Rob Tornoe in DC for inauguration too

Rob Tornoe, cartoonist for Editor and Publisher's online site, tells me he'll be in town for the inauguration. He's the second editorial cartoonist I know of coming in to observe and do direct cartoon journalism - Dave Horsey was mentioned here yesterday. Anyone else?

Baltimore's Closed Caption Comics in NYC

Baltimore's Closed Caption Comics has a show at a gallery in New York City through early February.

Richard's Poor Almanack previews the inaugural parade

Yesterday's Richard's Poor Almanack previewed the inaugural parade. Now you can skip it and stay home and warm, or go to work and do something productive.

Beeler's Obama caricature covers Examiner

Today's free Washington Examiner has a big caricature of Obama by editorial cartoonist Nate Beeler.

Zadzooks on Prince of Persia video game

Another videogame this week - ZADZOOKS: Prince of Persia review: Heroes must save Persia," Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

At some point, videogames moved into the field of comic art, with the increased quality of their animation. I'm not sure what point that was, or when they'll move back out of it, but I do know that not enough attention is being paid to the animation art in them.

Catching up on Greg Bennett's recommendations - "Bennett's Best for the week of January 11," Zadzooks Blog January 14 2009 - The Walking Dead and... Secret Invasion? Nah, he's got to be kidding.

The previous week - "Bennett's Best for the week of January 4," Zadzooks Blog January 14 2009 - was Runaways and Incognito.

Dave Horsey in DC too

In addition to all the comic strip characters coming to DC, Dave Horsey is here as well. The ex-presidential candidates from Scott Stantis' Prickly City just arrived as well.

Spider-Man and Obama bits

Erik Larsen, Savage Dragon cartoonist, feels that Marvel Comics got the idea of putting Obama on the cover from him, since he did it in the fall.

And in the first case of comic book store profiteering I've heard of, Past Present Future Comics, 1387 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, FL was charging $49.95 for the Spider-Man comic book according to blogger Rick Christie, who bought one, not appearing to realize that the book will be worth $8 or so in a month - flip it now Rick!

Florida seems to have some issues with trademarks as well, as we can see in this add from the Broward-Palm Beach New Times, although they reported that their local store sold out of the comic.

Pekar's upcoming opera - more information

See "Harvey Pekar Talks "Leave Me Alone!" Opera," by Michael San Giacomo, Guest Contributor, Mon, January 12th, 2009 which also has a downloadable audio file of Pekar and Crumb. For those who want to read more about Pekar's love of music, my book of interviews has a bit on that.

OT: Comic museum and library news

Readers may have noticed a certain interest of mine in libraries and museums of comics. Here's two new articles - "Andrew Farago, Cartoon Art Museum Gallery Manager/Curator" and on a new collection given to U Penn - "Passion for comic books," By Ruth Rovner, Delaware County, PA Daily Times Friday, January 16, 2009/

OT: More fashion in comics

Years ago, Isaac Mizrahi did an expensive booklet series called Sandee the Supermodel. Last year, there was an exhibit on superhero fashion (or lack thereof) in New York. And now the press release that follows points out this new Italian book which seems interesting... AND has another cartoon picture of Obama!

Available in the best bookstores as from February 2009
aleXsandro Palombo
VANITAS, INSHALLAH
XI years of dreamlike color

The fashion world portrayed in the incisive and brilliant illustrations of aleXsandro Palombo in a poetic and colorful universe, surreal and provocative in a new book in the series "Chic et Simpliciter" from Hazard Editions. The first catwalk-book ever.

VANITAS, INSHALLAH is a veritable illustrated tale, extravagant and provocative right from the title, which leads into the imaginary and poetic universe of aleXsandro Palombo, revisiting eleven years of his creations: colors and memories, places and icons, slogans and insights.

A journey into the world of fashion in which real and surreal pursue each other along the lines traced by one of the most original and surprising talents in Italian and international fashion, a succession of illustrations with an unmistakable line that conveys with utter simplicity the thoughts and inner world of the artist, an endless moving archive, a gallery of relics and surreal hypotheses, precognitions and fantasies.

One hundred unpublished plates, composing a hymn to the poetic of color and epitomizing Palombo’s whole development, enable readers to experience a dream called fashion between imagination and provocation.

Accompanying readers on this adventure is Vanitas, the clown whose task is to act as a guide to memories and dreams, until the fateful moment of the fashion show in which the journey culminates. And it is at this point that Vanitas reveals Palombo’s new creations in the world’s first illustrated fashion show.

The reader becomes a privileged guest who can share the rituals of fashion - the show and favored guests, backstage and the catwalk, the creations and provocations, models and fashion writers…

As in a powerful snapshot, Palombo’s rapid, profound line illustrates the vices and virtues of the fashion world, building up with scathing irony to a surprising finale.

The power of the pages illustrated by Palombo needs no commentary and for this reason the volume contains no critical texts but only a series of intimate and private presentations written by those with a close knowledge of his personality, rich and intuitive, retiring and reserved.

This volume reveals the dreams of Palombo as illustrator and narrator of anecdotes, revealing an artistic temperament, unknown even to those who follow carefully his many-sided activities, which he has always maintained complete reserve.

He does so in the simple language of dreams, of fantasies that are joyous and sad, rich and allusive, original and profound, while always preserving that elusive and unrepeatable element which is a trait of his style.

The publisher Giovanni Miriantini declares: "I at once realized I was dealing with a great artist. His illustrations, graphically and chromatically perfect, create a sort of interplay between earthly and celestial, human and divine."

Founded in 1986, Hazard Editions is distinguished by the high quality of its publications in the field of comics d’auteur and artistic illustration. Its publications include works by authors such as Dino Battaglia, Enki Bilal, Silvio Cadelo, Philippe Druillet, Federico Fellini and Milo Manara, Hans Rüdi Giger, Dave McKean, Leiji Matsumoto, Lorenzo Mattotti, Sanpei Shirato, Josè Munoz, Posy Simmonds, Jacques Tardi and Osamu Tezuka.

The series "Chic et Simpliciter", devoted to great fashion illustrators, over the years has brought out volumes devoted to Maddalena Sisto, Ruben Toledo, Antonio Lopez and François Berthoud.

OT: Mautner's Dilbert interview

Chris Mautner has posted his entire interview with Scott Adams on his blog and it's really interesting.

Thompson and Cavna - together like never again

Cavna at Comic Riffs has Our Man Thompson's deep reflections on Bush's departure - and hopefully that'll be the last time we see them reflect on Turdblossom's nom-de-guerre bestower.

And remember you can still buy Richard's drawing of FD Obamavelt on stuff too.

Curtis joining Luann in DC for inauguration

Curtis is apparently joining Luann , the Rudy Park cast, and Verne in DC for Obama's inauguration. The Post is raising its price from 75 cents to 2 dollars on Tuesday, so perhaps the strips are getting an extra cut and can afford the trip.

Nah, I didn't think so either. Maybe they're all crashing with the Cul de Sac gang.

April 15: NEW ANIME CONVENTION IN MARYLAND

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For information, contact:
Sophie Song
President of Centennial High School Anime Club
president.chsanime@gmail.com
609.220.1955

NEW ANIME CONVETION IN MARYLAND
Officially called CHS Otaku Fest 2009

Ellicott City, MD January 11, 2009 – Centennial High School Anime Club is pleased to announce that it will be hosting its first ever anime convention on April 25th, 2009 called CHS Otaku Fest.

This one day convention is a celebration of all things anime and otaku. Our activities will include 1) Anime and Japanese movie screening 2) Discussion panels and workshops hosted by fans 3) Video Game room and tournaments 4) Masquerade 5) AMV contest 6) Dealer’s Area 7) Artist Alley 8) Asian food and Snacks 9) Crazy Otaku Challenges (i.e. Ramen Eating Contest, Haruhi Dance Competition, etc) 10) Cosplay Photo Areas (visit our cosplay meet up thread on the forum) and 11)Live Band performance (Local bands). Other activities may be announced over time.

Those interested in attending, becoming a sponsor, dealer, panelist, selling your art or advertising with us or anything else please visit our website at otaku-fest.webs.com or contact president.chsanime@gmail.com. General information about the convention on the bottom.

About The Centennial High Anime club: This organization is an entirely high school based club with about 40 active members. The club has been an establishment in the school since 2005 and is gaining membership annually. It is a place for otaku to gather and meet while relaxing and discussing anime and the community at large. Our elected leadership is always looking to expand the club’s reach, educate our members and get them involved in the otaku community. We’ve recently begun hosting public events and we have high hopes for this con. Our current leadership, President Sophie Song, and other organizers for this event have been with the club since its founding and are excited to see it expand.

Otaku Fest information
Date: Saturday April 25th, 2009
Time: 9:30 am to 9:30 pm
Location: Centennial High School
4300 Centennial Lane
Ellicott City, MD 21042
Registration fee: $15 before April 5th and $20 after. There is a $3 discount to groups of 10 or more ($12 per person before 4/5/09 and $17 after 4/5/09). At-the-door registration is $22.
For additional information visit: otaku-fest.webs.com
E-mail: president.chsanime@gmail.com

March 5: Book of Esther comic art exhibit

Sayeth Edward Gunts in the Baltimore Sun:

5. Biblical art: From March 5 to July 26, the Jewish Museum of Maryland (jewishmuseummd.org), 15 Lloyd St.,will present Drawing on Tradition: The Book of Esther as Graphic Novel. It's a retelling of the Book of Esther in comic-strip form by artist J.T. Waldman.

Comics Riffs checks in with Stantis and Luckovich

Cavna continues his roll by getting comments on post-Bush political cartooning from Mike Luckovich and Scott Stantis - "Cartoonists Bemoan the Bush Buh-Bye (Part 2)," By Michael Cavna, January 15, 2009.

Ullman, Ullman, Ullman, Ullman, Ullman

Five illos by Rob Ullman in this week's (January 15) Washington City Paper, one of which is the traditional scantily-clad girl that we got used to seeing when he illustrated Savage Love. One's on Obama-influenced menus. One's on the difficulty of counting attendees when the Park Service refuses to do it for you. Unfortunately one is just a broom and another is a Masonic symbol. Still, it's good to see him in there again.

Even Federal Computer Week's cartoonist is doing inauguration cartoons

John Klossner, in a post "You’re new around here, aren’t you?" Federal Computer Week's John Klossner blog Jan 13, 2009, does a couple of inauguration cartoons while noting, "Having never lived in the greater Washington, D.C., region, I've never experienced a presidential transition on the streets. From the stories I've heard, it sounds like every August/September in a college town (an experience I have had), only with better dressed people and less drinking (I'm referring to the college town). I imagine it helps that this happens only once every 4 or 8 years. Is it like giving birth, where you forget the pain, allowing you to go through it again?"

Yeah, it's something like that, John.

Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers 1971 film - more on the lost short

Joel Pollack's original art for the movie poster. Thanks to Joel for letting me use it (and then giving it to me!)

I spoke with one of the men behind the movie The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers Acquire a Groupie (USA: Reel Meat, ca 1971) tonight after Joel Pollack passed along his contact information. Joel Jacobson called and we talked about his role in creating the short film. The amateur live action short was originally approved by Shelton, although his permission was later revoked. The filmmakers were Bill Pace and Celia Symborski, aided to a large extent by Joel Jacobson who did much of the actual production work. The actors were Jeff Wolfe as Fat Freddy, Tom Scott as Freewheelin' Frank, and Dave Eisner as Phineas.

Mr. Jacobson told me how he got involved in the project.

“I was producing films, actually freelancing. I ended up making education films, but I was doing freelance editing and camera work. I owned everything, all my lights, and sound gear, and I had an editing room in my house. I had a whole bunch of stuff so I could work with an assistant if I needed to.”

“As a kid, I remember seeing the entire Captain Marvel series in Atlanta, GA around 1942 at the neighborhood theater. That was the serial I saw every single chapter of. The Janus Theater showed the entire Batman serial end to end all the way through around 1965.”

“Prior to 1971, in 1969 I did a thing on the Counter-Inauguration with the Yippies demonstrating against the real inauguration of Nixon. That was shown at the Circle Theater, although I didn’t make any money on it. Sometime in the 1970s I started producing stuff.”

He wanted to help Pace and Symbarski because he thought he’d give them the help that he would have liked to have gotten as a young filmmaker. He essentially shot the film for them, using his equipment including sound equipment, lights and a Steenbeck film editing machine. They shot the film in Takoma Park, MD, “where Bill and Cel worked at Maggie’s Farm, a head shop, as well as being students at the University of Maryland, so a lot of the props probably came from there.” This wasn’t an official school project for them though. Eventually he realized that he was doing a lot of the work for them, which to him meant they wouldn’t mature as filmmakers, so he stopped doing so much (which appears to have led to some tensions).

“The show itself didn’t really follow the comic strip faithfully.” Instead of the Princess and the pea ending of the comic strip, “We ended up with the guys taking a toke on a bong. What I did was, I shot the guy and then I shot the scene without the guy, and then I had vibrating thing like a jew’s-harp make a sound, and then the guy vanishes to the bwoooiiing sound when taking a bong hit… It drew a really big laugh.”

Eventually they had to scratch out “Fabulous Furry Freak Bros.” on the release print after Gilbert Shelton objected. The movie was shown to the public though. It was shown at Biograph Theater by Alan Rubin, one of the theater owners.

“They used to have something called Expose Yourself where people would bring films to show. Bill and Cel showed up on Alan’s night and asked if they could show it, and Al said yes and showed it that night. They thought they’d have to go through a procedure, but Al just set up a 16mm projector and showed it right then.” It was shown several times.

Neither he nor Joel Pollack know what happened to Bill Pace. Mr. Jacobson noted that Bill Pace always “carried a wine skin with him and always had a buzz.” Celia Symbarski died after a motorcycle accident. Neither man knows if any copies of the film survive.

Another entry for the Secret History of Comics. If anyone knows of the whereabouts of the film, please contact us!

[1/27/2020: Symbarski corrected to Symborski, per Joel Pollack].

Spider-Man and Obama - a missed opportunity editorial

Marvel completely shot themselves and comics retailers in the collective foot by the way they handled this. I stopped at Big Planet at lunchtime and the phone was ringing off the hook with people calling for the Obama cover of Amazing Spider-Man 583 - which Big Planet didn't have due to the way Marvel released it. Marvel isn't going to make any money on the secondary market for these, and most retailers won't either.

What if you invited people to a party and then didn't actually have it? That's pretty much what Marvel did here, leaving all kinds of money in people's pockets instead of providing the comic book that they did want. It's no wonder that comic books are in trouble, with sales falling year after year, if this is the way they market them.

Stan Lee AND Zombie comics at Comic Riffs

Cavna ups the Washington comics blogger ante by getting Stan Lee to talk about Obama meeting Spider-Man - "Obama the Comic Superstar: Stan Lee Explains All..." By Michael Cavna, Washington Post Comic Riffs blog January 14, 2009. I think it's a little unfair because he can say he's from the Washington Post...

But he's not writing about the type of zombies you'd expect from visiting a comic book store where there's at least 2 good-selling zombie comics, one of which deserves to be (Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead) and the other which is just a bad idea even if it makes money (Marvel Zombies). Cavna writes about strips that are either done by dead people (Peanuts) or continued by other hands (Blondie, Dennis the Menace, Hagar). And he's got another neat chart.

Jillian Tamaki illo for NY Times today

Jillian Tamaki's been doing illos for NY Times for a while and there's one in today's Science Times section.

Rob Ullman's Richmond Magazine strip

Every time I pick up the City Paper, I miss Rob's illos for Savage Love. In fact, I barely bother to glance at the column anymore. Rob's got a new gig, Traffic & Weather, which appears to be a weekly online strip, for Richmond Magazine. Kudos to Journalista! for noticing it.

Library of Congress Swann Fellowship applications due next month

Feb. 13 is deadline to receive Swann Fellowship applications. Up to $15,000 is awarded annually to a qualified graduate student applicant or smaller award(s) to several to support scholarly research in caricature and cartoon by the Swann Foundation administered by the Library of Congress. For criteria, application forms, and list of funded projects, please see http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/swannhome.html. Email swann@loc.gov if you have questions.

Martha H. Kennedy
Associate Curator, Popular & Applied Graphic Art
Prints and Photographs Division
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave. SE
Washington, DC 20540-4730
Ph.: 202/707-9115 Fax: 202/707-6647

Greg Bennett notes Robert Goodin's blog

Greg Bennett forward Robert Goodin's message about his new blog to me. Since Greg has excellent taste, I'm noting it for you, and planning on buying The Man Man Who Loved Breasts tomorrow:

I've just launched a blog called Covered that has an artist redrawing a comic cover in their own style. Participating artists will come from the fields of comics, animation, graphic design, and galleries from all over the world and some will be well known and some not so well known.

Please check it out and feel free to leave feedback in the comments section. I just ask that you be civil.

http://coveredblog.blogspot.com

Rob

http://www.robertgoodin.com/

original art available at:

http://www.comicartcollective.com/goodin/

More on Harvey Pekar's opera

This blog post talks about how Robert Crumb ties into Harvey's libretto - "Harvey Pekar's jazz opera to be performed this month in Oberlin," by Michael Heaton/Plain Dealer Reporter, Monday January 12, 2009.

Stan Lee interview on Comic Riffs blog tomorrow

Michael Cavna has snaffled up another great interview - Stan Lee will be ... um quoted, he's already been interviewed... tomorrow!

And Michael's actually drawn something for his blog, mocking Sally Forth's poor husband Ted. Nice chart though!

Political humor CFP in DC

A call for papers announcement courtesy of ComicsDC buddy Jeff Reznick. Although this says it's in DC, it appears to be run by the University of Southern California?

ASA--Political Humor in the post-9/11 Era
Location: District of Columbia, United States
Call for Papers Date: 2009-01-17 (in 4 days)
Date Submitted: 2009-01-08
Announcement ID: 166146

Political Humor in the post-9/11 Era:
Papers on all aspects of political humor and satire are welcome: stand-up, visual and cartoon humor, film and television, etc. Papers focusing on humor and 9/11, George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Guantanamo, Dick Cheney, or any other political question of the era are welcome. Focus should be on humor in the 2000s from an American or cross-cultural perspective. Comparative pieces discussing connections between another era and the 2000s will also be considered.

Proposals are due by January 17, 2009.

Lanita Jacobs-Huey
Department of Anthropology
Program in American Studies and Ethnicity
jacobshu@usc.edu

Luann is coming to DC, but so is everyone else...

Luann is coming to DC, but so is everyone else ...except for her buddy Delta whose idea it was.

In the meantime, we also appear to be getting Verne, the turtle from Over the Hedge and the entire cast from Rudy Park.

Spider-Man and Obama cover at Annapolis store

This letter came over the e-transom today; I think Annapolis is close enough for real comics collectors, don't you? By the way, those three links are the most I've seen for a comics store - the Web 2.0 idea is spreading.

Not sure how close you'd consider Annapolis in relation to the DC area, but we will have a good number of the Obama cover on hand, to at least last us through the week (I might be overly optimistic about this though). Just wanted to give you the heads up after seeing your blog post on this big event. We plan on tomorrow being a very big day here at the shop.

Thanks!

Steve

http://www.thirdeyecomics.com
http://www.myspace.com/3rdeyecomics
http://thirdeyecomicsblog.blogspot.com
15 Old Solomon's Island Rd
Suite 102
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410)897-0322

More on Jeff Kinney and Wimpy Kid

The former U of Md cartoonist was featured in USA Today to go with the weekend profile in the NY Times. See "'Wimpy Kid: Last Straw' opens another 'gateway' to reading," By Bob Minzesheimer, USA TODAY January 12 2009. At the end of this article, one of the five series he recommends to get kids reading is Calvin and Hobbes. I always liked the Encyclopedia Brown books he also suggests and recently picked some up for my daughter (who reads Wimpy Kid too).

Mark Wheatley interview

Marylander Mark Wheatley is interviewed by Amanda Sheriff (I think) about his new e-strip in "Lone Justice: Crash! -- Free Scoop Preview," Scoop (January 9 2009). The article begins, "Scoop covered EZ Street when it debuted, when it concluded, and when it made its limited edition print debut, so it only makes sense that we'd also feature the spin-off "created" by the main characters of the previous story when it became its own graphic novel, right?

Say what?

If that doesn't exactly make sense – and we're not voting either way – here's how it worked out: In EZ Street, creators Mark Wheatley (Mars, Breathtaker) and Robert Tinnell (The Black Forest, Feast of the Seven Fishes) told the story of two brothers who were creators in the worlds of comics and film. Intermingled with the story of the brothers was the story the brothers were attempting to create, Lone Justice."

I completely missed the print edition. Did anyone see it?

Comic Riffs calls cartoonists on Bush

See "What Will You Miss About Bush? Top Cartoonists Tell Us," By Michael Cavna, Washington Post Comic Riffs January 12, 2009.

Michael's got quotes from some local cartoonists too like Might Matt Wuerker and Terrible Ann Telnaes... oh, wait, this isn't my wrestling blog...

More on Pekar's opera

See "Cleveland’s chronicler of the mundane is going avant-garde with an opera at Oberlin College," Cindy Leise, The Chronicle-Telegram January 11 2009.

Pekar, Feiffer and Jaffee interviewed in NYC

These should be good. I've never met Jaffee, but Feiffer and Pekar are fun to hear.

INTERVIEW SERIES WITH AL JAFFEE, JULES FEIFFER, HARVEY PEKAR IN NEW YORK BEGINS WEDS. JANUARY 21.

New York, January 11, 2009

From Danny Fingeroth:

The YIVO Institute presents one-on-one interviews with three titans comics, whose work has had seismic effects on the general culture.

Al JAFFEE, JULES FEIFFER, and HARVEY PEKAR will be interviewed by comics writer and critic DANNY FINGEROTH.

YIVO’s “Comics and the American Jewish Dream” series kicks off WEDS. JAN 21 at 7:00 pm with:

"The MAD, MAD, MAD (Jewish) World of AL JAFFEE"

A graduate of New York’s High School of Art and Design, JAFFEE worked as an editor, writer and artist for Stan Lee at Timely (later Marvel) Comics during the 1940s. In 1955, Jaffee joined “the Usual Gang of Idiots” at MAD Magazine, where he’s been a mainstay ever since, entertaining generations with his Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions and Mad Fold-Ins. Join us as JAFFEE provides snappy answers to provocative questions about his art and life, including his new book, Tall Tales (Abrams).

About Danny Fingeroth:
Series curator and moderator DANNY FINGEROTH, a longtime writer and editor at Marvel Comics, has spoken about comics at the Smithsonian Institution and The New School. He’s the author of Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero (Continuum) and The Rough Guide to Graphic Novels (Penguin).

Wednesday, January 21, 7:00
The YIVO Institute For Jewish Research
15 West 16th Street / New York, NY 10011

Series Continues With
JULES FEIFFER: Tuesday, February 3, 7:00 P.M.
HARVEY PEKAR: Tuesday, February 17, 7:00 P.M.

ADMISSION TO PROGRAMS: $25 / YIVO members: $18 / students: $12
FOR TICKETS: Call 212-868-4444 or visit WWW.SMARTTIX.COM
FOR MORE INFO VISIT WWW.YIVO.ORG

Hero Initiative charity selling memberships

To go along with my Comic Book Legal Defense Fund membership, I've joined Hero Initiative which is now offering memberships. Hero Initiative helps down-on-their-luck comic book creators. Different levels of membership can be purchased through this site.

NY Times on Waltz with Bashir and Radical Children's books

"Children of the Left, Unite!," By CALEB CRAIN, New York Times Book Review January 11, 2009 reviews Julia L. Mickenberg and Philip Nel's Tales for Little Rebels: A Collection of Radical Children’s Literature (New York University, $32.95) which features Syd Hoff and Walt Kelly.

"The Peacemaker: Questions for Ari Folman," Interview by DEBORAH SOLOMON, New York Times Magazine January 11, 2009 is more about Folman than his animated movie.

And Gene Yang's Prime Baby comic strip is still appearing.

"Where can I get the President Obama meets Spider-Man comic book?"

People who know I collect comics have been asking me about getting copies of Amazing Spider-Man 583, the President Obama meets Spider-Man issue, coming out this Wednesday. The issue will have two covers - one of which features Obama (pictured on right) and one regular issue which does not (pictured below). All of the stores listed here will have gotten the regular issue as part of their normal ordering process and should have copies of that for sale. Marvel Comics made getting the Obama cover more difficult by first not telling retailers that it would be a special issue, and then offering the two covers and requiring retailers to buy a certain amount of the standard cover before they could order the Obama cover.

Marvel's website has a story on the comic - "Marvel Team-Up: Spidey/Obama Spider-Man editor Steve Wacker talks about the Webhead’s historic meeting with president-elect Barack Obama" By Matt Powell, 2009-01-09.

In my first real act of reporting, I've called some local stores to see if they'll have the Obama meets Spider-Man cover.

Laughing Ogre stores in Lansdowne and Fairfax (near Burke) are going to be your best bet. One of the clerks, Frazier says, "We're taking reservations, but will only have so many." Drew, the assistant manager, told me, "We're limiting people to two copies at first to make sure that everyone who wants a copy will get one. It was a special order thing so you had to be on top of it."

Alliance Comics is in Silver Spring (the store that used to be Geppi's back in the day) and Bowie, MD. Troy Allen of the Silver Spring store says "Marvel dropped this on people at the last minute and our orders had already been placed so we're hoping to have enough to get through the day and then they'll probably fast-track the reprint, if the Death of Captain America is any indication." Some of the people in the store are working on their own comic book as well, so check back for more details.

Big Monkey Comics has been reserving comics for people who have been calling in and hopes to have some to sell on the rack - Assistant Manager of the DC store James Rambo says, "We've been reserving copies and have gotten a ton of reserves. We're definitely going to have to get extra copies in."

Beyond Comics of Frederick and Gaithersburg, MD has enough to cover to their subscribers and a couple of extra copies because "Marvel didn't release news about what would be in the issue until the after the initial order, and then had a very short reorder period" during the week before Christmas.

Joel Pollack of Big Planet Comics's Bethesda store said, "Marvel, in their infinite wisdom, made it impossible for us to get a reasonable number of copies of the Obama cover. We will try to fulfill subs with the Obama cover, but cannot guarantee it. We will be getting the Obama cover second-prints, hopefully on January 21."

Fantom Comics in Tenleytown and Union Station will have just the regular Spider-man issue, which still has the story featuring Obama, and hopes to have enough copies for people to drop in and buy them.

Barbarian Book Store is in the Wheaton Triangle, but does not appear to have a functioning website and the telephone number I found on the web goes to a payphone.

Any other stores in the area who would like to let me know about their plans is welcome to write in: mrhode@gmail.com

For those who like to collect this type of comic, Obama met Savage Dragon last fall and also appeared before the election in a biographical comic book. And as Randy noted last week, the free alternative comics Bash Magazine that's on the streets now has an Obama caricature by Halbert as the cover.

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 01-14-09

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 01-14-09
By John Judy

ACTION COMICS #873 by Geoff Johns and Pete Woods. It’s the “New Krypton” finale featuring the fate of 100,000 peeved Kryptonians. What could go wrong?

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583 by Mark Waid and Barry Kitson. Okay, there’s some hearts and flowers in this one, but what you really care about is that THIS IS THE ONE WITH BARACK OBAMA ON THE COVER!!! Yes, the one that all the stupid mainstream media has been talking about, getting all the straights excited to get a copy even if they use it as a dartboard in their unfinished rec room/meth labs. Point being: If you’re a regular reader and want to be sure you get a copy of this book you should contact your Favorite Retailer immediately to arrange a set-aside. Or just buy the non-Obama cover. This one will no doubt be on E-Bay quickly to squeeze the feebs who think it’ll be worth $$$ someday so brace yourselves. And rest assured Marvel will have a second printing out in a couple of weeks.

BONE COLOR EDITION, VOL. 9: CROWN OF HORNS SC written and drawn by Jeff Smith. Collecting and colorizing the final six issues of Smith’s epic comic fantasy, this is fine addition to any bookshelf. Great fun for all ages and one of Time magazine’s Top Ten Graphic Novels of All Time. Recommended!

BPRD: BLACK GODDESS #1 of 5 by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi and Guy Davis. Agent Liz Sherman’s been kidnapped and it’s up to her fellow BPRDers to get her back! That should be good for a few dust-ups and knockings of the heads. Plus gators. Angry, hungry gators!

CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI:13 #9 by Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk. The gang’s in Hell after being betrayed by that rat Captain Midlands. Also Meggan is back (honest!) and the Black Knight faces some personal discomfort. This is a much better book than you old EXCALIBUR readers might think. Give ‘er a spin!

FACES OF EVIL: PROMETHEUS #1 by Sterling Gates and Frederico Dalbochio. The guy who once defeated the JLA all by his lonesome is back at his old tricks. This time will the heroes stay defeated?

FINAL CRISIS #6 of 7 by Grant Morrison and His Band of Renown. Darkseid, Apokolips, New Gods, Anti-Life, Monitors, Multiverse… Oops. I think I just leaked the script. Sorry.

PUNISHER WAR ZONE #5 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Frank and his drugged out stoolie just had their car machine-gunned to bits by a mad Yuppie and his vengeful Mafia zombie-clone. Does it get better than this? No, it does not. Read it!

RASL, VOL. 1: DRIFT SC written and drawn by Jeff Smith. The first trade edition of Smith’s bad-boy, dimension-hopping art thief includes and extra three-page scene that got cut from the regular comic. Add to that the larger 9”x12” page dimensions and you’ve got one handsome bit of graphic novel goodness. Recommended.

SOLOMON KANE #4 of 5 by Scott Allie and Mario Guevara. At last, the Puritan Punisher is fighting a guy who turns into a wolf! Come on! Give it a look! It’s good!

TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA HC written and drawn by Shaun Tan. Fifteen short stories from the award-winning creator of THE ARRIVAL. Teens and up.

www.johnjudy.net

Maryland creator Mike Imboden profiled at Pulse!

See "MIKE IMBODEN RAISING THE FIST OF JUSTICE," Jennifer M. Contino, Comicon's The Pulse (January 6 2009).

Zadzooks on Indiana Jones and Lord of the Rings

This week's column is mostly about toys, but has a bit about comics at the end - "Gandalf the Grey and Indiana Jones," Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

Paul Richard on Walt Disney's fine art status

Here's an excellent article - although when these start appearing, you have to worry about the art form having ossified -
"UNDER WALT'S SPELL: Disney Is No Mickey Mouse Figure in the World of Art" By Paul Richard, Special to The Washington Post, Sunday, January 11, 2009; M06. Given the 'fine art' pieces that Richard quotes, which cover a period of 40 years at least, I suppose that argument is already over about Disney.

Maryland animation festival reported a success

See "Annual cartoon fest draws young and old," By Ashley Andyshak, Frederick News-Post Staff January 11, 2009.

That Darn Toles ... continued

More Toles Is the Solution
Washington Post (January 11 2009)

As with many of the world's complex problems, a solution may be so simple that it is overlooked. Take, for example, The Post's declining print circulation. The obvious solution is to simply chain Tom Toles to his desk and force him to produce not one but two editorial cartoons per day, seven days a week. Problem solved. Subscriptions will skyrocket. The Post is giving Toles way too much time off.

-- Dean Harger

Germantown

Dame Darcy exhibit in DC

The Post reported yesterday that Dame Darcy was in town for exhibit opening, and I missed it. The exhibit continues though: Also at the gallery is "Gasoline," featuring works by Dame Darcy, creator of the comic "Meat Cake." The show features work from Darcy's "Gasoline" graphic novel. The shows open tonight with a reception that includes a performance. (After the opening, an after-party is slated for Comet Ping Pong). Free. 7-10 p.m. (Dame Darcy will perform music at 9). The show runs through Feb. 7. Civilian Art Projects, 406 Seventh St. NW. 202-347-0022 or http://www.civilianartprojects.com.

Comics and movies

As longtime readers of this know, I have a running list of movies and tv adapted from comics that I publish as a book annually (theoretically at least, as I'm still doing the index to 2008's edition).

A couple of things to note this morning:

My buddy Bart Beaty's new book got an excellent review. The book is David Cronenberg's A History of Violence, By Bart Beaty, University of Toronto Press, 138 pages, $16.95. The review is "Good director, bon directeur," BY PIERS HANDLING, Toronto Globe and Mail Update January 8, 2009. Handling says, among other things, "Beaty does a superb job dissecting, interpreting and unpacking all the key moments of the film, revealing the tools a filmmaker, working at the height of his powers, brings to his canvas."

And then there's the Watchmen movie - "Studios Try to Settle ‘Watchmen’ Dispute," By MICHAEL CIEPLY, New York Times January 10, 2009. Cieply writes, "Mr. Karasik, joined by lawyers for Warner, had asked a court clerk on Friday if the judge would conduct a hearing in chambers, because they planned to discuss what he called “settlement issues.” The clerk conferred with Judge Feess, then returned to say that the judge would insist on a session open to the public." Hahahahaha! Good for the judge.

Cul de Sac sums up the end of the holidays

Richard's Jan 10th Cul de Sac strip absolutely captures the end of the holidays feeling that I'm having as I face taking down the Christmas tree and outside ornaments today...

Geppi luncheon talk covered.

"Steven Geppi: Hard Work Gets Noticed," Jack McLaughlin, HBL Editor, Harford Business ledger 12/26/08. This was linked to from Scoop which is Diamond's weekly collector's e-newsletter.

Former U of MD cartoonist Jeff Kinney and Wimpy Kid profiled in NYT

Appearing on Sunday, but we've got it for you early - "Jeff Kinney: A Profile of the ‘Wimpy Kid’ Author," By JAN HOFFMAN, New York Times January 11, 2009 and "Hapless Boy Wins Eager Friends," By JAN HOFFMAN, New York Times January 11, 2009. If you get the paper, as I do, you'll have to remember that this is in the Style & Fashion section for some reason.

Fredericksburg, VA letterwriters slap around editorial cartoonist

Here's a couple of letters sent to the Fredericksburg (Virginia) Free Lance-Star about Clay Jones - Your cartoonist is not funny, FLS! and Throwing shoes at a president isn't funny.