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See what the Smash Pages crew has been reading lately.
Welcome to What Are You Reading?, our weekly look at what the Smash Pages crew has been checking off their “to read” list lately.
Let us know what you read this week in the comments or on social media.
Continue reading “What Are You Reading? | ‘Ultramega,’ ‘Batman/Superman’ and more”The first live event held by Comic-Con International since 2019 will take place at the San Diego Convention Center over Thanksgiving weekend.
Comic-Con International has announced the dates for their first live event since the COVID-19 pandemic started — Comic-Con Special Edition will occur Nov. 26-28 at the San Diego Convention Center, kicking off on the Friday that follows Thanksgiving in the United States.
Details on badge costs, programming, attendance capacity and other details are still being finalized, but part of the goal is to help raise money not only for CCI but also the local San Diego business community — both of which have been hit hard by the pandemic due to a decrease in in-person events and the tourism they bring.
“While we have been able to pivot from in-person gatherings to limited online events, the loss of revenue has had an acute impact on the organization as it has with many small businesses, necessitating reduced work schedules and reduction in pay for employees, among other issues,” said David Glanzer, spokesperson for CCI. “Hopefully this event will shore up our financial reserves and mark a slow return to larger in-person gatherings in 2022.
Continue reading “Comic-Con Special Edition to occur Nov. 26-28”The publisher and author announced plans to stop distributing ‘The Adventures of Ook and Gluk’ because it includes ‘harmful stereotypes and passive racist imagery.’
Scholastic will stop distributing The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future, a 2011 graphic novel by Dog Man creator Dav Pilkey, because it “perpetuates passive racism,” they said in a press statement.
The graphic novel includes a character named Master Wong and his daughter Lan, who train the cavemen mentioned in the title. Their character designs, names and personalities perpetuate racist stereotypes toward Asians.
Pilkey has also posted an apology on his YouTube channel. He also said that he and his wife will donate any proceeds from the book to “charities that provide free books, art supplies, and theater for children in underserved communities; organizations that promote diversity in children’s books and publishing; and organizations designed to stop violence and hatred against Asians. These non-profit charities include: We Need Diverse Books, The AAPI, and TheaterWorks USA, among others.”
Scholastic has removed the book from their websites, and said they have stopped fulfillment of any orders. They also have contacted their retail partners to explain why this book is no longer available and seek a return of all inventory. They also plan to contact libraries and schools.
Continue reading “Scholastic discontinues Pilkey’s ‘The Adventures of Ook and Gluk’ due to ‘passive racism’”New series from Vault Comics, by Michael Moreci, Nathan Gooden, Addison Duke, Jim Campbell and Tim Daniel, debuts in June.
Vault Comics has announced Barbaric, the story of a barbarian named Owen and his “sentient, blood-drunk” axe.
It’s written by Michael Moreci, with art by Nathan Gooden and colors by Addison Duke. Jim Campbell will letter the comic, and Tim Daniel serves as designer.
“Barbaric, to me, is a series that wraps both its arms around the comics medium–it’s big, from the get-go, in ways only comics can be,” Moreci said. “I want this to be a huge story that continues on the way Hellboy does, and I want it to feel like that kind of epic. It’s my ode to pulp adventures, and immersive world-building, and larger-than-life characters. I feel so energized writing it, and I hope, between my scripts and Nate’s insanely amazing art, that energy comes off of every page.”
Continue reading “‘Barbaric’ tells the story of Owen and his talking axe”Catch up on news and announcements from Dark Horse, Vault Comics, DC, Z2 and more.
Mail Call is a roundup of the announcements we’ve received from comics publishers in our mailboxes recently that we haven’t already covered. Hit the links for more information.
DC Comics has modified their plans for the upcoming Milestone Media relaunch. The three launch titles — Static, Icon and Rocket, and Hardware — will no longer arrive digitally before they come out in print. Instead, they’ll be released in both formats on the same day, as well as on DC Universe Infinite. Both Static and Icon and Rocket will come out later, but Hardware will be published earlier than originally announced. The new dates (and creative teams for each title) are:
Cara Ellison and Sally Cantirino explore the world of ex-work-for-hire superheroes in the five-issue miniseries.
ComiXology Originals has announced a new digital miniseries, The Final Girls, by writer Cara Ellison, artist Sally Cantirino, colorist Gab Contreras and letterer Joamette Gil. The new series is described as a “darkly comedic superhero drama,” where a group of former work-for-hire superheroes navigate through the fallout and harm caused by their superhero colleagues.
ComiXology will release all five issues of the miniseries on March 30.
“Inside every superhuman, there’s still a human,” said Ellison. “And the human needs to eat, pay the bills, have relationships and send invoices. But what happens when superhumans realize that all the fragile systems of society and economy and politics are going to kill them, just like everyone else? What use is smashing someone through a window when the system that created them still exists?”
Continue reading “ComiXology Originals’ ‘The Final Girls’ will drop March 30”Marvel signs an exclusive distribution deal with the publishing house that begins in October.
Marvel has announced a new agreement with Penguin Random House Publisher Services to distribute their comics and graphic novels to the direct market, beginning Oct. 1.
The deal is “an exclusive worldwide multi-year sales and distribution agreement for Marvel’s newly published and backlist comic books, trade collections and graphic novels to comics shops.”
This effectively replaces Diamond Comics Distributors as Marvel’s route to comic book stores. Diamond, however, will still act as a wholesaler and will receive product through Penguin, so retailers can still choose to order Marvel’s products through them.
Continue reading “Marvel teams with Penguin Random House Publisher Services as its direct market distributor”DC has opened a poll on their community boards that ends March 30.
Nightwing’s got a new dog, and that dog needs a name. So DC is running a poll on their DC Universe Infinite community boards with four choices.
Unfortunately, you have to have a login to access the boards and the poll, which means you have to live in the United States. But writer Tom Taylor took to Twitter to offer an “informal” option for those who live outside the U.S.:
The collection of Gonzo’s original six-issue miniseries arrives in May.
Here’s one I missed when Image’s solicitations came out for May, but Top Cow reminded me of it with a press release: After self-publishing six issues and crowdfunding a bilingual flipbook, J. Gonzo‘s epic luche libre comic La Mano del Destino will be collected and published by Top Cow in May.
“Top Cow is a place where creative ideas win,” Gonzo said in a press release. “If you look at their current projects, or even their back catalog, there is a rich variety of story types and approaches that is unlike most other publishers or studios. They are less interested in a homogeneity of some house style and truly promote the best, creative ideas. It really is an ‘artist’s company.’”
Continue reading “Top Cow to publish J. Gonzo’s ‘La Mano del Destino’”The versatile creator talks about the ending to his latest Webtoons series, how it fits into the broader New Brookyln saga, his theater work and more.
Dean Haspiel has always made a wide range of comics, from personal stories to cosmic epics, from realistic tales to superhero stories in books like The Alcoholic, The Fox, The Quitter and The Thing: Night Falls on Yancy Street. For the past few years he’s been writing and drawing The Red Hook at Webtoon. The story of Sam Brosia, a boxer turned super thief turned superhero and bartender. Over four seasons Sam Brosia, aka The Red Hook, has gone through a lot of changes
This week Haspiel wraps up his fourth series at Webtoon, The Red Hook: Blackout, and we spoke about Brooklyn, where things stand and his next chapter in the Red Hook saga, PTSD: Post-Traumatic Superhero Disorder.
Continue reading “Smash Pages Q&A: Dean Haspiel on ‘The Red Hook: Blackout’”The five-issue miniseries about L.A.’s supernatural underground debuts in July.
After writer Eric Palicki teased it on Twitter earlier this year, AHOY Comics has formally announced Black’s Myth, a black-and-white “punk rock horror story” by the writer of Atlantis Wasn’t Built For Tourists and No Angel, and BlackAcre artist Wendell Cavalcanti. Sarah Litt will edit it.
“Like all the best punk rock narratives, Black’s Myth is about outcasts finding each other and accepting their place in the world,” Palicki said. “In its own subtle way, it’s about being part of the comics community.”
Continue reading “AHOY announces ‘Black’s Myth’ by Palicki + Cavalcanti”The adventure comic from Robert Mackenzie, Dave Walker and Justin Greenwood debuts in June.
Robert Mackenzie and Dave Walker, who worked on Lazarus Sourcebook with Greg Rucka, will team up with artist Justin Greenwood for a new adventure series set in 13th century Britain, titled Compass.
“Compass was born out of our desire to tell a story of discovery without colonialism, of adventure without exploitation—something with the verve and energy of the pulps, but with a perspective that hadn’t been seen much in that genre,” said Mackenzie. “Getting there was its own process of discovery, and it’s been a joy to work with co-creators who have the talent to truly unearth Shahidah‘s quest. I’m so pleased to be able to share Compass with the world.”
Continue reading “Image Comics maps the route to eternal life in ‘Compass’”
