Welcome back to The Rundown, our daily breakdown on comic news stories we missed from the previous day. Have a link to share? Email our team at rundown@multiversitycomics.com.
courtesy of Stephen Holland
– At the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, writer Bobby Joseph was named the UK’s new Comics Laureate. Best known for editing the satirical Black magazine Skank (1994-97), and creating (with Joseph Samuels) the spin-off “Scotland Yardie,” Joseph is an advocate for diversity in comics, and the first Black Comics Laureate. He stated, “I am proud and truly humbled to be the new Comics Laureate. I’m looking forward to working with the Festival organisation, and seeing what can be achieved. Hopefully, it will be a positive, lasting change for the UK comics scene.” He succeeds artist and retailer Stephen Holland, and will serve in the role for the next two years.
In further news from LICAF, the first Sophie Castille Award for Comics in Translation was awarded to Michele Hutchison for “The Philosopher, the Dog and the Wedding.” The book, a comedic take on the life of Ancient Greek philosopher Hipparchia by Dutch cartoonist Barbara Stok, was translated by Hutchison (a British writer and translator specializing in Dutch literature) for its English release from SelfMadeHero last year. The award was created to honor the memory of Europe Comics co-founder Sophie Castille, who passed away aged only 51 in 2022.
– Speaking of translations, Shueisha have responded to criticism over the use of A.I. to localize the Manga Plus series “Rugby Rumble,” by updating the comic with lettering from translator Mei Amaki (Mugen Creations LLC). The sports manga, by Daisuke Miyata, launched on the app last week on September 28, and was initially translated by an A.I. company called Orange Inc., who boasted they “achieved a 90% cut in the process and cost of manga localization,” and would launch a new “epoch” in the industry. It is unknown if their services will be retained. You can check out a comparison of the two versions at The Beat.
– Via IGN, IDW revealed “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” #150 will mark writer Sophie Campbell’s final issue on the series. Campbell, who has been lead writer since issue #101, and an artist on the book before that, will begin her final story with the 145th issue, where Donatello, now alone after his family has become divided, take it upon himself to stop a new villain called Armaggon. Featuring art by Vincenzo Federici, coloring by Ronda Pattison, and lettering by Shawn Lee, “TMNT” #145 will be released on November 8, while #150 will arrive sometime early next year.
– Marvel announced a pair of back-up stories, and variant covers by Roy Boney, to mark Native American Heritage Month in November. The first back-up, by writer Steven Paul Judd and artist Shaun Beyale, will appear in “Ghost Rider” #20, and see Johnny Blaze team up with Kushula/Spirit Rider, the 19th century Sorcerer Supreme and Spirit of Vengeance. The second, by Bobby Wilson and David Cutler in “Sensational She-Hulk” #2, will see Jennifer Walters reunite with her ex, Wyatt Wingfoot, during a Negative Zone invasion of Washington D.C.
– The House of Ideas also revealed they will reprint the Kid Venom back-up stories from “Death of the Venomverse” in “Kid Venom: Origins” this January. Created by manga artist Taigami, Kid Venom/Kintaro is a variant of the character from 10th century Japan, who bonds with a symbiote to protect his village from other symbiotes. The one-shot will be released with a cover by Richard Isanove on January 3.
– Mad Cave will publish “Deer Editor,” an anthropomorphic noir series by Ryan K Lindsay, artist Sami Kivelä, colorist Lauren Affe, and letterer Jim Campbell. The mini revolves around Bucky, a crime news editor (who happens to be a deer with antlers), as a murder leads him to uncover “a world of political intrigue, a wi-fi-enabled grotto, and a station locker full of secrets.” Issue #1 will be released on January 10, 2024.
– “2000 AD” veteran PJ Holden is launching a new sci-fi webcomic on Friday, October 6, titled “Null Space.” The weekly anthology will see Holden team up with a variety of writers on different stories, beginning with Adrian Tchaikovsky’s barbarian-themed ‘Spider-Killer.’ Holden says, “This is my tribute to The Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, Black Mirror and Inside No. 9. I love an anthology.” You can bookmark the series here.
– Finally, Nick Roche is launching an online pop-up shop of art prints, which will remain open until October 31. The shop will sell A5 portraits of Transformers characters from the IDW era veteran, as well as prints of Roche’s depictions of the characters on Transformers: EarthSpark (a show he worked on as a character designer.) The store should be online from today at NickRocheArt.BigCartel.com.
