My own Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, and occasional commentary on all of the above.
1) "Bookshops' latest sad plot twist" THIS is the paradox of modern bookselling. Even in an entertainment-saturated age, people still buy books. But the casual reader has many other places to get bestsellers and topical books, from warehouse stores to the mall. Meanwhile, book nuts -- the ones who simply must buy several volumes a week -- are lured online. Few businesses can survive that lose customers from both ends of the spectrum. In 1995, anyone seeking a book that was the least bit uncommon had to have a store special order it from the publisher. If it was out…
Cheryl Lynn of Digital Femme, frustrated by the state of the comics union, nails the solution: "I can see that I am going to have to make the fucking comics. ...right now I'm doing the second easiest thing. And that is to not-so-politely bitch. Because I suppose I'm still hoping that someone else will make the fucking comics. Because there are a ton of people out there with infinitely more talent and monetary resources than I possess. People who already have an established reputation and a publishing house that adores them. And I don't. But they don't give a damn.…
Among the myriad challenges comics publishers of all sizes face, one of the biggest -- and most frustrating, personally -- is marketing. Way too many publishers believe that marketing is little more than sending out badly written press releases and snagging previews, reviews and interviews from Wizard, Newsarama, Comic Book Resources, et al. While some recognize industry trade shows and fan conventions as being a necessary part of any marketing plan, few understand what it takes to maximize their presence at such events. Perhaps most astoundingly, many publishers don't even have the sense to invest in a solid web site…
Ghost World By Daniel Clowes (Fantagraphics Books, 1998; $11.95) I skipped the movie version of Ghost World when it came out because I could tell from the previews that it wasn't my cup of tea; stories of suburban angst make my skin crawl (ie: I hated American Beauty), suburban teenage angst even more so. But, I convinced myself a while back, there's no way I could not read the critically acclaimed graphic novel it was based on, right? In retrospect, that was as silly as thinking I couldn't just skip House of M and Infinite Crisis, and in all three…
The Dreamland Chronicles: Book One By Scott Christian Sava (Blue Dream Studios, 2006; $19.95) I have to admit that I was initially put off by the computer animated artwork when I first flipped through The Dreamland Chronicles, especially compared to Diego Jourdan's more familiar cartoony style in Scott Christian Sava's Ed's Terrestrials, which I received in the same review package. At first glance, it struck me as too similar to fumetti or cinemanga, the characters seeming unnaturally stiff, almost like the worst of Greg Land's work for Marvel over the past few years. Having enjoyed Sava's writing in Ed's Terrestrials,…
Reading is fundamental. Don't waste your time reading bad comics out of habit! My weekly, semi-informed look at select comic books being released Thursday, 12/28/06 follows. 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] PICK OF THE WEEK Captain Gravity and the Power of the VrilAMERICAN MULE ENTERTAINMENT Public Enemy #2, $2.99 It was nice to see Public Enemy promoting their comic book alter…
Newsarama's interview with newuniversal artist Salvador Larroca suggests it might be yet another high-profile series Marvel is unable to ship on time:NRAMA: Could you tell us what was your first impression when you read newuniversal script?SLR: I loved it. It was water clear that Warren Ellis would write a solid script, but I really got impressed with the visual strength of his writing: I could really see the movie inside the story and drawing it was not only easy but a real pleasure. After more than 14 years in the comic industry, the script got me so impressed that I…
