Sept 29 - Gene Yang at National Book Festival

Yang, author of American Born Chinese, a National Book Finalist apparently has at least one other book out now. He's speaking in the Teens & Children's tent at 2:55 pm and signing at 4 pm. This is on the mall, between the main Smithsonian museums.

Interview with Amy Lago over Opus censorship controversy

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, September 20, 2007 had this interview with the Post's Amy Lago - "Unpacking the OPUS Controversy" by Tom Spurgeon.

Spotted by Dirk at Journalista.

I'm a regular contributor to the Fund.

Zadzooks interviews Bill Sienkiewicz

For an interview with Bill Sienkiewicz, see "Master of sequential art influences generations," by Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times, September 22, 2007.

Part two next week.

New feature: QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS by John Judy

Many moons ago, probably when comics came out on Friday like they were meant to, John Judy worked at Big Planet Comics in Bethesda, and we'd run into each other every week. John moved to the other coast to pursue his acting career. He keeps his hands, and wit, in comics working at a store in Los Angeles called HiDeHO, and writing the following Quick Reviews which he's given me permission to post. So courtesy of John, and through the intermediary of Big Planet Comics, enjoy!

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 09-26-07
By John Judy

ALL-STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN THE BOY WONDER #7 by Frank Miller and Jim Lee. “Things fall apart, the center cannot hold…”

ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #3 by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard. So you’ve just ripped the guts out of a beloved super-hero. Do you take it on the lam or just hope you get a Hollywood jury? Fun stuff from Kirkman. Not for younger kids.

ASTRO CITY THE DARK AGE BOOK TWO #4 by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson. Gang War, Astro-style! “Sweet Christmas!”

AVENGERS DEFENDERS WAR PREMIERE HC by Steve Englehart, Bob Brown, and Sal Buscema. One of the earliest big team cross-over fights and still one of the best. Beloved by Fan-Boys of A Certain Age. *sniff* Recommended for all ages.

AVENGERS INITIATIVE #6 by Dan Slott and Steve Uy. A mystery at Camp Hammond with an ending you’ll never see coming. Dan Slott continues his rise in the Pantheon of must-read writers. Recommended.

BART SIMPSONS TREEHOUSE OF HORROR #13 by Various Folks. Tales to chill your funnybone from the good citizens of Springfield.

BATMAN #669 by Grant Morrison and JH Williams III. The Club of Heroes strikes back!

CAPTAIN AMERICA CHOSEN #2 of 6 by David Morrell and Mitch Breitweiser. The creator of Rambo continues the story of America’s greatest “dead” hero.

CRIMINAL #9 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. “Counterfeit?!?” Highly recommended.

IMMORTAL IRON FIST #9 by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, and David Aja. The best Iron Fist series ever continues even though Our Hero gets slapped around by a fat guy.

IMMORTAL IRON FIST ANNUAL #1 by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, Howard Chaykin, and Dan Bereton. For lovers of the pulp adventure and completists of the latest series. Fun stuff.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #13 by Dwayne McDuffie and Joe Benitez. After everything that went on at Green Arrow’s wedding, you know the JLA’s looking to hand out some hurt. It happens here.

MARVEL ZOMBIES BOOK ANGELS DEMONS & MONSTROSITIES by Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe. What it sounds like, kids.

MARVEL ZOMBIES COLONEL AMERICA ACTION FIGURE. “He eats people and he’s missing half his head, heh, heh, heh…” Not for kids you care about.

PUNISHER PRESENTS BARRACUDA MAX SC by Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov. Collecting five issues of the most twisted boys adventure stories ever to come from the mind of Garth Ennis. Think about that. Not for kids.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS METAL MEN VOL.1 SC by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru, and Mike Esposito. The earliest Silver-Age adventures of Doc Magnus and his robot creations can be found here. Recommended.

SPIRIT #10 written and drawn by Darwyn Cooke. Someone’s killing TV personalities and the Spirit has to pretend it’s a bad thing! Recommended.

WALKING DEAD VOL.7: CALM BEFORE SC by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. Imagine trying to remember a Lamaze class you’ve never had after your hand’s been chopped off and you’re surrounded by flesh-eating zombies. Highly recommended. NOT for kids.

WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL #1 by Allan Heinberg and Friends. Wrapping up stuff from two years ago. At last!

X-MEN #203 by Mike Carey. Okay, any story where the Big Bad has a name like “Mister Sinister” is not my cup of meat. Still, the back-up story with Beast and Dark Beast is worth the price of admission. And yes, “Dark Beast” is a way cooler name than “Mister Sinister.” So is “Wavy Gravy” or “Urkel.”

Plus this week is PREVIEWS week from Diamond and Marvel Comics.

www.johnjudy.net

Ann Telnaes, like Tom Toles, also lacking basic decency

An Insult to a Patriot
Washington Post Saturday, September 22, 2007; Page A15

I had to shake my head at the disrespectful cartoon depicting Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in a bikini and high heels, surfing on top of his campaign bus [Drawing Board, Sept. 15].

It seemed to be more than editorial misfeasance. It suggested to me purposeful nastiness that probably had your editorial board chuckling.

It was distasteful and shameful, and it seems clear that if the slight is focused on Republicans, then to heck with decorum and good taste.

Your arrogant paper obviously feels it can do whatever it wants without consequence. Whatever happened to real journalism and respect, in this case, for a man who has devoted his life in service to his country?

-- Christopher S. Moody
Gaithersburg

Obviously, the intent of the bikini was to compare Sen McCain's reinventing of himself with Britney Spears's performance flop in a bikini earlier in the month. The artist, unmentioned in the following rant, is Ann Telnaes of Washington, DC, who's won a Pulitzer Prize for her commentary. Comments on the letter can be seen by clicking through to the Post website.

Trying to find Richard Relkin, publisher of Comics Culture

I want to reprint a Harvey Pekar interview he did in the 1990s. In 1995, he was in Lexington, KY. Anyone know of him?

Geppi's Entertainment Museum news

The Star Wars exhibit is extended until early October - GEM reports, "The Force™ is with Us: 30 Years of Star Wars® opened June 23 and will run through October 7, 2007 due to overwhelming response. Geppi’s Entertainment Museum at Camden Yards is located at 301 W. Camden St., Baltimore, MD 21201. For additional details log on to www.geppismuseum.com or call 410-625-7060. Group tours are welcome, and admission is free to museum members."

Remember, they're having the launch of Arnold Blumberg's zombie book soon too. Everyone who reads this blog semi-regularly or more should visit this museum.

Also, they've made a promotion from within, which I reprint without comment:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Date of release: Sept. 17, 2007

Melissa Bowersox named executive VP at Geppi’s Entertainment Museum

BALTIMORE – Melissa Geppi Bowersox has been appointed executive vice president at Geppi’s Entertainment Museum at Camden Yards (a k a “GEM”). Previously, Bowersox served as director of Events & Special Promotions for the 17,000-square-foot pop culture mecca, providing critical expertise during the museum’s pre-launch and first year of operation.

In her new role, Bowersox will lead a team of experienced professionals in developing new programs and special events while at the same time overseeing both permanent and changing exhibits. Bowersox said an important goal is spreading the word to civic groups, schools and the travel and tourism industry that Baltimore has added yet another world-class museum to its atmospheric landscape – one that appeals to all ages.

“We have the location, the exhibits and the support of the community,” Bowersox said. “My goal is to raise GEM’s profile so it is recognized not only locally, but also on a national and international level as an outstanding destination for families, students and tour groups.”

Bowersox has had a lifelong passion for pop culture and her native Baltimore. The daughter of GEM’s founder and CEO, Stephen A. Geppi, she began working in the “family business” at age six. “In the early days, my dad had a comic book shop in the basement of a TV repair shop in one of the city’s suburbs,” Bowersox said. “I would go in on weekends, sweep up or count comic book bags, which used to sell for 100 for a dollar – someone had to count the bags. Even as I got older, I continued to work at his retail shops, eventually being ‘promoted’ to working behind the counter, handling subscription orders and assisting the customers.”

As her father’s commercial ventures grew and prospered, Bowersox was always there to pitch in and do her part, whether it was working summers in the back of the warehouse, collating orders for Geppi’s Diamond Comics, or later working as a receptionist for another Geppi firm, Diamond International Galleries.

Bowersox is particularly proud that she represents the first of the Geppi children to join her father’s businesses in an executive capacity. “I know that it was always my dad’s fondest wish that one of his children would want to be involved in his businesses, but he would not have thrust it upon anybody,” Bowersox said. “He wanted us to come to him and let him know if we were interested.” Bowersox recalled that the right moment came in February when she represented the Geppi companies at a major comic book industry event, the New York Comic-Con. “I saw all the people I recognized from my youth when I was working for my dad. I saw the excitement in their faces when they realized that a younger Geppi was involved now, and I realized the timing was perfect. I invited my dad to lunch and told him what I wanted to do, and he said, ‘This is what I’ve been waiting to hear. You’ve just made my day.’”

Steve Geppi remarked, “We are very pleased to have Melissa taking on these new duties at GEM. We look forward to her continued enthusiastic efforts to get the word out about the museum, its facilities, and what we have to offer.”

GEM’s president, John K. Snyder Jr., praised the patient, lifelong course Bowersox has followed en route to her new position with the museum. “Melissa has spent years studying the whole foundation of collecting, interacting with the people who collect and learning how the element of emotion fits into the hobby,” Snyder said. “She’s an idea person, very much like her father. She has taken the knowledge she acquired during the time she spent working in the gallery and watching how her father does things, and is now eminently capable of moving into this high-level position. She spent her time in the arena of learning – it was a baptism of fire, so to speak. Now she’s getting her chance and bringing in a fresh approach that we all wholeheartedly welcome.”

Geppi’s Entertainment Museum is located at Baltimore’s world-famous Camden Yards, immediately adjacent to Oriole Park and across the street from the Baltimore Convention Center. Its displays are arranged in a timeline fashion, incorporating pop-culture memorabilia from the late 18th century through contemporary times. Among the many characters permanently “residing” at GEM are Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Howdy Doody, Betty Boop, Hopalong Cassidy, Elvis Presley and the original hand-made prototype of G.I. Joe.

To learn more about GEM, log on to www.geppismuseum.com. Tel. 410-625-7060 or
e-mail info@geppismuseum.com.

OT: Children's booksignings in Arlington

On Sunday, September 23 at 1:30 p.m., Arlington resident Barbara Kanninen will present her new book, A Story With Pictures, a funny and colorful depiction of what happens when an author loses her manuscript—and the illustrator decides to take charge of the story. Ms. Kanninen’s stories and poems have been published in a number of children’s magazines, like Highlights, Ladybug, and Fun for Kids. Book signing will follow. Ages 4-8. Please call to register.

On Thursday, September 27 at 6:00 p.m., join us in welcoming Caldecott winner Simms Taback! Mr. Taback, whose vibrant, fanciful illustrations have won him widespread acclaim, will introduce his newest book, I Miss You Everyday. Silly and sweet, I Miss You Every Day is the ideal read-aloud to share with those who, although they might not live close by, are always close to your heart. What do you do when you miss someone you love so much? There’s only one solution, really – wrap yourself up, jump in a box (don’t forget the air holes, of course!) and send yourself for a visit! At least, that’s what happens here, as a little girl wraps herself up, decorates the wrapping and the box and makes her way through the US Postal system. Her final destination? That special someone’s home where good times, yummy sweets and a bedtime story make the trip worthwhile. Its story makes I Miss You Everyday a perfect choice for children to read with their grandparents. Each page is cleverly illustrated with Simms Taback’s signature artwork, packed with details and humorous asides. Mr. Taback’s other books include There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (1998 Caldecott Honor), Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (2000 Caldecott Medal), This is the House that Jack Built, and Kibitzers and Fools. Book signing will follow. Ages 4-8. Please call to register.

Finally, on Friday, September 28 at 4:30 p.m., award-winning author and illustrator D.B. Johnson will read his new book, Four Legs Bad, Two Legs Good!, a hilarious child-friendly take on the George Orwell classic Animal Farm, in which a mischievous little duck transforms the farm. Other books by Mr. Johnson include his series based on the life of Henry David Thoreau, Henry Hikes to Fitchburg, Henry Builds a Cabin, Henry Climbs a Mountain, and Henry Works, in which the American philosopher appears as a bear. Book signing will follow. Ages 4-8. Please call to register.

As usual, all these events are free. Hope your family can participate.

Thanks,

Alina Gawlik
Aladdin's Lamp Children's Books and Other Treasures
2499 N. Harrison St.
Arlington, VA 22207
Tel 703-241-8281
Fax 703-241-8283
Email: aladlamp@speakeasy.net

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.

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.

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.

Emily Flake profile in Baltimore Sun

Flake's work appears in DC in the City Paper, and I like it quite a bit. See "Hip to be square: MICA-trained Emily Flake is a hit with her books and four-panel comic strip, but how will her self-deprecating cartoon alter ego named Lulu handle success? Emily Flake gives observations" by Rob Hiaasen, Baltimore Sun reporter, September 18, 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.

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.

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.