Whenever one of these notes crosses my awareness, I’m rarely surprised. Comics is not a long-term, sustainable business for many people. (As noted on Twitter by Joshua Dysart recently, Almost every single person who got their start in comics from my generation, & from most others too, had some kind of supplemental income, & many people who appear successful today are either being subsidized by a spouse, family money, or some other means. As to why… There’s no union, no […]

In announcing he’s closing his second store, comic retailer Brian Hibbs makes a lot of cogent observations about the state of the direct market for comic books today in his latest Tilting at Windmills column. Some key points: I’ve lost a great deal of faith in the business of periodical comics and, more specifically, of many of the people in charge of shepherding it. Costs of operation are greatly increasing, profit margins are getting tighter, and the industry as a […]

Last year, one of Faith Erin Hicks’ earliest works, The War at Ellsmere, was reissued in a partially redrawn color edition, now titled One Year at Ellsmere. (I previously interviewed her about the process.) Earlier this month, another of her works was also reissued. Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong, published in 2013, adapted a story by Prudence Shen. The new edition adds color, with no other changes. It’s the story of a friendship between the basketball team captain and the […]

More news on the upcoming Wizard World Chicago — tickets are now on sale for the October show. Single-day tickets range from $40-60, depending on day, while the three-day weekend is $90. The Gold VIP package, which primarily allows for early entry to the show and programming, is $180. Note that no guests, programming, or exhibitors have yet been announced, so spending this kind of money on the weekend requires quite a lot of faith. “Details on celebrities, superstar creators, […]