Richard Thompson tipped me to this year's Cartoons and Cocktails auction. A silent auction of editorial cartoons starts at 6 pm followed by a live auction at 7 pm. The event is at the National Press Club and benefits student journalists and the Cartoonists Rights Network. Tickets are $50. Richard says he donated a piece this year, so this is apparently a rare opportunity to own one of his works. Also if you work the crowd, you might actually meet him. I attended a few years back and bought some nice Cuban pieces, oddly enough. Garrincha, a Cuban cartoonist was attending and had brought the work of some of his colleagues for sale.
Here's a list of who they've got already:
Spend an evening with these talented and award-winning editorial cartoonists
Don't miss "Art in Action": Real-time cartooning on current themes to be auctioned at the end of the evening! The following artists have been confirmed for C&C 2006:
Mike Luckovich
Joel Pett
Tom Toles
Last year, these artists created two original pieces of art throughout the night:
Nick Anderson
Steve Artley
Chip Beck
Nate Beeler
Justin Bilicki
Chip Bok
Drew Chapman
Bob Erskine
Bob Gorrell
Clay Jones
Lee Klousia
Barrie Maguire
Kathy Steve
Sage Stossel
Ann Telnaes
Tom Toles
Steve Wetzel
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Sept 30 - Comics in today's papers
The Washington Examiner, one of the new free papers, has a Spider-Man Collectible Series #7 comic book (reprinting a continuation of Amazing Spider-Man #3) in it. This is interesting because it has a new cover (since they split the original comic book into at least 3 new ones). The cover is by Raney who is competent, but no Steve Ditko. Unfortunately, I don't believe they stock these in the yellow boxes, so you have to find a neighborhood where they're delivered and steal one from a lawn. Like I do.
Also, this isn't exactly DC news, but Politics and Prose distributes the Rain Taxi Review of Books for free. They have the new Fall 2006 issue now, which has reviews of Robert Kirkman's Invincible, Sfar's Vampire Loves, Eisner's Contract with God Trilogy and Renee French's The Ticking.
Also, this isn't exactly DC news, but Politics and Prose distributes the Rain Taxi Review of Books for free. They have the new Fall 2006 issue now, which has reviews of Robert Kirkman's Invincible, Sfar's Vampire Loves, Eisner's Contract with God Trilogy and Renee French's The Ticking.
Oct 1 Booksigning - KAL in Baltimore
KAL aka Kevin Kallaugher, the current Economist and former Baltimore Sun political cartoonist, will be appearing at the Baltimore Book Festival at 3 pm. His work infrequently makes it into the Post, but he's one of the great cartoonists of our day. I can't recommend the exhibit at the Strathmore, posted on earlier, highly enough.
And while I realize it's Baltimore, hey, it's closer than you think. And the Feds lump us together for pay scale purposes.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Interview online - Richard Thompson
Since I mentioned this in a comment earlier today, I'll put it up for those who missed it. This is a few days old, but hopefully not much has changed in his life. I think the Post if finally regularly putting up Richard's Poor Alamanac online. BTW, Politics and Prose is sold out of the book, so buy it online. Click on the link to read the whole interview.
Richard Thompson [chat].
WashingtonPost.com (September 11, 2006): http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/09/08/DI2006090800043.html
Every Sunday, Richard Thompson's local comic strip "Cul de Sac,"
starring Alice, Petey and the rest of the Otterloop family, appears
in The Washington Post Magazine . Every Saturday, his "Richard's
Poor Almanac" cartoon is a fixture in the newspaper's Style section.
He was online Monday, Sept. 11, fielding questions and comments
about "Cul de Sac, Richard's Poor Almanac and the art and craft of
cartooning.
Richard Thompson [chat].
WashingtonPost.com (September 11, 2006): http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/09/08/DI2006090800043.html
Every Sunday, Richard Thompson's local comic strip "Cul de Sac,"
starring Alice, Petey and the rest of the Otterloop family, appears
in The Washington Post Magazine . Every Saturday, his "Richard's
Poor Almanac" cartoon is a fixture in the newspaper's Style section.
He was online Monday, Sept. 11, fielding questions and comments
about "Cul de Sac, Richard's Poor Almanac and the art and craft of
cartooning.
Booksigning - October 31: Marjane Satrapi
Politics & Prose Bookstore
October 31, 7 pm
Her new book is Chicken with Plums.
Given that it's Halloween, I won't be there unfortunately. She's an entertaining speaker.
October 31, 7 pm
Her new book is Chicken with Plums.
Given that it's Halloween, I won't be there unfortunately. She's an entertaining speaker.
Festival - October 1: Crafty Bastards in Adams Morgan
The Washington City Paper's artist festival Crafty Bastards, running in Adams Morgan on 18th St, NW from 10-5 on Sunday has some cartoonists coming including DC's Savage Love cartoonist, the excellent Rob Ullman. I buy original art from Rob every year at SPX. Ben Claassen who does a strip in the CP each week as well as a lot of their advertising illos will also be there.
Comic art articles in today's papers UPDATED
I'm not sure if I'll keep this up, but there was quite a bit on comics in today's papers. A quick rundown revealed the following articles, which are online unless otherwise noted.
Washington Post:
Two animation reviews in the lame new Weekend section format -
Hornaday, Ann. 2006.
'Season': Grin and Bear It.
Washington Post (September 29): Weekend 37
Hornaday, Ann. 2006.
Skin-Deep 'Renaissance' [French animation].
Washington Post (September 29): Weekend 37
Washington Times:
Minor bit about Trudeau at Pentagon -
Gertz, Bill and Rowan Scarborough. 2006.
Inside the Ring: Doonesbury.
Washington Times (September 29)
Two movie reviews -
Toto, Christian. 2006.
'Renaissance' puts looks first [French animation].
Washington Times (September 29)
Mayo, Jenny. 2006.
Right 'Season' ['Open Season' animation].
Washington Times (September 29)
In the paper, but not online:
Emerson, Bo / Atlanta Journal-Constitution / Cox News Service. 2006.
Humor lives as art form at New Yorker: Trademark cartoons tweak society's pretentious nose.
Washington Times (September 29): D2
and also bundled in Friday's paper:
Keel, Beverly. 2006.
Happy birthday, Dick Tracy: America's most durable cartoon crime fighter marks a milestone.
American Profile (October 1): 12-17
Washington Examiner:
Johnston, Nancy.
Pair of 'toons walk the plank [Scooby-Doo, Tom and Jerry].
Washington Examiner (September 29): 26
Truitt, Brian. 2006.
When the fur hits the fan: Animals rule the day in animated 'Open Season'.
Washington Examiner (September 29)
Washington Blade:
Moylan, Brian. 2006.
Don't get your freak on: Comedy Central's badly executed and somewhat offensive ‘Freak Show'is one lame cartoon.
Washington Blade (September 29).
online at http://www.washingtonblade.com/2006/9-29/arts/television/television.cfm .
and I haven't read the City Paper yet. So what do you think? Anyone like to see this continue? I'm tracking these stories for my Comics Research Bibliography, but it does take extra effort to pull them out this way.
FRIDAY EVENING UPDATE -
Washington City Paper:
As Marc Singer noted in the comments, surprisingly enough the City Paper got its hands on a copy of Lost Girls -
Eiserike, Josh. 2006.
Speed Reads: Lost Girls By Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie,
Top Shelf Productions, 264 pp., $75.
Washington City Paper (September 29).
online at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/2006/speed0929.html?navCenterBot
and also reviewed 'Open Season' -
Bayard, Louis. 2006.
Short subjects: Open Season [animation].
Washington City Paper (September 29).
online at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/film/2006/shorts0929.html?navCenterBot
Washington Post:
Two animation reviews in the lame new Weekend section format -
Hornaday, Ann. 2006.
'Season': Grin and Bear It.
Washington Post (September 29): Weekend 37
Hornaday, Ann. 2006.
Skin-Deep 'Renaissance' [French animation].
Washington Post (September 29): Weekend 37
Washington Times:
Minor bit about Trudeau at Pentagon -
Gertz, Bill and Rowan Scarborough. 2006.
Inside the Ring: Doonesbury.
Washington Times (September 29)
Two movie reviews -
Toto, Christian. 2006.
'Renaissance' puts looks first [French animation].
Washington Times (September 29)
Mayo, Jenny. 2006.
Right 'Season' ['Open Season' animation].
Washington Times (September 29)
In the paper, but not online:
Emerson, Bo / Atlanta Journal-Constitution / Cox News Service. 2006.
Humor lives as art form at New Yorker: Trademark cartoons tweak society's pretentious nose.
Washington Times (September 29): D2
and also bundled in Friday's paper:
Keel, Beverly. 2006.
Happy birthday, Dick Tracy: America's most durable cartoon crime fighter marks a milestone.
American Profile (October 1): 12-17
Washington Examiner:
Johnston, Nancy.
Pair of 'toons walk the plank [Scooby-Doo, Tom and Jerry].
Washington Examiner (September 29): 26
Truitt, Brian. 2006.
When the fur hits the fan: Animals rule the day in animated 'Open Season'.
Washington Examiner (September 29)
Washington Blade:
Moylan, Brian. 2006.
Don't get your freak on: Comedy Central's badly executed and somewhat offensive ‘Freak Show'is one lame cartoon.
Washington Blade (September 29).
online at http://www.washingtonblade.com/2006/9-29/arts/television/television.cfm .
and I haven't read the City Paper yet. So what do you think? Anyone like to see this continue? I'm tracking these stories for my Comics Research Bibliography, but it does take extra effort to pull them out this way.
FRIDAY EVENING UPDATE -
Washington City Paper:
As Marc Singer noted in the comments, surprisingly enough the City Paper got its hands on a copy of Lost Girls -
Eiserike, Josh. 2006.
Speed Reads: Lost Girls By Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie,
Top Shelf Productions, 264 pp., $75.
Washington City Paper (September 29).
online at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/2006/speed0929.html?navCenterBot
and also reviewed 'Open Season' -
Bayard, Louis. 2006.
Short subjects: Open Season [animation].
Washington City Paper (September 29).
online at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/film/2006/shorts0929.html?navCenterBot
Thursday, September 28, 2006
News report - Trudeau in DC earlier this week
Doonesbury's Gary Trudeau was in DC this week. He was at Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Fisher House, where recovering soldiers stay, on the morning of September 25th. Later that day, he went to the Pentagon and the American Forces Press Service had a report:
Wood, Sara. 2006.
Doonesbury Cartoonist Writes Second Book for Troops.
American Forces Press Service (September 26).
online at http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/17999/
(By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA)
The award-winning creator of the Doonesbury cartoon strip visited the Pentagon today to meet with wounded servicemembers and sign copies of his second book in a series chronicling the recovery of a wounded Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran.
Washington, D.C. - American Forces Press Service - infoZine - Garry Trudeau wrote the book, "The War Within: One More Step at a Time," as a follow-up to his book, "The Long Road Home: One Step at a Time," which tells the story of comic strip character "B.D.," a National Guardsman who lost his leg during the battle of Fallujah in Iraq and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. The second book follows B.D.'s return to civilian and family life after leaving the hospital and his process of dealing with his post-traumatic stress disorder.
Trudeau said he's putting together these books, which are really a compilation of his comic strips, as a way to bring the war home to Americans, many of whom may not know any servicemembers or understand the sacrifices they're making.
"America in general has not been asked to sacrifice much for this particular war," Trudeau said. "Their world has nothing to do with the military world. I think it's important, if you're given a platform that I've been given, to try to bring those two worlds together and say, 'Look, these guys are making some pretty heavy sacrifices and contributions in our name, and we should know a little bit more about them.'"
Trudeau was encouraged to publish the books by the Fisher House Foundation, to which he is donating all the proceeds from these books. The foundation operates 34 Fisher Houses in the U.S. and Germany on the grounds of military and veterans hospitals. The
houses give family members a place to live and be close to loved ones while they are hospitalized for an injury, illness or disease.
Trudeau has met many servicemembers over the years and has recently spent a lot of time talking with military doctors, therapists, and veterans counselors to make his depiction of the recovery process as accurate as possible, he said. His regular comic strips are very satirical and political, he said, so working on this project has forced him to use a different mindset.
"It's been quite an experience for me to work on this sort of naturalistic level and to try to understand," he said. "There's not much hyperbole in this; this pretty closely tracks what a soldier would actually go through. I try not to exaggerate, and it's important our countrymen understand some of the sacrifices that returning warriors are going through."
Trudeau's account of B.D.'s recovery is very accurate, according to the servicemembers who have read it and know firsthand what the experiences are like. Army Spc. Maxwell D. Ramsey, a left-leg amputee recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, said Trudeau did a good job using real-life events wounded troops face and identifying the issues they deal with. He noted a section in the
first book in which B.D. gets frustrated with the constant expressions of gratitude from strangers, saying that is something he can relate to in his own life.
"I'm one that was using humor to deflect and deflate the situation before I even got to Walter Reed to some degree, so seeing it manifested in a comic like this is, for me, appropriate and relieving in a way," he said. "I hope that others will take some
measure from that. Anybody that's not feeling sorry for themselves will find the humor in this and giggle about it."
Using humor to tackle such a sensitive subject was a challenge, Trudeau said, but humor is often an indispensable coping mechanism for people going through challenges like wounded troops go through. "Humor can sometimes be that thin membrane between you and madness that you need to create some perspective on your situation and move forward," he said.
Trudeau said he received a lot of positive feedback about the first book, and that helped shape this book. He said he doesn't know yet how far B.D.'s story will go, but he hopes to see him recover enough to eventually be a peer counselor for newly returning wounded veterans.
Army Spc. David Lease, another wounded servicemember Trudeau met with today, said the books are important because they bring to light the experiences of wounded troops and letting them know people care.
"This is letting us know that they support us," Lease said. "They might not support the fact that we're over there, but they support us."
As part of his attempt to inform Americans about the sacrifices servicemembers are making, Trudeau is launching a military blog on his Web site: www.doonesbury.com, he said. The blog, which launches Oct. 8, will be called "The sandbox" and will feature entries from servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"It's important that people understand," he said. "I think the wars are just too remote for people's minds. They see two, three minutes on the evening news, maybe, if they don't look away. And people just get on with their lives. I understand that; there's just so much stress that you want in your life. But at the same time, there's a lot of people over there fighting in our name, so I think we need to pay attention to what they're doing."
Wood, Sara. 2006.
Doonesbury Cartoonist Writes Second Book for Troops.
American Forces Press Service (September 26).
online at http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/17999/
(By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA)
The award-winning creator of the Doonesbury cartoon strip visited the Pentagon today to meet with wounded servicemembers and sign copies of his second book in a series chronicling the recovery of a wounded Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran.
Washington, D.C. - American Forces Press Service - infoZine - Garry Trudeau wrote the book, "The War Within: One More Step at a Time," as a follow-up to his book, "The Long Road Home: One Step at a Time," which tells the story of comic strip character "B.D.," a National Guardsman who lost his leg during the battle of Fallujah in Iraq and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. The second book follows B.D.'s return to civilian and family life after leaving the hospital and his process of dealing with his post-traumatic stress disorder.
Trudeau said he's putting together these books, which are really a compilation of his comic strips, as a way to bring the war home to Americans, many of whom may not know any servicemembers or understand the sacrifices they're making.
"America in general has not been asked to sacrifice much for this particular war," Trudeau said. "Their world has nothing to do with the military world. I think it's important, if you're given a platform that I've been given, to try to bring those two worlds together and say, 'Look, these guys are making some pretty heavy sacrifices and contributions in our name, and we should know a little bit more about them.'"
Trudeau was encouraged to publish the books by the Fisher House Foundation, to which he is donating all the proceeds from these books. The foundation operates 34 Fisher Houses in the U.S. and Germany on the grounds of military and veterans hospitals. The
houses give family members a place to live and be close to loved ones while they are hospitalized for an injury, illness or disease.
Trudeau has met many servicemembers over the years and has recently spent a lot of time talking with military doctors, therapists, and veterans counselors to make his depiction of the recovery process as accurate as possible, he said. His regular comic strips are very satirical and political, he said, so working on this project has forced him to use a different mindset.
"It's been quite an experience for me to work on this sort of naturalistic level and to try to understand," he said. "There's not much hyperbole in this; this pretty closely tracks what a soldier would actually go through. I try not to exaggerate, and it's important our countrymen understand some of the sacrifices that returning warriors are going through."
Trudeau's account of B.D.'s recovery is very accurate, according to the servicemembers who have read it and know firsthand what the experiences are like. Army Spc. Maxwell D. Ramsey, a left-leg amputee recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, said Trudeau did a good job using real-life events wounded troops face and identifying the issues they deal with. He noted a section in the
first book in which B.D. gets frustrated with the constant expressions of gratitude from strangers, saying that is something he can relate to in his own life.
"I'm one that was using humor to deflect and deflate the situation before I even got to Walter Reed to some degree, so seeing it manifested in a comic like this is, for me, appropriate and relieving in a way," he said. "I hope that others will take some
measure from that. Anybody that's not feeling sorry for themselves will find the humor in this and giggle about it."
Using humor to tackle such a sensitive subject was a challenge, Trudeau said, but humor is often an indispensable coping mechanism for people going through challenges like wounded troops go through. "Humor can sometimes be that thin membrane between you and madness that you need to create some perspective on your situation and move forward," he said.
Trudeau said he received a lot of positive feedback about the first book, and that helped shape this book. He said he doesn't know yet how far B.D.'s story will go, but he hopes to see him recover enough to eventually be a peer counselor for newly returning wounded veterans.
Army Spc. David Lease, another wounded servicemember Trudeau met with today, said the books are important because they bring to light the experiences of wounded troops and letting them know people care.
"This is letting us know that they support us," Lease said. "They might not support the fact that we're over there, but they support us."
As part of his attempt to inform Americans about the sacrifices servicemembers are making, Trudeau is launching a military blog on his Web site: www.doonesbury.com, he said. The blog, which launches Oct. 8, will be called "The sandbox" and will feature entries from servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"It's important that people understand," he said. "I think the wars are just too remote for people's minds. They see two, three minutes on the evening news, maybe, if they don't look away. And people just get on with their lives. I understand that; there's just so much stress that you want in your life. But at the same time, there's a lot of people over there fighting in our name, so I think we need to pay attention to what they're doing."
Interview online - Tom Toles
Tom Spurgeon's invaluable Comics Reporter blog pointed out this story:
Kelly, Geoff. 2006.
The Uncensored Tom Toles.
Buffalo Artvoice 5(39; September ?).
online at http://artvoice.com/issues/v5n39/uncensored_tom_toles.
Toles talks a bit about cartooning in DC, concluding, "The density of information and interest is so high here—you can find out a lot, but the context of everything is sometimes quite confusing."
Kelly, Geoff. 2006.
The Uncensored Tom Toles.
Buffalo Artvoice 5(39; September ?).
online at http://artvoice.com/issues/v5n39/uncensored_tom_toles.
Toles talks a bit about cartooning in DC, concluding, "The density of information and interest is so high here—you can find out a lot, but the context of everything is sometimes quite confusing."
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Report on Book signing - September 27: Jeff Danziger
The event was sparsely attended with less than 10 of us in the audience, which is a shame as Danziger was an interesting speaker. He showed about 25 of his cartoons, and explained the rationale behind them. One cartoon, of Bush and Cheney floating down the river on the corpse of a soldier, was notable because he decided not to submit it for publication. He began his talk by saying that he felt especially qualified to comment on the current war because as far as he knows, he's the only Vietnam war veteran political cartoonist. He continued by stating forcefully that the conduct of this war, and the government's behavior reminds him strongly of that war.
Questions from the audience revealed that he draws with a lead pencil, a Bic pen for blacks and a charcoal pencil and then photocopies the image and then scans it. Influences are Oliphant, Walt Kelly of Pogo, and the British cartoonists David Low and especially Carl Giles (a favorite of mine as well). His new book Blood, Debt and Fears: Cartoons of the First Half of the Last Half of the Bush Administration is most likely available in a signed copy from Olsson's, because they wheeled out a cart of them as he was finishing signing for people on line.
Theater - Oct 5-14: Get Your War On
At the Woolly Mammoth, live from Texas. The Houston Chronicle ran a generally favorable article - see
EVANS, EVERETT. 2006.
Get Your War On is a political zinger.
Houston Chronicle (September 23).
online at http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/4207867.html .
For details on the local production, Woolly Mammoth's website says:
created by RUDE MECHS of Austin TX
directed by SHAWN SIDES
adapted by Kirk Lynn et al from the internet comic strip by DAVID REES
October 5 - 14, 2006.
"Oh, yeah! Operation: Enduring Freedom is IN THE HOUSE!"
MEET DAVID REES: on Fri, Oct 6 & Sat, Oct 7, David will be in the lobby to sign his books (7:15-8pm), as well as participate in aftershow discussions with members of the Rude Mechs (running time of show is 70 minutes).
"A BRILLIANT & SARDONIC BLITZ"– Austin American-Statesman
"TIGHTLY-WOUND, HIGH PRECISION... POLITICAL COMIC STRIP HILARITY"– Austinist.com
From Artistic Director, Howard Shalwitz: "Rude Mechs are a sensational ensemble performance group that has been on my radar since their Off-Broadway production of Lipstick Traces a couple seasons back. They develop and produce very original theatre pieces that they refer to as 'mentally nervy and physically ecstatic shows.' The stage production of GET YOUR WAR ON combines their fresh theatrical energy with David Rees' wry, biting political comic strip. With important elections approaching in November, the timing seemed perfect to bring this show to Washington audiences."
ABOUT THE SHOW: Rude Mechanicals (a.k.a. Rude Mechs) of Austin, TX barrel into DC with their down and dirty theatrical adaptation of the savage internet comic strip by David Rees (called "sardonic, hilarious, and impossible to pigeonhole" by Rolling Stone). Rude Mechs' GET YOUR WAR ON breathes life into Rees' ranting clip-art office workers but retains the DIY aesthetic of this certifiable internet phenomenon. With five actors, some mics and an overhead projector, GET YOUR WAR ON represents pissed-off, stunned and outraged Americans as they react to 9/11, the Bush administration and this totally awesome War on Terror.
Running Time: 70 minutes (no intermission)
WOOLLY MAMMOTH THEATRE COMPANY
641 D St NW, Washington, DC 20004
Admin: 202-289-2443 Box Office: 202-393-3939
EVANS, EVERETT. 2006.
Get Your War On is a political zinger.
Houston Chronicle (September 23).
online at http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/4207867.html .
For details on the local production, Woolly Mammoth's website says:
created by RUDE MECHS of Austin TX
directed by SHAWN SIDES
adapted by Kirk Lynn et al from the internet comic strip by DAVID REES
October 5 - 14, 2006.
"Oh, yeah! Operation: Enduring Freedom is IN THE HOUSE!"
MEET DAVID REES: on Fri, Oct 6 & Sat, Oct 7, David will be in the lobby to sign his books (7:15-8pm), as well as participate in aftershow discussions with members of the Rude Mechs (running time of show is 70 minutes).
"A BRILLIANT & SARDONIC BLITZ"– Austin American-Statesman
"TIGHTLY-WOUND, HIGH PRECISION... POLITICAL COMIC STRIP HILARITY"– Austinist.com
From Artistic Director, Howard Shalwitz: "Rude Mechs are a sensational ensemble performance group that has been on my radar since their Off-Broadway production of Lipstick Traces a couple seasons back. They develop and produce very original theatre pieces that they refer to as 'mentally nervy and physically ecstatic shows.' The stage production of GET YOUR WAR ON combines their fresh theatrical energy with David Rees' wry, biting political comic strip. With important elections approaching in November, the timing seemed perfect to bring this show to Washington audiences."
ABOUT THE SHOW: Rude Mechanicals (a.k.a. Rude Mechs) of Austin, TX barrel into DC with their down and dirty theatrical adaptation of the savage internet comic strip by David Rees (called "sardonic, hilarious, and impossible to pigeonhole" by Rolling Stone). Rude Mechs' GET YOUR WAR ON breathes life into Rees' ranting clip-art office workers but retains the DIY aesthetic of this certifiable internet phenomenon. With five actors, some mics and an overhead projector, GET YOUR WAR ON represents pissed-off, stunned and outraged Americans as they react to 9/11, the Bush administration and this totally awesome War on Terror.
Running Time: 70 minutes (no intermission)
WOOLLY MAMMOTH THEATRE COMPANY
641 D St NW, Washington, DC 20004
Admin: 202-289-2443 Box Office: 202-393-3939
Booksigning - Oct 2: Alison Bechdel's Fun Home
This is an excellent book. I highly recommend it. Mike
Politics and Prose
Monday, October 2, 8 p.m.
ALISON BECHDEL
FUN HOME (Houghton Mifflin, $19.95)
In this illustrated memoir, Bechdel tells the story of her relationship with her father—an artistic, obsessive, and tragically repressed man. Bechdel has won acclaim for her hilarious, high-minded comic portraits of lesbian life, and this rich, beautiful work is a remarkable demonstration of her power as a storyteller.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Convention - Oct 13-14: Von Allan, Small Press Expo Exhibitor Press Release
Von Allan emailed this press release a few minutes ago, along with some kind words about the idea of this blog. I hadn't thought about putting individual's press releases up until he sent me one, so thanks!
Von Allan to appear at the 11th annual Small Press Expo
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (September 26, 2006) – Comics and graphic novels have truly come of age over the past ten years and the diversity and magic of the medium have gone a long way towards capturing the imaginations of those who read them. The Small Press Expo (SPX) has played a huge role in that development and 2006 marks its eleventh anniversary. Von Allan, a Canadian graphic novelist, will be an exhibitor at this year’s SPX and will be displaying early pages from his forthcoming graphic novel “the road to god knows…”
“Comics and graphic novels have so much to offer and the Small Press Expo has become the place to see the best and brightest,” says Allan. “SPX showcases this very diversity all under one roof and I’m pleased as punch to be a participant. It’s kinda scary, too; the Expo has served as the launching pad for some of the strongest voices comics has to offer. The second SPX, for instance, saw Daniel Clowes’ “Ghost World” and Chris Ware’s “Acme Novelty Library” each win the inaugural Ignatz Awards in their respective categories and both books have gone on to wonderful things since then. Amazing stuff and it’s a little intimidating to rub shoulders with that. It’s very clear that without the Expo comics would be a very different place; a little colder and that much darker. It’s truly special to be a part of it and I’m thrilled that I’ll be able to showcase early pages from my graphic novel.”
“The road to god knows...” is the story of Marie, a teenage girl, coming to grips with her Mom’s schizophrenia. As a result, she’s struggling to grow up fast; wrestling with poverty, loneliness, and her Mom’s illness every step of the way. Betty, Marie’s Mom, can’t help; she’s living with an illness that’s slowly getting worse and increasingly frightening. With her Mom absorbed in her own problems, Marie is essentially alone while she learns to deal with the chaos in her young life.
“The road to god knows…” is expected to be printed in 2007.
About Von Allan: Von Allan was born red-headed and freckled in Arnprior, Ontario, just in time for Star Wars: A New Hope. The single child of two loving but troubled parents, Von split most of his childhood between their two homes and, consequently, spent a lot of time in the worlds of comics and wrestling. He managed Perfect Books, an independent bookstore in Ottawa, for many years while working on story ideas in his spare time; eventually, he decided to make the leap to a creative life, and “the road to god knows…” was the result. Additional information about the graphic novel can be found at http://www.vonallan.com/.
About the Small Press Expo (SPX): SPX serves as the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comic books and the discovery of new creative talent. SPX will bring together over 300 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers, distributors, and each other. SPX 2006 marks the tenth annual presentation of The Ignatz Awards for outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning. The Ignatz, named after George Herriman's brick-wielding mouse, recognizes outstanding work that challenges popular notions of what comics can achieve, both as an artform and as a means of personal expression. The Ignatz is a festival prize, the first such of the United States comic book industry. Winners will be determined by ballot during SPX and presented at the gala Ignatz Awards ceremony. As with every year all profits from SPX will go to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, protecting the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals. For more information, please visit http://www.spxpo.com/.
Contact:
Von Allan
P.O. Box 20520, 390 Rideau Street,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. K1N 1A3
Email: von@vonallan.com
Phone: 613-236-9957
Small Press Expo 2006
October 13th and 14th 2006
Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Road,
North Bethesda, Maryland, United States. 20852
Hotel Phone: 301-822-9200
SPX Exhibitor Co-ordinator: Karon Flage
Email: spxcomics@gmail.com
###
--
Eric "Von Allan" Julien
P.O. Box 20520, 390 Rideau Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. K1N 1A3
Phone: (613) 236-9957
Email: von@vonallan.com
Web: http://www.vonallan.com/
Blog: vonandmoggy.livejournal.com
Von Allan to appear at the 11th annual Small Press Expo
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (September 26, 2006) – Comics and graphic novels have truly come of age over the past ten years and the diversity and magic of the medium have gone a long way towards capturing the imaginations of those who read them. The Small Press Expo (SPX) has played a huge role in that development and 2006 marks its eleventh anniversary. Von Allan, a Canadian graphic novelist, will be an exhibitor at this year’s SPX and will be displaying early pages from his forthcoming graphic novel “the road to god knows…”
“Comics and graphic novels have so much to offer and the Small Press Expo has become the place to see the best and brightest,” says Allan. “SPX showcases this very diversity all under one roof and I’m pleased as punch to be a participant. It’s kinda scary, too; the Expo has served as the launching pad for some of the strongest voices comics has to offer. The second SPX, for instance, saw Daniel Clowes’ “Ghost World” and Chris Ware’s “Acme Novelty Library” each win the inaugural Ignatz Awards in their respective categories and both books have gone on to wonderful things since then. Amazing stuff and it’s a little intimidating to rub shoulders with that. It’s very clear that without the Expo comics would be a very different place; a little colder and that much darker. It’s truly special to be a part of it and I’m thrilled that I’ll be able to showcase early pages from my graphic novel.”
“The road to god knows...” is the story of Marie, a teenage girl, coming to grips with her Mom’s schizophrenia. As a result, she’s struggling to grow up fast; wrestling with poverty, loneliness, and her Mom’s illness every step of the way. Betty, Marie’s Mom, can’t help; she’s living with an illness that’s slowly getting worse and increasingly frightening. With her Mom absorbed in her own problems, Marie is essentially alone while she learns to deal with the chaos in her young life.
“The road to god knows…” is expected to be printed in 2007.
About Von Allan: Von Allan was born red-headed and freckled in Arnprior, Ontario, just in time for Star Wars: A New Hope. The single child of two loving but troubled parents, Von split most of his childhood between their two homes and, consequently, spent a lot of time in the worlds of comics and wrestling. He managed Perfect Books, an independent bookstore in Ottawa, for many years while working on story ideas in his spare time; eventually, he decided to make the leap to a creative life, and “the road to god knows…” was the result. Additional information about the graphic novel can be found at http://www.vonallan.com/.
About the Small Press Expo (SPX): SPX serves as the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comic books and the discovery of new creative talent. SPX will bring together over 300 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers, distributors, and each other. SPX 2006 marks the tenth annual presentation of The Ignatz Awards for outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning. The Ignatz, named after George Herriman's brick-wielding mouse, recognizes outstanding work that challenges popular notions of what comics can achieve, both as an artform and as a means of personal expression. The Ignatz is a festival prize, the first such of the United States comic book industry. Winners will be determined by ballot during SPX and presented at the gala Ignatz Awards ceremony. As with every year all profits from SPX will go to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, protecting the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals. For more information, please visit http://www.spxpo.com/.
Contact:
Von Allan
P.O. Box 20520, 390 Rideau Street,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. K1N 1A3
Email: von@vonallan.com
Phone: 613-236-9957
Small Press Expo 2006
October 13th and 14th 2006
Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Road,
North Bethesda, Maryland, United States. 20852
Hotel Phone: 301-822-9200
SPX Exhibitor Co-ordinator: Karon Flage
Email: spxcomics@gmail.com
###
--
Eric "Von Allan" Julien
P.O. Box 20520, 390 Rideau Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. K1N 1A3
Phone: (613) 236-9957
Email: von@vonallan.com
Web: http://www.vonallan.com/
Blog: vonandmoggy.livejournal.com
Booksigning - Sept 29 - Neil Gaiman MOVED
Politics and Prose reports:
NEIL GAIMAN EVENT VENUE MOVED - SAME TIME
*NEW VENUE*
*NEW VENUE*
Wesley United Methodist Church
5312 Connecticut Avenue, NW (two blocks north of the bookstore on Connecticut Ave.)
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
This event is FREE
Friday, September 29, 7 p.m.
NEIL GAIMAN FRAGILE THINGS (William Morrow, $26.95) Gaiman's third collection of "short fictions and wonders" (after Smoke and Mirrors and Adventures in the Dream Trade) includes an alternate-world Sherlock Holmes, a new last book of the Bible, verses from "a vampire's Tarot," and love stories that stretch the definitions of "love" and "story" in previously unimaginable ways.
• Read our 10 Questions with Neil Gaiman here.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Festival - Oct 12-14: ICAF Schedule
The Eleventh AnnualInternational Comic Arts Festival (ICAF)
Festival International de la Bande Dessinée
-->OCTOBER 12-14, 2006
Washington, D.C.
The Library of Congress, James Madison Building
With thanks to our many sponsors.
Read more about ICAF's mission here.
All events will be held in the Mumford Room, Library of Congress Madison Building, unless otherwise noted
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12
9:00-9:15: ICAF Welcome and Introduction
9:15-10:45: Panel #1: Cultural exchanges in French comics
Chair: Guy Spielmann, ICAF Executive Committee
Karen Leader, “Les caricaturistes peints par eux-mêmes”
Jennifer Worth, “Framing and Unveiling: Marjane Satrapi’s Performance of Persepolis“
Bart Beaty, “Appropriating la nouvelle bande dessinée: The Question of Cultural Change”
10:45-11:00: Break
11:00-12:30: Panel #2: Manga and Japanese society
Chair: Ana Merino, ICAF Executive Committee
Ryan Holmberg, “Japan, a country with guns: Armament and Manga in the 1960s”
Steven Clark, “Boxing Manga and the Fictionality Vector “
Kukhee Choo, “Manga: Japanese Governement Marketing Strategy”
12:30-2:00: Lunch
2:00-3:00: Georgia Higley, “Researching Comic Books in the Library of Congress”
3:00-3:45: Display of drawings and manuscript materials by Jules Feiffer in the Prints & Photographs Reading Room
Courtesy of the Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon
Curated by Sara Duke & Martha Kennedy, The Swann Foundation
3:45-4:00: Break
4:00-5:00: Tour of “Enduring Outrage: Editoral Cartoons by Herb Block” in the American Treasures Gallery, Library of Congress Jefferson Building
Tour conducted by Martha Kennedy and Sara Duke
5:00-7:00: Dinner
7:00-8:30: An Evening with Jules Feiffer
The legendary cartoonist and author discusses his career
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13
9:00-10:30: Panel #3: Collaborative authorship
Chair: Charles Hatfield, ICAF Executive Committee
Adam Rosenblatt, “The Making and Remaking of El Eternauta”
Michael Wenthe, “The Rules of the Game“
Isaac Cates, “The Many Hands of Alan Moore“
10:30-11:00: Break
11:00-12:30: Panel #4: Comics and memory
Chair: Ana Merino, ICAF Executive Committee
Natsu Onoda, “Comics, College, and Collective Memory”
Pedro Perez-Del-Solar, “Spanish War Stories:Constructing Spanish Civil War from the Underground“
Michael Chaney, “Re-Membering, Re-mediating Slavery”
12:30-2: Lunch
2:00-3:00: Lent Scholarship Lecture: Barbara Postema (Michigan State University)
3:00-3:30: Break
3:30-5:00: Panel #5: The frontiers of the comics form
Chair: Craig Fischer, ICAF Executive Committee
Robert Peterson, “The Acoustics of Manga: Narrative Erotics and Visual Presence of Sound”
John Jennings, Damian Duffy, and Rose Marchack, “Virtual Unreality and the Shape of Time: Virtual comics, postmodern self-referentiality, and the fourth dimension”
5:00-7:30: Dinner
7:30-9:30: Smile Through the Tears: Bearing witness to the Rwandan genocide through comic arts
A special event at the George Washington University’s Gelman Library featuring Rupert Bazambanza, Ellen Yamshon, and moderator Steven Livingston
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14
10:30-12:00: Panel #6: Early comics
Chair: Marc Singer, ICAF Executive Committee
Gerry Beegan, “’Leaving Out’: Imaging the Cockney in the Caricatures of Phil May”
David Olsen, “’Monkeying with the ink bottle’: The Signifying Potential of George Herriman’s Krazy Kat”
Jared Gardner, “Gutter Stories: Comics, Film, and Modernity, 1897-1917”
12:00-1:30: Lunch
1:30-3:00: Comics production roundtable
Stuart Moore and Jamal Igle (Firestorm) discuss the steps of assembling a comic book for a major US publisher
3:00-3:15: Break
3:15-4:45: Comics and politics
Phil Jiminez (The Invisibles, Infinite Crisis, Otherworld) and Denny O’Neil (Batman, Green Lantern/Green Arrow) discuss the challenges of addressing political issues in superhero comics
Festival International de la Bande Dessinée
-->OCTOBER 12-14, 2006
Washington, D.C.
The Library of Congress, James Madison Building
With thanks to our many sponsors.
Read more about ICAF's mission here.
All events will be held in the Mumford Room, Library of Congress Madison Building, unless otherwise noted
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12
9:00-9:15: ICAF Welcome and Introduction
9:15-10:45: Panel #1: Cultural exchanges in French comics
Chair: Guy Spielmann, ICAF Executive Committee
Karen Leader, “Les caricaturistes peints par eux-mêmes”
Jennifer Worth, “Framing and Unveiling: Marjane Satrapi’s Performance of Persepolis“
Bart Beaty, “Appropriating la nouvelle bande dessinée: The Question of Cultural Change”
10:45-11:00: Break
11:00-12:30: Panel #2: Manga and Japanese society
Chair: Ana Merino, ICAF Executive Committee
Ryan Holmberg, “Japan, a country with guns: Armament and Manga in the 1960s”
Steven Clark, “Boxing Manga and the Fictionality Vector “
Kukhee Choo, “Manga: Japanese Governement Marketing Strategy”
12:30-2:00: Lunch
2:00-3:00: Georgia Higley, “Researching Comic Books in the Library of Congress”
3:00-3:45: Display of drawings and manuscript materials by Jules Feiffer in the Prints & Photographs Reading Room
Courtesy of the Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon
Curated by Sara Duke & Martha Kennedy, The Swann Foundation
3:45-4:00: Break
4:00-5:00: Tour of “Enduring Outrage: Editoral Cartoons by Herb Block” in the American Treasures Gallery, Library of Congress Jefferson Building
Tour conducted by Martha Kennedy and Sara Duke
5:00-7:00: Dinner
7:00-8:30: An Evening with Jules Feiffer
The legendary cartoonist and author discusses his career
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13
9:00-10:30: Panel #3: Collaborative authorship
Chair: Charles Hatfield, ICAF Executive Committee
Adam Rosenblatt, “The Making and Remaking of El Eternauta”
Michael Wenthe, “The Rules of the Game“
Isaac Cates, “The Many Hands of Alan Moore“
10:30-11:00: Break
11:00-12:30: Panel #4: Comics and memory
Chair: Ana Merino, ICAF Executive Committee
Natsu Onoda, “Comics, College, and Collective Memory”
Pedro Perez-Del-Solar, “Spanish War Stories:Constructing Spanish Civil War from the Underground“
Michael Chaney, “Re-Membering, Re-mediating Slavery”
12:30-2: Lunch
2:00-3:00: Lent Scholarship Lecture: Barbara Postema (Michigan State University)
3:00-3:30: Break
3:30-5:00: Panel #5: The frontiers of the comics form
Chair: Craig Fischer, ICAF Executive Committee
Robert Peterson, “The Acoustics of Manga: Narrative Erotics and Visual Presence of Sound”
John Jennings, Damian Duffy, and Rose Marchack, “Virtual Unreality and the Shape of Time: Virtual comics, postmodern self-referentiality, and the fourth dimension”
5:00-7:30: Dinner
7:30-9:30: Smile Through the Tears: Bearing witness to the Rwandan genocide through comic arts
A special event at the George Washington University’s Gelman Library featuring Rupert Bazambanza, Ellen Yamshon, and moderator Steven Livingston
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14
10:30-12:00: Panel #6: Early comics
Chair: Marc Singer, ICAF Executive Committee
Gerry Beegan, “’Leaving Out’: Imaging the Cockney in the Caricatures of Phil May”
David Olsen, “’Monkeying with the ink bottle’: The Signifying Potential of George Herriman’s Krazy Kat”
Jared Gardner, “Gutter Stories: Comics, Film, and Modernity, 1897-1917”
12:00-1:30: Lunch
1:30-3:00: Comics production roundtable
Stuart Moore and Jamal Igle (Firestorm) discuss the steps of assembling a comic book for a major US publisher
3:00-3:15: Break
3:15-4:45: Comics and politics
Phil Jiminez (The Invisibles, Infinite Crisis, Otherworld) and Denny O’Neil (Batman, Green Lantern/Green Arrow) discuss the challenges of addressing political issues in superhero comics
Festival - Oct 12-14: ICAF Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 26 September 2006
Contact: Marc Singer
msinger@howard.edu
202-238-2379 (office)
615-428-2861 (cell)
COMICS COME TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Jules Feiffer, DC Comics Artists Headline Conference
EVENT: Eleventh Annual International Comic Arts Festival (ICAF)WHEN: Thursday, October 12 – Saturday, October 14, 2006
WHERE: Mumford Room, Madison Building, Library of Congress
COST: Free and open to the publicBACKGROUND: The International Comic Arts Festival, an annual conference devoted to the study of comics, returns to the Library of Congress this October for a three-day forum of panels, keynote speeches, artist talks, and exhibitions showcasing work by comic artists and scholars alike.
SPECIAL GUESTS: ICAF is proud to present legendary cartoonist and author Jules Feiffer (Tantrum, The Great Comic Book Heroes), who will speak from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 12. Original drawings and manuscript materials by Feiffer will be on display in the Prints & Photographs Reading room from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. Thursday.
On Saturday afternoon, ICAF presents a behind-the-scenes look at superhero comics. Acclaimed artist Phil Jiminez (Infinite Crisis, The Invisibles) and writer and editor Denny O’Neil (Batman, Green Lantern) will discuss the challenges of addressing political issues in comics. Writer Stuart Moore and artist Jamal Igle (Firestorm) will appear in a panel revealing the step-by-step process of producing and publishing a comic book. Both panels will occur on the afternoon of Saturday, October 14.
ICAF will also feature eighteen academic presentations by comic art scholars from around the world.
SPECIAL EVENT: Rwandan comics artist Rupert Bazambanza (Sourire malgré tout) and American lawyer and conflict mediation expert Ellen Yamshon will speak about comics and the Rwandan genocide at the George Washington University’s Gelman Library at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 13.
SPONSORS: ICAF is pleased to work in collaboration with the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division and the Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, and with the support of Foreign Affairs Canada / avec l’appui d’Affaires Étrangèrs Canada. Other sponsors include the Gelman Library, the Washington Post, Andrews McMeel Universal, Jean Schulz, Cartoon Books, and Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash.
INFORMATION: For more information, including schedules and sponsors, please visit our official website, http://go.to/icaf, or contact Marc Singer.
Date: 26 September 2006
Contact: Marc Singer
msinger@howard.edu
202-238-2379 (office)
615-428-2861 (cell)
COMICS COME TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Jules Feiffer, DC Comics Artists Headline Conference
EVENT: Eleventh Annual International Comic Arts Festival (ICAF)WHEN: Thursday, October 12 – Saturday, October 14, 2006
WHERE: Mumford Room, Madison Building, Library of Congress
COST: Free and open to the publicBACKGROUND: The International Comic Arts Festival, an annual conference devoted to the study of comics, returns to the Library of Congress this October for a three-day forum of panels, keynote speeches, artist talks, and exhibitions showcasing work by comic artists and scholars alike.
SPECIAL GUESTS: ICAF is proud to present legendary cartoonist and author Jules Feiffer (Tantrum, The Great Comic Book Heroes), who will speak from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 12. Original drawings and manuscript materials by Feiffer will be on display in the Prints & Photographs Reading room from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. Thursday.
On Saturday afternoon, ICAF presents a behind-the-scenes look at superhero comics. Acclaimed artist Phil Jiminez (Infinite Crisis, The Invisibles) and writer and editor Denny O’Neil (Batman, Green Lantern) will discuss the challenges of addressing political issues in comics. Writer Stuart Moore and artist Jamal Igle (Firestorm) will appear in a panel revealing the step-by-step process of producing and publishing a comic book. Both panels will occur on the afternoon of Saturday, October 14.
ICAF will also feature eighteen academic presentations by comic art scholars from around the world.
SPECIAL EVENT: Rwandan comics artist Rupert Bazambanza (Sourire malgré tout) and American lawyer and conflict mediation expert Ellen Yamshon will speak about comics and the Rwandan genocide at the George Washington University’s Gelman Library at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 13.
SPONSORS: ICAF is pleased to work in collaboration with the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division and the Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, and with the support of Foreign Affairs Canada / avec l’appui d’Affaires Étrangèrs Canada. Other sponsors include the Gelman Library, the Washington Post, Andrews McMeel Universal, Jean Schulz, Cartoon Books, and Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash.
INFORMATION: For more information, including schedules and sponsors, please visit our official website, http://go.to/icaf, or contact Marc Singer.
Exhibit - Nov 2: Cartoon America update
http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2006/06-165.html
Press contact: Donna Urschel (202) 707-1639
Press contact: Donna Urschel (202) 707-1639
September 12, 2006
Library of Congress Exhibition "Cartoon America" Opens Nov. 2
Exhibition Features America’s Best Cartoons from the Art Wood Collection
“Cartoon America: Highlights from the Art Wood Collection of Cartoon and Caricature” will open at the Library of Congress on Thursday, Nov. 2, in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. On view through Jan. 27, 2007, the exhibition is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday.
The exhibition will feature 100 masterworks of such celebrated artists as political cartoonists Thomas Nast, Rube Goldberg, Bill Mauldin and Patrick Oliphant; comic strip creators Winsor McCay, George Herriman, Chic Young, Milt Caniff, Charles Schulz and Lynn Johnston; humorous gag cartoonists Peter Arno and William Steig; caricaturists Al Hirschfeld and David Levine; animation drawings and cels from Walt Disney Productions and Hanna-Barbera; and illustrations by Edwin A. Abbey, John Held and Michael Hague.
Drawings selected for the exhibition reflect the primary collecting interests of J. Arthur Wood Jr., a connoisseur of popular graphic art. Wood’s collection of more than 36,000 original cartoon drawings * the Art Wood Collection of Cartoon and Caricature * is now housed in the Library’s Prints and Photographs Division. The collection came to the Library in 2003 through a gift-purchase agreement made possible in part by a generous contribution from H. Fred Krimendahl II, a member of the Library’s Madison Council, and the generosity of Wood himself.
The collection, spanning three centuries, is distinctive and unparalleled because of the depth of holdings in political cartoons and comic strips and the specific landmark pieces in all major genres. It stands out as a jewel among the Library’s special collections, illuminating the history of American cartoon art forms and greatly enhancing the Library’s extensive holdings of cartoon art.
According to exhibition co-curators Sara W. Duke and Martha H. Kennedy, the exhibition presents stellar examples from Wood’s collection that reflect the vitality of an innovative, indigenous art form. The exhibition features the major genres of cartoon art: political cartoons, illustration, comic strips, gag and single-panel cartoons, illustration, and animation drawings and cels. An overview of highlights includes:
- Political cartoons by leading practitioners of the “ungentlemanly art,” who comment pointedly on corruption, war and public figures from the 19th century’s Gilded Age to recent times. Their visual editorials reflect diverse viewpoints conveyed in a wide variety of artistic approaches, including the classic cross-hatching techniques of Harper’s Weekly cartoonist Thomas Nast and Washington Star cartoonist Clifford Berryman, the broad crayon strokes of Rube Goldberg and Bill Mauldin, and the painterly styles of contemporary cartoonists Paul Conrad and Patrick Oliphant.
- Rare early comics in large, multi-panel formats include portrayals of the Yellow Kid and Buster Brown, two early famous comic strip characters created by Richard Outcault. Family strips such as “Bringing Up Father” by George McManus, “Gasoline Alley” by Frank King and “For Better or for Worse” by Lynn Johnston chronicle the humorous ups and downs of family life. Selections include adventure strips “Secret Agent X-9” by Alex Raymond and “Terry and the Pirates” by Milt Caniff; artfully innovative strips “Krazy Kat” by George Herriman and “Dream of the Rarebit Fiend” by Winsor McCay; and timeless classics “Popeye” by Elzie Segar and “Peanuts” by Charles Schulz. All transport viewers to other, self-contained, captivating worlds.
- Gag cartoons by Peter Arno, Barbara Shermund, George Price and others lampoon behavioral quirks and foibles that madden and amuse readers of The New Yorker and other popular magazines.
- Caricatures of Stokely Carmichael, by David Levine, and of performers Jimmy Durante and Paul Whiteman, in a 1935 staging of “Jumbo” by Al Hirschfeld, offer incisive insights and display witty and magical use of the pen.
- Treasures of animation art include a Walt Disney Productions cel of Mickey Mouse from “Fantasia”; a delightful drawing of Dumbo the elephant bathing himself; a storyboard drawing for “Bambi” by Tyrus Wong; a presentation drawing of all of the Seven Dwarfs; and a beautiful animation cel of Snow White for Disney’s groundbreaking first full-length animated feature “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937).
- America’s Golden Age of Illustration (1880s to 1920s) is represented by drawings created by Edwin Austin Abbey, James Montgomery Flagg, Dean Cornwell and their pioneering women counterparts, Nell Brinkley, Rose O’Neill and Katherine Pyle.
Wood, an award-winning cartoonist himself, began collecting original drawings at the age of 12. During a period of 60 years, he contacted and befriended numerous older masters of cartoon art forms, as well as leading contemporary creators in the field, and obtained selections of their work, primarily by gift and some by purchase. During his professional life, Wood worked diligently to establish a museum or gallery to preserve and showcase his collection. He achieved his goal in 1995 with the opening of the National Gallery of Caricature and Cartoon Art in downtown Washington, D.C., but the gallery closed in 1997, due to a lack of sustained funding. Undeterred, Wood turned to the Library of Congress, where he had worked early in his career, to preserve and present his collection.
A companion book titled “Cartoon America: Comic Art in the Library of Congress” will be published by Harry N. Abrams, in association with the Library of Congress. The book is edited by Harry Katz, former head curator of the Library’s Prints and Photographs Division. Images of many cartoon drawings in the exhibition will be included among the 275 full-color illustrations in the book, which also surveys the Library’s other holdings of related art.
The exhibition and an accompanying brochure are funded through the generous support of the Caroline and Erwin Swann Memorial Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon. The Swann Foundation showcases the collections of the Library of Congress in rotating exhibitions and promotes the continuing Swann Foundation program in the study of cartoon, caricature and illustration, while also offering a provocative and informative selection of works by masters from the past and present.
For more information about the exhibition and related programming, contact exhibition co-curators Sara W. Duke, at (202) 707-3630, or Martha H. Kennedy, at (202) 707-9115, or email swann@loc.gov, or visit the Swann home page at http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/swannhome.html.
# # #
PR 06-165
09/12/06
ISSN 0731-3527
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Book signing - Sept 30: Brad Meltzer
Brad's a really nice guy and will gladly sign and talk about his comics work.
Library of Congress National Book Festival
http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/index.html
Brad Meltzer
Mysteries & Thrillers Pavilion
10-10:30 am
Book Signing
11-12 noon
Each of Brad Meltzer's five novels has been a New York Times best-seller. He earned credit from Columbia Law School for writing hisfirst book, which became The Tenth Justice (1997), an instant best-seller. His new novel is a thriller, The Book of Fate (Warner Books, 2006). His books have a total of almost 6 million copies in print and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. He is also one of the co-creators of the TV show "Jack and Bobby" and is the No. 1 best-selling author of the critically acclaimed comic book Identity Crisis. He lives in Florida.
Library of Congress National Book Festival
http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/index.html
Brad Meltzer
Mysteries & Thrillers Pavilion
10-10:30 am
Book Signing
11-12 noon
Each of Brad Meltzer's five novels has been a New York Times best-seller. He earned credit from Columbia Law School for writing hisfirst book, which became The Tenth Justice (1997), an instant best-seller. His new novel is a thriller, The Book of Fate (Warner Books, 2006). His books have a total of almost 6 million copies in print and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. He is also one of the co-creators of the TV show "Jack and Bobby" and is the No. 1 best-selling author of the critically acclaimed comic book Identity Crisis. He lives in Florida.
Exhibit, thru Sept 30: Drawing Back - worldwide political cartoons
Provisions Library on Dupont Circle
http://microsites.provisionslibrary.org/cartoons_site/index.html
Provisions presents a two-part cartoon exhibition that features complimentary critiques of American policy viewed through foreign editorial cartoons and local resistance poster art.
Why Do They Hate US?
Views from the international media. A survey exhibition drawn from the work of more than 35 editorial cartoonists from around the world.
Political Posters by Mike Flugennock
Views from the street. Political Resistance cartoon posters by DC's own maverick artist.
Drawing Back also features a full series of accompanying public programs including a cartoon film series of rare historical andbiographical films on cartoonists and alternative comics; a panel of editorial newspaper cartoonists and a one-day workshop and masterclass with renowned cartoonist Kevin Kallaugher (KAL).
http://microsites.provisionslibrary.org/cartoons_site/index.html
Provisions presents a two-part cartoon exhibition that features complimentary critiques of American policy viewed through foreign editorial cartoons and local resistance poster art.
Why Do They Hate US?
Views from the international media. A survey exhibition drawn from the work of more than 35 editorial cartoonists from around the world.
Political Posters by Mike Flugennock
Views from the street. Political Resistance cartoon posters by DC's own maverick artist.
Drawing Back also features a full series of accompanying public programs including a cartoon film series of rare historical andbiographical films on cartoonists and alternative comics; a panel of editorial newspaper cartoonists and a one-day workshop and masterclass with renowned cartoonist Kevin Kallaugher (KAL).
Exhibit - thru Nov 7: Mightier than the Sword: The Satirical Pen of Kal
[a smaller version of the Walters show in Baltimore, this will be excellent - well worth seeing]
from the Baltimore Sun:
Mightier than the Sword: The Satirical Pen of Kal
Strathmore Hall
10701 Rockville Pike
North Bethesda, MD
You may not know who Kevin Kallaugher is, but you probably known him by his alias, KAL. A longtime editorial cartoonist for the BaltimoreSun, KAL threw punches at the government the best way he knew how: with his pen.
Through Nov. 7
Mondays: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Tuesdays: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Wednesdays: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Thursdays: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Fridays: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Saturdays: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Price: Free.
Information: 301-581-5200
from the Baltimore Sun:
Mightier than the Sword: The Satirical Pen of Kal
Strathmore Hall
10701 Rockville Pike
North Bethesda, MD
You may not know who Kevin Kallaugher is, but you probably known him by his alias, KAL. A longtime editorial cartoonist for the BaltimoreSun, KAL threw punches at the government the best way he knew how: with his pen.
Through Nov. 7
Mondays: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Tuesdays: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Wednesdays: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Thursdays: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Fridays: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Saturdays: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Price: Free.
Information: 301-581-5200
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