Friday, August 16, 2024

Faster Than Cooking Asparagus – This Week’s Links

August 16, 2024 Philippines , Pinoy 0 Comments

As seems to be something of a mini-theme for TCJ this week, the links are temporarily mobile, travelling by car and by bus and by rail for a brief summer sojourn out in the woods, which means that I am currently beset by a 5 year-old demanding facts about Spider-Man, like a miniature J. Jonah Jameson (minus the moustache), so I’ll quickly jot down some recent happenings from across the comics industry, below, and then recommence trying to explain the Clone Saga and One More Day.

This week’s news.

• Returning to the courthouse once more, as The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on the Certified Guaranty Company successfully being sued for $10 million in damages by comic book restorers Matt and Emily Meyers, after the couple’s work was defamed by the grading company’s president Matt Nelson, which resulted in the Meyers having to lower their prices and partially refund otherwise satisfied customers. CGC were also engaged in litigation earlier this year against former employees Brandon and Ayana Terrazas, alleging fraud and theft against the couple, and were granted a temporary restraining order against the Terrazas, who it claimed stole a number of customers’ comics and used the labels from graded and slabbed copies to misrepresent lower quality copies of the same book.

• Elsewhere, as copyright lawsuits against the companies that own and operate generative AI systems continue apace, the presiding judge in the case brought by various artists against Stability AI and Midjourney has allowed claims of induced copyright infringement and copyright and trademark infringement to progress, after receiving revised arguments from the plaintiffs.

• Also continuing is Japan’s expanding fight against manga piracy, and the operators of websites host content in breach of copyright law, as Authorized Books of Japan estimates that piracy is costing the industry $800 million per month, as the country looks to bolster its economic soft power through cultural exports.

• In other gigantic corporations versus the artists they exploit news, Patreon this week announced that its memberships sold via the iOS app will be subject to Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases from this November, ahead of a class action lawsuit regarding the alleged artificial inflation of said charges by Apple which is headed to trial in February 2026, a mere fifteen years after its original filing; and Warner Bros. Discovery this week shut down the Cartoon Network website, redirecting those attempting to access the site to its Max portal, just as the Animation Guild heads to the negotiation table with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to attempt to agree on a new Master Collective Bargaining Agreement.

• Shifting focus to some recent awards news, as this week the nominations for 2024’s Ignatz Awards (which now, finally, have an (incomplete) archive of former nominees online) were announced; the nominees for this year’s Harvey Awards were announced (but not on their own website or social media channels at the time of writing); the National Cartoonists Society announced that Russell Myers is to receive their Gold Key Award and be inducted into the NCS Hall of Fame; and Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin, and Giovanni Rigano’s graphic novel Global was shortlisted for the Wainright Prize for Children's Nature & Conservation Writing.

• In memoriam, remembering those the world of comics has lost, as news was shared last week of the passing of cartoonist and author Mary Wings, creator of Come Out Comix and Dyke Shorts, who died in July, aged 75, due to lung cancer.

This week’s reviews.

TCJ

• Tom Shapira reviews the qualified perfection of Tove Jansson and Lars Jansson’s Moomin Adventures Book One - “Moomin is the best version of itself, in its humor, in its visual conception, in how clearly defined its characters are. You would not change a line (spoken text) or a line (drawn on page). The latter is the most important. Moomin can be comparable to Peanuts in how well-defined its characters are, and how well the creators can wring joy from the simplest interactions between them.”

• Nicholas Burman reviews the aligned discourse of Guy Colwell’s Delights: A Story of Hieronymus Bosch - “The characters are expressive but not overly cartoonish; the mise-en-scene is mostly limited to period details. The Dutch aren’t famous for their flamboyance, and thus the plot largely takes place in an austere atmosphere distinct from the sort of imaginaries that Bosch is famous for. In its cleanness of line, one may be reminded of the style found in woodcut prints from the same period as Bosch was working.”

• John Holt reviews the stylish appeal of Makihirochi’s Sketchy, Volume 1, translated byAlethea and Athena Nibley - “If you are not Japanese (or if you do not assiduously read the various New York Times articles about sexless Japanese couples and unmarried and unbabied adults) you might not pick up on how much age matters for this manga. As an early thirty-something (in Japanese called ara-sā or aroundo sātyī), as an around-thirty woman in Japan, as a manga character in those categories, Ako is basically due for a mid-life crisis.”

 

AIPT

• Kevin Clark reviews the hurtling romance of Fell Hound’s S.I.R. #1.

• David Brooke reviews the adult humour of Garth Ennis, Jacen Burrows, et al’s Babs #1.

• Chris Coplan reviews the brilliant tension of Matt Kindt and Margie Kraft Kindt’s Gilt Frame #1.

• Collier Jennings reviews the delightful combat of  Kyle Higgins, Mat Groom, Francesco Manna, et al’s Ultraman X Avengers #1.

• Chris Showalter reviews the quieter moments of Matthew Rosenberg, Otto Schmidt, et al’s DC vs Vampires: World War V #1.

• Colin Moon reviews the stunted emotions of Al Ewing, Luciano Vecchio, et al’s Resurrection of Magneto.

 

The Beat

• Zack Quaintance reviews the timeless commentary of Steve Darnall and Alex Ross’ Uncle Sam – Special Election Edition.

• Steve Baxi reviews the truncated plotting of Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, et al's Houses of the Unholy.

• Matias De la Piedra reviews the fitting finale of Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia Chapter 430, translated by Caleb Cook.

• D. Morris reviews the continuity specifics of Pornsak Pichetshote, Claire Roe, et al’s Absolute Power Task Force VII #4.

• Tim Rooney reviews the rocky start of Alex Segura, Scott Godlewski, et al’s Spider Society #1.

• Jordan Jennings reviews the excellent start of Joe Casey, Sebastián Piriz, et al’s Jonny Quest #1.

• Ricardo Serrano Denis reviews the winning humour of Garth Ennis, Jacen Burrows, et al’s Babs #1.

• Clyde Hall reviews the expository stumbles of Dan Didio, Jim Calafiore, et al’s Defenders of the Earth #1.

 

Boing Boing

Thom Dunn reviews the thoughtful liberties of Claire Alet and Benjamin Adam’s adaptation of Thomas Piketty's Capital & Ideology.

 

Broken Frontier

Andy Oliver reviews the outstanding storytelling of Shuning Ji’s My Mum is a Wolf and the brooding interactions of Margot Ferrick’s Star of Swan.

 

Four Color Apocalypse

Ryan Carey reviews the philosophical realms of Lily Thu Fierro and Generoso Fierro’s Absolute Simultaneity, the deceptive simplicity of Tana Oshima’s This Place Sucks So Much, and the amalgamated lives of Ana Pando’s Mano Opuesta.

 

The Guardian

Rachel Cooke reviews the beautiful nostalgia of Miriam Gold’s Elena: A Hand Made Life.

 

House to Astonish

Paul O’Brien has capsule reviews of Marvel Comics’ X-Men: From the Ashes Infinity Comic #6, Uncanny X-Men #1, Wolverine: Deep Cut #2, and Savage Wolverine Infinity Comic #1-2.

 

Solrad

Rob Kirby reviews the percolating moods of Pantheon’s Rescue Party, edited by Gabe Fowler.

 

Women Write About Comics

• Lisa Fernandes reviews the high stakes of Cody Ziglar, Roge Antonio, Eric Gapstur, et al’s Deadpool #1-4.

• Caitlin Sinclair Chappell reviews the philosophical debate of Kieron Gillen, Caspar Wijngaard, et al's The Power Fantasy #1.

This week’s interviews.

TCJ

Chris Mautner interviews Drawn & Quarterly’s Tom Devlin about Tove Jansson and Lars Jansson’s Moomin Adventures Book One, the decision behind the book’s format, and the similarity of Moomin to Peanuts - “There’s no way to know for sure but I think North American interest in the comics really helped bring back attention to the Moomin brand when it had become something that the Finnish kind of took for granted. Sophia Jansson also moved from the U.K. and took a much more active role in the licensing at that time. Probably some nostalgia for the Japanese animation that was enjoying a resurgence due to YouTube. In the last few years, we noticed a new audience for Moomin that has to be because of its meme-able qualities.”

 

AIPT

• Chris Hassan speaks with Mark Russell about X-Factor, post-Krakoa vibes, and telling new stories using old ingredients.

• David Brooke talks to Matthew Rosenberg about DC vs. Vampires: World War V, ushering in an ice age, and superpowered vampires.

• Chris Coplan chats with Cody Ziglar and Ryan Lee about Goobers, the joys of monsters, the unique characters of Southern towns, and not having characters go complete rat fink.

 

Anime News Network

Lynzee Loveridge interviews Ryoko Kui about Delicious in Dungeon, being a picky eater, Baldur’s Gate 3 class choices, and dwarven sex appeal.

 

The Beat

• Deanna Destito talks to Amanda Deibert and Cat Staggs about The Powerpuff Girls Halloween Special, comics within comics, and working on a bucket list title.

• Hilary Leung interviews Meriam Carnouche and Christian Carnouche about Tunis to Sydney, fear of losing your parents, and processing anxiety through creative endeavours.

• Nancy Powell chats with Pornsak Pichetshote and Terry Dodson about The Horizon Experiment: The Manchurian, and the importance of one shot issues through the history of comics.

• Avery Kaplan speaks with:

- Ingrid Ochoa about The Kiss Bet and real-life character inspirations. 

- Chris Grine about Animorphs and not letting down the fans. 

- Jeremy Adams and Will Conrad about Flash Gordon and setting up cliffhanger endings.

 

Broken Frontier

Lydia Turner talks to Beth Hetland about Tender, inaugural SDCC visits, the appeal of characters with grey areas, and growing up around teaching.

 

CBC

Christa Couture interviews Johnnie Christmas about Gamerville, gamifying summer camp, representation in genre fiction, and everyday insights.

 

Creative Bloq

Ian Dean speaks with Samuel Sattin and Gurihiru about Unico: Awakening, villainous suit design, workflows, and colouring specifics.

 

Crossplay

Patrick Klepek interviews Youth in Decline’s Ryan Sands about publishing daughter Naomi’s open-world RPG zines, Undertow: Elden Ring and Undertow: Zelda - Tears of the Kingdom.

 

Elle

Eve Thomas talks to Walter Scott about The Wendy Award, fame ≠ fulfilment, the realities of making art in an imperfect world, and the end (for now) of Wendy.

 

ICv2

Brigid Alverson speaks with Graphix’s David Saylor, the Scholastic imprint’s expansion into the manga market, and finding the best titles for middle school readers.

 

Publisher’s Weekly

• Rob Kirby interviews Sarah Leavitt about Something, Not Nothing: A Story of Grief and Love, the joyful act of making art, and talking about grief and the process of moving through it.

• Matt Burbige talks to Jeff Smith about Thorn: The Complete Proto-Bone College Strips 1982-1986, and Other Early Drawings, and finding independent comics in the 80s.

This week’s features and longreads.

• Here at TCJ, RJ Casey greets more Arrivals and Departures, as this month’s edition comprises Kamila Krol’s Rusalka: Whispers of The Forest, Harrison Wyrick’s ORBS, and Ashton Carless’ The Sammy Hernandez Saga Part 1 - “Writing reviews while driving all of your earthly belongings across state lines… and they said it couldn’t be done! That’s all for this installment of “Arrivals and Departures” because I’ve got to hop back into the cab. My six-year-old’s been driving this U-Haul for a couple hours now. See you next month, I hope.”

• Also for TCJ, excerpted from The Comics Journal #310, Zach Rabiroff looks back on the Bill Jemas and Joe Quesada era of Marvel Comics that kicked off this century - “A well-meaning push to capitalize on the growing manga market resulted in a slew of quickly canceled flops. But it didn’t matter: Jemas and Quesada ran their line with the speed and conviviality of a music hall MC. Usher off the books, bring in six more from stage left and repeat until the audience cheers. And when it worked, it worked with surprising power.”

• For Solrad, running alongside Rob Kirby’s review of Rescue Party for the site, Alex Hoffman writes on the issues surrounding the production and publication of the anthology.

• Over at Shelfdust, Kelly Kanayama continues a look at Punishers who may or may not be The Punisher, but definitely are not Frank Castle, with this edition taking a journey into hate by way of Punisher 2099.

• Charleston City Paper’s Andy Brack profiles the paper’s resident cartoonist, Steve Stegelin, who has been in the post for two decades, featuring favourite pieces from the last twenty years.

• As both Wolverine and Deadpool return to motion picture houses across the land, Daniel Dockery writes for Polygon on the precedent set by comics for having a visibly aged James “Logan” Howlett in your work-for-hire narratives from the House of Ideas.

• From the world of open-access academia, in Review of Disability Studies, Yoshiko Okuyama and Osamu Kurikawa write on utilising the Voice Comics accessibility format of Uoyama’s Love’s in Sight!, and discuss how the manga can help prevent othering of people with disabilities.

• For Art and Society, Yuxun Zhou writes on Liu Kang’s Chop Suey, its depiction of the Japanese occupation of Malaya, and the book’s importance as a historical record and potential therapeutic tool.

• Mike Peterson rounds up the week’s editorial beat, over at The Daily Cartoonist, as stock market and social media crashes were just another part of a turbulent election year.

This week’s audio/visual delights.

• YouTube manga channel Uchuu Shelf recently had an interview with Imai Arata, creator of F and Flash Point, translated by Ryan Holmberg, about cartooning origins and anonymity, working across mediums, and contemporary politics in the context of Tetsuya Yamagami’s assassination of Shinzo Abe - the channel also has an interview from three years ago with Masumura Jushichi, translated by On Takahashi, about Children of Mu-Town and Baku-Chan, as well as thoughts on the underground manga scene, and the wider manga industry at the time.

• Ryan Holmberg was also the focus of the most recent At Home With Drawn & Quarterly, discussing the recently published translation of Yoshiharu Tsuge’s Oba Electroplating Factory, the fourth volume of Tusge’s work to be put out in translation by D&Q.

• From the Links mailbag, Dmitry Samarov welcomed Maggie Umber to the hu u kno podcast, as they spoke about Chrysanthemum Under the Waves, the self publishing/publisher dichotomy, cartooning history, and the decision to leave 2dcloud.

• A few trips in the Word Balloon with John Siuntres, who this week was joined by Phillip Kennedy Johnson to discuss The Incredible Hulk and Batman and Robin, Tom King to talk about Penguin and Wonder Woman, and John McCrea to speak about Dead Eyes and Hitman.

• Noah Van Sciver hosted a fresh cartoonist chat with Bill Morrison about The Complete Adventures of Roswell, Little Green Man, comic book selling regrets, and Bongo Comics, freelance life, and the development of Futurama.

• David Harper was joined by IDW’s Jake Williams and Nicolas Niño for this week’s edition of Off Panel, as they spoke about just what it is that editors do, the realities of working in comics in 2024, and comics industry origins.

• Calvin Reid was joined by Meg Lemke for Publisher’s Weekly’s More to Come, as they spoke about two recently published graphic memoirs, Carl Sciacchitano’s The Heart That Fed: A Father, A Son, and the Long Shadow of War, and David Lapp’s The Field.

• Gil Roth welcomed Joe Coleman to the sexcentenary episode of The Virtual Memories Show, as they discussed A Doorway to Joe: The Art of Joe Coleman, playing in late-70s punk band Steel Tips, the delayed gratification of painting, and life on the road behind the wheel of a taxi.

No more links this week, as, apparently, I am reliably informed, I need to get up and reset an ageing Buckaroo!™ set, as a matter of the utmost importance.

The post Faster Than Cooking Asparagus – This Week’s Links appeared first on The Comics Journal.


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