Fun Home Might Find Its Home on Broadway

Fun Home is a work by Alison Bechdel, creator of Dykes to Watch Out For. Described as a family tragicomedy the story is actually a memoir of Alison dealing with her dysfunctional family life. Alison lives with her family at her father's funeral home. As she is struggling with her sexuality she discovers that maybe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It covers difficult topics like sexual orientation, gender roles, and suicide. The complex content has proved troubling for some. It was removed from a Missouri public library and challenged in Utah and South Carolina for its use at the university level.

At 240 pages, the graphic novel was originally published 2006 in hardcover format, quickly topping the New York Times’ bestseller list. Months later, was serialized in France by Libération newspaper and then released as a whole by Éditions Denoël . Fun Home was an official selection at the Angoulême International Comics Festival but did not win the award. Italian, Portuguese, German, Hungarian, Korean, Polish, and Chinese translations followed since its release.

It won the GLAAD Media Award, Stonewall Book Award, and an Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work. It also appeared on many best of the year, decade, century book lists- further closing the gap between novels and graphic novels.

A theatrical adaption, “the first mainstream musical about a young lesbian” opened Off-Broadway at The Public Theatre on Sept. 30, 2023 until January 12. 2014. The script and lyrics were written by Lisa Kron(Well) and the score is by Jeanine Tesori (Shrek the Musical).  Beth Malone stars as Alison Bechdel (Sydney Lucas and Alexandra Socha play younger versions in the flashback scenes). Michael Cerveris plays Alison’s father Bruce and Judy Kuhn, her mother, Helen.

The musical has won the Critics Circle Award for Best Musical and the Lortel Awards for Best Musical. Cervaris won the Lortel Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal as Bruce.

The musical is now being shopped for a run on Broadway.

A sequel to Fun Home: Are You My Mother? : A Comic Drama, focuses on Alison’s relationship with her mother, Helen, was released in 2012. 

Another Graphic MSP to be Released (in Brazil) in 2015

On the fourth and final day of the 20th Fest Comix, the Graphic MSP presentation featured the participation of Sidney Gusman, responsible for the editorial planning of Mauricio de Sousa Productions, and the authors Danilo Beyruth (Astronauta: Magnetar), Vitor Cafaggi (Monica’s Gang: Links), and Gustavo Duarte (Chico Bento: Space Ship).

They talked about how the project was born and grew from the success of the anthology MSP 50- Mauricio de Sousa by 50 Artists (2009) and its continuations, and how each cartoonist was invited to produce their respective graphic novels.

After the first four titles – Astronauta – Magnetar (2012), Turma da Mônica – Laços(2013), Chico Bento – Pavor Espaciar (2013) e Piteco – Ingá (2013) – six new albums were announced last year, during FIQ (International Festival of Comics). Of these, two are sequels: Astronaut 2 and Monica’s Gang 2.

This year, two editions will be released. Bidu will be released at the Biannual Book Festival of São Paulo and Astronaut 2will be released in December at Comic Con Experience. This means the four remaining books (Monica’s Gang 2, Jungle Kingdom, Papa- Capim and Bug-a-Boo the Ghost) will be released in 2015, right?

Wrong.

Sidney Gusman told the audience that, next year, a Graphic MSP not yet announced will be the first to be released in 2015. The reveal will happen at Gibicon, an event that will take place in Curitiba in September.

The objective is to publish four graphic novels a year, every three months, and that all the characters of MSP are available to win an album. The only exception, at the moment, is Horacio the dinosaur. “Mauricio (de Sousa) asked for us to not use Horacio right now, due to the special affection he has for the character,” he revealed. “The most important part is to find an author who knows how to work with the beloved character.”

Sidney commemorated the results from the project’s repercussions. “All four sold very well, some had second printings and others are to be reprinted. Magnetar already was publishing in Italy, Germany, France, and Spain. I am trying to develop a way to confirm this, but I am almost certain that Links is the best selling national (Brazilian) graphic novel of all time. And it keeps on selling.”

The editor talked about the creative liberty of each author, and affirmed that, like the children’s comics, the Graphic MSP won’t have an official continuity. “If tomorrow another author wants to work with Astronaut, it will be his Astronaut, with a different representation than Danilo’s. They won’t need to continue what was done before. We won’t follow chronologically,” he explained.

And with the release of Astronaut 2 and Monica’s Gang 2, does this mean that each author will do a trilogy? “I would love if each author could do three albums each. Depending on the success, nothing would impede coming out with a third edition, and the three is interesting in comics, no? I like it; it’s lucky,” joked Gusman.

There are negotiations for other albums to be released abroad. The brand could possibly produce related products. There is speculation of animated projects or even live action films, even though the studio hasn’t commented about the possibility.

News of this could be released shortly.

(Original article: Graphic MSP ainda não anunciada será lançada em 2015, written by Samir Naliato on May 6, 2014. Republished and translated with permission from UniversoHQ)



Monica has spawned many successful business ventures. This past year, the Flash animated series of shorts, Monica Toy, has garnered international attention. The shorts star Monica, Jimmy Five, Smudge, and Maggy and their day to day exploits. What makes the series viable for international markets is that the stories feature only sound effects, eliminating any need for translation. The shorts are humorous and introduce the world to the magic of Monica and her friends. Following all good properties comes merchandise; Monica Toy has spawned vinyl figures, home decor, clothes, and school supplies. Graphic MSP has the potential to go worldwide; the passion and talent is present, all that it needs now is marketing and an impeccable translation.

Free (Indian) Comic Book Weekend For All!

International comic month continues. Our next stop is India for Free Comic Book Weekend (FCBW). Readwhere.com and Comic Con India have teamed up to offer free comics on the Readwhere app. The weekend seeks to “increase popularity of Indian comics among today’s generation.”

“We are taking steps to ensure that Indian comics are available to its fans easily,” said Jatin Varma, head of Comic Con India. Eight publishers are taking part in the event including world renowned Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) and Diamond Comics. "Relive your childhood. Be a kid again!" the site proposes.

It is necessary to download the readwhere app through its website (also free). The app is compatible with Android decides, Apple devices (specifically noted the iPad), and PCs and tablets that have Windows 8.1 or higher.

Readers can choose from five comics per account from a selection of ten comics. Draupadi: The Fire-Born Princess (Campfire Graphic Novels), Tinkle (ACK), Satya Police (Pop Culture Publishing), and the fan favorite Chacha Chaudhary (ACK) are standouts. Some of the titles are in Hindi (the website, however, is in English.

This is the second Free Comic Book Weekend held in India. Manish Dhingra, co-founder and director of readwhere.com, stated they supplied free comics to “more than 15, 000 comic book enthusiasts” the previous FCBW.

Free Comic Book Weekend is May 3rd and 4th in India. Keep in mind India is 10 hours ahead of New York local time (Eastern Time).

Head to http://www.readwhere.com/fcbw2014 and get reading. The same page includes “Comics on Sale” ; don’t get confused!

May is international comic book month!

May is international comic book month!

The 20th Annual FestComix will take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil from May 1st-4th.

Thursday will have panels about Marvel and DC, held by their foreign distributor, Panini Comics. Jheremy Raapack will talk about his work on Injustice for DC Digital. Translated manga and independent comics will also be discussed.

Friday : Joshua Dysart (Harbinger) will talk about reintroducing the Valiant Universe together with Brazilian distributor HQM. Shawn Martinbrough will talk about his work on Thief of Thieves. Cartoonists and editors will discuss the zombie invasion in comics. There will be a special panel preparing Brazilian national comics for international markets.

Saturday: Cartoonists talk about their favorite childhood heroes, Panini announces more Manga titles, and artists and writers talk about their work on Disney Comics. Jim Krueger ( Justice, Project Superheroes, Buffy)  will chat about his acclaimed work with Marvel, DC, and Dynamite.

Sunday, the festival will close with a celebration of Batman and Superman’s 75th, a round table talk with Will Conrad, Joe Bennet, Daniel HDR, and Marcelo Mailo about producing good artwork. Editor Sidney Gusman will talk about Graphics MSP with its creators Vitor Cagaggi, Danio Beyruth, and Gustavo Duarte. Jim Kreuger returns to talk about the Golden Age in the super hero world.

Also this weekend, in the United States, is the twelfth annual Free Comic Book Day. With involvement by practically all the major comic book companies in the business, each provides comic book stores across America with a free sample comic (often new stories). Some libraries also participate in FCBD, encouraging young readers. The program is all about outreach. It is aimed to introduce new readers; they even have a comic book explanation guide for those new to the comic book world. FCBD also strives to invite back readers who may have stopped collecting comics for one reason or another. It is also a thank you to current comic books readers.

The day also coincides with major motion picture releases based on comics. The first Free Comic Book Day followed the release of the first Spider-Man back in 2002. X2, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, Iron Man, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Iron Man 2, Thor, The Avengers, and Iron Man 3 all invited excited moviegoers to check out their local comic store on opening weekend to experience a piece of the magic that inspired these larger than life films. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opens May 2nd.

Click here to see the 57 free comics offered this year. Many shops have limits on the amount of comics you can take. Most shops also have great sales and special offers to commemorate the important weekend. DC Comics made a map to track where their creators will be appearing on Saturday. Don’t know where your nearest comic shop is? Check out Comic Shop Locator.

Not to be left in the dust, France is celebrating their Bande dessinée this month. Why just one day? France is trying out 48 hours (2 days) of the BD. The website have yet divulge what comics will be available but will be offering 100,000 BD. The event will take place May 16 and 17. French publishers Casterman, Dargaud, Dupuis, Fluide Glacial, Wide Angle, Jungle, The Lombard and Urban Comics are all involved. 

Gabriel García Márquez Immortalized In a (Non-US) Comic Book

The publisher Editora Veneta just announced the release of Gabo- Memories of a Magic Life, a biography about the Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez. The script is by Óscar Pantoja, winner of the Alejo Caprentier award in 2001, and illustrated by four Colombian graphic artists: Miguel Bustos, Felipe Camargo, Tatiana Córdoba and Julián Naranjo.

The graphic novel narrates the life of the writer from his childhood, in Aracataca, until winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1982. The release will be in May, but the publisher hasn’t divulged details about the format or price.

The work was originally published by Spanish publisher Sins Entido, last year, and almost arrived in Brazil through Editora Record.  

Gabriel García Márquez died today, April 17, at 87, in his house in Mexico. He was fighting a relapse of cancer that struck his lungs, ganglion and liver. Weakened by the disease, he was receiving treatment in his house.

(Original article: Editora Veneta anuncia biografia deGabriel García Márquez em quadrinhos, written by Samir Naliato on April 17, 2014. Reprinted and translated with permission by UniversoHQ)

That was fast. Gabo has not been picked up by an English publisher yet. NBM, Fantagraphics, or Abrams could very likely translate and distribute the book stateside. Stay tuned to Culture of Comics for more information regarding the inevitable English language release. Bluewater Productions is famous for printing timely comic-styled biographies about celebrities, politicians or anyone else in the current events. 

ComiXology and Amazon: A New Comic Book Pairing

Amazon announced the acquisition of comiXology, one of the biggest platforms for digital comics in the world, further amplifying their presence in the online marketplace.

According to the company “comiXology revolutionized the digital comic reading experience with their immersive technology, and made it easier and fun to discover, buy and read comics and graphic novels.”

For the president and cofounder of comiXology, David Steinberger, Amazon is the ideal place for the platform and, working together, the companies will rush in a new era for the industry.

“The two companies share the passion in reinventing reading in a digital world. We invest in this market, building a team and bringing comics to more people”, confirmed David Naggar, president of Amazon.

ComiXolgy was founded in 2007, releasing comics from the principal publishers of the United States and also other parts of the world. The releases are available on platforms simultaneously as the printed versions arrive at comic book stores.

(Original article: Amazon compra plataforma de HQs digitais comiXology, written by Samir Naliato on April 11, 2014. Republished and translated with permission by UniversoHQ)



ComiXolgy, with Amazon’s visibility, could mean great things for the industry. ComiXolgy offered self publishing, retailer perks, and huge sales-not to mention free comics. ComiXology has been inching into the international community, with an office opened in France. Amazon’s Kindle offers books in many languages from all over the world. Read David Steinberger’s message on the merger on the comiXology website.

 Amazon has a fan-fiction initiative for the Kindle which “authorizes anyone to create and sell fan fiction” inspired by certain properties. Among the open properties are the Valiant Entertainment characters including Archer, Armstrong, X-O Manowar, Shadowman and Bloodshot. Find out more about that here. 

Saudi Arabia Has 99 Problems...

The 99 was created in 2007 by Stuart Moore, John McCrea, and Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa and published by Teshkeel Comics. The name stems from the eventual 99 member team of young super powered citizens of the planet. Their powers can complement each other and work best in certain groups of three, depending on the problem at hand. This stresses tolerance and diversity. They have already teamed up with DC superheroes like Batman and Superman. Download a free copy of the origin of the team at Comixology.

The comic has not been without its controversy among conservatives. Despite the controversy, The 99 franchise has a animated series broadcast in 70 countries and a theme park in Kuwait. In 2010, at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship in 2010, President of the United States Barack Obama mentioned the 99 and head creator Dr. Naif Al Mutawa. “His comic books have captured the imagination of so many young people,with superheroes who embody the teachings and tolerance of Islam,” the President said. President Obama is an admitted comic book collector. In 2011, The 99 CGI  feature film debuted in New York and Dubai film festivals.

Saudi Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta issued a fatwa, or formal legal opinion, on The 99 recently. They call for the banning of the series for flouting religious values. “There have been numerous Twitter campaigns against me for a while now and so for me it’s not new,” Al Mutawa said to Gulf Business. “Maybe it is true this time, but I find it very difficult to believe that a group as influential and high profile [as the Saudi Committee] wouldn't recognise the good that THE 99 has done for Muslims around the world.”The creators were not notified of the ban and there is no official word if that is the case. The series(animated and comic) have been successfully sold in Saudi Arabia for many years now without official challenges. Al Mutawa vows that the franchise upholds strong Muslim values and cites that it is an uneducated opinion based on heresy.



The 2011 DC Comics/ Tashkeel Comics’collaboration , JLA:The 99, six issue miniseries is available on Comixology. The series is also available in Arabic. Download Beginnings for free(in English) here. Promotional information and more information is available at the official 99 website. 

How Much Would You Pay For a Comic? Name Your Price

The online comic store Mais Gibis(More Comics) is premiering a new way of payment, called “Name Your Price”, for select titles.

With this option, the reader will decide how much they want to pay for some editions, like Gibi Quântico("Quantam Comics") or Manual da Autodestruição("Self-destruction Manual"), and collaborate with the creators. The price paid could be any value upwards of 1 Real(.50 US cents). If the reader prefers, they can enter R$0.00 and download the issues for free.

Quantam Comics,  available through Mais Comics is created by 10 writers and various talents of Brazil

"Quantam Comics" is one of the new titles available through the site. Others include Pieces 1 and 2, by Mario Cau; and Os Passarinhos e Outros Bichos("The Birds and Other Animals"), by Estevão Ribeiro and published by Balão Editorial.(Other titles do not feature the "Name Your Price" flexibility)

To see the full catalog of digital titles, check out the site.

(Original article: Site Mais Gibis estreia o modelo Quer pagar quanto? Written by Samir Naliato on March 19, 2014. Reprinted and translated by permission from UniversoHQ)

Stateside, Brian K. Vaughan(Saga, Y the Last Man, Runaways) and Marcos Martin(Daredevil, Doctor Strange:The Oath, The Amazing Spider-Man) teamed up to “deliver original comics directly to readers around the world, who pay whatever the hell they want…” This format takes the middle man(distributors, publishers) out of the picture and all proceeds go right to the hands of the creators. Their digital exclusive series, The Private Eye, has been getting rave reviews and is currently in the middle of its proposed ten issue run. 

Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin through The Panel Syndicate

An appreciated feature is that the issues are available in English, Spanish and Catalan- with older issues available in additional Portuguese and French as well. Try it out at panelsyndicate.com. 

This is a great way to show comics are not a luxury item and that the medium can be enjoyed by all cultures and economic classes. Comics are for everyone!

Mauricio de Sousa's Graphic MSP Ready to Take Brazil by Storm!

Two new graphic novels have been announced for Mauricio de Sousa Productions/Panini Comics Brazil’s Graphic MSP line. Graphic MSP started in 2012 with an idea to let Brazil’s best artists put their spin on Brazil’s most famous character catalog. During Mauricio de Sousa’s 50+ years in the business he has created countless characters from neighborhood kids and green elephants, blue puppy dogs and plump astronauts, teens, hillbillies, Amazonian natives and the living dead-all kid friendly teaching life lessons with crazy and humorous situations.

The first graphic novel, released at the end of 2012, was Astronauta(Astronaut)- Magnetar by Danilo Beyruth. The name comes from the magnetic neutron star. The novel, 8 pages in total, has been translated and distributed to other members of the Panini group: Germany (Der Astronaut), France (Astronaute- Au Coeur du Magneta), Italy(L’Astronauta Magnetar), and Spain (Astronauta Magnetar). The title is being shopped around for English publishers.

Panini Spain's Astronauta Magnetar

Panini Germany's Der Astronaut

Panini France's Astronaute- Au Coeur du Magneta

Panini Italy's L’Astronauta Magnetar

The second installment united the brother and sister act Lu and Vitor Cafaggi with their Turma da Mônica – Laços(Monica’s Gang- Ties), released last May. Gustavo Duarte continued the series with Chico Bento- Pavor Espaciar( Chuck Billy- Extra Terrestrial Terror) in August and Italian Shiko contributed with Piteco- Ingá about a prehistoric caveman, Piteco. These graphic novels have repetitively topped best of lists in Brazil by the countries’ biggest critics and connoisseurs.

Turma da Mônica – Laços by Lu Cafaggi and Vitor Cafaggi

Chico Bento- Pavor Espaciar by Gustavo Duarte

Piteco- Ingá by Shiko

The coordinator of the Graphic MSP initiative, Sidney Gusman, released the following tidbit today on Facebook and Twitter:

Well, the hour has arrived! There will be TWO Graphic MSP publications this year! He who will have the honor( and the responsibility) of opening the services is…Bidu, by Eduardo Damasceno and Luis Felipe Garrocho, which should come out at Book Biannual of Sao Paulo, in August. And, in Decmeber, it will be Astronauta 2’s turn, by Danilo Beyruth, with colors by Cris Peter. The idea is to coordinate the release with the Comic Con Experience event. 

Bidu, by Eduardo Damasceno and Luis Felipe Garrocho

Astronauta 2, by Danilo Beyruth, with colors by Cris Peter

And why only two, if we announced six books? Initially, it would have been four, but, to hold the price (r$19.90 for trade paperback and r$29.90 for hardcover), Panini will print these books in the Orient. This relies on sending the files very, very early.
So, to not pressure the production of the artists, we readjusted the schedule, so that, on wards of 2015, we will have four books per year, reoccurring every three months. And we are working to make this come true!

The other four releases, still untitled, include Papa-Capim(the Amazonian boy) by Marcela Godoy and Renato Guedes about a boy and his tribe deep in the Amazon; Penadinho(Bug a Boo the Ghost) by Paulo Crumbim and Cristina Eiko about a friendly ghost(Casper?) and his haunting friends: a vampire, werewolf, mummy, cadaver and Frank(the monster);Turma da Mata(Jungle Gang) by Greg Tocchini, Davi Calil and Arthur Fujita about a jungle kingdom ruled by a Lion who counts ants, foxes, rabbits, turtles, green elephants and monkeys as his subjects. Rounding out the releases will be the sequel to Ties by Vitor and Lu Cafaggi with Monica and her friends.

Papa-Capim by by Marcela Godoy and Renato Guedes

Turma da Mata by Greg Tocchini, Davi Calil and Arthur Fujita 

Penadinho by Paulo Crumbim and Cristina Eiko

Turma da Monica 2 by Lu and Vitor Cafaggi

No news yet on English releases but with the English Monica and her Friends being copywrited, it won’t be long until the series and the Brazilian talent reaches the English speaking population.

Until then, enjoy the production of these video trailers for the first two sequels in the line!

Special Editions of Tintin Are On The Way!

The French publisher Casteman and Éditions Moulinsart(Hergé Foundation) will release a special edition of Tintin on March 12.

The Curse of Rascar Capac- The 7 Crystal Balls- Volume 1(La Malédiction de Rascar Capac – Les 7 Boules de Cristal – Volume 1) is a 136 page publication in the Italian horizontal format(9inches(22.6cm) by 12 inches(30.7 cm) with a case. The book is an annotated edition of Tintin and the Seven Crystal Balls(1948).

The pages on the left, reproduce copies of the 150 strips of the original version of Tintin and the Seven Crystal Balls, which were published in Le Soir newspapers, from Belgium, between 1943 and 1944, during the World War II. The pages on the right include commentaries, sketches and diverse information about the creation of the comic, including the participation of Edgar Pierre Jacobs in the production of the work.

Different from Les Mystères des 7 Boules de Cristal (9 inches(22.6 cm) by 7 inches(17.5 cm) and 112 pages), published in 2012, the new book ties in the art from the work with the image archive of Hergé and his production team.

Philippe Goddin is the author of the new text in the two books.

The second volume of this series, The Temple of the Sun, will be published in September 2014. 

(Original article: Casterman lança La Malédiction de Rascar Capac,written by Sérgio Codespoti on March 10, 2014. Reprinted and translated with permission by UniversoHQ.)

Hergé's Tintin spawned six feature films, two television series, five video games, and, of course, twenty four comic albums created by Hergé himself. In 2009, the Hergé Museum opened in Belgium to honor the creator of one of the most famous comic book characters in the world. The character turned an astounding 85 this past January. 

To honor Hergé's wishes, Casteman and Moulinsart will only release new Tintin stories, by other creators, in 2052. In the meantime, expect more Absolute Editions and all the behind the scenes information the publishers can muster to sell more books (see DC's handling of Watchman for an American example)! 

Marvel's Unlimited Infinite Proposal

Marvel had some big announcements today at SXSW. They are upping the ante with their digital offerings. They finally rolled out their Adaptive Audio feature on their Marvel Unlimited digital subsriprtion program. Adaptive audio, provided by Firelight Technologies(composers of BioShock, Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Spider-Man:The Animated Series) , is said to be “a non-looping soundtrack meant to enhance the reading experience with music and sound, but not dialogue.” In an interview with Comic Book Resources, Marvel’s vice president of digital products, Kristin Vincent, discussed the unique challenges, “How do we not make it just looping music in the background? How do we make it an immersive experience that's truly an adaptive score that the user controls, that adds to the storytelling? The collaboration has been eye-opening to me -- it's actually becoming a tool in storytelling, as opposed to just being music looped on.”

Adaptive audio, first announced last year at Marvel’s SXSW presentation, isn’t yet available on all titles. In preperation for Captain America: The Winter Soldier on April 4, Ed Brubaker’s run on Captain America is first to undergo the treatment. According to Comic Book Resources, this is specific to issues 8, 9, 11 to 14. The arc is illustrated by Steve Epting.

To try an promote the app and its new features, Marvel is reducing the monthly subscription, normally $9.99 (or $69.99 a year), for only $0.99 this month-provided you join before March 14th. The subsription app does have a 6 month lag to promote purchasing new comics. Marvel is not ruling out a subscription service for release day comics, “It all depends on how the market goes.” Marvel Unlimited will also incorprate AR special features to be accessed mid story when using the app.

Use the code SXSW99 to take advantage of one month of comics for under a dollar!

Marvel also announced new content for their Infinite Comics digital first initiative. They are putting out a free 24 part series titled based on Disney XD’s Ultimate Spider-Man. The release schedule has not been decided on but the series will be showcased in a new kid-friendly app. The writing duties will be divided by Eugene Son, Matt Kindt, Cullen Bunn and Tim Seeley. Art will be handled by JL Mast and Geoffrey Beulieu on storyboards and Luciano Vecchio and Soutchey Leimetry on finished art.

“Not only do I think it's a good opportunity for Marvel, it seems like we have great stories that resonate around the world, and we're really proud of that. That's why in my mind it makes sense to start, especially with kids, with a character like Spider-Man, as opposed to a Captain America -- which hopefully also has worldwide reach, but obviously is a little bit different," says Kristin Vincent. Ultimate Spider-Man will be translated shortly upon release to ten different languages to cater to children world wide.

Illegal Comic Books And Those Who Try To Save Them!

In Malaysia, the Home Ministry is going against the recent release of Ultraman the Ultra Power. The comic is said to contain content that is “detrimental to public order”. Although this only adds the the popularity and allure of the book, owning, reproducing, producing, selling, importing or distributing the book could land you in serious hot water. Ultraman is a popular Japanese property that has toys, TV shows and comics(manga) to its name. The country has a Printing Presses and Publications Act of 1984 with maximum punishments of $6,000 dollars or 3 years in Jail. Although less severe, comic books have a long history of banning and censorship in the United States.

The witch hunt started in the 50s and 60s after Fredric Wertham published his Seduction of the Innocent- branding comics as vehicles for violence and perversion. With the emergence of the Comics Code Authority soon after, any comic that was not comic code approved was deemed unsellable by many newsstands and stores. This is until ,in 1971, Marvel published their government sanctioned The Amazing Spider-Man 96-98, featuring a story about drug abuse. This was in strict violation of the code and the issues were published without the approval…but remained huge sellers. The comic code lost steam and influence, but only in 2010 when DC and Archie refused to be part of the Code did it cease to exist on the comic rack. To read all the Code’s rules and regulations(there are many) take a look at the ComicArtVille Library website.

http://cbldf.org/

In the US, The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund works to help un-ban any challenged book, be it libraries, schools or groups that do not agree with the content. They are dedicated to “protecting the First Amendment(Freedom of Speech) rights of the comics medium. The non profit organization will even take legal action if necessary to support their fellow creators in the courtroom. Take a look at their list of Banned and Challenged Comics here.

Image Comics

Recently, issues of Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky and Saga by Brian K. Vaugan and Fiona Staples, both published by Image Comics, have been banned by Comixology for not agreeing with their decency policy. Groups like One Million Moms have called for boycotts and bannings of Archie Comic’s Kevin Keller series profiling a gay teenager. Comics encompass such a wide audience and subject matter that it is inevitable that not all will be willingly accepted by the masses.

Brazilian E-Book: Comics in the Digital Age

Marsupial Editora

Last year, the Brazilian publisher Marsupial released the book Comics in the Digital Age, presenting articles by twelve researchers who tackle and analyze different aspects of the relationship between comics and the digitalized world that is growing more and more present in our daily lives.

Now, the book is available also as an e-book, it can be acquired in the following online stores: Amazon, Apple Store, Kobo, Gato Sabido, Travessa and Cultura.

This isn’t the first project Marsupial has made available in digital format. At the end of 2013, The History of Comics in Brazil was released and the publisher has other offerings as e-books. For a full list, click here.

Comics in the Digital Age has articles by Edgar Franco, Roberto Elísio dos Santos, Victor Corrêa, Marcel Luiz Tomé, Pedro de Luna, Vítor Nicolau, Paulo Ramos, Lucio Luiz, Octavio Aragão, Reinaldo Pereira de Moraes and Renata Prado. The book was edited by Lucio Luiz.


(Original article: Livro Os quadrinhos na era digital é disponibilizado em e-book by Samir Naliato. Translated and republished with permission by Universo HQ.)

Brazil has a very strong publishing industry. They also have an educational system that is a fan of comic books- from celebrating the history of the medium to using comics to educate children. Their digital offerings are not as widespread as it is in the United States but the options are quickly multiplying. This book should inspire creators and publishers to pursue the digital frontier and make their offerings truly global!

 

Indian Comic Con Showcases a World of Talent

India held their own Comic Con in New Delhi this weekend at Thyageraj Stadium. It is the fourth convention of its kind for the country. 

Guests include Mark Waid( Kingdom Come, 52,Irredeemable,Daredevil ), David Lloyd(Illustrator, V for Vendetta), John Layman(Image Comic’s Chew, Gambit, Detective Comics), Brazilian twins Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba( Collectively: Daytripper, Casanova, The Umbrella Academy) , and Indian creator Pran(Chacha Chaudhary and Sabu). Comixology also visited to give a talk “Digital Comics & It’s Scope”. The Comic Con had a lot to do:Screenings Sherlock and Supernatural, PS4 game station, Peanuts Museum, “Learn to write comics”, grass root comic campaigns, and “A chance to visit New York”. The 4th annual Indian Comic Con connects the international community with India's rich comic book culture. 

A staple of Indian childhood since the 60s: Amar Chitra Katha comics created by Uncle Anant Pai, educates children in multiple languages about a variety of Indian folklore, mythology, biographies  and history. Their online store offers international shipping.

Pran, present at the Con, has been called the “Walt Disney of India” . He has created many diverse characters and his flagship property: the mustached super genius Chacha Chaudhary, has 600 animated  episodes under his belt. Learn more about the characters and the creator here.

Chacha Chaudhary, created by Pran

Spider-Man:India, published Gotham Entertainment Group was a 4 issue Indian adaptation of Spider-Man. Released in 2004(2005 Stateside), it was created by Suresh Seetharaman,Jeevan Kang, and Sharad Devarajan. In the story, Pavitr Prabhakar lives with his Auntie Maya and Uncle Bhim, he crushes on Meera Jain. Nalin Oberoi(Green Goblin) and Doctor Octopus(with magic tentacles) threaten the young wall crawler.

Marvel/ Gotham Entertainment Group

Marvel Global Comics released their app this week, featuring multiple titles in Hindi. Viz Media is heavily pushing Manga in India. With multiple Indian publishers accepting and embracing Digital Media, their future is as bright as ever. 

Marvel App Sells Digital Comics in 12 Languages

Marvel Global Comics

It was just a question of when, and its time has arrived. Marvel announced the release of the Marvel Global Comics app, which will offer comics translated in 12 languages.

With the ease of making titles available in digital format, there has been speculation for a long time about the future possibility of publishers offering their products in different langues. The “House of Ideas” decided to do just that.

"Marvel has incredible fans all around the world, and we're excited to bring digital comics to their mobile devices in their native languages. This partnership with iVerse allows us to introduce Marvel’s rich history of action-packed stories to new audiences worldwide who want to know more about the Avengers, Spider-Man, Wolverine and the rest of the vast Marvel Universe,”declared Kristen Vincent, vice-president of digital products at Marvel Entertainment.

iVerse Media is a translation management service for digital content.

For now, Marvel Global Comics is available just for products with iOS operational systems, by Apple, like the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. To install, go to the Apple Store. Some free issues are available.

(Original article  Aplicativo da Marvel vende HQs digitais em 12 idiomas, inclusive português by Samir Naliato on February 6th, 2014. Reprinted and translated with permission from Universo HQ)

Chinese (traditional and simplified), Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, German, French, Hindi, Russian, Hindi, and Italian readers will have digital access to comics! Launching today, I am hesistant to see the library offered (and the prices). iVerse seems to be a pretty established company and one of a kind in digital comic translations.They are doing a great service to the comics community and I expect other companies to quickly follow suite(ComiXology, DC..). Read the press release here and download the app today!

State of the Union: A code for comics

Visiting New York around Christmastime came with ulterior motives. The Big Apple: where reality and dreams converge to produce the truly spectacular! The backdrop for many movies, the punching bag for many action scenes, where up until two weeks ago, you could see a grown man in spandex swinging around a Broadway theater...singing! Historically, US comics started here, until 2015, the two biggest publishers can be found here (DC is going west coast to join their Warner Bros backers...)... but, where are the comics? Sure, Toys R Us has  Lego Hulk and there are many comic book stores scattered around the city, bootleg superheroes can be found in Chinatown and Times Square... but this isn't getting the comic book into tourist hands.

Compare this to Sao Paulo, Brazil, 7th biggest metropolitan area in the world ( New York is at 4). There, newsstands- found on every block, in every mall, in all parts of town- they are all littered with comics! Translated comics, original comics, mangas,graphic novels, imports and art books, comics in English and Spanish to teach the languages, educational comics, activity books...these are street sized meccas promoting literacy and imagination at every corner. Sao Paulo alone has more than 14 comic publishers of various sizes, putting out new and previously released material.

There is a reason for this. Historically, the collected comic book started as promotional packages. They were then sold exclusively at newsstands, with the promise to the vendor that unsold comics can be returned. This is still where Brazil is...newsstands and distributors have a rotating shelf for comics. Most have a 1 month- 75 day lifespan and after that they are returned to the publisher who oftentimes fulfill mail orders.

Around the 70's, comic book stores sprouted up all over the US, promoting collections and increasing the value of back issues. This meant comics didn't need to be returned to the publisher quite so often and they didn't have to return their profits. Back issues were cherished and promoted. Collector editions, reprints and sets allow the reader to catch up on long histories. Collectible variant covers and pack ins added value and assured various copies of the same issue were bought by serious collectors. Comics fell from newsstands leading to this month when Marvel clarified that they will no longer be sending floppy single issues to Barnes and Noble-one of the last remaining American bookstore chains. Comics are digital or found in Comic Book Stores...

Photos taken by Ana Carolina Diederichsen, Sao Paulo, Brazil 

Back to Brazil: comic book stores are scarce but starting to gain speed. Bookstores, newsstands, grocery stores all have the newest adventures of favorite comic characters. Sebos- used book stores often have stacks of old comics, sometimes back issue bins- it is not uncommon to find a whole room dedicated to used comics sold at a discount. Comics are being sold online, plagued with high prices and high shipping cost- but available nonetheless.  Children's libraries have whole reading rooms, filled with back issues. Reading comics seems to be promoted and encouraged. Not surprising that FIQ-Festival Internacional de Quadrinhos(International Comic Festival held in Brazil) is the largest comic convention in the Americas.


As I search for a comic in New York's Port Authority- I yearn for comics to have this level of accessibility and acceptance. Digital is great but nothing beats a page turner.
Jeff**