Comics

After braving the (for Southern California) biblical rain storms in getting from San Diego to Anaheim, I rushed past the bewildered cheerleaders and volleyball players to make what was promised as a panel full of pyrotechnics.  Mark Waid versus David Steinberger of comiXology over the appropriate price point for digital comics.  Same as print?  An iTunes like $0.99 flat price for everything?  Somewhere in between?

The awesome new process blog Comic Tools has weekly posts on process that make it worth a look for anyone, but this post on Hawkeye's bad archery is also a blast. The original post at Wired has Jeremy Renner's form as a complete fail, and even a dummy can see that Merida's (from Pixar's upcoming BRAVE) form is way better than Hawkeye's.

Publisher Rizzoli has responded to complaints lodged here and at the Big Planet blog about production shortcomings in the new edition of Hugo Pratt's The Ballad of the Salt Sea.

When word got out last year that Rizzoli US was planning a new edition of CORTO MALTESE, hearts of Eurocomix fans soared. The signature work of comic grand master Hugo Pratt, the CORTO books are a colorful, romantic, languidly nostalgic series of grand adventures told with some of the greatest chiaroscuro art in comics. Although the CORTO MALTESE books have been sporadically available here in the US (in the past from both NBM Harvill Press), the usual translation from the French was thought to be pretty poor, and the rights to put out a new edition seemed to be in total limbo. Thus the news of a new edition from a respected art dealer with a new translation by a respected writer sounded like a dream come true. But, instead, it's been another huge mistake that just adds to the curse of CORTO in English.

Although best known for their biographical comics line, Bluewater publishes other titles, original and licensed. Here's a new book based on Solder of Fortune magazine, full of rootin' tootin' manly action — the first series will be written by NY Times bestselling author Marc Shapiro with art by Steven Black:

Andy Ihnatko has a new iPad and he also has a beta of comiXology's new app optimized for the new retinal display and he says it rocks. Not only that, but comiXology will be upgrading all of its offerings to the HD format...FREE.

Well, here's a cool idea. The WOMANTHOLOGY anthology which garnered a ton of money on Kickstarter and a ton of attention everywhere will be spun off into an ongoing comics series which will feature three-issue themed minis. The first theme is SPACE and contributors include Blair Butler, Fiona Staples, Jessica Hickman, Bonnie Burton, Ming Doyle, Stacie Ponder, and more. The book was announced at the Womanthology panel at WonderCon. Unlike the anthology, which was a benefit, contributors will be paid for their work. So, that's all done and dusted then.

An anonymous critics has started a Shit My New Yorker Cartoons Tumblr, which parses the ineffable humor of New Yorker cartoons:

Cursing the basketball gods because your bracket is broken? Searching for a tournament bracket which better suits your knowledge base? We present a multitude of 2012 non-sports tournaments, from popular culture, food, and corporate America!

Brian Wood used to be known as a Vertigo writer. Axel Alonso used to be known as a Vertigo editor. When Wood's time at Vertigo ended, did you think Brian and Axel might have a chat? Maybe.

Being announced at Wondercon right now: what's going on with Avengers Academy and the Avengers Vs. X-Men Event.

Spinning out of the Spider-Man panel at Wondercon, we have two announcements: the next Spidey arc (and villain) and a Punisher mini-series that's a bit different from the monthly.