Superspam

Sometimes you get spam that makes it seem like spammers even target their audience...

Poe catalogue for Richmond exhibit is out

Tom Inge's got another very interesting museum catalogue out to go with his show on Edgar Allan Poe in the comics which just opened at the Poe Museum in Richmond. Click here and go halfway down the page to order The Incredible Mr. Poe: Comic Book Adaptations of the Works of Edgar Allan Poe 1943-2007.

Rob Ullman interview from a few months ago

Just ran across this interview with Rob by Paul Lukas from February. Presumably things haven't changed much. Savage Love is still less interesting without the illos.

Quesada appearance on Post chat wildly uninteresting

I guess I should have thought of some question, any question, that didn't have to do with Marvel's forthcoming movie slate. This wasn't Joe Quesada's fault - the participant's questions had nothing to do with running (and perhaps resurrecting - one can argue the point) a comic book company, and everything to do with one new hit movie. Here's the chat so you can judge for yourself:

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

Obituary for Arlington caricaturist

See "Scott A. Fertig, 41; Arlington Artist," By Yvonne Shinhoster Lamb, Washington Post Staff Writer, Tuesday, May 6, 2008; B08.

Marvel e-giveaway based on LoC's Spider-Man gift

This press release came out from Marvel:

Spider-Man's First Appearance Free On Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited

It's the story of a nerdy teenager bitten by a radioactive spider, gaining the proportionate strength and powers of a spider to become...the Amazing Spider-Man! Now, you can read this history-making story as the first appearance and origin of Spider-Man from Amazing Fantasy #15 is available for free for one week over at Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.

It was reported this week that the original artwork by Steve Ditko from Amazing Fantasy #15, the 1962 comic that introduced Spider-Man to the world, was anonymously donated to the Library of Congress. And now everyone can read this historic and heralded story for free for one week at Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.

For those fans who want to own the entire Stan Lee and Steve Ditko Spider-Man run in one gorgeous hardcover, be sure to pick up the Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus, now available at your local comic retailer

Subscribers to Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited can read through the first 100 issues of Amazing Spider-Man as well as other long runs of Marvel's greatest titles including the Uncanny X-Men and Fantastic Four, as well as current favorites including New Avengers and Astonishing X-Men to name just two of the countless titles subscribers can read.

Now offering over 3,500 titles to enjoy, Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited is the greatest collection of Marvel comics ever assembled online and the collection only gets bigger as over 25 new digital comics are added every week from Monday through Friday.

Be sure to head on over to Marvel.com and get into the action at Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.

Matt Wuerker's plane in Crystal City

Matt sent in this photograph last night. Cool!

Washington Times liked Iron Man too

See "Downey shows mettle in 'Man'", By Christian Toto Washington Times May 2, 2008, where they gave it 3 out of 4 stars.

NPG Herblock exhibit website

The extensive site was recommended by the Journalista today. It reproduces the art in the exhibit, but not the content of the computer kiosk. It's a good look at the exhibit for those who can't make it to DC as it's arranged like the exhibit is.

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 05-07-08

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 05-07-08
By John Judy

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #558 by Bob Gale and Barry Kitson. I really miss J. Michael Straczynski….

AMERICAN SPLENDOR SEASON TWO #2 of 4 by Harvey Pekar and Associates. It’s an all-personal growth issue starring the Elvis of autobiographical comics!

AVENGERS/INVADERS #1 of 12 by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Steve Sadowski. What Roy Thomas did in the seventies in four or five pages The Ross Machine’s going to do in 12 issues. Positive points: 1. The cover ink will not give you a rash. 2. By the time issue 12 comes out we’ll have a new President. 3….. Let me get back to you.

BOYS #18 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Wee Hughie vs. Blarney Cock, dead or alive! Not for kids. Recommended.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #14 by Drew Goddard and Georges Jeanty. It starts with a dead slayer and ramps up from there. Cool.

HOUSE OF MYSTERY #1 by Matthew Sturges, Bill Willingham, Luca Rossi, and Lotsa Guest Artists. You like stories? We got stories! Recommended!

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca. Just in time for the most awesome movie ever, the Golden Avenger gets a title that’s readable again. Really quite good on its own merits and maybe my favorite work by Matt Fraction yet. And that Larroca fella can scribble! Recommended! PS- Lotsa variant covers and related merchandise this week.

IRON MAN: VIVA LAS VEGAS #1 of 4 by Jon Favreau and Adi Granov. Written by the guy who directed the Greatest Movie of All Time! Hoo-hah!

LOGAN #3 of 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Eduardo Risso. The final issue of this rarity: A Wolverine series that does not suck. Smart script plus beautiful art equals “Recommended.”

MAN WITH NO NAME #1 by Christos Gage and Wellington Dias. The iconic Clint Eastwood spaghetti-western character has his own comic. Hear that whistling…?

MIGHTY AVENGERS #13 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. Watch out Skrulls! Nick Fury’s back and he’s got a new bunch of Howling Commandos! Some Avengers appear also.

QUESTION VOL. 2: POISONED GROUND SC by Dennis O’Neill and Denys Cowan. Collecting issues #7-12 of the adventures of the late Vic Sage. Great 80s comics. Recommended.

SECRET INVASION #2 of 8 by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu. Not so secret anymore! Big fights! De-Skrullification! Six more to go!

TOR #1 of 6 written and illustrated by Joe Kubert. Comics legend Kubert takes a fresh pass at his Silver-Age creation, a prehistoric man on a quest for answers. Gotta look!

X-FACTOR: QUICK AND THE DEAD #1 by Peter David and Pablo Raimondi. Separate from the main title this one focuses on how Quicksilver went bad/crazy. Or did he?

YOUNG X-MEN #2 by Marc Guggenheim and Yanick Paquette. If half these characters don’t turn out to be Skrulls I’m going to be very disappointed.

www.johnjudy.net

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.

Murakami exhibit reviewed in Post

The Murakami exhibit's in NYC, but here's the Post's excellent critic Blake Gopnik on it - "Toying With Catastrophe: Takashi Murakami Coats the Toxic Fruit of Consumer Culture With Bold, Playful Imagery," Washington Post Monday, May 5, 2008; C01.

Post's Style and Arts section goes to the cartoons

Three! articles in one section on comics:

1. Reggie Hudlin and BET with glances at Boondocks and Black Panther - "Channel Changer: Three Years Ago, Reggie Hudlin Came To Save a Troubled BET. But Has He?" By Teresa Wiltz, Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday, May 4, 2008; M01.

2. A glance at Oliphant's sculpture of Rumsfeld on display in Woodley Park - "Capturing a Hero for Posterity," by John Pancake, Washington Post May 4, 2008

3. Quesada on Marvel - "Now here we are. We're going to be producing our own stuff.": There's Nothing Mild-Mannered About Joe Quesada's Marvel Comics," by David Betancourt, Washington Post Sunday, May 4, 2008; M02.

and not on comics, but on visual art is this fascinating piece on the true colors of ancient statuary - "Correcting a Colorblind View of the Treasures of Antiquity," By Blake Gopnik, Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday, May 4, 2008; Page M01.

Zadzooks on Iron Man toys

See "Iron Man toys show evolution of his armor," By Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times May 3, 2008. Also, I believe Burger King is offering toys as well.

Richard's Poor Almanack annual Free Comic Book Day cartoon

See it on his blog.

I was at Hole in the Wall books in Vienna, VA and they had it posted. I mentioned it and they started wondering how he could get the life of a comic book store owner so accurate in the last bit of the cartoon.

TwoMorrows Free Comic Book Day includes free downloads

Not exactly Washington DC-centric, but a fine offer nonetheless...


This weekend, we're celebrating Free Comic Book Day by offering FREE publications, both in comic book stores worldwide, and online at www.twomorrows.com.

On Saturday, May 3, 2008, our new COMICS GO HOLLYWOOD publication will be available free of charge at comic book shops. This 32-page comic-size book was assembled exclusively for Free Comic Book Day by our regular magazine editors, and reveals secrets behind your favorite on-screen heroes, and what's involved in taking a character from the comics page to the big screen. It includes storyboards from DC's animated hit "The New Frontier" (courtesy of DRAW! magazine), JEPH LOEB on writing for both Marvel Comics and the Heroes TV show (courtesy of WRITE NOW! magazine), details of an unseen X-Men movie (courtesy of ALTER EGO magazine), a history of the Joker from his 1940s origins to his upcoming appearance in the Dark Knight film (courtesy of BACK ISSUE magazine), and a look at Marvel Universe co-creator Jack Kirby's Hollywood career, with extensive Kirby art (courtesy of my own JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR magazine).

This one-shot sampler of our magazine line is also available in print form free from our website (a shipping charge applies), or as a free downloadable Digital Edition just by logging in and adding it to your shopping cart, and checking out. Also, last year's FCBD publication, COMICS 101 (featuring how-to and history lessons from top comicsprofessionals) is also available for free in print or digital form at
www.twomorrows.com.

To give readers a chance to sample complete issues of our publications, we're again offering free downloadable Digital Editions of these recent issues of our magazines, only from May 3-4:

Alter Ego #65
Back Issue #21
Jack Kirby Collector #47
Write Now #14
Draw #12
Rough Stuff #3
BrickJournal Vol. 1, #9

We've also added several new Digital Editions of past issues of our magazines (each available for $2.95 per download), just in time for the FCBD event, and the newest episode of the TwoMorrows Tune-In podcast (hosted by Chris Marshall) has just debuted, featuring behind-the-scenes info on our upcoming publications.

So be sure to go to your local comics shop, and stop by our website and load up on free stuff!

Best regards,
John Morrow
TwoMorrows
10407 Bedfordtown Dr.
Raleigh, NC 27614
919-449-0344
fax 919-449-0327

Saw Iron Man tonight...

...and it was good. Fanboy city as I went with friends from work. It's a mish-mash of the Stane takeover of Stark International and Armor Wars and a lot of the Michelenie - Layton years which is when I really liked the comic. Robert Downie Jr. makes the movie though - with a less-talented actor, this would have been a snooze.

For the Post's take, see "'Iron Man' Shows Strength of Character," By Ann Hornaday, Washington Post Staff Writer, Friday, May 2, 2008; C01.

Legalize Free Comics!

http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=25&sid=1397009

As much as I suppose I should, as a DC-area resident, be more in tune to what a Congressional Resolution supporting Free Comic Book Day would mean in real life, it's pretty cool to see our pasttime/hobby/obsession getting that level of attention...

Comics Buzz in today's Examiner

The May 1st Virginia edition of The Examiner has a good handful of comics-oriented blurbs.

The top of page 5 has a piece about the the Ditko Spidey pages going to the Library of Congress.

The List: Your Guide to Weekend Arts & Entertainment points out Free Comic Book Day as #4 of the top 5 "Best Family" events for the weekend on page 17, listing the URL (www.freecomicbookday.com).

They also list the Herblock's Presidents exhibit as the Best Gallery exhibit (page 18).

And, of course, Iron Man is listed as Best Movie (p. 18).

Good to have a comics-friendly paper hereabouts!

Herblock exhibit blog article

I still haven't written my review, but another press conference attendee has done his - "Poking Fun at the Presidents," By Kenneth R. Fletcher for the Smithsonian Magazine's Around the Mall blog April 30, 2008.

Library of Congress blogs, Smithsonian blogs... it's a brave new world.

Wash Post on Iron Man movie backstory

See "Nerve Of Steel: To Pull Off the Making of 'Iron Man' Took Some Transformative Powers," by John Anderson, Washington Post Staff Writer, Thursday, May 1, 2008; C01.

Pretty good article - I like Robert Downey Jr. and I've got high enough hopes for this that I'm doing the geek thing and will be at the Uptown on Friday at 7 pm.

Semi-OT: Marc Weidenbaum on DJ Spooky in Nature

This one's stretching a little, but my friend and Viz Editor (and former Tower Records Pulse! comics editor) Marc Wiedenbaum's got a review of a new book by DJ Spooky, who was born in DC and has gone on to being, in Marc's words, "a centre-stage cultural figure — performer, composer, remixer, sound artist and activist." And it's in Nature!

See, if you can, Nature 453, 33-34 (1 May 2008); Published online 30 April 2008
An experimental musician explores how technology has transformed our cut-and-paste culture.
BOOK REVIEWED-Sound Unbound: Sampling Digital Music and Culture
edited by Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid
MIT Press: 2008. 416 pp (plus CD). $29.95, £17.95

Actually it's pretty interesting. I have little to no interest in the music that Spooky would be DJ'ing, but the concepts in the book sound intriguing.

OT: New York Times cartoon journalism on website

Cartoon journalism is one of those minor interests of mine, and somewhere I've got a bibliography of it floating around. For a new example, see the New York Times' "Primary Pen & Ink: Asheville, N.C." - Campbell Robertson, a reporter for The Times, and an occasional cartoonist, is talking to voters around North Carolina in the week leading up to the state’s primary on Tuesday. His reports will be presented in graphic form.

Wuerker takes flight

Matt Wuerker, cartoonist of The Politico, has painted a plane sculpture for Crystal Flight, in Crystal City, Arlington.

The event, running through is described on Crystal City's webpage:

In Spring 2008, Crystal City will celebrate its long-standing connection to flight when 50 airplane statues (25 fighter jets and 25 vintage planes) land on the streets of Crystal City. Each Crystal Flight plane is sponsored by an area business, designed and decorated by talented local artists, and then placed throughout Crystal City beginning April 2008. Aimed to attract visitors from all over, this series showcases
Crystal City's integral relationship with the concept of "Flight," as illustrated by the proximity to Washington National Airport and the local presence of the United States Air Force, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and more. Come see the fun, the creative, the whimsy.

There's also a map to the statues on that page. Matt's plane is right outside the subway station.

Kjscrafts describes Matt's plane as "This is a fun plane statue with an Uncle Sam looking pilot added to it. It red and white stripes on the body of the plane. The tail has a star and the word Politico (the sponsor for this particular statue)."

Anyone know if these will be for sale after the event? Anyone got a picture of Matt's plane?

Amazing Fantasy 15 - Library of Congress press release

The Library of Congress has issued a press release for the story we broke over a week ago, thanks to a casual conversation. Ahh, Washington - it's all in who you know...

Check out their blog post too, linked to further down in the press release. I grabbed two pictures from it, but there are a couple more.

(Photos from Library of Congress blog)
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

April 30, 2008

Press contact: Donna Urschel (202) 707-1639, durschel@loc.gov
Public contact: Sara W. Duke (202) 707-3630, sduk@loc.gov

Library of Congress Receives Original Drawings for the First Spider-man Story, “Amazing Fantasy #15”

In a deed of superheroic proportions, an anonymous donor has given the Library of Congress the original artwork by Steve Ditko for Marvel Comics’ “Amazing Fantasy #15” – the comic book that introduced Spider-Man in August 1962.

This unique set of drawings for 24 pages features the story of the origin of Spider-Man along with three other short stories – also written by Stan Lee and drawn by Steve Ditko – for the same issue: “The Bell-Ringer,” “Man in the Mummy Case” and “There Are Martians Among Us.”

“The donation of these wonderful drawings is a treasured gift to the American people. The opportunity to see the original art behind the published stories will benefit comic-book readers as well as popular-culture scholars,” said Sara W. Duke, curator of Popular and Applied Graphic Art in the Library’s Prints and Photographs Division. “Looking at the drawings inspires a new appreciation for the artist’s skill and design choices and also deepens our understanding of how a superhero created to attract a teenage audience became a cultural icon with mass appeal.”

For comic-book scholars and fans, this donation is a fantasy-come-true. Those who have heard the news of the survival of these drawings and their future availability at the Library of Congress have already expressed great excitement.

The black-and-white, large-format drawings (21 x 15 inches) detail the transformation of high school bookworm Peter Parker into Spider-Man. He is bitten by a radioactive spider, discovers his new powers and develops his now well-known disguise. The first episode concludes with several of the most famous lines attached to the story of Spider-Man: “With great power there must also come great responsibility … and so a legend is born and a new name is added to the roster of those who make the world of fantasy the most exciting realm of all.”

To view a sample of these drawings, visit the Library of Congress blog at http://www.loc.gov/blog/?p=290.

The donor, who has asked to remain anonymous, preserved the drawings with great care before turning to the Library of Congress to ensure that the designs will be available to researchers for generations to come. In the next few weeks, the Library plans to scan the drawings for easy access on-site in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, and the digital reference copies will also help preserve the fragile original artwork.

Appointments to view the original drawings can be requested through the Prints & Photographs Division’s “Ask a Librarian” service at http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ask-print.html.

The Spider-Man drawings join a premier collection of original cartoons in the Library’s Prints & Photographs Division. The collection includes more than 125,000 caricatures, comic strips, and political and social commentaries from the 1600s to the present. An ongoing program to preserve and exhibit drawings and to encourage cartoon research is sponsored by the Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon. For more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/swannhome.html.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, with more than 138 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats. As the world’s largest repository of knowledge and creativity, the Library is a symbol of democracy and the principles on which this nation was founded. Today the Library serves the U.S. Congress and the nation both on-site, in its 22 reading rooms on Capitol Hill, and through its award-winning Web site at www.loc.gov.

# # #

PR08-89

4/30/08

ISSN: 0731-3527

ICAF 2007 - Kyle Baker speaks

The International Comic Arts Forum was at the Library of Congress in 2007, and the Library routinely records events. The tapes of the event were given by ICAF to Michigan State University's Comic Art Collection, but I have a cd copy of them and was able to provide a mp3s of Kyle Baker speaking about his career for a researcher from the comix-scholars listserve, rather than putting Librarian Randy Scott to the effort of getting a tape duplicated. The tape was corrupted and had another program recorded over most of the first side of it - it picks up with Baker talking about when he was doing "King David." The second side moves onto "Nat Turner." The session ends with him answering semi-audible questions from the audience.

Baker's one of the best cartoonists working today in comic books today. I enjoy his work immensely (although I'm still disgruntled about how he and Andy Helfer abused my hero, The Shadow in the 1980s) and hearing him speak about it was a treat. Credit goes to Stanford Carpenter who booked him for ICAF.

Herblock 100th birthday book coming

I was fortunate enough to attend a preview of the National Portrait Gallery's new Herblock exhibit today - I'll post about that in the next day or so - and met Ms. Jean Rickard, Herb Block's Girl Friday for decades. She mentioned a project that the Herb Block Foundation is doing next year. It's a book about Herblock with DVDs of 16,000 of his cartoons included. The book includes a 4,000 word essay by Herblock's former colleague at the Post, Haynes Johnson. It comes out on his 100th birthday, October 13, 2009.

May 3: Free Comic Book Day offer from Hogan's Alley

One of the best general comics magazines is Hogan's Alley and I'm not saying that because I write for them once in a while. After all, they don't pay me. I'm saying it because it's true. And the editor Tom Heintjes is making an offer you can't refuse:

Mark your calendars for this Saturday, May 3: Free Comic Book Day! Send us an e-mail at hoganmag@gmail.com ON THAT DATE with your mailing address, and we’ll send you a FREE issue of Hogan’s Alley! No obligations, no strings attached; the only thing it will cost you is several hours as you enjoy the issue. (This offer is valid for all U.S. residents, whether you’re a current subscriber or not.) Remember the one condition--we must receive your e-mail request on Free Comic Book Day, not the day before or the day after.

Set your calendars now!

May 3: Free Comic Book Day signings

Randy T. had put this in a comment, but I think it's important enough to move it up into a post:

Pretty disappointed to see so few creator signings locally to coincide with this event (http://www.freecomicbookday.com/creator_signing.asp).

I did, however, notice that Matt Dembicki and Andrew Cohen will be signing at Beyond Comics in Gaithersburg, MD. I only found that since he was signing last year at Big Planet's Vienna, VA store and I figured he'd do so again this year, even though it's not on the creator signings listing at FCBD's web pages.

If you feel like traveling, though, try the following:

Cards, Comics & Collectibles in Reisterstown, MD is having Jimmy Gownley (Amelia Rules!), Steve Conley (Star Trek), and John Gallagher (Buzzboy).

Collector's Corner in Parkville, MD is having Michael S. Bracco (Novo), Tony Calandra (No-One!), Pat Carlucci (Marvel Masterpieces), Ver Curtis (Moonstone Comics), Kata Dales (Lost in the Woods), J.D. Dracoules (Trailer Park of Terror), G.W. Fisher (Shadowhawk), Nathan Getz (No-One!), Ross Kerr (Lost in the Woods), Sunny Lee (Gen 13) [tentative], Chris March (Trailer Park of Terror), H.C. Noel (Mr. Scootles), and Frank Zeigler (Waki & Rusty).

Super Villains Inc. in Nottingham, MD is having Greg LaRocque (Legion of Super-Heroes), Arvid Nelson (Rex Mundi), and Jeff Parker (Marvel Adventures: Iron Man – FCBD 2008 Ed.)

And Washington Street Books in Havre de Grace, MD is having Chelsea Carr (Baltimore Betty), Greg Cox (Star Trek), and Gale Heimbach (Green Hornet).

Keith Knight coming to Washington Post

In his newsletter's latest mailing, Keith wrote that his new strip will be appearing in the Washington Post, and went into more details:

Finally!! I can now blab all I want about the top secret project I've been working on these past 9 months (the OTHER 9 month project)..

*INTRODUCING "THE KNIGHT LIFE"..
The Knight Life is the new daily strip being syndicated by United Features Syndicate!! It's premiering on Monday, May 5th (Cinco De Mayo AND National Cartoonist's Day)!!

Honestly, folks. This is a dream come true. This is what I dreamt about as a kid. It's the big leagues. I want to thank everybody who has supported my work over the years. I hope you will continue to support it as it grows and expands like an American waistline.

FAQs-
WHAT'S "THE KNIGHT LIFE" ABOUT?

It's autobiographical like the K Chronicles. But different. It has to be, because of the format. It's a much more character-driven strip.

Sundays will be a combination of reformatted K Chronicles and new stuff-- all in sparkling, vibrant color!!

WHERE IS IT RUNNING?

It's starting up in a few choice places (Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, Detroit,the Washington Post and more) , but not enough places. THAT'S WHERE YOU COME IN!!

HOW CAN I GET "THE KNIGHT LIFE" IN MY LOCAL PAPER?

I need everybody to send a polite email, letter, or make a phone call to your local newspaper editor and kindly request that they consider adding "the Knight Life" to their comics page. You can tell 'em that the artist won a 2007 Harvey Award for Best Comic Strip, and that their circulation will quadruple if they add it. Don't threaten. Don't nag. Don't be too harsh about other strips.It may back fire. Please be nice.

Newspapers will sometimes ask their readers directly about the comics page. Others sometimes do a test run of strips. The Sacramento Bee and the Contra Costa Times will be testing the Knight Life for a week or two, so if you're up for it, hit 'em with good feedback after they start running it. Remember: AFTER IT APPEARS IN THE PAPER!! I'll be sending an email out about it.

I'm hoping that it's not just another "Doonesbury"-temporary-replacement-test-strip as Keith does some of the best comic strip work today. I buy his books regularly and last year at the Small Press Expo bought a piece of original art. You can find more information on the new strip in this press release and at the United Features site.

Comics in strange places

Today was the Folger Shakespeare Library's celebration of Big Will's birthday (which was actually last Wednesday). The Library opened their reading rooms to the public so I took a look and found this chair (or throne as the case may be):


The image of Shakespeare is purported to be by or "attributed to" William Hogarth.



Comics, comics, everywhere...

Michigan comic retailer injured in robbery, needs financial help

Joel Pollack of Big Planet Comics writes in with this link - David Pirkola needs help. More details on the story are at "Shooting of comic-book store owner stuns friends," By Dave Murray, The Grand Rapids Press Sunday, April 27, 2008.

May 4: Comics on WAMU

Herschel Kanter writes in:

WAMU's old time radio program, The Big Broadcast, is going to have comics on the radio (May 4th, apparently as the schedule listed is off by a week). You can listen online.

http://wamu.org/programs/bb/08/04/#2008-04-27

8:30p Sad Sack
06/12/46 1st Show of the Series (26:17)

9:00p Archie Andrews
07/06/46 Archie Fights the Masked Marvel (Sus.)(NBC) (29:30)

9:30p Mark Trail
10/23/50 Sticks of Fear (Kellogg's Corn Flakes)(MBS)(29:38)

10:00p Superman
12/10/49 Mystery of the Mechanical Monster (Sus.)(ABC)(29:32)

10:30p
The Nebbs 10/22/45 Fannie & George Switch Jobs (KHJ/MBS)(Cystex)(29:39)

Zadzooks on NY Comic Con

Living legends of comics win Comic Con honors, By Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times April 26, 2008.

May 3: Free Comic Book Day

April 25, 2008 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

National Free Comic Book Day Hits Saturday, May 3rd

A Big Day for a Booming Industry

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 3rd, the day after Paramount's Iron Man hits theaters, thousands of comic book retailers across North America and around the world will share the magic of comics with their customers when they distribute millions of comic books free of charge during the seventh consecutive Free Comic Book Day.

Comic industry heavyweights Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, and Marvel Comics are among the many publishers and manufacturers creating special titles for this year’s Free Comic Book Day. The free books appeal to a broad range of reader tastes, from exciting super-hero adventures for all ages to cutting-edge graphic fiction for older, more mature readers.

“We are thrilled to be a part of Free Comic Book Day for the seventh year in a row,” said Marvel President and Publisher Dan Buckley. “This is the best opportunity retailers have to actually increase readers and customers to their stores and each year has been more successful than the last. This event is about celebrating creative expression and the unique art form it represents.”

This year’s Free Comic Book Day is particularly special because it coincides with two major comic-related happenings: the eagerly awaited opening weekend of Paramount's Iron Man and National Cartoonists Day (a celebration sponsored by the National Cartoonists Society, the world's largest and most prestigious organization of professional cartoonists). All three events promise to make this first weekend in May a memorable one for comic-lovers everywhere.

To find a store in your area and to learn more about Free Comic Book Day go to http://www.freecomicbookday.com.

Wash Post reviews Might B cartoon

"'Mighty B!': A Very Animated Heroine," By Jennifer Frey, Washington Post Staff Writer, Saturday, April 26, 2008; C07 gives it a thumbs up. Of course, you've already missed it this morning.

Editorial cartoonist Nate Beeler spawns more than vitriolic wit

Nate and his wife Eve have a new son, Maxwell (Max) Owen Beeler as of April 18th. Congratulations, folks! I knew this was imminent, and was watching the Examiner to see if a whole week went by without one of Nate's cartoons, but I'm not sure if he skipped or not. I think he might have, but he had at least one in the week after Max was born - now that's a true cartoonist. Or freelancer. I get confused sometime.

KAL channel on youtube

KAL wrote in to say he now has "a channel on Youtube. It is the best way to view all the new Kal animations and movies including the most recent 3-D film featuring Hillary and Obama. Coming this week... a film discusses drawing Bill Clinton."

It's www.youtube.com/politicalcartoons

His existing website is www.kaltoons.com

OT: Comic Art Indigène: There were cartoons before the Sunday Comics and Super Heroes before the Super Man

This press release came in this morning and sounds interesting, so even though it's not DC...

Comic Art Indigène: There were cartoons before the Sunday Comics and Super Heroes before the Super Man
May 11, 2008 – January 4, 2009


Santa Fe, NM—Storytelling has long been a part of Native American culture. Comic Art Indigène which opens at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture on May 11, 2008 looks at how storytelling has been used through comics and comic inspired art to express the contemporary Native American experience. Under the larger definition of narrative art, comic art is more related to Native American art traditions than one might expect. The earliest surviving examples of such narrative art is rock art. The historic examples used in the exhibition, such as photographs of rock art, ledger art, and ceramics are meant to link Native American art traditions with contemporary voices.

Making comics and producing art inspired by them is a method of reclaiming the narrative art form of comics and Native American culture from those who would dismiss an art for the masses. Today, Native American artists are reclaiming stereotypes used in earlier comic art depicting Indians as savage, war-like primitives or trusty sidekicks.

Two-fisted tales of suspense showcasing fantastic heroes and villains interacting with gods old and new have always been a part of Native American Culture. As the first widely accessible mass media, comic strips, and comic books, were consumed by Indian people as a recognizable and legitimate form of storytelling. Stories of humor, adventure and the fantastic depicted through pictures have always been an indigenous practice. Today’s Native American scribes grapple with the same topics emboldened with millennia-old cultural traditions, blended with new methods of expression and life in the 21st Century.

The exhibition begins with a photograph of a cartoon from the 13th century. The image of the red, white and blue pictograph of the All American Man, a shield carrying warrior from the Pueblo II period (carbon dated to ca. 1290) will be contrasted to a drawing of that other red, white and blue shield hurling hero, Captain America. The most recent works will be from 2008. The majority of Indian art will be from 1990 to the present day.

Comic Art Indigène examines how American Indian artists articulate identity, reclaim stereotypes, worldview, politics, and culture through the kinetic expression of sequential art. Inspired by this unique medium, using its icons, tropes and dynamism, this is a new world of American Indian art, full of the brash excitement first seen on newsprint a century ago, sometimes unrefined, even crude at times, but never sterile.

A reception hosted by the Women’s Board of the Museum of New Mexico will be held on Sunday, May 11, 2008 beginning at 2:00 p.m.

Opening events on Sunday, May 11th , from 1-4pm include a drum group, artist roundtable, gallery tours, costume contest, and family activities including; make your own comic or ledger art, create your superhero emblem, and more.

Also opening the same day will be Bare Nation, an exhibition in the Doris and Arnold Roland Sculpture Garden of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture created by senior students from the Institute of American Indian Art.


Exhibit Website: http://miaclab.org/ComicArt/
Museum Website: www.miaclab.org


###

Located on Museum Hill™, the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture shares the beautiful Milner Plaza with the Museum of International Folk Art. Here, Now and Always, a major permanent exhibition at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, combines the voices of living Native Americans with ancient and contemporary artifacts and interactive multimedia to tell the complex stories of the Southwest. The Buchsbaum Gallery displays ceramics from the region’s pueblos. Five changing galleries present exhibits on subjects ranging from archaeological excavations to contemporary art. In addition, an outdoor sculpture garden offers rotating exhibits of works by Native American sculptors.

The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Information for the Public
Location: The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture is located on Museum Hill™, Camino Lejo off Old Santa Fe Trail.
Information: 505-476-1250 or visit www.indianartsandculture.org
Days/Times: Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day the Museum is also open on Monday.

Admission: School groups free. Children 16 and under free. New Mexico residents with ID free on Sundays. New Mexico resident Senior Citizens (age 60+) with ID free Wednesdays. Museum Foundation members free. NM Veterans with 50% or more disability free. Students with ID $1 discount. Single visit to one museum: $8.00 for non-state residents; $6.00 for New Mexico residents. Four-day pass to five museums including state-run museums in Santa Fe plus The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art $18.00. One-day pass for two museums (Museum of International Folk Art and Museum of Indian Arts and Culture OR New Mexico Museum of Art and Palace of the Governors) $12.00. Group rate for ten or more people: single visit $6.00, four day pass $16.00.

Media Contacts:
Antonio Chavarria, Curator of Ethnology
505-476-1253
antonio.chavarria@state.nm.us

Steve Cantrell, PR Manager
505-476-1144
505-310-3539 – cell
steve.cantrell@state.nm.us

McCloud's theory influences fine art painter

When talking about "Four Months: Paintings by Deena Feigelson Margolis,", the conceptual installation by the Baltimore encaustic painter exhibit at the McLean Project for the Arts in the art center's Atrium Gallery, in his article "Artists Wax Eloquent in an Ancient Medium, Michael O'Sullivan (Washington Post Staff Writer, Friday, April 25, 2008; WE45) notes that she was influenced by Scott McCloud in the sidebar, "The Story Behind the Work". He writes:

The idea for Deena Feigelson Margolis's "Four Months," an abridged version of the artist's 2007 attempt to make a painting a day for six months, first came after reading Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art."

What jumped out at her about the 1993 work, written in the sequential form of a comic book, was the author's discussion of "the relationship of the frame to the spaces between the frames," Margolis says. In other words, in visual storytelling, what's left unsaid is just as important as what's said.

Pretty neat!

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-30-08

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-30-08
By John Judy

ADAM STRANGE ARCHIVES, VOL. 3 HC by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, Murphy Anderson, and Others. Strange Adventures and Mysteries in Space from 1963-1967! Appropriate for all ages! Jet-packs and zap guns galore! Recommended.

BLACK SUMMER #6 by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp. If you wish to promote your comic and are given a choice between posting info on Avatar Press’s website or standing on a crowded subway platform and shouting yourself hoarse, make sure you purchase a monthly pass. Recommended. Not for kids.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER OMNIBUS, VOL. 4 SC by Various Creators. It’s 368 pages of serious slayage by the likes of Eric Powell, Christopher Golden, Ryan Sook, and “Buffy” TV scribe Doug Petrie! C’mon, that bookshelf looks sturdy!

THE COMPLETE CHESTER GOULD’S DICK TRACY, VOL. 4 HC by Chester Gould, plus an intro by Max Alan Collins and article by Mike Price. Collecting 500 strips from July 1936 through January 1938. This is what they were reading before Superman came along, kids. Recommended.

THE COMPLETE GREEN LAMA FEATURING THE ART OF MAC RABOY HC by Mac Raboy and Others. “Om Mani Padme Hum!” It’s the first four issues of the Tibetan Buddhist super-hero from World War Two! GL seems to be enjoying a revival lately courtesy of Dark Horse, Alex Ross, and trademark expiration. Why not see what started it all? Good for all ages. Recommended for fans of Raboy’s more famous work on CAPTAIN MARVEL JUNIOR. (He was Elvis’s favorite! Seriously!)

DAREDEVIL: BLOOD OF THE TARANTULA #1 by Ed Brubaker, Ande Barks, and Chris Samnee. The barely reformed Black Tarantula wants to clean up Hell’s Kitchen but that’s even harder than it sounds. It’s Brubaker so ya gotta look.

DC: UNIVERSE ZERO by Tons o’ People including Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, George Perez and more! Billions of supes for only fifty cents! What a bargain!

EX MACHINA #36 by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. The Republican National Convention is coming to New York and Mayor Hundred must deal with a new female super-hero who has a problem with that. “Oh, Hillary…!”

GIANT SIZE AVENGERS/INVADERS #1 by Roy Thomas and Many, Many Artists. It’s a huge slab of re-print material but lots of fun, almost certainly more so than the 12-issue maxi-series from Alex Ross and Friends is likely to be.

GREEN LANTERN #30 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. The secret origin of Hal Jordan continues!

IMMORTAL IRON FIST #14 by Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, and David Aja. Wrapping up all the convoluted story-lines with a huge kung-fu fight. Cue the Carl Douglas!

NEW AVENGERS #40 by Brian Michael Bendis and Jim Cheung. It’s Skrully!

THOREAU AT WALDEN HC by John Porcellino. A graphic adaptation of Thoreau’s writings by the creator of KING-CAT COMICS AND STORIES, published by the always inspirational Center for Cartoon Studies. This one’s already getting good reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal. Teens and up. Recommended.

ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 of 4 by Warren Ellis and Cary Nord. Ultimate Hulk and Iron Man punch the guy with the big head. Excelsior!

And don’t forget Free Comic Book Day next Saturday May 3rd!

www.johnjudy.net

Jim Toomey at NOAA in Silver Spring

Jim Toomey's been running comic strips this week about finning sharks - see "Cartoonist draws on fame to help plight of sharks: ‘Sherman’s Lagoon’ creator meets with experts at NOAA for awareness campaign," by Agnes Jasinski | Staff Writer, Montgomery Gazette April 23 2008.

OT: April 27: Meet Author & Illustrator Tedd Arnold

Meet Author & Illustrator Tedd Arnold

Sunday, April 27 at 1:30 p.m.

Attention early readers! Tedd Arnold, author and illustrator of the humorous, award-winning and easy-to-read Fly Guy series, will read and talk about his newest book, Fly Guy #5: Fly High, Fly Guy! Other titles in the series include There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Fly Guy; Shoo, Fly Guy!; Super Fly Guy; and Hi! Fly Guy. Mr. Arnold also is author of Parts; More Parts; Even More Parts; Five Ugly Monsters; No Jumping On the Bed!; and No More Water in the Tub!

Ages 4-7. Please call to register.


Alina Gawlik
Aladdin's Lamp Children's Books and Other Treasures
2499 N. Harrison St.
Arlington, VA 22207
Tel 703-241-8281
Fax 703-241-8283
Email: aladlamp@speakeasy.net

STORE HOURS: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, & Saturday 10 am to 6 pm, Tuesday & Thursday 10 am to 8 pm, Sunday 11 am to 5 pm

Zadzooks video of New York ComicCon

You can see video of Stan Lee and Mike Mignola on Zadzook's Washington Times website.

May 8: KAL at National Archives

Thursday, May 8, at 7 p.m.
William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives, 9th and Pennsylvania Ave, NW
An Evening with Kevin "KAL" Kallaugher: Moving Political Cartoons from Page to Screen

Tonight, Berryman Award–winning editorial cartoonist Kevin "KAL" Kallaugher will present an illustrated lecture tracing the evolution of political cartoons from two-dimensional print to 3D animation. Kallaugher's work for the Baltimore Sun and the Economist has appeared in more than 100 publications worldwide. In 2007 he launched Kaltoons LLC, which pioneered the development of animated, 3D digital caricatures. Kaltoons' first video, Dancin' Dubya, was released on the web in August 2007. A signing of his latest collection of cartoons, KAL Draws Criticism, published in June 2006, will follow the program.

Amazing Fantasy #15 original Spider-Man artwork given to Library of Congress

The first appearance of Spider-Man, an 11-page story which includes his origin, now belongs to the American people. According to curator Sara Duke, an anonymous donor has given the 24 pages of original interior artwork from Amazing Fantasy #15 to the Library of Congress' Prints and Photographs division. The artwork, drawn by Steve Ditko and written by Stan Lee, first appeared in print in 1962, and is in good shape. The art has some whiteout where features of the women were modified, apparently not by Ditko, as well as pasteup word balloons. According to Sara, who called it a "lovely and generous gift," the donor checked with Ditko before donating it, and was told that since the story was a gift to him (although not from Ditko), he could do what he liked with it. The donor declined to have it appraised when giving it to the Library so the actual value of the gift is unknown, although certainly in the six figures range. Three other non-superhero stories were in the book - "The Bell-Ringer", "Man in the Mummy Case", "There are Martians among us!" - and were also donated.

Sara hopes that the Library's collection of comic book art will continue to grow with similar donations since they can't afford to buy them.

The donation has been given the accession number 2008.043. All unprocessed collections require an access to unprocessed collections request form to be filled out prior to making an appointment to see art: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/info/022_unpr.html

Members of the press should contact Donna Urschel in the Public Affairs Office, 202-707-1639.

This post has been corrected from an earlier version.

Evanier on Kirby reviewed by Rosenberg

See "Other Worlds: 'Kirby: King of Comics'," by Scott Rosenberg, online at Express April 23, 2008.

Another article on KAL's new tour

See "Cartoonist, troupe join forces for political satire," by Matt Ehlers, Staff Writer, News and Observer April 23 2008

Newspaper Guild Herbert Block Freedom Award

Dave Astor in "Another Award for Reporters Who Exposed Walter Reed Scandal," E&P Online, April 22, 2008, notes

"BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston will receive the Newspaper Guild Herbert Block Freedom Award. That honor is named after renowned Washington Post editorial cartoonist Herblock (1909-2001)."

A rare Mike non-acquistion

In the "Who buys these things?" arena, Second Story Books on Dupont Circle has the following:





"What are they?" you might ask. I did. They're Les Daniels' Batman and Superman histories with Alex Ross covers, bound in leather and unsigned, and costing $150 each at Second Story Books. I imagine they're still there, no matter when you read this.

Pekar book status update

The page proofs came yesterday so now I've got a pile of reading and Randy Scott's got a lot of indexing to do for the book. We've got 3 weeks to get things turned around.

Beaty on Hajdu's 10-Cents

Bart Beaty's written the first of three responses to David Hajdu's 10-Cent Plague. Bart did much of his research for his book on Wertham at the Library of Congress while living off Dupont Circle one summer, and I was able to provide him one article on Psychology of Comics that he hadn't previously seen.

Dilbert's new website covered in Post

See "Dilbert Cartoonist Challenges Readers To Outdo Punch Lines," by Mike Musgrove, Washington Post Staff Writer, Tuesday, April 22, 2008; Page D02.

PR: Cartoonist Jen Sorensen Releases New Book

Cartoonist Jen Sorensen Releases New Book

Source: Ig Publishing Press Release



For Immediate Release
April 20, 2008

Contact:
Robert Lasner
robert (at) igpub.com
(718) 797-0676

Interview requests:
Nettie Hartsock
Nettie (at) nettiehartsock.com

"Sly, quick and smart, Jen Sorensen's comic strip is nothing like its name. So don't be deceived -- Slowpoke is going places."
— Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau

Jen Sorensen, creator of the award-winning comic "Slowpoke" which appears in the Village Voice and other newsweeklies around the country, has released a new collection of her cartoons entitled Slowpoke: One Nation, Oh My God!

She kicks off her book tour on the West Coast this week with cartoon slideshows in Berkeley, Portland, and Seattle, followed by East Coast dates in New York City and Philadelphia.

The collection includes 150 of Sorensen's provocative strips and an introduction by "Tom the Dancing Bug" creator Ruben Bolling. Deploying the trademark Slowpoke brand of absurdist humor, One Nation, Oh My God! covers everything from the Antique Ideology Roadshow to the rise of virtual donuts.

"This is not just another quirky cartoon book," says Sorensen. "One Nation, Oh My God! is packed with commentary for every strip and chock full of devastatingly sophisticated and accurate political analysis. It also answers all your questions about tube socks and teledildonics."

Sorensen adds, "This book will make you wonder what a complete tool like Bill Kristol is doing on the New York Times op-ed pages instead of, well, me."

Jen's cartoons and blog can be found online at www.slowpokecomics.com

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

"Jen Sorensen is a maniacal genius, gleefully exposing the mendacity which lurks behind conventional wisdom, glib newscasters, celebrity culture, Republican doublespeak, and other ills of our age. I can't recommend her work highly enough."
— Tom Tomorrow, creator of This Modern World

"In a world that seems to get murkier by the minute, Slowpoke is a freakin' beacon of lucidity."
— Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home

"Boot-stompingly funny and progressively pointed. It skewers the bastards!"
—Jim Hightower, best-selling author and radio commentator

ABOUT JEN SORENSEN

Sorensen is one of the most widely-published female political cartoonists working today. In addition to the Village Voice, her comics and illustrations have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Ms. Magazine, The American Prospect, Legal Affairs, Funny Times, Cagle's Cartoon Index, CampusProgress.org, Nickelodeon Magazine, and dozens of alt-weeklies. She has given presentations at the first annual ACLU convention, the Center for American Progress, the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. Her work has won a Xeric Grant and first place in the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies Awards.

Jen has been drawing Slowpoke for nearly ten years. She currently lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

BOOK TOUR

Sorensen will present her cartoons, sign books, and draw funny pictures at the following locations. Other top alt-weekly cartoonists are joining her at various stops.

4/22 – BERKELEY: Cody's Books with "Troubletown" creator Lloyd Dangle, 7pm

4/25 – PORTLAND: Powell’s on Burnside with "Idiot Box" creator Matt Bors, 7:30pm

4/26 & 4/27 – PORTLAND: Stumptown Comics Fest (at table, no presentation)

4/29 – SEATTLE: University Bookstore, U District, 7pm

5/14 – NYC: The Tank with "Tom the Dancing Bug" creator Ruben Bolling, 8pm

6/4 – PHILADELPHIA: Robin's Bookstore, 6pm

PUBLICATION INFO

Based in Brooklyn, NY, Ig Publishing is an independent press dedicated to publishing original literary fiction, and progressive political and cultural nonfiction.

Slowpoke: One Nation, Oh My God! by Jen Sorensen
Trade Paperback • $13.95 • 168 pages • 8”x 9.5”
ISBN 978-0978843168 • April 10, 2008
Published by Ig Publishing, Brooklyn, NY • www.igpub.com

Comic book creator Jim Dougan writes in

Jim Dougan's allowed me to reprint his email to me, because he's done a lot of work and provided links for it.

"I thought you might be interested to know that there's another comics creator in Washington, DC.

In 2006, I self-published the DC-based comedy graphic novella CRAZY PAPERS, drawn by Danielle (GIRLS WITH SLINGSHOTS) Corsetto, which you can buy at Big Planet, Fantom
Comics which carries the book at both the Tenleytown and Union Station locations (Matt Klokel has been a strong supporter of CP) or Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Papers-Jim-Dougan/dp/097778780X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208183405&sr=8-1

It was reviewed fairly well in a variety of places, and even Tom Spurgeon didn't hate it. I was also interviewed by Arion Berger in the Washington Post Express in October 2006, but that's only available as a PDF, so I'll spare you.

Reviews, updates and other things can be found at my LiveJournal:

http://chatterbox-dc.livejournal.com

I was also one of the founding members of the comics collective THE CHEMISTRY SET (http://www.chemsetcomics.com).

At the Chemistry Set, you can see my stories, most of which have appeared in Desperado Publishing's NEGATIVE BURN anthology.

VULTURE GULCH: A LITTLE FRIENDLY ADVICE
Drawn by Eric Kim
Appeared in NEGATIVE BURN #7

http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/vulture-gulch/vulture-gulch-a-little-friendly-advice/

COME THE DAWN
Drawn by Hyeondo Park
Appeared in NEGATIVE BURN #8

http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/other-stories/come-the-dawn/

REST STOP
Co-written with Dean Haspiel, Drawn by Michel Fiffe
Appeared in NEGATIVE BURN #9

http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/other-stories/rest-stop/
THE GENTLEMAN
Drawn by Umberto Torricelli
Appeared in NEGATIVE BURN #16

http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/other-stories/the-gentleman/
OSCAR CHAVEZ, MACHISMO MONITOR
Drawn by Roger Langridge (yes, THAT Roger Langridge)
Appeared in NEGATIVE BURN #18

http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/other-stories/machismo-monitor/

THE BIG FAT NOON
Drawn by Michel Fiffe

http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/vulture-gulch/vulture-gulch-the-big-fat-noon/

HOW I LOST MY S#?! AT THE APPLE STORE
Drawn by Molly Lawless (from Northern VA!)
Currently continuing, in process…

Page 1:

http://www.chemsetcomics.com/2008/04/15/how-i-lost-my-s-at-the-apple-store-page-one/

Page 2:

http://www.chemsetcomics.com/2008/04/22/how-i-lost-my-sh-at-the-apple-store-page-two/

I'm the editor of the first volume of the print collection from the site, entitled NO FORMULA, which will be published by Desperado Publishing, and will be in the June Previews for release in August of this year. Keep an eye out!

Oh, and last and certainly not least, my comic SAM & LILAH, (a romance/adventure set in DC) drawn by Hyeondo Park, was in the March 2008 Zuda competition, and can be seen here:

http://www.zudacomics.com/node/320

We came in 4th, but announced immediately thereafter we would be taking S&L to ACT-I-VATE, the webcomics site started by Dean Haspiel and others, in May:

http://www.activatecomix.com

This weekend at NYCC, I was at the Zuda panel, did signings at the DC booth, etc. I may even submit something else down the road.

Whew! There's more in the works, but this is all for now."

I'll be picking up his book at Big Planet tomorrow. Support your local inkslinger!

Herblock exhibit - National Portrait Gallery press release

"Herblock's Presidents: 'Puncturing Pomposity'" Opens at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery May 2

As the nation moves toward electing its 44th president, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery is opening an exhibition of the political cartoons of Herbert Lawrence Block (1909-2001), known by the pen name "Herblock." In "Herblock's Presidents: 'Puncturing Pomposity,'" 40 political cartoons demonstrate the witty, biting humor of the cartoonist who appeared in American newspapers for more than seven decades.

(Media-Newswire.com) - As the nation moves toward electing its 44th president, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery is opening an exhibition of the political cartoons of Herbert Lawrence Block ( 1909–2001 ), known by the pen name "Herblock." In "Herblock's Presidents: 'Puncturing Pomposity,'" 40 political cartoons demonstrate the witty, biting humor of the cartoonist who appeared in American newspapers for more than seven decades. The cartoons featured in the exhibition were selected from the collections of the Library of Congress. The exhibition demonstrates that none of the 11 presidents who held office during his career escaped his criticism. "Herblock's Presidents: Puncturing Pomposity" will be on view through Nov. 30.

"There are many talented political cartoonists today, some of whom are included in the National Portrait Gallery's collection," said Carolyn K. Carr, acting director of the National Portrait Gallery. "However, Herblock remains unmatched in his ability to craft a subtle visual metaphor."

Herblock's cartoons were never ambivalent or balanced but always expressive of a distinct political point of view; they were always clear in meaning and direct in expression. Herblock's first political cartoon appeared in the Chicago Daily News in1929. He was an editorial cartoonist with the Newspaper Enterprise Association from 1933 to 1943 and, after serving in the army, joined The Washington Post in 1946. Maintaining editorial independence for most of his newspaper career, Herblock won three Pulitzer Prizes in 1942, 1954 and 1979 and shared one more with the Washington Post in 1973 for its coverage of Watergate. Also, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994. Besides the cartoons, Herblock's awards—including his first Pulitzer Prize—and his drawing tools also will be exhibited.

The exhibition includes his depictions of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. While Herblock was generally unsympathetic to Republican presidents, Democrats such as Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton did not escape his wrath. He consistently attacked any president he felt was insensitive to the "underdog." The show offers a rare opportunity for visitors to see how one of America's greatest political cartoonists viewed the American presidency for much of the 20th century.

An additional element of the exhibition is a computer touch screen that will allow visitors to further explore Herblock's presidents. These virtual digital images are organized along such topics as presidential scandals, domestic policy and war.

The exhibition was organized by Sidney Hart, historian at the National Portrait Gallery.

This exhibition has been made possible by a generous grant from The Herb Block Foundation.

The National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery tells the stories of America through the individuals who have shaped its culture. Through the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists who speak American history.

The National Portrait Gallery opened to the public in 1968. The museum's collection of nearly 20,000 works includes paintings, sculpture, photographs, drawings and new media. Located at Eighth and F streets N.W., Washington, D.C., it is open every day, except Dec. 25, from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Smithsonian information: ( 202 ) 633-1000; ( 202 ) 633-5285 ( TTY ). Web site: www.npg.si.edu.

New Flugennock cartoon!

DC's own anarchist cartoonist is at it again - see "Mike Flugennock Presents Another Damn' Election Cartoon," by Mike Flugennock, Monday Apr 21st, 2008 4:36 PM. I just love his stuff - and unfortunately this one is right on target.

Hatfield and Fischer - Siskel and Ebert? Nah.

My buddies Charles Hatfield and Craig Fischer are interviewed by Chris Mautner in "Everyone's A Critic: An interview with the Thought Balloonist guys," Sunday April 20, 2008.

Earth Day in the comic strips

King Features Syndicate cartoonists did Earth Day strips today. Dave Astor's got the story.

In the Washington Post, one can see Mutts (themed strips all week since last Sunday), On the Fastrack, Curtis, Hagar the Horrible, Amazing Spider-Man (just a blurb), Blondie, Mark Trail, Dennis the Menace, The Family Circus, Frazz, Mother Goose and Grimmm, Sally Forth, Beetle Bailey, Zits, Prickly city, Judge Parker, Baby Blues and Zippy the Pinhead.

In the Washington Times, one can see Crock, Mallard Fillmore and Bizarro. Funky Winkerbean just had a sign on the school's notice board for its Earth Day strip.

April 26: Big Planet Comics Iron Man Movie Party

Joel Pollack writes in about a...

Big Planet Comics Iron Man Movie Party

Join us Saturday April 26th at 3:00 pm in our Bethesda store for an Iron Man Movie party. We will be giving away many prizes to celebrate what looks to be an awesome movie. We will be holding a homemade Iron Man Costume Contest, and an Iron Man Trivia Contest. Prizes will be awarded to every participant who enters the contests, and a Grand Prize will be awarded to the overall winner. Actually making an Iron Man costume will count heavily towards winning the Grand Prize. Children are especially encouraged to make costumes. And everyone who shows up to the party will get something. Test your Iron Man knowledge in our trivia contest, or just come hang out and watch everyone have a great time.

Prizes will include Iron Man Movie Posters, Iron Man Toys, Iron Man comics, Big Planet Gift Certificates, and an Iron Man Statue.

The Grand Prize will be:

· A VIP Row for the winner and 10 friends to the Washington DC advance screening of IRON MAN on Tuesday, April 29, and the official IRON MAN video game for XBOX 360.


Saturday April 26th 3:00 pm

Big Planet Bethesda

4908 Fairmont Ave.

301.654.6856

www.bigplanetcomics.com

Kevin Rechin's latest work

Kevin did the maps for the Newseum (which I haven't seen, but they aren't cartoons), and he's now doing cartoons ads for Lottery for the subway station at the new Nationals ballpark. Hopefully he'll let me know when they're up because I won't be at that station for any other reason.

Washington Times on Hajdu's Ten-Cent Plague

See "When nation fought its war against comic books," By Stephen Goode, Washington Times April 20, 2008.

June 28: Crafty Bastards fair in Silver Spring

The Washington City Paper's crafts fair has gone bi-annual. There's usually cartoonists selling material of one sort or another.

Examiner covers New York Comic-Con

See "Costumed crusaders hit Big Apple," by Jeremy Monken, The Examiner Apr 21, 2008. It's on page 22 of the print edition. There's also a sidebar "Comic cinema."

So, who's Monken? A new comics columnist for the Examiner, replacing Rosenberg and Truitt of years gone by?

Stan Lee interview on Express website

See "Still a Marvel: Stan Lee," posted by Scott Rosenberg at 7:14 AM on April 21, 2008/

Zadzooks on Scholastic's Pickles

See "Great Pickle's food fight with evil vegetable cabal," By Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times April 19, 2008. This is a comic by Scott Morse. He also reviews The Twelve from Marvel.

KAL and Second City taking it on the road

Alan at the Daily Cartoonist has posted a story that Baltimore's KAL and Second City comedy troupe are taking the Art of Satire on the road as a live variety show.

KAL, let go by the Baltimore Sun several years ago in a move of stunning ignorance, continues to reinvent himself and the definition of cartoonist. Let's hope this comes to the DC area. You can sign up on the website to be notified of where KAL's appearing.

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-23-08

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-23-08
By John Judy

AVENGERS: KREE-SKRULL WAR SC by Roy Thomas, Neal Adams, and the Buscema Bros. (John & Sal). A new printing of a timeless classic coinciding with the current Marvel “Secret Invasion” storyline. Remember: If you don’t know who the Skrull is in the room, it’s YOU!

BATMAN #675 by Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel. Warming up for “Batman: R.I.P.” in which Bucky becomes Batman.

COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS #1 by Various Short-Straw Holders. Our long national nightmare is over.

DAREDEVIL, VOL.2: HELL TO PAY SC by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. Collecting DD #100-105 in which Matt Murdock’s life falls apart again and again. Honestly, he envies Spider-Man, the tsuris is that bad…

DEATH OF THE NEW GODS #8 of 8 by Jim Starlin and Jim Starlin. It’s the Starlinest!

HULK #3 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. It’s the Hulk vs. the Abomination even though one’s red and the other’s dead! Hey, if it made sense it wouldn’t be Marvel! You tell the Hulk he’s not an “Autumn!” I dare ya!

HULK VS. HERCULES: WHEN TITANS COLLIDE #1 by Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, and Leonard Kirk. A monograph on grain production quotas as they may affect fuel prices in former Soviet Bloc nations next quarter. Don’t let the title fool ya, True Believer!

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #20 by Dwayne McDuffie and Ethan Van Sciver. The Flash and Wonder Woman are trapped in a giant bee hive with honey being poured all over them. Years of therapy begin here!!!

MIGHTY AVENGERS #12 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. So what does Nick Fury think about all this Skrull “Secret Invasion” to-do? And what about the whole “Hasselhoff/Samuel L. Jackson” controversy? And if Bucky gets a bionic arm why can’t Nick Fury get a bionic eye? Or at least a good razor and some nicotine gum? Okay, I think I’ve given away enough…

NORTHLANDERS #5 by Brian Wood and David Gianfelice. It’s the secret origin of Prince Sven the Uber-Viking! Highly recommended!

PREVIEWS from Diamond and Marvel Comics.

SHE-HULK #28 by Peter David and Val Semeiks. Worth it just for the Eisner “Spirit” tribute cover by Mike Deodato. Honest.

SPIRIT #16 by Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragones, and Paul Smith. It’s murder at the movie studio and contract talks have barely begun!

THOR #8 by J. Michael Straczynski and Marco Djurdjevic. Thor-Sleepy Time is over and it’s back to work: Ruling New Asgard and bringing the hammer down on anyone who thinks looking like an eighties hair-rocker makes you a sissy! Recommended!

UNCANNY X-MEN #497 by Ed Brubaker and Michael Choi. Archangel, Cyclops, and the White Queen battle the menace of San Francisco retro clothing! Another trippy cover from the House of Ideas.

Okay, honestly while there us certainly some quality stuff out this week it’s still a little thin. Why not fill the gap by picking up the first and second paperbacks of either SCALPED by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera and/or CRIMINAL by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips?

You’ll be glad you did.

And don’t forget: Free Comic Book Day next Saturday May 3rd!

www.johnjudy.net

Telnaes on what a Pulitzer Prize meant to her

See "Past Pulitzer Winners Describe What It Meant to Them," by Dave Astor, Editor and Publisher, April 18, 2008.

Should we switch to stalking Ms. Telnaes as opposed to Richard "Cul de Sac" Thompson? After all, he may be a dead-end! Hahahahahahha!

Sorry, not enough sleep. Rest assured, we're sticking with Our Man Richard.

Staake comic strip contest in Style Invitational

Today's Post has a contest based on three comic strips drawn by Bob Staake - Week 761: Strip Mining, Saturday, April 19, 2008; Page C02. Remember, you don't have to live in DC to enter the contest.

Ann Telnaes spoke in NYC this week

Dave Astor has the story at Editor and Publisher. Remember her editorial cartoon animations are appearing twice weekly in the Post.

And Trina Robbins will be reviewing the Sex and Sensibility exhibit that Telnaes appears in for the next issue of the International Journal of Comic Art, which has a new issue available now in spite of the website's datedness.

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.

Wash Post on Simpsons

One great thing about the Post, and sadly few other American newspapers, is that they're still staffing foreign bureaus. Yesterday they ran their own original reporting on the Simpsons evolving foreign policy crisis - "D'oh! 'Simpsons' Again Angers South Americans," By Monte Reel, Washington Post Foreign Service, Thursday, April 17, 2008; A18.

Later in the day, they ran this wire service report on their website -
"`The Simpsons' return on Venezuela television," The Associated Press, Thursday, April 17, 2008.

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

Best of DC 2008 - Richard Thompson is Best Cartoonist!

From Washington City Paper's 2008 Best of DC (April 18, 2008)...

Best Cartoonist - Richard Thompson!

...and the crowd goes wild!

Mark Athitakis has a nice writeup of Richard's virtues. The WCP also selected this site as...

Best (Comic) Art Blogger - ComicsDC

Thank you very much! That's very kind, especially after I beat up on the WCP so much this past year about their comics losses. I now feel a very teensy bit guilty. Teensy though.


Both of these were spotted by my friend and houseguest Nick "The System of Comics" Nguyen.

Eisner's PS Magazine scanned and online at VCU Library

Virginia Commonwealth University of Richmond has scanned and posted 162 issues of PS Magazine, Will Eisner's military training comic book.

Bob Andelman will be interviewing the librarian in charge of the project Cindy Jackson, as well as the author of the upcoming book, Will Eisner & PS Magazine, Paul Fitzgerald, on FRIDAY, APRIL 18 at 1 p.m. The URL is: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mrmedia/2008/04/18/Cindy-Jackson-and-Paul-Fitzgerald-WILL-EISNER-PS-MAGAZINE-VCU-librarian-and-author-Mr-Media and you can participate in a simultaneous web chat or call in and ask the experts your own questions at (646) 595-3135.

VCU's library is also the home of Tom Inge's comic book collection.

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.

Comic by D.C. natives launches at NYC Comic Con

Arthur Delaney writes in "myself and three other D.C. natives are launching our DIY comic NANOMAN: THE POST - HUMAN PROMETHEUS at the NYC Comic Con this weekend. What we've got right now is a 52 page "beta" book. Check out our website: www.NewAmericanGraphicNovels.com."

Best of luck with your new comic book, Arthur, and we look forward to hearing more about it.

Ex-Express reporter Rosenberg on NYC comic events

Scott Rosenberg's got a couple of articles in his new paper AM NY - see his Ten-Cent Plague review at "Curse of the comics," by Scott A. Rosenberg, April 15, 2008 and "An iFanboy guide to Surviving Comic Con," by Scott A. Rosenberg, April 15, 2008.

Oliphant exhibit coverage from television

There's a video here too -- "Political Cartoonist, Presidential Candidates Appear In D.C.," NBC 4 April 15, 2008.

The exhibit is excellent by the way. More details to follow.

Wuerker cartoon offends Californians

See "Perspectives on Heston and heaven," Readers' Representative Journal (April 15 2008) in which the article starts, "Bob Smith of Glendale calls him Chuck Heston -- he knew the man for 20 years and spent time with him at the L.A. Tennis Club -- and was horrified to see the Matt Wuerker cartoon in The Times' opinion pages on April 8."

Matt, Matt, Matt...

Washington writer reviews new gag comics book on Nazis

See "Is It Kosher To Laugh At Swastikas?," by Menachem Wecker, Jewish Press April 9, 2008 for his review of We Have Ways of Making You Laugh: 120 Funny Swastika Cartoons by Sam Gross.

Oliphant exhibit opening photos

Here's a link - at some point, I'll put the best up here with labels.

April Previews, or What does Mike order?

I don't know if anybody cares, but I always appreciated it when Bart Beaty did his satirical lists, Send Info, from Previews, and then Rodrigo Baeza does his serious ones. So here's what I'm ordering this month.

Herbie Archive, p. 31

Kyle Baker's Nat Turner sc

Joe Kubert biography - Man of Rock, p. 287

Matt Madden and Jessica Able's Drawing Words and Pictures, p. 291

Donald Duck Family - Dan Jippes

Comics Comics 4, p. 328

Gary Giani on Prince Valiant, p. 398

Dark Knight novel (I've got a childhood fondness for superhero novels, for no good reason),

Superheroes! Capes and Crusaders in Comics and Films book by Roz Kaveney, p. 401

Neil Gaiman's The Dangerous Alphabet, p. 405

If I missed anything, let me know!

Oliphant Exhibit in Washington, DC press release

Oliphant Exhibit in Washington, DC

Kansas City, MO (04/08/2008) Editorial cartoonist Pat Oliphant’s exhibit, "Leadership: Oliphant Cartoons and Sculpture from the Bush Years" will be on display April 15 through July 15, 2008 at the Stanford University Washington Center Art Gallery in Washington, DC.

The exhibit is based on a collection of Oliphant’s work in his recently released book, "Leadership: Political Cartoons – The Bush Years" from Andrews McMeel Publishing.

A review of the book on Comicsreporter.com called Oliphant a "...legend who still rushes at his targets knives out, no apologies. He also draws extremely well. After reading so many newspaper cartoons where it seems the reader is expected to compensate for odd stylistic choices and a lack of craft, reading a bunch of Oliphant is like moving mid-bite from vanilla wafers to rum-laced chocolate cheesecake. He's one of the few cartoonists in that field who can communicate -- and punish -- with the quality of his art alone."

The Stanford University Washington Center Art Gallery is located in the Sant Building at 2655 Connecticut Ave., NW in Washington, DC. For questions about the museum or the exhibit, please call 202.332.6235.

For more of Pat Oliphant’s work, visit: http://www.gocomics.com.

Jeff Kinney podcast

Continuing our coverage of the ex-University of Maryland cartoonist, the Free Library of Philadelphia has a downloadable mp3 of his talk to them from April 12th.

Persepolis editors from Alexandria

See "Anjali Singh: Rooting for good books—graphic or prose," by Calvin Reid, Publishers Weekly, 4/14/2008, and she's got a couple of other comics titles that she acquired too.

Animator Lisa Henson profiled in Sunday's Post

On the kid's page - "Familiar Name, Different View," Washington Post Sunday, April 13, 2008; Page M16. The article by Brenna Maloney starts, "It took two years of huffing and puffing, but Lisa Henson, one of the producers of the animated comedy "Unstable Fables: 3 Pigs and a Baby," finally blew the house down."

WashingtonTimes still polling about comics

April 15: Bethesda Writer's Center on Writing Comics

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose

This Feiffer cartoon dropped out of a book I was buying. I was amazed at its timeliness - he's still got it!




Keep reading...

A little further...


Actually, below is the real unmodified cartoon - from the New Republic of October 15, 1972. Sad, isn't it? You can make almost a one-for-one switch of wartime scandals.



But at least we've still got Jules Feiffer to kick around! And my apologies to him for the liberties I took with his cartoon to make a point that should be obvious. And I apologize to everyone for misspelling Guantanamo, but I'm even sorrier that the whole world is familiar with how to spell an obscure American naval base's name.

A little bit of New York(er) in DC

While waiting for the American Empire talk, I noticed this rack of New Yorker cartoon cards in Politics and Prose. Bob Mankoff has done an amazing job at making money for both cartoonists and the magazine, hasn't he?