Digital comics | The manga publisher Viz Media has signed on to iVerse's digital comics app for libraries; this is big news, because manga, especially Viz's teen-friendly line, is still very popular in libraries. [press release]

Publishing | In his address last weekend to the ComicsPRO annual meeting in Atlanta, Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson urged the audience to continue asking "What's next?" [Comics Alliance]

Retailing | Journalist and retailer Matthew Price wraps up the ComicsPRO meeting, noting Diamond's report of a healthy year for comics retailers, with comics sales up 16 percent, graphic novels up 13 percent, and merchandise up 9 percent from last year. [The Oklahoman]

Creators | Art Spiegelman gave a 90-minute lecture on comics at Southern Methodist University yesterday, and he had plenty to say about the internet, graphic novels, and what sort of comics he prefers: “'I think Donald Duck had much more nuance than Peter Parker,' Spiegelman said. 'He was far more interesting than the mood swings of the Hulk.'” [The Daily Campus]

Creators | Steven Heller interviews Michael Schumacher and Denis Kitchen about their new biography of Al Capp, Al Capp: A Life to the Contrary. [The Atlantic]

Awards | The nominees for the 17th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Awards were announced this week; none of the works is licensed in the United States, but several of the creators are familiar to American readers, including Hiromu Arakawa (Fullmetal Alchemist) and Chica Umino (Honey and Clover) [Anime News Network]

Comics | Gene Luen Yang became acquainted with Chinese opera while researching his book Boxers and Saints, and he points out that it is similar to comics in its use of color, its well choreographed battles, and its love of primates. [Gene Luen Yang]

Comics | Gret Beato looks at five risible examples of comics as government propaganda, all drawn from the pages of Richard Graham's 2011 book Government Issue: Comics for the People. [Reason]

Manga | Jason Thompson takes a look at the cute cat manga Chi's Sweet Home and pet manga in general. [Anime News Network]