Saturday, April 21, 2012
Meet a Local Children's Book Creator: K. Michael Crawford
K. Michael Crawford is another illustrator who regularly sets up at the Capicons show in Tysons Corner / Dunn Loring. She answered my usual questions last fall.
Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
K. Michael Crawford: I create first-of-their-kind Adventure Drawing Books to get kids to use their imaginations in hopes of creating future comic book artists. In the Bazel Lark Series, “The Mystery of Journey Crowne” and “The Island of Zadu,” the reader/artist has to answer clues to know what to draw on the page. The reader/artist decides what the answer will be for half the clues in the book, which gets them to make choices. This is a five-book series and I need to create the remaining three books. It takes me 2 years to create one book to make sure all the clues work and to complete all the drawing work so that everything comes together. I will be starting the next book soon.
With “Batty Malgoony’s Mystic Carnivale” Drawing Book, the reader/artist has to draw in all the carnivale characters. This book gets kids to use their imagination and make choices of what they want the characters to look like on each page.
In “Professor Horton Hogwash’s Museum of Ridiculous” Book, the reader/artist has to draw in all the Museum collection for each themed room or not, because, after all, it is the Museum of Ridiculous. A long as the child is using their imagination they can draw in anything driving the alien spaceships. They can even have dinosaurs driving the ships. I think there is a story there somewhere. Past meets the future. There are also true interesting facts on each page, but be warned, some of them are gross. Not for the faint hearted.
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
I still do all my art by hand. I pull out the paintbrush, load it with paint and slap it all over the paper, which sometimes it lands on me. I have a good day creating when I look down and see that I am covered in paint from head to toe. I also throw in the kitchen sink when I do my art, so to speak. To get the look I want, I start with the watercolor painting layers of it. Then I add color pencil for texture and definition. After that, I throw in some acrylic and pastels for special effects.
In some of my paintings, I have even used sea salt, plastic wrap and tissue paper to create some cool effects in my art.
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
I was born in Pennsylvania in a time when we where taught how to use our imaginations. My parents thought I might have trouble spelling the state name, so they moved us to Maryland when I was three with the cows and the chickens. Not much cows and chickens left any more, but we do have lots of deer, groundhogs, squirrels, birds and raccoons that stop by my place to tell good tail or I should say tale.
We had no computer games, video games or microwave ovens when I grew up, (Oh, the horror of it all!) so if you wanted to make a concoction, you had to build it from scratch or the ground up. You had to think up an idea, let it brew, run around the house finding the parts and throw in some elbow grease to get the job done. Some of the creations scared my mother so out in the trash they went. That also explained the funny looks we got from the garbage collectors on trash day. We had to create our own entertainment and we did that by using our imaginations. We didn’t wait to be entertained, we made our own.
Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
I moved from Los Angeles to D.C. for a new adventure. I live my life by adventures. I have lived in a number of different places and look forward to living in a few more. There are just too many good places to live in the world. I also wouldn’t mind trying out a few planets in other universes as well. I am just waiting for them to build that spaceship that will get me there at the speed of light. It would be very cool If they found a “Stargate” on this planet so that we could travel to other worlds.
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
The funny thing is that I graduated from the University of Maryland in Advertising Design, but my college paper was on writing and illustrating children’s books. I only lasted 8 years in Advertising Design and then I switched to Children’s Book illustration and I have been on quite a fairy tale journey since I switched. Four years ago, I noticed that kids weren’t using their imagination so that’s when I created my drawing books. I realized and experienced that if kids don’t use their imaginations they have trouble making good choices and I want them to pick a good nursing home for me.
What makes all this so funny is that I needed that training as a graphic designer, so that I could start my own publishing company, years later, to publish my drawing books. That early career taught how to promoted and market my books and as well as give me the knowledge of printing and publishing them. You always get what you need in life if you just allow yourself to be open-minded about what comes down the road. Sometimes I get things and I scratch my head wondering why I got this at this time, and sure enough some time later or another I will need what I got. It can happen in a few weeks or even take years to see that I got what I needed.
Who are your influences?
I take in everything and then discard the stuff that doesn’t work for my art. I never know when I will get a great idea for my work from some of the things I see and experience.
I always make sure that I have lots of adventures and experiences in my life and all of that goes into my art. It makes my art have layers to it. You can always look at my art and know where I have been lately or what things have had a great influence on me.
Once a famous artist told me that to order to create 3-D art (art with lots of depth to it) you must live a 3-D life, which means fill your life with lots of experiences. The more experiences you have the better your art will be.
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
I wouldn’t change a thing. Everything I have done or experienced in my career and life has lead me to something else great and to a very magical life. Has it all been a wonderful fairy tale? Very much so, yes! For everyone knows, you can’t have good without the evil and visa versa. So just when it looks like the villain will win, happily ever after comes along.
What work are you best-known for?
I have always wanted to put something good into the world, make it a little more colorful, silly, ridiculous, quirky, whimsical, waggish, absurd then when I found it. So far so good with my drawing books. I do want to be best known for doing that and I am working towards that goal. I am not the type of artist who measures where they are at any given time. I just keep moving forward to see what I can do. People will walk towards my booth at comic cons with a stern look on their faces and as soon as they see my art a big smile pops up on their face. That makes me happy.
What work are you most proud of?
I am proud that I can still laugh at my work when I do something totally outrageous and other people get it. I am proud that I have the mind of a five year old and never plan to grow up, so that I can keep creating magical art and books.
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
I believe that creating these drawing books has opened the door to what I can create in the future. I have only begun to see what I can create. (Cue the mad scientist laugh in the background. “It’s alive.”) I try to push myself to get new perspectives all the time to see what I can come up with in my art and books. They say we only use 10% of our brain, but I plan to use 110% if I can figure out how to do it. No telling what I can create if given the chance. The brain weighs 3.5 pounds, the skull another 3.5 pounds and I am going to put it to work. No dead weight on my shoulders.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
I play and act silly. I create art that I throw away, because it doesn’t make sense. I also build something that has nothing to do with what I am working on at the time. For example, I got this idea last winter for a musical instrument and the idea drove me crazy until I started building it. I am still working on it and will be for a while because the idea is very complicated with moving parts and such. This musical contraption gives me a new perspective on creating. No idea what I will do with it when I am done, but it will make a great conversation piece.
What do you think will be the future of your field?
My crystal ball won’t tell me the answer to that, but I keep producing my books and art because I think they are very much needed in the world. Besides, doing my work keeps me out of trouble. I would be out tipping cows otherwise.
What local cons do you attend ? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?
I exhibit at Comic Cons all over the country. Every year, I apply for Comic Con International in San Diego. I have been in that Con for two years. That’s a fun Comic Con, even though it’s more Pop Cultural. I also do Baltimore Comic Con and next year, because it moved to Los Angeles, I am exhibiting at Wonder Con. Each Comic Con has it’s own favor to it. Some cons are more traditional; like Baltimore, MegaCon, Allentown, Then there are some that are more pop cultural like Comic Con International, Garden State, and Steel City Con. There is one thing they all have in common; comic book artists are some of the best people you can ever meet. I have made some really good friends along the way.
What's your favorite thing about DC?
The Art Cultural Places and Museums are my favorite things. I loved the Spy Museum and if I ever need to change careers and I can’t rule England, I found out that I would make a great spy. Talk about a great adventure. Where do I sign up?
Least favorite?
Traffic, but lucky for me I only have to commute to my studio in my house. A few foot steps away.
What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?
The Museums on the Mall. Most people want to go to the Air and Space Museum when they visit.
How about a favorite local restaurant?
Too many good ones to have a favorite.
Do you have a website or blog?
www.happilyeverart.com
http://www.facebook.com/happilyeverart
Friday, April 20, 2012
Meet a Local Cartoonist: Michael Munshaw
I met Michael Munshaw a few months back at one of the Capicon comic shows. He was kind enough to answer my standard interview questions...
Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
Michael Munshaw: Right now I am doing a lot of commission work, including some sketch cards. I am also starting a new book with writer Chris McCay, called Clan Wars. This will get me back to doing full page pencils and inks again. I have also been doing sketch cards for 5finity and some character designs for a role playing game by Melior Via.
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
It all depends on what is needed. I always start out in pencil and paper. I will use traditional inking tools when inks are needed. If one of my commission pieces is to be colored, I will use Prismacolor or Copic markers. Which of course I use on my sketch cards also. I will scan in and color some pieces in Photoshop. I did a book for Visionary Comics, The Offspring, and that was all colored in Photoshop.
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
1964 in Omaha, NE.
Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
I have been living in St. Mary’s County in Southern Maryland for over 11 years now. I originally moved here for a job at a local Printing Company. I have been working full-time in DC for almost 3 years now.
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
I have a BA in Graphic Design, with a minor in Illustration.
Who are your influences?
There are way too many to list them all. At the top would be Neal Adams, Adam Hughes, John Byrne, Joe Rubinstein, and Ed Benes.
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
There are days that I wonder what would have happened if I went to NYC right out of college and tried to make it full-time in the comic book business. Would I have succeeded or been a complete failure? We will never know.
What work are you best-known for?
I guess my sketch card work. I get a lot of inquiries on doing commissioned cards, and have some regular buyers on my ebay account.
What work are you most proud of?
The comic book I inked and colored for Visionary Comics, The Offspring. My first published comic book!
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
I wish I could tell you. I would love to one day be the artist on Superman, but that will probably never happen. So I am just content to plug away here on projects that interest me and can help me better my skills as an artist.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
I usually run to my bookshelf and grab one of my George Bridgman anatomy books. I will then do some quick body part sketches in my sketch book and that will usually get me going.
What do you think will be the future of your field?
I really think comics have a future. I think it will be a combination of print and digital distribution. But people are still going to want to read and see stories. The combination of words and pictures will always be a part of our culture.
What's your favorite thing about DC?
Walking around the Mall and just taking it all in. I think too often we take for granted what a wonderful city we live and work in. There’s nothing like walking around the monuments on a clear, sunny day.
Least favorite?
The commute!
What monument or museum do you take most out-of-town guests to?
I will hit the obvious ones. The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, The Capital, the Library of Congress, etc.
Do you have a website or blog?
My website is www.artofm2.com and I have a deviant art website at http://mmunshaw.deviantart.com.
Local cartoonist interviews
I apologize to everyone who's been waiting to see their words appear - the real world of work intervened sharply during this time period as I switched jobs for the first time in 22 years.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Big Planet Comics Orbit Newsletter - April 19, 2012
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Steve Styles art in local fanzine
Here's a sci-fi/science personal fanzine from Michael Dobson, a writer in Bethesda, with lots of art by excellent cartoonist Steve Stiles (Heavy Metal, Cadillacs & Dinosaurs). Stiles put the link up on Facebook.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Wuerker on Ali Farzat as Times 100 Influential People
Ali Ferzat, Cartoonist
By Matt Wuerker Wednesday, Apr. 18, 2012
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2111975_2111976_2111941,00.html
April 23: Ocean Waves-Studio Ghibli anime
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Embassy of Japan | 1150 18th St., NW | Suite 100 | Washington | DC | 20036 |
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Beeler returns to the Examiner, sort of
TAD's Indoor Sports online
A shaky connection, but nice stuff...
Richard Thompson profiled on Boing Boing
By Glenn Fleishman
Apr 17 2012
http://boingboing.net/2012/04/17/a-cartoonist-paints-a-wiggly-l.html
Osborn. Robert Osborn
Nothing to do with comics in Washington, but I like his work.
April 26: Guy Delisle on Jerusalem
Apr 26 2012 7:30 pm
April 18: Graphic Intelligence: Comics, The KKK, and Covert Ops
Graphic Intelligence: Comics, The KKK, and Covert Ops
Briefing
Comic books often reflect the time in which they are created. Since the Cold War, spies have been hot, and the world of comics has had a great assortment of espionage volumes. National security lawyer and comic collector/dealer Mark S. Zaid has assembled a rich array of comics that address spies and espionage. He'll showcase some of the coolest and rarest volumes in his collection while he describes how spy comics mirrored the intelligence issues of the time period in which they were published—some purporting to reveal true spy cases. He'll also share tales of how comics may have been used as intelligence tools and to push social agendas involving war, race, and sex. Then there is the story of the famous superhero who teamed up with actual spies to strike a blow for justice and equality in the United States. Award-winning author Rick Bowers shares the story behind his new book Superman vs. the Ku Klux Klan: The True Story of How the Iconic Superhero Battled the Men of Hate. Bowers reveals how the producers of The Adventures of Superman radio show took on the resurgent Ku Klux Klan in 1946, teaming up with infiltrators within the secret society to produce a ground-breaking, 16-part radio drama in which the Man of Steel conquered the hooded hate mongers.
Rendezvous Info
Wednesday, April 18, 20126:30pm to 8:30pm
Additional
Call 202.654.0932 to register.
Tickets
$15Wash Post on Wuerker win
"This feels fantastic, to state the obvious," said Wuerker, a finalist for the award in 2009 and 2010. "This is a dream come true."
He added, "I've been cartooning for some 30 years ago, and up until a few years ago, I didn't think anything like this was vaguely possible" until he became a founding staff member at Politico.
"I credit the people aboard the good ship Politico," he said. "I would really like to give credit to the glorious orchestra constructed around me."
NY Times on Wuerker's win
"I work with old media — pen and ink on watercolor paper and watercolor — same as a cartoonist in the mid-1800s," Mr. Wuerker said in a telephone interview.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Mark Burrier exhibit at Rare Words Exhibition at Flying Dog Brewery
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Comics Reporter features David Hagen today
More on Wuerker's Pulitzer
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog April 16 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/2012-pulitzer-prizes-politicos-matt-wuerker-calls-todays-pulitzer-a-dream-come-true/2012/04/16/gIQAGv91LT_blog.html
POLITICO's Matt Wuerker wins Pulitzer Prize
By MACKENZIE WEINGER | 4/16/12
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/75196.html
and he works in Arlington!