Farrago

Here are some link-worthy items that I never got around to pointing out (aka The Links That Got Away):

The Comics Reporter beefs up its coverage of European comics with the addition of Bart Beaty, who's already turned in an essay on the 2005 Angouleme Festival. My knowledge of European comics doesn't go far beyond Tin Tin and the Smurfs, so I plan to pay special attention to his contributions.

I saw this article last week about the supposed abandonment of children's comics in favor of more "mature" works, but I can't remember why I didn't link to it. One of life's mysteries, I guess. Christopher Butcher counters some of the article's assertions. Meanwhile, Jay Stephens, who was quoted in the article, responds to The Comics Reporter.

My links to the comics "news" sites have been in steady decline lately, but I can't settle on a reason. Maybe it's my distaste for "Quesadarama" and similar stunts. Maybe I'm just not interested in the umpteenth article about a book I'll never read. Or maybe I figure it's just as easy for my blog's readers to find those things themselves. With all of that out of the way, I do want to link to Chris Arrant's interview last week with Sean Murphy, whose name was vaguely familiar to me, if his work wasn't. I'm taken with his art, which is cartoonish, but with a dark "edge." (Eh, I can't think of a better way to describe it.) He's drawing the Batman Begins-linked Scarecrow: Year One miniseries, which I may have to buy just for the art. He's also releasing an original graphic novel, called Off Road, through Oni Press. The sample pages at Newsarama and on Murphy's website make me think it's a little too frat boy for my liking, but I imagine I'll pick it up.

The Webcomics Examiner led me to the Herge-esque Jonny Crossbones, which made the site's list of Best Webcomics of 2004.

On the subject of webcomics, Steve Krach produces a curious little number named Compelling Tales of the Present.

And, finally, unrelated to comics but near and dear to my heart: Filmfodder has a good blog for fans of the TV show Lost.