Labels: book launches, events, graphic novels, Montreal, publishing

Labels: awards, political cartooning

Labels: censorship, political cartooning

Labels: book launches, can-con, events, events links, Montreal, Quebec

Labels: comics scholarship, events, graphic novels, Toronto

Labels: comics retailers, events, floppies, real world

Labels: links

Labels: events, free

I talked with a variety of retailers and pros at the end of the convention to see how they did. Most of the responses ranged from slow to okay. One unhappy dealer said he only made his table costs. Nobody seemed particularly enthusiastic about the show. One dealer said the entire market is slow right now. He says people have money and they're seeing stuff they're interested in, but they need some enticing to spend it. He was giving discounts in order to do that. That dealer was selling TPBs only. Another dealer who was only selling back issues said pretty much the same thing. He said he dropped his prices by half, something he very rarely does, but it did move a lot of stuff. Overall there was a bit of disparity between retailers and dealers. Retailers that participated in the 10 dollar voucher to promote the con got their tables for free, while dealers had to pay for them.

Almost every retailer/dealer I talked to gave me a different answer for what moved well for them. One said the expensive wall comics, another Captain America books, another Bronze/Modern bins, another Hardcovers, another Golden Age books, another Manga and 1-2 dollar bins, a few said Trades. Some of those with a mix said everything sold equally well. I noticed a lot of sellers seemed to be specializing. Some come with only back issue bins, some come with only trades. Even with the back issue bins it broke down to dollar bins with bronze to moderns, some silver-bronze, some gold.

I talked to a handful of pro's and they were split about Saturday or Sunday being better for them. My general impression was that Saturday drew out the die hard readers willing to spend some money. The "Free" Sunday attracted a different crowd, likely a more budget conscious group. Some of them appeared to be more casual readers or still quite new to comics.

Labels: conventions, events, hobbystar, Toronto

• Another obit for Robert Bierman, the political cartoonist who passed away April 16.

• The Comic Book Bin chronicles the move from print to web by cartoonist Karl Kerschl.

• Ivan Anchukov of Voronezh, Russia, won the 8th Annual International Competition for Editorial Cartoonists from among 700 cartoons submitted from 40 countries, in an award handed out in Ottawa May 2nd in honour of International Press Freedom day (May 3).
  

• The comics critics: "Jog" tackles Dave Sim's Glamourpuss comic while Tom Spurgeon casts a wide net over Michel Rabagliati's graphic novel Paul Goes Fishing.

• Chris Butcher wants your help in i.d.-ing the hottest obscure manga.

• The second volume in the Cosmos Cafe album series by Quebec bedeist Tristan Demers in now out.

• Newsarama interviews graphic novelist Faith Erin Hicks.

Labels: awards, censorship, graphic novels, links, political cartooning

Labels: obituaries, political cartooning

• Zeros 2 Heroes' latest endeavour involves recruiting a writer for an internship at big video game company BioWare. According to the Z2H press release, the contest is being co-sponsored by the National Screen Institute, a tradeschool with 60% of its funding coming from government sources: "As part of increasing their capacity, BioWare has joined the NSI playWRITE competition --a Telefilm-funded collaboration between the National Screen Institute and Zeros 2 Heroes --as a partner who will provide an internship to a winner announced in August 2008. To find out how to pitch, go here.

• Vancouver cartoonist Jonathan Dalton was the hit of the Portland, Oregon comics convention, Stumptown, according to Tom Spurgeon.

• Related: Tom Spurgeon has some nice things to say about Canadian resident Hope Larson's Chiggers graphic novel.

• Want updates? Cartoonist Jason Copland (Mortal Coils, Digital Webbing Presents) has just created a monthly newsletter with the promise of free art.

• Law student and D+Q cartoonist talks to the National Post about his collection, All We Ever Do Is Talk About Wood.

• The son of political cartoonist Yardley Jones, Spyder Yardley-Jones, is an artist in his own right.

• The Montreal Gazette profiles Jesse Heffring's attempt to produce a sci-fi graphic novel.

Labels: graphic novels, links

Labels: blogosphere, graphic novels, mini-comics

ANKE FEUCHTENBERGER

Exhibition of original drawings / Exposition de dessins originaux

April 30 - July 4 , 2008 30 avril - 4 juillet 2008

Free admission / Entree libre

GOETHE-INSTITUT MONTREAL 418, rue Sherbrooke Est
514 499 0159

www.goethe.de/montreal

Labels: events, events links, exhibits, Montreal

• This article about changes at Little Sister's bookstore in Vancouver and the freedom fighters who run it includes a quote from employee and cartoonist Ken Boesem.

• Derek McCormack writes about superhero costumes for the National Post.

• The newspaper in Milton, Ontario, reminds us that Free Comic Book Day is coming up this Saturday, May 2, and that Milton's comic book shop is called Geekdom.

• Quill and Quire covers the Canadian Eisner nominees (subscription required).

• Canadian icon, columnist, playwright, and champion of liberty Rick Salutin, reflects on the Siegel legal decision in the U.S. and ponders the chicken/egg nature of creation and myth.

• On the subject of showing the Mohammed cartoons on CBC.

• Jeet Heer interviewed about superheroes on the CBC.

• Gary Groth and a Toronto comic buyer with a scanner interviewed by the CBC about online comics piracy.

• Newsarama at Calgary Comic Expo.

• Chris Butcher is celebrating 6 years of blogging. Congratulations!

• "BIFF! BANG! POW! Music isn't just for kids anymore!"

Labels: censorship, comics history, copyright, events links, interviews, pod casts, U.S. superhero franchises

Labels: Calgary, events

• How the comics page and London Free Press cartoonist Merle Tingley turned one paperboy into a journalist.

• The Eisner nominees: Darwyn Cooke, Pia Guerra, Jeff Lemire, Karl Kerschl, Scott Chantler, and several international volumes published by D+Q were among the nominees. It is worth noting also (if only for the purposes of vanity and self-promotion) that the category of "Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism" includes at least two nominees featuring the work of Canadians: Comic Art #9 has articles by Jeet Heer and myself; The Comics Reporter regularly features Bart Beaty's Eurocomics column. Sequential congratulates all the nominees! The winner will be announced July 25.

• Tom Spurgeon previewed Montreal cartoonist Billy Mavreas' upcoming (May) graphic novel, Inside Outside Overlap (Timeless Books) a few weeks ago.

Labels: awards, graphic novels, links

Labels: events, New Brunswick

Labels: awards, bd, events, Quebec

• Okay, maybe just one. Go read the latest Luz: Girl of the Knowing strip by Claudia Davila. The strip has been picked up by Briarpatch magazine!

• Although I can't seem to find the article online, a report in this Saturday's Globe suggested that the graphic novel Skim was the subject of international publishing rights bidding at the recent London Book Fair.

• Jeet Heer writes about one of George Herriman's final Krazy Kat strips, on the subject of race and passing.

• The latest review of Jeff Lemire's Ghost Stories graphic novel.

• An amazing collection of comic-strip-inspired antique toys owned by a Toronto collector.

• A report from a sci-fi convention in St. John, Nfld.

• Prostateman comic wins award.

• From last week: The Toronto Star has more details about the man found dead in the former Etobicoke comic store.

Labels: graphic novels, links, real world, webcomics