September 12, 2015 by by Hannah Means Shannon
by Mike Rhode 
I use cheap ballpoint pens to make many of my drawings and cartoons. I color them digitally.
I came back to Washington because, probably, like many cartoonists, there is part of me that is largely invested in nostalgia. I got a Bachelor’s Degree in General Fine Arts with a concentration in Video Art at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, then went into an administrator position with Provisions Learning Project in Washington D.C., a nonprofit devoted to arts and social change before Busboys and Poets even existed. I worked as a fine arts administrator for many years, sometimes for private galleries, also for Washington Project for the Arts. While in school, I was skeptical of students who mocked the practices of popular New York fine artists, so much so, that I declaratively NEVER wanted to be in New York. I worked in the fine arts world here for almost a decade before realizing that it was not the place for the kind of work that I wanted to make. My art is very much a reflection of that experience. I make drawings that are sometimes abstract, I make drawings that are sometimes symbolic within the realm of editorial cartoons, I make drawings that are sometimes on the fringe of mainstream comics. So I see myself as a cartoonist who inhabits a number of roles, but currently, I attempt to feed the fine arts world of DC while seeking to address cartoonists’ and comics concerns.
Who are your influences?
When I wasn’t even in high school, I remember sending an inquiry to the Joe Kubert School of Cartooning in Newark, New Jersey for more information. I presented the brochure that I received back to my father, who told me that this school wasn’t ‘good enough’ for me. I ended up in fine arts school which was nice, but I didn’t belong, art-wise -- even the illustration department was too fancy. I’ve always been very interested in the popular arts but unfortunately my life experience has mutated me beyond that ever being a possible destination for my work. I’ve confronted the reality that there is nothing I can change about these experiences, and I am content with making it up from here on.
What do you think will be the future of your field? |
| self-portrait |
The World War I Memorial. It’s quiet and you can have a conversation with one or two good friends on a swampy summer DC weekend afternoon.
By John Kelly
On the weekend of September 19th-20th, you can find NBM Publishing participating at two exciting events the 2015 Small Press Expo and The Brooklyn Book Festival.
And at both events we'll be debuting three new titles, Fires Above Hyperion by Patrick Atangan , Religion, A Discovery in Comics by Margreet de Heer and Walking Wounded: Uncut Stories from Iraq by Mael & Olivier Morel.
Imagine Sex and the City written by a gay Charlie Brown.
"One day I woke up and realized I had been dating for twenty years. Twenty years. It's hard to imagine anyone with as little resolve as I have doing anything for so long."
In this autobiographical work, Patrick Atangan documents the sad hilarity of his love life from awkward first encounters, to finding out that the great guy you've been dating already has a boyfriend, to the sad inevitability of a break up. With a dark sense of humor, Atangan navigates the perils of the gay world.
The author of the bestselling Discovery in Comics series, including on Science and Philosophy, tackles a very sensitive subject. Dealing with religion often means walking on eggshells – that is what comic artist Margreet de Heer finds out in this book in which she presents the five major religions and modern spirituality in a colorful, personal yet serious manner. She explores religious history and practices with tact and an open mind, but can't prevent a few eggs from breaking. Why is religion such a sensitive subject?
This book in comics is fun and informative for believers, non-believers and everyone in between. It offers a fresh look from different perspectives on the phenomenon of religion, the backgrounds and history of the five major world religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism) and makes the point that religion is something that should unite us, not drive us apart.
For hundreds of thousands of young Americans, after the shock of 9/11, there was Ar Ramadi, Baghdad, Abu Ghraib… The war in Irak. Then came the trauma. Olivier Morel gave them a voice in his compelling documentary On the Bridge. Walking Wounded isn't the book of the documentary but the story of Morel getting close to the young vets, their troubled experience and lives. So close he could not avoid living their trauma himself, seeing all too clearly their vision of the world after their gut-wrenching experiences. From torment to reflection, Morel and artist Mael relate through these vets the impossible return of those who do aspire vividly to get back to a normal life. The effort is huge, some can't make it, others score their own victory by finally turning the corner… a parable for our country's war sickness.
The Small Press Expo is North America's premiere independent cartooning and comic arts festival. SPX brings together more than 4,000 cartoonists and comic arts enthusiasts every fall in Bethesda, Maryland.
Unlike many conventions that are geared toward pop culture or corporately owned comics, SPX was created in 1994 to promote artists and publishers who produce independent comics. SPX hosts an annual festival that provides a forum for artists, writers and publishers of comic art in its various forms to present to the public comic art not normally accessible through normal commercial channels.
Signing Schedule:
11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Olivier Morel
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Margreet de Heer
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Olivier Morel
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Margreet de Heer
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Olivier Morel & Margreet de Heer
By Steve Brodner 
