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Friday, March 29, 2019

March 29: Peter David in Rockville, aka North Bethesda


Announcing: MiniMeGeneration

So I tried to get a larger room at the hotel. Failed to do so. I attempted to book a meeting room at the hotel. They sent a nice email saying they'd get back to me about a price and, big surprise, never did.

Screw it.

At 7 PM tomorrow, Saturday, I am going to be in the lobby of the Bethesda Marriott North, 5701 Marinelli Road, Rockville, Maryland. I will have stuff of mine to sell. And I will be happy to talk to anyone who comes by and autograph their stuff.

Please get word of this out since we're talking about barely a day in advance.

PAD

April 13: Comics Workshop: Color & Texture


  • Saturday, April 13, 2019 at 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM


  • Fantom Comics
    2010 P St NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, District of Columbia 20036

April 18: Solid State Books Music Graphic Novel Book Club: Billie Holiday

Music Graphic Novel Book Club: Billie Holiday

  • Thursday, April 18, 2019
  • 7:30 PM 9:00 PM
Screen Shot 2019-03-19 at 3.53.15 PM.pngJoin a group of music enthusiasts, led by Jeremiah Foxwell, as they discuss the graphic novel biography of Billie Holiday. The discussion frequently includes viewing and listening to video and audio clips. Born in Philadelphua in 1915, and dead too early in New York in 1959, Billie Holiday became a legendary jazz singer, even mythical. With her voice even now managing to touch so many people, we follow a reporter on the trail of the artist on behalf of a New York daily. Beyond the public scandals that marred the life of the star (alcohol, drugs, violence...), he seeks to restore the truth, revisiting the memory of Billie. Through this investigation, Muñoz and Sampayo trace, through the undertones of racism, and in the wake of the blues, the slow drift of a singer who expressed the deepest emotions in jazz. By internationally renowned Argentine artists, featuring Muñoz' strikingly raw heavy blacks, this is not just a biography but a spell-binding art book tribute.

Jose Muñoz had a serious passion for comics from an early age. His first comics job was assisting Francisco Solano Lopez, illustrating stories by Argentine comics legend Hector Osterheld. His first leap into creating comics independently was the detective series Precinct 56. Muñoz moved to Europe in 1972, meeting fellow Argentine writer Carlos Sampayo. The duo collaborated often with various series, including Alack Sinner (IDW) and in Art Spiegelman's Raw. Gaining international recognition, the duo has won Angouleme and Yellow Kid awards and been nominated for an Eisner.

600 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002

This event is FREE and open to all. Let us know you're coming on Facebook. The book is 10% off in our store through April.

Paging Garfield

For decades, Garfield telephones kept washing ashore in France. Now the mystery has been solved.

The Post on Dumbo remake

Tim Burton's 'Dumbo' remake is decidedly — and deliciously — dark [iin print as In this act, fly the less friendly skies]


A newborn elephant with giant ears discovers he can fly in this live-action and CGI remake of a 1941 Disney classic. (Walt Disney Pictures)

'Dumbo' gets a lift by focusing on the people behind (or under) the elephant [in print as Finding new life: 'Dumbo' benefits from human touch].

Express Senior Arts Writer
March 29 2019 p. 26

and heck, here's the Times too

'Dumbo' Goes Bonkers in Dreamland

A version of this article appears in print on March 29, 2019, on Page C1 of the New York edition with the headline: When Dreamland Turns Nightmare.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Obituaries for Ellen Vartanoff

Ellen Vartanoff (1951-2019)

April 9: Emergence of the Comic Strip in the 19th Century talk at Library of Congress



  

 

 
NEWS from the LIBRARY of CONGRESS

 

March 27, 2019

 

Public contact:  Martha Kennedy (202) 707-9115, mkenn@loc.gov

Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ADA@loc.gov

 

Swann Foundation Fellow to Discuss

Emergence of the Comic Strip in the 19th Century, April 9 

 

            Swann Foundation Fellow Joshua Abraham Kopin will give an illustrated lecture at the Library of Congress discussing the cultural and technological contexts surrounding the rise of the comic strip in late nineteenth century America.   

Kopin will present "Comics in Nineteenth Century Time and Space" at noon on Tuesday, April 9, West Dining Room on the sixth floor of the Library's James Madison Building, 101 Independence Avenue  S.E., Washington, D.C. The lecture is free and open to the public. Tickets are not needed. 

            To better understand comics of the present, it is necessary to better understand its nineteenth-century form. As it split off from caricature and cartoon, the late nineteenth-century comic strip joined many new technologies of time and space. These changes included advances in printing, early attempts to capture motion in film, and early sound recording, all developments that were rapidly accelerating society and culture. As part of this cultural environment, the comic strip thus represents an insight into the period's changing temporal and spatial theories of knowledge.  

By reframing the comic strip in terms of the cultural and technological history of the nineteenth-century United States, Kopin contends that the art form is a uniquely nineteenth-century object that has retained many of the artifacts of its development as it has evolved. The talk will focus on one particular example from R.F. Outcault's Hogan's Alley,placing this 19th century comic strip in a technological lineage, aligned with caricature, cinema, color printing and the gramophone, among others. 

            Joshua Kopin is a PhD candidate in American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He has works published or forthcoming in American Literature and Inks, as well as an entry in the upcoming Keywords for Comics Studies volume. He is a member at large on the board of the International Comic Arts Forum and the president of the Graduate Student Caucus of the Comic Studies Society. 

            This presentation, sponsored by the Swann Foundation and the Library's Prints and Photographs Division, is part of the foundation's continuing activities to support the study, interpretation, preservation and appreciation of original works of humorous and satiric art by graphic artists from around the world.

The Swann Foundation's advisory board includes scholars, collectors, cartoonists and Library of Congress staff members.  The foundation seeks to award one fellowship annually (or biennially) to assist scholarly research and writing projects in the field of caricature and cartoon. Applications for the 2019-2020 academic year will be due Friday, Feb. 14, 2020. For more information, visit loc.gov/rr/print/swann/swannhome or e-mail swann@loc.gov.

The Library of Congress is the world's largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

 

 

# # #

 

PR 19-035

03/27/2019

ISSN 0731-3527

 


 

 
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101 Independence Ave SE | Washington DC 20540-1610 USA  | 202.707.2905



Washington Post's Nationals section illustration quotes Amazing Spider-Man 50

Bryce Harper is leaving the Nationals for the Phillys and "Butcher Billy," a Brazilian penciller for Dynamite, drew an homage to him and the Stan Lee / John Romita splash page showing Peter Parker quitting being Spider-Man.

As far as I can tell, the image is only in the newspaper today and not online.

Additionally the Spider-Man comic strip, carried by the Post, will go into re-runs after this week.

Bloom reviewed at PW blog

Making Mistakes and Falling in Love

Meghan Dietsche Goel -- March 22nd, 2019

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Monday, March 25, 2019

PR: Tomorrow Night is our Detective Comics #1000 Midnight Release



Celebrate the landmark 1000th issue of DETECTIVE COMICS at MIDNIGHT!
The historic 1000th issue of Detective Comics hits this week & you can get yours before anyone else at our MIDNIGHT release!
Get the exclusive MIDNIGHT Jim Lee virgin variant of DETECTIVE #1000 for just $9.99 cover price while supplies last!

Be the first to get ALL the DETECTIVE #1000 Covers at Midnigh & Save Big with our BUNDLE Sets!

Get the exclusive DETECTIVE #1000 Third Eye Comics Variant!

Get the exclusive DETECTIVE COMICS: 80 YEARS OF BATMAN HC
The ultimate BATMAN book for your coffee table!

STAY CONNECTED  
Third Eye Comics | 2027A WEST ST, Suite 102, Annapolis, MD 21401




DC Art Book Fair registration opens

DC Art Book Fair registration opens

APPLY FOR THE 2019 DC ART BOOK FAIR !

Applications for DC Art Book Fair 2019 are now open! https://goo.gl/forms/HUm4exHxhx0mUPMI3  

The event takes place at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, July 7, from 12 to 5 p.m. 



The fee to table at the event is $50, though there will be a very limited amount of fee waivers for worthy applicants. 

This application closes on April 1. We will notify the selected vendors soon after with more details. 

We are looking for beautifully made, thoughtfully created art books to include in the fair. Examples of printed materials include: journals, magazines, comics, zines, non-narrative, non-fiction, poetry, fiction and wordless books. Students are welcome. 

Please share widely! Here's a Tweet and IG post to get started:  

Let me know if you have any questions or wanna volunteer or just have good ideas!

April 12: Roz Chast at Politics and Prose

Roz Chast and Patricia Marx - Why Don't You Write My Eulogy Now So I Can Correct It?: A Mother's Suggestions — in conversation with Melissa Block

Friday, April 12, 2019 - 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Finding she couldn't get her mother's words of wisdom out of her mind, Marx, a long-time writer for The New Yorker, decided to put them in a book. Not just any book—one illustrated by her colleague, the legendary Roz Chast. No stranger to parental idiosyncrasies, Chast—author of the best-selling graphic memoir, Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?—has come up with just the right images for declarations such as, "If you run out of food at your dinner party, the world will end." Given free rein of the "rules, guidelines, principles, precepts, decrees, no-nos, yes-yes's, and arbitrary judgments of Patty's mother," Chast unleashes the full range of her witty, full-color art. Marx and Chast will be conversation with Melissa Block, special correspondent for NPR and former co-host of All Things Considered.

 

This event is free to attend with no reservation required. Seating is available on a first come, first served basis.
Click here for more information.


5015 Connecticut Ave NW   Washington   DC    20008

Saturday, March 23, 2019

The Post on a new Marx Brothers comic book

The movie Salvador Dali wanted to make with the Marx Brothers didn't happen – until now (sort of) [in print as Dali's would-be Marx Bros. movie made into a book]

Washington Post March 24 2019, p. E16

Friday, March 22, 2019

Rarely-seen Richard Thompson cartoon in upcoming Billy Ireland exhibit

by Mike Rhode

A never-before-seen piece of Richard Thompson's original artwork, rarely seen even in publication, is about to go on display in Columbus, Ohio.



Upcoming exhibitions at The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library &Museum
DRAWING BLOOD: COMICS AND MEDICINE
&
FRONT LINE: EDITORIAL CARTOONISTS AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT
On display April 20, 2019 – October 20, 2019
DRAWING BLOOD: COMICS AND MEDICINE: This exhibit traces the history of comics’ obsession with medicine from the 18th century to today. The earliest cartoonists frequently satirized a medical practice dominated by bloodletting, purging, and other largely ineffective treatments. Over the next two centuries, modern medicine would go through remarkable transformations. Comics were there for the good and the bad, helping to rebrand the doctor from quack to hero, but also critiquing a medical system that often privileged profits over patients. Drawing Blood highlights the sometimes caustic eye of cartoonists as they consider doctors, patients, illness, and treatment in the rapidly changing world of medicine—one which continues to present new possibilities and new challenges. The exhibit features work by a wide array of creators, from pioneers of cartooning like James Gillray, William Hogarth, Thomas Nast, and Frederick Opper to contemporary greats like Richard Thompson, Carol Tyler, John Porcellino, Alison Bechdel, and Julia Wertz.
Curated by Professor Jared Gardner, OSU Department of English


I received the above notice the other day and have already pointed out that the second exhibit is co-curated by Ann Telnaes.  I also reached out to ask my friendly acquaintance Dr. Gardner what piece of Richard Thompson artwork he was including in the show. Curator Caitlin McGurk and the Billy Ireland did a very nice show of Richard's artwork a few years ago, and he donated material to them before he passed away, so I was curious what Jared had chosen.

The press release says you have a piece by Richard Thompson in it. Can you tell me what it is?

The piece by Richard is a loan from Kevin Wolf— it a small cartoon he did for an actuarial magazine he regularly did spot-illustration and cover work for over the years.

What spoke to you about the art? Were you previously a fan of Richard's?

I’ve long been a fan of Richard’s work, and getting to meet him briefly during his visit to the exhibition of his work at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum was an incredible honor.


How did you select it for the exhibit, especially since it wasn't in the pieces he donated to the Billy Ireland?

Kevin Wolf, the owner of this particular piece, shares my interest in comics and medicine and is a regular attendee at the Graphic Medicine conference. He shared the cartoon with me, a really fun gag cartoon of a knight trying to figure out insurance policy options, and he generously offered to lend it for the show. It will be featured in a section dedicated to medicine and humor, a section that will also include an early doctor’s visit by Bill Watterson’s Calvin and an page from Mad Magazine poking fun at doctors.

I know the piece. As you note, it was done for Contingencies Magazine, art-directed by Richard's old friend Bono Mitchell. We considered it for The Art of Richard Thompson book but it didn't make the final cut. There was too much to choose from. Below is a scan we made for the book.

Anything else you'd like to add about the exhibit?

I guess the only other thing to add is that the exhibit begins in the 18th century with Hogarth and co. and ends with the modern “graphic medicine” movement that was kicked off with Justin Green’s Binky Brown and which is today a veritable flood of remarkable graphic memoirs and other comics about illness and healing.

published simultaneously on ComicsDC and Cul de Sac blogs)

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Deandra "Nika" Tan (updated)

from her Instagram feed
by Mike Rhode

Deandra "Nika" Tan's work is being exhibited in Arlington's Aurora Hills Library for two months, ending next week. Her artist's statement for the small exhibit reads:

Deandra "Nika" Tan is a Virginia-based writer and artist who primarily leverages the medium of comics to tell her stories. Her visual art style combines elements of Japanese manga and vintage art illustrations, which she then further adapts to fit the tone of whatever project she's working on. Initial concept work is done traditionally with a pen and paper, whereupon the comic is drafted and completed on a tablet computer. Recurring themes in her stories explore the tensions between romantic and familial relationships and the desire for societal recognition.

I stopped in to see the exhibit, and upon seeing that she was doing minicomics, I reached out with our usual questions.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I primarily do long-form digital comics. My stories range from slice-of-life to sci-fi/fantasy to mystery and suspense. Right now, I’m engaged with digital publisher Tapas Media to produce “Signals,” a crime comic with a telepathic detective as the heroine, for their mobile app. The eventual goal with most of my stories is to get them into print, however.


How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

All computer! I have a Wacom tablet computer that I bring with me wherever I go. Sometimes traditional pen and ink are good for combating writer’s block, or sketching out thumbnails for an upcoming chapter, but it’s all finished digitally.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

I was born in New York City in the early 1990s. I spent most of my life in the city, moving down to the Washington area only in 2016 when my partner relocated for work.

What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I lived in Arlington for 3 years and just recently moved to Vienna. Still got a whole bunch of boxes left to unpack!

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

This is a tough one, haha. I’ve taken art classes all my life in school, but they don’t really prepare you for the specific skills that comics require. Studying film in college helped me a lot with the conventions of setting up scenes. Pacing and frame layouts are something that I’m still actively working on.

How did you get your work exhibited in Arlington's Aurora Hills library?

So the Aurora Hills Library was just a few blocks from my first apartment in the Washington DC area. I actually volunteered there for three years, helping them pull books off shelves for circulation. One of the librarians who worked there, Tom, asked me recently if I’d be interested in exhibiting any of my work, and I said yes! It’s really cool bringing that full circle and being able to share my art in a space that I’m familiar with. The final exhibition date is March 28th (next week!). After that, there will be a second run in the Columbia Pike branch from the beginning of June until the end of June.

What would you like to do or work on in the future?

I’ve got a couple ideas for graphic novels I’d like to pitch at some point, but I think in the immediate future, once my current project is complete, I’d like to work on a variety of short stories. I feel like I’m still in the middle of developing my style and voice as a creator, and short stories are a great low-commitment way of doing that. I’ve participated in a few anthologies (1001 Knights, Gothic Tales of Haunted Love, Pros and (Comic) Cons), and I’m toying with the idea of organizing my short stories in a similar thematic way. Or maybe I’ll just indulge whatever inspiration strikes. Who knows!

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

So I’m fortunate in a sense that I’ve never dealt with writer’s block while in the middle of a webcomic. I just don’t have the luxury. I did, however, have a terrible time committing to a storyline for “Signals” ahead of its launch. Every time I came up with an outline, either a new idea would strike, or something would fall out of place. I found myself in a position where I was just reorganizing the story into different iterations for the sake of it. Finally, I just gave Tapas Media a date to start publication to light a fire under my tail. If not for that, “Signals” would probably still be in development hell.

What do you think will be the future of your field?

I think it’s very positive! More and more people are discovering independent and creator-owned comics, and I feel that recognition of their literary value is growing in schools and libraries. That said, the comics community can still be quite insulated from the mainstream. We haven’t yet gotten to the point where picking up a bestselling comic is as common as reading a bestselling book or going to watch a blockbuster in theaters.

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con or others? Any comments about attending them?

I regularly go to SPX since a lot of my comic friends use that as an excuse to get together and hang out, even if we’re not planning to sell anything. I’ve also gone to Awesome Con and Otakon, but strictly for business. I’d love to attend one year just for fun and actually attend some events. When you’re there as an artist to sell, you pretty much never leave your table except to eat.

What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?

Actually, rather than go to any one monument or museum, I just like to walk around the Mall. Nighttime is a great time to go; it’s less crowded, and they do a killer job with the lights. Then afterward maybe grab some unusual ice cream flavors at Pitango Gelato.

Do you have a website or blog?

Yep! You can check out my work at nikacomics.com.


I forgot to ask - why the penname "Nika"?

I first started publishing the webcomic that would become "Love Debut!" without any clear idea of what I was doing or how long I'd keep it up. At the time, many other creators publishing manga-inspired webcomics had Japanese-derived pseudonyms, so I just went along with that and adapted the name "Nika" from an character I had come up with as a kid. Later, when I returned to comics after graduating college, it made sense to use the name to keep my comics and my "professional" life separate. I might consider retiring it once "Signals" is complete, but hard to say. At this point, the name feels pretty comfortable and familiar.