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Summer Reading: Ronn Sutton  Our next Summer Reading List is courtesy of comics artist Ronn Sutton, joining us for the second year in a row. Please send us your list. Ronn Sutton's Summer Reading List I'm Ronn Sutton, longtime comicbook penciller & inker. This has been a busy year and I currently have three projects on the go. I've just started drawing a 41-page kids' graphic novel. It'll be my third one this year for this particuliar company. Story is called Ghosts In The Hanger about a 15 year old girl with a summer job in an aeronautic museum haunted by the spirits of long dead pilots. A great opportunity to draw lots of neat planes. I'm also just wrapping up 10 full page illustrations for The Phantom: Generations #12 from Moonstone. Its a 24 issue series of text adventure stories with accompanying illustrations featuring successive generations of The Phantom (each father hands down the costume to his son). My particular issue takes place during the French Revolution. I think I have three more drawings to finish at this point. The Phantom: Generations #12 should be in stores about February 2010. Also for Moonstone I've just agreed to be one of three revolving creative teams on a Honey West comic, based on the 1960s detective novels of G.G.Fickling as well as a short-lived tv series starring Anne Francis. I'll be working with writer Elaine Lee, best known for her play and comicbook series "Starstruck" (with Michael Kaluta). I've only just started doing character sketches and am awaiting final script. I also continue to do periodic courtroom sketches for the newspapers and tv, including cases like the trial of convicted terrorist Momin Khawaja, and the Mayor of Ottawa Larry O'Brien. You can find a selection of my comics artwork, courtroom sketches, animation art & magazine drawings at my website: www.ronnsutton.com As to what I'm reading: I'm currently reading Lamia by Tristan Travis, a book I read decades ago in galley form just before publication . Its a police procedural novel about ghastly sexual mutilation and murder of young men, written by someone with an obvious pseudonym and who knows far too much about police medical forensics to be making it up. The only book published by "Tristan Travis". A hair-raising read. The Ten-Cent Plague by David Hajdu was a gift from a friend and is about effects on creators in particuliar of the 1950s "Great Comic-Book Scare". For research reasons I'm starting to read the Honey West novels by G.G. Fickling starting with the first book This Girl For Hire. There are eleven books in the series. The author was actually the husband and wife team of Forrest and Gloria Fickling. Never a fan of manga, I suddenly find myself reading some of the very thick horror manga by Junji Ito (GYO:The Death Death Creeps and UZUMAKI: Spiral Into Horror) and about to read some Kazuo Umezu (the Cat-Eyed Boy and The Drifting Classroom) and Naoki Urasawa (Monster). The work by Ito is fascinating. The stories are comprised of three 200 page books (600 pages!) of unique and very creepy horror unlike anything I've seen produced in North American comics. There will be an array of audio-books for me to listen to while drawing comic pages and for inspiration I'll be turning to hardcover EC-reprints of WEIRD SCIENCE and WEIRD FANTASY, mostly for the work by Wally Wood. Also never too far from my desk is BERNET, a collection of European comic artist Jordi Bernet's work. My favorite magazine continues to be From The Tomb, a fine British publication on horror comics from the 1950s to modern day. Issue #27 should literally be out any day now and features a six-page interview with yours truly. Labels: "summer reading 09", guest bloggers, summer reading - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments -   - we honor OpenID -
Thursday, July 30, 2009 Summer Reading: J.K. Woodward  Our next Summer Reading List comes from comics artist JK Woodward. Please send us your list.
Labels: "summer reading 09", guest bloggers, summer reading - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 1comments - - we honor OpenID -
Monday, July 27, 2009 The Monthly Montreal Comic Jam  Once a month, nearly every month! Tous les mois, ou presque!An evening of good-humoured drawing, conversation and, incidentally, a wee bit of drinking. Bring your artistic weapons of choice, be it wits or brushes. Venez dessiner, discuter, prendre un verre et liberer vos energies creatrices en notre compagnie. Aiguisez-bien vos crayons et votre esprit, on vous attend! This month: Start Time: Thursday, July 30 at 7:30pm L'Escalier 552, Ste-Catherine E Montreal, QC theMMCJgroup BLOG Labels: comic jams, events, Montreal, Quebec, social ink - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Summer Reading: John Adcock  Our next Summer Reading List comes from comics scholar John Adcock. Please send us your list. John Adcock's Summer Reading Survey John Adcock is the custodian of two historical blogs, Yesterday's Papers and Punch in Canada: Norris 18th Annual collection 1968. I have three volumes, nos. 18, 19 and 22 for a total of 303 classic cartoons by Len Norris from the Vancouver Sun. Worlds of Wonder the Life and Times of Otto Binder, by Bill Schelly, Hamster Press, 2003. Informative, in-depth, illustrated look at the life of Captain Marvel and Superman scribe Otto Binder. Tarzan collections from Fantagraphics, 3 volumes featuring Hal Foster, one featuring Burne Hogarth. Excellent illustrated articles by Bill Blackbeard and Ray Bradbury. St. Nicholas, Volume 14, Nov 1886 - April 1877. A bound volume I picked up second hand. Palmer Cox' Brownies were the most compelling reason I bought this but it also contains much grand illustrative work by the likes of Frederick Remington and Reginald Birch as well as early work by cartoonists Frank Bellew and Francis, a regular contributor to Harper's magazine during this same period. Strange and Stranger, the World of Steve Ditko by Blake Bell, Fantagraphics. S'funny, almost all the stories excerpted here I bought fresh off the newsstands on first appearance. I had forgotten how much I loved the comics of the elusive artist. Another great book. The Italian Boy, a Tale of Murder and Body Snatching in 1830's London by Sara Wise, Metropolitan Books, 2004. Unlike many Victorian scholars Ms. Wise has a thorough understanding of the period she is writing about. A vivid and enthralling look at London's very own body-snatchers. Thug: the True Story of India's Murderous Cult by Mike Dash. Mike Dash is the best historical writer going these days as well as being a noted Fortean researcher into the paranormal. He has written Borderlands, Batavia's Graveyard, Satan's Circus and Tulipomania, all highly recommended. Positively Main Street: Bob Dylan's Minnesota by Toby Thompson. This is a revised edition of the 1971 paperback which caused Bob Dylan to mutter that the author 'had a lot to learn.' A slight but fascinating exploration with new photos of Bob Zimmerman's pretty north country muse Echo Hellstrom. Alter Ego No. 66. Roy Thomas' fanzine peers into The Peerless Power of Bob Powell whose work I remember so well from the publications of Magazine Enterprises in the fifties. The Western Art of Frederick Remington by Matthew Baigell, Ballantine, 1976. This one has a long interesting introduction and reproductions of many of Remington's best illustrations. Labels: "summer reading 09", guest bloggers, summer reading - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Monday, July 20, 2009 Summer Reading: Cecil Castellucci  Our seventh Summer Reading List comes from best-selling writer Cecil Castellucci. Please send us your list. Cecil Castellucci's Summer Reading Survey My name is Cecil Castellucci and I wrote the graphic novel series The Plain Janes & Janes in Love on DC's Minx imprint (now sadly defunct.) I also wrote the young adult novels Boy Proof, The Queen of Cool and Beige. My latest fantabulous project is an anthology that I co-edited called GEEKTASTIC: Stories from the nerd herd. It's an anthology of short stories about Geeks and the Geek observed by some amazing YA authors. Other than that, I have a bunch of short stories out this summer and fall. The Baby in The Basket over at strange horizons (my first non-ya sci fi short story!) . The Bread Box in the Sideshow Anthology, Wet Teeth in Eternal Kiss (my first vampire story!) and The Long and Short of Long Term Memory in Interfictions 2 (my first interstital fiction story!) Here's what I've got on my upcoming to be read pile: My friend (author Edan Lepucki) and I have sort of a little two lady book group. The last book we read together was We Have Always Lived in the Castle with some people on twitter. It was great! So we decided to read Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House as well, just get some more of her delicious creepiness. I've been thinking about books that take a new point of view on classics. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys is a parallel book to Jane Eyre told from Bertha, the madwoman wife of Rochester's point of view. It takes the point of view that maybe Rochester drove her crazy and then just blamed it on her. Another book on my pile is Angel and Apostle by Deborah Noyes, which tells the story of Hester Prynne's daughter Pearl. You know Hester Prynne, the one from the Scarlet Letter with the big A for adultery on her chest. Also, I run a YA book club called Pardon My Youth at my fave indie bookstore skylight books. I pick the books! It's what I want to read and or what I've read and loved and want to share with everyone. The next four books are Tyrell by Coe Booth, Fat Kid Rules the World by KL Going, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler and Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. My next books are out in 2010. A YA novel Rose Sees Red (Scholastic) and a picture book Grandmas Gloves (Candlewick Press) and some appearances: July 29th at Skylight Books 7 PM 1814 Vermont Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90039 YA Anthology Night! Cecil Castellucci, Geektastic Aimee Bender, Sideshow Melissa de La Cruz, Eternal Kiss Lisa Yee, Geektastic November 7th Vegas Valley Comic Book Convention Labels: "summer reading 09", guest bloggers, summer reading - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Sunday, July 19, 2009 Rick Trembles' Motion Picture Purgatory Vol. Two  Devices Tonight @Montreal's Fantasia Film Festival! Rick will be out in full zombie makeup doing his thing on the stage tonight, with his band the American Devices, billing with Futensil & Yamantaka Sonic Titan July 19 @ Bar Le Saphir (3699 boul. St-Laurent). He's also produced this 3 minute ' TV ad' for the show staring Nikki Godless as an interrogator; warning, not 'safe for the office' in most places probably. ;) If you dig this you for sure will find the show impressive. He'll also be playing with Nomeansno & Grand Trine, Suono per il Popolo Music Festival, Friday, June 26th @ La Sala Rossa (4848 boul. St-Laurent) Learn more about the awesome Fantasia fest here, Pre-order Motion Picture Purgatory Volume Two from FAB Press HERE. Labels: art show, book launches, events, events links, festivals, Montreal, Quebec - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Comic Shop Owner Accused of VoyeurismAccording to a Toronto Sun article, the owner of Dragon's Realm comic shop near Canada's Wonderland was arrested on charges of voyeurism. Specifically, it is alleged he spied on and videotaped women customers who used his washroom. This is a doubly rare crime, since most comic book shops rarely attract women and even fewer have washrooms fit for human use. As a matter of fact, I am launching a new Sequential contest: "my Comic Book Store has the Cleanest, Most Camera-Free Washroom and at least 50% of My Customers are Female". The prize package includes copies of Glamourpuss, the 2008 Minx free sampler, and Spree, A Cultural History of Shopping by Pamela Klaffke. MAPLE -- A comic book store owner is accused of voyeurism after police say he was caught using a hidden camera to spy on a woman in the store's washroom. Officers were called to Dragon's Realm in the Norwood Plaza at 9661 Jane St., just south of Major Mackenzie Dr., around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday after the young woman's boyfriend found a video camera, York police alleged. "Nobody should ever be subjected to something like this," Const. Laurie Perks said yesterday. The young couple, both 21, went to the store to pick up some comics they had ordered, Perks said. While they were in the store, the woman asked to use the restroom. As she walked to the back of the store, the owner allegedly followed behind and entered an adjoining room. "The woman's boyfriend thought the owner's behaviour was suspicious, so he decided to walk to the back of the store to investigate," Perks claims. That's when he found a video camera mounted on a tripod in the room next door, police alleged. The couple confronted the store owner and there was a physical altercation but nobody was seriously hurt, Perks said. The store owner was arrested without incident. Labels: comics retailers, contest, crime - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Thursday, July 16, 2009 Summer Reading: Seth  Our sixth Summer Reading Survey comes courtesy of the cartoonist Seth, whose recent George Sprott graphic novel has made several of these lists. I never really know what I am going to read in the summer --there are always several stacks of books piled around the house. However here are some good possibilities: 1. A Progressive Traditionalist: John M. Lyle, Architect by Glenn McArthur. A stunning new book from Coach House press about this important Canadian architect. I have long admired his buildings in Toronto. 2. The Cossacks by L. Tolstoy. 3. Doom Patrol volumes 4 and 5. Just finished these both. Doom Patrol is so strangely melancholy and vacant for such a pop-y and silly comic book series. I had hoped the final issue would be a little more over the top in it's grimness (considering what happens in that issue) but it let me down. 4. Abstract Painting in Canada by Roald Nasgaard. I'm only a chapter or two into the book but I am enjoying it. I have heard of almost no one! A lot of the painting in these early chapters is kind of crummy--all the more reason to love it for it's quintessentially Canadian second rateness! Seriously though, I think this is a very interesting and long overdue book. 5. Beyond Remembering: The Collected Poems of Al Purdy by Al Purdy. Nobody reads a whole big poetry book all at once. I skim into this book about once or twice a month. Some of these poems have seriously made me reconsider how I write comics (though you'd never know it from what I write). 6. Art and Illusion by E. H. Gombrich. James Sturm turned me on to this book a few years ago. Maybe I will finish it this year! Literally every page has a new idea on it that makes you look differently at art. 7. Pale Fire (Everyman's Library (Cloth)) by Vladimir Nabokov It's near the top of the pile. I really should read it. Everyone says it's great. 8. The Seeds of Time by John Wyndham. I bought a cheap paperback of this the other day and have read one story in it. It was a story set on mars and Gosh, did it ever feel like the Martian Chronicles. I checked the copyright date and it was written in 1949. Bradbury's book came out in 1950. Were they writing these stories at the same moment? Something in the air? 9. The Terror and Other Stories: Vol. 3 of The Best Weird Tales of Arthur Machen (Call of Cthulhu Fiction). I recently read a short story by Machen called THE GREAT RETURN. It so impressed me I immediately bought this 3 volume set of his stories. I just began this volume and....I don't know. The first story is not exactly impressing me. It feels kind of like Lord Dunsuny (who I cannot stand--terrible purple writing). I will carry on though. The first story might just be a stinker. 10. Barney's Version by Mordecai Richler Just finished this a couple of weeks ago and it was such a great book. Funny, smart, and genuinely moving. I finished the book while eating dinner in a fancy french restaurant alone in New York. I had had a couple of glasses of wine and was kind of tipsy but still--my eyes were glistening with emotion when I read that last page. A simply terrific book. I hope they don't fuck it up as a movie. Labels: "summer reading 09", guest bloggers, Ontario, summer reading - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 New Sites - MONTREAL COMIC-CON & Sword of My Mouth Two new web sites to check out. The Montreal Comic Con has some new crew members and a new look, the site has been re-launched with information about the upcoming September show, it's in Beta mode so they are inviting feedback - check it out and let them know...  We just launched the brand new Montreal Comic-Con website - www.montrealcomiccon.com. Please feel free to send us your comments and/or suggestions about it. Any comments and/or suggestions regarding the event itself are also welcomed. Mini-site for Sword of My Mouth & How To Enjoy Research Publisher Author and DIY king Jim Munroe has set up a mini site for Sword of My Mouth, the sequel to Therefore Repent! and also has a little advice for one of my favorite things but not his, how to enjoy Research!
Labels: conventions, links, Montreal, new books, Ontario, publishing, Quebec, Toronto, webcomics - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
The C-List: Canadian Comics in the SummertimeSome quick links. Item: Dinosaur Comics' Ryan North talks internet woes with the Globe and Mail. Item: Ed Brisson notes that there will be no Vancouver Comics Jam in July. Item: Walrus comics blogger Sean Rogers talks about David Mazzucchelli. Item: Robert Fulford writes about Harvey Kurtzman and Mad for the Post. Item: Seth tells us why George Sprott will be one of Amazon's best books of 2009. Item: The Wizard Toronto comic convention has a new logo. Item: Iranian-Canadian policart Nik Kowsar talks to the Washington Post about his experiences on the wrong side of the law in Iran. Item: In case you missed yesterday's Summer Reading entry, the big (old) news is that Les 400 Coups has started a new imprint for genre comics/bd, entitled Rotor. Item: Montreal weekly The Hour reviewed Adrian Tomine's 32 Stories and Shortcomings published by D&Q Labels: British Columbia, C-List, comic jams, conventions, international, interviews, links, new books, Ontario, publishing, Quebec, social ink, Toronto, Vancouver, webcomics - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 Summer Reading: Eric Theriault  Our fifth Summer Reading List comes from cartoonist Eric Theriault. Eric has some interesting news about a new Quebec comics imprint. Please send us your list. Hi guys, I won't have too much time to read a lot this summer or travel or anything because I have a lot of work and a deadline with my own book. 400 Coups, one of the big Quebec publishers of art books, kid books and art/autobio comics thru the label Mecanique Generale, have started a new label to complete the diverse genres of bande-dessinee that they want to publish. It's Rotor and it's dedicated to "genre" comics: sci-fi, fantasy, detective, adventures, etc ... Rotor: can you see the relationship with Mecanique? It's a Garage thing ! So, they asked me if I wanted to do a "complete Veena", an edition that would compile everything from my character Veena. So, it will be called Veena et les spectres du temps and will cover Veena # 1-2-3-4, plus illustrations plus a brand new story ( actually, I think my work fit exactly in between the two labels because it's not strictly genre either...) The fun thing is that I may be known for this character but many have never read it because they don't read English. So, a hard cover book, all in color and in french will be an introduction to Veena for many, 18 years after I first published the first mini-comic here in Montreal. So, I'm glad! But I still have to finish re-lettering and coloring 70 pages! I also have a 5 pages proposal for an American comic that I'm doing with a Montreal writer. It's a weird mix of humour and action. The closest thing in my mind would be Howard the Duck, or anything written by the late Steve Gerber... And I'm also still doing one page a month of Stats, a humour thing in every issue of Safarir, the Quebec answer to Mad magazine. Kurt Beaulieu is my writer. So, reading? I'll try to go thru the pile of unread comics where there is still a lot of Charles Burns, Adrian Tomine, Acme Novelty, American Splendor and anthologies like Typhon... And I'm also looking forward to reading Genesis by Robert Crumb! Ciao ! Eric Theriault http://mistertheriault.blogspot.com/ Labels: "summer reading 09", Montreal, news, Quebec, summer reading - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Monday, July 13, 2009 Toronto: Pages Books to Close  Sad news this weekend from Pages Books owner Mark Glassman: the store will be closing August 31. Long known as a major supporter of the arts and letters scene in Toronto, Glassman an his store are victims of sky-rocketing rents and the transformation of Queen West. The store, located at 256 Queen St W, was once at the cultural heart of Toronto and developed a wonderful art and cultural studies selection. Comics (including many local minicomics) were featured prominently and for many (including myself), the store may have been their first exposure to young artists like Nick Mandaag and Jason Kieffer. Most recently, cartoonist Michael Cho was hired to redesign the store's graphics. The store is seeking a new location. Glassman has issued the following statement: Pages books & magazines, in Toronto's Queen West neighbourhood, will close its doors on August 31st. Sky rocketing rent at the city-owned property is behind the move. "When we opened on the corner of Queen and John 30 years ago, it was where artists lived and worked," says proprietor Marc Glassman, who heads up the Queen West Business Improvement Association. "Now our neighbours are CTV, The Gap, and Club Monaco." Glassman has conducted an exhaustive two-year search for an alternative location, but nothing appropriate has appeared on the market. "I am open to suggestions," he says. "But with the e-book revolution steaming ahead we need a space that accommodates more than just retail." Pages specializes in literature, art, film, and photography, and is noted for its selection of Eastern Philosophy, the social sciences, and pop culture. It pioneered cultural theory and small press sections, and the store was an early supporter of 'zines and graphic novels. A meeting place for intellectuals, journalists, filmmakers, and designers, Pages has always been more than a bookstore. Glassman was honoured with a Toronto Arts Award for literature in 2000. "It acknowledged for me the store's impact on the cultural life of the city," he says. Passionate for avant garde expression, Glassman was charged with obscenity in 1985, over a feminist art display in the store window. Thanks to community support and a vigorous defense, the Criminal Code's definition of obscenity was overturned. "We live in a more open society today because we fought for it then," says Glassman. Called a "one man cultural industry" by Toronto Life Magazine, Glassman has always been more than a bookseller. He has programmed films for Harbourfront, Hot Docs, and the NFB, and is a founder of the Images Festival and the Moving Pictures Festival of Dance on Film. He edits both POV and Montage magazines, contributes weekly film reviews to Classical 96.3 FM, and has produced hundreds of events over the years featuring everyone from Graham Roumieu to Margaret Atwood. Six years ago Glassman started a programme called This Is Not A Reading Series (TINARS), which features onstage performances and events (but no readings!) by writers and artists, hosted in various venues throughout the city. The public loves it and the shows will continue in the fall, produced by Glassman and a new non-profit organization, The Force for Cultural Events Production, Inc, and stylishly coordinated by Chris Reed. This year additional support has come from the Toronto Arts Council, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Canada Council. "We're thrilled to be recognized as an emerging force for arts presentations," say Glassman. "Support by the Councils reinforces our desire to make TINARS an even more amazing experience." Glassman is unhappy the store will be closing because of the impact it will have on his staff, client base, and community. But he plans to build upon the success of TINARS as he moves into the future. "I have to see this as an opportunity," he says. Old business models are crumbling, but "new technologies will not eliminate books as objects. Beautifully produced books, art books, graphic novels, and books signed by authors will always have a place." He wants to find a location where both retail and events can occur. "That dream will be pursued and hopefully come to fruition in the near future," promises Glassman. Labels: comics retailers, dollar, Toronto - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Friday, July 10, 2009 McGill = Comics U?  Friend of Sequential (FOS?) and Big Man on Campus (BMOC), Brad Mackay, investigates the preponderance of comics creators with a McGill University degree. Interview subjects include Mariko Tamaki (BA '94), J. Torres (BA '93, DipEd '94,, Bryant Paul Johnson (BA '94), and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (MA '97): A fast-talking 33-year-old who balances her literary bona fides with a punk sensibility, Tamaki has ridden the Skim wave into a promising career in comics writing. Her sophomore graphic novel, Emiko Superstar, about a suburban teen who unexpectedly finds acclaim in the underground arts scene, debuted in late 2008 and she has an autobiographical story in the upcoming Top Shelf anthology, Awesome 2: Awesomer. Labels: comics in school, graphic novels, webcomics - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Martin Vaughn-James, 1943-2009  Painter and comics creator Martin Vaughn-James has died. Born in England, Vaughn-James published four innovative and influential graphic novels while living in Canada during the 1970s: The Cage, Elephant, The Projector, and The Park. A new edition of The Cage was published by Montreal's Mecanique generale/Les 400 Coups in 2006. Vaughn-James' later years were devoted to painting in Europe. He died in Provence, France, on July 3. Labels: obituaries - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Summer Reading: Kevin Boyd  Our fourth Summer Reading List comes from Kevin Boyd, Toronto comics guru. Please send us your list. Kevin Boyd's Summer Reading List My name is Kevin Boyd, and I'm a cancer researcher by day, but after hours I am: (A) Canadian Guest Coordinator for HobbyStar Marketing's Toronto ComiCONs and FAN EXPO CANADA – kevin@hobbystar.com - (B) Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards - kevin@joeshusterawards.com - (C) an Overstreet advisor (since 2005) and at US conventions I work for CGC (the comic book grading company) as their Signature Series coordinator. 2. I'm currently hyping: Fan Expo Canada - August 28-30, 2009 http://www.hobbystar.com/fanexpo/ and the 2009 Joe Shuster Awards along with our JSA booth at the Word on the Street festival in Toronto on the weekend of September 26-27, 2009 - http://joeshusterawards.com/2009/04/03/2009jsas/ 3. I am currently reading: Blood and Thunder: The Life and Art of Robert E. Howard by Mark Finn. As a teen I was a big fan of Howard's Conan stories, and this very thorough biography digs pretty deeply into every known corner of Howard's life and psyche with very healthy doses of the man's correspondence and excerpts from various published stories. I recently finished: How to Lose a Battle: Foolish Plans and Great Military Blunders by Bill Fawcett (editor). While this was billed as slightly humorous, it was pretty much a straight-forward series of articles on some of the worst military miscalculations and one-sided battles in western history. On my desk still to read are George Sprott: (1894-1975) by Seth, the Schulz and Peanuts biography by David Michaelis, as well as Maps and Legends and Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon. I hope to finish all of those by the end of the summer. I buy and read a lot of comics, and because of the San Diego con, July and August are traditionally big months --- between now and the end of August I'll be buying and reading the following: Original graphic novels: Asterious Polyp (David Mazzuchelli), Dark Entries, Filthy Rich, Richard Stark's Parker The Hunter (Darwyn Cooke), The Nobody (Jeff Lemire). Collected editions (of serialized comics): 100 Bullets Vol. 13: Wilt, Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader, Dark Avengers Vol. 1: Dark Avengers Assemble, Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns, Invincible Iron Man Vol. 2, Most Wanted Book 1, Kick-Ass Vol. 1, Mighty Avengers: Earth's Mightiest, Mouse Guard Vol. 2 Winter 1152, New Avengers Vol. 10: Power, and Vol. 11: Search for the Sorcerer Supreme, Spider-Man: Election Day, The Goon Vol. 8: Those that is Damned and Vol. 9: Calamity of Conscience, The Incredibles: Family Matters, The Umbrella Academy: Dallas, and Thunderbolts: Burning Down the House. Archival projects: DC Archives --- Batman: The Dark Knight Vol. 6, Superman in World's Finest Vol. 2, Marvel Masterworks --- Warlock Vol. 2, Golden Age Young Allies Vol. 1, The Sub-Mariner Vol. 3, Atlas Era Black Knight/Yellow Claw Vol. 1 and The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 11, plus Popeye by E.C. Segar Vol. 4: Plunder Island, The Complete Strangers in Paradise slipcase, and Hellboy Library Edition Vol. 3: A Conqueror Worm. Art books: The Art of Mark Texeira: The Artist's Great Escape, The Art of Marko Djurdjevic, Modern Masters --- Vol. 21: Chris Sprouse, Vol. 22: Mark Buckingham, Vol. 23: Darwyn Cooke as well a bunch of limited edition sketchbooks that will be released at the San Diego con in July. Books and Magazines about comics: The All-Star Companion Vol. 4, Marvel Comics in the 1960's, Alter Ego and Back Issue magazines. Comics: Wednesday Comics, Glamourpuss, Cerebus Archive, Invincible, the Walking Dead. 4. Between now and the end of the summer it's all about Fan Expo Canada August 28-30, 2009 and the Joe Shuster Awards / JSA Word on the Street booth on the weekend of September 26-27, 2009. Labels: "summer reading 09", guest bloggers, summer reading, Toronto - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 The Latest Quebecor World Thing  Comics Printer to Exit Bankruptcy Protection First, it got a new hot-shot chairman in Mark Angelson. Then, the U.S. and Canadian creditors approved the reorganization plan. Now, according to its own press release, Montreal printer Quebecor World has had the plan approved by both the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and the Quebec Superior Court. Why do we care? Because Quebecor World reportedly is still the largest printer of comic books in North America. "We are very pleased that our U.S. and Canadian Plans have been approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and the Quebec Superior Court. This is a major milestone in successfully restructuring our Company to benefit all stakeholders," said Jacques Mallette, President and CEO. "We look forward to exiting creditor protection in mid-July and moving forward with the implementation of our business plan as a strong competitor in the industry." The company has been on the ropes for years now, due to competition from U.S. and Chinese printers, debt, and the impending death of print. It was spun off from parent company Quebecor (Click here to see our previous coverage.) Quebecor World has over 20,000 employees but has been laying some off during this little downturn. They not only have printed comics for Marvel, Dark Horse, Image, and D.C., but also phonebooks, and many magazines (Time, Rolling Stone) and catalogues like LL Bean, Victoria's Secret and Ikea. Full press release: Quebecor World Inc. and its affiliated debtors and debtors-in-possession announce that, following hearings held jointly in the Quebec Superior Court and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on June 30, 2009, the Quebec Superior Court and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court (together the "Courts") rendered orders sanctioning Quebecor World's Second Amended and Restated Plan of Reorganization and Compromise (the "Canadian Plan") and confirming the Third Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization (the "U.S. Plan," and, together with the Canadian Plan, the "Plans"). Both the Quebec Superior Court and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court ruled that Quebecor World and its affiliated U.S. debtors and debtors-in-possession had met all of the applicable statutory requirements to sanction the Canadian Plan and confirm the U.S. Plan. The orders of the Quebec Superior Court and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court allow for the possibility of Quebecor World and its affiliated debtors and debtors-in-possession as well as other represented stakeholders to appear before the Courts at a joint hearing to be held on July 13, 2009 in order to report on the status of any issues that remain outstanding relating to the terms of the new securities to be issued by Quebecor World under the Plans. The sanction of the Canadian Plan by the Quebec Superior Court and confirmation of the U.S. Plan by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court follow their respective approvals by the creditors of Quebecor World on June 22, 2009. Subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions provided for in the Plans, Quebecor World therefore remains on track with its current timetable and anticipates the consummation of the Plans to occur in mid-July 2009. "We are very pleased that our U.S. and Canadian Plans have been approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and the Quebec Superior Court. This is a major milestone in successfully restructuring our Company to benefit all stakeholders," said Jacques Mallette, President and CEO. "We look forward to exiting creditor protection in mid-July and moving forward with the implementation of our business plan as a strong competitor in the industry." The confirmation order entered by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court on the U.S. Plan will be available on the website of the U.S. claims agent, Donlin, Recano & Company, Inc. The sanction order rendered by the Quebec Superior Court on the Canadian Plan will be available on the website of Ernst & Young Inc., which acts as Monitor under the CCAA Proceedings at www.ey.com/ca/quebecorworld. Labels: dollar, international, Montreal, printing, quebecor - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
The C-List: Slow News MonthItem: The Metro chain has picked up the Six Chix group strip, which includes a weekly dose of Rina Piccolo. (Shorter headline: Metro picks Piccolo) Item: A North Bay comic shop gets its start with heart-warming tale of organ donation. The new store came about after the owner gave his liver tissue to his father. (Shorter headline: Grateful Pop Gives Nerd Shop Item: The Globe and Mail spotlights a Toronto aritist on the forefront of "gamics" --comic strips, webcomics, and graphic novels using screenshots of videogames like Half-Life 2 and Star Wars Galaxies. (Shorter headline: Gamer Fanfic= "lame-ics") Item: Kate Beaton's awesome Canada Day comic (Shorter headline: Awesome!) Item: The Shusters blog picked up on the news that Pascal Blanchet has won a French literary prize. (Shorter headline: Prix Baloney) - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 CBR - LEMIRE ON "ESSEX COUNTY" & NEW VERTIGO WORKJust came across this, new post on CBR, looks like a nice interview with Jeff Lemire about his newest books! "Jeff Lemire has a feel for small towns. His "Essex County" trilogy of graphic novels, a multigenerational saga exploring the relationships between and within families in a small farming community, has won awards from the American Library Association, taken the Joe Shuster Award honoring Canadian cartoonists, and has been nominated for an Ignatz, a Harvey, and two Eisner Awards. Labels: can-con, international, interviews, new books, Ontario - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Summer Reading: Daniel Ha  Our third summer reading list come from Daniel Ha, illustrator/cartoonist, part-time dentist, and a member of the AIIQ (Association des Illustrateurs et Illustratrice du Quebec). http://www.dvhstudios.com/ dvhstudios@gmail.com Sequential: What is your latest project? At the moment, I am working on 2 webcomics: "Casanovice" and "1 Page Stand." Casanovice is a comedic strip about the differences between guys and girls and about their relationships. I like to think of it as an anti-Sex and the City because it's from the male point-of-view but also because the guys in the strips are in their 20s and more of the gamer/slacker type than the late 30s and professional women of the hit show. 1 Page Stand is a 1 page comic about my observations and sometimes the place where I experiment or try to find something that expresses the truth about our lives (I said try). What books you have recently read or are planning to read? Recently finished: Kampung Boy by Lat Path of the Assassin vol2 by Koike and Kojima Chroniques Birmanes by Delisle Les petits riens de Lewis Trondheim vol 1-2 Pink by Okazaki Boule de Neige by various Planning to reread: The Arrival by Tan and a collection by Chaboute Planning to read: a Paul Auster book I saw at the library yet haven't borrowed yet, all the books I can borrow about Vietnam (research purposes) and all the BDs I can borrow to limit the money I spend on comics. I also plan on finishing Path of the Assassin, 9 volumes of Swamp Thing and Berlin by Lutes. Any upcoming events/upcoming publications? What is your next project? I have a table reserved at Otakuthon to promote/sell my work (1st time). Then I'm going to be working on a proposal for Front Froid and after that something to show at this year's expozine. I will also be continuing my research about Vietnam (for a comic about vietnamese-canadians) and updating my site's comics section with new strips or some short stories.  Labels: "summer reading 09", guest bloggers, Montreal, Quebec, summer reading - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Sunday, July 05, 2009 Summer Reading: Danny Zabbal  Our second summer reading list come from Danny Zabbal, Cartoonist and Illustrator living in Toronto.www.dannyzabbal.com info@dannyzabbal.com Sequential: What is your latest project?  My webcomic, Journey in the 6th Dimension. It's the story of Phoebe Ashling and her wanderings through an endless void called The 6th Dimension, a hub of infinite universes and possibilities. Guided by her friend Drake, Phoebe peers through the cosmic veil and observes the lives and stories of people from different worlds. Every tale teaches her something new, bringing her closer and closer to understanding the very nature of the time and space itself.What books you have recently read or are planning to read? Reading: Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neil. I had been meaning to read it for a while, the title alone teased my curiosity. So far, it's been a joy. What stands out is the writing, Ms. O'Neil has a wonderful prose style. It reminds me of all the girls I used to have a crush on in the sixth grade. I find it's really rare these days that I form an emotional connection with the stuff that I read. It's nice to have a change. Want to read: Endgame by Darek Jensen. From what I understand, it's an assessment of all the insane and horrible things we're doing to the planet, and how we're doomed to destroy ourselves. According to my girlfriend this is a life-rearranging, worldview changing book. Which is exciting. It's been a while since I've had a revelation, I can't wait to get into it. Then again, the foreboding thunder crackling clouds of apocalypse can keep me up at night. I guess cold sweats and paranoia are a small price to pay. Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bible! by Jonathan Goldstein. I actually met Jonathan Goldstein a couple of weeks ago, I really did. He was promoting this very book with a live performance at the Rivoli, in Toronto. It wasn't a reading or anything, it was some kind of deluxe book signing, with improv comedy intermissions. Anyway, afterward I saw him sitting by the window with his entourage. I approached him to say hi and tell him that I really admire his work. The whole exchange should have lasted five seconds. It didn't though, I choked. Somehow I lost all reason and sputtered something like, "I really like the way you say mayonnaise. You've said it a few times, you know, on This American Life. It's cool. I like how you talk. I like Wiretap too. The CBC is cool." He replied with, "I've never said mayonnaise." There was a horribly awkward pause, followed by, "Tell you what pal, why don't you get a drink on Penguin books." It was probably one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, but I still want to read his book. Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse. It's an old book from 1959. I've been meaning to read it for a while. I read the summary somewhere and it sounded kind of fun and interesting... in an mid-twentieth century english literature kind of a way. I like stories about hapless daydreamers, they make me happy. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. I've already read this book, it's been favorite since I was eight or so years old. It is, I don't mind saying, a perfect fable. It's imaginative, funny and it has these really great illustrations. I still marvel at how creative Juster's world is. World is a word bandied about fantasy and science-fiction pretty loosely these days. A lot of creators get called visionary without any real vision or originality. Juster is different, he's the real thing. His world is truly unique. Whenever I read this book I feel as though everything exists beyond the pages. It could be the nostalgia talking, but that's how I feel. Any upcoming events/upcoming publications? What is your next project? I'm in the process of condensing the past year of my webcomic into a spiffy printed edition. It'll have all sorts of value-added content Danny's work also appears in the TCAF edition of Sequential. Labels: "summer reading 09", guest bloggers, summer reading, Toronto - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Friday, July 03, 2009 The C-List: International Long Weekend BluesItem: Skim, Country Nurse nominated for Harvey Awards in the Best Graphic Album category. As well, Lar deSouza and Ryan Sohmer, creators of the webcomic Least I Could Do, were nominated in several categories. (In an interesting post, Tom Spurgeon makes a plea for getting rid of the Harveys). Item: Jeet Heer on nostalgia in comics. Item: Tom Spurgeon has a thorough obituary for U.S. cartoonist B.M. Duncan. Duncan's art was a highlight of Weirdo magazine in the 1980s and was a radical, humane talent. Item: Captain Canuck co-creator Richard Comely is interviewed by the K-W Record's Kevin Swayze. Item: Brad Mackay reviews Tatsumi's Drfiting Life bio. "Yoshihiro Tatsumi, a Japanese manga pioneer, attempts to transform the solitary life of the cartoonist into an outsized adventure story." Labels: C-List, international, links - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Shuster Awards Kids Nominations  The nominees in the "Comics for Kids" category of the Joe Shuster Awards have been announced. The nominees were selected by a jury of teachers. The winner will be announced in September. Clayton Hanmer, CTON's Super A-Maze-ing Year of Crazy Comics! (OwlKids) Susan Hughes and Willow Dawson, No Girls Allowed (Kids Can Press) Karl Kerschl and Serge Lapointe (with Amy Wolfram, USA), Teen Titans: Year One (DC Comics) Liam O'Donnell and Michael Deas, Ramp Rats – A Graphic Guide Adventure (Orca Publishing) Paul Roux, Ariane et Nicolas Tome 5: Les tours de Babel (Editions Les 400 Coups) Chad Solomon (with Christopher Meyer, USA), The Adventures of Rabbit and Bear Paws Vol. 2: The Voyageurs (Little Spirit Bear Productions) Kean Soo, Jellaby Book 1 (Hyperion) Mariko Tamaki and Steve Rolston, Emiko Superstar (DC/Minx) Emiko cover comp Labels: awards, floppies, graphic novels, kids comics - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Thursday, July 02, 2009 I'm Crazy wins Xeric Grant  The Xeric Grants were announced this week and Toronto cartoonist Adam Bourret was one of the recipients for his serialized webcomic I'm Crazy, "an auto-biographical graphic novel, dealing with, among other things: histories, secrets, obsessive compulsive disorder, drugs, gay romance, hallucinations and insanity." Congratulations Adam!The Xerics are made possible by Peter Laird, co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They are awarded several times a year and go towards the cost of self-publishing a graphic novel or comic. Past Canadian winners of the Xeric include Essex County creator Jeff Lemire. Labels: awards, grants, international, webcomics - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
New Books: The Nobody by Jeff Lemire  The Nobody by Jeff Lemire. DC/Vertigo b+w, hardcover, 144 pages US$19.99 ISBN 9781401220808 As Jeff Lemire notes on his blog, "Due to a mix up The Nobody will ship a week late and will now be in bookstores July 7 and Comic Book Stores July 8. I will however be signing at Comics And More at Danforth and Greenwood (steps from the Greenwood subway stop) in Toronto THURDSAY JULY 2, between 4-6 and I will have advance copies of THE NOBODY for sale a week early! I will also have a limited edition Nobody print, free for anyone who wants one and some other freebies, original artwork etc." From the publisher: The tiny, isolated fishing village of Large Mouth never saw much excitement — until the arrival of the stranger, that is. Wrapped from head to toe in bandages and wearing weird goggles, he quietly took up residence in the sleepy town's motel. Driven by curiosity, the townfolk quickly learn the tragic story of his past, and of the terrible accident that left him horribly disfigured. Eventually, the town embraces the stranger as one of their own — but do his bandages hide more than just scars? Labels: graphic novels, new books - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
Wednesday, July 01, 2009 Happy Canada Day!  Happy Canada Day from Sequential! The above image is the front cover of Mike Friedrich's Quack #3, a comic book published in 1977 (the year punk broke and the year of the Queen's silver jubilee). The Beavers was a short-lived newspaper strip by Dave Sim (of Cerebus fame). The cover of Quack was drawn by Sim with inks by Steve Leialoha. To learn more about the genesis of The Beavers, check out issues of the new Cerebus Archive (issue #2 is on stands now), which retraces the early career of Sim. Labels: comics history, floppies, holidays, undergrounds - Stumble It! - Leave a comment!| 0comments - - we honor OpenID -
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