June 25: Author Appearance - Alison Bechdel, award-winning author of Fun Home

Dirk at Journalista noted that Alison Bechdel will be in town tomorrow at Lambda Rising on Dupont Circle (why do I have to read blogs based out of Seattle to find this out?). This was one of my favorite books of last year - I strongly recommend it. I already have a signed copy, but if anyone wants to go, let me know and I might drive back in.

Author Appearance - Alison Bechdel, award-winning author of Fun Home

Lambda Rising Time: Monday, June 25, 2007 7:00 PM
Location: Washington DC
Alison Bechdel, author of the popular comic series "Dykes to Watch Out For", will be returning to Lambda Rising to sign her graphic memoir Fun Home. Having won multiple awards, including the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Memoir/Biography and Time Magazine's Book of the Year, this title has been newly released to paperback.

Come and meet Alison and get a copy of this masterpiece signed!

the Thompsons go to the beach

Actually, that's really the Rhodes go to the beach. We're sponging off some neighbors at Rehobeth, DE, and laughed out loud at Richard Thompson's Richard's Poor Alamanack on last minute beach house rentals. Unfortunately, it's not online yet, but you can make a Fred Thompson finger puppet instead.

Star Wars exhibit opens at Geppi's Entertainment Museum

A few days ago I was lucky enough to attend the opening of a Star Wars toys exhibit at Geppi's museum in Baltimore. I'm not a Star Wars aficianado although I'm the right age to be one, but it was fun to see Thomas Atkinson's collection and hear about how he turned his whole house into a museum. I was hoping to get a few pics up, but my friend who accompanied me still has them. You can see some pics and get some details at the Scoop site here and here.

Geppi's museum is awesome. There's a fantastic selection of material on display. Original comic strips, movie posters, a whole room devoted to comics and Big Little Books, a ton of historic comic memorabilia from the Yellow Kid, Buster Brown and others... it's well worth seeing.

new ImageText available

The UFL has announced that "ImageTexT Volume 3, Issue 3 is now available:
http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/archives/v3_3/"

I'm mentioning this because it's co-edited by my buddy, Charles Hatfield, infrequent house guest and International Comics Arts Festival board member.

Volume 3, Issue 3, a special issue devoted to Comics and Childhood," is edited by Cathlena Martin and Charles Hatfield. It seeks to examine the intersection of comics and childhood from several vantages, including comics and children's literature, comics and education, comics and publishing, and comics and revisions of literature.

This issue features essays from Gorg Mallia, Daniel Yezbick, James Bucky Carter, Philip Sandifer, Veronique Bragard, Cari Keebaugh, Kathy Merlock Jackson and Mark D. Arnold, as well as original art by Sam Hester. This special issue includes several ImageTexT firsts. The journal's first roundtable links scholars Meredith Collins, Tof Eklund, Charles Hatfield and Kenneth Kidd in conversation about Lost Girls. And we have included Jesse Cohn’s translation of and commentary on Benoît Peeters's "Four
Conceptions of the Page," we hope the first of many such new translations of important comics theory and criticism previously unavailable in English.


Table of Contents:

Articles:

“Learning from the Sequence: The Use of Comics in Instruction,” Gorg Mallia

http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/archives/v3_3/mallia/

“Riddles of Engagement: Narrative Play in the Children’s Media and Comic Art of George Carlson,” Daniel Yezbick

http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/archives/v3_3/yezbick/

“The Many Sides of Hank: Modifications, Adjustments, and Adaptations of Mark Twain's /A //Connecticut// Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” /Cari Keebaugh

http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/archives/v3_3/keebaugh/

“Crossovers and Changeovers: Reading Lynn Johnston through Margaret Mahy,” Sam Hester

http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/archives/v3_3/hester/

“When Real Things Happen to Imaginary Tigers,” Philip Sandifer

http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/archives/v3_3/sandifer/

“Imagetext in /The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time,” /James Bucky Carter

http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/archives/v3_3/carter/

“Opening-Up Aesop's Fables: Heteroglossia in Slade & Toni Morrison and Pascal Lemaître's 'The Ant or the Grasshopper?',” Veronique Bragard

http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/archives/v3_3/bragard/

“Baby-Boom Children and Harvey Comics After the Code: A Neighborhood of Little Girls and Boys,” Kathy Merlock Jackson and Mark D. Arnold

http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/archives/v3_3/jackson/

Roundtable:

A roundtable on /Lost Girls /includes articles by Kenneth Kidd, Tof Eklund, Meredith Collins, and Charles Hatfield.

Translation:

Also included in the issue is Jesse Cohn's translation of and commentary on Benoît Peeters's "Four Conceptions of the Page."

Future issues include one celebrating the comics work of Neil Gaiman, another on the Picture Book, and a general issue.

George Coffin, Washington Post editorial cartoonist

I just got a copy of the new Washington History journal as I've got an article in it and found this. He was a Post cartoonist back in the day.

Slovick, Lyle. 2007.
George Y. Coffin: A Schoolboy's Life in 19th-Century Washington
[editorial cartoonist].
Washington History 18 (1&2): 98-119

There's something online about him too - perhaps from George Washington University. I'll try to poke around and find it unless someone beats me to it.

Paul Hornscheimer article in Express

Scott Rosenberg's got another article in today's Express (June 21, 2007): E7 - "Intelligent Designer: Memory intertwines with philosophy in 'Three
Paradoxes'" an interview with Paul Hornscheimer whom he met up with at HeroesCon in Charlottesville. Anyone go to the signing in Baltimore tonight?

cIndy Podcast update - Comic book writer Marc Bernardin

Chris writes in to say (I'll make the links hot later, sorry):

This week on the cIndyCenter.com Podcast: We have the very very talented Entertainment Weekly Senior Editor, & Comic book writer Marc Bernardin.

Marc is promoting his new book The Highwaymen, a five-issue miniseries from Wildstorm/DC, also written with Adam Freeman, is being drawn by Lee Garbett. The first issue will be on stands on June 20, 2007.... Listen to hear why Bill Clinton is in the series....

http://www.cindycenter.com/MarcBFinal.mp3

http://www.cindycenter.com


Thanks,
Chris

P.S. Big stuff is going on with cIndyCenter.com this Summer:
1. Stephen Colbert's Tek Jansen artist, Scott Chantler is visiting with us on Wednesday evening. So if you have a question for him: post it to: http://cindycenter.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=355

2. Batgirl friend, Dean Trippe is going to be a guest reporter for cIndyCenter.com at MOCCA this weekend.... he'll do a report when he returns from his trip.

3. Published by Random House [Postcards] and Harry Potter book is shipping the same day. cIndyCenter.com friend Jason Rodriguez's [Postcards] and a number of the postcard gang did a group interview... his site is: http://www.eximiouspress.com/postcards/

Richard Thompson attempts to fill all Post pages by himself

In addition to his Saturday panel, Richard's Poor Almanack in Style, and his Sunday (and soon to be daily and syndicated) strip Cul de Sac in the magazine, RT is now doing spot illos for a column in the Health section on Tuesday. Yesterday's punch line was "Delusional Mesh Shirt Purchase."

At this rate, it'll only be about another year before he's filling every page of every section.

Michigan State U's Comic Art Collection librarian blows into town on collecting trip

Michigan State U's Comic Art Collection librarian Randy Scott, the man who built their collection from 6,000 comics to 200,000 with another 40K of related material, stopped in this Sunday. I was handing off 2 boxes of clippings and ephemera, 22 boxes of manga, and 3 boxes of miscellaneous comics publications. Randy had already stopped in State College, Pennsylvania and loaded up with 3 boxes of half-price obscure graphic novels and collections. I'd never heard of a bunch of it. Whilst here, we ran out to Big Planet Vienna and bought another 2 boxes of European, non-English language comics. On Monday, he had a brief meeting with Library of Congress staff about the future of comics collecting before riding off into the heat. In about six months, all of this material should be catalogued and available for use.

Anyone who reads this blog should consider donating comic stuff to him. I must say I had a hard time passing on the self-published 1984 book of computer-drawn cartoons* but I did.

Randy's on the right above, btw. As is the link to the Library.

*Hansen, Janet V. 1984.
So You Want to Start your Own Business? [computer-created gag cartoons; copy at MSU].
Mt. Prospect, IL: Janet V. Hansen

June 21: Paul Hornschemeier in Baltimore

He's skipping DC, and was in Richmond today, but on Thursday, Paul Hornschemeier will be in Baltimore signing The Three Paradoxes which came out a couple of weeks ago -

WHEN: Thursday, June 21, 7:00 - 9:00PM
WHERE: Atomic POP (w/Tao Lin)
3620 Falls Rd.
Baltimore, MD
410-366-1004
http://atomicpop.blogspot.com/

Jason Rodriguez interviewed by PW Comics Week

DC area writer and anthologist Jason is interviewed in "Rodriguez Sends His Best Regards via Postcards" by Ian Brill, PW Comics Week -- Publishers Weekly, 6/19/2007

July 12: comic book writer Mike Carey signing

Randy T alerts us to the fact that Mike Carey will be in town signing his new novel, and presumably his comic books as well. He's got a busy day:

WASHINGTON, DC
July 12th

1:00pm – 2:00pm Big Planet Comics, Vienna
4:00pm – 5:30pm Big Monkey Comics
7:00pm Olsson’s, Court House

I'll probably go to the Olsson's which is close to my house.

Ok, I need help here. His website says he's writing Ultimate Fantastic Four and some X-Men title, but didn't he make his name writing for Vertigo? Which trades should I pick up at Big Planet?

June 23: David Macaulay at Building Museum

Macaulay, the architectural children's book author will be at the National Building Museum on Saturday for '"The Big Draw with David Macauley," a family-friendly hands-on event' from 10 -4:30. An exhibit based on his drawings will be up through January 21st.

Anime director Satoshi Kon interview in Sunday's Post

Pressley, Nelson. 2007.
Satoshi Kon, Anime's Dream Weaver
The Japanese Filmmaker Goes Inside His Characters' Heads to Get Inside Moviegoers' Hearts.
Washington Post Sunday, June 17, 2007; N03

July 3: Cartoonapalooza, surprisingly, features DC-based cartoonists

Dave Astor has the story at "Toles, Telnaes, Luckovich, Others to Speak At Pre-AAEC Confab Event," E and P Online (June 18, 2007).

You can buy tickets here and I don't think the AAEC will mind if I reproduce their blurb:

Cartoonapalooza: Fireworks in Pen and Ink!

Cartoonapalooza! Meet prize-winning political cartoonists from across the country as they discuss their most controversial cartoons.
Date: Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Renaissance Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington DC 20036
Phone: 202-232-5300
Ticket Price: $25 in advance/$35 at door

Why did Tom Toles of The Washington Post get dressed down by the Joint Chiefs of Staff? How did Ted Rall invoke the wrath of a legion of 9/11 widows? Why did a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Atlanta take out a half-page ad to apologize for a Mike Luckovich cartoon? Meet ten of the nation's best political cartoonists as they discuss their most controversial cartoons. Cartoonapalooza, the kick-off event for the 50th anniversary convention of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC), is a rare opportunity for the public to meet prize-winning political cartoonists from across the country as they discuss their most controversial cartoons. Join Tom Toles, Ted Rall, Mike Peters, Mike Luckovich, Rob Rogers and five other brilliant, ground-breaking editorial artists as they talk politics, the election, Bush and beyond. The public is invited to a cocktail reception before the panel discussion to meet the artists. Door prizes at the reception will include signed original cartoons and books. The proceeds from this event will go to support Newspapers In Education's "Cartoons for the Classroom" program, a non-profit program that provides editorial cartoon-related lesson plans for teachers. Cartoonapalooza is the must-attend event of the year for all political buffs and cartoon aficionados!
Featured Cartoonists:

* Ted Rall, Universal Press Syndicate
* Tom Toles, Washington Post
* Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal Constitution
* Mike Peters, Dayton Daily News
* Rob Rogers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
* Jack Ohman, The Oregonian
* Ruben Bolling, Tom the Dancing Bug
* Ann Telnaes, Cartoonists and Writers Syndicate
* Keith Knight, The K-Chronicles
* Mark Fiore, Animated Political Cartoonist

This should be a lot of fun. I've heard 2/3 of the speakers and they've all been interesting. Keith Knight and Ted Rall are particularly... what's that word... articulate? Nah, I think it was opinionated. But I would imagine all the speakers are since you probably can't be an editorial cartoonist otherwise.

The whole conference schedule and registration info can be found here.

Zadzooks interviews Jeff Smith of Bone

Jeff Smith, Bone cartoonist was interviewed in "Mix of tradition, fantasy comics pays off for artist" by Joseph Szadkowski in the WASHINGTON TIMES (June 16, 2007). Szadkowski writes the Zadzooks column every Saturday in the Times and it usually has a comics bit. This Bone interview continues into next week.

Rosenberg on King Cat Comix

Scott Rosenberg has an article in today's Express June 18, 2007, "King Cat Comix: Brandon Graham." It's an interesting sounding American manga.

A little bit of Crumb in the city

Apparently a couple of Crumb prints are on display in town, but the reviewer likes the rest of the exhibit better. "Pulp Fiction" To Saturday, July 14, at Adamson Gallery
By Jeffry Cudlin, Washington City Paper June 15, 2007

June 28 anime - Tekkonkinkreet DC premiere

Tekkonkinkreet
A film by Michael Arias (The Animatrix)
Thursday·June 28, 2007 ·6:30pm
The JICC Auditorium

Takara Machi. A claustrophobic maze of gambling, corruption and violence, controlled by the Yakuza. This is the place two young boys, Kuro and Shiro call home. Equal parts superhero, hardened street urchin, and innocent child, the boys do battle with those who threaten Takara Machi. Until one day a strange new presence comes into town with plans to destroy the old city and make way for a new one. Now the boys must battle not only for their town, but for their very lives. TEKKONKINKREET combines the imaginative fantasy and action elements of the best Japanimation
with a dark and modern children’s story. A hybrid of cutting-edge 3D CGI technology and traditional Japanese anime, TEKKONKINKREET is unlike anything ever seen before, combining dynamic action, virtuoso visual treats, and heart-rending tragedy Director Michael Arias and Screenwriter Anthony Weintraub will be on hand to discuss TEKKONKINKREET following the film.

TEKKONKINKREET is based on the comic book by Taiyou Matsumoto (Ping Pong). The title is a play on the Japanese words for “concrete”, “steel”, and “muscle”. TekkonKinkreet won the prestigious Best Film Award at the 2006 Mainichi Film Awards. It was also named the Number One film of 2006 in the annual "Best of" roundup by the New York Museum of Modern Art's Artforum magazine. The film will be in Japanese with English subtitles. It is not recommended for young children.

This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are required.
RSVP to jiccrsvpspring07@embjapan.org
Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan·3 Lafayette Center·1155
21st St NW·Washington DC 20036
202-238-6949·www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc

-
Christopher Wanamaker
DC Anime Club President
http://www.dcanimeclub.org
202 262 2083

July 6: Cartoonists Rights Network dinner

"Dinner Will Raise Funds to Help Threatened Cartoonists" by Dave Astor, E&P Online, June 14, 2007 reports that Flemming Rose, the Danish Islam cartoons editor will be speaking at a benefit dinner for Cartoonists Rights Network. I'll actually be at the dinner because John Lent, International Journal of Comic Arts publisher is sponsoring a table.

It's a good cause and I'm sure it'll be a fun evening - more info can be found here.