Amazon Top 50

Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this morning. All the previous caveats apply.


1 (-). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6) *
2 (+7). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
3 (-). Dork Diaries 3 (Kindle edition)
4 (+1). The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume III: Century #2 1969 *
5 (-1). The Walking Dead Volume 14: No Way Out
6 (+4). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
7 (+5). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
8 (-2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5: The Ugly Truth
9 (-1). Batman: Year One
10 (+3). Dork Diaries 3: Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star
11 (+11). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
12 (+17). Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Boxset
13 (+2). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
14 (+2). The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (revised and expanded edition)
15 (-1). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
16 (+11). Dork Diaries (Kindle edition)
17 (-). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
18 (+3). Watchmen
19 (+5). V for Vendetta
20 (+3). Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight Volume 8: Last Gleaming
21 (-1). Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 2 *
22 (R). 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (Kindle)
23 (+8). Batman: Hush
24 (+1). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
25 (+11). Sailor Moon 1 *
26 (-). 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth
27 (-9). Batman: The Killing Joke
28 (+9). Batman: The Long Halloween
29 (+21). Jericho Season 3
30 (+18). Big Nate: From the Top
31 (-12). Dork Diaries 2 (Kindle edition)
32 (+10). Big Nate Out Loud
33 (R). Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
34 (-2). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Lost Adventures
35 (R). The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale
36 (R). Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Popular Party Girl
37 (-4). Amulet #4: The Last Council *
38 (N). K-ON!, Vol. 3 *
39 (-37). The Stonekeeper (Amulet, Book 1)
40 (-12). Diary of a Wimpy Kid Box of Books
41 (R). The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes
42 (-1). Codename: Sailor V 1 *
43 (+2). Blackest Night
44 (R). Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight Volume 7: Twilight
45 (-1). The Walking Dead, Book 1
46 (N). Warriors: SkyClan and the Stranger #1: The Rescue
47 (R). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
48 (R). Blood Work: An Original Hollows Graphic Novel
49 (-19). Walking Dead Volume 13
50 (-3). Batman: Dark Victory



Items with asterisks (*) are pre-order items.

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks


Commentary:

* It's only the first week of August, but that seems to be close enough to the start of school that books like Persepolis, Maus, The Dark Knight Returns, and Understanding Comics are starting to show gains as students take a look at their syllabi for their upcoming classes and the University Effect begins.

* There are seven Batman books—all catalog titles—on the list this week; two of them in the top ten. And that's without a movie this summer...

* Only two debuts this week, and both in the bottom half: a new volume of the manga K-ON!, and a new Warriors.

Kayli Mousepad Owners...Get Your Free Stuff!

Hi Folks,

As I mentioned in the previous post, those of you who have purchased either or both Kayli Boob Mousepads at the IITS Store site or at any of the shows we attended (such as Comic-Con or APE) are eligible to receive some freebies from the IITS Store as an apology for the manufacturing flaw.

To get your free stuff, you'll need to submit a "proof of purchase"...which is pretty easy. First snap a photo of the pad and include a note in the picture that has your name and address and the two items (not including the mouse pads) you wish to have sent to you. Here's an example:


Please select two different items...the following examples are all valid:

1 Comic, 1 Kayli Big Sword Print
1 Assmeats Magnet, 1 Kayli Business Suit Front Print
1 Comic, 1 Assmeats Print

Next, email the picture to iits.store(at)gmail.com...then wait a bit and the stuff will magically appear in your mailbox! I'll keep all of this on record and when the fixed mouse pads are manufactured, they will be sent to you at the same address. If you don't want the freebies but want to submit your proof of purchase with me to keep on record for when the fixed pads are ready, just provide your address with the picture of the mouse pad. Finally, if you're too busy right now to deal with this nonsense, you can always wait for the announcement on this blog of when the new pads are available and claim your replacement then. Sound good? Cool.

Sorry for the ghetto way of doing things but it's easier to just respond to requests rather than track down everyone on record who has bought a mouse pad and sending out an email to each person. Hope that's okay with everyone!

P.S. Those of you who don't mind the flaws, the discounted and updated product is available at the store page and now includes details of why the item is discounted and some additional pictures of the problem.

P.P.S. If I don't find your name in the records, I may ask you a few questions about your purchase to verify your identity as a customer. Don't worry, if you're legit...you'll be fine. =)

- Joseph

Manufacturing Flaw in Kayli Boob Mousepads

Hey Folks,

Got some unfortunate news to share...which those of you who purchased the Kayli Boob Mousepad may already be aware of. Apparently, over time, the gel area (the boobs) of the mousepad begin to curl a bit from the base of the mousepad. At first, I thought this was a fluke because my own mousepads did not exhibit this problem. I know now that it probably has something to do with exposure to oxygen because most of my stock is stored in boxes which are, in turn, stored in a closet. After taking a look at similar commercial mousepads and even the Kayli Boob Mousepad prototypes the manufacturer sent me, I think the problem can be chalked up to the lack of the inclusion of a stiff back plate between the gel and the rubber bottom of the mousepad.

Most aggravating of all is the fact that the two prototypes that were sent to me, which are the ones I look at on a regular basis because the others are stored, do not exhibit this problem and have the back plate included. Check out the following images:

Top to Bottom: Prototype, Retail Version, Retail Version
w/ AAA Battery for Gap Scale, Record of Agarest War Pad.

As it turns out, if you actually place your wrist on Kayli's boobs, the pad lowers to a normal shape and appears to be perfectly functional as a gel filled, wrist support mousepad and may not even bother some people. However, the design flaw is unacceptable to us and we sincerely apologize for it. I feel very terrible about this and while the manufacturer is entirely at fault for screwing me over with badly manufactured pads, I'm entirely responsible for the stock I've sold to our customers.

All said, here's my three step process for addressing this problem:

Step 1: Those who already purchased the mousepad are eligible to receive any two items from the IITS Store (not including the mousepads) free of charge. I know, some of you own everything we have...but please feel free to give these items to a friend. Also, keep reading!

Step 2: The remaining mousepads will be sold at a $20 discount (for a total of $25 after shipping) at the IITS Store to help pay for Step 3.

Step 3: I will begin the process of finding a competent and reliable manufacturer for flaw-free Kayli Mousepads.

Additionally, everyone who purchased a mousepad before today will be eligible for a free replacement mousepad which will be mailed to you when they are complete.

Islands in the Sky is a independent, self funded operation but we understand that our faithful fans and customers are the lifeblood for our project and despite the difficulties this process will create for us, your support is all important to us and nothing is worth losing that over.

For instructions on how to get your free stuff, please look for a forthcoming post. For those of you who don't mind the flaw and want to get a discounted pad, please wait for the IITS Store to to display the new price before purchasing.

Finally, just so you know, the process of having to get the pad made was very involved and took quite a long time...therefore I cannot guarantee a date for when the new pads will be made. Rest assured, I'm on the task. Thanks for your understanding, guys and gals. We'll do our best to get this fixed as soon as we can.

- Joseph

Monkey Covers

Sunday is Monkey Covers day here at YACB. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover!

Kamandi fights a gorilla over Superman's costume on the cover of Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth #29 (1975) by Jack Kirby and Bruce Berry.

(Standard disclaimer about gorillas in the future not really being monkeys applies).

Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

Amazon Top 50

Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this morning. All the previous caveats apply.


1 (-). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6) *
2 (R). The Stonekeeper (Amulet, Book 1)
3 (-1). Dork Diaries 3 (Kindle edition)
4 (-1). The Walking Dead Volume 14: No Way Out
5 (+25). The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume III: Century #2 1969 *
6 (-1). Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5: The Ugly Truth
7 (R). The Stonekeeper's Curse (Amulet, Book 2)
8 (-1). Batman: Year One
9 (-1). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
10 (R). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
11 (R). The Cloud Searchers (Amulet)
12 (+1). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
13 (-9). Dork Diaries 3: Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star
14 (-5). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
15 (+16). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
16 (-6). The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (revised and expanded edition)
17 (-1). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
18 (+4). Batman: The Killing Joke
19 (-7). Dork Diaries 2 (Kindle edition)
20 (-2). Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 2 *
21 (+8). Watchmen
22 (+13). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
23 (-12). Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight Volume 8: Last Gleaming
24 (+3). V for Vendetta
25 (-10). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
26 (-2). 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth
27 (-21). Dork Diaries (Kindle edition)
28 (-2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid Box of Books
29 (-10). Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Boxset
30 (+8). Walking Dead Volume 13
31 (-2). Batman: Hush
32 (+7). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Lost Adventures
33 (N). Amulet #4: The Last Council *
34 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 2
35 (+2). Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life
36 (R). Sailor Moon 1 *
37 (-17). Batman: The Long Halloween
38 (+2). Black Butler, Vol. 6
39 (R). Daytripper
40 (N). The Hobbit
41 (N). Codename: Sailor V 1 *
42 (+1). Big Nate Out Loud
43 (R). Batman & Robin Vol. 3: Batman & Robin Must Die!
44 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 1
45 (-24). Blackest Night
46 (R). Hark! A Vagrant *
47 (+1). Batman: Dark Victory
48 (R). Big Nate: From the Top
49 (R). Locke & Key Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft
50 (N). Jericho Season 3 *



Items with asterisks (*) are pre-order items.

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks


Commentary:

* After being featured on NPR, the volumes of Kazu Kibuishi's Amulet hop up high onto the list: the three released volumes into the top eleven, and the pre-release of the upcoming fourth volume as the top new item.

* Alan Moore still has what it takes to sell books: the second volume of LOEG: Century hops up to #5 this week.

* How does the long-out-of-print graphic novel adaptation of The Hobbit hit the chart this week? Strange and mysterious are the ways of the Amazon comics chart...

Project IITS Game Update

Hey IITS Readers,

Just a quick update to let everyone know we're still alive. A lot of folks are wondering how the game will play and so the current plan is to create a visual proof of concept and I'm still in the process of putting that together. Beyond just entertaining a small but faithful group like yourselves, the visual proof of concept will help to secure funding to kick the project into full gear.

Due to the self funded nature of Project IITS, things like animation and modeling and such are all done on a contract basis...rather than having a full time team. As contractors come and go (getting busy with other contracts or finding full time work), the team changes from time to time and there is a process of relearning things and sometimes finding new directions to go in. Currently, Project IITS is in that process...but don't worry, we're still in business.

RE: The IITS Comic, I don't have any real updates for you...sorry. As it stands, Genevieve is still focused on working full time in the game industry and I'm focused on the Project IITS game. As always, if there is some new development, it will be posted here. For you small group of faithful fans out there...thank you for still dropping by from time to time!

- Joseph

All-Time Top Comic Book Movies

Movies based on comics properties, ranked by Worldwide box office gross:

1. The Dark Knight ($1001.9)
2. Spider-Man 3 ($885.4)
3. Spider-Man ($806.7)
4. Spider-Man 2 ($783.6)
5. Iron Man 2 ($616.8)
6. Men in Black ($587.2)
7. Iron Man ($571.8)
8. 300 ($456.6)
9. Thor ($445.1) *
10. Men in Black II ($425.6)
11. Batman ($413.2)
12. X2 ($406.4)
13. Superman Returns ($389.6)
14. X-Men Origins: Wolverine ($374.9)
15. Batman Begins ($352.0)
16. X-Men: First Class ($346.0) *
17. Wanted ($338.8)
18. Batman Forever ($335.0)
19. Over the Hedge ($329.6)
20. Fantastic Four ($329.3)
21. The Mask ($320.9)
22. X-Men ($294.1)
23. Superman ($289.4)
24. Batman Returns ($282.8)
25. Casper ($282.3)
26. Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer ($277.5)
27. The Incredible Hulk ($254.2)
28. Hulk ($241.7)
29. Batman & Robin ($237.2)
30. Constantine ($229.5)
31. Ghost Rider ($219.7)

Box office grosses given in millions. Source: IMDb.

(Marvel: 17. DC: 9. Dark Horse: 2. Image: 1. United Media: 1. Harvey: 1.)