Our Man Thompson's new website

Richard Thompson unveils his new website, a fine job courtesy of Chris Sparks...

...although he's getting away from being OUR Man Thompson, sob.

...although apparently I'm driving him to HeroesCon on June 4th - not that we've talked about it lately.

Religious opinion on South Park and Mohammad cartoons in Saturday Post

In the Saturday Washington Post Metro section, "Limits to Religious Liberty?" would be of interest, especially the commentary regarding cartoons of Mohammad and South Park, but I can't find it online. The link to the print edition of the paper sends you to the Saturday On Faith blog.

At the blog I was able to find a few relevant articles, although not most of the ones quoted in the physical paper.

Sally Quinn. 2010.
Divine Impulses: Tariq Ramadan says Comedy Central is 'scared' of the Muslim reaction to South Park, Washington Post Divine Impulses blog (May)

Without freedom of expression, there is no democracy
Ex-Hindu monk, professor
Ramdas Lamb
On Faith blog May 6, 2010

Imposed or self-imposed censorship?
Professor, University of Mississippi School of Law
Ronald Rychlak
Washington Post On Faith blog May 7, 2010;

Post launches cartoon contest - updated

America's Next Great Cartoonist Contest. Enter now. Chance to win a one-month stint in the Washington Post Style section. Work for the man for free. No purchase necessary.

Our Man Thompson, who got paid for his Post Style cartoon appearances, is one of the judges, as is Garry "Greatest cartoonist of the 4th quarter of the 20th century" Trudeau, the Post's Gene Weingarten the latest person to break onto their comics page, and Tom "that darn" Toles as well as Stephan Pastis and Jerry Scott. Cavna's blog post on it is here and be sure to read the comments about legal concerns being raised.

I'm feeling slightly less cranky as I update this, so I will say it's a good opportunity for someone to break out of the syndication pack.

Iron Man 2 videogame reviewed in Examiner

Not online, but the reviewer generally liked it except for flying motion sickness.

 

Pass the Dramamine

by Ryan Vogt

Washington Examiner May 10, 2010

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Jeffrey Thompson

Online at the City Paper, a Portait of the Artist as Comic Store Clerk -

 

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Jeffrey Thompson
Posted by Mike Rhode on May. 10, 2010

Comics on the Rack, Quick Picks for Comics Due 05-12-10

 

COMICS ON THE RACK

Quick Picks for Comics Due 05-12-10

By John Judy

 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #631 by Zeb Wells, Chris Bachalo and Emma Rios.  The Lizard has the munchies and guess who's on the menu…

 

ASTONISHING X-MEN: XENOGENESIS #1 of 5 by Warren Ellis and Kaare Andrews.  That nice Mister Ellis is writing the X-Men so who better to draw them than a guy who makes all the X-Women look like drugged out, anorexic hookers with bad saline implants?  Nuff said!

 

BATMAN: RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #1 of 6 by Grant Morrison and Chris Sprouse.  The original caped crusader is duking his way back from the dawn of time!  Major epic-ness!

 

BIRDS OF PREY #1 by Gail Simone and Ed Benes.  Re-launching out of "Brightest Day" this one's got Oracle, Black Canary, Lady Blackhawk and the Huntress, plus Hawk and Dove thrown in for good measure.  Spandex never looked this good!

 

CAVEMEN IN SPACE SC written and drawn by Joey Weiser.  A pre-historic tribe has been hurled into the future against their will.  But enough about us…

 

DARK AVENGERS #16 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato.  Final issue!  Does the Sentry-Void leave anyone alive?  Gotta look!

 

DAYTRIPPER #6 of 10 by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon.  The latest chapter in the lives and deaths of Bras.  Highly recommended.

 

EX MACHINA VOL.9: RING OUT THE OLD SC by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris and JP Leon.  Collecting issues #40-41 and SPECIAL #4 this one sets up the series finale featuring a Bad so Big even the Great Machine may finally break down.  Highly recommended.

 

FIRST WAVE #2 of 6 by Brian Azzarello and Rags Morales.  Crazy pulp action with the Spirit, Doc Savage, the Blackhawks and some crazy guy dressed like a bat!

 

FLASH #2 by Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul.  A lot has changed since Barry Allen died and came back, but he's catching up fast.  Recommended.

 

HELLBOY IN MEXICO (OR A DRUNKEN BLUR) ONE-SHOT by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben.  Exactly what the title says.  In this one Big Red is killing vampires down south of the border.  Recommended.

 

HULK #22 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness.  The "Fall of the Hulks" appears to be over and now "World War Hulks" (in which we are all Hulks) has begun.  So wasn't somebody back there supposed to fall?

 

INCREDIBLE HULK #609 by Greg Pak and Paul Pelletier.  Rumor has it that one of the two Red Hulks will have his/her true identity revealed this issue.  Of course rumor also has it that the President is a secret Nazi Muslim…

 

JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST #1 by Keith Giffen, Judd Winick and Aaron Lopresti.  Remember the funny JLA?  The one with Booster and Beetle and Fire and Ice and Captain Atom?  Well, something's trying to kill them now and it ain't just lousy sales…

 

KRAZY AND IGNATZ 1916-1918 SC by George Herriman.  Featuring 176 pages of "the best comic strip ever created."  Recommended.

 

MARVELS PROJECT #8 of 8 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting.  Yet another final issue in which we see the cornerstone of the Marvel Universe knocked into place.  Tons of variant covers so it must be really great.  Recommended.

 

NEW AVENGERS FINALE #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Bryan Hitch.  An A-list creative team makes this book a must-read even as the title begs the question: "Wait, how can a Finale also be a first issue?"

 

PUNISHERMAX #7 by Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon.  If you've ever wanted to read a MarvelMax Bullseye story written by someone who had any business writing it, your wait is over.  Recommended.

 

REPUGLICANS SC by Steve Tatham and Pete Von Sholly.  Picture 128 pages of Wacky Packages only instead of consumer products being savaged you get a serving of the icons of the American political far-right:  Sarah Palin as a vampire, Glenn Beck as a zombie and other caricatures that are far too kind.  Highly recommended.

 

SIEGE #4 of 4 by Brian Michael Bendis and Joe Quesada.  Big fight.  No, seriously.  Big.  Gotta look.

 

SUPERMAN: WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #2 of 4 by Sterling Gates, James Robinson and Eduardo Pansica.  The easiest way to explain the whole Earth vs. the Kryptonians story is this: Everyone involved except Superman is a major jerk.  Enjoy.

 

UNDERGROUND SC by Jeff Parker and Steve Lieber.  A collection of all five issues of this fascinating and educational thriller set in a really deep cave.  Recommended.

 

UNWRITTEN #13 by Mike Carey and Peter Gross.  Tommy Taylor is back in London, getting closer than ever to finding his missing dad/author.  Recommended.

 

WOLVERINE #900 by Everybody Who Was Present at the Last Marvel Softball Game.  Five new stories, plus classic reprints.  Two snikts up!

 

www.johnjudy.net

Dan Clowes at Politics and Prose highlights

As requested by at least one reader, here's some notes from Clowes' appearance at Politics and Prose. Unfortunately the store's cd recorder failed so they're not offering the recording for sale - and this was one of the best cartoonist events I've seen.

Dan Kois of the Washington Post was the interviewer. The slide set was provided by Clowes and covered his career, which began with Wally Wood being his favorite cartoonist, discovering his story "Welcome to My World," and realizing that cartoonists were in fact real people. Although he wanted to work for MAD, his first published work was for Cracked. Fantagraphics and he agreed to do a comic book based on his character Lloyd Lewellyn - when he got bored with that, he began Eightball which let him run many of his graphic novels as serials. Eightball and Like A Velvet Glove Cast in Iron both came from lines in the odd movie Faster, Pussycat, Kill! Kill! when the criminal women are at the gas station.

Clowes feels like the strangest job he ever got was for Coca-Cola's "OK" Beverage where the advertising company gave him carte blanche to design the can and he ended up having to see this drawing he did of a man based on Charles Manson on billboards.

Wilson, his new book, arose when he was waiting at his father's deathbed and began writing comic strips to keep his mind occupied. He and Kois concurred that reading the whole book at once was a bit much and laughingly settled on a suggested 1 strip per hour. The book is intended to look like a 1950s cartoon book such as VIP's Big George, where a viewer can clearly tell that this is both a comic collection book and Big George is a jerk.

During the questions, he recommended Tim Hensley's Wally Gropius several times. He said he was bored with 1990s animation until Persepolis came out and thought the best film in ten years was Fears of the Dark especially Richard Maguire's segment which he called on par with Hitchcock.

He's done with Eightball probably because comic books don't really make sense anymore when you have to sell them for $7-8. He's working on a screenplay - "I'm working on something I can't talk about."

He doesn't use computers except to color - "Every line in every book is drawn by hand." Coloring is done in an architect's program, Vector, which is a pain, but gives perfect precision every time.

Is Wilson's monologue internal? "I'm not sure." The good thing about comics is that it doesn't matter. In a film, he'd look insane talking to himself, but comics lets you play around with what's actually happening.

Eightball 23, The Death Ray, will be reprinted as a book at some point - he's just had too much to do and the comic needed to sell out first, but now he's got too much new product coming out. The New York Times strip Mr. Wonderful in an expanded version will be out from Pantheon next February.

Francois Mouley approached him about doing New Yorker covers. He had been doing spot illos for the magazine, but that's a different department. He'd been asked years ago to do them, but hadn't figured out how to approach them. Noting that they're supposed to be wry proto-cartoons, he reflected, "If you actually make someone laugh, you've failed." Now he's got it down and can immediately think how to design one.

Did he enjoy collaborating on movies? "I did enjoy it. You can get very stuck in your own head drawing comics every day... I wouldn't want to do that [ie moviemaking] full time at all."

Were the NY Times strips edited? "They were very good except for certain words. I needed the guy to go to "Jesus" for his word" - after a letter, the NYT told him he couldn't use it anymore. "They wouldn't let me use the word 'schmuck.' He quoted their own columnist William Safire on the widespread acceptance of the word now, but they still wouldn't let him use it. (Incidentally, it appeared in the Arts section just this past week).

That's all the notes I took - I'm really sorry the recording failed. Clowes has been doing tons of interviews besides in DC, and I'm compiling them for my next bibliography - if there's any interest I can post links here.

Frank Cho interview

FRANK CHO: New Ultimates, Liberty Meadows & Zombie King
Newsarama May 6 2010

Artist Frank Cho talks with Newsarama about New Ultimates, Liberty Meadows and Zombie King at C2E2 2010 in Chicago.

Bill Laroque interview

David-Wasting-Paper's done a lot of cartoonist interviews - he's got one on a local cartoonist whom I've run into at local events, but don't really know - "Bill LaRocque - Cartoonist Survey #117," May 1, 2010. LaRoque's website is Blue Ridge Cartoons and his blog is Just Kidding.

Zadzooks on Iron Man comics

Zadzooks: Reviews of Iron Man vs. Whiplash and Viking comics
Viking violence with Finn and Egil
By Joseph Szadkowski

That darn Toles, now on MTV's Real World

Tom Toles appears on Real World XXIII: Washington DC, episode 12 which is online now. He's in the first segment, being nice to the would-be college political cartoonist.

Glen Weldon on zombies

Mike Allred's doing the art on this which makes it more interesting...

I, Zombie: A Jug of Wine, A Lobe of Brain, and Thou
by Glen Weldon
May 5, 2010

Brad Meltzer in town this week

The comic book writer is signing his new book, Heroes for My Son. I'll be going to the Bailey's Crossroad's one.

Bethesda, MD
Wednesday, May 12 — 7:00 pm
Barnes & Noble
4801 Bethesda Avenue

Fairfax, VA
Thursday, May 13 — 7:30 pm
Borders – Bailey’s Crossing
5871 Crossroads Center Way

Prickly City is too prickly says letter

Another letter to the editor - Prickly City' is too political for the comics pages, Jonathan Bosch, Washington Post Saturday, May 8, 2010.

Senator Franken uses Toles' cartoon as visual aid

Franken uses a cartoon to explain complex financial dynamic. by Christina Wilkie, The Hill's The Washington Scene blog May 7, 2010.

And she gave this Youtube link to a film of his presentation as well.

Comics Riffs announces new cartoon project on Monday

Michael Cavna's got a tease for the Post project on his blog now.

Support the National Zoo by commissioning a comic book

Ryan Estrada will draw a custom comic book about your pet if you win this bid to raise money for the National Zoo. Bidding starts at $500, there are no bids yet, and the projected value is $1500. Think of how good you'll feel when you present your parakeet with the story of its life in comic form and bid early and often.

Actually, I was tempted but wiser heads (ie the wife) stepped in.

DCist reviews Iron Man 2

I didn't know DCist ran movie reviews, but here's Ian Buckwalter on Iron Man 2.

Cavna on Comedy Central Jesus cartoon

Comedy Central considers giving Jesus his own show [online title: Comedy Central considering cartoon series about Jesus], By Michael Cavna, Washington Post Staff Writer, Friday, May 7, 2010; C05.

Post on Iron Man 2

The Post, in its continuing efforts to confuse its readers, has run 2 reviews of Iron Man 2, by the same reviewer, but with different content:


'Man' of the hour [online title: Ann Hornaday on 'Iron Man 2' and 'Casino Jack and the United States of Money'], By Ann Hornaday, Washington Post Staff Writer, Friday, May 7, 2010; C01 should be the premier article, but a review of a totally unrelated type of movie is interwoven.

Movie review: 'Iron Man 2' loses its magnetism, By Ann Hornaday, Washington Post Staff Writer, Friday, May 7, 2010; WE37 should be the minor article, but is the one that actually makes more sense.

May 22: Windup Comic Fest in Baltimore

Windup Comic Fest, Spring 2010
Saturday, May 22
2pm - 7pm

The Windup Space
12 West North Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21201-5904

More details here.

Richmond's Adhouse Books in Toronto

Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2010: Chris Pitzer, by Mark Medley, May 06, 2010.

Examiner on Iron Man 2

'Iron Man 2' doesn't quite live up to its first installment

Sally Kline

Washington Examiner May 7, 2010

 

Weldon on Wilson

The Life And Trials Of A Full-Tilt Cartoon Misanthrope
by Glen Weldon
National Public Radio's Books We Like (April 30 2010)

DC Comic-Con Wrap-Up

So between Free Comic Book Day on Saturday (and a good handful of creator appearances locally to boot), the inaugural DC Comic-Con on Sunday, and Daniel Clowes appearing at Politics and Prose on Monday, it was a busy couple of days for those of us in town to experience the comic book love. I decided to give it a couple of days before I posted anything about the show to let both life settle down and to give my mind a chance to settle in on what I thought about the DC Comic-Con as an attendee. For those of you who don't know (and this is Randy posting, not Mike!), I am part of the Baltimore Comic-Con Executive Staff, and work with Marc Nathan throughout the year to maintain website content, write up PR, coordinate press passes, and a passel of other miscellaneous items that arise and time permits.

That said, I found out about the show when I read on Convention Scene that they had sold out vendor space -- Marc hadn't bothered to mention that they were throwing a little Comic-Con in my back yard! I did ultimately help write the 2 quick PRs that went out, but that was the extent of my involvement in the show. I paid my $5 like everyone else (who wasn't a veteran or GMU student/faculty member).

So all that said, I think that everyone's experience probably came down to expectations, as it does with most things in life. Understanding that it was on GMU's campus, the small number of professional guests, and that it was the first show, I was expecting something very much akin to what the first Baltimore Comic-Con was 11 years ago, and I was not disappointed. The room was on the smallish side, the aisles could be a little cramped, and there were a good handful of dealers, but among them were largely the usual cast of characters for local shows (with one or two exceptions). Dealers had everything from golden age to modern age, statues and toys to original artwork, but you had to look around to find it -- just like at any other show.

The guests were distributed throughout the show -- the headliners, Herb Trimpe, Frank Cho, and JG Jones, had individual table space at the very front of the room on a raised stage and attendees waited in line to go up and talk to them, get signatures, or get sketches. The Hero Initiative guests were on the floor but right in front of the stage, and Jo Chen and John K. Snyder III looked to be busy all show long (Jo had a line before she finished setting up and was selling merch left and right!). Steve Conley was next to Jo, also facing the stage, and the Luna and Fillbach brother teams were set up right inside the doorway to the room at the Laughing Ogre Comics table. Both sets of brothers ended up busily sketching and signing the rest of the day, and Laughing Ogre sold all of the inventory they brought to the show within minutes, thanks to a bulk purchase, so I think the show ended up working out pretty well for them!

Parking was free. Let me say that again: parking was free. I think most shows in metropolitan areas with guests and dealers like were at this one usually have only pay-parking, and depending on what else is going on in proximity to the event, that fee can be hefty. I know that when the O's or Ravens are in town for a game during the Baltimore Comic-Con weekend, I'll be shelling out more than I'd prefer for the privilege. All that said, it was a pretty long walk from the parking lot with no significant signage on a 90-something degree day to get from where I left the car to where the show was. I followed the slow stream of what I assumed to be other attendees, and eventually figured out where I needed to be, as I assume most other people did as well.

People were enjoying themselves. They were happy to see the guests, they were happy to see the dealers, and they were happy to see other attendees too -- a handful in costumes, likely for the costume contest announced just before the weekend.

All in all, I felt the event was a success, and I believe the attendees and dealers did too, as did the organizers. I think there are some lessons learned from the experience, and I'm hoping Marc and Brett will apply them to what I'm sure will be a recurring and evolving comic event in the DC area.

May 7: Beyond Comics Iron Man Tickets special

B E Y O N D      C O M I C S Iron Man 2 Tickets $9.00 Only From Beyond Comics (While They Last) Regular Price $11.00 Show Times Germantown 10:30pm Theater #7 Frederick 10:00pm Theater #9 These showings only: Win Free Stuff: posters, comics, gift cards and more. INFO Now on Facebook Website eBay Store New Items Added 1/5/10 Amazon Store Follow us on Twitter Newsletter Signup 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: Gaithersburg 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 Frederick, MD (301) 668-8202 Hours: M,Tu 10-8; W-Sat 10-9; Sun 12-6

Another USO cartoonist tour passed through Walter Reed

...and I missed it. Alan Gardner caught the story.

Comics artists sought in Kensington

Nevin Martell kicks over this Craigslist ad - Looking for an artist for comic (Kensington, MD) - I know nothing else about it.

June 1: Swann Fellow lecture on Early Turkish Cartoons

Library of Congress
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington DC   20540

May 5, 2010
Public contact:  Martha Kennedy (202) 707-9115, mkenn@loc.gov

Cartoons of Early Turkish Republic
To Be Topic of Swann Fellow's Lecture on June 1

Swann Foundation Fellow Yasemin Gencer will explore the visual and textual rhetoric of cartoons from the early years of the Turkish Republic in a lecture June 1 at the Library of Congress.

Gencer will present "Cartooning Progress: Secularism and Nationalism in the Early Turkish Republic (1922-28)" at noon on Tuesday, June 1, in Dining Room A on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.  The event is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are needed.

In her illustrated talk, Gencer will discuss how cartoons had the power to create, shape and project a new Turkish national identity based on European models.  She will look at cartoons that highlight reforms initiated during the early years of the Turkish Republic.  In one cartoon, for example, an automobile made of Latin letters speeds past a camel composed of Arabic letters, demonstrating how the cartoonist combines text with visual metaphor to underscore the benefits of changing the official alphabet.  Such cartoons from 1922-28 illustrate many reforms aimed at secularizing the nation.

The Turkish Republic of today was established in 1922, following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the wake of World War I.  Under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal (1881-1938), known as Kemal Atatürk, the new republic put forth a reform program intended to distance the state socially and politically from its Ottoman and Islamic past, while simultaneously drawing itself closer to the secular and more technologically developed nations in the West.

As the first president of the Turkish Republic, Kemal is credited with modernizing his nation's legal and educational systems and encouraging the adoption of aspects of European daily life.  The transition from Turkish written in Arabic to Turkish written in the Latin alphabet can be seen as part of the modernization that unfolded during this period.

In her lecture, Gencer will draw on the materials that she has studied in the collections of the African and Middle Eastern Division and the Prints and Photographs Division.

Gencer completed a master's degree in 2008, with a focus on Turkish studies, in the Department of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University.  Currently a doctoral student in the Department of the History of Art at Indiana University, she is studying Islamic arts with a specialization in Ottoman and Turkish Republican print culture.  Her dissertation focuses on cartoon arts and satirical journals of the early Turkish Republican period.

The lecture, sponsored by the Swann Foundation, the Prints and Photographs Division and the African and Middle Eastern Division, is part of the foundation's continuing activities to support the study, interpretation, preservation and appreciation of original works of humorous and satiric art by graphic artists from around the world.

The Swann Foundation's advisory board is comprised of scholars, collectors, cartoonists and Library of Congress staff members.  The foundation strives to award fellowships annually to assist scholarly research and writing projects in the field of caricature and cartoon.  Applications for the 2011-2012 academic year are due Feb. 15, 2011.  More information about the fellowship is available through the Swann Foundation's website www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/swannhome or by e-mailing swann@loc.gov.

# # #

PR10-103
5/5/10
ISSN: 0731-3527

 

If you would rather not receive future communications from Library of Congress, let us know by clicking here.
Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave SE, Washington, DC 20540-1610 United States

Truitt on Jonah Hex motion comic

Jonah Hex kicks up some multimedia dust 
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY

Shawn Martinbrough profiled

He used to be in the area as I'd run into him at Jim Kirkwood's store on Columbia Pike in Arlington.

Drawing Noir with Shawn Martinbrough
by Alex Dueben
Mon, May 3rd, 2010

Washington Blade returns while Times fades

The Washington Blade, the gay paper, returned to the stands last week after a several months absence. The paper's name and assets were bought by its former staffers who had been publishing as the DC Agenda. None of the political cartoons or comic strips the Blade had previously published have returned as of the first issue.

Meanwhile, the Washington Times has confirmed that it is for sale. The Times dropped all of its comics months ago.

Dan Clowes at Politics and Prose pictures

I forgot my notes for this at work today - perhaps tomorrow I can put up some of the highlights. In the meantime, here are my pictures. I'd especially like to note that Daniel stayed from 7 - 10:40 pm - he made sure everyone on line got a sketch in a book.

And apparently everyone in DC interviewed him too - I like my interview best of course, but here's another -

DCist Interview: Daniel Clowes
Written by DCist Contributor Allen Brooks
April 30 2010

and another by the Post freelancer who did an excellent job interviewing him at P&P -

Panel Discussion: Daniel Clowes covers cartoon history in one graphic novel, By Dan Kois, published May 2, 2010.

There was a somewhat atypical crowd this time - I saw Martha Kennedy of the Library of Congress' cartoon collection, Larry Rodman the former Comics Journal reporter, Michael Wenthe an American University professor, Hank Stuever the Washington Post's Style reporter, Randy Tischler this blog's co-writer and publicity man for the Baltimore Comic-Con, book collector and Herblock specialist Warren Bernard and a cartoonist for the Times of India whom I didn't get to meet.

Baltimore's Jose Villarubia featured on Canadian site

Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2010: Jose Villarrubia, Posted: May 02, 2010, 4:00 AM by Mark Medley.

May 4: Richard Kelly at American Art (repost)

I've seen his collection - it's great. It's not exactly cartoonists, but there are people who went both ways in it like AB Frost.

Collectors Roundtable
7:00 PM

McEvoy Auditorium, Lower Level
American Art Museum

This annual series provides insight and invaluable advice on collecting art from museum directors, curators, collectors, and art dealers and consultants. Free and open to the public; no advance registration required. All lectures begin at 7 p.m.; doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Collecting for the Long Haul
Tuesday, May 4, 7:00 p.m.
Richard Kelly, The Kelly Collection of American Illustration

Express website also interviewed Clowes

Stick Figure: Daniel Clowes, 'Wilson', by Express contributor Stephen M. Deusner, May 3, 2010. Online only - I heard about it at the signing.

Clowes was a really interesting interview and a nice guy - if you're later on the book tour, go see this. If you missed him in DC, call Politics and Prose and order the recording of the talk.

Pictures coming soon.

Barbarian Comics profiled in today's Post

This is a job for Superman, and Batman, and the Hulk, and . . ., By Thomas Heath,Washington Post Monday, May 3, 2010; A11.

As Friend of ComicsDC Robert Montgomery noted when tipping me to this article, "The reporter breathlessly mentions that one of the owners has a "30 year old Batman." Probably worth $0.50-$1.00. Or less."

Indeed. Parents, don't let your kids grow up to be comic store owners.

Truitt on Iron Man

How Iron Man got his groove back and new armor By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY.

Clowes interview up at City Paper - he's at Politics and Prose tonight

“Likable Characters Are for Weak-Minded Narcissists”: A Chat with Daniel Clowes
Monday, May 3rd, 2010 is short email interview that he did with me - he's very funny. Go read it now, and then see him tonight at Politics and Prose at 7 pm.

Here's the PR from his publisher:

Dan Clowes On Tour! WILSON in stores!

All of our North American distributors have shipped the most anticipated book of the year to stores -- WILSON by Daniel Clowes, the cartoonist of David Boring, Ghost World and Ice Haven and the legendary Eightball comic book series. Today, WILSON is available everywhere in North America, at a finer store near you. In the next year, foreign language editions will also come out in the UK, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Netherlands and Denmark.

Dan Clowes embarks on his tour next week in support of his first ever original graphic novel. In each city, Dan will be talking with a special guest moderator complete with slide show. (and it's a great slide show) And in Boston you get to see Ghost World after the event, with an introduction by Dan himself.

05/03/10 | 7 PM Washington DC POLITICS & PROSE With Dan Kois
05/04/10 | 6 PM Cambridge BRATTLE THEATER & HARVARD BOOKSTORE With Hillary Chute
05/05/10 | 7 PM NYC THE STRAND With David Hajdu
05/07/10 | 7 PM Toronto TCAF & TPL With Mark Medley
05/08/10-05/09/10 Toronto TCAF & TPL
05/13/10 | 7:30 PM San Francisco THE BOOKSMITH With Glen David Gold
05/14/10 | 7:30 PM Los Angeles SKYLIGHT BOOKS With Dana Gould
05/16/10 | 7:30 PM Portland POWELLS With Greg Netzer, Director of Wordstock
06/03/10 | 7 PM Oakland DIESEL With Eli Horowitz
06/12/10 | 7 PM Chicago QUIMBY'S (signing only)
06/13/10 | TBA Chicago PRINTERS ROW With Ray Pride

ABOUT WILSON: Meet Wilson, an opinionated middle-aged loner who loves his dog and quite possibly no one else. In an ongoing quest to find human connection, he badgers friend and stranger alike into a series of one-sided conversations, punctuating his own lofty discursions with a brutally honest, self-negating sense of humor. After his father dies, Wilson, now irrevocably alone, sets out to find his ex-wife with the hope of rekindling their long-dead relationship, and discovers he has a teenage daughter, born after the marriage ended and given up for adoption. Wilson eventually forces all three to reconnect as a family - a doomed mission that will surely, inevitably backfire.

Full Color, 80 pages, 8 1/4 by 11 1/2 inches ISBN: 9781770460072 $21.95 US / $22.95 CDN
For more information visit www.drawnandquarterly.com/blog

Ann Telnaes and other editorial cartoonists condemn threats against South Park

17 Pulitzer Prize Winners have signed this petition.

For what it's worth, I agree with them completely (not that anyone cares what a blogger thinks).

Comics on the Rack, Quick Picks for Comics Due 05-05-10

COMICS ON THE RACK

Quick Picks for Comics Due 05-05-10

(Or as they say in Arizona "Cinco de Mayo!)

by John Judy

 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #630 by Zeb Wells and Chris Bachalo.  Spidey must fight a cold-blooded reptile and it ain't Dick Cheney!  The Lizard is back!  Yowza!

 

ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN/WOLVERINE #1 by Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert.  The best Wolverine writer ever gets his hands on the web-slinger too!  Brace yourself for the MARVEL TEAM-UP from hell!  Recommended!

 

ASTRO CITY: THE DARK AGE BOOK FOUR #4 of 4 by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson.  This is it!  The final chapter of THE DARK AGE!  Years in the making, two covers and eight extra pages of Astro City WOW!  Recommended!

 

BATMAN AND ROBIN #12 by Grant Morrison and Andy Clarke.  Wrapping up the big Batman-Robin fight and revealing a lot of stuff you'd never guess about characters you'd never heard of until Morrison made them up.  It's bat-stuff crazy!

 

THE BEATS: A GRAPHIC HISTORY SC by Harvey Pekar and Various Collaborators.  This is a softcover edition of Pekar's graphic exploration of a literary movement that shaped his generation.  A mixed bag well worth digging into.

 

BRIGHTEST DAY #1 by Geoff Johns and a Lot of People.  You'd think after coming back from the dead everything else would be a cake-walk.  And you'd be wrong, as a whole bunch of DC heroes are about to learn.

 

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #35 by Brad Meltzer and Georges Jeanty.  Somehow they're really going to wrap this all up in this issue.  With an X-Men tribute cover no less!  Must read!

 

CAPTAIN AMERICA/BLACK PANTHER: FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS #2 by Reginald Hudlin and Denys Cowan.  A World War Two adventure starring a rookie Cap versus a seasoned Panther.  Oh, and the Nazis are in there too.  Recommended.

 

DONG XOAI VIETNAM 1965 written and illustrated by Joe Kubert.  A devastating true story from the days of the Vietnam War, told as only the great Joe Kubert can.  Highly recommended.

 

ELECTRIC ANT #2 of 5 by David Mack and Pascal Alixe.  Based on an original story by the legendary Philip K. Dick, this is already one of the most promising sci-fi comics in a long time.  Great art and a familiar Dick theme of figuring out how much we really know about ourselves and what it means to be human.  Highly recommended.

 

INCORRUPTIBLE, VOL. 1 SC by Mark Waid and Jean Diaz.  In which we meet Max Damage, the bad guy who gets more powerful the longer he's awake.  Except Max isn't bad anymore since the Plutonian went nuts.  Now he's "Incorruptible."  Highly recommended.

 

IRREDEEMABLE #13 by Mark Waid and Peter Krause.  The Paradigm are locked up, leaving the mad Plutonian completely in the hands of the one guy crazier than he is.  Recommended.

 

IZOMBIE #1 by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred.  The adventures of a grave-robbing, brain-eating girl detective.  Yes, you do have to look!  Not for kids.

 

PILOT SEASON: STEALTH #1 by Robert Kirkman and Marc Silvestri.  In the midst of a number of other difficulties a man takes in his aging father who's suffering from dementia.  Unfortunately dad was also the superhero Stealth.  Will Obamacare be able to handle this?  From the creator of WALKING DEAD and INVINCIBLE.

 

PRIDE, PREJUDICE & ZOMBIES GN by Jane Austen, Seth Grahame-Smith, Tony Lee and Cliff Richards.  The only thing that could make me read Jane Austen: Flesh-eating fiends from the depths of hell!!!  Recommended.

 

SECRET SIX #21 by Gail Simone and Jim Calafiore.  Catman's got his claws out like never before.  Definitely not for younger kids.  Recommended.

 

SPIDER-MAN: FEVER #2 of 3 written and drawn by Brendan McCarthy.  Doctor Strange must rescue Spidey's soul from demons in a book that looks like it was painted with melted Good-n-Fruitys!  Gotta look!

 

STEPHEN KING'S N #3 of 4 by Marc Guggenheim and Alex Maleev.  Adapting a Stephen King horror story about a shrink who catches his patient's demon-induced OCD.  You must read this comic ten times before you can put it down safely, in mylar, in a comic box facing north-south.  Seriously.

 

SUPERMAN: WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #1 of 4 by James Robinson, Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle.  Brainiac is now an afterthought as Supes and Zod tear into each other while 100,000 Kryptonians wait in the wings.

 

ULTIMATE COMICS: NEW ULTIMATES #2 by Jeph Loeb and Frank Cho.  This comic was drawn by Frank Cho.

 

UNCANNY X-MEN #524 by Matt Fraction and Terry Dodson.  Last issue "a beloved X-Man died defending Hope."  Okay, I'm not gonna give it away, but come on.  "Beloved?"  Really?  Some of these X-threads are better than others.

 

VERONICA #200 written and drawn by Dan Parent.  A milestone issue starring Riverdale's poor little rich girl, Veronica Lodge!  This issue, Veronica gets a time machine!

 

And this week don't forget to ask for your WHITE LANTERN PROMO RINGS for enhancing your enjoyment of comics and bringing back the dead!

 

www.johnjudy.net

TODAY: Kal on Kojo on NPR, May 8th in Baltimore

Kal sends in a note about 2 events he'll be doing this week:

On Monday May 3 I will be a guest Washington's NPR showcase station , WAMU (www.wamu.org,  88.5 FM), on the Kojo Nnamdi show. I will be on the 1-2PM slot as part of a discussion on Satire and Culture.

I will be the guest speaker at the annual benefit fundraiser for "At Jacob's Well" (http://atjacobswell.org) a very worthy charity dedicated to aiding the homeless community in Baltimore.  Here are the details: 

When: Saturday, May 8, 2PM 

Where: Church of the Redeemer, 5603 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD

Details: $20. Admission includes Wine and Hors d'oeuvres. Silent auction to benefit the charity

If you cannot attend but want to help this very worthy group, please visit their website: http://atjacobswell.org/

Also,

Best 

Kal

Kevin Kallaugher

kaltoons@comcast.net

www.Kaltoons.com

The KAL iPhone App is now available at the iTunes store.

Book reviews up at City Paper

International Ink: Clowes, Kids, Crackers and Hellboy

Posted by Mike Rhode on Apr. 29, 2010 at 10:40 am

PR: DC Comic-Con Costume Contest

DC Comic-Con Costume Contest Washington, DC - April 28, 2010 - JUST ANNOUNCED!  Iron Man 2, hitting theatres on May 7, 2010, presents the Inaugural DC Comic-Con Costume Contest!   Come out to the Iron Man 2 table dressed as your favorite comic book character to enter-to-win Iron Man 2 prizes.  The person with the best costume will win reserve seats at the advance screening of the film in DC!  Best Costume will be picked from all entries at 3pm, so enter early!   For more information on Iron Man 2, go to www.ironmanmovie.com.   Directions The show will be held at the George Mason University campus at 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA  22030 in the Student Union Building II (SUB II).  Free Parking is available in Lot A (beside the Patriot Center), which is a short walk from SUB II.  A map of the campus can be found at http://parking.gmu.edu/pdf%20files/parkingmap09.pdf, and directions to the show can be found on the show website at http://dccomicon.com/?page_id=63.    About The DC Comic-Con The DC Comic-Con, launching in 2010 on Sunday, May 2nd from 10am-5pm, is a result of the cooperative work of Marc Nathan, sponsor of the Baltimore Comic-Con (http://www.baltimorecomiccon.com/) and Brett Carreras, sponsor of the VA Comicon (http://www.vacomicon.com/). For more information about guests, games, show exclusives, and contests, please visit http://dccomicon.com/.

May 3: Daniel Clowes at Politics and Prose

I'll have a brief review of the book up at the City Paper this week, and an amusing interview with him posted there on Monday morning.

Daniel Clowes - Wilson

Start: May 3, 2010 - 7:00pm
End: May 3, 2010 - 8:00pm
The latest graphic novel by Clowes, the author of David Boring and Ghost World is his first not to be serialized. A sequence of single-page vignettes, it’s drawn in different styles and dramatizes the life of a lonely, bitter man searching for human connection.

Weldon recommendations on Free Comic Book Day

Free Comic Book Day: A Checklist for the Comics Agnostic
by Glen Weldon
April 28, 2010

Post's Parker editorializes again on Danish Islam cartoon controversy

Freedom of sketch
By Kathleen Parker
Washington Post April 28, 2010; A21

Marc Singer on teaching American Born Chinese

Marc must be near to wrapping his course at Howard up - here he is on Gene Yang's award-winning book -

Week 12: Gene Luen Yang, American Born Chinese
April 26, 2010

BANG! The Universe Verse highlighted in Post

Without seeing the book "BANG! The Universe Verse: Book 1" (James Lu Dunbar), I'm not sure it's a comic, but...

Comic book uses verse to describe the beginning of the universe
-- Rachel Saslow
Washington Post April 27, 2010

National Archives' Civil War manga style

Comic book-style exhibit tells Civil War saga has pictures from the interactive computer display in the new National Archives' exhibit.

"Free Comic Book Day, and How It Helps You" up at Washington City Paper

Free Comic Book Day, and How It Helps You

Posted by Mike Rhode on Apr. 27, 2010

Comic Riffs on let's not "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day"

Post-'South Park': Cartoonist retreats from 'Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!' [UPDATED], By Michael Cavna, Washington Post's Comic Riffs blog April 26, 2010.

I'm a pretty irreligious guy, and dedicated to free speech, but even I feel this is all getting ridiculous. To use a loaded analogy, it's starting to remind me of the Islam conquest, and countering Crusades, where you 'convinced' the other side by brute force.

John Kelly on the post-cartoon Smokey the Bear

The biography of Smokey Bear: the cartoon came first
By John Kelly
Washington Post April 25, 2010; C03

Zadzooks reviews licensed comics

Comic book reviews: Terminator, Star Wars and Conan, Thursday, April 22, 2010 - Zadzooks - Worlds of Comics, Gaming and Action Figures by Joseph Szadkowski

Nate Beeler chosen for Cartoons for the Classroom

Nate Beeler's drawing of the Iceland volcano was chosen for the April 26th Cartoons for the Classroom educational feature. One can enter a caption contest as well.

Post on South Park censorship

I completely missed this until Cavna's Comic Riffs linked to it -

Comedy Central censors "South Park"
By Lisa de Moraes
Washington Post April 23, 2010

Day late - Iron Man 2 poster in USA Weekend

There's an Iron Man 2 poster by John Romita Jr in USA Weekend, which was distributed in yesterday's Examiner. There's a story on the movie by Brian Truitt as well.

Free Comic Book Day - cartoonists at Beyond Comics

From Beyond Comics website:

at the Frederick store

Micah Gunnell
Artist of Aspen Comics Dellec.

Like most artists, I've been drawing almost non-stop since I was young. I discovered comics at 14 and decided at that point that was what I wanted to do as a career. After attending community college for a bit and taking a few art courses, I decided to go to the Joe Kubert School. I only attended the first year because I didn't want to take out any more loans and also because people kept telling me I was ready for pro work. The summer following my year at Kubert's I was selected as one of the ten finalists competing in ComicBookResources.com's "Comic Book Idol" contest, and from there was noticed by Aspen Comics, where I have been working for the past 3 years on titles like 'Soulfire: Dying of the Light','Shrugged', and also doing many short stories for NBC's Heroes.


Danielle Corsetto
Artist/Writer of internet sensation Girls With Slingshots.

Danielle has been making comic strips since she was 8 and hasn't stopped. Her comics have been featured on the web - thus making them, you got it, WEBCOMICS - since 2000. She's a fully self-employed cartoonist working on several projects including the comic strip "Bat Boy" for The Weekly World News. She lives in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, loves traveling, and drinks just about anything fruity + vodka. She misses painting and photography, a lot.


Michael Imboden
Writer/Creator of Maryland's own Fist of Justice.

Mike is the co-creator and writer of Digital Webbing's "Fist of Justice". In addition to 'Fist of Justice', Mike has written stories that appeared in DW's anthology book, "Digital Webbing Presents". It was one of these stories that lead him to L. Jamal, Inc. and "Warmageddon" where he helped to create and write some of the more popular characters that live in the world of "Warmageddon". Mike also created "Dr. Brainchild", a villain that appeared in the second issue of "The Living Corpse", which Mike guest-wrote. Mike is currently concentrating on FoJ, but has a few other irons in the fire including a return to "The Living Corpse" with a sequel to the Dr. Brainchild story. There's also more Warmageddon work coming, including a weekly strip so top secret that we can't tell you it involves "Izzy & Gunnar, Monster Hunters". Mike once wrestled a bear, winning by DQ when the bear used a foreign object to gain the advantage.


Rafer Roberts
Artist/Writer of self published Plastic farms.

is the creator of the comic series Plastic Farm. Plastic Farm was originally a self-published series, first appearing as oversized mini-comics in 2001 and then in traditional comic book form in 2003.


Terry Flippo
Artist/Writer of self published Big Headz comics and drawings.

Terry Flippo has been drawing his own comic books for over 6 years. From Axel and Alex to his current work with the Big Headz, his style has made him a fan favorite to comic book readers of all ages. Featuring two Big Headz collections to date.

at the Gaithersburg store:

Monica Ghallagher
Artist/Writer of Lipstick & Malice.

Monica Gallagher is a graphic designer during the daylight hours and a comicker at night. While an animation major in college, Monica first tiptoed onto the comics scene with her webcomic Gods & Undergrads, following the awkward adventures of a girl transitioning into college life while simultaneously discovering her connection to Greek gods. Once her eyes had been opened to the online comics scene, Monica couldn't help herself and continued to produce more work.

A short stint in amateur modeling led Monica to create both an autobiographical story dealing with her struggles with self-esteem (titled Boobage) and a fictional series dealing with a professional model who works part-time as an assassin (titled Lipstick & Malice). Luckily, Monica emerged from modeling with both her boobs and her criminal record intact. She then discovered something else to become obsessed with and inspired by -- Roller Derby. Bonnie N. Collide, Nine to Five is the result of her inspiration -- a weekly webcomic that combines the superhero side of being a rollergirl with the Clark Kent side of working a day job. Monica was just drafted by the Junkyard Dolls, one of the four teams of lovely ladies of the Charm City Roller Girls, and she is getting ready for her first bout in 2010.

Monica continues to create short stories, contribute to anthologies, and tackle illustration work from her home in Baltimore, where she lives with her boyfriend and their dueling cats. Check out her art and news pages for the latest dirt - you never know where she'll pop up next!


Matt Dembicki
Artist/Writer of the award-winning nature parable Mr. Big.

His work has appeared in numerous comics anthologies, including Bash Magazine, and the recently released Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection. He’s currently working on his new project, an ecological tale about a great white shark called Xoc.


Andrew Cohen
Artist/Writer Howzit Funnies.

Andrew Cohen is a Washington, D.C. creator. His current projects include Howzit Funnies and Law Monger. He is a contributor to Trickster.

Comics on the Rack, Quick Picks for Comics Due 04-28-10

COMICS ON THE RACK

Quick Picks for Comics Due 04-28-10

By John Judy

 

(Note: Don't forget to celebrate Free Comic Book Day 2010 at your local shop this Saturday, May 1^st!  Excelsior!)

 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #629 by Roger Stern and Lee Weeks.  Captain Universe, Juggernaut and Spidey!  All fightin'!

 

BLAZING COMBAT SC by Archie Goodwin and Other Legends of the Medium.  Collecting all four issues of the war comic so good it got banished from the PXs in 1965.  Finally in paperback!  Highly recommended.

 

CAPTAIN AMERICA #605 by Ed Brubaker and Like Ross.  Bucky America versus Teabagger Cap!  The final round!

 

FALL OF THE HULKS: RED HULK #4 of 4 by Jeff Parker and Carlos Rodriguez.  I'd tell you we learn who the Red Hulk is but I hate to lie.

 

FANTASTIC FOUR #578 by Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham.    Annihilus and the Cult of the Negative Zone!  No, it's not a band!

 

FLASH: REBIRTH HC by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver.  Collecting the true return of Barry Allen!  Recommended.

 

GARRISON #1 of 6 by Jeff Marriotte and Francesco Francavilla.  In the future everyone is on the grid, except Garrison.  And that makes him dangerous.  The adventures of the last guy on Earth without a Facebook page.

 

INCORRUPTIBLE #5 by Mark Waid and Jean Diaz.  The origin of Jailbait!  It ain't what you think!  Recommended!

 

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #25 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca.  Double sized with new armor, oh, and did we mention a certain MOVIE coming out next week?!?  Yes!

 

JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE OF ARSENAL #2 of 4 by J.T. Krul and Geraldo Borges.  Cheshire, the villainess who keeps having babies with super-types and then watching them die at the hands of other super-types, is back in Arsenal's life.  And you thought your crazy ex was bad…

 

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #38 by Bill Willingham and Jesus Merino.  JSA's fightin' the Nazis!  Never gets old!

 

KEVIN SMITH'S GREEN HORNET #3 by Smith and Jonathan Lau.  The real reason for all the volcanoes and earthquakes?  A Kevin Smith book coming out on schedule.  Total sign of The End.

 

MARVEL ZOMBIES 5 #2 of 5 by Fred Van Lente and Kano.  Okay, Van Lente's making it work.  Lotsa universe hoping and brain eating.  It's a ride.

 

MIGHTY AVENGERS #36 by Dan Slott and Khoi Pham.  The comic that dares to ask the question "What would Janet Van Dyne do?"  Recommended.

 

NEIL GAIMAN INSTRUCTIONS HC by Neil and Charles Vess.  How to get along if you find yourself in a fairytale world, as told in illustrated verse by Mssrs. Gaiman and Vess.  Highly recommended.

 

NEW AVENGERS #64 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike McKone.  Asgard?  Still under siege. Sentry?  Still nuts.  Mockingbird?  Still dead?  Again?  Gotta look.

 

NORTHLANDERS #27 by Brian Wood and Leandro Fernandez.  How far will Hilda go to keep her daughter alive as her Viking village starts eating its own tail?

 

PREVIEWS by Diamond and Marvel Comics.  Someday it will be interwebs-only but not today.

 

SCALPED #37 by Jason Aaron and Davide Furno.  Okay, few things could top last issue's shocking revelation about Red Crow's royal executioner Shunka, but if anyone can do it it's Jason Aaron.  If you're not reading this book you're insane.  Highly recommended.

 

STUMPTOWN #3 by Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth.  Noir set in the City of Roses, Portland Oregon.  Real purty art and writings.  Recommended.

 

SUPERMAN #699 by James Robinson and Bernard Chang.  Brainiac is due for his latest super ass-kicking!

 

SUPERMAN: LAST STAND ON NEW KRYPTON #3 of 3 by James Robinson, Sterling Gates and Pete Woods. Brainiac is due for his latest super ass-kicking!

 

THOR #609 Kieron Gillen and Billy Tan.  Thor fights his evil cyborg-clone double.  Well, somebody has to!

 

THUNDERBOLTS #143 by Jeff Parker and Miguel Angel Sepulveda.  The kids get smacked around real good by the Avengers.

 

ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS 2 #1 by Mark Millar and Leinil Francis Yu.  Ultimate Punisher joins the team.  Because the book was too wussy before.

 

VICTORIAN UNDEAD #6 of 6 by Ian Edginton and Davide Fabri.  At last, Sherlock Holmes and zombie Moriarty throw down!  See who has the most "braaaaiiiiinnnnsss!"

 

WALKING DEAD #61 by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard.  The zombie-free, traffic-free DC suburbs are way too good to be true.  Highly recommended.  Not for kids.

 

WONDER WOMAN #43 by Gail Simone and Nicola Scott.  Boy, after all the planetary invasions Diana has turned back you'd think word would get around.  Oh well.  Big fight!

 

www.johnjudy.net

My Life with Charlie Brown review

My friend Tom's new book is reviewed

Book review: "My Life with Charlie Brown," by Charles Schulz

By James Rosen
Washington Post Sunday, April 25, 2010; B07

MY LIFE WITH CHARLIE BROWN
By Charles M. Schulz
Edited by M. Thomas Inge
Univ. of Mississippi. 193 pp. $25

PR: Fantom's Free Comic Book Day

I'm not familiar with Jeff Howe, and haven't mentioned him here yet, so if anyone could pick up a comic of his comic for me, it would be appreciated.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY REMINDER Just a note before we get into the April Previews that Free Comic Book Day is next Saturday! Both Fantom Comics stores will be carrying the full run of free comics, but our flagship FCBD store will be at our Pentagon City Mall location. Please check our website for more details, which will be forthcoming over the next few days. But here's a brief summary of what's going on:   -Free comics! -Tons of $1 comics (almost literally true) -Local creator Jeff Howe signing and giving away the first issue of his to-be-released comic: Polis -Around a dozen Star Wars characters courtesy of the 501st Legion and the Rebel Legion (with a photo op mid-day) -Prize wheel running at least once an hour, from 11-8 -2 classes on making your own comic book (including actually making one on the spot) by Marvel editor and sequential art guru Mike O'Sullivan   See you there! Pentagon City Mall - 1100 South Hayes Street | Arlington, VA 22202 | 703-415-2094 Union Station - 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE | Washington, DC 20002 | 202-216-9478 www.fantomcomics.com

Dave the Wank's O'Shell strip

Dave (who presumably has a name other than 'the Wank') has written in to highlight his comic blog where he post strips bi-weekly. He wrote, "I am a comic artist living in DC. ...A short story comic of mine will appear in Grimalkin 4 this summer." Dave particularly highlighted the beginnings of a memoir - 'O'Shell'