Legal | DC Comics has dropped its lawsuit against a Florida man who made and sold figurines based on the 1960s Batman television series. John Stacks, owner of Johnny's Resin, claimed he had agreements with the actors. Stacks apparently no longer produces the resin kits. A message on his website now encourages visitors to "buy licensed products only": "When you buy products not licensed by DC Comics you only hurt the hobby. Let's all work together to keep Batman alive!!!!" [The Tampa Tribune]

Creators | More details have emerged in the death of Crayon Shin-chan creator Yoshito Usui that seem to confirm his fall on Japan's Mount Arafune was accidental. The last picture on a digital camera retrieved near the body was taken looking down from Tomoiwa cliff. [The Asahi Shimbun]

Legal | Nat Gertler points out 10 "bad assumptions" being made about copyright, work for hire, Jack Kirby and his children's intentions to terminate transfer of copyright to some of his Marvel creations. [Nat Gertler, via The Comics Reporter]

Publishing | Capstone Press, an imprint of Capstone Publishers, is launching a line of kids' nonfiction graphic novels called Graphic Expeditions. [Publishers Weekly]

Business | The Syracuse University newspaper spotlights alumnus Diane Nelson, the recently named president of DC Entertainment. [The Daily Orange]

Retailing | Congratulations to Neptune Comics owners Craig and Lisa Lopacinski on the birth of their son Hudson. [Sequentially Speaking]

Creators | Steve Lieber and Jeff Parker discuss their separate comics work and their collaboration on Underground, which debuts this week from Image Comics. [Salt Lake City Weekly]

Creators | Johanna Draper Carlson talks with writer Robert Venditti about his Top Shelf limited series The Surrogates, whose movie adaptation debuts on Friday. [Comics Worth Reading]

Creators | Fall Out Boy lyricist/bassist Pete Wentz chats about his Image Comics miniseries Fall Out Toy Works. [Comic Riffs]

Comics | Shaenon K. Garrity examines G.I. Joe #21 -- the famed "Silent Interlude" -- as, in the words of Scott McCloud, "a kind of watershed moment" for cartoonists of a certain age. [ComiXology]

Manga | Katherine Dacey presents her "Manga Hall of Shame." [The Manga Critic]

Comics | With the much-delayed fifth issue of Image Comics miniseries '76 hitting stands this week, writer B. Clay Moore offers links to where you can read the first four issues online for free. [On Broken Radios]

Comics | Why do publishers keep churning out "untold tales" comics when they hardly ever do well? [Mightygodking]