The Sunday Spotlight: The ‘What Is It With You And This Labyrinth’ Edition
by Richard Bruton
With the political landscape of America plunging us all into chaos, maybe take five or so and enjoy a few comics news stories — it’s The Sunday Spotlight:
LA Strong — a charity comic for the victims of the Los Angeles fires…
Published by Mad Cave on 12 March, LA Strong is a benefit comic for those creators who lost their homes to the Los Angeles fires. 100% of the profits are to be donated to the relief efforts.
The book includes contributions from a load of rather talented comic makers – do put in an order with your local comic shop for it, it’s well worth it after all. And these days, with shops being very careful what they order, you can never guarantee shelf copies for something like this.
Oh, and just to add to the difficulties, there’s more than likely no UK distribution (at least according to contributing artist Alison Sampson) – yes, distributor problems will be a feature of 2025. But Alison has made an offer to get hold of a box for individual orders, although she does hope (as do we) that a comic shop or shops will step up to take the task.
State of the industry – Diamond Comics bankruptcy investigated…
Two pieces for you to read on the fallout from the January filing of Chapter 11 bankruptcy by Diamond Comics Distributors, still one of the most important distributors in the comics retail business – i.e. comic shops.
Brigid Alverson writes an important in-depth piece at The Comics Journal – A New Chapter (11) For Diamond. And then Milton Griepp writes The Diamond Bankruptcy – A Sad Ending To A Long Story, And A New Beginning for ICv2.
Alverson starts her piece with this:
‘On Tuesday, January 14, Diamond filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and now the fate of the comics world hangs in the balance. Or does it?’ We won’t know for a bit, but if nothing else, this is a turning point.’
Which is a perfect summary of where we all of those comic shops are right now. Sure, the medium won’t vanish, there’s still going to be a vibrant comics medium and a comics industry that doesn’t perhaps rely on comic shops so much. After all, you go to any bookstore and you’ll find a hell of a lot more comics than ever, they’re just in graphic novel form.
Both are really very good looks at what happened, why it happened, and what the possible routes forward are. Go read them. And then go to your local comics store and help them out with a few bucks on a good comic – they need the help right now.
Kieron Gillen Power Fantasy interview at Polygon…
Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard‘s The Power Fantasy from Image Comics has been getting universal acclaim – a damn good series – Olly’s been covering it here at Comicon and rather loves it – I can only echo that, it’s a great series.
Susana Polo interviews Gillen over at Polygon. As usual, Gillen gives good interview, and it’s well worth a read. Particularly liked this bit about the idea of things like this still being called the deconstruction of superheroes now that said deconstruction’s been the status quo in super comics since the 1980s…
‘But when comics creators and filmmakers take aspects of the superheroes conceit and push them to darkly logical conclusions, can it even be called deconstruction anymore? “The thing about this mode of superheroes is it’s been around for at least 40 years,” Gillen pointed out. “So in other words, the idea [that it’s] deconstruction really doesn’t hold true anymore. These books could very easily be someone’s first superhero comic. It’s no longer actually deconstruction, it’s now just how [superheroes] are.”’
Paul Rainey signing There’s No Time Like The Present – Gosh Comics London – 29 March 2025, 1-2pm…
Another fabulous signing at Gosh Comics UK – the brilliant Paul Rainey will be there on Saturday 29th March 2025 for a signing between 1.2pm to mark the new Drawn & Quarterly edition of his rather brilliant There’s No Time Like the Present.
Here’s what it’s all about – and trust me, it’s just the best thing, weird in the best kitchen-sink drama way.
‘If time travel existed, would you right societal wrongs or just watch future episodes of Doctor Who?
Paul B. Rainey’s There’s No Time Like the Present continues to upend grand science fiction gestures with a deep desire to understand the emotional lives of the common man (nerd). It’s a simple conceit: time travel is only possible between the invention of the necessary, functioning machinery and the day those machines are shut off. In that finite sliver of space-time, humanity schisms into those who defiantly refuse to look into the future, and those who reap the benefits of doing so.
After all, what would you do if you accidentally found out for certain that you would still be working the same dead end job at the age of ’70? What would you do if you could read every future issue of your favorite comic? Or if you traveled back in time and couldn’t afford to travel back? Would your life actually be that different? Can we admit that there might not be such a thing as free will? Is life just a series of denials of reality? Why does that one guy have horns?
Of course, should you wish to also pick up the new paperback edition of the soon to be a major motion picture, Why Don’t You Love Me?, that would work just fine as well. I’ve already covered Why Don’t You Love Me? plenty here at Comicon, from 2022 when I looked at the webcomic here before reviewing the beautifully put together hardback from D&Q here. [Although I imagine D&Q will now be tweaking things to take the Gaiman quote off the cover.] Also, go look here for a preview of both books.
More details from Gosh! Comics here, including how to get signed bookplate editions.
Another new competition for comics creators – Puffin Books Graphic Novel Competition — coming in May…
Yep, more chances for aspiring comic makers to enter, with this one offering you a chance to get a publishing contract with Puffin, with a view to potential publication in 2027.
Here’s what Puffin have to say:
‘This initiative aims to seek out, nurture, and publish new graphic novel creators from communities under-represented on the nation’s bookshelves. Here at Puffin, we aim to publish a story for every child, and our graphic novels are no different! Immersive and accessible with imagination on every page, we want every reader to see themselves reflected in our books.
‘The competition will be open to any comics creator who is 18 or over; living in the UK or Ireland; and who identifies as coming from an under-represented background or community. Graphic novel story pitches and artwork aimed at children and young people aged five and older are welcome for submission, and entries can be submitted by an author, illustrator or author-illustrator. The initiative will be open to any under-represented creator, including those who may have already found a route to publication, or already have agent representation.’
The competition will open for entries in May 2025 with the entry window open for two weeks, or when the 500th valid application has been received, whichever is the soonest. More details here.
Michael Carroll in conversation…
Eoin McAuley of Tallaght Academy of Sequential Art has 2000 AD writer Michael Carroll for a #creatorinconversation episode.
You can find the conversation at YouTube and Spotify.
A reminder – Say no to AI…
You should all know it by now, but always good to have a reminder – AI art is stolen art. The AI programs, the image generators, search/scrape the Internet for existing images and all that’s fed into the image generators. And all those images? They’re all stolen from proper artists.
You could call it plagiarism if you were being kind. But screw it, let’s not. Let’s call it what it is – theft, pure and simple.
Or, as artist Dan Brereton puts it:
‘A new world of garbage no-talents. Plagiarism is so pathetic. AI plagiarism even more so – unimaginative intellectual theft has never been less boring.’
And here’s just what AI means – on the left, Brereton’s original – inventive, visually attractive, full of interesting ideas and imagery and character, absolutely brilliant, real. On the right, the homogenized, dull, stolen AI version…
Asterix and the Big Fight comes to Netflix 30 April…
