Passings | Irving Fine, cousin of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel and founder of the Siegel and Shuster Society, passed away March 11 at his home in suburban Cleveland. He was 87. Fine, whose late brother introduced Siegel to Joe Shuster in the 1930s, made preserving and promoting Superman's ties to Cleveland a priority: During his tenure as co-chairman of the Siegel and Shuster Society, Ohio introduced a Superman-themed license plate, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport installed a Superman Welcome Center, and Siegel's childhood home was restored. Michael Sangiacomo notes that Fine also played a key role in the plans for a monument to Superman and his creators, set to be unveiled in 2018 near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]

Legal | A jury in an Arizona federal court heard closing arguments Friday in the case of Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem, who is accused of providing guns and other assistance to the two men who attacked the "Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest" in Garland, Texas, last year. Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi set out to attack the contest's closing ceremonies but were killed by local police before they got in. Kareem is accused of not only supplying them with guns and ammunition but also showing them how to use them, knowing that they were planning an attack on the contest and a military base. "He was a motivator. He was a bankroller. He was a trainer and an intended participant," said prosecutor Joseph Koehler. Kareem, who testified in his own defense, claims that he did not know of Simpson and Soofi's plans. [The Guardian]



Awards | Slate has released the shortlists for its Cartoonist Studio Prize in two categories, print and online. [Slate]

Comics | Tim Hanley looks at the long life of Lois Lane and how her character has changed over the years. [The Atlantic]

Comics | Andrea Tim interviews Munira Mustaffa, the Malaysian intelligence analyst who is the real-life inspiration for the Batgirl character Obscura. [Elle]

Creators | Writer Joshua Williamson and several Disney Imagineers talk about the new Haunted Mansion comic and how the Disney ride it's based on figures into the story. [Hero Complex]

Creators | Brittany Long Olsen chronicled her time as a Mormon missionary in Japan, drawing a page of comics each day, and has now self-published her 600-page memoir under the title Dendo. [Court Mann Daily Herald]



Comics | Michael Dooley discusses Neal Adams' variant cover for Wonder Woman #49, a reworking of a 1970s cover that's drawn criticism as being sexist. He brings in several different opinions and finishes with a glorious cascade of Adams' art. [Print]

Comics | Comics scholar Bart Beaty, of the University of Calgary, offers some tips for newcomers to the medium. [The Gauntlet]

Manga | Ashley Minor presents an introduction to yuri manga (romances between two women). [Women Write About Comics]

Exhibits | The erotic comics of Guido Crepax will be on display at the Scott Eder Gallery in Brooklyn, New York, starting tomorrow. [Brooklyn Paper]

Conventions | Chauncey Alcorn talks to participants in the Women in Comics Convention in the Bronx. [New York Daily News]