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Friday, August 18, 2023
Tomorrow: Star Trek Signing at Third Eye College Park!
WaPo on Blue Beetle
'Blue Beetle': Some tired action tropes but with a fresh new face
[in print as Fresh new face amid tired action tropes]
NUCLEUS X - Now Launching -
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NPR on Satrapi's Persepolis being 20 years old
A look at the tumultuous life of 'Persepolis' as it turns 20
Aug 24: FIT FOR THE GODS Launch Celebration virtually at Loyalty Bookstore
FIT FOR THE GODS Launch Celebration w/ Jenn Northington, S. Zainab Williams, Marika Bailey, Sarah Gailey, and Maya Deane **VIRTUAL**
Loyalty is so excited to celebrate Fit for the Gods Anthology for a virtual event with co-editors Jenn Northington and S. Zainab Williams and contributors Marika Bailey, Sarah Gailey and Maya Deane! This event will be held digitally via Crowdcast. Click here to register for the event. You can also order the book below to be added to the event's registration list, and there will also be an option to snag the book during the event.
ABOUT THE BOOK
An anthology of gender-bent, queered, race-bent, and inclusive retellings from the enchanting and eternally popular world of Greek myth, featuring stories by:
Marika Bailey • Alyssa Cole • Zoraida Córdova • Maya Deane • Sarah Gailey • Zeyn Joukhadar • Mia P. Manansala • Juliana Spink Mills • Susan Purr • Taylor Rae • Jude Reali • Suleikha Snyder • Valerie Valdes • S. Zainab Williams • Wen Wen Yang
Zeus, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, and the other denizens of Mount Olympus feel almost as present and larger than life today as they did when they were worshipped as gods. Humanity has been telling and retelling stories about the characters from Greek and Roman myth for centuries—heck, the Romans liked the Hellenic originals so much, they remade them faster than Marvel remakes Spider-Man movies. And from Virgil's Aeneid to Xena: Warrior Princess to Percy Jackson to The Song of Achilles, the obsession has never waned.
Yet Fit for the Gods shows how these stories still have a power of metamorphosis that would impress Ovid. Brave, bold, and groundbreaking, the stories in Fit for the Gods will be like ambrosia for those craving fresh interpretations of their favorite myths, and give long-time fans a chance to finally see themselves in these beloved legends.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Jenn Northington is the co-editor of the Locus Award-nominated anthology Sword Stone Table, a former bookseller, and a current reviewer, podcaster, and editor with Riot New Media
Group.
S. Zainab Williams is a writer, editor, and illustrator based in Asheville, NC. A podcaster and director of content for Book Riot, and a member of PEN America's Literary Awards Committee, she spends most of her days thinking about how to make the world of books and reading more inclusive and progressive.
Marika Bailey is an Afro-Caribbean author, designer, and illustrator. Her fiction has previously appeared in FIYAH, Fantasy Magazine, Apparition Lit, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and Strange Horizons. Given a book of unabridged Greek myths at a very impressionable age, she's been writing ever since. A graduate of Yale University with a degree in fine arts, Marika lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and the softest cat in the world.
Sarah Gailey is a Hugo Award Winning and Bestselling author of speculative fiction, short stories, and essays. Their nonfiction has been published by dozens of venues internationally. Their fiction has been published in over seven different languages. Their most recent novel, Just Like Home, and most recent original comic book series with BOOM! Studios, Know Your Station are available now. You can find links to their work at sarahgailey.com.
Maya Deane is a graduate of the University of Maryland and the Rutgers-Camden MFA program. She lives with her fiancée of many years, their dear friend, and two cats named after gods. As a trans woman, she is sacred to Aphrodite and naturally fond of spears, books, and jewelry. She is the author of Wrath Goddess Sing.
Please note Loyalty has a zero tolerance policy for harassment or intimidation of any kind during this virtual event.
Thursday, August 17, 2023
Comics Research Bibliography citations update, 8/17/2023
'OKINAWA' MANGA DELAYED BECAUSE OF ATTEMPTED CENSORSHIP
Chinese Printer Wanted Mentions of Taiwan to Be Removed
Brigid Alverson on August 16, 2023
https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/54877/okinawa-manga-delayed-because-attempted-censorship
Can anything cure Marvel's malaise?
Heidi MacDonald
08/17/2023
https://www.comicsbeat.com/marvel-comics-malaise/
Runaways Is the First Marvel Series Removed From Disney+
By Sean Gribbin
CBR May 27, 2023
https://www.cbr.com/marvel-runaways-removed-disney-plus/
Who the hell is the Blue Beetle? A pre-movie explainer
Diving into the history, facts, and abilities of Blue Beetle, one of DC Studios' least likely movie stars
William Hughes
AV Club August 17 2023
https://www.avclub.com/blue-beetle-movie-character-explainer-1850741345
Blue Beetle Review: DC's Latest Superhero Movie Has Real Heart
Whether it's the end of one DC era or the beginning of another, Blue Beetle succeeds mostly on its own terms.
By Don Kaye | August 17, 2023
https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/blue-beetle-review-dc/
McEldowney, Brooke. 2023.
9 Chickweed Lane turns 30!
Andrews McMeel blog (July): https://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/9-chickweed-lane-turns-30/
Hayao Miyazaki's 'The Boy and the Heron' to Open San Sebastian Film Festival
The animated film will open the Spanish festival just two weeks after its opening night bow in Toronto.
Scott Roxborough
August 17, 2023
Frog and Toad Fans Fear the Worst After Apple TV+ Temporarily Pulls the Series
By Leo Reyna
CBR August 12 2023
https://www.cbr.com/frog-and-toad-fans-fear-the-worst-after-apple-tv-pulls-show/
Video game voice actors say 'soul of the industry is on trial' with unregulated AI
By Sarah Parvini
Aug. 14, 2023
At 21, 'Philadelphia Chickens' Finds a New Roost [Sandra Boynton]
By Sally Lodge
Aug 17, 2023
Licensing Hotline: August 2023
By Karen Raugust
Aug 17, 2023
Q & A with Breena Bard
By Nathalie op de Beeck
Aug 17, 2023
Meet an Upcoming Graphic Novelist: A Chat with Brigitta Blair
by Mike Rhode
August 17, 2023
https://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2023/08/meet-upcoming-graphic-novelist-brigitta-blair.html
SDCC executive director Faye Desmond announces retirement
This could mean changes for Comic-Con
Heidi MacDonald
08/17/2023
https://www.comicsbeat.com/sdcc-executive-director-faye-desmond-announces-retirement/
Meet the Newspaper Cartoonists Replacing Scott Adams and 'Dilbert' [black cartoonists Ray Billingsley, Tauhid Bondia, and Steenz]
Brian VanHooker
August 17, 2023
Science Fiction Double Feature: A Dual Interview with Laini Taylor and Jim Di Bartolo About BILLIE BLASTER, the New Comic
August 17, 2023 by Betsy Bird
'Heartstopper' books temporarily removed from Mississippi public library
The LGBTQ young adult graphic novel series was taken off the shelves in a Marion County library following resident complaints.
Aug. 10, 2023,
By Jay Valle
Virginia Lindemann – RIP [Emily & Toby panel]
D. D. Degg
https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2023/08/17/virginia-lindemann-rip/
Political Cartoons: The Power of Humor in a Divisive World
August 16, 2023 by Andrew Welhouse
https://www.cartoonstock.com/blog/political-cartoons-the-power-of-humor-in-a-divisive-world/
The 14-Year-Old Who Bought Giant-Size X-Men #1 Cover for $45 in 1985
Comic book collector Sam Hare has the original artwork cover to Giant-Size X-Men #1 from 1975 by Dave Cockrum. Or not...
by Rich Johnston
16 Aug 2023
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/the-14-year-old-who-bought-giant-size-x-men-1-cover-for-45-in-1985/
New book chronicles life of Mansfield cartoonist Scott Brown
by Hayden Gray August 15, 2023
https://www.richlandsource.com/2023/08/15/scott-brown-mansfield-cartoonist-new-book/
Paul Hébert
Reading Doonesbury (June 2017-
https://readingdoonesbury.com/
"The Bittersweet Ambiguities of Youth": Garry Trudeau on Love and Romance on the Comics Page.
Reading Doonesbury
August 10, 2023 ~ Paul Hébert
Garry Trudeau
"Maggie & Jiggs & Blondie & Dagwood & Lucy & Charlie,"
New York (February 1973).
Scans online at https://archive.org/details/trudeau-garry-maggie-jiggs-blondie-dagwood-lucy-charlie-new-york-magazine-ca.-1971/
SKTCHDxTINYONION: Balancing Your Life With Your Work
James Tynion IV and David Harper
The Empire of the Tiny Onion Jul 27, 2023
https://jamestynioniv.substack.com/p/sktchdxtinyonion-balancing-your-life
Rick. 2023-
Sequential Philly [Philadelphia, PA comics]
https://substack.com/@sequentialphilly
Q&A with Brian Biggs
Rick
Sequential Philly Jul 23, 2023
https://sequentialphilly.substack.com/p/q-and-a-with-brian-biggs
Q&A with Meghan Turbitt ["Overheard At…" ]
Rick
Aug 14, 2023
https://sequentialphilly.substack.com/p/q-and-a-with-meghan-turbitt
Q&A with Catherine Epps
Rick
Aug 14, 2023
https://sequentialphilly.substack.com/p/q-and-a-with-catherine-epps
Q&A with Henry Crane
Rick
Jun 25, 2023
https://sequentialphilly.substack.com/p/q-and-a-with-henry-crane
Q&A with Henry Crane
Rick
Aug 6, 2023
https://sequentialphilly.substack.com/p/q-and-a-with-henry-crane-a12
Philadelphia Bookstore Map launch
Henry Crane
Free Library of Philadelphia
Aug 1, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRD2IloQLz8
Q&A with K. Briggs [Macbeth, Shakespeare]
Rick
Jul 30, 2023
https://sequentialphilly.substack.com/p/q-and-a-with-k-briggs
Q&A with Kate Schneider
Rick
Jul 30, 2023
https://sequentialphilly.substack.com/p/q-and-a-with-kate-schneider
Q&A with TC Pescatore
Rick
Jul 2, 2023
https://sequentialphilly.substack.com/p/q-and-a-with-tc-pescatore
Q&A with Bread Tarleton
Rick
Jul 16, 2023
https://sequentialphilly.substack.com/p/q-and-a-with-bread-tarleton
Q&A with Kelly Phillips
Rick
Jul 2, 2023
https://sequentialphilly.substack.com/p/q-and-a-with-kelly-phillips
Q&A with Bryn Zeigler
Rick
Jun 18, 2023
https://sequentialphilly.substack.com/p/q-and-a-with-bryn-zeigler
Q&A with Nebila Oguz
Rick
Jul 2, 2023
https://sequentialphilly.substack.com/p/q-and-a-with-nebila-oguz
Q&A with Rebecca Kirby [Slick Susan webcomic]
Rick
Jun 25, 2023
https://sequentialphilly.substack.com/p/q-and-a-with-rebecca-kirby
Meet an Upcoming Graphic Novelist: A Chat with Brigitta Blair
I recently met Brigitta at an Arlington County Library event and was glad to hear that she had a graphic novel coming out... in 2027! Since that's right around the corner, we sent her our usual questions. They came back with few of her own slipped in (a good sign IMHO).
What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
I’m an author-illustrator that makes slice-of-life, memoir, and fantasy graphic novels. I typically write about identity and disability, but have been known to throw in a nerdy reference or pun.
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
I work on an iPad Pro in Clip Studio Paint to make the art and design the pages. I also use Scrivener for plotting/scripting and InDesign for lettering. If I have a location I know my character will be at a lot, I’ll 3D model it in SketchUp or Blender. One of the perks to working in tech outside of comics is I have a rolodex of software knowledge, which has been really helpful with my graphic novel process!
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
I was born in 1993 in NOVA (Northern Virginia).
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
Mostly self-taught, although I’ve taken some online graphic novel and writing courses over the years. The OC Studio Arts “Graphic Novels 101” course was a game-changer for me, so I always try to recommend that one for people starting out!
Have you always worked in comics?
I haven’t! For most of my career, I’ve worked in tech. Everything from being a UI Tech Artist for a video game company, teaching coding workshops at makerspaces, to working at an augmented reality Escape Room. Experiences fuel my desire to create, so I’m very thankful to have gotten the opportunity to learn a lot of different things at some wonderful companies.
Working in tech has also greatly increased my productivity for making graphic novels. If something is taking me too long to do, I’ll figure out a way to make the process and software more ethically efficient. For example, I could never find a Scrivener template I liked to write my manuscript with, so I made the Scrivener Standard Comic Script template alongside Steenz and Camilla Zhang.
What's CRAMMING (Little Brown, 2027) about? How did you get a contract for it - do you have an agent, or did you pitch it directly?
CRAMMING is a story about trying to fit in when you feel like you don’t. It follows a middle school girl named Ari who navigates the challenges of fitting into school, sports, family, and a scoliosis brace.
I got my agent, the incredible Chelsea Eberly, through a Twitter Pitch! During one of the #DVPit (diversity pitch) events where agents “like” pitches on Twitter posts that they want to see more of, I got a request from my agent to submit to her. During the agent offer call, our synergy was off the charts, so much that we came up with an idea for a new book…which ended up becoming my debut graphic novel, CRAMMING!
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
More slice-of-life, fantasy, queer, and disability-focused graphic novels please! I’d also love to do more speaking events, particularly at hospitals or schools. Working on more accessible videos games would also be pretty neat.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
I usually take a break, do research by reading other books, or watch documentaries (especially historical ones). Consuming stories helps me come up with stories, so I try to absorb as much I can when I’m not creating. Brainstorming with my critique group, agent, editor, or partner also greatly helps.
What do you think will be the future of publishing?
The pandemic has been a huge shift in the publishing industry. With the push to remote work, we’ve seen a lot of agencies/publishers become more tech-friendly, flexible, and diverse. We’ve also seen recent changes in publishing with the success of the Harper Collins Strike, the rejection of Penguin Random House’s acquisition of Simon and Schuster, the emergence of AI tools, book banning, and changes in Barnes and Nobles policies.
In general, I see graphic novels growing. More graphic novel film and TV show adaptations such as Heartstopper, Nimona, and American Born Chinese means more money for the publishing industry. I also see technology playing a larger role in creating graphic novels (especially when it comes to expediting processes) and more diversity throughout publishing at all levels. The results from book banning and AI class action lawsuits could also present shifts in the industry. We’re already starting to see AI clauses in publishing contracts, and I’m sure that’s going to grow with the technology.
What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, or others? Any comments about attending them?
All the above and more! My favorite local cons are MAGFest and Small Press Expo. As a gamer and a video game developer, MAGFest has a special place in my heart. Not only does it have one of the biggest arcades I’ve ever been to, but the indie game and music scene is booming there!
What comic books do you read regularly or recommend?
I read a lot of fantasy, queer romance, school dramas, historical fiction, and experimental indie graphic novels; basically, what I like to make is what I like to read! Ones that came out in the past few years that I usually recommend are The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang, It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood, and Salt Magic by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock. I also adore manga and could gush over the paneling in Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama all day.
What's your favorite thing about DC?
The food (especially brunch)! Also, the height cap on the buildings makes the city feel really open and clean which I love. Can’t go wrong with the Cherry Blossom season, various music venues, architecture, or the rich diverse culture either!
Least favorite?
Late night public transit solo. Be careful, folks!
What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?
Depends on the interest of the person, but the Hirshhorn, Artechouse, and the Smithsonian are some of my favorites.
How about a favorite local restaurant?
Oooh I have a lot! Founding Farmer’s is my favorite brunch place. If you want a cute cafe with amazing drinks/food, Tryst in Adam’s Morgan is lovely. I’m also a big fan of Busboys and Poets and Kramers; can’t go wrong with a restaurant-bookstore!
Do you have a website or blog?
I do! My website is https://brigittablair.com/ . I blog about my experiences in publishing there along with posting updates on my book and portfolio. I’m also active on Twitter, Instagram, Threads, and BlueSky at @brigittablair.
Where can we get your book?
It’s not available yet, but you can add it on Goodreads! Adding books you’re interested in on Goodreads really helps authors because it lets the publishers know there’s interest. Keep a lookout for CRAMMING in 2027!