By Request Extra: Webcartoonist Michael Avolio Is Seeking Help With Specific-Procedure Funds
Here. It's a chronic pain situation, and it has kept Avolio from updates on his comics work, but some of you may sympathize with the situation or remember Avolio's work fondly.
Festivals Extra: NOICE Profiled Ahead Of Show Here. I think all the small, indie shows are particularly great because I didn't attend one until the mid-1990s and it's a model that I think encompasses a lot of eventual artists' range of participation in the medium.
* bundled extra: Dark Horse will publish a comic tied into the forthcoming cgi-driven Lion King.
* Heidi MacDonald says folks are talking about Marvel moving to the West Coast. Sure, that could happen. I doubt it totally kills the Marvel Bullpen myth since 1) that was always bullshit, and b) who cares? but to say that such a move would precede downsizing and closer scrutiny generally seems right on to me.
* finally: totally missed listing the opening of this Naoki Urasawa exhibition, but I can't imagine a lot of comics fans reading this site that have the ability to go not wanting to go.
Two Nice News Stories From The Billy Ireland
Comics is in a weird place in term of identifying what constitutes industry news, but a giant institutions making a couple of announcements always works. I was struck by two stories posted by the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.
* the first was Dr. Susan Kirtley winning this year's Lucy Shelton Caswell Research Award. Caswell is one of the great figures in the industry's last fifty years, anything that drives attention to the Billy as a research institution -- the role on which history will eventually judge it -- is a wonderful thing, and Kirtley is one of the foundational figure of comics' right-this-very-second through both her national organizing work for fellow academics and building her school's program out west. I am a fan of everything with a proper name in this story and can't wait to see what Kirtley does with the opportunity.
* the second story right there on their feed is that Ann Drozd is joining the staff at the Billy as museum coordinator, with a slew of cool-sounding responsibility. I don't know Drozd as well as I do Kirtley but anyone joining that staff is a big deal, and she's run programming at the Ann Arbor kids-focused show in impeccable fashion. I think she's going to be fantastic for the community in which I live and for the wider comics community.
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.
*****
NOV181499 CICADA HC PICTURE BOOK $19.99
In the admittedly terrifying model of the universe where what lies at the center of the galaxy is my gigantic, fat head and everything revolves around me, the direct market of comic book specialty retail exists to let me know when a new Shaun Tan book comes out and affords me t the opportunity to take a look at it before buy. Thank you, direct market of comic book specialty retail.
APR170103 WISH TP $24.99
Okay, everything I just said, but about books from Clamp. Kidding aside, I find Clamp's comics very foundational and have no problem suggesting you buy one sight unseen at $25 if you're not familiar with the work already.
DEC181866 EIGHTBALL PUSSEY TP (CURR PTG) (MR) $12.95 SEP180286 NANJING TP THE BURNING CITY $14.99 SEP181316 IRON OR THE WAR AFTER GN $19.99
These seem to be this week's group of reissued books that are aimed at getting the work back on the stands instead of fostering an archival edition or to mark some special occasion. I like all of these book at least a little, I think. my memories of Nanjing are limited generally and what I remember about Iron from its Archaia publication was that it had some visual flair. Your mileage may vary, and so may mine six hours from now. I still love the Clowes, slightly more as a time capsule of a certain kind of alt-culture criticism of the mainstream companies (although the Groth and Spiegelman digs are still funny, too). There's probably some Bill Maher observation I can make right here, but fuck it.
SEP180757 STEVE CANYON HC VOL 09 1963-1964 $49.99 NOV181836 MIDWAY FROM PAGES OF COMBAT ONE SHOT GLANZMAN CVR $9.99
Two handsome gentlemen from the 1940s, one recognized as such in his day and one whose beauty became more apparent in retrospect. Previews is selling this era of Canyon as a tonic for the nation's loss of Kennedy, which I'm not sure tracks but will in the back of my brain when I read it for sure.
JUN180747 JAMES BROWN BLACK AND PROUD HC $24.99 JUN180729 SWORD OF AGES HC $24.99
Two books with which I'm completely unfamiliar. It may just be the material selected for preview material but the James Brown looks rote and clumsy. The Sword book looks kind of gorgeous, to be honest: the design choices, the linework and the coloring in particular. I know Gabriel Rodriguez mostly by reputation and Lovern Kindzierski by comics I read when I still lived with my Mom, but sheesh.
SEP181901 BAD MACHINERY POCKET ED GN VOL 07 CASE FORKED ROAD $12.99
I buy everything related to John Allison and I will fight you if you try to make me stop.
NOV181936 HILO GN VOL 05 THEN EVERYTHING WENT WRONG $13.99
This caught my eye because I like Winick and I'm really into artists doing long series in comic book or book form right now. If this isn't the last in the series I'm guess it's the next to last. Having worked everywhere, Winick is going to be the most entertaining convention nostalgia panelist 35 years from now.
JUN182014 SALAMMBO HC $39.99
Philippe Druillet interpreting Flaubert's novel about the Pict War! That sounds like a sophisticated night at the theater AND a gorgeous comic book. I'll settle for the latter.
*****
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
* some nice person at Fiction Advocate talks to Lilah Sturges.
* bundled extra: the micro-publisher Bergen Street Comics announced their titles by Charles Forsman and Michel Fiffe will be appearing with other imprints in 2019. I think conventional wisdom says there's a lot of extra sales potential there, so good luck to all involved.
* I'm sorry to see the legendary St. Mark's going out of business and it's a testament to my addled mental state of the last three years that had I been quizzed at the grocery store this morning I would have told the person with the mic that St. Mark's had been closed since 2013 or something. I hope people find as much buried treasure as is possible in the forthcoming sales, and I hope the next generation of shorter-cycle stores have a similar thing to the kind of buried treasure I'm indicating with that phrasing.
Go, Read: Readers Sound Off On Firing Of Steve Benson Here. There's also a lot of solid cartoon work woven into that piece via a couple of slideshows.
I'm sympathetic towards a lot of the journalism cost-cutting that took place at the end of the previous decade as the newspaper model went into freefall, but I share every concern expressed about Steve Benson shown the door at the Arizona Republic. If you have an editorial board, you can afford an editorial cartoonist, and I firmly believe that any of the major cartoonists holding a staff cartoonist position is talented enough to be a profit center for their publication.
Another thing I noticed is while I don't think of Benson as a strident cartoonist, some of the readers piping up disagree with me. I'm not sure what to do in the long run if people make these really broad political assignments of that kind of coverage.
The company continues its plan for its single-issue series Kaijumax and comics featuring the Rick & Morty property.
The four stand-alones are Wait, What?: A Comic Book Guide to Relationships, Bodies, and Growing Up by Heather Corinna and Isabella Rotman, colored by Luke Howard. That's aimed at pre-teens and very young teens, and is exactly as described in the title. Kriss: The Gift of Wrath, by Ted Naifeh and Warren Wucinich, features the popular writer Naifeh on an all-new fantasy effort. Morning in America by Magdalene Visaggio and Claudia Aguirre is a 1980s culture-sift conspiracy-theory adventure set in the American Midwest. Finally, Unplugged & Unpopular marries a message about watching too many screens to an alien-invasion story. That's from Mat Heagerty, Tintin Pantoja and Mike Amante.
The second and third book listed are young adult, and that last one is another for Middle Readers. Watching the Middle Readers category as more people take direct interest in the massive audience found there should intrigue industry wonks for the next few years.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Howard Chaykin offers up an explanation/context/rebuttal for all things Bill Maher vs. Comics. The interest from so many in the funnybook world in the comedian's dismissal of comics through the example of Stan Lee fairly baffles me -- he would have to ride out cowboy-style on a living dinosaur for me to want to see it on TV -- but I suppose that being able to rile people up is a skill set for our modern times.
* I'm bookmarking this productivity tool to look at it later on, but you might get use from it right away.
* this story has likely progressed since I stored the link, but it struck me that I'm not sure how anyone accomplishes stealing a large cash amount worth of comics as a tiny subset of comics are generally worth a shit-ton and the vast, vast majority are worth about nothing at all, but okay.
* the fundraiser for those sued for defamation by cartoonist/publisher Cody Pickrodt continues on. That situation curdles quickly if the money runs out, so consider a second throw-in or an initial one if you haven't done so. I would suppose the next major step is seeing if some of those involved can be removed from the case for not living and thus not doing enough business in New York.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * artist Steve Lieber's very funny portfolio critique is now a buyable print.
* totally missed that Steve Benson was let go by the Arizona Republic and agree with Pat Bagley that this is a stupid, short-sighted decision. I think that any of the remaining working staff cartoonists are good enough that it's up to the newspaper to figure out how to employ them in way that sells copies and/or drives hits. In general the recent round of journalism cuts has a real end-of-industry feel to it, more than anything since the original deep cuts made back in 2008-2010.
* by request extra: cartoonist Patrick Dean's family is participating in a comprehensive support program run by a family friend. You probably don't live close enough to be a meal-maker or a shopper or a check in person, but those meal cards and the occasional thing popping up on their Amazon wish list would be greatly appreciated.
* not comics: here's a profile of 1990s TCJ mainstay Christopher Brayshaw in his current gig.
FFF Results Post #516: Very, Very Ordinary
On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Four Not Particularly Distinguished Comics That Have Stuck In Your Memory Even Though They're Just Not That Good. Explain Why You Remember #4 In The Fifth Slot." This is how they responded.
1. Mirror Walker #1
2. Questprobe #3
3. Golden Legacy #8
4. Steelgrip Starkey #2
5. I read Mirror Walker when it came out in 1989. The notion of a cartoon figure walking through the "real" world wasn't totally new, of course, with Who Framed Roger Rabbit? coming out the year before, and the concept of passing through a mirror to get to an alternate reality was lifted from Lewis Carroll. But there were two things that struck me about the book at the time. First, it was written by Marv Wolfman, who had a long history of writing mainstream superhero comics. That he was now doing an indie book that wasn't at all superhero related seemed very strange to me; it had an almost greater sense of walking through a mirror than what was depicted in the story itself. Second, there was only the one issue before Now Comics folded, leaving the story decidedly incomplete. I really started thinking about the economics of comic books -- even indie ones -- as a driving factor in their production, frequently over-powering whatever creative energy might be behind the stories themselves.
*****
Marty Yohn
1. Werewolf by Night #1
2. DC Special #5
3. Ragman #2
4. Our Army at War #298
5. I remember liking the story's ending and the way the artwork showed such a gritty, rain-soaked war scene.
*****
Tom Spurgeon
1. Defenders #17
2. Sunrunners #2
3. Hi And Lois: Is Dinner Ready?
4. Laundry Land #1
5. I'm sure it's a charming comic that had its fans, and Kid Anarchy plays much the same role for me, but this still feels like the right choice.
I'm reasonably certain that reading Laundry Land #1 as a broke-ass graduate student changed the way I bought comics. It made me think about what I was buying and when and for how much. As a result of this comic book, I stopped being an alt-comic completist and started putting back the same amount of money every week into a separate account and have that be the obsessive part of it. I then stopped buying anything day-of. That let me build a little bankroll. About six to eight weeks later, I'd skipped enough weekly books so as to afford myself the regular opportunity to buy every comic I wanted -- just as long as I was willing to wait for them.
A few years later I went to work for a comic company and never bought like a normal person again.
1. Invaders #17
2. Shazam Nr.1
3 Punisher MAX #4 -- Up is Down and Black is White
4. Incredible Hulk #94
5. I remember Hulk #94 for the same reason I decided to purchase it in the first place: the two pages in it that were drawn by Alex Nino and the cover art by José Ladronn. The rest is of the average quality one is used to by visiting the house of ideas every once in a while, and so I wasn't surprised to meet elements of the story premise being recycled into the third Thor movie -- an idea as inspired and self-cannibalizing as coming up with ideas like Asguardians Of the Galaxy or Spider-Gwen.
*****
Andrew Mansell
1. Shazam #10
2. Superman Spectacular #1
3. Thor #302
4. X-Men Annual #7
5. The worst comic I had read up to that point. It began to destroy my super-hero buzz forever with one "pop". Kitty Porn indeed. Ick. But I never forgot it.
*****
Marc Arsenault
1. Purgatory U.S.A. by Ed Brubaker - Cover art by the Hernandez "Bros."
2. Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #6 - Cover art by Jim Steranko
3. Action Comics #454 - Cover art by Bob Oksner
4. Street Music #4 - Cover art by Chester Brown
5. When I started reading comics again after a decade long burn out after my stint at Fantagraphics my most frustrating experience at the comics shop was seeing an awesome cover on a comic and then opening it up to see that the insides where nowhere near the same level. There are many many examples from before that period. These are the ones that came to mind. Number 4 being particularly disappointing.
* it hasn't been lost on professionals processing news about the departure of Mark Chiarello from DC Comics that rival Marvel needs a Mark Chiarello. I would say that's true of John Cunningham, too, given the longtime messy state of Marvel's book program. My understanding is that jobs at those two companies are very different, and not just because they're on opposite coasts now.
WBCP-Driven Layoffs Hit DC; John Cunningham And Mark Chiarello Among Three Percent Of Staff Laid Off
Former DC staffer Heidi MacDonald has a good first-reaction piece here you can read backwards into the story itself. She also includes the text of a key announcement memo. I think it's appropriate to focus on the moves at the broader VP/SVP level.
It may be worth noting that these moves come in the context of a lot of broader publishing-industry layoffs, most notably in the general Internet magazine/news site/eyeball-catching category. Tying them all together seems to a general desire to cut salaries and staff to make these companies leaner and more profitable, without addressing the very top-heavy places a lot of wealth settles in gigantic companies.
I imagine more comics pros will have had dealings with mega-influential art director Mark Chiarello and perhaps even longtime vet Hank Kanalz. The latter was not fired at all, and in fact ends up on top of one of the reshuffled divisions at DC. Expect a number of personal and professional appraisals of Chiarello and his accomplishments through the week. His has been the modern look of that storied company and as a result the look of much of comics. Myself, I will miss my occasional encounters with the apparently now-departed John Cunningham, whom I felt ran a tight ship that flattered the state of editorial at that company no matter how healthy or not-healthy creative might be. Cunningham always gave what seemed to me a no-nonsense appraisal of whatever part of DC's publishing business I asked him to assess, with a mastery of facts on hand that allowed him to argue forcefully in whatever direction he felt right. I'm grateful for his insight and wish him the best of luck with whatever no-doubt successful enterprise he begins next.
Many of the people to whom I spoke at the time thought DC's move to Burbank in 2015 signaled the end of the comics publisher being removed from these kind of more general company concerns. Given that thought, given the pro-publishing rhetoric of the memo, given the single-digit measurement of the firings, and given the unique nature of DC's business with so many niche-level sales items, I suppose one can make a positive or at least non-dire case for the implications here. I'm always a bit stressed out by people where I know what they do being replaced by people where I don't, bearing job titles I don't really understand. Additionally there's some really nuanced initiatives on the horizon for DC line-wise, with age-targeted standalones and sustaining the Wal-Mart comics, at a time when they could make some significant creative gains. All of this should bear watching.
My sympathies to anyone who will experience an element of life disruption based on these moves.
The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Shows And Events
By Tom Spurgeon
* I was not aware of the Dinky Awards until 11 seconds ago, but here is a piece about submissions.
* here's Howard Chaykin being as clear as possible about his disappointment in being linked to much older work when presented to the attendees of a convention.
* finally: a career retrospective for Dave Cooper is great news, and if it means we get to look at archival discoveries along the way, even better.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Rob Clough on N For Nadelman.
* not comics: a bunch of journalists including a few cartoonists were laid off in a wave of firings by Gannett. To make this story a little more depressing, it's not really about the journalistic mission than about Gannett squaring off against rival Digital First Media.
This is a great choice. The manga legend beat out Emmanuel Guibert and Chris Ware in the second round of voting for the award, which bring international attention and an opportunity to shake next year's show. Takahashi is only the second female cartoonist to win the award.
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.
*****
NOV181710 OFF SEASON HC (MR) $24.95
This is a new James Sturm book and longer works by James are always welcome. He is one of the more consistent cartoonists working in the alt/arts world. This one is about the current American spiritual landscape, marriage and vocational struggle, which one guesses from the shape and nature of the acknowledgments is informed by Sturm's personal life. It reminds me of the approach that Sturm has taken with historical moments by foregrounding them, just with right now. I want to read it again.
SEP180261 PROBLEM OF SUSAN AND OTHER STORIES HC $17.99
This is a collection of Neil Gaiman work with exemplars of a kind of art used by Gaiman to provide a visual element to his comics stories. Might be thin page-wise, but I imagine there's gorgeous art in this one.
OCT181826 KAIJUMAX SEASON 4 #4 (OF 6) (MR) $3.99 OCT181623 WORN TUFF ELBOW #2 $7.95 NOV180515 WILD STORM #19 $3.99 NOV180165 MONSTRESS #19 (MR) $3.99 NOV180171 OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #38 (MR) $3.99 NOV180892 IMMORTAL HULK #12 $3.99
A solid to good week for comic-book format comics, although the one that jumped out at me most is a Marc Bell comic that strains at a standard definition for anything it does. I enjoy Zander Cannon's supermax prison comics about giant monsters; they are weird and surprisingly affecting. Marc Bell is a comics genius with whom we are luck to share space and time on this planet. I've enjoyed the deliberate pacing on the Warren Ellis reconsideration of the Wildstorm concept. Monstress is a big hit for its publisher and I imagine Outcast and Immortal Hulk to be modest ones that likely won't be around 18 months from now. I'm bad at betting that kind of thing, but Outcast I think a mere ten issues away from calling it a day. Who knows with iterations of Marvel characters?
NOV181855 COLLECTED TOPPI HC VOL 01 ENCHANTED WORLD $24.99 NOV181785 FISTFUL OF DRAWINGS SC $25.00 NOV181790 OLYMPIANS HC GN VOL 11 HEPHAISTOS GOD OF FIRE $18.99 NOV182111 RIPLEYS BELIEVE IT OR NOT TP $15.99
This is my go-and-look-at-it section, a mix of books I haven't seen before and ones I want to check on by group to see if they're possessing the energy they did at an earlier point. A good Toppi series would be wonderful.
NOV181779 EC JACK KAMEN AL FELDSTEIN MARTIAN MONSTER HC $29.99
The Fanta EC book formatting, which I don't like in theory but seem to enjoy like hell with the books.
NOV180081 PROXIMA CENTAURI TP (MR) $16.99
Farel Dalrymple is one of our great great visual cartoonists and everything he draws delights me. All the others on that crew are neat a
*****
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.
* someone at VoyageLA talks to Robert Goodin, a longtime favorite of mine. He's one of those people that his not being able to work all the time making comics makes you feel comics is broken. Best Christmas card in the industry. The visuals used for the profile really pop on the screen. At least for me.
* by request extra: I keep hoping to include this mention of a William Messner-Loebs benefit book in one of the By Request columns, but in case I don't I'll mention it here. Nice man, interesting creator, tough case.
* finally, I think I forgot to post this link to Fred Van Lente on proper comic script formatting. If I didn't, here it is again.
* congratulations to Terry Moore, headed towards a significant milestone with his lifelong creation Strangers In Paradise. I don't think we make enough of creators like Moore, or the Pinis, or Meredith Gran, or whomever, reaching the end of the line with these sprawling creations. It's a very special thing to comics, this kind of work, and we have some of the best ones.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Zack Soto has uploaded another Secret Voice installment, and that makes me happy.
* this description of Wolverine's powers now including hot claws makes me feel as if one problem with a lot of mainstream comics is narrative exhaustion. That's not a criticism of the creators involved, but man that's a lot of stories for a character that specific.
Go, Read: Is The Direct Market As Increasingly Screwed As Long-Time Commentators Seem To Believe? Brian Hibbs chimes in on the state of non-returnability, and references a few recent articles from foundational Direct Market retailers we've also noted here at CR. It's a decent recap while getting in some insight from Brian's unique area of interest. Basically, the fundamental structure of the Direct Market of nonreturnable comics and comics-related products is under assault by entities that use it a cross-purposes in order to secure a slight, immediate advantage.
So what to do? I'm not sure. One thing that's worrisome is that some of the adjustments have gone past people seeking short-term advantage and into people seeking a baseline of health. Things might get increasingly rigid from here. For instance it's believed many retailers have and will institute austerity measures on their ordering due to the inherent risk in over-extension involving poor product. That may help retailers from cutting their own throats, but it also makes the slow growth of a market working as it should almost impossible to reestablish.
I agree with Brian that something has to give. I might allow for content to be a bigger factor. I think the general quality of periodical publication is pretty terrible right now, especially the comic book series from Marvel and the licensed product work from other publishers. Working for Marvel and DC or for a toy that was a toy before it was a comic is not the top rung on the ambition ladder for a lot of creators, not anymore; it doesn't feel to some longtime observers to whom I speak like there's enough talent to support entire lines of comics, especially a quarter-century into multiple titles, constant relaunches and energy-diverting stops and starts. I think there a couple of hands left to be played -- if the writer Jonathan Hickman ends up in a mainstream gig soon, definitely note where -- but the best-case scenario is that the potential respite created leads to room for the reform of bad habits. It's hard to think one such miracle as that will happen, let alone two in close succession. Company to company, we're at the point it may be easier to conceive of the cessation of print than its rescue.
I don't keep up with the ins and outs of the awards from year to year, but certainly that trio fulfills some of the general expressed hopes for a double-tiered voting system when the show moved in that direction. I would be happy for any of the three. That second link above should give vote details as to how that vote came together. Like many votes in comics, they were flattened a bit in terms of sheer numbers of those considered.
I also failed to post this year's official selection. That's the first step in designating several awards given out at the festival: a list of 40 to 45 book from which several awards finalists are named, including a tighter list dubbed the Essentials for that festival.
As usual, there's a bunch of interesting stuff on the list for a North American fan: Nina Bunjevac, Frank Santoro, Tom King/Mitch Gerards, Emil Ferris, Jeff Lemire, Jesse Jacobs and Nick Drnaso and a smattering of artists familiar from translation here. It does seem very male dominated broken down that way, which always needs to examined and discussed and potentially acted upon. I don't know that Santoro is the first English-language cartoonist to be nominated for work initially published in a language not the cartoonist's on, but it's a possibility.
Best of luck to all nominees and the winners announced this week.
*****
* Aile froide, Olivier Bocquet and Jean-Marc Rochette (Casterman)
* Alice dans le Sussex, Nicolas Mahler (L'Association)
* Andy, un conte, faits, Typex (Casterman)
* À travers, Tom Haugomat (Éditions Thierry Magnier)
* L'Arabe du futur Vol. 4, Riad Sattouf (Allary)
* Bezimena, Nina Bunjevac (Ici Même)
* Blue Giant Vol. 3, Shinichi Ishizuka (Glénat)
* Bolchoi Arena Vol. 1, Aseyn and Boulet (Delcourt)
* La Cantine, minuit Vol. 3, Yarô Abe (Le Lézard Noir)
* Charlotte impératrice Vol. 1, Matthieu Bonhomme and Fabien Nury (Dargaud)
* Les Chefs d'oeuvre, Lovecraft Vol. 1, Gou Tanabe (Ki-oon)
* Chroniques du léopard, Téhem and Appollo (Dargaud)
* Claudine à l'école, Lucie Durbiano (Gallimard)
* Courtes distances, Joff Winterhart [Ça et Là]
* Dansker, Halfdan Pisket (Presque Lune)
* Deux femmes, Song Aram [Ça et Là]
* Les Grands Espaces, Catherine Meurisse (Dargaud)
* Heimat, Nora Krug (Gallimard)
* Il faut flinguer Ramirez Vol. 1, Nicolas Petrimaux (Glénat)
* Indélébiles, Luz (Futuropolis)
* Istrati! Volume Two: L'écrivain, Golo (Actes Sud BD)
* Kimi le vieux chien, Nylso (Misma)
* Lune du matin, Francesco Cattani (Atrabile)
* Malaterre, Pierre-Henry Gomont (Dargaud)
* Moi, ce que j'aime, c'est les monstres, Emil Ferris, (Monsieur Toussaint Louverture)
* Peintures, guerre, Angel, la Calle (Otium)
* Pittsburgh, Frank Santoro [Ça et Là]
* Pline Volume Five: Sous les vents d'éole, Tori Miki and Mari Yamazaki (Casterman)
* Renaissance Volume One: Les Déracinés, Emem, Duval and Blanchard (Dargaud)
* Les Rigoles, Brecht Evens (Actes Sud BD)
* Royal City Volume Two: Sonic Youth, Jeff Lemire, (Urban Comics)
* Sabrina, Nick Drnaso (Presque Lune)
* Saltiness Vol. 3, Minoru Furuya (Akata)
* Servir le Peuple, Yan Lianke and Alex W. Inker, (Sarbacane)
* Sheriff of Babylon, Mitch Gerards and Tom King (Urban Comics)
* Sous la maison, Jesse Jacobs (Tanibis)
* Spirou: L'Espoir malgré tout Volume One, Émile Bravo (Dupuis)
* Sunny Sunny Ann!, Miki Yamamoto (Pika)
* Ted, drôle, coco, Émilie Gleason (Atrabile)
* The Artist Volume Two: Le cycle Éternelde, Anna Haifisch (Misma)
* Théodore Poussin Volume: Le Dernier Voyage, l'Amok, Frank le Gall (Dupuis)
* Le Vol nocturne, Delphine Panique, (Cornélius)
* Voyages en Égypte and en Nubie, Giambattista Belzoni Volume Two: Deuxième voyage, Grégory Jarry, Lucie Castel and Nicole Augereau (FLBLB)
* Wonderland Volume Three, Yugo Ishikawa (Panini Manga)
* Xibalba, Simon Roussin (2024)
FFF Results Post #515: On Delay
On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Five Comics Narratives Where There Was A Significant Delay -- For Whatever Reason -- Between When You Started And When You Finished." This is how they responded.
1. Cerebus (1977 to 2004)
2. Flash Gordon (1934-1943)
3. I.N.V.U. (2000-2007)
4. Captain Marvel vs The Monster Society Of Evil (1943-1945)
5. Yotsuba&! (2003 - 2018)
1. Section Zero (2000-2018)
2. Planetary (2001-2009)
3. Lone Wolf & Cub (1987-2002)
4. The Last Avengers Story (1995-2003)
5. Howard the Duck (1986-2016)
Eisner Judges Pick Aparo, Tarpe Mills, Stevens, Turner For HOF; Four More To Be Voted In For July
Announcement here. That's a diverse and interesting group -- by sample order above Jim Aparo,June Tarpé Mills, Dave Stevens, Morrie Turner -- and continue recent trends in selection. The judges also selected the nominated comics figures for voting. Four more will be named to the Hall that way. The latter group will be announced and both groups celebrated at the Eisner Awards in July.
The Eisners have put their descriptions of the nominees here. I will certainly be able to find four nominees for whom I can happily vote, and I wish everyone good luck. One thing that strikes me about this list is I'm less certain than usual where the voting will land -- there are a lot of popular types of comics figures which usually receive voting attention competing against one another this year. Should be fun to see how it works out.
This year's judges are Chris Arrant, Jared Gardner, Traci Glass, Jenn Haines, Steven Howearth and Jimmie Robinson. Final round votes are done through Eisnervote.com.
Assembled Extra: Comics Workbook Relaunching Site
Looks like we'll have a new Comics Workbook site in six weeks. It makes sense to have that site reboot itself every few years as much attention they spend on how exactly the basic models work on their behalf. I look forward to the result.
* Heidi MacDonald calls attention to a recent Hannah Berry article about Berry's financial situation over a three-year stretch, and the saving grace of a partner making wages to live on. I think this is the new mission that now that the literary value and cultural impact of comics is no longer in question: return as much money and support to the creative class as possible. That doesn't automatically mean the problem is solved; my guess is that no matter how many cartoonists see a return that allows their work to be supported there will be three others that wish it to be so. But as many cross that threshold, the better; and to push at the limits of sustainable return better lets us know what's possible.
The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Shows And Events
By Tom Spurgeon
* this article about the impact that social media has on community spaces also would seem to have a lot to say about comics community spaces with an even less thorough commitment to space in the real world.
* PFC #6 is on. That gathering of top-level talent for camaraderie-generating comics-making and exercises is a wonderful way to orient your show towards the act of comics-making. Everywhere you look is an interesting cartoonist.
* here's a call for entries for a comics-related contest tied into the Lake Oswego Festival For The Arts.
* finally: Comic-Con fixture Pam Noles has a big-bags conversion business, complete with store. There is nothing I dislike about this story.
* here's a story over at CBLDF using benign cartoons of Liz Climo's tagged by Tumblr as adult content that is not adult content, with blame put on the technology used and what many feel is an unfortunate decision to remove content of that type from the site in the first place. I have yet to read up on that whole thing, although I know that Tumblr fell out of favor with the majority of artists I know months and months and months ago.
* here's Comics MNTon the launch of an erotic series from BOOM!. I thought we'd have a lot more sexy straight-up superhero stories this decade. Something to look forward to, I guess.
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.
*****
OCT181745 DOG MAN GN VOL 06 BRAWL OF THE WILD $9.99
I am not finding very many comics at all this week, but post-holiday and post-SDCC time slots are difficult for my specific reading tastes. Shoot me any suggestions I'm missing, particularly if they're obvious. In the meantime, it's certainly noteworthy when Dav Pilkey drops a book in one of his sales-juggernaut series. I get asked about these comics by kids of friends more than any other series.
MAR180562 LOST GIRLS HC EXPANDED ED (MR) $49.99 JUL180943 RICK VEITCH THE ONE HC $29.99 NOV181784 ETERNAUT HC (CURR PTG) $49.99
Three newer/different editions of solid to excellent graphic novels, the kind a serious colleciton might have in its library. I have no idea if there's been backlash against Lost Girls, though it seems a candidate for that kind of analysis. It's nice having Rick Veitch back, generally. The Eternaut is on my reading table as we speak.
NOV180199 WICKED & DIVINE #41 CVR A MCKELVIE & WILSON (MR) $3.99 NOV180200 WICKED & DIVINE #41 CVR B GANUCHEAU (MR) $3.99 SEP180696 DICK TRACY DEAD OR ALIVE #3 (OF 4) CVR A ALLRED $3.99 SEP180697 DICK TRACY DEAD OR ALIVE #3 (OF 4) CVR B TOMMASO $3.99
One recent sales and buzz stalwart and one project with a lot of interesting names attached. I think that's one away from the end for the Wicked & Divine gang. That's going to be a comic that comes up a lot 5-7 years from now with young mainstream and indy/genre creators.
MAY182059 KIRBY & LEE STUF SAID $24.95
I like the idea here -- a look at the creation of Marvel's 1960s comics based on the extensive on-the-record testimony and evidence-in-hand. It's all in the execution, of course.
*****
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 * Alenka Figa on Fashion Forecasts.
* not comics: my brother Whit told me these are the tribute ads that were placed in Hollywood Reporter in honor of Stan Lee after his passing; Maggie Loesch (longtime Marvel Productions head), DC Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, the five main Avengers cast members, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Disney/Marvel. I'm not sure why I find that interesting, but I do.
* not comics: hey, it's a geek-related writing job! I don't remember which geek site this is but it sounds like one of the important ones.
* this kind of avoidance/swapping is par for the course in many American newspapers, but if you make promises about changes in content you might as well be held to the result.
Go, Read: History Of Helioscope Twitter Thread From May I Think Of This Year But Oh God Who Knows
Here. It's at least a half-year old, but I think the basic principles stand. This is the shared workspace in Portland. No idea where the industry goes from here but I think all non-publisher groups are important until that gets figured out. I find interesting the way the studio becomes modular when address certain kinds of financial opportunities: studio-wide creative projects, sketch projects by individual creators.
Bundled, Tossed, Untied And Stacked: Publishing News
By Tom Spurgeon
* there's a Rufus Marigold collection coming. There was a point when I thought that print publishing would be dominated by webcomics efforts, which hasn't really come through.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * missed that Brad Anderson joins the recent list of all-stars donating material to the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum. I have to figure that is a substantial collection given the length of Anderson's run and the success of his high name recognition panel.
* meet Naomi. I would think creating a bunch of new characters and have their stories involve a set of backgrounds more diverse than a group of people felt comfortable using in 1948 would be fun for creators and for readers. Why should this be overthought?
By Request Extra: Patreons For Carol Tyler, Rich Tommaso
Tracking creator Patreon accounts has been slightly more difficult than I thought it would be. One reason is that the creators themselves tend to dip into and out of various community fundraising methods including Patreon. I will endeavor to do better.
A quick look around reveals two veteran alt-comics creators have jumped back onto Patreon with campaigns aimed at specific projects. The wonderful cartoonist Carol Tyler is looking for support to complete The Ephemerata: Shaping the Exquisite Nature of My Grief. That next book is about a recent period of great and repetitive personal loss for the artist, and the oncoming public takeover of her home. Tyler's plan is to relocate to a farm she's rehabilitating -- there will likely be another focused fundraising campaign to cover some of those costs. This one is for the comics work, and there can never be enough support for comics work from Carol Tyler.
Rich Tommaso is asking for support in making his Black Phoenix, a multiple-serial, multiple-genre magazine that looks as if it will seek to take advantage of Patreon's ability to create and fulfill a market's desire for a work without outside factors coming to bear. Tommaso is an influential visual creator, and his recent work has been great-looking.
Any other creators out there that are getting back into patreon as a tool, please know this column is .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) I don't always see everything on my own.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Christiana Salah talks to RJ Casey.
* saw this picture of Bob Fingerman and Eric Reynolds on the front porch of Fantagraphics and enjoyed it. I believe Fingerman is out West now, orienting towards opportunities like MAD and more broadly as a writer. As far as the photo goes, I think those chairs have been out there since 1994. There are probably a lot fewer cigarette butts just out of frame than might have existed back in the day.
* not comics: it's been fun watching various Seattle comics personalities say goodbye to the Viaduct, an oddly charming but decidedly anachronistic visual gateway to one of comics' great cities. Comics has a big heart when it comes to those kinds of things.
FFF Results Post #514: Animal Magnetism
On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Five Comics Characters You Like That Have Some Sort Of Animal-Man Hybrid Element To Them." This is how they responded.
1. Frank Page's Bob the Squirrel
2. Larry Elmore's Snarf
3. Krosp from Girl Genius
4. Tracy J. Butler's Rocky Rickaby
5. The "panda attack" panda from PvP
1. Rudy in Hollywood
2. Werewolf Jones
3. Kolin Kelly, maker of bricks
4. The weary urban cockroach from MAD #199
5. The scattering people from MAD #199
* critic and general writer-about-comics drops a giant public confession post on Facebook on the occasion of halving his regular freelance gig to take on his Stan Lee book. You don't see to many of those types of essays from that side of the creative/critical community. I look forward to his Lee book: there's a lot of material to be covered since 2003, and Lee's passing may change what's available about Lee's first eight decades. We're also at the point where people are passing away in the natural course of things that didn't even work with Lee until he was 50, and I'm grateful a lot of them will be interviewed sooner rather than later.
The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Shows And Events
By Tom Spurgeon
* James Sturm has an events-heavy small tour planned in support of Off Season. Sturm is good on his feet and well worth your comics-focused time.
* good luck and safe travel to all of those making the sojourn to France for the Angouleme Festival. That may sound early, but I've talked to two US people making extended trips that have already had their mail held. Because he's not one to participate in such things, the parts of the show devoted to Richard Corben should be really interesting. They've done a great jobs with major exhibits recently, and that one could really be something to see.
* if you haven't done a check of exhibitor/vendor/attendee registration deadlines for all your favorite shows, I'd suggest doing that sooner rather than later. I know that CXC ramps up its exhibitor application on February 1, and our show isn't until late September. One thing I've noticed from my position is that it looks like -- by which I mean it seems to me -- that Comic-Con may be trying to streamline its press registration by leaving more in the hands of sponsoring publications. I sympathize; that's a huge group and I think a lot of people with press passes are attending that show more than they're maybe covering an aspect of that show.
* this is an interesting investment from D+Q considering their limited classic con/festival attendance right now. Sounds smart to me.
* finally, I ran into this 2015 panorama shot of the San Diego Convention Center which makes it look like there's a corner and two directions one might head rather than one long front sidewalk. That is one big facility. Taking a second look, that might be 2018 due to no cars/buses/etc. on that immediately proximate driveway.
Nate Powell And His Dry Erase Board Sends Everyone In The Industry To Bed With Headaches
Brian Fies has the strongest contextual post about these dire figures from cartoonist Nate Powell, riffing on some lowball expectations for writing that came out in the UK this wee. This reminds me that there were about a half-dozen established pro that at some point in the month of December admitted to radically re-thinking the place of comics in their creative careers. There have also been some retailers asking for broader industry change. It's not a great situation out there in terms of feeling positive about the return that comics may bring, and that provides psychic wear and tear left unchecked. Be careful out there, and nice to one another.
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.
*****
NOV181768 HOBO MOM HC $14.99
I don't know much about Charles Forsman and Max de Radigues as creative partners. I know that I should. I do remember that the latter did one of the better comics in Forsman's mail-order mini-comics business from a few years back, and that they share similar sensibilities. Forsman's higher profile should place this project in a few more laps, and as I like both comics-makers, I'm glad. I'm also always to put a name alt-effort at the top of a DM shipping list. It's rare these days.
OCT181812 AXE-MAN OF NEW ORLEANS SC $9.99
This is a softcover version of Rick Geary's under-appreciated true historical crime series. I love this price point for a book from Geary, as his work is one of the more dense narrative and visual information wise. I always find something to like in these.
OCT180733 LOEG TEMPEST #4 ONEILL CVR $4.99 NOV180021 CRIMINAL #1 (MR) $3.99
My comics pals and I have been talking about the use and utility of modern comic-book format comics, and it strikes me that the ones worth reading do have a sense of purpose serialization-wise. It may not be an easy default format for comics anymore. These are both fun book by thoughtful creators, and you'll want both in some format at some point.
AUG180760 COMPLETE CHESTER GOULD DICK TRACY HC VOL 25 $44.99
Dick Tracy is on my list of major work I enjoy but don't love. I get its visual power but even that feels like more flash than substance to me. It's always difficult for me to process a style or approach that I'm told is important but never all the way why. Still a great series, though and they're more fun to read in collected form than I remembered before they started doing this series.
OCT182131 INVITATION FROM A CRAB GN $12.95
This is one for which I have information going on, so I'd be dying to pick one up and hold it in a store. Sneaky-appealing title, too.
NOV181984 LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS GN $19.99 NOV181878 PHILIP K DICK A COMICS BIOGRAPHY HC $24.99
Biographies are almost all in the execution, and these are two worth subjects. Douglass in particular is fascinating, and comics would be a great place to establish mood and context in terms of that fascinating life. I enjoy Philip K. Dick without being totally taken with Philip K. Dick, and I'm not sure I have enough curiosity to get me through the book unless it itself is well done.
OCT181892 NOTHING NICE TO SAY GN (MR) $24.99
I never know how seriously to take claims of popularity for a webcomic, but I like punk memoirs, so I'd definitely take a peek.
OCT181861 TRISH TRASH ROLLERGIRL OF MARS OMNIBUS GN $19.99 OCT181862 TRISH TRASH ROLLERGIRL OF MARS OMNIBUS HC $29.99
Jessica Abel I see mostly as a kind of self-help, general-creativity and productivity guru. There is nothing wrong with that; I can always use that kind of help! It's been a while since I've read her comic work, and I look forward to correcting that in the next few days.
OCT181585 WARREN TUFTS COMPLETE LANCE 1955-1960 HC $100.00
No idea for whom this book might appeal, but it is occasionally really gorgeous and was quite the popular offering of its time. Thanks god for libraries.
OCT181571 TIMELY CONFIDENTIAL WHEN GOLDEN AGE OF COMICS WAS YOUNG SC $39.95
This is Allan Belman's story, probably the final Golden Age creator to go through the whole discovery process whereby the artist learns that people are interested in this long-ago job of theirs. High end production is a hope here, so definitely god bless a comic shop that lets you see it.
JUL188260 STAN LEE STORY TASCHEN DLX ED $1500.00
Well, that's a price point. The interesting thing here is that Roy Thomas did the writing, and that's a person with the writing and personal experience to write an excellent book. I can't imagine a scenario under which I'll be able to read it, so I hope it's good. Nice to see the Leader get a little drive-to color on the cover≥
*****
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.
* just another reminder the gofundme helping those sued by publisher and creator Cody Pickrodt stalled out a while back. I assume there will be additional pushes, but if this reminder gets you interested in any sort of donation ahead of that time, that's great. I think it's important people be allowed to inform their communities about a negative interpretation of an event without being held to some sort of dormitory hallway standard of proof applied to a restricted selection of accusations.
* it's been a while since I checked in on Make It Then Tell Everybody. I'm assuming the Kristyna Baczynski, the Ben Sears and the Erin Nations are new enough to deserve a mention here.
* this comic Peter Bagge did about criminal justice system reform is about as bleak as anything he's done of a political nature.
Bundled, Tossed, Untied And Stacked: Publishing News
By Tom Spurgeon
* looks like the Eleanor Davis serialized workTomorrow will be out this Fall -- at some point this Fall, as Amazon.com's exact dates go only so far to allow a rough measure -- as The Hard Tomorrow. Davis is one of our most formidable creators.
* this back-and-forth between two people that seem fans of Marvel Comics covering that company's output pretty close can be interesting if you have a different perspective going in. That seems a pretty lost line to me, a few scattered titles garnering most of the attention with the bulk being indistinguishable in most ways from previous invigoration efforts at the company. Not exactly the revival promised.
* Mary Fleener's early-March-arriving book with Fantagraphics is among those antcipated-in-2019 volumes under the spotlight provided here. I have missed Fleener's presence in the general marketplace for years now.
* I've received a few e-mails about this Phil Boyle column on a combination of survival strategies and suggestions for same from other in terms of negotiating an increasingly byzantine and self-defeating comics-ordering landscape. I think there's an enormous amount of pressure on certain elements of the comics community to meet specific goals, and for years this has set up a tremendous imbalance in the marketplace. I don't see a way to walk all of it back when the basic situations facing these actors differ so strongly. It is refreshing to hear some plain talk about how certain strategies just may no longer be supportable on any level. It feels like we're near a cyclical low point and it should be interest to see how long comics stay there, how long certain models can remain viable.
* .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
* finally: I almost missed this, but Sarah Gaydos has assumed Editor-In-Chief responsibilities at Oni Press, having joined them less than a year ago most recently in charge licensed material. She is best known for a group editor stint at IDW. That's a quick rise for a company with Oni's relative stability, a sign they think very highly of their new EiC. We wish positive results for all involved.
John's a pretty ideal blogger: forthcoming, natural voice, and full of information about items of importance starting with the fantastic comics he makes and continuing into the sometimes-remarkable comics he finds to distribute in idiosyncratic times sales-wise. It's a miracle he's been able to do some good work in this tough area, and despite the unlikely nature of that success it's even better he plans to spend more time post-50 making his great comics and doing things of a personal nature. There's no more admirable artist or industry figure in comics, and everything he chooses to do should be supported.
Steven Thompson, one of the most devoted comics-content bloggers for years and years, could use a boost. It is a very modest request. I hope you'll join me in considering it.
* not comics: the idea of active morality clauses in publishing projects seems like a minefield to me, although it's difficult to argue coherently for there being fewer consequences for shitty behavior. I don't know of these in comics, although the contracts/assignments are short-term and allow for course correction in publishing relationships at a number of junctures.
By Request Extra: Barbara Shermund’s Burial Fund Only Half Of The Way To Reaching Fulfillment
What an interesting and important artist. Barbara Shermund deserves to find her final resting place, and I ask you to read about the artist and the campaign and please consider a donation.
FFF Results Post #513: Tweeter
On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Four Comics Industry Events Where You Would Have Loved To Have Read The Next 24 Hours Of Reaction On Twitter. Name One Event You Would Have Liked To Have Seen Live-Tweeted, And The Person Doing The Tweeting." This is how they responded.
*****
Jog Mac
1. William Randolph Hearst buys out the New York World’s cartoonists
2. Bill Gaines testifies before Congress
3. The debut and early months of Action at IPC
4. Foundation of the Comic Book Creators Guild
5. That time Tom Sutton went to an event at Jim Warren’s mansion and found a bunch of his original art hanging on the walls, so he took them off the wall and left, livetweeted by Tom Sutton.
*****
Bryan Munn
1. Playgirl names Jim Shooter top eligible bachelor
2. It Ain’t Me Babe
3. Stan at Carnegie Hall
4. Al Capp at the bed-in
5. Gaines in Kefauver hearings
*****
Mário Filipe
1. The 1954 Senate Subcommittee Hearings on Juvenile Delinquency;
2. The sentencing of Mike Diana in 1994;
3. The 1994 acquisition of Heroes World by Marvel;
4. The announcement of the Pulitzer Prize special award to Art Spiegelman for Maus in 1992;
5. The elaboration of the Top 100 comics of the century list, published in The Comics Journal #210, tweeted by the then editor.
1. The result of the vote to kill Jason Todd
2. Announcement of the founding of Image Comics
3. Rob Liefeld being fired from Image Comics (and Marc Silvestri coming back after previously quitting)
4. Release of the first issue of Kickers, Inc.
5. Premiere of the Dolph Lundgren Punisher movie, by Chris Sims
*****
Matthew Craig
1. Founding of Image Comics.
2. The imposition of the Comics Code.
3. And the Code-free "drugs" story in Amazing Spider-Man #96-98.
4. The Powerless Mod Wonder Woman story, beginning or end.
5. Livetweeting The Moon Landing With Stan Lee!
PS: I had the chance to read some of the earliest comics-related discussions on Usenet a couple of years back. Incredible to see people talking about single issues of Watchmen and Transformers or Peter and Mary Jane's Wedding in more or less real-time.
*****
Tom Spurgeon
1. The Publication Of Cerebus #186.
2. Kirby Leaves Marvel, Heads To DC.
3. Jim Shooter Fired By Marvel.
4. The Death Of Raven Sherman.
5. Steranko Hosts The Harveys, By Chip Kidd.
*****
Stephen Harrick
1. Launch of Milestone Comics.
2. Jack Anderson's reporting on Al Capp's sexual misdeeds.
3. Publication of Mad #11.
4. Premiere of Destroyer Duck.
5. Alexandra DeWitt's corpse discovered in a refrigerator (Green Lantern #54), by Gail Simone.
*****
Andrew Mansell
1. Franklin debuts in Peanuts
2. Death of Mary Gold (mind-boggling!)
3. Leak of the Shooter "Little fucks" memo
4. Publication of first JLA/JSA cross-over
5. SDCC 1976 and Vaughn Bode's untimely passing By Patrick Rosenkranz
1. Watchmen #1.
2. Crisis on Infinite Earths
3. The debut of the Fourth World books.
4. The death of the Doom Patrol
5. Giant-Size X-Men #1.
*****
Greg Araujo
1. Alpha Flight #12
2. Secret Wars II
3. Justice League Detroit debut in Justice League of America Annual #2
4. McFarlane, Lee, Liefeld & co, leaving Marvel to form Image
5. The death of Iris Allen in Flash #275
I'm not familiar with the work, but it looks kind of cool and I'm fascinated by the idea of a webcomic as a component work in a package of branded entertainment options. That does sound pretty repulsive, I'll admit. Still, I'm not certain why there isn't more of this, or why we haven't seen some comedians do Woody Allen-type newspaper strips.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * John Seven on a selection of mini-comics including a recent book by Caitlin Cass, a cartoonist for whose work I reach from my pile of mini-comics whenever they arrive there. Jennifer Szalai on Born To Be Posthumous. Hillary Chute on a selection of comics.
Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Announces It’s Received A Collection Donation From Jan Eliot I missed this announcement from right before Christmas. Note that the original art donation comes with supporting material and some correspondence -- a key for that institution's ambition to cement its place as a research center.
Festivals Extra: LAZF Starts Its Application Cycle Here. It's a short one. Also, the show offers a sliding scale for tables, something that shows have done behind the scenes in some form or another since the beginning of time, but that will become a more important public feature moving forward.
Abhay Khosla Openly Wonders After Writer Tom King’s CIA-Connection Claims, Details And Implications Here.
Abhay gave me this story on a plate a couple of years ago and I was not able to get very far in the months and months he left me with it. I apologize to him and you. I will pursue the story now as one of a chorus of commentators, through what I'm sure will be several levels of response.
Like Abhay, I think there are multiple issues in play here, and I have no preconceptions as to the full extent of the truth in any direct or related circumstance. It should be fascinating to explore.
I think Willberg's work is important because it's a non-fiction comics work less about finding legitimacy for comics than it is about providing aid and comfort to its makers. I've talked to a lot of people that purchased this book, and all of them are glad they did in terms of their finding some control over the aches and pains of making work within this medium.
I am glad this comic exists, that this cartoonist is paying attention to these issues and that I can follow Kriota's fellow comics-makers into areas that are challenging and exciting.
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.
*****
OCT181699 INK & ANGUISH TP JAY LYNCH ANTHOLOGY $39.99
A stand-alone volume of great comics from the late Jay Lynch brought to our attention by fellow creator and fan Ed Piskor and the great writer of underground comics history Patrick Rosenkranz sounds like a first-class aces project to me. I know some people avoid older work but I've never thought comics best flattered by meeting it at the tip of its spear point. It may be fun to read that way, but comics itself always has a variety of temporal entry points.
OCT181769 CHANCELLOR AND THE CITADEL GN $15.00 SEP181702 VAGABOND VALISE (MR) $25.00 OCT181721 IN CHRIST THERE IS NO EAST OR WEST GN $25.00
What distinguishes this week and then next few in comics shopping is that the bulk of winter has its own books on offer AND you see about a half-dozen quality works that just didn't make it out in the Fall. The first listed here is one of those metaphor heavy, idiosyncratically drawn, unsettling fantasies of the moment. I remember liking it when I read a copy. Vagabond Valise is a coming-of-age story told with anthropomorphics and is a prize winner from last year's festival circuit. It looks great, and I'm not familiar with the artist's work. I have no idea what the third work listed concerns or if it's any good, but I would totally check one out in the comics shop -- one of the points of this article.
NOV181348 GIANT DAYS #46 $3.99 NOV180230 BPRD DEVIL YOU KNOW #12 $3.99 AUG180371 BPRD HELL ON EARTH HC VOL 04 $34.99 NOV180197 WALKING DEAD #187 (MR) $3.99
A modest handful of comic-book comics that make my purchasing Mendoza Line this time out. I will always buy everything John Allison does, Giant Days is in for me. I'm a collector of the BPRD material in serial form, although most people prefer the trades and I totally get it. Walking Dead is in the midst of its non-woke suburb plotline. We'll do the best we can to serve you.
OCT182076 20TH CENTURY BOYS TP VOL 02 PERFECT ED URASAWA $19.99 SEP181858 BAREFOOT GEN GN VOL 03 (CURR PTG) (MR) $16.95
You want both of these series in at least some form, so check out these latest volumes in the most recent iterations. Barefoot Gen still slaughters me, particularly when our hero is carrying around a family members remains in a bucket.
AUG189233 ONE DIRTY TREE GN $19.95
If this is Noah Van Sciver's memoir of growing up poor in a big Mormon family iin New Jersey finally making it to the DM after a nice festival run, many of you will want to know about it. I like this book a lot.
OCT181700 PRINCE VALIANT HC VOL 18 1971-1972 $34.99 SEP181683 RASL COLOR ED TP VOL 03 (OF 3) FIRE OF ST GEORGE (MR) $12.99
Another pair of loving re-releases. Those RASL books snuck up on me and I hope they have some market penetration over time moving forward.
SEP181992 WALT DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE COMP HISTORY HC $200.00
I don't like all the Taschen books, but this seems to me a splendid subject for one of them.
*****
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: haven't taken the time to analyze why Aquaman is doing pretty well at the box office, but it seems to be doing pretty well. Since all of the figures I see in headlines are worldwide box office ones I imagine that's where it's done well. The main attraction for me is to watch fans argue with significant rage about their favorite toy worlds using box-office figures as a measure of worth. I wish soda fans and fast-food fans were as explicit in their assignments of value.
* Martin Rowson on 
* the first was Dr. Susan Kirtley 
* Mark Newgarden talks to 
APR170103 WISH TP $24.99
* bundled extra: the micro-publisher Bergen Street Comics 
The company continues its plan for its single-issue series Kaijumax and comics featuring the Rick & Morty property. 
* Howard Chaykin 
* 
* artist Steve Lieber's very funny portfolio critique 
Marty Yohn
Tom Spurgeon
Andrew Mansell
* Alex Hoffman on 
It may be worth noting that these moves come in the context of a lot of broader publishing-industry layoffs, most notably in the general Internet magazine/news site/eyeball-catching category. Tying them all together seems to a general desire to cut salaries and staff to make these companies leaner and more profitable, without addressing the very top-heavy places a lot of wealth settles in gigantic companies.
* Rob Clough on 
OCT181826 KAIJUMAX SEASON 4 #4 (OF 6) (MR) $3.99
* Annie Mok talks to 
* Zack Soto has uploaded another Secret Voice installment, and that makes me happy.
So what to do? I'm not sure. One thing that's worrisome is that some of the adjustments have gone past people seeking short-term advantage and into people seeking a baseline of health. Things might get increasingly rigid from here. For instance it's believed many retailers have and will institute austerity measures on their ordering due to the inherent risk in over-extension involving poor product. That may help retailers from cutting their own throats, but it also makes the slow growth of a market working as it should almost impossible to reestablish. 
* Tom Kaczynski on 
* Rob Clough on 
* Todd Klein on 
* Alenka Figa on 
* missed that Brad Anderson joins the recent list of all-stars donating material to the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum. I have to figure that is a substantial collection given the length of Anderson's run and the success of his high name recognition panel.
* Christiana Salah talks to 
* Todd Klein on 
* Sean Gaffney on 
OCT180733 LOEG TEMPEST #4 ONEILL CVR $4.99
* Paul O'Brien on 
* 
* Edwin Turner on 
* Johanna Draper Carlson on 
* John Seven on 
* John Seven on 
OCT181769 CHANCELLOR AND THE CITADEL GN $15.00
* Todd VanDerWerff expresses love for Olivia Jaimes' 
