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.
– 130 cartoonists organized by the National Cartoonists Society, National Cartoonists Society Foundation and King Features are pooling their efforts this Thanksgiving to generate money for the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Strips including “Beetle Bailey,” “Blondie,” “”Dennis the Menace,” “Bizarro,” “Family Circus,” “Hi and Lois,” “Mutts,” and “Sally Forth” among many other are telling stories that reflect on the tragedy. The original artwork will be auctioned by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions to donate to the Direct Relief charity.
– Aubrey Sitterson’s upcoming ‘GI Joe First Strike’ event series “Scarlett’s Strike Force” has been canceled prior to the Final Order Cutoff date for for issue 1(December 5th) by IDW, apparently due to low sales. Earlier this year, Sitterson made remarks about September 11, 2001 that drew ire from some very vocal “GI Joe” fans that included death threats to the author and apparently lead to IDW forbidding Aubrey Sitterson from promoting the series.
– Al Nibet produced a number of cartoons for New Zealand newspaper the Marlborough Express that were seen as openly insulting to the Maori and Pacifika people. So insulting to the two disenfranchised groups in fact that the New Zealand courts are looking at the case as a possible violation of the Human Rights Act, Section 61. The law deals with instances where speech or art could incite hostility and contempt.
– Since the 1970’s, the United American Indians of New England have gathered in Plymouth Massachusetts to observe a Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving Day, not to shame those celebrating, but to raise awareness of the real story behind the grade school myth. Aubrey Ayres over at The Beat spotlighted four indigenous comics creators and projects to expand peoples knowledge of Native American contributions to comics.
– Black Panther is going to be a part of the makeover that Disney is doing to their California Adventure Theme Park. In anticipation of the solo film coming in February the King of Wakanda will be making appearances around the park for a limited time near the beginning of 2018.
