Exit interview: Comic Book Resources chats with Jeff Mariotte about his departure from IDW Publishing:

"[The biggest challenge has been] probably the same thing that any small publisher faces which is trying to eke out a niche in a really, really crowded marketplace. Trying to shake loose retailer dollars from the big three and get that community to pay attention to what we're doing. I very much believe in the product that we're putting out and I think it's really good stuff, but small press has to yell extra loud to be heard above the noise. We've tried to do that and at the same time, because we're an independent and don't have the deep pockets of a DC or somebody, we've had to do it on a little bit of a budget. The company is doing fine and the finances are flowing, but we don't pay top DC rates, so there are those guys who are unavailable to us that work for DC or Marvel."

Manga mania: The Calgary Herald notices Canadian teen-agers are crazy about manga:

"Part of Japanese comics' growing appeal stems from their dizzying selection of often quirky subgenres: from adventure or romance stories peopled by independent-minded heroines to science-fiction manga, Wild West manga, 'professional' manga featuring lawyer or doctor heroes, historical manga, even pornography. Instructional manga come similarly sub-divided, with entire books dedicated to designing female versus male forms, military equipment, uniforms, landscapes and so on."

"An industry success story": Canada's Georgia Straight previews Free Comic Book Day by talking with Arcana Studio's Sean O'Reilly:

"... [A] year later, O'Reilly is an industry success story. His company, Arcana Studio, currently publishes three bimonthly titles, with each averaging print runs of five to six thousand copies. (In comparison, a popular title from second-tier publisher Image might sell about 9,000.) More importantly, Arcana has been asked to participate in the third annual Free Comic Book Day this Saturday (July 3)."

Otto pilot: The Washington Times' Joseph Szadkowski talks with Stan Lee about the origin of Dr. Octopus:

"The easiest way to get a supervillain is the accident in the lab. I remembered the pictures of scientists working with radioactive material, and to keep them from becoming radioactive, they had the arms that went through the glass shelf that they can manipulate the stuff.

"So I had a guy have the accident, and four arms became grafted to him. Of course, I named him Dr. Otto Octavius, and those arms would make him look like an octopus."

Channeling the comic-book sensibility: At The New Republic Online, Adam Graham-Silverman examines the pitfalls of adapting comics to film:

"Comics are not ready-made storyboards, however, and there is such a thing as being too faithful to the source work. Mark Steven Johnson, director of Daredevil, suffered from a misplaced sense of loyalty to the comic book. He tried to stage several Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-style fight scenes much as they occurred in comic book form. But the media are not the same, and even someone pleased to see the comic images come alive will tell you they slow the movie to a bore. 'He tried to tell a film with comic book language instead of telling a comic-flavored film in cinema language,' Young says. Movies such as The Matrix or even Pulp Fiction more successfully channel that comic-book sensibility. On top of that, he tries to cram about three movies' worth of plot and character development into one. By contrast, Raimi and Singer can throw in shots in homage to the artists who drew their stories, and the viewer who hasn't read the comics doesn't suffer in the least."

The short and winding road: The St. Petersburg Times looks at CrossGen's bankruptcy, and Mark Alessi's big (but brief) adventure:

"Though Marvel Comics and other industry giants long ago turned to freelancers, Alessi lured talented artists and writers from around the world to humble Oldsmar with the promise of regular paychecks, a share of profits and the chance to work together in an old-fashioned 'bullpen' environment.

"He created an alternate universe of characters that shirked capes for corsets and created story lines to which Lord of the Rings fans could relate. He brought along his own piggy bank, filled with millions of dollars from the sale of his Tampa software company to Perot Systems Corp. of Dallas. He innovated, introducing Web-only comics and DVD-based comics that included sound and other special features.

"Alessi also vowed to pursue excellence in writing and artistry, a promise many fans believe the company fulfilled.

"Or did, until the company began running out of cash, that is."

The kids, they love the comics: The University of Arizona's Daily Wildcat previews Free Comic Book Day:

"Struck said manga has changed his customer gender ratio from almost exclusively male 10 years ago to 90% male, 10% female, now. He added that manga is very popular at the college level, especially among women.

"'We sell more manga to university age and university-type crowd than anybody else,' said Struck."

South Carolina's The State gets in on the FCBD action, too.

Comics, in black and white: ABCNews.com traces the history of African-American superheroes, and wonders how receptive readers would have been to a black Spider-Man. Here's Marvel's Joe Quesada:

"It's an interesting question, it's tough to say because often characters of a product of their times and good timing. Certainly, he would have had to had dealt with a different set of problems.

"On a consumer level, I don't know have the demographics from that time, but I would venture to say that maybe 99 percent of our readers were white maybe? And then you have a question of whether the consumer would have been ready to accept the character. Would they have been as receptive to Spider-Man if he had been drawn black? I don't know. Given what I know about the times, perhaps not. One of the beautifully universal things about Spider-Man is that the character wears a full mask. Anyone could be under that costume."

Changing of the guard: The rumor is confirmed: Movie Poop Shoot's Chris Ryall is replacing Jeff Mariotte as editor-in-chief of IDW Publishing. Mariotte is leaving to devote more time to writing.

High court blocks COPA: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that the Child Online Protection Act is likely unconstitutional, and upheld a lower court's injunction against the 1998 law. The New York Times has the story:

"The 1998 law makes it illegal for commercial Web sites to make available to children 16 and under material that is not necessarily obscene but could be considered 'harmful to minors' under a complex, three-part formula.

"Congress's first big effort to restrict pornography in cyberspace was the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the following year. In passing the 1998 law, Congress tried to be narrower and more specific. The 1998 law bars Web sites from publishing material 'harmful to minors' unless a site can show it has made good-faith efforts (requiring a credit card, for instance) to block out Web surfers younger than 17."

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was among the groups that challenged COPA.

Tangled web of titles: The Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald thinks the release of Spider-Man 2 will lead to a spike in Spider-Man comics sales:

"When the movie Spider-Man 2 is released Wednesday, old fans and new readers will turn to comic book stores to catch up on the adventures of the costumed hero.

"People who go looking for 'the Spider-Man comic book' will find an array to choose from.

"The Amazing Spider-Man. Ultimate Spider-Man. Spectacular Spider-Man. Spider-Man Unlimited. Who can keep track of them all?"

Octopus' garden: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer looks at the comic-book life of Dr. Otto Octavius:

"This being the '60s, of course, radioactivity in a comic book led inevitably to one thing: superpowers. And so it went, as a convenient accident bonded the waldos to Ock's pudgy torso, and gave him telepathic control over them. It also made him a homicidal psychopath.

"Despite the haircut, Dr. Octopus had 'arch foe' written all over him. He was stronger than Spider-Man. He was smarter than Peter Parker (who might've been a science whiz, but wasn't a nuclear physicist). And he had four extra arms."

Cartooning, with attitude: The Munster (Ind.) Times chats with Ed, Edd 'n Eddy creator Danny Antonucci:

"There's a lot of folks who tell will you it's important to be a good draftsman. For me, it's about attitude first, then the technical aspects. Some things can be learned and embellished on. If you have the attitude, there is that spark in you that wants to create things. ... It's like rock 'n' roll. It's all about the attitude. I've played in bands a lot of my life. I've adopted that philosophy."

Wait. They're giving away comics? Southwest Florida's News-Press previews Free Comic Book Day:

"Free Comic Book Day for us is like 'The major event of the year.' It's just a good excuse to basically pitch a big sale, pitch a big party, have a good time with people coming in and just talking comics basically."

What's ahead: At Ninth Art, Greg McElhatton combs through July Previews, highlighting Legal Drug Vol. 1, Art Spiegelman's In the Shadow of No Towers, the Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom trade paperback, and others.

At Comics Worth Reading, Johanna Draper Carlson also looks at what's shipping in September, and throws in some fun snark for good measure.

Family tradition: The Chillicothe (Ohio) Gazette profiles retailer Mike Hall, who inherited Acme Comics from his father.

Global perspective: The Korea Times reports the South Korean government will open an office in Los Angeles devoted to promoting that nation's comics, animation and music. This will be the fourth international branch of the Korea Culture and Contents Agency; other offices are in Tokyo, Beijing and London.

Drawing out kids: The Portland Oregonian attends Steve Lieber's cartooning workshop for kids at the Tigard Public Library:

"Keep drawing, and you can get good at it. And if you feel under the gun, then you know what it's like to be a cartoonist!"

The lure of Spandex: Oregon's Mail Tribune looks at the appeal of superheroes:

"[Retailer Eric] Jannsen says he can’t tell by looking at a customer which superhero he favors. But he thinks the superhero attraction varies with educational background. Superhero fanciers often have math and science backgrounds, he says. Those who gravitate to fringe comics tend to be English majors and liberal arts types."

By the power of Greyskull: The Stockton (Calif.) Record spotlights Lori Scott, whose childhood love of He-Man has led to her first comics job -- writing Masters of the Universe for MV Creations.

Bakshi's tangled web: Canada's Globe and Mail talks with legendary animator Ralph Bakshi, whose stint as executive producer of the original Spider-Man cartoon (1968 to 1970) cost him dearly:

"Can you imagine a young man staggering home from the studio burnt out every night of the week? My girlfriend left me, my cocaine dealer left me. ... I lost more girls to Spider-Man than I can count -- I wouldn't do it again no matter what I was paid."

xxxHolic Vol. 1
By CLAMP
Del Rey

Watanuki Kimihiro is burdened with a family curse: Spirits, which appear as large, amorphous clouds, are drawn to him, at times dogging his every move. While fleeing his spectral pursuers, Watanuki stumbles into the curious store owned by Yuko, a seductive and amoral witch who offers to lift the curse if he’ll repay her by working in her shop.

Watanuki agrees, and is thrust into a world of swirling magic and slipping mores in which Yuko’s customers seek her costly solutions to their physically and psychologically crippling problems. One woman is being paralyzed by her pathological lies, while another is destroying her life with her online addiction. Although the premise may seem to border dangerously on After-School Special territory, Yuko’s ambiguous ethics turn the vignettes into intriguing lessons in “be careful what you ask for” (giving a sense that Watanuki may be getting off easy with indentured servitude).

There’s a lot going on in xxxHolic, and CLAMP does a good job of pushing the story forward while introducing subplots and asides. We meet Maru-Dashi and Moro-Dashi -- the odd little girls who are part Greek chorus, part annoying parrots -- but are not yet told who, or what, they are. In-jokes and references to other manga are cleverly woven throughout the story, but the reader is never quite sure whether they’re throwaway gags or clues to something more. It’s fun, intelligent storytelling.

Unfortunately, the story is hampered occasionally by the inconsistent art. Beautifully detailed panels sometimes give way to jumbled messes in which it’s unclear what, exactly, is being depicted. Still, even when the art is at its weakest, it’s easy to see why CLAMP is so popular.

True Story, Swear to God: 100 Stories
By Tom Beland
AiT/Planet Lar

Lucky for us, Tom Beland sweats the small stuff. Nude beaches, Beanie Babies, Big Macs, comics -- they're all fodder for True Story, Swear to God: 100 Stories, a warm and funny collection of his comic strips.

But Beland is at his best when he tackles his relationship with his wife, Lily, and memories of his childhood. Even here, it’s the small things that matter: a comical exchange with his father about Jesus’ middle name, or a bored evening on the sofa with Lily. They’re fleeting moments that most of us would be at a loss to describe, but Beland manages to capture them expertly.

How Loathsome hardcover
By Ted Naifeh and Tristan Crane
NBM Publishing

In the hands of other creators, How Loathsome might have become a “shocking” tale of drugs and sex set against the seedy backdrop of San Francisco’s S&M scene. But Ted Naifeh and Tristan Crane deliver a complex, sensitive and often humorous exploration of the fluidity of sexuality, the ambiguity of gender and the nature of love.

Originally published as a four-issue series, How Loathsome centers on Catherine Gore, a jaded Sandman lookalike who thinks she’s seen it all -- until she sets eyes on Chloe, a stunning pre-op transsexual who seems to enchant everyone she meets. The two launch into an intense, high-octane fling, the kind that can only end badly. With their affair over, Catherine turns to more drugs and alcohol, and friends like the young, heroin-addicted Alex (“a good kid”) and the creepy, drug-dealing Nick (“just repulsive enough to be charming”). They’re both well-formed characters whose stories are nearly as fascinating as Catherine’s.

Naifeh and Crane don’t coddle their readers; we’re thrown into the deep end. Thankfully, there’s no awkward exposition or painful primers on the various subcultures. No, the creators presume the audience is smart enough to figure things out as they go.

Those who’ve read Naifeh’s Courtney Crumrin series will recognize some familiar artistic elements in How Loathsome, especially in his depiction of men. But here Naifeh’s work is more detailed and expressive, particularly during the fantasy interludes, such as the haunting “Nanshoku” fairy tale or Nick’s drug-induced, Kafkaesque adventure.

How Loathsome is a powerful and, at times, profound work that deserves a larger audience and wider recognition.

Harvey winners: The Pulse has the winners of the 2004 Harvey Awards. The big winner was Craig Thompson, with three awards.

Drawing on manga: The Straits Times of Singapore looks at the increasing popularity of manga-drawing courses.

Comics primer: The Santa Cruz (Calif.) Sentinel has a curious overview of comics, highlighting Maus, Persepolis, Amy and Jordan, Identity Crisis and Tales to Astonish: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and the American Comic Book Revolution.

Bad to the bone: New York Newsday finds that behind every great superhero there lurks a great supervillain.

Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada: "Some of the best villains, at least within the Marvel universe, have always been the villains who are almost identical in character structure as the hero. The hero took a step to the right, and the villain took a step to the left."

DC's VP-editorial Dan DiDio: "The greatest supervillains are the ones that exploit the weaknesses of our superheroes. Batman is a very structured life. The Joker's about complete chaos. It forces [Batman] to think in new and varied ways to meet the challenge head-on. That's something we've always done in all our storytelling."

Writer Brad Meltzer: "The more you can ground your villain in reality, the scarier he or she will be. What is scary to me is not a villain who throws a car at you. What's scary to me is I go into an empty house and I walk into the bathroom and hear a squeaky noise from behind the shower curtain. The more I can put you in that moment, the more you're going to be terrified. That's the most important key to writing an effective villain."

Girl power? While every other media outlet in the free world focuses on Spider-Man 2, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required) turns its attention to Marvel's girl-focused Amazing Fantasy, drawn by Kirkwood resident Mark Brooks:

"[Marvel publisher Dan] Buckley freely admits that Marvel is eager to tap into this girl genre of comic books that has exploded recently with sales of manga, the Japanese books translated into English, which have become one of the hottest trends in publishing. Paperback manga compilations accounted for about $100 million in sales last year, a 50 percent jump from 2002, according to ICv2, a Wisconsin company that analyzes manga sales in the United States.

"The prime purchasers: young women.

"'The thing that we've noticed is that manga sales have proven females will read graphic-novel fiction,' Buckley said. 'If we can develop the content and get it into the right retail, we'll have a chance.'"

The man behind the mask: The New York Times profiles Marvel Studios CEO Avi Arad. Here's Michael Chabon:

"I was expecting someone more interested in leveraging and marketing. But the guy knows Spider-Man backward and forward — all the minor super-villains and their secret identities. I found myself totally able to talk to him on this ridiculous, wonderful level of, `Who's tougher, the Lizard or the Rhino?'"

Moving beyond "young adult": The Binghamton, N.Y., Press & Sun-Bulletin discovers teen-agers aren't just reading the old standbys, like Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, anymore:

" ... [S]ummer reading has evolved a lot, to include a slew of books by new authors and the now ubiquitous graphic novels, outgrowths of the comic book that offer up a taste of great art, literary writing and modern-day adventure."

The article then turns to the prose books popular among teens, and runs down "the top 10 books ever" and "the best books to read for fun" (from a survey of teens conducted by the American Library Association).

Money matters: The New York Post looks at the comics industry's financial roller-coaster:

"By 1998, Marvel had filed for bankruptcy protection, and comic stores were going out of business in droves. Overall revenues dropped to $255 million by 2000.

"Things finally started to turn around in 2002, when the first Spider-Man movie hit theaters.

"Comic book sales rebounded slightly, and Marvel posted a modest profit.

"But publishing only accounts for 21 percent of Marvel's revenues, or $73 million in 2003.

"That has some analysts worried about what would happen if Hollywood's appetite for Marvel characters, and the accompanying licensing and toy revenues, dries up."

Nerve central: New York Newsday talks with Adrian Tomine about Scrapbook: Uncollected Work: 1990-2004:

"Unlike the sweaty intensity of R. Crumb or Harvey Pekar, or the obsessive (and at times exhausting) intricacy of Chris Ware, Tomine's drawings are clean and minimalist. Imagine the crisp, angular bodies and buildings found in the drawings of an issue of Highlights for Children, circa 1960, if the stories had been penned by Ann Beattie. What makes Tomine's work so highly readable - I've studied each of the stories in the Summer Blonde collection about six or seven times now - is the psychological acuity in his figures' postures and expressions, and his ear for our most confused, painful conversations."

Do's and don'ts of adaptation: The Seattle Times offers six rules for turning a comic book into a film:

"Don't buy the rights to a title just to change what made it popular. Last year's disastrous League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (DC) is the greatest recent case study. The jury's out on Constantine, based on DC's long-running Hellblazer series about a blond English rogue of an occult investigator. Due in February, the film has been moved from the U.K. to Los Angeles and stars dark-haired Keanu Reeves."

Chaka con: Jeff Parker files his report from Heroes Con 2004, and becomes my hero with this drawing:



I'm still laughing.

Band of Brothers: The Pulse reports that Dabel Brothers Pro has left Devil's Due, marking the second change in publishers in two years.

Buffy, back from the grave: Animation Insider passes along an item from this week's TV Guide, which reports the Buffy, The Vampire Slayer animated series has been resurrected, and once again is being developed by Jeph Loeb, and Joss Whedon's Mutant Enemy:

"A few of the original cast is slated to return, with Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy) instead deciding to focus on her blossoming film career. Giselle Lore will instead fill the vacated role. Nicholas Brendon (Xander), Alyson Hannigan (Willow) and Anthony Head (Giles) will be voicing their respective characters on the new series. The is no word yet on whether David Boreanaz (Angel), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase) or James Marsters (Spike) will be involved with the show at all."

Legal brief: Wisconsin's Capital Times notes that the July issue of Corporate Legal Times will have a wrap-up of the Gaiman v. McFarlane legal battle:

"Gaiman's Madison attorney, Allen Arntsen, is quoted: 'What was critical is that the characters first came to life in (Gaiman's) mind and script. He described them in sufficient detail to give him a copyright interest in them.'"

The horror! The horror! In his column for The Decatur (Ala.) Daily, blogger Franklin Harris provides a nice overview of the work and influence of horror writer Steve Niles:

"Although other companies, including Marvel and DC, published horror titles, most of these post-Code books were bloodless imitators or, by the late 1980s, a mix of horror and fantasy. Old-fashioned, blood-splattered horror was hard to find.

"But in 2002, everything changed. Niles released a miniseries called 30 Days of Night. At first, no one noticed. But Niles had worked some seriously potent black magic, and soon word was spreading about his comics. The first, hard-to-find issue shot up in value. (Today, copies go for about $30.) Hollywood came knocking. And like Dracula with a transfusion of virgin blood, comic-book horror was back in all of its gory glory."

Weighing in on comics: Newsday reviews Give Our Regards to the Atomsmashers: Writers on Comics, a collection of essays about comics by the likes of Jonathan Lethem, Brad Meltzer, Greil Marcus and Lydia Millet:

"Atomsmashers contains only three pieces by women. Aimee Bender writes about the virtues of flatness, extolling the 'clean direct lines' of Chester Brown's Yummy Fur comics. Lydia Millet describes the dreamy world of Little Nemo in Slumberland, first published in 1905 and still trippy today. Myla Goldberg contributes a piece titled 'The Exquisite Strangeness and Estrangement of Renée French and Chris Ware,' which is about just that.

"The women remain resolutely outside of the Marvel-vs.-DC matrix that preoccupies many of their fellow contributors. They devote themselves to either archaic or indie comics, comics that are irreproachable in their excellence and tastefulness and general cultural value. The women's choice of subject matter reinforces the book's refusal to acknowledge a truth of comics reading. That truth shaped my early life, and I feel it must be uttered, if not between the covers of Atomsmashers, then at least attendant to its publication. The truth is this: Girls love Archie comics."

Split Identity: The Star of Malaysia reviews DC's Identity Crisis and Marvel's Identity Disc.

Can Spider-Man save the day? UK's Manchester Evening News reports that the Kirsty Appeal charity hopes to raise £1 million in just three months by selling Spider-Man pin badges at £1 each. The money will help fund the Francis House Hospice for terminally ill children.

PW's convention peek: The June 21 issue of Publishers Weekly arrived today, complete with a preview of Comic-Con International. Most of the content also appears on the PW website, but it's interesting to see what publishers bought ads in this issue: Tokyopop takes out a full page for Courtney Love's Princess Ai, while Viz devotes the same amount of space to Shonen Jump (highlighting Yu-Gi-Oh!, Rurouni Kenshin, Mega Man and InuYasha).

Other publishers bought smaller ads, with ibooks promoting its 2004 Harvey and Eisner nominees, Last Gasp pushing Tintin adventures in English, DC Comics hyping Elfquest: The Searcher and the Sword, NBM publicizing The Jungle and The Silk Tapestry, and Diamond Book Distributors devoting space to books from six publishers, including Image's The Walking Dead: Days Gone Bye.

PW's coverage also includes an overview (subscription required) of Marvel's "big movie year," Fantagraphics' collection of Jaime Hernandez's Locas, a look at McSweeney's Quarterly Concern #13, and a summary of comics reprints, including DC's archive editions and The Complete Peanuts.

Review revue: PopMatters updates its comics section with reviews of Exit 13, Quantum: Rock of Ages #2 and the Sojourn Vol. 1 DVD.

Meanwhile, RobotFist looks at The Filth and Hysteria.

Look, ma! I'm pimping again: Yeah, yeah, I know. Well, if you don't care about my adventures into comics writing, just skip down to the next entry. This will be over in a minute.

Digital Webbing Presents #17 (JUN04 2442), which comes out in August, features my 16-page story "Bad Elements: Good For the Soul." The issue's standard cover, by Bob LeFevre, Kevin Conrad and James Offredi, showcases another story in the anthology. However, now it's been announced there will be a "Bad Elements" alternative cover (above) by Nick Marinkovich and Nick Postic (IDW's Underworld), which will go out to subscribers, and be available at conventions and through the DWP website.

October's DWP #19, which will feature a cover story by a certain well-known horror writer, also will include a little something I co-wrote with Ian Ascher; art is by Scott LeMien (Moonstone Monsters). More on that later.

Gray matters: Comic Book resources also talks with John Romita Jr. about partnering with Glen Brunswick on The Gray Area for Image:

"I'm not in my element to write this, but I can draw the shit out of it. I had a neat idea from a couple tequila highs, a couple technicolor nightmares. Then Glen and I ran into each other at a movie premier, I found out he had a comic book fascination, so we started to discuss it. He had an immediate creative impact on this story -- he has got a lot of panache."

Mojo rising: Comic Book Resources talks with William Harms (Abel) about Bad Mojo, his upcoming graphic novel with Steve Morris about, well, car wrecks, curses and nightly resurrections:

"Somewhere in Texas, things get strange. Well, stranger than usual for Texas. Bruce falls asleep at the wheel and ends up crashing into a car driven by a man-hating witch named Judy Gardner. Angered by the damage he's done to her Volvo, the witch puts a curse on Bruce - every day at dawn he dies, only to be resurrected when the sun goes down. Talk about being a night person. In order to lift the curse, and get to spring training on time, Bruce and his three friends set off to collect arcane objects for the witch."

I should have pre-ordered this. Bah.

When East meets West: Newsarama's "Your Manga Minute" looks at some recent results -- both good and bad -- of manga's influence on Western comics:

"Last year’s turmoil surrounding Marvel’s Tsunami titles would seem to indicate this. Marvel launched a bevy of new books, supposedly influenced by manga and employing many of the familiar visual cues. The characters were largely teens and/or outsider characters from other popular series. The intent was to draw teens into buying these titles in much the same way that they’re making Chobits disappear from the mall. With a tide of cancellations, changes in format, and general fan confusion even before the first 'manga-sized' trades come out, Tsunami sort of washed up.

"Still, with all the perceived elements in place, why didn’t it take off? In a somewhat familiar analogy, Shiver in the Dark creator Stuart Sayger, who has also worked as a retailer, notes, 'To me, Marvel’s product smacked of major record labels trying to capitalize on the punk rock craze of 20 years ago. It was right in front of them, they looked at it and studied it and tried to replicate it, but they never understood it.'"

Exclusive Trigun: ICv2.com reports that Barnes & Noble will offer an exclusive hardcover edition of Dark Horse/Digital Manga's Trigun Book 1 for $11.95 -- $3 less than the trade paperback. The special edition should be available in August.

Tintin to debut in India (again): Agencyfaqs! tries to get to the bottom of ZEE English's "Tintin in India" campaign, but is disappointed to learn it doesn't include any new adventures for the eternally youthful reporter:

"Abhijit Saxena, business head, ZEE English, said: 'Tintin is going to make his first appearance in Indian television through ZEE English'. The statement didn't really make much sense as Cartoon Network has been airing Tintin adventures since August 2000 in English as well as in Hindi. And the programme continues even today."

Aging at the speed of sound: UK's Games Domain points out that today is the 13th birthday of Sonic the Hedgehog, star of video games, television shows and comic books:

"Sonic's debut in the Sega Genesis title Sonic the Hedgehog marked a new era for Sega, as it gave them both a mascot and began a prolific series of games that continues to this day. Though his most recent adventure, Sonic Heroes, was not received particularily well by critics, the game has performed well commercially. With the recently released Sonic Advance 3 and a Nintendo DS title in development, Sonic the Hedgehog is still going strong over a decade after his conception."

Getting in on the action: The Oklahoman notes that Pioneer Library System libraries will participate in Free Comic Book Day, giving a Spider-Man comic or poster to anyone on July 2 and 3 who checks out a book for a child or teen-ager.

Ruiz leaves Metron: Mario Ruiz has announced he's no longer with Metron Press, a division of the American Bible Society that's dead in the water, at least for now:

"Ruiz cites a decision by the ABS to reorganize the Metron Press division and to editorially refocus the material to a dedicated Christian readership as the reason for the split."

Jock's Dark Knight: Andy Diggle posts Jock's cover for October's Detective Comics #799. Not that I'd want Jock to stop drawing The Losers, but I would actually start buying Detective if the series were illustrated by him. Well, probably.

Distribution deal: Image Entertainment has announced a partnership with Dark Horse Entertainment "to produce, distribute and share ownership of theatrical features, direct-to-video projects, animated content and soundtrack albums for worldwide distribution." This next part is interesting, if not entirely clear:

"The deal with Dark Horse is particularly important. Historically, Image has licensed content for distribution under the content provider's ownership. This agreement is a major step for Image in that Dark Horse and Image will now share ownership of the content. It is part of our natural progression in evolving from distributing licensed content to distributing content that is owned. This represents what I envision will be a model for future agreements."

Manga scoop: At Grotesque Anatomy, John Jakala has what appears to be the official press release announcing the launch of DC's CMX Manga line.

Anime planet: Animation World Magazine attends the Licensing International trade show, and discovers anime isn't just a fad:

"The anime craze is here to stay, judging from a walk down the aisles. Even more Asian licenses — from Japan, Korea and China — were on display this year than in the past. Some of the properties exhibited are already on the air in the U.S., mostly on Cartoon Network or the Fox Box programming block, while others are about to launch and still others are established in Europe or Asia but just being introduced to North America. Properties ranged from cute animals for young kids (such as Korea’s Mashimaro) to fashion-driven tween girls series (4Kids’ Winx Club) to action-adventure properties for male teens and tweens (Warner Bros.’ Megas XLR).

"Some examples of note included Warner’s Hi Hi Puffy Ani Yumi, which will debut in late November 2004. Based on a popular Japanese music group, the half-hour comedy will feature three 7-minute animated segments with two 30-second, live-action bookends. Fashion and publishing are among the licensed products planned. TokyoPop highlighted its Rave Master; the series airs on Cartoon Network and has spawned a DVD, Cine-Manga titles published by TokyoPop, and a master toy line from Hasbro."

Ring cycle: The Village Voice reviews Spiral, Koji Suzuki's sequel to Ring:

"Spiral's principal pleasure lies in the invention with which Suzuki works variations on the motifs of the original novel. Even as the English word ring fluctuates between noun and verb, so both a videotape and a virus occupy 'a point between the animate and the inanimate' -- they need humans in order to reproduce. And indeed, it turns out that exposure to the images infects the body with a virus looking remarkably like a wedding ring, which performs its own alchemic marriage of opposites. The viewer is impregnated with the storyteller herself: a hermaphrodite."

Meet Pavitr Prabhaker and Meera Jain: Canada's National Post catches up to last week's news that Marvel's Spider-Man comic will be recrafted for an Indian audience:

"India seemed like the perfect place to try an experiment like this, where the market is considered very friendly to 'globalization.' The sitcom Friends has been very popular dubbed in Hindi, while McDonald's mcaloo tiiki (potato) burger has been a big success.

"The new Spider-Man India will be dressed in traditional Indian attire, wearing a dhoti (a wrap-around worn by men) around his waist and jooti (traditional shoes) on his feet. 'As well, a lot of the traditional U.S. names are going to be changed to real Indian names to give it more of a flavour,' notes Devarajan. Spider-Man's love interest, Mary Jane, will become Meera Jain, while Aunt May will be renamed Aunt Maya and she'll trade in her floral print dresses for a sari."

Not to be outdone, Newsarama also chases the story, and speaks about the project with Gotham Entertainment's Sharad Devarajan.

Update: Comic Book Resources also chats with Devarajan.

Along came a Spider: USA Today wonders whether Spider-Man 2 can live up to the hype, and notes Sony executives are discussing spinoffs and a least six installments of the franchise:

"Certainly, no one is predicting that the saga of Peter Parker will sell as many tickets as the original. When it opened May 3, 2002, Spider-Man set at least 15 box office records, including largest debut with $114.8 million. By the time it left theaters, the superhero had netted $820 million worldwide. It remains the fifth-biggest film of all time."

Drawing readers, raising money: North Carolina's Up & Coming Magazine previews local Free Comic Book Day activities, which include a benefit for the Cumberland County Autism Society ... and an appearance by Adam West as Batman?

Exceeding expectations: Publishers Weekly (subscription required) talks with ICv2.com's Milton Griepp about the rapid growth of the graphic-novel market, which is exceeding earlier estimates. It comes as no suprise that manga is the fastest-growing category:

"Griepp also noted that manga titles aimed at boys have been doing better than before in bookstores, and shoujo, manga aimed at girls, has seen sales increase in boy-dominated comics stores. And, although some retailers are starting to worry that the manga market will eventually hit a glut, 'we don't see any signs of one in sales,' Griepp said. 'The underlying trend seems very strong, and it's continuing.'"

Mall rat: There are two bookstores in my little town: One sells primarily used books out of a beautiful old Carnegie library, where the temperature reaches 115 degrees on the most pleasant of days. The other is a tiny Waldenbooks in the area's sole shopping mall.

This afternoon's errands took me by said mall, so I popped into "America's Bookstore" to root through the graphic novel and manga section. Wait. Let's call it The Manga Section (featuring Western graphic novels). The store had been rearranged since my last visit several months back, with the manga and graphic novels pushed closer to the front, and away from the humor and sci-fi ghetto.

Just as noticeable was the reappropriation of shelf space. Where once manga was wedged into a single disorganized bookcase, now it fills three and spills over into a fourth. In contrast, the graphic novels have been downsized and relegated to three-quarters of one case.

Needless to say, I took advantage of the expanded manga selection and picked up the first volumes of Chobits, xxxHolic, Get Backers and Sgt. Frog (I also snatched up Criminal Macabre).

Class act: The Canadian edition of Time features a two-page interview with Drawn & Quarterly publisher Chris Oliveros about being "the classiest comic publisher in North America." There's also a sidebar with Chester Brown. To read a PDF version of the article, go here. (Link via The Pulse)

Marvel CLAMP-down? ICv2.com seizes on word from Anime on DVD that the CLAMP manga collective is working on a top-secret project for Marvel, due out sometime next year:

"While Marvel initially pioneered among U.S. publishers with manga-versions of some of its key characters, DC Comics leapt in front of Marvel in the manga derby by announcing its CMX manga line (see 'DC Launches Manga Imprint') in February. Marvel's Clamp project should at least keep the U.S.'s highest profile comic publisher in the race."

Frank talk about HIV: Glasgow's The Herald reports that Healthy Gay Scotland has produced a safer-sex comic aimed at 16- to 24-year-olds in hopes countering a feared explosion of HIV in that country:

"The comic, designed by the Scottish Cartoon Arts Studio, cost £14,000 to produce.

"Called Cock Tales, the free publication carries the warning 'Do not read if easily offended' on its front cover and is labelled 'for the 16-plus'."

Bucking the trend: Marvel's habit of relabeling ongoing series as limited series is turned on its head with the announcement that Thor: Son of Asgard will become a continuing monthly. Originally solicited as a six-issue limited series, Son of Asgard chronicles the adventures of a young Thor, Balder and Sif. Here's Joe Quesada:

"This is a testament to Marvel's commitment to taking chances on new talent. Here was a series featuring a classic Marvel hero in a new light, done by a cast of relatively unknown creators. We believed in the book, supported it, and are now enjoying a nice bit of success."

"Eclectic" San Diego preview: Writing for Publishers Weekly (subscription required), Heidi MacDonald previews the July 22-25 Comic-Con International, which she says, "promises to be the biggest, most eclectic show ever":

"As always, San Diego's guest list is wide-ranging; this year it includes everyone from Hellboy creator Mike Mignola to veteran classic comics master Will Eisner (whose next book will published by W.W. Norton) to Jean Schulz, widow of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz. Special tributes and spotlights for 2004 include the 90th birthday of legendary animator Bob Clampett; the 75th anniversaries of both Popeye and Tintin; and the 20th anniversary of comics creator Stan Sakai's acclaimed funny animal samurai tale, Usagi Yojimbo.

"While guests from the world of literary science fiction and fantasy have always attended, this year's line-up is, yet again, bigger than ever. Whiz kid Christopher Paolini (Eragon) will be appearing, and Del Rey Books is sponsoring a sizable contingent that includes authors Stephen Barnes, China Mieville, Terry Brooks and Timothy Zahn. Bestselling book author Brad Meltzer will be appearing at the DC booth to tout his new comics miniseries, Identity Crisis, a tense superhero murder mystery."

PW also notes the increased manga presence at this year's convention, including rare appearances by creators Santa Inoue, Monkeypunch and Park Sang Sun.

CrossGen update: Newsarama has acquired a copy CrossGen’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, which reveals the publisher is more than $3 million in debt -- with $1 million-plus owed to printer Quebecor alone. Other notable creditors include Wizard Entertainment, Diamond Comic Distributors, Reed Business Information (owners of Publishers Weekly), and creators Luke Ross, Fabrizio Fiorentino and Hyde Park Capital.

The story is developing.

Inside Image: Comic World News concludes its two-part interview with B. Clay Moore, Image Comics' PR and marketing coordinator, who addresses the move of Powers to Marvel's Icon imprint, among other topics:

"It is a concern that Powers moved away. It’s not like a physical concern of Image’s but you worry about people’s perception when stuff like that happens. But literally nobody knows what the motivation was for Brian [Bendis] to do that. And that’s his business. Obviously he’s got a good relationship with Marvel and they treat him well, I’m sure that we’d rather have Powers and Kabuki still doing new stuff for Image. We are still doing the trades. And they’re on the back list. And we still have relationships with both of those guys. But I have not seen any indication that Icon is going to be an open door for creators. It’s two or three creators that are going to be doing stuff through Marvel instead of through Image. That’s about what it amounts to. ...

"... I actually came on board right after that had been done. I wasn’t aware of what was going on. But, because the way comics are and especially with the internet, there was about 5 or 6 days where it was the big buzz on the internet, and people then started speculating on what Icon was and what it wasn’t and this and that. And the next week it was pretty much old news, there’s something else for people to worry about. Rich Johnston moves into some other controversy. Then Micah Wright was the new story now. That’s what everybody was concerned about. You do worry about how people perceive things because people operate so much on innuendo and rumor and don’t really understand the nature of Image or what goes on. But with Powers, I hope it does extremely well at Marvel. The reason it’s at Marvel, the reason it exists, is because, because of Image. I mean in that respect, it’s an example of a success story. More power to 'em."

Marvel, retconned: At Broken Frontier, Graeme McMillan (not a permalink) tries to make sense of Marvel's 65th anniversary, and uncovers this jarring statistic: The publisher has launched 67 titles since the beginning of the year.

I realize that must include limited series, but damn, that's a lot of books. Now, how many of those ended prematurely?

The shipping news: Ninth Art also sorts through the books shipping this week, and highlights the second Sleeper trade, Savage Henry: Powerchords, John Romita Jr.'s Gray Area, and the current fascination with witches.

It tolls for thee: While we're sounding death knells, let's go to Ninth Art, where Paul O'Brien examines what went wrong with DC's expiring Focus line:

"Somebody, somewhere, is presumably thinking along these lines. We publish loads of superhero comics. We want to expand the market. Let's play it safe and produce these strange and slightly experimental superhero hybrids. This way, we'll cover all our bases and maximise our audience.

"If that's the reasoning, then it's obviously not working. Instead, these books appear to be disappearing into a demographic black hole where only the hardest of hardcore comics fans venture - the ones who'll pick up the first issue of practically anything. The fact that the DC Focus line were all ordered so closely together should be an obvious alarm bell, indicating that retailers expected it to sell to DC completists, and pretty much nobody else. It would seem unlikely that they were envisaging an audience of DC Focus fans who would buy all four titles, especially given that they have nothing whatsoever in common with one another."

Well, that was fast: Newsarama also reports that the American Bible Society's venture into comics, Metron Press, is dead in the water due to internal problems:

"I think in hindsight the American Bible Society was committed to the Metron Press publishing imprint, but only to a certain degree. They were trying to run a for profit imprint with a non-profit mentality. The investment to take these books and the product line to the next level wasn't sitting too well with ABS upper management. They wanted a huge return on their investment without a decent distribution and sales vehicle in place. When it came time to really step up and make an impact, it became about not really wanting to serve the secular market and protecting their bottom line. It takes a certain amount of passion, risk, capital, and good old fashion elbow grease to make it work in any business. These were qualities that the American Bible Society lacked to a great degree."

Metron had planned to publish titles by several well-known mainstream creators, including Brian Augustyn, Dick Giordano, Terry Austin, Barbara Kesel, Bill Sienkiewicz, Christopher Priest, Dan Jolley, Jason Alexander, John Ostrander, Jim Krueger and Sanford Greene.

CrossGen post-mortem: Newsarama catches up on this weekend's news that CrossGen has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy:

"Chapter 11 protection allows for the business to continue operating while it reorganizes its financial picture, keeping the business alive, while paying off creditors over time. Sources reported to Newsarama that CrossGen founder Mark Alessi hopes to find investors to bring the company out of Chapter 11 and relaunch at a later date. Reportedly, many inside CrossGen advised Alessi to file Chapter 11 months ago."

May, by the numbers: ICv2.com takes a look at the direct-market sales for May, and notes a 12 percent overall increase over May 2003. The retailer site reports that three titles -- Astonishing X-Men #1, Superman #205 and Superman/Batman #10 -- each sold more than 175,000 copies.

ICv2 also breaks down the Top 300 comics and Top 100 graphic novels, with sales estimates.

Guest-starring Invincible: Comic Book Resources gets to the bottom of the Invincible stand-up that appeared in the season finale of The Shield:

"Kirkman told CBR News that back around the second episode of the season, the production crew for "The Shield" called up the Image Comics offices, located just outside Los Angeles, looking for some super hero stuff to decorate the comic shop with. Image gave them a selection to choose from and Invincible was amongst their choices. The Image folk called Kirkman to get his approval, and being a big The Shield fan himself, he was more than happy to oblige. Kirkman said the image seen in the show is actually a large sized Invincible stand-up, one Kirkman is trying to get his hands on for the upcoming convention season. Kirkman also said somewhere in the store is a poster featuring the comic Capes."

Movin' on up: The Salem (Ore.) Journal notes that the Danger Zone Entertainment comic store has relocated and expanded:

"Nick and Laurie Coffey have owned the store since 1999 and credit the move to their new 1,500-square-foot location to Hollywood’s increasing fascination with fantasy and science-fiction movies."

"Valid forms of literature": The Philadelphia Inquirer looks at the Bucks County Library's selection of Maus: A Survivor's Tale for its inaugural "One Book, One Bucks" series:

"We are the first to use a graphic novel, and some people are going to say, 'Why is Bucks County Library promoting a comic book?' One of our objectives is to show graphic novels are valid forms of literature. The time is right, and this is a powerful story."

More Marvel licensing: JAKKS Pacific announced it has expanded its worldwide licensing agreements with Marvel to produce TV Games of the Fantastic Four and Iron Man.

Move over, Spider-Man: Time takes stock of the manga and anime characters heading to the big screen in Japan:

"Exactly why remakes of classic cartoons are booming is open to debate. Some cite nostalgia, others a lack of imagination. 'People have special feelings for the older animé. They're simpler and more innocent,' says Cutie Honey star Sato, a longtime fan of the heroine she plays. Her director, Anno, takes a crankier view. 'Japanese people can't grow up,' he says. 'When they're not reading comics and watching cartoons, they go to see movies about cartoon characters. It's sad.'"

More on CrossGen: The Pulse chimes in on yesterday's news that CrossGen has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and summarizes the publisher's ongoing financial problems.

The birth of an industry: The Times of India reports that India's first graphic novel, Sarnath Banerjee's Corridor, soon will be joined by Rohit Gupta's graphic novella, The Doppler Effect:

"In India, however, comics are just beginning to be taken seriously. While comics for children, published by houses like Diamond, Raj and Amar Chitra Katha are widely sold and read, the graphic novel as a form is just starting out.

"Banerjee, whose novelhas sold out of its initial print run of 2,000 copies and is now being reprinted, spent two years seeking a publisher willing to take the book on before Penguin signed it.

"But Gupta, who has formed his own comic publishing house, Apollo Bunder Comics, is undaunted. 'People will take it seriously,' he asserts of The Doppler Effect."

The McSweeney's affair: At Time.com, Andrew Arnold falls in love with McSweeney's Quarterly Concern No. 13, "The Comics Issue" edited by Chris Ware:

"The book itself stays true to Ware's high standards, being printed on heavy paper stock and in full color for at least half of the works. The contributors are a jaw-dropping list: every single major North American cartoonist of the last two decades, plus several key historical artists, some newcomers and even a few prose pieces by the likes of John Updike, Chip Kidd ('Peanuts: the Art of Charles M. Schulz') and Glen David Gold ('Carter Beats the Devil'). The works have been loosely organized by genre. Early in the book appears what may be considered the world's first comic strip: Rodolphe Topffer's 1839 'The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck,' about a despondent bachelor who perpetually fails at both love and suicide. A major revelation, in its charming way it lays the groundwork for both the jollities and existential torments of comix to come. This becomes the first in a strange triptych of early suicide-related strips. Other genre groups include fiction, journalism, biography, autobiography and as Ware says in the introduction, 'the uncategorizable.'"

Manga-inspired serial rapist? Japan's Mainichi Shimbun reports that police have arrested a man suspected of raping and robbing more than 70 women in a manner similar to the controversial Rapeman manga of the late 1980s and early '90s. The 36-year-old man is accused of telling the women he was asked to rape them. In the manga, a mild-mannered school teacher worked as a rapist for hire.

Tutoring, and a grappling hook: The New York Times reports on the opening of the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company, which will feature workshops for adult and student writers, drop-in tutoring, English-as-a-second-language classes, and self-publishing seminars:

"'If you put "free tutoring" on the banner, nobody's going to come in,' said Scott Seeley, the director of operations, who established the center with Doug Bowmen, its educational director. 'But if you put "superhero" - we're already getting a constant flow of people asking questions.'

"The store has everything a modern, well-equipped superhero might need: leotards, boots, tights, magnets, chain ladders, nets and other tools of the villain-fighting trade. 'We don't sell comic books or figurines,' Mr. Seeley said. 'It's literally what a superhero would use.'"

Anime attraction: The Fort Worth, Texas, Star-Telegram (registration required) visits the Anime Store in Arlington, which owner Raymond Vo reopened in January. To compete with the larger chain stores, Vo tries to carry hard-to-find merchandise:

"I sell a lot of fan-based anime, which means these are titles that only really dedicated fans know about."

Thinking of the children: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch examines the growing backlash against advertising aimed at children:

"Cover Concepts Inc., based in New York City, offers schools free textbook covers, bookmarks, notebooks and other supplies emblazoned with corporate logos and cartoon characters. Cover Concepts is owned by Marvel Enterprises Inc., one of the world's leading comic-book publishers.

"Its materials are in 400 schools in the St. Louis area, reaching 225,000 to 230,000 students here, said Anita Murrmann, executive director. 'We found out that the average teacher spends over $700 out of their own pocket to provide their students with (such) materials,' Murrmann said, so the company is simply filling a need."

Students get creative: The Springfield, Mass., Republican looks at efforts by the Brookings Middle School Comic Club to create its own comic book. Card & Comic Co. has donated preprinted art board, while Dark Horse Comics has sent prints of characters and autographed memorabilia that are displayed in the classroom where the club meets.

Love in the time of Spandex: Orlando CityBeat discovers Andi Watson's Love Fights:

"It's all pretty lighthearted, but the story is far from a piece of fluff. Watson has obviously thought out a plot here that will sustain plenty of tension well beyond the first story arc. He's mentioned the Katharine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy school of romantic comedy as an inspiration, and there's certainly that kind of feel to Love Fights -– the tug of war between love and ambition. The super-powered backdrop is taken for granted, essential to the story but treated in such an offhand way that it becomes a seamless part of the scenery."

Bipolar twins: Israel21C profiles twin brothers Tomer and Asaf Hanuka, who work separately as editorial illustrators and comic artists, and together on projects like Bipolar:

"Bipolar is the work that is the most important and personal for us. Both because we collaborate on it and because characters in the stories are our friends and family and the background are the backgrounds of my life. But overall, both of us are just thrilled that we are able to make our living doing something we love so much."

CrossGen files bankruptcy? Citing "anonymous inside sources," Comic World News reports that all remaining staff at CrossGen has been laid off, and the company has filed for bankruptcy.

Darling artist: Japan's Asahi Shimbun profiles artist Saori Oguri, whose Darin wa Gaikokujin 2 (My Darling is a Foreigner 2) was published in March:

"To her surprise, the book has remained on the best-seller shelf in major Tokyo bookstores since its release in March. Thanks to the second book's popularity, the first in the series, Darin wa Gaikokujin 1 (My Darling is a Foreigner 1) published in 2002, has also jumped in sales, according to Media Factory. There were 300,000 copies of the first volume printed and 260,000 of the second, the publisher said."

Crisis center, revisited: The Springfield (Ohio) News-Sun (registration required) and The Oklahoman also chat with Brad Meltzer about DC's Identity Crisis:

"It's sort of like that kid in your neighborhood who had the best toys, so you wanted to go to his house to play. Well, DC has the best toys. I love my novels, and I love my characters, but DC has Superman. And sometimes, you just want to play with Superman."

Review revue: The Springfield (Ohio) News-Sun (registration required) reviews Green Lantern/Green Arrow Vol. 1.

From screen to page: FilmForce takes a seven-page look at Joss Whedon's move from screenwriting to comics writing.

Graphic novel paradigm: The Savannah (Ga.) Morning News profiles local artist Brett Wood, who recently released the first installment of his six-part graphic novel series, Paradigmino.

Convention planning: Newsarama chats with Top Shelf's Chris Staros about the importance of the convention circuit:

"Conventions are an absolutely vital part of our cash flow, probably more so than other publishers, as I think we do more conventions than any other publisher out there. This year we're publishing 36 books, mostly graphic novels, to the tune of about $400,000 in printing costs alone - ouch! Do you have any idea how many books you have to sell in the small press to generate that kind of money in a year? It's staggering."

Angel, Angel, down we go together: At Grotesque Anatomy, John Jakala is holding a nifty contest to promote Jim Rugg's Street Angel:

"Since I'm going through squid fight withdrawal (and Rugg only made it worse by taunting me with this enigmatic teaser: 'rest assured, you will be surprised by issue 3's, ahem, competition') I figured you readers could help me out by chronicling some of Jesse's undocumented battles against the giant squid. The person who composes the best 'untold tale' will win the first two issues of Street Angel -- FREE! I'll even cover shipping (in the U.S. only; but if you're outside the U.S. and don't mind paying international shipping, feel free to enter the contest)."

Squid-fighting enthusiasts should go enter. Now!

Zombie-licious: Rampaging Fanboy Graeme McMillan is illustrating Zombie! Zombie! Zombie!, a graphic novel written by Jim Massey (Death Takes A Holiday). Get your preview here. The Pulse has the press release.

Spreading the love: Also at ICv2.com, Dark Horse's Michael Martens responds to Ilan Strasser's manga sermon, and assures direct-market retailers that they are important:

"Ilan, we still love you and feel the direct market always will be an important part of our business!"

Space invaders: ICv2.com has word from Tokyopop that manga retail display space is increasing, primarily in chain stores:

"Behind a 250% increase in year-over-year weekly manga sales, Hastings is doubling its manga display space and moving the section to a more prominent location. Musicland has added a new manga fixture, increasing space by around 75%.

"In test mode, Best Buy will try out anime-related manga titles this July and Tower is testing Tokyopop's permanent 40-pocket display now."

Missing: Kalle Anka: South Africa's Independent reports that a rare copy of the first Donald Duck (Kalle Anka) comic published in Swedish has gone missing from the Comicland Museum in Koinge, Sweden. The comic, published in 1948, is estimated to be worth more than $19,800.

Won't someone think of the children? Australia's Big News Network reports that Vietnamese parents and educators are calling on writers and producers to create comic books and video games more suitable for children:

"Vietnamese publishers are printing more children's books than ever. But educators and parents say many of the most popular books, especially translated versions from overseas, are unsuitable, the report said.

"More than 600,000 comic books are printed in Ho Chi Minh City each week and 80 percent of them are foreign comics with many depicting violent stories with rampant killing, the report said."

Comics in the margins: Canada's Georgia Straight looks at Drippytown Comics and Stories and the state of "alternative comics":

"The acceptance of comics in the wine-and-cheese milieu has its good and bad points, Bell says. 'Comics are getting more acknowledged, but then the art gets more elitist. The audience becomes more savvy and the work less mainstream, and less appealing to a wide audience. But that opens it up to a book crowd, people who take literature seriously.'

"The comic-book form itself -- the easily carried, stapled item --is under threat from the more visceral pleasures of video games and, to some extent, graphic novels. Which makes Drippytown one of the last of a dying breed: the anthology in its traditional form. Bell also notes the book's 'community feel', a quality that reflects Lawrence's efforts. The cartoonist first brought his comics-loving friends together in 1990 in an anthology titled Cartoon Party, and in 1999 and 2000 he showcased their work again in The Drippy Gazette. That broadsheet also introduced teardrop-shaped Drippy the Newsboy, who would become the mascot of Lawrence's latest venture."

Spider-Man, by way of India: Now this is interesting. The Times of India reports that Marvel plans to adapt Spider-Man for an Indian audience. This isn't just a dialogue translation, though; it's what Marvel's partner in the endeavor, Gotham Entertainment Group, calls a "transcreation":

"Spiderman India interweaves the local customs, culture and mystery of modern India, with an eye to making Spiderman's mythology more relevant to this particular audience."

Peter Parker will be replaced by an Indian boy named Pavitr Prabhakar, while Green Goblin will become a Rakshasa, the Indian mythological demon:

"Unlike traditional translations of American comics, Spiderman India will become the first-ever 'transcreation,' where we reinvent the origin of a Western property like Spiderman so that he is an Indian boy in Mumbai and dealing with local problems and challenges."

The Indian Express has a few more details, including that Pavitr Prabhakar gets his "magical powers" from a yogi.

Nexus, animated at last: Animation World Magazine talks with Steve Rude about his 16-year effort to animate Nexus, which finally makes its debut this year at Comic-Con International in the form of a two-minute promotional DVD:

"I wanted Nexus to reflect my own personal vision because I felt that was the only way it would look like Nexus and not some watered-down, committee-produced kiddie version of what the comic book was all about. ...

"You may be surprised to know that, to me, Nexus is very traditional, in that he goes after bad guys and destroys them. That what superheroes do."

They, robot: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Astroboy will be among the inductees this fall to Carnegie Mellon University's Robot Hall of Fame. He'll join fellow fictional automatons Robby the Robot and C3PO, and two real-world counterparts.

Crisis center: Make way for the DC Comics promotional machine. Today, the Knoxville (Tenn.) News-Sentinel (registration required) talks with Brad Meltzer about Identity Crisis:

"This story is basically a murder mystery set in the DC Universe, with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and others. This is my chance to play with the biggest characters that exist in comics.

"I write mysteries for a living anyway, and DC let me write a story using the characters in their toy box, which is obviously a dream come true for someone like me."

Marvel's merchandise: The New York Daily News looks at Marvel's bumpy financial road and the company's focus on licensing and merchandising:

"Spider-Man 2 is expected to perform even better than the first film because of the popularity of the original franchise.

The cushion of the first movie and the fact that Spidey-related items are already on the market is 'heightening consumer awareness of Spider-Man 2' even before the movie opens, said Elizabeth Waikesnis, director of the the annual Licensing International Show at the Javits Center.

"Both Sony and Marvel declined to comment for this story, but the film's official Web site alone boasts 18 different promotions and tie-ins."

Expo reality check: Christopher Butcher checks in with thoughts from Book Expo Canada:

"The big change at Book Expo, and it’s a huge change if you’re only reading about comics on the internet or visiting a very, very superhero-centric store, is how artificial and to be honest, unhealthy, the direct market really is. Out in the real world (and, yeah, I know, I don’t mean to sound like a know-it-all dick, but…) the distinctions between comic strips and comic books, between ‘mainstream’ and ‘indy’, between tradition and otherwise are greatly diminished. The Complete Peanuts Vol 1 is regarded (and I think rightly-so) as a Graphic Novel, despite the fact that it’s a collection of serialized strips. Comic strip reprints have just as much respect, if not more-so, than comics and graphic novels."

A manga moment: At Cognitive Dissonance, Johanna has a nice entry about the appeal of manga, overcoming the format obstacle, and the naysayers who dismiss it as a fad:

"It had been a long time since I'd been that excited about any corporate American comics. Sure, there's a lot of crappy manga, but overall, it's so much more diverse than what the comic industry calls 'mainstream' that I'm still surfing on the crest of the good stuff. What do I care if there's a bookcase full of manga I'd never be interested in at the store if there's also one of stuff I'm dying to read? ...

"... I'm excited about the medium again because there are stories for ME -- lots of romantic comedies with imagination and heart."

Cross-cultural appeal: Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Bill Virgin looks at Japan's latest pop-culture export, Tare Panda, and wonders why such cartoon characters appeal to American youth:

"The appeal also stems from products that create of 'an entire universe unto themselves,' Thompson says, 'one that requires a degree of dedication to understand which often, appealingly, separates it from standard adult popular culture.' Remember Pokemon and Pikachu? 'Kids can be experts about Yu-gi-oh while their parents and teachers remain completely oblivious to its meaning, and toddlers right up through adolescence can immerse themselves in the ever-more-populated world of Hello Kitty.'"

Enjoyed worldwide, ignored locally: The Korea Times notes that while South Korean animated films are being received well internationally, they're virtually ignored by audiences in their own country.

Not-so-secret Identity: The Boston Herald hops aboard the promotional bandwagon for DC's Identity Crisis:

"Though DC is billing the miniseries as the comics event of the year, Identity Crisis differs from previous summer projects, which have tended to focus on monstrous villains and galactic emergencies. Meltzer's work squarely focuses on the people who enter the public spotlight by fighting evil."

Con game: Writing for Toronto's Eye Weekly, Guy Leshinski previews this weekend's Toronto Comicon:

"It's the Artist's Alley -- a section slightly removed from the bins and bulletproof glass, where many of Toronto's best independent cartoonists will be nursing their work -- that the keen attendant should beeline toward. Its tenants are misfits in the kindest sense, whose talent and bald optimism can make the same old show an interesting, even enlightening, event."

Baseball cartoon a hit: The Korea Times profiles Choi Hoon, whose MLB Cartoon webcomic series draws more than 100,000 clicks a week:

"(I'm surprised) since most baseball fans here focus on the domestic league, and most contents of the series are somewhat for advanced MLB fans, who have a better-than-average knowledge on it. I feel lucky with the MLB Cartoon. I can do whatever I want and unleash it online and many people support me for that."

Werthem was right, revisited: In its "Yesteryears" feature, the Modesto (Calif.) Bee looks back 50 years, to when the largest distributor of comic books in Stanislaus County announced it would not carry horror comics or those that "contained lewd or sexual themes":

"Joe Saletta of Nichol News, which supplied about 115 dealers, said he would write to the comic book publishers and pass on customers' complaints about the violent material. He said that up to 150 comics would be taken out of stock."

Superman on display: It's apparently Museum Day at Thought Balloons. The Greenwood (Ark.) Democrat reports that the popular Superman Case Exhibit has been extended through July 25 at the Museum of Discovery:

"The items in the Superman Case Exhibit are from the personal collection of Mike and Carole Curtis of Greenbrier. Mike has been collecting the Man of Steel memorabilia for 30 years; Carole 'learned in self-defense!' Currently the collection boasts 16,000 items, hundreds of which will be on display at the Museum."

Japan, by way of Iowa: Iowa's Quad-City Times reports on the arrival of the $50,000 Jump to Japan traveling exhibit at the Felix Adler Children’s Discovery Center:

"Visitors can learn about animation that made the film, My Neighbor Totoro, by watching snippets of the show through a projector box and then creating their own animations in an 'animation station.'

"Another part of the display focuses on manga, which are comic-book-type characters with huge eyes that are featured in oversized books and large wooden puzzles. Visitors can draw their own manga creations."

Teen beat: The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch talks with local writer Sean McKeever about Mary Jane:

"I’ve never found any difficulty writing teens, because I don’t think I’ve grown up yet. If it feels honest to me, it seems to work for everyone else."

(Link via Sean McKeever)

Fall reading: And while we're on the subject of solicitations, Oni Press and Fantagraphics have announced their offerings for October.

Marvel in September (offically): Although they were leaked yesterday, Marvel's official solicitations for September are up now, with cover images. Some of the highlights:

* J. Michael Straczynski's long-promised Strange project finally debuts under the Marvel Knights banner. Isn't there some artistic rule of thumb for covers stating the character's back shouldn't be turned to the reader? Anyway, the solicitation doesn't list Strange as a miniseries, so perhaps Marvel is hedging its bets. If it performs well, maybe co-writer Samm Barnes will be turned loose on an ongoing?
* Although the world doesn't need another sexy female spy series, I'm actually looking forward to Richard K. Morgan and Bill Sienkiewicz's Black Widow.
* Five Marvel Knights 2099 one-shots seem a bit ... unnecessary.
* Peter David's Madrox series debuts with a cover by David Lloyd that's a marked improvement over Marvel's typical pin-ups (actually, it reminds me of something you'd see for DC/WildStorm's Sleeper).
* What's this? NYX #6?
* It's the attack of the X-Men solo series continue as Gambit, Jubilee and Nightcrawler debut.
* Uh, Warlock #1? (Adam Warlock, not the weird character from the old New Mutants series.)

Otto's Coffee Shop has an interesting look at the solicitations, noting average prices, the number of titles in each line, and the series that weren't solicited: Thanos is absent, but that comes as no surprise. Venom is also gone, but it had been hemorrhaging readers for the past year. The big mystery is Iron Fist which only launched in March. Has it been canceled already?

Legal notice: At Newsarama, Matt Brady takes a closer look at Carmine Infantino's $4 million lawsuit against Warner Bros. and DC Comics:

"As viewed in today’s light, the idea that Infantino would even think that he would be able to lay any claim to the characters he created while working as a freelancer for DC would seem ridiculous, but the time frame in which he created for DC was much different from today. Cronyism was rampant, as were handshake (and backroom) deals. In fact, one of the first things Infantino is credited with doing when he came on at the wheel of DC’s ship was to end many of the less straight business practices of the company. The work for hire contracts that are a staple of the modern comics industry weren’t in place, and, as other legal cases have shown, there was plenty of wiggle room in regards to meanings when a creator was asked to create a character."

Russ Manning nominees: Nominations have been announced for the 2003 Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award, and Invincible artist and all-around nice guy Ryan Ottley made the list. Winners will be announced July 23 at Comic-Con International as part of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards ceremony.

Other nominees are Bosch Fawstin, Derek Kirk Kim, Phil Singer and Eric Wight.

Planet Larry, revisited: At Comic Book Resources, Rob Lavender talks with longtime friend Larry Young about AiT/Planet Lar and Planet of the Capes.

Concerning McSweeney's: Minneapolis City Pages looks at McSweeney's Quarterly Concern No. 13, "The Comics Issue" edited by Chris Ware:

"Ware's curatorial tastes are generally quite broad: The issue includes Richard McGuire's 'ctrl,' which has been rendered entirely through flat and spare overhead views; a selection of Mark Beyer's hilariously tormented art brut 'Amy and Jordan' strips; and a suite of concentrated, hyper-stylized pieces from Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez's Love and Rockets series. Even so, you can see his particular selectivity in the McSweeney's picks. Ware prefers minimal, iconic, impressionistic drawing to the more deliberate rendering of the European school (Blacksad artist Juanjo Guarnido, say), and his introduction is quick to dismiss the comics aesthetic that's grounded in old superhero comic books."

Werthem was right? In its "50 Years Ago" column, the Franklin County (Ala.) Times looks back at a June 11, 1954, fire in Chicago that took the lives of seven locals. The blaze was set by an 11-year-old boy, "who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day and drinks 100 proof whiskey":

"The young arsonist told police he got the idea of setting the fire from a comic book entitled The Human Torch. He was place in segregation at a children’s home.

"Police found a stack of lurid comic books along with five empty whiskey bottles in the boy’s bureau drawer."

Vote and get a free comic: Speaking of Brian K. Vaughan (and we were), the writer of Ex Machina is following through on earlier comments by announcing the Ex Machina Voter Registration Day. Any U.S. citizen who registers to vote on June 19th, then forwards the confirmation to Isotope Comics, will receive a free copy of Ex Machina #1.

Superman's English spin: WebIndia123.com briefly notes the coming of Superman: True Brit:

"Cleese plans to re-name Superman as Colin Clarke instead of Clarke Kent and make him a tabloid reporter instead of the hard-hitting reporter he was till now. Superman who worked for a paper called 'Daily Planet' will now write for the 'Daily Smear.'"

The "gendercide" of Y: The Chicago Tribune (registration required) discovers Y: The Last Man, and chats with writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Pia Guerra:

"When I first pitched the concept. I think my editors were afraid. It does sound like it could be a bad, late-night, sex-romp movie. But I researched for almost two years to find all sort of factoids, such as what percentage of pilots are female. It's a shockingly small number. So what would that mean if there were this many planes in the air when it happened? And how many women are mechanics, and how many women work in the Internet, and how many combat-trained female soldiers are there?"

Marvel's money: Marvel Enterprises announces it's now "debt-free" after it redeemed the outstanding $150 million in principal amount of the company's 12 percent Senior Notes due in 2009. The redemption was funded with cash on hand.

In other PR news, LeapFrog Enterprises is introducing an Amazing Spider-Man LeapPad platform, which comes with two books, one of which is based on the Spider-Man comic books and narrated by Stan Lee:

"In The Amazing Spider-Man LeapPad learning system book, children can follow along as the masked superhero spins webs, clings to walls and gets them turned on to reading with colorful comic-book graphics and action-packed excitement. Spider-Man uses vowel sounds, rhyming, matching and deductive reasoning to fight crime and teach reading comprehension through the voice of the man who first brought the comic to life, Stan Lee."

Branding for the children: DC Comics has announced the return of Johnny DC (not to be confused with Johnny Jihad) as the brand for its "all-ages" titles beginning in September. The new version of the character was designed by Rian Hughes.

Cartoon museum may become bookstore: File this under "Links That Got Away." South Florida's Sun-Sentinel (registration required) reports on the ongoing efforts by Boca Raton to do something with the old International Museum of Cartoon Art. Last week, the Community Redevelopment Agency finally agreed to start negotations with The Rouse Co., whose proposal includes turning part of the 50,000-square-foot building into a bookstore.

"Mort Walker, cartoon museum founder and creator of the Beetle Bailey comic strip, was glad to see the city choose a developer. City officials have considered several proposals in the past three years. While Walker owns the building, the city owns the land and has a say in how it is developed.

"The cartoon museum closed in 2001 because of dwindling attendance and mounting debt.

"'I feel like I've been in a torture chamber,' Walker said minutes after the meeting."

(Link via Richard Pachter)

Molding Plastic Man: The Pulse chats with Scott Morse about filling in for Kyle Baker on Plastic Man #7:

"I'm incredibly psyched. I had worked up a series pitch before I knew Kyle was on the book, so I already had some PLAS aspirations that I wanted to fulfill. I jumped on the chance when Joey Cavalieri gave me the call to do a fill-in. And I nearly wet my pants when he said I could fully paint it and write it, too. Joey and I have been trying to find the perfect thing to work on together for awhile. When we first met, he commented on how I had trained under Maurice Noble at Chuck Jones' animation studio, and how he just wanted to see those sensibilities work into a good comic. Nobody really touches that stuff, that flavor, and it communicates so well visually. Luckily some room opened up on the PLAS schedule and I could run with it."

These comics are for kids: The Washington Post spotlights Michael Bitz, teacher and founder of the Comic Book Project, a program that allows students to create comic books based on educational themes. The most successful works are published by Dark Horse and distributed free to schools nationwide.

Delay of game: Deadlines and errands have me occupied until mid-afternoon. Blogging will resume then.

Explaining IDW: At SBC, Beau Smith chats with Ted Adams, president and publisher of IDW Publishing:

"From day one, we decided we wanted our books to look different. We’ve always gone for a “European” feel for the art. I don’t think the art in our books looks like a traditional American comic. But, unlike most European comics, our comics are story driven.

"We wanted to make sure that our production values were as high as possible. I like to think that our design and printing is the best in the business. We spend a lot of time working with our printers to make sure that our books look as good as possible. Most American comics are printed on a web press. Web presses are used to print large quantities and are traditionally used for periodicals where the quality of the printing is secondary to the speed of the press. We use sheet feed presses for all of our comics. If you take the time to compare the printing between an IDW comic and just about any other in the market, I think you’ll see the difference.

"That’s also why our books are more expensive than some of our competitors. And our pricing strategy sure brings out the aggression from the guys who post on websites. There was a guy on Newsarama last week, who literally said I should be killed because of the price of our comics. It amazes me: a guy can literally threaten my life on a public forum and not a single person said it was unreasonable behavior. Newsarama didn’t pull the post and not a single person commented on it. What if that guy approached me at a con and said the same thing?

"... I fully undestand that some people won’t be able to afford our comics. What I don’t understand is why they’re so angry about it."

Peering behind the curtain: At Animation World Magazine, artist Deanna Morse offers a glimpse into the selection process for the World Festival of Animated Films Zagreb Animafest 2004:

"Founded in 1972, this biennial festival has survived challenges facing all festivals: funding uncertainties changes in administration, technological changes, plus a terrible war. Through all this, Zagreb Animafest continues to celebrate a singular identity: animation as art. Margit Antauer, also known as Buba, has impressively managed the festival for years. This festival has integrity. It works effectively on budget, and spends the money where it will have impact on filmmakers and festival quality. It is one of six animation festivals for the Academy Awards nominations."

The shipping news: Previews Review updates with a rundown of the books arriving this week, including Ex Machina #1 and Mary Jane #1.

The Chaykin challenge: Silver Bullet Comic Books talks with Howard Chaykin about Challengers of the Unknown and Mighty Love.

Manga nation: Writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, author Jeff Yang provides an in-depth look at manga's inroads into the United States:

"As startling as manga's recent Stateside success has been, the $110 million American industry still represents a rounding error in comparison to its Japanese counterpart. In its country of origin, more than a third of all print publications sold are manga titles; 1.5 billion manga magazines and books were purchased in 2000 alone, representing gross revenues of more than $4.7 billion. The most popular manga magazine, the phone-book-size Shonen Jump, sells more than 5.9 million copies per week. (That's almost half the circulation of Japan's largest newspaper, Asahi Shimbun -- and almost three times the circulation of the most popular U.S. paper, USA Today.)"

Well, comics are expensive: The Baltimore Sun reports that a man who embezzled more than $443,000 from the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Basilica of the Assumption spent some of the money on comic books:

"'We understood he had an extensive collection,' said archdiocese spokesman Sean Caine, who said he did not know how much of the money went to comics."

Jubilee, reloaded: Hm. This seems like a waste of talent. The Pulse reports that Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead) will write a Jubilee series, which debuts in September:

"Jubilee has been reunited with her long lost aunt she didn't even no she had. She's moving out to LA to live with her and leaving the craziness of the X-mansion behind. So the series is going to focus on her acclimating to this new environment and getting used to being the only mutant around for the first time since she joined up with the X-Men.

"It's Jubilee in LA, it's a totally new environment for the Marvel U. Aside from Runaways and those old Wonder Man books Marvel has been almost exclusively New York based stories. So there's not a lot of overlap. After the initial story arc. ... I'd like to start playing with the continuity more and more as the book goes on."

DC in September: DC Comics has released its solicitations for September. Highlights include:

* "War Games" continues to have its way with the Batman titles as DC desperately tries to make Hush into a Major Villain in Gotham Knights.
* Batman in the Eighties trade paperback collects nine classic stories by the likes of Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Gerry Conway, Michael Golden, Alan Davis, Klaus Janson and George Perez.
* Gotham Central #23 finds the Gotham Police Department sucked into "War Games."
* Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale team up for Catwoman: When in Rome #1, the first of a six-part series that spins off The Long Halloween. Let's hope it makes more sense. The duo's first collaboration, Challengers of the Unknown Must Die, also gets collected, with bonus material.
* The long-promised Superman: True Brit hardcover by Kim "Howard" Johnson, John Cleese, John Byrne and Mark Farmer finally appears on Oct. 13.
* Andy Diggle and Pascal Ferry's eight-issue Adam Strange miniseries debuts.
* Darwyn Cooke's DC: The New Frontier and Judd Winick's Caper wrap up.
* DC pulls the plug on Fraction and Touch, the first of the ailing Focus line to fall.
* Green Lantern also gets put on ice, just in time for the return of Hal Jordan.
* Teen Titans #16 and Teen Titans/Legion Special make way for the new Waid/Kitson Legion of Super-Heroes. What's the record for the number of cancellations and relaunches? Surely, Legion has to be the reigning champion.
* The Beyond the DC Universe titles take some interesting turns, with the debuts of The Batman Strikes!, Justice League Unlimited, Elric: The Making of a Sorcerer, and The Will Eisner Companion hardcover.

Comics Continuum doesn't have the Vertigo titles, so let's jump to Toon Zone for those:

* DC releases the Animal Man: Deus Ex Machina, Doom Patrol, Vol. 1: Crawling From the Wreckage and Doom Patrol, Vol. 2: The Painting that Ate Paris trade paperbacks.
* Bite Club wraps up with yet another lovely Frank Quitely cover.
* Hellblazer #200 features the all-star lineup of Steve Dillon, Marcelo Frusin and Leonardo Manco.
* Jill Thompson's The Little Endless Storybook is re-released Nov. 3 as a deluxe hardcover.
* Dave Gibbons' The Originals is released on Oct. 6 as a 160-page hardcover.
* Richard Corben fills in as guest artist on Swamp Thing #7.

Review revue: Publishers Weekly (subscription required) reviews The Walking Dead: Days Gone By, Kyle Baker Cartoonist, Salmon Doubts, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle Vol. 1, and Blacksad 2: Arctic Nation. Here's what PW says about Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore's zombie saga:

"Taking a well-worn genre—flesh-eating zombies overrun the world and the unlucky surviving humans must deal with the gruesome aftermath—and approaching it from a purely character-driven point of view propels this series into the spotlight from out of nowhere. This collection of the first six issues of the ongoing series opens with police officer Rick Grimes awakening from a gunshot-induced coma. From here, he’s immediately dragged into a world where dangerous revenants are shambling amok without any sort of an explanation. From the moment Grimes comes to, it’s a harrowing battle to avoid hordes of decomposing zombies and a hope-against-all-odds search for his missing family. Grimes makes his way to Atlanta, the nearest large city where there may be other living people, and events take several unexpected turns upon his arrival, as he meets up with a rural encampment of survivors. Of course, as in recent hit movies 28 Days Later... and Dawn of the Dead, the last humans may turn out to be as much a danger as the zombies. Forceful scripting that gives the book a strong grounding in reality, crisp b&w artwork, a shocking final sequence and brisk, gory proceedings elevate this book from the trash heap of pedestrian horror comics."

The art of the deal: Newsarama talks with Josh Middleton about his new exclusive deal with DC Comics:

"Dan’s got a giant monster of the DCU to get moving ahead, and it looks as if he’s doing it. That’s kind of the ironic part about all of this – I’d always thought that going to Marvel would be cool, because it’s rock and roll and playing by the seat of your pants sometimes, but that’s double edged, as I learned. You go to DC, and even though it’s a part of a giant corporation, they have a guy with vision in there, and they’re able to get some things approved and green-lit that would never see the light of day anywhere else. And they have the money to invest in the long term. So, for a guy in my position, there’s just no better place to be right now."

The shipping news: Also at Ninth Art, "The Forecast" looks at the books shipping this week.

Prose and cons: At Ninth Art, Ben Wooller looks at recent moves by Marvel and Dark Horse into the world of prose fiction:

"Marvel's line, of course, will feature Marvel properties. While the press release promises the primary function of the new line is to 'create great fiction', the blaring title of the release, 'Initiative Expands Upon Publishing Division's Success In Graphic Novel Market And All-Time High Awareness Of Marvel Characters' (emphasis mine), suggests otherwise.

"I can see Marvel wanting to cash in on the Harry Potter craze: young adult fiction is big bucks these days, but just to be sure, Marvel is covering every base. A sequel to the 'critically acclaimed young adult novel' MARY JANE is planned, followed by a middle grade SPIDER-MAN novel, and a 'fantasy' WOLVERINE novel for adults."

Uncommon cartoonist: CRI Online chats with Chinese cartoonist Mao Xiaole about his new strip, Maosan Gousi ("Common People"):

"Cartoons, as far as I understand, are a kind of popular literature in picture form. So the storylines are the main thing, except when it comes to single-picture cartoons. When young cartoonists can't sell their drawings at a decent price or attract enough attention, I think it's because they spend so much effort on the expressive method but ignore its content."

Animal attraction: Salon.com (click-through ad required) examines the end of an era for funny-animal comics, symbolized by the final issues of Cerebus and Bone:

"Bone and Cerebus share superficial similarities. They're both drawn in black-and-white and self-published by their creators. In both, quirky, anthropomorphic beings shed light on mankind's foibles and virtues. Both books extend their lives outside the comic shops through hefty, trade-paperback reprint volumes available at bookstore super chains. The 16th and last Cerebus collection, 'The Last Day,' chronicles the aardvark's final hours and publishes this month, while Smith will sandwich all 1,300 pages of Bone between two covers in a volume due to publish in July.

"But beneath the surface, Bone and Cerebus prove to be so different, they're almost like photographic negatives of each other. Bone celebrates optimism and narrative simplicity, while Cerebus embraces cynicism and experimentation worthy of a mad scientist. Sim and Smith started as comrades in arms, yet their relationship soured into one of the industry's strangest feuds. Bone and Cerebus mark opposite ends of the comic-book spectrum and you can place virtually all modern graphic novels somewhere between the two -- even though their heroes aren't technically human."

Anime in academia: The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports on a new course at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, devoted to anime:

"Most people stop reading comic books when they're 6 years old. It's more than childish stuff. It's a serious sociological critique. ...

"... It deals with real life content. It speaks to the problems that young people are grappling with. It's come of age and the timing is right and there is no question that it speaks to the youth culture of America."

Bird feed: Unlike a lot of other mainstream media, The Orlando Sentinel isn't all that impressed with Steven Seagle's It's A Bird:

"Enter It's A Bird…, the inevitable deconstruction of an icon. Seagle did indeed write for Superman in 2003, and he's got a great deal to say about the 'Man of Steel.' His observations come in the form of short meditations on the various aspects of Superman's mythology, worked into the larger tale of his reconciliation with his family and past. The ludicrous nature of Superman's vulnerability to kryptonite gets skewered here, as does his reliance on a secret identity and the obvious connection to Nietzsche. These are certainly the gems of the book, even if some of the vignettes come off like notes for an easy college term paper."

A passion for comics: The St. Petersburg Times profiles retailer Pat Potter, who bought Comic World in 1992 for $8,000:

"We lost a generation somewhere. They got into video games and Internet. But now the games have been around for 10 years or so, people are coming back."

Cracked, but not broken: The Chicago Sun-Times spotlights Dick Kulpa's efforts to revive the satirical Cracked magazine, which struggles with a circulation of 50,000 -- down from about 500,000 in the 1960s.

Sea quest: Empire Online reports that Chris Columbus will direct the film version of Marvel's Sub-Mariner:

"So, why Columbus? Well, it actually makes sense. Columbus may have dulled his anarchic sensibilities (this is the guy who wrote Gremlins, don't forget) over the years with the likes of Stepmom and Bicentennial Man, but with the Harry Potter franchise, he's shown that adapting big-budget special effects-filled flicks are something of a specialty. And inside that cuddly, fluffy exterior is a geekboy just waiting to get out – Columbus was attached for a while to Marvel's Fantastic Four and has been trying to get a comic book property off the ground for ages."

Review revue: The Honolulu Star-Bulletin reviews CLAMP's Shirahime-Syo: Snow Goddess Tales.

Writing for the New York Post, author and designer Chip Kidd recommends Brad Meltzer's Identity Crisis #1.

Con report: The Miami Herald (registration required) files a report from last weekend's South Florida Sci-fi, Anime and Comic Convention.

Graphic novel primer: The Chicago Sun-Times proclaims that "graphic novels are finally coming into their own," and, to prove its point, reviews Clyde Fans: Book One, Dead Herring Comics, When We Were Very Maakies and Amy & Jordan:

"Graphic novels are narrated with both words and illustrations. These books come in all shapes, sizes and colors, blending picture and text to tell stories that couldn't be told as well by either mode alone. Some resemble comic books; others look like high-end art books. Some look strikingly familiar; others are hard to read -- they can be linear, unpaginated and at times unsettling. They can be fiction, 'docufiction' or fantasy. It's all about the medium, not the format."

Batman's new beginning: Newsweek looks at Warner Bros.' attempt to reinvigorate the Batman movie franchise with Batman Begins:

"Warner Brothers might appear to be rolling the dice by handing over a $150 million summer blockbuster to a man who's never directed an action movie before. But the real risk isn't Nolan. It's Batman. Seven years ago, moviegoers' interest in the character had flatlined. Even Nolan admits he's not certain enough time has passed for audiences to get excited about a new Batman movie. 'But I know I am,' he says, laughing. So was the studio. When Alan Horn took over Warner Brothers four years ago, 'one of his mandates was to get Batman back out there,' says president of production Jeff Rabinov. 'But it took time to find the right person to redefine the franchise.' Nolan won the job by vowing to strip away the later sequels' bombast and return Batman to its roots in character drama."

Reading room: The Portland Oregonian checks out the graphic novel and manga collection at the Multnomah County Library, and offers recommended reading for adults and teens.

Manga's appeal: The Flint (Mich.) Journal reports on the popularity of manga among 'tweens, teens and adults:

"What sets them apart from American comic books is the range of subject matter. 'If you look at American comics, those are very sophisticated, superhero stories,' Steve Kleckner of Los Angeles-based Tokyopop told USA Today. Tokyopop is the world's leading manga publisher outside Japan. Manga, he said, includes tales of romance, fashion, fantasy and high school life."

I gotta be meme: I'm really bad at these "dream team" games, but it's Saturday, and Blogger is barely limping along. And Shane and Rick are doing it. So, for what they're worth:

Martian Manhunter by Steve Niles and Chris Bachalo. What's not to love about a Martian Manhunter series? It has everything: sci-fi, horror, pulp crime. It's all there. As the reigning king of comics horror, Niles is an obvious choice for the scarier aspects, but he also can write detective stories and sci-fi (look for a little of the latter in October). Bachalo's ever-evolving style has been bordering on the grotesque as of late, so he's ideal for depicting the adventures of a shape-shifting alien.

Nick Fury by Darwyn Cooke. Yeah, yeah, Rick and Shane are calling for a return to the swingin' '60s Steranko version. I am, too. Sort of. I'd love to see Cooke let loose, a la DC: The New Frontier, in a post-World War II Marvel Universe. Continuity be damned: throw in the Black Widow, Union Jack and a few other Cold War refugees for non-stop spy action.

Robin and Batgirl by Sean McKeever and Takeshi Miyazawa. Let's get back to the fun times of the old Batman Family comics, and let McKeever and Miyazawa work their magic to appeal to a younger crowd. Super-villains, homework and teen angst!

Dr. Strange by Warren Ellis and Barry Windsor-Smith. Give me Ellis before he started believing his own PR, and Windsor-Smith ... well, anytime.

Eh, that's all I got. See? I told you I was bad at these things.

Tintin's final adventure: The Washington Post reports on the release of Tintin and Alph Art, the series' 24th and final book, which has been released to celebrate the 75th birthday of the boy reporter. Tintin creator Herge (Georges Remi) died in 1983 before he could finish Alph Art, and left instructions that no one else should write Tintin stories:

"While Tintin fans will welcome a new story, they will also get a kick out of seeing Remi's creative process. Budding artists can see how Remi composed his drawings. The best and most complete sketches are enlarged to give readers a close-up of a car crash and other dramatic moments. Remi's attention to detail appears in the notes he made to himself, such as on Page 29, when he mulled over which type of car Capt. Haddock should drive: 'R.16? V.W.?'"

Infantino update: The Pulse has a few more details on Carmine Infantino's lawsuit against Warner Bros. and DC Comics, most of which were included in Monday's London Times story. The Pulse also links to a PDF version of Infantino's complaint.

Excellent collections: The Pulse talks with Evan Dorkin about the old Marvel/Star Bill & Ted comics, which are being collected by Slave Labor Graphics:

"I'm not trying to sound facetious, but I had no interest in Bill and Ted as characters. I was new to the industry and trying to maintain a foothold after doing some small press work and a Predator series for Dark Horse. Bill and Ted allowed me to start doing comics full-time. I was motivated by the paycheck and the fact that I could do a humor/adventure series in my own style with little editorial interference. It was pretty obvious that nobody at Marvel cared about the Star kid's line or the related licensed books, Bill and Ted, Kid and Play, Leopold and Loeb, et al. I'm not saying Fabian and assistant editors Evan Skolnick and Carlos Lopez didn't care about the actual material, but we weren't working on the X-Men or Avengers, so Marvel -- and 99% of retailers and readers -- didn't care about what we did as long as it was done on time. Fabian let me run with the book and do whatever I wanted and really trusted me, with the only interference coming from the then - B&T copyright holders (no religious jokes, watch the language, and watch the hip-hop slang, which the uptight clueless imbeciles called 'gang talk'). I could crack wise about the music industry, comics, science fiction cliches, death, romance, plug my favorite punk and ska bands, and make it all up as I went along for the most part. It was a lot more enticing than aching over a continuity-choked superhero book that people actually were paying attention to. I could create my own limited continuity and my own supporting cast, and in effect, make it my own book. And get paid for it. A truly excellent deal."

Reflections on Mirror: At Newsarama, Alan Moore and Jose Villarubia talk about The Mirror of Love, an epic celebration of same-sex love that Moore wrote in 1988 in response to Britain's infamous Clause 28 legislation. Top Shelf released the 136-page hardcover last month:

"There will be a lot of unnecessary hardship and anguish and pain and fighting and shouting, but at the end of the day, things will progress, and they will move on. Those voices, I think, will become more subdued, as they realize that these things have happened and it wasn’t the end of the world. It wasn’t Sodom and Gomorrah and people turning to pillars of salt. The final judgment didn’t descend upon us because two gay librarians from Massachusetts happened to get married and tried to live happily ever after."

Manga nation: ICv2.com reports that a survey of sell-through for the week ending June 6 found that manga continue to dominate bookstore graphic novel sales. The Complete Peanuts Vol. #1 was the only non-manga to crack the Top 25, and there were just five non-manga releases in the Top 50.

Cartoon networks: Writing for Animation World Magazine, Martin "Dr. Toon" Goodman examines the creative and cultural trends in animation during the 1980s:

"The diversity encouraged by the cable and satellite channels cannot be underestimated. There is no doubt that if only the “big three” networks existed into the present decade there may have been little chance for cartoons such as the original incarnation of Ren & Stimpy, Invader Zim, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Grim and Evil or Samurai Jack to ever crack the lineup at ABC, NBC or CBS. The ruckus that followed the Religious Right’s smackdown of Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures in 1987 would have led to caution not only at CBS but among its competitors as well; shows that played it light and kept it safe would have been the rule. The Fairly OddParents, The Proud Family, Powerpuff Girls and Kim Possible may well have had a shot at Saturday Morning or UHF syndication, but I would be willing to bet that most network execs would have considered anything as offbeat as SpongeBob SquarePants a reach."

Drawing on politics: The Lebanon Daily Star profiles political cartoonist Pierre Sadek, who's been daily staple in the An-Nahar newspaper for the past 45 years.

Where does the money go? The Guardian's Archie Thomas breaks down the costs of Spider-Man 2, looking at everything from licensing ($20 million) to advertising ($75 million).

Review revue: The Star of Malaysia reviews a batch of DC comics: The Flash #209, Robin #126, Catwoman #30, Firestorm #1 and Nightwing #93.

Deadbeat, and offbeat: Writing for the Oklahoma City Oklahoman, Matthew Price reports on the release of Courtney Love's Princess Ai, and the series of events that led to the delay of Claypool Comics' Deadbeats #65.

Publish and perish? Silver Bullet Comic Books talks with MVCreations' Val Staples, who sings the praises of self-publishing:

"Self publishing is the best way to learn a lot of the ins and outs of comics. You develop an understanding of the behind the scenes costs and production that other artists don’t understand. I see occasional artists in interviews who blame companies (major publishers) for things beyond the publisher’s control. I won’t talk specifics, but these are things they’d understand better if they had self published for a length of time.

"It’s hard out there. And most comics do NOT make money, even from the big two. It’s the licensing of their recognized characters that makes the money, movies especially (if they are successful).

"If you self publish, 99.99% of the time, you will lose money. But it’s worth it to understand your craft better, and to help you avoid potential pitfalls in this industry if you intend to turn this into your career. It should be viewed as an investment in yourself and those working with you rather than an effort to strike it rich."

Freak, in the heartland: Southwest Florida's News-Press spotlights local artist Lee Ferguson, whose graphic novel Freak debuted this month from Image.

Covering Mythology: I love Amy Kim Ganter -- not in a romantic way, mind you, but in a her-work's-so-nice-she-should-be-a-star way. Above is an in-progress cover design for her Reman Mythology graphic novel (plucked from the Digital Webbing art forum). I'd buy that.

Bio rhythm: In her Delphi forum, The Pulse's Heidi MacDonald announced she was interviewed about Catwoman for an episode of A&E's Biography:

"A few weeks ago I taped an apperance for A&E Biography. They are doing one on 'Catwoman.' You know how they have 'The Expert' sitting in a chair and explaining what happened? That's me! I didn't want to talk about this until I was more certain that I was going to make the cut, but the producer just called me and said I was indeed apeparing on the final cut. I don't know who else exactly is on it, but I know Eartha Kitt is on -- whoo hoo!!!

"I don't know the airdate yet, but I'll pass it along when I find out -- I'm sure it will be sometime around the movie premiere."

Emotional roller-coaster: Newsarama talks with Paul Hornschemeier about Mother, Come Home and his upcoming Return of the Elephant:

"My really early work was all teetering between surreal and out and out comedy. As I was going my stuff got more depressing, lonely and desperate. I think that’s just the natural byproduct of sitting alone at your desk hour after hour. The old series I used to do, Sequential, was much more fun, exciting and experimental. But like I said I won’t be doing a whole lot more stories like Mother, Come Home and I will now be moving onto to other emotions."

Reaching into schools: ICv2.com has word that Marvel has distributed 2 million Summer Reading Calendars and 2 million copies of Marvel Age: Spider-Man #2 to school children in 46 states, thanks to its Cover Concepts subsidiary. Both items promote the July 3 Free Comic Book Day.

The cutting edge: The Boston Herald reports that anime and films like Kill Bill and The Last Samurai are triggering an increased interest in kendo, ancient Japanese swordplay:

"Danilo Vujicic, 15, began kendo five years ago, partly because of his interest in the anime cartoon character Roni Henshen, a samurai swordsman.

"'I tried fencing,' said Vujicic, a ninth-grader at Boston Latin School. 'With kendo, it seems more 3-D.'

"'You learn you're not always the strongest, not always the best, but you can try to be.'"

Is that 210 in cat years? According to South Africa's Business Report, Sanrio has unveiled a Hello Kitty one-ounce silver coin to mark the character's 30th birthday:

"From July onward, the company will host several events to mark the birthday of this hugely popular cartoon cat. This will include an exhibition of works by famous artists focusing on the famous feline and trips on a bus adorned with Hello Kitty artwork."

Summer lovin': The Portland Oregonian reports on summer reading programs at libraries throughout the state, and notes that artist Steve Lieber will hold a cartooning workshop on June 25 in Tigard.

Seventy candles, one short fuse: iAfrica.com has some observations about Donald Duck on his 70th birthday:

"Like his 75-year-old friend Mickey Mouse, Donald's classic character, in trademark navy sailor's hat, red bowtie and blue shirt, arguably has been a bit overlooked in recent years, overshadowed by computer-animated critters such as Nemo the cute clownfish and Shrek the ogre, put out by non-Disney companies Pixar and DreamWorks.

"But back in his heyday, Donald's ill-tempered comic edge won him a huge following, and more of his cartoons made it into theatres than the more famous Mickey's."

Meanwhile, USA Today reports on the birthday bash at Disneyland Paris.

Life after Disney: Animation World News talks with former Disney TV animator Tad Stones, who's now working on a direct-to-video Brer Rabbit feature for Universal. Just don't mention Song of the South:

"We’re more self-conscious about that than anybody else, because when you think about it kids haven’t had a chance to see it at all — it’s been several generations since they’ve released the film. If you’re a collector maybe you have the Japanese laserdisc or the British video. It had some of the nicest, liveliest animation that Disney ever did. Unfortunately, it’s buried under this practically unwatchable movie."

A visit to "Uncanny Valley": Slate's Clive Thompson examines the point at which video-game graphics move from realistic to just ... creepy:

"Consider Alias, the new title based on the TV show. It's a reasonably fun action-and-puzzle game, where you maneuver Sydney Bristow through a series of spy missions. But whenever the camera zooms in on her face, you're staring at a Jennifer Garner death mask. I nearly shrieked out loud at one point. And whenever other characters speak to you—particularly during cut-scenes, those supposedly 'cinematic' narrative moments—they're even more ghastly. Mouths and eyes don't move in synch. It's as if all the characters have been shot up with some ungodly amount of Botox and are no longer able to make Earthlike expressions. ...

"... As comic-book theorist Scott McCloud points out, we identify more deeply with simply drawn cartoon characters, like those in Peanuts, than with more realistic ones. Charlie Brown doesn't trigger our obsession with the missing details the way a not-quite-photorealistic character does, so we project ourselves onto him more easily. That's part of the genius behind modernist artists such as Picasso or Matisse. They realized that the best way to capture the essence of a person or object was with a single, broad-stroked detail."

Don't believe the hype? The Identity Crisis promotional juggernaut continues, with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (registration required) breaks out the hyperbole to describe DC Comics' summer whodunit:

"As its first issue hits the shelves, the seven-part series, Identity Crisis, is being hyped as the next milestone in comic book evolution, even mentioned alongside such seminal works as the Batman treatise The Dark Knight Returns and the deconstructionist story Watchmen.

"In non-geek terms: This is to comics what Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is to movies — one big blockbuster event."

Is anyone really comparing the miniseries to The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen? Seriously.

The Last Man's main man: LA City Beat chats with Brian K. Vaughan about Y: The Last Man:

"When I was in second or third grade, I used to stare at the cute redhead girl across from me and think she would probably fall in love with me if every other boy was gone. I was interested in subverting that typical male fantasy and showing it for the nightmare it would actually be."

The shipping news: Previews Review updates with a rundown of the books on sale today. Highlights include the final issue of Bone, the halfway point of 100 Bullets and two new offerings from Viz's Shonen Jump line.

Marketing Machina: The Pulse talks with Ex Machina artist Tony Harris and web designer Darren Murata, who unveil the series' lovely website.

But he doesn't look 70: Today marks the 70th birthday of Walt Disney's Donald Duck, who was first seen on June 9, 1934, in The Wise Little Hen. BBC News reports that celebrations will take place around the world. The Times of India also takes note of the milestone.

Angel, in the outfield: Peter David speaks candidly to Newsarama about his struggling Fallen Angel:

"Thanks to the blowout I had with Marvel a few years back [U-Decide, where David’s Captain Marvel was put into competition against Bill Jemas’ Marville, and the Joe Quesada-sponsored Ultimate Adventures, with the emphasis placed on readers responding to the quality of the story more than the art, packaging, or promotion] there’s now this perception that the person who has the least influence over a book’s success—the writer—is apparently the go-to guy when a book doesn’t continue. I knew that Fallen Angel conceptually was going to be a tough sell from the get go. We’ve got a female lead who doesn’t dress in a revealing costume, in an environment shrouded in ambiguity. Ambiguity isn’t easy to get audiences to embrace. A film historian pointed out that if Casablanca were being made today, the studio would have excised all ambiguity in the script by the second draft. Instead it’s sixty years later and we still don’t know whose side Ilsa was really on. That was my creative decision, and if that provides us difficulties—if asking the audience to step up a few levels rather than dumbing down costs us readers—that buck stops here."

Spanning the blogosphere: Sean Collins has a nice roundup of what the comics bloggerati are talking about.

The Squiddies! The winners have been announced for the 2003 Squiddy Awards, the annual honors handed out by Usenet's rec.arts.comics community. JLA/Avengers dominated this year with five awards, and Fables walked away with two. Paul O'Brien was named Best Comics Reviewer, while his X-Axis was dubbed Best Focused Comics Website.

Legal briefing: In this week's "Permanent Damage," Steven Grant looks at Carmine Infantino's $4 million lawsuit against Warner Bros. and DC Comics:

"Remember, 'work-for-hire' as a legal concept didn't come into existence until 1977. But if you invoke 'work-for-hire' as applicable, you open up all the aspects of the work-for-hire law, which includes: an 'author' (which can mean either a writer or an artist) must specifically sign away his property rights in order for a company to claim them. In other words, a contract must exist specifying a work is being done work-for-hire, and this must be agreed on prior to commencement of work.

"The '50s was an era when companies didn't do contracts. Freelancers were hired with a handshake. Jobs were assigned, turned in, vouchered, paid. Companies actively discouraged freelancers from consulting lawyers and frequently refused to deal with any who did. Courts tend to view that kind of thing as harassment and intimidation, though no one has ever brought it up in court in conjunction with the comics business though I'm aware of."

Studio system: Silver Bullet Comic Books talks with George T. Singley about Chimaera Studios joining Image Comics.

Finding a niche with manhua: California's East Bay Express spotlights ComicsOne, which turned to distributing Chinese manhua after finding the U.S. rights to most major Japanese manga were locked up:

"Not only were Chinese comics available, but their sensibility, aesthetics, and pacing were so distinct from the manga style that Kuo and ComicsOne editor Sean Sanders became convinced that theirs was an untapped cultural niche. Whereas manga is typically black-and-white, heavily stylized, and covers everything from sports to superheroes to girly coming-of-age stories, Chinese comics are luridly painted, usually restricted to medieval and ancient settings, and obsessed with kung fu. 'They're very episodic and epic,' Sanders says. 'They're primarily martial-arts themes, and many of them take place in ancient China. They have a lot of emphasis on traditional Chinese medicine, Buddhism, Taoism, definitely a lot of traditional Chinese myths. ... We've found that our audience isn't your typical manga readers at all. For the most part, it's ex-comics fans who lost their taste for the contrived, brightly-colored super hero thing, and are looking for something deeper.'"

Revolutionary: Iran's IranMania (yes, that's really the name) carries an interview with Marjane Satrapi about her autobiographical Persepolis:

"I don't hate my country. I criticise because I love it."

Marketing Identity: The promised mainstream media onslaught has begun for DC Comics' Identity Crisis. Today's New York Daily News, Houston Chronicle and St. Louis Post-Dispatch all speak with author Brad Meltzer about the summer's big whodunit:

"What Identity Crisis is about is not a murder mystery; what Identity Crisis is about is the cost of being a superhero."

"DC actually gave me a list of characters I could kill. And there were some pretty big names on that list, let me tell you. But I wanted to do a story that really meant something. Death is an easy plot device in comic books. Characters die all the time and then come back to life. You kill a Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman and you know that's not going to be permanent. I wanted to do a death story put the fear back in these people. I wanted to show that there are consequences to being a hero."

For those dying to know who bites it in Identity Crisis, Franklin Harris has the answer.

Update: Newsarama and The Pulse get in on the Identity Crisis action, too.

The name of the game, redux: JAKKS Pacific has been busy. Yesterday, the toy company announced a deal to produce TV Games based on Warner Bros. characters. Today comes news that it's expanding its agreement with Marvel beyond Spider-Man to include TV Games based on the Hulk, Blade, Daredevil and Ghost Rider. TV Games is a plug-and-play gaming system that contains multiple games in a single controller

From the case files of ... For those of you interested in the mystery genre, police procedurals and forensic science, I have an interview at Scryptic Studios with Dr. Doug Lyle, author of the wonderful Forensics For Dummies and Murder and Mayhem: A Doctor Answers Medical and Forensic Questions for Writers, and a consultant for episodes of Law and Order, CSI: Miami, Monk and other TV shows.

Bringing cartooning to China: Japan's Daily Yomiuri reports that two lecturers from Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Arts are studying cartooning at Kyoto Seika University in hopes of establishing a market for Chinese comics based on the Japanese model:

"According to an official at the university's Institute for Manga Studies, there are no lecturers who can teach cartooning in China. The two Chinese lecturers will learn the features of Japanese cartoons, such as the rich storylines and characters, and find out why the comics have gained worldwide popularity. They are scheduled to go back to China before the start of the new course."

Demo #7: “One Shot, Don’t Miss”
AiT/Planet Lar
Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Becky Cloonan

Set against the backdrop of the war in Iraq, Demo #7 easily could’ve become a heavy-handed sermon on U.S. foreign policy or pacifism. Instead, Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan deliver a touching story about a poor boy from New Hampshire forced to enlist in the Army to provide for his wife and baby.

Like the characters in previous issues, John Hatfield has an ability that sets him apart from everyone else: He’s a sure shot who never misses his target, a talent that brought him to the attention of the local recruiter. The military seems like the only choice for a kid who can’t even get a fast-food job. But when thrust into combat, John finds he can’t do what’s required of him; he can’t, or won’t, kill.

John’s torment over his decision, and its ramifications, is palpable and moving, intensified by Cloonan’s artistic choices. When John calls his young wife, Cloonan floods the panels with white space, providing a stark sense of isolation, and making John shrink under the weight of his news.

Although the story sidesteps the obvious political homily, it does tread into social commentary, with the soldiers looking like identical mannequins just off the assembly line, forced into the military by their economic predicaments. It’s not entirely subtle, but it’s certainly valid.

However, “One Shot, Don’t Miss” isn’t about social commentary. It isn’t even about John Hatfield’s special ability. (Wood’s story would be just as strong without the notion of “super powers.”) Instead, it’s about the choices we’re given, the situations we’re forced into, and how we cope with the outcome.

Demo #7 is in stores tomorrow.

The Circle of Life: While Journalista bids farewell, Comixpedia searches for a blogger to take over 24-Hour Pixel People. It looks like a nice opportunity.

Journalista: The End: We knew it was coming, but it doesn't make it any easier. This morning, Dirk Deppey made his final Journalista entry, saying that he can't maintain a daily weblog and edit The Comics Journal.

I appreciate his endorsement of Thought Balloons, but Dirk's mix of snark and informative, in-depth analysis will be sorely missed (and impossible to replace).

Good-bye and good luck, Dirk.

Monster mash: UnderGroundOnline talks with The Goon creator Eric Powell about his influences, making a living from comics, and why everyone wants to beat up monsters:

"I think there is a little bit of therapy in The Goon because I love monster movies and they never bothered me. When I was a kid, the only monster movies that bothered me were zombie movies. So when I have The Goon plowing through these mountains of zombies there may be therapy in that."

Sticking with the classics: ICv2.com also chats briefly with Vertical marketing director Micah Burch about the publisher's approach to manga:

"... The Tokyopops of the world are doing all the pop, cool, cheap manga, but the classics have been ignored. So that's our strategy. We feel that Buddha is the best manga ever, so that was our place to start, but our strategy is to, without becoming a specialist in manga (because that's not our thing), to continue to find the classics that have been overlooked."

Pricey, but possibly worth it: ICv2.com reports that Andrews McMeel plans to release a three-hardcover slipcased complete collection of Calvin & Hobbes sometime next year:

"This set will be similar to this year's two-hardcover slipcased Far Side collection which sold out very quickly, despite being approximately $130. Given the price on the Far Side package, it seems likely that the Calvin & Hobbes collection will be in the neighborhood of $200."

Praising Image: At ICv2.com, one retailer actually has something good to say about Image. G-Mart's Don Alsafi, who last week criticized the publishers for all its late books, now praises Image for resoliciting Spawn:

"... I want to offer my thanks and praise to Image Comics, and specifically Erik Larsen, for responding so rapidly and thoroughly to the late comics complaints that arose on ICv2 last week -- specifically with regards to Spawn, which has been a persisting problem for many years now (and despite previous pleas had remained unresolved). When the news first broke of Erik taking on the mantle of publisher, I hoped the move might bring welcome changes. With this act, that hope is renewed."

One Piece hits Fox Box: 4Kids Entertainment announced today it's adding One Piece to the Fox Box Saturday lineup this fall. Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece was introduced in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997, then gained a large U.S. following through the monthly Shonen Jump. The 33 volumes of One Piece have sold more than 100 million copies in Japan.

A-Kon roundup: Animation Insider files a report from the A-Kon anime convention, held last weekend in Dallas

The name of the game: JAKKS Pacific announced today it has signed a worldwide licensing agreement with Warner Bros. to produce multiple TV Games based on Superman, Batman, the Justice League and Scooby-Doo. TV Games is a plug-and-play gaming system that contains multiple games in a single controller:

"'Superman,' 'Batman,' 'Justice League' and 'Scooby-Doo' continue to be some of the most beloved classic properties around the world, and we are pleased to add the premiere brands to our TV Games(TM) line-up. We are confident that the vast fan base for the Warner Bros. Entertainment characters will be excited about the new line of TV Games(TM) products."

Making the grade: Southwest Florida's News-Press examines the "secret world" of Comics Guaranty, the Sarasota-based company that has set the standard by which the condition of comics is graded:

Until CGC, opinions on a comic-book’s condition were always subjective. One person’s 'near mint' was another person’s 'very fine.' And when you’re talking about extremely rare and valuable books from the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s, a slight discrepancy in grade can mean a difference of thousands of dollars."

Cloonan talks Demo: The Pulse has a brief interview with Demo artist Becky Cloonan:

"I've always liked experimenting with different styles, switching it up, and playing with the whole comics medium. DEMO is a perfect project to apply this to; I think changing styles every issue is a great way to separate each story, and tell it in the best way possible. I approach each issue like I would for a graphic novel. I do a few character sketches, figure out what I want the overall feel to be, and just go at it."

Diamond expands: Publishers Weekly (subscription required) also has news that Diamond Book Distributors is expanding its United Kingdom and international market with the formation of DCB UK.

The Pulse has the full press release.

Prose plans: Publishers Weekly (subscription required) chimes in on news of Marvel's new prose imprint with word that Elektra and Fantastic Four are among the 12 titles planned for next year. The article also contains this tidbit about the health of Marvel's publishing division:

"Sales in the division rose 28.9%, to $19.6 million, in the first quarter ended March 31. The increase was due to gains in both the direct comics and mass market channels, an increase in the number of titles published plus higher advertising income."

Kate Worley dies: Via The Pulse comes word that Omaha the Cat Dancer artist Kate Worley died yesterday after a long fight with cancer.

Newsarama has more.

Horror juggernaut: Comic Book Resources talks with Steve Niles about his upcoming projects, Secret Skull, The Lurkers, Dracula (with Ashley Wood), and something for DC Comics:

"... It's one of their big characters. It's not that hard to guess! That's all I can say! Well, I did turn in my first script and both editors and artists liked it."

American music: Cartoonist and musician James Kochalka has signed with Rykodisc for a 25-song CD and a DVD with five videos.

James Lucas Jones, mover and shaker: Ninth Art also profiles Oni Press senior editor James Lucas Jones, who chats about friends, heroes, and the last time he was reminded why he loved comics:

"That's a toughie. All the Oni books are like my godchildren, but Bryan O'Malley's LOST AT SEA is like the one I delivered on my own in the backseat of a taxi cab. As for stuff from the "other guys", Derek Kirk Kim's SAME DIFFERENCE... and Judd Winick and co.'s CAPER are both projects I would have killed to be involved with and are excellent examples of just what kind of stories this medium is capable of."

Waiting is the hardest part: At Ninth Art, Lindsay Duff complains about the delays between issues of series like NYX, Ministry of Space and Strangehaven:

"It is fair to say that late comics are bad from everyone's point of view. Reader, creator, publisher - they all stand to lose from a delay to the schedules. So, what can be done to minimise these problems?

"First, it would make sense to build up enough work on a particular title before the first issue is released to cover any potential difficulties. Second, people won't grumble if schedules are made realistic - Oni Press explicitly stated that the early run of QUEEN & COUNTRY would be bi-monthly. There was none of the sense of either creators struggling to keep to deadlines or of publishers trying to convince the purchasing public that their books would be out any week now, while Joe Consumer watches the months fly past."

On a related note, ICv2.com reports that Image has canceled orders for all issues of Spawn scheduled for release after August, and will resolicit them for the appropriate months. The publisher also is resoliciting some of its other late titles.

Growing numbers: ICv2.com also reports that the U.S. and Canadian market grew about 50 percent last year, to $165 million at retail. Nearly two-thirds of sales came from outlets other than comics stores, primarily bookstores.

Stepping up: ICv2.com reports from this weekend's BookExpo America, noting the increased presence of graphic novels and manga at the convention. Also noteworthy was the substantial number of librarians in attendance. Here's Image Comics' B. Clay Moore:

"Librarians are telling us that their graphic novel collections are growing, and once they start the collection, they have to figure out how to have enough for everyone that wants to check them out."

Riverdale, by way of Beverly Hills: Canada's National Post reports on the Kitson Boutique's trendy clothing line based on Archie Comics' Betty and Veronica. Prices for the retro products range from $40 for T-shirts to $450 for a cashmere sweater. A handbag will cost you $125.

The article also highlights the continuing appeal of Archie Comics, which ships more than 800,000 books a month. Here's president Allan Grafman:

"It's a current and contemporary comic revolving around teenagers in high school with challenges and fun. It's a theme that doesn't lose its appeal."

Infantino speaks: The London Times has more on Carmine Infantino's $4 million lawsuit against Warner Bros. and DC Comics over the rights to The Flash, Batgirl and other characters:

Mr. Infantino said he decided to sue while watching an interview with a Warner Bros executive, who named the characters but did not name their creator.

“They never once mentioned me. I was really insulted,” Mr Infantino said.

He contacted Warner Bros two years ago to claim compensation but was insulted by its $25,000 offer.

“I said, ‘I’ll give you $25,000 and you give me the characters.’ That shut them up.”

The article highlights Infantino's extensive free-lance work for DC, but doesn't mention the time he spent as an editor or publisher.

Appealing to teens: The Fargo, N.D., Forum (registration required) spotlights the public library's first teen librarian, 23-year-old Jake Fejedelem, whose job is to make a more welcoming place for sixth- to 12th-graders. First priority: get rid of the outdated Christopher Pike horror novels and Sweet Valley High paperbacks from the '80s and early '90s, and replace them with graphic novels, video game guides and more current books:

"There's a constant turn-over in YA (young adult) literature. You've got to be vigilant, make sure you're cool."

Con games, revisited: South Florida's Sun-Sentinel checks in from the weekend's South Florida Scifi, Anime and Comic Convention and learns, well, that convention-goers tip well.

Royale mess, Part 2: Japan's Mainichi Daily News reports that an 11-year-old girl who on June 1 killed a classmate had a morbid fixation with Battle Royale the led her to question visitors to her website about their views on murdering friends:

"The killer's website questionnaire asked visitors to provide an answer to the question of what they would do if selected to take part in a program that required them to kill or be killed.

"Of the 30 answers she received, 25 said they would kill others, four said they would try to hide and only one answered that they would bitterly oppose the scheme."

In a related story, Singapore's Straits Times looks at Japan's efforts to address violent crime among juveniles.

Local legend: Taiwan's Taipei Times reports on the lengths to which the town of Neiwan has gone to honor its famous native son, legendary comics illustrator Liu Hsing-chin and his best-known creations, Big Auntie and Ah-San:

"One of these statues of Big Auntie developed its own urban myth. Each time a baby was born, the child was placed in the statue's arms and had its picture taken. The belief was that Big Auntie would give the child the hard-working Hakka ethic for which she was famous. This happened enough that Big Auntie's arm eventually broke off. Now the township is saving to buy a new one made of bronze."

Shameless self-promotion time: I haven't shilled for, what, about a week now? So, bear with me ...

June Previews is out, and on Page 279 you should find the solicitation for Digital Webbing Presents #17 (JUN04 2442), which includes my 16-page story "Bad Elements: Good for the Soul," with art by Brian Churilla and grayscales by Eric Erbes. In the story, two police detectives are called to a retirement home to listen to the ravings of a senile resident. But what begins as a routine visit quickly turns into a tale of murder, magic ... and frogs.

If you pre-order it, I'll be your friend.

And while my dignity is on the ropes, I'll mention that I have a little somethin'-somethin' coming out in October, an experiment co-written by Ian Ascher and drawn by Scott LeMien. More on that later.

West meets East: Shanghai Daily's Eastday.com reports that the city's first foreign comics store will open later this month. Called OK Comic, the store will carry between 8,000 and 10,000 titles, primarily American comics, and Japanese manga that have been translated into English:

"It's an open secret that most foreign comics translated into Chinese have copyright infringement problems. Many small privately owned shops are selling counterfeits. Only a few shops have originals, but they are reserved only for customers to read on the premises.

"Chen Weiye, vice president of Shanghai Book Traders, says their books are purchased directly from foreign book agencies such as TOKYOPOP Inc - a leading North American publisher of manga. He promises a wide variety of genres and manga storylines that enables readers to 'nibble on some of the finer delicacies from a gourmet selection.'"

Road warrior: Comic Book Resources talks with B. Clay Moore about the new Hawaiian Dick series, and plans for an Image PR road trip:

"My plan is to start at my local shop -- Elite Comics (Overland Park, KS) and be out there from Monday through Sunday, make it a breakneck road trip, giving away Image schwag, and consulting with fans and shop owners. I'll blog it all on-line. Post pictures of me shaking hands with store owners, giving away whatever I can get from Image and the creators -- books, posters, T-shirts." Moore says it all ties into his plans to help increase awareness of what's happening at Image Comics. "Whatever I can do to help sell Image, keep them as the No. 1 alternative, essentially the biggest independent publisher."

Uh ... surprise? Marvel has announced that Chris Claremont has signed an exclusive, two-year contract:

“I can’t imagine an X-Men Universe without Chris. The mark he’s made with his quality and longevity is awe-inspiring. To coin a phrase, he’s the best there is at what he does!”

Digital Webbing has the press release.

Farewell, Journalista! Via Franklin Harris comes word that Dirk Deppey is officially putting an end to Journalista!:

"I'll be sending out the official notice of the weblog's permanent demise over the weekend, most likely."

Deppey placed Journalista! on "temporary hiatus" on Feb. 13 after being named as managing editor of The Comics Journal. Although he said at the time that he planned to return to the blog, it seemed unlikely, given the demands of running the magazine.

Deppey's unique mix of links, commentary and in-depth analysis will be missed. (Jeez, it's starting to sound like a eulogy.)

Marvel's fleeting youth: The Pulse chats with Marvel publisher Dan Buckley about Marvel Age and hunting the elusive "youth market":

"First, the good news—according to BPA Audits and other 'certified' research, we hit 25% of the total buying audience of males between the ages of 6 – 11. The bad news is that we have no idea 'how' they get hit. Is it one issue per year? Who purchased it for them? Where did they purchase it? However, we all agree that not enough kids pick up our books. Why not? It could be they cannot find them? The packaging is wrong? The price point is wrong? The content is wrong? It was these exact issues and questions that led us to Marvel Age. ... The most important thing is to get the product in front of them. If they are not coming to it we need to go to them. If we can do this then the next step is to convert a percentage of them into comic readers like ourselves."

What the--? Straight from left field comes DC Comics' announcement that Joshua Middleton, late of NYX, has signed a two-year exclusive deal:

"In the short time that I've gotten to know the folks at DC, I have been nothing but pleased at the professionalism and good sense they have demonstrated. Straightaway we were on the same page, and crafting a long-term relationship was extremely easy due to my confidence in DC's vision and their understanding of my work and goals as an artist. It is genuinely inspiring to feel so embraced, and I can hardly put into words how excited I am to put pencil to paper in such a well-rounded and creatively rewarding atmosphere. Without wasting a second, DC has managed to put together a wonderful project that affords me the ability to complete art of the utmost quality by playing to my strengths, but at the same time will challenge me to new artistic heights. It will be bigger, better, and more fantastic than anything I've ever done, and I hope readers will be surprised and excited by it. I certainly am!"

What's to come: At Comic Book Resources, Augie De Blieck Jr. sifts through June Previews for books shipping in August.

Image, as of late: At ICv2.com, retailers Don Alsafi and Steve Tafuni chime in on the discussion of the lateness of Image comics:

"Any other company, which is this late with a series has its orders canceled and re-solicited. Whether it's an action enacted by the publisher itself, or a decree from Diamond Comics, it's the responsible move that speaks to respect for the retailers and the hard work that maintaining an establishment in the current marketplace requires. How is any retailer supposed to know what sales will be like on a given title 14 months in the future?"

Youth appeal: The Marietta (Ohio) Times reports on the public library's efforts to appeal to teens: a young-adult section stocked with graphic novels, music, computers and homework supplies:

"What's really caught on in the last several years is the graphic novel. It looks similar to a comic but it's a story told in one book rather than a collection of comics. We have a real variety of those."

Bannock, Beans and Seth: Canada's Georgia Straight reviews Bannock, Beans, and Black Tea, by John Gallant and Seth.

And speaking of Seth, Alan David Doane kicks off a monthly "Five Questions" at Newsarama by chatting with the cartoonist.

From retailing to filmmaking: The Manchester, N.H., Hippo profiles Double Midnight Comics owners Chis Proulx and Brett Parker:

"It’s a nice blend of artwork and writing. They’ve got character development, conflicts, the whole thing. A lot of times they are kind of compared to like movies or TV, you know, but they just don’t have the same budget. With comics, you can imagine that you can do it, whereas, with TV or movies, you are kind of limited to whatever technology might be available."

The two have started an independent film-production company called Midnight Productions.

A lawsuit, in a Flash: Newsday reports that illustrator and former DC Comics president Carmine Infantino filed a copyright claim against Time Warner and DC, asserting he owns The Flash, Batgirl and other characters he created between 1943 and 1967. Infantino's attorney claims her client gave DC permission to use The Flash in comic books, but not other media.

Expect a long, drawn-out dispute that ends in a quiet settlement, with DC retaining all rights to the characters and Infantino receiving an undisclosed sum of money.

Late start: Uh, I accidentally slept in this morning. Comics blogging will begin shortly. Need ... coffee.

To infinity and beyond! I haven't seen this art from Andy Diggle and Pascal Ferry's upcoming Adam Strange miniseries posted anywhere else, so I figured I'd tack it up (via Andy Diggle's website and forum).

DC, collected: Just in time for Book Expo America, DC Comics has announced its new collected editions and graphic novels for the rest of the year (including Humanoids and Rebellion titles). There are more books than you can shake a stick at.

Christopher Butcher has some good commentary on the trades, and points out a few "WTF?" releases.

Zombie nation: At Broken Frontier, Shawn Hoke (not a permalink) looks at how zombies have replaced monkeys and pirates as the it characters in comics:

"Zombies have been hiding in a dark corner of my subconscious since I was a child. Romero’s second movie did a lot of damage to this fragile youngster. Nightmares and odd zombie fixations haunted me for several years after I saw Dawn of the Dead, even causing me to erect an extendable pole out of those orange hot wheel tracks and a broomstick that I used for turning off the lights to my room without venturing off the bed. Do you know how many times a zombie could get to you between the light switch and the bed? I knew and I wasn’t going to let it happen to me. It seemed that zombies could strike anywhere and they could be anyone. Your garden variety walking dead needed no complex origin story like a Dracula or The Mummy; zombies could emerge instantly in any town or any neighborhood. And when they did, you and your family were screwed."

Flight of fancy: Comic Book Resources has a gorgeous 31-page preview of Flight, Vol. 1. Gorgeous, I tell you!

It's raining frogs (hallelujah): Newsarama talks with Sword of Dracula creator Jason Henderson about his upcoming Image miniseries, Sylvia Faust. This one sentence sold me on the book:

"She has a cockeyed vocabulary and emotions so strong her sadness makes frogs rain from the sky."

Wizard's world: UnderGroundOnline chats with Wizard publisher Gareb Shamus about the comics-to-film trend, the WizardWorld conventions, and the effects of manga on the direct market:

"It's had a tremendous effect because manga will expand the reach of the audience; there is a lot more material for younger kids, there's a lot more material for girls, and it really expands the material for guys, too. They go into a lot more themes than a typical US book, so that's really helping to expand a lot of that marketplace. Also, it's really helping to expand a lot of the distribution areas, such as into the bookstores and the trade markets and even the comic book shops. It's adding more diversity to the shelves, which is great."

The late, not-so-great Image? At ICv2.com, retailer Tim Davis has been tracking the late titles from Image Comics, and he's not happy about it:

"According to Diamond this week there are a total 34 Image titles currently on the late list. ... How can the third largest publisher in the industry actually be considered as such when they have the equivalent of almost a whole month's worth of solicitations MIA. I'm no newbie to Image and their current decade of shipping problems and irregularities (how's that 10th Anniversary Hardcover coming guys?), but this is ridiculous. At what point does Diamond (or someone in authority) spank their rumps, rub their nose in this list and yell 'Bad Dog!'"

Eisner's "bag of tricks": The Washington Post profiles Will Eisner, focusing on his early work, his upcoming graphic novel The Plot, and his status as the "Elder Statesman" of sequential art:

"He regularly reinvents himself. Just when we start to think we've seen every thing he has in his bag of tricks, he pulls out something new."

More Cine-Manga: Tokyopop has officially announced its deal with 20th Century Fox to produce a line of Cine-Manga books based on FOX TV shows. The first title, Malcolm in the Middle, will debut in August. Adaptations of Family Guy and The Simple Life are set for October release.

Bits and pieces: Wired takes a look at "sprite" webcomics -- those that use video-game character art -- focusing on David Anez's Bob and George and Brian Clevinger's wildly popular 8-Bit Theatre:

"I thought of doing a sprite comic before Bob and George. And I thought it was a really dumb idea. Then someone sent me a link to Bob and George and I read it all in one night and I thought, 'Hey, I'll give it a shot.'"

Manning The Last Man: Empire Online reports that I, Robot screenwriter Jeff Vintar will adapt Brian K. Vaughan's Y: The Last Man for film. David S. Goyer will produce.

In the driver's seat: Motor Trend discovers Dark Horse Comics' BMW Films: The Hire.

Future imperfect: Reason Online peers into the world of Ghost in the Shell:

"In the cyberpunk novels and films of the 1980s, the future was usually run by megacorporations that had taken over all the functions of government. Ghost in the Shell takes a slightly different road. Rather than vanishing, the government becomes symbiotic with the corporations: a corporate state."

Con games: South Florida's Sun-Sentinel previews this weekend's South Florida Scifi, Anime and Comic Convention.

Life-saving device: The White Plains, N.Y., Journal News writes about the importance of defibrillators, and speaks with legendary comics writer Denny O'Neil, whose life was saved with the help of the device after his heart stopped beating at a cafe:

"If the defibrillator had not been handy, there is no scenario that would have had me survive that heart attack. I would have been dead by the time paramedics got there."

Hitting the books: Meanwhile, Viz has announced it's teaming with Reading Is Fundamental for a nationwide campaign to promote literacy among children. The Pulse has the press release:

"RIF will make popular VIZ graphic novels like those in the SHONEN JUMP graphic novel line, YU-GI-OH! and DRAGON BALL Z, available through the organization’s national network of schools, libraries and year-round reading programs to help children develop an enthusiasm for reading. This is a first-of-its kind partnership between RIF and a leading graphic novel publisher/distributor."

Update: I thought this sounded familiar, but figured I was confusing this partnership with another. But Franklin Harris points out in the comments below that this is old news. This relationship was announced in mid-May.

Found in translation: Fortune magazine spotlights Tokyopop, and gets the lowdown on its selection process from COO John Parker:

"'We have a green-light committee in Japan that evaluates titles that we think would be interesting to Americans.' Once a title is sent to the Los Angeles office, non-Japanese speaking employees gauge its appeal based on the graphics and a summary of the text. Tokyopop measures reader interest by direct communication with its American fans, some 100,000 of whom it e-mails monthly, as well as by trolling newsgroups and chat rooms to spot trends. Then the company brings in a freelance translator and an in-house rewriter to add U.S. slang and colloquialisms. During production, every piece of information about the books is on an online database that allows employees in Tokyo and the U.S. to get instantaneously updated information about anything, from how far along the translation is to whether the graphics have been scanned."

Walking tall: Comic Book Resources chats with Robert Kirkman about The Walking Dead and his unholy love for zombies:

"I don't think there's ever been anyone working in comics that loves the zombie genre more than me. It's my love of the subject matter that fuels this book. I think most people only see the gore and the bad acting of zombie movies ... I gotta say ... they really move me. The whole apocalyptic-running-around-with-guns-surviving stuff really butters my bread. So I think just about all zombie movies carry some kind of message, whether it's intended or not."

Behind the curtain: Also at Newsarama, Patrick Neighly talks about comics distribution and advertising with retailers Brian Hibbs, Robert Scott and Amanda Fisher, and blogger and Previews Review honcho Christopher Butcher:

"Mainstream comics are remarkably consistent, and outside of a few specific creator changes or big releases, the book's going to sell next month what it sold last month. In the back half, though, there's a lot of new product all the time. A lot of occasionally solicited books, mostly material that doesn't get much attention from Diamond or the 'news' sites. It requires a great deal more attention than the same-old, and that necessity is compounded by the fact that many of our competitors don't really pay attention to it at all: It's not where they choose to focus their time or resources."

It's an interesting interview, perfect reading for anyone curious about comics distribution, solicitation and ordering.

Reflections on Demo: As Demo reaches its halfway point, Newsarama checks in with co-creator Brian Wood about what he and artist Becky Cloonan have accomplished, and where they're heading with the final six issues:

"I didn¹t go into this trying to teach anyone anything. These are ideas and stories I want to explore and talk about for my own benefit, and hopefully give people some things to think about. There are no morals, or life lessons to be learned, because I think each person will feel differently about each issue depending on who they are. Most emails I receive from readers start off with some variation on 'I felt this issue stronger than others because...' or 'This one didn¹t speak to me the same way as the previous one...' and that¹s ok. Some people just don¹t 'get' a certain issue, and others will pour their hearts out to be in email for three pages after reading one."

Brian also gives brief summaries of Issues 8-12.

It's a mod, mod, mod, mod world: Newsarama talks with Dave Gibbons about his 160-page original graphic novel for Vertigo, The Originals:

"I can remember the first time I ever saw somebody riding a really well turned-out scooter. It seemed like a kind of science fiction thing – it was impossibly glamorous and wonderful. So I wanted to do something that had the feeling that those times did for me, rather than the actuality. So consequently, it has got a feel of post-War Britain in some of the certain fashions, but it isn’t intended to be what really happened –- it’s an extrapolation. So it’s got the feel, but I’m taking huge liberties with the machinery and with the scooters -– they’re things that are much more exciting than the actuality of a little Vespa."

Stormwatch death watch: DC Comics confirms rumors that the plug is being pulled early on Stormwatch: Team Achilles. June's Issue 23 is the last for the series.

The shipping news: Previews Review updates with a rundown of books shipping this week, with How Loathsome Vol. 1 hardcover picked as the Best of the Week.

Star search: Yesterday, Tokyopop kicked off its fourth Rising Stars of Manga competition.

Tokyo crackdown: Japan's Asahi Shimbun reports that Tokyo is cracking down on "sex industry sharks" who try to lure minors into the illegal trade. Under the tightened laws, owners of Internet and manga cafes will face up to 300,000 yen in fines if they allow minors into their businesses late at night.

Being Igor Kordey: Silver Bullet Comic Books talks with Igor Kordey about his family, what it means to be an "artist," and the daily battle with the drawing table:

"It’s not easy; it requires discipline, focus and motivation. Well, after 30 years of doing it, it was about time to achieve those skills (heh). I get up early, and do most of my work with gusto up till 2-3 PM. Everything after that is just a struggle with myself. Damn deadlines!

"But music helps really much, good Turkish coffee, and my tobacco. I eat usually once a day, around 5-6 pm when it’s time for a break. When I’m not working, I read a lot, cook, go to my favourite comic or CD shop, go to my tae kwon do training, try to get laid, go to the theater, walk by the river when it is warm enough. Not much to do in my free time since my family’s not with me anymore. And since we sold that house (I live in the studio now), I don’t go out so much since they banned smoking in Winnipeg in public places last year. I don’t like to humiliate myself by smoking on the back door of the bar at –35C. That’s inhuman and non-democratic. Damn hypocrites! They, like, care for environment but they don’t want to ban gasoline cars."

June in Tartsville: Sequential Tart checks in with its June edition, complete with the usual mix of commentary, reviews and interviews. Among the highlights:

* An overview of Tokyopop, and a look at the publisher's diverse lineup;
* An interview with Dark Horse's Scott Allie;
* A look at Free Comic Book Day;
* "Read This Or Die": Sleeper

And that's just for starters. So, start reading.

DC takes over Archie's ad sales: According to today's Wall Street Journal, DC Comics has taken over advertising sales for Archie Comics. Newsarama reports that the agreement "aims to create a network of 20 or more titles by 2005 aimed at kids which will, in total, have an average monthly circulation of 1.3 million copies, allowing advertisers to buy ad space in bulk":

"As a result of the network of books, advertisements will run in the same spot in the books each month, and will, DC and Archie are betting, provide solid competition for advertiser dollars that may otherwise go to the likes of Nickelodeon Magazine, Disney Adventures, and National Geographic Kids -- magazines aimed at the younger and “tween” age group. Additonally, of course, with the agreement, DC and Archie are no longer competing against each other for the same ad dollars."

Politics unusual: The Pulse chats with writer Brian K. Vaughan about Ex Machina, his new WildStorm series that debuts June 16:

"I've always wanted to do a superhero book that wasn't necessarily ABOUT superheroes. There are enough postmodern, self-reflexive, deconstructionist comics out there already. I'd rather use superheroes as a parable to explore OUR world, especially contemporary local politics, which is way more sexy, fast-paced and dangerous than the boring crap that goes on in Washington."

Review revue: New York Press reviews Buddha, Vols. 1-4:

"It's an eye-popping Indian tale with a manga look. The story moves fast, the images jerk from violence to slapstick and the characters don't talk, they exclaim, waving their arms all wide-eyed. Osamu brings it off with painstaking precision, in some cases breaking the action down, panel-to-panel."

A.K. returns, Week 2: Movie Poop Shoot's prodigal son, A.K., continues his entertaining interview with the creators of NYC Mech.

Now where was I? Well, that took longer than I'd planned. A morning trip out of town dragged into early afternoon, and when I returned home I was met by a message from the printer saying one of the poster files I'd sent wouldn't open. I lead a fascinating life, don't I? On the plus side, I did swing by the Good Comics Store, and picked up Love Fights Vol. 1 (I'm ashamed that I hadn't bought it before now), Planetes Vol. 1 (my first honest-to-god manga purchase), The Losers #12 and, for reasons not entirely clear, the first Books of Faerie trade paperback.

Oh, yeah, and I also helped to launch Scryptic Studios, a forum and research archive for aspiring screenwriters and comic book authors. Newsarama spoke to some of the folks involved: There's Hero Happy Hour creator Dan Taylor, Ted Noodleman writer Jim Keplinger, Brat-Halla writer Jeffery Stevenson, former Zentertainment/MediaSharx editor Ryan Scott Ottney, and, well, me. I'm writing a weekly column called "Research + Destroy," and with critiques, the research archive, etc. The site also features a growing library of comics scripts from the likes of Steve Niles, Andy Diggle, Larry Young, Devin Grayson, Mark Waid, Gail Simone, Marv Wolfman and more.

It's a work in progress; we'll see how it goes.

Update: (Yes, already.) I hate being offline for most of the day, because I spend the evening playing catch-up. Larry Young already has some great things to say about Scryptic, and Sean Collins, Graeme McMillan and Ken Lowery were nice enough to mention it on their blogs. Thanks, guys.

Blogger, interrupted: That's it for blogging until this afternoon. The real world calls.

The tough questions: In its "Pop Quiz," the San Jose Mercury News (registration required) asks readers, "Who is Stanley Martin Lieber?" The answer, of course:

"You know him by the name attached to decades of comic-book work: Stan Lee. There's an endless stream of debate about the extent of his contribution, relative to artist partners such as the late Jack Kirby, in the creation of Marvel's superhero icons. But whatever the nuances, Lee is more revered than ever now that his characters, including the X-Men and Hulk, have been given big-budget movie treatments. Coming June 30: Spider-Man 2.

Homegrown heroes: Egypt Today reports on AK Comics, the first original Arabic comic book series:

"I grew up on Western comic books. Batman and Wonder-woman were my favorites. But as I started to mature, I began to develop a sense of jealousy that the Americans, Japanese and Europeans all have their own superheroes, while Middle Easterners don’t. I hoped that one day someone would create heroes for us to call our own."

Comics in the classroom: The Oneida (N.Y.) Daily Dispatch reports that one ninth-grade English teacher in the city's school district is using a graphic novel curriculum to help students explore ideas such as like plot, characters and setting:

"For students who struggle with reading, the graphic novels help paint a picture of a story, which is often an area where poor readers struggle."

Money matters: In an article about its country's growing film industry, The Korea Times notes that Showeast paid just $13,000 to the author of the Old Boy manga, but sold the film rights back to Japan for $2.2 million.

Terms of the truce: Reuters has a little more information about last week's agreement between Sony Pictures and Marvel, settling Marvel's lawsuits over the handling of Spider-Man and Men In Black:

"Under the settlement, Marvel will take on new responsibilities with respect to the joint venture, which licenses merchandising rights for the Spider-Man movies. The deal is expected to increase Marvel's licensing revenues and operating expenses but the company said it is maintaining its 2004 operating income forecast."

Here's the official press release.