Thursday, March 04, 2010

PR: Festival Image (French Comics and Animation Festival)- Alliance Francaise de Washington


This looks good!


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

The Alliance Française de Washington, MICA's Illustration and Experimental Animation Departments present

 

From April 16 to 24, 2010

 

Festival Imagé

French Comics and Animation Festival

Baltimore-Washington DC (USA)


The Alliance Française de Washington and The Maryland Institute College of Arts (MICA) are inaugurating their partnership with the Festival Imagé, first festival in the USA, which promotes the new generation of French artists working in comics and animated films.

 

From April 16 to 24, meetings, author-led workshops, and screenings of animated films will stress the similarities and differences which exist in "bande dessinée" and animated film between both sides of the Atlantic.

 

Five comics artists, four comic book publishers from both France and the US, as well as various comics connoisseurs and a series of events prepared by DC-based comics artists and students of MICA – America's oldest art school– will help animate this exceptional 10-day festival dedicated to sequential art.

 

The festival will engage a wide audience of amateurs, children, art students, Francophiles, and comic's aficionados of the "9ème Art" through the creativity and vitality of this made-in-France artistic format where more than 5000 titles are published each year.

 

Having been involved in the Festival Imagé since its inception, MICA's animation students will also have the chance to introduce their view of French culture through their own animated shorts, to be shown at two successive screenings.

During these two consecutive days, animated films from both MICA students and students from one of the most famous French schools, SUPINFOCOM, will be showcased in Baltimore and Washington.

 

A French author will also be visiting one of DC's underprivileged elementary schools through the Alliance Française's Outreach Program to share his passion with children.

 

On their side, students from MICA and local illustrators will meet French and US publishers and present their work through exhibitions during the professional forum.

This forum will offer a chance to create artistic ties and professional opportunities to be published in the USA but also in France.

 

Last but not least, French and American illustrators will launch a creative dialogue during the entire Festival Imagé with an interactive and collective production to be revealed during the festival's closing party.

 

Prepare to be overwhelmed by a new generation of talented and productive artists who interpret the daily complexities of modern society through an incredible variety of styles and artistic universes.

 

"Strike your imagination!"

 

Festival Imagé Program

 

 -Friday April 16 at MICA:

 

7:30 pm: Opening reception

8 pm: Panel discussion with Nicolas Nemiri, Antoine Dodé, Alain Corbel, and Laurence Arcadias. Moderated by José Villarrubia.

Beginning of the contest

At MICA/ Free

 

-Saturday April 17 at AFDC, 2 pm

Workshop with Antoine Dodé

http://www.antoinedode.com/

At the Alliance Française/ Free

 

 

-Monday April 19 at MICA, 8 pm

 

Lecture by José Villarrubia: "Colors in Comics"

 At MICA/ Free

 

 

-Tuesday April 20 at AFDC, 6:30 pm

 

Opening reception of the exhibition Les Trois Ombres by Cyril Pedrosa

Workshop with Domitille Collardey

http://www.domitille-collardey.com/ink.html

 At the Alliance Française/ Free for MICA students and AF members - General Admission $8

 

-Wednesday April 21st at MICA, 7 pm

Presentation: Laurence Arcadias

Short Films from SUPINFOCOM and MICA students

 At MICA/ Free

 

 

-Thursday April 22nd at Letelier Theater, 7 pm

Short Films from SUPINFOCOM and MICA students

At Letelier Theater 3251 Prospect Street, NW, Upper Courtyard, Washington DC

Free for MICA students and AF members - General Admission $8

 

-Friday April 23rd at AFDC, 6:30 pm

Lecture by Pascal Fioretto: "Humor in comics"

 At the Alliance Française/ free for MICA students and AF members - General admission: $8

 

-Saturday April 24th at MICA:

2:00 Alain Corbel presents his students work:

Exhibition "Gargantua"

2:30 pm: Workshop with Cyril Pedrosa http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/threeShadows.html

4 pm: Professional Forum with publishers from France and the US

Contest Results

6:30 pm: Closing Party

At MICA/ Free

 

 


Artists and speakers 

 

 

Antoine Dodé was born in Amiens and lived there until he moved to Belgium to study illustration at the Saint Luc School of Art. He is best known in the French and Belgian market for his character Armelle, who has been featured in two graphic novels published under Carabas Revolution (Semic): "Armelle and the Bird" and "Armelle and My Uncle."

 http://www.antoinedode.com/

 

José Villarrubia was born in Madrid, Spain, but is a long time Baltimore resident. A professor of the Illustration Department at MICA, José is best known for his coloring work in comics for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and other companies and for his collaborations with author Alan Moore.

Domitille Collardey (born 1981) is best known for founding the Chicou-Chicou comics collective with Aude Picault. She currently lives in Paris and Brooklyn, NY. Domitille graduated from les Arts Decoratifs de Paris in 2004.  

She is currently working on an adaptation of Jean Teulé's novel "The Suicide Shop" for French publisher Delcourt, with Olivier Ka.

She also works for various press publications, such as Technikart, Beaux Arts Magazine, and Double.

 http://www.domitille-collardey.com/ink.html

 Pascal Fioretto Although he was a math whiz early on, having majored in chemistry at the Ecole normale supérieure of Chemistry, he also displayed a strong interest in literature and writing, which he finally gave in to. Catching the attention of cartoonist Marcel Gotlib, Fioretto then lent his wit to Fluide Glacial, a French monthly publication appealing to any and all lovers of truly tasteless jokes and irreverent humor.

Cyril Pedrosa began his career in animation, working on the Disney films "Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Hercules." He has since become a rising star in a new kind of graphic storytelling, combining the influences of animation and the literary traditions of Borges, Garcia Marquez, and Tolkien to create a unique visual signature. 

http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/threeShadows.html

Nicolas Nemiri is a French comics author and illustrator who has always been very much inspired by Japanese manga. His artistic style is unique in that it blends manga with French esthetics. Nicolas is actually working on the 3rd album of his series "Je suis morte" created with writer Jean-David Morvan, a sci-fi story where teenagers are dealing with life, death and eternity.

http://www.nemiri.com/

 

Alain Corbel. With comic creator Eric Lambe, he produced Mokka and Pelure Amere, two modern comic strip magazines that influenced many authors and publishers in France and Belgium like Amok, Freon and La Cinquieme Couche. He works as an illustrator, comic strip artist, and storywriter. He is also teacher at MICA, Illustration Department. He did many books published in France and Portugal. He has a passion for Africa where he organizes regularly with the Portuguese NGO ACEP  illustration/writing workshops.   http://www.alaincorbel.in-netz.com/  http://obaraleixo.blogspot.com/

 Laurence Arcadias teaches animation at MICA and is the Co- chair of the Animation department.

She started her career in Paris as an illustrator and animator. She directed a TV show: "Alex", best animated TV series in Annecy festival and spent 3 years as Animator in Residence at Apple. She also worked for several companies such as hotwired, Kodak, Leapfrog…Her films have been screened internationally.

http://www.arcadias.tv


Located in the north of France, SUPINFOCOM is a unique school, made of passionate people for passionate students, armed with an educational experience and managed by a united team, a demanding school, which innovates, supports the students towards their professional future by developing their artistic sensitivity, and opens unclear ways. After 20 years of existence and 1246 graduates, SUPINFOCOM is still filled with the enthusiasm of pioneers and enriched with collective experience. http://www.supinfocom.org/

 


With the support of the Maryland Institute College of Art's Office of Academic Services, the office of Research and the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Faculty.             

 

 

Please include Festival Imagé, from April 16 to 24 in your cultural events listing. Do not hesitate to contact me directly if you want to attend or cover this event.

 

WHAT: Festival Imagé  French Comics and Animation Festival

 

WHEN: From April 16 to 24, 2010

 

WHERE: At the Alliance Française 2142 Wyoming Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20008

                 MICA 1300 W. Mount Royal Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21217

And Letelier Theater 3251 Prospect Street, NW Upper Courtyard Washington DC 20007

 

 COST: All of the events are free for MICA students and Alliance Française members 

Events at the Alliance Française and Letelier Theater: free for MICA students and AF members - General Admission $8

 

 Information/reservation:  Alliance Française 202-234-7911 - MICA 410-225-2300

 

 

The Alliance Française is the largest network of French language and cultural centers in the world. Founded in 1949, the Alliance Française de Washington offers French classes for all levels, numerous cultural events throughout the year, and a multi-media library open to all members.  For more information visit www.francedc.org

You can download our press kit here: http://www.francedc.org/en/Article.aspx?id=460

 

L'Alliance Française de Washington is on Facebook! Join our group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4811854756

 

We are also on Twitter! http://twitter.com/FranceDC

 

Sonia Lahcene
Cultural Assistant
_______________________________________
Alliance Française de Washington
2142 Wyoming Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
tel: (202) 234-7911 ext 16
fax: (202) 234-0125
www.francedc.org
 
To subscribe to our email list and receive our messages on cultural activities, please go to  www.francedc.org then "sign up for our e-newsletter".

You can also join our Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4811854756
 

 

 


Has USA Weekend dropped its gag cartoons?

I haven't seen any in there for a few weeks. Another cost-cutting measure?
 
Produced locally, it's distributed in the Examiner on Sunday.

Family Circus lauded by Examiner columnist

Meghan Cox Gurdon
Family cartoon not corroded by acid culture.
Washington Examiner (March 4 2010): 37
 
If you want to see it online - click here and then look for page 37.
 
 

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Searle's 90th birthday

Nick Galifianakis and Richard Thompson's favorite cartoonist Ronald Searle is 90 today - here's a link to some artwork we stuck up last year.

Weldon steps into catfight

In the "Fools rush in" category, Glen Weldon looks at the angst over 'Girl Comics' in 'Girl,' Erupted: The Comic Book Title That Launched An Internet Flame War, National Public Radio's Monkey See blog (March 3 2010).

This is actually the only comic I specifically asked for this week (beyond my usual pull list).

Kyle Baker and Bill Foster at Howard, now up on City Paper

Thursday: Kyle Baker and Bill Foster on Black-Themed Comic Books

Jim Dougan interview from Post last year


D.C. United Inspires Graphic Art By Dan Steinberg, Washington Post D.C. Sports blog June 3, 2009.

Ok, I'm a bit late with catching this, but you can still read the excellent Sam & Lilah strip at Act-i-vate. So check out the interview and then read the strip with added understanding (as I did. I had no idea who the DC United player was).

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

March 3: Micah Gunnell at Beyond Comics

Meet ASPEN Comics
Artist
Micah Gunnell

at the Beyond Comics
Gaithersburg Square Store
536 North Frederick Avenue

4:00 pm to 6:30 pm



Free Sketches and Autographs

Original Art For Sale.

OT: Strand Bookstore totebag art contest

The Strand has had a bunch of cartoonist-drawn tote bags already - Seth, Spiegelman, Sikoryak and Tomine -and I bought them all a couple of weeks ago, so perhaps this contest will interest someone from the DC area. Apparently you have a better chance if your name begins with 'S'.

Ponyo out on DVD today

...and I'm going out to buy my copy after dinner. Miyazaki is great.

Michigan State U's Comic Art Collection December 2009 additions

Getting back to our ocassional look at MSU's additions to the library, we turn to December 2009.

Hey! I bought this at an early SPX, back when they fit in one room.

Primitives. -- Poquoson, Va. : Spare Time Studios, 1995- . --
ill. ; 26 cm. -- Began with no. 1 (Jan. 1995). -- Superhero
genre. -- LIBRARY HAS: no. 1. -- Call no.: PN6728.6.S609P7


I hope the Library isn't really worrying about whether their comics have UPC symbols or not...

Protectors. -- Westlake Village, CA : Malibu Comics,
1992-1994. -- col. ill. ; 26 cm. -- Published no. 1 (Sept.
1992) - no. 20 (May 1994), cf. Overstreet Comic Book Price
Guide. -- This "direct market" ed. differs from the
"newsstand" ed. in that the covers are without UPC codes.
-- Partial wrapper of first cover appears in at least two
different colors. -- Superhero genre. -- LIBRARY HAS: no.
1-20. -- Call no.: PN6728.6.M25P72
COMPLETE HOLDINGS


Anyone read this? Is it any good?

Doomed by Cartoon : How Cartoonist Thomas Nast and the
New-York Times brought down Boss Tweed and His Ring of
Thieves / John Adler, with Draper Hill. -- New York :
Morgan James Publishing, 2008. -- 310 p. : ill. ; 28 cm. --
Call no.: F128.47.T96A32 2008
Nast, Thomas, 1840-1902.
Tweed, William Marcy, 1823-1878.


Frank Tashlin keeps popping up in comics quiz circles because he became a movie director, but used a cartoonist as a character in one movie...

The World that Isn't / by Frank Tashlin. -- New York : Simon
and Schuster, 1951. -- 1 v. : ill. ; 23 cm. -- Story told
primarily in pictures. -- Call no.: NC1429.T18W6 1951


Remember how before Marvel killed Malibu after buying them, but toyed with their characters first? Nah, me either.

Rune vs. Venom. -- Calabasas, CA : Malibu Comics
Entertainment, 1995. -- 48 p. : col. ill. ; 26 cm. --
(Ultraverse) -- "Vol. 1, number 1, December 1995." -- Logo
of Marvel Comics on cover. -- Superhero genre. -- Call no.:
PN6728.6.M25R84 1995


Shouldn't this be linked to Spawn, since memories are fading of what a hot title it was once upon a time?

Spoof Comics Presents Spoon. -- Melville, N.Y. : Spoof Comics,
1992. -- 32 p. : ill. ; 26 cm. -- Superheroine and parody
genres. -- Call no.: PN6728.6.P43S62 1992


I don't imagine I will ever item-level catalogue Fred Bassett comic strips, but I think I would have either put all of these under golf...

"The First Time He's Been on the Fairway All Day"* (Fred
Basset, May 2, 1972) / Graham. -- Summary: Fred's master
hits a tree from the rough. -- Call no.: PN6726 f.B55
"fairways"
-----------------------------------------------------
"Nobody Will Believe Him"* (Fred Basset, June 29, 1973) /
Graham. -- Summary: Fred's master makes a hole in one, and
there are no witnesses. -- Call no.: PN6726 f. B55 "hole
in one"
-----------------------------------------------------
"She's Having a Lovely Time Up Here"* (Fred Basset, Apr. 27,
1972) / Graham. -- Summary: Fred's master has so far taken
seven strokes in the sand trap, and Fred's mistress is
gloating. -- Call no.: PN6726 f.B55 "gloating"
-----------------------------------------------------
"It Was His Golf Club Dinner Last Night"* (Fred Basset, July
13, 1973) / Graham. -- Summary: Fred's master seems to have
a hangover. -- Call no.: PN6726 f.B55 "golf"
-----------------------------------------------------
"I Never Know Whether It's the Thrashing Tail or the Pathetic
Whimpering that Does the Trick"* (Fred Basset, July 21,
1973) / Graham. -- Summary: Fred is allowed to come along
as his master leaves for golf. -- Call no.: PN6726 f.B55
"golf"


...although I like "begging" for the last one, and "hangover" for the one above that. For those that are wondering, these clipped strips are filed in envelopes under that topic.

Somebody gave them a ton of G.I. Joe. Here's a sample. Should G.I. Joe really be "Not intended for children under 13"?

The Best of Snake Eyes / Larry Hama ; pencils, Mike Vosburg,
et al. ; inks, Chic Stone, et al. -- San Diego, Calif. :
IDW Publishing, 2009. -- 145 p. : col. ill ; 26 cm. --
(G.I. Joe. ; 6) -- "Originally published by Marvel Comics
as 'G.I. Joe: a Real American Hero' issues #10, 21, 26, 27,
31, and 44." -- "Not intended for children under 13." --
Spy and war genres. -- Call no.: PN6728.G2B44 2009


A word of advice - don't take sex advice from Heavy Metal.

"How to be Adorable" / by Goupil and Walter. p. 18 in Heavy
Metal, v. 26, no. 3 (July 2002). -- Sex advice. -- Call
no.: PN6728.H43v.26no.3


Hmmmm... what's this?

Dr. Strange / created by Stan Lee ; screenplay by Bob Gale. --
Revised first draft. -- 115 leaves : 28 cm. -- "21 January
86." -- Call no.: PN1997.D77G35 1986
Gale, Bob, 1951-


A bunch of student minicomics came in due to Ryan Claytor's class - here's a sample.

Explovary : a Collection of Last-Minute Comics / by Matt
Bambach. -- East Lansing, MI : Bambaclat Comics, 2009. --
24 p. : ill. ; 22 cm. -- Done for the Fall 2009 Comics and
Visual Narrative class at Michigan State University. -- New
wave genre. -- Call no.: PN6728.55.C575B3 2009


Nothing towards the end of the month was particularly striking. Tune back in soon for ... 2010!

Denver Post claims people are happy losing 22 comics

Cavna continues to practice real journalism - Denver Post cuts 22 comics: 'It appears we didn't totally screw up' By Michael Cavna, Washington Post Comic Riffs blog March 2, 2010 - although I don't think he got real answers. "[Editor] Chavez notes that the first response she received to the polling... was: "You have too many comics.""

Uh-huh.

AAAS podcast on physics of comic books

Spider-Man and other comic-book characters help explain scientific ideas

-- Margaret Shapiro

Washington Post March 2, 2010

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/01/AR2010030102888.html

 


Monday, March 01, 2010

Comics on the Rack, Quick Picks for Comics Due 03-03-10


COMICS ON THE RACK
Quick Picks for Comics Due 03-03-10
By John Judy
 
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #623 by Mark Waid, Tom Peyer and Paul Azaceta.  There's a new Vulture in town.  In fact make it a NEW new Vulture!  The newest in fact!
 
ASTRO CITY THE DARK AGE BOOK FOUR #2 of 4 by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson.  New heroes, a new villain and a big fight in Vegas!  New and big!  The best!  Recommended.
 
THE BOYS #40 by Garth Ennis and Darick Roberston.  Featuring a tragic misunderstanding between Butcher and Wee Hughie.  Also a supe with Tourette's who turns into an anvil.  Recommended.  Not for kids.
 
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON EIGHT, VOL. 6: RETREAT SC by Jane Espenson, Joss Whedon and Georges Jeanty.  Collecting issues #26-30, the return of Oz the Zen Werewolf!
 
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #33 by Brad Meltzer and Georges Jeanty.  This is the issue before they unmask Twilight so you probably want to read it just so you're braced.
 
CHEW #9 John Layman and Rob Guillory.  Tony Chu versus vampires?  What happens if Tony takes a bite out of a vampire?  Recommended.
 
CROSSED #9 of 9 by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows.  The big, bloody wrap-up to Garth's most twisted series to date.  NOT for kids.
 
DETECTIVE COMICS #862 by Greg Rucka, Jock and Cully Hamner.  Serious detectin' and bad-guy fightin' from Batwoman and the Question!  I hope those two crazy kids work it out.
 
FALL OF THE HULKS: SAVAGE SHE-HULKS #1 of 3 by Jeff Parker and Salva Espin.  Two She-Hulks for the price of one!  What a bargain!
 
FIRST WAVE #1 of 6 by Brian Azzarello and Rags Morales.  An alternate DCU going back to its pulp roots with non-super vigilantes like Doc Savage, the Spirit, the Blackhawks and Batman!  Recommended!
 
GIRL COMICS #1 of 3 by Many Talented Creators with Double X Chromosomes.  So it's an anthology book about the women of the Marvel Universe, written and drawn by female creators.  Hmmm, they're all adults so what should we call it….?  Let's chalk the title up to post-irony and have a look anyway.
 
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #24 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca.  Tony Stark re-threads his head with a little help from his friends.
 
JUSTICE LEAGUE CRY FOR JUSTICE #7 of 7 by James Robinson and Mauro Cascioli.  The grand finale against Prometheus, leading into Robinson's new JLA run.
 
KEVIN SMITH'S GREEN HORNET #1 by Kevin Smith and Jonathan Lau.  It's Smith's unproduced "Hornet" screenplay done as a comic, which means all the scripts are in!  If future issues are late, blame the artist!  (Man, I hope "Lau" isn't a Smith alias…)
 
MIGHTY AVENGERS #34 by Dan Slott, Neil Edwards and Khoi Pham.  "The most insane thing Hank Pym will ever do!"  Give money to the Sarah Palin campaign?
 
MILESTONE FOREVER #2 of 2 by Dwayne McDuffie and the Milestone Art Crew.  The conclusion of how the Milestone and DC Universes merged, from the guy who would know.  Good stuff.
 
PLANETARY, VOL. 4 HC by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday.  Collecting issues #19-27 of the series and wrapping it up in a bow of quantum foam.  It's pretty.
 
PRELUDE TO DEADPOOL CORPS #1 of 5 by Victor Gischler, Ed McGuinness and Rob Freakin' Liefeld.  Featuring Deadpool, Lady Deadpool, Headpool, Kidpool and Dogpool all drawn by Rob Freakin' Liefeld.  Comes with a promotional set of Deadpool chopsticks for gouging out your own eyes.  (Not really.  You have to buy your own.)
 
PUNISHER MAX: BUTTERFLY ONE-SHOT by Valerie D'Orazio and Laurence Campbell.  Y'know how good guys never hurt women or kids?  The Punisher's not a good guy.  Not for kids.
 
SPARTA: USA #1 of 6 by David Lapham and Johnny Timmons.  A rebel returns to his dystopian hometown.  This is … SPARTA!!!
 
STEPHEN KING'S N #1 of 4 by Marc Guggenheim and Alex Maleev.  Believe it or not, something strange is going on in rural Maine.  Based on King's short story collection "Just After Sunset."
 
ULTIMATE COMICS: AVENGERS #5 by Mark Millar and Carlos Pacheco.  Ultimate Captain America's still on the trail of his son the Ultimate Red Skull.  Oh, Millar…  Gotta look.
 
ULTIMATE COMICS: NEW ULTIMATES #1 by Jeph Loeb and Frank Cho.  Ummm… Frank Cho's drawing it!
 
UNDERGROUND #5 of 5 by Jeff Parker and Steve Lieber.  A great week for finales.  A tandem chimney climb has never been so intense.  Great mini-series.  Highly recommended.
 
WOLVERINE WEAPON X #11 by Jason Aaron and Ron Garney.  Wolvie and Cap go out for a beer and end up fighting Deathlok the Demolisher.  He's a cyborg from the future.  Aren't they all?
 
X-MEN: HOPE #1 by Duane Swierczynski and Steve Dillon.  The adventures of the possible alternate future mutant heroine Hope Summers!  Okay, seriously did any mutants anywhere have kids other than Scott Summers and his redhead du jour?  Scott Summers is like the Jim-Bob Duggar of the Marvel Universe!  How many kids is this guy gonna have?!
 


Cavna mixes and matches ridiculous auction prices

And here's Michael's summing up of recent auction madness - Batman, Superman comic books set records for sale price, By Michael Cavna, Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, February 27, 2010.

Singer on Spiegelman and Maus

Marc Singer writes on teaching Maus for weeks 6-7 of his class on comics at Howard.

Asaf Hanuka in Sunday's Post Magazine

Asaf Hanuka illustrated The Substitute in Sunday's Post Magazine (Feb 28, 2010).

March 18: Jules Feiffer at Politics and Prose

Jules Feiffer will be reading from his autobiography - I heard part of it a couple of years ago, and it's good.

Denver Post drops Cul de Sac; local IQ immediately drops

Alan Gardner is reporting that the Denver Post dropped 21 comic strips and added... 1. But hey, Pluggers is going to be in color now, so who cares?

Seriously, they dropped some of the best new strips in favor of this tired old lineup, and then adding insult to injury, had the nerve to headline it "We're serious about your comics and puzzles." Perhaps, but if you're going to assume your readers are that stupid, maybe you should have a subheading "But we're more concerned with lining our pockets than putting out a decent paper." Which they might as well be, actually, because they're not going to be in business once the generation voting for Family Circus and Classic Peanuts kicks off.

New, hard to find Nick Galifianakis interview

A new Nick Galifianakis interview appears in the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of Signature: The Magazine of Association Media & Publishing. He also did the cover, and there's a 2 page spread about how the cover was designed w/ 4 illos.

Nate Beeler interview up at City Paper

 
 

Reason Magazine sort of recommends government comics library site

The local libertarian chaps at Reason Magazine have noted the digital library of government educational comics at the University of Nebraska - check out Hey Citizens! Comics! by Brian Doherty from the January 2010 issue.

March 4: Howard University comics symposium

Kyle Baker, William H. Foster visit Howard University

 

Comics artist Kyle Baker (Nat Turner, Truth: Red, White & Black, Birth of a Nation) and scholar William H. Foster III (Looking for a Face like Mine) will visit Howard University for "Comics on Campus," a symposium held in the Blackburn Auditorium from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 4. Baker and Foster will discuss the history and production of graphic novels, recent landmark works, and the unique opportunities and challenges that face African American cartoonists. The event is sponsored by the Department of English with support from the Fund for Academic Excellence. For information please contact Prof. Marc Singer at msinger@howard.edu. The event is free and open to the public.


The Blackburn Auditorium is inside the Blackburn University Center, between 5th and 6th streets NW and above Howard Place. It's on the main quad at the top of campus. Here's a document with driving and Metro directions to Blackburn.

Here's an interview from last week with Dr. Foster - Full Color Fun With Dr. William Foster, Scoop (February 26 2010).

ACT-I-VATE signing report by comicsgirl

Comicsgirl has a good report on the ACT-I-VATE guys at Politics and Prose up now, so I'm just going to refer you to her site. The only thing I would add is that you can buy a cd recording of the event from the store if you want to hold her picture up and pretend you were there. This may be historically important at some point, like being able to claim you were at the Constitutional Convention.

I took a few snaps too, and when I pull them off the camera, I'll post them here if they're any good.

If anyone local is reading this, P&P has some good remaindered comic-type books. Plenty of copies of Hajdu's 10-Cent Plague, 1 copy of Art Spiegelman: Conversations by my friend Rusty Witek for $5, 1 copy of Stan Lee: Conversations for $5, a bunch of Tomine, and one of the odd Spirit pop-up comics. And the Barnes & Noble on Rte 50 in Fairfax has the Moby Dick pop-up comic while I'm thinking about it.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Kevin Rechin's Boom! out

I saw Kevin tonight and he had a copy of Boom! Splat! Kablooey!: Safe Science That's a Real Blast (Klutz) for which he did the cartoon illustrations. Buy 2 now - 1 for your collection, and 1 to use.

PR: Next Sun, March 7-Capicons Comic Book & Pop Culture Con

Capicons Comic Book & Pop Culture Con
Next Sunday, March 7, 2010
(Rescheduled from Feb. 7)
10 am - 3 pm
Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Dept.
2148 Gallows Rd. Dunn Loring, VA

- FREE Admission!

- Our Guest Artist Tim Dzon--Marvel inker and cover artist (Avengers West
Coast, Hawkeye, Marvel Comics Presents, GI Joe, etc.)

- Also featuring:

Capes 'N Babes' creator Chris Flick
http://www.capesnbabes.com/

and 21st Century Sandshark Studios' Dan Nokes
http://21sandshark.com/

- Door Prize Drawing courtesy of Victory Comics-Falls Church's newest
comic shop
                                                                                                 
Vendors/Artist Tables will include:
21st Century Sandshark Studios/All-American Comics/Doug
Cheshire/Collector's Choice/Comics to Astonish/Michael & Connie
Creager/Tim Dzon/Everyday Comics/FANDATA/Fantasy Comics/Chris
Flick/Donald and Kathy Gehl/Outpost Station/Packcracker/Silver Fox/TNT
Comics/Tomorrow's Treasures/Victory Comics/Venture Effects/Zeno's
Books...and more!

The show is open to the public from 10 am - 3 pm. Buy, sell and
trade...Gold, Silver, Bronze Age comics; Indie & Modern comics, Publishers
& Creators, TV & Movie Collectibles. Non-sport cards; Videos and DVDs;
Horror/Sci-Fi; figures, toys; Star Wars and Star Trek memorabilia;
original artwork, posters, T-shirts/clothing and various other comic
related items.  

========================================================
Directions to DLVFRD:
========================================================
Take I-495 (DC/Capital Beltway) to Exit 47A (Rt. 7 West). Go 1/2 Mile,
Left on Gallows Rd. 1 mile to 2148 Gallows Rd

========================================================
Capicons is on Facebook!
========================================================
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Capicons 2010 Dates

Sun. March 7
Sun. April 18
Sun. June 6
Sun, Aug. 1
Sun. Oct. 3
Sun. Dec. 5

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To book a table, be added to our mailing list, request flyers, or for more
info about our show, email info@capicons.com.

See you next week,
Jeff & Laura & Ed
Capicons

      

===================
 *Capicons does not guarantee the arrival, arrival time or departure time
of the artist(s)/writer(s)/other guest(s) attending our shows or attending
on behalf of another group.
 ===================

Capicons
PO Box 2488
Merrifield, VA 22116
capicons.com



Another reason to read Dougan's Sam & Lilah

Besides the interesting storyline and the lovely art, he destroys RFK Stadium in chapter 2 of Sam & Lilah.

Catching up with Bennett's Best at Zadzooks blog

I saw Greg Bennett yesterday and found out that he's still doing his Bennett's Best mini-reviews at Zadzooks blog - the Times had changed the address of the site. Here are links to what we missed, although it looks like only 2010 is still up so we definitely missed a bunch from 2009 unfortunately.

Bennett's Best: Ignition City and Kick Ass
Greg Bennett provides a pair of recommendations for comic book lovers for the week of February 14, 2010. This week its Ignition City: Volume 1 and Kick Ass.

Bennett's Best: Hicksville: Definitive Edition and Hellblazer: Pandemonium
Legendary comic book store owner Greg Bennett provides a pair of recommendations for comic book lovers for the week of February 7, 2010. This week its Hicksville: Definitive Edition and Hellblazer: Pandemonium

Bennett's Best: Ultimate Comics X and Demo
Legendary comic book store owner Greg Bennett provides a pair of recommendations for comic book lovers for the week of January 31, 2010. This week its Ultimate Comics X, No. 1 and Demo: Volume 2, No. 1.

Bennett's Best: Ultimate Comics Enemy and Atom and Hawkman
Legendary comic book store owner Greg Bennett provides a pair of recommendations for comic book lovers for the week of January 24, 2010. This week its Ultimate Comics Enemy, No. 1 and Atom and Hawkman, No. 46.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Beyond Comics Artist Appearance March 3rd


B E Y O N D      C O M I C S
March 3rd ONLY!

Meet ASPEN Comics
Artist
Micah Gunnell

at the Beyond Comics
Gaithersburg Square Store
536 North Frederick Avenue

4:00 pm to 6:30 pm
 


Free Sketches and Autographs
 
Original Art For Sale.









INFO
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New Items Added 1/5/10

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Wednesday
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Please Note, some items are not available at all store locations. For more information please speak with any store representative. Some items may also be allocated by the manufacturer and may not be available. Beyond Comics does not guarantee items being in stock; however we will do our best to keep them available.

Email:
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John Shine Mgr
or

Frederick
Mike Imboden Mgr

Gaithersburg Store
536 North Frederick Ave

Gaithersburg, MD
(301) 216-0007

Hours: M,Tu 11-8;
W-Sat 10-9; Sun 12-6


Frederick Store
5632 Route 85

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(301) 668-8202

Hours: M,Tu 10-8;
W-Sat 10-9; Sun 12-6






Comic Riffs confirms new Doonesbury collection

DOONESBURY: Garry Trudeau to release 40th-anniversary retrospective, Michael Cavna, February 25, 2010.

Not a stunning surprise as there have been specific collections for a couple of decades now - going back to Duke's Action Hero, I think, but welcome all the same. In my opinion, Doonesbury is still one of the top 3 strips in the paper.

Wimpy Kid movie posters begin appearing in DC

I've seen one in a bus shelter on 16th St, NW and here's one on the side of a bus courtesy of Kathleen Stocker. As we've noted before, Jeff Kinney was a U of Maryland cartoonist back when.

Comic Riffs on silly Batman auction price

1939 Batman Detective Comics No. 27 sells for record $1 million at auction, By Michael Cavna, Washington Post February 26, 2010.

Jim Dougan of ACT-I-VATE interview up at City Paper

Meet a Local Comics Writer: A Chat with Jim Dougan of ACT-I-VATE

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Family Guy's considered take on Down syndrome not appreciated by everyone

See The TV Column: 'Family Guy' actor speaks out against Palin joke
By Lisa de Moraes
Washington Post (February 25, 2010); C06

Disturbing Peanuts ad in Post

Today's Post has an ad from MetLife insurance company showing Woodstock and Snoopy looking at each other, and the caption reads "Imagine not being able to recognize your best friend." It's promoting the MetLife Foundation Award for Medical Research, but it's pretty striking because it's a half-page with a lot of white space and Snoopy in the middle. It ran in today's New York Times too.

Arlen Schumer covers Post's local living section

There's a nice comic book style drawing of a woman committing to a diet.  Well, it's a nice drawing at least. Schumer also did the interior illos for the story.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Cavna on new Judge Parker artist

Michael's been busy this week...

THIS JUST IN: 'Judge Parker' names its new artist
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog February 23, 2010

I like the new artists work, but it's a lot more cartoony than Baretto's.

Cavna looks into Superman million dollar comic a bit more closely

Call the Daily Planet! Superman comic book sells for record $1M [UPDATED]
Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog February 22, 2010

2009 Luna Brothers interview I missed

Multiversity Comics Presents: the Luna Brothers by David Harper on Tuesday, September 22, 2009.

SPX 2010 press release

Announcing SPX 2010 To Be Held September 11-12 and New Executive Committee

 

For Immediate Release     
Contact: Warren Bernard

Phone: 301-537-4615

               E-Mail: warren@spxpo.com


Bethesda, Maryland; February 23 2010 - The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels and alternative political cartoons, will be held Saturday Sept 11 from 11AM-7PM and Sunday, September 12 from noon-6PM. Tables for the show are still available, but get your tables orders in quickly, as last year, the show sold out its tables in May. The Ignatz Awards, the first festival prize in the U.S. comic book industry, will be held Saturday evening, September 11, with voting held that day by SPX attendees.

Small Press Expo also announces its new Executive Committee. Karon Flage, who oversaw SPX's successful move from its old facilities to the new, much improved, Marriott Convention Center, is stepping down as Executive Director and will take over the position of Treasurer. Jeff Alexander, the previous Assistant Executive Director, is now the new Executive Director. Warren Bernard will now assume the roll of Assistant Executive Director, as well as maintaining his position as Media Coordinator.

Stay tuned for future SPX news. In the coming weeks/months, we will be announcing our guests, as well some great, new SPX attractions.

SPX brings together more than 300 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers and distributors each year. Graphic novels, mini-comix, political cartoon books and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. 

As in previous years, profits from the SPX will go to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), protecting the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals.  For more information on the CBLDF, go to their website at http://www.cbldf.org/.             

SPX will be held The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in Bethesda, Maryland, next to the White Flint Metro stop. Admission is $10 for a single day and $15 for both days.

Million dollar action

Both the Express and the Examiner ran stories about somebody paying a million dollars for a comic book with the first appearance of Superman. Here's the wire story they used: Superman's debut comic book issue sells for $1M By JAKE COYLE, The Associated Press, Monday, February 22, 2010.

Shutter Island comic review at City Paper site

Shutter Island, Version 2.0: The Graphic Novel by Christian De Metter
Posted by Mike Rhode on Feb. 23, 2010.

Monday, February 22, 2010

UK's Telegraph uses DC-area reviewer for Gervais show

The British newspaper, The Telegraph, is using a Washington-based reporter to review a Hollywood(iirc)-created cartoon based on British podcasts -

The Ricky Gervais Show (HBO): Review; The American cable TV channel HBO's animated series using the original recordings of The Ricky Gervais Show podcasts features the funnyman himself as well as his longtime collaborator Stephen Merchant.

By Rachel Ray, in Washington
Published: 2:35PM GMT 22 Feb 2010

R.C. Harvey on Matt Wuerker

It's pile-on the Wuerker gravy PR train, as R.C. Harvey writes on Matt Wuerker too. Remember, we'll be doing the same at the City Paper next week! Don't miss it as Matt reveals his favorite monument!

Richard Thompson is up for the Reuben and we forgot to mention it

Richard Thompson is up for the National Cartoonist Society's Reuben Award, which is the big enchilada. He told me before he was fleeing town recently and I stupidly forgot to scoop my peers and post something about it here. Now I'm sure it's spread all over Facebook already.

We're rooting for you, Richard!

Editorial cartoonist - New Yorker cartoonist links?

Tom Hollen has written in with an interesting observation, and a resulting question. Can anyone help him out? I've come up blank so far.

I'm a big fan of editorial cartoons and New Yorker cartoons. I was wondering you might be able to provide some background about political cartoonists who were also cartoonists for The New Yorker magazine. I know that ironically DC had two: Peter Steiner for the Washington Times and Christopher Weyant for The Hill. I think Weyant is the only one still regularly cartooning for both? Are there others?

I think it takes a special breed to be able to succeed at either type of cartooning, let alone both. I've had trouble finding any info on this subject. Have you ever covered this or do you know where I can find anything about it?

So, anyone in the collective mind got any help for Tom?

Joel Pett on Matt Wuerker

Joel Pett, whom we should pay more attention to because he cartoons for USA Today even though he lives in Kentucky (I think), has a nice little piece up about Matt - In the footsteps of Herblock: Editorial cartoonist Matt Wuerker of Politico took the first of this season's cartooning awards, the Herblock Prize, Los Angeles Times (February 21, 2010).

I'll have an interview with Matt on the City Paper's blog early next week.

Comix Claptrap podcast reviews Matt Dembicki

Dylan Horrocks is no slouch of course, so you might want to listen to the whole show.

Ayuyang, Rina and Thien Pham. 2010.
Dylan Horrocks - Season 2, Episode 4.
Comix Claptrap podcast (February 18): http://comixclaptrap.blogspot.com/2010/02/season-2-episode-4-dylan-horrocks.html and http://comixclaptrap.podomatic.com/enclosure/2010-02-18T08_30_25-08_00.mp3

Thien and Rina have the huge honor of interviewing distinguished comic artist and writer, Dylan Horrocks, whose celebrated comics masterpiece, "Hicksville" has just been re-released with a beautiful new edition published by Drawn and Quarterly. In this episode, Dylan talks about his personal journey in comics-making since the first printing of "Hicksville", as well as his revealing experiences writing for mainstream comics, the decision to serialize his comics on the internet, and the inspiring comics scene in New Zealand.

We also chat with our lovely New Comics reporter, cartoonist and buddy Josh Frankel about new work by Lewis Trondheim, Oliver East, Matt Dembicki, as well as McSweeney's Panorama. We are really happy about this episode, and hope you will be too -- have a listen!

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Kevin Rechin

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Kevin Rechin

Comics on the Rack, Quick Picks for Comics Due 02-24-10

 
COMICS ON THE RACK
Quick Picks for Comics Due 02-24-10
By John Judy
 
ALMOST SILENT HC written and drawn by Jason.  Otherwise known as the Jason Omnibus from Fantagraphics.  This collects four Jason graphic novels: "You Can't Get There From Here", ""Tell Me Something", "Meow Baby" and "The Living and the Dead."  Three of these are out of print and all of them are an entertaining way to spend a few hours.
 
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #622 by Several Guys.  A Flash Thompson story and a new round with Morbius the Living Vampire.  It's been too long.
 
BATMAN AND ROBIN #9 by Grant Morrison and Cameron Stewart.  Evil Zombie Clone Batman versus the Batman Family!  Boy, if Bruce Wayne goes dead for five minutes the whole place goes to heck!  Recommended.
 
BLACK LANTERN GREEN ARROW #30 by JT Krul and Will Conrad.  Oliver Queen: Dead Again!  Mostly.  Awesome Neal Adams tribute cover.
 
BLACKEST NIGHT #7 of 8 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis.  Okay, so Nekron wants to kill every living thing in the universe but he still has a dark secret?!  What, he likes reality TV shows?  Jeez!  Still recommended.
 
BLACKEST NIGHT: JSA #3 of 3 by James Robinson and Eddy Barrows.  Evil, undead, Black Lantern Earth-2 Superman comes back for one more pass at wiping out the JSA.  And he's just crazy enough to do it!
 
CAPTAIN SWING #1 of 4 by Warren Ellis and Raulo Caceres.  Electrical pirates and things that are not supposed to fly in 1830's London.  From that nice Mr. Ellis.  Gotta look!
 
CHOKER #1 by Ben McCool and Ben Templesmith.  Let's try this again, now that Image is actually releasing this comic:  There are so many reasons this comic is a must-have, but among the most compelling is this: The female lead is a cop nicknamed "Dick-Puncher."  Described by co-creator Templesmith as "A little bit like FELL with a bad case of Gonorrhea."  Highly recommended.  Not for kids.
 
CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD: LAST BATTLE #3 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Oscar Jimenez.  Pope Jacko is back from Hell with a whole world of hurt for Danny the Anti-Christ and his loved ones.  And what's with Jay getting smart again?  Not for kids or the squeamish.
 
FALL OF THE HULKS: RED HULK #2 of 4 by Jeff Parker and Ed McGuinness.  Lotsa smashing.
 
FLASH: REBIRTH #6 of 6 by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver.  The Flash Family gets put in a blender set on "puree."  Of course for them that's like a slow gentle stir.  New Flash Facts start here!  Recommended.
 
HITMAN, VOL. 2: 10,000 BULLETS SC by Garth Ennis and John McCrea.  If you've never read the adventures of Gotham City hired gun Tommy Monaghan and his cohort Nat the Hat then you need to reserve your copy of this book today.  Re-released after a few years out of print, this collects issues #4-8 and Annual #2.  Highly recommended for teens and up.
 
IMAGE UNITED #0 of 6 by Robert Kirkman and Some Other Image Guys.  Beyond a new character fighting Savage Dragon, the paradoxical math on the issue numbering is the most eye-catching thing about this series.  I mean, if you're counting Zero as part of a numbered series you're always going to have one more than the number of issues you're advertising.  Unless you figure with Image's legendary lateness #6 becomes an imaginary number because we'll never see it during the lifetime of the Universe.  I have a headache now.
 
IRREDEEMABLE #11 by Mark Waid and Peter Krause.  Intrigues galore as Modeus gets closer to Tony and the remaining heroes are down to a skeleton crew.  Recommended.
 
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #36 by Bill Willingham and Jesus Marino.  Nazis.  Is there anyone that sucks worse than Nazis?  No, and the JSA must remind them of this for the next few issues.
 
MARVELS PROJECT #6 of 8 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting.  Torch versus Subby, Round Two!  And now Captain America's on the scene!  Recommended.
 
NEW AVENGERS #62 by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen.  The Hood and his hoods are back to trouble the Avengers because no one has thought to put the Hood out of his misery once and for all.  Honestly, he's such a wanna-be Osborn/Loki!  If the Big Bad Wolf doesn't eventually eat this guy I will be disappointed.
 
NORTHLANDERS #25 by Brian Wood and Leandro Fernadez.  In addition to the plague outside their walls the remaining Vikings begin to get cabin fever.  Not good in a place full of swords, axes and such.  Recommended.
 
PREVIEWS by Marvel and Diamond Comics.  What you'll be seeing on the racks in three months, once the snow and rains subside!
 
SCALPED #35 by Jason Aaron and Daniel Zezelj.  Now that Red Crow and Bad Horse have eliminated a whole bunch of distractions it's time for a stand-alone issue about what it takes to live on the Rez, the poorest community in America.  So far.  Highly recommended.
 
SUPERMAN #697 by James Robinson and Bernard Chang.  A short breather before Brainiac comes in for some ruckus.  Guest-starring the Legion, Superboy and of course Mon-El.
 
THOR #607 by Kieron Gillen and Billy Tan.  Norman Osborn's attacking Asgard and if Oklahoma gets in the way, so be it!  Osborn hearts Freedom!
 
THUNDERBOLTS #141 by Jeff Parker and Miguel Angel Sepulveda.  Osborn orders the remaining T-Bolts to fight Asgard and the Avengers because… he wants them to die?
 
ULTIMATE COMICS ENEMY #2 of  4 by Brian Michael Bendis and Rafa Sandoval.  So the Ultimate Enemy appears to be a huge red fungus blob.  Or maybe it's the guy behind it.  Outlook cloudy. Ask again later.
 
VICTORIAN UNDEAD #70 by Ian Edginton and Davide Fabbri.  So Professor Moriarty came out of the Reichenbach Falls as a zombie.  By Jove, the game's afoot!  A delicious, tasty foot….
 
WALKING DEAD #70 by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard.  Washington DC is a paradise and all it took was a plague of flesh-eating zombies.  I believe there's a lesson here.  Not for kids. Highly recommended.
 
WONDER WOMAN #41 by Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti.  WW fights Power Girl some more.  Here's hoping they kiss and make up soon.
 
X-FACTOR #202 by Peter David and Bing Cansino.  Still looking for the Invisible Woman.  And a better metaphor.  Big fight with Doctor Doom or one of his robots or something.
 
X-MEN LEGACY #233 by Mike Carey and Clay Mann.  Proteus is back from the dead and making up for lost time, evil-wise.  Punch-ups galore.
 


Sunday, February 21, 2010

Jo Chen covers Marvel's Girl Comics

You can see a preview of her cover for #3 here - Jeanine Schaefer on "Girl Comics". Comic Book Resources (February 19 2010).

Thanks to our Russian readers

Apparently an earlier post on Stalin cartoons is bringing in a lot of attention from Europe, and other places with Russian language readers - our usual readership is between 150-300 per day, but yesterday: Previous 24hrs: 1,303.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Martel speaks on Calvin and Hobbes tonight

Lifted from the Post's Going Out Guide blog:

Nerd Nite

When was the last time you went to a bar to actually learn something? Other than all the bits of obscure trivia you've picked up at quiz night over the years, we're guessing it hasn't happened too often. That's where DC9's Nerd Nite comes in: Wet your whistle while stimulating your cranium with informative discussions on insects and storm chasing, and a special presentation about elusive "Calvin and Hobbes" creator Bill Watterson by Nevin Martell, author of "Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip." Local punk rockers Authorization will perform between lectures. Don't be late: A limited number of door tickets are available, but given the size of the venue, they'll go quickly.
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Saturday at 6 p.m. DC9, 1940 Ninth St. NW. 202-483-5000. http://www.dcnine.com. $10.

Comic Riffs interviews Wuerker on winning Herblock

Politico's Wuerker says winning Herblock Prize is 'mind-boggling', by Michael Cavna, Washington Post Comic Riffs blog (February 18 2010).

May 2: Washington, DC Comicon at George Mason University

Apparently there's a new Washington, DC Comicon at George Mason University (which is 20 miles out of town). Here's one story and here's another. ComicsDC will admit to feeling a bit snubbed on this news. We're also wondering if it will affect Marc Nathan's attendance at Capicon.

Julian Lytle interviewed at 4thletter! blog

Black Future Month ‘10: Julian Lytle
by david brothers
4thletter! blog February 18th, 2010