Webcomics

Is a Bill Blackbeard for Webcomics necessary since so much that is on the web is entirely ephemeral and can disappear in the blink of an eye? We'd argue: yes. The Wayback Nachine isn't enough. Look at Tokyopop's website -- a couple of no-follows and you're lost forever.

Announced at last weekend's Boston Comic Com, TEENAGE SATAN is an upcoming webcomic by Stephanie Buscema, Candis Cooke, and Marsha Cooke. (The Cookes are the niece and wife, respectively, of artist Darwyn Cooke.) It involves, well, Teenage Satan coming to Earth and going to high school while surrounded by awesome mid-century lettering.

This is what the internet was made for

The parade of free award-nominated online comics reading continues with Frank Stockton's "Hamburger for One" which was nominated for an Eisner in the "Best Short Story" category. It's the almost painful story of an awkward teen boy and his attempts to interact with his world. Read the whole thing in the link. The original story appeared in POPGUN #4.

Greg Rucka and Rick Burchett are teaming on a new steampunk/pirates/western comic called LADY SABRE AND THE PIRATES OF THE INEFFABLE ETHER, as revealed in the Stumptown podcast at about the 41:28 mark. It will appear initially as a webcomic this July.

Webcomics are moving forward with more experimentation on the infinite canvas of the browser, and taking new and unforeseen shapes. Here's one by Stevan Živadinović called "Hobo Lobo" that's a sidescroller/multi-plane retelling of the Pied Piper tale. Apparently this doesn't work on Explorer (what does?) but it worked on my decrepit and senile computer, so...happy scrolling!

Cartoonist Sarah Glidden (HOW TO UNDERSTAND ISRAEL IN 60 DAYS OR LESS) recently got back from a second trip to the Middle East, traveling with Common Language Project. While she plans an entire book on the experience, for now she's done "The Waiting Room" a 21-page comic for Cartoon Movement, Mat Bors' political comics site, with this episode about Syrian refugees. Glidden is definitely following in the footsteps of the incomparable Joe Sacco is becoming a graphic reporter on the trouble spots of the world. While there's only one Sacco, Glidden is finding her own place in the field with her work.

No one really knew what the GHOST THROAT postcards around MoCCA meant, but everyone thought it was indeed fresh.

Dov Torbin and Asher Berman

are two Americans who happened to be in Egypt when the recent revolution broke out. The Revolution Will Be Televised is Torbin's comics account of two American travelers who, through clouds of tear gas, watch a country evolve and find themselves altered by the experience. It's launching today on ACT-I-VATE.

We're on deadline so while we're catching up, just go read Mike Norton's BATTLEPUG.

MK Reed (Americus) writes to alert us to her new webcomic About A Bull which adapts the Tain Bo Cuailnge -- a colorful section of Irish legend revolving around Queen Maeve and her jealousy over the majesty of someone else's bull. Hijinks, battles and feats of amazing derring-do ensue.

After several years and three printed collections, cartoonist Julia Wertz has announced that she's finally retiring the Fart Party name for her comic strip. The name had been a constant source of bemusement for Wertz over the years -- although it didn't seem all that appropriate as the name of a comic strip about a 20-something young woman, it had the advantage of name recognition. BUt eventually it was time to move on, she explains. Wertz has moved her comics over to juliawertz.com, where her strip will continue under the moniker Museum of Mistakes.