Publishing | What begins as a profile of Australian publisher Gestalt Comics dovetails into a brief snapshot of the country's comics industry -- or, perhaps, "industry." "There are publishers like Milk Shadow Books and Black House Comics, I think we all help to create the impression of there being an Australian industry," says Gestalt co-founder Wolfgang Bylsma, "but I don’t think we’re established enough to call it an industry yet. There are very few people who are working full time in comics in Australia." [artsHub]

Creators | Jamie Hewlett chats about art, influences, Gorillaz and whether he might considering returning to comics: "Would I go back to doing comics? I dunno, maybe. It’s a lot of work drawing a comic. [Laughs.] And, you know, I did 10 years of drawing comics, and I really enjoyed it, but I’m kind of keen to try other things that I haven’t done. But I was talking with Alan [Martin] about the possibility of doing something in a comic form together. We haven’t agreed upon anything yet. It’s just a conversation. I’d love to work with Alan again. I really like Alan; he’s really cool." [Consequence of Sound]

Creators | Jeff Lindsay, author of the Dexter novels on which the Showtime series is based, discusses his upcoming five-issue Dexter miniseries for Marvel. The comic is set in the world of the novels, and in it Dexter's wife is still alive and the "Dark Passenger," his inner voice, will have a visual form. Lindsay's explanation for Dexter's popularity: "There's a guy who's worse than the bad guys but he's on our side. Every miserable bastard who ever did you wrong, Dexter'll get to him." [USA Today]

Creators | Howard Chaykin talks about Black Kiss, Black Kiss II, digital media and the future of comics, and he has some thoughts on his longevity: "I’m 62 years old, celebrating 41 years in the comics business. And one of the reasons for that long-lived career is a capacity for growth, an ability to develop, an acceptance of the frequent need for reinvention, and an avoidance of dogmatic thinking. I’ve changed my mind about a lot of shit in those more than 40 years. And I’d encourage my whinier colleagues to consider doing the same." (NSFW) [Print]

Creators | Paul Gravett talks to Marion Fayolle, whose short comics have been compiled and published as In Pieces by Nobrow Press. [Paul Gravett]

Digital comics | Hank Kanalz, DC Entertainment's senior vice president of Vertigo and integrated publishing, and writer Jeff Parker talk about Batman '66, the digital comic that debuts today and is the first of the DC² line of comics with enhanced storytelling. [Wired]

Awards | Three librarians received the Will Eisner Graphic Novel Award for Libraries at the American Library Association midsummer convention in Chicago last weekend. The winners are Julia Simpson, branch manager of the Auburn (Georgia) Public Library, Jude Shanzer, director of the East Meadow (New York) Public Library, and Beth Adcock, librarian at the Middlebury (Indiana) Community Public Library. The honorees' libraries will receive a collection of Eisner-nominated graphic novels. [Publishers Weekly]

Graphic novels | Entertainment Weekly published a list of the Top 10 graphic novels of all time, which gives bloggers something to write about during the pre-San Diego lull. Michael Cavna has the most detailed analysis at Comic Riffs, while Johanna Draper Carlson has a shorter, snarkier take at Comics Worth Reading and Heidi MacDonald invites her readers to make their own nominations at The Beat. [Comic Riffs]

Retailing | The Toronto Post sets up a compare-and-contrast between local comics shops The Beguiling and Hairy Tarantula. [Toronto Post]

Retailing | Lindsay Peyton profiles the Houston, Texas, comic shop Bedrock City Comics, which is actually a chain — and owner Richard Evans, who opened the first store in 1990, has plans to expand. Evans credits movies, the Internet and, yes, digital comics for exposing more people to comics characters and bringing them into the store. [Houston Chronicle]