Notable Links for 03/23

It's amazing how the whole superhero debate has taken on a life of its own. That mini-essay I wrote clarifying my position in the wake of the "Filth" review I did for the Journal remains a topic of conversation across the blogosphere - and since the Internet works on hyper-dog years, that essay is now officially older than "Pride and Prejudice."

Heh. But seriously, who would have thunk we'd still be talking about it?

Anyway, Mr. Jim Henley has gotten around to clarifying some of his opinions on the matter here (link courtesy of Brainwash). Not only do I think this is one of the most well-reasoned and argued approaches that I've seen so far, but I find myself agreeing with him on most of his points as well.

One of the problems I usually have with this argument is the fact that the entire premise behind most superhero books is removed from our own reality by not one but multiple leaps of logic. Not only must you posit that people somehow gain incredible superpowers (or, as in the case of Batman and the Spirit, gain the ability to kick ass on a more human scale), but you must also accept all the notions that follow from that in the course of your average superhero book: the costumes, the secret-identities, the team-ups and the societies and every little leap of logic that follows from these. Every leap of faith in this chain complicates the precious "suspension of disbelief" that is necessary to any kind of fiction. Most superbooks don't even pay lip service to these conflicts. The primary problem here is the readers’ tacit acknowledgement of the biggest logical leap in the entire pile-up: the ethical ramifications of the superhero. Henley, in his defense of the genre, gets to the heart of the matter very succinctly: that specific leap of faith on the part of the reader, the part that most people just skim over as part-and-parcel of the assumptions required to even understand 99% of modern superhero books, is where the real philosophical action is.

Why do superheroes do what they do the way they do it? The intelligent reader will say "sixty years of genre conventions," and there you would be right. But if it were possible to strip away all this useless baggage, and examine the superheroes from the viewpoint of normal, rational human existence, you'd probably come very close to achieving the "literature of ethics" model that Henley propounds. It’s a good idea, and I think that some of the very best superhero books have approached this question in some way or another. Henley himself mentions the usual suspects - "Watchmen," "Dark Knight Returns," "Born Again," "Animal Man" - all works that I think do succeed in exploring these thorny ethical issues in some degree. I would add to the list "X-Force" by Milligan and Allred (not "X-Statix," mind you), and the first twelve issue "Punisher" arc by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon (I believe it was published under the title "Welcome Back, Frank", although I may be mistaken). I think that all these titles are worth reading, and if the superhero genre consisted of nothing but works of this caliber it would be a much more rewarding place in which to spend time.

But the fact is that the superhero genre just doesn't bear up to this much scrutiny on such a sustained basis. Most superhero books stink, and they stink for reasons a five-year-old could understand: you have to buy into an inherently Manichean view of the world to understand them in the slightest. You will be exposed to a more complicated worldview from reading "The Cat In The Hat" than your average issue of "Spider-Man." The fact is, I seriously doubt whether the fact that these compelling stories haven't been told (very often) does not so much mean that they are waiting to be told as that they are just never going to be told. Perhaps we will all be surprised when the Great Libertarian Wonder comes out in a few years, but I am not holding my breath. (What exactly would a Libertarian superhero do, anyway? Beat up poor people? But I digress . . .)

(Oh, I’m going to get the flames for that one!)

Or, to put it another way - I am really enjoying Marvel/Max's "Supreme Power". But considering the fact that so many of the superhero conventions are totally absent from this work - no secret identities, no super-villains (yet, at least), no gratuitous battle scenes - is it even a superhero comic anymore? "Popeye" has more of the characteristics of a superhero book than "Supreme Power" does, and yet "Supreme Power" is considered a superhero book. Huh?

There are a great many interesting questions raised by the hypothetical existence of superpowers. But the fact is that if there were Supermen, or even just a lone Superman, our entire world would be totally different in ways we could never imagine. We wouldn’t be living our lives casually while the Avengers fought Ultron in Times Square – we’d be cowering in bunkers and hiding while the supermen fought each other for possession of the planet. Perhaps superhero groups would come to resemble volunteer firemen more than masked wrestlers – its as good idea as any, and definitely one more grounded in reality – but I think that part and parcel of the problem here is the fact that once you have a person who can fly and crush steel with his bare hands, the entire notion of conventional morality will be thrown out the window. All you need is one psychopath or religious zealot gaining superpowers, one child rapist or al Quaeda adherent – hell, even just one Leopold or Loeb - and your entire world is suddenly a very scary place to live, and I mean scary in ways we in our post 9/11 world could not even begin to imagine. In a world like this, ethics would become vitally important (moreso than they already are).

Hell, lets examine The Punisher. I don't think the character ever truly worked properly until Garth Ennis got ahold of him, and there's a reason for this: No-one until Ennis really seemed to understand that the Punisher is a villain. He kills people - lots of people. No matter what your politics or religion, killing thousands of people is just not right, and mass-murderers should not be on children's T-Shirts. The fact that the Punisher is not considered a mass-murdering psychopath, but is referred to as an "anti-hero" is just ludicrous. So when Ennis decided to finally treat him as a villain in a blacker-than-black comedy, it finally worked because so many aspects of the character don't make sense at all otherwise. (Which is why "Welcome Back, Frank" was so very enjoyable and "Confederacy of Dunces" was so very not, but that is a topic for another time...)

But, conversely, no one ever thinks of themself as a villain (except for psychopaths and sociopaths, perhaps). Even Timothy McVeigh, hell, even Osama bin Laden thinks he's the hero of his particular story. So, if there were really super-powered folk in this world, it would be doubly dangerous because we wouldn't be able to tell which side they were on by what color their costumes were.

Perhaps this is splitting hairs, but at some point you might have to quantify what exactly makes a superhero book a superhero book. Is it the costumes and the codenames and the fights, or is the simplistic worldview? I think at this point the genre is pretty much inextricably tied to the latter... and this has to do not so much with any great literary theory as simple economics. The health of the superhero is bound to the health of a handful of 60- and 40-year-old icons (with a smattering of more recent characters such as Wolverine and Spawn thrown in for good measure). These characters all exist in worlds defined by the presence of clearly delineated barriers between Good and Evil. There may be characters who walk in the "gray areas" of morality, but at the end of the day comicdom's "anti-heroes" (Wolverine, Spawn) are still recognizably heroes. Henley drops to the heart of the matter when he says that the superhero "should be" the genre of ethics, because the fact is that it isn't. In a perfect world, it would be. But then, perhaps in a perfect world we’d get all those wonderful Mozart symphonies performed by kazoo orchestras. Makes about as much sense to me.

(As an aside, my last name is spelled with one “L”, not two, and my review in the Journal was for “The Filth,” not “The Invisibles.” Just to let you know.)

* Vancouver, Canada erotic book store Little Sister's Book And Art Emporium has been fighting Canadian Customs for years - the latest battle has erupted over a shipment of Leyland Publications' "Meatmen" comics. Read more here, courtesy of CNews.

* " At book fairs all over Latin America these days, the heavyweight novelists who have dominated Spanish-language literature for a generation are no longer the star attraction. More often than not, fascinated readers in search of autographs are flocking to an intense, 40-ish woman with spiky, punkish blond hair, a dark, raspy voice and just one name: Maitena. The name means 'the most beloved' in Basque, and to legions of women across Latin America the cartoonist Maitena has become a cherished friend and advocate. Working first through a syndicated comic strip and now in two best-selling series of books (compilations of the comic strips) that together have sold nearly a million copies worldwide, she has articulated their hopes and fears with wit and compassion." Read more here, courtesy of the New York Times.

* Newsday takes a look at all the hubbub over "Peanuts" lately, including a look at Fantagraphics' upcoming "Complete Peanuts" book, here.

* This shouldn't be a surprise, but it is: Marvel actually decides to do the smart thing and cancel "The Ultimates" until they can sell the book at the monthly rate it's being solicited. Kudos to them for, you know, showing the minimum of common sense necessary to remember eating and breathing. Courtesy of Comic Book Resources.

* Garry Trudeau has ended his contest, having failed to find someone to corroborate President Bush's accounts of his early 70's whereabouts. The USO is $10,000 richer, however. Read more here, courtesy of Editor & Publisher.

* West Virginia's Newport News Daily Press is printing the work of a new cartoonist, and her name is Betsy Streeter. Read about it here, courtesy of the Miami Herald.

* Manga is popular everywhere, even France. Read more here, courtesy of the BBC News.

* Rich Watson takes a look at the small-press scene in Columbus, Ohio here, courtesy of Underground Online.

* "Lynda Barry rocked the house. Facing a packed Schnitzer Hall last week, the renegade cartoonist, shooting from the lip, led a thrilled audience on a tour of the romper room of her subconscious. It was glorious, hilarious, thought-provoking stuff -- everything, in short, that Matt Groening's speech wasn't." Read more about the presentation here, courtesy of The Oregonian.

* Alan David Doane (who apparently used to wrestle as "The Iron Shiek"), has posted a new "Five Questions" with one of the most well-respected cartoonists of his generation, Mr. Peter Bagge. Kudos to Doane for bagging another great interview, although Bagge seemed a bit more reticent to speak than some recent subjects have been. I guess that's the working cartoonist's life for you...

* Venerable comic heroes Asterix and Obelix take a look at the upcoming elections in India here, courtesy of The Times of India.

* "March 29 marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Gil Thorp comic strip, as Detroit News columnist and Gil Thorp enthusiast Neal Rubin takes over as writer of the long-running serial comic. Frank McLaughlin will continue to illustrate." Read more here, courtesy of Yahoo! Finance.

* Man, she's everywhere now: Colleen Coover, fresh off her interview with Mr. Alan David Doane here, talks to Silver Bullet Comics here.

* Fun link of the day: Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips is apparently something of a closet cartoonist. (Link courtesy of "LukeP" at the Journal Board.) Not only that, but he apparently drives down to Norman to pick up his books. My wife lived in Norman for five years before I met her, and I spent a few weeks there. Isn't it odd, I lived in Oklahoma for three and a half years and didnt' get to see the Flaming Lips once, but my friend who stayed in California got to see them once (he could have gone to more shows had he been inclined, even). Oh well, sour grapes.

Notable Links for 03/22

So, we had a big comic convention this weekend in Los Angeles... and the apathy is resounding. Sure, no one's going to use Wizard World LA to break their big news, but come on - Rob Liefeld doing "X-Force" again? This is the best we got?

Time to bust out the cyanide capsules, people.

* Courtesy of the ever-courteous Neil Gaiman, we have news of a new law being considered in Canada, the innocuously-titled Bill C-12. In an attempt to crack down on the unrelenting tide of child pornography being sold through mainstream book vendors, the law would remove the "artistic merit" defense from any book accused of containing child pornography - leaving it to the Judges' discrection to decide whether or not the specific works fulfil a requirement for "public good." Besides the usual suspects ("Lolita" in all its incarnations) this is a risky proposition for any number of comics - from Alan Moore's "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" to, conceivably, Gaiman's own "Sandman", and even more "innocuous" fare like "Chobits" or "Ultimate Spider-Man." It's just a bad thing all around. Anyway, you can read a much more detailed look at the proposed legislation here, courtesy of that wily Bookninja.

* Everyone who was worried that new Image publisher Erik Larsen would refocus the line exclusively on spandex and adventure books can take a sigh of relief: the first major new project announced by the Larsen-led Image is actually a prestigious Indie-oriented anthology called "Flight." Comic Book Resources has the news here, and they also have an old write-up on the project from back in February, before the series had a publisher, here.

* "Now you can get your daily 'Garfield' fix from the home or office, thanks to GoComics' new network service. From your handset, you can download daily or weekly comic strips of popular comic strips like 'Garfield,' 'Ziggy,' FoxTrot,' and 'For Better or Worse.' GoComics' kick-off release is 'Best of GoComics,' which features the fan fave comic strips from the aforementioned series." Read more here, courtesy of IGN.

* The Times of India reports on the waning popularity of comic books and strips in India here.

* Congratulations to Scott Shaw! on reaching the 1000th online episode of "Oddball Comics" (and I have to say today's Oddball really is kinda weird). However, I have to ask... did you count repeats in your episode total? Huh, didja? Just kidding. Ccurtesy of Comic Book Resources.

* Also, congratulations are due Cincinnati Enquirer sports cartoonist Jerry Dowling for his induction to Cincinnati's Hockey Hall of Fame. Read more here, courtesy of Our Sports Central.

* "Cheap, readable, disposable - manga comic strip magazines are as much a part of Japanese life as sumo or sushi. Perfectly designed to distract from the discomfort of a long commute on a cramped train, they contain the wildest imaginable fantasies from violent pornography to science fiction." The BBC News takes alook at Manga here.

* The Southern Voice talks to political cartoonist Mike Luckovich here.

* The Chicago Sun-Times looks at Popeye's 75th Anniversary here.

* Johanna Draper Carlson has updated her "Comics Worth Reading" page with new reviews of ComicsOne's "Iron Wok Jan," Tokyopop's "Ai Yori Aoshi" & "COnfidential Confessions,", in addition to various Indie, DC, and Marvel titles. Man, this lady keeps busy - puts me to shame.

* "Feminist scholar Lillian Robinson, principal of Concordia's Simone de Beauvoir Institute, explores the role of female comic icons in her new book, Wonder Women: Feminisms and Superheroes, which hits bookstores tomorrow." Read more here, courtesy of the Montreal Gazette.

* The Carnegie Pulse review Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis" here.

* Karen Ann C. Liquette of the Manilla Bulletin talks to Katherine and Kristine Cheng Chua about their recently-opened Manga store Central Comic Headquarters, in Quezon City, the Philippines, here.

* "Over the years, comic strip characters have emblazoned toys, lunch boxes and clothing, and two Westport residents are trying to add a new creation to the list. In the past 17 years, Bob Weber Jr., creator of 'Slylock Fox & Comics for Kids,' has seen the number of newspapers that subscribe to the comic strip grow to nearly 400 around the world. He has hired Walsh Public Relations on Church Lane to introduce his comic strip to the toy and clothing industry." Whatever happened to an educational property being somewhat sacrosanct? We never saw Mr. Rogers on lunchboxes... oh well. Read more here, courtesy of the Miami Herald.


* I can't decide whether this is A) condescending or B) actually an inspired tribute. U decide! Courtesy of Comic Book Resources.

* Courtesy of Michael Grabowski over at the Journal board, we have one of the most single-mindedly strange yet fascinating narratives in the history of the internet. Yes, that's right, a detailed look at the history of the Spider-Clone Saga. You know, this is scary, but scary in a fun way.

* "Five years of silence -- not even the courtesy of rejection letters -- to the art samples Brian Germain sent to comic publishing companies big and small took their toll in 1997, causing him to give up his dream." But - his dream did not give up on him (or something like that) - read more here, courtesy of the Flint Journal.

And that's that.

Notable Links for 03/19

* Paul O'Brien has a good analysis of ICV2's Marvel numbers for March here, courtesy of the Pulse.

* "The editors of the University of Hawaii-Manoa student newspaper were ordered to suspend publication of a cartoon called 'The Opinionator,' which had offended some black, gay and Jewish people on campus." Read more here, courtesy of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

* "Today Baltimore businessman Steve Geppi announced his purchase of Hake’s Americana & Collectibles, the nation’s premier pop culture collectible mail, Internet and phone bid auction house. Terms of the private company transaction were not disclosed." Read more here, courtesy of the Pulse.

* Here's another profile of Algerian-American political cartoonist Khalil bendib, courtesy of the Daily Star.

* And you thought the life of a cartoonist was dull? Check out this article on Israeli expatriate and political cartonist Ranan Lurie - who also happened to be a super spy of some sort. Link courtesy of Debka.

* "North Korea is frequently in the Japanese headlines because of the dispute over its nuclear-weapons program. But many Japanese are getting their information about the isolated North and its leader, Kim Jong Il from a novel source - a pair of comic books. Combined the two comics: Introduction to Kim Jong Il: The Truth about the North Korean General and The Shogun's Nightmare - have sold more than 700,000 copies." Read more here, courtesy of Chosun Iibo.


* Joan Cullman nee Paley, Tony-award winning theater producer and one-time assistant to Stan Lee, has died. Read more here, courtesy of the New York Times (although they list Lee as Spider-Man's sole creator, so angry letters aimed at their ombudsmen would be nice).

* Alan David Doane has an interesting story about Mr. Clifford Meth here, relating the story of why there won't be any Barry Windsor-Smith contribution in the new Cockrum Benefit Book from Aardwulf.

* Details regarding the third Free Comics Day have been released here, courtesy of Newsarama.

* Dave Cockrum continues on his road to recovery, and dictates a recent Lois Lane-oriented dream of his here (courtesy of SIlver Bullet Comics).

* Wanna contribute to the largest illustrated Bible project in the history of the universe, and plan on being in New York City on April 28? Read more here, courtesy of the Comics Journal board.

* "Kamaal Washington, a Kansas City, Kan., fourth-grader, was with his family visiting St. Louis, Mo., last October when he was taken ill. After being rushed to a children's hospital, Kamaal was treated and eventually diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Those ordeals led the Bethel Elementary School student to write a comic book about the disease with his 8-year-old brother, Malcolm.
Their 16-page comic book, "Omega Boy versus Doctor Diabetes," will make its debut at Planet Comicon, a comic book convention March 27-28 at the Overland Park International Trade Center." Read more here, courtesy of the Kansas City Kansan.

* "Many companies have cinched their belts and stopped doling out taxi coupons to late-night workers who miss the last train. But employees are finding they're not left out in the cold: A type of all-night coffee shop has come to their rescue. Waiting for that first early morning train and looking to take a load off their feet, these night owls can now spend the night at manga kissa-coffee shops where customers read comic books and surf the Internet." Read more here, courtesy of Asahi.com.

* "Hicksville" cartoonist Dylan Horrocks has posted a new essay to his website, entitled "THE PERFECT PLANET: Comics, Games and World-Building." Read it here, courtesy of Hicksville.co.nz (and thanks to Horrocks and the Comics Journal board for pointing it out!).

* "Unsung pioneer of one of the great movements of 20th-century painting, or one-hit wonder who quickly ran out of ideas? More than 40 years after he shocked the US art world with early examples of what would become known as Pop Art, Roy Lichtenstein remains a difficult talent to assess." The Christian Science Monitor takes a look at the career of the famous plagiarist here.

* The Daily Tar Heel takes a look at the evolution of more adult-oriented animation and comics here.

* I have steadfastly avoided linking to any of the recent news coverage about the Beano first edition that recently sold for a record price in the UK - but here's an article that takes this revelation to mean that, gasp, comics are cool, or something. Link courtesy of Megastar.

* Kaleon Rahan, writing for the Malayasian Star, reviews the recent Wildstorm crossover event, "Coup D'etat," here.

* *Did you read comic books when you were a kid? But you're not a kid anymore? Maybe it's time you investigated the graphic novel, a form that is enjoying increasing popularity." So begins a brief roundup of the popular form in the Town Online's "Library Notes". (Do I know which town? No, becuase of course they don't say so on the page.)

Notable Links for 03/18

Oh, man, these superheroes will be the death of me.

I turn my back for one minute and you people go all superhero nuts on me again. You would think this topic would at some point exhaust its interest, but apperantly not. Sean T. Collins has a rundown on the recent rounds of this whole enchilada here. As he puts it so adroitly, it is another tedious kurfluffle, perhaps even the very definition of a tedious kerfluffle.

Its especially interesting to read Christopher Butcher's response, seeing him coming back swingin' and all... I don't know why people take this so seriously. I mean, you'd think we were attacking their sacred cows or something. They get kinda hostile, or at the very least defensive, when you present an alternative opinion. You got hostile back. Admittedly, as Steve at Peiratikos points out here, it all kinda gets out of hand eventually. This is one of the reasons I quit posting on the Journal board lo those many years ago... as much as I love the discourse, it always gets out of hand eventually. (I imagine its only a matter of time before it happens again... every time I get into any sort of net community type thing it always falls apart. That's why I try to only post in the Gutters these days. Seriously, if you see me topside, its usually not for long.)

I'm kind of glad that I've become the William F. Buckley of the super-hero "hatas". I mean, that's cool. But I would like to take this moment to point out a few things that you might not know about me:

1) I don't discriminate between corporate superheroes and creator owned superheroes. If a book is enjoyable, I'll buy it. Likewise, whomever happens to own any particular trademark is ultimately irrelevant. Now, you are probably more likely to get something artistically meaningful out of something you personally own than a corporate trademark... but that's just my opinion. Its certainly an opinion that even I can think of any number of exceptions to but - the fact remains, I believe as a broad rule this is a good one by which to live your life.

2) I don't have a hard-on against Marvel. On a week-to-week basis, I probably give more money to Marvel than any other publisher (this is simply based on the fact that "Fantastic Four" comes out every month and most good indie titles do not). I regard Marvel as I would any corporation: they're not looking out for my best interest, they want my money. If they provide a product I want, I'll gladly give them my money, as I did earlier today when I bought the new issues of "Fantastic Four," "Daredevil," and "Thanos." But except in extraordinary cases, I will regard any superhero comic from Marvel or DC to be the artistic equivilent of a processed beef patty at McDonalds. (Keep in mind, however, that I really like Big Macs.) The burden of proof is on them, people.

3) I've never read "Powers," or "The Authority." I own maybe two issues of "Hellboy." The first two I basically just missed the bus on, and intend to catch up with in the trades, someday when I'm rich and am swimming in my dollar-sign shaped champagne-filled swimming pool. The third boils down to the fact that I've always been kinda cold on Mignola's work, for some odd reason. Maybe someday I'll break down and get the "Seed of Destruction" trade, maybe not. I dunno.

4) There is no four. Yeah, its an old joke.

Anyway, on to the show. Speaking of the latest "Fantastic Four," (#511) I am really torn by this one. On the one hand, it was a very clever ending and it played pretty well. On the other... well, I was not fond of Waid on "Flash" (which is a book I only ever occasionally bought to begin with) because he had a tendency towards really sappy and contrived endings. Like, the one where he and Linda defeat Neron with the power of their love, for God's sake, or any of the ones where Wally comes through and saves the day because, um, well, he just sorta tries real hard or something. I still can never forgive him for the sheer stupidity of the whole "Ka-Zar defeating Thanos in hand-to-hand combat" thing, and am glad that no-one stopped Starlin from basically retconning that entire awful story out of existence (that was one clone revelation I was not sorry to see!)

So, as I said, it was a nice bit of conceit, but on the other hand it was basically the biggest "deux ex machina" in the entire history of comics. Literally, you have one team-member dead and another hideously disfigured... so lets have God fix things. As cool as it was to see God the way we saw him (which I won't give away) it was still kinda stupid, ultimately. So, as cool as the build up was, the story floundered for me on that point. Not that we didn't expect them to get fixed up eventually, but c'mon, at least when Tom DeFalco had Wolverine carve Ben's face, he had the scars for a good three or four years. (Hey - DeFalco killed Reed and disfigured Ben, Waid killed Ben and disfigured Reed. Hmmmm.)

I'm a bit bummed that no one said much about my big "Cerebus" piece. Not that I'm an attention whore or something, but I thought it would elicit some kind of reaction. Oh well. I'm considering doing another review of #300... which would be the flip-side of what I actually wrote, examing how "Cerebus" was a failure for Dave Sim and how Sim ended up by betraying himself and his creation. Strangely, I think I could write that with as much earnest rigor as I wrote the first one. That's the kind of odd, multi-tiered thinking "Cerebus" inspires.

* The Central Asian and Southern Caucasian Freedom of Expression Network has delivered a stunningly horrific overview of Iran's systematic journalistic repression for the year 2003 here. Among myriad cases of repressio nand intimidation, CASCFEN reports that:

"...in November Nikahang Kowsar, an editorial cartoonist, was threatened with death by a clandestine group in Iran which calls itself 'For the Good of Islam'. They had apparently put Nikahang Kowsar on their death list. Some other individuals who were put on the death list by "For the Good of Islam" are outside of Iran. The police in those countries have already been informed concerning possible danger to these individuals."

* Has Diamond owner Steve Geppi become embroiled in some sort of political scandal in the state of Maryland? Honestly, I have no idea, but this article hints at just that (courtesy of the Baltimore Sun).

* "Members of the Chicago Fire Department, from the firehouses on up to the top firefighter at City Hall are hopping mad over a Chicago Tribune editorial cartoon that ran in the newspaper on Sunday. The cartoon [by Jim McNally] depicts three white Chicago firefighters shooting water at three black men up against a wall with their hands behind their heads. A couple of dogs with the firefighters snarl at the black men and a fourth firefighter shouts to the others, 'No, guys...the fire's over there,' as he points to a building in the opposite direction." Read more here, courtesy of Chicago Business.

* Here's some authentic good news for a change: Marvel has apparently decided to do right by long-suffering artist and "All-New, All-Different" X-Men co-creator Dave Cockrum. While details remain confidential, Neal Adams emerged from his semi-retirement in order to help hammer out the details of the settlement, described as "equitable to both Cockrum and Marvel", and significant enough to allow the Cockrum's to "securely enjoy their retirement." Cockrum had been hospitalized since December of 2003 with complications from pneumonia and diabetes, and possibly a stroke as well. Read about it here, courtesy of Silver Bullet Comics.

I'd like to congratulate Cockrum on his continued recovery and wish him the best. We should all thank Cliffard Meth and Neal Adams for their part in helping to ameliorate this conflict - its been a while but its nice to know that Neal Adams is still as stridently committed to the rights of comics creators as he ever was.

* British political cartoonist Trog (AKA Wally Fawkes) was named Cartoonist of the Year at the British Press Awards, earning prais for a "lifetime of brilliant observation". Read about the awards here, courtesy of the Daily Telegraph.

* John Thibault examines "Boondocks" cartoonist Aaron McGruder from the perspective of the fringe-right here, courtesy of Frontpagemag.com.

* Comix raconteur Art Spiegelman is beginning to regret agreeing to deliver his famous "Comix 101" presentation at Northeastern University: he won't be allowed to smoke during the presentation. Read about his reluctance here (second item down), courtesy of the Boston Globe. Again, I ask: why has no one produced a DVD of this lecture? Sounds like a grand idea to me (but what do I know?).

* "The 2-year-old Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, now located at 32 Union Square East, is moving to 2,500 square feet at 594 Broadway and expanding its programming. The nonprofit art and educational museum is dedicated to the study and preservation of cartoon art. Its new building owner, Jeffrey Gural of Newmark, is also on the museum's board of advisers and gave it a break in the rent." That's about it, but you can read it here, courtesy of the New York Post.

* Gardner Linn examines the work of "Mother Come Home" and "Forlorn Funnies" cartoonist Paul Hornschemeier here. Link courtesy of Alan David Doane, or, as I like to call him, A-Dawg.

* Also courtesy of A-Dawg, here's one I missed: an interview with Alan Moore on the occasion of the opening of a new Belgian art exhibit celebrating his career. Link courtesy of Independent.co.uk.

* The Taipei Times examines a recent storyline in the popular Manga "Golgo 13" that used the current fright over American currency fluctuations as a prominent plot point. The economic intrigue begins here.

* Michael Deeley over at Silver Bullet Comics takes a look at the soon-to-be deceased Raijin comics here.

* Sean T. Collins has a word with the always-slippery but never-boring Larry Young, publisher of AIT/Planet Lar books, here. Meanwhile, Newsarama takes a look at AIT/Planet Lar's upcoming fifth anniversary here.

* "It's 'Up, up and awaaaaay' for Yao Ming and Steve Francis, but not on the court. The two Houston Rockets stars trade in their baggy shorts and jerseys for body armor (sans cape) as each battles villains in one of four new NBA comic books from Los Angeles-based Ultimate Sports Entertainment." Why couldn't they just put out a book featuring, you know, actual basketball? I here the kids like that. Read more here, courtesy of the Houston Chronicle.

* You have to love any review that begins with: "There are more than a few comic page characters I’d give anything to see dangling from the end of a rope. And whether or not you agree those Family Circus brats have it coming, you have to admit that Ziggy deserves it." Andrew McGinn of the Springfield News-Sun examines the recently-released “Batman in the Forties” here.

* Did you know that the current editor of The Atlantic Monthly is also the current co-writer of "Prince Valiant"? No, neither did I. It's amazing the things you learn if you actually read the Fantagraphics newsletter. Link courtesy of Mediabistro.

* Also courtesy of that incredibly handy Fanta newsletter, here's the new and official "Pogo" website for all you possumphiles (that's not a very good word, I know, give me a break).

* The Boston Globe examines the life and career of "Clifford" creator Norman Bridwell here.

* Also courtesy of the Globe, here's a talk with Dr. Seuss expert Charles D. Cohen.

* Peter Bagge communes with the swingers because he's a hip and trendy cat - er, not really, but read this anyway (courtesy of Reason Online).

* Jamie S. Rich over at Artbomb takes a look at Rob Vollmar and Pablo Callejo's recent graphic novel, "The Castaways," here.

* Man, oh man, sometimes life is too fun. Best quote: "Because this is an article about comic books, there has to be X-Men in here, somewhere." Oh, my. Courtesy of Silver Chips Online.

* Proof that "Peanuts" will never fade from our national consciousness, courtesy of the Sun-News of the Northland.

Oh well, that's that.

Notable Links for 03/17

So, its official: "Captain America" is moving back out of the Marvel Knights stable, and Robert Morales is getting the boot. Can't say that I didn't see it coming. Sad fact is, I have the feeling that this decision was made a long time ago, because in two years (with various late issues and countless creative team shuffles) Cap under the Knights imprint just didn't set the world on fire. You know that if a Chuck Austen run is your highpoint, you're in trouble.

Oddly, I think Morales' run really came into focus with this last issue. I don't know whether this can be blamed on Morales or editorial, but the first part of the storyline turned out to be basically a MacGuffin. Introducing all that stuff with Guantanamo Bay and Camp X-Ray seems to have served no real purpose, when the story was really about Cap in Cuba tracking down rare bioweapons and hobnobbing with Castro. The last issue's cliffhanger actually had me anxious to see the next issue, which is a rare sensation for "Captain America" fans.

New writers sometimes make missteps on new titles. Hell, I don't think Morrison caught his stride on "New X-Men" until two-thirds of the way through his run - sometimes it takes a while for perfectly good writers to get the feel for their assignments. Time will tell whether the half-dozen or so issues Morales that has left reveal as much of an improvement as his first few issues did. I hope so, because we can't forget that he is responsible for one of the best Cap stories ever, "The Truth", which is the closest thing Captain America has had to a "Dark Knight Returns"-style reinvention. If this turns out to be the case, and he puts the early stumbles behind him, Morales' removal might just turn out to be a big mistake - not having seen half his run yet, I dunno. I will say its somewhat grating to see Marvel changing horses in midstream... again... but perhaps my complaints will prove unfounded. Maybe the rest of Morales' run has Cap turning into a werewolf again.

I look forward to the last remaining issues of Morales' Cap but remain guardedly optimistic that, in this instance, change might just be for the best. Of course, Marvel still hasn't made an announcement about who's taking over the relaunch... so we shall be wary.

Man, do you think I can be anymore ambivilent about this?

* According to The Pulse, cartoonist Martin Emond has died, apparently of suicide. It's worth noting that they originally ran the story with the headline "Cartoonist Martin Emond Commits Suicide" (or something similarly mentioning suicide) but in the space of about five minutes it was changed to the much more palatable and considerate "Martin Emonds Passes Away". Congratulations to the Pulse for showing some restraint and consideration in this matter.

* The US Attorney General, through various and sundry machinations, has apparently voiced a complaint regarding the most recent edition of Tony Millionaire's "Maakies" strip, published nationwide in finer college weekly papers. Read about the flap straight from the horse's mouth here, and read the strip that caused the fuss here (which Millionaire has already changed, from the looks of it). Link courtesy of Mr. Millionaire and the Journal board.

* The weekly Panel over at Silver Bullet Comics takes a look at "Cerebus" #300 this week. They got quite a few more creators than usual to reply to this one, and almost all the praise was genuinely glowing.

What's that? Did someone say something about "Cerebus" #300? Keep reading...

* ICV2 has their look at this month's Diamond numbers - surprise, surprise, Marvel sells a lot of comics. Read all about it here.

* The cancellation of "Raijin Comics" as well as the rest of Gutsoon's slate is still causing an uproar. I don't think manga as a whole is in any danger of imploding but we're going to see some pretty harsh competition in the next little bit here as the initial explosion begins to fade and the market corrects itself to more reasonable proportions. Or... the current proportions aren't even big enough, and it's just that Gutsoon didn't sell their product well enough the first time? I don't know yet, and anyone who does claim to know is full of that stinky stuff. Newsarama has a more detailed look at the Gutsoon implosion here. Meanwhile, Heidi MacDonald looks at Manga's still-growing sales presence here, and Douglas Wolk takes a look at the popularity of "How-To" manga here. Both links courtesy of Publishers Weekly (subscription is required for full content - and while I usually try to avoid linking to "subscription only" content these are just too juicy to pass up).

* "The [Durham] Herald-Sun's John Cole has won first place in the 22nd-annual John Fischetti Editorial Cartoon Competition, besting 75 other national newspaper cartoonists." Read more here, courtesy of the Durham Herald Sun.


* "Cyberosia Publishing has reached an agreement with Spanish publisher Alecta/Recerca to bring comics produced in Spain to the Direct Market. For many years, Spanish artists have been working on US comics, and they still do, often with outstanding results. Now readers in the US will have the chance to enjoy titles produced entirely in Spain in both the English and the original Spanish language editions." It's a press release, but an interesting one, courtesy of Comic Book Recources.

* The New York Times examines the current phenomenon of prose writers - such as Michael Chabon, Greg Rucka, and Brad Meltzer - jumping into the comics field here.

* The New York Press's DVD column reviews what has to be "the best comic book adaptation to date" - Jack T. Chick's "The Light of the World". Read the review here. You can buy this absolutely essential piece of comic history here.

* Comics gadfly and all-around stand-up fellow Steven Grant has been in a car crash this week. Thankfully, he's relatively uninjured, and additional thanks that he's got good insurance and that it wasn't his fault. I've been in more than my share of car accidents - its gotten to the point where I just flat-out dislike driving because I know other people drive like morons - and I can certainly sympathize. It takes a lot out of you to live through something like that.

Anyway, he's got a truncated column this week, but there are still a couple good bits, particularly his review of the second compilation of John Ney Reiber's "Captain America" run. I agree with him on every point, that arc was a damn mess. Thankfully, as I've said before, I think the first year-and-a-half of the Marvel Knights Cap is going to have about as much long-term impact on the character as "Spider-Man: Chapter One". It started off strong but just fell apart as badly as we have ever seen any title fall apart in the history of comics.

* "Standing on the deck off the third-story studio at his Berkeley home, Khalil Bendib tries to match his pose to that of the Statue of Liberty. Oversized pen in one hand and a fez on his head, he checks an old newspaper photo of the statue to make sure he is holding his head in the right place and stretching his arm up high enough. Like everything Bendib does, he is in the process of creating a spoof by re-imagining a well-known scene and making it his own. That’s why Bendib is a cartoonist, the profession for which he is best-known. That is often complemented by the native Algerian’s lesser-known and more serious side—that of a fine artist." Read more here, courtesy of the Berkeley Daily Planet (sniff - I is getting homesick now...)


* Everyone seems to really like "Sleeper", so I'll link to this interview with Ed Brubaker (courtesy of Comic Book Resources).

* The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal talks to Greg Evans, cartoonist behind the popular strip "Luann" here.

* The SF Site has a new comics review column up, focusing on left-of-center mainstream and alternative offerings. Its called Sequential Art and its right here (link courtesy of Matt Peckham at the Journal Board).

* You cannot make a living being a cartoonist. Furthermore, if you try you will have to torture small animals to pay your student loans. Read the grisly details here, courtesy of Stars & Stripes.

* One reason why Gene Deitch is cooler than you: have you ever had John Lee Hooker perform in your living room? Read all about it here (its the third item down), courtesy of Billboard.

* Rizal Solomon, writing for EMedia, reviews the recent "Losers" compilation, "Ante Up", in addition to a few other recent releases, here.

* Ummm... OK, this is not exactly pressing news but man, would I have loved to see that movie. Courtesy of Zap2It.com.





Cerebus #300

Well, well, well.

“Cerebus” is quite possibly the most demanding reading experience in the history of comics. I think I can say that without fear of contradiction. Nothing even comes close.

It’s a singularly unique series in that it requires the reader to become an active participant in the storytelling process. Very early in the saga, by the time you reach “High Society”, you realize that Dave Sim is one of the most sophisticated, and also one of the most maddening creators in history. He exults in showing you only half the story, of giving you just enough information to continue through the book without becoming totally confused. It’s the height of irony, considering how much room he had to work with, that Sim rarely told the whole story. You have to think. Sim understood very well that the best way to engage the reader was to challenge the reader. Sure enough, “Cerebus” succeeds in challenging everything you believe or think about comics and the world around you. You may, as I have, eventually reject Sim’s conclusions, you may reject his methodology and his prejudices and his idiosyncrasies, but at every step of the journey he will force you to confront and question your own.



In a lot of ways, I think it would be impossible to extricate “Cerebus” from Sim. “Cerebus” is Sim’s story, the story of his personal growth and intellectual expansion. Where he ends might not be where you or I would necessarily have gone, but he is never anything less than rigorously honest in his portrayal of his own mind. There’s nothing more you can ask from any cartoonist, or any other artist.

As I said, reading “Cerebus” is far from a spectator sport, You can’t just read it, put it down when you’re, and expect to walk away with total comprehension. It doesn’t work like that. Taken in total, “Cerebus” is more about asking questions than providing answers – and given the fact that Sim gave himself the greatest, widest canvas in the history of cartooning, its ironic that he still left more questions than answers when all was said and done.

There’s a tradition in “Cerebus” that every storyline always ends with a jackknife. Somehow, in the last few pages of every phone book, you can depend on finding a total reversal of some kind. My personal favorite would be the last few pages of “Melmoth”, wherein Cerebus had basically been catatonic and incommunicative since the cataclysmic events of “Church & State”, some forty issues prior. He had been a passenger in his own book for a long time, ceding the stage to Jaka, Rick and even Oscar Wilde, in their turns. Suddenly, before the reader even knows what’s happening, Cerebus is up and about and knee-deep in blood!. Sim loves these kind of “Gotcha!” moments, and it’s no surprise that #300 ends on a “Gotcha!” too.

The only difference here is that there will be no #301.



I’m sad to see the little gray fellow go. I can honestly say with no hesitation that of all the works of art I have ever consumed in my adult life, nothing has given me as much food for thought as “Cerebus”. Nothing has lingered in my thoughts as often, tickled my brain more at odd and inconvenient times, or roused my passions more for good or ill. Not Tolstoy, not Joyce, not Fellini or Mahler or Beethoven. Does that mean that Dave Sim is on a par with those masters? I dunno, I seriously doubt it. But it does mean that there’s something about “Cerebus,” something so irreplaceably unique and doggedly fascinating that it has stayed with me. It will stay with me. Even the parts I hate, hell, especially the parts I hate.

There have been times when reading “Cerebus” has been almost a physically painful process, long periods where I was left totally adrift by Sim and his ideologies. But I never considered dropping the book. I never considered not reading “Cerebus,” even when what I read inside made me so angry that I fell into black moods for days at a time after reading the new issue. I stayed with it because I wanted to know what would happen next. For better or for worse, Sim got my money the “old-fashioned way”: he earned it, every damn penny.



So, it’s over. Charlie Brown has kicked the football. Superman has stepped into the gold Kryptonite room. Alfred E. Newman got braces. Robert Crumb has moved to the south of France where he lives happily with his wife and child. Even Harvey Pekar got a movie.

And Cerebus the aardvark fell out of bed, broke his neck, and died on the floor of his bedroom (but not before he got out one last good fart). He died alone and unmourned, forgotten by his followers and dismissed by his family, alienated from society and anathematized by dubious progress.

He flew into the beckoning light, only to realize, too late that it was a mistake . . . or was it?

I dunno. I imagine I have the rest of my life to figure that one out. Good one, Dave.