Digital comics | Google was granted a patent this week for "Self-creation of comic strips in social networks and other communications," which means the Internet giant apparently has patented a mechanism for creating comics about your status updates and chats and sharing them via social media. This sounds a lot like the wildly popular, but widely reviled, Bistrips. [Geekwire]

Best of the year | Brian Truitt takes a look back at the year in comics, picking out some significant events and offering his nominations for best creator, best comic book movie, and best comic in a variety of genres and formats. [USA Today]

Best of the year | Writing for The Advocate, cartoonist Brian Andersen reflects on the year's 10 greatest LGBT moments in mainstream comics. [Advocate.com]

Best of the year | Scott Snyder, Garth Ennis, Charles Soule, David Petersen and other creators select the best comics of 2013. [CraveOnline]

Retailing | Retailer and CBR columnist Brian Hibbs reveals 2013's bestselling comics and books at his San Francisco store Comix Experience. Saga is the big hit: The only other title in the Top 10 comics is The Sandman: Overture #1; the first two collections also lead off the books chart. "Saga is a frighteningly large hit — volume 1 sold almost 500% of the #3 best-selling book, and volume 2 is something close to 250% of #3," Hibbs explains. "Those are insanely large numbers." [Savage Critic]

Digital comics | Rob Salkowitz looks forward to the coming year in digital comics and speculates on what comiXology's next move will be. [ICv2]

Creators | Tom Spurgeon winds up his holiday interview series with a conversation with Ed Piskor, creator of Hip Hop Family Tree. [The Comics Reporter]

Creators | Matt Wilson profiles 13-year-old cartoonist Maalvika Bhat, who draws Breadsters, a comic about life in her middle school (which has an unusually diverse student body), with all the roles played by different forms of bread. [San Jose Mercury News]

Comics | Michael Cavna makes the case for comics in the classroom, with examples. [Comic Riffs]

Conventions | Albuquerque Comic Con won't be held at the newly renovated Albuquerque convention center this year, even though the city is helping promote the event. Producer Jim Burleson says he gets a better deal — and no surprises — from hotels: A sci-fi show he held at the center ended up costing him $25,000 more than anticipated. "It seemed like the price we had budgeted ended up sky rocketing when we needed an extra chair. It was $40 for a chair," he said. [KRQE]

Retailing | World of Comics, in South Daytona, Florida, celebrates 30 years in business. [The Daytona Beach News-Journal]

Fandom | Chris Beveridge kicks off 2014 with a post on five ways to be a happier anime fan, and all the suggestions (drop the hyperbole, share your passions—not the negativity, don't be that guy) make good New Year's resolutions for comics fans as well. [The Fandom Post]