Thursday, May 03, 2012

Big Planet Comics Orbit Newsletter - May 3, 2012



Big Planet Comics

May 3, 2012

Free Comic Book Day Saturday!

This Saturday, May 5, is the annual Free Comic Book Day! As always, all of our stores are participating, so stop by and get some free comics! It's also a great time to bring your friends or children in too! We have been receiving our free comic books over the last few weeks, and there are a LOT this year. Avengers, DC New 52, Simpsons, Mega Man, a HARDCOVER from Archaia, Serenity, Star Wars, Yo Gabba Gabba, Adventure Time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Spider-Man, and more! You can see the full list of free comics at freecomicbookday.com

We are also having signings at two of our stores in conjunction with Free Comic Book Day. Jeremy Whitley and Jorge Aguirre, who both write great all ages comics (Princeless and Giants Beware!) will be at our Vienna store from 11-1 and our College Park store from 3-5. They will be signing copies of their comics, and happy to talk to young fans and readers too! More information is below.

We might also have a few special guests (like the Ghostbusters!)

Feel free to forward on our newsletter, and please send us any comments or mailing list requests to vienna@bigplanetcomics.com

Thanks!
 
- the Big Planet Comics kids

UPCOMING May 5 - Free Comic Book Day & Jeremy Whitley & Jorge Aguirre Signing

Free Comic Book Day is on Saturday! Bring your friends, we have a lot of great comics to give away this year! To see the complete list, go to freecomicbookday.com!

In addition, we are proud to present 2 great comic book writers, who have just published some great all-ages fantasy adventure comics! Jeremy Whitley writes Princeless, and Jorge Aguirre writes Giants Beware! They will be appearing at our Vienna and College Park stores.

11 am-1 pm
Big Planet Comics of Vienna
426 Maple Ave. East
Vienna, VA 22180
703-242-9412
vienna@bigplanetcomics.com

3 pm-5 pm
Big Planet Comics of College Park
7315 Baltimore Ave.
College Park, MD 20740
301-699-0498
bigplanetcollegepark@yahoo.com

___________________

Fallen Words SC

by Yoshihiro Tatsumi

Right after finishing his amazing autobiographic history of Japanese comics A Drifting Life, Tatsumi started a series of shorts based on humorous traditional moral stories, and this book has 8, from a poor man pretending to be rich, a man haunted by the ghosts of his wife AND his mistress, a dad trying to deal with his bratty kid, to a man who makes a deal with death! Strange twists, great stories, funny moments! Amazing!

Fury: My War Gone By #1

by Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov

In 1954, Nick Fury is stationed in Saigon as CIA station chief as the French try to hold on against the nationalist revolution of the Vietnamese. An idealistic young spy, a mysterious woman, and a tough French officer lead him out to an ill-positioned outpost deep in the jungle. Stark and fantastic, you can feel the danger building.

The Spider #1

by David Liss and Colton Worley
 
Richard Wentworth returns as the classic pulp vigilante, The Spider! He stalks and eliminates the scum of his city, but soon is confronted with what may be his worst foe yet, in a scene of shocking violence!

Dogs of War SC

by Johnny Zito, Tony Trov, Christian Weiser and Paul Maybury
 
A science team trying to terraform Mars is confronted by rebellion in the ranks as their leader seems to lose control, equipment malfunctions, and the possibility that they are not alone on Mars after all! An action-thriller in the mode of John Carpenter's The Thing.

Teen Boat HC

by Dave Roman and John Green

The angst of being a teen! The thrill of being a boat! Who needs werewolves when you have a wereboat? Teen Boat has all the usual problems at school, but luckily he can also change into a boat! But what happens when the cool kids want him to take them out to international waters for a gambling weekend? Or pirates come after him? Drama and romance and hilarity!

Mind the Gap #1

by Jim McCann, Rodin Esquejo, and Sonia Oback

A young woman is mysteriously assaulted and put in a coma. Which of the characters we meet in this first issue did it? And now that see can leave her comatose body as a spirit, she is confronted by the strange supernatural world, even as she tries to wake up again. Strange, compelling, and detailed!

Dial H #1

by China Miéville and Mateus Santolouco
 
Sci-fi novelist Miéville comes to comics with one of his favorite classics, a phone that will turn anyone who uses it into a hero - but a random one each time! Strange, surreal, and rather funny, this is a great start, especially Captain Lachrymose!

Animal Man 1: The Hunt SC

by Jeff Lemire and Travel Foreman
 
Buddy Baker is trying to quit being a hero, but now his young daughter Maxine is manifesting her own powers, and they are forced to take a journey into the opposition to his animal-based powers, the zone called The Red. Jeff Lemire created one of the smash hits of the New 52, now get the first 6 issues! Great art by Foreman too.
American Vampire Vol 2 SC
Avengers Black Widow Strikes #1 (Of 3)
Avengers vs. X-Men #3 (Of 12)
Bart Simpson's Pal Milhouse #1
Batman and Robin Vol 3 Batman and Robin Must Die SC
Danger Club #1 2nd Ptg
Epic Kill #1
Exiled #1
Garfield #1
GI Joe 2: Retaliation Movie Prequel SC
The Influencing Machine SC
Justice League Vol 1 Origin HC
Kiki De Montparnasse SC
Locke & Key Vol 4 Keys To The Kingdom SC
Lou! Vol 2: Summertime Blues SC
Planet Of The Apes Vol 2 SC
Rex Zombie Killer One Shot
Robert Wells Trilogy Vol 1 Sacrifice SC
Skeleton Key Color Special One Shot
Smallville Season 11 #1
Roger Langridge's Snarked Vol 1 SC
Jack Kirby's Spirit World HC
Worlds' Finest #1
X-O Manowar #1

Big Planet Comics Podcast #43
Kevin, Nick and Jared discuss Before Watchmen a LOT, and review some great comics! Download now or subscribe on iTunes!
 
PODCAST REVIEWS:
Dial H #1 by China Miéville and Mateus Santolouco
Dogs of Mars SC by Johnny Zito, Tony Trov, Christian Weiser and Paul Maybury
Earth 2 #1 by James Robinson and Nicola Scott
Epic Kill #1 by Raffaele Ienco
Fallen Words SC by Yoshihiro Tatsumi
Fury: My War Gone By #1 by Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov
G.I. Combat #1 by J.T. Krul, Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, Ariel
Olivetti, and Dan Panosian
Mind the Gap #1 by Jim McCann, Rodin Esquejo, and Sonia Oback
Shooters HC by Eric Trautmann, Brandon Jerwa and Steve Lieber
The Spider #1 by David Liss and Colton Worley
Teen Boat HC by Dave Roman and John Green
Worlds' Finest #1 by Paul Levitz, George Pérez, and Kevin Maguire
X-O Manowar #1 by Robert Venditti and Cary Nord

Send us questions to podcast@bigplanetcomics.com or call us at 1-703-539-CAST! (1-703-539-2278)
 
5/5 - Free Comic Book Day
All stores!
freecomicbookday.com

5/5 - Jeremy Whitley
Signing Princeless 11am-1pm
426 Maple Ave. East
Vienna, VA 22180
703-242-9412
vienna@bigplanetcomics.com

Signing Princeless 3pm-5pm
7315 Baltimore Ave.
College Park, MD 20740
301-699-0498
bigplanetcollegepark@yahoo.com

5/5 - Jorge Aguirre
Signing Giants Beware! 11am-1pm
426 Maple Ave. East
Vienna, VA 22180
703-242-9412
vienna@bigplanetcomics.com

Signing Giants Beware! 3pm-5pm
7315 Baltimore Ave.
College Park, MD 20740
301-699-0498
bigplanetcollegepark@yahoo.com

5/26 - Jerry Gaylord
Signing Fanboys vs. Zombies
7315 Baltimore Ave.
College Park, MD 20740
301-699-0498
bigplanetcollegepark@yahoo.com

6/2 - Russ Kick
Signing The Graphic Canon
4849 Cordell Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-654-6856
joel@bigplanetcomics.com

6/9 - Nick Abadzis
Signing Hugo Tate
4849 Cordell Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-654-6856
joel@bigplanetcomics.com

7/4 - 20% off Sale
All stores!

7/28 - Matt Dembicki
Signing Xoc 11am-1pm
7315 Baltimore Ave.
College Park, MD 20740
301-699-0498
bigplanetcollegepark@yahoo.com

Signing Xoc 3pm-5pm
426 Maple Ave. East
Vienna, VA 22180
703-242-9412
vienna@bigplanetcomics.com

New Next Week 5/9

(Let us know if you want any of these!)
 
2000 AD #1778
Alabaster Wolves #2 (Of 5)
Amazing Spider-Man Parallel Lives #1
America's Got Powers #1 (Of 6) 2nd Ptg
Artifacts #17
Astonishing X-Men Vol 7 Monstrous SC
Atomic Robo Vol 6 Ghost Of Station X SC
Avengers Assemble #3
Avengers Private War Of Dr Doom HC
Avengers X-Sanction HC
Avenging Spider-Man #7
Babys In Black HC
Batgirl #9 (Night Of The Owls)
Batman #9 (Night Of The Owls)
Batman And Robin #9 (Night Of The Owls)
Batman Arkham Unhinged #2
Batman Vol 1 The Court Of Owls HC
Betty & Veronica Double Digest #201
Bible HC
Brightest Day Vol 2 SC
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9 Freefall #9
Captain America #11
Captain America And Hawkeye #630
Captain America By Ed Brubaker Vol 2 HC
Choker Vol 1 SC
Courtney Crumrin #2
Crossed Badlands #5
Dan The Unharmable #1
Dark Shadows #5
Deadpool #51 2nd Ptg
Deadpool #52 2nd Ptg
Deadpool #54
Deathstroke #9
Dejah Thoris & White Apes Of Mars #2
Demon Knights #9
Doctor Who Classics Series IV #4 (Of 6)
Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms #1
Essential Black Panther Vol 1 Sc
Fairest #3
Fatale #5
Ferals #5
FLCL Omnibus GN
Forgetless: Live To See Last Call SC New Ed
Fracture Vol 1 SC
Frankenstein Agent Of Shade #9
Frankenstein Alive Alive #1
GI Joe Vol 2 #13
Green Lantern #9
Green Wake Vol 2 Lost Children SC
Grifter #9
Higher Earth #1
Hulk #51
Hulk Smash Avengers #2 (Of 5)
Incorruptible #29
Invincible #91
Izombie #25
Journey Into Mystery #637 Exiled
Justice League International Vol 1 Signal Mast SC
Legion Lost #9 (The Culling)
Lobster Johnson The Burning Hand #5 (Of 5)
Lord Of The Jungle #4
Magneto Not A Hero SC
Manara Erotica Vol 1 HC
Manhattan Projects #2 2nd Ptg
Marvel Universe Avengers Earths Heroes #2
Marvel Zombies Destroy #1 (Of 5)
Mastering Comics SC
Mega Man #13
Megalex Complete Story HC
Memorial #5 (Of 6)
Mmw Avengers Vol 12 HC
Morning Glories #18
Mystery In Space #1
Naruto Vol 56 SC
New Avengers #26 Avx
Night Force #3 (Of 6)
Night Of 1000 Wolves #1 (Of 3)
Nonnonba GN
Oz Ozma Of Oz SC
Pokemon Black & White Vol 07 SC
The Pro SC New Ptg
Punisher #11
Resurrection Man #9
Scarlet Spider #5
Scooby Doo Where Are You #21
Secret #1 2nd Ptg
Silver Surfer Parable HC
Skullkickers #14
Space Ducks: Infinite Comic Book Musical HC
Spider-Man Identity Crisis SC New Ptg
Spider-Man Inside World Of Friendly Neighborhood HC
Spider-Man Season One HC
Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic War #5 (Of 5)
Story Of Saiunkoku Vol 7 SC
Suicide Squad #9
Superboy #9 (The Culling)
Superman Grounded Vol 1 SC
Takio #1
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Color Classics #1
Thief Of Thieves #3 Var Cvr 2nd Ptg
Thing Serpent Crown Affair HC
The Tick #100 The Tick Meets Invincible
Trio #1
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #10
Ultimate Comics X-Men #11
Ultimate Spider-Man Vol 12 HC
Uncanny X-Force #25
Walking Dead #97
Wasteland #37
Robert Jordan Wheel Of Time Eye Of The World #24
Wolverine #306
Wolverine And X-Men #10 AVX
World Of Archie Double Digest #17
X-Men Legacy #266 AVX
Copyright © 2012 Big Planet Comics, All rights reserved.
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Wash Post on Stan Lee and Avengers movie

'The Avengers' to 'Spider-Man': Nearing 90, Marvel mastermind STAN LEE shoots from the still-hip (about Whedon, Kirby and RDJ)
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog March 3 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/the-avengers-to-spider-man-nearing-90-marvel-mastermind-stan-lee-shoots-from-the-still-hip-about-whedon-kirby-and-rdj/2012/05/03/gIQADiKDzT_blog.html#pagebreak

and what I assume is tomorrow's print review -

Essay: 'Avengers' proves actors still matter
By Ann Hornaday, May 3, 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/essay-avengers-proves-actors-still-matter/2012/05/03/gIQA3nwQzT_story.html

Persepolis cartoon screening overreaction in Tunisia profiled in Post

Tunisian court case exposes rift over free speech in new democracy
By Marc Fisher,
Washington Post May 3 2012, p. A1, 9
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/tunisian-court-case-exposes-rift-over-free-speech-in-new-democracy/2012/05/02/gIQAj4cexT_story.html

This story had hit the wires months ago, but now there's this good followup article.

Express on Avengers characters

Meet the Unsung Avengers: Black Widow and Hawkeye never got their own movies. They clearly should!
By Kristen Page-Kirby
Express May 3, 2012 p. E8
online at http://www.expressnightout.com/2012/05/meet-the-unsung-avengers/

 

May5: "Cinco de Sandra" featuring Sandra Beasley, Dean Haspiel, Jim Dougan + Much More!

CINCO DE SANDRA:  A CELEBRATION OF COMIX, STORYTELLING, AND MUSIC
 
On Saturday, May 5, 2012, @8pm sharp, an all-star lineup of DC and NYC storytellers will come together to blow your mind with live performances of poetry, comix, and stories at the Hillyer Art Space in Dupont Circle. Venues represented include Trip City, Act-i-vate, and Barrelhouse. And after that? We'll get the music spinning.
 
CINCO DE SANDRA's lineup of performers includes:
Sandra Beasley (author of DON'T KILL THE BIRTHDAY GIRL, I WAS THE JUKEBOX)
Dean Haspiel (Emmy winner for BORED TO DEATH title sequence, artist of THE ALCOHOLIC w/Jonathan Ames and THE QUITTER w/Harvey Pekar, creator of BILLY DOGMA)
Molly Lawless (cartoonist of HIT BY PITCH, FROG & OWL)
Jim Dougan (comics writer, SAM & LILAH, CRAZY PAPERS, others at ACTIVATEcomix)
Jennifer Tress (DC-based storyteller, author of YOU'RE NOT PRETTY ENOUGH)
Natalie E. Illum (Spoken word poet, mothertongue organizer)
Tony Mancus (BARRELHOUSE contributor and co-editor of Flying Guillotine Press)
Plus, the whole shebang will be hosted by man-about-town Brandon Wetherbee (YOU, ME, THEM, EVERYBODY) and featuring the sweet sounds of DJ P-Vo (Hometown Sounds DC). We will have a merch table. We will have beer and non-beer. We will have a helluva lotta hijinks. And, in case you were wondering, we will have a birthday girl on hand: Sandra Beasley.
Be there, or be…
...Just be there.
Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/events/255811644513842/

TRIP CITY Blog: http://welcometotripcity.com/2012/05/cinco-de-sandra/



PSA: Honoring Our Veterans of Post 24

This Public Service Announcement is from cartoonist Steve Artley who has been working on this program.


JOIN US AT THE AMERICAN LEGION THIS SATURDAY FOR A FUNDRAISER AND SCREENING OF "Heroes of Post 24." This is the first in an on-going series of video documentaries preserving the oral history of our veterans. 

The project was established to preserve oral history of members of American Legion Post 24 in Alexandria, VA through a series of documentaries. A fundraiser is being held at the Post this Saturday (May 5) to help underwrite this ongoing project by filmmaker John Napolitano, USMC. If you are in the Alexandria area, stop in on Saturday 5:00 to 8:00 for the launch party and screening of the first installment. We'll have food, beverage specials, and raffles. Meet the filmmaker. Meet the first interviewees, including Bill MacNamara who published Stars & Stripes during WWII. On the video he tells of getting out the first issue in Normandy shortly after the D-Day invasion. Come on in for good food, fascinating conversation, and honorable history. 

If you can't make the event, stop down to Market Square for the Farmers Market in Old Town Alexandria earlier in the day. Fellow Sons of the American Legion member Russ Crager and I will be manning the "Heroes of Post 24" booth from 8:30 to 11:00 AM. We'll be collecting donations, selling event tickets, and acquainting the public with our projects.

SEE YOU THERE!

Graphic design, art and creative direction services provided by Steve Artley of Artley Design, Inc.
Signage and collateral materials produced by Russ Crager of Mobile Signz in Alexandria.

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

On the 12th Day of Interviews...

...ComicsDC gave to me -- a sense of a job finally completed, and better knowledge of a lot of local webcartoonists and animators.  Please check out any you might have missed.

            "Meet a Local Cartoonist: Michael Webster," ComicsDC blog (May 2, 2012): http://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2012/05/meet-local-cartoonist-michael-webster.html

            "Meet a Local Cartoonist: Jason Axtell," ComicsDC blog (May 1, 2012):

            "Meet a Local Animator: Neil Dittbenner," ComicsDC blog (April 30, 2012): http://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2012/04/meet-local-animator-neil-dittbenner.html

            "Meet a Local Animator: Todd Churn," ComicsDC blog (April 29, 2012): http://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2012/04/meet-local-animator-todd-churn.html

            "Meet a Local Cartoonist: Chris Mararac," ComicsDC blog (April 28, 2012):

            "Meet a Local Cartoonist: Monica H. or "MonMon"," ComicsDC blog (April 27, 2012): http://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2012/04/meet-local-cartoonist-monica-h-or.html

            "Meet a Local Cartoonist: Gregory Uchrin," ComicsDC blog (April 26, 2012):

            "Cartoonist Guy Delisle on His Year in Israel and Creating Jerusalem: Chronicles From the Holy City," Apr. 25, 2012, http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/visual-arts/2012/04/25/meet-a-visiting-cartoonist-a-chat-with-guy-delisle/

            "Meet a Local Cartoonist: Garth Graham," ComicsDC blog (April 25, 2012): http://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2012/04/meet-local-cartoonist-garth-graham.html

            "Meet Two Local Cartoonists: Mike Isenberg and Oliver Mertz, writers of "First Law Of Mad Science"," (April 24, 2012): http://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2012/04/meet-two-local-cartoonists-mike.html

            "Meet a Semi-Local Cartoonist: Chris Otto," ComicsDC blog (April 23, 2012):

            "Meet a Formerly Local Cartoonist: T Campbell," ComicsDC blog (April 22, 2012): http://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2012/04/meet-formerly-local-cartoonist-t.html

            "Joel Pollack on moving Big Planet Comics' Bethesda store," ComicsDC blog (April 22, 2012): http://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2012/04/joel-pollack-on-moving-big-planet.html

            "Meet a Local Children's Book Creator: K. Michael Crawford," ComicsDC blog (April 21, 2012): http://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2012/04/meet-local-childrens-book-creator-k.html
            "Meet a Local Cartoonist: Michael Munshaw," ComicsDC blog (April 20, 2012): http://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2012/04/meet-local-cartoonist-michael-munshaw.html

May 4: Alison Bechdel at Politics and Prose

Alison Bechdel - Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama

May 4 2012 7:00 pm

In her acclaimed graphic memoir, Fun Home, Bechdel focused on her father, his secret life, and his death. Now she turns to her talented, emotionally repressed mother, exploring the family psychology and the tentative mother-daughter truce the two achieved via D.W. Winnicott , Dr. Seuss, and Bechdel’s own vivid memories.

5015 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, District Of Columbia
 
I'm planning on being there - Fun Home was a great book.

“The Life & Times of Tim” article in today's Express

Life's Too Short
By Rudi Greenberg
Express May 2, 2012, p. 15  
http://www.expressnightout.com/2012/05/lifes-too-short/

District Comics promo postcard

Matt Dembicki notes on his Facebook page that he got these promo postcards for District Comics.
I wrote the one w/ the Civil War soldier (2nd from the right) and Kevin Rechin did a great job bringing the story to life.


Meet a Local Cartoonist: Michael Webster



 Michael Webster makes old-school comic books under the banner of 'New Future Comics.' While they'd be categorized as minicomics due to his distribution method, he does full-size comics and then self-distributes them to local newstands. Which is how Robert Crumb got started after all. I don't think he'd mind if I quoted from the e-mail he sent introducing himself after I bought a comic and tried to track him down - "I am the artist whose comic book, Hero Patrol,  you purchased at the One Stop News stand at 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.  You can check out more of my work at News World located on K Street by the Farragut North subway entrance.  The books you will find there are Kasper the Prince of Power, The Undercover Unit and of course Hero Patrol.  I also have two novels out, Lime Life and The Story of a Man Called Adam which are also located at News World." Webster answered my usual questions a month ago.

Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

Michael Webster: I basically do action comics that are based around the DC area. 

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

I do traditional pen and ink but sometimes I use the computer to tweek my work  or add color.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

Born in the 60's and I am a proud Washingtonian

Why are you in Washington now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I live in Maryland and work in the District of Columbia.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I am a self-taught artist but influenced by many of the comic book illustrators.

Who are your influences?

One of my biggest influences was John Byrne.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

I would have been more aggressive and focused in pursuing my goal.

What work are you best-known for?

My artwork and my novel Lime Life.

What work are you most proud of?

All.

What would you like to do  or work on in the future?

One of my biggest dreams is to write a screenplay or see one of my comics come to life on the big screen.

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

I just stop for a moment, get something to eat or exercise until an idea comes.

What do you think will be the future of your field?

It is an expanding field and will always be around.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

The opportunities you can gain as a struggling artist or writer and it's my hometown.

Least favorite?

Nothing.  There are problems everywhere.

What monument or museum do you take most out-of-town guests to?

Smithsonian.

Favorite restaurant for same?

Georgia Brown's.

Do you have a website or blog?

Not as of yet, I am working on it.  But I do have a Facebook page.

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

PR: Carla Speed McNeil Wins LA Book Prize!




CARLA SPEED MCNEIL WINS LA BOOK PRIZE!

MAY 1, MILWAUKIE, OR—Finder: Voice continues to be one of the most talked about books of 2011, and word of its story and artwork has spread far and wide. So far, in fact, that Carla Speed McNeil has been awarded the prestigious Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the Graphic Novel category for Finder: Voice!

Praise for Carla Speed McNeil's Finder:

"I love Carla Speed McNeil's Finder, and I imagine the reason I love it is the same reason it doesn't get more attention in the comics press: it's simultaneously straightforward and labyrinthine, genre-based and uncategorizable . . . For me, and for other readers who have gotten pulled into McNeil's weird and woolly far-future world, Finder is one of those comics."—The Comics Journal

"It's been entirely too long since we were able to experience Carla Speed McNeil's unique brand of sociological science fiction with its emphasis on character, class and culture. Once again McNeil immerses you in her meticulously detailed world and you're immediately caught up in a beautifully drawn and deftly written story."—ICv2
"You'll keep turning the pages in Voice to put the pieces of the puzzle together and to see what Grosvenor does next. It is an intricate tale, and Carla Speed McNeil is a master storyteller—with her words and art."—ScienceFiction.com

"McNeil conveys more emotion and depth through the slick line of a raised eyebrow than most can with an entire book, played out in a world that is unquestionably familiar and unshakably alien."—Bleeding Cool

"McNeil excels at tying her many character and story elements together and anchoring them in the same increasingly familiar universe, making her fictional world, its inhabitants and their issues and experiences all the more real to the invested, gratified reader."—No Flying No Tights

Awards and nominations:
Unshelved Book Club's Book of the Month, February 2012—Unshelved
#1 on Comics Worth Reading's Best Graphic Novels of 2011—Comics Worth Reading
#2 on Comics Bulletin's Top 10 Best Graphic Novels of 2011—Comics Bulletin
#4 on Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2011, Comics—Publishers Weekly
#4 on ComicsAlliance's 11 Best Comics of 2011—ComicsAlliance
#29 on Comic Book Resources' Top 100 Comics of 2011—Comic Book Resources]

________________


Aub Driver_______
Publicity Coordinator
Dark Horse Comics

About Dark Horse
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent such as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Gerard Way, Felicia Day, Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends such as Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties such as The Mask, Ghost, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Its successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Mass Effect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Emily the Strange, Tim Burton's Tragic Toys for Girls and Boys, Serenity, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world's leading publishers of both creator-owned content and licensed comics material.

June 8: Ocean cartooning with Jim Toomey, at Natural History Museum



World Ocean Day 

When - Friday, June 8, 2012, 1 – 5pm 

Categories - Celebrations, Demonstrations, Kids & Families, Lectures & Discussions, Workshops

Co-sponsor - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Coastal America 

Venue - Natural History Museum, Smithsonian Institution 

Location - Throughout the museum  
 
Cost -Free  
 
Related Exhibition - The Sant Ocean Hall  
 
    
Join us for an afternoon of activities in celebration of World Ocean Day:    
1:00-5:00 PM: Experts discuss our ocean planet and ocean careers 
(Ocean Hall, 1st floor)    
2:00-2:30 PM: Ocean cartooning with Jim Toomey, creator of Sherman's Lagoon 
(Ocean Explorer Theater, Ocean Hall, 1st floor)    
2:30-3:30 PM: Create a mural with cartoonist Jim Toomey (Ground-Floor Gallery)    
2:30-3:30 PM: 2012 Coastal America Student Ocean Art Contest: 
view the winning artwork and meet the artists (Ground-Floor Gallery)    
3:30-4:00 PM: Watch a series of short films on Marine Protected Areas
 and meet the producers (Baird Auditorium)    
4:00-5:00 PM: Panel discussion with renowned oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle
 and Youth Ocean Leaders (Baird Auditorium, Ground Floor)    
 

(Info courtesy of David Hagen)

Today: Comics in GW service learning course

From: Phillip Troutman

Mike, this is totally last minute, and I apologize! But my students are presenting their final comic books--the ones they created for the service learning project with Safe Shores DC at the GW Marvin Center, in two sessions:

12:25-12:50 (Room 301, 307, 308, 311): Poster Session (all 3 comics will be laid out for viewing)

1:00-1:45 (room 307), two students will reflect on the process.

The initial story is at http://gwtoday.gwu.edu/learningresearch/aserioususeforcomicbooks

Meet a Local Cartoonist: Jason Axtell



 I met Jason Axtell at the Big Planet Comics launch party for Magic Bullet #4. Axtell had just finished coloring Matt Dembicki's Mr. Big story for its reissue this summer, and Matt made a point of introducing us. I'm glad he did as Jason's put quite a bit of thought into answering my usual questions. I personally look forward to catching him at a con so I can buy a set of his comics, as seen on the right...

Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

Jason Axtell: I'm generally all over the place. It's whatever I am feeling at the moment. I wouldn't call myself a traditional comic artist by any means, and by traditional I mean the kind of thing you would see in DC/Marvel or anything mainstream. I'm trained as an illustrator and heavily influenced by a number of styles and forms of art and try to incorporate my wide range of influences into my work.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

I do enjoy the pen and ink, or more appropriately, brush and ink. I've always leaned towards anything that resembles painting.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

1978. Jersey, originally.

Why are you in the Washington sphere now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I moved here after spending nine years in the south, primarily Savannah, Georgia. After a failed relationship, a layoff and my general distaste for the southern "hospitality" I decided I had enough and needed to get out of there. When the Art Institute of Washington (in Arlington and Sterling) hired me on as a full-time instructor three years ago, that was all I needed to hightail it out of the south. Though I still like to visit some friends down there, I don't regret leaving it. The DC area is more to my liking. I live in the Vienna/Oakton area.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I earned a BFA in Illustration from VCU and an MFA in Sequential Art from SCAD. Neither really focused on 'cartooning.' VCU trained me in traditional as well as digital media, and mainly as an illustrator. But since I started out trying to be a cartoonist and comic artist, a carry-over from my high school days, much of my early work yielded a mix of both cartoony and painterly aspects. SCAD trained me as a visual story-teller, allowing me the chance to hone my illustration techniques while also applying them to a comic format.

Who are your influences?

Too many. Primarily my Uncle Dick (not a joke) and my good friend Ben Phillips. I've known both since about the age of 6 or 7. For years I didn't know much about my Uncle except that he was a teacher and a painter. He taught at University of Memphis for 30+ years. When I was young he gave my parents a few of his paintings, which my parents proudly framed and hung in our dining room. Every night I would look at them and try to decipher them. He was an abstract artist that experimented with line, color and shape, frequently going through different phases and evolutions in his art. My favorites as a kid dealt with his attempt at capturing the effect of light and color in water. It wasn't until I was older and in the midst of earning my MFA that I began to delve a little deeper into what he was all about. Other people in my family have demonstrated terrific artistic and creative talents but for some reason I'm the one that pursued it to the similar lengths that he did. It wasn't until the last few years of his life that I really tried to figure out where he was coming from as an artist. It took a few visits and recommendations (Kandinsky, Rothko, Matisse and Guston) before I became aware of how he saw the world and what he was trying to do with his art. It was a profound discovery and a tremendous influence that I would not have made had it not been for him.

Ben Phillips lived across the street from me when we were kids. From the start he had this way about him, this means to influence his beliefs and ideas on me that at times could be frustrating but also illuminating. We shared many of the same likes and dislikes, primarily in music and movies. If it hadn't been for him I might never have really picked up a comic in the first place. Don't get me wrong, I was always curious. Superman, the 1978 film, was and still is one of my all time favorites but every time I picked up a Superman comic it would lose me. Ben introduced me to what comics were really all about and through him I was able to appreciate just what it took to make them. In high school we were part of a comic collective in which we would have meetings, share feedback and drink lots of Dr. Perky (Food Lion's answer to Dr. Pepper). It was there that I learned that I had no idea what I was doing and what I wanted to do...not just with art, but with my life. I met all these interesting and very influential people but didn't know what I wanted. I followed my instincts and joined Ben for art school at VCU and SCAD, probably because I didn't know what else I was going to do. I succeeding greatly at both schools and with my education under my belt I finally felt like I had direction. That being said, with art, I'm always discovering that I don't know enough. It's enough to keep me looking and searching for anything new or interesting. For me, art is a never ending progression of discovery and experiment. I wouldn't have found that without Ben or my Uncle.
For a more simple answer to my influences:
Edgar Degas 
Frank Frazetta
Egon Schiele
Maxfield Parrish
Phil Hale
Jules Feiffer
Norman Rockwell
David Lapham
Juan Jose Guarnido
Sam Keith
Alan Moore
and likely many many more.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

Expand my boundaries a bit outside of the 2D art. It appears that 3D art, software and graphics are the thing which pits me with the Neanderthals of the art world.

What work are you best-known for?

Not sure. I worked on the Family Guy comic but you wouldn't know me from the billion other artists that worked on that book. My first publication, "The Strange Fungus in Mr. Winslow" always catches people's eyes at cons (almost literally - the cover was billed by my late friend Jeremy Mullins, "The best cover EVER!"). "Reasons I Should Not Be On A Talk Show" is another con favorite. My last real publication (before this summer's colorized version of Matt Dembicki's "Mr. Big") is a comic strip called "Strays 'N Gates."

What work are you most proud of?

A portrait of my Uncle Dick I completed after his death. You can see it on my web site in the "Illustration" section.

Also, every comic I've produced has always taken me a step forward. "Strange Fungus..." was my first book, fully painted and written by myself and that took me 2 years to complete. "Strays 'N Gates" was the first time I had to really hunker down and bust out one strip per week. The fact I did that for eleven months without missing one was a huge feat. "Mr. Big" was my first graphic novel, and it had a deadline to top, and I made that deadline beautifully. 

What would you like to do or work on in the future?

Every so often I think about how much fun it would be to create my own interpretation of Ghostbusters and MegaMan. There's so many crappy manga versions of MM out there that I feel it, like much of the comics universe, needs a facelift. And while I have a few of my own stories on the backburner I, for some reason, have a really clear image of TC Boyle's Drop City in my mind. Done in the right style and format, I think that would be a great book!

 What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

Get out of the house. Get some fresh air. Watch a movie. Get some sleep. Bejeweled. Or just draw something else.

What do you think will be the future of your field?

Hard to tell. It's already changed so much since I went to school that I feel obsolete in so many ways. I'd like to think the digital revolution that we are still experiencing won't kill off the old fashioned book, that people will still paint and draw with pencils and brushes. That there will still be room for doing something that doesn't involve a computer. But then again, I've spent the last week almost completely glued to my computer for various purposes, so my hopes are dwindling.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

The museums and extensive list of restaurants and places to visit. I didn't get that in Savannah. Here, it seems that there's always somewhere we've never heard of that peaks my interest.

Least favorite?

The f*ck*ng traffic. What else?

What monument or museum do you take most out-of-town guests to?

As much as I love the National Gallery of Art and National Portrait Gallery, I always seem to take friends and family to the Natural History Museum instead. I don't mind. It is quite fun there.

Favorite restaurant?

Do you really want another list? It's probably start with Tara Thai or The Melting Pot.

Do you have a website or blog?

jasoneaxtell.com -I update it with a lot of my experimental figure work but occasionally you'll see some comic or illustration work as well.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Matt Wuerker's Pulitzer party


Matt's wife Sara hosted a party for him this past weekend, and Joe Sutliff made Matt a crown fit for a Pulitzer-prize winner... that's a golden inkpen on top.