ComicsVerse

Last updated
ComicsVerse
Comicsverse-square-logo.jpg
Type of site
 Comics news
Available inEnglish
Dissolved May 2020
OwnerAtabey Media Inc.
CEOJustin Alba
URL www.comicsverse.com
Launched2012
Current statusInactive

ComicsVerse was a comics journalism website covering comics news, reviews, analysis, and interviews with artists and writers. In addition to original written content, the site produced podcasts, videos, original webcomics, and covers news related to politics, gaming, movies, television, and music. [1]

Contents

ComicsVerse used comics to address social issues including minority representation in popular culture and politics. The website was minority owned and operated and had 78% women in upper management positions.

No new content has been published since May 2020. [2]

History

Founded in 2012 by Justin Alba, ComicsVerse was incorporated in 2016. Alba and colleague Kathleen Wisneski, co-organized the ComicsVerse podcast alongside the site following a class at Columbia University in 2012 entitled "Comic Books and Graphic Novels as Literature." [3]

In his Open Letter, Alba writes that "comics saved my life" by teaching him how to cope with severe bullying and develop self-confidence. Alba notes that ComicsVerse's goal was to "help people like me who went through challenging and turbulent times" by engaging in a community of comics fans and creators. [3]

ComicsVerse immediately treated comics as an art form, rejecting the tendency in academia to dismiss comics as anti-literary. [4] Since its inception, ComicsVerse has expanded its discussion of mainstream comics like Marvel and DC to include comics from smaller and independent publishers, as well as comics-related television and film, and politics and culture outside of comics. [1]

ComicsVerse featured a Special Edition series on New York Comic Con, [5] focusing on creator interviews and character analysis in Marvel, DC, Image and indie comics. [3]

Purpose

ComicsVerse defined its mission to use "comics as a platform to discuss social issues of our time like race, sexuality, gender and inequality" [1] [6] ComicsVerse investigates diversity in comic books and pop culture in order discuss representation, social justice, and build a community. [7]

ComicsVerse writer and Kat Vendetti spoke to the BBC in 2018 regarding Ms Marvel, Captain America, and the first Muslim women superheroes. [8] [9] [10] ComicsVerse has also discussed racial diversity in X-Men and New Mutants. [7] The website's Feminist Voices and Queer Voices pages gathered articles related to social equality for women [11] and people who identify as LGBTQ+ [12]

In 2017, ComicsVerse was recognized by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Hatewatch for its story on The Dangers of Normalizing the Alt-Right. [13]

Podcast

The ComicsVerse podcast has an international audience. [3] The podcast has earned attention for its in-depth discussion of politics, human rights, and social justice as well as character analyses, creator interviews, and coverage of comics-related events like the New York Comic Con. [1]

The podcast balances discussion of mainstream superhero comics with niche graphic narratives, using different genres and media to investigate political topics. [6]

In 2017 the webcomic was nominated for a People's Choice Podcast Award in entertainment. [14]

Related Research Articles

Webcomics are comics published on the internet, such as on a website or a mobile app. While many webcomics are published exclusively online, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Clevinger</span> American comics writer

Brian Clevinger is an American writer best known as the author of the webcomic 8-Bit Theater and the Eisner-nominated print comic Atomic Robo. He is also the author of the self-published novel Nuklear Age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan North</span> Canadian writer

Ryan North is a Canadian writer and computer programmer.

Notable events of 2005 in comics.

<i>Jessica Jones</i> (comic book) 2016–2018 comic book series

Jessica Jones is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring Jessica Jones as its protagonist. The series was written by Brian Michael Bendis with art from Michael Gaydos. The series ran for 18 issues as part of both Marvel's Marvel NOW! and Marvel Legacy relaunches and lasted from December 2016 until May 2018, when Bendis left Marvel for DC Comics. A digital exclusive relaunch with Kelly Thompson taking over from Bendis and Mattia de Luis taking over from Gaydos occurred in July 2018. The series is the third to feature Jones as a protagonist following Alias (2001–4) and The Pulse (2004–6), which both featured Bendis and Gaydos on the creative teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Marrs</span> American cartoonist and animator

Lee Marrs is an American cartoonist and animator, and one of the first female underground comix creators. She is best known for her comic book series The Further Fattening Adventures of Pudge, Girl Blimp, which lasted from 1973 to 1977.

<i>Comic Geek Speak</i> Podcast about comics

Comic Geek Speak (CGS) is a comics audio podcast that focuses on current mainstream and small-press comic books, featuring creator interviews, reviews, commentary on the comic book craft and industry, comic-related movie discussions and more. Bryan Deemer and Peter Rios began the Comic Geek Speak podcast in 2005 and the roster of hosts has expanded to include Shane Kelly, Kevin Moyer, Jamie D., Matt, Adam "Murd" Murdough, Brian "Pants" Christman, Chris Eberle, and Ian Levenstein. The hosts express their individual opinions in an informal way that many fans think resembles a discussion between friends hanging out at home or at the local comic shop, giving the podcast a unique point of view.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Cook (writer)</span> American comic artist and writer

Katie Cook is an American comic artist and writer, currently employed by IDW Publishing. She writes the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic comic and is also known for her webcomics, Gronk and Nothing Special.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African comics</span>

A South African comic is a book or periodical published in South Africa that contains sequential art stories.

Sheena C. Howard is an African-American academic, author and producer. She is a professor of communication at Rider University. She is also the past chair of the Black Caucus and the founder of Power Your Research, and academic branding company. Howard is the recipient of the 2014 Eisner Award for her first book Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation (2013).

Andrew Farago is the curator of the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, author, chairman of the Northern California chapter of the National Cartoonists Society, and husband of webcomics author and illustrator Shaenon K. Garrity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sana Amanat</span> American comic book editor)

Sana Amanat is an American comic book editor and an executive of production and development at Marvel Studios, having formerly been the Director of Content and Character Development at Marvel Comics. She has worked on comics such as Captain Marvel, Hawkeye, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man, and Ms. Marvel. Amanat is known for co-creating Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, the first Muslim-American superhero with a solo Marvel Comics series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">America Chavez</span> Superhero appearing in Marvel Comics

America Chavez is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Joe Casey and artist Nick Dragotta, the character first appeared in Vengeance #1. America Chavez ] of Latin-American origin. She has assumed the mantle of Miss America from the superheroine Madeline Joyce. She has also been a member of the A-Force, the Ultimates, and the Young Avengers at various points in her history.

Katrina Jade "Kate" Leth is a Canadian comic book creator, known for works such as Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat!.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamar Nicholas</span>

Jamar Nicholas is an African American cartoonist, graphic novelist, and educator based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is known for original graphic novel, Leon: Protector of the Playground, and his graphic novel adaptation of Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun, a memoir written by African American social activist Geoffrey Canada in 1995. Nicholas's work discusses topics such as bullying and violence while providing alternative, positive portrayals of black individuals.

Crystal Frasier is an American artist, author and game designer. She is known for her work on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, as well as being the author of the webcomic Venus Envy, which features a trans woman as a protagonist, and the graphic novel Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms.

Tee Franklin is a comic book writer who has worked for Image, Marvel and DC Comics. Her work includes Bingo Love (published by Image Comics, HarleyQuinn: The Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour and Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: Legion of Bats!, and Edge of Spider-Verse #4. Franklin is an advocate for increased representation of diversity in comics.

Jen Bartel is an American illustrator and comic artist, best known for her work for Marvel Comics and Image Comics. She co-created the comic Blackbird for Image with Sam Humphries. She won two Eisner Awards for her work as a cover artist in 2019 and 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kay O'Neill</span> New Zealand comic artist

Kay O'Neill is an illustrator and writer from New Zealand.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "ComicsVerse About Us". ComicsVerse.com. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  2. ↑ Main Page
  3. 1 2 3 4 Alba, Justin. "How (X-Men) Comics Saved My Life". ComicsVerse.com. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  4. ↑ Chute, Hillary (2008). "Comics as Literature? Reading Graphic Narrative". PMLA. 123 (2): 452.
  5. ↑ "ComicsVerse New York Comic Con". Comicsverse.com. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  6. 1 2 Herman, Lily (29 June 2017). "One of the Best Political Podcasts in the Game Is Centered Around Comic Books". Medium.com. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  7. 1 2 Dern, Zachary (4 June 2017). "Diversity In Comics: What's Been Done And What Needs to Come". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  8. ↑ "Business Matters". BBC.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  9. ↑ "China and US Face Off on Tariffs, Business Matters - BBC World Service". BBC.
  10. ↑ BBC News Interview
  11. ↑ "Feminist Voices - ComicsVerse".
  12. ↑ "Queer Voices - ComicsVerse".
  13. ↑ "Hatewatch Headlines 1/5/2017" . Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  14. ↑ "Podcast Award The People's Choice" . Retrieved 7 July 2018.