News

Well, a very very looong week continues for employees of DC Entertainment as each and every person undergoes an interview to explain whether they are staying, going, or getting laid off. Ugh. There is certainly a lot of information and speculation floating around, but it seems unnecessary to play this out on the internet while staff is still being informed. In the meantime, for observers, this IGN interview with Diane Nelson, Jim Lee and Dan DiDio includes as much information as we're likely to get for now. While as many questions remain today as there were yesterday, at least there is a plan in place, says Nelson:

Okay, now we know why there's still unease over all outposts of the DC Entertainment empire today: In the first interview we've seen with DC head Diane Nelson, she explains that DC's staff will be cut by 20%:

Well now, didn't exactly see this one coming: while everyone has been wondering if WildStorm would become the new DC since they were already on the West Coast...turns out that as of December, WildStorm will be no more. WildStorm titles, licensing and kids comics, all recently coming out of La Jolla, will be turned over to the DC banner. The Zuda brand is also done for.

PR just went out announcing the organizational changes. In a surprise last-minute reprieve, editorial is staying in New York...but digital, multimedia and administrative are going to LA.

Ever since the Big Shake-up last year, both Marvel and DC have been the subject of much speculation regarding moves, with some guessing that Marvel might move to Disney's offices in White Plains...or to Burbank. However it seems that preserving the Pixar-like independence for Marvel is still a priority, as they are staying in town and merely moving a few blocks uptown. While an announcement of some kind is expected today about DC's possible West Coast move, the NY Observer confirms that Marvel is moving to newer uptown offices, , 135 West 50th Street, the same address as Sports Illustrated and EW. The House of Ideas will take over the 60,000 sq. ft. office on October 1 -- or...next Friday.

We're told a series of meetings will take place at 1700 Broadway today in which the shape of DC's move to the West Coast will be described.

Matt Fraction has become the first comics writer to win a prestigious PEN Center literary award for his "Outstanding Body of Work." The awards are presented annually to writers living west of the Mississippi. A panel of judges choose finalists in ten categories: fiction, creative nonfiction, research nonfiction, poetry, children’s literature, translation, journalism, drama, teleplay, and screenplay.

Hey kids, apparently I lost my camera at SPX. I think I must have set it down on someone's table and then just forgotten about it in all the excitement of love and comics. It's a Canon Powershot A570is from 2007. I had downloaded about 95% of the pictures on it, but I'd like to get the SPX ones back. No questions asked!

It was a wise man who said that comic book movies function as $20 million advertisements for graphic novels...and in the case of the Scott Pilgrim series it is certainly true.

DC Entertainment head Diane Nelson pledged a "no fear" era at DC since announcing changes earlier this year, everyone has been plenty nervous ever since she took over. The reason? DC's proposed move to the West Coast. Will it happen and when? That's been the question on everyone's mind. Word on the street is that next week, the answer to "Will DC be moving to the West Coast?" will finally be revealed, and an article in The Hollywood Reporter seems to back that up.

Apparently they are rioting in Canada over the fact that a man was nominated for the Kim Yale award. If by rioting, you mean writing some articles for the internet. Von Allan , the man in question nominated for the previously all-female Kim Yale Award for Most Talented Newcomer, was interviewed by the CBC and this gave rise to a couple of pieces, noting what a groundbreaker he was being nominated for an award traditionally given to women cartoonists:

Wow, New York is getting even crappier. News had been floating around for a bit, but a trip to their website confirmed that Giant Robot NY is closing next week. An offshoot of Giant Robot stores in LA and San Francisco, the East Village shop served as a gallery space for artists and cartoonists, as well as a place to snag books, toys, and wondrous gizmos. It was also the herald of the wave of Asian cultural influence that swept over the US in the last decade.