Hollywood cannot seem to get enough of Stan Lee. Over the weekend, Lee became a Disney Legend and yesterday, the comic icon had his hands and feet immortalized in cement in front of the TCL Chinese theater.
“I can’t tell you what this means to me. I’m thrilled,” he said. “And if I’m half as good as everybody said I am, I’m far too good to be wasting time with ordinary people. But I seem to be spending my life with ordinary people, who are the best people in the world.”
Meanwhile, Variety continued the love affair and took a look back on the life of Stan Lee.
Interviews and Profiles
Cancer can wait: Diane Bell checks in with Batton Lash who recently suffered a brain tumor but convinced his doctor to waive his chemotherapy treatment this month for Comic-Con.
Heartbreaker: When a major character is dying, Pete Woods reflects on how he approached illustrating Archie #22. He credited Mark Waid for crafting the heart-wrenching scenes while Woods worked on expressions and use of colour.
The Biz
Hometown Hero: Donny Cates signed an exclusive contract with Marvel and is the new writer of Doctor Strange – starring Loki. The Garland, Texas native’s success was celebrated as a local boy making it big in an in-depth interview with Dallas News.
Shhh..! Download more quietly: Hoopla digital media services have signed a distribution deal with Titan Comics, Lion Forge, and Fantagraphics to distribute their titles for public library use.
REVIEWS, ROUNDUPS, AND COMMENTARY
Girl Power: Is DC Superhero Girls the future of comics? Hollywood Reporter examines the success of the multimedia DC Superhero Girls brand which is a leader in gender parity in the toy industry. Featuring interviews with writer Shea Fontana, editor Marie Javins, and DC Senior VP sales John Cunningham.
‘Splain-nation: A frustrated Jessica Plummer is fed up of having the notorious ‘direct market’ explained to her whenever a beloved title is canceled. In this editorial, Plummer suggests that many readers do not know about titles until they are republished as a trade paperback and that the direct market is a broken system that needs fixing.
Conventions
Spotlight on Latino creators: The first annual Texas Latino Comic Con will be held on July 29 in Dallas. Hector Rodriguez, creator of El Peso Hero, and other creators will be attending this one-day convention. Admission is free to appeal to children and those who cannot afford larger cons.
Can you still buy tickets for San Diego Comic-Con? Short answer: no. And be cautious of tickets being sold privately, as scalped tickets cannot guarantee you entry.