To do tonight; Gaiman and Levitz in conversation at Symphony Space
Another one we'd love to attend. Author, graphic novelist, and screenwriter Neil Gaiman (Sandman, American Gods, Coraline, The Graveyard Book) has been described by the Dictionary of Literary Biography as "one of the top ten living post-modern writers." Join Paul Levitz, former publisher of DC Comics and lecturer at Columbia University's Center for American Studies as he talks with Gaiman about his life and his writing. Presented by the Institute for Israel & Jewish Studies and the Center for American Studies, ColumbiaUniversity. Seriously, you people need to start taking your iphones and recording this stuff, kamikaze style.
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To do tonight: Meet the Marvel Publishers at Midtown Downtown
Join us at Midtown Comics Downtown for Marvel: Meet the Publishers! This one of a kind event will feature a Q&A with the editor in chief and six editors at Marvel Comics, all of whom are instrumental in the daily creative decision-making process at Marvel, while guiding the fates of the iconic characters of the Marvel Universe. Learn more about what goes into the creation of events like Fear Itself, and Death of Spider-Man and ask about daily life in the fabled bullpen of Mighty Marvel Comics!
Continue ReadingIndie Month-to-Month Sales: February 2011
The Walking Dead finally becomes the top selling non Marvel/DC book in the direct market, the second True Blood book from IDW debuts lower than I'd have expected, the Garth Ennis written Jennifer Blood launches from Dynamite, and Dark Horse launches another Conan series.
Continue ReadingFlashback: Saving comics one year at a time
From the comments of our "Saving Comics" post, Tim Stoltzfus went back to this Milennium Eve 1999 post by Warren Ellis that had the same message, and a call to arms on other matters:
Continue ReadingE-book sales WAY up in February
Publishers Weekly reports that E-book sales were up sharply for February, with TRIPLE digit growth, up 202.3% with $90.3 million in sales, the leading segment as reported by the AAP. Thanks to ebook readers given as gifts over the holidays, ebook sales now equal trade paperback sales.
Continue ReadingSan Diego CCI preview: Pedestrian bridge sails over train tracks
We had this bookmarked a while ago but it is finally final: The pedestrian bridge over Harbor Drive just outside the San Diego Convention Center has opened, just in time for Padres season -- and Comic-Con! Far from being a simple, utilitarian walkway to prevent pedestrians being hit by a car, trolley or train, the Harbor Drive Bridge is an ambitious structure that has already been nominated for design awards. At 550 feet, it's one of the longest self-anchored pedestrian suspension bridges in the world, and rising 25 feet in the air presents a soaring, nautical walkway that runs from Petco Park to the Bayfront Hilton, all suspended from a 130-ft high pylon.
Continue ReadingReality stars show bust may prove you need the “Comic” in Comic-con after all
While comics sales may be soft these days, one aspect of the comics lifestyle is still booming: the ever humble comic-con has gone from an affair centered on a few bearded guys in t-shirts sitting behind some yellowing longboxes to what is the modern equivalent of the county fair: a chance to dress up, take pictures, meet nerd people, and buy nerd shit. Comic-cons around the country are booming, with sell-outs, constant media coverage and enthusiastic reports from people of every gender and age. Despite this upswing, there is some grumbling among the original comics folks about how movies and TV stars are taking over the comic-cons -- and not just at San Diego where the Hollywood hype machine throws an annual three- ring circus/orgy of promotion. Reed Pop's shows -- NYCC and C2E2 -- have been traditionally lighter on movie panels and nerdlebrities signing autographs, but even the announcement of a few guys from Ghost Hunters threw up alarm bells. Plus, even at real comic-cons the major media coverage always centers on costumes and nerdlebrities -- and that's annoying.
Continue ReadingFirst pics from BATMAN Stage show
Unlike Spiderman: Turn Off The Critics, the BATMAN LIVE - World Arena Tour is a stunt-show, albeit probably one with more plot than the old second act of STOTD. The story is devised by Allan Heinberg, Stan Berkowitz and Alan Burnett, and cast photos from the production -- which kicks off in the UK -- have just been released. There's also a piece from the BBC which suggests this show will include tons of aerial stunts:
Continue ReadingMore Green Lantern
ICv2 has some hi-res photos of Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern that we had previously missed. Looks a bit like an action figure, no? More in the link.
Continue ReadingReport on Gonick/Munroe summit on Life, the Universe and Nothing
As if to prove my thesis of comics supremacy, in what other than a golden age could a summit of great minds like Randall Munroe and Larry Gonick have previously escaped almost all notice? Gonick explained the history of almost everything with cartoons in his History of the Universe book seres, and Munroe is the cubicle-wall hero behind the defining webcomic XKCD. The event took place at Princeton U, and the Daily Princetonian offers a report:
Continue ReadingKibbles ‘n’ Bits from across the land
Mostly Hollywood tidbits with the most alarming Crow remake news yet.
Continue ReadingMust read: Sarah Glidden’s “The Waiting Room” on Cartoon Movement
Cartoonist Sarah Glidden (HOW TO UNDERSTAND ISRAEL IN 60 DAYS OR LESS) recently got back from a second trip to the Middle East, traveling with Common Language Project. While she plans an entire book on the experience, for now she's done "The Waiting Room" a 21-page comic for Cartoon Movement, Mat Bors' political comics site, with this episode about Syrian refugees. Glidden is definitely following in the footsteps of the incomparable Joe Sacco is becoming a graphic reporter on the trouble spots of the world. While there's only one Sacco, Glidden is finding her own place in the field with her work.
Continue ReadingWhat’s going to “save” comics this time?
Over the past few years I've become very skeptical of all the talk about "saving comics" -- and I say that as someone who actually started a non-profit organization whose motto was "Here to save comics!" While this could be chalked up to my own ennui, I prefer to think of it as being practical.
Continue ReadingBreaking: Layoffs at Dark Horse
CBR is reporting a round of layoffs at Dark Horse including editors Shawna Gore and Dave Land and sales assistant Max Sato. The Beat has learned that Tim Ervin, Gore's ex-husband, and another editor at Dark Horse, were also let go.
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