Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Examiner comics page alters time
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Brant Parker used to live in Centreville
I remember being a kid 30 years ago and reading the Wizard of Id, B.C. and Crock in those paperback reprints. For a while there the Hart-Parker-Rechin team was unbeatable.
That darn Archie
Washington Post Saturday, August 22, 2009
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/21/AR2009082103417.html
Regarding the Aug. 19 Style article "Arch Rivals":
Lost in the "Archie" comic's Betty/Veronica debate are the voices of Archie's parents. Has his father's 401(k) been so depleted that the parents are more concerned with their own golden retirement funding than they are with their son's moral compass and his welfare?
Maybe we've overestimated Archie himself these many years. Perhaps, the man is so insecure that he needs a trophy wife for validation.
Archie's decision to propose to Veronica may be revealing of his true character, not out of character.
Materialism and egocentrism vs. altruism and selflessness . . . the battle continues.
DONNA MANZ
Vienna
--
It has been a long time since I read "Archie" comics but, based on what I know, it is hard for me to believe that Archie Andrews would marry Veronica Lodge. We can only hope that he comes to his senses, recants his proposal and marries his one true love -- Jughead.
ROBERT J. TETLOW
Vienna
Bert Hansen's book on mass media images reviewed in today's Times
This article -
When a Doctor Is More, and Less, Than a Healer
By ABIGAIL ZUGER, M.D.
August 25, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/health/25book.html
Reviews Bert’s new book -
PICTURING MEDICAL PROGRESS FROM PASTEUR TO POLIO
A History of Mass Media Images and Popular Attitudes in America. By Bert Hansen. Rutgers University Press. 348 pages. $37.95.
-which I thought was excellent. It has a lot of material on cartooning and comic books.
Carol Tyler at SPX
Monday, August 24, 2009
PR: SMITH magazine announces THE PEKAR PROJECT
Harvey's tackling a new media - should be fun. Also check out Josh Neufeld's A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge from Smith - I bought the hardcover collection last week.
THE PEKAR PROJECT
Harvey Pekar's First Ongoing Webcomics Series
www.smithmag.net/pekarproject
Harvey Pekar's been mining the mundane for magic for more than 30 years in his autobiographical American Splendor comics. Now he has teamed with SMITH and four remarkable artists to create his first ongoing webcomics series—and some of his jazziest work to date. The new stories will appear every other week, with interviews, creator spotlights, and behind-the-scenes goodies, as well as essays and art from Pekar collaborators and inhabitants of the extended Pekarverse.
The Pekar Project seeds were planted when Pekar discovered artist Tara Seibel, a fellow Clevelander. They began collaborating on stories for her blog, Rock City Comix. For The Pekar Project, Pekar has formed a band including editor Jeff Newelt and four artists: Seibel, Joseph Remnant, Rick Parker, and Sean Pryor. Just as Duke Ellington composed pieces with a particular featured soloist in mind, Pekar is tailoring each true-life tale to these artists' individual strengths.
Tara Seibel is the Thelonious Monk of the bunch—wholly different from the rest. Once you lock-in to her avant-garde, design-and-color driven way of doing comics, its like the first time Hendrix starts sounding less like chaos and more like Heaven.
Joseph Remnant was introduced to Pekar by underground comics legend Jay Lynch, and to SMITH by way of his superb work for Arthur Magazine. He's our resident classicist, a chip off the ole' Crumb.
Sean Pryor is a pyrotechnic young artist, who first collaborated with Pekar for Royal Flush magazine, on a boisterous strip that had Pekar reviewing heavy metal CDs.
Rick Parker is a veteran comics master craftsman, with a style at once elegant and mischievous. Parker, a long-time letterer for Marvel Comics, drew the Beavis and Butt-Head Comic Book, currently draws the intro pages for the new Tales From The Crypt comics, and is working on a graphic novel Tales From The Crypt: The Diary of A Stinky Dead Kid.
With The Pekar Project, SMITH has encouraged Harvey to go out there, to go in there, to be abstract, jazzy, esoteric, silly, erudite, and most off all, to have fun. Call it autobiography as poetry, or as art—or call it anything you like. We call ourselves honored to be working with a legend of personal storytelling.
SMITH is proud to present The Pekar Project.
— Jeff Newelt, Comics Editor
Just give Richard Thompson all of your money now
PR: Cartooning in Conflict, a New Project from the Parents Circle/Families Forum
Cartooning in Conflict
The PCFF, together with Israel's most famous cartoonist 'Kichka' as curator, have created an exhibition of cartoons with a reflection on conflict, its consequences and in many of the works hope and reconciliation. This exhibit, will act as a catalyst for the Parents Circle - Families Forum to bring its message of empathy rather than revenge, of dialog rather than violence to an audience who might otherwise never have been exposed to an alternative to the hatred and impasse in the Middle East. Some of the world's most famous cartoonists, many of whom have won the "Pulitzer" and other prestigious awards have contributed their works to this exhibition which will include round 60 - 100 cartoons.
We created a calendar from the cartoons that displays the Moslem, Jewish, Druze and Christian holidays. We will also create a catalog. All the funds from the sale of the above will go towards the education project in Israeli and Palestinian schools. The Exhibition will open in September 12, 20:00 PM, at the Cartoon Museum in Holon Israel, and we hope Bethlehem or Ramalla and then travel to many European Capitals. We would like to bring it to New York in 2010. It will then go to Washington where we are exploring venues. We would also like to send it to the West Coast as well as Miami. The Exhibition will always be accompanied by a Palestinian and an Israeli member of our group so that lectures on reconciliation will be part of all venues. Being exposed to the cartoons and also to a Palestinian and Israeli who have paid the highest price and yet are willing to speak in one voice for reconciliation, can only benefit any audience.
Famous names like Oliphant, Danziger, Donnelly and Morin from the States, No Rio, Japan, Plantu France, El-Roto Spain, Wilcox Australia are just a small example of the quality of work.
The calendar is a perfect gift for the holiday season!
For more information see
http://www.theparentscircle.com/products.asp
Buy the calendar online!
PR: 'Xoc' #1 nominated for Ignatz
From: Matt Dembicki <threecrowspress@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Aug 24, 2009 at 4:12 PM
Just wanted to drop a quick note that Xoc #1 has been nominated for the 2009 Ignatz Award in the Outstanding Mini-Comic category!
If you haven't the read the book, please do before the Small Press Expo Sept. 26-27 in Bethesda, Md., so you can make an informed decision on the Ignatz ballot! If you're noting going to SPX, just read it for the heck of it!
Thanks for your time and support!
Matt
http://threecrowspress.blogspot.com
Small Press Expo Announces the Ignatz Award Nominees for SPX 2009
Small Press Expo Announces the Ignatz Award Nominees for SPX 2009 For Immediate Release Contact: Warren Bernard Phone: 301-537-4615 E-Mail: warren@spxpo.com Bethesda, Maryland; August 24, 2009 - The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels and alternative political cartoons, is pleased to announce nominees for the thirteenth annual presentation of the Ignatz Awards, a celebration of outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning. The Ignatz, named after George Herriman's brick-wielding mouse, recognizes exceptional work that challenges popular notions of what comics can achieve, both as an art form and as a means of personal expression. The Ignatz Awards are a festival prize, the first of such in the United States comic book industry. The nominees for the ballot were determined by a panel of five of the best of today's comic artists, Lilli Carre, Vanessa Davis, Robert Kirby, Scott Mills and Laura Park with the votes cast for the awards by the attendees during SPX. The Ignatz Awards will be presented at the gala Ignatz Awards ceremony held on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 9:00 PM. SPX will be held Saturday, September 26 from 11AM to 7PM and Sunday, September 27, noon-6PM at The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Admission is $8 for a single day and $15 for both days. For further information on the Ignatz Awards, the nominees or to request an interview, please contact Warren Bernard at warren@spxpo.com. For more information on the Small Press Expo and the Ignatz Awards, please visit http://www.spxpo.com. Outstanding Artist Tim Hensley, Mome (Fantagraphics), Kramer's Ergot #7 (Buenaventura) Nate Powell, Swallow Me Whole (Top Shelf) Richard Sala, Delphine (Fantagraphics/Coconino) Josh Simmons, Mome (Fantagraphics) Carol Tyler, You'll Never Know, Book One: A Good and Decent Man (Fantagraphics) Outstanding Anthology or Collection Abandoned Cars, Tim Lane (Fantagraphics) Against Pain, Ron Rege Jr.. (Drawn & Quarterly) Drawn & Quarterly Showcase Book 5, T. Edward Bak, Anneli Furmark, Amanda Vähämäki (Drawn & Quarterly) Fuzz and Pluck: Splitsville by Ted Stearn (Fantagraphics) Kramer's Ergot 7, ed. Sammy Harkham (Buenaventura) Outstanding Graphic Novel Acme Novelty Library #19, Chris Ware (Drawn & Quarterly) Disappearance Diary, Hideo Azuma (Fanfare/Potent Mon) Drop-In, Dave Lapp (Conundrum) Nicolas, Pascal Girard (Drawn & Quarterly) You'll Never Know, Book One: A Good and Decent Man, Carol Tyler (Fantagraphics) Outstanding Story "The Carnival," Mome #14, Lilli Carre (Fantagraphics) Disappearance Diary, Hideo Azuma (Fanfare/Potent Mon) "Seeing Eye Dogs of Mars," Acme Novelty Library #19, Chris Ware (Drawn & Quarterly) "Untitled," Drawn & Quarterly Showcase Book 5, Amanda Vähämäki (Drawn & Quarterly) "Willy," Papercutter #10, Damien Jay (Tugboat) Promising New Talent T. Edward Bak, Drawn & Quarterly Showcase Book 5 (Drawn & Quarterly) Colleen Frakes, Woman King (self-published) Hellen Jo, Jin & Jam #1 (Sparkplug), "Diamond Heights," Papercutter #9 (Tugboat) Ed Luce, Wuvable Oaf (self-published) Amanda Vähämäki, Drawn & Quarterly Showcase Book 5 (Drawn & Quarterly) Outstanding Series Danny Dutch, David King (Sparkplug) Delphine, Richard Sala (Fantagraphics/Coconino) Interiorae, Gabriella Giandelli (Fantagraphics/Coconino) Reich, Elijah Brubaker (Sparkplug) Uptight, Jordan Crane (Fantagraphics) Outstanding Comic Danny Dutch #1, David King (Sparkplug) Dead Ringer, Jason T. Miles (La Mano) Interiorae #3, Gabriella Giandelli (Fantagraphics/Coconino) Reich #6, Elijah Brubaker (Sparkplug) Uptight #3, Jordan Crane (Fantagraphics) Outstanding Mini-Comic Claptrap #2, Onsmith Just So You Know #1, Joey Alison Sayers Stay Away From Other People, Lisa Hanawalt Stewbrew, Kelly Froh & Max Clotfelter Xoc, Matt Dembicki Outstanding Online Comic Bodyworld, Dash Shaw (www.dashshaw.com) Danny Dutch, David King (www.flickr.com/photos/kingkomics/sets/72157603500714748) Thingpart, Joey Alison Sayers (www.jsayers.com/thingpart/thingpart.html) Vanessa Davis's comics for Tablet (www.tabletmag.com/author/vdavis/) Year of the Rat, Cayetano Garza (www.magicinkwell.com) |
Quick Reviews for Comics Due 08-26-09
PR: Fantom's New Subscription Policy
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Aug 24: Batman Returns in Crystal City
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
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, August 23, 2009
Death Note 2: The Last Name at JICC
DC Anime Club in collaboration with Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan Present screen Death Note 2: The Last Name on August 28, 2009 6:30 pm as part of inaugural showing for a new film series based on both Anime (Japanese Animation) and Manga ( Japanese Comics).
Yagami Light, a young man who resents the crime and corruption in the world. His life undergoes a drastic change when he discovers a mysterious notebook, known as the "Death Note", lying on the ground. The Death Note's instructions claim that if a person's name is written within it while picturing that person's face, that person shall die. Light is initially skeptical of the notebook's authenticity, but after experimenting with it, he realizes that the Death Note is real. After meeting with the previous owner of the Death Note, a shinigami named Ryuk, Light seeks to become "the God of the New World" by passing his judgement on those he deems to be evil or who get in his way.
Soon, the number of inexplicable deaths of reported criminals catches the attention of the National Police Agency and a mysterious detective known only as "L". L quickly learns that the serial killer, dubbed by the public as "Kira" (ã‚ラ ?, derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the word "killer"), is located in Japan. L also concludes that Kira can kill people without laying a finger on them. Light realizes that L will be his greatest nemesis, and a game of psychological cat and mouse between the two begins.
This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are required.
RSVP to jiccrsvpsummer09@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.
Post on Movies vs Comic Books
Post calls kettle black
SPX brings Gahan Wilson
Saturday, August 22, 2009
ACT-I-VATE Primer Coming in October from IDW
Have you heard about the ACT-I-VATE Primer? It's a hardcover collection of stories from the A-I-V creators (including Dean Haspiel, Nick Bertozzi, Roger Langridge, Molly Crabapple, Simon Fraser, Tim Hamilton, etc. etc.) coming in October from IDW. Hyeondo Park and I have a new SAM & LILAH story in there, and all of the stories in the book are exclusive (that is, they don't appear on the http://www.activatecomix.com website). It will make its official debut at the Baltimore Comicon, and will be in stores either immediately before the show or immediately thereafter (depending on Diamond's shipping schedule). Oh, and it's got an introduction by Warren Ellis.
The Diamond code is AUG090968.
You can see a preview of the book, which includes the covers and one page from each story, here:
http://www.act-i-vate.com/88-1-1.comic
This is the official IDW announcement:
http://www.idwpublishing.com/news/article/767/
And here are various articles/interviews with Dean (who edited the book) and various other contributors:
Dean Haspiel on the ACT-I-VATE Primer at CBR:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22511
LA Times: Dean Haspiel and Billy Dogma's broken heart
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/08/deal-haspiel-.html
CBR: ACT-I-VATE Artists on IDW's "Primer"
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22559
Blake Gopnik reviews student animation
Friday, August 21, 2009
Advice columnists words to Betty in today's Post
Dickinson, Amy. 2009.
Archie Broke My Heart! Now What?
National Public Radio's All Things Considered (August 19).
online at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112029322&ps=cprs and http://public.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2009/08/20090819_atc_08.mp3