Wednesday, August 31, 2005
More updates on the Southern Illinois University Daily Egyptian front: the Chicago Tribune reports that SIU police are investigating the matter and the Daily Illini takes the Daily Egyptian to task for not checking facts.
They offer some good points, too:
(The story) lacked the most basic of information, such as which unit Kennings was serving for and where in Iraq he was being deployed to.
9:46:00 PM
The one-shot OZF5: Gale Force sold out. Newsarama reports on the news for Alias' title.
9:01:00 PM
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
A Carolina TV station has a story about a rally in response to an editorial in the N.C. State Technician that compares sorority girls to prostitutes.
Read the Technician story here (below is the final three grafs):
Oftentimes, sorostitutes feel validated when they discover that guys like them. But, sadly, they are so often deceived. Most men don't want this type of woman. They may entreat them as toys or trophies to be trotted out in front of their friends, but men don't want women who are decorated to death as partners in any type of meaningful relationship. However, it remains possible that these girls realize this and are perfectly happy with cheap, fleeting trysts. If so, I am even more saddened. Lest there be any confusion -- as inevitably there always is -- what am I really saying? Is sorority life in any way "bad?" No, rather I think it can be a wonderful thing (though admittedly, I've never tried it). Are all sorority girls "sorostitutes?" Heavens no! None of my sorority friends are sorostitutes; but there's a lot of them out there who are. My contention is not with sorority life. I'm worried about the girls who have nose-dived into sorority pop-culture to mask their insecurities. They aren't really interested in relationships. They just want to be loved, for all the wrong reasons.
10:55:00 AM
Tom Spurgeon has the SPX Anthology line-up.
(Tip Shawn Hoke.)
7:48:00 AM
Monday, August 29, 2005
The Chicago Tribune this weekend had the tale of the Southern Illinois University Daily Egyptian student newspaper and the word that they had been duped with a completely false story.
Word that Sgt. Dan Kennings had been killed in Iraq crushed spirits in the Daily Egyptian newsroom. The stocky, buzz-cut soldier befriended by students at the university newspaper was dead, and the sergeant's little girl--a precocious, blond-haired child they'd grown to love--was now an orphan.
They all knew that Kodee Kennings' mother had died when Kodee was about 5. The little girl's fears and frustrations about her father being in harm's way had played out on the pages of the Daily Egyptian for nearly two years, in gut-wrenching letters fraught with misspellings, innocent observations and questions about why Daddy wasn't there to chase the monsters from under her bed.
It turns out Daddy didn't exist. And neither did Kodee.
The Daily Egyptian then had an apology to its readers along with a list of links to articles previously published with a reference to either of the Kennings.
In the course of checking out the details, a troubling problem appeared: The story wasn't true. What began as a nightmarish possibility became impossible to deny. There was no record with the Department of Defense of the death.
The father who was called Dan Kennings was not killed in Iraq. We checked with central command in Baghdad. There was no Dan Kennings in the 101st Airborne. No Dan Kennings in the entire Army.
The Tribune then has a follow-up:
On Friday, the day the story came to light, the Daily Egyptian newsroom was deluged with phone calls from national TV networks and reporters across the country. Eric Fidler, the newspaper's faculty adviser, said the widespread attention was a shock to the students.
"It's an awful lot of pressure for people who are in their early 20s and going to school to cope with," he said. "There's still a great deal of confusion over the facts of the case. We still don't know exactly what happened." The Daily Egyptian has reaction from the SIU campus today and a story about how the girl says that Reynolds gave her gifts. They also have a telling story from the former Daily Egyptian reporter who broke the story.
During a six-hour interview at his aunt and uncle's home in Evansville, Ind., 25-year-old Michael Brenner called himself a "bad journalist" and said he is gullible and naïve. In hindsight, Brenner says he should have realized that some things just weren't adding up.
"Looking back, it just seems so obvious," said Brenner. "The explanations and stories all sound so stupid now."
A clearly distraught Brenner told a story that at times contradicted Jaimie Reynolds' version of events and at times was inconsistent with his own version.
"The truth has some holes, but I'm not going to lie," Brenner said.
And more reaction from around the Midwest today:
Chicago Tribune: "Hoax ripples beyond SIU"
Northern Star (Northern Illinois University): "Egyptian raids empty tomb"
Daily Ilini: "SIU newspaper: when scoop turns to dupe"
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Staff of student newspaper looks back on mistakes in 'Kodee' hoax"
Brenner, the reporter who broke the story, had a sports internship at the Post-Dispatch.
"We've seen no proof that Brenner had any knowledge the columns were fake," Editor Ellen Soeteber said. Still, she said, the Post-Dispatch plans to review his work for the newspaper "as a pro forma matter."
10:03:00 AM
Friday, August 26, 2005
The Daily Egyptian of Southern Illinois University is planning on running a correction because of the string of stories written by a former reporter. It appears as though the reporter fabricated one of the sources -- a man who went to Iraq as a soldier and who allegedly died recently.
Read on here.
8:44:00 AM
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Tom Spurgeon has a round-up of links on the upcoming Gordon Lee case, in which "a minor participating in a community Halloween celebration inadvertently received as a trick or treat gift the 2004 Free Comic Book Day offering by Alternative Comics. That comic book featured a selection from the historical drama "The Salon," by Nick Bertozzi. The scene in question showed the first meeting between Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Picasso is depicted in the nude on three pages in reflection of historical fact."
(Tip to Bookslut.)
9:14:00 AM
Where's the "ed?"
School officials are not sure what has contributed to so many pregnancies, but in response to them, the school is launching a three-prong(ed) educational program to address pregnancy, prevention and parenting. Story here.
8:28:00 AM
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Here's some sample pages from Tozzer, a "kick-ass comic from the bowels of Hollywood."
10:20:00 AM
There's another good thread at Broken Frontier, this one about Wizard magazine.
One poster gives a great summary:
I don't think the stupidity (or immaturity, which might be a better term here) of Wizard's columns and articles is the main issue here.
The bigger issue, as I've seen it unfold here, is should a trade magazine, like Wizard, who by pretty much everyone's account doesn't cover the multiple facets of the industry they cover, be allowed to be the sole voice to the mainstream audience which might not be into the industry yet?
It seems like it's pretty much decided that it shouldn't. So, the question should be, what do we, as the fans and frontline "face" of this industry, do about it? I think demanding better quality from Wizard, while a good idea, is also a very hard prospect. Wizard isn't very likely to change what they do (as stupid as some of it might be), because they think it sells. And while changing things might make them sell BETTER, there is a calculated risk to doing so. And companies like Wizard rarely take those kinds of risks,when they are content with what they are getting right now.
The only other option, as I see it, would be for us to support other trade magazines (like the ones Kyle Rayner has mentioned) and perhaps talk to supermarket and drug stores (and places like that) which have a newsstand section, to see if they would be willing to carry another comic related trade magazine, besides just Wizard.
With Wizard basically being a monopoly on newsstands, they have no real reason to change the content and how they operate. After all, who will take their place if they don't? But if we get CBG or Comics Journal on newsstands to compete with them, and they begin to see a decline in their bottom line, Wizard would feel the pinch and might be open to doing things differently.
I ceratinly agree that the sterotypes of this industry, while still having relevence, shouldn't be allowed to be the only image people have of comic readers. Just like the material in the industry, we are a diverse group and deserve to not be dismissed as "smelly, introverted fanboys." Wizard's constant playing into that steroetype not only makes it harder to break that image among the mainstream non-readers, but keeps them from trying comics out and taking them more seriously (as an artform and entertainment source). However, the only way to change that, is to get more than one voice speaking about this industry to them. Wizard's all most folks, who even had a passing glance at comics, know. That's what needs to change, before anything else can.
8:17:00 AM
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
The Onion's A.V. Club has a review of Alex Robinson's Tricked.
10:50:00 PM
There's an interesting thread at Broken Frontier about the best comic book quotes.
11:52:00 AM
Fall 2005 Books.
Fox-Gen/Feminism I -- $9.65
Good/Grammar Book -- $12.35
Goodin/Contemporary -- $33.05
Parker/Looking Good -- $20.65
Total: $75.70
9:27:00 AM
Monday, August 22, 2005
Great Quotes in Modern History.
"I felt like the 'P' was getting between me and my fans and now we're closer," Diddy said.
EOnline via Beaucoupkevin
10:47:00 AM
Friday, August 19, 2005
I would vote for any ticket for Steve Buscemi for veep.
8:56:00 AM
Thursday, August 18, 2005
There's more on the Hosty decision: a tale of would-be censorship in 1981 near Webster Groves, Mo., by Linda Campbell, a Ft. Worth Star-Telegram columnist. She calls for the Supreme Court to "beat (the 7th Court ruling) back from the university gates."
10:33:00 AM
A manga version of Oz? Awesome.
9:13:00 AM
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
I am officially a Seth Fisher fan.
ETA: Some of his lines remind me of Paul Grist. I think it's the faces.
(Tip The Low Road.)
11:54:00 PM
Ryan Estrada attempted to complete a 168-hour comic, but after he learned that a reader had already accomlished that goal, beating him to the punch, he decided to lengthen his comic to 175 pages.
The reader is Ryan Armand, and his comic is here.
8:48:00 AM
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
There's word that a graphic novel sized for the PSP will soon be available.
9:16:00 AM
Yes, I admit it: I read anything Scott McCloud recommends.
9:04:00 AM
Scott Robins interviews Kazu Kibuishi about a series called Amulet.
(Tip Christopher Butcher.)
8:54:00 AM
Monday, August 15, 2005
How could I have forgotten Watchmen?
9:37:00 AM
Friday, August 12, 2005
ESPN has an ombudsman: George Soloman. Here's his latest column.
9:09:00 AM
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Heh.
2:26:00 PM
Continuing the Desert Comics meme:
Cerebus, by Dave Sim: It's not even just about the comic; it's also about the longest-running independent comic book that was started as a host for parodies.
Flight anthologies: I just can't read them enough.
The Cartoon History of the Universe, by Larry Gonick: Funny, informative and irreverent.
Demo, by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan: Because Brian's short storytelling is superb and Becky's art matches it.
Bone, by Jeff Smith: Without it, I never would have been guided into the world of independent/small publisher comics. As with Cerebus, not on the list soley for its content.
12:03:00 PM
Christopher Butcher posts about Pure Trance, a collection of Junko Mizuno's early work.
11:37:00 AM
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
I missed the whole New Games Journalism bandwagon, but now's as good of a time as any to jump on: Ten unmissable examples of New Games Journalism and "Bow, Nigger," another example.
12:13:00 PM
The U.S. Department of Education released a handbook for college campus officials on their duties necessary to adhere to the Clery Act, "which ... requires all public and private colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs to release a wealth of information about campus crime and safety including annual campus crime statistics and a campus security department crime log."
The Student Press Law Center has its own handbook, too.
10:13:00 AM
Finder sounds as if it has a solid premise, and the artwork looks good too. I'm going to have to order it.
Salon has a review up for the series. (Free one-day passes available by watching an advertisement.)
8:07:00 AM
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Speakeasy Comics has been publishing for six months, and Newsarama takes a look at it.
1:02:00 PM
Paul Sizer, creater of Moped Army, is offering a pre-order giveaway including the Moped Army graphic novel, shipped directly to your mailbox; an autograph by creator and artist Paul Sizer; a personalized sketch on the interior of the book of a Moped Army character of your choice. The price tag is $15.
8:27:00 AM
The Columbia Missourian has more reaction to the Hosty decision.
Sandy Davidson, an associate professor of journalism at MU who teaches communications law, said this is not the first time the Hazelwood decision has been extended to the university level. The 9th, 10th and 11th circuits each decided that Hazelwood can be extended while the 1st and 6th said it cannot. What is new, Davidson said, is that the court defended censorship of an extracurricular publication.
8:23:00 AM
Monday, August 08, 2005
Wizard World Chicago Booty.
Whisp #1 (free ashcan)
GravyBoy Ashcan Edition
Lackluster World #2
Dead End 56
Tapestry Anthology #1
110% #1
The Raven #1
Rawni #1
Planetes Vols. 1, 2, 4
Evenfall Vol. 1: Lay Me Down
Salmon Doubts
Channel Zero
Crypto Zoo
Freebies:
Potlatch: Comics to Benefit the CBLDF
Takuhai (Tokyopop preview)
Tokyopop Sneaks 2005
CMX Preview Spring 2005
Wanted #1
Ultimate Spider-Man #79
10:43:00 PM
Other Comics To Check Out:
Wasteland
The Secret Voice
OzF5 (creative team interview, cover art, preview pages)
10:31:00 PM
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