Random Comics News Story Round-Up

* when I stop to think about it, I don't know why more cartoonists don't openly advocate for health care reform. I imagine that many do, that some genuinely feel the US system is superior and that many others feel that it could be improved but openly advocating for that change isn't going to do a damn bit of good. I think we could place a greater priority as an arts subculture on seeing comics-makers insured. I know I'm frequently baffled when cartoonists and comics-makers not only have no insurance but don't know anything about any of the programs that might be available to them to help them get insurance or to have some costs defrayed, or really don't seem invested in it at all except as something they don't want to think about. So I guess I'm not confused that health care reform isn't a greater priority for comics-makers when health care itself isn't more of a driving priority. (I say all of this as someone who went about 15 months without insurance in my early thirties and may be looking again this summer.)

* just a reminder that the Cul De Sac charity book will also feature a significant arts auction, including this beauty of the great Petey Otterloop by obscure cartoonist Bill Watterson. Is it my imagination, or might that kid grow up to become Tim Blake Nelson?

* I enjoyed reading Harvey Pekar's Cleveland this week, and I noticed it's part of Top Shelf's latest digital works sale.

* Todd Klein on Wonder Woman #7 and Dark Horse Presents #7. Johanna Draper Carlson on Freeloader.

* Chris Sims profiles Jack Kirby's excellent teasers. I tend to think of those as a company flourish when I think about them at all, but they were specific to Kirby in this case. I do miss the attention paid to little touches like that, though, across the board. There are some thoughtful serial comics packages out there, like Fatale and Casanova. There aren't enough of them.

* Alex Fitch and various guests take on the work of Warren Ellis, and young cartoonists.

* Jim Rugg talks to Jason Lex. Patrick Rosenkranz profiles Spain Rodriguez. Michael Rhode talks to Guy Delisle. Daryl Cagle talks to Zapiro. Geoff Boucher talks to Brian Wood. Bill Williams talks to Jeff Parker.

* Dave Richards talks to Steve Wacker about Spider-Man's 50th birthday. Shouldn't Spider-Man's 50th birthday be a big deal? I knew there was a Spider-Man movie coming out this year and I'm not sure I knew it was Spider-Man's 50th. He's a good character, that Spider-Man.

* wait, that means it was Marvel's 50th last year, right? Did they do anything? I was sick, and I have memory problems now. That should have been a big deal, right?

* if you only have time to read one post today, you couldn't do much better than Caitlin McGurk's salute to the late, great comics archivist and historian Bill Blackbeard. Blackbeard would have been 86 tomorrow, and wasn't appreciated enough when he was still with us.

* interesting storytelling from Jack Kirby -- the narrative jumps here are pretty damn huge. A lot of people get obsessed over comics as storyboards, but I'm not sure this works at all with film-style pacing or flow.

* finally, what's not to love about chubby hipster Batgirl?
 
posted 2:00 am PST | Permalink
 

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