§ It isn’t just here, folks: in India a cartoonist has been arrested for harassing a woman over the phone. A female translator who hired him to illustrate a cover for a book complained that the unnamed cartoonist was calling her late at night with crank calls. The perp was found to have four other similar complaints against him and he was arrested in Bangalore.

§ Noelene Clark looks at the ‘Marvels & Monsters’ art exhibit, which explores Asan stereotypes.

“Marvels & Monsters: Unmasking Asian Images in U.S. Comics, 1942-1986” examines eight main archetypes: the Alien, the Brain, the Brute, the Guru, the Kamikaze, the Lotus Blossom, the Manipulator and the Temptress. “The images were largely negative,” says exhibition curator Jeff Yang. “This reflected the time frame — a period when the view of Asians was shaped by racist, xenophobic wartime propaganda” and fears related to immigration and economic and global rivalries. He adds that the pieces on display, some of which may “disturb and disquiet,” illustrate how “tenacious stereotypes” plus the nature of the medium (“an art of broad strokes and bright colors”) helped create stock villains, vixens and sages.

Failure01 thumb§ Tom Spurgeon chats with Karl Stevens, which spotlights not only what a talented cartoonist Stevens is, but also, the sudden dropping out of Jeff Mason, who published Alternative Comics before moving on.

§ Here’s another one for the Film Vault of Lost Comic Book Projects: Paul Dini’s live action Batman Beyond movie:

This screen adaptation would have been produced by Dini and Alan Burnett, his fellow producer on the Batman Beyond animated series. Boaz Yakin (Remember The Titans) was attached to direct. It would have told the origins of the new caped crusader, Terry McGinnis, and his relationship with an elderly Bruce Wayne. There were rumors this past July that Warners might rekindle the Batman Beyond live-action movie, but then just days later at San Diego Comic-Con the studio announced that Batman vs. Superman was in the works for summer 2015.

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§ The BBC spotlights Egyptian cartoonist Deena Mohamed whose strip Qahera features a superheroine who combats misogyny and Islamophobia.

Her website got hundreds of thousands of hits – more than 500,000 since September alone. Egypt is the top country of visitors to the site, followed by the US.

Deena also found enthusiasm among local publishers who asked her to create a printed version as well.

“It is insane. Way more exposure than I ever expected,” the 19-year-old art student says.

§ And Al Jazeera profiles Jonathan Shapiro, aka Zapiro, South Africa’s best known cartoonist, and probably the only cartoonist to be sued by the head of state.

§ Warren Ellis has started up a new newsletter called ORBITAL OPERATIONS. You can sign up here.

§ Over in comics retailing news, the shops of Madison, WI are profiled:

Over the years, Ayers, 66, has built a steady business that has turned his shop at 1910 Monroe St. – just a couple blocks up from his original location – into something of a mecca for comic book enthusiasts. “They frequently refer to us as a Monroe Street institution,” he said. “I never realized I’d become an institution when I wasn’t looking.”

§ And Bismarck, ND, where it is currently -6 degrees, has its own new comics shop, Juke Joint Comics & More, down on 500 N. Third St.

Swenson said he has noticed an increasing number of collectors in Bismarck-Mandan and thought there was a enough demand to support his business. “They (collectors) didn’t really have a place to do buying or trading,” he said. “We’re providing that niche for them.” Swenson said his inventory is about 40 percent comics and 60 percent collectables. The store caters more to adult collectors rather than kids.

§ Finally, in St. Augustine, A= Comics and Collectibles turns into a church on Sundays:

“Walking Dead” memorabilia meets you as you enter A+ Comics & Collectibles, leading to a packed showroom filled with Batman, Wonder Woman, Zombie-themed lunch boxes and games of all ilk. But on Sunday mornings, the comic book store becomes a church. The racks are pushed to the side and curtains go up in front of most of the merchandise, although the Hulk, Batman and Wonder Woman can be seen atop a display in the back, near the table reserved for Holy Communion. “It’s like a comic book store that becomes a Transformer, too,” said owner Russ Battaglia.

§ Anders Nilsen is having a holiday sale. You will not find better comcs.

§ You know that Morgan Freeman drawing that the guys supposedly created on an iPad? It was probably faked.

§ Multiversity spotlights the breakout artists and writers of 2013.