Maker Comics: Grow a Garden!

The purpose of the Maker Comics line is admirable: to teach readers essential or entertaining skills in illustrated form. Unfortunately, while I was very interested in the topic, Maker Comics: Grow a Garden! by Alexis Frederick-Frost was the first series entry that disappointed me. It’s overwhelming....

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Young Charlotte, Filmmaker

I was reminded how much I enjoyed Frank Viva’s work during a recent re-read of A Trip to the Bottom of the World With Mouse, so I thought I’d check out some of his other picture books. I should have done that earlier, since Young Charlotte, Filmmaker was perfect for me. Produced by The Museum of Modern...

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LEGO DC Shazam! Magic & Monsters

LEGO DC Shazam! Magic & Monsters is the latest original animated film blending two major brands, following in the path of Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash, Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis, and of course, Lego Batman. (And boy, I’m glad they’ve streamlined the titles.)...

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Another Cells at Work Spinoff Coming

Boy, Cells at Work is its own little franchise, isn’t it? Makes sense — we’re all curious about how bodies work, and anthropomorphizing the functions and processes gives it all a sense of adventure (and in many cases with these series, fan service). In addition to the original manga by Akane Shimizu,...

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Clan Apis Returns in Color!

I have missed the wonderful true-science graphic novels of Jay Hosler. He’s put out, among others, The Sandwalk Adventures (about Charles Darwin and evolution, as told by eyebrow mites), Last of the Sandwalkers (the life of desert beetles), and Clan Apis (the biography of a honeybee). That last one...

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More J. Jonah Jameson to Come from JK Simmons

In this brief clip provided by SiriusXM, JK Simmons answers the question as to whether we’ll see him again as J. Jonah Jameson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This comes from a call-in to The Jess Cagle Show. I have to say, one thing the Marvel movies get very right is their casting. Simmons is perfect...

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Science Comics: Crows: Genius Birds

Science Comics: Crows: Genius Birds by Kyla Vanderklugt offers amazing insight into just how intelligent these birds are. That’s why I love this series: I had no idea about any of these facts before reading, and now I am fascinated by corvids (crows, magpies, jays, and ravens). Vanderklugt beautifully...

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The Midwinter Witch

The Midwinter Witch completes the trilogy Molly Knox Ostertag began with The Witch Boy and continued with The Hidden Witch. Aster, the boy witch, and Ariel, his new friend (who’s a bit undisciplined in her abilities), are attempting to catch up on their magic training. The family is preparing for the...

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Ants Don’t Wear Pants!

Kevin McCloskey has a mini empire of educational comics about everyday wildlife from Toon Books called “Giggle and Learn”. They’re handsome hardcovers, aimed at grades K-1, that feature humor and gross facts. The newest, Ants Don’t Wear Pants!, joins the following: We Dig Worms! The Real Poop on Pigeons!...

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Is the Single Comic Issue an Outdated Format?

Well, yes, but I’ve been saying that the book-format comic is a superior format for decades, now. (I made a list, somewhere, but searching “graphic novel” on this site is futile.) What spurred the latest? Retailer Brandon Schatz in his column at the Beat has an entry titled “The Death & Rebirth...

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SPX Legal Defense Fund Case Settled

Almost two years ago, a group of comic creators were sued by small-press publisher Cody Pickrodt for defamation when they accused him (or repeated the accusation) of what the law is calling “sexual misconduct”. Now, a statement has been issued that an out-of-court settlement has been reached. Eight...

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Marvel Releases Free Comic Book Titles in July, FCBD Still TBD

This is the problem with tying your Free Comic Book Day titles into storylines and events. That’s what a big superhero comic publisher has to sell, though — continuity and a shared universe. Free Comic Book Day has been indefinitely postponed. As “comics’ national holiday”, organizers need to be sure...

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Whatever Happened to Infinite Comics?

Matt O’Keefe at ComicsBeat has a wonderful overview of the infinite comic format — the way comics can become more digitally, using layers but (unlike motion comics) allowing users to set their own pace. My favorite part of this piece was when he answered a question I’ve had for a while, talking to Mark...

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Back Issue #120 Has LSH Info, Interview With KC

Legion of Super-Heroes fans, you’ll want to make sure to check out Back Issue #120, an issue of the comic history magazine dedicated to “heroes of tomorrow” — which means lots of Legion! KC Carlson (my husband and former long-running LSH editor) was interviewed for the lead article, a history of Mon-El/Valor....

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Doctor Who: The Runaway TARDIS

The latest Pop Classics storybook from Quirk Books is my favorite. Doctor Who: The Runaway TARDIS is, as with the others, illustrated by Kim Smith, who has a gorgeous, approachable, colorful style. The other credit is “based on the series by Chris Chibnall”, which means it’s the thirteenth Doctor, with...

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A Brief Complete History of Minx, DC’s Imprint for Girls

Minx was DC’s imprint aimed at teen girls, first announced in 2006. It ran for two years before being shuttered in fall 2008 due to distribution struggles (not reaching the bookstores they aimed for) and potentially, lack of interest. I thought I’d sum up its history and releases, now that it would...

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Ruby Rose Quits Batwoman

This is one of those “shame we’ll never know” stories. The star of Batwoman, Ruby Rose, has left the show, and no one’s saying why, although there was a significant on-set injury during a stunt, and the typically regressive superhero audience harassed the actor off of Twitter. Warner will be replacing...

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SPX Cancelled for 2020

The premier American small-press convention has been cancelled for this year. The Small Press Expo, held every September in Bethesda, Maryland, has been called off in 2020 due to COVID-19 (as it should be, given the amount of uncertainty). (By the by, I miss the spxpo.com URL, which has apparently been...

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Unicorn Bowling

Unicorn Bowling is the ninth in the Phoebe and Her Unicorn series. (I’m behind; there have been two more books out since this one: The Unicorn Whisperer and Camping with Unicorns.) Most collect the comic strips; a couple are original, longer stories, but this isn’t one of them. That means this book...

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New Japanese Laws Criminalize Unlicensed Manga Downloads

Not much to say about this, since I know very little about Japanese law, but I did find it interesting enough to note. According to TorrentFreak, Japan’s parliament passed new copyright amendments Friday that ban the unlicensed downloading of manga, magazines, and academic texts from the internet, in...

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