Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) has announced that their plans this year will incorporate a combination of in-person and online events and will take place from September 30 to October 3 in Columbus, Ohio. Announced guests so far include * Shary Flenniken (Trots and Bonnie) * Victoria Jamieson (Roller Girl) * Chris Samnee (Daredevil) * Lewis Trondheim (too many to list) But the announcement I found intriguing was the Tom Spurgeon Award, “named after CXC’s founding executive director [who passed away […]

After first being announced back in 2018, as of yesterday, Diamond’s Pullbox online service is now available. It’s intended to be an easy way for potential customers to track what’s coming in to their local comic shop and to send them orders for more items. But you don’t have to have a shop connection to use it. I set it up to track a few release items through Diamond — and already, I found that a manga series I like […]

The Deadliest Bouquet, now crowdfunding, is a family story about murder. Written by Erica Schultz and illustrated by Carola Borelli, it’s set in 1998 and shows the sisters Rose, Poppy, and Violet coming together, in spite of their differences, after their mother’s death. Jasmine owned a flower shop, but it was only a cover. Her children went in different directions. Poppy is a wife and mother. Violet is a wild child. Rose resents being left behind by the others. They […]

I appreciate how much work goes into a well-crafted graphic novel, but darn! It’s so hard to wait for a good story. Bloom, a charming coming-of-age romance by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau published by First Second in 2019, will have a followup. This story of two young men falling in love at a family bakery while thinking about how to start their “real life” is a slow rise, much like bread. It took a while to grow on me, […]

Here’s a great thing to watch. Leila del Duca talked with Anina Bennett and Heidi MacDonald in March about Friends of Lulu, the non-profit formed to get women and girls into comics that existed from 1995-2011. The group was incorporated May 25, 1995, and its tax-exempt status was revoked as of May 15, 2010. The news that the group was defunct came out a year later. If you’d like to revisit the early days, I’ve posted the first year of […]

I’m disappointed to once again miss gathering in Bethesda, but I appreciate an organization that wants to protect its attendees and guests. The Small Press Expo organizers have announced that “SPX 2021 will be held virtually” for health and safety reasons. With only four months to go until the show, it’s a cautious, sensible decision. The pandemic isn’t over yet, particularly given how many people are refusing to make the smart, scientific choice of getting vaccinated. I suspect they would […]

I wrote about Incredible Doom, a story about 90s kids using early internet bulletin boards, over three years ago. And this is why you should have a distinctive title, because when I saw a listing for the collected graphic novel in the latest Previews catalog, I vaguely remembered it. I’m excited to see the whole story! (Because I love computer history.) Here’s the description: Allison is drowning under the weight of her manipulative stage magician father. When he brings home […]

UK publisher SelfMadeHero, thanks to public funding, is starting a mentoring programme (I said they were UK) “designed to find, develop, publish, and promote emerging comic-book artists from Black, Asian, Arab, mixed-race, Romani/Traveller, and non-white Latinx backgrounds.” Until March 26, they are accepting applications for the opportunity. Participants must be over 18, reside in the UK, not have a literary agent, and not have been published by a traditional print publisher. Eight artists will be selected for a 12-week online […]