PR: Important Information for the 2023 Ignatz Awards Submissions

Info On Some Changes to the Submission Process

Hello Creators and Publishers!! We learned a lot last year with the new submission process and judging teams, so we are tweaking things a bit this year to make the process smoother all the way around. Below is the information you need about the changes we made to submit your works for this year's Ignatz Awards. Please read all of the below and any questions, do not hesitate to send them to ignatzawards@smallpressexpo.com. Thanks, Warren and Francesca 2023 Ignatz Awards Schedule April 1 - Ignatz Submissions Open May 31 - Ignatz Submissions Close Mid-August - Ignatz nominees announced September 9 @ 9:30PM - Ignatz Awards Ceremony Ignatz Logo by Juni Ba. The Ignatz Awards are proudly sponsored by: NEW SUBMISSION PAGE DESIGN There is now a new Ignatz Submissions landing page that is much more user friendly with all of the Ignatz categories. You can get to the submissions page one of two ways: On the SPX landing page, click on the Submit Works to the 2023 Ignatz Awards icon. Go directly to the Ignatz submission landing page here. NOTE: The submission forms will not be active until Saturday April 1. CHANGES TO THE SUBMISSION PROCESS 1. Starting this year, everyone will submit their works to one and only of the following mutually exclusive categories: Outstanding Minicomic Outstanding Graphic Novel Outstanding Anthology Outstanding Collection Outstanding Comic Outstanding Online Comic You can read the definitions of these categories on the About The Ignatz Awards page on our web site. 2. For any of the above categories, you now have the option of uploading up to three 1MB photos of your printed works. With the advent of digital submissions, the judges can get a better feel for your work in terms of production values by showing them a few photographs. 3. All works submitted to the above categories can also be submitted to the remaining categories of Outstanding Story, Outstanding Series, Outstanding Artist and Promising New Talent. 4. You will be asked for two new pieces of information for the above categories: the dimensions of your book/comic and the number of pages. UPLOADING PDF FILES We ask that everybody take a look at compressing large PDF files. Here is the information from Adobe . We request you do so if indeed the Adobe compression does not impact the reading experience of your work. If you can do this, it will decrease the amount of time you will spend during the the upload process. We also recommend splitting large (over 100MB PDF's) into two, as shown here on the Adobe site. Based on the experience of running virtual Ignatz Awards over the past two years, we are making this move to digital submissions permanent, as well as making a few important changes to the entire process: Here is other important PDF information: Please send us PDFs only of no more than two 200meg files in size per submission PDF file naming convention for Mini-comics, Comics, Series, Story, Artist, Promising New Talent, Collections and Graphic Novels is: CreatorLastName.CreatorFirstName.Comic_Title.IssueNumber (If needed).Publisher.PubMonthPubYear.pdf If there is no Issue Number, then do not put one in the file nameIf it is self published, put Self as the Publisher PDF file naming convention for Anthologies is: EditorLastName.EditorFirstName.Comic_Title.Publisher.PubMonthPubYear.pdf COPIES FOR THE SPX COLLECTION AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS In addition to the digital submission, you will be required to send us one physical copy so we can display the Ignatz noms at the show, as well as preserve your works for future generations in the SPX Collection at the Library of Congress: Please mail the submission to Small Press Expo P.O. Box 5704 Bethesda, Maryland 20824 Physical copies are due at the PO box by August 5. Copyright © 2023 Small Press Expo, All rights reserved.  You are getting this email because we know you might want a table to SPX 2022!!  Our mailing address is:  Small Press Expo P.O. Box 5704 Bethesda, Maryland 20824

Small Press Expo | P.O. Box 5704, Bethesda, MD 20824

Comics Research Bibliography citations update, 3/27/2023

Pivoting from Comics, to Graphic Novels

When the pandemic hit, everything changed. For the better.

Brandon Schatz

The Indirect Market March 27 2023

https://theindirectmarket.substack.com/p/pivoting-from-comics-to-graphic-novels

 

X-Men Monday #197 – Gerry Duggan Talks 'X-Men', 'Invincible Iron Man', and 'Uncanny Avengers'

Chris Hassan

March 27, 2023

https://aiptcomics.com/2023/03/27/x-men-monday-197-gerry-duggan-x-men-iron/

 

AIPT Comics Podcast episode 215: Ryan North talks the new and exciting in 'Fantastic Four' and 'Danger and Other Unknown Risks'

David Brooke and Nathan Simmons

March 26, 2023

https://aiptcomics.com/2023/03/26/aipt-comics-podcast-episode-215-ryan-north/

 

 

China Box Office: Makoto Shinkai's Anime Hit 'Suzume' Soars With $50M Opening

Japanese anime is earning more than ever in China, while U.S. superhero films are fumbling.

Patrick Brzeski

March 26, 2023

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/china-box-office-makoto-shinkais-anime-suzume-50m-opening-1235361248/

 

ICV2 INTERVIEW: RENATO FRANCHI ON CMON'S MOVE INTO COMICS

With 'Zombicide,' Dan Abnett on 'Twilight Imperium,' and More

Brigid Alverson on March 24, 2023  https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/53681/icv2-interview-renato-franchi-cmons-move-into-comics

 

With courage and conviction: Jason Landsel talks 'By Water: The Felix Manz Story'

The first of three debut GNs debuts next week, March 21.

David Brooke

March 14, 2023

https://aiptcomics.com/2023/03/14/by-water-jason-landsel-qa/

 

INTERVIEW: Screenwriter Jase Ricci and producer/co-director Sam Liu explore Lovecraftian horror in BATMAN: THE DOOM THAT CAME TO GOTHAM

The Caped Crusader enters the mouth of madness in the latest DC animated film!

Taimur Dar

03/27/2023
https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-jace-ricci-sam-liu-batman-the-doom-that-came-to-gotham/

 

Considering Life on the Autism Spectrum Through Making an Auto/Biographical Comic

Assunta Alegiani (Berlin)

Closure (9 March 2023): https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure9/alegiani/

 

Killing the Colorist? Künstlerische Arbeitsteilung im Produktionsprozess von Batman: The Killing Joke1

Helene L. Bongers (Berlin)

Closure (9 March 2023): https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure9/bongers

 

Aging in/with Comics: Processes of Selection and Reflection

Lucia Cedeira Serantes (London, Ontario) and Nicole K. Dalmer (Hamilton, Ontario)

Closure (9 March 2023):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure9/serantes/dalmer and https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data/img/closure9/pdfs/closure9_serantes_dalmer.pdf

 

Narrative des Erinnerns und Vergessens in Alzheimer-Comics

Naomi Lobnig (Wien)

Closure (9 March 2023):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure9/lobnig/ and https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data/img/closure9/pdfs/closure9_lobnig.pdf

 

Grafische Erzählungen als Generationenporträt
Irmela Marei Krüger-Fürhoff im Gespräch mit Charlotte Müller über ihren Comic Ein Haus mit vielen Fenstern. Gesammelte Lebensgeschichten (2022)

Irmela Marei Krüger-Fürhoff (Berlin), Charlotte Müller (Berlin)

Closure (9 March 2023):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure9/kr%C3%BCger-f%C3%BCrhoff/m%C3%BCller/ and https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data/img/closure9/pdfs/closure9_kr%C3%BCger-f%C3%BCrhoff_mueller.pdf

 

The Boys intersektional und multimedial betrachtet
Age und Gender als machtkonstituierende Kategorien in Comicreihe und Serie1

Ruth Gehrmann (Mainz) und Lisa Brau-Weglinski (Mainz)

Closure (9 March 2023):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure9/gehrmann/brau-weglinski and https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data/img/closure9/pdfs/closure9_gehrmann_brau-weglinski.pdf

 

Erinnerung (auf-)zeichnen: Biografische Graphic Novels lassen Opfer des NS-Regimes zu Wort kommen

Überleben in Dachau, Die Geschichte von Francine R. – Widerstand und Deportation und Bald sind wir wieder zu Hause rezensiert von Frank Kaltofen

Closure (9 March 2023):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure9/kaltofen

 

Ein Handbuch, das seinen Namen verdient

Handbuch Polnische Comickulturen nach 1989 rezensiert von Bernd Dolle-Weinkauff

Closure (9 March 2023):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure9/dolle-weinkauff

 

From ›Comics‹ to ›Graphic Novels‹? The Journey is the Reward!

Dreaming the Graphic Novel. The Novelization of Comics reviewed by Kerstin Howaldt

Closure (9; March 2023):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure9/howaldt

 

Messlatte mit Mic Drop: Chris Gavalers detailbesessene Bestandsaufnahme der Erzähl- und Bildtheorie des Comics

The Comics Form: The Art of Sequenced Images rezensiert von Lukas R. A. Wilde

Closure (9; March 2023):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure9/wilde

 

Vor dem Vergessen gerettet

Rebirth of the English Comic Strip. A Kaleidoscope 1847-1870 rezensiert von Ole Frahm

Closure (9; March 2023):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure9/frahm

 

Den Holocaust erinnern, erzählen und zeichnen: Ein Sammelband zu Holocaustcomics Beyond MAUS

Beyond MAUS. The Legacy of Holocaust Comics rezensiert von Deborah Fallis

Closure (9; March 2023):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure9/fallis

 

Eigenlogik oder mediale Interdependenz?

Der Comic als Form. Bildsprache, Ästhetik, Narration rezensiert von Mara Stuhlfauth-Trabert und Florian Trabert

Closure (9; March 2023):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure9/stuhlfauth-trabert/trabert

 

Auf den Punkt gebracht.

Kusama. Eine Graphic Novel rezensiert von Barbara M. Eggert

Closure (9; March 2023):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure9/eggert

 

Wie kann ein postkolonialer Comic aussehen?

Widerstand. Drei Generationen antikolonialer Protest in Kamerun rezensiert von Robin Frisch

Closure (9; March 2023):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure9/frisch

 

Non-Narrative Comics: About this Issue

Cord-Christian Casper and Kerstin Howaldt

Closure 8 (2021):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure8/about and https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data//img/closure8/Closure8_editorial_en.pdf

 

Nicht-narrative Comics: Über diese Ausgabe

Cord-Christian Casper and Kerstin Howaldt

Closure 8 (2021):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data//img/closure8/Closure8_editorial_de.pdf  and https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data/img/closure8/Closure8_baetens.pdf

 

Nonnarrative or Noncomics? (with some notes on Holz by Olivier Deprez and Roby Comblain)

Jan Baetens (Leuven)

  Closure 8 (2021):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure8/baetens and https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data/img/closure8/Closure8_baetens.pdf

 

Closure

Gareth A Hopkins (Great Dunmow)

Closure 8 (2021):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure8/hopkins1 and https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data//img/closure8/Closure8_hopkins1.pdf

 

Process Comic

Gareth A Hopkins (Great Dunmow)

Closure 8 (2021):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure8/hopkins2 and https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data//img/closure8/Closure8_hopkins2.pdf

 

Waiting (2018) for the ›Good Life‹ with Adriana Lozano [Columbia]

Andrea Aramburú Villavisencio (Cambridge)

Closure 8 (2021):  https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure8/arambur%C3%BA-villavisencio and https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data/img/closure8/Closure8_aramburu-villavisencio.pdf

 

Quasi-Figuren: Im Grenzbereich der Körperlichkeit

Thierry Groensteen

Closure 8 (2021):   https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure8/groensteen and https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data/img/closure8/closure8_groensteen.pdf

 

Comics, Non-Narrativity, Non-Eventfulness: Three Examples From Brazil

Benjamim Picado (Fluminense Federal University, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil), João Senna (Bahia Federal University, Bahia State, Brazil), Greice Schneider (Sergipe Federal University, Sergipe State, Brazil)

Closure 8 (2021):   https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de//closure8/Picado_Senna_Schneider and https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data/img/closure8/closure8_picado_senna_schneider.pdf

 

Graphic Storytelling: Teaching Experience and Utility

Darren C. Fisher (Melbourne/Victoria)

Closure 8 (2021):   https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure8/fisher and https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data/img/closure8/Closure8_fisher.pdf

 

Never Judge a Book by Its Cover? Picturing the Interculturally Challenged Self in the Japanese Journals of European Comics Artists Dirk Schwieger, Inga Steinmetz, and Igort1

Barbara M. Eggert (Linz)

Closure 8 (2021):   https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure8/eggert and https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data/img/closure8/Closure8_eggert.pdf

 

Rhetoric of Images: Emblematic Structures and Craig Thompson's Habibi

Julia Ingold (Bamberg)

Closure 8 (2021):   https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure8/ingold and https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/data/img/closure8/closure8_ingold.pdf

 

 

Comics and Archives: A Handy and Helpful Guide

Comics & Archive reviewed by Lynn L. Wolff

Closure (8; 2021): https://www.closure.uni-kiel.de/closure8/wolff

 

Comics & Archive

Felix Giesa and Anna Stemmann (Eds.)

Berlin: Christian A. Bachmann Verlag, 2021

 

Luci Gutiérrez's "Rise and Shine"

The artist discusses the first rays of spring sunlight, and the pleasures and challenges of routine. [Spain]

By Françoise Mouly

March 27, 2023

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cover-story/2023-04-03

 

27/3 Seaguy Week! Captain Lotharius

Grant Morrison.

Xanaduum March 27 2023 https://grantmorrison.substack.com/p/273-seaguy-week-captain-lotharius

 

Interview: Souls Go To 'Etheres' from Source Point Press [writer Anas Abdulhak]

Interview by Troy-Jeffrey Allen

PREVIEWSworld Mar 21, 2023

https://previewsworld.com/Article/266168-Interview-Souls-Go-To-Etheres-from-Source-Point-Press

 

Philippines 40th National Book Awards finalists announced

With this year's awards, the "Graphic Literature" category has been renamed "Graphic Novels and Comics" and split into two linguistic categories (English and Filipino).

Dean Simons

03/27/2023

https://www.comicsbeat.com/philippines-40th-national-book-awards-finalists-announced/

 

"Curbside dining in New York" [gag cartoon process]

Jason Chatfield

New York Cartoons #25, March 27 2023

https://www.newyorkcartoons.com/p/25-curbside-dining-in-new-york-1f2

 

A Sociocultural Oral History of Tits & Clits

Edward Dorey | March 27, 2023

https://www.tcj.com/a-sociocultural-oral-history-of-tits-clits/

 

IDEAS DON'T BLEED episode twenty-eight | Meghan Fitzmartin, part two

Matthew Rosenberg, Ethan S. Parker, and Griffin Sheridan

March 27 2023

https://ashcanpress.substack.com/p/its-our-lot-in-life

 

Passion Project: 'Tinkersons' creator sticks with what he loves [Bill Bettwy]

Rachel Foor

Altoona Mirror Mar 27, 2023

https://www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-news/2023/03/passion-project/

 

Much-Anticipated Afrofuturism Exhibit Featuring Marvel's 'Black Panther' Suit Opens At NMAAHC

Matt Blitz

https://dcist.com/story/23/03/27/smithsonian-african-american-history-afrofuturism-exhibit-black-panther-pop-culture/

Black Panther suit among other good things in new exhibit

Much-Anticipated Afrofuturism Exhibit Featuring Marvel's 'Black Panther' Suit Opens At NMAAHC

Matt Blitz

https://dcist.com/story/23/03/27/smithsonian-african-american-history-afrofuturism-exhibit-black-panther-pop-culture/

Troy-Jeffrey Allen interviews writer Anas Abdulhak

Interview: Souls Go To 'Etheres' from Source Point Press [writer Anas Abdulhak]

Interview by Troy-Jeffrey Allen

PREVIEWSworld Mar 21, 2023

https://previewsworld.com/Article/266168-Interview-Souls-Go-To-Etheres-from-Source-Point-Press

Comics Research Bibliography citations update, 3/25-26/2023

A college kid's ode to 'Calvin and Hobbes'

by Pauline Kim

Michigan Daily March 24, 2023

https://www.michigandaily.com/arts/books/a-college-kids-ode-to-calvin-and-hobbes/https://www.michigandaily.com/arts/books/a-college-kids-ode-to-calvin-and-hobbes/

 

COVID Cop: Dean Haspiel introduces a satirical hero for the pandemic era

Prolific comic book creator Dean Haspiel launches a Kickstarter campaign for COVID Cop, a blending social satire with pulp superhero action.

 Sam Stone 

  March 23, 2023

https://www.thepopverse.com/covid-cop-dean-haspiel-introduces-a-satirical-hero-for-the-pandemic-era

 

From the Dugout: Comic strip used sports to poke fun at racial issues [Tank McNamara]

    Opinion by John Gutekunst

    Parker Pioneer Mar 22, 2023

    https://www.parkerpioneer.net/sports/article_e2522b84-c8ea-11ed-beff-d38736c8226f.html

 

Get 'Fuzzy' again, get funny again [letter]

Gerald Trabucco,

Washington Post March 25 2023: A15

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/03/24/errors-post-ukraine-trump-readers-critique/

 

'Outlaw librarian' Dave Burbank creates "a haven for comics readers" in Takoma Park, MD

by Dave Burbank

ComicsDC blog March 25, 2023

https://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2023/03/outlaw-librarian-dave-burbank-creates.html

 

Prosecutors Drop Charges Against Former 'Rick and Morty' Actor

The animated show severed ties with Justin Roiland, one of its co-creators, in January after reports that he faced charges of domestic abuse.

By Julia Jacobs

A version of this article appears in print on March 25, 2023, Section C, Page 5 of the New York edition with the headline: Prosecutors Drop Charges Against Former 'Rick and Morty' Star.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/22/arts/justin-roiland-charges.html

 

DC Women by DC Women: Five Female Heroes Created by Women

Rosie Knight

DC Comics blog March 23rd, 2023

https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/03/23/dc-women-by-dc-women-five-female-heroes-created-by-women

 

Ann Telnaes wins 2023 Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning

WashPostPR blog March 24, 2023

https://www.washingtonpost.com/pr/2023/03/24/ann-telnaes-wins-2023-herblock-prize-editorial-cartooning/

 

Mike Thompson Joins Star Tribune Staff

D. D. Degg

Daily Cartoonist March 25 2023

https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2023/03/24/mike-thompson-joins-star-tribune-staff/

 

Meet Mike Thompson

Introducing the Star Tribune's new editorial cartoonist.

By Scott Gillespie

March 18, 2023

https://www.startribune.com/meet-mike-thompson/600260047/

 

Stormy Daniels & Trump! Political Cartoonists Tackle the Scandal & Impending Indictment in CARTOONS!

Daryl Cagle, Pat Byrnes, Bob Englehardt, and Bill Day,

Caglecast Mar 26, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfmCvaP7jAQ and transcript at https://darylcagle.com/2023/03/26/stormy-daniels-and-trump/

 

Holy Cross Faculty Celebrates Academic Value of Comics as Dinand Library Accepts Enormous Donation; Mark D. Nevins '86 facilitates addition of 3,000+ graphic novels since collection founding in 2018.

College of the Holy Cross Newsroom February 28th, 2023 

by Michael Bonner

https://news.holycross.edu/blog/2023/02/28/holy-cross-faculty-celebrates-academic-value-of-comics-as-dinand-library-accepts-enormous-donation/

 

Georgia Dunn to Undergo Hand Surgery

D. D. Degg      

Daily Cartoonist March 25 2023

https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2023/03/25/georgia-dunn-to-undergo-hand-surgery/

 

Syzygy announces MEGALOPOLIS, Francis Ford Coppola graphic novel at WonderCon

Ryall previews 11 new titles slated for release in addition to the scoop on Megalopolis

Nancy Powell

03/25/2023

https://www.comicsbeat.com/syzygy-announces-megalopolis-francis-ford-coppola-graphic-novel-at-wondercon/

 

Here come the Comics Chronicles, Part II [comic strip poll]

    By Phill Casaus  

    The New Mexican, Mar 25, 2023 

    https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/here-come-the-comics-chronicles-part-ii/article_ec4c3ba4-c8fc-11ed-ab98-8bada9e7646c.html

Archie Sunday Funnies has Sabrina trying to see the cherry blossoms

Subscribe here : https://mailchi.mp/archiecomics/core-282833?e=49059db51a

WaPo notices Ann Telnaes wins major cartooning award 16 days later

Ann Telnaes wins 2023 Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning

WashPostPR blog March 24, 2023

https://www.washingtonpost.com/pr/2023/03/24/ann-telnaes-wins-2023-herblock-prize-editorial-cartooning/

'Outlaw librarian' Dave Burbank creates "a haven for comics readers" in Takoma Park, MD

all photos by Bruce Guthrie

by Dave Burbank

Dave and I reconnected last week at Matt Tavares' excellent explanation about how to create a children's graphic novel at Takoma Park Library. I sent him a variety of the usual questions, which he transformed so much that I've junked them in favor of his essay. I can't believe how many of their talks I've missed though! This has been lightly edited for grammar. - Mike

I'm Dave Burbank of the Takoma Park Maryland Library.   We are the last small independent city library in Maryland.  

 

We are considered an 'outlaw library' (if we were in the Montgomery County system we would be eliminated since there are libraries within 1 mile of us).  Takoma Park tends to stand up for underdogs and outlaws so the local folks have made sure we have stayed open and active, even now while our tiny battered old building is being reconstructed. 

 

Currently you can find us at our current location at 7505 New Hampshire Avenue, in a shopping area above a Caribbean food grocery, snuggled between an IHOP and a Taco Bell.   Our signage still says we are the Salvation Army Family Store, though that will soon be fixed I'm told.

We are a haven for comics readers, with over 3000 titles of graphic novels on the shelves, split in 4 collections (about 1000 on the adult side, the others divided between the All-Ages Comics, Young Adult, and Manga collections). We add more titles all the time and are open to suggestions or even donations.  

As the curator of our collection, I have a budget every year specifically to buy comics.  Being a lifelong scribbler and reader of  'comix,' I made a case for the Library to clear space for them on our shelves, and made my first comics buy way back before the turn of the millennium. Those first few comics left friction burns on the shelves from how fast they were snatched up. They commonly disappeared since kids who loved them would keep them. Librarians being wise people, the solution was for us to buy so many comics that kids never felt a scarcity mindset about them.  "Read these, bring them back, there will be more waiting."

Personally, I think comics truly sintered with my soul when I read the Dark Phoenix X-Men story arc as it came out way back in 1980.  I went as Wolverine for Halloween that year, even though nobody had any idea how deadly and ferocious I was when I showed up on their front porch. ("Nevermind who I am, just gimme the candy bub, or experience the deadly snikt! of my claws").  I loved Spider-Man before that of course, and would sit through entire episodes of The Electric Company on the off chance there would be a Spidey episode that week.  I'd read Sargent Rock or the Haunted Tank to learn the history of World War II.  Shoot, if there was nothing else I'd read the cartoons in the New Yorker while I was waiting in a doctor's office, even though they always vaguely disturbed me with their sense of existential ennui and postmodern disaffection.  Still, I never knew the power of the artform until experiencing the death of the telekinetic telepath Jean Grey, who sacrificed

herself to prevent her alter ego from destroying the universe.  Friends and I were in mourning, while clueless adults had no idea the loss we had experienced.  Dots of ink on a page of pulp paper lived powerfully vivid lives and truly animated the ideals that there is Good and Evil and one should make a choice to live up to their best nature.

Anyway.  Clearly I have been stained by exposure to those 4-color ink stories.

I've been attending various Comics conventions since way back when they also sold butterfly knives and nunchucks in the last few rows. When cosplay was a rarity. 

A favorite though has been the yearly Small Press Expo in suburban Maryland.  I've attended every year since 1999 and even represented local libraries at a panel on 'Comics in the Library' in 2015. I appreciate SPX since here you get to meet face to face with the writers and artists who spend years creating their stories, and are truly touched to meet the people who read them.  The best time to attend is actually Sunday night after the show is over when the creators all hang out on the back deck chatting about comics and meeting each other.  

Over the years we have hosted many comics authors events and book signings. At first by my invitation alone, and subsequently through our partnership with Politics and Prose booksotre.  

A partial list: 

Ben Hatke's Zita the Space Girl, First Second Press founder Mark Siegel, Paul Pope's Battling Boy and Batman Year 100, Drew Weing & Eleanor Davis together and separately for Margo Maloo and the Secret Science Alliance, George O'Connor's Olympian's series retelling Greek myths, Gareth Hinds' Beowulf and other classics of ancient literature, Orpheus Collar illustrating the Percy Jackson stories, Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin's Illegal, Judd Winick's Hilo series, Alex Alice, Jeremie Royer, David Petersen's Mouseguard, Jerry Craft's New Kid, Penelope Bagieu, Jon Klassen,  Raina Telgemeier's Smile, Chris Schweitzer's Crogan stories, Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tale series, Francois Mouly the Toon Books publisher and New Yorker art director, her daughter Nadja Spiegelman & Sergio Garcia Sanchez for Lost in NYC, Jay Hosler's Last of the Sandwalkers, Nate Powell & Mark Long's The Silence of Our Friends, Congressman John Lewis's March.  Among others. 

Highlights of the above guests: 

 

Ben Hatke is a great guy.  Friendly, easy to talk with, great family, a juggler and busker. He is as personable and friendly as his characters.

Mouseguard artist David Petersen is clearly mad, since he builds scale models of his complicated scenes just so that he can better paint them from different angles. 

Similarly meticulous, also a great guy, and local to us, artistic black belt Gareth Hinds maps out his books months in advance and knows how many pages ahead or behind he is on a story on any given day.  

Jay Hosler teaches college biology classes, and also writes science-based adventures starring insects. 

Raina Telgemeier is a sweet and lovely person. Now something of an all ages superstar, we had her in before the world wanted everyone to do what she does in comics.

Drew Weing is also a gentle, shy and friendly person.  His comics are awesome and deserve a Netflix series or something.

I'm from the last of the outdoor kids generation of the 70's and 80's who grew up on BMX bikes and skateboarding and grafitti tagging in the Northeast.  From back when your parents would tell you to 'be home when the street lights come on.'  The same age as Tony Hawk, (I was reading about him and Rodney Mullens pretty much inventing the ollie and street skating in Thrasher Magazine, and naturally ended up with sprained wrists, scabs and scars that were purely inspired by him).  Later, I moved to NYC to study theater and write poetry and that sort of thing before moving to the DC area to study martial arts, where I accidentally fell into Library work.  As one does.

An inveterate scribbler and doodler, I decorated every textbook I ever had with flipbooks in the corners.  I still draw all the time though now I discourage drawing in books. I intermittently and spasmodically keep a blog about comics at https://comixtakoma.wordpress.com/whos-this-guy/ 

I commonly find myself inspired by drawing in company with folks of all skill levels.  I built into my job a weekly Sketch Club with kids and parents  (Thursdays after school 4-5:30). I have hosted sketch clubs in and around pubs in the DC area over the years before my arts buddies went on to become famous or moved to LA to work in animation, etc. (most recently in Midlands bar on Georgia Ave, before that the now-defunct Union Drinkery). I'm thinking of starting an evening Sketch Club for grown folk and area artists here at the Library.  If interested contact me at DavidB@takomaparkmd.gov and I'll put you in the mailing list when I get it started.

I post my own personal drawings on Instagram from time to time -  @shankylank on there.  It's grown-up content, sketched in ink with felt tip, sharpie, and copy paper since I grew up in the Zine era and never migrated to digital art. I attend the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop Friday evening figure drawing sessions from time to time to sketch from live models and keep my skills sharp. In the pandemic I would attend various figure model sessions across the world, via zoom.

Mark Tavares at TP library

I teach Dungeons and Dragons, and have done so through the Takoma Park Recreation Department for the past 30 years.  As one of various side hustles I train folks to run games, hire out as a professional game master for parties and game nights, and in past years have run summer camps for kids.  I have run D&D game nights at those same local pubs, as well as team-building exercises for local businesses.  Contact me at Alternativegamesdc@gmail.com if you need a pro DM or want training on how to run games, or peek at my mostly-defunct site alternativegamesdc.com though I have neglected that website for a bit.

I periodically give a talk on the History and Importance of Comics (with a digression on the Semiotics of Superheroes) to folks from elementary school up to graduate students at the University of Maryland's College of Information Sciences.

I am part of a writer's group that meets via the Petworth Library, and am 14 chapters in on my current book (a Viking Santa Claus romance adventure tale).  It started as a graphic novel, but writing is quicker.  I have probably a dozen other screenplays and fiction works cooking at any moment, though something is nagging me to sketch out some memoir works.

 

I often present comics read-aloud sessions with kids, and I know for a fact I will eventually present various works of my own fiction and art as read-aloud works, for kids or for grown-ups.  As a graffiti tagging delinquent, I was inspired by the very idea of the Vaughn Bode Cartoon Concerts that I heard about from underground comics I read, but was never able to attend being too young and on the wrong coast.  The idea of animating words and art with one's voice satisfies my soul.

Matt Tavares at Takoma Park Library

 I forgot to post these pictures, but he gave a great talk earlier this week.

That darn Get Fuzzy...

...has been in reprints since 2013, but somebody STILL wants it in the Post to replace Dilbert.

Get 'Fuzzy' again, get funny again

Gerald Trabucco, Springfield

Washington Post March 25 2023: A15

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/03/24/errors-post-ukraine-trump-readers-critique/