First off, my apologies. I got sick a few weeks ago, and somehow completely forgot about this newsletter. The last time we spoke, I was gearing up for Free Comic Book Day; and I'm pleased to say it was a success! Not only did I get to play Comic Store Clerk for a day, but the content of the books was actually really good this year. Jeremy Adams and Will Conrad's Flash Gordon is my runaway favorite, but I'm also really excited about The Ultimates as previewed by Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri. If you missed out on Free Comic Book Day this year, most of the offerings can be had via Marvel Unlimited, DC Universe Infinite, ComiXology or (my favorite newcomer) Omnibus. It'll take a little digging, as each publisher titled theirs a bit differently. But a search for Free Comic Book Day or FCBD should send you in the right direction. Congrats Are in Order! Eisner award nominations dropped last week, and I have to shout out a few recent guests on their noms! Tony Fleecs and Tim Seeley were nominated for Best New Series for their work on Local Man. The best interviewer in comics (and mentor in my head) David Harper was nominated for Best Comics-Related Journalism for his work on SKTCHD. I'm also rooting for Chris Robinson's All-Negro Comics 75th Anniversary reprint to win Best Archival Collection/Project. Congrats and good luck to all the nominees! On The Podcast Speaking of past guests, I had an awesome conversation with comic writer Greg Burnham last week. We talked about crowdfunding, staying profitable at conventions, and weaving history into stories without being dull or preachy. Check it out if you haven't already, and be sure to subscribe on your favorite pod-catcher. Tomorrow, I'm following up with Greg's business partner and frequent collaborator Marcus Williams. His Eye Lie Popeye feature was one of my other favorites from Free Comic Book Day, and we talk all about it and much more. The podcast is quickly becoming my favorite part of the Comics Are Dope media library, and I really hope you're enjoying the conversations we have. HeroesCon 2024 is Almost Here! Next month I'm making my third annual appearance in Charlotte, NC; for HeroesCon! I'm not a featured guest or anything, but I'm hoping to sneak in a few in-person interviews and catch up with some past guests on the channel. The guest list is MASSIVE as always, but I'm on a mission to get a signed Murder Falcon hardcover from Daniel Warren Johnson this year in memory of my brother Skipntosh. If you're at the con, feel free to shoot me a DM on Instagram, as Twitter seems to hide my notifications at times. Whenever I have downtime, I'll likely be hanging out with my guy Wolly McNair in Artist Alley. Come take a picture, and buy a few comics! That's enough updates for now. It's New Comic Book Day. Head to your Local Shop and grab some reading material! There's plenty of good stuff out this week. Read Something Dope Today, BJ KICKS |
Celebrating everything Dope about comics. Curated by BJ KICKS.
I had a whole intro typed about procrastination. I'll get to that later. This week, I gave myself a challenge. Post one video each weekday leading up to HeroesCon. Just so I wouldn't chicken out, I posted the schedule on social media SNL style. Now if I went back on my word, I'd be lying to at least a dozen people. 3 Down, 2 to Go. It's part of what I'm calling the Summer Sprint. After nearly a year of having to put the channel on the backburner while I dealt with more pressing matters on the...
It's a milestone week here in Dope Land. I woke up to two bits of exciting news on Tuesday. First, our audience grew to 18,000 subscribers on YouTube! I've set a goal in my head to reach 20k by November. But the truth is, the number only matters to me as much as I'm bringing joy to the person on the other end of it. That any singular person chooses to spend time listening to what I have to say about an artist's words and pictures will always be mind blowing to me. That makes the next...
Yesterday, I posted a video updating the general public about what I've been up to lately. If you read this briefing regularly, you already know. I'm busy being a family man, yada yada yada. But I also hinted a bit at some things to come on the channel. I've been searching for ways to include more book reviews in my heavily compressed schedule, and I think I've found just the trick in YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. Look, Ma! I'm in 16x9 format! While I've been hesitant to join the...