Conventions | The annual scramble for discounted Comic-Con International rooms in 54 participating hotels kicks off Tuesday at 9 a.m. PT. Comic-Con badger holders should've already received an email containing a link to the Travel Planners hotel reservation website. [Toucan]
Passings | Michael Cavna remembers cartoonist Jim Berry, who died Friday at age 83: "Berry’s World, the syndicated single-panel feature that he drew for 40 years, beginning in 1963, was a remarkably steady stream of thoughtful observational humor that — like the unfussy art itself — rarely seemed to strain for the laugh. Each gag, as steady as a top golfer’s approach shots, just 'landed.' Precision meets concision." [Comic Riffs]
Piracy | The Japanese anti-piracy campaign Manga-Anime Guardians announced it has removed 447,096 manga files and 264,601 anime files from pirate sites, including downloads, video sharing, and online readers. The group also reports the percentage of fans who use pirate sites is 12 percent in Japan and 50 percent in the United states. [Otaku USA]
Legal | Malaysian cartoonist Zunar says he will take legal action against the police because a piece of original art they confiscated was damaged while in their custody. On Friday olice returned 66 copies of his book Cartoon-O-Phobia and a cartoon he had drawn of the prime minister and his wife; the items had been seized in a raid in September 2010. Zunar had glued real hair, gathered from barbershops, to the image of the prime minister's wife. "The drawing has been folded, and badly damaged, thus causing the hair in the image, to come off," he said. [The Malaysian Insider]
Legal | French cartoonist Zeon discusses his recent arrest; an organization that monitors anti-Semitism filed a complaint against him regarding a cartoon that was published in 2011. [Sputnik News]
Comics | Which comics are the heaviest reading — literally? Reed Beebe weighs a bunch of them to find out. [Nothing But Comics]
Creators | Rhianna Pratchett talks about writing video games and comics, including the Tomb Raider series she's working on for Dark Horse. [Suicide Girls]
Creators | "He is a bounty hunter marshmallow who has to save the world with the help of his sidekick Bacon Boy": Marcus Clawson discusses his comic Mallow Man, which he creates and publishes in his spare time; he is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter to do a trade collection. [Daily Republic]
Awards | Comic Con India has announced its nominees for best graphic novels of 2014; the list is an interesting snapshot of the sort of work being done there at the moment. [Scroll.in]
Awards | The graphic novel nominees for the Maryland Black Eyed Susan Award, which recognizes the best books for readers in grades 4-6, include El Deafo, Lowriders in Space and Bravoman: Super-Unequaled Hero of Excellence. A committee of librarians nominates 10 books, and students vote for the winners. [The Busy Librarian]
Academia | Students from Ball State University discussed their Representing Religion in Comics class in a panel at Indianapolis Comic Con; they also are making their own comics. The article includes a handy list of the religious affiliations of various superheroes. [The Ball State Daily]