Sunday, October 03, 2010

Saturday, October 02, 2010

Schulz photo at National Portrait Gallery

Bruce Guthrie photo of Snoopy, Mrs Karsh and Mrs Schulz

Bruce Guthrie has his photos of the ceremony in which a Karsh portrait of Charles Schulz was donated to the National Portrait Gallery.

Schulz's hometown paper covered the event - Portrait Gallery presents 'Peanuts' creator Schulz, by CHRIS SMITH, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT October 1, 2010

as did the Associated Press - Smithsonian Portrait Gallery presents ‘Peanuts’ creator, By Associated Press Saturday, October 2, 2010

Today in The New York (Comics) Times

Animated series via India from Tom Hanks - Tom Hanks Uses Web to Plot the Future, By DAVE ITZKOFF, October 2, 2010

People will still be talking about going to San Diego - Comic-Con to Stay in San Diego Through 2015, By DAVE ITZKOFF, October 2 2010

and Al Jaffee, the great Mad cartoonist is profiled - New Sketch of a Madcap’s Mad Life, By ALISON LEIGH COWAN, October 2, 2010

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Ava Ann Vrooman

My next 'Meet a Local Cartoonist' with Ava Ann Vrooman snuck onto the City Paper's website yesterday.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/books/2010/10/01/meet-a-local-cartoonist-a-chat-with-ava-ann-vrooman/

Friday, October 01, 2010

Friend of ComicsDC Dustin Harbin featured on Inkstuds

Dustin Harbin.
Inkstuds September 29 2010
http://inkstuds.com/?p=3174

Gazette features local Maryland stores

Big Planet College Park and Comic Classics are the two stores in
Comic stores struggle to adapt in the digital age
College Park, Laurel stores rely on "guilty pleasure" of books

by Lindsey Robbins
Gazette September 29 2010

Regarding retaining or attracting customers - I realize this is just a blog, but one would think someone at one of the stores would have sent me a note about the article. Also, I've never even heard of Comic Classics*, let alone gotten a note asking to feature a link to them. Sour grapes? or poor business practices?

*they don't appear to have a website either.

Groening curates American Visionary Museum of Art exhibit in Baltimore

Making them smile: With 'Simpsons' creator Matt Groening, the American Visionary Museum of Art enlists some star power for its latest exhibit
By Michael Sragow, The Baltimore Sun October 1, 2010

Frank Cho at Mid-Ohio Con

Scoop has the details on Cho's November 6-7 appearance.

Cavna on Peanuts at Portrait Gallery


'PEANUTS' TURNS 60: Smithsonian pays tribute this weekend with portrait unveiling & Family Day
By Michael Cavna 
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog October 1, 2010



The end of 'Cathy' comes Sunday

Cathy Guisewite is ending her strip 'Cathy' on Sunday and there's been some newspaper articles wondering how it'll end. Here's how I think it will NOT end:

With Cathy having shed 20 pounds and gotten a full-body wax for a flourishing career as a swimsuit model;

With Cathy and Irving putting their son in a rocket and sending him from their doomed planet;

With Cathy and Irving waving goodbye to their children as the train leaves for Hogwarts;

With Cathy having died to save the universe from the Anti-Monitor;

With Cathy and Irving riding a sled through the woods;

With Cathy gunned down on a city street after seeing a Zorro movie while her young son watches in horror;

With Cathy frozen in a block of carbonite;

With Cathy elected as the first female President of the US;

With Cathy drowning while saving a young child from a swollen stream;

With Cathy and Irving walking off, saying "This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship";

With protests throughout the Muslim world.

Warren Bernard's new book solicited in new Previews

Previews is the catalogue that comic book stores use to stock their shelves. Friend of ComicsDC Warren Bernard's new book Drawing Power, on advertiesments by cartoonists, is solicited in new Previews. Since Previews' website sucks, here's a link to Drawing Power by Rick Marschall and Bernard at Fantagraphics Books' site.

Ben Claassen III's Crafty Bastardly Paper in City Paper

Ben Claassen's done artwork for the guide to this weekend's Crafty Bastards fair that's in the Oct 1 City Paper.

Oct 9: Crumb appears in Maryland


A tip from Warren Bernard -

Chestertown Book Festival

Good to the Last Crumb
Saturday, October 9
1:00-3:00PM
Prince Theatre, 210 High Street, Chestertown, Maryland 21620

R. Crumb, founder of the underground comix movement, will be in conversation with Idiots' Books illustrator Robbi Behr. Crumb and Behr will discuss his life's work, the importance of the public library in a community, and field audience questions. Book sale and signing to follow.

-and Michael Dirda, the Post's excellent book critic will be there too.

Jack Black illustration for Express



There's another lovely Jack Black illustration in today's Express - an alien family watching television.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Wimpy Kid joins Macy's Thanksgiving parade

Wimpy Kid Balloon Joins Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
By Sally Lodge
Sep 30, 2010

...as a reminder, Kinney was a University of Maryland cartoonist prior to hitting it big with his Wimpy Kid.

Waking Sleeping Beauty reviewed in City Paper

Fincher's hyper, fictionalized Facebook flick; Disney's dysfunctional family
By Tricia Olszewski
Washington City Paper October 1, 2010

I guess the Disney documentary is playing here somewhere, but it's not on the City Paper's movie site yet.

Oct 2: Peanuts at National Portrait Gallery

On October 2, the National Portrait Gallery will host a family-and-friends day with events for all ages: cartooning workshops; a screening of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; and guest appearances from Snoopy and Schulz friend Lee Mendelson, executive producer of all the classic PEANUTS specials.

Wertham article in print City Paper; longer version online

The online version has many more quotes from people about WHAT IT ALL MEANS.

A Comics Villain Revisited: What Will the Opening of Fredric Wertham's
Papers Mean for Comic-Book Scholarship?
Posted by Mike Rhode on Sep. 30, 2010
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/books/2010/09/30/a-comics-villain-revisited-what-will-the-opening-of-fredric-werthams-papers-mean-for-comic-book-scholarship/

Thru Oct 17: Peanuts play in town


Tickets are $25 from No Rules Theater at the H Street Playhouse -

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Book, Music & Lyrics by Clark Gesner
Additional Dialogue by Micael Mayer
Additional Music & Lyrics by Andrew Lippa

Directed by Matt Cowart
Choreographed by Pauline Grossman
Musically Directed by Taylor Williams

Cast
Lucy - Carolyn Cole
Snoopy - Chris French
Sally - Kristen Garaffo
Schroeder - Sean Maurice Lynch
Linus - Joshua Morgan
Charlie Brown - Augie Praley

WASHINGTON DC TICKETS
H Street Playhouse - Washington, DC
Theatre Mania Box Office: 866-811-4111
9/30 - 8pm | 10/1 - 8pm | 10/2 - 2pm & 8pm | 10/3 - 2pm
10/7 - 8pm | 10/8 - 8pm | 10/9 - 2pm & 8pm | 10/10 - 2pm
10/14 - 8pm | 10/15 - 8pm | 10/16 - 2pm & 8pm | 10/17 - 2pm