Monthly Archives: March 2010

Finch and Cooke provide covers for INVINCIBLE RETURNS out April 7th

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Cover by Darwyn Cooke
Cover by David Finch

Image Comics’ Invincible returns to his original costume in INVINCIBLE RETURNS #1 – a special one-shot special that will bridge the gap between issues #70 and #71 of the ongoing series written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Ryan Ottley.

This special self-contained issue will bring readers new and old up to speed on everyone’s favorite superhero comic.  If you’ve never read INVINCIBLE, now is the time to dive in! And if you’ve been reading since the beginning: You know it’s all been leading up to this moment!  Either way, hold onto your hats!

And to mark the occasion, two of Canada’s finest will provide variant covers for the special – namely 2009 JSA Outstanding Canadian Artist David Finch and the multiple-award winning Cartoonist Darwyn Cooke. There will also be a regular cover by series artist Ryan Ottley and Image founder Erik Larsen.

UPDATED MARCH 30th!

Invincible Returns #1 is a 40-page special that is now scheduled to arrive in comic shops on April 7, 2010. (Note: with the release of Invincible 70 on Feb. 17, the special was delayed) Written by Robert Kirkman, with interior art by Ryan Ottley & co-creator Cory Walker, coloured by Fco Plascencia.

Action #1 back on top at $1.5 Million Bucks

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Zap! Pow! Bam! Superman Wins Comic Books Wars

First Superman Comic Pulverizes Previous Records with $1,500,000 Sale

The saga continues. And once again, Superman has bested Batman as the world’s most valuable comic book.

ComicConnect.com, one of the industry’s leading online auction/consignment sites, has sold the #1 highest-rated copy of the world’s #1 comic book—Action Comics #1, which marks Superman’s 1938 debut—for a whopping $1,500,000.

This follows on the heels of last month’s unprecedented sale of the first ever million dollar comic, another rare copy of Action Comics #1, also sold by ComicConnect.com. Shortly thereafter, a copy of the first Batman comic book, Detective Comics #27, sold for $1,075,000—perhaps boosted by Superman’s record-breaking sale.

Holy Kryptonite…can comic book values possibly go any higher?

“This new record will be hard to break,” says ComicConnect.com co-owner and COO, Vincent Zurzolo. “Because this particular Action Comics #1 is literally the single most valuable comic book on the planet.”

That’s because this Action Comics #1 is the only one in existence with a grading of 8.5. By comparison, the $1,000,000 Action Comics #1 is graded 8.0. That small difference translates to big bucks when it comes to comic book values.

For most collectors, the $1,500,000 Superman comic is the ultimate object of desire. The comic has been legendary since it blasted out of obscurity in the late 1980’s. Even its discovery is the stuff of dreams.

For 50 years, the comic book was buried in a stack of old movie magazines from the 1930s. When the magazines were sold at a antique auction in Pittsburgh, the buyer was surprised to find Superman keeping company with Clark Gable and Joan Crawford.

“Because it was tucked inside a magazine, it was well protected all those years,” says Stephen Fishler, founder of ComicConnect.com and its affiliate, Metropolis Collectibles (metropoliscomics.com), the world’s largest vintage comic book dealer.

“That’s why it’s in such remarkable condition.”

The lucky buyer knew the value of his find. He brought the book, unannounced, to a New York comic convention, where he waved it around, offering it to the highest bidder. Fishler was there.

“What a ruckus,” remembers Fishler, who created the 10-point grading scale now used universally to evaluate the condition of comic books.

“One minute, no one knew it existed…the next minute, everyone was dying to own it.”

In the years that followed, the comic book was bought and sold several times by various collectors, breaking records along the way. For the last 17 years, it had been in the possession of a single, established collector, who—after receiving numerous offers over the years—sold it to Fishler and Zurzolo. They in turn resold it on ComicConnect.com.

It’s fair to assume that the new owner belongs to what Zurzolo and Fishler describe as the latest generation of comic book collectors.

“Some of today’s most successful entrepreneurs were yesterday’s comic geeks,” observes Zurzolo, who started his own career at the age of 16, selling comics on the streets of Manhattan.

“They don’t want a Van Gogh or Picasso. They want collectibles that mean something to them. Our society is built on pop culture. Superman, Spider-Man, Batman…they’re the icons now.”

So will comic book values continue to soar? Absolutely, according to Fishler and Zurzolo.

In that case, could another comic book—say, a Batman or Spider-Man—eclipse the $1,500,000 mark? It’s unlikely, at least any time soon. Because if Action Comics #1 is considered the Holy Grail of comic books—and it is—then this represents the holiest of Holy Grails.

“Think about it,” says Fishler. “For two decades, the highest-graded copy of the world’s most valuable comic book—the subject of countless speculation and the target of countless offers—remained out of reach.”

“It would take a miracle to shake it loose. And that’s exactly what happened. The recent, record-breaking string of million dollar comic sales was the catalyst. And once it entered the arena, there was no question it would become the most expensive comic book ever sold.”

And so, Superman one again reigns as the supreme defender of truth, justice, and the American way. All’s right with the world.

My handful of hours at Wizard

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This is entirely my own op/ed. This is a news site for Canadian comics, and this organization presents awards for creative categories, publishing and retailing. We do not have a convention award, nor are there any plans to have one.

So on that note… being up front and honest — this is a weird event for me. On the one hand, I now do work for Hobbystar on their comic shows and Hobbystar and Wizard are competitors in this market — I would hasten to say friendly competitors – based on the civility and lack of any conflicts that we had over the past six months and the fact that the shows are well spaced apart from one another. On the other hand, this is a revival of sorts of the old shows I used to work on with Paradise at the same venue that I found to be unworkable and unmanageable after trying there for five years. For me it was like having coffee with an old girlfriend and seeing all of the things that made you both interested but also the reasons for why you wanted to break up with her and ultimately coming to the understanding that you made the right choice and you move on.

On Friday night I went downtown to meet my friends William, Joe and Bradley from CGC and while I was at their hotel I ran into the owners and organizers of the Wizard shows and they invited me to come down and check out the event. I’ll admit I was hesitant, given politics and the talk of Con War – I was going to stay away and keep a healthy and respectful distance from the whole affair. Other people I knew were curious and the invitation was genuine, so we went down and checked it out.

It is my fervent wish that we can put this Con War crap to rest, once and for all. Some people are still wound up too tight about it. A lot of those people are people we all work with, and it’s almost like they want a fight to break out again. Maybe they felt it was an exciting time for the city, but I get headaches thinking about those years. Anyway, they were very nice to have invited us down, and we weren’t given any warnings or conditions, but I felt we should follow the ethic of “do unto others as you  would prefer they do unto you” and so refrained from handing out any publicity materials or even business cards.

I arrived around 3pm. Crowds looked good – what you would hope to see on a Saturday afternoon – the busiest day of the con. On Friday I kept receiving calls and texts from people I knew who did go who wanted to tell me that things were not going as well and that attendance was in the hundreds. I don’t think I’m spreading rumours by reporting that as other con reports, positive and negative have mentioned it. But seeing the Saturday crowd at 3PM it looked vibrant in there, and there was a friendly energy that I hadn’t seen at a Paradise show since the 2006 event (2007 was depressing and I did not want to go in 2008 after I had left the organization). I certainly wouldn’t say tens of thousands of attendees, but a couple of thousand, a good showing.

Every guest was easily accessible because of short lines, including the wrestlers, reality stars, and headliner celebrities  — that’s great for the attendees, but that’s why people loved the old Paradise show as well, accessibility – but the flip side of that is lower than expected attendance.

In my experience successful events are based on overall satisfaction of all groups, not just one specific group. And even then, attendees can be subdivided into different groups – some go for overall guests, some for specific guests, some for back issues, some for deals. The more fandom sub-groups you add the more people you have to satisfy and this former comics only show was now trying to entice wrestling, sci-fi and horror fans.  Was every group satisfied? That’s not for me to say, but the con reports are definitely reflecting whether or not people’s expectations were met.

I think I wrote about this a couple of years ago in my old livejournal — what makes a show successful? For (a) an attendee it is costs vs. successful completion of measurable goals + atmosphere, (b) for an exhibitor it is is costs vs. sales, (c) for a guest time spent talking with attendees and sales vs. down time sitting idle vs. overall treatment, and finally (d) for a show promoter it is the very measurable formula of admissions sold and exhibitor rebookings vs. costs involved in producing the event. It’s great to get positive reviews and all, but the mark of a happy exhibitor is a completed application form for the next year annual event, the mark of a happy guest – a thank you note expressing their satisfaction with your efforts (and referrals to their associates), and happy attendees is positive feedback and reports to other fans. Writing media reports on the success of an event before it’s completion and before you tally all of that seems premature to me, but Wizard did a great job in getting media interest.

Now the Wizard folks need to step back and decide on whether (d) was worth staging this again and whether (a), (b) and (c) will work for or against it. Since they have quickly announced 2011 dates I’m assuming they think it is, but those dates were planned before the weekend happened.

Comics folk were pleasant and it was nice to see everyone and I had some great conversations with comic book dealers (including Doug Simpson and Sarrah Young at the Paradise Comics booth), comic book creators and the many superfans which attend the area events. People were in good spirits. I had a great time seeing friends and associates. I was there to just enjoy myself, and I did, so take that as a positive review.

I did get a chance to talk with Ty for a bit about Bob Kane’s kleptomania and his independently exploding coke bottle, but I didn’t get a chance to pet his beard.

I also got herded out with the rest of the attendees and exhibitors when the fire alarm went off, and many people were laughing and joking with us (including the Wizard folk) about the fact that people from Hobbystar had arrived and then the fire alarms went off.

Note: later in the day after writing that, I came across Giancarlo Paniccia’s (a Wizard volunteer) blog post where he says he believes Hobbystar employees pulled the alarm – and accuses HSM for the lack of support of the Wizard show by dealers like Toronto’s Silver Snail and One Million Comix – so I gather for some it was taken as a fact, which in itself is sad.

Anyway, a lot of the crowd shots you’ll see on the internet were taken when the attendees and exhibitors and guests were all outside of the exhibit halls waiting to get in. Despite the inconvenience everyone seemed to take it in stride and they extended the show hours to make up for the lost time.

The afternoon ended with a long talk with Steven Shamus, and we were later joined by Gareb. It was a pleasant talk – I like these guys on a personal level. Steven is a very enthusiastic talker and I wondered if people thought he was chewing me out, given people’s love of spreading rumours. I was literally one of the last people to leave the convention centre around 8pm and went to have a pleasant dinner with some friends.

Anyway, it did remind me just how great and vibrant the people that live in Toronto are, and how much I enjoy working with them and promoting comics with them. It also made me recall all of the reasons why I did not want to do another Paradise con  (aside from the central not getting paid issue): specifically location, but also advertising, logistics, programming, volunteer quality, etc.

March 31st, 2010 Releases featuring Canadian Creators

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X-Men: Second Coming #1 Variant Cover by David Finch

If I have missed any works by Canadian Comic Book Creators, please leave a comment, or send me an email at jason@joeshusterawards.com

Army Of Darkness Omnibus Vol. 1 Trade Paperback
Dynamite Entertainment US$29.99
Artwork by Nick Bradshaw. Colours by Jim Charalampidis, Etienne St. Laurent and Blond.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Detective Comics #863
DC US$3.99
Colours by Dave McCaig.

Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep #10
BOOM Studios US$3.99
Colours by Blond

Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep Vol. 2 Hardcover
BOOM Studios US$24.99
Colours by Blond

Doomwar #1 (2nd Printing)
Marvel US$3.99
Colours by Jean-Francois Beaulieu.

Fantastic Four #577
Marvel US$2.99
Artwork by Dale Eaglesham.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

G.I. Joe: Cobra II #3
IDW US$3.99
Colours by Lovern Kindzierski.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3: War Of Kings Book 2 Trade Paperback
Marvel US$19.99
Artwork by Wes Craig. Inks by Serge Lapointe. Colours by Nathan Fairbairn.

The Legendary Talespinners #2
Dynamite Entertainment US$3.99
Cover by Nick Bradshaw.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

X-Men Forever #20 Cover by Tom Grummett

New Mutants #11
Marvel US$2.99
Artwork and Colours by Niko Henrichon.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Oracle: The Cure Trade Paperback
DC US$17.99
Artwork by Claude St. Aubin.

Robin Archives Vol. 2 Hardcover
DC US$59.99
Artwork by Win Mortimer

She-Hulk Sensational #1
Marvel US$4.99
Colours by Jim Charalampidis
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Star Wars: Legacy #46
Dark Horse US$2.99
Colours by Brad Anderson.
Preview at Dark Horse Comics

Wonder Woman #42
DC US$2.99
Colours by Brad Anderson.

Wonder Woman: Ends Of The Earth Trade Paperback
DC US$15.99
Artwork by Bernard Chang. Colours by Brad Anderson.

X-Men Forever #20
Marvel US$3.99
Cover by Tom Grummett.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

X-Men: Second Coming #1
Marvel US$3.99
Artwork and Variant Cover by David Finch.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

The Legendary Talespinners #2 Cover by Nick Bradshaw

Darwyn Cooke’s Second Parker Novel Previewed at WonderCon

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Prelude to The Outfit offers bargain-price, oversized first lookThe Outfit Preview book cover

Available in comic stores in July

San Diego, CA (March 26, 2010) – IDW Publishing and award-winning creator Darwyn Cooke are pleased to announce an exclusive prelude to The Outfit, the second of Richard Stark‘s Parker novels that Cooke is adapting. Cooke‘s initial Parker release, The Hunter, has been a critical and popular success, appearing on over 50 “best of the year” lists as well as the New York Times best-seller list.

Titled The Man With the Getaway Face: A Prelude to the Outfit, a limited number of copies will debut next week in San Francisco at WonderCon, one of the country’s leading comics and pop culture conventions. This 8″x12″ preview book offers one entire chapter of The Outfit and will be included in the finished graphic novel, coming in October. Available for the bargain price of $2.00, the prelude will offer fans a beautiful introduction to The Outfit. Cooke, a special guest of WonderCon, will be on hand to sign copies at the IDW booth #519. WonderCon will be held April 2nd through the 4th at the Moscone Center.

“The Man with the Getaway Face special is a fun and inexpensive way for new readers to check out Richard Stark‘s famous master criminal,” commented Cooke. “It’s our hope that this oversized, underpriced kidney punch will pull them in to the violent world of Parker.”

In addition to debuting at WonderCon, the preview will be available in comic stores everywhere in July at the same low price and large size. Retailers should check the IDW section of the Diamond May Previews catalogue for details.

“We wanted to do something to make this preview special, something to make Darwyn’s incredible work really pop off the shelves,” said IDW Special Projects Editor, Scott Dunbier. “And at this size and price point, I think we’ve succeeded!”

Happenings: Darkness and Light, Celebrating Graphic Novels in Halifax – March 27, 2010

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Darkness & Light, a day-long celebration of graphic novels, will feature a presentation by industry-icon Kyle Baker. “Kyle is a huge name in the field of graphic novels and we’re so excited that he’s coming to Halifax for this. He has received both the Harvey and the Eisner Awards, two of the comic book industry’s highest honours,” said Sarah.

The other speakers for the graphic novel camp are Canadian talents Mike Holmes, Kate Beaton, Rebecca Kraatz and Faith Erin Hicks. Mike Holmes is an author and illustrator working in Halifax who just published the nonfiction graphic novel This American Drive. Kate Beaton won the 2009 Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging Talent in Canadian comics and graphic novels. Faith Erin Hicks is the author of Zombies Calling and The War at Ellsmere.

Rebecca Kraatz’s comic book House of Sugar won the 2007 Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging Talent. “The library has helped me discover many graphic novels and comic artists that I would not normally have found on my own. I discovered there is great variety in both the subject matter and the drawing styles. It is a great resource and the growing interest in this art form is encouraging. I’m looking forward to participating in the graphic novel camp. I think everyone has a story to tell,” said Rebecca.

Darkness & Light will take place on Saturday, March 27 at Halifax North. Mike Holmes starts the day off at 10:30 a.m., followed by a panel at 1 p.m. with Kate Beaton, Rebecca Kraatz and Faith Erin Hicks. Kyle Baker will speak at 2:45 p.m. Co-sponsored by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage and Strange Adventures Comic Bookshops.

Graphic novels are an increasingly popular alternative to traditional books for readers of all ages. This day-long celebration will introduce you to local and international graphic novel artists. Co-sponsored by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage and Strange Adventures Comic Bookshops.

Halifax North Public Library
2285 Gottingen Street
Saturday, March 27

10:30 a.m. — Mike Holmes
Mike Holmes is an author and illustrator working in Halifax. He’s produced a number of graphic novels; his most recent is called This American Drive. His weekly comic strip, True Story appears in The Coast.

1 p.m. — Panel with Kate Beaton, Rebecca Kraatz & Faith Erin Hicks
Kate Beaton, author of Never Learn Anything from History, won the 2009 Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging Talent in Canadian comics and graphic novels. She is also the author of the online comic Hark! A Vagrant.

Rebecca Kraatz’s comic book House of Sugar won the 2007 Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging Talent in Canadian comics and graphic novels. Her upcoming graphic novel is entitled Snaps.

Faith Erin Hicks is the author of Zombies Calling and The War at Ellsmere. She is currently writing and drawing Friends with Boys, to be published by First Second Books.

2:45 p.m. — Kyle Baker
Kyle Baker has received both the Harvey and the Eisner Awards, two of the comic book industry’s highest honours. He is the creator of the groundbreaking graphic novels The Cowboy Wally Show and Why I Hate Saturn. Kyle has worked for DC, Marvel, Disney, The Cartoon Network, Warner Brothers and HBO. He is the author of 15 graphic novels and the art instruction manual, How to Draw Stupid. His cartoons have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Esquire, Spin, Rolling Stone, Vibe, The Village Voice and more. Kyle is currently working on a graphic novel biography of President Obama.

Happenings: Wizard World Toronto Comic-Con March 26-28

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Wizard World Toronto Comic-Con is on @ the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place  in Toronto from March 26-28. It’s produced by American promoters Wizard Entertainment and coordinated locally by Paradise Comics.

Side note: many of you will be disappointed to learn that this isn’t the Wizard World with the petting zoo (that was last week at Exhibition Place). I would advise you not to pet the  guests or dealers at this event, no matter how attractive you may find those scantily clad pin-up models and former wrestlers. Exception being Joe Shuster Award winning writer (the Batman Adventures) and current nominee (Star Trek: Mission’s End) Ty Templeton – if you get him something to eat he might let you pet his beard.

Full guest list is over at their website.

Passes are $34 per day at the door. Weekend passes are $54 at the door.

BÉDÉIS CAUSA 2010 – LES FINALISTES

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BÉDÉIS CAUSA 2010 – LES FINALISTES

À l’aube du 23e Festival de la bande dessinée francophone de Québec (FBDFQ), qui aura lieu du 7 au 11 avril prochain, les organisateurs de l’événement ont annoncé ce lundi les finalistes de ses prix Bédéis Causa 2010. Cherchant à récompenser ce qui se fait de mieux en matière de bande dessinée, particulièrement celle créée par les auteurs d’ici, ces prix sont remis depuis les débuts de l’événement, en 1988.

La cérémonie de remise de prix, qui aura lieu à l’Observatoire de la Capitale, le 9 avril prochain à 17h00, sera l’occasion de réunir plusieurs acteurs du milieu et de refléter la vitalité actuelle du 9e art au Québec.

LES FINALISTES

Prix Réal-Fillion
Auteur québécois, scénariste ou dessinateur, s’étant le plus illustré avec son premier album professionnel
• JEAN-SÉBASTIEN BÉRUBÉ, avec Radisson t. 1 – Fils d’iroquois (Glénat Québec)
• PASCAL COLPRON, avec Mon petit nombril (La Pastèque)
• SÉBASTIEN RIVEST, avec Malaise (Mécanique générale/Les 400 coups)

Grand prix de la Ville de Québec
Meilleur album de langue française publié au Québec
• PAUL À QUÉBEC, de Michel Rabagliati (La Pastèque)
• TUEZ VELASQUEZ, de Philippe Girard (Glénat Québec)
• JIMMY ET LE BIGFOOT, de Pascal Girard (La Pastèque)

Prix Albéric-Bourgeois
Meilleur album de langue française publié à l’étranger par un auteur Québécois, dessinateur ou scénariste.
• SAINT-GERMAIN T. 1 – LE COMTE DES LUMIÈRES, de Jean-François Bergeron et Thierry Gloris (Glénat)
• LES NOMBRILS T. 4 – DUEL DE BELLES, de Delaf et Dubuc (Dupuis)
• MAGASIN GÉNÉRAL, T. 5 – MONTRÉAL, de Régis Loisel et Jean-Louis Tripp (Casterman)

Prix Maurice-Petitdidier
Coup de coeur du jury pour album francophone publié à l’étranger
• DIEU EN PERSONNE, de Marc-Antoine Mathieu (Delcourt)
• BLAST, de Manu Larcenet (Dargaud)
• PINOCCHIO, de Winschluss (Les requins marteaux)

Lors de la cérémonie, l’organisation du FBDFQ remettra également le Prix Albert-Chartier, décerné en hommage à un individu ou organisme ayant marqué le monde de la bande dessinée francophone au Québec.

Le jury responsable de la sélection des finalistes était composé de journalistes et de professionnels du livre : Pierre Blais, journaliste à Canal Vox et Sortir-FM, Nicolas Houle, journaliste au quotidien Le Soleil, Marco Duchesne, de la Librairie Pantoute, David Kelly, de Renaud-Bray, et Patrick Marleau, de L’imaginaire. Rappelons que la présente édition des Bédéis Causa porte sur les albums publiés entre février 2009 et février 2010.

March 24th, 2010 Releases featuring Canadian Creators

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The Guild #1 Cover by Cary Nord

If I have missed any works by Canadian Comic Book Creators, please leave a comment, or send me an email at jason@joeshusterawards.com

Air #19
DC/Vertigo US$2.99
Colours by Chris Chuckry.

Amazing Spider-Man #626
Marvel US$2.99
Cover by Mike Del Mundo.
Preview at Newsarama

Nemesis #1 Cover by Steve McNiven

Angel Special: Lorne (One Shot)
IDW US$7.99
Written, Artwork and Cover by John Byrne. Colours by Ronda Pattison.

Black Widow: Web Of Intrigue Hardcover
Marvel US$24.99
Artwork by George Freeman.

Possessions Vol. 1: Unclean Getaway Cover by Ray Fawkes

The Book Of Grickle Hardcover
Dark Horse US$17.99
Written, Artwork and Cover by Graham Annable.
Preview at Dark Horse Comics

Breaking Into Comics The Marvel Way #2
Marvel US$3.99
Artwork by Shaun Turnbull. Colours by Jim Charalampidis.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Days Missing Hardcover
Archaia Studio Press US$19.95
Cover by Dale Keown.

The Book of Grickle Cover by Graham Annable

Futurama Comics #48
Bongo Comics US$2.99
Written by Ian Boothby.

Glamourpuss #12
Aardvark-Vanaheim US$3.00
Written and Artwork by Dave Sim.

Soulfire #3 Cover by Marcus To

The Guild #1
Dark Horse US$3.50
Cover by Cary Nord.
Preview at Dark Horse Comics

Haunt #6
Image US$2.99
Inks and Cover by Todd McFarlane.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Amazing Spider-Man #626 Cover by Mike Del Mundo

Haunt Vol. 1
Image US$9.99
Inks and Cover by Todd McFarlane.

The Last Resort Trade Paperback
IDW US$19.99
Cover by Darwyn Cooke.

Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #61
Marvel US$2.99
Inks by Terry Pallot. Cover by Takeshi Miyazawa.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Haunt #6 Cover by Todd McFarlane

The Marvels Project #7
Marvel US$3.99
Cover by Steve McNiven.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

The Mighty Avengers #35
Marvel US$2.99
Inks by Craig Yeung.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Nemesis #1
Marvel/ICON US$2.99
Artwork by Steve McNiven. Colours by Dave McCaig
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #61 Cover by Takeshi Miyazawa

New Avengers #63
Marvel US$3.99
Colours by Dave McCaig. Cover by Stuart Immonen.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Northlanders #26
DC/Vertigo US$2.99
Colours by Dave McCaig.

Northlanders Vol. 3: Blood In The Snow Trade Paperback
DC/Vertigo US$14.99
Colours by Dave McCaig.

New Avengers #63 Cover by Stuart Immonen

Orc Stain #2
Image US$2.99
Written, Artwork, Colours and Cover by James Stokoe.

Possessions Vol. 1: Unclean Getaway Trade Paperback
Oni Press US$5.99
Written, Artwork, Colours and Cover by Ray Fawkes.
Preview at Oni Press

Robocop #3
Dynamite Entertainment US$3.50
Variant Cover by Johnny Desjardins.

Runaways: Homeschooling Trade Paperback
Marvel US$14.99
Written by Kathryn Immonen.

The Simpsons/Futurama Crossover Crisis Slipcase Hardcover
Bongo Comics US$24.95
Written by Ian Boothby. Artwork by James Lloyd.

X-Men Origins: Nightcrawler #1 Cover by Cary Nord

Soulfire #3
Aspen Comics MLT US$2.99
Artwork and Cover by Marcus To.

Superman #698
DC US$2.99
Artwork by Bernard Chang. Colours by Blond.

Haunt vol. 1 Cover by Todd McFarlane

Transformers: Movie Collection Vol. 1 Hardcover
IDW US$50.00
Artwork by Alex Milne.

Wildcats #21
DC/Wildstorm US$2.99
Cover by Marcus To.

William Shatner Presents Tek War Chronicles #6
Bluewater Productions US$3.99
Written by William Shatner.

Wildcats #21 Cover by Marcus To

X-Factor #203
Marvel US$2.99
Artwork by Valentine De Landro. Inks by Pat Davidson. Cover Colours by Nathan Fairbairn.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

X-Men Origins: Nightcrawler #1
Marvel US$3.99
Artwork and Cover by Cary Nord.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

X-Men: Prelude To Onslaught Trade Paperback
Marvel US$29.99
Artwork by Steve Skroce.

The Marvels Project #7 Cover by Steve McNiven

Happenings: Vancouver Comicon, Sunday March 21

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VANCOUVER COMICON – Sunday, March 21, 2010

Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street (Main & 15th), Vancouver, B.C.

11AM-5PM

Special Guests:

•Douglas Wheatley (Star Wars: Dark Times)
•Steve Rolston (Ghost Projekt, Emiko Superstar, Queen and Country)
•Ken Boesem (The Village)
•Robin Bougie (Cinema Sewer)
•Kelly Everaert (Jungle Tales, Trilogy of Terror)
•Miriam Libicki (Jobnik!)
•Mike Myhre (Space Jet)
•Andrew Salmon (Sherlock Holmes, Secret Agent X)
•Robin Thompson (Champions of Hell, Hemp Island)
•Wai Khan Au
•Chloe Chan
•Beth Wagner
•New Reliable Press
•Sketchrospective
•Monster Attack Team Canada

Dealer Tables: $50/centre; $60/wall

Hourly door prizes!

Admission: $4.00
Kids under 14: Free

Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour arrives on 7/20/2010

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Courtesy of Oni Press:

Six years, five volumes, and 1,000 pages. Now the long anticipated finale to Bryan Lee O’Malley’s hit Oni Press graphic novel series has finally arrived. On Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 comic shops and bookstores across North America will celebrate the release of SCOTT PILGRIM VOL. 6: SCOTT PILGRIM’S FINEST HOUR.

“It’s been quite a ride, and I couldn’t have gotten here without the support of the fans and the retailers,” said O’Malley. “It feels great to be in the home stretch, and I think this is going to be the best Scott Pilgrim book ever!”

Bryan Lee O’Malley and the SCOTT PILGRIM series have both been honored with multiple awards including the Harvey, Doug Wright, Joe Shuster, and National Cartoonists Society Reuben awards, in addition to being named Entertainment Weekly and Wizard Magazine’s Independent Comic of the Year. Series Editor and Oni Press Editor-in-Chief James Lucas Jones gave additional praise to O’Malley, “it’s been an honor working with Bryan over the years. He’s got such a unique voice and I’ve been fortunate to witness him develop a style unlike anyone working in the industry today; a style that I feel will influence many future generations of comic professionals. I’m so proud that Oni has been a part of that.”

Oni Press will be rolling out a series of event announcements in the weeks and months leading up to the release, including Bryan Lee O’Malley signings at this year’s sold out San Diego Comic Con. Oni Press Publisher Joe Nozemack said about the works, “I’m convinced that Scott Pilgrim will go down as one of those series that changed comics forever. When I’m out and see someone wearing a Scott Pilgrim t-shirt or sitting in a cafe reading one of the books, I get so excited about comics entering the mainstream and to know that Oni Press’ books are helping lead the way, it’s an indescribable feeling. I can’t wait to see the reaction to the final volume!”

Bryan Lee O’Malley’s SCOTT PILGRIM VOL. 6: SCOTT PILGRIM’S FINEST HOUR, is published by Oni Press and features 248 pages of evil-ex butt-kicking in the easily digestible digest format for the low, low price of $11.99. Available at your local comic shop or bookstore Tuesday, July 20th, 2010.

More information about the SCOTT PILGRIM series HERE!

For more news and announcements follow Oni Press on twitter (@onipress) and facebook!

Follow creator Bryan Lee O’Malley on twitter (@radiomaru)

Find your friendly local comic shop HERE!

Discuss this series with fans and the creators at the Oni Press Forums!

Seth also nominated for a 2010 NCS Award

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In addition to his already announced Doug Wright and Joe Shuster Awards nominations, the National Cartoonists Society (an American organization) has nominated Seth and his 2009 book George Sprott 1894-1975 for a 2010 Award in the Graphic Novel division. Seth shares the nomination with David Mazzuchelli – Asterios Polyp, and David Small – Stitches.

Cameron Stewart returns to Batman later in 2010

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2009 Joe Shuster Award winning webcomic creator (for Sin Titulo) and 2010 Outstanding Artist nominee Cameron Stewart (for Seaguy II, et al.) has announced that he will be drawing issue 4 of BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE for writer Grant Morrison and DC Comics. Issue 4 should be out sometime this summer and features a time-lost Bruce Wayne trapped in the old west. Issues 1 and 2 are scheduled to ship in May 2010, each issue spotlights a different time period and is illustrated by a different artist, with legendary creator Joe Kubert doing the covers for the six issue mini-series.

IDW is now a Diamond Premier Publisher

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Since the establishment of the Premier Publisher status in 1996, no new companies have been advanced to Premier Status beyond the initial group of Acclaim (formerly known as Valiant – now defunct), Dark Horse, DC Comics, Image Comics and Marvel Comics.

That changed today as IDW has been promoted to Premier status and will now be appear in the monthly Diamond Previews magazine before Image Comics.

Yes, we realize that IDW is an American publisher, but I think this is relevant in that SIX JSA nominees this year produced outstanding work for IDW in 2009:

Darwyn Cooke (cartoonist) – Richard Stark’s Parker – The Hunter (and is presumably the publisher for future Parker adaptations by Cooke)

Kelley Armstrong (writer) – Angel 18-22  – reprinted as Angel Vol. 5: Aftermath (illustrated by Canadian artists Dave Ross and George Freeman)

Ty Templeton (writer) – Star Trek: Mission’s End 1-5 (illustrated by Canadian artist Steve Molnar)

Chris Chuckry (colourist) – G.I. Joe: Cobra #1-2

Lovern Kindzierski (colourist) – Angel #19 (written by Armstrong and illustrated by Ross and Freeman), Doctor Who #1-2, G.I. Joe: Cobra #3-4, G.I. Joe: Cobra Special #1, GrimJack: The Manx Cat #1, Star Trek: Crew #3-5, Star Trek: Romulans: Schism #1-3

Ronda Pattison (colourist) – Angel vs. Frankenstein (drawn by John Byrne)

IDW is also the home of the Captain Canuck hardcover reprints by Richard Comely, George Freeman and Claude St. Aubin. Hall of Famer John Byrne has found a home there as well, producing Star Trek comics.

IDW's The Last Resort TPB (released 3/17) features a cover by Darwyn Cooke.

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Official Press Release

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (March 18, 2010) — Diamond Comic Distributors and IDW Publishing announced today that IDW has become the first publisher to advance to “premier” status since the classification was implemented in 1996. Diamond and IDW have signed a new, multi-year agreement that features a number of fresh initiatives, including premier status, in recognition of IDW’s success as a top tier comic book and graphic novel publisher. Under the agreement, Diamond will continue to be the exclusive distributor of IDW comic books and graphic novels to the comic book specialty market, and to the bookstore market through its Diamond Book Distributors division.

“This change recognizes the growth and importance of IDW Publishing,” said Diamond President and CEO, Steve Geppi, “and we look forward to working with them for many years to come.”

Diamond VP Purchasing Bill Schanes added, “Since IDW began publishing, they have grown consistently each and every year, while at the same time establishing one of the best editorial, marketing, and business teams in our industry. They’re easy to work with, understand our market, and are forging ahead with new strategies and plans to grow the consumer appetite for comics and graphic novels.”

In April, Diamond’s PREVIEWS catalog and PREVIEWSworld.com website will showcase IDW’s new vendor status as the company moves to the “Premier Comics” section. IDW will have an exclusive section in the front of the catalog each month, highlighting their new offerings to comic shop retailers and customers.

“We are very pleased to have completed this groundbreaking agreement with Diamond,” said Ted Adams, CEO of IDW Publishing. “By combining Diamond’s leadership in distribution with IDW’s ten-plus years in developing, creating and marketing comic books and graphic novels, we have created an ideal relationship for each of our companies. The comic book medium is trending upward in all parts of consumer awareness and we are proud to be a partner with Diamond for the future.”

Key points to the agreement include:

Premier Publisher

Under the new agreement and as a result of the company’s consistently strong market share, IDW will have premier status within Diamond and Diamond’s PREVIEWS, including an exclusive section at the front of the monthly catalog.

Discount and Terms of Sales

IDW Publishing will remain in a traditional buy/sell relationship with Diamond, with their books continuing to be sold to comic shops under Diamond’s Terms of Sale (unlike Diamond’s brokerage arrangement with publishers like Marvel and DC Comics where Diamond acts as a sales agent). Discounts will remain unchanged at this time.

Final Order Cut-Off

IDW will be added to Diamond’s Final Order Cut-Off Program sometime in the near future. “Since IDW is a traditional buy/sell vendor, we have some programming work to do, but we expect to have that finalized later this year,” said Schanes.

Book Market Distribution

Diamond remains the exclusive book market distributor of IDW’s publishing efforts. “We’re extremely proud of the progress we’ve made in helping IDW grow its sales in the book store market over the last five years,” said Diamond Book Distributors VP Sales & Marketing, Kuo-Yu Liang. “From their strong licensed properties to their successful launch last year of the Worthwhile Books line for kids, IDW has adeptly shown what products will sell into the book market channel.”

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ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS—the world’s largest distributor of English-language comic books and pop-culture related merchandise—Diamond is based in Baltimore, MD, and services more than 3,500 specialty retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com.

ABOUT IDW PUBLISHING— IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The Transformers and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; Fox’s Angel; the BBC’s Doctor Who; and television’s #1 prime time series CBS’ CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studios; and is the print publisher for ComicMix. IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.

Nominations for the 2010 Joe Shuster Awards

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For Immediate Release

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2010 JOE SHUSTER AWARDS

6th Annual Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards – Presentation Ceremony in June 2010

Toronto, Canada — March 17, 2010. From coast to coast, Canada is home to many of the comic book industry’s top talents, and the JOE SHUSTER AWARDS are a way of recognizing and celebrating their achievements. Since it was established in 2004, the Joe Shuster Award program has been Canada’s national awards program for recognizing the outstanding achievements of Canadian comic book creators, publishers and retailers. The awards are named after pioneering Toronto-born artist Joe Shuster who, along with writer Jerry Siegel, created the iconic super-powered hero, Superman.

In January and February of this year, nominees were selected from master lists of eligible works originally published in English and/or French during the 2009 calendar year. Canadian citizens living at home or abroad, as well as permanent residents were eligible for consideration. Now that the lists of nominees have been finalized, nominated creators will have their work reviewed by juries, who will decide the winners.

Winners will be announced at a public ceremony in Toronto on the evening of Saturday, June 5th, 2010 at the University of Toronto’s Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue. The Master of Ceremonies will be Jonathan Llyr. The presentation ceremony date also coincides with the 6th Annual Toronto ComiCON Fan Appreciation Event at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on June 5 & 6, 2010.

NOMINEES for Work Published in 2009

Artist/Dessinateur

* Chris Bachalo - Dark Reign: The Sinister Spider-Man 1-4, Dark Avengers Annual 1, New Avengers 51-52, Amazing Spider-Man Extra! 2 - “Black & White” , (Marvel Comics)
* Darwyn Cooke - Jonah Hex 50 (DC), Madman Atomic Comics 14 – “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Madman Movie” (Image Comics)
* Marc Delafontaine – Les nombrils, tome 04: Duels de belles (Dupuis)
* Djief  Bergeron - Saint-Germain, Tome 1: Le Comte des Lumières (Glénat)
* Dale Eaglesham – Justice Society of America 26 (DC Comics), Amazing Spider-Man 591, Fantastic Four 570-572, Captain America 600 – “The Persistence of Memorabilia”, Amazing Spider-Man Extra! 3 – “Nice Things”, Origins of Siege 1 – “Doctor Doom” (Marvel)
* Stuart Immonen – Ultimate Spider-Man 130-133, New Avengers 55-60, Fantastic Four 569 (Marvel), The CBLDF Presents Liberty Comics 2 – “Trampoline Hall” (Image Comics)
* Francis Manapul – Adventure Comics 0-3, 5, Superman/Batman 60-61 (DC Comics)
* Cameron Stewart – Seaguy: The Slaves of Mickey Eye 1-3 (DC/Vertigo), Uncanny X-Men First Class Giant-Size Special 1 – Origin of Wolverine segment (Marvel), The CBLDF Presents Liberty Comics 2 – “The Apocalipstix in Taboo Boogaloo” (Image Comics)

Cartoonist/Créateur

* Darwyn Cooke – Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter (IDW)
* Jeff Lemire – The Nobody, Sweet Tooth 1-4 (DC/Vertigo), Noir: A Crime Comics Anthology - “The Old Silo” (Dark Horse), Awesome 2: Awesomer – “The Horseless Rider” (Top Shelf)
* Bryan Lee O’Malley – Scott Pilgrim Vol. 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe (Oni Press)
* Philippe Girard – Tuer Velasquez (Glénat Québec)
* Michel Rabagliati – Paul, tome 06: Paul à Québec (La Pastèque)
* Simon Roy – Jan’s Atomic Heart (New Reliable Press)
* Seth – George Sprott 1894-1975 (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas – Red: A Haida Manga (Douglas & McIntyre)

Colourist/Dessinateur Couleur

* Brad Anderson – Aliens #1-2 (Cover), Aliens/Predator FCBD 2009, Star Wars: The Clone Wars #8 (Cover), Star Wars: Legacy #32-40, 43 (Dark Horse), Action Comics #873 (Cover), Superman: Secret Origin #1-3, Superman: World of New Krypton #1-6, Superman: World of New Krypton #7, 9-10 (Cover), Wonder Woman #28-35, 39 (DC Comics) Doctor Doom and the Masters of Evil #3 (Cover), Franklin Richards: April Fools, Franklin Richards: It’s Dark Reigning Cats & Dogs, Franklin Richards: School’s Out, Uncanny X-Men: First Class Giant-Size Special #1, Spider-Man & The Secret Wars #1 (Marvel Comics)
* Chris Chuckry – Air #6-16, The Unwritten #1-8 (DC/Vertigo), G.I. Joe: Cobra #1-2 (IDW), Amazing Spider-Man #582, 591, 599-600, 606-607, Amazing Spider-Man #583, 595, 597-598 (Cover), Amazing Spider-Man: Extra! #3, Iron Man Vs Whiplash #2, Ms. Marvel #36-37 (Cover)
* Maryse Dubuc – Les nombrils, tome 04: Deuls et belles (Dupuis)
* Nathan Fairbairn – Amazing Spider-Man #605, Dark Reign: The List – X-Men #1, Dark X-Men: The Confession #1 (Cover), Guardians of the Galaxy #16, 18-19, House of M: Masters of Evil #1, Marvel Mystery Comics 70th Anniversary Special #1, Nation X #1, Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard #1-2, Timestorm 2009-2099: Spider-Man, War of Kings: Warriors #2, Wolverine #72, Wolverine: Origins #32, Wolverine: Weapon X #6-8, X-Factor #39-50, 200 (Variant) (Cover), X-Factor #45, X-Men: Kingbreaker #2-4, X-Men Origins: Gambit #1 (Marvel Comics), Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen #4-5 (Oni Press)
* Lovern Kindzierski – The Sandman: The Dream Hunters #3-4 (DC/Vertigo), Angel #19, Doctor Who #1-2, G.I. Joe: Cobra #3-4, G.I. Joe: Cobra Special #1, GrimJack: The Manx Cat #1, Star Trek: Crew #3-5, Star Trek: Romulans: Schism #1-3 (IDW), What If? Daredevil vs. Elektra (Marvel Comics)
* Francois Lapierre – Magasin général, tome 05: Montréal (Casterman)
* Dave McCaig - Star Wars: Dark Times #13-14 (Dark Horse), Detective Comics #857-860, Wednesday Comics #1-12 (DC Comics), House of Mystery Halloween Annual #1, Northlanders #14-23 (DC/Vertigo), Mysterius: The Unfathomable #1-6 (DC/Wildstorm), Invincible #66-67 (Image Comics), Berserker #2-3, Broken Trinity: Angelus, The Darkness #75, Pilot Season: Murderer #1 (Image/Top Cow), Agents of Atlas #9 (Cover), Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #2-5 (Cover), Deadpool #900, Fantastic Four #571 (Cover), | Ghost Rider #33-35, Marvel Comics #1 70th Anniversary Edition, Miss America Comics 70th Anniversary Special #1 (Cover), New Avengers #50, 55-60, Origins of Siege #1, Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #3-6, Ultimatum: Fantastic Four Requiem #1 (Cover) (Marvel Comics), Resurrection #0 FCBD 2009 (Oni Press)
* Ronda Pattison – Star Wars: The Clone Wars #4 (Cover), Star Wars: The Clone Wars FCBD 2009, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Wind Raiders of Taloraan, Star Wars: Purge – Seconds to Die, Unbound Saga (Dark Horse), Angel vs. Frankenstein (IDW), Killer of Demons #1-3 (Image Comics), Dark Reign: Mister Negative #1-3, Human Torch Comics 70th Anniversary Special #1 (Marvel Comics), Atomic Robo and Friends FCBD 2009, Atomic Robo and the Shadow from Beyond Time #1-5, We Kill Monsters #1-5 (Red 5 Comics)

Writer/Écrivain

* Kelley Armstrong – Angel 18-22 (IDW)
* Ian Boothby – Futurama Comics 43-44, Simpsons Comics 150, Simpsons Super Spectacular #8 – “The Sprint” (Bongo)
* Hervé Bouchard – Harvey (La Pastèque)
* Maryse Dubuc – Les nombrils, tome 04: Duels de belles (Dupuis)
* Kathryn Immonen – Runaways 11-14, Patsy Walker: Hellcat 5 (Marvel Comics), The CBLDF Presents Liberty Comics 2 – “Trampoline Hall” (Image Comics)
* Dean Motter – The Spirit 29 (DC Comics)
* Ty Templeton – Star Trek: Mission’s End 1-5 (IDW)
* J. Torres – Disney/Pixar’s Wall-E 0-1 (Boom!), DC Holiday Special ’09 1 - “Huntress in Naughty or Nice”, Batman: The Brave and the Bold 5-8, 11 (DC Comics)

Cover/Couverture

* Kaare Andrews – The Immortal Iron Fist 27 (Marvel Comics)
* Paul Bordeleau – Faüne, tome 2: La maison du Faüne (La Pastèque)
* Darwyn Cooke – Jonah Hex 50 (DC Comics)
* Darwyn Cooke – Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter (IDW)
* Marc Delafontaine – Les nombrils, tome 04: Duels de belles (Dupuis)
* Dale Eaglesham – Miss America Comics 70th Anniversary Special 1 (Marvel Comics)
* Dale Keown - The Astounding Wolf-Man 16 Variant (Image Comics)
* Igor Kordey - Unknown Soldier 5 (DC/Vertigo)

Webcomics/Bandes Dessinées Web

* Attila Adorjany – Metaphysical Neuroma
* Kate Beaton – Hark! A Vagrant
* Andy Belanger – Bottle of Awesome and Raising Hell
* Rene Engström – Anders Loves Maria
* Karl Kerschl – The Abominable Charles Christopher
* Gisèle Lagacé and David Lumsdon – Eerie Cuties and Ménage à 3
* Tara Tallan – Galaxion
* Steve Wolfhard – Cat Rackham

Artist, Cartoonist, Colourist, Cover & Writer Nominees selected by: Laurent Boutin (Planète BD), Patrick Marleau (Imaginaire), Rachelle Goguen (Living Between Wednesdays), Leonard Wong (Vancouver Comicon), Jamie Coville (The Collector Times), Jeff Brown (Dork Shelf), Mike Jozic (freelance writer), Troy Wilson (author), Gareth Gaudin (Legends Comics), Jonathan Ellis (PopImage), Don McPherson (Eye on Comics), Peter Fisico (All New Comics), Lloyd Chesney (Legends Comics), Jonathan Kuehlein (JPK Comics), and Alex Kennedy. Webcomics Nominees selected by Scott Townsend, Jason Truong, Allison Covey, Robert Haines and Kevin Boyd. Nominating committees coordinated by Award Directors Kevin Boyd and Robert Haines.

Additional nominees will be announced in April 2010 for the following categories: Publisher/Editeur, Comics for Kids / Bandes Dessinées pour Enfants, and the Harry Kremer Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Retailer /Le Prix Harry Kremer pour Détaillant Exceptionnel Canadien de Bandes Dessinées.

Submissions from self-publishers will be accepted until May 10, 2010 for the Gene Day Award for Canadian Self-Publishers / Le Prix Gene Day pour Éditeurs Direct Canadian de Bandes Dessinées. Please visit http://joeshusterawards.com/gene-day-award-for-canadian-self-publishers/ for full details. The winner of the Gene Day Award also receives a $500 Bursary. Finalists will be announced in May 2010.

Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame / Temple de la renommée Créateur Canadien de Bandes Dessinées
Three inductees will be announced in May 2010.

Congratulations to all of the nominees and all of the eligible creators for another memorable year of great comics, both in print and online!

About Joe Shuster (1914 – 1992)

With the permission of his estate, the Joe Shuster Awards are named in honor of the great artist, JOE SHUSTER (1914-1992), whose clear, dynamic style and inventive visual flourishes set the standard for graphic storytelling during the infancy of the North American comic book industry. It was Superman, a co-creation of Shuster and Siegel, which electrified the industry 71 years ago and, almost overnight, transformed comic books into an enormous pop-cultural phenomenon that endures to this day.

About The Joe Shuster Award

The Joe Shuster Award is Canada’s first national achievement award program for Canadians working on comic books, graphic novels and webcomics and has no restrictions on language, content and/or genre. The Joe Shuster Award  honour the people who create comics, publish comics and sell comics. Creator nominees are nominated for their BODY OF WORK during the previous calendar year, not just for one specific work (except for cover art).

The Joe Shuster Award program is administered by the Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards Association, a not-for-profit organization.

For more information please contact info@joeshusterawards.com or visit www.joeshusterawards.com

Kevin A. Boyd
Executive Director
kevin@joeshusterawards.com

Robert Haines
Associate Director
robert@joeshusterawards.com

Allison Covey
Director of Publisher Relations
allison@joeshusterawards.com

Chris Owen
Director of Media Relations
chris@joeshusterawards.com

Visions of an Icon: Wolverine by Dave Sim

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The auction will include a print and all of Dave's prelims.

Dave Sim was born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1956 and grew up in Kitchener, where he still lives. During the early 1970s, Sim emerged as one of the most influential figures in early Canadian fandom, editing Now and Then Times and contributing to Comic Art News and Reviews, The Comics Report, Dark Fantasy, and other fanzines. Initially, Sim made his mark as a writer, but eventually, with encouragement from Gene Day, he became one of the best Canadian semi-pro artists of the mid-1970s. Cerebus #100 - July 1987

In 1977 Sim began publishing Cerebus the Aardvark, the comic book that would change his life and transform modern comics. Although it began as a clever sword-and-sorcery parody, Cerebus later evolved (with assistance from Sim’s collaborator, Gerhard), over nearly three decades, into a sophisticated work of art, an ambitious and complex 300-issue graphic novel exploring not only the comics medium, but also other facets of popular culture and society at large, not to mention Sim’s personal life. The longest-running comic in Canadian history, it is truly unique and stands as one of the country’s greatest achievements in comic art, one that has deservedly received international acclaim, including the Eisner, Harvey, and Joe Shuster awards.

Cerebus also eventually became a source of much debate within the comics community, as readers responded to Sim’s provocative narratives and editorial commentaries. While Sim’s contrarian opinions are certainly open to debate, his longtime role as an innovator, mentor, and advocate for artists’ rights are not. No other creator has made a greater contribution to the development of Canadian comics. Dave Sim was inducted into the Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame in 2006.

In 2008 Sim returned to comics with two new projects, Glamourpuss and Judenhaas, for which he received the 2009 Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding Cartoonist. In 2009 he also launched a new title, Cerebus Archive. Unfortunately Cerebus Archive did not get the orders needed for Diamond Distributors and Sim has taken the production of new issues to print-on-demand. Recently, Sim launched a new website – Cerebus TV – which broadcasts a new show every week focusing on comics and comics creators.

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The piece shown above one of over 40 original art pieces featuring Wolverine donated to the Joe Shuster Awards for the Visions of an Icon Art Show and Sale by Canadian artists. The pieces were exhibited twice in 2009 – at the Joe Shuster Awards Ceremony in September and at the Speakeasy Comic Art Show in November. The original art pieces will be auctioned off on eBay in March 2010. Watch for announcements on this site!

Every day we will try to post an original piece and some information on the artist(s) that donated the work.

Diamond launches kidscomics.com store locator service

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“Diamond to Launch Kids Comic Shop Locator at kidscomics.com“

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (March 10, 2010) —Diamond announced today plans to launch a new website and comic shop locator aimed at directing kids and parents to kid-friendly comic shops across the United States and Canada.

The new site at kidscomics.com will debut in March and feature a variety of news, info, and fun activities on comics and graphic novels geared directly to kids aged 4 to 11—and older fans who are kids at heart!

“The long-term success of the comic book industry lies with getting kids excited about the medium of comics and making it a contemporary choice alongside video games, online activities, movies, and books, said Dan Manser, Diamond’s Director of Marketing. “Our hope is that kidscomics.com can help promote the comics medium to kids and help them and their parents find a comic shop that caters to their needs.”

Kidscomics.com builds upon Diamond’s successful comicshoplocator.com website and phone service, which since 1996 has directed over three million-plus customers searching for comics and other merchandise to direct market comic book shops. The new kid-friendly site will be a web portal to get the most up-to-date news and information on kid’s comics and graphic novels, with current plans calling for the comic shop locator, a new release schedule highlighting the latest kid-friendly comic books, a backlist of kid-friendly graphic novels, sneak peeks at upcoming titles, character and creator interviews, and more.

Already, DC Entertainment has signed on to support and promote the new kidscomics.com shop locator through its DCbeyond.com website, which is available through the Warner Bros. web portal at KidsWB.com. DC will be adding comic book content to the DCBeyond.com website, which is loaded with games, videos and other interactive features.

The shop locator for kidscomics.com will initially launch with over 800 qualified kid-friendly retailers taken from current shops who participate in Diamonds’ comicshoplocator.com service. Each retailer must show a minimum ordering support for kid-friendly comic books and graphic novels.
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ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS—the world’s largest distributor of English-language comic books and pop-culture related merchandise—Diamond is based in Baltimore, MD, and services more than 3,500 specialty retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com.

What’s up?

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VISIONS

We still have a number of pieces yet to display, including works by Paul McCusker, Tom Grummet, Dean Motter, Clayton Hanmer, and some last minute pieces that were recently delivered to our P.O. Box. I need to do a proper scan on some of them but they’ll be done by the end of this week and then we will start the eBay auctions on Sunday, March 21st. We also have two pieces by non-Canadian artists: Terry Moore & Ed Hannigan. I also need to do a proper profile for the already shown Dave Sim piece.

NOMINATIONS

Speaking of that forthcoming nominations announcement. We are now targeting this Thursday, March 18th as the day that information will be released.

We’re announcing the Artist, Cartoonist, Colourist, Cover Art, Webcomic Creator/Creative Team & Writer nominees. In April we’ll be announcing Comics for Kids, Retailer, and Publisher nominees. Finally in May we’ll be announcing the Gene Day finalists as well as the Hall of Fame inductees.

CONGRATULATIONS ROBERT & JENN!

This coming Saturday, March 20th is a special day as our Associate Director Robert Haines is getting married to the Comics for Kids Award Coordinator (and owner of Guelph, Ontario’s The Dragon) Jennifer Stewart! It seems like only yesterday that I unsuspectingly introduced them to one another at the Hyatt bar in San Diego in July 2006.

We hope you will join the the other Awards Association members and congratulate the happy couple on their upcoming nuptials and wish them a wonderful future together.

Robert and Jennifer