Links: Dates set for Sisters and Amulet; new Jimmy Gownley book debuts

Scholastic has announced a release date of August 26 for two new graphic novels, Raina Telgemeier’s Sisters and the sixth volume of Kazu Kibuishi’s Amulet.

Amelia Rules creator Jimmy Gownley visited several Catholic schools near his hometown of Girardville, Pennsylvania, to tell students about his new book, The Dumbest Idea Ever (which our own J. Caleb Mozzocco reviewed recently).

Heidi MacDonald interviews IDW publisher Ted Adams about the evolution of his company, which just celebrated its 15th anniversary, and a good chunk of the interview is about marketing comics to children via big retailers like Target (where IDW has special “fun packs” in the “trading card and tchotchke” section) and Scholastic Book Fairs.

Archie Comics co-CEO Jon Goldwater chats with ICv2 about the way the company has changed since he took over, with new takes on the classic characters and the revival of The Fox and their Red Circe superhero line.

Archie writer and artist Dan Parent talks about the storyline that is just wrapping up in the flagship comic Archie, in which the Riverdale redhead and his pals travel around the world. The storyline includes Archie’s romance with Valerie from Josie and the Pussycats and introduces a new character, Veronica’s cousin Harper, who uses a wheelchair. Says Parent,

Harper is another fun character, not held back by her disability but strengthened by it. She’s inspired by Jewel Kats, a real life advocate who you’ll get to know more about in the near future. She’s a remarkable woman who I had the pleasure to meet and was inspired by! And Harper brings a little more diversity to Riverdale, which is something I’m always striving for.

For the second time in two years, the manga Barefoot Gen has been removed from school libraries in Japan. The manga is a semi-fictional memoir of the author’s experiences during and after the bombing of Hiroshima, and although the current removal (done over the objection of the school principals) is supposedly because of outdated language, there seems to be a political motivation as well.

Webcomic alert: Martin Steenton recommends Drew Weing’s new all-ages webcomic, The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo.

James Kochalka’s Glorkian Warrior game is out as an iOS app.

Previews

Juice Squeezers #4 (Comic Book Resources)
Rocky and Bullwinkle #1 (Comic Book Resources)
Sonic the Hedgehog #258 (Comic Book Resources)

Reviews: Colleen Mondor posts some short reviews of recent YA graphic novels, including Bad Houses and Little Fish, at Chasing Ray.

Alan David Doane on Andre the Giant: Life and Legend (Trouble With Comics)
Kelly Fineman on Andre the Giant: Life and Legend (Guys Lit Wire)
Sterg Botzakis on Bad Houses (Graphic Novel Resources)
Sterg Botzakis on vol. 1 of Bandette (Graphic Novel Resources)
Robert Greenberger on Cleopatra in Space (Comic Mix)
Richard Bruton on Hilda and the Black Hound (Forbidden Planet)
Richard Bruton on this week’s issue of The Phoenix (Forbidden Planet)
David Ulin on This One Summer (LA Times)

Filed under: All Ages