“You’re supposed to polish the turd, not put a jacket on it.”

 

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Recently posted to our homepage:

• Matthew Miller reviews Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca’s blacksploitation homage, Afrodisiac.

 

• GutterGeek‘s Alex Boney reviews the first issue of David Hine and Shaky Kane’s The Bulletproof Coffin.

 

• Over at The Hooded Utilitarian, Robert Stanley Martin appraises the career of Frank Frazetta.

And in the news…

 

Above the Fold

 

Life in interesting times

• “Edward J. Ashley, editorial cartoonist of [Ohio's Toledo Blade] in the 1970s and early ’80s whose distinctive style combined humor, commentary, and humanity, died Saturday in his home. He was 88.”

 

• Of course the Siegel family’s lawyer now needs a lawyer himself. You didn’t think that Warner would let Superman slip out of their fingers without resorting to a few Lex Luthor tactics, did you?

 

• Kai-Ming Cha examines the battle between scanlators and manga publishers.

 

• Given the utter lack of detail so far, I’m stepping lightly over the debate surrounding Marvel and DC’s competing royalty programs for digital downloads, but Augie de Blieck makes a valiant attempt to cover all the basics of the story (such as it is).

 

• Robert Greenberger speaks with Classic Comics Press publisher Charles Pelto.

 


There will be continuity porn. Page detail from Green Lantern #43, ©2010 DC Comics.
• I can’t quite tell: Is Walter Richardson‘s report on Lansdowne, Virginia shop Laughing Ogre Comics a weird example of lowered expectations or a sarcastic masterpiece of damning with faint praise?

  The most important attraction in any comic shop, in my opinion, is the availability of new issues. Sure, this may seem like a no-brainer, but I’ve been to some shops where new issues are in small supply. Laughing Ogre has no such trouble.

  Also, I love the fact that Goeff Johns’ Green Lantern is cited as an example of “the comics that those who are new to comics are more likely to check out.” Man, that’s comedy.

 

Joe McCulloch: New this week

A look at the best-sounding books scheduled to hit the comics shops today.

 

 

 

Profiles

 

• Alex Dueben on Meredith Gran
  

  The Octopus Pie author discusses her fan-favorite webcomic.

 

Also

• Avoid the Future on Box Brown
• Brian Heater on Dustin Harbin
• Chuck Wells (one, two) on Sergio Cariello and Chuck Dixon
• Itchykeen Art Fiends on Kevin Cannon

 

 

 

Reviews

 

• David Brothers on Children of the Sea

  “Strange things happen regularly in Children of the Sea, like a young boy dissolving in a shower of light or two children having an odd connection with the ocean. It is ultimately left up to the characters, and the readers, to divine the meaning of what they have seen.”

 

• Larry Cruz on Masque of the Red Death
  
  Panel from the comic, ©2010 Wendy Pini.

  “Sill, despite my reservations about an erotic Poe motion comic set in the future, Wendy Pini is such a professional that she almost manages to pull off a decent adaptation.”

 

Also

• Sean T. Collins on Shitbeams on the Loose #2
• Greg McElhatton on Two Italian Guys
• David Harper on Market Day
• Andrew Wheeler on Powers: Secret Identity
• Chad Nevett on Bullet to the Head #1
• Sean Gaffney on The Color of Earth
• Matt Seneca on various titles

 

Commentary

 

• Lauren Davis: What I’ve learned from reading print comics

  A look at the differences between the print- and webcomics dynamics, as seen from the online side.

  (Link via Larry Cruz.)

 

Also

• Graeme McMillan: The future is now — well, ten years ago, actually
• Letters of Note: Vince Colletta vs. Marvel
     (Link via Josh Flanagan.)
• Molly McIsaac: A starter guide to fantasy manga

 

Business and Craft

 

• John Kricfalusi: More drawing practice

  In which the Ren and Stimpy creator combines two subjects he’s still learning to draw — Asian girls and hair — attempts to conquer the learning curve and discusses the results. His attempts to get the hair right are instructive, of course, but I really respect the fact that he’s struggling with getting the girls’ faces right, as well. Too few cartoonists bother trying to draw beyond the stereotypical schema of races different than their own. Learning in public like this takes serious grit.

 

Comics and Art

 

• Golden Age Comic Book Stories: W. Heath Robinson illustrates Kipling
  

  1909 art for A Song of the English.

 

Also

• Thom Buchanan: Warwick Goble illustrates Indian Myth and Legend
• Grantbridge Street: Feldstein and Crandall’s “The Bitter End”
• Grantbridge Street: Feldstein and Davis’ “Yellow!”
• Grantbridge Street: Feldstein and Kamen’s “The Neat Job!”
• Grantbridge Street: Feldstein and Wood’s “The Quite-A-Man!”
• Grantbridge Street: “Quavering Shadows”
• Pappy: “I Wake Up… Screaming!”
• Chuck Wells: “The Cat Killers!”
• Steven Thompson: “Count Vultiere!!!”
• The Horrors of It All: Two horror stories
• Out of This World: More Al Williamson’s Flash Gordon
• Sam Henderson: More Fritzi Ritz comics
• Big Blog of Kids’ Comics: Still more Coo Coo Comics #28
• Rip Jagger’s Dojo: Tom Sutton cover art
• Allan Holtz: Cartoonists’ mugshots of 1911-12
• Christopher Hastings: Dr. McNinja Boy Scout patches
     (Link via Gary Tyrrell.)

 

Multimedia

 

• Masters of Manga: Shuho Sato in action
  

  The Say Hello to Black Jack cartoonist demonstrates his work.

 

Comics Culture

 

• Brigid Alverson: Comics at the ALA

  A report from the American Library Association’s midsummer meeting in Washington DC.

 

• Your Not-Comics Link of the Day:

  Over at The House Next Door, Benjamin Marra and Brandon Soderberg discuss that cinematic classic, Rambo: First Blood Part II.