PR: Rare Variants Only at Beyond Comics - Nov. 28th

Local Comic Shop Day!

This is your chance to make sure you don't miss a copy of the Eduardo Risso Art Cover for the upcoming Frank Miller's Dark Knight III The Master Race #1 Gaithersburg - Frederick - Shepherdstown Saturday, November 28th Limited Editions & Variants! First Annual LCSD....      Only 299 Comic Book Retailers, worldwide, are participating in Local Comic Shop Day, and Beyond Comics is not just one of them, but three. Each store will have a selection of rare and special variant covers of many recent comics that are only available from participating stores.    Many of these special comics will be available for the same price they came out at. Some are so rare that they will be among the most sought after comics of the year. These comics will be available on a first come first serve basis - no holds or reserves.    No duplicate purchases will be allowed. Here are a few Examples of the array of LCSD Exclusives! Beyond Comics | Frederick, Gaithersburg, Shepherdstown 301-668-8202 | Email | Website

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Catharsis"

"Catharsis"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=1802

Catharsis will be a 3 day vigil featuring a Temple of Essence that will be burned on the night of Saturday, November 21 near the Washington Monument and within eyeshot of the White House.

This ceremonial vigil is dedicated to collectively healing from the war on drugs, and is the first of its kind on the National Mall. The vigil is needed because often American society doesn't mark a transition from a destructive and harmful policy to more compassionate one. As more voices call for an end to the war on drug users and their inhumane imprisonment, its crucial like-minded artists, activists and the community play a public role in healing and transforming to compassionate harm reduction policies.


By mike flugennock

http://sinkers.org/

'The Crocodile Joins the Gang'

The Lacoste clothing store at the Tysons Corner mall is doing a crossover with the characters from Peanuts.

That darn Mark Trail and other comics

Letters to the Editor

Prejudicing the lovely moonflower

William H. "Hank" Curtis, Saint Leonard

Washington Post November 7 2015
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/prejudicing-the-lovely-moonflower/2015/11/06/c1f8e608-825b-11e5-8bd2-680fff868306_story.html

A rare 'double' in the comics pages

Scott Price

Washington Post November 6 2015
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-rare-double-in-the-comics-pages/2015/11/04/a7d5ad64-825c-11e5-8bd2-680fff868306_story.html

Scoop has cosplay photos of Anime USA

Convention Report: Anime USA 2015
http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/Home/4/1/73/1017?ArticleID=170709

The Post reviews Peanuts

'The Peanuts Movie' retains the earnest spirit of the original

By Sandie Angulo Chen
Washington Post November 6 2015
https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/the-peanuts-movie-retains-the-earnest-spirit-of-the-original/2015/11/05/30e7da3e-8274-11e5-a7ca-6ab6ec20f839_story.html

Nov 13: Animezing - Royal Space Force: Wings of Honnêamise

- ROYAL SPACE FORCE: The Wings of Honnêamise -  November 13, 2015 | Friday, 6:30PM | Directed by Hiroyuki Yamaga Sci-Fi | 1987 | 121 min | Unrated| In Japanese with English Subtitles © BANDAI VISUAL / GAINAX   Please join us at:   Interested in more great Japan-related events in the Washington DC area? Check out our upcoming area events page, updated three times a week, for a list of the latest events in the region. The Japan Information and Culture Center 1150 18th Street NW, Suite 100 Washington DC, 20036 In the event of a cancellation, please contact us at  jicc@ws.mofa.go.jp. Registration is non-transferable. "...one of the most ambitious of all anime productions, a visually sensational two-hour extravaganza." -Roger Ebert Come join us for the film that launched the careers of dozens of Japan's animation superstars - including Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion) and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Summer Wars, Wolf Children) - and put Studio Gainax on the map as one of Japan's premiere production houses. The Royal Space Force is established in Honnêamise - a fictional kingdom on a fictional planet. Although the force boasts 30 years of history, they haven't been able to achieve solid results; people and the government have given up on them, seeing the force as a burden. Shirotsugh Lhadatt, the protagonist, is a member of the Royal Space Force, which far from their dreams have gone into idleness. One day, Shirotsugh meets Riqunni, a religious girl, and his destiny drastically changes, leading him to volunteer to be a space pilot...        This film is unrated and contains some scenes of violence and sexual situations. Viewer discretion is advised.   Recommended ages: 15+ This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Click here to register.   Doors open at 6:00PM and will close once seating is full or promptly at 7:00PM for security purposes. Registered guests will be seated on a first come, first served basis. Please note that seating is limited and registration does not guarantee guests a seat.

JICC, Embassy of Japan | 1150 18th St., NW | Suite 100 | Washington | DC | 20036

Nov 18: Drawn from the Headlines: Communication and Political Cartoons

Note that reservation is required.

11th Annual McGowan Forum on Communications: Drawn from the Headlines: Communication and Political Cartoons

• Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2015
• Time: 7:00 pm
• Location: William G. McGowan Theater, Washington, DC

Editorial cartoons are often characterized by their originality, editorial effectiveness, and quality of drawing and dramatize a wide range of social and political issues with style and humor. But how has the ever changing technological climate influenced this art form and what lies ahead for the future?

For the 11th annual McGowan Forum on Communications, a distinguished panel of award-winning political cartoonists will present and discuss their work, what inspires and motivates political cartoons, how these cartoons affect the political community and the public, and the impact of changing technology. Moderated by David Sipress, cartoonist for The New Yorker, the panel features panelists Tom Toles of The Washington Post, winner of the 2011 Herblock Award; Jen Sorensen, nationally-syndicated cartoonist and 2013 recipient of a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award; Keith Knight, award-winning creator of Knight Life and The K Chronicles; and Signe Wilkinson, the first female artist to win a Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning.

This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation with the generous support of the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund.

Reserve a seat

All public programs at the National Archives are free and streamed live online via the National Archives' YouTube channel. Reservations are recommended; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The doors to the building will open 45 minutes prior to the start of the program. Use the Special Events entrance on the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Street, NW. Click here for more information on getting to the National Archives and parking.Live captioning will be available online and in the William G. McGowan Theater. If you require an alternative or additional accommodation for an event (such as a downloadable transcript or a sign language interpreter), please send an email to public.program@nara.gov or call 202-357-5000 in advance.

KAL and Wuerker featured at local bar

Coasting to Victory: D.C. Bar Handicapping Presidential Race

By Warren Rojas

Roll Call November 5 2015

http://atr.rollcall.com/coasting-victory-d-c-bar-handicapping-presidential-race/

I believe Ann Telnaes has cartoons on the wall, and Richard Thompson used to (and may still).

The Post profiles a Palestinian cartoonist

He's a cartoonist. Some say provocateur. [online as Meet the Palestinian cartoonist Israelis accuse of incitement].

By William Booth
Washington Post November 5 2015, p. A8
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/meet-the-palestinian-cartoonist-israelis-accuse-of-incitement/2015/11/03/3ad2f0de-7cba-11e5-bfb6-65300a5ff562_story.html

John Lewis interview on March vol. 2

Interview: John Lewis

John Maher

Graphic Novel Reporter November 3 2015

http://www.graphicnovelreporter.com/authors/john-lewis/news/interview-011415

Nov 7: Lost Art Books in Brooklyn

Find us at Table #U9 in the upstairs hall!

Lost Art Books is one of the official sponsors of this year's Comic Arts Brooklyn (CAB) 2015 festival to be held on Nov. 7 from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. We've been invited to exhibit, and can be found in the upstairs hall at table #U9.

The festival is free to the public and is held at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Brooklyn. You can find more information about the show's exhibitors, programming, and special guests at Comic Arts Brooklyn's website.

We will be bringing our entire back catalog to the show, as well as some of our convention-only prints and chapbooks. Come by our booth and introduce yourself: making new friends is our favorite part of exhibiting at these festivals.

John Lewis and March featured on Politico

John Lewis, Superhero

The civil rights icon and venerable Congressman embraces his newest designation: comic book convention hero.

By Rebecca Burns

November 03, 2015

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/11/john-lewis-the-superhero-213319?paginate=false

Courtesy of Top Shelf Productions

Nov 7: The Art of Richard Thompson film in Alexandria

"The Art of Richard Thompson"
Alexandria Film Festival, November 7 (4PM)
AMC Hoffman Center 22
206 Swamp Fox Rd
Alexandria, VA 22314

Tom King's new Vision comic previewed on Marvel.com

Behold the Vision Sketchbook: Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta provide an exclusive peek at their new project!

Tj Dietsch

Nov 2, 2015

http://marvel.com/news/comics/25387/behold_the_vision_sketchbook

The Post on Disney's horizontal and vertical integration

In media universe, the force is strongest with Disney, Universal [in print as In media universe, the force is strongest with these two].

By Drew Harwell
Washington Post November 3 2015

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/the-empires-arise-disney-and-universal-dominate-us-box-office/2015/11/02/4fb4a982-7ce4-11e5-beba-927fd8634498_story.html

Nov 7: Citizen Jack creators at Third Eye Comics

This Saturday, meet CITIZEN JACK creators SAM HUMPHRIES & TOMMY PATTERSON at Third Eye Annapolis!

We're really pumped about the brand new IMAGE COMICS series, CITIZEN JACK, and are even more stoked to be bringing creators SAM HUMPHRIES (BLACK VORTEX, STAR-LORD, SACRIFICE) and TOMMY PATTERSON (GAME OF THRONES) in to sign copies of their new series, along with their past projects!

PR: GCD launches my.comics.org

[I've been a member since some time in the 1990s - Mike]

The Grand Comics Database (GCD) recently introduced a free comic collection inventory website at my.comics.org. Users from around the world can now track their collections benefiting from information found within the oldest and most extensive international comics database online.

GCD volunteers Jochen and Witold created my.comics.org with flexibility in mind. Witold emphasizes that "anybody can join and help us develop and improve, in any field from adding data through programming." This collaborative approach is designed to encourage developers to build additional tools to present, search, and filter collections.

Fans managing their collections through my.comics.org can also add and update information within the GCD, contributing to the continued growth of a free resource available to the entire comics community.

The Grand Comics Database is a nonprofit 501(c) project of international volunteers, with the goal of documenting and indexing all printed comics for the free use of scholars, historians, researchers, and fans worldwide. Started in 1994, the GCD has grown to become the largest online repository of indexed comics with over 1,205,000 issues from over 65 countries.

Thank you,

Daniel Nauschuetz

Grand Comics Database (GCD)

www.comics.org

DC-area band Exit Vehicles has just released an animated video

They tell ComicsDC:

We released our debut album STAGES in July 2015, and the first of a few music videos was released November 1st, this one for our song Module.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwkWPYiz9Qs

We felt the story for this could only really come across well if a cartoon was made from it, so we contacted a mutual acquaintance whose stuff we liked, Michigan-based artist Matt Rasch. Matt agreed to animate and direct for us in his unique style (http://mattraschart.tumblr.com/). It's just a whimsical cartoon about a monkey rocketing across space and back, and we think it's plenty of fun.

Exit Vehicles - Bandcamp website: https://exitvehicles.bandcamp.com/

Bio:

Exit Vehicles are a DC indie rock four piece who formed in mid-2013 as a project between twin brothers Brian and Adam Polon. After being in several bands and releasing several albums apart, the brothers felt it was finally time to try something together, and quickly sketched out 50 original songs on bass and guitar. The twins met drummer Jacob McLocklin (also in DC's indie/pop/rock outfit Cake and Calculus), and recorded 30 tracks with variations on Soundcloud under the project name The Debuggers (the three bandmembers all work in the DC computer/tech sector). The brothers found singer Brian Easley (a recent DC transplant via Austin and Chicago) through the Internet and began playing a show every month across DC for the next year under the name Exit Vehicles, their homage to science, space, technology, and NASA. Easley is a combat-disabled veteran.

Exit Vehicles recorded STAGES, their first LP, at the Lighthouse Recording Studio in Del Ray, Virginia with Peter Larkin early in 2015. The ten track album is a tribute to the Polon brothers' intricate and complex songwriting, McLocklin's dazzling drumwork, and Easley's visceral lyrics and wiry vocals. The album was also produced by Peter Larkin at The Lighthouse in Del Ray, and mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B in Charlotte, NC. The band's earlier 2014 EP offering – which Natan Press of The Deli Magazine described as "Aggressive yet melodic, progressive yet tight, a solid post-punk rhythm section drives a clean alt/indie sound reminiscent of the best in the city's history" – was recorded at Inner Ear Studio in Arlington, Virginia by Don Zientara. Exit Vehicles only play every month or two around DC, so be on the lookout for the next show! They play next on Saturday, December 12th, 2015 at Iota Club and Cafe in Arlington, VA.

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/exit.vehicles
Twitter: https://twitter.com/exitvehicles
Instagram: https://instagram.com/exitvehicles
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/exit-vehicles

Smithsonian blog on 19th century presidential election cartoons

Poking fun at the crowded presidential race—in the 1880s

By Jon Grinspan,
National Museum of American History's O Say Can You See blog September 17, 2015
http://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/crowded-presidential-race-1880s

Ben Katchor's animated video for Smithsonian Folkways music

Animated Music Video for "Ich A Mazeldicker Yid" by The Brothers Nazaroff

http://www.folkways.si.edu/animated-music-video-for-ich-a-mazeldicker-yid-by-the-brothers-nazaroff/music/video/smithsonian

The Brothers Nazaroff: The Happy Prince is a boisterous, high-energy tribute to cult Yiddish troubadour Nathan "Prince" Nazaroff, who recorded the mysterious Folkways 10-inch record Jewish Freilach Songs in 1954. International klezmer supergroup The Brothers Nazaroff, composed of Daniel Kahn, Psoy Korolenko, Michael Alpert, Jake Shulman-Ment, Bob Cohen, and Hampus Melin, breathe new life into the discordant, obscure, jubilant legacy of their Happy Prince. This animation by Ben Katchor gives a preview of The Brothers Nazaroff's raucous reinterpretation of on of The Happy Prince's songs.

Year Released 2015
Catalog Number NONSI00036
Duration 1:55
Agent(s) The Brothers Nazaroff
Culture Group(s) Jewish
Genre(s) Judaica; World
Language(s) English; Yiddish

Q&A: Bishop and Klokel on 10 years of Fantom Comics

by Matt Dembicki
 
Fantom Comics on Nov. 9 celebrates its 10^th anniversary. The Dupont Circle store will celebrate on Nov. 7 starting at 5 p.m. with a 10-year retrospective, award show and more. Below, owners David Bishop and Matt Klokel answers a few questions about their store’s decade in the District.

The store has had several locations over the past decade, settling over the past year in Dupont Circle. In retail, it’s often said that it’s “location, location, location.” How is the new location compared to the previous ones?

Matt Klokel and David Bishop

Bishop: No disrespect to Tenleytown, Union Station or Pentagon City Mall, but wow do we really wish we were in Dupont from the start. It's just a fantastic cross section of everything that's happening in DC, and while new neighborhoods have sprung up around DC over the years the vibe of Dupont Circle as a hub for a lot of cultural and business and residential activities is helping to bring all sorts of different folks.

Klokel: Dupont Circle is the perfect mix of residential and business traffic. Union Station had the work crowd, but no weekend traffic. Dupont has them both. It's also a neighborhood, where Union Station wasn't, and that shows in the warmth we've received from residents since our arrival.

Is there something other than location that fosters success?

Bishop: This one is easy: Our staff. Finding the right folks who are energized about comics and about meeting and talking with new people and helping to link Fantom to the broader comic book scene with conventions and creators has had a huge impact. Matt K can add more to this thought.

Klokel: I second Bishop's 'staff' conclusion. We're a success because of them. Equally valid is that a major key to our success is that we've stopped looking at our business model as "selling comic books." We've moved the focus toward "building a community" instead, and as we've done that, with the help of our excellent staff, the books move off the shelves a lot more frequently.

The comics retail business is notoriously tough. What inspired you to give it a try back in 2005? Is it still what drives you?

Bishop: I imagine lots of people who have a love for comics have had some inkling about what it would be like to own a comic book store. Back in 2005 when I ran into Matt, I was looking for some business idea that could plug into one of the many empty storefronts in my neighborhood and even scale to open additional locations in other retail strips that were losing businesses. It was a thought about tipping the scales back toward a more vibrant and diverse mix of retail. But then I met Matt and he had already signed a lease for Tenleytown and we rolled in that direction.

Klokel: I was 28 and it was my last chance to start a business — something I'd always wanted to do — before heading back to grad school and pushing forward in my think tank career. It was now or never was how I looked at it. I'd loved comics when I was younger and was aware that the quality and sophistication of the stories has significantly increased since I was a kid so I did a lot of research and had already committed when I ran into Bishop and it really came together. Back then I went into the comics business because I wanted to start a retail store and comics seemed like the smartest bet. What motivates me now is the community we've managed to build. They're good people, and they're the reason its fun coming to work every day. 

What are two to three things that you’ve learned over the past 10 years that are imperative to succeed in owning a comics shop?

Bishop: The number one thing that we are still learning is how to properly manage cash flow. There are new comic books coming in every week and that means that there is cash going out to pay for those new books and cash coming in when those books are purchased. So it's very challenging to keep a sharp eye and to make sure that things are balancing out. Related to that is how cautions we need to be when taking the available cash and reinvesting it into the business. We made many, many bad bets on investments in the early days, and we are now much more cautious about spending money to ensure that any investment will bring back positive value to Fantom. 

Klokel: I agree, inventory/cash flow is a hard lesson that needs to be learned. We can't return comics we don't sell, yet we upset customers if we don't have enough to sell. This is EVERY comic book store's top concern, and if a store doesn't master it, they won't be around too long.

What have been your proudest moments over the past decade?

Bishop: Making it to 10 years is very satisfying. And seeing the bet we made on a larger store that could support in-store events rather than a smaller newstand-sized store paying off is also something to be proud of.

Klokel: Frankly, every day I wake up and know we're still in business — and actually killing it — when Borders isn't is a source of pride.

What plans to you have to celebrate Fantom’s birthday?

Bishop: Matt K can answer that one.

Klokel: We'll be updating the Facebook event in the coming 10 days as we fill the agenda. There will be a retrospective at the beginning of the party.

Mike Jenkins' special Halloween

Arlington caricaturist Mike Jenkins' discussed his ghostly lawn decor on NPR's Science Friday on October 30, 2015 (at -48:30)

He also had this sweet Donald Trump caricature on his Trumpkin pumpkin.

Nov. 1: Captive of Friendly Cove booksigning at Busboys and Poets Brookland

Busboys and Poets Brookland: Rebecca Goldfield, Matt Dembicki, Mike Short, and Evan Keeling - Captive of Friendly Cove: Based on the Secret Journals of John Jewitt

Sunday, November 1, 2015 at 6:30 p.m.

Goldfield is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work has aired in such places as The Discovery Channel; her previous collaboration with Keeling, founding member of the D.C. Conspiracy, and the graphic artists Dembicki and Short, resulted in Trickster and District Comics, which was one of The Washington Post's Best Books of 2012. In their new work, this amazing creative team pairs early 19th-century adventure with 21st-century graphic tale-telling to depict the three years British sailor John Jewitt spent as a captive of the Mowachaht of Nootka Sound, showing the survivor keeping up his spirits by recording events in his journal and practicing his blacksmithing trade—all while plotting his escape.

Busboys and Poets Brookland

625 Monroe St NE

WashingtonDC20017

Captive of Friendly Cove: Based on the Secret Journals of John Jewitt (Paperback)

By Rebecca Goldfield, Mike Short, Richard Inglis (Foreword by)

$25.95

9781936218110