Thursday, May 28, 2009

June 12: David Macaulay at National Museum of Health and Medicine


When: Friday, June 12, 2009 (1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.)

Saturday, June 13, 2009 (10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) & (1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.)

Where: National Museum of Health and Medicine

What: Join David Macaulay for a discussion about his new book, "The Way We Work," as he illuminates the most important machine of all -- the human body. Your body is made up of various complex systems, and Macaulay is a master at making the complex understandable. He shows how the parts of the body work together, from the mechanics of a hand, to the process by which the heart pumps blood, to the chemical exchanges necessary to sustain life. A book signing will follow the discussion.

This event is being held in conjunction with NMHM's temporary exhibition, "David Macaulay Presents: The Way We Work, Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body," which features the famous author's original artwork for the book.

Bring your kids along! This event, as well as the exhibit, is great for teaching children about the human body.

Cost: FREE!

Parking is available. Photo ID required.

Information: nmhminfo@afip.osd.mil or (202) 782-2200

www.nmhm.washingtondc.museum

David Macaulay bio:

Born on December 2, 1946, Macaulay was eleven when his family moved from England to the United States. An early fascination with simple technology and a love of model-making and drawing ultimately led him to study architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design. He received his degree in 1969 after spending his fifth year with RISD's European Honors Program in Rome. Macaulay is probably best known for a very thick book called "The Way Things Work" (1988), an exhaustively researched compendium of the intricate workings involved in almost anything that functions. It was followed by "Black and White," winner of the 1991 Caldecott Medal. Over the next decade, Macaulay published eight additional books, and in 2003 he began a volume about the workings of the human body—the results of which comprise this exhibition. In 2006, Macaulay was named a MacArthur fellow.




Mike Judge interview in Comic Riffs part 2 appeared today

The Interview: Animator/Filmmaker MIKE JUDGE (Pt. 2), By Michael Cavna, May 28, 2009.

'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' videogame reviewed in Express

A Film Game With Bite: 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'
 By Micah Pearson

Comic Art Indigene going, Artomatic coming

The National Museum of the American Indian's Comic Art Indigene exhibit is closing on Sunday, so see it now. It showcases Indian cartoonists working in a variety of comic art media. Artomatic, the large local arts festival, opens on Friday at 55 M St, SE and runs through July 5. See http://artomatic.org for more information. David Hagen will be exhibiting at the show.

Up director interviewed in Express

This is in the hard copy and online -

Up, Up and Away: Director Peter Docter

Written by Express' Nathan Martin
May 28 2009
http://www.expressnightout.com/content/2009/05/up_up_and_away_director_peter_docter.php

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Fantom Comics' message about closing Tenleytown store

Dear Tenleytown Fantom Comics Customers,

As many of you know, the Fantom Comics Tenleytown location is closing its doors for good this coming Sunday, May 31st. (Please note that this week’s new comics will arrive at Tenleytown tomorrow per usual.

Tenleytown isn’t closing for bad reasons, but for good ones. As anyone who has been in the store during rainy days knows, the ceiling leaks like a sieve, and the space is awkward and somewhat off the beaten track. The Fantom crew has grown quite fond of our odd little first store and will always remember it fondly, but we’re growing up and our goal is to lease a larger, better space.

Unfortunately, negotiations are dragging on for said space and rather than compromise with a less than ideal location management has decided to wait it out until the perfect spot comes along. As valued customrs and friends we are offering you a couple of options:

Option 1: Union Station. Transfer your subscriptions to our Union Station store. We’ll have you up and running over there by next Wednesday.

Option 2: Home Delivery. Fantom Comics has wanted to experiment with home delivery for quite some time, but we’ve never gotten around to it. Until now! This struck us as the perfect time to introduce our comic book store at your front door program. Here’s how it works:

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Call the Fantom Comics phone number (unchanged at 202-362-5051), or email us at subscriptions@fantomcomics.com at any point in the week and give us your name and address and we’ll send someone there right away (assuming it’s during delivery hours) or at a future open slot of your choosing.
*
Deliveries will take place every Wednesday (11am-7pm) and Saturday (noon-6pm).
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We will deliver to any home or office within the following zip codes: 20007, 20008, 20015, 20016, 20815 and 20816.
*
Subscribers have no minimum purchase requirements. For non-subscribers the minimum is $15.
*
We will still accept credit cards.
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There is no service charge and our people will not be allowed to accept gratuity. Comic book store at your front door will cost you nothing extra!
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We will bring along your subscribed books, already sorted, as well as the entire stock of new books for the week, which you can browse and purchase to your heart’s content. We can also do special requests on older material, but we need a week’s heads-up on that.

If you are a current subscriber, please confirm with us by Sunday, May 31st at subscriptions@fantomcomics.com as to how you’d like us to deal with your subscription. If you're not a subscriber, here's a good chance to try it out!

And of course, if neither of these options appeals to you, please keep up with our website and/or email list so you’ll find out where the next Fantom Comics NW DC is setting up shop as soon as we do.

Thanks for 4 great years, Tenleytown. There’ll be many more locations, but you’ll always be our first!

Yours,

Management

Post and others on Goode Family and Mike Judge

The Post reviewed the Goode Family in the paper, but doesn't seem to have put it online, because, you know, someone would buy the paper to see what they think about a cartoon. Well, that's me and I already bought the paper.

There is an interview with Mike Judge - "'King of the Hill' Segues To the ABC of Animation," By Michael Cavna, Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, May 27, 2009.

The NY Times put their review online - "TV Review | 'The Goode Family' - A Clan So Virtuous Even Its Dog Is Vegan," By GINIA BELLAFANTE, May 27, 2009 as did Salon (of course) - "Mike Judge's pain-in-the-ass cartoon liberals: New animated series "The Goode Family" charts the pitfalls of the p.c., eco-friendly lifestyle," By Heather Havrilesky, Salon May 27, 2009 as is "'The Goode Family': Mike Judge's Disappointing New Comedy," by Linda Holmes, National Public Radio's Monkey See blog (May 27 2009).

June 29: Richard Thompson rocks Arlington's Central Library

Author Event: Cartoonist Richard Thompson
Mon Jun 29, 7pm
Arlington Central Library Auditorium
Hear from the man behind the syndicated daily comic strip "Cul de Sac," and who's unique style and humor have graced the various parts of the Washington Post ("Richard's Poor Almanack"), National Geographic, The Atlantic and the New Yorker--Arlington's own Richard Thompson. No, not the musician by the same name. The cartoonist Richard Thompson.

OT: DC Comics internship contest

Here's some PR that I agree to post, although I note I'm really ComicsDC, not DC Comics. It's very important that DC is aware of that distinction (wink, wink). Beyond getting the PR up here, I have nothing to do with this, but it sounds like a nice opportunity.

2009 Design Scholarship Challenge Announced
Aspiring graphic designs students compete for $25,000 tuition scholarship and a chance to work on a DC Comics marketing campaign

Aspiring graphic designers have until June 8 to submit entries to the “2009 Design Scholarship Challenge” to compete for the national prize, an opportunity to work with DC Comics on an upcoming marketing campaign for “Absolute Justice” and a $25,000 tuition scholarship to one of the sponsoring design schools. Hopefuls should submit entries to one of the schools which are: the 11 International Academy of Design & Technology (Academy) campuses, located in Chicago, Detroit, Las Vegas, Online Campus, Orlando, Sacramento, San Antonio, Schaumburg (IL), Seattle, Nashville, and Tampa; as well as Brooks Institute, Brown College, Collins College, and Harrington College of Design.

The first round of judging will be conducted by a panel of faculty and employees at each local campus and winners will be selected by June 19, 2009. The final round will be conducted by a national panel including representatives from DC Comics. The National Winner will be announced in July at San Diego Comic-Con 2009.

“A local winner will be selected from each campus and all 15 will receive a $5,000 tuition scholarship to the sponsoring school of their choice plus a three-day, two-night expense-paid trip to San Diego to attend Comic-Con 2009 where the national winner will be named and will receive an additional $20,000 tuition scholarship to the sponsoring school of their choice,” said Tom McNamara, senior vice president, Art & Design group of Career Education Corporation. “This is an opportunity to experience the real world of graphic design with all of its challenges. The entry requirements are demanding, but the rewards will jump start the education and future careers of several talented students.”

The contest is open to legal residents of the United States who will graduate from high school or receive a GED between January 1, 2006 and July 31, 2010. The contest application, along with detailed instructions is available at www.visualdiner.com. See rules for full eligibility requirements. Void where prohibited.

Participants must submit original designs for a print and an online advertisement for the “Absolute Justice” graphic novel, full of some of the most popular DC Comic characters, along with a completed detail sheet which includes a short inspiration statement. Local winners will receive a second creative brief and specifications for an as yet-to-be released DC Comics publication and must present a second set of a print and an online advertisement to a panel of judges at Comic-Con 2009. In addition to the finished print and online advertisements, local winners must also submit a binder on their design process including a written summary of people contacted for information about the project and the advice they provided, sketches, illustrations, photographs or digital images of the project as it evolved from concept to completion, a summary of influences on your entry and a written summary of your overall concept.

“This is more than a scholarship competition,” McNamara said. “It’s an opportunity to gain experience and exposure in the world of graphic design and to test your hand in a rewarding and exciting line of work.

Goode Family gets brief review in Express

There's a minor wire story article in the hardcopy of the paper.

Comic Riffs interviews 'Goode Family' Creator Mike Judge (Pt. 1)

The Interview: 'Goode Family' Creator Mike Judge (Pt. 1)

by Michael Cavna, May 27 2009
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2009/05/tuesday_post_2.html


MIKE JUDGE, co-creator of the Fox series "King of the Hill," poses in front of an illustration of the animated character he voices, Hank Hill, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ric Francis)


Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Baltimore Comic-Con PR

MARVEL COMICS CREATORS COME TO BALTIMORE 2009!
2010 Dates Announced!

BALTIMORE, MD (May. 26, 2009) -- The Baltimore Comic-Con is proud to announce that top creators of today's Marvel Universe will find themselves in Baltimore this October 10th and 11th as guests of the Baltimore Comic-Con. Jason Aaron (Wolverine), Brian Michael Bendis (Avengers), Frank Cho (Ultimates 4), David Finch (Ultimatum), Matt Fraction (Uncanny X-Men), and Barry Kitson (Amazing Spider-Man) will all convene to help celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Baltimore Comic-Con.

"This modern day Marvel bullpen, the writers and artists of today's Marvel Comics, will really help to make this year a great show. This will be the first time that Jason Aaron and Matt Fraction have joined us, and a great second year for Brian Michael Bendis. Brian made a special effort to speak with all of his fans last year, and was a guest that many of our fans requested come back," said Marc Nathan, promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. "We missed David Finch in 2008 due to the birth of his lovely daughter, and it is great to have him back. And of course, we are thrilled to welcome perennial fan favorites Frank Cho and Barry Kitson back to the halls of the Baltimore Convention Center."

As we continue to get ready for the show on October 10-11, 2009, we would also like to announce the Baltimore Comic-Con's 2010 dates: August 27-28, 2010. "We have spent 10 years putting on great comic book-centric shows, and I am proud to start on a second great decade. The fans come to our shows to meet and greet with their favorite artists and writers, and we plan to continue that tradition well into the future," remarked Nathan. "While it may be early for some, we want our partners, guests, exhibitors, and fans to know our plans so that they join us in 2010."

In coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We are looking forward to highlighting our guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest developments can always be found at our website, Facebook, MySpace, and ComicSpace pages.

This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held October 10-11, 2009. Convention hours are Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. The ceremony and banquet for the Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, October 10th.

About The Baltimore Comic-Con

The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 10th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held Oct 10-11, 2009. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.

About The Harvey Awards

The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 4 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org

New Comics arriving on Thurs

Here's the list from Big Planet on this test post to try new software.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the Memorial Day holiday, new comics arrive on Thursday, this week.

New comics arriving this THURSDAY, MAY 28TH
 
DC COMICS
BATMAN IN BARCELONA: DRAGONS KNIGHT
BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #5
FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: INK #1
FRINGE #5
GOTHAM GAZETTE: BATMAN ALIVE
GREEN LANTERN #41
INCOGNEGRO SC
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #33
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #27
LAST DAYS OF ANIMAL MAN #1
LITERALS #2
MADAME XANADU #11
NORTHLANDERS #17
RESISTANCE #6
ROBIN: TEEN WONDER TP
SPIRIT #28
STATIC SHOCK: REBIRTH OF THE COOL TP
SUPERMAN #688
TEEN TITANS #71
TRINITY #52
UNKNOWN SOLDIER #8
WILDCATS #11
WONDER WOMAN #32
 
MARVEL COMICS
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #595
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #24
AVENGERS/INVADERS #11
DARK REIGN: ELEKTRA #3
DARK REIGN: HOOD #1
ENDERS SHADOW: BATTLE SCHOOL #5
ESSENTIAL X-MEN VOL. 9 TP
GHOST RIDER #35
GHOST RIDER: DANNY KETCH TP
GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #14
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #26
INCREDIBLE HERCULES #129
INCREDIBLE HERCULES: LOVE AND WAR TP
MARVEL ADVENTURES: FANTASTIC FOUR #48
MARVEL APES: GRUNT LINE SPECIAL
MOON KNIGHT #30
MS MARVEL #39
NEW AVENGERS #53
NOVA #25
RUNAWAYS 3 #10
SPIDER-MAN: SHORT HALLOWEEN
SQUADRON SUPREME 2 #11
STAND: AMERICAN NIGHTMARES #3
ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK #6
WAR MACHINE #6
WOLVERINE #72
WOLVERINE: FIRST CLASS #15
WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #36
X-FORCE #15
X-MEN: LEGACY #224
 
SIGNIFICANT OTHERS
ALIENS #1
ARCHIE #597
ASTOUNDING WOLFMAN #16
BACK TO BROOKLYN #5
BART SIMPSON, SON OF HOMER TP
BAYOU VOL. 1 TP
BERSERK VOL. 29 TP
COMICS JOURNAL #297
CONAN VOL. 7 TP
CROSSED #5
DARKNESS #77
DEATH-DEFYING DEVIL TP 
ETERNAL SMILE GN
FUTURAMA COMICS #43
GARTH ENNIS' BATTLEFIELDS: TANKIES #2
GARTH ENNIS' BATTLEFIELDS VOL. 2 TP
GLAMOURPUSS #7
GODLAND #28
IGNITION CITY #3
JOHN STANLEY LIBRARY: MELVIN MONSTER HC
LIKEWISE TP
MOUSE GUARD WINTER 1152 #6
MUPPET ROBIN HOOD #1
MY INNER BIMBO TP
OISHINBO VOL. 3 GN
PLUTO VOL. 3 GN
PREVIEWS #249
RAPTURE #1
SPECIAL FORCES TP
STAR WARS: CLONE WARS VOL. 3 TP
STAR WARS: LEGACY #36
STAR WARS: VECTOR VOL. 2 TP
SWORD #17
TALES FROM RIVERDALE DIGEST #33
USAGI YOJIMBO #120
WIZARD #213
 
PLANET PICKS
BACK TO BROOKLYN #5
BATMAN IN BARCELONA: DRAGONS KNIGHT
DARK REIGN: HOOD #1
GARTH ENNIS' BATTLEFIELDS: TANKIES #2
GOTHAM GAZETTE: BATMAN ALIVE
GREEN LANTERN #41
LITERALS #2
MADAME XANADU #11
MOUSE GUARD WINTER 1152 #6
MY INNER BIMBO TP
NEW AVENGERS #53
NORTHLANDERS #17
SPECIAL FORCES TP
SUPERMAN #688
SWORD #17
ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK #6
WOLVERINE #72

Our buddy, Heroescon's Dustin Harbin interviewed

Dustin's the guy who keeps dragging Richard Thompson back to HeroesCon so I have to drive him there. Check out this good interview with Dustin about the con - "Talking Comics with Tim: Dustin Harbin," by Tim O'Shea, May 25, 2009.

Monday, May 25, 2009

May 25: The Hulk at Crystal City

Crystal Screen - Superheroes

Join the Crystal City BID for 21 weeks of Superheros! On Monday nights from May 4, 2009-September 21, 2009, Crystal City will be protected by Batman, Spiderman, Superman, and many others. Each night will also have special giveaways, sponsors, and other activities.

Date(s):
May 4, 2009 - September 21, 2009

Location:
18th and Bell Street - Courtyard Across from Crystal City Metro Station & Marriott Hotel

Event Fee:
Free

Hours:
Movies begin at sundown

Description:
Join the Crystal City BID for 21 weeks of Superheros! On Monday nights from May 4, 2009-September 21, 2009, Crystal City will be protected by Batman, Spiderman, Superman, and many others. Each night will also have special giveaways, sponsors, and other activities. Check back here for more information.

CRYSTAL KID BONUS: Since it gets dark later in the summer and movies often start past bedtime, the BID has partnered with Crystal City Sports Pub to rebroadcast each movie at 3:30 PM on the 3rd Floor of CCSP on the Wednesday following the outdoor showing, starting May 6. Bring your kids and a blanket and enjoy the fabulous surround network of TVs.

Festival Rules: Patrons can bring their own picnics as long as they abide by city and festival rules. Low-backed chairs and blankets are allowed, but grills, umbrellas, and pets are prohibited.


Schedule

May 25, 2009 - The Hulk
May 27, 2009 - The Hulk - at CCSP
June 1, 2009 - Hulk 2: The Incredible Hulk
June 3, 2009 - Hulk 2: The Incredible Hulk - at CCSP
June 8, 2009 - Superman: The Superman Movie
June 10, 2009 - Superman: The Superman Movie - at CCSP
June 15, 2009 - Superman 2
June 17, 2009 - Superman 2 - at CCSP
June 22, 2009 - Superman 3: Superman vs. Superman
June 24, 2009 - Superman 3: Superman vs. Superman - at CCSP
June 29, 2009 - Superman 4: The Quest for Peace
June 31, 2009 - Superman 4: The Quest for Peace - at CCSP
July 6, 2009 - Superman 5: Superman Returns
July 8, 2009 - Superman 5: Superman Returns - at CCSP
July 13, 2009 - X-Men
July 15, 2009 - X-Men - at CCSP
July 20, 2009 - X2
July 22, 2009 - X2 - at CCSP
July 27, 2009 - X-Men: The Last Stand
July 29, 2009 - X-Men: The Last Stand - at CCSP
August 3, 2009 - Fantastic Four
August 5, 2009 - Fantastic Four - at CCSP
August 10, 2009 - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
August 12, 2009 - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - at CCSP
August 17, 2009 - Batman
August 19, 2009 - Batman - at CCSP
August 24, 2009 - Batman Returns
August 26, 2009 - Batman Returns - at CCSP
August 31, 2009 - Batman Forever
September 2, 2009 - Batman Forever - at CCSP
September 7, 2009 - Batman & Robin
September 9, 2009 - Batman & Robin - at CCSP
September 14, 2009 - Batman Begins
September 16, 2009 - Batman Begins - at CCSP
September 21, 2009 - Batman: The Dark Knight
September 23, 2009 - Batman: The Dark Knight - at CCSP

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Spider-Man newspaper strip retcons its retcon

Today's Spider-Man strip has Peter Parker waking up married to Mary Jane again. Ahh, sensible heads have prevailed. Regular readers may recall that the strip was retooled to wipe out Spider-Man's marriage following the same in the comic book.

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE THURSDAY (not Wednesday) 05-28-09

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE THURSDAY (not Wednesday) 05-28-09
By John Judy

(Note: Shipping delayed by Memorial Day.)

ALIENS #1 of 4 by John Arcudi and Zach Howard. They’re back, doing what they do. Where’s a Predator when you need one?

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #595 by Joe Kelly and Phil Jimenez. Spidey begins his crusade to take down Norman Osborn for good. Go get him, Tiger!

ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #16 by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard. Wolfie and Zechariah throw down once more, Nosferatu vs. Lycanthrope, no holds barred! OK!

AVENGERS INITIATIVE #24 by Christos Gage and Humberto Ramos. The kids are stuck in Wolverine’s old stomping ground fighting his old foes. Fortunately they’re among Wolvie’s lamest old foes and that’s saying something.

BATMAN IN BARCELONA: DRAGONS KNIGHT #1 by Mark Waid and Diego Olmos. Mr. Wayne puts on the cowl to solve a series of killings in B-town. Drawn by Barcelona native Olmos, but for some reason featuring a cover by Jim Lee. Go figure.

DARK REIGN: THE HOOD #1 of 5 by Jeff Parker and Kyle Hotz. It’s not easy being the demon-possessed crime-lord of New York City but the Hood makes it all work. Between his knocked up girlfriend, junkie cousin and momma in the nuthouse this one reads like a sitcom spec from Hell. Gotta look!

ETERNAL SMILE GN by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim. Three stand-alone stories ranging from classic fantasy to contemporary urban fiction from a pair of award-winning, eclectic creators. Well worth a look.

FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: INK #1 of 6 by Eric Wallace and Fabrizio Fiorentino. Recovering bad guy Tattooed Man has a problem. His tattoos are taking him over. A cautionary tale to the illustrated whippersnappers of today. Now get offa my lawn and stop stealing from me!

GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS: TANKIES #2 of 3 by Ennis and Carlos Ezquerra. Tank runs over Germans. Germans shoot at tank with all kinds of bad stuff. Ennis writes it so it is truly a Must-Have. Seriously, most of Ennis’ war comics should be movies. Recommended.

GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS, VOL. 2: DEAR BILLY SC by Ennis and Peter Snejbjerg. Half-romance, half-war comic, all human tragedy this three-issue collection is a true heart-breaker as only the best war stories are. Tough to read in places but well worth it. Not for kids. Recommended.

GHOST RIDER #35 by Jason Aaron and Tony Moore. Beat-up and knocked down ex-Ghost Rider Johnny Blaze just wants to die in a Japanese monastery, but then a load of evil bikers shows up….. It’s written by Jason Aaron so you gotta look! Recommended.

GREEN LANTERN #41 by Geoff Johns and Philip Tan. Agent Orange, the villain powered by avarice, wants what he wants when he wants it! Agent Orange will make America great again if we just cut his taxes! Recommended.

IGNITION CITY #3 of 5 by Warren Ellis and Gianluca Pagliarani. Mary Raven gets closer to her father’s murderers even as they get closer to her. The zap guns will be a-zappin’ fer sure!

IMMORTAL IRON FIST #26 by Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman. Danny and the gang have to kung-fu their way out of Hell. I hope their kung-fu is tough…

INCOGNEGRO SC by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece. The paperback of Johnson and Pleece’s powerful graphic novel about a light-skinned African-American reporter passing as white in the deep South at the height of the segregation era. Highly, highly recommended.

JOHN STANLEY LIBRARY: MELVIN MONSTER HC VOL. 1 written and drawn by John Stanley. Drawn and Quarterly is collecting the works of this under-appreciated silver-age creator who was best known for his work on LITTLE LULU. This first volume collects all ten issues of his stories about a misunderstood monster who just wants to be good. Great for the young at heart.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #33 by Dwayne McDuffie and Rags Morales. It’s Dharma vs. Starbreaker! With a little Justice League thrown in for good measure.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #27 written and drawn by Jerry Ordway. The young JSAers have to rescue the old JSAers so they can steal from them and play on their lawns! And not listen neither! Recommended dagnabbit!

LAST DAYS OF ANIMAL MAN #1 of 6 by Gerry Conway and Chris Batista. It’s the year 2024 and being the man with animal powers is not what it used to be. Especially if you’ve been aging in dog years…

MY INNER BIMBO SC by Sam Keith and Josh Hagler. The adventure of a guy whose trampy feminine side suddenly manifests (no pun intended) in the real world. Gotta look!

NEW AVENGERS #53 by Brian Michael Bendis and Billy Tan. Who will be the next Sorcerer Supreme? The likeable boy next door? The openly gay glam rocker? Or the frumpy middle-aged lady who’s never been kissed? And why is Simon so mean all the time?

NORTHLANDERS #17 by Brian Wood and Vasilis Lolos. Two Vikings fight to the death in slow motion. Lots of time to contemplate that axe headed for your skull. Excellent stuff! Recommended!

PREVIEWS by Marvel and Diamond Comics. Your back-to-school comics featured here!

SPECIAL FORCES VOL. 1 SC written and drawn by Kyle Baker. Collecting issues 1-4 of the comic inspired by the corrupt recruiting practices of the US Military that put kids with autism in the front lines of the Iraq War. Seriously. This happened. Highly recommended.

SPIDER-MAN: SHORT HALLOWEEN #1 by Bill Hader, Seth Meyers and Kevin Maguire. A one-shot comic romp by two SNL stars and Kevin-freakin-Maguire! Highly recommended.

THE STAND: AMERICAN NIGHTMARES #3 of 5 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins. Larry goes into the tunnel. Good times. Highly recommended.

SUPERMAN #688 by James Robinson and Renato Guedes. Mon-El’s having a hard time with the Superman stand-in gig, but then he loses his powers and, well, do the math…

ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK #6 of 6 by Damon Lindelof and Leinil Francis Yu. The battle royale concludes as we learn how many pieces Ultimate Wolverine can be chopped into and still appear nonchalant.

WOLVERINE #72 by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. “Old Man Logan” is back for the penultimate chapter of this dystopian future road movie.

WONDER WOMAN #32 by Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti. Diana dukes it out with her hideous future-self once more. It’s enough to give one a headache before the first punch is thrown.

X-MEN LEGACY #224 by Mike Carey and Scot Eaton. Marvel sez: “Rogue and Gambit fans DO NOT MISS THIS ISSUE!” Yeah, I’m looking at both of you!

www.johnjudy.net

Counter Culture Fest crucial additional information

I've just been told "Viva Vienna shuts down Church St. for their festival. To make their way around the festivities, the easiest way to get to Dominion from Route 123 is to turn on Lawyers Rd. and take a right on Ayr Hill Ave (about 1/4 mile down Lawyers). Stay on Ayr Hill until you come to the stop sign at Ayr Hill and Dominion. Turn left on Dominion and we are on the right--#316. The Soundry, LLC, 316 Dominion Rd.,NE, Vienna, VA 22180, http://www.soundry.net."

4 things I enjoyed reading yesterday

Dungeon The Early Years Vol. 1: The Night Shift by Blain, Sfar and Trondheim.
This is a shared universe by a bunch of French creators. Some time ago, Bart Beaty attempted to explain how it all worked in the Comics Journal, but since most of the comics hadn't been published in English yet that was tough reading. Suffice to say that a castle with a dungeon is built in this book, and in later books it becomes the center of magical adventures, although eventually one of the workers in it takes over the world as a dark ruler. These are all fun, mostly oddly-drawn (to American eyes) and well worth checking out.

Mustard #4.

There's an excellent interview with Alan Moore in this small UK magazine, and online you can get 2 paper doll cutouts of Moore. The mailing cost to the US was reasonable and the whole package cost about $6 through Paypal.

Illustration 26.
I get this regularly at Big Planet, but this issue had a Shadow pulp cover by Graves Gladney which made it a guaranteed sale. As a youngster, I was fascinated by pulp heroes who clearly were the forerunners of superheroes, and the Shadow was my favorite. In addition to the article about Gladney, who painted over 250 of the Shadow pulp covers, there are pieces on the American Academy of Art (which had cartooning classes) and Nan Pollard (a children's book illustrator who did licensed cartoon material such as Disney and Harvey Comics). The writing is slightly amateurish, but the other production values are first-rate.

Johnny Hiro by Fred Chao, Adhouse Books.
I've gotten to know Chris Pitzer, publisher of Adhouse, slightly over the years at SPX and have come to appreciate the quality of his books and now I just buy them automatically. Johnny Hiro is an amusing collection of short stories, set in Manhattan. Hiro is forced by circumstances to live up to his name, and Chao puts him in odd, manga-influenced difficulties. In the first story, a Godzilla-like monster attempts to take revenge on his Japanese-born girlfriend. In later stories, Hiro's work at a Japanese seafood restaurant puts cleaver-wielding chefs on his trail as he attempts to lose them on a drive through Manhattan. The art is good, Chao breaks the 4th wall when necessary, and I'm looking forward to more of his work.

May 24: fourth annual Counter Culture Fest

The D.C. Conspiracy is hosting its fourth annual Counter Culture Fest on Sunday, May 24, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Soundry in Vienna,Va. The event is FREE. For a list of exhibitors (comics, zines, T-shirts, original art, etc.), workshops, screenprinting, etc.) and entertainment (music, comedy, etc.), visit www.dcconspiracy.com.