Thursday, June 06, 2019

Since 2009 Inman, an Eisner Award-winning cartoonist, has provided a steady stream of original comics, quizzes, articles, and more on his webcomic, TheOatmeal.com. His new book follows the hilarious How to Tell If Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You with another installment of the best from Oatmeal along with previously unpublished work. Here Inman presents his signature cat jokes, comics about cats—as well as about babies, dogs, lasers, selfies, and pigeons—and a series of helpful guides to questions such as how to comfortably sleep next to your cat, how to befriend a misanthropic cat, and how to hold a baby when you are not used to holding babies.

Monday, June 03, 2019

Tom King on Word Balloon

May 24, 2019

Batman Rumors & Game Night With Tom King Julie and Shawna Benson

http://wordballoon.blogspot.com/2019/05/batman-rumors-game-night-with-tom-king.html

Download The MP3 Here

I address the rumors that DC is making Tom King end His Batman run early. Then a fun trivia game of old Hollywood questions with Tom King Shawna and Julie Benson

Meet the new Batman; same as the old Batman?

Tariff Man returns in The Post

President Trump in the continuing adventures of 'Tariff Man'

More mayhem from the superhero you never knew you wanted.

Ellis Rosen

Washington Post June 2 2019

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/opinions/outlook/amp-stories/the-continuing-adventures-of-tariff-man/

The Post's obituary of former cartoonist ER Kinstler

Everett Raymond Kinstler, portrait artist of presidents and celebrities, dies at 92 [in print as Everett Raymond Kinstler, 92; Renowned portrait artist captured many presidents and elite celebrities]

Washington Post June 2 2019, p. C6

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/everett-raymond-kinstler-portrait-artist-of-presidents-and-celebrities-dies-at-92/2019/06/01/b1544f7c-83d8-11e9-933d-7501070ee669_story.html

Disney flea market finds from this weekend

There's a monthly flea market in Arlington run by the Civitan charity. I picked up these two pieces of Disneyana this past weekend. The dealer had more of them, and will be back on the next first Saturday of the month. One of the placemat strips will be given to the Library of Congress' Prints & Photos division as well.

Felix the Cat and Mickey Mouse bootlegs advertise something in Spanish

I imagine this is a Sunday Mickey comic strip on what's probably a placemat.

More "lost" Richard Thompson art found

More "lost" Richard Thompson art

https://richardspooralmanac.blogspot.com/2019/06/more-lost-richard-thompson-art.html

BD is Coming to DC! Bande Dessinée at #ALAAC19

It's almost #ALAAC19 and French Comics are coming to the Capitol...

That's right:

BD is Coming to DC!

The French Comics Association (FCA) announces their spring tour of acclaimed francophone graphic novelists, coming to Washington, DC for the 2019 American Library Association annual conference (ALAAC19)

Featured Creators: Julia Billet (Catherine’s War), Karim Friha (Rise of the Zelphire), Wilfrid Lupano (The Wolf in Underpants), Typex (Andy: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol)

Find us at booth #3644 from June 21-24th, 2019

Daily signings and book give-aways for librarians!

Special events & meet-ups!

FREE public events throughout the city!

THE FRENCH COMICS ASSOCIATION

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Book signings at all events & to follow panels—find the full signing schedule on our website!

Friday / June 21st

OPENING DAY

American Library Association Conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center

ALA Exhibit hours 5:30 - 7:30pm

Graphic Novel and Comics Roundtable Friday Forum:

So Many Comics, So Little Time!

12:20 – 1:45pm

How can you possibly keep track of all the titles coming out and all the topics they cover? In this session, you’ll spend time in small groups with creators and colleagues discussing titles that work for different social justice topics. After the session, all the titles will be combined into a totally excellent resource just for you! With Karim Friha

Free Public Event:

Drink & Draw with International Comics Artists

East City Bookshop / 645 Pennsylvania Ave SE

6 – 7:30pm

Featuring artists Jaime Hernandez (Love and Rockets: Is This How You See Me?) and Ezra Claytan Daniels (BTTM FDRS) from America; Karim Friha (Rise of the Zelphire) and Christophe Ferreira (Milo's World) from France; Typex (Andy: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol) from Amsterdam; and Flavia Biondi (Generations) from Italy; with comics writer Wilfrid Lupano (Curtain Call) also on hand to sign! Select artists drawing onstage and all signing new release graphic novels. Stop by the store and pick up a pen (or just watch others and meet the creators), sip free wine, and meet other indie comics and bande dessinée (Franco-Belgian style comics) fans. Co-hosted with Fantagraphic Books and EuropeComics.

Saturday / June 22nd

American Library Association Exhibit Hours: 9am - 5pm

At #ALAAC19: Do it the French way. Stop by Booth #3644 for morning croissants and comics.

Panels at the Graphic Novel and Gaming Stage:

Literary Comics Publisher Spotlight

10:30 – 11:20 am

Join some of the comics medium’s most renowned publishers as they share new and perennial titles for your collections. We will discuss comics for adults and kids, as well as fiction and nonfiction, with staff of publishing houses Drawn & Quarterly, Fantagraphics, Uncivilized Books, Abrams, and the French Comics Association (Charlotte Moundlic).

French Comics Association Showcase

2:30 – 3:20pm

There's a wealth of translated bande dessinée (Franco-Belgian graphic novels/nonfiction) available in recent years for library collections, from diverse genres, voices, and publishers. The French Comics Association showcase brings together renowned and star creators on tour from Europe, with new releases in English: Karim Friha, Wilfrid Lupano, Typex, Julia Billet, moderated by Meg Lemke, French Comics Association.

Graphic Novel and Comics Roundtable Panel:

Behind the Scenes: Creating a Diverse World of Comics

2:30 – 3:20pm

Join publishers and creators from around the world to learn about the routes graphic novels take to come to your attention and to your library. What makes up the process? How are editorial decisions made? How do publishers seek out and champion diverse voices in the medium? What role can librarians play and at which points? Attendees will learn about what happens behind the scenes in creating a graphic novel, the careful work of translating cultural context and languages, marketing, issues around censorship, and how to advocate for an inclusive, international collection. Featuring Thierry Laroche (Gallimard).

ALA Events:

ALA Graphic Novel and Comics Roundtable Breakfast

(Ticketed)

8 – 10:00 am

Eisner Graphic Novel Library Grants Reception

(invitation-only)

co-sponsored by the French Comics Association

6 – 8pm

Sunday / June 23rd

American Library Association Exhibit Hours: 9am - 5pm

At #ALAAC19: Do it the French way. Stop by Booth #3644 for morning croissants and comics.

Public Events:

Storytime: The Wolf in Underpants, with Wilfrid Lupano!

10:30 – 11:30

Solid State Books / 600 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002

Join French creator Lupano for a morning storytime at this lovely local DC store. “Young readers will howl for this tale that combines a timely, smart message alongside crowd-pleasing silliness.”—Kirkus Reviews

Create your Own Hero: Comics Character Design with Bande Dessinée Star Karim Friha!

11am-12:30pm

Bonjour Books / 3758 Howard Ave, Kensington, MD 20895

Youth aged 8-12 are invited to this special workshop with visiting French artist Karim Friha, creator of Rise of the Zelphire, a super-cool steampunk fantasy story about a group of young people with strange powers, newly translated to English by Lion Forge (originally in French from Gallimard). Friha will share how he sketches and creates characters, and help the young artists design their own heroes, and inspire them to dream up new, fantastical worlds. The artist will inscribe book copies at the end of the event! RSVP and pre-order of the English edition required (French editions of additional titles in the series will also be available for sale).

Panels at the Graphic Novel and Gaming Stage

European Comics: A Melting Pot

10:30 – 11:20am

Asterix, Tintin, The Smurfs and Persepolis are just some of the few that have made it across the Atlantic. But Europe’s comics heritage is much richer and varied, different in every country. As we stress on the importance of diversity and the need of different voices, Europe Comics presents a panel of award-winning European creators and their latest works. Featuring: Typex. Presented in coordination with EuropeComics.

Wordy to Wordless: How Comics Writers Adapt to Different Genres, Ages, and Artists

12:30 – 1:20pm
Comics scriptwriters creatively adapt their styles across publishers and partnerships, from realistic, to genres including crime/sci-fi/fantasy, to picturebooks, and even wordless narratives. What guides language choice, dialogue decisions, and pacing for comics writers depending on the age level and audience for a book? How do writers “write” a wordless script? How do they work in conversation with artists? A shop talk! Featuring: Amy Chu, Jaime Hernandez, Julia Billet, and Wilfrid Lupano, moderated by Heidi MacDonald.

Panels at the Pop Top Stage:

Middle Grade Graphic Novels: New Titles for Growing Readers!

2 –2:50pm
Middle Grade is a huge growth category for graphic novel publishing, and these books are popular and flexible for younger library patrons—from eager elementary readers, who are growing out of picturebooks and ready to jump to sophisticated topics, to older reluctant readers who find the appealing style and comfort level bringing them back to books. From historical fiction to fantasy, these creators will showcase a breadth of genres in this popular category! Featuring: Karim Friha, Julia Billet, and Emily Whitten, moderated by Betsy Bird.

ALA EVENT:

Small Press Expo Meet-up at the French Comics Association booth!

3 – 4:30pm

Come learn about The Small Press Expo, headquartered in Bethesda, MD, and all they do for indie comics. Treats will be served and French comics will be signed…

FREE / PUBLIC EVENT:

French Comics Kiss Better: A Showcase of Contemporary Bande Dessinée Creators

5:30 – 7:30pm

Fantom Comics / 2010 P St NW, Washington, DC 20036

This panel offers a rare opportunity to meet French and European artists on tour, who represent the contemporary bande dessinée (BD) scene. French comics are familiar American bestsellers, from Tintin to Persepolis to Valerian, but fans can discover the diversity in genres—from steampunk fantasy to crime fiction to graphic biography and historical fiction—and vibrant/sophisticated art styles from the next generation of creators who are "big in France." This ultra-cool panel will be followed by a comics party with a cash bar! Featuring 2019 Eisner-Award nominee Wilfrid Lupano (Sea of Love and Curtain Call); Typex (Andy: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol); Julia Billet (Catherine's War); and Karim Friha (Rise of the Zelphire).

Monday / June 25th

American Library Association Exhibit hours 9am - 2pm

Graphic Novel and Comics Roundtable Programming:

Exploring Trauma and Recovery through Comics

9 am – 10:00am

Trauma is life-changing, from living through the explosive conflict of a war zone to recovering from personal ordeals. Eyewitness accounts are particularly well evoked in the constraints and freedoms of a graphic narrative. This panel will draw together creators who can speak from their first-hand knowledge of violence and the work that goes into expressing a traumatic event in comics. Attendees will learn about expressing strong emotion and experiences graphically, the difficulties of first-person narration and reportage, and receive suggestions for their collections. Featuring: Julia Billet.

At the Graphic Novel and Gaming Stage:

BioGraphics: Reading Graphic Novel Biographies

11:30 am – 12:20pm

The virtues of graphic biographies are now recognized. Having two visions of a famous person's life in one, that of the biographer and of the artist, adds even more nuance and depth to a person’s life story. It might also happen that we pick up a biography we wouldn't usually be interested in, thanks to the appealing art. A panel of award-winning graphic biographers will discuss and present their works. Featuring: Typex. Presented in coordination with EuropeComics.

ALA Event:

Meet-up with Pop Culture Classroom, Global Literature in Libraries Initiative, and French Comics Association!

11:30am – 1pm

Details TBA - watch our website!
Educators, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect about comics and their academic potential are encouraged to RSVP for this ALA offsite meet-up with a “comics creator speed-dating” element. Coffee and treats will be served, and give-away comics will be available to participants!

Get the full signing schedule on our website!

ABOUT THE FRENCH COMICS ASSOCIATION

The French Comics Association brings together many of the major publishers of French comics, including Dargaud, Casterman, Delcourt, Dupuis, Gallimard BD, Glénat, Le Lombard, Rue de Sèvres, and Soleil. As part of its mission to promote Franco-Belgian comics in the United States and worldwide, the association aims to promote comics translated into English, to support the U.S. publishing industry, and to stimulate cultural exchanges on the basis of literature and visual narratives.

The French Comics Association works in partnership with the Centre National du Livre, the Bureau International de l’Édition, the Syndicat National de l’Édition and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the U.S.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

Sunday, June 02, 2019

June Events at Fantom Comics - PRIDE Month

Fantom celebrates PRIDE Month in June with our annual watch party as the parade travels right by our store on P Street, plus a couple of PRIDE-themed book clubs and our usual monthly events. Also: An exciting creator appearance with Gene Ha, artist for our exclusive variant cover for "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Freshman Force" comic book which remains available for purchase at Fantom!

6/8 - Capital PRIDE Watch Party @ 4:30pm

6/15 - Fantasy Book Club: DIE by Kieron Gillen & Stephanie Hans @ 2pm

6/15 - Fanfic Night: BLOOD with The Welders @ 7pm

6/16 - PRIDE Month Book Club: Dream Daddy @ 2pm

6/20 - Gene Ha Live Sketching & Signing @ 4pm to 8pm

6/22 - Latin Dancing for Nerds @ 7pm

6/23 - French Comics Kiss Better: A French Comics Creators Showcase

In Cooperation with the French Comics Association @ 5:30pm

6/30 - PRIDE Month Book Club: Moth & Whisper @2pm

Every Monday - Comics & Cocktails at The Big Hunt starting at 6:30 pm

Every Friday - Friday Night Magic (Draft and Casual Play)

Find Fantom Comics at:

www.FantomComics.com

www.Twitter.com/FantomComics

www.Facebook.com/FantomComics

Friday, May 31, 2019

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "White House Immolation"

DC's anarchist cartoonist Mike Flugennock say...

"White House Immolation"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=2733

In a tragic revival of an old protest tradition, a man set himself on fire near the White House this week.

And yes, this somehow put me in mind of the Democratic Party's insistence on trying to foist Joe Biden onto progressive voters – which, of course, would be their biggest debacle since the 2016 debacle, and a true "hold my beer" moment for the Democrats.

----------

"Man Sets Himself On Fire Outside White House" RT, 05.29.19
https://www.rt.com/usa/460574-man-fire-immolation-white-house/

"America Shouldn't Tolerate 'Biden Being Biden'", TIME, 02.18.15
http://time.com/3713264/joe-biden-stephanie-carter-shoulder-rub/

"Joe Biden is Damned by His Own 'Harassment' Standard", KC Johnson,
New York Post, 04.02.19
https://nypost.com/2019/04/02/joe-biden-is-damned-by-his-own-harassment-standard/

"Joe Biden's Role in '90s Crime Law Could Haunt Any Presidential Bid",
New York Times, 08.21.15
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/22/us/politics/joe-bidens-role-in-90s-crime-law-could-haunt-any-presidential-bid.html

"Re-watching Joe Biden's disastrous Anita Hill hearing: A sexual harassment inquisition", Washington Post, 09.18.18
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/11/24/rewatching-joe-bidens-disastrous-anita-hill-hearing-a-sexual-harassment-inquistion/?noredirect=on

"Exclusive Poll: Biden's Iraq War Vote Already A Liability in 2020 Campaign", Politico, 05.15.19
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/15/joe-biden-iraq-war-vote-1322914

Cavna on Stan Lee's last days and Burton's first Batman

As Stan Lee's ex-caregiver is arrested, last year's videos provide an illuminating lens on his elder-abuse case

June 23: French Comics Kiss Better: A French Comics Creators Showcase

JUN23

French Comics Kiss Better: A French Comics Creators Showcase

Public

· Hosted by Fantom Comics and 2 others

Sunday, June 23, 2019 at 5:30 PM – 7 PM
Fantom Comics
2010 P St NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, District of Columbia 20036

Details

For the weekend of the American Library Association Annual, we are partnering with the French Comics Association to bring you this event!

This panel offers a rare opportunity to meet French and European artists on tour, who represent the contemporary bande dessinée (BD) scene. French comics are familiar American bestsellers, from Tintin to Persepolis to Valerian, but fans can discover the diversity in genres—from steampunk fantasy to crime fiction to graphic biography and historical fiction—and vibrant/sophisticated art styles from the next generation of creators who are "big in France." This ultra-cool panel will be followed by a comics party with drinks available for purchase! 

Featuring 2019 Eisner-Award nominee Wilfrid Lupano (Sea of Love and Curtain Call); Typex (Andy: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol); Julia Billet (Catherine's War); and Karim Friha (Rise of the Zelphire). Moderated by Brigid Alverson

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Library of Congress blog features plum political cartoons

Summer Search: A Plum Assignment

May 30, 2019 by Barbara Orbach Natanson

https://blogs.loc.gov/picturethis/2019/05/summer-search-a-plum-assignment/

How Dr. Seuss's 'Oh, the Places You'll Go' became a graduation-gift cliche [in print as Oh, let's not go there, Class of '19]

by Ron Charles Washington Post May 30 2019, p. C1, 3 https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/how-dr-seusss-oh-the-places-youll-go-became-a-graduation-gift-cliche/2019/05/29/c584fe8e-8021-11e9-95a9-e2c830afe24f_story.html

Thursday, June 06, 2019

Cartoonist Matthew Inman will step away from the Oatmeal after his latest — and possibly final — book

How Snoopy helped us remember D-Day

Wednesday, June 05, 2019

The Joy of Reading Comics

Matthew Inman - Why My Cat Is More Impressive Than Your Baby — at Politics and Prose at Union Market