Thursday, December 26, 2013

12/27: Kal featured with Baltimore Improv Group Friday night!


From: Kevin Kallaugher

Looking for some post-Holiday fun? Come to The Creative Alliance for Baltimore Improv Group's End-of the-Year Extravaganza... Friday December 27! I will be doing some live cartooning and riffing on the themes of 2013...


I hope to see you there!

Spread the word!

Best

Kal


Kal's New retrospective collection Daggers Drawn is now available to order


 
December 25th, 2013

 

   

 

 

December 27th - The Creative Alliance - 3134 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore

It's time to celebrate the holidays again...and we've got an old-fashioned spectacle for you. It's our first ever improvised holiday special! We'll deliver an evening filled with scenes of seasonal delight, audience interviews, and music, tied up with a sparkly bow. What else makes it special? We've got our old friend KAL back to take our cheer to a new level!

 

 

© Copyright 2013 Baltimore Improv Group. All rights reserved.
P.O. Box 50008 | Baltimore, MD 21211 | 888-745-8393 | info@bigimprov.org
 
The Baltimore Improv Group (BIG) is a 501(3) (c) non-profit group dedicated to advancing the art of improvisational theatre in the greater Baltimore area. We hope you'll join us by supporting us with a financial contribution. Donating is easy and tax deductible.  Donate Now!




Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Traffic safety doesn't stop for Christmas

Montgomery Co. uses comic book story to teach safety

Wednesday - 12/25/2013, 3:31pm  ET

comic.jpg
Montgomery County launches a new safety campaign. (Photo: Montgomery County Pedestrian Safety Initiative)

Can a graphic novel be a lifesaver?

WTOP's Kate Ryan reports

http://wtop.com/46/3531307/Montgomery-Co-uses-comic-book-story-to-teach-safety

http://media.dev-cms.com/wtop/32/3208/320817.MP3

Atlanta TV station recommends March

Civil Rights Leader John Lewis gives unique gift to members of Congress

Devin Fehely
Dec 25, 2013   
http://www.11alive.com/news/article/317036/40/Civil-Rights-Leader-John-Lewis-gives-unique-gift-to-members-of-Congress

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night

Our best wishes to all of you for the season, and for all of 2014. We'll be back later in the week.

SPX 2014's lottery system for tables

Dear Creators, Publishers, and Friends,

We hope you've had a great 2013!  As we look ahead to next fall and the SPX 2014, we need to update you on a few things.  We'll be making some changes to our registration process and we want to walk you through them.

The rush for SPX tables last year revealed that simply moving our long-time "first come, first serve" rules to a digital format was not the right solution. Beyond the website issues that plagued us (A pox on your household, Bluehost!), it was clear from the overall feedback that we needed to rethink the entire process. So back to the drawing board we went.

We Have a Plan

We've given loads of thought to how best to manage the show given its recent growth and taking into account what's going on in the independent comics community we exist to support. After a great deal of careful consideration, we've made the decision that for 2014, SPX is moving to a split registration system. Half of our tables will be awarded by an open Lottery and half byinvitation.

About the Lottery

Here's a crazy notion: SPX has literally doubled in size since 2011. We are now able to accommodate a larger and more diverse group of creators than ever before.  And we're committed to keeping SPX open to all, whether you're just starting out or have been honing your craft for years. Moving to a table Lottery allows us to meet these goals while removing the potential for unfairness and unquestionable inconvenience that had crept into our "first come, first serve" process.  

Going forward there will be total transparency to how people get their tables and how the wait list works. We'll have a simple initial registration and a lengthy window of registration so you won't be dealing with website crashes. This will be a truly random and fair process to reserve your tables.

About those Invitations

Let's get the "C" word out of the way up front. SPX has no interest in broadly "curating" our show based on content.  Whereas other shows use this method quite well, we prefer a different path.

On the other hand, each year we try to put together thematically consistent groups of guests. We begin working on guests a full year in advance and that work continues up until a few weeks before showtime. We need to ensure that we have the appropriate table space to offer our featured creators.  This is not a major change from year's past but by acknowledging these folks as invited, the process is more transparent.

Along with our annual guests, another group that is just as important are the creators and publishers who have continuously supported SPX over the last half decade or more. These folks have been instrumental in creating the community that we cherish. Without these stalwarts, SPX would be utterly unrecognizable and the growth of the last several years would have been impossible.  With our 20th Birthday Party approaching, we would not want to have these friends miss the festivities.

As to how this will work, practically speaking, prior to the Lottery, SPX will reach out to those legacy supporters of SPX offering them a window of opportunity to commit to their table(s).  If the table space is declined, it will then roll over to the Lottery pool and be available to all Lottery participants.

What to Expect

1. By early January we will notify all of the SPX Legacy members so everyone knows whether they need to register for the Lottery or not.
 
2. In mid-January we will send out via both our exhibitor e-mail list and social media the start and end dates for Lottery registration. A web site will be provided to enter your information as well as further details on the registration process. We will also announce the final size of the number of tables in the Lottery pool.
 
3. There will be a 3 week window to register for the Lottery, so we can avoid the crazy, mad rush to sign up online that plagued us last year. Weekly reminders will go out via our e-mail list and social media to be sure that this is kept on everyone's radar.
 
So There it Is

We're growing - this community is growing - and with growth comes change.  Given our experience last year, we're sure these changes to our registration process are for the better.  

We're committed keeping SPX an open, welcoming event and to using a transparent, democratic process that ensures new creators have an equal opportunity to participate.

With our 20th Birthday coming up, we want to have a really happy party crowd!!!

Any questions, do not hesitate to send us a note to EXHIBITORS@SPXPO.COM and we will get right back to you with answers.

Thanks all,

Mike and Eden and Dan and Sam and Sarah and Bill and Catherine and and Nate and Warren and Greg and John and Rusty and Joe

Sunday, December 22, 2013

The Post quotes the LA Times on Internet animation

This article is in the Dec 22nd Post as Animation guru predicts 'golden age' online.

 

Fred Seibert foresees 'next golden age of animation' on Internet

Seibert, producer of the online series 'Bee & PuppyCat' for YouTube's Cartoon Hangover, is responsible for some of the most successful animated TV shows of the 1990s.

By Richard Verrier

December 18, 2013,

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-fred-seibert-bee-puppycat-20131217,0,1951773,full.story


The Simpsons, Math and The Post's review

Simpsons and a Slide Rule [online title: Mathematics and Homer Simpson]

By Jordan Ellenberg,

Washington Post December 22 2013

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2013/12/20/ef1bfaa6-5b9a-11e3-bf7e-f567ee61ae21_story.html

Those darn comic strips

Good commentary, but bad tax advice, in the comics

Glenn Easton, William F. Baxter

Washington Post December 21 2013

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/good-commentary-but-bad-tax-advice-in-the-comics/2013/12/20/f8d7a2c4-68b1-11e3-997b-9213b17dac97_story.html

Happy Holidays from ComicsDC

Michael Pohrer whipped us up a holiday card this year. Happy Holidays from all of us at ComicsDC.


Justin Aclin interview on Post's religion blog

Atheists battling supernatural villains: Q&A with Justin Aclin [S.H.O.O.T. First]

By Kimberly Winston | Religion News Service,

Washington Post's On Faith blog December 20, 2013

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/atheists-battling-supernatural-villains-qand038a-with-justin-aclin/2013/12/20/54356a52-69b1-11e3-997b-9213b17dac97_story.html?wprss=rss_story-onfaith-blog1 

Friday, December 20, 2013

Montgomery County launches comic book ad safety campaign

The Post reviews new dinosaur movie unfavorably

This prehistoric chatter matters ['Walking With Dinosaurs'].

By Stephanie Merry,

Washington Post December 20 2013

http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/walking-with-dinosaurs-movie-review/2013/12/18/08b2691e-667c-11e3-a0b9-249bbb34602c_story.html

Fantastic Forum today - Neil Gaiman interview


Watch an ALL-NEW episode of FANTASTIC FORUM in Montgomery County, MD today at 5:30 PM on MCM Comcast channel 21; RCN channel 21; Verizon FiOS channel 21. On location from Victory Comics in Falls Church, VA! Host Sherin Nicole and panelists Ben Taylor, Jon Skovron and Josh Sheridan Talley discuss the DOCTOR WHO 50th ANNIVERSARY. Featuring Producer/host Ulysses E Campbell's interview with author NEIL GAIMAN and Sea To Net Productions's DOCTOR WHO TARDIS PHOTOBOOTH!

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Fluggenock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Well, Waddya Know?"

"Well, Waddya Know?"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=1425

Am I the only one out here who's sick to goddamn' death of seeing the US Left wasting its time getting its panties in a twist over this whole phony-assed "is Santa Claus white or black" controversy? Am I the only one out here who's fed up watching the US Left letting some bimbo at Fox News push its buttons with the same old standard-issue Culture War horseshit?

Is Santa Claus white or black? Ask me if I give a shit. Honestly, with all the really important stuff going on, why is the US Left wasting time fighting with Megyn Kelly over this crap?

Get a grip, willya? Idiots.

--

________________________________________________________________
Mike Flugennock, flugennock at sinkers dot org
Mike's Political Cartoons: dubya dubya dubya dot sinkers dot org

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Marvel and Hello Kitty are tracking kids

Original Christmas ornaments by cartoonists

Barbara Dale had a few people over to her house after a tour at Geppi's Entertainment Museum. After pizza, she coaxed people into decorating ornaments. Here's the one-of-a-kind ornaments now on my tree with a Thomas Nast's Santa Claus, a Cliffored Berryman's teddy bear (from the Smithsonian) and a couple of Snoopy's (from Hallmark's Peanuts line).



Carolyn Belefski



Joe Sutliff



Barbara Dale



Steve Artley

I kept getting this glowing nose on Artley's ornament - Christmas is magical after all...


The Grim Quacker

Death is Good's The Grim Quacker, a toy done by a DC-area cartoon writer. He's got a book of cartoons out too, and sells t-shirts based in this character at local cons.

Senator Coburn doesn't approve of Superman's government service

Senator Coburn (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released "Wastebook 2013," highlighting 100 examples of wasteful and low-priority government spending totaling nearly $30 billion. Of interest to us is the cover and Chapter 2:  "It's a Bird.  It's a Plane.  It's Superman! – (National Guard) $10 million.

 

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Wow, the GPO has an interesting choice for a Christmas illustration

I'm a fan of their blog. I just wouldn't have chosen this illustration for an article about Christmas trees....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, say, can you tree? American Christmas tree traditions

by Michele Bartram, U.S. Government Online Bookstore
http://govbooktalk.gpo.gov/2013/12/17/oh-say-can-you-tree-american-christmas-tree-traditions/

As you can see, it's Uncle Sam and Columbia bringing the blessings of liberty to less-enlightened peoples in the wake of the Spanish-American War.  My guess is that it's a scan off the Library of Congress site. Yes, here it is, from 1899.

In the larger size reprinted here, you can see children in native garb representing their countries, with Puerto Rico receiving a book, Hawaii reaching out for something too, Samoa sucking on candy, and  Cuba and the Philippines getting a nice new plow. If it's not a justification of imperialism (although I think it is), it's certainly paternalism.

However, should you like to have this Keppler print for your own decorating, you can download a 140mb tif and print it out probably as big as a tree. It is a nice drawing.