Pw Comics World: More To Come

An interview with Senegalese cartoonist Juni Ba about his new graphic novel 'Djeliya: A West African Fantasy Epic', about two humbled royal elites from a now-destroyed kingdom, out now from TKO Studios. Rich in African folklore, history and mythology; it blends a sense of cultural legacy, visionary technology, and a manic African sense of humor.

2020 graphic novel and manga sales spike; a new, highly funded, Wattpad Webtoon Studios TV/film production venture; the Suicide Squad's movie-poster plugs DC’s comics; the reckoning around Warren Ellis’s history of abuse takes down 'Fell'; backlash to an anti-Isekai manga; and returning to record the podcast in person at PW's new office.

Meg and Calvin discuss Alison Bechdel’s new graphic memoir ‘The Secret to Superhuman Strength’ on More To Come’s Stargazing feature.

An interview with Kitty of the Takarazuka Fan Podcast, a Rose of Versailles expert, on the history of this classic manga as a pop culture and theatrical phenomenon in Japan and its influence on other artistic works. ‘Rose of Versailles’ is just out from Udon Press in its first full English translation.

The Kickstarter success of Ngozi Ukazu’s ‘Check, Please!’ graphic novel series, which just raised $580,000 to publish volume four; PW’s U.S. Book Show; comics job comings and goings; Diamond’s belated new Pullbox order system; the reopening of St. Mark’s Comics; and news on the Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman and Mark Millar’s Jupiter’s Legacy.

An interview with manga scholar Erica Friedman of Okazu about Riyoko Ikeda's classic manga 'Rose of Versailles', and its translation for the first time into English, which has just come out from Udon Entertainment. Also, a bonus interview with Mitsuya Nao, who played Girodelle in a Takarazuka musical production of Rose of Versailles: Fersen.

AT&T plans to merge WarnerMedia (and DC) with Discovery Inc. as it exits the entertainment industry; Diamond’s new wholesale terms for Marvel comics; the current state of cons, including a preview of the U.S. Book Show; and Alex Segura ankles from Archie Comics for Oni-Lion Forge.

Penguin Random House's video update on its distribution deal with Marvel, and speculation on Diamond’s plans; dramatic sales increases for manga and other graphic novels; and digital news on Webtoon, Tapas Media, OverDrive, Black Sands, and Madefire.

In this Stargazing special episode, Calvin talks with PW graphic novels reviews editor Meg Lemke about their personal Staff Picks: Keiler Robert’s ‘My Begging Chart,’ and Bill Campbell and Bizhan Khodabandeh’s ‘The Day the Klan Came to Town’. Plus graphic novel recommendations on PW’s Summer Reads listing.

A look at whether the Big Two of superhero comics (Marvel and DC) are a bad deal for creators; rising prices ($5.99!) for periodical comics; the impact of streaming TV and film adaptations on graphic novel sales; offer a WTF on NFTs; and update news on New York Comic Con 2021.

Kuo-Yu Liang (known universally as Ku), a 30 year publishing veteran who has worked as an executive at ReedPop, Diamond Book Distributors, and Random House, talks about the blockbuster distribution deal between Marvel and PRH Publisher Services, the future of the Direct Market, and in the wake of the pandemic looks ahead at the status of pop culture conventions in 2021.

A survey of pop culture conventions in 2021; PW’s annual comics retailing feature; more on the impact of the comics distribution pact between PRH Publisher Services and Marvel; 'RUN: Book One', a posthumous sequel to John Lewis’s March trilogy; and more on Ray Fisher’s charges of racism against Joss Whedon during the filming of the Justice League movie.

Kickstarter and the challenges of the 2020 pandemic, a new union, graphic novel projects, setting up on Bookshop.org, and the continued growth of the publishing and comics crowdfunding sectors on Kickstarter.

Penguin Random House takes over distribution of Marvel comics in the direct market from Diamond, the anniversary of Diamond’s Covid shutdown, S&S graphic novel distribution, Keanu Reeves’s Netflix deal, DOJ looks at Crunchyroll sale, and the Snyder Cut.

A look at Comics After Covid, an online panel organized by the CBLDF; WonderCon and the San Diego Comic-Con go virtual again, with hope for the fall; comics publishing news with familiar names at new publishers; and a discussion of 'WandaVision', 'Raya and the Last Dragon', and other movie and streaming news.

Historian Brian K. Mitchell, artist Barrington S. Edwards, and editor Nick Weldon, on 'Monumental: Oscar Dunn and His Radical Fight in Reconstruction Louisiana', a graphic nonfiction account of the nearly forgotten but remarkable life of Oscar J. Dunn, a New Orleans-born former slave, who became the first African American lieutenant governor and acting governor in U.S. history.

A report on the ComicsPro retailers conference; plans and rumors about DC Comics’ publishing program; the Snyder Cut, a forthcoming graphic novel from Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki; and comics stars help save a Black-owned comics store.

Fred Van Lente and Crystal Skillman talk about 'King Kirby' - their new dramatic podcast about the life of Marvel Comics legend Jack Kirby - in an interview with Heidi MacDonald about their show, comics, Jack Kirby and creating an audio drama in a pandemic.

Allegations about Joss Whedon; Disney’s shutdown of Bluesky; a jump in pandemic graphic novel sales; a convention update; and Calvin moderates a panel on Ken Quattro’s ‘Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books’ published by Yoe Books.

This week on More To Come's Stargazing Calvin talks with PW graphic novel reviews editor Meg Lemke about David Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson’s ‘The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History’ ; and Shira Spector’s graphic memoir ‘Red Rock Baby Candy’ .