Les Humanoides Returns to US Market
French comics publisher Les Humanoides-branded asHumanoids in the English speaking world-is reentering the US market, this timeon its own. In previous years, the prominent European company had taken onpartners when working in the United States - first DC Comics, and later Devil'sDue Productions. The first batch of graphic novels released in this way willcome out this June. More details are available on the company's website.
Kick-Ass Premiereswith C2E2
Kick-Ass, the highlyanticipated new superhero movie based upon Mark Millar's comic of the same name, will havea red carpet premiere in Chicago on April 15. Produced in coordination with theChicago Comics and Entertainment Expo, it will take place the day before theconvention and tickets to the event will be available on the C2E2 website and IGN.com.Stars from the movie will attend the Chicago premiere and will take part in anautographing session the following day at C2E2. C2E2 takes place from April 16- 18 at Chicago's McCormick Place convention center. C2E2 is owned by the sameparent company as Publishers Weekly
Kim Deitch Speaks at Johns Hopkins
Pioneering underground cartoonist KimDeitch will speak at Johns Hopkins University on April 26, promoting hisnew book The Search for Smilin' Ed.Deitch will be signing advance copies of TheSearch for Smilin' Ed, coming out this June from Fantagraphics, at theJohns Hopkins Barnes & Noble located at 3330 St. Paul Street, on April 25,from 4 to 6 p.m. His talk, The Search for Smilin' Ed and Other Tales" will beopen free to the public and take place at 5:30 p.m. in Room 101 of the F. RossJones Building, Mattin Center, on the Homewood campus at 3400 N. Charles St. inBaltimore.
WonderCon Arrives This Weekend
This weekend, April 2-4, San Francisco will be hostingthe comics convention WonderCon. Withspecial guests including Colleen Doran, Judd Winick, Gail Simone, Frank Cho,Darwyn Cook and Greg Rucka and presented by the people who bring you San DiegoComic-Con International, WonderCon is a comics convention of note. WonderCon islocated at San Francisco's Moscone Center South at 747 Howard Street, SanFrancisco. Three day passes are $40 for adults, $20 for children and seniors,Friday or Saturday one day passes are $15 for adults, $8 for children andseniors and Sunday passes are $10 for adults, $5 for children and seniors.Children 11 and under get in free with a paid adult admission.
Reading With Pictures Seeks a Kickstart
Readingwith Pictures, the educational comics anthology from comics creator JoshElder (Mail Order Ninja, The Batman Strikes) is looking for preordersand donations through crowd-sourced fundraiser website Kickstarter.com. Reading With Pictures is anonprofit organization devoted to bringing comics into schools nationwide andis attempting to raise money through a benefit anthology of the same namefeaturing work from Jill Thompson (Sandman), Scott Sava (Dreamland Chronicles), JimGownley (Amelia Rules) and Raina Telgenmeier (Smile). But firstenough money must be raised to publish the anthology in the first place - henceKickstarter. Kickstarter is a website that allows artists and innovators toraise money from the general public, taking pledges of support for amounts aslow as $1 and often offering incentives such as books or t-shirts for contributionsof a set amount. If enough money is raised to fund the project, the pledgedamount will then be withdrawn from the accounts of those who have pledged. Ifnot, no one has lost money. Pledges and preorders for Reading with Picturescan be made here.
MoCCA Art Festival
New York's Museum ofComic and Cartoon Art's annual art festival is coming early this year. Inresponse to recurring difficulties with the summer heat, MoCCA Fest 2010 willtake place April 10 and 11 at the historic 69th Regiment Armory. The popularevent is creator-centric, with a focus on small press and independent comics.Guests include Mad Magazine's AlJaffe, Jaime Hernandez of Love andRockets fame, Frank Miller, Kyle Baker, Becky Cloonan, Chip Kidd and many,many more. The show features a wide variety of panels and programming, runningthroughout the weekend. Availablethrough the MoCCA site, advance ticket prices are $15 for a weekend pass,$12 for members and one day passes at $10. Prices will be higher at the door.Proceeds go to benefit the museum. The 69th Regiment Armory is located at 68Lexington Avenue, New York, NY.
Kids Comic Con in the Bronx
Taking place on April 10 at Bronx Community College inNew York City, the event caters to comics-loving children, parents andeducators and includes panels, workshops and a wide variety of comics creatorguests including Chris Giarrusso of Mini-Marvels,Raina Telgenmeier of Smile, X-Men:Misfits and the Babysitters Clubgraphic novels among many others. DC Comics and Abrams Comics Arts will also besponsoring several special guest artists. First organized by comics creatorAlex Simmons in 2007, last year the low-budget one day con had over 750attendees, approximately two-thirds of which were children. Admission is freeto children under 17, $5 to the general public.
This Week @ Good Comics For Kids
This week SchoolLibrary Journal's blog Good Comics forKids had a review of Twilight:The Graphic Novel Vol. 1,and GirlComics #1 reviews of twonew manga with tough guys in love, the3/24listing of comics suitable for all ages, and an Ais for Archie, Aya and Alison Dare links roundup from Brigid Alverson.
This Week @ The Beat
This week at PWCW editor Heidi MacDonald's blog The Beat, she covered the return ofHumanoids, Fantagraphics'new Marschall books imprint in partnership with comics historian RickMarschall, the partial quasi-return of the muchlitigated Marvel/Miracleman, analysisof the new Scott Pilgrim trailer,an unusual - satirical?- comicabout the love between two very short heavy metal frontmen, Tokyopop'sStuart Levy auditioninginterns for a promotional tour / web reality show, and the passing of thelate comics great Dick Giordano, wondered whethercomics were the last hope for boys, announced her attendanceat the upcoming Wondercon, soliciting party and event information for the conand hosted a guest column by Yen Press's RichJohnson on the impact of Art Spiegelman's Maus.
