SPX the first day

Spx crowd scene including Jeff Alexander

Some quick notes that are essentally stream of conciousness. Richard was under the weather and didn't come. My photos are here.
Carol Tyler

The show appears to be a success with good, but not overwhelming crowds. I bought a lot from Fanfare and Fantagraphics. Gahan Wilson and Carol Tyler both had shorter lines that I expected. The big draw at the show, based solely on line length, appears to be Kate Beaton.

Gary Groth

Gahan Wilson is a born storyteller and his off the cuff talk (now online!) was very fun to hear, if not overly insightful. Look for the 3-volume set of Playboy cartoons coming from Fantagraphics, which has an interview and a biography by Gary Groth. Pre-orders at the show get a signed print and free shipping.

Gahan Wilson and Gary Groth

Frank Camusso has a new Knights of the Lunch Table, his retelling of King Arthur. My daughter said Oh boy! when I brought it home tonight. Emily Flake, whose work appears in the Baltimore City Paper has a new collection as does Rob Ullman whose work used to appear in the Washington CP. I bought both.

Emily Flake and Warren Bernard

Some of the usual suspects are missing this year including Batton Lash and Jackie Estrada. Cartoonists with Attitude is not there, except Ted Rall and Stephanie McMillan are holding down an NBM table. Ted's got a new graphic biography and Stephanie a new comic.

R. Sikoryak

James Kochalka is hanging out at the Top Shelf table as is Matt Kindt and Andy Runton. R Sikoryak is at Drawn and Quarterly and will draw Little Nemo in your book.

David Malki

Dustin Harbin has a new book out and is holding my IOU for $47. He'll draw Alan Moore in a sketchbook if you ask him to.

Dustin Harbin

Peter Kuper's got a new book out on his experiences living in Mexico. His publisher is in the far left corner as you face into the room.

Peter Kuper

Chris Mautner's pre-plan for SPX

Richard Thompson and I should be cruising around today, starting when it opens. Tomorrow I'll be on my own. I'm going to try to go to the sessions on Sikoryak, Kuper, Wilson, Tyler, and Neufeld

Meanwhile, see Chris Mautner's pre-plan for SPX.

Oct 20: Cartoonist Ding Cong Symposium at LOC

Library of Congress
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington DC   20540

September 25, 2009

Public contact:  Robert Saladini (202) 707-2692, rsal@loc.gov

Library of Congress Symposium Celebrates
Chinese Cartoonist and Artist Ding Cong, Oct. 20

A Library of Congress symposium, "Public Art and Illustrations: The Cartoons and Art of Ding Cong," will celebrate the life and work of China's famous cartoonist and artist, Ding Cong, who provided daring social commentary on Chinese society during China's turbulent 20th century.

The symposium, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Oct. 20, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C.  The event is sponsored by the Library's John W. Kluge Center, and reservations or tickets are not needed.

Ding Cong (1916-2009), who worked under the pen name Xiao Ding, was born in Shanghai into a family of artists.  He was a frequent admirer of the magazines The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, which were available in treaty-port Shanghai.  From these and other Western influences, Ding Cong developed his art.

Ding Cong used his cartoons and illustrations to reveal the true state of Chinese society, which faced corruption and turmoil during most of the 20th century.  His popularity stemmed from an intellectual and artistic integrity that made the inept of both the right and left fair game for his art.  But the cartoonist paid dearly for his efforts, as he was exiled twice to the countryside and borderlands, effectively losing more than 20 years of his artistic life.

The symposium features lectures by preeminent scholars of Chinese cartoons as well as family and friends of the artist.

9:00-9:05 Welcome by Carolyn Brown, director of the John W. Kluge Center, Library of Congress

9:05-9:25 "Ding Cong:  The Artist and Art Form" by Marcia Ristaino, visiting scholar, John W. Kluge Center

9:25-9:45 "Ding Cong's Art During the Years of Hardship" by Shelley Drake Hawks, lecturer, Boston University

9:45-10:10 "Ding Cong: His Artistic Circle and Contributions" by John A. Lent, publisher and editor-in-chief, International Journal of Comic Art

10:10-10:30 Break

10:30-10:55 "One Who Saw China As It Really Was: Ding Cong in the Forties" by Michael Sullivan, fellow emeritus of St. Catherine's College, Oxford

10:55-11:20 "The Relationship Between Chinese Visual Art and Society" (tentative) by Carma Hinton, documentary filmmaker and Robinson Professor of Visual Culture and Chinese Studies, George Mason University

11:20-11:40 "Herblock's Caricature of Mao Zedong: A Window onto Resources for Cartoon-Related Research in the Library's Prints and Photographs Division" by Martha Kennedy, curator, Library of Congress

11:40-12:00 Questions and Discussion

At 1:45 p.m., an exhibition of 30 reproductions of Ding Cong's work may be viewed at the Mason Atrium Art Gallery, School of Visual and Performing Arts, George Mason University, Fairfax, Va., along with additional commentary from speakers, his widow and friends.  For more information, visit http://today.gmu.edu/48188/.

Through a generous endowment from John W. Kluge, the Library of Congress established the Kluge Center in 2000 to bring together the world's best thinkers to stimulate and energize one another to distill wisdom from the Library's rich resources and to interact with policymakers in Washington.  For further information on the Kluge Center, visit www.loc.gov/kluge/.

# # #

PR09-188
9/25/09
ISSN: 0731-3527

 

Speaking of SPX, in a way

This isn't directly about comics, but many of the lessons here are used by cartoonists, or should be -

On Web, A Most Novel Approach
With Promotion Money Tight, Authors Take to Online Sites To Toot Their Own Horns
By Neely Tucker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 24, 2009

PR: John Kovaleski at Small Press Expo

I bought everything John had last year ...

Hi there-

Just a quick little note to tell you that I'll be at the Small Press Expo this weekend (September 26 and 27) in Bethesda, MD. I'll be signing "Bo Nanas," "Jack N. Box" and "Great Scott" books for your personal reading enjoyment at table C9. Hope to see you there.

For more info  http://www.spxpo.com/

Best,
John Kovaleski


You can see more of my work here:
http://www.kovaleski.com/

As always you can find out too much about me on my blog:
http://kovaleski.wordpress.com/

Or follow me on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/johnkovaleski


BIO: Before becoming a cartoonist, John Kovaleski had "done time" at an ad agency, a consulting firm, a newspaper and a big, faceless corporation.

His humorous scribblings have adorned magazines, newspapers, greeting cards, puzzles, billboards, and that new-fangled Internet that all the kids are talking about.

In 2003 his comic strip "Bo Nanas" was unleashed on an unsuspecting world by the fine folks at The Washington Post Writers Group.

In 2006 he became "one of the usual gang of idiots." In other words, a contributor to MAD Magazine.

In his spare time he practices the ukulele and does the occasional escape-artist trick

Rob Clough's SPX recommendations

Rob Clough's SPX recommendations can be seen here.

USA Today cartoonist Joel Pett featured in campus newstory

See "What in the world is so funny? Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Joel Pett talks politics at Whitman," By Eric Nickeson-Mendheim, Whitman Pioneer September 22, 2009.

National Book Festival, the OTHER Saturday event

Cartoonist Jeff Kinney will be among the authors at the Library of Congress' National Book Festival on the Mall on Sept 26th. Also appearing are Jodi Picoult who briefly wrote Wonder Woman, and Junot Diaz who's influenced by comics.

SPX programming times online now

Click here for the SPX programming times.

Daily Cross Hatch previews SPX

The excellent site Daily Cross Hatch previews SPX - they're much hipper than I am so pay attention to what they say. Also they run excellent interviews, usually by Brian Heater so check the site regularly.

KAL speaks to Maryland students

See Web site hopes to spark high school students' interest in current events
by Amber Parcher
The Gazette September 23 2009

Weldon on Wednesday Comics

Weldon, Glen.  2009.

Comic Books Take A Bold Leap Backward And Nail The Dismount.

National Public Radio's Monkey See blog (September 23)

Small Press Expo This Weekend with Gahan Wilson, Carol Tyler, Kate Beaton, Jerry Moriarity and Josh Neufeld

Small Press Expo This Weekend with Gahan Wilson, Carol Tyler, Kate Beaton, Jerry Moriarity and Josh Neufeld

 

For Immediate Release                             

Contact: Warren Bernard                                                                       

E-Mail: warren@spxpo.com

Bethesda, Maryland; September 24, 2009 - The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels and alternative political cartoons, will be held this weekend, Saturday Sept 25 from 11AM-7PM and Sunday, September 26 from noon-6PM. The guest list this year includes Gahan Wilson, Paul Karasik, Carol Tyler, Josh Neufeld, John Porcellino,  Peter Kuper, Kevin Huizenga, Kate Beaton, Al Columbia, Jerry Moriarity, R. Sikoryak and Joshua Cotter .

There will be 11 panel discussions on a wide variety of comics topics as well as one on one sessions with Gahan Wilson, Jerry Moriarity, R. Sikoryak, John  Porcellino and Carol Tyler, amongst others. 

SPX culminates with the presentation of the Ignatz Awards for outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning which will occur Saturday night, September 26 at 9PM. Attendees at SPX get in free to the Ignatz Awards. The Ignatz is the first Festival Prize in the US comic book industry, with winners chosen by balloting by attendees during SPX. 

For detailed information about guests, panels and the Ignatz Awards, visit the SPX web site at www.spxpo.com.

SPX brings together more than 300 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers and distributors each year. Graphic novels, political cartoon books and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. 

As in previous years, profits from the SPX will go to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), protecting the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals.  For more information on the CBLDF, go to their website at http://www.cbldf.org/.             

SPX will be held The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in Bethesda, Maryland, next to the White Flint Metro stop. Admission is $10 for a single day and $15 for both days.

Post on local comic book store economy

One Comics Shop to Close; Others Stay in the Action

By Mike Musgrove
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 23, 2009

DC Comic Books Examiner: Atomic Books throws SPX-plosion 2

Atomic Books throws SPX-plosion 2 Tuesday, September 22, 2009 Ushering in the Sept. 26 and 27 Small Press Expo, Baltimore's Atomic Books hosts a second annual books release party. The event is punctuated by a core of cartoonists scheduled to make an appearance. The party boasts expectant and brief presentations... Read more » DC Comic Books Examiner, Mark Ruffin Mark Ruffin, a reader of comics for over twenty years, is a freelance writer who tirelessly generates awareness for the Non-Fraternity Conversation and Write-up on Comic Books. Contact Mark here.

Sept 23: Peter Kuper at GMU

Tip courtesy of Ignatz-nominee Matt Dembicki -

2009 Fall for the Book festival in Fairfax

Graphic Novelist Peter Kuper
Wed, September 23, 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Center for the Arts, Grand Tier III, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030

Graphic novelist Kuper explores the history of comics as political art — from Thomas Nast to Diego Rivera to the artists of World War 3 Illustrated — and offers a visual tour of the art he produced while living in Oaxaca, Mexico, when striking teachers and federal troops clashed.

Xoc #2 at SPX

 Matt Dembicki says 

I'll be premiering the second issue of Xoc, which is up for an Ignatz Award in the mini-comic category, at SPX this weekend. This issue is chockfull of underwater goodness!

-Sweet cover, isn't it? (I hope that shows up on this email posting method)

Riffs interviews Fall Out Boy

The Riffs Interview: Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz Dives Headlong Into Being a Comic-Book Creator
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs September 22, 2009
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2009/09/the_riffs_interview_fall_out_b.html#more

Sept 23: Graphic novel book group at Politics and Prose

GRAPHIC NOVEL (4th Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.)
Wednesday, September 23

Exit Wounds
by Mutu Rodan
2008/12 - TP
Drawn & Quarterly
9781897299838


Publisher Comments

Set in modern-day Tel Aviv, a young man, Koby Franco, receives an urgent phone call from a female soldier. Learning that his estranged father may have been a victim of a suicide bombing in Hadera, Koby reluctantly joins the soldier in searching for clues. His death would certainly explain his empty apartment and disconnected phone line. As Koby tries to unravel the mystery of his father's death, he finds himself piecing together not only the last few months of his father's life but his entire identity. With thin, precise lines and luscious watercolors, Rutu Modan creates a portrait of modern Israel, a place where sudden death mingles with the slow dissolution of family ties.

"Exit Wounds "is the North American graphic-novel debut from one of Israel's best-known cartoonists. Modan has received several awards in Israel and abroad, including the Best Illustrated Children's Book Award from the Israel Museum in Jerusalem four times and Young Artist of the Year by the Israel Ministry of Culture. She is a chosen artist of the Israel Cultural Excellence Foundation.

Sept 22 Comic-Book Fan Adam Besenyodi at GMU

Tip courtesy of Ignatz-nominee Matt Dembicki -

2009 Fall for the Book festivalin Fairfax

Comic-Book Fan Adam Besenyodi
When: Tue, September 22, 3pm – 4pm
Where: Grand Tier III, Center for the Arts, George Mason University, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax, Virginia 22030

Besenyodi discusses his new book, Deus ex Comica: The Rebirth of a Comic-Book Fan, praised by Wired as a “a great study in emotional psychology and the things in life that really get our brains ticking and our hearts pumping.”

Graphic Novelist Peter Kuper
Wed, September 23, 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Center for the Arts, Grand Tier III, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030

Graphic novelist Kuper explores the history of comics as political art — from Thomas Nast to Diego Rivera to the artists of World War 3 Illustrated — and offers a visual tour of the art he produced while living in Oaxaca, Mexico, when striking teachers and federal troops clashed.