Smash Pages Q&A | Beka Feathers and Ally Shwed

‘When you get right down to it, democracy is only possible if you have people with different experiences and perspectives who are willing to talk to each other and work together.’

Why The People, the new book from First Second Books’ acclaimed World Citizen Comics series, looks at democracy and other forms of government, but it manages to be less a textbook and more a conversation about what people need, how government can be responsive to people and what it can enable. At a time when the democratic consensus in the United States is fraying, books like this, which are aimed at younger readers, are more important than ever.

Beka Feathers and Ally Shwed have both previously made books for the series. Feathers is a legal advisor who has worked in more than a dozen countries helping to draft constitutions and design transitional governments in addition to writing the book Re:Constitutions. Shwed is a cartoonist and editor best known for her adaptation of the book Fault Lines in the Constitution. 

The book is in stores now, and the two were kind enough to answer a few questions about making an easily readable book about a very difficult and timely topic.

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Can’t Wait for Comics | ‘The Variants,’ ‘Public Doman,’ ‘Mindset’ and more

New comics and graphic novels arrive this week from Gail Simone, Phil Noto, Tim King, Chip Zdarsky, Clay Mann, Mike Mignola, Joe Satriani, Alex Graham and more.

Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital. This week brings a new Jessica Jones series written by Gail Simone, a deluxe edition of the excellent yet controversial Gender Queer and more.

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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Seven Seas agrees to recognize employee union

United Workers of Seven Seas successfully unionize after Seven Seas decides ‘to waive the right to an election in favor of voluntary recognition of the union.’

Manga publisher Seven Seas has agreed to recognize a proposed union for its employees. Both Seven Seas and United Workers of Seven Seas shared the news on social media.

Employees at Seven Seas revealed they were attempting to unionize back in May. Seven Seas initially rejected the idea, which would have required a union vote amongst its affected employees, but last week they had a change of heart.

Here’s the statement from Seven Seas:

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Three Count | Faith Erin Hicks, Dark Side of Purity, Erica Henderson

Here are three things to read, to support and to buy today.

1. To Read: Faith Erin Hicks’ comic on, well, everything

Faith Erin Hicks is the creator of the upcoming graphic novel Ride On, as well as One Year at Ellsmere, The Nameless City trilogy, Friends with Boys and many more. In between her graphic novel work she created a short comic to express her frustrations with everything going on in the world right now and the feelings of powerlessness it brings:

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Mad Cave announces three new titles for late 2022

Cullen Bunn, Andrea Mutti, Zac Thompson, Bayleigh Underwood, Joe Corallo, Andrea Milana and more will create new comics this Fall.

Mad Cave Studios has announced three new titles that will arrive in stores at the end of the year.

First up will be A Legacy of Violence, a 12-issue horror/mystery series by Cullen Bunn and Andrea Mutti in October, followed by Nature’s Labyrinth by Zac Thompson and Bayleigh Underwood In November. Then December brings Dahlia In The Dark by Joe Corallo and Andrea Milana.

Here’s a look at the three titles:

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Marvel announces ‘Miracleman: The Silver Age’ by Gaiman + Buckingham

The story originally published by Eclipse some 30 years ago will finally be concluded.

In comics, there are many storylines that, for one reason or another, never saw an ending. Rick Veitch’s Swamp Thing comes to mind, as does the Kevin Smith-written Daredevil/Bullseye: The Target. And of course, there’s Miracleman, in particular the story from Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham, “The Silver Age,” that came to a halt when Eclipse Comics went under.

It’s been almost 30 years since Miracleman #24, the second chapter of “The Silver Age,” arrived in stores, but now that news Marvel teased earlier this week (and the news we’ve been waiting to hear since Marvel revealed they had the rights to Miracleman) is out — Gaiman and Buckingham will finish the story they started in Miracleman: The Silver Age.

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Quick Hits | Remembering Tim Sale

Plus: News on Comixology, Mark Russell, Michael Allred, Tillie Walden, TCAF, Jerry Craft and Ric Flair!

Passings | Via Tim Sale’s Twitter account comes word that the 66-year-old artist died of kidney failure.

“He was sick for years and was even in the hospital since May 24. He was a private person and never wanted to worry all of you, but his death was neither preventable or unexpected. Tim was a wonderful man and simply didn’t want to cause any unnecessary stress to his friends and fans,” the statement says.

Many have posted remembrances of the Long Halloween artist since his death last week. At The Comics Journal, Joseph McCabe posts an in-depth obituary. Augie De Blieck looks back at several of Sale’s comics, including Batman: The Long Halloween. And artist Elsa Charretier shares a post on Substack titled “I wouldn’t be drawing comics if not for Tim Sale.”

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Mad Cave announces ‘Lower Your Sights’ line-up

The charity anthology to benefit children impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine arrives in September.

Mad Cave Studios has recruited a solid list of comics creators for their upcoming charity anthology, Lower Your Sights, including Matt Kindt, Jim Zub, Richard Pace, Justin Greenwood and Liana Kangas, among many others.

The book will raise money for the Voices of Children Foundation, a nonprofit seeking to help children affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And several Ukraine creators will be featured in the collection.

“We’re incredibly proud to highlight industry greats, indie darlings, rising stars, and, most importantly, numerous Ukrainian creators,” said Mad Cave Studios Editor Chas! Pangburn. “Watching the industry come together to tell these powerful and poignant tales is a great reminder that the pen really is mightier than the sword.”

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Slugfest | Lemire + Sorrentino’s ‘Ten Thousand Black Feathers’ takes flight in September

A round-up of recent comics news and announcements from Marvel, Skybound, Image, Aftershock and more.

Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino kicked off their shared universe The Bone Orchard Mythos earlier this month with the original graphic novel The Passageway, and they plan to continue the story later this year with the miniseries Ten Thousand Black Feathers.

“The Passageway introduces readers to the Bone Orchard and now with Ten Thousand Black Feathers we dig in and really start to explore this new universe,” said Lemire. “This is a story of friendship, coming of age and imagination that is equal parts horrific, mysterious and heart wrenching.”

Image announced the first issue of the miniseries will hit stores on Sept. 14 and also shared a preview:

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Smash Pages Q&A | Marika McCoola and Aatmaja Pandya

The creators of the young-adult graphic novel ‘Slip’ discuss childhood trauma, teaching art, magical realism and more.

Slip is the story of Jade, a teenager at a summer art program dealing with her best friend’s attempted suicide. It’s a difficult story about mental health, and understanding our emotions and the ways that our relationships with people change over time. Like the book’s visual style, the narrative manages to fit in with a lot of other typical YA books while finding ways to transcend expectations. It’s a moving book that’s very honest about grief and addressing complications emotions, and about what it means to be an artist.

Marika McCoola is an artist and teacher who made a splash by writing the graphic novel Baba Yaga’s Assistant, which was nominated for an Eisner Award. Slip is Aatmaja Pandya’s debut graphic novel, but the artist has been making comics for years, contributing to anthologies including Chainmail Bikini, Power and Magic, and Elements: Fire, in addition to her comic Phantom, which was originally published by Shortbox, and the webcomic Travelogue. The two have been friends for many years and we spoke recently about how the book came together, working with clay, and fantasy.

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Gaiman, Buckingham, Aaron, Carey + more will contribute to ‘Miracleman’ #0

Marvel celebrates 40 years of Miracleman and promises more news about the character is coming.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Miracleman, Marvel has announced Miracleman #0, a one-shot anthology that will feature stories by Neil Gaiman, Mark Buckingham, Jason Aaron, Michael Carey, Ty Templeton, Ryan Stegman and more.

Gaiman and Buckingham, whose previous work on Miracleman back when it was published by Eclipse Comics was cut short, “will deliver an exciting prelude to their upcoming new chapter of Miracleman.” Marvel also promises more Miracleman news will be coming later this week.

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Brown + Prenzy reunite for ‘Flawed’

The six-issue miniseries will debut from Image Comics in September.

Writer Chuck Brown and artist Prenzy, the creative team behind the Image series On The Stump, reunite for a new “ultra-violent, high-octane” story titled Flawed. They’re joined by letterer Becca Carey.

The new series is set in the “Kafkaesque” city of Setham and features a psychiatrist named Gem Ezz being pursued by an immortal serial killer. “The city of Setham holds many different strange tales and Gem Ezz’s story is only the beginning” said Brown.

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