The Rundown: Challengers Goes All-Ages, Hawkman Gets Canceled, and more

Welcome back to The Rundown, our daily breakdown on news stories we missed from the previous day. Have a link to share? Email me at david@multiversitycomics.com.

– Over at Robot 6, they have an excellent story about Chicago’s Challengers Comics + Conversation opening up an all-ages shop within a shop called “Sidekicks.” Effectively, they had an extra room previously used as a gallery that they now turned into Sidekicks, and the results look and sound just fantastic. Given the diversity of product that seems to include wonderful books like Bone and Amulet as well as Tom Kelly‘s wood block Hello Kitty/superhero hybrids (if you ever get the chance, check out his work at a con), this looks like heaven for those trying to expose their children to the wonders of comic books.

I’ve never actually been to Challengers, but it seems every time I hear something about this shop, it’s incredible stuff. If you’re ever in the Chicago area, make sure to check it out because they seem like nothing short of the best in the business.

– At this past weekend’s Amazing Arizona Comic Con, DC incredibly enough canceled another book like ninjas, making The Savage Hawkman – admittedly, one of the consistently worst books of The New 52 AND a poor seller – the latest casualty. Much sadder was the revelation that, as covered by Bleeding Cool, that I, Vampire was set to cross over with The Flash. File that under something we’ll never see, now.

– ComicsPRO officially announced their Industry Appreciation Award nominees, both for the living and those who have passed away. This year’s list for both includes really exciting and deserving names, with Marvel’s David Gabriel and Image’s Eric Stephenson headlining the former, while Will Eisner and Joe Kubert do the same for the latter. H/T to The Beat for this one.

– Reported by many news sites but hat tip to Comics Alliance here, MAC Cosmetics officially unveiled their line of Archie oriented make up tied to Betty & Veronica. Feeling wholesome? Maybe a little sassy? Now you have just the tools to convey that.

– Were you a fan of the teen crew from the original X-Men movie trilogy? Get excited then. According to Geekscape, Ellen Page, Anna Paquin and Shawn Ashmore have signed onto X-Men First Class: Days of Future Past to reprise their roles of Kitty Pryde, Rogue and Iceman respectively. I personally support Page in general, and Paquin/Ashmore also fit their roles quite well. Getting even more excited for this movie with each passing addition.

– Is RB Silva working on something JLI related? Based on his drawings of Red Tornado and Booster Gold, amongst others, on Instagram, one has to think so.

– Finally, Tyler Feder shares what type of ice cream each character of Parks & Recreation would be and the results are predictably amusing.