Will Smith plays a spy who transforms into a pigeon in this sweetly silly satire
By Thomas Floyd
Washington Post December 2019
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Thursday, December 19, 2019
PBS talks to Mo Willems about his Kennedy Center residency
Best-selling children's author Mo Willems on sparking creativity and joy
Author and illustrator Mo Willems has sold millions of children's books and created beloved characters, including the Pigeon, Knuffle Bunny, and Elephant and Piggie. Now he's the Kennedy Center's first education artist-in-residence, making new kinds of work for both kids and adults. Correspondent Paul Solman talks to Willems about how he engages his audience.
Don't steal from a caricaturist AFTER he draws you
Police search for a villain who stole $500 from a caricature artist — but left his own cartoon portrait behind
Black Panther's Wakanda is USDA free-trade partner
No, Wakanda is not Trump's next tariff target — despite being removed from a U.S. free-trade list
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
E&P podcast talks to Clay Jones
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The Best of Telnaes, Toles and other editorial cartoonists from The Post
The best Ann Telnaes cartoons of 2019
Washington Post Dec. 17, 2019
The best Tom Toles cartoons of 2019
Washington Post Dec. 17, 2019 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/12/17/best-tom-toles-cartoons/
2019 in editorial cartoons from all over the country
Washington Post Dec. 17, 2019
Ebony Flowers on The Kojo Nnamdi Show
'Tis the season … for staying in and curling up with a good book.
That's right! It's our winter book show and we've got quite the roster of local literary luminaries.
So, naturally, we want to know:
What's the best book you read this year and why? Listen and share your favorites.
Produced by Julie Depenbrock and Laura Spitalniak
Guests
- Ron Charles Book World Critic, The Washington Post; @RonCharles
- Rion Amilcar Scott Author, "The World Doesn't Require You"; Professor, University of Maryland
- Hannah Oliver Depp Owner, Loyalty Bookstores
- Ebony Flowers Author and Illustrator, "Hot Comb"
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Researching the Library of Congress' Santa Claus comics
Let's Talk Comics: Folklore, Comics, and Santa Claus
Dr. Daniel Peretti, Assistant Professor of Folklore at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, is the author of "Superman in Myth and Folklore" (University Press of Mississippi, 2017), as well as other essays on folklore, myth, and popular culture. His current research focuses on Santa Claus, ritual, and the traditions of Christmas. Here Dr. Peretti answers our questions about his career and his use of the Library of Congress' comic book collection.
Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Clay Jones
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| 2019 Herblock award, photo by Bruce Guthrie |
Clay Jones is a long-time political cartoonist who also writes an amazingly hardest hitting blog about his cartoons. Here's some quotes from just the past few days:
-"Graham and McConnell have no problems being hypocrites and telling us out loud that they plan to conduct a sham of a trial." (Premature Republicans)
-"If Santa was planning to land his
endangered reindeer on the Trump’s roof, the only thing that’d stop the
Trump boys from killing them would be if they couldn’t get a guide to
hold their hands. You know they’re too wimpy to climb up there on their
own." (Run, Run, Rudolph)
-"And if you’re supporting Donald Trump, a bad guy bullying a child,
you’re one of the bad guys fighting against America and the rest of the
planet too." (Mean Girl Hurts Trump)
Honestly, these days I often read past the cartoon quickly just to read his commentary.
Clay moved from Fredericksburg, VA (which is technically in our coverage area, but...) to Woodbridge, VA (which definitely is...), was the finalist for 2019's Herblock Award (there's an autobio at that link), has a regular cartoon gig for CNN, and has a new book of his Trump cartoons out, and I'm finally getting around to interviewing him. I apologize to both him and our readers for the delay. As you'll read, he's completely self-syndicated now and you can support him directly.
What type of comic work or cartooning do you do? I am a political cartoonist.
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
I went fully digital in May 2016. I'm now on my second Surface Pro.
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
I was born in Fort Hood, TX in 1966.
Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
I moved to Fredericksburg in 1998 to work for The Free Lance-Star. I stayed in the area after I was laid off in 2012. I moved to Woodbridge two months ago to live in sin with my girlfriend.
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?I took a few art classes but failed the last one I took in high school. Can you tell? From there it's been trial, error, a little plagiarism, etc, etc.
Who are your influences?
As a cartoonist, Sergio Aragones, Mort Drucker, Don Martin (you can tell), Jim Davis, Charles Schulz, and Berke Breathed. As a political cartoonist, Mike Luckovich, Mike Peters, Paul Conrad, Herblock, Bill Mauldin, Pat Oliphant, Jeff MacNelly, Walt Handelsman, Michael Ramirez (really), and Scott Stantis. Some of these political influences have worn off me over time.
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
If I realized how much I sucked when I was younger, I wouldn't have done that.
What work are you best-known for?
At this time, probably for drawing Donald Trump's hair and tie. I also get a lot of comments on the way I draw his mouth.
What work are you most proud of?
Any cartoon that really pisses off the Trump cult.
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
I would like to work at another news outlet in a fantasyland where they let me draw anything I want, pay me well, and leave me alone.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
I don't have time for writer's block. I tell it to go away and power through. Honestly, I try to think what Mike Luckovich or Peters would do, then I try to do something weirder.
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| Cover of his new book |
Fewer jobs for sure even though that's not justified. We'll still be here but there will be fewer of us. Fewer people will enter a profession that doesn't reward or pay them. Most of us still in it are hangovers from when they used to give us jobs with benefits, vacations, 401Ks and stuff. Most people who do this in the future will have to commit while being distracted by a real job. That will affect the quality.
I'm also afraid publications will get even safer and more afraid to publish anything challenging or critical of anything.
What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, or others? Any comments about attending them?
I never had until recently when my girlfriend (the one I'm living in sin with in Woodbridge) took me to the Fairfax ComicCon. It was OK. I'm really not that big of a comic fan. I usually only read political cartoons, party because I'm a fan and partly to see that I don't draw the same idea as someone else.
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| Jones, Matt Davies and Matt Wuerker, photo by Guthrie |
What's your favorite thing about DC?
Food, the diversity, the liberalness, the metro, food trucks, The Post and Politico, the people, culture, museums, history, political bars, and some stuff I'll think of later.
Least favorite?
It's expensive.
What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?
All of them but my favorite thing is to take a visitor from the Roosevelt and walk them around the tidal basin to the Jefferson.
Food trucks and hotdog stands. Mmm Mmmmm MMmmmmm. I also enjoy eating things I can't identify in Chinatown.
Do you have a website or blog?
Yes. Do you want to know the address? OK. claytoonz.com. You'll see cartoons, a blog for each cartoon, and even a video where you get to see me draw the cartoon. It's the best political cartoon blog by any self-syndicated political cartoonist.
Clay also posts his drawing videos on YouTube, rough sketches of ideas for CNN, and at least one cartoon a day and often more via his blog and email newsletter. And who can resist closing an internet story with a comparison to Nazis?
Monday, December 16, 2019
Bruce Guthrie's sketchbook (UPDATED)
Photographer around town Bruce Guthrie also makes a point of getting an autograph or sketch at events he photographs. He put some cartoonist's sketches online recently.
Bruce sent through a new link to even more drawings.
Bruce sent through a new link to even more drawings.
Washingtonian on The Post's graphic Mueller Report
How the Post Turned the Mueller Report Into a Graphic Nonfiction Book
Team members said the drama was buried in the report all along
Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Alexandra Bowman
by Mike Rhode My friend Bruce Guthrie recently attended a political cartooning event at Georgetown University featuring Matt Wuerker and KAL, which I had to skip due to a scheduling conflict. Afterwards, he made a point of introducing me via email to Alexandra Bowman, the student political cartoonist who organized it. In keeping with our attempts to learn more about local cartoonists, I asked if she would answer our usual interview questions. Alexandra did so directly upon finishing her final exams, and I think you'll all be impressed by her answers.
1. What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
I am a political cartoonist, children's book illustrator, and fine artist. The menu of galleries on my website is a bit unwieldy at this point.
I served as the Editorial Political Cartoonist for "The Hoya," the Georgetown University newspaper of record. I left this past fall to start my own political comedy show at Georgetown, "The Hilltop Show"--I create hand-drawn and digital graphics for the show. I was also recently hired as the Editorial Political Cartoonist for Our Daily Planet, a climate news outlet with a readership of 13,000 (my first cartoon was published here), as well as the Georgetown Review, an independent news source on campus. I also have illustrated three children's books and do freelance work and commissions. My work has been published by BBC News, BBC Books, Penguin House UK, Puffin Books.
I serve as the Live Political Cartoonist for the Georgetown Institute of Politics for Public Service (GU Politics). My first event was this past September's MSNBC Climate Forum; I created cartoons and life drawings of candidates, including Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders, throughout the two-day event. I also do freelance artwork for GU Politics. All my live cartoons, as well as my past work for "The Hoya" and other political pieces, can be found here.
2. How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?I am partial to drawing/sketching my political cartoons and illustrations in pencil, inking, and coloring with alcohol markers and colored pencils. I'm becoming increasingly fond of coloring via Photoshop, as it's much faster and I don't have to wait three days for the Copic ink to come off my hands.
When making fine art, I enjoy using mechanical pencils for detail work. Oil paint and colored pencils are helpful for creating broad swathes of color.
3. When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
I was born in March 2000 in Sierra Vista, AZ. Yeah, I really haven't been around that long.
4. Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
As a current Georgetown undergraduate student, I am currently based in DC. I live in Kennedy Hall at Georgetown, which has only about half the leaks and rodent sightings as the other dorms. When I'm not fending off rat attacks, I live about 30-40 minutes from Washington D.C. in Fairfax, VA.
5. What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
I took AP Studio Art in high school, and took an Oil Painting class last year at Georgetown. I've had a few extracurricular art classes here and there. My mom is an artist: she ensured that I always had access to art supplies and art books, and took me to museums on almost a weekly basis as a kid. I have also spent years teaching myself to draw. Every break from school invites the existential question of "how many coffee table-sized Art-Of-The-Movie books should I bring home?" 6. Who are your influences?
While teaching myself over the years, I have devoured art books and classically-illustrated children's books, particularly animation concept art books and anthropomorphic animal stories. Beatrix Potter, Dr. Seuss, Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Byron Howard, Jin Kim, Shiyoon Kim, Cory Loftis, Jim Davis, Christopher Hart, the illustrators of the Geronimo Stilton books (whose pseudonyms on the copyright pages have been tragically unhelpful), and Trina Schart Hyman. From a young age, I have been particularly enchanted by illustrations of anthropomorphic animals, especially those with a semi-realistic tone (e.g. the work of Beatrix Potter, Disney's Robin Hood, Zootopia, Aesop's fables illustrations, etc.).
Beatrix Potter and Jim Davis were my earliest influences. Whenever I draw an animal or a chubby character, its arms and paws/hands are (unintentionally) posed exactly like Garfield's. I drew Garfield all over my notebook and test margins in the fifth and sixth grades. And when I saw "The Hobbit:" when I was 12 (on December 22, 2012; yeah, I know), I became engrossed with Tolkien and Bilbo Baggins. I received a Bilbo Baggins bobblehead for Christmas three days later, and I decided to draw it that evening. I proceeded to cover my seventh and eighth-grade planners with drawings of Bilbo, and that doodle instinct has not since abated.
I've only begun to get into political cartooning recently, but I have long adored the work of the Washington Post's Ann Telnaes, Politico's Matt Wuerker, and The Economist's Kevin Kallaugher. I actually helped plan a GU Politics/Hilltop Show event this month hosting Mr. Wuerker and Mr. Kallaugher on campus; I delivered the event's opening remarks and introduced the cartoonists. Vincent Van Gogh, Albrecht Durer, and Leonardo da Vinci are some of the biggest influences of my fine art.
7. If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
I don't think I've been drawing professionally long enough to have had any major slip-ups or regrets. I think.
I am, however, at the stage (the "Early Life" section on Wikipedia?) that I will look back on in 5-10 years and wistfully think "If I had only known/done X at that time!" Advice from more experienced cartoonists is always much appreciated!
8. What work are you best-known for?
Live political cartooning at the Climate Forum was a pivotal moment in my artistic "career" (I'm 19, I squirm when I use that word). Since coming to Georgetown, I have immersed myself in political cartooning for multiple publications. I think if you were to ask someone who has a second-degree connection to me (socially or on LinkedIn) what I tend to draw, they'd mention "the girl who draws political cartoons and foxes and John Oliver and had that massive display in the library coffee shop once."
As mentioned, I was also recently hired as the Editorial Political Cartoonist for Our Daily Planet, a climate news outlet that John Kerry apparently reads every morning.On a fun note, one of my drawings of the Fourth Doctor and K-9 was published by BBC Books and Puffin Books/Penguin Random House in an international anthology for sale in Barnes and Noble.
9. What work are you most proud of?
I'm particularly proud of my recent political cartoons, as I'm excited to have ventured into a field of art that I believe has more of a tangible positive impact on the world. I believe that political satire is one of the most effective means of reaching those who would not otherwise engage with the news in politics, as young people and the politically uninitiated are much more likely to engage with informational media if it is presented in an entertaining package.
10. What would you like to do or work on in the future?
I would like to be a broadcast journalist, news anchor, or political comedy talk show host. Writing for the latter would be an ideal intermediary position. I really admire how Jake Tapper has been able to tactfully combine his interests in strict news reporting and political cartooning by hosting both "The Lead" and his "State of the Cartoonion" segment. I would also love to direct films for Pixar.
In the case of either life path, I would like to use my career to create meaningful media and/or entertainment, particularly for young people.
11. What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
I'm blessed that I rarely have to deal with writer's/artist's block. Keeping a notebook and writing down ideas whenever they occur to me helps keep creative blockage at bay.
Watching a 2-D Disney movie or watching late-night comedy never fails to offer heaps of inspiration.
12. What do you think will be the future of your field?
I hope that illustrators and filmmakers who intend to create meaningful, character-building animated films for children enter the field of animation. I admire how Pete Docter has imbued the films he has worked on/directed (i.e. Wall-E) with his Christian faith.
13. What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, or others? Any comments about attending them?
Being a Georgetown student with newfound access to DC has given me a new perspective on the sheer quantity of phenomenal cons available to me. I'm eager to continue learning about new cons to visit, particularly those that focus on film-making and illustration
For a number of years I have attended AwesomeCon, where I have met Wallace Shawn, Cary Elwes, Chris Sarandon, Adam West, Burt Ward, and David Tennant. I met David Tennant while dressed as the Tenth Doctor; I gave him a drawing of Ten meeting Scrooge McDuck, which David said "was the pinnacle of all his work." I continue to share this story with my Uber drivers.
14. What's your favorite thing about DC?
Coming to Georgetown, I was concerned that DC did not have the media and/or entertainment presence of New York or Los Angeles. However, perhaps partially due to my interests changing since arriving on campus a year and a half ago, I'm realizing that DC's political focus makes it a media hotspot particularly well-suited to my own interest in politics. DC being where the action is in terms of current global chaos is also a plus.
15. Least favorite?
See previous sentence.
16. What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?
#ripnewseum.
17. How about a favorite local restaurant?
My favorite restaurant of all time is Filomena in Georgetown. I am comforted knowing that my culinary tastes have been validated by Bono and Harrison Ford.
18. Do you have a website or blog?
My work can be found on alexandrabowmanart.com and on Instagram (@alexandrabowmanart). I also tweet about illustration and current events under the handle @scripta_bene. I have a Facebook page for my work, which sends me notifications two or three times daily saying "Your followers have not seen a post from you in months." It's linked here if you're still interested.
Warren Bernard Collection Tour and Interview (UPDATED)
Warren Bernard Collection Tour
Jim Rugg and Ed Piskor
Cartoonist Kayfabe (December 15 2019)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaW4GR8hRag
The Warren Bernard Shoot Interview
Ed Piskor and Jim Rugg
Cartoonist Kayfabe (June 28 2019)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_jdZKOovBY
and now updated with a third WB interview!
Jim Rugg and Ed Piskor
Cartoonist Kayfabe (December 15 2019)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaW4GR8hRag
The Warren Bernard Shoot Interview
Ed Piskor and Jim Rugg
Cartoonist Kayfabe (June 28 2019)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_jdZKOovBY
and now updated with a third WB interview!
Vintage
Sunday Funnies (with Warren Bernard)
Cartoonist
Kayfabe July 13, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg6bN-qV6-g
The
great super-collector, curator, author,and executive director of the Small
Press Expo, Warren Bernard stopped through Pittsburgh and brought along some
vintage Sunday Funnies sections to put under the microscope!
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Fine art animation wins Portrait Gallery prize
Portraits that bend the rules of portraiture, in 'The Outwin 2019' [in print as The new face of artistic portraiture]
Washington Post Dec. 13, 2019 , p. Weekend 24-25
Manga on Uighur persecution in Sunday's Post
Japanese manga about a Uighur woman's persecution in China becomes viral hit [in print as Tragic tale has become surprise viral hit].
Washington Post Dec. 15, 2019, p A20
Editorial Cartoon by Steve Artley
"Trump's Cushion" (click on Image for larger view)
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| ©2019 Steven G Artley • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
Friday, December 13, 2019
Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Ceci n'est pas une banane"
DC's anarchist cartoonist Mike Flugennock on impeachment
"Ceci n'est pas une banane"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=2897
George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley, in a Los Angeles Times op-ed this week, gave us one of the most succinct and elegant analyses of the ongoing impeachment circus I've seen so far:
"Frankly, when I look at this impeachment, I see a banana taped to a wall. As others coo over the power and evidence in the report, I continue to look around scratching my head, wondering why others don't see the obvious gaps and conflicts." —Jonathan Turley on Twitter, 12.09.19 https://twitter.com/JonathanTurley/status/1204131065201352704
The Democrats have just voted to hand Trump horrific surveillance powers by reauthorizing the Patriot Act, and given him a $738bn war budget (including his Space Force), but he's still a Russian stooge and a threat to Democracy™, so let's impeach his ass anyway.
Christ, who the hell are they kidding?
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"Opinion: The Trump hearings haven't connected the dots. Impeachment articles are premature" Jonathan Turley in the Los Angeles Times, 12.09.19
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-12-09/opinion-trump-impeachment-hearings-democrats
"'Atrocious': 188 Democrats Join GOP to Hand Trump $738 Billion Military Budget That Includes 'Space Force'", CommonDreams 12.12.19
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/12/atrocious-188-democrats-join-gop-hand-trump-738-billion-military-budget-includes
"Handing Trump 'Terrifying Authoritarian Surveillance Powers,' House
Democrats Include Patriot Act Reauthorization in Funding Bill", CommonDreams 11.19.19
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/19/handing-trump-terrifying-authoritarian-surveillance-powers-house-democrats-include
Rene Magritte, "The Treachery Of Images (This Is Not A Pipe)", 1929
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Treachery_of_Images
"Ceci n'est pas une banane"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=2897
George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley, in a Los Angeles Times op-ed this week, gave us one of the most succinct and elegant analyses of the ongoing impeachment circus I've seen so far:
"Frankly, when I look at this impeachment, I see a banana taped to a wall. As others coo over the power and evidence in the report, I continue to look around scratching my head, wondering why others don't see the obvious gaps and conflicts." —Jonathan Turley on Twitter, 12.09.19 https://twitter.com/JonathanTurley/status/1204131065201352704
The Democrats have just voted to hand Trump horrific surveillance powers by reauthorizing the Patriot Act, and given him a $738bn war budget (including his Space Force), but he's still a Russian stooge and a threat to Democracy™, so let's impeach his ass anyway.
Christ, who the hell are they kidding?
----
"Opinion: The Trump hearings haven't connected the dots. Impeachment articles are premature" Jonathan Turley in the Los Angeles Times, 12.09.19
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-12-09/opinion-trump-impeachment-hearings-democrats
"'Atrocious': 188 Democrats Join GOP to Hand Trump $738 Billion Military Budget That Includes 'Space Force'", CommonDreams 12.12.19
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/12/atrocious-188-democrats-join-gop-hand-trump-738-billion-military-budget-includes
"Handing Trump 'Terrifying Authoritarian Surveillance Powers,' House
Democrats Include Patriot Act Reauthorization in Funding Bill", CommonDreams 11.19.19
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/19/handing-trump-terrifying-authoritarian-surveillance-powers-house-democrats-include
Rene Magritte, "The Treachery Of Images (This Is Not A Pipe)", 1929
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Treachery_of_Images
The Post on Off The Record's political cartoons
When bar coasters get political, it becomes D.C.'s ultimate souvenir
Dec. 13, 2019
Local cartoonists on the Beat's best of the decade list
The 100 Best Comics of the Decade
The decade from 2010-2019 was a transformative one for comics
The March Trilogy
Rep. John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell (Top Shelf)
Mister Miracle
Tom King, Mitch Gerads, and Clayton Cowles (DC)
The Vision
Tom King, Gabriel Walta, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles (Marvel)
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