It's unknown at this time if the paper will replace the longtime North Carolina fixture.
Marc Bernardin Tenure At EW Ends
The writer Marc Bernardinwas let go from Entertainment Weekly in what one would assume is the latest round of savings through personnel reduction at a big, recession-concerned company, in this case Time Warner. Bernardin was one of the key media writers in terms of getting regular coverage for comics through that outlet, was open and accessible about doing so which gave people a window into those efforts, and has himself moved into comics as a writer. Our best wishes to Bernardin in continuing with those efforts.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* the heck with Con War -- we have Cartoon War.
* I forgot to link to this fun post by Dash Shaw where he suggests a tactic for comics education regarding house styles, probably because I was staring at the cool panel right in the text featuring a brontosaurus. Much chaos in the comments section.
* there's a massive post here by Craig Fischer using Osamu Tezuka as a springboard to discuss about ten films and cartoonists I like, although I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Sure looks intimidating, though.
* this post on various Con War updates pretty much examines the fighting foxhole to foxhole. It's sort of demented, really. In a good way.
* Johanna Draper Carlson's note telling people to stop sending her mobile-version-of-comic PR cracked me up. I'm less certain than Johanna that this isn't news anymore, but only because I couldn't ever tell when it was news.
Hadi Heidari’s Wife Among New Round Of Arrested Iran Journos; Situation Dire
Over 100 journalists have been arrested in Iran in recent weeks, while another 50 or so have left the country, all traced to recent political turmoil in analysis released by a largely dismayed Reporters With Borders. Cartoonist Hadi Hedari of the popular Persian Cartoons clearinghouse remains among those arrested, and has been joined in the last week or so by his wife, Negar Sayeh, who works for a variety of media outfits. Heidari I believe is being held in the famous Evin prison in Tehran, known for its harsh conditions and political prisoners wing.
Missed It: Marvel Q3 Profits Down 60%
Everyone and their mom, including the always-dependable comics business news and analysis site ICv2.com, has run a short story noting Marvel's downturn in profit and sales Q3 this year to last, and this quarter to last percentage-wise. Everyone I've read thinks this is the dead spot between the last rush of movies and the next rush of movies, with the resulting cascade effect through the company's prime-time licensing partnerships. I'm of that mind, too. I thought it interesting that ad revenues were down in publishing, publishing was down generally, and the book side of Marvel publishing, its recognized big area of improvement, went up only slightly. If nothing else this seems to me that the general notion that the price change in the comics was being done to offset sales in places other than publishing was floated like a candy bar in a swimming pool -- I can think of it as a hedge against declines in that division, though.
Go, Read: XKCD Book Effort Profiled
I've been meaning to link to one of the articles about Randall Munroe's success with a first, self-published print volume of his XKCD. There are a couple of reasons. One, the notion of putting some of the resulting monies to work on behalf of a school in Laos is so terrific an idea it seems like a parody when you read it. Two, I think the model he's employing in order to get his work out there is an overwhelming, positive good. I'm not a triumphalist when it comes to one way of doing business over another. I figure the more successful models there are the more artists will be able to find a model that suits them and the more each model will have to work on behalf of the artists that employ them rather than the other way around. I'm also doubtful every model suits everyone.
Happy 30th Birthday To Viz Magazine This longish article pays tribute to the humor magazine Viz upon what I take is approximately its 30th Birthday. My memory is that Viz had a small but significant presence in a lot of comics shops during its million-plus overall sales heyday. Before that it was an item of cultural otherness -- not to mention really rude and stupid comics of varying quality -- that made isolated stabs into communities through teenagers that discovered it while overseas and brought it with them. At least that's how it initially showed up in my hometown. Anyway, I wanted to post the article because it has a lot of information on how the magazine works now, when it no longer sells as well but seems to have settled into a kind of relatively distinguished second act under the control of involved cartoonists. I'd love to see that kind of thing happen here more frequently, but I'm not holding my breath. Also, not enough people consider the Fat Slags movie when it comes to all-time comics movie failures.
Bailey/Coy Books In Seattle Closing
I was sad to hear through Paul Constant that Bailey/Coy Books is closing at the end of the month. I don't know enough about Puget Sound literary culture or Seattle retail to speak to what it means in either of those senses, but as a former Capitol Hill resident I spent a lot of time perusing its shelves and bought a lot of books from them. It was a very good neighborhood bookstore in the sense that Constant mentions -- that most camps felt welcome there -- but it was also convenient to a lot of foot traffic folks, hired mostly friendly and non-stupid people, had a balanced set of offerings by category, and made you feel like you had a snapshot of what was going on in the book world despite it being a small space that couldn't possibly have the number of books required to do that.
Bailey/Coy did have a comics component, although nothing that came close to major or noteworthy except for one stab at a full graphic novels section section organized by one-time employee Evan Sult that I believe very much failed to get over. It was a great place to find out about art books related to comics that didn't really raise an eyebrow in the general funnybook circles -- something by Gary Baseman, say. It also hosted the occasional comics-related event; I remember one with James Sturm and Dylan Horrocks that Dylan attended right after finishing off the bulk of our Comics Journal interview. Anyway, if I still lived somewhere around there I'm sure I'd miss stepping in on my way home from a movie, although the movie theater I'm thinking of is probably closed, too.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* let us all stop for ten seconds at some point this week and appreciate Stan Sakai.
* Marvel is offering a couple recent issues of Fantastic Four featuring the new team of Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham. This is actually a bit more interesting than the average digital release in that this short run of issues is clearly the hot, cool, superhero comic book of exactly right now. That's a designation that used to take at least a few months to build for a certain comic or run. It's not the speed of the Internet that's the factor in accelerating this but that so many social media tools are available to so many people you can have quick consensus rather than simply a strong opinion here and there. Driving attention to a certain run of issues while they're still going on seems to me like something companies like this should be able to do now, and will do routinely in the next 18-24 months.
* by the way, I read those Fantastic Four comics in print form, and I think the comics themselves are pretty good. I have design quibbles. I'm not really hot about Reed Richards looking bigger and stronger than Bo Jackson. I get it, it just looks weird to me. It seems like everyone should be stopping and commenting on it. "Good God, Richards. You look massive." The plot reminds me of that strange Roy Thomas run in 1975 or so -- the one that began with Arkon and ended with a cosmic doppleganger Johnny Storm ice hockey goalie super-being? -- where everything is huge and cosmic and mind-boggling and sad and broken and matter-of-fact. A lot depends on if they stick the landing.
* I found this post interesting: it's by Colleen Doran on how her inking has changed during the stop and start process of doing A Distant Soil.
* I kept trying to read this essay by Steven Grant about how comics have entered a disco era and how that sucks, but every other sentence I would stop to listen to various Pointer Sisters songs through YouTube and the next thing I knew I had spent the whole evening dancing.
* the writer and artist Charles Yoakum calls it as he sees it when it comes to a piece of modern superhero art. It is a dreadful-looking page.
* I think I pretty strongly disagree that it's unfair to hold employees accountable for the actions of the companies where they work, at least when all it involves is yelling at or insulting them for being a part of that company. I know that when I worked for Fantagraphics, I was complicit in what Fantagraphics did, at least to the point where my showing up for work was a vote of confidence in the company. Back then this meant people occasionally yelled at you or called you a pornographer or screeched at you on CompuServe about Carol Kalish or hung up on you when you called. You can hash out the degree of complicity, I guess, and the way some companies are structured into separate entities gives some institutional heft to being able to disavow a certain degree of involvement with certain matters. I don't think you get to pick and choose, though. If I were a Wizard employee, I'd expect Scott Kurtz to assume I'm a douchebag. There are some people out there that still hang up on me for whom it's always going to be 1996. That's okay, too.
* the next Oliver East book at Blank Slate will be out in January. It's called Berlin And That, and there's a full description and a down-loadable PDF of a few pages here. You should check it out.
* the cartoonist and artist Alex Fellows wrote in to direct my attention to his webcomic, Spain & Morocco.
* Tor will serialize book-length graphic novels on-line, in a deal just announced. Familiar names include Jim Ottaviani, Dan Goldman and Leland Purvis.
* so the great Brendan McCarthy has a Dr. Strange mini-series coming out next year. If this rejected promotional image is any indication of what we're in for, there's at least one Marvel comic we'll all need to buy in 2010.
* it looks like Trevor Von Eeden's Jack Johnson biography The Original Johnsonis going into print form at IDW through their deal with ComicMix.
+ Luna Park, Kevin Baker, Danijel Zezelj (11-17-09)
+ The Chill, Jason Starr and Mick Bertilorenzi (11-12-10)
+ Bronx Kill, Peter Milligan and James Romberger (03-09-10)
+ Area 10, Christos Gage and Chris Samnee (04-13-10)
+ The Executor, Jon Evans and Andrea Mutti (06-01-10)
+ Fogtown, Andersen Gabrych and Brad Rader (Not Yet Announced)
+ Cowboys, Gary Phillips and Brian Hurtt (Not Yet Announced)
+ Return to Perdition, Max Alan Collins and Terry Beatty (Not Yet Announced)
If that's a line that interests you, you should look at the covers posted to Evans's version of the list.
* at the bottom of this post is the cover to The Invincible Gene Colan, a book to which I contributed a short essay. It benefits the iconic mainstream comic book artist whose name is in the title. You can advance order various editions here.
* finally, the cartoonist Benjamin Marra has announced that his Traditional Comics publishing operation now has a web site, a blog, and a Facebook listing.
Shel Dorf, 1933-2009 The writer and comics historian Mark Evanier brings word that Shel Dorf, the founder or a founder of Comic-Con International depending on one's interpretation of events, passed away on the afternoon of November 3. Dorf had been hospitalized for a lengthy period. His brother and survivor Michael was reportedly at his side.
Shel Dorf was born in Michigan. He was educated at the Art Institute in Chicago, and worked at the Detroit Free-Press and in New York as a freelance commercial designer. Dorf was also, during all that time, one of America's most enthusiastic and outgoing comics fans, at a time when there really wasn't a template for how to be that sort of fan. Like many fans of newspaper strips -- Dorf was a huge fan of Chester Gould's Dick Tracy and would consult on the 1990 film version -- the young, aspiring cartoonist kept a scrapbook of favorite strips clipped from local publications. He would later befriend several cartoonists and comics creators. As described in a 2006 profile in the San Diego Union-Tribune:
He loved the stories, and he loved the artwork, and the people who created the comics were his heroes. He knew them all by name. When he grew up, he wanted to be one of them.
Back then, in the 1940s, being a fan didn't make you a creep. Nobody knew what "stalking" was. You got a star's picture or autograph because it meant something to you, not because you were going to sell it on eBay.
Not many people considered cartoonists stars, but Dorf did. He reached out to them, sent them custom Christmas cards. Some became his friends.
The relationships he cultivated in comics and among celebrities related to the fantastic corner of pop culture helped Dorf organize conventions in Michigan beginning in 1965 called Detroit Triple Fan-Fairs. They were among the first recognized modern conventions. When he moved to Southern California in the late 1960s after helping his parents re-locate to the area, he lent his efforts to build something similar in his new home region. That led to the series of shows whose annual expression is today known as Comic-Con International, North America's largest convention of its type.
Dorf's fingerprints are all over the early shows. In a story that's been told several times including in the recent Comic-Con: 40 Years Of Artists, Writers, Fans And Friends!, Dorf rallied into service, focused and generally advised a number of local, mostly younger comics fans such as Richard Alf, Barry Alfonso, Bob Sourk, Dan Stewart and Mike Towry, lending further legitimacy to prominent and thriving regional fan organizations through his multitude of contacts and direct experience with such community-binding shows. The range of interests on display -- Dorf's particular passion for comic strips and their creator was one such thread that winds its way through the con's history -- ended up being a longtime strength of the show and the basis for the multitude of programming and show elements present in today's version.
Listed as founder and advisor on an early proto-San Diego Con flyer, Dorf served as as the organization's formal head for several years after those inaugural shows, and was widely recognized as a driving force for the show in its early years above and beyond a formal designation. When the show became a non-profit in 1975, Dorf was its board's first chairman.
Evanier reports an eventual break between Dorf and the show's organizers, certainly in effect by the early years of this decade. (The San Diego Union-Tribune said in its obituary that Dorf spent about 15 years as a primary mover on the convention's most important committees.) Evanier estimates that his last attendance at Comic-Con may have come in 2001.
A devoted comics fan throughout his adult life, Dorf served as the letterer on the Steve Canyon strip for its final years of publication. He spoke of that experience here. According to Mark Evanier's send-off, Caniff made a character out of Dorf, a football player named "Thud Shelley." Jack Kirby's character Himon from Mister Miracle was also based on Dorf, says Evanier.
Dorf suffered complications from diabetes and I believe related ailments, making it increasingly difficult for him to to walk and leading to his eventual long-term hospitalization. He was reportedly cheered by fans of the show and friends made along the way reaching out to him via letter or personal visit. Certainly as Comic-Con swelled in recent years to become something of a late-blooming pop culture phenomenon with comic book roots, interest was piqued in the story of the men and women who started that effort decades earlier from a desire to have so many things they loved and creators they admired in the same room at the same time.
The top page of the Comic-Con web site contained the following message alongside a photo of Dorf:
Shel Dorf's love for comic books and their creators had no equal. It was his appreciation of this art form and his keen foresight that helped to create what it Comic-Con.
It is with a heavy heart that we -- the Board of Directors, Committee, Staff and Volunteers of Comic-Con -- mourn the passing of our dear friend.
A site devoted to his efforts and actions on behalf of the convention and his friends has been established here. Funeral services are today.
David Horsey Cartoon Draws SC Ire An editorial cartoon from David Horsey run at the new Post-Intelligencer site has drawn the ire of some South Carolinians who were no doubt exposed to the work J. Wellington Wimpy-style by enterprising news sources like Fox North Carolina. Horsey uses elements such as a moonshine still, a confederate flag and a dog to criticize Boeing's decision to go to non-unionized South Carolina with a ton of new jobs as opposed to expanding facilities in Washington state. I think escalating games of cross-regional cartoon dozens would be a fine way to bring some heat back to the editorial page, and I think it's great that Horsey went knives out on this one. The only argument I can see against it is that going with the regional insults might obscure the non-union point rather than buttress it.
Your Danish Cartoons Hangover Update
* in growing evidence that the general plans of arrested Chicago men David Coleman Headley and Tahawwura Rana included targets other than targets related to the Danish Muhammad cartoons (the Jyllands-Posten office, cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, editor Flemming Rose), there are reports that other targets for Headley were discussed including a college in India. I have no idea how much weight to give such claims -- there some jostling in terms of bail going on, and if you looked at my e-mails for the last six month you could conceivably say I thought about visiting terrorism a couple of college football referees in September. I do know the authorities are taking it seriously.
* this is the first report that I've seen state what each man could conceivably be facing: Headly is looking at life in prison; Rana a potential sentence of 15 years.
* a really lousy idea made possible in part because of political fallout from the Danish Cartoons Controversy, the UN Defamation of Religions resolution is criticized here.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* Robert Crumb Vs. Lee Friedlander. I'm not quite feeling the criticism of Crumb there, but the comments thread in particular provides much food for thought.
This Isn’t A Library: New And Notable Releases To The Comics Direct Market
*****
Here are the books that make an impression on me staring at this week's largely accurate list of books shipping from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. to comic book and hobby shops across North America.
I might not buy all of the works listed here. I might not buy any. But were I in a comic book shop tomorrow I would see all the comics goodness that was out there before me and take out my wallet and make it rain nerd-style.
*****
JUN090899 LIKE A DOG HC $22.99
A collection of Zak Sally comics. I'm way behind on his work, so I'm looking forward to this big time.
SEP090961 MONSTERS GN (A) $18.00
This is a book about Herpes. Ken Dahl's an interesting, natural cartoonist -- this decade's David Collier, maybe, although much less of a virtuoso art wise.
SEP090014 AGE OF REPTILES JOURNEY #1 $3.50 AUG090348 AGE OF BRONZE #29 (MR) $3.50
My brain refused to write a scannable joke about how one of these is about dinosaurs and the other one is the dinosaur that is the long-running serial indy comic, so just imagine one.
JUL090075 TUROK SON OF STONE ARCHIVES HC VOL 04 $49.95
This also has dinosaurs in it, although part of me refuses to believe Turok comics can exist not stuffed at the bottom of some toy chest or missing a cover.
JUN090605 CRIMINAL DELUXE ED $49.99
On the other hand, I can certainly believe that a deluxe treatment would flatter the Ed Brubaker/Sean Phillips crime series.
JUL090054 USAGI YOJIMBO HC YOKAI $14.95
A stand-alone Stan Saki painted story to celebrate the character's anniversary and perhaps provide that character with an easily accessible perennial.
SEP090455 STRANGE TALES #3 (OF 3) (MR) $4.99 SEP090381 MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ #1 (OF 8) $3.99
Marvel's indy-comics offering sees its final issue and its next round of Oz comics sees its first.
SEP090029 WITCHFINDER IN THE SERVICE OF ANGELS #5 (OF 5) $2.99
This week's trip into the Mignolaverse.
SEP090901 FROM THE ASHES #6 $3.99
This week's trip to the Fingermanverse -- the last time to this particular post-apocalyptic neighborhood, I'm guessing.
AUG091103 NANA TP VOL 19 (MR) $9.99
If I were buying one manga volume today, I'd be buying this one.
SEP090150 MAGOG #3 $2.99
I just sort of like looking at the word "Magog."
AUG091027 STUMPTOWN #1 (MR) $3.99
Greg Rucka's latest, a love letter to The Rockford Files. Although everyone knows you don't write a love letter to The Rockford Files, you call and leave a message.
*****
The full list of this week's releases, including some titles with multiple cover variations and a long, impressive list of toys and other stuff that isn't comics, can be found here. Despite this official list there's no guarantee a comic will show up in the stores as promised, or in all of the stores as opposed to just a few. Also, stores choose what they carry and don't carry so your shop may not carry a specific publication. There are a lot of comics out there.
To find your local comic book store, check this list; and for one I can personally recommend because I've shopped there, albeit a while back, try this.
The above titles are listed with their Diamond order code in the first field, which may assist you in finding comics at your shop or having them order something for you they don't have in-stock. Ordering through a direct market shop can be a frustrating experience, so if you have a direct line to something -- you know another shop has it, you know a bookstore has it -- I'd urge you to consider all of your options.
If I didn't list your comic here, that is probably to your credit and certainly isn't to mine.
Tuesday Press Conference Indicates Money Issue Refinement At Angouleme
A press conferences on Tuesday by Angouleme Mayor Philippe Lavaud -- I can think of better things to return to from a vacation -- failed to push forward an apparent impasse between the longtime, vital European comics industry gathering and all-around art form celebration and the municipality that serves as its host. The amount of money involved in terms of how much the town is willing to pay for certain matters of festival infrastructure may have been refined -- the mayor spoke in terms of 140,000 Euros (approximately), while the original amount reported that the festival expects from the city is approximately 400,000 Euros. Bart Beaty reports back to CR anecdotal evidence that the locals aren't even discussing the issue, which leads him to think it may be less of a big deal than some media outlets might assert.
Angouleme Festival organizer Franck Bondoux is schedule to have a press conference either late today or tomorrow, depending on the source. The Festival is in late January.
“Edgy And Provocative Is What I Do” The above hilarity comes from a University of Richmond professor defending his right to assign books by Robert Crumb to a class, even if they contain points of view that some might find repugnant. A couple of Crumb's loaded statements made during an appearance on campus set the usual line of thinking afire, with typical "I believe this/Well, I believe this" stand-off/non-story. When I was a student, I felt much the same way about Harper Lee.
Your Danish Cartoons Hangover Update
* the team of Indian intelligence officials set to interview terror suspect David Coleman Headley has arrived on US soil, although their exact schedule will remain a secret.
* the friends and family of the other Mickey Mouse plot suspect, Tehawwur Hussain Rana, have asserted through their attorney they're willing to put up as much as $1 million to secure his release on bond. As a part-time travel agent with family in Canada and, potentially, sympathizers throughout the world, I would have to assume Rana is considered an extreme flight risk. Rana appears in court today on the matter.
* I know that the writer is the same person who wrote a profile of cartoonist Westergaard last week, so I can only assume there's new information here. Someone needs to declare a cleaning jihad on his desk.
* a caricature web site that will engage the issue of climate change has been funded through the sale and use of the original Muhammad cartoons. Seriously.
* A Drifting Life, Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn and Quarterly)
* All Star Superman, Vol. 2, Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely (DC Comics)
* Asterios Polyp, David Mazzucchelli (Pantheon)
* George Sprott: (1894-1975), Seth (Drawn and Quarterly)
* Locas II: Maggie, Hopey & Ray, Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics Books)
* Masterpiece Comics, R. Sikoryak (D&Q)
* Stitches: A Memoir, David Small (W.W. Norton)
* The Book of Genesis Illustrated, R. Crumb (WW Norton)
* The Photographer Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefevre (First Second)
* The Umbrella Academy: Dallas, Gerard Way, Gabriel Ba (Dark Horse Comics)
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* if you are one of the people whose work could benefit from a Swann Foundation fellowship, you really need to know about the Swann Foundation fellowship application process.
* I'm not sure I even know what to say about the way that Comic-Con International is selling its early tickets. It makes sense -- it's an investment in time and money that is a lot like a major family vacation -- or is a major family vacation -- but it's really strange to those of us who can remember a time not far out of mind where you could decide to go two weeks out and find a hotel room downtown 20 minutes later.
Your Danish Cartoons Hangover Update
* believe me, I'd love to stop writing these.
* here's the weekend's best wrap-up story on recent events, in the form of a think piece on how the arrest of two Chicago men for their plans to commit terrorist acts abroad flips the script on a common fear of people coming from outside the US to peform terrorist acts here. A funnier man than I am could work up a really good import/export joke here.
* there was a bomb scare at Kurt Westergaard's house over the weekend.
* occasional wire-type articles have been popping up since last week's news of their arrests about the activities of suspected anti-Danish Cartoons plotters David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, which indicates a number of trips by Headley to various regions of interest.
* this article goes a bit further to suggest that the arrest of Headley suggests a new campaign by certain elements of Al Qaeda in Pakistan.
* this is the closest I've seen in terms of a comment from Flemming Rose, the Jylland-Posten editor who originally commissioned the Danish Muhammad cartoons in 2005 and a supposed target of Headley and Rana. I still distrust the storyline that presents the original actions solely as an action regarding freedom of expression, but that's not only a post for another time it has been a post at another time.
Tribune Extends Comics Offerings According to a short piece in Editor & Publisher, the Chicago Tribune is adding former Rocky Mountain News sports cartoonist Drew Litton to its freelancer pool with a weekly cartoon to go into the "Chicago Sports" section. As would seem likely by scanning the proper nouns involved, Litton will focus on local sports teams, extending down state to the various University Illinois squads and out the South Shore Passenger Line to Notre Dame.
This comes on the heels of a decision earlier this Fall by the paper to reinstate their full-time editorial cartoonist position by hiring Scott Stantis. While not a move on that level, the thought of a major paper such as the Tribune reinvesting in cartoon visuals and doing so through sports cartoons has a kick all its own. I would also think this might potentially add some weight and momentum to new AAEC head Rex Babin and his push to have papers take better stock of editorial cartoonists doing local cartoons.
First prize went to 28-year-old Vivien McDermid for her story "Paint." She will receive a check for £1000 (approximately $1475 USD) at a ceremony this coming Sunday. Second place went to Joff Winterhart for "Days of the Bagnold Summer." He will receive a cash award of 1/4 the first prize amount. Over 300 entries were received after the initial deadline was extended. Judges were Cooke, Paul Gravett, Simone Lia, Dan Franklin (of Jonathan Cape) and Suzanne Dean (of Random House). Joe Sacco was disqualified when the extended deadline made it impossible for him to participate. This is the third year for the contest.
I'm reminded by a couple of readers that there was some question over the rights to the entered and winning stories in this contest; I have an e-mail out to see if that's still an issue.
* it's completely silly to be jealous of someone not knowing who a cartoonist is just so that you can relive your own discovery of that cartoonist, but there I am with this piece on Virgil Partch.
* I think this makes Kreed Rorschach, and I am totally okay with that.
* here's Kiel Phegley with the Comics Journal staff about their forthcoming format changes and move of much more material on-line. Jeet Heer analyzes what he thinks the Journal's done best in recent years.
Go, Look: Remaining On-Line Portals To Nick Magazine Cartooning, Comics
The final issue of Nickelodeon is on the stands where I grocery shop. There are still a couple of ways to look at some of the comics and cartooning accrued by the magazine over the years:
Five For Friday #187 -- Name Five Comics-Related Halloween Costumes And Describe How You Can Put Together One Of Them -- No Joke Answers On The Last One, Please.
1. The Death Of The Comic Book
2. Tubby
3. Bob's Big Boy
4. The Cast Of American Flagg! (if you have a cat)
5. Richie Rich -- cheesily-dyed super-blonde hair or wig with part down the middle, fake Xeroxed million dollar bills with your face in the middle, blazer, white shirt, bow tie, white shoes and socks. Tiny sock garters (can be drawn) and cuff links optional. Great 90-minute beginning to end costume. You have to nail the hair, at least the impression of the color, to make it work. Cheap over-sized $ lapel pin with glitter optional.
*****
Dave Knott
* Grendel
* Bizarro Superman
* Spirou
* Ogami Itto -- Cart with Daigoro (real or fake) is mandatory.
* 'V' -- Black pants, coat, and boots. Optional black cape. Tall wide-brimmed hat, black (Mexican bolero will do in a pinch). Straight-haired shoulder length auburn wig. Guy Fawkes mask. Weapons optional. To be truly authentic, you cannot reveal your identity to anyone. This costume has excellent re-use potential in the Commonwealth, as it can be applied five days later for Guy Fawkes Night celebrations.
1. Uncle Creepy
2. Youg Goodnman Beaver
3. The Little King
4. Henry
5. The Red Tornado -- red longjohns, bath towel cape, galoshes, large pot with eye holes cut in it (may need the services of a welder for this). Falsies if ya need 'em.
*****
Justin J. Major
1. Vampire Batman
2. Frankenstein Superman
3. Wealthy Playboy Bruce Wayne (must have pipe)
4. Golden Age Sandman (fedora + gas mask = awesome)
5. Calvin and Hobbes. - Messy blond wig, white tennis shoes, black shorts, black and red stripped tee-shirt, toy tiger (alternative: Messy blond wig, white tennis shoes, black shorts, black and red tee-shirt, urine-covered Chevy logo)
1. Red Tornado (Ma Hunkel)
2. Cutter (ElfQuest)
3. Judge Dredd
4. Plastic Man
5. Steve Ditko -- Don't show up to the party. (Not a joke; I don't really care for Halloween or parties.)
1. Deadman Occupying The Body Of John Fitzgerald Kennedy
2. Spider-Man Pulling Gwen Stacy's Dead Body Up From The Bridge (with repainted Mary Jane Bobblehead)
3. Firestorm (Jason Rusch) Arguing About The Higgs-Boson With The Floating Blue Head Of Former Conservative MP Sir Rhodes Boyson
4. Longjohns Bag-Head Fantastic Four Costume Spider-Man (from Amazing Spider-Man 258)
5. Disco Dazzler v The Hypno-Hustler. Good for couples/chums, the brinylon pantsuits and feathered/afro wigs should be available from any good costume shop. The glitter make-up likewise (or in chain hypermarket ala Wal-Mart). Dazzler's bling (glitterball necklace rated D-I-S-C-O) you could probably pick up from one of those Claire's Accessories shops, or make out of cardboard/marbles and tin foil. Roller skates and shades you might already have. Dazzler's powers would be harder to fake - mixed coloured foil confetti? Any old boom-box will do for the HypHus, as long as it doesn't have a CD player on it - verismillitude is all, so make a mix-tape, heavy on Chic, etc.. Your dignity may take a hit if you fall on yer arse, but at least you'll be in it together, and you-will-look MAHRvelous.
//\Oo/\\
*****
Adam Casey
1. J. Jonah Jameson
2. Professor Xavier
3. Bizarro Clark Kent
4. Frankie from the Goon
5. L from Death Note (Get a white long sleeve shirt one size too big, pants, no socks or shoes, several banana sundaes)
*****
Chris Duffy
1. Wimpy
2. Arnim Zola
3. Pink guy and bear from Sam Henderson's Nick Mag comic, "Scene But Not Heard"
4. Snipper Snipe from Kaz Strzepek's "Mourning Star" series.
5. Captain Triumph -- Okay no one will know who you are, but it's easy! You just need a red T-shirt and jodhpurs (brown jeans will do), boots, an imaginary ghost twin brother companion, a fake birthmark on your wrist, and a good physique. I won't be going as Captain Triumph.
*****
Douglas Wolk
1. L (from Death Note) -- any candy you collect becomes part of the costume!
2. Pupshaw and Pushpaw
3. The Question
4. Hela
5. Lord Julius -- Greasepaint eyebrows, greasepaint moustache, short black hair or wig (or, failing that, a fez). No glasses. Skulking stride. Three-piece suit with tails and skinny tie, or optional frilly dress if you're going for the "like-a-look" look and have the lower-arm muscles for it.
1. Anti-Twilight Comic-Con Attendee
2. Earth-Prime 1970s Comic Book writer
3. Oracle
4. Henry Peter Gyrich
5. Stig -- blond wig, dress shirt, tie, no pants, no socks, no shoes
* the critic and historian Charles Hatfield has penned a somewhat lengthy appreciation of JH Williams III 
* London Free Press 
* 
* Chris Grine 
Trinidad, who also worked as Celso Trinidad, was for a a time an assistant to Francisco V. Coching. It was with Coching he was initially exposed to comics work an where he developed an early style reminiscent of Coching's. According to 
* Black Hole, Charles Burns (Pantheon, 2005)
* 
* Tim Hensley 
* Jeffrey Meyer 
* Williams Burns wrote in to say, "It's not an imperishable classic, but I'd say Incredible Hercules deserves a spot on a list of 83." 
* Kenny Penman wrote in to say we might consider giving the nod to Teen Titans Year One for Karl Kerschl's art the same way we revere runs of comics from previous decades for the art alone.
* Brendan Wright 
* 
* not comics: according to a funny post by Warren Ellis, 
* the retailer and writer Chris Butcher writes about 
Starting with 
* the New York Times 
* I totally missed that Lynda Barry provided a pep talk to this year's participants in National Novel Writing Month. (
It's making 
* the writer of 
* the great cartoonist Jack Kirby and the feel of a sturdy handgun were two of my five favorite things when I was 15 years old, so 
Popular mainstream comics writers like Matt Fraction seem to get interviewed a lot between all of the project-specific interviews they do with the big sites and the occasional one-and-out pieces for sites like this one. What you rarely see is a long interview with public input, which Warren Ellis has provided with 
* I used to very much enjoy the B.C. paperbacks I found at garage sales and used bookstores; Mike Lynch found 
* the longtime comics reviewer Don MacPherson writes 
* speaking of Fantagraphics, I take it 
* 
* the historian, artist and author 
Dirk Deppey 
* I read a bunch of 
* the Forbidden Planet International blog 
It looks that Robert Crumb's adaptation of the Book of Genesis may be building into a minor but respectable hit for publisher WW Norton, placing high on not-just-a-first-week appearance on the Bookscan chart devoted to graphic novels, 
The longtime editorial cartoonist Dwane Powell of the Raleigh News & Observer announced his retirement on Wednesday, according to 
* I forgot to link to this fun post by Dash Shaw where he suggests 
* Marvel is offering 
* the cartoonist and artist Alex Fellows wrote in to direct my attention to his webcomic, 
The writer and comics historian Mark Evanier 
Listed as founder and advisor on an early proto-San Diego Con flyer, Dorf served as as the organization's formal head for several years after those inaugural shows, and was widely recognized as a driving force for the show in its early years above and beyond a formal designation. When the show became a non-profit in 1975, Dorf was its board's first chairman. 
* an interesting discussion of old DC logos and old logo generally 
The above hilarity comes from a University of Richmond professor 
* our pal Dan Nadel 
* it's completely silly to be jealous of someone not knowing who a cartoonist is just so that you can relive your own discovery of that cartoonist, but there I am with 
