- 2024 Apr 09
Ed Piskor Dies at 41
The death of the Eisner Award–winning author of the Hip Hop Family Tree and X-Men: Grand Design series followed allegations of sexual misconduct, reports the New York Times.
More Turnover at IDW
Troubles at the comics publisher continue, with COO Amber Huerta, who was promoted to the position last may, among five staffers laid off.
Sophie Castille Awards Expand
The second annual Sophie Castille Awards for graphic novels translated into English will be held this fall, and Italy, Poland, and Slovenia are launching their own iterations of the prize.
Glénat Éditions Foreign Rights Change
The Grenoble, France–based publisher of comics, graphic novels, and manga will roll its comics and graphic novels representation for world English rights into its foreign rights division.
Webtoon Originals Under Fire
Webtoon's contracts for comics creators in its Originals program are being criticized over their terms, reports the Beat.
Skybound Makes Some Big Hires
Ben Abernathy joins from DC, Blake Kobashigawa and Alex Hargett come aboard, and more, reports the Beat.
$6 Mil for the First Superman
An issue of Action Comic No. 1, which introduced the world to the Kryptonian hero, has sold at auction for a record $6 million, reports the Hollywood Reporter.
Valiant Plots Its Resurgence
The new creatives behind the Valiant Universe are teasing the property's return in a big way, reports ComicBook.com.
3-Body Problem Comes 2 Comics
Yen Press will publish the English translation of the graphic novel adaptation of Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem in 2024, reports Bleeding Cool.
Empyrean Series Gets Its Third Title
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros will hit shelves next January, the author announced on Good Morning America.
A Visit to Bryan Talbot's Basement
The BBC spent an afternoon in the studio of British graphic novelist Bryan Talbot, who will be inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame this year.
The Apocalyptic Systems Thriller
A new kind of disaster fiction is serving as scenario planning for real global crises, reports the New York Times.
An X-Men Movie Comics Ban
Collider details how actors smuggled X-Men floppies onto the set of Bryan Singer's 2000 film adaptation despite an on-set ban of the comic books.
Supergirl Gets Its Director?
Cruella and I, Tonya filmmaker Craig Gillespie is in talks to direct Supergirl for Warner Bros’ DC Studios, reports Deadline.
A Dragon Ball Paradise in Saudi Arabia
Qiddiya Investment Company plans to build the world’s first Dragon Ball theme park, reports Cartoon Brew.
Jujutsu Kaisen Is the Tops
Guinness World Records has announced that Jujutsu Kaisen is officially the world’s most in-demand anime series, reports Animation Magazine.
The 10 Best Simpsons Style Shifts
The best animation shifts on The Simpsons maintain the show’s distinct visual style and bittersweet characters while showcasing the flexibility of the show's titular cast, argues ScreenRant.
Could a Video Game Win the Nobel?
Is a video game developer eligible to win the Nobel Prize for Literature? The Conversation is asking.
- 2024 Mar 26
Everything and the Kitchen Sink
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund founder and Kitchen Sink Press namesake Dennis Kitchen is putting more than 275 pieces of original comics art up for auction, including works by R. Crumb, Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman, and more.
An Award for Raina
Middle grade comics titan Raina Telgemeier has received the 2024 Zarrow Award for Young Readers’ Literature, reports TulsaKids.
DC Honors Creator of First Trans Hero
Nearly a year after the death of award-winning transgender writer Rachel Pollack, DC Comics has announced a special edition of two of her most beloved stories, reports Them.
Steve Ditko Is a Disney Legend Now
The pioneering Marvel Comics artist is among the latest slate of inductees into the Walt Disney Company's Legends program, reports the Beat.
The Monumental Legacy of Akira Toriyama
Anime News Network bids adieu to a bona fide manga legend.
Making Manga Better
With One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda going on a break after the death of Akira Toriyama, the Beat asks whether this might inspire other manga artists to take time off from a famously breakneck business.
Au Revoir, La Petite D&Q
The beloved French Canadian shop La Petite Drawn & Quarterly will close in Montreal next month, consolidating operations back to its flagship location, reports MTL Blog.
A Fond Farewell to a Comics Haven
For the past 25 odd years, the Koch Comics Warehouse has supplied the people of Sunset Park, Brooklyn, with comics. Now it's shutting down, reports the Comics Journal.
Ed Piskor Accused of Misconduct
The acclaimed comics artist has been accused of grooming and sexual misconduct, reports the Beat.
Back to Basics for the X-Men
Marvel is taking the mutants out of Krakoa and back into the regular world so they can do what they do best, reports Gizmodo.
X-Men ’97 Delivers
This animated blast from the past may be a look at Marvel’s onscreen future, according to CNN.
The Girl in Persepolis Grew Up
Marjane Satrapi discusses her life after her hit graphic novel, and her radical new work, with the Guardian.
Grant Morrison’s Process, Unpacked
The storied comics creator offers a rare glimpse into how they make their comics to Screen Rant.
Avatar Airbends Over to Webtoon
Dark Horse is partnering with Webtoon to put the entire run of Avatar: The Last Airbender comics online, reports ICv2.
Dave Grohl on Motörhead—in Comics
Read Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl’s foreword to No Remorse: The Illustrated True Stories of Lemmy Kilmister and Motorhead at Loudwire.
The End of Evangelion, Live
The anime masterpiece—one of two endings to the original Neon Genesis Evangelion anime—is in select theaters for the first time.
Re-enter the Spider-Verse
Watch the short The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story on YouTube now.
A Very Red Dead Audiobook History
Roger Clark, who plays Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, is set to narrate an audiobook that looks at American history through the lens of Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption games, reports IGN.
- 2024 Mar 12
The Boy and the Heron Returns
The newly-minted Oscar-winning film from Hayao Miyazaki is returning to theaters, reports Gizmodo.
6 Signs You’re in a Comics Shop
From pull boxes to Wednesday warriors, here's how you know you're in the right place.
The World's Largest Comics Collection
Hyperallergic visits the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at Ohio State University, which houses the largest comics and cartoon collection in the world.
The Beat Turns 20
Heidi MacDonald's Comics Beat blog celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Black Comics Creators Collab
More than 70 Black creators will join forces on a graphic novel anthology from Advent Comics, reports Bleeding Cool.
Collecting Comics vs. Reading Comics
CBR argues that when comic books are treated as collectible commodities, it can restrict access for new readers.
An Int'l Rights Market for Comics
The U.K. Comics Festival has launched an international rights market for British publishers to negotiate graphic novel translation rights with European counterparts.
MoCCA Festival Lineup
The Beat has the scoop on programming for this weekend's Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art festival.
100 Years of Bengali Comics
Live Mint goes behind the scenes of a new exhibition in Kolkata spotlighting a century of comics by Bengali artists.
Paul Dano on Superhero Fatigue
The Batman actor talked with the Independent about how superhero fatigue could lead to better comic book movies.
X-Men to Debut Nonbinary Character
Morph will make their first appearance in the upcoming animated series X-Men '97, dropping on Disney+ next week, reports Them.
Documenting Cairo in Comics
A new podcast from the BBC sheds light on Cairo's young graphic novelists.
When Graphic Novels Tackle Trauma
Graphic novelists Karina Shor and Natalie Norris talk with the Comics Journal about writing and illustrating books about trauma.
Turtel Onli Gets His Due
The Chicago Tribune checks out a new exhibition on Onli, a longtime advocate for Black artists in comics.
How Tessa Hull Mastered Comics
The author and painter talks to the New York Times about learning to draw comics before embarking on her graphic novel Feeding Ghosts.
Is Sexism Behind Gannett's Cuts?
An analysis by D.D. Degg in the Daily Cartoonist finds that mostly women cartoonists suffered in Gannett's recent restructuring of its newspapers.
The Simpsons' Comic Book Roots
The Guardian revisits Matt Groenig's early days as a cartoonist and comics artist in 1980s Los Angeles.
Solving the 3 Body Problem
The Guardian talks with the Game of Thrones team about their new TV series, an interstellar epic based on the hit Chinese sci-fi novel.
Neuromancer Series Is a Go
A 10-episode TV series based on William Gibson's 1984 cyberpunk novel is headed to Apple TV+, per Engadget.
Luna Ticks Tells All
Underground cartoonist Elizabeth Fiend, aka Luna Ticks, talks with the Comics Journal about art, politics, and punk.
The Rise of Fanbinding
Fanfiction enthusiasts are creating handmade bound books of their favorite stories.
SAG-AFTRA TV Animation Agreement
The SAG-AFTRA executive committee has approved a TV animation agreement and sent it to members for a ratification vote, reports Deadline.
Kung Fu Panda 4 Pays Off
Cartoon Brew looks at how the new Kung Fu Panda movie scored Dreamworks its best opening in over a decade.
Twilight, the Animated Series?
An animated series based on the vampire novels is being shopped around, reports Variety.
Tomi Adeyemi Looks Ahead
The Children of Blood and Bone author talks with People about the final installment of her Orisha trilogy and the upcoming film adaptation.
Arab, Asian Fantasy Authors on the Rise
Arab and Asian fantasy authors are reimagining the genre and ascending globally by embracing their cultures, reports the National.
Gamergate, 10 Years Later
A decade after the events of Gamergate, the Guardian implores the video game industry to stand up to far-right trolls.
Mario Returns to Big Screens
A new Super Mario Bros. animated film is in the works from Illumination and Nintendo, reports Variety.
StEvEn & Parker Will Be a Book
Parker James and animated story studio Toonstar have signed a multi-book deal with Random House Children’s Books for titles based on the YouTube series, per Deadline.
- 2024 Feb 27
Neil Gaiman Goes to Auction
The author will sell a number of items from his personal collection of comics and comic art, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Hero Initiative.
Manga Plus at Five
The manga platform, owned by Japanese publisher Shueisha, has announced subscription discounts and exclusive content to celebrate its fifth anniversary.
Asian Comics Come to the Bowers
“Asian Comics: Evolution of an Art Form,” a new exhibition at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, Calif., will run March 9–September 8.
Comics Conference Travel for Librarians
Skybound Entertainment has provided $6,000 in funding to the American Library Association’s Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table, underwriting a new round of grants supporting library workers in expanding their knowledge of, and experience with, comics in libraries.
Manta’s French-Language Expansion
South Korean digital comics platform Manta has introduced French to its language options, beginning with 10 titles curated for Francophone markets. The move follows Manta's Spanish-language launch in spring 2023.
Revving Up the 'Epiphany Engine'
More than 70 Black creators are teaming up with Advent Comics and more than 30 comic book and graphic novel publishers on a 192-page, multiverse-busting graphic novel.
Comics—Made in New York
The Society of Illustrators is presenting “Made in New York,” an exhibit spotlighting six contemporary artists who define the New York comics scene—even as their own work resists easy definition.
A Graphic Storytelling Showcase in BK
On March 12 at BRIC in Brooklyn, the International School of Brooklyn will host an evening of conversation with four trailblazing artists, cartoonists, and illustrators shaping narratives through their work in the field of graphic storytelling.
The 2024 Eisner Hall of Fame
The Eisner Awards Hall of Fame judging panel has announced its nineteen automatic inductees for 2024, reports the Beat.
Speaking of Neil Gaiman...
The author’s fantasy novel Anansi Boys is heading to comics, reports the Hollywood Reporter.
Alan Moore’s Last Comic
The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic is due out this fall from Top Shelf Productions, reports Popverse.
Mad Cave’s Disney Deal
Papercutz, the young readers imprint at Mad Cave Studios, will publish a series of comics and graphic novels featuring characters from Disney and Pixar, starting in May, reports Forbes.
DC Follows Marvel's Epic Line
DC Finest, DC Comics’s own version of Marvel's Epic Line, will collect classic character comics for new and old readers, reports Bleeding Cool.
Black Heroes and Comics Representation
When it comes to Black representation, scholars suggest that independent publishers, writers, and artists are the best source, according to the Daily Lobo.
‘The Magic of Raina Is Real’
The Atlantic details how Raina Telgemeier turned the anxious kid into a hero for the 21st century.
No, Seriously, Raina Is a Witch
Yet another Atlantic piece on Telgemeier focuses on the importance of rereading for children.
TokyoPop's Marc Visnick Talks Shop
The publisher discusses hot titles, kids’ manga, and new Spanish-language titles with ICv2.
Launching Fighting to Belong!
Hundreds gathered in New York City earlier this month for Third State Books and the Asian American Foundation’s groundbreaking book launch and Lunar New Year party, reports NextShark.
Alex Segura Is Back
The creator returns to the scene of the comic book crime with new novel Alter Ego, reports Popverse.
A Witcher 3 Comics Addendum
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is getting a direct sequel in the form of a Dark Horse comic book called The Witcher: Corvo Bianco, reports IGN.
Zando Gets into Bandes Dessinées
The French graphic novel World Without End, by Christophe Blain and Jean-Marc Jancovici, will get a 75,000 print run in English from Zando, reports Bleeding Cool.
Peanuts’s Franklin, Animated
Franklin, the first Black character in Charles Schulz’s Peanuts strip, gets his own animated special, reports NPR.
A Win for Spider-Man
Despite Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film being right there, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse—also a good movie—won the prize for best feature at this year’s Annie Awards, reports Variety.
Madame Flub
The changes made to Marvel Comics’s Madame Web in the new movie from Sony Pictures will almost certainly alienate any fans she actually had from the original comics, argues ScreenRant.
But Will It Have THAT Theme Song?
X-Men ‘97, a sequel to the beloved 1990s animated show X-Men: The Animated Series, has released its first detailed trailer, reports the Beat
We're Really Doing This Again?
How does Netflix’s adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender compare to the original animated series? Well, better than the M. Night Shyamalan movie, writes Slate. But....
A True Detective Would Read These
Vulture rounds up 12 books to read for fans who can't move on from True Detective: Night Country.
- 2024 Feb 13
Fantagraphics Calls for Peace in Gaza
The independent comics publisher has released a statement calling for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.
RIP Ashihara Hinako
Manga artist Ashihara Hinako was found dead at 54 last month—days after protesting the TV adaptation of her work, reports Variety.
The Rise of Piccoma
Shonen Jump and Kodansha were beaten in sales last year by an upstart manga app, reports Screen Rant.
Rolling a Natural 1 on Messaging
Wizards of the Coast has denied rumors that it might sell its Dungeons & Dragons franchise to the Chinese video game company Tencent, reports Forbes.
The Best Days for Bédé
The market for bandes dessinées almost doubled in France during the pandemic, reports the Guardian—but can the birthplace of Asterix continue to nurture creators?
An Irregular Cadence
The Beat investigates the stunning turnover at Cadence Comic Art.
Vive L’intranquille!
Joseph Kai’s French-language debut graphic novel has won this year’s Albertine Translation Prize for Fiction.
A PEN/Faulkner Graphic Nominee
Monica by Daniel Clowes is one of 10 books, and the only graphic novel, to be nominated for this year’s PEN/Faulkner Award.
