Library sales up, manga drops

What this librarian & comic fangirl found interesting:

Icv2, #65, July 2009

• In spite of horrendous contraction in the US Economy, Graphic Novel sales up in 2008: 5% increase in book and comic stores.
  
  
• GN sales faster in bookstores than in comic shops
  
  
• 900,000 copies printed of Watchmen- broke all modern sales records
  
  
• GN for kids and tweens, saw a 134% increase in titles
  
  
• Library sales from $30 million to $35 million in 2008...this growth should continue in 2009.
  
  
• Manga sales declined- down 17%. Small manga publishers went out of business. Some properties like Vampire Knight no exposure on Cartoon Network.

Watchmen directors cut July 21st!

Final Fruits Basket vol 23 July 2009

Vertigo Crime imprint:
Entries, Ian Rankin comic book featuring Constantine from Hellblazer: August 25
Filthy Rich, Brian Azzarello: also August 25

I will watch Watchmen

...tonight. We have a group of 7 of us, including several True Believers and 3 librarians. At least 2 have the original comics (not me, I'll admit that I read Watchmen in trade about 15 years after its release).

I've read some pieces of reviews, but am much more optimistic for a great film I saw 20 mins, and maybe its just seeing the beloved panels come to life, but I am sold. Snyder really has his finger on the comic, and I went from someone who thought this film was unmakeable to being a fan.

3 hours on Imax tonight!

notions

I got my Entertainment Weekly today... I got the Comedian cover.

Chris Giarusso's Mini Watchmen

Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons here:


Mera! I'll bet Rob at the Aquaman Shrine likes this.
DC Universe Women: Mera

2 minutes from the Vertigo panel, with G. Willow Wilson on Air.

New York Comiccon photos from the floor

MK Perker and G.Willow Wilson- Air (Vertigo)

Jimmy Palmiotti- Back to Brooklyn (Amanda Connor too)

Three librarians- Ty, Dave, me and Phillygirl

Melanie and The Comedian

me and artist Brian Bolland (The Killing Joke and much more)

Watching Watchmen and the DCU

Warner Brothers: Watchmen, Friday the 13th and Terminator: Salvation panel
Got in line after 9 AM right away at the IGN to secure a seat for the 11 AM panel. Line was shorter than I thought (not like the huge lines later for UP the Pixar film).

More thoughts on the Watchmen 18 plus minutes later. I would have loved to hear some of the cast speak, or Zach Snyder, but having creator Dave Gibbons talk about creating Watchmen, working with Alan Moore, and how he has come to VIP status with the movie-- even better. I get gaga for celebrity too, but isn't it great that an artist gets to speak to thousands about his work?

(Dave Gibbons) The legendary artist earned big laughs from the audience when a fan tiptoed around a question about Alan Moore and whether he’s as intimidating as his appearance implies. “Are you asking me if Alan Moore is bat-shit crazy?” Gibbons playfully replied.

On to the audience Q & A. The first question, predictably, was about the change to the ending. Gibbons stated the finish of the story remains the same but the McGuffin; the plot device (in this case, the Squid) has been changed. He also said the reality of adapting a comic book to the screen means there have to be some changes made to the story for it to make cinematic sense.


Saturday: DC Universe panel
Phillygirl and I sat way in the back, just running in late to get a seat for the Torchwood panel to follow. I feel much more disconnect from the DCU then a few years ago...hearing Didio go on about Blackest Night and the Final Crisis Aftermath...I'm just not part of it. I read JLA and JSA, and really gave Trinity a run for it with 18 issues. I respect the creators, am looking forward to trying uber awesome Ethan Van Sciver and Geoff Johns for Flash: Rebirth. But Dan saying how 2009 would be the best, and focus on the main heart of the DCU characters-- it seemed a little desperate. A little sweat stain under the arm with the recent Marvel domination I suppose.

"we're society's only protection"

The photoboards in the movie theatre for Watchmen...let's hope that date of 3/6/09 still holds!
And an added one from ch-ch-ch, ha-ha-ha

Spiritis

Going to a 10:45 AM showing of The Spirit. Don't think I've ever gone to such an early movie. With all the good films like Benjamin Button, Slumdog, The Reader out, I probably should see those but I'll have to see for myself what has been done to Eisner's The Spirit.

My pulp friend Rich said the entire film of The Spirit could be summed up in a few lines. But he did go see it opening day anyway.

The Spirit review: Variety
The Spirit" reps its antithesis: Relentlessly cartoonish and campy, it's a work of pure digital artifice, feverishly committed to its own beautiful, hollow universe to the exclusion of any real narrative interest or engagement with its characters.

The Watchmen war
Fox, let it go! Take some bucks and leave the Snyder cut to WB.

Comicbook films raise serious issues

Themes from the Dark Knight and Iron Man: Evil, goodness, crime, vigilantism, social order, chaos, capitalism, money, power, weapons, villians, heroes...

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

{Who will watch the Watchmen?}

The last thing blogland needs is yet another ode to Watchmen, but since I put in the time to reread, I wanted to share my thoughts.

The coming threat of nuclear war, with the arms race with the Soviet Union, in one way seems outdated...but in another, it captures the gripping generalized fear of the Cold War, very different from the remote bloodshed in Iraq to the average American. (Except for the terror fear we feel especially in the Northeast post 9/11.)

The layers of the superheroes, the newsstand worker, the pirate story-- While not the first with these methods, the most credited. The postmodern change from the linear, clear-cut moral tale is evident here. Environmental and psychological destruction, politics, idol worship, and tons of symbolism.

Laurie and Dan's awkward start, and growth into a real relationship was mature and deep. Gibbons art, full of expression is the exclamation point to Moore's story. Nearly every panel includes significant details of the story-line or visual motifs (such as triangles and pyramids) with themes important to the plot.

And Rorschach alone- vigilante, detective, brutalized childhood stands as one of the best characters comics created. He should have made my redhead list.

Alan Moore hates the films made from his works, and once again a Watchmen movie is on the horizon. I fear the movie, currently aligned with the Dawn of the Dead director. I did enjoy V for Vendetta (which Moore took his name off of), while not an exact replica of the book, the themes of fascism and individuality still rang through the film. Even cute but wooden-acting Portman was good.

If comic books have a "Citizen Kane," the clear choice is "Watchmen ," written by Alan Mooreand drawn by Dave Gibbons.

Has any comic been as acclaimed as Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen?

Alan Moore, who wanted to transcend the perceptions of the comic book medium as something juvenile, created Watchmen as an attempt to make "a superhero Moby-Dick; something that had that sort of weight, that sort of density

Two decades after its arrival, there is still no greater comic book.

[an emergency root canal Monday sidelined blog plans for reviews. I have a tooth full of medicine right now to heal the infection. But I have been at work for 2 days- librarian toughs it out.]

Watchmen, woman, damn teeth

Actually getting back to reading some comics. A week behind on 52, but just read the big Dibny issue. He's not dead, dead, right? I have a lot of my regular pull list comics, and a few new ones I picked up in NY, and the Virgin Comics collected editions B insists I try.

Rereading The Watchmen. At NYCC we met up with Crimson Rabbit, who is a dedicated Lost fan and wrote this post Lost=Watchmen on The Fuselage (where phillygirl spends a lot of time!)

Have you voted for your favorite woman superhero? I voted Batgirl - didn't see there was a Batgirl and Oracle.

February referral time-
the redhead in snakes on a plane
nightwing & batgirl get together
rogue & mystique love
who will you stand with? magneto
she hulk sexy paints
unicorn perv
spidog
algebra's cool
greedo dolls
doghouse manhole
Big Ethel lures Moose to get Jugheads attention
the smurfs christ crisis
Barbara Gordon love spell
the world needs more redheads
aquaman's girlfriend
zombie dreams explained
the batman spirit religions
how do i find a fairy that symbolizes forgiveness
william katt porno

Back to fussing with my 3 day long toothache. Sharp throbbing pain and sensitivity, ouch!