News

In the proud tradition of Superman fighting landmines and other great didactic comics of the past, Marvel and the Mayor's Office of NYC have teamed for a comic book teaching New Yorkers about resources available for their job hunts. "Spider-Man, You're Hired" "features an unemployed Peter Parker starting his job search, is the Administration’s latest effort to connect out-of-work to New Yorkers to job training and placement services."

The 2011 Angoulême comics festival fast approaches, and they have just announced their official selections. Rather than nominate various books in different categories, these selections are a pool from which the Gran Prix and other prizes are given. A jury -- led this time by Baru -- will make final selections.

A horrible crime has been committed and the killer is still in the comic shop. Only YOU can stop him/her.

Diamond has a newish website called kidscomics.com with information and even a separate Kids Comics Previews order form .pdf for those retailers who want to jump into this fast-growing market segment.

Heritage Auctions is selling the original art of Page #1, Issue #1 of WATCHMEN. You know, the "Call me Ishmael" of comics. "Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen its true face." The page is being sold by English designer, musician, DJ and TV host Stephen “Krusher” Joule, known for his work on albums by Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Motley Crue, AC/DC, Deep Purple, Robert Plant and Motorhead, and a long stint as Art Director at Kerrang! Magazine. He purchased it from a comics shop for about $180 -- it is expected to sell for more than $15,000.

It's my birthday, and I'm giving myself a present. No, not a Longstreth style beard. Email escape amnesty. After looking at the thousands of...

Last week's books releases saw two blockbusters going head to head: George W. Bush's memoir, Decision Points, and Wimpy Kid #5: The Ugly Truth....

Congrats to writer Brian Wood on the arrival of Ian McMurray Wood, born last Thursday, 9 lb., 4 oz.

There have been many grassroots "cartoonist benefits" of late and the way things are going, there are bound to be many more. One of the most alarming recent calls to action was the news that Steve Rude was in danger of losing his house, and a resulting art sale. In his newsletter, The Dude reports that the house has been saved, and he's overwhelmed:

In the early days of The Beat I used to start many days with a "meta" post about my doings and very important thoughts, but that kind of personal stuff jumped the shark long ago, it seems. No one really cares about me seeing a blue lobster anymore...or rather, that's really what Twitter and Facebook are for. There's a social network for every ephemeral thought, and I now spend hours each day sharing the ephemeral thoughts of thousands of my close personal friends. In a way, it's too bad. Those were some of my most favorite posts to write -- like the time I went shopping for a mop. I guess you had to be there.

Via email, word that Charles Kochman, whose Abrams ComicArts imprint has been putting out high quality books of comics and comics history for several...

Celebrated literary figure Neil Gaiman turns 50 years old today, surely the man who did as much to make comics part of the mainstream as anyone who ever lived. He marks the occasion on his blog, of course: