Americas

United States 

Business

Diamond News announces their top 100 comics based on the total unit sales of products invoiced for April 2013. DC Comics’ Batman #19 leads the pack. Link (03/05/2013, English, MB & EG)

Diamond News announces their top 100 graphic novels based on the total unit sales of products invoiced for April 2013. Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead maintains a dominant position. Link (English, MB & EG)

Marvel Studios released the next part of their Avengers film saga, Iron Man 3, on the 3rd May. By the 28th May, it became the fifth-highest grossing film of all time, netting over $1 billion worldwide. Link (28/05/2013, English, EG)

Culture

The event “Superman: The High-Flying History of America’s Most Enduring Hero” will take place on the 4th June at the Soho Gallery for Digital Art (New York). The event is a celebration of 75 years of Superman. Link (English, WG)

Peter David, writer of series including Hulk, X-Factor, and Star Trek, will be giving a talk at the Soho Gallery for Digital Art on the 5th June. Link (English, WG)

The ABC television network has officially picked up Joss Whedon’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television show, which will feature several characters from his Avengers movie, and see them combating super-threats on the small screen beginning this fall. This reflects Marvel’s recent venture in growing a superhero film universe; now branching into television also. The first trailer for the show was released earlier this month. Link (15/05/2013, English, EG)

Education

Danny Fingeroth has set up an online comics writing course. Link (English, WG)

Obituaries

Twelve-year-old Zachi Telesha, who created and published his comic book “Hero Up!” about crime fighting superheroes, died of bone cancer on the 29th April. Link (08/05/2013, English, MB)

Research

Sequart Research & Literacy Organization has recently published an anthology on Daredevil (The Devil is in the Details: Examining Matt Murdock and Daredevil), and another on Grant Morrison and Chris Weston’s The Filth (Curing the Postmodern Blues: Reading Grant Morrison and Chris Weston’s The Filth in the 21st Century). Link (English, WG)

ImageTexT issued a call for papers for a special issue entitled “Comics and Post-Secondary Pedagogy.” Submissions are due by the 20th July. Link (29/03/2013, English, WG)

The Northeast Popular/American Culture Association (NEPCA) has posted their call for proposals for their autumn conference being held between the 25th and 26th October at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont. There is a dedicated area chair for “Comics and Graphic Novels.” The deadline for proposals is the 10th June. Link (English, MB)

The Third Triennial Academic Conference at the Festival of Cartoon Art has released its call for papers which focus on comics studies. The conference will take place between the 14th and 15th November at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum at The Ohio State University. The deadline for submissions is the 1st July. Link (English, MB)

The Institute for Comics Studies has released a call for papers for  three major U.S. comic conventions: the New York Comic-Con (comic-con website), C2E2 in Chicago, and Project Comic-Con (comic-con website) in St. Louis, Missouri. The deadline for proposals for the New York event is the 15th July, and the dealine for proposal for the Missouri event is the 1st August. Link (24/05/2013, English, MB & EG)

Ohio State University’s Jared Gardner has issued a call for papers for a forthcoming anthology entitled “The Comics of Charles Schulz: The Good Grief of Modern Life.” The collection forms part of the Critical Approaches to Comics Artist, published by University Press of Mississippi. The deadline for abstracts is the 31st October. Link (30/05/2013, English, MB & EG)

Asia

Japan

Culture

On the 8th June, the acclaimed special effects director of Nippon chinbotsu (Japan Sinks), Mr. Teruyoshi Nakano, and Mr. Naofumi Higuchi; film critic, and director in his own right, will give a running commentary on Nippon chinbotsu during a screening of the film, at the Yoshihiro Yonezawa Memorial Library. Link (Japanese, JBS)

Law & Politics

The LDP, Japan’s ruling party, is seeking to amend Japan’s child pornography laws. Critics are concerned that the bill would not differentiate between images of actual and fictional children. Link (28/05/2013, English, JBS)

Research

During the 6th and 7th July, the Japan Society for Studies in Cartoon and Comics will hold its 13th yearly convention, at the Kita Kyushu Manga Museum. Link (Japanese, JBS)

Philippines

Culture

Mini-Komikon Night was held at the inaugural Little Lit Festival, organised by the National Book Development Board, on the 31st May 2013. Link (English, LCT)

Singapore

Culture

Three stores in Singapore took part in Free Comic Book Day on the 4th May. Two comic shops and the Kinokuniya book shop at Ngee Ann City gave away comic books and had cosplayers to liven up the day. Kinokuniya also had the launch of The Girl Under The Bed (Epigram Books), by Dave Chua and Xiao Yen, that afternoon. Link (English, LCT)

Europe 

Belgium

Obituary

Fred Funcken, a seminal figure in Franco-Belgian bande dessinée, has died at the age of 92. He collaborated for many years with his wife Liliane on titles such as Le Chevalier Blanc and Jack Diamond; he also worked for Spirou and Tintin. Link 1 (17/05/2013, French, LTa), Link 2 (30/05/2013, English, LTa).

Croatia

Culture

The exhibition “Komikaze vs Comicaze” is being held at the Munich Comic Fest. It presents comics made by the Croatian collective Komikaze and the German collective Comicaze. It lasts from the 28th May to the 9th July. Link (27/05/2013, Croatian, LO)

The comic book and cartoon artist Nedeljko Dragić has received the lifetime achievement award “Andrija Maurović” for his contribution to comic art. Link (21/05/2013, Croatian, LO)

Denmark

Culture

The exhibition “Konfrontation” is taking place between the 25th May and the 23rd June, at the Den Frie Udstilling. Link (Danish, RPC)

The exhibition “Ozamu Tezuka magaens mester” is taking place at the Storm P. Museet between the 9th May and the 22nd September. Link (Danish, RPC)

Research

There was an event about comics and didactics at the University of Copenhagen on the 31st May. Link (29/05/2013, Danish, RPC)

France

Culture

Lewis Trondheim, author of Lapinot, Donjon, and winner of the 2006 Angoulême Grand Prix, has written a radio comedy for Arte. Luc, starring Eric Elmosnino (Gainsbourg), will be broadcast in October 2013. Link (06/05/2013, French, LTa)

Obituary

BD author Kline, aka Roger Chevallier, the illustrator of Loup Noir, which appeared in Pif Gadget between 1969 and 1980, died on the 16th of May. He was 91. Link (23/05/2013, French, LTa)

Finland

Culture

The exhibition “Art farming” by Estonian artist Kristel Maamäki, is taking place at the Comics Centre in Helsinki. The exhibition will be on until the 31st July. Link (Finnish, RPC)

Research

NNCORE (Nordic Network for Comics Research) has published the program for their Helsinki conference that took place between the 23rd and the 25th May. Link (English, RPC)

Germany

Culture

An exhibition at Weserburg Bremen explores the influence of comics on high art. Link (14/05/2013, German, MdlI)

The 6th Dresdner Comicfest took place on the 25th May, and guests included Schlogger and Tim Gaedke. Link (25/05/2013, German, MdlI)

Research

A workshop titled “Vom Schund zum Bildungsmedium” on comics in political education was held in Berlin between the 25th and 26th May. Link (21/05/2013, German, MdlI)

Greece

Culture

Some political cartoonists exhibited their work during the annual Book Exhibition in Athens. Link (Greek, LTs)

There was a party and comics exhibition in Thessaloniki, organised by Inkorrect team, on the 16th May. Link (Greek, LTs)

There is a comics exhibition from the Greek artist Apostolis Ioannou. Link (07/05/2013, Greek, LTs)

A comics competition has been organised by the Sunday School of Immigrants. Link (19/04/2013, Greek,  LTs)

Ireland

Culture

The 2D Northern Ireland Comics Festival took place at the Verbal Arts Centre between the 1st and 2nd June. Link (English,SC)

Macedonia

Culture

The Comic Centre of Macedonia – Veles – has announced a competition for the 11th Comic Showroom VELES 2013. The competition is open to all comics artists, who must submit a 1-6 page comic to be considered for an award at the event. The deadline for entrees is the 25th September. Unfortunately no details are currently available on their website for the current competition, however last years call for entrees (quite similar to this years) is still available. Link (English, WG)

Norway

Culture

A free comics festival took place in Østfold between the 25th and 26th May. Link (Norwegian, RPC)

Serbia

Culture

The international comics fest in Belgrade will take place from the 26th to 29th September. The awards “Grand Prix” and “Young Lion” will be given to the best artists. The application deadline for potential participants is the 15th August. Organisers will soon announce further information about the application procedure on their Facebook page. Link (English, LO)

Spain

 Education

A summer course on comics will take place in Madrid, between the 22nd and 26th July. Registration is now open for the “Images and Migrations of Comics” course. It will be a week long course that provides a formal approach to comics by renowned Spanish experts and academics. Discussion groups will provide students with a better understanding of the unique characteristics of the medium, as well as offer an insight into their favourite works. PDF: Link (Spanish, EC)

UK   

Business

While the downthetubes website is currently running a minimal service due to funding, a link to British comic sales figures can be found in one of their blog posts. Link (17/05/2013, English, WG)

Culture     

The 9th Art Award is a newly developed award to be given to this year’s best English language graphic novel. The winner will be announced at a ceremony during the Edinburgh International Book Festival. More information, and details on submission for the award can be found on their website. Link (English, WG)

Entry into the Observer/Cape/Comica graphic short story prize is now open. Link (12/05/2013, English, WG)

Research

David Small is giving a keynote address at the conference A Narrative Future for Healthcare on the 19th June at Kings College, London. Link (14/05/2013, English, WG)

A series of Laydeez do Comics events have been announced in the cities, London (17th June), Leeds (22nd July), Glasgow (25th June; coinciding with the IBDS conference), and Brighton (5th July; coinciding with the Fourth International Conference on Comics and Medicine). More details on these events can be found on their website. Link (English, WG)

There is a call for papers for a forthcoming collection entitled “Global Manga: The Cultural Production of Japanese Comics outside Japan.” Chapter proposals are due on the 31st August. PDF: Link (English, WG)

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News Editor: Will Grady (comicsforumnews@hotmail.co.uk)

Correspondents: Jessica Bauwens-Sugimoto (JBS, Japan), Michele Brittany (MB, North America), Esther Claudio (EC, Spain), Rikke Platz Cortsen (RPC, Scandinavia), Shelley Culbertson (SC, Ireland), Eric Ganeau (EG, North America), William Grady (WG, UK), Martin de la Iglesia (MdlI, Germany), Luka Ostojic (LO, Croatia), Lise Tannahill (LTa, France), Lim Cheng Tju (LCT, Singapore), Lida Tsene (LTs, Greece).

Click here for News Review correspondent biographies.

Suggestions for articles to be included in the News Review can be sent to Will Grady at the email address above.