Labels: graphic novels, publishing

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Labels: awards, comics history, events, floppies, graphic novels, Toronto, U.S. superhero franchises

Labels: comics retailers, events, graphic novels, publishing, Toronto

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Labels: events, exhibits, graphic novels, political cartooning

• Halifax-based Bryan Lee O'Malley provides a public service by dissecting the new Tokyopop contract. O'Malley, who has a successful series of books in print and a major Hollywood film based on his books planned, knows a few things about creative control and, I would expect, contracts. All contracts, Hollywood, webcomic, or book, should be looked at by a lawyer (better still, a lawyer who is familiar with publishing or copyright).

• Reanna Alder of The Tyee interviews Vancouver curator Bruce Grenville and has a nice review of both the show and catalog for the KRAZY! exhibit. I saw the book myself at the Beguiling last week and it is quite a handsome volume, with great visuals and nice notes by all the co-curators on their selections.

• Sequential didn't get the press release, but the Beat reproduces the pertinent text of the inductees to the Shuster Awards hall of fame. The inductees this year are U.S. citizen John Byrne (co-creator of Alpha Flight), 1930s-40s cartoonist/writer Ted McCall (creator of the Men of the Mounted and Robin Hood comic strips), satiric cartoonist Pierre Fournier (Capitaine Kebec), and 70s satirist Stanley Berneche (Fuddle Duddle, Captain Canada). The induction ceremony will be part of the awards Saturday, June 14th in Toronto.

Labels: awards, copyright, events, exhibits, graphic novels, legal news, manga

• Real World: This news item is the perfect example of what has come to be called "not comics" --the only tangential relation to comics is that is was forwarded by ex-comics publisher David Widgington. Anyway, readers of Sequential may want to follow this story, about Canadian mining giant Barrick-Gold slapping Montreal publisher Editions Ecosociete with a nuisance lawsuit in an attempt to block publication of a book critical of corporate practices in Africa (the book links Barrick Gold Corp. to the alleged 1996 deaths of miners in Tanzania). The publication of the book, Noir Canada: Pillage, corruption et criminalite en Afrique, was delayed after the $6 million (!) lawsuit appeared, but the publisher is fighting back with a solidarity campaign and responses from the Canadian Labour Congress and press coverage.

• Publishing: Robin Bougie and Maxine Frank present MAXIMUM SUPEREXCITEMENT #2: LIBRARIAN ISLAND.

• Publishing: Stuart Immonen has just released CENTIFOLIA, an art book collecting sketches, strips, and finished art. I saw a copy in my local shop today and it is a handsome package.

• Retailing: Ben Benedict talks to Brahm Wiseman of London, Ont.'s Heroes on the occasion of its grand re-opening this past Saturday.

• Conventions: Andrew Nguyen posts the first report from this past weekend's Anime North event in in Toronto.

• Weird: Chester Brown redrew this classic Jack Kirby story, the cover of which was recently plagiarized in The New Yorker, last year for the Wright Awards.

• The Critics: Jeet Heer on John Stanley and Carl Barks; Chris Butcher on smut comics for Eye Weekly; Eddie Campbell on Dave Sim; Laura Hudson on Dave Sim (and Chester Brown); Shannon Smith on Dave Sim's Glamourpuss; Ken Parille on Glamourpuss.

Labels: comics retailers, graphic novels, real world

Labels: graphic novels, links

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

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• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

Labels: bestsellers, comic strips, comics retailers, graphic novels, manga

Labels: comics retailers, comicshoptalk, graphic novels, interviews

Labels: anthologies, bd, graphic novels

Labels: comic strips, events links, graphic novels

Labels: bestsellers, comic strips, comics retailers, graphic novels, manga

• Jeet Heer vs Michael Chabon: Wow, Jeet can't seem to stay out of the scraps this week. On the heels of his dust-up with Bart beaty last week, his review of David Hadju's 10 Cent Plague for Salon has drawn a lengthy rebuttal from novelist and comics fan Michael Chabon (for good measure, Beaty chimes in as well).

• Chris Butcher posts the 20 bestselling comic books/floppies at the Beguiling from last week.

• Johanna Draper Carlson reviews Hope Larson's new graphic novel for young adults, Chiggers.

• Cameron Stewart is interviewed about his Transmission X webcomic, Sin Titulo, at the Digital Strips site: part 1 part 2 Stewart has just finished work on a new graphic novel for Oni, The Apocalipstix.

• The World Press Freedom Day 10th Annual Awards Luncheon, featuring an exhibition of the winning and runner-up cartoons of the international political cartoon competition on the theme of "Re-writing History", will be held May 2nd, in Ottawa.

• An ad for a car dealership has stirred up controversy and the ire of the Winnipeg police. (see above)

Labels: comics history, comics retailers, events links, graphic novels, webcomics

• For The Guardian, Regina's Jeet Heer writes on the recent Siegel/Superman decision, with a history of the case and some thoughts ton capitalism and morality. Sample quote: "The battle between the cartoonists and their publisher was a cultural clash as much as an economic one. Bookish boys from the lower-middle class, Siegel and Shuster simply weren't prepared to deal with wise guys like Donenfeld."

• On a related note, new court dates have been scheduled for the case, as noted by newsarama's new legal expert, Jeff Trexler.

• Speaking of newsarama, one of my favourite features at the newsarama blog is the weekly "Quote/Unquote", with a round-up of the choicest utterances from the comics blogosphere.

• Writing for The Montreal Gazette, John Kalbfleisch provides a look back at JW Bengough, the 19th Century cartoonist and member of the Giants of the North. Like many of his inky-fingered breed (Little Nemo's Windsor McKay, for one), Bengough had a side career as a sort of vaudeville humourist, giving "chalk talks" involving quick caricatures and jokey picture stories delivered on the lecture circuit.

• The best cartoonists in Montreal? The Montreal Mirror thinks so.

• Tintin becomes a target in an exhibit of hockey-themed art at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

• Chris Butcher looks back at his 2006 comics industry predictions for 2007 and sees how his oracular powers worked out.

• Photos from the Michel Rabagliati exhibit Paul vu par le Fanzine Bidon at the Galerie Morgan Bridge in Quebec City (see sample photo above; link via bdq)

• Canada's Udon Entertainment is the new distributor of Apple, an anthology of Korean art & comics: APPLE stands for "A Place for People who Love Entertainment", and features original stories and illustrations from the best creative talent Korea has to offer. Over 40 artists from the video game world are represented in APPLE Volume 1, including the artists behind the mega-hit Lineage MMORPG series, superstar Hyung-Tae Kim (Magna Carta, War of Genesis), and dozens of other pro illustrators, animators and graphic artists.

Labels: blogosphere, comics history, copyright, graphic novels, international, links, manga