Comics Lowdown: Standing behind retailers during the coronavirus

Plus: TCAF canceled, BookExpo postponed and more coronavirus news.

As the threat of the coronavirus continues to spread, and federal, state and local governments take action to try and stop it, “shelter in place” and social distancing orders inevitably harm small businesses, like comics retailers. Many retailers around the country have either closed up for a time or have moved to a mail order/”curbside pickup” system. In his weekly newsletter today, writer Cullen Bunn shared some tips for supprtoing your favorite shop during this time:

…SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL COMIC BOOK SHOP as much as you’re able. 

Running a comic book store can be difficult, even in the best of times. Right now, shops are taking a hit. The absolute last thing I want to see—as a reader, a fan, and a creator—is for comic book stores to disappear. It is vital that we all work together to support comic book stores as much as possible and help them get through the coming weeks. When comic book stores suffer, so does the comic book industry. A lot of stores are offering new services during this time of isolation and social-distancing. Some things you can do to help…

  • Inquiring about curbside pickup.
  • Inquiring about mail order or delivery options. 
  • Purchasing any books that are in your pull box.
  • Purchasing gift cards/gift certificates for upcoming birthdays, events, and holidays. 
  • Following your local comic shop on social media for updates on: curtailed hours of operation, events, special accommodations, and cleaning policy. 
  • Tagging your local comic shop on social media & posting photos of the comics you’ve purchased to read during self-quarantine and social distancing.

You can find a comic shop offering “safe services” during the pandemic by using this map from BOOM! Studios.

Image Comics, who issued a letter asking other publishers to help comics retailers during this crisis, also had Alex Cox, Skottie Young and Nate Piekos create a short comic on how fans can support their local shop:

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DC announces Black Label Joker/Harley mini by Garcia, Mayhew, Suayan

The nine-issue series debuts in October.

Yesterday’s DC Ink news about Beast Boy wasn’t the only Kami Garcia news that DC had to share at BookCon — although this second project sounds like it might skew just a little bit older than the YA OGN DC Ink announced.

The best-selling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures series of novels is also working on a new Black Label title for the publisher, Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity, with artists Mike Mayhew and Mico Suayan. The nine-issue miniseries “follows Harley Quinn, the young and brilliant forensic psychiatrist and profiler consulting for the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD), as she pursues a vicious killer terrorizing the city.” With that killer being, of course, the Joker.

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DC Ink announces Beast Boy OGN and more at BookCon

Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo, whose ‘Raven’ young-adult graphic novel comes out in July, will turn their attention to another Teen Titan.

DC Comics announced an ambitious slate of titles for its DC Ink and DC Zoom younger reader lines last year, and this weekend at BookCon 2019 they announced one new title and firmed up the creative teams for several more on the DC Ink side.

Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo, whose Teen Titans:Raven YA graphic novel comes out in July, are working next on a Teen Titans: Beast Boy graphic novel.

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Rainbow Rowell to write ‘Runaways’

Critically acclaimed young adult author tackles Marvel’s teen heroes with villainous parents.

Young adult and contemporary fiction writer Rainbow Rowell dropped a big hint on Twitter earlier this week something was on the horizon, and she was excited about it:

At the annual BookCon festival held in New York, Rainbow Rowell announced her writing duties on the new ongoing series Runaways, with Kris Anka as the illustrator.

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