Wednesday, July 01, 2020

Cinema Rex animation interview parts 3-5 online now

"Cinema Rex" Co-Directors on Telling a Story through a Child's Eyes (Interview Part 3/5)

•Jul 1, 2020

The Hilltop Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMux2tOtnqo

"Cinema Rex" Co-Directors on Creating Films and Characters for a Wide Audience (Interview Part 4/5)

•Jul 1, 2020

The Hilltop Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY0CyUGBL40&t=5s

We sat down with Mayan Engelman and Eliran Peled, co-directors of the upcoming 2-D animated film and recent winner of the Canal + Youth Award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, "Cinema Rex," to talk about how they have created a story and characters with the goal of appealing to children as well as viewers of all ages.

"Cinema Rex" Co-Directors on the Future of Movie Theaters Post-COVID (Interview Part 5/5)

•Jul 1, 2020

The Hilltop Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0_lQDu9KPk&t=4s

Co-Directors Mayan Engelman and Eliran Peled on Personal and Historical Storytelling in "Cinema Rex"

Alexandra Bowman.

The Hilltop Show Jul 1, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yd3pt2J4vk

Pop Mhan Comix has a new YouTube Channel

Local cartoonist Pop Mhan has started a tutorial channel on YouTube and has about fifteen videos online now at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCipchgDgYFXKCkfXtIBwkOQ

"Cinema Rex" Co-Directors on Animation vs. Live-Action Filmmaking

Alexandra Bowman

The Hilltop Show Jul 1, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOj_J-YjpSU

We sat down with Mayan Engelman and Eliran Peled, co-directors of the upcoming 2-D animated film and recent winner of the Canal + Youth Award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, "Cinema Rex," to talk about storytelling in live-action vs. animation and how they have navigated the Israeli film market. Hosted and edited by Alexandra Bowman. "The Hilltop Show" is Georgetown University's political comedy webseries and talk show. If you get your news from us, you have our condolences. Buy Hilltop Show merch here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

Steve Geppi returns to leading his companies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A Message from Steve Geppi

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (July 1, 2020) —

Good Morning,

Today I am announcing an organizational change that will help us lean even further into the many opportunities to elevate our industry, our business and our brands in this fast-moving and evolving marketplace.

Effective immediately, I am reassuming the role of President, Geppi Family Enterprises (GFE), in addition to my position as Chairman & CEO. Stan Heidmann will be departing the organization. I thank him for his contributions and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

As you know, I have a strong history of growing and leading this organization for several decades and I am energized about our next phase. I am supported by an exceptionally talented executive leadership team with deep expertise and an unwavering commitment to our industry as well as by the incredible teams they have built. I am proud and privileged to work with such amazing people.

Under my guidance, the executive leadership team will support a comprehensive strategic review to position the enterprise for future growth. I feel a tremendous responsibility to our employees and the industry, and I fully intend to set all Geppi Family Enterprise brands on a path for robust growth. I am confident we have the right leadership with talented teams in place and I see enormous opportunities for GFE.

You will be hearing more from me in the coming weeks as I am committed to keeping you all informed and involved. Be well, and I hope you find some time this holiday weekend to relax and recharge. Thank you for your continued support. I appreciate all you do.

Steve Geppi
Chairman, President & CEO
Geppi Family Enterprises

***

ABOUT GEPPI FAMILY ENTERPRISES (GFE) — Geppi Family Enterprises (GFE) has served as the nexus of comics and pop culture since 1982. GFE is comprised of 11 brands in the US and the UK, including Diamond Comic Distributors and Alliance Game Distributors. GFE provides a multi-channel platform of publishing, marketing and fulfillment services, coupled with an unparalleled global distribution network for retailers, publishers and vendors. What started as one man's hobby, with a single warehouse and 17 retail customers, has evolved into the Geppi Family Enterprises of today: the largest distributor of English language comics, graphic novels and pop culture related merchandise worldwide.

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

PR: NBC News and Upshot Studios Partner on New Digital Comic Series - Covid Chronicles

This has nothing to do with comics in the DMV, but I read all 3 and thought the quality was impressive, so I'm posting the PR here - Mike

In partnership with Upshot Studios, an imprint of AWA, NBC News THINK has published "Covid Chronicles" – a weekly comic series featuring true stories from frontline workers, those battling coronavirus and tales of hope around the globe. Read each new volume weekly at NBCNews.com/THINK

Covid Chronicles, Vol. 1-3

Read them all:

In partnership with Upshot Studios, an imprint of AWA
Written by Ethan Sacks
Art by Dalibor Talajić
Lettering and production by Bosung Kim

###

Wash Times' Alexander Hunter wins editorial cartooning award

DD Degg has the story -

Clay Bennett and Alexander Hunter Win National Sigma Delta Chi Editorial Cartoonist Awards

http://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2020/06/29/clay-bennett-and-alexander-hunter-win-national-sigma-delta-chi-editorial-cartoonist-awards/

Earlier this year, Hunter came in second place for the local Washington, D.C., Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists's Dateline Award, placing behind Al Goodwyn.

Gil Roth talks to Rosarium's Bill Campbell

Virtual Memories Show 380:
Bill Campbell

June 30, 2020 by Gil Roth

http://chimeraobscura.com/vm/episode-380-bill-campbell

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/virtualmemories/Episode_380_-_Bill_Campbell.mp3

"When you own the field, it's very easy to move the goalposts."

Author & publisher Bill Campbell joins the show to talk about what he's learned from running Rosarium Publishing (and how he accidentally became a publisher). We get into how having a diverse roster of authors and cartoonists is easy if you're willing to look, how independent bookstores generally don't support independent presses, and how work-life balance is something he doesn't even consider. We also talk about the impact of Rosarium's first book, Mothership: Tales from Afrofuturism and Beyond, the continued significance of their 2015 anthology, APB: Artists against Police Brutality, the cognitive dissonance of living in Washington, DC, his upcoming graphic novel about a Klan rally in Pittsburgh and why history equals horror, the challenges of continuing to publish during the pandemic, how lockdown taught him that he's not as antisocial as he thought, and more. Give it a listen! And go read some Rosarium books!

"Independent bookstores always say, 'Support independents,' and I say, 'Why don't you support independent publishers?'"

"The work-life balance might work if you have a 9-5, but if you're doing stuff like this, there's just no balancing any of it."

"What my novel Koontown Killing Kaper taught me was, if you're doing something that's actually controversial, people will ignore you. They just won't show you the light of day."

Monday, June 29, 2020

PR: IDW & Smithsonian announce coloring books for this fall

These aren't done by cartoonists, but since IDW is largely a comic book publishing company, I'll post the press release. They are supposed to be working on some graphic novels / non-fiction too.

Airplanes Soar and Dinosaurs Roar in The Smithsonian Institution and IDW Publishing’s Enlightening New Line of Coloring Books

IDW’s Highly-Anticipated Publishing Collaboration with the World’s Largest Museum, Educational, and Research Institution Debuts in October

SAN DIEGO, CA (June 29, 2020) – Time spent coloring can also be time spent learning, thanks to two beautiful and informative coloring books presented by IDW Publishing and the Smithsonian Institution. This October, aviation and paleontology fans of all ages can look forward to a creative exploration of their favorite topics, as they color their way through Airplanes: A Smithsonian Coloring Book and Dinosaurs: A Smithsonian Coloring Book.

These books are designed to provide fascinating coloring experiences for readers. The pages stand alone as works of art and the books also contain insights from the National Air and Space Museum’s aeronautics experts and the paleontology experts from the National Museum of Natural History.

Airplanes: A Smithsonian Coloring Book allows readers to soar through the skies with some of the most recognized and revered airplanes from the collection at the National Air and Space Museum. The thrilling artistry of John Pirtel vivifies the very first powered aircrafts of the 1900s, revolutionary bombers and jet fighters of the 20th century, supersonic passenger airliner, and many more.

Dinosaurs: A Smithsonian Coloring Book invites readers to explore millions of years of animal wonders, guided by experts from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. The artistic wizardry of Rachel Curtis (The Princess Bride: A Storybook to Color) captures scenes featuring the herbivorous Stegosaurus, the sea-dwelling Hesperornis, the giant sauropod Camarasaurus, the mighty Tyrannosaurus, and many more.

“Coloring books are a unique format that allows for exciting artistic exploration of any topic,” said editor Justin Eisinger. “Pairing artists with experts from the Smithsonian’s museums allows us to create rich, immersive art for readers of all ages to color while learning about a variety of subjects."

Airplanes: A Smithsonian Coloring Book and Dinosaurs: A Smithsonian Coloring Book will be available in October, and are now available for pre-order via online booksellers and comic book specialty retailers. Visit www.comicshoplocator.com to find a store near you.

Airplanes: A Smithsonian Coloring Book

Illustrated by John Pirtel

TPB w/ DJ • B/W • 88 Pages • 10” x 10” • $16.99 US / $22.99 CAN

ISBN: 978-1-68405-820-4

Dinosaurs: A Smithsonian Coloring Book

Illustrated by Rachel Curtis

TPB w/ DJ • B/W • 88 Pages • 10” x 10” • $16.99 US / $22.99 CAN

ISBN: 978-1-68405-819-8

About IDW Publishing

IDW Publishing (IDWP), a subsidiary of IDW Media Holdings Inc. (OTC PINK: IDWM), is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, trade paperbacks, and tabletop games. IDWP is one of the top four publishers of comic books and graphic novels in the U.S. with a library of world-renowned licensed content and original series. IDWP’s critically acclaimed imprints include Top Shelf Productions, Artist’s Editions, EuroComics, The Library of American Comics, Sunday Press, and Yoe! Books.

About the Smithsonian

Established in 1846, the Smithsonian—the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex—includes 19 museums and galleries, 9 research centers, and the National Zoological Park. The total number of artifacts, works of art and specimens in the Smithsonian’s collections is estimated at 156 million, the bulk of which is contained in the National Museum of Natural History, which holds more than 145 million specimens and objects. The Smithsonian is a renowned research center, dedicated to public education, national service, and scholarship in the arts, sciences, and history. www.si.edu.

Malaka Gharib book recommended by School Library Journal

7 Graphic Novels That Offer Powerful Mirrors & Windows for Teens | Summer Reading 2020

by SLJ Reviews
Jun 26, 2020

https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=graphic-novels-for-teens-summer-reading-2020

I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir by Malaka Gharib. illus. by author. Clarkson Potter. ISBN 9780525575115.

They write "Full of chaotic doodles, lists, and asides, this intimate graphic memoir mirrors Gharib's uncertainty—about her complex relationship with whiteness, her attempts to belong in high school and in college—and her joy at her rich cultural identity."

Meet a Local Webcartoonist: A Chat with Jack Reickel

by Mike Rhode

Jack Reickel and I ran into each other before the COVID-19 quarantines, we think in fact about a year before at Nerds in NoMa. Jack recently reached out to tell me about his new webcomic, Unclaimed, and to answer our usual questions.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I'm creating an episodic long-form story. In its earliest stages it was planned as a written novel, but I found out that I can't write prose without sliding into a humorous tone, and it's a serious story. Luckily I'm a capable enough illustrator (at least to start) to bring it to life as sequential art, but it is slow-going. Releasing it free online myself means the schedule and format is only limited by my ability to produce it, which again, is very slow.

Unclaimed is a graphic epic told in sporadically-released episodes. In a universe ravaged by opposing destructive forces, life and interest occurs in the clash between the abyss and annihilation. The story begins on the frozen isle Idep, surrounded by frigid emptiness.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

It's a combination of digital linework and tones drawn in Clip Studio Paint, with traditional watercolor scanned then mixed in with Photoshop.

When and where were you born?

Late 80s in Walkersville, Maryland (a small town in northern Frederick County)

Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I spiraled closer to the DMV after undergrad, finally making my way into the District-proper in Petsworth. I lived in Columbia Heights and Adams Morgan before being pulled out into the suburbs to more spaciously support my ever-growing fur family. My wife and I met at RFD in Chinatown, and now live in Alexandria with our five pets.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration, and worked two summers as a caricature artist in Ohio at Cedar Point: the largest seasonal amusement park in the country.

Who are your influences?

Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá for all-around everything; I think they're the best sequential artists ever to put panels down, and they're great writers to boot. Harry Nilsson and Bill Watterson for whimsy, imagination, vision, and dedication. Katsuhiro Otomo, Rebecca Sugar, and Noah Hawley for story structure, character, and pacing. Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins for format.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

Coming up with the concept for Unclaimed and figuring out what I wanted to do with it earlier would've been great! I came up with the idea for the novel in 2014 and started seriously developing it as a comic in 2016.

What work are you best-known for?

Realistically, for designing apparel for DC's ultimate-frisbee community. I design jerseys and other gear for tournaments, festivals, leagues, volunteer gifts, and travelling club teams. With COVID-19 cancelling all of those things this year, I created gear for Unclaimed instead, which is available through July 6. Use the code readunc to save 20%!

What work are you most proud of?

Unclaimed! To be more specific, at this point, probably Unclaimed part ii page 10 panel 4.

What would you like to do or work on in the future?

Unclaimed is going to keep growing. It's penciled in to take up my entire artistic future.

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

Writing and drawing Unclaimed around a full-time job and life full of other interests and efforts has kept me from dealing with writer's block, but artistic ruts happen. Drawing is exhausting, physically and mentally, and it's something one gets better at through sustained effort. If I draw 15 hours in 3 days, hours 13–15 will produce more good work than 1–10. Fábio Moon said something about going for a few days without drawing and struggling coming back from even that break, and he's been at the top of the industry for a decade. Finding the time to be able to exert that kind of sustained effort is a challenge.

What do you think will be the future of your field?

COVID-19 was a shock to the industry and we still have to see what those sustained effects are going to be. For all that we're in a prolonged golden-age of long-form story in television, I'd love to see more comics produced and appreciated at a similar level. The enthusiasm and interest for good stories of all types is there and won't ever go away, we just need to figure out how to align the creators and the audiences. I don't think the monthly nothing-ever-changes status of superhero stories will carry the medium any further, and we're already seeing that in reader demographics.

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, or others? Any comments about attending them?

Small Press Expo and Baltimore Comic Con, MAGFest if you count that. Baltimore Comic Con in 2006 was very meaningful for me, as I met and befriended a handful of talented pros I've kept in contact with across my transformation from high-school senior to art-school grad to someone-finally-making-art.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

All the perks of a big city, but with plenty of visible sky. I think my preoccupation with beautiful skies is already showing through in Unclaimed, and that's here to stay.

Least favorite?

The current sitting president acting as a hostile occupier. DC is the most politically-informed populace in the country, and doesn't have the representation at the federal level and even deals with congressional obstruction in governing the city itself.

What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?

National Gallery of Art!

How about a favorite local restaurant?

El Sol -- it used to be in Petworth then moved to Mount Vernon Square, and it's got the best tacos I've had in this timezone.

Do you have a website or blog?

Unclaimed is free to read at https://unclaimed-comic.com/ ; I also post art @jackreickel on instagram

How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected you, personally and professionally?

My wife and I are very fortunate in that we've each been able to continue our jobs through full-time telework. We fostered a rescue puppy, then of course couldn't give her up.

It's also continued to stun me, watching the public's varied response to everything. Wear a mask. Maintain social distance. "We've got a better chance of survival if we work together." It feels like this could've been a moment for our divided country to rally together, and it very much hasn't been.

Through my apparel partner Savage, I've arranged a way to donate high-quality fabric masks to Pathway Homes, a Fairfax non-profit which supports the homeless and mentally ill, who asked for fabric-mask donations. The discount code readunc works for donations as well. Anyone who can: please support local businesses, please tip the service industry generously.