Fusenews: A Strange Unwieldy Sense of Loss

• My Twilight bag finally bit the dust yesterday. It had been a gift from Little, Brown & Company. A red and black bag with the words "The Twilight Saga" emblazoned on the side.  I’ve never made much secret of my mirth when it comes to all things sparkly vampire, but this bag was different. It had an outside pocket big enough to carry a book. It had a long red strap that allowed me to carry it with ease. Its red and black tones matched my black winter coat and red gloves. As a result I’d spend my days surreptitiously hiding the "Twilight" words against my body, inevitably flashing them at passersby whenever my subway stop arrived.  Even adult fans of the series would understand a grown-up’s reluctance to show off a bag so prominently.  Today I discovered a large hole in the corner, and that was the end of that.  It’s sitting in my garbage can right now.  We had our ups and downs, that Twilight bag of mine, but in the end it was a good friend.  I’m sorry to see it go.

• Speaking of wilight-tay, I know that there was already a funny Twilight comic out there (which I cannot find anymore, grrr), but this one actually manages to summarize the four books in the series in a mere 16 panels.  It also uses a superior use of the term BFF, I think.  Thanks to Shaken & Stirred for the link.

• From Cynopsis Kids , a glimpse into a bit of sniffling about an old property:

SOGEX , through its agent Propertiz , appoints Atlantyca Entertainment to be the Italian licensing agent for Antoine De Saint-Exypery’s Le Petit Prince .  Atlantyca will manage the licensing and merchandising programs throughout the region and explore new opportunities for the 66-year-old property.  SOGEX is a French company created 15 years ago by the Antoine de Saint-Exupery Estate.

Can’t be any worse than that anime version from the mid-80s.  *shudder*

• Well, there you go.  If Laura Lutz has such praise   for the newest Patricia Polacco, then the newest Patricia Polacco I must read. She also takes beautiful issue with the Kirkus review.  Saucy!

• The winners of the Nickelodeon Magazine Comics Awards have been announced.  They are:

Favorite Graphic Novel: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series), by Jeff Kinney, Amulet Books/Harry Abrams

Favorite Comic Book Series: Simpsons comics, Bongo Comics

Cutest Comic Character: Snoopy –from Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz (United Feature Syndicate)

Favorite Comic Strip: Garfield by Jim Davis (Universal Press Syndicate)

Best Hair in Comics: Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson (Universal Press Syndicate)

Favorite Manga Series: Best of Pokémon Adventures , by Hidenori Kusaka and Mato (Viz)

Grossest Thing in Comics: The Cheese from Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books/Abrams)

Favorite Fantasy Graphic Novel: Bone (series), by Jeff Smith

Rapunzel’s Revenge totally should have gotten the "Best Hair" award, by the way.  Recount!!!  I’m getting a little miffed that the Nick Magazine isn’t available for free viewing online, since this new Cartoon Issue looks like it has quite a lot of good stuff in it.  Check out this round-up to see a quickie look at an original autobiographical bit Mr. Kinney did for the magazine about publishing Wimpy Kid in the first place (to say nothing of the rather well done and funny Low Value Comics).  Thanks to Good Comics for Kids for the link.

• I knew it was only a matter of time before this spilled over to the children’s literary realm.  Over at The Guardian there was a pretty funny piece calling for the re-masculating of literature for the manly menfolk.  Bookninja took this to the logical extreme calling for "a contest: ‘remasculate’ the title and basic plot summary (one sentence, max) of a famous book—and if the book is by a woman, ‘masculate’ her as well." One of his submissions included :

Classic Charlotte’s Web becomes “Charlotte’s Web of Death” , by E. B. White

“When Wilbur befriends his neighbor Charlotte he has no idea that he
will be sucked in a web of intrigue, deceit and mayhem, leading him as
far as Frankfurt and Milan before returning to his humble farm for the
chilling conclusion that will leave you breathless.”

There would have to be moments where she left Wilbur secret messages in cobwebs that only he could interpret correctly.  And the term "some pig" takes on an entirely new aspect if you let it.

• And the top ten picture book lists just keep on rolling in. This time it’s author Jacqui Robbins (you remember her lovely The New Girl…And Me , doncha?) and her mighty top ten.  And remember, there’s still time to send me your own picks.  Just follow the directions and off you go.

• If you’re anything like me, reading a title like Secret Libraries of San Francisco is the biblio equivalent of catnip.  The piece itself is more about the private clubs of SF and their private libraries, but I’m still giving it points for the title.  Thanks to Jenny Schwartzberg for the link.

• Here’s a name you won’t usually hear on this blog: Marcus Sedgwick.  I’ve got nothing against the guy but if I’m trying to avoid YA, books like My Swordhand is Singing definitely fall into that category.  Sedgwick did do a version of The Emperor’s New Clothes with illustrator Allison Jay a couple years back, but that’s as far as he’s ever stepped into my realm (that I know of).  Now I cast my eyes across the pond and hear that he has written a new series for young readers called The Raven Mysteries.  Flood and Fang (the first) is already out over there.  And Bookwitch likes it.  So that’s a plus.

• Birthday Greetings!  They’re fun when I actually remember to do them.  At last, a reason to be on Facebook.  Happy birthday then to . . . .

Ms. Farida Dowler of the blog Saints and Spinners .
Ms. Doreen Cronin , author of (amongst a million other things) Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type .
Ms. Jill Santopolo , editor extraordinaire and author in her own write of the Alex Flint mystery series.

• Daily Image:

Alison Morris whips out the kicking t-shirts like it’s nobody’s business.  My most recent favorite is the Choose Your Own Adventure tee:

In case that was unclear (it was showing both the front and the back of the shirt) here is the back by itself:

All choices lead to being bear food.  Ain’t it the truth, ain’t it the truth?  Check out Shelftalker for more magnifico tees. 

Filed under: Fusenews