Linko! XLIII

* I know I've mentioned before here how I think Jacque Nodell's Sequential Crush blog detailing the history and conventions of romance comics is super rad, and recently, she gave me two new reasons to support that assessment: first of all, you can now download Nodell's paper on romance tropes in play in '70s DC super books like Lois Lane as a handy PDF (cover above) and read this excellent interview with '60s Marvel Bullpen member and romance comics columnist Suzan Loeb. I love learning the ins and outs of any and all pieces of comics history but especially parts of the industry that generally get ignored by hardcore superhero buffs. If you haven't bookmarked Sequential Crush yet, you're lame.

* Speaking of parts of comics history that need more exploration, I'm desperate for more study into how the manga industry totally took over the book store market and the minds of young people from the late '90s and the early '00s, so I can't wait to actually carve out some time this weekend to listen to this panel recording covering the history of manga translating in the U.S. that just popped up on TCJ.com.

* I've got a soft spot for Dave Eggers collection of writing centers/kid stores under the 826 banner thanks to a brief but memorable summer volunteering at Brooklyn's Superhero Supply Co. (which was given the shortest "Hey! This exists!" profile I've ever seen on Techland this week), so I was very happy to see that the 826 folks have released an "Are You Absolutely, Positively, and Wholeheartedly Ready to Publish Your Novel?" poster. (Hat tip to Alex Segura).

* Speaking of Tumblr: I'm not sure I'm into Pixel art enough to follow the Pixel Style blog, but I'm curious enough to start scrolling through its archives when I get a minute this weekend.


* Man, Chris Arrant of Newsarama has been on a fucking tear today with some very nice interviews hitting that site, but I'm particularly happy he did this chat with Brandon Graham about new issues of King City FINALLY coming out. I wanted to do one of those myself, but somehow the release of #7 snuck up on me (seriously...wasn't #6 out like a week or two ago?)

* Link from my friend Slayer #1: this list of Analogies and Metaphor Found in High School Essays is pretty hilarious.

* Link from my friend Slayer #2: they're really trying to kill Scrabble, aren't they?

* Only Mel Caylo would share this with me Link: Booty Pop!

* Douglas Wolk is right: this Kill Rock Stars sampler is pretty sick.

* Thanks to a discussion with Rickey, I realize I never went out and got this Batman trade of stories that inspired Grant Morrison's recent run on the main title. Gotta get my hands on that bad boy.

* Finally, let Chip Zdarsky explain to you who would win in a fight between the X-Men and Doctor Who as only he can.