Article Archive
We’re All Trying To Find The Guy Who Did This – This Week’s Links
While there are a hundred canoes you can take to the isle of knowledge, wouldn’t it be preferable to take the canoe featuring all the comics news, reviews and points-of-view that has burst forth in the last seven days? Of course it would: and Clark is beckoning to you. Take his hand, friend!
The Light That You Shine Can Be Seen – Part 3
In the conclusion of Tegan’s look back at Knightfall, she makes her way to the other lodestone creator of 90s Batman iconography: filmmaker Joel Schumaker, whose colorful versions of Gotham City’s most popular inhabitants couldn’t be further from where Bruce Wayne now resides. Or could they?
How Ayn Rand Influenced Comic Books
Echoes of the infamous author in the superhero comic book behemoths of the 1980s – satirized in Watchmen, and domesticated in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.
Impressions of Shirow Masamune, 1983-1997
It’s an artist-on-artist special, as comics and animation veteran Tom Herpich makes his way through 14 years’ worth of manga by that inspiring and infuriating legend, Shirow Masamune, recording his thoughts book by book.
“Systemic Change Is What Really Matters”: An Interview with Bill Campbell
Publisher, editor and writer Bill Campbell talks with Ian Thomas about his new graphic novel with Bizhan Khodabandeh,The Day The Klan Came To Town, the historical riot that inspired it, the unfortunate yet obvious parallels to today’s white supremacy, and the future of his own Rosarium Publishing.
Heavens to Murgatroyd – This Week’s Links
I had to look up the word “Murgatroyd”, you know. Check the spelling, the usage. You can’t take anything for granted in this life – the life of the person who writes these little texts. It’s a good life…
The Light That You Shine Can Be Seen – Part 2
Tegan’s epic look at Jim Aparo, Batman, and Knightfall continues with a necessary stopover in the land of Denny O’Neil, the editor who ran USS Batman for over a decade.
Shoes & John Q. Public
Bob is calling class to order, and this time, he’s looking back at Vaughn Shoemaker, the question of who invented the “Q” in John Q. Public, how the Gospels made it past the editing stage, and supplying some professional anecdotes of the way things used to be, professionally..
Bruce Canwell: A Conversation With a Comics Historian
Catching up with one of the prime movers behind the Library of American Comics, compilers of over 200 books of classic American comic strips – with more to come.
A Cloudy Day In Metropolis – This Week’s Links
Whew, it’s been a hot week here. Almost as hot as these amazing links. God, I could have been a political cartoonist. I mean, a bad one. You just combine one thing with another; that’s what the bad ones do. These links are good, however.
The Case of Eric Heuvel, Dangerous Cartoons and Conspiracy Media
A look into a cartoon controversy in the Netherlands, as a lauded artist of comic albums shifts into political cartooning for a new conspiratorial magazine.
The Light That You Shine Can be Seen
Tegan begins her latest project with a look at the big guy: Batman, and the “Jim Aparo” who drew him best. Knightfall may not have the most beloved conclusion, but you can’t deny the opening act. Or can you?
“It’s Unfortunate That So Many Cartoonists Talk About Structure As If It Were Something Desirable”: An Interview With Beatrix Urkowitz
Cartoonist Beatrix Urkowitz catches up with Sara Lautman about stepping out against the strangles of structure, the beauty and supportive community that she’s found in comics, and the hassles and expectations around “originality”.
The Opaque Surface Begins To Clear – This Week’s Links
Do you want to play skee-ball? No mommy! Do you want to play Fascination? No mommy, no! Do you want to race balloons? Nooooo! Noooo! Do you want to play Click All the Links? Yes mommy! Hooray!
From Revere to Eternity – The Works of John Smith
A bird’s-eye view of one of the most intriguing UK comics writers, whose works are now appearing in digital form courtesy of Rebellion.
“I Showed Way More Dedication To Comics Than I Ever Did To My School Work”: An Interview with Juni Ba
Juni Ba speaks with Tiffany Babb about discovering comics as a child in Senegal, what makes Sonic The Hedgehog perfect, the usefulness of Marvel Comics for learning a foreign language, and how all of that leads to his new book, Djeliya, from TKO Studios.
Memories of Jesse Hamm
A selection of tributes to the late artist Jesse Hamm.
Another Time, Another Place – This Week’s Links
The summer continues, and its got enough comics news, reviews and interviews to come after you wherever you are–at home or abroad. Allow Clark to prepare your agenda, and then go forth: digitally, from wherever your body rests.
Illness: Regina Hofer’s Fat, and Other Works
Examining the Austrian-born artist’s new-to-English graphic novel, along with some other works related by proximity, nationality, and a concern with sickness.
“Well, This Book Has Been Talked About Within The Industry For A While”: Howard Cruse in 1995
For the first time ever, we are presenting the unexpurgated version of a rare 1995 interview with Howard Cruse, captured in the glow of his newly-released graphic novel Stuck Rubber Baby. Please enjoy this journey back in time to a comics scene not entirely unlike today’s, in the company of a gay comics pioneer.
Kind Hearts and Coronets – This Week’s Links
They say this world doesn’t make sense until you put your hands on it: but if you’re trying to make sense of the world of comics, you just need to put the part of your hands that are called fingers onto the part of technology that goes click: it’s link time, pal!
Joke Book
The “joke” is the sickly massive scope of human conflict, as Bob reads Tim Fielder’s new graphic novel Infinitum: An Afrofuturist Tale and Elsa Morante’s 1974 bestseller History: A Novel.
Excerpt: Embodied
Thanks to A Wave Blue World, we’re pleased to share “Voyages” from their upcoming anthology, Embodied.
