Dynamite gets Amanda Hocking
Internet author sensation Amanda Hocking is coming to comics with a deal at Dynamite to publish her Hollowland books—a zombie-based fantasy— as GNs. Hocking self published her books as e-books with over a million books sold, and now a print deal at St. Martin's. She's also a comics fan, and will be involved in writing the books herself.
Vertigo to adapt Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy for GNs
People looking for a surefire way to print money, comics division, have often suggested a Harry Potter comic book. Since that ain't happening (JK Rowling just isn't interested), Vertigo has just landed the next best thing: a graphic novel adaptation of Stieg Larsson's best-selling Millennium Trilogy, with the comics version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo set to appear in 2012. Subsequent volumes will appear in 2013 and 2014.
Schulz Library needs volunteers tomorrow
Here's an update on the status of the CCS Schulz Library, which was endangered by flood waters but saved by a plucky and heartwarming band of volunteers who risked danger and dampness to rescue every single book from the library. Although the books are high and dry, the building they were housed in is in questionable shape, and the books are extremely jumbled from the sudden move. In order to get things organized for the new class, arriving in scant days, a call has gone out for some help:
Lego versions of Road House and the Bible make life worth living
If you have been around the nerdier sectors of the net in the last decade you have surely seen The Brick Testament, by Brendan Powell Smith a loving recreation of the BIble's most gruesome, perverted and vengeful moment rendered in Lego brick men and women.
What you may NOT have known is that the whole glorious thing is coming out this month in a paperback from Skyhorse.
Well Said: Neil Gaiman
Embedded in the carpet of the new Gungahlin Public Library in Canberra, Australia.
The Atlantic on 10 Masterpieces of Graphic Nonfiction
Over on the Atlantic website, Kirsten Butler offers a list of 10 non-fiction comics that goes way beyond the usual Maus/Persepolis/Joe Sacco list.
Walking Dead and Death of Spider-Man top shaky June sales
June was another down month, with periodical comics sales down 4.62 percent from June of 2010. The GN picture was more complicated. Overall, these numbers paint a pretty dicey picture for the Fantasy Economy. (See Larry Marder's comment's here). June 2010 may have been an abnormal month for GN sales but there is a need for more franchises like Hellboys, Chews and Narutos.
Raina Telgemeier announces Drama!
On her panel at SDCC, Raina Telgemeier announced some info on her next book: it's called
Drama!
Bryan Lee O’Malley’s SECONDS to be published at Villard
Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley has been teasing a new projects called SECONDS with a photo on his Twitter feed, and Publishers Weekly has confirmed that it will be a new graphic novel to be published by Random house imprint Villard in 2013.
SDCC11: Marvel Launches Season One Graphic novels
Tom Brevoort believes in the satisfying chunk. Or in his case, "big, sizable, meaty chunks" of of story like those found in graphic novels.
Marvel has significantly rejected the notion of creating original graphic novels over the years, with former E-i-C Joe Quesada continually saying they don't make economic sense. However, maybe they do make more reading sense for new readers in a world of tablets and Kindles. Marvel has announced a new line of Season One hardcover original graphic novels which will give modern readers a modern take on the origins of classic characters:
Breaking: Bye bye, Borders
It's official....as everyone expected, Borders, the book chain that spearheaded the rise of graphic novel sin the good years, has failed to find a buyer and will be liquidated, perhaps as soon as this Friday.
Charlaine Harris plans new 3-book graphic novel series
Speaking of True Blood, which we probably were a while ago, Charlaine Harris, author of the original Sookie Stackhouse novels, is planning to get into the GN game:
