Let’s roll...and punch 2011 in the face!

Maggie: Over the holidays, Tom Spurgeon starting running his annual interview series. He stopped at #20 and it’s one of my favorite comic creators ever, Jaime Hernandez of Love & Rockets. They talk about digital comics, work-for-hire, deadlines, formats and Jaime’s process. Great stuff. As someone who’s met Jaime on several occasions and read whole issues of L&R direct from the original art, I enjoyed the heck out of this interview. (In fact, I heartily recommend the entire Comics Reporter Interview series for this season. You can find the list of all 20 interviews and their links here.)

Hornet: If you’re looking forward to the new Green Hornet movie with Seth Rogen, or have been following the GH comics from Dynamite, here’s some fun stuff courtesy of Evan Lewis at Davy Crockett’s Almanack: a collection of vintage GH collectibles. I want everything shown here.

Hornet II: For some 1960s Green Hornet, Diversions Of The Groovy Kind posts a Gold Key story from Green Hornet #2 (1967), written by Paul S. Newman and illustrated by the great Dan Spiegle.

Hornet III: And io9 has the forgotten history of the Green Hornet, who wonder where this Green Batman/Lone Ranger kid came from.

Hornet IV: For all your current Green Hornet comic book needs, check out what Dynamite Entertainment has been doing with the character.

Grant: My pal Steven Grant is edging closer to a movie based on one of his comic books. Good for him, good for his publisher Boom! and good for the audience!

Blackhawk: My pal Beau Smith knows all about Lady Blackhawk.

Cracked: I loved how Cracked has evolved from a perennial MAD imitator into something completely different and funnier since moving to the internets. One of their current pieces that made me laugh out loud: The 6 Most Pointless Supervillain Schemes Ever Hatched. And yes, Superman’s rockin’ beard is involved.

Foglio: Early Word’s Robin Brenner is a fan of Girl Genius, the graphic novel series by Phil & Kaja Foglio, calling it “a smart combination of steampunk adventure, humor, and just a touch of romance.

Cartoons: R.C. Harvey finds this year's cartoon issue of The New Yorker a mixed-bag. “You’d think, in short, that the “cartoon issue” should perpetuate the practice that it initiated in 1997 when it carried articles about cartoonists and cartooning as well as more cartoons that usual. But, no — that hasn’t happened. Ever again.”

Frazetta: The Complete Johnny Comet is coming from Vanguard Productions. You know you want it.

Moore: British cartoonist Lew Stringer looks at the new issue of Alan Moore’s Dodgem Logic.

Easy: Chris Mautner at Robot 6 catches 6 books (see what he did there?) that might’ve slipped through 2010’s cracks. I second the first choice: Captain Easy Vol. 1 by Roy Crane from Fantagraphics. A great book, well produced.

Swashbuckler: I’ve been enjoying Rich Buckler’s memoirs of the 1970s comic book scene that have popped up on a couple of blogs in the past year or so. Over at Diversions Of The Groovy Kind, Rich looks at Demon Hunter, a series he created just as the 1970s version of Atlas Comics was winding down. Bonus: Lots of nice art included.

Sherlock: Novelist James Reasoner read Dynamite’s The Trial of Sherlock Holmes, written by Alan Moore’s daughter. “The mystery is pretty solidly constructed, and Moore and Reppion save a final twist for the very last page that I didn’t see coming.”

Issues: Rod Lott at Bookgasm breezes through a stack of current comics: Omega Comics Presents #3, The Cape #1 by Jason Ciaramella and artist Zach Howard (IDW) which has nothing to do with the NBC TV series of the same name, Victorian Undead Special: Sherlock Holmes Vs. Jekyll/Hyde #1 (Wildstorm), Hack/Slash: Trailers #2 (Image), and Mark Millar’s Clint #3.

Blitt: The Washington Post interviews cartoonist and artist Barry Blitt (y’know, the guy who did the great Spider-Man cover to The New Yorker recently).
[Link: Comics DC]

And finally, if you’re going to have a glass of Spawn merlot, your waiter recommends the House of Mystery meat.

Now use your internets responsibly!

[Artwork: Love & Rockets © Los Bros. Hernandez (top); Green Hornet from Dynamite (bottom)]