Mazzucchelli, Nadel Public Conversation
Comics creator David Mazzuccheli and comics publisher Dan Nadel of Picture Box will be appearing live on stage at the Museum of Cartoon and Comic Book Art on July 16 at 7 p.m. to discuss Mazzuccheli’s new book Asterios Polyp, in coordination with MoCCA’s current exhibit Sounds and Pauses: The Comics of David Mazzuccheli. Admission is $5 to the general public, free to MoCCA members. MoCCA is located at 594 Broadway, Suite 401, New York, NY.
Viz Adds Shonen Manga Line
Major manga publisher Viz has announced a new publishing imprint entitled Shonen Sunday. The first title in this line will be Rumiko Takahashi's Rin-ne, the story of a boy who guides the souls of the dead and a girl who can see ghosts. Takahashi is the creator of the classic and bestselling manga Ranma 1/2 and Inuyasha, and her new manga Rin-ne—available online here—is the first manga to be simulataneously released in the US and Japan. Shonen Sundays will focus on highly popular shonen manga by famous creators. Other titles in the line will include Hayate the Combat Butler, Yakitate!! Japan, Case Closed and Inuyasha.
San Diego Comic-Con Events
San Diego Comic Con will soon be upon us, bringing with it more comics based and comics fan-interest events than can fit into any newsletter. Here are a few interesting ones that the reader may have missed. Archie Comics is offering con-goers the chance to appear in an Archie Comic - one need simply attend the Thursday Archie Comics: Archie Marries Veronica panel to enter a free drawing for the opportunity. Image Comics is giving away 500 free copies of Jersey Gods #1 to the first 500 fans who come to their booth and claim them. Repo the Genetic Opera and The Rocky Horror Picture Show will both have nearby event showings during the con, and a performance of Buffy the Musical will be the closing event of the con. All three events will include audience participation, singing, dancing and special surprises.
IDW Debuts Yoe! Books Imprint
Following the success of Craig Yoe’s acclaimed and controversial book Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-Creator Joe Shuster, comics publisher IDW has announced that they will be giving the comics historian his own line of books entitled Yoe! Books. The first two books from this imprint, The Art of Ditko and The Complete Milt Gross Life Story and Comic Books, will be released this fall. The Art of Ditko features rare and original artwork in full color, essays on his work by Jerry Robinson, John Romita and P. Craig Russell as well as an introduction by Stan Lee. Steve Ditko is known for co-creating Spider-Man and Doctor Strange as well as his pioneering Silver Age comic art. The Complete Milt Gross Life Story and Comic Books covers the life and works of famous early 20th Century comics creator and animator Milt Gross. Known for his popular comic strips, groundbreaking graphic novels and Yiddish-inflected parodies of famous fairytales, Gross died in 1953. Gross’s rare and hard to find works will be reproduced in the book.
Jeff Smith at C2E2 and ALA
Jeff Smith, recipient of ALA honors and multiple Eisner and Harvey awards, will appear as a guest of honor at the new Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) in April of 2010. Smith’s epic Bone series has been both a commercial and critical success, with the new color editions of the book alone selling over 3 million copies. He also is appearing at this year’s ALA conference and took part on Monday in a panel entitled Ban those @#$*%! Comic Books, Graphic Novels, and Censorship, which was be followed by his attendance at a meet and greet party held by C2E2 and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
S&S To Distribute Boom! Studios
Simon & Schuster has reached an agreement with comics publishing house Boom! Studios to handle sales, fulfillment and distribution of Boom! Studios’s back and frontlist trade titles to book trade and speciality shops. Boom! Studios distribution was previously handed by Perseus.
Rusty Haller Benefit Auction
Veteran comics artist Rusty Haller, known for his work on such comics as Spotlight’s Deputy Dawg, Marvel’s Dangermouse and the ongoing comic Ace & Queenie, has fallen upon hard times as a result of health problems and family tragedy. Connecticut based comics production house Free Lunch Studios will be holding a charity benefit event for him on July 19 from 2 — 6 P.M. on July 19. The event will feature an art gallery, an auction of rare and valuable comics and memorabilia, raffles and pizza. Admission is free to the public and the event will be held at Free Lunch Studios, 518 Salmon Brook Street, rear entrance, Granby, CT. More information is available at the Free Lunch site.
John Ostrander Fundraiser
Long-time comics writer John Ostrander, known best as the creator of Grimjack and DC’s Suicide Squad and the writer of classic runs on The Spectre, Martian Manhunter and a number of Star Wars titles among many others, is currently undergoing treatment for glaucoma. Unfortunately, Ostrander’s insurance does not cover the full course of treatment required to save his sight. His friends have founded a fundraising committee for his medical expenses entitled Comix4Sight, and are currently organizing a charity auction to take place at this year’s Chicago Comic-Con running from August 6-9. Comix4Sight is in the process of taking donations for the auction, and any excess revenue will be donated to other comic creators with serious vision problems or to The Hero Initiative. Those who wish to contribute and cannot make it to Chicago Comic-Con are welcome to donate through a paypal link on the Comix4Sight page.
Vietnam Journal Returns to Print
Independent comics company Transfuzion Publishing has announced that they will be publishing the entirety of Don Lomax’s Harvey Award-winning war story Vietnam Journal. Although the first eight issues have previously been collected, Transfuzion will be the first to collect the entire series. Also, the Transfuzion versions will collect the books by storyline, so that each volume will contain a complete 4-6 issue tale. Originally published in Apple Comics, Vietnam Journal went on to have 65 additional pages published in other anthologies. These, as well as pages published straight to Lomax’s website, will be included in the collected series.
Nana Anime on iTunes
The anime version of the critically acclaimed manga Nana is now available in the United States for digital download on iTunes. Nana is the story of two young women named Nana, one a punk rock musician, the other a dreamer, trying to make it in the big city and becoming close but unlikely friends. It also is one of Japanese publishing giant Shueisha’s bestselling shojo titles of all time. Nana first appeared in the United States serialized in the manga anthology magazine Shojo Beat.
This Week @ Good Comics for Kids
This week School Library Journal’s blog Good Comics for Kids has a list of comics appropriate for kids that celebrate America’s Cultural Diversity, a review of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimaya Vol 2 & 3, the 7/8 listing of comics suitable for all ages, and a collection of links for the week including Amulet, Mo Willems and more from Brigid Alverson.
