Richard Thompson interview by Tom Spurgeon online now

Tom Spurgeon interviewed Richard Thompson at Heroes Con last month, and has transcribed the interview - CR Sunday Interview: Richard Thompson (From Heroes Con 2010), July 4, 2010. Tom's a former editor of the Comics Journal and one of the more knowledgeable people who write about comics. I read his Comics Reporter every day and you should too.

Post and Times on Norman Rockwell exhibit

I'm of two minds about Rockwell, but I think if you approach him as a consummate illustrator, as Solomon does, you can enjoy his work more than if you worry about putting him into an artistic pantheon at the moment.

Norman Rockwell exhibit opens at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, By Blake Gopnik, Washington Post Sunday, July 4, 2010; E01. There are 86 comments now on this one mostly bashing Gopnik.


America, Illustrated, By DEBORAH SOLOMON, New York Times July 4, 2010

Truitt on Batwoman

J.H. Williams breaks boundaries for a modern Batwoman
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY July 2 2010

Brooke A. Allen at Big Planet Comics Vienna on July 4th

I'm heading out to this in 5 minutes.

From: Big Planet Comics

...you are cordially invited to the Big Planet Comics 24th Anniversary Sale! Come by on Sunday, July 4th (Saturday, too, in College Park!) and save 20% off your entire purchase at any of our four locations!

We'll also be having Home For Mr. Easter Signing with Brooke A. Allen on Sunday! Come by the Vienna store between 12PM-2PM on July 4th to meet the author of A Home For Mr. Easter and get a signed copy of the book that the Comics Journal called "a delightful debut from an artist who has a fine grasp of storytelling"!

Washington Times reviews Feiffer autobio

BOOK REVIEW: 'Backing into Forward'
By Marion Elizabeth Rodgers
Washington Times July 2, 2010

It's been out for months, so I'm not quite sure why it took so long, but the Post just got to Clowes' Wilson a couple of days ago too...

Beyond Comics July 4th - 5th Sale!

Beyond Comics SALE! July 4th & July 5th (Sunday & Monday) 25% OFF New Comics and Graphic Novels 25% OFF Toys 25% OFF T-Shirts 25% OFF Supplies 25% OFF Posters 25% OFF Trading Cards Sale Excludes: June & July New Arrivals, Subscriptions, Special Orders, and On Hold Items. New Books Ship Thursday! 25% OFF Star Wars Merchandise 25% OFF DC Direct Merchandise Store Hours: Sunday 12 noon to 5:00 p.m Monday 10 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Beyond Comics reserves the right to not discount any items that may have been mistakenly put on sale. We also reserve the right to limit or restrict individuals from any sale items at any time for any reason.

Weldon on digital comics

Begun, The Digital Age of Comics Has
by Glen Weldon
National Public Radio’s Monkey See blog (July 1, 2010)

Big Planet 4th of July Sale and "Home For Mr. Easter" Book Signing!

From: Big Planet Comics

...you are cordially invited to the Big Planet Comics 24th Anniversary Sale! Come by on Sunday, July 4th (Saturday, too, in College Park!) and save 20% off your entire purchase at any of our four locations!

 We'll also be having Home For Mr. Easter Signing with Brooke A. Allen on Sunday! Come by the Vienna store between 12PM-2PM on July 4th to meet the author of A Home For Mr. Easter and get a signed copy of the book that the Comics Journal called "a delightful debut from an artist who has a fine grasp of storytelling"!

 

Baltimore's Closed Caption member Noel Freibert profiled

NOEL FREIBERT IS AN EXTREME TROGLODYTE
NICK GAZIN
VICELAND TODAY June 28 2010

Big Planet Comics' July 4th sale

20% off everything for the 24th anniversary of the chain.

Morgan Bramlet's graphic novel plans

This story identifies Morgan Bramlet as "McLean author Morgan Bramlet, author of Virtual Death: A Cyber Thriller" which is a bit far afield for us, but at the end he says, "I am also working on three different graphic novel projects, which is a great medium to work in because I am able to write the words and direct the illustrations."

More with author Morgan Bramlet
Avis Thomas-Lester
Washington Post's On Success Rapid Reinvention blog June 30, 2010

and the preceeding day's interview had more details on who he is.

Givhan on Wonder Woman's new fashion

Trading in briefs for pants, she's still a wonder [online title: From star-spangled briefs to skintight pants, Wonder Woman is still a wonder]
By Robin Givhan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 1, 2010; C02

The Post's fashion critic weighs in on DC's latest PR stunt.

Post on The Last Airbender and an interview with the director

This is only online, and it's a very good interview with the director over the 'racial controversy' that's sprung up around the movie adaptation of the cartoon -

Talking with director M. Night Shyamalan about 'Last Airbender,' race and more
By Jen Chaney
Washington Post's Celibritology 2.0 blog July 1, 2010

and here's the paper's review -

It's easy to drift away from 'Last Airbender'
By Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post July 1, 2010: C10

Olivia Walch's paper worries about conflict of interest

A few days ago we linked to an article about America's Next Great Cartoonist contestant Olivia Walch. Now her college paper is worrying about a conflict of interest for doing a story on her -

On conflict of interest
By Mike Crump
College of William and Mary's Flat Hat June 30, 2010

-which seems kind of silly to me since she's become a story in herself.

Dirda on Clowes

Daniel Clowes's new graphic novel "Wilson," reviewed by Michael Dirda
By Michael Dirda
Washington Post July 1, 2010; C03

Weldon on Wonder Woman's fashion do-over

Wonder Woman's Dated New Duds, or: Desperately Seeking Zeus-an

by Glen Weldon

 June 30, 2010

 

Bruce Guthrie on the Norman Rockwell exhibit @ American Art

Bruce Guthrie has sent in his thoughts on the new exhibit about Norman Rockwell.This is a little off-topic, but probably still of interest to our readers. 

I did a staff tour of the Norman Rockwell exhibit that opens on Friday (I think). There's a decent video for it, a good variety of preliminary work and final oils, helpful signage, etc.  No photography is allowed in the exhibit of course.

There's a study cart available some times where you'll be able to pose people with props in front of a Saturday Evening Post backdrop.  That takes a while to set up -- they want to teach you about posing "in the Rockwell way" -- but people did some creative group shots.

The exhibit including film takes about 45 minutes to go through.  They have crowd control for lines -- you have to queue through the courtyard and they're expecting lots of visitors.  They're also planning for lines outside the building before the museum opens in the morning.

There's a big opening with Lucas and Spielberg Thursday night for donors at the $5k level.  I wasn't eligible for that, but it would have been fun.  For that event only, they're building four sets in the courtyard -- a little school house, a diner, a barber shop, and ... something else -- to recreate Rockwell's Americana.

The exhibit's there for about 6 months.  See it!

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Donna Lewis

Now up at the City Paper's website - the creator of the Reply All webcomic -

 

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Donna Lewis
Posted by Mike Rhode on Jun. 30, 2010 at 11:19 am

Laughing Ogre store featured by Mulitiversity Comics

The local Laughing Ogre store is featured by Mulitiversity Comics.

SPX new animation showcase podcast interview

Fictional Frontiers with Sohaib (Episode 101) - Part II
Posted by Sohaib Awan, Jun 14, 2010 12:51 PM
Runtime: 07:41 |

2. Paul Nadjmabadi, Committee Co-Chair for the SPX Animation Showcase at the 2010 Small Press Expo (www.spxpo.com)

Thanks to Matt Dembicki for the tip