Links: Comic Book Distractions

I have quite a bit of work to get done today, so I keep meaning to turn off the internet. Then I check my Twitter stream, and see everyone posting really interesting articles today. I’d get mad at them for being so distracting, but it’s all just too great.

On Publisher’s Weekly, Josie Leavitt talks about Contemporary Books I Wish I’d Read as a Kid. I did read Harry Potter as a kid, though an older one, and I didn’t stumble upon Golden Compass until I was a bit older. I do wish that everything by Kate DiCamillo had existed when I was in the age group – not that I don’t get immense enjoyment out of her books now.

Melinda Beasi brings up the Best Comics Poll that was recently taken at Hooded Utilitarian (I missed it) and talks about why “best of” polls don’t work, but still gives her list of favorite comics on Manga Bookshelf. She also links us over to Hooded Utilitarian so we can see Shaenon Garrity’s Lady List. It’s an interesting list that includes both stuff I’ve read and also books I’ve never heard of, but I’m most excited to see that Garrity listed Persepolis, on of the greatest graphic novels I’ve ever read.

David Welsh talked about the Diamond Comics Previews for October and reminded me just how expensive that month will be. A lot of nice comics are coming out, not least of which is Princess Knight, an Osamu Tezuka manga I’ve been waiting to read since I learned it existed.

And here’s the final thing I encountered today, not about books, but about stigmatizing anime fans. The Washington Post apparently wrote an article about how anime conventions are a hotbed for pedophiles, and Otaku in Review picked it apart, wonderfully.

So, yeah, that work I was going to do…