News came down the wire today that comics and animation writer Dwayne McDuffie had passed away. The news was a shock to me, and an incredibly sad thing to hear. McDuffie's work on Icon and the rest of the Milestone Media characters in the early '90s was incredibly pivotal to me.

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Congratulations to all the nominees for the graphic-novel category of the Los Angeles Times book awards! The nominations for all the book awards, to be given out at the Festival of Books on April 29, were just released. Graphic novels continue to take on a bigger and bigger presence at the festival, so it’s nice to see the works getting recognized in their own category.

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“I don’t buy a lot of stuff online. I like to touch things first so I can get a physical connection,” says Darren Romanelli, aka Dr. Romanelli, a custom marketing specialist and owner of several brands in L.A. Romanelli recently partnered with comics legend Mort Walker to promote a new wave of properties for the iconic Beetle Bailey comic strip, bringing it to new life for both a younger generation and an older one who grew up reading the strip daily in newspapers. “For me, I’m totally aware it’s the digital era and that’s why we did a microsite for our Beetle Bailey projects, but I want to bridge the gap between the digital and the physical. That’s something we paid a lot of attention to with this. There was just as much of a physical aspect integrated into this project as a digital one.”

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Congratulations to creator James Kochalka (Dragon Puncher, Johnny Boo) for being named Vermont's first cartoonist laureate! The honor, which will be bestowed upon Kochalka in a daylong event being held on March 10, recognized the artist's work in the state of Vermont as well as his commitment to spreading education and literacy through his work.

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I was intrigued to see the news from Top Shelf today that Georgia Congressman John Lewis is signed with the publisher to coauthor a graphic novel called March, based on the Civil Rights Movement in America. The book, which will be published next year, is being called "A meditation in the modern age on the distance traveled, both as a nation and as a people, since the days of Jim Crow and segregation" and is also more of a memoir, in that it tells Lewis's own personal story and struggle.

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Building on its publishing roots in India, comics publisher Campfire is growing a global comics base with both original works and comics adaptations of beloved classics. With an ambitious lineup of new releases planned for 2011, Campfire is making a renewed impact on the comics world. We talked with Campfire publisher Andrew Dodd to discuss the company’s roots, its publishing vision, and where it’s going in the months ahead.

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We're big fans of Todd Kent's documentary Comic Book Literacy, an ambitious and entertaining look at the history and impact of the format on educational efforts.

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Josh Neufeld's graphic work A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge was an incredibly moving in-depth look at several lives affected by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. It's also a book I've recommended to several readers (comics fans and non-fans alike) to great success.

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For nearly 80 years, the world has been thrilling to the adventures of the Green Hornet. First as a radio serial, then as a serial film star, then as a TV show and a comic book character. For a variety of reasons, the character—newspaperman Britt Reid, who dons a mask to fight crime along with sidekick Kato—endures to this day. Now, in a brand-new movie starring Seth Rogen, he’s been updated for a new generation of fans. But comics readers have never lost touch with the Green Hornet. Here’s a sampling of the many books available for modern readers.

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I love this story: Comics artist David Sandlin, an instructor at the School of Visual Arts and a current New York Public Library Cullman Fellow, has been selected to do what many graffiti artists would kill for. His art is adorning several subway lines in New York City beginning this month and running through January. Right now, the art is visible from the F line, with hopefully more lines getting his art soon. The three pieces are united in theme, which is a nice touch. Click through to see all the art Sandlin has created for the project.

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