Dec 11, 13: Tezuka Film Festival

At the Sackler Gallery...

FILMS OSAMU TEZUKA: GOD OF MANGA, FATHER OF ANIME 1001 NIGHTS Friday, December 11. 7 PM, Meyer Auditorium In person: Yoshihiro Shimizu, General Manager, Tezuka Productions   TEZUKA AND THE HISTORY OF ANIME Sunday, December 13. 2 PM, Meyer Auditorium In person: Yoshihiro Shimizu, General Manager, Tezuka Productions   (1001 Nights)

1050 Independence Ave. SW 202.633.1000 Metro: Smithsonian www.asia.si.edu publicaffairsAsia@si.edu

Warren Bernard's Herblock Lecture

Warren Bernard writes in:

I recently did a lecture at The Library of Congress on the cartoonist Herblock, incorporating a history of the art of the political cartoon. The lecture focuses on the work he did prior to coming to The Washington Post, a body of work that spanned 20 years of which little had been seen prior to the publication of "Herblock:The Life and Works of The Great Political Cartoonist". There is a DVD with this book that contains all 18,000 of his known cartoons, which I edited.

For those of you so disposed, here is the video of the lecture:

http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=4768

Cartoonists' Christmas cards on display? UPDATED

An article in today's Express mentions cartoonists as being included in the Season's Greetings exhibit at the Archives of American Art in the American Art building on 9th and F Sts, NW. If anyone beats me to the exhibit, let us know who's in the show, since the website doesn't.

In the comments, we are informed (presumably by an AAA staff member):

Al Freuh
Ralph Fabri
Harry Haenigsen
Frances Foot
Janet LaSalle
Norman Kent
Everett Charles Hart
Michael Ponce de León
Boris Artzybasheff
Harrison Cady
Walt Kuhn
Ralph Barton
Ad Reinhardt

Politics and Prose Bookstores' best graphic literature of the year

Adam and the gang at Politics and Prose Bookstores have put up their list of best graphic literature of the year.

Dec 16: Michael Dirda at White Oak library

From the Politics and Prose newsletter. Dirda writes infrequently on comics, most recently on Herge.

Wednesday, December 16, 7 p.m.

The White Oak Library
11701 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD
MICHAEL DIRDA
CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE (Mariner Books, $15)
Michael Dirda, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic for The Washington Post, will appear at White Oak Library to discuss his latest book and his work as a literary critic. No registration is needed for this free event.

OT: Dark Horse Comics archive to Portland State University Library

Here's a good overview article on the 2008 donation of Dark Horse Comics archives to Portland State University Library.

(cross-posted to IJOCA's blog)

NPR's Weldon opines on motion comics

Wolverine Meets Ken Burns: The Motion Comic, Considered (And A Video Extra), By Glen Weldon, National Public Radio's Monkey See blog December 9, 2009. I confess that I don't really see the point of them either.

Here's a bibliography on motion comics that will be part of the 500-page comic art bibliography making up IJOCA 11-3. Entries marked * are new and won't be in the print version.

Motion Comics
Albrecht, Chris. 2008. Comic Books Evolve, from Ink to Internet; Although print comics are still thriving, Marvel and DC Comics are getting a head start on finding digital outlets for their properties [motion comics]. Business Week (August 22): http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2008/tc20080821_870628.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_technology

Associated Press. 2008. 'Peanuts' Goes Hi-tech With Animated Webisodes [motion comics]. Editor and Publisher Online (November 3):
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/departments/syndicates/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003886371

Berlin, Leslie. 2008. The Comics Are Feeling the Pain of Print [newspaper comic strips, motion comics]. New York Times (December 28). Online at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/business/media/28proto.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Binazeski, Peter. 2008. Warner Premiere's Motion Comics Launches with Highly Anticipated Debut Episodes of "Watchmen" and "Batman: Mad Love". Business Wire (July 18):
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/warner-premieres-motion-comics-launches/story.aspx?guid=%7BEAB68E13-FD5E-47E3-A816-CF56AAC2E700%7D&dist=hppr

Brady, Matt. 2008. SDCC 08: From Paul Levitz's Point of View [DC Comics, inc. Watchmen Motion Comic]. Newsarama (August 11): http://www.newsarama.com/comics/080811-SDCC08-Levitz.html

Brevoort, Tom. 2009. Marvel Hotline: Brevoort on Spider-Woman; Executive Editor Tom Brevoort gets us inside the next great phase in Marvel storytelling! [motion comics]. Marvel.com (August 19): http://marvel.com/news/comicstories.9234.Marvel_Hotline~colon~_Brevoort_on_Spider-Woman

Contino, Jennifer M. 2008. Michael Jantze On Creating Youtube's "How To" The Birds & The Biz [inc. motion comics]. Comicon's The Pulse (September 10): http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=36;t=007463

Cruz, Gilbert. 2008. Stephen King, Ready for Download [motion comics]. Time (August 12): http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1832062,00.html

Franklin, Eric. 2008. New life for old Batman comic [motion comics]. CNET's Crave (December 9): http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10119457-1.html

Fritz, Steve. 2009. Animated Shorts: Watchmen Motion Comic, Black Freighter. Newsarama (March 17): http://www.newsarama.com/tv/090317-animated-shorts.html

Furey, Emmett. 2009. Katt, Folino & Pare Talk "Sparks" Motion Comic. Comic Book Resources (January 23): http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=19675

Goellner, Caleb. 2009. Talking with IDW's New ePublishing Director [motion comics]. Comic Book Resources (May 26): http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21347

Hudson, Laura. 2008. Paul Levitz Talks Digital Comics. Publishers Weekly’s PW Comics Week (August 26): http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6590126.html

Hudson, Laura. 2008. The Future Is Almost Now; Publishers are taking a close look at a variety of models—from the Web and mobile phones to iTunes and the Sony Reader—for the digital delivery of comics [motion comics]. Publishers Weekly (August 18): http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6587963.html

Hudson, Laura. 2009. Marvel Makes Motion Comics, DC Teases New Format. Publishers Weekly (February 9): http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6636198.html

Katt, William. 2009. William Katt Presents - Sparks on iTunes [iPod motion comics]. Newsarama (January 27):
http://www.newsarama.com/common/media/video/player.php?aid=25556

Kit, Borys. 2008. Batman, Superman get animated; Set for digital-motion treatment from Warners, DC [motion comics]. Hollywood Reporter (October 8): http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i7e19cce243eb21aa51690a063cbe5edf

Kit, Borys. 2009. Comic book icon signs with ICM; Neal Adams, Continuity Studios eye feature films [and motion comics]. Hollywood Reporter (August 3): http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3icaec2feffc977edc6bc9fc961255105d

Long, Geoffrey. 2008. Motion Comics: A State of the Art. Gutter Geek (October): http://www.guttergeek.com/page184/october2008/motioncomics/motioncomics.html

Mahadeo, Kevin. 2009. Marvel in motion: ‘Spider-Woman’ swings onto Web with new digital comics initiative. Wizard (210; April): 10-11

McBride, Sarah. 2008. Web Draws on Comics; Online Shorts Boost Batman [motion comics]. Wall Street Journal (July 18): B10. Online at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121634908179464605.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Moondaughter, Wolfen. 2009. Comix that Zzizzl: Dennis Morrison [motion comics]. Sequential Tart (August 10): http://www.sequentialtart.com/article.php?id=1466

Phegley, Kiel. 2009. Giving Spider-Woman the Motion. Comic Book Resources (August 28):
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22724

Pizzolo, Matt. 2009. 'Motion Comics' vs 'Illustrated Films' - Analysis of Watchmen & Godkiller; Award-winning filmmaker Matt Pizzolo compares and contrasts the newest animation formats based on an analysis of Warner Premiere's Watchmen motion comics and Halo-8's Godkiller illustrated film. PRWEB (May 7): http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/05/prweb2394914.htm

Richards, Dave. 2009. Bendis Talks Spider-Woman [motion comic]. Comic Book Resources (August 19): http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22595

Rogers, Vaneta. 2009. SDCC 09: The Future In Motion: Katt, Pare talk Sparks. Newsarama (July 23): http://www.newsarama.com/comics/070923-MotionComics.html

Rogers, Vaneta. 2009. NYCC '09 - Brian Bendis on Spider-Woman Motion Comics. Newsarama (February 8): http://www.newsarama.com/comics/020908-Spider-Woman-Bendis.html

Rogers, Vaneta. 2009. The Future of e-Comic Books - Some Questions & Answers. Newsarama (April 9): http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090409-e-reader-comics.html

Rogers, Vaneta. 2009. The Q: Changing Technology, Changing Comics. Newsarama (May 26): http://www.newsarama.com/comics/050926-TheQ-Tech.html

Singh, Arune. 2009. You've Never Seen Marvel Move Like This Before! Marvel Launches First-Ever Original Motion Comic -- Spider-Woman. First episode available on iTunes on August 19, 2009 [press release]. Marvel Comics (August 19)

*Stone, Christine. 2009. Astonishing X-Men Motion Comic: Behind The Scenes. Newsarama (November): http://www.newsarama.com/common/media/video/player.php?aid=31734

Suintres, John. 2009. Word Balloon: Watchmen Motion Comics' Jake Hughes. Newsarama (January 28): http://www.newsarama.com/comics/010928-WB-Watchmen-Motion.html

Suintres, John. 2009. Brian Michael Bendis: Spider Woman Motion Comic. Newsarama (February 25): http://www.newsarama.com/common/media/video/player.php?aid=26244

Suintres, John. 2008. Word Balloon: Alex Ross - Batman, JSA and More [Batman: Black & White motion comics]. Newsarama (December 4): http://www.newsarama.com/comics/120804-Word-Balloon-Ross.html

Taylor, Kate. 2009. Watchmen, animated? It works; A new adaptation of a classic comic book sets a high standard for a relatively low-tech art form [motion comics]. Toronto Globe and Mail (June 8):
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/watchmen-animated-it-works/article1173722/

Wallenstein, Andrew. 2008. Warner home video arm sets live-action Web series [motion comics]. Hollywood Reporter (November 24): http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081124/media_nm/us_media_premiere_2

Dec 19: DRINK + DRAW! in Bethesda at Gallery Neptune

 

Neptune

gallery + studio

5001 Wilson Lane

Bethesda, Md. 20814

301-718-0809

www.galleryneptune.com

 

 

Gay bookstore Lambda Rising to close

Gay bookstore Lambda Rising to close says the Washington Post. The owner's reached retirement age, and I wish he'd sell his chain instead as there are a decent amount of both gay cartoonists and gay comics. Lamba Rising hosted Allison Bechdel signings when she was just doing 'Dykes to Watch Out For' (an excellent strip) and hadn't hit the big big time with 'Fun Home' (an excellent graphic biography).

With the loss of the Blade, gay comics in DC have taken quite a hit this year.

Comic Riffs looks for best comic strip of the decade

Michael Cavna's got the question up on his Washington Post blog.

Fantasy artist started as medical illustrator after graduating from Catholic University

It's All in the Cards: Veronica V. Jones

By Wolfen Moondaughter

November 30, 2009   

http://www.sequentialtart.com/article.php?id=1560

 

 

'Looking for Calvin and Hobbes' review in LA Times

Writing the story of the lovable comic strip pair proved to be more challenging than the author thought.
By Susan Salter Reynolds
Los Angeles Times

Joe Sacco reviewed in Washington Examiner

Joe Sacco's new book is reviewed in Washington Examiner, December 6, 2009, p. 26, but it doesn't appear to be online. Pull quotes:

"Having already established his reputations as the world's leading comics journalist, Sacco is now making a serious case to be considered one of the world's top journalists, period."

"Sacco's art is alternately epic and intimate, but he exceeds himself in the scope of his ambition (particularly in one sequence that shows in vivid terms how desert refugee camps from 1948 turned into the teeming slums of today). But it's his exacting and harrowing interviews that make this book an invaluable and wrenching piece of journalism."

The review is unsigned.

Disney's newest princess and the question of race

An op-ed piece on The Princess and the Frog from Disney - Spoiler alert: This Disney princess gets a job, By Sara Sarasohn, Washington Post December 6, 2009.

Harvey Pekar interview from 2000

Here's another interview that's not in my Harvey Pekar: Conversations, in case you want to print it out and tuck it in.

Q and A: Harvey Pekar in 2000
Words: Christopher Irving
Friday, December 4, 2009

Disney's Mulan reviewed in Post

The show's at Imagination Stage and here's the review - 'Mulan': This girl warrior is no China doll, By Celia Wren, Washington Post Saturday, December 5, 2009.

Dec 6 convention

THIS Sun, Dec. 6 - CapiCons Comic & Pop Culture Show - FREE Customer Admission*

- Our Guest Artist/Creator and President of Heritage Comics HSQ, Andre Campbell!
http://www.heritagecomicshsq.com

- 21st Century Sandshark Studios Presents Tim Dzon--Artist/Inker ("West Coast Avengers," "GI Joe", etc.)

- Chris Flick, writer/artist and creator of the webcomics "Capes-N-Babes", and "CMX Suite"
http://www.capesnbabes.com/
http://www.communitymx.com/flicks/index.cfm

*****

Sun, Dec. 6 - CapiCons Comic & Pop Culture Show at the Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Department. Our Guest will be Artist/Creator and President of Heritage Comics HSQ, Andre Campbell! AND 21st Century Sandshark Presents Tim Dzon--Artist/Inker (West Coast Avengers, GI Joe.) The show is open to the public from 10 am - 3 pm. Buy, sell and trade...gold, silver age and new comics; Magic and other gaming cards; Non-Sport Cards; Videos and DVDs; Anime; Horror; Sci-Fi; figures, toys; Star Wars and Star Trek memorabilia; original artwork, posters, T-shirts/clothing and various other comic related items. FREE customer admission for this show!

21st Century Sandshark Studios/Cards Comics & Collectibles/Doug Cheshire/Michael & Connie Creager/Chris Flick/
Donald and Kathy Gehl/Heritage Comics HSQ/FANDATA/J&M Comics/Outpost Station/Packcracker/Silver Fox Comics/TNT Comics/Steve Wagner/Tomorrow's Treasures/Wandering Rebel/Zeno's Books

...and MORE!!!!!!!!!!
...............

To get to the Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Department (located about 20 minutes west of Washington, D.C.), take I-495 (DC/Capital Beltway) to Exit 47A (Rt 7 West). Go 1/2 mile, Take a Left on Gallows Rd and proceed 1 mile to 2148 Gallows Rd.

Or visit our website for detailed directions and Mapquest directions:
http://www.capicons.com/directions_dlvfd.htm

Address for convention location (no mail, please):
Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Department
2148 Gallows Road
Dunn Loring, VA 22027

Quick Reviews for Comics Due 12-09-09

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 12-09-09

By John Judy

 

ADVENTURE COMICS #5 by Geoff Johns, Jerry Ordway and Francis Manapul.  Superboy-Prime versus the Black Lanterns!  Boy, who do you root for there?

 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #614 by Mark Waid and Paul Azaceta.  Spidey and J. Jonah Jameson must work together to stop Electro!  This would be a great time to be Electro.  Recommended.

 

DARK X-MEN #2 of 5 by Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk.  Nate Grey, X-Man, is back and Norman Osborn's Dark X-Men are nervous.  As well they ought!

 

DAYTRIPPER #1 of 10 by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon.  A couple of Eisner winners tackle the meaning of life in graphic form.  Gotta look!  Oh, and it's about a Brazilian obituary writer with a famous dad and how can you screw that up?  And it's named after a Beatles song and features an amazing cover!  Recommended.

 

DOOM PATROL #5 by Keith Giffen and Other People Who Are Not Keith Giffen.  The Doom Patrol versus their dead teammates.  One group outnumbers the other.

 

EX MACHINA, VOL. 8: DIRTY TRICKS SC by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris and Others.  Collecting issues 35-39 and the Halloween Special, this one features a terrific arc about a masked woman who wants to disrupt the 2004 GOP National Convention in New York.  (And then four years later they ran her for Vice-President!  Pow!)  Highly recommended.

 

GOD COMPLEX #1 by Michael Avon Oeming and John Broglia.  Greek god Apollo is living on the down-low among mortals, much to the chagrin of Big Daddy Zeus who would rather see him dead than slumming.  A book about families with issues, just in time for the holidays!  Awesome!

 

GOGO MONSTER GN written and drawn by Taiyo Matsumoto.  A little something from VIZ, a story of a boy who lives in two worlds; one where he's a ridiculed loner with an overactive imagination, another in which he's the only one who can see monsters vying for control of his school.  OK, that sounds like one world to me…

 

INCREDIBLE HULK #605 by Fred Van Lente and Ariel Olivetti.  Next on the bout card: Tyrannus and the moloids!  Hey, it can't be all A-listers all the time.  Hulk Junior needs to ease his way up with a few palookas now and then.  And let's not even discuss the Thundra-Shulk back-up feature.  Just like anything with Jar-Jar Binks, this never happened…

 

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #21 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca.  Tony Stark's friends must bring him back from his brain-dead, vegetative state.  Can they pry the copy of "Going Rogue" from his fingers?  Can they twist the tea-bag hat off his head?  Switching the TV from Glenn Beck to Cartoon Network is only the first step back from the abyss!  Recommended!

 

NATION X #1 of 4 by Various People.  There's X-Men in this!

 

NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL #3 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Mayhew.  The ladies of the Avengers have to bust Hawkeye out of jail.  I guess that would make them the Lady Liberators or something.  Superchicks + Jailbreak = WIN!

 

PUNISHERMAX #2 by Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon.  After sparing the Punisher's life last issue Wilson Fisk continues engineering the rise of the (til now) mythological Kingpin of Crime.  If you liked Garth Ennis writing PUNISHER you'll love this.  Highly recommended.  Not for kids.

 

SECRET SIX #16 by Gail Simone and Peter Nguyen.  Black Alice, the super-powerful goth chick who can do pretty much anything except make goth cool again, wants to join the Six.  Sadly, the math requires her to knock it down to Five first.  Great cover.  Recommended.

 

UNWRITTEN #8 by Mike Carey and Peter Gross.  Tommy Taylor's still in prison, which is a tough row to hoe if you're a guy who might really be a whimsical storybook character.  Recommended.

 

WALKING DEAD #68 by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard.  Rick and his crew meet another survivor on the way to DC.  Why does he look so cheerful?  Cue violins… Highly recommended.  Not for kids.

 

www.johnjudy.net

Dec 6: Eisner film at AFI in Silver Spring

Dec 6th 12pm AFI Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist

thanks to Liz for the tip

R. Fiore declares Cul de Sac "the best contemporary newspaper comic strip'

Comics Journal columnist R. Fiore declares Cul de Sac is "the best contemporary newspaper comic strip,' arguing with Bob Harvey over 9 Chickweed Lane. Heretically, I may agree with Bob, as Chickweed is continuing stories with a bit of spice in them; it really depends what I'm in the mood for though.