TCJ's ¡Journalista!

“Steady single-digit growth isn’t just good, it’s excellent. We all need to get our heads to a place where we can agree on that, instead of obsessing over what the fan world used to look like and lamenting the crash of the anime DVD market. It’s a shame, that, but manga isn’t anime and with Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan all partnered-up (or getting into the game themselves) the books will be available for quite some time.”

- Matt Blind on the current manga market

 

Slow news day. Here’s what I’ve got…

 

Above the Fold

• [Publishing] Chris Albrecht discovers Marvel and DC’s half-assed attempts at exploiting online comics.

 

• [Retailing] Barnes & Noble posted a 1.6% loss in sales for the second quarter of the year, according to Jim Milliot.

 

• [Retailing] Fred Van Lente spends a day working in his local comics shop, Brooklyn’s own Rocketship.

 

Literary Comics

• [Profile] Sean Rogers interviews Clyde Fans author Seth.

 

• [Profile] Rupert Bottenberg talks to Ojingogo creator Matt Forsythe.

 

• [Profile] Michael Lorah speaks with Bluesman writer Rob Vollmar.

 

• [Review] Matthew Brady and John Mitchell on Eddie Campbell and Dan Best’s The Amazing, Remarkable Monsieur Leotard. (Above: sequence from the book, ©2008 Eddie Campbell and Dan Best.)

 

• [Review] John Mitchell on Lynda Barry’s What It Is.

 

• [Review] Dave Ferraro on Dash Shaw’s Bottomless Belly Button.

 

• [Review] Sean T. Collins on the new collection, Where Demented Wented: The Art and Comics of Rory Hayes.

 

• [Review] Gabe Bullard on Bill Kelter and Wayne Shellabarger’s look at U.S. vice presidents, Veeps.

 

• [Review] Frank Santoro on Joan Reidy and Ron Regé’s Boys.

 

• [Commentary] Alison Bechdel finds out she’s been remaindered.

 

• [Comics] The New York Magazine Blog presents an excerpt from Guy Delisle’s latest book, Burma Chronicles. (Above: excerpt from the excerpt, in which Nobel prizewinner Aung San Suu Kyi is discussed, ©2008 Guy Delisle.)

 

Pop Comics

• [Profile] Sarah Jaffe speaks with Air writer G. Willow Wilson. Related: Van Jensen reviews the first issue of Wilson and artist M.K. Perker’s new series for Vertigo.

 

• [Profile] Kiel Phegley presents a Q&A with Battlefield writer Garth Ennis about his latest series of war comics. Related: an interview with Russ Braun, the artist behind the first story arc, “The Night Witches.” (Above: two panels from the first issue, copyright information unknown.)

 

• [Profile] Zack Smith talks to The Marquis creator Guy Davis.

 

• [Profile] J.K. Parkin interviews Chumble Spuzz creator Ethan Nicolle.

 

• [Review] Katherine Farmar on Ray Fawkes and Cameron Stewart’s The Apocalipstix.

 

• [Review] Sandy Bilus on Becky Cloonan, Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá and Vasilis Lolos’ Pixu #1. (Above: an image from the comic, ©2008 Becky Cloonan, Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá and Vasilis Lolos.)

 

• [Review] Noah Berlatsky on Timothy Callahan’s book, Grant Morrison: The Early Years, a piece that originally appeared in The Comics Journal.

 

• [Review] Nathan Rabin on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen.

 

• [Commentary] Jarett Kobek defends the reputation of Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko.

 

• [Comics] The Fortress Keeper brings the goods for a second day in a row, this time with a Boody Rogers tale starring Babe! (Above: sequence from Babe #7, ©1949 Feature Publications.)

 

Manga

• [Review] Johanna Draper Carlson on volumes six through eight of Aya Nakahara’s teen romance Love*Com.

 

Digital Comics

• [Profile] Steve Sunu and Kate Napolitano interview Scary Go Round creator John Allison.

 

Small Press/Minicomics

• [Review] Shannon Smith on a variety of recent works.

 

Cartooning

• [Craft] John Kricfalusi compares the differences in color shading between hand cartooning and computer graphics. You will undoubtedly be shocked to learn that he prefers the former.

 

• [Craft] Ben Towle demonstrates the frustrating difference between layouts and finished art.

 

• [Art] Leif Peng has spent the week examining the art of cartoonist’s cartoonist Noel Sickles: part one, part two, part three, part four and part five may well be up on the homepage by the time you read this. (Above: a Sickles illustration, daye and publication history unknown.)

 

Comics Culture

• [Scene] Brian Heater looks at the recent burgeoning interest in Jews in comics, as exemplified by a spate of recent books on the subject..

 

• [Multimedia] Let’s close out with some comics-related podcasts for your weekend listening pleasure, shall we?
  • The recent ICON Illustration Conference in New York City produced several recordings of illustrators discussing their works, including two that will be of interest to comics fans: Gary Panter (14MB) and James Jean (11.2MB).
  • Studio 360’s Kurt Andersen speaks with Nat Turner author Kyle Baker (4.8MB).
  • Breakdowns creator Art Spiegelman talks to Michael Silverblatt of the KCRW/Santa Monica literary radio program Bookworm (7.5MB — link via Jessa Crispin).
  • Inkstuds presents discussions with Comic Arf editor Craig Yoe (54MB), small-presser Robin Enrico (26.9MB) and cartoonists Verne Andru and Steve Rolston (53.2MB).
  • Recently on Panel Borders: the first installment of a two-part discussion on the state of gay comics, recorded at this year’s Bristol International Comics Expo (8MB).

  (All podcasts are in downloadable MP3 audiofile format.)

 

• [Your not-comics link of the day] Jack O’Brien lists the five greatest things ever accomplished while high. (Link via Mark Frauenfelder.)

 

• [Your Hey Oscar Wilde! It’s Clobberin’ Time!! link of the day] Here’s writer/adventurer Sir Richard Burton, as drawn by Leland Purvis.

 

• [Your Scans_Daily link of the day] Random Calvin and Hobbes strips, because I care. (Above: excerpt from one of the strips, ©2008 Bill Watterson.)

 

Events Calendar

Today:

• August 22-24 (Toronto, Ontario): Fan Expo Canada 2008 takes place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Bremner Boulevard. Guests include Jeff Lemire, Alex Ross, Brian Bolland, Stuart Immonen, Scott Chantler, Cameron Stewart, Kevin Eastman, Matt Fraction, Blake Bell, Ivan Brandon and others.Details here.

 

This Weekend:

• August 23 (Berkeley, CA): Uncle Scrooge writer Geoffrey Blum will be signing comics and meeting readers at Comics Relief on Shattuck Avenue, from 3-5PM. Details here.
• August 23 (San Francisco, CA): Mark Millar and Tony Harris will be signing books and meeting readers at Isotope on Fell Street, from 5-7PM. Details here.
• August 23 (Vancouver, British Columbia): Cartoonist Kim Dietch and animator Marv Newland will be screening rare and obscure cartoons at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Hornby Street, beginning at 7PM. Tickets are $8 and seating is limited. Details here.
• August 24 (Vancouver, British Columbia): Comix & Stories is a daylong event at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Hornby Street, running from 11AM-5PM and featuring such guests as Kim Deitch, Julie Morstad, Derek Kirk Kim, Brandon Graham, Miriam Libicki, James Stokoe and many others. Admission is free. Details here.

 

Next Week:

• August 25 (St. Louis, MO): What It Is author Lynda Barry will discuss and signcopies of her book at the Central branch of the St. Louis Public Library on Olive Street, from 7-8:30PM. Details here.
• August 26 (New York City, NY): A group of mystery guests guests join Justin Tyler, Pete LePage and Alex Zalben for an on-stage discussion of comics in the Comic Book Club at the Peoples Improv Theater on 29th Street, beginning at 8PM. Admission is $5. Details here.
• August 27 (Montreal, Quebec): Matt Forsythe debuts his latest work, Ojingogo at the Drawn & Quarterly Store on Bernard, beginning at 7:30PM. Details here.
• August 28 (Los Angeles, CA): Christos Gage, Flip Schultz, Sax Carr and Mandy Amano join host Robbie Peron for another episode of Comics on Comics, taped before a live audience at Golden Apple on Melrose Avenue, beginning at 7PM. Details here.
• August 29-31 (Belfast, Northern Ireland): MeCon takes place at the Queen’s Student Union on University Road. Guests include Charles Stross, Paul Holden, John McCrea and others. Details here.
• August 29 (Seattle, WA): Join Daniel Clowes for an opening reception of an exhibit featuring his art from the classic novel Ghost World, complete with discussion moderated by Gary Groth. It all takes place at the Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery on Vale Street, from 6-9PM. Details here.
• August 30 (London, England): London Underground Comics play host to some of your favorite indy cartoonists during Low Energy Day at Camden Lock Market, from 10AM-6PM. Details here.

 

Want to see your comics-related event listed here? Email a link to dirk@tcj.com and let me know. Please include an online link to which I can send people for more information. No sales-only events, please — it’s nice that you’ve marked things down at your store or website, but I won’t be listing it here.