Friday, January 24, 2014

Frozen in today's Express

No tiaras required for 'Frozen'

BY KRISTEN PAGE-KIRBY
[Washington Post's] Express January 24 2014 http://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2014/01/24/reelist-frozen/

Elsa is one of TWO female heroines in "Frozen." (Disney)

Library of Congress Releases Collection and Services Statistics

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20540
Phone: (202) 707-2905
Fax: (202) 707-9199
Email: pao@loc.gov

January 24, 2014

The Library of Congress By the Numbers in 2013

The Library of Congress today released statistics for fiscal year 2013. The daily business of being the world's largest library, home of the U.S. Copyright Office and a supportive agency to the U.S. Congress resulted in the Library adding 2.65 million physical items to its permanent collections, registering more than 496,000 copyright claims and responding to 636,000 congressional reference requests in fiscal year 2013.

Some notable items newly cataloged into the Library's collection include the papers of astronomer Carl Sagan; eight rare U.S. city plans; Pope Clement V's Constitutiones, printed in 1476; the Bob Wolff sports broadcasting collection; the collection of Sharon Farmer, the first woman and the first African American to serve as chief White House photographer; and a list of books that Thomas Jefferson asked newspaper publisher William Duane to buy in Paris for the recently established Library of Congress.

The U.S. Copyright Office registered work in fiscal year 2013 from authors in all 50 states. Grammy Award-nominated songs such as "Locked Out of Heaven," registered in November 2012, by Bruno Mars, and such box-office toppers as "Iron Man 3," registered in April and "Despicable Me 2," registered in June, were among the nearly half-million novels, poems, films, software, video games, music, photographs and other works submitted.

Reference librarians and Congressional Research Service staff responded to more than 1 million reference requests from patrons both on-site and via phone and email – an average of 4,600 every business day. Researchers sought information this year about World War I, trade data, early exploration of the Americas, household management in the ancient world, the timing of the federal fiscal year, family history and how many languages Thomas Jefferson could speak.

In fiscal year 2013, the Library of Congress …

■ Responded to more than 636,000 congressional reference requests and delivered to Congress approximately 23,000 volumes from the Library's collections;

■ Registered 496,599 claims to copyright;

■ Provided reference services to 513,946 individuals in person, by telephone and through written and electronic correspondence;

■ Circulated more than 25 million copies of Braille and recorded books and magazines to more than 800,000 blind and physically handicapped reader accounts;

■ Circulated more than 1 million items for use within the Library;

■ Preserved more than 5.6 million items from the Library's collections;

■ Recorded a total of 158,007,115 physical items in the collections:

23,592,066 cataloged books in the Library of Congress classification system

13,344,477 books in large type and raised characters, incunabula (books printed before 1501), monographs and serials, music, bound newspapers, pamphlets, technical reports and other print material

121,070,572 items in the nonclassified (special) collections, including:

3,530,036 audio materials (discs, tapes, talking books and other recorded formats)

68,971,722 manuscripts

5,507,706 maps

16,816,894 microforms

1,697,513 moving images (film, television broadcasts, DVDs)

6,751,212 items of sheet music

14,472,273 visual materials, as follows:

13,728,116 photographs

104,879 posters

639,278 prints and drawings

3,323,216 other (including machine-readable collections)

■ Welcomed more than 1.6 million onsite visitors and recorded 84 million visits and more than 519 million page-views on the Library's web properties. At year's end, the Library's online primary-source files totaled 45.2 million.

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

PR 14-009
01/24/14
ISSN 0731-3527

Sun-Gazette on former Arlingtonian animator

O'Connell Alum Finds Success in Field of Animation

by SCOTT McCAFFREY,

Lyz Holder has followed her dreams from Arlington out to Los Angeles, where she works in the animation world. (Photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Arlington Sun-Gazette January 22, 2014

http://www.sungazette.net/arlington/education/o-connell-alum-finds-success-in-field-of-animation/article_ae379ed2-8368-11e3-9f96-001a4bcf887a.html

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Fantom Comics Book Club: Saga

The Fantom Comics Book Club will meet Jan. 30 for a discussion on the comic Saga, Vol. 1 and 2 at the Chinatown Coffee Co. on H Street NW.

Herblock documentary profiled

'HERBLOCK' DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS AMERICA'S MOST FEARED EDITORIAL CARTOONIST

COURTESY IMAGE: NIXON BY HERBLOCK

By Enrique Lopetegui

SAN ANTONIO CURRENT JANUARY 22, 2014

HTTP://SACURRENT.COM/SCREENS/FILM/HERBLOCK-DOCUMENTARY-HIGHLIGHTS-AMERICA-S-MOST-FEARED-EDITORIAL-CARTOONIST-1.1620292

"In opposing corruption, the political cartoon has always served as a special prod, a reminder to public servants that they are, after all… public servants." —Herblock

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

A Long and Winding Road, or, Ike Liked Cartoons

A Long and Winding Road

by Stu McIntire
(updated 4/14/2017, see point #8)

A dedicated collector is a scavenger (of sorts) and a patient soul, which is where this story begins.

In the early 1980s my wife and I took a trip to Antique Row on Howard Avenue in Kensington, Maryland. We weren’t scouting for anything in particular, just out for a fun afternoon.

We wandered in and out of the shops not finding anything until we walked into one which had a pedestal table just inside the front door, on which rested a basket. The basket held several dozen black and white photographs. Most were unremarkable but one included President Dwight D. Eisenhower and seven other men I did not recognize. Eisenhower was looking at a book and it was open to a page with a cartoon on it. Intrigued, I sifted through the basket, found one similar picture and settled on the two photos, which I purchased. Price? One dollar each.

The pictures remained untouched for a couple of years until I decided to learn more about them. I sent one to Maggie Thompson at The Comics Buyers Guide, offering to share it with the CBG readers. I also asked if she could tell me anything about it. A short while later it was published with the following comments:

(Published in The Comics Buyers' Guide #587; February 15, 1985):

"This historic photograph of four National Cartoonists Society presidents meeting with President Dwight D. Eisenhower more than 30 years ago was sent to CBG by Stuart McIntire. Stuart asked us to identify the participants; we did, getting confirmation from Mort Walker, Milton Caniff, and Ron Goulart. Eisenhower was presented with a collection of original cartoons, caricatures, and drawings of himself by members of the NCS (many of these were collected into a book called President Eisenhower's Cartoon Book), and made an honorary member of the NCS. (Stuart mentions that, using extreme magnification on the original photo, he was able to make out the name "Carl Grubert" on the page to which the book is open; Grubert drew a humorous family strip called The Berrys.) From left to right are: Milton Caniff (Terry and the Pirates; Steve Canyon), an unidentified man (Caniff said he thinks he was a Treasury Department official); Goulart says it could be Charles Biro), Alex Raymond (Flash Gordon; Rip Kirby), another unidentified man (another Treasury Department official, Caniff guessed), Eisenhower ("probably Eisenhower," said Goulart, living up to his reputation as a wit), Walt Kelly (Pogo), Rube Goldberg (Boob McNutt), and Treasury Secretary George Humphrey. Walt Kelly was then President of the NCS; Caniff, Raymond, and Goldberg were past Presidents. Caniff added that Humphrey arranged the meeting "as a sort of reward for drawings the cartoonists had made in support of the E-Bond sales after the war."

[The Editors of CBG publicly express their deep personal gratitude to Mort, Milt, and Ron - three of the busiest people we know - for taking time to help us on identification.]

Now I had a mission. Find and purchase a copy of President Eisenhower's Cartoon Book. For years this was a mental note in the back of my mind but I did frequently scan the shelves at used book stores, always without luck. Fast forward to September of 2012 and a trip to the Baltimore Comic Con.

Towards the end of a day on the dealer floor I stumbled across a booth with a multitude of items that caught my eye. This dealer had a lot of merchandise that was comic-related and much of it was old. I went through boxes of very attractive swag. I knew not what I wanted but I’d know it when I saw it. When I came to the box that held a copy of the President Eisenhower's Cartoon Book it was like the scene in Christmas Vacation when Clark Griswold found the perfect Christmas tree.

with dustjacket

without dustjacket

My main goal at the Con was collecting autographs in a couple of my Sandman hardcover collections (check) and perhaps to see a few friends (check). I never imagined I’d score a long-sought piece for my collection but I struck a deal for this and one other piece (Badtime Stories by Bernie Wrightson).

Flash forward again. Curiosity has the better of me. What else can I learn about the background story of this book? How about:

1. An Internet search turned up other photos taken at the same time as the pictures I bought on Antique Row:

2. In 1954, President Eisenhower was made an honorary member of the National Cartoonists Society. He and Treasury Secretary George M. Humphrey were awarded the Silver T-Square, given by the NCS to persons who have demonstrated outstanding dedication or service to the Society or the profession. The occasion was celebrated at a formal breakfast in Washington, attended by the President and several NCS members.

Stamped on the back of the above photo:

Photo shows: Milton Caniff, creator of famous comic strip, STEVE CANYON at microphone with President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Walt Kelly, creator of POGO seated at table during a United States Savings Bond Program breakfast in Washington honoring the National Cartoonists Society for patriotic service on the Savings Bond Program.

Also stamped on the back:

3. Note the name Toni Mendez. Toni Mendez, a huge influencing force behind the creation of the National Cartoonists Society, was Caniff’s agent (as well as several other prominent cartoonists). She was also once a member of the famed high-kicking Rockettes dance troupe!

4. 4. Here is a picture of the volume of original cartoons presented to Eisenhower as well as a few samples of the work contained therein (by Alex Raymond, Milton Caniff, Rube Goldberg, and Walt Kelly):

5. Eisenhower himself was a known ‘doodler’ and here is but one example:

6. Fans well-versed in comic book history may recall that it was earlier in the very same year these cartoonists broke bread with the President that Milton Caniff and Walt Kelly testified before the infamous United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency.

7. One of the ninety-five artists represented in President Eisenhower's Cartoon Book was Bill Crawford, once an artist who worked at the Washington Daily News and Washington Post.

8. I bought this one on eBay in April 2017. Next to Ike is Rube Goldberg. Next to Rube, behind Ike is Walt Kelly. On the left hand page to which the album is opened is a drawing by Jay (Modest Maidens) Alan. The drawing on the right is by Jerry Robinson. The caption under Robinson's drawing says "Thank you Mr. President --- for the wonderful laughter! Especially if the joke is BY us --- but even if it's ON us! J.R. N.C.S."

The caption reads: (WX4) WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 -- CARTOONS OF, AND FOR, IKE -- President Eisenhower is pleased by this gift from White House callers today, a bound volume of cartoons of himself drawn by members of the National Cartoonists Society. Standing at right are Rube Goldberg, honorary chairman of the Society, and Secretary of the Treasury George Humphrey, right. The drawings on the opened pages are not identified. (AP Wire photo) (EE31038 stf-hlg) 1954

So there you have it. This story was thirty years or so in the making, but slow and steady wins the race!

Herblock on HBO

WATCH HERBLOCK: THE BLACK & THE WHITE ON HBO

by Alan Gardner
Daily Cartoonist January 22, 2014

Alan's got all the details on this as well.

Herblock prize expands eligibility

Caught by the Daily Cartoonist:

HERBLOCK PRIZE & LECTURE

Rules & Eligibility

Eligibility

January 17, 2014 - The Board of Directors voted to include monthly newspaper or magazine publications!

The Herblock Prize contest is open to any newspaper, magazine, wire service or syndicate cartoonist for editorial or political cartoons published in a daily, weekly, or monthly newspaper or magazine published in the U.S. or its territories in 2013. Cartoons appearing in U.S. editions of foreign publications are also eligible. In keeping with the changes in the editorial cartooning landscape, the Foundation will accept animated cartoons for consideration for the Herblock Prize.

The winner will attend the annual Herblock Prize & Lecture to receive a $15,000 tax-free cash award and a trophy from Tiffany & Co. designed for the Herblock Prize.

A finalist will be announced and receive a $5,000 tax-free cash award.

Note: The $50 entry fee has been waived for the Herblock Prize contest. Given the difficulties facing editorial cartoonists, the Foundation believes the fee money can be better used to support other efforts to promote the craft.

Rules

All entries must be submitted or postmarked no later than Feb. 3, 2014 for calendar year 2013.
Entrants can either enter their own work or be sponsored by their publication. If the entry is sponsored, the entry must be accompanied by a cover letter from the sponsor.
There can be no more than 15 entries nor fewer than 10 entries per individual.
Each cartoon entered must be an 8 x 10 inch print of the original submitted in a three-ring binder (or similar size and form).
Animated entries should be provided on a CD (preferably in Quicktime format).
Each entrant must provide a biography and a photo with the submission.
Material submitted with the entry becomes the property of The Herb Block Foundation and may be used to publicize the awards program or collected in educational and/or research archives for educational purposes.
Contestants or their sponsor must certify that the submitted entries were published as presented in the year of contest eligibility.
The winner must agree to appear at the Herblock Prize awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. (typically btw March and May)

Prize Entry Form

Entries may be mailed to:

The Herb Block Foundation
1730 M Street, NW Suite # 901
Washington, DC 20036

Jan 22 (Tonight): Trading Blows! at Black Cat in DC

Trading Blows!, billed as a “nerdy swap meet and wrestling watching party,” will be held Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. at the Black Cat on 14th Street in D.C. Here’s what the event’s Facebook page says:

"If you're like us, your room is overflowing with too many comic books, action figures, and old wrestling tapes. We encourage you bring all your unwanted nerd swag to the Red Room and trade it with other like minded collectors. Also, our friends around the corner at Big Planet Comics will be selling stuff!

We'll also be showing old wrestling matches on our projector screen on the backstage. This month will be the top 8 Japanese wrestling matches of the 90's as chosen by Highspots dot com, featuring the likes of Jushin Liger, Great Sasuke, Ultimo Dragon, Eddie Guerrero, and (gulp) Chris Benoit."

Jan 22: Big Planet Comics Bethesda hardcover sale at 50%

Reporters Without Borders book features Ann Telnaes

Here's the two press releases on it. The organization tells me, "For the moment, the only way for US citizens to buy the album on our website is to go on our boutique page which is (unfortunately for the moment) only in French : http://boutique.rsf.org/ "

Reporters Without Borders publishes 100 cartoons by Cartooning for Peace for press freedom

Published on Monday 2 December 2013.

http://en.rsf.org/reporters-without-borders-02-12-2013,45539.html

On 5 December, Reporters Without Borders will publish a book devoted solely to the work of newspaper cartoonists: 100 cartoons by Cartooning for Peace for press freedom. It contains cartoons by more that 50 cartoonists from all over the world about freedom of expression, the current state of the world and the very topical issue of "the world under surveillance."

This is the first time that Reporters Without Borders has brought out a book of cartoons instead of photographs since it began publishing its press freedom books in 1992. With a print run of 120,000 copies, it will be sold in France and more than 30 other countries. All the proceeds from the sales will be used to help fund Reporters Without Borders' activities in the field in support of journalists and bloggers. This enables RWB to promote and defend freedom of information in more than 130 countries in a completely independent manner.

"This book is exceptional and essential for two reasons", Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire said. "It uses humour and irony to show news developments from a different angle, and it pays tribute to cartoonists who often pay a high price for their freedom of spirit."

The French cartoonist Plantu, who co-founded Cartooning for Peace in 2006 with then UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, said: "We must encourage these artists. They are also journalists in their own right and I thank Reporters Without Borders for turning the spotlight on such an eloquent form of writing as the cartoon, writing based on the image!"

Kofi Annan, who is Cartooning for Peace's honorary president, said in a previously unpublished statement: "Reporters Without Borders has compiled a collection of images which individually, and collectively, convey a powerful message. It is a reminder of the challenges that reporters continue to face in many parts of the world, and of the importance of organizations such as Reporters Without Borders. Their work to safeguard freedom of information and to protect and support journalists is helping to create more open and transparent societies." A digital version of the book with added content will soon be available through the Apple Store.

---

The digital version of 100 cartoons by Cartooning for Peace for press freedom now on the Apple Store

Published on Tuesday 24 December 2013. Updated on Friday 27 December 2013.

http://en.rsf.org/he-digital-version-of-100-cartoons-24-12-2013,45672.html

The digital version of the latest Reporters Without Borders book, 100 cartoons by Cartooning for Peace for press freedom, is now available from the Apple Store for €7.99 or $7.99.

More than 50 editorial cartoonists and journalists from all over the world contributed to this collector's item on freedom of expression, the state of the world and what is now a hot topic – "the world under surveillance."

All the revenue from the book's sales will fund RWB's activities in the field in support of journalists and news bloggers and will thereby help to ensure its independence.

"It is very important for Reporters Without Borders, an NGO with a presence in 130 countries, to be able to promote the vital work of photo-journalists and cartoonists," the organization's secretary-general, Christophe Deloire, said. "We are proud to have produced this book with the cartoonists of Cartooning for Peace, a group founded by the French Cartoonist Plantu and Nobel Peace laureate Kofi Annan that contributes to the world's intelligence."

Annan, who is Cartooning for Peace's honorary president, said in a previously unpublished statement: "Reporters Without Borders has compiled a collection of images which individually, and collectively, convey a powerful message. It is a reminder of the challenges that reporters continue to face in many parts of the world, and of the importance of organizations such as Reporters Without Borders. Their work to safeguard freedom of information and to protect and support journalists is helping to create more open and transparent societies."

Produced together with Les Digitalistes, a consultancy specializing in digital publications, the digital version of 100 cartoons by Cartooning for Peace for press freedom is enriched with unpublished content that includes biographies of the cartoonists and a world press freedom map.

Reporters Without Borders has been making its famous books available in digital form from the Apple Store since the publication in September of 100 photos by Ai Weiwei for press freedom, which was produced jointly with the famous Chinese artist.

Jan 22 (Tonight): Graphic Novel Bookgroup at P&P!

Just so you know I'll be hosting the Graphic Novel Bookgroup this month. We're reading PAYING FOR IT by Chester Brown. Sure to be a fun conversation!

Hope to see you there at 7:30 on Wednesday 22^nd.

Here's the meetup link: http://www.meetup.com/Politics-and-Prose-Graphic-Novel-Bookgroup/events/160437082/

See you soon,

Adam Waterreus

Director of Operations

Politics and Prose Bookstore

5015 Connecticut Avenue NW

Washington DC 20008

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Feb 1: Batman Burlesque Comes to Washington DC

Cyn Factory Proudly Presents:

ARKHAM UNDRESSED- Batman Burlesque at the Bier Baron

The sexy sirens of Arkham Asylum have broken loose and are headed straight for Washington DC!

Will the Riddler be able to outsmart the best and brightest of our country's political leaders?

Will the Joker and Catwoman be able to pull one over on the caped crusader?

Will the Dynamic Duo be able to stop these nefarious schemes before it's too late!?!?!

Come find out for yourself on Saturday February 1st at the Bier Baron.

Doors open at 8pm for some Bat-tastic Gogo stylings, because these ladies have been itching to get out from behind those bars and start dancing on this bar instead.

Show starts at 10pm and these lovely ladies are as deadly as they are sexy, so DON'T Keep them waiting.

Featuring
Mary Cyn
Lefty Lucy
Magdalena Fox
GiGi Holliday

Kittened by Sarah Tops

Hosted by Mr, Geoff Tops

Tickets available at here

Bier Baron is located at 1523 22nd Street NW
Washington DC 20037. 8pm Doors, 10pm Show.

FLugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Almost Hell"

"Almost Hell"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=1444

Back in the '70s, the entire DC Metro area -- especially the Virginia suburbs -- was awash in T-shirts promoting West Virginia tourism, with the two-word slogan "Almost Heaven" taken from the notorious John Denver song being beaten to death on Top 40 radio at the time. As I let my mind chew on the Al Jazeera America news reports on the continuing chemical spill situation in West Virginia, I somehow stumbled over the memory of this cheesy T-shirt art.

http://america.aljazeera.com/topics/topic/us-location/west-virginia.html

________________________________________________________________
Mike Flugennock, flugennock at sinkers dot org
Mike's Political Cartoons: dubya dubya dubya dot sinkers dot org

Jan 23: Triplets of Belleville @ NPG/SAAM , 7pm

The American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery are sponsoring a free showing of "Triplets of Belleville" in their courtyard at 7pm on Thursday 1/23.

http://americanart.si.edu/calendar/event.cfm?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D107947001

Courtyard Cinema Classics: The Triplets of Belleville


When	Thursday, January 23, 2014, 7 – 8:30pm
Categories	After Five, Films
Location	American Art Museum, Portrait Gallery
Event Location	Kogod Courtyard

Note	An orphaned boy who was raised by his grandmother, Mme. Souza, makes it to the Tour de France, but is kidnapped by a pair of mysterious criminals during the race. Along with her faithful dog, Bruno, Mme. Souza sets off on an epic adventure to rescue her beloved grandson. Food and beverages will be available for purchase in the Courtyard Café. Jointly presented with the National Portrait Gallery (animated, 2003, 78 minutes).

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