It’s a weird year. That goes without saying, given the…*gestures everywhere* nature of 2020. But it’s certainly no different in comics, especially in the direct market where product release schedules are unpredictable, distribution options are shifting, and comic shops are open or closed depending on the whims of varying levels of government. Pair that with … Continued

With a new volume of November on the horizon and her currently being Kickstarted artbook hitting six figures, artist Elsa Charretier is cooking right now. The story was similar earlier this year when we talked on Off Panel, but it feels like it’s taken to a new level with her current Kickstarter for a new … Continued

I’ve noticed a recent uptick in people tweeting pretty similar questions about one subject lately, and that’s, “Who are the best designers in comics?” I’m not sure if it’s happening because of random chance or because there’s a genuine groundswell of support for better design in comics, but almost all of these tweets come with … Continued

I’m friendly with a lot of comic shops, but if there was a Mount Rushmore for retailers for me, Patrick Brower – the co-owner of Chicago’s Challengers Comics + Conversation – would definitely be there. He’s one of the great evangelists the medium of comics really has, with the excellent shop he co-owns with W. … Continued

To close the loop on this week’s monster feature on crowdfunding, I wanted to share one more interview in full because it’s with the creator who is arguably most synonymous with comics on Kickstarter: C. Spike Trotman. The founder and owner of Iron Circus Comics was one of the most essential people I spoke to … Continued

Yesterday’s massive feature on crowdfunding featured a whole lot of very smart, very insightful voices on the world of comics and crowdfunding, but there’s likely no one more tuned in on that side of the world than Kickstarter’s own Margot Atwell. Atwell is the Head of Publishing at Kickstarter, and because of that, the person … Continued

Comics being Kickstarted isn’t necessarily always interesting, as that occurrence happens a lot. It’s fairly run of the mill these days, and they still need to be relevant to your interests to draw your attention. The currently being Kickstarted graphic novella Blacking Out manages to do that in a number of ways. It’s drawn by … Continued

Jim Rugg is undeniably one of the most consistently interesting and surprising comic creators around. Whether you’re talking about his work on titles like Street Angel or my personal favorite Afrodisiac, Rugg has a rare gift to tell comic stories unlike any others you’ve ever come across. And he’s back at it once again with … Continued

Yesterday, I covered DC’s divorce from Diamond Comic Distributors at great length, answering ten key questions about the move in the process. Within that piece, I shared quotes from retailers I spoke to, and because they gave me so much, I wanted to make sure I shared not just highlights, but everything they thought about … Continued

So, comics are back. Kind of. This past week marked the first Wednesday back to semi-normal operations, as every publisher but Marvel released new comics through Diamond on May 20th. While there are all kinds of oddities and caveats to go with that return date – DC has been publishing via DCBS and Midtown for … Continued