Friday, September 21, 2007

Oct 11-13: RUTU MODAN ON TOUR


Drawn & Quarterly presents:

RUTU MODAN ON TOUR

With the generous support of the Consulate General of Israel, Rutu Modan presents her recent graphic novel Exit Wounds on a tour to Washington DC, Bethesda, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, and New York.

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SPEAKING AT THE DC JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
Thursday, Oct. 11, 7:30 PM

1529 16th Street, NW.
Washington, DC 20036

Cost: $8/$6 member

Rutu Modan speaks about and signs her graphic novel Exit Wounds.

Presented alongside Israillustrators 2007: Illustrations from Israeli Children’s Books
In the Barbara & Harold Berman Café and in the Ina and Jack Kay Community Hall

The Jewish Literary Festival, the J’s Ann Loeb Bronfman Gallery and the Embassy of Israel have teamed up to present Israillustrators 2007. This colorful banner exhibition features children’s book illustrations by leading Israeli illustrators, including Rutu Modan. Selected works from this exhibition have been displayed in Israeli pavilions at international book fairs and at other literary events in 30 countries in Europe, Asia and South America. Israeli Illustrator Liora Grossman curated the exhibition, and it is on loan from the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Presented in partnership with the J’s Ann Loeb Bronfman Gallery. Co-sponsored by the Embassy of Israel as part of the Israel @ 60 celebrations.

For more information contact Drawn & Quarterly at 514-279-0691
DCJCC box office: 202-777-3210
http://washingtondcjcc.org/classes/center-for-the-arts/literary/litfest2007/exit-wounds.html

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SPECIAL GUEST AT THE SMALL PRESS EXPO
Friday & Saturday, Oct. 12-13

Expo hours: Friday 2:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
programming & signing schedule at D+Q booth TBA
http://www.spxpo.com/

Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center
5701 Marinelli Road
North Bethesda, MD 20852

Cost: $8 day/$15 weekend

In its twelfth year, SPX now serves as the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comic books and the discovery of new creative talent. SPX will bring together over 400 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers, distributors, and each other. The celebration culminates in the 11th annual Ignatz Awards Reception -- Rutu Modan and Exit Wounds are nominated in the Outstanding Artist and Outstanding Graphic Novel categories. Expect great programming all weekend long, including a presentation by Rutu Modan, speaking about Exit Wounds.

For more information contact Drawn & Quarterly at 514-279-0691
Tickets available at the event.

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ABOUT EXIT WOUNDS:
In modern-day Tel Aviv, a young man, Koby Franco, receives an urgent phone call from a female soldier. Learning that his estranged father may have been a victim of a suicide bombing in Hadera, Koby reluctantly joins the soldier in searching for clues. His death would certainly explain his empty apartment and disconnected phone line. As Koby tries to unravel the mystery of his father’s death, he finds himself not only piecing together the last few months of his father’s life, but his entire identity. With thin, precise lines and luscious watercolors, Modan creates a portrait of modern Israel, a place where sudden death mingles with the slow dissolution of family ties. Exit Wounds is her North American graphic novel debut, and was nominated for the 2007 Quill Award for Best Graphic Novel.

ABOUT RUTU MODAN:
Rutu Modan is one of Israel’s best-known cartoonists. Born in Tel-Aviv in 1966, she has received much recognition for her work, including four Best Illustrated Children's Book Awards from the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The Israel Ministry of Culture named Rutu Modan the Young Artist of the Year in 1997, she has been a chosen artist of the Israel Cultural Excellence Foundation since 2005, and her work has received nominations for Eisner, Ignatz, and Angoulême awards. She currently lives in England with her family, and will be on tour in select North American cities in October 2007, with the generous support of the Consulate General of Israel.

Small Press Expo Related Book Signing Events for the Washington, D.C. Area

Small Press Expo Related Book Signing Events for the Washington, D.C. Area

For Immediate Release
Contact: Warren Bernard
Phone: 301-537-4615
E-Mail: webernard@spxpo.com

Bethesda, Maryland; September 21, 2007 - A number of Small Press Expo (SPX) creators attending this years event will be at a series of book signings that will take place at various locations and dates across the Washington, D.C. area.

This year's SPX will be held October 12 and October 13 at The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in Bethesda, Maryland, across from the White Flint Metro stop on the Red Line.

The book signings will feature such creators as Bill Griffith (Zippy The Pinhead), Kim Deitch (Alias The Cat), Ted Rall (America Gone Bonkers!), Richard Thompson (Richard's Poor Almanac", "Cul-de-Sac”) and Matt Wagner (Grendel).

The book events are as follows:

will be signing his latest acclaimed graphic novel, Laika, which is being released in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the launching of the first manned satellites.

Date: September 29
Time: 12:30PM and 2PM
Admission Fee: Free
Location: National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C.

Rutu Modan will be part of the Washington DCJCC Book Festival to discuss and sign her new graphic novel, Exit Wounds.

Date: October 11
Time: 7:30PM
Admission Fee: $8 Adult/$6 Children
Location: Washington DCJCC 1529 16th St., NW Washington, D.C.

Kim Deitch (Alias The Cat) and Cartoonists With Attitude with Ted Rall, Jen Sorensen and Keith Knight will have a joint signing event including a slide presentation about their respective works.

Date: October 11
Time: 7PM
Admission Fee: Free
Location: Barnes and Nobles Bethesda 4801 Bethesda Ave, Bethesda, MD

Matt Wagner is one of the pioneers of indie comics with his original creation of “Grendel”, which celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year. Matt also created, wrote and drew “Mage”, and has worked on a number of projects for both DC and Vertigo.

Date: October 11
Time: 5PM-7PM
Admission Fee: Free
Location: Big Planet Bethesda 4908 Fairmont Ave. Bethesda, MD

Nick Abadzis will once again be signing his latest acclaimed graphic novel, Laika.

Date: October 11
Time: 5PM-7PM
Admission Fee: Free
Location: Big Planet College Park 7315 Baltimore Ave. College Park, MD

Richard Thompson, will have a discussion on creating comics. His cartoons "Richard's Poor Almanac" and "Cul-de-Sac" appear in the Washington Post, with Cul-de-Sac going into national syndication this fall. There will also be a display of his original art work.

Date: Friday, 12 October
Time: 7.30PM
Admission Fee: Free

Location: The Writer's Center 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD 20814; four block south of the Bethesda Metro stop, just off Wisconsin Avenue.

Bill Griffith is known world wide for his syndicated strip, Zippy The Pinhead, which runs daily in The Washington Post. He has a new Zippy collection out from Fantagraphics entitled “Zippy: Walk A Mile In My Muu-Muu”.

Date: Friday October 12
Time: 9PM
Admission Fee: Free

Location: Politics and Prose 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington, DC 20008

For further information on the artists or to request an interview, please contact Warren Bernard at webernard@spxpo.com.

SPX, a non-profit organization, brings together more than 300 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers and distributors each year. Graphic novels, political cartoon books and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. A series of panel discussions will also be held of interest to readers, academicians and creators of graphic novels and political cartoons.

SPX will be open to the public from 2 pm - 8 pm, Friday, October 12 and 10am - 7 pm Saturday, October 13. Admission is $8 for a single day and $15 for both days.

SPX culminates with the presentation of the 11th Annual Ignatz Awards for outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning. The Ignatz is the first Festival Prize in the US comic book industry, with winners chosen by balloting during the SPX.

As in previous years, all profits from the SPX will go to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), protecting the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals. For more information on the CBLDF, go to their website at

http://www.cbldf.org/.

Founded in 1994, SPX is North America's premier alternative comic-book festival. This annual event brings together comic creators, publishers and more than 2000 fans together to celebrate the art of storytelling.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Sept 20 - Anime Bento showing of Full Metal Alchemist somewhere in DC

“Full Metal Alchemist – The Movie – Conqueror of Shambala” –Thursday, Sept. 20th

and next week:

- “Lupin the III: The Castle of Cagliostro ” – Wednesday, Sept. 26th
- “Karas – The Prophecy” – Thursday, Sept. 27th

Tickets for “Anime Bento” can be purchased for $10.00 at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theatre box offices. For a complete list of theatre locations, please visit the website (theatres are subject to change)

Oct 4: Geppi's Entertainment Museum booksigning and party with free admission

I'm not into zombies, but Arnold's a real nice guy and this museum is totally cool, so if you're around the area, check this out.

Date of Release: September 18, 2007

From: Geppi’s Entertainment Museum at Camden Yards

Contact: 410-625-7060

Geppi’s Entertainment Museum hosts the US book launch of Blumberg and Hershberger’s Zombiemania: 80 Movies to Die For on Thursday, October 4, from 6-9pm

BALTIMORE – From White Zombie to Land of the Dead … 80 zombie movies that shaped a horror subgenre and left us all with a mortal fear of flesh-eating ghouls clawing their way out of the cold, dark earth. Zombiemania takes an in-depth look at one of the most popular horror film categories of all time. What is it that makes us so scared of and yet so attracted to the living dead? Why is it that shambling corpses with a taste for brains, or mindless automatons controlled by a voodoo master still retain such relentless power? Illustrated with many photographs, some published here for the first time, this is one film guide that will leave you with a restless urge to walk the night in search of living flesh.

Geppi’s Entertainment Museum will host the official US launch party for Zombiemania, published by the UK-based Telos Publishing Ltd (www.telos.co.uk) and co-authored by GEM Curator Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg and GEM Registrar Andrew Hershberger. The party will take place on Thursday, October 4 from 6pm to 9pm. The museum is offering free admission during party hours to all attendees, Halloween-themed food, and the chance to chat with the authors and get a signed copy of Zombiemania.

Zombiemania not only covers 80 of the best and worst zombie movies in exhaustive detail with behind-the-scenes trivia, plot synopses and reviews, but also features a comprehensive title index with over 570 films described and cross-referenced with all alternate titles. The 500+ page book also features a cover by illustrator David Aikins.

The book is available now from Telos or via Amazon.com for $22.95 (ISBN 1-84583-003-2). The book also has an official website at www.zombiemania.com.

To learn more about GEM, log on to www.geppismuseum.com. Tel. 410-625-7060 or
e-mail info@geppismuseum.com. The museum is located at 301 W. Camden Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Sept 25-29: Phil Yeh in Baltimore

Randy T. reports Phil Yeh will be appearing in Baltimore later this month:

Graphic Novel Workshops with Phil Yeh, "godfather" of the American graphic novel

This interactive program, for all ages, will introduce you to many of the world's famous graphic novel creators and show you how to create your own unique characters and write a comic strip. Each participant will receive a copy of one of Phil Yeh's books.

Phil Yeh has written, illustrated and published more than 80 books of his own and another 50 from other authors. He has experience in television, radio, animation, licensing and book publishing and has owned galleries in Long Beach and Lompoc, CA.

Schedule:

* Central Library Saturday, Sep 29, 2007 (2:00 p.m.)
* Govans Branch Tuesday, Sep 25, 2007 (4:00 p.m.)
* Light Street Branch Thursday, Sep 27, 2007 (6:30 p.m.)
* Patterson Park Branch Wednesday, Sep 26, 2007 (4:00 p.m.)
* Washington Village Branch Thursday, Sep 27, 2007 (4:00 p.m.)

Oct 12: Free evening with Richard Thompson

Matt Dembicki reports on spotting an event at the Writer's Center (Bethesda):

An evening with Washington Post cartoonist Richard Thompson (whose strip "Cul-de-Sac" appears in the Washington Post Magazine, and "Richard's Poor Almanac" in the Style section). Thompson, who is going into national syndication this month, will talk about how he finds and develops ideas and will share samples of work in process.
Date/Time 10/12/2007 [7:30 PM to 9:30 PM]
Event Type Special Event
Venue/Room Bethesda, Room: Reading Room
Capacity 80 spaces

I imagine there's some type of RSVP.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Sept 22 OT: David Lozell Martin reading at Busboys & Poets

My friend David Lozell Martin is again reading from his post-apocalyptic sacking-of-Washington novel, Our American King at Busboys and Poets on 14th St, NW at 4 pm. I'll be there and I recommend it to you as well.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

New finger puppet from Richard Thompson

In yesterday's Richard's Poor Almanack, the new finger puppet was General Petraeus (what does that mean in Latin anyway?). It's not online yet, but should be here eventually. At the moment, that link is to September 8th's End of Summer cartoon.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Wish You Were There #4 - Telnaes and Moss exhibit reviews

These two are from the International Journal of Comic Art 4:1 (Spring 2002). I was still feeling my way with writing these.

Pens and Needles: The Editorial Cartoons of Ann Telnaes. Rosslyn, VA: The Newseum, October 26, 2001--March 3, 2002.

The Newseum is closing in 2002 to move to Washington, DC so the Telnaes show (entitled Pulitzer Prize 2001: Editorial Cartoonist Ann Telnaes in the exhibit) will be the last one for several years. Telnaes, the second woman to win the Pulitzer, has no home newspaper; instead she is under contract with Tribune Media Services. The small exhibit consisted of 16 cartoons, 11 of them originals. 5 were on the disputed 2000 presidential election, 2 on the separation of church and state, 1 on Elian Gonzales, 2 on China's human rights record and the last on OSHA's regulating the home workplace. Telnaes worked as an animator for Disney and Warner Bros., and now does a weekly strip as one of the 'Six Chix.' Her line is very distinctive, probably due to her animation work; one can immediately recognize her art. Telnaes draws in pencil, inks her work and then scans it into a computer to add color. She now produces both black and white and color versions of each cartoon; this show reveals the color detracts from the impact of the cartoon. While this was a pleasant little show, the public would benefit from a larger one showing a larger amount and demonstrating a wider range of her cartoons. The exhibit is online at http://www.newseum.org/telnaes/gallery/open_index.htm. If that site is taken down, many of the cartoons in the exhibit can be seen at http://cagle.slate.msn.com/news/telnaes/main.asp; Telnaes' own site at http://www.anntelnaes.com is under construction as of this writing.

Geoffrey Moss: A Pen as Mighty as a Sword. Rosslyn, VA: The Newseum, Fall 2001--March 3, 2002.

A very small exhibit of six pen and ink cartoons drawn after the terrorism of September 11 was tucked into a corner of the main exhibit hall. Moss, who calls his captionless cartoons "Mossprints" is syndicated by Creators. The six drawings were in the classic tradition of newspaper illustration, showing death as a gasmask-wearing skeleton and the Israel / Palestine issue as part of the larger problem. A larger exhibit with more information on Moss would be a pleasure; this show functioned as an appetizer.

Wish You Were There #3 - A couple of book reviews

The following reviews are ones I wrote for the International Journal of Comic Art 3:1 (Spring 2001).

Raggedy Ann and More: Johnny Gruelle's Dolls and Merchandise. Patricia Hall. Gretna: Pelican Publishing Company, 2000. ISBN 1-56554-102-2. $35.


Cartoonists, children's books, and merchandise have been linked since the late nineteenth century. While Charles Schulz, Jim Davis, Berke Breathed, and especially Walt Disney are well known to the contemporary reader, Johnny Gruelle has largely been forgotten. Patricia Hall has been working to reintroduce Gruelle, and this book is the second in a planned trilogy. The first was a biography, Johnny Gruelle, Creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy (1993) and the third planned for spring 2001 will be a bibliography. Gruelle was an artist who moved easily between the worlds of comic strips, political cartoons, and children's books, eventually creating a family business that lasted until the 1960s.

Gruelle's life is recounted briefly by Hall, but readers interested in detail are referred to her previous book. This extremely well-illustrated book concentrates on the physical products derived from Gruelle's imagination. As a cartoonist for the New York Herald, Gruelle created the "Mr. Twee Deedle" comic strip which was merchandized as a doll by the newspaper immediately. While doing the comic strip, he also illustrated children's magazines and books. In 1915, he submitted a design for a patent on Raggedy Ann, a doll that was apparently partially based on characters from his comic strip.

The patent was granted and Gruelle began making his own dolls. Raggedy Ann was not based on a familiar character and initial sales were slow. Gruelle generated interest in the doll by contracting with publisher P. F. Volland for a children's book based on the doll. Other characters he developed, such as the duck Quacky Doodles, proved more popular and merchandising included a cartoon series. By late 1918, Gruelle had completed his book on Raggedy Ann and dolls were produced to be sold with it. The book and doll combination was a success and Gruelle continued producing merchandizable ideas until he died in 1938. His family took over the company and continued licensing Gruelle's characters until they sold the company to a book publisher.

Probably because of marketing concerns, the book is a curious mixture of a business history attractively designed as a full-color coffee table book that includes a price guide. Hall writes to appeal to historians as well as collectors of children's books, dolls, toys, and cartoons. Many sidebar pieces detail specific parts of Gruelle's business efforts, such as books, sheet music, and copyright infringements. Anyone interested in Gruelle, cartoon merchandising, book or doll collecting, or popular culture of the first half of the twentieth century should find something of interest in this book.


Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell. J. D. "Illiad" Frazer. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates, 2000.


A collection of User Friendly, a free online comic strip, raises some interesting questions about the future of comic art. Frazer's strip is written for a specialized audience of advanced computer users and is published by a company specializing in computer manuals. The strip is done on a computer and lacks backgrounds in the simplified art style that Dilbert made acceptable. Illiad has stated that Breathed's Bloom County was an inspiration, but the humor of User Friendly is extremely dependent on knowledge of computers. A niche market product, reminiscent of earlier specialized work such as Jake's military cartoons, User Friendly is not syndicated, but it still appears in more than 150 college papers and several magazines. In the introduction to this second collection, Frazer said, "But today, with the Web, the distribution infrastructure the syndicates possess is becoming less valuable, and is no longer necessary." One of the strip's webpages claims, "The site, UserFriendly.org, attracts more than 2 million visits each month, including more than a half million unique visitors and 15 million page views ...and is now by far the largest web-based comic strip... Compared to more traditional syndicated comics, User Friendly the Comic Strip is catching up very quickly. For example, Dilbert, around since 1986, is syndicated in over 2,000 newspapers. UserFriendly.org boasts an audience equal to 42% of Dilbert’s online audience."

User Friendly can thus be seen as supporting part of McCloud's argument about the transition of comics to the web, but Frazer, O'Reilly, and McCloud decided to publish and charge for a paper version. The ability of both electronic and paper versions to succeed seems to bode well for the future of comic art. The strip and additional information about it can be seen at http://www.userfriendly.org/ and http://www.ufmedia.com.

Zadzooks on Morrison's Batman

Zadzooks looks at three comic books today - and most interestingly, Grant Morrison's take on Batman. See "Lots of text to distract from 'Batman and Son'" by Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times September 15, 2007. It occurs to me that I haven't been giving Mr. S enough play in this blog. He's been writing on comics in the area for at least a decade, going back to the Times' giveaway experiment Pop Art Times. I'll try to link to his weekly column from now on.

Updating the Comics Research Bibliography 6/20/07 - includes Chris Ware citations

A friend of mine asked for what I citations had on Chris Ware, so I put together some which are towards the bottom of this list.

Olkowski, Lu. 2007.
Creatures, Milch, McEwan: Bee-ing There [Creature Comforts].
National Public Radio and WNYC's Studio 360 (June 15).
online at http://www.studio360.org/episodes/2007/06/15

Kampfner, Judith. 2007.
Creatures, Milch, McEwan: Silver Surfer.
National Public Radio and WNYC's Studio 360 (June 15).
Online at http://www.studio360.org/episodes/2007/06/15

Dawson, Angela / Entertainment News Wire. 2007.
Bad Surfer dude: The Fantastic Four are back to battle a metallic new
villain.
[Washington Post] Express (June 14): 19

Garfield, Bob. 2007.
Tintin in the World [R.Sikoryak interview].
National Public Radio's On the Media (June 15).
online at http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2007/06/15/08


Hansen, Janet V. 1984.
So You Want to Start your Own Business? [computer-created gag cartoons;
copy at MSU].
Mt. Prospect, IL: Janet V. Hansen

Maynard, John. 2007.
On 'Lil' Bush,' It's the Laughs That Are Tiny.
Washington Post (June 13): C7

McConnell, Robin. 2007.
Barron Storey.
Inkstuds (June 14): http://www.inkstuds.com/?p=173

Moore, Kris. 2007.
Kris Moore - Getting The Signature [autographed comic book collector].
Scoop (June 15):
http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/scoop_article.asp?ai=15534&si=124

Myers, Bernice. 1979.
Bernice Myers' Book of Giggles [gag comic strips for children; copy at
MSU].
Scholastic

Pressley, Nelson. 2007.
Satoshi Kon, Anime's Dream Weaver: The Japanese Filmmaker Goes Inside
His Characters' Heads to Get Inside Moviegoers' Hearts.
Washington Post (June 17): N3.
Online at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/15/AR200706
1500492.html

Mayo, Jenny. 2007.
'Paprika' offers spicy animation for adults [Satoshi Kon anime].
Washington Times (June 15).
Online at
http://www.washingtontimes.com/entertainment/20070614-085513-6311r.htm

Ressner, Jeffrey. 2007.
Axis of evil: No one embodies villainy this season better than Thomas
Haden Chruch, Timothy Olyphant and Julian McMahon. An exclusive Q&A
[Spider-Man 3, Fantastic Four movies].
USA Weekend (May 4-6): 12-14

Rosenberg, Scott. 2007.
King Cat Comix: Brandon Graham.
[Washington Post] Express (June 18).
Online at
http://www.readexpress.com/read_freeride/2007/06/king_cat_comix_brandon_
graham.php

Spurgeon, Tom. 2007.
CR Sunday Interview: Paul Karasik.
Comics Reporter (June 17):
http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/cr_sunday_interview_paul_karasik
/

Yandow, A. Richard. 2006.
Letters: The Funny Pages [Jaime Hernandez's 'La Maggie La Loca'].
New York Times Magazine (May 7)

Poniewozik, James. 2003.
Books: Blankets By Craig Thompson.
Time (August 25)

Zeidler, Sue. 2007.
Animation industry hopes for more grown-up 'toons.
Reuters (June 13).
Online at
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070614/media_nm/animation_hollywood_dc_1

Unknown. 2007.
Barks Art Sets Bonhams' Record.
Scoop (June 15):
http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/scoop_article.asp?ai=15547&si=123

Bengal, Rebecca. 2006.
On Cartooning: Jessica Abel.
POV (July):
http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2006/tintinandi/sfartists_abel.html

Bengal, Rebecca. 2006.
On Cartooning: Phoebe Gloeckner.
POV (July):
http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2006/tintinandi/sfartists_gloeckner.html

Chris Ware

Bengal, Rebecca. 2006.
On Cartooning: Chris Ware.
POV (July):
http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2006/tintinandi/sfartists_ware.html

Ware, Chris. 2006.
Building Stories - the introduction.
Independent (October 1).
online at
http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/books/features/article1856445.ece

Worland, Gayle. 2006.
Wisconsin Book Festival: 5 questions with graphic novel genius Chris
Ware.
Wisconsin State Journal (October 13).
Online at
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/entertainment/index.php?ntid=103165&ntpi
d=2

Young, Robin. 2005.
Comic Strip Artist Chris Ware.
National Public Radio and WBUR's Here and Now (December 9).
Online at http://www.here-now.org/shows/2005/12/20051209_17.asp

Potter, Steven. 2006.
Loud and bright, comics leave an impression; Artist describes medium's
lasting effects on popular culture [Chris Ware].
Journal Sentinal (May 4).
Online at http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=421008

Parschalk, William. 2006.
School-day ACME Novelty proves unique [Chris Ware].
Johns Hopkins News-Letter (March 31).
Online at
http://www.jhunewsletter.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/03/31/442ebfdb87b7
b

Warren, Lynne. 2005.
Chris Ware Interview: Chris Ware at the MCA.
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (December):
http://www.mcachicago.org/MCA/exhibit/ware_interview.html

Stanislawski, Ethan. 2006.
Chris Ware's urban cartoons make a strange but effective art exhibit.
[University of] Chicago Maroon (June 2).
Online at
http://maroon.uchicago.edu/voices/articles/2006/06/02/chris_wares_urban_
ca.php

Unknown. 2006.
Chris Ware at MCA Chicago.
Art Daily (May 11):
http://www.artdaily.com/section/news/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=15698

Mathie, Frank. 2006.
Cartoonist's work on display at Chicago museum [Chris Ware].
ABC 7 News (May 8):
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=4153742

Kennedy, Mary. 2006.
Letters: The Funny Pages ['Building Stories,' by Chris Ware].
New York Times Magazine (May 7)

Mazanec, Tom. 2007.
Lending legitimacy to comic book lit: 'The Acme Novelty Library' serves
as an introduction to Chris Ware's graphic novels.
Calvin College Chimes (February 2):
http://www-stu.calvin.edu/chimes/article.php?id=1953

Ware, Chris. 2007.
One Eye: Charles Burns, Photographer.
Virginia Quarterly Review (Winter): 104-117
Online at http://www.vqronline.org/articles/2007/winter/burns-one-eye/

Cole, Patrick. 2006.
Seminole Filmmaker, Guitarist Awarded $50,000 Grants [Joe Sacco, Jim
Woodring, Chris Ware]
Bloomberg (December 4).
Online at
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aBqvgBE9MNnY&refer=m
use

Kwok, Janet K. 2005.
Comics' Trendy Cousins: Graphic novelists behind 'Jimmy Corrigan' and
'Black Hole' appear at the Brattle [Chris Ware and Charles Burns].
Harvard Crimson (October 20).
Online at http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=509245

Edemariam, Aida. 2005.
The art of melancholy: He may be a cartoonist, but Chris Ware is more
likely to fill his strips with sighs than laughs. With a new book and a
new family, he talks about tragedy and comics to Aida Edemariam.
Guardian (October 31).
Online at
http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,6109,1605195,00.html

Hune-Brown, Nicholas. 2005.
Graphic Nostalgia: Cartoonists Chris Ware, Seth and Charles Burns aren't
lost in the past, but revelling in it.
Maisonneuve (November 10):
http://www.maisonneuve.org/index.php?&page_id=12&article_id=1898

Poniewozik, James. 2000.
Right Way, Corrigan: From cartoonist Chris Ware, an elegantly crafted,
poignant story of man and not-so-superman.
Time (September 11)

Arnold, Andrew D. 2000.
Web Exclusive - Q and A With Comicbook Master Chris Ware; TIME.com's
Andrew Arnold talked with the much-heralded author of 'Jimmy Corrigan'.
Time.com (September 1).

Poniewozik, James. 2003.
Books - Quimby The Mouse By Chris Ware.
Time (August 25)

Raeburn, Daniel. 2004.
Chris Ware.
New Haven: Yale University Press

Kannenberg, Jr., Gene. 2001.
The Comics of Chris Ware: Text, Image, and Visual Narrative Strategies.
In The Language of Comics: Word and Image. Ed. Robin Varnum and
Christina T. Gibbons.
Jackson: U of Mississippi Press

Baker, Sarah. 2007.
Conscious Comic: Artist Chris Ware reveals his love for Ulysses.
Omaha Weekly Reader (February 15).
Online at
http://www.thereader.com/art.php?subaction=showfull&id=1171564906&archiv
e=&start_from=&ucat=11&

Brattland, Jane Elin. 2007. Verdens beste tegneserie! Trist, lavmaelt
og stemningsfull. RadioSelskapets tegneseriejury har karet 'Jimmy
Corrigan' av Chris Ware til tidenes beste tegneserie.
NRK Publisert (February 6).
Online at http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/kultur/1.1774455

Thorson, Alice. 2007.
The Art of Comic Books: Comic creator Chris Ware will speak at Nebraska
exhibit Omaha native is known for his Acme Novelty Library comics.
Kansas City Star (February 11).
Online at
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/entertainment/16656427.htm

Bredehoft, Thomas A. 2006.
Comics Architecture, Multidimensionality, and Time: Chris Ware's Jimmy
Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth.
MFS Modern Fiction Studies 52 (4, Winter)

Worden, Daniel. 2006.
The Shameful Art: McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, Comics, and the
Politics of Affect [Chris Ware edited anthology].
MFS Modern Fiction Studies 52 (4, Winter)

Gutoff, Bija. 2005.
John Kuramoto: Animating Historic Architecture [Chris Ware's "Lost
Building" DVD].
Apple.com (March?): http://www.apple.com/pro/video/kuramoto/

Gatti, Tom. 2005.
Lives in graphic detail [Chris Ware].
Times of London (September 3).
Online at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,923-1760443,00.html

Wolk, Douglas. 2005.
The inimitable Chris Ware: The author of "Jimmy Corrigan" explores a
fallen world in this new installment of breathtakingly intricate comic
strips.
Salon (September 2):
http://www.salon.com/books/review/2005/09/02/ware/print.html

Baker, R.C. 2005.
Panel Discussion: Chris Ware's The Acme Novelty Library.
Village Voice (September 6).
Online at http://villagevoice.com/books/0536,panel,67535,10.html

Howard, Jennifer. 2004.
Comics - Chris Ware, by Daniel Raeburn (Yale Univ., $19.95).
Washington Post Book World(December 26): BW11

Wolk, Douglas. 2004.
Panel Discussion: Jimmy Jazz [Chris Ware By Daniel Raeburn].
Village Voice (November 16).
Online at http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0446/wolk.php

Swanhuyser, Hiya. 2004.
A Ware Ness: "Sequential artist" Chris Ware is a smart man with a
strange vision.
SF Weekly (June 9).
Online at
http://www.sfweekly.com/issues/2004-06-09/nightday.html/1/index.html?src
=newsletter

Post ombudsman on censoring Opus

See "Why Were These Comics Dropped?" by Deborah Howell, Washington Post Sunday, September 16, 2007; Page B06. Apparently it was the decision of executive editor Len Downie - whom one would have hoped had better things to do than worry about the comics pages. The omsbudsman thinks he was wrong. Click on the 'censorship' tag at the bottom for further examples of the Post dropping strips.

Christopher Bing

The New York Times has published one of my favorite non-cartoonists today - editorial illustrator Christopher Bing. He illustrated letters for 'Parsing Bush's address on Iraq' on the editorial page, but unfortunately the illustration isn't online. Bing used to do regular illustrations for the Post's Sunday Opinion section, but is rarely seen there now, sigh.

Sept. 24: David Wallis appearance for Killed Cartoons in Fairfax REPOST

I enjoyed the book quite a bit.
FALL FOR THE BOOK
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA

Sept. 24, 12:00 pm David Wallis Gold Room, Johnson Center
Davis Wallis discusses "Killed: Great Journalism Too Hot to Print and Killed Cartoons: Casualties from the War on Free Expression."

The six-day Fall for the Book Festival celebrates literature, learning and all types of books and storytelling - from literary fiction to mystery and thrillers to folk tales, from poetry and plays to children's books, and across a diverse range of nonfiction: history, memoir, politics and more. All events are free and open to the public.

Richard Thompson's Cul de Sac launches in the Post


...several years ago. But it relaunches tomorrow. You can get the details here, or buy the paper tomorrow, or steal that bit that the Post delivers on Saturday from a neighbor's lawn - the one with the coupons and the comics and the magazine. And note the Post editor taking credit for the idea. Why the nerve of that guy.

Richard really does look like that, by the way. Except he's taller.

OT: Administrivia

I just discovered 'tagging' which will let you, the reader, click on a link on the bottom of each post and get every post that I've tagged with that link on one page. So I'll start working my way backwards through the list so you can use it more efficiently. Thanks go out to my friend Ed, who runs the Daily Randonneur cycling blog, for the help.

Next week - we discover fire.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Oct 18-20 ICAF: LAT, KAL and Kyle (Baker that is)

Here's the schedule - some of the talks look awfully good. I'd especially recommend Ian Gordon and Rusty Witek's. And LAT! All the way from Malaysia. KAL! Always entertaining. And Kyle Baker - an all-around excellent cartoonist who's always great to listen to.

OT: Seeking Mike Barson, who did interviews for Heavy Metal

I'm trying to find Mike Barson, who did interviews for Heavy Metal in the 1980s. I'd like to reprint one of his interviews with Harvey Pekar. When I called HM today, they said they don't own the rights to his interviews and I should contact him. Anyone have any idea how to find him?