From the press release:

Known for his unapologetic voice, the liberal-leaning Davies offers an informed international view and a notably different mindset from many of his American peers. Born in London, England in 1966, Davies moved to the United States in his late teens and studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design along with the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Davies is known for sparse use of color, which gives his work added impact when he uses it, as he did to comment on the Boston Marathon bombing.

“We have long respected Matt Davies’ perspective and are ecstatic to welcome him to the Universal Uclick family,” said John Glynn, Universal Uclick president. “While his work certainly speaks for itself, we have an opportunity to grow Davies’ reach to new heights.”

So to news regarding all things Superman:

The total gross revenue for the film is $128k+ for the weekend according to Box Office Mojo. Michael Cavna says that’s the biggest opening ever for June.

Bloomberg profiles Marc Toberoff the attorney representing the Siegel family in the perpetual legal battle over rights, royalties, etc. for the Superman character and franchise. Short version of the story: the battle will rage on.

If you own a house built around 1938, you may want to take a sledge hammer to the walls. There might be gold or better – a mint condition Action Comics #1 (first comic book to feature Superman). A home fixer-upper, David Gonzalez of MN, discovered an Action Comics #1 in such a wall. It’s being auctioned for over $107k.

Jake Roper looks at the science behind the question – what would happen if Superman were to punch you. Short version: It would hurt because his fist would be the equivalent of particle beam.

From the Chicago Tribune:

But the 84-year-old’s passion for art has not waned, and he said he was happy to take on the project to commemorate Naper, who founded the city in 1831.

“It’s so much fun,” Locher said of his craft. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I never went to work a day in my life.”

The screening will be on June 29 at 2.

Lanky, with thick glasses and a nerdy air, Mr. Albaih does not look the part of a rebel.

By day, he works in multimedia for the Qatar Museum Authority here, sitting behind a 27-inch iMac screen with a Superman bobblehead doll on his desk. After hours, though, he becomes a cartoonist with an attitude, one whose online work has inspired discontented youth across the Arab world.

From Andy Howell, executive editor:

It is understandable that some would be offended by the cartoon, especially when taken by itself without consideration for the editorial.

Many of those who complained did not mention the editorial, only the accompanying cartoon, citing it as slamming all law enforcement officers. They were offended by the portrayal of the officers, appearing as if they enjoyed shooting an individual. Some of the complaints came from family members of law enforcement officers in the area, It is unfortunate that the cartoon became the focal point of discussion and outrage, because this took away from the point the editorial board was trying to make about unjustified shootings.

Cal is a friend of mine and I am a fan of his work, but this controversy highlights one of the issues I’ve had with the way the Examiner uses Cal’s talents. They use him mostly as an illustrator for their house editorials. And this is an example of what happens when the cartoon’s context becomes dependent on something outside of itself. Granted most editorial cartoons are dependent on the reader understanding the news story upon which it is based, but in this case, not only did the reader need to know the backstory on the shootings, but also the paper’s position.

The short version: we are here in France, we plan to stay longer, and we are happy to be here, but not so happy that we’ve been able to put into practice that very wise Buddhist teaching to live in the moment: we’re constantly thinking about what comes next, and constantly assessing and comparing what we’ve got now.

The long version is really really long, and frankly, it’s way too early to tell how this will all play out over time. Life doesn’t perfect itself just because you’re in a new country that has much much better cheese. There are tradeoffs. Mexican food for example.

Be sure to read the whole thing.

Today’s Google Doodle is a tribute to Maurice Sendak. One of the better ones if you ask me.

South Africa is a gorgeous place, and False Bay is fed by both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. It’s green like the Mediterranean but big and wild like the Pacific. Big pods of dolphins, whales, great white sharks… wild beaches where you might also see baboons, ostriches, antelope…