Conventions: After years of non-committal shrugging about the complaints by organizers that San Diego Comic Con has outgrown the current infrastructure of the city, San Diego has suddenly turned into that mop from the Swiffer commercial over the idea of losing the mega-convention when in 2012, and most especially its 125K+ crowds. Which sounds all well and good, but let's just say I'll believe it when I don't have to fight other con-goers to the death in a ring of fire while wearing gloves coated in broken glass just get a freaking hotel room. [The Beat]

Movies: Science affirms that 3D movies do, in fact, hurt your brain. Not that it's going to stop us from watching the next "Spider-Man" flick. [io9]

Poetry: Shall I compare the direct market to pastoral verse? Thou art more abstruse, and more provincial. [via Journalista]

More conventions: The lineup for this year's MoCCA was announced last week, and SPX has picked its dates for September.

Commentary: Douglas Wolk discusses some troubling racial elements in the ending of the "Kick-Ass" comic at his new Techland gig.

Education: Former Oni Press Editor-in-Chief Jamie Rich stops by the Portland State University class being taught by Brian Michael Bendis.

Marvel: Why are people saying "Siege" is a bomb? Editor Tom Breevort doesn't know, and he isn't having it.

DC
: The reactions to the new DC comics executive team are in, with the most interesting ones coming from Dirk Deppey, Graeme McMillan, Tom Spurgeon, and Douglas Wolk.

Awards: The LA Times announces its new 2009 Book Prize finalists and for the first time, graphic novels have their own category! The nominees are: "Luba" by Gilbert Hernandez, "GoGo Monster" by Taiyo Matsumoto, "Asterios Polyp" by David Mazzuchelli, "Scott Pilgrim Vol. 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe" by Bryan Lee O'Malley, and "Footnotes in Gaza" by Joe Sacco. [LA Times]

International: A promotional comic by the European Union -- which cost $320,000 to make -- is looking pretty good. [Bleeding Cool]

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