Big Monkey Comics women-only reading group

The story's in today's Post - "Girl Power at Big Monkey Comics" by Jen Girdish, Washington Post Sunday, September 30, 2007; Page N04. Big Monkey Comics is on 14th St, NW, close to U St.

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 10-03-07

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 10-03-07
By John Judy

ACTION COMICS #856 by Geoff Johns, Richard Donner, and Eric Powell. “Good-bye, it am Bizarro story, NOT by director of “Superman The Movie” and creator of “The Goon!” It am very serious by talentless creators! It am must-skip! Lowly recommended!”

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #7 by Brian K. Vaughan and Georges Jeanty. Faith’s gonna whack someone! “Five by five!” Recommended.

COUNTDOWN PRESENTS: THE SEARCH FOR RAY PALMER: CRIME SOCIETY #1 by Sean McKeever and Jamal Igle. Oh, where does one even begin….? Recommended for Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid, and anyone else with an encyclopediac knowledge of DC continuity.

ESSENTIAL MOON KNIGHT VOL.2 SC by Various Folks. An oxymoron collecting issues 11-30 of the original canceled series. Okay, some of it looks great. The stuff by Miller and Sienkiewicz: “Woo!”

HARVEY CLASSICS RICHIE RICH VOL.2 SC by Various Creators. Hot on the heels of the “Friendliest Ghost You Know” comes your favorite “Poor Little Rich Boy!” No, not George Bush! Savor the early adventures of the kid with the best super-power ever: Money! Lots of it! Highly recommended!

HOWARD THE DUCK #1 of 4 by Ty Templeton and Juan Bobillo. It’s “American Splendor” if Harvey Pekar was a duck. Also starring MODOK. Everyone loves MODOK now. He’s coming back strong, you watch.

JLA/HITMAN #2 of 2 by Garth Ennis and John McCrea. Part two of the story that reminds us of how much we miss the only “Bloodlines” character who didn’t suck. Tommy, we hardly knew ye. Recommended.

METAMORPHO YEAR ONE #1 of 6 by Dan Jurgens and Jesse Delperdang. A deluxe re-imagining of the DC’s hippest freak, the guy who can be anything except normal, Metamorpho, the Element Man! Gotta look!

MS. MARVEL #20 by Brian Reed and Aaron Lopresti. Our Heroine pimp-slaps that pimpy little pimp, The Puppet Master. Also featuring inner turmoil and ominous sub-plots. Fun stuff. Not for pimps.

OMEGA THE UNKNOWN #1 of 10 by Jonathan Lethem, Karl Rusnak, Farel Dalrymple, and Paul Hornschemeier. Okay, there’s a lot of cooks in this kitchen even without mentioning Omega creators Steve Gerber and Mary Skrenes. It’s also not the prettiest book out there. That said, it is just too darn compelling not to read. Recommended for
fans who like material that’s off the beaten path.

QUESTION: ZEN AND VIOLENCE VOL.1 SC by Dennis O’Neil and Denys Cowan. Before he died of cancer and got replaced by a woman, Vic Sage had himself some times. Collecting the first six issues of this 80s kung-fu noir series. Very much worth a read.

SUPER-VILLIAN TEAM-UP: MODOK’S 11 #4 of 5 by Fred Van Lente and Francis Portela. The penultimate chapter in this caper story featuring actual capes! Okay, nobody has a cape, but they do have tights and it was a good line. Also a good comic. Recommended.

TALES OF THE SINESTRO CORPS PRESENTS: CYBORG SUPERMAN #1 by Alan Burnett and Patrick Blaine. DC’s doing an awful lot of “presenting” lately, don’t you think? In this case it’s the story of Superman’s most resilient and hard to draw foe: The Cyborg.

UNCANNY X-MEN #491 by Ed Brubaker and Salvador Larroca. People who live in a mansion versus people who live in a sewer. Guess who wins. Also, the Beast meets Doctor Strange and they discover how badly the Scarlet Witch has screwed up Steve Ditko’s art.

WOLVERINE ANNUAL: DEATHSONG #1 by Gregg Hurwitz and Marcelo Frusin. It takes real guts to try mixing a T.S. Eliot poem with a Wolverine story. This issue is blissfully set apart from all the disagreeable things currently being done with Logan and can best be enjoyed if you first have a look at “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” Google it, kids. It’s all over the net for free. And it’ll put hair on ya. “Til human voices wake us, and we drown.” Recommended.


www.johnjudy.net

OT: John Cuneo sketchbook page auction

John Cuneo's donated a page of a sketchbook for Fantagraphics to auction, presumably to pay legal bills. This message courtesy of Richard Thompson.

Seeing Redd - John Daniels's guest book review

The landmark sequel to the Looking Glass Wars will have the reader Seeing Redd.
By John L. Daniels Jr.

Seeing Redd
Writer: Frank Beddor
Publisher: Dial Penguin books
Artwork: Vance Kovacs (Front, Back cover, part 1 art)
Artwork: Steven Martiniere (Part 2 & 3 art)
Map design: Cold Open and Nate Barlow

While growing up, one may have a family member whom you may not get along with, or is not as sociable with the family. What if the family member was someone you trusted? The family member may be very close to your mother, so close as to be your mother’s sister, your Aunt.

Your Aunt is supposed to be the one who can take care of you in a time of need. Your Aunt is someone who can nurture you, guide you and even lend a helping hand in teaching. How disturbing would it be if she is the very one that wants you annihilated?

In this sequel to the Looking Glass Wars, Seeing Redd, now a New York Times best seller, is the must-read of the season. Read how a family member can be vengeful and compelling against her own niece.

In the first book the Looking Glass Wars, Alyss escaped from Wonderland with her bodyguard Hatter Madigan. Alyss returned to Wonderland to defeat her Aunt and banished her along with her assassin, The Cat, into the Heart Crystal.

In this sequel, the Aunt escapes the prison of the crystal maze within the Heart Crystal. Aunt Redd has the ultimate plan to recapture the throne of Wonderland. She has already killed Alyss’s loving parents and only Alyss remains of royal heirs to the throne besides Redd. If Aunt Redd can find Alyss, she'll carry out her sinister plan to kill Alyss and rule Wonderland once more as the last heir to the throne. Can Alyss keep control of her queendom along with her new bodyguard Homburg Molly? In addition, where is Hatter Madigan? He has not been seen anywhere in the surrounding lands of Wonderland.

Astonishing reading awaits with strong characterization, thrilling adventure, and mystery in this extraordinary tale of the battle of Wonderland.

This incredible book is written by Frank Beddor after the success of his first novel The Looking Glass Wars , also a best-selling book on the NY-Times bestseller list. Mr. Beddor also has written an award-winning comic book based on the novel: Hatter M by Desperado publishing and Image comics. What can this successful Hollywood producer possibly accomplish next?

I had an opportunity to interview Mr. Beddor at the launch of the comic Hatter M and The Looking Glass Wars. Check in soon for a new interview with a modern day genius about his new novel Seeing Redd.

The Battle for Wonderland, the assault of the Redd and the defending the power of White continues.

Oct 11: Douglas Wolk at Olsson's

Richard Spooralmanack passed this along - I think it's probably up here already, just not singled out. I've got the book, but haven't started it yet.

Douglas Wolk - Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean
Thursday, October 11, 2007 at 07:00 PM at Olsson's Books & Records-Dupont
Circle, 1307 19th St. NW, (202) 785-1133

Suddenly, comics are everywhere: a newly matured art form, filling bookshelves with brilliant, innovative work and shaping the ideas and images of the rest of contemporary culture. Douglas Wolk illuminates the most dazzling creators of modern comics-from Alan Moore to Alison Bechdel to Dave Sim to Chris Ware-and introduces a critical theory that explains where each fits into the pantheon of art. Reading Comics is the first book for people who want to know not just what comics are worth reading, but also the ways to think and talk and argue about them. Douglas Wolk writes about comics and music for publications including the New York Times, Rolling Stone, the Washington Post, Salon, and The Believer.

Oct 11: Matt Wagner at Big Planet - THE FLYER

Exciting, isn't it?

Thomas Fleming, Washington caricaturist

I picked up a damaged copy of Around the Capital with Uncle Hank by Thomas Fleming, New York: Nutshell Publishing Co, 1902 yesterday.

Actually, the web says he studied worked at the New York Sun, New York World, and Commercial Advertiser, and the most famous of his cartoons was "Senator Tillman's Allegorical Cow" whatever that might have been.

In this book, every other page is a cartoon, usually a caricature of a large-headed politician, like the ones that follow, but he also did line illustrations that look influenced by Phil May. An example can be seen here in the Corcoran Gallery cartoon where the old maid is admiring the Venus de Milo's breasts; for those wondering, back in the Museum's early days it had lots of displays of casts of classical sculptures for study. Actually, I would like to see that come back as you get a tactical sense that photography and books can't convey. And the tyranny of the art world for the original object can get tiresome.

I have nothing to say about the sheep-hugger though.

Sept 29: Baltimore Book Festival - Comics Conversation

5:30 at Mount Vernon Place, at the Washington Monumenbt, near the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.

Paul Karasik, I Will Destroy All The Civilized Planets
Phil Yeh, Dinosaurs Across America
Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Steven Parke and Jonathan Scott Fuqua, In the Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe

Also, there's a 'zine or "Mini-curated micro-books" section.

World War II anti-malaria cartoon

We ran across this one in the collections of the National Museum of Health and Medicine yesterday.

Whither Clarabelle Cow?: 6 Semi-Forgotten Disney Characters

The Onion out today has an interesting article, "Whither Clarabelle Cow?: 6 Semi-Forgotten Disney Characters" by Noel Murray, Keith Phipps, Onion September 27, 2007. The expanded version online has eleven characters.

I believe Disney signed away Oswald the Rabbit, but that the company recently got him back by trading an ABC sportscaster. True fact!

Richard Thompson: The Blog

You probably all missed the following buried in the comments; god knows I wouldn't read them if they weren't highlighted on the master control panel. Richard said yesterday:

Everybody please visit my blog and leave a comment. I'll be adding podcasts, interactive games, polls & unwanted popups for finding lost classmates.

http://richardspooralmanac.blogspot.com/

Now, my feeling is he's trying to get us to write his life in surburbia comic strip for him. So if you post any particularly funny stories, make sure to include a Paypal link so he can take care of you. I'm not sure why he's changed his name to Richard Spooralmanack, but it does have a ring to it.

THE INTERNATIONAL COMIC ARTS FORUM, OCT. 18-20

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington DC 20540

September 27, 2007

Press contact: Donna Urschel (202) 707-1639, durschel@loc.gov
Public contact: Martha Kennedy (202) 707-9115

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TO HOST 12TH ANNUAL MEETING
OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMIC ARTS FORUM, OCT. 18-20

The Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress will host the 12th annual meeting of the International Comic Arts Forum (ICAF), which will feature the Malaysian cartoonist Lat, the versatile comic artist Kyle Baker and many comic art scholars from around the world.

The three-day forum starts at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, and ends at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, in the Mumford Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. Made possible by support from the Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, the forum is free and open to the public.

The first day of the conference will conclude with time to view two displays of cartoon art prepared by specialists from two divisions of the Library of Congress:
• “Treasures of Caricature Art,” selections of drawings and prints from the Library’s outstanding holdings of comic art, will be on view from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 18, in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, Room 339, on the third floor of the Madison Building. The display will be organized by division curators Sara W. Duke and Martha H. Kennedy.
• Cartoon art by Malaysian cartoonist Lat, selections from the Library’s holdings in the Asian Division, will be on view from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 18, in the Asian Division Reading Room, Room 150 in the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., across the street from the Madison Building. The display will be organized by division Southeast Asian specialist Kathryn Wellen.

Lat (Mohammed Nor Khalid), the guest artist from Malaysia, will speak at 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19, in the Mumford Room of the Madison Building. Comic artist Kyle Baker will speak at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, also in the Mumford Room. The gathering of ICAF will feature 20 presentations by scholars and experts in the study of comic arts.

A special panel discussion, “Iconophobia: Comics, Politics and the Power of the Image,” will take place from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19, at George Washington University’s Gelman Library. Cartoonists Lat and Kevin “KAL” Kallaugher, Robert Russell of the Cartoonists Rights Network International and others will participate in the panel, which will be moderated by Marc Singer.

For a list of event activities, visit www.internationalcomicartsforum.org.

# # #

PR07-195
9/27/07
ISSN: 0731-3527

Sept 29: Nick Abadzis on Laika at Air and Space

Scott Rosenberg's got an interview with British cartoonist Nick Abadzis on his new book about the Soviet space dog. See "Animal Attraction: 'Laika' tells the story of a four-legged pawn of Cold War politics," Express (September 27, 2007): E7.

Abadzis will be speaking at the Air and Space Museum on Saturday at 12:45 and 2:30 pm, and signing his book too, I'm sure. I'll probably hit that after the National Book Festival's crowds drive me mad.

Big Planet October Events

Big Planet October Events

Oct 1-14 Back Issue Sale—50% off all back issues at our newest store, Big Planet College Park. That’s over 15,000 back issues all 50% off. Sale starts Monday OCT. 1st and ends OCT. 14th. Big Planet College Park ,7315 Baltimore Ave. , College Park, MD 20740. Phone 301.699.0498


Oct 11 Meet Nick Abadzis. Join creator Nick Abadis and Big Planet Comics in celebrating his newest book “Laika”,the story of the Russian dog sent into orbit.
He will be signing the book at our College Park Store Thursday Oct. 11th from 5pm to 7pm.

Also Oct 11 at our Bethesda store Matt Wagner will be celebrating 25 years of Grendel. Come meet him if you dare, 5pm to 7pm. Phone 301.654.6856.

And don’t forget the Small Press EXPO Oct. 12-13 at the Bethesda North Marriot. Come see Bill Griffith, Gilbert Hernandez, Jeff Smith and many many more. www.spxpo.com

Lost Book Club: 'Watchmen'

Haven't read it yet, but online today was "Lost Book Club: 'Watchmen'; A Monthly Dissection of the Books That Matter to 'Lost'-ophiles" by Jen Chaney, Liz Kelly and Jeff Jensen, washingtonpost.com Staff, Entertainment Weekly Staff Writer, Wednesday, September 26, 2007.

I've never watched Lost, but recommend Watchmen - definitely read it before the movie comes out.

Richard Thompson's Acclaimed Comic Strip Cul de Sac Debuts on GoComics

Richard Thompson's Acclaimed Comic Strip Cul de Sac Debuts on GoComics

Wed Sep 26, 2007

The most recent addition to the GoComics neighborhood may be unfamiliar to some, but Richard Thompson's Cul de Sac is no ordinary "new comic strip on the block." Formerly a Washington Post Magazine weekly exclusive, Cul de Sac made its highly anticipated daily debut in syndication on September 10th, launching simultaneously at GoComics.com and in 70 U.S. newspapers.

Kansas City, MO (PRWEB) September 26, 2007 -- The most recent addition to the GoComics neighborhood may be unfamiliar to some, but Richard Thompson's Cul de Sac is no ordinary "new comic strip on the block." Formerly a Washington Post Magazine weekly exclusive, Cul de Sac made its highly anticipated daily debut in syndication on September 10th, launching simultaneously at GoComics.com and in 70 U.S. newspapers.

Cul de Sac is an all-ages comic strip that follows the everyday suburban life of preschooler Alice Otterloop. Thompson has surrounded Alice with a colorful supporting cast, including her perpetually down-trodden older brother Petey, wide-eyed and inquisitive fellow Blisshaven Preschoolers Beni and Dill, and Mr. Danders, the class guinea pig. The strip is characterized by Thompson's quirky, intelligent wit and distinct, sketch-style cartoon art.

Now that Cul de Sac has made its long-awaited launch into syndication, Thompson is looking forward to playing to a larger crowd.

"I'm proud and tickled to have moved into the neighborhood, among so many nice people, talking animals, zombies, babies & dancing bugs," said Thompson. "And I hope that those who pass through Cul de Sac slow down long enough to enjoy it, and watch out for the hidden entrances & children at play."

To say that Cul de Sac is hitting the ground running would be an understatement. The strip began in 2004 as a weekly feature in the Washington Post Magazine. In the nearly three years since, Cul de Sac has gained a large, loyal fan following, becoming one of the magazine's most-read features.

Thompson gained further momentum when he garnered an unsolicited endorsement from one of the most successful and notoriously reclusive cartoonists of the modern era. Bill Watterson, creator of the modern-classic comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, recently voiced his praise for Thompson's work.

"Thompson has a sharp eye, a fun sense of language and a charmingly odd take on the world," said Watterson. "Best of all, his drawings are wonderful -- something one doesn't often see in cartoons anymore. I'm delighted to see Cul de Sac, and I have high hopes that Thompson will bring a much-needed jolt of energy to the daily newspaper."

Those are lofty aspirations, but GoComics CEO Chris Pizey is confident that Cul de Sac will be a monumental hit with fans.

"Cul de Sac gets top marks for every standard one can apply to a comic strip," said Pizey. "Beyond the charming characters, the perfect pitch of the artwork and the clever dialogue, there's a unique spirit that infuses this strip -- a rare and unquantifiable quality that resonates strongly with readers. There may not be a perfect word for it, but Cul de Sac has it in abundance, and we're excited to bring it to a wider audience."

Fans can read the latest Cul de Sac strip at www.GoComics.com/culdesac. They can also sign up to receive each new installment in their email for free through GoComics, or have Cul de Sac emailed to them daily along with a customized collection of their favorite comics through MyComicsPage.com, a premium subscription service offered by GoComics.

About GoComics:
GoComics (www.gocomics.com) is the online distribution portal for uclick, a leading digital entertainment provider offering a broad mix of popular comic strips for the web and mobile phones. uclick delivers entertaining comics and games to hundreds of online clients, including major consumer and news portals such as Yahoo!, MSNBC.com, New York Times, washingtonpost.com, CNNi, USA Today and AOL. Their mobile division brings comic books, manga, illustration, photography, video and games to mobile consumers worldwide. Their feature lineup includes top brands such as Garfield, The Boondocks, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TOKYOPOP, USA Today, Pat Sajak, Mary Engelbreit, Wyland and many more. uclick's products are available through the GoComics website, top U.S. carriers and leading distributors worldwide.

uclick is a division of Andrews McMeel Universal, the leading syndicate and publisher of humor books and calendars in North America.

For more information on uclick, visit www.uclick.com.

###

uclick, LLC.
Josh Peres
816-360-6936
E-mail Information
Trackback URL: http://prweb.com/pingpr.php/UHJvZi1QaWdnLVN1bW0tTWFnbi1UaGlyLVplcm8=

Sept 30: new exhibit - ZAPP! Comic Books and the Arts.

This rolled in over the e-transom today; I'll try to make it on Sunday. Anyone else?

You're Invited!

Grand Opening and Dedication
VisArts at Rockville
Sunday Sept. 30th
Noon - 5pm
155 Gibbs Street
Rockville, Maryland 20850

Grand Opening Schedule of Events:

Noon - VisArts Dedication in Rockville Town Square

12:30pm - A very unique ribbon cutting ceremony at the 155 Gibbs Street
entrance!

Official opening of the VisArts gallery featuring the
inaugural exhibition, ZAPP! Comic Books and the Arts

1:00-5:00pm - Education Sneak Peek! Meet the teachers, see artist
demonstrations, enjoy hands-on art activities, and find out more
about art classes for you and your family. Register in person and receive a free gift!

Visit Resident Artist studios. Featuring Karen Fricke, Fabric
Kathie Lynch & Eileen Martin, Glass
Bertrand Mao, Chinese Ink-brush
Pam Hill Byrne & Johnnie Gins, Jewelry
Lauren Hinds, Fabric/Sculpture

ZAPP! Comic Books and the Arts.

Kaplan Gallery: Comics in our Culture
Regional Gallery: The Beat Goes On
Children's Discovery Gallery: What's a Hero? What's a Villain?
Portfolio Gallery: Anime, Manga and You

Children's Imagination Stations! Look for Lola the Art Dog

Building Tours
Refreshments


We look forward to seeing you there!

For more information please call the VisArts office ~ 301-315-8200
VisArts at Rockville ~ 155 Gibbs Street ~ Rockville, MD 20850

SWANN FOUNDATION ACCEPTING FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington DC 20540

September 25, 2007

Public contact: Martha Kennedy (202) 707-9115


SWANN FOUNDATION ACCEPTING FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS
Foundation Supports Research in the Humorous Arts of Caricature and Cartoon

The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, administered by the Library of Congress, is accepting applications for its graduate fellowship for the 2008-2009 academic year. Applications are due by close of business on Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, and notification will occur in the spring.

The Swann Foundation seeks to award one fellowship annually (with a stipend of up to $15,000) to assist in continuing scholarly research and writing projects in the field of caricature and cartoon.

A fellow is required to be in residence in Washington, D.C., for a minimum of two weeks, use the Library’s extensive collections and deliver a public lecture at the Library on his or her work. Each fellow must also provide a copy of his or her dissertation, thesis or postgraduate publication upon completion, for the Swann Foundation Fund files.

Guidelines and application forms are available through the Swann Foundation’s Web site www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/swann-fellow.html, by e-mailing swann@loc.gov or by calling Martha Kennedy in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library at (202) 707-9115.

To be eligible, an applicant must be a resident of the United States and a candidate for a master’s or doctoral degree at a university based in the United States, Canada or Mexico. The applicant must be working toward completion of a dissertation or thesis for that degree or be engaged in postgraduate research within three years of receiving an M.A. or a Ph.D. Individuals who are not U.S. residents but who otherwise meet these academic qualifications may also apply and be considered for a fellowship, contingent upon their visa eligibility.

The applicant’s research must be in the field of caricature and cartoon. There are no restrictions on the place or time period covered. To encourage research in a variety of academic disciplines, any university department may oversee a project proposed for the fellowship, provided the subject pertains to caricature or cartoon art.

Requirements for the fellowship applications include a statement of qualifications, a one-page abstract of the proposed project, a project description that specifies research needs and a budget, two letters of reference and official transcripts.

The Swann Foundation fellowship in caricature and cartoon is the only scholarly fellowship that provides direct support for continuing graduate research in the field. It has supported groundbreaking research on caricature and cartoon that focuses on a variety of subjects and topics such as the Cold War; representations of race, class conflict and disease; and the early origins of caricature and political satire, and the cultural and social forces that have influenced the development of prominent cartoonists’ work. For a list of research projects, visit www.loc.gov/rr/rint/swann/swann-fellowslist.html.

The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon is overseen by an advisory board composed of scholars, collectors, cartoonists and Library of Congress staff members. The foundation’s activities support the study, interpretation, preservation and appreciation of original works of humorous and satiric art by graphic artists from around the world. New York advertising executive Erwin Swann (1906-1973) established the Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon in 1967.

# # #

PR07-189
9/25/07
ISSN: 0731-3527

Small Press Expo Announces the Slate of Programming Events for SPX 2007

Small Press Expo Announces the Slate of Programming Events for SPX 2007

For Immediate Release
Contact: Warren Bernard
Phone: 301-537-4615
E-Mail: webernard@spxpo.com

Bethesda, Maryland; September 25, 2007 - Small Press Expo is proud to announce its slate of programming events for SPX 2007. There will be a series of Creator Spotlights, providing a unique opportunity to learn and interact with the special guests at this years Expo. There will also be a series of panels and workshops to further probe the world of graphic novels and comics. Below are the descriptions and participants, which are subject to change, with exact dates and times forthcoming on the SPX web site at http://www.spxpo.com.

This years SPX will be held October 12 and October 13 at The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in Bethesda, Maryland, across from the White Flint Metro stop on the Shady Grove Red Line.

For further information, please contact Warren Bernard at webernard@spxpo.com.

SPX, a non-profit organization, brings together more than 300 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers and distributors each year. Graphic novels, political cartoon books and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators.

SPX will be open to the public from 2 pm - 8 pm, Friday, October 12 and 10am - 7 pm Saturday, October 13. Admission is $8 for a single day and $15 for both days.

SPX culminates with the presentation of the 11th Annual Ignatz Awards for outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning. The Ignatz is the first Festival Prize in the US comic book industry, with winners chosen by balloting during the SPX and will be held Saturday, October 13 at 9PM.

CREATOR SPOTLIGHTS

Bill Griffith - As an underground cartoonist, Bill Griffith created such characters as Mr. The Toad and Zippy the Pinhead, while co-editing the anthologies Young Lust and Arcade. Zippy has since "escaped into the real world" as the star of a syndicated daily newspaper strip, surely the oddest character to still roam that now staid realm. Over the course of an hour Griffith will deliver a heavily illustrated slideshow talk about his life and work to date.

Jeff Smith - Jeff Smith's Bone, a beautifully drawn black and white synthesis of Carl Barks and J. R. R. Tolkein, began as a self-publishing success story, drawing raves from all corners of the comics world. The series is now an international hit for young readers in its new incarnation as a series of full-color graphic novels from Scholastic. The artist will discuss his work in a special spotlight session with moderator Heidi MacDonald.

Kim Deitch - Underground comix veteran Kim Deitch continues to produce the best work of his career, most recently the graphic novels Alias the Cat and Shadowlands. His other books include The Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Hollywoodland, and A Shroud for Waldo, and he has contributed to RAW, Weirdo, Zero Zero, Arcade, Esquire and McSweeney's. Over the course of an hour Deitch will discuss his most recent books, his career, his thoughts about art and comics, and his current works-in-progress.

Gilbert Hernandez - In 1982 Gilbert Hernandez and his brothers Jaime and Mario burst onto the comics scene with the publication of Love and Rockets #1. Since then Gilbert has spun out a vast, intergenerational saga detailing the lives, loves, and heartbreaks of the citizens of Palomar, a fictional Central American town, as well as challenging short-form work and a variety of stand-alone stories for various publishers. The prolific artist continues to challenge himself and his audience with new work in a variety of formats and genres, including the self-contained graphic novel Chance in Hell. Long-time friend and publisher Gary Groth will lead a discussion with the seminal artist.

Rutu Modan - Israeli cartoonist Rutu Modan is a co-founder of the Actus Tragicus comics collective, a group of Israeli cartoonists seeking to reach an international audience with accomplished, personal comics work. Her first graphic novel, Nobody Said It Was Going to Be Fun, was a collaboration with author and Actus collaborator Etgar Keret. Exit Wounds is her first full-length graphic novel to be published domestically in the United States.

Nick Abadzis - London-based cartoonist Nick Abadzis has worked in various areas of comics, including the British small press, Vertigo Comics, and 2000 AD, and has also drawn several children's books. Most recently he wrote and drew the graphic novel Laika, about the first living being to be sent into space. Abadzis will discuss the research intensive process behind his latest work.

C.F. - C.F. (aka Christopher Forgues) is the creator of the mini-comics series "Low Tides" and also performs musically as "Kites." His work has appeared in numerous anthologies including Paper Rodeo, Free Radicals and Kramers Ergot (including the wrap-around cover for that anthology's fifth volume). Dan Nadel, whose PictureBox publishing company has just published C.F.'s book Powr Mastrs, will lead a discussion with the artist.

MODERATED PANELS and WORKSHOPS

The State of Comics Criticism - Comics are getting more press than ever, but how good is the press? Is it too good? Do comics suffer from the lack of a vibrant critical milieu? Gary Groth (The Comics Journal), Tim Hodler (Comics Comic), Dan Nadel (Picturebox/Comics Comics), and Douglas Wolk (Reading Comics) discuss in a conversation led by Bill Kartalopoulos.

Center for Cartoon Studies Workshop - Robyn Chapman joins us from the Center for Cartoon Studies, a two-year educational institution for budding cartoonists in White River Junction, Vermont. Robyn will talk about this unique school and will lead a hands-on cartooning workshop. No matter how little experience you have, you will leave this panel having drawn a comics page!

Inanimate Cartoons - Comics and animated cartoons are two distinct media which are often conflated. And yet, the two forms share similarities and share influences (including one another). Douglas Wolk will lead a discussion with Kim Deitch, Roger Langridge, Tom Neely and Jeff Smith about the points of overlap and points of distinction between these two media.

Nemo's Wake: Comic Stripping Today - More than 100 years after comics emerged as a mass medium in American newspapers, the comic strip survives. Bill Griffith (Zippy the Pinhead), Nicholas Gurewitch (The Perry Bible Fellowship), Keith Knight (The K Chronicles) and Ted Rall (Search and Destroy) discuss the strengths and struggles of drawing personal work in the comic strip form today, in venues ranging from the web to alternative newsweeklies to the traditional daily comics page. Josh Fruhlinger (The Comics Curmudgeon) moderates.

Top Shelf Tenth Anniversary Panel - Brett Warnock and Chris Staros reflect on ten years of their publishing house, Top Shelf Comics.

Fletcher Hanks Presentation - Paul Karasik examines the life and work of Fletcher Hanks, the obscure cartoonist whose mad visions of grim superheroic retribution saw print in the pages of second-rate comics in the earliest years of the comic book industry. Karasik will delve into the themes and imagery of Hanks' work and will answer the burning question: What ever happened to Fletcher Hanks?

The Generic and the Particular: Genre in Comics - For decades comics were dominated by a handful of genres, most notably superhero comics, to the point that the genre became identified with the medium. Underground comix inspired several generations of cartoonists who have utilized the medium for artistic, personal expression, often rejecting traditional genres in the process. More recently, independent cartoonists have begun to incorporate generic tropes into their work, while a new generation of critics have begun to reclaim older genre comics. Tim Hodler leads a discussion with Sammy Harkham, Gilbert Hernandez, Jon Lewis and Matt Wagner.

Graphic Not-Novels - As "graphic novels" dominate public perception of comics, where does that leave comics that are more structurally analogous to poetry? Or painting? Moderated by Isaac Cates, who will lead a discussion with a group of cartoonists whose work defies easy categorization.

Bendis interview in Examiner

The Examiner snuck a small return to comics in today - they used to have 2 pages of strips AND 2 pages of weekly reviews - with a short interview with Brian Bendis on the Halo videogame. The online version is longer than the print one. See Jeremy Monken, "Believe in Bendis," Washington Examiner September 24, 2007, p 25.