iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Interesting read that ties into some of the topics I covered in Comics: The Call and the Cost. It also touches on what I’ve seen tabling at conventions too. #art #comics #work #comiccon solrad.co/an-unusual-c...

solrad.co

An Unusual Contradiction: THE MYTH OF THE PURE ARTIST by Fer García - SOLRAD

Today on SOLRAD, we feature an essay by Fer García focused on the contradiction between art and commerce in the comics space.

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

If you've waited for a paperback version of Comics: The Call and the Cost, wait no more! Now you can get the book in paperback, hardcover, ebook, and audiobook. Please leave reviews too! It's the only way a small fish like me can get found in this big pond. #comics #books #reviews #history

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

See you all at the Middleton Book Fair tomorrow! Hopefully the weather cooperates 🤞

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

"Standal's work here is, without a doubt, award-worthy. Comics-The Call and the Cost is a masterclass in prose about history, culture, and art. The book should be on the shelf of any comics creator, critic, or reader." Check out the entire Reedsy review: reedsy.com/discovery/bo...

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Folks in the Madison, WI area, rejoice! Today, July 1, I’ll be signing at Westfield Comics from 4-7. Stop by and get your signed copy of Comics: The Call and Cost on its release date! #comics #westfieldcomics #newcomicbookday

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Good morning, America - today’s the day! Grab your copy of Comics: The Call and the Cost to see how comic creators have fought for their art and their lives in the comic world and beyond. Audiobook, print book, ebook are all available. #booklaunch #comics #history #nonfictionbooks

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Loved Who Framed Roger Rabbit since I saw it as a kid. Recently started listening to the book it’s based on and I like it, in part because there are a lot of interesting differences, especially for a comic fan (comic strip characters are toons, toons’ dialogue shows in word balloons and more).

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Had a great time last night calling the weekend celebration of Madison Symphony Orchestra’s 100 years - to another 100!

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

NetGalley reviewers, if you were waiting for the audiobook version of Comics: The Call and the Cost, wait no more! It’s available on NetGalley, plus I updated the audiobook and regular book cover. Happy listening! www.netgalley.com/catalog/book... #audiobook #comics #NetGalley #review

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Live from Dayton, it’s me reading pretty personal excerpts from my Afterword to Comics: The Call and the Cost. Available June 1 in print, ebook, and audiobook (Audible has it exclusively until June 1). Hope you enjoy and relate to the passion I have for the medium. #authorreading #audiobook #teaser

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Just landed in sunny Dayton, Ohio! Or something like that

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

I grew up reading the newspaper funnies, particularly Peanuts, Garfield, and Calvin and Hobbes. Join me in this teaser of my audiobook, Comics: The Call and the Cost, reflecting on the creativity and capitalism displayed in Schulz’s, Davis’, and Watterson’s stories. #comics #audiobook #newspapers

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Yeah, yeah, May the 4th be with you and all that, but let’s focus on my Free Comic Book Day haul that I forgot to post. Includes some goodies from previous FCBDs

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

FCBD was a success - thanks to everyone who came out and Kowabunga Comics for doing a great job hosting, as always. I was busy and didn’t get photos but a friend snapped a sneaky shot thankfully. If you got something from me and enjoyed it, I appreciate reviews, thanks! #comics #gratitude #FCBD

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Free Comic Book Day 2026 is here! The calm before the storm. See you all at Kowabunga Comics, opening at 11 today. #FCBD #comics #comicstore #shoplocal

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Comics’ Own Martyr, one of many fascinating stories of comic heroes and history in Comics: The Call and the Cost. Order in Audible now, preorder for July 1 print/ebook/full audiobook distribution sale date! #comics #history #heroes #war #eternauta

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

It’s that time of the year again, Free Comic Book Day this Saturday! As in the past, I’ll be signing at the great Kowabunga Comics. Here’s a sampling of past FCBD hauls. I’m a sucker for all ages comics here, since they’re the FCBD titles that are full stories instead of teasers. #comics #free

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

A glowing write-up from @audiofilemagazine.bsky.social about Comics: The Call and the Cost. Every review so far has called this enlightening. Definitely more than that but they're still hitting the nail on the head with that. #comics #reviews #books #history www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews...

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

A tale told all too often - comics creators pouring heart & soul into their work but still having to fight for their fair share of the pie. Just one part of comics history I wrote about in Comics: The Call and the Cost #comics #history #audiobook #weekendread #trailer www.audible.com/pd/B0GWN1B1R...

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Want to read about the dirty business behind inky comic pages & see why creators still put pen to paper? Enter Comics: The Call and the Cost. Only available on Audible now but you can listen to it everywhere soon. The print book releases in July! #audiobook #history www.audible.com/pd/B0GWN1B1R...

audible.com

Comics - The Call and the Cost

Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Discover the reason comic creators toil away over ink stained pages, even when circumstances don't reward that hard work. This is what happens when comics meet the real world, coming face to face with politics, war, and big business. Witness creators nav...

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

A great review from The International Journal of Comic Art: "What Comics: The Call and the Cost does, brilliantly and uncomfortably, is strip away that fantasy..." ijoca.blogspot.com/2026/03/revi... #comics #art #history #labor #books 1/3 for more excerpts from the review

ijoca.blogspot.com

Review Essay: The Glamour of Ink, the Grind of Labor - on CJ Standal's <i>Comics: The Call and the Cost</i>

Review Essay: CJ Standal. Comics: The Call and the Cost. CJ Standal Productions, 2026. 404 pp. US $6.99 (Ebook), ISBN: 979-8-98...

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Visiting my mom and step dad in FL. They’ve gotten into glass fusion art and we worked on some stuff today. My piece should look better when fired but still a good start. #xmen #artsandcrafts

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Next stop, Mighty Con Milwaukee this Saturday. Hope to see you there where you can get advance copies of Comics - The Call and the Cost! #comics #conventions #comiccon #authorlife

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

@jessnevins.bsky.social I know your podcast goes over an issue each episode so this would be outside your usual focus, but I was wondering if you’d like to have me on the pod for my comics history book (Comics: The Call and the Cost) releasing July 1. www.amazon.com/Comics-Call-...

amazon.com

Comics - The Call and the Cost

Comics - The Call and the Cost [Standal, Cj] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Comics - The Call and the Cost

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

Had a great time last night at the Madison Symphony Christmas show at the Overture #carols #xmas #madisonsymphonyorchestra

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

Spotify wrapped: listening age of 82. That’s about right. But it also said I have eclectic, experimental taste in music, so maybe it’s not quite right? #spotifywrapped

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

Stop by the Madison Mighty Con for some great reads, including advanced copies of Comics - The Call and the Cost, not being released until July 1, 2026. #convention #comiccon #Madison

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

@kierongillen.bsky.social I know I’m very behind in this and you’ve probably answered this elsewhere, but I recently got a bunch of Uber Invasion issues I’d never had or read before and loved diving back into that world. Are there any plans to finish the series?

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

One of my favorite comics growing up, Bone was created by Jeff Smith but became a success through a little help from his friends. Check out my latest Cartoonist Cooperative Journal piece about it! @cartoonistcoop #comics #history #jeffsmith #scholastic #libraries cartoonist.coop/journal/jeff...

cartoonist.coop

The Cartoonist Cooperative

Making comics better for everyone!

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

The artist’s dream! Check out my latest article for the Cartoonist Cooperative’s Journal, about 80s superstar superhero artist David Mazzucchelli walking away from fights in tights. #comics #history #daredevilbornagain #batmanyearone #cityofglass #art cartoonist.coop/journal/davi...

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

CJ’s Comic Chats is back! Talking one of my favorite comics and the inspiration for our cat’s name, Little Lulu. Universal, timeless appeal for all ages. #booktalk #comicstalk #art #feministcomics #kidscomics

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

A woman cartoonist who owned her successful creation, a rarity when it happened nearly 100 years ago. Find out more in my latest article for the Cartoonist Cooperative Journal that dropped today! #comics #comichistory #history #business #arts cartoonist.coop/journal/marg...

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

CJ’s Comic Chats is back! Installment 3 focuses on 1990s Valiant art and coloring, as seen in Unity Saga Volume 2. Did you read any 1990s Valiant, and what were your thoughts on the art, especially coloring? #booktalk #comicstalk #90s #superhero #art #coloring

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Reposted by CJ Standal

Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 26/05/2025

If you love a book, write a nice review. It gives the author encouragement for bad days when they want to take up scorpion petting. - @lianabrooks.bsky.social #WriterSky #BookSky #KidLit

Handwritten quote on a white sheet with an illustrated face at the bottom and pink hearts around the text. The quote reads:
"If you love a book, write a nice review. It gives the author encouragement for bad days when they want to take up scorpion petting."
— Liana Brooks

Illustration and lettering by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. A paintbrush lies across the page on a wooden surface.

815946871

CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

Enjoy the next installment of my new video series, CJ’s Comic Chats! I take a look at World Without End: An Illustrated Guide to the Climate Crisis. #booktalk #comicchat #climatechange #globalwarming #energy #graphicnovels

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

Today’s the start of my new video series, CJ’s Comic Chats! I take a look at recent Pulitzer Prize winner Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls, a memoir that covers generational conflict and the impact of Communist rule in China. #booktalk #comicchat #memoir #China #family

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts & Garfield were my comic strips growing up. I loved them on the page, on screen & more. Check my piece exploring their creators’ differing approaches to their work and licensing it! cartoonist.coop/journal/a-li... #garfield #calvinandhobbes #licensing #comicsandcommerce

cartoonist.coop

The Cartoonist Cooperative

Making comics better for everyone!

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes. #history #politics #oligarchy

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

Meant to post these a bit ago when I got my copy of The Comics Courier, but I love this new source of comics criticism! #comics #amreading #newspaper #comicscourier

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

See all you Wednesday Warriors from 3:30-6:30 today at Graham Crackers Comics in Madison. Hope to see you there for my new stuff and new comics! ##author #comics #newcomicbbokday @gccomics @gccomicsmurrieta

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Stop by the Monona Terrace Convention Center for @mightyconconventions and grab a holiday gift for someone (or yourself)! 10-5 today, Sunday 12/1. See you there!#comiccon #conventions #writer #signing

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CJ Standal @cj-standal.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Excited to be here! (On Bluesky and - in the pictures - our hotel in Athens, Greece) #firstpost #itsallgreektome #books #noshelfcontrol

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