Steve Morris

There are few cartoonists more admired than Jeff Smith. Inspired himself by the serialized newspaper strips he read as a child, Smith went on to create a string of acclaimed, inspirational comics works that have not only proved evergreen in terms of story, but have brought in generation after generation of new excited cartoonists to make their own comics. Five Stars spoke to Smith about his career in comics through five milestone works, tracing a career through self-publishing, work-for-hire, and webcomics, and exploring the inspirations that inform his work.

The weekend is here! Take a look back at what’s happened in the past seven days. New comics, new stories, new podcasts, new art being made — it’s all part of the ComicsAlliance Weekender!

If you've looked at a line-up of comics stacked across the shelves, either in a comics shop or in digital stores like Comixology, then you've almost certainly seen the work of designer Tom Muller. From Motor Crush to Unfollow to Wolf to the new X-O Manowar series at Valiant, Muller's work has graced the covers --- and interiors --- of some of the most interesting and visually experimental comics of the last decade. With the increasing attention and awareness that surrounds the art of design in comics, the work of people like Muller bears investigating. ComicsAlliance spoke to Muller about his entry into comics, his current work for publishers including Valiant and Image Comics, and how he approaches each project he takes on.

Your friendly neighborhood Lego Spider-Man, clicking away like only a Lego Spider-Man can. Over the last few years, Lego has been in the Peter Parker business, and the result is a range of figures with surprising depth to their roster --- and some really surprising additions (and exclusions)! As huge Lego fans, ComicsAlliance has been picking and clicking Lego Spider-Man characters since they launched five years ago. And clearly we needed to rank them!

The weekend is here! Take a look back at what’s happened in the past seven days. New comics, new stories, new podcasts, new art being made — it’s all part of the ComicsAlliance Weekender!

There are many cities which could be considered a "home" for comics, and Toronto is right up there as one of the biggest creative communities in the medium today. With a number of the most famous writers and artists in comics today hailing from Canada, and a rising number of conventions and events taking place across Toronto itself, there's a real sense of activity coming from the city these days. And with Toronto itself also having a fascinating history of its own, why not explore that a little? With Toronto Comics, editor Steven Andrews has been able to bring a sense of that spirited community to comics, and currently has a Kickstarter running to help fund the latest in the series of anthologies themed around Toronto --- and featuring comics creators from the city --- to life. To find out more about the project, ComicsAlliance spoke to Andrews about his work on the series, and what readers can expect should the latest volume be funded.

The weekend is here! Take a look back at what’s happened in the past seven days. New comics, new stories, new podcasts, new art being made — it’s all part of the ComicsAlliance Weekender!

In Tabula Idem, editors Hye M. and Iris Jay have taken the conceit of tarot and used it as a conduit to tell stories about queer characters from queer creators. The project is running on Kickstarter now and looking for a funding target of $44,000, and every story features a card from the tarot deck, with the stories in some cases serving as a sort of "origin" for how the card gained its meaning and relevance, and found a place in the deck. It's a fabulous-looking project from a team that only began work on the anthology at last year's Emerald City Comic-Con. One year later, and with the project heading to print, ComicsAlliance spoke to both editors about their vision for Tabula Idem, and what readers can expect from the completed collection.

Colleen Doran made her first comic when she was twelve, and she's still writing and drawing it today. A Distant Soil stands apart as a unique project within the comics sphere; an epic longform story that has spanned decades in the real-world, and yet remained contemporary and compelling. Doran has also worked at Marvel and DC, and collaborated with writers including Neil Gaiman and Warren Ellis. Along the way she's gained many admirers, but also vocal critics who tried to push her out of the industry. ComicsAlliance looks back over some of the milestones of her career, to chart how she became one of the most acclaimed artists in the industry today.

In 2010 Professor John Jennings and Dr. Damian Duffy joined forces with Magnetic Press for an art book called Black Comix: American Independent Comics Art & Culture. Featuring work from a number of prominent African-American creators, the book proved a great success on Kickstarter, with a fully funded print run. Seven years later, the duo have re-teamed for Black Comix Returns, adding David Dissanayake as co-editor, and featuring artists including Sanford Greene, Afua Richardson, and Ben Passmore, plus many, many others. As before, the book has proved immediately popular; the Kickstarter has hit its target and is rapidly racing through its stretch goals. ComicsAlliance spoke to Duffy about the project and how it came together.