I Don’t Know Anyone In Canada, Apparently (TCAF 2017)
Can you identify any of the following? .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
This is the first of about five of these I'll need to run as I have time. I beg for your patience and expert friend-spotting abilities.
Some of these will be super-dumb. I routinely post people in these where their name is clearly visible. There will be ten people I not only know but know well. I once asked after the identity of a former roommate of two years. It's clearly not you; it's me.
Thanks in advance!
I apologize for any pictures that aren't unpublishable; sometimes when there are two or more I just chose one without looking at all of them.
FFF Results Post #500b—Early Reading
On Friday, March 16, a select group of CR readers were asked to "Name Five Specific Comics That Stand Out Among The Earliest Comics You Read." This is how they responded.
*****
Tom Spurgeon
1. Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #195
2. Justice League Of America #113
3. Peanuts (As Syndicated In 1973)
4. E-Man #1
5. The Incredible Hulk #171
******
Mário Filipe
1. Disney Especial Reedição #8: Os Milionário, with reprints of North of the Yukon, For Old Dime's Sake, Boat Buster and The Money Champ by Carl Barks
2. Disney Especial Reedição #11: Os Astronautas, with reprints of Interplanetary Postman, Island in the Sky and The Twenty-four Carat Moon stories by Carl Barks
3. Astérix Gladiador by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo
4. O Incrível Hulk #31, for the reprints of The Crimson Forever (SW) by Archie Goodwin, Al Williamson, Tom Palmer and Walt Simonson and Sightless in A Strange Land (Red Sonja) by Roy Thomas, Clair Noto and Frank Thorne
5. Superaventuras Marvel #42, with a reprint of Demon (from X-Men #143) by Chris Claremont and John Byrne
1. Fantastic Four #75
2. Nick Fury #1
3. Silver Surfer #1
4. Avengers #57
5. Captain America #103
*****
Michael Neno
1. Tintin: King Ottokar's Sceptre By Herge
2. Marvel Collector's Item Classics No. 4 By Lee, Kirby and Ditko
3. Walt Disney Comics Digest No. 8 By Carl Barks, etc
4. Millie the Lovable Monster No. 4 By Bill Woggon
5. Metal Men No. 20 By Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito
*****
thanks to those that participated; normal service will begin with #501 at a future date
* there's been a nice bump for Ken Niimura's Umami series based on the release of a movie version of I Kill Monsters, on which the artist worked. It's surprising there aren't more directed mini-campaigns like this for creators whose work ends up on film.
* I couldn't read this without dry heaving, but I think it means that Joe Chiappetta has found a way to use the blockchain phenomenon to make the object created/isolated/valued a comic or related piece of art. This seems a million miles away from the first Silly Daddy comics I read and their exploration of a shaky marriage for what seemed the sake of understanding the human frailty involved, but I understand the value of making money, wish Joe all the best in doing so and present the link for others to check out.
* not comics: here's another article that was passed around by comics people about one way in which people are expected to lean into their own exploitation. Being on twitter isn't exploitation, but I've even heard about people who feel they have to be on services like that outside of business hours. I hope there's pushback against those excesses.
* finally: this made me laugh. Yes, I suppose there is an obvious artistic element to Variant Covers that they make an art book, but a phenomenon that is generally damaging to the comics industry is a weird thing to spotlight.
* the Crumb room has been retired. I guess it's sort of interesting in that the Eisner Level endures. There are certainly easily discoverable and difficult to reconcile elements of Eisner's legacy -- including some actions that extend beyond art and into industry practice.
Not Comics: How One Person Fell Out Of Love With Their Internship At Monocle And Is Suing There are elements of this article that will drive some people nuts, I imagine. While I realize there are all sorts of ways that volunteer or contributed work might be done for certain entities, I don't like most internships. I don't like their specific construction. I never worked one -- I imagine in great part because of my specific array of privilege (the remaining portion is luck). I'll make an exception for something that is part of a school program, where there's coursework credit involved, but even then there are abuses and moments of great discomfort.
I know people disagree with me here, and I might lose the argument in a lot of cases; I am vastly capable of losing arguments. For instance, one argument I rarely hear for comics-industry internships that promise future reward is that we fling so much bullshit about the ways comics functions standing near it might be the only way people get to see how things work before they break up with their partner and move across country. I'm just saying we're an industry with exploitation in our DNA, and you think that would make us more careful about these arrangements, but from my experience we aren't. So I hope it's something we continue to move past. I'm not very hopeful.
* in my versions of the Avengers movies, Richard Schiff as Dr. Druid is always off-camera: on monitor duty, taking minor cases as they come in, skulking about in other team-members' rooms for no reason.
* Darryl Ayo has kind words for the part of the Grant Morrison New X-Men run that featured artist Frank Quitely, and no time for anyone else. While Morrison has one good superhero comic books with artists not in Quitelys class, I thought the X-Men stuff only worked with that artist. For no particular reason I remember Kim Thompson was fond of those comics, too.
* Ayo's twitter run reminded me that when I hear about people reacting to comics now, it's usually whether or not a character conformed to expectation or not, which strikes me as perhaps the most boring, deeply unfortunate way to interact with popular art one can imagine.
By Request Extra: Bill And Nadine Messner-Loebs In Need
Here is a local news story that I'm sure conveys the situation in able fashion even if some of the facts aren't checked. Here is the local charity that is supporting the pair. There is a contact e-mail at the bottom of the news story for anyone that can help further.
One thing I'm glad to see is some recognition of the almost certain role hoarding plays in this situation, which was language we didn't have when the same element of need came up some years ago.
* Image has announced an expansion of its Image First line, which is when they take the first issue of a series and price it at $1 for potential new readers to be able to check it out. Similarly, several Image series will price their first trade under $10 for an additional hoped-for boost from readers willing to try a series out at that price point. I would have enjoyed this program as a reader aged 15-25, I bet.
* DC's signed a five-project deal with Frank Miller, and we know what a couple of them are: the previously announced Superman comic with JR JR providing art and his writing a Carrie Kelly stand-alone aimed at younger readers. Miller still has name value -- his projects will be covered at announcement ad at launch -- and seems best used on the the kind of non-continuity projectd DC's putting a lot of strategic weight into making happen. Opposition from young creators to Miller's employment based on the political content of recent work seems significant but more of the "roll my eyes and maybe complain in public" type rather than the "never work for DC myself now" variety.
* finally: Kill Or Be Killedwill end with June's issue #20. That is a handsome-looking book and I was surprised how much I liked how the narrative came together.
* Tini Howard writes about publisher Black Mask's decision not to put a certain work into trade form, or seek a crowd-funded version of same. That is, as pointed out, one of the significant permutations of working in partnership with a publisher.
* here's a big list of "underused" characters by various creators that full under the X-Men umbrella. That can be an interesting question for the comics-makers actively working this part of the field, as the company gets older and as a publishing house they must balance using the more iconic, familiar rosters and maintaining interest in the team properties and maybe even finding story hooks for the minor characters in other media. I like characters like Doug Ramsey and others with non-combat oriented power sets as an avenue into non-fighty narratives, but even then I am not the primary -- or secondary; or tertiary -- audience for such things.
* yikes; this should be so commonplace as to not be noteworthy in 2018. If there is a barrier for this still, I'm glad in this case it's been knocked down.
Comics By Request: People, Places In Need Of Funding By Tom Spurgeon
* the way the crowdfunding sites are presenting their individual efforts in the context of searches starting with the home page have changed in a way to make general surveys of those projects a bit more difficult. My apologies for sucking. This is a good era in which .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) about crowd-funders you see you think need support.
* the effort to keep JHU Comic Books in Manhattan has gained far more traction than most store-related crowd-funders, and definitely has a chance to meet its initial goals. If anything we read about comics-reading habits of a certain type are true, disruptions in the service such stores provide can be brutal to readership continuity.
* the GoComics.com feature Just Say Uncle, has a modest ask up for help with a paper printing of 2014 strips.
* finally: congrats to Exhibit A Press for hitting its initial goal and first stretch goal on their most recent crowd-funder; if you're reading this early in the day you can still participate.
* saw this on Friday, so for all I know it's been discredited by now but I enjoyed reading it. I hope those kids are taken care of and that eventually some sort of non-idiotic status quo can cut them out of their valuable advocacy work.
* applications for the mentorship program at Helioscope will remain open through March 31. Getting access to working artists at a point in time you're developing your own working habits could be a huge thing, and everyone there seems nice.
FFF Results Post #500a—Industry Likes
On Friday, March 16, participating readers were asked to "Name Five Things About Any Of The Comics Industries You Like." This is how they responded.
*****
Mário Filipe
1. Comics festivals (not the everything-pop-culture-convention kind)
2. Comicbook covers (I have no particular affinity for the comicbook format, but a good cover is viscerally appealing)
3. Reprints of old material
4. Anthologies
5. The work put into the many databases and blogs cataloguing the comics, its creators and the history of the medium
*****
Tom Spurgeon
1. Strip launch press packets
2. Halls Of Fame
3. Cartoonists on tour
4. When the newspaper staff with a pulitzer prize winning cartoonist celebrates the win with the cartoonist
5. Publisher dinners at conventions
*****
thanks to Mário for participating; normal service will begin with #501 at a future date, after we cycle through these bonus replies
WonderCon gets underway today in Anaheim, California. This is Comic-Con International's show that is not the more iconic San Diego convention. It's still a major show by any measure and one of the key events for the year.
I became interested in something that WonderCon's PR department put out there a couple of weeks ago, that the convention is now the size of Comic-Con in 2002. It seemed a good time to rope in spokesperson David Glanzer and have a short talk about where WonderCon is from their perspective and where it might be going.
CCI is a long-time advertiser with The Comics Reporter, although I've never been restricted in coverage and all questions are my own. I tweaked structure, not content, for flow. -- Tom Spurgeon
*****
TOM SPURGEON: David, thank for talking; I know you're slammed. Your advance person [Sam Smith] noted that WonderCon is now the same size as San Diego Con was in 2002. This is interesting to me because I personally think of 2002 as the year before the movies took off at that show. I distinctly remember stepping in to tie my shoes in the back of a movies panel [for Open Water]. I haven't seen five seconds of a movie panel since!
Having experienced both periods of growth, are there ways this show's growth is different?
GLANZER: That's a great question and I don't know that I have a good answer, to be honest.
I've often said that we are fans ourselves so we try to put on the type of convention we would want to attend. However, WonderCon started in the Bay Area and has always had a more relaxed vibe. I think that is still true today. The growth has been consistent but also more relaxed.
For a long time we've had television and movie panels -- in fact, the cast of the Star Trek reboot made WonderCon their only convention attendance a few years back -- but I think there's been less frenzy surrounding it.
Now, your mention of 2002 as the year Comic-Con kind of "took off" as far as movies are concerned makes me wonder if we'll begin to see more movie or television interest in WonderCon moving forward. So I guess, to answer your question more directly, yes, I see a difference and it seems to be a more mellow growth and less frenzied.
SPURGEON: Is there a demographic figure you can if not share than characterize that really stands out for WonderCon vis-a-vis CCI? I know anecdotally that a lot of families with young kids that I know go because they feel it may be slightly less overwhelming and Disney is nearby. But what do the numbers tell us?
GLANZER: It's interesting because Comic-Con has kept its demographic pretty consistently throughout the years. So we see young kids, and older people -- and by older I mean people my age and older -- and then the key demo is still 17-35.
WonderCon is similar. Though there seems to be more cosplayers at WonderCon. [Spurgeon laughs] I don't know if this is a fact or just that, because of the crowds in costume, they seem to be a larger percentage of attendance. But the demographic is similar.
SPURGEON: One way that WonderCon gets described -- I just did it myself! -- is in terms of its size relative to the CCI. But for you, David, and others you talk to, what's a distinguishing characteristic or two of WC that isn't about its size or size contrast?
GLANZER: Really, that relaxed vibe. I mean there really is a perceptive friendliness at WonderCon that is noticeable. That's not to say people don't get excited, because they do. And I don't mean to imply that Comic-Con isn't friendly. But it's amazing to watch the crowds exit on Sunday after WonderCon because they typically congregate around the plaza area and near the fountain. And they stay there for at least an hour or more. I think they just don't want it to end. There's something very moving about being involved in an event that people just don't want to leave.
SPURGEON: An obvious historical factor for WonderCon is that it's been held in a few cities, not just one. How does a show retain its identity across multiple cities? Would a longtime WC fan but only Bay Area attendee know this year's show intimately, or would there be things that Anaheim and even Los Angeles brought in that would be new for her to discover? Heck, I haven't been since San Francisco! What do I need to see?
GLANZER: I think a person like yourself who hasn't been since the Bay Area days might find it more similar than different. In fact some of the old signage we used in San Francisco is still being used in Anaheim. We're phasing some of them out, but they can still be found. [Spurgeon laughs]
Of course size is probably one thing you might notice. And the amount of people in costume. Also, I think the increase in comics and general programming would also be noticeable. When the show is smaller, it can limit what we would like to do. And what we can actually do. But as it grows it allows us to increase our guest list, the programming schedule, and the diversity and size of the exhibit floor.
SPURGEON: Can you tell me a secret virtue of Anaheim as a convention city? What Anaheim does well seems pretty openly discoverable -- the hotel infrastructure, the ease of parking, the capacity to manage large crowds, a destination economy... how might Anaheim surprise someone?
GLANZER: Well, we work very hard to negotiate discounted room rates at our host hotels. Those are typically close to the convention center. But there are hotels farther out with inexpensive rates as well. Some are small, or even tiny, hotels.
SPURGEON: It's remarkable the rewards that can come from by paying attention to certain lodging options now.
GLANZER: With regard to food options, there are several eating establishments within walking distance of the convention center. From Morton's The Steakhouse to fast food. So there are several options, near and far, at wide price ranges.
SPURGEON: You have a really interesting guest list, with this core of recognized Comic-Con people and a lot of younger creators with just a few books or titles under their belt. I have no idea how your process works -- is that a committee? Is that a programming specialist? Is there an animating philosophy to that part of your show?
GLANZER: Yes, it's a committee. And it's comprised of members who have a wide variety of interests. The Programming department also has a hand in this, as do others. Everyone can chime in. The list is put forth, discussed, and then the entire committee votes upon it.
SPURGEON: It seems like you've done particularly well at your shows with prose authors and creators that may not be straight-up comics creators but illustrators or show creators. That makes you creator focused at a time when some shows are kind of focusing on the general business of a comic-con, the pageantry of it, actors over authors. Do you want to brag a bit on your show's fealty to creators? How has that shaped recent development?
GLANZER: First of all, thank you! It really does come back to putting on the type of show we want to attend. We're so lucky in that we can invite people we think would be cool or fascinating without having to worry about whether a guest will generate ticket sales. Now, I don't want to freak out our president by implying that we don't have to worry about the bottom line, because clearly we do. Or that the guests we invite may not generate interest because I think they do as well.
SPURGEON: Sure.
GLANZER: But oftentimes our guest list is really based upon their contribution to comics and related popular art, and less about their fame or how popular they may be. And this is true from our inception.
SPURGEON: Give me an example of your international growth; I'm interested that that was part of your reach-out and interested in how you measure that.
GLANZER: We have noticed that we are attracting more people from across the country and even across the world. This year we have representatives from a significant number of countries, and interestingly enough we have press and media from at least eight countries.
WonderCon really is a national show. Maybe even an international show. I think this is one of the reasons that television and movie studios bring content to our fans. Their return on investment is pretty impressive because they can reach a variety of audiences at WonderCon. And like Comic-Con back in the day, our marketing reach isn't just for bodies through the turnstile, but for people who have an interest in comics and popular art.
It's more important that our guests, and our exhibitors have an audience that has a fundamental interest in what they have to say or display. It might be cool to say you had 100,000 people at your convention, but if your program rooms weren't full and the exhibitors didn't do 100,000 people's worth of sales, you really just end up with people who want to see what the whole fascination with comics conventions is. And there is nothing really wrong with that. But for us, we have an obligation to our guests, the pros who sit on panels, and our exhibitors to try to bring people with an interest in what they have.
SPURGEON: David, when I see you at Comic-Con it's usually you and me in our sportscoats, mid-bustle, and we have a brief word or two about CCI's perception of something I believe is a story -- you may or may not agree. I once saw you at a WonderCon and you seemed much more relaxed, kind of hosting the coverage that came to you. I'd never see you sit down beefore.
Is it a different experience for what you do than CCI? Does the relaxing part of that show extend to its on-its-feet execution?
GLANZER: It's funny you mention the sportscoats. It's true, I'm usually in a jacket and tie at both shows. But this year I am thinking about the jacket and no tie. [Spurgeon laughs]
It really is a more relaxed atmosphere and, yes, it does seem different. Maybe because Comic-Con is so huge, both in terms of the event's size and its position in the comics and pop culture industries, that oftentimes the focus is very intense. I think the reporting at WonderCon is no less professional and informative, but a little less formal. So for me, I think there is a difference. It's easier to have a conversation, as opposed to just a straight hard interview. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's the feeling I get. Maybe it's hard to convey what I mean, but yes, I do notice a difference.
SPURGEON: Is there a particular thing you look forward to at WC, or even something you've noted for this year's show.
GLANZER: I don't know that I have anything specific each year I look forward to with the exception of the show itself. Comic-Con is stressful and the mornings are early -- before the sun rises -- and the nights late. At WonderCon things begin a little later so many of us get to have a little more sleep. And that's always a good thing.
If there is something particularly interesting this year it's the use of the expanded convention center. Anaheim finished their expansion and now we get to take advantage of it. With the VR lounge and, for the first time, an eSports event. I'm excited to see how that all goes.
SPURGEON: Here's where I slip in a couple of broader questions. Are you interested in ever acquiring more shows?
GLANZER: I don't think we're opposed to it. But there has to be a good reason to do so. When we acquired WonderCon there were few shows on the circuit and the organizers were thinking of either shuttering it or handing it off to someone. After a lot of consideration we thought it would be good to keep the show going so we jumped in.
With regard to acquiring more shows, I will never say never, and there is an exciting element to the possibility. But right now I don't know that I see anything on the horizon.
SPURGEON: How would you characterize this period after you won the Comic-Con name injunction? Has that been fruitful for you, working with the various other shows affected? I was pleased that you won, as I feel strongly that while the word's a word, there were companies frequently using the word or encouraging use of the word as a shorthand for what you guys do, not as a generic descriptive. Is CCI prepared to see this battle out through appeals and public disagreement? When is the next milepost on this journey?
GLANZER: Thank you! It was a very difficult situation. The odd thing is we're not actually done yet. There are a bunch of post trial motions that were filed by both sides which, as I understand it, is fairly routine. So that means we really can't comment until those have run their course. I expect that will happen toward the end of May so I hope you'll allow me to take a rain check on this one.
SPURGEON: Rain check issued.
David, you recently did a San Diego media interview about your space in Balboa Park, pointing out that the permanancy of those offices didn't necessarily mean you were committing your summer show to San Diego in perpetuity. Do you ever feel your shows will all the way settle, or do your needs change in a way that other cities may always be an option?
GLANZER: The problem with permanency is that things change. If we could sign a contract with every hotel and other sites and venues that would keep their prices and access the same for the next 50 years that might be something we could entertain. But things do change, rates change, spaces change. We typically sign three-year contracts. And that means negotiating space, prices, and access begins almost as soon as the previous contract is signed. We want to stay in San Diego but we have to take care of our attendees as best we can. We have been grateful to the hotel community and the City for making it all work. But there are negotiations that take place and that's as it should be. And because of that we have to keep our options open.
SPURGEON: I've done this to you a couple of times, but give me an insider tip for WonderCon. You mentioned a few new things, but is there a particularly strong part of programming, a private space off the floor you like, a restaurant? Don't ruin it for yourself!
GLANZER: That's always a tough one. This question made me realize one big difference between WonderCon and Comic-Con and that is the ability to spend time with friends. At San Diego it really is just non-stop from early morning to late at night. And while there is that element at WonderCon, I do have the opportunity to grab a drink or dinner with friends at least one night during the week. Typically at one of the hotel bars or restaurants. Though after the show closes, my team and I usually find a restaurant -- I think it's been California Pizza Kitchen for the last couple of years -- to grab a meal and just unwind.
As for programming... look at our guest list. I'm very excited by that. I don't know if I'll be able to, but I hope I can sneak in to at least one program featuring any one of our guests. That would be a treat!
* WC logo
* photo of David that since it's on linkedin we're guessing is his publicity photo; my apologies if it's not and I'll yank it down
* cosplayers from 2017
* one of the many hotels that can be brought into service for WC
* a national player, for sure
* back issues, baby
* people reluctant to go home (below)
* here's a welcome addition to the online comics reading world: the first-rank comics academic Charles Hatfield returning to his favorite subject: the intersection of kid lit and comics. Its name is Kindercomics.
* Chris Marshall of Collected Comics Library fame has written in to say he's participating in a new group podcast, The Rorschach Test. Early interviews include Christina Merkler and Jamal Igle.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Andy Oliver on Livestock. Charles Hatfield on From Lone Mountain, which I am in the midst of reading and enjoying greatly.
* this is an interesting news story I don't think will be a major one: the Chicago Tribune bought some twitter followers for their cartoonist Scott Stantis as a way -- one would imagine -- of speeding up the build of Stantis' social media presence. The problem is that this kind of move violates the paper's ethics policy. I'm almost tempted to say that I'm more delighted by any media organization having an ethics policy than I'm discouraged by anything that brought it to our attention.
Festivals Extra: CAKE Releases Poster; Announces Special Guests Here; poster also below. CAKE does a nice job of pulling people into the special guest tier from their massive homegrown community while also bringing in national guests. Also, they could just have Eddie Campbell and Jim Woodring on stage talking for four hours straight and they might win an award for programming.
Here and many other places. One of the five important comics shops of the 21st Century. I don't take this as a surprising thing, however, and think comic book store cycles will be much shorter in the years ahead.
That the block might be converted into one of those reverse-mullet buildings (businesses on the bottom; personal living up top) was news back in 2014. The reaction of the store's management at the time as I recall was that they had made so much money as hosts to comedy-related events that they could have their choice of where to move. This analysis I think assumed comics would be part of whatever move might have to be made, but of course staying in any one kind of a retail isn't a requirement for anyone.
That was a really good, full-service store, with space to exhibit and a combination of programming that worked. Back when the world wasn't bedazzled in geeky things, seeing that Dan Clowes imagery felt exciting. I had a signing there a long time ago and it was great. I'll miss visiting. Good luck and good times ahead for all those involved. Thanks for all the funnybooks.
* Hannah Means Shannon asks after comics' lack of politeness. I'm not sure I agree with the general premise that comics is uniquely non-polite, not sure I'd go so far as to identify where most of these impolite moments are taking place between whom, not sure I follow the human effect argument -- but I say so with all courtesy.
* bundled extra: here are the comic tie-ins for this year's The Incredibles sequel.
* well-resepectd veteran cartoonist Clay Bennett wins the Thomas Nast Award from the Overseas Press Club. I am so way behind on awards to shame a more conscientious reporter into retirement. Let me try to catchup soon. Congrats to Mr. Bennett in the meantime.
* this article doesn't seem like it has a lot to say to wider audience or a lot to suggest about the hidden motivations of an existing one. When Marvel made comics this person liked, they were bought. When Marvel didn't do as much of that, fewer comics were bought.
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.
*****
JAN181597 BERLIN #22 (MR) $5.95
It's a light week for me but one I'll definitely spend at the comic shop waving one final goodbye to my twenties. Congratulations to my pal Jason Lutes, once a leading light of the younger Seattle scene and now the cool comics professor and family man that hosts game night. And so long to the last great series of the alt-happy '90s to end. I want to read the whole thing. I don't think anyone took on a greater degree of difficulty with their big career-defining serial project than Jason did with Berlin. There's at least one testament to its long run that popped into my head just now: I really want to know what happens.
JAN180138 USAGI YOJIMBO #1 (OF 7) THE HIDDEN $3.99 JAN180115 DEPT H #24 $3.99 JAN180344 SUPER SONS #14 $3.99 JAN180556 COMIC BOOK HISTORY OF COMICS COMICS FOR ALL #4 CVR A $3.99 JAN180557 COMIC BOOK HISTORY OF COMICS COMICS FOR ALL #4 CVR B $3.99
This is a Usagi/Ishida mini-series, and I assume that this provides the long-running series with a boost, to number this way. I love Sakai's work, I'm not entirely sure I can fully articulate why, but I do now I derive great pleasure from it. I think I've read every page. The Dept H being at #24 already makes me think I've lost my mind and fell out of time at some point during the Trump administration. That's just a lot of comics. If you had had me guess I would have said 11 issues thus far. Super Sons I think goes away at some point in the near-future; I like the non-serious fantasy element inherent in such a title, and I like both of those little kid characters. The Comic Book History project steamrolls on.
DEC170398 PLANETARY TP BOOK 02 $24.99 NOV170018 ABE SAPIEN DARK & TERRIBLE HC VOL 02 $34.99 NOV170555 CORTO MALTESE GN GOLDEN HOUSE OF SAMARKAND $34.99 DEC161991 BURNE HOGARTH TARZAN HC VOL 04 THE LOST TRIBES $49.95 OCT170522 WE SPOKE OUT COMIC BOOKS & THE HOLOCAUST HC $49.99
There's a bunch of material in the $25-$50 range this week, starting with one of thePlanetary books. I don't know which series that is but it's one of those titles that should always remain in print. Abe Sapien is from the Mignola-verse. Corto Maltese is your legendary series book of the week; you could make a case for the latest Burne Hogarth Tarzan book to be collected as a legendary series but for whatever reason those Tarzan books are identified more by creator than as one remarkable series, but that's not their faul. That last, I can't even tell what exactly lies between its covers, beyond the title concept. It does feature a cover with an artist making art, a favorite Yoe cover.
OCT170655 MOONSTRUCK TP VOL 01 $9.99 NOV171356 GIANT DAYS TP VOL 07 $14.99 DEC171532 MOOMIN WINTER GN $9.95
Here are the more conveniently priced trades: writer Grace Ellis of Lumberjanes fame is back with new fantasy romance in Moonstruck, this time partnered with Shae Beagle with Laurenn McCubbin helping facilitate as editor. Giant Days is written by the nearly always excellent John Allison and might not be all that well-served by how frequently it's published. Moomin Winter is one of D+Q' treatments of that favorite creative partnership. I trust all of these will be good. I'm going to at least look at all three when I visit my LCS today.
JAN181598 FROM LONE MOUNTAIN GN (MR) $22.95
Finally, these mid-2000s comics from John Porcellino are wonderful: such high quality work, such powerful staging, such sharp observations about the human condition. A show-stopper.
*****
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.
Bundled, Tossed, Untied And Stacked By Tom Spurgeon
* through a tweet we get word that the Paul Tobin/Colleen Coover effort Banana Sundaywill have a newly-colored iteration out through Oni Press in October.
* my failure to get news of We Shall Fight Until We Win out of the morass of my bookmarks during its eventually successful crowd-funder -- sorry -- means I can use it as a coming-up bundled news item.
* speaking of that morass, I pulled this elaboration of the Sandman Comics Group announcement that ran at The Beat, but I can't remember exactly why. I'm not sure there's an appetite for a clustered group of titles like this right now, but fans definitely want a reason to buy something, and a group can sometimes provide that better than individual comics. I remember the fact they announced with no artists sent a groan through portions of the creative community, as comics aren't wholly formed as creative endeavors by even the most liberal argument without some idea of the art team that will be working on those comics.
* one more: Zack Smith talks to Tom Scioli about his ongoing Jack Kirby biography project.
* finally, this video came on immediately upon my clicking over there and scared the shit out of me, but it was worth it to learn we get a Farel Dalrymple series soon.
I remember being similarly super-inarticulate that evening, so enjoy that, but if nothing else just know that I greatly appreciate that comic and wish there were something even halfway-like that kind of strong-narrative comedy out now. If Archie can make a relevancy comeback, why not another comedy with an Archie-structured cast? In this era of people going back and watching shows on Hulu or whatever like ER and Friends, consider the comics equivalent and bust out that Buddy in Seattle paperback. You're welcome to come to my house and borrow mine.
* not comics: comics historian and longtime Kirby Family friend Mark Evanier comments at length on an announcement that Warner plans a heavily funded and well-cast New Gods movie.
* hadn't noticed this group of people devoted to advocating on behalf of women in comics from a variety of platforms. There's a list of 350 creators in there, for one.
FFF Results Post #500 Plus Bonus Results Posts
On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Five Individual Comics Publications That You Love." This is how they responded.
*****
Douglas Wolk
1. Tantalizing Stories Presents Frank in the River By Jim Woodring
2. Mister O By Lewis Trondheim
3. Never Forgets By Yumi Sakugawa
4. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Volume Four: I Kissed a Squirrel and I Liked It By Ryan North and Erica Henderson
5. You've Got to Be Kidding, Snoopy! By Charles M. Schulz
*****
Tom Spurgeon
1. Sick, Sick, Sick By Jules Feiffer
2. Hicksville By Dylan Horrocks
3. The Death Of Speedy By Jaime Hernandez
4. As The Kid Goes For Broke By Garry Trudeau
5. A Child's Life And Other Stories By Phoebe Gloeckner
*****
Mário Filipe
1. Watchmen By Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins
2. Poison River By Gilbert Hernandez
3. Eightball #22 (Ice Haven) By Daniel Clowes
4. Perramus By Alberto Breccia and Juan Sasturain
5. C'était la guerre des tranchées By Jacques Tardi
*****
Stephen Harrick
1. Boswash by Nick Bertozzi
2. Cancer Made Me A Shallower Person by Miriam Engelberg
3. Mercury by Hope Larson
4. 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente by Wilfred Santiago
5. Ironclad by Dan Zettwoch
1. Jimbo in Paradise by Gary Panter
2. Adventure Comics #360 - "The Legion Chain Gang!" by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan
3. Uncle Pogo's So-So Stories by Walt Kelly
4. The Doonesbury Chronicles by Garry Trudeau
5. Cave In by Brian Ralph
1. King of Dental Floss By Kamagurka & Herr Seele
2. Jack Kirby’s Heroes and Villains By Jack Kirby
3. Vastly Overrated Al Jaffee By Al Jaffee
4. Cul de Sac Golden Treasury By Richard Thompson
5. The Thing in The Project Pegasus Saga By Gruenwald, Macchio, Byrne, Perez
*****
Kiel Phegley
1. New Thing 1: Identity by Jim Higgins, et al
2. Paper Museum 1 by Jai Nitz, et al
3. Starman Omnibus 1 by James Robinson & Tony Harris
4. Hellboy: The Wild Hunt by Mike Mignola and Duncan Fegredo
5. It's a Good Life, If You Don't Weaken by Seth
*****
Jeffrey A. Goodman
1. Ed The Happy Clown by Chester Brown
2. Mad #22 by Kurtzman and Elder
3. Cannon by Wallace Wood
4. Trots And Bonnie by Shary Flenniken (sadly only collected in French edition)
5. Ray And Joe: The Story Of A Man And His Dead Friend And Other Classic Comics by Charles Rodrigues
1. Executive's Comic Book, by Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder
2. Redrawn by Request, by J.R. Williams
3. Guindon, by Richard Guindon
4. Yesterday's Tomorrows, by Rian Hughes
5. The Collective Unconscience of Odd Bodkins, by Dan O'Neill
*****
John Vest
1. R. Crumb's Head Comix By R. Crumb
2. Tits, Ass & Real Estate By Eve Gilbert
3. Hollywoodland By Kim Deitch
4. Heartbreak Comics By David Boswell
5. The Orgies Of Abitibi By Sylvie Rancourt & Jacques Boivin
*****
Michael Neno
1. Rocketo Volume One: The Journey To The Hidden Sea, By Frank Espinosa
2. Naruto Vol. 3 By Masashi Kishimoto
3. The Steppenwolf Chronicles By Byron Black
4. Captain America and the Falcon: Madbomb By Jack Kirby
5. Apama: The Undiscovered Animal By Ted Sikora, Milo Miller and Benito Gallego
*****
Andrew Mansell
1. The Kat Who Walked in Beauty: The Panoramic Dailies of 1920 By George Herriman
2. Forgotten Fantasy By Pete Maresca (ed.)
3. God And Science: Return Of The Ti-Girls By Jaime Hernandez
4. Mel's Story By Garry Trudeau
5. King Aroo Vol. 2 By Jack Kent
1. From Hell by Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell
2. The Fantastic Four Artist's Edition by Jack Kirby
3. Forgotten Fantasy edited by Peter Maresca
4. Heads or Tails by Lilli Carre
5. The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar
1. The Complete MAD EC Library (color), Harvey Kurtzman, WIll Elder, Wally Wood, et al
2. Marvel Treasury Edition #11 -- The Fabulous Fantastic Four, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and others
3. World's Finest #113 (for main story), by Jerry Coleman, Dick Sprang and Sheldon Moldoff
4. Hicksville, Dylan Horrocks
5. Walt and Skeezix vol 1, Frank King
The part of my heart that hasn't changed from childhood is buried in some of these picks, for sure. OMG do I love comics.
*****
thanks to all that participated in any of the 500; bonus lists will roll out weekly as Jordan and I discuss the future of various features at the site... see you in May!
No matter how you feel about awards in general, it's nice to get to give a comics-maker or four one of the rare things we are able to give them. If they've passed on, it's nice to provide that to the family.
This is a very Vermont crowd-funder, but it caught my eye because I don't see a lot of community-based projects looking for funding this way. That's in part because many projects in this category seem toe end up being for-profit business hitting rough times and I think can't wrap around providing charitable support for a business of that nature. This is a shared-resources place, though, the kind that have been of benefit to thriving comics communities for years now. I hope we have the opportunity to make a similar space in Columbus one day.
Bonus: A bunch of good cartoonists are involved, so there are more than the usual number of fine level-gifts.
* veteran cartoonist Colleen Doran points out some of the underlying stupidities of common sexist criticism aimed at female comics-makers.
* Lynn Johnston looks back in an essay reprinted from the first volume of the LOAC reprinting of For Better Or For Worse. I'm looking forward to getting those volumes: not just because they're complete but I don't particularly care for other collection series of that strip.
* I don't always trust attendance figures like this because most people don't really comprehend what 10,000 people looks like in a convention setting, but I'm thrilled Elkhart has a show. That little Goshen-Elkhart corridor is one of America's greatest. Shipshewana!
* Mocca Festival is barreling down on us. One thing they can do in the SOI iteration that wasn't available to them before is really show off their special guests like Mike Mignola with stuff at the Society building in the weeks leading up to the show. I bet you this is something that most big shows will have in place within three years.
* finally: I have no idea if bikes and scooters could change the baby-stepping pace of the crowds around the San Diego Convention Center, but I suppose it's a possibility.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Alex Hoffman on Before The Rain.
* the CBLDF has some in-comics-form advice for students that wish to participate in political protest, such as yesterday's walk-out event. I have a feeling we're not done with such protests.
* Rob Perez remembers the late Honolulu-based cartoonist Dick Adair. Adair was one of the first staff cartoonist to feel the impact of the 2008 newspaper downturn, launching a thousand arguments to come about the value of local editorial cartooning and where newspapers should invest in staffing.
It's been a while since I've wanted a crowd-funder to succeed in a sort-of horse racing way, but I feel caught up in Steve Hamaker's PLOX Vol. 2 kickstarter, mostly because I think I'd grown used to most of the well-crafted, modest-ask projects I've looked at hitting their marks more squarely. No idea why this hasn't been the case for Hamaker's genial story of adult gamer-culture people in Columbus, but it makes me hope that much more it crosses the finish line with a few angels in its pocket -- if that's what it takes. In the end, it's the personal projects that add to our culture.
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.
*****
JAN181087 BIZARRE ROMANCE HC (C: 1-1-0) $24.99
This is the first of Eddie Campbell-related books we're going to see this year. Bizarre Romance is in partnership with his wife the novelist and comics-maker Audrey Niffenegger. This kind of stand-alone release from a pair of talented makers is the kind of thing I want to see every week in comics, but don't see as often as I'd like.
DEC170393 DC COMICS THE ART OF DARWYN COOKE TP $29.99
This is new, I think. I've thought a lot about Cooke lately; I miss his bigger-than-the-room personality and his lively Tothian take on superhero comics art traditions. I bet there's a lot to enjoy here.
JAN180558 RICK VEITCH THE ONE #2 (OF 6) $4.99 JAN180321 MISTER MIRACLE #7 (OF 12) (MR) $3.99 JAN180322 MISTER MIRACLE #7 (OF 12) VAR ED (MR) $3.99 JAN180605 DRY COUNTY #1 (MR) $3.99 JAN180798 MAGE HERO DENIED #7 (OF 15) $3.99
It's great to have Rick Veitch back in serial comics and any Jack Kirby put to good use I'll buy -- people have been flipping out about that title in that world, a good sign. Dry County is the latest Rich Tommaso -- an older serial, revived -- in what could be a major year for the cartoonist with new work and old due to hit the stands. Matt Wagner's latest serial in his been-around-a-long-time series of stories has picked up speed in the last two issues. Things look bad for our hero. I always like typing that.
DEC170956 MASTER OF KUNG FU EPIC COLLECTION TP WEAPON OF THE SOUL $39.99
This series was consistently among Marvel's best a full two generations ago, and while I prefer the original comic books, not everyone is me. One thing that's fun about these comics is that even the ways they're not great prove to be fairly enjoyable. Fun characters, too.
JAN181442 ABOVE & BEYOND GN $9.99
This is an oddity I'd pick up and look over: Don Lomax doing pro police-force comics for Caliber, apparently collected from a more significant effort.
JUL178161 ARCHIVAL QUALITY GN $19.99
I know almost nothing about this book save for that it's set in the world of librarians, which I'm not can solely be called "the library" or not. I just alway miss Oni books, and for once I didn't.
JAN181193 HEAVENLY NOSTRILS CHRONICLE GN VOL 07 UNICORN MANY HATS $9.99 JAN181194 PEANUTS TP IM NOT YOUR SWEET BABBOO (C: 0-1-0) $9.99 JAN181202 PEARLS BEFORE SWINE TP FLOUNDERING FATHERS (C: 0-1-0) $14.99
Hey, it's the strip gang: Dana Simpson (I think from the web archives of what became the print newspaper strip Phoebe And Her Unicorn), the GoComics version of a Peanuts trade series; this one from the rich period where Schulz seemed to be doing a lot of quirky minor characters, and the latest from Stephan Pastis.
JAN181776 PUERTO RICO STRONG SC $12.99
This is a charity book about which I know nothing, but wanted to remind people exists.
JAN181697 NEW SHOES HC (C: 1-1-0) $17.99
I'm a big sucker for Sara Varon's kids work and this would be the first book I'd pick up if I get to a store this week.
*****
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.
* not comics: there will be a lot of opinion pieces about geek culture with the opening of the movie Ready Player One. Comics culture has changed as geek culture has changed. The good part of that is that it's no longer as exclusionary; two bad parts are that a hardcore few want it to be that way again and the whole conception of geek culture has a really unsophisticated view of consumption versus curation. People are into what they're into. All the people.
Did The Writer Michael Fleisher Pass Away Six Weeks Ago?
A CR reader named Benjamin Russell has looked into it, found this page but has found little else except a changing status on wikipedia. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Update: Unless I'm being pranked -- and I can always be pranked -- this looks legit. My thanks to Mr. Russell. Condolences to the friends, family and fans of the late writer.
By Request Extra: JHU Needs Support To Stay In Manhattan
It's all described right here. This should be fascinating because retail-oriented crowd-funder in comics tend to do very poorly. At the same time, I think there are people very sympathetic to supporting retail that wants to remain in a neighborhood after it becomes enormously expensive to stay.
* Marvel plans a Sentry ongoing as part of their fresh start. That's their recent-years Superman equivalent, created by Jae Lee, Paul Jenkins and Rick Veitch. Veteran industry observer Graeme McMillan's initial reaction is worth noting.
* finally, Drawn and Quarterly shows off the cover to the complete Dirty Plotte collection appearing soon. That should be a mighty book.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Matt Seneca on Vacation.
* this tweet struck a nerve. Some comics creators clearly have ambitions to make film or TV work out of some of their projects, so this strikes me as only about 25 percent a rejection of that notion and 75 percent a rejection of the notion it would be easy to do so. I read a lot of projects of that kind, too. Getting your work into another medium is usually a pretty stellar way of finding that your work isn't of a high quality no matter the form chosen, but no one wants to hear that.
Comics By Request: People, Places In Need Of Funding * it's this crowdfunder that still hits me at the most important going, the one from Dan Stafford and his Kilgore Books. Estrada, Van Sciver, Van Deusen (seen at left)... it all sounds good. Pay attention to that one for the size of the ask, which isn't inconsiderable. Breaking past the halfway point by now, though, that's a good sign for its ultimate success.
* I don't all the way get what's goin here in terms of this project any relationship it might have to previous crowd-funder, but certainly these are all admirable artists.
* good to see veteran creator Ron Randall blow past the initial ask with this Trekker campaign. I'm always encouraged by work finding an audience that maybe didn't have an easy time of doing so through standard paths of business activity.
* not comics: Black Panthercrosses $1B at worldwide box office. This should surprise no one. One hopes this will keep a very appealing set of characters in a position of some sort of prominence within the company's publishing efforts, but that doesn't always work out just because it should.
* finally, Jeffrey Brown digs into Steve Breen's work on homelessness in the San Diego area through the humanization of those that fall under this category.
Another, Juicier Article Stuffed With Names And Accusations Regarding Stan Lee’s Situation Here.
I can't judge how accurate the detail work is just yet, but I like how the article engages with daughter JC Lee's situation, particularly that she may have her father's knack for being flattered into counterproductive business relationships and she may have spent some significant amount of the existing fortune. This article also talks about the probable one-time $10M settlement reached in the mid-2000s, which having come from an antagonistic situation Lee to Marvel/Marvel to Lee strikes me as a significant distance away from the $50M sometimes claimed for Lee's fortune.
Working on the book I co-wrote about Lee I was never generally impressed with those that Lee put around him, particularly after moving to California. My co-writer Jordan Raphael handled this period, but I did some writing for CR about Lee at different times back then. Lee's longtime friend the lawyer and trademarks expert Arthur Lieberman seemed to me a definite step up from the jailed, Clinton-bashing Peter Paul (of Stan Lee Media infamy) in terms of being the person who took calls on Lee's behalf as a kind of primary go-to for press people. It may or may not be worth noting Lieberman (who died in 2012) was one of the guiding forces finding Lee work within the content-driven company that housed most of the writer's later, desultory creative efforts: POW!. I also remember being directed to a Mike Kelly at points in the mid-2000s, and he seemed a vigorous advocate of Stan's.
There's a lot left to come out. One thing I want to make a bit more clear is that just because we're now seeing what looks like the fuller shape of the story -- that it's probably not just rumors and random instances of distressing acting out but is perhaps a two- or three-side struggle over both Lee and whatever his fortune might be -- that doesn't mean any of details have been vetted, let alone vigorously tested for their truth. Getting your story out first -- or second -- or with more oomph, say, doesn't mean they're more true. It's even possible one side might be wrong about one thing but right about another. It's going to be a grind to get through this one, I suspect. These racy brace of new articles and public testimonials should encourage us to listen further, not come to a conclusion.
rewritten a bit because someone on Facebook thought I mistook Lieberman's post-Paul period in taking calls about Lee's lawsuits and business matters as the entirety of their relationship; it wasn't; it stretched out before and after. My bad for not making that more clear.
FFF Results Post #499—Bad Guys
On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Five Comics INDUSTRY Villains As Perceived At Some Point Over The Last 100 Years By A Chunk Of The Wider Comics Industry And/Or Fan Culture." This is how they responded.
*****
J. Scott Stewart
1. Victor Fox -- "King a' Da Comics!" (ganked from Drew Friedman's great image; I hope it's okay)
2. Mort Weisinger -- abusive editor
3. Jim Shooter -- polarizing editor, talented writer
4. Liebowitz and Donenfeld -- screwing Wheeler-Nicholson and Siegel/Shuster
5. Bob Kane -- denying credit to Finger and ghost artists
Honorable(?) Mention: Frank Miller for The Spirit movie
*****
Andrew Mansell
1. Dave Sim
2. Jim Shooter
3. Terry Beatty's girlfriend (whom I'm not!)
4. Julie Schwartz (pictured)
5. Al Capp
*****
Michael Grabowski
1. Dave Sim (pictured)
2. Martin Goodman
3. Rob Liefeld
4. Danny Hellman or Ted Rall, depending on one's allegiance
5. The Comics Journal message board
1. Al Capp
2. Francisco Franco
3. Walt Disney
4. Robert Crumb (pictured)
5. Said Kouachi
*****
Steve Replogle
1. Carmine Infantino (for canceling Jack Kirby's Fourth World)
2. Mike Richardson (for canceling Barry Windsor-Smith: Storyteller)
3. Jim Lee (for ruining the 1963 Annual in a pissing contest with the other Image creators)
4. Jenette Kahn (for canceling Rick Veitch's Swamp Thing meets Jesus story) (pictured)
5. Richard Corben (for putting Den in pants in Den: Dreams and Den:Elements!)
*****
Tom Spurgeon
1. Frederic Wertham
2. Gary Groth And Kim Thompson
3. Gershon Legman
4. Moms That Throw Out All Of One's Collected Comic Books
5. The Batman TV Show (pictured)
Latest Article At Daily Mail Suggests What Looks Like A Basic Structure For Stan Lee Story Here. That story gives a broader narrative, includes daughter JC's role, and puts a figure on any money in question. That doesn't mean there isn't more to come -- it's suggested that perhaps newer business interests are aligned with Ms. Lee, but we don't that, or if so, whom -- or that any part of it is necessarily true.
Still, this kind of two sides going at one another over the care of a wealthy, older and grieving person does seem like it could be the framework through which we understand things moving forward. You never know what tomorrow brings, though, or what might get resolved one way or the other. With these kinds of accusations, there will be a push forward on many of the facts in question.
I wish all the best for the virtuous involved, and for Mr. Lee.
You can see a lot of Lee Family photos if you look around. I don't have the rights to use any of them, I don't think. But they're easy to find.
One other thing that strikes me as interesting is I'm not convinced an approximation of Stan Lee's net worth gets you to $50 million without a... let's say generous appraisal of non-Marvel deals. I'm really bad with money, though, in life and in opinion-writing.
Assembled, Zipped, Transferred And Downloaded: News From Digital * I sometimes don't know what to do with series offered through Patreon in terms of this column or the publishing column, but you can start on-line to get the new Chuck Forsman.
* the existence of comiXology and other comics services should over time give us measurements of comics' ability to capitalize on more immediate sales implementations.
* Steve Hamaker's PLOX Volume Two crowd-funder is working a traditional strategy of posted webcomic pages followed by a kickstarter to facilitate direct advance orders and more fervent support. I enjoy the strip as a backdoor Columbus-life comic.
* never a fan of second-generation hero comics, or those plotlines where they show a specific superhero concept stretches back thousand of years. I think they ruin the specialness of the now moment for those characters. That's just me, though. It's a pretty reliable sales hook.
Bundled Extra: DC Comics Announces Line Of Stand-Alone, Out-Of-Continuity Books It's called DC Black Label. Many of the books in the line were rumored and in one case were actually announced, although not as part of a line. Involved are creators such as Frank Miller, John Romita Jr., Lee Bermejo, Greg Rucka and Kelly Sue DeConnick, and a pretty tightly gathered group of characters based on DC's popular trio: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman.
Stand-alone, out-of-continuity books featuring characters destined to appear in multiple films seems like a slam-dunk idea to me. DC has always been pretty good about pointing to a single book as "the one to buy" for fans of their movies, didn't really do that with Wonder Woman on film, and I think that cost them a significant money-maker last year. This should correct that.
It's always good to see where younger customers and the creative community stand on Frank Miller, too, and I would expect some pushback there, at least on-line.
The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Shows And Events
By Tom Spurgeon
* the Lakes International Comic Art Festival has announced its first round of guests for their mid-October show. There will be some scrutiny about their guest list overall after accusations and responses to accusations about the content of the list led to some turbulence with last year's show.
* Tingfest, the only comics festival that matters, has announced its initial infrastructure and guest list.
* every condolence possible to the family and friends of the young woman who according to the gofundme here lost her life due to complications from a severe asthma attack at the Emerald City show last weekend.
* not comics: everything Charles Mudede writes is smart so this piece describing a context for a scene within Black Panther will likely be smart, too.
* the conservative humor columnist and comics fan Jim Treacher cheers on Matt Furie's efforts to sue conservative outlets like InfoWars that profited from use of his work. Includes the video from Alex Jones in response to the lawsuit. Just because you see it on the Internet doesn't mean you can make money off of it, you dumbfucks. And there's no satirical element if you aren't actually using satire.
This Isn’t A Library: New, Notable Releases Into Comics’ Direct Market
Yeah, I know. I'll have something up soon.
*****
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.
*****
*****
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 * Alex Hoffman on Minor Leagues #4.
* here's another short and impossibly broad article comparing the two superhero-driven companies' approach to line relaunches. It does seem like DC is doing a better job with the latest refashioning, although Marvel's next one has yet to hit. My problem with these more general articles is that we're talking relative minor differences in the context of all entertainment measurements, which leaves open the possibility that grand strategies have less to do with it than comic-to-comic execution.
Matt Furie’s Legal Quest To Reclaim Pepe The Frog Expands To Include Alex Jones And InfoWars Good. I hope he wins full satisfaction, in every arena. I'm a huge fan of satire, but this was not satire: it was a repurposing without permission.
* a couple of Neil Gaiman-related items in the publishing news sections of your local Internet. First, four writers have been selected as the first step into creating four creatives teams that will do four comic books set in the neighborhood of the DC Universe rebuilt and/or gentrified by Gaiman and his creative partners back in the late '80s/early '90s. I only wonder about the level of the content there: I think making a big deal of such books and getting the idea across this is a group of books to buy are both good ideas. I know some folks on-line have rolled their eyes that more of the creative teams haven't been assemble before the announcements were made. The other Gaiman-related things is a planned Mark Buckingham book adapting four of the author's short stories, out this Fall in hardcover.
* finally: due to extraordinary circumstances described here, we get a new Nina Bujevac book sooner rather than later. That's great news.
* one shouldn't like readers' polls applied to the comics of any kind, let alone the editorial cartoonist position, because editors should suck it up and do their job, but I have to admit it was compelling enough as presented here to make me read the whole article and look at each example.
* Miles Klee walks through several webcomics and a few strip comics according to a theory that there's a bad-art aesthetic of particular relevance to webcomics-making. It's written as if to piss people off, and it might, but the overall theory at work isn't well-developed so the whole thing feels a bit scattered and weak.
* Humberto J. Rocha profiles Emily Sauter. Twenty-five years ago we'd have had a syndicated comic strip from Sauter about beer. Philip Kronk profiles Oliver Harrington.
Comics By Request: People, Places In Need Of Funding * hard for me to imagine more bang for your comics-supporting buck than plugging into the Kilgore Books fundraiser. What bits of the Noah Van Sciver I've seen look very good, and I'm currently very interested in reading more Emi Gennis. All of those books debut at CAKE if things go well.
* when I'm writing this on Saturday morning, Bruce Worden's Woodstalk project was a few hundred dollars away from meeting its initial goal. No idea where it's at right this minute, but it's down to hours left to make it over the hump.
* finally: this request was sitting in my bookmarks an unfortunate while and I have no idea of its status, but taking care of pets can always be a setback.
FFF Results Post #498—The Rest Of The Superpowers
On Friday, CR readers were asked to name "Five Super Powers You'd Enjoy Having, None Of Which Are Super-Strength, Flying, Invisibility, Mind-Reading or Teleportation." This is how they responded.
*****
Doug Rice
1. Telekinesis
2. Shapeshifting
3. Timeshifting (i.e. to move between different moments in time)
4. Empathy
5. Ekstasis (to travel outside of one's body)
*****
Tom Spurgeon
1. Time Travel
2. Running Really Fast
3. Lie Detection
4. Invulnerability
5. Talk To Inanimate Objects
1. X-Ray vision (without the glasses 'natch!)
2. Breathe Underwater
3. Transmutation of all known Elements
4. Radio-actively enhanced Sense of Taste
5. Chameleon-like abilities that regrow failing or damaged body parts
1 flaming on
2 turn into a Bigfoot or a Chewbacca
3 some kind of super suit that has ice skates that pop outta the feet.
4 eyeball on the end of my finger
5 summoning cream pies from the cream pie dimension.
*****
Stevie VanBronkhorst
1. Spider-man style climbing
2. Telekinesis
3. The ability to draw any non-sentient object and have it be real and functional (Harold’s purple crayon powers)
4. Walk through walls
5. Perfect recall/Remember my husband’s birthday
*****
Des Devlin
1. Psychological projection
2. Super-incontinence
3. Telecommuting
4. The power of love
5. Irascibility
*****
Stergios Botzakis
1. Summoning people by saying “Eternityâ€
2. X-ray vision
3. Matter transmutation
4. Telepathic communication with sea life
5. Shape-changing
*****
Philippe Leblanc
1. Time Travel
2. Master of Magnetism
3. Telekinesis
4. Super Speed
5. Foretelling
*****
Mário Filipe
Seeing as you hoarded all the fun powers, I will go with some pratical ones, like:
1. full memory recollection
2. super writing/editing/grading abilities
3. super information research powers
4. healthy, non-aging immortality, or at least the ability to continue to observe what goes on after I die
5. four is plenty for me; you can give my fifth super power to whoever else might need it
1. Immortality
2. Eating whatever I want without getting fat ala Matter Eater Lad
3. The ability to transform into a purple gorilla
4. The power to draw Charlie Brown's round head perfectly
5. Whatever power Woozy Winks had
1. Make duplicates of myself -- I can do a variety of tasks at once, learn skills, and then reabsorb my copies like Madrox? Awesome!
2. Super-speed -- I can go visit friends in different states or countries with ease!
3. Shapeshifting -- animals are fun, why not be one?
4. Night-vision -- I'll never trip on anything in the dark again.
5. Travel through time -- As long as I don't break the universe or alter history too badly, this could be fun!
*****
thanks to all that participated; thanks to Sunny McFarren for the subject; I let a lot of humorous responses through, but know if it ever feels like you're riffing on a question rather than answering it, I'll feel free to shut it down
Assembled, Zipped, Transferred And Downloaded: News From Digital By Tom Spurgeon
* this is interesting to me not because of the plagiarism but that the courts involved had no problem recognizing the artist's variation on a meme as creative property of that artist rather than derivative of the original from which people provided variations. I mean, I don't know why this interests me. I have no real knowledge of how those laws work.
* Shelina Janmohamed looks at examples of female muslim cartoonists finding voice through digital means and using the superhero paradigms.
* Andy Oliver on 
* Alex Hoffman on 
There are elements of 
* Heidi MacDonald talks to 
* oh, nice: Uncivilized is doing 
* Charles Hatfield on 
* Nate Patrin on 
* Matt O'Keefe talks to that good man 
* Andy Oliver on 
* Todd Klein on 
JAN180138 USAGI YOJIMBO #1 (OF 7) THE HIDDEN $3.99
* Philippe Leblanc on 
* through a tweet we get word that the Paul Tobin/Colleen Coover effort Banana Sunday 
* Alex Hoffman on 
* 
* Mindy Rhiger on 
* Irene Velentzas on 
* Alex Hoffman on 
DEC170393 DC COMICS THE ART OF DARWYN COOKE TP $29.99
* Johanna Draper Carlson on 
By Tom Spurgeon
* Matt Seneca on 
* it's this crowdfunder that still hits me at the most important going, the one from Dan Stafford and his 
* Philippe Leblanc on 
I can't judge how accurate the detail work is just yet, but I like how the article engages with daughter JC Lee's situation, particularly that she may have her father's knack for being flattered into counterproductive business relationships and she may have spent some significant amount of the existing fortune. This article also talks about the probable one-time $10M settlement reached in the mid-2000s, which having come from an antagonistic situation Lee to Marvel/Marvel to Lee strikes me as a significant distance away from the $50M sometimes claimed for Lee's fortune.
* I sometimes don't know what to do with series offered through Patreon in terms of this column or the publishing column, but 
* go, look: 
* Johanna Draper Carlson on 
* Alex Hoffman on 
By Tom Spurgeon
* Alex Hoffman on 
* hard for me to imagine more bang for your comics-supporting buck 
* Marty Roth 
* Rob Clough on 
