Fandom | Rob Salkowitz writes about the controversy over this year's Hugo Awards nominations and the "Sad Puppies" slate, and how skirmishes such as this are further fueled by the media: "The net effect of this, as observed by commentator Ezra Klein, is the politicization of just about everything, dragging a lot of randomly hostile and belligerent people into conflicts that don’t really concern them, but in whose outcome they have been persuaded they have a stake. Media outlets profit, but fan culture, which at its best unites people from all demographics across the political spectrum in their enthusiasm for creative works and community, is the victim." [ICv2]
Comics | 2000AD editor Matt Smith talks about the inroads that comic has made into the American market. Best known as the home of Judge Dredd, 2000AD is a science fiction anthology with an impressive list of past and present contributors, including Alan Moore, Grant Morrison and Garth Ennis, and a strong roster of current stories, including Ian Edginton and INJ Culbard's Brass Sun. The latest issue, Prog 1924, is a good jumping-on point for new readers as it features all new stories, including a new episode of Sláine by Pat Mills and Simon Davis. And, as Smith points out, the stories all have strong concepts that draw readers in quickly: "All you need to know about the characters is right there on the page: Dredd is a zero-tolerance future cop, Strontium Dog is a mutant bounty hunter and Sláine is a Celtic warrior fighting demonic enemies who want to rule mankind." [The Hollywood Reporter]
Creators | Borb creator Jason Little talks about his creative process. [Medium]
Creators | Frank Thorne and Hy Eisman remember the late Fred Fredericks, who drew the Mandrake the Magician comic strip for decades. [The Comics Journal]
Exhibits | Students at the University of Washington set up a freestanding room filled with manhwa (Korean comics) from the 1970s and 1980s as part of the university's manhwa festival. [Korea Times]
Conventions | Attendance appeared to be down at the fourth Bangalore Comic Con, but this year's event was better organized. While Indian comics creators were present, foreign media properties such as Game of Thrones seemed to get the lion's share of attention. [The Hindu]
Retailing | The march of the Free Comic Book Day articles has begun, as retailers in Fort Wayne, Indiana, discuss the comics business, how it has changed over the years, and what they are planning for Free Comic Book Day. [The News-Sentinel]
Conventions | The Middle East Film and Comic Con opens Thursday in Dubai, with guest William Shatner and a host of other actors, plus a special preview at the Dubai Mall. [Stepfeed]
Conventions | Nate Buchman posts a photo gallery of cosplayers from this past weekend's Anime Boston. [Boston.com]