Mark Wheatley interview

Comics: The Spider Vs. Iron Man?
Mark Wheatley on The Spider: Burning Lead for the Walking Dead, and His Renewed Love of Painting
By Bill Baker, Columnist
July 19, 2011
http://www.themortonreport.com/arts/comics-the-spider-versus-the-original-iron-man/

Truitt on Untold Tales of Comic Industry film project

Comic creator turns documentarian for 'Untold Tales'
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY September 1 2011
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2011-09-01/Comic-creator-turns-documentarian-for-Untold-Tales/50221988/1

Post reviews superhero movie Griff the Invisible

A love story for superheroes
By Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post Sep 02, 2011
http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/movies/griff-the-invisible,1210232/critic-review.html

Team Cul de Sac featured in Asheville newspaper

Asheville man rallies comic artists to raise money for Parkinson's research
Written by Jason Sandford
Asheville Citizen-Times Sep. 2, 2011
 http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110903/NEWS/309030035/Asheville-man-rallies-comic-artists-raise-money-Parkinson-s-research

Cul de Sac pics up new paper

Cartoonist decides to bring 'Family Tree' to end
Casa Grande Dispatch September 2, 2011
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/articles/2011/09/02/casa_grande_dispatch/valley_life/doc4e6108bcbccf5672384000.txt

Onion's AV club likes Cul de Sac

Newspaper Comics 

by Noel Murray September 1, 2011

http://www.avclub.com/articles/newspaper-comics,61171/1/

Griff the Invisible superhero movie reviewed in Washington Examiner

'True Blood' actor is anything but invisible in sweet indie [Griff the Invisible].

By: Kelly Jane Torrance

Washington Examiner (September 2 2011): http://washingtonexaminer.com/entertainment/2011/09/true-blood-actor-anything-invisible-sweet-indie

Sept 24: Warren Bernard in Seattle for Drawing Power

Warren Bernard will be in Seattle speaking about the advertisements reprinted in Drawing Power.  Here's Fantagraphics' info, as well as some photos from Bruce Guthrie of the Politics and Prose signing in DC. Warren will also sign the books at SPX.

NPR on DC's DCnU reboot

TAP! CLICK! SLIDE! The Ambitious DC Comics Reboot Arrives — Er, Downloads
by Glen Weldon
National Public Radio's Monkey See blog August 31, 2011
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/08/31/140081349/tap-click-slide-the-ambitious-dc-comics-reboot-arrives-er-downloads

Several DC Comics Go Back To Issue No. 1
Melissa Block
National Public Radio's All Things Considered August 31, 2011
http://www.npr.org/2011/08/31/140093549/several-dc-comics-go-back-to-issue-no-1
http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2011/08/20110831_atc_15.mp3

Meet a Visiting SPX Cartoonist: A Chat With Keith Knight

 by Mike Rhode on Sep. 1, 2011

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/visual-arts/2011/09/01/meet-a-visiting-cartoonist-a-chat-with-keith-knight/

 

The first of the SPX-specific interviews launches...

Matt Wuerker's 9-11 cartoons displayed at ToonSeum

Too Soon?: A cartoon retrospective of 9/11 and panel discussion at ToonSeum
Press Release
TOONSEUM
945 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh PA 15222

Too Soon?: A Cartoon Retrospective of 9/11

An exhibition featuring comic strip and editorial cartoon reflections on and responses to 9/11.

Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011, marks the 10th anniversary of one of the darkest days in American history. It was also marks a day of remarkable bravery and courage. In honor of the occasion, the major comic syndicates have rallied their cartoonists to dedicate their strips on that day to those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks.

All the participating comic strips will also be appearing in the September 11th, 2011 Sunday comics pages across the country.  these iconic strips, all illustrating the Remembering 9/11 theme, demonstrate a wide range of response from patriotic to deeply emotional.

With the help of King Features, The ToonSeum in Pittsburgh, along with the Newseum in Washington, D.C., the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in New York City, and the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco will host special exhibits featuring the cartoonists' commemorative works.  Each museum will have a different selection of 15 original strips from Beetle Bailey to Mutts.

The ToonSeum will expand upon this exhibit by displaying editorial cartoons that ran shortly after 9-11. These powerful and sometimes controversial pieces were created by editorial cartoonists from the three areas hit by the terrorists: New York, Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh (Shanksville, flight 93). Garry Trudeau of Doonesbury fame and alternative cartoonist Ted Rall represent New York, Matt Wuerker of Politico represents Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette cartoonist Rob Rogers represents the Pittsburgh area.

The exhibition will run from September 10th-September 25th.

As part of the exhibition the ToonSeum will also present a panel discussion on September 9th, entitled "Too Soon?: Humor, Art and Media in a Post-9/11 World."

The panel will discuss the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the effect it had on humor, art and the media. Everyone from artists to comedians to cartoonists struggled to find their way in the days and weeks following the devastating and tragic events of 9/11. Was it OK to laugh? Was it OK to criticize those in power? Or was it too soon?

The panelists include former Warhol director Tom Sokolowski, WDVE Morning
Show host Jimmy Krenn, nationally-syndicated alternative cartoonist Ted
Rall, and nationally-syndicated Post-Gazette editorial cartoonist Rob Rogers.

The panel will be moderated by Chris Potter, editor of The Pittsburgh City Paper

Panel will take place September 9th, 7pm at Bricolage Theater.
Event is free to attend by donations are welcome and reservations are
encouraged. Tickets at www.toosoon.eventbrite.com
The Exhibition and panel are made possible through the generous support of
the R K Mellon Foundation.

September 9th, 2011, 7 PM
Bricolage Theater
937 Liberty Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Exhibit Preview
September 9th, 2011, 5pm-7pm
ToonSeum
945 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Toonseum.org
For press interviews or images
contact joe@toonseum.com
Joe Wos
412-232-0199

Local cartoonists and the 9-11 comic strip

Comic Riffs recently ran an article about comic strips doing a 9-11 commmemorative. We've got four strip local creators, so I asked them - are you doing a 9-11 strip?

Donna Lewis of "Reply All":

Yes. :-)

USA Today has a preview panel here and they included a panel of mine. :-) (very honored).

Richard Thompson of "Cul de Sac":

No, I didn't do one. I couldn't find a graceful way of putting a 9-11 comment into the small world of Cul de Sac that didn't diminish the commentary and the strip. The one cartoon on 9-11 that's stayed with me over the last decade is a Tom the Dancing Bug from a few weeks after the actual event. It's here. I couldn't offer anything as eloquent as that. For what it's worth I'm going to post three old cartoons I did on 9-11 on my blog.

Gene Weingarten, writer of "Barney & Clyde":

Yep, we have one.

Kevin Rechin, artist of "Crock" could not be reached for comment.

Comics Riffs on Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat

ALI FERZAT GALLERY: Eight eye-catching cartoons to support beaten Syrian artist

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog August 31 2011
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/ali-ferzat-gallery-eight-eye-catching-cartoons-to-support-beaten-syrian-artist/2011/08/30/gIQAXjrjrJ_blog.html

Note local cartoonists Matt Wuerker and Nate Beeler are featured.

Comic Riffs interviews Dan DiDio on DC's reboot

THE NEW 52: DC's DAN DiDIO shares his take on Wednesday's hotly anticipated relaunch
by David Betancourt
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog (August 31 2011)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/the-new-52-dcs-dan-didio-shares-his-take-on-wednesdays-hotly-anticipated-relaunch/2011/08/30/gIQAoSKwqJ_blog.html

Jo Chen cover for Captain Victory #1

There's a shot of Jo Chen's cover in this interview:

Gates Revives "Captain Victory"
by Steve Sunu, August 31 2011
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=34106

PR: Craig Thompson's HABIBI Debuts For CBLDF at SPX 2011

Craig Thompson's HABIBI Debuts
at SPX 2011 to Benefit CBLDF!

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is proud to host Craig Thompson at this year's Small Press Expo, and to premiere his eagerly awaited graphic novel HABIBI! Through a special arrangement with Random House, a benefit preview edition of 100 signed & numbered copies of the graphic novel will be available to donors who contribute $100 or more to the CBLDF at SPX. These copies will be available on a first-come, first served basis when the show opens on Saturday, September 10.

In addition to this rare preview, the CBLDF is also auctioning off lunch at SPX with Craig and #1/100 from this preview edition on eBay starting on Tuesday, August 30th, and ending on Thursday, September 8th. Bid on this exciting auction now!

Craig Thompson says, "It's very exciting to be able to launch HABIBI at SPX in a way that gives back to the CBLDF. I got my start in small press comics, and have always been supportive of the CBLDF. Being able to help out in this way, and to appear at the show with HABIBI feels like a homecoming."

Sprawling across an epic landscape of deserts, harems, and modern industrial clutter, HABIBI tells the tale of Dodola and Zam, refugee child slaves bound to each other by chance, circumstance, and love. We follow them as their lives unfold together and apart; as they struggle to make a place for themselves in a world fueled by fear and greed.

At once contemporary and timeless, HABIBI gives us a love story of astounding resonance; a parable about our relationship to the natural world, the cultural divide between the first and third worlds, the common heritage of Christianity and Islam, and the magic of storytelling.

This is a rare opportunity to spend time with one of the great modern cartoonists, and receive an extremely limited edition of what is sure to be the biggest graphic novel event of 2011.

All proceeds from this auction will immediately benefit the First Amendment legal work of the CBLDF.

Sept 13: Georgetown Library Graphic Novel Club meets

On September 13th, the Georgetown Library Graphic Novel Club meets at 6:30 pm for the first time, discussing Batman: Battle for the Cowl. For information call 202-727-0232.

SPX at LOC in TCJ

An interview with Warren Bernard over the Library of Congress' new deposit collection -

Introducing The Small Press Expo Collection
BY Dan Nadel Aug 30, 2011
http://www.tcj.com/introducing-the-small-press-expo-collection/

A prediction about Habibi

I talked to Craig Thompson today for a City Paper feature, and thus got to read the galleys of Habibi early. 

My prediction - this graphic novel, and it really is more like a novel that you have to read in chunks - will be the hot book of 2011 in the wide world, the way Mazzuchelli's Asterios Polyp was in 2009.

It's not for kids though.

Comic Riffs on 9/11 comic strips and Stripped documentary

9/11 TRIBUTE: Comics pages will mark 10th anniversary of Sept. 11 tragedy
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog (August 30 2011)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/911-tribute-comics-pages-will-mark-10th-anniversary-of-sept-11-tragedy/2011/08/30/gIQAZMm4pJ_blog.html

'STRIPPED': Comics documentary reaches Kickstarter target of $58K
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog (August 29 2011)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/stripped-comics-documentary-reaches-kickstarter-target-of-58k/2011/08/29/gIQApZJcoJ_blog.html

Richard (Cul de Sac) Thompson was interviewed for the latter; I'm not sure if he or Donna (Reply All) Lewis or Gene (Barney & Clyde) Weingarten or Kevin (Crock) Rechin are participating in the former.