Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Jack Evans, Hometown Hero"

From Mike Flugennock, DC's anarchist cartoonist -

"Jack Evans, Hometown Hero"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=2884

Well, isn't this just all-time... Vincent Orange, DC Chamber of Commerce CEO and former disgraced DC City Council member, is throwing a bash for himself and a host of fellow grifters to congratulate themselves for bringing big-league baseball back to DC. Anybody who was anybody making this city miserable back in the '00s is going there, a turn-of-the-century rogues' gallery featuring none other than former Mayor Tony "The Rat" Williams himself. Honorees' schwag is to include replicas of the World Series trophy, and baseballs personally autographed by the owners of the Washington Nationals.

The truly spectacular irony here is that at a masturbatory shindig held by a guy who ended up resigning from the City Council after taking the Chamber gig, one of the honorees is our current champion multi-dipper, soon-to-be-bounced-out-of-his-seat and likely to end up with a C of C spot, Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans — an irony so spectacular, in fact, that I'm really going to have to go lie down now.

------

"Let's Celebrate Vincent Orange, Local Baseball Hero", Washington CityPaper 12.06.19 
https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/loose-lips/article/21104820/lets-celebrate-vincent-orange-local-baseball-hero

"Vincent Orange Gets an Outrageous Side Job", Washington City Paper 07.29.16 
https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/loose-lips/blog/20829331/vincent-orange-gets-an-outrageous-side-job

"Anthony Williams' Greatest Hits", posters by Mike Flugennock, 03.01.01 http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=215

"Thanks, Washington Post (finally)", cartoon by Mike Flugennock, 06.22.19 http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=2751

"Chamber to Honor 'Hometown Heroes' at Dec. 12 Event", The Georgetowner 12.04.19 
https://georgetowner.com/articles/2019/12/04/chamber-to-honor-hometown-heroes-at-dec-12-event/

"All of Jack Evans' Colleagues Recommend Expelling Him from the Council", Washington City Paper 12.03.19 
https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/loose-lips/article/21104227/all-of-jack-evans-colleagues-recommend-expelling-him-from-the-council

Wonder Woman 1984 trailer shows bits of DC

The new Wonder Woman 1984 trailer is online. Much of the movie takes place in DC, and I'm sure it'll be nostalgic for me because I was at George Washington University at the time.

A couple of local writers have looked at it already -

There Is A Lot Of D.C. On Display In The New 'Wonder Woman' Trailer

Rachel Kurzius

https://dcist.com/story/19/12/09/there-is-a-lot-of-d-c-on-display-in-the-new-wonder-woman-trailer/

and

Wonder Woman 1984 Trailer

Marc Singer

Monday, December 09, 2019

http://www.thefifth.world/2019/12/wonder-woman-1984-trailer.html

The Luna Brothers feud story continues

Joshua Luna Speaks Out on Why He No Longer Works with His Brother, Jonathan Luna

December 8, 2019 | by Jude Terror

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2019/12/08/joshua-luna-speaks-out-on-why-he-no-longer-works-with-his-brother-jonathan-luna/

That darn Gahan Wilson

Right is wrong

Jeff Hamilton, Jessup

By Letters to the Editor 

Washington Post Dec. 7, 2019, p. A13.

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/readers-critique-the-post-choose-more-photos-like-this-one-that-dont-include-buttigieg/2019/12/06/a0b01314-17b6-11ea-a659-7d69641c6ff7_story.html

Gahan Wilson, self-portrait. (Fantagraphics Books)

Feud between Luna Brothers exposed on Facebook

[ I thought about continuing to stay silent, but that doesn't help anyone but him, so I'll say it now. ]

Joshua Luna

December 6 2019

https://www.facebook.com/218644494958511/posts/1460600934096188/?d=n

Today's Sally Forth strip has a new Christmas cartoon attached to it

Sally Forth runs in The Post, and amazingly enough, is as small on the computer screen as it is in the printed paper. One wouldn't have thought that possible. The increasingly surreal strip by Francesco Marciuliano and Jim Keefe has Hillary and Ted watching an animated holiday special...

... which really is a new online cartoon.

The Elf Who Lost His Hand in a Tragic Toy Factory Accident (Holiday Special)

Francesco Marciuliano

Dec 6, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cinypEf1xxQ

A brand new heartwarming, soul-lifting holiday special about Christmas joy, childhood nostalgia, beloved toys, and factory-related dismemberment. Written and illustrated by "Sally Forth" writer and New York Times-bestselling author Francesco Marciuliano ("I Could Pee on This and Other Poems by Cats"), animated and narrated by accomplished voiceover artist Tom Racine (Tall Tale Radio), and made possible by nostalgia, glad tidings, and unregulated North Pole work conditions.

Off Panel podcast talks to Jonathan Luna

Off Panel #232: Lower 48 with Jonathan Luna

David Harper

Dec 5, 2019

https://sktchd.libsyn.com/off-panel-232-lower-48-with-jonathan-luna

https://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/e/2/8/e282f518ae23fec8/Jonathan_Luna.mp3

The Post's obituary for Howard Cruse

Howard Cruse, underground cartoonist and 'godfather of queer comics,' dies at 75 [in print as Pioneering chronicler of LGBTQ life in comics].

Harrison Smith 

Washington Post Dec. 6, 2019 p. B5

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/howard-cruse-underground-cartoonist-and-godfather-of-queer-comics-dies-at-75/2019/12/04/565ee72c-15e0-11ea-8406-df3c54b3253e_story.html

Bloom makes Powell's best of 2019 list

Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Graphic Novels of 2019

by Powell's Staff,

Powell'sBooks.Blog December 2, 2019

https://www.powells.com/post/lists/best-science-fiction-fantasy-horror-and-graphic-novels-of-2019

Liz at Large comic's 2nd week in City Paper

This is in the print paper as well.

Liz At Large: "Now"

Week two of our new cartoon series is here.

Liz Montague

Dec 5, 2019

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/article/21104615/liz-at-large-now

NPR's 2019 graphic novel list

NPR's Book Concierge

Produced by Rose Friedman, Petra Mayer, Beth Novey and Meghan Sullivan | Executive Producer: Ellen Silva

https://apps.npr.org/best-books/

NPR on Tanabe's Lovecraft

'At The Mountains Of Madness,' Spheroid Space Monsters Are Just Like Us

Etelka Lehoczky

December 5, 2019

https://www.npr.org/2019/12/05/784829291/at-the-mountains-of-madness-spheroid-space-monsters-are-just-like-us

Telnaes live-cartooning the impeachement hearings

Sketches from the House Judiciary Committee's first impeachment hearing

Ann Telnaes 

Editorial cartoonist

Dec. 4, 2019

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/12/04/sketches-house-judiciary-committees-first-impeachment-hearing/

The Mueller Report Illustrated on the Post's website

"The Mueller Report Illustrated: A six-part series on the obstruction investigation" came out as a book this week, but it's also on the Post's website, with sound.

Government-produced comics in the Library of Congress

How the Government Connects through Pop Culture: From Comics to Memes

Library of Congress Headlines and Heroes blog December 4, 2019 by Malea Walker

https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2019/12/how-the-government-connects-through-pop-culture-from-comics-to-memes/

Frankenstein Zombie launch page

From Springfield's David Miller: "Just thought I'd share the launch page for The Frankenstein Zombie on the Markosia site. It has links to where the Frankenstein Zombie can be bought and you can see a dramatic reading of the text by me if you wish. https://markosia.com/2019/10/21/the-frankenstein-zombie-out-now/ "

Photos of Cartoons, Controversy and Caricatures (w/Matt Wuerker and Kevin Kallaugher)

Bruce Guthrie has his pictures of the Georgetown University event online.

Cartoons, Controversy and Caricatures: Political Cartooning in the Age of Trump
Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Join POLITICO's Matt Wuerker and The Economist's Kevin Kallaugher for a workshop and open discussion on the theory and practice of political cartoons. Attendees will participate in the conversation and even learn to draw some famous politicians.

Library of Congress' Swann Foundation is accepting fellowship applications

The Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, administered by the Library of Congress is accepting applications for its graduate fellowship, one of the few in the field, for the 2020-2021 academic year. Deadline for applications is February 14, 2020. Please see the following for criteria, guidelines, and application forms:
https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/swann-fellow.html

Please email swann@loc.gov or call (202) 707-9115 if you have questions.

NPR talks to Lynda Barry

Cartoonist Lynda Barry: Drawing 'Has To Come Out Of Your Body'

Etelka Lehoczky

November 27, 2019

https://www.npr.org/2019/11/27/782921983/cartoonist-lynda-barry-drawing-has-to-come-out-of-your-body

The Post releases The Mueller Report as graphic journalism today

The Mueller Report Illustrated

The Obstruction Investigation

By The Washington Post

Illustrated by Jan Feindt

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Mueller-Report-Illustrated/The-Washington-Post/9781982149277

About The Book

Written and designed by the staff of The Washington Post and illustrated by artist Jan Feindt, The Mueller Report Illustrated: The Obstruction Investigation brings to life the findings of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III in an engaging and illuminating presentation.

When it was released on April 18, 2019, Mueller's report laid out two major conclusions: that Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election had been "sweeping and systematic" and that the evidence did not establish that Trump or his campaign had conspired with the Kremlin. The special counsel left one significant question unanswered: whether the president broke the law by trying to block the probe.

However, Mueller unspooled a dramatic narrative of an angry and anxious president trying to control the criminal investigation, even after he knew he was under scrutiny. Deep inside the 448-page report is a fly-on-the-wall account of the inner workings of the White House, remarkable in detail and drama. With dialogue taken directly from the report, The Mueller Report Illustrated is a vivid, factually rigorous narrative of a crucial period in Trump's presidency that remains relevant to the turbulent events of today.

About The Author

The Washington Post

The Washington Post has built an unparalleled reputation in its coverage of the Special Counsel's investigation and related topics. The paper's circulation, prominence, and influence continue to grow.

About The Illustrator

Jan Feindt

Product Details

• Publisher: Scribner (December 3, 2019)
• Length: 208 pages
• ISBN13: 9781982149277

The Post on a year and a decade of live-action superheroes

2019 was a rocky year for superheroes — until 'Watchmen' raised the bar for the genre

Alyssa Rosenberg 

Opinion writer

Washington Post Act Four blog Dec. 1, 2019

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/12/01/was-rocky-year-superheroes-until-watchmen-raised-bar-genre/

The 11 superheroes who defined the decade onscreen, from Iron Man to one of the Watchmen

David Betancourt 

Washington Post November 26, 2019

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/11/26/iron-man-one-watchmen-here-are-superheroes-who-defined-decade-onscreen/

Pioneering Gay Cartoonist Howard Cruse Dies at 75 (posted by request)

Howard Cruse's family sent out this press release and asked for coverage of his passing. I have a great deal of respect for his work, and haven't seen anything yet in local media although the area has a large LGBTQ population. I definitely recommend reading Stuck Rubber Baby.

Pioneering Gay Cartoonist Howard Cruse

Dies at 75

(WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS., Nov. 26 2019) -- Howard Cruse, a pioneer in the LGBTQ cartooning movement and the author of Stuck Rubber Baby, an award-winning graphic novel about the intersection of race and sexuality in the South, died on Tuesday, November 26. He was 75.

His husband of 40 years, Ed Sedarbaum, said that Cruse succumbed to complications from lymphoma at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, MA. Cruse, who lived in Williamstown, Ma., had been diagnosed in August.

Cruse’s masterwork, the bold graphic novel Stuck Rubber Baby, was published in 1995. It was based on Cruse’s interior struggles as a closeted gay man during the civil rights era of the 1960s. Widely translated, Stuck Rubber Baby has won numerous awards, including a critics prize at the Angoulême International Comics in France, the Harvey Award, Eisner Award and United Kingdom Comic Art Award for Best Graphic Album.

Stuck Rubber Baby will be reissued in a 25th anniversary edition by First Second Books in May 2020.

Howard Russell Cruse was born May 2, 1944 in Birmingham, Alabama, as the younger of two sons born to Clyde and Irma Cruse. The family moved to Springville when his father, a photojournalist, was ordained as a Methodist minister and assigned to Springville Methodist Church. Cruse's creative talents were encouraged by both his parents. His first published work was a 1959 comic strip called “Calvin” in the St. Clair County Reporter. Young Cruse also had cartoon art published in the humor magazines Fooey and Sick. He was mentored through an ongoing correspondence with famed cartoonist Milton Caniff, the creator of “Terry and the Pirates” and “Steve Canyon” newspaper comic strips. At age 16, Cruse was invited to visit Caniff in New York City.

At Birmingham Southern College, Cruse became involved in the theatre program, designing sets and appearing In several productions. He wrote and directed his own play during his senior year. For the college literary magazine, Quad, Cruse satirized the conservative organization the John Birch Society. The controversial work appeared in print, but the faculty advisor insisted on running a full-page disclaimer.

After graduating from BSC in 1968, Cruse joined Birmingham’s WBMG-TV as art

director and a puppeteer on “The Sergeant Jack Show.” At this time, he became

romantically involved with a man, Don Higdon, for the first time.

During this time, Cruse created “Tops & Button,” a cartoon panel about two

squirrels, which ran daily in The Birmingham Post-Herald from 1970 to

1972. He also created the subtly subversive comic strip “Barefootz,” which

debuted in the University of Alabama's newspaper Crimson White. “Barefootz” would appear in several Birmingham-area publications during the decade, and later in underground comic books.

In 1977 Cruse relocated to New York City to make cartooning his full-time profession. In 1979, he met Eddie Sedarbaum and they moved in together. The couple was married in 2004.

Cruse’s career reached a personal and professional breakthrough in 1980 when he was founding editor of Gay Comix, an underground anthology for lesbian and gay cartoonists. Cruse’s own work, exploring his conflicted childhood and repressive Southern upbringing, appeared in these comic books.

In an era before the formal passage of LGBT rights, these frank cartoon explorations of gay culture, politics, sex, and camp had a huge influence on young people in the closet. During the four years of his editorship, Cruse received letters of gratitude from readers all over the country, many who had considered suicide. During this period, Cruse did many pro bono illustrations to support fledgling LGBT organizations, as well as mentoring of young queer cartoonists. Cruse created a high-profile poster about gay male safe sex practices in 1985 for New York City’s Gay Men’s Health Crisis.

Cruse’s profile as a cartoonist grew with the debut of “Wendel,” a comic

strip about a gay everyman, his lover, friends and family. It appeared in the national newsmagazine The Advocate from 1983 to 1989. He also contributed frequently to The Village Voice. Cruse and Sedarbaum became active in LGBT and AIDS grass-roots politics, joining the direct-action organizations ACT UP and Queer Nation.

Cruse and Sedarbaum left New York City in 2003 and moved to Western Massachusetts, settling first in North Adams and then Williamstown.

Cruse frequently appeared at comic book conventions over the decades, and was the guest of honor at academic and fan conferences, especially those addressing the subject of queer comic art. His final published comic work appeared this year in Northwest Press's horror anthology “Theater of Terror: Revenge of the Queers.” Cruse was among LGBT cartoonists and illustrators appearing in the documentary “No Straight Lines,” scheduled for a 2020 release.

Cruse’s work has been collected in several books, among them, Barefootz Funnies (Kitchen Sink, 1975-79), Wendel (Gay Presses of New York, 1986), Dancin’ Nekkid with the Angels (St, Martin’s, Kitchen Sink, 1987) and Wendel on the Rebound (St. Martin’s Press, 1989).

In addition to his husband Ed Sedarbaum, Cruse is survived by his daughter, Kimberly Kolze Venter, and his brother, Allan Cruse.

Donations in his memory can be made to New York City’s LGBT Community Center, the Queers & Comics Conference, and Rainbow Seniors of Berkshire County.

Memorial services, open to the public, will be held in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and New York City in the near future. Exact information will be posted on howardcruse.com/

  

     Obituary compiled by Richard Goldstein and Jay Blotcher

New National Museum of African Art exhibit has a comic book flavor

by Bruce Guthrie

The National Museum of African Art (that's the one you don't need timed tickets to get into -- it's the one by the Castle) has a new exhibit "Heroes: Principles of African Greatness".  

The artifacts are from the museum's permanent collection so you may have seen some of them before.  What's different is that they're trading on the popularity of Black Panther.  All of the signage is in a comic book font and you'll see a few word balloons and such.  

They have a copy of the Black Panther comic in the display as well as some comics published in Africa.  It's not a major part of the exhibit though.  

Their brochure for the exhibit, although it's folded like one of those easily-ripped pocket-sized maps, also reflects the comic book design motif.

You might not want to make a special trip to see it but if you're going to the Freer's Hokusai exhibit, you definitely should pop in.  

The museum's description of the exhibit is on https://africa.si.edu/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/heroes-principles-of-african-greatness/

My pictures from my Thanksgiving visit are on

http://www.bguthriephotos.com/graphlib.nsf/keys/2019_11_28C2_SIAfri_Heroes

Bruce Guthrie
Photo obsessive
http://www.bguthriephotos.com

Gahan Wilson speaks at the 2009 Small Press Expo

Scott Edelman

Published on Nov 22, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2rXIWQcggk

On Saturday, September 26, 2009, I attended SPX (the Small Press Expo), and the most important thing I did that day was listen to "Gahan Wilson in the Spotlight." I recorded his hour-long talk, and to honor his memory on this day of his passing, I've uploaded the audio so you can learn more about this wonderful man. It's audio only, so you'll miss out on the rubber-faced cartoonist's body language as he hams it up, but I think you'll find the sound of the master's voice worthwhile all by itself. R.I.P.

The Post reviews White Snake, a Chinese animation

Seventh-century Chinese folk tale takes on vivid new life in the CGI 'White Snake' [in print as Seventh-century Chinese folk tale gets vivid and thrilling new life]

By Pat Padua

Washington Post November 29 2019, p. Weekend 37

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/seventh-century-chinese-folk-tale-takes-on-vivid-new-life-in-the-cgi-white-snake/2019/11/22/4c2076e4-0a38-11ea-8397-a955cd542d00_story.html

Awesome Con and Baltimore Comic-Con tickets on sale today

Black Friday sales apparently.

Awesome Con

https://www.showclix.com/event/awesomecon20

Baltimore Comic-Con

https://purchase.growtix.com/e/Baltimore_Comic_Con_2020/36674/279044

SPX 2019 Panel - Image, Activism and Autobiography online now

SPX 2019 Panel - Image, Activism and Autobiography

SmallPressExpo

Published on Nov 25, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xqcbvFoaKY

For many autobiographical cartoonists, the personal truly is political. From direct participation in protests and political unrest, to suffering the effects of gentrification, to horrifying encounters with the police, to exploring self-image, each of the cartoonists on this panel has a unique perspective on recording these narratives. Moderator and scholar Francesca Lyn discusses these issues with Ben Passmore (Your Black Friend And Other Stories), Ebony Flowers (Hot Comb), Bianca Xunise (Say Her Name), Sylvia Nickerson (Creation), and Halfdan Pisket (Deserter).

Gahan Wilson drawing for Bruce Guthrie

 Bruce Guthrie writes in, "I first ran into him at the New York Comic-Con back in 1995.  He asked what I did and I told him I was a computer programmer for the government.  This is what he drew in my sketch book that year...  (The words on the computer screen are "We have decided you are redundant".)"

New comics short series by Liz Montague at City Paper

Liz At Large: "Looking"

Welcome a new cartoon series—here for the next eight weeks.

Liz Montague

Nov 27, 2019

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/article/21103448/liz-at-large-looking

The Post's obituary for the great Gahan Wilson

Gahan Wilson, cartooning's master of the creepy and the macabre, dies at 89 [in print as Cartooning's master of the creepy, macabre].

By Matt Schudel 

Washington Post November 27, 2019 p. B6

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/gahan-wilson-cartoonings-master-of-the-creepy-and-the-macabre-dies-at-89/2019/11/23/42b1a22e-0e0f-11ea-8397-a955cd542d00_story.html