Sunday, April 19, 2009

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-22-09

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-22-09
By John Judy

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #592 by Mark Waid and Mike McKone. Quite a few surprises awaiting Spidey when he gets home, mostly courtesy of the Jameson family. Featuring an extra cover that looks like an issue of WOLVERINE as rendered by Salvador Dali. Recommended anyway.

ASTONISHING X-MEN #29 by Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi. Are you ready for the secret of the Ghost Box? Well, you’d better be, because Warren Ellis waits for no man!

AVENGERS INITIATIVE #23 by Christos Gage and Humberto Ramos. Your monthly Big Fight is served up here.

BUCK ROGERS #0 by Scott Beatty and Carlos Rafael. It’s back to the future with comics’ original time-tossed spaceman! Guaranteed Gil Gerard-free!

DAREDEVIL #118 by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. Lotsa people want to kill the Kingpin. That’s always good for some laughs. Plus another Wolverine variant cover. Oh well. Recommended.

DC LIBRARY: BATMAN THE ANNUALS, VOL. 1 HC by Various Creators. Collecting the first three Bat-Annuals from the early sixties. Classic stuff!

DETECTIVE COMICS #853 by Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert. Part two of “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?” Recommended.

EX MACHINA #18 by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. In which we begin to learn the true source of Mayor Mitchell Hundred’s power over machines. And our hearts…

FREAKANGELS VOL. 2 SC by Warren Ellis and Paul Duffield. Collecting the second arc of Ellis and Duffield’s post-apocalyptic web-comic for old people who like paper.

HELLBLAZER #254 by Peter Milligan and Goran Sudzuka. John Constantine plus The Wrong Girl equals reliable entertainment.

HULK #11 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. Your other Big Fight can be found here. Along with four variant covers, one of which features Sir Cuts-a-lot, him, the one with the movie coming out. Sigh…

IGNITION CITY #2 of 5 by Warren Ellis and Gianluca Pagliarani. Mary Raven has made it to the IC in search of more info on her dead space-hero dad. There’s folks who don’t want that and they’ve got cool, retro zap guns. Good-looking comic.

IMMORTAL IRON FIST #25 by Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman. What?! No Wolverine variant cover?! What kind of rip-off is this?! I don’t care if he’s not in the story! I just want him on the cover of…. EVERYTHING!!!!

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #32 by Dwayne McDuffie and Frederico Dallocchio. Starbreaker wants what he wants when he wants it, especially when it’s a cosmic source of unimaginable power. Understandable really.

KICK-ASS #6 by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. It does, you know. “Kick ass.” In its own special way. But it really needs a Wolverine variant cover.

MARVELS: EYE OF THE CAMERA #5 of 6 by Kurt Busiek and Jay Anacieto. This is a good, smart comic with characters I believe in and relate to. On the other hand its variant cover is merely black and white. No Canadian, serial-killing mutants. It’s like Marvel doesn’t even care anymore…

MIGHTY AVENGERS #24 by Dan Slott and Rafa Sandoval. So after the big reveal last issue about “The Scarlet Witch” things start to get very interesting. Great character work by Slott as usual. Recommended.

NEW AVENGERS #52 by Brian Michael Bendis and Billy Tan. You know the economy’s getting bad when even the Sorcerer Supreme is getting laid off. Worse yet, they’re making him train his replacement. I hope ol’ Doc Strange steals a ton of office supplies.

QUESTION, VOL. 4: WELCOME TO OZ SC by Dennis O’Neil, Denys Cowan and Other Talented Folk. Collecting issues 19-24 of this iconic eighties zen noir series, featuring fights, philosophy and facelessness. Worth a read even if you weren’t even born in the eighties and think Ayn Rand was nuts.

SCALPED #28 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. In which we finally learn who greased those two FBI Agents in 1975. Must! Have! Highly recommended.

SCALPED, VOL. 4: THE GRAVEL IN YOUR GUTS SC by Jason Aaron, Davide Furno and R.M. Guera. Collecting issues 19-24 in which we learn exactly what Chief Lincoln Red Crow will and will not put up with in his quest for absolute power. Glorious stuff but not for kids.

THOR #601 by J. Michael Straczynski and Marko Djurdjevic. Thor’s out. Balder’s in. But will anyone care about the monthly adventures of The Mighty Balder?

VIKING #1 by Ivan Brandon and Nic Klein. A couple of 9th century Viking brothers decide they want to move up in the world. Think “Goodfellas” meets NORTHLANDERS. Cool.

www.johnjudy.net

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Judge Parker returns to Post, Cul de Sac joins KC Star and Twitterverse

Michael Cavna of the Post's Comic Riffs blog naturally had the story first, but I think there's a few unattributed quotes in "Here Comes the Judge: Reader Protests Bring Back Comic Strip," By Harry Jaffe, Washingtonian's Capital Comment Blog Friday, April 17, 2009. Michael also noted that the Post's ombudsman felt compelled to address the Judge Parker issue tomorrow.


Also Cul de Sac has been picked up by the Kansas City Star. Yay, Richard! Ohh, and Richard's Tweeting. Boo, Richard!

Friday, April 17, 2009

April 25: Sal Buscema Spider-Man drawing auctioned

The bit of interest to us is "we also have an original 11 x 17 black and white drawing of "Spiderman" drawn for us and donated by Mr. Sal Buscema, artist and inker for Marvel Comics since the late 1960s."

Spring Auction at Northern Virginia Christian Academy
On Friday, April 24 from 7 - 10 p.m. the Northern Virginia Christian Academy, 11000 Berry St., Fairfax, is holding a Silent and Live Auction. Sports, vacation, day excursion, and children's party packages available for bids. Admission is $10 per person. Call 703-273-0803 or visit www.nvchristianacademy.org.

April 25: Library Workshop: Creating Graphic Novels

Reminder time.

Workshop: Creating Graphic Novels
Saturday, April 25 1pm

Columbia Pike Branch Library
816 S. Walter Reed Drive
Arlington, Va.
Learn the basic and finer points of creating graphic novels from Josh Elder, a graphic novelist and author of "Mail Order Ninja."

Appropriate for students ages 10 and up.

Contact mmiller@arlingtonva.us or call 703-228-5261 for more details.

Ivan Brandon Signing at Laughing Ogre Comics

After a reasonably lengthy dry-spell, DC's getting a massive influx of comics-oriented events going on during this weekend! In addition to Craig Yoe and Josh Elder appearances, we now get Ivan Brandon!

Ivan Brandon Signing
Writer of Viking
April 25, 2009 4:00pm - 7:00pm
Landsdowne, VA

Ivan Brandon, writer of the new Image book Viking will be signing at Laughing Ogre Comics LANSDOWNE from 4-7 on Saturday April 25. Brandon is also known for writing such titles as NYC Mech and Cross Bronx.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Peanuts play in DC this weekend

GWU's got You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown running for 3 days this weekend. See "Directors tackle Charlie Brown, Godot," by Emily Katz, George Washington University Hatchet 4/16/09.

Here's the relevant details:

"You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," presented by Forbidden Planet Productions, will run from Friday, April 17 through Sunday April 19 in the Mitchell Hall theater. "Waiting for Godot," presented by Fourteenth Grade Players, will run from Thursday, April 16 through Saturday, April 18 in Lisner Downstage. Tickets for each performance are $5.

Tom Shales doesn't like Sit Down, Shut Up

Read what the Post's long-time TV critic has to say - "'Sit Down': Arrested Development, Indeed," By Tom Shales, Washington Post Staff Writer, Thursday, April 16, 2009.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Nov 20-21 BSO plays Superman-based Metropolis Symphony

Daugherty's Metropolis Symphony is probably almost a couple of decades old by now. Hard to believe. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is playing part of it next fall.

Demons, Drama, Dance
Friday, November 20, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.

Marin Alsop, conductor
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
Daugherty - "Red Cape Tango" from Metropolis Symphony
Liszt - Totentanz
Berlioz - Symphonie fantastique

Marin Alsop leads a program of musical flair and fantasy. Michael Daugherty's whimsical "Red Cape Tango" portrays Superman's fight to the death with Doomsday. French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet flashes his breathtaking technique in Franz Liszt's "Dance of Death" for piano and orchestra. And Berlioz's symphony takes us on a rollicking dream of passion gone mad.

Walt Simonson and Joel Pollack

Joel Pollack of Big Planet Comics and I were talking today, and Walt Simonson's name came up in passing. Joel met him when Simonson was working at the Maryland Book Exchange, and drew a sign for their science fiction section that Joel asked about. Joel says that when Simsonson decided to go to NYC to make it in comics, Joel passed along Howard Chaykin's phone number. A little bit of comics history there for you, brought up by the fact that NYC Graphic Novelists blog has a Simonson interview up this week.

Michigan State U's Comic Art Collection's January 2009 additions, and another comics library

Before we get into looking at MSU, Richard Graham of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Library has created a Government Comics Collection of 168 scans of educational comic books. Check it out.

At MSU, new acquistions waited until January 5th of this year and started with ...

Avengelyne Deadly Sins. -- Anaheim, CA : Maximum Press, 1995.
-- col. ill. ; 26 cm. -- Complete in 2 nos. -- Superheroine
and horror genres. -- LIBRARY HAS: no. 1. -- Call no.:
PN6728.6.M34A935 1995


...eh... and then there's a bunch of Batman and Star Trek comics, just to get back to the base...

Star Trek, Deep Space Nine Special Hero Edition. -- Calabasas,
CA : Malibu Comics Entertainment, 1995. -- 16 p. : col.
ill. ; 26 cm. -- Distributed with the magazine Hero
Illustrated. -- "January 1995." -- Science fiction genre.
-- Call no.: PN6728.6.M25S764 1995


...although editorial cartoons aren't #1 on their wish list, MSU collects them too...

The Race for the 2008 Republican Nomination : a Book of
Editorial Cartoons / edited by Eric Appleman. -- Gretna,
La. : Pelican Pub. Co., 2008. -- 160 p. : ill. ; 28 cm. --
Includes index. -- Call no.: E902.R335 2008


...(hmmm, I appear to have fallen off Pelican's reviewer list) and you don't have to be an American editorial cartoonist either...

Yardley Jones Cartoons : book one. -- Edmonton, Alta. :
Edmonton Sun, 1981. -- 95 p. : ill. ; 28 cm. -- Canadian
political cartoons, from the Edmonton Sun. -- Call no.:
NC1449.J66A79 1981


...a lot of licensed superhero children's books are being published by the UK's Dorling Kindersley (I picked up a Spider-Man one myself tonight) and MSU is getting them...

JLA Green Lantern's Book of Inventions / written by Clare
Hibbert. -- New York : Dorling Kindersley Pub., 2005. -- 48
p. : col. ill. ; 24 cm. -- (Dorling Kindersley Readers. 4,
Proficient Readers) -- Includes index. -- Summary (from
OCLC): Comic book superhero Green Lantern introduces some
important inventions like the wheel, flying machines, and
digital images. -- Call no.: T48.H382 20046:45 PM 1/13/2009
Hibbert, Clare, 1970-
-----------------------------------------------------
Spider-Man's Amazing Powers / written by James Buckley, Jr. --
New York : Dorling Kindersley Pub., 2001. -- 48 p. : col.
ill. ; 23 cm. -- (Dorling Kindersley Readers. 4, Proficient
Readers) -- Summary (from OCLC): Describes Spider-Man's
super powers, from web-slinging and wall-crawling to the
mysterious "spider sense." Includes facts about spiders. --
Includes index. -- Call no.: PN6728.A5B8 2001


They've got a run of Ryan Claytor's comics (we've mentioned him here before), and he's teaching at MSU now, including this one I don't have (and just added to next edition of the the wordless bibliography on sale at the right; if you own the current one, pencil it in)...

Rock & soul : a 24-Hour Comic Book Challenge / written &
illustrated by Ryan Claytor. -- Santa Ynez, Calif. :
Elephant Eater Comics, 2004. -- 24 p. : ill. ; 22 cm. --
Indicia title: Ryan Claytor's Rock and Soul. -- "No. 1." --
Story without words. -- Alternative genre. -- Call no.:
PN6727.C557R6 2004


...some Crock books, and Kevin Rechin, Bill's son is a DC-area cartoonist mentioned here before...

Crock, You're All Heart! / by Bill Rechin and Don Wilder. --
New York : Fawcett Gold Medal, 1981. -- 125 p. : ill. ; 18
cm. -- Funny military genre. -- Call no.: PN6728.C74Y63
1981
-----------------------------------------------------
It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Crock! / by Bill Rechin and
Don Wilder. -- New York : Fawcett Gold Medal, 1982. -- 126
p. : ill. ; 18 cm. -- Funny military genre. -- Call no.:
PN6728.C74 I8 1982


...oooh, some David Low, the great British cartoonist, and another darn silent comic book...

Lions and Lambs / by Low ; with interpretations by 'Lynx'. --
London : Jonathan Cape, 1928. -- 156 p. : ill. ; 26 cm. --
Call no.: NC1479.L65L5 1928
-----------------------------------------------------
Bone House. -- United Kingdom : Bonehouse Books, . -- ill. ;
18 cm. -- Wordless comics by Jon Chandler. -- Alternative
genre. -- LIBRARY HAS: v. 4 (2006). -- Call no.:
PN6737.C45B6


...another plug for a friend, or rather his wife...

Oval Comics / Ellen Lindner. -- London : Little White Bird, 2006. -- 28 p. : ill. ; 26 cm. -- Alternative genre. --
Call no.: PN6727.L495 O87 2006


Ellen's got a new romance comic book out, Undertow, which can be found at Lulu. I just read and enjoyed my copy...

...and here's Ben Towle with another darn mute comic...

Gravity / by Ben Towle. -- Greenville, SC : Wide Awake Press, 2006. -- 20 p. : ill. ; 11 cm. -- Story without words. --
Alternative genre. -- Call no.: PN6727.T655G7 2006


I really liked Ben's Midnight Sun.

...and here's an excellent science fiction strip...

Gil Kane and Ron Goulart's Star Hawks : the Complete Series / foreword by Ron Goulart ; introduction by Daniel Herman. --
Neshannock, PA : Hermes Press, 2003. -- 320 p. : some col.
ill. ; 23 cm. -- Science fiction genre. -- Call no.:
PN6727.K27G5 2003


...another classic strip I haven't read enough of...

Moon Mullins / by Willard. -- New York : Cupples and Leon,
1930. -- 136 p. : ill. ; 26 cm. -- Cover title: Moon
Mullins Big Book. -- Call no.: PN6728.M63W5 1930


...something that most of us won't ever need, but it's good to know it's out there...

Batmobile Owner's Manual / written by Mike McAvennie. --
London : DK Pub., 2008. -- 31 p. : col. ill. ; 31 cm. --
Includes flaps to lift and 1 loose piece in pocket. --
Summary (from OCLC): This incredible new format puts Batman
fans behind the wheel and under the hood of the coolest car
ever imagined! Fabulous photos, illustrations, and diagrams
of Jim Lee's Batmobile fill the pages of this super-guide
to every Batman fan and grease monkey out there. -- Call
no.: PN6728.B37 O9 2008


...and other oddities...

Adventures @ eBay. -- eBay, 2000. -- 12 p. : col. ill. ; 18
cm. -- "Premiere issue" ; "#1". -- Comic book to introduce
eBay to comics collectors. -- Educational genre. -- Call
no.: PN6728.25.E2A3 2000


...an unlikely book (the cartoonists are uncle and niece) that I enjoyed...

The Virgin Project : Real People Share Real Stories : a Comics
Anthology / by K.D. Boze and Stasia Kato ; introduction by
Ellen Forney. -- Seattle, WA : Girlie Press, 2008. -- 142
p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm. -- "For mature readers." --
Autobiographical genre, stories of first sexual
experiences. -- Call no.: PN6726.V48 2008


...and I'm exhausted. I don't know how Randy does it. Tune in again for... February!

Weldon on Yoe on Shuster on porn

Glen Weldon's got a new piece on Joe Shuster's sweat mag art at "Faster Than a Speeding Bullwhip: Superman Creator's Kinktastic Art," National Public Radio's Monkey See blog (April 15 2009). Remember Craig Yoe will be speaking about and signing the book at Politics and Prose and Big Planet Comics

OT: Doonesbury in the New Yorker

The April 20th New Yorker has an original Doonesbury prose piece by Trudeau, 'The Tweets of Roland Hedley'. Trudeau's popped up with Doonesbury in other magazines before, although not recently I don't think. Mike and JJ got married in Life, Zonker covered Newsweek at least once, and the New Republic printed the Silent Scream II strips that the syndicate refused to carry (all from memory so doublecheck yourself).

There's also a cover by Jacques de Loustal and spots by Petit-Roulet, both of France.

Rosenberg spoils Spider-Man

Our old buddy, former-Examiner-and-Express-columnist-gone-big-city-boy-reporter, Scott Rosenberg's got a story in AM NY that reveals so much you don't actually have to buy the comic book. Take it away, Scott - "Marvel Comics shocker: Bloomberg out, Spider-Man's nemesis in as city's new mayor," by Scott A. Rosenberg on April 15, 2009.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Michigan State's Comic Art Collections November- December 2008 attractions

We're back to check out what the MSU Library added to its comic collection in November, 2008.

Mid-month saw a bunch of original Tijuana Bibles (of which this is only a few)...

Robert Mitchum in Goof Butts. -- between 1930 and 1950? -- 8
p. : ill. ; 78 x 101 mm. -- A "Tijuana bible." -- Erotic
genre, about smoking marijuana. -- Call no.: PN6728.15.R6
1930z
-----------------------------------------------------
Popeye the Sailor in A Pisser of an Episode. -- between 1930
and 1950? -- 9 p. : ill. ; 70 x 113 mm. -- A "Tijuana
bible." -- The pages are numbered, starting with the cover,
J1 through J9. -- Erotic genre. -- Call no.: PN6728.15.P58
1930z
-----------------------------------------------------
Harold Teen in The Wrong Number. -- between 1930 and 1950? --
8 p. : ill. ; 80 x 109 mm. -- A "Tijuana bible." -- Erotic
genre. -- Call no.: PN6728.15.H32 1930z
-----------------------------------------------------
Johnny Quick in 30 Sec's. Flat. -- between 1940 and 1950? -- 8
p. : ill. ; 77 x 101 mm. -- A "Tijuana bible." -- Erotic
and superhero genres. -- Call no.: PN6728.15.J65 1940z
-----------------------------------------------------
Little Annie Rooney. -- between 1930 and 1950? -- 8 p. : ill.
; 70 x 101 mm. -- A "Tijuana bible." -- Erotic genre. --
Call no.: PN6728.15.L5 1930z
-----------------------------------------------------
Ella Cinders in Tsk-Tsk. -- Between 1930 and 1950? -- 8 p. :
ill ; 70 x 104 mm. -- A "Tijuana bible." -- "16". -- Erotic
and career girl genres. -- Call no.: PN6728.15.E42 1930z
RESEND TO CHANGE FROM PHOTOCOPY TO REAL
-----------------------------------------------------
George Raft in Gangster Up! -- between 1930 and 1950? -- 8 p.
: ill. ; 69 x 115 mm. -- A "Tijuana bible." -- Erotic
genre. -- Call no.: PN6728.15.G43 1930z
-----------------------------------------------------
Saltydick Inc. Presents Little Annie Rooney and Zero / Elmer
Zilch. -- between 1930 and 1950? -- 8 p. : ill. ; 68 x 108
mm. -- A "Tijuana bible." -- Appearances of Popeye and
Wimpy. -- Erotic genre. -- Call no.: PN6728.15.L52 1930z
-----------------------------------------------------
Upyer Brown Presents Boots in Love's Labor Lost. -- between
1930 and 1950? -- 8 p. : ill. ; 69 x 101 mm. -- A "Tijuana
bible." -- Erotic genre. -- Call no.: PN6728.15.B59 1930z


... a whole lot of Israeli comics, presumably from Ofer B. ...

Sipure Gugi / Uri Fink. -- Netanyah : Shim'oni, 2005. -- 108
p. : ill. ; 17 x 20 cm. -- (Kuts : Komiks Yisre'eli) --
Alternative genre. -- Call no.: PN6790 .I83 F5S5 2005


...and PvP before Image picked them up...

PvP. -- Colleyville, TX : Toonhound Studios, . -- ill. ; 26
cm. -- Collects a webcomic about computer gaming. -- PvP
stands for Player versus Player. -- Dork Storm logo on
cover. -- LIBRARY HAS: v. 1, no. 2 (2001). -- Call no.:
PN6728.75.T6P2


Slow month! Off to December.

This Norwegian one is from me iirc, donated by the creators at SPX ...

Oslo Comics Expo 07 : Schous Plass, 4-5 Mai / redaktør,
Kristoffer Kjølberg. -- Oslo : OCX 07, 2007. -- 32 p. :
ill. (part col) ; 33 cm. -- Call no.: folio PN6790.N6 O8
2007

...an Ariel Schrag interview in a publication I've never heard of...

"Ariel Schrag is All Grown Up" / by Diane Anderson-Minshall.
p. 46-47 in Curve, v. 18, no. 10 (Dec. 2008) -- "Her comics
are a candid take on adolescence. Now, this cult favorite
is turning her hand to TV, film and children's books." --
An interview, with a photograph of Schrag. -- Call no.:
HQ75.D4v.18no.10


(Here's an article about her from last week).

A bunch of new books on comic art were added including Michaelis' Schulz bio, Best American Comics 2007, How to Make Webcomics, and my friend Gene's book...

500 Essential Graphic Novels : the Ultimate Guide / Gene
Kannenberg, Jr. -- New York : Collins Design, 2008. -- 527
p. : col. ill. ; 21 cm. -- Includes indexes. -- Contents:
Adventure ; Non-fiction ; Crime and mystery ; Fantasy ;
General fiction ; Horror ; Humor ; Science fiction ;
Superheroes ; War. -- Each entry is a cover reproduction, a
plot summary and a review. -- Call no.: PN6710.K35 2008


...the 24-hour comic idea has gone international...

Amsterdam 24 Hour Comics Day 2006. -- Amsterdam :
Stripantiquariaat Lambiek, 2007. -- 300 p. : ill. ; 21 cm.
-- Introduction in Dutch; some comics in Dutch, some in
English, and some wordless comics. -- Alternative genre. --
Call no.: PN6790.N42A5 2007

...some surprisingly brand-new material, perhaps overstock from a local store...

Ambush Bug : Year None. -- New York : DC Comics, 2008-2009. --
col. ill. ; 26 cm. -- To be complete in 6 nos. -- Superhero
genre. -- LIBRARY HAS: no. 1. -- Call no.: PN6728.7.D3A47
2008
-----------------------------------------------------
Final Crisis : Legion of Three Worlds. -- New York : DC
Comics, 2008-2009. -- col. ill. ; 26 cm. -- LIBRARY HAS:
no. 1-2. -- To be complete in 5 nos. -- Superhero genre.
-- Call no.: PN6728.7.D3 F52L4 2008


...Romance genre fotonovelas? Superhero miscellanea?

Tu y yo. -- Capital (Argentina) : Ediciones Record, . -- ill.
; 27-29 cm. -- Romance genre fotonovelas. -- LIBRARY HAS:
no. 52, 83, 88-89 (1972-1979). -- Call no.: PN6790.A74T8
RECLASSIFY
-----------------------------------------------------
Tú & Yo. -- Medellín, Colombia : Ediciones Albon Zig-Zag, . --
ill. ; 28 cm. -- Romance genre fotonovelas. -- LIBRARY HAS:
nr. 10 (1970). -- Call no.: PN6790.C64T8
-----------------------------------------------------
Marvel Heroes Activity Book. -- Ashland, OH : Bendon
Publishing Int'l, 2006. -- 30 p. : ill. ; 27 cm. --
Includes coloring pages, stickers and a poster. --
Superhero miscellanea. -- Call no.: PN6714.M3C6 2006


...Milt Caniff popping up in surprising places...

A Pocket Guide to China / prepared by Special Service
Division, Services of Supply, United States Army. --
Washington, D.C. : War and Navy Departments, 1942. -- 75 p.
: ill. ; 14 cm. -- "How to Spot a Jap" / by Milton Caniff,
comics insert: p. 65-75. -- Call no.: DS710.U6 1942


...and the last book of the year...

Fury/Agent 13. -- New York : Marvel Comics, 1998. -- col. ill.
; 26 cm. -- Published no. 1 (June 1998) - no. 2 (July
1998). -- Spy genre. -- LIBRARY HAS: no. 1. -- Call no.:
PN6728.6.M3F815


Tomorrow, we see what 2009 has brought!

Jack Ohman wins RFK Journalism award

100_6889Sara Duke (foreground), Mike Rhode (seated) and Nick Galifianakis judging the 2009 RFK Journalism award for cartooning. Warren Bernard, the 4th judge, submitted his comments earlier.


RFK CENTER ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2009 ROBERT F. KENNEDY JOURNALISM AWARDS

4/13/2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Simone Greggs
202-463-7575, ext. 234
greggs@rfkmemorial.org

Washington, D.C. – The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights has announced winners of the nine professional and four student categories of the 41st Annual Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards. This year's winning journalists attacked diverse subjects including the risks faced by the workers who bring chicken to America's tables, the crackdown on rights and democracy in Russia under Vladimir Putin, the effects of gun violence in the United States and Guatemala, and new evidence about the conviction that led to the longest stretch of solitary confinement endured by any prisoner in modern U.S. history.

The RFK Journalism Awards honors outstanding reporting on issues that reflect Robert F. Kennedy's concerns, including human rights, social justice and the power of individual action in the United States and around the world. Winning pieces examine the causes, conditions and remedies of injustice and analyze relevant public policies and attitudes and private endeavors. The winning entries were selected by a panel of 40 judges in several rounds. The Journalism Committee, comprised of five advisors, chose the grand prize winner from the first place contenders in each category.

The RFK Journalism Awards will be presented at a ceremony on Thursday, May 28, 2009 at 6:00 PM at George Washington University in Washington, DC. The Grand Prize winner will be announced at the ceremony. Winners receive a cash prize and a bust of Robert Kennedy created by Robert Berks. For more details on the event, please visit www.rfkcenter.org.

The winners of the 41st Annual RFK Journalism Awards (clipped to just the cartoonist):

Cartoon Winner: Jack Ohman, The Oregonian: Ohman's cartoons tackle a range of difficult topics including poverty and unemployment in Oregon, the practice of shuffling Oregon teachers suspected of molesting children to other schools, rising college tuition costs, and human rights in China. From civil rights to the election of our nation's first black President, from ethanol to the struggles of American families in the economic downturn, his graphic journalism on behalf of the downtrodden exudes an insightful sensitivity.


I was one of the judges for this with cartoonist Nick Galifianakis, librarian Sara Duke and collector and library cataloguer Warren Bernard.. It was quite interesting. All of the portfolios were full of good cartoons, and that didn't make deciding on a winner easy. Mr. Ohman won for a particular reason that made him stand out, but I won't mention it as I'm not sure how this award process actually works, but it's mentioned specifically in the judges' letter to the RFK Center.


100_6891
Nick makes a point, and then because he's Greek, continues to make it.
100_6892

100_6888 Sara Duke, Mike Rhode, Nick Galifianakis

100_6887 Sara Duke

100_6885
The pile of portfolios we had to go through. It was really cool to see such a selection.


100_6886 Nick GalifianakisWe're luck we had Nick - he had plenty of experience being a judge and helped us with the procedure, although Sara and I had begun before he arrived.

April 30: Dan Didio on intellectual property and economic recovery

This sounds pretty interesting - if one wants to go, just RSVP. I'm mulling it over.

YOU'RE INVITED
•••••••••••••••••••••

Institute for Policy Innovation


It's a Bird! It's a Plane!
It's...

Dan DiDio
Senior Vice-President, Executive Editor - DC Comics



Dan DiDio of DC Comics joins the line-up for IPI’s Fourth Annual World Intellectual Property Day Forum,
“The Role of Intellectual Property in the Global Recovery”

•••••••••••••••••••••

Previously Confirmed Speakers:
Michael Gallagher
President, Entertainment Software Association

Dr. Mark Esper
Executive Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Intellectual Property Center


Program Discussion Panels:
The Role of IP in a Struggling Economy
Does Growing Protectionism Limit Access to Innovation?
Insider Forum: IP and the Future of Innovation


Make Plans Now To Attend:
Thursday, April 30, 2009
9:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Reserve Officers Association (ROA) Headquarters Minuteman Memorial Building
Minuteman Ballroom, 5th Floor
One Constitution Ave NE
Washington DC 20002

*Complimentary lunch will be served.

RSVP: Erin Humiston at (972) 874-5139 or erin@ipi.org

Craig Yoe and Joe Shuster at Big Planet

Here's the offical info: Craig Yoe, author of Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman Co-Creator Joe Shuster, will appear at Big Planet Comics Bethesda store (4908 Fairmont Ave.) to sign and discuss the book, on Saturday, April 25 from Noon-2 PM.

Unfortunately I'll be at the American Association for the History of Medicine meetings.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Michigan State U's Comic Art Collection's new acquisitions

Those in the know can see records for material that Randy Scott's catalogued recently at Michigan State University's Comic Art Collection. I'll begin with August of 2008, but you can follow it up to today, as he's recently caught up and is now doing it daily. I usually surf through and see what he's listed that I've never heard of.

In August, we find a few things that I passed along to him iirc, including this on Barbarella's father...

"Dossier Jean-Claude Forest" p. 6-41 in Schtroumpf, les
Cahiers de la Bande Dessinée, no. 26 (1975). -- Contents:
"Entretien avec Jean-Claude Forest" p. 8-22 ; "Jean-Claude
Forest en Ses Mythes" p. 23-27 ; "Barbarella Cache Forest"
p. 28-29 ; "Forest et les Couvertures de S.F." p. 30-32 ;
"Une Chanson de Jean-Claude Forest" p. 33 ; "L'Île Mystère
Rieuse" p. 34-35 ; "Bibliographie de Jean-Claude Forest" p.
36-41 -- Photographic portrait and brief biography on back
cover. Forest was born in 1931. -- Call no.:
PN6745.S37no.26


...and here's a wordless comic that I had listed as "Fisk" in my bibliography (see right for ordering info) at least for the Danish version. Anyone know if the name changed as it moved to the US?

Fish / Peter Kielland. -- New York : Kim-Rehr Productions,
2004. -- 68 p. : ill. ; 26 cm. -- "In prehistoric times,
the somewhat naive Fish lives an easy life, deified by a
tribe of ape men. When visitors from outer space zap the
ape men out of their ignorance, Fish must suddenly fend for
himself. Being unable to do so, he instead digs a hole in
the ground and goes into hibernation. Aroused by
construction work in the sewers, Fish wakes up in the midst
of modern life. Confused and scared, he must make sense of
the people and events he encounters." -- Story without
words. -- Fantasy genre. -- Call no.: PN6790.D33 K52F5 2004

In August, you ain't getting this just anywhere...

Sangokushi / Yokoyama Mitsuteru. -- Tokyo : Ushio Shuppansha,
1974-1988.-- ill. ; 18 cm. -- (Kibo Komikkusu) -- Complete
in 60 vols. -- History of China (Three Kingdoms, 220-265
A.D.) --- Adapts a work of Lo Kuan-chung (ca. 1330- ca.
1400) -- LIBRARY HAS: v. 1-60. -- Call no.: PL842 .O58 S26
1974

...nor this (3, 5 & 6 are also available)...

O Tico-Tico : Jornal das Crianças, no. 1 (Outubro 11, 1905)
COMICS CONTENTS: "Manda quem Póde" p. 1 -- "Por Causa de
uma Laranja" p. 2 -- "No Circo" p. 5 -- "A Mulher Enganou o
Diado" p. 8 -- "A Morte do Gato" (As Historias de seu
Fortunato, 1) p. 9 -- "A Corrida com o Jagunço" (As
Desventuras do Chiquinho, 1) p. 10 -- "A Vingança de
Velludo e Mimi" p. 11 -- "Historia sem Palavras" p. 12 --
"Pum!" p. 15 -- "O Menino que Montou no Cachorro" p. 16 --
Call no.: folio PN6790.B74T462 2005


...or this...

Honey Talks : Comics Inspired by Painted Beehive Panels. --
Slovenia : Forum Ljubljana, 2006. -- 1 cardboard box (with
10 booklets) : ill. (some col.) ; 13 x 22 x 4 cm. -- Each
booklet is 12 x 21 cm. and has a small rectangle cut from
the bottom center of its front cover for the passage of
bees. -- Some of the stories do not have any words. --
Alternative genre. -- Contents: Honey talks : comics
inspired by painted beehive panels ; The king of the bees /
Feuchtenbergerowa ; Grandma's painting / by Matthias
Lehmann ; Pegam & Lambergar / by Milorad Ktstic ; Beton &
honey / Danijel Zezelj ; Wanted! / Vladan Nikolic ;
Sidetracked / by J. Klemencic ; The hunter's daughter / by
Rutu Modan ; The goat / by Koco [20]05 ; Alvearium / Marcel
Ruijters. -- Call no.: PN6790.C944H6 2006

...but you will this - surely someone can donate the rest of this run...

The Spirit. -- New York : DC Comics, 2007- . -- col. ill. ; 26
cm. -- Began with no. 1 (Feb. 2007). -- Cover title: Will
Eisner's The Spirit. -- Detective genre. -- LIBRARY HAS:
no. 1. -- Call no.: PN6728.7.D3S64


...and there's news that didn't happen - Walker sent the Museum's collection to Ohio State instead which has just announced plans to add footage for the collection...

"Walker Takes Museum to Big Apple" p. 43 in The Comics
Journal, no. 271 (Oct. 2005). -- (Newswatch : Journal
Datebook) -- International Museum of Cartoon Art will move
to the Empire State Building and open in 2006. -- Call no.:
PN6700.C62no.271


...and material that somebody needs to collect...

Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo Playtime Fun Pad. -- Harbor House
Publishers, 1985. -- Cover title: Scooby-Doo Happytime Fun
Pad. -- 64 p. : chiefly ill. ; 28 cm. -- A coloring and
activity book. -- "13377". -- Call no.: PN1992.77.S35C6
1985


October had...

...a bunch more Treasure Chests, the Catholic comic, that Randy's been cataloguing for a while...

Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact, v. 11, no. 17 (Apr. 19, 1956)
CONTENTS: "How to be Popular with your Family" (Patsy
Manners) p. 3-4 -- "Ernie Pyle was a Hero, But Who Wants to
be a Dead Hero?"* (Chuck White) p. 5-10 -- "The Eyes Have
It!" p. 11 -- "The Weather Story" p. 12-17 -- "What Makes
Us Do It?" p. 18-19 -- "Mr. Wizard's Science Secrets" p.
20-21 -- "The Merry Martyr, part 7" p. 22-26 -- "Honored
Athletes Maintain a Balanced Perspetive When Winning!"
(Secrets of Success in Sport) p. 27-31 -- "The Rookie" text
p. 32-34 -- "Timber!"* (Woody) p. 35 -- Call no.:
PN6728.1.P43T7v.11no.17


...and somebody must have asked for the "Milk in Comics" folder, because at MSU they catalogue strips by subject...

"You Must Drink Your Milk If You Want to Be Big and Strong!"*
(Hank and Honey, Nov. 4, 1946) / by Seeg. -- Summary: Honey
is urging Elsworth (in his high chair) to drink his milk,
and Hank sneaks a glass for himself. -- Call no.: PN6726
f.B55 "milk"
-----------------------------------------------------
"When You Order Milk, They Bring the Cow to Your Table!"*
(Garfield, Apr. 22, 1993) / Jim Davis. -- Summary: Garfield
is impressed with a fancy restaurant. -- Call no.: PN6726
f.B55 "milk"
-----------------------------------------------------
"Where Is It Written That Humans Must Give Cats Milk in
Saucers?"* (Garfield, Aug. 17, 1984) / Jim Davis. -- Call
no.: PN6726 f.B55 "milk"
-----------------------------------------------------
"We're Almost to the Dairy Section"* (Marvin, Nov. 14, 1984) /
Tom Armstrong. -- Summary: The family is grocery shopping,
and Marvin has to be restrained. -- Call no.: PN6726 f.B55
"milk"
-----------------------------------------------------
"Ice Cream and Three Cows"* (Dennis the Menace, Sept. 18,
1984) / Ketcham. -- Summary: Dennis names four things that
contain milk. -- Call no.: PN6726 f.B55 "milk"
-----------------------------------------------------
"The Clean-Up After the Clean-Up"* (Out Our Way, Feb. 1, 1969)
/ Neg Cochran. -- Summary: The dog gets to clean up the
spilled milk, and the Dad gets a sponge mop to clean up
after the dog. -- Call no.: PN6726 f.B55 "milk"
-----------------------------------------------------
"I Hate the Aftertaste of Diet Milk"* (Marvin, Sept. 13, 1984)
/ Tom Armstrong. -- Summary: Marvin's mother gives him 2%E
milk. -- Call no.: PN6726 f.B55 "milk"
-----------------------------------------------------
"Please Leave 1 Qt. of Grade A Milk"* (Donald Duck, Nov. 21,
1941) / by Walt Disney. -- Summary: Daisly leaves an empty
bottle and a note by a cow on Gus Goose's farm. -- Call
no.: PN6726 f.B55 "milk"
-----------------------------------------------------
"Why Not Just Leave It In The Cow?"* (Flintstones, Sept. 24,
1982) -- Summary: Pebbles has a way to keep milk from
spoiling in hot weather. -- Call no.: PN6726 f.B55 "milk"


...and a superhero 'collectible' comic...

Wizard Presents Nightwing 1/2. -- Congers, NY : DC Comics and
Wizard Press, 1997. -- 24 p. : col. ill. ; 26 cm. --
Superhero genre. -- Call no.: PN6728.6.D3N5215 1997

...but not Lady Rawhide #4! Come on, someone send a copy in...

Lady Rawhide. -- New York : Topps Comics, 1995-1996. -- col.
ill. ; 26 cm. -- "Vol. 1," complete in 5 nos. --
Superheroine and western genres. -- LIBRARY HAS: no. 1-3,
5. -- Call no.: PN6728.6.T63L3 1995
-----------------------------------------------------
Lady Rawhide Mini Comic / Don McGregor, writer ; Estaban
Maroto, artist. -- New York : Topps Comics, 1995. -- 16 p.
: col. ill. ; 22 cm -- "Vol. 1, no. 1, July 1995." --
"Supplement to Wizard the Guide to Comics." -- Western
genre. -- Call no.: PN6728.6.T63L29 1995


...and here's some of the King Features Syndicate proof collection that showed up last year...

Gunner : daily syndicate proof sheets / by José Luis Salinas &
Alfredo J. Grassi. -- New York : King Features Syndicate, .
-- ill. ; 36 x 22 cm. -- (King Features Syndicate Proof
Sheet Collection) -- Six strips per leaf. -- Complete run
starts with week of Mar. 22, 1976. -- Later art signed:
Lucho Olivera (1977), Andrada (1979), Carlos Pedrazzini
(1979), Tobias (1979-1981), Ricardo Barrosa (1981-1983),
Klacik (1984). -- Stored remotely. Please request from
Special Collections staff at least three days in advance of
use. -- Sports genre, about a soccer player and team. --
LIBRARY HAS: 1976-1984. -- Call no.: oversize PN6726.K52G84

Tune in tomorrow as we look at November, 2008!

Pulse magazine's lamented comics pages

My buddy Mark Weidenbaum was an editor of comics for Tower Records' Pulse Magazine and he's put an index of some of the strips on his website. I used to grab these magazines in the DC store - I lived across the street from it at George Washington University for a couple of years, and then, as I got more into comics, I'd stop in just to pick up this magazine.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Dave Astor's new column takes on comic strips

Dave just shot me a link to his latest column which stars many familiar names from the comics - "Good Grief! Comic Characters Leave Newspapers for a Day," Huffington Post April 12, 2009.