Tokyopop, one of the largest and best-known distributors of Japanese manga, announced yesterday that it plans to take some of its comics fully online, making them available for free download on a one chapter per week basis. This is the latest event in a recent trend of comic book publishers (such as Dark Horse and Top Shelf) taking to the internet in hopes of reaching a larger audience. So if you’re a fan of Tokyopop series like Earthlight, Afterlife, Gyakushu, or Psy*Comm, you’ll now be able to read them for free online!

Read the full announcement here. What do you think of comic publishers using the internet as a means of distribution? Do you prefer it over print media or would you rather hold a comic book in front of you when you’re reading, even if it means paying for it?

Here’s an interesting tidbit from the comic community across the pond: The British Arts Council has bestowed a £6000 (about 10,000 US dollars) grant to the British International Comic Show to help bring the medium of comics to a wider audience. This news stands in stark contrast to the censorship and law suits leveled against comic book publishers and distributers we mentioned a few weeks ago. It’s great to see a government organization recognizing and supporting the proliferation of comic books as an art form! Read the whole story here. Can you think of any other ways you’d like to see more attention brought to comics as an artistic medium?

The huge bookstore chain Borders has announced that they will be devoting portions of their stores to their new “Ink” shops, which will carry fantasy and graphic novels along with other books aimed at teen and young adult readers. The change should be in place by the end of August, making hard-to-find graphic novels easier to buy for readers who don’t have access to comic book shops or independent bookstores like we do in Portland. Read a whole article about the new shops here! Do you think this announcement will have an affect on your ability to purchase and read graphic novels, or do you already have a store or library you prefer? Tell us about your favorite place to find comics!

The 2009 San Diego Comic-Con wrapped up last Sunday, and with it came the bestowal of the Eisner Awards upon works of creative achievement in American comic books. This year featured a new category, “Best Publication for Teens/Tweens”, the winner of which was the graphic novel version of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, illustrated by P. Craig Russell. Check out the complete list of winners here, or read more about the history of the award here!

Well, sort of…

The intimidating black skyscraper that dominates the Chicago skyline, and can be seen on the cover of Visibility, changed its name today from the Sears Tower to Willis Tower (read more), after a London-based firm purchased naming rights to the landmark structure. It’s sudden renaming has turned more than a few heads. What do you think of the new name? Will this building ever be known as anything other than the Sears Tower?

Since its completion in 1974, the tower has been the tallest building in the United States and is one of the tallest in the world! Can you name any of the buildings that are taller? Be careful, there is some controversy!

News is slow to come in the weeks leading up to San Diego Comic Con, so this week we would like to direct your attention to an existing organization that every comic book and graphic novel enthusiast should be aware of. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) is a nonprofit group that has been defending the first amendment rights of comic book creators, publishers, and distributors since 1986. Endorsed by the likes of Neil Gaiman, Jeff Smith, and Frank Miller, the CBLDF defends a historically misunderstood medium that has sustained criticism since its inception. To learn more about the organization visit their website, or view their Wikipedia page for a list of landmark cases they have participated in.

Comic book publisher BOOM! Studios (Dead Run, Farscape, Cthulhu Tales) recently announced the opening of the BOOM! Kids imprint, which will focus on producing comic books for a younger audience, including Disney/Pixar-licensed comics based on The Incredibles and Cars. This announcement reflects comic’s focus shifting back toward younger readers. A move we at Bowler Hat fully support! Read the full story at indycomicnews.net or visit the BOOM! Kids website.