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Wednesday, March 11, 2015
PR: Colonial Comics is on tour this Spring!
SPX organizers Warren Bernard and Bill K talk about their alt comix exhibit
From Newsprint to Museum: Curating Comics
By Ward Sutton
SuttonImpactStudio.com
SPD blog 03.11.15
http://www.spd.org/2015/03/from-newsprint-to-museum-curat.phpNY Times notes LOC's Herblock exhibit
Political Jabs in Ink at Library of Congress
New York Times March 11, 2015, on page C3
Our Matt Dembicki, featured in magazine
He's too modest to post it himself.
Fairfax cartoonist Matt Dembicki brings comics to the classroom
By Matthew Tracy / Tuesday, March 10th, 2015
http://www.northernvirginiamag.com/game-plan/2015/03/10/fairfax-cartoonist-matt-dembicki-brings-comics-to-the-classroom/Curls by Carolyn Belefski Kickstarter halfway point
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Recently Bleeding Cool asked me to write about Curls and professional wrestler Sonjay Dutt tweeted about the project. I was also on The JellyVision Show podcast and have already recorded with other podcasts -- they will be releasing the episodes soon.
Our top pledge level is for the Curls book, which is awesome because that's the reason why we are doing this Kickstarter together. I also want to let you all know about another popular pledge level -- the $100 Avatar level. This is a cool opportunity to turn yourself, a friend, or family member into a cartoon! It makes for a great gift and you get to keep the original line art and received a color digital file. How cool is that? You also receive a Kickstarter exclusive signed and numbered Curls print, the Curls cowgirl print, Curls book with autograph and sketch from myself, postcard set, Kickstarter exclusive button pack, Curls patch, computer wallpaper, your name printed in the book acknowledgements, and song.
Check out the image above of my pal, Lara. This illustrates the process steps and shows you an example of the custom cartoon avatars I can create for you.
We have 14 more days and $1,895 to raise to make this project come to life and become a reality. I believe we can do this.
Send your friends a direct link -- http://kck.st/1EprkMX -- or use the "Share this project" button under the video to connect with your pals on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or Embed Video or Widget on your website or blog.
All the backers of this project inspire me to keep creating. Thanks for the encouragement.
XOXO,
Carolyn | |||||
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
National Endowment for the Arts talks to Gene Yang
NEA Arts Magazine
Gene Luen Yang
Failure Can Be Fruitful
Interview by Paulette Beete
Studio Cosplay Press Release
As received...
PRESS RELEASE
Studio Cosplay Breaks New Ground With Cosplay Makerspace
Fairfax, VA -- Studio Cosplay, a Washington DC area-based non-profit, is changing the world of cosplay and makerspaces. In 2015 it plans to offer the best of both worlds by opening the first community workshop by cosplayers for cosplayers. "Cosplay" is an increasingly popular art form combining costuming and role-playing, often seen at sci fi, comic book, and pop culture conventions worldwide.
To help these pop culture fans transform into their favorite characters the workshop will provide multiple stations catering to making and displaying costumes, armor, and props. The types of equipment provided will include sewing, painting, fabricating, wig styling, 3D printing and more. Since sharing photos of one's creation is a significant component of cosplay, photographers will also have the use of a green screen.
With multiple stations catering to making and displaying costumes, armor, and props, the types of equipment provided will include sewing, painting, fabricating, wig styling, 3D printing and more. Photographers will also have the use of a green screen.
The studio will offer hands-on classes for cosplayers across all skill levels, ranging from sewing to photo shoots to working with thermoplastics.
"Cosplay has not only allowed my artistic expression to flourish but the people I have met through cosplaying are more than just friends; they are family," says Liz Gmaz, a founding member of the organization. "Studio Cosplay is going to be a home for cosplayers. In a way, to me, cosplay means Ohana."
The group also provides emergency repair support at fandom conventions nationwide, most recently a big hit at Katsucon, where members can glue up, stitch up, finish up, and rest up before diving back into the crowd.
To meet the needs of interested cosplayers and to fund subsequent years of operation the organization will offer multiple "cosmakerspace" membership tiers.
Studio Cosplay's mission is to promote community through the art of costuming by providing workspace, opportunity, and education. The organization's founders, Liz Gmaz, Stefanie Hackenberg, Sabrina Maizland and Daria Medved, are themselves cosplayers who saw a need in the cosplay community for a place where cosplayers can go to work on their projects, meet other cosplayers, learn how to make costumes and props, and expand their artistic expression. Their Kickstarter campaign to cover the workshop's first year of expenses launched successfully in mid-February and was an immediate Kickstarter Staff Pick. The campaign closes on March 15th and the team only needs to raise 33% of the remaining funds in that time. Once the first workshop is successfully established Studio Cosplay plans to expand to other geographies, so even people outside of the DC area have a vested interest in helping the Kickstarter to succeed. People interested in backing the project can go to: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/6846446/studio-cosplay-a-makerspace-by-cosplayers-for-cosp
For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Studio Cosplay at:
https://www.facebook.com/studiocosplay
https://twitter.com/Studio_Cosplay
contactus@studiocosplay.org
March 14: Smudge con at Artisphere
| SMUDGE COMICS ARTS EXPO SAT MAR 14 / 12-6 PM / FREE Pick up self-published comics from over 50 local creators, listen to the tricks of the trade from established cartoonists, hear from local educators how they use comics in the classroom and try your hand at drawing your own comics. This year, Smudge expands into the Dome Theatre, showing comics-related documentaries all day for free, including "Root Hog or Die" which follows the 25-plus-year career of independent cartoonist John Porcellino. Admission is free and the show is for all ages. INVITE! |
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Monday, March 09, 2015
March 14: Jerry and Penelope Gaylord at 3rd Eye Comics
SATURDAY 3/14/15: BILL & TED'S MOST TRIUMPHANT RETURN #1 Launch Party with JERRY & PENELOPE GAYLORD
Carla Speed McNeil interview online
Alex de Campi and Carla Speed McNeil Show 'No Mercy' in New Image Series [Interview]
by Janelle Asselin
Comics Alliance March 9, 2015
http://comicsalliance.com/alex-de-campi-carla-speed-mcneil-no-mercy-interview/
Comic Riffs on a Simpson's death, Bill Watterson, and San Diego Comic-Con
Sam Simon's lasting influence on 'The Simpsons'
By Elahe Izadi
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog March 9 2015
Sam Simon, co-creator of 'The Simpsons,' dies at 59
By Adam Bernstein March 9 2015
Bill Watterson talks: This is why you must read the new 'Exploring Calvin and Hobbes' book
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog March 9 2015
Comic-Con 2015: So just what happens if Marvel's a no-show at San Diego Comic-Con?
By David Betancourt
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog March 9 2015
General Relativity Interactive Web Comic
Nguyen Nguyen writes in, "I wanted to share with you a fun project I just completed for Science Magazine.It's an interactive web comic celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity.
It's really pretty cool.PR: "Pointing Their Pens: Herblock and Fellow Cartoonists Confront the Issues" Exhibition Opens March 21
NEWS from the LIBRARY of CONGRESS
March 9, 2015
"Pointing Their Pens: Herblock and Fellow Cartoonists Confront the Issues"
Exhibition Opens March 21
A new exhibition at the Library of Congress will look at how editorial cartoonists, often with divergent viewpoints, interpreted the divisive issues of the 20th century—the U.S. intervention into World War II, McCarthyism, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal and events in the Middle East.
"Pointing Their Pens: Herblock and Fellow Cartoonists Confront the Issues" will open on Saturday, March 21, 2015 in the Graphic Arts Galleries on the ground level of the Library's Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. The exhibition is free and open to the public Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will close on March 19, 2016.
The exhibition has been made possible through the generous support of the Herb Block Foundation.
"Pointing Their Pens" will offer viewers an opportunity to experience the work of Herbert L. Block (1909-2001)—commonly known as Herblock—alongside the work of his contemporaries over a period of four decades. Featuring 30 cartoons, the exhibition will allow for comparisons of the ways in which cartoonists react to and interpret current events, develop their own distinct visual vocabularies and convey their diverse political opinions. "Pointing Their Pens" will be divided into six sections—World War II, Red Scare, Cold War, Vietnam War, Nixon and Middle East—with each section including two cartoons by Herblock and three by his contemporaries.
The exhibition is anchored by selections from the Library's Herbert L. Block Collection of more than 14,000 drawings, donated to the Library by the Herb Block Foundation in 2002. Herblock was a Pulitzer-Prize winning political cartoonist at the Washington Post for more than 55 years. The exhibition also draws heavily on the Art Wood Collection of Cartoon and Caricature, which comprises more than 17,000 original editorial cartoon drawings by hundreds of men and women, donated to the Library in 2001.
An online version of "Pointing Their Pens" will be available at www.loc.gov/exhibits/.
"Pointing Their Pens" is located in one of the three exhibition spaces of the Graphic Arts Galleries. The other spaces are the Swann Gallery and the Herblock Gallery, which continually displays a changing array of 10 Herblock cartoons from 50 years ago.
The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division includes more than 15 million photographs, drawings and prints from the 15th century to the present day. The holdings include the largest-known collection of American political prints, the finest assemblage of British satirical prints outside Great Britain and holdings of original drawings by generations of America's best cartoonists and illustrators that are unequaled in breadth and depth. The Library acquired these materials through a variety of sources including artists' gifts, donations by private collectors, selective purchases and copyright registration. For more information, visit www.loc.gov/rr/print/.
The Library of Congress, the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, holds more than 158 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats. The Library serves the U.S. Congress and the nation both on-site in its reading rooms on Capitol Hill and through its award-winning website at www.loc.gov.
# # #
PR15-35
3/9/15
ISSN: 0731-3527
Library of Congress | 101 Independence Ave SE | Washington DC 20540-1610 USA | 202.707.2905
Sunday, March 08, 2015
Q&A with Kevin Bednarz
by Matt Dembicki
Kevin Bednarz is an entrepreneur residing in Northern Virginia who next month is opening a unique comics store, Comic Logic, in Ashburn, Va. Below is a brief Q&A with Kevin.
Kevin Bednarz is an entrepreneur residing in Northern Virginia who next month is opening a unique comics store, Comic Logic, in Ashburn, Va. Below is a brief Q&A with Kevin.
Your new store will be a bit atypical for a comics retailer, in that
it will not only sell comics, but also original comics art and it will host
comics-making classes/workshops. How did that idea develop?
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| Kevin Bednarz in his new store during buildout. |
We want the store experience to be unique. First
and foremost, we will stay true to the loyal customers with our wide selection
of new titles and quality trade paperbacks. However, as we progress, we will
not only display and sell artwork, but we are developing comic style art
classes for kids and also adults. The idea
came from a place where so many comic store customers are also fans of artwork,
like they may pick up at a con, so why not bring a variety of local artists’ work right to them in a store/gallery
setting? I think we will create more
unique events and programs as we develop ourselves as a company, not just a
store.
Can you give us a few more details about the classes/workshops and the
type of art that you’d like to sell?
We are formulating the classes and events slowly,
trying to seek out what our customers may want. For example, we are developing
a “Drink & Draw” night where people can come in and learn to draw a
superhero or character while pairing up with a local brewery and serving craft
beer and appetizers while we draw. We think creating a social atmosphere will
only increase our brand loyalty, but create some new friendships in this
amazing world of comics and pop culture.
The artwork we will display will be comic-centric,
but the possibilities are endless with so many great local artists who have
already expressed interest in displaying work here. One night “pop up” art shows will be another event coming in
the near future.
You yourself are an artist. Can you tell us a little about your
background and projects?
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| A new series of artwork Bednarz finished for the shop. |
I’ve been
drawing since I could hold a pencil. I graduated with a design degree and
started two graphic design companies over the years. I now do very little
commercial work and am focusing on projects I want to paint, really just for
fun. You will see some of my new stuff in the shop, large-scale canvases,
custom skate decks, and more. My style
is a graphic urban style of pop art and comic book-type work, that's the only
way I can best describe it!
How did you get interested in comics?
My older cousin had a big box of Golden and Silver Age books he would let me read as a young kid, and then I started
begging my mom to buy me more each week. Not only did I love to read them,
but I loved to try and DRAW them. I got out of the game a bit in college, but soon
after, I picked up a few books again, and in the last 5 to 10 years, I have really
built up my collection. I love it.
As an owner of two businesses (Artist and the owner of the AshburnPub), how will those experiences help you run your new venture? How are they
different?
I think a lot is actually the same. In the art and comic world, your audience tends to be a bit more introverted, and in the
bar business, it’s more extroverted. But there is a common ground there in the way to go about being
successful.
Treat people right, give them a great product at a
fair price, promote new and creative ideas and events, try new things and have
fun.
Also, most important, is to surround yourself with a
great staff of partners and employees. I couldn't be more excited about the
staff at Comic Logic. Rich Golhoffer and Stephanie Blodgett have extensive
backgrounds in the business, but my partner and general manager, Rob Kaylin, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table. He is the real
driving force behind what we think is going to be a very successful, unique and
fun comic book shop.
Comic Logic opens April 25. What are some things you have set for
opening day?
We have the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce and
town officials on hand for a plaque presentation and a ribbon-cutting at noon. We also will have on hand the NOVA Roller Derby girls, members of the 501st
Star Wars Garrison Tyranus, The Hater Nation show, The Nerd Church Podcast, and
artist Jerry Gaylord, who is working on the new Bill & Ted book. We will have some giveaways, raffle prizes and
other special guests too. It’s going to be
a big day.
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| Grand opening flier |
The Post's Charlie Hebdo Sunday cartoons
Both Doonesbury and Barney & Clyde referenced the Charlie Hebdo massacre in today's Sunday funnies. I'm sure the Post will get letters.
Here's Cavna interviewing Weingarten on it:
Charlie Hebdo: Here's why Gene Weingarten wrote today's sly 'Muhammad' strip of 'Barney & Clyde'
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog March 8 2015
Friday, March 06, 2015
Essa Neima exhibit opening
Essa Neima, Syrian animator, is opening his exhibit of Christian-influenced oil on acrylic paintings tonight. These are religious images done in response to the ongoing civil war. "I'm trying in this show to represent the average people who just want peace." It's at the Church of the Pilgrim off Dupont Circle on P St & Florida Ave, NW.A 2013 interview with him can be found here.
Comic Riffs talks to Lincoln Peirce and Nate Powell
Are kids (still) reading comic strips? 'Big Nate' creator Lincoln Peirce draws this conclusion.
By Michael Cavna March 6, 2015http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/03/06/are-kids-still-reading-comic-strips-big-nate-creator-lincoln-peirce-draws-this-conclusion/
Selma at 50: How artist movingly re-creates the 'March' in Rep. John Lewis's graphic memoir
By Michael Cavna March 6 2015http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/03/06/selma-at-50-how-artist-movingly-re-creates-the-march-in-rep-john-lewiss-graphic-memoir/
Chip Beck interview picked up by Hyperallergic
Cartooning Against the Communists for the CIA
by Laura C. Mallonee on February 25, 2015
http://hyperallergic.com/182312/cartooning-against-the-communists-for-the-cia/
It's always strange to hear about artists in the pay of governments — the union seems so mismatched. In a recent interview with the Washington City Paper, cartoonist Chip Beck discussed using his pen to further the CIA's mission abroad. ....
The Post on a local Studio Ghibli anime fest
Where does Studio Ghibli sail without its guiding light? [online as Landmark's E Street Cinema hosts Studio Ghibli animated film series]
TONIGHT: Essa Neima exhibit opening
- at 6:00pm - 8:00pm
- Dupont Pilgrims Gallery2201 P St NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20037
DPG is honored to present Touch Me Not - an exhibition by Essa Neima at Essa Neima Fine Arts. The Gallery (inside the Church of the Pilgrims) will be open on the First Friday in March - March 6th from 6-8pm. The artist's talk is scheduled for 7pm.
Essa is an animator from the Middle East who now teaches at UDC.
Thursday, March 05, 2015
Coming in April: Creator Con
Local comics creator/teacher and co-founder of the ArtWay Alliance Eric Suggs Jr. is co-hosting Creator Con 2015 April 25 from 2-8
p.m. at Blake High School in Silver Spring, Md. The Facebook event page bills
the show as “celebrating art, gaming, technology industries and communities in
Maryland.” It will include art and comics galleries, video gaming, comic art
tournaments, workshops, panels, live entertainment, food trucks, etc. More info to come.
Smudge Comics Arts Expo program
The program for the Smudge Comics Arts Expo March 14 at Artisphere in Arlington, Va., will include exhibitors, presentations, Q&As, cartoons, documentaries and workshops! Click here to check out what's scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. It will have something for everyone: Parents, kids, hipsters, nerds, teachers, reform school graduates, you name it! Below is a sample illustration by Jade Feng Lee, who is tabling at the show and will run a workshop on character design starting at 1 p.m.
March 13: 'Vinyl Vagabonds' #6 release party
The Vinyl Vagabonds (aka Eric and
Sara Gordon) celebrate the release of zine #6 Friday, March 13, from 7-9 p.m.
at record/coffee shop Bump ‘n Grind in Bethesda, Md. Eric, a local cartoonist and
contributor to the Magic Bullet comics newspaper, describes Vinyl Vagabonds as a
“music- and art-focused project inspired by the medium of vinyl records.”
Adam Griffiths' Chromato-Tomato online store
Adam Griffiths says he’s soon
starting a new online store called Chromato-Tomato that will include original
drawings, limited edition color prints, and other goodies. In addition, Adam
has posted a bit of animation he did a few years ago called “Antimajesty.”
Click on image below to watch it.
Howzit Funnies: 'Love Is a Seed'
He missed Valentine's Day, but Andrew Cohen has posted online a nice little twisted ditty called "Love Is a Seed" as part of his Howzit Comics.
Click on image for the four-page comic
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