Literary News Thread

[Johnny Unusual]

Harper Lee coming out of seclusion to sue the crap out of her literary agent:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/harper-lee-sues-her-agent-for-allegedly-cheating-h,97355/

Proving that there's just one kind of folks—folks who screw you over at the first opportunity—author Harper Lee has been forced to step out of reclusion to sue her literary agent, Samuel Pinkus, after he allegedly swindled her out of the copyright to To Kill A Mockingbird. As Lee once wrote, "People generally see what they look for and hear what they listen for," and this is even more difficult when you're 87 years old and your agent is taking advantage of your declining eyesight and hearing, as Lee's lawsuit says Pinkus did, when he had her sign over the copyright to her Pulitzer-winning 1960 novel to him without payment. Pinkus' "scheme to dupe" Lee is said to have taken place in 2007, after Lee's longtime agent (and Pinkus' father-in-law) grew ill and Pinkus began siphoning away some of his clients.

Even worse, Pinkus allegedly came to Lee after she'd suffered a stroke and was in a confused state, getting her to sign an agreement granting his company all the rights to her novel and its attendant royalties, then ignoring all Lee's requests thereafter.  (Personal note: HOLY SHIT!  WHAT A CREEP!) Lee is asking that the copyright be turned over to her in a lawsuit that could eventually make its way into court, where it could fall to some Atticus Finch-like lawyer to give the impassioned plea for justice. After all, courage is knowing you're licked before you began but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what, because your agent sounds like a scumbag.   

[The Lurker]

Released recently

[Johnny Unusual]

Neil Gaiman reads Green Eggs and Ham for charity (specifically, WorldBuilders, which is a charity to give chickens, sheep and goats to those who need them through literature)

If the charity gets just a little more, Tara from Buffy will read some online erotica!

[anais.butterfly]

What's all this BS that JK Rowling is saying she didn't end the Harry Potter series correctly because Ron and Hermione end up together.


Seriously, with this and her having to tell readers Dumbeldore was gay, JK is getting to Stephanie Meyer levels of "hack"

[Johnny Unusual]

So Ice-T read a D&D audiobook.

http://www.avclub.com/article/icets-talking-skills-prove-no-match-for-the-deep-n-107579

Please let this bleed into PFT's next appearance in Comedy Bang Bang.

[Sideswipe]

What's all this BS that JK Rowling is saying she didn't end the Harry Potter series correctly because Ron and Hermione end up together.


Seriously, with this and her having to tell readers Dumbeldore was gay, JK is getting to Stephanie Meyer levels of "hack"

Yeah, she has realized that Harry Potter is done and no one is talking about it or kissing her ass anymore so she is just making up shit as she goes along to try and stay relevant.  Its sad, really.

[Johnny Unusual]

Mad Magazine editor Al Feldstein dead at age 88.  Al was the guy who shepherded it from being simply a comic magazine to something more satirically focused.

He is also the last survivor of the original EC Comics staff.  As a big EC fan, he'll be missed.  A sad day for comics and humour.

http://www.avclub.com/article/its-so-hard-say-good-blecch-department-rip-al-feld-204053

Some words from Frank Conniff via twitter.

"As a would-be practitioner of modern comedy, I'd like to thank Al Feldstein for helping to invent it. Rest In Peace."

"Without Mad Magazine, MST3K would have been slightly different, like for instance, it wouldn't have existed. RIP Al Feldstein"

[The Lurker]

Bill Watterson's Back!
http://stephanpastis.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/ever-wished-that-calvin-and-hobbes-creator-bill-watterson-would-return-to-the-comics-page-well-he-just-did/
http://imgur.com/gallery/xbQmj

[Johnny Unusual]

I posted about this in another thread, but there is going to be a sequel to Fight Club... and that's not the only surprise!
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=54215

[Darth Geek]

Can we at least hope it'll be called 'Two Kill A Mockingbird'?

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/harper-lee-published-july-28687808

[Johnny Unusual]

https://news.avclub.com/think-you-got-him-michelle-ill-be-gone-in-the-dark-1825531248

I post this here because I didn't want to use the "wooo" thread at this time and distract from Lesbunny's good news.  And it felt a little too dark/tangential for the MST3k news thread (though there is a connection).

[Johnny Unusual]

Mad Magazine to cease publishing new material this year.

[The Lurker]

Good news Transformers fans!
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia/status/1146868351236562947

[The Lurker]

RIP author Tomie dePaola

[The Lurker]

So Ready Player One is getting a sequel... https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/ready-player-two-sets-november-publishing-date-1302284?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social