Sept 14: Batman Begins 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


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

Another interview with Shawn Martinbrough

The former (current?) area resident is interviewed at "Talking Comics with Tim: Shawn Martinbrough," September 12, 2009 by Tim O'Shea

Quick Reviews for Comics Due 09-16-09

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 09-16-09

By John Judy

 

3 STORY: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE GIANT-MAN HC written and drawn by Matt Kindt.  No relation to Marvel's super, size-changing scientist, this is the story of the world's largest man who keeps growing until he no longer fits with his life or anyone in it.  Also growing until they no longer fit: certain metaphors.

 

AGENTS OF ATLAS #11 by Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman.  Dragons, ex-girlfriends and killer robots clash!  Big fight!

 

ARCHIE #601 by Michael Uslan and Stan Goldberg.  Part 2 of 6, in which Archie and Veronica continue their hypothetical future walk down the aisle.  Remember, gang: They're all imaginary stories.

 

BATGIRL #2 by Brian Q. Miller and Lee Garbett.  Batgirl #6 just knows she's gonna be different!  She's gonna make this work!

 

BATMAN AND ROBIN #4 by Grant Morrison and Philip Tan.  Meet the Red Hood and Scarlet.  They think they're so tough…

 

BLACKEST NIGHT #3 of 8 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis.  It's almost never a good time to be Firestorm the Nuclear Man.  I mean, you're wearing a poofy 70s shirt and your hair's on fire all the time.  Even so, at the moment it's especially not good.

 

BRAVE AND BOLD #27 by J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz.  JMS comes on board with a rip-snorting tale teaming the Dark Knight and…. Robbie Reed, the guy with the Dial H for Hero doo-hickey?  Dial A for Awesome!  Gotta look!

 

CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #3 of 5 by Ed Brubaker and Bryan Hitch.  Steve Rogers has come unstuck in time…  Plus, the Red Skull and Dr. Doom have a meeting of the minds.  A Nazi super-villain and the megalomaniac son of gypsies.  What could go wrong?  Recommended.

 

DARK AVENGERS #9 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato.  Ares, God of War discovers his kid has been working for the enemy.  Hmm, how do Greek gods deal with their unruly kids again…?  Recommended.

 

DARK REIGN LIST DAREDEVIL ONE-SHOT by Andy Diggle and Billy Tan.    Norman Osborn sends Bullseye to kill Daredevil, which is sort of like sending George W. Bush to fix the economy.  Or anything else.  Might want to look deeper into that rolodex, Mr. O. 

 

EX MACHINA #45 by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris.  Hizzoner Mayor Mitchell Hundred has a new enemy and a mole in his team just in time for the final storyline to get underway.  Only five more issues to go until the end of yet another great series by Mr. Vaughan.  Recommended.

 

JOHN STANLEY LIBRARY: NANCY, VOL. 1 HC by John Stanley.  Collecting the comic adventures of Ernie Bushmiller's famous tyke as written by John Stanley, the iconic Little Lulu scribe who some have called the greatest children's comics writer of all time.

 

MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN #3 by Jonathan Mayberry and Jason Shawn Alexander.  Zombie Wolverine finds his way to the "land of the rising son."  No, not Nazareth!  Japan, silly!  Marvul kan makes tie-poz!

 

MIGHTY AVENGERS #29 by Christos Gage, Dan Slott and Khoi Pham.  Scarlet Loki's mask seems to be slipping further and further down his/her nose.  But will it be too late for Hank Pym and his band of rebels?

 

THOR ANNUAL #1 by Peter Millligan, Tom Grindberg and Mico Suayan.  Thor's been turned out of Asgard and now some old enemies want a word.  Hope they like the taste of hammer!

 

ULTIMATE COMICS ARMOR WARS #1 of 4 by Warren Ellis and Steve Kurth.  Bad guys are trying to jack Ultimate Tony Stark's ride.  Un-cool, bad guys!  It's Ellis so expect lots of alcohol and pain.

 

WALKING DEAD #65 by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard.  "Fear the Hunters" part 4 of 5.  In which we learn that non-zombie cannibals are way worse than zombie cannibals even if they don't smell as bad. Not for kids.

 

WEDNESDAY COMICS #11 of 12 by Various Creators.  Almost time for the huge oversize coffee-table collection!

 

X-FACTOR #48 by Peter David and Valentine DeLandro.  Okay, that's it.  Madrox the Multiple Man has simply got to start cleaning up his mutant duplicates!  I'm not normally one to judge but at least when I leave my laundry all over the floor it doesn't develop a will of its own and start trying to kill my teammates.  Just sayin'…

 

X-MEN: LEGACY ANNUAL #1 by Mike Carey, Daniel Acuna and Mirco Pierfederici.  This sort of begs the question: How much legacy can you have if you're only up to your first annual?  But at least it has a cover drawing of Wolverine that looks like he's a fan-boy in a costume contest.

 

www.johnjudy.net

Comic-Book Fan Adam Besenyodi

 2009 Fall for the Book festival  (www.fallforthebook.org) in Fairfax:

3:00pm

 Comic-Book Fan Adam Besenyodi

When: Tue, September 22, 3pm – 4pm

Where: Grand Tier III, Center for the Arts, George Mason University, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax, Virginia 22030 (map)

Description: Besenyodi discusses his new book, Deus ex Comica: The Rebirth of a Comic-Book Fan, praised by Wired as a "a great study in emotional psychology and the things in life that really get our brains ticking and our hearts pumping."

Cory Thomas interview

Scott Nickel has 20 Questions with Cory Thomas at his A Nickel's Worth blog Thursday, September 10, 2009. Thomas, whose strip is in the Post, used to be a cartoonist at Howard University.

Post doesn't like Whiteout, 9

Whiteout is based on Greg Rucka and Steve Leiber's graphic novel, which I enjoyed. However, the Post's review begins ""Whiteout" is so staggeringly bad that it achieves a kind of transcendent poetry." For more, read "Kate Beckinsale in 'Whiteout': Darkness Falls on Antarctica," By Dan Zak, Washington Post Staff Writer, Friday, September 11, 2009.

Cavna's review of '9' was sent to the Weekend ghetto (perhaps by him?), a section sadly diminished and rarely worth looking at now. To see what he wrote, go to "Animation That Thrills The Eyes, Not the Heart," Michael Cavna, Washington Post Friday, September 11, 2009. The Times wasn't too fond of it either - "Caught Between Ice and a Coldblooded Killer," By A. O. SCOTT, New York Times September 11, 2009.

Third Eye Comics of Annapolis featured

Third Eye Comics of Annapolis is featured on Graphic Novel Reporter - "Bestseller Lists September 9, 2009: Annapolis, MD," September 10 2009, listing their top-selling comics.

John Kovaleski's Shelf Porn includes Harvey Pekar: Conversations

John and I have communicated back and forth a bit after meeting at SPX. We swapped books, and I see Harvey Pekar: Conversations on his signed book shelf at "Send Us Your Shelf Porn!" by Chris Mautner,* September 9, 2009. Chris notes that John has a new book he'll be selling at SPX, and he's usually got some minicomics too - I'll be stopping by his table.

I love looking at pictures of people's libraries, but this is the first time they've looked back. So to speak.


*I also know Chris from the late, lamented Comix@ mailing list.

Baltimore City Paper 8th comics contest out

The current issue of the Baltimore City Paper has the results of its 8th comics contest.

Ullman covers City Paper!

Rob Ullman returns to do an illustration for the Washington City Paper! I've really missed his work - I don't even read Savage Love anymore without Rob's drawing to pull me in.

PR: Jerry Moriarity, R. Sikoryak and Joshua Cotter as Guests for SPX 2009

Small Press Expo Announces Jerry Moriarity, R. Sikoryak and Joshua Cotter  as Guests for SPX 2009

Bethesda, Maryland; September 9, 2009 - The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels and alternative political cartoons, is pleased to announce Jerry Moriarity, R. Sikoryak and Joshua Cotter as guests for SPX 2009.

Jerry Moriarity will be making only his second festival appearance ever at this year's SPX. 

 Jerry has exhibited his work at Corridor Gallery, Kamikaze, Printed Matter, at the Visual Arts Museum of the School of Visual Arts, and, most recently, in a 2004 show at the CUE Art Foundation curated by Art Spiegelman. Jerry has worked as a painter, an illustrator, and a cartoonist. Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly first published several episodes of Jerry's "Jack Survives" series of comics pages in issues of RAW Magazine, and published a now deeply out of print "Jack Survives" collection in 1984. This year, Buenaventura Press has published an updated, definitive hardcover collection of "Jack Survives,"  including never before published comics pages and paintings with an introduction by Chris Ware.

R. Sikoryak is a contributor to The New Yorker, Nickelodeon Magazine, Drawn & Quarterly, The Onion, Mad Magazine and LA Weekly in addition to Art Spiegelman's ground breaking Raw. His work has also been featured on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. His long running series of literary masterpieces re-imagined in the style of various famous comic characters and cartoon artists has been collected by Drawn and Quarterly and published as Masterpiece Comics. Masterpiece Comics collects all of the previously released collisions between fine literature and the comics world, in addition to new pieces added to the series.

Joshua Cotter is the creator of the mini-comics Fun and Self Help. He won the Isotope Award for mini-comix in 2004 for Skyscrapers of The Midwest, which was collected into a graphic novel and published by Adhouse Books, with both the mini-comics and full graphic novel garnering rave reviews. Joshua was also nominated for Ignatz, Harvey and Eisner Awards. He is currently doing commercial work and painting while developing his next comics oriented project,  tentatively called Nod Away.

Jerry Moriarity, R. Sikoryak and Joshua Cotter are in addition to the previously announced guests Gahan Wilson, Paul Karasik, Carol Tyler, Josh Neufeld, John Porcellino and Willy Linthout.

SPX will be held Saturday, September 26 from 11AM to 7PM and Sunday, September 27, noon-6PM at The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Admission is $10 for a single day and $15 for both days.

For further information on the Ignatz Awards, the nominees or to request an interview, please contact Warren Bernard at warren@spxpo.com.

For more information on the Small Press Expo and the Ignatz Awards, please visit http://www.spxpo.com.

MTV's Pekar interview online

Here's a short interview with Harvey. Print it out and tuck it in the back of my book.

EXCLUSIVE: Harvey Pekar Talks Webcomics, Art And His New Series, 'The Pekar Project'
by Rick Marshall
MTV's Splash Page blog 9/8/09

I just read the first 5 strips that are up and liked them all. I hope there will be a collection of these too.

Newspapers on '9'

'9': 1 Part Plot, 1 Part Casting, 7 Parts Wonder
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 9, 2009


The Riffs Interview: Tim Burton & Jennifer Connelly Were Deeply Drawn to the Beguiling '9'
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog September 9, 2009

In a Grim, Mysterious World, a Burlap Hero With a Heart of Golden Fuzz

By A. O. SCOTT

New York Times September 9, 2009

OT: Gustave Verbeek's Upside-Down comic reprinted

Here's some PR from Pete Maresca which I'm passing along because they do such good work. I've bought every one of their book so far.

Sunday Press Turns Comics World "Upside-Down" with New Book on Gustave Verbeek

Sunday Press Books announces the latest in its highly-acclaimed series of comic strip reprints. "The Upside-Down World of Gustave Verbeek" offers a complete run of the artist's most famous creation and a sampling of his other work in comics and art.

 

Palo Alto, CA, September 6, 2009 -- A new collection from Sunday Press Books reprints a complete run of Gustave Verbeek's "Upside-Downs of Little Lady Lovekins and Old Man Muffaroo" (1903-1905), digitally restored and presented in their original size and colors. Also featured are a complete run of Verbeek's "Loony Lyrics of Lulu" (1910) and a sampling of his long-running "Terrors of the Tiny Tads" (1906-1914). A compilation of 25 early cartoons and paintings by Verbeek for magazines and illustrated books (1900-1915) fills out this large hard-bound volume. For collectors, there is an insert sheet of 12 "Tiny Tads" postcards, reprinting a 1907 promotional set.

 

Gustave Verbeek, as the book's introduction explains, was a truly international artist: a Japanese citizen of European descent, he trained in Paris, then moved to New York to become one of the most original contributors to the emerging art of the comic strip. His Sunday comic, "The Upside-Downs," is one of the wonders of the comic world. This fantasy story came in two parts: the first is read like a regular comic, then turn the page upside down and the images transform to illustrate the continuing story.

 

Verbeek was born in Japan, son of a Dutch educator and missionary. He studied art in Paris where he did his earliest cartooning as a part of the famed "Chat Noir" theatre group. He then moved to New York, creating cartoons and illustrations for Harper's, Scribner's, Century, Judge, and other magazines. His work in comics and illustration are a curious combination of Japanese, French, and American styles and cultures.

 

Verbeek illustrated numerous children's books in the early 20th century, as well as working in Expressionist painting and monotypes. He created Sunday comic strips in the earliest years of the medium; first for Pulitzer's New York World, then for the New York Herald, where he created his famed "Upside-Downs," and continued to draw comics there for 15 years. His work has influenced, directly or indirectly, Maurice Sendak, Dr. Seuss, Charles Schulz, and many other illustrators and cartoonists.

 

"The Upside-Down World of Gustave Verbeek" includes a foreword by science and mathematics scholar Martin Gardner, who has authored nearly 100 books, including "The Annotated Alice in Wonderland" and numerous volumes on mathematical puzzles. His interests in children's literature and puzzles merge in his admiration of Verbeek's work. The book's introduction is by comics scholar Jeet Heer, with contributions by "nonsense comics" specialist Marco Graziosi, and renowned comic strip historian, Richard Marschall.

 

This is the first complete collection of Verbeek's "Upside Downs" and the only one in the original size and colors since 1904. Editor/Publisher Peter Maresca states, "As with our other Sunday Press collections, we restored the Sunday pages to simulate the look of the comic strips at they appeared 100 years ago."

 

Sunday Press Books is a specialty publisher restoring and reprinting classic American comic strips in their original size and colors. The "The Upside-Down World of Gustave Verbeek" is the sixth book from Sunday Press. The first Sunday Press collection, "Little Nemo in Slumberland, So Many Splendid Sundays" (2005) received rave reviews and testimonials from around the world. Both this book and its sequel, "Little Nemo in Slumberland, Many More Splendid Sundays" received the coveted Will Eisner Award for Excellence in Comics. The first four Sunday Press publications received a total of seven Eisner nominations. Sunday Press collections have been printed in French, Spanish, and Russian editions. Also from Sunday Press in 2009 is L. Frank Baum's, "Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz." More information is available at www.sundaypressbooks.com or via email: info@sundaypressbooks.com

 

"The Upside-Down World of Gustave Verbeek"

120 pages, 11 x 16 inches, color, $60

ISBN - 09768885-7-2

EAN - 978-0-9768885-7-4

NY Times continues to be the comics fan's paper

In today's paper - Tom Tomorrow's cover for Pearl Jam - Bad Luck Turns Good: That's Rock 'n' Roll, By BEN SISARIO, September 8, 2009.

In tomorrow's - a story on a Disneyana exhibit - Blowing the Pixie Dust Off Disney’s Archives, By BROOKS BARNES, September 9, 2009

New comics on Thursday!

Don't forget - comics are a day late due to the holiday.

Three comic postcards

I found three comic postcards of interest over the weekend. We saw another postcard from this series last year -


Oysters Rockefeller postcard by Canadian cartoonist Jeff for the Hilton of Canada in the 1960s. Anybody know anything about Jeff? I find it a little weird that I've found two of these cartoons in DC.

We also saw another one from this 1907 4th of July / Independence Day series by Gene Carr-


British cartoonist Tom Browne's "Joys of the Ocean" postcard is new though. I'm not sure what the sailor's words mean.


The British National Archives apparently had an exhibit that included some of these postcards.

Big Monkey Comics to close

This is the announcement on their website. That's two comic stores to close this year (the Fantom Comics store in Tenleytown closed, although the one in Union Station remains open).

GOOD-BYE!
September 07, 2009 11:00 AM

It's the end of an era. Big Monkey Comics is closing our doors at the end of this month. It wasn't Galactus, Lex Luthor, or Dr. Doom that defeated us, but simple dollars and cents. The economy has adversely affected so many people, and we are the latest casualty. Last year alone Virginia last 45% of its comic book shops due to the economic downturn and we are sad to say that we now join their number.

We will no longer be receiving any new comics. We realize that this is a massive inconvenience and apologize profusely for how this may affect your reading schedule.

Everything in the store is now 50% off. Please come and clean us out. Anything that is not sold will have to be unloaded at pennies on the pound. We need to liquidate and we can think of no better way to do it than to pass on savings to you, the customer. We appreciate your business and support and this is our final way of saying thank you.

Starting this weekend, Big Monkey will only be open Friday and Saturday, 12:00 - 8:00 through our last month of business. Since there are no new comics coming in, we hope you will be able to walk out with a bundle of books on the weekend.

You have 3 weeks to pick up your subscriptions. After that we are putting all books on the shelves.

Thank you all again. Your continued patronage and support have meant the world to us. It's always sad when a comic book store closes, and it's sadder when it is ours. I hope you are all able to find a new place to pick up your weekly comics and hope to see you at the sale.

Sept 7: Batman & Robin 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

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

Comics Examiner.com's 2nd DC-area comics club feature

This one's in Frederick, MD - "Comics 101: What comic book meetups are in the DC area? Part 2," DC Comic Books Examiner Mark Ruffin, September 6, 2009.

Zadzooks likes new Batman videogame

See "Zadzooks: Batman: Arkham Asylum review," Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times September 5, 2009 in which he concludes "Batman: Arkham Asylum is the best licensed comic-book video game ever made. Read that and weep, my friends, as it will take a lot for me ever to write that again."

Post on Scooby-Doo's 40th, NY Times on comics

Hank Steuver thinks the 40th anniversary of Scooby-Doo doesn't deserve a press release - "Enough Already! All '69 Anniversaries Should Be 86ed," By Hank Stuever, Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday, September 6, 2009, and honestly, it's hard to disagree with him.

Also in the Style & Arts section is a caricature of Jay Leno by Hanoch Piven.

The NY Times, having apparently decided that comic art is just another form of culture had a bunch of articles today besides Ms. Gerberg's marriage.

Two articles on animation -

A Tribute to the Man, Beyond Just the Mouse, By CAROL KINO, September 6, 2009 on the Walt Disney Family Museum -

- and an interview on 9 - "Scrap-Heap Heroes for a Digital Age," By MEKADO MURPHY, September 6, 2009 -

- one on the Berndt Toast Gang, a group of Long Island gag cartoonists that didn't make it into the Washington print edition - "Pen Strokes and Gag Lines, a Stimulus Package for All," By JAMES KINDALL, New York Times September 6, 2009-

- one on a musician comic book writer whose new comic is Fall Out Toy Works- "A Night Out With | Pete Wentz; Song-and-Spoof Man," By TRICIA ROMANO -

- and Jason Lutes illustrated Paul Krugman's article on economics in the Magazine.

Mort Gerberg's daughter marries

The daughter of cartoonist Mort Gerberg, of the New Yorker, Huffington Post, and several recent anthologies, married this weekend. We mention this here because Ms. Gerberg works in Arlington, VA. We wish her the best in her new life.

For more details, see Lilia Gerberg and Matthew McCaffree, New York Times September 6, 2009.

Newport's Batman 2 at Renwick featured in Examiner

Today's Examiner's got a few comics things -

The Eye: Mark Newport's 'Batman 2'
By: Chris Klimek
Washington Examiner September 6, 2009): 31

and an AP story on Marvel's Tim Gunn fashion comic, a cover caricature by Nate Beeler, and a page of political cartoons including Dry Bones from Israel and a reprise of Beeler's Marvel-Disney cartoon from earlier this week.

Quick Reviews for Comics Due THURSDAY (not Wednesday) 09-10-09

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE THURSDAY (not Wednesday) 09-10-09

By John Judy

 

ADVENTURE COMICS #2 by Geoff Johns, Michael Shoemaker, Francis Manapul and Clayton Henry.  Superboy and Wonder Girl have "the talk."  So do Lightning Lad and his evil brother Lightning Lord, after a fashion.  Hijinks ensue.

 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #604 by Fred Van Lente and Barry Kitson.  In which we learn how wrapping yourself in web fluid can keep you alive and breathing for days in a vat of flesh and bone disintegrating acid while the Chameleon assumes your identity.  Also the Black Cat maybe shows up and acts all flirty.

 

DARK AVENGERS / UNCANNY X-MEN: EXODUS #1 by Matt Fraction and Mike Deodato. Big fight containing nuggets of plot and character.  Because you demanded it or something!

 

DARK REIGN: THE LIST AVENGERS ONE-SHOT by Brian Michael Bendis and Marko Djurdjevic.  "Clint Barton fans… you are not going to want to miss this one!"

 

DOOM PATROL #2 by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Matthew Clark and Kevin Maguire.  The DP fight a black hole and the Metal Men go into space.  That's right: Space!

 

KICK-ASS #7 by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.  Four months after the last issue came out we finally learn what hideous fate awaits Big Daddy, Hit-Girl and that dirty traitor Red Mist.  You do remember Big Daddy, Hit-Girl and that dirty traitor Red Mist, don't you?  Come on, it's only been four months!  Quality takes time and so does KICK-ASS!  Stop whispering how the last time an issue of KICK-ASS came out Michael Jackson still had two months to live!  Just stop it, I say!

 

MARVELS PROJECT #2 of 8 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting.  The best thing to happen to Marvel/Timely's golden age since THE TWELVE.  See how it all came to be with a little retroactive continuity polish.  Highly recommended.

 

PUNISHER FRANK: CASTLE MAX #74 by Vic Gischler and Goran Parlov.  It's a sign of just how low Frank has fallen when his survival depends on the punk he had doped up and stuffed in his trunk.  Featuring hulking hillbilly swamp cannibals.  Recommended.

 

SECRET SIX #13 by Gail Simone and Nicola Scott.  After last issue's brutal take-down of Wonder Woman you probably didn't think the Six could get darker.  Guess again.  The closest the DCU has to an old-school EC crime/horror comic.  Recommended.

 

STITCHES HC written and drawn by David Small.  The autobiographical story of how a young boy woke from a "harmless operation" to discover a major and unpleasant surprise.  No capes, but lots of action.  Highly recommended.

 

SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #7 of 12 by James Robinson, Greg Rucka and Pete Woods. What alien race would be dumb enough to declare war on a planet full of super-powered Kryptonians?  Other than humans?  The answer may surprise you.  Or not.  Either way this thing is playing out much stronger than expected.  Recommended.

 

THUNDERBOLTS #135 by Andy Diggle and Miguel Angel Sepulveda.  The T-Bolts were backstabbing, corrupt and psychotic before DARK REIGN made it cool.  Let's see who ends up with the most steel between their ribs, shall we?  Recommended.

 

ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #2 by Mark Millar and Carlos Pacheco.  So Ultimate Red Skull is Ultimate Captain America's son and Ultimate Tony Stark now has an "older, richer, smarter brother" who we somehow never saw in his own series.  Oh, Millar…!

 

UNWRITTEN #5 by Mike Carey and Peter Gross.  A little stand-alone tale of Rudyard Kipling and how he fits in with Tommy Taylor's rapidly collapsing ficto-verse.  Highly recommended.

 

WEDNESDAY COMICS #10 of 12 by Various Creators.  Lots going on as the end draws nigh but seeing Superman and Hawkman getting ready to stomp alien monsters and dinosaurs respectively promises great fun still to be had.  Recommended.

 

www.johnjudy.net

Tamaki in Style

Jillian Tamaki, one of the cousins behind Skim, illustrated the Post's Style section story on swine flu. It's an abstract watercolor, which I don't think is her typical style.

Tom Toles back when he was a Buffalonian

Here's some 1973 art by Toles - scott edelman, "Tom Toles and the Cosmos," Failing Better blog 03 September 2009.

Kevin Rechin on Extreme Makeover in Hyattsville

Kevin just sent this note in about a really cool project he just worked on -

Well, last week I did something totally different for me. I designed and painted a mural with the help of a couple assistants for a kids room for Extreme Makeover, Home Edition in Hyattsville, MD. Basically I had a few days to come up with the color sketch and characters. As for the execution, we finally got into the room at 3:30 p.m. last Friday and worked non-stop until about 2 p.m. the next day. Literally about an hour before the final reveal to the family.

All I can say is that it was one of the most surreal, amazing things I ever been involved with. 

The show will probably air sometime in late October.

Here's a link to the Post story on the family. I'm sure it's a really sweet piece of art.

Weldon on Masterpiece Comics By R. Sikoryak

I haven't read the book yet, buy Sikoryak is a master of mimicking styles.

Weldon, Glen.  2009.
Classics, Comics In Masterful Mashups.
National Public Radio's Books We Like (September 3):
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112510733&ps=cprs

Georgetown U paper reviews Ponyo

Miyazaki and the animated bowl of delights
Jeff Reger
Georgetown Voice September 3 2009

PR: Small Press Expo Announces John Porcellino and Willy Linthout as Guests

Small Press Expo Announces John Porcellino and Willy Linthout as Guests for SPX 2009

 

For Immediate Release                              

Contact: Warren Bernard

E-Mail: warren@spxpo.com

 

Bethesda, Maryland; September 3, 2009 - The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels and alternative political cartoons, is pleased to announce John Porcellino and Willy Linthout as guests for SPX 2009.

John Porcellino is the creator of the mini-comix series King-Kat Comics, that began in 1989 that has spanned 69 issues of some of the best and most influential mini-comix around today. His autobiographical Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man, a collection of stories from King-Kat Comics, won the Ignatz Award in 2005.  Porcellino's work has been translated into French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Italian, and Korean and has contributed to McSweeney's Quarterly, Kramer's Ergot and Comics Journal Special. SPX is honored to have John join SPX 2009

Willy Linthout saw his first published comics in the Dutch edition of (À Suivre) magazine. In 1983 he began a collaboration with the Dutch comic actor Urbanus,  producing more than 130 enormously popular albums with Urbanus that has sold millions of copies. In 2004 Linthout's son took his own life. Linthout processed his reactions to that experience in the graphic novel Years of the Elephant, published in Dutch by Bries and published this year in an English-language edition by Fanfare/Ponent Mon. The book won the Dutch Stripschapspenning award for best literary graphic novel (2007), the Flemish Community Cultural Award (2008), the Bronzen Adhemar (2009) and the Carolus Quintus Prize(2009). Willy appears at SPX with the generous support of the Flemish Literature Fund.

John Porcellino and Willy Linthout are in addition to the previously announced guests Gahan Wilson, Paul Karasik, Carol Tyler and Josh Neufeld.

SPX will be held Saturday, September 26 from 11AM to 7PM and Sunday, September 27, noon-6PM at The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Admission is $10 for a single day and $15 for both days.

 

For further information on the Ignatz Awards, the nominees or to request an interview, please contact Warren Bernard at warren@spxpo.com.

 

For more information on the Small Press Expo and the Ignatz Awards, please visit http://www.spxpo.com.

Batman videogame reviewed in Express

A Video Game Fit for a Hero: Being Batman is a joy at the art controls of 'Arkham Asylum' [videogame; online title: Fit for a Hero: 'Batman: Arkham Asylum'].

Posted By Micah Pearson

Express September 2, 2009

Online at http://www.expressnightout.com/content/2009/09/batman-arkham-asylum.php

Alliance Comics expands into Baltimore

Baltimore Books Examiner A. Jarrell Hayes reports that the Silver Spring store Alliance Comics opened a new store in Baltimore today.

PR: Joe Kubert Comes to the 2009 Baltimore Comic-Con!

Joe Kubert Comes to the 2009 Baltimore Comic-Con! Baltimore, Maryland - August 19, 2009 - The Baltimore Comic-Con is proud to announce the addition of Joe Kubert as a guest at our 10th Anniversary show on Saturday, October 10th and Sunday, October 11th, 2009.   A returning guest, Joe Kubert is one of the living legends in the comics field today.  With over 60 years of experience working in the industry, Joe has seen it all!  He been a writer, artist, editor, and teacher, working in both comics and comic strip syndication.  His work is well-regarded and noteworthy both in and outside of comic book circles, having worked on everything from DC Comics' Sgt. Rock and Hawkman to Dark Horse's Fax from Sarajevo and iBooks' Yossel:  April 19, 1943.  You can currently find his art in DC Comics' weekly Wednesday Comics project, where he is drawing the Sgt. Rock strip.  His school, The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, has produced and continues to teach a new generation of comics professionals.   "We are thrilled and honored that Joe is coming back to our show," said Baltimore Comic-Con promoter Marc Nathan.  "He represents everything that's right about comics, having spent a lifetime both working at his own career and helping others to be the future of comics with his school." Other Guests In addition to Joe Kubert, the Baltimore Comic-Con is pleased to announce the following guests:  Tommy Castillo (Kong:  King of Skull Island), Chris Ivy (Beast Boy), Jack Purcell (Gotham Underground), and Brian Reber (Captain Britain and MI13). Already announced guests, new and returning, include:  Jason Aaron (Wolverine), Mike and Laura Allred (Madman), Dick Ayers (Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos), Paul Azaceta (Amazing Spider-Man), Brian Michael Bendis (Avengers), Ryan Bodenheim (Red Mass for Mars), Doug Braithwaite (Wolverine: Origins), Pat Broderick (Vincent Price Presents), Buzz (Atomika), Jim Calafiore (Batgirl), Eric Canete (Iron Man:  Enter the Mandarin), Nick Cardy (Aquaman), Jerry Carr (Cryptozoo Crew), Mike Cavallaro (ACT-I-VATE)Bernard Chang (Wonder Woman), Jo Chen (New Avengers:  The Reunion), Sean Chen (Dark Reign:  Fantastic Four), Jimmy Cheung (New Avengers: Illuminati), Cliff Chiang (Green Arrow & Black Canary), Frank Cho (Ultimates 4), Chris Claremont (X-Men Forever), Steve Conley (Star Trek:  Year Four), Amanda Conner (Power Girl), J.M. DeMatteis (Metal Men), Todd Dezago (Marvel Adventures:  Spider-Man), Michael Dolce (Descendant), Evan Dorkin (Beasts of Burden), Jim Dougan (ACT-I-VATE), Jan Duursema (Star Wars:  Legacy), Sarah Dyer (Superman Adventures), Steve Englehart (Avengers), Jay Faerber (Noble Causes), Michel Fiffe (ACT-I-VATE), David Finch (Ultimatum), Bob Fingerman (Recess Pieces), Matt Fraction (Uncanny X-Men), Simon Fraser (ACT-I-VATE), John Gallagher (Buzzboy), Ron Garney (Wolverine:  Weapon X), Bryan J.L. Glass (Mice Templar), Michael Golden (Spider-Man 1602), Jimmy Gownley (Amelia Rules), Sanford Greene (Marvel Adventures Spider-Man), Tim Hamilton (ACT-I-VATE), Cully Hamner (Detective Comics), Tony Harris (Ex Machina), Dean Haspiel (ACT-I-VATE), Jennifer Hayden (ACT-I-VATE), Mark Hempel (Absolute Sandman), Greg Horn (Cover Stories:  The Art of Greg Horn), Adam Hughes (Power Girl), Jamal Igle (Supergirl), Kathryn Immonen (Runaways), Stuart Immonen (New Avengers), Joe Infurnari (ACT-I-VATE), Georges Jeanty (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Van Jensen (Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer), J.G. Jones (Final Crisis), Joe Jusko (Kolchak:  Tales of the Night Stalker), Karl Kesel (Marvel Apes), Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead), Barry Kitson (Amazing Spider-Man), Scott Koblish (Final Crisis:  Legion of Three Worlds), Scott Kurtz (PvP), Michael Lark (Daredevil), Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon), Greg LaRocque (Peter Parker:  The Spectacular Spider-Man), Jerry "The King" Lawler(Headlocked), Norman Lee (GeNext), Steve Lieber (Underground), Luna Brothers (The Sword), Andy MacDonald (NYC Mech), David Mack (Kabuki), Tom Mandrake (The Outsiders), Larry Marder (Beanworld), Laura Martin (Thor), Ron Marz (Witchblade), Sean McKeever (Teen Titans), Mark McKenna (BananaTail), Mike McKone (Amazing Spider-Man), Bob McLeod (New Mutants), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), Pop Mhan (World of Warcraft), Mark Morales (Secret Invasion), Doug Murray (Jungle Girl Season 2), Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), Phil Noto (Batgirl), Kevin Nowlan (The Spirit), Mike Oeming (Mice Templar), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Jimmy Palmiotti (Jonah Hex), Jeff Parker (Agents of ATLAS), Dan Parsons (Star Wars:  The Clone Wars), Guest of Honor George Perez (Final Crisis:  Legion of Three Worlds), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), Brandon Peterson (Ultimate Comics Armor Wars), Khoi Pham (Mighty Avengers), Whilce Portacio (Spawn), Eric Powell (The Goon), Buddy Prince (Night), Brian Pulido (Lady Death), Mike Raicht (Army of Darkness), Tom Raney (Dark Reign:  Hawkeye), Kat Roberts (ACT-I-VATE), Alex Robinson (Too Cool to be Forgotten), James Robinson (Superman), Budd Root (Cavewoman), Don Rosa (Uncle Scrooge), Craig Rousseau (Iron Man & The Armor Wars), Stephane Roux (Amazing Spider-Man), Andy Runton (Owly), Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo), Tim Sale (Heroes), Ian Sattler (Final Crisis:  Aftermath), Scott Christian Sava (Dreamland Chronicles), Alex Saviuk (The Phantom Generations), Marc Silvestri (Witchblade), Walt Simonson (Thor), Andy Smith (Dean Koontz's Nevermore), John K. Snyder III (Doctor Mid-Nite), Allison Sohn (Star Wars trading card artist), Taki Soma (Rapture), Richard Starkings (Elephentmen), Jim Starlin (Strange Adventures), Brian Stelfreeze (Final Crisis Aftermath:  Ink), Paul Storrie (Worlds of Dungeons & Dragons), Karl Story (Batman:  Streets of Gotham), Mark Texeira (Punisher), Robert Tinnell (EZ Street), Peter Tomasi (Blackest Night:  Batman), Herb Trimpe (Hulk), Billy Tucci (Sgt. Rock:  The Lost Battalion), Jim Valentino (Shadowline Comics), Rob Venditti (The Surrogates), Dexter Vines (Wolverine), Neil Vokes (The Black Forest), Doug Wagner (The Ride), Matt Wagner (Grendel), Mark Waid (The Incredibles), Len Wein (Justice League of America), Mark Whealey (Lone Justice), Renee Witterstaetter (Tex:  The Art of Mark Texeira -- The Artist's Great Escape), Brian Wood (sponsored by Laughing Ogre Comics, Northlanders), Bernie Wrightson (Swamp Thing), Kelly Yates (Amber Atoms), and Thom Zahler (Love & Capes). Tickets As a reminder, we encourage you to buy your ticket in advance via http://www.baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets.htm to avoid the ticket line at the show.   Hotel Room Deadline September 9, 2009 is the final day of the discount hotel room guarantee via http://www.baltimorecomiccon.com/hotels.htm.  The show has negotiated special, limited-time rates on a limited number of rooms at hotels around the Baltimore Convention Center -- please take advantage of this opportunity while it exists! In coming weeks, look for ongoing announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con.  We are looking forward to adding yet more guests and providing details on the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming.  The latest developments can always be found at our website, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and ComicSpace pages. This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held October 10-11, 2009. Convention hours are Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. The ceremony and banquet for the Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, October 10th. As we continue to get ready for this year's show, we would like to remind you to mark your calendar for next year's Baltimore Comic-Con dates: August 28-29, 2010. About The Baltimore Comic-Con The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 10th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held Oct 10-11, 2009. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.   About The Harvey Awards The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 4 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.

PR: The ACT-I-VATE PRIMER Debuts at Baltimore Comic-Con

Note DC writer Jim Dougan's in this, as well as other exciting cartoonists.

The ACT-I-VATE PRIMER Debuts at Baltimore Comic-Con Baltimore, Maryland - August 30, 2009 - Members of the premier webcomix collective, ACT-I-VATE, will debut their very first print anthology THE ACT-I-VATE PRIMER, at the Baltimore Comic-Con, October 10th & 11th.     There will be an ACT-I-VATE panel discussion featuring Dean Haspiel, Mike Cavallaro, Tim Hamilton, Joe Infurnari, Simon Fraser, Michel Fiffe, Kat Roberts, Jim Dougan, and Jennifer Hayden.  For more information on ACT-I-VATE, please visit:   http://www.act-i-vate.com/   "I'm excited that the ACT-I-VATE crew chose our show to debut their book," said Baltimore Comic-Con promoter, Marc Nathan. "Their web-comics have garnered a great deal of attention, so I am anxious to get to see fans' first look at the printed works." This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held October 10-11, 2009. Convention hours are Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. The ceremony and banquet for the Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, October 10th. As we continue to get ready for this year's show, we would like to remind you to mark your calendar for next year's Baltimore Comic-Con dates: August 28-29, 2010. About The Baltimore Comic-Con The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 10th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held Oct 10-11, 2009. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.   About The Harvey Awards The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 4 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.

NPR's Weldon on Disney-Marvel media agglomeration

Weldon, Glen.  2009.

Why Disney's Delicious Snack Cakes Don't Threaten Marvel's Golden Eggs

National Public Radio's Monkey See blog (September 2):

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2009/09/disney_marvel_and_the_tortured.html?sc=nl&cc=msb-20090902

Conversations with ADD free ebook!A

Alan David Doane kindly gave me permission to use his interview with Harvey in the Conversations book, and now he's put all of his comics interviews into one free e-book! He writes:

Conversations with ADD Now Available -- My third eBook is now available for download here on Comic Book Galaxy.

Nearly 300 pages in length, Conversations with ADD compiles almost all of the interviews I have conducted with writers, artists, editors and publishers since I started writing about comics ten years ago. The Foreword is by writer Christopher Allen, and the Afterword is by autobiographical cartoonist Jason Marcy.

Isn't that neat? Although to be honest, I'd buy a print copy. There's something about paper...

Harvey Pekar: Conversations - a true collector's item!

Apparently the University Press of Mississippi has sold around 600 copies of my Harvey Pekar: Conversations book which is filled with fine interviews with Harvey, covering a 25-year period. If every copy sold in the US, that's 1 copy per every half million people. And actually apparently 2 sold overseas! We're talking real scarcity here. If you want to get in before they're all gone, the Press will be glad to sell you a copy. Or two.

Big Planet Bethesda's still got a couple on the rack too...

...not that I'm begging or anything.

Nate Beeler's excellent cartoon Disney and Marvel

follow the link...

When Superhero Mutants Go Disney
By: Nate Beeler
Examiner Staff Writer
9/1/09http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/NateBeelerToons/When-Superhero-Mutants-Go-Disney-56425677.html

Comic Riffs interviews Lee on Disney buy

The 'Riffs Interview: Stan Lee Sizes Up the Disney-Marvel Deal
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog September 1, 2009
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2009/09/the_riffs_interview_stan_lee_s.html#more

W Post on Disney-Marvel deal

Deal Packs a Punch For Disney, Marvel
By Frank Ahrens
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/31/AR2009083101416.html

Peter Kuper and Comics fan at Fall for the Book in Fairfax

Tip courtesy of Ignatz-nominee Matt Dembicki -

2009 Fall for the Book festival in Fairfax

Comic-Book Fan Adam Besenyodi
When: Tue, September 22, 3pm – 4pm
Where: Grand Tier III, Center for the Arts, George Mason University, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax, Virginia 22030

Besenyodi discusses his new book, Deus ex Comica: The Rebirth of a Comic-Book Fan, praised by Wired as a “a great study in emotional psychology and the things in life that really get our brains ticking and our hearts pumping.”

Graphic Novelist Peter Kuper
Wed, September 23, 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Center for the Arts, Grand Tier III, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030

Graphic novelist Kuper explores the history of comics as political art — from Thomas Nast to Diego Rivera to the artists of World War 3 Illustrated — and offers a visual tour of the art he produced while living in Oaxaca, Mexico, when striking teachers and federal troops clashed.

PR: Small Press Expo Announces Paul Karasik and Jeff Lemire as Guests for SPX 2009

Small Press Expo Announces Paul Karasik and Jeff Lemire as Guests for SPX 2009  For Immediate Release                                   Contact: Warren Bernard                         E-Mail: warren@spxpo.com  Bethesda, Maryland; August 31, 2009 - The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels and alternative political cartoons, is pleased to announce Paul Karasik and Jeff Lemire as guests for SPX 2009.  Paul Karasik is a contributor to both The New Yorker and Nickelodeon magazine. He is the former associate editor of the ground breaking RAW Magazine and a former teacher at the Rhode Island School of Design.  As a graduate of the School of Visual Design, he studied with Art Spiegelman, Will Eisner and Harvey Kurtzman. He was the co-creator of the graphic novel "City of Glass", in collaboration with David Mazzucchelli. Paul's critically acclaimed "I Shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets" on the works of Fletcher Hanks won the 2008 Eisner Award for the category Best Archival Collection/Project-Comic Books. His latest book is another collection of the works of Fletcher Hanks "You Shall Die By Your Own Evil Creation!" published by Fantagraphics Books.     Jeff Lemire won a Xeric Award in 2005 for his book "Lost Dogs." Between 2007 and 2009 Top Shelf Productions published his Ignatz, Harvey, and Eisner-nominated "Essex County Trilogy" of graphic novels "Tales From the Farm," "Ghost Stories," and "The Country Nurse". They were collected into a single volume and issued earlier this year by Top Shelf as "The Complete Essex County". Jeff has won the 2008 Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist, the 2008 Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging Talent, and the 2008 American Library Association's Alex Award (For Adult Books with Teen Appeal.) This year also saw the release of his original graphic novel "The Nobody" from DC/Vertigo. Jeff is currently writing and drawing the new monthly Vertigo series "Sweet Tooth," which will begin in September.  Paul Karasik and Jeff Lemire are in addition to the previously announced guests Carol Tyler and Josh Neufeld.  SPX will be held Saturday, September 26 from 11AM to 7PM and Sunday, September 27, noon-6PM at The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Admission is $10 for a single day and $15 for both days.  For further information on the Ignatz Awards, the nominees or to request an interview, please contact Warren Bernard at warren@spxpo.com.  For more information on the Small Press Expo and the Ignatz Awards, please visit http://www.spxpo.com.

Aug 31: Batman Forever 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

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

Quick Reviews for Comics Due 09-02-09

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 09-02-09

By John Judy

 

AGENTS OF ATLAS #10 by Jeff Parker, Gabriel Hardman and Paul Rivoche.  Don't you hate it when your ex-girlfriend turns out to be an international super-villain and she's got way cooler stuff than you?

 

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #28 by Jane Espenson and Georges Jeanty.  A submarineless slayer must strategize success sans sorcery!  Recommended!

 

DARING MYSTERY COMICS 70^th ANNIVERSARY EDITION #1 by David Liss and Jason Armstrong.  What's that?  You say you want a previously untold solo story of Dick Jones, the Phantom Reporter?  Buddy, you won't have to wait another 70 years!  Enjoy!

 

DC LIBRARY: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA BY GEORGE PEREZ, VOL. 1 HC by Gerry Conway and George Perez.  The first of two volumes collecting GP's run on JLA in the eighties.  This one gives us #184-186 and #192-194, plus a super rare postcard set by Perez.  A must for fans of a certain age.

 

FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: RUN #5 of 6 by Matthew Sturges and Freddie E. Williams II.  OK, forget that he helped kill the Martian Manhunter and taped it on his cell phone!  I like the Human Flame!  The kid's got moxie!  Recommended!

 

GHOST RIDERS: HEAVEN'S ON FIRE #2 of 6 by Jason Aaron and Roland Boschi.  "Save the Anti-Christ, save the world!"  And it's got skull-faced dudes on burning motorcycles!  Finish huffing that last bag of paint and read it!

 

IMMORTAL WEAPONS #2 of 5 by Cullen Bunn, Duane Swierczynski, Daniel Brereton and Travel Foreman.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the Bride of Nine Spiders but were too petrified down to your soul to ask.  Recommended.

 

INCOGNITO #6 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.  The final issue of Zack Overkill's wacky hijinks.  Highly recommended.

 

IRREDEEMABLE #6 by Mark Waid and Peter Krause.  The Plutonian's old team mates are looking real hard for anything that will take old Tony down.  So far they got bupkiss…

 

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #3 of 7 by James Robinson and Mauro Cascioli.  At this time I would also like to cry for Freddie Freeman not to be called "Shazam" as his super-hero name.  Honestly, it appears the whole Marvel Family is getting a bad case of Hawkman continuity…

 

MAGOG #1 by Keith Giffen and Howard Porter.  The horn-headed, demi-god, ex-Marine, great-grandson of Franklin Roosevelt is off to work on some issues until he has to play a role in nuking Kansas in KINGDOM COME.  Guest-starring the Justice Society of America.

 

MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN: SPIDER-MAN #1 by Fred Van Lente and Nick Dragotta.  For those of you still interested…

 

MYSTIC COMICS 70^th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1 by David Lapham and Juan Doe.  A little number featuring the Golden-Age Vision, who was frankly much more of a bad-ass than the modern-day android version ever thought about being.  Gotta look!

 

NORTHLANDERS #20 by Brian Wood and Davide Gianfelice.  The return of Sven the Returned!  Sven the Returned is awesome and we have missed him.  Recommended.

 

RED TORNADO #1 of 6 by Kevin van Hook and Jose Luisi.  If you like your androids possessed by the spirits of benign air elementals then this is the book for you!

 

STRANGE TALES #1 of 3 by Tons of Twisted Indy Comics Creators!  Imagine what some of your favorite indy creators would do with Marvel's iconic characters if they had no fear of getting sued by Von Doom and Sons, Attorneys at Law!  Well, you're gonna get three issues of it starting right here.  How does "The Incorrigible Hulk" by Peter Bagge sound to you?  Highly recommended.

 

STUDS TERKEL'S WORKING GN by Harvey Pekar and Various Artists.  An adaptation of the late journalist's anthology of first-person accounts of what it was like working various jobs in 1974 America.  Recommended.

 

SWEET TOOTH #1 written and drawn by Jeff Lemire.  Sort of like "The Stand" meets "Island of Dr. Moreau."  Lemire's been doing a lot lately and it's all interesting.  Gotta look.

 

TORCH #1 of 8 by Mike Carey, Alex Ross and Patrick Berkenkotter.  Okay, the good news is it looks like they're bringing the original Human Torch back (again).  The disturbing news is they're allowing Alex Ross to do something other than paint it.  Also, somehow Toro's not dead anymore either.  Maybe in eight issues it'll make sense…

 

ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #2 by Brian Michael Bendis and David Lafuente.  Wow, it's almost like ULTIMATUM never even happened.  Maybe there's a lesson there somewhere…

 

WEDNESDAY COMICS #9 of 12 by Lotsa People.  Worth it just for Kamandi and Hawkman alone.  Lots to love here!

 

www.johnjudy.net

Matt Dembicki interview by DC Comic Books Examiner

Matt's nominated for an Ignatz this year - here's an interview with him -

Matt Dembicki loans sharks a re-introduction
DC Comic Books Examiner Mark Ruffin
August 30, 2009