Brigid Alverson

4 weeks ago | publishersweekly.com | Brigid Alverson

Graphic novelist Matt Kindt was watching a whodunit with his mother, Margie, when Margie came up with a clever solution to the murder. “I think that’s too smart for what this show is trying to do,” Matt said, but he added: “If they don’t use that idea, let’s take that twist and make our own book out of it.”Matt was right—the show had a different solution—and Margie held him to his word.

1 month ago | slj.com | Brigid Alverson |Kara Yorio |Andrew Bauld

Comics fans gathered for a convention just before COVID-19 struck, shutting down in-person events and sparking a burst of popularity for the format. Photo Courtsey by Brigid Alverson In 2020, during the last weekend of February, 90,000 comics creators, industry figures, and fans flocked to McCormick Place in Chicago for the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2).

1 month ago | slj.com | Brigid Alverson |Kimberly Olson Fakih |Kara Yorio

It’s romance! It’s fantasy! It’s romantasy: The portmanteau word that designates the hottest trend in prose and graphic novels of the past few years. The word may be new, but the concept isn’t. It has long been a fan favorite category for shoujo manga, with series such as “Fruits Basket” and “Snow White with the Red Hair.”Many romantasy manga have fairy tale settings, with elaborate costumes, handsome princes, and backdrops of gossipy, backstabbing royal courts.

1 month ago | publishersweekly.com | Brigid Alverson

While it serves all of the book industry, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation has a special relationship with comics shops, says the organization’s program manager. Before coming to work at Binc, she volunteered for its Covid recovery programs Survive to Thrive and Give Comics Hope. “I have a soft spot for comics shops, because I met them in a crisis,” she says.

1 month ago | publishersweekly.com | Brigid Alverson

Diamond Comics Distributor’s recent bankruptcy filing will fundamentally change the comics landscape. When the news broke, many retailers were still struggling to adjust to the emergence of two new distributors, Lunar Distribution and PRH Comics, after years of ordering from Diamond alone. “The main thing we’re all dealing with right now is uncertainty,” says Joe Murray, president of the comics retailers association ComicsPRO and owner of Captain Blue Hen Comics in Newark, Del.