Monthly Archives: September 2010

All Aboard! Time To Jump On The Banned Book Wagon

September 30, 2010
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The American Library Association has published their 2010 list of 10 popular Graphic Novels (and Collected Editions) that have come under fire and have faced removal in recent years. It’s not an indictment on whether or not it’s good or bad but the value one gets out of the content. Think of it as movie ratings in classrooms and library’s.

  • “Absolute Sandman,” by Neil Gaiman
    • Reasons: Anti-Family, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
  • “Blankets,” by Craig Thompson
    • Reasons: Sexually Explicit content, Other (unspecified)
  • “Bone (series),” by Jeff Smith
    • Reasons: Sexually Explicit content, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs
  • “Fun Home” by Alison Bechdel
    • Reasons: Sexually Explicit Content
  • “Maus” by Art Spiegelman
    • Reason: Anti Ethnic
  • “Pride of Baghdad,” by Brian K. Vaughn
    • Reasons: Sexually Explicit Content
  • “Tank Girl,” by Jamie Hewlitt
    • Reasons: Nudity and Violence
  • “The Dark Knight Strikes Again,” by Frank Miller
    • Reasons: Sexually Explicit Content
  • “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier,” by Alan Moore
    • Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit Content and Unsuited to Age Group
  • “Watchmen,” by Alan Moore
    • Reasons: Unsuited to Age Group

Going back to my movie reference above, every time TNT (or the major networks) airs historical and accurate films like Saving Private Ryan or Schindler’s List it is always shown uncut and includes the swearing and nudity. Yes, there is a disclaimer, and it is educational, but can’t the same be said for these books on the list, like Maus or Watchmen? Like many of you, I find these lists laughable and disturbing at the same time. That’s not to say I don’t want Playboy at my local library for my 10-year-old to browse through. So I feel some censorship is allowed but it can be done with oversight I.E. good and well run library’s (and schools) with parents that know what their kids are reading (and watching on TV or the internet).

And Bone? Really? I think every kid in my children’s elementary school has already finished the One Volume.

What do you think?

CCL Podcast #287 – Interview with Dean Mullaney, Library of American Comics (IDW)

September 28, 2010
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Collected Comics Library Podcast #287
45,406Kb; 49m 29s

On this special episode, I sit down with Dean Mullaney, Creative Director of award winning The Library of American Comics imprint from IDW. Dean comes with years of experience in the comic book business including publishing the very first Graphic Novel to the Direct Market, Sabre. He is also the founder of Eclipse Comics, which published Miracleman by Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman. Everything you want to know about the LoAComics are here: it’s foundation, the team including new marketing Director Beau Smith, favorite creators like Alex Toth, Al Williamson, Archie Goodwin, Gray Morrow, Milton Caniff, Alex Raymond, Noel Sickles, Chester Gould and many others. Dean and I are also joined by Associate Art Director Lorraine Turner to discuss her involvement with with the projects including special features and design. It’s a very exciting time for Dean, LoAComics and IDW and we also talk about forthcoming books which include:

  • Genius, Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth (November, 2011)
  • Ultimate Alex Raymond Collection: The Definitive Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim (3 or 4 volumes starting in 2011)
  • Miss Fury by Tarpe Mills: The Best of the 1940′s (Spring/Summer 2011)
  • The Complete Crawford 1977-1978 by Chuck Jones (Christmas 2011)
  • Smokey Stover by Bill Holman (Christmas 2011)
  • Outland: The Complete Library and then Opus: The Complete Library from Berkeley Breathed (these books will begin after Bloom County is finished)

Library of American Comics
IDW Publishing

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Spice And Wolf Vol 3

No More DGTL Comics

September 24, 2010
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The past 12 months have been an exciting time in the comic book industry: Marvel/Disney, IDW making huge improvements in sales and stature, and just a few days ago DC Comics restructuring, well, just about everything. Then there’s the rise of Digital Comics. Sure, digital has been around for a few years, but with the release of Apple’s iPad things really took off in 2010.

I admit that I got caught up in it. After all, digital comics are reprints, per sea, and I’m all about the reprints. I made a decision to start a new blog DGTL Comics after I met with David Steinberger, CEO of ComiXology, at C2E2 this past April. I could see the need for a place for people to go to get information, new and reviews of Digital Comics. I did do a few Blog posts and I wanted to get the DGTL Comics Podcast off the ground but it nave came to fruition. It’s been hard to get it off the ground and rather then letting it suffer and be stagnate, I am closing it down as of today. The DGTL Comics Twitter feed I set up however, has been excellent and easy to maintain and will continue to link to digital comics and technology news. I’ll also continue to to small digital news items on the Collected Comics Library Podcast each week.

CCL Podcast #286 – Marvelman Classic HC

September 22, 2010
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Collected Comics Library Podcast #286
29,937Kb; 29m 57s

Last summer at Comic Con 2009 all the buzz was about Marvel obtaining the reprint rights to Marvelman. Immediately everyone seemed to say “Hooray!” Alan Moore and Neil Gaimen and everyone else have put aside their differences and we were going to have the most sought after comic finally in our hands! Then we were reminded that this was Mick Anglo’s Marvelman and not Miracleman. Our hopes were dashed but we seemed OK with it because perhaps it would pave the way to what we actually want. 18 months later (including Marvel December 2010 solicitations) was have a 6-issue Best Of periodical series called Marvelman Family’s Finest and a Marvelman Premiere Hardcover that reprints his adventures in chronological order. No new series and certainly no Miracleman, just a few reprints from a bygone era. Needless to say I’m a bit disappointed in Marvel’s efforts particularly the way Joe Quesada hyped up the announcement. I hoping that all will change come 2011. Today I take a look at the Hardcover and I have some mixed feelings about it. One one hand it is good to see this in print. But on the other hand it seems all that the Marvel did was slap a hardcover on what seems to be the same type of paper that is used in their Essential line of books. This is a pity because it could have easily been reprinted on higher quality paper – and for $39.99 it should have.  I’ll get into that and more on today’s podcast.

Other topics discussed today include:

  • Upcoming newspaper collected editions
  • More Smurfs
  • Usagi Yojimbo Deluxe Fantagraphics in October
  • DC Solicits and DC Comics Presents / Wildstorm is now doing it!
  • Digital Update: Graphic.ly/Marvel and Who owns mobile?

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Incal Classic Collection Deluxe HC
Chopper Surf’s Up
Vampire Knight Vol 11
Batman The Joker’s Asylum Vol 2
Daredevil By Bendis & Maleev Ultimate Collection Book 3

August 2010 Comic Book Collected Edition Sale Estimates

September 22, 2010
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John Mayo from Comic Book Page and CBR and Chris Marshall of the Collected Comics Library podcast discuss the sales estimates for the top 300 graphic novels and collected editions for August 2010.

Listed are the Top 15 (Price, publisher, title, and sales estimate):

  1. $11.99 ONI Press Scott Pilgrim v6: Finest Hour GN 8,092
  2. $14.99 DC Comics Cinderella From Fabletown With Love TPB 5,340
  3. $12.99 DC Comics Unwritten v2: Inside Man TPB 4,984
  4. $11.99 ONI Press Scott Pilgrim v1: Precious Little Life GN 4,818
  5. $24.99 Marvel Comics Dark Tower Battle of Jericho Hill PREM HC 3,832
  6. $9.99 Image Comics Walking Dead v1: Days Gone Bye TPB 3,793
  7. $10.99 Scholastic Bone Tall Tales TPB 3,448
  8. $14.99 Image Comics Walking Dead v12: Life Among Them TPB 3,398
  9. $11.99 ONI Press Scott Pilgrim v2: Vs the World GN 3,367
  10. $11.99 ONI Press Scott Pilgrim v3: Infinite Sadness GN 3,019
  11. $19.99 Marvel Comics Daredevil the Devils Hand TPB 2,717
  12. $12.99 DC Comics Batman Arkham Reborn TPB 2,652
  13. $24.99 DC Comics Losers v2 TPB 2,575
  14. $11.99 ONI Press Scott Pilgrim v5: Vs the Universe GN 2,574
  15. $11.99 ONI Press Scott Pilgrim v4: Gets It Together GN 2,482

Links:
Mayo Report articles on Comic Book Resources
Email us at MayoReport@ComicBookPage.com with any questions or comment you have on the episode or post on our forum.
Join the discussion on our forum
This podcast episode originated on the Comic Book Page website