Wednesday, February 12, 2014
ArtShow 05: The Pizza Factory
Casares animation
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Neil Cohn's Online video presentation/chat at Fantom Comics
Center for Research in Language
University of California at San Diego
neilcohn@emaki.net
www.visuallanguagelab.com
PR: Fist of Justice Returns via Kickstarter campaign
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Fist of Justice Returns!
Critical hit "Fist of Justice" from Digital Webbing Press is making a return to comics and your help is needed.
Methuen, MA, February 10, 2014
What began as a one-off, seven page story with a twist ending in the anthology series Digital Webbing Presents generated such positive reader response that creators Mike Imboden and Ed Dukeshire made the decision to undo that twist ending and revive Fist of Justice as an ongoing feature. Over the course of 10 issues (five lead stories in DWP and five in his own self-titled book), they created the world of Fist of Justice. After taking a few years off from publishing, the creative team felt the time was right to continue what they started and bring Fist of Justice back to the loyal fans who have longed for his return.
A Kickstarter campaign is underway to fund publication of a full-color trade paperback collecting Fist's earliest adventures. Some of the comic industry's hottest talents got their start illustrating Fist of Justice including Chad Hardin (Harley Quinn), Yildiray Cinar (Supergirl), Anthony Castrillo (X-Men), Dario Carrasco, Jr. (Star Wars), and Andre Coelho (Ms. Marvel).
So who is the Fist of Justice? Fist of Justice is a man out of time, a cat with his heart in the right place-- a true hero from the 70s awakened in our time. He was the super-heroic defender of Charm City until he made a fatal mistake that ended his career. He threw in the towel and was locked away and soon forgotten. But his power-- though dormant-- did not leave him. Now it has returned and resurrected FOJ-- restoring him as defender of a city dealing with the new villains of the 21st century. Villains who are tougher, stronger, and meaner than ever.
Creators Mike Imboden and Ed Dukeshire have taken to crowd-funding site, Kickstarter, to raise the money needed to collect the first five issues of the comic into a trade paperback. In addition, plans call for publication of an all-new issue 6 of Fist of Justice. Says Dukeshire, "Kickstarter has shown that projects that couldn't originally happen, are now possible. While the costs to produce the book are too high for us alone, support via Kickstarter can change that. The campaign will help pay for the printing of the trade paperback, comic book, all the rewards, shipping supplies, and shipping. We'd love to get Fist of Justice out there on a regular basis once again, but need the help of our readers and fans."
A number of comics' most talented artists got their start illustrating Fist of Justice. Chad Hardin, artist of the super-hot Harley Quinn from DC, was first published in the pages of Fist of Justice. Yildiray Cinar, who currently draws Supergirl for DC, also began his career penciling FOJ. Now fans will be able to see their early work in a newly published trade paperback."These guys were extreme talents right out of the gate," said Dukeshire, who spotted samples of their drawings on the Digital Webbing Forums and offered them their first chance to be published.
Supporters can choose from a handful of incentives. "We've got plenty of incentives to contribute to the Kickstarter campaign", adds Imboden. "Not only can people get the trade paperback, we have pledge levels that include art by past FOJ artists. We've got t-shirts, prints and stickers and, what might be the coolest thing of all, the opportunity to have yourself drawn into an original Fist of Justice short story!"
Web address for Kickstarter is:
For more information about Fist of Justice, visit www.fistofjustice.org or www.facebook.com/fistofjustice or contact Imboden (mike@imboden.org) or Dukeshire (eduke@digitalwebbing.com)
Doonesbury in reruns again - boo!
THIS JUST IN--Trudeau puts daily ‘Doonesbury’ on long-term hiatus to work on renewed ‘Alpha House’: ‘I’m ready for an extended break’
Hondros changes career for comics
Monday, February 10, 2014
Awesome Con 2014 commercial
Comic Riffs on Skyman
Dark Horse’s SKYMAN: New soldier of color battles racism — and echoes of the NSA
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/dark-horses-skyman-new-soldier-of-color-battles-racism--and-echoes-of-the-nsa/2014/02/10/5e10ba34-8ee8-11e3-b46a-5a3d0d2130da_blog.html#pagebreak
.
Marvel superhero posters in the National Library of Medicine
Super Heroes with a Serious Message |
By Jeffrey S. Reznick
National Library of Medicine's Circulating Now blog February 10, 2014
http://circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov/2014/02/10/super-heroes-with-a-serious-message/
Sunday, February 09, 2014
1912 baseball ad with comics characters
Oh, You Nationals! Keep It Up, Boys!
How many characters can you name?
"Canteen Kate" video on Youtube
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Saturday, February 08, 2014
Comic art articles in Sunday's Post
Catch up on 'Walking Dead' before its return [online as ‘The Walking Dead’ midseason premiere: Six storylines so far, six questions we hope get answered]
-
By Margaret Ely
Washington Post February 9 2014, p. EZ3. - online at http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2014/02/07/the-walking-dead-midseason-premiere-six-storylines-so-far-six-questions-we-hope-get-answered/
‘Lego Movie’ is built to be a better toy film
By Associated Press, Washington Post February 9 2014, p. EZ4
online at http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/lego-movie-built-to-be-a-better-toy-film/2014/02/03/9662e8f6-8d19-11e3-99e7-de22c4311986_story.htmlAnimator says Disney's kingdom was magical [online as Animator recalls the magic of being part of Walt Disney’s kingdom]
By Susan King, / Los Angeles Times
Washington Post February 9, 2014, p. EZ13.
Pa. exhibit highlights early black comic artists
By Associated Press,
Washington Post.com , February 8, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/pa-exhibit-highlights-early-black-comic-artists/2014/02/08/ae2fc426-90ee-11e3-878e-d76656564a01_story.htmlDrawing of Suffrage March Line by Winsor McCay
Drawing of Suffrage March Line (1913) on Ghosts of DC finds a drawing by Winsor McCay. I can't imagine he actually came to DC to do the drawing though.
Friday, February 07, 2014
Sneak Peek at SPX guests
UPCOMING EXHIBIT: CALVIN & HOBBES AND RICHARD THOMPSON
UPCOMING EXHIBIT: CALVIN & HOBBES AND RICHARD THOMPSON
Contact: Caitlin McGurk
The Ohio State University
Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum
1813 N. High Street
Columbus OH 43210-1343
614-292-0538
cartoons@osu.edu
For Immediate Release: February 7, 2014
Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Announces Two New Exhibitions:
Exploring Calvin and Hobbes
&
The Irresistible Force Meets the Immovable Object: A Richard Thompson Retrospective
March 22 – August 3, 2014
Two new exhibitions of original art by cartoonists Bill Watterson and Richard Thompson will delight fans of Calvin and Hobbes and Cul De Sac. The exhibitions open March 22 at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (BICLM) and will be on display through August 3, 2014. An opening reception on Friday, March 21 from 6 – 8 p.m. is free and open to the public. The companion shows provide a unique opportunity to see the original art of these two gifted cartoonists, who are friends and admirers of each other’s work.
Exploring Calvin and Hobbes revisits the beloved comic strip created by Watterson from 1985 to 1995. The exhibition will feature original Calvin and Hobbes dailies and Sundays as well as specialty pieces by Watterson from his collection of more than 3,000 originals housed at the BICLM. This is only the second exhibition devoted toCalvin and Hobbes, which appeared in 2,400 newspapers worldwide at the height of its popularity. Watterson won the National Cartoonists Society’s prestigious Reuben Award for “Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year” in both 1986 and 1988.
Six-year-old Calvin, named after the 16th-century theologian John Calvin, has a vivid imagination; an aversion to homework, chores, and girls; and a penchant for discussing the meaning of life. Hobbes, named for the 17th-century British philosopher Thomas Hobbes, appears to most of the strips’ characters as a stuffed animal, but from Calvin’s perspective, he is a living, breathing—sometimes even dangerous—tiger. He’s also a best friend, a playmate, a co-conspirator, and occasionally the voice of reason. The strip follows the two as they navigate the bumpy ride of life, surrounded by a supporting cast that includes Calvin’s parents, his neighbor Susie, his babysitter Rosalyn, the school bully Moe, and his teacher, Mrs. Wormwood.
The exhibition, curated by BICLM curator Jenny E. Robb, explores Watterson’s mastery of the comic strip art form through engaging characters, thoughtful writing, and creative layouts. It will also include original art by cartoonists who influenced Watterson, chosen by the artist from the BICLM’s collection, such as Charles Schulz, George Herriman, Jim Borgman, Berkeley Breathed, Garry Trudeau, and Ralph Steadman.
The 2011 winner of the Reuben Award for “Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year,” will be featured in the second exhibition, The Irresistible Force Meets the Immovable Object: A Richard Thompson Retrospective. This exhibit, curated by Caitlin McGurk, will not only include gorgeously hand-watercolored Sunday originals and black-and-white dailies from Thompson’s popular comic strip Cul de Sac, but will celebrate his lesser-known abilities as a master of caricature, gags, and editorial cartoons— both as cartoonist and painter.
The six-year run of Cul de Sac serves as an insightful, humorous, and at times sentimental illustration of suburban family life on the outskirts of the city, and therefore a meditation on the tiny and sacred universe we form with our family outside of the rest of the world. The strip orbits around the activities of sibling child characters Alice and Petey Otterloop. In an interview with Mike Rhode in 2008, Thompson explained, “Let’s have a comic strip with kids, because comic strips are only this big now, so if you can fit somebody into it, it better be a kid. I thought the kids should be the opposite—a small child who’s the unstoppable force and the brother who’s the immovable object and the way they collide would make some humor.”
This sentiment has grown to have a double meaning, as Thompson had to discontinue the strip in September 2012 due to the advancement of his Parkinson’s disease. Thompson’s work continues to be celebrated in the upcoming release of The Complete Cul de Sac and The Art of Richard Thompson (both to be published by Andrews McMeel), the $100,000 that has been raised and donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation in Richard’s name, and this exhibition, the most extensive display of his work to date.
About the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum: The BICLM is one of The Ohio State University Libraries’ special collections. Its primary mission is to develop a comprehensive research collection of materials documenting American printed cartoon art (editorial cartoons, comic strips, comic books, graphic novels, sports cartoons, and magazine cartoons) and to provide access to the collections. The BICLM recently moved into its newly-renovated 30,000 sq. ft. facility that includes a museum with three exhibition galleries, a reading room for researchers and a state-of-the-art collections storage space. The library reading room is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 – 5 p.m. The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday from 1 – 5 p.m. See http://cartoons.osu.edu/ for further information.
Feb 9: Yumi Sakugawa at Big Planet Comics DC
February 9 – Yumi Sakugawa signing
Big Planet Comics is proud to welcome Yumi Sakugawa for a signing and reading from her brand new graphic novel, I Think I Am in Friend-Love With You!Yumi Sakugawa is a comic book artist and illustrator based in Southern California and a regular contributor to The Rumpus and Wonderhowto.
“Look around. You won’t find anything sweeter than this lonely little book anywhere in your immediate vicinity. Unless for some reason there’s, like, a bunny knitting a scarf for a puppy. That might be sweeter. Aside from that, this book is definitely your best bet.” –Avery Monsen, coauthor of K is for Knifeball and All My Friends Are Dead
“This is one of my favorite comics ever, a sweet ode to platonic love that will echo through the ages.” –MariNaomi, author of Kiss & Tell
“Funny and beautifully drawn, I Think I Am In Friend-Love With You is the bittersweet tale of friendships in the age of social media in which many can relate.” –Esther Pearl Watson, author of Unlovable
“The warmth of Yumi’s soft brushstrokes and vulnerability of her words make me feel less alone in this weird world. I think I am in book-love.” –Lisa Hanawalt, author of My Dirty Dumb Eyes
Yumi Sakugawa’s website: http://www.yumisakugawa.com
3pm-5pm
Big Planet Comics of Washington DC
1520 U St. NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-342-1961
dc@bigplanetcomics.com
Dust Elves Update
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Express on The Lego Movie
The Post reviews The Lego Movie
‘The Lego Movie’ review: Toy-themed adventure celebrates creativity
Thursday, February 06, 2014
Comic Riffs reviews new Justice League cartoon
‘Justice League War’: 5 ways the new animated DVD helps sate the wait for the big-screen film
Animator Arthur Rankin's obituary in today's Post
Arthur Rankin Jr., filmmaker famous for stop-motion animation TV specials, dies at 89 [in print as Arthur Rankin Jr., 89; Pioneer in stop-motion TV shows such as 'Rudolph'.]
By Elaine Woo and — Los Angeles Times,
Brian Biggs illo in today's Express
Damian Wampler on the economics of Kickstarter comic books
Wednesday, February 05, 2014
Comic Riffs on the Green Arrow tv show
CW’s ‘ARROW’: Star Stephen Amell on why fans love the hit show: ‘They can tell that we care’
Feb 6: Comics scholar Aaron Kashtan speaks at GWU
"I'm going to be giving a lecture at George Washington University in Washington DC on Thursday, tentatively entitled "The Graphic Novel: A Gentle Introduction." This talk is primarily intended for students from the creative writing program, but I believe anyone else in the area can also attend. Honors Townhouse, 714 21st Street, N.W. at 7:30 pm, Feb 6, 2014."
Comic Riffs on Waid and Haspiel's Fox comic
Teeming with talent, Mark Waid and Dean Haspiel are sly like the Fox with deft Red Circle miniseries
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
'Dear Mr. Watterson' at Artisphere on March 8
Comic Riffs articles on Ms. Marvel
MS. MARVEL: Marvel Comics’ new focus on women ‘characters and creators’ aims to defy the ‘scantily clad’ cliche
By Sabaa TahirWashington Post Comic Riffs blog February 4 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/ms-marvel-marvel-comics-new-focus-on-women-characters-and-creators-aims-to-defy-the-scantily-clad-cliche/2014/02/04/bde11f7a-8dbd-11e3-95dd-36ff657a4dae_blog.html#pagebreak