New links plus my digital update for Apr 3, 2012

Will I someday color SiP, Echo and Rachel Rising? What's it like to work with DC?  Why I am writing the How To Draw series? This is the Q&A in my recent chat with Tim at Comic Book Resources Robot 6.

Rachel Rising: The Shadow Of Death, made Hot Pick Of The Week at Inveterate Media Junkies, who called the book "a triumph".

A wonderful review of Echo: The Complete Edition, at Comic Book Nerds Are Hot (why yes… yes they are.).

On Twitter today: "

That's why I put my books on comiXology, and I'm very pleased with the results. You can find my books in all the good comic shops, but there are shops that don't carry my books. For readers in that situation, you now have digital options to stay up to date. I'm sure you're already using the convenience of ordering print through any of the good retailers with online sites. Now, you can also be a part of same day release excitement and read the new issues of Rachel Rising the day they come out. You don't have to avoid spoilers on the Wednesday forums anymore!

What I'm hearing more and more is, fans read it first online, then buy the print to keep and cherish. If that's how you do it, my brick and mortar partners and I like that system just fine. Whatever gets you through the day with a smile on your face. I think we're all realizing pretty quickly that nothing replaces a book in your hands. It's like the difference between a picture of lunch vs a real lunch.

In the world of art, gorgeous images can be enjoyed many ways and it's all good. In the world of books, there's nothing like the real thing. Because comics live in both worlds—which has always been our strength— we've had the most questions entering the digital age, but we're finding our way and I have to say it's kind of fun. My publisher anxiety of the last couple of years is easing as it becomes more evident that the two worlds we live in (images & books) are beginning to sort it out and will find a way to coexist. Every digital customer I've talked to still buys books at their favorite shop. And if your shop doesn't carry it, or you're not near a shop, or you live in a country where the delays and costs are bad… well, you're not stranded anymore. You can be part of the comic book news as it happens via digital, and comfortably build that collection of gorgeous, real books for your library.

Finally, our industry has become the epitome of Spock: the unusual love child of two worlds producing a brilliant and ultra-modern medium—comics in the 21st century.

Unless of course, I'm wrong. In which case I'm going back to bar bands.