Thursday, December 24, 2020

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Herblock and fine art

Herb Block and Picasso?: One Cartoonist Connects with the Fine Art World

Martha H. Kennedy

Thomas Nast's Santa

A Visit from Santa…Who You Might Not Recognize

by Neely Tucker

Library of Congress Blog December 23, 2020

https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2020/12/a-visit-from-santa-who-you-might-not-recognize/

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Merry Christmas!"

From DC's anarchist cartoonist, Mike Flugennock -

"Merry Christmas"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=3114

So, after all the thrashing and banging and cheap theater, the next one-time stimulus check will be a whopping-ass means-tested $600. For all the people who are sick and dying of COVID19, who are about to  lose their jobs and homes, SIX HUNDRED DAMN DOLLARS.

Mind you, they practically broke their goddamn necks to approve a $740bn war budget, but for everybody out here sick, dying, unemployed, homeless...? SIX HUNDRED DAMN DOLLARS.

Luckily, we all have plenty of "understanding" to pay for our rent, groceries, utilities and COVID19 shots.

--------

"Second stimulus check: How much will you get?" Aimee Picchi at CBS 
News, 12.21.2020 
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stimulus-check-2-update-2020-12-21/

"House approves defense spending bill amid Trump veto threats" Daniel 
Uria at UPI, 12.08.2020 
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/12/08/House-approves-defense-spending-bill-amid-Trump-veto-threats/7241607473988/

Wuerker talks to Rowson about Trump

Here's why cartoonists are going to miss Trump

Matt Wueker

12/16/2020

https://www.politico.com/video/2020/12/16/201216-punchlines-with-martin-rowson-dean-104950

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

The Post reviews Soul

Pixar's 'Soul' has plenty of visual razzle-dazzle, and a convoluted, existential plot

Dec. 19, 2020

Cavna talks to Soul director

Kemp Powers's long journey to becoming Pixar's first Black writer-director

Michael Cavna

Dec. 21, 2020

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/12/21/kemp-powers-soul-pixar-disney-plus/

Big Planet Holiday hours




Happy holidays, folks! Time for our holiday schedule!!

BETHESDA
Wed, Dec 23: 11-7 New Comics
Thu, Dec 24: 11-3
Fri, Dec 25: CLOSED
Sat, Dec 26: CLOSED
Wed, Dec 30: 11-7 New Comics
Thu, Dec 31: 11-3
Fri, Jan 1: CLOSED
Sat, Jan 2: CLOSED

U STREET
Wed, Dec 23: 11-7 New Comics
Thu, Dec 24: 11-3
Fri, Dec 25: CLOSED
Wed, Dec 30: 11-7 New Comics
Thu, Dec 31: 11-3
Fri, Jan 1: CLOSED

VIENNA
Wed, Dec 23: 11-7 New Comics
Thu, Dec 24: 11-3
Fri, Dec 25: CLOSED
Wed, Dec 30: 11-7 New Comics
Thu, Dec 31: 11-3
Fri, Jan 1: CLOSED
 
COLLEGE PARK
Wed, Dec 23: 11-7 New Comics
Thu, Dec 24: 10:30-4
Fri, Dec 25: CLOSED
Sat, Dec 26: 11-6
Wed, Dec 30: 11-7 New Comics
Thu, Dec 31: 11-3
Fri, Jan 1: 12-6 – 20% off sale!

Michael O'Connell returns to Caniff at TCJ.

The Mystery Of The Caniff Nude!

Monday, December 21, 2020

Troy-Jeffrey Allen interviews Taarna creators

Interview: Heavy Metal's Flagship Character Takes The Helm in 'Taarna'

DC-born Maureen Mlynarczyk, Animation Timer, died in April

RIP, Maureen Mlynarczyk, Animation Timer On 'Steven Universe' And 'Adventure Time'

Ann Telnaes drawing upsets rats

Right Wing Media Equates Telnaes' Republican Rats to Nazi Anti-Semitic Propaganda

The Washington Post's editorial cartoon roundup

The Washington Post: 2020 in editorial cartoons from all over the country

December 17, 2020

Not in print yet.

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Black Cotton writer Patrick Foreman

by Mike Rhode

I'd like to start by apologizing to Patrick Foreman for the late appearance of this interview. He responded quickly to our usual questions, but I dropped the ball and let it slip down my email page. So for bonus content, at the end of this interview, find a link to some other interviews with him about his upcoming Black Cotton comic, as well as the ordering page from Diamond's Previews.

Set in an alternate reality where the social order of “white” and “black” is reversed, an elitist family, the Cottons, are rocked by a tragic shooting that begins to unravel long standing family secrets that could not only destroy the family but also divide the fragile social climate of the world. Elijah Cotton, the modern patriarch of the Cotton family and business mogul of Black Cotton Ventures, tries to manage the public outrage and fallout from his police officer son, Zion Cotton’s, shooting of a young white woman. Meanwhile, Qia Cotton, the only daughter of Eljiah and the CEO of Black Cotton Ventures, attempts to assuage the situation by paying off the victim and her family; Xavier Cotton, the youngest Cotton and sophomore in high school, works on a history project that takes him down a rabbit hole of family history.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

Brian and I are the creators and writers of Black Cotton, a comic book series published by Scout Comics.  Black Cotton is actually my first comic book writing project, while Brian has been writing for years and has several amazing issues coming out. He has a self-published comic called Don’t Ever Blink Chapter 2 on Kickstarter right now and Devil’s Dominion with BlackBox Comics comes out in December.

Overall, we have an amazing Black Cotton team with  art done by Marco Perugini, letters done by Francisco Zamora, and graphic design done by Jerpa Nilsson.

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

As a team, we do a combination of it all.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

I was born in the 1970s,  in Crossett, Arkansas, but raised mostly in Virginia Beach.  In Arkansas, I lived in a very small town called Hamburg.  Many may lose their heads on hearing this (lol) - because another famous person who played basketball with Michael Jordan is from there too -- you know him, Scottie Pippen.  He is actually in my yearbook!  Our town was so small -- there was only one school at that time so when I was in kindergarten, he was in High School… Same school, same year book.

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

I got stationed at Quantico, VA back in 2014.  Then I retired after 25 years in the Marine Corps in 2018,  and the wife and I decided to stay here in Virginia.

 What did you do in the Marines?

I was a Career Planner.  So I helped the Marines make mutually beneficial decisions for themselves and their families while doing the same for the Marine Corps Institution.  It's basically the HR section for the Marine Corps. 
 
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I’m actually mostly a collector.  I grew up reading comics and from the start I would always buy two copies, one to read and one to put away.  I still enjoy comic books today  --the artwork, masterful storylines.  Brian has been one of the greatest teachers and mentors I have had throughout this process. He was able to take our conversation and layout a roadmap to where we are today.  Much Respect to Brian.

Who are your influences?

Definitely Dwayne McDuffie, Todd McFarlane.

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

I wouldn’t change a thing.  Everything I have gone through thus far has grown me to the person I am today… Led me to my beautiful wife and molded me for the future places before us.  Still learning and still growing – those things will always remain constant.

 What work are you best-known for?

Actually, I am best known for two things: my 2020 award winning gospel song “He’s Able" featuring David Scott and my magazine with Todd Dubose, Returning Citizens Magazine, which is currently viewed by more than 1.2 million Incarcerated Individuals daily across the nation.

What work are you most proud of?

I am most proud of Black Cotton.  Black Cotton is a world changer.   Black Cotton is a comic, yes, but it is also a mindset; it’s a mindset being explored in a comic.  The Black Cotton Mindset.

How did you start to work with Scout Comics?
 
Co-Creator Brian Hawkins has made some great connections throughout his career.  Meeting and becoming good friends with Brendan Deneen, the CEO of Scout Comics, was one of them.   We talked out several options about how to bring Black Cotton to the world and Brian mentioned Scout Comics.  We decided to show it to them and they loved it.  They came back saying they would love for us to join the Scout Family.  It was off and running from that moment forward. 

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

I would love to see Black Cotton on the TV screen.

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

I go play Ultimate Frisbee.  Nothing like a good game of Ultimate Frisbee to get the juices flowing and a great break from the grind.

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

I am looking forward to the evolution of comics.  I feel this Covid Era has given many a time to pause and go back to their creative stages.  We were so busy before that we didn’t have true time to just be creative – brainstorm, look at it – step away and come back.  We had hard deadlines to meet.  We have time now.  The question is what are they doing with that time?  These next few years will answer that question.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

The museums.

Least favorite?

Traffic.

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

The African-American Museum, but start at the bottom first though.  It is a lot to take in just one day.  It really is a two day venture.

Do you have a website or blog?

https://www.scoutcomics.com/
and BlackCottonComic on Facebook & IG.

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

I have been blessed during this time.  My wife and I are both retired Marines and both of us work for the federal government too, so with our jobs we were able to switch over to telework fairly easy.  I feel for the nation and cannot wait till we are looking back on this moment in our history.

 Preorder your copy from your LCS using Diamond Code DEC201650 from Scout Comics. https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/DEC201650

More interviews:

Interview: Brian Hawkins and Patrick Foreman Talk BLACK COTTON From Scout Comics
By AJ O. Mason
December 5, 2020
https://monkeysfightingrobots.co/interview-new-scout-comics-series-black-cotton/

Two Scout Geeks
Lucky Ep #13 with Patrick Foreman and Brian Hawkins.
https://www.ageofradio.org/twoscoutgeeks/

Interview with Brian Hawkins and Patrick Foreman (Creator of Black Cotton)
Bearded Comic Bro
Dec 16, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMIpPMm-jBs

SCOUT COMICS WANTS YOU TO PICK "BLACK COTTON"
That Indy Comics Guy
Nov 28, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&feature=youtu.be&v=lNWDaFENlkE

Friday, December 18, 2020

Catching up with The Lily

Advice on how to tell your family you're against in-person holiday gatherings

For starters, join forces with like-minded loved ones

Advice on how to tell your family you're against in-person holiday gatherings
(Christine Suggs)

Philip Kennedy Johnson interview about writing Superman titles

New 'Superman' Writer on His "Epic" Comic Plans

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Charlie Hebdo trial in France concludes with convictions

All 14 defendants in trial related to 2015 attack on French newspaper Charlie Hebdo found guilty [in print as All 14 defendants found guilty in attacks on Charlie Hebdo, market]

When Jeff Kinney's covid book tour came to Silver Spring

How 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' author Jeff Kinney became the king of COVID-19 book tours

Hannah Yasharoff

USA TODAY

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2020/12/17/covid-19-book-tour-diary-wimpy-kid-author-jeff-kinney/6327127002/

Peanuts at 70 panel

Peanuts at 70

Sarah Boxer, Jonathan Lethem, Clifford Thompson, and Chris Ware, moderated by Andrew Blauner.
Dec 16, 2020

LOA Live: A conversation with Sarah Boxer, Jonathan Lethem, Clifford Thompson, and Chris Ware, moderated by Andrew Blauner. In 1950 Charles M. Schulz debuted a comic strip that is one of the indisputable glories of American popular culture—hilarious, poignant, inimitable. The "Peanuts" characters continue to resonate with millions of fans, their beguiling four-panel adventures and television escapades offering lessons about happiness, friendship, disappointment, childhood, and life itself. Andrew Blauner, editor of the LOA anthology "The Peanuts Papers: Writers and Cartoonists on Charlie Brown, Snoopy & the Gang, and the Meaning of Life," joins four distinguished contributors to the collection for a seventieth anniversary conversation reflecting on the deeper truths of Schulz's deceptively simple strip and its impact on their lives and art and on the broader culture. Presented in partnership with Peanuts Worldwide and the Charles M. Schulz Museum.

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

animation voice actor David Lander obituary in Post

David Lander, who played Squiggy on 'Laverne & Shirley,' dies at 73 [in print as Played Squiggy on 'Laverne & Shirley' and spoke about multiple sclerosis]

By Deborah Vankin — Los Angeles Times

Washington Post Dec. 15, 2020

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/david-lander-died/2020/12/06/41b4f6b6-3774-11eb-a997-1f4c53d2a747_story.html