artesia anointed: i've heard good things about this book: "Archaia Studios Press (ASP) is pleased to announce that Artesia (ASP, $24.95, ISBN: 1-932386-00-9, 192 pages) is a 2003 Graphic Novel Book of the Year Award finalist for ForeWord Magazine’s annual prize. Gold, Silver and Bronze level award winners will be announced at this year’s BookExpo America in June. This is the first year Graphic Novels has been a category recognized by ForeWord's annual award... Written and painted by Mark Smylie, Artesia is a comic book rich in fantasy, mysticism, and mythology, an epic and strange tale of war and magic set in the strife-riven realms of the Known World." (drop me a line with your spare change if you feel strongly one way or the other about the book.)
posted by peter!  1:02 AM EST permalink

match made in heaven: i guess it was only a matter of time before brian pulido and avatar comics hooked up:


posted by peter!  12:57 AM EST permalink

steamboy! devilman! fuck, yeah. (thanks, tom)
posted by peter!  12:54 AM EST permalink

second coming: continuing the strange trend of religious comics i've blogged over the past few months, here's part of a press release i received from metron press announcing their new website: "Metron Press continued their plan to reach out to readers with exciting life-changing stories by launching their newly redesigned Web site today, March 16, 2004. WWW.MetronPress.Com will serve as the Internet gateway to insider information on the publisher who over the past year has caught the attention of comic book readers, pop culture enthusiasts, and the media with the one-two punch release of Samson: Judge of Israel and Testament. Both of these groundbreaking graphic novels told stories from the Bible with a modern flair, combining relevant, vibrant writing with modern art and cutting-edge storytelling."
posted by peter!  12:48 AM EST permalink

five questions with peter bagge: not as verbose as the alan moore piece, but addblog's got peter bagge of hate! fame in the center seat: "What does the phrase 'Make Mine Marvel' bring to mind? A paycheck..."


posted by peter!  12:34 AM EST permalink

Tuesday, March 23, 2004

Mixed in with a Q&A session at The Pulse about his upcoming, uh, Batman and... uhh... Captain America work, Artbomb favorite Eddie Campbell lets a couple bombs drop:

"...It just happened that I needed a break from my new graphic novel, which will be titled The Fate of the Artist. I may be able to get this out by the end of the year. It will be self-published, and the finest thing I've ever attempted. It's very complicated and detailed and I just need to stand back from it for a spell."

And,

"MY next autobiographical book, which will be an investigation into the disappearance of myself. It's very complicated; in the scenes where I am required to appear, my part is played by an actor. It's the last word in postmodernism."

He also confirms (if there's any doubt, but I don't think there is anymore) a second volume of BIZARRO stories is being done by another batch of new wave-y people (his words, not mine...!).
posted by Matt  4:03 PM EST permalink

beware the meatmen: the canadian bookstore little sister's is once again fighting the censorship police: "After 20 years of fighting Canada Customs' seizures of book shipments, a Vancouver gay book store is asking the court to fund its next case. Mark Macdonald, spokesman for Little Sister's Book and Art Emporium, said the store has spent more than $500,000 fighting against seizures deemed to be obscene. The store is now fighting seizures of a series of adult comics entitled The Meatmen. 'The Meatmen comics are not obscene,' Macdonald said. 'They are gay male erotica and it has to do with (sadomasochistic) practices. They're certainly not for everybody's tastes and we've never insinuated that they are.' " more from cjad.com.
posted by peter!  11:03 AM EST permalink

good grief: in what will probably be common in these here parts as we approach the publication of the new peanuts collections from fantagraphics, newsday takes an indepth look: "Volume I, which covers the years 1950 to 1952, will come as a surprise to those familiar only with the strips of recent decades. In the early years, Schulz was still working out exactly who these sophisticated children were, graphically - the shape of Charlie Brown's head evolves; Snoopy walks on all fours - as well as characterwise. 'Charlie Brown moves from being an impish little child to someone who is a good vehicle for Schulz to pour all his disappointments into,' explains Seth. 'And Lucy is just a cute little character in the beginning, but probably within two or three years, she started to become quite cruel.' "


posted by peter!  10:56 AM EST permalink

asterix under siege: the bbc is reporting on how manga has invaded the french comic book market, muscling in on traditional french and european comics: "France, the home of comic book hero Asterix, is now falling prey to a new and foreign art form - Japanese manga comics. Manga comics - only introduced in 1989 - now make up 30% of the country's comic book market. Their appeal has grown massively by word of mouth and the appeal they have for young people."


posted by peter!  10:49 AM EST permalink

ken gale underground: the bad news is that ken gale's comics radio show, 'nuff said, has been officially cancelled on wbai-fm (99.5) in nyc. the good news is that he's going to continue to take the show underground while guest-dj'ing on other programs: "The next installment is part of Susan Brown's show 'Punk and Hardcore,' another Tuesday overnight (Wednesday morning), March 30 (31), 2003 from 3:30 AM to about 6:00 AM. That's North American eastern time... I'll be playing hard rock music, but also talking about the passing of legendary editor Julie Schwartz and will also be playing an interview with Prof. Bill Foster, who has put together an exhibit on African-Americans in comics history. We discuss black creators and black characters and compare the comics industry with American society in general. Joining me for the entire show will be Frank Mancuso."
posted by peter!  10:44 AM EST permalink

second time's the charm: viz announced last week that they are bringing back to print a number of the more groundbreaking manga series that they've published over the years (and at lower cover prices to boot): "The titles being reprinted for a second time will cover diverse selections from VIZ's Action, Editor's Choice, and Shojo categories. Second edition titles from VIZ’s Action catalog include INUYASHA, RANMA ½, BASTARD!!, BATTLE ANGEL ALITA, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, and VIDEO GIRL AI. VIZ Editor's Choice second editions include Rumiko Takahashi's MAISON IKKOKU and Hayao Miyazaki's NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND. The tremendous popularity of shojo manga, or comics aimed at young girls, has also spurred VIZ to release second editions of BANANA FISH, REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA, and Yu Watase's CERES, CELESTIAL LEGEND and FUSHIGI YUGI."


posted by peter!  10:30 AM EST permalink

Monday, March 22, 2004

one part savagery, two parts savage humor: the boston globe took a look at horror writer joe lansdale yesterday: "Joe R. Lansdale says that whenever he eats popcorn he has disturbing dreams. The same thing happens whenever he sits down to write. He's been having those dreams for close on to 30 years now. Seventeen novels, a dozen story collections, numerous comics, graphic novels, and anthologies, and over 200 short stories, all of it ranging freely across genre borders: horror, fantasy and science fiction, Westerns and nonfiction books about the Old West, thrillers, mysteries, suspense, and young adult novels."
posted by peter!  12:34 AM EST permalink

cheer up, mates: here's a piece from the times of india lamenting the decline of the indian comic book industry: "Gone are the days when people used to wait for the Sunday paper to read the adventures of Phantom. Nor are these the days when kids pester their parents to buy them Amar Chitra Katha and Archie comics to pass time during summer vacation? TV toons have taken over the world of comics. Though many book sellers and publishers say there has not been a drastic drop in comic sales, they all agree that cartoons on TV have definitely made a dent into the comics market."
posted by peter!  12:28 AM EST permalink

i so want a manga flophouse: "Many companies have cinched their belts and stopped doling out taxi coupons to late-night workers who miss the last train. But employees are finding they're not left out in the cold: A type of all-night coffee shop has come to their rescue. Waiting for that first early morning train and looking to take a load off their feet, these night owls can now spend the night at manga kissa-coffee shops where customers read comic books and surf the Internet. 'My company doesn't give us taxi coupons anymore,' said an employee of a chemical manufacturer, camping at a manga kissa in Tokyo's Akasaka district in the wee hours of a Saturday. 'Staying here is far cheaper than a capsule hotel. This is my third time. Now my family doesn't worry about me so much.' " more from the asahi shimbun out of tokyo, japan.
posted by peter!  12:11 AM EST permalink

more library love: the somerville journal out of massachusetts takes a look at the good work that the central library is doing with their graphic novel collection: "Did you read comic books when you were a kid? But you're not a kid anymore? Maybe it's time you investigated the graphic novel, a form that is enjoying increasing popularity. The Central Library at 79 Highland Ave. has a section of graphic novels, and they are well worth a look. What exactly is a graphic novel? It is storytelling in a dynamic format of image and words together, 'sequential art' (so named by Scott McCloud in 'Understanding Comics,' which the library recommends). Whether fiction or factual, graphic novels rely on visual components and text to communicate."


posted by peter!  12:07 AM EST permalink

jeet heer, canadian journalist: pulled this out of the latest fantagraphic newsletter: "One of our favorite writers about comics, Canada’s JEET HEER, has built a website/archive of many of his best comics-related pieces; we recommend you start with his piece about the Air Pirates, which is an unexpurgated version from the one that originally ran in the NATIONAL POST." more at jeetheer.com
posted by peter!  12:04 AM EST permalink

acting with a pencil: this july, twomorrows publishing will be offering acting with a pencil: effective drawing for comics and animation, a 160pp how-to book for the aspiring cartoonists out there: "All the character acting skills required for animation, comic book storytelling art, cartooning, and lively figure drawing of any kind are explained in clear, easily understood prose. Techniques used by top illustrators are demonstrated with hundreds of drawings, created especially for this book by two Emmy Award-winning masters of the subject: Michael Manley and Bret Blevins, of the highly-acclaimed DRAW! magazine."


posted by peter!  12:01 AM EST permalink

Sunday, March 21, 2004

kim jong il doesn't love you: "A series of comic books that portray North Korean leader Kim Jong Il as an evil despot are selling briskly in Japan. The books' author says he hopes to educate the Japanese public about Mr. Kim and his reclusive Stalinist state, but critics say the books are deeply biased. North Korea is frequently in the Japanese headlines because of the dispute over its nuclear-weapons program. But many Japanese are getting their information about the isolated North and its leader, Kim Jong Il from a novel source - a pair of comic books." more from voanews.com.


posted by peter!  3:18 PM EST permalink

on any other day, i'd consider this strange: i'm not exactly sure what the point of this piece is from the springfield news sun out of ohio, but it's pretty funny in that disturbing kind of way: "There are more than a few comic page characters I’d give anything to see dangling from the end of a rope. And whether or not you agree those Family Circus brats have it coming, you have to admit that Ziggy deserves it. But sadly, it’s not to be. You see, brute violence in the funnies section seems to be a thing of the past. Darn... Like many 20-something superhero fans, I've been on a mission to convince non-believers -- i.e. my wife -- that comic books are no longer for the kids. They're literature, I insist, because these grown men in tights have grown up. But is that a good thing? Maybe, just maybe, it's part of the reason Superman's Action Comics, the granddaddy superhero comic of ’em all, which had a monthly circulation of a million back in the 1940s, was down to an estimated 51,466 a month ago..."
posted by peter!  3:12 PM EST permalink

hardwood heroes: offered without comment: "It's 'Up, up and awaaaaay' for Yao Ming and Steve Francis, but not on the court. The two Houston Rockets stars trade in their baggy shorts and jerseys for body armor (sans cape) as each battles villains in one of four new NBA comic books from Los Angeles-based Ultimate Sports Entertainment. Francis appears in Air & Space. Along with Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Chris Webber, Francis battles aliens from outer space. Meanwhile, Ming is featured in Hardwood Heroes, with Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal..." more from the houston chronicle.


posted by peter!  2:59 PM EST permalink

fanta july 04: it's looking like old school month for fantagraphics this july, with the release of three new retrospectives, including a new b. krigstein comics hardcover edited by greg sadowski that features 35 complete krigstein strips from the early fifties; a new tradepaperback collection of kristine mckenna interviews called talk to her; and a graphic album tribute to jim flora by irwin chusid that celebrates the celebrated 40's and 50's album cover artist. here're the covers to look for:



plus: new issues of eightball (#23) by dan clowes, naughty bits (#40) by roberta gregory, blood orange (#2) by chris polkki (editor), and luba's comics and stories (#5) by gilbert hernandez:



on the eros side of the house, they've got two new manga collections: the best of bondage fairies vol 1 by kondom and the best of sexihibition by gari suehiro; and a gaggle of comics including spunky knight extreme #2 by youhei kozou, housewives at play #12 by rebecca, barbarienne #8 by martin lock and paul naring, head #8, blowjob #10, and casual sex #5 by el bute. that should be more than enough spunk for you to last the month.


posted by peter!  2:31 PM EST permalink

ponent mon: last year we reviewed yukiko's spinach, one of the first offerings from ponent mon, a new publisher dedicated to publishing mature alternative manga. they've apparently updated their website at ponentmon.com with previews of all of their existing and upcoming publications: "Created February 2003, Ponent Mon together with Fanfare, is aiming to introduce comic book readers to the latest graphic and story telling tendencies to come out of Japan's alternative comics scene."



(thanks nenad.)
posted by peter!  2:09 PM EST permalink

cities of the fantastic: nbm has announced that book two of the invisible frontier, the latest cities of the fantastic story by francois schuiten and benoit peeters, will hit stores this july: "Roland, who has gone up the ranks quickly at the Center for Cartography of Sodrovno-Voldachia, cannot feel but a certain unease as to the renewed emphasis on their work brought about by the ambitious new Marshall of their country. And that girl with what seems to be a map on her lower back..." more info about the cities series right here.
posted by peter!  2:01 PM EST permalink

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