Apparently Garfield: The Play will arrive in DC in 2011

The Warner Theater is specifically suggested as a venue in "Garfield" Will Be Star of His Own Musical, Harry Haun, Playbill's Playblog (March 4 2010). Unless my daughter's tastes change radically in the next year, I'll be seeing this.

Takoma Park librarian on Benny and Penny

'Benny and Penny' tops 2010 list of best books for beginners, By KAREN MACPHERSON, Scripps Howard News Service March 3 2010.

Benny & Penny is one of Toon Books line.

DC writer reviews Sturm's Market Day

Unraveling Jewish Threads: James Sturm's Graphic Novel Market Day
Menachem Wecker
Jewish Press Mar 03 2010

PR: Festival Image (French Comics and Animation Festival)- Alliance Francaise de Washington

This looks good!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

The Alliance Française de Washington, MICA's Illustration and Experimental Animation Departments present

 

From April 16 to 24, 2010

 

Festival Imagé

French Comics and Animation Festival

Baltimore-Washington DC (USA)

The Alliance Française de Washington and The Maryland Institute College of Arts (MICA) are inaugurating their partnership with the Festival Imagé, first festival in the USA, which promotes the new generation of French artists working in comics and animated films.

 

From April 16 to 24, meetings, author-led workshops, and screenings of animated films will stress the similarities and differences which exist in "bande dessinée" and animated film between both sides of the Atlantic.

 

Five comics artists, four comic book publishers from both France and the US, as well as various comics connoisseurs and a series of events prepared by DC-based comics artists and students of MICA – America's oldest art school– will help animate this exceptional 10-day festival dedicated to sequential art.

 

The festival will engage a wide audience of amateurs, children, art students, Francophiles, and comic's aficionados of the "9ème Art" through the creativity and vitality of this made-in-France artistic format where more than 5000 titles are published each year.

 

Having been involved in the Festival Imagé since its inception, MICA's animation students will also have the chance to introduce their view of French culture through their own animated shorts, to be shown at two successive screenings.

During these two consecutive days, animated films from both MICA students and students from one of the most famous French schools, SUPINFOCOM, will be showcased in Baltimore and Washington.

 

A French author will also be visiting one of DC's underprivileged elementary schools through the Alliance Française's Outreach Program to share his passion with children.

 

On their side, students from MICA and local illustrators will meet French and US publishers and present their work through exhibitions during the professional forum.

This forum will offer a chance to create artistic ties and professional opportunities to be published in the USA but also in France.

 

Last but not least, French and American illustrators will launch a creative dialogue during the entire Festival Imagé with an interactive and collective production to be revealed during the festival's closing party.

 

Prepare to be overwhelmed by a new generation of talented and productive artists who interpret the daily complexities of modern society through an incredible variety of styles and artistic universes.

 

"Strike your imagination!"

 

Festival Imagé Program

 

 -Friday April 16 at MICA:

 

7:30 pm: Opening reception

8 pm: Panel discussion with Nicolas Nemiri, Antoine Dodé, Alain Corbel, and Laurence Arcadias. Moderated by José Villarrubia.

Beginning of the contest

At MICA/ Free

 

-Saturday April 17 at AFDC, 2 pm

Workshop with Antoine Dodé

http://www.antoinedode.com/

At the Alliance Française/ Free

 

 

-Monday April 19 at MICA, 8 pm

 

Lecture by José Villarrubia: "Colors in Comics"

 At MICA/ Free

 

 

-Tuesday April 20 at AFDC, 6:30 pm

 

Opening reception of the exhibition Les Trois Ombres by Cyril Pedrosa

Workshop with Domitille Collardey

http://www.domitille-collardey.com/ink.html

 At the Alliance Française/ Free for MICA students and AF members - General Admission $8

 

-Wednesday April 21st at MICA, 7 pm

Presentation: Laurence Arcadias

Short Films from SUPINFOCOM and MICA students

 At MICA/ Free

 

 

-Thursday April 22nd at Letelier Theater, 7 pm

Short Films from SUPINFOCOM and MICA students

At Letelier Theater 3251 Prospect Street, NW, Upper Courtyard, Washington DC

Free for MICA students and AF members - General Admission $8

 

-Friday April 23rd at AFDC, 6:30 pm

Lecture by Pascal Fioretto: "Humor in comics"

 At the Alliance Française/ free for MICA students and AF members - General admission: $8

 

-Saturday April 24th at MICA:

2:00 Alain Corbel presents his students work:

Exhibition "Gargantua"

2:30 pm: Workshop with Cyril Pedrosa http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/threeShadows.html

4 pm: Professional Forum with publishers from France and the US

Contest Results

6:30 pm: Closing Party

At MICA/ Free

 

 

---

Artists and speakers 

 

 

Antoine Dodé was born in Amiens and lived there until he moved to Belgium to study illustration at the Saint Luc School of Art. He is best known in the French and Belgian market for his character Armelle, who has been featured in two graphic novels published under Carabas Revolution (Semic): "Armelle and the Bird" and "Armelle and My Uncle."

 http://www.antoinedode.com/

 

José Villarrubia was born in Madrid, Spain, but is a long time Baltimore resident. A professor of the Illustration Department at MICA, José is best known for his coloring work in comics for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and other companies and for his collaborations with author Alan Moore.

Domitille Collardey (born 1981) is best known for founding the Chicou-Chicou comics collective with Aude Picault. She currently lives in Paris and Brooklyn, NY. Domitille graduated from les Arts Decoratifs de Paris in 2004.  

She is currently working on an adaptation of Jean Teulé's novel "The Suicide Shop" for French publisher Delcourt, with Olivier Ka.

She also works for various press publications, such as Technikart, Beaux Arts Magazine, and Double.

 http://www.domitille-collardey.com/ink.html

 Pascal Fioretto Although he was a math whiz early on, having majored in chemistry at the Ecole normale supérieure of Chemistry, he also displayed a strong interest in literature and writing, which he finally gave in to. Catching the attention of cartoonist Marcel Gotlib, Fioretto then lent his wit to Fluide Glacial, a French monthly publication appealing to any and all lovers of truly tasteless jokes and irreverent humor.

Cyril Pedrosa began his career in animation, working on the Disney films "Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Hercules." He has since become a rising star in a new kind of graphic storytelling, combining the influences of animation and the literary traditions of Borges, Garcia Marquez, and Tolkien to create a unique visual signature. 

http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/threeShadows.html

Nicolas Nemiri is a French comics author and illustrator who has always been very much inspired by Japanese manga. His artistic style is unique in that it blends manga with French esthetics. Nicolas is actually working on the 3rd album of his series "Je suis morte" created with writer Jean-David Morvan, a sci-fi story where teenagers are dealing with life, death and eternity.

http://www.nemiri.com/

 

Alain Corbel. With comic creator Eric Lambe, he produced Mokka and Pelure Amere, two modern comic strip magazines that influenced many authors and publishers in France and Belgium like Amok, Freon and La Cinquieme Couche. He works as an illustrator, comic strip artist, and storywriter. He is also teacher at MICA, Illustration Department. He did many books published in France and Portugal. He has a passion for Africa where he organizes regularly with the Portuguese NGO ACEP  illustration/writing workshops.   http://www.alaincorbel.in-netz.com/  http://obaraleixo.blogspot.com/

 Laurence Arcadias teaches animation at MICA and is the Co- chair of the Animation department.

She started her career in Paris as an illustrator and animator. She directed a TV show: "Alex", best animated TV series in Annecy festival and spent 3 years as Animator in Residence at Apple. She also worked for several companies such as hotwired, Kodak, Leapfrog…Her films have been screened internationally.

http://www.arcadias.tv

Located in the north of France, SUPINFOCOM is a unique school, made of passionate people for passionate students, armed with an educational experience and managed by a united team, a demanding school, which innovates, supports the students towards their professional future by developing their artistic sensitivity, and opens unclear ways. After 20 years of existence and 1246 graduates, SUPINFOCOM is still filled with the enthusiasm of pioneers and enriched with collective experience. http://www.supinfocom.org/

 

With the support of the Maryland Institute College of Art's Office of Academic Services, the office of Research and the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Faculty.             

 

 

Please include Festival Imagé, from April 16 to 24 in your cultural events listing. Do not hesitate to contact me directly if you want to attend or cover this event.

 

WHAT: Festival Imagé  French Comics and Animation Festival

 

WHEN: From April 16 to 24, 2010

 

WHERE: At the Alliance Française 2142 Wyoming Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20008

                 MICA 1300 W. Mount Royal Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21217

And Letelier Theater 3251 Prospect Street, NW Upper Courtyard Washington DC 20007

 

 COST: All of the events are free for MICA students and Alliance Française members 

Events at the Alliance Française and Letelier Theater: free for MICA students and AF members - General Admission $8

 

 Information/reservation:  Alliance Française 202-234-7911 - MICA 410-225-2300

 

 

The Alliance Française is the largest network of French language and cultural centers in the world. Founded in 1949, the Alliance Française de Washington offers French classes for all levels, numerous cultural events throughout the year, and a multi-media library open to all members.  For more information visit www.francedc.org

You can download our press kit here: http://www.francedc.org/en/Article.aspx?id=460

 

L'Alliance Française de Washington is on Facebook! Join our group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4811854756

 

We are also on Twitter! http://twitter.com/FranceDC

 

Sonia Lahcene
Cultural Assistant
_______________________________________
Alliance Française de Washington
2142 Wyoming Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
tel: (202) 234-7911 ext 16
fax: (202) 234-0125
www.francedc.org
 
To subscribe to our email list and receive our messages on cultural activities, please go to  www.francedc.org then "sign up for our e-newsletter".

You can also join our Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4811854756
 

 

 

Has USA Weekend dropped its gag cartoons?

I haven't seen any in there for a few weeks. Another cost-cutting measure?

 

Produced locally, it's distributed in the Examiner on Sunday.

Family Circus lauded by Examiner columnist

Meghan Cox Gurdon

Family cartoon not corroded by acid culture.

Washington Examiner (March 4 2010): 37

 

If you want to see it online - click here and then look for page 37.

 

 

Searle's 90th birthday

Nick Galifianakis and Richard Thompson's favorite cartoonist Ronald Searle is 90 today - here's a link to some artwork we stuck up last year.

Weldon steps into catfight

In the "Fools rush in" category, Glen Weldon looks at the angst over 'Girl Comics' in 'Girl,' Erupted: The Comic Book Title That Launched An Internet Flame War, National Public Radio's Monkey See blog (March 3 2010).

This is actually the only comic I specifically asked for this week (beyond my usual pull list).

Kyle Baker and Bill Foster at Howard, now up on City Paper

Thursday: Kyle Baker and Bill Foster on Black-Themed Comic Books

Posted by Mike Rhode on Mar. 3, 2010, at 10:51 am

Jim Dougan interview from Post last year

D.C. United Inspires Graphic Art By Dan Steinberg, Washington Post D.C. Sports blog June 3, 2009.

Ok, I'm a bit late with catching this, but you can still read the excellent Sam & Lilah strip at Act-i-vate. So check out the interview and then read the strip with added understanding (as I did. I had no idea who the DC United player was).

March 3: Micah Gunnell at Beyond Comics

Meet ASPEN Comics Artist Micah Gunnell at the Beyond Comics Gaithersburg Square Store 536 North Frederick Avenue 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm

Free Sketches and Autographs Original Art For Sale.

OT: Strand Bookstore totebag art contest

The Strand has had a bunch of cartoonist-drawn tote bags already - Seth, Spiegelman, Sikoryak and Tomine -and I bought them all a couple of weeks ago, so perhaps this contest will interest someone from the DC area. Apparently you have a better chance if your name begins with 'S'.

Ponyo out on DVD today

...and I'm going out to buy my copy after dinner. Miyazaki is great.

Michigan State U's Comic Art Collection December 2009 additions

Getting back to our ocassional look at MSU's additions to the library, we turn to December 2009.

Hey! I bought this at an early SPX, back when they fit in one room.

Primitives. -- Poquoson, Va. : Spare Time Studios, 1995- . --
ill. ; 26 cm. -- Began with no. 1 (Jan. 1995). -- Superhero
genre. -- LIBRARY HAS: no. 1. -- Call no.: PN6728.6.S609P7

I hope the Library isn't really worrying about whether their comics have UPC symbols or not...

Protectors. -- Westlake Village, CA : Malibu Comics,
1992-1994. -- col. ill. ; 26 cm. -- Published no. 1 (Sept.
1992) - no. 20 (May 1994), cf. Overstreet Comic Book Price
Guide. -- This "direct market" ed. differs from the
"newsstand" ed. in that the covers are without UPC codes.
-- Partial wrapper of first cover appears in at least two
different colors. -- Superhero genre. -- LIBRARY HAS: no.
1-20. -- Call no.: PN6728.6.M25P72
COMPLETE HOLDINGS

Anyone read this? Is it any good?

Doomed by Cartoon : How Cartoonist Thomas Nast and the
New-York Times brought down Boss Tweed and His Ring of
Thieves / John Adler, with Draper Hill. -- New York :
Morgan James Publishing, 2008. -- 310 p. : ill. ; 28 cm. --
Call no.: F128.47.T96A32 2008
Nast, Thomas, 1840-1902.
Tweed, William Marcy, 1823-1878.

Frank Tashlin keeps popping up in comics quiz circles because he became a movie director, but used a cartoonist as a character in one movie...

The World that Isn't / by Frank Tashlin. -- New York : Simon
and Schuster, 1951. -- 1 v. : ill. ; 23 cm. -- Story told
primarily in pictures. -- Call no.: NC1429.T18W6 1951

Remember how before Marvel killed Malibu after buying them, but toyed with their characters first? Nah, me either.

Rune vs. Venom. -- Calabasas, CA : Malibu Comics
Entertainment, 1995. -- 48 p. : col. ill. ; 26 cm. --
(Ultraverse) -- "Vol. 1, number 1, December 1995." -- Logo
of Marvel Comics on cover. -- Superhero genre. -- Call no.:
PN6728.6.M25R84 1995

Shouldn't this be linked to Spawn, since memories are fading of what a hot title it was once upon a time?

Spoof Comics Presents Spoon. -- Melville, N.Y. : Spoof Comics,
1992. -- 32 p. : ill. ; 26 cm. -- Superheroine and parody
genres. -- Call no.: PN6728.6.P43S62 1992

I don't imagine I will ever item-level catalogue Fred Bassett comic strips, but I think I would have either put all of these under golf...

"The First Time He's Been on the Fairway All Day"* (Fred
Basset, May 2, 1972) / Graham. -- Summary: Fred's master
hits a tree from the rough. -- Call no.: PN6726 f.B55
"fairways"
-----------------------------------------------------
"Nobody Will Believe Him"* (Fred Basset, June 29, 1973) /
Graham. -- Summary: Fred's master makes a hole in one, and
there are no witnesses. -- Call no.: PN6726 f. B55 "hole
in one"
-----------------------------------------------------
"She's Having a Lovely Time Up Here"* (Fred Basset, Apr. 27,
1972) / Graham. -- Summary: Fred's master has so far taken
seven strokes in the sand trap, and Fred's mistress is
gloating. -- Call no.: PN6726 f.B55 "gloating"
-----------------------------------------------------
"It Was His Golf Club Dinner Last Night"* (Fred Basset, July
13, 1973) / Graham. -- Summary: Fred's master seems to have
a hangover. -- Call no.: PN6726 f.B55 "golf"
-----------------------------------------------------
"I Never Know Whether It's the Thrashing Tail or the Pathetic
Whimpering that Does the Trick"* (Fred Basset, July 21,
1973) / Graham. -- Summary: Fred is allowed to come along
as his master leaves for golf. -- Call no.: PN6726 f.B55
"golf"

...although I like "begging" for the last one, and "hangover" for the one above that. For those that are wondering, these clipped strips are filed in envelopes under that topic.

Somebody gave them a ton of G.I. Joe. Here's a sample. Should G.I. Joe really be "Not intended for children under 13"?

The Best of Snake Eyes / Larry Hama ; pencils, Mike Vosburg,
et al. ; inks, Chic Stone, et al. -- San Diego, Calif. :
IDW Publishing, 2009. -- 145 p. : col. ill ; 26 cm. --
(G.I. Joe. ; 6) -- "Originally published by Marvel Comics
as 'G.I. Joe: a Real American Hero' issues #10, 21, 26, 27,
31, and 44." -- "Not intended for children under 13." --
Spy and war genres. -- Call no.: PN6728.G2B44 2009

A word of advice - don't take sex advice from Heavy Metal.

"How to be Adorable" / by Goupil and Walter. p. 18 in Heavy
Metal, v. 26, no. 3 (July 2002). -- Sex advice. -- Call
no.: PN6728.H43v.26no.3

Hmmmm... what's this?

Dr. Strange / created by Stan Lee ; screenplay by Bob Gale. --
Revised first draft. -- 115 leaves : 28 cm. -- "21 January
86." -- Call no.: PN1997.D77G35 1986
Gale, Bob, 1951-

A bunch of student minicomics came in due to Ryan Claytor's class - here's a sample.

Explovary : a Collection of Last-Minute Comics / by Matt
Bambach. -- East Lansing, MI : Bambaclat Comics, 2009. --
24 p. : ill. ; 22 cm. -- Done for the Fall 2009 Comics and
Visual Narrative class at Michigan State University. -- New
wave genre. -- Call no.: PN6728.55.C575B3 2009

Nothing towards the end of the month was particularly striking. Tune back in soon for ... 2010!

Denver Post claims people are happy losing 22 comics

Cavna continues to practice real journalism - Denver Post cuts 22 comics: 'It appears we didn't totally screw up' By Michael Cavna, Washington Post Comic Riffs blog March 2, 2010 - although I don't think he got real answers. "[Editor] Chavez notes that the first response she received to the polling... was: "You have too many comics.""

Uh-huh.

AAAS podcast on physics of comic books

Spider-Man and other comic-book characters help explain scientific ideas

-- Margaret Shapiro

Washington Post March 2, 2010

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/01/AR2010030102888.html

 

Comics on the Rack, Quick Picks for Comics Due 03-03-10

COMICS ON THE RACK

Quick Picks for Comics Due 03-03-10

By John Judy

 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #623 by Mark Waid, Tom Peyer and Paul Azaceta.  There's a new Vulture in town.  In fact make it a NEW new Vulture!  The newest in fact!

 

ASTRO CITY THE DARK AGE BOOK FOUR #2 of 4 by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson.  New heroes, a new villain and a big fight in Vegas!  New and big!  The best!  Recommended.

 

THE BOYS #40 by Garth Ennis and Darick Roberston.  Featuring a tragic misunderstanding between Butcher and Wee Hughie.  Also a supe with Tourette's who turns into an anvil.  Recommended.  Not for kids.

 

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON EIGHT, VOL. 6: RETREAT SC by Jane Espenson, Joss Whedon and Georges Jeanty.  Collecting issues #26-30, the return of Oz the Zen Werewolf!

 

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #33 by Brad Meltzer and Georges Jeanty.  This is the issue before they unmask Twilight so you probably want to read it just so you're braced.

 

CHEW #9 John Layman and Rob Guillory.  Tony Chu versus vampires?  What happens if Tony takes a bite out of a vampire?  Recommended.

 

CROSSED #9 of 9 by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows.  The big, bloody wrap-up to Garth's most twisted series to date.  NOT for kids.

 

DETECTIVE COMICS #862 by Greg Rucka, Jock and Cully Hamner.  Serious detectin' and bad-guy fightin' from Batwoman and the Question!  I hope those two crazy kids work it out.

 

FALL OF THE HULKS: SAVAGE SHE-HULKS #1 of 3 by Jeff Parker and Salva Espin.  Two She-Hulks for the price of one!  What a bargain!

 

FIRST WAVE #1 of 6 by Brian Azzarello and Rags Morales.  An alternate DCU going back to its pulp roots with non-super vigilantes like Doc Savage, the Spirit, the Blackhawks and Batman!  Recommended!

 

GIRL COMICS #1 of 3 by Many Talented Creators with Double X Chromosomes.  So it's an anthology book about the women of the Marvel Universe, written and drawn by female creators.  Hmmm, they're all adults so what should we call it….?  Let's chalk the title up to post-irony and have a look anyway.

 

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #24 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca.  Tony Stark re-threads his head with a little help from his friends.

 

JUSTICE LEAGUE CRY FOR JUSTICE #7 of 7 by James Robinson and Mauro Cascioli.  The grand finale against Prometheus, leading into Robinson's new JLA run.

 

KEVIN SMITH'S GREEN HORNET #1 by Kevin Smith and Jonathan Lau.  It's Smith's unproduced "Hornet" screenplay done as a comic, which means all the scripts are in!  If future issues are late, blame the artist!  (Man, I hope "Lau" isn't a Smith alias…)

 

MIGHTY AVENGERS #34 by Dan Slott, Neil Edwards and Khoi Pham.  "The most insane thing Hank Pym will ever do!"  Give money to the Sarah Palin campaign?

 

MILESTONE FOREVER #2 of 2 by Dwayne McDuffie and the Milestone Art Crew.  The conclusion of how the Milestone and DC Universes merged, from the guy who would know.  Good stuff.

 

PLANETARY, VOL. 4 HC by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday.  Collecting issues #19-27 of the series and wrapping it up in a bow of quantum foam.  It's pretty.

 

PRELUDE TO DEADPOOL CORPS #1 of 5 by Victor Gischler, Ed McGuinness and Rob Freakin' Liefeld.  Featuring Deadpool, Lady Deadpool, Headpool, Kidpool and Dogpool all drawn by Rob Freakin' Liefeld.  Comes with a promotional set of Deadpool chopsticks for gouging out your own eyes.  (Not really.  You have to buy your own.)

 

PUNISHER MAX: BUTTERFLY ONE-SHOT by Valerie D'Orazio and Laurence Campbell.  Y'know how good guys never hurt women or kids?  The Punisher's not a good guy.  Not for kids.

 

SPARTA: USA #1 of 6 by David Lapham and Johnny Timmons.  A rebel returns to his dystopian hometown.  This is … SPARTA!!!

 

STEPHEN KING'S N #1 of 4 by Marc Guggenheim and Alex Maleev.  Believe it or not, something strange is going on in rural Maine.  Based on King's short story collection "Just After Sunset."

 

ULTIMATE COMICS: AVENGERS #5 by Mark Millar and Carlos Pacheco.  Ultimate Captain America's still on the trail of his son the Ultimate Red Skull.  Oh, Millar…  Gotta look.

 

ULTIMATE COMICS: NEW ULTIMATES #1 by Jeph Loeb and Frank Cho.  Ummm… Frank Cho's drawing it!

 

UNDERGROUND #5 of 5 by Jeff Parker and Steve Lieber.  A great week for finales.  A tandem chimney climb has never been so intense.  Great mini-series.  Highly recommended.

 

WOLVERINE WEAPON X #11 by Jason Aaron and Ron Garney.  Wolvie and Cap go out for a beer and end up fighting Deathlok the Demolisher.  He's a cyborg from the future.  Aren't they all?

 

X-MEN: HOPE #1 by Duane Swierczynski and Steve Dillon.  The adventures of the possible alternate future mutant heroine Hope Summers!  Okay, seriously did any mutants anywhere have kids other than Scott Summers and his redhead du jour?  Scott Summers is like the Jim-Bob Duggar of the Marvel Universe!  How many kids is this guy gonna have?!

 

www.johnjudy.net

Cavna mixes and matches ridiculous auction prices

And here's Michael's summing up of recent auction madness - Batman, Superman comic books set records for sale price, By Michael Cavna, Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, February 27, 2010.

Singer on Spiegelman and Maus

Marc Singer writes on teaching Maus for weeks 6-7 of his class on comics at Howard.

Asaf Hanuka in Sunday's Post Magazine

Asaf Hanuka illustrated The Substitute in Sunday's Post Magazine (Feb 28, 2010).