ITEM! Lots of interesting things to be found in reading over Comixpedia's List of 25 People in Webcomics for 2005 (link via Tom), including that Svetlana Chmakova's CosmoGirl manga strip is available online; Andrew Ford and Michael Kelleher's Rib is now being published online via 01comics; and both Finder and Girl Genius have seen their trade sales increase significantly since going to online-only for their serial publication.
ITEM! Shawn Hoke, who writes the very good Size Matters mini-comics blog, named YACB as one of his 365 Things I Enjoyed in Comics This Year. Thanks Shawn!
ITEM! I need to read Photon Torpedoes more often. Contributor kidflash has a good rundown of the Levitz-era Dream Girl; and warlock has an appreciation of Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez on Atari Force.
ITEM! Kevin notifies us that Catherine Leamy has a new issue of her Geraniums and Bacon mini out. I reviewed the first two issues back in February, and liked them a lot, so sometime soon I have to PayPal her $2 to get issue #3--and you should too (and get the others while you're at it!)
ITEM! Chris Sims, over at Chris's Invincible Super-Blog, has been spotlighting some fun Christmas-themed comics, including Marvel Two-in-One #8, Marvel Team-Up #127, and Santa Claus in the DC Universe. It makes for fun holiday reading!
ITEM! Less than 5 days left in the Second Annual CBLDF Fund Drive, and I'm still looking for five more people to step up and support the freedom to read, sell and create comics. I don't want to have to beg, but it's getting near crunch time people!
Tuesday, 20 December 2005
New This Week: December 21, 2005
Based on the NCRL list for this week's comics shipping from Diamond, here are a few things to look for at the local comic shop tomorrow:
The pick of the Week is Flying Lessons, the third volume of Andy Runton's charming Owly from Top Shelf. I realize that some people find Owly to be too sweet and charming, but I find it to be enjoyable, and I think that Runton has a real skill in telling wordless stories. If you don't like friendly anthropomorphic forrest animals, you probably hate puppies too. And Christmas. In which case, what are you doing here?
In other comics:
Alias have the TPB of David: Shepherd's Song, collecting the 3-issue mini. Which is odd, seeing as issue #3 never came out. I suppose maybe they're not publishing #3 because the series was losing money, but for those of us who bought the first two issues--and ordered #3 and not the trade--this doesn't exactly engender any goodwill for a publisher that desperately needs some.
Antarctic have new issues of Gold Digger (#69) and Ninja High School (#134), and a new NHS Pocket Manga too (vol. 7).
Archie have a new issue of Sabrina (#72).
Dark Horse have new issues of Conan (#23) and The Goon (#15).
DC have a second collection of Kyle Baker's Plastic Man (Rubber Bandits), which IMHO contains the strongest issues of Baker's sadly under-ordered run. They also have a collection of Rick Veitch's Swamp Thing (Spontaneous Generation); the debutof Testament; new issues of Birds of Prey (#89), Hellblazer (#215), Lucifer (#69), and Seven Soldiers: Bulleteer (#2); and the third issue of Infinite Crisis, which was originally scheduled for last week, then pushed back to next week, and is now shipping this week.
Drawn & Quarterly have Seth's Wimbledon Green OGN in hardcover.
Fantagraphics have a new issue of Acme Novelty Library (#16).
Marvel have new issues of Captain America (#13), Book of Lost Souls (#3), Runaways (#11), and Supreme Power: Hyperion (#3); plus a digest collection of Jeff Parker's Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four--yes, that Jeff Parker--if you like fun little super-hero stories, you should give this one a look.
Speakeasy finally get a new issue of Elk's Run (#4) out the door, as well as the debut of Shotgun Wedding.
And if you have any money left over, please consider giving to the CBLDF as part of our Second Annual Fund Drive. Thanks!
Christmas Covers - December 20
For each day of December until Christmas I'm featuring a Comic Cover Advent Calendar. Just move your mouse over the image to reveal today's special Holiday comic cover. Click on the image to get a larger version.
Francine & Katchoo set a trap for Santa on the cover of Strangers in Paradise #70 by Terry Moore.
Come back tomorrow, and every day this month, for a new Christmas cover.
Just 5 more 'get-ups' until Santa!
(Don't be a stranger--stop by and listen to Yet Another Music Radio for our Holiday Music 2005 mix for over three hours of seasonal songs.)
(And don't forget Polite Dissent's comic cover advent calendar; Love Manga's advent calendar manga give-away; or my own CBLDF Fund Drive.)
Monday, 19 December 2005
CBLDF Fund Drive Update
With less than six days left in the Second Annual CBLDF Fund Drive, we've had five people notify me of their new membership, renewed membership, or donation. Which means that we need just 5 more people to support the CBLDF at the $25 level (or higher) to meet our goal.
It's been slow going so far, but I have confidence in you--my readers--the heroes--that you can make this happen!
(If you're looking for another way to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, there are still a couple of days left to bid on the original art from the WildStorm vs. Aspen challenge--proceeds go to the CBLDF!)
It's been slow going so far, but I have confidence in you--my readers--the heroes--that you can make this happen!
(If you're looking for another way to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, there are still a couple of days left to bid on the original art from the WildStorm vs. Aspen challenge--proceeds go to the CBLDF!)
Marvel's Dot Bomb
I have to say that I'm rather unimpressed by Marvel's new Digital Comics feature.
Representing on screen comic books originally produced for the printed page has a variety of challenges, but they boil down to two:
1) How do you present a page (or a two page spread) as the whole element, while at the same time allowing readers to zoom in close enough to read the words?
2) How do you handle navigation?
Marvel chose to handle problem one by allowing readers to zoom in on individual panels, making the words legible but leaving the pictures pixelated. They handle problem two by offering a large menu of confusing navigational options. It's a rather frustrating experience.
Contrast this with the now-defunct CrossGen Comics far superior Comics on the Web, where users could use the tab key to cause successive word balloons to zoom up to a redable size, and navigation was done with simple keyboard commands. CrossGen also had other features, such as the ability to get rid of the text entirely, or turn off the computer coloring and view the pages in raw inked black-and-white form.
This is Marvel's second try at offering online versions of their comics, and I think that it's actually worse. Hopefully the third time will be the charm...
Representing on screen comic books originally produced for the printed page has a variety of challenges, but they boil down to two:
1) How do you present a page (or a two page spread) as the whole element, while at the same time allowing readers to zoom in close enough to read the words?
2) How do you handle navigation?
Marvel chose to handle problem one by allowing readers to zoom in on individual panels, making the words legible but leaving the pictures pixelated. They handle problem two by offering a large menu of confusing navigational options. It's a rather frustrating experience.
Contrast this with the now-defunct CrossGen Comics far superior Comics on the Web, where users could use the tab key to cause successive word balloons to zoom up to a redable size, and navigation was done with simple keyboard commands. CrossGen also had other features, such as the ability to get rid of the text entirely, or turn off the computer coloring and view the pages in raw inked black-and-white form.
This is Marvel's second try at offering online versions of their comics, and I think that it's actually worse. Hopefully the third time will be the charm...
New Library Comics: Week of December 12, 2005
Here are the comics we got in for our library collection last week:
The education of a comics artist : visual narrative in cartoons, graphic novels, and beyond /New York : Allworth Press ; School of Visual Arts, c2005.
Hatfield, Charles, 1965- Alternative comics : an emerging literature /Jackson : University Press of Mississippi, c2005.
Kondo, Yuko. Too fat can't fly and other stories /Corte Madera, Calf : Gingko Press, 2004.
Kramer's ergot 5 /Corte Madera, Calif. : Gingko Press, 2004.
Marcel, Swen. David : La Finca /Koln : Mattei Medien, 2004.
Mills, Scott. Trenches /Marietta, GA : Top Shelf Productions, c2002.
Prince, Liz. Will you still love me if I wet the bed? : a comic /Marietta, GA : Top Shelf Productions, 2005.
The education of a comics artist : visual narrative in cartoons, graphic novels, and beyond /New York : Allworth Press ; School of Visual Arts, c2005.
Hatfield, Charles, 1965- Alternative comics : an emerging literature /Jackson : University Press of Mississippi, c2005.
Kondo, Yuko. Too fat can't fly and other stories /Corte Madera, Calf : Gingko Press, 2004.
Kramer's ergot 5 /Corte Madera, Calif. : Gingko Press, 2004.
Marcel, Swen. David : La Finca /Koln : Mattei Medien, 2004.
Mills, Scott. Trenches /Marietta, GA : Top Shelf Productions, c2002.
Prince, Liz. Will you still love me if I wet the bed? : a comic /Marietta, GA : Top Shelf Productions, 2005.
Christmas Covers - December 19
For each day of December until Christmas I'm featuring a Comic Cover Advent Calendar. Just move your mouse over the image to reveal today's special Holiday comic cover. Click on the image to get a larger version.
Tom Palmer paints the cover to Marvels 1985 adaptation of Santa Claus: The Movie for Marvel Comics Super Special #39
Come back tomorrow, and every day this month, for a new Christmas cover.
Just 6 more 'get-ups' until Santa!
(Bad holiday movies getting you down? Cheer up by listening to Yet Another Music Radio for our Holiday Music 2005 mix for over three hours of seasonal songs.)
(And don't forget Polite Dissent's comic cover advent calendar; Love Manga's advent calendar manga give-away; or my own CBLDF Fund Drive.)
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