Guy LeCharles Gonzalez

LINK: Making Comics Better

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:January 12, 2006
Post category:Uncategorized
Post comments:13 Comments

Jason Rodriguez is a man on a mission. Realizing talking about comics doesn't make them better, he's taking action on two different fronts.1) The Hive: A collaborative brainstorming project to create new markets for comics.Yeah, in a way, it's "talking" about comics, but instead of the usual message board whining and gnashing of teeth, Jason's challenging people to come up with actionable ideas to make comics better. And he's leading by example, tossing up an idea every two weeks for discussion and debate, with an eye towards creating a viable template for indie publishers to follow to break free of…

COMMENT: Buzzscope Update

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:January 10, 2006
Post category:Personal Pop Culture
Post comments:1 Comment

I just sent out an email to all of our columnists updating them on what's what over at Buzzscope and, in doing so, was rather impressed with the roster we've put together over the past couple of months. Check it out:WeeklyRonée Garcia Bourgeois' "What A Girl Wants" (every Monday)Jim Salicrup's "Addicted to Comics" (every Wednesday)Semi-MonthlyFangirl Rampage, by Lauren Perry (1st & 3rd Thursdays)The Hive, by Jason Rodriguez (2nd & 4th Thursdays)Comics You Should Own, by Greg Burgas (2nd & 4th Fridays)MonthlyGuy LeCharles Gonzalez' "Establishing Shots" (1st Thursdays)Tania Del Rio's "Read This Way" (1st Fridays)Eric Shanower's "Man of the Hour" (2nd…

On The Shelves: 1/11/06

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:January 10, 2006
Post category:Media Pop Culture Reviews
Post comments:5 Comments

Support GOOD Comics! Try something new EVERY month!My weekly look at select comic books being released Wednesday, 1/11/06. The full shipping is list available at ComicList.[NOTE: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find another one; or try Khepri.com or MidtownComics.com]ANTARCTIC PRESS Gold Digger Color Remix #1 (Of 4), $2.99Think I'm going to finally check this one out. Flipped through a couple of issues in the past, and it didn't grab me, but I'm still curious.ASPEN MLT INC Soulfire Vol…

Buzzscope Reviews…?

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:January 9, 2006
Post category:Reviews
Post comments:1 Comment

No date in the subject because there are no reviews this week! The Roundup format is going into the shop for a bit while we rethink our approach to reviews. Back when they represented a significant percentage of our content, I felt it was important to have a Roundup every week, even if it meant I had to crank out extra reviews myself just to make it worth running. Same thing's been happening since the switch to capsule reviews, though, making my Sunday nights suck ass as I'd often be up until 2am pulling it all together.As I've amped up…

INFO: Comics Bloggers’ Poll 2005

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:January 8, 2006
Post category:Uncategorized
Post comments:5 Comments

Did you "create or contribute to a comics blog" in 2005? Then you probably have some pretty strong opinions about what you liked and didn't like in comics last year, yes? Now you can add your two cents to the discussion in a bit more concentrated way via the Comics Bloggers' Poll 2005.The comics blogging community is one of contradictions. Some writers enjoy the sensational excitement of mainstream superheroics, while others prefer the quieter and more varied fare of independent works. Some offer considered, even-handed analysis, while others shoot from the hip and refuse to make apologies for their passions.…

COMMENT: Late-night Speakeasy Musings

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:January 7, 2006
Post category:Media
Post comments:3 Comments

I haven't had the time to really follow up on the whole Speakeasy situation myself, but I have been tracking the comics blogosphere which refuses to let the story die, including this rather humorous addition: Speakeasy Comics Archives, wherein a Jonathan Martin is attempting to pull together everything relating to the company's current woes. (CBR and NEWSarama still haven't bothered to cover it, of course.) Jason Richards - proprietor of one of my favorite comics shops, R!OT Comics + Culture, in Camp Hill, PA - has been the source of some interesting tidbits (as well as some great, heartfelt snark)…

COMMENT: Speculation – Evolve or Die?

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:January 5, 2006
Post category:Media Pop Culture
Post comments:8 Comments

Paul O'Brien's monthly analysis of Marvel's sales for November 2005 has several interesting tidbits sprinkled througout that suggest speculation isn't dead."...NEW AVENGERS, still Marvel's top selling ongoing title. It's actually now below the normal sales level of ASTONISHING X-MEN, mind you, so things might be different when that book resumes publishing. With the lengthy run of variant covers over, NEW AVENGERS has gone into a fairly normal decline.""'Decimation' has had strangely erratic effects across the X-books, as we'll see. It's entirely likely that Decimation, and the hype for the storyline, has played a big part in the sales jump. But…