Comics

Russo Brothers Accidentally Reveal Captain Marvel in Avengers: Infinity War

It looks like Captain Marvel will appear in Avengers: Infinity War, Part 1 — before her solo movie hits theaters a year later.

Infinity War directors the Russo Brothers were speaking at the Smithsonian and running through the list of characters in the movie, when one of them blurted out the name “Captain Marvel.” A fan in the crowd pounced and asked, “Did you just confirm Captain Marvel?”

Russo replied, “”Um….Captain Barvel. Totally different character.”

So there you have it. Either Carol Danvers will be joining the Avengers in Infinity  War, Part 1, or the House of Ideas is ready to introduce the exciting new character, “Captain Barvel.” We’re betting on the former.

h/t Comicbook.com

Marvel Commits to Black Widow Solo Movie

After years of speculation and pleading from fans, Marvel has finally made the first tenuous moves towards making a Black Widow solo movie. In an interview with Deadline, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige moved Black Widow to the top of the stack of characters under consideration for their own movie. Even more exciting than that, he  didn’t use the word “movie.” He used the word “franchise.”

DEADLINE: You’ve got a bunch of characters in this movie from Falcon and War Machine and Black Widow and Hawkeye, who have so far guest starred in movies with another character’s title above the fold. Is there one destined to get a solo movie down the line?
FEIGE: We’ve announced the next nine movies, 10 counting Civil War, through the end of 2019. Where we go beyond that are ongoing discussions that we’ll focus on in the next few years because we have a lot to do before then. Of the characters that you’ve just mentioned I would say certainly the one creatively and emotionally that we are most committing to doing is Black Widow.

DEADLINE: Why?
FEIGE: We think she’s an amazing character. We think Scarlett Johansson’s portrayal of her is amazing. She’s a lead Avenger and has amazing stories in her own right to tell that we think would be fun to turn into a stand-alone franchise.

Did you hear that? They are “committed to doing” a Black Widow movie. No turning back from that. We’re going to hold them to it.

#HeresNatasha — Black Widow Toys, Clothing and Merch Has Finally Arrived

Appearing in five movies, the Black Widow is Marvel’s most recognizable female hero. But her ubiquitous presence on the silver screen has historically not translated to an abundance of choices in the toy aisle. There are likely multiple reasons for this. She is always a supporting character in the movies and traditional toy marketing discourages boys from buying toys featuring women, and girls from entering the action-figure aisle to find merchandise designed for them.

Marvel’s deliberate strategy of carefully proving a market for female action figures, toys and clothing has frustrated many fans, leading to multiple social media hashtag campaigns to pressure them into speeding up the release of merchandise aimed at women and girls. With Captain America: Civil War, the dam holding back merchandise featuring — and for — women appears to have broken.

One industry insider confided, “Marvel has licensed hundreds of products featuring Black Widow for this movie — if not thousands.”  And the  Widow is just the first. Scarlet Witch is already traveling down her established path in the movies, and Marvel has announced that they will be expanding products featuring female heroes like Spider-Gwen, Ms Marvel, Spider-Woman and Squirrel Girl through specialty retailers like Hot Topic.

But it all starts with Black Widow. From the toy aisle to apparel to home furnishings, everyone’s favorite Russian assassin is popping up everywhere.And we’ve put together a cheat sheet to show some of our favorite merch — and this is just a fraction of what is out there.

Toys & Collectibles

While not as widely available as some of the more core characters like Iron Man or Captain America, the Black Widow has an extraordinary amount of action figures available at a variety of price points. Most of these can be found at Target, Toys ‘r’ Us or other retailers; while a few items are Disney Store exclusives.

Action Figures

Collectibles

There are some great desk chotskies here from adorable (and inexpensive) Tsum-Tsums and FUNKO Pops to hyper-detailed (and pricey) action figures for adults from Hot Toys, Square Enix and Marvel Select.

Kids’ Toys

A lot of people felt that you couldn’t market Black Widow to little kids. It just took one look at that Playskool Hero to prove the naysayers wrong. I think I kind of need one of those.

LEGO Building Set

LEGO righted one of the most egregious slights of Avengers: Age of Ultron by giving us a Black Widow playset and finally letting Natasha rock the motorcycle she uses in the films.

LEGO® Super Heroes Crossbones’ Hazard Heist 76050
LEGO® Super Heroes Crossbones’ Hazard Heist 76050
LEGO® Super Heroes Crossbones’ Hazard Heist 76050

Costumes

Finally, a costume for girls who want to kick butt — not look cute.

Clothing and Apparel

Retailers from Target, to Walmart, to JC Penney’s to Macy’s all have Black Widow and Avengers apparel for women on the shelves. No more sneaking over to the boys department for an ill-fitting shirt. Girls today have lots of mass market options to show their fandom.

Avenger’s Grey Tee – Macy’s
Avengers High Low Tee – Macy’s
Avengers Long Sleeve Tee – Macy’s
Black Widow Baseball Tee
Black Widow Spy Tee – Disney Store
Black Widow Tee – Disney Store
Girl Power Tee – Disney Store
Marvel Black Pastel Tee – Walmart
Marvel Black Widow Sleep Set – Target
Marvel Comics Sleep Set – Target

Accessories

Marvel has been expanding their line of purses, wallets and handbags over the past few years and that trend continues for Civil War. An the Disney Store has an entire line or lamps, bags and tablet sleeves featuring the world’s greatest spy.

 

The Heroic Girls’ Guide to Free Comic Book Day 2016

Free Comic Book Day celebrated every year on the first Saturday in May. It’s a day where comic book shops all across the world give away comic books to customers both old and new.

This year, FCBD lands on May 7th. Heroic Girls is giving everything you need to know to find a shop, pick out your books and have a great time.

Not All Shops Are Created Equal

Some shops make FCBD into a massive event, with special sales, in-store signings by local comic writers and artists, raffles, food trucks and more. Other stores barely acknowledge the event at all. There are 50 free comic books available on Free Comic Book Day, but how many each shop will carry varies wildly. Some may only carry two or three, while others will carry the entire line-up. Some will have hundreds or thousands on hand while others will have a few dozen.

Use the local comic shop locator to find the shops near you and call around to see what events each is planning for Saturday and what comics they will have on hand.

Free For You, Not For the Shops

The free comics that the shops are handing out are not actually free. Your local comic shop has to pay for them (although at a steeply discounted rate.) So that brings up two unofficial “rules” for being a good customer on FCBD.

  1. Don’t be greedy — Look over the available comic and only choose the ones that look interesting to you. Don’t grab things you won’t read just because you can. The shops have to pay for those.
  2.  Spend a little money — I know it is “Free” Comic Book Day, but the shops are giving you all this cool stuff, be a good egg and find a little something to buy while you are there. If you’re not sure what to get, ask an employee for a recommendation.

Be Prepared

Below is a list of all the potential comics your local shop might carry. The “Gold” comics are the ones that most stores will carry, while the “Silver” will only be stocked by larger shops or shops doing big events. Make a list of the books you want, check with the shop to make sure they will carry them, and bring your list with you to the shop on FCBD.

Be Early

Check with your local comic shop to find out if they expect there to be a line for the books. Some shops have a line of people waiting every year to get the freebies. The shop can tell you when a good time to arrive is. If you might need to wait, bring snacks, reading material or small games to play to pass the time.

Have Fun

Free Comic Book Day is a blast. Wear a mask! Dress in costumes! Take photos! Live Tweet the event! Share your pics videos and thoughts on social media with the hashtags #FCBD2016 or #FCBD. Then search those hashtags to see what other people are doing to celebrate.

The Comics

Gold Comics

Silver Comics

Marvel Introduces New Quasar

Amidst the chaos of Avengers: Standoff!, a variety of heroes have stepped up to defend what innocence the community of Pleasant Hill still possesses. In AVENGERS: STANDOFF! ASSAULT ON PLEASANT HILL OMEGA—available now—writer Nick Spencer along with artists Daniel Acuna and Angel Unzueta add a new champion for good to the mix with a name fans will recognize.

Quasar
Quasar

We corralled Spencer for a quick chat about the latest Quasar and what lies in store for her fledgling heroic career!

Marvel.com: How do the events of Standoff! lead to a new Quasar?

Nick Spencer: Avril Kincaid is a high-level S.H.I.E.L.D. agent stationed in Pleasant Hill when Baron Zemo stages his revolt. Seeing the crisis around her, she seeks out the most powerful weapon hidden in the town: the Quantum Bands. When she arrives to retrieve them, though, she’s greeted by a surprise—the owner of the bands and the original Quasar, Wendell Vaughn. He gives them to her, and from there, she uses them to help turn the tide of the battle in Standoff!. It’s a real “step up and be a hero” moment for Avril, and sets her on the path to becoming the new Quasar.

Marvel.com: What fresh point of view does this new Quasar represent?

Nick Spencer: This is something I can’t really get into yet, but yes, Avril definitely provides a fresh point of view within the Marvel Universe. That’s a big part of what has me excited about the character—she has unique perspective and her own life and background is something I hope we’ll be exploring in-depth very soon. She has quite the story.

Marvel.com: Where can we see the new Quasar next?

Nick Spencer: We have big plans ahead for Avril; she’ll be a major player in some very important upcoming stories. You can definitely keep a lookout for her in the Captain America books, but I suspect she’ll be showing up elsewhere as well…

Quasar Page

via Marvel.com

Record Number of Women Nominated for Eisner Awards

The 2016 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards has had a record breaking amount of nominations for women comic creators. Forty-nine women received 61 total nominations this year. Last year, twelve women walked away with Eisner’s, highlighting one of the best years for women yet.

Some of the most notable nominations include Bitch Planet and The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl for Best New Series, Roller Girl for Best Publication for Kids and Nimona for Best Graphic Album. G. Willow Wilson, co-creator of Ms. Marvel is also nominated for Best Writer.

This year’s winners will be announced on July 22 at a gala during San Diego Comic-Con.

Best Short Story

  • “Black Death in America,” by Tom King and John Paul Leon, in Vertigo Quarterly: Black(Vertigo/DC)
  • “Hand Me Down,” by Kristyna Baczynski, in 24 x 7 (Fanfare Presents)
  • “It’s Going to Be Okay,” by Matthew Inman, in The Oatmeal
  • “Killing and Dying,” by Adrian Tomine, in Optic Nerve #14 (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • “Lion and Mouse,” by R. Sikoryak, in Fable Comics (First Second)

Best Single Issue/One-Shot

  • A Blanket of Butterflies, by Richard Van Camp and Scott B. Henderson (HighWater Press)
  • I Love This Part, by Tillie Walden (Avery Hill)
  • Mowgli’s Mirror, by Olivier Schrauwen (Retrofit/Big Planet)
  • Pope Hats #4, by Ethan Rilly (AdHouse)
  • Silver Surfer #11: “Never After,” by Dan Slott and Michael Allred (Marvel)

Best Continuing Series

  • Bandette, by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain)
  • Giant Days, by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Max Sarin (BOOM! Studios/BOOM! Box)
  • Invincible, by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, and Cliff Rathburn (Image/Skybound)
  • Silver Surfer, by Dan Slott and Michael Allred (Marvel)
  • Southern Bastards, by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour (Image)

Best Limited Series

  • Chrononauts, by Mark Millar and Sean Murphy (Image)
  • The Fade Out, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
  • Lady Killer, by Joëlle Jones and Jamie S. Rich (Dark Horse)
  • Minimum Wage: So Many Bad Decisions, by Bob Fingerman (Image)
  • The Spire, by Simon Spurrier and Jeff Stokely (BOOM! Studios)

Best New Series

  • Bitch Planet, by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro (Image)
  • Harrow County, by Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook (Dark Horse)
  • Kaijumax, by Zander Cannon (Oni)
  • Monstress, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Image)
  • Paper Girls, by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang (Image)
  • The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, by Ryan North and Erica Henderson (Marvel)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)

  • Anna Banana and the Chocolate Explosion, by Dominque Roques and Alexis Dormal (First Second)
  • Little Robot, by Ben Hatke (First Second)
  • The Only Child, by Guojing (Schwartz & Wade)
  • SheHeWe, by Lee Nordling and Meritxell Bosch (Lerner Graphic Universe)
  • Written and Drawn by Henrietta, by Liniers (TOON Books)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12)

  • Baba Yaga’s Assistant, by Marika McCoola and Emily Carroll (Candlewick)
  • Child Soldier: When Boys and Girls Are Used in War, by Jessica Dee Humphreys, Michel Chikwanine, and Claudia Devila (Kids Can Press)
  • Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor, by Nathan Hale (Abrams Amulet)
  • Over the Garden Wall, by Pat McHale, Amalia Levari, and Jim Campbell (BOOM! Studios/KaBOOM!)
  • Roller Girl, by Victoria Jamieson (Dial Books)
  • Sunny Side Up, by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm (Scholastic Graphix)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)

  • Awkward, by Svetlana Chmakova (Yen Press)
  • Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, by Don Brown (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
  • March: Book Two, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)
  • Moose, by Max de Radiguès (Conundrum)
  • Oyster War, by Ben Towle (Oni)
  • SuperMutant Magic Academy, by Jillian Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Humor Publication

  • Cyanide & Happiness: Stab Factory, by Kris Wilson, Rob DenBleyker, and Dave McElfatrick (BOOM! Studios/BOOM! Box)
  • Deep Dark Fears, by Fran Krause (Ten Speed Press)
  • Sexcastle, by Kyle Starks (Image)
  • Step Aside, Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant Collection, by Kate Beaton (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • UR, by Eric Haven (AdHouse)

Best Digital/Webcomic

  • Bandette, by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain/comiXology)
  • Fresh Romance, edited by Janelle Asselin (Rosy Press/comiXology)
  • The Legend of Wonder Woman, by Renae De Liz (DC Digital)
  • Lighten Up, by Ronald Wimberly (The Nib)
  • These Memories Won’t Last, by Stu Campbell

Best Anthology

  • Drawn & Quarterly, Twenty-Five Years of Contemporary, Cartooning, Comics, and Graphic Novels, edited by Tom Devlin (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • Eat More Comics: The Best of the Nib, edited by Matt Bors (The Nib)
  • 24 x 7, edited by Dan Berry (Fanfare Presents)
  • Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, vol. 3, edited by David Petersen (BOOM! Studios/Archaia)
  • Peanuts: A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz, edited by Shannon Watters (BOOM! Studios/KaBOOM!)

Best Reality-Based Work

  • The Arab of the Future: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978–1984, by Riad Sattouf (Metropolitan Books)
  • Displacement: A Travelogue, by Lucy Knisley (Fantagraphics)
  • Hip Hop Family Tree, Book 3: 1983–1984, by Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics)
  • Invisible Ink: My Mother’s Secret Love Affair with a Famous Cartoonist, by Bill Griffith (Fantagraphics)
  • March: Book Two, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)
  • The Story of My Tits, by Jennifer Hayden (Top Shelf/IDW)

Best Graphic Album—New

  • Long Walk to Valhalla, by Adam Smith and Matthew Fox (BOOM! Studios/Archaia)
  • Nanjing: The Burning City, by Ethan Young (Dark Horse)
  • Ruins, by Peter Kuper (SelfMadeHero)
  • Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen, by Dylan Horrocks (Fantagraphics)
  • The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, by Sydney Padua (Pantheon)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

  • Angry Youth Comics, by Johnny Ryan (Fantagraphics)
  • Roses in December: A Story of Love and Alzheimer’s, by Tom Batiuk and Chuck Ayers (Kent State University Press)
  • The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal Omnibus, by E. K. Weaver (Iron Circus Comics)
  • Nimona, by Noelle Stevenson (Harper Teen)
  • Soldier’s Heart: The Campaign to Understand My WWII Veteran Father, by Carol Tyler (Fantagraphics)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium

  • Captive of Friendly Cove: Based on the Secret Journals of John Jewitt, by Rebecca Goldfield, Mike Short, and Matt Dembicki (Fulcrum)
  • City of Clowns, by Daniel Alarcón and Sheila Alvarado (Riverhead Books)
  • Ghetto Clown, by John Leguizamo, Christa Cassano, and Shamus Beyale (Abrams ComicArts)
  • Lafcadio Hearn’s “The Faceless Ghost” and Other Macabre Tales from Japan, adapted by Sean Michael Wilson and Michiru Morikawa (Shambhala)
  • Two Brothers, by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá (Dark Horse)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

  • Alpha . . . Directions, by Jens Harder (Knockabout/Fanfare)
  • The Eternaut, by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano Lòpez (Fantagraphics)
  • A Glance Backward by Pierre Paquet and Tony Sandoval (Magnetic Press)
  • The March of the Crabs, by Arthur de Pins (BOOM! Studios/Archaia)
  • The Realist, by Asaf Hanuka (BOOM! Studios/Archaia)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

  • Assassination Classroom, vols. 2–7, by Yusei Matsui (VIZ)
  • A Bride’s Story, vol. 7, by Kaoru Mori (Yen Press)
  • Master Keaton, vols. 2–4, by Naoki Urasawa, Hokusei Katsushika, and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ)
  • Showa, 1953–1989: A History of Japan, by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • A Silent Voice, by Yoshitoki Oima (Kodansha)
  • Sunny, vol. 5, by Taiyo Matsumoto (VIZ)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips

  • Beyond Mars, by Jack Williamson and Lee Elias, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/LOAC)
  • Cartoons for Victory, by Warren Bernard (Fantagraphics)
  • The Complete Funky Winkerbean, vol. 4, by Tom Batiuk, edited by Mary Young (Black Squirrel Books)
  • The Eternaut, by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano Lòpez, edited by Gary Groth and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
  • Kremos: The Lost Art of Niso Ramponi, vols. 1 and 2, edited by Joseph V. Procopio (Picture This Press/Lost Art Books)
  • White Boy in Skull Valley, by Garrett Price, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books

  • Frank Miller’s Ronin Gallery Edition, edited by Bob Chapman (Graphitti Designs/DC)
  • P. Craig Russell’s Murder Mystery and Other Stories Gallery Edition, edited by Daniel Chabon (Dark Horse)
  • The Puma Blues: The Complete Saga, by Stephen Murphy, Alan Moore, Michael Zulli, Stephen R. Bissette, and Dave Sim, edited by Drew Ford (Dover)
  • Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck: The Don Rosa Library, vols. 3–4, edited by David Gerstein (Fantagraphics)
  • Walt Kelly’s Fairy Tales, edited by Craig Yoe (IDW)

Best Writer

  • Jason Aaron, Southern Bastards (Image), Men of Wrath (Marvel Icon), Doctor Strange, Star Wars, Thor (Marvel)
  • John Allison, Giant Days (BOOM Studios!/BOOM! Box)
  • Ed Brubaker, The Fade Out, Velvet, Criminal Special Edition (Image)
  • Marjorie Liu, Monstress (Image)
  • G. Willow Wilson, Ms. Marvel (Marvel)

Best Writer/Artist

  • Bill Griffith, Invisible Ink: My Mother’s Secret Love Affair with a Famous Cartoonist (Fantagraphics)
  • Nathan Hale, Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor (Abrams)
  • Sydney Padua, The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage (Pantheon)
  • Ed Piskor, Hip-Hop Family Tree, vol. 3 (Fantagraphics)
  • Noah Van Sciver, Fante Bukowski, Saint Cole (Fantagraphics)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

  • Michael Allred, Silver Surfer (Marvel); Art Ops (Vertigo/DC)
  • Cliff Chiang, Paper Girls (Image)
  • Erica Henderson, Jughead (Archie), Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (Marvel)
  • Joëlle Jones, Lady Killer (Dark Horse), Brides of Helheim (Oni)
  • Nate Powell, March, Book Two (Top Shelf/IDW)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist

  • Federico Bertolucci, Love: The Tiger and Love: The Fox (Magnetic Press)
  • Colleen Coover, Bandette (Monkeybrain)
  • Carita Lupattelli, Izuna (Humanoids)
  • Dustin Nguyen, Descender (Image)
  • Tony Sandoval, A Glance Backward (Magnetic Press)

Best Cover Artist

  • David Aja, Hawkeye, Karnak, Scarlet Witch (Marvel)
  • Rafael Albuquerque, Ei8ht (Dark Horse), Huck (Image)
  • Amanda Conner, Harley Quinn (DC)
  • Joëlle Jones, Lady Killer (Dark Horse), Brides of Helheim (Oni)
  • Ed Piskor, Hip-Hop Family Tree (Fantagraphics)

Best Coloring

  • Laura Allred, Lady Killer (Dark Horse); Silver Surfer (Marvel); Art OPS (Vertigo/DC)
  • Jordie Bellaire, The Autumnlands, Injection, Plutona, Pretty Deadly, The Surface, They’re Not Like Us, Zero (Image); The X-Files (IDW); The Massive (Dark Horse); Magneto, Vision (Marvel)
  • Elizabeth Breitwiser, The Fade Out, Criminal Magazine, Outcast, Velvet (Image)
  • John Rauch, The Beauty (Image); Batman: Arkham Knight, Earth 2: Society (DC); Runaways (Marvel)
  • Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD Hell on Earth, Fight Club 2, Frankenstein Underground, Hellboy in Hell, Hellboy and the BPRD, (Dark Horse); Sandman: Overture, Twilight Children (Vertigo/DC), Captain America: White (Marvel), Space Dumplins(Scholastic Graphix)

Best Lettering

  • Derf Backderf, Trashed (Abrams)
  • Steve Dutro, Blood-C, Midnight Society, Plants vs Zombies (Dark Horse)
  • Lucy Knisley, Displacement (Fantagraphics)
  • Troy Little, Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Top Shelf/IDW)
  • Kevin McCloskey, We Dig Worms! (TOON Books)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

  • Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
  • Back Issue, edited by Michael Eury (TwoMorrows)
  • Comic Riffs blog by Michael Cavna, washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/
  • Hogan’s Alley, edited by Tom Heintjes (Hogan’s Alley)
  • Jack Kirby Collector, edited by John Morrow (TwoMorrows)

Best Comics-Related Book

  • Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created Mad and Revolutionized Humor in America, by Bill Schelly (Fantagraphics)
  • King of the Comics: One Hundred Years of King Features Syndicate, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/LOAC)
  • Only What’s Necessary: Charles M. Schulz and the Art of Peanuts, by Chip Kidd and Geoff Spear (Abrams ComicArts)
  • Out of Line: The Art of Jules Feiffer, by Martha Fay (Abrams ComicArts)
  • Will Eisner: Champion of the Graphic Novel, by Paul Levitz (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Academic/Scholarly Work

  • The Blacker the Ink: Constructions of Black Identity in Comics and Sequential Art, edited by  Frances Gateward and John Jennings (Rutgers)
  • Boys Love Manga and Beyond: History, Culture, and Community in Japan, edited by Mark McLelland et al. (University Press of Mississippi)
  • Graphic Medicine Manifesto, by M. K. Czerwiec et al. (Penn State University Press)
  • Superheroes on World Screens, edited by Rayna Denison and Rachel Mizsei-Ward (University Press of Mississippi)
  • Unflattening, by Nick Sousanis (Harvard University Press)

Best Publication Design

  • Beyond the Surface, designed by Nicolas André, Sam Arthur, Alex Spiro, and Camille Pichon (Nobrow)
  • The Eternaut, designed by Tony Ong (Fantagraphics)
  • Eventually Everything Connects, designed by Loris Lora, Sam Arthur, Alex Spiro, and Camille Pichon (Nobrow)
  • King of the Comics: One Hundred Years of King Features Syndicate, designed by Dean Mullaney (IDW/LOAC)
  • Only What’s Necessary: Charles M. Schulz and the Art of Peanuts, designed by Chip Kidd (Abrams ComicArts)
  • Sandman Gallery Edition, designed by Josh Beatman/Brainchild Studios (Graphitti Designs/DC)

Marvel’s Jessica Jones Wins Peabody Award

The “Entertainment and Children’s Programs” who won coveted Peabody 30 Awards were announced this morning on the NBC’s Today show. Originally conceived 75 years ago as a radio version of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize, the Peabody’s expanded to cover all broadcast medium with the advent of television. Prizes are awarded by a panel of experts convened by the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Marvel’s Jessica Jones was announced as one of the winners in the category, along with genre favorites such as Mr Robot and The Leftovers.

The full press release announcing all of the winners is reproduced below.

The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors today announced the Entertainment and Children’s programs that are among this year’s Peabody 30 winners. The 11 honorees, revealed live on NBC’s Today show this morning, range from the reality-show spoof UnREAL to the classical British drama Wolf Hall, from the German spy thriller Deutschland 83 to the family comedy black-ish. The Peabody Awards are based at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Documentary and Education winners will be revealed on the Peabody Facebook page on April 26 at 2:00pm ET. News, radio, podcast, and web winners were announced on Tuesday.

The Entertainment and Children’s winners of The Peabody 30 are as follows:

Beasts of No Nation (Netflix)
Red Crown Productions, Participant Media, Come What May Productions, New Balloon

A superbly acted, strikingly photographed film about an African warlord training an orphan child to join his guerrilla army, it never loses sight of their humanity, brutal acts notwithstanding.

black-ish (ABC)
ABC Studios

A bright, boisterous, big-hearted comedy about an affluent African American family working overtime to keep it real, black-ish doesn’t let jokes get in the way of insights about race, class, guns, and other hot-button topics that most popular entertainment shows scarcely mention.

Deutschland 83 (SundanceTV)
Fremantle International/Kino Lorber

A suspenseful, well-acted spy drama that takes place a few years before the Soviet bloc cracked and told from the perspective of East Germans and West Germans, it reheats Cold War conflicts in surprising ways.

Marvel’s Jessica Jones (Netflix)
Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios for Netflix

This one part superhero saga, one part neo-noir program asks unpopular questions about power and consent, while constructing vivid and compelling characters. Krysten Ritter helps us to discover the strengths and vulnerability of Jessica, a hard-boiled private detective who has rejected the role of superhero but must still figure out how to overcome the evil that threatens her, her friends and her community.

Master of None (Netflix)
Universal TV, Oh Brudder Productions, Alan Yang Productions, Fermulon

By turns profound and mundane, ridiculous and deadly serious, this imaginative, shape-shifting comedy chronicles the misadventures of Dev (series creator Aziz Ansari), a 30-year-old Indian-American who’s still trying to figure out what to do with his life. To say it resonates with young-adult viewers is an understatement.

MR. ROBOT (USA Network)
Universal Cable Productions

A riddle wrapped in a mystery shrouded in a hoody, MR. ROBOT‘s hero, Elliot, is a tormented, anti-social cyber-security whiz caught up in techno-anarchy conspiracy. The series’ twisting, turning, Rubik plot is almost as startling as its overtly anti-corporate stance. Occupy Prime Time?

The Leftovers (HBO)
HBO Entertainment and Warner Bros Television in association with Damon Lindelof Productions and Film 44

After an inexplicable global cataclysm – a massive random harvest – thins Earth’s population by 140 million, the survivors in this challenging, deeply philosophical, boldly imagined drama are left to figure out how to get on with life in a world that’s stopped making sense.

Transparent (Amazon Video)
Amazon Studios

Jeffrey Tambor’s transsexual Maura is not just the lead character of this bold, honest dramedy, she’s the catalyst for her typically dysfunctional modern family’s ongoing reevaluation of itself. Its broadened scope and lively sense of self-awareness, along with irreverent wit and poignant moments, made Transparent‘s second season even stronger than the first.

UnREAL (Lifetime)
A+E Studios

A spot-on, behind-the-scenes send-up of ersatz “reality” shows like The Bachelor, UnREAL makes viewers care about venal producers and petty contestants even as it skewers them.

Wolf Hall (PBS)
A Playground Entertainment and Company Pictures Production for BBC and MASTERPIECE in association with BBC Worldwide, Altus Media and Prescience

Based on Hilary Mantel’s celebrated novels about the intrigues of Henry VIII’s court, Wolf Hall is an intimate, humanized history, told from the viewpoint of the king’s main man, Thomas Cromwell. Enhanced by literate scripting and superb acting with historic-location and natural-light filming, this exceptional series sets a new standard for the genre.

Katie Morag (Cbeebies)
Move on Up

Mairi Hedderwick’s popular books about a feisty, wee, red-headed girl (the splendid Cherry Campbell) and the Scottish island community she’s growing up in are exquisitely realized in this series. Timeless, perhaps old-fashioned, but never precious or blindly idyllic, Katie Morag deals honestly and gracefully with death, loss, rivalry and other serious themes.

Batgirl Joins “Batman: Arkham Knight” Action Figures

Square Enix announced that Batgirl will be the next to join their hyper-detailed Play Arts Kai line of action figures from the video game Batman: Arkham Knight.

At 10 inches tall, Batman: Arkham Knight Batgirl comes with an articulated hard-plastic cape, interchangeable hands, a Batarang, a grapnel gun and a display stand.

Priced at $117, the figure is slated for release in August.

Square Enix’s Play Arts Kai Batman: Arkham Knight Batgirl
Square Enix’s Play Arts Kai Batman: Arkham Knight Batgirl
Square Enix’s Play Arts Kai Batman: Arkham Knight Batgirl
Square Enix’s Play Arts Kai Batman: Arkham Knight Batgirl
Square Enix’s Play Arts Kai Batman: Arkham Knight Batgirl
Square Enix’s Play Arts Kai Batman: Arkham Knight Batgirl
Square Enix’s Play Arts Kai Batman: Arkham Knight Batgirl
Square Enix’s Play Arts Kai Batman: Arkham Knight Batgirl