New Comics arriving on Thurs

Here's the list from Big Planet on this test post to try new software.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the Memorial Day holiday, new comics arrive on Thursday, this week.

New comics arriving this THURSDAY, MAY 28^TH
 
DC COMICS
BATMAN IN BARCELONA: DRAGONS KNIGHT
BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #5
FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: INK #1
FRINGE #5
GOTHAM GAZETTE: BATMAN ALIVE
GREEN LANTERN #41
INCOGNEGRO SC
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #33
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #27
LAST DAYS OF ANIMAL MAN #1
LITERALS #2
MADAME XANADU #11
NORTHLANDERS #17
RESISTANCE #6
ROBIN: TEEN WONDER TP
SPIRIT #28
STATIC SHOCK: REBIRTH OF THE COOL TP
SUPERMAN #688
TEEN TITANS #71
TRINITY #52
UNKNOWN SOLDIER #8
WILDCATS #11
WONDER WOMAN #32
 
MARVEL COMICS
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #595
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #24
AVENGERS/INVADERS #11
DARK REIGN: ELEKTRA #3
DARK REIGN: HOOD #1
ENDERS SHADOW: BATTLE SCHOOL #5
ESSENTIAL X-MEN VOL. 9 TP
GHOST RIDER #35
GHOST RIDER: DANNY KETCH TP
GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #14
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #26
INCREDIBLE HERCULES #129
INCREDIBLE HERCULES: LOVE AND WAR TP
MARVEL ADVENTURES: FANTASTIC FOUR #48
MARVEL APES: GRUNT LINE SPECIAL
MOON KNIGHT #30
MS MARVEL #39
NEW AVENGERS #53
NOVA #25
RUNAWAYS 3 #10
SPIDER-MAN: SHORT HALLOWEEN
SQUADRON SUPREME 2 #11
STAND: AMERICAN NIGHTMARES #3
ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK #6
WAR MACHINE #6
WOLVERINE #72
WOLVERINE: FIRST CLASS #15
WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #36
X-FORCE #15
X-MEN: LEGACY #224
 
SIGNIFICANT OTHERS
ALIENS #1
ARCHIE #597
ASTOUNDING WOLFMAN #16
BACK TO BROOKLYN #5
BART SIMPSON, SON OF HOMER TP
BAYOU VOL. 1 TP
BERSERK VOL. 29 TP
COMICS JOURNAL #297
CONAN VOL. 7 TP
CROSSED #5
DARKNESS #77
DEATH-DEFYING DEVIL TP 
ETERNAL SMILE GN
FUTURAMA COMICS #43
GARTH ENNIS' BATTLEFIELDS: TANKIES #2
GARTH ENNIS' BATTLEFIELDS VOL. 2 TP
GLAMOURPUSS #7
GODLAND #28
IGNITION CITY #3
JOHN STANLEY LIBRARY: MELVIN MONSTER HC
LIKEWISE TP
MOUSE GUARD WINTER 1152 #6
MUPPET ROBIN HOOD #1
MY INNER BIMBO TP
OISHINBO VOL. 3 GN
PLUTO VOL. 3 GN
PREVIEWS #249
RAPTURE #1
SPECIAL FORCES TP
STAR WARS: CLONE WARS VOL. 3 TP
STAR WARS: LEGACY #36
STAR WARS: VECTOR VOL. 2 TP
SWORD #17
TALES FROM RIVERDALE DIGEST #33
USAGI YOJIMBO #120
WIZARD #213
 
PLANET PICKS
BACK TO BROOKLYN #5
BATMAN IN BARCELONA: DRAGONS KNIGHT
DARK REIGN: HOOD #1
GARTH ENNIS' BATTLEFIELDS: TANKIES #2
GOTHAM GAZETTE: BATMAN ALIVE
GREEN LANTERN #41
LITERALS #2
MADAME XANADU #11
MOUSE GUARD WINTER 1152 #6
MY INNER BIMBO TP
NEW AVENGERS #53
NORTHLANDERS #17
SPECIAL FORCES TP
SUPERMAN #688
SWORD #17
ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK #6
WOLVERINE #72

Our buddy, Heroescon's Dustin Harbin interviewed

Dustin's the guy who keeps dragging Richard Thompson back to HeroesCon so I have to drive him there. Check out this good interview with Dustin about the con - "Talking Comics with Tim: Dustin Harbin," by Tim O'Shea, May 25, 2009.

May 25: The Hulk at Crystal City

Crystal Screen - Superheroes

Join the Crystal City BID for 21 weeks of Superheros! On Monday nights from May 4, 2009-September 21, 2009, Crystal City will be protected by Batman, Spiderman, Superman, and many others. Each night will also have special giveaways, sponsors, and other activities.

Date(s):
May 4, 2009 - September 21, 2009

Location:
18th and Bell Street - Courtyard Across from Crystal City Metro Station & Marriott Hotel

Event Fee:
Free

Hours:
Movies begin at sundown

Description:
Join the Crystal City BID for 21 weeks of Superheros! On Monday nights from May 4, 2009-September 21, 2009, Crystal City will be protected by Batman, Spiderman, Superman, and many others. Each night will also have special giveaways, sponsors, and other activities. Check back here for more information.

CRYSTAL KID BONUS: Since it gets dark later in the summer and movies often start past bedtime, the BID has partnered with Crystal City Sports Pub to rebroadcast each movie at 3:30 PM on the 3rd Floor of CCSP on the Wednesday following the outdoor showing, starting May 6. Bring your kids and a blanket and enjoy the fabulous surround network of TVs.

Festival Rules: Patrons can bring their own picnics as long as they abide by city and festival rules. Low-backed chairs and blankets are allowed, but grills, umbrellas, and pets are prohibited.


Schedule

May 25, 2009 - The Hulk
May 27, 2009 - The Hulk - at CCSP
June 1, 2009 - Hulk 2: The Incredible Hulk
June 3, 2009 - Hulk 2: The Incredible Hulk - at CCSP
June 8, 2009 - Superman: The Superman Movie
June 10, 2009 - Superman: The Superman Movie - at CCSP
June 15, 2009 - Superman 2
June 17, 2009 - Superman 2 - at CCSP
June 22, 2009 - Superman 3: Superman vs. Superman
June 24, 2009 - Superman 3: Superman vs. Superman - at CCSP
June 29, 2009 - Superman 4: The Quest for Peace
June 31, 2009 - Superman 4: The Quest for Peace - at CCSP
July 6, 2009 - Superman 5: Superman Returns
July 8, 2009 - Superman 5: Superman Returns - at CCSP
July 13, 2009 - X-Men
July 15, 2009 - X-Men - at CCSP
July 20, 2009 - X2
July 22, 2009 - X2 - at CCSP
July 27, 2009 - X-Men: The Last Stand
July 29, 2009 - X-Men: The Last Stand - at CCSP
August 3, 2009 - Fantastic Four
August 5, 2009 - Fantastic Four - at CCSP
August 10, 2009 - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
August 12, 2009 - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - at CCSP
August 17, 2009 - Batman
August 19, 2009 - Batman - at CCSP
August 24, 2009 - Batman Returns
August 26, 2009 - Batman Returns - at CCSP
August 31, 2009 - Batman Forever
September 2, 2009 - Batman Forever - at CCSP
September 7, 2009 - Batman & Robin
September 9, 2009 - Batman & Robin - at CCSP
September 14, 2009 - Batman Begins
September 16, 2009 - Batman Begins - at CCSP
September 21, 2009 - Batman: The Dark Knight
September 23, 2009 - Batman: The Dark Knight - at CCSP

Spider-Man newspaper strip retcons its retcon

Today's Spider-Man strip has Peter Parker waking up married to Mary Jane again. Ahh, sensible heads have prevailed. Regular readers may recall that the strip was retooled to wipe out Spider-Man's marriage following the same in the comic book.

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE THURSDAY (not Wednesday) 05-28-09

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE THURSDAY (not Wednesday) 05-28-09
By John Judy

(Note: Shipping delayed by Memorial Day.)

ALIENS #1 of 4 by John Arcudi and Zach Howard. They’re back, doing what they do. Where’s a Predator when you need one?

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #595 by Joe Kelly and Phil Jimenez. Spidey begins his crusade to take down Norman Osborn for good. Go get him, Tiger!

ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #16 by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard. Wolfie and Zechariah throw down once more, Nosferatu vs. Lycanthrope, no holds barred! OK!

AVENGERS INITIATIVE #24 by Christos Gage and Humberto Ramos. The kids are stuck in Wolverine’s old stomping ground fighting his old foes. Fortunately they’re among Wolvie’s lamest old foes and that’s saying something.

BATMAN IN BARCELONA: DRAGONS KNIGHT #1 by Mark Waid and Diego Olmos. Mr. Wayne puts on the cowl to solve a series of killings in B-town. Drawn by Barcelona native Olmos, but for some reason featuring a cover by Jim Lee. Go figure.

DARK REIGN: THE HOOD #1 of 5 by Jeff Parker and Kyle Hotz. It’s not easy being the demon-possessed crime-lord of New York City but the Hood makes it all work. Between his knocked up girlfriend, junkie cousin and momma in the nuthouse this one reads like a sitcom spec from Hell. Gotta look!

ETERNAL SMILE GN by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim. Three stand-alone stories ranging from classic fantasy to contemporary urban fiction from a pair of award-winning, eclectic creators. Well worth a look.

FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: INK #1 of 6 by Eric Wallace and Fabrizio Fiorentino. Recovering bad guy Tattooed Man has a problem. His tattoos are taking him over. A cautionary tale to the illustrated whippersnappers of today. Now get offa my lawn and stop stealing from me!

GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS: TANKIES #2 of 3 by Ennis and Carlos Ezquerra. Tank runs over Germans. Germans shoot at tank with all kinds of bad stuff. Ennis writes it so it is truly a Must-Have. Seriously, most of Ennis’ war comics should be movies. Recommended.

GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS, VOL. 2: DEAR BILLY SC by Ennis and Peter Snejbjerg. Half-romance, half-war comic, all human tragedy this three-issue collection is a true heart-breaker as only the best war stories are. Tough to read in places but well worth it. Not for kids. Recommended.

GHOST RIDER #35 by Jason Aaron and Tony Moore. Beat-up and knocked down ex-Ghost Rider Johnny Blaze just wants to die in a Japanese monastery, but then a load of evil bikers shows up….. It’s written by Jason Aaron so you gotta look! Recommended.

GREEN LANTERN #41 by Geoff Johns and Philip Tan. Agent Orange, the villain powered by avarice, wants what he wants when he wants it! Agent Orange will make America great again if we just cut his taxes! Recommended.

IGNITION CITY #3 of 5 by Warren Ellis and Gianluca Pagliarani. Mary Raven gets closer to her father’s murderers even as they get closer to her. The zap guns will be a-zappin’ fer sure!

IMMORTAL IRON FIST #26 by Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman. Danny and the gang have to kung-fu their way out of Hell. I hope their kung-fu is tough…

INCOGNEGRO SC by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece. The paperback of Johnson and Pleece’s powerful graphic novel about a light-skinned African-American reporter passing as white in the deep South at the height of the segregation era. Highly, highly recommended.

JOHN STANLEY LIBRARY: MELVIN MONSTER HC VOL. 1 written and drawn by John Stanley. Drawn and Quarterly is collecting the works of this under-appreciated silver-age creator who was best known for his work on LITTLE LULU. This first volume collects all ten issues of his stories about a misunderstood monster who just wants to be good. Great for the young at heart.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #33 by Dwayne McDuffie and Rags Morales. It’s Dharma vs. Starbreaker! With a little Justice League thrown in for good measure.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #27 written and drawn by Jerry Ordway. The young JSAers have to rescue the old JSAers so they can steal from them and play on their lawns! And not listen neither! Recommended dagnabbit!

LAST DAYS OF ANIMAL MAN #1 of 6 by Gerry Conway and Chris Batista. It’s the year 2024 and being the man with animal powers is not what it used to be. Especially if you’ve been aging in dog years…

MY INNER BIMBO SC by Sam Keith and Josh Hagler. The adventure of a guy whose trampy feminine side suddenly manifests (no pun intended) in the real world. Gotta look!

NEW AVENGERS #53 by Brian Michael Bendis and Billy Tan. Who will be the next Sorcerer Supreme? The likeable boy next door? The openly gay glam rocker? Or the frumpy middle-aged lady who’s never been kissed? And why is Simon so mean all the time?

NORTHLANDERS #17 by Brian Wood and Vasilis Lolos. Two Vikings fight to the death in slow motion. Lots of time to contemplate that axe headed for your skull. Excellent stuff! Recommended!

PREVIEWS by Marvel and Diamond Comics. Your back-to-school comics featured here!

SPECIAL FORCES VOL. 1 SC written and drawn by Kyle Baker. Collecting issues 1-4 of the comic inspired by the corrupt recruiting practices of the US Military that put kids with autism in the front lines of the Iraq War. Seriously. This happened. Highly recommended.

SPIDER-MAN: SHORT HALLOWEEN #1 by Bill Hader, Seth Meyers and Kevin Maguire. A one-shot comic romp by two SNL stars and Kevin-freakin-Maguire! Highly recommended.

THE STAND: AMERICAN NIGHTMARES #3 of 5 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins. Larry goes into the tunnel. Good times. Highly recommended.

SUPERMAN #688 by James Robinson and Renato Guedes. Mon-El’s having a hard time with the Superman stand-in gig, but then he loses his powers and, well, do the math…

ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK #6 of 6 by Damon Lindelof and Leinil Francis Yu. The battle royale concludes as we learn how many pieces Ultimate Wolverine can be chopped into and still appear nonchalant.

WOLVERINE #72 by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. “Old Man Logan” is back for the penultimate chapter of this dystopian future road movie.

WONDER WOMAN #32 by Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti. Diana dukes it out with her hideous future-self once more. It’s enough to give one a headache before the first punch is thrown.

X-MEN LEGACY #224 by Mike Carey and Scot Eaton. Marvel sez: “Rogue and Gambit fans DO NOT MISS THIS ISSUE!” Yeah, I’m looking at both of you!

www.johnjudy.net

Counter Culture Fest crucial additional information

I've just been told "Viva Vienna shuts down Church St. for their festival. To make their way around the festivities, the easiest way to get to Dominion from Route 123 is to turn on Lawyers Rd. and take a right on Ayr Hill Ave (about 1/4 mile down Lawyers). Stay on Ayr Hill until you come to the stop sign at Ayr Hill and Dominion. Turn left on Dominion and we are on the right--#316. The Soundry, LLC, 316 Dominion Rd.,NE, Vienna, VA 22180, http://www.soundry.net."

4 things I enjoyed reading yesterday

Dungeon The Early Years Vol. 1: The Night Shift by Blain, Sfar and Trondheim.
This is a shared universe by a bunch of French creators. Some time ago, Bart Beaty attempted to explain how it all worked in the Comics Journal, but since most of the comics hadn't been published in English yet that was tough reading. Suffice to say that a castle with a dungeon is built in this book, and in later books it becomes the center of magical adventures, although eventually one of the workers in it takes over the world as a dark ruler. These are all fun, mostly oddly-drawn (to American eyes) and well worth checking out.

Mustard #4.
There's an excellent interview with Alan Moore in this small UK magazine, and online you can get 2 paper doll cutouts of Moore. The mailing cost to the US was reasonable and the whole package cost about $6 through Paypal.

Illustration 26.
I get this regularly at Big Planet, but this issue had a Shadow pulp cover by Graves Gladney which made it a guaranteed sale. As a youngster, I was fascinated by pulp heroes who clearly were the forerunners of superheroes, and the Shadow was my favorite. In addition to the article about Gladney, who painted over 250 of the Shadow pulp covers, there are pieces on the American Academy of Art (which had cartooning classes) and Nan Pollard (a children's book illustrator who did licensed cartoon material such as Disney and Harvey Comics). The writing is slightly amateurish, but the other production values are first-rate.

Johnny Hiro by Fred Chao, Adhouse Books.
I've gotten to know Chris Pitzer, publisher of Adhouse, slightly over the years at SPX and have come to appreciate the quality of his books and now I just buy them automatically. Johnny Hiro is an amusing collection of short stories, set in Manhattan. Hiro is forced by circumstances to live up to his name, and Chao puts him in odd, manga-influenced difficulties. In the first story, a Godzilla-like monster attempts to take revenge on his Japanese-born girlfriend. In later stories, Hiro's work at a Japanese seafood restaurant puts cleaver-wielding chefs on his trail as he attempts to lose them on a drive through Manhattan. The art is good, Chao breaks the 4th wall when necessary, and I'm looking forward to more of his work.

May 24: fourth annual Counter Culture Fest

The D.C. Conspiracy is hosting its fourth annual Counter Culture Fest on Sunday, May 24, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Soundry in Vienna,Va. The event is FREE. For a list of exhibitors (comics, zines, T-shirts, original art, etc.), workshops, screenprinting, etc.) and entertainment (music, comedy, etc.), visit www.dcconspiracy.com.

OT: Your Brain on Latino Comics book available

The author, Frederick Aldama, has written in (noting that we mentioned his talk at OSU in 2007 which I appear to have missed, darn it). His new book Your Brain on Latino Comics is out and he's started a blog about it as well. An interview can be found at "OSU professor shares story of Latino comics," Steve Skok, OSU's The Lantern 5/21/09.

While mainstream superhero comics don't exactly leap to mind when one thinks Latino comics, one of the absolute best comic books is the Hernandez Brothers' Love & Rockets.

New comics day is Thursday, May 28th this week

Due to Monday's Memorial Day holiday, new comics will be on sale on Thursday this week.

Petey's grand history of civilization project

Today's Cul de Sac really tickled my funny bone - must be the museum professional in me. Or I may just be a geek.

OT: Saturday Night Live writes Spider-man

Many, many years ago, Marvel Team-Up was a fun book that matched Spider-Man with another hero. Once that was the original cast of Saturday Night Live, and I bought that sucker when it was new. Now a couple of SNL writers are returning the favor - "Live From New York, Writers for Spider-Man," By GEORGE GENE GUSTINES, New York Times May 23, 2009.

D.C. Conspiracy's Counter Culture Fest IV featured in today's Post

See "Step Right Up to Counter Culture," By Lavanya Ramanathan, Washington Post Saturday, May 23, 2009. Since it's not in a bar, it's kid-friendly this year and I'll probably bring my daughter. If anyone's going, chime in below and perhaps we can set a time to meet and not have a beer.

Lois Lane dies

Not in the comic books, although I'm sure it's only a matter of time until that "brilliant" idea occurs to someone. No, this is Joan Alexander of the radio Superman, whose daughter lives in DC.

See "Joan A. Stanton, Radio Voice of Lois Lane, Dies at 94," , By BRUCE WEBER, New York Times May 23, 2009 and "1940s Radio Actress Portrayed Lois Lane," By Adam Bernstein, Washington Post Staff Writer, Saturday, May 23, 2009

New comic: 'Dr. Dremo's Taphouse of Tall Talls and Short Stories: The Horrors of War'

Matt Dembicki would like you to know:

The D.C. Conspiracy (www.dcconspiracy.com) premieres 'Dr. Dremo's Taphouse of Tall Talls and Short Stories: The Horrors of War,' it's latest themed-anthology (war) this Sunday, May 24, at the D.C. Conspiracy's Counter Culture Fest IV at the Soundry (www.soundry.net) in Vienna, Va.

The 72-page B&W book ($8) features a cover by Scott White and stories by Matt Dembicki, Evan Keeling, Andrew Cohen, Jason Rodriguez, Frank Naif and more!

A Scooby-Doo play is not appearing in Frederick

But tonight and tomorrow, Spooky Dog and the Teen-Age Gang Mysteries is, before coming to DC - See "'Spooky Dog' is NOT the Saturday morning cartoon you remember ... or is it?" By Lauren LaRocca, Frederick News-Post May 21, 2009.

That darn Berge!

I apologize for insensitive cartoon
Washington Blade (May 22 2009): 19

To the Editors:
Re: “Disappointed by insensitive cartoon mocking blindness” (letter to the editor by Eric Peterson, May 1)

In response to the letter by Eric Petersen, I am writing to apologize for my recent cartoon about New York Gov. David Paterson. In drawing the cartoon, I had worried that some readers might perceive it as a slam against the governor’s blindness, rather than, as I was intending, a comment on LGBT leaders’ lack of readiness when he brought marriage rights issues to the fore.

Please accept my explanation that while the cartoon took Gov. Paterson’s blindness as a given condition, I in no way wanted readers to think that the cartoon was attacking him for it. I appreciate Gov. Paterson’s extraordinary courage and leadership on this issue, and I hope the drive for marriage equality in New York proves successful.

I thank Mr. Petersen for his thoughtful response to the cartoon, and I sincerely apologize.

PAUL BERGE
Sturtevant, Wisc.

That darn Pett!

Let the Teenagers Alone
Washington Post Saturday, May 16, 2009

In republishing Joel Pett's political cartoon in the May 9 Drawing Board, you have taken your newspaper to a new low.

It is one thing for you to continue your efforts to destroy Sarah Palin, a political figure, but to do so by stomping on the reputation of a teenage girl was despicable.

Depicting Bristol Palin as a "guest speaker" at the "Church of Abstinence" was a contemptible effort to achieve your goals at any cost.

-- Vincent J. Cucuzzella
Ellicott City

Comic Riffs interviews itself

Cavna on Cavna - The Interview: 'Comic Riffs' Blogger Michael Cavna

NPR's Weldon asks, "Who's the Longest-Running Fictional Character Ever?"

See "Question: Who's the Longest-Running Fictional Character Ever?" by Glen Weldon, National Public Radio's Monkey See blog (May 20 2009) for his answer - it's a comic book hero. I don't think I quite agree, but I'm not sure why. There's 51 comments so other people may feel the same.

May 29: 5 Centimeters per Second and Voices of a Distant Star

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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


5 Centimeters per Second and Voices of a Distant Star
to be screened at Japan Information and Culture Center.

The Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan in collaboration with DC Anime Club Present 5 Centimeters per Second and Voices of a Distant Star, Friday May 29, 2009 6:30 pm as part of inaugural showing for a film series based on both Anime (Japanese Animation) and Manga ( Japanese Comics).

5 Centimeters per second is a 2007 Japanese animated feature film by Makoto Shinkai. The film was finished on January 22, 2007. The first part of the film was debuted on Yahoo! Japan as streaming video to Yahoo! Premium members from 16 February to 19 February 2007. On March 3, 2007, the full length featured film had its theatrical premiere at Cinema Rise in Shibuya, Tokyo. The film consists of three segments: Cherry Blossom (桜花抄 ,Ōkashō?), Cosmonaut (コスモナウト ,Kosumonauto?), and 5 Centimeters per Second (秒速5センチメートル ,Byōsoku 5 Senchimētoru?), totaling about an hour of runtime. As in Shinkai's previous works, Tenmon composes for this film's soundtrack. The DVD was released on 19 July 2007. A novel of 5 Centimeters Per Second is put on the market in Japan[1] It included uncollection story in the animation version.

Voices of a Distant Star is a Japanese anime OVA by Makoto Shinkai. It chronicles a long-distance relationship between a teenage couple who communicate by sending emails via their mobile phones across interstellar space. It was originally released to DVD on February 2, 2002, and has since been broadcast across Japan on the anime satellite television network, Animax.

This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are required.

RSVP to jiccrsvpspring08@embjapan.org.

Seating is limited and granted on a first come, first served basis.

For more information please visit the Japanese Information and Culture Center website at http://www.us.embjapan.go.jp/jicc/ or visit the DC Anime Club website at http://dcanimeclub.org.

Minicomic review - Sam and Lilah

Jim Dougan and Molly Lawless were at Fantom Comics for Free Comic Book Day and Jim passed along his ashcan Sam and Lilah. He wouldn't sell it to me, so I told him I'd review it and he passed it over. Jim's the writer and Hyeondo Park is the artist. The story is actually a webcomic on Act-I-Vate.com and this mini is the first chapter.

I liked it a lot. Jim's retelling a version of Samson and Delilah as a romantic comedy starts off sweetly. Park's manga-influenced art is excellent, with an interesting color palette. Both main characters are appealing, and their decision to try to date, in spite of... ok, it's a gypsy curse, but still... makes me want to read more. You can read both chapters online and Jim's says they're putting together a large-size collection so you can see the art better. The second chapter takes place during a DC United Soccer game at RFK Stadium here in DC too.

Another mini I picked up is How I Lost My S#?! at the Apple Store by Jim and Molly Lawless. I really liked this autobiographical comic about Jim's problems with installing an Airport Wireless Card in a Mac. You should be able to pick it up at www.chemsetcomics.com For the record, after you read the story - I believe Jim was in the right and Apple should be ashamed.

May 24: fourth annual Counter Culture Fest

The D.C. Conspiracy is hosting its fourth annual Counter Culture Fest on Sunday, May 24, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Soundry in Vienna,Va. The event is FREE. For a list of exhibitors (comics, zines, T-shirts, original art, etc.), workshops, screenprinting, etc.) and entertainment (music, comedy, etc.), visit www.dcconspiracy.com.

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 05-20-09

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 05-20-09
By John Judy

AGENTS OF ATLAS #5 by Jeff Parker and Carlo Pagulayan. The AoA vs. the New Avengers (the ones with Wolverine). Big Fight!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #594 by Mark Waid, Barry Kitson and Mike McKone. Spidey’s non-stop campaign is catching up with him and so is New York Mayor J. Jonah Jameson!

BATMAN: BATTLE FOR THE COWL #3 of 3 by Tony Daniel and Sandu Florea. One of these goofballs gets to be Batman until Bruce comes back from the dead. Oops, did I give something away?

BOYS: HEROGASM #1 by Garth Ennis and John McCrea. The first-ever BOYS spin-off series, re-uniting Ennis with HITMAN co-creator John McCrea! What Secret, Final Infinite War-Crisis could be so earth-shaking that it requires every supe on the planet to gather for one common cause? And will it show up on YouTube? The trademark Ennis black humor is in full effect as the title suggests so this one is Not For Kids. Recommended anyway.

CAPTAIN AMERICA #50 by Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross. It’s Bucky America’s birthday! “Eighty-something years young!” Recommended.

EX MACHINA #42 by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. Pushing the boundaries of what a superhero comic can be, Vaughan and Harris take a standard-issue guy who can talk to machines and build jetpacks and make him do something truly superhuman: Raising taxes on Americans and not lying or apologizing for it! “The Galactus Trilogy” now seems tame… Highly recommended.

FANTASTIC FOUR #566 by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch. The gang has to fight the guys who taught Dr. Doom how to be a creep! And you thought he was self-taught…

FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: DANCE #1 of 6 by Joe Casey ChrisCross. Japan’s “Super Young Team” follow up on their distracting and meaningless appearance in FINAL CRISIS with… a little soft-shoe, a little rumba, maybe some ballroom… I hear one of them does “The Robot” really well because he is one! A Must-Have for both of you FINAL CRISIS completists out there!

GOON, VOL. 7: PLACE OF HEARTACHE AND GRIEF SC written and drawn by Eric Powell. “We love Oprah droppings!” Almost as much as we love THE GOON and Eric Powell. Collecting issues 19-23, “The Return of Labrazio!” Highly recommended.

HELLBLAZER #255 by Peter Milligan and Goran Sudzuka. Fever. Delirium. Constantine appears to have Swine Flu. Awesome cover by Lee Bermejo.

HULK #12 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. The Defenders versus the Offenders (seriously) fight comes to an end with “a twist ending you will never see coming!” Most likely because it will make no sense whatsoever! The bad Hulk is red!

MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS 70th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1 by Tom DeFalco and Chris Burnham. A ten-page golden-age reprint plus an all-new story of the Human Torch, Toro, Namor, the Angel and…. The Ferret? Is that what they were calling Wolverine back then? Gotta look!

THUNDERBOLTS #132 by Andy Diggle and Roberto De La Torre. The T-Bolts recruit Mr. X! No, not the bald, indy guy with the glasses, the other one, the one who fought Wolverine.

UNCANNY X-MEN #510 by Matt Fraction and Greg Land. Big fight! “You won’t believe the ferocity! No one is safe!” Bad day to be wearing a red shirt to class!

WOLVERINE: WEAPON X #2 by Jason Aaron and Ron Garney. The Wolvie Dream Team of Aaron and Garney are back! They’re the ones who make the Wolverine comics that don’t suck! Read it! Please. Highly recommended.

www.johnjudy.net

Comic Riffs interviewed animator Robert Smigel

See "The Interview: 'SNL' Writer/Animator Robert Smigel," By Michael Cavna, May 15, 2009.

May 18: Spider-Man 3 in Crystal City

Crystal Screen - Superheroes

Join the Crystal City BID for 21 weeks of Superheros! On Monday nights from May 4, 2009-September 21, 2009, Crystal City will be protected by Batman, Spiderman, Superman, and many others. Each night will also have special giveaways, sponsors, and other activities.

Date(s):
May 4, 2009 - September 21, 2009

Location:
18th and Bell Street - Courtyard Across from Crystal City Metro Station & Marriott Hotel

Event Fee:
Free

Hours:
Movies begin at sundown

Description:
Join the Crystal City BID for 21 weeks of Superheros! On Monday nights from May 4, 2009-September 21, 2009, Crystal City will be protected by Batman, Spiderman, Superman, and many others. Each night will also have special giveaways, sponsors, and other activities. Check back here for more information.

CRYSTAL KID BONUS: Since it gets dark later in the summer and movies often start past bedtime, the BID has partnered with Crystal City Sports Pub to rebroadcast each movie at 3:30 PM on the 3rd Floor of CCSP on the Wednesday following the outdoor showing, starting May 6. Bring your kids and a blanket and enjoy the fabulous surround network of TVs.

Festival Rules: Patrons can bring their own picnics as long as they abide by city and festival rules. Low-backed chairs and blankets are allowed, but grills, umbrellas, and pets are prohibited.


Schedule

May 18, 2009 - Spider-Man 3
May 20, 2009 - Spider-Man 3 - at CCSP
May 25, 2009 - The Hulk
May 27, 2009 - The Hulk - at CCSP
June 1, 2009 - Hulk 2: The Incredible Hulk
June 3, 2009 - Hulk 2: The Incredible Hulk - at CCSP
June 8, 2009 - Superman: The Superman Movie
June 10, 2009 - Superman: The Superman Movie - at CCSP
June 15, 2009 - Superman 2
June 17, 2009 - Superman 2 - at CCSP
June 22, 2009 - Superman 3: Superman vs. Superman
June 24, 2009 - Superman 3: Superman vs. Superman - at CCSP
June 29, 2009 - Superman 4: The Quest for Peace
June 31, 2009 - Superman 4: The Quest for Peace - at CCSP
July 6, 2009 - Superman 5: Superman Returns
July 8, 2009 - Superman 5: Superman Returns - at CCSP
July 13, 2009 - X-Men
July 15, 2009 - X-Men - at CCSP
July 20, 2009 - X2
July 22, 2009 - X2 - at CCSP
July 27, 2009 - X-Men: The Last Stand
July 29, 2009 - X-Men: The Last Stand - at CCSP
August 3, 2009 - Fantastic Four
August 5, 2009 - Fantastic Four - at CCSP
August 10, 2009 - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
August 12, 2009 - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - at CCSP
August 17, 2009 - Batman
August 19, 2009 - Batman - at CCSP
August 24, 2009 - Batman Returns
August 26, 2009 - Batman Returns - at CCSP
August 31, 2009 - Batman Forever
September 2, 2009 - Batman Forever - at CCSP
September 7, 2009 - Batman & Robin
September 9, 2009 - Batman & Robin - at CCSP
September 14, 2009 - Batman Begins
September 16, 2009 - Batman Begins - at CCSP
September 21, 2009 - Batman: The Dark Knight
September 23, 2009 - Batman: The Dark Knight - at CCSP

Minicomics review: John Dimes' Lo, the Abusive Undertones!!!!

John Dimes sent me his two minicomics, Lo, the Abusive Undertones!!!!, a few weeks ago. John's minis hark back to the DIY age of photocopying that's starting to fade in the age of webcomics. The two volumes he has out now tell the beginnings of a story of anthropomorphic birds (they dress in human clothes, and act human, etc, etc). In vol. 1, Leonard and his girlfriend Shelly trade jibes about marriage and commitment, until Leonard says he'll take Shelly to meet his Mom and the mini ends there. John's art is competent - you can tell what's happening with no trouble - but feels as though he hasn't completely settled into his mature style yet. Vol. 2 picks up with Shelly and Mom meeting. Mom's got a mean streak - when talking to a friend on the phone about Shelly, Mom noted, "She complained about persistent back pain. I simply suggested that she should 'stay off of it sometimes,' and she got offended." Badda-bum. The two trade insults through most of the comic and by the end, John implies they'll be fast friends. I found it amusing to be honest, although some of the jokes can be a bit ribald.

To find these and other minis, John's website is www.johndimes.com

Comic characters at last week's Patent and Trademark Expo

Dennis the Menace was on hand to greet us.


And so was Betty Boop - hubba, hubba. Art Rhode, Betty Boop, Mike Rhode. Boop looks good for a 79-year old.

The International Trademark Association had a table to inform you how to be sure of your superhero paraphernalia's status.


Batman counterfeit on right, and true merchandise on left at the Patent and Trademark Expo.


Dastardly Tweety Bird counterfeit on left, and true merchandise on right at the Patent and Trademark Expo.


Superman and Harry Potter counterfeits on left, and true merchandise on right at the Patent and Trademark Expo.


And don't be making your own Mickey Mouse ears - they're trademarked!


Dennis the Menace plays football. He actually caught the ball.

Former VCU student Carolyn Belefski and her webcomic

See "BELEFSKI'S COMICAL CURLS," by Jennifer M. Contino, Comicon's The Pulse May 12 2009 for an interview with Carolyn Belefski on her webcomic, Curls. She started the comic when she was at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

Otis Sweat cartoon artwork returns in Post mag

Like last year, today's Post Hunt contest was started in the Post Magazine which had a ton of artwork by Otis Sweat and it's online too. Sweat's done cartoons for the early Florida-based hunts.

Crazy! cat

David Hagen's taken some scans of panels that stand alone of Herriman's best creation and made Zazzle products including t-shirts, mugs and postcards. In panels from 2 Sunday strips, you can appeal to a crossword puzzle addict, a gourmand, a lover or a caffeine addict.

And he's also got his own cartoons on stuff, including the Drop Everything and Read coffee mug that I'll be ordering.

Harvey Pekar interview online

Tom Waters talks to Harvey at 5/13/09 Episode 38: 'Making It Big'.

Independents video interview link

One of the things that's been sitting around waiting to be reviewed is Chris Brandt's documentary film Independents. It's still waiting unfortunately, buy you can hear an interview with him at Inkstuds.

Post on Up, Times on Simpsons

Cannes opened for the first time with an animated movie - "Thanks to Pixar, a Cannes Launch Most Uplifting," By Ann Hornaday, Washington Post Staff Writer, Thursday, May 14, 2009.

And apparently the Simpsons channeled Ayn Rand - "Hot Button: Maggie goes Roark," By Amanda Carpenter, Washington Times Thursday, May 14, 2009.

Ohio State's Cartoon collection - Matching the Schulz Challenge

Associate Curator Jenny Robb put this info in a comment, but let's copy it here so more people see it:

Thanks for asking how to contribute to the Schulz Challenge. People can donate online with a credit card at: https://www.giveto.osu.edu/igive/onlinegiving/search_results.aspx?fundnum=313023 or send a check to the The Ohio State University Cartoon Library and Museum, 27 W. 17th Avenue Mall, Columbus OH 43210-1393. Please indicate “Schulz Challenge” on the check.

Remember, all donations will be matched dollar for dollar by Jean Schulz.

Thanks for your support of this exciting project!
Jenny Robb
Associate Curator

How screwed is Marvel's collection publishing biz?

So screwed that yesterday they put out a free comic-sized publication, Marvel Reading Chronology 2009, to tell you what order you should read their collections in. So for example, after getting Daredevil vol. 13: The Murdock Papers tpb, you then need to jump to Daredevil: The Devil, Inside and Out vol. 1, tpb. Nice, huh?

Politics and Prose starts graphic novel group

The new Politics and Prose newsletter has some graphic novel recommendations (see May 14th entry) and the announcement of...

New Graphic Novel Book Group

P&P’s new Graphic Novel Reading Group will begin meeting the fourth Wednesday of each month. Please contact Adam Waterreus at awaterreus@politics-prose.com for information if you would like to join.

I wrote to Adam who responded with these details:

The group will meet on the fourth Wednesday of every month starting in June at 7:30pm. It will be led by myself, and possibly Thad Ellerbe, the other Graphic Novel buyer/enthusiast at the store. I'm hoping to read a variety of work, from superhero, to lit, experimental, word-less, manga, all of it as long as it's intriguing and fun to talk about. I decided on Ex Machina volume 1 by Brian Vaughn for the first book because it melds a good superhero premise with character driven/political plotting, not to mention it's accessible (for those unsure about reading a graphic novel) and cheap, $9.99, (for those with light wallets). Hopefully it goes well. I'm thinking that in the future the group might discuss to figure out what we'll read next, or maybe do themed readings...I don't know. One of the perks of the book-group will be that if you buy the book-group book from Politics and Prose you'll get a 20% discount.

So that sounds promising, doesn't it? I'll try to make it, and, although I've read that book and don't remember being overly impressed one way or another, I think Adam's made a good choice.

Did you know? Krazy Kat in Georgetown

Did you know that Georgetown University's Lauinger Library holds two original Krazy Kat Sunday pages by George Herriman? No, I didn't either. David Hagen showed them to me last week. They're in the Archives, of course, as is at least one large collection of political cartoons, from a politician who collected images of himself, I think. There's definitely a Clifford Berryman in there, and I saw a Gib Crockett on the University Archivist's wall. I'm afraid I can't figure out their website well enough to track down the collection though, but you could contact them to ask.

Weldon asks, 'what is that 24 page story-filled paper thing one buys each Wednesday anyway?'

See "What To Call the Comic Book?" by Glen Weldon, National Public Radio's Monkey See blog (May 13 2009).

Oddly enough, the US Department of State examines some of the same issues in "Asian-American Authors Explore Identity, Cultural Roots," By Lauren Monsen, NewsBlaze May 12,2009, where she talks to "Adrian Tomine (a fourth-generation Japanese American), Gene Luen Yang (a Chinese American) and Derek Kirk Kim (a Korean American who immigrated to the United States at age 8)."

Weingarten on his new comic strip's lettering

Not much on comics this week, but this tidbit...

Chatological Humor: Single-handedly Saving the Newspaper Biz
aka Tuesdays With Moron
Gene Weingarten
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 12, 2009; 12:00 PM

Princeton, N.J.: Hey Gene - This may sound like a dumb question, but is the text in comics always all done by hand as well as the drawings? It always just seems so perfect and unwavering.

Thanks, mister.

Gene Weingarten: Some toonists still letter by hand. Some use computer lettering, which has gotten very sophisticated. Even the purist Garry Trudeau made the switch to computer lettering a couple of years ago -- I believe to a lettering system created from his own past lettering.

Barney and Clyde, the strip Dan'l and I are doing, will be hand lettered by the artist, David Clark.

Post profiles Naval Academy educational comic book

See "Survival Tips for Midshipmen Offered in Graphic Detail," By Ashley Halsey III, Washington Post Staff Writer, Tuesday, May 12, 2009.

May 12: Yuko Ota,, A Japanese comic illustrator at Library of Congress

Asian Pacific American History Month at the Library of Congress has a cartoonist appearing -

PROGRAM II: Japanese Illustrators Then and Now

Date/Time: Tuesday, May 12, 12:00 noon
Location: Dining Room C
"Then" Speaker - James Miho, A Bauhaus Illustrator (a "lost art" of Japanese illustration)
"Now" Speaker - Yuko Ota,, A Japanese comic illustrator

2009 Webportal Link: http://www.asianpacificheritage.gov/index.html

- thanks to Sara Duke for the tip.

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 05-13-09

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 05-13-09
By John Judy

ACTION COMICS #877 by Greg Rucka and Eddy Barrows. Nightwing and Flamebird versus Ursa, Round Two. Expect twists that will actually make you care about Nightwing and Flamebird. Because Rucka really is just that good.

BLACK PANTHER #4 by Reginald Hudlin and Ken Lashley. Morlun, Devourer of Totems is back to mess with the Black Panther and eat your tiki bar! Hope Spidey doesn’t find out because of all that radically altered Spidey continuity biz!

CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 #13 by Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk. More vampiric intrigue among the British super-set. Continually better than it has a right to be with strong characterizations and clever twists adding life and undeath to a bunch of folks who have never really popped like this before. Well-worth checking out.

DARK REIGN: HAWKEYE #2 of 5 by Andy Diggle and Tom Raney. Already well on its way to being a seriously guilty pleasure this mini focuses on the bloodthirsty assassin Bullseye not really even half-trying to pass himself off as the iconic archer of the Avengers. Recommended.

DARK REIGN: YOUNG AVENGERS #1 of 5 by Paul Cornell and Mark Brooks. I would normally not give this title a look, but it’s by Paul Cornell who’s doing such interesting things over in CAPTAIN BRITAIN. Anyway, “Evil kids take over the franchise from the good kids.” Let’s see what Cornell and company do with this.

DARK TOWER: THE FALL OF GILEAD #1 of 6 by Peter David, Robin Furth and Richard Isanove. Roland kills his mom over a grapefruit. It’s a magic grapefruit, you see… Stephen King really knows his stuff but why did he have to call it “Maerlyn’s frickin’ Grapefruit?” It just kills the moment, y’know?

FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: ESCAPE #1 of 6 by Ivan Brandon and Marco Rudi. Wonder Woman’s boyfriend is being tortured, but when you’re Wonder Woman’s boyfriend that’s not so bad. Nope, not so bad at all….

LOCKJAW AND THE PET AVENGERS #1 of 4 by Chris Eliopoulos and Ig Guara. Somebody at Marvel lost a serious bet. Was a short straw involved? Will this result in mandatory drug-testing at Marvel? Questions and more questions….

PUNISHER FRANK CASTLE MAX #70 by Duane Swierczynski and Michel Lacombe. Frank really needs the antidote to that poison he’s been dosed with. It would be quite a shame if an army of punks, gangsters and lowlifes were to find themselves between Frank and his object of desire, would it not? Recommended, especially if you’ve ever lived in Philadelphia.

SECRET SIX #9 by Gail Simone and Nicola Scott. Two of our group join the Battle for the Cowl. They want to be the new Batman, you see. It’s sort of like Sarah Palin wanting to be President. Fun to watch.

THOR: TALES OF ASGARD BY LEE AND KIRBY #1 of 6 by A Couple of Guys Named Stan and Jack. Collecting the legendary back-up stories from JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #97-104, re-mastered with new coloring and six new covers by red-hot THOR artist Olivier Coipel.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #132 by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen. MJ versus Kitty. Girl-fight at the end of the world.

UNWRITTEN #1 by Mike Carey and Peter Gross. The story of a guy who may or may not be a world-famous fictional boy wizard. Fun stuff but contains some of that famous Vertigo adult content.

WALKING DEAD #61 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. The zombie comic that urges you this month to “have a bit of priest!” Yum!

WOLVERINE #73 by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. NOT!!! It’s actually a “70th Anniversary Issue” in honor of Wolverine’s first appearance in 1939. Okay, really “Old Man Logan” is taking a two issue hiatus to make room for two two-parters, one by Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert and the other by Daniel Way and Tommy Lee Edwards. I am torn on this because I hate fill-in issues and Daniel Way but I have a complete fan-crush on Jason Aaron. Recommended. Mostly…

www.johnjudy.net

May 11: Spider-Man 2 movie in Crystal City

Crystal Screen - Superheroes

Join the Crystal City BID for 21 weeks of Superheros! On Monday nights from May 4, 2009-September 21, 2009, Crystal City will be protected by Batman, Spiderman, Superman, and many others. Each night will also have special giveaways, sponsors, and other activities.

Date(s):
May 4, 2009 - September 21, 2009

Location:
18th and Bell Street - Courtyard Across from Crystal City Metro Station & Marriott Hotel

Event Fee:
Free

Hours:
Movies begin at sundown

Description:
Join the Crystal City BID for 21 weeks of Superheros! On Monday nights from May 4, 2009-September 21, 2009, Crystal City will be protected by Batman, Spiderman, Superman, and many others. Each night will also have special giveaways, sponsors, and other activities. Check back here for more information.

CRYSTAL KID BONUS: Since it gets dark later in the summer and movies often start past bedtime, the BID has partnered with Crystal City Sports Pub to rebroadcast each movie at 3:30 PM on the 3rd Floor of CCSP on the Wednesday following the outdoor showing, starting May 6. Bring your kids and a blanket and enjoy the fabulous surround network of TVs.

Festival Rules: Patrons can bring their own picnics as long as they abide by city and festival rules. Low-backed chairs and blankets are allowed, but grills, umbrellas, and pets are prohibited.


Schedule

May 11, 2009 - Spider-Man 2
May 13, 2009 - Spider-Man 2 - at CCSP
May 18, 2009 - Spider-Man 3
May 20, 2009 - Spider-Man 3 - at CCSP
May 25, 2009 - The Hulk
May 27, 2009 - The Hulk - at CCSP
June 1, 2009 - Hulk 2: The Incredible Hulk
June 3, 2009 - Hulk 2: The Incredible Hulk - at CCSP
June 8, 2009 - Superman: The Superman Movie
June 10, 2009 - Superman: The Superman Movie - at CCSP
June 15, 2009 - Superman 2
June 17, 2009 - Superman 2 - at CCSP
June 22, 2009 - Superman 3: Superman vs. Superman
June 24, 2009 - Superman 3: Superman vs. Superman - at CCSP
June 29, 2009 - Superman 4: The Quest for Peace
June 31, 2009 - Superman 4: The Quest for Peace - at CCSP
July 6, 2009 - Superman 5: Superman Returns
July 8, 2009 - Superman 5: Superman Returns - at CCSP
July 13, 2009 - X-Men
July 15, 2009 - X-Men - at CCSP
July 20, 2009 - X2
July 22, 2009 - X2 - at CCSP
July 27, 2009 - X-Men: The Last Stand
July 29, 2009 - X-Men: The Last Stand - at CCSP
August 3, 2009 - Fantastic Four
August 5, 2009 - Fantastic Four - at CCSP
August 10, 2009 - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
August 12, 2009 - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - at CCSP
August 17, 2009 - Batman
August 19, 2009 - Batman - at CCSP
August 24, 2009 - Batman Returns
August 26, 2009 - Batman Returns - at CCSP
August 31, 2009 - Batman Forever
September 2, 2009 - Batman Forever - at CCSP
September 7, 2009 - Batman & Robin
September 9, 2009 - Batman & Robin - at CCSP
September 14, 2009 - Batman Begins
September 16, 2009 - Batman Begins - at CCSP
September 21, 2009 - Batman: The Dark Knight
September 23, 2009 - Batman: The Dark Knight - at CCSP

That Darn Toles and Doonesbury

A couple of comments referred to cartoons in "Free For All," Washington Post Saturday, May 9, 2009. Anybody need Fubar explained for them?

An Offensive 'F'

I think the word "fubar" should have been deleted from the May 3 Doonesbury comic.

The word that the "f" stands for in this acronym is considered by many to be extremely offensive.

-- Nathan Clemons
Etchison, Md.

What's With Obama's Hue?

I wonder why cartoonist Tom Toles continues to depict President Obama's skin color as white. Other cartoonists, such as Sheneman, one of whose cartoons for the Star-Ledger appeared in The Post's April 18 "Drawing Board," seem to have no trouble giving his face a somewhat darker hue.

Is Toles sending the message that Obama isn't black enough to be drawn as a black man? Toles is definitely treading "lightly."

-- Susanne Humphrey
Wheaton

Mark Wheatley interviewed

See "TINNELL & WHEATLEY'S PULP FUN W/LONE JUSTICE CRASH," Jennifer M. Contino, Comicon's The Pulse May 8 2009.

Brian Truitt returns to pop culture writing

Brian Truitt, who used to write on comics for the Washington Examiner, is writing for Northern Virginia Magazine and has a blog on upcoming events some of which relates to comics.

OT: Schweizer's Crogan's Vengeance

One of the people I really enjoyed meeting at Heroes Con last year was Chris Schweizer and seeing some drawings for his Crogan's Vengeance. Schweizer and I have similar tastes in enjoying historical heroic fiction. I bought the book when it came out and enjoyed it a lot. Here's an interview with him - "Avast, Me Hearties! Chris Schweizer," By Rebecca Buchanan, Sequential Tart May 4, 2009. He'll be at Heroes Con and SPX this year.

May 12: Yuko Ota,, A Japanese comic illustrator at Library of Congress

Asian Pacific American History Month at the Library of Congress has a cartoonist appearing -

PROGRAM II: Japanese Illustrators Then and Now

Date/Time: Tuesday, May 12, 12:00 noon
Location: Dining Room C
"Then" Speaker - James Miho, A Bauhaus Illustrator (a "lost art" of Japanese illustration)
"Now" Speaker - Yuko Ota,, A Japanese comic illustrator

2009 Webportal Link: http://www.asianpacificheritage.gov/index.html

- thanks to Sara Duke for the tip.

Zadzooks on Wolverine and Bennett's best

Little Lulu and League of Extraordinary Gentleman are "Bennett's Best for the week of May 3," Zadzooks blog May 7, 2009. No argument there.

There's a video "Zadzooks: Wolverine evolution from comic to movie," By JOE SZADKOWSKI on Zadzook's blog May 9, 2009 and an uncritical enjoyment of comic book movies at "Rube’s Reaction to X-Men Origins: Wolverine," By Heidi Haynes, May 6, 2009 also at Zadzooks blog.

Weingarten tips his hat to old comic strip

The Katzenjammer Kids are called out in "Out With the Old: Gene becomes cool hip rad awesome sick," By Gene Weingarten, Washington Post Magazine Sunday, May 10, 2009.

Washington Times reviews Pearls Before Swine collection

You don't see this type of review very often, but check it out at "BOOKS: 'The Saturday Evening Pearls: A Pearls Before Swine Collection': Scandals and mayhem collected, By Jeremy Lott, Washington Times Sunday, May 10, 2009.

OT: Roger Langridge interview

Friend of ComicsDC Roger Langridge is interviewed at "Panel Borders: Muppets, giant cuboid roosters and other weird creatures!" by Alex Fitch, May 7, 2009. Roger's a great cartoonist who's latest Marvel Fing Fang Foom comic came out this week. He'll be at Heroes Con this year with ridiculously underpriced original art - I've got mine!

Reason reviews Little Orphan Annie

See "Yesterday Is Tomorrow: Revisiting Annie as a new New Deal dawns," by Brian Doherty, Reason May 2009. IDW is doing an excellent job reprinting the strips. Gray's strip was one of the great adventure strips, but appeals particularly to Reason because, "The comic’s early days hold a winningly libertarian disdain for the uplifters and professional licensing and child labor laws that stymie Annie’s attempts to support herself and others who fall under her care."

As far as I know, the Reason guys are still hanging out on Dupont Circle.

May 8, 9: Animated shorts in Baltimore

See "2009 Maryland Film Festival - Animated Shorts," Brett D. Rogers, May 7, 2009 for Rogers' picks. There's 3 films by Bill Plympton whom I always enjoy.

The official website is a bit confusing, but here's the relevant data and you can click through to buy tickets:

SHORTS: Animated Shorts
Running Time: 79 mins.

Screenings:
May 8, 11:30 AM Charles Theater 3
May 9, 10:00 PM Charles Theater 4

Animated American - James Baker, USA, 15 minutes
The future is about to collide with the past in this live-action/animation hybrid short. While shopping for a new mansion, Eric, a digital-loving studio executive, finds himself crossing swords with his realtor, Max, an out of work toon rabbit. Like it or not, Max will make Eric see things through the eyes of an “Animated American.”

The Cave: An adaptation of Plato's Allegory in Clay - Michael Ramsey, USA, 4 minutes
An excerpt from Plato's Republic, the 'Allegory of the Cave' is a classic commentary on the human condition – here adapted and brought to life using over 4,000 still photographs of John Grigsby's clay animation, lit by candlelight.

Dandelion Will Make You Wise - Jack Ofield, USA, 5 minutes
Life never truly ends, though only creatures and plants experience that unknowing wholeness of perpetual rebirth from season to season. To think holistically presumes the continuity of existence, presumes an appreciation of the 'la grace des grandes choses,' and presumes a child-like faith that the omega will presage a new alpha. This is the great mystery of the natural world. This is why the dandelion can make us wise.

Forestry – Woodpecker, Japan, 4 minutes
A tale of a man and woman who get in trouble with the mischief of smoke blown out of a tree’s hole in the woods.

Fruitless Efforts - Fruit of the Womb - Andrew Chesworth & Aaron Quist, USA, 5 minutes
Apple is trying to lead a normal life, but is being held back by his friends.

Horn Dog – Bill Plympton, USA, 6 minutes
This latest adventure of Plympton's plucky canine hero from Guard Dog, Guide Dog, and Hot Dog finds the beast putting the moves on an Afghan in the park.

I Am So Proud Of You – Don Hertzfeldt, USA, 22 minutes
Dark family secrets cast a shadow over Bill’s recovery in this, the second chapter to the prize-winning short Everything Will Be OK (MFF 2007).

Mexican Standoff – Bill Plympton, USA, 4 minutes
This music video for the Dutch band Parson Brown follows a three-sided love affair that goes absolutely wrong and the hearts that break along the way. Made using pencil on paper, scanned and digitally composited.

The Realm of Possibility - Gerald Guthrie, USA, 7 minutes
A digital animation based at the intersection of absurdity and logic. Deductive reasoning, as found in the syllogistic form (A is B, B is C, therefore A is C), becomes a vehicle to validate concepts that might not necessarily be true. The structure of the narrative is meant to parallel the premise of a syllogism. Many men use libraries; many libraries reference aviation; therefore, many men are pilots. In the end, navigation to another planet becomes a curious byproduct of flawed logic.

Santa: The Fascist Years – Bill Plympton, USA, 3.5 minutes
In this animated newsreel, we learn that jolly ol’ St. Nick has a dark, hidden past rooted in greed and politics. One of three new shorts from Academy Award© nominee Bill Plympton, this one featuring narration by Matthew Modine.

The View from Cleopatra's Knee - Jack Ofield, USA, 4 minutes
Across millennia, the genius of human creativity and freedom is chronically threatened by the ultimate solution to all problems: a standing army.

My David Hagen painting

Earlier this week, I picked up my painting from David Hagen's successful show, where he sold 3/4 of the art he had up. David will be selling more of his art at Art-O-Matic later this month.


Supes, David Hagen, 2009

Of which, he explained, "I used acrylic paint. Black outlines are painted with acrylic paint pens or with brushes. About three coats of paint to get the even solid color look. Then a gloss spray varnish to protect the painting."

This was the only one he did of this type of subject, but you can see more of his work on his blog and Zazzle site. He's painting a lot of baseball players lately.

The wife and I are in negotiations over where to hang it.

AcaciaO reports on Spiegelman at Corcoran

See "Art Spiegelman: Comics From Mickey Mouse to Manga," By AcaciaO, We Love DC blog May 6th, 2009 for her report on his Corcoran lecture.

The unanswered question - did he smoke?

Maryland cartoonist Carla Speed McNeil lost in Canada

Fortunately, she's retained her wit for this interview - "Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2009: Q&A with Carla Speed McNeil," Posted: May 06, 2009, 9:15 PM by Mark Medley.

At the end, Carla's pick for a cartoonist she'd like to draw like was a real surprise to me. I didn't see that one coming.

And for the real cartooning geeks, she actually answers this question:

What do you draw with?

Pentel mechanical pencil stocked with 2B lead, Zebra 303 brush pens, Pigma Microns for lettering and crosshatching. I do all my pencilling on sheets of legal-size typing paper. My image size is a good bit smaller than the standard 10" X 15" to fit into that size paper. I arrived at this size over years of experimentation, and found that it really clicked-- my line weight and my lettering just looked the right proportions at that size. So I do all my drawing on the cheap stuff, then use the lightbox to ink directly onto thin Bristol.

Dustin Harbin, friend of ComicsDC, interviewed

See "Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2009: Q&A with Dustin Harbin," Posted: May 07, 2009, 8:10 PM by Mark Medley as Medley continues his astonishing interview series.

Jim Ottaviani, friend of ComicsDC, interviewed

See "Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2009: Q&A with Jim Ottaviani," Posted: May 06, 2009, 5:55 PM by Mark Medley. Medley's put a fantastic amount of interviews up on the National Post's Afterwords blog this week.

John Dimes gets animated

You can see The Rites of Pretending Tribes online now.

Featuring the Illustrations of: Erin Wells, Rick Hnat
& JOHN DIMES!!!! (he tells me).

He's also on paper, but I've been carrying those around for weeks and still owe him a review of the two minis he's sent me. Mea culpa.

Michigan State U's Comic Art Collection's April 2009 additions

We're in the home stretch and April started with Zapiro and Gorey - poles apart on the comics spectrum.

Bushwhacked : Cartoons from Sowetan, Mail & Guardian, and
Sunday Times / Zapiro. -- Cape Town, South Africa : Double
Storey, 2002. -- 160 p. : ill. ; 20 x 24 cm. -- Editorial
cartoons about South African politics and George W. Bush.
-- Call no.: DT1975.Z365 2002
-----------------------------------------------------
Ettie Lou Stooper Does a Tinsel Dance at a Tree-Trimming Party
in Gumsville, Nebraska, Christmas Eve, 1923. -- Printed by
William Ferguson for Albondocani Press, 1981. -- 1 folded
sheet (4 p.) : ill. ; 18 cm. -- "Copyright 1981 by Edward
Gorey." -- " Published in December 1981, this card is
limited to four hundred and fifty copies to be used as a
holiday greeting by the artist publisher. None are for
sale." -- Call no.: PS3513 .O614E8 1981
-----------------------------------------------------
Pirates of Polokwane : Cartoons from Mail & Guardian, Sunday
Times and Independent Newspapers / Zapiro. -- Auckland
Park, South Africa : Jacana Media, 2008. -- 134 p. : ill. ;
20 x 25 cm. -- Editorial cartoons. -- Call no.:
DT1975.Z37P5 2008
-----------------------------------------------------
The Eleventh Episode / by Raddory Gewe, drawings by Om. -- New
York Fantod Press, 1971. -- By Edward Gorey. -- 32 p. :
ill. ; 13 x 16 cm. -- Call no.: PS3513 .O614E4 1971
-----------------------------------------------------
The Eclectic Abecedarium / by Edward Gorey. -- Boston : Anne &
David Bromer, 1983. -- 61 p. : ill. ; 28 x 33 mm. -- Call
no.: PS3513 .O614E2 1983
-----------------------------------------------------
The Chinese Obelisks : Fourth Alphabet / Edward Gorey. -- New
York : Fantod Press, 1970. -- 56 p. : ill. ; 13 x 16 cm. --
(Fantod ; 2) -- Call no.: PS3513 .O614C4 1970
-----------------------------------------------------
Categor y : Fifty Drawings / by Edward Gorey. -- New York :
Gotham Book Mart, 1973. -- Title might also be: Category or
Categorey or Cat Gorey (a cat may be moving the letter 'E'
from early in the word, to the blank space before the 'Y').
-- 54 leaves : ill. ; 14 cm. -- Call no.: PS3513 .O614C3
-----------------------------------------------------
The Fatal Lozenge : an Alphabet / by Edward Gorey. -- New York
: Astor-Honor, 1960. -- 30 leaves : ill. ; 15 cm. -- Verse.
-- Call no.: PS3513 .O614F3 1960

Here's something I sent in - France's Lucky Luke in Vietnamese...

Ngoai Vong Phap Luat / kich ban & ve tranh, Morris ; dich loi,
Tu Hoa ; viet chu, Phan Le. -- Ho Chi Minh City : Nha Xuat
Ban Tre, 1999? -- 46 p. : col. ill. ; 29 cm. -- (Lucky Luke
; 33) -- Translation of: Hors la Loi. -- Western genre. --
Call no.: PN6747.M64 L80619 1999

I missed this next one completely. Is this a series? Are these really erotic comics artists (except for Gilbert, that is)?

Best Erotic Comics 2008 / edited by Greta Christina; with work
by Daniel Clowes, Phoebe Gloeckner, Gilbert Hernandez, &
more. -- San Francisco, Calif. : Last Gasp, 2007. -- 203 p.
: ill. ; 28 cm. -- Call no.: PN6726.B343 2007

The collection of syndicate proofs is being catalogued - here's one example of a strip by Blondie's Young...

"Extreme Table Tennis"* (Colonel Potterby and the Duchess,
Jan. 17, 1937) / by Chic Young. -- Silent strip. -- Call
no.: oversize PN6726.K52A22 1972

...actually it looks like April is mostly syndicate proofs and Treasure Chest. Oh well...

"The Largest Flock of Wild Flamingos in the Bahamas"* (Chuck
White and His Friends) / by Max Pine and Fran Matera. p.
18-23 in Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact, v. 20, no. 13
(Feb. 25, 1965). -- "To be continued." -- Call no.:
PN6728.1.P43T7v.20no.13

...if you need stories like that, now you can find them. Let's see if May, not even half over yet, brings any surprises tomorrow.

Comic Riffs talks to Spiegelman too, and he too likes Cul de Sac

Completing the Trifecta, Comic Riffs has "Mr. Spiegelman Goes to Washington," Michael Cavna, May 4, 2009 and "The Interview: "Maus's" Art Spiegelman" By Michael Cavna, May 5, 2009 in which he says, I like Richard Thompson's work ["Cul de Sac"]. They're good gags, and graphically it's on a very high level. ... It really seems like the inheritor to the "Calvin and Hobbes" [mantle]. It's amazing when any strip can electrify and bring life to a form [the comic strip] that is on life support.

OT: Toronto Comic Arts Festival academic panels

My friends Barbara and Bart are presenting papers.

Another New Narrative: Comics in Literature, Film, and Art
An interdisciplinary conference 9-10 May 2009

Sponsored by the Department of English at the University of Toronto and in association with the Toronto Comic Arts Festival


Saturday 9 May

All panels will take place within the Metro Central Reference Library, in the “learning centre.” There will be signage!

9:00 onward: pick-up your name tag and a program
Need help? Andrew Lesk andrew.lesk@utoronto.ca 416-841-8985

Panel 1 Contextual Shifts 9:15 – 10:30
Chair: Andrew Lesk (Toronto)

Beaty, Bart (Calgary)
“Comics Off the Page: Towards a Theory of Performance in the Comics World”

Shaviro, Steven (Wayne State)
“Iron Man as Corporate Fantasy”

Willmott, Glenn (Queen’s)
“Comics, Economy, Ecology: Winsor McCay and Junko Mizuno.”


Panel 2 The Media is the Message 10:30 – 12:15
Chair: Marni Stanley (Vancouver Island)

Coppin, Peter (Toronto)
“What Comics and Geometric Proofs have in Common”

Hains, David (Toronto)
“Fractal Literature: What Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home has in Common with Broccoli and Stock Charts”

O’Flynn, Siobhan (Toronto)
“Interactive Graphic Novels: Redefining the Form (again!)”

Postema, Barbara (Michigan State)
“Mind the Gap: Absence as Narrative Function in Comics”


Panel 3 Closer Looks 12:15 – 1:30
Chair: Glenn Willmott (Queen’s)

Hornick, Edward (Kenyon – New Orleans)
“Little Otter Lost: Understanding Achewood through its Kid”

Stanley, Marni (Vancouver Island)
“Out of Line: Closets and Consequences in Cruse's Stuck Rubber Baby”

Ziegler, Kevin (Waterloo)
“‘Piece It All Together and It’s Barely a Quarter of the Puzzle’: Seth’s It’s a Good Life, If You Don’t Weaken and Alternative Autobiographical Comics”


Panel 4 Presenting…. 1:30 – 2:30

An informal hour with authors and their works.

Jeet Heer & Ken Worcester on A Comics Studies Reader

and

David Collier & Robert Hamilton on David Collier


Panel 5 Confluence and Confusion 2:30 – 3:45

Chair: Siobahan O’Flynn (Toronto)
Cedeira Serantes, Lucia (Western)
“‘I am only really looking for a story’: Selection Practices of Four Comic Book Readers”

Rogers, Sean (York)
“‘Out of the Wild Blue Yellow Yonder’: Comic Books and Confusion in Artists and Models”

Sinervo, Kalervo (Simon Fraser)
“Gods with Teeth: Grant Morrison and the God/Author/Author/God Complex



Panel 6 Creative Bursts 3:45 – 5
Chair: Steven Shaviro (Wayne State)

Jeffries, Dru (Concordia)
“Things Ain’t Gonna Be De Same From Now On”: Dime Novels, Dick Tracy and the Emergence of the Avenger Detective.”

Sakkos, Vasileios (London)
“Transubstantiation on The Comic Book Page: Image made Flesh, Sanctified and Defiled in Ink and Pulp.”

Yao, Christine (Dalhousie)
“Ethical Questions and Literary Merit: Reverse Discourses in Fredric Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent”

OT: new Finnish fantasy novel by my friend Kate

Fledgling comic book author and buddy Kate Laity has a new novel out. Here's the PR:

Unikirja: Dream Book
By K. A. Laity
ISBN 978-0-9821725-0-6
169 pages, 6” x 9” paperback, $16.00
Published April 2009 by Aino Press


The schemes of witches and sages and giants.
Doomed marriages and supernatural bargains.
The magic of music, of the sauna, of family.
A fish who’s a girl, a girl who’s a wolf.
The creation of the world.

K. A. Laity weaves timeless magic in UNIKIRJA: DREAM BOOK. Tales from the Kalevala and Kanteletar, the ancient myths and folktales of Finland, receive new life and meaning in these imaginative retellings. Mixing the realistic with the fantastic, the mythic with the modern, the dream-tales of UNIKIRJA reinterpret the beauty of the original, time-honored Finnish stories for contemporary readers.

Laity’s work on this collection won her the 2005 Eureka Short Story Fellowship and a grant from the Finlandia Foundation in 2006. Some of these stories have previously appeared in New World Finn, Mythic Passages, Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Sword and Sorceress XXI, The Beltane Papers, and Kippis! Literary Journal. UNIKIRJA also includes four never-before published pieces, including “Lumottu,” an innovative and deeply moving new play.


About the Author:
K. A. Laity is the award-winning author of PELZMANTEL: A MEDIEVAL TALE (nominated for the Aesop Award and the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award) as well as many short stories, plays, and essays. As Assistant Professor of English at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, she specializes in medieval literature and also teaches popular culture, film, and New Media. Visit her website at kalaity.com

For more information, including author interview requests, contact:
Gene Kannenberg, Jr.
Publisher, Aino Press
ainopress@gmail.com
518-268-8041
http://www.aino-press.com

OT: The Book of Marvels (no, not those Marvels)

(Not those Marvels either)

This week, Barnes & Noble is featuring The Book of Marvels by Mark Collins Jenkins.

This is Mark's 4th book on the history of exploring and National Geographic and they're all worth checking out.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/bn-review/spotlight.asp?PID=28231&cds2Pid=22560&linkid=1389261

Michigan State U's Comic Art Collection's March 2009 additions

The first book indexed in March that I find is...

Oliver Twist / by Charles Dickens ; adapted by Marian Leighton
; illustrations by Ric Estrada. -- New York : Playmore,
Publishers under arrangement with I. Waldman & Son, 1979.
-- 238 p. : ill. ; 14 cm. -- (Illustrated Classic Editions
; 4517) -- (Moby Books) -- Summary (from OCLC): Deals with
the adventures of a young orphan boy trying to survive amid
greed and poverty in 19th-century London. -- Call no.:
PR4574.L45 1979


...and Ric Estrada just died this week.

Well, moving on...

Love & Dating and Other Natural Disasters! / Ron Wheeler. --
Kansas City, Mo. : Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1993.
-- 1 v. : ill. ; 14 x 21 cm. -- At head of title: Jeremiah.
-- Collects the Christian comic strip The Adventures of
Jeremiah. -- Romance and teen humor genres. -- Call no.:
PN6727.W435L6 1993

...I think this could have used a 'religion' tag...

...there can't be too many copies of this in America...

Insubstantial Pageant / by George Molnar. -- Sydney : Angus
and Robertson, 1959. -- 1 v. : ill. ; 26 cm. -- Australian
cartoons. -- Call no.: NC1759.M6 I5 1959
Molnar, George, 1910-


Somebody needs to donate some Iron Man...

The Invincible Iron Man. -- New York : Marvel Publishing,
2005- . -- col. ill. ; 26 cm. -- Began with no. 1 (Jan.
2005), cf. Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. --
Superhero genre. -- LIBRARY HAS: no. 26 (2008). -- Call
no.: PN6728.7.M3 I56

Has anyone read this yet? I still haven't picked up a copy in spite of my best intentions...

Jackie Ormes : the First African American Woman Cartoonist /
Nancy Goldstein. -- Ann Arbor : University of Michigan
Press, 2008. -- 225 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 29 cm. --
Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-213) and index.
-- Call no.: PN6727 .O74G65 2008


Anybody remember Flint Henry's work on Grimjack? Great stuff...

Todd Toys presents No Rest for the Wicked : the Clown / story,
Eldon Asp ; pencils, Flint Henry ; inks, Flint Henry, Troy
Hubbs ; letters, Lois Buhalis ; color, Todd Broeker. --
Livonia, Mich. : Todd Toys, 1994. -- 16 p. : col. ill. ; 26
cm. -- Cover title: Todd McFarlane's Spawn. -- "The Clown
figure #1". -- "Item # 10105". -- Comic book intended to
accompany a toy. -- Superhero genre. -- Call no.:
PN6728.25.T6N6 1994

I think we can safely assume that the only time these three items will ever appear together is in this Log entry...

Little Caesar's Pizza! Pizza! Flip Book. Little Caesar's
Cheeser! Cheeser! Flip Book. -- Little Caesar's, 1994. --
80 p. : all ill. ; 64 mm. -- Flip animation beginning from
each cover. -- Advertising genre. -- Call no.:
PN6728.25.L55F55 1994
-----------------------------------------------------
Hanna-Barbera's Hong Kong Phooey and the Bird Nest Snatchers /
by Jean Lewis ; illustrated by Phil Ostapczuk. -- Chicago :
Rand McNally & Company, 1976. -- 21 p. : col. ill. ; 21 cm.
-- Funny animal fiction. -- Call no.: PN1992.77.H63L4 1976
-----------------------------------------------------
Froissart's Modern Chronicles / told & pictured by F.
Carruthers Gould. -- London : T. F. Unwin, 1902. -- 108 p.
: ill. ; 22 cm. -- Cartoons about 18th century British
history. -- Call no.: DA561.G7 1902
Gould, F. Carruthers (Francis Carruthers), 1844-1925.

Whoops, missed this one whilst doing the Pekar book...

"Splendid Misery : an Interview with Robert Pulcini and Shari
Springer Berman" / by Dennis West and Joan M. West with
Anne Gilbert. p. 40-43 in Cineaste, v. 28, no. 4 (Sept.
2003). -- Topic is making the film American Splendor. --
Call no.: PN6710.S35 2003


There's a bunch of citations from the Advocate of which this is a typical example...

"Groening Against the Grain : Maverick Cartoonist Matt
Groening Draws in Readers with Gay Characters Akbar and
Jeff" / by Doug Sadownick. p. 30-35 in The Advocate, no.
571 (Feb. 26, 1991). -- Includes sample cartoons and
photograph of Groening. -- Cover title: "A Life in Hell
Valentine: Cartoonist Matt Groening Outs Akbar and Jeff."
-- Call no.: PN6710.S35 1991
RECLASS


I've got a review copy of this waiting around (sorry, Rob!)...

Captain America and the Struggle of the Superhero : Critical
Essays / edited by Robert G. Weiner ; foreword by John
Shelton Lawrence ; afterword by J.M. DeMatteis. --
Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Co., 2009. -- 255 p. : ill. ;
26 cm. -- Includes bibliographical references and index. --
Includes filmography: p. 218-226. -- "The topics discussed
include the ways Nazi Germany was represented in Captain
America Comics from the 1940s to the 1960s; the creation of
Captain America in the Jewish American experience; the
relationship between Captain America and Captain Britain;
the partnership between Captain America and The Falcon; and
various attempts to kill Captain America before his "real"
death"--Provided by publisher. -- Call no.: PN6725.W427C3
2009

...and this is Out of Print due to Candyland's objections (it's damned funny though)...

The Trial of Colonel Sweeto and Other Stories : a Collection
of the Comic Strips of the Perry Bible Fellowship / by
Nicholas Gurewitch. -- Milwaukie, Or. : Dark Horse Books,
2007. -- 96 p. : col. ill. ; 21 cm. -- Alternative genre.
-- Call no.: PN6728.P437G97 2007

Superhero and funny animal fiction ... you don't get that in just any publication... although you can in Garfield's Pet Force...

Daring Dog and Captain Cat / by Arnold Adoff ; illustrated by
Joe Cepeda. -- New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young
Readers, 2001. -- 1 v. : col. ill. ; 28 cm. -- Summary
(from OCLC): Although they are normal and obedient pets
during the day, at night Irving Dog and Ermine Cat rise and
shake and roam as Daring Dog and Captain Cat, twirling
capes and flashing swords and chasing crooks. -- Superhero
and funny animal fiction. -- Call no.: folio PS3551.D66D3
2001

I just bought a bunch of these comics at Fantom's 50% off sale - they seem to have hired some of the stalwarts of the 1980s to work on them...

Robin Hood : Outlaw of Sherwood Forest : an English Legend /
story by Paul D. Storrie ; pencils and inks by Thomas
Yeates. -- Minneapolis, MN : Graphic Universe, 2007. -- 48
p. : col. ill. ; 25 cm. -- (Graphic Myths and Legends) --
Summary (from OCLC): In comics format, recounts the life
and adventures of Robin Hood, who, with his band of
followers, lived in Sherwood Forest as an outlaw dedicated
to fighting tyranny. -- Includes bibliographical references
(p. 47) and index. -- Call no.: PN6727.Y37R6 2007

Tomorrow - April means Zapiro!

Dougan and Lawless on SMITH Magazine and beyond

I'm poking around SMITH Magazines webcomics after being friended by Jeff Newelt and just ran across Next Door Neighbor: Return to Sender by Jim Dougan and Molly Lawless, seen earlier this evening in the Free Comic Book Day post.

And heck, at the end of the story, which is quite entertaining mind you, we can steal this biographical information to post here:

Jim Dougan is a comic writer hailing from the Hudson Valley hamlet of Millbrook, NY, and currently living in Washington, DC. His debut work in comics was the comedy graphic novella CRAZY PAPERS, drawn by Danielle Corsetto. Jim is a founding member of the comics collective The Chemistry Set, and the editor of the first ChemSet anthology collection NO FORMULA, available from Desperado Publishing. SAM & LILAH, his romance-adventure collaboration with Hyeondo Park, was featured in the March 2008 Zuda competition and has continued at ACT-I-VATE since May 2008.

Molly Lawless is a native Bostonian and current Arlington, VA-based comic artist, illustrator, wannabe-marathoner and deadball-era baseball enthusiast. Her first four mini-comics -- including the ongoing series "Great Moments in Baseball", "Rules of Romance", "My Health Regimen" and "The Turning of the Worm" have been collected in Infandum!...Ad Infinitum, now available via her website, http://tyrnyx.wordpress.com/.

Deadball? Really?