Saturday, May 29, 2010

Comics on the Rack, Quick Picks for Comics Due Thursday (NOT Wednesday) 06-03-10

COMICS ON THE RACK
Quick Picks for Comics Due Thursday (NOT Wednesday) 06-03-10
By John Judy
 
ADVENTURE COMICS #12 by Paul Levitz and Kevin Sharpe.  The legendary LEGION scribe takes Superboy back to the future for an untold tale of the LSH.  And check out the classic costumes on the cover!
 
AVENGERS PRIME #1 of 5 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alan Davis.  Let's hope Bendis trims the dialogue enough to leave room for all the great art!  Recommended!
 
BLACKSAD, VOL. 1 HC by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido.  Collecting the first three stories of John Blacksad, cat detective!  These stories took top critical honors in Europe and are so good they almost won awards over here in 'Murika!  Highly recommended.
 
BRIGHTEST DAY #3 by Geoff Johns and His Band of Renown.  So for some folks coming back from the dead ain't all peaches and cream…
 
CAPTAIN AMERICA/BLACK PANTHER: FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS #3 by Reginald Hudlin and Denys Cowan.  Cap and the Panther start smacking down Nazis side-by-side!
 
ELECTRIC ANT #3 of 5 by David Mack and Pascal Alixe.  The twists keep coming in this awesome adaptation of Philip K. Dick's sci-fi/noir brain-bender!  Recommended.
 
FREAKANGELS, VOL. 4 SC by Warren Ellis and Paul Duffield.  Collecting the latest adventures of twelve strange children in a form you can hold in your hands and kill bugs with.  Recommended.
 
A GOD SOMEWHERE GN by John Arcudi, Peter Snejbjerg and Bjarne Hansen.  Veteran super-scribe Arcudi gives his take on "What if someone really got super-powers?"  Gotta look.
 
HAWKEYE AND MOCKINGBIRD #1 by Jim McCann and David Lopez.  For the serious fan of the avenging archer and his not really dead wife.  In this one they're taking on the Phantom Rider and Crossfire because… ya gotta start slow?
 
HERCULES: TWILIGHT OF A GOD #1 of 4 written and drawn by Bob Layton.  A Layton HERCULES is always worth a read.  Fun stuff.
 
IRREDEEMABLE #14 by Mark Waid and Diego Barreto.  Modeus has the Plutonian dancing on a string, doing stuff that's even more twisted and evil than he'd normally be doing anyway.  Recommended but not for kids.
 
IZOMBIE #2 by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred.  If Nancy Drew ate brains to stay alive she'd be iZombie!  More female empowering than "Sex and the City 2" and only half as revolting!  Recommended for older teens and up!
 
JONAH HEX: NO WAY BACK HC by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Tony DeZuniga.  An in-depth adventure with the legendary bounty hunter just in time for him to get Brolin-ized for the big screen!  Exciting!
 
JSA ALL-STARS #7 by Matthew Sturges and Freddie Williams II.  A farewell to Damage, the Black Lantern who didn't return to life.  There is also a back-up story of which we shall no longer speak…
 
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #39 by Bill Willingham and Jesus Merino. 
It's hard to go wrong with the JSA fighting Nazis.  Sure, Roy Thomas managed it a few times but it wasn't easy…  Glorious traditional stuff.
 
MOUSE GUARD: LEGENDS OF THE GUARD #1 of 4 by Various Creators.  A series of tales told competitively among mice.  Gaiman-esque!
 
MOVING PICTURES GN by Kathryn and Stuart Immonen.  A struggle between a museum curator and an SS officer over art treasures and other stuff.  No capes.
 
RED HOOD: LOST DAYS #1 of 6 by Judd Winick and Pablo Raimondi.  Filling in some background on Jason Todd, the second Robin, mostly hipping us to how he became such a murderous rat.
 
SERENITY: FLOAT OUT ONE-SHOT by Patton Oswalt and Patric Reynolds.  Three tales of the late, lamented Hoban "Wash" Washburne from the Joss Whedon series "Firefly."  Written by the brilliant actor/comedian Patton Oswalt, so yeah, you need this.
 
THE STAND: HARDCASES #1 of 5 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins.  The heroes were getting tiresome.  How about we focus on the bad guys and crazies left behind after the most entertaining apocalypse Stephen King ever wrote?  Recommended.
 
STEPHEN KING'S N #4 of 4 by Marc Guggenheim and Alex Maleev.  The final issue as the madness contagion threatens to spread through "a journalist with millions of readers!"  I always knew Perez Hilton would be the death of us all….
 
SUPERMAN/BATMAN ANNUAL #4 by Paul Levitz and Renato Guedes.  A trippy jaunt into the future world of "Batman Beyond" where the new Batman gets called to duty in Metropolis.  What could go wrong?
 
TORCH #8 of 8 by Mike Carey, Alex Ross and Patrick Berkenkotter.  Yet another final issue in which we learn whether the original Human Torch lives or dies.  Again.
 
X-MEN FOREVER GIANT-SIZE #1 by Chris Claremont and Mike Grell.  This one's of interest to Fans of a Certain Age because it's a big fight between the Xs and the Shi'ar Imperial Guard.  The IG were a blatant rip-off, I mean "homage", to the Legion of Super-Heroes over at DC and one of the major artists on LEGION was Mike Grell.  Finally, just to be thorough, the late Dave Cockrum, co-creator of the ALL-NEW X-MEN, was also a major part of the LEGION redesign in the seventies.  It's a huge Nerd Milestone is what I'm saying.  Gotta look.
 


Friday, May 28, 2010

Weingarten's co-author on Clowes

Gina Barreca, who has collaborated with Gene Weingarten on his column in the Washington Post Magazine, looks at the recent Dan Clowes cover for the New Yorker - Is There a Doctorate in the House? Chronicle of Higher Education blog May 21, 2010.

PR: Sun, June 6 Capicons Comic Book & Pop Culture Con

Capicons Comic Book & Pop Culture Con
http://capicons.com

Our Biggest Show Yet!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
10 am - 3 pm

Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Dept.
2148 Gallows Rd. Dunn Loring, VA 

Admission: $2! FREE for children under 10
$1 of each paid admission will be donated to The Hero Initiative

Special Guest:
Michael J. Hayde author of FLIGHTS OF FANTASY: The Unauthorized but True Story of Radio & TV's "Adventures of Superman" www.michaeljhayde.com

Also Featuring:
Cover Artist and Inker
Tim Dzon (Marvel Comics Presents, Avengers West Coast, Hawkeye, GI Joe, etc.)
http://tim-dzon.deviantart.com/

Artist/Publisher
Andre Campbell, Heritage Comics HSQ
http://heritagehsq.tripod.com/v2/index.html

Artist/Publisher Dan Nokes, 21st Century Sandshark Studios
http://21sandshark.com/

Chameleon Creations' Writer/Publisher Radi Lewis (The Children of the Phoenix)
http://www.thechildrenofthephoenix.com/

- Model Maker Extraordinaire Dave Wilson,
- Cartoonist Ali Gee


Free Parking! Fabulous door prize drawings!

The show is open to the public from 10 am - 3 pm. 40+ Tables. Buy, sell and trade...Gold, Silver, Bronze Age comics; Indie & Modern comics, Publishers & Creators, TV & Movie Collectibles. Non-sport cards; Videos and DVDs; Horror/Sci-Fi; figures, toys; Star Wars and Star Trek memorabilia; original artwork, posters, T-shirts/clothing and various other comic related items.

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Directions to DLVFRD:
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Take I-495 (DC/Capital Beltway) to Exit 47A (Rt. 7 West). Go 1/2 Mile, Left on Gallows Rd. 1 mile to 2148 Gallows Rd

Metro: Take Orange Line to Dunn Loring Metro Station--We're 1.35 miles from the Metro stop and on both the Fairfax Connector and Metro Bus lines. Visit www.wmata.com to plan your trip to our show.

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Capicons is on Facebook!
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Become a fan on Facebook, and keep on top of show updates.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Merrifield-VA/Capicons-Comic-Book-Pop-Culture-Con/221236176794?ref=ts

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Capicons 2010 Dates
Sun. June 6
Sun, Aug. 1
Sun. Oct. 3
Sun. Dec. 5
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To book a table, be added to our mailing list, request flyers, or for more info about our show, email info@capicons.com.

PR: Stan Lee, Others Among Wash Post's Judges for Cartoonist Contest UPDATED

Here's some PR from the Post on their cartoon contest. One might also note that the area's crack cartoonist, Richard Thompson, whose career has been tightly intertwined with the Post, and who is up for a Rueben Award this weekend, is also a judge. One might.:

 

Today The Washington Post announced the final list of celebrity judges who will critique the work of the finalists of America's Next Great Cartoonist Contest.

Stan Lee, Stephen Pastis, Jerry Scott and Garry Trudeau are among the judges. For the complete list, visit Comic Riffs:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2010/05/final_judges_list_washington_p.html

For more on the contest which looks to help a budding cartoonist launch their career, go here: http://views.washingtonpost.com/cartoonist/

Submissions are due June 4!

 



I just went to the Post website and see that there's a bunch of other judges they didn't list in the PR too - Lalo "La Cucaracha" Alcaraz, Darrin "Candorville" Bell, Mike "Penny Arcade" Krahulik, Hilary "Rhymes with Orange" Price, Tom "that darn" Toles, Gene "theoretical Barney & Clyde" Weingarten and Signe "Family Tree" & Pulitzer-winner Wilkinson.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Heroes Con, Or Stuck Inside of Charlotte with the Cul de Sac Blues Again

Richard and I will be motoring down to Heroes Con next Thursday - I think this is pretty much a go since the schedule posted today says:

June 5 Saturday

3.00 PM

IN CONVERSATION | Richard Thompson
Room 206
Reuben Award -nominated Richard Thompson is widely hailed as one of the most talented cartoonists working today. From his strip Cul de Sac to his Richard's Poor Almanac humor strip to his illustrations for the New Yorker, the Washington Post, and more, he's a fascinating creator. Tom Spurgeon sits down to talk with Richard in this informal conversation.


Presumably I'll be the table monkey and miss it again.

Shannon "G.I. Joe" Gallant is also going down from DC. My buddy Craig Fischer's doing his thing again too.

Truitt on GI Joe, again

G.I. Joe fan Max Brooks gets deep with 'Hearts & Minds' By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY May 20 2010

Ann Telnaes photo from visiting Pixar


Ralph Eggleston, Ann, Bob Scott at Pixar

After our brief mention of Bob Scott yesterday, Ann Telnaes wrote in and sent this picture, noting "Ralph Eggleston and Bob Scott were classmates of mine at CalArts.   I was in SF a couple of months ago and stopped by for a tour."

Another Trickster interview is online at City Paper

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Trickster Writer Joseph Stands With Many

Posted by Mike Rhode on May. 27, 2010 at 04:19 pm

 

Pixar animator Bob Scott likes Telnaes and Cul de Sac

Nickel, Scott.
A Nickel's Worth blog May 25, 2010
 
Read the interview, but here's the two quotes relevant to ComicsDC:
 
Of the more recent strips my favorites are DIAMOND LIL, CUL DE SAC, KISKALOO, CITIZEN DOG and  MONTY.
 
And Ann Telnaes does a great job with the  animated versions of her political cartoons.
 
 

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Bill Day's RFK Journalism award

100_0106
Bill Day, winner of the 2010 RFK Journalism award for editorial cartooning.

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Bill Day, winner of the 2010 RFK Journalism award for editorial cartooning, with 2010 Herblock award winner Matt Wuerker.

100_0107
Bill Day, winner of the 2010 RFK Journalism award for editorial cartooning, with 2010 judges Sara Duke and Mike Rhode.

100_0101

Barbarella, Cul de Sac - nothing in common

Caroline Small muses about Barbarella here.

Richard Thompson explains the gag in today's Cul de Sac here and noodles about the cover of the next (2nd) Treasury edition here.

Post cartoonist contest adds Stan Lee as judge

The Post's America's Next Great Cartoonist contest run by Michael Cavna added Stan Lee as a judge. This may be Our Man Thompson's chance to pitch his Spider-Man / Cul de Sac cross-over idea! Ernesto and Dr. Octopus!

Marvel posters at National Library of Medicine

Some times you're looking for something in a library (alcoholism posters) and up pops a surprise like these six posters from Marvel in 1987 on the dangers of drinking to excess.

Here's the links to the images and the catalogue information:

http://ihm.nlm.nih.gov/images/A26073  - Storm

http://ihm.nlm.nih.gov/images/A26074 - Iron Man

http://ihm.nlm.nih.gov/images/A26072 - Firestar and Iceman

 

RFK Journalism award given to Bill Day tonight

Editorial cartoonist Bill Day will receive the RFK Journalism Award for cartooning tonight at George Washington University. I'll be in the audience and should have photos tomorrow.

Weldon on Wednesday Comics

'Wednesday Comics,' Collected: 'Trippy, Experimental,' Still Freaking Huge, by Glen Weldon, May 26, 2010

 

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Webcomic con coming to DC in September.

This PR arrived over the e-transom today -

Intervention: Your Online Life, In Person. A Convention with Webcomics, Videos, Music, and You - September 10-12 2010 at the Hilton Washington DC. http://www.InterventionCon.com

Intervention is a convention for the independent comics, art, and music creators. The con was started by webcomic creator Onezumi Hartstein (http://www.Onezumi.com) and web developer James Harknell (http://www.AWSOM.org). This goal is to bring together different independent creators to party, educate, and appreciate the opportunities the Internet gives to all of us.

Intervention will have awesome webcomics geek-related programming and gaming all day and night from Friday through Sunday. There will be one dance party where the audience can assist the DJ in making live music and one NYC-style dance party. In addition to the Artist's Alley/Vendor Room over 30 webcomic and New Media experts will attend. The con is still being planned. Discussion is being held on the Intervention forum: http://interventioncon.com/forum/

City Paper comics reviews

International Ink: Back to the Future

Posted by Mike Rhode on May. 25, 2010.
 
This week I look at The Atomic Knights, the Legion of Super-Heroes and Oh My Goddess!

Monday, May 24, 2010

June 5: DC Anime Club’s Gundam Day

Press Release

DC Anime Club’s Gundam Day

DC Anime Club invites all Giant Robot fans to Gundam Day on Saturday June 5, 2010 2pm-5pm at the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial Library, 901 G St NW Washington, DC 20001 in A5 on the A Level of the Library.

For those of you who are unfamiliar Gundam is a Japanese Animated metaseries by the Animation Studio in Japan Sunrise.

Gundam Day will consist of the following activities:

Model kit construction where attendees will learn how to build their own Gundams.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own model kits.

An Marathon of the Japanese Animated Series Gundam Wing will be screened during Gundam Day.

An Anime Swap Meet will be included as part of Gundam Day.
Have anime dvd’s or Japanese Comics you don’t want anymore?
Come to the Anime Swap Meet and trade with fellow anime enthusiast who no longer.

We hope to see you there.

This event is free and open to the public.
Ages 13 and up.

For more information please visit the DC Anime Club website at http://dcanimeclub.org.

June 1: Swann Fellow's lecture on Turkish cartoonists

From Martha Kennedy at the Library of Congress -

Swann Fellow Yasemin Gencer presents her public lecture, "Cartooning Progress: Secularism and Nationalism in the Early Turkish Republic (1922-28)" at noon on Tuesday, June 1, in Dining Room A on the sixth floor of the Madison Building.

Gencer will discuss how cartoons of this era had the power to create, shape and project a new Turkish national identity based on European models. She will look at cartoons that highlight reforms initiated during the early years of the Turkish Republic. In one such image, for example, an automobile made of Latin letters speeds past a camel composed of Arabic letters, demonstrating how the cartoonist combines text with visual metaphor to underscore the benefits of changing the official alphabet. Such cartoons from 1922-28 illustrate many reforms aimed at secularizing the nation.

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Trickster Artist Chris Piers


Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Trickster  Artist Chris Piers
 by Mike Rhode on May. 24, 2010

I've got a few more of these in the pipeline.