Cartoonist Stephan Pastis of “Pearls Before Swine” spills the beans on how Bill Watterson ghosted his strip this week, a tale that involved D.C.-area cartoonists Nick Galifianakis and
Richard Thompson.
A Watterson panel from "Pearls Before Swine"
Saturday, June 07, 2014
WashPost Exclusive: Bill Watterson ghost drew 'Pearls Before Swine' strips this week
Via Michael Cavna of The Washington Post's Comic Riffs: 'Calvin and Hobbes' creator Bill Watterson has returned home to the comics page — even if only for a limited engagement. For three days, Watterson — once known as the J.D. Salinger of the strips — has resurfaced, his inspired visual wit intact. For this, we have Stephan Pastis's real estate and surreal humor to thank. Since Wednesday, Watterson's new artwork has been featured in Pastis's syndicated strip, "Pearls Before Swine." See the strips: http://wapo.st/1ldGATu
So the conceit in this week's strips is that a second-grader named Libby (a name that nods to "Bill") boasts that she can draw "Pearls" better than the feature's creator. Pastis's cartoon avatar turns over his "stick figure" comic to the girl — who proceeds to render rich worlds of imagination beyond the signature style of the strip. From invading Martians to big-mouthed (and Pastis-devouring) crocodiles, the art brims with the life of Watterson's expressive line.
The collaboration is a brilliant pairing of strengths, with Watterson illustrating Pastis's sometimes-meta script. "I think we both got some surprises," Watterson says. "I didn't know what he was going to write, and he didn't know how I was going to draw it."
As for the experience of collaborating with Pastis, whom he had never met prior to this week, the "Calvin and Hobbes" creator welcomed the challenge of a limited return to the page.
"I had expected to just mess around with his characters while they did their usual things," Watterson tells me, "but Stephan kept setting up these situations that required more challenging drawings . . . so I had to work a lot harder than I had planned to! It was a lot of fun."
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Molly Gannon
Senior Publicist, The Washington Post
Today: Dembicki, Loya and Kettler sign at Winchester Book Gallery
Steve Loya, Andy Kettler and Matt Dembicki will be signing the comics anthology Wild Ocean from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Winchester Book Gallery in Winchester, Va., smack in the middle of downtown during a craft beer festival. Throw in some BBQ and you have a perfect summer day!
Detail from Kettler's story in Wild Ocean
Friday, June 06, 2014
Ryan Holmberg on early manga again
The Mysterious Clover: Matsumoto Katsuji, Douglas Fairbanks, and the Reformed Modern Girl
Thursday, June 05, 2014
Loya's Splotch Monsters at Off Rhode Gallery this fall
Local cartoonist/artist Steve Loya offers a glimpse of his
work-in-progress for his upcoming Splotch Monsters exhibit in September at the Off Rhode Gallery
at Art Enables in D.C.
Photo courtesy of Steve Loya
July 6: Clevinger at Fantom Comics
Brian Clevinger, writer of AtomicRobo, will be signing at Fantom Comics on Sunday, July 6, from noon-3 p.m.
Post article on Art Enables notes ‘Wild Ocean’ exhibit
An article in the Washington Post features Art Enables,
an art
studio and gallery in D.C., that provides space for artists with intellectual
or developmental disabilities. Downstairs from Art Enables is the Off-Rhode gallery where contributors from the comics anthology Wild Ocean have art from the
graphic novel on display alongside similarly themed works by Art Enables
artists. Read the story.
Courtesy of
Art Enables,"North of Here,"
by Charles Meissner
Wednesday, June 04, 2014
Kinhart video on Box Brown's 'Andre the Giant'
Local cartoonist and filmmaker John Kinhart has composed a nice video on Box Brown and his latest graphic novel, Andre the Giant: Life and Legend (First-Second). It was shot at Big Planet Comics on U St. during Brown's signing there last weekend.
Click on image to see YouTube video
June 4: 'Wild Ocean' signing at Beyond Comics
Join Michael Cowgill, Steve Loya and myself (Matt Dembicki) for a Wild Ocean: Sharks, Whales, Rays, and Other Endangered Sea Animals signing today at Beyond Comics in Frederick, Md., from 4-6 p.m. Here's a new review of the book by the Write Lies blog.
Detail from one of the 'Wild Ocean' stories
'Anonymous heroes of the Washington Post'
Illustrator Richard Johnson’s latest entry—“The anonymous
heroes of the Washington Post” (June 2)—for his online feature in the Post, Drawing D.C.Together: A Journal of Urban Sketches.
“If you spend enough time in newspapers
and newsrooms you begin to notice certain distinct personality types.” Read more.
Detail from Post column by Johnson
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