Happy news we missed:

Oliver Jonco Kochalka was born on Thanksgiving, at 9:05 pm. Here he is sitting on his big brother Eli’s lap.

A big huzzah to Comicraft, who just celebrated their 15th Anniversary. We talked to Richard Starkings a few years ago for our first book BREAKING THE PANELS and he may have given the most thoughtful and non-comics-related answers out of all the people interviewed.

To commemorate the occassion, Comicraft has unveiled a new font, convenientally called COMICRAFT.

Starkings has this to say in the anniversary presser released by Comicraft.

“JG and I feel very fortunate to have worked with so many top talents in the industry during the last fifteen years,” said Starkings, “and we feel really honored to have been able to contribute to so many great books. We’re very proud of our track record and we’re continuing to invest the same level of quality and commitment into our own titles and websites, and the fonts we make available at comicbookfonts.com.”

Congratulations to Richard, JG and all the other folks involved with the company.

Posted by Mark Coale

Jay Kennedy was the much-admired editor at King Features syndicate who died tragically earlier this year. Now King Features Syndicate has announced a worthy way to remember him:

King Features Syndicate has committed $100,000 to establish an endowed scholarship fund in honor of Jay Kennedy, who served as King Features Syndicate Editor in Chief from 1997 until his untimely death earlier this year.

The Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will be administered by the National Cartoonists Society Foundation (NCSF), will enhance two of the nonprofit organization’s major goals - to advance the ideals and standards of professional cartooning in its many forms and to stimulate and encourage interest in and acceptance of the art of cartooning by aspiring cartoonists, students and the general public. King Features and the NCSF and will spearhead additional fundraising for the Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship Fund.

T.R. “Rocky” Shepard III, president of King Features Syndicate, said, “We hope this scholarship will continue Jay’s legacy of creativity and generosity. He had a profound impact on our industry, certainly in strengthening King’s roster of talented comics creators and in articulating his vision for the future of the art form. But more importantly, Jay spent countless hours providing advice, support and encouragement to aspiring cartoonists.”

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CBG is putting three years of issues on a searchable DVD! This is so super! I can now put all my cumbersome paper copies in storage. Now if only they could put all the newspaper sized issues on a DVD, we’d have even MORE room.

Three years’ worth of Comics Buyer’s Guide’s magazine-sized issues are now available on a single disc.
This new, easy-to-navigate searchable DVD gives users instant access to more than two dozen issues of Comics Buyer’s Guide. And what’s more, a simple click on a cover line or title in the table of contents takes users instantly to the story they want.

CBG on DVD offers readers more than two full years of the longest-running magazine about comic books in an easily viewable and fully searchable PDF format. A user-friendly interface, coupled with Adobe Reader’s Interactive Table of Contents allows users to quickly view their favorite columns, features, and ads originally published from 2004 to 2006. Every cover, every article, and every ad are all searchable via an aggressive search engine.

About Comics Buyer’s Guide

Started in 1971 by a teen-ager in his basement trying to put comics fans in touch with each other, Comics Buyer’s Guide — known throughout the hobby as CBG — is the world’s longest-running publication about comics. Because there’s a comic book for everyone, CBG delivers more than 2,000 reviews a year. Because buyers deserve accurate data, CBG has developed a price guide based on actual transactions, not guesswork.

The Glyph AWards, which honor the best in black comics and creators, are open for submissions for 2008:

This past May, history was made at the Glyph Comics Awards (GCA) when the graphic novel Stagger Lee walked away with a record-breaking four award wins, including Story of the Year. Now, the GCA Committee continues its mission to honor the best in black comics and creators by opening submissions for the 2008 competition.

Nine of the ten awards are selected by a panel of judges, led by Committee Chair and awards founder Rich Watson. The tenth is voted on by the fans in a special online ballot. The rest of this year’s judges are:

- Cheryl Lynn Eaton, comics journalist and founder of the Ormes Society
- Prof. William Foster, comics historian and lecturer
- Tony Isabella, comics writer and columnist
- Katherine Keller, editor-in-chief, Sequential Tart

Any comics publisher - small, large, corporate, independent, self-published - as well as online comic creators and cartoonists for newspapers and other periodicals, are invited to submit black-themed material released from January 1-December 31, 2007 for consideration for award recognition. The Committee defines black-themed work as any comic with any combination of the following: a black protagonist(s), or at least a black character(s) pivotal to the direction of the story; a setting(s) or a theme(s) that explores the black experience within the United States and/or abroad, past, present, and/or future; and/or a comic of any kind written and/or illustrated by a black creator(s).

Anyone wishing to submit their comic book or comic strip for consideration in the 2008 competition should e-mail rich.watson@gmail.com for further information. Hard copies are preferred, though submissions of e-files will also be accepted. Online comics creators and newspaper/periodical cartoonists with websites should send a direct URL link to their site or page. Daily cartoonists must have a minimum of one month’s work archived and available for viewing; weekly cartoonists a minimum of two months. The deadline for submissions is January 20, 2008.

The 2008 Glyph Comics Awards ceremony will be held at the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention in May 2008.

Big show next weekend: “LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel” opens at the Norman Rockwell Museum and runs from November 10, 2007 through May 26, 2008. The musem is located in Stockbridge, Mass. The complete press release is here, but excerpts are below:

Lions released from a zoo in war-torn Baghdad; a mother’s battle with lung cancer; an American expatriate searching for her identity in Mexico- serious subject matter for any medium, but particularly so for a new wave of critically acclaimed and commercially successful long form comic books. In these illustrated stories, called graphic novels (a mostly grown-up version of the comic book), themes explored include culture, society, and current events, and topics range from heart-wrenching to thought-provoking to risqué. A fascinating new exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum, “LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel,” examines the history, diversity, and tremendous popularity of this phenomenon considered by many to be a comics renaissance. On view from November 10, 2007 through May 26, 2008, the exhibition features over 146 artworks by 24 contemporary graphic novelists and historic practitioners of this ever-evolving art form.

“Comics are a language- and it’s a visual language,” observes graphic novelist Mark Wheatley. “It cuts across cultural barriers and national barriers. The language of comics is something that a man in Dubai can understand as easily as a man in Chicago.”

“LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel” examines the development of sequential art through its practitioners. Their work continues to suggest new ways of seeing: wordless narratives by 1920s woodcut artist Lynd Ward and modern-day commentator Peter Kuper; revolutionary underground comix by R. Crumb and humorous, personal “Girl Stories’” by Lauren Weinstein; the visual thrill of works by “Mad Magazine” co-creator Harvey Kurtzman and “Breathtaker” co-creator Marc Hempel; and the pioneering art of Will Eisner (”Contract with God”), Dave Sim (”Cerebus”), and Terry Moore (”Strangers in Paradise”). The exhibition features original book pages and studies, sketchbooks, and videotaped interviews with graphic novelists.

“‘LitGraphic’ offers a fascinating look at the development of a highly-influential art form through a talented new generation of visual storytellers,” notes Norman Rockwell Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt. “Many artists throughout history have employed the use of sequential storytelling, including Norman Rockwell. You can see this in a number of Rockwell’s most well-known paintings, such as ‘The Gossips’ and ‘Day in the Life of a Little Boy,’ as well as in quickly-sketched cartoons and doodles.”

A full slate of programs and events are planned, including the opening, and various events with Peter Kuper, Jay Hosler, Tim Callahan, Andrew Wales, Sarah Saerno Thomas and Marek Bennett. Details in the jump.

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Valerie D’Orazio makes her election as new President to FRiends of Lulu official:

Yeah. I’m really stoked. I was going to tell you earlier, but it had to be official. Friends of Lulu is a 13-year-old non-profit organization that promotes and encourages female readership and participation in the comic book industry. We also promote all-ages comic book material, as our slogan is “Comics Are For Everyone.”

Official PR with the complete board below:

We’re pleased to announce the new Friends of Lulu Board of Directors for 2008, and we are already working hard to create a positive new era for the organization.

President: Valerie D’Orazio
Better known in the Internet as The Occasional Superheroine, Valerie has nearly seven years of comic editing experience, with Valiant/Acclaim and DC, as well as experience in Internet marketing and nonprofit organizations.

Membership Secretary: Nicole Boose
Nicole Boose is an associate editor for Marvel Comics, working with outside clients to create comics for all audiences extending beyond the traditional market, as well as editing the monthly series Cable & Deadpool.

Recording Secretary: Alison Bailey
Alison is a college student hard at work on her first graphic novel.

Treasurer: Marion Vitus
Marion is an illustrator and comic artist who has years of experience in nonprofit volunteering through her work with Girl Scouts. She is the writer and artist of the comic No In-Between on Webcomics Nation.

Vice President, Public Communications: Leigh Dragoon.
Leigh is the writer and artist of the fantasy comic By the Wayside, which runs on Girlamatic.com. Leigh is also a Staff Writer for Sequential Tart.

Vice President, Public Relations: Adalisa Zárate
Adalisa is the editor of the Anime y Manga Colección de Luxe Magazine in Mexico city, and the writer and artist of the webcomic The Building.

Expect great things from our new Board of Directors!
Stay tuned for more on www.friends-lulu.org!

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Have you seen this?:

I just received this email from Carol Tyler: . “Please spread the word: Justin had a sketchbook stolen - it was about half full, containing rough sketches and writings. He was giving a demonstration at the college where I teach [in Cincinnati] and someone walked off with it. It went missing on October 17. I’ve notified the authorities. I want those who buy and collect comic art to know about it being stolen property. Keep our eyes on ebay.”

If anyone has any information regarding this, please contact fbicomix@fantagraphics.com.

Another indie comics fest is gaining traction, this time in Washington DC, and they want more people to join the party:

Last January we packed 40 D.C.-area creators of comix, fashions, arts, and jewelry, a belly dancer, an improv troupe, and four bands into a spacious bar and called it the Washington DC Counter Culture Festival II. We were mentioned in the Washington Post twice, Daily Candy, Wonkette, DCist, and countless blogs and message boards. We estimated an attendance of over four-hundred people throughout the day and they all enjoyed the wares and the entertainment.

Now we’re coming back with some new bands, new acts, and a mission to send Arlington’s favorite neighborhood bar out with a bang. We are formally extending the invitation to new artists and local retailers to join in the festivities.

The Washington DC Counter Culture Festival III, brought to you by the DC Conspiracy. January 19th from 4PM – 2AM (times may change). The weekend before Dr. Dremo’s closes its doors forever in order to make way for a mid-rise condominium complex. Whether you know it as Bardo’s or Dr. Dremo’s you know what it represents – one of Arlington’s oldest and most celebrated independent bars. We just want to send it off with a bang.

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ComicsPRO, the comics retailer lobbying group, has instituted an antitrust compliance policy to ensure there will be no collusion:

In a move to allay concerns over any potential retailer collusion, Comics Professional Retail Organization (ComicsPRO), the trade organization for comic book retailers, with the help of legal counsel, has incorporated an antitrust compliance policy into its by-laws outlining the parameters within which independent retailers can confidently deal with each other.

ComicsPRO board member Ben Trujillo of Star Clipper Comics in St Louis went on to explain, “We have adopted a clear policy for managing the relationship between a group of competitors in a way that conforms with the highest legal standards in the areas of antitrust and non-competitive behavior.”

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Hm, will this be the killer app for webcomics? Joey Manley announces what could be a fairly significant venture:

Today, Josh Roberts (owner of ComicSpace and Onlinecomics.net) and I are excited to announce that we have signed a Letter of Intent to merge our businesses into one corporate entity. We will be working with E-Line Ventures, a New Jersey-based ‘double bottom line’ early-stage investment firm (they look at both the financial and social impact of their investments) to secure the necessary funding and support for us to effectively merge and run the combined business.

It’s been obvious to me, and to anybody else paying attention, that my websites are too ambitious, and have grown much too quickly, for one person to manage properly. As some of you know, I’ve spent the better part of two years looking for the right partners to help me step my efforts up. A lot of people and companies have come calling during that time, but nothing felt quite right, for one reason or another.

A few months ago, Josh and I were corresponding on a technical issue, and our conversation sort of veered into this territory. Turned out he was in the same position I was in — and had turned down a lot of the same offers I had turned down, for the same reasons. Josh’s skillsets are quite different from mine, but his goals and plans are very, very similar. Each of us fills a gap in the other’s area of expertise. After brainstorming for a while, we realized that we would make a great team, that each of us would be stronger with the other at his side, and we decided, way back then, to merge our businesses — but only if we could find investors, and get the funding to build out the kind of stable business infrastructure we’ve both been lacking.

E-Line has provided a blueprint for making that dream come true, without our having to sell out our core beliefs. We’ve been working with them for what seems like a year or two now (but has really only been a few months), to bring our vision for offering the most useful, empowering and engaging services for digital comic creators and readers to life. The folks at E-Line not only understood and support this vision, they have complimentary skills to help us make it happen. Those guys rock. You’ll be meeting some of them – as well as some of our own new co-employees — over time.

The websites to be part of the new venture include: ComicSpace.com, WebcomicsNation.com, OnlineComics.net, GraphicNovelReview.com, TalkAboutComics.com, ModernTales.com, Girlamatic.com, Serializer.net, and GraphicSmash.com.

Those last four (Modern Tales, Girlamatic, serializer and Graphic Smash) will continue to operate as separate brands, with their own domains, though they will gets lots of cool new features thanks to our increased development resources.

All of the others — ComicSpace, WCN, OnlineComics, GNR, and TAC, will be merged into one fully-integrated site, combining all the best features from each of the existing sites with many other new features, all designed to empower creators to reach their own goals — find larger audiences, make a living (or at least a little more money) from their webcomics, and reach out to new distribution channels, like mobile and print, etc. — while maintaining full control and ownership of their intellectual property.

That combined will be called ComicSpace.

Details on existing memberships and more in the link.

VIA PR:

DC Comics, the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world, and home to Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman announced today that legendary Batman comic book artist Jerry Robinson, a key contributor during the early years of the Batman comic book series, will be a creative consultant for the company.

“It’s an honor to have Jerry complete his journey from DC’s bullpen to advising us on characters he was intimately involved with, and the international world of comics he knows so well,” said Paul Levitz, DC Comics President and Publisher.

“I am delighted to be affiliated with DC Comics, my alma mater, as Creative Consultant,” said Jerry Robinson. “I look forward to working with Paul Levitz, whom I greatly admire, and the enormously talented DC editors, artists and writers.”

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Our thoughts are with our many friends in Southern California today, where winds up to 100 mph have aggravated fire season, igniting uncontrolled blazes in Malibu, Orange County and the San Diego area. A quarter of a million people have been evacuated from outside San Diego, according to the AP.

Thousands of houses have already burned, and many comics folks are being affected. Scott Dunbier blogs about the hard decisions he has to make as he and his family face evacuation

So far we’ve been lucky. 4000 homes in San Marcos, our town, have been evacuated, including a couple occupied by friends. I don’t believe any have burned. As of right now the fire is not coming closer to us; we’ve gotten no reverse 911 call that instructs residents to get out fast. The smoke is getting closer but the news says the fire in our area has “calmed down.” We’ve packed up important papers, photo albums, artwork, external hard-drive, trying to figure out what are the most important to us. It’s a very slow Sophie’s Choice, picking out what we love and need the most. One I hope we don’t have to make.

Needless to say, this is a choice we hope no one ever has to make. Our continued good thoughts for all involved in this tragedy.

Voting for the Friends of Lulu Board are open but for MEMBERS only:

Voting for the Board of Directors is one of the privileges of being a member of Friends of Lulu.

Members, now is the time to step forward and make your voice heard- vote for our 2008 Board of Directors! This simple action decides the course of the next year for Friends of Lulu. We have some great applicants willing to volunteer for our board next year, and as always, we do take write-ins as well.

Use our online form at:
www.friends-lulu.org/boardnomform.php

Or email your ballot to: board @ friends-lulu.org

Thank you, and good luck to all our nominees!

With Valerie D’Orazio and Marvel’s Nicole Boose on the ballot…well, this might just be an interesting year .

The Comics Reporter reports that Mexican scholar Ernesto Priego has been denied a visa for his appearance later this month at ICAF, the international comics scholar gathering> The ICAF site has a statement:

Ernesto Priego is unable to present his paper at ICAF because he has been denied entry into the United States of America. The U.S. government has not renewed his visa, nor have they given him any explanation why he will not be allowed into the country. ICAF protests this refusal of entry, part of a recent and disturbing trend of excluding foreign scholars, as an infringement on academic freedom.

Tom adds:

A native of Mexico and a published poet, Priego is currently a doctoral candidate at University College in London. He was scheduled to present a paper called “The Tell-Tale Smell of Burning Paper: ‘Logic of Form’ and the Origin of Comics.” This was scheduled for the theory and practice of comics studies track headed by Charles Hatfield.

UPDATE: Ernesto Priego himself stopped in at Marc Singer’s blog to make a VERY important disctiction: he was not denied, his visa was simply not renewed, a very big differencce.

I appreciate the post, but I would like to say that I wasn’t “denied entry”; my visa was not renewed, most probably because I did not apply for it in person and did not submit enough documents proving what I’d be doing in the States. So they didn’t know I was going to a conference. I had just applied for a normal renewal. I don’t want to make any further public comments on this matter, but I wanted to publicly clarify the distinction between being denied entry as a scholar and not having gotten the paper renewed. Information travels very fast on the Internet, and sometimes it gets distorted as it flies over the seas of bits and pixels.

Speaking of Crumb, Jon B Cooke of COMIC BOOK ARTIST writes:

People!

The next issue of COMIC BOOK ARTIST will be featuring a huge WEIRDO magazine
retrospect, complete with Crumb, Bagge and Aline interviews. I’m also looking
for the recollections and WEIRDO-related artifacts of those cartoonist
contributors to the legendary mag. Thing is, I can’t seem to locate a good
number of ‘em, so I’m wondering if folks can help.

Listed below are those WEIRDO contributors I can’t find contact info for. If you
have any, could you please e-mail Jon B. Cooke at:

JonBCooke@aol.com

Also, if you’re a WEIRDO contributor who is not on the list but haven’t yet
heard from me, could you shoot me an e-mail?

I am also looking for any folks who have memories of Dori Seda, Terry Boyce and
Michael Dougan they would like to share, or anecdotes about WEIRDO editors R.
Crumb, Peter Bagge and Aline Kominsky-Crumb. And, of course, if you have any
particular insight about WEIRDO’s impact, feel free to drop me a line. (Oh, and
post this anywhere you think it might help!)

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We don’t know what a “sketchcast” is, but Brady Dale sent us this, and we guess it’s Etch-a-sketch you can share with your friends!

Are you a publisher who would like to acquire an acclaimed book by two of the contemporary comics scene’s brightest stars? Well then, Brain Wood and Becky Cloonan have got an idea for you:

Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan announce the immediate and full reversion of publishing and other media rights for their critically-acclaimed comics series Demo.

First published in 2003 by AIT/Planet Lar, Demo challenged the format of the typical superhero book for a grounded and more realistic look at the personal lives of young people with unusual powers. The unconventional series was nominated for two Eisner Awards and has seen print in multiple languages. Wizard Magazine named it the “Indie Book of the Year”, Comic Book Resources said it’s “what the X-Men would be if they were created today”, and Variety proclaimed it “more human than mainstream comics dare to be.”

“Demo is one of the most important things I’ve done,” series writer Brian Wood said. “And it’s been my continuing mission for it to reach as many people as possible. We’re currently exploring options and offers from other publishers with that goal in mind.”

“Working on Demo was a real turning point for my career in comics and as also an artist;” artist Becky Cloonan said. “Now this opportunity marks a turning point for Demo itself.”

“We will update readers and retailers when future plans for Demo are finalized,” Wood said. “Should be soon, so stand by.”

Brian Wood is currently writing DMZ and Northlanders for DC/Vertigo, The New York Four for DC/Minx and Local for Oni Press. Becky Cloonan is currently illustrating American Virgin for DC/Vertigo and writing and illustrating East Coast Rising for Tokyopop.

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E&P has a brief report on the editorial cartoonist wedding of the decade :

Two cartoonists were married in a ceremony presided over by a third cartoonist, announced EditorialCartoonists.com today.

The newlyweds are Mikhaela Reid, who has done cartoons for the Boston Phoenix, the Los Angeles Times, and various other publications; and Masheka Wood, whose work includes the “Not Just Knee Deep” comic.

Conducting the ceremony was Universal Press Syndicate editorial cartoonist Ted Rall.

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Atlanta’s Gaijin Studios adds a new member:

GAIJIN STUDIOS, a home for some of the biggest and most talented names in the comics world for more than a decade-and-a-half, proudly announces the newest addition to its ranks: Tony Shasteen, artist of 12 Gauge/Image’s O.C.T: Occult Crimes Taskforce.

“Tony’s somebody with unlimited potential as a Gaijinner,” said Cully Hamner, speaking via satellite from an editorially-mandated deep submersible somewhere in the Atlantic, where he’s working on his next project. “He’s talented, professional, and just a really good guy. We intend to change all that.”

Brian Stelfreeze, reached by text-message on his iPhone from his private cell at Gitmo, had this to say: “Tony brings much to the table– skill, talent, and a brackishness that allows him to swim in both the comics and commercial art streams. And he’s quite handsome in a sexually non-threatening sort of way.”

“Who?” Karl Story added, before capturing the IBM computer Big Blue’s queen in a chess tournament death-match in Prague, while simultaneously inking three books. “I’m really happy to be here at the famed Gaijin Studios in Atlanta,” commented Shasteen. “I’m hopeful that, at some point, the other guys will show up.”

Shasteen made his first mark as the artist of the 12 Gauge Comics limited series O.C.T: Occult Crimes Taskforce, featuring actress Rosario Dawson, and written by David Atchison and Dawson. A feature film version starring Dawson is currently in the works with Dimension Films.

Atlanta’s GAIJIN STUDIOS is a longtime staple of the comic book industry, having been in continuous operation since 1991. It’s currently the creative home of Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, Cully Hamner, and Tony Shasteen, but it has a long list of impressive past alumni: Adam Hughes, Dave Johnson, Jason Pearson, Tony Harris, Georges Jeanty, Jason Martin, Joe Phillips, Rick Mays, Kelsey Shannon, and Stine Walsh. It continues to be a popular creative force in the comic book industry, working for most of the major comic book publishers, with occasional forays into other media.

You know how births come in threes. Nick and Kim Bertozzi welcome 9lbs 13oz Ramona Bertozzi. Congrats to all!

A new comics anthology has an intriguing subject…and is seeking submissions:

What if we told you a tale about a quiet, unassuming guy with black hair and thick glasses? He’s an immigrant, who’s done his best to fit in to a world that isn’t his—one very different from the land of his birth. He’s got a hidden side to himself that he can’t quite bring himself to show, not even to the popular girl he’s got a huge crush on. If only she knew who he really was—what he could really do—she’d be amazed, he thinks. If only she knew. If only everyone knew…

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K. Thor Jensen and wife welcome Henry Jared Llewoh Jensen. (Above.) Congrats! (And also the second cartooner-born Henry of the week (below). Coincidence or groundswell?)

Laurenn McCubbin reports

Little man was born tonight at 10pm - 7lb, 11oz, and a FOURTEEN INCH HEAD! Mama and baby are doing great, and are very tired after 17 hours of labor. Dude, It was CRAZY. Kelly Sue is BAD ASS. Seriously. She is my hero.

Congrats to Matt and Kelly Sue, and welcome, Henry Leo.