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Monday, April 18, 2016
April 29: Animezing - Fuse: Memoirs of a Huntress
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Q&A with Bill Campbell, publisher of Rosarium Publishing
Local indie publisher Rosarium Publishing is in the midst of an Indiegogo fundraising campaign for its upcoming line of books. Publisher Bill Campbell answers a few questions about his endeavor, which has drawn kudos from Publishers Weekly, the Library Journal and the Washington Post, to name a few.
You publish an interesting mix of books and flow
seamlessly in the prose and comics worlds. Has that always been so smooth? Do you find readers (or maybe distributors
and retailers) sometimes raise an eyebrow that you publish both types of books?
I would say that the general public doesn't really bat an
eye. You can oftentimes find somebody selling a novel at a comic book
convention. So, it's not so much that we have novels and anthologies there;
it's just that we have so many. I generally go to the more literary science
fiction conventions. Those folks are avid readers, so it's not too hard to
convince them to pick up new reading material. It never really hurts to be the
book people at a comics convention or the comics people at a book convention.
When you're both, you generally have something for everybody.
Well, retailers are hard, and I really understand what
they're going through. They have very limited space with which to make money.
Every cubic inch of their store has to bring in income, so they don't
necessarily want to take risks. The excuses sometimes, though. One time, I was
pitching The Assimilated Cuban's Guide to Quantum Santeria to a store,
and the manager said, “Oh, we don't get many Cubans in this store.” Ha!
Distribution's just hard for any small publisher. The entire
field is divvied up by a cartel of distributors who have cornered their
individual markets. I don't care what you publish. It's just rough dealing with
people who are never hungry and know they'll never be able to feed off the tiny
morsels you bring to the table—no matter how tasty.
Being an indie publisher with a drive such as yours is
obviously hard work. Can you briefly give a taste of what your recent travel
for Rosarium Publishing has entailed? What keeps you motivated?
Back in 2012, just before I started Rosarium and was pushing
my novel Koontown Killing Kaper, I did over 50 events in a year. I swore
I'd never do that again, but I still find myself doing 20 to 30. I'm still
trying to cut those down, but you're right, I do have drive. So, I sometimes
find myself in traveling frenzies. For example, this past month I was in
Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and the Hamptons. I'm doing something local in a
couple weeks (Creator Con), and then in May I'm off to Toronto (T-CAF), Philadelphia
(ECBACC), and Madison, WI (WisCon). I'm actually supposed to be in Chicago,
too, that month, but I think I'm going to skip that. I'm turning 46 on May Day!
What’s been the most difficult part in starting and
continuing Rosarium?
Beginnings are hard no matter who you are or what you're
trying to do. Usually, the biggest challenge is getting other people to take
you seriously. That was definitely ours. On the sff side, we've been really
fortunate. Our first anthology, Mothership: Tales from Afrofuturism and
Beyond eventually garnered a lot of attention, and our next two (Stories
for Chip and The SEA Is Ours) as well. We've been really
well-received within that community.
The comics side of things has been harder. We've talked
about this personally: It's because comics is a medium, not a genre, and it's
immense. So, it's been much harder finding reviewers who'd be interested in
what we do, etc.
And frankly, Diamond doesn't make it any easier with the
monopoly they have over comics shops. They don't seem particularly fond of what
we do. We've taken critically-acclaimed, award-winning comics to them, and
they've been like, “Nope! Not carrying them!” Because of that, the irony with
our comics is that you can find them in Barnes & Nobles and other bookstores,
you can find them in libraries, you can even find some of them being taught in
college classrooms, but you'd be hard-pressed to find them in a comic book
shop.
But what can you do? It's things like this that simply make
me work harder.
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "#WitchHillary"
from the pen of Mike Flugennock, DC's anarchist cartoonist
"#WitchHillary"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=1914
For a few weeks or so earlier this year, MSNBC was running a network promo with this clip of Hillary Clinton speaking, and it had to be the nastiest sounding stuff I'd heard her spew out in years. Hillary's voice sounded raspy, raw, shrieking like a pissed-off junior high school principal, a voice that could cut glass. You could tell she was trying to sound all forceful and dynamic and Presidential n'shit, but instead all I could think of was the Wicked Witch Of The West. With that raspy shrieky voice, all Hillary needed was a big pointy hat and a broom.
No doubt buttloads of old-skool 1970s feminist language cops will get on my case for comparing Hillary to the WWotW, but, hey... if the shoe fits, strap that motherf'r on.
Friday, April 15, 2016
Tom Toles goes home again
Tom Toles, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and Spectrum alum, speaks to newspaper's staff
Toles leads discussion in Spectrum office about journalism
XKCD to the White House
There's just a brief mention of Randall Munroe visiting the White House in this transcript.
The World Premiere of “Cul de Sac” the play (press release)
Encore Stage & Studio Proudly Presents the World Premiere of "Cul de Sac"
Arlington, VA – Encore Stage & Studio is delighted to present Cul de Sac, the world premiere play adaption based on the nationally syndicated Cul de Sac comic strip by Richard Thompson. Thompson and his comic strip won the 2010 Reuben Award, the highest honor given by the National Cartoonists Society. The play follows four-year-old Alice Otterloop and her older brother, Petey, as they learn about friendship and the importance of being yourself. When Alice decides to help Petey become more exciting she risks sending Petey further into his shell. With the help of their parents, teachers, and new and old friends the Otterloop children just might be able to learn something from each other. This production runs June 3 through 12 at Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre (125 S. Old Glebe Rd. Arlington, VA 22204).
"He never wanted to be anything other than a cartoonist," says playwright Amy Thompson in describing her husband Richard Thompson. Richard, a long-time Arlington resident, had created thousands of illustrations and cartoons for dozens of magazines and newspapers before Cul de Sac debuted in The Washington Post Magazine in 2007. Thompson drew on incidents from his own childhood ("there's a lot of him in Petey, the withdrawn artist" says Amy), and the lives of his family, including two daughters, Emma and Charlotte. Everything from Charlotte's unbounded exuberance, to Emma's discovery that a manhole cover made a great stage, to the reluctant introduction of a guinea pig in their home was fodder for Thompson's re-imagined suburban Washington.
Thompson's Cul de Sac drew the attention of comic fans worldwide including some very famous fans. Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson was so impressed that he wrote the introduction to the first Cul de Sac collection.
"[The comic strip] is one of those rare visions that shows how surprising the ordinary world really is. Richard Thompson's wonderfully peculiar Otterloop family is closely observed with deep sympathy and rings absolutely true," stated Watterson, "I'm a huge fan."
Children's book author Mo Willems (Knuffle Bunny, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Elephant & Piggie series) wrote the introduction to the second collection. "If Cul de Sac isn't French for 'wonderfully loopily sincerely life-affirmingly stupendously hilarious' then there is something wrong with the French language," stated Willems.
Pixar director Pete Docter invited Thompson to collaborate on character development for his most recent film, Inside Out. "Cul de Sac is the funniest strip to appear in decades," writes Oscar-winner Docter, whose other films include Monsters, Inc. and Up. "It's full of great characters, well-observed truths that most of us have forgotten about, and is so beautifully and funnily drawn that it is an absolute joy to look at even if you can't read. (Of course, if you can't read, then you'd better stop right now.)"
In 2009 Thompson was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and began treatment. Thompson's friend Chris Sparks solicited other artists to contribute to a book collection, Team Cul de Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinson's, to raise money for Parkinson's research through the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Encore Stage & Studio will hold a special fundraiser in the theatre lobby in to contribute to this effort.
On September 23, 2012, Cul de Sac ended its run of original strips, and Thompson retired. He kept up his Cul de Sac blog for some years afterward, but otherwise, published no new work. An offer was made to buy the rights to Cul de Sac and continue the strip with a new writer and artist, but Thompson declined. It seemed the world had seen the last of Alice, Petey, Madeline, and Peter Otterloop, as well as their friends Dill, Beni, Andre, Loris, Miss Bliss, and all the others.
Encore Stage & Studio, with efforts to build its performances highlighting local and original work, approached Amy Thompson about writing a play. Amy Thompson has worked for Encore as a drama teacher and director for some years, and has written several shorter works for summer camps and classes. Amy's Encore show credits include direction for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 2013 and Much Ado about Nothing in 2015. She was eager to write a full-length play, and suggested that Cul de Sac would make a perfect choice for children's theatre. Over the years, Richard had turned down all requests by other writers to adapt the strip for the stage, while asking Amy why she didn't do it herself. Encore accepted, debuting Cul de Sac's for its early summer show of the 2015/2016 season.
We are excited to announce Chuck Leonard as director for this production. Production staff also includes Matthew Heap (Composer), Thomas Boudreaux (Technical Director), Amy Thompson, Kristen Jepperson and Marji Jepperson (Set Designer/Builder and Props), Debra Leonard (Costume Designer/Builder and Make-up Designer), Gary Hauptman (Lighting Designer), Caitlin Orzechowski (Assistant Lighting Designer), and Drew Moberley (Sound Engineer).
Performance Dates and Showtimes:
Fridays, June 3 and 10, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays, June 4 and 11, 2016 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Sundays, June 5 and 12, 2016 at 3 p.m.
Every effort has been made to preserve the look, feel, and heart of the original strip. Fans of the strip will recognize the Otterloop house, Mr. Otterloop's tiny red car, Dill's kiddie car, and Alice's manhole cover. Young audiences who have never seen the strip will recognize the world of some typical (but dramatic) preschoolers and third graders. And everyone, no matter his or her age, will get to experience what it's like to be a child. We recommend this production for ages 4 and older.
Tickets are $15 for Adults; $10 for Children, Students, Military and Seniors. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased at www.encorestage.org or by calling our box office at (703) 548-1154.
About Encore Stage & Studio
Encore Stage & Studio's 2016 season is sponsored by Fairlington Dental and
is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Arlington Cultural Affairs Division of Arlington Economic Development and the Arlington Commission for the Arts.
Richard Thompson & Bill Watterson in French?
Bill Watterson's conversation with Richard from The Art of Richard Thompson has been translated by Stephane Beaujean, a French Cul De Sac fan, and is apparently now available. Bonjour!
The rest of the magazine looks good too.
The Post on Disney's Jungle Book remake
'The Jungle Book' leaps off the screen — to dazzling effect [in print as Beauty and awe roar to life].
By Ann Hornaday
Washington Post April 15 2016, p. Weekend 30-31
https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/the-jungle-book-leaps-off-the-screen--to-dazzling-effect/2016/04/14/9a1c5d36-00d7-11e6-b823-707c79ce3504_story.html
Washington Post April 15 2016, p. Weekend 30-31
https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/the-jungle-book-leaps-off-the-screen--to-dazzling-effect/2016/04/14/9a1c5d36-00d7-11e6-b823-707c79ce3504_story.html
Big Planet Comics Washington is picked in 10 Best list
10 Best Comic Book Stores in the US
written by Michelle RaeApril 13, 2016
https://anotherspur.com/2016/04/13/10-best-comic-book-stores-in-the-us/
Don't try to find this comic book
A couple of weeks ago (April 3, 2016), the Washington Post published this illustration by Oliver Munday. The comic book is of particular interest to us.
Because it doesn't exist. I think it's a melange of existing comic books, but I can only place the logo and the word "Assemble" both of which (along with "mightiest heroes") come from an Avengers comic book, probably from the 1970s. Any crowdsourcing suggestions?
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Ridgway Award honor to Juana Medina
Juana didn't win the first price, but she was one of three honorable mention awards as noted below.
Established in 1993, the Ridgway Award is given each year to an author or illustrator in recognition of an outstanding debut in the world of children's picture books.
The award is given in memory of Marion Vannett Ridgway, a beloved artists' representative who worked in the New York City publishing community for more than forty years, and who extended generous support and encouragement especially to artists just making their way into children's book publishing.
Juana Medina
Illustrator of
Smick!
Every page of Smick! sustains a kind of joy. Medina masterfully captures doggy exuberance in her loosely scrawled thick black lines, and the contrast of her
drawing with collage elements like a stick or a flower petal bird creates a delightful visual surprise. Doreen Cronin’s rhyming text provides a terrific match for such energetic art.
Established in 1993, the Ridgway Award is given each year to an author or illustrator in recognition of an outstanding debut in the world of children's picture books.
The award is given in memory of Marion Vannett Ridgway, a beloved artists' representative who worked in the New York City publishing community for more than forty years, and who extended generous support and encouragement especially to artists just making their way into children's book publishing.
Juana Medina
Illustrator of
Smick!
Every page of Smick! sustains a kind of joy. Medina masterfully captures doggy exuberance in her loosely scrawled thick black lines, and the contrast of her
drawing with collage elements like a stick or a flower petal bird creates a delightful visual surprise. Doreen Cronin’s rhyming text provides a terrific match for such energetic art.
April 16: Cherry Blossom Anime at American Art Museum
April 16, 2016
 | Saturday, April 16, 1 pm
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 | Saturday, April 16, 3 pm
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Saturday, April 16, 5 pm
This screening is held at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Nan Tucker McEvoy Auditorium. Watch the trailer. From the creators of Ghost in the Shell comes a wonderfully expressive and beautifully animated tale that combines bursts of whimsy and humor with deeply felt emotion. The last time Momo saw her father they had a fight; now, all she has left to remember him is an incomplete letter he wrote, penned with the words "Dear Momo" but nothing… |
Comic Riffs in the Express on Batman movies
Ben Affleck will star in and direct a solo Batman film, in his apparent master plan to rule DC's Gotham [in print as Affleck's plan to rule DC's Gotham,' Express (April 14, p. 46)
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog April 12 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/04/12/ben-affleck-will-star-in-and-direct-a-solo-batman-film-in-his-apparent-master-plan-to-rule-dcs-gotham/
Comic Riffs on black superheroes
Rise of the Black Superhero
By David Betancourt, Michael Cavna and Shelly Tan
Washington Post Comic Riffs April 14, 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/entertainment/black-superheroes/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/entertainment/black-superheroes/
The lack of any Milestone characters (Static, etc) is a major omission in this list.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
2 Graphic Novels high on list of books to ban
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel and Habibi by Craig Thompson
The books Americans want removed from libraries [in print as Americans wanted these books removed from libraries in 2015].
The books Americans want removed from libraries [in print as Americans wanted these books removed from libraries in 2015].
Counting down 2015's 10 most challenged books
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/04/12/the-holy-bible-and-two-boys-kissing-the-10-most-challenged-books-of-2015/Comic Riffs talks to Mexican cartoonist Raúl Treviño
Cartel violence hit this artist's family. So he illustrated a comic book about it
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog April 13 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/04/13/scarred-by-cartels-mexican-artist-finds-healing-in-the-forthcoming-drug-war-comic-sombra/
The Post's obituary for caricaturist Vint Lawrence
Vint Lawrence, CIA officer who became a sharp-eyed caricaturist, dies at 76
John Kelly on Squirrel Girl
A modern Marvel: The latest hit comics character is the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl
By John Kelly Columnist April 13 2016https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-modern-marvel-the-latest-hit-comics-character-is-the-unbeatable-squirrel-girl/2016/04/13/8c0198ac-00c2-11e6-9d36-33d198ea26c5_story.html
Comic Riffs talks Wonder Woman
Grant Morrison's new Wonder Woman: 'You don't give up sex just because you gave up men.'
By David Betancourt
Washington Post Comics Riffs blog April 12 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/04/12/grant-morrisons-new-wonder-woman-you-dont-give-up-sex-just-because-you-gave-up-men/
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Comic Riffs talks to Alex Segura
With new book, Alex Segura cracks the case of balancing his lives in comics and mystery novels
Washington Post Comics Riffs blog April 12 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/04/12/with-new-book-alex-segura-cracks-the-case-of-balancing-his-lives-in-comics-and-mystery-novels/
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