How to use this Page

[Click on the headlines for links!]

Al Jazeera publishes a web comic, and it’s not what you expect!

Two Harris County (Texas) District Attorney employees were indicted by a grand jury for stealing evidence and selling it online!

The case that landed both men in jail began in May 2012, when they were assigned to investigate attorney Anthony Chiofalo, who embezzled about $9 million from his client, a company that manufactures heavy cranes.

[…]

In October 2012, Blevins sold thousands of dollars worth of rare comic books to a dealer in Chicago who later discovered they were the same items purchased by Chiofalo from an online auction house.

An attorney representing the company Chiofalo had worked for learned about the comics and recognized the name of the seller: Harris County DA’s investigator Lonnie Blevins.

The FBI arrested Blevins in February 2013 – about two months after he left the district attorney’s office. Federal prosecutors said he “cooperated substantially” in their inquiry.

Barnes & Noble offers signed books as door busters on Black Friday!

Here’s the link showing all of the titles!  Wimpy Kid!  Smile!  American Gods!  Amulet!  Timmy Failure!

Raina Telgemeier has posted scenes of her massive signing schedule on Facebook, where she signed eleven packages of book pages over ten days with twelve Sharpies.  The pages were then shipped to Asia, where they were bound into the books.  All in top secret mode.

Dunno if President Bush did the same, or if he went to an undisclosed location and signed the actual copies of his book.

How Did A Cartoonist for the National Lampoon and Playboy Get Hired To Draw One Of America’s Most Iconic Comic Strips?!?

…and why was he fired six years later?  Comic Book Resources has the secret history!

Obligatory Hyperbolic Press Release Of The Day

…with qualifications.

“Since we created the Safe Ship & Zip boxes, the damage rate has dropped to nearly zero,” said Drucker. “And, we’ve received lots of e-mails from customers thanking us for making opening boxes so easy.”

“We’ve shipped comic books to 117 countries, and our damage rate is among the lowest in the comic book business,” said [CEO Jim] Drucker. “So, if you buy comic books online, or are looking for comic books for sale, you don’t have to worry about shipping damage at NewKadia.”

[I did a sample search on their website.  They have a copy of “Superman Meets The Quik Bunny”, so it seems like a decent site.]

A New Comic Con Is Announced In Asia!

In a briefing today, Al Ahli Holding Group (AAHG) chief executive officer Mohammed Khammas said the company will hold the Asia Pop Comic Con 2015 in the Philippines.

The annual event features international brands in comics, animation, toys, music and movies, and Manila’s hosting will mark the United Arab Emirates-based conglomerate’s investment in the Philippines.

[…]

Established in 1977, AAHG’s businesses range from real estate to construction, engineering and infrastructure, retail and trading, technology and logistics, lifestyle and fitness, entertainment, as well as hospitality.

The conglomerate operates in 25 countries and has a 5,000-strong workforce.

…And You Can Have A Coffee While You Wait For It To Open

Those are not the only pleasant surprises you’ll find upon entering Subspace Coffee House, though. Living up to the establishment’s moniker, the three-year-old coffee shop is divided into diverse, uniquely designed sections—“subspaces,” if you will—that, when taken together, deliver a one-of-a-kind cafe experience for K-Pop fans, pop culture geeks, office workers, and social media enthusiasts alike.

They specialize in latte art… using the foam to make an illustration, as seen here.

Thor is also proud of the fact that, as geeks and fans themselves, they can get pretty much any latte art request right, with minimal to zero questions and at no extra cost. “Our coffee is good, but our strength is really our latte art—we transport people to different locations by personalizing their coffee.” From comic book characters to TV shows to K-Pop bands, Subspace’s artists have got latte art down to a science. “[Our regulars] know that when they come in, we ‘get’ it. No need to explain what they want us to draw on their coffee. No questions asked, we get it.”

Another School Library Gets Boys To Read, in Fayettville, North Carolina

In the “Guys Read” program, students are paired with mentors who read with them and try to introduce them to the joys of the printed page. Many of the mentors are South View High School students.

Baldwin librarian Jennifer Scott said boys were singled out for the mentor program because they tend to read less than their female counterparts. Particularly at the fourth-grade level, Scott said, boys tend to drift away from reading.

[…]

Scott said the program attempts to identify books that 9- and 10-year-old boys might like.

“They like graphic novels. They don’t want books that don’t have pictures,” she said. “They don’t like made-up stories. If they do come to the library, they spend their time in the nonfiction section.”

The school advertised the mentoring program and partnered with South View High School. Many of the mentors are ROTC students looking to earn community volunteer credits, but other people from the community have volunteered to help.

Discover The Secret Comic Book Origin Of An Art Book Publisher!

You started selling books very young. What were you into then?

I was interested in one particular comic book artist who made the Donald Duck series: Carl Barks, who is one of the great American 20th century art geniuses, and he’s still totally underappreciated. I thought I was the only one collecting comic books, but I learned that others did the same but much older than me — people who were looking to buy back the lost dreams of their childhood. So I started dealing when I was still in school; I had a little mail-order business when I was 14. I have this DNA for what a collector needs or loves. What we wanted to do later on with our books was create the ultimate fetish items for the collector.

Read the entire interview to discover an exclusive announcement!  (And if you’ve been good this year, Santa might bring you this.)

A Crowdfunded Comic Teaches Indian Children About The Law

Kanan and Kelly Dhru still have the wide-eyed enthusiasm characteristic of fresher law students. The sisters are on a mission to foster a new generation of kids who will grow up to be socially responsible adults aware of the laws that govern them. To this end, they plan to release a series of comic books called ‘Lawtoons’.

The first volume, which was released earlier this month, is titled “A Song for Everyone” and deals with topics like the Right to Equality and Freedom of Expression. The initiative has been successfully crowd-funded, with a total of 2.75 lakhs being raised for the first volume alone.

[Now if only someone in the U.S. could produce a comic on how Grand Juries work…]

“Batman and Robin” Meets “Batman Forever” or “Chill.”

Comics Artwork From Boris Karloff’s Cousin Sells For $485,500 in France

Some 400 lots of comic art were sold at the auction in Paris on Saturday, Artcurial said, with the highest price fetched by a Tintin strip from “The Castafiore Emerald”, signed by its creator Herge, going for 404,500 euros.

You can see the results at Artcurial’s website.  Search for Sale 2666, held 22 November 2014.  Or view the 244-page catalog here!

by Zachary Clemente

If you’re like me, you don’t have any siblings, which is a real shame since I really want to get kids into comics. Thankfully, I have enough younger cousins who are easily susceptible to the gift of comics no matter the occasion, so I spoil them rotten at pretty much every turn.

I hope they actually like them.

Either way, here’s a collection of great gifts to get your younger cousins (or siblings or children or whatever – take your pick) this Black Friday consumer-fest in preparation for the upcoming holidays.

Quicklinks:

• Midtown Comics – Everything Online up to 40% off 11/26-12/02
• Things From Another World – 20%-60% off through 11/27
• Amazon – You know, stuff on sale. Prime n’ junk.

Adventure Time Fionna & Cake Mathematical Edition Hardcover – $29.99 (-25%) TFAW

Literally one of the most beautiful books I’ve read – whether you’re a fan of Adventure Time’s sometimes heroines, this loving tale of friendship with melt your heart. This is the collected series. Written and Drawn by Natasha Allegri.

Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise Library Edition HC - $23.99 (-40%) TFAW

A must read for any fan of the “Avatar: The Last Airbender” series. This hardcover collects the three volumes of Gene Luen Yang’s canonical stories of the events directly after the end of the hit series, Drawn by Gurihiru. There are two more series after this one; “The Search” and “The Rift”.

Bride’s Story, Vol. 1 – $13.24 (-22%) Amazon

There is literally nothing like Kaoru Mori‘s series about the life of Amir Halgal, a young woman living during 19th century Silk Road, betrothed to a boy 8 years younger than her. Bride’s Story represents this situations with care, keeping the events historically accurate while making it accessible and entertaining for contemporary audiences. Additionally, Mori’s art is unparalleled with this series, currently 6 volumes in total.

Bandette Volume 1: Presto! Hardcover – $7.49 (-50%) TFAW

A lighthearted jaunt through the life of Bandette – the first collection of Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover‘s “harmless” crime romp is delightful and exquisitely executed. The second volume to out April 2015.

Batman ’66 Vol. 1 Hardcover – $12.64 (-37%) Amazon

Bringing back the spectacular fun of the classic Batman series, Jeff Parker writes dastardly deeds and timeless heroics with artists Jonathan Case, Ty Templeton, Joe Quinones, Sandy Jarrell, Ruben Procopio, and Colleen Coover. Batman ’66 currently has 2 volumes out, with the 3rd out April 2015.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Box Set - $42.00 (-30%) Amazon

Actually the most amazing thing on this list. While most American readers are familiar with Hayao Miyazaki‘s early masterpiece in animated form – it was original a manga – a far deeper and involved story about Nausicaä’s adventures. I literally cannot recommend this enough. The whole series is printed in two gorgeous hardcover books in this set.

Battling Boy Vol. 1 Paperback – $9.68 (-39%) Amazon

A distillation of everything cosmic about Kirby and magical about Miyazaki; Paul Pope‘s entrance into all-ages comics is a fantastic tome for anyone looking for adventure. This is the first of two volumes, with an offshoot series Aurora West having one of two books currently out.

Smile/Sister Boxed Set – $18.68 (-15%) Midtown

No offense, but if Raina Telgemeier‘s work isn’t on your radar, better move out from under that rock and pick it up. I recently attended an event where she ran a workshop and it was literally swimming with eager children.

Ms. Marvel Paperback Vol. 1 – No Normal – $12.79 (-20%) TFAW

Same as above, if you aren’t aware of what Marvel is doing with the name “Ms. Marvel” you need to check out this book. Meet Kamala Khan, a teenage superheroine who is learning the ropes of how to juggle a like of crime-fighting and being an inconspicuous teenager in a devoutly Islamic household; it’s tremendous and important work. Written by G. Willow Wilson and Drawn by Adrian Alphona, this is an ongoing series.

Star Wars: Ewoks – Shadows of Endor – $3.99 (-50%) TFAW

There literally isn’t a reason to pick up Zack Giallongo‘s wonderful Star Wars book. He has a marvelous style that allows for epic battles and violence while riding the line of accessibility for all readers. Also, c’mon – Ewoks are the cutest. This is currently a standalone book.

Johnny Boo Hardcover Vol. 1 – Best Little Ghost in the World - $4.97 (-50%) TFAW

There are so many books by Vermonter James Kochalka that could (and should) be on this list, but the Johnny Boo series is my favorite. There are currently 6 super-cute volumes out and they’re all really fun.

Costume Quest Hardcover: Invasion Of Candy Snatchers - $19.99 (-20%) TFAW

For me, this was a dream come true. Zac Gorman is well-known online for crafting wholly unique animated comics that distill that feeling of beating a temple in The Legend of Zelda on the first try at 2 in the morning. Since then, he’s been making amazing comics in print. Costume Quest is a property from the immensely wonderful company Double Fine (Psychonauts, Broken Age) and well-deserving of a beautiful comic.

How Toons: Tools Of Mass Construction  – $9.74 (-35%) TFAW

That’s right. There’s a comic made to teach kids how to use DIY projects to practice science and explore engineering principles (safely enough). Created by Nick Dragotta, Saul Griffith, Joost Bonsen, and Ingrid Dragotta, How Toons is the perfect gift for that would be physicist or doctor without seeming forced.

Sailor Moon Kodansha Edition Vol. 1 - $6.65 (-39%) Amazon

Fair warning – there are like 12 volumes of the premier Shōjo manga by Naoko Takeuchi, so in for a penny in for pound. Retranslated and reprinted starting a few years ago, the adventures of Usagi Tsukino, the leader of Sailor Senshi, are an absolute joy to read.

Kazu Kibuishi’s Copper – $6.49 (-50%) TFAW

Last but not least, is Kazu Kibiushi‘s early work, Copper. Don’t get me wrong, his work on Amulet, Flight, Daisy Kutter, and more are amazing – especially as a fan of seeing his progression. However, nothing – any I mean nothing – has gotten as close to the tone and feeling that Calvin & Hobbes encapsulated; and we have to celebrate that.

Black Friday’s move to midnight or earlier (may have been largely driven by Millennial shoppers, who, unlike their older peers, are quite comfortable shopping in the wee hours of the morning. With their in-store shopping out of the way,... Read the rest of this post

.

I’m celebrating Thanksgiving in Omaha, and tomorrow, my 27-year-old nephew and myself will be visiting as many comics shops in the Greater Omaha area.  (I have dubbed this “Le Tour de Bande Dessinée” and encourage others to do the same. I did my first Tour on the second Free Comic Book Day, when I visited every comics shop in Manhattan.)

So, I printed out my Google Maps, and noted a few stores which had closed in the past few years.  (Capes Lounge, you are missed.)  Texting my nephew, he asked me if Krypton Comics was offering a Black Friday sale.  Not surprisingly, Dean Phillips and company will open early at 8 AM and offer 40% off everything in the store, as well as specific items heavily discounted.

So, this got me wondering… what other comics shops out there are offering specials tomorrow on Black Friday?  If you’re a retailer, comment below!  If you’re a customer, give a shout-out to your favorite store!

'Tangled' takes a close second (to 'Harry Potter' over the long weekend, faring better than studio expectations. Will this give Disney second thoughts about the decision to move away from fairy tales? Jezebel shares some non-commercial concerns for... Read the rest of this post

I sure hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving day. I held up pretty well, better than I thought I would. Most of you know my mom passed away in May this year so these holiday moments are tough. Really tough. But I found if I talk to her (in my mind) then I feel a little better. You know, I say things like how much I miss her, and how I wish she were still here. I'm guessing this is normal, I don't know, but if it makes me feel a little better then that's what I gotta' do.

My daughters are in Georgia this Thanksgiving with their dad and relatives, so it was a little lonely without them too. However, I did spend time with the hubbies family and then later that night with my sister and her kids, my aunt, cousins and my dad. Everyone seemed to be holding up pretty well under the circumstances.

Today has been a lazy day for me. Yes, I did write a lot of words, but not much else. Oh and to update you on my Nano count - I ran into a road block and ended up taking a detour on a short story just to keep my writing going. I'll detour back once I find the right fork in the road.

And to all of you Black Friday shoppers --- you can have it. I've seen the insane crowds crush people trying to get into those Target doors. No thank you! I'll shop in the safety of my home from the internet or early on week day mornings.

One last note - Sola-RWA will not have a meeting in December, (we have a party instead!!!) and our speaker for January is the very talented author, Shirley Jump. If you are learning how to write, you should attend the January meeting.

Have a great Thanksgiving week.
Hugs to you all,
Dawn

Dawn Chartier Not An Angel, May 12, 2010 www.thewildrosepress.com www.dawnchartier.com

Today, my wife handed me a list. I’m used to this; a list of things I need to pick up from the store, a list of errands to run, a list of things that need fixing around the house.

This list, however, inspired a mixture of delight and horror. It was the list of people that we need to buy Christmas presents for. “Hooray!” I thought, “it’s Christmas time.”

“Wait a sec…” came my next thought, “Isn’t it November 21st? Thanksgiving hasn’t even come yet!” There should be a law against what I call – “Christmas Creep”.

Don’t get me wrong, I looooooove Christmas-time, and I will listen to carols on the radio all season long, but this is getting serious people! As I mentioned in my last post, Thanksgiving is kind of our “thing”. And I don’t want materialistic shopping concerns horning in on my gastronomic festival!

Luckily for you, you are only a click away from crossing off every child under 6 from your Christmas or Hanukah shopping list. Orders of three books receive free shipping and now that we have 5 titles to choose from, you won’t have a hard time getting just the right gift for each of your sister’s impossible-to-shop-for triplets!

Unfortunately for me all of my family and friends have already bought every single one of our personalized books for every single one of their children… ahem… nudge, nudge.

I realize that by hawking our wares before the Thanksgiving cutoff I am only adding to the problem, but the sooner we all realize that MJM Books make the best possible presents and you needn’t look any further, the sooner we can get to what truly matters during the holidays. Eating.

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to assert myself more effectively. I often find that I have trouble sticking up for myself without feeling that I am being pushy. So I turned to Overcoming Depression and Low Mood: A Five Areas Approach by Chris Williams. Dr Chris Williams is a recognized expert and trainer in Cognitive Behavior Therapy and works as a senior lecturer in Psychological Medicine at the University of Glasgow. The book is a series of short self-help workbooks, below is an excerpt from the assertiveness workshop.

What is assertiveness? (more…)

Share This