Monday, January 12, 2015

That darn Frank and Ernest

Letters to the Editor: Michelangelo's David is no 'lawn gnome'

Christopher Jones, Falls Church

Washington Post January 10 2015

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/michelangelos-david-is-no-lawn-gnome/2015/01/09/80a933ca-9066-11e4-a66f-0ca5037a597d_story.html

Post's Petri editorial on Charlie Hebdo

Catching up from the weekend, I am....

Charlie Hebdo and the true power of the pen

By Alexandra Petri

Washington Post ComPost blog (January 7 2015; in print January 10): http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2015/01/07/charlie-hebdo-and-the-true-power-of-the-pen/

June 19: Tangent Artists at Capital Con

http://www.capitalcon.org/guests/

Webcomic Guest: Tangent Artists

Long ago… a team of talented professional writers and artists tried to invent a machine that would translate imagination into vivid brightly animated images on a TV screen. Having no knowledge of neurophysics, complex machinery or even simple fractions, this plan was sadly abandoned in 2007.

Instead the company endeavored to provide high-quality web comics to the world once a week, and this goal was met with far greater success. Thus was the creation of three comic series: The macabre comedy, "Skeleton Crew," the celebration of nerd life, "Donuts for Looking," and the Swords & Sorcery & Sarcasm series, "CRIT!"

Monica Marier : Does script pencils, ink, and color for both Donuts for Looking and Skeleton Crew. She also does script and pencils for CRIT. She's a published Fantasy author with Hunt Press. David Joria: Does script for Skeleton Crew, Donuts for Looking, and CRIT. Rachael Hixon: Does story, ink, and color for CRIT. She also is in charge of in-house printing for Tangent Artists comics and books. You can view new comics every week at the Tangent Artists site: http://www.tangentartists.com/

Charlie Hebdo letters to the editor of Washington Post

Letters to the Editor: The attack on Charlie Hebdo

Washington Post January 11 2015

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-attack-on-charlie-hebdo-and-free-speech/2015/01/09/985ba598-9755-11e4-8385-866293322c2f_story.html

Religion News Service article in The Post on Charlie Hebdo

Charlie Hebdo attack isn't about images, free speech [online as Why the Charlie Hebdo attack is not about images or free speech (COMMENTARY)]

By Hussein Rashid | Religion News Service

Washington Post January 10 2015

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/why-the-charlie-hebdo-attack-is-not-about-images-or-free-speech-commentary/2015/01/08/3b058c10-9778-11e4-8385-866293322c2f_story.html

A Post editorial on French free speech

The biggest threat to French free speech isn't terrorism. It's the French.

[online as The biggest threat to French free speech isn't terrorism. It's the government.

The murders at Charlie Hebdo, while tragic, aren't the problem.]

By Jonathan Turley

Washington Post January 11 2015

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/what-it-means-to-stand-with-charlie-hebdo/2015/01/08/ab416214-96e8-11e4-aabd-d0b93ff613d5_story.html

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University.

Jeff Danziger editorial in today's Post

Lights, camera, Vermont! Why should New Hampshire have all the primary fun? [online as 'It's time for Vermont to get in on New Hampshire's primary spoils'].

(Danziger)

By Jeff Danziger
Washington Post January 12 2015, p. A13.
online at http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/jeff-danziger-its-time-for-vermont-to-get-in-on-new-hampshires-primary-spoils/2015/01/11/70e28008-9841-11e4-927a-4fa2638cd1b0_story.html

Jeff Danziger is a syndicated political cartoonist with the Rutland Herald and the Montpelier Times Argus.

A Charlie Hebdo rally in DC happened yesterday

Igor Bobic

Thousands Of People March In Washington In Remembrance Of Paris Terror Attacks

Huffington Post 01/11/2015

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/11/paris-march-washington-charlie_n_6452462.html

Dale Rawlings on Charlie Hebdo and freedom of speech

A guest post by cartoonist Dale Rawlings.

I've been seeing some serious hand wringing from people over the Charlie Hebdo story decrying the content of the cartoons. Usually it goes along the lines of "No one deserves to die over cartoons but they're borderline racist" or "They're just so damned offensive" or "It's not even good satire. They're so juvenile and have no sophistication" etc... The trouble with supporting freedom of speech is that to TRULY be a supporter of freedom of expression is to stand in solidarity of those expressions that aren't so nice and easy to defend. It's really easy to stand in support of that speech you agree with -but far harder to defend something you don't personally like, disagree with, or just find to be ugly. But this is what it means to be an advocate of freedom of speech. Do you honestly think the ACLU liked what the Klan stands for or has to say when they defended their rights to free speech? THIS is the price we pay for freedom of speech.

When those rights of expression come under threat of violence then standing up in solidarity for that freedom of expression becomes not only essential, but mandatory. If you waver those extremists will take that as a sign of weakness and embolden them to take similar measures to squelch speech that offends them.

I have even seen some people laughably suggest in this debate that criticizing religion or religious figures should be exempt from protection so as not to offend someone's religious beliefs where anything similar happens in the future. Think about that for a minute. That would protect the Westboro Baptist Church, Al Sharpton, and the Church of Scientology from being ridiculed and satirized and that is a losing scenario for everyone. If your beliefs can't stand up to ridicule and you feel they need special protection from that ridicule, then maybe your faith in your belief system just isn't as strong as you think.

Je suis Charlie

Discuss.

Mike Jenkins' Christmas caricature of my wife's oldest friend

Last year, we were having a meal with my wife's best friend Myra and the topic of the cartoonists I know came up. Myra mentioned that she'd like a cartoon of herself, drawn by Bill Watterson. I assured her THAT wasn't happening, but the seed was planted. I turned to the talented Arlington caricaturist Mike Jenkins. Mike draws a daily cartoon on his daughter's lunch bag so I asked him to use that style for a Christmas present.

Here's the result:

Here's Myra and her husband, proudly showing off the cartoon:

No religious insults were rendered in the course of this cartoon.

Jan 24: The Art of Richard Thompson event in Burbank, CA

The Art of Richard Thompson

Show Title:
The Art of Richard Thompson
Artist:
Richard Thompson
Date and Time:
January 24th, 2015
1:00pm-4:00pm
Type:
Presentation, Book Signing, Interview, Meet & Greet.
Author:
Nick Galifianakis
847 Hollywood Way Suite 100
Burbank, CA 91505

CLICK HERE! to join us for this very special book launch event. Pre-order your book, meet the author and get it signed and receive a limited edition complimentary Richard Thompson print.

Just want to Buy The Book: CLICK HERE

"The Cartoonist's Cartoonist". Join us January 24th, from 1:00pm-4:00pm for a special presentation, meet and greet, and book signing with the author of "The Art of Richard Thompson", Nick Galifianakis, as he talks about his friend and genius cartoonist, Richard Thompson.

Schedule:
12:30 – 1:00pm Networking
1:00 – 2:00 Presentation by Nick Galifianakis
2:00 – 2:30 Lunch Break Networking
2:30 – 3:00 Screen Documentary
3:00 – 3:30 Interview by Charles Solomon
3:30 – Book Signing

Richard Thompson is a genius illustrator and cartoonist most known for his comic strip Cul de Sac and the illustrated poem "Make the Pie Higher". He has received numerous awards for his illustrations including National Cartoonists Society's Magazine and Book Illustration Award, the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year from the National Cartoonists Society, and many others Thompson's illustrations have appeared in U.S. News & World Report, The New Yorker, Air & Space/Smithsonian, National Geographic and The Atlantic Monthly, and other notable publications.

"Very few cartoonists do so much, so well. Richard is a wonderful writer and one of the rare ones who can write truly unique, hilarious characters. He's drawn incisive caricatures, lavish illustrations, and one of the most beautiful comic strips I've ever seen. And just when you think it couldn't be better, sometimes he paints the stuff. Richard has the extra-deluxe, jumbo-size skill set. It's an inspiring body of work." ~Bill Watterson

Nick Galifianakis is an award winning American cartoonist and artist. Since 1997, he has drawn the cartoons for the nationally syndicated advice column, Tell Me About It, for the Washington Post and illustrated the book "Tell Me About It: Lying, Sulking, Getting Fat… and 56 Other Things NOT to Do While Looking for Love". He's also illustrated a number of books and was nominated by the National Cartoonists Society for the 2006 Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year in the Newspaper Illustration category and in 2012 won the Reuben Award for Advertising Illustration. In 2010, he published the book, "If You Loved Me, You'd Think This Was Cute: Uncomfortably True Cartoons About You."

"Indeed, among those who "know," it has long been considered a crime, even a sin, that a book featuring the breathtaking range of Richard Thompson's work has not existed before now. That inexcusable absence is due mostly to the fact that Richard's talent is in direct proportion to his stubborn unwillingness to self-promote. Quietly creating in the pre-dawn hours against a soundtrack of classical music in a tiny studio, while consuming food of decidedly negligible substance (usually from a bag or Styrofoam box), contented to measure himself artistically only against himself, has always meant more to Richard than publicly shouting, "Look at me!" ~Nick Galifianakis

NOTE: This event will repeat at the CTN animation eXpo this Nov 20-22, 2015.

Cavna turns to Comic Riffs full time

Michael Cavna of the Washington Post has given up his editing duties in the Style section to blog fulltime at Comic Riffs. Read his thoughts on the movie.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

AAEC Issues Statement on Charlie Hebdo Massacre

The Association of American Association of Editorial Cartoonists has issued a statement addressing the attacks in Paris on the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine that killed twelve people, including four cartoonists.

The gruesome attack on the newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, France today reminds us that freedom of expression in cartooning is not a given in many parts of the world. Charlie Hebdo was also attacked in 2011, and continued to publish. The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists condemns this revolting act of violence, and stands with the international cartooning community in mourning the loss of twelve people, including several police officers who were executed.
President Hollande has called this an act of terrorism, and whether it was the work of those merely inspired by ISIS or those given direct orders doesn’t matter. Cartoonists and journalists around the world should be permitted to express themselves freely without fear of reprisal. These types of attacks only serve to illustrate how important the free spirit of cartoon commentary is, and how cartoonists make a difference in helping to expose hypocrisy.
Furthermore, newspapers should not avoid publishing material from the magazine that allegedly incited the incident. More freedom of expression and not less demonstrates courage in the face of attacks. Shrinking from a newspaper’s watchdog role only encourages more terror.
The AAEC board and membership expresses its sincere condolences to the innocent victims at this tragic moment, and calls for international solidarity with the cause of cartooning and freedom of artistic expression.