Notable LInks for 02/25

Hopefully this is going to be a slow news day? I'm hoping? Pretty please?

* SPX (the Small Press Expo) and ICAF (the International Comics Arts Festival) are reunited. Like peanut butter and jelly, they just didn't make much sense apart. Read the press release here, courtesy of Comic Book Resources.

* For once a major newspaper is taking the unusual step of enlarging their comics section. The only catch is that in order to make the strips bigger, some of the strips have to go. Read about the Miami Herald's decision here, courtesy of Editor & Publisher.

* Igor Kordey has been fired as the artist of Marvel's 'Excalibur' relaunch. Condolences to Kordy - it seems like Marvel has been treating him particularly shoddy over this. Unfortunately, the chances of a fan boycott are slim to nil, seeing as how Kordy is not a fan favorite among the fanboys. I can't begin to describe just how soul-deadeningly evil it seems to me to see folks rejoice over someone - with a family, no less - being fired (someone who, from all appearances, did not commit any malfeasance or do his job badly, that is). Sigh. Bad ethical decisions get rewarded . . . again. Read about it here, courtesy of Newsarama.

* The debate over what to do with the former home of Mort Walker's International Museum of Cartoon Art in Boca Raton, Florida, continues. Read more here, courtesy of the Palm Beach Post.

* The San Francisco Chronicle profiles Adrian Tomine of "Optic Nerve" fame here.

* Silver Bullet Comics talks with controversial Top Shelf creator Scott Mills here. Meanwhile, the Comics Journal message board reacts here, and somewhere Sweet Lady Comics is weeping.

* Alan David Doane has five questions with Chester Brown here.

* The Onion AV Club wants to talk to Dave Sim. Dave Sim is less than enthused. As with most things Sim-related, it doesn't stop there... go here for details. Link courtesy of Augie de Blieck.

* Beloved Spanish comic characters Mortadelo & Filemon have apperantly made the leap to the big screen, and helped revitalize Spain's domestic film industry in the bargain. Read more here, courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter.

* Proof that not only do cartoons still possess the ability to piss people off, but that cartoonists are apperantly still able to make ham-fisted and badly-articulated "satirical" points as well: A recent cartoon puiblished in Columbia's parody paper "The Fed" on the subject of Black History Month has apperantly caused quite the ruckus. Read all about it here, courtesy of the Columbia Spectator.

* "Carlton Stoiber, a government lawyer for 30 years, retired recently and turned to what he didn't have time to do before. He continues to consult in his field of nuclear law. But he's also climbing peaks over 14,000 feet and venturing into a new career as a cartoonist." Read more here, courtesy of the Washington Post.

* The Portland Tribune profiles a business that apperantly (?) serves as a comics wholesaler to the Portland area, the Buzz Bee Cafe... I'm a bit confused, though, because in all honesty this little blurb is barely enough to indicate anything at all.

* Further proof that comic books are corrupting the youth of the world: I don't really understand this whole "drifting" thing, but one of the reasons for its popularity is apperantly the racing manga "Initial D". Read more about how your sons and daughters are going to all die in fiery wrecks here, courtesy of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

* Pokemon hits India! The! World! May! Never! Be! The! Same! Read more here, courtesy of the Asia Times.

* "The Jews are one thing, but comicbook fans are a whole 'nother level." Not quite sure how to take that... but its still funny. You decide. Link courtesy of The New News.

* Yesterday I said I was mulling over the possibility of compiling all the links to all the counter-arguments my recent essay on super-heroes inspired - but it turns out that I don't need to because Sean T. Collins has already done a wonderful job of doing just that here. My thanks.

Oddly enough, the whole thing seems to have evolved into a rather bizarre debate on whether or not the blogosphere practices "groupthink" or not - in all honesty, I'm really not quite sure I have the interest in grokking all the different sides in this debate. It all just sort of seems silly, an opinion which Neilaien more or less shares with me. No offense, guys, but all things considered I can think of a great many better things to do than argue about the deep philosophical questions of blogging. In fact, I daresay that if I ever really felt the need to debate these things on any meaningful level, I'd pull the plug on my computer and take up macrame.

So, that's me for today. How's about you?