Thursday, November 08, 2018
Nov 17: Mohammad Sabaaneh in DC (RSVP required)
Mohammad Sabaaneh "Linocuts and History From Palestine"
Gallery Al-Quds invites you to the exhibition
Black and White / Thoughts in Cartoon
original linocuts by
Mohammad Sabaaneh
Meet artist Mohammad Sabaaneh in conversation with
Robert "Bro" Russell, Executive Director of Cartoonists Rights Network International
Reception, talk and book signing
Saturday November 17, 5-7 pm
Live Auction Saturday December 15, 3-5 pm!
Exhibition Dates: November 17-— December 15, 2018
Jerusalem Fund Gallery / Palestine Center, at 2425 Virginia Ave NW, in Foggy Bottom, DC.
RSVP: 202-338-1958 or dpainter@thejerusalemfund.org
More information lifted from JWE's newsletter:
Mohammad's show features numbered pulls of 16 of his evocative linocut images, all of which he has produced only in very limited editions. It also features a large-scale giclee (high-quality) print of his iconic "History of Palestine" mural-- the same image that won an award at the recent conference of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights.
The Nov. 17 event starts with a reception, which will be followed by a discussion between Mohammad and Robert ("Bro") Russell, the director of the NoVa-based organization Cartoonists Rights Network International, for which Mohammad serves as a key Middle East Ambassador.
Mohammad Sabaaneh, as I'm sure you know, is the Ramallah-based cartoonist who's the lead political cartoonist for the Palestinian daily Al-Hayat al-Jadida. His book White and Black: Political Cartoons from Palestine was published by Just World Books last year to much acclaim.
While he maintains a hectic output of gripping images in his daily cartoon work, Mohammad has also been intent on developing his capacities as an artist in a range of different media-- as well as sharing his signature artwork with audiences around the world.
Last November, he was one of four high-achieving Palestinians from around the world who were brought to New York by the UN's Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People" to be honored in a ceremony at UN Headquarters that marked the 70th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration.
All the works being hung in the Jerusalem Fund Gallery's exhibition will be available for sale. The proceeds will be divided between the Palestine Center's humanitarian projects in Palestine, Just World Ed's educational projects here in North America, and the artist himself.
At the Nov. 17 event, the de-luxe new hardcover edition of White and Black will be debuted, and smaller giclee prints of some of the images in it will also be available.
The exhibition, titled "Linocuts and History from Palestine" will continue until December 15, culminating in a fun, exciting live auction of any works remaining unsold.
New paper on webcomics archiving
Done by two local people, but unfortunately it's not free to read.
Panel Problems: Issues and Opportunities for Webcomics Archives
Megan Halsband, Stephanie Grimm
Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America
Volume 37, Number 2 | Fall 2018 pp. 119–140
Wednesday, November 07, 2018
Editorial Cartoon by artleytoons
My cartoon. "Paradise Glossed" concerns Trumps claim he won huge in last night's midterm elections (click on image for larger view).
—Steven G. Artley, artleytoons |
| ©2018 Steven G. Artley • artleytoons • ALL RIGHST RESERVED |
Book Review: Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka (updated)
Jarrett Krosoczka is probably best known as the cartoonist for the Lunch Lady graphic novels for children. I hadn't run across his work before, but I was pleased to make his acquaintance with this book.
Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father and Dealth with Family Addiction (Scholastic Graphix, 2018; $25/$15) is definitely aimed at an older audience than his other books. The marketing material suggests a young adult audience, but I think it can enjoyably be read by adults as well. Krosoczka tells the story of his childhood and teen years, in a muted palette of browns and oranges. He was raised by his grandparents when his young mother mysteriously kept disappearing from his life. His father was never mentioned or featured in his life. Krosoczka tells his story chronologically, which keeps some suspense for anyone who hasn't read the promotional material or interviews.
He begins with his grandparents meeting and marrying and raising a family of five children after his grandfather Joe Krosoczka returned from World War II and convinced Shirley Olson to marry him. Joe began his own business making a particular piece for plumbing and seems to have been a success, but Shirley had difficult times with her children, especially Jarrett's mother, her daughter Leslie.
Krosoczka recounts staying with his mother in a house that his grandfather provided for them, but she continues to shoplift and run around with less-than-admirable men, including two who come in one night covered in blood. His mother disappears after that and the preschooler moves in with his grandparents that raise him.
For the next few years (and chapters), Leslie pops in and out of his life, and as a young boy, after a trip to Disneyworld, his grandparents reveal that his mother is a drug addict and in jail. She's been addicted to heroin since she was a teenager. Eventually the teenage Jarrett uses his talent for cartooning to escape from working in the family factory, and reconnects with his long-missing father.
Throughout the book, his grandparents are presented as real people with some serious flaws revealed especially about his grandmother. However the author is adamant that they did give him a good life, and he has no regrets about the way things turned out.
Due to Krosoczka's cartooning ability, the story works as a graphic memoir. As a prose piece, it would be about 10 pages long. It held my attention, and I definitely felt for the young boy, so I would recommend this to people interested in memoirs. It was a National Book Finalist this year, and is available online and in most bookstores.
UPDATE:
Krosoczka spoke about the book at DC's lovely West End Library on November 8, 2018 and took questions from his friend, children's book authority Mindy Thomas. Here are some pictures from the event.
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| Watercolor backgrounds for the line art |
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| Grandfather Joe, Grandmother Shirley and young Jarrett |
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| The photo is the complete stack of art for the book |
Nov 17: Ed Brisson & Matt Rosenberg Uncanny X-Men signing!
Ed Brisson & Matt Rosenberg Uncanny X-Men signing!
Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 2:30 PM – 3 PM
Big Planet Comics is happy to welcome the writers of the new Uncanny X-Men #1, Ed Brisson and Matt Rosenberg, for a whirlwind appearance on Saturday November 17!
Get your copies of Uncanny X-Men #1 signed, and ask them about the secrets of the X-Men universe.
Uncanny X-Men is a new ongoing series kicking off with a 10-part weekly epic. It starts with a mysterious and tragic disappearance, and then the X-Men are drawn into what might be... their final adventure?! X-Fan favorite writers Ed Brisson, Matt Rosenberg, and Kelly Thompson with all-star artists Mahmud Asrar, R.B. Silva, Yildiray Cinar, and Pere Pérez join forces on this epic relaunch.
Get your copies of Uncanny X-Men #1 signed, and ask them about the secrets of the X-Men universe.
Uncanny X-Men is a new ongoing series kicking off with a 10-part weekly epic. It starts with a mysterious and tragic disappearance, and then the X-Men are drawn into what might be... their final adventure?! X-Fan favorite writers Ed Brisson, Matt Rosenberg, and Kelly Thompson with all-star artists Mahmud Asrar, R.B. Silva, Yildiray Cinar, and Pere Pérez join forces on this epic relaunch.
New York Times on Geppi donation to Library of Congress
G.I. Joe, Mickey Mouse and Captain America Walk Into … a Display
Heroes come to life at the Library of Congress this week by way of a major comics, toys and memorabilia collection.
Jamie Noguchi address racism on The Nib
My Chinese-American Aunts Voted For Trump
The racist GOP's base isn't faceless—it's people you know.
November 5th, 2018
https://thenib.com/my-chinese-american-aunts-voted-for-trump
Steve Geppi's collection goes on display at the Library of Congress
by Mike Rhode (more photographs here)
The Library of Congress put a small fraction of items from Steve Geppi's donation on display on Election Day. The timing was probably a coincidence, and not an attempt to remind Americans of their shared love for popular culture including icons Superman, G.I. Joe, Mickey Mouse, Captain America, and Popeye, that brings the country together and drives the economy.
As previously noted here throughout the summer, Geppi's Entertainment Museum (GEM) closed in Baltimore and the Library was offered a choice of items from it. Exhibit director David Mandel introduced Geppi at a press preview, noting "Steve has donated over 3,000 items from his personal collection of comic books and popular art, the largest donation of its kind in the Library's history. The multi-million dollar gift includes comic books, original art, photos, posters, newspapers, buttons, pins, badges and related materials."
"It is really an honor to donate this collection because quite frankly it belongs here," noted Geppi as began his remarks. He continued, "Going forward this is not a matter of me donating my collection, dropping it off and saying goodbye. I have plans to be involved going forward because who knows what evolves from this one event?" Geppi continually invoked nostalgia and childhood memories as the reason he collected, and that people visited his museum. "We don't know what triggers our memories. And yes, these comic books are valuable, but what the Library of Congress represents is the recognition and acceptance of them as fine art."
2018 is the 90th anniversary of Mickey Mouse, and Geppi owned the storyboards for the cartoon Plane Crazy. "These are the first drawings of Mickey Mouse. in 1927, Walt Disney was on a train with [animator] Ub Iwerks and Lindbergh had just crossed the Atlantic. Walt said, 'You know the whole world is plane crazy right now. We need to do a cartoon short.' Most people when asked what was the first Mickey Mouse cartoon say Steamboat Willie, but that was the first cartoon released. There were two before it. The first one was Plane Crazy. They chose to release Steamboat Willie first because talkies were coming out [and it had whistling and music].
The original art on display for another first appearance is of Captain America. "Martin Goodman, who owned Timely Comics, which is now Marvel Comics, said to Joe Simon, of Simon and Kirby, "Go draw me a character called Captain America." The inscription on the drawing reads, "Martin - Here's the character. I think he should have a kid buddy, or he'll just be talking to himself all the time. I'm working up a script. Send schedule. Regards, Joe." The original model for G.I. Joe, the first action figure is also included in the exhibit's Patriotism case.
When asked if there's anything he's hoping to find and donate in the future, Geppi said, "In comics and animation, things were thrown away. I doubt seriously that the original art or cover to Action Comics #1 exists, but every time we say that, we find something that no one thought existed. As they say, it's the thrill of the hunt. I think from the Library's perspective, it will encourage more people to donate material that they think belongs. In addition, it will probably spook more stuff out of attics and hopefully whatever ends up here will be the best of the best. I still have a few more secrets that I have yet to give."
Obviously the entire GEM display, a full museum with multiple galleries, couldn't be replicated in the Library. Initially, five small cases of material are on display in the historic Jefferson building, although Geppi repeatedly mentioned that a room would be forthcoming, presumably similar to the Bob Hope or Gershwin galleries. The cases are organized thematically by Patriotism, Early Comics Materials and Marketing, Mickey Mouse, Exploration, and About the Geppi Entertainment Museum. Early Comics features an 1818 comic magazine, The Idiot, or, Invisible Rambler as well as other nineteenth-century material including a printing block for the Yellow Kid, and oddly enough, boxes for Quick Mother's Oats and 
Kellogg's Rice Krispies which have no characters on them (and seem more appropriate for the National Museum of American History's food exhibit). Exploration has science fiction themes including a Superman Krypto-Raygun. About GEM ranges all over including a Captain Marvel Club code letter, a ticket to Woodstock, Pac-Man cereal, the packaging for McDonald's Star Trek Meal (1979), and a toy Beatles guitar.
At the conclusion of the press conference, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the former Baltimore librarian who agreed to accepting Geppi's collection, stopped in and the two posed for pictures.
The following is material that will not be on display including a Maud the Mule comic strip by Opper, a Cathy comic strip by Cathy Guisewite, Big Little Books, buttons and pins, and more pages from Mickey Mouse in Plane Crazy.
The following is material that will not be on display including a Maud the Mule comic strip by Opper, a Cathy comic strip by Cathy Guisewite, Big Little Books, buttons and pins, and more pages from Mickey Mouse in Plane Crazy.
Editorial Cartoon by artleytoons
Although it wasn't quite the tidal wave that many were anticipating, election results did cast a shadow on the Trump presidency.
—Steven G. Artley, artleytoons
Tuesday, November 06, 2018
The Post on Walking Dead's changes
On 'Walking Dead,' Rick's departure is just one more opportunity to hit the reset button [in print as 'Walking Dead' mainstay exits, but the show trudges on].
Monday, November 05, 2018
Comic Riffs on the Geppi collection at the Library of Congress
Want to see the first full drawings of Captain America and Mickey Mouse? Go to the Library of Congress.
Meet John Darrin: A Chat About His Anti-Trump Cartoon Book
Early this fall, some of my friends among local political cartoonists started telling me that they had a piece in a new book. Author John Darrin commissioned over a score of cartoonists to illustrate Who's That Man with Mr. Lincoln, Mommy? A Parent's Guide to the Trump Presidency. Darrin himself is from Frederick, MD, and local cartoonists in the book are Steve Artley, Barbara Dale, Al Goodwyn, Clay Jones and Joe Sutliff (see the bottom of this post for his list of all the contributors).
Darrin's website describes his book thusly:
Who’s That Man With Mr. Lincoln, Mommy? is a political parody intended to discredit the Trump Administration in a simple, compelling, and entertaining way. Set as a walking tour of the Mall in Washington, DC, two young parents and their children play the alphabet game to explain why President Trump is the greatest. The children unwittingly expose their parent’s absurd explanations with common sense. Interlaced with penetrating editorial cartoons from award-winning artists, this no-holds-barred tale takes us on a journey through the deception and hypocrisy of the Trump White House.
Darrin was kind enough to send me a copy to preview and answer some questions for ComicsDC.
You're normally a novelist? Why did you decide to write a children's book parody?
Yes, I am a novelist, and also some business-based non-fiction. A parody of a children's book allowed me to present the pro-Trump arguments in the shortest and simplest form and have them rebutted not by partisanship and ideology, but by simple common sense and honest questions.
And why have it illustrated by cartoonists?
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| Steve Artley's drawing from the Lincoln Memorial |
How did you find them?
Lots of research and queries. Lists like Pulitzer and Herblock prize winners, the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, and different cartoon syndicators. Then lots of correspondence to sell the concept.
Did anyone turn you down?
Yes, lots of rejections. It turns out these guys are not sitting around waiting for someone like me to contact them, but actually have jobs and commitments. Who knew? The ones who accepted generally were excited by the concept and the chance to work with the other cartoonists.
You selected various terms for the cartoonists to choose from - how did you come up with them?
I made a comprehensive list of words that would apply to Trump's administration (page 62 of the book) and picked the ones that I felt were most important. For example. using pussy or Putin as the "P" word was an obvious choice. But I wanted this to be a catalog of Trump's failings and Puerto Rico was no longer on people's minds. With the daily barrage of lunacy, it is easy to forget earlier offenses to the American legacy. Several of my choices were changed by the cartoonist to fit their interests, such as Ingrid Rice, a Canadian cartoonist, choosing NAFTA over narcissism.
Did you write the script first, and give each appropriate page to the cartoonist after they selected a term?
Yes, the story was drafted and then the cartoonists drew to the subject and narrative.
Yes, the story was drafted and then the cartoonists drew to the subject and narrative.
How are you selling and/or distributing this?
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| Joe Sutliff's drawing of the Trump Hotel (aka the Old Post Office) |
The book is available on our website and on Amazon. We have been trying to get it placed in retail stores, but we don't have a wholesaler so we'll continue to work on that.
There are two sequels planned: Who's That Man Scolding Mr. Trump, Mommy?, and Who's That Man Looking So Sad, Mommy?, about the Mueller investigation and the mid-term results, respectively.
Nick Anderson, Pat Bagley, Darrin Bell, Randy Bish, Stuart Carlson,
Jeff Danziger, Ed Hall, Phil Hands, Joe Heller, Clay Jones, Keith
Knight, Jimmy Margulies, Robert Matson, Rick McKee, Joel Pett, Ted
Rall, Igrid Rice, Jen Sorenson, Rob Tornoe and Monte Wolverton appear in
addition to local cartoonists Steve Artley, Barbara Dale, Al Goodwyn, Clay Jones and Joe Sutliff.
Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "The Primo Nutmeg Interview"
Mike Flugennock, our local anarchist cartoonist (born in Arlington!) is interviewed:
"The Primo Nutmeg Interview"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=2635
Hey, folks! My interview on the Primo Nutmeg show just dropped; I'm talking cartooning, media, politics, and it's... well, primo. Give a listen...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c-XeIvZ_8w
"The Primo Nutmeg Interview"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=2635
Hey, folks! My interview on the Primo Nutmeg show just dropped; I'm talking cartooning, media, politics, and it's... well, primo. Give a listen...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c-XeIvZ_8w
Nov 9: Nora Krug - Belonging at Politics and Prose Union Market
Nora Krug - Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home — in conversation with the Washington Post's Nora Krug — at Politics and Prose at Union Market
Friday, November 9, 2018 - 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Like Art Spiegelman's Maus, Krug's graphic memoir centers on events she experienced at one remove, by inheritance—and that for that reason may have marked her all the more deeply. A member of the second generation of Germans born after World War II, Krug draws on letters, photos, flea-market artifacts, and archival materials for a powerful exploration of Heimat, the place that first forms us. Now an award-winning artist and member of the faculty of the Parsons School of Design, Krug researched her grandparents' role in the Third Reich, and her sifting of layers of history is as vital a story as what she discovered. Krug will be in conversation with Washington Post "Book World" writer and editor Nora Krug.
Click here for more information.
Politics and Prose at Union Market 1270 5th Street NE Washington DC 20008
Sunday, November 04, 2018
Bruce Guthrie's pictures of RO Blechman
Blechman spoke in town yesterday at Dumbarton Oaks - Bruce's photos of the 88-year old New York cartoonist are here: http://www.bguthriephotos.com/graphlib.nsf/keys/2018_11_03A_Blechman
Saturday, November 03, 2018
Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Blue Wave no. 3: Pukin' Blue, No Matter Who"
From Mike Flugennock, DC's anarchist cartoonist:
"Blue Wave no. 3: Pukin' Blue, No Matter Who"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=2630
Welp... I've finally nailed it down. Between Ocasio-Cortez waffling on Palestine, Andrew Gillum flip-flopping on Medicare For All, all the ex-CIA types running as Democrats and all the doorknobs screaming "vote Blue, no matter who", I think I've finally figured out what the Blue Wave is going to be: the Democratic Party choking to death on its own vomit.
Root Boy Slim And The Sex Change Band: "Boogie 'Til You Puke", 1978:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY3eMd3Jp7I
"Blue Wave no. 3: Pukin' Blue, No Matter Who"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=2630
Welp... I've finally nailed it down. Between Ocasio-Cortez waffling on Palestine, Andrew Gillum flip-flopping on Medicare For All, all the ex-CIA types running as Democrats and all the doorknobs screaming "vote Blue, no matter who", I think I've finally figured out what the Blue Wave is going to be: the Democratic Party choking to death on its own vomit.
Root Boy Slim And The Sex Change Band: "Boogie 'Til You Puke", 1978:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY3eMd3Jp7I
Friday, November 02, 2018
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