Passings | Manga artist Kazuki Takahashi, who created Yu-Gi-Oh and worked on the Secret Reverse manga for Viz and Marvel, has passed away. The creator, whose real first name was Kazuo, was found dead after an apparent snorkeling trip in Okinawa Prefecture, according to the Japan Times.
Passings | Former Wizard Magazine Editor-In-Chief and co-founder Pat McCallum has passed away. In addition to his work on the long-running comics magazine and price guide in the 1990s and 2000s, he was an Executive Editor for DC Comics from 2011 to 2019.
Profiles | Haaretz has an in-depth profile up on The Realist creator Asaf Hanuka, who worked with Gomorrah author Roberto Saviano on the autobiographical graphic novel I’m Still Alive. Under the headline “Do I Really Want to Die for a Graphic Novel?” the piece discusses the threats that Saviano has lived under since publishing his book about the Italian Mafia — and subsequent tension that brings to Hanuka as his collaborator.
Interviews | At Literary Hub, actor Connor Ratliff interviews cartoonist Luke Healy about The Con Artists.
Interviews | NPR’s Creators on the Cusp series puts the spotlight on one of comic’s greatest champions, Gina Gagliano, formerly with First Second and currently with Random House Graphic, and also executive director of the Boston Book Festival.
Commentary | At Polygon, Susana Polo has a great piece about why “Coming out is the best thing that’s happened to Robin in a decade.”
Awards | Both Molly Knox Ostertag and Gene Luen Yang are finalists this year for the 2023 NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature.
Conventions | Alex Ross will be in San Diego later this month for Comic-Con International, and he’s bringing copies of his new book Fantastic Four: Full Circle with him.