Good morning friends. I hope you are enjoying the long weekend. It’s been quite quiet this week — I think we might be deep into con season, I’m not actually sure — but we were blessed by the gods of delicious consequences which I for one always enjoy.
This week started with the en masse resignation of 10 programmers from Hot Docs Festival, less than a month before the opening of Canada’s largest documentary film festival. In their parting statement the programmers described the organisation as a “chaotic, unprofessional and discriminatory environment.”
After 55 years of business, Small Press Distribution has announced its immediate closure via a statement on their website. SPD notes that its inventory of over 300,000 books is in safe hands and publishers have been advised to “contact Ingram or PSSC to discuss distribution options and the return or disposition of [their] books.” Former employees have been critical of the handling of the closure on social media. (hint: It was bad).
EDITED for Breaking News: Ed Piskor, creator of Hip Hop Family Tree and X-Men: Grand Design, has reportedly been found dead after posting a suicide note to Facebook. The news was reported by his sister, and confirmed with a local funeral home. Following last week’s reports regarding Ed Piskor and his alleged sexual misconduct, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust had indefinitely postponed a planned exhibit featuring his art, and Cartoonist Kayfabe cohost Jim Rugg had announced a cessation of his professional relationship with Piskor.
