Showing posts with label Matt Dembicki. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matt Dembicki. Show all posts
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Matt Dembicki's Magic Bullet interview
Matt Dembicki on Public Radio talking about new Wild Ocean book
Endangered Sea Creatures
Wisconsin Public Radio's The Larry Meiller Show
Wednesday, May 14, 2014,
http://www.wpr.org/listen/578651
http://mp3.wpr.org/download.php?f=mlr140514g.mp3
http://www.wpr.org/listen/578651
http://mp3.wpr.org/download.php?f=mlr140514g.mp3
The livelihood of several underwater creatures depend on the health and cleanliness of our oceans. Larry Meiller's guest is a cartoonist [Matt Dembicki] who features 12 endangered species in his new graphic novel called, "Wild Oceans: Sharks, Whales, Rays, and Other Endangered Sea Creatures."
Friday, April 25, 2014
'Wild Ocean' exhibit at Art-Enables starts May 10
View original artwork at Art-Enables by five artists who contributed to the new graphic novel Wild Ocean: Sharks, Whales, Rays and Other Endangered Sea Creatures (Fulcrum Publishing)
Artwork by: Brooke Allen, Matt Dembicki, Andy K, Steve Loya and Steven Russell Black
Opening reception Saturday, May 10, 1-4 p.m. Plus a free storyboarding workshop led by Matt Dembicki
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Pictures from Smudge Expo
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| Santiago Casares |
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| G.E. Gallas |
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| Kevin Rechin |
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| Matt Dembicki, Mike Rhode and Matt's original ComicsDC art |
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| ComicsDC artwork over Mike's desk |
Monday, March 10, 2014
The Comic Age on Smudge
Local comics blog The Comic Age has some nice things to say about this past Saturday's Smudge Comics Arts Expo.
[Smudge! Expo 2014] A Great New Event! Plus We Were Pirates, and Dear Mr. Watterson
By Alex Lupp
Yesterday I attended the very first Smudge! Expo, and I hope that it will be the first of many. It was a lovely and very creator focused show, the kind we need more of, especially as the big conventions grow into larger and larger media spectacles....I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience, and only wish it had lasted longer than just a single day – an in depth description of my day-long venture follows below. [Read more]
[Smudge! Expo 2014] A Great New Event! Plus We Were Pirates, and Dear Mr. Watterson
By Alex Lupp
Yesterday I attended the very first Smudge! Expo, and I hope that it will be the first of many. It was a lovely and very creator focused show, the kind we need more of, especially as the big conventions grow into larger and larger media spectacles....I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience, and only wish it had lasted longer than just a single day – an in depth description of my day-long venture follows below. [Read more]
Cartoonist Ben Hatke at Smudge (photo courtesy of Bruce Guthrie)
Friday, December 27, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Writing contest for 'Trickster' prize
Scholastics' Storyworks magazine holds writing contests with the prize often being books. For the November/December contest, 10 winners will receive a copy of Trickster: Native American Tales (an Eisner-nominated comics anthology I edited for Fulcrum Publishing). The deadline for entries is Jan. 15, 2014.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Fantastic Forum on DC Conspiracy's exhibit at Artisphere
DC Conspiracy Comics Making Workshop at Artisphere
Ulysses Campbell
Fantastic Forum· Sep 28, 2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWQS6Ax7n8E&feature=youtu.be
Matt Dembicki, Evan Keeling, Eric Gordon and Jake Warrenfeltz of TheD.C. Conspiracy talk about the group during the artists' reception for its Comics Making Workshop at Artisphere in Arlington, VA.
Ulysses Campbell
Fantastic Forum· Sep 28, 2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWQS6Ax7n8E&feature=youtu.be
Matt Dembicki, Evan Keeling, Eric Gordon and Jake Warrenfeltz of TheD.C. Conspiracy talk about the group during the artists' reception for its Comics Making Workshop at Artisphere in Arlington, VA.
Darn, I'm sorry I missed this. September is just too busy in DC.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Institute for the Arts summer program
Last week I visited with students in grades 7-12 in the cartooning program at the Institute for the Arts, a summer program in Fairfax, Va. We had a great conversation about the comics-making process (from thumbnailings to printing), getting published and working shows and events to get your name out there. I also showed them some of the original art from District Comics and Magic Bullet.
Monday, July 15, 2013
District Comics nominated for Harvey Award.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Welcoming Matt Dembicki to the ComicsDC family
Lately when I open the ComicsDC site, I've been surprised to see material that I don't recognize. While this could have meant trouble, it's actually good news because cartoonist Matt Dembicki has been posting stories now as well. I certainly appreciate the help!
Mike
Saturday, August 25, 2012
District Comics booksigning pictures
I've finally got my pictures of the District Comics booksigning at One More Page online.
Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo have theirs online too. They did a spy story in Georgetown for the book.
Here's an annotated version:
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Big Planet Comics Orbit Newsletter - July 20, 2012
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The final part of Xoc Pup is now online for FREE on our website! You can read this all-new exclusive 8 page comic about a newborn shark and get a nice feel for the graphic novel Xoc: The Journey of a Great White that will be for sale next week. Plus don't forget that the creator Matt Dembicki will be appearing at our College Park and Vienna stores on next Saturday, July 28, along with the colorist of Xoc, Evan Keeling! We also have an awesome limited edition signed and numbered print by Matt and colored by Evan for sale! Only $5, but it is limited so be sure to get there early!
Well, after you read the story of Xoc Pup above, get ready for a full graphic novel of the stories of a grown up great white shark! Matt Dembicki's Xoc is coming out soon! Join us on Saturday, July 28, at our College Park and Vienna stores for Matt signing copies of his new book. The colorist on the book, Evan Keeling, will also be there! Plus we will have limited edition signed and numbered prints for sale for only $5!
Michael Rex, creator of Fangbone! Third Grade Barbarian, will be appearing at both our Vienna and College Park stores on Saturday, August 18, for his new all-ages book Fangbone! 3: The Birthday Party of Dread! Michael Rex is a New York Times best-selling illustrator for his many excellent kids books, including Firefighter, Furious George Goes Bananas, Jack the Builder, and of course the first two excellent Fangbone books, Fangbone! 1: Third Grade Barbarian and Fangbone! 2: The Egg of Misery!
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Meet a Local Cartoonist: Jason Axtell
I met Jason Axtell at the Big Planet Comics launch party for Magic Bullet #4. Axtell had just finished coloring Matt Dembicki's Mr. Big story for its reissue this summer, and Matt made a point of introducing us. I'm glad he did as Jason's put quite a bit of thought into answering my usual questions. I personally look forward to catching him at a con so I can buy a set of his comics, as seen on the right...
Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
Jason Axtell: I'm
generally all over the place. It's whatever I am feeling at the moment.
I wouldn't call myself a traditional comic artist by any means, and by
traditional I mean the kind of thing you would see in DC/Marvel or
anything mainstream. I'm trained as an illustrator and heavily
influenced by a number of styles and forms of art and try to incorporate
my wide range of influences into my work.
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
I do enjoy the pen and ink, or more appropriately, brush and ink. I've always leaned towards anything that resembles painting.
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
1978. Jersey, originally.
Why are you in the Washington sphere now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
I
moved here after spending nine years in the south, primarily Savannah,
Georgia. After a failed relationship, a layoff and my general distaste
for the southern "hospitality" I decided I had enough and needed to get
out of there. When the Art Institute of Washington
(in Arlington and Sterling) hired me on as a full-time instructor three
years ago, that was all I needed to hightail it out of the south.
Though I still like to visit some friends down there, I don't regret
leaving it. The DC area is more to my liking. I live in the
Vienna/Oakton area.What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
I earned a BFA in Illustration from VCU and an MFA in Sequential Art from SCAD. Neither really focused on 'cartooning.' VCU trained me in traditional as well as digital media, and mainly as an illustrator. But since I started out trying to be a cartoonist and comic artist, a carry-over from my high school days, much of my early work yielded a mix of both cartoony and painterly aspects. SCAD trained me as a visual story-teller, allowing me the chance to hone my illustration techniques while also applying them to a comic format.
Who are your influences?
Too many. Primarily my Uncle Dick (not a joke) and my good friend Ben Phillips. I've known both since about the age of 6 or 7. For years I didn't know much about my Uncle except that he was a teacher and a painter. He taught at University of Memphis for 30+ years. When I was young he gave my parents a few of his paintings, which my parents proudly framed and hung in our dining room. Every night I would look at them and try to decipher them. He was an abstract artist that experimented with line, color and shape, frequently going through different phases and evolutions in his art. My favorites as a kid dealt with his attempt at capturing the effect of light and color in water. It wasn't until I was older and in the midst of earning my MFA that I began to delve a little deeper into what he was all about. Other people in my family have demonstrated terrific artistic and creative talents but for some reason I'm the one that pursued it to the similar lengths that he did. It wasn't until the last few years of his life that I really tried to figure out where he was coming from as an artist. It took a few visits and recommendations (Kandinsky, Rothko, Matisse and Guston) before I became aware of how he saw the world and what he was trying to do with his art. It was a profound discovery and a tremendous influence that I would not have made had it not been for him.
Ben
Phillips lived across the street from me when we were kids. From the
start he had this way about him, this means to influence his beliefs and
ideas on me that at times could be frustrating but also illuminating.
We shared many of the same likes and dislikes, primarily in music and
movies. If it hadn't been for him I might never have really picked up a
comic in the first place. Don't get me wrong, I was always curious.
Superman, the 1978 film, was and still is one of my all time favorites
but every time I picked up a Superman comic it would lose me. Ben
introduced me to what comics were really all about and through him I was
able to appreciate just what it took to make them. In high school we
were part of a comic collective in which we would have meetings, share
feedback and drink lots of Dr. Perky (Food Lion's answer to Dr. Pepper).
It was there that I learned that I had no idea what I was doing and
what I wanted to do...not just with art, but with my life. I met all
these interesting and very influential people but didn't know what I
wanted. I followed my instincts and joined Ben for art school at VCU and
SCAD, probably because I didn't know what else I was going to do. I
succeeding greatly at both schools and with my education under my belt I
finally felt like I had direction. That being said, with art, I'm
always discovering that I don't know enough. It's enough to keep me
looking and searching for anything new or interesting. For me, art is a
never ending progression of discovery and experiment. I wouldn't have
found that without Ben or my Uncle.
For a more simple answer to my influences:
Edgar Degas
Frank Frazetta
Egon Schiele
Maxfield Parrish
Phil Hale
Jules Feiffer
Norman Rockwell
David Lapham
Juan Jose Guarnido
Sam Keith
Alan Moore
and likely many many more.
Expand my boundaries a bit outside of the 2D art. It appears that 3D art, software and graphics are the thing which pits me with the Neanderthals of the art world.
Not
sure. I worked on the Family Guy comic but you wouldn't know me from
the billion other artists that worked on that book. My first
publication, "The Strange Fungus in Mr. Winslow" always catches people's
eyes at cons (almost literally - the cover was billed by my late friend
Jeremy Mullins, "The best cover EVER!"). "Reasons I Should Not Be On A
Talk Show" is another con favorite. My last real publication (before
this summer's colorized version of Matt Dembicki's "Mr. Big") is a comic
strip called "Strays 'N Gates."What work are you most proud of?
A portrait of my Uncle Dick I completed after his death. You can see it on my web site in the "Illustration" section.
Also,
every comic I've produced has always taken me a step forward. "Strange
Fungus..." was my first book, fully painted and written by myself and
that took me 2 years to complete. "Strays 'N Gates" was the first time I
had to really hunker down and bust out one strip per week. The fact I
did that for eleven months without missing one was a huge feat. "Mr.
Big" was my first graphic novel, and it had a deadline to top, and I
made that deadline beautifully.
Every so often I think about how much fun it would be to create my own interpretation of Ghostbusters and MegaMan. There's so many crappy manga versions of MM out there that I feel it, like much of the comics universe, needs a facelift. And while I have a few of my own stories on the backburner I, for some reason, have a really clear image of TC Boyle's Drop City in my mind. Done in the right style and format, I think that would be a great book!
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
Get out of the house. Get some fresh air. Watch a movie. Get some sleep. Bejeweled. Or just draw something else.
What do you think will be the future of your field?
Hard
to tell. It's already changed so much since I went to school that I
feel obsolete in so many ways. I'd like to think the digital revolution
that we are still experiencing won't kill off the old fashioned book,
that people will still paint and draw with pencils and brushes. That
there will still be room for doing something that doesn't involve a
computer. But then again, I've spent the last week almost completely
glued to my computer for various purposes, so my hopes are dwindling.
What's your favorite thing about DC?
The museums and extensive list of restaurants and places to visit. I didn't get that in Savannah. Here, it seems that there's always somewhere we've never heard of that peaks my interest.
Least favorite?
The f*ck*ng traffic. What else?
What monument or museum do you take most out-of-town guests to?
As much as I love the National Gallery of Art and National Portrait Gallery, I always seem to take friends and family to the Natural History Museum instead. I don't mind. It is quite fun there.
Hard
to tell. It's already changed so much since I went to school that I
feel obsolete in so many ways. I'd like to think the digital revolution
that we are still experiencing won't kill off the old fashioned book,
that people will still paint and draw with pencils and brushes. That
there will still be room for doing something that doesn't involve a
computer. But then again, I've spent the last week almost completely
glued to my computer for various purposes, so my hopes are dwindling.The museums and extensive list of restaurants and places to visit. I didn't get that in Savannah. Here, it seems that there's always somewhere we've never heard of that peaks my interest.
The f*ck*ng traffic. What else?
As much as I love the National Gallery of Art and National Portrait Gallery, I always seem to take friends and family to the Natural History Museum instead. I don't mind. It is quite fun there.
Do you really want another list? It's probably start with Tara Thai or The Melting Pot.
jasoneaxtell.com -I update it with a lot of my experimental figure work but occasionally you'll see some comic or illustration work as well.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Jan 14-15: Gigacon at Art Institute of Washington
Gigacon is at the Art Institute of Washington this weekend. The guests include cartoonists and animators, and local comic creator Matt Dembicki will be there.
Their Facebook page has a post with the schedule which is:
Jan 14th
10 Panel discussion with all the guests
11 Panel discussion with all the guests
... 12 Lunch
1 Portfolio reviews and Demonstrations
2 Portfolio reviews and Demonstrations
3 One on one with the invited guests
Jan 15th
10 Portfolio reviews and Demonstrations
11 Portfolio reviews and Demonstrations
12 Lunch
1 One on one with the invited guests
2 One on one with the invited guests
3 Alumni panel discussion
Their Facebook page has a post with the schedule which is:
Jan 14th
10 Panel discussion with all the guests
11 Panel discussion with all the guests
... 12 Lunch
1 Portfolio reviews and Demonstrations
2 Portfolio reviews and Demonstrations
3 One on one with the invited guests
Jan 15th
10 Portfolio reviews and Demonstrations
11 Portfolio reviews and Demonstrations
12 Lunch
1 One on one with the invited guests
2 One on one with the invited guests
3 Alumni panel discussion
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Matt Dembicki skirts child-labor laws and has son selling comics at SPX
SPX Talks: Adam Dembicki
Beth Scorzato
Spandexless Sep 22, 2011
http://www.spandexless.com/2011/09/spx-talks-adam-dembicki/
They talked to other people too:
SPX Talks: Alex Robinson
Alex Jarvis
Spandexless on Sep 21, 2011
http://www.spandexless.com/2011/09/spx-talks-alex-robinson/
SPX Talks: Aaron Diaz/Dresden Codak
Alex Jarvis
Spandexless Sep 21, 2011
http://www.spandexless.com/2011/09/spx-talks-aaron-diazdresden-codak/
SPX Talks: Box Brown
Alex Jarvis
Spandexless Sep 20, 2011
http://www.spandexless.com/2011/09/spx-talks-box-brown/
SPX Talks: John Allison
by Alex Jarvis
Spandexless Sep 20, 2011
http://www.spandexless.com/2011/09/spx-talks-john-allison/
Beth Scorzato
Spandexless Sep 22, 2011
http://www.spandexless.com/2011/09/spx-talks-adam-dembicki/
They talked to other people too:
SPX Talks: Alex Robinson
Alex Jarvis
Spandexless on Sep 21, 2011
http://www.spandexless.com/2011/09/spx-talks-alex-robinson/
SPX Talks: Aaron Diaz/Dresden Codak
Alex Jarvis
Spandexless Sep 21, 2011
http://www.spandexless.com/2011/09/spx-talks-aaron-diazdresden-codak/
SPX Talks: Box Brown
Alex Jarvis
Spandexless Sep 20, 2011
http://www.spandexless.com/2011/09/spx-talks-box-brown/
SPX Talks: John Allison
by Alex Jarvis
Spandexless Sep 20, 2011
http://www.spandexless.com/2011/09/spx-talks-john-allison/
Thursday, July 28, 2011
DC Zinefest
As they state on their website:
The DC Zinefest hopes to create a space for zine makers, writers, and self-published artists to share their work with each other and with the city of Washington, DC. By providing an opportunity to expo, workshop, and interact with zines, we strive to build and support a thriving DIY community. The zine expo will take place on July 30, 2011, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Stephen's Church in Washington, DC (map).St. Stephen's Church is a short distance from the Columbia Heights Metro stop on the Green Line. Comics-centric exhibitors include Katie Omberg, Carolyn Belefski, Matt Dembicki, Dave O'Shell, Max Weinstein-Bacal, Our Friend The Atom, and Ryan and Jillian.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Comicsgirl reports on "Mr. Mendoza’s Paintbrush/Trickster event at Busboys & Poets • 03.30.11"
Comicsgirl has written up last night's "Mr. Mendoza's Paintbrush/Trickster event at Busboys & Poets • 03.30.11". I was quite taken with Christopher Cardinale's talk about how he visited Mexico and photographed the scenes that the author had described in his short story.
Editor Matt Dembicki also pointed out this blog post on Trickster that talks about how Peter Kuper did the initial cover for the book
Editor Matt Dembicki also pointed out this blog post on Trickster that talks about how Peter Kuper did the initial cover for the book
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
March 29: Dueling comics events
On March 29 at Busboys and Poets (14th and V in Washington, D.C., 6:30-8:30) discussing 'Trickster' will be editor Matt Dembicki, contributing artists Michael Auger and Jacob Warrenfeltz, as well as Christopher Cardinale, illustrator of 'Mr. Mendoza's Paintbrush,' who will be talking about that book.
Also on March 29, Ben Katchor is at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Here's their PR:
The Picture Stories of Ben Katchor
Tuesday, March 29
7 p.m.
Members $12; Public $15
Hailed by The New York Times as "the most poetic, deeply layered artist ever to draw a comic strip," Ben Katchor has collected both a cult and mainstream following for his wry, perceptive, and slightly surreal comic strips of urban life. The author of The Jew of New York and Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer: The Beauty Supply District, Katchor's work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Forward, and Metropolis. The first cartoonist to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, Ben Katchor discusses his first book in more than 10 years, The Cardboard Valise (Random House, 2011)- the whimsical graphic novel which follows the intertwined lives of three characters who travel to the fantastical nation of Outer Canthus. A book signing follows the talk.
Also on March 29, Ben Katchor is at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Here's their PR:
The Picture Stories of Ben Katchor
Tuesday, March 29
7 p.m.
Members $12; Public $15
Hailed by The New York Times as "the most poetic, deeply layered artist ever to draw a comic strip," Ben Katchor has collected both a cult and mainstream following for his wry, perceptive, and slightly surreal comic strips of urban life. The author of The Jew of New York and Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer: The Beauty Supply District, Katchor's work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Forward, and Metropolis. The first cartoonist to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, Ben Katchor discusses his first book in more than 10 years, The Cardboard Valise (Random House, 2011)- the whimsical graphic novel which follows the intertwined lives of three characters who travel to the fantastical nation of Outer Canthus. A book signing follows the talk.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
March 29: Trickster cartoonists at Busboys @ Poets
From: Matt Dembicki:
On March 29 I'll be at Busboys and Poets (14th and V in Washington, D.C., 6:30-8:30) discussing 'Trickster.' Joining me will be 'Trickster' contributing artists Michael Auger and Jacob Warrenfeltz, as well as Christopher Cardinale, illustrator of 'Mr. Mendoza's Paintbrush,' who will be talking about that fantastic book.
On March 29 I'll be at Busboys and Poets (14th and V in Washington, D.C., 6:30-8:30) discussing 'Trickster.' Joining me will be 'Trickster' contributing artists Michael Auger and Jacob Warrenfeltz, as well as Christopher Cardinale, illustrator of 'Mr. Mendoza's Paintbrush,' who will be talking about that fantastic book.
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