Looks like I picked a good week to go on vacation—have the last ten days been the most contentious in the site's history during our tenure or does it just appear that way when you return only half-aware and see all the comments and cross-talk at once? (I don't have enough patience or curiosity to find out whatever was going on on Twitter and Facebook a week ago, or I'm sure it would seem even more overwhelming.) Anyway, I didn't have time to do much more than skim Dan's post on SP7/Kickstarter shortly before my departure, and I spent my flight wondering what kind of reaction it might stir up. Now I know. On one level, the whole thing seems like a classic molehill-sized mountain, but the issues involved (and the discussion it spawned) deserve more than a day's reflection before comment from me, especially considering just how much talk from other thinkers, both smart and dumb, has already been offered. Other than in the comments of this site (ha), some of the most even-keeled commentary on the controversy has come from Sean T. Collins, Secret Acres, and Tom Spurgeon. I will probably have more to say on this (and maybe on subsequent dustups on the site) in the near future, but those are good places to go in the meantime.
Other than that elephant in the room, the main topic of today is, of course, Joe McCulloch's usual Tuesday column on the Week in Comics.
Link-wise, I'm a bit out of date, obviously, and will try not to be too redundant, but here's what I've got for you so far:
—Drew Friedman recounts every kid's dream, an adolescent visit to the offices of MAD magazine in 1974.
—Gary Groth talks to Chris Mautner at Robot 6 about this magazine's recently announced partnership with Alexander Street Press.
—The University of Chicago has finally begun posting video of some of the panels from its acclaimed Hillary Chute-organized "Comics: Philosophy & Practice" conference. Links to the videos will be posted here, and so far include Art Spiegelman's talk with the great academic W.J.T. Mitchell and a group panel featuring Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Justin Green, Carol Tyler, and Phoebe Gloeckner.
—The Wall Street Journal has a report on the MoCCA/Society of Illustrators move.
—Leela Corman is interviewed at The Millions.
—Domingos Isabelhino writes on Marco Mendes.
—Muddy Colors has video of the late, great Moebius drawing in 2010. (via)
