Tuesday, January 31, 2017

ReDistricted: 'Act of God'

"Act of God" by 2016 Eisner and Harvey Award Nominee Rebecca Goldfield and artist Jason Axtell (both locals) is the newest story on ReDistrictedComics.com. It's a story about the 2011 earthquake that damaged the Washington National Cathedral and the stone-mason in charge of fixing the damage.

http://www.redistrictedcomics.com/act-of-god

Comic Riffs talks to Sara Glidden

Monday, January 30, 2017

Brad Meltzer, former local resident, on his books about heroes

A Best-Selling Author's Heroes for Our Time

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/29/nyregion/a-best-selling-authors-heroes-for-our-time.html

Jason Rodriguez's new Kickstarter

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/JasonRodriguez/the-little-particle-that-could


The Little Particle That Could was originally released as a black & white eBook in 2012. Noel Tuazon supplied the illustrations and Dylan Todd did the cover. Today we're launching The Little Particle That Could KickStarter for a new version of the book, in print for the first time, with color for the first time by Rob Croonenborghs and re-lettered by Jason Hanley.


The Little Particle That Could is about the friendship between two elementary particles - a graviton, which guides the force of gravity, this invisible force that pulls you down to earth, and a photon, which is the source of the electromagnetic radiation we know as light.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Fascism Is Not An Option"

From DC's anarchist cartoonist, Mike Flugennock:

"Fascism Is Not An Option"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=2190

A follow-up to the poster in solidarity with the rogue National Park Service Twitter feed, here's one in solidarity with all the guys'n'gals working the new rogue NASA feed.

Big ups from an old "Apollo Kid".


Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Smokey the Bear, Remix"

From DC's anarchist cartoonist, Mike Flugennock:

"Smokey the Bear, remix"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=2184

Here's a quick one -- a remix of a poster I did about 11 years or so ago -- in solidarity with the dissident National Park Service employees running a "rogue" Twitter account on their own time to continue posting environmental information currently under lockdown by the White House.



Ru Xu's News Prints


Webcomics cartoonist Ru Xu has a News Prints new graphic novel out from Scholastic's Graphix imprint.  She was at Fantom Comics on Dupont Circle yesterday and I'm sure they still have signed copies.

The book is the start of a steampunk series about a young girl who pretends to be a boy to sell newspapers on the street after her family is killed in an ongoing war. She falls in with a crazed inventor and then gets involved with high-level hijinks about the conduct of the war, and also has to contend with what journalism and truth really mean.

The art is heavily-manga influenced, and I liked it quite a bit. Ms. Xu told me that one of her influences for this book is Miyazaki and one can certainly see that. She's working on the next book in the series now. Her webcomic, Saint for Rent is here.

Recommended for tweens (and aging men who like Miyazaki)

Second Story Books' great expectations

I walked past Second Story Books on Dupont Circle yesterday and saw this copy of The Art of Cartooning, usually a $10 book at best, for $1200.

  

As you can see, it's signed by several cartoonists, some of whom have passed away such as Ziegler and Fradon. Still, you could almost recreate this today.


Instead I spent $4 on Robert Osborn's How to Shoot Quail from the outside selection. It's beat-up but I enjoyed it.


Next to the Cartooning book was an early, perhaps first edition of the Star Wars novelization for $50.

Friday, January 27, 2017

City Paper reviews The Red Turtle

The Red Turtle is Another Studio Ghibli Delight [in print as Life's a Dream].

Michael Dudok de Wit's hand-drawn film is surreal and heartwarming.

Washington City Paper Jan 27, 2017 p. 24
online at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/film-tv/blog/20850266/the-red-turtle-reviewed

Jan 28: Joshua Williamson at Third Eye Comics

Comic Riffs calls out the Times, in spite of the Post's shortcomings

Like killing their Book World section...

The New York Times just killed its graphic novel bestseller lists — and authors aren't happy



Washington Post Comic RiffsJanuary 27 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2017/01/27/the-new-york-times-just-killed-its-graphic-novel-bestseller-lists-and-authors-arent-happy/

NPR on Riverdale

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Riverdale' and Teen Soaps

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Jan 29: NewsPrints Book Release Party! at Fantom comics



Tomorrow at 2 PM - 4 PM

Fantom Comics
2010 P Street NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20036

Details
In celebration of the release of Ru Xu's graphic novel from Scholastic, NewsPrints, Fantom Comics will be holding a release party! There will be a presentation by the author, a Q&A, and a book signing! Also, feel free to enjoy our newsie themed photo area!

Synopsis for NewsPrints:

"Blue is an orphan who disguises herself as a newsboy. There's a war going on, and girls are expected to help the struggling economy by selling cookies. But Blue loves living and working at the Bugle, the only paper in town that tells the truth. And what's printed in the newspapers now matters more than ever.

But Blue struggles with her secret, and worries that if her friends and adopted family at the Bugle find out that she's a girl, she'll lose everything and everyone she cares about. And when she meets and befriends Crow, a boy who is also not what he seems, together they seek the freedom to be their true selves... and to save each other."

The Post on 'The Red Turtle' cartoon

'The Red Turtle,' from Studio Ghibli, is a lyrical escape into silence and solitude [in print as Cast away with no words... and a rosy reptile].


Washington Post January 27 2017
, p. Weekend 29
online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/the-red-turtle-from-studio-ghibli-is-a-lyrical-escape-into-silence-and-solitude/2017/01/26/fdd4ff70-e193-11e6-a453-19ec4b3d09ba_story.html


Q&A: 'The Red Turtle' director talks about making his first feature film


Washington Post January 26 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/qanda-the-red-turtle-director-talks-about-making-his-first-feature-film/2017/01/26/aee3465a-e266-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html


Thursday, January 26, 2017

Washington Blade contributing editorial cartoonist papers donated

Real life continues to get comic book weird

A comic book nerd won a city council seat — and was sworn in holding his Captain America shield


Washington Post 
Post Nation blog January 25 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/01/25/a-comic-book-nerd-won-a-city-council-seat-and-was-sworn-in-holding-his-captain-america-shield

Another cartoon diary of the Women's March

The Post (and NY Times) on Archie's Riverdale tv show

Both liked it.

There's something arch about 'Riverdale' [online as 'Riverdale' isn't about the same old Archie. (For starters, he's having sex with Ms. Grundy.)]


Washington Post January 26 2016 p. C1
online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/riverdale-isnt-about-the-same-old-archie-for-starters-hes-having-sex-with-ms-grundy/2017/01/25/9dcfedd6-e1c2-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html

In 'Riverdale,' Archie Is Hot and Haunted

A version of this review appears in print on January 26, 2017, on Page C2 of the New York edition with the headline: Sex, Drugs and Archie

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/arts/television/review-in-riverdale-archie-is-hot-and-haunted.html

Tuesday, January 24, 2017