Comics links, covering everything right-wing: from Canadian fascism to Canadian libertarianism.
Item! The great critic Ken Parille has a 3-way conversation with himself about Chester Brown’s Paying For It at the Comics Journal. One of the more in-depth reviews I’ve seen so far that doesn’t shrink from the political and aesthetic details. A similarly exhaustive look at the book took place last week at the Savage Critics. Worth reading, especially if you’ve read the book. Chester Brown himself is quoted in this Toronto Sun article about the legal status and visibility of sex workers. Strange that Chester may become one of those oft-quoted “authorities” for right-wing media. Also strange that even though I’m not from Toronto, I am familiar with the infamous “Hooker Harveys” mentioned in the article since it is just around the corner from my mother-in-law’s apartment.
Item! Two separate roundtables from Canadian comics retailers: On the DC reboot and the day-and-date digital initiative , Comic Book Daily gets the lowdown from Strange Adventures, The Beguiling, Happy Harbor and Big B Comics. Meanwhile, Don McPherson quizzes Strange Adventures, Happy Harbor, and Allnewcomics.com about the Canada Post strike and its effect on comic shops.
Item! Cartoonist Mike Holmes illustrates true stories in strip form for Halifax’s The Coast, now collected in a book. True Story features “guest cartoons from local cartoonists like Kate Beaton and Faith Erin Hicks, along with stories contributed by comedians like Patton Oswalt (who also provides a cover blurb) and Jonathan Goldstein.” Published by Invisible Publishing, the book debuted at TCAF.
Item! The new Alpha Flight comic book from Marvel, illustrated by Canadian Dale Eaglesham, has been getting some hype here and in the U.S. This Postmedia/Vancouver Sun article sums up a USA Today piece and gets a quote from Eaglesham about the supposed Canadian-ness of the comic, which is set to debut this week, I think.