§ Kiel Phegley has just launched a new interview blog, Four Color Forum, and given his track record, we suspect it will be worthy of a bookmark.

§ Al Nickerson investigates the classic mystery, “Who Really Created Spider-Man?”

Many comic book fans have heard of the story of where, one day in 1962, Stan Lee saw a fly crawling on a wall which inspired Stan with the idea of a teenage super-hero possessed with spider-like super powers. Thus, Stan had his Spider-Man character. Stan Lee first gave the Spider-Man idea to Jack Kirby to illustrate. Kirby designed his own Spider-Man, and even drew several story pages featuring his version of the character.


Nickerson doesn’t find a definitive answer but it seems to be a pretty good primer to the case for newcomers.

§ Karin Taylor, who was instrumental to last year’s SPLAT graphic novel conference, has been let go by the New York Center for Independent Publishing:

The departure of Taylor caught much of the indie press community by surprise and raised concerns about the future of the Center for Independent Publishing’s future. In a letter sent to NYCIP supporters, GSMT president Daniel Walkowitz, called Taylor’s departure “a very painful decision,” but also pointed to the economic crisis. “Like many nonprofit organizations,” Walkowitz wrote, “the GSMT is in a very severe fiscal crunch due to the current economic crisis,” and “had no other choice but to layoff the position of the director of the NYCIP.” He emphasized, however, that despite budgetary problems the GSMT remains committed to the continuation of NYCIP and its programs. Among its most prominent programs, NYCIP sponsors the Small Press Book Fair in March, the New York Round Table Writers Conference in August and in the last year launched Splat! A Graphic Novel Symposium.

§ Not comics: If you’re wondering why so many people are heartbroken over the death of Cramps frontman Lux Interior, this discography by über-fan Steve Bunche should give you an idea.

1 COMMENT

  1. I didn’t see them, but apparently all the Cramps came to the San Diego Comic-Con back in the 1980s when it was held at the Convention and Performing Arts Center and they were in town for a gig. They were just wandering the dealers’ room as fans.