Comics By Request: People, Places In Need Of Funding By Tom Spurgeon
* the second Artist Within book could use some immediate attention if it's to make its initial goal. I remember that first one being a popular-enough book -- at the very least it lodged in my memory.
* finally, the new Mike Diana documentary that features Caitlin McGurk of OSU as a producer has a nice jump on things and should make its initial goal. That's a crucially important case, and I hope they have enough money to cover the case in its entirety.
Bundled, Tossed, Untied & Stacked: Publishing News By Tom Spurgeon
* did we know there was a complete collection of Spain's work coming out from Fantagraphics? I mean, it's not surprising, and it's certainly welcome, but I'm not sure I knew that. There's a lot of Spain to read that's interesting, and I'm as happy to have the previously reprinted stuff presented again as I am to see stuff I haven't seen yet. Everything Spain did was 27 percent more cool than its equivalent-by-genre-or-peer.
* I almost powered right past this, but here's a PR-driven article about plans with the Hellboy franchise for 2017. Those are generally solid and entertaining comics.
* hm, Daniel Clowes and Jaime Hernandez are cited here as comparable artists, at least in terms of approach. One the one hand, no pressure! On the other, that book will have my attention.
* finally, one reason I don't do exclusives is because I don't think the media apparatus for comics is expansive enough to encompass the word getting out if it's given to one of the many members of the press. I don't remember this Gene Luen Yang book announcement at all, for instance, and that sounds like a work worth noting. 2018!
* here's a listicle on an interesting subject: the redemption of stereotyped characters in comics. That's one of those weird, only-in-comics things because as properties they exist in a present that can stomach such portrayals but as properties they're also placed in a stasis that resists change.
* finally, I have no idea what that is, either. My fan's understanding of Norman Osborn wouldn't necessarily indicate weird pets, but he'd sure make Harry's life miserable by making him take care of something.
The cartoonist Alex Fellows has fallen into a situation that rings so true by its specificity it makes my teeth hurt. He's moving plenty of comics art for those of you a little differently monetized than I am, and I hope you'll consider a purchase or a straight-up donation according to desire and need. I think it's going to be a long winter, and I would not be surprised if we see up to a half-dozen comics folk in a bit of trouble because of various, specific economic levers of our times.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* whoops I forgot to do the round-up today. You opened up your bag and I gave you a rock. Sorry about that.
* everybody looks handsome when Chris Diaz takes their photo. (That's good ol' Richie T.)
* by request extra: that pal to comics Rob Clough has started up a Patreon. Rob has been intermittently asking for direct donations, and this seems like a better option. A lot of first-reviews of artists are done by Clough and if you've benefited by that focus you might donate.
* I'm guessing this profile I was sent is a right-wing site's take on the on-line criticism that Frank Cho has received for cheesecake elements in his art and his defense of same. I fail to see how this is an article except in some hell a demon is out there creating. I've always liked Frank; he seems nice enough, and he was always cordial to comics press even when he was being kicked in the nuts. I don't care for a lot of his art, but I don't care for a lot of art. If other people care less for it and want to say so out loud, I'm not sure why that's a story. "People react to art" is what we should be shooting for.
CR Newsmaker Interview: Gabe Fowler This is a special era for comics shows and I believe the show in Brooklyn -- now called Comic Arts Brooklyn after emerging from the ashes of the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival -- is an important show for that noteworthy era. CAB is a solo effort organized and run by the publisher (Smoke Signal) and comic shop owner (Desert Island) Gabe Fowler, working with a few key volunteers and sponsors. The Brooklyn show was one of the first to be curated in unapologetic fashion: it's a show of wide interests bound by the show's values rather than a commercial effort designed to pull traffic. It is its own thing; you never leave CAB wishing to prune it or shape it like a bonsai tree. CAB is.
Because of the strength of the NYC area in housing interesting artists and attracting excellent out-of-town visiting traffic, CAB has become one of the great marketplaces in the world for comics-buying (and supplementary items, such as art, related to those works). Until there is a massive public investment in comics art and a generation of fundamental acknowledgment by all arts patrons of comics' worth, the places like CAB where you can see comics, perhaps buy one or two works, and converse with a creator that interests you are going to be crucial for key aspects of the art form to move forward.
I'm happy Gabe Fowler talked to me during what sounded like a busy day eight days away from open. You should attend the show this Saturday if at all possible. I would, but I'm physically unable to travel. CAB is one of the shows we need, and I'm grateful for its existence. Thanks, Gabe, for this and the rest of it. -- Tom Spurgeon
*****
TOM SPURGEON: We're exchanging e-mails on Friday the week before the show. Give me a snapshot of what you do a week out. What was on the slate today that is directly show-related?
GABE FOWLER: Today I'm working at my store and attending to customers and hyping the show on a person-to-person basis. Before work I went and hung up a few posters around the neighborhood and dropped of some material at the City Reliquary, one of our sponsors. I got in touch with my shipping service to get a count on exhibitor boxes that have arrived from across the globe. Several volunteers have shown up today to grab stacks of programs to help distribute at the subway exits, which is awesome. We purposely overprinted programs this year to use them as promo items. Tonight I'll go home and perfect my list of items to buy over the weekend and plan a presentation for tomorrow about my various endeavor at F.I.T. (which has a comics and illustration program).
SPURGEON: My impression is that this year's show was not a sure thing, and as I recall you announced a bit later than most shows might announce. Why the hesitancy? What put you over the top in terms of wanting to do another one?
FOWLER: I'm basically burned out. Organizing a show by myself is a lot of work, I care about it a great deal, and it takes a lot out of me personally. I also have seen a widespread proliferation of shows since I conceived of our first show in 2009, and I have mixed feelings about it. When I initially wanted to start a show I knew it had to be something vital to the culture and a kick in the ass.. I don't want to beat a dead horse. I want to make an innovative and fresh show out of nothing. Since I lack the funds or institutional support of larger festivals it becomes exhausting to create a worthwhile show while I'm running a business and working on my own creative projects. But in the end, I love it, and I can't not do it.
SPURGEON: Are you aware of how shows are different now than when you first started doing the Brooklyn shows? What has changed in a way that feels different to you, shows in general between then and now?
FOWLER: I don't travel much, but I'm interested in the other shows and I'm interested in participating in comics culture on a daily basis. But in the end I don't really care what other people are doing. I've always thought the way to make innovative art was to look inward. So I just try to make a show I want to attend.
SPURGEON: I hear all sorts of different stories about how shows relate to the nearby same-comics comics shop, whether a sponsor or in close proximity. Have the shows been good for Desert Island? Have they been a hindrance? How do they relate?
FOWLER: My comic shop is a daily practice that includes a wide range of humans and books. We go from extremely experimental work to children's books to zines to mainstream and indie comics. So the show is an impossible attempt to get everybody -- the creators and readers of this extremely diverse work -- in the same room at the same time. I like the impossibility of this pursuit, and I like that it sort of happens anyway. Every faction sends their representatives and that comprises the fest.
SPURGEON: How is your exhibitor pool at this CAB different than your first BCGF show? How much of it is the same?
FOWLER: The pool started to take on algae so we had to use chlorine. [Spurgeon laughs]
I guess you deserve a better answer than that -- this year we have less larger name-brand publishers and more individual artists exhibiting. Which is fine by me. Our whole thing is about focusing attention on artists. At mainstream comic-cons they always have an "Artist alley," which always offended me. Sure, let's take the artists and put them in the fucking alley with the garbage.
SPURGEON: My take is that you're not doing a day of panels or a panel track after a few years about being very aggressive with that side of your show. What is it like putting together a show that's solely driven by the expo aspect of these things? Will you go back to a programming portion in future years?
FOWLER: Tom, I am just a human man. I'm up against real estate factors and logistical factors, and they seemed to get worse every year.
For the past several years, we have had a space for talks that was beautiful, but it only seated 72 people and the rental cost went up every year. Try telling a line of 300 people trying to watch Art Spiegelman that they can't get in. When they raised the rental price again, I considered canceling the show completely, but I still think it's worthwhile to have a book-focused event. And in the 11th hour, Kenny Filmer stepped in to program a day of animation screenings at Brooklyn Fireproof, an event I really believe adds value to the show without slogging through an imperfect scenario with the talks.
SPURGEON: I think Brooklyn and Toronto are the best buying shows. Can you name two to three works you think people should look forward to checking out at this year's show, personal favorites of yours?
FOWLER: I'm happy Dame Darcy will attend. She's one of my favorite people in comics and makes distinctive work which is almost unknown to a younger generation. I'm also very excited that Richard McGuire will be on hand to premier his new "Sequential Drawings" book, and Charles Burns will debut his Le Dernier Cri book collecting 180 pages of his self-published "Free Shit" zines.
SPURGEON: Is there a threshold you have to cross in order to consider a show successful? Or is that more of a feel thing? What makes it a successful show by your standards?
FOWLER: Success is always hard to define, but there are always financial and existential barometers. I'm happy if I can promote under-recognized work to a receptive audience, but I can only learn this through casual exit interviews after the show.
SPURGEON: Is there a memory or a series of memories that pops into your head initially when these shows are mentioned? What comes to mind?
FOWLER: Every year I climb up on the roof of Mt. Carmel auditorium with John Mejias, through the church offices and rectory, up and down metal ladders on the roof, carrying a heavy banner and rigging equipment, which we unfurl on the exterior of the building. This is always a key moment that announces to the neighborhood and ourselves: the comic freaks are back for one more stand.
FFF Results Post #463—Cruddy
On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Five Comics-Related Maladies Given Their Sobriquet In The Spirit Of Con Crud." This is how they responded.
* one day of Frank King in 1919 would be the most interesting thing in North American newspaper publishing for all of 2016.
* Joyce Farmer on the passing of Lyn Chevli. That is a thrilling piece of comics history and the female creators of that time have been the least effectively served by those of us that write about comics. Please oh please Fantagraphics Underground publish the memoir mentioned.
The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Shows And Events
By Tom Spurgeon
* it's MICE in Cambridge this weekend. People say nice things about that show.
* on a personal note, my Fall convention calendar has changed after some bills came due and some work was lined up. I won't be attending Short Run or CAB, two great shows everyone should support as best they can. I will be attending Genghis Con, checking out CALA, and I will be going to the Fantagraphics event in Seattle where the oral history will be available. As Angouleme is still really expensive, I don't expect to see many of you until the Spring 2017 shows. Take care until then. I'll try to do better next year.
* this looks like a fun tour. Please send me your tour announcements. I should be able to run the announcement here, and break it down for individual listings. If you're counting a show as part of your tour, I won't do that separately, but otherwise, I'm all in.
* in fact, if you could take a look at our further-out listings to see if there's anything we're missing, I'd appreciate that, as well.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Rob Clough on My Hot Date.
* James Whitbrook calls for stronger LGBT representation in the Marvel books. I think mainstream companies have a problem with this kind of thing that we don't talk about: they can change the present reality of their comics but both companies have for years sported a core identity separate from their current identity. So the moves to increase diversity don't feel as strong and as permanent as they might be.
* I feel for the editorial cartoonists that needed to cover this fairly one-note campaign for as long as they have. Generic cartoons seem necessary.
* Mike Sterling provides a perspective on Jack T. Chick comics that has been difficult, I think, for a lot of people to understand. To a lot of dumb kids that couldn't quite see the hatefulness of the agenda involved, those comics sometimes found favor as more comics in a world where it was hard to find people interested in them. Plus kids are attracted to authoritarian stances!
* finally, Whitbrook suggests that the X-Men titles will be relaunched in 2017 in a major way. I think those titles didn't have to be snuffed out, but I also think they're exhausted, so they better come back at their fans with a strong enough concept for a formal relaunch like this one.
By Request Extra: Matt Brady Puts Out Word On Divorce-Related Crowdfunding Mission Here. Several of his friends have asked this site to acknowledge that public request. I'm happy to do that. I realize that a request for divorce litigation funds is different than someone seeking amelioration from the strain that cancer might put on a family, or the monies necessary to finish off a worthy project. Divorce narratives come with two sides automatically.
That said, I decided a long time ago I should be very reluctant to pre-judge anyone's request. And a limited-scope request works just fine here. If this is only for those of you with a fondness for Brady's writing (and this is the not-Newsarama Matt Brady, in case you were wondering), or if you're a friend that hasn't been alerted, this site is happy to do that kind of awareness-raising, too. I hope everything works out for the best for all involved principals.
Is It Time We Figured Out A Standard Reaction To Shitheaded Behavior In Comics Community Circles?
I agree with what I perceive to be the writer Chelsea Cain's point -- she has since deleted her twitter account because of the abuse she mentions -- that there is something unique to the low stakes of comics, the open nature of its professional culture, and the displayed collective personality of its more devoted fans that leads to a lot of weird, on-line abuse of professionals, particularly those that aren't white, straight males. I participated in the building of that culture as the co-creator of the TCJ message board and an aggressive ranter (here's a photo of me in 1997). I dream of playing even the smallest role in its dismantling.
The way the wider comics community employs social media generally and twitter specifically is as a giant industry messageboard with a topic thread -- your tag, your presence, your arrangement -- devoted to you and you alone. It's a great way to feel connected. It also tends to mean granting some level of access to everyone, whether a professional feels they signed up for that or not. (This is particularly confusing for those with a life outside of comics.) Some folks out there take advantage of that access plus some combination of the relative amount of time they may have, the well-worn pathways to making someone's life unpleasant they may know of, and a perceived anonymity and/or even an argued distance from reality they may believe to exist, all to be shit-headed and abusive. Some people are awful.
The best outcome would be if this kind of behavior were to go away entirely. It may be that we can punish it away. It may be that our best option is to simply convince people to embrace a better version of themselves. I know that I participated less frequently in abusive behavior once I stopped caring about winning arguments, so let me suggest to other people with similarities to my definitely fannish, prideful personality they look into a similar stance. Life is better for me now and can be for you, too. Abuse is almost never virtuous even though it might feel that way.
As that won't likely be enough, I hope that we'll work out over the next year in the bars and via e-mail or however comics people meet that isn't 100 percent transparent a protocol or set of plans as to just what a community-wide response can be to this kind of thing -- beyond the necessity of deploring the abusers and affirming the abused. Are we missing some standard reactions that would bleed this kind of thing of all life? Could we pass off our social media presences to friends and drive their branding/PR cars for them until the dumb people go away? I've answered a phone for beleaguered friends for a while. Could abusive accounts be quickly group-muted away from the proximity of influence? I wonder about all of these things.
We have strategies for avoiding con crud; fan crud might be next -- not as a substitute to holding people accountable, but as another strategy to reduce the overall level of abuse.
This Isn’t A Library: New, Notable Releases Into Comics’ Direct Market
*****
Here are the books that make an impression on me staring at this week's no-doubt 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. You never know. I'd sure look at the following, though.
*****
AUG161582 A WALK IN EDEN GN $16.95
It doesn't strike me as an alarmingly strong week for the kind of books I tend to like, which makes this art-book/coloring project from the always admirable Anders Nilsen the top of my want-to-see list. It will be hard for this not to be impressive eye candy no matter its other virtues.
OCT140536 CEREBUS COVER GALLERY HC $75.00
I have no desire to own a book of these covers -- I like them, but I don't like-like them enough to have them in another format -- but the idea of being able to just buy a Cerebus related book from a publisher as opposed to getting 14 pages of loose ephemera in a zip-file seems tremendously appealing, so who knows?
JUN160065 AW YEAH COMICS ACTION CAT AND ADVENTURE BUG TP $12.99
This isn't a series of books I buy but I know at least one reader checks these posts to see if a new one is out. They seem solidly entertaining to me.
JUN160019 MOEBIUS LIBRARY WORLD OF EDENA HC $49.99
Here's a high-end project with more to come: new editions of primetime science fiction stories from Moebius. Dark Horse doesn't publish in a way that makes me think of this within the context of a bigger line, but Moebius could be the only thing a publisher offered and they would do just fine. Dying to hold this one in my hands.
AUG160619 CHEW #59 (MR) $3.99 AUG160659 SAGA #39 (MR) $2.99 JUL160889 CIVIL WAR II #6 (OF 8) $4.99 AUG161307 GIANT DAYS 2016 HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1 $7.99
I think that may be the last Chew, or the last in the narrative part of its run. Don't hold me to that. That was a unique comic to last that long and sell that many copies, so kudos to its creators. Saga is the kind of book that is the #1 seller at a lot of comic shops, and this one seems close on the heels of the last one. The Civil War sequel drags on; I've yet to even catch anyone talking about it in the places I go on-line. Linewides are tough right now in general. The Giant Days I assume is a comic book, and I'm keeping track of them here so I can buy them all when I become wealthy.
AUG161022 BLACK WIDOW TP VOL 01 SHIELDS MOST WANTED $17.99
This is the first trade in the latest series helmed by rock-solid superhero comics creating team Mark Waid and Chris Samnee. I think Samnee is a little bit more out on front on this one, just a hunch, as there were definitely some pacing and density issues with some of this initial story. I still liked it, though. This is the comic in a world where I didn't work in comics that I would be happy to buy in an airport to take with me on a plane.
AUG160916 DOCTOR STRANGE MYSTIC APPRENTICE #1 $3.99 AUG160917 DOCTOR STRANGE MYSTIC APPRENTICE #1 LIM VAR $3.99 AUG160918 DOCTOR STRANGE MYSTIC APPRENTICE #1 WARD VAR $3.99 AUG160798 DOCTOR STRANGE SORCERERS SUPREME #1 NOW $3.99
I get that there's a movie out, but I don't know why we can't just have a pretty good Dr. Strange series for a while without the market-share shenanigans.
AUG161167 EPIC BIG NATE HC $50.00 Really big. The past bookstore performance makes this logical, though, and good luck to everyone involved.
JUN160680 PRINCE OF CATS HC $24.99 MAY168921 PRINCE OF CATS HC SIGNED & LIMITED ED $29.99
This is a beautiful-looking, fun comic. The story of Tybalt from Romeo and Juliet, what should be a fatalistic exercise is a kind of breezy blast in the hands of cartoonist Ronald Wimberly. He even gets in some poignant commentary about how a world soaked with fatalism can change the outlook of the best, brightest and even most hopeful. A career-maker, reprinted at a bigger size than before.
*****
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 failed to list your comic, that's because I hate you.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Rob Clough on Disquiet.
* Sarah Larson profiles Ward Sutton's satirical editorial cartooning at the Onion -- a gig he's quietly had for a few years now, apparently. I like the concept of that feature I just don't know that we aren't so far past the heyday of what's being parodied that few people are going to be on board with some of the stronger points made.
* this Matt Hollingsworth tribute to the late artist Steve Dillon is lovely and illuminating. We've all known people like that, specifically suited to a particular social space.
* here are a bunch of comics featuring LGBT characters. It's one of those very modern mainstream-focused lists, which means it works less well for me as a list representing comics but is probably better for me because "mainstream-plus" is the area of comics in which I'm least assured.
* Bruce Canwell announcesStar Hawks as a LOAC project, starting with a first volume in 2017. That's great news. The Goulart/Kane space saga was one of the better adventure strips out of that genre's heyday.
* James Whitbrook previewsEther and notes that the Jack Kirby and Stan Lee character Iceman has an ongoing title planned. Almost all the Jack Kirby concepts are fun, and so it's interesting to see if a modern creative team can do something with one of them.
* the Mockingbird series has been canceled. That one seemed well-liked by those reading it, and the unwillingness of a company with Marvel's resources throwing in the towel on non-hits early on has been a distressing reality for years now.
* this article tells us that Jaime Hernandez did a variant cover for that Archie/Ramones thing. Who doesn't love Jaime Hernandez?
* finally, you can't count on Amazon.com listings for exact information or even 100 percent for basic information, but an appearance by a book on the site usually means something is planned for it. Thus we are likely to get Border Worlds next year, with a conclusion. A lot of people exactly my age liked that title when it came out, and I was one of them.
* that's a good point, that so many of the great comics of decades past were done by young people. We don't have that today, and I'm not 100 percent sure why.
* Darryl Cunningham shares some art from the Tesla section of a forthcoming work. Man, Cunningham's stuff is unique and fun.
* Sarah Glidden has received some nice press placements this Fall in support of her having Rolling Blackouts out, so kudos to her and her team. That's a smart book that eschews a lot of easy choices in an admirable way, and I hope anyone interested in doing journalism over the next forty years picks it up.
* not comics: I see more and more advertisements about posts about this comics-related movie than any other not starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
Go, Read: Henry Jenkins Talks To Bart Beaty Here. It's about something that came up during the CXC academic symposium a ton: the notion that scholars have limited themselves to study of a select few books and tilt towards literary methods in explaining them. I'm not sure I agree with all the implications, but it's difficult to deny the central thesis.
Here's part two. There may be a part three up -- it's three parts -- before this post rolls out or you may have to find it yourself!
* Black Eye #3 from Rotland Press is an anthology I thought might generate some more support than it already has based on its contributor list and publishing pedigree; then again, it's the first I've mentioned it here so that could be on the press. That seems like a strong one worth supporting, though.
* finally, there are a bunch of worthy projects that have done well, but that you might want in on as a straight-up consumer: Ben Templesmith, Herbert Crowley and the latest Split Lip. I imagine there are many more.
* Marvel pulls the sexualized portrait of a 15-year-old that was announced as a variant for an Iron Man-related comic. That strikes me as a fair outcome. I never blame the artist for this kind of thing. Artists tend to do what they do. It's almost always on the publishing representative to not make odd choices.
* I was glad to see this article about X-23 on the occasion of her appearance in a movie trailer, as I don't know that I've ever read a comic book featuring that character.
CR Week In Review The top comics-related news stories from October 15 to October 21, 2016:
1. Zunar hit with a no-fly ban; his political opponent refused to budge as Zunar's allies in free speech supportive places worldwide look on with dismay.
3. Cartoon Crossroads Columbus -- the show with which I'm involved -- finishes its first four-day festival in Columbus, Ohio. Awards went to Doonesbury (Transformative Work), Sergio Aragones and Carol Tyler (tie, Master Cartoonist) and Kevin Czap (Emerging Talent, with a $7500 cash prize provided by Jeff Smith and Vijaya Iyer).
Winner Of The Week
Kevin Czap
Loser Of The Week
Malaysian Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar
Quote Of The Week
"I have something to live for in the goal of producing this long, fascinating, convoluted, loop-de-loop, metaphysical story arc. And that's the kind of thing that occupies me and makes my days the joyous things they are: living in this screwed-up dream-world that isolates me from the rest of the world and humanity in general." -- Jim Woodring
Go, Apply: Assistant Professor Of Comics Illustration Gig Opens Up At CCAD In Columbus Here. We can hang out. Or a condition of your employment can be we not hang out. Your call.
Kidding aside, that's a key position for a school installing a comics program in a big way over the next two or three years.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Rob Clough on Soft City.
* this interview with Kazuhiko Torishima is kind of amazing. There are like eighteen surprising statements in it, if only for the welcome novelty of the straight talk. The honesty about how one might approach commercial outcomes seems tremendous to me. I've read it twice.
* Sacha Mardou writes up her special guest appearance at CXC, the show with which I'm involved. Mardou was probably our most beloved guest this last weekend and that was a sublimely nice and genial group. I hope other convention organizers will have her out.
Zunar Hit With No-Fly Ban From Political Opponent; Vows To Fight It
You can catch up with the basics of the latest permutation in Zunar's long fight with police authorities in his home nation of Malaysia in just about any wire article on the matter, including this one. The cartoonist has been banned from flying, a particular blow in that the artist has enjoyed a great deal of attention and support internationally. Zunar claims that the ban is an overreach of authority and that this move is reserved for elected officials; looks like Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar disagrees.
The great sadness here is that police interference has careened into just hounding and harming the cartoonist at every opportunity. If there's a principle involved other than "Obey," it hasn't been articulated. As always, we wish Zunar luck in his pursuit of a legal remedy.
Go, Read: Back Issues Dealer Gerry Ross Interviewed
Here. It was suggested by CR reader Iestyn Pettigrew. Thank you!
It's a compelling interview in terms of some of the fundamental outlooks the merchant has towards his market, what certain commercial flourishes mean and what actually sells and what doesn't. It does look like we're headed to a phase where that bizarre market is early-runs-of-characters oriented as opposed to a period where artists and writers helped drive value a bit.
The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Shows And Events
By Tom Spurgeon
* Robert Boyd writes about curating a show of Scott Gilbert's work. I'm a fan of Gilbert's work, so I'm glad to see him receive this attention.
* I'm dying to go to Detroit's Comique Con, even though I'm exhausted from last weekend's CXC. That's a great show focus, and you get to eat in Detroit. If my car is running by then, I'll seriously consider the trip.
* NYCC claims record attendance, in part because of how they sold individual versus group tickets. The energy of its audience is the 1A in that show's skill set, with the #1 being its proximity to New York publishing and media. The Artist's Alley there will always be packed and always be hopping, or at least should be for the next several years. It's hard to imagine that people doubted how well an NYC pop-culture type convention would do.
* Short Run has a full schedule of its main and ramp-up events here.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Hillary Brown talks to the great Tom Gauld. Jon-Erik Christianson talks to Kyle Latino. Alex Dueben talks to Box Brown.
* from Teresa Jusino here's the latest example of fans and mainstream industry close-watchers pushing back against a variant cover they feel inappropriately sexualizes a character that shouldn't be sexualized. It's hard for some of us to dig into this corrective mindset because mainstream comic books remain base and idiotic in a lot of ways and not just this one; it feels more like caring about the cut of McDonald's employee uniforms than it does a protest concerning art. That said, it does seem weird as hell to commission a cover like that one if you aren't fully on board with how the character is portrayed, and the character is portrayed as physically exaggerated in what I take to be a sexual way -- and I have cheesecake aphasia. This is a commercial exercise; a vocal pushback is a big part of a commercial exercise and pointing out what's being sold seems fair to me. I'd love to hear the editors' thinking here at the same time I'm also willing to forget about this 11 minutes from now. Update: reader Philip Eagle notes another factor in play.
* I never understood why these companies can't line up their stories more effectively so that you don't have spoilers about ongoing narratives in new ones. Then again, maybe that's the idea.
Here. It's a challenging list. I've been thinking about these exercises because of last week's CXC academic symposium on canon. I'm not sure I could ever do such a list ever again. I even get confused by doing that at the end of a single year. I will say that Footnotes In Gaza is a monster book, so I'm glad to see it included.
By Request Extra: The Trial Of Mike Diana This is an important subject. That means we should pay attention to it but that also means we should be tough on what we're seeing. I'm happy to drive attention to it. I'm hopeful. It looks of a high quality, with a respectful attitude towards the source material. I'm glad Gaiman talked to them -- that should ground it in the world more than anything else they could do. I'm a little surprised that Eric Reynolds isn't listed as an industry expert as he wrote like 75,000 words on Mike Diana. That's kind of like doing a Gary Gilmore documentary without bothering to talk to Norman Mailer. But maybe they did interview him or maybe they plan to. Maybe it doesn't matter.
The Mike Diana trial was an interesting event for comics. The legal consequences remain deeply troubling, and it's hard not to flash anger at a judge's order that someone not be able to draw in their home for their own enjoyment. Forget flashing anger; it's hard not to carry that one around with you for days at a time. That's just some scary dystopian sci-fi stuff right there. The Diana troubles in general was also the first time I saw that construction where a lot of people made sure to let everyone know they hated Diana's work every time they wrote about it in public. I always thought Diana's work was funny, too grotesque and over the top and thus disconnected from reality to be taken seriously as even offensive let alone obscene, and a lot of it particularly later on in that period looked pretty good. Superfly in particular I thought was well-cartooned. I find Josh Simmons' work routinely more terrifying and debased. Diana's work was like something a 15-year-old kid would draw in the back of study hall.
One thing that comes to mind is I hope they talk about Diana's interesting choices during and after the trial. I remember he released a video of himself masturbating with a crucifix; that seemed like an odd thing to do. A still intriguing element about the case is that it's easier for people to grasp the masturbation video as protected than it is the comics that preceded them.
* Rob Salkowitz digs into recent legislation in California that requires autographs to be certified if they are to be sold for more than $5. I don't pretend I get that market, that law, and all the things I'm told are wrong with it. If we could have legislation getting rid of an aftermarket for autographs, I would support that law.
* in that linked-to article, Salkowitz asks a smart-as-shit question so obvious it's gobsmacking more of us didn't wonder the same thing: in this article, are the bags of cash being reported as income?
Not Comics: Did Newspapers Make An Industry-Wide Wrong Choice In Their Digital Media Strategies? Probably, sure.
This is interesting for both the way it mirrors comics issues -- whether companies should pursue webcomics formats versus merely bringing digital editions of comic books to life -- and the fact that newspapers are a great vehicle for comic strips.
What's interesting to me looking back is how focused this conventional wisdom was. The perspicacity of moving resources into on-line publications was and is routinely challenged. I've been a skeptic, too. The way more interesting thing is that this resources push was assumed to into some sort of a site that mirrored the newspaper in some way. There were very few other options considered. It's amazing to me looking back that there wasn't a magazine model tried with more regularity, given that the issues involved in splitting resources are similar.
Bundled, Tossed, Untied & Stacked: Publishing News By Tom Spurgeon
* two news items of the specific new comics variety from CXC worth noting: Katie Skelly to Fantagraphics with My Pretty Empire, while Seth has finished the Clyde Fans serial. I heard rumors of at least one brand-new imprint by 2018. There is a lot of publishing activity right now. Hey, there's a My Pretty Vampire entry at Amazon.com already.
* also while in Columbus I saw this nice-looking cover for Andrew Kunka's book about autobiographical comics.
* a new Colin Upton comic book is a rare thing; this one does not have a market element that will make it easy to find, so going through this link might be your only chance.
* finally, I'm not sure these are all that hard to find in their original iterations, but perhaps not and some like their comics in this format above all others: more Dennis the Menace comics.
Go, Read: Donald And John
I don't like most long-form editorial cartoons and I don't care for Calvin & Hobbes mash-ups, but somehow this Ruben Bolling cartoon works for me.
By Request Extra: The Artist Within Vol. 2
David Scroggy wrote into the site to drive attention to Greg Preston crowd-funding a second volume of artist-studio-portraits. I know that a lot of people enjoyed the first one -- it's not that I didn't, I don't have memories of seeing it -- which was done via a more traditional publishing strategy.
* Mike Sterling considers the Fantastic Four concept and characters created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, and the notion that this is a property whose story has been told enough times that it would thwart revival no matter how talented the creators involved might be. I think there's something to a standard set of storylines becoming tired over a long period of time. A concept that can be radically shifted multiple times is more a less a drawing on a page onto which anyone can project meaning.
* I would enjoy reading 2400 pages of Death Note. I enjoyed reading however many pages were in that version was that came in what looked like a 45 RPM records box. That series is a lot of fun.
* someone out there noted the competition information for next year's Fumetto is up. I'd love to do Fumetto at some point -- also FIBD (which I've never done) and one of the old classics like maybe the mainstream-oriented Lucca. To be honest, though, it's a bit out of my price range. I've attended shows every year for 22 years and exactly two of them weren't paid by me. That's why I'm always confused when people ask about the viability of doing tons of shows. The people for whom that model works could fit in the room where I'm typing, and almost none of them don't also have other options for sales and distribution.
* I'm not the best audience for cosplay, but this is really creative. It's not just conceptual, though; that one impresses via execution. I like this one, too; no idea where or when that's from.
* finally, CXC begins today, so my ability to react to breaking news will be limited. Thanks to those of you that have made time to attend part of the show. Like most second-year shows, we anticipate a crucial year in that the show has grown but we don't know if the audience will grow to match it or if it will take longer to get people in the habit of coming to Ohio in the Fall. We're here for the duration, though, and I can guarantee you that we'll try to provide a good and valuable time to everyone that gives us their time and attention.
Go, Listen: Zack Soto And Mike Dawson Launch Process Party Podcast With Guest Vanessa Davis Here. Dawson is a veteran of several podcasts; I don't recall Soto doing one, but it wouldn't surprise me. There are several cartoonists who have been using their podcasts to effective use, both as a podcast and as an extension of their presence within comics, from Rina Ayuyang to Katie Skelly. I'm glad that people are finding a use for that kind of outreach without it seeming outmoded.
* I think of Wayne White as an artist in a broader sense than him doing work as a cartoonist, but he's an interesting enough artist I will never complain when he's described that way.
* Chris Pitzer of AdHouse writes about the Fall shows. I'm always interested in what Chris has to say, and not solely because we're same-age peers. In the case of festivals and shows, I think Pitzer is uniquely situated to provide an exacting perspective: shows have to be financially viable for AdHouse to do them over the long-term. He's also oriented in a way that direct sales can be an important way for him to get work into readers' hands.
Festivals Extra: VV Report From Race & Sexuality Panel At NYCC Here. I enjoyed hearing the ideas and learned from them. I have a lot of learning to do, so I'm grateful. It's good that NYCC would spend some of the capital they have due to their size and reach on panels like this one, particularly given their broad, top-heavy property-massaging elements.
Bundled, Tossed, Untied & Stacked: Publishing News By Tom Spurgeon
* this preview of an IDW-published collection of Bill Sienkiewicz' work on New Mutants plays with a lot of comics-culture driven ideas. The notion that Bill Sienkiewicz's fun work on a teen mutant book (don't get me wrong; I own all of them) changed the course of comics is only true if you see comics from a mainstream-focused perspective. The thing is, a lot of people did back then, and a lot of people still do! We haven't really grappled with the notion of what it means that we had this comics-culture shift in the 1980s mainstream comics world within a wider shift outside of it, and how that changes our perspective on the rise of literary comics. Well, we haven't grappled with it beyond frowning. But there's probably some work to be done there in slightly the same way the American Revolution can be seen as a part of a greater world war between European mercantile powers.
* James Whitbrook notes that the Batwoman character as created by Johns, Morrison, Rucka, Waid and Lashley will have a solo title again. I don't really follow that character -- I don't really follow character -- but I noted Steve Epting's name on it and I thought he did a really nice job on Velvet. that is a character known in its recent history as an artist's comic and his take should be less decorative but still interesting. Whitbrook also caught that the America Chavez iteration of the Miss America concept, as created by Joe Casey and Nick Dragotta, will get a solo table. That seems to make sense in the context of Marvel's line and the desire for film-able work.
* the next issue of the beloved anthology s!: Dada.
* finally, Dark Horse announced a series of comics related to Neil Gaiman's American Gods work, which is being made into a cable-TV series even as we speak.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Todd Klein on Astro City #37.
* I love that the sign of a radical shift in the story of Portland as a great American city may be a comic Joe Sacco and 'zine retailer hall of famer turned political candidate Chloe Eudaly are doing about rapidly-rising rents. I agree with that sentiment, or at least the idea that a media moment of a certain kind can be a cultural pivot point. More on Eudaly, and a reminder that you don't have to live in Portland to give to her campaign, here.
Missed It: PA Historical Marker Honors Jackie Ormes
This seems like an irrefutably good story: this article profiles the appearance of a state historical marker in Monongahela, Pennsylvania for hometown hero Jackie Ormes. Ormes' story is a remarkable, and should be celebrated at every available turn.
* I got a nice note in about this comic from its author, and the idea of reinterpreting a world that's more than hostile and broken from you perspective is super-appealing. I mean it's hard to look at that comic and not muse on how soaked into American self-identity that the Superman character is.
* I'm going to try and take one stab at a Collective Memory for this year's SPX after failing to get one up in a timely fashion. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) In the meantime, enjoy this ever-expanding post from Tucker Stone about comics he got at that show.
I've thought about doing a book on superhero comics, maybe even a book version of such a list, so I'm fascinated by how people look at specific runs and narratives. There are a lot of solid runs of issues on this list pulled out of 1960s, 1970s and 1980s comics that I don't hold in high regard although I enjoy many of them, so it's fun to see them on a list like this with someone making their best case. It's also not quite as weird as a list like this could get if a more uniquely idiosyncratic measurement was used.
CR Week In Review The top comics-related news stories from October 1 to October 7, 2016:
1. 1980s indie comics move and shaker Gary Reed, an initial publisher for a ton of significant comics talent, passes away.
2. NYCC 2016 launches, with its curious combination of pop-culture and traditional publishing. One billion people are expected to attend, with 237,000 couples dressed as Joker and Harley Quinn.
3. comiXology launches its originals program in modest fashion with a trio of partners.
Winner Of The Week Reed Pop. It's hard to remember this but people actually thought New York was a difficult market in which to launch a successful show. It's a difficult market, but that's one successful show.
Losers Of The Week Morons using someone else's comics character for meme creation that leave themselves open to be called out for appropriating someone else's character.
Quote Of The Week
"You boys over there are doing a good job." -- Fiorello LaGuardia
The NYCC Counter-Story: Accusations And Public Charges
We've reached a really strange time in the history of comics where the apparatus for disseminating and information from a comics show may be slightly better with charges levied against creators for what they at the show or as a contrasting story to an announcement made at the show than we are the bulk of publishing news.
Despite its shudder and fail with building a significant and traditional art-comics audience, NYCC packs in a ton of people and everyone from the core providers of Hollywood properties all the way out to the traditional book publishers sets up in some fashion in order to benefit. A lot of creators come in, too.
This year my e-mail inbox reverberates with two people accused saying unfortunate to racist things on the floor, and one just generally accused of impropriety in their professional conduct.
* you can go here to see a line pulled by some from a panel Q&A by Axel Alonso from a question-asker who seemed to be aggressively making the case for creators of color writing characters of color. It's further contextualized in subsequent reply-tweets, if you want to read down the page a bit. I think what's being argued there -- and there's no guarantee that I have it right -- is that Alonso disparaged diversity-led, anti-abusive campaigns in general by distancing himself from "social justice warriors," which tends to be a critical term when used. Also, it seems as if his claim to be Korean by marriage might raise an eyebrow or two as claims of being one thing or another are frequently used to duck criticism of industry practice or what gets put on the page.
* Elana Levin at The Beat digs into statements made by writer Peter David against Romanis, the mostly European ethnic group known in my youth by what I imagine has to be seen as a pejorative term these days: gypsies. If that report is accurate, David seems to be saying that his personal experiences grant him license to make the characterizations under fire. David is a generally voluble creator, so I'm sure we'll see a more complete take on that specific charge over the next several days.
We live in an era where forceful accusations have their own path to news significance distinct from the real-world impact of the behavior in question. I consider it a part of my mission to acknowledge such things here as they pass my personal threshold test, and consider it another part of my mission to remain just as aggressively open-minded in all directions as to their final adjudication. I hope you'll consider a thoughtful standard of your own.
More as it develops in all three cases.
Once again we head into a weekend of a major show -- and there are shows remaining, including one with which I'm involved -- with some concern about the general atmosphere involved in industry activities with a such a strong social element. I again call on all of us to consider the most furious push in the other direction as is possible rather in contrast to simply finding an acceptable point of forgiveness, and that this process start with self-examination. There is a huge opportunity to transform the artistic culture surrounding comics, but it won't come easy. It won't come at all unless we try.
Assembled, Zipped, Transferred And Downloaded: News From Digital
There was one story this big enough I'll happily make it the only one for this week's column: comiXology has launched a line of exclusive original comics. The three content creators selected for the launch are BOOM!, Valiant and the Kurtzman estate.
The only pattern that develops is that most of the comics being created seem to cast-off or sidways properties massaged back to life by modern creators' involvement. That's one way to do it. I'm still not certain what would cause something to do well on-line and not have a chance of making print work.
* all about Cyclops. I like the idea of that character's slow turn to being an inflexible bad guy, but mostly characters like that have too many creators doing too many stories with them and they're all unpleasant as a result.
* finally, Richard Sala has two sets of postcards available for sale: here and here. I'm bookmarking them so I can go back and buy them when I have money. Or try to, at least.
The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Shows And Events
By Tom Spurgeon
* exhibitor applications for TCAF 2017 will close soon; they're pretty open about how tough it is to get in, and I think emphasizing new work you'll have, etc. will become a factor with all shows in the next few years. Anyway, TCAF is the jewel of North American shows, so if you want to do a show, that's the one I would do first.
* downtown development issues continue to plague Comic-Con International -- at least in a long-term planning sense. There may come a time when that show doesn't work there anymore if bad choices are made. I think if good choices are made, they've shown enough interest to do their show there for years to come. This is one of those stories where people speculate endlessly, but really for Comic-Con this story starts if they leave, and all of this become background.
* NYCC is this weekend. That's a humongous show very much working the pop culture formula that has come to dominate these shows in recent years. A big chunk of the publishing side of comics makes use of those crowds to have a good weekend. It's rough for alt-comics fans in that there is only the barest representation of that entire world of funnybook-making.
* you should read the Village Voice's piece on comic books and inclusion focused on the Ms. Marvel character, particularly if that's an expression of comics you find interesting more generally. The thing I like about that piece is that it's just matter-of-fact about the importance of paying regular attention to these kinds of issues. Because it is important.
* here's a short interview with Mark Waid about a new Champions comic focusing on younger characters being activist superheroes as opposed to reactionary one.
This Isn’t A Library: New, Notable Releases Into Comics’ Direct Market
*****
Here are the books that make an impression on me staring at this week's no-doubt 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. You never know. I'd sure look at the following, though.
*****
JUN160562 LOAC ESSENTIALS KING FEATURES HC VOL 02 TYLERS LUCK 1933 $29.99
I know that Soft City is the real star of the arts-comics world this week, and all of comics period, but I can't get over that LOAC is publishing an entire year of Tim Tyler's Luck, one of the missing links of that whole group of comic strips that kind of transitioned a big chunk of the page into adventure serials. Lyman Young worked on this feature forever, and it's barely remembered now. He worked with Alex Raymond during this period, too, so there's that additional bit of gorgeousness to enjoy. I'ts a miracle books like this exist.
AUG161645 JASON SHIGA DEMON SC GN $19.99
I like Jason Shiga's comics and I think he shows enough easy, inventive facility that I wouldn't laugh if you suggested to me that he's a genius. This is one crazy comic book series, run as an on-line serial and the as a series of paper pamphlets for various patrons along the way. It involves a hard rule fantasy high-concept and countless attempts to work around it, all in Shiga's fun, effective and somewhat crude art style. I'm curious that this wasn't made one volume just because the piling of ideas is more impressive the more there is of it.
JUN160123 GOON LIBRARY HC VOL 04 $39.99
I noticed this one because it's well-regarded and I'm guessing this is one of many ways the work is available. Dark Horse and Marvel do a good job of that, it seems, finding multiple format for multiple audiences. We're about two and a half years before interest in this title is resuscitated as a nostalgic act.
AUG160062 RISE OF THE BLACK FLAME #2 (OF 5) $3.99 AUG160211 CYBORG #2 $2.99 AUG161384 GIANT DAYS #19 $3.99 AUG160212 CYBORG #2 VAR ED $2.99 AUG160475 SUPER F*CKERS FOREVER #3 (OF 5) (MR) $3.99 AUG160476 SUPER F*CKERS FOREVER #3 (OF 5) SUBSCRIPTION VAR (MR) $3.99 AUG160577 GREEN VALLEY #1 (OF 9) $2.99 AUG160675 WALKING DEAD #159 CVR A ADLARD & STEWART (MR) $2.99 AUG160822 DOCTOR STRANGE #12 NOW (RES) $3.99
Hey, here's a mess of comic book format comics. I bet that's a Mignola-verse up top; if not, send a letter to my editor. Cyborg I list not because I care about that character but it strikes me that that one would be a pretty good line-sample. Like if they're killing it throughout the line, the Cyborg comics should be above-average at least. Hey, there's some naughty James Kochalka; I like those comics and look forward to catching up to them. Green Valley is the latest attempt at a fantasy-comedy, an adventure story with funny parts in it. Like a Shane Black movie, but with swords. Good luck to the creators; that's a tough and narrow road. Walking Dead is still $2.99 and still features people fighting zombies and each other. My theory is that right about now they should be fighting the effect of 2000 China Syndrome meltdowns worldwide, but that's just because I'm that kind of unpleasant nerd. I've been reading Doctor Strange -- it's really helpful to have something to buy when you visit comic shops. It has pacing problems; I never get the sense I'm reading more than half of what I expect from a regular-sized comic book issue. And the plots sort of unfurl rather than unfold. I'll stick with it, though; it's a handsome looking thing.
JUL160656 RIP KIRBY HC VOL 09 $49.99
Hey, more Alex Raymond-like art (John Prentice), from a time period when that kind of handsome style was in its late, golden afternoon. I don't even know what this strip is about, but I still buy it just to look at it. Holy crap, is it handsome.
AUG161823 CHARLES BURNS LAST LOOK GN $29.95
This is the Doug trilogy, collected. I think its three component books where undervalued as they came out, so I'm dying them all in one place. I'm also glad this is out early enough that it can be a serious holiday purchase after a long Fall tour.
JUL160793 CBLDF PRESENTS SHE CHANGED COMICS TP $14.99
This is a smallish but seemingly well-selected series of short profiles and interviews. I mean, they include Barbara Shermund, so I'm not terribly upset over which moderns might get left out.
JUL160804 HEAD LOPPER TP VOL 01 ISLAND OR A PLAGUE OF BEASTS (MR) $19.99
This is like Hellboy were instead of Jack Kirby comics it's modern fantasy comics that are under the microscope. I enjoyed it, it was good and dumb and the drawings are pretty cool. If I had one complaint it's that it's not quite as funny as it sometimes thinks it is.
AUG160710 THOUGHT BUBBLE ANTHOLOGY COLL 10 YEARS OF COMICS TP $9.99
I've bought previous issues of this festival's comics, and don't remember them -- so there's your prompt and your pushback right in one sentence. I wish there were a lot of anthology comics tied into show. Maybe that's next.
JUL161346 GIANT DAYS TP VOL 03 $14.99
I will keep reminding myself this John Allison material is here, because at some point I will want all of it.
JUL161772 SOFT CITY GN $35.00
You'll read better descriptions of this book, a blissed-out meditation on then-modern 1970s US cities, and the living/moving around in them. I think it's more interest as a series of drawing strategies than as satire or narrative, but I'm glad to have something that looks this sharps that plays so loosely -- so obtusely -- with standard storytelling rules. Worth every penny.
*****
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 failed to list your comic, that's because I hate you.
* via Chris Butcher's twitter feed comes a reminder that the pirate mentality is still out there. I'm glad that we've shifted somewhat away from consumers deciding best commercial outcome and phrase it more in the personal. I think this is creators' rights straight up. You should have the right to charge what you want or contract that right away to someone. It's not up to anyone to substitute their priorities and judgment over what the creator decides.
* I don't even remember a Back To The Future comic. It's weird what people will do comics versions of; I can't imagine any juice to be had from the property beyond those three movies and if I could go back in time I'd tell me to skip the third.
* here's an article about Marvel's filed New Universe. Okay, then. Let's get to the bottom of this! It promises 11 reasons why the line didn't work but I don't know if there's much more to know than they were not good comics and the line did not hit with readers in a way that ever made it a priority. I'm sure it has fans -- everything does -- but those comics were nearly all pretty rough except by the extremely lenient standard of "other superhero comics."
* finally, James Whitbrook walks us through the Marvel Universe after is slow, rolling line revamp. I always get confused by titles like this one, i have to say. I have tried to read certain series and given up because of weird offshoots and lack of continuity in creator teams. They don't really need me, but still.
Bundled, Tossed, Untied & Stacked: Publishing News By Tom Spurgeon
* here's a preview of Black Hammer Giant-Sized Annual. That sounds fun. There probably needs to be a single-creator generated (although multiple creator filled out) universe right now, as Invincible and its pulp face jungles of the site.
* the INKS comeback starts with a collection of its best, mid-1990s material. That will be a welcome edition. Oliver Harrington!
* that new Kamandi tag-team group-creator series will be part of the King's 100th birthday celebration. That should be a fun year. Let's make that guy Walt Disney public-perception wise.
* the Luke Cage television series has brought with it some attention to the character in comics form, the issue of non-white comics characters and who gets to create narratives for them, and various black creators. These are welcome discussions, always. Here's one such article. Here's another.
Comics By Request: People, Places In Need Of Funding By Tom Spurgeon
* the cartoonist John Carvajal is drawing himself out of some medical debt. It's that time of the year to start thinking about handcrafted holiday gifts (they can take some time) and helping out an artist in need is always a bonus.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* I'm not sure looking at stuff on the Internet gets any better than this article featuring Robert Crumb's parents at the heigh of his early notoriety.
FFF Results Post #462—Objects Of Art
On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Five Real-World Objects From The History Of Comics That Could Be Mystic Totems, The Equivalent Of Wonder Woman's Lasso Or Captain America's Shield." This is how they responded.
*****
Ryan Sands
1. Osamu Tezuka's glasses
2. Jordan Crane's screenprinting squeegee
3. Michael DeForge's baseball cap
4. Kazuo Umezu's red & white striped tee
5. Rebecca Sugar's ukulele
*****
Justin Colussy-Estes
1. Hal Foster's bicycle
2. Jim Woodring's Giant Nib
3. Legendary walls of the New Yorker office with sketches by the likes of Thurber and Addams
4. Ali Ferzat's cast
5. Tippy the Turtle (can you draw this turtle?)
*****
Tom Spurgeon
1. Jim Woodring's Giant Nib Pen
2. Jack Kirby's Drawing Table
3. Chris Ware's Circular Quimby's Sign
4. Kim Thompson's Rolodex
5. Any Vintage Hey, Kids! Comics! Spinner Rack
1. Wally Wood's 22 Panels That Always Work
2. Al Capp's wooden leg
3. Vaughn Bode's Hugo award, where he replaced the rocket with one of his lizards
4. Windsor McCay's prop pumpkin that he'd "feed" to Gertie the Dinosaur in his vaudeville / movie act
5. a long box
1. Joe Matt's Pee Jar
2. Wally Wood's pistol
3. Herriman's Hat
4. Ting's Luke Worm sculpture
5. a Reuben award
*****
Patrick O. Watson
1. Stan Lee's toupe.
2. Any Big Boy restaurant comic with a paper cover.
3. Squadron Supreme tradepaperbacks containing Mark Gruenwald ashes.
4. Osamu Tezuka's beret.
5. Adrian Tomine's eyeglasses.
*****
Tom Mason
1. Stan Lee's toupee
2. Steranko's signature
3. The Batmobile from the 1966 Batman TV series
4. The Avengers' shawarma
5. Jerry Robinson's original Joker card
*****
Mário Filipe
1. Alan Moore's snake walking cane
2. Steve Oliff's IBM 286 computer from 1987
3. Art Spiegelman's tape recorder
4. Robert Crumb's baby stroller
5. Kevin Eastman's tank
1. Jack Kirby's very last cigar butt
2. Stan Lee's ocarina
3. Joe Maneely's glasses
4. The "last tag" Bill Gaines' wife placed on him after he died
5. A 1930s era newsstand with comics hanging from bulldog clips out front
*****
Don MacPherson
1) R. Crumb's glasses
2) One of George Perez's custom Hawaiian shirts
3) One of James Sime's suits
4) A long box
5) The Spider-Man balloon from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade
*****
Steve Harrick
1. Effigy of Jim Shooter
2. Art Spiegelman's recorded interviews with his father
3. Papier-mâché sculpture of King Kong in William Gaines's office window
4. Superman statue in Metropolis, Illinois
5. Marvel No-Prize
Losers Of The Week
Those idiots appropriating somebody's imagery for political use. Why people think they have a right to things because they want them is some sort of weird developmental hate bomb that was detonated in kids' playrooms across the land in the 1980s and 1990s.
Quote Of The Week
"My comics are for discerning adults. Please send them to this show." -- John Porcellino
* 
By Tom Spurgeon
* Ron Regé Jr. draws 
* everybody looks handsome when Chris Diaz 
This is a special era for comics shows and I believe the show in Brooklyn -- now called 
SPURGEON: I think Brooklyn and Toronto are the best buying shows. Can you name two to three works you think people should look forward to checking out at this year's show, personal favorites of yours?
The top comics-related news stories from October 22 to October 28, 2016:
* Rob Clough on 
* Rob Clough on 
OCT140536 CEREBUS COVER GALLERY HC $75.00
* Rob Clough on 
* Rob Clough on 
* 
* Robert Clough on 
The top comics-related news stories from October 15 to October 21, 2016:
* Rob Clough on 
* Hillary Brown talks to the great 
_thumb.jpg)
* Alex Hoffman on 
By Tom Spurgeon
* Tobias Carroll talks to 
* Hillary Brown on 
The top comics-related news stories from October 8 to October 14, 2016:
* a pair of The Beat writers on 
* Sean Kleefeld on 
* Sean Gaffney on 
* 
* Todd Klein on 
* white-knuckle time 
* 
* Rob Clough on 
The top comics-related news stories from October 1 to October 7, 2016:
* Maggie Vicknair on 
* Maggie Vicknair on 
AUG161645 JASON SHIGA DEMON SC GN $19.99
AUG161823 CHARLES BURNS LAST LOOK GN $29.95
* John Seven on 
* John Seven on 
* the cartoonist John Carvajal 
* Christine Smallwood on 
The top comics-related news stories from September 24 to September 30, 2016:
