Conventions | After a profitable 2014, Wizard World Inc. is reporting a $1.8 million loss in the second quarter of 2015 (in contrast to a $760,000 profit during the same period last year), owing much to the rapid increase in the number of conventions it's producing. However, as ICv2.com notes, the company is also seeing a drop in revenue per show. Wizard World also reports that its inaugural convention in China, held May 30-June 1, "was not as successful as we anticipated." [ICv2]

Legal | Four Sri Lankan soldiers are being held in connection with the 2010 disappearance of journalist and cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda. Eknaligoda's wife claims that before he disappeared, he had uncovered evidence the Sri Lankan army had used chemical weapons against the Tamil people. Four former members of the Tamil Tigers have confessed to kidnapping Eknaligoda and handing him over to the army; they say he was later killed. The arrests come three weeks before the United Nation Human Rights Commission opens an investigation on war crimes and human rights violations committed by the army during the rule of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. "At least nine journalists were murdered in direct relation to their work under the leadership of Mahinda Rajapaksa," said Bob Dietz of the Committee to Protect Journalists Asia. "It is important for the new government to bring all of those killers to justice and break Sri Lanka’s cycle of impunity once and for all." [The Independent]



Publishing | Jamie Siebrase's in-depth story on Fulcrum, which publishes nonfiction graphic novels marketed toward schools and libraries, includes a short history of the medium and interviews with Fulcrum founder Bob Baron, Trickster editor Matt Dembicki, Colonial Comics editor Jason Rodriguez, and others in the biz. [Westword]

Creators | Writer Jonathan Hennessey, artist Aaron McConnell and brewer Mike Smith discuss their new book, The Comic Book History of Beer. [NPR]

Creators | Dennis Liu talks about his superhero story Raising Dion, which is told from the point of view of the mother of a child with superpowers. [Today]

Creators | Creator-entrepreneurs Russell Geyushev and David Kieve explain the reasoning behind Your Comic Story, a comic that teaches young children how to be entrepreneurs. [The Guardian]



Manga | Dark Horse has acquired the license to Fate/Zero, a manga series about seven historical figures engaged in a battle royal. The manga is based on a set of light novels that also spawned an anime and a game. [Dark Horse]

Digital comics | A number of libraries recently have announced they are introducing the digital comics service Hoopla; this article gives a bit of background on it. [Tech Times]

Exhibits | Archie Comics Co-CEO Nancy Silberkleit is bringing her collection of Archie memorabilia to the Buttonwoods Museum in Haverhill, Massachusetts, which some claim to be the home of the original people on whom Bob Montana based his iconic characters. [The Boston Globe]