Meet a Visiting Cartoonist: A Chat with Ellen Lindner

by Mike Rhode

I've known Ellen Lindner for a long time, initially through her comics-collecting husband, but then directly as she moved back to the US and became a regular exhibitor at SPX. A woman of eclectic interests, she's done comics on conscientious objectors in England in World War I, 1960's Coney Island, and woman's baseball, as well as editing anthologies such as British women's collection, The Strumpet. She was in town a few weeks ago for her ex-studio mate Robin Ha's book-signing at East City Books and I was very surprised to hear that she was doing comics for the Washington Post. She did a Christmas strip for the Post's The Lily newsletter, so I leapt at the opportunity to consider her a DC-area cartoonist and send her the usual questions.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I have done a big mix of fictional graphic novels, graphic memoir and nonfiction comics. At the moment I'm working on The Cranklet's Chronicle, a series of nonfiction comics about people who aren't (cisgender) men who have played a role in baseball history. The last issue was about Effa Manley, the only woman in the baseball Hall of Fame.

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

Great question! I am working digitally more and more these days, but I still pencil and color using traditional media.

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

Late 70s, Long Island, New York.

Where are you living now? How did you begin working for the Washington Post?

I live in beautiful upper Manhattan, New York, which is full of city parks. We even have a local seal! I began working for the Post's women's magazine, The Lily, thanks to a wonderful friend of mine, Lara Antal, who has created many genius comics for them.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I studied art history, French and art as an undergrad. Many years later I found myself living in London and did a master's degree in illustration. Over the years, though, I've racked up a lot of credits at School of Visual Arts, a big hub for comics. Those classes have been huge for me.

Who are your influences?

Alison Bechdel, Lynda Barry, Jacques Tardi, Jessica Abel, Megan Kelso, Tom Hart, Glynnis Fawkes, Summer Pierre, and Jennifer Hayden. The latter three folks and I table together a lot at comics events and their help with drafts of projects in progress has been invaluable.

Lindner, Glynnis Fawkes and Jennifer Hayden at SPX 2019

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

I'm definitely a person who loves to rue past mistakes and it's a tendency I'm trying to work on. But I always feels I've been too shy in terms of telling other artists I like their work. If you meet someone whose work you like, let them know! It's hard to put yourself out there.

What work are you best-known for?

Weirdly it might be for my current day job doing informational illustration. Thousands of people click on articles I've illustrated each day, even though they probably don't know it's me. It's definitely been the most eyes I've ever had on my work. I have enjoyed the challenge of illustrating everything from the best uses of tarragon to what it's like to work in military counter-intelligence. For a glimpse at these you can look at my Instagram, @ellenlindna.
 

What work are you most proud of?

I'm really proud of my current project, The Cranklet's Chronicle, which is about the history of people who aren't cisgendered men and baseball. Baseball has a long history of erasing the involvement of people who aren't white men, and there are so many stories to tell about owners, players, fans, and more who are or were somewhere else on the gender spectrum. The last issue was about Effa Manley, a woman who managed a black baseball team in New Jersey, and who is currently the only woman in the Hall of Fame. I found her utterly fascinating, and I hope readers will too!

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

I have a secret project I'm working on alongside my day job and Cranklet's...It's a combination of memoir and how-to, and I'm really excited about it! It's an activity comic about how to navigate life as a person without kids.

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

Wow, great question. I usually just try and power through! Taking a walk also helps, a lot! I work on comics and illustration pretty much every day, and if one project stumps me, I can toggle to another one for a while.

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

Oh WOW that's tough. Many more comics on mobile!!!

What cons do you attend besides The Small Press Expo? Any comments about attending them?

SPX and MoCCA are my big two, though this year I also did the Nonfiction Comics Fest in Essex Junction, VT and Short Run in Seattle, both of which took me to new places. Both were fabulous!!!

Panel from story in The Lily

What's your favorite thing about DC?

Ethiopian food! The museums! Union Station! Wait, do I really just get one?!

Least favorite?

Welp, I find DC drivers....unpredictable. I'll leave it at that!

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

I love the National Museum of African American Art and Culture! Wow, what an incredible place!

How about a favorite local restaurant?

Habesha, hands down! Such delicious Ethiopian food, located in the Shaw area by Howard University.

Do you have a website or blog?

www.littlewhitebird.com Also on Instagram: @ellenlindna

Marie Duval exhibit open in NYC

Posted for Roger Sabin, a friend of ComicsDC. See Carli Spina's exhibit review on IJOCA's blog.

Sam and Lilah and Jim and Hyeondo at NY Comic Con

Jim Douganwrites in

Subject: SAM & LILAH at the New York Comic-Con! Original Art for Sale!

Hey everybody! This weekend (Friday, October 8 - Sunday October 10) is the New York Comic Con at the Jacob K. Javits Center (http://www.facebook.com/l/58a521vGz5W3-52FKfg64q47waw;www.newyorkcomiccon.com/), and in addition to many, many comic and pop culture luminaries, your humble SAM & LILAH creators, Hyeondo Park (http://www.facebook.com/l/58a52okiq5XHoNusjBp3YQqI3kg;www.hanaroda.net) and Jim Dougan, will be in attendance! Hyeondo is sharing Table Q3 in Artists' Alley with his friend Jack Forbes (http://www.facebook.com/l/58a526P9BazG9c89zax5TM1fgBg;thehebrewgod.com/), and selling all kinds of neat stuff, including his work on the manga adaptations of JULIUS CAESAR and HUCKLEBERRY FINN, and hopefully some copies of the ACT-I-VATE PRIMER and NO FORMULA.

But most important of all: for the first time, Hyeondo will be selling SAM & LILAH original art!!! All pages are for sale from $40 to $50, so come on down and take a look! You know you want to, but just in case, here's a taste of what's available (in this case, Chapter 3, page 1):

http://www.facebook.com/l/58a52tBsgD2pSTi667O2WKvdE5w;i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/chatterbox_dc/hp_sl_i_03_01copy.gif

The map below tells you where to go! See you in New York!

http://www.facebook.com/l/58a52WgeAhckWeYtO33vdcn5qjg;i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/chatterbox_dc/NYCC2010floorplan-revx.jpg

Kal in NYC on April 7th

Kal writes in:

I will be giving a public lecture at Columbia University on Tuesday evening April 7 at 7:30PM titled ”Drawing from Politics: Cartoons and Satire in the new digital age”. The event is free and open to the all.

The event will be at the Davis Auditorium - 412 Shapiro Center (new science building). To get to this building you enter the Columbia gates at 116th street and Broadway and proceed to the north of campus, the building is located on campus between 120th and 119th street, between Broadway and Amsterdam. Once you enter the building, the auditorium is to the right of the entrance.

He's always a lot of fun in his talks.

Pekar, Feiffer and Jaffee interviewed in NYC

These should be good. I've never met Jaffee, but Feiffer and Pekar are fun to hear.

INTERVIEW SERIES WITH AL JAFFEE, JULES FEIFFER, HARVEY PEKAR IN NEW YORK BEGINS WEDS. JANUARY 21.

New York, January 11, 2009

From Danny Fingeroth:

The YIVO Institute presents one-on-one interviews with three titans comics, whose work has had seismic effects on the general culture.

Al JAFFEE, JULES FEIFFER, and HARVEY PEKAR will be interviewed by comics writer and critic DANNY FINGEROTH.

YIVO’s “Comics and the American Jewish Dream” series kicks off WEDS. JAN 21 at 7:00 pm with:

"The MAD, MAD, MAD (Jewish) World of AL JAFFEE"

A graduate of New York’s High School of Art and Design, JAFFEE worked as an editor, writer and artist for Stan Lee at Timely (later Marvel) Comics during the 1940s. In 1955, Jaffee joined “the Usual Gang of Idiots” at MAD Magazine, where he’s been a mainstay ever since, entertaining generations with his Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions and Mad Fold-Ins. Join us as JAFFEE provides snappy answers to provocative questions about his art and life, including his new book, Tall Tales (Abrams).

About Danny Fingeroth:
Series curator and moderator DANNY FINGEROTH, a longtime writer and editor at Marvel Comics, has spoken about comics at the Smithsonian Institution and The New School. He’s the author of Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero (Continuum) and The Rough Guide to Graphic Novels (Penguin).

Wednesday, January 21, 7:00
The YIVO Institute For Jewish Research
15 West 16th Street / New York, NY 10011

Series Continues With
JULES FEIFFER: Tuesday, February 3, 7:00 P.M.
HARVEY PEKAR: Tuesday, February 17, 7:00 P.M.

ADMISSION TO PROGRAMS: $25 / YIVO members: $18 / students: $12
FOR TICKETS: Call 212-868-4444 or visit WWW.SMARTTIX.COM
FOR MORE INFO VISIT WWW.YIVO.ORG

News from KAL

Kaltoons LLC unveiled the newest of its innovative animation at Philadelphia's Kimmel Arts Center on October 7. A live interactive Presidential debate between an animated Barack Obama and John McCain featured questions from the packed audience. The "Debate" was part of "The Art of Satire" a stage show sponsored by The Economist featuring topical comedy supplied by "The Second City" improv comedy troupe and a "Stand-up Cartoonist Routine" by yours truly.

You can see a short tease from the animation here: http://www.kaltoons.com/animation2.html

The show heads to New York City for two shows on Saturday November 1 (7 and 10PM) at The Edison ballroom at 47th and Broadway. Tickets are going fast. Tickets and information are available at: http://artofsatire.economist.com/events.php

OT: Deitch exhibit in NYC

Here's a posting for Bill K, who's handling the programming for SPX as well. This should be an excellent exhibit:

For immediate release
CONTACT: Bill Kartalopoulos
kartalopoulos@gmail.com

Major Retrospective of Work by Legendary Underground Cartoonist Kim Deitch Opens at MoCCA on September 9

• Exhibition dates: September 9 – December 5, 2008
• Opening Reception: September 12, 2008, 6 – 9 pm

The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) is pleased to announce a major retrospective of work by underground cartoonist and graphic novelist Kim Deitch (b. 1944), opening September 9th and running through December 5th, 2008.

Kim Deitch: A Retrospective will display original comics pages and other work covering the artist's entire career to date, beginning with full-page comic strips drawn for the East Village Other in the sixties up to recent graphic novels including The Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Alias the Cat, Shadowland, and Deitch's Pictorama. The exhibit will also feature rarely seen work including elaborate preparatory
drawings, hand-colored originals, animation cel set-ups and lithographs.

Kim Deitch was born in Los Angeles in 1944, the eldest son of Oscar-wining animator Gene Deitch (Tom Terrific, Munro). Deitch studied at the Pratt Institute, traveled with the Norwegian Merchant Marines and worked at a mental institution before joining the burgeoning underground press in 1967. As an early contributor to the East Village Other and the editor of Gothic Blimp Works, Kim Deitch was a charter member of the underground comix scene that exploded with the 1968 publication of Robert Crumb's Zap #1. Forty years later, he stands alongside Crumb, Bill Griffith, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, and Art Spiegelman as one the most notable and prolific artists to emerge from that milieu. In addition to his comic books and graphic novels, Deitch's work has appeared in venues including RAW, Weirdo, Arcade, Details, the L.A. Weekly, McSweeney's, Nickelodeon Magazine, and The New Yorker.

"Kim Deitch's career spans the entire post-war history of avant-garde comics, from the underground to the literary mainstream," said exhibit curator Bill Kartalopoulos. "Deitch brilliantly weaves vast intergenerational narratives that enfold a deep history of American popular entertainment. Distinctions between fiction and reality blur in his meta-fictional world just as real madness bleeds into the visions and schemes of the artists, entertainers, and hustlers who populate his stories. The result is a rich narrative tapestry as compelling and as breathtaking as Deitch's densely layered, tightly woven, and intricately detailed black and white comics pages."

Deitch's body of work stretches outward from comics to embrace a spectrum of visual-narrative modes, including extra-textual single images and illustrated prose modeled after Victorian illustrated fiction. His most recent book is Deitch's Pictorama, a collection of illustrated fiction produced in collaboration with brothers Seth and Simon Deitch. The exhibit includes several examples of Deitch's
career-long experimentation with text/image modes.

MoCCA will publish an original poster and 1" button featuring the "Sunshine Girl" character who stars both in Deitch's earliest and most recent work. The Museum will also host a series of talks and events related to the exhibit.

MoCCA is located at 594 Broadway, Suite 401, between Houston and Prince. New York, NY 10012
Phone: 212 254-3511
MoCCA is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 12 – 5 pm, Sundays 12 – 3 pm.
Suggested Donation: $5
The opening reception is free and open to the public.
For more information please visit: http://www.moccany.org