Comics

An appreciation here.

James Jean's next art book, Rift (Chronicle Books), will debut at San Diego. Jason Sacher at the Meathaus blog has a preview:

Featuring 15 accordion-style gold-foil-stamped panels and a series of interconnected landscapes (that change depending on how they’re folded) and James’ sketch-work on the reverse side, it’s a really a sight to behold.

Speaking of Jean, over at his website, he's tearing it up, going into whole new places.

Archie Comics has a big presence planned, and they even have Stan Lee. (Is there a publisher that doesn't have Stan Lee this year?) Other participants in Archie activity include Michael Uslan, Dan Parent, Batton Lash, Kevin Keller, Rich Koslowski and Tania del Rio.

Brian Hibbs has another retail-focused take on digital which begins: I had kind of hoped I was done talking about digital, for at least a...

While we've been ranting and complaining and what not it has been an epochal week in digital comics publishing with so much crap going...

Now, that is funny.

Hard as it is to believe there is more of a comics/footie connection than just Roy of the Rovers -- although who really needs more than Roy of the Rovers? We thought we'd see more World Cup comics art around but we forgot nerds aren't into sports.

You realize this movie doesn't even have all the great lines in the trailer??

Speaking of New York, Jim Woodring, the magical cartoonist of existential dread and mysetry, is here! Three nights in a row!

Yesterday video and photographic evidence of the Smurfs movie was released, and we're glad to see that New York City, the Beat's hometown, is once again the setting for the deeply profound story of alien-in-America and what we can learn about ourselves and others, especially when the others are small and blue.

Dynamic Forces sent over some advance looks at some of next month's books, including the latest installment of the comics adaptation of the WHEEL OF TIME franchise and Deepak Chopra's collected Buddha adaptation.

Okay, we've restocked our load of piss and vinegar and we've loaded our shotgun for bear! UNTIL WE TELL IT, WE JUST CAN"T MOVE ON! My first "Complaints" post drew a bit of private praise, especially from those who welcomed a return to more pointed commentary. To which I say, I'd love to do more of it but I was literally up until dawn writing that first one (I'm ssslllooowww) and this one will take just as long. Especially since this time I"m taking on everyone's FAVORITE SUBJECTS: Race and gender. It's a good thing comics never talk about religion or we'd be here all night and day! And if I can predict one thing with dead certainty it's this: Gene PHillips will show up in the comments.