1,230 works by Daumier added to National Gallery of Art

The majority of works in this second round of acquisitions, voted on Oct. 1 and announced Thursday, are lithographs by the prolific 19th century Frenchman Honoré Daumier. The museum accepted 1,230 works by Daumier, including a large work from 1834 titled "Le Ventre Legislatif."

read more at:

National Gallery of Art acquires nearly 8,000 works from Corcoran

By Peggy McGlone
Washington Post October 15 2015
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/national-gallery-of-art-acquires-nearly-8000-works-from-corcoran/2015/10/15/127ef9b6-7350-11e5-8d93-0af317ed58c9_story.html

Honoré Daumier's "Le Défenseur (Council for the Defense)," c. 1862-1865. (National Gallery of Art, Corcoran Collection (William A. Clark Collection))

'Style Weekly' article on 'The Little Red Fish'

Local Creators Explore the History of Iranian Revolution in a Comic About Talking Fish 

By Rich Griset/(Richmond) Style Weekly

You know those people who always talk about the great projects they want to work on, but never do? James Moffitt doesn’t like those people.

“I kept encountering people who had a lot to say about creating stuff and these big ideas for stories or art pieces or comic books, but never actually doing anything about it,” he says. “That really frustrated me, because I’d get really excited about a lot of these ideas, but they’d fizzle out.”

This annoyance led Moffitt to co-found Sink/Swim Press in 2009, which will see the release of its 14th and 15th publications Saturday at Gallery5. One is Dashiell Kirk’s “Consumption,” the story of a tiny centipede trapped on top of a hamburger as it’s eaten by a boy. The other is the third installment of “The Little Red Fish,” a political allegory inspired by Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” using fish and cranes to represent the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

Read the full article.

Editor's note: Moffitt and Khodabandeh run the Comic Creator Expo, which is this Saturday in Richmond from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

New Herblock exhibit opening at Library of Congress next week

Herblock Looks at 1965: Fifty Years Ago in Editorial Cartoons, Part II

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/herblock-gallery/herblock-looks-at-1965.html

After winning a landslide victory in the 1964 presidential election, Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973) promoted legislation that improved education, medical care, retirement benefits, and voting rights for all Americans. Through his cartoons, Herblock sided with Johnson on his Great Society programs—aimed at reducing poverty in America—and the implementation of democratic immigration reform and gun control. However, the cartoonist felt Johnson's Vietnam policy was too aggressive.

Herblock also focused his attention on the horrific stranglehold Ku Klux Klan organizations held on American politics and the legal system, as well as the Klan's involvement with the local police force in the Southern states. Although the Klan had existed in various iterations for a century, by 1965 participation rates had increased enormously in the South in response to the civil rights movement and African American mobilization in the 1960s. Although a minority of Southern whites belonged to the Klan, the organization's ruthless murders and intimidation made headlines news and drew the attention of President Johnson, who used both the FBI and the House Un-American Activities Committee to undermine Klan organizations.

Currently on exhibit: September 26, 2015–March 19, 2016

Cure anthology Kickstarter features interview with Lupp & Gillis

MICE + Creator Spotlight: Alex Lupp & Emily R. Gillis

by Square City Comics

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/squarecitycomics/the-cure-a-square-city-comics-anthology/posts/1384305?ref=backer_project_update

They only need 4% more to fund their new anthology.

Jan. 4: 'Magic Bullet' #12 deadline

Jan. 4 is the deadline for ads and comics submissions for Magic Bullet, the D.C. Conspiracy's free semi-annual comics newspaper. Find more info here.

Local collector Mitch Berger donated his sketchbook to Billy Ireland Library

Mitch has given me permission to reproduce this from his Facebook page. I love the fact that he's given this great collection to a cartoon archives.


Earlier this summer I decided that it was time for me to donate my most prized possession, my cartoonist sketchbook, to an appropriate institution. I started collecting drawings from cartoonists I liked and admired back in 1972. The book has drawings by many greats who are no longer with us, Hal Foster, Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jeff Jones, Vaughn Bode, Roy G. Krenkel, Roy Crane, Alfredo Alcala, Ernie Chan (aka Chua), Joe Kubert, Joe Orlando, Jerry Robinson, Bill Gallo, Paul Conrad and Spain Rodriguez. 

Many more are, happily, still with us and include Marie Severin, Ralph Reese, Steve Bissette, Al Jaffee, Arnold Roth, Robert and Aline Crumb (in a "jam"), Walt Simonson, Howard Chaykin, Gilbert Shelton, Matt Groening, Berke Brethead, Batton Lash, Bobby London, Jen Sorensen, Kelly Bastow, Neal Adams, Roberta Gregory, Jules Feiffer, Jeff Smith, Wendy Pini, Steve Kelly, all three of Los Bros Hernandez and last, but by no means least, among many, many more, the greatest living cartoonist, Sergio Aragones.

I obtained the final two contributions to the sketchbook from Art Spiegelman and Bill Griffith at Cartoon Crossroads Columbus - CXC, and it was donated soon after, to the Billy Ireland Library and Cartoon Museum at Ohio State, the premier repository and most solid institution dedicated to cartoon art in the US. The picture below is of me and the incomparable Lucy Caswell, the heart and soul of the library/museum, going through the sketchbook one last time. I hope all of the drawings in it will be available online. Thanks to all the cartoonists who, through the last 40+ years, have given me the gift of their art.

You can never really own art, you are lucky if you have the privilege to be its custodian for a while. I have been tremendously lucky. I'm also lucky to have Peggy, as my wife. The sketchbook would easily sell for tens of thousand$, but it would be broken up and sold piecemeal. When it comes to doing the right thing, there's none better than my wife.

Comic Riffs talks to Noelle Stevenson

From idea born at MICA, Noelle Stevenson is the youngest 2015 National Book Award finalist

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog October 15 2015
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/10/15/from-idea-born-at-mica-noelle-stevenson-is-now-youngest-national-book-award-finalist-ever/

Cartoonist Josh Kramer covers the City Paper

Fails of Justice Faked evidence, missing witnesses, and shady deals—how one defense attorney went wrong

By Will Sommer • Illustrations by Josh Kramer • October 16, 2015
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/47577/fails-of-justice-faked-evidence-missing-witnesses-and-shady-deals/

OCT 18 Southern Maryland Comic-Con 2015

• Sunday at 10:00am - 4:00pm 3 days from now · 49°F / 35°F Clear

• Show Map Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department 24801 Three Notch Rd, Hollywood, Maryland 20636

• Find Tickets Tickets Available www.eventbrite.com

Southern Maryland's comic-con is back!! We're going to be in Hollywood, MD this time, so make sure you come check it out! October 18, 10am-4pm. Don't forget your costume!

Oct 20, 24: Mike Jenkins' LunchBagArt reception

Mike Jenkins' LunchBagArt is on display at Studio Pause during the month of October. Please join us for a reception on Oct 20 6-8pm where Mike will talk about his inspriration, his daily method, and answer questions. Studio Pause owner Sush Mazumdar creates beautifully handmade books, so the much awaited LunchBag Art Books will also be for sale!

Studio Pause is at 2421 26th Rd South, Arlington, VA, just east of S. Glebe Rd. Not lots of parking, so plan on extra time to find a spot.

and

Reception, Sat., Oct 24, 6-8 pm
Art to Lunch: Thinking Outside the Bag with Cartoonist Mike Jenkins After a 25 year career as an Editorial Cartoonist, Mike Jenkins left the newspaper business but is still recovering (though he occasionally falls off the wagon). He lives in Arlington, Virginia with his wife Tish and daughter Maggy and works primarily as a caricaturist. He started his company Capital Artworks to provide caricaturists for events around the DC area as well as custom artwork for corporate, government and private clients.

When his two older children left for college, he started doodling on Maggy’s school lunch bags. When she mentioned one night during dinner that all the kids in cafeteria would run to see her lunch bag every day, they knew they were onto something. Mike’s wife posted the next bag on Facebook, and they were stunned by the positive reaction. That’s when Mike knew the pressure was on, and he was back to facing a daily deadline!

PLUS! Art to Lunch: Thinking Outside the Bag, a Handmade Storybook with 17 of Mike’s Lunch Bag art which will be available for sale at the reception.

Mike’s work can be seen daily on Instagram and Twitter @CapitalArtworks and on his website at www.CapitalArtworks.com

New DC Conspiracy anthology at DC Author Fest

The DC Conspiracy members will among the featured speakers at D.C. Author Festival Oct. 24-25 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. On Saturday, Andrew Cohen and Evan Keeling will be talking about the DCC's Magic Bullet comics newspaper at 2 p.m.

DCC will also be premiering a new comics anthology published in partnership with the DC Public Library system. DC Conspiracy, 2015: Comics from the Nation's Capital is 76 pages packed with mostly four-page comics by local creators (The cover is by David Ross). Proceeds from the sales of the book will go toward publishing Magic Bullet.

Oct 18: Liniers in Silver Spring with Michael Cavna

Busboys and Poets Takoma: Ricardo Liniers - Written and Drawn by Henrietta and Macanudo #3

Sunday, October 18, 2015 at 6:30 p.m.

Argentine cartoonist Liniers, in conversation with The Washington Post's Comic Riffs columnist Michael Cavna, discusses his two latest books. In Written and Drawn by Henrietta, the titular heroine shows her cat Fellini—and the reader—how to write and illustrate a spellbinding story. Macanudo #3 is a collection of Liniers's popular comic strip, translated from the Spanish, which also features Henrietta and Fellini as well as a host of other characters. All ages

• Liniers will also perform a live painting while attendees mix and mingle and enjoy the evening. 
• Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Jazz Combo musicians will perform throughout the evening to add a lively vibe to the event. 

Busboys and Poets Takoma

235 Carroll Street NW

WashingtonDC20012

Written and Drawn by Henrietta (Hardcover)

By Liniers, Liniers (Illustrator)

$12.95

9781935179900

On Our Shelves Now

Toon Books - September 29th, 2015

Oct 24: DC Conspiracey at DC Author Festival

From Andrew Cohen, via Facebook:

Saturday, October 24, is the D.C. Author Festival at the MLK library. Along with all the other local authors and publishers, the DC Conspiracy will be proudly representing the local comic scene with Magic Bullet, as well as a brand new book printed on the library's own Espresso Book Machine! We'll even be giving a short talk at 2:00 pm, so come on down, say hi, and bask in the wordy pleasure!

D.C. Author Festival

Enjoy readings, workshops, and over 60 local author and publisher vendor booths. Vendor Fair Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015

dclibrary.org

Victory Comics owner is running Bernie Sanders' campaign?

Meet the Comic Book King Running Bernie Sanders' Campaign

Jeff Weaver is the Robin to Bernie's Batman.

—By Tim Murphy

Thu Jul. 16, 2015
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/07/bernie-sanders-jeff-weaver-victory-comics

"His is an unconventional campaign, so it was only logical that in May he picked an unconventional operative to run it—the owner of a comic book shop. A longtime Sanders friend and advisor, Jeff Weaver had worked on Sanders' campaigns and in his Washington offices for more than two decades. But before he came on board Bernie 2016, Weaver had retired from politics to launch one of the DC-area's biggest gaming businesses."

Oct 28: Animezing - Brave Story

-Brave Story- | October 28, 2015 | Wednesday, 6:30PM   Adventure | Not Rated | 2006 | 111 min | In Japanese with English subtitles ©FUJI TELEVISION NETWORK/ GONZO/ WARNER ENTERTAINMENT JAPAN/ DENTSU/ SPWT Please join us at:        Interested in more great Japan-related events in the Washington, DC area?       Check out our upcoming area events page, updated three times a week, for a list of the latest events in the region.   Japan Information and Culture Center  1150 18th Street NW, Suite 100 Washington DC, 20036   In the event of a cancellations, please contact us at jicc@ws.mofa.go.jp. Japan Academy Award Nominee Best Animated Film, 2007 Young Wataru lives a carefree life until he learns of his parents' divorce and his mother is suddenly hospitalized. Feeling trapped and helpless, he longs to somehow escape his fate. Enter the enigmatic Mitsuru, who presents Wataru with a solution to his troubles. If Wataru goes to the magical world of Vision and can prove himself a worthy hero, the Goddess of Fortune will grant him one wish. Seizing the opportunity, Wataru discovers the portal to Vision and decides to face the challenges that separate him from achieving his goal. But will he have the courage necessary to change his destiny? Screening Materials provided by the Japan Foundation. - TRICK OR TREAT! - Please join us for a thrilling Halloween-themed evening at the JICC! Wear your favorite costume and trick-or-treat with staff following the film. Happy Halloween! Warning: This film is unrated but parental guidance is suggested as some scenes may be frightening for young children. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required for security purposes. Click here to register.   Doors open at 6:00PM and will close once seating is full or promptly at 7:00PM. Registered guests will be seated on a first come, first served basis. Please note that seating is limited and registration does not guarantee guests a seat. This program is presented in cooperation with the Japan Foundation.

Oct 23-29: Animation in Silver Spring

THE 17TH ANNUAL ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS at AFI/Silver Theater

Run Time:

97 Minutes

Genre:

Animation, family

Rating:

NOT RATED

Special Features:

One week only, Oct. 23-29!

Opening Date:

Friday, October 23, 2015

Presenting eleven new international award-winning animated short films in a variety of animation techniques, including traditional hand-drawn 2-D, computer graphics 3-D, stop-motion and painted clay. Includes four mini-portrait documentaries of filmmakers in their homes and studios; filmed on location in Russia, Ireland, the U.S. and Iran.

Featuring Janette Goodey and John Lewis' THE STORY OF PERCIVAL PILTS; Geoffrey Godet and Burcu Sankur's TANT DE FORÊTS [SO MANY FORESTS]; Conor Whelan's SNOWFALL; Lynn Tomlinson's BALLAD OF HOLLAND ISLAND HOUSE; Amanda Palmer and Avi Ofer's BEHIND THE TREES; Konstantin Bronzit's WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THE COSMOS; Isabelle Favez's MESSAGES DANS L'AIR [MESSAGES IN THE AIR], Babak Nekooei and Behnoud Nekooei's STRIPY; Thomas Bourdis, Martin de Coudenhove, Caroline Domergue, Colin Laubry and Florian Laubry's ASCENSION; Melissa Johnson and Robertino Zambrano's LOVE IN THE TIME OF MARCH MADNESS; and Don Hertzfeldt's WORLD OF TOMORROW, curated and produced by Ron Diamond.
DIR Janette Goodey, John Lewis, Geoffrey Godet, Burcu Sankur, Conor Whelan, Lynn Tomlinson, Amanda Palmer, Avi Ofer, Konstantin Bronzit, Isabelle Favez, Babak Nekooei, Behnoud Nekooei, Thomas Bourdis, Martin de Coudenhove, Caroline Domergue, Colin Laubry, Florian Laubry, Melissa Johnson, Robertino Zambrano, Don Hertzfeldt. Australia/France/Ireland/Russia/Iran/U.S., 2014/2015, color, 97 min, DCP. NOT RATED

PR: Game On Comics is closing.

Game On is changing direction Dear Mike, I'm writing to let you know that as of October 31st, Game On Comics will be shifting it's format from the current brink-and-mortar storefront in Vienna to a customized online and delivery service.  We will continue to provide the same personalized service to all of our subscribers...we will just bring the store to you now! While we would have liked to stay on in Vienna, the lack of walk-in traffic in our current location turned out to be a deterrent to growing our business, and ultimately, keeping the storefront open. On one hand, it is sad for us because this is our first store, and we have had a great time hanging out in this space and getting to know our customers here.  On the other hand, we are excited about the direction we're going and the opportunities this change affords us all as a whole.   So what does this mean for you as Game On Comics subscribers? Well, aside from not having to come to Vienna to pick up your comics, pretty much everything will stay the same for you.  You can still update your pull list through our website, email, or phone.  We will also send out the updates on the upcoming issues so you know what's coming out soon, same as normal.    In addition, because our costs of doing business will be adjusted, we can now offer EVERY subscriber a 25% discount on your titles.  We will deliver or mail your comics on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis for a $5.95 delivery fee.  We will simply charge your credit card on file and send out whenever you like. ***THIS IS WHERE I NEED YOUR RESPONSE***  Because comic books are ordered 2 months in advance, I need to know now who plans on keeping their subscriptions.  PLEASE CLICK "Take this Survey" to let me know so that I can make the appropriate updates.   Take this survey  As for the physical store: Store hours will remain the same until close on Oct. 31st   Our Magic the Gathering events will continue for 3 more events, then will discontinue   Dungeons and Dragons Encounters can continue until we close   Starting today, the store will be having a BIG SALE--look for updates on product sales All items in the store are now 40% off except new comics New comics, and comics in your box, will be at 25% off All Back Issues are $1 All of our Rental Games are 75% off retail Subscribers, please keep in mind that your comics will not change.  As a matter of fact my service to you will only get better because I will be more available to you via phone/email. Some of you will even see an increase in your discount rate!  In the meantime, I will be working hard to open up another location, in a better spot! Thank you for your patronage and for your support for Game On Comics.  I sincerely appreciate everything that all of you have done.  Please keep in mind that Game On still wants to provide great, customized, personalized service to you.  By continuing with us, you will help build a better store for us all to enjoy!   Sincerely,   Louis Meyer Owner Game On! Comics

The Post on Japanese cartoonist criticism

Japanese cartoonist unapologetic for using migrant girl to criticize 'fake immigrants'

By Michael E. Miller 
Washington Post Morning Mix blog October 9 2015
 http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/10/09/japanese-cartoonist-unapologetic-for-using-migrant-girl-to-criticize-fake-immigrants/

Tonight: Cartooning Class this fall at Upshur Books

Comics Djinn: Drawing and Storytelling by You, Led by Adam Griffiths, Cartoonist

Upshur Street Books, 827 Upshur St. NW, Washington, D.C.

Every Monday, October 19, 2015 at 7:00 PM through November 9, 2015

Click here to register:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/comics-djinn-drawing-and-storytelling-by-you-led-by-adam-griffiths-cartoonist-tickets-18546345619
 
Cartoonist Adam Griffiths leads a four-session drawing and storytelling course that covers the cartooning process from style to character development to the nuts and bolts of getting started in the comics profession.

Each course is split into 2 half-hour blocks. One half covers the theme of the day's session. The other half is a studio lesson in comics.

Ages 18-Adult, All Skill Levels Welcome. 

Recommended reading: 
Drawing Words, Writing Pictures by Jessica Abel
This book will be available to course enrollees at a discount. 

Supplies: 
8 ½ x 11" sketchbook, 50 pages
2 pencils: 2H & 2B
Alvin White vinyl pencil eraser
Gum eraser
12" ruler or T-square
NOTE: Do not buy inking supplies until we cover this topic in the 2nd session
FINAL PROJECTS: 2 pieces of 11 x 14" vellum Bristol board will be provided 

Participants will attain intermediate knowledge of comics literature and the comics profession. Participants will create one fully developed, completed page of comics. 

SESSION 1: Genres of the Comics World
 What interests you most? Editorial cartooning? Web comics? Daily strips? Graphic novels? Manga? Superheroes? Underground comics? Minicomics? Nobrow comics? Art comics? Zines? Instructor will lead a discussion of various facets of the comics and cartooning world, followed by a lesson in basic to intermediate concepts of the comics narrative language.

BAR HOURS: Every Thursday at 6:30pm during the course, Adam Griffiths will come to Petworth Citizen for SKETCH SHARE, which is open to the general public. Anyone wishing to share sketches made during this time will have them posted online and to the instructor's Instagram account with a special hashtag. Course participants can come to draw, discuss comics with peers or have questions answered by the instructor about their final projects. 
 
SESSION 2: Strength of Character
Character development is a crucial element to the storytelling process. The instructor will present successful examples of character-building, with participants offering insights about the characters they observe. The studio block will explore various inking methods.

SESSION 3: Word, Text, Form, Vision: Maximizing Your Storytelling 
Instructor will lead an in-depth lecture on the formal aspects of storytelling, delving into innovative storytelling concepts, themes, and challenges for creators. For the studio block, participants will have the opportunity to work on final projects with one-on-one feedback from the instructor.

SESSION 4: The Comics Profession and Final Critiques
How does a comics creator make it work today? What's in a cartoonist's portfolio? Where should I pitch my comics project? What type of exposure do I want for my work? Where can I meet other comics artists? Participants will be provided with a resource sheet and presented with samples. The instructor will cover expos, conventions, websites, professional journals, and publishers where a creator can find support, followed by a critiques of final projects. 

FINAL THURSDAY SKETCH SHARE: Participants' final projects and any other drawings made during the course will be presented in the reading room of Petworth Citizen.
 
See cartoons, illustrations, and artwork by the instructor: www.adamgriffithsart.com

Titan Comics of early October 2015 and The Bus 2

Titan Books continues its aggressive Titan Comics line expansion with a wide variety of material. They just sent ComicsDC a wide variety of books, ranging from children's to greatest generation readers. Text in italics is a blurb from their website.


Dreamworks Home Vol. 1 Hide & Seek & Oh

Writer Max Davison and Artist Matt Hebb

Fresh from DreamWorks Animation’s new film Home, Titan Comics bring you the all-new adventures of the friendliest and most inept world dominators you’ve ever seen! The Boov are an alien race trying to make Earth their home, but they really don’t get human culture... In these two original stories, Tip and the Boov alien Oh attempt to play hide-and-seek – with inter-dimensional consequences! And Oh faces the perilous pitfalls of job-hunting!


This is really aimed at a very young reader, as it has a cameo by Where's Waldo in it. I haven't seen the movie, but in the comic, the girl Tip takes the lead of solving the problems that Oh the alien has gotten them into.

Dreamworks Classics Vol.1

Writers
Andy Lanning
Dan Abnett
Tom DeFalco

Artists
Brian Williamson
S L Gallant

From the hit movies to the comic pages, Titan presents classic DreamWorks tales starring Shrek and the Madagascar gang! Shrek faces a bunch of Trolls and then takes part in a pie-eating contest (against Fiona, no less!). Meanwhile over in Madagascar, the gang try to build a new house – with disastrous results – and then they go to a party at Prince Julien’s!

I wasn't paying much attention to this comic collection of Shrek and Madagascar stories, until I saw the artist - our local Dupont Circle denizen Shannon Gallant, who also pencils G.I. Joe.. So everyone should by this collection and wander the Circle until Shannon signs it for you.


 DreamWorks Penguins of Madagascar: The Great Drain Robbery

Writers

Alex Matthews

Andy Lanning

Cavan Scott

Jim Alexander

Artists

Andy Lanning

Egle Bartolini

Lucas Fereyra

This collection packs together Titan's complete Penguins of Madagascar comic series, presenting hilarious and dangerous hijinks with everyone's favourite flippered friends from the Madagascar movies. It's penguins vs. rats in 'The Great Drain Robbery', the fellas face a cunning new circus performer in 'When In Rome', have an adventure on the red carpet in 'Big Night Out', engage in some clowning around with ferrets in 'Big Top' and finally travel to London to visit the Crown Jewels - with hilarious consequences - in 'Operation: Heist'.

I'm surprised by the variety of styles of art in this collection. DreamWorks obviously did not provide a staid model sheet, and it makes the collection more enjoyable. The characters of the Penguins have been well-established by the movies and tv, and the writers have turned in perfectly acceptable plots for  a children's comic. Anyone looking for a comic for the 10-and-under set could consider this, although at $20 it's price point is more like a standard superhero collection.

Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives Omnibus: Volume One 

by Tony Lee (Author), Dan McDaid (Author), Tim Hamilton (Illustrator), Mark Buckingham (Illustrator), Matthew Dow Smith (Illustrator) 

The journey starts here, with the first installment of Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives! Join the Doctor, Amy and Rory as they explore the wonders of time and space - where nothing is ever quite as it seems! Collecting the first three complete story arcs of Doctor Who Series 2, don't miss out on these fantastic adventures!

I'm turning this one over to my daughter for review as she's a fan. Hopefully she'll get back to us with a review. Again, as with the Penguins, I'm struck by the wide variety in artistic styles.

Universal War One Vol.1 

Denis Bajram

THE WHOLE WORLD IS AT WAR. AND IT’S ABOUT TO GET WORSE. Humanity has colonized our entire solar system. In the middle of a civil war between the core planets and distant outlying planetary settlements, an immense black wall appears, cutting our solar system in two. The black wall absorbs all light and matter, and it's up to a band of disgraced soldiers to investigate the phenomenon.

This is a goodly-priced collection of six French albums. Bajram's art is attractive. European SF rarely engages me, but I'll try to get back with a review.

FLASH GORDON Vol.4 

Don Moore
Austin Briggs

Continuing the space-bound adventures of Flash Gordon, the original guardian of the galaxy as he strives to save us all from a slew of super-villainy hell-bent on domination, destruction and devilment; including the ruthless, seductive, Storm Queen of Valkir!

 Once upon a time, in our local galaxy, Star Wars didn't exist. Instead, we had Flash Gordon. This is a big meaty reprint book of color Sundays of the comic strip from the 1940s and it's going to be good. 

Minions Vol.1 Banana!

Writer

Didier Ah-Koon

Artist

Renaud Collin

They’re the most loveable evil henchmen ever created… Stuart, Kevin, Bob and the rest of the Minions return for laughs and gags in this hilarious comic collection. Collecting together Minions Comic Issues #1 and #2, laugh along as the Minions unleash their unique brand of mayhem on the world.

I just saw the movie the other day, and liked it. I think this collection, which is mostly wordless as you'd expect, should be a fun read. It's in European hardcover album format and should be a good present for pre-teens.

The Bus 2

Paul Kirchner

Tanibis, 2015, $25.

One of my favorite comic strips is Paul Kirchner's The Bus which appeared in alternative newspapers in the 1980s. I reviewed the collection that reprinted them, and figured that I'd seen it all. But Kirchner had returned to the strip and I'm looking forward to diving into his return to the wordless surrealism of commuting. I can't recommend Kirchner's strips highly enough. These two books would make great holiday presents.


Here's the publisher's blurb:


 During the years 1974 to 1986, after working as an assistant to Wally Wood, Paul Kirchner created several comic strips such as Dope Rider for High Times magazine and the bus for Heavy Metal. In 2012, French publishing house Tanibis published an anthology of the bus strips that was nominated at the Angoulême International comics festival, proving that even a 30-year old public transportation vehicle can take part in a Grand Prix. In 2013, Paul Kirchner surprised commuters when he decided to start working again on the bus. He fixed the old vehicle up, took it out of the garage and called its iconic passenger in the white overcoat back on duty, waiting to be taken on new, exotic adventures. The bus' unpredictable personality causes him to mimic classic pop culture icons such as King-Kong or Steve Martin while in turn analyzing or teleporting his passenger. And that's only when it's not cheating on him with other commuters. Kirchner's new ideas are on par with the original strips, proving that his creativity didn't end with the 80's. The crazy cartoon logic of the original strips is still present, and wackiness is the norm. Some details, such as the so-called « smart » phones or the passengers' looks, root the stories in the 21st century, but Paul Kirchner's universe retains a timeless vintage aesthetic that blends eras, lending these new stories a hint of nostalgia. The Bus 2 will be published in hardcover horizontal format identical to the previous collection published in 2012. Back in that twilight dimension he calls home, it is rumored that Paul Kirchner is at work on new material for his psychedelic western Dope Rider. After all it seems that the bus' passenger is not the only one who gets caught occasionally in strange time warps... Parts of The Bus 2 material have previously been published in magazines in north America and in Europe.