Believe the hype: These Public Enemy figures are awesome

Based on designs by Ed Piskor, the set includes Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff and Terminator X.

One of the coolest pieces of merch I saw coming out of San Diego this year (besides that Flex Mentallo towel) was this box set of Public Enemy action figures based on designs by Hip Hop Family Tree creator Ed Piskor. I was afraid they might be an SDCC exclusive, but they are available to the rest of the world as well.

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Hear more than 20 comics-related panels from SDCC

Hear panels featuring Peter David, Daniel Clowes, Howard Chaykin and more.

If you missed Comic-Con International in San Diego last week, Jamie Coville has you covered. Like he’s done for the past several years, he attended and recorded several of the comic-related panels form the show. These include the spotlights on special guests Howard Chaykin and Peter David, some of the Comics Arts Conference sessions and “The Best and Woirst Manga of 2016” featuring our own Brigid Alverson.

You can find them all on Jamie’s website.

BOOM! drafts Dennis Hopeless to write WWE comic

BOOM! Studios will offer a more realistic take on the WWE superstars, starting with a comic about the Shield.

Before Comic-Con International kicked off, BOOM! Studios announced a partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment to create comics based on WWE superstars. Not many details were revealed at the time, although they did share several comic images featuring WWE superstars. At the con itself, they revealed the focus of their first comic, their overall approach and the writer who will help bring it all to life.

IGN reports that during the con, BOOM! announced Spider-Woman writer — and WWE fan — Dennis Hopeless will write WWE: Then. Now. Forever., a 40-page one-shot starring Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins set during their Shield days. Shield, not SHIELD. So no, they won’t be cast as secret agents or space pirates or gladiators in Rome; the only Roman Empire that’ll be featured is the dwindling piece of the WWE Universe that still cheers for Reigns. The comics will be more realistic takes on the superstars, rather than putting them into a fictional universe like the last round of WWE comics did.

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Jeff Smith, Keith Knight, Peter Kuper and more turn their pens to the presidential election

With Comic-Con and the Republican National Convention occurring in the same week, The Guardian enlisted several cartoonists to draw their renditions of Trump and more.

Comic-Con International wasn’t the only convention happening in the United States last week; there was another convention with crazier, more colorful characters living in a fantasy world — the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. To mark this confluence of events, The Guardian asked several comic artists to turn their artistic talents to that other convention and the upcoming election.

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‘Southern Bastards,’ ‘Paper Girls’ and more take home 2016 Eisner awards

Other winners include ‘Bandette,’ ‘March Book 2,’ ‘Two Brothers’ and ‘Over the Garden Wall.’

Both Southern Bastards and Paper Girls took home multiple awards last night at the 28th annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Southern Bastards won for best continuing series, while Jason Aaron took the Eisner for Best Writer. Paper Girls was named Best New Series, while Cliff Chiang was named Best Artist. Other winners included Bandette, the second March book and Peter Kuper’s Ruins.

Here’s the complete list of all nominees, with the winners bolded:

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DC, Gerard Way share more details on the ‘Young Animal’ line

At Comic-Con International, the former My Chemical Romance singer showed new artwork for “Shade The Changing Girl” and “Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye,” and news of a pretty stellar back-up coming to Carson’s title.

DC Comics and singer/Umbrella Academy write Gerard Way plan to make the DC universe weird again with the Young Animal imprint. Way, along with writers like Cecil Castellucci and Jon Rivera, will put their own unique spin on several DC mainstays, including the Doom Patrol, Shade, Cave Carson and even Gotham in the new line of comics.

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Cornell and Kelly’s ‘Saucer Country’ returns with a new name, publisher

Paul Cornell and Ryan Kelly’s excellent UFO series, previously published by Vertigo, returns next year at IDW.

Back in 2013, Vertigo cancelled the excellent UFO series Saucer Country by Paul Cornell and Ryan Kelly after 14 issues. Cornell at the time wrote on his blog about the Hugo-nominated series:

“I know that’ll disappoint our loyal audience. So I make this promise to you: I will, one day, finish Saucer Country, in one way or another, in a dramatically satisfying way. That is to say, I won’t just put up the remainder of the plot on my blog or something, I’ll find a professional means to actually complete the story, ideally in comic book form, or as a novel or, hey, go on, a movie. The rights revert to me reasonably soon. We’ll work from there.”

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Viz Media joins Comic Book Legal Defense Fund as a corporate member

Viz and CBLDF also release “The Manga Handbook” for retailers and libraries this week.

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has added another company to its list of corporate sponsors — manga publisher Viz Media. Viz and the CBLDF released this week The Manga Club Handbook, available here, which is aimed at libraries and retailers so they can start manga book clubs.

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IDW celebrates Jack Kirby’s 100th birthday next year with ‘Fantastic Four Artist’s Edition’

New edition collects comics featuring by Inhumans and the first appearance of Franklin Richards, as created by Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and Joe Sinnott.

Legendary comics creator Jack Kirby would have turned 100 next year, and to help celebrate the occasion IDW Publishing will release Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four Artist’s Edition in January.

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DC, USPS celebrate Wonder Woman’s 75th with Forever stamps

Four stamps featuring the character go on sale in October.

DC Comics and the United States Postal Service revealed a set of Forever stamps this week celebrating the 75th anniversary of Wonder Woman.

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Bryan Lee O’Malley’s next graphic novel is ‘Worst World’

Planned trilogy by the creator of ‘Scott Pilgrim’ focuses on two new characters in Los Angeles.

Just as the Snotgirl ongoing series debuts this week by Bryan Lee O’Malley with artist Leslie Hung, Entertainment Weekly reveals more details on O’Malley’s next graphic novel, coming at an undisclosed date from Ballantine Books.

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Archie wants to know if you’re Team Veronica or Betty at SDCC

Archie Comics will offer #TeamBetty and #TeamVeronica shirts at Comic-Con, so pick your side now.

With Archie’s new “Betty & Veronica” comic by Adam Hughes arriving in stores this week, it makes sense that Archie Comics would put some promotion behind it at Comic-Con International, which also arrives this week in San Diego. So what better way than asking attendees to declare their allegiance to their favorite?

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