This got delayed quite a while because of other things, but we’d rather lend a link than not.

§ Noah Berlatsky reviews TWILIGHT: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL:

Twilight the graphic novel is more like the book than the movie. Indeed, reading it, it’s hard to escape the impression that Twilight should have started out as a manga-fied graphic novel in the first place. It’s true that, without Bella’s narration, and with manga’s faster pacing, both character and plot are much more attenuated than in the novel. Traits that are important in the book — like Bella’s clumsiness, or Jessica’s cattiness — are present only as asides in the GN. Similarly, the plot whips by faster than a sparkly vampire running through the forest — one moment Bella shows up in town, the next she sees Edward, and the next, hey, presto, she’d rather die than be separated from him. Overall, the pacing feels so rushed that I wonder whether you’d actually be able to follow the thing if you hadn’t read the book first — though, of course, everyone who buys the graphic novel has already read the book first, so it’s not really that much of a problem.

§ Kate Beaton reveals what Desmond is shocked to see on Twitpic

§ Happy BIrthday Last Gasp and Ron Turner, truly a pioneer in comics publishing and distribution:

Forty years ago, he created Last Gasp, now one of the world’s largest and oldest publishers of underground comics and graphic novels. He’s getting ready for an April Fool’s Day show dedicated to the long list of artists he put on the pop culture map: those whose canvases are the comic strip, the tattoo, the blank city wall, the pinup calendar and the hot rod.

§ Also, at PWCW, Kai Ming Cha looks at the SF publisher’s past and present:

Later this fall, Last Gasp will publish 12 books led by a collection of Mark Ryden’s snow yak paintings in The Snow Yak Show, a second volume of art work from the magazine Hi-Fructose, and a third volume of the Best Erotic Comics which includes artwork by R.Crumb and Molly Crabapple. Suehiro Maru’s oppulent manga adaptation, Strange Tale of Panorama Island will also be published this fall. Last Gasp plans to publish 16-18 books in 2011 and the following year.

§ Here’s a surprise: The SCOTT PILGRIM trailer sold a lot of books:

Just four days after the trailer’s online debut, all six volumes of the Bryan Lee O’Malley series — including the final installment, which won’t be released for another four months — rest comfortably in Amazon.com’s Top 20 Bestsellers in Graphic Novels.

§ Chris Sims on Shirtless Caveman Batman and we’re SOLD.

Imagine you’re a caveman lady: Are you going to want to mate with the filthy, bearded guy who has no concept of hygiene and who just found out that you can hit stuff with a log and maybe eat it–thus ensuring the survival and evolution of the species–or are you going to spend your time pining for the handsome stranger who just showed up in tight pants and who smells like apples? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

§ Rich Johnston rounds up Top Ten Tips To Blag Your Way Into San Diego. RE his idea to get a comics blog to get a press pass– we understand that standards for that are getting a bit more stringent.

§ A Flog interview with Peter Bagge about the annual Hate Annual:

As a father yourself, how much of your child-rearing experience will we find reflected in Buddy?

Lots. The big difference, as always, is that I was the father of a 5-year-old 15 years ago, while Buddy is going through it now, so there are different references and cultural touchstones here and there. The gist is the same, though.

§ Lauren Rae Orsini| looks at two sides of the convention/reporter relationship. How to be a reporter-friendly convention:

2) Extend invitations. Reporters will be honored. This is an especially relevant suggestion if you’re a small or start-up convention whom not many people have heard of yet. I’m not saying to call up CNN or anything (though if they responded, I’m sure the hype around your con would be incredible!) Find a reporter in your area who covers a beat like general culture or local events, or if you’re lucky, one that covers the topics that your convention is built around. Send them an email letting them know about the convention and invite them to attend.

AND How to be a convention-friendly reporter:

4) Don’t abuse your press pass. I know it can be tempting to use this to cut in line or get seats right up front at a panel… that you’re not even reporting. But if you habitually go to conventions in a certain area, like the eastern seaboard for example, people are going to remember your bad behavior. The same people manage conventions year after year, and the staff at one con is bound to know some of the staff at nearby cons. I doubt there is anything that could ruin your reputation faster. So just don’t do it.

§ Elizabeth Rappe investigates the recent idea that SCOTT PILGRIM and KICK-ASS will kill comic book movies. Our take? Quite the contrary — while everything runs its course in Hollywood, it will solidify the idea that a comic is as valid as a book or a ’60s sitcom as the basis for a film.

§ Would you like to buy Laura Palmer’s house? {Saw this on Twitter but didn’t make note of who tweeted, so…sorry..

§ Finally, it is likely you will enjoy this passive aggressive note regarding a much hated aspect of comics craft.