PR: Announcing Even More Small Press Expo 2024 Special Guests

Check out who is coming to SPX 2024!!

For Immediate Release Contact Email: press@smallpressexpo.com   Small Press Expo Announces Jeffrey Brown, Lonnie Millsap and Stan Mack, along with International Guests Laura Perez, Chris Gooch, Walter Scott and Sig Burwash as Special Guests for SPX 2024   Bethesda, Maryland -July 17, 2024   Media Release - Small Press Expo is proud to announce the first Special Guests for SPX 2024. The show takes place on Saturday September 14 and Sunday September 15 with programming and workshops about the amazing world of independent comics and an exhibitor floor with over 500 creators. Additional Special Guests will be announced over the next few weeks.   SPX 2024 is honored to have the following creators as Special Guests to this year's show: Visit the SPX 2024 Website for More Info Jeffrey Brown New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Brown (Darth Vader & Son, Loved and Lost, Jedi Academy) gets back to his autobo roots (sort of?) with a new collection of bizarre statements from and interactions with his youngest son, Simon.  Kids Are Still Weird, a follow up of sorts to Kids Are Weird (about his older son, Oscar) that will debut at SPX! Come say hi to Jeffrey and get Simon Says, a risograph mini-comic of bonus material free with purchase of the book.  https://jeffreybrowncomics.com/ Lonnie Millsap Special Guest Lonnie Millsap, will be signing copies of his latest book, titled 'My Owners Were Chewy!'. 'Chewy' is a collection of humorous, single paneled cartoons that are laugh out loud funny. Millsap will also be signing prints of his work from the book and prints of his New Yorker cartoons. https://www.lonniemillsap.com/ Stan Mack Stan Mack drew a comic strip every week for decades based on what he saw and heard in his native New York City, famously using verbatim dialogue for his graphic dramatizations. A mixture of humor, spontaneity, serendipity, and weirdness, Mack's comic strip snapshots caught New Yorkers — whether it is an extortionist calligrapher, a baby evading arrest at her first protest, a stroll up Broadway with a ferret, an evening with a male liberationist, or an unlucky-in-love dolphin trainer — being who they are in all their unguarded and uninhibited glory. He'll be signing copies of Stan Mack's Real Life Funnies: The Collected Conceits, Delusions, and Hijinks of New Yorkers from 1974 to 1995 at the Fantagraphics booth! www.stanmack.com International Guests Coming To SPX 2024 Laura Pérez We are thrilled that, thanks to the generosity of Spain Arts & Culture, Laura Pérez is a Special Guest at SPX 2024! She'll be discussing and signing copies of Ocultos from Fantagraphics, an entrancing collection of graphic short stories explores the occult forces that touch upon our everyday lives. Celebrated for her previous graphic novel, Totem, Spanish comics artist Laura Pérez presents another entrancing vision of magic and mystery. Artfully rendered in her signature wispy, atmospheric pencil lines punctuated by splashes of color, Ocultos is a spiritual, reflective work that will leave you spellbound.ianate storytelling that draws on stylistic elements found in illuminated manuscripts. A poetic and evocative exploration of destiny and survival. https://www.lauraperez.net/ Chris Gooch Chris Gooch will be traveling from Melbourne, Australia to promote his recent graphic novel In Utero from Top Shelf. He will also be signing his previous three books with Top Shelf, Bottled (2017), Deep Breaths (2019) and Under-Earth (2020).  'In Utero' follows twelve years after a disastrous explosion, young Hailey is dropped off by her mum at a holiday camp in a dilapidated shopping mall. Alienated from the other kids, she connects with an eerie older teen named Jen… but soon dark horrors awaken, and the two new friends are caught up in a cataclysmic battle between two terrifying creatures who have been lying dormant all this time. One of Australia's most acclaimed young graphic novelists, Chris Gooch expertly crafts a taut and intimate thriller about mothers and daughters, the monstrous and the mundane, and the power of friendship in the midst of catastrophe. https://www.chrisgooch.com.au/ Walter Scott When Wendy is nominated for the coveted National FoodHut Contemporary Art Prize, all of her millennial dreams seem to be coming true. But not even achieving bona fide art star fame can hide the truth: a never-ending struggle with imposter syndrome. After she cracks in an online interview and gets dragged in the comments section, she heads straight to a local watering hole to drown her sorrows. Walter Scott's, 'The Wendy Award' from Drawn & Quarterly, incisively skewers the art world with its corporate overlords, performative activism, generational wealth, and weaponized therapy speak—a showcase of Walter Scott's deft wit and social commentary. Walter Scott is an interdisciplinary artist working in comics, drawing, video, performance, and sculpture. Scott is Kanien'keha:ka from the Kahnawake Mohawk nation. https://wwalterscott.com/ Sig Burwash Sig Burwash is a visual artist whose practice includes watercolor, collage, ceramics, animation, illustration, and comics. They have had their works exhibited in the United States, Europe and Canada, where they live on Cape Breton Island. Sig attended the Centre for Cartoon Studies to work on their debut graphic novel, Vera Bushwack from Drawn & Quarterly. The uniquely emotive pastel pages follow a journey of rage, joy, and self-acceptance in the rustic landscape of Nova Scotia. This is Sig's first time attending SPX. https://sigburwash.com/Comics Small Press Expo (SPX) is the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons. SPX is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit that brings together more than 500 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers, and distributors each year. Graphic novels, mini comics, and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. The expo includes a series of panel discussions and interviews with this year's guests. The Ignatz Award is a festival prize held every year at SPX recognizing outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning, with the winners chosen by attendees at the show. For more information on the Small Press Expo, please visit http://www.smallpressexpo.com. Small Press Expo P.O. Box 5704 Bethesda, Maryland 20824 www.smallpressexpo.com Email: press@smallpressexpo.com STAY CONNECTED

Small Press Expo | PO Box 5704 | Bethesda, MD 20824 US

Comics Research Bibliography citations update, 7/16/2024

TAKES ON THE BOOM! ACQUISITION, EMBRACER'S NEW FINANCING DEAL, AND DC'S DECLINING SHARE

World According to Griepp – The Week in Business

  Milton Griepp on July 16, 2024 

https://icv2.com/articles/columns/view/57353/takes-boom-acquisition-embracers-new-financing-deal-dcs-declining-share

 

NORTH AMERICAN COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVEL MARKET DOWN 7% IN 2023

ICv2 Market Size Estimates by Format and Channel

Posted by Milton Griepp on July 15, 2024 

https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/57351/north-american-comics-graphic-novel-market-down-7-2023

 

Report: Comics sales down 7% in 2023

Heidi MacDonald

07/16/2024

https://www.comicsbeat.com/report-comics-sales-down-7-in-2023/

 

Sales of Comics, Graphic Novels Fell 7% in 2023

By Jim Milliot

Jul 16, 2024

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/financial-reporting/article/95509-sales-of-comics-graphic-novels-fell-7-in-2023.html

 

American Manga Award Nominees Announced

by PW staff 

Jul 16, 2024 https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/awards-and-prizes/article/95508-american-manga-award-nominees-announced.html

 

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on the Perks and Pitfalls of Playing Superheroes

The two friends have learned a lot about being the stewards of major pop-culture characters, an education that led them to "Deadpool & Wolverine."

By Kyle Buchanan

July 15, 2024 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/15/movies/ryan-reynolds-hugh-jackman-deadpool-wolverine.html

 

New Yorker Cartoon Secrets Revealed | FUNNY STUFF is Your Guide

Henry Chamberlain 

Comics Grinder July 15 2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vosw-yhAjas

 

32 Superb Graphic Novels | SLJ 2024 Stars So Far

by SLJ Reviews
Jul 15, 2024 

https://www.slj.com/story/newsfeatures/32-superb-graphic-novels-slj-2024-stars-so-far

Panini Comics, 30 Years In The Comics World
Leila Stabile
June 2024
https://www.collater.al/en/panini-comics-marco-wolf-marvel-naruto-topolino-spiderman-art/

Deciphering Distress: Investigating Trauma Treatment In Prominent Indian Graphic Novels
Dr.M.Ilaya Kanmani Nanmozhi1, Dr. S. Gunasekaran2*
Educational Administration: Theory and Practice
2024, 30(5), 12193-12206
online at https://kuey.net/index.php/kuey/article/view/5073/3501

Words, Images, & Worlds with Robert Jeffrey
Jason DeHart
Jul 16, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUGUL9Ai7Yo

Words, Images, & Worlds with Rick Parker
Jason DeHart
Jul 16, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNNHMzSbu1Q

Words, Images, & Worlds with Cliff Galbraith
Jason DeHart
Jul 15, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PONcfgHNVDk

Words, Images, & Worlds: Nick Marinkovich Returns!
Jason DeHart
 Jul 13, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8x4GlkhXaU

Words, Images, & Worlds with Tony Kittrell
Jason DeHart
 Jul 12, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd7GCPJ-6pU

Words, Images, & Worlds with Alex De Luca
Jason DeHart
 Jul 12, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGy3O6oRe8M

From Middle East to Comic Feasts: Wes Al-Dhaher's Journey to 'Tales of Khayr'!
Barney Smith
Storycomic Presents! Jul 14, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9S2zXW07PQ

Sausage Party: Foodtopia's Seth Rogen Reveals How a Passing Joke Created the Franchise
Kevin Polowy
CBR Presents   Jul 12, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsI-rWO_T1Q

Pop Culture SquadCast - Live - Episode 046: With Special Guest Thom Zahler
Pop Culture Squad July 16 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN8mIooaiW4

The CXF Interview Podcast Episode 312: Tom Fowler talks about the history of RPGs
Dan Grote and Matthew Lazorwitz
July 16 2024
https://comicsxf.com/2024/07/16/tcxfip-312-tom-fowler/

Swinging Back into Action: 'Hit-Monkey' Creators Will Speck & Josh Gordon Take Us Behind the Scenes of Season 2 (New Clips)
By Jeff Spry
July 15, 2024
https://www.animationmagazine.net/2024/07/swinging-back-into-action-hit-monkey-creators-will-speck-josh-gordon-take-us-behind-the-scenes-of-season-2-new-clips/
This article was written for the
August '24 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 342).

Cartoon Network Show Creator Kyle Carrozza Arrested On Child Pornography Possession Charges
By Amid Amidi | 07/13/2024
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/law/cartoon-network-show-creator-kyle-carrozza-arrested-on-child-pornography-possession-charges-241930.html

'The Time Masters' Receiving Restored 4K Release – Watch The Exclusive Trailer [France].
By Amid Amidi | 07/15/2024
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/the-time-masters-receiving-restored-4k-release-watch-the-exclusive-trailer-241958.html

EPISODE 233 MARC GUGGENHEIM
Producer, Writer, and Author
J Alex Morrissey and Marc Guggenheim
Tradecraft Podcast Jul 16 2024
https://jalexmorrissey.substack.com/p/episode-233-marc-guggenheim

IDEAS DON'T BLEED episode ninety-six | Matthew Rosenberg, part two
Jul 16, 2024
https://ashcanpress.substack.com/p/thank-the-maker

Comics Research Bibliography citations update, 7/15/2024

Cataloging the Edwin & Terry Murray Comic Book Collection

Signal Boost blog March 11, 2020 Rich Murray

https://blogs.library.duke.edu/signalboost/2020/03/11/cataloging-the-edwin-terry-murray-comic-book-collection/

 

Blueprints blog October 07, 2015 • by Gift Planning  

Comic book collection preserved at the Rubenstein Library

https://giving.duke.edu/blueprints/comic-book-collection-preserved-at-the-rubenstein-library/

 

Comic Book and Graphic Novel collection, 1938-2012

Duke University Libraries

https://archives.lib.duke.edu/catalog/comicbooks

 

JUNE 2024 CIRCANA BOOKSCAN - TOP 20 ADULT GRAPHIC NOVELS

A DC Title Makes the Top 20

 by Brigid Alverson on July 12, 2024

https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/57339/june-2024-circana-bookscan-top-20-adult-graphic-novels

 

EXCLUSIVE: MARK IRWIN PROMOTED TO PRESIDENT At Mad Cave Studios

  Milton Griepp on July 15, 2024 

https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/57341/exclusive-mark-irwin-promoted-president

 

Comic-Con Extends San Diego Contract By a Year

Jul 15, 2024

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief/index.html?record=4815

 

Comic-Con agrees to stay in San Diego through 2026, but warns high hotel rates threaten future years

With just one year remaining on the convention contract, Comic-Con consummated a one-year extension

By Lori Weisberg | lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com | The San Diego Union-Tribune

 July 11, 2024 

https://www.siliconvalley.com/2024/07/11/comic-con-agrees-to-stay-in-san-diego-but-warns-high-hotel-rates-threaten-future-years/

 

Lovely, Dark and Deep: PW Talks with Julia Heffernan

Painter Heffernan's graphic memoir debut, Babe in the Woods (Algonquin, Sept.), follows her winding path through fear and memory after taking the wrong turn on a hike

BY Cheryl Klein 

Jul 12, 2024

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/95472-lovely-dark-and-deep-pw-talks-with-julia-heffernan.html

 

How the 'Exploding Kittens' Creators Let the Fur Fly on Their New Netflix Show

Ramin Zahed

July 13, 2024  https://www.animationmagazine.net/2024/07/how-the-exploding-kittens-creators-let-the-fur-fly-on-their-new-netflix-show/

 

Ross Richie, Paul Levitz, Filip Sablik & Stephen Christy Talk Boom

Ross Richie, Paul Levitz, Filip Sablik & Stephen Christy on Penguin Random House buying Boom without mentioning Andrew Cosby or redundancies

 Rich Johnston 

14 Jul 2024  https://bleedingcool.com/comics/ross-richie-paul-levitz-filip-sablik-stephen-christy-talk-boom/

 

Interview: Kite Man soars to new heights in his own animated series

We chat with actor Matt Oberg and producer Dean Lorey about the infamous D-list villain headling his own series

By Taimur Dar -07/15/202

https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-dean-lorey-matt-oberg-kite-man-animated/

 

Comic Book Kitchen: Rich Douek's new web series combines comic art with cuisines 
By Christian Angeles -07/15/2024  

https://www.comicsbeat.com/comic-book-kitchen-rich-doueks-new-web-series-combines-comic-art-with-cuisines/

 

Get Graphic: Marcus Williams Art Is 'Strong To The Finish' [Popeye comic book]

Interview by Troy-Jeffrey Allen

Jul 08, 2024

https://previewsworld.com/Article/276466-Get-Graphic-Marcus-Williams-Art-Is-Strong-To-The-Finish

Kite Man: Hell Yeah! is a delightful treat for DC fans
Max's Harley Quinn spinoff is a fun time, even if it doesn't capture the glory of the original
Jenna Scherer
AV Club July 15 2024
https://www.avclub.com/harely-quinn-tv-review-season-3-hbo-max-animated-1849319689

Marvel's Hit-Monkey is more in tune with its emotions in season 2
Jason Sudeikis and Fred Tatasciore return for more violent jackanapes in a thoughtful second batch.
Jarrod Jones
AV Club July 15 2024
https://www.avclub.com/hulu-marvels-hit-monkey-season-2-is-more-thoughtful-1851590599

Interview: Will Speck and Josh Gordon on Marvel's Hit-Monkey season 2
Avery Kaplan
Comics Beat
Jul 15, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUL8gQ4kXZ8

Interview: Ally Maki on Marvel's HIT-MONKEY season 2
Avery Kaplan
Comics Beat
Jul 15, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shnfh5rkPPU

Interview: Fred Tatasciore on Marvel's HIT-MONKEY season 2
Avery Kaplan
Comics Beat
 Jul 15, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-y_CRIU5Z0

Welcome Home, Franklin — Robb Armstrong x Hello, Apple  [Peanuts animation]
Apple TV
Feb 17, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoDvpurHGGM

 

'You are a unique talent in the comic book field.' Stan Lee's 1972 Five Year Contract
Blame Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko
Daniel Best
Daniel Best - Author. Jul 16, 2024
https://danielbest1967.substack.com/p/you-are-a-unique-talent-in-the-comic

Marcus Williams interviewed on Popeye comic book by Troy-Jeffrey Allen

Get Graphic: Marcus Williams Art Is 'Strong To The Finish' [Popeye comic book]

Interview by Troy-Jeffrey Allen

Jul 08, 2024

https://previewsworld.com/Article/276466-Get-Graphic-Marcus-Williams-Art-Is-Strong-To-The-Finish

July 21: Ari Richter — Never Again Will I Visit Auschwitz: A Graphic Family Memoir of Trauma & Inheritance with Sarah Wildman — at Conn Ave

Ari Richter — Never Again Will I Visit Auschwitz: A Graphic Family Memoir of Trauma & Inheritance with Sarah Wildman — at Conn Ave

https://www.politics-prose.com/ari-richter

Upcoming Event

Sunday, July 21, 2024 - 5:00pm

Never Again Will I Visit Auschwitz is an act of self-discovery and the resuscitation of historical memory. At its heart is the intersection of a genocidal political moment in 20th century history and the author's own family history. Told from the perspectives of four generations of the author's family, spanning pre-war Germany to post-Trump America, it is both a celebration of Jewish cultural resilience and a warning of democracy's fragility in the face of the seductive forces of authoritarianism. Part travelogue, part memoir, part historic retelling, author Ari Richter recreates his family's journey leading up to and extending beyond the Holocaust.

Relying on extensive genealogical research and his family's archiving, Richter illustrates the lives of his grandparents while reflecting on the burden of a storyteller to carry on these legacies. It is a rare glimpse into the firsthand stories of both Holocaust survivors and their descendants, told as an intertwined tapestry of faith, grief, and ultimately, survival. Never Again Will I Visit Auschwitz is an intimate reflection on coming to grips with the past. Harrowing and humorous in equal measure, this evocatively drawn graphic novel will be discussed for generations to come.

Ari Richter is a visual artist and Professor at the City University of New York. His drawings, sculptures, videos, performances and lectures have been presented in museums, galleries and academic spaces throughout the U.S. Richter is the recipient of fellowships from the Mellon Foundation and the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, as well as a fully public education from grade school to graduate school. The grandson of Holocaust survivors and son of therapists, he lives in New York with his wife and two daughters.

This event is free with first come, first served seating.
 

5015 Connecticut Ave NW

Washington, DC 20008

Comics Research Bibliography citations update, 7/13-14/2024

A site for sore eyes

Margreet de Heer

Jul 14, 2024

https://margreetdeheer.substack.com/p/a-site-for-sore-eyes

 

https://www.margreetdeheer.com/

 

A 'Simpsons' Joke Comes True for Cypress Hil

By Amelia Nierenberg

A version of this article appears in print on July 13, 2024, Section C, Page 6 of the New York edition with the headline: 'Simpsons' Joke Comes True for Cypress Hill.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/11/arts/music/cypress-hill-simpsons-london-joke.html

 

'Inside Out 2' Is Now Pixar's Biggest Movie Ever

By Maya Salam

A version of this article appears in print on July 13, 2024, Section C, Page 2 of the New York edition with the headline: 'Inside Out 2' Becomes Pixar's Biggest Movie.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/11/movies/inside-out-2-pixar-box-office.html

 

Scott Dunbier Launches New Publisher, Act 4, At San Diego Comic-Con

  12 Jul 2024

by Rich Johnston

 https://bleedingcool.com/comics/scott-dunbier-launches-new-publisher-act-4-at-san-diego-comic-con/

 

Rob Rogers, Nancy Ohanian, & Susie Cagle are 2023 Sigma Delta Chi Award Honorees

D. D. Degg      

https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2024/07/12/rob-rogers-nancy-ohanian-and-susie-cagle-are-2023-sigma-delta-chi-award-honorees/

 

Golden Team-Up: DC Comics and U.S. Mint (and Silver and Bronze)

D. D. Degg

https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2024/07/12/super-team-up-dc-comics-and-u-s-mint/

 

United States Mint and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products Announce Coin and Medal Series Celebrating Comic Art and Launch Survey Seeking Public Input on DC Super Hero Selection

July 10, 2024

https://www.usmint.gov/news/press-releases/mint-warner-bros-discovery-global-consumer-products-announce-coin-medal-series-launch-survey

 

Tales of Syzpense

Chris Ryall

https://chrisryall.substack.com/

 

Live Art Sale and Chat with Illustration Artist John Kurtz

Bill Cox

Comic Art Live  Jul 13, 2024

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

 

Nicole Lambert's website [French]

https://les-triples.com/accueil/

 

First British International Comic Rights Market – publishers and creator lineup revealed

By John Freeman on July 13, 2024

https://downthetubes.net/first-british-international-comic-rights-market/

 

Sally Forth Monster via Steve Bissette

Jim Keefe

July 14 2024

https://www.patreon.com/posts/sally-forth-via-107035020

 

Human race looks itself in the mirror and realizes it's now spent $5 billion watching Despicable Me movies

The Minions became the most profitable animated film franchise in history a while ago; this is just sealing the deal

William Hughes

AV Club July 13 2024

https://www.avclub.com/human-race-has-spent-5-billion-watching-despicable-me-1851591490

 

'Despicable Me'/'Minions' Becomes First Animated Franchise To Reach $5B In Global Box Office

Nancy Tartaglione

July 13, 2024

https://deadline.com/2024/07/despicable-me-minions-animated-franchise-record-5-billion-global-box-office-1236009278/

 

"I Have Nothing but High Hopes": Retailers on the Surprisingly, Quietly, Maybe Positive First Half for Comic Shops

By David Harper

July 10, 2024

https://sktchd.com/longform/july-2024-retailer-feature/

 

Mœbius and the Art of the Inescapable

Sam Thielman

Issue No. 114

https://flaminghydra.com/issue-114/

 

Book Reviews: Soseki Natsume's Botchan: the manga edition & Akutagawa's Rashômon and Other Stories

reviewed by Liz Brown

International Journal of Comic Art blog July 14, 2024

https://ijoca.blogspot.com/2024/07/book-reviews-soseki-natsumes-botchan.html

 

Kaori Okura and Makiko Itoh (trans). 2024. Soseki Natsume's Botchan: the manga edition. Tuttle Publishing

 

mkdeville and Philippe Nicioux (ills). 2024. Akutagawa's Rashômon and Other Stories [France]. Tuttle Publishing

Project 2025 by Daniel Boris

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Ex-Parrot"

"Ex-Parrot"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=3906


MSNBC has gone into full-on Panic Mode, peak Pay No Attention To The 
Man Behind The Curtain Mode, completely off-scale He's Not Dead, He's 
Just Resting Mode — and I'm love, love, loving it.

I loved watching the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus 
blustering that Biden Is The Nominee, Dammit, He's Playing 
10-Dimensional Chess, Has X-Ray Vision And Is Just Pining For The 
Fjords in a desperate attempt to convince us — or mostly himself — 
that Genocide Joe really can see around corners, and I loved a 
recently-rehabbed post-MeToo Chris Matthews in fine voice, literally 
shouting at the viewers that Uncle Joe can slice'n'dice Trump with one 
hand tied behind his back and is just stunned right now, and he 
doesn't want any shit about it.

---------

Monty Python, "Dead Parrot Sketch", BBC Season 1 1968
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vuW6tQ0218

"Voter apathy this election cycle is another privilege Black Americans 
do not have" Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) on MSNBC 07.13.2024
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/joyce-beatty-black-voter-turn-out-biden-rcna161584

____________________________________________________________
Mike Flugennock, Political Cartoons: http://www.sinkers.org/stage
Mike's press kit: http://sinkers.org/stage/?page_id=2

Ignoring the Problem by Daniel Boris

And we can eventually vote on the Mint's coin characters

DC LOGO: © & ™ DC

A New Coin & Medal Series Coming in 2025

We've joined forces with DC—celebrating comic book art as a uniquely American artform. This new series promises to surprise and delight comic aficionados and coin collectors alike!

Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman launch the series in 2025, but who will join them?

This is where we need YOU! Help us choose six more DC Super Heroes—three each for 2026 and 2027.

Take the super quick survey below and vote for the DC Super Hero you want included in this epic collection!

Your Hero, Your Choice!

US Mint follows in Canada's path for DC Comics coins

United States Mint and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products Announce Coin and Medal Series Celebrating Comic Art and Launch Survey Seeking Public Input on DC Super Hero Selection

July 10, 2024

https://www.usmint.gov/news/press-releases/mint-warner-bros-discovery-global-consumer-products-announce-coin-medal-series-launch-survey

Historic modern culture partnership is a first of its kind for the United States Mint

WASHINGTON – The United States Mint (Mint) is pleased to announce a historic collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products to launch a new collectible coin and medal series celebrating comic book art as a uniquely American artform, featuring DC comic book characters and art. This unprecedented initiative marks the first time the Mint has entered a public–private partnership of this magnitude.

The Mint has a long tradition of producing coins and medals that pay homage to America's values, icons, and significant moments. This historic alliance featuring DC Super Heroes continues that tradition and acknowledges the role comic art has played in reinforcing American ideals.

The new series will feature nine iconic superheroes depicted on 24-karat gold coins, .999 fine silver medals, and non-precious metal (clad) medals. Debuting in summer 2025 with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, the three-year series will include six additional DC characters—three each in 2026 and 2027.

Beginning on July 10 and continuing through August 11, 2024, the Mint invites the public to vote for the DC Super Heroes they would like to see included in this series. Public participation ensures that this multi-year series represents the most beloved of DC's Super Heroes. The public may vote in this survey by visiting: www.usmint.gov/dc.

"This opportunity with DC signals an exciting new era for the Mint as we continue our efforts to engage seasoned collectors, but also connect with younger, more diverse audiences," said the Honorable Ventris C. Gibson, Director of the Mint. "We are thrilled to highlight the role that comic books have played in upholding American values, and the fact that the American public will be a guiding force in shaping this coin and medal series makes it even more special."

All obverses (heads side) of the coins and medals for this program will be designed and sculpted by United States Mint Chief Engraver Joseph Menna. Each of the reverses (tails side) will be designed by one of the Mint's Medallic Artists under Menna's art direction.

A highly accomplished sculptor and artist, Joseph Menna joined the Mint in 2005, bringing many years of training and experience in art as well as both classical and digital sculpture. His career with the Mint has been marked by numerous significant achievements for the design and sculpture of circulating coinage, commemorative coins, and Congressional medals. In addition to his esteemed work with the Mint, Menna has an impressive professional sculpture career and is one of the world's first digital sculptors. Menna's extensive private portfolio includes work for a variety of high-profile companies including DC Collectibles. Menna has worked on a diverse range of products, from action figures to high-end collectible statues, including a limited edition, life-sized, fine art bronze superhero bust.

"For me, the real gift of creating coins and comic book collectibles is how happy they make people. With that incredible honor comes great responsibility. Nothing beats bringing joy to peoples' lives," said Menna. "Comic books are my greatest inspiration. Comic books taught me how to draw, to dream, and got me through some of the most challenging times in my life. I am really looking forward to celebrating the impact of comic art through coins and medals. I see this as an opportunity for me to combine all the worlds I love together, bringing to the American people what I hope will be the greatest collectibles of all time."

Founded in 1934 as National Allied Publications, DC is one of the oldest comic book publishers in the world. The Mint is launching this new product line with DC based on its position as a pioneer of the comic art industry and the natural fit of its primary characters with American values. This historic arrangement with the Mint promises more exciting collaborations in the future.

"It is an honor to collaborate with the Mint and immortalize DC's iconic place in American pop culture with this incredible set of collectible coins featuring the DC 'Trinity': Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman," said Preston Kevin Lewis, Head of Consumer Products & Retail Strategy, The Americas for Warner Bros. Discovery. "While the first set of coins releases in time for DC's 90th anniversary in 2025, we're eager to see how fans vote this summer when they select the next DC characters joining this engaging collaboration with the Mint."

About the United States Mint
Congress created the United States Mint in 1792, and the Mint became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. As the Nation's sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, the Mint is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; silver and bronze medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. Its numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers.

About DC
DC, part of Warner Bros. Discovery, creates iconic characters and enduring stories and is one of the world's largest publishers of comics and graphic novels. DC's creative work entertains audiences of every generation around the world with DC's stories and characters integrated across Warner Bros. Discovery's film, television, animation, consumer products, home entertainment, games, and themed experiences divisions, and on the DC Universe Infinite digital comic subscription service. Learn more at DC.com.

About Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products
Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBDGCP), part of Warner Bros. Discovery's Revenue & Strategy division, extends the company's powerful portfolio of entertainment brands and franchises into the lives of fans around the world. WBDGCP partners with best-in-class licensees globally on award-winning toy, fashion, home décor and publishing programs inspired by the biggest franchises from Warner Bros.' film, television, animation, and games studios, HBO, Discovery, DC, Cartoon Network, HGTV, Eurosport, Adult Swim, and more. With innovative global licensing and merchandising programs, retail initiatives, and promotional partnerships, WBDGCP is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.

For more information:

United States Mint Press Inquiries
Public Affairs 202-354-7222
inquiries@usmint.treas.gov

United States Mint Customer Service Information
800-USA-MINT (872-6468)

Warner Brothers Discovery Inquiries
Mario-Jose Gonzalez
Warner Bros. Discovery
mario-jose.gonzalez@wbd.com

Clark Bull
Warner Bros. Discovery
clark.bull@dc.com
818-640-9527