Links: Avalon manga, Papercutz blog, and reviews galore

Matt Brady interviews the creators of The Scrapyard Detectives at Newsarama. Produced by The Diversity Foundation, The Scrapyard Detectives is "about kids, mysteries, exploring the nature of diversity and acceptance and personal growth, which sounds kind of awful, but the creators do a better job of selling it as kids’ mysteries in the Encyclopedia Brown/Scooby Doo vein.

Also at Newsarama, Michael C. Lorah talks to Mark Siegel of First Second about his company’s graphic novels, which include an number of quality children’s and teens’ titles.

Good news for those who enjoy the Avalon YA novels (as our own Esther Keller did last November): Seven Seas is getting ready to publish a manga adaptation based on the stories, and they have a behind-the-scenes page up that explains the steps that go into making it. (Thanks to blogger-friendly Seven Seas editor Adam Arnold for the tip!)

Wondercon is going on this weekend, and it has generated some news items. IDW is publishing a collected edition of The Family Circus, starting with the very first strip; editor Scott Dunbier discusses the new project at Comic Book Resources.

Lori Henderson wants someone to ask Viz, which is also at Wondercon, where the rest of the Pokemon manga are. For those who pooh-pooh media-based properties, she has this observation:

Both my daughters love pokemon to the point that they draw their one and come up with stories about them.  If there is something that will stimulate their imagination like that, you can be sure, that as a parent, I will be buying more of the books.

Papercutz, the publisher of the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Classics Illustrated series, has started a new blog, and it looks like their creators will be contributing, which should make for some interesting reading.

In other blogging news, Comics Playground, the all-ages comics podcast, has been quiet for a while, but now they’re back with a new podcast that covers Mouse Guard, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Space Raoul, and more.

The Friends of Lulu blog has a nice list of this week’s all-ages comics, with cover images.

Here’s a treat from the past: At comiXology, Kristy Valenti writes about archy and mehitabel, the cat/cockroach drama illustrated by George Herriman of Krazy Kat fame.

Reviews

Nate Stearns on The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need (The Graphic Classroom)
Brigid Alverson on Amelia Rules! (Graphic Novel Reporter)
Johanna Draper Carlson on the February Archie comics (Comics Worth Reading)
Larry Litle on Blast to the Past (The Graphic Classroom)
Brigid Alverson on Dear Dracula (Graphic Novel Reporter)
William Jones on Fuzz & Pluck: Splitsville (Graphic Novel Reporter)
Brigid Alverson on Gettysburg: The Graphic Novel (Graphic Novel Reporter)
J. Caleb Mozzocco on Johnny Boo: Twinkle Power (Blog@Newsarama)
Julie on vol. 2 of Kiichi and the Magic Books (Manga Maniac Cafe)
Sarah Jaffe on Labor Days (Blog@Newsarama)
Brigid Alverson on vol. 1 of Luuna (Graphic Novel Reporter)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 1 of Luuna (The Comic Book Bin)
Brigid Alverson on The Manga Cookbook (Graphic Novel Reporter)
Deb Aoki on vol. 1 of Maximum Ride (About.com)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 1 of Maximum Ride (Kuriousity)
Bart Croonenborghs on My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill (Broken Frontier)
Michelle Smith on vol. 1 of The Name of the Flower (Manga Recon)
Tangognat on vol. 1 of NG Life (Tangognat)
Sean T. Colllins on Owly vol. 4: A Time to Be Brave (Attentiondeficitdisorderly Too Flat)
Johanna Draper Carlson on Shojo Beat’s Manga Artist Academy (Comics Worth Reading)
Ana on vol. 1 of Vampire Knight (The Book Smugglers)
Kevin Hogdson on Tiny Tyrant and Kaput & Zosky (The Graphic Classroom)

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