Conventions | In the wake of mass shootings in San Bernardino, Orlando and Dallas, and the attack last week in Nice, France, one newspaper looks at the security surrounding Comic-Con International, which kicks off Wednesday in San Diego. Although few details are revealed, a San Diego Police Department official says there will be "numerous" uniformed officers on foot, on bike, in patrol cars and in helicopters, as well as a "large" contingent of undercover cops "to make it was a safe and successful event." The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System got more specific, noting that nearly 200 armed transit officers and TSA-trained K9 units will be deployed along transit route and platforms. [The Press-Enterprise]
Conventions | A San Diego news station provides a brief history of Comic-Con International and a primer on what to expect. [KPBS]
Publishing | A lot of bloggers cover announcements of things to come, but Johanna Draper Carlson also pays attention to when things disappear. Her brief history of Archie's Dark Circle comics takes note of both launches and cancellations, as well as delayed releases and comics that just never materialized. [Comics Worth Reading]
Passings | Argentinian cartoonist Carlos Nine died on July 16 at the age of 72. During his lengthy career, Nine was a comics artist, sculptor, animation producer and screenwriter. His cartoons were published in The New York Times, Le Monde and Playboy, as well as the Argentinian magazines Fierro and Humor, and he also wrote and illustrated a number of books. In 2012 the Konex Foundation gave him a Platinum Award as the most outstanding illustrator in Argentina, and one of his fellow cartoonists, Nik, mourned him on Twitter as "Probably the best Argentinian illustrator, draftsman, watercolorist, painter and magician of color." [El Pais]
Political cartoons | Michael Cavna interviews Iranian cartoonist Atena Farghadani, who was recently released from prison after a judge reduced her sentence for a number of "crimes" related to her cartoon of the members of the Iranian parliament with animal heads. [Comic Riffs]
Comics | Looking for something to read? The Paste Magazine review team picks its top 25 comics of the first half of 2016. [Paste]
Graphic novels | "James Joyce: Portrait of a Dubliner," a new graphic novel by Alfonso Zapico, tells the story of one of Ireland's most enigmatic authors. [Irish Central]
Manga | The Tokiwa-so Project, named after and inspired by the apartment building that Osamu Tezuka and a number of other manga artists lived in when they were just starting out, has launched a crowdfunding project to assist aspiring manga-ka. The money will be used to set up a portal where new creators can post their work; the site will also feature interviews with editors, publishing news and information on manga magazines and contests. [Asahi Shimbun]
Retailing | Todd McDevitt, owner of the New Dimension chain of comic shops in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area talks about what he feels he has done right—and what he has done wrong. New Dimension is a old-school comic shop with an emphasis on back issues, and McDevitt believes his strength is buying comics in quantity and carving up the lots for different customers. Also, he prefers owning real estate to renting space for his stores. One of his pitfalls is a big one, though: He doesn't do online sales. [ICv2]