Book reviews up at City Paper

International Ink: War, Werewolves, Steampunk, Kung Fu, and Cap, Posted by Mike Rhode on Jul. 8, 2010. I squeezed five in.

 

Animator is finalist in Post's Real Art D.C. contest

The first is his cartoon, the second is a profile, and the third is biographical information. This is online only.

Real Art D.C. Finalist: Adam Dwight,Washington Post.com Thursday, July 8, 2010.

Takoma Park, Md., artist Adam Dwight makes gouaches featuring figures that might populate gross-out comics, though they're more civilized than that. Think Mr. Smithers from "The Simpsons" as drawn by Dr. Seuss.

Finalist No. 4: Adam Griffiths a.k.a. Adam Dwight,Washington Post.com Thursday, July 8, 2010.

Bio: Adam Griffiths a.k.a. Adam Dwight,Thursday, July 8, 2010.

Dave Mitchell of American's Next Great Cartoonist Contest

Dave Mitchell is featured in this article -

 

UCF alum still aiming for success

By Hannah Coffman

Central Florida Future July 7, 2010

 

 

Truitt on Matt Fraction's Casanova

Matt Fraction hopes second time's the charm for 'Casanova', by Brian Truitt, USA TODAY July 6 2010

July 10: Matt Dembicki at Hooray for Kids bookstore

Local graphic artist Matt Dembicki (editor of "Trickster: Native American Tales, A Graphic Collection") is giving a workshop for kids 7 and up on drawing and putting together a comic book. Kids will learn the basics—creating a character, developing a story, and laying out a page using various tricks of the trade. Participants will make their own mini-comics to take home. The workshop is Saturday, July 10, at 3 p.m., and folks should call (703-548-4092) or e-mail (info@hooray4books.com) to make a reservation.

Hooray for Kids
An Independent Children's Bookstore
1555 King St. Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Ph. 703-548-4092 Fax 703-548-4094
Hours M-Sat. 10-6 Sun 11-4

Horn-tooting, posted in the dead of night

Thanks go out to Tom Spurgeon, who while linking to my City Paper's Evan Keeling interview today, said:

I would kill for more specific scene reporting like we get out of a couple of the Portland blogs, from the New York folks and from Mike Rhode in the Greater DC area.

As I've said before, Tom's Comic Reporter is a site I read every day, so I was tickled to see this.

A little bit of Peanuts history

This ad for "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" is from the July 8th, 1969 Chicago Tribune - or 8 days before Apollo 11 took off and 12 days before it landed on the moon - thus explaining World War 1 ace Snoopy's spacesuit helmet.

Cavna on Nate Pierce and Jeff Kinney

Kidspost: 'Big Nate' creator Lincoln Peirce and 'Wimpy Kid' creator Jeff Kinney
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 7, 2010; C10

Weldon on Blacksad from France

'Blacksad': A Hard-Boiled, Two-Fisted (Well, Two-Pawed) Detective Yarn, by Glen Weldon, July 7, 2010

PR: Wash Post Cartoonist Contest: Vote for the Winner Now

Washington Post's America's Next Great Cartoonist Contest is announcing the second round of its competition!

 Our panelists picked 10 finalists and then thousands of readers voted to determine which five cartoonists would take on a second cartoon challenge: to create a color Sunday-style comic strip and a character sheet.

 See the five finalists' second challenge materials, read our celebrity judges' critiques including one from Stan Lee, and vote for your favorite.

 Evaluate 5 finalists here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/greatcartoonist

 Vote here: http://postfun.washingtonpost.com/post/entry/americas-next-great-cartoonist-vote-ii

 Be sure to come back July 15 to see the contest winner!

  

 

MJ's editorial cartoons get a Washington subscriber

MJ, the mystery cartoonist who donated the logo of the African-American man to ComicsDC, writes in "Finally got a D.C. Bureau to offer my funnies for mobile use. Woo Hoo! They also appear through the online version http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=175421"

 

That's World Net Daily based on Pennsylvania Ave in the District. Congratulations MJ.

Brooke A. Allen at Big Planet Comics Vienna

I hadn't heard of Brooke A. Allen before her appearance at Big Planet Comics Vienna - which turns out to be no surprise because she's still at student at SCAD, even though she's got her first graphic novel coming out now. I talked to her briefly, asking about her influences and was surprised to hear Walt Kelly, followed by Jeff Smith. After reading the book, I can definitely see Bone's influence. I enjoyed the story and will run a brief review at the City Paper soon, but here's some photos.




She made a nice drawing in each book - the people in front of me got the bad magician.


My daughter got Mr. Easter.


And I got a self-portrait.


There was a darn big crowd for both Ms. Allen and the 4th of July sale.


She kept cranking through the drawings for people and I think the store expected to sell out of the book.


BP had these nice posters on sale for $3. I got mine.

DC Conspiracy exhibit at DC's Martin Luther King Library

Andrew Cohen just wrote in to tell us about an upcoming exhibit.

Just wanted to let you know about an event I'm putting together with the DC Conspiracy, called Comic Book Boom, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.

Basically, it's meant to show off some of the comic art that the DCC does in the city, and to put a spotlight on comics more generally. It will consist of an exhibit of comic book art, a comic book reading area, and a couple of how-to workshops for making comics.

There will be more than 20 framed pieces of comic book art that people in the DCC have drawn; spinning racks and shelves filled with books put out by the group and DCC members; and workshops on July 31 and August 21, led by Conspirators.

The facebook page is at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=133445306667199&ref=mf

And the details of the show...

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
901 G Street, NW
2nd Floor, West lobby
July 12 - August 27

Dragonball: Origins 2 videogame review in today's Examiner

A Dragonball: Origins 2 videogame review by Greg Prince is in today's Examiner, but only the hardcopy.  I enjoyed the manga, but haven't watched the anime.

Chat with Evan Keeling up at City Paper

Online now!

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Evan KeelingPosted by Mike Rhode on Jul. 6, 2010

Evan Keeling is one of the Trickster anthology artists, a founding member of the DC Conspiracy comics co-op, and the person who puts together genre anthologies by the group. The next anthology, the fourth, will focus on romance. He also works for the Smithsonian, a quintessentially cool Washington job.

Graphic Content panel in pictures

As far as I know, the DC Library hasn't posted a podcast of last weekend's panel yet, but here's my photos. To remind all, this was -

"Graphic Content: A Conversation with Five DC Area Graphic Storytellers."
Shannon "G.I. Joe" Gallant, Matt "Politico" Wuerker, Andrew "Trickster" Cohen, Evan "DC Conspiracy" Keeling and Ben "Dirtfarm" Classen at Northwest One Neighborhood Library, June 26, 2010, Washington DC.


Andrew Cohen, Evan Keeling and then Matt Wuerker in far background. The pages Andrew is showing come from the graphic novel he and Matt Dembicki are doing on DC's Huerich mansion, and look lovely.


Matt Wuerker. Nobody asked him about the hat.


Ben Claassen and Shannon Gallant.


Shannon Gallant signing a 'Black Canary' sketch he gave to me.


Evan Keeling, Ben Claassen and Shannon Gallant comparing pencils.


Andrew Cohen, Evan Keeling and Ben Claassen.

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"!