I’m still unpacking and sorting boxes from last fall’s move, and while organizing the minicomics, I came across my stash of Friends of Lulu materials. As far as I know, these are the official group publications: Three comic anthologies: Storytime (2000?), Broad Appeal (2003), and The Girls’ Guide to Guys’ Stuff (2007) (Neat looking through these and seeing early work by names I adore — Raina Telgemeier, Faith Erin Hicks, MK Reed, Becky Cloonan, and so many more) The 1997 […]

Oh Joy Sex Toy is Erika Moen’s new weekly webcomic, covering reviews of sex toys and other sexuality topics. She terms it a “celebration of fornication”, updating every Tuesday. Do I need to say this is for adults and not safe for work? I’m thrilled to subscribe, though, and I can’t wait to see how it continues. She’s already demonstrated that her “models” are going to be varied in look (especially body shape), and she promises guest reviews to cover […]

The experiment worked! Last weekend at MoCCA Fest, I interviewed Brad Abraham, author of Mixtape, on video. There are three parts. (And next time, I’ll work on isolating the sound better.) In the first clip (4 1/2 minutes), Brad and I talk about what the comic is about, his music background, and what brought him to creating the comic. In the second clip (4 1/2 minutes), we discuss the different distribution strategy Brad’s trying with Mixtape and the importance of […]

As I tweeted, this was the best MoCCA Fest ever! It was a fabulous show taken to a whole new level. I bought way too much (based on the luggage space I had to take stuff home), saw old friends, found new reads, and had a wonderful time. The new management made all kinds of great improvements, from plenty of volunteer staffing to clear signage, good-sized aisles, and the pipe-and-red-drape booths that made the space look professional. All the key […]

I noticed, while reading the March Previews, that DC now has eight digital-first comic series (books that come to print by collecting stories that were released online for sale first), and half of them are Batman-related. Some are even kid-friendly or a video-game tie-in. Clearly, this is an area where they’re not afraid to experiment. The wider audience available digitally means books aimed at a more diverse market (in taste as well as age). And I’m glad, because it’s a […]

You’re just not a comic show these days without an associated awards program. The Society of Illustrators, the group behind the MoCCA Arts Festival, has announced an Awards of Excellence program to recognize “the most outstanding work on view at the festival”, debuting at this year’s show. The way it works is, jury members walk the show on the afternoon of Saturday, April 6, picking contenders for the award based on “quality of artwork”. (So if you’re a great writer […]

Continuing the tradition, but a lot later this year. That’s because, with most of the titles publishing less frequently than monthly, I had to wait for all the figures to be available. Even so, Life With Archie isn’t available yet for this year. This is my sixth year compiling the Archie sales figures filed with the government from the Statements of Ownership, Management, and Circulation the company is required to include in their publications. These numbers appeared in issues published […]

Archie Comics today announced Afterlife With Archie, an ongoing comic title debuting this fall. It will be written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, but no artist has been announced. The company described it as “a zombie series revolving around the beloved characters. The comic will blend attributes of horror comics along with the typical Archie fare, for both new and old fans to enjoy.” I know every comic company wishes they had the huge success of The Walking Dead, but I find […]