Welcome back to The Rundown, our daily breakdown on comic news stories we missed from the weekend. Have a link to share? Email our team at rundown@multiversitycomics.com.
– In the wake of the tragic and homophobic mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, the LGBT-centric Flame Con, has banned guns from cosplay. “Guns are not toys. Guns are not accessories that can be flaunted in public without inherently making light of their intended use — while simultaneously making many people deeply uncomfortable,” Flame Con co-founder Joey Stern said in a statement. “Acknowledging the shock and trauma and grief our community is experiencing right now, we feel the need to go even further in make Flame Con a safe space for all.” The organizers also challenged cosplayers with coming up with “creative alternatives to traditional guns”. This is the second year of Flame Con, which will take place August 20 and August 21 at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott.
– Dynamite Entertainment has recently acquired the license for the NBC program “Grimm”, and they’ve nabbed Caitlin Kittredge (“Coffin Hill”) to pen the comic. Illustrated by Maria Sanapo, the series will take place in the “official continuity” of the show’s fourth season.
– This January, John Romita, Jr. returns to “Kickass: The New Girl”. In their announcement today, Romita, Jr. and Mark Millar said it won’t be series protagonist, Dave Lizewski, under the mask, but rather a black girl. “Being older or younger or female or African-American just seems more interesting to me as a writer,” Millar said. Artist Rafael Albuquerque also revealed on Instagram that he will be turning in the art on the upcoming “Hit-Girl” series. Both series are set to release in January and Albuquerque claims he’ll work on “Hit-Girl” and “Batgirl” concurrently. There was no mention of the next “Eight” series or “American Vampire”.
– Cerebus is returning. First in a one-shot “collage issue” this September before launching into a four-issue miniseries next year called “Cerebus in Hell.” Dave Sim’s comic started out as a landmark of self-published comics, though was mired in controversy as Dave Sim’s religious and misogynistic views developed along with the series.
– Finally, take some time to read this essay about the growing prominence of non-straight sexualities in comics. Comics are for everyone, people.
