Thursday, April 22, 2010

April 28: Joe Sacco to speak to Prof Wenthe's class at AU

Professor Michael Wenthe writes in to tell us

Next Wednesday, April 28, at 2:10 P.M. in the atrium of the Battelle-Tompkins building here at American University, Joe Sacco will give a presentation and discussion of his work (notably _Footnotes in Gaza_) as the final event in my section of LIT 215: Writers in Print / in Person. Strictly speaking, this event will constitute the last class session for the course, so pride of place for the attendees will be my eighteen students (who discussed Sacco's work this past week), but we're holding it as an open, public event in in conjunction with the Middle East Studies Program here at AU and it will be generally advertised on campus.

Personally I've never heard Sacco speak, but I like his work. I'm sorry to miss this, but work is precluding my attendance.

Bill Day wins 2010 RFK cartooning award.

Boy, I'm a judge for the thing, and I still get scooped by Cavna. Anyway, congratulations to Bill Day for winning this year's RFK Journalism award for cartooning. Bill's work calling attention to the health problems of poor children was quite striking.

Here's what the Foundation put out:

Cartoon Winner: Series of cartoons, Bill Day, United Feature Syndicate: Cartoonist Bill Day sheds light on the continuing problem of infant mortality in America, especially among minority populations. His unusual special project creates clear and easily-readable cartoons, raising public awareness, partly through a grassroots movement that led to the introduction of legislation and policy improvements.

Nate Beeler wins this year’s Overseas Press Club award.

Nate Beeler has won this year’s Overseas Press Club award, according to this article. (OPC's server seems to have crashed.)

Congratulations, Nate!

Oh, and regarding today's cartoon, I think the tea-partiers are really ANTI-Federalists, since the Federalists including Hamilton, were in favor of more government, not less.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Finder to Dark Horse - another article

Dark Horse to Publish Carla Speed McNeil's ‘Finder'
The acclaimed self-published series will now be reprinted by Dark Horse
By Calvin Reid and Heidi MacDonald -- Publishers Weekly, 4/20/2010

Festival Imagé updated schedule

Pulled from the Festival Imagé website, here is updated information.

Booksigning tonight!
-Tuesday April 20 at AFDC, 6:30 pm:

Exhibition opening "Les Trois Ombres" by Cyril Pedrosa


Book signing by Antoine Dodé and Cyril Pedrosa

At the Alliance Française. The opening reception and book signing are free but reservations are mandatory. 202 234 79 11



-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 p.m., Room 140: MICA illustration faculty member Alain Corbel presents his Sequential Art students’ exhibition

-2 p.m., Room 110: MICA students' animation on display

-3 p.m., Room 140: Workshop with Cyril Pedrosa and MICA students on the narrative process

-4 p.m., Room 140: Professional forum with publishers Yvan Alagbé (Fremok/France), Jérôme Martineau (Carabas Revolution/France) and Calista Brill (First Second Books/US)

-6 p.m., Main Court: Closing party


At MICA/ free




-Sunday, April 25 at MICA
2-5 pm: Room 140: Closing of exhibition by MICA's Sequential Art class

At MICA/ free

Monday, April 19, 2010

Caroline Small reads Moore's Swamp Thing for the 1st time

Ahh, you can't go home again - but you can vicariously enjoy the thrill of Caroline Small's discovery of Swamp Thing via the good offices of her buddy Chris (who's leading her down the comics primrose path - it's no longer "I'm just here to see Craig Yoe to keep Chris company..."). Read their dialogue at Muck-Encrusted Mockery of a Roundtable: Liberty, Fecundity, Perversity

U of MD's Diamondback's editorial cartoon controversy

University of Maryland's Dimaondback's April 13 Editorial cartoon By Jenna Brager

The above cartoon is causing a controversy apparently - at least enough of one that the Diamondback's editor felt compelled to apologize - but with a twist:

What I do apologize for, however, is for failing the cartoonist. If you’ve been around the backlash from the cartoon, odds are you already know that the drawing of the armband made many readers interpret the cartoon as a connection between Israelis and Nazis — the imagery of the Israeli flag armband is often found in highly anti-Semitic propaganda.

She hadn’t meant to make such a connection, and so a tiny part of a drawing sparked a plethora of letters, feedback and more than a hundred comments online. I knew the cartoon would spark debate, but where I failed in my job was not realizing the connotation of the armband. Instead of constructive conversation, all anyone wants to talk about now is how this comparison can be interpreted as hate speech. And so, I failed my cartoonist, who never intended to make that statement.


You can read the rest of his editorial here: From the editor: All apologies By Rob Gindes, April 18, 2010, but this looks like another tiresome tempest in a teapot to me, largely caused by a lack of drawing chops (sorry Ms. Brager).

Jim Dougan interviewed by Mark Ruffin

Washington D.C. comics writer Jim Dougan talks on well-received webcomic
DC Comic Books Examiner Mark Ruffin
April 19,2010

Another positive Kick-Ass review from a local woman critic

Kick-Ass Directed by Matthew Vaughn
A cultish super hero flick about misfits. And ass-kicking.

By Tricia Olszewski
Washington City Paper April 16, 2010

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Baltimore Sun on French comics fest

MICA salutes French animation as an international force for artistic good
Students at French CGI school Supinfocom, and MICA, create animated shorts as personal art
By Michael Sragow, The Baltimore Sun April 15, 2010

Library of Congress to save the Tweet

This press release got picked up by some of the big papers like the Post and the Times, but why should we at ComicsDC care? Because a lot of comic book creators are Twitteratti - and Comic Book Resources put out a list of them this week. So now Washington will be a Mecca for those interested in what their favorite creator thought in 2010, in 140 characters or less. The historic ramifications are beyond imagining.

Library of Congress
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington DC   20540

April 15, 2010

Twitter Donates Entire Tweet Archive to Library of Congress

Twitter is donating its digital archive of public tweets to the Library of Congress.  Twitter is a leading social networking service that enables users to send and receive tweets, which consist of web messages of up to 140 characters. 

Twitter processes more than 50 million tweets per day from people around the world.  The Library will receive all public tweets—which number in the billions—from the 2006 inception of the service to the present. 

"The Twitter digital archive has extraordinary potential for research into our contemporary way of life," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington.  "This information provides detailed evidence about how technology based social networks form and evolve over time.  The collection also documents a remarkable range of social trends.  Anyone who wants to understand how an ever-broadening public is using social media to engage in an ongoing debate regarding social and cultural issues will have need of this material."

Billington added: "The Library looks at this as an opportunity to add new kinds of information without subtracting from our responsibility to manage our overall collection.  Working with the Twitter archive will also help the Library extend its capability to provide stewardship for very large sets of born-digital materials."

In making the donation, Greg Pass, Twitter's vice president of engineering, said: "We are pleased and proud to make this collection available for the benefit of the American people.  I am very grateful that Dr. Billington and the Library recognize the value of this information.  It is something new, but it tells an amazing story that needs to be remembered."  Twitter's own take on the donation is posted on their blog http://blog.twitter.com/2010/04/tweet-preservation.html.

A few highlights of the donated material include the first-ever tweet from Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey (http://twitter.com/jack/status/20), President Obama's tweet about winning the election (http://twitter.com/barackobama/status/992176676), and a set of two tweets from a photojournalist who was arrested in Egypt and then freed because of a series of events set into motion by his use of Twitter (http://twitter.com/jamesbuck/status/786571964) and (http://twitter.com/jamesbuck/status/787167620).

The announcement came coincidentally on the same day the Library's own Twitter feed (@librarycongress) crossed 50,000 followers (April 14, 2010).

"I think Twitter will be one of the most informative resources available on modern day culture, including economic, social and political trends, as well as consumer behavior and social trends," said Margot Gerritsen, a professor with Stanford University's Department of Energy Resources Engineering and head of the Center of Excellence for Computational Approaches to Digital Stewardship, a partnership with the Library of Congress.

The archive follows in the Library's long tradition of gathering individuals' firsthand accounts of history, such as "man on the street" interviews after Pearl Harbor; the September 11, 2001, Documentary Project; the Veterans History Project (VHP); and StoryCorps.  While the Twitter archive will not be posted online, the Library envisions posting selected content around topics or themes, similar to existing VHP presentations.

The Library has been collecting materials from the web since it began harvesting congressional and presidential campaign websites in 2000.  Today the Library holds more than 167 terabytes of web-based information, including legal blogs, websites of candidates for national office and websites of Members of Congress.  In addition, the Library leads the congressionally mandated National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program www.digitalpreservation.gov, which is pursuing a national strategy to collect, preserve and make available significant digital content, especially information that is created in digital form only, for current and future generations.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library's rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov and via interactive exhibitions on a personalized website at myLOC.gov.

# # #

PR 10-81
4/15/2010
ISSN 0731-3527




Carla McNeil's Finder to be published by Dark Horse

Comic Book Resources has the story of Finder moving from self-published to Dark Horse.

Zadzooks - barely about comics, but...

Zadzooks: Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series and The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy
Joseph Szadkowski
April 12, 2010

Meanwhile, Greg's got a few suggestions, only 1 of which I concur with - see if you can guess which it is!

Bennett's Best: S.H.I.E.L.D., Invincible Returns and Art In Time
By Greg Bennett, Special to Zadzooks April 12, 2010

Most laughable reason to disagree with Fiore's Pulitzer goes to...

...the Washington Examiner!

From April 18, 2010's "10 Lowlights of the Week" column:

#4 Puerile Pulitzer
Political cartoonist award goes to 'Tea Bag' jokester

The details: According to the Pulitzer committee, Mark Fiore "Set a high standard for an emerging form of commentary" with his animated cartoons on the Internet. Fiore is best known for a cartoon, "Learn to Speak Tea Bag" which has tea party protesters running around screaming "Nazi! - Socialist! Baby killer!" High standards, indeed.

On the next page, Nate Beeler picked his pro-Tea Party cartoon as his favorite of the week - can't agree with that call either, Nate.

Wuerker's Herblock award - Cavna makes his attendance tax-deductible

I'll have my own post up eventually, with photos from Joe Azar, but here's Michael's take on the evening -

Politico's MATT WUERKER accepts the Herblock Prize
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post's Comic Riffs blog April 16, 2010

He also talked to Steve Breen and Jen Sorenson about their recent awards -
Fischetti-winning Steve Breen: Awards 'mean more than ever' in tough times
By Michael Cavna, April 17, 2010

NPR's Weldon, on the other hand, does not like Kick-Ass

Glen Weldon's got some hard words for the comic book - Shiv and Let Shiv: Making Peace with 'Kick-Ass' (And Other Meditations). National Public Radio’s Monkey See blog (April 15 2010).

Comics on the Rack, Quick Picks for Comics Due 04-21-10

COMICS ON THE RACK
Quick Picks for Comics Due 04-21-10
By John Judy
 
100 % SC written and drawn by Paul Pope.  Collecting five issues of the cyber-punk life circa 2038!
 
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #628 by Roger Stern and Lee Weeks.  So that's whatever happened to Captain Universe.  Too bad for the Juggernaut though.  Saying you got slapped by Captain Universe has got to be the worst…
 
AMERICAN VAMPIRE #2 by Scott Snyder, Stephen King and Rafael Albuquerque.  Skinner and Pearl rise to their occasions.  Recommended.
 
BENNY AND PENNY IN THE TOYBREAKER HC written and drawn by Geoffrey Hayes.  Cousin Bo seriously busts up B&P's toys every time he visits.  Cousin Bo is going to have to be dealt with.  Great for all ages.
 
BRAVE AND THE BOLD #33 by J. Michael Straczynski and Cliff Chiang.  Wonder Woman, Zatanna and Batgirl (the real one!) go out for a night on the town.  There may or may not be a story attached but who cares?  Highly recommended.
 
CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHO WON'T WIELD THE SHIELD #1 by Jason Aaron, Matt Fraction and Some Swell Artists.  Who won't it be?!  Sarah Palin?  The cute barista at Starbucks?  That dude with the really ill-advised tattoo?  Only Irving Forbush knows for sure!
 
CRISIS ON MULTIPLE EARTHS, VOL. 5 SC by Gerry Conway, Dick Dillin, George Perez and Others.  Justice League/Society cross-overs from JLA#159, 160, 183, 184 and 185.  Big fights and gorgeous George Perez art!  Recommended.
 
CROSSED: FAMILY VALUES #1 of 6 by David Lapham and Javier Barreno.  Lapham takes up where Garth Ennis left off in a world where a virus drives everyone who gets it to extremes of madness, torture and mayhem.  It's like a big teabagger rally with no cops.  Absolutely not for kids.
 
DO ANYTHING, VOL. 1: THOUGHTS ON COMICS AND THINGS by Warren Ellis.  That nice Mr. Ellis writes about stuff while channeling the robot head of Jack Kirby.  It's cheap and it's from Avatar, so we're lucky to have heard of it at all.  Recommended.
 
DV8: GODS AND MONSTERS #1 of 8 by Brian Wood and Rebekah Isaacs.  "So, tell us about the time you and your super-friends were briefly gods in a pre-historic world."
 
FIRESTAR #1 by Sean McKeever and Emma Rios.  It turns out Firestar has survived cancer.  I get the feeling this will be a Very Special Episode of Firestar…
 
GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS #5 of 9 by Ennis and Carlos Ezquerra.  "The Firefly and His Majesty" continues.  Tank fight with ratzis!  Recommended.
 
GREEN LANTERN #53 by Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke.  So it's the morning after "Darkest Night."  Let's call it "Brightest Day" if you will.  You've suddenly got all these other-than-green colored Lanterns running around, at least three of whom you want nothing to do with.  In fact, you should probably be fighting them on account of them being mass murderers and all.  What do you do?  Recommended.
 
GREETINGS FROM CARTOONIA: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE OF THE LAND OF COMICS SC by Various Creators.  An international compilation of strips from twelve different creators, each inspired by different things from their country of choice.  Gotta look!  From Stripburger, distributed by Top Shelf.
 
GUILD #2 of 3 by Felicia Day and Jim Rugg.  Our cute protagonist finds herself getting more and more into her on-line role-playing game as her boyfriend's emotional neglect gets worse.  (No, I'm not crying.  It's just something in my eye…)
 
HELLBLAZER #266 by Peter Milligan and Simon Bisley.  The story of aging and wannabe punk rockers dedicated to raising the spirit of Sid Vicious is probably the best Constantine story Milligan has done so far.  And Biz is the perfect artist for it.  Highly recommended.
 
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #44 by James Robinson and Mark Bagley.  Okay, I don't know about you but I'm counting members of at least four different DC super-teams on this cover and not one of whom could be called proper JLA.  What gives, Robinson?
 
RASL, VOL. 2: FIRE OF SAINT GEORGE SC written and drawn by Jeff Smith.  The continuing adventures of Smith's universe-hopping scientist/art thief/debaucher can be found here.  Highly recommended.
 
SIEGE: SPIDER-MAN #1 by Brian Reed and Marco Santucci.  Spidey dukes it out with Venom.  For the title!
 
SIF #1 by Kelly Sue Deconnick and Ryan Stegman.  Thor's bride is in Loki-possession recovery and that requires chopping stuff up with her sword!  It's therapy, Norse goddess style!
 
SPIRIT #1 by Mark Schultz and Moritat.  Co-feature by Dennis O'Neil and Bill Sienkiewicz.  Re-launching the adventures of Will Eisner's legendary domino-masked punch-up artist, this one features an interesting twist:  A Spirit comic with a back-up story featuring "The Spirit!"  Because most of us don't care about the Spirit.  We only want it for the Spirit.
 
ULTIMATE COMICS: AVENGERS #6 by Mark Millar and Carlos Pacheco.  Ultimate Captain America and his little boy Ultimate Red Skull (yeah, I know…) go mano a mano in the conclusion of Millar's latest burst of summer movie ultra-violence.
 
UNDELETED SCENES SC written and drawn by Jeffrey Brown.  Top Shelf presents ten years worth of rare and previously uncollected works by indy humorist Brown.  Recommended.
 
X-FACTOR #204 by Peter David and Valentine DeLandro.  The team fights a reanimated dead guy named "Bolivar."  You kind of have to win this one if you ever want to show your face at the X-picnic again.
 
X-MEN LEGACY #235 by Mike Carey and Greg Land.  The X-gang is still chasing after Hope.  Once they get her they'll work on Change.
 


April 18: Capicon Comic convention

Sunday, April 18th, 2010
Capicons Comic Book and Pop Culture Con

Dunn Loring Vol. Fire Dept, Dunn Loring, Virginia

Special Guests:
Martin Grams, Jr, Author of The Green Hornet: A History of Radio, Motion Pictures, Comics and Television
http://www.martingrams.com

Dan Nokes, Artist/Publisher--21 Sandshark Studios
http://21sandshark.com/

Also featuring
Artist Tom Arvis, Sureshot Comics
http://www.arvtoon.com

FREE admission! Door prize drawings!

Open to the public from 10 am - 3 pm. Buy, sell & trade: Gold, Silver, Bronze Age comics; Indie & Modern comics, Publishers & Creators, TV & Movie Collectibles. Non-sport cards; Videos & DVDs; Anime; Manga; Horror/Sci-Fi; figures, toys; Star Wars & Star Trek memorabilia; original artwork, posters and other comic-related collectibles.

See you there!
Laura, Jeff & Ed,

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Post on Fiore's iPhone rejection

Rob Pegoraro's Faster Forward: Apple rejects Pulitzer winner Fiore's iPhone app
Washington Post April 17, 2010

Alliance Française de Washington lecture today

Antoine Dodé is speaking at 2 pm at the Alliance. The complete festival press release follows.




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


April 17: Jules Feiffer at Portrait Gallery

Saturday April 17, 2010
4:30 PM
McEvoy Auditorium, Lower Level
American Art Museum, National Portrait Gallery
The American Pictures series offers a highly original approach to art and portraiture, pairing great works of art with leading figures of contemporary American culture. Each American Pictures event features an eminent writer, thinker, historian, or artist who speaks about a single, powerful image and explores its meaning. The series director is historian and essayist Adam
Goodheart, who is director of the C. V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College.

Lectures begin at 4:30 p.m.
Free tickets available in the G Street lobby one hour prior.


Saturday, April 17, 4:30 p.m.
Cartoonist Jules Feiffer on Bob Landry's Fred Astaire in "Puttin' on the Ritz"

Friday, April 16, 2010

Washington Post likes Kick-Ass

Movie review: Profane but humane 'Kick-Ass' provides something to cheer
By Ann Hornaday
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 16, 2010; C01

and here's an interview with the film's writer -

Wait 'til they get a load of Hit-Girl
By Jen Chaney
Washington Post's Celebritology 2.0 blog April 14, 2010

The Times liked it too. So far, that's 3 reviews by WOMEN reviewers and one interview with the WOMAN screenwriter. I'm missing something here.

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s a Blood Bath
By MANOHLA DARGIS
April 16, 2010

Washington Examiner likes Kick-Ass movie

Shocking, funny 'Kick-Ass' does exactly that

By: Sally Kline
Washington Examiner April 16, 2010

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/lifestyle/Shocking_-funny-_Kick-Ass_-does-exactly-that-90959999.html

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Weldon reviews Sturm's Market Day

'Market Day': Beauty And History In Handmade Art
by Glen Weldon
April 12, 2010

Express on Kick-Ass

From Panel to Screen: Another 'Kick-Ass' Comic-Book Movie
Written by Express contributor Roxana Hadadi
Express at 9:15 AM on April 14, 2010

French comics and animation festival starts tomorrow

Quick details here -

Accent on Art: Alliance Francaise's and MICA's Festival Image
Written by Express contributor Ryan Little
Express April 15, 2010

I'm off to see Matt Wuerker get the Herblock award.

Yoe on anti-war cartoons

Pencils for Peace: Craig Yoe, 'The Great Anti-War Cartoons'
Written by Express contributor Roxana Hadadi
April 15 2010

Reviewed: Kick-Ass: Creating the Comic; Making the Movie

Reviewed: Kick-Ass: Creating the Comic; Making the Movie
Posted by Mike Rhode on Apr. 15, 2010 at 10:51 am




Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Marc Singer on teaching Love & Rockets

Week 10: Gilbert Hernandez, Human Diastrophism
April 12, 2010

My classes' reactions to "Human Diastrophism" have changed over the years, and mostly for the better. Seven or eight years ago a few of my students were awfully interested in branding the women of Palomar as "sluts." - click thru the link to see what Marc's current students got out of it.

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Comic Riffs interviews Pulitzer winner Mark Fiore

The 'Riffs Interview: New Pulitzer winner MARK FIORE drafts a path less traveled
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog April 13, 2010

Cartoonist Jeff Koterba featured in Post's Tourette's Syndrome article

 

Monday, April 12, 2010

Matt Wuerker once again a nominee, not a winner of Pulitzer

2nd year in a row that Matt's come close...

The 2010 Pulitzer Prize WinnersEditorial Cartooning
Current tab: citation

For a distinguished cartoon or portfolio of cartoons characterized by originality, editorial effectiveness, quality of drawing and pictorial effect, in print or online or both, Ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

Awarded to Mark Fiore, self syndicated, for his animated cartoons appearing on SFGate.com, the San Francisco Chronicle Web site, where his biting wit, extensive research and ability to distill complex issues set a high standard for an emerging form of commentary.

Finalists
Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Tony Auth of The Philadelphia Inquirer for his masterful simplicity in expressing consistently fearless positions on national and local issues; and Matt Wuerker of Politico for his broad portfolio that encompasses the nation’s historic political year, using rich artistry, wry humor and sometimes animation to drive home his deft satire.

my latest book reviews

International Ink: Feiffer, France, and Fingerman


Sunday, April 11, 2010

Fantom's First Monthly Happy Hour This Tuesday


Fantom Comics - Where there is a comic book for everyone
JOIN FANTOM COMICS FOR ITS 1ST MONTHLY HAPPY HOUR!

Fantom Comics would like to invite you to its first Comic Book Happy Hour, to be held from 6-8pm at The Laughing Man Tavern (just off Metro Center) on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. (Those under 21 are allowed! They have a system for keeping you away from the booze).

April 13th will be our first event, featuring a panel of three policy wonks and a Marvel Comics editor (see their bios below) discussing "Politics in Comics". They'll answer questions like who was right in Marvel's Civil War, and just how good of a president was Lex Luthor? After a 20-30 minute panel and Q&A session (so have your questions ready), be set to mingle in typical happy hour fashion and meet fellow comic book geeks from across the DC metro area.

Spencer Ackerman, Washington Independent
spac.jpg
Spencer Ackerman learned to read with the aid of an issue of the Incredible Hulk circa 1982, the touchstone of a life spent with Marvel Comics. Since then, he's reported on national security as a staff correspondent for The New Republic, Talking Points Memo and currently The Washington Independent. He's reported from Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay and can explain to you all the ways in which the Air Force tried to use 'Iron Man' to protect beloved defense projects from budget cuts. He maintains a blog called Attackerman on the Firedoglake constellation of blogs and may or may not lurk on Millar World and Brian Michael Bendis' message board.

Tom McClusky, FRCAction
Tom_worse_ScreenCap.jpg
As Senior Vice President of FRCAction, Tom McClusky represents the organization before Congress on a variety of family oriented issues. His work has gotten him recognized by The Hill newspaper as one of the leading grassroots lobbyist in Washington, D.C. And last year MSNBC commentator Kieth Olbermann declared Mr. McClusky as one of the "Worst People in the World." Mr. McClusky has a long history of both local and national campaign experience. His first job in Washington, D.C. was with the Republican National Committee as a political analyst. Following the 1992 elections, Mr. McClusky worked as a legislative/legal analyst for the multi-billion dollar Coastal Corporation in its Washington, D.C. office. In 1998 Mr. McClusky became Senior Policy Analyst for National Taxpayers Union and National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTU/NTUF). Mr. McClusky has been reading comics since he was eleven years old, and actually financed his move to Washington, D.C. by selling off his collection of X-Men comics from the late 1970's to the mid 1980's.

Mike O'Sullivan, Marvel Comics
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Mike O'Sullivan served as Senior Editor for Devil's Due Publishing for five years, editing titles such as G.I. Joe, Family Guy, the Dungeons & Dragons titles, Voltron, Hack/Slash and more. During that time, he wrote numerous stories for G.I. Joe, and wrote most of the character entries in the G.I. Joe Data Desk encyclopedia series. Currently, Mike writes for Marvel's Special Projects department, specifically for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe series, and also serve as a book management editor for Marvel's trade paperback and collection department. Mike also teaches classes in animation, drawing, cartooning and scriptwriting at both the Art Institute of Washington and the Art League in Alexandria, as well as owns and operates a custom cartooning and caricature company. He holds his Masters in sequential art from the Savannah College of Art & Design.

Julian Sanchez, Cato Institute
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Julian Sanchez is a research fellow at the Cato Institute, a contributing editor for Reason magazine, and a writer for entirely too many blogs. Though he primarily writes about technology, privacy, and government surveillance, he occasionally finds an excuse to wed one or more of these with his love of comics, as in his 2007 American Prospect cover story "The Revolt of the Comics." Julian once shaved his head just to dress as Spider Jerusalem for Halloween.





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Rose Herman, 1914-2010



My grandmother, Rose Herman, died yesterday a few weeks shy of her 96th birthday. Coming out of a poor family in Browndale, PA, and then being a young adult in the Depression, Gram didn't have much time for the foolishness of buying comic books for her grandchildren. However, she let me store 15,000 or so in her attic while I was out of space at home, or living at college or in rented apartments. She was quite amused when I'd show up every 3 months or so with another longbox to 'insulate her attic' (not a recommended way to store your comics, of course, but needs must). We used to visit her every Saturday when I was young too, and I used to sit on her back porch and page through the Overstreet Price Guide (pre-Internet), amazed at the number of comics I still had to even see, let alone collect.

Over the past few years, she'd been fading away, getting confused and aggressive, so she was in a nursing home in Texas near her son when she passed away, having outlived almost everyone she knew.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

CHS Otaku Fest Press Release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For information, contact:
Sophie Song
Convention Chair of CHS Otaku Fest
Former President of Centennial High School Anime Club
president.chsanime@gmail.com
609.220.1955

CHS OTAKU FEST ANNOUNCES FOUR MUSICAL GUESTS!
The Protomen, Entertainment System, Lesser.core and DJ Sheephead!

Ellicott City, MD April 9th, 2010 – CHS Otaku Fest is proud to announce four new musical guests: The Protomen, Entertainment System, Lesser.Core and DJ Sheephead.  All four bands will be performing at the convention on April 24th, 2010 at Centennial High in Ellicott City, MD.

The Protomen are more than just a band. They are messengers, riding atop an Iron Stallion on their way to deliver the most vicious rock 'n' roll fable that the world has ever known. With several planned albums, and a live show that could crumble mountains, there's no denying The Protomen have created a work unique to its medium
The first record, 'Act I', includes elements of Ennio Morricone, Queen and Black Sabbath, which culminate in a listening experience unlike anything you've ever heard. If you're afraid of sky cracking distortion and epic chaos, you won't survive this album.
'Act II' is a departure from the signature distorted sound of the first record. It focuses on a time before the world had fallen under darkness. It is a brighter and more optimistic look at the world The Protomen has created. The album is split into two separate eras (and sounds), and gives the feeling of two distinct albums in one. 'Act II' was produced by Alan Shacklock (Meatloaf, The Alarm, Bonnie Tyler, Babe Ruth, Roger Daltry) and The Protomen. Mastering was provided by Richard Dodd (Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Traveling Wilburys).

Since 2004, Entertainment System has been playing hard hitting arrangements of classic video game songs. A love of performing and a total lack of concern for their own safety brings an infectious energy to their shows, which have been described as "totally epic and somewhat dangerous." After 3 full length albums, 1 collaborative EP, and many, many melted faces, they have only just begun. They're new full length album, "Rock n' Roll Cereal", comprised entirely of Mario and Zelda songs, debuts this summer at their annual concert, Bit Gen Gamerfest. Become a fan of Entertainment System on Facebook for constant and typically self-indulgent updates on their status, concert dates, embarrassing videos, as well as songs from their previous albums.

Lesser.Core is a Newly formed Visual Kei/J rock band. The band is heavily influenced by J rock and American bands such as: X japan, Versailles, Dir en Grey, Lynch, Pierrot, Nightmare, Avenged Sevenfold, Attack Attack, and A day to remember.  The band was formed in February 2010 in MD/DC, area with original members Ryuu [Guitar], Ton [Bass], and Ginny [Vocals]. Daniel [Drummer] joined the band a week before their first show. Upon its formation, each member of the band also took on pseudonyms which were already nicknames of theirs from their old bands. The band started to receive recognition, performing with bands such as Project Echo and Price of Gas. Currently, Lesser.Core is composing "New Material".

DJ Sheephead is a producer and a DJ. While working hard on his music projects, The Megadrives and Hypnotic Buddha, he always returns to his DJing roots, bringing you the hard sounds of underground electronic dance music. He is a man on a mission to put you on your feet and make you move to the groove.

In addition to these musical performances, events at CHS Otaku Fest includes Super Art Fight, Otaku Quest, a Cosplay Contest, an AMV contest, Artist Alley, Discussion Panels, Dealers Room, Manga Library, Anime Screenings, Gaming Tournament  and more! Registration is still open! Pre-register now at chs-otakufest.com and save $5!

About the Centennial High Anime Club and CHS Otaku Fest:  This organization is an entirely high school based club with about 30 active members. The club has been an establishment in the school since 2005 and is gaining membership annually. It is a place for otaku to gather and meet while relaxing and discussing anime and the community at large. Last year the club hosted our first successful convention, CHS Otaku Fest, a one day public event dedicated to all things anime and awesome. This year, the club is looking forward to making Otaku Fest even better.

CHS Otaku Fest information
Date: Saturday April 24th, 2010
Time: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Location: Centennial High School
4300 Centennial Lane
Ellicott City, MD 21042
Registration fee: $10 before January 31st and $15 after. There is a $3 discount to groups of 10 or more ($7 per person before 1/31/10 and $12 after 1/31/10). At-the-door registration is $20.
For additional information visit: www.chs-otakufest.com
E-mail: president.chsanime@gmail.com
###



April 16: Craig Yoe at Politics and Prose

Note our buddy Warren is featured as well.

Craig Yoe - The Great Anti-War Cartoons
Start: April 16, 2010 - 7:00pm
End: April 16, 2010 - 8:00pm

Yoe, a historian of cartoons, has assembled a vast array of anti-war comics that span the globe and date back to the 1600s. These comics run the gamut of emotions, from Bill Mauldin’s humor to Francisque Poulbot’s sorrow. Yoe’s presentation will include source material from Warren Bernard’s private collection.

[The Great Anti-War Cartoons]
The Great Anti-War Cartoons (Paperback)
By Craig Yoe, Sara W. Duke, Muhammad Yunus
$24.99
ISBN-13: 9781606991503
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Fantagraphics Books, 12/01/2009

Location:
Politics and Prose
5015 Connecticut Ave. NWWashington, D.C. 20008

Ocean City, MD cartoonist Jennifer Jurden launches green cartoon jcampaign

Cartoonist with Green Cartoon Side-Kick "Jurdy" Launches "GET GRINNING GET GREENING" Environmental Program at Schools for Earth Day.
OCEAN CITY, MD, April 10, 2010 /24-7PressRelease.

Jen Sorenson wins Social Justice Journalism award

She may have moved away from the East Coast, but perhaps we'll still see her at SPX. Meanwhile, here's the story of her award - Jen Sorensen, Cartoonist With Conscience, April 7, 2010 by Audrey Bilger.

April 18: Capicon Comic convention

Sunday, April 18th, 2010
Capicons Comic Book and Pop Culture Con

Dunn Loring Vol. Fire Dept, Dunn Loring, Virginia

Special Guests:
Martin Grams, Jr, Author of The Green Hornet: A History of Radio, Motion Pictures, Comics and Television
http://www.martingrams.com

Dan Nokes, Artist/Publisher--21 Sandshark Studios
http://21sandshark.com/

Also featuring
Artist Tom Arvis, Sureshot Comics
http://www.arvtoon.com

FREE admission! Door prize drawings!

Open to the public from 10 am - 3 pm. Buy, sell & trade: Gold, Silver, Bronze Age comics; Indie & Modern comics, Publishers & Creators, TV & Movie Collectibles. Non-sport cards; Videos & DVDs; Anime; Manga; Horror/Sci-Fi; figures, toys; Star Wars & Star Trek memorabilia; original artwork, posters and other comic-related collectibles.

See you there!
Laura, Jeff & Ed,

Brian Truitt's Kick-Ass interview

Meet Chloe Moretz, the precocious teen star of ‘Kick-Ass’
USA Weekend April 9th, 2010
Brian Truitt

I think the hard copy of this should be in tomorrow's Examiner.

Paul Fitzgerald's book on Will Eisner and PS mag nominated for Eisner award

Paul Fitzgerald's excellent book, Will Eisner & PS Magazine is up for an Eisner. One day I plan on writing a review of this - I got about 1/2 through it when the Christmas holidays intervened, but it's well worth getting. For more details see

Botetourt man gets nominated for Eisner comic industry award
Roanoke Times April 10 2010