PW Comics World: More To Come

Heidi talks with co-managing editors of 'The Comics Journal,' Austin English and Kristy Valenti, about 'Comics Journal Yearbook Best of 2022', a new publication spotlighting ten of the best comics of 2022, discovering emerging talent, indie comics in the pandemic and English's publishing company, Domino Books.

A recap of graphic novel authors at The U.S. Book Show; Image’s controversial change in comics shop distribution; the launch of the Ten Speed Graphic imprint at PRH; Bryce Gold joins Kickstarter, the Nib’s closing; plus manga piracy and book news.

From the archives, Heidi talks with comics creator and illustrator Jillian Tamaki in 2014 about her graphic novel 'This One Summer' (created with Mariko Tamaki) and more; Calvin interviews Stephen Graham Jones at NYCC 2022 about 'Earthdivers: Kill Columbus'; and at Flame Con 2015, Kate talks to comic creators James Tynion IV of 'Someone is Killing the Children', Owen White of 'Tripping Over You', Sophie Labelle of 'Assigned Male', and Molly Ostertag of 'Strong Female Protagonist' and 'The Owl House'.

A preview og Comics and Graphic Novel Day (May 23) at this week’s U.S. Book Show (May 22-25); the 2023 Eisner award nominations; recap layoffs, and reorganization at IDW Publishing; new Viz and Kodansha apps; creeping AI in manga; and news of a shocking Marvel death.

A flashback interview episode of More To Come, in which Heidi talks with graphic novelist Maia Kobabe at SPX in 2022; Calvin Reid interviews comics creator Thi Bui at MoCCA Fest in 2017; and Kate interviews comics creators Greg Pak, Magdelene Visaggio and Sophie Campbell live at Flame Con in 2016.

In a Stargazing review segment, Meg and Calvin discuss two works of graphic nonfiction: Elizabeth Colomba and Aurelie Levy's 'Queenie: Godmother of Harlem'(ComicArts), a rollicking bio of a legendary 1930s Black lady racketeer, and 'Last On His Feet: Jack Johnson and the Battle of the Century' (Liveright) by Youssef Daoudi and Adrian Matejka, a vivid examination of the historic 1910 title fight between Johnson, the first Black heavyweight champ, and Jim Jefferies, the country's 'white hope'

A ticket giveaway for the first comics and graphic novels day at the US Book Show; a talk about manga sales and popularity with Deb Aoki; Flash trailer break down; the Black Comic Book Festival in Harlem and comics awards news.

An interview with Archie Bongiovanni, a queer cartoonist in Minneapolis, about their first full-length adult graphic novel, 'Mimosa', an ensemble comedy of manners that follows a tight-knit group of queer and trans friends in their 30s. Bongiovanni is the creator of 'A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns', the long-running web comic 'Greasebats', and 'History Comics: Stonewall'.

DSTLRY, David Steinberger and Chip Mosher’s much-anticipated publishing/collectibles venture; la growing list of book bans; happily recap MoCCA 2023; the expansion of Abrams ComicArts; revisiting Ike Perlmutter’s departure from Marvel and a tribute to the late groundbreaking trans author Rachel Pollack.

Chris Robinson, comics writer, former Marvel editor, and editor of the 75th anniversary edition of Orrin C. Evans’ ‘All-Negro Comics;’ first published in 1947, it’s the first full comic book created and produced solely by Black Americans. Using crowdfunding, Robinson created a digitally remastered hardcover reprint edition of the historic anthology, with essays on the history of Black comics, Black fandom, and racist barriers to Black artists in comics.

This week the More to Come cohosts wave Goodbye to Marvel’s troublesome chairman Ike Perlmutter and assess a new round of Disney layoffs; DC’s restructuring and the Shazam/Black Adam movie debacle; ReedPop president Lance Fensterman is leaving the company; plus convention news, and MoCCA preview

In a Stargazing review segment, Meg and Calvin discuss ‘Impossible People: A Completely Average Recovery Story’ by Julia Wertz, a bleakly humorous graphic account of struggles with both alcoholism and group therapy; and ‘Esther’s Notebooks’ by French cartoonist Riad Sattouf, a page-turning comics recreation of the colorful schoolyard observations of an irresistibly profane, thoroughly entertaining, nine-year old girl.

Calvin interviews cartoonist Jeff Smith, acclaimed author of ‘Bone’ and ‘RASL’, about his new graphic novel series ‘Tuki: Book One Fight For Fire’, and ‘Book Two Fight For Family’, a rollicking two-book adventure tale set at the beginnings of prehistoric human life. Smith talks about the development of Tuki online, self-publishing the book series in print via his Cartoon Books publishing program, and the launch of his “Dawn of Man” national book tour in March.

Heidi talks with New Zealand cartoonist K. O'Neill about their new middle grade fairy tale graphic novel 'The Moth Keeper'; O'Neill's working process; their approach to storytelling; the New Zealand comics scene; and developing a career as a graphic novelist.

The ComicsPRO annual retailers conference; ICv2 manga week news from Viz’s Kevin Hamric and Yen Press’ Mark DeVera; anime streaming news on Sentai/HiDive as well as Crunchyroll’s fight with voice actors; the new Image union ratifies contract; Kevin Feige talks MCU Phase 5; Boom Kickstarter raises $1.1 million; Scott Adams canceled; and TikTok examines Son of Kal-El sales. Plus Emerald City Comic Con with Heidi!

The return of Calvin and Hobbes legend Bill Watterson to comics; intrigue and fatigue in the MCU and sales in the DCU; the GNCRT's latest Best Graphic Novels lists; and the demise of Catapult magazine.

Calvin interviews Latinx comics writer Henry Barajas, author of 'La Voz De M.A.Y.O. Tata Rambo' (with artist by J. Gonzo), the graphic biography of his great-grandfather Ramon Jaurique, and writer of the syndicated comic strip 'Gil Thorp' with artist Rod Whigham.

DC Studio’s plan to launch a new slate of DC Universe TV and film projects; Netflix’s dubious use of AI to produce anime; Riad Satouf, the new winner of the Angoulême festival’s Grand Prix; graphic novel winners at the ALA’s Youth Media Awards; layoffs at Comixology, and Kodansha halts its simulpub program on Crunchyroll and Azuki.

Robert Kirkman, writer/creator of 'The Walking Dead' and the imaginative and diverse superhero universe of 'Invincible', discusses Invincible’s 20th anniversary; creating the series with artists Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, his love of superhero comics, the Invincible animation series; and the release of Invincible hardcover and trade paperback reprint collections to celebrate the anniversary.

A look back on ten of the biggest comics news events of 2022: among them a surge in book censorship and library challenges, the full-on return of live events and festivals, explosive growth in manga sales, Book sales and supply chain disruptions, troubles at Oni-Lion Forge and other indies; webtoon comics growing, unions at Image and Seven Seas; and PW@150.