Conventions | After bringing in a profit of almost $1 million in 2014, Wizard World took a hard swing in the other direction last year with a loss of $4.3 million, with about half the shortfall coming in the fourth quarter. At least part of the reason seems to be simple math: Per-show revenues were down, costs were up. In addition, Wizard's share in ConTV was a money-loser, to the tune of $1.3 million; Wizard has reduced its stake in the joint venture with Cinedigm. On the upside, its subscription box service has done well, netting $48,000. It's possible that the North American convention market is being saturated, and Wizard is responding by cutting back from 25 shows in 2015 to 19 this year. [ICv2]

Comics | Writer Kurtis Wiebe announced that, "after long consideration," he's placing his acclaimed Image Comics fantasy series Rat Queens on hiatus. [Twitter]



Awards | Sacramento Bee cartoonist Jack Ohman is the winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for cartooning. He described the experience as "hallucinogenically fun" and told Michael Cavna "I’m having a special uniform made with epaulets that say, 'Pulitzer' across them." [Comic Riffs]

Comics | Scott Bukatman, a professor of film and media studies at Stanford University, discusses his analysis of Mike Mignola's Hellboy comics, looking at how Mignola composes a page and creates a feeling of stillness as well as the significance of Dave Stewart's color palette. [Stanford News]

Comics | A host of Japanese and Chinese artists have created cartoons expressing support for the Japanese prefecture Kumamoto, which has been hit by three serious earthquakes in recent days. Most of the cartoons feature the Kumamoto mascot, a bear named Kumamon, with the Chinese artists adding a panda comforting the bear. [RocketNews 24]



Creators | Mary and Bryan Talbot discuss their latest graphic novel, The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia, based on the life of French radical Louise Michel. [Sunderland Echo]

Creators | Raj Bilkhu takes a look at why Shrewsbury, a small town in England, is home to so many comics creators, including The Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard and Judge Dredd creator John Wagner, as well as Redan Publishing (which publishes Disney's magazines in the United Kingdom) and the Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival. [BBC News]

Comics | P. Claire Dodson writes about Faith, the plus-size Valiant character who recently got her own ongoing series. The article includes comments from writer Jody Houser and online activist Kiva Bay. [The Atlantic]

Publishing | Bill Campbell of Rosarium Publishing, which publishes both comics and science fiction, talks about the realities of being a small indie company. [Comics DC]

Retailing | Russellville, Arkansas, will get its own comic shop in mid-May, when Brightest Day Comics opens its doors. Owner Lucas Tubbs says the store will carry a mix of new comics and back issues; the biggest challenge so far, he says, is just getting the paperwork done. [Arkansas Matters]