Eisner Shakedown: Best Comics Related Periodical/Journalism

I don’t know what the term “meta” means in the world of blogging and online publishing, but I have a feeling that, in shaking down this category, I’m getting pretty close. At the very least, we’re approaching blogging’s fourth wall. I can feel it. I can sense you reading. I can…
But anyway. This category merits some discussion. As we travel further and further down this information superhighway* that is the internet, more and more content is become available exclusively online without the need for physical subscriptions. So what we’re seeing, as internet publishing becomes more and more established, is an uptick in the quality of both presentation and content available at the other end of your internet connection.
Now the trick is, how do you classify these things? Are they periodicals? Some of them are, yes. But is a blog a periodical? It certainly doesn’t seem like one, but a blogger can be a journalist. Similarly, the blog can be an offshoot of a store or publisher**. So, you wind up with hybrid titles like the one attached to this category. Want to know something interesting? Only one of these includes a physically published entity along with its companion site, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see a solely web-based category here soon. But you never know right?

The variety in forms of presentation and publication here are diverse. There are two well-written blogs, one single writer and one multi-contributor, there is a printed periodical (with accompanying website), and there is a web magazine. A well-rounded group on the whole and who will walk away with this one is anyone’s guess.
I’m not going to spend a lot of time reviewing the reviews of the contestants. That just strikes me as taking this overview a little too far. That and, really, I’m not a great critic of journalistic endeavors. Physician heal thyself and all that jazz, ya know?
Oy! Okay, I’m running out of breath in this intro, but one final thought. This is one of the few categories where I reacted by thinking “Wait a minute, what about so-and-so?” I’m a huge fan of Publisher’s Weekly’s The Beat and I was a little surprised that they weren’t nominated. Or maybe they were and didn’t make the cut. I don’t know, but I had hoped that they would have been here. Next year, hopefully. But I encourage you to check all of the nominees listed here out, as they’re all fantastic resources!
That said, let’s take a look, shall we?
Comic Book Resources
produced by Jonah Weiland
Comic Book Resources, or CBR, is a full-fledged webzine. There has been a lot of planning and careful design put into this site and it shows. It just feels professional at every corner. According to the site, its current design has been live for about a year now and is part of a multi-phase revamping. The layout here is easy to navigate and intuitive. So, the user interface end of this equation is pretty solid.
And the content? I’m a fan. First there’s lots of it and, being a webzine, it’s constantly updating. The reviews include the ever-popular star rating system and a couple paragraphs that actually discuss the comics instead of simply providing a bland overview. Regular columns give a consistent set of voices to the site as well (and if you’re looking for a recommendation, my favorites are Pipeline and Lying in the Gutters). The site even includes blogs like “Comics Should Be Good!”
Also present are podcasts, forums, videos, and a slew of resources for all of your research needs.
The Comics Journal
edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean, and Kristy Valenti
The Comics Journal, a Fantagraphics publication, still exists primarily in print form. They do have a website, but it provides “Web Extras” and not the content that can be found in print. I have to admit, I’m not intimately familiar with The Comics Journal. I’ve picked up a copy occasionally, when I would see a cover or a story advertised that interested me (the same reason I buy any other magazine), but I’ve started to scale back on the actual print subscriptions in my life.
That said, The Comics Journal provides excellent in-depth articles and interviews. It’s a well-written and constructed publication (and hopefully loyal readers will add some thoughts or insights in the comments or the forums here).
From their website:

“The Comics Journal is a magazine that covers the comics medium from an arts-first perspective. We are owned and operated by Fantagraphics Books, a leading publisher of alternative comic books (such as ACME Novelty Library and Eightball), collections and new work from underground comix pioneers (R. Crumb, Spain Rodriguez), and classic comic strip reprint volumes (Little Orphan Annie, Pogo).”

The Comics Reporter
produced by Tom Spurgeon and Jordan Raphael
The Comics Reporter exists somewhere between a really content-rich blog and a webzine. The CR blog is the big draw and is probably where constant readers will spend the bulk of their time on the site, but The Comics Reporter includes a few features that I really love to see and which deserve special mention: the “all about comics” section of the site.
The “all about comics” section is a resource area for people new to comics, comics terminology, or who are aspiring comics creators. Sounds like quite a mash-up, until you read through the site. The “A Brief Overview” and “Buying Comics” section therein is a walk-through of what comics are, their various forms (comic books, comic strips, gag panels, and more), and then their various forms in the comic shop (serials, trades, mini-comics, manga, and more). It’s enough to make a newbie’s head spin, but the Comics Reporter does an excellent job of breaking it all down in for the readers. Add to this the discussion of Comics Shops and you have a really unique resource.
Also present are guides on publishing and reading mini-comics as well as advice for publishing comic books and comic strips. I’ll admit, this section alone made me a big fan of the site. Tom Spurgeon has crafted a site that not only covers the industry, but tries to actively welcome in and educate new fans. Bravo!
Comics Comics
edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel
On the face of it, Comics Comics would appear to be another Blogger blog. It’s not. Comics Comics uses the Blogger publishing platform to deliver news and thoughts about the industry by Picturebox Inc. insiders. What you end up with is a great mix of insider content and interesting takes on the news in the industry.
So there you have it. Your nominees for Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism. And now that you know who they are, why don’t you tell us how you would vote…
How would you vote: Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism?(online surveys)

*Remember when we used to call it that? The Information Superhighway. I’m getting old…
**And here I’m not talking about us, I mean one of the entrants in this category. Though I might be grinning sheepishly as I type this.