Thursday, May 19, 2016
Art imitating life, imitating art, imitating life
Local cartoonist and filmmaker John Kinhart had a cool comic in Magic Bullet 12 about the locally produced documentary "Heavy Metal Parking Lot." (See image, below). The makers of that film are holding an exhibition and reception on May 27 in College Park, Md., in honor of the film's 30th anniversary. (I heard one the filmmakers bought the original art from John.)
The Post on Finding Dory's effect on fish
'Finding Nemo' wasn't so entertaining for real clownfish. Now conservationists worry about 'Finding Dory'.
Download 'Teaching Japanese American Incarceration through Comics'
Local comics creator Evan Keeling posts on Facebook: "Today is Yuri Kochiyama's 95th birthday.
here is the comic I drew about her while working with the Smithsonian Youth Civic Engagement Program." Evan notes that you can download for free the entire booklet Teaching Japanese American Incarceration through Comics.
here is the comic I drew about her while working with the Smithsonian Youth Civic Engagement Program." Evan notes that you can download for free the entire booklet Teaching Japanese American Incarceration through Comics.
Local comics at Transformer exhibit
DCist has a brief write up and photos of the new “Gift Shop” exhibit at Transformer gallery, which includes a few comics from D.C. Conspiracy members. The exhibit runs through June 18.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
May 21: Artshow15: Comix
Hole in the Sky Studio hold a one-day exhibit May 21 from 5-11 p.m. entitled: ARTSHOW_15: COMIX – A Showcase of Work Steeped in and Inspired by Sequential Art and Visual Storytelling.
Participating local artists include:
Nick Hagelin - http://instagram.com/
Jonathan Ottke - https://www.wpadc.org/
Rose Jaffe - http://www.rosejaffe.com/
JD Deardourff - http://www.deardourff.com/
LA Johnson - http://thelajohnson.com/
Rachel Wallach - https://www.instagram.com/
Dayanita Ramesh - http://
Darius Frank - http://Defcise.com/
Sara Lautman - http://
JT Wilkins (JTW) - http://thinktankrx.com/
Chris Pyrate - http://instagram.com/
Atomic Blowfish - https://www.instagram.com/
Jules Kang - https://www.instagram.com/
Kristy Cunningham - http://
Malaka Gharib - http://
Emily R. Gillis - http://
Ch Pf - http://chpfa.tumblr.com/
G. E. Gallas - http://
bonner sale - http://instagram.com/
Brad Ulreich - http://bradulreich.com/
Robin Ha - http://robin.megaten.net/
Dana Jeri Maier - http://
Gordon Harris - http://dustelves.com/
Andrew Cohen - http://instagram.com/
Andrew Wodzianski - http://www.wodzianski.com/
Robert Allen Burns - https://www.instagram.com/
Seansberg - http://seansberg.com/
Jadah-Lysette Thomas - https://www.instagram.com/
Russell Richard Hite - Www.russellrichardhite.com
Caryn Tayeh - http://
Martin Swift - http://mrtnswft.com/
Yankee Pope - https://www.instagram.com/
Athena Naylor - http://
ARTIFEX JAY - http://
Castle Printshop - http://
Lizzie Parmenter
Lucas Alejandro - http://365cdn.tumblr.com/
K.S.Brenowitz - http://
Danielle Hedquist
Nicki Avena - http://instagram.com/
Charlie Visconage - http://www.visconage.com/
Matt Corrado - http://instagram.com/
KeyHan - http://keyhansolo.com/
The Coaster Doodler - https://www.instagram.com/
Saman Bemel-Benrud - http://trashmoon.com/
All art sales will go 100% to the artists and they'll be chilling at the show so come on out and meet them and buy their work cause that's what's up.
FOOD BY:
Milk Cult
We're asking for $5 donations at the door to help us keep doing awesome things at HITS and we're super appreciative of whatever you can shoot our way.
Doors @ 5pm
GTFO @ 11pm
The math behind Spiderman's punch
Local comics editor/writer Jason Rodriguez, who works as an applied mathematician, takes a mathematical look at Spiderman’s punch in a post for The Robot’s Pajamas blog. Read his article
"Spider-Man’s Punch Speed vs. Talking Time (Or: Why Spider-Man is a Terrible Fighter)."
Comic Riffs talks to Seth on the Complete Peanuts
All 'Peanuts' comic strips have been collected for the first time. Here's how it happened.
Ralph Steadman beer label news (sort of)
[All of their beers, including Raging Bitch, have Ralph Steadman artwork for the labels].
Md. Beer Company To Establish Freedom of Speech Organization With Damages From 'Raging Bitch' Lawsuit
WJZ May 18, 2016http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/05/18/raging-bitch-flying-dog-lawsuit/
Late, but... SL Gallant's FCBD Pink Panther
Washington's SL Gallant illustrated the Free Comic Book Day issue of Pink Panther. Here's the distributor's description:
Publisher: AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY PRODUCTIONS
(W/A/CA) S. L. Gallant
He's been the coolest cat in all of cartoondom for over 50 years! The Pink Panther is back in brand new adventures to tickle your funny bone and test the sanity of The Little Man. Join all of Pink's pals from the DePatie-Freleng stable including The Inspector and The Ant and the Aardvark as we welcome The Pink Panther to 21st Century comic books in style! This special FCBD issue is chock full of fun with new and classic Pink Panther adventures including the hilarious antics of The Mighty Pan-Thor! 2016 is the year of the Pink Panther and it all starts here on Free Comic Book Day!
Rating: All Ages
Rating: All Ages
On the positive side, Previews has 5 pages online, the first 4 are from Shannon's story.
May 21: MariNaomi Signing at Big Planet Comics DC
Saturday at 2 PM
Big Planet Comics of Washington DC
Big Planet Comics is proud to welcome artist MariNaomi for a signing and reading from her new book, Turning Japanese!1520 U St NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20009
Turning Japanese is an illustrated memoir about MariNaomi's experiences working in illegal hostess bars in San Jose and Tokyo while attempting to connect with a culture that had eluded her since childhood.
This will be a lot of fun and we are excited to see you all there!
MariNaomi's Website: http://marinaomi.com/
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Cul de Sac play article online
"Art Imitating Life" Coming Alive
05/17/2016
- Debra N. Diener Privacy strategies consultant; experienced traveler
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/debra-n-diener/art-imitating-life-coming_b_9995582.html
The show is coming up soon, and ComicsDC will be talking to the people behind it later this week.
June 15: Glen Weldon on Batman at Hooray for Books
Wednesday, June 15th: Author, blogger, and regular NPR "Pop Culture Happy Hour" podcast contributor Glen Weldon will be at Hooray for Books! to present his newest book The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture. Weldon's work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, McSweeney's, and more. He is the recipient of an NEA Arts Journalism Fellowship, a Ragdale Writing Fellowship, and a PEW Fellowship in the Arts for Fiction. 7pm.
In this witty, intelligent cultural history, NPR book critic Glen Weldon examines the trajectory of Batman's status in society -- and what Batman's story tells us about ourselves. Whether a two-fisted detective, a planet-hopping gadabout, a Pop-art sensation, or Christian Bale, Batman's endlessly mutable qualities speak to who we are and make the character endurable. In his interrogation into Batman, Weldon uses the character as a lens through which to examine contemporary geek culture.
June 12: Nick Sousanis at National Gallery of Art
- Unflattening: Revolutionizing Thought in Comics
June 12 at 2:00
East Building Auditorium
Nick Sousanis, comics artist, educator, and postdoctoral fellow in comics studies, University of Calgary.
Book signing of Unflattening follows.
Former Library of Congress curator Harry Katz on Virtual Memories podcast
Curating America:
Harry Katz in
Virtual Memories #168
by Gil Roth
May 16, '16
http://chimeraobscura.com/vm/episode-168-harry-katz
http://traffic.libsyn.com/virtualmemories/Episode_168_-_Harry_Katz.mp3
http://chimeraobscura.com/vm/episode-168-harry-katz
http://traffic.libsyn.com/virtualmemories/Episode_168_-_Harry_Katz.mp3
"What connected Levine and Herblock was the fire in the belly, the outrage against people try to impose their power over the powerless, who try to disenfranchise people, who try to manipulate the laws for personal gain or prestige."
This week's podcast: Harry L. Katz, former head curator of prints and photographs for the Library of Congress, joins the show to talk about his new project on David Levine, his love for Herblock
, how his work on the Civil War and baseball differs from Ken Burns' work on same, what it was like to assemble the LoC's archive of 9/11 photography and pictures (and his untold story of 9/11), the process of learning how to see images critically, the tragic story of Arthur Szyk, the terrifying experience of seeing Feiffer's "Munro" cartoon as a little kid, and more! Give it a listen!Monday, May 16, 2016
Recalling Darwyn Cooke's 2010 appearance at the Smithsonian
by Mike Rhode
Darwyn Cooke has been one of my favorite comic book artists for about a decade and a half. He passed away over the weekend.
Darwyn Cooke has been one of my favorite comic book artists for about a decade and a half. He passed away over the weekend.
I had forgotten that I had written about a talk he gave at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It doesn't seem to be online at their site anymore, so I'll reproduce it here. Also, you can hear my recording of the talk here, newly online since sadly we won't be able to hear any new thoughts from him.
(I didn't write that lede by the way)
by Mike Rhode Washington City Paper blog Feb. 3, 2010
Sure, the crowd was thin due to the snow. But the air was thick with nuggets: Darwyn Cooke spoke for almost two hours to a rapt crowd of about 40 people at the Smithsonian's American Art Museum Saturday, concentrating on his recent adaptation of Richard Stark's novel Parker: The Hunter and offering a glimpse into the mind of a successful, critically adored cartoonist. Just don't, he said, call him a creator. Cooke would rather be known, simply, as someone who entertains, and that's exactly what he did at Saturday's event. Read some of his more memorable quotes:
"I was pretty sure the Smithsonian called the wrong number when they approached me about this program, but I jumped at the chance to come down to talk about Don Westlake [aka Richard Stark] and Parker—two of my favorite subjects."
"The [Parker] books are very lean and brutal and I think that's part of what I loved about them…."
"I have to plan everything. I have to write biographies of all my characters, I have to research every scene and situation, and then I have to outline it in great detail in order for me to feel secure enough to go ahead with the work…" in contrast to Westlake's lack of plotting, backstory or details about Parker's life.
"The Hunter was written in 1962, which was actually the year I was born, which I thought was kind of neat."
"When I was a kid, I used to love series novels, like The Executioner, and all these sort of terrible B-movie type paperbacks…. but as I got older I realized that the quality of the writing in them was terrible and I moved on to more literate fare."
"[Westlake] was able to keep [Parker] completely reprehensible, and yet completely magnetic. He's certainly not a person you'd want to have to deal with in your life, but he's a very interesting, very magnetic type of character."
"Parker as a character represents something that we've seen evaporate from the American landscape over the last century and it's probably the last period of time when a character like this could have existed—that's basically a free-market anarchist. A man who makes his own rules, lives by his own rules, his own judgments and society still has room for him to operate within."
"The only thing I can compare [the plot] to is, you know when you get a phone bill for $500 for one month, and it's a mistake and you phone the phone company to get it straightened out? That's what he goes through. That's what this book is—it's a man who got screwed and is trying to communicate through a large faceless corporation that he's been screwed and he's owed something and the frustration that comes out of that. When you consider the time that the book was written, I think it's a very sly sort of indictment of the world we were all looking into."
"What can I do to reach outside the comic book audience… How can I get outside this [direct] market? How can I reach other readers with my work? The only real viable option at the time was the idea of original graphic novels. I very quickly set my sights there. … It's still a very risky creative venture. To put out an original graphic novel and hope it finds an audience is a very risky venture. We've seen some incredible books in the last few years, whether it's Persepolis, or Asterios Polyp or Diary of Wimpy Kid or American Born Chinese. These are all graphic novels that have nothing to do with superheroes…but they all have audiences that responded to the stories within the books. That really gave me the juice and the excitement to move forward…"
"DC had contacted me about doing Will Eisner's The Spirit. As much I was ready to move on, they found the one project that would keep me there. I hope this doesn't sound the wrong way, but half the reason I wanted to do this project was to make sure it didn't get screwed up by somebody else. It was purely a defensive position I was taking around the character… That was a hard year trying to live up to Will's work and deal with that character and everything it meant, so I was really thrilled when it was over…"
"At the time I started to correspond with Westlake, he was 72 years old, but his enthusiasm for this was unbelievable…"
"As for as he was concerned, if I screwed up [the adaptation], it didn't matter. Because the book's still there."
On having difficulties with character design and not receiving guidance from Westlake: "Finally I forced him into laying it out. '[Parker] is Jack Palance. It's Jack Palance from a movie called Panic in the Streets. That's what I saw in my head when I wrote it.' So from that point on I was able to fashion a character and an approach that Donald was really thrilled by."
Cooke planned on submitting the book to Westlake for Christmas, but Westlake went on vacation and died before Cooke sent it to him. "He never got to see any of it and it took about six weeks to get back to work. It really stopped me in my tracks and I realized that I'd been doing it for an audience of one person and that audience was gone. I didn't even know why I was doing the book for a little while after that."
At this point, Cooke read from the actual novel while showing the first chapter of his adaption on the screen.
"Those of you familiar with my earlier work should know I'm pretty plugged into the 'heroic ideal' and I love the notion of optimism and hope and I'd like to think that most of my work carries those messages right up front and this was a case I had to put all my instincts aside and sort of go more with Donald's."
"Nothing was better back then [in 1962] except the way things looked…"
"Anything I could do visually to immerse us in—to make us feel that we were back in that time period—was gonna help people get into the book. Everything in here was done with the tools available in 1962. There's no computer lettering, there's no digital tinting. It's drawn on the art board, the black ink is laid down, the lettering is laid down, and then I take a blue watercolor and lay it right onto the board. Nobody does this anymore…I even had the printers lay a pale yellow ink on top of every page before the artwork went down so that the book even had the appearance of being yellowed with age…"
"I'm hard at work on the second book now, about halfway through. It's called The Outfit and that's going to be out in October…I'm doing four [adaptations]."
"I've never been comfortable with the terms 'artist' or 'creator.' I think they're bullshit terms that are thrown around to make the guys who do the work feel better about themselves. For example, Jack Kirby was a creator. Jack Kirby created entire universes. Ethan Van Sciver pencils a comic book—there's a big difference there. I've always been very uncomfortable when people referred to me as a creator…I've always preferred entertainer, or storyteller. Those I'm much prouder of, or more comfortable with those designations. I'm not that deep. I'm just not."
"I love stories about people who've found ways to live without having to suck up to The Man."
"Heroes aren't heroes anymore; they're just people with power. And I think that it's a shame."
Meet a local cartoonist: A chat with Orion Zangara
by Mike Rhode
What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
I primarily draw black and white line work. However, I’d love to develop my coloring and lettering skills as well. Also, I’d love to learn how to digitally paint and a bit of graphic design and apply that to comic books.
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
I draw with both a traditional pen and brush, but I also use a Cintiq tablet. So yes, it’s a combination of the two.
Also, sometimes for my personal work, I like to draw on matting board. Here is an example:
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
I was born in Albuquerque, NM.
Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
Actually I live in Sterling, VA— but, I grew up in Harpers Ferry, WV. My wife is a history teacher at a middle school in our area, so that is one of the reasons why we live here now.
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
I attended The Kubert School in Dover, NJ which is an accredited 3-year school that specializes in Cartoon-Graphics and Sequential Art . It also happens to be founded by my late grandfather, Joe Kubert. My uncles, Adam and Andy Kubert, are now co-presidents of the school.
Who are your influences?
Oh, so many…Sean Murphy, Travis Charest, Shaun Tan, Richard A. Kirk, Rodrigo Enrique Luff, Nate Simpson, Mike Mignola, Lee Weeks, John Cassaday, John Paul Leon, Greg Ruth, Geof Darrow, Andy Brase, Gabriel Ba/Fabio Moon, Eduardo Risso, Francois Schuiten, Jeff Lemire, Bernie Wrightson, Andy Clarke, Leinil Francis Yu, Simon Coleby, Charles Vess, P. Craig Russel, David Mazzucchelli, Dustin Nquyen, Franklin Booth, Frank Quitely, Nicolas Delort, Riccardo Federici, Rafael Albuquerque, Lucy Hardie, Tran Nquyen, Cary Nord, Kikyz Trece Trece, Gustave Dore, Marcos Mateu-Mestre, Sara Pichelli, Chiara Baustista, and the list goes on and on…
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
Hmm… Well, I am really just in the beginning of my career as a comic-book artist. My first graphic novel, Stone Cold: The Stone Man Mysteries Book One, is coming out in August by the wonderful Lerner Publishing Group. It is written by the New York Times Best-Selling author Jane Yolen and her talented son Adam Stemple. To be quite honest, Jane Yolen has been one of my favorite authors since I was very young, so I am amazed that I get to work with her and her son.
(By the way, here is a link where you can pre-order the book. )
That said, I would probably have submitted my work earlier. As soon as I began actually putting my work online, I began getting paid work.
What work are you best-known for?
I am going to say The Stone Man Mysteries trilogy! :)
What work are you most proud of?
Again The Stone Man Mysteries.
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
I have some secret projects coming up, so I can not answer this question completely. However, I would love to work for more comic book companies and eventually even draw a little bit of superhero genre work . Also, I would love to get into video game and concept work, but I always want to work with comic books in some form.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
I guess this does not really happen…I just constantly draw.
What do you think will be the future of your field?
Like prose books, I think comic books will eventually be nearly all digital. Also, I could see comic books as being more interactive and actually move on the page. I believe this is already beginning, but I think it will be more popular in the future.
What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?
I need to attend more local cons! I have been to SPX, Awesome Con, and Baltimore Con. They are all amazing!
What's your favorite thing about DC?
D.C. is probably my favorite city in the USA. I love the free museums, the beautiful scenery, the architecture, etc.
Least favorite?
This is quite minor, but I wish the metro expanded a bit more.
What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?
All of them! Actually, my wife and I were just at the D.C. Mall last Monday and went to the National Air and Space Museum and the Hirshhorn. Also, we took a tour at the Capital and had the pleasure of seeing the U.S. Senate.
How about a favorite local restaurant?
I am a big fan of Toki Underground in D.C. Also, I love spicy Korean food, so I recommend Honey Pig in Centreville, VA.
Do you have a website or blog?
Yes! My website is http://www.orionzangara.com
What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
I primarily draw black and white line work. However, I’d love to develop my coloring and lettering skills as well. Also, I’d love to learn how to digitally paint and a bit of graphic design and apply that to comic books.
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
I draw with both a traditional pen and brush, but I also use a Cintiq tablet. So yes, it’s a combination of the two.
Also, sometimes for my personal work, I like to draw on matting board. Here is an example:
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
I was born in Albuquerque, NM.
Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
Actually I live in Sterling, VA— but, I grew up in Harpers Ferry, WV. My wife is a history teacher at a middle school in our area, so that is one of the reasons why we live here now.
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
I attended The Kubert School in Dover, NJ which is an accredited 3-year school that specializes in Cartoon-Graphics and Sequential Art . It also happens to be founded by my late grandfather, Joe Kubert. My uncles, Adam and Andy Kubert, are now co-presidents of the school.
Did
the example of your grandfather or uncles lead you into the comic book
field, or did you resist following in their footsteps?
They were certainly a big reason I was introduced to the comic book industry. :)
Is your mother artistic too?
Yes,
she certainly is. She has an excellent eye for art. In fact, she makes
excellent points on all my art. She would have been a great art
director.
Can you tell us a favorite story about your grandfather, and his comics work, as you saw it, or it affected you?
My grandfather’s Yossel graphic novel means the most to me. I believe it’s his masterpiece and is so emotionally raw.
Who are your influences?
Oh, so many…Sean Murphy, Travis Charest, Shaun Tan, Richard A. Kirk, Rodrigo Enrique Luff, Nate Simpson, Mike Mignola, Lee Weeks, John Cassaday, John Paul Leon, Greg Ruth, Geof Darrow, Andy Brase, Gabriel Ba/Fabio Moon, Eduardo Risso, Francois Schuiten, Jeff Lemire, Bernie Wrightson, Andy Clarke, Leinil Francis Yu, Simon Coleby, Charles Vess, P. Craig Russel, David Mazzucchelli, Dustin Nquyen, Franklin Booth, Frank Quitely, Nicolas Delort, Riccardo Federici, Rafael Albuquerque, Lucy Hardie, Tran Nquyen, Cary Nord, Kikyz Trece Trece, Gustave Dore, Marcos Mateu-Mestre, Sara Pichelli, Chiara Baustista, and the list goes on and on…
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
Hmm… Well, I am really just in the beginning of my career as a comic-book artist. My first graphic novel, Stone Cold: The Stone Man Mysteries Book One, is coming out in August by the wonderful Lerner Publishing Group. It is written by the New York Times Best-Selling author Jane Yolen and her talented son Adam Stemple. To be quite honest, Jane Yolen has been one of my favorite authors since I was very young, so I am amazed that I get to work with her and her son.
(By the way, here is a link where you can pre-order the book. )
That said, I would probably have submitted my work earlier. As soon as I began actually putting my work online, I began getting paid work.
What work are you best-known for?
I am going to say The Stone Man Mysteries trilogy! :)
What work are you most proud of?
Again The Stone Man Mysteries.
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
I have some secret projects coming up, so I can not answer this question completely. However, I would love to work for more comic book companies and eventually even draw a little bit of superhero genre work . Also, I would love to get into video game and concept work, but I always want to work with comic books in some form.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
I guess this does not really happen…I just constantly draw.
What do you think will be the future of your field?
Like prose books, I think comic books will eventually be nearly all digital. Also, I could see comic books as being more interactive and actually move on the page. I believe this is already beginning, but I think it will be more popular in the future.
 |
| Luther Strode pinup |
I need to attend more local cons! I have been to SPX, Awesome Con, and Baltimore Con. They are all amazing!
What's your favorite thing about DC?
D.C. is probably my favorite city in the USA. I love the free museums, the beautiful scenery, the architecture, etc.
Least favorite?
This is quite minor, but I wish the metro expanded a bit more.
What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?
All of them! Actually, my wife and I were just at the D.C. Mall last Monday and went to the National Air and Space Museum and the Hirshhorn. Also, we took a tour at the Capital and had the pleasure of seeing the U.S. Senate.
How about a favorite local restaurant?
I am a big fan of Toki Underground in D.C. Also, I love spicy Korean food, so I recommend Honey Pig in Centreville, VA.
Do you have a website or blog?
Yes! My website is http://www.orionzangara.com
Comic Riffs on the death of Darwyn Cooke
RIP, Darwyn Cooke: How the great cartoonist changed my comics life
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog May 16 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/05/16/rip-darwyn-cooke-how-the-great-cartoonist-changed-my-comics-life/
Sunday, May 15, 2016
The Face Zone, live at Artomatic 2016, featuring Martin Graff
by Steve Loya
A couple of years ago I had the good fortune of finding out about local visual and performance artist, wordsmith, musician and teacher, Martin Graff and his extraordinary ongoing project known as The Face Zone. It was at a cartoonists and comics art exhibit in downtown Frederick, Maryland that I noticed a wall full of curious little minimalistic illustrations of strange and interesting faces, accompanied by some words. The cartoonish faces depicted things like melting cheese on a pizza and titles like "Melting Cheese Pain", paired with thoughtful musings on the dark side of personification. The words and images were brilliant and unique observations on everyday life, in some ways like a punk rock Jerry Seinfeld, with a Banksy-like sensibility.
Soon after, Marty, as most folks know him, had a big exhibit of his work, again in downtown Frederick, and I ended up purchasing his self-published Face Zone book, which compiled most of his words and illustrations. Marty describes his Face Zone series as "short visual meditations on what makes the world go round. Existential musings with a surreal twist and a dark sense of humor sure to trip your imagination...".
Last night, Artomatic, Frederick hosted one of Marty's live Face Zone events, taking those short, visual meditations one step further into the realm of spoken-word and performance art. As someone who has struggled, personally with speaking in front of one's peers, it always amazes me when someone seems to effortlessly get up in front of an audience of people to talk, act, sing or dance. I'm even more amazed when someone can remember their lines or the words they want to express to an audience, without forgetting. While Marty's performance, based on his illustrated and written Face Zone material, seemed like second-nature for him, there's no doubt the amount of time, energy and preparation condensed into a single half-an-hour show, was anything but effortless.
Seeing and hearing Marty expand and further elaborate upon the words and images in his book added yet another crucial dimension to The Face Zone experience, and according to Marty, is ultimately the core of what he does now - the book more or less a companion to his spoken-word shows. As someone who experienced both the art exhibits and book aspect of The Face Zone first, I found the spoken-word performance to delve much deeper and further into these musings on subject matter ranging from the relativity of the food we eat ("The Smell of Fresh Mangoons") to haunting childhood memories of how choking on a single lemon drop soured a young boy's perception of the ocean, off the Jersey shore ("Twinkles in The Sea"). One of my personal favorites was Marty's take on the absurdity of commercial advertising, with its irrational fairy-tale promises and the less-than-satisfying results ("Jolly Hot Peanuts"), which he began last night's performance with. However, despite the dark humor and keenly cynical observations of The Face Zone live, there was a glowingly optimistic underlying message of hope, and the love of life at the very core of it all.
The ability to hold an audience captive for extended periods of time as a one-man spoken word act is by no means an easy task, and in some ways Marty's musings and highly engaging observations on the world in which we live, relayed through the medium of speech, and told through the lens of personal experience, reminded me of some of the best performances from Henry Rollins, who I've seen speak live on several occasions over the past two decades. Word has it there may even be a musical element added to The Face Zone live experience in the not-too-distant future. Whatever the case, don't hesitate to witness Marty's live act, if he comes to a venue near you. In the meantime, TED Talks should seriously consider inviting Marty to do his thing for them, someday soon!
Fantastic Forum Episode #58
Fantastic Forum Episode #58
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyrUMIRxnBA
Billie Rae Bates talks with Museum of Science Fiction's Mandy Sweeney at Awesome Con, Devon Sanders converses with Saga artist Fiona Staples at the NC Comicon, Ulysses E. Campbell is at Toy Fair with Diamond Select's Zach Oat and Sherin Nicole interviews author, lecturer and musical legend, Professor Griff on location at Alliance Comics in Silver Spring, MD!
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