Comics Forum

Americas

Canada

Culture

The Comics Beat have posted recordings of panels from the Toronto Comic Art Festival (9th-11th May), including several from the librarian and educator conference. Link (14/05/2014, English, WG)

United States

Business

Casting a web on the first and second spots for the Top 100 Comics of April 2014 is Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man #1 and Superior Spider-Man #31. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman #30 (DC Comics) rounds out the third spot, as reported by Diamond Comic Distributors. Link (English, MB)

According to Diamond Comic News, Sex Criminals Volume 01, Saga Volume 03, and East of West Volume 02: We Are All One (all from Image Comics), took the top three spots for the Top 100 Graphic Novels for April 2014. Figures are based on total unit sales of products invoiced for the month. Link (English, MB)

Executive Producer Jonah Weilland of Comic Book Resources changes forum guidelines and deletes forum archives in response to the severe backlash Janelle Asselin received after critiquing the cover of DC Comics Teen Titans #1 recently. Link (01/05/2014, English, MB)

Jobs

Magnetic Press is looking to hire a short-term Marketing Assistant for a special project. The ideal candidate will have knowledge and access to Excel since the position works remotely. The assistant position is paid. Link (29/05/2014, English, MB)

Obituaries

Silver Age Marvel artist Dick Ayers passed away at the age of 90 on the 4th May. Ayers worked on Sgt. Fury, Ghost Rider, and Fantastic Four. He was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2007. Link (06/05/2014, English, MB)

Research

The Mid-Atlantic Popular and American Culture Association’s annual conference is being held in Baltimore, Maryland, between the 6th and 8th November. Organisers are accepting proposals relevant to GLBTQ studies in popular culture, including a focus upon comics and graphic novels. The deadline for proposals is the 14th June. Link (09/05/2014, English, MB)

Joseph J. Darowski has a call for abstracts for an upcoming collection entitled, The Ages of the Incredible Hulk: Essays on Marvel’s Jade Giant in Changing Times. It will be a companion volume to The Ages of Superman, The Ages of Wonder Woman, amongst others, from publisher McFarland & Company. A CV should accompany abstracts of 100 to 500 words, which must be submitted by the 15h July. Link (22/05/2014, English, MB)

Children’s Literature Association Quarterly is seeking papers for their special issue that focuses on genre and black literature. Critical study concerning picture books, cartoons, comics, and graphic novels are encouraged. The deadline for papers is the 1st November 2015. Link (20/05/2014, English, MB)

The monograph, Wide Awake in Slumberland: Fantasy, Mass Culture, and Modernism in the Art Of Winsor McCay, by Katherine Roeder, has now been published through the University Press of Mississippi. Link (English, WG)

Asia

Japan

Culture

From the 31st May until the 31st August, Kyoto International Manga Museum is hosting an exhibition with 18,000 original works of art by manga artist Tsuchida Seiki. Link (English, JBS)

Shojo manga magazine Nakayoshi and Kyoto International Manga Museum are hosting the Nakayoshi Fest – Magical Girls Forever, from the 24th May until the 28th September. Link (English, JBS)

Yonezawa Yoshihiro Memorial Library is hosting the exhibition Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinchu and Kumota Haruko, from the 6th June until the 28th September. Link (Japanese, JBS)

The long-running gourmet manga series Oishinbo is going on hiatus after the controversy about comments on the Fukushima disaster in recent installments. Link (17/05/2014, English, JBS)

Research

JSSCC (Japanese Society for Studies in Cartoons and Comics) will hold its 14th annual conference on the 28th June (at Kyoto Seika University Campus) and the 29th June (at Kyoto International Manga Museum). For the full program please go to the website. Link (Japanese, JBS)

Europe

Austria

Research

Jean-Pascal Vachon gave a talk on Franco-Belgian comics at the University of Innsbruck on the 13th May. Link (08/05/2014, German, MdlI)

Belgium

Research

The is a Call for Papers for a special issue of the online journal Image & Narrative entitled, “Transformed by Comics: the influence of comics/BD/graphic novels on the Novel.” 400-500 word abstracts are due by the 30th September. Link (English, WG)

France

Business

The catalogues of bande dessinée publishers L’Association and Ankamaare are now available on the digital comics platform Iznéo. Link 1 (13/05/2014, French, LTa), Link 2 (26/05/2014, French, LTa)

Culture

A page of Hergé illustrations has broken the world record for a bande dessinée at auction, selling for over 2.5 million euros. Link (24/05/2014, French, LTa)

Germany

Culture

An exhibition on Mosaik is shown in Berlin from the 11th April to the 3rd August. Link (05/05/2014, German, MdlI)

A talk on “Berlin and Tokyo in manga” was given by Marianna Poppitz and Michel Decomain in Berlin, accompanied by an exhibition and a comic publication. Link (07/05/2014, German, MdlI)

An exhibition on comic artist Paco Roca is shown in Munich from the 23rd May to the 21st June. Link (15/05/2014, German, MdlI)

An exhibition of comic artist Simon Schwartz and his father, painter Gert Schwartz, opened in Berlin on the 30th May. Link (22/05/2014, German, MdlI)

An exhibition of French comics takes place in Osnabrück from the 10th May to the 12th July. Link (26/05/2014, German, MdlI)

Research

Will Brooker gave a talk on “The Batman Brand” in Cologne. Link (12/05/2014, German, MdlI)

Frans Lambeau gave a talk on Tintin in Saarbrücken. Link (19/05/2014, German, MdlI)

The German Society for Comics Studies (ComFor) is going to host a series of talks at Comic-Salon Erlangen from the 20th to the 22nd June. Link (29/05/2014, German, MdlI)

Hungary

Culture

ComiXconnection, a multinational comics exhibition featuring works by Croatian, Serbian, Slovenian, Romanian and Hungarian artists has arrived at Budapest’s kArton Gallery, and also MüSzi. Link (English, ES)

The 10th International Comics Festival Budapest was held on the 18th May at Dürer Kert, Budapest. International guest artists and writers included Boulet (France), Hélène Becquelin (Switzerland), Claudio Chiaverotti (Italy), Bartosz Sztybor and Piotr Nowacki (Poland). Link (English, ES)

Ben Katchor is the comics-related guest of the Café Amsterdam festival, which took place between the 29th and 31st April. He took part in a roundtable with Hungarian comics artist Dániel Csordás and Dutch artist Barbara Stok. Link (English, ES)

Portugal

Culture

The Gallery El Pep in Lisbon is hosting an exhibition titled O Amor Infinito Que Te Tenho (The infinite love that I have for you) by the Portuguese comic author Paulo Monteiro. The exhibition can be visited until 13th June. Link (17/05/2014, Portuguese, RR)

Until the 20th June, the Universidade Fernando Pessoa in Oporto is hosting an exhibition titled Pessoa & Cia that shows the comic work of the Spanish author Laura Pérez Vernetti. Her works reveal her admiration for Fernando Pessoa (a well known Portuguese writer). On the 13th June, Vernetti will also be participating in a round table, which will take place in the same University. Link (15/05/2014, Portuguese, RR)

Romania

Culture

The 2nd edition of the East European Comic Con took place in Bucharest between the 9th and 11th May. It included independent cartoonists and animators from Eastern Europe, as well as workshops, exhibitions, gaming and cosplay competitions. Link (English, MP)

Sweden

Culture

MCM Comic Con is launching a Swedish Comic Con at Kista-mässan in Stockholm between the 30th October and the 2nd November according to Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. Link (29/04/2014, Swedish, WG)*

Stockholms Internationella Seriefestival (Stockholm’s International Comics Festival) took place between the 17th and 18th May. A detailed report and photographs of the festival are available at the following link. Link (30/05/2014, Swedish, KBF)

UK

Culture

Comics Unmasked: Art & Anarchy in the UK, the exhibition at the British Library, opened on the 2nd May. Paul Gravett provides a curator’s perspective (Link 1), and The Comics Grid blog provides reportage (Link 2 – scroll through for various articles). Link 1 (03/05/2014, English, WG), Link 2 (English, WG). The official website can be found here: Link 3 (English, IH [update 05/07/2014]).

Education

The Centre for Research in Media and Cultural Studies, University of Sunderland, are offering two PhD Scholarships in media, film, or cultural studies. Interested applicants should send a CV, 500 word proposal, and covering letter to Lianne Hopper (lianne.hopper@sunderland.ac.uk) by the 4th July. More details about the department can be found through the link. Link (English, WG)

Research

The Comics Grid have published the call for papers for the 5th Transitions symposium, which welcomes papers on any aspect of comics. Abstracts are due by the 30th July, for the conference which takes place on the 25th October at Birkbeck, University of London. Link (27/05/2014, English, WG)

Registration is now open for The Fifth International Graphic Novel and Comics Conference, which takes place at the British Library (London) in July. Link (English, WG)

The deadline is looming for proposals for Comics Forum 2014 – Violence: A Conference on Comics. Abstracts are due by the 14th June for the event which will take place between the 13th and 14th November at Leeds Central Library. Link (English, WG)

Oceania

Australia

Culture

Adelaide comic creators Mike Cooper, Owen Heitmann and Gina Chadderton all had work accepted by the Indie Comics Quarterly, Volume One. The anthology will be on sale on the 31st May. Link (English, ALM)

*                    *                    *

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

Correspondents: Jessica Bauwens-Sugimoto (JBS, Japan), Michele Brittany (MB, North America), Kristy Beers Fägersten (KBF, Sweden), William Grady (WG, UK), Martin de la Iglesia (MdlI, Austria & Germany), Amy Louise Maynard (ALM, Australia), Mihaela Precup (MP, Romania), Renatta Rafaella (RR, Portugal), Eszter Szép (ES, Hungary), Lise Tannahill (LTa, France).

*Courtesy of Lars Wallner.

Click here for News Review correspondent biographies.

Click here to see the News Review archive.

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

Americas

Canada

Research

A full programme for the annual conference of the Canadian Society for the Study of Comics (taking place on the 9th and 10th May) is now available online. Link (English, WG)

United States 

Business

Diamond Distributors has released statistics for March; with Marvel Comics, DC Comics and Image Comics taking the top three spots respectively for retail market share and unit market share. DC Comics, Marvel Comics and Image Comics took first through third for total titles shipped by publisher. Link (04/04/2014, English, MB)

Amazon has announced the acquisition of comiXology, the app and online store that offers digital versions of mainstream and independent comic books. CEO David Steinberger stated that comiXology will remain a wholly owned subsidiary and continue to offer Guided View and Submit, two of their popular app features. Link (11/04/2014, English, MB)

Culture

The 2014 Eisner Award nominations were announced this month, with the awards to be given out on the 25th July at the San Diego International Comic Con. The link provides the full list of nominees (including for Best Scholarly/Academic Work). Link (English, MB)

Obituaries

Longtime Mad Magazine editor Al Feldstein passed away at the age of 88. His first job was working in a shop with Will Eisner and Jerry Iger, while he mostly known for his work as a cartoonist. In 2003 he was inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame. Link (30/04/2014, English, MB)

Research

Joseph J. Darowski’s X-Men and the Mutant Metaphor: Race and Gender in the Comic Books has been published through Rowman & Littlefield. Darowski analyses The Uncanny X-Men through the lens of historical, racial, and gender issues, grouping discussion into a series of distinct eras. Link (English, MB)

The Origins of Comics: From William Hogarth to Winsor McCay, by Thierry Smolderen, has been published through the University Press of Mississippi. Link (English, WG)

Asia

China

Culture

The Huang Yao Spring Catalogue was launched in March in Hong Kong. Huang Yao was a pioneer Chinese cartoonist from the 1930s and contemporaries with Feng Zikai and Liao Bingxiao. Huang spent some years in Hong Kong in the later 1940s before settling down in Malaysia. Link (English/Chinese, LCT)

Research

The international comic symposium, Modern Women and Their Comics: Changing Local Identities from the 1960s to the 2000s, was held at the Comix Home Base in March in Hong Kong. Link (English/Chinese, LCT)

Japan

Culture

18,000 original drawings by manga artist Tsuchida Seiki, as well as a number of tribute drawings by other manga artists, will be exhibited at the Kyoto International Manga Museum from the 31st May until the 31st August. There will be a related event on the 27th July. Link (Japanese, JBS)

The exhibition, Nakayoshi Festa – Magical Girls Are Forever, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the shojo manga magazine Nakayoshi, will be held by the Kyoto International Manga Museum from the 24th May until the 29th September. Related workshops will be held on weekends, holidays, and during the summer vacation. Link (Japanese, JBS)

The “Incident In Conan Exhibit” 20th Anniversary Exhibition (of the manga series Detective Conan), now exhibited in the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse (until the 10th May), will move to Nagoya next. Link (Japanese, JBS)

Bumpodo Gallery, in Tokyo’s Chiyoda district, is hosting a “Genga’ (dash)” (high quality reproductions) exhibition with manga art by artists Fujii Chiaki, Hanamura Eiko, Chiba Tetsuya, and Takemiya Keiko. This exhibition ends on the 9th May. Link (Japanese, JBS)

The Kita Kyushu Manga Museum is holding the Takenaka Jun Exhibition, from the 26th April until the 22nd June. The exhibition features art by Takenaka as well as tributes by other renowned manga artists. There will be two more events related to this exhibition (on the 17th and 24th May). Link (Japanese, JBS)

Research

On May the 10th, the Kyushu group of the Japanese Society for Study in Cartoons and Comics will have a research meeting on “Manga and war memory”. The Speakers are professor Ogi Fusami, professor Karl Ian Cheng Chua, and professor Yoshida Kaori. Professor Nagaike Kazumi will act as facilitator. The meeting will be held at the Kita Kyushu Manga Museum. Link (Japanese, JBS)

Europe

Denmark

Culture

Copenhagen Comics, Denmark’s largest comic arts festival, will take place between the 1st and 2nd June. The program (in Danish) is available through Link 2. Link 1 (English, KBF), Link 2 (English, KBF)

The nominees for Denmark’s Pingprisen 2014 have been published, with winners to be announced on the 7th June. Link 1 (Danish, KBF), Link 2 (15/04/2014, Danish, KBF)

France

Research

There is a call for papers for a conference which will examine the role of sidekicks and underlings in English-language comics, and other popular sources. Entitled Sidekicks and Underlings, abstracts were due by the 30th April, for the conference which takes place on the 3rd and 4th October. Link (English/French, WG)

Germany

Culture

A Call for Participation has been published for a webcomics event as part of the festival Comic-Salon Erlangen. Link (07/04/2014, German, MdlI)

A Ralf König exhibition is taking place in Frankfurt from the 27th March to the 3rd August. Link (17/04/2014, German, MdlI)

An exhibition of Belgian independent comics will take place in Bremen from the 3rd May to the 8th June. Link (28/04/2014, German, MdlI)

Research

The proceedings of the 2012 ComFor conference have been published: Stephan Packard (Ed.), Comics & Politik, Berlin: Bachmann, ISBN 978-3-941030-29-9. Link (03/04/2014, German, MdlI)

Hans Ries is going to give a talk on Münchener Bilderbogen in Munich on the 4th November 2014. Link (14/04/2014, German, MdlI)

Comics scholar Daniel Stein is featured in the latest issue of forschung, the magazine of the German Research Foundation (DFG). Link (24/04/2014, German, MdlI)

Hungary

Culture

ComiXconnection multinational comics exhibition opened on the 4th April at Nick Art & Design Galéria, Pécs. The exhibition features works by Croatian, Serbian, Slovenian, Romanian and Hungarian artists. Link (01/04/2014, Hungarian, ES)

The 10th International Comics Festival Budapest is held on the 18th May at Dürer Kert, Budapest. International guest artists and writers include Boulet (France), Hélène Becquelin (Switzerland), Claudio Chiaverotti (Italy), Puiu Manu (Romania), Bartosz Sztybor and Piotr Nowacki (Poland), as well comics professionals Nicolas Grivel (France), Tomáš Prokůpek (Czech Rep.) and Dodo Nita (Romania). Link (05/05/2014, English, ES)

Ireland

Culture

Alan Nolan will provide a comic strip workshop at the 2014 Dublin Writers Festival on the 24th May. Link (15/04/2014, English, SC)

An art exhibition on Bunsen Bunnies artist Ann Louise Harrison will take place place in The Wicker Man, Belfast, throughout May. Link (30/04/2014, English, SC)

Education

The Centre for Media Research at the University of Ulster are currently accepting applications to pursue doctoral research, with space for comics studies. Link (English, SC)

Norway

Culture

The Oslo Comics Expo (OCX) will take place on the 13th and 14th June. Updates and information are available on the website and on Facebook. Link 1 (Norwegian, KBF), Link 2 (Norwegian, KBF)

Portugal

Culture

From the 31st May until the 15th June, the Casa da Cultura of Beja will be hosting the annual International Festival of Comics (X Festival Internacional de Banda Desenhada de Beja). This festival is usually composed by some exhibitions, book/magazine launches, author events, workshops, concerts, and much more. Link 1 (Portuguese, RR), Link 2 (Portuguese, RR)

Scandinavia

Research

The Scandinavian Journal of Comic Art (SJoCA) has announced a call for papers. The scope of the journal is interdisciplinary, encouraging a wide range of theoretical and methodological perspectives. The journal publishes articles, book reviews and newsfrom the field of comics studies. At the moment, the journal is calling for articles, reviews, and forum texts (brief scholarly essays, commentaries, and debate pieces). The language of the journal is English. Link (30/04/2014, English, KBF)

Sweden

Culture

Stockholms Internationella Seriefestival (Stockholm’s International Comics Festival) will take place on the 17th and 18th May. This year’s theme is Canadian comics. The event is free and open to the public. Link 1 (English, KBF), Link 2 (Swedish, KBF)

UK

Culture

The British Library have published a list of comics related events to correspond with the exhibition, Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy in the UK, taking place from the 2nd May to the 19th August. Link (English, WG)

The Comics Grid‘s blog is soliciting submissions of critical reception for the exhibition Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy in the UK, alongside its related events. Link (27/04/2014, English, WG)

Jobs

There are two advertised job roles for the University of Exeter, with potential room for a specialism in comics: Lecturer in American Literature (Link 1), and Lecturer in Twentieth Century Literature (Link 2). The closing date for applications is the 11th May and 13th May respectively. Link 1 (English, WG), Link 2 (English, WG)

Research

There is a call for papers for a special themed edition of Networking Knowledge entitled “Digital Comics.” Abstracts are due by the 11th July. Link (English, WG)

*                    *                    *

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

Correspondents: Jessica Bauwens-Sugimoto (JBS, Japan), Michele Brittany (MB, North America), Shelley Culbertson (SC, Ireland), Kristy Beers Fägersten (KBF, Denmark, Norway, Sweden), William Grady (WG, UK), Martin de la Iglesia (MdlI, Germany), Renatta Rafaella (RR, Portugal), Eszter Szép (ES, Hungary), Lim Cheng Tju (LCT, China).

*Courtesy of Guillaume de Syon

Click here for News Review correspondent biographies.

Click here to see the News Review archive.

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