Posted in: Comics | Tagged: australia, Comics, george perez, immigration, newcastle, Rogue, valentine's day, x-men
Friday Morning Runaround – A Very Deadly Valentine
A ROGUE VALENTINE
E-Online runs superhero-styled "Truthful" Valentine's Day cards.
LADIES' DARK KNIGHT
Fantom Comics in Washington DC has new plans for its clientele. Ladies Night. Washington Post reports,
Among the women were Capitol Hill interns, an aspiring screenwriter and a couple of law school students.
"Professionally, I work as a lifeguard. For a living, I collect comic books," said India Pasiuk, 21.
They came from a variety of backgrounds and traveled from Capitol Hill, Arlington and Baltimore. Some had a deep-rooted affair with comics, and others were still getting acquainted. Those who were looking for a place to start in the comic world were plied with suggestions.
Here, they can embrace their inner geek — far from the sneers and prejudices of young men to whom the industry is geared.
It might also help that the store manager is one Esther Kim…
MILE HIGH DISCOUNTS
Playing off yesterday's article on Mile High Comics changing their pricing policies, Chuck Rozanski writes,
This degree of steep of discounting is totally unprecedented in the 44-year history of Mile High Comics. I have numerous rationales for why we were finally able to implement this great improvement, but I will hold off on those explanations for today. What matters most for right now is that word of our pricing change has not yet reached online message boards, where I can assure you it is going to cause quite a stir.
It did.
ADAMS X-MEN VIA PEREZ
Hero, the charity that looks after comic book veterans in financial straits, is running another of their 100 Covers projects, where comic artists sketch onto specially printed blank covered comics. George Perez writes on Facebook,
I just sent out my contribution to the latest Hero Initiative 100 Covers Project. I opted to go with the version of the X-Men which really hooked me back when I was a kid in the 60s. Hope you enjoy it.
We do, George, we do!
FIVE WAYS FOR ARTISTS TO BE LESS BAT-DIMINISHED
Comic book artist and writer Sean Murphy writes about ways to make your comic artwork stand out. So you don't get lost behind all the writers and publishers out there. One of his greatest suggestions is to not get overshadowed by Batman.
I drew Batman/Scarecrow: Year One in 2005, and then things dried up for a while. You think doing Batman means you've made it? Wrong. More than likely, Batman is the star. Not you.
Around the same time I did Batman, I wrote and drew a book called Off Road. My sales were much lower (only made about 4K that year), but my art started getting recognized more. Most of the projects I've taken since are books that had no history, no fan-base, and no Batman to overshadow me. Joe the Barbarian, American Vampire: SOTF, Punk Rock Jesus and The Wake. And I have two Image books I'll be working on in 2014 (one with Mark Millar), and they're both from scratch. I try and pick stuff where the writer and I are the main event, not the characters.
SO WHAT HAPPENS TO COMIC BOOK COLLECTORS WHEN THEY DIE?
The BBC reports on a sale of comic books in Newcastle in which,
The 448 lots, which were from a Darlington collector, included Spider-Man from No. 1 to 234, X-Men from No 1. to 160 and Green Lantern No. 1.
The highest bid was £880 for the first Viz Comic which was printed in December 1979.
The Amazing Spider-Man No. 1 sold for £780 and the Green Lantern No. 1 sold for £650.
So why has this Darlington collector decided to sell? Austerity Britain? Fed up with comics? Wanting to pay for calf implants?
Most of the comics were from one collector in the town who had them stacked up in a bedroom.
His wife chose to sell the comics after he died.
Yes. Hmm. Not an uncommon story.
Shudder…
There has been strong reaction to the Australian use of comic books as anti-immigration tools, we reported yesterday.
LET IT SNOW…
And Heidi MacDonald doesn't make it to Jay And Silent Bob's Secret Stash.
I'm calling it, @michaelzapcic @mingchen37 Too many train delays. BUT I promise to come visit the store when there isn't a blizzard on.
— Heidi MacDonald (@Comixace) February 13, 2014
Thank to Macie A Lavoy for assistance.