*Cover art is the manifesto by Alvey Jones, Jade Fusco, Gustave Morin, Meghan Forbes, Ian Mclellan Davis, Hannah McMurray* I am a lover of literature, and of the special literary treasure that is the lit mag. Lit mags, literary journals, zines, and some graphic novels have so much overlap — and it is the publications…
Portrait of a Comics Journalist in 2014 (2/2)
Through September and October, I did a small survey of comics bloggers and journalists. I had 74 responses from a wide variety of writers. Some are popular, independent bloggers on WordPress and Tumblr. Some work for sites like the Mary Sue or IGN. And some are new bloggers, just finding their feet in the world of…
Britain, Books, Politics: Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan Said “The Ban on Sending Books to Prisoners Was Always an Absurd Policy”
If you had to hide drugs, would you hide them in a book? I wouldn’t. And if I was relying on drugs as either a balm or a currency during time spent in prison, would you say “well the exact thing she doesn’t need in her life is books?” No! Because you aren’t a bonehead….
WWAC on the Town: Lush Launches Sandlewood Smugglers Graphic Novel
Gorilla Perfume, an offshoot of Lush Cosmetics, have published their first graphic novel: On the Trail of Sandalwood Smugglers – a “true tale of deceit, duplicity and decapitation.” It’s the story behind the new Smugglers’ Soul unisex perfume, which uses the sought-after ingredient sandalwood oil and whose bottle features the image of notorious sandalwood baron…
Karen Abbott’s New “Women’s Magazine” About the Civil War
Karen Abbott is the author of Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys and the Battle for America’s Soul (2007), American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee (2010), and most recently Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy. She is a well-received author who focuses on nontraditional women in history. Basically, she’s…
Hogwarts, After Dark: Event and Interview
On Thursday, September 4th, I headed out of my home long after the sun had set. Like a young Mr. Harry Potter, I entered the train depot alone, unsure of what awaited me. Maybe I would find my Ron and Hermione on this Red line trip to the Northside of Chicago, I thought. Of course,…
Why PANELS Will Be Good for Comics Journalism and Comics Readers
BookRiot launched a companion site dedicated to comics called Panels. I cursed. I vowed revenge. More competition? Fucking great. But while I was annoyed on a personal (financial) level to see another big, general interest, comics site sprout up, I was also pleased as punch on a professional level. More competition? Fucking great!
Write About Comics? Do I Have the Survey for You!
So you write about comics in a professional or semi-professional (even quasi-maybe-sort-of-professional) capacity. So you’re interested in what other comics journalists and critics really think about the industry and its future. Well, you should definitely fill out this survey! The first of (at least) two, this survey aims to get some basic data about the…
Out with the Old and in with the New: Political Cartooning in Today’s Egypt
Journalism has always been a vehicle for keeping governments transparent and the public aware of those who rule over them. It’s also the first place to attack or stifle if the government wishes to maintain as much control over its people as possible. The political cartoons you see in news outlets (online and in print) play a…