Lise Myhre video interview

Lise Myhre, the Norwegian cartoonist behind Nemi, is in a video interview here.

Why is ComicsDC linking to this? Well, she's a friend of Greg Bennett of Big Planet who helps her on the translations into English. And Titan's sent me a review copy of the current collection which I still need to post on here.

Singer on McCloud's Making Comics

Marc Singer reprints his review of Scott McCloud's Making Comics that originally ran in the International Journal of Comic Art.

Jan 20, OT: Gaiman chat at New Yorker

Ask the Author Live: Dana Goodyear with Neil Gaiman
Posted by The New Yorker

This week in the magazine, Dana Goodyear writes about Neil Gaiman. On Wednesday, January 20th, at 3 P.M. E.T., Gaiman will be joining Goodyear for a live chat with readers. Submit advance questions for Gaiman and Goodyear, sign up for an e-mail reminder below, and come back Wednesday to join the discussion.

There's a long article about Gaiman in the magazine and online too. For some obligatory DC content, Gaiman's read at Politics & Prose and the National Book Festival.

My first Washington City Paper blog post

My first Washington City Paper blog post is online now. Nothing special, just introducing myself. I'm going to try to get the first content post written tonight though, and over to my editor. Heh. I like having an editor.

9 Chickweed Lane continues to push the envelope

Last year, I blogged about 9 Chickweed Lane's virginity losing strips. Apparently that storyline was a success for creator Brooke McEldowney because he's now got Grandma reminiscing about her first boyfriends (two and a time! warring countries!) and 'feeling a salute,' if you know what he means...

Chickweed makes reading the comics feel like watching modern tv, not Ozzie and Harriet!

More ComicsDC than ever before!

I've been asked by the Washington City Paper to freelance for them so I'll be writing longer pieces on comic art, most often for their blog I'd guess. I've submitted an introduction tonight and hope to have a piece about Wednesday and comic books up later this week. I will of course link from here to anything I write for them.

Richard Thompson on his watercolor technique

Tom Spurgeon picked this up first, but my excuse is that I was driving from NJ and I'm sticking with it. Here's Richard on his watercolor technique.

Herblock Christmas cards auctioned for Haiti

Rob Stoltzer's offering two Herblock Christmas cards from 1930-1931 on ebay for Doctors without Border's efforts in Haiti.

Flugennock on Obama

I haven't checked on Mike Flugennock's site for a while, but here's an Obama caricature that Google tossed up to me.

Zadzooks reviews animation and comics

Zadzooks: Robot Chicken: Season 4, Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Dark Side and Witchblade: The Complete Series, Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times January 14, 2010

Comics on the Rack, 01-20-10

 

COMICS ON THE RACK

(Quick Picks for Comics Due 01-20-10)

by John Judy

 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #618 by Dan Slott and Marcos Martin.  "Mysterio: Un-dead and loving it!"

 

AVENGERS VS AGENTS OF ATLAS #1 by Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman.  A bit of space-time screwiness results in the Atlas gang duking it out with Captain America and the original Avengers!  Retro-lovers must look!

 

BLACKEST NIGHT: THE FLASH #2 of 3 by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins.  Dead rogues versus live ones, Black Lantern-style!  Also the Flash(es)!

 

BRAVE AND BOLD #31 by J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz.  The Atom versus the Joker!  Yeah, you read it right…

 

CAPTAIN AMERICA #602 by Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross.  The drug-addled, paranoid, racist Captain America from the 1950s is back!  But what's he been up to since resigning as Rush Limbaugh's life-coach?  Recommended.

 

DARK AVENGERS #13 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato.  The secrets of the Sentry are finally revealed!  No not those secrets!  The other ones!  No, those were last issue's secrets!  These are the real secrets, the double super-secret secrets!  You ain't never heard secrets like these, pal, believe you me!  This is actually a very fun comic which you should read.  Honest.

 

GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS: HAPPY VALLEY #2 of 9 by Garth and Carlos Ezquerra.  The crew prepares for their final bombing run against the German industrial heartland, but the krauts are preparing too.  Recommended.

 

HULK #19 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness.  Red Hulk smash Thing!

 

INCORRUPTIBLE #2 by Mark Waid and Neil Edwards.  Ex-bad guy Max Damage is on the road to redemption, but can even he bring down the rogue Plutonian?  Recommended.

 

INCREDIBLE HULK #606 by Greg Pak and Paul Pelletier.  It's smashings a–plenty as "Fall of the Hulks" continues.

 

JOE THE BARBARIAN #1 of 8 by Grant Morrison and Sean Murphy.  A mature readers series about a young Type-1 diabetic who may or may not be a fantasy adventure hero in a land full of toys.  It's Morrison so a look is required.

 

JOHN STANLEY LIBRARY: THIRTEEN GOING ON EIGHTEEN HC written and drawn by John Stanley.  Collecting the sixties comics series about two teens, Val and Judy, and all their cruel intentioned hijinks.  From Drawn & Quarterly and Seth.

 

MIGHTY AVENGERS #33 by Dan Slott and Khoi Pham.  The Mighty Avengers meet the Dark Avengers and things get mighty dark.  I mean, obviously…

 

PHANTOM STRANGER #42 by Peter J. Tomasi and Ardian Syaf.  Three words: Black.  Lantern. Spectre.  Reserve your copy now!

 

RASL #6 written and drawn by Jeff Smith.  Rasl gets serious about taking the lizard-faced killer out of the picture, but first he needs to swipe few more goodies.  Weird science!  Highly recommended!

 

SOLOMON KANE: DEATH'S BLACK RIDERS #1 of 4 by Scott Allie and Mario Guevara.  When Robert E. Howard's puritan Terminator goes questing through Germany's Black Forest you are permitted to feel pity for any bandit or demon who gets in his way.

 

SPIDER-WOMAN #5 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev.  Spider-Woman! Skrulls!  And… wait, is it 2008 again?

 

STARMAN #81 by James Robinson, Fernando Dagnino and Bill Sienkiewicz.  The Shade versus a Black Lantern Starman.  Good times!

 

SUPERBOY: THE GREATEST TEAM-UPS EVER TOLD SC by Many Legendary Creators.  Collected here: Key issues of ADVENTURE, SUPERBOY and NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY featuring the boy of steel and his amazing friends!

 

T-MINUS: RACE TO THE MOON GN by Jim Ottaviani, Zander Cannon and Kevin Cannon.  Bringing the space race between America and the USSR into glorious graphic novel form!  Recommended!

 

THUNDERBOLTS #140 by Jeff Parker and Miguel Angel Sepulveda.  When they're not fighting the original Avengers and/or each other the Atlas kids like to wail on the criminals masquerading as heroes a bit.  Let's look, shall we?

 

UNCANNY X-MEN #520 by Matt Fraction and Greg Land.  There appear to be three separate storylines in this comic so odds are you'll like at least one of them.

 

WOLVERINE: WEAPON X #9 by Jason Aaron and Yanick Paquette.  Wolvie's pals show up to bust him out of the nuthouse!  Let's hope they brought a lot of Bactine!  Recommended.

 

www.johnjudy.net

Another Pekar interview to print and stuff into 'Conversations'

My Harvey Pekar: Conversations is getting more dated:

Harvey Pekar On "The Pekar Project"
by Alex Dueben
Thu, January 14th, 2010

Cartooning trick in Nate Beeler's Haiti cartoon

Nate's cartoon today, Helping Hand in Haiti, represents an interesting thing one can do with comic art. Nate made one large drawing, but then put the idea of time into the drawing by adding in the rectangle on the one side. our familiarity with the mechanics of comics means this functions as a brake on the reader's eye, so that the illusion of the passage of time is created even in one continuous drawing.

Jan 17: Kal and Danziger in Georgetown

On Jan 17, editorial cartoonists Kal and Jeff Danziger will be in Georgetown at Hudson on 2030 M St at 7 pm for "Obama's Portfolio". This sounds great - unfortunately I can't make it.

From the press release:

With a touch of art, style and humor Art Soiree celebrates one year of Obama’s presidency by presenting a one of a kind exhibition.

Join us Sunday, January 17th at 7pm for the most unique and controversial event in the country.

Obama’s Portfolio: Humorous highlights of the first year in office.

For ages graphic satire has been a significant journalistic medium and a catalyst for political debate. This exclusive ONE NIGHT ONLY exhibition will feature the most renowned editorial and political cartoonists from world’s top newspapers and magazines. Their works have been published in the Economist, NYTimes, Huffington Post and many other well known publications. Come and judge for yourself whether their graphic satire represents your, the citizen’s, perspective of the political life. The exhibition will provide a full analysis on Obama’s administration through political cartoons published in 2009.

All of this and more will take place this Sunday at Hudson Restaurant and Lounge – a great spot for socializing with friends over distinctively creative cocktails and great food in a warm and elegant atmosphere.

As always, Art Soiree promises to draw area’s most celebrated figures in both social and political arenas, may be even the president himself!!!

Disney plays workshop at Glen Echo's Adventure Theatre this summer

Here's the PR:

 

Adventure Theatre Announces the Summer Musical Theatre Workshop Productions

Adventure Theatre, the longest-running children's theatre in the Washington, D.C., area is kicking-off its 31st Annual Summer Musical Theatre Workshop for children ages 6-15 with an exciting line-up of children's productions including Disney's Aladdin Jr., Disney's 101 Dalmatians Kids, The Magical Land of Oz and Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum*, each facilitated by professionally trained Directors, Choreographers, and Musical Directors.

The Summer Musical Theatre Workshop is a daytime workshop in which children audition for one of four age-appropriate productions, and will then participate in two full weeks of show rehearsals, music and dancing which culminate in a full-scale production of each show on the Adventure Theatre stage. Students will also attend Adventure Theatre's main stage performance If You Give a Pig a Pancake, ride Glen Echo Park's carousel, participate in a talent show, receive a commemorative t-shirt and enjoy a cast party. Adventure Theatre's Summer Musical Theatre Workshop has proven to be one of the most rewarding, challenging and confidence-boosting summer experiences for kids.

"We are increasing the value of the workshops by staffing them with instructors and counselors who can accommodate children with musical-theater aspirations, while keeping the same atmosphere of relaxed fun for those who don't," says Kathryn Hnatio, Education Director and acting Summer Musical Theatre Workshop Artistic Director.

Michael Bobbitt, Adventure Theatre's Producing Artistic Director and Summer Musical Theatre Workshop Choreographer continues, "Adventure Theatre's Summer Musical Theatre session is a highly interactive and educational workshop that focuses on fun, teamwork, self-esteem, a sense of ownership, presentation skills and bringing out the best performance from each of its students."

Summer Musical Theatre Workshop parents agree: "Our daughters had a wonderful experience and continue to sing the songs all day," says one 2009 parent.

Adventure Theatre's Summer Musical Theatre Workshops run Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm, June 14th to August 27th. Before and aftercare options are available.

Session 1 (mini session)- June 14 – 18

Session 2 – June 21 - July 2

Session 3 – July 5- July 16

Session 4 – July 19 - July 30

Session 5 – August 2 - August 13

Session 6 - August 16 - August 27

For more information or to inquire about tuition prices, please contact Adventure Theatre's Summer Musical Theatre Workshop Program Coordinator Selena Anguiano at 301-634-2275 or sanguiano@adventuretheatre.org.  Also, visit www.adventuretheatre.org for more information on the Summer Musical Theatre Workshop and other educational programs at Adventure Theatre.

 

Marc Singer teaches comics course at Howard, and incidentally, resurrects his blog

Marc's announcement of his course on comics is here, and and he also announces a book he co-edited on detective fiction here. I'm glad to see that he resurrected his I am NOT the Beastmaster blog as I enjoy his writing. Take note of his Final Crisis writing on Grant Morrison that was singled out by a TCJ.com critic as one of the best online pieces last year.

SHOC: cartoonist Larry Wright

Larry Wright, Detroit editorial cartoonist and creator of the strip Wright Angles, was recently profiled on The Comics Journal's site:

Millikin, Eric.  2010.
Talking lifestyles of the semi-retired editorial cartoonist with Larry Wright.
TCJ.com (January 13): http://www.tcj.com/?p=2969

 

By coincidence, I had unwrapped some old records at work and found this illustration for an Erma Bombeck column from the May 27, 1966 Detroit Free Press.

I can't imagine this has been seen anywhere since it first appeared.

Anyone want to set up a Terry Pratchett con?

This rolled in today...  personally, I'd go. I love his books. 2 British comic adaptions have been combined into one large book last year that's a pretty good read.

Greetings, all Discworld fans and convention-goers! As most of you are probably already aware, the first ever North American Discworld Convention took place in Tempe, Arizona from September 4 - 7, 2009, and was deemed a big success by guests and attendees alike!  Once again, I and the entire 2009 committee would like to thank all of our amazing guests, participants, committee, staff, volunteers, and attendees for helping to make the con the wonderful experience that it was.  Thank you!  I have linked many photos, videos, and accounts of the convention on the convention website, so if you haven't yet seen that, please feel free to head over there and take a look: http://www.nadwcon.org.

The 2009 committee was delighted to hear that everyone had such a great time, and honored to learn that, due to the convention's success, many are clamoring for another one!  Our Guest of Honor, Sir Terry Pratchett himself, has said that he is definitely willing to appear again as Guest of Honor (health and circumstances permitting) should there be another NADWCon.

The committee has been approached by representatives of several cities interested in hosting the next North American Discworld Convention, and thus, after consulting with Sir Terry Pratchett, a North American Discworld Convention Steering Committee (to be known hereafter as "The Guild of Chelonavigators") has been formed from among several folks intimately involved in the successful organization and presentation of NADWCon 2009. The purpose of this oversight committee is to: 1) determine the next convention location and organizing group; 2) offer guidance and information to the next convention committee as it prepares for NADWCon 2011; 3) maintain a consistent archive of information and data related to past NADWCons; and 4) manage any con-related funds or properties during transition periods between cons.  The members of The Guild are as follows:

Voting Officers:

- Emily S. Whitten, Esq. (Chair)
- Denise Connell
- Margaret Grady
- Patrick Harkin Sr.
- Jean Tillson

Chelonavigational Consultant:

- Anna M. Caggiano

Regarding the decision as to where NADWCon 2011 will be held, it has been decided to ask for bid proposals from any fan organization interested in hosting the next con.  These will be carefully considered by The Guild before a decision is made and a group chosen, after which The Guild and the 2009 committee will pass the torch of our responsibility and experience as the organizers of this unique Discworldian event to the chosen group, but will remain available for consultation as a source of information, guidance, and resources.

If you love the idea of having an NADWCon in your city, and are considering proposing your local group and city as the best host for the next NADWCon, please first carefully consider both the goals and responsibilities of this convention, some of the main ones being:

-       To provide a well planned, smooth and well organized, exciting and uniquely fun Discworld experience for new and old Discworld fans of all ages, as well as for our guests;
-       To make the convention easily accessible and reasonably affordable for fans to attend;
-       To meet or exceed the level of programming and fun experiences provided by the first NADWCon, including such staples as a charity auction, gala banquet, and Discworld Maskerade;
-       To retain the Discworld flavor and culture of a Pratchett-centric convention;
-       To keep proper records and responsible accountings of the planning and management of the NADWCon, and to preserve these for future archiving with The Guild of Chelonavigators.

Please also be aware that planning a convention of this magnitude requires the dedication, determination, and cooperation of a number of experienced organizers with excellent planning, teamwork, organizational and communication skills.  Planning and running a convention can be an amazing experience, but please remember that it requires a lot of time and hard work, as well as a willingness to put the good of the convention first.  Any group that bids for the next NADWCon should have a number of willing and experienced volunteers local to the convention location to form the backbone of their potential convention committee.

And now, for those who are interested, onward to the bid proposal process!

Bid Proposal Process

Please include all information requested below on your bid submission, which should be emailed to nadwconbids2011@nadwcon.org.  Please be as detailed as possible when appropriate, and feel free to include any additional information that might help in the decision as to why your city and organization would be the best host for NADWCon2011.

Bid submissions should consist of:


1)      Name and contact information (address, email, and phone) of submitting person or organization;

2)      Location (i.e. city) and range of proposed possible dates for the 2011 con;

3)      Possible hotel(s) to host the con, with as much detail as possible regarding what arrangements could be agreed upon with the hotel; a Letter of Intent from the proposed hotel is recommended.  Please also include information on methods, costs, and ease of travel to and from the hotel(s) proposed;

4)      Names and contact information for proposed key committee members, with summaries of their past experiences in fandom and convention organizing.

a.      Please list potential committee members for as many of these committee positions as possible, and any others which you expect to fill:

i.      Chair; Vice Chair; Treasurer; Hotel Liaison; Guest Liaison; Programming Director; Volunteer Coordinator; Convention Operations; Logistics Coordinator; Technology Coordinator; Security Coordinator; Dealers Room Coordinator; Information and Publicity Coordinator (including maintenance of website, email listserv, and news updates); Registration Coordinator; Maskerade Director; Banquet Director; Charity Auction Director; Program Book Director; Art Show Director; Ambience Director; Hospitality Coordinator.

b.      Please include one or more references who can speak to the individual's relevant experience and qualifications; a personal statement from the individual is also welcome.

5)      Estimated convention budget with breakdown of expected expenses, along with information on any start-up funds that may be available to the committee;

6)      Any other information you feel would be pertinent or helpful.


The deadline for bid proposals is midnight, March 15, 2010.  Once the deadline has closed, proposals will be carefully reviewed by The Guild, and a decision will be made and announced to bid applicants by approximately April 15, 2010.

Once a decision has been made, a representative of The Guild will contact the prevailing 2011 organization in order to facilitate the sharing of useful information and resources.  AFTER such contact, The Guild will publicly announce the winning bid, and the 2011 committee may then move forward in planning the 2011 NADWCon.

Please let me know via the email address provided above if you have any questions on the bid proposal process. Good luck, and I hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely,

Emily S. Whitten

Vice Chair and Webmaster, NADWCon2009
Chair, The Guild of Chelonavigators

Jan 16: DC anime club's manga workshop

Free MANGA DRAWING WORKSHOP, Saturday, Jan16th from 3 to 5 at Martin
Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW.

Telnaes' year in review

I'm a little slow to get to this, largely because I still believe newspapers are for reading, not viewing, but here's Ann Telnaes' excellent year in review animation. All the cartoons she's done for the Post since 2007 are available which I think is damn nice of the Post.

Now with a corrected link!