To be totally clear the existing topics and posts will not be moving to the new boards…. You will need to create new avatars and sig files. We know some of you are really fond of yours, but feel free to re-create or hey, see this as a challenge to be even cooler and wittier. Also your post count will be starting fresh.

Join dates will be reset, and there will be no private message or ignore functionality or chat or polls or “go to last post” function. Sounds like the only folks really gaining from this transition is tech support, since the new system is reported to be more stable. Instead of message board threads, the structure will be articles and comments. There will also be RSS feeds.

Also, they will be adding a lot more video game coverage, as well as other, not-yet-named subjects and “lots of video”. I’m not surprised — many companies see comic book venues not as a way to cover a medium but a way to reach the young adult male, and so they’re willing to branch out to other topics that demographic is interested in. But back to the remastering.

…there will definitely be a forum area, which includes Talk@, forums on DC and Marvel (as well as other publishers), a new forum on Manga and Anime, a place to write reviews, and about 5 other forums.

So, anyone think a lot of manga readers are going to start hanging out at Newsarama after this changeover? Several existing posters seemed interesting by that addition.

I was going to go through and list, point by point, all the crap things I’ve been hearing about how some stores treated their FCBD event. In particular, if your treatment of customers on FCBD, a day specifically designed as customer outreach, causes you to lose those people as customers, you’re doing it wrong. But, instead, let me, yet again, go through and tell you what we did. Maybe we can lead by example.

I can’t believe (yes I can) a store actually closed on FCBD so employees could go see Iron Man. I mean, yes, it’s a great film, but geez! Here’s an example of only one of his good suggestions:

… encouraging extra sales on a day when you’re giving away hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars’ worth of product is a good idea, and not that hard to do. Even a small discount, like I noted, can help. In our case, the sales on graphic novels alone that day more than paid for what we spent on the FCBD books.

I like his conclusion, too:

Ultimately, the success of a store’s Free Comic Book Day is in treating the day like a special event to be enjoyed, and not just a burden to be endured, like I’ve heard about too many stores this year. Yeah, I know I grumble a bit about preparing for it here on my site, but it really is a fun, if enormously busy, day.

Plus, he and Randy Lander argue in the comments about whether a limit of three books per person is a good idea or not. (Randy thinks so, as a way of minimizing retailer cost.) I lean towards “not”, in most cases. With over 40 titles, many of which are aimed at similar audiences, allowing people to sample only 7.5% of the items seems to waste the potential of the event.

Even if you’re ONLY interested in manga, there were four specific titles aimed at you. Or only superheroes-with-movies, they had at least four as well. If you’re picking the best for the young ones, you can’t have Simpsons and Sonic and Disney and Kids Love Comics and Owly and Gumby… put half of those back. Such a small limit just results in unpleasant decisions, or keeping the focus on the properties who least need the help.

Plus, many of these books are aimed just as much at existing customers as new. I know stores want new faces to expand their customer base, but seeking the new while annoying the old isn’t much of a win.

That’s assuming a store carried all the titles, of course. If they only chose to stock the 15 or so that they wanted to support and thought they could sell related material for, then I can see having a smaller limit.

If you were wondering where the formerly ubiquitous online participant has been, well, he’s got more important things (like a new baby) taking up his attention. As he says,

I’ve sort of accidentally purged negativity and antithesis from my daily life

I can’t argue with that choice, and in fact, I’m quite in sympathy to wanting to spend more time with friends and family off-line. It’ll be interesting to see what other topics pop up in this column.

The credit list itself gives a good reason why I’m not trying it:

Written by Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza; Art by Mark Bagley and Art Thibert, Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens, Tom Derenick and Wayne Faucher and Mike Norton and Jerry Ordway

How can you get a decent story out of all that? Superhero comics used to promote their “universes” as a unique selling point, and I suppose they still are… but to the mature reader, they seem less a positive and more of a stumbling block.

Update: I had it wrong. As commenters pointed out, the multiple creators are because of the multi-story anthology format of the title. In the comments, Kurt Busiek lays out the planned structure. Thanks for the correction. And I admit, I’m now more interested than before.

J. Caleb Mozzocco looks at apes in comics on the heels of Marvel’s announcement of their next goofy character transformation. Props for all that research!

Welcome back to blogging, Loren! I’m glad to see One Diverse Comic Book Nation return! (Why in this post? Because I noticed due to his pingback on my DCU Women poster post.)

Tim Callahan has a unique convention report approach: it’s all about the face-punching. Or lack thereof. Apparently, KC and I saved someone from the hitting by being nice.

We were very surprised to run into Tim again yesterday (and no, we are not stalking him) at the Norman Rockwell Museum graphic novel exhibit, where he was teaching a cartooning workshop. Interesting display that raised a lot of good discussion about the nature of museum exhibits, their selections to show, and how comics relate to fine art.

Tim Leong thought I should be a redhead. I used to be, but not currently, sorry. Glad to hear the show went so well for him!

Last, Jennifer de Guzman, Editor-in-Chief at SLG Publishing, expresses an interesting concern over Vertigo’s announcement that they’re going to be publishing a lot more original graphic novels: that they’re going to get the rejects submitted to them after.

… closing testimony from the lawyer representing Warner Brothers (who owns the Harry Potter IP rights), claiming that the real harm was that the Harry Potter Lexicon gives away spoilers and that people might say: “You know what? I guess I don’t really need the rest of the Harry Potter books because I just read the big giveaways.”

Warner Brothers also owns DC Comics, who’s made a big deal in recent years about selling comics to people so they can find out what happens next. Does this mean they’re going after Spoilt! (which I created but am no longer associated with)? I doubt it — the case is really about encroaching corporate control of ideas, such that they think anything written about what they publish also belongs to them, whether fanfic or encyclopedia. And of course, money. They don’t want the competition.

The TEAL group was not pleased. (Scroll down past the part about Starbucks.)

It highlighted the work of ten female cartoonists and included detailed biographies for all of them. And the museum had somehow managed to make a few f**kups in just about all of the bios. The first and second typos I found just amused me, but by the sixth or seventh or eighth, I had become genuinely angry on behalf of these cartoonists. This was supposed to be their big moment of recognition. But the museum had shat out its signage rather than taking the time to present it properly.

Much more detail in the link. The museum rep, when made aware of all this, first blamed a high school intern, then a book of source material (which, upon investigation, turns out not to have the same errors).

I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting the museum, but I’ve heard good things about them. I hope that they’re able to remedy these problems relatively quickly.

Three Shadows
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From Charles Hatfield at Thought Balloonists, covering the translated graphic novel by Cyril Pedrosa:

For all the vivid mysteriousness of its images, then, Three Shadows is more conventional in its aims. In the end, its mysteries devolve into something that feels “right” (foreordained) in terms of emotive payoff but “wrong” in the sense of exhausting the book’s power to charm and leaving us with nothing to think about or to look out for in future readings. In short, it feels a bit too pat.

… The book’s back-flap hype refers to Pedrosa’s style as a “unique visual handwriting,” and indeed his drawings invoke that calligraphic sense of the graceful, sweeping line that we associate with masters of gestural brush inking. At the same time, though, his Disneyesque character designs and his taste for images of irrepressible playfulness tip the work in the direction of “children’s comics.” Three Shadows does have the charms, frankly scarce these days, of a lavish hand-drawn film — which is to say that the book is transparently manipulative and, like a top-of-the-drawer animated feature, revels in its graphic splendor, lunging from one startling visual set piece to the next.

The book is lovely, demonstrating Pedrosa’s animation skills, but Hatfield’s description of it as “unjelled” sums up how it left me feeling. Pedrosa states he was inspired by the death of a friend’s child, and his willingness to tackle such a potent subject gives his book more heft than it would otherwise have. Publishers Weekly has preview pages.

He covers all the biggies — Camelot 3000, Planetary, American Flagg — as well as more recent mistakes, like Civil War and Astonishing X-Men. The only thing I can think of he’s omitted is Watchmen. And I don’t know that it was really that late… I’m just tired of people dragging it out as a justification for why they’re not making their shipping dates. They’re not writing Watchmen! They’re writing forgettable monthly entertainment.

Anyway, any you would add?

House
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From Brian Heater at The Daily Cross Hatch, covering the debut graphic novel by Josh Simmons:

Our story’s long close is a slow, painful burn—one that never fully gives up hope, making it all the more difficult to endure to the bitter end.

… It’s a gory and sad fall from grace, even when told with Simmons’ simple art.

…it’s a well-designed story, and while Simmons’ textless execution seems initially gimmicky, the reader quickly becomes oblivious to their absence. House is a good, rewarding read, but still ultimately a painful one, until the final page fades to black.

Jog really liked this horror comic. Simmons was interviewed at Publishers Weekly.

Brave and the Bold: Lords of Luck
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From John Jakala at Sporadic Sequential (scroll down), discussing this hardcover collection of the first six issues of the series written by Mark Waid and drawn by George Pérez:

In trying to cram so much detail into every single panel, Perez hobbles the overall flow of the works he’s illustrating. Since then, I think I’ve only become more disillusioned with his “pack it all in” style of art, thanks largely to my ever-increasing consumption of manga. In manga, artists know when to turn off the backgrounds so that the reader focuses on the foreground characters; how to vary line weight so that different elements appear to exist in different layers; and how to use stylistic devices to convey motion, force, emotion, and humor. With Perez (and most Western superhero artists) everything lies flat on the same plane so that nothing pops out.

… reading BB: LL felt like doing homework when I’d failed to study all the preparatory material. In the endnotes to the hardcover collection, Waid walks readers through who each character is, even the ones that just appear in a throwaway panel, and where they first appeared, which I guess is a nice touch in terms of providing readers with historical background, but it also makes the comic feel like an assignment for history class.

I’m looking forward to getting my own copy of the collection for just that reason — checking out the endnotes for more information on the historical details and trivia — but that’s an acquired taste. I can’t argue with Jakala’s analysis, and I do wish that this volume ended with more of a conclusion.

Don MacPherson analyzes the sales history and possible future of the series.

North World
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From David Welsh at Precocious Curmudgeon, discussing this webcomic collection by Lars Brown:

… a sometimes frustrating collection of strengths and weaknesses. Brown displays some good instincts in the development of concepts and characters, but his grasp on pacing and structure needs work….

So Conrad is juggling career issues, possibly unwanted romantic closure, and unfinished emotional business that ties into his autonomy as an adult. The book has promising architecture, thematically linked but tonally varied. Unfortunately, I don’t think Brown is enough of a juggler to keep things in balance. There’s a lack of focus. It’s a book where everything almost works, but the storytelling is nowhere near as tight as it needs to be to succeed.

In his review, Chris Sims talks about why you’d want to buy a collection of something you can read online. See a preview of North World at the Oni Press website.

After nine editions serialized worldwide, rave reviews from Entertainment Weekly, the Boston Globe, and the Guardian UK, a movie deal in the works, and over 10,000 copies in print, The Bluesman Project is proud to announce that the single-volume hardcover edition is finally upon us.

Bluesman
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This June, NBM Publishing will release this definitive edition of Bluesman into the Direct Market for only $24.95. The Diamond Order Code is APR08 4026. The graphic novel will begin its move into bookstore markets in August, allowing retailers and readers alike to benefit from this two-month window of direct market exclusivity. Bluesman is a taut period thriller that pushes the boundaries of the graphic novel while addressing core issues of race, faith, and redemption that continue to haunt public discourse to the present day.

If you are a fan of blues, comics, or (in a worst case scenario) of me, please consider doing one or more of the following things…

1. Go to the newly revamped Bluesman Project website to find out more about how to get a copy of the book for yourself.

2. Go to the Bluesman Project MySpace page and add us as a friend.

3. Share the gospel of Bluesman with as many friends as you can via your website, podcast, blog, or even drum circle.

Thanks for all of your support over the years and I hope to see you all soon at the Bluesman Project website and MySpace pages!!

That Salty Air
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From Greg McElhatton at Read About Comics, covering the debut graphic novel by Tim Sievert:

In some ways, That Salty Air reminded me of Moby Dick. There’s the obvious parallel of both being in a nautical setting, but there’s more to it than just that. The comparison probably came about because That Salty Air has Hugh’s need for revenge being focused on the sea, one that quickly turns into a dangerous obsession. It’s an interesting transformation for Hugh, especially serving in sharp contrast to Hugh’s earlier easy-going demeanor. Unfortunately, one you take that part away from Hugh there’s not really much to his character; both he and Maryanne come across as a bit two-dimensional, and it’s hard to really empathize with either of their plights.

… Accepting the magical realism nature of the book is, I think, somewhat critical to enjoying That Salty Air. Once it became more clear, Maryanne and Hugh’s actions seemed less like a cliché and more like they were part of a greater whole, a sequence of events that they can’t really break free from. In a book where bargains are being made with an octopus, one almost feels like you’re reading a fable transformed into modern times. The art was definitely the high point of That Salty Air for me.

An interview with the author at Comic Book Resources talks about his motivations. See a preview at the Top Shelf website.

That’s a good question. The comic lets two of the best superhero creators of the modern age, writer Mark Waid and artist George Pérez, use the biggest name and most fan favorite characters in a universe-spanning, anything-can-happen sprawl. Why is the book dying?

The commenters answer. I’ve had problems in the past with some of the idiotic things some people there say, but this time, I thought several of the responses were right on and insightful. I particularly want to call attention to this, #11:

B&B appeals to intelligent readers who appreciate the history of DC’s universe and the caring attention Waid and Perez give to the characters they use in their stories. Such readers have by and large stopped reading DC comics, since the bulk of the DCU is now run by overgrown fanboys with dismemberment fetishes.

That sums up my opinion. Being of a certain age, I was also stunned by the idea that Pérez’s art makes people’s eyes glaze over, but you know, I think that’s probably right. It’s baroquely ornate, and that can be off-putting to those more used to the simplicity of manga or the animated style or other pared down design approaches. I also agree with those who say that more plot resolution and stronger story through-line would have been appreciated.

Voting is now open for the Inkwell Awards, recognizing the craft of comic book inking. Ballot information available at the awards website. (Look for the obnoxious animation.)

Amazon owns BookSurge, a print-on-demand publisher. They have begun notifying authors who have books listed on Amazon.com from other POD publishers that Amazon won’t support other POD sources. Authors have been told that

unless their titles are printed by BookSurge, the buy buttons on Amazon for their titles will be disabled…. [They] can still use Amazon’s Advantage Program (which works on a consignment model) or third party vendors to sell their POD books

The Wall Street Journal concludes

Amazon is intent on using its position as the premier online bookseller to strengthen its presence in other phases of bookselling and manufacturing. Amazon is one of the biggest booksellers in the U.S., with a market share publishing experts estimate to be about 15%.

Girl Cartoonist Takes Day Job

Rachel Nabors, the cartoonist with a dental work fundraising effort, has announced that she is taking a day job.

I won’t be doing a weekly comic for gURL.com anymore. It pains me to do it, but financial difficulties, especially those generated by my jaw and self-employment taxes, make it nigh on impossible to live my dream anymore.

It’s a new life. I loved making comics for a living, but it was just too hard to keep making them when I was constantly worried about my security. I hope you can understand. Thank you for reading as long as you have.

She has offered to refund donations if desired, given her new circumstances. I think she’s being much too hard on herself. Many many comic creators can’t do it full time as their only living. And reducing her worries will be better for her work.

Levitz Blogs!

I was astounded to see DC head honcho Paul Levitz contributing to the Newsarama blog. (Interesting, isn’t it, that Marvel head Joe Quesada has just left Newsarama? And that Levitz is on the blog, not the main site?)

Unfortunately, he’s not really up on the modern wide world of comics. For instance, he says “literary graphic novels [had] no major new hits in ‘07″. Really? What about Exit Wounds or Alice in Sunderland, to name just two? John Jakala had similar concerns about Levitz’s manga numbers.

The comments are wearying, as fans take the opportunity to sound off on everything they disagree with that DC’s ever done.

Superman Returns to Owner

But the big news this weekend is that the heirs of Jerry Siegel reclaimed their share of the rights to Superman.

This is a decision to be applauded. Regardless of whether or not you think the original sale was fair ($130 for all rights in all media forever) or a company exploiting two young, inexperienced creators, later laws extended the period of copyright control without giving anything more to the writer and artist. This is a well-deserved remedy. Still to be determined is just how much money the Siegels are owed, and then there’s a possible future Shuster reversion for the rest of the property.

If you want to see the worst of human nature, check out the Newsarama blog article, where commenters blame the creators for being greedy and “money hungry” and come up with ridiculous extrapolations about how this is going to take money out of the pockets of current working artists. No, this is going to establish that a creator deserves to benefit from their creation.

Read more about the legal ramifications. Note that the copyright reversion request was originally filed in 1997, which means it took 10 years for the declaration to be settled. Let’s see how long stubborn Time Warner drags out actually paying the heirs what they deserve.

… the opportunity to effectively market their projects to fans, retailers, bloggers, and comic news writers. This is done by providing them the opportunity to post their press releases and announcements, add downloadable previews of their projects to the Download This! section, [and] have the pre-order information for their projects easily available for readers and retailers to check out…

I spoke with him via email regarding his goals for the site and how he measures success. Then I go on to share my opinions about the future of the site.

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