March 26: Gene Yang booksigning at Big Planet Comics

On Wednesday, March 26, from 7-8, Gene Yang will be signing copies of his award-winning American Born Chinese at Big Planet Comics, 4908 Fairmont Ave., Bethesda, MD, 301-654-6856.

I'll be in Bethesda for dinner early, probably meeting with tipster Randy T. If anyone else is interested, let me know.

3/31: Manga Shakespeare at the Folger

Words on Will: Shakespeare + Manga

Details:
Shakespeare meets manga, a stylized Japanese comic form, in four new editions of Macbeth, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and Romeo and Juliet. Writer/adapter Adam Sexton, faculty member at Parsons The New School for Design, and the manga artists discuss their work on these unique and beautifully illustrated new works.

Dates & Times:
March 31, 2008 7:30pm

Tickets:
$12

About Manga:
Manga can mean Japanese graphic novels or comic books, typically intended for adults, characterized by highly stylized art.

About the writer Adam Sexton :
Adam Sexton is author of Master Class in Fiction Writing and editor of the anthologies Love Stories, Rap on Rap, and Desperately Seeking Madonna. He has written on art and entertainment for the New York Times and the Village Voice, and he teaches fiction writing and literature at New York University and critical reading and writing at Parsons School of Design. He is a graduate of Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania.

About the artist Yali Lin:
Yali Lin was born in southern China and moved to New York with her family in 1995. After earning her BFA in Cartooning from the School of Visual Arts in 2006, Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet Manga Edition is her first book. She teaches Cartooning/Manga courses to young teens in Manhattan, NYC.

I'm going - my friend Marc Singer might be moderating, but this should be interesting anyway even if he's not. Anybody else?

OT: Beaty on Wertham ratified by New Yorker

My revisionist Canuck buddy Bart Beaty's book on Fredric Wertham, which you should all own, is cited approvingly in this article "The Horror: Congress investigates the comics," by Louis Menand, New Yorker.com March 31, 2008.

More Sunday bits

The cover to the Book World is a Jack Kirby homage - there's two reviews in it, as mentioned yesterday - Hadju's 1950s censorship book and Evanier's Kirby book.

Also, Randy T. pointed out

"Making It: No News Is Good News For Cartoonist," By Elizabeth Chang, Washington Post Magazine Sunday, March 23, 2008; W04 which profiles former Journal political cartoonist Mike Jenkins who is now doing caricatures on demand.

And they've got this tiny repro of Richard's cover for the mag.

Filling in for Doonesbury

The Post is trying out new strips where Doonesbury runs in at least the Sunday page - Trudeau's on a 3-month break. The first is the brand-new Daddy's Home by Anthony Rubino Jr. and Gary Markstein. Let us note though, it continues to be beyond comprehension that they won't run the strip THEY INCUBATED - Cul de Sac - on a daily basis.

Other papers will - "Special guests are coming your way," Ocala Star-Banner March 23, 2008 means that they're seeing it as the first test strip in Ocala.

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 03-26-08

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 03-26-08
By John Judy

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #10 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. This comic won the 2007 Eisner Award for “Best Continuing Series.” Next issue will win the award for 2009. Technically that counts as “Continuing.” The trick to enjoying Grant Morrison comics is to treat the existence of each issue as an unexpected delight and never expect another one. It works, so help me.

APOCALYPSE NERD SC written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Kim Jong Il has nuked Seattle (just go with it) and now software engineer Perry and his friend Gordo struggle to survive in the aftermath. Dark humor and adventure from the creator of HATE and THE BRADLEYS. Recommended.

ASTERIX OMNIBUS VOL. 1 & 2, HC & SC by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. Have you ever wished you could have three of those skinny ASTERIX books bound into one volume? How about six into two? Well this is your week, my friend. Recommended for all ages. Enjoy!

BLACK PANTHER #34 by Reginald Hudlin and Francis Portela. T’Challa and Storm leave space behind to settle some business at home. Battles Royale ensue.

CLOUDS ABOVE SC written and illustrated by Jordan Crane. A book-length, all-ages adventure of a boy and his cat. Originally a HC release in 2005 this paperback edition contains five pages of new material. Very cool. Recommended.

DAN DARE #5 of 7 by Garth Ennis and Gary Erskine. As the Mekon makes his move Dan takes command of the fleet. Great stuff for fans of space opera, war comics, and Ennis/Erskine.

DAREDEVIL #106 by Ed Brubaker and Paul Azaceta. DD grapples with the finality of his wife's madness. Punks beware! Recommended.

GRAVEL #2 by Warren Ellis Mike Wolfer, and Raulo Caceres. Combat Magician versus stampeding, blood-thirsty ghost horses! Didn’t Casper have one of those? Yeah, “Nightmare the Ghost Horse.” She was sweet….

GREEN LANTERN #29 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. A flashback to the early days of Hal Jordan’s GL career and the beginnings of Sinestro’s obsession with “Darkest Night.”

HELLBLAZER #242 by Andy Diggle and Leonardo Manco. Constantine’s enemies team up to get him! Will they ever learn…?

JACK KIRBY’S FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS VOL. 4 HC written and illustrated by The King! The final volume of the Forever People, New Gods, Mister Miracle, and lots of extras!

MIGHTY AVENGERS #11 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley. It’s Bagley’s last issue featuring a diabolical dust-up with Doctor Doom!

NEW AVENGERS #39 by Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack. KABUKI creator David Mack illustrates Echo versus the Skrulls.

PREVIEWS from Diamond and Marvel Comics. Who knows where we’ll all be in three months? Only Marvel and Diamond Comics.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: BOOSTER GOLD VOL. 1 SC by Dan Jurgens, John Byrne and others. Collecting the first 25 issues. Why not?

SPIDER-MAN: WITH GREAT POWER #3 of 5 by David Lapham and Tony Harris. The early days of Spidey’s wrestling career when Uncle Ben still lived and life sucked anyway. This comic doesn’t. Great art. Great fun.

SPIRIT #15 by Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragones, and Mike Ploog. Featuring action, laughs, and diamond smuggling! Recommended!

TRANSHUMAN #1 of 4 by Jonathan Hickman and Jm Ringuet. A mockumentary-style comic about the creation and marketing of the world’s first superhumans by the creator of NIGHTLY NEWS, PAX ROMANA, and RED MASS FOR MARS. “Spinal Tap” Meets Supers! Yowza!

ULTIMATE HUMAN #3 of 4 by Warren Ellis and Cary Nord. More sock ‘em ups with Ultimate Cannibal Hulk and Ultimate Drunk Iron Man!

WOLVERINE FIRST CLASS #1 by Fred Van Lente and Andrea Di Vito. Could the co-creator of ACTION PHILOSOPHERS possibly be giving us that rarest of creations, a WOLVERINE comic that does not suck? Signs point to “Maybe.” Guest-starring Kitty Pryde and the X-Men.

WORLD WAR HULK: AFTERSMASH: DAMAGE CONTROL #3 of 3 by Dwayne McDuffie and Salva Espin. This has been a funny, clever little mini-series even if the title screams "Marvel Zombies Only!" Worth a read now or in trade.

X-MEN LEGACY #209 by Mike Carey and Scot Eaton. Formerly known as just plain old "X-MEN" this issue features another philosophical tete-a-tete between Magneto and Professor X. There's fights and lasers too.

www.johnjudy.net

Thompson nominated for award by peers that doesn't come with $10 grand attached

Richard's written in to say that he's been nominated for the National Cartoonists Society's Division Award for Comic Strips, colloquially known as a Reuben (of which he's won two in the past, I note parenthetically) for his new strip Cul de Sac. The award will be given in May in New Orleans. Congratulations, Richard!

A comic strip?

Brian, a friend at work saw this in an antique store in New Orleans and took this picture for me.

After mulling it over for a week and talking to two other historians of medicine who write on comics, I called up and ordered it. I haven't printed it yet, but flopping and inverting the picture lets you see it:


So it's a printing block for a fundraising ad campaign for the March of Dimes to conquer polio. Pretty neat especially the iron lung in the center. I'm going to try to ink it and print it, and we'll see what results I get. Perhaps we can make prints as write-in prizes!

Dilbert, Gorey via Staake and Thompson in Saturday's Post, Sunday book reviews

It doesn't appear to be online, but the Post ran a letter to the editor - "Dilbert's 'Jesus'is offensive" by Earl H. Foote of College Park.

Also, the Style Invitational Contest is poetry couplets ala Edward Gorey ...

You know - the Post's website sucks as far as linking up with the print version. The Washington City Paper ran a good article a few weeks ago as to why that is - the two operations have nothing to do with each other and aren't even in the same state.

Here's the Gorey contest with the excellent Staake parody cartoon.

Finally Richard Thompson's got one of his excellent Spring cartoons in the Poor Alamanac, but I'm not even going to look for it. And Get Fuzzy complains about the comics page being stuck in 1954.

Tomorrow's book reviews are online as well - The Ten-Cent Plague is reviewed in "Horror! Suspense! Censorship! A cultural critic recounts how comics were ripped out of kids' grubby hands." Reviewed by Dennis Drabelle, Washington Post Book World Sunday, March 23, 2008; Page BW08. The new Kirby book is reviewed in "The Fantastic One: The father of so many superheroes could never conquer the forces of corporate America." Reviewed by Glen David Gold, Sunday, March 23, 2008; Page BW08.

As a reminder, Ann Telnaes cartoons keep appearing.

Thompson covers Post magazine

For you collectors, Richard Thompson's done the cover caricatures for the March 23 Post magazine.

Cul de Sac lack puzzles columnist at mag back

Gene Weingarten took the following question on his Post chat this week:

Cul de S, AC: Hi Gene -

Sorry if you've already discussed this, but who do we write at the Post to (politely) ask the paper to add the daily version of Richard Thompson's Cul de Sac to the comics page?

I only found out today that there IS a daily version (bwuh?).

I know the comics page is precious real estate, but it seems like the Post of all papers ought to carry the strip. Plus, it's great. Thanks.

Gene Weingarten: I know. I cannot understand why we are not carrying it.

You write to Deborah Heard, Assistant Managing Editor/Style.

March 22: Plastic Farm signing in Frederick

Colin S. sent in a notice that Danielle Corsetto, Jack Warrenfeltz and Rafer Roberts will be signing the new Plastic Farm paperback collection at Beyond Comics in Frederick, MD from noon until 7 pm.

Herblock award - more pictures of John Sherffius

Photos by Thuy Dong and Woody Woodis at the reception that followed the award.

Sherffius being stalked by Richard Thompson (in red shirt) and Rhode (in background).

Sherffius and Thuy Dong.

Thompson, Rhode (looking rather limp-wristed, but it was a manly shake - really) and Sherffius.

And a few pictures more...






And Alan Gardner of the Daily Cartoonist pointed out that Daryl Cagle's site has the submitted cartoons.

South Park interview in this week's Onion

And an expanded version online. I like having the printed copy too though.

There's a brief review of Chip Kidd's new book in there too.

Another Batchelor VD poster

This one wasn't in the National Museum of Health and Medicine's collection, so when I spotted it on ebay I bought it. I scanned it yesterday and added the e-version to the Museum's collection; since we don't have an acquisitions budget to buy things, there's no conflict of interest. I'll probably donate it someday, but at the moment I'm enjoying ownership.

Herblock award presented to John Sherffius

Last night editorial cartoonist John Sherffius was presented with the fifth annual Herblock Award. Richard Thompson and I were fortunate enough to be able to attend.

The Herblock foundation fellow introducing Sherffius quoted our link buddy Dave Astor's interview with the cartoonist. She also noted that Sherffius had resigned from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at the end of 2003 over editorial interference, an account of which can be found in the New York Times. She noted that he had 'entered a body of work' all of which was critical of George Bush, the current.

Sherffius introduced his family and then made some excellent remarks (which should be on the Herblock award site someday) saying, "I am angry..." at the Bush administration for a litany of failures and malfeasance including "outright contempt for our Constitution..." I would have voted for him right then, but he followed up with "This is not the America I want for my children; this is not the America I know." He carried onto note journalism's problems, stating, "it is grimly ironic that [while] we have one of the most abusive administrations in power, the press is withering within."

Tim Russert spoke for almost 45 minutes after Sherffius, telling Herblock anecdotes while musing on the role of a free press and its current failures. I'll try to recall some of the anecdotes, but one concerned Russert's predecessor on Meet the Press interviewing Herblock's nemesis Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy had brought a handgun to an interview, and when Russert was telling Herblock about it, Block interrupted to ask "What kind of gun?"

...Maybe you had to be there.

Richard and I accidentally closed down the place while waiting to meet John, who was very pleasant, so we gave him a ride to his hotel and tried to convince him to do some reprint books.


Library cartoon cataloger Woody Woodis, ace blogger Richard Thompson and ComicsDC public face Mike Rhode. Photo by Thuy Dong.

Sherffius wins another award to be presented in DC

Religion Communicators Council Announces Wilbur Award Winners
Posted : Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:45:55 GMT
Author : Religion Communicators Council


CHANTILLY, Va., March 17 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 2008 Wilbur Awards recognizing outstanding work in the secular media that addresses religious issues, themes and values are being presented April 5 at the Westfields Marriott Hotel Washington Dulles.

The annual awards are presented by the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) and named for Marvin C. Wilbur, a pioneer in the field of religion public relations.

The Wilbur Awards banquet and recognition ceremony will conclude the annual RCC national convention April 3-5. RCC, based in New York, is a 79-year-old interfaith organization of professional communicators working in the field of religion. It is the oldest and largest organization of its kind.

The awards being presented, for work completed in 2007, are:

Newspaper (National/Top 15 markets): "Blood and Faith: In Turkey, A Judge's Murder Puts Religion in Spotlight," Philip Shishkin, The Wall Street Journal.

Newspaper (Other Markets): "Lifetime Calling," Jennifer Garza, The Sacramento Bee; Rick Rodriguez, editor.

Magazine (National/Top 15 markets): "A Mile in His Shoes," by Kate Braestrup; Jane Chesnutt, editor, Woman's Day.

Magazine (Other Markets): "Leaps of Faith," by Paul Singer and Brian Friel, National Journal, Charles Green, editor.

Editorial Cartoon/Comic Strip: John Sherffius, Boulder, Colo., Daily Camera.

Books Non-Fiction: "A Match Made In Heaven," Zev Chafets, HarperCollins Publishers.

Television Drama: Saving Grace, "Bring It On Earl," Nancy Miller, writer and executive producer; Gary A. Randall and Artie Mandelberg, executive producers; Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, director, Turner Network Television (TNT).

Television News (Network or National Syndication): "In God We Trust," CBS News, Sunday Morning, Rand Morrison, executive producer; Martha Teichner, correspondent; Brian H. Healy, Jason Schmidt, producers; Estelle Popkin, senior broadcast producer.

Television Documentary: "In God's Name," CBS News - 48 Hours, Jules and Gedeon Naudet, filmmakers.

Radio (Single Program): Tapestry: "Rumi," Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Hosted by Mary Hynes; Erin Pettit, producer.

Feature Film (Drama): "Amazing Grace," Walden Media, Ken Wales, producer.

Web-Based Communications (Blogs): Faith & Works, "Is Civil Rights History Wrong?" Peter Smith, Courier-Journal.com, Louisville, Ky.

The awards banquet this year is being hosted by Mary Jacobs. She is a longtime freelance writer for the Dallas Morning News' award-winning Religion section and has also written for Religion News Service. In 2004, Ms. Jacobs was named Religion Communicator of the Year by the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Religion Communicators Council. With an English degree and a Master of Business Administration degree from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, she has worked in communications for Bain & Company in Boston, and was news producer for WJW-TV, a CBS affiliate in Cleveland.

Each Wilbur Award recipient receives a handmade stained glass trophy in recognition of the honor.

For more information and details about the 2008 Wilbur Awards banquet, visit the RCC Web site at http://www.religioncommunicators.org/.

Religion Communicators Council

OT: Annual King Kong (1933) plea for stuff

My friend Miron Murcury, who's guest-blogged here, has a request:

Simply put, I fan-aticly collect all things related to Willis O'Brien's masterwork: King Kong.

I am always searching for new old material. You'd have a grateful friend by sharing any The Lost World (1925), King Kong (1933), etc. ephemera.

I'd love to be shown early newspaper strips with Kong-like creatures or similar situations such as characters climbing a tall building.

Especially interesting would be European and South American cartoon interpretations of 'The Lost World.' A. Conan Doyle's original 1912 novel was also the first paleontologicly accurate dinosaur adventure film and introduced the motif of giant monsters loose in a city to film audiences.

The best pre-1933 creature-on-the-loose cartoon is, hands down, Winsor McCay's 'The Pet.' To your knowledge has anything been written about this early animated cartoon short?

'The Lost World' and 'King Kong' references in comicbooks and editorials are legion. The iconic King Kong has been employed from New York to San Francisco. Has he ever been used in your local newspaper? Please save copies for me if you see them.

I wish to reemphasize how ridiculously important this is to me: nothing is to small or trite to escape my magnetic interests.

Oxymoronishly yours,
MM

Email him at MironMurcury@aol.com

Ellen Berg's Miss Columbia research

Ellen Berg is one of the Library of Congress's Swann Fellows this year and spoke there recently on her research on the missing Miss Columbia. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette interviewed her about her project as well as other political icons.

Baltimore City Paper reviews GEM's Scrooged exhibit UPDATED

Read "One Quack Mind: Good Duck Artist Carl Barks' Best Work Sadly Lost to The Dustbin," by Christopher Skokna, and then go see the exhibit and make up your own mind.

UPDATE: Andy H of GEM wrote in to note, "The two Carl Barks non-Disney series we have representations from are:

Famous Figures of History as They Might Have Looked Had Their Genes Gotten Mixed with Waterfowl

Kings and Queens of Myth and Legend."

While I agree with the Baltimore City Paper review that these aren't great works of art for all time, I do think for the student of comics or Carl Barks, they're very interesting and rarely seen. So there.