ROM remake

The Ginger Rabbit Studio blog is putting together an homage/remake of ROM Spaceknight #1 (Marvel Comics, 1979). Local cartoonist Rafer Roberts has done a page. I believe the entire remade issue will be posted when it is completed.

Courtesy of Rafer Roberts

Screenprinting exhibit July 13

Young Masters Without Voices: New Voices in Screenprinting highlights the work of five D.C. artists: Tang, Fawna Xiao, John Deardourff, Mel Oppenheim and Shanice Kirby. According to Open Studio DC, which is hosting the event July 13 from 6-8 p.m., the show is a “celebration of youth and natural ingenuity, and an exploration of creative intuition. Each of these artists utilizes screenprinting in modern and unique ways, either through unusual media combinations, aesthetics or processes.”

Screenprint titled "Shazam!" by John Deardourff (Courtesy of Deardourff)

Awesome Con Kickstarter success!

Awesome Con D.C. has succeeded in its Kickstarter campaign, so expect a larger show for 2014! As time for the crowdsourcing campaign expired today, the convention raise $56,248, surpassing its goal of $50,000. 

David Hagen paintings available at Civitans flea market

David Hagen's paintings were available today at the Civitans flea market in the parking deck over Route 66 at the Washington-Lee High School. I stopped by and most of them had sold out.

Game On! Comics 4th of July sale

Fourth of July SALE!! 

Come in this Thursday from 11am to 8pm for our 4th of July Sale!

25%-50% OFF Almost Everything in the Store!

50% OFF all Back Issues

25% OFF all Games*

25% OFF all Heroclix 

25% OFF all Action Figures

25% OFF all Graphic Novels

Additional 25% OFF Sale items!

*excludes Magic the Gathering

Fantom Comics 4th of July sale

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! Just a quick reminder about our Fourth of July Sale... All graphic novels are 20% off! That graphic novel you've been eyeing for the longest? Yes, it's 20% off today! All t-shirts are 20 off% and with new t-shirt stock coming in just yesterday. And look! Uncle Sam is rolling up his sleeves and coming on down to Fantom Comics because he wants to read up on his buddy, Captain America because are Captain America graphic novels are 25% off! Store hours today are from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Big Planet 4th of July sale

...starts in a few hours.

Comic Riffs talks to Cullen Bunn

'THE SIXTH GUN': Cullen Bunn on the art of weaving the supernatural Western
By David Betancourt
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog July 3 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/the-sixth-gun-cullen-bunn-on-the-art-of-weaving-the-supernatural-western/2013/07/03/3b0695ac-e373-11e2-80eb-3145e2994a55_blog.html#pagebreak

Art Hondros' Song of Sandy Hook part 8 - the end

Thanks to Art Hondros choosing ComicsDC to serialize his story.

Get published in a zine

The D.C. Zinefest is accepting submissions for a zine from folks who have never been published, including cartoonists. The deadline is July 8; the theme: D.C. Click here for more info.
 

Wash Post on Primates, Despicable Me 2, and The Lone Ranger

Jim Ottaviani's 'Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas'

By  Abby McGanney Nolan,

Washington Post July 3 2013 http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/jim-ottavianis-primates-the-fearless-science-of-jane-goodall-dian-fossey-and-birute-galdikas/2013/07/02/7465c776-da1a-11e2-a9f2-42ee3912ae0e_story.html  

 

'The Lone Ranger': Johnny Depp is a cool Tonto, but the movie drags

By Ann Hornaday,

Washington Post July 3 2013 http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/the-lone-ranger-johnny-depp-is-a-cool-tonto-but-the-movie-drags/2013/07/02/84ddd058-e31b-11e2-aef3-339619eab080_story.html

 

Movie review: 'Despicable Me 2'

By Stephanie Merry,

Washington Post July 3, 2013 http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/movie-review-despicable-me-2/2013/07/02/4d67d33a-e311-11e2-aef3-339619eab080_story.html

PR: Awesome Con Kickstarter campaign update

Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend Important Info: April 19-20, 2014 Saturday 10-7 Sunday 10-5 Washington Convention Center Washington, DC 20001 Mt. Vernon Square Metro station (Green/Yellow lines) Text/call (240)346-0399 for more info Only 4 more days! Read this, it's important!  The Kickstarter Campaign is almost over, and we only need about $6,000 more! We added a few more bonuses for all backers, as well a few more reward tiers. If you decide you want one of the new rewards, you still have time to change your reward tier. On top of that, if you want to add one of our existing exclusive comics (Regular Show #1, Fionna & Cake #1, Adventure Time #15, TMNT #1) to your reward, just add $15 per comic and send us a note about which one you want.  Here's the big news: As long as the campaign is funded, we're going to add a PREVIEW NIGHTto Awesome Con on Friday, April 18. All backers of at least the $25 reward will get access to Preview Night at no extra cost!! We've also added a cool reward tier that features some original art! For Awesome Con 2013, we had an exclusive variant cover of Regular Show #1. On the back of this comic book is a blank page for artwork. Well, we had a number of artists do some, and more artists have volunteered to do some, so everyone who pledges at this level gets the Regular Show #1 with ORIGINAL ARTWORK, along with everything in the SUPERHERO ASSIST + T-SHIRT tier. What we'll do is give everyone a choice of which artist they want, starting with the first backer at this reward level. Here's a list of artists we will have artwork from: Robert Ullman, Matt Slay, Jerry "Franchize" Gaylord, Pennie Gaylord, Bryan Turner, Mark Mariano, Dan Nokes, Drew Blank, Louie LaDalombara from Geek Boy Press, Keir Lyles, John "Waki" Wycough, Chris Flick, Scott Markley, Dawn Griffin, Bryan G. Brown, and MORE! If you've already signed up for a reward and you don't want to change it, you can add $50 to your reward tier and get a Regular Show #1 with ORIGINAL ARTWORK on it!! Just make sure you send us a note to let us know that's what you want.    The other big thing we're doing for all of our backers, we will send out the link to our room block at the Renaissance Hotel to backers at least one week before we publish the link on our website. Our rate is $139 + tax, that's the best rate I've ever seen at that hotel. Maybe they're trying to build a relationship with us because there's a new hotel opening up next year next to the Convention Center. I don't know, but $139 per night at a downtown DC four-star hotel is amazing, and it's within walking distance to the con (it's just across the square). I know it's not a huge perk, but if you're planning to travel to the con it can save you a few hundred dollars.    These two added benefits will ONLY happen if the Kickstarter campaign is funded. The con will still happen if we aren't funded, but we may have to scale back a few things that we want to do if we have to look somewhere else for funding. It will be Awesome regardless.    Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions! I've already spoken to a few people who were on the fence about the Sidekick/Vigilante/Superhero levels and they decided to go for it after having a few things clarified. If you're concerned about the guests we'll have at Awesome Con 2014, take a look at the guest lists from Emerald City Comicon, Megacon, and Wizard World. We're talking to agents for a lot of the same people.    THANK YOU!!!!   http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1611556041/awesome-con-dc

Tracking Truitt at USA Today

Neil Gaiman returns to 'The Sandman' in October: New 'Overture' miniseries features an untold story illustrated by J.H. Williams III.
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY July 1, 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2013/07/01/neil-gaiman-the-sandman-overture-comic-book-series/2480171/

'Miami Vice,' 'Knight Rider' return as digital comics: Three other retro shows from the 1980s and '90s are also getting the treatment this year.
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY uly 2, 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2013/07/02/miami-vice-knight-rider-1980s-retro-tv-comic-books/2481811/

Author Jeff Lindsay takes a stab at 'Dexter' comic book: Just as the Showtime series is ending, the vigilante serial killer comes alive in comic-book form.
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY  July 2, 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2013/07/02/dexter-comic-book-series/2483309/

Game On! Comics July 4th sale

Our Weekly Video Magazine!

Game On! Comics Video Magazine about Comics of the Week

 

Fourth of July SALE!! 

Come in this Thursday from 11am to 8pm for our 4th of July Sale!

25%-50% OFF Almost Everything in the Store!

50% OFF all Back Issues

25% OFF all Games*

25% OFF all Heroclix 

25% OFF all Action Figures

25% OFF all Graphic Novels

Additional 25% OFF Sale items!

*excludes Magic the Gathering

Art Hondros' Song of Sandy Hook part 7

Comic Riffs on Entertainment Weekly's Top 10 graphic novel list

OF 'MAUS' AND MAN: Are these really the top-10 graphic novels ever?

 By Michael Cavna

Washington Post Comic Riffs July 2 2013

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/of-mausand-man-are-these-really-the-top-10-graphic-novels-ever/2013/07/02/8b93217c-e2c7-11e2-80eb-3145e2994a55_blog.html

Art Hondros' Song of Sandy Hook part 6

International Ink extra: Gettysburg: The Graphic History

The Battle of Gettysburg, a turning point in the Civil War, took place 150 years ago today. Gettysburg: The Graphic History by Wayne Vansant (Zenith Press, 2013, $20) is a graphic history of the story of the battle. Robert E. Lee of the Confederate Army had led his troops north to Pennsylvania, hoping to both shock the North and reprovision his armies with food and clothing captured from Union states. The Union, or Federal troops, under the newly appointed Major General George Meade, intercepted them near the small town of Gettysburg in southern Pennsylvania. Although Lee did not want to fight a pitched engagement, his cavalry scouts under JEB Stuart had wandered south towards Washington and didn't warn him away from the Union (or Federal) troops. Once some of his troops were committed, Lee decided to fight, hoping to punch a whole in the Union line of defenders. For three days, the two sides fought with thousands of men until the Union broke a last chance charge by General George Pickett. On July 4th, the Confederates retreated, and Meade didn't follow them in spite of President Lincoln's urgings.

The story is so big and complex that it doesn't fit well into 96 pages. Vansant does a competent job of explaining the preparations before the battle, the three days of the battle and the aftermath, including the full text of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address which dedicated the Union cemetery. He's obviously used reference photographs, and his artwork makes the famous people recognizable, if a bit stiff. He approaches the story chronologically, and one can get an idea of how the battle unfolded, but the book remains rather dry. Given his young adult audience, Vansant draws a minimum of bloodshed. When he writes, "Down below, General Hood's left arm was shattered by a shell burst," he draws Hood and his horse blinded and pushed to one side by the explosion and only colors them with a golden wash. I do not think most readers would actually want any more graphic detail than that, but Vansant's decision does sap some of the essence out of the story. His need to jump from one small segment of the battle to the next, unavoidable as it may be, has the same effect.

The story appears to be factually correct, although some items such as drawing Confederate General Lewis Armistead advancing with his hat speared on his sword aren't explained. Perhaps he thought sharpshooters would aim for his hat? A final round of proof-reading would have avoided mistakes such as "Choked with emotion because he did not want to make this attack, Longstreet nearly nodded." (p. 81) Presumably 'merely' is meant, not 'nearly' since a near nod is not much of a military command.

In conclusion, this book is most likely to appeal to a boy who already has an interest in the Civil War or military history, and is a perfectly reasonable starting place for someone looking at the vast amount of Gettysburg literature.

Still coming next - Tommysaurus Rex.

Nick Galifianakis joins Go Comics

Nick Galifianakis joins Go Comics today with reprints of his Washington Post work for Carolyn Hax's column. The first panel is here.

Big Planet Comics' July 4th sale