Thursday, March 19, 2009

March 26: Morrie Turner documentary fundraiser

Posting for Mike Rhode:


Tue Mar 17, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20090317/pl_usnw/new_documentary_to_explore_america_s_first_multi_cultural_comic_strip;_ylc=X3oDMTB0ZWs2cDJqBF9TAzIxNTExMDUEZW1haWxJZAMxMjM3Mzc4MTQy
To: NATIONAL EDITORS

Contact: Jennifer White of NPJ Advertising & Public Relations, +1-202-347-6464, for Heaven Sent Productions

"Wee Pals" documentary coming to D.C. as the first stop on the film's tour across the country

WASHINGTON, March 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Actress, producer, director, comedian, and author of Master the Art of Cold Reading Angel Harper and Heaven Sent Productions will be hosting An Evening with the Stars, a discussion and screening of Keeping the Faith with Morrie, the award-winning documentary short on Morrie Turner, "Wee Pals" creator and America's first nationally syndicated African American cartoonist.

On Thursday, March 26th, D.C.'s Busboys & Poets will be holding this event of fun, food, entertainment provided by Koli Tengella, a HBO comedian and performer. In addition, there will be a discussion with Angel Harper in the Langston Hughes room at Busboys & Poets, located at 2021 14th St NW. This is the first stop on a four city tour that will showcase Harper's work and will continue on to Baltimore and Philadelphia before culminating in New York City.

Keeping The Faith With Morrie, directed by Angel Harper and produced by Heaven Sent Productions, is a documentary which chronicles the incredible life journey of African American cartoonist Morrie Turner. Turner is the first American cartoonist to have a nationally syndicated multiethnic comic strip. Morrie, following his dream, overcame emotional hurdles, and societal road blocks to become an American pop culture icon and history maker. Turner's work "strove to create an animated world of acceptance and racial tolerance through the medium of comics," says Harper regarding the film's historical and cultural impact, and is worthy of recognition.

Angel Harper, in addition to founding Heaven Sent Productions, is an actress who has appeared in such notable films as Clara's Heart (with actress Whoopi Goldberg) and Kiss the Girls (alongside actor Morgan Freeman). She is an award-winning voice-over performer and a stand-up comedian who won an "America's Funniest People" award. With "Keeping the Faith with Morrie Turner," Harper hopes to showcase Turner's influential career, humanitarianism, and determination to improve race relations.

This special screening is an effort to raise finishing funds to complete the feature length documentary film. With proper funding, Harper and the Heaven Sent team hopes to create an inspiring film detailing Morrie Turner's life and contributions, but also hopes to raise awareness of the little-known history and impact of African-American comic strips and comic strip artists on American pop culture.

Heaven Sent Productions is a non-profit production company located in Los Angeles, CA and supported by user donations and a board of trustees. Heaven Sent Productions is lead by executive producer, actress, voice-over performer, and comedian Angel Harper. One of their latest projects is award-winning documentary "Keeping the Faith with Morrie" which is currently being promoted in order to increase its running time from 10 minutes to a 60-minute documentary.

SOURCE Heaven Sent Productions

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Off to Watchmen

Back tomorrow, but I really enjoyed Super Human Resources comic book that came out today.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Comic Art Indigene artist interview


See "Q&A: Comic Artist Jolene Nenibah Yazzie," By Megan Gambino, Smithsonian's Around the Mall blog March 16, 2009.

Upcoming Appearance: Ken Marcus at Big Planet Comics in Vienna, VA

Kevin Panetta, manager at Big Planet Comics in Vienna, VA writes in to say:
No. It’s not Superman. It’s Super Human Resources scribe Ken Marcus! He’ll be here from 4PM-7PM on March 18th signing copies of the first issue of his hilarious new take on tights and capes, Super Human Resources! See what happens when Tim takes a job as a temp at a superhero agency. So stop by, get your new comics, and support a local creator all in one fell swoop!


He'll be at Bethesda from 11-2 - Mike

Ben Classen illo in Express

Ben Classen has a 4-panel comic strip in today’s Express illustrating an article on a website where people recount rotten things that have happened to them. Classen’s work, including his comic panel Dirtfarm, usually appears weekly in the City Paper.

Cathy Hunter posting for Mike Rhode

Monday, March 16, 2009

March 27: Naruto anime screening

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Chris Wanamaker, (202) 262 2083 president@dcanimeclub.org


DC Anime Club to screen Naruto The Movie at the Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan.



DC Anime Club in collaboration with Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan will screen Naruto The Movie.

Friday March 27, 2009 6:30 pm as part of inaugural showing for a new film series based on both Anime (Japanese Animation) and Manga ( Japanese Comics).

Naruto The Movie is a 2004 film directed by Tensai Okamura and written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa based on the popular anime and manga series Naruto by manga artist Masashi Kishimoto.

Kakashi orders Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura to watch a movie before their next mission.

Naruto is a big fan of the lead actress. After the movie, they see the heroine in person and being chased. They help her and Naruto asks for an autograph but she wouldn't give him one. When the three returns, Kakashi tells them about their mission: to escort the actress to the Snow Country to film a new movie.

This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are required.

RSVP to jiccrsvpspring08@embjapan.org.

Seating is limited and granted on a first come, first served basis.

For more information please visit the Japanese Information and Culture Center website at http://www.us.embjapan.go.jp/jicc/ or visit the DC Anime Club website at http://dcanimeclub.org.

Mark Wheatley interview with Mr. Media

Bob Andelman interviews a lot of pop culture figures and hits comic people up too. Here's one with Maryland cartoonist Mark Wheatley that I just ran across. The description following is Bob's and a here's a direct link to listen, but click through so he can count you on his stats. Besides there's a lot of other cartoonist interviews there too - I just linked to one relevant to this site.

Original Air Date: 1/9/2009 1:00 PM
Mark Wheatley and Robert Tinnell, LONE JUSTICE, EZ STREET comics creators: Mr. Media Interview

Robert Tinnell has spent the last half decade racking up credits as a graphic novelist with The Black Forest, The Wicked West, and Sight Unseen splashing blood across the comic book pages. Now, Mark Wheatley and Robert Tinnell, the creative team behind last year's Harvey-nominated webcomic/graphic novel EZ Street, follow up with Lone Justice: Crash. LJ:C, like EZ Street, will run for free right on ComicMix beginning January 12, but that's not where the similarities end.

In EZ Street, central characters Scott and Danny Fletcher set to work on a comic book project featuring their character, Lone Justice. Lone Justice: Crash is in fact Wheatley and Tinnell's take on what that book would be. Featuring the art of Wheatley (Frankenstein Mobster, Mars) and co-scripted by Tinnell (Feast of the Seven Fishes), Lone Justice: Crash takes place during the Depression, but given this era's economic troubles will most certainly resonate with the modern reader.

Lone Justice: Crash follows the exploits of the titular character, who was first introduced as the creation of Scott and Danny Fletcher, themselves characters in Tinnell and Wheatley's EZ Street. Occupied for years successfully battling crime as Lone Justice, millionaire Octavius Brown has let his own finances slip to the point of ruin. Now destitute, unable to even effectively re-arm his weaponry, Brown must live amongst the masses of homeless in the city. It is there that he learns the true face of evil, and from nothing is reborn as a true defender of the innocent. Combining the thrills of two-fisted pulp action with a storyline that parallels much of our nation's current socio-economic struggles, Lone Justice: Crash represents a sincere effort to deliver what comics can do at their best: an entertaining message.

Thompson nominated for Reuben for 2nd year

Alan Gardener's reporting the nominations for the National Cartoonist Society's Rueben Awards, and Cul de Sac is up for newspaper comic strip again this year. I don't know where Lars Leetaru lives, but he's been doing work for the Washington Post lately since the NY Times dropped him from their Metropolitan Diary column and some of that must have influenced his newspaper illustration nomination. I like his work quite a bit. Bob Staake is up for magazine illustration - presumably for his New Yorker work, but he's still appearing in the Post every Saturday.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

March 28: National Cherry Blossom Anime Marathon

Freer and Sackler Galleries Celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival with Monster Tales, Anime Films and ImaginAsia Workshops March 28-April 12

The Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery will offer a variety of programs, exhibitions and tours to celebrate the 2009 National Cherry Blossom Festival, March 28 through April 12, in Washington, D.C.

Coinciding with the festival, the Sackler Gallery presents “The Tale of Shuten Dōji,” March 21 through Sept. 20. Colorful illustrations on scrolls, screens, fans and books from Japan’s Edo period (1615-1868) tell the heroic tale of the conquest of the terrifying red monster Shuten Dōji by the hero Minamoto Yorimitsu (948–1021), known as Raikō. Docent-led tours will be available throughout the duration of the exhibition. Visitors can also explore the Japanese galleries in the Freer and learn how artists from the ninth through 19th centuries developed a distinctive repertoire of techniques for applying gold and silver to works of art in “Moonlight and Golden Clouds: Silver and Gold in the Arts of Japan,” on view through Nov. 8. In the adjacent galleries, 13 ceramics from China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan show how broken clay vessels were mended with lacquer resin and sprinkled with gold dust—transforming their appearance and creating a new component of appreciation in "Golden Seams: The Japanese Art of Mending Ceramics,” also on view though Nov. 8. In the Freer and Sackler’s ImaginAsia workshops, children ages 8-14 and their adult companions can experience an exhibition and create a related art project to take home. On March 28 and 29, ImaginAsia presents an “Anime Artist Workshop,” which explores how contemporary artists draw upon the traditions of Japanese masters. On April 4-19, participants can learn about the exhibition “Moonlight and Clouds” and make their own silver and gold creations.

On Saturday, March 28, the Freer Gallery hosts the seventh annual “National Cherry Blossom Anime Marathon” in cooperation with the Japan Information and Culture Center and Otakorp Inc. The daylong event, beginning at 11 a.m. in the Meyer Auditorium, features a costume show and exhibition courtesy of the DC Anime Club. Nine Japanese films are also coming to the Freer in the traveling retrospective “In the Realm of
Oshima,” showcasing the brash, rebellious, passionate and conservative films of director Nagisa Oshima. Films will be screened on Fridays and Sundays from March 6 through April 5; two tickets per person will be distributed at the Meyer Auditorium one hour before each screening. For up-to-dateinformation on show times and film titles and descriptions, visit www.asia.si.edu.
“The Tale of Shuten Dōji” has been made possible with support from the Anne van Biema Endowment Fund. “In the Realm of Oshima” was organized by James Quandt of the Cinematheque Ontario and sponsored by the Japan Foundation, the Kawakita Memorial Film Institute and Janus Films. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual two-week, citywide event featuring daily cultural performances, arts and crafts, exhibits and demonstrations, sporting events, international cuisine and other special events. It will be held March 28-April 12, with the parade April 4. The 2009
festival celebrates the 97th anniversary of the gift of the cherry blossom trees to United States from Japan and the enduring friendship between the citizens of the two countries.

The Freer Gallery of Art, located at 12th Street and Independence Avenue S.W., and the adjacent Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, located at 1050 Independence Avenue S.W., are on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day, except Dec. 25, and admission is free. The galleries are located near the Smithsonian Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange lines. For more information, the public may call (202) 633-1000 or visit the Web site: www.asia.si.edu

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Cherry Blossom Anime Marathon
March 28, 2009


Animal Treasure Island
11:30 AM
Based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s beloved novel Treasure Island, Hiroshi Ikeda’s delightful children’s film tells the story of a boy, Jim, and his mouse friend Gran, who set sail in search of riches, only to a band of dastardly pirates led by Captain Silver. Suitable for all ages. (1971, 78 min., English, video)

Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone
1:30 PM
This sci-fi tale co-directed by Hideaki Anno, Masayuki and Kazuya Tsurumaki is set in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, where the population defends itself from alien invaders with the help of human/mechanical hybrid battle robots. Its hero, Shinji, is a shy 14-year-old boy mysteriously chosen to save the planet from the aliens for good. Rated PG. (2007, 98 min., Japanese with English subtitles, video)

4:00 PM
Vexille
Visual effects whiz Sori directed this stunning example of animation as high tech high art – a fusion of advanced techniques and sophisticated thinking about mankind’s possible future. In the year 2077, Japan has isolated itself from the world. The film’s eponymous heroine and her team of US commandos are ordered to infiltrate its barricades and get to the root of the illegal biotechnology experiments being conducted by sinister mega-corporation Daiwa. Rated PG-13. (2007, 110 min., Japanese with English subtitles, video)

7:00 PM
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
In 35mm!
As the title suggests, Mamoru Hosoda’s cheery comedy is about a teenage tomboy who discovers that she can travel through time. After discovering her power, goofy, scatterbrained Motoko goes on all manner of exciting adventures, but ultimately realizes that friendship is the greatest adventure of all. Rated PG. (2006, 98 min., Japanese with English subtitles)

Tickets
Tickets for all films (two per person per film) will be distributed beginning at 10:30 AM. Half of the tickets for each film will be held back and distributed approximately one hour before each show time.

Zadzooks on Halo videogame

Not comics for the most part, but you can view this as animation - "Zadzooks: Halo Wars review: Microsoft Game Studios latest a fans' epic," Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times Wednesday, March 11, 2009.

"Bennett's Best for the week of March 1," By Greg Bennett, Zadzooks Blog March 09 2009 recommends a couple of Marvel titles.

"Zadzooks: Watchmen movie versus comic books," BY JOE SZADKOWSKI, Zadzooks Blog March 13 2009.

Washington Times reporters Sonny Bunch and Joseph Szadkowski compare Zack Snyder's Watchmen movie to the Watchmen comic book series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 03-18-09

New Gaiman/Vess!

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 03-18-09
By John Judy

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #588 by Marc Guggenheim and John Romita Jr. The conclusion of the “Character Assassination” storyline with lots of fights and Goblin-critters.

AMERICAN FLAGG DEFINITIVE COLLECTION. VOL. 2 SC written and drawn by Howard Chaykin. Collecting issues 8-14 of Chaykin’s signature work, plus never before published material.

BLUEBERRY GIRL HC by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess. The creator credits on this make it a Must-Have but if you need a taste try this: “Ladies of Light and Ladies of darkness and Ladies of never-you-mind. This is a prayer for a blueberry girl.” And it’s all drawn by Vess. Highly recommended for anyone who has or has been a daughter.

COURTNEY CRUMRIN, VOL. 4: MONSTROUS HOLIDAY SC written and drawn by Ted Naifeh. The latest supernatural adventures with Courtney and her Uncle Aloysius.

DARK AVENGERS #3 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato. Morgan LeFay is still pretty hot and bothered about Sentry ripping her head off last issue. Did she not understand these were the DARK Avengers? Fun stuff, perhaps a bit much for the youngers.

HELLBLAZER #253 by Peter Milligan and Giuseppe Camuncoli. John Constantine must confront the demons of his past. Wow, is it Every Day of the Week again?

ULTIMATUM #3 of 5 by Jeph Loeb and David Finch. All the heroes what ain’t drownded have to go after Ultimate genocidal bug-bat Magneto. Straight up.

UNCANNY X-MEN #507 by Matt Fraction and Terry Dodson. Crazy parallel storylines of mutants fighting! Classic X-book action! And it looks swell.

WATCHMENSCH by Rich Johnston and Simon Rohrmuller. A two-fisted parody/satire that requires almost no knowledge of Yiddish to enjoy! “Hurm!” Recommended!

WOLVERINE #71 by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. “Old Man Logan” continues as a T-Rex wearing a Venom symbiote enters the scene. A must-have for all T-Rex/Venom Symbiote aficionados!

X-FACTOR #41 by Peter David and Valentine De Landro. Sentinels! The giant purple robot rumble starts here!

www.johnjudy.net

Friday, March 13, 2009

OT: MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY COMICS FORUM 2009 poster out


Ryan Claytor, who's teaching comics there, designed a poster, which is cool. Buy his books - they're cool too. Attend the Forum - I'm sure it's cool too. Go to the MSU libary's Special Collections Division and ask to see the Mike Rhode Collection - it's not as cool, but what the heck, it'll get them wondering.

Ronald Searle, OR I didn't expect to have any news today

"The Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" cartoons by Ronald Searle, Milwaukee Journal August 22, 1965. What does this have to do with Washington? Well, Searle is a favorite cartoonist of Nick Galifianakis and Richard Thompson.

Searle - Magnificent Men MilJour650822a

Searle - Magnificent Men MilJour650822b

Post dropping comics

Mike Cavna's breaking the story that his colleagues are dropping Pooch Cafe, Zippy, Judge Parker, Piranha Club and Little Dog Lost as of March 30th. Bah.

I really like Judge Parker and Pooch Cafe, Zippy and Piranha Club (Bo Grace is local by the way) both have their appeal. Little Dog Lost didn't catch on with me. No notice as to why except that Dilbert is moving back from the Business section, but I'll bet they're putting in another Soduku type game since the NY Times just added one.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

French comic artist glanced at in Post

A French cartoonist, Viravong has space in Centquatre – he isn’t mentioned in the Travel section article, but the accompanying illustrations showed a panel of his work. See "A Brush With The Paris Art Scene: Out-of-the-Way Sites Show Off The Avant-Garde Side of the City," By Blake Gopnik, Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday, March 8, 2009; F01.

Gopnik describes the studio space as a "sprawling complex, covering almost half a million square feet, does date to 1873. Until just a decade ago, it housed the city's funeral works, once home to 1,400 hearse grooms, coffinmakers, shroud-sewers and everyone else involved in burying the dead. (In typically French fashion, until very recently the government even had a monopoly on death.) But now the abandoned site has been emptied out to a loft-ish shell of masonry and skylights and poured-concrete floors, which reopened in the fall as a giant container for art and creativity." He also noted, "The Centquatre has a full program of exhibitions, but it still feels less like a place to look at finished art, on the classic model of the Musee d'Orsay, than somewhere to witness art in the making."

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

UMBC profiles KAL

Journalista noted this article about Kal, the editorial cartoonist turned mad tinkerer - "Kal on Campus," Richard Byrne, UMBC Magazine (Winter 2009).

Another Comic Art Indigene review by a local

See "We Love Arts: Comic Art Indigene," By Jenn Larsen, March 10th, 2009.

Bash Magazine's website to end as well

Unfortunately I've heard that April will see the last of the Bash Magazine website which was hosting the comics after the newspaper folded last month. Too bad - they had some good stuff.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Liquid Revolver comic out


Matt Dembicki says "'Liquid Revolver' is officially for sale! The 68-page book features
the talents of D.C. area artists, such as Scott White, Chris Piers, Mal Jones, Dale Rawlings, Mike Short, Khalid Iszard and yours truly! What's it about? Nazis and mind control. How can you not wanna peek? It's $6, and I'll throw in free shipping. If you'd like to buy a copy, e-mail: threecrowspress(at)gmail(dot)com.

Thanks for giving me a few seconds.

Matt Dembicki
http://threecrowspress.blogspot.com

Eat Right to Work and Win corrected

I had dropped pages 2-3 by not photographing them, but I just took a snapshot and added them in - the quality isn't as good, but it's still readable.
100_7053 Eat Right 01 Eat Right to Work and Win, a 1942 book using King Features Syndicate characters. "Contributed by Swift & Companyto America's All-Out Effort through the National Nutrition Program. Office of Defense Health and Welfare Services." To read the whole booklet, click here.