Some anecdotal but interesting evidence that the webcomic-to-trade model may be working. Chris Butcher point us to this interview with GIRL GENIUS’s Phil Foglio who gave up on printing floppies a couple of years ago.

“Our readership is way up,” said Foglio. “At a conservative guesstimate by a factor of ten. Our sales have quadrupled, and not just from our online store. Sales through Diamond have gone way up, and I hear from store owners all the time saying that we’re one of their bigger independent sellers. We no longer have to spend the time and effort to lay out individual issues, and with the time we save, we actually produce more ‘Girl Genus’ material per year. Not producing the periodical comics saves us money – at least $20,000.00 a year. We consider the collections to be the end product, so up until it goes to the printer, we’re flexible. This means that all of our online readers can (and do) act as proofreaders. Because everything is done on the computer, we can correct spelling, rewrite dialog, change coloring or even redraw entire panels if we must, before it goes to print. It’s also nice to be a part of an industry that is on its way up, as opposed to an industry that’s on its way out.

Butcher looks around to see if this is true at his store.

He’s… right. Not about being one of our ‘bigger independent sellers’ or anything, not at our store. But about sales being up? Yupperz! In fact, our trade initial orders are up to around 10 copies from 2, and so far we’ve reordered both of the new trades (since the series moved online) to the tune of around 10 copies each. In fact, just yesterday, a dude I’d never seen before came in, asked for the Girl Genius trades, paid his $51 for volumes 4 and 5, and then walked out. Not that I don’t value the conversations I have with my customers, but if our sales were all 3 minutes per $51, I’d most certainly be earning myself a raise. So, yeah, 20 copies of Girl Genius trades a year is not a couple hundred copies of Acme Novelty Library or anything, but it more than earns it’s spot on our shelves.

There is a LOT to be considered about this. Foglio’s built in following, the type of material he’s offering, that audience’s interest in seeking things out on the web all need to be taken into account. Several people onder if FINDER, Carla Speed McNeail’s great series which she took online over a year ago, would show the same results.

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ ICON series CRIMINAL continues to sport some of the tastiest covers on the racks. Top, the Trade. Below issue #6. Click for larger versions.

With a small notice in the St. Louis Post Dispatch one of the epic lawsuits of our time had its final, anti-climactic chapter:

After seeing his first award of $24.5 million tossed out, and a subsequent one of $15 million upheld, former St. Louis Blues enforcer Tony Twist has settled for $5 million in a suit over his depiction in a comic strip.

The settlement between Twist and insurance companies for Todd McFarlane Productions Inc. was approved in bankruptcy court in Arizona. The law firm of Blitz Bardgett & Deutsch represented Twist.

Twist sued McFarlane over the latter’s use of a character named “Tony Twist” as a villain in SPAWN. Although some judges along the way ruled that there was little chance any reasonable person would mistake the comics character for the real life person, hockey-loving McFarlane’s admission that he had indeed based the character on Twist seemed persuasive against himself.

Owly creator Andy Runton has updated his website, and to the shock of all, it’s adorable!vaginas afeitadaspussy hairy oldieuk naked mature housewiveslargest tits everhairy wife younghairy huge clitslesbian beaverpictures transsexual hermaphrodites Map

Pretty light and late posting today. Next week we’ll have our all New York Comic-Con guide with parties, panels and all the rest. Hang tight. Courage.

HOORAH!

Fantagraphics Books is pleased to announce that it has acquired the rights to publish a comprehensive series comprising Walt Kelly’s classic POGO comic strip. The first volume of Fantagraphics’ POGO will appear in October, 2007, and the series will run approximately 12 volumes.

Each Pogo volume will be designed by Jeff Smith, the award-winning cartoonist and creator of the Bone graphic novel, and a lifelong admirer of Walt Kelly.

Walt Kelly (born Walter Crawford Kelly Jr.) was born in 1913 and started his career at age 13 in Connecticut as a cartoonist and reporter for the Bridgeport Post, his local newspaper. In 1935, he moved to Los Angeles and joined the Walt Disney Studio, where he worked on classic animated films, including ‘Pinocchio,’ ‘Dumbo,’ and ‘Fantasia.’ In the mid 1930s, he drew his first comics work for the future DC Comics. Kelly left Disney in 1941 rather than take sides in their bitter labor strike. He moved back east and began drawing comic books for Western Publishing Company and the Dell line of comics. It was during this time that Kelly created the character Pogo Possum.

The character first appeared in Dell’s Animal Comics as a secondary player in the ‘Albert the Alligator’ feature. It didn’t take long until ‘Pogo’ became the comic’s leading character. After the Second World War, Kelly became artistic director at the New York Star, where he turned Pogo into a daily strip. When the Star folded in 1949, the Hall Syndicate took ‘Pogo’ into syndication, so that the strip soon appeared in hundreds of newspapers. Until his death in 1973, he produced a feature that has become widely cherished among casual readers and aficionados alike as a classic comic strip.

Kelly blended nonsense, poetry, and political and social satire in making POGO an essential contribution to American “intellectual” comics. As the strip progressed, it became a hilarious platform for Kelly’s scathing political views in which he skewered national boogeymen like Joseph McCarthy, J. Edgar Hoover, George Wallace, and Richard Nixon. Kelly was considered a sufficient threat that his phone was tapped and the US Government corresponded with a newspaper reporter who claimed that the eccentric patois Kelly created was a secret Russian code.) Pogo is well known for its elaborate and ornate lettering and for Kelly’s distinctive use of language and lush brushwork. It is one of the few comic strips that succeeded in blending humor and politics into an uncompromising and entertaining whole.

The consecutive run of Pogo has never before been systematically collected into book form. (Fantagraphics published a series of 11 softcover volumes reprinting five-and-a-half years of the strip in the ‘90s.) This will be the definitive series collecting all of his Pogo strips from 1949 to 1973. “Walt Kelly is unquestionably in the pantheon of great newspaper strip cartoonists,” said Gary Groth, President & Publisher of Fantagraphics Books. “Our Pogo books will present Kelly’s work the way it should be published — in a beautifully designed hardcover format, with careful attention paid to reproduction quality, and with knowledgeable introductory material.”

“I am very excited that Fantagraphics has chosen to publish Pogo in such wonderful books,” said Carolyn Kelly, Walt’s daughter. “For many years people have been telling me how much they want to own this series, and I am thrilled that Pogo will now be so carefully compiled and available to us. Ol’ Walt would be proud.”

“This collection has been a long time coming,” said Jeff Smith, “I’ve been waiting for it ever since I was nine. I’m very happy to be helping the Kelly family and Fantagraphics bring this comic strip masterpiece to a new audience.”

Anne Ishii has a hilarious write-up on last nights Aline Koominsky Crumb and R. Crumb summit at the Library:

Anyway, the Crumbs’ conversation was as much about their bizarre lifestyle as it was about their mobius strip of paper that is the art they create. Really fascinating stuff…until almost two hours into the night’s event when peoples’ questions started to get really lame and mis-guided.

“This next question is for Robert…”
“Robert, how are your brothers?”
“How’s your band, Robert?”

I’m sorry, did no one see the ginormous screen announcing Aline’s book?

Well, it’s only fair I guess, to want to ask him all the questions, as I’m sure Aline knew would happen. But most people seemed to need to validate their sense of normative lifestyles by asking super-contrived questions with inevitable answers. Whereas the reality of the Crumbs’ lifestyles really isn’t one that lends itself to any “normative” and pat description.

[Photo from PW Daily, set at the Strand.]

Cheryl Lynn, a.k.a Digital Femme, isn’t just our co-worker at PW COMICS WEEK. She’s also one of the smartest voices out there. Now she might just be starting something important.

It seems that while there are gay cartoonists, and women cartoonists and black cartoonists, there is one kind of cartoonist that you have to search high and low to find: black women in comics. A few weeks ago, Cheryl put out the call for the names of black women who are involved in the comics business and came up with 13 names : a lot more than anyone else ever did. Now she’s got an even bigger idea: The Ormes Society, named after Jackie Ormes, creator of TORCHY BROWN, and the first nationally syndicated black woman cartoonist, all the way back in 1937:

That’s when I came up with the idea of the Ormes Society. Black women are out there creating, but unlike our peers, we have the tendency to create in a vacuum. And while other creators use message boards and activist organizations to wisely network and receive emotional support, we post our thoughts and creations on individual websites and then wonder why various activist organizations don’t reflect our viewpoints or interests. How can I have the nerve to be irritated by how sites devoted to black creators are dominated by men and books with superhero themes (and on occasion, “hot” black model threads) if I never add my own contributions? How can I be irked by the fact that none of the members of the sites devoted to women in comics commented on the dearth of brown-skinned girls as characters in the MINX line if I never registered on those boards to make a post about that topic in the first place?
The Ormes Society would be a bit of a stepping stone or gateway. It’d be a place where black female comic creators and fans could (1) find each other (2) share our creations (3) talk about topics that are important to us and (4) gain the courage needed to bring those thoughts and creations to the larger comic reading/creating audience. It would also be a place for editors, fans and fellow creators to find us and share their thoughts about our work and about topics that pertain to black women in comics (both in the pages and behind the scenes).

The problem with any kind of club based on race or gender is that it can further marginalization. But it would be hard to marginalize a group that is already so small. Getting even more voices heard is what comics still needs. Cheryl is still seeking more names for her roster. If you are interested in The Ormes Society, drop her a line. Step forward and be counted.
[Art, left, by Alitha Martinez.]

The Cartoon Network held their upfronts yesterday and announced five new shows and lots of other stuff:

Cartoon Network today announced its programming line-up for 2007 at its annual Upfront event in New York City. The slate will offer five new original series, including Re-Animated, an extension of the network’s first movie featuring live-action and animation. The network also announced a second season of Class of 3000 starring Andre Benjamin and unveiled multi-media events, a new mobile phone initiative and a new after-school franchise. In addition, the presentation featured a sneak peek at its massively multi-player game for 2008 and announced a live-action Ben 10 movie in production.

The new series that got us the most excited was SANTO, based on the legendary real-life Mexican wrestler.

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DreamHaven is a bookstore in Minneapolis that is a haven for fantasy, SF and comics, and has served as a great friend to many creators. Now, Neil Gaiman reports it needs a little support back.

We had a break-in on Saturday night. They got a bit of cash but wreaked terrible havoc on the store and my office. Damages will be costly but insurance should cover a lot of it. But after the lull in current business, this really will hurt. I don’t like charity but if you could encourage people to maybe buy an extra book off us soon, it may help. Three bookstores have closed in the Twin Cities in the past two months and I don’t want to make it four.

If you were thinking of ordering something by mail order soonish, you could do worse than order it from DreamHaven.

Harold Hedd creator Rand Holmes will be the subject of a retrospective art show on Lasqueti Island from March 17 & 18, 2007. Influenced by the EC stylings of Wally Wood and Will Eisner, Holmes was a pioneer of underground comics, and a much underrated artist.

Rand Holmes, famous Canadian counter-culture cartoonist and creator of Harold Hedd comics, was laid to rest on Lasqueti Island, B.C., five years ago. Most of his artwork remains undisturbed on the remote island where he spent his last twenty years. His family and friends in the island community now want to share his artistic legacy with the rest of the world during a two-day exhibit on March 17 & 18 at the Lasqueti Community Hall.

Holmes and his wife Martha moved to a homestead in the Inland Passage in 1982 to get away from the rat race and back to the land. Far from his former life as star cartoonist at the Georgia Straight in Vancouver, Holmes continued to produce pen and ink illustrations for comic books and magazines. During his last decade, he began making surreal oil paintings using the old fashioned methods of the great masters. They were slow laborious creations, which took months to complete. He refused to title or describe them, for fear of weakening their visual symbolism. They are now mute testaments to his inner visions.

Some of these and other paintings (still-lifes, landscapes, and scenes of island life) were sold or traded to neighbors as barter for goods or services, but very few have left the island. They will be shown all together for the first time at this Retrospective and Celebration of the Life of Rand Holmes. There will also be on display examples of his comic book pages from Slow Death Funnies, White Lunch Comix, Fog City Comics and Harold Hedd, along with his editorial and political art from the Georgia Straight and Vancouver Star, and collections and foreign editions of his work.

It is a national treasure trove of art. For more information, email randholmes@hotmail.com. Inquiries about Rand Holmes’ art can be made through the Denis Kitchen Art Agency at denis@deniskitchen.com

feeling a xanax high give does

Today mobile payments ranging from mobile banking to mobile credit cards to mobile commerce are very widely used in Asia and Africa, and in selected European markets.

Jim Mahfood sends word that one of his paintings will be seen on plasme TVs around the nation:

Check out Sarah Silverman’s hilarious new show on Comedy Central Thursday nights. I did a mural on the wall of the coffee shop where her and her friends hang out, and some of my paintings are hanging up in there as well. Thanks, Rob Schrab!

Ian Brill, whom we once called “our finest young blogger” is hanging up his blogging pants.

Folks, it’s been a blast but things are changing. I am on the verge of becoming a college graduate. I already have something of a writing career going on. This blog has become more and more redundant to me. Occasionally I can muster up the psychic energy and can shame my fingers into writing for myself. Out of the few times I accomplish that I rarely come up with something I would want to share with the public. I no longer find blogging attractive.

We’re sad to see him go, but there’s plenty of Brill goodness still out there and more to come, we’re sure. He remains on the web with IanBrill.com.

§ PWCW and Comic Foundry writer Laura Hudson has just launched a blog,Myriad Issues, which we have bookmarked. She already posted our favorite Valentine’s Day cover, a SUPERGIRL issue which shows that Kara’s just a lonely cat lady waiting to get old.

§ James Urbaniak reveals the sordid details of his NYCC appearance.

§ What does Sandman smell like? Probably something likethis. Surely, his fans do!

§ Only Kevin Huizenga escapes unsacthed from the wrath of the Portland Mercury.

§ The AP sent out a nice obit for Archie artist Joe Edwards:

Joe Edwards, an artist who worked on the 1942 debut issue of Archie comics and later created the character Li’l Jinx, has died. Edwards, who was 85, died Feb. 8 at his home after years of treatment for heart problems, said his son, Todd Edwards.

A Manhattan native, Edwards served in the Army during World War II, illustrating training manuals. While based in Italy, he drew animated cartoons warning of minefields around Naples.

Edwards worked for Demby Studios, which produced comic book stories for a number of publishers, and then joined the former MLJ Comics, the precursor to Archie Comics.

Todd Edwards said his father always carried a sketch pad, and despite failing health in later years, would delight doctors and nurses with sketches drawn personally for them. “He loved it when he could make people smile,” his son said.

Cartoon Brew has a nice tribute to Peter Ellenshaw, who died this week:

Ellenshaw is best known for his incredible matte paintings in Disney live action films ranging from The Story of Robin Hood through 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and Mary Poppins (above). His work can also be seen in Spartacus, Superman IV and The Black Hole. He is the father of Harrison Ellenshaw (Star Wars).

He also worked on TRON. Before there was CGI there was matte painting, usually done on glass. These paintings would be painstakingly composited with live action film. There are some great memories of Ellenshaw’s work in the comments section of Cartoon Brew which remind us, that, for instance, everything in Mary Poppins was a matte painting. The effect seems a bit artificial to modern standards, but the magic these paintings created is eternal

Jim Hill has a fine tribute, as well:

All of these places exist in Disney films because Peter Ellenshaw was an absolute master of matte painting. He could take these rough bits of film that Walt or Bill Walsh or Robert Stevenson would hand him and then — with just a few flicks of a brush — extend a half-built set. Or make a miniature seem downright enormous. That way, Mary Poppins would then have a proper looking English park to take Jane & Michael Banks to. Or Eglantine Price would then have a properly moody English moor on which to battle Nazis.

So much of the magic that we took for granted in those Walt Disney Productions of the 1950s, 1960s & 1970s was a direct result of Ellenshaw’s talent & artistry. His ability to take those blank bits of screen and make them seem real. Which is why we believed that Jim Douglas & Tennessee Steinmetz actually did live in an old San Francisco firehouse with Herbie the Love Bug. Or that Jim Hawkins & Long John Silver really did drop anchor at Treasure Island.

[Above photo taken from the Dave Land blog, a vintage Disney site.]

PS: Cartoon Brew has a new, remodeled site, now with comments, and it looks swell.

Manga-ka Emiko Sugi died on the 10th of stomach cancer at age 47. Although little of her work was translated into English, she was the auther of several popular shojo manga Dirk digs up the most information:

So near as I can tell, the only published work by Emiko Sugi to appear in English is a chapter she wrote for the how-to book Mezase!! Manga no Hoshi, which was recently published Stateside by Viz Media under the title Shojo Beat’s Manga Artist Academy. There’s rather little information available online about Ms. Sugi; she debuted as an artist in 1977 and seems to have specialized in tittilating shoujo manga; Niko-Niko.net reviews what sounds like a typical Emiko Sugi manga series, Ubu Ubu, about a high-school girl who aspires to be a famous nude model.

According to ComiPress her works have sold over 18,000,000 volumes.

For those undaunted bt the film’s German reception, a few lucky folks will get to see it early at WonderCon.

WonderCon, Northern California’s largest comic book and pop culture convention, has teamed with Warner Bros. Pictures to offer attendees an opportunity to see a special advanced screening of the epic action adventure inspired by graphic novelist Frank Miller, 300, directed by Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead). The film opens everywhere March 9.

The special screening will be held on the first day of WonderCon, Friday, March 2, 2007. “We are extremely excited about this,” said David Glanzer, spokesperson for the non-profit event, “and extremely honored that Warner Bros. has chosen WonderCon for this exclusive screening.”

Last summer Warner Bros. Pictures unveiled select footage of 300 at WonderCon’s sister event, the San Diego Comic-Con, to thunderous applause. “Everyone was so excited that the 6,500 fans who saw the footage demanded it be replayed twice,” said Glanzer

Those who have pre-registered as 3-day and Friday-only members for WonderCon will be eligible to take part in the free drawing to be held on Friday at the show with the screening taking place that night.

In addition to the screening, Warner Bros. Pictures will hold a special panel discussion of 300 on Saturday during the show. WonderCon will be held March 2 – 4, 2007 at Moscone Center South in San Francisco, California, and advanced registration is available online at www.comic-con.org.

300 had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival last night, but according to Cinematical, an earlier press screening did not go well:

It started shortly after the opening credits; small groups of folks began heading for the door. It got worse when the main villain appeared on screen and all the audience could do was laugh. And, yes, it ended when whatever was left of a packed house booed Zack Snyder’s 300 as the end credits scrolled up the screen — once and for all squashing all rumors that this film would sparkle, dazzle and unite moviegoers from around the globe in the belief that 300 would be the first great flick of 2007.

While most reviewers have had to change their astronaut diapers after seeing the movie, whether fanboys or Hollywood types, this is the first big thumbs down.

UPDATE: It’s now been made clear that this was a press screening and not the World Premiere, at which, according to a report at (where else) GerardButler.net, the actual premiere received a standing ovation. Questions were reportedly hostile at the press conference, however. We haven’t had a chance to watch it, but it’s available here under 2/14.

We’ve given Nicolas Cage a little bit of a ribbing over the years, but it turns out the Ghost Rider star — who famously had to give up his valuable comics collection when he married Lisa Marie Presley — is really willing to let his geek flag fly. At the recent GHOST RIDER junket, Cage evinced some antipathy towards ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY and in this interview explains why:

‘Entertainment Weekly’ hasn’t done anything to me. Someone just asked me a question about whether I think comic book movies get a bad rap. Someone mentioned to me that there was a blurb in ‘Entertainment Weekly’ that said very condescendingly, ‘We get a kick out of watching Academy Award winners being in movies that they have no business being seen in.’ I thought, ‘Well, okay. That’s really shallow thinking because they can’t get outside their own box.’ They don’t understand the concept of what I would say is art. You have different styles and you can choose to be photo-realistic like ‘World Trade Center’ or you can be pop art illustrative. Why limit yourself to one style of acting, and especially when you look at ‘Ghost Rider’ you see a comic book story structure which digs a little deeper. It doesn’t take itself too seriously of course. It’s funny, but it’s coming from classic themes like Faust with Goethe or Thomas Mann or ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ It’s fascinating to take those story structures and reintroduce people to it in a pop art contemporary manner and a especially a comic book no less. It’s just fun and reaches a lot of people, but ‘Entertainment Weekly’ is the kind of magazine that is very condescending and they think in a very narrow box and they always have. So that’s why I would recommend that if you want to really get your information and know what movies to go see I wouldn’t resort to that particular publication because they are pretty shallow.

Thomas Mann! Nic really hasn’t read EW very closely (they are a true friend to comics, and put all kinds of superhero movies on the cover) but we appreciate where he is coming from. You go, boy! Pow! Flame on! Comics are ART!

On the OTHER hand, there is this examination of the Stonecutter-like powers that fanboys wield in Hollywood:

The key ingredient to making a good film great has been the presence of the much maligned and utterly crucial fanboy. The movie industry may see this as demographic upkeep. Movie fans should consider them a shield of vision and integrity to the superheroes many have grown up with.

Having a directly indirect influence on some of the most anticipated films, fanboys have the ability influence the portrayal of characters or the aesthetics during movie production via the all-powerful message board.

The “Transformers” movie is most recent example of this newfound power. Producer Don Murphy displayed early prototypes of transformers Optimus Prime and Megatron seeking fan input. Murphy has even posted message boards on the official movie website for constant fan participation.

To prove the point, right after this story there’s a comment from someone named ‘james’ that reads:

unfortunetley much of the input the fans had on Transformers the movie was to little to late, since almost all the designs need a complete overhaul

Thath’s it fanboy! You must NEVER BE SATISFIED! Your vigilance is all that stands between us and Michael Keaton as Batman!

Official word that Sylvain “STOMP THE YARD” White is set to make a RONIN movie:

Sylvain White, hot off the hit “Stomp the Yard,” has come aboard to develop with an eye to direct “Ronin,” a big-screen, live-action adaptation of the Miller miniseries.

Nunnari and his Hollywood Gang shingle have a script by Peter Aperlo, which White will polish before shopping the project around town.

Miller, the comic book auteur, has developed a Hollywood following, with such titles as “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” and “Sin City,” which Robert Rodriguez adapted into a 2005 film. Miller created “Ronin,” published by DC Comics, after his acclaimed run on the Marvel Comics series “Daredevil” in the early ’80s.

I have a bad feeling like this.

MEANWHILE, Stephen King and J.J. Abrams may be teaming to develop the DARK TOWER series for live action.

Abrams’ Bad Robot shingle has a first-look deal at Paramount for film projects and a deal with Warner Bros. Television for TV projects. The project is not yet set up at either company. On first glance, King’s tale — which sprawls across seven books as it blends the fantasy, sci-fi, horror and Western genres — might seem better suited for a multiple-episode television treatment. On the other hand, its potential cost might call for a large-scale cinematic treatment. Sources say a number of entities have been chasing “Tower” but that King is looking for strong filmmaker involvement, which is where Abrams enters the picture.

A mysterious Batman sighting caused three Arizona school to be shut down:

To an Arizona middle school, Batman! Three schools in the north Phoenix suburb of Cave Creek were on lockdown for about 45 minutes Wednesday morning after a student at Desert Arroyo Middle School reported seeing a person dressed as Batman run across campus, jump a fence and disappear into the desert, Scottsdale police Sgt. Mark Clark said.

The student described the person as 6 feet 3 inches tall and possibly male.

“We’re assuming it was male, although they did have a mask on,” Clark said.

A police manhunt scoured the countryside to find the mysterious Dark Knight, but he eluded capture because, after all…he’s Batman.

The big event today in NYC is one you can’t even get into — it’s been sold out for ages. Aline Kominsky-Crumb and R. Crumb will be appearing together at the NY Public Library. It’s so tight even we can’t get in, but for those who do it’s sure to be a memorable evening.

We were lucky enough to have dinner with Kominsky-Crumb and her publisher a few months back, and she showed us pictures of her paintings, dolls and the incredible art installations which make up her house. All of that and more is on display in her book which is out this week: NEED MORE LOVE. It’s a long overdue look at the career of a cartoonist who has had a huge influence on the genre of autobiographical comics.

At dinner, we asked her if she and Robert were soulmates. She paused a momet and said “Yes; we’ve always been each others biggest supporter.”

Aline will also be the subject of an exhibit at the Adam Baumgold Gallery which opens on Thursday:

DRAWINGS & OTHER WORKS 1971-2006
FEBRUARY 15 - MARCH 17, 2007

Adam Baumgold Gallery presents the exhibition of Aline Kominsky Crumb: Need More Love, Drawings & Other Works 1971-2006. The exhibition coincides with the release of Aline Kominsky Crumb’s graphic memoir Need More Love - a book replete with comic pages, text and photographs recounting the artist’s colorful career and life experiences. Many drawings from the book will be included in the exhibition. This will be Aline Kominsky Crumb’s first New York solo exhibition and the artist will be present at the opening to launch and sign copies of her new book.

Since 1971, Crumb has been one of the seminal figures in American comics. She was one of the first contributors to the groundbreaking Wommen’s Comix, and, with Diane Noomin, founded the underground classic comic Twisted Sisters in 1976. She was one of the first artists to do autobiographical comics and develop the graphic novel form.

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ELK’S RUN creators Joshua Hale Fialkov and Noel Tuazon should be pretty happy — the graphic novel version of the book is out from Random House/Villard next month. But to set it off in style, they are already launching their follow-up Three Rivers, and in an increasingly common move, they’re launching it as a webcomic. Fialkov writes:

Where Elk’s Run dealt with isolation and loneliness, Three Rivers is about growing up in the seat of modern civilization… the suburbs.

It’s a bit scary how similar they are.

The book is told as a series of short stories revolving around the lives of two friends, and how their relationship changes and grows from puberty through adulthood. Rendered beautifully in black and white by Noel, the book is a true creative successor to Elk’s Run.

The plan for right now is to put up a new chapter every month for free, with access to the archive for a buck a month. In that archive, you can also access a bunch of my early mini-comics, comics by Noel, and some of my Western Tales of Terror stories.

It’s an interesting plan, and more so when you remember the history of this book. It started out as a self-published venture, then went to Speakeasy for one issue. You’ll recall that Speakeasy was one of the “Class of ‘05″ comics periodical publishers who proved that launching a new comics periodical company was probably not the greatest idea.

Before they went under, Speakeasy had announced a plan to publish some of their comics on the web; we don’t recall if ELK’S RUN was one of them, but it would be quite ironic if it were, wouldn’t it?

So to sum up:

Self publishing—>Indie publisher—>Random House—>Serialized webcomic, which charges for archives.

While the Engine has been arguing about the whole pamphlet vs. trades paradigm, pamphlets may not even be necessary any more for material the direct sales market doesn’t support. It will be interesting to see how the plan to monetize THREE RIVERS plays out.

jenniferrodgers: Valentine’s Day Cards. I totally messed up plugging this in time to order it. I’m sorry.

[Art © 2007 Jennifer Rodgers]

diesel sweeties celebrate the season with robot romance web comic & t-shirt party

[Via…Warren Ellis????]