Saturday, January 20, 2007

Cartoon-based videogames reviewed in Friday's Post

The Weekend section had reviews of videogames based on Peanuts and Family Guy. These are syndicated though, and not unique to the Post.

Spider-Man giveway in today's Washington Examiner

The Electro story from 1964 continues, but there's an interesting new cover by Kolins, dated 2006 so it's definitely new. The computerized coloring of the cover contrasts oddly with the flat colors of the original though. Remember - liberate your neighbors' copy! Capitol Hill by Eastern Market is a particularly rich stalking ground, as many people there don't want the paper and actively post signs saying so, but get it delivered anyway. Unlike my less-prosperous South Arlington neighborhood. Personally, I find it a perfectly respectable, although right-wing, free read.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Washington Post editor on language in comics

I'm pretty sure that Dave Astor is no where near DC, but he scooped me again with this one - Syndicate Editor Supports Candid Language in Comics - in which he notes that Washington Post Writers Group comic strip editor Amy Lago has posted a defense of adult language in comics. What's next - sex? Whoops, she defends that too. Seriously, it's about time - far more kids are hearing these terms on tv than reading them.

Tobacco cartoon show extended at Medical Museum














Ok, now this is embarrassing. I work in this place and didn't know the show was extended a month until reading Dave Astor about it. Anyway, the editorial cartoon exhibit, Cartoonists Take Up Smoking has been extended for another month through March 31st. The exhibit is a traveling show and not curated by us (ie me) so I can say that it's a good one with some really good cartoonists included.

If you're on the museum site, you might want to check out my recently-updated finding aid Cartoons and Comics in the National Museum of Health and Medicine, although it's already out of date again. Last week, a researcher came across a Dear Mabel World War 1 knock-off. I'll post more on that when I examine it more closely.

Oct 12 - SPX in Rockville with Jeff Smith


Everyone but me seems to have picked this up earlier today, but the Small Press Expo is returning to Rockville (North Bethesda - hah!) in October and Jeff Smith will be returning after a hiatus of years. Ben Towle has the most details (and an absolutely excellent review of a Peanuts exhibit appearing in the next issue of the International Journal of Comic Art. Buy his comics too.)

Feb 15 - Deadline for Library of Congress Swann Fellowships

I saw the talk by one of this year's Fellows - Katherine Roeder on Winsor McCay earlier this week. She gave a good talk about McCay's influences in circus posters, amusement parks (especially Coney Island) and department store windows (less convincing to my mind). So here's the announcement for next year's award.

Applications for the Swann Foundation Fellowship for the 2007-2008 academic year are due Feb. 15, 2007. Annual award of $15,000 is one of the few that supports scholarly graduate research in caricature and cartoon. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited M.A. or Ph.D program in a university in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico. Current guidelines and application at:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/swann-fellow.html

Contact Martha Kennedy with questions by email at swann@loc.gov or call 202/707-9115.

My apologies for cross listing. Thanks very much for the opportunity to send this.

Martha H. Kennedy
Curatorial Assistant for Caricature and Cartoon
Prints and Photographs Division
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave. SE
Washington, DC 20540-4730
Ph.: 202/707-9115 Fax: 202/707-6647

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

"New Comic Book Releases" column no more

A week ago I wondered if Brian Truitt's "New Comic Book Releases" column was gone for good from the Wednesday Washington Examiner. Apparently so - I've been informed by a reliable source that he's left the paper. I enjoyed his column, and even bought books just based on his review once in a while, but let's wish him well.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

ICAF - THE JOHN A. LENT SCHOLARSHIP

And for poor students reading this blog (are there any of you?) here's a generous chance at a FREE ALL EXPENSE PAID TRIP TO GLAMOROUS WASHINGTON, DC. Yes, you can win a paid accomodation...

... obviously I kind of miss the 1970s gameshows once in a while. Anywhere here's the real gen, a scholarship named after my buddy John.

THE JOHN A. LENT SCHOLARSHIP

The ICAF Executive Committee is pleased to announce its third annual John A. Lent Scholarship competition, to be held in preparation for ICAF 2007. The Lent Scholarship, named for pioneering teacher and researcher Dr. John A. Lent, is offered to encourage student research into comic art. ICAF awards the Lent Scholarship each year to a current student who has authored, or is in the process of authoring, a substantial research-based writing project about comics. (Preference is given to master's theses and doctoral dissertations, but all students of comics are encouraged to apply.)

The Scholarship for 2007 is subject to the condition that the recipient present a half-hour talk, based on their research, during ICAF 2007. The award will consist of hotel accommodations for the duration of ICAF 2007 (that is, three nights' hotel) at ICAF's expense. A commemorative letter and plaque will also be awarded.

Applicants must be students, or must show acceptance into an academic program, at the time of application. For example, applicants for ICAF 2007 must show proof of student status for the academic year 2006-2007, or proof that they have been accepted into an academic program for the academic year 2007-2008.

The Scholarship competition will be adjudicated by a three-person committee chosen from among the members of ICAF's Executive Committee. Applications should consist of:

* A self-contained excerpt from the project in question, not to exceed twenty (20) double-spaced pages of typescript.
* A brief cover letter, introducing the applicant and explaining the nature of the project.
* The applicant's professional resume.
* A letter of reference, on school letterhead, from a teacher or academic advisor (preferably thesis director), establishing the applicant's student status and speaking to her/his qualifications as a researcher and presenter.

Please note that applications for the Lent Scholarship are handled entirely separately from ICAF's general Call for Papers. Students who submit abstracts for the CFP are invited to apply separately for the Lent Award.

Please send applications by March 15, 2007 to

Marc Singer
Department of English
Howard University
Washington, DC 20059

Applicants should expect to be notified of the committee's decision in June 2006, at which point ICAF will begin working with the recipient to arrange her/his itinerary and accommodations.

Richard Thompson's Cut & Play Shakespeare Festival online


Kahn! Kahn!!! Kaaaaahhhhhnnnnn!
Finally the Post has put up Richard Thompson's Cut & Play Shakespeare Festival. I'm making mine now - that Michael Kahn was tough to cut out, but it's tempting to photocopy dozens of them and turn them loose on the world. Or perhaps just stick them in the Globe models in the National Building Museum exhibit.

CFP: International Comic Arts Forum (3/15/07; 10/18/07-10/20/07)

That's Call For Papers for the non-academic readers among us. BTW, anyone can submit a paper to ICAF - you don't have to be affiliated with a college. I've done a couple that don't seem to have harmed anyone. This is one of my favorite events in Comics DC. And look! There's that new name that I had suspicions of.


The Twelfth Annual INTERNATIONAL COMIC ARTS FORUM (ICAF)

October 18-20, 2007
The Library of Congress, James Madison Building, Washington, D.C.

The International Comic Arts Forum (formerly the International Comic Arts Festival) invites scholarly paper presentations for its twelfth annual meeting, to be held at the Madison Building of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., from Thursday, October 18, through Saturday, October 20, 2007. We welcome original proposals from a variety of disciplines and theoretical perspectives on any aspect of comics including comic strips, comic books, albums, manga, graphic novels, political cartoons, other panel cartoons, caricature, or comics in electronic media), with a special interest in international comics. Proposals will be refereed via blind review.

PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

For its scholarly presentations, ICAF prefers argumentative, thesis-driven papers, clearly linked to larger critical, artistic, or cultural issues; we strive to avoid presentations that are merely summative or survey-like in character. We can only accept original papers that have not been presented or accepted for publication elsewhere. Presenters should assume an audience versed in comics and the fundamentals of comics studies. Where possible, papers should be illustrated by relevant images. In all cases, presentations should be timed to finish within the strict limit of TWENTY (20) MINUTES (roughly eight to nine typed, double-spaced pages).

Proposals should not exceed 300 WORDS. At the bottom of the proposal, the author should precisely state her/his audiovisual equipment needs.

AUDIOVISUAL EQUIPMENT: Our preferred format for the display of images is MS PowerPoint. Regretfully we cannot accommodate non-digital media such as transparencies, slides, or VHS tapes. Presenters should bring their PowerPoint or other electronic files on a CD or a USB key, not just on the hard drive of a portable computer. We cannot guarantee the compatibility of our equipment with presenters' individual laptops.

REVIEW PROCESS: All proposals will be subject to blind review by the ICAF Executive Committee, with preference given to proposals that observe the above standards. The final number of papers accepted will depend on the needs of the conference program. Due to increasing interest in the conference, in recent years ICAF has typically accepted only one third toone half of the proposals it has received.

SEND ABSTRACTS (with COMPLETE contact information) by March 15, 2007, to Prof. Cécile Danehy, ICAF Academic Coordinator, via email at .

Receipt of proposals is acknowledged immediately; if you do not receive acknowledgement within a few days of sending your proposal, please resubmit.

Applicants should expect to receive confirmation of acceptance or rejection by May 15, 2007.


(Comics scholars, please note the conference's change of name. Our currentwebsite can be found at http://go.to/icaf, though that may be changing in the next few weeks as well.)

Monday, January 15, 2007

Jan 29 - Shojo Manga exhibit at JICC

This post is cleaned up a bit and the links work now. Note that an RSVP is required for the opening lecture on January 30th - click on the JICC link at the bottom to do so. This exhibit will be in a non-descript building on 21st St, NW at about M St, but it should be a nice exhibit. The JICC does a lot of interesting stuff. I plan on attending the opening and have RSVP'd. Anyone else?


Active Anime
posted this press release from the Japan Information and Culture Center -

Girl Power! Girls’ Comics from Japan - An Exhibit

Posted on Monday, January 15, 2007 - 01:04 PM
Japan Information and Culture Center, Washington D.C presents Girls' Comics from Japan - An Exhibit. The exhibit will run from January 29 - March 16, 2007


This international touring exhibit features historic Japanese manga, with a special emphasis on shojo manga—comic books for girls. The exhibit features 23 renowned shojo manga creators and more than 200 works from World War II to the present.The pieces in this exhibit come together for the first and only time in Washington D.C.

The medium reflects the evolution of the social roles of Japanese girls and women during this period. The exhibition also documents how the visual composition of manga mirrors the developments in Japanese aesthetics.

Curated by Dr. Masami Toku, Associate Professor of Art and Art History at California State University Chico, “Girl Power!” has toured throughout North and South America Details at: http://www.csuchico.edu/~mtoku/vc .

Opening lecture: Tuesday, January 30, 2007 in the JICC Auditorium,from 6:30 p.m. RSVP to jiccrsvpwinter07@embjapan.org

Join us for a special opening talk by Masami Toku, curator and general director of the Shojo Manga Project. Dr. Toku will provide an opening lecture for this exhibition, offering insights into the featured works as well as the artists themselves. Refreshments will be served and exhibition catalogue will be available.

Co-Sponsored by: Japan Information and Culture Center; The Japan-America Society of Washington, Inc.; The Japan Foundation, New York; and California State University, Chico.

Shojo Manga Project: http://www.csuchico.edu/~mtoku/vc

Visit the Japan Information and Culture Center - Embassy of Japan - Washington D.C. at http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/index.htm

Jan 16 - Winsor McCay lecture at LOC REPOST

Martha Kennedy reports Swann Foundation Fellow Katherine Roeder will present a lecture titled "Wide Awake in Slumberland: Fantasy and Mass Culture in the work of Winsor McCay," at noon on Tuesday January 16, 2007, in the Library of Congress's Dining Room A on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, DC. Roeder's illustrated presentation is based on a research project, which has been supported by her fellowship from the Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, which is administered by the Library. The lecture, sponsored by the foundation and the Library's Prints and Photographs Division, is free and open to the public; no reservations are required.

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Jan 13 Cut & Play Shakespeare Festival in Post

Richard Thompson's Richard's Poor Almanack (note that new spelling) has another set of cutouts today, and there's six of them! DC's staging an area-wide Shakespeare festival this spring (including an adaptation by comic book writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa). This set of cutouts has the greats - Richard III, Lady MacBeth and director Michael Kahn! I'll be making these. Unfortunately, it's not online yet so you'll have to buy, beg or borrow the Post's Style section for p. C3.

Richard Thompson has not paid for mentions in this blog.

Spiegelman, Katchor to speak in spring

Nextbook is advertising Art Spiegelman on February 20th at 7:30 and Ben Katchor on April 17th at 7:30 at the Washington DC Jewish Cultural Center on 16th St. Tickets are $8.00 each apparently. Novelist Myla Goldberg is speaking on February 5th; for our purposes, her husband is cartoonist Jason Little, but she's done a couple of good novels.

Cartoon America - the missing pictures

The Library put up an online version of the exhibit, but had to leave out some of the images. For those who were wondering what they were missing, we present this gallery. The description and numbering are from the checklist, which has links to all the other images.


Edmund Duffy. From Ever Darkening Clouds, ca. 1944
Probably published in the Baltimore Sun
Crayon, ink brush, and opaque white over graphite underdrawing
LC-DIG-ppmsca-07517 (4)








John Jensen. "Ah'm makin' way fer Bobby K," ca. 1968
Watercolor and ink brush over graphite underdrawing
LC-DIG-ppmsca-07182 (9)







William Gropper. Fat man with telescope standing on a mound of skulls
Possibly published in New Masses
Ink, crayon, and opaque white with spatter over blue pencil, between 1920 and 1940
LC-DIG-ppmsca-03602 (12)



Pat Oliphant. Waiting for Reagan, 1982
Published by Universal Press Syndicate, August 11, 1982
Ink with opaque white out graphite underdrawing
LC-DIG-ppmsca-10609 (23)

Ollie Harrington. Bootsie. "Brother Bootsie we really appreciate you droppin' in to wish us Merry Chris'mus but we got a few things to do right now, so drop by some other time -- aroun' the first of April for instance!" December 30, 1961
Drawn for the Pittsburgh Courier
Crayon and ink over blue pencil underdrawing
LC-DIG-ppmsca-03492 (33)


Clare Briggs. When a Feller Needs a Friend. When You Meet Her Daddy and Somehow You Feel So Inadequate, 1923
Published by New York Tribune, Inc., November 5, 1923
Ink over graphite underdrawing with paste-on
LC-DIG-ppmsca-03607 (34)


David Pascal. "Couldn't we meet in a more secluded place, dear?" between 1965 and 1974
Published in 1000 Jokes
Ink wash, ink, opaque white, and charcoal over graphite underdrawing
LC-DIG-ppmsca-09122 (41)





Chester Gould. Dick Tracy. The Ultimatum. "What did you find out, Tracy?" 1931
Published by News Syndicate Co., Inc., December 18, 1931
Ink with scraping out over graphite underdrawing with paste-on
LC-DIG-ppmsca-07736 (58)


Elzie Segar. Popeye. "I'll bet poor Wimpy has desert madness -- probably raving around saying poetry," 1935
Published by King Features Syndicate, Inc., May 12, 1935
Ink over graphite underdrawing with paste-ons
LC-DIG-ppmsca-03468 (68)



George Herriman. "Krazy Kat." Panel shows Ignatz taking a bow below the trapeze, 1942
Published by King Features Syndicate, April 19, 1942
Ink with scraping out over graphite underdrawing with paste-on
LC-DIG-ppmsca-03340 (72)







Phil Davis and Lee Falk. Mandrake the Magician. Reaching the Road Block, Mandrake Gestures Hypnotically at the Plane Robbers --, 1961
Published by King Features Syndicate February 5, 1961
India ink over graphite underdrawing with blue pencil and paste-ons
LC-DIG-ppmsca-09492 (73)


Johnny Hart. B.C. "Do you believe in destiny?" 1969
Published by Field Enterprises, February 5, 1969
India ink over graphite underdrawing with porous point pen
LC-DIG-ppmsca-09129 (76)


Joseph Barbera. Jerry of Tom and Jerry, ca. 1940
Graphite and blue pencil
LC-DIG-ppmsca-06459 (81)



Joseph Barbera. Tom of Tom and Jerry, between 1940 and 1957
Graphite and blue pencil
LC-DIG-ppmsca-06460 (85)



Saul Steinberg. Self Portrait, 1954
Close variant version published in the New Yorker, July 10, 1954
Ink
LC-DIG-ppmsca-05870 (89)








Fleischer Studios. Popeye fighting his way out of a jellyfish, ca. 1940
Preparatory drawing for Females is Fickle, directed by Dave Fleischer and animated by David Tendlar and William Sturm, and released by Fleischer Studios on March 8, 1940
Graphite and colored pencil
LC-DIG-ppmsca-12917 (97)



Raymond Allen Jackson. "I can't stand any more of this, I think I'll go out and face the unions," 1969, Probably published in the London Evening Standard, April 15, 1969
Ink brush, crayon, opaque white, and watercolor wash over graphite underdrawing
LC-DIG-ppmsca-03297 (101)

and some special bonuses--



Fred Flinstone model sheets from Art Wood now in American Treasures exhibit.













Snoopy cel from Art Wood now in American Treasures exhibit.













Original Eisner art now in American Treasures exhibit.

Spider-Man returns to Washington Examiner

Today's Washington Examiner is carrying the Spider-Man Collectible Series comic book again - #19 reprints Amazing Spider-Man #9 introducing Electro. Yay! Steal your neighbor's copy today.

On the negative side, Brian Truitt's New Comics Releases column hasn't been in the paper for the past three weeks. Is it coming back? I actually buy comics based on his recs.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Library of Congress imprint of approval for Cathy

Scooped again! E&P Online's Dave Astor reported that the Library of Congress is using a Cathy strip on preserving photographs on their website. And I'm an archivist! I've even got this strip hanging up in my office, even though it is Cathy!

Remember folks, always back up your data. And anything you can view with eyeballs instead of machinery works best.

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

W-DC mentions in Best Comics Scholarship 2006

"Best Comics Scholarship 2006" by Beth Davies-Stofka, at Broken Frontier (January 8, 2007) mentions a few bits related to Comics in DC. Of the International Journal of Comic Art of which I'm pleased to be the exhibitions and media reviews editor, she says, "IJOCA remained the best bargain in 2006, charging only $30.00 for an individual subscription." She also singles out former Big Planet Comics employee Dan Nadel’s book Art Out of Time and The Library of Congress' exhibit and book Cartoon America as deserving notice.

Actually, I've seen just about everything on her list, and concur with her recommendations and conclusions, and hopes for 2007.

Washington comics blogger Marc Singer

My friend Prof Marc Singer recently returned to DC to take a post in the English Dept. at Howard University. Marc's been writing a blog for years at I am NOT the Beastmaster. (I never thought he was, having no idea what movie he's referencing). Marc's one of the organizers of the annual International Comic Arts Festival -- an annual event that I enjoy immensely and which I believe just changed its name again.

Marc's got a very literate blog, as one would expect from an English Professor, and this post on Eric Reynold's anthologyMome was singled out today by Tom Spurgeon's Comic Reporter for good reason I think (although I reserve my opinion of Mome, because Eric's a friend too, and I only have one issue that I haven't read yet. Mea culpa.) Marc's also done some excellent posts on Grant Morrison which are worth tracking down.

Beyond our focus, his post on Casino Royale is excellent too - perhaps because he's seems sympathetic to the first Timothy Dalton movie, which I enjoyed as it returned Bond to being a stone-cold killer -- the rationale behind the 'double 0'.

3rd in a series of posts on DC comics-types.

Catching up on the weekend Post - Richard's Poor Almanack

Scoop! Richard Thompson changed the way he spells his strip!

Ok, that's not much of a scoop, but the strip "Comic Strip Previews for 2007" is a really good one.

Boy, everybody hates Anthony, don't they?

So, anybody besides me actually cut out and make the fingerpuppets that he draws? I made Sorry Santa today, during a dull moment (rare! I promise!) at work. Unfortunately, it looks as though the Post only links to the most recent panel so you'll have to dig through the two-week old recycling to make yours.