Winner of the 2019 Believer Book Award for Fiction : Ebony Flowers

Announcing the winners of the 2019 Believer Book Awards https://believermag.com/the-believer-book-award/

Winner: Hot Comb by Ebony Flowers Drawn & Quarterly It feels rare to encounter a book as full of life as Ebony Flowers's debut collection of short graphic fictions, Hot Comb. The style in which each story is rendered changes according to the narrative's needs, but Flowers's impressionistic panels are a constant. They vibrate with an energy that suggests they've been invested with the world she portrays. In Hot Comb, Flowers has produced something authentically new and exciting.

That darn WUMO and Sherman's Lagoon

Danish humor, American carnage

James L. McGee, Bethesda

In the ocean, pearls and swine

Linda Sapin, Takoma Park

By Letters to the Editor 

Washington Post March 21, 2020

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/readers-critique-the-post-a-shameful-virtual-media-blackout-on-yemen/2020/03/20/84a42c86-6aaa-11ea-b313-df458622c2cc_story.html

Was Emily Richards the first black female New Yorker cartoonist in 2004?

New Yorker cartoon expert (and cartoonist) Michael Maslin has written in with a correction to the stories about Liz Montague being the first black female cartoonist. Michael publishes Ink Spill, an excellent blog on NY'r cartoons:

 

The first known black female New Yorker cartoonist is Emily Richards.

You'll see that Emily's A-Z entry notes she is the first known black female NYer cartoonist. We'll never know if she's the first. There are too many unknown cartoonists on the Spill's New Yorker Cartoonists A-Z. 

Emily Richards (Hopkins) New Yorker work: 2004 – . Born, Boston, Massachusetts, 1970.  Grew up in Oregon, Hawaii, West Virginia, and Virginia.  Attended Williams College and West Virginia University. Received a masters degree at Johns Hopkins University. Worked, initially, as a New Yorker fact checker before becoming a New Yorker cartoonist. When Ms. Richards married New Yorker cartoonist Marshall Hopkins they became the third married New Yorker cartoonist couple in the magazine's history (Mary Petty & Alan Dunn were the first, Liza Donnelly & Michael Maslin were the second). Ms. Richards (Hopkins) is the first known black female New Yorker cartoonist.

Ellen Forney on coronavirus in The Post, and a couple of NY Times cartoons

Hand-Washing Like A Pro

Ellen Forney

Washington Post March 22 2020

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/opinions/amp-stories/outlook-coronavirus-hand-washing/

Op-Art: What Do We Lose When We Stop Touching Each Other?

The thing we are biologically programmed to need is also what can harm us most.

By Kristen Radtke

A version of this article appears in print on March 21, 2020, Section A, Page 23 of the New York edition with the headline: What We Lose When We Can't Touch.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/opinion/coronavirus-touching.html

and this one doesn't appear to be online:

Get Out Your Crayons: Coloring for cooped-up readers.

Tomi Um

New York Times (March 22 2020): SR10

Ann Telnaes on working from home during coronavirus times

Working from home during the coronavirus threat? Here's some advice from a seasoned freelancer.

Ann Telnaes

Washington Post (March 19 2020):https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/opinions/amp-stories/ann-telnaes-working-from-home-during-the-coronavirus-threat/

Cavna talks to Chinese-American cartoonist Chen Weng, creator of Messycow Comics

One Chinese American cartoonist is finding satire in our coronavirus crisis — with a perspective from both cultures

Michael Cavna 

Washington Post March 21, 2020

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/03/21/comics-coronavirus-messycow-chen-weng/

PR: Join the Fight - Support Your Pals at Third Eye with Third Eye Battle Bonds!

Find out how you can help your pals at Third Eye during COVID-19

THIRD EYE IS OPEN & HERE FOR YOU! FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN JOIN THE FIGHT FOR FUN HERE! Hey Third Eye Faithful! First off, let me say this: Third Eye is not going anywhere. We're here for you, currently open, adhering to guidelines of limited people in our stores, and have a ton of options to help make getting your favorite stuff easy-peezy (you can read about them all here). With that being said, we're planners at Third Eye, and we plan to be here for a very, very long time to make sure you're getting all the fun stuff you need, and with some of the uncertainty surrounding the situation and COVID-19, we wanted to give you a way that you could pitch in to join the Fight for Fun! We've put together a list of ways you can help, along with a new program: Third Eye Battle Bonds. \ OUR STORES ARE OPEN (pls. note our RICHMOND store is curb-side pick-up only, while our SOMD and ANNAPOLIS stores are currently open for business, but being careful with the amount of folks in them at one time based on current guidelines.) CURBSIDE PICK-UP, HOME DELIVERY & OTHER OPTIONS (click here to see more) MAIL-ORDER (click here to browse this weeks new comics) GIFT CARDS (click here to order now) SETTING UP A THIRD EYE PULLBOX FOR MAIL-ORDER (please make sure to e-mail steve@thirdeyecomics.com after setting up to let us know you're doing mail-order) if you're not going out! (click here to sign up now)  STAY CONNECTED   ‌ ‌ ‌

Third Eye Comics | 2027A WEST ST, Suite 102, Annapolis, MD 21401

2 new interviews with Liz Montague and a new Liz at Large

CARTOONIST ELIZABETH MONTAGUE MAKES HISTORY AT THE 'NEW YORKER'

By Erin White

March 16, 2020

https://afropunk.com/2020/03/cartoonist-elizabeth-montague/

Meet Liz Montague, the first African American female cartoonist to be featured in the New Yorker

In The Know Mar 13, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPk-asyn06o

Liz At Large: "Brave"

Courage needed.

Liz Montague

Mar 20, 2020

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/article/21123182/liz-at-large-brave

PR: Beyond Comics - More News - New Hours!

Reduced again, as well as a sale. Effective Immediately!

Important Updates The regional warehouse we use for games in Pennsylvania is closed which will limit our quick access for games. Although we do not anticipate any loss of product availability, delays in shipping may occur. New York is under a shut down policy that is not currently expected to slow down our Comic Book shipments. However, we highly recommend you consider getting by the stores sooner rather than later to stock up on your shelter in-place entertainment! Curb-Side Pickup is Available! Please call ahead - Frederick (301) 668-8202 Gaithersburg (301) 216-0007 Quarantine Sale! Pandemic * Dead of Winter * Zombicide 14% OFF! Board Games 10% OFF! Starting Saturday, March 21 Graphic Novels 25% OFF! We are reducing our hours of operation again. New Store Hours! Effective Immediately! Mondays & Tuesdays Closed/Appointment Only (We will more than likely be at the store working on paperwork, sorting or pricing so you are welcome to call ahead and see if we are available for you to order curb-side or browse.) Wednesday 10am to 8pm Thursday to Saturday 10am to 7pm Sunday 12noon to 5pm All in-store gaming cancelled until further notice. BEYOND COMICS IS OFFERING CURB-SIDE PICK-UP We are offering curb-side pick-up during this difficult period. If you call ahead, we will pull your comics and merchandise, run your payment over the phone, and have them ready to pick-up. Just park and call us when you are at the shop and we will bring them out to you. If you receive our weekly New Comics Newsletter you can prepare your list from that. Some merchandise is not available at both stores, and some prices on variant covers are on a To-Be-Determined basis. Let's all work together to stop the spread of this virus while maintaining our everyday lives as much as possible. Frederick- 301-668-8202 Gaithersburg- 301-216-0007 Store Customer Limits We will be limiting how many customers we will allow in our shops to create a reasonable space buffer for shoppers. Please realize that these limits are below all but our absolute busiest times. Customer limits: Gaithersburg - 5         Frederick – 10 If you feel we may be at capacity feel free to wait a few minutes or call us, we are more than happy to let you know if it is okay to come in. Our busiest times tend to be between 10am to noon on Wednesday and around 2pm to 5pm on Saturday s. Other than those times we rarely will exceed our customer limits. Make Good Health Choices If you are feeling under the weather or like you may have a cold or the flu it would be greatly appreciated if you delayed your visit to us or utilized our temporary curb-side service. Keeping It Clean We are cleaning nearly every surface in the store with bleach or ant-bacterial cleaners either several times a day or after each use. ‌ ‌ ‌

Beyond Comics | 18749 B North Frederick Avenue, 5632 Buckeystown Pike Frederick, MD, Gaithersburg, MD 20879

Big Planet Bethesda & College Park still open (UPDATED)

I just stopped by and picked up my comics in Bethesda, very quickly.

College Park is open as well.

The Vienna and DC stores are closed but doing mail order.

Here's the information from their website.

Important Update

Mar 17, 2020

Some Big Planet Comics locations will be closed for the foreseeable future. We are still sorting it out, but for the time being keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter accounts for more information. Sorry for the inconvenience, but your safety and ours is more important right now. Everyone take care of yourselves and be safe.

Bethesda store
Sunday 12-5
Closed Mondays
Closed Tuesdays
Wednesday 11-7
Thursday 11-5
Friday 11-5
Saturday 11-5
Curbside pickup available
Mail order available (free shipping!)
To set up mail order delivery or arrange a curbside order pickup:
Call 301-654-6856
Or email bethesda@bigplanetcomics.com

College Park store
Sunday noon-5pm
Monday noon-5pm
Tuesday noon-6pm
Wednesday 11-7pm
Thursday noon-6pm
Friday noon-6pm
Saturday noon-6pm
Curbside pickup available
Mail order available (free shipping!)
To set up mail order delivery or arrange a curbside order pickup:
Call 301-699-0498
Or email collegepark@bigplanetcomics.com

U Street store
Closed for the foreseeable future
Mail order available (free shipping!)
To set up mail order delivery:
Call 202-342-1961 on Tuesdays (11am-3pm) or Wednesdays (11am-3pm)
Or email dc@bigplanetcomics.com

Vienna store
Closed for the foreseeable future
Mail order available (free shipping!)
To set up mail order delivery:
Call 703-242-9412 on Tuesdays (11am-3pm) or Wednesdays (11am-3pm)
Or email vienna@bigplanetcomics.com

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Blue No Matter What"

From DC's anarchist cartoonist Mike Flugennock:

"Blue No Matter What"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=2951

So, it seems that the Democratic Party has insisted on holding primaries in Ohio and Illinois — even going to court — despite the fact that THERE'S A GODDAMN PANDEMIC GOING ON. Man, those bastards must really be in a hurry to shove Gropin' Joe down our throats, huh?

Perhaps the Democrats' strategy involves ramrodding Gropin' Joe through the primaries based on the idea that most of the people who'd vote for Sanders are younger, and taking advice to self-quarantine, choosing not to risk their lives to go to the polls — while the people most likely to turn out for Gropin' Joe are of a generation with one foot in the grave already. Instead of "Blue No Matter Who", maybe the new slogan of mouth-frothing Centrist partisans should be "Blue No 
Matter WHAT".

11x12 inch medium-res color .jpg image, 722kb

---------

"The Coronavirus Outbreak Has Made Voting In Illinois Today A Full Mess", BuzzFeed News 03.17.2020
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mollyhensleyclancy/coronavirus-illinois-primary-voting-election

"Coronavirus: Ohio Democratic primary postponed to prevent spread of
Covid-19 pandemic", UK Independent 03.17.2020
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/coronavirus-ohio-democratic-primary-postponed-covid-19-election-mike-dewine-a9405691.html

"States delaying primaries past 9 June may face delegate penalty, warns DNC memo" UK Guardian 03.17.2020
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/17/dnc-memo-primary-delays-could-result-delegate-reduction

The original Steve Trevor has died

Lyle Waggoner, rugged straight man on 'The Carol Burnett Show,' dies at 84 [in print as Rugged actor gained fame as star of 'Carol Burnett Show,' 'Wonder Woman'.

By Lynn Elber  — Associated Press

Washington Post March 19, 2020. p. B6.

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/lyle-waggoner-rugged-straight-man-on-the-carol-burnett-show-dies-at-84/2020/03/17/34776328-6892-11ea-abef-020f086a3fab_story.html

Diamond Postpones Free Comic Book Day 2020

ess Contact Ashton Greenwood Diamond Comic Distributors 443-318-8209 gashton@diamondcomics.com     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Diamond Postpones Free Comic Book Day 2020   (BALTIMORE, MD) — (March 19, 2020) — As the impact and spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, Diamond Comic Distributors is aware that Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) will be impacted to varying degrees throughout the world. With that in mind, Diamond Comic Distributors has made the difficult decision to postpone the event to a date later in the Summer. "The severity and timing of the impact of the COVID-19 virus can't be predicted with any certainty, but the safety of our retailer partners and comic book fans is too important to risk. As always, we appreciate your enthusiasm for and support of the comic industry's best event and look forward to celebrating with you later in the Summer," said Diamond Founder and CEO, Steve Geppi. Free Comic Book Day 2020 offers a selection of 47 titles available absolutely free at participating local comic shops across the United States and around the world. The 47 titles represent a broad range of taste, from superheroes, to sci-fi, to action-adventure, slice-of-life, manga, and so much more! The Free Comic Book Day selection is designed to appeal to every type of reader out there. Diamond will announce additional information soon regarding FCBD non-comic merchandise. As further updates become available, we will continue to share via the Official Free Comic Book Day website, as well as the Free Comic Book Day social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.    ***   ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS (DCD) — Diamond is at the nexus of comics and pop culture. Based in Hunt Valley, MD, DCD is the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books, graphic novels, and related pop-culture merchandise, serving thousands of retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com.   © 2020 Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. All rights reserved. Diamond, the Diamond logo, Diamond Books logo, and PREVIEWS are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Diamond Comic Distributors in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective copyright owners.

Barney & Clyde reprints due to blown deadline

On the venerable rec.arts.comics.strips, Horace LaBadie said, 

"The March 17, 2020 strip is a rerun of the June 27, 2013 strip, for those who obsess over such things. There might possibly be a few more.

It is apparently a problem with someone missing some deadlines. (Can I vague that up a little more, or what?)"

Today's is a repeat too. I'm not sure if Horace is co-writer Gene Weingarten or artist David Clark. I probably knew once. Coronavirus' fault I'm sure.

Cavna on international coronavirus cartoons

How the world's political artists are depicting the covid-19 pandemic

Michael Cavna 

March 18, 2020

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/03/18/coronavirus-political-cartoons/