“We just need more people reading comics, I think we can all agree on that. Whether they’re picking up monthly issues or waiting for the trade or downloading them on their iPads, I don’t care. Let’s just get their asses in the seats…”

 

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Recently posted to our homepage:

• Gavin Lees reviews Denise Mina and Antonio Fuso’s A Sickness in the Family.
• Rob Clough reviews Clare #1 by Kubby; Zombre #2 by Ansis Purins; and Winter Break 2010: University of Diversity by Lisa McDonnell.
• Presenting seven Playboy sports caricatures by Ranan Lurie, courtesy of Tom Crippen.
• Over at The Hooded Utilitarian, Noah Berlatsky reviews Arie Kaplan’s book about Jews in the comic book industry, From Krakow to Krypton.

And in the news…

 

Above the Fold

 

Life in interesting times

• “[3 Geeks creator Rich Koslowski,] who won a copyright-infringement judgment against a Canadian businessman last year says the court order has proven to be worthless because the man who used his art without permission — and continues to do so — simply chooses to ignore it.”

 


Sequence from the original version of Tintin in the Congo.
• A European court has postponed a hearing in the lawsuit filed by Congolese citizen Bienvenu Mbutu Mondondo, to have Hergé’s notorious Tintin in the Congo banned.

 

• Lincoln, Nebraska’s Comic World will close on December 23, after 18 years in business.

 

Today’s Format Wars^TM report

• Google demoed its Chrome OS on Tuesday, which is designed to operate on laptop and netbook computers. Based almost entirely on the Chrome browser, it will feature what Google claims is more secure surfing, easy access to the Internet through both WiFi and 3G implementation, and — yes — yet another app store, seperate from the Android store. Rafe Needleman offers an early look at said store.

 

• Developer Phil Frumph discusses the current state of ComicPress, one of the leading webcomics plug-ins for the WordPress content-management system. Xaviar Xerexes offers commentary.

 

 

 

Profiles

 

• Wim Lockefeer on Juan Diaz Canales

  The first installment of a multi-part conversation with the writer behind European album series Blacksad.

 

Also

• Peter Kuitenbrouwer on Garry Trudeau
• C. Ché Salazar on Cathy Leamey
• Mike Rhode on Steve Artley

 

Reviews

 

• Matthew Brady on The Unsinkable Walker Bean
  
  ©2010 Aaron Renier.

  “While the story is a good one, much of the fun to be had comes from Renier’s detailed environments, which are beautifully depicted in a style similar to European artists like Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim, even down to the album-size dimensions.”

 

Also

• Johanna Draper Carlson on Two Generals
• Tom Spurgeon on Captain America #610
• Katherine Dacey on Bunny Drop Vol. 1-2
• Richard Bruton on Indoor Voice
• Michael Lorah on Backing Into Forward
• Andrew Wheeler on Manga Claus: The Blade of Kringle
• Lori Henderson on Shonen Jump, December 2010
• Melinda Beasi and Michelle Smith on various manga titles

 

Comics and Art

 

• Thom Buchanan: Georges Barbier’s The Romance of Perfume
  

  Six gorgeous 1928 illustrations, plus two title-page designs.

 

Also

• Rick Marschall: Dik Browne’s Christmas cards
     (Link via Alan Gardner.)
• Sam Henderson: Bill Holman’s Smokey Stover
• Dr. Hermes Retro-Scans: Sharry Flenniken’s Trots and Bonnie
• Dr. Hermes Retro-Scans: Spain Rodriguez’ “The Origin of Trashman”
• Ger Apeldoorn: Dan Barry’s “Watch Out For Big Talk!”
• The Horrors of It All: Bob Powell’s “The Hunter”
• Steven Thompson: Bob Powell’s “The Hanging Thread”
• Steven Thompson: Bob Powell’s “Tommy Tween”
• Steven Thompson: Morris Marcus’ “The Vanishing Jewels!”
• Mykal Banta: Ripley’s Believe It or Not #38
• Richard Cowdry: Down town
• Robot 6: Axe Cop Vol. 1 previewed
• Mike Lynch: More Saturday Evening Post cartoons

 

Events Calendar

 

Today:

 

• Dec. 9 (New York City, NY): Peter Kuper, John Bunk and Danny Fingeroth discuss the work of Al Jaffee at the Museum for Comic and Cartoon Art on Broadway, beginning at 7PM. Details here.

 

This Week:

 

• Dec. 11-12 (Austin, TX): Hang out with your favorite online cartoonists during Webcomics Rampage at Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy on Burnet Road. Details here.
• Dec. 11 (Berkeley, CA): Indy cartoonists reading sword-and-sorcery stories? See it at Comic Relief on Shattuck Avenue, beginning at 6PM. Details here.
• Dec. 11 (Seattle, WA): It’s a festival of art and comics at the fourth-anniversary celebration at the Fantagraphics Bookstore on Vale Street, from 6-9PM. Details here.

 

Want to see your comics-related event listed here? Email a link to dirk@tcj.com and let me know. Please include an online link to which I can send people for more information. No sales-only events, please — it’s nice that you’ve marked things down at your store or website, but I won’t be listing it here. (Note: Under no circumstances will I link to a Facebook page. Seriously, what idiot “advertises” their event solely on a website that requires registration to see the advertisement?)