Awards | Six graphic novels are finalists for the eighth annual Children's Choice Book Awards: The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza, Happy Birthday Babymouse, Sisters, The Dumbest Idea Ever, The Return of Zita the Spacegirl and El Deafo. This is the largest number of graphic novels to make the cut; the previous high was three. Children and teens can vote for the winners, which will be announced during Children's Book Week, which starts this year with Free Comic Book Day. [Children's Book Council, via ICv2]

Retailing | When water got into the stock room of Blockbuster Comics in Brandon, Florida, it destroyed a number of valuable comics, including a 1956-vintage Superman comic and a copy of Crisis on Infinite Earths signed by the late Dick Giordano. Rather than just toss them, however, owner William Insignares is using them to redecorate his store, starting by decoupaging some of them to his front door using a Mod Podge-like substance. [Bradenton Herald]

Passings | Indian cartoonist Raagati Pandari, the first woman cartoonist in the Telugu language, has died at age 50. Pandari contracted polio at age 3 and spent much of her childhood reading and then drawing. Her comics, which often dealt with the trials of the common man, were published in Telugu magazines and newspapers, and she won a number of awards for her work. [The Hindu]

Passings | Argentine cartoonist Osvaldo Walter Viola (Oswal) has died at age 79. A self-taught artist, Oswal was best known as the creator of the children's cartoon superhero Sonoman. [Buenos Aires Herald]

Politics | Malaysian cartoonist Zunar remains defiant. Despite being arrested two weeks ago on sedition charges, he tells reporters he will "expose" the Malaysian government's use of legal means to suppress dissent when he speaks at a United Nations forum on human rights in Geneva, Switzerland, next month. [The Malay Mail]

Creators | Hilary Brown interviews Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez. [Paste]

Creators | Dan Perkins talks about being Tom Tomorrow and drawing This Modern World. [Monterey County Weekly]

Creators | Beverly Bryan talks to Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie (Phonogram, The Wicked + The Divine) and Mike and Mark David (Blokhedz) about music and comics. [Wondering Sound]

Creators | Katie Skelly discuses her digital-only comic Tonya, about figure skater Tonya Harding, who became infamous after the attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan. [Sequential State]

Comics | Tim Regan profiles Matt Dembicki and the cartoonists of DC Conspiracy, who publish their work twice a year in a newspaper format supported by ads. Current and past contributors include Brooke Allen (Lumberjanes), Jim Rugg and Carolyn Belefski. [DC City Paper]