Monday, July 24, 2017

2/3 of March team and their Eisner Award photo

Click through for the picture. Andrew lives in DC. Congratulations to the March team and Tom King as well.

Jill Thompson, John Lewis, Sonny Liew Take Home 2017 Eisner Awards

Jul 22, 2017
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/awards-and-prizes/article/74310-jill-thompson-john-lewis-sonny-liew-take-home-2017-eisner-awards.html

Comic Riffs on Eisner Awards including local winners.

Eisner Awards: Cartoonists from Singapore, Canada and Capitol Hill win big at 'the Oscars of comics'


Washington Post Comic Riffs blog July 22  2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2017/07/22/eisner-awards-cartoonists-from-singapore-canada-and-capitol-hill-win-big-at-the-oscars-of-comics/

New ReDistricted comic online

King of Washington
 

Story by Christopher Charlton

and art by Ali Cantarella

1835 — A gun raises through the thick morning haze amongst a crowd gathered on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. President Andrew Jackson in the crosshairs. A trembling finger squeezes the trigger. Jackson's war with the banks had afforded him numerous enemies — Richard Lawrence just happened to be insane.

Friday, July 21, 2017

Aug 1: Marc Tyler Nobleman talk on Batman CANCELLED

From: Marc Tyler Nobleman


If you haven't yet heard me tell the story of the borderline obsessive quest that took nearly ten years of my life (brief description below), please join me for this special event/talk. (If you have heard it, you are no less invited. In fact, you may get a sticker.)

August 1, 2017
Alley
2055 L Street NW
Washington DC
  • 6:30 pm happy (half) hour
  • 7:00 presentation
  • 8:00 Q&A/shake heads in disbelief
  • 8:30 reception
Free of charge and open to the public, but you must RSVP at the link above. Hope to see you there!

Marc Tyler Nobleman
Blog
Twitter

The talk:

Batman's Biggest Secret

"Wow—incredible! An inspiration—absolutely gripping story everyone should hear."
—attendee, Charlotte S. Huck Children's Literature Festival, CA

In 1939, a writer co-created a character that would become one of the most successful fictional icons in world history. In 1974, he died poor and unknown to the public. In 2015, defying longstanding odds, and involving not one but three twists, his legacy was saved...thanks to one author's unprecedented campaign to correct cultural history.

This story has surprised and moved audiences from Tanzania to Thailand—even those who could not care less about superheroes. It has inspired multiple books, a TED talk, an NPR segment...and something bigger. You haven't heard a story like it...

"I feel like I just watched Rocky for the first time."
—@DerickArmijo

Batman exhibit on display at Geppi's museum in Baltimore

Holy exhibits, Batman! Now, through October 2017, Geppi's Entertainment Museum (GEM) is hosting an exhibit entitled The Dark Knight Through The Decades. This special exhibit offers attendees the chance to journey through time with the caped crusader.

Continue reading at http://scoop.previewsworld.com/Home/4/1/73/1012?ArticleID=197118

The Post on Valerian

'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets': Little more than meets the eye [in print as A brilliant galaxy with no signs of life].


Washington Post July 21 2017, p. Weekend 23
online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/valerian-and-the-city-of-a-thousand-planets-little-more-than-meets-the-eye/2017/07/20/9502585a-68af-11e7-9928-22d00a47778f_story.html

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Ben Hatke profiled in Catholic paper

Catholic cartoonist draws inspiration from fantasy classics, family life

By Ashleigh Kassock Catholic News Service

7.19.2017

http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2017/catholic-cartoonist-draws-inspiration-from-fantasy-classics-family-life.cfm

Ben's one of my favorite cartoonists working today - MR

Comic Riffs catchup - Aquaman and DuckTales

Aquaman used to be a king — now he's a vigilante


Washington Post 
Comic Riffs blog July 19 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2017/07/19/aquaman-used-to-be-a-king-now-hes-a-vigilante/

'DuckTales' is back. Yes, 'DuckTales.' Woo-oo.

in print as Taking another quack at it: New TV show, comic book series revive beloved 'DuckTales'.
Express (July 20 2017), p. 41

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

New beer and hence character from Heroic Aleworks

Let me begin this week with a huge THANK YOU to everyone who made it to our Game of Thrones party last Saturday!  It was a ton of fun, and the actual Season 7 premier on Sunday was pretty strong too.  I look forward to hearing everyone's opinions in the taproom about all the action over the next 6 weeks!


THIS WEEKEND
Up this coming Friday we have our 80's Night AND a limited beer release.


If you love the 80's as much as I do, you won't want to miss it.  The classic 80's music and videos start at 7:30.  For those of you who frequented the arcades back in the day, this is your chance to polish off your Pac Man skills on our free arcade.  Highest score of the night wins a special prize.  And if video games weren't your thing, perhaps you'd prefer to tackle the Rubik's Cube challenge - first three to solve one get a $25 gift card (and the Rubik's Cube).  Most of all, I'm hoping lots of you get in the spirit and come in some awesome 80's attire!  $5 pours until 9 PM for anyone who dares to break out the legwarmers and teases up their hair!  For the gentlemen, maybe some acid washed jeans, the Miami Vice look, or a Members Only jacket?  The possibilities are as fabulous as they are endless!  

We also have a new limited release beer hitting the taproom on Friday - Hailstorm White IPA.  Come try it while it lasts!


If you have any questions please feel free to drop me a note at kate@heroicaleworks.com, give a call to the taproom at (571) 398-6113, or message us on Facebook.

Heroic Aleworks LLC
2242 Turnbuckle Way
Woodbridge, Va 22193

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

July 22: March creators at San Diego Comic-Con

Spotlight on March creators Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, & Nate Powell
Saturday, July 2210:00am - 11:00am • Room 23ABC
Celebrate the record-breaking, award-winning success of the March trilogy! Join the authors for an emotional look back at their stunning accomplishment — and the way it's inspiring new generations to speak up, speak out, and move our feet.

Director's Notes for Off the Quill's upcoming King Kirby play


The play opens July 28 in Greenbelt - see
http://offthequill.org/productions/king-kirby/

KING KIRBY DIRECTOR'S NOTES
by William Keith Cassidy

I have a confession to make. As a kid, I never really liked Jack Kirby’s artwork.

 When I started collecting comics, the artist everyone was talking about was Neil Adams. I quickly became a Neil Adams super-fan. Jack Kirby’s (to my untrained eye) blocky and cartoony layouts just never measured up to Adams’ smooth, flowing compositions, which featured subtle, realistic facial expressions as well as a detailed knowledge of musculature and anatomy. I actually thought Kirby’s work was ugly by comparison…How foolish I was.

As I grew older and (at least a little) wiser, I began to learn how misplaced my first impressions were. Comic art is about moving the story forward and no one did that better than Jack Kirby. Every panel of a Kirby comic is packed with as much emotion as the scene required. When a Kirby hero punches a villain, it’s not just his fist landing on the miscreant’s face, but rather his whole body exploding off the evil-doer’s chin sending him flying backwards. Kirby’s use of depth makes his work appear three dimensional as he often has characters break the frame of the panel. There may have been better artists working in superheroes over the years (Neil Adams among them,) but I argue that there has never been a better illustrator than Jack Kirby.

I found this script while browsing at the Drama Book Shop in New York. I was intrigued that someone had written a play about Jack Kirby, and after I read it was very excited to stage it. Two of my greatest passions are theatre and comic books and I was thrilled to be able to merge the two interests into one project.

Off The Quill was the first and only company I thought of. I knew from the first reading that I wanted to tell the story with a great deal of theatricalism and movement. OTQ has proved quite adept at such stagings in their young history. Also, having acted in productions with many OTQ people before, I knew that they would provide the camaraderie and collaboration, necessary to produce this play in accordance with my vision. I told Patrick Mullen up front, “You guys are better at this than me. I’m really depending on you to nail down the movement aspects of this show.” I was not disappointed.

From my first production meeting, we were all in agreement that the art should be the center of the production and would incorporate projections of Kirby’s work throughout the show, not only to give the audience an appreciation for his genius, but also to illuminate how Kirby’s life influenced his work. The goal was to have the projections, when they were used, take up several locations. They would not just appear on screens, but on the walls and floors, literally turning the stage into a giant comic book.

From the very first auditions, the actors in this show have been a tremendous joy to work with. There was not one rehearsal after which I did not leave feeling artistically satisfied. Every day, they find something new in their characters. There are many aspects associated with this production that I will forever have fond memories of, but working with this enormously talented group of actors, led by the incredible Josh Mooney in the title role, certainly tops the list.

One final note to all of you Stan Lee fans (and I consider myself one,) this play reflects Jack Kirby’s version of their working and personal relationship. Stan’s memories are quite different. Many comic book historians take one side or the other…or somewhere in the middle. However, I feel that the playwrights committed to telling JACK’S story and we have to respect that. One thing EVERYONE agrees on, is that Jack never received as much credit as he deserves. Even Stan says so. I invite you all to do your own research and draw your own conclusions.

Hopefully, after seeing our production, audiences will have a greater appreciation of Jack’s contributions, both in creating the Marvel Universe and in promoting the art of graphic storytelling.

 He was the KING!

Monday, July 17, 2017

Former cartoonist Martin Landau RIP

Martin Landau, Oscar-winning actor who played heroes and villains, dies at 89 [in print as Martin Landau, 89; Oscar winner, star of TV's 'Mission: Impossible]


Washington Post July 17 2017, p. B4
online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/martin-landau-oscar-winning-actor-who-played-heroes-and-villains-dies-at-xx/2017/07/16/310a5ee6-6a86-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html

July 22: Superhero Family Day at Smithsonian American Art Museum


Photo credit: Bruce Guthrie


Superhero Family Day

Saturday, July 22, 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Pow! Bam! Kaboom! It's an action-packed day of superheroes. Arrive dressed as your favorite character. No costume? Come as your superhero's secret identity and make a mask at our crafting station. Show off your powers in our series of challenges and let those villains know that there is nothing you can't overcome.

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Artimation! exhibit at Shen-arts, happening now, through August 30th, 2017


In addition to the great art exhibits currently going on at the Museum of the Shenandoah, there's a cool little show happening right outside of Old Town Winchester, Virginia called "Artimation!". You can see this exhibit featuring cartoon and comics-based art at the Shenandoah Arts Council, on Loudoun Street, going on now, through August 30th! Who knows, you may even see a few Splotch Monsters there!   -Steve

Friday, July 14, 2017

Voices, Ideas, and Action at DC Zinefest

With more than 60 zine publishers scheduled and the usual draw of hundreds, organizers of the 7th annual DC Zinefest anticipate a steadily growing gathering of independent publishers and enthusiasts. Yet the event retains its comfort as a haven for diversity, acceptance, and inspired ideas, where free speech and safer spaces categorically co-exist.

Because of these basic values, the zine community, almost by default, emphatically supports countless individuals who might not otherwise have a means of expressing themselves, whether it’s by granting stipends to encourage underrepresented artists and writers to publish or by personally connecting through ideas and action.

Panel discussions also provide a basis for meaningful discussion, and this year’s topics echo recurrent and ever-urgent themes of art and activism and issues relevant to people of color.

During the day-long festival, catch the midday panel “Discourses of Color in Self-Publishing”. Moderated by New York-based artist, writer, and publisher, Andy Wentz, the panel hosts guest presenters including the New-York based American Artist, medical anthropologist and zine publisher Tanvi Avasthi, and tireless activist Dennis Shah of the legendary Positive Force DC.

From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., meet moderator C.S. Malerich, writer and founding member of DC Stampede, a collective for activists and organizers on behalf of animals, people, and the planet. Malerich’s guest panelists include Baltimore based spoken-word artist Blu The Poet, visual artist Malika Bryant, illustrator and comic artist Evan Keeling, musician and artist Simoné A. Speed, and socio-political feminist artist Lisa Marie Thalhammer.

I. DISCOURSES OF COLOR IN SELF-PUBLISHING

Time 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Moderator

ANDY WENTZ is an artist, writer, and publisher, originally from the Chicagoland area. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn, focusing on both independent and collaborative creative projects. He hopes to own a pet of his own one day but will dote on his plant babies for the time being. Website: andywentz.com

Panelists

AMERICAN ARTIST is an interdisciplinary artist who makes texts, videos, and installations about culture and technology and the power structures embedded within them. American Artist’s legal name change serves as the basis of an ambivalent practice—one of declaration: by insisting on the visibility of blackness as descriptive of an American artist, and erasure: anonymity in virtual spaces where “American Artist” is an anonymous name, unable to be googled or validated by a computer as a person’s name. American attended the Whitney Independent Study program as an artist. They have exhibited at the Kitchen, New York, and have participated in group shows internationally. They have published writing in The New Inquiry and New Criticals and have had work featured in Huffington Post, Dazed Digital, Nylon, and PAPER. Website:  https://americanartist.us

TANVI AVASTHI is a medical anthropologist and nursing student whose joy for self-care comes through her yoga practice. Her research interests are the intersections of race, gender, east, and west. Tanvi's goals are to make the healing experience equitable and just for all people and to add humanity to healthcare providers for better care. She will complete her Master's of Science in Nursing in May 2018.

DENIS SHAH is a straightedge activist here in DC, working with different organizations in various capacities. His main thrust over the past 12 months has been Positive Force DC: modernizing, evangelizing, and ultimately, guiding others to set up their own PF chapters elsewhere. Dennis is particularly interested in movement building and understanding how leverage technology and tools to create a disciplined, effective force for change. He also believes in Joey Shithead's maxim: TALK - ACTION = 0.

II. ARTS AND ACTIVISM

Time: 1:30–2:30 p.m.

Moderator

C.S. MALERICH lives and works near the District of Columbia.  Her speculative fiction has appeared previously in Ares Magazine, The Again, and the Among Animals anthologies from Ashland Creek Press — a publisher of eco fiction.  "Phoenix Cross," her contribution to Among Animals 2, was nominated for a 2017 Pushcart Prize.  Most recently, her short story "It Wants to be a Swamp" appeared in the Mother's Revenge anthology from Scary Dairy Press, to raise funds for environmental causes.  An avid fan of skillful drawing (which she can't do), she collaborates with artist-storyteller J. Hollister Conroy on an ongoing series of comic zines.  C.S. is part of local writers' group, the Speculative Wordsmiths, and a founding member of DC Stampede, a collective for activists and organizers on behalf of animals, people, and the planet.

Panelists

BLU THE POET is an up-and-coming poet who hails from Baltimore, Maryland. Not only is she a Spoken Word artist, but she uses her craft in part as a Motivational Speaker to help inspire and educate young African Americans. As a supporter of the Pan-African movement, she also utilizes her platform to aid in the unification of the black community.  As she often says, "I am an advocate for love first and black love second."  With gifts provided by the Creator, her overall mission is to help increase awareness of Black Pride, Black Love, and Black Unity. If you would like to keep in touch with Blu, feel free to follow her on social media sites, such as Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter, at BluThePoet.  For booking information, please contact her at 1bluthepoet@gmail.com.

MALIKA BRYANT discovered her love of art at the age of four.  "I remember the electrifying feeling I had when I dipped my hands in paint, and so the love of art began. I became an Artist because this is what the Creator placed me here to be. I am just as passionate about being a Visual Artist as I am about teaching it to budding art students."  Malika brings art to children and adults across the DC metro area as a charter school teacher in DC, an instructor with the Arts on a Roll program through Prince George’s Parks & Rec Department, and an art teacher working with seniors at Gwendolyn Brit Senior Center.  In the summer, she is a teaching artist with Summer Camp and No School Day Camp at CREATE Arts Center in Silver Spring.

Her artwork focuses mainly on woman of color.  She works with a wide variety of materials, focusing mostly on with dry mediums like pastels, graphite pencils and conté crayons.  In 2012, Malika became the first recipient of the Gerald King Fine Art Study Award and apprenticeship, where she continued to hone her craft.  As a resident of the Hyattsville Arts District, and a member of the Hyattsville Community Arts Alliance, her work can be viewed in a number of venues in the Arts District. Her artwork, handmade greeting cards, and gourd purses are sold in shops throughout the DC area and online at www.southafricanbazaarcraftcooperative.com.

Malika is currently working on a collage of "Maat" the Kemetic (Egyptian) Goddess, and will be traveling to Egypt this August with renowned historian Anthony Browder’s 22nd Annual "Ancient Egypt: Light of the World" study tour.

EVAN KEELING, born and raised in Washington, DC, received a BFA in graphic design from the Corcoran College of Art + Design, and for the last 12 years, has been an exhibit specialist in graphics at the Smithsonian Exhibits.

Evan is also an accomplished illustrator who has worked with a variety of clients. He is a founding member of the DC Conspiracy a collective of Washington, DC area comic book artists and writers. He has been published and self-publishes comic books for print and for the web.

He is developing comic book-based programing as well as creating mini-comics for the Smithsonian as well as working with the International Indigenous Youth Council documenting their experiences during the protest at Standing Rock for websites and free zine-comic formats.

His work and downloads for the Smithsonian and IIYC comics can be found at etkeeling.tumblr.com.
http://etkeeling.tumblr.com
http://www.dcconspiracy.com

SIMONÉ A SPEED has always had a passion for the fine and performing arts. She has performed with Eubie Blake National Jazz and Cultural Center, Muse 360 Arts, Baltimore Polytechnic Institute’s Floetic Lyricists Club, Peabody’s Children’s Chorus, the Morgan State University Choir, Arena Players, and her church choirs. Simoné has studied in the music program at Morgan State University and is proud to be a Poly alumna from the class of 2013. She is excited to be working with New Generation Scholars this summer, which studies the African Diaspora, entrepreneurship, and leadership. It also focuses on radical thought and empowerment of youth through the arts and Black history. This program has established a sense pride and the need for social and political change within Simoné. With everything she does, she hopes to inspire youth to fight for equality, justice and radical thought for the advancement of those oppressed.

LISA MARIE THALHAMMER creates socio-political feminist paintings, collages, and public murals using portraiture, color, and shape. Her mission is to challenge traditional gender stereotypes by creating images that empower women, LGBTQ peoples, and communities.  With a goal to uplift her subjects through visual representation, her works also raise the consciousness of the viewer by challenging stereotypes and communicating uplifting messages. Thalhammer’s works are striking and powerful portrayals of herself and her friends. For Thalhammer, the personal is political, and her private relationships and experiences become the inspiration for public statements through the art-making process. Figures with expressive eyes and angular limbs depict poses that convey a tough femininity and progressive consciousness. Thru use of color and symbolism, Lisa Marie Thalhammer’s artworks explore the interconnectivity between all things.

Thalhammer is currently a D.C. Commission on the Art and Humanities Fellow and Public Art Building Communities grant recipient. She paints murals and exhibits her work in Washington, D.C. where she lives and works, in addition to places such as Vienna Austria, Detroit, Asbury Park, Indiana, L.A., Miami, and New York. Artnet News featured her 2009 “Boxer Girl” public art mural controversy when the D.C. police reported that her work decreased crime by 55%. The Washington Blade, the oldest LGBTQ newspaper in the USA, featured Thalhammer on the cover of their “Top 30 Under 30” issue in 2008 and nominated her Best Visual Artist in 2013. Her David Wojnarowicz protest sign appeared on the cover of the New York Times during the 2010 “Fire In My Belly” controversy, and she was pictured on the cover of the Dubois County Herald painting her Ferdinand the Bull mural in Indiana. The Washington Post Magazine September 2014 “Home and Design Issue” cover featured Thalhammer in her 52 O Street Artist Studio. Additionally, The Washington Post’s home page coverage of the 2017 Presidential Inauguration, highlighted Thalhammer’s “Strong Women LOVE” parachute created for the Women’s March on Washington.

Thalhammer was born in Florissant, Missouri, and grew up attending Catholic all-girl schools while working at her family-owned St. Louis East Truck Plaza. She studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and Staffordshire University in England before graduating with honors from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting. While in Kansas she also received a Women Studies Minor with an art history concentration, the Jacobs Prize, the Hollander Family Foundation Award and the Amsden Award, Daniel Macmorris Scholarship and the Werner Ferguson Service Scholarship. Lisa Marie Thalhammer has traveled to many places around the world and lives in downtown Washington, DC, at the historic O Street Artist Studios. She also teaches yoga regularly on Monday evenings at FLOW yoga at 14th and P Street, N.W., Washington,DC.


2017 DC Zinefest
Saturday, July 15, 2017
10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
St. Stephen and the Incarnation Church
1525 Newton St. N.W.
Washington, DC 20010


Another animated documentary reviewed in The Post

'Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story' spotlights two moviemakers behind the marquee [in print as A charming tale whose stars weren't stars]

b
Washington Post July 14 2017, p. Weekend 26-27
online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/harold-and-lillian-a-hollywood-love-story-spotlights-two-moviemakers-behind-the-marquee/2017/07/13/b79a47f8-6583-11e7-a1d7-9a32c91c6f40_story.html


A documentary about storyboard artist Harold Michelson and film researcher Lillian Michelson honors film-industry workers who toil away off-camera. Much of the story, which is told by the couple, is rendered as animated drawings including the one above. (Zeitgeist Films)

Monkey See on Spider-Man

July 15: Kevin Panetta & Paulina Ganucheau - Zodiac Starforce signings





  • Big Planet Comics of Vienna
    426 Maple Ave E, Vienna, Virginia 22180

    Zodiac Starforce finally returns, and we are proud to host our hometown heroes Kevin Panetta and Paulina Ganucheau to celebrate the launch of the second series, Cries of the Fire Prince!

    An elite group of teenage girls with magical powers have sworn to protect our planet against dark creatures... as long as they can get out of class! Known as the Zodiac Starforce, these high-school girls aren't just combating math tests--they're also battling monsters!

    After defeating a former ZS member and her mean-girl minions, the girls thought they'd get a little break! But a new big bad's come out to play, and demons are starting to overrun the downtown!

    We are also having signings at:
    Big Planet Comics of Washington DC on July 15 from 3:30 to 5
    https://www.facebook.com/events/309140282866063
    Big Planet Comics of College Park on July 22 from 1 to 2:30
    https://www.facebook.com/events/1387668691347160/

PR: Gordon Harris' First ZINE!

July 14, 2017 

Look! It's Gordon's very first zine!

16 pages of drawings, sketches and other zine-friendly goodness. And it's available tomorrow at the DC ZineFest at 1525 Newton St. NW.

Gordon will be there from 10 AM to 4:30 PM. Come on by if you're in the neighborhood. It's free.



Thursday, July 13, 2017

Mal Jones' new Kickstarter campaign


Local comics creator/illustrator Mal Jones has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund his new book, Nomencreatures, which he describes as “an alphabet book with bright animal illustrations and fun facts that focus on the silly parts of science!” 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/maljones/nomencreatures-illustrations-of-animal-groups-from?ref=thanks_share