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SlashnBurn is “an anti-art arts journal seeking to publish and bring attention to work outside the conveyor belt work coming out of most workshop-based MFA programs.” Currently accepting submissions in fiction, flash fiction, comics, creative nonfiction, memoir, poetry, reviews, and blended-genre. No hard genre work. High-concept is fine, but grounded in real human conflict and action. Deadline: Rolling.

Writer Dan Abnett (Aquaman) has just been announced for an exclusive deal over at DC. The creator, best known for reimagining Guardians of the Galaxy with his writing partner Andy Lanning has already been announced as the writer of DC’s upcoming Aquaman series during Rebirth. Rebirth is the publisher’s brand new superhero line-wide initiative that […]

First rule of Garfield: You can never have enough Garfield!

The post Alcon Plans A Series of Fully-CG ‘Garfield’ Features appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

This week, two Marvel #1's shipped and they both have one thing in common: amazing cliffhangers that are the product of a long period of careful foreshadowing and preparation. I love it when good plans come together, and boy do they ever in Captain America #1 and Nighthawk #1.

Quiet and brooding, while still warm and with a great delicacy, Barbara Yelin’s Irmina takes the author’s own discovery of her grandmother’s World War II era diaries and letters, and applies the resulting biography to higher philosophical heights that really concern the way any of us encounter the world. Irmina is a young German girl […]

While readers tip-toe over spoilers from the DC Universe: Rebirth #1 special launching in T-minus eight(ish) hours in New York, author and DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns has offered to write checks to anyone who wasn’t satisfied with their reading experience. In an interview with ComicBook.com today, Johns urged readers who weren’t satisfied with […]

Mother’s Day is good every year, but this year it was especially good because we got to Skype my little brother.  Adam is serving an LDS mission in Iquitos, Peru, teaching the gospel, helping the people there, cleaning houses with machetes…(this really did happen.)  We don’t get to chat with him much–just one email a week–but on Christmas and Mother’s Day, we get an hour to talk and he tells us how he’s doing and goes on about how awesome Mom is and, on the whole, makes the rest of us look bad.

This is a picture of him, burning a shirt on his halfway-through-the-mission day. (This is a missionary tradition.)

This is a picture of the fire quickly getting out of control.

He looks a little creepy in those, so here is a better picture of him.  Or at least, a picture of him where he’s not the creeper.

On a sad note, Adam’s been pretty sick lately with a mysterious fever.

They thought it was the dengue (jungle fever) but the tests came back negative.  Then they thought it was a disease spread by a feral cat.  (Adam has a thing for cute little animals…he was in the middle of digging a ditch, and stopped to play with a nearby kitten.)

The kitten was, actually, diseased.  And feral.

But the sickness wasn’t from the cat, either.

They finally found out what it was…

…it was…

TYPHOID FEVER.

Thankfully, antibiotics cure this (he’s feeling better already!).

I’m totally getting this t-shirt for him for his birthday:

He was pretty much better by the time we chatted on Mom’s Day.

We also got to talk to my sister, who’s just started a mission in Holland!  Here’s a picture of her with a stroopwaffle (whatever that is):

She had interesting things to say, too…

I guess spiders are a problem there.

She says the spiders are so bad there, they have something called “Spider Season.” (September-October.)  Millions of spiders come out and spin webs EVERYWHERE.

Last Spider Season, two missionaries were knocking on doors.

One guy didn’t want them around.

So he

(rip)

THREW SPIDERS AT THEM!!!!

WHY??  WHY??  WHY WOULD ANYONE DO SOMETHING SO TERRIBLE???

Let me warn you, you people in Europe who are reading this blog.  I am a mostly nice person.  But if you throw spiders at my sister, I will find you.

I MEAN THIS.

Anyway, why would you want to throw spiders at missionaries?  Most spiders aren’t even deadly.  If you really don’t like missionaries…there are way more effective things to throw at them.

*looks both ways*

 Listen.  I’m gonna clue you in on a few Mormon secrets.   But you have to PROMISE that what you read on this blog stays on this blog.  Ok?

Ok.  Here goes.  THINGS YOU SHOULD THROW AT MORMON MISSIONARIES.

Thing #1:  $20 bills.

Take a few thousand out of your bank account and keep it by your door, just in case you hear them knock.  Then, THROW.  It may look like they’re grinning big and stuffing them into their pockets, but $20 bills are made of filthy lucre.

It will slowly melt the flesh offa those squeaky clean missionaries.  Trust me, you throw $20 bills at them, and the next morning, they will look like this:

(Side note:  Mormons always sleep with their Sunday clothes on, no exceptions.  If you see a Mormon sleeping in pajamas, you’ll know that they’re a BAD MORMON.)

Thing #2: Fudge.

Fudge is especially toxic to missionaries.  Is it not written “He who defileth his flesh with the tender goodness of fudge shall surely not entereth into heaven?  Especially rocky roadeth flavors and raspberry sea salteth?”  There’s a special place in outer darkness for missionaries who eat raspberry sea salt fudge, it’s a theological no-no.  Just so you’re aware.

(Be sure to cut them up into bite-sized cubes (about 2″ x 2″ though 1″ x 1″ is acceptable as well, I suppose.)

Thing #3:  Pillow Pets.

Because Pillow Pets are not good for anyone.

Thing #4:  Rocks.

But only if the rocks look like this:

Of course, you’ll be able to throw them much further if they’re set in 24 carat gold or possibly platinum.  It makes them quite a bit more aerodynamic.  Here is a scientific graph to illustrate what I mean.

This isn’t just effective on missionaries, you can also throw them at regular Mormons.  Like me.  Mostly me.  Only me.  Feel free to throw this stuff at me anytime.

(I like pearls.)

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The post Spider Season appeared first on Story Monster.

Author, musician and occasional illustrator Gerard Way (The Umbrella Academy) is finally getting a chance to take on comics in a bigger role than ever before with DC’s Young Animal imprint. The line includes the following titles: Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye written by Way and Jon Rivera with art from Michael Avon Oeming (Powers), […]

Planet Comicon has been the one of most loved cons of the Kansas City area for 17 years and this weekend will be one for the books. Sure you can meet Nolan North and Troy Baker who voice Nathan and Sam in the epic Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Yes, Stan Lee will be at the […]

Author Cullen Bunn (Sinestro) has a few holes in his schedule thanks to his landmark title, Sinestro coming to an end along with his other DC work. While the writer moved onto X-Men as part of Marvel’s All-New, All-Different line of books, the author still has the time for a Battlestar Galactica ongoing at Dynamite […]

The Task Force X, also known as the Suicide Squad, first appeared in a DC Entertainment comic book called The Brave and The Bold written by Robert Kanigher (The Metal Men) and drawn by Ross Andru (The Amazing Spider-Man) in 1959. A revamped version debuted again in Legends #3 and spun off into an ongoing comic book […]

My mom read last week’s blog post, and reminisced upon a tale of a teeter totter, giant cacti, and my older brother Tom (3 years old at the time).

When I was 2, we lived in Tucson, Arizona.  I don’t remember much except that the spiders were HUGE.  (You don’t forget things like that.)  But mom said there was a teeter-totter in the backyard, which I imagine looked like this:

One day Tom was playing on the teeter-totter

and got his leg twisted beneath it.

He had a good cry, and then refused to walk after that.  Mom had to carry him everywhere.

For a week she carried him, and then worried that he might have actually broken his leg, she took him to the doctor.

The doctor looked at Tom’s leg, then went to his drawer

where he pulled out an uninflated balloon.  (Hahaha.  Those were the days.)

He said:

You guessed it.

I hear kids will do this to you your WHOLE LIFE.

Thank you so much, everyone, for entering the Mary Poppins coloring contest!  There were some beautiful (and very creative) entries.  My coworkers here at Disney Interactive were kind enough to make a decision:

Ages 0-11:
1st place –  Leong Ton Yan
Honorable Mentions –  Lucy S. & Anna Stein

Ages 12-19:
1st Place – Annie Anderson
Honorable Mentions – Vivian Vriend & Ruth

Ages 20+:
1st Place – Dale McCarthy
Honorable Mentions – Elizabeth Muennich & Patrice

We have a bonus honorable mention at the end for Chad Jemmett, everyone loved the Tim Burton-esque Mary Poppins.

I loved seeing so many different takes on Mary Poppins…we MUST do this again soon!

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The post Kids Do the Darndest Things (+ coloring contest results!) appeared first on Story Monster.

Me:  Check out paragraph 2 of this press release I just got—

May 5, 2016, Mount Laurel, NJ: Four of the leading independent comic book publishers have come together with Groupees to offer fans a low cost entry into the world of original storytelling from some of the leading names in graphic fiction!

This cross-publisher pay what you want “Bundle of Independents” features approximately $300 worth of books by some of the industry’s greatest creators from Garth Ennis, Greg Rucka, Duane Swierczynski, Andy Diggle, Howard Chaykin, Peter Milligan, Andy Diggle, Jim Starlin, Jae Lee, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Tim Seeley, Jeff Lemire, Dustin Nguyen, Brian Wood, Rick Remender, Joe Hill, Sam Keith, Charles Soule, Cullen Bunn, and more!

brilliant editing, guys

Scott: that’s so embarrassing

Me: ALSO

The all-men lineup. Lower in the press release you learn that one of the items in the bundle is Saga. 

Why on earth wouldn’t you mention Fiona (and BKV for that matter) in your summary???

Scott: that’s insane.

But you know what? They didn’t mention Darwyn Cooke, either. Or Bryan Lee O’Malley, Walter Simonson.

Poorly done

Me:

Scott: what a perfect expression

Me: He’s the Mr. Knightley to the Emma actress you looked up the other day, the one I knew SO WELL

from, you know, Emma

Scott: yes

He’s Sherlock

Me: Also Edmund from Mansfield Park

Scott: yes

Me: You realize this is why nothing gets done in modern civilization

It’s time for our semi-annual comics for tweens roundup.  Here’s a few comics that your tweens will adore!

source: Goodreads

A group of teenage girls used to be the Zodiac Starforce: they spent their freshman year fighting monsters. But that’s pretty much over two years later…or so they think it is until their leader, Emma, is attacked by a monster and infect her. Good for tweens and teens, Ganacheau’s bright coloring and magical girl style is fun to real.

source: Goodreads

AT LONG LAST, Amulet #7 has arrived! Your young patrons will be so excited! Emmy, Trellis, and Vigo visit Algos island, where they can enter lost memories, looking for knowledge they can use against the Elf King. This series continues to be great. Use it for displays to get your teens excited about comics!

source: Goodreads

Originally a webcomic, Help Us Great Warrior is a delightful tale of a deceptively tiny Great Warrior protecting her village from evil-doers. But she has a huge secret. How will her friends feel about her protecting them when they find out?

source: Goodreads

Sixth in the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series, this juvenile nonfiction graphic book takes on the Battle of the Alamo. Your kids that already like NHHT will, of course, love it, but it’ll stand well on its own.

BONUS: COMING SOON

source: Goodreads

We’re getting a new Raina this year! Did you know we were getting a new Raina this year?? It’s out in September, and here’s the copy to read to your kids to get them excited about the fall:

Catrina and her family are moving to the coast of Northern California because her little sister, Maya, is sick. Cat isn’t happy about leaving her friends for Bahía de la Luna, but Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from the cool, salty air that blows in from the sea. As the girls explore their new home, a neighbor lets them in on a secret: There are ghosts in Bahía de la Luna. Maya is determined to meet one, but Cat wants nothing to do with them. As the time of year when ghosts reunite with their loved ones approaches, Cat must figure out how to put aside her fears for her sister’s sake – and her own.

*
Our cross-poster from YALSA today is Ally Watkins (@aswatki1). Ally is a library consultant at the Mississippi Library Commission.

The post Comics Update! appeared first on ALSC Blog.

Image from http://bit.ly/1StCQOy.

Hurrah! Spring has officially arrived- at least for the most part.  Although it seems to be a daily surprise here in my part of the country whether or not we will have spring or winter temperatures, I thought it was a great time for sharing some fresh, new graphic novels with you! Below are a few of my favorite titles that have been published so far this year. I’m sure you and your patrons will enjoy them!

Complete Chi’s Sweet Home: Part 2 by Konami Kanata. Vertical Comics; 2016.

Cat lovers of all ages will adore this manga series! This recently released title collects volumes four through six from Kanata’s original series. Follow Chi in her adorable adventures as she learns how to live with her adoptive family, the Yamadas, and searches for her mother.

Unicorn Vs. Goblins: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure by Dana Simpson. Andrews McMeel Publishing; 2016.

The third volume in the Phoebe and Her Unicorn series delivers plenty of laughs, just like the previous two titles. Readers will follow Phoebe and her narcissistic unicorn best friend, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, on some goofy adventures. The pair visit summer music camp, hangout with Marigold’s sister, Florence Unfortunate Nostrils (ha!), and encounter a goblin queen. An especially great pick for tween readers.

The Great Pet Escape by Victoria Jamieson, Henry Holt and Co.; 2016.

The amazing creator of Newbery honor book Roller Girl has now given us this gem! Have you ever wondered what classroom pets do once the students and teachers have went home for the day? Jamieson gives us a hilarious look at the after-hours antics of the pets of Daisy P. Flugelhorn Elementary as they attempt to escape, get into a food fight, and more. Younger readers in kindergarten through second grade will be cracking up, I know I was!

The Nameless City: Volume 1 by Faith Erin Hicks. First Second; 2016.

Image from http://bit.ly/21fQDus.

This title is slated to be the beginning of a new series from Hicks and it is filled with adventure and intrigue. Two kids from opposite sides of a long-held conflict become friends in the City. It remains nameless due to the constant invasions by other nations, seeking to control the only passage through the mountains to the ocean in this well-developed fictional world. Recommended for older tween readers, this graphic novel takes on more serious issues of identity while providing plenty of fun action.

What are some of your favorite graphic novels published this year so far? Happy reading until next time!

The post Fresh Graphic Novel Picks appeared first on ALSC Blog.

DC has been combining all sorts of strange characters from old television shows with the Batman ’66 Adam West in the publisher’s digital-first offerings on Comixology and later on in print. In the tradition of Green Hornet and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. comes a pairing with The Avengers. No, not those Avengers, Steed and Mrs. Peel […]

Jeremy Holt is the perfect example of a grinder. Over the years, he’s forged connections and written good comics to write for Challenger Comics (the under appreciated home of great indy comics), Monkeybrain (the digital-first and quality-driven publisher) and now the new Heavy Metal comics imprint. I interviewed him about the “music as time travel” […]

It's a hall of mirrors and every reflection bears the smiling face of Captain Jack Harkness! Titan comics announced today that a new Torchwood series will join their Doctor Who comic book universe, with issue one penned by the indefatigable John Barrowman.

Taking the idea of awareness and screwing with it from multiple vantage points — self-awareness, awareness of the space around you, familial awareness, scientific awareness, societal awareness — Aama addresses, among other things, the notion of a hive mind and presents mankind as a damaged entity, one in which each part is out of sync […]

Remember those Archie announced for release in the Kickstarter from last May? The publisher is finally making good on the promise to roll out one those titles with the upcoming launch of Betty & Veronica #1. Artist and comics veteran Adam Hughes (Justice League) is writing and drawing the series. The new comic premieres July 20th. The story […]

While many remember The Death of Superman story line at DC, I remember the death of Superman’s red trunks in during The New 52 with more anger– it seems as though the publisher is trying to leave behind a key element of the character’s design. Artist Tom Derenick (Batman/Superman) has posted a better look at Jim Lee’s […]

The Comic Book Women, an advocacy group helping raise the profile of women working in comics, had a great showing at Emerald City Comic Con this year with several panels this year. This wasn’t a case of putting women on a panel and focusing on their gender perspective. It was about providing a group of talented women that could share their experience and provide insight into how to make it in the comic book industry—resulting in a panel for everyone. What secrets did they share on selling your comic book?

Comic books continue to reach mainstream audiences and have stretched into academia. At the Panels and Pedagogy: Teaching Comics panel, panelists aimed to help answer questions that arise about—teaching comic books, formal instruction for creators, and establishing the academic discipline of comics. Where do comic books fit in your academic life?

Anyone fascinated by the emerging world of digital comics was in for a treat at C2E2, thanks to a panel made up of a group of very diverse, very qualified professionals from the field. The discussion hosted speakers Mark Waid (Co-Founder at Thrillbent), Jen Brazas (creator of the Mystic Revolution webcomic), economics entrepreneur Jordan Plosky […]

Roaming around Austin during SXSW is a perfect way to stumble into discoveries. One such find this year was the Nordic Lighthouse—a showcase of Nordic startup tech, cinema, music, food, and design. Lucky for me Simon Stålenhag, the author of Tales From The Loop, was part of that showcase. I managed to get some time where he talked about inspiration, Swedish countryside, the eighties, why his dad's bedtime story was Alien, and poetry.