2013 SPX video interviews

A new batch of 2013 Small Press Expo video interviews with creators at the show. This is a great annual tradition started by local comics/zinefest/videocast creators Joe Mochove and Rusty Rowley. Below is one of the videos that includes part of the SPX crew, including Warren Bernard, Sam Marx and MDT.

DC Public Library as the 2013 Recipient of the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program

Small Press Expo Announces the District of Columbia Public Library as the 2013 Recipient of the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program For Immediate Release             Contact: Warren Bernard                                                    Phone: 301-537-4615                                                    E-Mail: warren@spxpo.com Bethesda, Maryland; September 3, 2013 - The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons, is pleased to announce that the District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) is the 2013 recipient of the Small Press Expo Library Gift Program. This program is an outright gift of graphic novels to the library as selected by the library's Collections Specialist, who selected 63 titles comprising 251 individual books. These books will be distributed to the Rosedale and William O. Lockridge/Bellevue branches. Today there was a formal presentation of the books to the the library by Small Press Expo Executive Director Warren Bernard. The event was held at the  Rosedale Neighborhood Library. "The library takes pride in offering the books that people want at their library," said Ginnie Cooper, chief librarian for the DC Public Library. "With the growing popularity of graphic novels, this gift allows District residents the opportunity to discover new titles and characters at their Library.  We cannot thank the Small Book Expo enough for this donation." "It is with pleasure that Small Press Expo adds to the graphic novel collection of the DC Public Library," said Warren Bernard, Executive Director of the Small Press Expo. "We are thrilled at the selections made by their collections staff and we know that the readers will enjoy them. We are especially proud that these books will find their way the readers of all ages who normally would not have a chance to see this great work being done in the graphic novel field." Left to right: Elissa Miller - Associate Director Collections, Linnea Hegarty - Executive Director DC Public Library Foundation, Warren Bernard - Executive Director Small Press Expo, Wendy Lukehart - Collections Coordinator, Ginnie Cooper - Chief Librarian DC Public Library The books were selected by the library's collection staff from the offerings of publishers Fantagraphics, Top Shelf, Drawn & Quarterly, Adhouse Books and Koyama Press, all of whom support this program. Artist and illustrator Kali Ciesemier designed a special bookplate that has been placed in all of the books donated by SPX. To see the book plate and for more information on the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program, go to http://www.spxpo.com/graphic-novel-gift-program. SPX's Graphic Novel Gift Program is an expansion of the philanthropic and charitable endeavors that are part of its corporate charter, and is in addition to SPX's annual support to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The targets of this program are public and academic library systems in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area as selected by the Small Press Expo. The goals of this program are: - Facilitate the availability of graphic novels to readers of all ages utilizing public and school libraries. - Promote learning and literacy through the availability of graphic novels at local libraries. - Provide library systems with additional resources by which they can purchase graphic novels and comics. SPX will be held Saturday, September 14 from 11am-7pm and Sunday, September 15, 12-6pm at The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in North Bethesda, Maryland. Admission is $10 for a single day and $15 for both days. For further information on the Small Press Expo Graphic Novel Gift Program, please contact Catherine Fraas at catherine@spxpo.com. For more information on the Small Press Expo, please visit http://www.spxpo.com. Copyright © 2013 Small Press Expo, All rights reserved. You are receiving this e-mail as a result of your being on our long standing press release list. Our mailing address is: Small Press Expo P.O. Box 447 McLean, VA 22101

Our buddy Bernard examines Wertham's cold remains

Local comics historian Warren Bernard (friend of ComicsDC, SPX grand poobah) volunteers at the Library of Congress' prints and photos division, identifying editorial cartoons and topics for them, but he snuck over to the building next door to research and write an article on Fredric Wertham's anti-comics crusade for the Comics Journal #302. Warren's kindly convinced the journal to put his research material online.

Warren Bernard's Citations and Fredric Wertham Documents
BY Warren Bernard Feb 6, 2013   
http://www.tcj.com/warren-bernard-1954/

Ann Telnaes and Warren Bernard on Searle, now online

Locals Ann Telnaes and Warren Bernard spoke to Bob Edwards, and courtesy of Warren and SiriusXM Radio, we've got the recording:

Illustrator Ronald Searle (1920-1911)
Bob Edwards Show (January 24 2012)
http://www.bobedwardsradio.com/blog/2012/1/24/illustrator-ronald-searle-1920-1911.html

Provided by SiriusXM Radio, as originally broadcast Wed, 1/25 at 8AM, you can download it here - http://www.mediafire.com/?dfbdhi8fb3u3ipb

Telnaes and Bernard on Searle

Locals Ann Telnaes and Warren Bernard spoke to Bob Edwards yesterday:

Illustrator Ronald Searle (1920-1911)
Bob Edwards Show (January 24 2012)
http://www.bobedwardsradio.com/blog/2012/1/24/illustrator-ronald-searle-1920-1911.html

Dean Haspiel's minicomic collection

Here's photos of Dean Haspiel's minicomic collection being sorted through before going to the Library of Congress for the new SPX collection.

Jim Woodring recording from Politics and Prose

The great DC bookstore has been putting recordings of its talks online.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Jim Woodring at Politics and Prose
http://www.archive.org/details/JimWoodringAtPoliticsAndProse

This is an audio recording of Jim Woodring speaking about his book, Congress of the Animals, at Politics and Prose on September 9, 2011.

And here's a ComicsDC contributor:

Warren Bernard at Politics and Prose
http://www.archive.org/details/WarrenBernardAtPoliticsAndProse

This is an audio recording of Warren Bernard speaking about his book, Drawing Power: A Compendium of Cartoon Advertising, at Politics and Prose on August 25, 2011.

McDaniel's college exhibit photos

From: Warren Bernard
Attached are a bunch of photos from the show at McDaniels college. They also have a great Little Nemo page, a nice Krazy Kat page, amongst other stuff. And the Hal Foster original they had originally belonged to Caniff, Foster even tries to emulate Caniff in the piece.

PR: Fantagraphics Bookstore Welcomes Warren Bernard and Tom Neely this Saturday!

F.B.I. Informant

Join us on Saturday, September 24 at 6:00 PM for an eclectic evening of comix entertainment. Comic strip historian and curator Warren Bernard (from the other Washington) will discuss his new book and companion exhibition Drawing Power: A Compendium of Cartoon Advertising. His slide talk will be followed by an art reception and book signing. Also appearing is iconoclastic Los Angeles artist Tom Neely presenting his new self-published "painted novel" The Wolf. Tom's provocative work seamlessly combines elements of fine art, narrative comix, and pop culture. He'll present a short video piece followed by a book signing. Hope to see you all soon and often at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, located at 1201 S. Vale Street in the heart of Seattle's historic Georgetown art colony.

Meet SPX's Executive Director Warren Bernard

Small Press Expo Executive Director (and infrequent blogger here) Warren Bernard answered some questions about this year's convention for me...

CDC: How’d you personally get into comics?

WB: When I got my tonsils out in 2nd Grade, my parents bought me a Superman comic. It has been downhill ever since and I am waiting to hit bottom....

CDC: How is SPX different than a standard comics con?

WB: Well, to be Clintonian about it, depends on your definition of 'standard'. There are two different standards in the comics world, one is the SDCC, Baltimore Comiccon, Heroes Con etc world of the super hero comic and the other is the SPX, MOCCA, TCAF, Stumptown, etc indie/self published comic.

But regardless of which standard you apply, the main difference is, we have the most fun. ;-)

CDC: How many years has it run, and how many years have you been a part of it?

WB: SPX started in 1994, I started as a volunteer in 2002. Staring about 2004 I began to handle the PR duties, last year was the Assistant Exec Director and this year, well, the whole enchilada is now mine.

CDC: How many people are you expecting?

WB: 2500-3000 or more!!

CDC: Any cartoonists you are particularly proud of having come? Favorite guests of past years?

WB: Well, I have to admit, Roz Chast and Jim Woodring this year are the two that I have to pinch myself to be sure I am not dreaming that they are coming. In terms of past years, Joost Swarte, Will Eisner and Harvey Pekar are the three that will always stand out in my pantheon of SPX Guests.

CDC: How fast did the tables sell out? Are you sold out?

WB: Tables sell out in like 3-4 weeks and we have been wait listed since February 1st. So you really have to move fast to get a table!!!

CDC: Is there anything special about this year not mentioned yet?

WB: Well, no real last minute surprises, but the both the SPX Collection at the Library of Congress and the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program, comprise a major shift for us, taking SPX from being a festival to widening our responsibilities into becoming an institutional foundation of the indie comics world.

The Small Press Expo takes place 11 am–7 p.m. Sept. 10 and noon–6 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Road, Bethesda. $10-$15.

Warren Bernard's cartoon advertising book Drawing Power

Drawing Power: A Compendium of Cartoon Advertising talk by Warren Bernard, August 24, 2011. I like this book a lot. Here's more photographs.

Tonight:: Warren Bernard and comic ads at Politics and Prose

I'll be there.

Warren Bernard - Drawing Power: A Compendium of Cartoon Advertising
Aug 25 2011 7:00 pm

The comic strip has its roots in advertising as well as in art. In the first book-length study of these dual sources, Rick Marschall, founder of Nemo: The Classic Comics Library, and Warren Bernard, a prolific commentator on and extensive collector of cartoons as well as the Executive Director of Small Press Expo, look at work from the 1870s to 1940, documenting how popular cartoon characters like the Yellow Kid, Little Orphan Annie, and Popeye have figured in advertising campaigns, and how their creators were highly sought-after pitchmen, selling products alongside the best movie stars in Hollywood. As part of his presentation, Bernard will have on-hand select original ads and other advertisting items from the era.

In anticipation of Small Press Expo (SPX) 2011 - being held September 10-11 in Bethesda, MD - a complimentary one-day pass to the show will be available with the purchase of Drawing Power at Politics and Prose on the night of the event. More information about SPX 2011 at www.spxpo.com.

Aug 25: Warren Bernard on comics ads at Politics and Prose

I'll be there.

Warren Bernard - Drawing Power: A Compendium of Cartoon Advertising
Aug 25 2011 7:00 pm

The comic strip has its roots in advertising as well as in art. In the first book-length study of these dual sources, Rick Marschall, founder of Nemo: The Classic Comics Library, and Warren Bernard, a prolific commentator on and extensive collector of cartoons as well as the Executive Director of Small Press Expo, look at work from the 1870s to 1940, documenting how popular cartoon characters like the Yellow Kid, Little Orphan Annie, and Popeye have figured in advertising campaigns, and how their creators were highly sought-after pitchmen, selling products alongside the best movie stars in Hollywood. As part of his presentation, Bernard will have on-hand select original ads and other advertisting items from the era.

In anticipation of Small Press Expo (SPX) 2011 - being held September 10-11 in Bethesda, MD - a complimentary one-day pass to the show will be available with the purchase of Drawing Power at Politics and Prose on the night of the event. More information about SPX 2011 at www.spxpo.com.

Warren Bernard on the International Manga Museum in Kyoto

One of the nice things about going overseas is seeing how much more other countries respect comics than we do in the United States. Though indeed we invented many elements of the medium, we still are far behind our international counterparts in giving comics and cartooning their due in a museum environment.



I was in Kyoto, and decided to take a half day off from seeing amazing Japanese gardens and Zen Buddhist temples to go through the International Manga Museum that was conveniently a six-block walk form my hotel. A true happy accident of planning.



The museum is housed in the Tatsuike Primary School that was built in the late 1860s, when downtown Kyoto began to see a population explosion that required a number of schools be built to handle all the new students. Like America's classic central-city population migration to the suburbs, by the 1990's the school, along with many others, was closed. After having the property lie dormant and vacant, a partnership between the City of Kyoto and the Kyoto Seika University had the school renovated and made into a museum. They have kept two rooms as a museum to the school itself. One had portraits of all the principals that ran the school from inception -- a hard looking bunch if there ever was one.



This museum is in many ways very different from the Tintin Museum in Brussels or the Cartoon Museum in London. One of the main draws of the IMM is the availability of a library of over 50,000 volumes of manga that one can read there, although not take home as in a traditional library. I saw many people there who paid the admission of 500 yen (about $6.25) just to come and read. They were camped out, reading away, in the hallways of the old school or on the main floor at large picnic tables near the main entrance.


The Museum had a very small section of translated material from France, Germany and the United States, which you could also sit and read. But my Japanese is not that good (OK, it's non-existent...) and I already owned all the translated American material so I went to look around.







The manga volumes were stacked in floor to ceiling book cases, some of these reaching over 12 feet high. Computer kiosks were throughout the museum to help you locate a specific book in the densely-packed shelves. The manga were mainly grouped by styles, but in one section that appeared to be in the old gymnasium, they were grouped by decade.





Also in this old gymnasium was the main series of displays that showed the evolution of manga. It is a nice showcase as to the tools and techniques used by the manga artists. I had no idea that Japanese versions of Puck, the American political humor magazine from the 19th-early 20th century, had copycat versions in Tokyo, Yokahama and Osaka. That being said, this museum's view of history was about the development of manga, especially the explosion of it after World War Two. No Little Nemo, Superman or Marvel Superheroes are in this place.



There were three other exhibition areas, of one which had a great exhibit about French cartoonists doing stories about The Louvre. This was apparently the first exhibit they have hosted at the IMM from France and was looked at as introducing French "bande dessinee" to Japanese manga fans. These main exhibition areas were all in both English and Japanese, as were all exhibits I saw there.



But the best part of the trip there? I got the last Astro Boy mug they had in stock.

The next time you're in Kyoto, stop into the International Manga Museum and take a look around. You'll think, just as you wonder about the Japanese shinkensen (bullet train) and their mass transportation system in general, "hey, why don't we have one of these?"

Warren Bernard's new book solicited in new Previews

Previews is the catalogue that comic book stores use to stock their shelves. Friend of ComicsDC Warren Bernard's new book Drawing Power, on advertiesments by cartoonists, is solicited in new Previews. Since Previews' website sucks, here's a link to Drawing Power by Rick Marschall and Bernard at Fantagraphics Books' site.

April 16: Craig Yoe at Politics and Prose

Note our buddy Warren is featured as well.

Craig Yoe - The Great Anti-War Cartoons
Start: April 16, 2010 - 7:00pm
End: April 16, 2010 - 8:00pm

Yoe, a historian of cartoons, has assembled a vast array of anti-war comics that span the globe and date back to the 1600s. These comics run the gamut of emotions, from Bill Mauldin’s humor to Francisque Poulbot’s sorrow. Yoe’s presentation will include source material from Warren Bernard’s private collection.

[The Great Anti-War Cartoons]
The Great Anti-War Cartoons (Paperback)
By Craig Yoe, Sara W. Duke, Muhammad Yunus
$24.99
ISBN-13: 9781606991503
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Fantagraphics Books, 12/01/2009

Location:
Politics and Prose
5015 Connecticut Ave. NWWashington, D.C. 20008

Tomorrow: Warren Bernard lecture on Herblock at LoC

Independent scholar Warren Bernard returns to the Library of Congress on Wednesday, March 31, to give a talk in conjunction with the Herblock! exhibition, "Declaration of Independence: Herblock: His Foes and His Editors". This event will take place in Dining Room A located on the 6th Floor of the Madison Building at noon.

March 31: Herblock lecture by Warren Bernard

Warren writes in,

This time, I am going to lecture on his editorial independence, and get into a few battles he had with his editors. This will include showing the cartoons that even the Washington Post did not run (though indeed his syndicated papers did run them) when Herblock and the then-editor of the Post, Phil Graham went head to head. This was not the first time Herblock battled his editors; we will also get into a large battle he had prior to his coming to the Post He was an ardent anti-isolationist, much to the chagrin of the isolationist syndicate he worked for.

We will get into all of this, and show cartoons galore!!

Here are the details, hope to see you!!!

Date: Wednesday March 31

Time: Noon (that 12:00PM...)

Place: Madison Building, Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave Washington, DC

Room: Dining Room A, 6th Floor

Metro: Capitol South exit, Blue or Orange Line

History Repeats Itself, in the Secret History of Comics

Warren Bernard writes in with another bit of the Secret History of Comics:

Well, no question that all of us capitalists have taken it on the chin recently. To show how things do not change and for your enjoyment, (Well, OK, as much as one can enjoy seeing their life savings evaporate into thin air), here is a cartoon about the stock market from Puck Magazine in 1884.


'The Wall Street Hellgate' by F. Graetz, Puck, 1884.

Note the electrical/telegraph wires in the crown of the "Siren", as she plays her harp of speculation.

Replace the strings labeled "Western Union", "Erie" and "Pacific" (all railroad companies, the growth stock of the day) with "CDOs", "Mortgage Backed Securities" and "Ethanol" and Voila!! Instant 21st Century political cartoon!!

But my favorite part of the cartoon are the foot pedals on the harp. They are named, appropriately enough, "Puts" and "Calls".

We have not changed much in 125 years and I dunno about you, but I surely feel as if I just crashed on those rocks.

Small Press Expo Announces Ben Katchor As A Guest For SPX 2008

For Immediate Release

Contact: Warren Bernard
Phone: 301-537-4615
E-Mail: webernard@spxpo.com

Bethesda, Maryland; September 4, 2008 - The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comic books, graphic novels and alternative political cartoons, is proud to announce Ben Katchor as a guest for SPX 2008.

Fresh from his appearance at the international comics exposition, Stripdaagen, held in Haarlem, The Netherlands, Mr. Katchor is making his first appearance at SPX. Mr. Katchor is known for his books "Julius Knippel, Real Estate Photographer", "The Jew Of New York", and "Beauty The Supply District". He is a contributor of comics to both The New Yorker and the New York Times, and has a regular strip that is printed in Metropolitan Magazine. Mr. Katchor has turned his talents to the stage, writing the libretto and creating the backgrounds for the plays "The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island" and "The Rosenbach Company".

SPX is proud to add Ben Katchor to the other guests appearing at this years SPX, Joost Swarte, Bryan Lee O'Malley, Hope Larson, Tom Tomorrow and Lloyd Dangle.

Additional guests will be added over the next few weeks, please stay tuned for those announcements.

This year, SPX will be held Saturday, October 4 from 11AM to 7PM and Sunday, October 5 noon-6PM at The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Admission is $8 for a single day and $15 for both days.

For further information on the artists or to request an interview, please contact Warren Bernard at webernard@spxpo.com.

SPX, a non-profit organization, brings together more than 300 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers and distributors each year. Graphic novels, political cartoon books and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. A series of panel discussions will also be held of interest to readers, academicians and creators of graphic novels and political cartoons.

SPX culminates with the presentation of the 12th Annual Ignatz Awards for outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning that will occur Saturday night, October 4. The Ignatz is the first Festival Prize in the US comic book industry, with winners chosen by balloting during the SPX.

As in previous years, all profits from the SPX will go to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), protecting the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals. For more information on the CBLDF, go to their website at http://www.cbldf.org/.

Founded in 1994, SPX is North America's premier alternative comic-book and graphic novel festival. This annual event brings together comic creators, publishers and fans together to celebrate the art of visual storytelling.