Thursday, September 03, 2015

Small Press Expo Announces SPX 2015 Programming

Small Press Expo Announces Programming Schedule for SPX 2015

For Immediate Release

Contact: Warren Bernard

Phone: 301-537-4615

Email: warren@spxpo.com

Bethesda, Maryland; September 3, 2015

Media Release - Small Press Expo is pleased to announce the Programming Schedule for SPX 2015. SPX is continuing the festival's established tradition of rich, thought provoking programming featuring leading comics artists and critics in conversation. As in previous years, the Programming Schedule features two simultaneous tracks on both Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20.

This year Bill Kartalopoulos has stepped down from the Programming Coordinator role at SPX. Over the course of nine years working in a volunteer capacity, Kartalopoulos has not only established SPX as a destination for robust and thoughtful programming, he has single-handedly elevated the standard for programming events across the entire field of comics festivals and related events. Additionally, this year Kartalopoulos co-curated, with Warren Bernard, the impressive and groundbreaking Alt-Weekly Comics exhibit at the Society of Illustrators that was sponsored by Small Press Expo.

"On behalf of the SPX Executive Committee, as well as the entire SPX Community, we cannot thank Bill enough for the tremendous time and effort he put into making SPX's programming the highest level it could possibly attain." says Small Press Expo Executive Director Warren Bernard

This year's programming was developed by a committee led by Esther Kim of Fantom Comics that includes Michael Cavna and Jen Vaughn, with Kartalopoulos continuing in a consulting capacity with a focus on international guests.

The complete SPX 2015 Programming Schedule with full descriptions and participants for the 22 panels and interviews may be found at

http://www.spxpo.com/spx-2015-programming.

Programming will run on Saturday September 19 from Noon until 7PM, and Sunday September 20 from 12:30PM until 6PM.

SPX 2015 programming includes Q&A sessions with Kate Beaton, Noelle Stevenson, Bill Griffith, Dylan Horrocks, Stuart and Kathryn Immonen, Jessica Abel, Scott McCloud, Luke Pearson, Philippa Rice and Phoebe Gloeckner.

Highlights of this years panel discussions will include:

- Black Art Matters brings together Darryl Ayo (Press (A) To Talk), Spike Trotman (Iron Circus Comics), Whit Taylor (The Fabric of Appropriation) and Rod Wimberly (Lighten Up) in a discussion of comics and the black experience in America, moderated by Keith Knight (The Knight Life, K Chronicles).

- In Animate Your Life!, Michael Cavna of the Washington Post leads Lilli Carre (Eyeworks Festival of Experimental Animation), Sam Spina (Regular Show), Josh Frankel (Welcome to Showside), and Monica Ray (Nickelodeon's Harvey Beaks) in a discussion of the various paths people take into the world of animation.

- International guests Joan Cornella (Spain), Bendik Kaltenborn (Norway) and Brecht Vandenbroucke (Belgium), led by moderator Bill Kartalopoulos, talk about European Comics And The Absurd.

- Our hands-on comics workshop, led by Jon Chad (Center for Cartoon Studies) and Beth Hetland (School of the Art Institute of Chicago).

Wednesday, September 02, 2015

SPX 2015 Reminder: Nickelodeon Call for Submissions Due September 14

Reminder! Nickelodeon Call For Submissions at SPX 2015 Due September 14

Dear Creative Creators,

If you have ever thought about getting into the animation world, the Nickelodeon Call for Submissions at SPX 2015 is a great way to try and do just that. Monica Ray and Nick Sumida (Storyboard Artists on Nickelodeon's Harvey Beaks), who will be part of the Nickelodeon contingent at this years show, both sold their mini-comics at SPX before finding themselves out in Burbank, California at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio.

So be sure to sign up to submit your ideas as time is getting short with the September 14 due date fast approaching. A note from Kevin Lee at Nickelodeon is below!!

See you at SPX,

Warren, Mike, Sam, Eden and the rest of the SPX Executive Committee

Hi again from Nickelodeon Animation Studio!

In case you missed it last time, we're taking pitches for shorts in-person at SPX 2015 and will select one to produce as part of Nickelodeon's 2015 global Animated Shorts Program! If you're already planning to pitch, we look forward to meeting you! If you missed it earlier and are interested or curious, please go to our website: http://spx.nickshortspitches.com

Important Update! Comics and storyboard superstars, Monica Ray and Nick Sumida (Storyboard Artists on Harvey Beaks), will be joining in to hear your pitches! Our global Animation Shorts Program encourages artists to work with and learn from others here at the studio, so we're grateful that they will be with us to hear your ideas and get to know you as well.

Reminder! Deadline to register is September 14^th. What this really means is we need you to enter your information via the website by then so that we can schedule a meeting. You don't have to submit your pitch materials by this date, just be sure to bring a copy of it with you to the meeting.

Also Important! We want to meet everyone who is interested in talking with us, whether you're pitching or not. Maybe you're just interested to know about how to get a job or internship at Nickelodeon? Please drop by our table and say hi! We'll have information on hand about opportunities at Nickelodeon and we'll be around all weekend.

If you have any questions, please email me at Kevin.Lee@nick.com

Thank you!
Kevin Sukho Lee
Creative Director
Nickelodeon Animation Development

Comic Riffs on the return of Bloom County

Magnet Opus: Breathed 'delighted' as 'Bloom County 2015′ joins Universal Uclick lineup

By Michael Cavna
September 2 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/09/02/magnet-opus-breathed-delighted-as-bloom-county-2015-joins-universal-uclick-lineup/

The third Comic Riffs article on the content of comic strips

The Taste Test: Pastis and Piccolo rail against the tameness and timidity of comics

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog September 2 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/09/02/the-taste-test-pastis-and-piccolo-rail-against-the-tameness-and-timidity-of-comics/

Comic Riffs talks to Bob Mankoff about the computerization of humor

Can robots now write quality jokes? How the notion is becoming less laughable.

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog September 2 2015

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/09/02/can-robots-now-write-quality-jokes-how-the-notion-is-becoming-less-laughable/

The Vision moves to suburban Northern Virginia via Tom King

Tom King Shares His Familial "Vision" for Marvel's Synthezoid Avenger

Dave Richards

Comic Book Resources September 2 2015
http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/tom-king-shares-his-familial-vision-for-marvels-synthezoid-avenger-2015

Tuesday, September 01, 2015

Teresa Logan on Internet radio show POSTPONED DUE TO ILLNESS

The Savage & Starbuck Show

Hosted by Joie Savage and SB Starbuck

An Hour With Teresa Roberts Logan

POSTPONED DUE TO ILLNESS

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thesavageandstarbuckshow/2015/08/27/an-hour-with-teresa-roberts-logan

The Laughing Redhead is Teresa Roberts Logan.
She's made a living with humor for several decades, on page and on stage.
Teresa writes and draws humor for publication, for standup comedy, for storytelling, for cartoons . . . as well as spooky stuff, and provides content for publishing, animation, books, and product.
As a professional artist and illustrator, she has done thousands of paintings and drawings, kabillions (math!) of cartoons and jokes for products such as animations, cocktail napkins, partyware, tissues, and greeting cards. She was nominated for a Reuben Award by the National Cartoonists Society for her greeting cards. Currently she's working on a graphic novel, HAINT BLUE, (an autobiographical supernatural story), some horror short stories, and a web comic, FOG OF WORRY.
Books which contain her funny stuff (cartoons and columns): "The Older I Get, The Less I Care" (Andrews McMeel Publishing), "Laughing Out Loud" (Hallmark Gift Books), "Humor for a Sister's Heart" (Howard Publishing), "Mug of Woe," "All Woe Great and Small," "Woe of Dating," (just released) "Wreck the Halls," (Mug of Woe Publishing).
Teresa has done a lot of standup comedy and storytelling, through such venues as: HBO, Comedy Channel, A&E, Catch A Rising Star, Gotham Comedy Club, The Metropolitan Room NYC, Zanies, and Comedy Works . . . and was an opening act for Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen DeGeneres, Kevin Nealon, Dana Carvey, Drew Carey, and Paula Poundstone, as well as many other famous and not–so-famous funny people. "Rich Jeni called me 'the Meryl Streep of comedy' and I thought that was so cool that he loved my dialects and accents so much. But one day, when he found out that's what I thought, he laughed really hard and told me, 'No, I meant you have the same NOSE!'"

Nate Powell talks about March

CBR TV: Working on "March" Has Changed Artist Nate Powell

Jonah Weiland,
Comic Book Resoures September 1, 2015

http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbr-tv-working-on-march-has-changed-artist-nate-powell

Comic Riffs talks to a syndicate censor ... editor

The Comics Taste Test: Dilbert, 'Uranus-Hertz' & the birth of the substitute strip

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog September 1 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/09/01/the-comics-taste-test-dilbert-uranus-hertz-the-birth-of-the-substitute-strip/

Amy Lago is a friend of mine, but I still think the comics are way too tame, and thus boring, compared to the rest of American media.

Fwd: Small Press Expo Announces Guests Brandon Graham and Phoebe Gloeckner

Small Press Expo Announces Guests Brandon Graham and Phoebe Gloeckner at SPX 2015

For Immediate Release

Contact: Warren Bernard

Email: warren@spxpo.com

Bethesda, Maryland; September 1, 2015

Media Release — — SPX is pleased to announce Brandon Graham and Phoebe Gloeckner as guests at SPX 2015. This is in addition to the previously announced guests to SPX's 21st Birthday Party, Kate Beaton, Luke Pearson, Noelle Stevenson, Michael DeForge, Gemma Correll, Noah Van Sciver, Matt Bors, Lilli Carré, Theo Ellsworth, C. Spike Trotman, Jennifer Hayden, Stuart Immonen, Scott McCloud, Bill Griffith, Kathryn Immonen, Derf, Jessica Abel (Sat. Only) and Ted Rall, as well as international guests, Frederik Peeters, Dylan Horrocks, Brecht Vandenbroucke, Bendik Kaltenborn, Anna Ehrlemark and Joan Cornellà.

Previously announced special guest Raina Telgemeier will be unable to attend this years show.
From his beginnings as a graffiti artist in his hometown of Seattle to his recent run as writer on the Image comics series Prophet as well as creator of his own comics Multiple Warheads, King City, Elevator and Universe So Big, Brandon Graham has been a vocal and passionate proponent of independent comics. Mr. Graham will sign his books as a fundraiser for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Stop by the CBLDF table to buy his works, including his latest from Image Comics, 8House: Arclight #2, as well as issues #2 and #3 of the science fiction anthology series he co-edits with Emma Rios, Island.
Diary of a Teenage Girl, Phoebe Gloeckner's semi-autobiographical graphic novel published in 2002, was released earlier this year as a critically acclaimed movie starring Kristen Wiig. Garnering a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Ms. Gloeckner co-wrote the screenplay to Diary that was a selection at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Influenced by the women's comics anthology Twisted Sisters, Ms.Gloeckner work was published in such titles as Wimmen's Comix, Young Lust and the Robert Crumb edited magazine, Weirdo. A compendium of all of her comics work to date, A Child's Life and Other Stories, was published in 1998, generating significant controversy, with public schools and library systems banning the book due to its frank portrayal of sex and drug use. Ms. Gloeckner is a trained medical illustrator and is an associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Art and Design. Ms. Gloeckner will also be signing her books at the CBLDF table.

SPX 2015 takes place on Saturday and Sunday, September 19-20, and will have over 650 creators, 280 exhibitor tables and 22 programming slots to entertain, enlighten and introduce attendees to the amazing world of independent and small press comics.

Small Press Expo (SPX) is the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons. SPX is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit that brings together more than 600 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers, and distributors each year. Graphic novels, mini comics, and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. The expo includes a series of panel discussions and interviews with this year's guests. The Ignatz Award is a festival prize held every year at SPX recognizing outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning, with the winners chosen by attendees at the show.

As in previous years, profits from the SPX will go to support the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program, which funds graphic novel purchases for public and academic libraries, as well as the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), which protects the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals. For more information on the CBLDF, visit their website at http://www.cbldf.org. For more information on the Small Press Expo, please visit http://www.spxpo.com.

Sept 16: "Sequential Art in Science Communication” by David Clarke

https://gnsi.org/event/meeting/gnsi-dc-sept-16th-sequential-art-science-communication
Guild of Natural Science Illustrators

PRESENTATION: "Sequential Art in Science Communication" by David Clarke
DATE & TIME: Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015 at 5:30 p.m.

The word "comics" might bring to mind well-thumbed copies of Scrooge McDuck, Spiderman, or the newspaper's Sunday funny pages, but today sequential art is being used to communicate and teach subjects such as science, medicine and history. David Clarke is creating comics about the history of science. His first large scale project is a graphic novel of the voyage of "Captain" James Cook and Joseph Banks to Tahiti for the Transit of Venus and their subsequent travels around the South Pacific mapping New Zealand and the east coast of Australia. David will describe the development process – what's involved - in creating a graphic novel.

David Clarke, former GNSI DC President, is the CEO of his own studio. He creates animations, illustrations, comics and graphics and works with a small programming team to create interactive learning objects for the university's online classrooms. He is an Adjunct faculty member of Northern Virginia Community College and a multimedia/graphic artist at the University of Maryland University College. He has a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from the Academy of Art University, based in San Francisco.

LOCATION:
Smithsonian Natural History Museum
10th St. & Constitution Ave., Washington, DC.

Wait for an escort in the Constitution Avenue lobby between 5:30 and 6:10 p.m. (about every 15 minutes)

EVENING'S SCHEDULE:
— 5:30 p.m. for snacks and socializing (Please bring a food item to share, or $3.00 for the donation jar.)
— 6:00 p.m. Business and announcements
— 6:10 p.m. (approx.) Presentation begins

World War II cartoons from the Navy's medical historian's office

The Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery's historian's office holds a collection of newsletters and newspapers from various naval hospitals. U.S. Naval Hospital Aiea Heights had two issues and 2 fragments of an issue that are now online at the Medical Heritage Library. Here's the cartoons from them.

Robert Woodcock was one of the best of them and had two in the November 11, 1944 issue, and is featured in an article here.

Virgil Partch, aka VIP, was one of the best cartoonists and went on to a serious postwar career in cartooning. This is from December 15, 1945.

Al Santamauro (Nov. 11, 1943) and Bill Pietsch (Dec. 12, 1945) both seem to have disappeared from the cartooning world.

PR: Niso Ramponi book from Lost Art Books

KREMOS: The Lost Art of Niso Ramponi Vols. 1& 2 are now officially available for pre-order from our website. Here's our book trailer.

KREMOS: Lost Art of Niso Ramponi, Vols. 1+2

vimeo.com

Monday, August 31, 2015

Comic Riffs talks to The Post's comics censor.... editor

The Comics Taste Test: The thankless task of drawing the funnies' red lines

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog August 31 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/08/31/the-comics-taste-test-the-thankless-task-of-drawing-the-funnies-red-lines/

PR: The Sevara novel is FREE today only (Monday, August 31)

by Damian Wampler

Yep, that's right. The novel, which tells about Sevara's childhood and how she got her powers, is on Amazon now, and it's free. You can download it tonight until midnight Pacific time, so you still have a few hours. Here's a link to the book: http://amzn.com/B0115CWE2S

Here's a video that talks a little about the novel. Get a copy before the deal ends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1w26OtN9Hs

Frank Cho continues girly art

Bleeding Cool has the story at http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/08/28/your-frank-cho-she-hulk-power-girl-supergirl-and-spider-gwen-outrage-for-the-weekend/ and you can buy the sketches at Baltimore Comic Con soon.

Outlasting another City Paper editor

Christina Cauterucci left last week, so I've outlasted my third Washington City Paper editor whilst writing about comics. Jonathan Fischer, who lured me over in the first place, appears to be gone as well. So unless I hear from them, I'll probably be back to posting all my local material here. You can read what I wrote for the over a few years for the paper here.

Mike Rhode

Small Press Expo Sponsors Keith Knight, Miss Lasko-Gross and Diane Noomin at the National Book Festival

For Immediate Release Contact: Warren Bernard

Email: warren@spxpo.com

Small Press Expo Sponsors Keith Knight, Miss Lasko-Gross and Diane Noomin at the National Book Festival

Bethesda, Maryland; August 31, 2015

Media Release — Small Press Expo (SPX) is proud to announce it is again a sponsor of the Library of Congress National Book Festival. As a part of this sponsorship, SPX is bringing Keith Knight, Miss Lasko-Gross and Diane Noomin to the National Book Festival.

Keith Knight is a musician and cartoonist. His works include The K Chronicles, (Th)ink and The Knight Life series. He has received the Comic-Con Inkpot Award for career achievement, multiple Glyph Awards for best comic strip and the Harvey Kurtzman Award for best syndicated comic strip. His art has appeared in various publications worldwide, including The Washington Post, Daily KOS, San Francisco Chronicle, Salon.com, Ebony, ESPN the Magazine, L.A. Weekly, MAD Magazine and the Funny Times. The first collection of his Knight Life strip is The Knight Life: Chivalry Ain't Dead (Grand Central).

Miss Lasko-Gross is a comics artist and author known for her semiautobiographical graphic novels Escape from Special and A Mess of Everything. Her first graphic novel was nominated for YALSA's Great Graphic Novel award, and A Mess of Everything was named by Booklist among the top 10 graphic novels of 2009. Lasko-Gross has contributed to and worked on a variety of comics and collections. Her latest graphic novel, Henni (Z2 Comics), features a girl with cat-like ears and a tail who questions the religious rules of her community.

Diane Noomin is a comics artist best known as the creator of Didi Glitz. She is one of the original contributors to Wimmen's Comix and is the editor of the anthology series Twisted Sisters. Her work has appeared in many books, magazines and underground comic publications, including Weirdo, Young Lust, Short Order, Arcade, El Perfecto, True Glitz, Aftershock, Real Girl, Lemme Outta Here, Mind Riot, Titters, Dangerous Drawings, The Comics Journal/Special Editions, The New Comics Anthology, The Nose and The Nation. Noomin has received an Inkpot Award and been nominated for Harvey and Eisner awards. Her book Glitz-2-Go (Fantagraphics) is the first collection of more than 40 years of Didi Glitz comics.

The primary goal of this sponsorship is to bring creators from the indie comics community to the National Book Festival to provide greater exposure for them and their works to the diverse audience that attends this prestigious festival. As a partner with the Library's Center for the Book, Small Press Expo looks forward to help promoting their various literacy initiatives and events. More information about the National Book Festival can be found at http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/.

The National Book Festival takes place Saturday, September 5, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.

Keith Knight will be in the Graphic Novel Pavilion, signing his books from 6:00PM-7:00PM, and from 7:15PM - 8:05PM will be on a panel with his fellow cartoonists Lalo Alcaraz and Scott Stantis.

Miss Lasko-Gross and Diane Noomin will be in the Graphic Novel Pavilion signing books from 6:00PM-7:00PM, and will be on a panel with Trina Robbins from 8:10PM-8:55PM.

SPX also supports the Small Press Expo Collection at the Library of Congress, which preserves the history of both the artistic output of the creators who come to SPX, as well as the art that SPX itself generates as part of its yearly festival. It the first program of its type by a major institution in the United States to preserve the works of the indie comics community.

Small Press Expo (SPX) is the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons. SPX is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit that brings together more than 600 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers, and distributors each year. Graphic novels, mini comics, and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. The expo includes a series of panel discussions and interviews with this year's guests.

The Ignatz Award is a festival prize held every year at SPX recognizing outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning, with the winners chosen by attendees at the show.

As in previous years, profits from the SPX will go to support the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program, which funds graphic novel purchases for public and academic libraries, as well as the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), which protects the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals. For more information on the CBLDF, visit their website at http://www.cbldf.org. For more information on the Small Press Expo, please visit http://www.spxpo.com .