Author Archives: Comics Forum

Americas

Brazil

Culture

The first issue of Antílope, an independent magazine on comics, and comics criticism, has just been published. Link (Portuguese, GS)

United States 

Business

Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. report on their 100 best selling comics for February 2013. Link (25/03/2013, English, HMS)

Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. report on their 100 best selling graphic novels for February 2013. Link (25/03/2013, English, HMS)

The Comics Beat reports that Monkeybrain Comics will be venturing into print format with IDW and Image. Link (27/02/2013, English, HMS)

Brooks Barnes of the New York Times discusses Marvel’s display of commitment to digital formats by releasing hundreds of first issues for free on Comixology. Link (10/03/2013, English, HMS)

Jeet Heer conducts an interview with Walter Biggins, who is about to quit his role as acquisitions editor for the University of Mississippi Press. Biggins has been behind a number of notable comics related academic texts from the Press. Link (18/03/2013, English, WG)

Culture

The Comics Beat’s Heidi MacDonald reports that the Small Press Expo has revealed its 2013 poster and the Expo’s invited guests. Link (04/03/2013, English, HMS)

The first ever Slate Cartoonist Studio Prize winners have been announced, including Chris Ware. The finalists in the 2013 Spectrum Fantastic Art Awards have also been announced, with video content of finalists and their artwork. Link (04/03/2013, English, HMS)

Publisher’s Weekly’s Calvin Reid interviews the Society of Illustrators on its role in giving the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art a new location and a redesigned festival in April in New York. Link (12/03/2013, English, HMS)

The Soho Gallery for Digital Art in New York, in conjunction with former Marvel editor and writer Danny Fingeroth, will host a Comic Book Round Table discussion entitled “The Man of Steel vs. Orson Scott Card”  to address the recent controversy over Card’s openly anti-gay politics and the industry. Panellists will include David Gerrold, Joseph Phillip Illige, Paul Kupperberg, Jeff Trexler, Danny Fingeroth, and Adam Dekraker.  The event will be held on the 10th April. Link (English, HMS)

Alex Lockwood of PhD Comics takes us to the Comic Arts Conference to explore the academic side of Comic-Con. Link (English, WG)

Education

Betsy Gomez at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund updates reports that Persepolis has been reputedly banned in a Chicago School. Link (15/03/2013, English, HMS)

Law & Politics

Betsy Gomez at The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund announces that the CBDLF will defend Persepolis by sending a letter of condemnation. Link (15/03/2013, English, HMS)

Research

The Third Triennial Academic Conference at the Festival of Cartoon Art announces a call for papers. The conference will be held at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at Ohio State University on the 14th and 15th November. 250-500 word abstracts and a one-page CV are due by the 1st July. Link (English, HMS)

There is a call for papers for a collection entitled Contemporary Uses of Fairy Tales. The editor seeks submissions focusing upon comic texts Lost Girls and Fables amongst other things. Abstracts are due by the 19th June. Link (19/03/2013, English, WG)

Technology

Bruce Lidl at The Comics Beat discusses the emergence of new digital devices and upgraded technology on smart phones and tablets in the wake of Marvel’s new digital initiative. Link (22/03/2013, English, HMS)

Asia

Japan

Culture

Manga artists Katsuya Terada, Tadahiro Uesugi, and Daisuke Tsutsumi talk about the SKETCHTRAVEL project at the Kyoto International Manga Museum, on the 20th April. Link (English, JBS)

Singapore

The first 24 Hour Comics Day in Singapore was held in 2010. After three editions, an exhibition of the works was held at the Jurong Regional Library, after which it will travel to two other public libraries to reach out to the community. The exhibition is from the 19th March to the 31st July. Link (14/03/2013, English, LCT)

Europe 

Belgium

Culture

Belgian author François Schuiten donates 80% of his original work to the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the Roi Baudoin Foundation. The BNF will receive the originals of the Cités obscures series. The Belgian Centre for Bande Dessinée (CBBD) and the Angoulême Bande Dessinée Museum will also receive works. Link (26/03/2013, French, LTa)

Recyclart’s exhibition “Don’t Shoot! We Are Not Armed!” displays a variety of South African underground comics artwork. Link (27/03/2013, English, MR)

Obituary

Belgian bande dessinée writer Didier Comès, author of Silence and Le Dieu vivant, has died at the age of 71. Link 1 (07/03/2013, French, LTa), Link 2 (07/03/2013, French, LTa)

Croatia

 Culture

Comic book illustrator and film animator, Borivoj Dovniković Bordo, held a talk on the 19th March at the book club, Booksa. The artist, who has already won several lifetime achievement awards, talked about his career in Yugoslavia, Croatia, and abroad.  Link (19/03/2013, Croatian)

Denmark

Culture

Danish comics celebrate their 100th birthday. Link (04/03/2013, Danish, RPC)

France

Business

Publisher Dupuis has bought out Marsu Productions, which was founded by Spirou author André Franquin. Dupuis will take control of Marsu’s catalogue, including Spirou and 150 other titles. Link 1 (26/03/2013, French, LTa), Link 2 (26/03/2013, English, LTa)

Germany

Culture

“Chicks on Comics”, is an exhibition by female comic artists, taking place in Berlin at Alpha Nova Kulturwerkstatt & Galerie Futura from the 15th March to the 26th April. Link (18/03/2013, German, MdlI)

Research

The ComFor weblog has published a series of posts on unreliable narration in comics. Link (24/03/2013, German, MdlI)

Greece

Culture

The dates and full program of Comicdom Con Athens 2013 have been announced. The event takes place between the 19th and the 21st April. Link (English, LTs)

Asterix visits the Archeological Museum of Kisamos. Link (Greek, LTs)

The exhibition “Comics and Crisis” sees Greek, Spanish, and Argentinian comic artists display works inspired by the current crisis. Link (Spanish, LTs)

“Food, Glorious Food! Bost and the Press” is an exhibition focused on Bost’s satirical cartoons featured in the press and periodicals, from the end of the 1950s until 1980. It will take place between the 5th April and the 19th May. Link (English, LTs)

Education

“Writing with the Incredible Mr. Escher” is an educational program for children aged between 7 and 11 focusing on comics and storytelling. The program ends on the 14th April. Link (English, LTs)

Research

Discussion panels on the digital age, art, and comics and crisis, took place at the Cervantes Institute in Athens on the 20th March. Link 1, Link 2 (Spanish, LTs)

Norway

Culture

Norway gets a new comics festival for children and young adults. Seriefest will take place between the 26th and 28th April. Link (14/03/2013, Norwegian, RPC)

Romania

Culture

Romania hosted its first Comic Con. The ”East European Comic Con” took place in Bucharest between the 30th and 31st March. It featured the work of local cartoonists, as well as gaming, illustration, and cosplay competitions. Link (Romanian, MP)

 Serbia

Culture

Serbian artists made an event in honor of the departed comic book artist Jean Giraud (a.k.a Moebius). On the 21st March (the first anniversary of Moebius’ death), a 24-hour drawing competition took place in the French Institute in Belgrade. This was a part of the exposition “To Be Continued… – Three Generations of Contemporary Serbian Comics.” Link (22/03/2013, Croatian, LO)

Spain

Culture

XVIII Granada Comic Festival took place between the 8th and the 12th March. Quino, famous creator of popular Mafalda, was the special guest, among other national and international artists. Link (Spanish, EC)

The 31st International Comic Convention will take place in Barcelona, from the 11th to the 14th April. The most important event on comics in Spain will host artists such as Gilbert Shelton and Guy Delisle. Exhibitions are thematic, such as one on 75 years of Superman, and others devoted to the work of award winning and recognised national artists. Link (Spanish, EC)

There is a comics and architecture exhibition, featuring Max Vento’s work alongside other artists work that is related to architecture. The exhibition will be open until the 30th April. Link (07/03/2013, Spanish, EC)

“Homage-Exhibition: A Century of Comics” is a retrospective of comics from the Valencian community (1913-2013). Valencia has been at the core of comic creation for the last century. Even during the difficult times of Francoism, Valencian artists managed to keep the quality of their works and combine them with entertainment, and mass production working conditions. This is a homage to their careers and a display of their wonderful past and present works. Link (Spanish, EC)

Jobs

“Fundación Botín” Arts Grant has one grant available for national and international artists, with comics creators included. The grant will last 9 months and applications are due by the 23rd April. Link (Spanish, EC)

UK                 

Culture

The special guests for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (18th-20th October) have been announced. Link (English, WG)

Obituary

The Guardian reports on the death of Colin Andrew, who drew strips for Dr Who Magazine, and Eagle, amongst other things. Link (24/03/2013, English, WG)

Research

There is a call for papers for a collection upon the various works of Neil Gaiman, entitled “Magic and Dreams and Good Madness: Sociology and Neil Gaiman.” 500 word abstracts, along with a short biography, are due on the 1st June. Link (13/03/2013, English, WG)

There is a call for papers entitled “Time Travel in the Media”. Amongst other mediums, the editors seek submissions looking at time travel in comics and graphic novels. 500 word abstracts are due on the 16th June. Link (12/03/2013, English, WG)

There is a call for papers for a collection focusing upon Josh Whedon’s Firefly. Amongst other things, the editors seek submissions focusing upon the comic book series. 300-500 word abstracts are due on the 1st May. Link (20/03/2013, English, WG)

Registration is now open for the International Graphic Novel and International Bande Dessinée Society Conference, taking place in Glasgow/Dundee (24th-28th June). Link (English, WG) 

Registration is now open for Ethics Under Cover, Comics, Medicine and Society: 4th International Conference on Comics and Medicine, taking place in Brighton (5th-7th July). Link (English, WG)

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

Correspondents: Jessica Bauwens-Sugimoto (JBS, Japan), Esther Claudio (EC, Spain), Rikke Platz Cortsen (RPC, Scandinavia), William Grady (WG, UK), Martin de la Iglesia (MdlI, Germany), Nicolas Labarre (NL, France), Mihaela Precup (MP, Romania), Hannah Means-Shannon (HMS, North America), Luka Ostojic (LO, Croatia), Moray Rhoda (MR, South Africa), Greice Schneider (GS, Brazil), Lida Tsene (LTs, Greece), Lise Tannahill (LTa, France), Lim Cheng Tju (LCT, Singapore).

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.

Africa

South Africa

Culture

The creators behind the graphic novel, Rebirth, will be in conversation Andy Mason at Book Lounge, Cape Town, on the 7th March. Link (English, MR)

Americas

Canada

Culture

The Vancouver Art Gallery is having a retrospective exhibition of Art Spiegelman’s work. Spiegelman also gave a lecture on the 13th February at Simon Fraser University Woodwards Campus associated with the event. Link (English, PW)

Shawn Conner of the Vancouver Sun interviews Art Spiegelman on his new exhibit, “CO-MIX: A Retrospective of Comics, Graphics, and Scraps” running from the 16th February to the 9th June, at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Link (14/02/2013, English, HMS)

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) updated its list of featured guests. Link (English, PW)

The Joe Shuster Awards produced a “work in progress” list of Canadian creators who published work in 2012 and are therefore eligible for the 2013 awards. Link (20/02/2013, English, PW)

The Vancouver Comic Arts Festival is gearing up for its May event. Link (English, PW)

United States 

Business

Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. announce their top selling 100 comics for January 2013. Link (English, HMS)

Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. announce their top selling 100 graphic novels for January 2013. Link (English, HMS)

Kevin Melrose for Robot 6 at Comic Book Resources reports that comic sales may have hit a 20 year high at 715 million dollars. Link (18/02/2013, English, HMS)

Culture

The Comics Beat reports that Tom Tomorrow, cartoonist creator of This Modern World, has been announced as the winner of the 2013 Herblock Prize, established in 2004 to honor editorial cartooning. Link (26/02/2013, English, HMS)

The Comics Beat features three graphic novels as winners of this year’s Cybil Awards, Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards, for books gaining attention from young readers and libraries. Link (21/02/2013, English, HMS)

Will Eisner Studios, Inc. announces upcoming Will Eisner Week events in several cities including readings, panels, and celebrations of the life and works of Will Eisner. Link (17/02/2013, English, HMS)

The LA Times features honorees in the field of graphic novels and comics for their prestigious Book Awards 2013.  Link (English, HMS)

The Comics Beat reports that Spain Rodgriguez and Mort Meskin have been nominated for automatic inclusion in the Eisner Award Hall of Fame, as well as listing other potential inductees. Link (04/02/2013, English, HMS)

Education

Columbia University announces the addition to its graphic novels archive of Elfquest materials, the latest acquisition in the library’s ongoing support for the research and teaching of graphic novels. Link (25/02/2013, English, HMS)

Ball State University announce registration for a Massive Open Online Course (MOCC) entitled, Gender Through Comics, for Spring 2013 running from the 2nd April to the 10th May. Led by Christina Blanch, the course will feature interviews with industry professionals such as Mark Waid, Brian K. Vaughn, and Terry Moore. Link (English, HMS)

Peter Gutierrez at Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. “Bookshelf” newsletter provides tips and resources for “Creating Effective Teaching Guides for Graphic Novels” in school curriculums. Link (27/02/2013, English, HMS)

Research

The Comics Beat discusses the current reassessment of Frederick Wertham’s life and works, including library professor Carol Tilley’s recent accusation that Wertham falsified his research. Link (13/02/2013, English, HMS)

The call for papers for SANEjournal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education 4.1: “The Singularity Plurality” has been posted. The editors are seeking articles that examine the works and theories of individuals in relation to how their ideas can shape the integration of comics into educational settings. Submissions expects in November 2013. Link (English, WG)

inkt|art, a new journal dedicated to women working in graphic narrative, released its first issue. Link (English, WG)

The comix-scholars discussion list has recently launched an archive service (Link). You have to be a member of the list to get access, details of the list and how to join are available here: Link (English, WG)

The conference, Graphic Art: Violence and Healing in Comics and Graphic Novels (28th-30th May 2013), has extended its deadline for abstracts to the 15th March. This is alongside the announcement of special guest, Chris Ware, appearing at the conference. Link (20/02/2013, English, WG)

The call for papers for panels on Collaboration in Comics, Transnational Comics, and Fine Art and Comics are available on the Comics and Graphic Narratives website. The panels are for the MLA Annual Convention (January 2014). Abstracts for Collaboration in Comics, and Transnational Comics, are due by the 8th March 2013. Abstracts for Fine Art and Comics are due on the 1st April 2013. Link (English, WG)

Fantastic! Heroic! Disabled? “Cripping” the Comic Con is a one day symposium taking place at Syracuse University on the 11th April. The symposium will engage with the representations of disability in comic books, graphic novels, and manga. Link (English, WG)

Technology

Peter Kafka at All Things D reports on the possibilities of combining comics and augmented reality on an iPad platform via Anomaly Productions at the ‘D: Dive into Media’ conference. Link (23/02/2013, English, HMS)

Asia

Japan

Culture

There is an exhibition at the Kyoto International Manga Museum – SKETCHTRAVEL – featuring illustrations from artists from all over the world. It takes place from the 7th March to the 2nd June. Link (English, JBS)

The Kita Kyushu Manga Museum is exhibiting work by artists from the oldest fanzine (dojinshi) circle in Japan, between the 2nd and the 10th March. Link (Japanese, JBS)

Research

The Foreign Manga Study Group (including comics, BD, etc.) of the Japan Society for the Study in Cartoon and Comics will hold its fifth meeting on the 10th March, at the Kyoto International Manga Museum, 3F, 12:30-17:30. Link (Japanese, JBS)

The Japan Society for the Study in Cartoon and Comics is now accepting abstract submissions for presentations at their 13th Conference on the 6th and 7th June (only members of the JSSCS are eligible), the deadline is the 1st April. Link (24/01/2013, Japanese, JBS)

There is a call for papers for the conference, Exporting Young Japan: Between Text and Image, which seeks to explore the dynamic relations between Japan and Europe through the specific angle of the exportation of visual and textual representations of Japanese youth. 300 word abstracts are due on the 4th March, for the conference taking place between the 29th and 30th June, at Konan University. Link (English, WG)

Singapore

Culture

The inaugural Manga Festival outside of Japan was held in Singapore from the 15th to the 17th February. The festival consisted of lectures, business forum, autograph sessions and an exhibition. There was a discussion with young fans to understand how they consume and procure their manga and anime. Link (English/Japanese, LCT)

Europe 

Belgium

Obituary

Maurice Rosy, who notably wrote the first Boule et Bill story died on the 23rd February, aged 86. Rosy was one of lesser known figures in the classic Spirou magazine. He wrote many scripts for Tif et Tondu, from 1955 to 1968, a series for which he created the super-villain M. Choc. He also co-wrote two Spirou stories with Franquin: Le dictateur et le champignon (The Dictator and the Mushroom) and Les pirates du silence (Pirates of Silence). Link (24/02/2013 French, NL) Link 2 (25/02/2013, French, LTa)

Croatia

Culture

It has just been announced that the comic book and street art festival OHOHO! will be held from the 18th to 20th April, at the club Attack/Medika in Zagreb. Link (27/02/2013, Croatian, LO)

Internationally acclaimed comic book illustrator Igor Kordej, who is now working for the French publisher Delcourt, participated in the discussion event that took place in Zagreb on the 19th February. Kordej talked about his early work and his international career. This was a part of the regular comic book program Strip-tease at the book club Booksa. Link (19/02/2013, Croatian, LO)

A radio show Na kraju tjedna, that is being aired on the public radio channel HR3, featured Saša Čobanov, a freelance journalist specialized on comic books, and Marko Šunjić, a comic book publisher. Čobanov and Šunjić talked about the social and economic status of the comic book art in Croatia. Link (12/02/2013, Croatian, LO)

Denmark

Business

Comics magazine nummer9 reports that the comics store, Komics, in Aarhus has been closed down. Link (07/02/2013, Danish, RPC)

Finland

Culture

Pop-up Comics @XL art space lists its workshop and exhibitions. Link (02/02/2013, English/Finnish, RPC)

The Helsinki Nordic Comics Competition in 2013 is looking for new children’s comics artists from Nordic/Baltic countries. The competition will also produce a Finnish-language anthology from the comics and publish it at the Helsinki Comics Festival (6th September 2013). Link (04/02/2013, Finnish/English/Swedish, RPC)

France

Business/Technology

250 Dupuis bande dessinée titles are made available on the digital book-streaming platform Youboox. Link (26/02/2013, French, LTa)

Culture

Marjane Satrapi’s paintings are on display at the Galerie Jerome de Noirmont, in Paris. They are brightly colored women portraits, echoing her familiar style, but also drawing on Matisse or Balthus in their flirtation with abstraction. Link (French, NL)

Les fantômes du Louvres./ The Ghosts of the Louvre, is an Enki Bilal exhibit, currently being shown at the Musée du Louvres until the 18th March. Bilal worked on photos of 400 of the works and paintings in the museum’s collection, then retained 23 of them, which he painted over, to include them in a dialogue with his own characters and visual motifs. Link (French/English, NL)

An exhibition centred on the work of bande dessinée artist Enki Bilal will be presented at Paris’ Musée des Arts et Métiers from the 4th June until the 5th January 2014. Link (08/02/2013, French, LTa)

The author of bande dessinée series Quai d’Orsay is revealed as French diplomate Antonin Baudry. Link (03/02/2013, French, LTa)

Germany

Business

Spanish publisher Diábolo Ediciones will start publishing German translations of Spanish and French comics. Link (18/02/2013, German, MdlI)

Culture

Wonderfully Vulgar, an exhibition on early British comics, opens at Oldenburg University Library on the 14th March. Link (12/02/2013, German, MdlI)

Research

Students in a comics analysis class at Freiburg University have started an accompanying weblog. Link (German, MdlI)

A workshop on the “audiovisuality” of comics will take place at Ruhr-Universität Bochum on the 27th April. Link (18/02/2013, German, MdlI)

Ireland

Culture

2D Comics Festival, taking place between the 30th May and the 2nd June in Derry/Londonderry, has just announced several guests set to appear at the event. Link (14/02/2013, English, WG)

There is a William Simpson (Judge Dredd, et al.) exhibition at Belfast’s W5 Centre, which will be hosted until the 28th April. Link (English, WG)

The first Irish comic month is being held in March, boasting a number of events. Link (22/02/2013, English, SC)

Research

The symposium, Grant Morrison And The Superhero Renaissance, held at Trinity College in September 2012, has been reviewed. Link (English, SC)

Norway

Research

Sven-Arve Myklebost defends his PhD thesis on manga and Shakespeare. Link (28/02/2013, Norwegian, RPC)

Scandinavia

Research

The second issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Comic Art has been published online. Link (English, RPC)

Switzerland

Culture

The annual festival Fumetto – Internationales Comix-Festival Luzern is announced to be held from the 16th to the 24th March, and will feature the exhibition “Robert Crumb & The Underground (US).” Link (28/02/2013, German, MdlI)

UK                 

Culture

The Dundee Comics Expo will take place at the University of Dundee on the 30th March. A talk will be given by David Lloyd, and a talk and workshop by Karrie Fransman. Link (26/01/2013, English, WG)

The BD & Comics Passion Festival will take place at London’s Institut Français from the 30th May to the 2nd June. The festival will include workshops, live drawing, and special guests  Patrick Sobral (Les Légendaires), Etienne Davodeau (Les Ignorants), and François Boucq (Bouncer, Jérôme Moucherot). Link (21/02/2013, English, WG)

Leeds based comics festival, Thought Bubble (17th to the 24th November 2013), has announced its first wave of special guests. Link (English, WG)

Jobs

The University of London has AHRC block grant studentships available in humanities and social sciences. Applications are due by the 18th March. Link (English, WG)

Research

A number of UK academics are looking at the possibility of creating a Comics Studies Network, and are seeking the participation by means of filling out a brief survey to find out what people would want from such a network. Link (English, WG)

A call for papers has been posted for Graphic Justice, a one-day symposium on the intersection of comics and graphic fiction with the concerns of law and justice. Abstracts are due by the 22nd March, for the event to be held at St Mary’s University College in London on the 11th September 2013. Link (15/02/2013, English, WG)

Registration is now open for the 4th APGR / Graphic Novel Symposium, taking place at Central Saint Martins on the 23rd March. Presentations from research students will explore the fields of animation and graphic novels. Link (English, WG)

 

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

Correspondents: Jessica Bauwens-Sugimoto (JBS, Japan), Rikke Platz Cortsen (RPC, Scandinavia), Shelley Culbertson (SC, Ireland), William Grady (WG, UK), Martin de la Iglesia (MdlI, Germany), Nicolas Labarre (NL, France), Hannah Means-Shannon (HMS, North America), Luka Ostojic (LO, Croatia), Moray Rhoda (MR, South Africa), Lise Tannahill (LTa, France), Lim Cheng Tju (LCT, Singapore), Peter Wilkins (PW, Canada).

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.