More SPX 2015 Panels

SPX 2015 Panel - SPX Spotlight on Phoebe Gloeckner

SmallPressExpo

Feb 23, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AZJ36ilvsA

Phoebe Gloeckner has produced one of the most powerful and innovative bodies of works in the comics field. Her classic book "A Child's Life and Other Stories" anthologizes short pieces which, together, powerfully express a textured portrait of adolescent desire and despair. Her mixed format book "The Diary of a Teenage Girl" blends prose, illustration, and comics. The book has been adapted as a critically acclaimed film, and was also republished in a new edition with additional supplementary material. For the past several years she has been researching a book about people living in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Ms. Gloeckner discuses her work in a spotlight conversation with Slate Magazine culture editor Dan Kois.

SPX 2015 - Ignatz Awards Ceremony

SmallPressExpo

 Feb 19, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NobdAw_Hyw

The Ignatz Award, named for the character in the classic comic strip Krazy Kat by George Herriman, is the festival prize of the Small Press Expo. Since 1997 the Ignatz has recognized outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning. The award recognizes exceptional work that challenges popular notions of what comics can achieve, both as an art form and as a means of personal expression. Only those present at the Small Press Expo may cast a vote to decide the winners. The ballot is created by a jury of five cartoonists and is voted on by the attendees of the SPX festival. 2015 Jurors are Lamar Abrams, Cara Bean, Robyn Chapman, Sophie Goldstein and Corrine Mucha.

Mistress of Ceremonies C. Spike Trotman hosts the 2015 award ceremony. The 2015 Ignatz Awards are sponsored by Comixology Submit

2015 Ignatz Award Winners:

Outstanding Anthology of Collection - How To Be Happy by Eleanor Davis

Outstanding Graphic Novel - The Oven by Sophie Goldstein

Outstanding Artist - Emily Carroll for Through the Woods

Outstanding Story - Sex Coven from Frontier #7 by Jillian Tamaki

Promising New Talent - Sophia Foster-Dimino for Sphincter, Sex Fantasy

Outstanding Series - Sex Fantasy by Sophia Foster-Dimino

Outstanding Minicomic - Sex Fantasy #4 by Sophia Foster-Dimino

Outstanding Online Comic - The Bloody Footprint by Lilli Carre

Outstanding Comic - The Oven by Sophie Goldstein

Silver Spring's Holmberg on nuclear manga

Pro-Nuclear Manga: The Seventies and Eighties

BY Ryan Holmberg Feb 26, 2016
http://www.tcj.com/pro-nuclear-manga-the-seventies-and-eighties/

City Paper on Hirshhorn's fine art animation exhibit

Reanimator: The Hirshhorn's latest exhibition explores the sometimes profound, sometimes obnoxious medium of digital animation.

By Kriston Capps • February 26, 2016, p. 25-26

online at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/47939/suspended-animation-at-the-hirshhorn-museum-and-sculpture-garden-reviewed/

Still from "Hope and Change" by Josh Kline (2015)

April1: Wine Tasting and Coloring Party with artist Teresa Roberts Logan (or Coloring Fools Day)

Friday, April 1

at 6:30 PM - 8 PM

One More Page Books & More

2200 N Westmoreland St, Ste 101, Arlington, Virginia 22213

What do you get when you combine a wine tasting, coloring party, aartist and April Fool's Day? You get Coloring Fools' Day!

We'll start with a wine tasting at 6:30 and then at 7, artist Teresa Roberts Logan will talk about the making of Posh Coloring Book: Paisley Designs for Fun and Relaxation. After answering questions, we'll get down to the serious fun of coloring some of Teresa's beautiful designs. A very fun and funny evening!

As a professional artist and illustrator, Teresa Roberts Logan has created thousands of paintings and drawings (collectors include Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd, and Kyoko Cox). Teresa also is the founder of Laughing Redhead Studio, a line of hilarious greeting cards that universally celebrates women through contemporary, edgy humor. She is a cartoonist, humor writer, and standup comic who lives in Washington, DC.

Tom King podcast interviews online now

Loika, Pat.  2016.

Tom King.

Loikamania (244; February 23): http://comicbooknoise.com/loikamania/2016/02/23/loikamania-244-tom-king/ and http://comicbooknoise.com/loikamania/podcasts/loikamania244.mp3

 

Word Balloon Tom King Has The Vision, Leaves Grayson, And Creates The Sheriff Of Babylon

by john siuntres

February 10, 2016

http://wordballoon.blogspot.com/2016/02/word-balloon-tom-king-has-vision-leaves.html

http://traffic.libsyn.com/wordballoon/wbTomKing0216.mp3

Comic Riffs talks to Mark Fiore

He once made a pilgrimage to see Herblock. Today, 'pretty emotional' artist wins Herblock Prize.

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs February 24 2016

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/02/24/he-once-made-a-pilgrimage-to-see-herblock-today-pretty-emotional-artist-wins-herblock-prize/

A frame from Mark Fiore's Herblock Prize-winning animations. (Courtesy of the artist)

A couple of quotes on the Herblock Award, from moi

Here's a quote I submitted when helping to choose Mark Fiore to select the Herblock award. It's at http://www.herbblockfoundation.org/herblock-prize-winner/1251 along with the 15 cartoon videos he sent in.

From Mike Rhode: for Fiore –

Mark Fiore, who practices editorial cartooning through animation, quickly rose to the top of the list for me, but he started as a dark horse. Animated editorial cartooning is young compared to traditional pen & ink drawings in the newspaper, but Fiore is among the first masters of the field. His cartoons covered a range of topics from deeply obscure but important mining law to the constant gun violence warping American society. It was a pleasure to be able to select him for this ground-breaking expansion of the Herblock award.

And here's my quote for Ruben Bolling as the runner-up for the Herblock award - it's at http://www.herbblockfoundation.org/2016-Finalist

From Mike Rhode: for Bolling –

Ruben Bolling's Tom the Dancing Bug has been a consistently excellent strip usually run in alternative newspapers and thus visible to fewer readers. This year Bolling submitted excellent, tight and hard-hitting cartoons on a variety of liberal topics.

PR: Winner of the 2016 Herblock Prize is Mark Fiore

[corrected 2nd paragraph]

For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON, DC, Wednesday, February 24th, 2016 – Mark Fiore has been named the winner of the 2016 Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning. Fiore is the first to win the Prize with all animated cartoon entries.

Mark Fiore, who the Wall Street Journal has called “the undisputed guru of the form,” creates animated political cartoons in San Francisco, one of the most fertile regions for creating political animation and cartoons. His work has appeared on the San Francisco Chronicle’s web site, Newsweek.com, Slate.com, CBSNews.com, MotherJones.com, NPR’s web site and is currently being featured on online news sites ranging from KQED and Truthdig.com to The Progressive and DailyKos.com. Fiore’s political animation has been featured on CNN, Frontline, BillMoyers.com, Salon.com and cable and broadcast outlets across the globe.

Beginning his professional life by drawing traditional political cartoons for newspapers, Fiore's work appeared in publications ranging from The Washington Post to the Los Angeles Times. In the late 1990s, he began to experiment with animating political cartoons and, after a short stint at the San Jose Mercury News as their staff cartoonist, Fiore devoted all his energies to animation.

Mark Fiore was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for political cartooning in 2010, a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award in 2004 and has twice received an Online Journalism Award for commentary from the Online News Association (2002, 2008). Fiore has received two awards for his work in new media from the National Cartoonists Society (2001, 2002), and in 2006 received The James Madison Freedom of Information Award from The Society of Professional Journalists.

The Herblock Prize is awarded annually by The Herb Block Foundation for "distinguished examples of editorial cartooning that exemplify the courageous independent standard set by Herblock." The winner receives a $15,000 after-tax cash prize and a sterling silver Tiffany trophy. Mark Fiore will receive the Prize on May 24th in a ceremony held at the Library of Congress. Mark Shields, a nationally known political analyst, columnist and commentator, will deliver the annual Herblock Lecture at the awards ceremony.

Judges for this year's contest were Kevin Kallaugher (KAL), editorial cartoonist for The Baltimore Sun and The Economist, winner of the 2015 Herblock Prize; Michael Rhode, archivist and author, commentator on comics for the Washington City Paper and creator of the ComicsDC blog; and Peter Kuper, alternative cartoonist and illustrator best known for his autobiographical, political, and social observations is also a visiting professor at Harvard University.

Judge Kevin Kallaugher (Kal) commented, "Mark Fiore's entry contained an engaging and powerful collection of visual commentaries.  Fiore demonstrated a great use of parody, adept writing, great visualizations and solid journalism to deliver thought provoking editorials. Like a good Herblock cartoon, Mark's work displayed a consistent and determined passion to fight against societies' ills and absurdities. It is his skilled and masterful cartoon craftsmanship steeped with determined political convictions that make Fiore's animations worthy of the Herblock Prize."

Peter Kuper added, "From the numerous high quality entries to this year's Herblock Foundation award, Mark Fiore's animation entry rose to the top. Not because it was animated, but rather because he demonstrated a consistently strong handle on his subject matter with an ability to convey complex topics with great humor, rage and irony. Fiore produced a powerful body of work that addresses a range of current events and brilliantly serves them up with a smile and a kick in the gut, heart, and other body parts. His work honors the legacy of Herblock and expands the form."

This year's finalist is Ruben Bolling, pen name for Ken Fisher. He is the author of the weekly comic strip "Tom the Dancing Bug" and will receive a $5,000 after-tax cash prize.  Judge Peter Kuper stated "For decades Ruben Bolling has consistently produced full page comics that find new angles of attack on familiar subjects. With subtlety, yet tremendous humor, he constructs each comic without any wasted space to build to surprising conclusions. Many of his strips take on several topics at the same time and over the years he has honed his art to deliver these ideas with great verve."

The Herb Block Foundation seeks to further the recognition and support of editorial cartooning: www.HerblockFoundation.org.  

March 19: Goode and Ganucheau signing at Big Planet

Big Planet Comics welcomes local artists Kendall Goode and Paulina Ganucheau for their two new comic series, The Doorman from Heavy Metal and Another Castle from Oni Press. The signing will be March 19 from 2-5 p.m. at the College Park store.

March 12: Girl-Con 2016

The Girl Scouts of Central Maryland is hosting Girl-Con on March 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  at the North Laurel Community Center in Laurel, Md.

In-Store Convention - Saturday, March 5th at Beyond Comics

February 2016 BEYOND COMICS Frederick Location  Featured guests: Marguerite Bennett, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Tyler Crook, Mike Deodato, Matt Fraction, Christopher Hastings, Matt Hawkins, Dan Jurgens, Ryan North, Rick Remender, Jimmy Palmiotti, Stjepan Sejic, Randy Stradley, and Skottie Young Enjoy a One-of-a-Kind Convention Experience from the comfort of Beyond Comics!   Featuring first looks at upcoming projects from the biggest publishers in the industry, hear from your favorite creative teams about upcoming projects, without the hassle a convention brings. Ask questions to the publishers via social media! Get some great Convention-exclusive items and covers! Only at the 2016 In-Store Convention Kick-Off! Featured Exclusive Comic Variants Click Here For More Information! Beyond Comics Frederick 5632 Buckeystown Pike Frederick, MD 21704 301-668-8202 All events subject to change due to product availability, attendee levels and events beyond our control. We will do our best to update customers upon any changes.

Beyond Comics, 18749 B North Frederick Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20879

Doug Marlette and Kudzu plaque in DC's Tabard Inn.

Carolyn Belefski on her Kickstarter campaign

Guide for a Successful Kickstarter Campaign

Carolyn Belefski
February 23, 2016
http://www.carolynbelefski.com/blog/2016/2/23/guide-for-a-successful-kickstarter-campaign

Cartoonists Rights Network sends letter to Iran

Letter To Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Calling For The Release Of Artist Atena Farghadani

Forty NGO's and more than 75 international cartoonists call for leniency for Iranian cartoonist wrongfully jailed

Robert Russell

February 22 2016

http://cartoonistsrights.org/letter-to-iranian-president-hassan-rouhani-calling-for-the-release-of-artist-atena-farghadani/

Carolyn Belefski wants you

To vote for her at the City Paper's Best of contest.



I am nominated for Washington City Paper's Best of D.C. Readers Poll in the category of "Best Visual Artist." I'd appreciate if everyone took about twenty seconds to vote. Please spread the word and vote using this link: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/bestofpoll/nominations/vote/4215?year=2016

An interview with The Vision's artist

Local writer Tom King has set The Vision in Arlington, but the artist is from Spain.

The Perfect American Family: Gabriel Hernandez Walta Talks the Art of The Vision

By David Harper

February 23, 2016

sktchd.com/art-feature/the-perfect-american-family-gabriel-hernandez-walta-talks-the-art-of-the-vision/

Herblock's papers are at the Library of Congress too

Most people interested in political cartoons know that Herblock's cartoons are in the Library's prints & photos divisions, but until recently I didn't realize that they had 240 boxes of his papers as well.

Herbert Block papers, 1863-2002 (bulk 1945-2001). 70,000 items. Finding aid,
hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms008073
http://rs5.loc.gov/…/…/eadxmlmss/eadpdfmss/2008/ms008073.pdf

Correspondence, writings, speeches, interviews, clippings, cartoon reprints, and printed material relating chiefly to Block's career as the political cartoonist "Herblock" for the Washington Post and as author of several books. Also documents his work with the Chicago Daily News and the Newspaper Enterprise Association in Cleveland, and his U.S. Army service. Subjects include cartooning, politics, social activities among Washington's political and cultural circles, and personal affairs. Includes research material for and drafts of his memoirs, Herblock: A Cartoonist's Life (1993) and transcript of an interview conducted by Katharine Graham with Block in 1990.

Mark Giaimo's cartoony paintings explained

I make 'toy life' paintings, like of Cap'n Crunch drowning in a storm. Here's how I do it.

by Mark Giaimo

Washington Post Comic Riffs blog February 19 2016

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/02/19/inside-sketchbook-how-a-post-artist-builds-a-still-life-toy-painting-step-by-step/

Comic Riffs talks to Frank Miller about Batman 30 years later

Frank Miller on his 'Dark Knight Returns' 30 years later: 'I was rooting for Batman all the way'

By David Betancourt
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog February 22 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/02/22/frank-miller-on-his-dark-knight-returns-30-years-later-i-was-rooting-for-batman-all-the-way/

The cover for the 30th anniversary edition of The Dark Knight Returns (Courtesy of DC Entertainment).

Cartoon or comic charities: A public service announcement

I know of three full-charities that devote themselves to cartoonists in the US. Here they are in case you want to put some of that tax refund to good use:

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

http://cbldf.org/

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians, and readers. The CBLDF provides legal referrals, representation, advice, assistance, and education in furtherance of these goals. 

The CBLDF provides legal referrals, representation, advice, assistance and education to cases affecting the First Amendment right to read, create, publish, sell, and distribute comics and graphic novels. We help individuals and businesses who are being criminally prosecuted because of the comic books they read, make, buy, or sell. We help creators who are being attacked in cases where their work is clearly protected as parody or fair use. We help libraries gather resources to defend graphic novel challenges. We are the first line of defense when authorities intimidate individuals or businesses about the comics they read, make, buy or sell. Often a letter or phone call from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's lawyers will end a case before it starts.

Hero Initiative

http://www.heroinitiative.org/
 
Since its inception, The Hero Initiative (Formerly known as A.C.T.O.R., A Commitment To Our Roots) has had the good fortune to grant over $700,000 to over 50 comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.

Cartoonists Rights Network International

http://cartoonistsrights.org/

CRNI defends the creative freedom and human rights of political cartoonists under threat throughout the world.  We strengthen the interconnectedness of all political cartoonists and organize resources for their communication, local development and education.

Team Cul de Sac is another fundraiser that I would mention because I'm involved with it, but it's not the same type as those previously listed.



Team Cul de Sac
http://teamculdesac.blogspot.com/

Team Cul de Sac is a fundraising effort in honor of Richard Thompson, the cartoonist behind the Cul de Sac comic strip. Richard was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. With Richard's support, Chris Sparks asked cartoonists across the country to contribute comics compiled into a fundraising book published by Andrews McMeel (Team Cul de Sac: Cartoonists Draw The Line At Parkinson's). The original artwork was auctioned to raise additional money. Team Cul de Sac continues to progress and expand our fundraising efforts. Any funds raised go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's disease research.

March 26: Black Comic Book Mini-Festival

March 3: "The Hebrew Superhero" at LOC at noon

The Library of Congress will host two film talks on Jewish or Israeli themes during the week of March 2. Each will feature remarks by the directors and clips from their documentary films.

The talks are presented by the Library's Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division, in cooperation with the Library's Hebrew Language Table and the Washington Jewish Film Festival. The series is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required. The presentations will be held at noon in venues located in the Library's James Madison Building at 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.

Thursday, March 3, "The Hebrew Superhero" (2015), directed by Asaf Galay, who will be present to discuss and show clips from the film, which traces the evolution of Israeli comics from the cultural fringe to a mainstream reflection of Israeli society. Location: Mary Pickford Theater, Third Floor, James Madison Building

NPR's Bob Boilen on the Simpsons this weekend

So ... I'm Going To Be On 'The Simpsons'

All Songs Considered

Updated February 19, 2016
Published February 18, 2016
http://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2016/02/18/467119760/so-im-going-to-be-on-the-simpsons

Bob Boilen

Bob Boilen to Appear on The Simpsons, Like Many of His NPR Colleagues

By Benjamin Freed on February 19, 2016
http://www.washingtonian.com/2016/02/19/bob-boilen-to-appear-on-the-simpsons-like-many-of-his-npr-colleagues/

Bob Boilen, in Springfieldian form. Image courtesy The Simpsons.

Compleating Cul de Sac book's latest contributions to Team Cul de Sac

Thanks to everyone who bought Compleating Cul de Sac and thus supported Team CdS in fundraising against Parkinson's disease. For the last quarter of 2015, you raised $144.41 which was deposited into Team Fox's account today.

The book is now out of print because we're adding to it and will have an actual publisher. Look for the 2nd edition of the book in Summer 2016 from Lost Art Books. Any profits from the book will continue to go to Team Cul de Sac.

Mike Rhode

John Kinhart's new comic book

John Kinhart says,

I finally self-published a comic and it's available for sale here: http://www.storenvy.com/stores/816531-johnkinhart

Follow the Comics Research Bibliography on Facebook

As an experiment, I've started a Facebook page for The Comics Research Bibliography, which is at http://homepages.rpi.edu/~bulloj/comxbib.html but hasn't been updated for years.

I've done a print / ebook version which I plan to update, but that takes a lot of time. You can find that at  http://www.lulu.com/shop/michael-rhode/comics-research-bibliography-2012-print-edition/ebook/product-18792651.html

This will be a timely site to update citations for an international bibliography of comic books, comic strips, animation, caricature, cartoons, webcomics etc.

The Grand Comics Database at http://www.comics.org is planning on adding bibliography, but I think they'll take a few years to catch up.

I'd appreciate any feedback.

Scoop on last week's Katsucon

Convention Report: Katsucon 2016

Scoop February 19 2016
http://scoop.previewsworld.com/Home/4/1/73/1017?ArticleID=174922

The Express on Deadpool

The R-rated 'Deadpool' is a hit, but not every superhero movie needs to be hardcore [in print as 'Deadpool' ripples: It's not the R that made it a smash].

By Kristen Page-Kirby
Express February 19 2016): 16

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2016/02/19/the-r-rated-deadpool-is-a-hit-but-not-every-superhero-movie-needs-to-be-hardcore/

Deadpool breaks the fourth wall to tell you to write your own [bleeping] caption. (Fox)

The Reelist is a column featuring Kristen Page-Kirby's musings on movies. For Washington Post film critic Michael O'Sullivan's review, click here.

The Post reviews Canadian animation

'Snowtime!' starts out charming, turns deadly serious in third act [in print as Dark doings in a white world]

By Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post February 19 2016, p. Weekend 27

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/snowtime-starts-out-charming-turns-deadly-serious-in-third-act/2016/02/18/39f65efc-d594-11e5-b195-2e29a4e13425_story.html

An animated feature from Canada, "Snowtime!" starts out as a warmly charming tale but ultimately turns grim. (CarpeDiem Film&TV/Shout! Factory)

Rafer Roberts' Archer and Armstrong preview online

EXCLUSIVE: Valiant Launches "A&A" with Animated Trailer, 10-Page Preview

February 17th, 2016
http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/exclusive-valiant-launches-aa-with-animated-trailer-10-page-preview

Panetta and S Ganucheau place a book at First Second

From Publishers Weekly:

Calista Brill at First Second Books has bought world English rights to the YA graphic novel Bloom, written by Kevin Panetta and illustrated by Savanna Ganucheau. The book tells the story of Ari and Hector, who fall in love working together at a bakery. Publication is slated for winter 2018; Charlie Olsen at Inkwell represented Panetta and Ganucheau.

Tom King goes exclusive with DC

From his Facebook page:

Announced today! I've signed an exclusive with DC Comics.

To me, DC is Superman. DC is Batman. DC is Wonder Woman. DC is Swamp Thing, The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, Year One, Sandman, Preacher, All Star Superman, 52, New Frontier, Secret Six, Sinestro War, Y the Last Man, The Court of Owls, Scalped. DC is where the great comics get made. I'm honored and proud to be part of that tradition, and I'm going to do my best to write my best. I can't wait for everyone to see what's coming.

The Alliance Française de Washington's Graphic Novel Contest

The Alliance Française de Washington is launching its first “Bubble Factory” festival – “La Fabrique à Bulles” – dedicated to graphic arts. The festival will encourage and promote the emergence of new talents in this contest for graphic artists.

The idea of a “Factory” emphasizes the power of the mind and creativity of the young artists while “Bubbles” refers to, as in English,  “Speech Bubbles.”

When? The contest will  start on Monday, February 8,  2016 and will end on Friday, April 22, 2016.

The awards ceremony will take place in Washington on May. We will announce the location soon.

What? The theme for this first year’s contest is:“Résister!” “Resist!” (in English).

How? There will be two parts to the contest:
– One for teenagers: From 12 years old to 16 years old.
– One for Adults: More than 16 years old.

Contestants will be required to submit 1 “ledger size” panel (11 x 17) by April 22, 2016 (must be postmarked by 04.22.16).

Download the Contest Guidelines