Comics By Request: People, Places In Need Of Funding By Tom Spurgeon
* the wonderful Lorraine Chamberlain, S. Clay Wilson's longtime caretaker and general wonderful person, looks like she could use some help negotiating some patients rights issue where Wilson is currently staying. We as a community can do a much better job with things like this, but until then if you have experience in this area it seems like you might be able to help.
* Drew Ford's ask to facilitate more work for the sometimes politically controversial writer Chuck Dixon on the Airboy property is about 87 percent to reaching its first goal.
* here's a run of shop-related crowd-funders out there right now: Junky Comics, Lightning House, Comic Book Shoppe. That is traditionally not a successful sub-category of comics-related fundraisers, so it's interesting to me to see a few clumped together.
* finally: we are still closing in on paying for the first ask in the Barbara Shermund Burial Fund ask. It would be wonderful if the wider comics community could close this one out.
* Terry Gilliam has had one of the more interesting post-comics careers of anyone who's spent time with words and pictures, and I hope someone out there will re-publish Animations Of Mortality at some point, or put together a more comprehensive volume.
* I get nostalgic about newspaper because I think they've enjoyed a great run as a way to communicate a lot of information to a lot of people in sophisticated fashion (individual achievements may vary). But man, what a day of happiness for a bunch of kids when Superman joined the local.
Bill Kartalopoulos Sends Along The Full MoCCA Festival Schedule
I'm sure CR isn't the only site to receive this personalized treatment from Manhattan's big comics-festival style show, but I did hear from people that the information was a tiny bit delayed in coming out so I want to make sure it gets significant play this morning.
Guests of Honor: Bill Sienkiewicz, Edie Fake, Keith Knight and Liana Finck.
Featured Artists To Include: James Sturm, Florent Ruppert, Aisha Franz, Liza Donnelly, Mark Alan Stamaty (pictured above).
Other Artists To Include: Ivan Brunetti, Lauren Weinstein, Emily Flake, Keren Katz, Julian Glander, Abby Jame, Josh Bayer.
There's a lot to see here, at the tables and at the panels. Never apologize by picking according to your very specific taste as opposed to someone else's idea of what a good panel might but. That said, I think the Mort Gerberg (Saturday) and Mark Alan Stamaty (Sunday) panels cold each be a nice showcase for talented cartoonists with books out that could use a reintroduction for most comics figures. I'm also interested in that they're doing an art directors' panel, as I think we'll see more of the in the future, period.
As always, the star is New York, so enjoy your time in that wonderful city, which may be moving into Spring the exact hours of the show. Have fun.
FFF Results Post #520—Objects Of My Affection
On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Five Comics Character On Which You've Enjoyed A Crush. No Explanations Requested." This is how they responded.
Assembled Extra: Alex Hoffman Laumnches Combined-Site Podcast Here. Both of the initial selections are solid, and the space could use current, reliable alt-comics discussions.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Keith Silva on Neon Future #1.
* congratulations to the great Dylan Horrocks about his new gig -- and a secondary kudos to any students lucky to interact with him. Horrocks is one of my favorite people in comics, and I hope he has a blast.
* the Dark Phoenix story is an odd ending to the this cycle of comics, although I suppose the future/sentinels comics can be argued as the final comics there. I would love to see that group of stories come up with other options for their cycle-ender.
* this list of comics industry job openings intrigues on a lot of levels. Surely gone are the days -- despite there being plenty of "comics people" out of work -- where comics jobs are going to be automatically filled by longtime industry folks. I thought this shift would be beneficial, in that an infusion of talent with DC moving to California would bring in a bunch of differently minded people. At this point I have to wait until one of these waves of hires knocks it out of the park. There's opportunity there, for sure. The Marvel and DC position are fingers-in-a-lot-of-company-pies type position, while the publicity gig at Random House should be at the center of that company, whose editorial director is an ex PR guru. A high degree of risk comes with that responsibility, too, as there's always a chance that accounting strategies could -- not likely, but could -- make any of these positions the last in an era.
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.
*****
JUN181628 GOMER GOOF GN VOL 03 GONE WITH GOOF $11.95
I love the fact that somebody out there will keep trying to publish Franquin despite the English-language market's complete and long-displayed disinterest in sustaining Franquin comics as a viable thing. They are some beautiful looking comics, though.
DEC180807 LOEG TEMPEST #5 ONEILL $4.99 JAN190453 HELLBOY AND BPRD 1956 #5 (OF 5) $3.99
I'm always happy to see comics from veteran makers like this one, even if I'm not likely to hit the comics shop in order to buy them -- at least not right away. I have no idea what's going on with that last group of LOEG comics, but I've liked random pages I've read here and there. I've lost track of these dated mini-series cycles featuring the Hellboy character.
JAN191993 ROLLING STONES IN COMICS HC $26.99
I thought this might be a connection of comics from some of the strange sources that have generated Stones comics (Sacco, Sim) but it looks more like one of those broad-appeal pop-cult books of the kind that have been coming out lately.
NOV181895 STUMPTOWN TP VOL 04 THE CASE OF A CUP OF JOE $19.99
I'm not sure sure where this fits in the constellation of Stumptown books, but I remember liking the one or two earlier volumes I read okay. This one looks like it's back in line for streaming TV adaptation, which I'm not sure should makes up more eager to see it or less.
FEB192037 BLACK SUPERHEROES MILESTONE COMICS & THEIR FANS SC $25.00
Always happy to drive attention to academic books when I came, and this strikes me as a worthy subject.
FEB191772 SECRET VOICE HC GN VOL 01 (MR) $24.95
Zack Soto's best comics to date, in a solid packaging of said books.
*****
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.
* two Mat Brinkman works return to print. This is one of those stories that I read and didn't process correctly, but who cares! Such good news. Brinkman is a really interesting cartoonists and I want that work as widely available as possible.
Bundled, Tossed, Untied And Stacked: Publishing News By Tom Spurgeon
* Drew Ford is spearheading a relaunch of Airboy with 1980s revival writer Chuck Dixon involved. I suppose there will be some debate over Dixon's political views although personally I have a hard time generating significant thoughts of any kind about Airboy, the same way I would be confused by a relaunch of the TV shows Hardcastle and McCormick or Riptide. Then again, this happens all the time.
* Bleeding Cool noted the end of the Spider-Man newspaper trip, which ran for decades and was a thrill for superhero comics fans who wanted to see their favorite characters get to breathe a bit on the funny book page. I liked the weird, anachronistic elements, like Dr. Doom controlling a satellite with a lever switch straight from Frankenstein. Given the time of its maximum market penetration, the strip is its own unique chapter in the adventure comics tradition.
* finally: review copies of the Hand Maid's Tale adaptation have apparently begun to hit widely, which means we're likely head to press in anticipation of its sales date.
* I'm not sure I'm reading this 100 percent correctly, but if I am you can jump on-line and vote for Radiator Comics in a small-business context. If not, I've just wasted a bunch of your time.
* finally: it's likely not going to be a project for me, but I sort of hope a planned Mouse Guard film does well. I think those comics are a bit under appreciated and I think there are kids out there that would enjoy reading them.
Go, Read: Man Arrested For Stealing Comics At C2E2 Here. I'm not sure there's a lot of analysis of interest, although a couple of retailers have told me over the last couple of years that they have more people grabbing and swiping than usual, and one of them felt the relative brazen quality of the stealing was a sign of the times. I'd need some more convincing there.
* finally: we are still about $1300 away from meeting the first Barbara Shermund burial goal. I have to imagine that means the project will go through at some point, although I'd love to see that last amount go to the Shermund accounts directly rather than finessed in that direction as the burial takes place.
* this article suggests that DC is doing some universe-building on the fly in their latest comics. I would imagine they could use some remodeling, this isn't the best version of that particular fantasy universe, even with the changes and tweaks made post New 52.
* not comics: baffled why this is a surprise given the last 25 years I've paid cursory attention to basic entertainment news. I wonder sometimes if people are more and more outright resistant to basic real-world continuity.
Missed It: Oh The Places You’ll Boldly Go Wins Its Copyright Challenge On First Amendment Basis Here's the best article I've read about the court win enjoyed by Oh, The Places You'll Boldly Go! in terms of explaining how elements of the book -- a mash-up of the Dr. Seuss post-graduation gift and the general creative endeavor that is the Star Trek franchise -- match up to various copyright issues and claims. I'm not familiar enough with the Glenn Hauman/Ty Templeton/David Gerrold work to know if this were more directly comics in a formal sense if there would be any changes in this analysis, but I don't think so. My broad experience is that despite the awfulness of having work disrupted this way, any court challenge where a judge looks closely at these issues frequently ends up being a boon to free speech and expression. I would imagine there are a lot of works like this one that may fall short of meeting an exact definition of parody but function in a way to still be protected.
As the article notes, this is a next step -- and likely last one -- to a decision made back in 2017 that brought about a reformulation of the case on slightly different grounds. The suit was filed in Fall 2016.
Congratulations to those victorious. I hope publisher ComicMix came out of this okay in terms of financial cost and/or any penalty from this lengthy scheduling disruption, and that they'll alert the work's perceived audience more directly if money is needed to alleviate such circumstances -- perhaps in terms of people buying the work in question.
The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Shows And Events
By Tom Spurgeon
* an ECCC report from alt-weekly giant The Stranger. I heard that the security was a pain, that the show is generally solid after some years when early-year attendees weren't as happy with it, and that they've kept up their choice to separate aspects of the show.
* Eric Powell hits the road. My memory is he is very entertaining.
* we really need to stop making speculation on fictional characters' sexual preference into full-bore news stories. By the way, stay away just in general: this has the most obnoxious load-in noise I've ever heard from a web site.
* Ben Towle dives deeply into a Smokey Stover strip that appeared in A Christmas Story.
* I am all for honorable and ethical businesses in comics and the role they play, but this article about a new comics endeavor apparently inspired by industry veterans dreaming of one more potential Netflix payday was so openly crass that Sausage Man, Man of Sausage might not make it to the end without puking. There does also seem to be a bit of a collective industry eye roll in some semi-private spaces at Bill Jemas' involvement, rare in that that kind of disapproval rarely gets expressed where folks see it.
By Request Extra: Three From Brian Canini And Drunken Cat
Here. I don't know if it's true or not, but I've had the sense this year that we've seen a shift from the boutique publishers to micro publishers like Drunk Cat. That wold make some sense give the number of small press shows April to September.
At any rate, this is a modest ask from a publisher with the work already complete. Consider supporting this one or one of the crowd-funder covering similar territory.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * by request extra: Julia Gfrörer has a Patreon now. That's a highly-skilled, very interesting cartoonist and one that deserves widespread support.
Bundled, Tossed, Untied And Stacked: Publishing News By Tom Spurgeon
* this news article about DC doing a Frank Miller/JR JR year one of Superman book this summer has a significant supply of story hooks. The creators are at interesting points in their careers, the character has a high-profile within the comics line, the idea of bring attention to a project like this one with book-publishing type strategies bears watching, the whole idea of where this project will sit. with similar stories at the same company might be a bit nerdy for most but it's something that still has some weight. I'm sure there are a dozen more. I figure how this book works on audiences will drive a lot of its impact. That sounds banal, but comics has a long history of manufacturing event-type comics and rules for their success have yet to be set in stone.
* here's the talent line-up for the Diane Noomin-edited Drawing Power, out in September and much-anticipated: Rachel Ang, Zoe Belsinger, Jennifer Camper, Caitlin Cass, Tyler Cohen, Marguerite Dabaie, Soumya Dhulekar, Wallis Eates, Trinidad Escobar, Kat Fajardo, Joyce Farmer, Emil Ferris, Liana Finck, Sarah Firth, Mary Fleener, Ebony Flowers, Claire Folkman, Noel Franklin, Katie Fricas, Siobhan Gallagher, Joamette Gil, J. Gonzalez-Blitz, Georgiana Goodwin, Roberta Gregory, Marian Henley, Soizick Jaffre, Avy Jetter, Sabba Khan, Kendra Josie Kirkpatrick, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Nina Laden, Miss Lasko-Gross, Carol Lay, Miriam Libicki, Sarah Lightman, LubaDalu, Ajuan Mance, MariNaomi, Lee Marrs, Liz Mayorga, Lena Merhej, Bridget Meyne, Carta Monir, Hila Noam, Diane Noomin, Breena Nunez, Meg O'Shea, Corinne Pearlman, Cathrin Peterslund, Minnie Phan, Kelly Phillips, Powerpaola, Sarah Allen Reed, Kaylee Rowena, Ariel Schrag, M. Louise Stanley, Maria Stoian, Nicola Streeten, Marcela Trujillo, Carol Tyler, Una, Lenora Yerkes and Ilana Zeffren. Wow.
* not comics: this succinct NYT article on the rhetorical judo that Netflix in announcing their decision to cancel the virtuous but asserted-to-be-low-rated One Day At A Time is interesting to note. We're at a high point for maximizing profit in all facets of every commercial endeavor but also for valuing the virtue of decisions of support that are much more difficult to quantify. Comics will have to deal with this as well on more occasions, with the same construction of logic that a single line of licensing for Guardians Of The Galaxy could probably pay for two dozen low-selling but admirable comic books. Why make everything pay for itself when there's so much to be developed?
Go, Read: Russ Maheras On Visiting Steve Ditko Here. I'm not sure it's our healthiest collective impulse to want to know this much about the late Hall Of Fame cartoonist's studio arrangement, but I imagine this will satisfy many people's curiosity.
* speaking of Derf, one thing I learned from him is the Cleveland Plain-Dealergoes from a skeleton crew to like three bones and a chunk of cartilage. I've been following the collapse of the newspaper industry from its 2008 initial free fall into now, and it really looks like the complete and final end of something. There's a need for community news-papering maybe more than ever before, but no ability to get there and no appetite for it that might push a bunch over the top. I wonder how long most of them will hang on, and what will take the place of most.
* this is a vicious cycle even by the general standard of vicious cycles. You can break it, though.
* finally: Noah Van Sciver shows love for Michael Dougan. I hope someone will collect his late '80s/early '90s comics one day. That's a great abebooks purchase in the meantime.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Rob Clough on Structures 57-66.
* Sam Henderson remembers a childhood encounter with TK Ryan similar to my own. My father knew Sam's grandparents, we figured out at SDCC 1997. I think Jim Davis' time working as Ryan's assistant shaped a lot of Davis' understanding of the rewards and pitfalls of having a strip, and its course of syndication was a significant factor in how Davis approached Garfield. Ryan's was an exceedingly handsome strip, was limited in ways obvious and invisible by its caricatures and hit early before settling into a long client fade.
* finally: let the cartoon responses to the horrors of the New Zealand mosque shootings begin. This reminds of me the famous Mauldin JFK response, although the symbolism isn't its own point as it was in '63.
The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Shows And Events
By Tom Spurgeon
* the writer Bill Schelly writes about his great weekend at San Diego Comics Fest. It's a good reminder that some shows are better for some people than other shows are. It makes sense that a show where people might have grown up reading comics from Jim Warren are a good place to sell Schelly's anticipate biography. It sounds simple, but a lot of individual con criticism doesn't take into account this matching aspect.
* Jen Bartel will offer two artists mentorship advice in conjunction with the 2019 FlameCon. Looking at twitter suggests there was a bumpy road for some folks in applying to this year's iteration of the surging, super-popular show. I'm still sorting out what people are saying, but it's so difficult to run a show in which so many people have a passionate interest I'd be surprised if no one had a different take on how things are being done. I'm sure there will be a thorough discussion of these matters, and hope everyone gets a great deal of what they want.
* finally: celebrity friends of the court weigh in on one of the matters facing Salt Lake City vs. San Diego cons. Where this all eventually ends up in terms of its relationship to what laws exist I figure will unfold at its own pace and according to factors that fail to encompass the entirety of my own opinions on the matter. I do think that whether or not it's convincing to the court in the final analysis, shows have in this modern explosion of such events consistently evoked a meaning of the phrase that is specific to San Diego's version of the concept. I mean, I'm sure there were toga parties before Animal House but I never went to one that wasn't referring to that film's specific take on the concept.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Todd Klein on Green Lantern #4.
* this interview with principals at AfterShock is a lot less challenging than I usually dive into, but I like the occasional journalist Kiel Phegley and I have to admit I don't know anything about AfterShock -- even best-face-forward stuff.
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.
*****
JAN191420 NOBODYS FOOL LIFE & TIMES OF SCHLITZIE THE PINHEAD GN $24.99 DEC181851 COMPLETE CREPAX HC BOX SET VOL 03-04 SPELLS & PRIVATE LIFE $150.00 AUG181284 WILL EISNER SPIRIT CORPSE MAKERS HC SGN $39.99 JAN191562 PEANUTS TP LUCY SPEAKS OUT $9.99 JAN192175 COMICS OF RUTU MODAN SC $30.00
I couldn't find a whole lot right up my alley in terms of this week's comics. Bill Griffith's biography of Schlitzie The Pinhead is exactly the kind of thing I like to see and buy at the comics shop, though, so I'll be a pleased customer. I quite like the way the book looks. Ditto the third and fourth volume of the Fantagraphics Crepax works, one of those artists that has a primary, baseline appealing way of looking at the world. The Eisner is by Franco Francavilla. I'm not sure how much Spirit not by Will Eisner I ever need to see, but if I must I hope it is as fun as this Francavilla no doubt will be. I don't particularly like those Peanuts volumes, but it seems significantly cleaned up from a previous volume or two I've seen. I don't list a ton of academic works, but Rutu Modan is a fine cartoonist, well worthy of this kind of study.
*****
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.
* Austin English digs a bit into a New Yorker article on Charlotte Salomon. Salomon is familiar to some of you reading this, no doubt as one of those artists who works with principles of comics without being seen as a practitioner of that particular art form. It may be easier to see the comics influence in an article like this one that avoids mentioning comics at all.
Here. This is the prize that Slate does with CCS (represented by Keren Katz) and an outside media person, this time out the podcaster Gil Roth of Virtual Memories.
It's a good list. The lists are spread out so widely no one is going to hit everyone's favorites. Among those missing that made several 2018 lists are Michael Kupperman's All The Answers and Nick Drnaso's Sabrina.
*****
The Cartoonist Studio Prize for Best Print Comic of the Year: 2018 Shortlist
* the paperback version of Dan Gearino's fine Comic Shop: The Retail Mavericks Who Gave Us A New Geek Culture is imminent, and Mr. Gearino has a preview.
* finally, I'm not sure I'd yet seen previews of individual DC Zoom books yet. I know that this kind of work getting into the market for this demographic is a big deal, and I'm happy for the books to exist and the readers to have fun, although having come from the old comics-as-unique-expression camp it's hard for me to praise demographic victories over artistic ones -- at least not right away.
* Francoise Mouly and Genevieve Bormes talk to Jaime Hernandez. Rob Beschizza profilesCartoonist Kayfabe from Jim Rugg and Ed Piskor. Jeff Richards profiles Bill Fortune.
* the movie featuring the revamped Captain Marvel character that's become a major character in those comic books this last decade did very well at the box office. There had been some conservative dude-complaining about some dumbfuckery related to the film, bolstered by a bit of on-line malfeasance, but it didn't have a significant effect on the movie's performance.
* finally: the workhorse recording agent and posterity's friend Jamie Coville has arrived back from King Con 2019 with audio, photos and a report.
Comics By Request: People, Places In Need Of Funding By Tom Spurgeon
* the Birdcage Bottom Books crowd-funder seems to be going astoundingly well. They are inches away from their initial ask as I type this, the ask seems reasonable and more likely to draw people to their side than drive them away, and the books they're doing complement one another.
* finally: here's a posthumous Steve Ditko publication from the late cartoonist's partnership with Robin Snyder. For some of my friends, those Ditko comics are the sole justification for the entire idea of comics crowd-funding.
* Bob Temuka writes about how his passion for all things X-Men finally breathed its last. I find it interesting that you can make a type-of-content analysis of this or simply declare that the comics made after a certain point -- save for the Grant Morrison run -- just weren't very good. Personally, I liked the San Francisco set-up but I didn't care much for the stories told with it, just like I adore the few years before issue #94 and the X-Men just kind of roaming around like a group of 1970s TV guest stars, but could never get behind any of the stories told with that set-up.
FFF Results Post #519—Modern Female Superheroes On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Five Female Superhero Characters Created After 1980." This is how they responded.
*****
Mike Pfefferkorn
1. Jade (Jennifer-Lynn Hayden)
2. Miss Martian (M'gann M'orzz)
3. Terra (Atlee)
4. Liberty Belle / Jesse Quick (Jesse Chambers)
5. Jakita Wagner (pictured above)
*****
Tom Spurgeon
1. Crazy Jane
2. Angel Of Tarzana (pictured above)
3. Silk Spectre II
4. Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan)
5. Oracle
1. Ragged Robin (in The Invisibles)
2. Judge America Beeny (in Judge Dredd)
3. Polychrome (in Nocturnals)
4. Artemis (in Wonder Woman)
5. Jane Foster as Thor (in Thor) (pictured above)
* by request extra: the Gahan Wilson crowdfunder is doing well, but getting to the initial goal is going to take one hell of an effort. He's had an amazing career. Let's support him as best we can through this era of diminished capacity. Tell a friend.
* finally: Nadja Sayej at the Guardian profiles Robert Crumb in support of a new exhibition. Crumb's lived enough of his life publicly that I would imagine very little new ground is broken in the responses. Update: A couple of readers begged to differ because of the article's focus on Crumb's saying he's lost a great deal of his libido. I have read him on that subject, although I imagine it's new for most people to hear. I'm also not sure how interesting a declaration that is in terms of how it shapes the end result -- I realize on that last point I'm probably way at odds with conventional wisdom.
The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Shows And Events
By Tom Spurgeon
* ECCC is bearing down upon us for mid-Month. That was a really good show when I visited it a few times over a short period, but it's been a while so I can't say for sure although the enthusiasm of pros as a measure marks this as a quality experience. Certainly Seattle has many pleasures and I suggest doing some advance work on where to eat dinner so you can avoid the chains and hit something unique. There are good independent coffeehouses easily found as well.
* here's a piece on security measures at ECCC. I'm sure the potential indictments in that piece will work themselves out before the weekend or we'll here about it on Monday. It is a quirky building for something that public, and it's easy to get lost in some parts of it. One advantage this has meant for the convention is that it keeps separate the comics and pop-culture parts of the show in that they don't feel close to one another, which I think makes for a better comic-book show.
* ECCC is still I think the psychological starting point for the convention year, particularly for mainstream and indie-genre cartoonists, so expect to see attention to festivals and shows nearly every week moving forward, at least until mid-October.
* finally: before ECCC, we get San Diego Comic Fest and its old-school pacing and guest list. It always sounds fun to me.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * couldn't be happier that mainstream US comic books turned out to be weird enough to sustain what-the-fuck articles like this one a quarter century after they became a staple of a lot of our Internet diet.
* the backers of this particular crowd-funding campaign are a bit more aggressive than usual. I'm not sitting around wanting more Marx Brothers in a way that makes me think a project like this will facilitate it, but I do have an interest in modern performers working time-worn characters as formula.
* festivals extra: here's a quick snapshot of the South Carolina comics scene. No one ever talks about South Carolina. It's our most mysterious state.
* finally, a bit of not-comics: the instability of game developing may provide some clues as to how models develop for comic-book cartoonists. Or not. It's sort of depressing either way, though.
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.
*****
JAN191419 A FIRE STORY HC GN $24.99
I didn't find much of anything I liked this week -- if I missed something significant and obvious .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) -- so this effort by Brian Fies popped more that it probably would have. That's a heck of a story to have to tell and a harbinger of environmental mishaps to come.
DEC180858 ZIGGY PIG SILLY SEAL COMICS #1 $3.99 JAN191394 GIANT DAYS #48 $3.99 NOV180434 DOOMSDAY CLOCK #9 (OF 12) $4.99 NOV180435 DOOMSDAY CLOCK #9 (OF 12) VAR ED $4.99
Comic-book comics. I don't know if Marvel is doing a bunch of 80-year anniversary one-shots, but the Fago-era comic showed off here does sport an all-time title. The next is John Allison, and I always buy John Allison. The third is the latest Watchmen/DC Universe thing and the pacing in this comic is sort of remarkable given how controlled it was in the original series. Maybe that will be the series' formal point.
DEC180659 PROMETHEA 20TH ANNIV DELUXE EDITION HC VOL 01 $49.99 DEC180662 WILD STORM TP VOL 03 $16.99 NOV180659 STAR WARS EMPIRE STRIKES BACK GN $9.99 NOV181689 BLAKE & MORTIMER GN VOL 25 VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS $15.95 JAN191968 GANG OF FOOLS GN (MR) $17.99 JAN191905 BREAKAWAYS GN $12.99 JAN191906 BREAKAWAYS HC GN $19.99
Here's a bunch of things I want to see, anyway, a kind of walking tour through modern trade publicaiton. There's an archival comic, a collection of the latest high-end adventure comics serial, another Star Wars thing (I've lost track of which one this is, but I feel that way about the movies, too), a classic French album from a length series, a stand-alone original story and a genial sports soap aimed at younger raiders released in two formats at once. If I were determined to leave with something, I bet I could.
JAN192173 BEN KATCHOR CONVERSATIONS SC $25.00
Katchor is one of our smartest, most inventive cartoonists and one of the best people to listen to talk about the form.
*****
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.
Here Are Updates In Two Different High-Profile Comics Court Cases
* Mark Waid and the case brought against him by Comicsgate-related individuals, made that much more prominent in comics circles by Waid raising money to aid in his defense, is apparently looking at a motion to dismiss based on jurisdictional grounds and is doing some light discovery, the writer reports in a new update.
* according to an e-mail distributed by the group, the AAEC has filed a letter of support for Ted Rall's case to dismiss an anti-SLAPP motion regarding charges the cartoonist is making about the the LA Times and the LAPD.
* unless I'm counting wrong or timelines are weirder than I remember, looks like a sixth issue of Pope Hats is due in June. That would be the first issue since the Young Frances serial finished.
* the graphic novel iteration of The Handmaid's Tale is previewed here.
* finally: I covered this from a funding perspective but not a publishing one: Pickle #11: coming soon.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * that's an impressive start for the Gahan Wilson crowdfunder regarding his mental capacity moving forward. We need better solutions in place five years from now and it's up to ever single non-creative in comics to try and spearhead a solution, that should be our job. In the meantime, we just need solutions, so I hop you'll consider giving.
* not comics: a posthumously discovered work by a great cartoonist is usually occasion for joy but I think it's right to take a skeptical look at any estate or trust that for-profit publishes work an artist did not release in their lifetime.
By Request Extra: Gahan Wilson Needs Transitional Help Here. That is a huge request, and thus I worry about it being met, but Wilson is a huge figure in modern cartooning and maybe that will do it. I also have to imagine that every little bit helps. Please consider a donation. Please share the campaign.
We need to have a sustained, constructive conversation about the community's support of cartoonists in need, because it not only remains tough for cartoonists to put together enough in resources to take care of these emergencies, we're also getting less help from industry actors -- there's a huge number of complaints out there right now about late and refused payments -- and the basic healthcare infrastructure seems to conspire about facilitating basic needs let alone special.
In the meantime, we can all hopefully help a bit in direct fashion. All best to Wilson and his family in this latest time of need.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Alex Dueben talks to Joe Giella.
* ugh, I'm really tired of the recent spate of wasn't-acceptable-in-1974-holy-shit-what-are-you-thinking racism of English-language cartoonists. I don't know if Canada has a commission to rubber stamp this as totally cool like they seemingly have in Australia, but nothing would surprise it. What a failure of art.
* by request extra: longtime writer about comics Sean T. Collins has a patreon for a bunch of non-comics writing he does.
Happy 46th Birthday, Chip Mosher! Chip Mosher is the only one in comics who looked like he owned an NFL football team in the 1970s. Happy birthday, pal.
* the wonderful Lorraine Chamberlain, S. Clay Wilson's longtime caretaker and general wonderful person, looks like she could use some help negotiating some patients rights issue where Wilson 
* Rob Clough on 
* Keith Silva on 
* Sean Gaffney on 
DEC180807 LOEG TEMPEST #5 ONEILL $4.99
* Sean Gaffney on 
* Bleeding Cool noted 
* Leonard Pierce on 
* 
* Barry Pearl on 
* Ken Parille on Alvin Buenaventura's 
* Todd Klein on 
* by request extra: 
* 
* Isha Bhattacharya talks to 
* 
* Derf 
* Rob Clough on 
* Todd Klein on 
DEC181851 COMPLETE CREPAX HC BOX SET VOL 03-04 SPELLS & PRIVATE LIFE $150.00
* Kim Jooha on 
* 
* Sean Gaffney on 
* the Birdcage Bottom Books crowd-funder 
* Brian Nicholson on 
* Chris Mautner on 
* couldn't be happier that mainstream US comic books turned out to be weird enough to sustain what-the-fuck articles 
DEC180858 ZIGGY PIG SILLY SEAL COMICS #1 $3.99
* 
* that's an impressive start for the Gahan Wilson crowdfunder 
* Alex Dueben talks to 
