Here’s my chat with with Keith Grachow. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts.
Keith is a graphic artist and illustrator having created comic books, web comics, graphic novels and children’s books including Mark Twain’s Niagara, SCI The Jewish Comics Anthology, Saltwater and more.
During our chat, Keith recommended anthologies and small projects for those getting into the comic book business. He offered his insight about finding other collaborators and building those relationships. Keith also suggested that creators review their publishing process in regards to costs and quantities.
You can discover more about Keith on Twitter at @kgrachow and online at kgrachow.com
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Here’s some of the current news about Canadian comic book creators and supporters.
Bleeding Cool reported that Blake Northcott will be teaming up with Sean G. Murphy and Matt Hollingworth for an upcoming Catwoman story. The article includes a reference to Blake’s tweet in which she claims: “The cat is out of the bag: I’m working for DC Comics! I’m writing a Catwoman story, co-plotted by Sean G. Murphy (he’s doing the covers, too!) 2020 is going to be wild! Can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on…”
You can read more at BleedingCool.com
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2020/01/07/sean-gordon-murphy-blake-northcott-catwoman-dc-comics/
Publishers Weekly announced that Boom! Studios will publish a graphic novel of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five written by Ryan North along with art by Albert Monteys and colorist Richard Zaplana. Ryan described Slaughter House-Five as “a deeply funny and deeply moving book,” and added: “Kurt Vonnegut has been one of my favorite writers since I first read his books decades ago, and it’s been such an honor—and challenge—to adapt his most famous work for a new medium.”
You can read more at PublishersWeekly.com
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/82109-boom-plans-slaughterhouse-five-graphic-novel-in-2020.html
Heroic Girls published their list of the 20 best graphic novels of 2019 that feature female protagonists or that have female creative teams. Notables on the list include:
– Champions: Beat the Devil by Jim Zub with Steven Cummings
– Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki with Steve Pugh
– Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki with Rosemary Valero-O’Connell
– Naomi: Season One with Jamal Campbell with Brian Michael Bendis and David. F. Walker
– This Woman’s Work by Julie Delporte
– When I Arrived At The Castle by Emily Carroll
You can read more at HeroicGirls.com
http://www.heroicgirls.com/the-20-best-graphic-novels-of-2019/
ComicBook.com spoke with Ryan North about his new five-issue miniseries Power Pack for Marvel with artist Nico Leon. When asked about the new project, Ryan said: “It‘s also fun doing a limited series – a story with a complete beginning, middle, and end – because it lets you structure the story differently, to build in things that you just can’t do in an ongoing series. For readers who have loved the Power Pack since their introduction in 1984 to those who maybe haven’t even HEARD of them yet, I hope you’ll check them out.”
You can read more at ComicBook.com
https://comicbook.com/marvel/2020/01/10/marvel-power-pack-series-outlawed-ryan-north-nico-leon/
TVO published an interview with Annie Koyama and her Toronto-based Koyama Press. Started in 2007, but slated to close up shop in July 2021, Koyama Press has been one of the leading Canadian independent comic book publishers. When asked why she started Koyama Press, Annie said: “I was able to take more risks on emerging artists, as well as take on more niche work, knowing full well it might not sell. It was not my prime motivation. That has never changed.”
You can read more at TVO.org
https://www.tvo.org/article/how-this-toronto-based-press-changed-independent-comic-book-publishing
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