Comics on the Rack, Quick Picks for Comics Due 05-19-10

COMICS ON THE RACK

Quick Picks for Comics Due 05-19-10

By John Judy

 

AGE OF HEROES #1 of 4 by Kurt Busiek, Dan Slott, Leonard Kirk and Many More!  A mixed bag of hero tales set in the post-Osborn era.  Strong creative teams and a new status quo require a look from the discerning fan-person.

 

AMERICAN VAMPIRE #3 by Scott Snyder, Stephen King and Rafael Albuquerque.  The Yankee vamps start staking out their territory among the euro-trash bloodsuckers!  Great fun! Recommended!

 

ATLAS #1 by Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman.  The time-tossed heroes of the 1950s are back in the saddle looking to find out what's up with the 3-D Man!  Is he also in IMAX?  Gotta look!

 

ATOMIC KNIGHTS HC by John Broome and Murphy Anderson.  Collecting a bunch of Silver-Age madness from the old STRANGE ADVENTURES series about a bunch of armored guys who protect folks after the apocalypse.  Cool.  And timely.

 

AVENGERS #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr.  There's yet another team of Avengers on the scene so of course Kang the Conqueror's gotta roll in.  Contains Wolverine.

 

BRIGHTEST DAY #2 by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis and Many Others.  Quite a few folks, good and bad, are back from the dead.  Some other folks, good and bad, aren't happy about it.  Mysterious stuff.  Gotta look.

 

CAPTAIN EASY, VOL. 1: SOLDIER OF FORTUNE HC written and drawn by Roy Crane.  Beginning as a character in the daily strip "Wash Tubbs" Captain Easy became America's first adventure comic strip, influencing all those to come.  This volume from Fantagraphics collects the complete Sunday newspaper strips from 1933-1935.

 

DC UNIVERSE: LEGACIES #1 of 10 by Len Wein, Joe and Andy Kubert and J.G. Jones.  A veteran scribe and artists take us through the current history of the DCU, starting with the dawn of the Mystery Men of World War II.

 

EX MACHINA #49 by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris.  It's the next to last issue of the series as it all comes down to Mayor Mitchell Hundred, the Great Machine, to save the world.  Of course he's gotta do it the hard way.  Highly recommended.

 

EXECUTOR HC by Jon Evans and Andrea Mutti.  A guy who hasn't seen his high school sweetheart in years is named her executor after her mysterious death.  Cue ominous music.  Recommended.

 

GALACTA: DAUGHTER OF GALACTUS #1 by Adam Warren and Hector Sevilla Lujan.  For the absolute hardest of hardcore, soap-abstaining, never been kissed Marvel Zombies there's this.

 

GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS #6 of 9 by Ennis and Carlos Ezquerra.  As we learned last issue, war becomes much less fun when you start accidentally greasing civilians. The conclusion of "The Firefly and His Majesty."  Recommended.

 

GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS, VOL. 4: HAPPY VALLEY SC by Ennis and PJ Holden.  Believe it or not, incinerating an industrial area in WWII Germany actually involves certain moral problems.  There's people living there, you see.  Highly recommended.

 

GIRL COMICS #2 of 3 by Many Creators with Double X Chromosomes.  An anthology of female creators working on female Marvel superheroes. Neat stuff.

 

HELLBLAZER #267 by Peter Milligan and Giuseppe Camuncoli.  The world seems to have turned against John Constantine.  In other news, the sun came up in the east.

 

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #26 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca. Hey, this would make a good movie!  Someone tell Marvel!

 

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #45 by James Robinson and Mark Bagley.  Supergirl and Power Girl duke it out.  "Hawt!"

 

LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #1 by Paul Levitz and Yildiray Cinar.  The legendary Legion scribe returns to the fold, giving the 31^st century's greatest heroes another shot at glory.  This one involves a certain green ring that does stuff.

 

ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS #1 by Various Quite Talented Creators.  Origin stories of your favorite characters re-told by your favorite creators.  Great stuff for new readers.  Recommended.

 

RESCUE #1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Andrea Mutti.  Pepper Potts is NOT Iron Maiden.  She's Rescue.  Coulda been worse.  She coulda been Iron Supplement.

 

SCALPED #1 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guerra.  If you want to turn on a newbie or a filthy unbeliever to the adventures of Dash Bad Horse, the baddest numchuk-wielding, undercover junkie ever to boomerang back to The Rez, this is your chance to do it for the low price of one measly buck.  Do it!  Highly recommended.

 

SCALPED, VOL. 6: THE GNAWING SC by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guerra.  Collecting issues #30-34, this story-arc features a huge amount of murder and mayhem even by SCALPED standards.  Red Crow mixes it up with the Hmong gangsters and Dash goes on a rampage of his own.  It's beautiful, raw and absolutely not for kids.  Highly recommended.

 

THE SPIRIT #2 by Mark Schultz and Moritat with a back-up story by Harlan Ellison and Kyle Baker.  Yeah, I'm getting it for the back-up too.  No choice.

 

ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS 2 #2 by Mark Millar and Leinil Yu.  So we've seen a gray Hulk, a green Hulk, a red Hulk and even a blue Hulk.  Now, thanks to Millar we are finally seeing a black Hulk!  When he calms down he turns into Michael Jackson.  (Too soon?)

 

WALKING DEAD #72 by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard. Michone attends her first DC area cocktail party.  With her sword…  Recommended, not for kids.

 

WALLY GROPIUS HC written and drawn by Tim Hensley.  Imagine an adult Richie Rich who has to marry a sad girl or lose all his money.  Yes, it's the plot to the movie "Arthur" but that was a long time ago so let's have at it!

 

WEATHERCRAFT HC written and drawn by Jim Woodring.  This is the first full-length graphic novel from Woodring.   It stars Manhog, a supporting character from his earlier FRANK comics, on a hero's journey to enlightenment and redemption.  So that's nice.

 

X-FACTOR #205 by Peter David and Valentine DeLandro.  Strong Guy has to fight Baron Mordo.  My hand to god, it's true…

 

X-MEN LEGACY #236 by Mike Carey and Greg Land.  An impenetrable dome makes San Francisco a prison, especially if your mortgage is underwater!  Somebody call Bart and Homer!

 

ZATANNA #1 by Paul Dini and Stephane Roux.  The DCU's most famous femme fatale in fishnets gets her own title!  Magic galore!  "Ehs sklat sdrawkcab!  Kool attog!"

 

www.johnjudy.net

Brad Meltzer pictures

Brad Meltzer and the infamous Buffy #34 sex issue.

I got a few shots of Brad Meltzer's booksigning a few days ago. He's a darn amusing speaker and you can hear most of what he said at this signing on his appearance earlier that day at Elliot in the Morning.

Letters to Post on 'political' comic strips

What's wrong with drawing on politics?
Washington Post Saturday, May 15, 2010; A13

Emily Flake cover contest over at City Paper

Jon's wondering what Emily Flake's City Paper cover girl is listening to. Tell him and you get to choose from his office's cultural detritus.

May 16: Kids World Cinema - animation at the Goethe

Kids World Cinema: Films from Germany, Latvia and the UK
Sunday, May 16, 2-4 pm

Three children's films - The Magic Flute (Die kleine Zauberflöte), Bear Is Coming! (Karu Tuleb! Lacis Nak!), and Lost and Found - are followed by craft activities. Ages 6+. RSVP here.

The Magic Flute (Die kleine Zauberflöte)
Germany, 1997, DVD, 63 min., German with English subtitles, Director: Curt Linda
Over a period of four years, Curt Linda, champion of animated film, and his young team created a hand-drawn little treat of carefully created pictures animated onto imaginative backdrops.

Bear Is Coming! (Karu Tuleb! Lacis Nak!)
Latvia, 2008, DVD, 16 min., no dialogue, Director: Jānis Cimermanis
A brilliant short from festival favorite: a Latvian bear suddenly appears on a neighboring Estonian island and three young friends must get him back before he is captured by the hunter.

Lost And Found
UK, 2008, DVD, 24 min., English, Director: Philip Hunt
One person is lost, one person is found; which one is which? A beautiful animation narrated
by Jim Broadbent and inspired by the book by Oliver Jeffers.

Aug 14: Society of American Archivists on curating cartoons

Unfortunately you have to register for the whole Society of American Archivists conference and not individual sessions.

SESSION 508 - Perspectives on Cartoons: Art, Archival Objects, Assets
Aug 14, 2010
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Instructors/Speakers
Andrew Farago (Chair)
Curator/Gallery Manager
Cartoon Art Museum

Susan Kline
Assistant Librarian/Cartoonist Archivist
Syracuse University

Jon Michaud
The New Yorker

Description
Cartoons have been used to entertain, persuade, and provide political and social commentary. In the past decade, interest in cartoons has grown. Scholars have begun to use them to gain insight into American culture and this visual genre itself is the subject of inquiry. Each speaker offers a perspective on working with the visual form of cartoons that is unique to their institution, taking into account who their users are.

Ann Telnaes and other Pulitzer Prize winners on South Park updated

Steve Breen and Pat Oliphant added their names to the petition.

Comic Riffs on continuing Danish Islam Cartoon controversy

'Danish Islam Cartoon' is my shorthand for this long ongoing mess which has metastastized several times, including involving a provacteur Swedish cartoonist and 'South Park', both of which are the subject of this article -

'Muhammad cartoonist' Lars Vilks undaunted after new attack [UPDATED]By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog May 12, 2010.

Post's Cartoon Contest adds $1,000 purse

Cavna's got the story, natch.

Little Orphan Annie strip cancellation noted in Post

'Little Orphan Annie' comic strip skips off into the sunset

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 14, 2010; C03

Trickster interview at City Paper with booksigning tomorrow

Trickster: Matt Dembicki on His Cartoon Anthology of Native American Stories, by Mike Rhode on May. 14, 2010 - click thru to read the interview.

The signing's at Big Planet Vienna at 2-4 pm and I plan to be there.

Steve Brodner on WETA tonight

Richard Thompson sent this in (locally it's on WETA at 9 pm tonight, and probably the other PBS stations as well):

Need to Know
by Steve Brodner

Friday night ... marks our first appearance on PBS' new weekly news magazine show, Need to Know. Director Gail Levin and I have been working with the same great crew from the Naked Campaign films in '08: Asterisk Studios (Richard O'Connor, Brian O'Connell, Christina Capozzi Riley), Ben Shapiro, DP.

This week: Hamid Karzai and his visit to DC. He's not easy to pin down, but we're here to do the tough ones. Here's hoping this adds some color and content to the show. And that it perhaps gives TV some ideas about how to use narrative art.

May 17: "Hey Girl" comic book soundtrack performed live

Erin McCarley writes in about her cool project and upcoming performance:

“Hey Girl!” is a comic that myself and a friend created that we also recorded a soundtrack for. (Kinda like the Sesame Street records I had as a kid that had follow along maps). Anyways, we are going to perform the soundtrack live for the first time and we are pretty excited about it.

The show info is:

Monday, May 17th.
8:30 pm, all-ages $8
The Black Cat
1811 14th Street NW
Washington, DC

You can see more info about the comic here:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2008/12/08/hey-girl-comic-book7/ and http://www.dischord.com/release/hg01/7-w-comic

I just ordered mine from Dischord.

Weldon on Swedish comic 'The Troll King'

The Hairy Swedish Charm Of 'The Troll King'
by Glen Weldon
NPR Book Notes May 13, 2010

Glen Weldon on race in superhero comics

Ol' Blue-Eyes Is Back: Race And The Return Of The Retro Superhero
by Glen Weldon
May 13, 2010

Emily Flake covers the City Paper

Emily Flake's done the cover for this week's City Paper and you can glimpse it here. She also did the illo for The Gig Chill.

Brad Meltzer on Comic Book Resources

Meltzer Shares "Heroes for My Son"
by Jeffrey Renaud
Comic Book Resources May 13 2010

and NPR

In 'Heroes' From The Past, Lessons For A Son
NPR Book Notes May 11, 2010

Brad Meltzer on DC 101

I missed the radio show Elliot in the Morning on DC101 today, but many in the crowd at Borders had heard it. Thanks to the miracle of technology, you can too -

EITMonline (Elliot In The Morning)'s Photos #90, May 13 2010.

There's 3 links to mp3 files in the description... Awww, heck, here it is, but go friend Elliot on Facebook anyway:


"... I still love that moment. That pure, beautiful moment where you get to think about your newborn child and every door and every possibility is just waiting there, perfectly open... It’s a moment where there are no limits or detours or any of the restrictions that reality eventually brings. And it was in that moment of unbridled love and pure naïveté that this book was born." "Humble novelist" and "bestselling Little League coach" BRAD MELTZER joined us in the studio this morning to talk about his first non-fiction book, 'Heroes For My Son,' as well as his upcoming TV show, his next novel ('The Inner Circle'), and his sex-fueled run on Dark Horse Comics' Season Eight of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer." Listen here: http://bit.ly/bib7rI (Part 1), http://bit.ly/bSrE9p (Part 2), http://bit.ly/bXLYaP (Part 3) BTW: If you would like to meet Brad, he will be appearing tonight at Borders - Bailey's Crossroads (Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia) at 7:30 p.m. For more details, click here: http://bit.ly/arqyDF

Publicity Release: Announcing America's Greatest Otaku and TOKYOPOP Tour

Note that they reach Washington, DC on July 30 and Baltimore on the following day.

Publicity Release: America's Greatest Otaku and TOKYOPOP Tour May 13, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE               CALLING ALL OTAKU...   Announcing America's Greatest Otaku and the TOKYOPOP Tour   The search is on for the most talented fan in the nation!   Los Angeles, CA (May 13, 2010) - This summer, TOKYOPOP will hit the road on a 12,000-mile journey to find America's Greatest Otaku, the person who best exemplifies a truly unique fervor and passion for all things influenced by Japanese pop culture. This nationwide competition will be part of the ambitious "TOKYOPOP Tour," a road show that takes a tour bus to hundreds of thousands of fans, in dozens of cities across the United States-including five fan conventions-to discover and embrace manga and anime fan culture around the nation.   The TOKYOPOP Tour kicks off in July at Anime Expo in Los Angeles, CA, and will run through Chicago Comic-Con at the end of August. The culminating event will be a multi-episode reality show, premiering in the fall on a major online video site, which will reveal to the nation who will be crowned America's Greatest Otaku!   Stu Levy, Executive Producer of the America's Greatest Otaku reality show, as well as TOKYOPOP's founder, says, "Japanese pop culture has influenced many of us Americans in a number of ways.  The goal of this show is to prove to the world that American otaku are just as talented - if not more - than their counterparts worldwide."   Joining Levy on the maiden voyage of the TOKYOPOP Tour bus will be his apprentices in the search for America's Greatest Otaku: the "Otaku Six". These six college students-an energetic and outgoing group of manga and anime devotees-were selected from nearly one hundred candidates from thirty-one states and seven countries, after a lengthy and arduous audition process. In addition to reaching out to fans nationwide and seeking out each city's Greatest Otaku, the Otaku Six will also be featured on the show itself.   Filming the day-to-day events for broadcast will be TOKYOPOP associate producer Daisuke "Dice" Kinouchi, who anticipates a thrilling ride. "I can't wait to experience the unpredictability of the road on this summer-long show. I just hope no one accidentally whacks me with a yaoi paddle while I'm lugging around my camera filming the show."   You and your friends can enter to become America's Greatest Otaku at http://tokyopoptour.ning.com. The TOKYOPOP Tour web site has a complete list of all stops, details for how to enter the competition, application requirements, and reasons why every citizen of Pokopen isn't eligible to enter. New features, including the official America's Greatest Otaku merchandise store, will be added in the coming weeks.   Adds Levy: "We also have thousands of giveaways and prizes to hand out all over the course of the Tour-new manga, signed artwork, shirts and hats, stickers of your favorite characters such as Domo-kun, Tohru Honda, Abel Nightroad, and scores of others. I think I even saw a flag from HETALIA on our list of swag."   The TOKYOPOP Tour bus is fueling up for its first stop at Anime Expo in July, and fans can follow the daily goings-on at http://tokyopoptour.ning.com for the latest city-by-city Otaku updates, road videos and blogs, giveaways, and much more. The featured stops and dates for America's Greatest Otaku along the multi-city TOKYOPOP Tour include:   Los Angeles, CA (Anime Expo), July 3 San Francisco, CA, July 5 Salt Lake City, UT, July 8 Denver, CO, July 11 Kansas City, MO, July 13 Dallas, TX, July 15 Albuquerque, NM, July 18 Phoenix, AZ, July 20 San Diego, CA (Comic-Con), July 23 Oklahoma City, OK, July 27 Nashville, TN, July 28 Washington, DC, July 30 Baltimore, MD (Otakon), July 31 New York, NY, August 3 Philadelphia, PA, August 4 Indianapolis, IN (Gen Con), August 7 Louisville, KY, August 9 Atlanta, GA, August 11 New Orleans, LA, August 14 Chicago, IL (Wizard World Chicago Comic-Con), August 21   Stay tuned for updates and more information about the premier of the reality show this fall, when TOKYOPOP crowns America's Greatest Otaku!   Contact:       Marco F. Pavia, TOKYOPOP (323) 692-6730          Marcop@ TOKYOPOP.com     About TOKYOPOP: Founded by multi-cultural media visionary Stu Levy, TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand and an innovator of manga creation, with a revolutionary artistic vision that transcends countless platforms. From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP has changed the way teens experience pop culture. The company's global reach has expanded to Europe and Asia, with offices in the UK and Germany, in addition to its Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans logging onto the new social networking site www.TOKYOPOP.com, reading its books, which are licensed in 50 countries in more than 30 languages, and watching its DVDs and television programs, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties has made the company a visionary in an ever-growing teen entertainment marketplace. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information. Get TPOP News Live! Facebook         Twitter

Post's Frazetta obituary

Frank Frazetta, 82, celebrated comic artist and illustrator
By Terence McArdle
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 13, 2010; B07

Local collector helps with article on World War 1 cartoonist

Local collector Warren Bernard is thanked for assisting in research for this interesting article on a WW1 cartoonist -

Louis Raemaekers (1869-1956)

by John Adcock,

Yesteray's Papers May 12, 2010

Children's animation program in DC

See The View From There: Kids World Cinema, By Arion Berger, Express May 13, 2010 for some details, but the Alliance Francaise de Washington and the Goethe Institute are among the hosts.

TONIGHT: Adult Teen Hunger Force creator at State Theater

There's an interview at End of an Era?: 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force's' Dave Willis
by Express contributor Topher Forhecz
May 13 2010, p. E2

» State Theatre, 220 N. Washington St., Falls Church; Thu. May 13, 8 p.m., $25; 703-237-0300.

Brad Meltzer, former area comics geek, on his new book

Brad Meltzer Explains How 'Heroes For My Son' Broke His Boy's Heart
by Rick Marshall
MTV's Splash Page blog May 12 2010

PR: ALADDIN’S LAMP CHILDREN’S BOOKS WILL BE CLOSING AT THE END OF JUNE

I was sorry to get this email today - this is an excellent store and has hosted cartoonists readings.

         703-241-8281        

aladlamp@speakeasy.net

In the Lee Harrison Shopping Center

Lower Level Shops

2499 N. Harrison St, Suite 10, Arlington, VA 22207

STORE HOURS: Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 10 am to 6 pm, Tuesday & Thursday 10 am to 8 pm, Sunday 11 am to 5 pm

********************************************************************************************************************

 

WE ARE SAD TO ANNOUNCE THAT, AFTER 20 YEARS SERVING THE COMMUNITY, ALADDIN'S LAMP CHILDREN'S BOOKS WILL BE CLOSING AT THE END OF JUNE.

 

Throughout May, we will continue to provide regular service.  We will still carry new books, replace popular titles, and fulfill special orders.  Our regular story hours will continue on Wed. and Sat. at 11:00.  The listing of May events is attached.

 

Our GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALES will kick off this month with discounts of 20-40% on select sections and books.  Please tell your friends, and come to take advantage of our rich inventory of over 18,000 titles, and non-book items such as puzzles, puppets, Baltic amber jewelry, and more!

 

We would like to thank all our customers for their support, patronage and friendship over the years.   It has been wonderful being part of this community for so many years, and we will miss you greatly.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL

703-241-8281

Cartoonists on greeting cards

My grandmother died a few weeks ago at 96, and we've been going through her stuff. Nobody wanted all the greeting cards she saved since the 1940s, so I've been going through them. Here's a few that might interest this audience.


Miss Peach 1966 birthday card by Mell Lazarus.


1979 Hallmark birthday card by the great MAD cartoonist Paul Coker.

and the interior message:




This 1970-something Hallmark Valentine's Day card is by another MAD artists whose name is escaping me. Help?

And the interior message:



Finally here's a 1966 Christmas card from the Art Guild of Williamsburg with surprising good girl art and it's interior -

PR: TODD MCFARLANE TO ATTEND BALTIMORE COMIC-CON 2010

TODD MCFARLANE TO ATTEND BALTIMORE COMIC-CON 2010 McFarlane to appear Saturday, August 28, 2010, at the 11th annual Baltimore Comic-Con   Berkeley, CA - 10 May 2010 - Image Comics Founder and Partner Todd McFarlane is set to appear at Baltimore Comic-Con 2010 on Saturday, August 28, 2010. The creator of the groundbreaking comic book SPAWN will take part in signings and other events during the show.   "I'm thrilled to be able to participate in this year's Baltimore Comic Con," says McFarlane. "It's good to know events still exist where comics are the main focus, instead of being swallowed up by competing entertainment such as movies and video games. I appreciate all the support Baltimore Comic Con has provided Image with in the past, and am looking forward to attending and meeting with fans."   Marc Nathan, organizer of the Baltimore Comic-Con, adds, "The Baltimore Comic-Con could not be more thrilled about hosting Todd McFarlane at this year's convention. Image Comics continues to be at the top of all our publishing partners. We all know how popular Todd is and look forward to a great time!" From budding baseball player to comic book artist extraordinaire to family man, Spawn creator Todd McFarlane has a wealth of experience in the world of entertainment. McFarlane's road trip to creative autonomy began when he accepted an assignment penciling for Marvel/Epic Comics in March 1984. From there, he worked his way to the top of the talent roster before leaving Marvel to help found Image Comics with six other artists. It was then that Todd introduced his own character, Spawn. In 1994, Todd founded McFarlane Toys. Over the years, the company has become one of the largest, most renowned toy manufacturers in the world.   Don't miss SPAWN creator Todd McFarlane at this year's 11th annual Baltimore Comic-Con. He will appear one day only, on Saturday, August 28, 2010.   Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.   ###   In coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We will highlight our guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest developments can always be found at our website (http://www.baltimorecomiccon.com/), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/baltimorecomics), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/baltimorecomiccon), MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/baltimorecomics), and ComicSpace (http://www.comicspace.com/baltimorecomicon) pages. This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 28-29, 2010. Convention hours are Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. The ceremony and banquet for the Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, August 28th.   Contact Information Please use the following e-mail addresses to contact the Baltimore Comic-Con:   press@baltimorecomiccon.com - for any general press inquiries or to be added to our PR distribution promoter@baltimorecomiccon.com - for requesting exhibitor, publisher, and Artist Alley applications registrar@baltimorecomiccon.com - for inquiries about submitted registrations harveys@baltimorecomiccon.com - for communications regarding the Harvey Awards ceremony and banquet general@baltimorecomiccon.com - for general Baltimore Comic-Con inquiries   About The Baltimore Comic-Con The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 11th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area.  With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 28-29, 2010.  For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com. About The Harvey Awards The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards.  With a history of over 20 years, the last 5 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories.  They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals.  For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.

New cartoonist in Post?

Today's Federal Page by Al Kamen has a lovely political illustration by Chris Morris of the White House Press Corps yelling over the landing of an Osprey VTOL. I don't recall seeing Morris' name before - anyone?

This Week: Comic Books' Brad Meltzer on His Real Heroes

Posted by Mike Rhode on May. 12, 2010 at 10:06 am

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/books/2010/05/12/this-week-comic-books-brad-meltzer-on-his-real-heroes/#more-23574

Ruffin on DC Comics Con

I'm still catching up from business travel -

Welcome to 2010, Washington D.C. Comic Convention
DC Comic Books Examiner Mark Ruffin
May 3, 2010

Express review of Pride and Prejuidice and Zombies

And Panels: 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel'
Written by Express contributor Stephen M. Deusner
Express May 3, 2010

Luna Brothers interview at Newsarama

THE SWORD Slashes Expectations As FINAL ISSUE Hits
By Vaneta Rogers
Newsarama 10 May 2010

Comic Riffs on Frazetta's influence

A warrior's farewell: RIP, Frank Frazetta, master of fantasy illustration
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog May 11, 2010

-and I must say I wasn't (and still am not) immune to the allure of Frazetta's art. I bought all those Bantam collections in the '70s and still pick up used books just because he did the covers.

Who will be our lucky 200,000 reader?

One of the maps in the this site links to says that, as of last night, our readership "Total since 3 Apr 2008: 199,809."

So some time today, someone becomes the 200,000 reader, at least by one count. I have no way of knowing who that is, but thank you, wherever you are.

Daria dvd collection reviewed in today's Express

Smells Like Teen Spirit: 'Daria: The Complete Animated Series' on DVD.
Written by Express contributor Afton Lorraine Woodward
[Washington Post] Express (May 11): 28.
online at http://www.expressnightout.com/content/2010/05/daria-complete-series-dvd.php

Recent Dan Clowes interviews and articles, as requested

Braganza, Chantal. 2010.
Don’t confuse Daniel Clowes with an opinionated, middle-aged loner
Ghost World author is back with Wilson, his first full-length comic in five years. But he’s not the protagonist.
Toronto Star (May 6): http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/article/805305--don-t-confuse-daniel-clowes-with-an-opinionated-middle-aged-loner


Khosla, Abhay et al.  2010.

Savage Symposium: Wilson By Dan Clowes.

Savage Critics blog (May 10): http://www.savagecritic.com/roundtable/savage-symposium-wilson-by-dan-clowes/

 

Levack, Chandler.  2010.

Comic timing: After six years, Daniel Clowes is returning to the Toronto Comic Arts Festival with Wilson, his first original graphic novel with Drawn & Quarterly. The only problem? He's more afraid of success than ever.

Eye Weekly (May 5): http://www.eyeweekly.com/arts/article/91751--comic-timing

 

 Del Signore, John.  2010.

Daniel Clowes, Cartoonist.

Gothamist (May 5): http://gothamist.com/2010/05/05/daniel_clowes_illustrator.php

 

Rudick, Nicole.  2010.

Daniel Clowes [Cartoonist].

Believer (May).

Partially online at http://www.believermag.com/issues/201005/?read=interview_clowes

 

Miliard, Mike.  2010.

Interview: Daniel Clowes: On going from Enid to Wilson.

Boston Phoenix (April 27): http://thephoenix.com/boston/arts/101313-interview-daniel-clowes/

 

Brooks, Allen.  2010.

DCist Interview: Daniel Clowes.

DCist (April 30): http://dcist.com/2010/04/dcist_interview_daniel_clowes.php

 

Kois, Dan.  2010.

Panel Discussion Daniel Clowes covers cartoon history in one graphic novel.

NYmag.com (May 2): http://nymag.com/arts/books/features/65724/

 

Deusner, Stephen M.  2010.

Stick Figure: Daniel Clowes, 'Wilson'.

Express (May 3): http://www.expressnightout.com/content/2010/05/daniel-clowes-wilson-politics-prose.php

 

Chute, Hillary.  2010.

Off-page with... Dan Clowes: With Wilson, the graphic novelist has more fun being bleak.

Time Out New York (761; April 29–May 5).

Online at http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/books/85200/off-page-with-daniel-clowes

 

Howard, Dave.  2010.

Dan Clowes' new Graphic Novel, Wilson,

Torontoist (April 14): http://books.torontoist.com/2010/04/dan-clowes-new-graphic-novel-wilson/

 

Mercier, Jean-Pierre.  2009.

“ Je crois que je me suis toujours senti à part”: entretien avec Dan Clowes.
Ninth Art: http://neuviemeart.citebd.org/spip.php?article34

Rhode, Mike.  2010.

International Ink: Clowes, Kids, Crackers and Hellboy [reviews].

Washington City Paper Arts Desk blog (April 29): http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/books/2010/04/29/international-ink-clowes-kids-crackers-and-hellboy/

 

Rhode, Mike.  2010.

“Likable Characters Are for Weak-Minded Narcissists”: A Chat with Daniel Clowes.

Washington City Paper Arts Desk blog (May 3): http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/books/2010/05/03/likeable-characters-are-for-weak-minded-narcissists-a-chat-with-daniel-clowes/#more-23182

 

 

May 15: 'Trickster' launch signing

Matt Dembicki writes in-

 

A bunch of contributing artists to Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection will be at Big Planet Comics in Vienna, Va., this Sat., May 15, for a signing from 2-4 p.m. In attendance: Matt Dembicki, Andrew Cohen, Evan Keeling, Chris Piers, Jacob Warrenfeltz, Mike Short, Jerry Carr, Rand Arrington and Scott White. We'll also be doing sketches and giving away artist trading cards featuring Trickster critters! I'll also give a very brief talk about the project. Come by and join the fun!

 

I'll be stopping in if anyone wants to say hello.

Back when Frank Frazetta came to DC cons

Frank Frazetta, the great comic book, strip and fantasy artist, has died. I'm sure obituaries will appear tomorrow, but Gary Groth has a Frank Frazetta Interview 1994 interview online, prefaced by a note about how Frazetta came to a 1971 comics con in Washington that Groth had organized.

Caro on W the Whore

Caroline Small on W the Whore Makes Her Tracks - "Caro talks about the role of gender in Anke Feuchtenberger’s graphic novel."

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.