Category Archives: 2011 Releases

Chroniques de Jérusalem wins the Fauve d’Or – Best Comic Book Award at Angoulême

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Comprising 11 prizes known as the “Fauves d’Angoulême”, the Official Awards of the International Comics Festival were given out in Angoulême on Sunday 29 January 2012, the last day of the 39th edition of the festival. They reward comic books published in French between December 2010 and November 2011, irrespective of the country of publication.

58 books have been shortlisted this year. The Grand Jury will award seven “Fauve d’Angoulême” prizes to books on this list:
• Fauve d’Or – Best Comic Book Award. The “Fauve d’Or” goes to the best comic book of the year, whatever its genre, style or geographical origin.
• Fauve d’Angoulême – Special Jury Prize. With this prize, the jury draws attention to a book they have particularly enjoyed for its narrative or graphic quality, or its original stance.
• Fauve d’Angoulême – Best Series Award. This award goes to a work made up of several volumes – at least three, whatever the final number of volumes in the series.
• Fauve d’Angoulême – Best Newcomer Award. This award distinguishes the work of an up-and-coming cartoonist.
• Fauve d’Angoulême – Views on the World Award. This prize rewards a book dealing with current world issues.
• Fauve d’Angoulême – Audacity Award. This prize rewards an artwork that takes an innovative approach, whether formal or narrative, to comics.
• Fauve d’Angoulême – Intergenerational Award. This award is a nod to the family spirit of classic comics, and rewards a cross-generational work that could appeal to readers of all ages.

A jury made up of booksellers from the Fnac bookshop chain will also nominate its favourite comic book from within the Official Selection. This book will be awarded the Fauve d’Angoulême – Fnac Comics Award.

Le Fauve d’Or – Prix du Meilleur Album est attribué à “chroniques de jérusalem”, de guy delisle (éditions delcourt).

FAUVE D'OR – PRIX DU MEILLEUR ALBUM 2012

Accepting submissions for the 2012 Gene Day Award for Self-Publishing

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The Gene Day Award for Self-Publishing honours Canadian comic book creators who self-published their work during the previous calendar year and is open to all Canadian citizens who self-publish and self-distribute their comics. The winner receives a Joe Shuster Award and a bursary of $500, to help fund your next comic project.

This award is open to comics self-published from January 1, 2011 to December 31st, 2011. The comics can be in any language. There is no limit on the number of titles submitted per person, if you created 3 comics in 2011 you may submit all 3 titles.

You must attest that that the books were self-published within the appropriate timeline by signing “self-published in 2011” and your signature. Be sure to write an email address your books, or some other way to reach you, so we can communicate with you in the event that your book is selected as a finalist.

Deadline to submit is March 1, 2012.

We ask that you submit 2 copies of your book, to allow copies to be distributed to the jury.

Submissions should be sent to:
Robert Haines
c/o The Dragon
The Old Quebec Street Mall
55 Wyndham Street North, Unit T19B
Guelph, Ontario, N1H 7T8

The Gene Day Award will be given out Saturday, September 15th, 2012, as part of the Montreal ComicCon.

More about the Gene Day Award.

This year the Gene Day Award is being sponsored by The Dragon, a retail comic book store based out of Guelph, ON and a strong supporter of self-published comics. The Dragon sponsors and operates the Kazoo Comics & Zine Expo, a small press fair in Guelph, and has been a finalist for the Will Eisner Spirit of Retailing Award for best comic shop in the world each of the past 2 years.

Summation:

  • award is open to non-professional comic creators who self-publish and do not use distribution such as Diamond
  • $500 prize plus a Joe Shuster Award winner statue
  • submit 2 copies of each title you wish to submit
  • work must be self-published from any time in 2011, January 1 to December 31st
  • each copy must have “self-published in 2011” and your signature in the book (unless this is printed in the book)
  • provide your email address in each copy of the book
  • mail to The Dragon in Guelph, ON
  • deadline to receive books is March 1, 2012
  • works will be looked at by a jury
  • Finalists announced along with all other award nominees
  • winner announced at Montreal ComicCon

If you have any questions about submitting, please ask! robert@joeshusterawards.com.

Eligible creators list now available for review / feedback

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2011 – ELIGIBLE CREATORS / CRÉATEURS ADMISSIBLES

First run at the list is available for review via the link posted above. UPDATED JAN.24th! For the first time we have grouped all releases together – French and English. Comics for Kids releases are also included (French and English).

Only the categories of Artist (incl. inkers), Cartoonist (writer/artist), Cover Artist and Writer are included. Colourists and editors are not included as there are no awards for those categories in 2012. Also excluded: Pin-ups, Reprints of previously published work or collections of webcomic strips, & translated works if the original language version was from a previous calendar year. Eligible Webcomics and Retailers are listed elsewhere. About us page re: eligibility and other points about the Joe Shuster Awards

If you see anything missing, please email kevin@joeshusterawards.com

DEADLINE FOR COMPLETION: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1ST, 2012

Friday the 13th Update

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Sorry about the lack of updates this week, so much has been going on with… well, everything this week.

Between the announcement of the guest list for the March Toronto ComiCon, plans and coordination for Fan Expo Vancouver in April, the Dragon Lady closing and all of the related press coverage that has been getting, rumours of what is going to happen next with the Silver Snail, coordinating some shipments I have coming in and going out, and so on (not to mention my research work during the day)  I haven’t had time to do much posting. Robert has been working on more regional retailer round-ups.

Next week:

- we’ll be posting the Eligible Creators List for 2011 that we’ll be looking for feedback on. 2012 Nominating committee will be finalized and we can get on with selecting the list for 2012. Andrew completed the updates to the Webcomics list last weekend so if you haven’t had time to check it out, please take a look and discover some great comics.

- on Wednesday night in Toronto it’s the Jim Henson’s A Tale of Sand Industry Night release party at the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop with Ramon Perez. It looks like we have copies of the book available for the event so come on down and check it out of you can.

- Finally, I’ve been working on something top secret that I hope to be able to share the news about with you as early as next Monday.

Happy Holidays

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Two more days before Christmas, have you finished all of your Christmas shopping yet? I haven’t! I started wrapping some things this morning, so hopefully I’ll finish up all of the many little pre-Christmas errands tonight after work or early tomorrow morning before I start driving all around the GTA to various family events.

* I’d like to thank everyone that participated in the End of the Year Survey on Canadian Comics, we may still have some more, but there won’t be much more posted to the site until Tuesday next week. I think a lot of great points have been made, and it was great to catch up with some folks before we launch into 2012.

* We’ve got one more week of new books shipping next Wednesday before we close off the entries for eligible comics and graphic novels for the year and officially commence the nomination process for the awards.

* There are two days left in Darwyn Cooke’s Day 8 and 8.5 of his 12 Days of Christmas Auctions, he’s got some great Superman artwork and signed books available in each of the two auctions and the money will help us run the awards for 2012. He’s got many other great items available in the other auctions, and they are all for a great cause – the Hero Initiative.

* Next week the Boxing Day/Week sales commence, so why not check out your local comic book shop and see what they have on sale? Boxing Day and Week sales are big money makers for local comic book shops, and any sales they make may help make their holiday season a successful one. It’s been a tough year for independent retailers of all kinds, so let’s end the year on a positive note!

The Adventures of Tintin and his Taun Taun by Benjamin Rivers. My win from the "Toronto Draws Tintin" event. I'll definitely be checking out the Tintin movie over the break, anyone else?

Darwyn Cooke news

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Earlier in the month, Strange Adventures in Halifax held a special release party for Parker: The Martini Edition, even creating a unique Parker commemorative martini glass. Photos now online!

Darwyn has started his annual 12 Days of Christmas auctions to benefit the Hero Initiative. Some amazing pieces and packages were sold last year, so expect the same this year, and it’s all for a very worthy cause! DAY ONE, DAY TWO.

PS I received Darwyn’s response to the wrap survey today, so I’ll be formatting it and posting it here on Thursday.

New Releases: Jim Henson’s A Tale of Sand out tomorrow – December 14th, only in comic shops

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Heads up that tomorrow, December 14th, is the day that comic shops receive their copies of Jim Henson’s A Tale of Sand. It’s going to be a big day for graphic novels as tomorrow is also the day the latest Walking Dead and Fables volumes ship, so make sure to look for this one as well.

A Tale of Sand is a screenplay originally written in 1967 by Jim Henson (famous for creating the Muppets) and Jerry Juhl. A wiki check indicates the idea for A Tale of Sand was conceived in the 1950′s, and developed by Henson and Juhl in the 1960s and was further developed after the initial 1967 draft well into the 1970s, but was never produced as a film.

A Tale of Sand is the story of a young man named Mac, and Mac is involved in a race across an expansive desert with only a rucksack full of odds-and-ends. Mac is being pursued by a relentless, mysterious man known only as “Patch”.

In 2010, Archaia Studios Press and the Jim Henson Company announced plans to release a hardcover graphic novel adaptation of the screenplay by Toronto-based illustrator Ramon K. Perez. The graphic novel was originally scheduled to be released on September 24, 2011 (Jim Henson’s 75th birthday), but the date was later changed to January 3, 2012. Archaia is doing a “soft release” of the book this week to the direct market, and a result, Ramon Perez will be eligible for consideration for next year’s awards. As this is an adaptation I would think he’ll be up for consideration in the Cartoonist category, as it’s a similar situation to Darwyn Cooke’s adaptations of Richard Stark’s (Donald Westlake) Parker novels.

Advance reports are that the book is stunning, and based on what we’ve seen in previews, we are excited to get a chance to read the finished book. Look for it at your favourite comic shop tomorrow… and if they don’t have it, get them to order you a copy asap!

Original Graphic Novel Hardcover
Retail Price: $29.95 U.S.
Page Count: 160 pages
Format: hardcover (paper over board), 8.25” x 11.5”, full color
ISBN-13: 978-1-936393-09-1
Written by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl
Illustrated by Ramón Pérez
Cover by Ramón Pérez

Newsarama has been given an exclusive sneak peek preview of the book!

Happenings: EXPOZINE 10 November 26-27 – Montreal, QC

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expozine -EXPOZINE 2011, Montreal’s 10th Annual Small Press, Comic & Zine Fair !

EXPOZINE, Saturday, November 26 and Sunday, November 27, 2011, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 5035 St-Dominique (Église Saint-Enfant Jésus, Laurier Métro). Free admission.

10th ANNIVERSARY OF EXPOZINE special issue of Four Minutes to Midnight ZINE LAUNCH, featuring round-table discussion with Expozine founders, Friday November 25 at the Drawn & Quarterly bookstore, 211 Bernard W., 7 – 10p.m., free admission.

EXPOZINE 10th ANNIVERSARY PARTY, Saturday November 26, 8 p.m. – 3 a.m., Casa del Popolo, 4873 St. Laurent, free admission. Music by J.A.S.S. (Jazz Amnesty Sound System) !!!

ALSO, programming during Expozine will include:

Saturday, November 26, 3 p.m. in the Expozine reading room:
Greasy Goose Salon, Expozine Edition, theme : PAPER
with: Simon Reader, Sarah Pupo, Nic Boshart and Emily Raine. A co-production between Expozine and the Greasy Goose Salon.

Sunday, November 27, 3 p.m. in the Expozine reading room:
Du Zine à l’Institution: Les Sérigraphes Montréalaises, with: Andrée-Anne Dupuis-Bourret, Jacinthe Loranger, Chloe Lum, Leyla Majeri, Dominique Pétrin.
Une co-production d’Expozine et La Centrale Galérie Powerhouse.

Expozine is one of the largest small press fairs in North America, bringing together over 270 exhibitors showcasing all kinds of publications– from books to zines to graphic novels – in both English and French. The event attracts thousands of visitors as well as exhibitors from across Canada, the United States and even Europe! It’s a unique showcase of the best publications that today’s small publishers and self-publishing authors and artists have to offer. Literally thousands of different publications can be found at Expozine, it’s THE “salon du livre” for readers interested in today’s underground and alternative publications!

Expozine 2011 on Facebook!

EXPOZINE Facebook group!

Expozine’s sister project, the DISTROBOTO art vending machine network!

For more information, contact expozine@archivemontreal.org.

Expozine is organized by Arcmtl (Archive Montreal), a non-profit organization that both promotes and preserves independently produced culture in Montreal. Expozine is made possible in part through the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des Arts de Montréal.

In Stores Today: Parker – The Martini Edition by Darwyn Cooke

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Parker Martini EditionParker: The Martini Edition HC

Darwyn Cooke (w & a & c)

Darwyn Cooke’s first two Parker books, The Hunter and The Outfit, are collected in a tremendous, special oversized hardcover edition—with an ADDITIONAL 65 pages of Darwyn Cooke content—including a BRAND NEW story and a beautiful slipcase!

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter graphic novel debuted in July 2008 to instantaneous popular and critical acclaim. It made the New York Times best-seller list and won coveted Eisner and Harvey awards. The second graphic novel, The Outfit, was released last year and was met with similar response, and is currently under consideration for nominations in this year’s awards season.

Parker Martini Edition VariantThe Hunter and The Outfit tell the story of Parker, Richard Stark’s classic anti-hero, as he returns to New York to settle the score with his wife and partner in crime after they betray him in a heist gone terribly wrong. After evening the field and reclaiming his prize, the Outfit decide to do some score settling of their own… and learn much too late that when you push a man like Parker, it had better be all the way to the grave.

This very special collection measures an impressive 9 x 13 inches and weighs in at 334 pages. Extras include an extended art gallery section as well as a brand-new 8-page Parker story by Darwyn Cooke, unique to this volume.
HC • Partial Color • $75.00 • 360 Pages • 9” x 13” • 978-1-60010-980-5

Bullet points:
•    Featuring an expansive section of sketches and preliminaries by the artist, with commentary accompanying.
•    The hunter was on over 50 “Best of” lists for 2009. Was named the best graphic novel of the year by The Village Voice.
•    Winner of Eisner and Harvey Awards (and a Joe Shuster Award!)
•    Features an all-new 8-page Parker story by Darwyn Cooke!
•    More than 60 pages of extra content

Happenings: Kill Shakespeare – The Stage Reading Nov.26-27 in Toronto

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Anthony Del Col has sent us the following notification:

Friends, Romans, countrymen,

I’m happy to make the official announcement that later this month we will be presenting a stage version of KILL SHAKESPEARE!  In conjunction with the Young Centre for the Performing Arts and Soulpepper Theatre, KILL SHAKESPEARE: The Stage Reading will take place the following two showings:

Saturday, November 26th – 8pm

Sunday, November 27th – 4:15pm

The event will be held at the Young Centre in the historic Distillery District in Toronto.  The performance will feature actors from Soulpepper and combine a mix of comic art, performance and music to bring our comic book series to life.  We did a small trial run of this in April and received a great response – and it was one of the highlights for me, to see the words and pictures of the story we’ve worked so hard on come to life!

We will also be hosting an after-party on the Saturday evening (the 26th) that will double as the BOOK LAUNCH PARTY FOR VOLUME 2 (being released Nov 22/11) of our series!  The details are still being hammered out but it will be great to hang out afterwards to celebrate the success that we’ve had with the series over the last 18 months.

Tckets for the shows are $20 each (or 4 for $59) and can be purchased the Soulpepper website here or by calling 416.866.8666.  The shows are in conjunction with The Word Festival, a celebration of the 400th anniversary of the first production of The Tempest as well as the first printing of the King James Bible.

 I hope that you can make it to one of the shows that weekend – I’d love to see you there.  And please spread the word!

Anthony

 

New Books: The Blue Dragon from House of Anansi Press

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BlueDragon pr

For Immediate Release:

Contact Kate McQuaid
416-363-4343 x229 or kate@anansi.ca

In this stunning graphic-novel adaptation of Robert Lepage and Marie Michaud’s play of the same name, the personal meets the political, East meets West, and old meets new. Claire, a Québécoise art dealer, arrives in China to adopt a little girl. There she visits her ex-husband, Pierre, who after fifteen years in China has begun
to question the new directions his adopted country is going in. Claire and Pierre’s lover, the young Chinese artist Xiao Ling, become fast friends. Through this classic love triangle, The Blue Dragon examines aging, cultural confusion, fertility, and creativity, and emerges as a fascinating examination of some of modern
China’s most intriguing paradoxes.

Fred Jourdain’s gorgeous, colourful, and cinematic drawings do full justice to the story’s genesis as one of Robert Lepage’s most dazzling theatrical constructions. A feast for the mind as well as the senses, The Blue Dragon is an extraordinary graphic novel for grownups.

Mirvish Productions will present a special two-month run of The Blue Dragon, the show on which this book is based, in Toronto in January-February 2012.

Director, writer, actor Robert Lepage is one of Canada’s most renowned figures the in performing arts. His astonishing oeuvre includes epic plays (The Dragons’ Trilogy, Needles and Opium), award-winning films (Le Confessional, Far Side of the Moon), and even rock shows. A Quebec native, Lepage has been awarded many
prestigious awards and honours, including the Officers of the Ordre national du Quebec, the Denise Pelletier Prize, the Prix Europe, France’s Légion d’honneur, and the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. He continues to push artistic boundaries, earning his reputation as this
country’s leading creative genius.

Marie Michaud is a prominent Quebecois theatre actress. She has performed over fifty roles with top directors, including Robert Lepage and Denis Marleau (Roberto Zucco and The Old Masters). She is currently starring in the role of Claire Forest in the theatrical version of The Blue Dragon, which she co-wrote with
Robert Lepage.

Fred Jourdain is a designer, best known for his portraits of great jazz, rock, and film figures. His work is currently on display in the Riff exhibit at the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa.

Publication Date: 5 November 2011
176 pages
Trade paperback
978-1-77089-037-4 $19.95 CAD

www.anansi.ca

We acknowledge for their financial support of our publishing program the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund.

New Books: Lone Hawk by John Lang

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LONE HAWK:THE STORY OF AIR ACE BILLY BISHOP

by John Lang

Canada’s greatest war hero brought vividly to life

As a boy, Billy Bishop was a crack shot – he had a sharp eye and great aim. Nearly flunking out of Royal Military College in Kingston, he eagerly signed up for duty when the First World War broke out. Sent first to England, Bishop discovered his true love: the Royal Flying Corps. Up in the air, the fighting may have been “cleaner” – no trenches, no mud, no mustard gas – but it was extremely dangerous and difficult. In fact, most fighter pilots in the First World War would not shoot down even a single plane.

Bishop soon proved himself to be a fighter pilot with an unerring instinct for aerial combat. He practiced relentlessly and would never land his plane before firing off every bullet, diving on targets he’d set up beforehand. The practice paid off. Bishop racked up seventy-two officially confirmed victories and was awarded every major medal, including the Victoria Cross. By the end of the war, he was considered so valuable as a symbol of the war effort that Canadian authorities insisted he be grounded: his loss would have been devastating to all Canadians.

In this exciting new graphic novel, author and illustrator John Lang has unforgettably recreated Bishop’s exciting wartime experiences.

Book: Paperback | 210 x 133mm | 96 | ISBN 9780143174660 | 01 Nov 2011 | Puffin Canada | $15

John Lang is an award-winning illustrator and cartoonist. He has produced work for a wide variety of publications, including Time Magazine, Billboard, Business Week, and The Village Voice. He lives and works in Toronto with his wife, Sara, and their daughter, Emily.