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UPDATE: A GoFundMe has been set up to help Kelly Dale in this difficult time. Artist Jeremy Dale has passed away suddenly. Best known...

Acknowledging that moving cross country and restaffing an editorial department might be distracting for its staff, DC officially announced it's two month fill-in event today, CONVERGENCE. The event will replace the New 52 line-up for two months, April and May of 2015, with a framing 9-issue mini-series, starting with a zero issue, and spinning into 40 two part mini series. Promo art by Carlos Paguayan and Jose Marzan Jr. The event has been rumored for quite a while, and I'm told it was hatched back in the spring as a way to ease the transition as DC personnel make the move from NYC to Burbank in April 2015. The event was originally run by Tom DeFalco but he moved on and was replaced by ex-Marvel/Teshkeel editor Marie Javins, who worked closely with Dan Didio on the event. The event was announced this morning in USA Today. The whole event is being overseen by TV's Jeff King, (White Collar, Continuum, Stargate SG-1) with Carlo Pagulayan and Stephen Segovia on art on the framing mini, and Dan Jurgens and Scott Lobdell helping oversee things. The 40 two-issues minis will feature a wide variety of writers and artists.

It looks like the results of last month's settlement in the Jacky Kirby lawsuit against Marvel has yielded swift results: Kirby and Stan Lee...

Here's one of those matters where there are really no winners. The Wallace Wood Estate, which is administered by J. David Spurlock, the publisher of Vanguard Publishing, is suing Wood's ex-wife Tatjana Wood, for the possession some of 150-200 pages of Wood art. According to the complaint, the pages are worth between $2000-25,000 each.

Once again, Stan Lee Media, the shell company that does nothing but line the pockets os lawyers with frivolous lawsuits, has been dealt a blow in their attempt to take over the world. The 9th Court of Appeals ruled that no, Stan Lee Media doesn't not own Spider-Man.

Veteran comics writer James Hudnall, writer of Harsh Realm, ESPers, The Psycho and currently Blue Cat in Aces Weekly, has fallen on some difficult times and will lose a foot to a diabetic ulcer. I have no idea if Hudnall is insured or not, but he's sure to lose a few weeks of work and has set up a fund called Get James Hudnall Back on His Foot to help him over this period. He had recently moved to Austin and was not prepared for this financially.

Truly one of the busiest men in comics, Chris Butcher has been leading a triple life for the last three years. Not only has he worked at the innovative, industry leading retailer The Beguiling, he's been the show runner for the industry leading Toronto Comic Arts Festival. And in his SPARE TIME (!) he was the Marketing Director for UDON Entertainment, the art studio and publisher of many video game and manga art books. But...no more, as Butcher is leaving his post at Udon:

Word has reached us that popular editor Carol Burrell has left her post at Abrams ComicArts. Burrell was previously at Lerner Graphic Universe where she helped them launch their entire graphic novel line; she recently helped shepherd Sing No Evil by JP Ahonen and KP Alare and Warren Commission Report: A Graphic Investigation into the Kennedy Assassination by Dan Mishkin, Ernie Colon and Jerzy Drozd to publication. I'm sure she'll be busy applying her skills to some other publisher soon, but maybe if she has some spare time she can get back to her webcomic SPQR Blues?

by Edie Nugent The main stage spectacles of NYCC saw panels filled with celebrity actors and moderators alike, whipping thousands of screaming audience members into...

by Zachary Clemente STRAY BULLETS: SUNSHINE & ROSES A NEW PATH OF VIOLENCE The cult classic begins a new story arc about love and bad decisions Award-winning creator David...

Housekeeping: The Beat was down a bit over the weekend when my web host moved it to a faster, more up to date server. I also got one of those new fangled Time Warner modems that offers five times faster internet speed. So we're TURBO here! At the same time, the mouse I've been using for about five years went belly up. The coffee spill that happened a few weeks ago may have contributed but the autopsy results aren't in yet. I immediately went to Staples and bought a $10 mouse as a stopgap, and upon getting it home it did not work. PERIOD. MELONFARMER. NEVER BUY CHEAP TECH. However, luckily later in the day I was walking by a pile of discarded computer equipment and was able to obtain a Mighty Mouse from the pile.

by Zachary Clemente CHICAGO, IL – October 20, 2014 – New Chicago limited screen print society, Secret Panel, announced today that they are launching their...