That new Comic Riffs blog at the Post is busy, might busy today, July 15 2008.
Today's stories:
Garry Trudeau: The Interview, by Michael Cavna.
The Countdown: The Joker Gets The Last Laugh - about Frank Miller's bringing an aging Joker back and having him kill David Letterman's entire audience. Boy, was that refreshing in its day (1986) and tiresome now.
The Morning Line: The Cat Also Rises compares storylines from Zits to Garfield.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Blitt-zing Obama
Hah! Nice headline, heh?
I'm bored with this non-story about Barry Blitt's caricature of Obama and his wife, but here's the Post and NY Times on it.
"It's Funny How Humor Is So Ticklish," By Philip Kennicott, Washington Post Staff Writer, Tuesday, July 15, 2008; C01.
"Want Obama in a Punch Line? First, Find a Joke," By BILL CARTER, New York Times July 15, 2008.
I will say that I would think a lot more of Obama if he had looked at it and said, "hey, that's funny!"
I'm bored with this non-story about Barry Blitt's caricature of Obama and his wife, but here's the Post and NY Times on it.
"It's Funny How Humor Is So Ticklish," By Philip Kennicott, Washington Post Staff Writer, Tuesday, July 15, 2008; C01.
"Want Obama in a Punch Line? First, Find a Joke," By BILL CARTER, New York Times July 15, 2008.
I will say that I would think a lot more of Obama if he had looked at it and said, "hey, that's funny!"
Echos of comics past
Another ad from the bottom of the Examiner brings to mind... Anyone? You in the back?
How about John Held, Jr's cartoons?
Poet Laureate on Looney Tunes in the Wall Street Journal
For some reason, the Washington Times' Culture page keeps going back to quoting bits of a Wall Street Journal (of all places) article by the former Poet Laureate, Billy Collins, on his interest in Warner Bros' Looney Tunes cartoons. They've done it at least twice on July 9th and 14th. A quick look at the Journal's website revealed the original - "Inspired by a Bunny Wabbit: The freedom in cartoons to transcend the laws of basic physics, to hop around in time and space, and to skip from one dimension to another has long been a crucial aspect of imaginative poetry," By BILLY COLLINS, Wall Street Journal June 28, 2008; Page W1.
Wertham records at Library of Congress followup
A discussion on the comix-scholars list generated a note from Bart Beaty, author of Fredric Wertham And The Critique Of Mass Culture.
Just for the record, [no access to medical records] is exactly the arrangement that I made in 2002 when I was granted access.
However, do bear in mind that the LoC does not have the power to implement any policy with regard to these papers and that all decisions are made by the executors of the Wertham estate. I can assure you, having worked very closely with the LoC's extraordinary staff over a period of several years, that the librarians at the LoC would like nothing better than to make these papers available. But the decision is ultimately that of the executors, who have their own reasons for making their decisions.
Also, the way that the papers are organized, medical records are not all in one place, so they're not so easily redacted.
Ah, those extraordinary manuscript librarians - hear, hear!
Just for the record, [no access to medical records] is exactly the arrangement that I made in 2002 when I was granted access.
However, do bear in mind that the LoC does not have the power to implement any policy with regard to these papers and that all decisions are made by the executors of the Wertham estate. I can assure you, having worked very closely with the LoC's extraordinary staff over a period of several years, that the librarians at the LoC would like nothing better than to make these papers available. But the decision is ultimately that of the executors, who have their own reasons for making their decisions.
Also, the way that the papers are organized, medical records are not all in one place, so they're not so easily redacted.
Ah, those extraordinary manuscript librarians - hear, hear!
Results of Express comics poll
The question was "Do you think Hollywood is making too many movies based on comic books?"
The answer in Monday's paper was No: 52%, Yes: 48%. Whew! We dodged a bullet. Or let it bounce of our chests.
The answer in Monday's paper was No: 52%, Yes: 48%. Whew! We dodged a bullet. Or let it bounce of our chests.
Batman on the History Channel this week
Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of the Dark Knight
History Channel
Wednesday, July 16 09:00 PM
Thursday, July 17 01:00 AM
Monday, July 21 10:00 PM
Tuesday, July 22 02:00 AM
History Channel
Wednesday, July 16 09:00 PM
Thursday, July 17 01:00 AM
Monday, July 21 10:00 PM
Tuesday, July 22 02:00 AM
Monday, July 14, 2008
R.C. Harvey's Rabbit Habit still available for trial read
Earlier today Bob Harvey sent this out to his email list:
After a brief solstician interlude, we hop right back, bringing you a continuation of our Open Access Month. In our hare-brained installment this week, we report, at great length, on the recently concluded annual convention of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, which brought its struggle against overwhelming odds to the Alamo, whereupon we unearth a rare artifact, Texas History Movies, and explain its name. We also review Betsy and Me, a book reprinting Jack Cole's last work of genius, and we ponder the inexplicable Nancy on a billboard and Samuel Beckett's fascination with the Bushmiller strip. All that and the usual round-up of some news and minor reviews. Beam up by clicking below. And when you get there, to gain access to all these intellectual riches, use Hogan as your ID; Alley as your password. The device is case sensitive, so be sure to capitalize Hogan and Alley. The ID and Password come to us courtesy Hogan's Alley magazine, an annual visitation to comic strips and cartooning that's worth your attention at msnbc.cagle.com/hogan . Try it, you'll like it.
http://www.rcharvey.com/rantsraves.html
Stay Tooned,
R.C. Harvey
Wait! Read on!! We're featuring a special Open Access month at Rants & Raves until July 31. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the Happy Harv's nefarious bolt hole and read the current issue of "Rancid Raves," plus any (or all) archived R&Rs since May 1999, when it began, and all of Harv's Hindsights, articles of cartooning history and lore---all without paying the usual admittance pittance, a mere $3.95/quarter subscription. To open the Sesame, when you are asked for your ID and Password, use Hogan as your ID; Alley as your Password at www.RCHarvey.com . (And if you don't know that the ID/Password refers to a dandy annual magazine about comics and cartooning, then visit Hogan's Alley online at www.cagle.com/hogan .) Hogan and Alley are case sensitive, so capitalize the first letter of each.
After a brief solstician interlude, we hop right back, bringing you a continuation of our Open Access Month. In our hare-brained installment this week, we report, at great length, on the recently concluded annual convention of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, which brought its struggle against overwhelming odds to the Alamo, whereupon we unearth a rare artifact, Texas History Movies, and explain its name. We also review Betsy and Me, a book reprinting Jack Cole's last work of genius, and we ponder the inexplicable Nancy on a billboard and Samuel Beckett's fascination with the Bushmiller strip. All that and the usual round-up of some news and minor reviews. Beam up by clicking below. And when you get there, to gain access to all these intellectual riches, use Hogan as your ID; Alley as your password. The device is case sensitive, so be sure to capitalize Hogan and Alley. The ID and Password come to us courtesy Hogan's Alley magazine, an annual visitation to comic strips and cartooning that's worth your attention at msnbc.cagle.com/hogan . Try it, you'll like it.
http://www.rcharvey.com/rantsraves.html
Stay Tooned,
R.C. Harvey
Wait! Read on!! We're featuring a special Open Access month at Rants & Raves until July 31. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the Happy Harv's nefarious bolt hole and read the current issue of "Rancid Raves," plus any (or all) archived R&Rs since May 1999, when it began, and all of Harv's Hindsights, articles of cartooning history and lore---all without paying the usual admittance pittance, a mere $3.95/quarter subscription. To open the Sesame, when you are asked for your ID and Password, use Hogan as your ID; Alley as your Password at www.RCHarvey.com . (And if you don't know that the ID/Password refers to a dandy annual magazine about comics and cartooning, then visit Hogan's Alley online at www.cagle.com/hogan .) Hogan and Alley are case sensitive, so capitalize the first letter of each.
Wertham papers at Library of Congress still inaccessible
Michael Barrier, the animation historian, tells of stopping into the Library of Congress to see Frederic Wertham's archive in "Wertham's Locked Vault."
Tom Toles, superhero cartoonist?
Tom Spurgeon dug this blog post from Scott Edelman up - "Tom Toles, Superhero." What's that it says on the National Archives? "The Past is Present?"
Post blogs on Blitt's Obama, the Joker and strip navel gazing
On the Trail - "'Tasteless and Offensive' New Yorker Cover Riles Obama Camp," By Perry Bacon Jr. One should read this for the comments as the blog post adds nothing to the story.
On the new Comics Riffs blog, even before the day's over - "Let the Countdown to "Dark Knight" Begin..." by guest blogger David Betancourt.
And, as noted here last Saturday, comic strips are getting more self-referential. Cavna's take - "The Morning Line: Meta? Meh." See today's Family Circus as I mentioned earlier, and also Tom Inge did a book on this - Anything Can Happen in a Comic Strip - which is still available from Ohio State U's Cartoon Art Collection
On the new Comics Riffs blog, even before the day's over - "Let the Countdown to "Dark Knight" Begin..." by guest blogger David Betancourt.
And, as noted here last Saturday, comic strips are getting more self-referential. Cavna's take - "The Morning Line: Meta? Meh." See today's Family Circus as I mentioned earlier, and also Tom Inge did a book on this - Anything Can Happen in a Comic Strip - which is still available from Ohio State U's Cartoon Art Collection
Jason Rodriguez's insane roadtrip to San Diego Comic-Con
Jason just wrote in:
Tomorrow I hit the road. I'm driving 2,700 miles from Washington DC to San Diego ComicCon. I'm taking 9 days to do the trip and stopping in 17 cities to visit 25 comic shops and chat with a little over 20 comic creators, bloggers, and fans. I'm looking into the impact of rising comic sales and mainstream acceptance in the cities and towns situated between the coasts. My progress will be tracked at DCist (http://www.dcist.com) in a series of dispatches entitled Coast-to-Coast Comicdom. I will be checking in several times a week and supplying some coverage from the convention.
DCist has freed up my own tag in case you're interested in following my progress but not as interested in the daily happenings around and about the DC area. Just go here: http://dcist.com/tags/comicdom
My first article, Coast-to-Coast Comicdom: A Briffit in DC, is already up here: http://dcist.com/2008/07/14/coasttocoast_comicdom_a_briffit_in.php It features some original artwork from the talented Scott White.
That's all - I hope to see most of you in San Diego; I pull into town on the 23rd.
Jason Rodriguez
http://www.eximiouspress.com
202.320.1056
Well, that's nuts, but good luck!
Tomorrow I hit the road. I'm driving 2,700 miles from Washington DC to San Diego ComicCon. I'm taking 9 days to do the trip and stopping in 17 cities to visit 25 comic shops and chat with a little over 20 comic creators, bloggers, and fans. I'm looking into the impact of rising comic sales and mainstream acceptance in the cities and towns situated between the coasts. My progress will be tracked at DCist (http://www.dcist.com) in a series of dispatches entitled Coast-to-Coast Comicdom. I will be checking in several times a week and supplying some coverage from the convention.
DCist has freed up my own tag in case you're interested in following my progress but not as interested in the daily happenings around and about the DC area. Just go here: http://dcist.com/tags/comicdom
My first article, Coast-to-Coast Comicdom: A Briffit in DC, is already up here: http://dcist.com/2008/07/14/coasttocoast_comicdom_a_briffit_in.php It features some original artwork from the talented Scott White.
That's all - I hope to see most of you in San Diego; I pull into town on the 23rd.
Jason Rodriguez
http://www.eximiouspress.com
202.320.1056
Well, that's nuts, but good luck!
Smurfs don't destroy DC marriage in the end
"After 'I Do,' a Time for Separation From Too Much Stuff," By Jenny Rough, Special to The Washington Post Monday, July 14, 2008; C08. Although 'honoring' Smurfs sounds like a reason for a divorce to me.
Bil Keane's goodbye to his wife
Today's Family Circus is Bil Keane's goodbye to his wife, who died earlier this year. It ran in the physical Post and not their website, but you can see it online here.
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 07-16-08
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 07-16-08
“Why so serious?”
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #566 by Marc Gugenheim and Phil Jimenez. Spidey needs a little help from Daredevil to rescue his roommate from Kraven’s daughter or whoever she is. Not sure why exactly but Phil Jimenez draws everything pretty so who cares?
ASTRO CITY: THE DARK AGE BOOK 1 HC by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson. Collecting the first eight issues of “The Dark Age”, the story of Astro City in the seventies when the Silver Agent got whacked. Great stuff, too infrequently seen on the racks. Recommended.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #40 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. Crazy 1950s Cap vs. Tortured Cyborg Bucky-Cap! For da title! And the Red Skull’s daughter does A Bad Thing.
CONAN THE CIMMERIAN #1 by Tim Truman, Tomas Giorello and Richard Corben. Conan learns you can’t go home again unless you’re willing to kill dozens of people with swords, axes, your bare hands and some ornate, twisty thing I don’t really know the name of. Great fun.
EC ARCHIVES: WEIRD SCIENCE VOL. 3 HC by The Geniuses of Their Age. Yeah, you know you want this!
FINAL CRISIS: ROGUES REVENGE #1 of 3 by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins. The Flash rogues must answer for the murder of Bart Allen. So should the guys who wrote his FLASH series but we can’t have everything. It’s Geoff Johns and he writes good Flash comics. Recommended.
GHOST RIDER #25 by Jason Aaron and Tan Eng Huat. Ghost Rider in Prison by the guy who writes SCALPED! As good as this title can get! Recommended!
HELLBLAZER #246 by Jason Aaron and Sean Murphy. It’s “Constantine Meets Blair Witch” as a bunch of hapless documentary film-makers blunder into Newcastle. A very bad place to look for Constantinalia… Highly recommended.
HOUDINI THE HANDCUFF KING SC by Jason Lutes and Nick Bertozzi. An informative episode from the life of the world’s most famous magician/escape artist. Recommended.
HOW TO DRAW STUPID SC by Kyle Baker. Sadly there is nothing in here about how to get the next issue of SPECIAL FORCES on the rack. Still recommended because Baker is a gol-darn genius!
HOWARD THE DUCK OMNIBUS HC by Steve Gerber and Many Worthy Collaborators. Great. Like Marvel couldn’t have done this while Gerber was still alive… Recommended anyway because this is really great stuff. As close to the subversion of the underground comix as mainstream super companies ever got. Very worth having.
MARVEL 1985 #3 of 6 by Mark Millar and Tommy Lee Edwards. On the basis of how badly the movie “Wanted” sucked I could justify never reading another Mark Millar book again. But everyone’s entitled to a mistake now and then and this book is actually sort of fun. Worth a look.
MIGHTY AVENGERS #16 by Brian Michael Bendis and Khoi Pham. The secret origin of “Skrullectra.” At this point you’re either into it or you’re not. Gotta look.
PUNISHER #59 by Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov. They should kill Frank or cancel the title when Ennis leaves but they won’t. Amazing run. Bravo. Highly recommended.
SCALPED #19 by Jason Aaron and David Furno. Lots of The Sexy in this issue but being SCALPED it’s gonna have a dark twist. Why is everyone in the world not buying this title? Does it not suck enough to be popular? Highly recommended.
SPIKE: AFTER THE FALL #1 of 4 by Brian Lynch and Franco Urru. Hey, I’ll bet this is as good as ANGEL: AFTER THE FALL! What?
TOO COOL TO BE FORGOTTEN HC written and drawn by Alex Robinson. A really fun fantasy about a grown man sent back in time via hypnosis to the 1980s to relive high school. Hey, it worked for Batman in the fifties! Recommended.
UNIVERSAL WAR #1 of 3 written and drawn by Denis Bajram. Some f’reign sci-fi space opera done up in proper American, the way the Lord intended. Yee-haw!
WAR IS HELL: FIRST FLIGHT OF HE PHANTOM EAGLE #5 of 5 by Garth Ennis and Howard Chaykin. The final issue in which we learn whether the PE has gone nuts. Or if he always was… If you like Ennis war comics you’ll like this.
X-FACTOR #33 by Peter David and Larry Stroman. Lotta cross-over stuff in this issue which Peter David handles better than most.
Enjoy “Dark Knight” everybody! - JJ
www.johnjudy.net
“Why so serious?”
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #566 by Marc Gugenheim and Phil Jimenez. Spidey needs a little help from Daredevil to rescue his roommate from Kraven’s daughter or whoever she is. Not sure why exactly but Phil Jimenez draws everything pretty so who cares?
ASTRO CITY: THE DARK AGE BOOK 1 HC by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson. Collecting the first eight issues of “The Dark Age”, the story of Astro City in the seventies when the Silver Agent got whacked. Great stuff, too infrequently seen on the racks. Recommended.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #40 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. Crazy 1950s Cap vs. Tortured Cyborg Bucky-Cap! For da title! And the Red Skull’s daughter does A Bad Thing.
CONAN THE CIMMERIAN #1 by Tim Truman, Tomas Giorello and Richard Corben. Conan learns you can’t go home again unless you’re willing to kill dozens of people with swords, axes, your bare hands and some ornate, twisty thing I don’t really know the name of. Great fun.
EC ARCHIVES: WEIRD SCIENCE VOL. 3 HC by The Geniuses of Their Age. Yeah, you know you want this!
FINAL CRISIS: ROGUES REVENGE #1 of 3 by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins. The Flash rogues must answer for the murder of Bart Allen. So should the guys who wrote his FLASH series but we can’t have everything. It’s Geoff Johns and he writes good Flash comics. Recommended.
GHOST RIDER #25 by Jason Aaron and Tan Eng Huat. Ghost Rider in Prison by the guy who writes SCALPED! As good as this title can get! Recommended!
HELLBLAZER #246 by Jason Aaron and Sean Murphy. It’s “Constantine Meets Blair Witch” as a bunch of hapless documentary film-makers blunder into Newcastle. A very bad place to look for Constantinalia… Highly recommended.
HOUDINI THE HANDCUFF KING SC by Jason Lutes and Nick Bertozzi. An informative episode from the life of the world’s most famous magician/escape artist. Recommended.
HOW TO DRAW STUPID SC by Kyle Baker. Sadly there is nothing in here about how to get the next issue of SPECIAL FORCES on the rack. Still recommended because Baker is a gol-darn genius!
HOWARD THE DUCK OMNIBUS HC by Steve Gerber and Many Worthy Collaborators. Great. Like Marvel couldn’t have done this while Gerber was still alive… Recommended anyway because this is really great stuff. As close to the subversion of the underground comix as mainstream super companies ever got. Very worth having.
MARVEL 1985 #3 of 6 by Mark Millar and Tommy Lee Edwards. On the basis of how badly the movie “Wanted” sucked I could justify never reading another Mark Millar book again. But everyone’s entitled to a mistake now and then and this book is actually sort of fun. Worth a look.
MIGHTY AVENGERS #16 by Brian Michael Bendis and Khoi Pham. The secret origin of “Skrullectra.” At this point you’re either into it or you’re not. Gotta look.
PUNISHER #59 by Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov. They should kill Frank or cancel the title when Ennis leaves but they won’t. Amazing run. Bravo. Highly recommended.
SCALPED #19 by Jason Aaron and David Furno. Lots of The Sexy in this issue but being SCALPED it’s gonna have a dark twist. Why is everyone in the world not buying this title? Does it not suck enough to be popular? Highly recommended.
SPIKE: AFTER THE FALL #1 of 4 by Brian Lynch and Franco Urru. Hey, I’ll bet this is as good as ANGEL: AFTER THE FALL! What?
TOO COOL TO BE FORGOTTEN HC written and drawn by Alex Robinson. A really fun fantasy about a grown man sent back in time via hypnosis to the 1980s to relive high school. Hey, it worked for Batman in the fifties! Recommended.
UNIVERSAL WAR #1 of 3 written and drawn by Denis Bajram. Some f’reign sci-fi space opera done up in proper American, the way the Lord intended. Yee-haw!
WAR IS HELL: FIRST FLIGHT OF HE PHANTOM EAGLE #5 of 5 by Garth Ennis and Howard Chaykin. The final issue in which we learn whether the PE has gone nuts. Or if he always was… If you like Ennis war comics you’ll like this.
X-FACTOR #33 by Peter David and Larry Stroman. Lotta cross-over stuff in this issue which Peter David handles better than most.
Enjoy “Dark Knight” everybody! - JJ
www.johnjudy.net
Cavna's Post comics blog starts
Michael Cavna's new blog started today - "Calling All Comics Fans...," July 14 2008 - with a Mark Trail story and a promise of a Garry Trudeau interview tomorrow.
Disney's magic mirrors are going to look back at you
See "Disney Taps Into Blu-ray's Interactive Technology," By BROOKS BARNES and ERIC A. TAUB, New York Times July 14, 2008.
There's Barnes on animation again!
There's Barnes on animation again!
More messages in Wall-E
Besides environmental and consumer messages, some are finding second thoughts about music - "WALL E, 'Dolly!' And the Universe Of Musicals," By Jonathan Padget, Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday, July 13, 2008; M03.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Blitt cartoon of Obama on New Yorker becomes controversial
Politico cartoonist Matt Wuerker sent along this article about Barry Blitt's cover of the New Yorker showing the Obamas as radicals and the controversy it's generating, at least in the hermetic media world - "'Scare tactic' — Obama slams Muslim portrayal," By MIKE ALLEN, 7/13/08.
Personally, I can't believe editor David Remnick had to tell anyone it was satire. Or that anyone had to ask.
Matt was responding to a discussion we had with Warren Bernard about Dutch cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot. See "Why Islam Is Unfunny for a Cartoonist: The arrest of a controversial Dutch cartoonist has set off a wave of protests. The case is raising questions for a changing Europe about free speech, religion and art," By ANDREW HIGGINS, Wall Street Journal July 12, 2008; Page W1.
Personally, I can't believe editor David Remnick had to tell anyone it was satire. Or that anyone had to ask.
Matt was responding to a discussion we had with Warren Bernard about Dutch cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot. See "Why Islam Is Unfunny for a Cartoonist: The arrest of a controversial Dutch cartoonist has set off a wave of protests. The case is raising questions for a changing Europe about free speech, religion and art," By ANDREW HIGGINS, Wall Street Journal July 12, 2008; Page W1.
Post censoring of Opus attracts cartoonist's comments
I put the story up last week, and so did Alan Gardener at his Daily Cartoonist site. The difference between his site and mine is that he gets comments from cartoonists, including Mat Bors, Milt Priggee, Ted Rall, Wiley Miller and Rick Stromoski. They're a tough audience apparently.
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