The Union of Concerned Scientists is running its annual editorial cartoon contest now. There are 12 cartoons to choose from.
Our co-blogger and BCC pr man tells me that tickets will go on sale at the Capicons show at the Dunn Loring fire dept this Sunday. Here's the Capicons info: ******************************************************************* - FREE Admission – YES, FREE Admission for the Sun, Aug 2 show. Bring all your friends and it won’t cost a penny to get in the door, which means MORE money to buy comics! - If you receive a postcard in the mail before the show, PLEASE BRING POSTCARD TO THE SHOW. This will ensure that you continue to receive postcards in the future. ******************************************************************* Our next Tysons Corner Monthly Comic & Pop Culture Show will be on Sun, Aug 2 at the Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Department. The show is open to the public from 10 am - 3 pm. Admission for this month’s show is FREE. Buy, sell and trade: gold, silver age and new comics; Magic and other gaming cards; non sport cards; videos and DVDs; anime; Horror; Sci-Fi; figures, toys; Star Wars and Star Trek memorabilia; original artwork, posters, T-shirts/clothing and various other comic related items. Vendors confirmed for this show, including LOTS of new vendors!! 21st Century Sandshark Studios All-American Comics Bear Butt Comics Cards Comics & Collectibles Doug Cheshire Comics to Astonish Michael Creager Everyday Comics FANDATA Steve Frederick Donald Gehl Jamie Hicks Tim Larson Mendez Jim Montgomery Outpost Station Silver Fox Comics TNT Comics Vindictive Apparel Welcome Back Comics Zeno's Books ...and more! The Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Department (directions – please see below) has a 70-space parking lot. Plus, there is a school behind the fire department with hundreds of parking spaces that are rarely used on the weekends. To get to the Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Department (located about 20 minutes west of Washington, D.C.). Take I-495 (DC/Capital Beltway) to Exit 47A (Rt 7 West). Go 1/2 mile, Take a Left on Gallows Rd and proceed 1 mile to 2148 Gallows Rd. Or visit our website for detailed directions and Mapquest directions: http://www.capicons.com/directions_dlvfd.htm Venue Address: Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Department 2148 Gallows Road Dunn Loring, VA 22027 Also, if you receive a postcard reminder for the event, PLEASE BRING THE POSTCARD TO THE SHOW. This will ensure that you continue to receive postcards in the future. If you do not receive a postcard before the show and would like this reminder, please visit our website and sign up for our mailing list: http://www.capicons.com/contact_customer.htm Or print out the following form, complete it and bring it to the next show: http://www.capicons.com/door_prize_entry_form.htm If you have any other questions, please visit our website: http://www.CapiCons.com
"Comic-Con: The Post-Mortem," by Glen Weldon, National Public Radio's Monkey See blog July 29, 2009. Michael Cavna had a few quotes from 3 of my favorite cartoonists, including Our Man Thompson. The other two are Keith Knight and Stephan Pastis.
Friday August 7, 2009  Superheroes and Alter Egos
12:00 PM Grand Salon
Renwick Gallery Mark Newport explores notions of gender, masculinity, and fatherhood by knitting oversized superhero costumes drawn from pop culture. Join Newport as he discusses his unique approach to portraying masculinity by using nontraditional materials. Come early to see his work in the new exhibition Staged Stories: Renwick Craft Invitational 2009.
Library of Congress
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington DC 20540 July 30, 2009 "Herblock!"
New Exhibition at Library of Congress Opens Oct. 13 Features 82 Original Drawings from Library's Herb Block Collection WHAT: The Library of Congress celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of political cartoonist Herb Block, known to the world as Herblock, with an exhibition that looks at his entire 72-year career, which began in 1929 under President Herbert Hoover and concluded in 2001 during the presidency of George W. Bush. Through his compelling cartoons, Block influenced public opinion and affected prominent elected officials. U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy publicly denounced Block, and President Richard Nixon disparaged the cartoonist as "a master of sick invective." The exhibition, which features 82 original cartoon drawings selected from the Library's Herb Block Collection, will illuminate Block the man, as well as his mastery of the art of the political cartoon. WHEN: Oct. 13, 2009 to May 1, 2010 WHERE: The Library of Congress' Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. # # # PR09-149
7/30/09
ISSN: 0731-3527
This was supposed to go to the International Journal of Comic Art blog, where I post information about exhibits on comics, but since I sent it here by accident, here it stays because I like Tomo Richmond's work and the idea of the ToonSeum. For Immediate Release The ToonSeum At the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh (412)325-1060 joe@toonseum.com The ToonSeum Goes MAD for Tom Richmond The ToonSeum is proud to present "Tom Richmond: The MAD Art of Caricature," an exhibition of original caricatures and parodies by one of MAD Magazine's stand-out artists. Richmond, a member of MAD Magazine's Usual Gang of Idiots since 2000, has skewed pop culture icons, political figures, movie stars, even President Obama's dog. His style and technique carry on in the great tradition of MAD Magazine legends such as Mort Drucker and Jack Davis. Richmond's work appears in publications, films and comics worldwide. His company also provides caricature artists for some of the nation's top theme parks. His recently completed book "Bo Confidential: The Secret Files of America's First Dog" will make its debut this weekend at the ToonSeum! The "MAD Art of Caricature" also gives a behind-the-pen-and-brush look at Richmond's parodies of movies, including "Harry Plodder," "Spider-Sham," "Battyman Begins," "30 Crock," "Obama's Inauguration" and many more. "The ToonSeum is proud to take MAD out of the teacher's trash can and put it on museum walls where it belongs," says ToonSeum Executive Director Joe Wos. "Tom is truly a master of mockery, and we are delighted to present his work at the ToonSeum." Richmond will drop by the ToonSeum Aug. 1 for book signings,and demonstrations. More information is available at www.toonseum.org. The exhibit runs from Aug. 1 through Oct. 4 at the ToonSeum, which is located inside the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh on the city's historic North Side. Workshop info: On Friday August 1st the ToonSeum will present a special Caricature Master Class. The MAD Art of Caricature with Tom Richmond, Master Class Learn the art of caricature from one of its true masters! August 1st 2009, 5pm-6:30pm . The ToonSeum at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Cost: $50, Students and NCS Members $35 The ToonSeum presents a special master class with caricature artists and magazine illustrator Tom Richmond of MAD Magazine fame. This is a rare opportunity for anyone interested in improving their skills, learning about how to break into magazines, and more. Purchase online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/73723 What: "Tom Richmond: The MAD Art of Caricature" When: Aug. 1-Oct. 4 Where: ToonSeum at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh on the city's historic North Side, 10 Children's Way, Allegheny Square. Cost: ToonSeum admission is included with paid admission to the Children's Museum, which is $10 for children 2-18 and seniors; $11 for adults Details: 412-325-1060 or www.toonseum.com For questions, art for print or an interview, please contact ToonSeum Executive Director Joe Wos at joe@toonseum.com. ============================================== Thank you for your support of the cartoon arts. Unsubscribe mrhode@gmail.com from this list: http://toonseum.us1.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=44a11ba2be8e10861fcde5f8f&id=c314d18807&e=b8d8f64fca&c=8544fc5f56 Our mailing address is: The ToonSeum 10 Children's Way Pittsburgh, PA 15212 Our telephone: 412-325-1060
Local writer Nevin Martell is interviewed about his Calvin & Hobbes book - see "TIGER HUNTING: Author tracks elusive Calvin & Hobbes creator Bill Watterson, and more in this week's Scene and Heard," by D.X. Ferris, Cleveland Scene July 29 2009.
In "Sleep Well, Superman: A Classic Reissued," by Glen Weldon, National Public Radio's Books We Like (July 28, 2009), he reviews Alan Moore and Curt Swan's Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? which was one of the best Superman stories ever written, largely because Moore and Swan obviously loved and respected the previous 50 years of stories and Superman's iconic status. As Weldon notes, "Moore penned a sweeping, surprisingly tender elegy to Superman's rich, primary-colored history, superdog and all. The character had died previously (and since, famously, in 1992), but the superhero comic is a land of dream sequences, clones and regeneration where death is not so much an ending as a plot point. Moore's story, in contrast, is a culmination; even 23 years later, it stands as a moving farewell to the Superman most of us grew up with." Moore's throw-away story of Superman meeting Swamp Thing from DC Comics Presents is included, and along with the Mongul story, present three excellent interpretations of the Superman mythos. It took another 22 years, and another writer from Great Britain, Grant ( All-Star Superman) Morrison, to even come close to the tenor of Moore's work.
In the uncredited "An Interview with Lincoln Peirce," Comics Insight blog July 28 2009, the anonymous interviewer asks Peirce (whose Big Nate appears in the Post):
And lastly, what would you pick as the best comic strip launched within the last decade?
“Cul de Sac.” Hands down.
Amen to that.Our Man Thompson's fan club continues...
Comic-Con Wrap: Vote Now for Best Fan Costume NOTE: Today at 11 a.m., join Comic Riffs for a live chat about San Diego Comic-Con International 2009.
The Straight Dope column in the July 24th City Paper is on whether or not Superman could make diamonds by squeezing coal. It's also online.
Here's some (edited by me) PR from Marvel. It appears that a decent amount of close Maryland stores are participating - including ones in Laurel, Reisterstown, Owings Mill, Baltimore and Annapolis. When you look at the list, it's sorted by state abbreviation, so MD comes after MA. In Virginia, there's Laughing Ogre in Fairfax and Painted Visions in Woodbridge. Nobody appears to be participating in DC. Celebrate Marvel's 70th Anniversary With Your Local Comic Shop!
On August 11th, 2009, comic fans all over will celebrate Marvel's 70th
Anniversary at their local comic shops and we've got the complete list
of participating retailers. Click over to
http://marvel.com/news/comicstories.8874 to download a full list of
retailers participating in Marvel 70th Anniversary parties, offering
exclusive limited edition variants, early on sale release of The Marvels
Project #1, special sales, and more! All retailer parties begin at 9pm
local time. As a special thank you to retailers, Marvel is sending a
limited edition Captain America: Reborn #2 70th Anniversary Frame
Variant to all participating stores!
For more information on Marvel's 70th Anniversary, head over to
www.marvel.com/70. And remember-Make Mine '39!
--
Arune Singh | Manager of Sales Communicatons
Marvel Entertainment
From upper Wisconsin Avenue, Moment Magazine editor Nonna G has let me know about this interview - "A Moment with New Yorker Cartoonmeister Bob Mankoff," by Nadine Epstein, Moment Magazine July/August 2009. Mankoff's got a good take on the roles of Jews in humor and vice versa, and answers the question "Who are your favorite Jewish cartoonists?" I stand in awe of what Mankoff had done with the New Yorker's cartoons - while at Rehoboth Beach recently I saw New Yorker cartoon puzzles! What a great idea. (picture to follow when I figure out how to get them off my phone).
Crystal Screen - SuperheroesJoin 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 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
The Post reports that Lincoln Theatre at 1215 U St, NW shows free cartoons on Tuesday at 11 am and 1 pm. Call 202-328-6000 to confirm. Looney Tunes and Happily Ever After are featured.
I found quite a few interviews for my book Harvey Pekar: Conversations, including some that didn't make it into the book for one reason or another, but here's one I missed completely: My 2004 interview with Harvey Pekar.
John McPherson won't be speaking on the National Debt - he was sunk by Senate opposition (Borked, can we say?). See "'Close to Home' Cartoonist McPherson's Public Debt Gig Scrapped," By E&P Staff, July 24, 2009.
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 07-29-09 By John Judy CITIZEN REX #1 of 6 by Mario and Gilbert Hernandez. “What compels life without a soul?” No, it’s not a biography of Dick Cheney. It’s a sci-fi adventure about a scandalized robot in a world he never made. For fans of LOVE & ROCKETS and good comics everywhere. Recommended. DARK REIGN CROSS-OVERS by Tons o’ People. Let’s see, there’s HAWKEYE, HOOD, LETHAL LEGION, SINISTER SPIDER-MAN and YOUNG AVENGERS. Go completists, go! It’s feeding time at the DARK REIGN trough! Good luck! DETECTIVE COMICS #855 by Greg Rucka, JH Williams III and Cully Hamner. Batwoman and the Question do the detecting thing and look really good doing so. Hey, if you’re gonna call yourselves Batwoman and/or the Question you better be at the top of your game. Otherwise people will talk. FANTASTIC FOUR #569 by Mark Millar and Stuart Immonen. The Marquis of Death must pay for his treatment of Doom! And for being French! GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS: TANKIES #3 of 3 by Garth and Carlos Ezquerra. It’s end-game as the lads must finally face the deadly German tiger tank. Riveting wartime adventure. Recommended. GHOST RIDER: LAST STAND SC by Jason Aaron and Tan Eng Hut. Continuing Aaron’s run on this hellfire and booze-fueled cycle circus originally published in GHOST RIDER #26-32. IGNITION CITY #4 of 5 by Warren Ellis and Gianluca Pagliarani. Mary Raven’s in the firefight of her life armed with naught but her dead dad’s raygun and her own spunk to see her through. Bet on the Ellis uber-chick. JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #29 by Bill Willingham, Matthew Surges and Jesus Merino. A new creative team adds two new characters to the JSA roster. But will they last? KID COLT #1 by Tom DeFalco and Rick Burchett. It’s a Tom DeFalco comic and a Western. That makes it twice as unusual in today’s market. NEW AVENGERS #55 by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen. It’s a new issue and Brother Voodoo is still the sorcerer supreme. And you thought Bucky America was a lot to accept. NORTHLANDERS #19 by Brian Wood and Danijel Zezelj. “The Shield Maidens” wraps up with the ladies inflicting some serious choppage. Highly recommended. NORTHLANDERS, VOL. 2: THE CROSS AND THE HAMMER SC by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly. Collecting Northlanders #11-16. An Irishman rebels against his Viking rulers. It’s awesome. Highly recommended. PREVIEWS by Marvel and Diamond Comics. See what you’ll be reading, wearing and playing in three months time! STUFF OF LEGEND #1 of 2 by Mike Raicht, Brian Smith and Charles Paul Wilson III. In 1944 a small boy is dragged into his closet by the Boogeyman. Now it’s up to his toys to go in and rescue him. Great fun for reading at bedtime, especially if the kids have been naughty. Gotta look! SUPERMAN #690 by James Robinson and Renato Guedes. Mon-El: Still dying. THUNDERBOLTS #134 by Andy Diggle and Miguel Angel Sepulveda. Be honest, did anyone ever think Songbird would be so tough to kill? I mean, her name is “Songbird” for crying out loud! And now it’s like Wolverine and Keith Richards had a kid and he wasn’t a tattooed, mohawked moron! I digress… Good comic, worth a read or three. ULTIMATUM #5 of 5 by Jeph Loeb and David Finch. The last issue. Lots of people dead. For now. ULTIMATUM: SPIDER-MAN REQUIEM #2 of 2 by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley and Stuart Immonen. Ultimate J. Jonah Jameson continues his weepy eulogy for Ultimate Almost Certainly Dead Spidey. WEDNESDAY COMICS #4 of 12 by Lotsa Awesome People. So ya say ya want Hawkman by Kyle Baker? Metamorpho by Neil Gaiman? A Kamandi adventure in the style of Prince Valiant? We have that and a lot more! Metal Men! Flash! Green Lantern! It’s a smorgasbord! Highly recommended. WONDER WOMAN #34 by Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti. It’s WW and Black Canary! What a pair! Recommended!
Buck Rogers started as a pulp novel, moved to comic strips, then radio, then serials, then tv. He's had a long life.Paging Buck RogersWashington Post Saturday, July 25, 2009 Reading Jennifer Ouellette's July 19 Outlook article, "Apollo With Warp Drive? Make It So," was an enjoyable trip through 20th-century science fiction. Not mentioned were the radio space adventures of "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," which ran in the 1930s and '40s. It was one of the earliest of the juvenile adventure series portraying the characters of Buck, Wilma and friends from the future continuously battling the evil forces led by Killer Kane and Ardala. Listeners of the radio program also heard of the marvelous inventions and ways of the future. I would surmise that they were not too surprised at hearing of the 1969 moon landing. -- Edwin Morgenstern Silver Spring
Don't Blame the GOPWashington Post Saturday, July 25, 2009 It is silly to expect objectivity from any editorial cartoonist, but Tom Toles's July 21 cartoon, which blamed Republicans for the delay since 1993 in enacting health-care reform, ignored both historical and current fact. It was a Democratic-controlled Congress that rejected the Clinton administration's "Hillarycare" health-care reform plan in 1994, before Republicans swept to a majority in both the Senate and House. And, of course, it is impossible not to notice that Democrats once again control both houses of Congress, so if they reject the "Obamacare" version of health-care reform this year, the Republican minority once again cannot be at fault. -- Lynda Meyers Arlington
"What heroes I read as a kid were the same ones my grandfather read when he was a child. My times are different than my grandfather's but the mores that make the heroes still matter…because comics are not only idyllic but form a ... Read more »
DC Comic Books Examiner, Mark Ruffin
Mark Ruffin, a reader of comics for over twenty years, is a freelance writer who tirelessly generates awareness for the Non-Fraternity Conversation and Write-up on Comic Books. Contact Mark here.
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Stephan Pastis gave a tip of the hat to some of the cartoonists he'll be meeting in San Diego - including Our Man Thompson.
The print version has an Associated Press article, although Comic Riffs' Michael Cavna, a Post editor, is there.
This year's edition of A.V. Club's Comics Issue in The Onion contains three features: Reinventing the Pencil: 4 Artists Who Changed Mainstream Comics (For Better or Worse); Interview with Michael Kupperman; and an Interview with Grant Morrison. The website's contents are more thorough, and additionally have features worth checking out like Seth on Classic Cartoonists and Illustrators, an Interview with Steve Bissette, Gateway to Geekery: Love and Rockets, and Recommended First Comics. The 4 Artists feature is arguably accurate as well as insightful. It provides background on each of the creators and why they're worth mentioning. The Kupperman interview is interesting, though doesn't tickle the funny bone the way Tales Designed to Thrizzle does (if you have not read this, do yourself the favor). The Morrison interview does a good job of providing insight into some of the more controversial issues surrounding his work, his approach to working, and where he'd like to go next creatively. Last year, they featured Bendis. This year, Morrison. Perhaps next year, Brian K. Vaughn?
For Glen Weldon's take, see "Webcomics: An Annotated Guide for the Understandably Perplexed," National Public Radio's Monkey See blog (July 21 2009). For myself, I love the idea, but tend to buy the paper compilations.
"People new to buying comics will tell me they 'don't know what comics there are'. So I ask them what they like…books, movies, or anything else. From there I can point out some suggestions for them based on their own ... Read more »
DC Comic Books Examiner, Mark Ruffin
Mark Ruffin, a reader of comics for over twenty years, is a freelance writer who tirelessly generates awareness for the Non-Fraternity Conversation and Write-up on Comic Books. Contact Mark here.
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What's interesting is that Cavna asks Aragones, Johnston, Gaiman, Pastis and Lee. He also adds insult to injury by caricaturing them. See "San Diego Comic-Con: 5 Star Cartoonists Do the Time Warp Again," by Michael Cavna, Washington Post Comic Riffs blog July 22 2009. Cavna, along with Richard Thompson, is at the Comics Con, thus providing a sizable DC contingent.
My first step into a comic book store in Northwest DC manifests a déjà vu not generated by comic book sales. To stare down the lengthy corridor that's painted a dusk-like orange and lined with framed illustrations, there's ... Read more »
DC Comic Books Examiner, Mark Ruffin
Mark Ruffin, a reader of comics for over twenty years, is a freelance writer who tirelessly generates awareness for the Non-Fraternity Conversation and Write-up on Comic Books. Contact Mark here.
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