April 21: Smithsonian Anime seminar REPOST

Japanese Art Forms Manga and Anime Topic of Smithsonian Event; Experts Discuss the Development, Creative Process and Cultural Impact

The Smithsonian Associates will feature the Japanese pop culture phenomena of manga (comics and printed cartoons) and anime in an all-day seminar on Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m. –5 p.m. as part of its cultural series “Japan WOW!” (March 31—June 9). The program “Manga to Anime: From Astro Boy to Spirited Away” will be held in the Meyer Auditorium at the Freer Gallery of Art (12th and Independence Avenue SW, DC, 20013). Tickets are $45 general admission, $30 for members, and $15 for students 18 years and under. For tickets and information, call (202) 357-3030 or visit
www.smithsonianassociates.org.

Manga and anime are now two of Japan’s biggest cultural exports—as evidenced by the popularity and record-breaking sales associated with the 2001 animated movie “Spirited Away.” In this seminar leading experts and industry veterans will explore the development of these interconnected art forms, commenting on the creative process, styles, characters and the effect these pop cultural creations have on United States markets and trends.

Leading the discussion on manga is Michael Uslan, “Batman” series producer and creative chief officer and producer of Comic Book Movies LLC. He is joined by artists/ directors Ryuhei Kitamura, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, Kazuhiko Kato and Lotus representative Hiroshi Koizumi. Presenters Osamu Tezuka (creator of “Astro Boy”), Leiji Matsumoto and Masashi Kishimoto (creator of “Naruto”), use the works of Shotaro Ishinomori, as they look into manga’s history, the interaction of manga and modern culture, as well as its impact on the worlds of publishing, animation, and live action cinema with these talented artists of today’s manga creations.

In the afternoon, Dr. Susan Napier, professor of Japanese literature and culture at Tufts University, illuminates the world of anime. Considering it as a global cultural phenomenon, Napier expounds on the stories, characters and symbolism that define it.
The program “Manga to Anime: From Astro Boy to Spirited Away” is supported by the DC Anime Club. The Japan WOW! series is made possible by Amway Japan LTD, The Boeing Company, The Hay-Adams, Kikkoman, Mitsubishi International Corporation, Toyota and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (METRO); with additional support by All Nippon Airways (ANA), EYA, Embassy of Japan, Japan Information and Cultural Center, Japan Commerce Association of Washington, D.C., Japan Foundation New York, the Japan National Tourist Organization New York, Comic Book Movies, LLC, Lotus, Inc. and the Palomar Hotel.

[Tezuka's dead, so he's probably not a presenter].

Illuminated! minicomic

Students from Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland have produced this minicomic and are selling it at Big Planet Comics in Bethesda. I bought one for myself and one for Michigan State University's Comic Art collection today.

Big Planet's view of online versus physical bookstores

Greg Bennet's quoted in this article from the Montgomery County Gazette (Wednesday, April 18, 2007) - "Is this ‘The End’ for local booksellers? Fierce competition forces independent bookstores to turn their last page" by Audrey Dutton.

Greg's optimistic, saying "Our business model has evolved. Now it’s based on graphic novels... We don’t have the kind of collectors coming to us who used to come to us, because everybody knows they can go to the ‘net." Greg notes that Big Planet has turned to graphic novels as the majority of its business and is making more money selling them and "That bodes much better for the long-term health of the business.”

April 19-20: Bill Griffith in Baltimore

The Baltimore City Paper (4/18/2007) has an interview with Bill Griffith by Christopher Skokna - "Things Change: Zippy the Pinhead Creator Bill Griffith Isn't Too Worried About the Sunset of the Comic Strip."

According to the story, Griffith will be in town for 2 events:
"Up From the Underground With Zippy: 38 Years and Still Climbing," a free slide lecture at Johns Hopkins University's Mattin Center April 19 at 5:30 p.m.
He signs books at Atomic Books on April 20 from 6 to 7 p.m. For more information visit www.zippythepinhead.com

International Journal of Comic Art's John Lent interview

As it says over there on the right, I work on the International Journal of Comic Art, specifically editing exhibit and media reviews. If you see an exhibit or website you'd like to review, feel free to contact me. In the meantime, here's a link to an interview with editor in chief / publisher / chief cook & bottlewasher John Lent. It's a late 2006 one by Steve Black for the College of Saint Rose's Periodical Radio and covers "Comic art as a subject of scholarly research, importance of international perspective, insights on the peer review process."

The Reaper! Stalin cartoons by Benton F. Thompson

This has nothing to do with DC, except I bought it at a book sale in Arlington. I don't know what it is, nor whom Thompson was, and a quick check on the internet hasn't revealed anything yet. The whole booklet is 16 pages long - every other page is blank and I didn't copy it. Anyone have any information or guesses? One way or another, I thought it was pretty neat and probably rare enough to share.

Doonesbury bashed, including positioning in Post

Conservative blogger Tim Graham takes a shot at Doonesbury in "Doonesbury Comic Strip Boasts 'No Divorces or Infidelities' For Clinton, Obama, Edwards" and includes the brutal critique, "Oh, and The Washington Post is especially cruel to Doonesbury, putting it on the front page of the comics section right above "Opus." Trudeau isn't even attempting to be funny most of the time, since it gets in the way of the diatribes, and Opus man Berkeley Breathed is routinely funny, even when he mocks conservatives."

Warren Craghead exhibit in Bethesda

Warren Craghead, the indy cartoonist, has an exhibit, HOW TO BE EVERYWHERE at the Gallery Neptune, 4901 Cordell Ave, Bethesda, Maryland, April 6 - 28. 2007. All the work, and a 100-page limited-edition book of drawings published at the same time, is based on the poetry of Guillaume Apollinaire.

Brant Parker, longtime Virginian cartoonist, has died too

The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times are reporting that Brant Parker, Johnny Hart's collaborator on 'The Wizard of Id' has died as well. Arlington cartoonist Richard Thompson sent me the heads-up, saying "Brant P was a local guy for a long time, his studio was above a saddlery on Lee Highway out in Fairfax. He was the first cartoonist I ever really talked to; I interviewed him for my high school paper in 1975. A very droll, nice man."

Unfortunately Jeff Parker's cartoon in this appreciation of Hart now makes sense to me. Brant Parker's tribute is here.

In their day, Parker and Hart's strips 'B.C.,' 'The Wizard of Id,' and 'Crock' ruled the comics page. Raise a glass to them.

April 17: Ben Katchor at DCJCC

In his "picture stories," Ben Katchor turns the American city into a wonderland of tin ceilings, illuminated storefronts, and unusual enterprises: the Senseless Elaboration Parlor, the Sublime Vision Center, the Mortal Coil Mattress Store. The first cartoonist to win a MacArthur "genius grant," Katchor is the author of The Jew of New York, Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer, and The Cardboard Valise. He has also collaborated on several works of musical theater, including The Carbon Copy
Building, The Rosenbach Company, and The Slugbearers of Kayrol Island. His comic strips have appeared in The New Yorker, The Forward, Metropolis, and other newspapers and magazines. In his public appearances, Katchor elevates the slide show to a form of performance art.

Tuesday, April 17th
7:30pm
Washington DCJCC
Tickets: $8/$6 (students/JCC members/under 25)
Reserve at www.nextbook.org or call 1-888-219-5222

Saul Steinberg: Illuminations special Smithsonian-only content

Boy, that cartoon has a whole new meaning these days, doesn't it?

In 1967, Saul Steinberg became the Smithsonian's first and last artist-in-residence. While in DC, he took some Smithsonian stationary and make these cartoons, influenced by his residency on the Georgetown tea circuit. These won't be in any other versions of the show. Neat, huh? Go see the originals at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and enjoy the refurbished museum.

Non Sequiter non-compete?

Editor TOM MARQUARDT in "Comic strip changes go forward - with last-minute substitution" in the Annapolis Capital (April 15, 2007) says he was all set to add 'Non Sequiter, but ..."Then came an apology from Universal Press Syndicate, which distributes "Non Sequitur." It had to withdraw its offer - one of this area's metropolitan dailies already carries the comic strip and pays a premium price to prevent it from appearing in any competing newspaper. Newspapers can be as territorial as wolves."

So is the Post the territorial paper?

He's running 'F-Minus' by Tony Carillo (haven't read it) instead for those who don't care to click through. 'Pearls Before Swine' (generally good) and 'Pickles' (eh) were his other two choices.

Imus fingerpuppet in Richard's Poor Almanack - now with link

Your collection can continue to grow if you track down today's Post and get the Don Imus finger puppet by Richard Thompson. I suppose it'll be online eventually. I'm getting quite a little shelf of these.

Ok, it's up - make your own!

Lamar Wants Superhero Family

NBC4 featured Lamar, a young man who is looking for an adoptive family, on their Wednesday's Child program. The interview took place at Big Planet Comics.

Steinberg exhibit review in today's Examiner

Unfortunately, it's not online so if you want to read it, you'll have to find a copy of the paper.

I'll try to follow up my initial Steinberg report later today.

Through the Looking Glass: Bryan Talbot

Bryan Talbot's at Big Planet Comics in Bethesda at 6 pm tonight. In the meantime, read "Through the Looking Glass: Bryan Talbot" by Scott Rosenberg, Express April 11, 2007.

Late-Saturday night gaming at Fantom Comics

Catherine Andrews points out on the Washingtonian blog that Fantom Comics at 4500 Wisconsin Avenue is open at midnight for videogames. Notwithstanding that, this is a good store - if I hadn't been with Big Planet for 20 years, this would be my choice for a local store. They've got a darn good selection of books.

Story link courtesy of Tom Spurgeon's Comics Reporter.

Baltimorean Brian Ralph profile & Top Shelf sale

"Illustrator survives, thrives in Baltimore" by Adam Bednar, The Jeffersonian (April 10, 2007).

I didn't realize he was in Baltimore now - he's one of Top Shelf's stable, and they're having a big sale now.

Here's the sale info: Hey Comics Fans,

To celebrate Top Shelf's 10th Anniversary in publishing, and also to announce (and prepare for) our 2007-2008 publishing line, for the next ten days -- from Monday April 9th thru Wednesday April 18th -- Top Shelf is having its biggest web sale ever. When you visit the site, you'll find over 125 graphic novels and comics on sale, with fifty titles marked down to just $3 (!), twenty-five titles marked down to just $1 (!), and a slew of other key titles just slashed! All we ask is that you hit a $30 minimum on sale and/or non-sale items (before shipping). It's a great opportunity to
load up on all those graphic novels you've wanted to try, but just never got around to picking up. Get 'em while supplies last!

To go directly to the list of items on sale, just click here:
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog.php?section=specialdeals

But here are a few sample sale items:
-- $3 Books: The Mirror of Love, The King, Tricked, Bighead, and more!
-- $1 Books: The Surrogates #1 and more!
-- Slashed Prices: Lost Girls, From Hell, Blankets, Owly Plush, and more!

**We now accept PayPal (as well as Visa, MasterCard, Amex, and Discover).
All secure.**

Please note that this sale is GOOD for "direct market" retailers as well, and comic book shops will get their wholesale discount on top of these sale prices. Certain minimums apply, so retailers please email us for details.

http://www.topshelfcomix.com

Weingarten on Johnny Hart's death

Gene Weingarten, as a noted comics aficionado was asked about Hart's death during his "Post Magazine: Too Busy to Stop and Hear the Music" (washingtonpost.com, April 9, 2007; 1:00 PM)


Fairfax, VA: For four months you leave us, and now you think you can just walk in here like nothing happened? At least offer us a poop joke and some words about Johnny Hart.

Gene Weingarten: I tried to write an appreciation of Johnny for today's paper, but failed. It was coming out nasty, and that was bad.

Johnny Hart was one of the greatest cartoonists who ever lived. "B.C." during the first few years of the strip was breathtakingly brilliant; really, if you're too young to remember (everyone but me is) go on ebay and buy a few of his very early collections, from before about 1963.

One of my favorites:

Peter, the smart one, declares he is going to travel across the earth dragging a forked stick in the sand, to prove that two parallel lines never meet. He starts out toward the right of the page. In the next several panels, you see him dragging that forked stick through desert and tundra and jungle, with parallel lines following him the whole way. Finally, he returns to his friends from the left of the panel, obviously having completely circumnavigated the globe. They all look down. The two forks of the stick have been abraded down into a single nub. The parallel lines have met.

Another one: The cavement discover this lumpy creature and decide they have to name it. Peter says: "Well, let's name it for its most obvious characteristic. What is it?" And Thor answers: "It eats ants." So they decide to name it an "eatanter."

Another one: They decide to name that muscle in the chest that pumps blood. Peter decides to call it a "Hart." And B.C. yells at him: "Bootlicker!"

Hart was a genius. Then he got weird and scared, and it made him selfish and intolerant and preachy. I hope he's in heaven, because it was REALLY important to him to get there. It warped his priorities.

Steinberg exhibit reviewed in Monday's Post

I missed these two articles in my post last night. I still have a little more to say on the exhibit, and I'll get it, and more relevantly a bunch of pictures, up someday.
"Saul Steinberg: Brilliance in the Common Touch" by Paul Richard, Special to The Washington Post, Monday, April 9, 2007; C01

"21st Century Consort: Steinberg's Wit as Music" by Stephen Brookes, Washington Post Monday, April 9, 2007; C05