PW Comics World: More To Come

Sony may buy Kadokawa; the legal situation at Action Lab, discuss the growth of Bluesky, scrutinize Bindings, a new comics marketing app; the growing DC Compact Comics line; Abrams ComicArts' new Marvel kids manga line (and DC pop-up title); the price of indie comics; and AnimeNYC’s expansion to four days.

Meg Lemke interviews Kendra Boileau, the Publisher of Penn State University Press's comics imprint Graphic Mundi, about how an academic book series on graphic medicine morphed into a trade imprint aimed at publishing global voices; what it’s like to edit comics at a scholarly institution; key titles to their mission; and new and forthcoming releases.

The crowdfunded returns of ‘Metal Hurlant’ and ‘Heavy Metal’; tribute to the memories of Kazuo Umezo and Greg Hildebrant; DC’s Absolute revamps of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman; the relocation of the Desert Island comics bookstore; the Vatican’s anime influenced mascot; ‘Here’, the movie; the revised edition of ‘Origins of Marvel Comics’; and Deb Aoki’s trip around the world of manga-influenced comics.

In this month's Stargazing segment, Meg Lemke and Calvin Reid highlight the five adult graphic novels on PW’s 2024 Best Books list (Including 'The Heart That Fed' by Carl Sciacchitano), and the graphic titles on the annual Holiday Gift Guide; plus a few of their favorite graphic works not included on either listing.

This week on More to Come, the co-hosts Calvin Reid, Heidi MacDonald, and Kate Fitzsimons with Meg Lemke disccuss all the news from New York Comic Con 2024: the first Retailer Day, ICv2 Insider Talks, reactions to the Javits and the exhibit floor, programming, new publishing ventures, the growing impact of manga/anime and webtoons, the Harvey Awards, artist interviews, and the best parties including The Beat’s 20 year anniversary party.

In part 3 of More to Come's NYCC 2024 coverage, Heidi MacDonald talks with Brian Mariotti of Thrilljoy collectibles, formerly of Funko; Calvin Reid interviews and tours the convention floor with comics creator Tim Fielder of 'Graphic History of Hiphop'; and Kate Fitzsimons catches end of con interviews with comics creators Charles Soule, Fawnduu and Jeremy Bastian.

In part 2 of More to Come's NYCC 2024 coverage, Heidi MacDonald talks with comic creator and director Derek Kirk Kim, about his new book 'The Last Mermaid' and his years away from comics; and Meg Lemke interviews comics creators Oliver Bly, creator of 'The Mushroom Knight' and winner of the promising newcomer Ignatz award; and Tula Lotay and Helen Mullane about 'Groupies', their new series on Comixology, to come out in trade by Mad Cave.

In part 1 of More to Come's NYCC 2024 coverage, Calvin Reid talks with writer David Walker and artist Marcus Kwame Anderson about their graphic novel ‘Big Jim and the White Boy’, a response to Mark Twain’s ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’; and Meg Lemke interviews comics creators Chip Zdarsky 'The All Nighter', and Curt Pires 'Money' - both of which are released in digital series by Comixology and trade print editions by Dark Horse.

The upcoming New York Comic Con; plus fundraisers at Desert Island Comics and Silver Sprockett, and disaster support from BINC; the launch of the Comics Courier, a print critical journal; new hires at Tokyopop and IDW, and allegations of abusive labor practices at Chinese manhua publishers. 

PW graphic novels editor Meg Lemke talks with Calvin about two graphic memoirs: ‘Past Tense: Facing Family Secrets and Finding Myself in Therapy’ by Sacha Mardou, a complex tale of multifamily dysfunction and immersive therapy; and ‘I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together: A Memoir’ by Maurice Vellekoop, a stylish reflection on a demanding father and surviving a homophobic society. Also at SPX, Meg interviews Dash Shaw about his new graphic novel ‘Blurry.’  

A preview of New York Comic Con and the Brooklyn Book Festival; Meg and Heidi report on visits to SPX and Baltimore Comic Con; plus comings and goings at Boom! Studios and Bad Idea; and the launch of Ninth Circle, a new horror imprint at Image Comics.

Live from SPX 2024, Heidi talks with Ignatz winner Robyn Smith (‘Night Fever’), Luke Healy (‘Self Esteem,’ and ‘End of the World’); while Meg interviews Beth Hetland (‘Tender’), Tara Booth (‘Processing’), and Sig Burwash (‘Vera Bushwack’).

A tribute to the memory of comics artist John Cassaday (1972-2024); plus promotions and new staff cuts at IDW; webtoon licensing deals; news on manga piracy; AI manga translations; book bans; and upcoming shows and conventions, including SPX, Baltimore Comic Con, and the Brooklyn Book Festival.

Calvin and PW graphic novels reviews editor Meg Lemke discuss two graphic novels: Sole Otero’s ‘Mothballs’, a multigenerational saga about female disenfranchisement and despair, and Charles Burns' ‘Final Cut,’ a stylish meditation on the aimless friend-groups and awkward sexual encounters of the young, and the mesmerizing spectacle of movies and how they are made.

Calvin Reid, Heidi MacDonald, and Kate Fitzsimons report on the AnimeNYC (August 23-25), Flame Con (Aug 17-18), and Fanatics Fest (August 16-18) conventions; preview the upcoming CXC convention and salute Annie Koyama, winner of CXC's Tom Spurgeon Award; scratch their heads over a new publishing launch; pay tribute to memories of the late Joyce Brabner and Elena Salcedo; and look back on Disney’s acquisition of Marvel 15 years ago this week.

Calvin interviews writer Loo Hui Phang about her new graphic novel 'Erased: An Actor of Color's Journey Through the Heyday of Hollywood', created with artist Hugues Micol, an imaginative work that dissects the history of Hollywood filmmaking and its role in shaping American racial stereotypes. The book’s story is based around the fictional life and film career of a charismatic, polemical, indeed mythic, mixed-race character, who emerges from the Hollywood studio system in the 1930s.

This week on More to Come, co-hosts Calvin Reid, Heidi MacDonald, and Kate Fitzsimons report on the Harvey and Ignatz nominations, plus, New York Comic Con expands, Meg breaks down PW’s Fall 2024 Comics and Graphic Novel Preview, and we follow the money at DSTLRY, Colin Kaepernick and AI, VoyceMe, Zestworld, and Apple’s Patreon cash grab.

Calvin and PW graphic novels reviews editor Meg Lemke talk about two distinctive graphic memoirs: ‘The Heart That Fed’ by Carl Sciacchitano, a moving examination of his father’s traumatic combat service during the Vietnam War; and, ‘The Field’ by David Lapp, a lively recollection of a childhood summer in the Ontario suburbs.

A recap of the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con: Marvel shows out, DC goes All-In, new publishing ventures, Eisner award-winners, PW’s Book Buzz panel, the Con Daily, The Beat marks 20 years with Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud, manga and webtoons, pricey food, Covid at the Con and, more.

In part 3 of More to Come's SDCC 2024 coverage, Heidi 'The Beat' MacDonald talks with comics writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta about DC's new All In initiative coming this October, and Meg Lemke interviews comics creator Jordan Morris about his new YA graphic novel 'Youth Group', about teen exorcists.