Stage | Dancer Daniel Curry, who was seriously injured during an Aug. 15 performance of the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, made his first appearance since the accident at a benefit concert held Monday that raised $10,000 for his medical bills. Curry was injured when his leg was pinned by an automated trap door -- he blames malfunctioning equipment, producers say it was human error -- resulting in fractured legs and a fractured foot; he has undergone surgeries and unspecified amputations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Actors’ Equity have launched investigations into the accident, and Curry's lawyers are exploring a possible lawsuit against the $75 million show and the equipment suppliers.

During previews of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark — before the March 2011 firing of director Julie Taymor and the sweeping overhaul that followed — no fewer than five performers were injured, the most serious previously being aerialist Christopher Tierney, who fell about 30 feet in December 2010, breaking four ribs and fracturing three vertebrae. He returned to rehearsals four months later. There have been no major accidents since the show opened in June 2011. [The New York Times]

Creators | Scott Edelman pays a visit to legendary artist and colorist Marie Severin. [Scott Edelman]



Creators | Steve Epting discusses the espionage thriller Velvet, his latest collaboration with Ed Brubaker, which debuts Wednesday from Image Comics: "It's always nice to work with someone that you have developed a rapport with and after so many years of working together Ed and I certainly have that. He knows what I need and what to expect and writes with that in mind. He also has a great sense of pacing and it's not a struggle to figure out how to lay out the pages." [Ain't It Cool News]

Creators | Michael Cavna kicks off a series looking at his favorite comics and graphic novels of the year with an interview with Nate Powell, artist of March: Book One. [The Washington Post]



Creators | Catwoman writer Ann Nocenti talks about Gotham Underground, Catwoman's psyche and Joker's Daughter. [Hero Complex]

Creators| Archie Comics writer and artist Dan Parent talks about his creation, Kevin Keller, the first openly gay character in Riverdale. Kevin served as a celebrity "ambassador" for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamations anti-bullying Spirit Day — he's the first comics character to serve in that role — and now Parent is planning to give him a superhero alter ego. [USA Today]

Political cartoons | Patrick Hilsman profiles Syrian-Palestinian political cartoonist Hani Abbas, who's pursuing a dangerous profession: "This is not a game. In fighting for the rights of others, you can lose your freedom or even your life." [The Daily Beast]

Comics | Several game developers and Nick McWhorter, Dark Horse's director of custom projects, discuss comics that tie in to games — how they fit into the game as a whole and how the creation process is different between the two media. [Polygon]



Comics culture | Rob Salkowitz pays a visit to Geek Girl Con and took part in the panel on "Changing Culture in Mainstream and Alternative Spaces," which discussed, among other things, how the increasing commercialization of "geek culture" is a positive force for inclusion: "Brands like Intel, Chevy and Verizon are not vested in old industry assumptions and are accountable to a much larger and more diverse market. They want to be part of the Con scene, but can’t afford to be associated with the sexual pathologies of male nerd culture when they erupt into embarrassing PR problems." Game companies that cater almost exclusively to straight white males, on the other hand, can afford it. [ICv2]

Comics culture | In an audio interview, blogger Grace Gipson of Black Girl Nerds talks about the under-representation of people of color in geek culture. [NPR]

Comics | Jamie Lovett rounds up some tips on how (and how not) to pitch your work to comics publishers from the panel on that topic at Wizard World Nashville Comic Con, which featured Alé Garza, Freddie Williams II and Danny Fingeroth. [Comicbook.com]

Conventions | Michael Sangiacomo writes about the inaugural Kent Comics Arts Festival in Kent, Ohio, a one-day event celebrating the work of local artist P. Craig Russell, particularly his illustrations for Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. Being scheduled opposite Cleveland Comic Con may have hurt attendance, but the hope is that next year, Gaiman himself will be a guest. [The Plain Dealer]

Exhibits | An exhibit in Tillamook, Oregon, celebrates the work of Hugh Hayes, whose work was ubiquitous in Oregon in the 1960s and 1970s: Hayes, who worked for the Oregon Department of Forestry, drew fire prevention ads and goofy maps, and his best known work is a series of "Keep Oregon Green" restaurant placemats. "In his distinctive collection, one can see mischievous flames scampering across the forest floor, illustrated maps of Oregon filled with characters and stories from east to west, and comical fire prevention messages featuring cigarettes with boxing gloves and beavers that grin." [Coast Weekend]