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Diamond has signed with Rovio, maker of the game sensation Angry Birds, to distribute their growing line of books -- presumably by launching them from a slingshot through the windows of comics shops, bookstores and mass market retailers around the world. A worldwide sensation, the Angry Birds game has been downloaded over 400 million times. Angry Birds costumes were the top pick for this Halloween, and their merch is showing up everywhere. The book line thus far includes doodle books, and a cookbook for -- what else? -- eggs. There's been a lot of talk over when Angry Birds would enter the comics market -- one of the creators of the game is a former webcartoonist -- so far they have a webcomic based on the recent Harvest Moon game online.

Charles Brownstein notes that the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's October fundraising goal of $100,000 is 77% there -- they have today to raise the last $25,000 and lots of great premiums still available. Check out the list below and see if there's something on your wishlist.

One of the great mysteries of comics which we enjoy exploring here at Stately Beat Manor is Platinum Studios. This long running "publisher" has been the recipient of glowing profiles over the years, its business model hailed as "genius", despite the fact Platinum never actually published anything for nearly a decade of its existence. Getting the he Cowboys and Aliens movie -- based on a Platinum property -- produced was the holy grail for owner Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, (above, far left) and now that it's finally come out, to middling box office, he'll probably spend the next decade spinning out its success, just as he did with MEN IN BLACK in the 90s. Before Platinum, you seem Rosenberg was the head of Malibu Comics and before that Sunrise Distributors, both businesses which had "interesting" histories. HOwrver, getting a producer credit on the MEN IN BLACK film after finding an obscure comic to sell to Hollywood, made Rosenberg a "MAde" man in Hollywood terms. In addition, there has been much outcry over the years over creators who signed away all the rights to their work to Platinum, only to see it all go into a dark hole of development. Yet, over the last few years, despite many pactings, partnerings and acquisitions, Platinum's finances have not been not so great -- you can see them in their public filings as a penny stock -- until COWBOYS & ALIENS got made. At any rate, Platinum seems to have mastered the "comics to movies" model while hardly producing any comics, such an efficient, waste-free model that we're surprised more people haven't adopted it. With the actual existence of the C&A movie, the publishing arm of Platinum seems to have come to a close as well. In June of this year, VP of Development Dan Forcey left the company, prompting one ex-Platinum creator to tweet that the company was dead.

There's been much speculation over the fate of Krypto, Superman's pet dog who somehow came with him to Earth, in the New 52 -- it seems, based on comments at NYCC, that in this grim, no future world of economic collapse, there is no place for a dog in a cape. We'd argue that the opposite is true -- the world needs a dog in a cape more than ever! -- but it seems that Superman's dog will only be seen in flashbacks set on Krypton, like the above Gene Ha variant cover to SUPERMAN #3. He's also been given a grim and gritty makeover as an albino dire wolf, like he wandered over from the set of Game of Thrones. Those who miss Krypto will definitely enjoy the art that is going up in an auction for writer Steve Niles's greyhound Sonny, who is undergoing a very expensive treatment for lymphoma. Artists have been donating art for Niles to sell at auction and collect into a print set to raise money for the treatment. Here's a Bernie Wrightson piece, which really should be in the 31 days of Halloween folder:

Earlier today we noted Stan Lee's penchant for pacting. Sadly, his partner in the Marvel Age, Jack Kirby, did not live to see the era where his creations and influence dominate pop culture. In fact, his family is right now engaged in a bitter dispute with Marvel Comics over the rights to the characters he created. Some have called, passionately, for a boycott of Marvel over this. and they would have the high ground. But if a boycott isn't your style. Nat Gertler has started his own way to remember The King, a program called A Buck for Jack, which suggests you donate a dollar every time you go see a movie based on Kirby's creations.

What is a day in the life of Stan Lee like? Judging by the PR wire, as soon as he gets out of bed he asks himself "Whom shall I pact with today, True Believer?" and his people call some other people, and POW! a pact is born! How many times has Stan Lee pacted with another entertainment company? The answer may SHOCK you.

Looking upon the images of this check inspires both awe and revulsion. Awe that such a key part of American cultural history has been found. Revulsion that the American comic book industry was birthed in exploitation of the creators. And before anybody gets up in the comments to complain about "the greedy family," know that buying all rights in perpetuity was not necessarily the standard even in 1938.

Team Cul-de-Sac launched as a fundraising effort for Parkinson's Disease Research after Reuben award-winning cartoonist Richard Thompson was diagnosed with the disease. The plan is to publish a book next spring and auction off some of the all-star art. Along the way it's featured art by retired cartoonists like Bill Watterson and Cathy Guisewite, all drawing Thompson's Otterloop characters. Here's a new piece by not-retired cartoonist Garry Trudeau. This is gonna be some book.

While 105,000 people converged upon the New York Comic Con last week, some 150,000 booksellers, publishers, and bibiophiles packed the halls at the Frankfurt Book Fair, held October 12-16.

Yesterday was a gloomy day for the comics industry, as 15 Marvel staffers -- including several popular editors and a couple of legendary Bullpenners -- were laid off. This followed the recent layoff of COO Jim "Ski" Sokolowski. We all know the economy sucks, and that comics sales are down this year. But was that the reason for the cost cutting? Or was it Disney? The Mouse purchased Marvel for $5 billion two years, two months ago and they are well known for being very budget conscious. Did some Disney suit look at revenue, say it wasn't enough and order some budget cuts? While both these scenarios sound plausible, according to Marvel insiders contacted by The Beat, neither seems to be the case. The budget slashing is the work of Marvel's CEO, Isaac Perlmutter, an executive of legendary stinginess whose fanatical devotion to saving money —an increased interest in being hands on at Marvel — has led to the layoffs and other draconian measures inside the company.

More names of the layoffs at Marvel are drifting out, including Taylor Esposito and Damien Lucchese and Special Projects' Production Coordinator Jerry Kalinoski. A total of 12 people were let go from editorial and production. Also among those laid off: Scott "Pondscum" Elmer, also known as Scummy. Elmer had been with Marvel since the days of Romita's Raiders, a survivor of bankruptcies and Marvelcutions of the past and a figure of some legend to Marvelites past and present. He's shown above in a photo with fellow ex-Marvelites John Czop and Steve Bunche. Our very best to all those let go today.

Rumors of more layoffs at Marvel were the hot topic at NYCC and today, confirmation that editors Jody LeHeup and Alejandro Arbona have been laid off. CBR is reporting that as many as 15 people were let go today in a cost cutting measure.