After jumping into comics earlier this year, Substack is entering in a bigger way by signing several major creators to its platform, the New York Times has reported. The new slate of writers includes Saladin Ahmed, Jonathan Hickman, Molly Ostertag, Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV, with other writers and artists to be announced at a later date. 

As with other Substack writers, comics creators will send their work out in a newsletter format and charge subscribers directly for their work. During the first year, they'll be paid by Substack which will take most of the subscription revenue, and after that, the platform will take a 10 percent cut. Creators will retain ownership of all their materials.

Tynion IV, who recently won the Eisner award for his work on DC's Batman and other titles, said he'll work on Substack exclusively. "This wasn’t an easy decision," he told the NY Times. "In order to invest my time in new material, I needed to choose. I could not do both."

DC had presented me with a three-year renewal of my exclusive contract, with the intent of me working on Batman for the bulk of that time. I was grateful of the offer, but I couldn’t help but look at the success of my original, creator owned titles and wonder if it was the right choice.

Substack first got into comics back in June when it signed Marvel's Amazing Spider-Man writer Nick Spencer. Spencer reportedly spearheaded the idea and was the liaison between Substack and newly signed creators. On top of comic book stories, they'll publish, essays, how-to guides and other content on the platform.

Until recently, Substack has mostly focused on newsletters covering politics, technology and more. Comics, meanwhile, have been around forever on the web, but have largely been funded by ads and merchandise sales. By joining with Substack, creators will be able to engage directly with readers in a model that more closely resembles comic book sales. 

In his Substack launch post, Tynion said that he effectively turned down a three-year renewal of his DC Batman contract when Substack signed him "to create a new slate of original comic book properties directly on their platform, that my co-creators and I would own completely," he wrote. "I’m going to dedicate my whole brain to building a bunch of really cool stuff on my own terms, without having to get permission from any publisher to make it."

Those who religiously attend their local comic conventions now have the chance to go the biggest one of them all thanks to a new Omaze giveaway. The company's latest sweepstakes gives you the chance to win 4-day badges to San Diego Comic-Con 2022, with access to a special preview night. In addition to the badges, you're also getting reserved seating in Hall H for the entire convention, a personal concierge, a private tour of the Comic-Con Museum, dinner in Balboa Park and tickets to the "Night at the Comic-Con Museum" special event. The winner will also have travel to the convention and lodgings covered.

Enter to win at Omaze

The 2022 Comic-Con will mark the return of the in-person event in San Diego as the 2021 convention was postponed. Instead, the organization held the online Comic-Con Home from July 23-25 this year, and its hoping to have a smaller, supplemental "Comic-Con Special Edition" event in November, if conditions allow. You have until December 8 to enter this giveaway and the winner will be announced before the end of 2021.

Like other Omaze giveaways, you don't have to spend money to enter — and anyone can use the code AFF20 at checkout to get 20 bonus entries. But if you do buy entries, you'll increase your chances of winning. All funds raised in sweepstakes like this go to charity, and this one in particular benefits the San Diego Comic Convention, which is a nonprofit public benefit corporation devoted to increasing public awareness and appreciation for comics and similar art forms.

If you're unfamiliar with Omaze, it's a site that raises money for charities through giveaways and experiences. You can read more about how the allocation of funds works by reading the "Fundraising Transparency" section at the bottom of the giveaway page.

Pricing and availability is subject to change. No donation or payment necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes.See official rules on Omaze.

Like many in-person events, geek Mecca Comic-Con was upended by the pandemic. By most accounts, the decision to switch to a virtual conference backfired as social media activity plummeted by upwards of 90 percent. Cosplaying on the couch clearly isn't as gratifying as congregating with 6,500 passionate fans under one roof. With big guns Marvel Studios and DC Films already choosing to skip this year's Comic-Con@Home, the event needs all the support it can get. One company that hasn't given up on the conference is Amazon. 

For the second year in a row, it's hosting an online panel with talent from some of its biggest shows and movies. You'll be able to watch the action on San Diego Comic-Con's official YouTube channel starting at 2PM ET on July 23rd.

This year's lineup features a mix of female-led fantasy, blockbuster anime, teen slasher and crime. First up is The Wheel of Time, a series adaptation of the bestselling novels by Robert Jordan about a clan of female magicians starring Rosamund Pike. Amazon will be hoping the show is more Shadow and Bone than The Nevers. Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno will also be present to discuss the final chapter in the Rebuild movie saga, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time.

To tap into the '90s slasher revival kicked off by Netflix's Fear Street trilogy, Amazon is trotting out its modern spin on I Know What You Did Last Summer, featuring a fresh-faced cast of sacrificial lambs. This year's event will also see Amazon highlighting content from its streaming service that isn't called Prime Video. As such, cast members from IMDb TV's Leverage: Redemption will be on hand to discuss the return of the crime series.