Month: August 2020

Can’t Wait for Comics | Dog Man, ‘Empyre,’ Doctor Who and more

New comics and graphic novels arrive this week from Al Ewing, Simone Di Meo, Dav Pilkey, Emma Kubert, Jen Hickman, Zac Thompson, Jody Houser and more.

We are back again with a look at what’s arriving in comic shops, bookstores and on digital this week. And what a week it is, with new Dog Man, Black Widow, Doctor Who and many other debuts, along with the big ending of Marvel’s Empyre miniseries.

If you’re wondering what to get this week, check out a few recommendations below. You can check the Comic List page to see what’s arriving in your local shop, and the comiXology new releases page for what’s available digitally.

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‘Dragon Hoops,’ ‘Grass’ and more nominated in the 2020 Harvey Awards

The winners will be announced during a virtual ceremony later this year.

The Harvey Awards have revealed their nominees for 2020 across the six categories they reintroduced in 2018, as chosen by a nominating committee of “diverse industry voices including creators, publishing professionals, retailers, educators and librarians.”

While the awards would typically be announced at a ceremony at the New York Comic-Con, this year’s event will be virtual, just like the New York Comic-Con itself. More information about this year’s Harvey Awards ceremony event and an announcement regarding this year’s Harvey Awards Hall of Fame class will be released at a later date.

The winners will be chosen by creators and industry professionals If you’d like to apply to participate in selecting this year’s Harvey Awards, you can visit the Harvey Awards Apply to Vote page. Voting will conclude Sept. 21.

And the nominees are:

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What Are You Reading? | Two perspectives on ‘Three Jokers’

See what the Smash Pages crew has been reading lately.

Welcome to What Are You Reading?, our weekly look at what the Smash Pages crew has been reading lately — including comics from the past, present and future.

Let us know what you read this week in the comments or on social media.

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Mail Call | Dark Horse to bring several comiXology Originals titles to print

A round-up of news from DC, Marvel, Titan Comics, IDW and more.

Mail Call is a roundup of the announcements we’ve received from comics publishers in our mailboxes recently. Hit the links for more information.

ComiXology announced this week that they’ve struck a deal with Dark Horse to bring several of their comiXology Originals digital titles to print, starting with four titles next spring: Afterlift, Breaklands, Youth and The Black Ghost.

“We were always hopeful comiXology Originals books would get into readers’ hands via comics retailers and book stores, and Dark Horse is a terrific collaborator to work with to do so, with an unmatched history of supporting creator-owned projects alongside unmatched distribution expertise. This deal fortifies the ability for these stories to reach customers like never before,” said David Steinberger, comiXology co-founder and CEO. “We’re thrilled to be working with Dark Horse.”

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Smash Pages Q&A: Matthew Southworth

The artist of ‘The Cloven’ discusses his latest project, working with Garth Stein, the intersection of his art with his music, and more.

Matthew Southworth has been working in comics for years, pencilling and inking a long list of projects, but the odds are that most readers know him for Stumptown. He and writer Greg Rucka made two miniseries about the Portland private eye Dex Parios, and while never a bestseller, the book is beloved by its fans and the basis for the current television show on ABC.

Southworth’s new book is The Cloven, a collaboration with writer Garth Stein that was released by Fantagraphics this summer. The comic is about James “Tuck” Tucker, a genetically modified human who escapes from a research lab to live in the Pacific Northwest. And while the story sounds familiar, what Southworth and Stein do with the story is much less so. Southworth has always been an artist interested in mood and atmosphere, using pacing and color to play with the tone in different ways, and The Cloven is his most masterful work yet.

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Comics Lowdown | Warner Bros. shares details on DC FanDome’s reach

Plus: News on Image Comics, IDW, Si Spurrier and more.

The first day of DC Comics’ FanDome event, which was held this past Saturday, garnered 22 million global views from more than 220 countries and territories, according to The Wrap.

The publication spoke with Lisa Gregorian, Warner Bros. Television Group chief marketing officer, and Blair Rich, president of worldwide marketing at Warner Bros., who came up with the idea for the event.

“We had a couple of sort of mission things in mind as we built it that were our North Stars that we never wavered from,” said Rich. “Number one, it had to be for the fans, by the fans, about the fans, and be completely fan-centric, and anything that wavered from that was not allowed. We wanted it to be accessible. That’s why it was free. It was a global event translated into nine languages and we wanted it to feel like a major moment.”

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New York Times pulls Ronald Wimberly comic

Wimberly’s ‘Diary Project’ submission proved too controversial because it depicted a burning police car.

The New York Times has been running a series of comic strips over the last few months from some top-notch comic creators, including Jillian Tamaki, Ben Passmore and more. Titled “The Diary Project,” the “weekly visual assignment series” features a recent “diary” entry by the artist. Many have focused on COVID-19, Black Lives Matter and other recent newsworthy events.

Artist Ronald Wimberly of Prince of Cats and LAAB fame created the final piece for the series, but says that the New York Times has decided not to run it.

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The Justice League at 60, Part 6: Globetrotters

Take a look back at the “International” era of the Justice League that brought new faces, more titles and lots of laughs to the team.

Check out part one, part two, part three, part four and part five of this series.

Folks, we’ve got a lot to get through today, so I’m going to give it to you straight: Some of this stuff was just a mess. Much of it was good and some of that was great. Some of it we can look at as “the ’90s.” However, some of it was, again, just a mess. I’m going to start in the middle and end with the beginning, so we can go out on a not-so-bad note.

Now then: Among the random bits of weirdness in this extended Justice League International period of 1986-1996 are the not-insignificant contributions of Slave Labor Graphics publisher Dan Vado. Starting in Early August 1993 (after Dan Jurgens left), he wrote 14 issues of Justice League America and then wrote the first 8 issues of Extreme Justice. Vado and his artistic collaborators Mike Collins, Kevin West and Marc Campos presided over a two-year stretch of League history, which threatens to be overlooked between the Jurgens and Gerard Jones/Chuck Wojtkiewicz runs.

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Cornell + Cantirino team up for ‘I Walk With Monsters’

The horror series from Vault Comics will launch in November.

Comics writer and author Paul Cornell will make his “comeback” to comics with a new series from Vault Comics, I Walk With Monsters. Cornell will work with artist Sally Cantirino, and colorist Dearbhla Kelly on the title.

“This is a hugely important project for me, both in terms of how personal it is, and how much of a comeback to comics it is,” Cornell said on his blog. “It’s the story of a young woman and her friend who can be a monster, going hunting. I think it’s my best work in the medium, my attempt to create horror that comes from a real place, with lots of heart and character. To see the pages come alive with such glorious artwork has been an absolute joy.”

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Nominees announced for the 2020 Ringo Awards

Winners are scheduled to be announced in October.

The nominees for the Ringo Awards have been announced, marking the fourth year for the awards program named for artist Mike Wieringo, who passed away in 2007.

Nominees were chosen by fans, along with a panel of judges that included Joan Hilty, editorial director of comics for Nickelodeon; James Kuhoric from Dynamite Entertainment; writer/artist Jill Thompson; Carol Tilley, an associate professor at University of Illinois; and writer/artist Gene Luen Yang. Final winners will be chosen by a vote open to comics pros.

Winners are scheduled to be announced Oct. 24 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, which as of now has not yet been cancelled.

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Smash Pages Q&A: Monalesia Earle

The scholar and researcher discusses her new book, ‘Writing Queer Women of Color: Representation and Misdirection in Contemporary Fiction and Graphic Narratives.’

Monalesia Earle is a British based scholar and researcher and the author of the new book Writing Queer Women of Color: Representation and Misdirection in Contemporary Fiction and Graphic Narratives. Her analyses of comics like Sexile/Sexilio and My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness are insightful and thought provoking, finding ways to consider not just representation but the depictions of power dynamics, elision and how comics can illuminate and depict liminal spaces.

It’s an incredible work of scholarship, and Earle was kind enough to answer a few questions about the book.

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Can’t Wait for Comics | ‘Three Jokers’ finally arrives in comic shops

New comics and graphic novels arrive this week from Jimmie Robinson, Chip Zdarsky, Neal Adams, Mark Waid, Joe Hill and more.

We are back again with a look at what’s arriving in comic shops, bookstores and on digital this week. The long-gestating Three Jokers finally arrives in stores this Tuesday, along with new Locke & Key, Daredevil, Neal Adams and more.

If you’re wondering what to get this week, check out a few recommendations below. You can check the Comic List page to see what’s arriving in your local shop, and the comiXology new releases page for what’s available digitally.

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