This week in comics, there’s been a lot of growth for comics creators, publications, and several comic series as well. Let’s take a look together!
After five years of publishing comics, famous online publication The Nib has decided to launch a 100-page print quarterly via Kickstarter. According to founder Matt Bors, the fundraising campaign will begin on July 17th, and the first four issues are already ready for printing. The initial themes were revealed as well: Death, Family, Empire and Scams.
Fans of the UK-based independent comics subscription box ShortBox will be excited to know that the company will be offering domestic shipping prices to North American locations as soon as next week. Canadian and American subscribers will begin to see the drop in rates with the next ShortBox, the ninth in the subscription series. Seattle based company White Squirrel is partnering with Zainab Ahktar, curator of ShortBox, to process fulfillment.
Comics writer G. Willow Wilson announced her upcoming writing contract with DC Comics for the Wonder Woman series this last week. Wilson brings a history of writing DC characters with her, having already written more than five DC titles, including Superman and The Outsiders. “It’ll be a challenge to do her justice, but I like a challenge and can’t wait to get started,” said Wilson in an interview with Previews World about her new assignment.
Monster baseball horror comic series Sullivan’s Sluggers is set to be released as a hardcover trade paperback by Image Comics on August 22, 2018. Originally created by Mark Andrew Smith and James Stokoe in 2010, the comic became the center of controversy over Smith’s multiple attempts at its publication. From Image Comics to multiple Kickstarters to Comixology, Smith disappointed backers who never received the comic as well as Stokoe, who eventually asked to have his name removed from the project. The likely controversial hardcover edition will feature a bonus section with concept art and pinups by multiple artists. Check out some preview pages here.
Illustrator Sara Alfageeh spoke out on Twitter about her experience working for Bingo Love author Tee Franklin on July 10, including some critical notes about how she was negatively affected by the way that Franklin handled the process. She also shared the Bingo Love art she’d created that Franklin declined to use after they had worked together. Franklin responded back and said that certain artists don’t respect her, and that Alfageeh was “condescending and rude”. Franklin then posted a Twitter thread containing screenshots of multiple communications between herself and Alfageeh, followed by a series of GIF posts meant to reassure her followers that she was unaffected by the situation.
this art isn’t going to be used for anything so might as well give it to the people pic.twitter.com/DTgfWH6VT8
— Sara Alfageeh is Yelling (@TheFoofinator) July 11, 2018
As things continued to develop, a host of comics creators and publishers came forward to back up the illustrator and other artists who had worked with Franklin before. Multiple people spoke about contracts and being mistreated by collaborators. A discussion began on Twitter about a cartoonists’ union, comics contracts, and how creators can get a fair wage in the comics business. Here Spike Trotman vouches for Jemma, Tee Franklin’s first artist, who says she would not recommend working with Franklin. A day later on July 11, Franklin returned to Twitter to share her thoughts on how she believed she had handled the situation. Alfageeh’s final statements on the situation were around good clients and her positive experiences in illustration work.
Last but not least, comics artist Kyle Baker supposedly tweeted that the DC imprint Milestone’s title Static Shock will be released some time in October 2018 on a bi-monthly schedule. The Milestone imprint has been in the works since DC announced its re-launch as “Earth-M” in 2015. Originally the imprint was supposed to begin publication in the spring with three more titles besides Static Shock: two more new series called Love Army and Duo, as well as a one-shot called Milestone. Though fans can remain hopeful, this news is still unconfirmed by DC or Milestone. It is worth noting that the original tweet supposedly quoted in the Newsarama article above is now a dead link.
And for this week’s bonus comics content, you can find:
- Roxane Gay delivering sick burns to the haters so hot they could send the Thing to the ER.
- Illustrator Jake Lawrence shares an adorable short comic on Twitter that will warm your heart.
- Comics creators can learn all about contracts via a new Skillshare class led by Katie Lane, a legal expert who focuses on freelancer and artist contracts.
- Popular one-shot comics series Twisted Romance becomes a trade paperback, set for September 2018 publication.
- Anonymous creator-volunteered page rates from 2017 on Creator Resource for writers, artists, colorists, and letterers.
