2022 Harvey Awards nominees announced

The annual awards will be given out later this year during the New York Comic Con.

The Harvey Awards have revealed their nominees for 2021 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.” The winners will be announced during ReedPop’s New York Comic Con later this fall.

“We are honored to once again shine a light on the best and brightest work within the comics industry through the prestigious Harvey Awards. This year’s list of nominees are bringing fresh, original storytelling and unique voices to the industry and we are looking forward to celebrating their work at this year’s New York Comic Con,” said ReedPop’s Lance Fensterman.

Congrats to this year’s nominees:

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Trula Twyst rocks Jughead’s world in ‘World of Archie Jumbo Comics’ #122 [Exclusive Preview]

Check out an exclusive preview of two new stories coming in next week’s digest from Archie Comics.

Courtesy of Archie Comics, we’re pleased to present a preview of World of Archie Jumbo Comics #122, which comes out Aug. 17.

This digest will include two brand-new stories, in addition to a selection of classic Archie material. The new stories feature the work of Francis Bonnet, Craig Boldman, Bill Golliher, Rex Lindsey, Bob Smith, Rich Koslowski and more. In the first one, Archie tries to win an obstacle course — and a date with Veronica — as Mr. Lodge does everything he can to ruin Archie’s chances. The second story features Jughead’s nemesis, Trula Twyst, who steals his drumming style to get under his skin.

We also have a fill-length classic Archie story for you, featuring the work of Bob White, the creator of Cosmo the Merry Martian. The summertime story features Archie, Reggie, Veronica and poolside shenanigans.

Below you’ll also find previews of stories by Dan Parent, Ian Flynn, Jeff Shultz and more, plus a complete classic Archie story featuring the work of Frank Doyle and Dan DeCarlo. Enjoy!

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‘Thanos: Death Notes’ anthology explores the villain’s past + future

The one-shot spins out of recent issues of ‘Thor’ and ‘Eternals.’

No matter how many times you go for the head, Thanos just keeps coming back. The Mad Titan will return in November as Marvel releases Thanos: Death Notes, an anthology of stories about his past, present and future.

The anthology will include tales by Ron Lim, J. Michael Straczynski, Torunn Grønbekk, Kyle Starks, Christopher Cantwell, Andrea Di Vito, Travel Foreman and more, with Thor playing a big role.

“Ever since the Black Winter gave Thor a glimpse of how he was going to die way back in Thor #6, and Thor saw that it was going to be at the hands of a Thanos wielding not only an Infinity Stones-encrusted Mjolnir but also seemingly a new black Infinity Stone (not to mention with an army of undead super heroes and villains at his side), Thor has been working to prevent this horrific fate,” said editor Wil Moss. “In this Thanos one-shot, his quest brings him to look to Thanos’ past for clues. But in doing so, will Thor learn something of use, or merely realize that Thanos truly is inevitable? Big things are set up here, brought to you by an all-star cast of creators — don’t miss it!”

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‘Hotel REM’ awakens at Dark Horse next year

Zack Keller, Gabriele Bagnoli, Valerio Alloro and Frank Cvetkovic check into a hotel for dreams in March.

Former Unikitty! and Telltale Games writer Zack Keller will team with artist Gabriele Bagnoli, colorist Valerio Alloro and letterer Frank Cvetkovic on Hotel REM, an all-ages graphic novel coming from Dark Horse in 2023.

The fantastical Hotel REM is the place your dreams go when you’re awake. It’s run by Rembrandt Somner, who runs into problems when a difficult celebrity guest arrives.

“I have literally been dreaming about this story for over a decade so I’m thrilled readers can finally come visit this wild and wonderful hotel in book-form thanks to Dark Horse,” Keller said.

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Can’t Wait for Comics | ‘DCeased,’ ‘Parker Girls,’ ‘Love Everlasting’ + more

Check out new comics and graphic novels arriving this week by Terry Moore, Tom Taylor, Tom King, Elsa Charretier, Erica Schultz, Carola Borelli, Trevor Hairsine and more.

Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital.

I’ve pulled out some of the highlights below, but for the complete list of everything you might find at your local comic shop and on digital this week, you’ll want to check out one or more of the following:

As a reminder, things can change and what you find on the above lists may differ from what’s actually arriving in your local shop. So always check with your comics retailer for the final word on availability.

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A new ‘Dog Man’ book will arrive in March

The 11th volume of the popular graphic novel series by Dav Pilkey arrives next year, along with a special anniversary edition of the first ‘Captain Underpants’ book.

Dav Pilkey’s world-conquering Dog Man series will return to shelves next March with its 11th volume — Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea.

This will be the first new Dog Man volume since 2021, when Mothering Heights was released. But Pilkey hasn’t been resting — several volumes of his Cat Kid Comic Club series, a Dog Man spinoff, have filled in the gaps, with the fourth volume, Collaborations, set to arrive in November.

“I am humbled and grateful to do what I love for a living,” Pilkey said in the press release. “Since the pandemic began, I have been inspired to create even more stories and to learn and grow as an artist–from experimenting with various mediums to make comics using photography, poetry, and calligraphy, to building character models and sets by hand, as well as exploring different themes and storylines. My hope is that my books foster creativity and imagination, and instill a lifelong love of reading.”

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Smash Pages Q&A | Taki Soma on ‘Sleeping While Standing’

The artist of ‘Rapture,’ ‘The After Realm,’ ‘Sinergy’ and more discusses her deeply personal new graphic novel, her creative process and more.

Taki Soma is a writer, artist and colorist best known for comics like Rapture, The After Realm, Sinergy, Bitch Planet, The Old Guard: Tales Through Time and many others. But her new book Sleeping While Standing, which is out now from Avery Hill Publishing, is a departure from what she’s done previously.

A collection of stories four pages or less, it’s a deeply personal work, as Soma explores her father’s suicide, moving to Minnesota as a child and her complicated relationship with her mother, among other events in her life. It also looks at the horrifying way she learned that she has MS, features laugh-out-loud stories about pets and children, and shows her deep and complex storytelling skills.

It’s an incredible work by a talented creator, and Soma was kind enough to talk about why she made the book, her creative process and why she makes comics.

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Quick Hits | Behind the scenes at Oni Press

Plus: News on Ron Zimmerman, Paul Coker Jr., Frederik L. Schodt, Ed Brubaker and more.

Publishers | Although it might be hard to believe that there’s anyone left at the Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Company to speak anonymously at this point, Popverse has an interview up with one such staffer, who gives more details on what’s been going on behind the scenes — and offers some context about that not-at-all-thought-out statement that was released on social media. The statement, the anonymous source says, came from parent company Polarity. “They thought it was so good. They did not listen to anyone who told them it was not, and then we reaped the whirlwind of their failure, like pretty much every week this month.”

This unsurprising account by the anonymous staffer follows several rounds of layoffs and departures from the Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Company. Associate publisher Michelle Nguyen left the company voluntarily, following the layoffs of James Lucas Jones, Charlie Chu, Alex Segura, Amanda Meadows, Jasmini Amiri and Henry Barajas in July.

Publishers | Both The Beat and Popverse have reported that webcomics platform Tapas Media has laid off several staff in what’s being described as both a consolidation with sister companies Radish and Wuxiaworld, as well as a shift toward more user-generated content. Bleeding Cool reports that Tapas Media Chief Creative Officer Michele Wells is one of the people impacted by the layoffs. All three companies are owned by Kakao Entertainment, which acquired them in 2021.

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Can’t Wait for Comics | Mary Marvel, ‘Demon Wars,’ Frankenstein and more

Check out new comics and graphic novels arriving this week by Michael DeForge, Peter and Maria Hoey, Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Thomas Sniegoski, Peter Bergting, Jonathan Luna, Peach Momoko, Larry Hama and more.

Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital.

I’ve pulled out some of the highlights below, but for the complete list of everything you might find at your local comic shop and on digital this week, you’ll want to check out one or more of the following:

As a reminder, things can change and what you find on the above lists may differ from what’s actually arriving in your local shop. So always check with your comics retailer for the final word on availability.

Continue reading “Can’t Wait for Comics | Mary Marvel, ‘Demon Wars,’ Frankenstein and more”

Dark Horse brews an ‘Elixir’ for next year

Frank J. Barbiere, Ricky Mammone and Victor Santos bring a new graphic novel that mixes technology and magic to Dark Horse.

Frank J. Barbiere, Ricky Mammone and Victor Santos will team up on a new graphic novel, Elixir, that’s set to be published by Dark Horse Comics next March.

The dark fantasy story combines magic with modern technology, as the daughter of a druid seeks an artifact known as the “Elixir.”

“I began my career in Europe doing fantasy comics but basically I am known in the USA as a noir-crime author,” Santos said. “Thanks to this new collaboration with my partner Frank Barbiere and with the addition of the talented writer Ricky Mammone, I have had the chance to build a world with all the elements and aesthetics I loved reading as a teen but with my experience as a creator and a more modern point of view of what a good fantasy story should be.”

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Three Count | Major Sun, SDCC panels, Sequential Scholars

Here are three things to support, to listen to and to follow in comics today.

1. To vote for: Major Sun on Webtoon

Webtoon is currently running a Call to Action contest, where various creators compete for a spot on the site — as well as for cash and other prizes. The submission period will end July 31, and then voting will take place throughout the month of August.

And wow, are there a lot of submissions — more than 100 pages, with 20 submissions per page. I of course would encourage you first to find one you like to support, as these things should be, but I couldn’t help but note that one of my favorite webcomics cartoonists has entered the fray.

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DC announces new stories, collection for ‘Death of Superman’ anniversary

Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern and more reunite for new tales about Superman’s death.

Several classic Superman creative teams will return to the character for the 80-Page The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Death of Superman event that ushered in a new, seemingly endless wave of event comics, the special will include new stories by Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding, Roger Stern, Butch Guice, Jon Bogdanove, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway and more.

“It was great to be able to work with them and make sure that each team was back together again,” Jurgens said about the special. “It was Roger Stern and Butch Guice who were on Action Comics back at that time, and they could come back as a team. Louise Simonson and John Bogdanov were on Man of Steel, Tom Grummett and Jerry Ordway were working on Adventures of Superman, and Brett Breeding and I were on Superman. We realized we could get the full crew back together to do these stories.”

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