Sunday, May 10, 2015

The Post's Parker on Texas Muhammad cartoon contest

Pamela Geller's abuse of free speech

[n print as Artist Provacateur].

By Kathleen Parker Opinion writer
Washington Post May 10 2015, p. 19
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/pamela-gellers-abuse-of-free-speech/2015/05/08/136f29d2-f5c3-11e4-bcc4-e8141e5eb0c9_story.html

Comic Riffs on Baltimore and editorial cartoons

Baltimore art: How civil unrest mobilizes the creative hand

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs May 9 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/05/09/baltimore-art-how-civil-unrest-mobilizes-the-creative-hand/

Saturday, May 09, 2015

Tom King interviewed about DC's Omega Men

"Grayson" Co-Writer Makes Complicated Killers of DC Comics' "Omega Men"

Kiel Phegley,

Comic Book Resources May 8th, 2015
http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/grayson-co-writer-makes-complicated-killers-of-dc-comics-omega-men

AwesomeCon panels and programs

Info on panels and programming at Awesome Con May 29-31 at the Washington Convention Center is posted. Plenty of local comics creators will be participating.

http://www.awesome-con.com/washington-dc/schedule

Cartoon Picayune #7

Josh Kramer has a new issue out of his digest-size anthology The Cartoon Picayune. The theme of this 36-page, black-and-white issue is "chance." Copies are $4. Order through his website.

Friday, May 08, 2015

NPR's Monkey See podcast on Avengers

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Avengers: Age Of Ultron,' Pop Culture Pariahs

Linda Holmes
May 08, 2015
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2015/05/08/405060559/pop-culture-happy-hour-avengers-age-of-ultron-pop-culture-pariahs

Darrin Bell interviewed by Comics Riffs about RFK Award

Behind Darrin Bell's new RFK Award, the power of cartooning with true emotion

By Michael Cavna
May 8 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/05/08/behind-darrin-bells-new-rfk-award-the-power-of-cartooning-with-true-emotion/

Tonight: Ben Hatke at Hooray for Books! in Alexandria

May 8th: Author Ben Hatke will discuss and sign his popular Zita graphic novels and his recent picture book, Julia's House for Lost Creatures. 7 pm.

When Julia and her walking house come to town, she likes everything about her new neighborhood except how quiet it is! So Julia puts a sign up: "Julia's House for Lost Creatures." Soon she's hosting goblins, mermaids, fairies, and even a dragon. Quiet isn't a problem anymore for Julia...but getting her housemates to behave themselves is!

http://www.hooray4books.com/events.htm

An Independent Children's Bookstore
1555 King St. Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Ph. 703-548-4092 Fax 703-548-4094
Hours: Mon-Sat 10-6 Sun 11-4

Thursday, May 07, 2015

Another Ben Hatke story

Ben Hatke and the One and Only Miracle Molly

By Elizabeth Bird

May 5, 2015
http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2015/05/05/ben-hatke-thingy/#_

Comic Riffs on Darrin Bell's RFK Award

2015 RFK Awards: WPWG's Darrin Bell wins for cartoons focusing on race, police

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs May 7 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/05/07/2015-rfk-awards-wpwgs-darrin-bell-wins-for-cartoons-focusing-on-race-police/

Comic Riffs talks to Baltimore's KAL about tonight's Herblock Award

Tonight's Herblock Prize: How Baltimore's KAL mans a front line of social justice

By Michael Cavna May 7 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/05/07/tonights-herblock-prize-how-baltimores-kal-stirs-his-own-sense-of-social-unrest/

Darrin Bell wins the RFK cartooning award

The full press release is online here.

Cartoon: "Darrin Bell 2014 Editorial Cartoons," Darrin Bell, The Washington Post Writers Group

The ...awards... will be presented by Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy at a ceremony featuring remarks by Kerry Kennedy and Michael Beschloss on Thursday, May 21, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. The 2015 RFK Book and Journalism Awards were sponsored by the George Washington University.

The ceremony will also feature the presentation of the 2015 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, celebrating their 47th anniversary. All honorees will receive a bust of Robert F. Kennedy in recognition of their award.

I was one of the judges for the award this year, and like always, there were a lot of great candidates and cartoons.

Fantom Comics posts 2014 sales info

2014 in Review – A Comic Book Shop Talks Comic Book Sales Trends

http://www.fantomcomics.com/blog/2015/05/05/comicbooksalestrends/

Bruce Guthrie's photos of Brian Selznick's exhibit

Bruce Guthrie's photos of Brian Selznick's exhibit at the MLK library are online now.

Wednesday, May 06, 2015

May 9: Brian Selznick at MLK Library in DC

D.C. library celebrates author and illustrator Brian Selznick [in print as Reading ahead with Brian Selznick

'The Invention of Hugo Cabret' author to visit the exhibit that showcases his visual storytelling.

By Mary Quattlebaum Washington Post May 5 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/dc-library-celebrates-author-and-illustrator-brian-selznick/2015/05/04/2a4aecd4-e9c2-11e4-9a6a-c1ab95a0600b_story.html

Drawing Fire From Not Drawing

by Steve Artley, Artleytoons

No. What part of that answer is unclear? Since the Danish newspaper published Mohammed cartoons a decade ago, followed by the ill-fated "Draw Mohammed" day shortly afterward; since the Charlie Hebdo murders earlier this year and after the recent fiasco in Texas — I have been prompted to draw Mohammed by some readers and others. Increasingly, I have been pressured to do so as if it is some kind of patriotic duty, or as a display of blatantly spitting in the eyes of those pesky terrorists. I have even been called a coward for not doing it, as if I am allowing myself to be intimidated by those bully militant extremists.

A coward. Wow.

I have publicly made clear my opposition to the so-called "jihadists" for their assault on the Charlie Hebdo studios (http://artleytoonsonline.blogspot.com/2015/01/je-suis-charlie-hebdo.html). Over my 30 year career, I've produced editorial renderings that unabashedly stood up against bullies and thugs. My archives are full of anti-terrorist cartoons critical of militant aggression and bullying. They're teeming with cartoons lampooning politicians, Democrats, Republicans, the Tea Party, the NRA, KKK, Neo Nazis, anti-semites, homophobes, Islamiphobes, germophobes, pedophile clergy, the Westboro Baptist Church, as-well-as ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah, Netanyahu's Mossad, the United States Secret Service and even our own country when I think we've been aggressive and bullying. On each one of those cartoons, my name is clearly inscribed. My identity is known. The same day of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, I produced and distributed my "Je Suis Charlie" cartoon into syndication to be seen by millions worldwide and was the only one of its kind published in NEWSWEEK Japan (see inset). I have little doubt that in some dark cavern somewhere on this planet my name is already on someone's hit list. All I have to say to the latest Terrorist de jour is, "get in line, pal. I've offended much bigger jerks than you over the years." So, call me twisted. Call me warped. Call me sophomoric, stupid, ineloquent, ugly or just plain wrong. But, don't call me a coward simply because I refuse to draw an insulting image for you.

In each case of being asked, prompted, encouraged, ridiculed or bullied into drawing the Prophet, not once was I asked why I refused. While I don't feel that I need to explain something that is so obvious, I'll do it here in this forum. So, here we go. It's a pretty simple principle, really.

When it comes to my cartooning, I have my own standards of ethical practices. There are certain boundaries I will not cross. Drawing Mohammed falls within one of those boundaries. I will not insult an entire religion because of a lunatic fringe. I may criticize someone who does or says something in the name of religion, but will not intentionally ridicule the religion itself. Although I have drawn cartoons that some have found offensive (it's such a subjective assessment), drawing an image solely for the intent of offending any group or individual is distasteful and a violation of my personal code.

I find much of the Charlie Hebdo material distasteful and some of it down right offensive. I feel the Texas "Muhammad Art Exhibit" was without merit and designed only to insult. But, in each case it's not the material that I defend. Not in the least. What I am defending is much bigger. It's all about freedom to express, without reprisal.

Free speech, listed in the First Amendment of our Bill of Rights, is the very foundation of all the other rights. Without it and the boundless latitude it provides, the other rights have no teeth. What's more, defending freedom of speech means defending the right of those expressing ideas with which you vehemently disagree — even despise. Although my editorial renderings may ridicule the rants of the aforementioned groups, I will defend their right to rant. And, I will rigidly oppose those who would use force to silence them.

Yes, with freedom comes responsibility. That's why I have my code. But, I don't want anyone defining the parameters of that code for me. So, don't chastise me, beat me, imprison me, shoot me or otherwise forcibly silence me for what I draw (or don't draw). But, hey... if you disagree, go ahead and criticize me for it. That's your right.

"I disapprove of what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it"

Evelyn Beatrice Hall, alias S.G. Tallentyre (1868-1956), The Life of Voltaire; 1903

Telnaes blogs on Texas cartoon stupidity

Pamela Geller, Islam, and protecting stupid speech

By Ann Telnaes
May 5 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/opinions/wp/2015/05/05/pamela-geller-islam-and-protecting-stupid-speech/

May 9: Mort Künstler retrospective

A retrospective exhibition exploring the career of renowned artist and illustrator Mort Künstler opens in Winchester’s Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) on May 9 and runs through Aug. 2.

Best known for his paintings of the Civil War and countless covers for adventure books and magazines, Künstler created the illustration for the famous 1976 MAD magazine cover (he signed it as “Mutz”), which parodied the "Jaws" movie poster by featuring the magazine’s mascot, Alfred E. Neuman, swimming from a shark.