Swallow Me Whole

Gets Nom for LA Times Book Prize
Swallow Me Whole, a graphic novel by Nate Powell published by Top Shelf Productions, has been nominated for a Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the category of Young Adult Fiction. The graphic novel, a tragi-comic tale of mental illness and coming of age, is the first to be nominated for any LA Times Book Prize category since Maus,Art Spiegelman's anthropomorphic Holocaust tale, won the prize for Fiction in 1991.

Marvel Ends Open Submissions
Marvel Comics, the last major comic publisher to accept unsolicited submissions from unpublished writers and artists, announced they have discontinued the practice in a press release last Friday. In the statement, Marvel cited an "unprecedented" number of submissions and the ineffectiveness of "passive" recruitment in finding new talent as the reason for the change in policy. "Instead we'll be continuing with the more 'proactive' methods of artist and writer discovery that we've found so successful of late, including some soon-to-be-announced new outlets," said Marvel Talent Liaison C.B. Cebulski. "While the open submissions policy has ceased, Marvel will continue its active recruitment of artists through its Talent Management department. Artists are also encouraged to bring portfolios for review to the major conventions at which Marvel will have a presence this year."

Bookstore Debuts Graphic Novel Book Club
The Manhattan-based independent book store McNally Jackson is starting a monthly graphic novel book club (also known as reading groups), beginning with a discussion of Alan Moore's Watchmen on Thursday, March 5. The group will be led by the store's graphic novel buyer Jessica Stockton Bagnulo and by critic Evan Narcisse of Crispy Gamer. Timed to coincide with the opening of the movie adapatation a day later, Watchmen was chosen because, to quote Stockton Bagnulo, "We didn’t want this first book to pigeonhole us in the minds of potential attendees." Future book club selections have yet to be determined. More information is available at this post on the McNally Jackson blog. The McNally Jackson graphic novel book club will meet on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. downstairs inside the store. McNally Jackson is located at 52 Prince Street, New York , NY, between Lafayette and Mulberry streets.

Rocketeer Back In Print
IDW has announced that it will publish The Complete Rocketeer by Dave Stevens, collecting the retro-pulp comic together in one volume for the first time. The entire book will be recolored by Eisner-winning colorist Laura Martin and digitally remastered. IDW is a comics publisher known for the popular zombie comic 30 Days of Night and for comics adapatations of such as media properties as Star Trek, G.I. Joe and Doctor Who. The Rocketeer inspired the 1991 movie of the same name starring Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly and Timothy Dalton. Stevens died last year of leukemia, at the age of 52.

Brubaker Goes Live Action
Comic creator Ed Brubaker has entered the world of live action filmmaking, as the screenwriter of Angel of Death, a ten part internet exclusive mini-series for Sony's Crackle.com. Angel of Death, the story of an assassin who discovers her conscience after a bizarre brain injury, stars Zoe Bell and Lucy Lawless and cost over a million dollars to produce. Brubaker, who won two Eisner awards for writing, is known for scripting such comics as Captain America and his creator owned series Criminal. Episodes one and two of Angel of Death are already available online at Crackle.com. More information is available at the LA Times comics blog Hero Complex.

First Second’s Siegel on Book Lust
Mark Siegel, editorial director of First Second Books, is the featured guest of the latest episode of the web series Book Lust with Nancy Pearl. Book Lust is a monthly Seattle-based video interview series in which librarian Nancy Pearl speaks with authors, poets and publishing professionals.

Watchmen In Baltimore Sun
In Sunday's Baltimore Sun "The Watchmen Watch", an article by Michael Sragow, addresses the cultural context and philosophical underpinnings of Alan Moore's famous dystopian superhero graphic novel and its upcoming big screen adaptation.

Manga, Anime, Video Game Show at Japan Society
The Japan Society, New York will present the exhibit Krazy: The Delirious World of Manga + Anime + Video Games, starting March 13, as well as an accompanying lecture on March 12 and cosplay party on March 28. The exhibit, which the Japan Society calls "New York's first major show devoted to the Japanese phenomena of Manga, Anime and Video Games" is organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery and set in a space designed by the architectural firm Atelier Bow-Wow to evoke the cityscape of Tokyo, complete with life-size blowups of popular manga and anime characters.

Talking Krazy: Japan's Evolving Pop-Culture a lecture by the show's curators, Bruce Grenville of the Vancouver Art Gallery, Toshio Ueno of Wako University and author Roland Kelts of University of Tokyo and moderated by Joe Earle, Director of Japan Society Gallery will take place on March 12 at 6:30 p.m. Entrance to the lecture is free for Japan Society members, $15 to the general public and advance ticketing is required. The Japan Society's Cosplay Party for costumed attendees, featuring an anime screening and costume prizes from Kinukoya Bookstore and Manga Entertainment and includes the price of entrance to Krazy. Admission is $10 in advance, $15 at the door and is limited to 300 people. Tickets can be purchased in advance from the Japan Society Box Office online at www.japansociety.org or at 212-715-1258. The gallery of Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th street, New York, NY, between First and Second Avenues.

Gerberg's Bird Cartooning Night
Cartoonist Mort Gerberg, known for his cartoons in the New Yorker and Playboy as well as his comic strip Koky, alongside wildlife artist Alan Messer, will present "For the Birds! Cartooning Night with Mort Gerberg and Alan Messer" at the New York Historical Society on March 5. The event includes a humorous virtual birding tour and onstage cartoon improvisations and is in coordination with the new Historical Society exhibit Audubon's Aviary: Portraits of Endangered Species. Attendees will also receive an illustrated birding map of Central Park's Ramble. "For the Birds!" takes place on March 5 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. and tickets cost $8 for New York Historical Society members, $15 for adults and $10 for students, seniors and educators. Tickets are available through the Smart Tix website. The New York Historical Society is located at 170 Central Park West, New York, NY.

This Week @ The Beat
• The LiveJournal community Scans_Daily has been shut down, igniting a furious debate over whether it was fair use or illegal.
• Wizard, Gemstone and Viz all had layoffs this week
• More on layoffs Around the Industry
• Rick Veitch offers downloadable issue of BRAT PACK
• Steve Bunche reviews the new WONDER WOMAN DVD
• IDW will publish collected editions of FAMILY CIRCUS