Lot of news and links from across the nation so let’s get to it!
Item: If you are in St. Catharines, Ontario, you might want to stop by Mostly Comics on St. Paul Street. The store’s basement was flooded when a city watermain burst, destroying 250,000 comics. Owner Kim Stevens is having a Flood Sale June 25 but in the meantime I’m sure he could could use your dollars and sympathy.
Item: Joe Ollmann writes a little illustrated diary for The Paris Review. It features tons of cartoonist cameos, humour, Kurt Vonnegut, and demonstrates a deft skill in the use of watercolours.
Item: The Shuster Awards take place at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment expo. I’ll post a reminder on Friday and hopefully update over the weekend but this is your heads up. Also the Shuster blog, some details of Diamond sales numbers for some Canadian books for the month of May, including Chester Brown and Jesse Jacobs.
Item: Jeff Lemire is profiled by the Saskatoon Star Phoenix on the occasion of his book being optioned for film. A nice mini-interview that includes some talk about changes to his financial situation.
Item: Rebecca Kraatz and her new book Snaps are the subject of a very nice review in her local daily, The Telegraph-Journal: “Tender and thought-provoking, Kraatz has a knack for subtle confessions, desire and quiet curiosities. Part dreamy, part pensive, Kraatz’s dip into yesteryear portrays a time when war was ubiquitous and loss inherent.”
Item: David Lester presented his graphic novel The Listener at Toronto’s Type Books last Friday, performing as part of his legendary rock duo Mecca Normal and talking onstage with Hal Niedzviecki about the book and its genesis. This report includes some video.
Item: Flash comic book artist Francis Manapul is illo-ing a half-animated webseries based on the Murdoch Mysteries tv show.
Item: Did I mention that Drawn and Quarterly is having a 30% Sale until the end of June?
Item: I forgot the star of the Green Lantern movie was Canadian. Now there is a comic book about his life.
oops!
I think I knew that but have no capacity for remembering such facts in the heat of a 2 am C-List compilation marathon. Goddam these modern newspapers and their lack of local character online. IThanks for the correction and addition!