Wednesday, January 06, 2016

Keith Knight interviewed by Gil Roth

This has a mention of Keith's recent talk at the National Archives around 2/3rd of the way through. Also, Keith was recently featured in Comic Riffs article on black cartoonists. You can find links to both of them in our archived pages. I'm using the Archives discussion as a lede because I really like and respect Knight's work.

Keith Knight

Virtual Memories #149

"The talk about race in America hinges on how comfortable white people are with it. Because once white people are too uncomfortable, they'll either say you're pulling the race card, or just say, 'Enough.'"
This week's show: Gentleman cartoonist Keith Knight! Keith & I met up at a cafe in Chapel Hill last month to talk about comics, race, fixing the Star Wars prequels, his career as a Michael Jackson impersonator, the literature course that made him a political artist, his campus lecture tour on race relations, the importance of crowdfunding, the reasons he continues with a daily comic strip (and two more strips), why you never see black people on Antiques Roadshow, the songs that will turn any party out (excluding tracks by MJ and Prince), the case for Off The Wall over Thriller, whether it's an honor or a disgrace to be the first non-white guest on this podcast in two years, and more! Give it a listen!


Weldon editorial on Kids comics

The War Over Comics For Kids Is Nearly Over, And Kids Are Winning

National Public Radio's Monkey See blog January 5, 2016

Author Gene Luen Yang is the author of books including American Born Chinese and Level Up. i

Author Gene Luen Yang is the author of books including American Born Chinese and Level Up.

Courtesy Of First Second Books

Tuesday, January 05, 2016

Tom King reviewed at The Guardian

The Sheriff Of Babylon, The Vision, Patsy Walker: the month in comics

It's off to post-war Iraq for ex-CIA officer Tom King's new one, ass-kicking superhero Patsy Walker returns, and supernatural black ops are on the menu in Cry Havoc

Saturday 2 January 2016
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jan/02/strip-advisor-graeme-virtue

KidsPost on Gene Yang's LOC appointment

Gene Luen Yang named Ambassador for Young People's Literature

Graphic novelist urges kids to explore books with unfamiliar subjects and characters.

[in print as 'Graphic novelist draws on his own experiences]

Rafer Roberts interview online

Rafer Roberts Brings Archer And Armstrong Back To Valiant

by

Bam Smack Pow January 4 2015

http://bamsmackpow.com/2016/01/04/rafer-roberts-brings-archer-and-armstrong-back-to-valiant/

Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards open for submissions

There's an editorial cartoon category, of which I've been a judge for a few years - Mike

The Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards
The Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards recognize outstanding reporting on issues that reflect Robert Kennedy's dedication to human rights and social justice, and his belief in the power of individual action in the United States and across the globe. Previous winners include journalists from PBS/Frontline, CNN, NPR, CBS's 60 Minutes, ABC's 20/20The New York Times, the 
Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post.  The awards also encourage students on their paths toward a career in journalism, honoring outstanding reporting from high school and college students.

Ben Hatke's new graphic novel previewed

Monday, January 04, 2016

Zodiac Starforce artist Paulina Ganucheau gets new comic

Big Planet Comics Bethesda's January hardcover sale

 A January tradition



--
Joel Pollack
BIG PLANET COMICS

4849 Cordell Ave.
Bethesda, MD 20814


Lee Marrs recalls speaking to Herblock

Comics Riffs talks to Lalo Alcaraz

'Bordertown' writer says new Fox show 'joked about giving Donald Trump' credit

"Bordertown" is Fox's new, crosscultural animated comedy by showrunner Mark Hentemann, under the banner of Seth MacFarlane. (courtesy of Fox)
"Bordertown" is Fox's new, crosscultural animated comedy that arrives with a high degree of headline relevance. (courtesy of Fox)

Gene Yang's LOC appointment - 2 more stories

Yang Named National Ambassador for Young People's Literature

By Sue Corbett
Jan 04, 2016
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/69039-yang-named-national-ambassador-for-young-people-s-literature.html

Library of Congress Anoints Graphic Novelist as Ambassador for Young People's Literature

By GEORGE GENE GUSTINES

A version of this article appears in print on January 4, 2016, on page C5 of the New York edition with the headline: In a First, Graphic Novelist Is National Envoy for Children's Literature.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/04/books/library-of-congress-anoints-graphic-novelist-as-ambassador-for-young-peoples-literature.html


PR: Gene Luen Yang Named 5th National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, 2016–2017

Gene Luen Yang Named 5th National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, 2016–2017

Yang Champions Diversity in All Forms and Reading for Non-Readers with his Platform, "Reading Without Walls"

New York, NY, January 4, 2016The Children's Book Council (CBC), Every Child a Reader (ECAR), and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress (CFB) have announced the appointment of Gene Luen Yang, Printz Award winner and two-time National Book Award finalist, as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. The program was established by the three organizations in 2008 to highlight the importance of young people's literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education, and the development and betterment of the lives of young people. Yang will travel nationwide over the course of his two-year term promoting his platform, "Reading Without Walls," showing kids and teens that reading is a vital part of their lives, and speaking to parents, teachers, librarians—everyone invested in young people's literacy—about how better to connect with kids and teens and help them love reading. Yang succeeds beloved and esteemed authors Jon Scieszka (2008–2009), Katherine Paterson (2010–2011), Walter Dean Myers (2012–2013), and Kate DiCamillo (2014–2015) in the position. Gene Luen Yang is the first-ever graphic novelist to be named National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.

The inauguration ceremony, presided by acting Librarian of Congress David S. Mao and featuring both Yang and DiCamillo, will take place on Thursday, January 7 at 11 a.m. in room LJ-119 of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington D.C. The event is open to the public; no tickets are required.

"I'm thrilled and humbled to be appointed National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Reading breaks down the walls that divide us. By reading, we get to know people outside of our own communities. We gain knowledge others don't expect us to have. We discover new and surprising passions. Reading is critical to our growth, both as individuals and as a society. The Children's Book Council, Every Child a Reader, and Library of Congress all empower people by getting them to read. I'm honored to take up that mission myself and to carry on the amazing work of the ambassadors before me," said Gene Luen Yang.

"Gene Yang is a talented writer. He is a brilliant artist. His stories are thought-provoking, genre-bending, utterly original examinations of the human heart. In short, Gene Yang is a Renaissance man. I am so honored to pass the torch of this sacred task to Gene. No one is better suited for bringing us all together," said Kate DiCamillo, two-time Newbery Award winner and National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Emeritus.

"What an inspired choice the selection committee has made in Gene. He is a brilliant storyteller who makes meaningful and profound connections with readers of all ages. And he has been a de facto ambassador for reading, inclusion, and graphic novels for years. I can't think of anyone better than Gene to break down the walls stopping people from becoming lifelong lovers of reading," said Jon Yaged, President & Publisher of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.

Jon Colman, Executive Director of the CBC added, "We couldn't be more pleased with the selection of Gene Luen Yang as the next ambassador. He embodies everything that we look for in this position and we can't think of a more fitting person to be representing young people's literature over the next two years."

"We are thrilled that Gene Luen Yang has agreed to be the new National Ambassador for Young People's Literature," said John Y. Cole, director of the Center for the Book, which administers the ambassador program with the Children's Book Council. "Gene's message of inclusion and acceptance of all people is especially relevant today. The Library of Congress looks forward to the next two years of Gene's promotion of reading and literacy among young people." 

The National Ambassador is selected for: his or her contributions to young people's literature, the ability to relate to kids and teens, and a dedication to fostering children's literacy as a whole. The selection is based on recommendations from a CBC-ECAR-CFB-appointed committee comprising educators, librarians, booksellers, and children's literature experts.


The members of the selection committee for the 2016–2017 ambassadorship were:

     Betsy Bird, Collection Development Manager of Evanston Public Library

     Shelley M. Diaz, Senior Editor, Reviews at School Library Journal

     Kate DiCamillo, Newbery Medal–winning author, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, 2014-15

     Jonathan Hunt, Coordinator of Library Media Services at the San Diego County Office of Education

     Kimberly L. Jones, Store Manager at Little Shop of Stories, Decatur, GA

     Deborah Taylor, Coordinator of School and Student Services at Enoch Pratt Free Library

     Lisa Von Drasek, Curator of the Children's Literature Research Collections at University of Minnesota Libraries

 

The National Ambassador for Young People's Literature program is administered by Every Child a Reader. Financial support for the National Ambassador Program in 2016 is provided by HarperCollins Children's Books, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Penguin Young Readers Group, Random House Children's Books, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, and the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation.

 

For more information about the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, visit read.gov/cfb/ambassador/.

About Gene Luen Yang

Gene Luen Yang began drawing comic books in the fifth grade; he began making comics professionally over fifteen years ago. In 2006, his graphic novel American Born Chinese (Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/First Second Books) became the first graphic novel to be a finalist for a National Book Award and the first to win the American Library Association's Printz Award. It also won an Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album. In 2013, Boxers & Saints (Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/First Second Books), his two-volume graphic novel about the Boxer Rebellion, was a National Book Award finalist and won the L.A. Times Book Prize. Gene has also won an Eisner for The Eternal Smile, a collaboration with Derek Kirk Kim. He is the author of the Secret Coders series (with artist Mike Holmes) and has written for the hit comics Avatar: The Last Airbender and Superman. Yang lives in the San Francisco Bay area. Learn more at geneyang.com.

 

About the Children's Book Council (CBC)

The Children's Book Council, established in 1945, is the nonprofit trade association of children's book publishers in North America, dedicated to supporting the industry and promoting children's books and reading. The CBC offers children's publishers the opportunity to work together on issues of importance to the industry at large, including educational programming, literacy advocacy, and collaborations with other national organizations. Please visit cbcbooks.org for more information.

 

About Every Child a Reader (ECAR)

Every Child a Reader is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to instilling a lifelong love of reading in children. ECAR administers programs including Children's Book Week, the annual celebration of books and reading, and the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country; the Children's Choice Book Awards, the only national book awards program where the winning titles are selected by kids and teens of all ages; and the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Program. Please visit cbcbooks.org/about/every-child-a-reader/ for more information.

 

About the Library of Congress and the Center for the Book (CFB)

Since its creation by Congress in 1977 to "stimulate public interest in books and reading," the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress has become a major national force for reading and literacy promotion. A public-private partnership, it sponsors educational programs that reach readers of all ages, nationally and internationally. The Center provides leadership for affiliated state centers for the book (including the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and nonprofit reading promotion partners and plays a key role in the Library's annual National Book Festival. It also oversees the Library's Read.gov website and administers the Library's Young Readers Center and its Poetry and Literature Center. Visit Read.gov/cfb to learn more.

 

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "'DC For 15' Poster Art Ready To Download"


"'DC For 15' Poster Art Is Ready To Download!"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=1830

My poster art series for DC's Raise The Wage campaign is now available for downloads by organizers and activists.

I've made these available as tabloid-size posters and letter-size flyers, with plenty of "clear" space for laying out customized text in the page-layout software of your choice.

Follow the "DC For $15" minimum wage campaign on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/dcfor15

Visit the "DC For $15" campaign on the Web:
http://dcfor15.org/

Michael Flugennock

Gene Yang appointed by Library of Congress

Just In: Gene Luen Yang named national ambassador for Young People's Literature


Sunday, January 03, 2016

Saturday, January 02, 2016

The Post on lack of black cartoonists

This article ran in today's print paper too. Mike somewhat elides the fact that both editorial and strip cartoonists in newspapers have dwindled dramatically.


The Post and the NY Times on Bordertown

Fox's animated comedy 'Bordertown' is funny and eerily on time

Review: 'Bordertown' and 'Cooper Barrett' Debut

By JAMES PONIEWOZIK

A version of this review appears in print on January 2, 2016, on page C1 of the New York edition with the headline: Trouble, on the Border or After College

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/02/arts/television/tv-review-bordertown-cooper-barrett.html

Friday, January 01, 2016

Jan 2: COMIC BOOK & SPORTS CARD SHOW

SHOFF PROMOTION

COMIC BOOK & SPORTS CARD SHOW


JANUARY 2 SATURDAY 10AM-3PM $3 ADM.

ANNANDALE VA. FIRE HOUSE EXPO HALL

7128 Columbia Pike 22003

COMIC BOOK & NONSPORTS CARD SHOW

BASEBALL & SPORTS CARD SHOW

AUTOGRAPH GUEST - DENNY MCLAIN CANCELLED

Wife is in the Hospital

ARTIST GUEST- LENORE "SULLY" SULLIVAN

former artist for Vampirella, Marvel Comics

& creator & artist of "The Clock"

& artists Laura Inglis & Dan Nokes

TWO SHOWS-ONE PLACE-ONE PRICE

With this Notice:$1 Off Adult $3 Adm.

18 yrs old & under-FREE; Bring the Family

Griffiths at Miss Pixie's on Jan. 9

Local artist/cartoonist Adam Griffiths is having a one-day exhibition/live drawing Jan. 9 at Miss Pixie's Furnishings and Whatnot in D.C.