No Kickstarter pick this week. But this bit of news got me excited:
‘Watchmen,’ ‘Walking Dead’ and ’30 Days of Night’ Creators Help Launch Black Mask Comics, Borys Kit (Hollywood Reporter): “Part of the slate has an activist and political component, with proceeds going to certain causes. The company wants to bring back activism to the comics field, to create something more meaningful than just having an artist sign a petition. And one of Niles’ gripes of today’s comic industry landscape is that he believes a work like Vendetta would not be published due to fear of being too political.”
Upcoming books include the Occupy Comics Anthology and 12 Reasons to Die by RZA and Ghostface Killah. Dying. I’m dying.
News
- ‘Hellblazer’ #300 Marks The End Of An Era For Constantine And Vertigo, John Parker (Comics Alliance).
- Blood is the new black at this deranged horror-themed fashion show, Lauren Davis (io9).
- You’ve seen Paperman, right? Chris Oatley talks The Making Of ‘Paperman’ and The Future Of Disney Animation.
Oscars
Speaking of Oscard nominated stuff… didn’t see any of the noms? Me neither. (Ok, I saw Zero Dark Tedious, My God, My God, I Want My Life Back, but that’s it). The Roots have you covered.
- Oscar loves a white savior , David Sirota (Salon): Why Lincoln might just be a sure bet.
- Why do stuntmen not have an Oscar?, Allan Price (BBC): Zoe Bell Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Sneak preview of Oscar short nominees, BBC.
- “Argo” doesn’t deserve the Oscar, Andrew O’Hehir (Salon): Argo is a ‘propaganda fable’.
Editorials and Interviews
- From ‘Freaks and Geeks’ To ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ Pop Culture’s Conflation Of Geekiness and Autism, Alyssa Rosenberg (ThinkProgress).
- On our expectations of actors’ looks–without talking about ‘Girls’, Jaime Weinman (Macleans).
- What is Bookish’s “Dirty Little Secret”?, Dean Fetzer (Lit Reactor): That it sucks? Well, no. That it’s a promotional tool.
Beyond the Buzz, Where Are MOOCs Really Going?, Michael Horn and Clayton Christensen (Wired): And speaking of MOOCs, don’t forget this MOOC, Gender Through Comic Books.- The Art of Illustration, Off Book (PBS) [VIDEO].
- How one man’s lies almost destroyed the comics industry, Annalee Newitz (io9): Yup, it’s Wertham.
- Have X-Men comics entered a new golden age?, Oliver Sava (AV Club).
- Women Are Targeted For Harassment In Online Gaming ‘Roughly Three Times As Much’, Says New Study, Holly Green (GameRanx): Not surprising, but it’s always useful when the science backs us up.
- Why Twitter Makes Us Want to Add Extra Letterssss, Jen Doll (Atlantic Wire): Because reasonsssss.
- See also this study: Gender in Twitter: Styles, stances, and social networks, David Bamman, Jacob Eisenstein, Tyler Schnoebelen: Some people tweet in stereotypically gendered ways; some people don’t. Bee boop.
- Commentary Track: Bunn, Sliney & Pyle on “Fearless Defenders” #1, Dave Richards (CBR).
And finally, cultural trash graphed:
