Magic Words

Illustrated book publisher Insight Editions has enlisted former Abrams ComicsArts publisher Rodolphe Lachat to head up Naga Archives, a new imprint focused on the intersection of art, esoterica, and “the unexplained.” X-Men, romance, and DIY culture took center stage at this year’s iteration of the queer comics gathering Flame Con, held earlier this month in Manhattan. And the partnership between Disney and Webtoon, inked last year, is continuing to bear fruit, with Disney Publishing announcing that its new romantasy comics series will debut on the vertical-scroll webcomics platform before being released in print. In other news, Bartz v. Anthropic plaintiff and author Charles Graeber opines in the New York Times about how pirated books are propping up the AI ecosystem. The Times also investigates the popularity of crime fiction in Iceland, despite the rarity of homicide in the country, and reports that the Trump administration’s 50% tariffs on Canadian imports will apply to companies that “produce or sell bookbinding machines.” Project Hail Mary directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller will helm a film adaptation of Forrest Brazeal’s forthcoming debut novel, Paradox Inc., per Deadline. For the New Yorker, children’s author Elise Broach looks into the rise of books for very young readers focused on “high-level” science topics. And for the Guardian, Meg Mason surveys how parasocial fan culture impacts her fellow authors.