Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Monday, June 19, 2017
Comic Riffs on Rhymes with Orange's doubling down
'Rhymes With Orange' comic welcomes aboard a new collaborator
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog June 19 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2017/06/19/rhymes-with-orange-comic-welcomes-aboard-a-new-collaborator/
DCist on Awesome Con
'Awesome Con' Is An Alternate Universe Heaven For All Geeks
by Dominic GriffinDCist Jun 19, 2017
http://dcist.com/2017/06/awesome_con_is_an_alternate_univers.php
NPR on Cars 3
'Cars 3' Comes Roaring Back With A Swapped-Out (Story) Engine
http://www.npr.org/2017/06/15/532302666/cars-3-comes-roaring-back-with-a-swapped-out-story-engine
Sunday, June 18, 2017
That darn Snoopy
Are we already forgetting D-Day?
Jeffrey A. Schaler, Ellicott City
Washington Post June 17 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/are-we-already-forgetting-d-day/2017/06/16/c9bcec30-5122-11e7-b74e-0d2785d3083d_story.htmlThe Post reviews house-cleaning manga
Marie Kondo transforms into a comic book character to sell you KonMari
Washington Post (June 12 2017): https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/marie-kondo-transforms-into-a-comic-book-character-to-sell-you-konmari/2017/06/08/7ae5f50e-4a18-11e7-9669-250d0b15f83b_story.html
North Carolina caricaturist Al Phillips dies in suburban MD retirement
Al Phillips, illustrator of Charlotte's big moments and famous people for Observer, dies at 83
By Tim Funk
Charlotte Observer June 14, 2017
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article156172574.html
Friday, June 16, 2017
New award announced for Baltimore Comic-Con
The Ringo Awards – Named After Mike Wieringo – To Replace Harvey Awards At Baltimore Comic Con
by Rich Johnston June 16, 2017https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/06/16/ringo-awards-named-mike-wieringo-replace-harvey-awards-baltimore-comic-con/
1970s TV Wonder Woman visits Library of Congress
Pic of the Week: Wonder Woman Visits the Library
http://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2017/06/pic-of-the-week-wonder-woman-visits-the-library/
Whiplash - Comic Riffs' Cavna on Cars 3 and Delisle's Hostage (within 24 hours)
How 'Cars 3' became a tale of female empowerment
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog June 16 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2017/06/16/how-cars-3-became-a-tale-of-female-empowerment/
A Doctors Without Borders worker's harrowing kidnapping becomes a riveting graphic novel
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog June 15 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2017/06/15/a-doctors-without-borders-workers-harrowing-kidnapping-becomes-a-riveting-graphic-novel/
Pop Culture Happy Hour on 'Wonder Woman'
Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Wonder Woman' And The Tony Awards
This week, now that more of you have had a chance to see it, we're finally getting around to talking about the critical and commercial success that is Wonder Woman. Petra Mayer of NPR Books joins us to talk about Diana, her island of fighters, her romance, the inevitable Great Big Ending, representation that does and doesn't exist in this movie, and more.
That darn Toles speaks up
The baseball gunman posted my cartoon on his Facebook page. Here's my response. [in print as The gunman and my cartoon].
Washington Post June 16 2017, p. A23
'Fine artists' comics at the Baltimore Museum of Art
The Sequential Art, Comics & Cartoons of Famous Artists
http://www.printmag.com/
Awesome Con's local faces
In no particular order:
Evan Keeling represented the Smithsonian.
National Geographic's booth, with my wife's colleagues.
Joe Carabeo of Curls Studio.
A token Canadian, Ryan North (aka writer of Dinosaur Comics and Squirrel Girl).
Cuddles & Rage with their new picture book.
Arsia Rozegar.
Dawn Griffin of Baltimore.
Matt Dembicki.
Vanessa Bettencourt and novelist Jacob Falling.
The Frazetta family's booth (they've got some originals for sale!)
SL Gallant.
Jamie Noguchi in motion.
Marc Hempel of Baltimore.
The Red Skull with a cosmic cube cosplayer.
The Express and Post on Cars 3
Watch 'Cars 3' and feel like a kid again [in print as Getting into 'Cars'"It's fun when a film revs up the crowd].
Express June 16 2017, p. 24
online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2017/06/16/watch-cars-3-and-feel-like-a-kid-again/
'Cars 3': Once more around the track, for old times sake [in print as Storyline and jokes starting to sputter].
Washington Post June 16 2017, p. Weekend 25
Thursday, June 15, 2017
New Muslim Superhero book by A. David Lewis
One Scholar On What Comic Books Reveal About Attitudes Toward Muslims
Here & Now's Robin Young
June 15, 2017
http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2017/06/15/muslims-comics-refugees
The Express on Awesome Con
'I'm marrying Deadpool at Awesome Con.' Three superfans share their plans for this year. [in print as Is Awesome Con in your future?]
Express June 15 2017, p. 22-23
online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2017/06/15/im-marrying-deadpool-at-awesome-con-three-superfans-share-their-plans-for-this-year/
"Who are the new superwomen of the universe?" - the morning after
The Museum described it as:
FRESH TALK: Who are the new superwomen of the universe?
Followed by Catalyst, a cocktail hour with a topic and a twist.
SPEAKERS:
- Carolyn Cocca, author of Superwomen: Gender, Power, and Representation
- Ariell Johnson, owner of Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse, Philadelphia
- Gabby Rivera, YA author and writer for Marvel’s AMERICA series
- Ashley Woods, illustrator, graphic novelist, and artist for the Stranger Comics series, NIOBE: She is Life
DC Zine Fest reps, including my neighbor Anna Tecson, set up in the lobby before and after the show. The main event, in the Museum's 5th floor auditorium appeared to be sold-out. The crowed was probably 90% women. After a two introductions by museum staff, the panel began, slightly late due to Metro delays.
Carolyn Cocca gave an academic overview of the problems with women in superhero comics over a fifty-year period, including helplessness, cheesecake, under-representation, and 'fridging' or abuse to highlight a male superhero's feelings. While she spoke in a very academic fashion, she got her point across especially with her visuals, and I'll be looking for her book.
Ariell Johnson gave a very entertaining account of her decision to open a 'safe-space' comic book and coffee shop in Philadelphia.
Gabby Rivera had one young adult novel published when Marvel Comics sought her out to write a Puerto Rican, lesbian hero named America. Rivera was irrepressible during her talk, and I plan on following her career.
Ashley Woods talked about growing up in Chicago and discovering comics via a convention that she attended with her mother, and then self-publishing a comic through college, until finally landing the Niobe title. Her art is anime/manga-influenced and now done digitally, but she talked briefly about not being able to afford computer tools earlier in her career.
The talks ran a bit long, so the panel session was short and mostly taken up with the panelist's impressions of the Wonder Woman movie (which were generally positive). Everyone agreed that there should be more non-white-male work and representation in comic books. After the panel, there was a cocktail party in the main lobby, but unfortunately I had to leave at that point.
The panel was recorded and should appear online soon.