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FU Press (i’e Fantagraphics Underground) is an imprint for more “edgy” material from the publisher. And they’ve just released a few new books from artist Derek Van Gieson, underground legend Guy Colwell and experimental cartoonist Zak Sally. And here they are:   Derek Van Gieson’s Enough Astronaut Blood to Last the Winter is part fine-art book, part travelogue documenting the […]

Danielle S. Pemble for The New York Times

§ Norm Breyfogle suffered a stroke on December 17th, but he’s making great progress, as shown in this video; his fundraiser to help with his rehab is still underway and NOW he’s the poster child for medical bill crowdfunding, with this profile in the New York Times. It’s great to see Norm recovering and we send him all our best.

§ The New York Times also covered the Angouleme comics fest complete with a slideshow. Of course, the focus was on Charlie Hebdo, but…as someone who has been following comics media for more than a decade that is still pretty amazing.

§ Everyone was puzzled and angry about the new FF trailer, so they had to watch it over and over again to make sure of what was puzzling and angering them. And then it became Fox’s’ most watched trailer ever. Who’s laughing now, sucker?

§ Cartoonist Robyn Chapman is now employed as assistant editor at First Second, which is win win win for everyone. Congrats, Robyn!

§ Yam Rooks Rina Ayuyang has a very detailed run down of her 2014, with show reports and more. [Link via The Tiny Report]

§ And Zainab Akhtar runs down the 20 most anticipated comics and graphic novels for 2015; after a look it’s going to be a very good year.

§ I put together another list of Spring 2015 GNS for PW, but it’s still behind the paywall. I’ll alert the troops when it’s out.

§ SF book shop Borderlands Books is closing in March and the main cause is that California has raised the minimum wage to $12.25 an hour. That will increase the payroll 39% and operating costs 19%. It’s very sad that paying workers the very modest sum of $12.25 an hour will cause an unworkable business model, especially since SF is the second most expensive city to live in in the US, it seems to be a downward spiral. I wonder if this will also affect Californian comics shops?

§ FanX was held over the weekend in Salt Lake City, and it went fine, especially with capping tickets at 50,000—previous shows has some crowding, which was avoided this time:

Halfway through its third and final day, Salt Lake Comic Con announced it had sold out its FanX event and was closing on-site ticket sales.

Unlike previous comic con events, which drew as many as 120,000 attendees, ticket sales were capped at 50,000, with attendance measuring just above that, according to preliminary reports.

“I think we kept it just about the right size,” co-founder Bryan Brandenburg said. ” FanX officials ironed out logistical concerns from previous events, including the second Salt Lake Comic Con that was held just four months ago in September.

Wristbands with RFID chips kept lines flowing in and out of the Salt Palace while the limited ticket numbers ensured the previously crowded convention floor was comfortable to navigate. “I think we’ve learned a few lessons from last time,” Brandenburg said. “I think we kept it just the right size, and our customer support lines were more quiet than they’ve ever been, which is great.”

§ Joe Illidge looks at the history of Storm.

A strong Black woman who survived through poverty and the loss of her parents as a child, discovered her extraordinary gifts and used them to help her people, travelled to America to help on a global scale, lost her powers, refused to become a victim and emerged as a woman strong enough to wrest leadership of the X-Men from a superpowered comrade, became the leader of a band of underground mutants by defeating the band’s leader in battle, returned home for self-exploration, regained her powers, and married King T’Challa, thereby becoming the Queen of Wakanda, one of the most technologically advanced nations on Marvel’s Earth.

§ Stolen Sharpie has a list of fine fest and small press-y things, but it is far from complete and missing a bunch of CAFs, but clip and save and pencil in. [Link via Panel Patter]

§ Zak Sally has not only released one of the most challenging comics of the last 12 months, but he’s joining Anders Nilsen in doing an end around on Amazon.

§ While I was checking that last bit, I also noticed that Zally has lost the URL LaMano21 which is the site for his publishing company, due to missing a renewal and a squatter moved in and now he’s in a fight to get it back. Which is a good reminder. FOR GOD’S SAKE SET YOUR DOMAINS TO AUTORENEW. Or at least make sure your GoDaddy* emails don’t go to spam. It’s very difficult to get a lapsed domain back and a little attention and it will never happen.

* Yes I know GoDaddy is comprised of sexist pigs but they also make renewing very easy.

§ Finally, this Funnybook Babylon link has been making the rounds, but it is a sobering reminder of just how awful the 90s really were for comics, when Wizard Magazine was considered the hottest cool thing in the biz and ran things like panels of women and explained how hot and sexy they were. I mean yes, people didn’t have internets so they had to find wank material anywhere they could, but this was the best selling item in comics shops for several years.

Why Does Wizard Think This is Sexy? They’ve never seen a real porno magazine before, so the idea of one appearing in a comic book is mysterious and wonderful. This is a tangent, but it always bothers me when people in comic books act like their world actually looks like a comic book. People have distinguishing characteristics besides costumes and colors; if you put different people in (most) superhero outfits, no one would mistake Thor/Iron Man/Captain America/Bruce Banner for Hawkeye just because Mark Ruffalo or Chris Hemsworth put on Jeremy Renner’s costume. I think everyone could tell that it was Zoe Saldana as Gamora even though her skin color was altered, so color-corrected She-Hulk nudie photos would look like nudie photos of She-Hulk with caucasian skin. I haven’t seen anyone go “it’s cool if you post my leaked naked phone pics, so long as you Photoshop my skin to be green, that way no one will know it’s me.”

Thank god we’ve come so far since then.

Author and historian Danny Fingeroth sent along his panel programming for this weekend’s Wizard World Minneapolis, and whatever the ongoing controversy, it is fair to say that WizWorld programming has improved quite a bit. While looking through the programs, we noticed that one participant is indie comics stalwart Zak Sally</a> of La Mano Press, Sammy the Mouse and more. Let’s just say that if there is one person we never expected to see at a Wizard World show it’s Zak Sally. Maybe he will hang out with “social media sensations” Nash and Hayes Grier and Nathan Fillion, and then the circle will be complete.

Here’s Danny’s programming line-up:

FRIDAY, MAY 2:

6:00 – 6:45PM
ONE-ON ONE WITH DAN JURGENS
Dan Jurgens is an accomplished creator who both writes and draws the adventures of the comic book industry’s most legendary characters including Superman and Spider-Man. His storytelling talents have breathed life into the most noteworthy properties from DC Comics, Marvel Comics and more. Dan has also created numerous characters that have become enduring staples in their fictional universes while stretching to other media as well. Dan speaks about his work and career with comics writer and editor Danny Fingeroth (Superman on the Couch). (M100 E)
 
 
SATURDAY, MAY 3: 

11:00 – 11:45AM
1939: THE YEAR THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING (BATMAN WAS JUST THE BEGINNING!)
75 years ago, as fateful events that would lead to the outbreak of World War II in September 1939 were coming together in Europe, the U.S.A. was experiencing an explosion of popular culture. In 1939, Batman debuted in Detective Comics #27; Timely (later Marvel) Comics released Marvel Comics #1, showcasing the first Marvel superheroes, Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch; and Hollywood produced classic films including The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind and Stagecoach. Discussing historical and cultural factors that made that year so important is a panel including Dr. Alex Lubet (University of Minnesota), pop culture expert Aaron Sagers, and Danny Fingeroth (Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero.) (M100 B)
 
 
1:00 – 1:45PM
THE COMIC BOOK AND ME: BOB DYLAN AND COMICS
As he has profoundly affected creators in all media, Bob Dylan has influenced comics and graphic novel writers and artists for the past five decades. Showing and discussing Dylan homages and references in comics through the years (including Moore and Gibbons’ Watchmen) are Dr. Alex Lubet (a Dylan expert who teaches Bob-courses at the University of Minnesota) and Danny Fingeroth (The Stan Lee Universe.) (M100 I)
 
3:00 – 3:45PM
SUPERSTAR ARTISTS ROUNDTABLE WITH KEVIN MAGUIRE, BARRY KITSON, CHAZ TRUOG AND DOUG WHEATLEY
Five of the top artists in comics talk about their careers, their craft, the comics business and whatever else might come up. Join Kevin Maguire (Justice League; Captain America,) Barry Kitson (Thor; X-Force,) Chaz Truog (Coyote; Animal Man) and Doug Wheatley (Star Wars; Batman) for this pencil-powered panel. Danny Fingeroth (How to Draw Comics from Script to Print DVD) moderates. (M100 I)
 
5:00 – 5:45PM
INDEPENDENT COMICS CREATORS ROUNDTABLE WITH: ZANDER CANNON, ZAK SALLY, VINCENT STALL, AND URSULA MURRAY HUSTED
The model of comics creators tethered to one or two major publishers, working on adventures of corporately-owned characters is no longer the only game in town. Many of the top talents in comics work either exclusively on their own material, while others work both sides of the street, alternating independent work with mainstream assignments done in their own distinctive styles. Here, speaking about how they have forged their own paths, are some of the most distinctive creators in comics today: Zander Cannon (Double Barrel; Heck,) Zak Sally (Sammy the Mouse; Recidivist,) Vincent Stall (5M The Busline Diary; Jetsom) and Ursula Murray Husted (Drawing on Yourself; The Lions of Valletta.) Danny Fingeroth (How to Draw Comics from Script to Print) moderates. (M100 I)
 
6:30 – 7:15PM
CAPTAIN AMERICA VS. SUPERMAN: THE BATTLE OF THE SUPER PATRIOTS
One started as a car crushing super human before fighting for “Truth, Justice and the American Way.” The other began as a flag-clad symbol of propaganda before breaking with the government. And in 2016, sequels to their movies will go head to head on the same weekend. Join pop culture expert and TV personality Aaron Sagers, along with other geeky pundits, as they talk Cap vs. Supes in a discussion about the icons have crossed paths, evolved, stayed similar or became radically different. (M100 E)
 
 
SUNDAY, MAY 4:                            

12:00 – 12:45PM
GETTING RESPECT: COMICS GO TO COLLEGE
Comics and graphic novels have come into their own as subjects worthy of—indeed, demanding—attention from academia. Historians and cultural theorists teach courses, hold conferences, and publish books on various aspects of sequential art colleges and universities teach courses in comics as literature and social history as well as how to make them. Here, to give an overview of various ideas about and approaches to comics studies are a cross-section of comics scholars and teachers, including Barbara Schulz (Minneapolis College of Art and Design—MCAD—Comic Art Degree Program), Ursula Murray Husted (University of Wisconsin Stout), and Dr. Alex Lubet (University of Minnesota). The panel is moderated by Danny Fingeroth (The Rough Guide to Graphic Novels.) (M100 I)
 

2:00 – 2:45PM
HOW TO WRITE COMICS WITH ZANDER CANNON, ZAK SALLY AND DANNY FINGEROTH
Accomplished comics writers Zander Cannon (Top Ten; The Tick,) Zak Sally (Sammy the Mouse; Recidivist) and Danny Fingeroth (Deadly Foes of Spider-Man; How to Create Comics from Script to Print) show and tell you how to write comics and graphic novels, going from initial idea to outline to script to finished story. Plus, the panelists will answer your questions about both the creative and business sides of the comics writing profession, including how to find an artist to work with (hint: a comics convention is the number one place!) and how to write exciting dialogue! (M100 I)

Tweet It’s all still a bit cloak and dagger (and very early days), but there’s a new and upcoming  event in Minneapolis this August. Cooked up by Zak Sally, Anders Nilsen, Tom Kaczynski (all of whom are currently faculty members at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design), local publishers 2D Cloud, TalkWeird Press, Grimalkin press [...]