Noon Today: Washington Post Chat with Blind Comic Artist

Andre Campbell and David Rowell
Comic Artist; Washington Post Magazine Articles Editor
Monday, December 15, 2008; 12:00 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/12/11/DI2008121102592.html

Andre Campbell's vision is severely limited, which hasn't stopped him from pursuing his dream of making it as a comic book artist. But will he ever see success?

Andre Campbell, president of Heritage Comics HSQ, and Washington Post Magazine articles editor David Rowell will be online Monday, December 15 at 12 noon ET to discuss Rowell's cover story, "Comic Book Hero."

Oct 1: Terry Pratchett on Post book chat

From the North American Discworld Convention Update Sept 27th:

The Washington Post's Book World will host a live chat with Terry on Wednesday, Oct 1st at 11 am ET, 8 am PT on their website. You can submit questions or comments now for the chat. Details can be found at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/09/25/DI2008092502168.html . Note that registration may be required for access via the main Book World page at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artsandliving/books/index.html .

Strictly speaking, he's not a comic book writer, although I love his books. However, they have been adapted into comics.

Neil Gaiman was on Post chat earlier today

Too late to ask questions, but you can read it at "National Book Festival: Novelist and Comics Author Neil Gaiman; Science Fiction, Fantasy, Film and More" Wednesday, September 24, 2008. Gaiman will be down on the Mall for the Library of Congress book festival on Saturday, but his line is usually hundreds of people long.

Brad Melzer Chat at 3pm Today!

From our friends at The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/09/08/DI2008090801900.html

Blitt's Obama caricature - more Post commentators

I guess the Obama caricature by Blitt is a Washington story by virtue of Obama's position, so the Post covered it pretty hard at least in their blogs. Here's more:

An article in the Post:

It's Funny How Humor Is So Ticklish
By Philip Kennicott
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 15, 2008; C01

and the following chat:

The New Yorker Cover and the Challenge of Satire
Philip Kennicott
Washington Post Culture Critic
Tuesday, July 15, 2008; 2:00 PM

A blog post by one of their 'futurist' type writers:

Achenbach, Joel. 2008.
New Yorker Cover Not So Funny
Washington Post's Achenblog (July 14):

- note Our Man Thompson's drawing for the blog header.

and their Media correspondent's chat (there are three relevant posts here):

Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Columnist
Media Backtalk blog Monday, July 14, 2008;

and Dave Horsey did a really funny cartoon that someone linked to in Weingarten's chat.

Keith Knight on Post chat last week

Keith Knight did a Washington Post chat last Friday. I missed this as I was deep in the Charlotte Convention Center when it happened, but Ephemerist blogger Wim Lockefeer let me know about it. Check out Wim's blog too - he finds really cool stuff, and he's in Belgium so a lot of it is new to me.

Thompson chat on Post

Richard 'Cul de Sac' Thompson and Scott 'Argyle Sweater' Hilburn successfully navigated the Washington Post chat software today at 1 pm with Suzanne Tobin, even though Hilburn said he didn't make it to the NCS con in New Orleans. To read what they said, see "Meet the Comics Pages: Scott Hilburn and Richard Thompson, Cartoonists, "Argyle Sweater" and "Cul de Sac", Friday, May 23, 2008.

May 23: Our Man Thompson on Post chat

So, Richard leaves town on a 26-hour (hahahahahaha!) train ride... just to be interviewed by the Washington Post! Man, he apparently just lives Richard's Poor Almanack. The damn thing must write itself...

Scott Hilburn who does Argyle Sweater will also be fighting for keyboard space.

Friday, May 23 at 1 p.m. ET
Meet the Comics Pages
Scott Hilburn and Richard Thompson
Cartoonists, "Argyle Sweater" and "Cul de Sac"
Friday, May 23, 2008; 1:00 PM

Join Washington Post Comics page editor Suzanne Tobin on Friday, May 23 at 1 p.m. ET at the National Cartoonists Society convention in New Orleans for a discussion with Scott Hilburn, creator of "The Argyle Sweater," and Richard Thompson, creator of creator of "Cul de Sac."

I guess the Ms. Tobin wanted to justify that travel budget, and rather than take a $10 cab ride to Arlington got this through the Post's accountants. I think I need to meet her - take notes, that sort of thing...

Our Man Thompson in New Orleans for NCS award showdown

Richard's up for a best strip award - see his blog for details - and says he will also be chatting on the Post's website on Friday.

Quick bits from Express and Examiner

It's probably getting late to track one down, but the Express ran a wire story on the new Batman movie today, and a short excerpt of some of the better questions from the Post.com Quesada chat from yesterday.

Nate Beeler had a nice cartoon in the Examiner - the baby's not keeping him completely away from the drawing board apparently.

May 6: Marvel EiC Joe Quesada on Post chat

Oddly enough, I really can't think of anything I want to ask him...

Tuesday, May 6 at Noon ET
Talking With Joe Quesada
Editor in Chief, Marvel Comics
Tuesday, May 6, 2008; 12:00 PM

It was a good weekend for Joe Quesada. The editor in chief of Marvel Comics saw the movie "Iron Man," an adaptation of one of his company's comics, soar to the top of the box office. Next month, a new version of "The Incredible Hulk" also arrives in theaters.

Quesada will be online Tuesday, May 6 at noon ET to discuss both of those projects, Marvel's venture into producing its own films and anything else related to the comic book world.

Submit questions before or during the discussion.

Post chat transcripts of Rubino and Martinbrough online

You can read the hour-long q&a's at

Comics: Drawing 'Noir' and New York Comic Con
Gangsters, Superheros and Other Creatures of the Underworld
Shawn Martinbrough
Illustrator and Author, 'How to Draw Noir Comics'
Friday, April 18, 2008; 12:00 PM

and

Meet the Comics Pages: Tony Rubino, Cartoonist -- "Daddy's Home"
Friday, April 18, 2008; 1:00 PM.

I sent a couple of questions in to the Rubino chat early as ComicsDC that he answered.

April 18 noon: Post chat with Shawn Martinbrough

Comics: Drawing 'Noir' and New York Comic Con: Gangsters, Superheros and Other Creatures of the Underworld - Shawn Martinbrough, Illustrator and Author, 'How to Draw Noir Comics', Friday, April 18, 2008; 12:00 PM

April 25: Tony Rubino on Washington Post chat

Join Washington Post Comics page editor Suzanne Tobin on Friday, April 18 at 1 p.m. ET for a discussion with "Daddy's Home" creator Tony Rubino at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/04/15/DI2008041502007.html.

Mark Tatulli of Lio chat on WashPost.com

See "Meet the Comics Pages: Mark Tatulli, Cartoonist -- Lio", Friday, February 29, 2008; 1:00 PM. Note our man Thompson get schooled by Tobin towards the end for daring to ask about Beetle Bailey.

3 bits quickly

According to Dave Astor at E&P Online, Mark Tatulli of Lio will be on the Washington Post chat at 1 pm on Friday, February 29th.

Italians have discovered Cul de Sac even though it doesn't appear to be available in Italian. BTW, Italians have a very rich comics tradition, but almost none of it has been reprinted in the US - just Diabolik and a Tex Willer book by Joe Kubert, I think. Oh, and a lot of Disney stories.

Today's Post chat was on "TV Week: The Return of George of the Jungle: Back In the Swing" with Tiffany Ward, Executive Producer (and Jay Ward's daughter), Tuesday, February 19, 2008.

Post censored Candorville two weeks ago

Earlier this week, Gene Weingarten revealed in his chat's poll that the Post censored January 19th's Candorville which joked about presidential assassination and illegal immigration.

His poll revealed that 73% of his readers thought it was the wrong decision with the other 27% split almost evenly in half over 'correct' and 'not sure.'

I of course, think it was wrong, WRONG, WRONG!

But -

Gene Weingarten: On the poll, this might surprise all of you, but I am not as sure as y'all are that The Post was wrong to pull that Candorville!

And I NEVER come down on that side.

This was a joke not only about assassination, but about the assination of a specific person. I would have had a serious taste question about that. I'm now second guessing myself a little, because so many of you did not.

and a later response that I agree with -

Washington, D.C.: The cartoon should have run because it expressed a sentiment that I think a lot of people are thinking/worried about but no one's saying it. I've only seen one interview with Obama that talked about security and even then it was very broad and he addressed it more broadly and they were off to the next question. I thought the illegal immigrant punchline was a perfect lampooning of where we're at as Americans right now.

Gene Weingarten: I'll buy that. Maybe.

and this one was way off base -

Candorville: The First Amendment and freedom of speech does not cover violence. The Post was right.

Gene Weingarten: Well, it wasn't ADVOCATING violence.

and a few more views -

London, UK : As an outsider you, as a country, can be a tad carefree with your presidents.

What Candorville seems to express is unspoken but not non-existant. The cartoon form is, and has always been, an ideal platform for such free speech.

Gene Weingarten: No one is questioning whether he is free to draw that strip. Of course he is. But newspapers do edit things for taste. It's not censorship, it's editing.

_______________________

Candorville: I read the strip you mention in today's poll last week online, not knowing that it had been cut from the print version of the Post, and I was surprised at it for the same reasons you mention. However, I don't think it's dangerous, and I think it is an important social commentary on the fact that racism and intolerance are still serious problems in American society. For that reason, I think the Post should have run it.

Gene Weingarten: Okay.

and -

Dogtown, Ark.: That Candorville was brilliant! Topical and poignant! What kind of maroon would think it offensive enough to pull from the comics page? Gene, it is your sacred duty to out this philistine so he/she may be duly ridiculed by the Chat.

Gene Weingarten: It was topical, though it was not a really original joke. It was a re-tooling of an old joke to fit a new topic.

and then -

Cambridge, Mass.: I would like to point out, as I'm sure many others already have, that the joke in the Candorville comic is a straight rip-off of a Dave Chapelle bit. Dave talks about how hard it would be to be the first black president and the likelihood of assassination, therefore he would only do it if his vice-president is Mexican, "for a little insurance. So everyone would just leave me and vice-president Santiago to our own devices." Great act by a native-D.C. comic.

Gene Weingarten: Dave was not the first to speculate on strategically having a terrible veep to make sure no one assassinates you. Those jokes were rampant during Dan Quayle's vice presidency.

Ok, after reading all the comments -- they were still wrong to drop it. It wasn't advocating assassination, so I think they just didn't want the outraged letters.

Nick Galifianakis on Post chat

Earlier today, the Post had "Tell Me About It: The Art; Nick Galifianakis, Illustrator." Wednesday, October 3, 2007 which consisted of

Nick Galifianakis, who illustrates Carolyn Hax's Tell Me About It advice column, will be online Wednesday, Oct. 3, at 1 p.m. ET to field questions and comments about his work and the column's new daily appearance in The Post.

The article also linked to this 2001 chat, with Nick and his ex-wife. with whom he's still working, discussing their divorce.

"Tell Me About It" Hosted by Carolyn Hax, Washington Post Staff Writer, Friday, Nov. 9, 2001