OT: The 2007 Festival of Cartoon Art: GRAPHIC STORYTELLING

Off-topic, but otoh, I will be driving from DC after this year's ICAF.

The 2007 Festival of Cartoon Art: GRAPHIC STORYTELLING October 25-27, 2007 at the Columbus Renaissance Hotel

Registrations are now being accepted for the ninth triennial Festival of Cartoon Art organized by the Ohio State University Cartoon Research Library. Attendees will enjoy presentations by top cartoonists from around the country and the world focusing on the art of graphic storytelling. Registration is $150 (only $25 for students and seniors 65 and over!) and includes admission to all Festival of Cartoon Art Forum presentations, the exhibit catalogue for Milton Caniff: American Master and School of Caniff, morning refreshments and lunch at the Renaissance Hotel on both Forum days, a special exhibit reception at The Ohio State University, and a souvenir tote bag. Registration is limited to 275 participants and will be accepted in the order received.

A downloadable registration form is available at the 2007 Festival of Cartoon Art Web site: http://cartoons.osu.edu/FCA2007/site/. The site also features additional information about related events taking place in conjunction with the Festival including an academic pre-conference at the Blackwell Hotel and a special cartoon exhibition and reception at the Thurber House on Thursday, October 25 and a banquet on Saturday evening, October 27.

The year 2007 marks the centennial of the birth of master storyteller Milton Caniff, whose papers and art formed the founding collection of the Cartoon Research Library. The conference will begin with a celebration of Caniff's life and legacy. Leading contemporary cartoonists will then explore the craft of storytelling in newspapers, comic books, and graphic novels throughout the two-day festival. Speakers include:

* Jessica Abel, creator of Artbabe and La Perdida
* Nick Anderson, Pulitzer-Prize-winning editorial cartoonist for the Houston Chronicle
* Alison Bechdel, creator of Fun Home, Time Magazine’s best book of the year in 2006
* Ray Billingsley, creator of Curtis, which appears in more than 250 newspapers
* Guy Delisle, creator of Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea
* Jules Feiffer, Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist, playwright, author and illustrator
* Gary Groth, co-founder of Fantagraphics Books
* R. C. Harvey, cartoonist, historian and author of Meanwhile: A Biography of Milton Caniff
* Mike Peters, creator of Mother Goose and Grimm and Pulitzer-Prize-winning editorial cartoonist for the Dayton Daily News
* Peter Poplaski, author of The Sketchbook Adventures of Peter Poplaski and co-author of the R. Crumb Handbook
* Ted Rall, alternative weekly editorial cartoonist and author of Silk Road to Ruin
* P. Craig Russell, comic book creator of over 80 titles including the Ring of Nibelung and Neil Gaiman’s Sandman: Ramadan and Murder Mysteries
* Diana Schutz, Senior Editor at Dark Horse Comics
* Mark Siegel, Editorial Director of First Second Books
* Frank Stack, underground cartoonist and illustrator of Our Cancer Year by Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner
* Brian Walker, comics historian and curator, and writer of Hi and Lois.
* Mort Walker, creator of Beetle Bailey, Hi and Lois, and six other comic strips

The academic pre-conference on October 25, co-sponsored by OSU's Project Narrative and Department of English, includes:
Contemporary Graphic Storytelling

* Theresa Tensuan (Haverford College), “Breaking the Frame: Reviewing Disabilities in Epileptic, Cuckoo, and The Spiral Cage”
* Rebecca Wanzo (Ohio State University), "It’s a Hero?: Black Comics and Satirizing Subjection"
* Julia Watson (Ohio State University), “Reading Pleasures in Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home: Translating Literature into “Life”
* Nicole McDaniel (Texas A&M), “Seriality and Collections of ‘Old Comic Strips’ in Art Spiegelman’s In the Shadow of No Towers”
* Chair: Jared Gardner (Ohio State University)

History & Time: Graphic Storytelling

* Sean Connors (Ohio State University), “Portrait of the Cartoonist: An Examinaton of Milton Caniff's Growth Between 1933 and 1935.”
* Daniel Yezbick (Peninsula College), “Pie-faced Panels and Arthrological Antics: Semiotic Reversals and Jingle-Jandled Narrative in George Carlson’s ‘Pie-faced Prince of Pretzelberg”
* David Olsen (St. Louis University), "Who Watches the Watch?: Keeping Time in Graphic Narratives,"
* John Jennings & Damian Duffy (University of Illinois, Chicago), “Virtual Unreality and the Shape of Time: Virtual Comics, Postmodern Self-referentiality, and the Fourth Dimension”
* Chair: Jared Gardner (Ohio State University)

Graphic Storytelling and Narrative Theory

* Kai Mikkonen (University of Tampere), “The Narrative Agent in Graphic Storytelling”
* David Herman (Ohio State University), "Multimodal Storytelling and Identity Construction in Graphic Narratives"
* Frederick Aldama (Ohio State University) “Your Brain on Latino Comics”
* David FitzSimmons (Ashland University), “Picture Books and Graphic Novels: An Undergraduate Introduction to Narrative Theory”
* Chair: James Phelan (Ohio State University)

The full schedule and additional information about the Festival is posted at http://cartoons.osu.edu/FCA2007/site/.

For further information, contact cartoons@osu.edu or telephone 614-292-0538.

USA Today blurbs Postcards

I finally bought my copy at Big Planet this week, although I haven't even opened my (very large after 2 weeks off) bag of comics yet. In the meantime, USA Today gave Jason's book a few lines:

New graphic novels straight from the drawing board.
By Whitney Matheson and David Colton, USA TODAY (August 8, 2007)

Nate Beeler's Golden Spike

Washington Examiner political cartoonist Nate Beeler won this year's AAEC Golden Spike award for a cartoon that didn't run. Daryl Cagle just posted the cartoon with Nate's comment on his blog - it's the August 9th entry. Nate's published cartoons can be seen here on his blog as well.

Interview with Paul Karasik

DC native and comics blogger John Daniels conducted this email interview with Paul Karasik and has made it available to ComicsDC. Thanks, John!

Interview with Paul Karasik:

How did it feel to give a book signing and talk in your hometown of Washington D.C. at Politics and Prose?
I received a terrific reception at Politics and Prose. It is a wonderful bookstore and Thad, the guy who runs the graphic novel department, really knows his stuff. In other words, he likes the same things I like!

What caught your interest in writing this book about Fletcher Hanks?
I first heard of Hanks over 20 years ago when I was the Associate Editor of Art’s Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly’s RAW magazine. We reprinted a Stardust story and I never forgot it.

Four years ago a friend sent me a link to a Hanks tale on-line. I began to dig around, found some more of ‘em, and eventually came upon the answer to the true life mystery, “Whatever Happened to Fletcher Hanks?”

Where you amazed, as I was, that little was known about this ingenious artisan?
I have been amazed by several aspects of Hanks’ work. Although formulaic to a degree, each story is startlingly inventive in design and feel. Readers will not be bored by the 15 stories. In fact many people are asking for Volume 2!

Another amazing fact is that nobody has “discovered” his work until now. Many fans and collectors have asked, “How is it possible that I never heard of this guy before?!”

How would you compare his drawing style too artisans of the golden age?
Hanks is unique in that he is the first auteur in the fledgling field of the comic book. Most comic book stories at the time, and up to the present, were created by a team: individual writer, penciller, inker, and colorist. Hanks was a one-man-band, an auteur with a distinct personal vision that he burned into the pages of his work.

How much did you enjoy the meeting with his son Fletcher Hanks Jr.?
It was a life-changing experience as I describe in my comics Afterword.

In the Afterword, it seems you almost had a question as to whether his son was Fletcher Hanks himself?
At first, I thought that Hanks Jr. was Hanks Sr. It soon became apparent that I was speaking with the son who had his own story to tell. A grim story.

Do you yourself collect any comic periodicals? In addition, if so what is your most memorable character or comic that you would define as piquing your interest in the medium?
My first comic book was an issue of Adventure Comics from 1966. I was seduced by the crisp four-color pantheon of the Legion of Superheroes. You got a lot for 12 cents. It took one comic book and I was hooked. I still have all those old D.C. and Marvel comics in plastic bags in my basement, but it is nothing compared to some of the collections made available to me by a few serious collectors who contributed stories for the Hanks book from the hermetically sealed comics vaults.

You are an author of other books; could you tell the readers about some of your other works?
My most famous work was a collaboration with artist, David Mazzucchelli (Batman: Year One). Together we adapted Paul Auster’s novel, City of Glass. It was listed as one of the 100 Most Important Comics of the 20th Century by the Comics Jouranl.

I collaborated with my sister, Judy, on a family memoir, The Ride Together. The ground-breaking comics/prose format tells the story of growing up with our oldest brother who is autistic.

My gag cartoons have appeared in The New Yorker and Nickelodeon magazines.

How did you feel with the response of the sales of this remarkable book?
I am floored by the reception of this book. It completely sold out within a month and we are now awaiting the second edition to arrive from Malaysia. It is a good thing that Fantagraphics put a few cartons away for my book tour. Even then, at San Diego Comic Con, we sold out by the morning of the second day. I have nine reviews at Amazon, all five star raves. After years of toiling away at this project in the studio it is really gratifying to have such a positive response.

What is your favorite story from the book?
My sentimental favorite is also really one of the strongest: the Stardust story from Fantastic #7 that we reprinted in RAW. It is a plot by Gyp Clip to remove all the gravity from Earth, thus sending all the humans spaceward and leaving the planet free for plunder. Gyp and his thugs chain themselves with huge iron chains to prevent themselves from floating away.

What is it that you would like readers too walk away with your writing and presentation of this remarkable book about Fletcher Hanks?
Things are not always as they seem. Our heroes can become villains, and regular everyday Joes can become heroes.

Are you currently working on other works that readers and fans would like to know about?
My next project is to set out to educate the world that everything that you need to know about making comics can be learned from three panels of a certain Nancy comic strip by the great Ernie Buchmiller.

I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer questions at ComicsDC.

I also would like to thank the staff at Politics and Prose for reserving me a signed copy of the book.

Comic books, caricature, anime, adaptions in today's freeby papers

Check out the Onion online - they've been posting expanded versions of last week's comics issue.

In today's free papers, in addition to the Tek Jansen story -

Rosenberg, Scott. 2007.
Based on a fake story: Out of a nonexistent novel comes a comic riddled with humor.
[Washington Post] Express (August 9): 19

There's a Stardust story -

Dawson, Angela / Entertainment News Wire. 2007.
She's got star power: Claire Danes has a heaven-sent role in the fantasy 'Stardust'.
[Washington Post] Express (August 9): E11

An anime singer appearance - Yoko Ishida, 'Sailor Moon' singer, singing at Jaxx on Saturday.

And in the Examiner, a rare caricature article -
Jeff Dufour and Patrick Gavin.
Yeas and Nays: Permanent Presence at The Palm - Mark Foley’s here to stay.
Washington Examiner (August 9): 6

Insight Studio Group on Fanboy Radio

Suburban Maryland's Insight Studio Group, which is centered around Mark Wheatley and has seen Marc Hempel, Frank Cho and the late Gray Morrow as members, was interviewed today on Fanboy Radio. I haven't listened to the show yet, but I ran into Mark a few weeks ago and think that he's going to bring Frankenstein Mobster back soon. Yeah!

Jeffery Thompson, children's book illustrator and Big Planet employee

Jeff Thompson's worked in the Bethesda store for years, and has been doing art for childen's books too. He mentioned to me that he had a new book out today. I just ordered all the ones I was missing, as he didn't mention some of the recent ones to me until I started quizzing him today. Book signing next Wednesday - at least for me!

Jeff's books with ordering info from Amazon -

The new one:

Cesar Chavez: Champion and Voice of Farmworkers (Biographies) by Suzanne Slade and Jeffrey Thompson

Two favorites of his (and mine). He did all the work on these except the original poem:

The Midnight Ride Of Paul Revere (Hardcover) by Henry W. Longfellow - note on the paperback version of this, Amazon has conflated Jeff and Christopher Bing's two different books. Bing's an excellent artist too, who used to do regular editorial illustrations for the Washington Post. I really like his work as well. Buy both books.

Hiawatha And Megissogwon (Hardcover) by Henry W. Longfellow (Author

Thomas Edison: Inventor, Scientist, and Genius by Lori Mortensen and Jeffrey Thompson

The Camping Scare (Read-It! Readers) by Terri Dougherty (Author), Jeffrey Thompson (Illustrator)

Brazil Abcs: A Book About the People and Places of Brazil (Country Abcs) (Hardcover) by David Seidman (Author), Jeffrey Thompson (Author)

Cul de Sac in Hogan's Alley

Tom Heintjes reported in a recent Hogan's Alley newletter:

COMING SOON: One strip we're excited about is Richard Thompson's "Cul de Sac," which debuts from Universal Press Syndicate on September 10. The strip is a daily version of the comics work he's done at the Washington Post for the past few years. We asked Thompson to share some behind-the-scenes goodies from the strip, and you can see them at http://www.cagle.com/hogan/newsletter_extras/culdesac_extras/culdesac_extras.asp
We'll also have an interview with Thompson in Hogan's Alley #16.

This isn't an obligatory mention, btw. I like Cul de Sac a lot - there's a lot of museum jokes in there.

Thursday - Tom Peyer interview on Steve Colbert comic

Scott Rosenberg will have an interview in Thursday's Express with Tom Peyer on Stephen Colbert comic book, "Tek Jansen."

Big Planet expands in College Park

Big Planet Comics has bought the former Liberty Books and Comics at 7315 Baltimore Ave, College Park, MD, 20740. 301-699-0498. There's a blurb in their August newsletter which is available in their stores now, along with a plethora of Stardust giveaways. If you haven't gotten it yet, the Gaiman / Vess story is well worth reading, but definitely get the edition with the Vess illustrations.

Ullman's triumphant return

Rob Ullman's bounced back from fatherhood to do the cover and illustrations for this passing week's City Paper. You've got another 2 days to get your copy.

Library of Congress to digitally preserve Trudeau's Doonesbury and Oliphant

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington DC 20540
Phone: (202) 707-2905
Fax: (202) 707-9199


Date: August 3, 2007


Contact: Guy Lamolinara (202) 707-9217, glam@loc.gov

DIGITAL PRESERVATION PROGRAM MAKES AWARDS
TO PRESERVE AMERICAN CREATIVE WORKS

Preserving Creative America Initiative to Engage Private Sector Creators of
Films, Sound Recordings, Photographs, Cartoons and Video Games in Digital Formats

The Library of Congress, through its National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP), today announced eight partnerships as part of its new Preserving Creative America initiative to address the long-term preservation of creative content in digital form. These partners will target preservation issues across a broad range of creative works, including digital photographs, cartoons, motion pictures, sound recordings and even video games. The work will be conducted by a combination of industry trade associations, private sector companies and nonprofits, as well as cultural heritage institutions.

Several of the projects will involve developing standardized approaches to content formats and metadata (the information that makes electronic content discoverable by search engines), which are expected to increase greatly the chances that the digital content of today will survive to become America’s cultural patrimony tomorrow. Although many of the creative content industries have begun to look seriously at what will be needed to sustain digital content over time, the $2.15 million being awarded to the Preserving Creative America projects will provide added impetus for collaborations within and across industries, as well as with libraries and archives.

“America’s creativity is unrivaled in the world, and it is among our most important exports,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. “The Library is pleased to be able to bring together creators of such diverse content for the sake of saving our nation’s heritage, which is increasingly being created only in digital formats.”

Preserving Creative America is the most recent initiative of the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (www.digitalpreservation.gov), authorized by Congress in December 2000. The authorizing legislation specifies that the Library should enlist the private sector to help address the long-term preservation of digital content. A cornerstone of NDIIPP has been the establishment of a broad network of partners committed to the continuing stewardship of digital content of value to Congress and the nation. With the new awards, the NDIIPP network grows to more than 90 partners, including other government agencies, educational institutions, research laboratories and organizations, both in the United States and abroad. Previous NDIIPP projects have involved primarily educational and cultural heritage institutions.

“The Library of Congress is delighted to welcome private sector participants to our growing network of NDIIPP partners,” said Associate Librarian for Strategic Initiatives Laura E. Campbell, who is leading NDIIPP for the Library of Congress. “We were very encouraged by the willingness of the content industries to work with us. Collaborations such as these are essential if we are collectively going to be able to ensure that valuable cultural content survives for the benefit of future generations.”

Following are the lead entities, their project partners and the focus areas of the projects:

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS): Today’s digitally created motion pictures are at risk unless suitable technologies, practices and standards are developed and adopted. AMPAS, best known for its annual Academy Awards, devotes considerable resources to a host of motion picture-related educational, scientific and cultural endeavors, including the technical aspects of filmmaking and the preservation of motion pictures. The Digital Motion Picture Archive Framework Project will build upon AMPAS’ current research on digital preservation issues from the perspective of the major motion picture studios, extending the effort to include independent filmmakers and smaller film archives. Additional key components of the project will involve developing a case study system for investigating archival strategies for digital motion pictures and recommending specifications for image data formats across the production chain.

American Society of Media Photographers: Digital photography has no accepted standard set of rules for handling digital image files and maintaining information about them. This project has two major objectives: (1) to expand an existing set of guidelines, the Universal Photographic Digital Imaging Guidelines, with recommendations for refined production workflows, archiving methods and best practices based on image use and capture methods and (2) to promote the use of the guidelines through a Web site and awareness campaigns within the professional photographer community. Partners: PhotoDistrict News, ASMP Foundation.

ARTstor: Small organizations and individuals in particular are often not equipped to create “archive-ready” images. This project aims, through training and tools, to enable photographers to submit archive-ready images to repositories such as ARTstor. Development of a tool will allow photographers to capture technical and preservation metadata early in the creation workflow and embed the metadata in their digital images, while outreach efforts at art schools and professional conferences will both generate requirements and raise awareness of the importance of metadata to the long-term usability and preservation of digital photographs. Partners: Art on File, Artesia, Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, Northwestern University.

BMS/Chace: The adoption of digital recording has virtually eliminated the vital documentation once created on paper during the recording process. At the same time it has created tremendous unrealized potential to create and maintain all key information about a recording throughout its life cycle. The project focuses on creating a standardized approach for gathering and managing metadata for recorded music and developing software models to assist creators and owners in collecting the data. A standardized metadata environment will allow content creators, record labels, individuals and cultural heritage institutions to document, archive and manage “born digital” recordings effectively. Partners: Sony BMG Music, Universal Music Group, EMI Group, Buena Vista Music Group and the Producers and Engineers Wing of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Stock Artists Alliance (SAA): Essential information about stock images is frequently lost as images are disseminated across multiple distributors, licensees and end users, making the archiving and repurposing of these images difficult. SAA, through online resources and educational seminars at professional trade shows and in key cities, will promote the importance of metadata for long-term usability of digital photographs.

Universal Press Syndicate: Universal Press Syndicate, a newspaper syndication company, will use a collection of Garry Trudeau’s “Doonesbury” comic strips and Pat Oliphant’s editorial cartoons to model and test the transfer of digital content to the Library of Congress. The project will constitute a case study for public-private partnerships for archiving digital content and will focus on aligning metadata practices, transfer procedures and continuing collection management in a manner consistent with the goals of digital preservation.

UCLA Film & Television Archive: The long-term sustainability of digital works has received little attention within the independent film community. This project award supports awareness and education within the independent film community through symposia and workshops at major film conferences. Partner: Sundance Institute.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Interactive media are highly complex and at high risk for loss as technologies rapidly become obsolete. The Preserving Virtual Worlds project will explore methods for preserving digital games and interactive fiction. Major activities will include developing basic standards for metadata and content representation and conducting a series of archiving case studies for early video games, electronic literature and Second Life, an interactive multiplayer game. Second Life content participants include Life to the Second Power, Democracy Island and the International Spaceflight Museum. Partners: University of Maryland, Stanford University, Rochester Institute of Technology and Linden Lab.

# # #

PR 07-156
8-3-07
ISSN 0731-3527

KAL's new animation

Ace political cartoonist Kevin 'KAL' Kallaugher wants us to know, "I wanted to share with you my recent venture into 3D political animation. You can find a link here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=XbcNKvlDVjY

KAL showed this at the AAEC con and it's quite funny.

This tip from Richard "Obligatory Mention" Thompson.

Trudeau, Truman and Helen Thomas

Bit of gossip in The Hill.com about a recent Doonesbury strip - "Helen Thomas: If only you got to pick the rumors about you"

Speaking of the Macaulay exhibit at the Building Museum...

...the Post reviewed it last Friday in the weekend section. As this review notes, Macaulay has a sense of humor and this is an excellent show that's well worth seeing.

Politico's Matt Wuerker video on Al-Jazeera

Mike Lynch has linked to Matt's appearance on Al-Jazeera, the Arabic tv station - the creation of which I think is a great step for the region. Hopefully this will lead to bigger and better tv appearances for Matt too. Matt appears regularly, in color, in the Politico.

Thanks to Richard (obligatory mention) Thompson for the tip.

Karasik interview in Express, on Weds

Late notice, I'm afraid, but Scott Rosenberg had an interview with Paul Karasik on Fletcher Hanks in the 8/1/07 Express. Did anyone go to the talk? I'll probably buy the cd of the audio from Politics and Prose.

9/15/07: Late update, but the talk wasn't recorded so I couldn't buy a copy.

Malkasian on Percy Gloom interview

Ok, the Express got it online today - see "Non-Animated 'Gloom': Cathy Malkasian" by Scott Rosenberg, July 31, 2007, for the interview about the Rugrats-director-turned-graphic-novelist.

Coming Onion issue on comics

This week's Onion, still in the free green boxes for two days, has three articles on the Simpsons. I hear that this coming week's issue is a special comics issue, and that means more than when the New Yorker does one. The issue out late on Weds (I think) should have interviews with Joss Whedon, James Kochalka, Brian Michael Bendis, and Chris Onstad, a story on memorable comic strip deaths, and a short DVD article on Frank Miller's 300 and Tex Avery's Droopy. So be sure to take a copy or five.

BTW, the Books-a-Million chain, of which there's stores in Shirlington and Dupont Circle at least, have a free newspaper, Book Pages, which has a cover story on Naruto anime.

Lunch with Tom Toles prize won for science cartoon

Dave Astor's got the story on the cartoon contest where the prize was $500, a trip to DC and lunch with Tom Toles. A longer article ran in the Eugene, OR Register-Guard. So will the meal be at the Post Pub, which does indeed have a fine burger (and fascinating waitresses*)?

Dave also tipped his hat to this site in "Editorial Cartoonist Chan Lowe Starts Doing Animations."

*I hit the Pub with some cartoonists after the AAEC Cartoonapalooza and they kept the kitchen open late for us. The waitress spoke at least 3 languages iirc.

August 1: Paul Karasik at Politics & Prose REPOST

Let's see a big turnout, folks. It's not too often a truly crazed comics artist is rediscovered and has a hardcovered book published of his work.

Wednesday, August 1, 7 p.m.
PAUL KARASIK
I SHALL DESTROY ALL THE CIVILIZED PLANETS (Fantagraphics, $19.95)
With fanatic zeal, Karasik spent years tracking down and archiving the almost-forgotten comic book tales of Fletcher Hanks. They are uncanny tales from the golden age of comics, where the heroes have a penchant for poetic justice. Then Karasik gives us his powerful personal narrative of meeting Hanks’s son and hearing about why the father disappeared from cartooning.

Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse
5015 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 364-1919 or (800) 722-0790
Fax: (202) 966-7532


www.politics-prose.com
e-mail: books@politics-prose.com

Store Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 9 a.m.-11p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Library of Congress exhibit American Treasures to close

For ten years, the Library of Congress has had an excellent exhibit, American Treasures, on display in the Jefferson building. Usually there's been about one case of comics-related material in it - and there is now - so go see it before the exhibit closes.

Here's the Library's press release:

“AMERICAN TREASURES OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS”
TO CLOSE ON AUG. 18

Special Extended Hours Offered on Aug. 7, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

After 10 years on display, “American Treasures of the Library of Congress,” an unprecedented exhibition of rare and unique items in the nation’s library, will close on Aug. 18.

On view Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Aug. 18 in the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C., the exhibition’s hours will be extended until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 7 to provide the public with an extra opportunity to view this historic exhibition.
During the past decade, approximately 2.5 million visitors have viewed more than 2,700 treasured historical items from the world’s largest library, which have rotated through the exhibition. These include the original rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, the contents of Abraham Lincoln’s pockets on the night of his assassination, the first motion picture and the first baseball card.

“‘American Treasures of the Library of Congress’ opened in May 1997 to mark the official reopening of the magnificently renovated and restored Thomas Jefferson Building in its 100th anniversary year,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. “The exhibition will close next month to enable construction of a new interactive experience for Library visitors, which will open in 2008.”

A decade after the Jefferson Building was reopened to the public, the Library will provide visitors with a bold high-tech new way to experience the grandeur of the building and the unparalleled resources housed within. The new presentations and exhibitions will capitalize on the construction of the Capitol Visitor Center and the tunnel connecting the Capitol with the Thomas Jefferson Building. The anticipated increase in visitors—from 2 million to 3 million more annually—as a result of this passageway has prompted the Library to design what it hopes will be the top tourist attraction for those coming to the nation’s capital from around the world.

“American Treasures,” which has been made possible by generous support from the Xerox Corporation, will remain accessible on the Library’s Web site at www.loc.gov/exhibits.

Cathy Malkasian interview not on Express website, no matter what the printed paper says

Although it was blurbed in today's print Express, Scott Rosenberg's interview with Cathy Malkasian, Rugrats-director-turned-graphic-novelist, wasn't posted online. As compensation, the following image is Scott's article about the local Postcards anthology. Click the tiny image to get a readable one.

Washington Examiner drops all comics

As of today, instead of comics, they have a full page of puzzles. Over the years, they went from two full pages, to one half page and now to none. They invite comments on their website.

Macauley exhibit in Wash Times

Washington Times Jul 28, 2007, "Architecture's dying art" by Deborah K. Dietsch.

Also, Zadzooks' weekly column is on Spawn animation - "Spawn seeks salvation in world of good and bad", Washington Times July 28, 2007, by Joseph Szadkowski. In his online article on a Space 1999 DVD, he notes the comic books have been scanned and are online.

Postcards review in Las Vegas Weekly

Did anyone make it to the signing at Olssen's last week? I need to stop up there and see if I can still pick up a signed copy...

Meanwhile, here's another review - "Marriage, madmen and monsters", Las Vegas Weekly July 26, 2007, by J. Caleb Mozzocco.

Sunday Post has comics articles

I think the Post picked a censored cartoon - Betty Boop showing her breasts as she shows Popeye how to hula - to illustrate this article - "Hey, Sailor! 'Popeye' Is Back in Port: DVD Release of Classic 1930s Cartoons Spotlights an Animation Studio That Packed a Punch", By Matt Hurwitz, Special to The Washington Post, Sunday, July 29, 2007; N02.

and there's a sidebar on the voices - "Utter Genius: Voices That Call Out Still", Washington Post, Sunday, July 29, 2007; Page N02.

and, of all things, an appreciation of Isis, the superheroine that started on TV and migrated to a DC comic book: "Fly Like an Egyptian (Goddess): Superheroine From Mid-'70s TV Gets an Afterlife on DVD," by Jonathan Padget, Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday, July 29, 2007; N03.

Washington City Paper bought out reports NY Times

Dan Mitchell in the Times for July 28, 2007 reports that the City Paper is being bought out - hopefully, Rob Ullman will keep illustrating Savage Love.

Alternative Newspeak The Atlanta-based Creative Loafing chain of alternative newspapers is taking over the company that owns The Chicago Reader and the Washington City Paper weeklies. A statement from the Creative Loafing chief executive, Ben Eason, employs language that seems, well, less than alternative (poynter.org).

“We have built our Creative Loafing brand,” he said, “by offering valuable content to people who influence public opinion and public tastes in culturally vibrant markets. The addition of two top 10 markets — and two of the industry’s most respected alternative news products — offers us a pivotal gateway of connectivity with the young adult audience.”

It seems unlikely that the local power structures in Chicago or Washington, are quaking in fear of an insurgent underground press.

Geppi's Entertainment Museum auction article

See "Superman, Tarzan up for auction at the Geppi Museum" by BEN MOOK, Maryland Daily Record July 27, 2007.

Superman lawsuit documents for sale

See "Comic-Con: Superman History Offered", Scoop, Friday, July 27, 2007 as they report A collection of documents pertaining to the initial 1947 litigation between Superman's two creators, Jerry Siegel and Joseph Shuster, and their publisher, National Periodical Publications, that is now being offered for sale by EsquireComics.com.

EsquireComics.com is run by Mark Zaid who lives outside of DC. I'm not quite sure what makes these worth anything though as they appear to be printed from microfilm -- which should be available to anyone who goes to the archives that the records are deposited in.

Clubbing review by Greg McElhatton

Greg's got his take on Clubbing of the Minx Line, which I haven't read yet. I'm usually a big fan of Andi Watson so I'm not sure I'll agree with this review, but Greg's a DC-type so here it is.

Simpsons' movie on Post chat at 2 pm EST

Talk about 'The Simpsons'

Jen Chaney
washingtonpost.com Movies Editor
Friday, July 27, 2007; 2:00 PM
In honor of the release of the new movie, "Simpsons" junkie Jen Chaney will be online Friday, July 27 at 2 p.m. ET to discuss the show's 20-year history and cultural impact. What's your favorite episode? The funniest line? Let her know what you think about the first family of Springfield.

Matt Janz on Post chat

Meet the Comics Pages: Matt Janz, Cartoonist -- "Out of the Gene Pool"
Friday, July 27, 2007; 1:00 PM

Join Washington Post Comics page editor Suzanne Tobin on Friday, July 27 at 1 p.m. ET for a discussion with "Out of the Gene Pool" cartoonist Matt Janz.

I snuck a couple of questions in -

IJOCA, VA: Matt,

Do you draw with a pen, or do you do the strip on the computer?

Matt Janz: hi IJOCA ...

I create my strips at the drawing board in pencil, brush, pen and ink ... then I scan them into my computer and add color and graytones. I think I'll always draw my strip on paper.
_______________________

IJOCA, VA: Was this the first strip you've done? How long did it take you to get a contract?

Matt Janz: no. I created several comic strips before I received a contract from the WPWG. I submitted my first strip when I was 10 years old and got my OGP contract when I was 30.

I tried self-syndicating for several years in my 20s.

--------------------------------

BTW, "Out of the Gene Pool" becomes "Single and Looking" on Monday.

SOON I WILL BE INVINCIBLE novel reviewed in today's Post

See "It's a Super World, After All" by Mat Johnson, Washington Post Thursday, July 26, 2007; C03.

Matt Dembicki's samurai artwork

Matt wrote in to say, "The Meat and Potato Theatre (meatandpotato.org), a small, alternative theater in D.C., commissioned me to do an illustration to promote its fall presentation of 'Rashomon.' (They wanted a Frank Miller-like image with a good amount fo red stuff). I've attached the final approved image, which will appear on postcards, newspaper ads and, I hear, on the Metro, too.

I've also attached the initial illustration that landed me the gig. I kinda like it--it has a sense of apprehension about it, with the bandit lingering behind the samurai, just about to slash him."

Matt's newish blog, Three Crows press, which I just discovered, can be found here.

Also, Chris Shields just interviewed Matt and Carol, his co-cartoonist wife, at Click his cIndy site.

August 1: Paul Karasik at Politics & Prose

I'll be travelling, otherwise I would go to this. I've already bought the book from Big Planet Comics.

Wednesday, August 1, 7 p.m.
PAUL KARASIK
I SHALL DESTROY ALL THE CIVILIZED PLANETS (Fantagraphics, $19.95)
With fanatic zeal, Karasik spent years tracking down and archiving the almost-forgotten comic book tales of Fletcher Hanks. They are uncanny tales from the golden age of comics, where the heroes have a penchant for poetic justice. Then Karasik gives us his powerful personal narrative of meeting Hanks’s son and hearing about why the father disappeared from cartooning.

Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse
5015 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 364-1919 or (800) 722-0790
Fax: (202) 966-7532


www.politics-prose.com
e-mail: books@politics-prose.com

Store Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 9 a.m.-11p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Bill Mauldin collection to be coming out

Dave Astor is also reporting "Bill Mauldin's WWII Cartoons to Be Collected in Two-Volume Set." I actually have been attempting to help with this - scanning pages from Stars and Stripes at the Library of Congress, but the images haven't been coming out as well as they should because the newspapers are bound together and the end of the image is in the binding gutter. Work-arounds are being investigated and I'm really looking forward to Todd's books.

October 3: Walt Handelsman at DC charity event

Dave Astor is reporting that this year's Pulitzer winner Walt Handelsman will be at the Cartoons and Cocktails fundraiser.

Peter Bagge profiled in today's Post

See "A Cartoonist Who's Quick On the Draw" By Peter Carlson, Washington Post Staff Writer, Tuesday, July 24, 2007; C01. Carlson ends by noting, "Bagge says he's coming to Washington in September to cover Congress. Perfect! For a man of his gifts, caricaturing our elected representatives will be as easy as shooting fish in a barrel with that bazooka." If anyone knows more about this, let me know.

Postcards review in Los Angeles Times

Jason's publisher obviously sent out some serious amount of review copies of the book. "'Spent' by Joe Matt and 'Postcards,' edited by Jason Rodriguez: Blurring the line between reality and illusion" by David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer, July 24, 2007.

Recent cIndy Center podcasts

Local 'caster Chris Shields has kept the cartoonists coming in. Since last we checked, he's interviewed Dion Floyd of Immortal Kiss, Dean Trippe on MOCCA, Ape Entertainment's Cereal and Pajamas creators, and most relevant to us - the District's Jason Rodriguez on the new Postcards anthology. Click here to find these and other podcasts.

September 29: DC Anime Club's Shoujo Day

CONTACT: Chris Wanamaker, 202 262 2083 president@dcanimeclub.org


DC Anime Club's Shoujo Day

The DC Anime Club, an organization whose purpose is to educate the Washington, DC community about East Asian culture through the art form known as Anime (Japanese animation) will host a Marathon of Shoujo (girls) Anime on September 29, 2007 from 2pm-5pm at the Martin Luthur King, Jr Memorial Library 901 G St NW Washington, DC 20001 in Room A9.

The Marathon will consist of screenings Girls Anime, Trivia, Prizes and More. For those unfamiliar with Shoujo, Shoujo is a specific genre of Anime and Manga that is aimed at female audience with such themes as romance and drama.

About DC Anime Club:
DCAC was established in 2003 to introduce and educate people in the Washington, DC area about East Asian culture, through viewing and discussion of Japanese animation (also known as anime) and Japanese comics (manga). DCAC is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization, contributions to DC Anime Club are tax deductible to the extent allowable under the law.

The club also works to provide a positive, alternative activity to the youth in the area by exposing them to foreign culture, encouraging artistic expression and creativity, and providing opportunities for participation in community activities and leadership.

In addition to our weekly meetings, the club holds an Annual Art Show, an Annual Costume fundraising event, and visits local schools to do presentations on anime. The club also works with the Smithsonian Freer Gallery and DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival on their anime screenings, and has helped locally promote performances for Japanese bands such as Puffy Ami Yumi and Pine am.

DC Anime Club was founded by Chris Wanamaker (President), Jules Chang (Vice President) and Craig Vaughn (Sgt in Arms) on Saturday June 5, 2003. We have a strong membership that continues to grow -- most of which are teenagers.

This program is free and open to the public. For more information please visit the DC Anime Club website at http://www.dcanimeclub.org or call DC Anime Club at 202 262 2083.

# # #



--
Christopher Wanamaker
DC Anime Club President
http://www.dcanimeclub.org
202 262 2083

Nate Beeler of Washington Examiner wins Golden Spike Award

I didn't go to the AAEC wards, but R.C. Harvey did, and in his new Rants & Raves column says it was won by Nate Beeler of the Washington Examiner for a 'cartoon [that] depicted GeeDubya saying that “artificial deadlines embolden the enemy,” accompanied by a drawing of several soldiers with artificial limbs, which also embolden the enemy.' The Golden Spike is presented for the best cartoon a newspaper refuses to run.

Nate's work can be seen every other day or so in the Examiner and there's an original cartoon of his in the Katzen exhibit, Bush Leaguers.

August 5: 50th ANNIVERSARY OF "WHAT'S OPERA, DOC?

Here's a press release I was just sent. Sounds interesting - note the book. I don't think I can make this on the 5th, but if anyone's going, stick a note in the comments. I'd be interested in going later in the month. Also, I could use an exhibit reviewer for the International Journal of Comic Art.

For Immediate release
Contact: Leslie Combemale
703-478-0778 artnsights@aol.com

ARTINSIGHTS TO HAVE NATIONAL CELEBRATION
FOR 50th ANNIVERSARY OF "WHAT'S OPERA, DOC?"


Reston, VA—ArtInsights Animation and Film Art Gallery, as part of a weekend-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Chuck Jones directed 1957 short film and National Film Registry inductee, “What’s Opera, Doc?”, will be premiering an exhibit of original animation and fine art by Chuck Jones, some of which is rare and from the Jones family collection, both at a remote exhibit at Wolf Trap and at ArtInsights, and will be hosting Emmy Award-winning film producer Linda Jones Clough at the gallery on Sunday, August 5, 2007 from 1-3 PM.

Mrs. Clough will be signing the first art book dedicated to the animation character oil paintings created by her father, the legendary animation film director and creator, Chuck Jones. The exhibit at Wolf Trap will be in conjunction with the presentation of a revised Bugs Bunny on Broadway, conceived, directed and produced by impresario George Daugherty, that pays homage to this significant film on Friday and Saturday, August 3rd and 4th at Wolf Trap. A portion of the larger exhibit, which will be at ArtInsights through September 3rd, will be on display at Wolf Trap's Encore Circle Lounge.

The book signing on Sunday features the new release, Stroke of Genius, A Collection of Paintings and Musings on Life, Love and Art by Chuck Jones, which brings together a selection of Jones’ original oil paintings depicting his best known characters-- including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Marvin Martian, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote and Pepé le Pew—with reflections by the man behind their development and creation. Jones’ thoughts on his art, his characters, his inspirations and his aspirations are laid out alongside a sampling of over 50 of his paintings.


ArtInsights is located just outside of Washington, D.C. at 11921 Freedom Drive, Reston, Virginia, in Reston Town Center. The gallery presents the works of art from the 20th century film art genre, including original art from the masters of film and moving entertainment. From film campaign artists to matte painters, from concept and layout artists to animators, ArtInsights represents the most influential artists of film art history. Representation includes Chuck Jones, John Alvin, Maurice Noble, Bill Melendez, Lawrence Noble, Toby Bluth, and many other artists made famous working for Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, and other film studios. For more information please call the gallery at 703-478-0778.

Linda Jones Clough is available for phone interviews prior to the show and on the day of the event. For images or to schedule interviews, contact Leslie Combemale at 703-478-0778.

Bush Leaguers editorial cartoon exhibit open one more week UPDATED

I saw the Bush Leaguers exhibit at the Katzen today, prefatory to reviewing it for the International Journal of Comic Art. It's an amazingly large exhibit, and a good one. The space is awkward, as you can tell from these pics, but there were some real good cartoons here and you could get up close to see the technique.
As you can tell by the above photo, Matt Wuerker did an introductory image, and AAEC President Rob Rogers wrote an introduction (and the only text) to the show.
The exibit opened with videos including KAL, Fiore and Telnaes, and then went into an overwhelming amount of print cartoons. Many of these images were now 'born-digital' as librarians like to say. It does raise a question about what original art is.
Some more random notes:

Tom Toles's "Battle Hardened" cartoon that provoked a letter from the DOD's Joint Chiefs of Staff is on display.

Good cartoonists not as well known in DC like Mike Jenkins of the Journal can be seen. His "Heartbeat Away" showed Bush playing with toys and worrying about being President when told that Cheney was having heart problems. Ed Stein of Denver drew "Band of Brothers" showing the GOP's 2004 team of Bush, Cheney and others, noting "They all weren't in Vietnam together."

Other viewers in the exhibit, of which I think I saw 3 sets, were laughing out loud.

Some memorable cartoons were VC Roger's "Iraq War Memorial," a play on the W in George W. Bush and the Vietnam War Memorial in DC was great. Mike Luckovich's "Apple-Bobbing at the Cheneys" showed Cheney holding a kid underwater in a tub while saying 'Confess!' Matt Davies' "The Concert Pianist" had Rice playing a 'White House Foreign Policy' piano that only had one key. JD Crowe's "Rumsfeld Steps Down" used the trope of flag-draped coffins, and had Rumsfeld as a blind man stepping down a long, long stairway of them. It was a lovely drawing even if the flag-draped coffin was declared to be overused at the recent AAEC convention.

Local Examiner cartoonist Nate Beeler contributed "Late Night Reading" showing Cheney hiding a copy of 'Torture Illustrated' inside a copy of 'Nurturing Democracy.' A good one.

Iraq, Cheney, wiretapping, and civil liberties were generally the topics. There were only two cartoons on Hurricane Katrina's destruction of New Orleans.

In a mis-step, two cartoons of Bush as a Roman Emperor were mounted together. The cartoons by Stuart Calsun and Steve Greenberg were both fine, but didn't benefit from being shown side-by-side.

Two had comics-references in them. Daryl Cagle used the Robert Crumb cover of Zap #1, drawing George Bush getting the show in "Surge in Iraq." It was a good drawing, but I wonder how many people got the reference. Tom Stiglitch went wider and drew George Bush as Charlie Brown leaning on the sad Christmas tree with a broken ornament labelled Iraq in "A George Bush Christmas".

Overall, this was a good show, and would make a neat fundraiser for the AAEC which could use the print-on-demand technology mentioned in the next article to do it.

OT: The most important comics news this month

Forget the San Diego Comic-Con - Dave Astor's got the real story right here:

Two Print-On-Demand Books Feature Universal Comics
By E&P Staff
Published: July 20, 2007 12:21 PM ET

The two books are "Circling Normal, A Book About Autism" by "Clear Blue Water" cartoonist Karen Montague-Reyes' and "'Come Here Often?' Bad Pickup Lines and Other Dating Atrocities" from "The Fusco Brothers" cartoonist J.C. Duffy. Some of the Cartoonists with Attitude crowd, along with Ann Telnaes, Signe Wilkinson and countless web cartoonists are already self-publishing - this is the wave of the future.

"The Universal-Lulu partnership, reported on in a May 3 E&P Online story, is designed for books that would not otherwise be acquired by Andrews McMeel Publishing, a sister company to Universal." My guess is that AMP will stay in business because of its distribution savvy, but a lot more cartoon books will be appearing as cartoonists become comfortable with the idea. You can make the Lulu publishing completely invisible to the end consumer.

It's going to make comics bibliography a continuing nightmare, of course...

Mike Carey reviewed in The Onion

The Devil You Know, the book he signed earlier this week, is reviewed in the paper copy of the Onion that came out on Weds. You can also read it online, and there's some reviews of comics online too, that weren't in the print edition.

For what it's worth, I enjoyed the book and didn't find his text overly descriptive.

ICAF: New name, new website

2007 ICAF chair Marc Singer is reporting that the International Comic Arts Forum is moving to a new website:
http://www.internationalcomicartsforum.org

The site currently features our 2007 line-up of panelists and special guest artists and scholars; please check in regularly for schedules and other conference information.

OT: Rebecca Sullivan's book recommendations

My friend Rebecca is a Canadian prof based in Calgary so this is way off topic, but in this July 17th audio interview she recommends Jessica Abel's La Perdida. I like Jessica's Artbabe work, but must confess that I haven't read the review copy of this I got. However, I strongly recommend her husband Matt Madden's 99 Ways to Tell a Story - Exercises in Style. Matt tells a short story in ... 99 ways, with different art, or timing, and his book is a useful teaching tool like Eisner or McCloud.

September 29: Gene Luen Yang at National Book Festival

Matthew Dembicki, who will be signing his story in Postcards at Olssen's next week,* also reports that Gene Luen Yang, cartoonist of American Born Chinese will be at the National Book Festival in the Mall in September. This is the Library of Congress event, and usually both mobbed and interesting.

*Tuesday, July 24, 2007 at 07:00 PM at Olsson's Books & Records-Dupont Circle, 1307 19th St. NW, (202) 785-1133

Simpsons' movie drives Express to full-frontal nudity

This image is actually published on page 2 of today's Express. For the story, BBC News has a good rundown.

Simpson's Kwik-e-mart photos

A friend of mine visited the Bladensburg 7-11 that was converted. You can see her pictures here - click on the link will take you to a flickr site - or you can go directly here.

Fashionable clothing using comics - buy designs from local cartoonists

Postcards editor Jason Rodriguez sent a note reporting, "I have a friend in the district that makes his own belts and shirts. He has a workshop in his garage and he's able to knock out 50-100 belts a day, if necessary.

I think it's cool because several of his designs are from comic guys. These three are from Elk's Run's cover artist Datsun Tran:
http://www.jonwye.com/Beetle_Leather_Belt_p/beetle-spears.htm
http://www.jonwye.com/Western_Belt_p/showdown-belt.htm

This one is from Graham Annable:
http://www.jonwye.com/Men_s_freedumb_T_shirt_p/freedumb-m.htm

And some from local graphic designer D. Billy:
http://www.jonwye.com/Snap_Leather_Belt_p/snap-belt.htm
http://www.jonwye.com/Boom_Leather_Belt_p/boom-belt.htm

He's currently working with DC Conspiracy member Scott White on this hybrid mafia/graffiti belts. They look awesome.

Anyway - it's a cool marriage of comic artists and fashion coming from a local guy."

Postcards discussed in Hawaii

Remember Jason and others are signing later this month at Olssens. He talks to the paper in "New strip uses high school as metaphor," By Gary C.W. Chun, Honolulu Star-Bulletin Sunday, July 15, 2007.

Also, the Los Angeles Times has scheduled a review of it this week.

Harry Potter spoilers courtesy of Richard's Poor Alamanack

Everyone should stay away from the Post's Style section today - Richard Thompson reveals what happens in the last Harry Potter book. It's not pretty.

Weingarten on his comic strip and Tom the Dancing Bug

Gene Weingarten*, the Post's main humor writer, is a hardcore comic strip fan and his weekly chat frequently has a comics contest to pick the best strip of the preceeding week. This past week, Chatalogical Humor, as it's known also had two bits on comic strips.

In the first, Mr. W is queried about his plans to do his own comic strip:

Dangenecomic, AL: Welcome back. I know the book's been pressing, but what about the comic you and Dan are doing? When's it coming out? Have you contacted a syndicate? Will Gary, Jeff and Patty be giggling maniacally over your effort(s)?

Gene Weingarten: Dan and I and David Clark, the cartoonist, have finished 12 weeks worth. And as of basically today we are starting to write again. I anticipate you will see it some time after we finish 24 week's worth.

We're trying to make it as unfunny and derivative as possible, because we want to penetrate as many newspaper comics pages as possible.

Ouch. And then a story from this blog, that Comics Reporter picked up, namely the Post dropping Tom the Dancing Bug last week for Cheney-bashing, comes up:

Washington, D.C.: Since The Post did not mention it, most readers are unaware that it did not publish the current "Tom the Dancing Bug." It replaced the strip, which was harshly critical of the Vice President with an old strip. It did link to the strip on the Web site.

While I think that "Tom the Dancing Bug" is generally the the best comic in The Post not written by Richard Thompson, this one is too angry to be good. But as Comics Reporter noted: "...the Post's recent tendency to take a pass on controversial strips for no stated reason and then not tell anyone they're doing so is crappy editorial policy that badly serves the Post's readership..."

Gene Weingarten: I agree about The Post. I want to know when they kill a strip. I also don't understand why they would have the original strip on the website. We are told repeatedly that the fairness standards are the same. So I don't get it.

I believe at this time it is impossible to be unfair to Cheney. I called him "Satan" once. In the high school graduation speech I say he is "the root of all evil."

I mean, really. He makes a decision and a million fish die.

I think this Dancing Bug is quite funny. So over the top it's actually LESS critical that some criticism.

I would have liked the (missing) link to go to me, and not just Tom's blog, but que sera.

*my apologies for initially getting Mr. Weingarten's name wrong; obviously I've got to stop doing these when I'm tired.

Savage Love - Ullman in color

This week's City Paper has Rob Ullman's first illustration in color for the Savage Love column. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet - I've got about a dozen of his b&w originals. Still, it's probably colored on the computer, so I can still buy the line art.

Marlette's Kudzu born in DC

Richard Thompson reminded me that Doug Marlette came up with the idea for the Kudzu strip in the Tabard Inn on N St, NW and there's a small plaque in the room with the fireplace. I took a picture of it last year. The "mortal Doug Marlette" is a bit more poignant now.

Association of American Editorial Cartoonist Cartoonapalooza pictures again

I've added a few more pictures I took at Cartoonapalooza on July 3rd. If you already have seen the earlier ones, these are a few cartoon panels from Ruben Bolling, Mike Peters and Keith Knight including the first panel of the Post-censored Tom the Dancing Bug.

July 24: Jason Rodriguez - Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened

Jason Rodriguez - Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 at 07:00 PM at Olsson's Books & Records-Dupont Circle, 1307 19th St. NW, (202) 785-1133

Jason Rodriguez, acclaimed editor of Elk's Run, collected a remarkable array antique postcards, dispersed them among thirty-three of comics' greatest creators, and asked each to craft a story about the person who sent it. The result is a vividly imagined, gorgeously rendered graphic anthology illustrating tales of romance, adventure, hardship, and mystery. In Postcards, these gifted artists share some of the richest and most inventive work of their careers. Artists from the book who are appearing with Jason Rodriguez include Matt Dembicki, Danielle Corsetto and Robert Tinnell. [tip thanks to both Randy T. and Chris Shields]

I've started reading a proof of this today, and it's good. Tom Beland has an absolutely lovely story in it. More to follow, but this is a great idea for a comic.

Mike Carey interview in Express and at Olssens UPDATED

Comic book writer Mike Carey who did 3 signings in town today, is also interviewed in the Express, the free paper in the yellow bins. Scott Rosenberg did the interview.

I went to the Olssen's signing after work. Mr. Carey was a bit late, having made the crucial mistake to attempt 14th St at Pennsylvania Ave at rush hour. However, he arrived and in his soft British accent, even though it was 12:30 AM according to his watch, read most of a chapter of his new novel, The Devil You Know. This is the first book in a six-book series about an exorcist detective who's trying to figure out why ghosts are suddenly returning to the real world.

He took questions as well - even though I asked four of them, I'm spacing out now. I should have taken notes. Anyway:

Even though it appears that he's doing a lot of work now, some of it's just appearing. Wetworks was written years ago, this new novel he's working on is actually the fourth in the series and two are already out in the UK (and can be bought from Amazon.ca). He's writing 4 comics now, and that's as many as he thinks he can write. He's also doing that 4th novel and a screenplay.

Some time ago he wrote animation in the UK about a fairy Romeo and Juliet, called Meadowlands, iirc. The dark elf nasty Romeo, who was 2 inches tall fell for the fairy Juliet on the other side of the meadow. This has been in animation limbo for quite some time but a UK company is supposedly finishing it.

He's doing 1 comic for Virgin, and apparently it's a big success in India if not in the US or UK. He's working with his former Marvel editor and likes the pay so he's enjoying the work.

Comic book editors differ from book editors in that they guide the story, up to the point of flying all the X-Men writers to an undisclosed location and locking them in a room in January 2006 until they script out the next year or so. Tom Breevort can be the tie-breaker in differences of opinion due to his encyclopedic knowledge of the X-Men. Book editors just make sure your story makes sense.

He was a comic reader from way back and loved the Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four so for him writing comics is not an exercise in de- and reconstruction like it is for Moore, Gaiman or Millar. He likes a good straightforward superhero story.

He originally wanted Psylocke in his X-Men title, but Claremont did too, so Carey got Cable. He warmed to the idea after reading a Cable / Deadpool story arc, and is enjoying writing the depowered pathetic ex-omnipotent character. I haven't read X-Men since before Cable was introduced, so someone can post a comment clearing that up.

He writes women well (according to an audience woman) and credits that to having a fifteen year old daughter, who in Lucifer got to ascent to godhood. And also to liking women. The audience seemed to agree that was a good thing.

Speaking of the audience, in attendance were Karon Flage, director of the Small Press Expo; Jason Rodriguez, editor of Postcards and soon to host an Olssen's signing of his own (the book looks great); Chris Shields, cIndy podcast interviewer of cartoonists; Randy T the DOJ scout who passes me some of these stories; Scott Rosenberg, the Express reporter who started this post; comics journalist and writer Greg McElhatton and Carey's nephew. I had to google Greg to figure out how to spell his last name, so here's an article about him. Apologies to any local luminaries I missed. I enjoyed talking to everyone. If anyone can add more anecdotes, please do so below.

July 20-29: The Hefner Monologues

John Hefner, a long-time Big Planet Comics Bethesda salesguy, is about to open his own one-man show in DC. Visit his site at http://www.myspace.com/hefnermonologues for details.

John considerately provided some blurbs for the show:

The Hefner Monologues's Blurbs
About me:
"How do you make a name for yourself… when someone else already has?" That's the question that John Hefner (estranged cousin of a certain international icon) explores through painfully funny stories about love, loss, nudity, traffic court, and finding an identity in a world where "Hef" is a household name.

Hefnerian (adj.) - pertaining to a situation, event, or story that seems positive and joyous, but has elements of or becomes depressing and melancholic, causing the joyous aspects to be dulled, all interlaced with humor.

Trust me, it'll make more sense when you see the show.

Full bio video of THE JOHN HEFNER STORY forthcoming. Once I master the dread beast known as youtube. Presented as a part of the 2nd Annual Capital Fringe Festival. July 19 - 29, 2007. For more information visit capfringe.org

Who I'd like to meet:
My cousin.

Anime and manga in Montgomery County Libraries

See "Far reach from the Far East: Japan’s anime films draw young readers to county libraries" by David Sabia,Montgomery Gazette Wednesday, July 11, 2007.

Post on Doug Marlette's death

The Post has two articles on Kudzu comic strip and hard-charging editorial cartoonist Doug Marlette's accidental death yesterday.

His formal obituary is "Doug Marlette, 57; Cartoonist, Vocal Defender of Free Speech" By Patricia Sullivan, Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, July 11, 2007; Page B07.

An article that gives a better feel for his work is "The Cartoonist As Tenacious As Kudzu" By Linton Weeks, Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, July 11, 2007; C01.

The Post dropped Kudzu years ago, and I must confess to not missing it much. It had become a one-note strip, like MacNelly's Shoe before his death. But both men were still giants of the editorial cartoon page, and should be missed for their cartoons defending the little guy.

Macauley exhibit at National Building Museum

I stopped in quickly last week and saw this exhibit in the fantastic building near Judiciary Square. Macauley is best known for his architectural books, like Mosque, and this exhibit featured plenty of them. It's fourth section though had cartoons he did for Archeology magazine, and also for the book, Great Moments in Architecture. Macauley has a wry, whimsical style, and his architectural cartoons are fun and clever. Several large, fine quality prints of the cartoons are on display too - they're probably engravings, and really show the quality of his line.

July 12: Mike Carey book and comic signings REPOST

Randy T alerts us to the fact that Mike Carey will be in town signing his new novel, and presumably his comic books as well. He's got a busy day:

WASHINGTON, DC
July 12th

1:00pm – 2:00pm Big Planet Comics, Vienna
4:00pm – 5:30pm Big Monkey Comics
7:00pm Olsson’s, Court House

I'll probably go to the Olsson's which is close to my house.

Ok, I need help here. His website says he's writing Ultimate Fantastic Four and some X-Men title, but didn't he make his name writing for Vertigo? Which trades should I pick up at Big Planet?


UPDATED - suggestions included Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, Lucifer, My Faith in Frankie (I bought the comics), Ultimate Fantastic Four, the new God Save the Queen w/ John Bolton art, Re-Gifted, his Hellblazer run, the Werewolf by Night story in the Legion of Monsters one-shot and some others. I'm going with My Faith in Frankie - it's a cheap b&w trade, Re-Gifted since I bought it two weeks ago and haven't read it yet, the UFF because Big Planet had one on sale, and the Gaiman adaptation since I liked the novel adapted from the tv show well enough. Also I'll be buying the novel. I'll be at the Olssen's signing.

Badmonkeybrain comics collective in NoVa

Thanks to Randy T for the tip, we can read about it here - "Local comic book artists unite" by Monty Tayloe, Fairfax Times? 07/10/2007.

Politico's Matt Wuerker on AAEC

Matt Wuerker, staff cartoonist of the Politico has a story and video about the AAEC online NOW!

Postcards review in Bookslut

Colleen Mondor reviews DC-ite Jason Rodriguez's forthcoming anthology Postcards in Bookslut July 2007. I've got a proof copy thanks to Chris Shields that I will attempt to review here soon.

July 20-22 - Otakon 2007 in Baltimore

See "Otakon convention takes on Baltimore" by Tyler Waldman, Baltimore Towerlight 7/8/07 for more details on this anime and manga convention.

AAEC, CWA and animation bits and pieces UPDATED

A review of a new animated TV show, "Rick & Steve the Happiest Gay Couple in All the World," appeared in the Blade last week - "Logo's 'South Park': New animated show creates a gayer version of Comedy Central's cartoon hit" by BRIAN MOYLAN, Washington Blade Friday, July 06, 2007.

In the City Paper, Derf's strip is autobiographical from when he was a garbage man. He's done a whole comic on that which is worth reading.

Meanwhile Daryl Cagle, whom I saw but didn't get around to meeting, posted a report on his AAEC experience on his blog today. Also, South African cartoonist Zapiro's award from the Cartoonist Rights Netowrk is noted in "Zapiro's work draws bravery accolades."

The Washington Examiner has a small report in their gossip column on the Cartoonists with Attitude event at Borders. Jeff Dufour and Patrick Gavin wrote "Yeas & Nays : Cartoonists Weigh In On The President," Washington Examiner (July 9, 2007): 6, although I didn't notice either of them there. Also in the print version, but not online, is a recipe from Ratatouille, from and for Ratatouilee and sent by AP.

NPR reviews American U exhibit with 2 cartoonists

The exhibit's open through July 29th.

Ydstie, John. 2007.
Cartooning Bush and President Next
National Public Radio's Morning Edition (July 9).
Online at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11794366

For more than six years, President Bush has given political cartoonists plenty of fodder. But enough already. Some of them say they're ready to turn their pens on new targets.

An exhibit at American University in Washington, D.C., features cartoons of the Bush administration. John Ydstie tours "Bush Leaguers:Cartoonists Take on the White House" with Rex Babin of the Sacramento Bee and Mikhaela Reid, a freelancer whose work appears in alternative weeklies.

They talk about what it might be like to draw some of the possible presidential successors come 2009.