Crime | A man was spotted on security video last week at New York Comic Con stealing a one-of-a-kind, 20-inch Dunny figure hand-painted by by Jon-Paul Kaiser valued at $2,000, plus two other items, from the Clutter Magazine booth. [DNAinfo New York]
Legal | Chinese cartoonist Wang Liming, who uses the pen name “Biantai Lajiao” (Perverted Chili Pepper), has applied for a visa to remain in Japan, saying he's afraid to return to China. Liming's account on the Chinese social media site Weibo, where he published his cartoons, was shut down in August, and the People's Daily newspaper has called him a traitor and accused him of being pro-Japan. Last year, he was arrested and held overnight on charges of “suspicion of causing a disturbance.” "China’s situation surrounding freedom of speech has worsened during these six months,” Wang said in an interview. “I have no idea where the borderline is (between what is permissible and what is not anymore).” [The Asahi Shimbun]
Comics | BOOM! Studios editor Shannon Watters talks about the unexpected success of Lumberjanes. [ICv2]
Creators | Cory Doctorow talks about writing his debut graphic novel In Real Life, why he wanted to work with artist Jen Wang, and the links between comics and gaming. [Hero Complex]
Creators | Forbes has released its annual list of top-earning dead celebrities, which features Peanuts creator Charles Schulz at No. 3. [The Daily Cartoonist]
Publishing | Robert McGuire of GEN Manga talks about his company's evolution; they started out publishing a digital manga magazine but have now switched over to print graphic novels. [Organization Anti-Social Geniuses]
Graphic novels | Kate McKinley writes about the history of the graphic novel and how Art Spiegelman's stage show Wordless (the article includes a video clip) touches on it. [California Magazine]
Collecting | Despite the high prices paid for top-graded copies of Action Comics #1, the vast majority of comics aren't worth very much, writes Blair Marnell, who talks about the factors that go into making a million-dollar comic — "rarity, demand, and historical significance" — and warns against variant covers: "It’s in the publishers’ and the retailers’ best interests to pass off these variant covers as collectors items that can only go up in value. But it’s a lie. The variant covers are not inherently valuable. They are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them." [Crave Online]
Collecting | On the other hand, here's a look at the most expensive items on offer at New York Comic Con. [Digg]