March is Here, and So Are New Comics!
|
February was a fun month for me. For the first time since I started the channel, I challenged myself to focus on adding books with Black creators/characters to the collection during Black History Month. Then I decided to take it a step further and do some research about the first comic with a black writer, artist and publisher. The result was a video I’m pretty happy with, and a bittersweet reminder not to get too worried about the analytics. As I’m gearing up for our 10,000 subscriber celebration (you heard it here first, the stream will be Thursday, March 21st), I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about what the experience will be like for the next 10,000. I want to make sure my videos are engaging enough to attract new viewers without leaning into sensationalism or outrage culture. I want to spotlight up-and-coming creators. I want to have meaningful conversations with industry veterans. All three of those goals tend to conflict with each other. I haven’t figured out the perfect mix, but I’m asking you to bear with me as I experiment a bit over the next few months. With all my research and contemplating, I somehow didn’t read a single comic this week. But I’ve heard great things about Avengers: Twilight #3, and Spider-Punk: Arms Race #1 looks fun. I’m looking forward to getting back to the reading pile this week, especially with the debut of Greg Weisman’s Spectactular Spider-Men #1 coming this Wednesday! On The PodcastThis week, I got to interview Cyborg writer Morgan Hampton. We talked about his journey into the industry, including his cold e-mail to David F. Walker, working as a member of the Comics Press to gain access to cons, and his time in the Milestone Initiative. It’s a great conversation for anyone looking to learn how to break into comics. Click the image below to listen on your favorite podcast platform. I really love the conversations we’re having on the podcast. Hopefully, you are too. In the coming weeks, I’m talking to Greg Burnham, David Pepose and even Stephanie Williams! I’m also looking to hear more from the artist side of comics, but more on that in another e-mail. Read Something Dope Today, BJ KICKS |
Comics Are Dope
BJ KICKS
Celebrating everything Dope about comics. Curated by BJ KICKS.
Does your to-be-read pile ever feel like a never-ending abyss you've fallen into? Are you embarrassed when a long-delayed issue 2 comes out, and you still haven't read issue 1? Have you ever misplaced an entire week of single issues you purchased? Me either. Okay... I'm lying. But you knew that already. The good news is I made a significant dent in my to-read pile this weekend, and an interview-free week means I should be 100% caught up by this Friday, for the first time in a while. There's a...
This was a sad week in comics. There's just no way around that statement, and I'm still in a somber mood over it all. We lost artist Mark D. Bright, whose work with Dwayne McDuffie on Icon opened me up to the Milestone Comics universe. But there's another tragedy rightfully taking over the headlines. Cartoonist Ed Piskor passed away Monday morning, marking a tragic end to an unfortunate scandal that had been brewing for the previous week. I mentioned the sobering nature of the allegations...
I feel so off-track to start the week. I started the day with a job interview, and ended it with a sick toddler. Safe to say, I’m already behind on my To-Do List. I figured I’d type this e-mail from my iPad while I snuggle up next to the toddler and watch Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood for the 74th time today. Let’s review a few comics I picked up last Wednesday. New Comic Reviews: 3/20/24 Black Panther #10 | Eve Ewing (w), Chris Allen (a) | Volume 10 of Black Panther is over, and MAN did that...