Small press efforts are being recognized in 2009 at Canada’s SPACE show. Previously, there had been the Day Awayrd, selected and presented by Dave Sim in recognition of the work done by the late artist Gene Day.  Sim withdrew the Award for 2009 and it has been replaced with the SPACE award, with the 2007 winning team of Matt and Carol Dembicki and Tim Corrigan selecting the winner.

The finalists were just announced:

Birth by Michael S. Bracco
Blink: Barefoot in America by ONWARDStudio
Breathers 1 by Justin Madson
Clockwork Creature: Chapter One by Kyle Strahm and Wesley Craig Green
Concepcion by Rickey Gonzales
The Secret History of the Ineffables Part 1 by Craig Bogart
Lackluster World 5 by Eric Adams
The Serial Squad! by Paul E. Schultz and Jon Hodges
A Thorn in the Side by Bill Knapp

As reported across the web and in today’s New York Times, Brad Meltzer has launched a campaign to raise funds to renovate and preserve the boyhood home of Jerome Siegel, co-creator of Superman. Starting today, a four week auction of items will begin with winners gaining original artwork, VIP seats to the Colbert Report, walk ons in comic books, novels and even an episode of NBC’s Heroes.

Meltzer’s The Siegel & Shuster Society has launched and can be accessed at Ordinary People Change the World, a charitable website Meltzer founded. In addition to the auction, other items such as an Chip Kidd-designed t-shirt can be purchased or cash donations made.

The goal is to raise at least $50,000 for the necessary work on the exterior of the home, still occupied by an older couple. The website says, "It’s the right thing to do. In return, The Siegel & Shuster Society has the right to buy the house when it eventually goes up for sale.”

His latest novel, The Book of Lies, in a nice bit of synchronicity, goes on sale today.  Based on the robbery that led to Murray Siegel’s death, Meltzer’s book explores a thrilling What If? scenario that may have had more to do with Jerry Siegel conceiving Superman than the pulps he read as a child. (more…)

Suddenly, there’s a lot of news coming out of Alaska.  In addition to the state’s governor being nominated as the Republican candidate for Vice President, cartoonist Chad Carpenter was named Alaska’s Cartoon Laureate last week. State representative Wes Keller began campaigning for the designation back in February, according to the Daily Cartoonist. 

Carpenter has been drawing Tundra for a dozen years now and as a thirty year resident of Alaska, knows something about the environment. He was encouraged to get into comic strips by Dik Browne and Mike Peters and has managed to grow his strip into a mini-empire with not only the strip but four strip collections, t-shirt designs, note cards, mouse pads, bumper stickers, and an interactive CD-ROM.

Keller said at the time, “Chad is one of my most famous constituents. I love his humor and success, and I was happy to ask my fellow legislators to support and co-sponsor this citation recognizing and honoring the work and goodwill he has accomplished for Alaska during his successful run of Tundra. His ability to export Alaska grown is a true example of what you can do when you put your mind to it.”

On May 24, Carpenter was given the Reuben Award for Best Newspaper Panel, crediting Carpenter’s success as a self-syndicated cartoonist with over 200 newspapers carrying Tundra.