Thursday, December 11, 2008
Remember when the Post's Weekend section used to run Tom the Dancing Bug?
Yeah, me too. I actually read the Weekend section back then. Of course they also ran separate movie reviews and not Reader's Digest versions of the Style section ones. Anyway, here's Bolling on creating the strip that we won't see in print this week: This Week's Comic -- And It's Origins, In Excrutiating Detail, December 02, 2008
Staake tops Time's list
Art Cafe (really?), Bob Staake's webmaster, wrote in to remind me that Staake's New Yorker cartoon was picked as the year's best magazine cover by Time Magazine.
I must say, Staake can work in a bunch of styles. This cover is nothing like what he does for the Post on Sundays, and I've got some of his how-to books which are well-worth having.
I must say, Staake can work in a bunch of styles. This cover is nothing like what he does for the Post on Sundays, and I've got some of his how-to books which are well-worth having.
Jan 9: Tom Toles on stage and t-shirts
See "D.C.'s 'Journopalooza' Tickets Go on Sale," By E&P Staff, December 10, 2008 for details and Journopalooza's site for the tickets and t-shirt sales and the Suspicious Package section for more information on Toles' second career.
Dec 15: KAL on stage in Baltimore
From "Pan & Praise: Put a wrap around Christmas," By Emily Campbell, Jessica Novak, Examiner Staff Writers 12/11/08:
JESS’ PICKS:
» Stoop Holiday Hoopla: The phrase “holiday high jinks” usually makes me vomit. But in the hands — or rather mouths — of seven Stoop Storytellers such as cartoonist Kevin “KAL” Kallaugher and Mayor Sheila Dixon, their true, personal stories of holiday high jinks should amuse, entertain or at the very least make you feel better about your own personal lows during the most wonderful time of the year. Details: 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore; $20; 410-783-8021; www.stoopstorytelling.com.
JESS’ PICKS:
» Stoop Holiday Hoopla: The phrase “holiday high jinks” usually makes me vomit. But in the hands — or rather mouths — of seven Stoop Storytellers such as cartoonist Kevin “KAL” Kallaugher and Mayor Sheila Dixon, their true, personal stories of holiday high jinks should amuse, entertain or at the very least make you feel better about your own personal lows during the most wonderful time of the year. Details: 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore; $20; 410-783-8021; www.stoopstorytelling.com.
French animation in DC
See "Azur & Asmar," By Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper December 12, 2008 for a review.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Speaking of lewd comic strips... 9 Chickweed Lane cartoonist deflowers characters
One of the strips I really like that's not in Washington papers has had some hot moments lately. The main characters of 9 Chickweed Lane, Edda (the girl) and Amos (the boy) rather obviously lost their virginity during the week of November 4th. IIRC, their virginal status was a main point in the news a couple of years ago. However, no one else picked this story up and I thought I might be way off in spite of strips like November 8th.
You can follow the whole story, including the voyeurism of the whole city of Brussels (November 13th) and quickies in the men's room (November 24th), at this link. It'll take a while to load.
Bob Harvey confirmed the story on his subscription website's Rants and Raves column.
Bob wrote:
McEldowney displayed the same surpassing skill in October and November, when Edda and Amos succumb to the inevitable. McEldowney handles this delicate matter with great humanity and comedic agility. He's an authentic storytelling master in the medium. No one can surpass him; Trudeau has, on various matters, equaled McEldowney in skill, subtlety and flair, but no one has surpassed him...
The visual device by which McEldowney depicts the deflowering of Edda and Amos is sheer genius—entwining hands. Breath-taking...
...Yet Chickweed Lane is in fewer than, oh, 70 papers. The rest of America doesn't know what it's missing.
When I asked McEldowney about this episode, he e-mailed back: "I'd been thinking about this sequence for a long time, mainly because the characters were edging that way all on their own. A lot of reader commentary has erupted over it, in particular warring camps representing love and romance vs. morality (with a smattering of concern over cartoon characters as role models). Me? I just think it is fiction, two characters, and a story. Getting away with it has been the tricky part. Not a word was ventured by my syndicate, United Feature, much to their credit—and it must have caused them moments of concern. The thing is, the story is not over yet. I'm still
tiptoeing along the tight rope."
I like this strip. We need it in the Post. And then they can censor it.
Weingarten's chat on 38-year-old Dennis the Menace panel
Gene Weingarten's chat yesterday had quite a bit on a 38-year-old Dennis the Menace panel and it's possible racism.
The cartoon is here.
The poll based on the cartoon is here.
Here's Weingarten and his chatters on the cartoon. For what it's worth, Weingarten's right, the gag is ok, but just ok.
Missing Option in Survey: The first question does not provide an option for those of us who didn't find the cartoon offensive in the slightest.
Gene Weingarten: We don't care about you.
_______________________
Postraci, AL: I can't imagine the cartoonist intended the Dennis piece to be hurtful, but it is hard to believe that in 1970 someone could be so ignorant and/or oblivious as to be unaware that this was in bad taste. In comparison, consider the character of Franklin in Peanuts who was introduced about the same time, maybe even a bit earlier. Clearly black, but drawn and scripted without any stereotyping characteristics at all.
Gene Weingarten: Franklin debuted in 1968. The amazing thing is that his race was, to my memory, never mentioned. He was just another Peanuts kid.
It was an intelligent and gracious act by Schulz. He once got a letter from a southern newspaper editor asking him not to put Franklin in a schoolroom with white kids.
Franklin always sat in front of Peppermint Patty in the classroom. Schulz never changed that.
_______________________
Race Relatio, NS: It was 38 years ago, which puts me in high school, but I remember that cartoon. I don't think I remember any other Dennis the Menace cartoons, since it was the Garfield of its day, still running in a lot of newspapers though never funny, clever or insightful at all. I remember my jaw dropping. I could visualize it even before using the link to confirm my memory.
By 1970, we'd come a long way since Amos and Andy were played by white guys on the radio in the 30s. All in the Family premiered just one year later, with George Jefferson as a regular character, so the sensibilities of the times had most certainly passed Hank Ketchum by even in the cultural arena. And this was seven years after the I Have A Dream speech, and two years after Memphis. It was appalling then, and it's appalling now.
Gene Weingarten: It was appalling then, yep. Ketcham had to issue an apology, though it was grudging and half-hearted. See next post.
_______________________
Curacao, Netherlands Antilles: The absolute worst thing about that comic in the poll is that it JUST ISN'T FUNNY.
I mean the punchline is delivered in such a way as to totally trip over the joke. I mean that if it were delivered correctly, the joke can't even aspire to a "Family Circus" level of lame humor. I mean that even if I were like a KKK member or something, I wouldn't see the laughs in saying "This other kid runs faster than me!"
The only way that joke works is if you find the drawing laugh-worthy. Since I found the drawing horribly offensive, I hope you'll agree with me that this may well be the unfunniest strip I've ever seen on the comics page.
Gene Weingarten: Now, I disagree with this, and with most of you in the poll.
I believe that if Ketcham had drawn Jackson as a normal kid, this cartoon would have not only been acceptible, but pretty darn good. A worthy punchline, and one with a little bit of a social punch.
I'm not sure I've seen, or would have seen by then, a joke relying on confusion between "race" as ethnicity and "race" as running. Imagine a slight tweaking of this comic:
Let's say that Ketcham had drawn it -- as he has been known to do -- in two panels, not one. And in the first, Dennis says that he has a "race" problem with Jackson (again, who looks normal.) And in that first panel, Henry Mitchell looks concerned. And in the second panel, Dennis elaborates: Jackson runs faster than he does, and Henry looks relieved.
Pretty good comic! Raise the specter of something bad, defuse it, make the point that kids don't see race. That is actually what Ketcham was ham-fistedly TRYING to do, though he failed spectacularly.
But even without the two-panel treatment, the joke would have been the same, had Ketcham drawn this thing with a modicum of sensitivity.
What you would be left with was the question of whether it was insensitive to trade in the racial stereotype that black people run faster. I think I could have defended that, because that interpretation would be in the mind of the reader.
I know. Y'all disagree with me on this.
_______________________
Dennis: Gene, people don't disagree with you on the comic. People aren't getting the pun.
Gene Weingarten: Is that it? Did people not get the "race" pun?
_______________________
David Mills: I do kinda disagree, Gene... except that your two-panel alternative improves the joke a whole lot. It also improves it as social commentary, becoming about the father's discomfort.
Gene Weingarten: Right. True. I still think it would have worked, though. Just less well.
The cartoon is here.
The poll based on the cartoon is here.
Here's Weingarten and his chatters on the cartoon. For what it's worth, Weingarten's right, the gag is ok, but just ok.
Missing Option in Survey: The first question does not provide an option for those of us who didn't find the cartoon offensive in the slightest.
Gene Weingarten: We don't care about you.
_______________________
Postraci, AL: I can't imagine the cartoonist intended the Dennis piece to be hurtful, but it is hard to believe that in 1970 someone could be so ignorant and/or oblivious as to be unaware that this was in bad taste. In comparison, consider the character of Franklin in Peanuts who was introduced about the same time, maybe even a bit earlier. Clearly black, but drawn and scripted without any stereotyping characteristics at all.
Gene Weingarten: Franklin debuted in 1968. The amazing thing is that his race was, to my memory, never mentioned. He was just another Peanuts kid.
It was an intelligent and gracious act by Schulz. He once got a letter from a southern newspaper editor asking him not to put Franklin in a schoolroom with white kids.
Franklin always sat in front of Peppermint Patty in the classroom. Schulz never changed that.
_______________________
Race Relatio, NS: It was 38 years ago, which puts me in high school, but I remember that cartoon. I don't think I remember any other Dennis the Menace cartoons, since it was the Garfield of its day, still running in a lot of newspapers though never funny, clever or insightful at all. I remember my jaw dropping. I could visualize it even before using the link to confirm my memory.
By 1970, we'd come a long way since Amos and Andy were played by white guys on the radio in the 30s. All in the Family premiered just one year later, with George Jefferson as a regular character, so the sensibilities of the times had most certainly passed Hank Ketchum by even in the cultural arena. And this was seven years after the I Have A Dream speech, and two years after Memphis. It was appalling then, and it's appalling now.
Gene Weingarten: It was appalling then, yep. Ketcham had to issue an apology, though it was grudging and half-hearted. See next post.
_______________________
Curacao, Netherlands Antilles: The absolute worst thing about that comic in the poll is that it JUST ISN'T FUNNY.
I mean the punchline is delivered in such a way as to totally trip over the joke. I mean that if it were delivered correctly, the joke can't even aspire to a "Family Circus" level of lame humor. I mean that even if I were like a KKK member or something, I wouldn't see the laughs in saying "This other kid runs faster than me!"
The only way that joke works is if you find the drawing laugh-worthy. Since I found the drawing horribly offensive, I hope you'll agree with me that this may well be the unfunniest strip I've ever seen on the comics page.
Gene Weingarten: Now, I disagree with this, and with most of you in the poll.
I believe that if Ketcham had drawn Jackson as a normal kid, this cartoon would have not only been acceptible, but pretty darn good. A worthy punchline, and one with a little bit of a social punch.
I'm not sure I've seen, or would have seen by then, a joke relying on confusion between "race" as ethnicity and "race" as running. Imagine a slight tweaking of this comic:
Let's say that Ketcham had drawn it -- as he has been known to do -- in two panels, not one. And in the first, Dennis says that he has a "race" problem with Jackson (again, who looks normal.) And in that first panel, Henry Mitchell looks concerned. And in the second panel, Dennis elaborates: Jackson runs faster than he does, and Henry looks relieved.
Pretty good comic! Raise the specter of something bad, defuse it, make the point that kids don't see race. That is actually what Ketcham was ham-fistedly TRYING to do, though he failed spectacularly.
But even without the two-panel treatment, the joke would have been the same, had Ketcham drawn this thing with a modicum of sensitivity.
What you would be left with was the question of whether it was insensitive to trade in the racial stereotype that black people run faster. I think I could have defended that, because that interpretation would be in the mind of the reader.
I know. Y'all disagree with me on this.
_______________________
Dennis: Gene, people don't disagree with you on the comic. People aren't getting the pun.
Gene Weingarten: Is that it? Did people not get the "race" pun?
_______________________
David Mills: I do kinda disagree, Gene... except that your two-panel alternative improves the joke a whole lot. It also improves it as social commentary, becoming about the father's discomfort.
Gene Weingarten: Right. True. I still think it would have worked, though. Just less well.
Post review of Little Spirit: Christmas in New York
Tom Shales didn't like tonight's new animated Christmas special Little Spirit: Christmas in New York. You can read why here. Should you still be curious about the movie, here's a video interview with one of the animators.
John Alvin exhibit at ArtInsights
This just came in from Leslie. ArtInsights is a nice gallery out in Reston - they've got a lot of cool things on the wall. For example, last time when I was reviewing Chiarello's Negro Leagues show, I saw an original Snow White cel. Cool stuff.
In addition to the following PR, Leslie writes that she's put some video interview footage on the web as well:
Here are the links to the 4 segments of the John Alvin interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vghyb6KqcF4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXRJWVVHw5Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq2F09ioVtM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jw5x_uZF8I
and I think they got a young hipster to set up a myspace page.
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 10th, 2008
CONTACT:
Leslie Combemale
703-478-0778
ARTINSIGHTS GALLERY TO PRESENT TRIBUTE SHOW WITH NEVER BEFORE SEEN ORIGINAL ART SPANNING THE CAREER OF FAMED CINEMA ARTIST JOHN ALVIN
Reston, VA - ArtInsights Animation and Film Art Gallery, one of the only three galleries worldwide to represent original art of top cinema artist John Alvin, has curated a show of original art highlighting the career of the famed illustrator, who died unexpectedly on February 6th of this year. The art is representative of his estate, and includes graphite concept and mixed media originals, as well as limited editions and interpretive works from a variety from the over 200 movie campaigns on which he worked. In addition to Star Wars, art from Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings, The Lion King, Blade Runner, Darkman, Mulan, Dragonheart, Band of Brothers, and other film campaigns he influenced, on will be in the show. There will be art available for purchase. The exhibit will be on display through February 6th.
John Alvin is responsible for some of the most famous movie posters from the last 30 years, including E.T., Blade Runner, The Lion King, and Young Frankenstein, as well as more than 130 other films. He created art for numerous Star Wars film promotions and events. "The sale of art by John Alvin has very much effected the popularity of celebrity and film inspired art in the fine art market. John's career has influenced many of the illustrators and cinema artists working today, as they themselves will tell you", says Michael Barry, co-owner of ArtInsights. "He was collected by George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Mel Brooks from the beginning of his career." His partner, Leslie Combemale, adds, "In the years we worked with John, we became close friends, but our respect for his place in film art history also continued to grow. We are sad for his loss as a friend, and as an artist. We are so proud and honored to have this retrospective of his career in our gallery." As part of the tribute, there is also an interview conducted by Leslie Combemale filmed in 2007 that is being released for the first time. Ms. Combemale says, "I never thought it would be the last interview he would do. John and I just did it for fun. We are putting the interview on YouTube so the greatest number of fans and film lovers can see it."
John Alvin worked as an illustrative artist in the film industry for over 35 years. He came into prominence by creating the art for the poster for Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles in 1974. He went on to design art for many films including E.T, which won the Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards grand prize, and is the only movie art honored with the Saturn Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Films. He has created more images for Spielberg films than any other single artist, including the poster art for "Empire of the Sun", "The Color Purple", "Always", "Jurassic Park", and, of course, "E.T". He also created a lot of specialized work for George Lucas and the "Star Wars" saga. Mr. Alvin's "Star Wars Concert" and "Star Wars Tenth Anniversary" posters are among the most collectible Star Wars art on the market today. Additionally, the Smithsonian Museum exhibited Alvin's "The Phantom of the Paradise" as one of the best posters of the 20th century. Later in his life he created exclusive images of Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Alien, and Predator, among others, that were used for limited editions. John Alvin's name belongs to a short list of cinema art masters whose works have become icons in Hollywood's history.
ABOUT ARTINSIGHTS
ArtInsights, established in 1994, is a privately owned gallery located in Reston Town Center, in Virginia. With their collaboration with John Alvin, they added the art of the cinema to their specialization of creating and developing collections of animation art from Disney, Warner Brothers, Hanna Barbera, and all other major studios. With more than 30 combined years of experience in the animation art field, owners Michael Barry and Leslie Combemale work closely with individuals and corporations to ensure the integrity of their collections. ArtInsights is Virginia's only animation gallery and is the only gallery in the Washington Metropolitan area authorized to represent Warner Bros. and Hanna Barbera animation art to the public. They also have exclusive rights to sell original illustrative art by Harry Potter book cover artist Mary GrandPre, Heroes of the Negro Leagues artist and DC Comics art director Mark Chiarello, and Marguerite Henry and Phantom Stallion book cover artist John Rowe.
In addition to the following PR, Leslie writes that she's put some video interview footage on the web as well:
Here are the links to the 4 segments of the John Alvin interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vghyb6KqcF4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXRJWVVHw5Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq2F09ioVtM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jw5x_uZF8I
and I think they got a young hipster to set up a myspace page.
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 10th, 2008
CONTACT:
Leslie Combemale
703-478-0778
ARTINSIGHTS GALLERY TO PRESENT TRIBUTE SHOW WITH NEVER BEFORE SEEN ORIGINAL ART SPANNING THE CAREER OF FAMED CINEMA ARTIST JOHN ALVIN
Reston, VA - ArtInsights Animation and Film Art Gallery, one of the only three galleries worldwide to represent original art of top cinema artist John Alvin, has curated a show of original art highlighting the career of the famed illustrator, who died unexpectedly on February 6th of this year. The art is representative of his estate, and includes graphite concept and mixed media originals, as well as limited editions and interpretive works from a variety from the over 200 movie campaigns on which he worked. In addition to Star Wars, art from Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings, The Lion King, Blade Runner, Darkman, Mulan, Dragonheart, Band of Brothers, and other film campaigns he influenced, on will be in the show. There will be art available for purchase. The exhibit will be on display through February 6th.
John Alvin is responsible for some of the most famous movie posters from the last 30 years, including E.T., Blade Runner, The Lion King, and Young Frankenstein, as well as more than 130 other films. He created art for numerous Star Wars film promotions and events. "The sale of art by John Alvin has very much effected the popularity of celebrity and film inspired art in the fine art market. John's career has influenced many of the illustrators and cinema artists working today, as they themselves will tell you", says Michael Barry, co-owner of ArtInsights. "He was collected by George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Mel Brooks from the beginning of his career." His partner, Leslie Combemale, adds, "In the years we worked with John, we became close friends, but our respect for his place in film art history also continued to grow. We are sad for his loss as a friend, and as an artist. We are so proud and honored to have this retrospective of his career in our gallery." As part of the tribute, there is also an interview conducted by Leslie Combemale filmed in 2007 that is being released for the first time. Ms. Combemale says, "I never thought it would be the last interview he would do. John and I just did it for fun. We are putting the interview on YouTube so the greatest number of fans and film lovers can see it."
John Alvin worked as an illustrative artist in the film industry for over 35 years. He came into prominence by creating the art for the poster for Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles in 1974. He went on to design art for many films including E.T, which won the Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards grand prize, and is the only movie art honored with the Saturn Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Films. He has created more images for Spielberg films than any other single artist, including the poster art for "Empire of the Sun", "The Color Purple", "Always", "Jurassic Park", and, of course, "E.T". He also created a lot of specialized work for George Lucas and the "Star Wars" saga. Mr. Alvin's "Star Wars Concert" and "Star Wars Tenth Anniversary" posters are among the most collectible Star Wars art on the market today. Additionally, the Smithsonian Museum exhibited Alvin's "The Phantom of the Paradise" as one of the best posters of the 20th century. Later in his life he created exclusive images of Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Alien, and Predator, among others, that were used for limited editions. John Alvin's name belongs to a short list of cinema art masters whose works have become icons in Hollywood's history.
ABOUT ARTINSIGHTS
ArtInsights, established in 1994, is a privately owned gallery located in Reston Town Center, in Virginia. With their collaboration with John Alvin, they added the art of the cinema to their specialization of creating and developing collections of animation art from Disney, Warner Brothers, Hanna Barbera, and all other major studios. With more than 30 combined years of experience in the animation art field, owners Michael Barry and Leslie Combemale work closely with individuals and corporations to ensure the integrity of their collections. ArtInsights is Virginia's only animation gallery and is the only gallery in the Washington Metropolitan area authorized to represent Warner Bros. and Hanna Barbera animation art to the public. They also have exclusive rights to sell original illustrative art by Harry Potter book cover artist Mary GrandPre, Heroes of the Negro Leagues artist and DC Comics art director Mark Chiarello, and Marguerite Henry and Phantom Stallion book cover artist John Rowe.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Tatulli of Lio interviewed by his syndicate
Lio's one of my favorite strips in the Post. Universal editor John Glynn just posted 14 questions in "And now ... a very special interview with Mark "Lio/Heart of the City" Tatulli," December 8 2008. Tatulli speaks very well of Our Man Thompson's Cul de Sac therein.
Lewd melons joke in Luann
Actually I liked yesterday's Luann strip and its melons joke, but I'm sure that Greg Evans lost a bet somewhere along the line and had to do it.
Monday, December 08, 2008
OT: Francoise Mouly's Holiday Reading
Here's another essay from the Book Reporter blog: "Francoise Mouly: Holiday Reading," December 8 2008.
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 12-10-08
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 12-10-08
By John Judy
30 DAYS OF NIGHT: TIL DEATH #1 written and drawn by David Lapham. The old guard vampires are thinning out the new herd of reckless punks and one of them has gone to ground. What could go wrong? The creator of STRAY BULLETS and YOUNG LIARS brings his uniquely twisted perspective to the universe, post-Barrow.
ACTION COMICS #872 by Geoff Johns and Pete Woods. The original Creature Commandos are back. How great is that? Recommended.
ASTONISHING X-MEN: GHOST BOXES #2 of 2 by Warren Ellis, Clayton Crain and Kaare Andrews. Dark, dark alternate future stuff from that nice Mister Ellis, just the way you like it. Recommended.
BPRD: WAR ON FROGS #2 by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi and John Severin. The Bureau takes on Frog-Monsters, drawn by comics legend John Severin!
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI-13 #8 by Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk. Really clever super-team adventures in the English way. Worth a butcher’s, wot?
FINAL CRISIS #5 of 7 by Grant Morrison, J.G. Jones and Carlos Pacheco. Evil is triumphant! Anti-Life holds dominion over all! Kegger at Darkseid’s! Whoooo!!!
FINAL CRISIS: REVELATIONS #4 of 5 by Greg Rucka and Philip Tan. If you’re a fan of Rucka, the Spectre and/or the new Question you’ll feel bad if you don’t read this. Hot Spear of Destiny action!
HERBIE ARCHIVES, VOL. 2 HC by Shane O’Shea and Ogden Whitney. Collecting issues #6-14 of the original Fat Fury, Herbie Popnecker, the most powerful endomorph ever to walk the Earth. Fun for all ages!
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #27 by Dwayne McDuffie and Ed Benes. A new arc that “integrates” the heroes of the much-missed Milestone Comics heroes into the mainstream DCU. For those of us who were there in the nineties this is very cool stuff indeed. Recommended, especially for those who like our super-teams visually distinguishable from an Elks Club meeting.
PUNISHER: WAR ZONE#1 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Maybe it was the excitement of the new movie but these crazy kids just couldn’t stay away from comicdom’s favorite pistol-packin’ vigilante! Or maybe it was the money. Nonetheless, it’s Ennis back on PUNISHER. Gotta look! Not for kids.
SECRET INVASION: DARK REIGN #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. So let’s talk about the New World Order in which psycho-villain Norman Osborn runs everything…
TRANSFORMERS MAXIMUM DINOBOTS #1 by Simon Furman and Nick Roche. Really this is just a reminder to myself to pick one up for my kid. Love those dinobots!
WATCHMEN #1 by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Hey look! That new movie on the internets already has a comic book adaptation! Seriously, it’s a reprinting of one of the most important comics in history at its original 1986 cover price. Beyond recommended.
WOLVERINE: FLIES TO A SPIDER #1 by Gregg Hurwitz and Jerome Opena. Wolvie chops up some bikers for New Years. A tradition is born!
WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #1 of 8 by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young. Bringing the L. Frank Baum classic to sequential paneled life! Good for all ages!
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
30 DAYS OF NIGHT: TIL DEATH #1 written and drawn by David Lapham. The old guard vampires are thinning out the new herd of reckless punks and one of them has gone to ground. What could go wrong? The creator of STRAY BULLETS and YOUNG LIARS brings his uniquely twisted perspective to the universe, post-Barrow.
ACTION COMICS #872 by Geoff Johns and Pete Woods. The original Creature Commandos are back. How great is that? Recommended.
ASTONISHING X-MEN: GHOST BOXES #2 of 2 by Warren Ellis, Clayton Crain and Kaare Andrews. Dark, dark alternate future stuff from that nice Mister Ellis, just the way you like it. Recommended.
BPRD: WAR ON FROGS #2 by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi and John Severin. The Bureau takes on Frog-Monsters, drawn by comics legend John Severin!
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI-13 #8 by Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk. Really clever super-team adventures in the English way. Worth a butcher’s, wot?
FINAL CRISIS #5 of 7 by Grant Morrison, J.G. Jones and Carlos Pacheco. Evil is triumphant! Anti-Life holds dominion over all! Kegger at Darkseid’s! Whoooo!!!
FINAL CRISIS: REVELATIONS #4 of 5 by Greg Rucka and Philip Tan. If you’re a fan of Rucka, the Spectre and/or the new Question you’ll feel bad if you don’t read this. Hot Spear of Destiny action!
HERBIE ARCHIVES, VOL. 2 HC by Shane O’Shea and Ogden Whitney. Collecting issues #6-14 of the original Fat Fury, Herbie Popnecker, the most powerful endomorph ever to walk the Earth. Fun for all ages!
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #27 by Dwayne McDuffie and Ed Benes. A new arc that “integrates” the heroes of the much-missed Milestone Comics heroes into the mainstream DCU. For those of us who were there in the nineties this is very cool stuff indeed. Recommended, especially for those who like our super-teams visually distinguishable from an Elks Club meeting.
PUNISHER: WAR ZONE#1 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Maybe it was the excitement of the new movie but these crazy kids just couldn’t stay away from comicdom’s favorite pistol-packin’ vigilante! Or maybe it was the money. Nonetheless, it’s Ennis back on PUNISHER. Gotta look! Not for kids.
SECRET INVASION: DARK REIGN #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. So let’s talk about the New World Order in which psycho-villain Norman Osborn runs everything…
TRANSFORMERS MAXIMUM DINOBOTS #1 by Simon Furman and Nick Roche. Really this is just a reminder to myself to pick one up for my kid. Love those dinobots!
WATCHMEN #1 by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Hey look! That new movie on the internets already has a comic book adaptation! Seriously, it’s a reprinting of one of the most important comics in history at its original 1986 cover price. Beyond recommended.
WOLVERINE: FLIES TO A SPIDER #1 by Gregg Hurwitz and Jerome Opena. Wolvie chops up some bikers for New Years. A tradition is born!
WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #1 of 8 by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young. Bringing the L. Frank Baum classic to sequential paneled life! Good for all ages!
www.johnjudy.net
The Interview: "Mutts" Cartoonist Patrick McDonnell
By Michael Cavna, Washington Post Comic Riffs blog December 8, 2008
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2008/12/the_interview_mutts_cartoonist.html
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2008/12/the_interview_mutts_cartoonist.html
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Crumb exhibit is excellent. But...
(Photos by Aaron Igler, from the ICA website)We drove up today, had excellent cheesesteaks (is that one word?) at University City's Abner's Cheesesteaks, and then walked around the UPenn campus to the Institute of Contemporary Art for the last day of the R. Crumb's Underground exhibit. They didn't allow us to take pictures, but there's some on their website. The exhibit was originally curated by Todd Hignite and "coordinated at the ICA by Associate Curator Jenelle Porter."
The exhibit, which closed today, was fantastic... or at least the artwork was. The exhibit proper I was less happy with. Pieces were arranged in orders that weren't apparent - neither historical, nor by purpose, nor by media. Judging from the 4-page handout, which says, "Rather than a chronological retrospective, this career-spanning exhibition is organized around specific underlying themes and ideologies" which it then lists as 'Young Crumb,' 'Crumb Draws Crumb,' 'Counterculture,' 'Collaboration,' and 'Old-Time Tunes.' However none of the sections of art in the two cavernous rooms were labeled with these headings, nor were the brief descriptive paragraphs on the section in the brochure included in the actual exhibit. The pieces, except for those published in comic books, were frequently only labeled with the title and media so one could not necessarily place them in context. I happened to recognize two of his New Yorker strips done with his wife Aline, but many other viewers less familiar with his work wouldn't have known where "Fashion Week in New York" and "Cheering Global Villagism" were done for, facts that are relevant in terms of the lessening of some of Crumb's more scatalogical tendencies in the two strips. Interestingly, the artwork was uncolored which was something of a surprise to me as it appears in color in the magazine - my companion and I wondered if Crumb supervised the coloring or if it was done on a computer without him. Crumb's color New Yorker cover of Eustace Tilley as a young punk was included in the show, again without its publication information.
Entrance to exhibitIn spite of these cavils, the exhibit was filled with fantastic pieces, many loaned by Eric Sack. Included were napkins from restaurants that Crumb drew on, which have been the subject of several of his recent books, an Oog & Blik comics publisher's folder he drew a self-portrait on, the back cover of Zap Comix 0, "Early Jazz Greats" watercolor on paper paintings for a card set, his Patton strip which was also in the Masters of American Comics exhibit, Little Wonder Hot Book (1969) - a minicomic with Spain and S. Clay Wilson, original Mr. Natural pages from 1968-1969, the metal printing plate from Zap Comix 0, "Angel Food McSpade" and "Meatball" strips from Zap, and pages of jam comix and posters. A small case of published versions of his art included Zap Comix 1, 0 and 2, Help, Gothic Blimpworks, an American Greeting Card "Season's Greetings" from 1965, and 3 specimens of the unpublished comic he created with his brothers (as seen in the Crumb film).
More art highlights included a complete Fritz the Cat story from 1965, a 1987 Christmas card by Crumb, his wife and daughter, a CBNDI Belgian comics museum poster original and a sketchbook circa the 1960s. One wall had original artwork for comic book covers including Arcade #3 with a pasted-in Zippy by Bill Griffith and the book, R. Crumb's Head Comix. Crumb's work was generally only slightly larger than the published version and he seems to usually work 1 1/2x up. His style evolved somewhat during the 1960s, but by the end of the decade he'd settled into essentially the same one that he uses today although it's obvious that he takes more time and effort on his art now. Much of the material in the show came from a fine art gallery that presumably sells the artwork for him.
The exhibit was a fantastic overview of Crumb's career, even if sadly lacking in information on him. This trend towards treating comics artists solely as fine artists seriously misinterprets the essentially commercial component of comic book publishing, even in the undergrounds that Crumb worked in. However, anyone who likes his work would be well-advised to see the next site it travels to. The exhibit, as stated, was accompanied at the ICA by a four-page brochure and a poster was available for purchase.
Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers movie? UPDATED
Did you know there was a Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers movie? According to Joel Pollack of Big Planet Comics, Gilbert Shelton's underground comic was adapted into a live action short, The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers Acquire a Groupie. This was around 1971 by a DC-area filmmaker whose company was Reel Meat. Joel did the promo art and showed it to me today. The filmmakers were Bill Pace and Celia Symbarski aided by Joel Jacobson. The actors were Jeff Wolfe as Fat Freddy, Tom Scott as Freewheelin' Frank, and Dave Eisner as Phineas. Bill Pace would be the only one likely to own a copy, Joel thinks. The movie disappeared when Shelton pulled his approval of the license.
Zadzooks back to toys
"ZADZOOKS: Silver Savage and Despero action figure reviews; Surfer is Savage to help Hulk," Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times December 3, 2008.
And Bennett's best is Sgt. Rock and Umbrella Academy:
Bennett's Best for the week of November 23, Zadzooks Blog November 30 2008, By Greg Bennett.
Also on the blog are videos for "VIDEO GAME INTERVIEW: ESA's Mike Gallagher".
And Bennett's best is Sgt. Rock and Umbrella Academy:
Bennett's Best for the week of November 23, Zadzooks Blog November 30 2008, By Greg Bennett.
Also on the blog are videos for "VIDEO GAME INTERVIEW: ESA's Mike Gallagher".
Off to see some Crumbs
A friend suggested we ride up to Philly to catch the last day of the traveling Robert Crumb show, so that's where I'll be today. If I don't already have someone reviewing it for IJOCA, I'll write one and post it here.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
New York Times' comics gifts recommendations
It's tomorrow's news, but see "Holiday Books: Comics," DOUGLAS WOLK, New York Times Book Review December 7, 2008. I'm in agreement with the second half of his recommendations and although I haven't read 'Swallow Me Whole' yet, I do have it.
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