Siegel Copyright Returns
In a stunning decision reported in the New York Times, a Los Angeles Federal Court Judge has awarded the heirs of Superman co-creator Jerome Siegel a share of the copyright to the iconic character Siegel created along with Joseph Shuster. Siegel sold rights to Superman to DC Comics for $130 in 1938. On the basis of this extraordinary ruling, Siegel’s heirs now share the copyright with DC Comics and its parent company Time Warner. Questions remain about whether Time Warner will be forced to make payments to the Siegel heirs based on DC Comics profits from Superman comics or from Time Warner’s film unit Warner Bros, which has taken in more than $200 million from the most recent Superman film. Time Warner is expected to challenge the ruling. There are roundups of discussion and commentary on this industry-shaking court ruling at PW The Beat; as well as The Comics Reporter and Journalista!.

Frank Miller at NYCC
New York Comic Con has announced that the trailer of The Spirit movie will premier on Saturday April 19in the IGN Theater. Acclaimed comics artist Frank Miller, the writer and director of the movie, and Eva Mendes, who plays Sand Seref in the movie, will speak on a panel at the showing of the trailer. MTV News Correspondent Kurt Loder will moderate the panel, and the trailer will be presented on MTV.com later that night. Also, along with the trailer, the film’s poster will be presented at the show, and Miller and Mendes will be signing the posters at an autograph session at 5PM on that day. The Spirit movie is produced by Lionsgate and Odd Lot Entertainment, and will be released on January 16, 2009. NYCC will be held at the Jacob Javits Center on April 18 through 20. More information can be found at the NYCC website

Murakami at Brooklyn Museum
A retrospective exhibition of Takashi Murakami’s artwork will be shown at the Brooklyn Museum from April 5 through July 13. Over ninety of Murakami’s works will be exhibited in the show, which began at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and will continue after the Brooklyn Museum to the Museum fur Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt and then the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Murakami’s artwork blends anime and manga and fine art in a style termed “Superflat.” Admission to the exhibit costs $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and students. More information about the exhibit can be found at Brooklyn Museum website.

Making A Bestseller
Abrams senior editor Charles Kochman, editor of Jeff Kinney’s bestselling hybrid comics/prose work, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, will be on a panel called, “The Making of a Bestseller,” sponsored by the Center for Communication. Also on the panel are editor Rachel Klayman; publicist Lynn Goldberg and agent Jonathan Karp. Publishers Weekly editor-in-chief Sara Nelson will moderate. The event will be held Wednesday, April 2 on the NYC campus at the Wasserman Center for Career Development; 133 E. 13th St; second floor.

Dark Horse Comics Online
Dark Horse announced that Aliens, Predator, and Aliens Vs. Predator comics will now be available for downloading through IGN’s Direct2Drive. The issues of the comics will cost $1.99 each, and will be identical to the original issue, featuring covers and trade dress. Also, Dark Horse has set up AVP Zone (http://www.darkhorse.com/zones/avp/index.php) on its website, with news and interviews about AVP.

Jeffery Brown on SexTV
A documentary about Jeffery Brown aired on the Canadian television channel, SexTV. The segment can be viewed online at the SexTV website.

Comic Exhibit at MCAD
An exhibition, Off-Kilter Comics, is opening at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design on April 4. The show focuses on cartoonists who approach comics in varied ways and features art by Zak Sally, Lilli Carre, John Hankiewicz, Dan Zettwoch, and Ivan Brunetti. Brunetti, Hankiewicz, and the curator of the show, Onsmith will give a gallery talk on April 4at 6 PM, followed by a reception at 8. The exhibition is free. More information can be found at the MCAD website.