IDW Announces the Robert Bloch Collection
IDW Publishing has announced a major licensing agreement with the estate of acclaimed author Robert Bloch. IDW has the rights to develop 100 of Bloch’s short stories for various formats, to be known as the Robert Bloch Collection. Best known as the author of Psycho, Bloch’s was varied, from being mentored by H.P. Lovecraft to writing three episodes of the original Star Trek series. Working in the horror, suspense, crime and science fiction genres, he influenced writers in all of them, and won Hugo, Bram Stoker and World Fantasy Awards along the way.Each story will be developed independently, whether as a four- or five-issue series, a single issue or a graphic novel—and the new versions will be reinterpretations or reinventions, rather than straight adaptations. The collection will have a unified design, however, most likely by IDW mainstay artist Ashley Wood. For more information, go here.

Tezuka’s Swallowing the Earth
A free 25-page preview of the new English translation of legendary manga creator Osamu Tezuka’s manga Swallowing the Earth is available at the Tezuka In English website. Swallowing the Earth is the tale of a mysterious and beautiful woman and her deadly quest to avenge the wrongs done to women by men. Originally published in Japan in 1968, Swallowing the Earth will be soon be available in the US from Digital Manga Publishing.

The Original Human Torch
G4 TV’s comics web video show Fresh Ink has exclusive details in their latest episode about a new miniseries collaboration between comics art legend Alex Ross and acclaimed comics writer Mike Carey. The book, The Torch, will be about the original Human Torch, the robot character who premiered in Marvel Comics #1.

IFC, Dash Shaw Web Animation
The Independent Film Channel has announced that it will adapt comics creator Dash Shaw’s upcoming graphic novel The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century A.D. into an animated miniseries hosted on IFC.com. The series follows a character named Rebel-6, a member of a group opposing the use of robots, as he infiltrates an art school pretending to be a droid used to model for pictures. Dash Shaw is best known for his work on the acclaimed graphic novel The Bottomless Belly Button.

Alan Moore's Future Shocks on iTunes
Alan Moore, creator of the classic graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen among many others, is now bringing some of his earliest work back to the reading public. Future Shocks, a series of short stories written for the British sci fi comic 2000 AD at the very beginning of Moore’s career, has been formatted for iPod Touch and iPhone by digital media company Clickwheel. Divided into eight installments, one installment will be added to the iTunes media store every week, and each installment will cost $0.99.

Madman Atomic Comics to End
Comic creator Mike Allred has announced that his comic Madman Atomic Comics will end with the upcoming issue #17. Madman, the surrealistic blue postmodern superhero, is a cult-classic character who has been in print since 1992, and Allred has said this will not be his last appearance. Madman Atomic Comics, which was ran for two years and was published by Image Comics, is the twelfth comic series in the past seventeen years to star Madman.

Lolita Day with NY Anime Fest
The New York Anime Festival and Kinokuniya are teaming up to celebrate International Lolita Day on June 6. Lolita in this context refers to a Japanese fashion movement of nostalgic, consisting of elaborate and painstakingly detailed dresses and outfits reminiscent of Victorian dolls. Lolita Fashion Day at Kinokuniya will include complimentary sweets for any patrons in dressed in a Lolita outfit, a prize giveaway with many Lolita Fashion themed items, a fashion photoshoot for Tokyopop.com, and previews of the films scheduled for this year’s New York Asian Film Festival. The New York location of Kinokuniya is the largest Japanese language bookstore in the United States and is located at 1073 Avenue of the Americas. More information is available at the NY Anime Festival blog.

Cartoon Art Museum Classes
San Francisco’s Museum of Cartoon Art is offering a variety of courses in comic creation and cartooning this summer, and these classes are now open for registration. The museum offers weekend courses in “Defining the Project”, “Characters, Storyboards and Layouts”, and “From Comic Strips to Animation” for adults and “Saturday Afteroon Cartooning” and 5-day sessions of “Cartoon Bootcamp” for children and teenagers. More information is available at CartoonArt.org.

Comics @ Impact University
Impact University, a new one day intensive workshop for aspiring comics creators, has opened registration for its first session, scheduled for July 21 in San Diego, California. The faculty for the workshop consists of Peter David teaching writing for comics, Amanda Connor teaching comic book art, and colorists Brian and Kristy Miller of Hi-Fi Colour leading the colorist workshop. Other industry guests appearing at educational panels throughout the day include such comics luminaries as Jimmy Palmiotti, Eisner-winning comics creator David Peterson, Scott Tipton of Comics101.com and Chris Ryall, editor-in-chief of IDW Publishing. More information is available at MyImpactUniversity.com.

This Week @ Good Comics for Kids
This week School Library Journal’s blog Good Comics for Kids has posted reviews of Tsubasa: Those With Wings Vol 1 and Fruits Basket Vol. 1 and Yoko Tsuno Vol. 3, Roundtable discussion post saying farewell to manga anthology Shojo Beat, the 5/28 listing of comics suitable for all ages, and Brigid Alverson’s weekly links roundup.

Gerberg Wins Reuben
Mort Gerberg, of The New Yorker, was voted Best in Magazine Cartoons for 2008 by the National Cartoonists Society at its annual Reuben Awards dinner on May 27th in Los Angeles. This was the second successive award for Mort, who won the same honor at last year’s Reuben ceremony in New Orleans . . For complete list of the other winners and additional information, check National Cartoonists Society website.

This Week @ The Beat
UK comic-con scam?
Comic Events This Week
Earth 2100 special includes graphic novels
Marvel and retailers argue early release of CAPTAIN AEMRICA #600
Final issue of PLANETARY due in October
First look at Crumb’s GENESIS in The New Yorker
Barcelona Comic-Con
Arguing about women in comics...again