Links: Garfield rides again

Boom! Studios just added a new series to its growing all-ages line of comics: Garfield. The sarcastic, lasagna-eating cat will make the leap from comic strip to comic book this May in a series of all-new stories written by Mark Evanier and illustrated by Gary Barker.

Forward-thinking publisher Archie Comics will begin selling comics through its Facebook page this week. “I saw firsthand what happened to the music industry when they didn’t embrace digital, and I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen to Archie,” explains Bryan Young, the company’s co-CEO. “Unlike most direct market-centric comic companies, Archie has always been about being available. On the newsstand. In comic shops. In bookstores. So it made sense to translate that philosophy to digital, both in availability in timing.”

Over at Wired’s GeekDad blog, Jonathan Liu interviews Faith Erin Hicks about her latest project, Friends with Boys.

Veteran comics writers Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir and newcomer artist Jackie Lewis talk about their upcoming graphic novel, Play Ball, about a teenage girl who wants to play baseball (not softball); it’s due out from Oni Press in April.

The 2011 Cybil Awards were announced this week, with honors going to Ben Hatke’s Zita the Spacegirl, Mo Willem’s I Broke My Trunk! An Elephant and Piggie Book, and Vera Brogsol’s Anya’s Ghost.

Warner Brothers has teamed up with Hasbro to produce a line of superhero-inspired Mr. Potato Head toys. Look for Batman this summer, to be followed by Superman and Wonder Woman later in 2012.

Curious about Marvel’s new all-ages titles? Albert Ching talks to Stephen Wacker and Tom Brennan, the editors behind The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Superheroes Adventures and Ultimate Spider-man Adventures.

Newsarama interviews Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward, whose hit Cartoon Network series has inspired a successful comic from Boom! Studios.

The digital piracy wars to continue to rage: VIZ Media recently ordered scanlation site Mangastream to remove Shonen Jump titles from its website, to predictable howls of protest from fans.

Speaking of manga, next week’s Manga Movable Feast will focus on Osamu Tezuka, legendary creator of Astro Boy, Jungle Emperor Leo, and Princess Knight. Look for daily round-ups of all the action at The Manga Critic. Not familiar with Tezuka’s work? The folks at Tezuka in English have posted an excellent overview of his career as an animator and cartoonist.

Reviews: Comic Attack! columnist Drew McCabe focuses on three comics for grade school students.

Young Readers (Ages 4-8)
Paul Montgomery on Adventure Time #1 (iFanboy)
Alex Zalben on Adventure Time #1 (MTV Geek)
Glen Dallas on Dragon Puncher Book 2: Dragon Puncher Island (City Book Review)

Pre-Teens (Ages 9-12)
Traci on Amelia Rules!, Vol. 4: When the Past is a Present (No Flying No Tights)
Richard Bruton on Astronaut Academy (The Forbidden Planet Blog Log)
Erica Friedman on vol. 3 of Cardcaptor Sakura Omnibus (Okazu)
Wolfen Moondaughter on vol. 1 of Fraggle Rock Classics (Sequential Tart)
John Hogan on Jim Henson’s The Storyteller (Graphic Novel Reporter)
Sarah on vol. 1 of Laddertop (No Flying No Tights)
J. Caleb Mozzocco on Lily Renee, Escape Artist: From Holocaust Survivor to Comic Book Pioneer (Robot 6)
Tanya on The Popularity Papers: Words of (Questionable) Wisdom from Lydia Goldblatt and Julia Graham-Chang (books4yourkids)
Johanna Draper Carlson on Possessions 3: The House Trap (Comics Worth Reading)
Johanna Draper Carlson on Uglies: Shay’s Story (Comics Worth Reading)
David Elzey on Zita the Spacegirl (The Excelsior File)

Teens (13+)
Caitlin on Any Empire (No Flying No Tights)
Michael on Atomic Robo, Vol. 1: Atomic Robo and the Fightin’ Scientists of Tesladyne (No Flying No Tights)
Danica Davidson on Breathe Deeply (Graphic Novel Reporter)
Nic on vol. 1 of Dawn of the Arcana (No Flying No Tights)
Anna on vol. 1 of A Devil and Her Love Song (Manga Report)
Gail on Inner Sanctum: Tales of Mystery, Horror, and Suspense (No Flying No Tights)
Nic on vols. 1-6 of Laon (No Flying No Tights)
Kate Dacey on How to Draw Shojo Manga (The Manga Critic)
Danica Davidson on vol. 5 of My Girlfriend’s a Geek (Graphic Novel Reporter)
Lori Henderon on vols. 1-2 of One Missed Call (Manga Xanadu)
A Library Girl on Pandemonium (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)
Allen on Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Hero of the Confederacy (No Flying No Tights)

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