With all these different media for the same story, it makes it easy for readers/viewers/gamers/etc to get immersed into their chosen obsession, and for readers to become viewers, and for viewers to become gamers, until no one is confined to a single world anymore.

There are also autobiographies from survivors of war, such as Marjane Satrapi and Art Spiegelman, and there are illustrated histories of art form, film, and ancient figures. You can learn almost anything from a comic book these days, and because of that they’re becoming more and more popular in classrooms and libraries. The best part? You can feel mighty smug about absorbing the history of the Islamic Revolution (can you guess tomorrow’s book review?) in a sitting … and liking it.

Although publishing a volume of webcomics that are available online for free seems counterintuitive, it has become clear that people are in love with stuff. They want to hold the comic in their hands and have it on their coffee table; it’s something to covet. With that in mind, t-shirts, mugs, and other loveable webcomic stuff is being made to supplement book income. Creators want to get their material out there as much as possible, which is excellent news for you, the never-too-over-stimulated reader.

Interested in producing webcomics yourself? Check out How to Make Webcomics.

John Gardner and Gregory Maguire rewrote the classics from different perspectives with the best sellers Grendel and Wicked in order to make literature more interesting and provide unseen angles for the reader. As Bucky Carter (EN/SANE World) points out in his review of Kid Beowulf and the Blood-Bound Oath:

It builds interest in the original text by honoring it but playing with it; it builds student motivation to read the original without necessarily having that as its ultimate goal. Those who read Fajardo’s revisionist romp (Kid Beowulf) may be moved to the canonical poem Beowulf or John Gardner’s Grendel because they’ve developed a love for the characters as they have been more fully examined in the graphic novel. Surely surprises await those who have never read the poem when they do so, and I’ll bet that when those readers get to certain spots often read as victorious, they’ll have a deeper reaction than most readers who see certain de-limbings and dragon-slaying as par for the course for the epic form.

However, the new beast that’s emerging is the integrating of a classic text with things like vampires, zombies, and other action-inducing fiends. There is much debate as to whether this new trend is an entertaining way to spread the classics, or is simply killing the once masterful and revered literature of the past. Gardner and Maguire’s technique allows for thoughtful reflection on the many dimensions of a character, while Seth Grahame-Smith’s zombie-inserting technique is for sheer, unadulterated entertainment, a way to spice up what many consider to be an insipid old novel.

Really, both are true. Tacking on monsters to classic literature unquestionably debases and makes a mockery of it. Although you can’t help but to delight in the wicked amusement that such debasement provides. And it allows for, much like the graphic novel versions of classics, a wider audience to be reached, which may inspire people to pick up the original. Either way, there will always be someone to make a buffoonery of a solemn and thoughtful piece of art; the question is whether to use it to your advantage or let it pass as a punch line.

Read more about it on Moore’s blog.

Co-creator Peter Laird is helping to ease the transition from his company to its new owners, as well as assisting with the creative reintroduction to its passionate, multi-generation fan base. Nickelodeon has already announced plans to launch a new CG-animated TMNT television series, along with a feature film, scheduled to premiere in 2012. Read about the new acquisition at Newsarama.

Ahem. So there you have it. Be there or be action-figureless and incredibly under-stimulated.

Well, it’s happened. The single biggest piece of comic news we’re going to see this year: Disney has purchased Marvel Comics to the tune of $4 billion in cash and stocks. What does this mean for your friendly neighborhood comic shop? It’s not exactly clear yet, but its safe to assume that the comics are going to be taking advantage of Disney’s expertise at marketing and distribution, while Disney will in turn take advantage of the rising popularity of comics in order to promote its existing brands. Best case scenario: Pixar making movies based on Marvel characters; worst case scenario: The Incredible Hulk vs. Hannah Montana. Read more at Newsarama, and tell us what you think of this sea change.