Culture

Well, somebody's upping their game today. iVerse, known for their Comics+ app and partnership with Diamond Digital has just announced "Comics Accelerator" -- a comics-specific crowdfunding platform. "Crowdfunding" is the technical term for sites like Kickstarter and IndieGogo.

Archaia is another company that's throwing its hat in the growing category of "digital release, then print." Certainly, digital comics are an increasingly common thing, but the relationship between digital and print is still evolving. They're taking a direction with a couple titles that I think will end up being fairly common. They're also adapting/remaking a classic manga title.

Get ready to bray in delight! IDW have announced a new My Little Pony series from Katie Cook and Andy Price!

That's according to a Variety story which suggests that Fangirls are the new golden girls for marketers at Con:

So, what did I find while I waited for Comic-Con to gather up steam for warp speed? LEGOs! Star Trek! Walking Dead! Margaret Atwood!

J. Michael Straczynski has announced the formation of a new studio which will create comics, films, TV, video games, more; also announces revival of his 'Joe's Comics' imprint for Image; next will create world peace before flying off into space, searching for more worlds to conquer.

Back in July 1982, the Comics Journal ran an article titled “Archetype Meets Angst” by one Heidi D. MacDonald. Thirty years later, during Comic-Con International surrounded by so many people she knows, we here at The Beat celebrate our Editor-In-Chief, and bestow the honorary title of "exemplar"!

We haven't had time to post all the sales charts from the month, but ICv2 is out with their analysis and it's boffo all the way. Overall sales up up significantly from last year.

This is what makes it all possible.

Comic book cosmetics are definitely on the rise. The M.A.C. line of Wonder Woman makeup a few years back was a sellout, and Sephora's Hello Kitty is still going strong; of course, there was also Spider-Man nail polish and so on. M.A.C. is following up with a line inspired by Archie Comics. While the PR hasn't revealed any shades we'd expect the Archie's Girls line to include bold reds and greens. And to launch the line, Archie's Dan Parent will be at the San Diego M.A.C. store on Fifth, signing and drawing.

Andrei Molitiu, he of Abstract Comics fame, is moderating afascinating sounding panel, along with Mark Badger. that looks at Jack Kirby and the abstract art.

Say goodbye to nine of Marvel's titles! Marvel Now! ushers in a new world without the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, or... Rogue/Gambit.