Monday, September 13, 2010
Patriot-News comics poll considers adding Cul de Sac
CHRIS MAUTNER, The Patriot-News September 12, 2010.
No ballot stuffing now. My friend Chris is undoubtedly technically savvy enough to detect that, and the fact that he undoubtedly spent time in Richard's vicinity at SPX this weekend doesn't mean anything.
A couple of SPX links and a Politics and Prose set
Bruce Guthrie thinks his will be online tomorrow, but in the meantime has 2 sets (set 1, set 2) of pictures from Richard Thompson and Keith Knight's appearances at Politics and Prose bookstore.
Animator Marc Crisafulli, Politics & Prose's Adam Waterreus, SPX's Warren Bernard, Keith Knight, Politics & Prose's Mike G, Richard Thompson and Mike Rhode.
And here's my friend, and crack cartoonist, Ben Towle on his experiences. I talked to him on Saturday night, around the time that last picture was being taken and followed up on his recs on Sunday.
New comics publisher starts in DC
Oddly enough, it's the Government Printing Office:
GPO PUBLISHES ITS FIRST COMIC BOOK
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) builds on its storied history by publishing the agency’s first comic book. GPO employees created the comic book Squeaks Discovers Type! as a teaching tool for children of all ages. As the agency celebrates its 150-year anniversary, the comic book takes a unique approach to educate readers on the important role printing has played from the beginnings of civilization to today’s digital world. The comic book’s concept, story and illustrations were created at GPO. Jim Cameron wrote the story and Creative Services’ Graphic Designer Nick Crawford provided the illustrations. Squeaks Discovers Type! is available at GPO’s newly designed and renovated bookstore in Washington, DC or available online at:
http://bookstore.gpo.gov/collections/squeaks-discovers-type.jsp
“GPO serves the communication needs of the federal government, and a comic book is a great way to communicate with young people,” said Public Printer Bob Tapella. “Through the talents of Jim Cameron and Nick Crawford, GPO is able to create a publication that conveys the message that printing is an important component to the history of the world and to our nation.”
The GPO is the federal government’s primary centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing, authenticating, and preserving published U.S. government information in all its forms. GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the federal government. In addition to publication sales, GPO makes government information available at no cost to the public through GPO’s Federal Digital System (www.fdsys.gov) and through partnerships with approximately 1,220 libraries nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program. For more information, please visit www.gpo.gov. Follow GPO on Twitter http://twitter.com/USGPO and on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/gpoprinter.
Cavna on Peanuts and with Ted Rall
'Peanuts' comics strip will leave syndicate in February for Universal Uclick
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 11, 2010; C02
and then he ran an interview with Ted Rall today -
The 'Riffs Interview: TED RALL returns from Afghanistan, ready to draw upon his up-close encounters
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog September 13, 2010
ComicsDC (ie me) helped fund Ted's trip through Kickstarter, so I'm glad it worked out well. I don't need any guilt about prematurely dead cartoonists.
PR and OT: Top Shelf comics sale
*******************************************************
For the next ten days -- thru Friday September 24th -- Top Shelf is having a giant $3 graphic novel web sale. When you visit the site, you'll find over 100 graphic novels and comics on sale -- with over 70 titles marked down to just $3 & $1!
To go directly to the list of items on sale at the Top Shelf website, just click here:
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/specialdeals
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/specialdeals
But here are a few sample sale items:
-- Slashed Prices: Lost Girls, Alec: The Years Have Pants!
-- Slashed Prices: Essex County, Moving Pictures, BB Wolf!
-- Slashed Prices: Owly Hardcovers and Plushy, Undeleted Scenes!
-- Slashed Prices: Dodgem Logic, The Surrogates Owner's Manual!
-- Slashed Prices: The 120 Days of Simon, Far Arden, and more!
-- $3 Titles: Voice of the Fire, The Surrogates (Vols 1 & 2)!
-- $3 Titles: Sulk (Vols 1, 2, & 3), I Am Going To Be Small!
-- $3 Titles: SuperF*ckers #1-#4, Lower Regions, Please Release!
-- $3 Titles: Regards from Serbia, Delayed Replays, and more!
-- $1 Titles: The Surrogates #1-#5, Black Ghost Apple Factory!
-- $1 Titles: The Man Who Loved Breasts, Comic Diorama, 24x2!
-- $1 Titles: Jack's Luck Runs Out, Tales/Great Unspoken, & more!
Please note that Top Shelf accepts PayPal (as well as Visa, MasterCard, Amex, and Discover -- all secure), and that this
sale is good for retailers as well (and comic book shops will get their wholesale discount on top of these sale prices).
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/specialdeals
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/specialdeals
Your friend thru comics,
Chris Staros
Top Shelf Productions
PO Box 1282
Marietta GA 30061-1282
USA
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Another Gallant sketch
- and he didn't even have a table. This is a Searle tribute, of course.
Another reason to buy sketches from Shannon (SL) Gallant at cons
Jerzy Drozd's arrival at SPX on his Comics Are Great podcast
http://comicsaregreat.com/?p=790
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Off to SPX and Intervention
Kleefeld visits Big Planet
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
"The inside of the store was almost surprisingly clean." Who needs a better recommendation than that?
Friday, September 10, 2010
Niffenegger and Feiffer also at Politics and Prose
Hansen, Liane. 2010.
'Phantom Tollbooth' Creators Reunited By An 'Ogre'.
National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Sunday (September 5).
online at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129608795
http://public.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/wesun/2010/09/20100905_wesun_08.mp3
and http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=129608795
Sturm at Politics and Prose tonight
James Sturm - Market Day
8 p.m. Co-founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies, Sturm has set this beautifully crafted historical fiction in the Eastern European countryside of the 1900s. His day in the life of Mendleman, a carpet peddler, uses spare narrative and finely-honed images to achieve a powerful emotional resonance.
Geppi Museum curator Arnold Blumberg featured in Post
Washington Post September 10, 2010; B01
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Weldon on Cruse's Stuck Rubber Baby
Back in Print: In 'Stuck Rubber Baby,' Civil Rights In Black & White & Gray
by Glen Weldon
September 8, 2010
Comic Riffs on Peanuts syndication move
Good grief: 'PEANUTS' will leave syndicate in February for Universal [UPDATED]
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog September 9, 2010
Tonight! Keith Knight and Richard Thompson duet
Thursday September 9
Richard Thompson & Keith Knight
7 p.m. In conjunction with the Small Press Expo (September 11-12 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center), we're delighted to host two artists who excel at contemplating the minutiae of everyday life and making it hilarious. Thompson's strip is focused on a loveable family in a suburban development, while Knight's is told through the eyes of a city dweller.
and the following evening-
Friday September 10
James Sturm - Market Day
8 p.m. Co-founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies, Sturm has set this beautifully crafted historical fiction in the Eastern European countryside of the 1900s. His day in the life of Mendleman, a carpet peddler, uses spare narrative and finely-honed images to achieve a powerful emotional resonance.
New local comics publisher Lost Art Books launches at SPX
Meet a Local Comics Publisher: A Chat with Joe Procopio
Posted by Mike Rhode on Sep. 9, 2010 at 11:06 am
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
3 - count 'em - 3 links to local writers' stories
Requiem for an Overweight
by Tim Kreider on September 7th, 2010
Caro looks glancingly at the great Radebaugh -
Too Much is Never Enough: Morris Lapidus’ Postmodern Curves
by Caroline Small on September 8th, 2010
and Weldon sneaks in a Kevin Huizenga review -
A Funny, Fractured Field Guide To A 'Wild Kingdom'
by Glen Weldon
National Public Radio's Books We Like September 4, 2010
PR: Bamn at SPX This Weekend
Don't tell the other cons this...but the Small Press Expo is my favorite.
Created with the purpose of showcasing the brightest in indie comics (and letting them pimp thier books to you), SPX takes place every year in my home state of Maryland. But that's not why she's my prize stallion. Nope, the reason is that SPX is where Bamn, Jay, and I introduced ourselves to the comic industry. It's the moment of realization that we weren't the fans anymore, we were the professionals. For that reason, --- for the nostalgic electricy in the air at SPX --- she's my favorite.
Like previous years, SPX will be held at the Marriott in North Bethesda and, once again, she seems primed to disrupt the quiet "city" of Rockville for 2 nights.
You should be there this weekend. Buy some stuff and discover some new art. I'm certain it will be as memorable for you.
The Official SPX Website
We Are At Table W6b!
The DC Conspiracy Will Be There With Fresh Copies Of The Magic Bullet!
Greg McElhatton's Read About Comics website
Welcome to Read About Comics! Read About Comics’s goal is to help keep you informed and updated on comics of all shapes, styles, sizes, and genres. Hopefully there will be a little something for everyone here, no matter what sort of comics you enjoy reading. Read About Comics is written and produced by Greg McElhatton.
Greg McElhatton was a founding contributing writer to Wizard: The Guide to Comics, providing interviews and articles on a regular basis between issues #1 and 58. He has served on the Small Press Expo Steering Committee since 1997, and was Executive Director for the 2002 and 2003 shows. Between 1999 and 2006 he wrote 1000 reviews for iComics.com. He has served as a judge for the Eisner Awards, wrote the monthly “Things to Come” column for just over two years at Ninth Art, and contributed an essay to St. Martin’s Press’ The Year’s Best Graphic Novels, Comics & Manga in 2005. Outside of comics his fiction has been published by Penguin Putnam and Barnes & Noble. In his spare time he runs marathons.
Since he's taking a break, that gives you all a chance to go through and read everything he's posted so far.
I've also added some links to local sites, including Greg's to the far right list.