Awards | Following the nomination of two graphic novels for the Costa Prize, the new chairman of the Man Booker Prize said he would welcome submissions of graphic novels as well. [The Telegraph]

Passings | Former Wizard staff member Marc Wilkofsky, whose efforts on behalf of Friends of Lulu earned him their Volunteer of the Year award in 2005, has died at the age of 42. He was also an enthusiastic member of the NYC Comic Jams. [Andrew Kardon, The Beat]

Conventions | Richard Bruton files a comprehensive con report on the recent Thought Bubble festival in Leeds, England. [Forbidden Planet]

Publishing | Scott Thill profiles "evil genius" Matt Pizzolo, the man behind Black Mask, Occupy Comics and a number of buzzword-infested transmedia projects. [Wired]

Graphic novels | Becky Barnicoat traces the graphic novel's rise to respectability, starting with Maus and leading to the nomination last week of two graphic novels for the Costa Prize. [The Guardian]

Best of the year | Laura Miller compiles her list of the Top 10 graphic novels of 2012. [Salon]

Creators | Writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray discuss their new graphic novel Retrovirus, which features both a pandemic and murderous Neanderthals; reporter Brian Truitt describes it as "The Andromeda Strain by way of Jurassic Park." [USA Today]

Creators | Amherst College professor Ilan Stavans discusses his graphic novel about Crypto-Jews, Jews who were forced to convert but maintained their religious tradition in hidden ways. [ABQJournal Online]

Creators | Writer Kara Barrett talks about the inspiration for her graphic novel The Bargain, the story of a door-to-door salesman who has made a deal with the devil. Barrett is running a Kickstarter campaign to fund the book. [Nerdage]

Retailing | Retailer Kelly Akagi explains how Magic: The Gathering has become a mainstay at his comics shop. [SFGate]

Manga | Jason Thompson puts Moto Hagio's Heart of Thomas, one of the pioneering boys-love manga, into its literary and historical context, and explains why it is still important after all these years. [Anime News Network]

Satire | Tom Spurgeon spoof's Rich Johnston's list of the 100 most influential people in comics with his own list of the ten least influential people in comics, including himself at number nine. [The Comics Reporter]

Passings | Scott Johnson notes the comic book appearances of actor Larry Hagman, star of Dallas and I Dream of Jeannie, who died Friday at the age of 81. [ComicBook.com]