Wednesday, March 05, 2014
Smudge featured on WTOP
Comic book superheroes save reading, storytelling
By Alicia Lozano
The free con is this Saturday in Rosslyn.
These Are Your Grandfather’s Comics: My Link to the Platinum Age
These Are Your Grandfather’s Comics
My Link to the Platinum Age
by
Stu McIntire
In the summer of 1981 I was visiting my grandparents. My grandfather was an antique collector at heart. I shared with him how I’d recently purchased The Latest Adventures of Foxy Grandpa (1905) at an antique store in New Market, Maryland.
I was more than a little surprised at his excited reaction. It turns out that as a young boy growing up in the in the Midwest, he was an enormous fan of Foxy Grandpa as well as other early U.S. newspaper comic strips, including The Yellow Kid and Happy Hooligan. In fact, he meticulously maintained a scrapbook of The Yellow Kid.
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| The Yellow Kid full newspaper page |
Now it was my turn to get excited. “Do you still have it?” I asked. Sadly, the answer was no. His mother had burned it. She had no way to foresee a future interest much less the collectability of these newspaper “funnies” or their progeny. It wasn’t an act of malicious intent. It was just…inevitable. It’s what was done with such relics. Alas. But my grandfather would soon gift me with a (non-Yellow Kid) goodie from his youth. More on this later.
Over the years I’ve purchased or have been gifted other Foxy Grandpa collectibles. You see, it turns out Foxy was quite popular “back in the day”. A handful of (very) short Foxy Grandpa films were produced…more books…toys…sheet music…you name it. These are the Foxy Grandpa items I own:
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| post card (1906) |
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| post card (1906) |
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| Up to Date card game (Selchow & Righter) (1903) |
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| Hubley (repro) cast iron bank |
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| comic book (1905) |
The Adventures of Lovely Lilly
The happy result of this bonding moment with my grandfather was that he gifted me a…handkerchief. Yes, a handkerchief. Not just any old scrap of fabric, this one has a backstory. You see, this handkerchief has faint pictures imprinted on it. My grandfather apologized that the pictures were not clearer. He explained that they are meant to be well-defined. When it was brand new the material showed no pictures. One was meant to take a hot iron and press the fabric until the images “magically” appeared. The pictures on this were not faded. They were just never fully exposed because the iron my grandfather used was not yet sufficiently hot to do the job it was meant to do.
It would be some time before I identified the artwork and writing on my handkerchief. I even tried enlisting the aid of Maggie Thompson (Comics Buyers Guide) at a comic convention in Philadelphia in the early 90s. I had no luck but I never gave up. Finally I made an inroad (the Internet can be a wonderful thing). Last year I found a match to the handkerchief on Pinterest (shown below). Text accompanying the photos identified the character as Lilly, from The Adventures of Lovely Lilly.
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| handkerchief (front view) |
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| handkerchief (back view) |
NOW I was making some headway. Further research revealed that The Adventures of Lovely Lilly was a short-lived newspaper strip that ran in the Sunday New York Herald at the dawn of the 20th century. Written by Carolyn Wells and illustrated by G.F. (George Frederick) Kaber, Lovely Lilly featured an intrepid young lady who faced down fearsome beasts and dispatched them with alacrity. The text featured on the handkerchief reads as follows:
Lovely Lilly met a tiger walking in the wood.
Angrily he snapped and snarled as any tiger would.
By his throat she firmly grabbed him til he held his breath.
With her chubby hands she squeezed him til he choked to death.
Wow. Lilly was certainly no pushover!
A photo of Carolyn Wells and a few examples of Kaber’s non-Lilly art follow:
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| photo of Carolyn Wells |
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| artwork by G.F. Kaber |
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| G.F. Kaber signature |
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| artwork by G.F. Kaber |
Here are a few more samples of Lilly’s adventures:
Lovely Lilly in her travels met a buffalo.
Fierce and furious, the creature rushed at Lilly – so!
Naughty! Naughty! Lilly cried with disapproving frown.
Then she stuffed him in her box and shut the cover down.
Lovely Lilly idly watched an elephant draw nigh.
When he glared at her, she looked him squarely in the eye.
When he trumpeted loud and thought he’s rouse her fear,
Lilly only laughed at him, and soundly boxed his ears.
Lovely Lilly out a walking saw a crocodile.
Lovely Lilly said “Good morning” with a pleasant snile.
Nearer came the beast and nearer. Wide he stretched his maw.
Lovely Lilly with a quiet wrench broke the creature’s paw.
While hardly the stuff of sweet childhood dreams, Lilly was not unique when it comes to examples of grisly detail in children’s literature (the Brothers Grimm being one obvious prior example). Without question these were different times and the comic art preceding the First World War and later, the Great Depression were received by a reading public of a different sensibility.
I can only imagine my grandfather as a pre-teen youngster, eagerly devouring the stories of Lilly, Foxy, Yellow Kid, and Happy Hooligan. Perhaps too, the likes of The Katzenjammer Kids, Alphonse and Gaston, Buster Brown, Little Nemo in Slumberland, Mutt & Jeff, or Toonerville Trolley. What an exciting time to be a kid!
Over-the-top movie promotions
I saw Miyazaki's The Wind Rises anime in a movie theater last weekend, and I was amazed at the amount and size of promotional pieces for comic book and animation movies. Here's some from a Regal theater.
Tuesday, March 04, 2014
Adam Zyglis to receive Berryman Award tomorrow at Press Club
News cartoonist Adam Zyglis wins National Press Foundation award
Cartoonist Adam Zyglis joined The Buffalo News in 2004. Derek Gee/Buffalo News
on March 3, 2014
Beyond Comics Gaithersburg Delivery Delay
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| Beyond Comics | Gaithersburg Square | 18749 B North Frederick Avenue | Gaithersburg | MD | 20879 |
Jen Sorenson wins Herblock award
THIS JUST IN: Jen Sorensen becomes first woman to win the Herblock Prize
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BY MICHAEL CAVNA
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog March 4 , 2014
Monday, March 03, 2014
3/8: Gaylords at 3rd Eye Comics
SAT. 3/8: LOKI: RAGNAROK & ROLL Signing with JERRY & PENELOPE GAYLORD
This Saturday March 8th, we'll be hosting long-time friends of Third Eye, Jerry & Penelope Gaylord, as we celebrate their brand new BOOM! Studios series LOKI RAGNAROK & ROLL.
Join us from 11AM-1PM, as these incredibly talented artists who've worked on books like ADVENTURE TIME, FANBOYS VS ZOMBIES and more, sign copies of their earlier works and their most recent hit: LOKI RAGNAROK & ROLL.
Want more info on our signing with Charles? Click here for the full scoop.
2nd CARtoons exhibit pictures online
Bruce Guthrie took shots of the closing reception of the 2nd CARToons exhibit at the University of the District of Columbia. You can see a bunch of local cartoonists here. The exhibit was curated by Teresa Logan, aka 'The Laughing Redhead'.
April 6: Rat Queens signing at Big Planet Comics
- Kurtis J. Wiebe & Roc Upchurch Signing - Rat QueensPublic · By Big Planet Comics of College Park
Big Planet Comics is proud to welcome Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch for a signing of the first collection of their new series, Rat Queens!
Rat Queens is a dark humor/fantasy book, where an all-female team of mercenaries goes on adventures and missions while trying to get as much money as possible (and trying to get out all the trouble they get each other into!)
You can download a preview of Rat Queens for free at Image's website: https://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/rat-queens-free-preview
Kurtis's website: http://kurtiswiebe.wordpress.com/
Roc's website: http://johnnyrocwell.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RatQueens
PR: 2013 SPACE Prize winners have been announced!
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A couple books premiering at Smudge
Two books that will premiere at the Smudge Comics Arts Expo
this weekend include Ben Hatke’s ‘The Return of Zita the Spacegirl’ (Ben will
have a limited number of these advanced copies) and the 6x9 edition of Steve Conley’s ‘Bloop.’ The show on March 8 runs from noon to 6 p.m. at the Artisphere in Arlington, Va. (The Orange Line is a block away and there is validated parking at the Artisphere.)
Photos courtesy of Ben Hatke and Steve Conley
Sunday, March 02, 2014
Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Santiago Casares
What type of comic work or
cartooning do you do?
I do mostly
cartoony comics, if that makes sense. My style relates more to comic strips
than to superhero comics.
How do you do it? Traditional pen
and ink, computer or a combination?
Every finished
piece of art I do passes through the computer nowadays, and most of it is being
done 100% digitally. That being said, I still draw in my sketchbook every day
in pencil/pen and ink.
When (within a decade is fine) and
where were you born?
I was born in
Mexico City in the 70’s.
Why are you in Washington
now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
I moved to
Washington DC because of love (even though that might sound like a cliché!). We
live in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.
What is your training and/or
education in cartooning?
I studied a BFA
in Visual Arts in Mexico City and then a MFA in Illustration at the Academy of
Art University is San Francisco.
Who are your influences?
My biggest
influence as a cartoonist is Bill Watterson, who I consider the best there ever
was. Besides him the people I admire and allow their work to influence me are
very varied, from Mike Mignola to Scott Morse.
If you could, what in your career
would you do-over or change?
I would’ve
taken my drawing skills more seriously, and would’ve practiced more while
growing up.
What work are you best-known for?
My best-known
work is my webcomic, Chili’s World.
What work are you most proud of?
This is a hard
question to answer, as it’s usually the last thing I’ve done! So, I guess it
depends on what page I’ve just finished.
What would you like to do or work
on in the future?
I am currently
trying to break into the Picture Books market. Picture Books have the same
element than comics in that it’s a medium that combines images and words to
create a whole new world.
What do you do when you're in a rut
or have writer's block?
When I don’t
know what to do, I still have to do the work. Even though creativity might not
be flowing as I wish it was, my webcomic still needs to be updated. So
basically, I keep on working through the rut or writer’s block…
What do you think will be the
future of your field?
It’s taken a
while, but now comics are being recognized as a proper medium to tell stories
(both fiction and non-fiction). I believe that just like with books, most
comics are going to be delivered digitally, with print becoming more of a
collectors market.
What local cons do you attend? The
Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?
I’ve exhibited
at SPX and at the DC Zine Fest. And this year I’m going to be a part of a new
show that looks very promising called Smudge Expo, over at the Artisphere in
Arlington, VA. Attending shows is important to get to know the people that like
your stuff and to promote it to new crowds.
What's your favorite thing about
DC?
I love that you
can walk almost anywhere in the city without the need of a car. And having
amazing museums for free isn’t too shabby either! :)
Least favorite?
The scorching
summer.
What monument or museum do you like
to take visitors to?
I love taking
visitors to the Kogod Courtyard inside the Portrait Gallery / American Art
Museum (after visiting the museums, of course). It’s such a peaceful place!
How about a favorite local restaurant?
I really like Beau Thai here in Mount Pleasant, or
maybe Red Rocks Pizza or El Chucho's in Columbia
Heights… I guess it depends on what I'm craving.
Do you have a website or blog?
As he noted, Mr. Casares will be at Smudge this coming Saturday, March 8th.
Saturday, March 01, 2014
Daniel Boris' Kickstarter for children's book
Dozi the Alligator: An illustrated children's book
by Daniel Borishttps://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1107487436/dozi-the-alligator-an-illustrated-childrens-book
The story of a little alligator named Dozi, beautifully illustrated by Italian artist Nicola Sammarco.
This story is based on characters from my comic strip. It is the tale of a lovable alligator who secretly stows away with a family after a chance encounter during their Florida vacation. The colorful story is told in amusing verses and packed with twenty gorgeous illustrations that will captivate and entertain readers of all ages.
This is the "inaugural" first printing of Dozi the Alligator. It will be a high-quality, hardcover, numbered, limited edition.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Comic Riffs talks to Reuben Award nominees
NCS REUBEN AWARDS: Finalists talk of surprise as 4 nominees named for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog February 28 2014
Free Dust Elves Ashcan Comic
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February 28, 2014 
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