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On his Twitter account, DC's vp of Online Ron Perazza confirmed that he is leaving DC instead of moving to the West Coast, as had been previously reported. Perazza was a 12-year-vet at DC, following a stint at Marvel, starting out in creative services where he rose rapidly in influence and rank to vp of creative services. Perazza's best known public move at DC was starting the Zuda webcomics line, which was controversial but one of the most innovative efforts at DC in recent years, and one which developed a thriving online community.

In these end times, we'll likely see more of this kind of thing; a lone vigilante, striking out for justice, armed with a baton, a can of chemical irritant Freeze Plus P, and lead-lined gloves, until suffocating government interference shut him down. It all went down in Petoskey, MI where Mark Wayne Williams, 31, was peacefully minding his own business, climbing a building dressed as The Batman.

When you think of sports cartoons -- if you ever do -- you probably think of something by Bill Gallo -- he was the best known -- and probably one of the last -- practitioners of the art. The legendary NY Daily News sports cartoonist passed away yesterday in White Plains at the age of 88 after a 70 year career at the Newss.

Some stories you just don't want to write up. Connecticut-based cartoonist Josue Rivera, who works under the pen name Justiniano, has been arrested and charged with first degree possession of child pornography after a thumb drive he supplied to a funeral home was found to have images of child porn on it.

Canadians seem like a peaceful, tolerant folk, but they have a record of seizing a lot of material at the border, including, this week, several copies of the comics anthology BLACK EYE. Editor Ryan Standfest has a complete account in the link. Basically cartoonist Tom Neely was carrying five copies of the book across the border, when the books were seized. Neely writes:

Prolific Argentinean comics writer Carlos Trillo has passed away at age 68. According to reports, he was traveling in London with his wife when he began to feel unwell and was taken to the hospital where he died.

As you've probably heard elsewhere, Heritage Auction recently sold a piece of original comics artwork for...

Awards honoring the best in Canadian comics were presented last night as part of the TCAF festivities. And they are:

HERO COMICS 2011 is a benefit comic for the Hero Initiative, the highly worthy charity which helps down and out creators get back on their feet. Editor Scott Dunbier has a special treat planned for the issue: a reunion of the SANDMAN #1 team of Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg for an all new story. However, Kieth has already started work on a 9-page "making of" story (above) that he calls "a little allegorical."

After things here yesterday got a little too real, I'd like to get back to just talking about cool and wonderful things. Like Jaume Plensa's new installation at Madison Square Park, entitled "Echo." The 44-foot high fiberglass resin sculpture depicts the head of a 9-year-old girl caught in a meditative state. Set among the fresh green of early Spring, it gladdens my heart every time I see it.

In the many many reports of layoff at Wizard over the years, there was one name which never came up: Mike Cotton. Cotton had been at Wizard for 11 years as one of their most essential writers/editors, and it was commonly said that when Cotton left the Wizard ship, it would be nothing but an empty hulk drifting the seas. Well that day has come -- or it did on last Friday, according to a press release that Cotton sent out to several outlets.

The LA TImes Book Prizes were announced on Friday and Adam Hines' DUNCAN THE WONDER DOG won the award for best Graphic Novel. The mind stretching tale of a world where animals are sentient, the book has already won wide acclaim and the Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Fiction. Despite the acclaim from outside prizes, DUNCAN was blanked at the Eisner Award nominations -- well, different strokes.