Library of Congress' Swann Foundation is accepting fellowship applications

The Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, administered by the Library of Congress is accepting applications for its graduate fellowship, one of the few in the field, for the 2019-2020 academic year. Deadline for applications is February 15, 2019. Please see the following for criteria, guidelines, and application forms:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/swann-fellow.html

 

Please email swann@loc.gov or call (202) 707-9115 if you have questions.

New Herblock exhibit on 1968 up at Library of Congress

You can see it here if you can't visit: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/herblock-gallery/herblock-looks-at-1968.html

And curator Sara Duke will be talking about it at noon on Nov. 2.

ICv2 on Geppi's Library of Congress press preview

PREVIEW: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS'S FIRST EXHIBIT FROM STEPHEN A. GEPPI COLLECTION

Includes Items That WIll Not Be Displayed, but Available to Researchers

Posted by Nicole Bunge on October 31, 2018

https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/41728/preview-library-congresss-first-exhibit-stephen-a-geppi-collection

Editorial Cartoon by Artleytoons

My cartoon suggests that perhaps the Trump factor may not be such a boon to GOP contenders after all (with apologies to Sparky Schultz).

    —Steven G. Artley, artleytoons

©2018 Steven G. Artley • artleytoons • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Clifford Berryman exhibit in DC city hall

Exhibit Honors Cartoonist Who Championed D.C. Voting Rights (And Invented The Teddy Bear)

Mikaela Lefrak

October 31 2018

https://wamu.org/story/18/10/31/exhibit-honors-cartoonist-who-championed-d-c-voting-rights-and-invented-the-teddy-bear/

The Post on Jeff Kinney's upcoming DC visit

Jeff Kinney puts on a show to launch new 'Wimpy Kid' book [in print as Author takes 'Wimpy Kid' from page to stage].

By Christina Barron

Washington Post October 31 2018

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/jeff-kinney-puts-on-a-show-to-launch-new-wimpy-kid-book/2018/10/30/fb92346a-d220-11e8-83d6-291fcead2ab1_story.html

Nov 2: Sara Duke talks about Herblock at Library of Congress

Gallery Talk: The '68 Election Through Herblock's Eyes

Sara W. Duke

Friday, November 2, 2018 at Noon.

Library of Congress

Thomas Jefferson Building

Ground Floor ,Graphic Arts Gallery

Geppi press conference at Library of Congress covered by Baltimore Magazine

Steve Geppi Unveils Collection at Library of Congress For the First Time

Baltimore magazine publisher offers a preview of rare comic art that goes on display next week.

By Jane Marion | October 30, 2018,

https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/2018/10/30/steve-geppi-unveils-collection-library-of-congress-first-time

I took some vacation time and attended this as well, so I'll have my own article about it.

Comic Riffs on Black Panther costume controversy

Yes, any kid can wear a Black Panther costume, say creators who helped shape the character [in print as An all-inclusive Wakanda: Kids and 'Black Panther' costumes]

By Michael Cavna and David Betancourt

Washington Post Comic Riffs blog October 30 2018

Washington Post October 31 2018: C1, 3

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2018/10/30/yes-any-kid-can-wear-black-panther-costume-say-creators-who-helped-shape-character/

Frankenstein comics on display at Library of Congress

The Evolution of Frankenstein in Comics and Culture: Monster, Villain, and Hero

October 30, 2018 by Malea Walker

https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2018/10/evolution-of-frankenstein-in-comics-and-culture/

Nov 8: Jarrett J. Krosoczka HEY, KIDDO reading and presentation in DC!

Jarrett J. Krosoczka HEY, KIDDO reading and presentation in DC!

https://www.facebook.com/events/293650694549753/?notif_t=plan_edited&notif_id=1540944507678074

Public

· Hosted by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Thursday, November 8, 2018 at 7 PM – 9 PM

West End DC Public Library 1101 24th St NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20037 New location and time from original events posting. West End library branch of the DC Public Library. Book sales by Politics and Prose! Join Jarrett J. Krosoczka as he reads from his young adult graphic memoir, HEY, KIDDO. Finalist for a National Book Award! ★ "Honest, important, and timely." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review ★ "A must have, this book will empower readers. —School Library Journal, starred review ★ "A nuanced graphic memoir...tells a story of identity." —Publishers Weekly, starred review ★ "Krosoczka has meticulously crafted a severely honest portrayal of addiction, resilient familial love, and the healing power of art..." —The Horn Book, starred review ★ "Deeply vulnerable..." —Booklist, starred review ABOUT HEY, KIDDO: A true story about how complicated the truth can be. In preschool, Jarrett Krosoczka's teacher asks him to draw his family, with a mommy and a daddy. But Jarrett's family is much more complicated than that. His mom is an addict, in and out of rehab, and in and out of Jarrett's life. His father is a mystery -- Jarrett doesn't know where to find him, or even what his name is. Jarrett lives with his grandparents -- two very loud, very loving, very opinionated people who had thought they were through with raising children until Jarrett came along. Jarrett goes through his childhood trying to make his non-normal life as normal as possible, finding a way to express himself through drawing even as so little is being said to him about what's going on. Only as a teenager can Jarrett begin to piece together the truth of his family, reckoning with his mother and tracking down his father. Hey, Kiddo is a profoundly important graphic memoir about growing up in a family grappling with addiction and finding the art that helps you survive.

The Post on the death of Asterix translator Anthea Bell

Anthea Bell, deft translator of Asterix comics and literary classics, dies at 82 [in print as Anthea Bell, 82; Her literary fame came through deft translations].

By Harrison Smith

Washington Post October 30 2018

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/anthea-bell-deft-translator-of-asterix-comics-and-literary-classics-dies-at-82/2018/10/29/c1c10f9a-db8a-11e8-b3f0-62607289efee_story.html

TCJ looks at Annapolis' Dead Reckoning

New Publisher Dead Reckoning Tries A Big Entrance to the War Genre

BY Daniel Schindel Oct 30, 2018

http://www.tcj.com/new-publisher-dead-reckoning-tries-a-big-entrance-to-the-war-genre/

Editorial cartoon from artleytoons

My cartoon, "La Casa de Los Valientes" criticizes the folly of 

the President's policy, not the integrity of our brave U.S. soldiers.

    —Steven G. Artley, artleytoons

©2018 Steven G. Arley • artleytoons • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Editorial Cartoon from Artleytoons

My cartoon, "Our Struggle." No need to elaborate on this one.
    —Steven G. Artley, artleytoons

©2018 Steven G. Artley • artleytoons • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Dec 17: Smithsonian Associates hosts Garry Trudeau as a premium offer

Exclusive New Member Offer

---

Join as a Smithsonian Associates member and get free tickets to see Garry Trudeau of "Doonesbury" fame. Don't wait! We anticipate that this popular program will sell out to our members, so we are offering you early access.

Garry Trudeau

Garry Trudeau and His "Doonesbury" World
Evening Program with Book Signing
Monday, December 17, 2018 at 6:45 p.m.
Baird Auditorium, Natural History Museum

For nearly 50 years, "Doonesbury" has been more than a comic strip: It's a satirical, hilarious, and often unsettling examination of American political and cultural life through the eyes of Garry Trudeau. He takes a look at the world he invented—and the wider one today—in a conversation with Michael Cavna of the Washington Post's Comic Riffs blog.  

Redeem New Member Offer

Offer valid through December 17, 2018, 2 p.m. Subject to ticket availability. One-time-only offer. The offer does not apply to current Smithsonian Associates members. Please note that tickets will be released for sale to the public starting November 15, 2018.

      

Nov 2-4: Charles Vess in Baltimore

From his Facebook page:

Here are the dates for my mini tour in support of the publication of "The Books of Earthsea." I'm happy to sign any and all other books that I've worked on if you bring 'em. Additionally, I'll be presenting a short slide show on my collaboration with Ursula for this book at each event.

November 2-4, World Fantasy Convention in Baltimore MD. There'll also be an exhibit of many of the originals for The Book in the art room.

The Post on Sabrina

In 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,' girl power can be a horror story

By Alyssa Rosenberg

Washington Post Act Four blog October 26 2018

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2018/10/26/in-chilling-adventures-of-sabrina-girl-power-can-be-a-horror-story/

Meet a Visiting Comic Book Writer: A Chat with Nejc Juren of Slovenia

by Mike Rhode

Early next month, DC will have the rare treat of two Slovenian cartoonists visiting to sign their Animal Noir graphic novel and open an exhibit of comic art at the Embassy of Slovenia. Last week, we interviewed Izar Lunaček.Today, we chat with Nejc Juren, the co-author of Animal Noir.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I write scripts. I'm so bad at drawing that I never dared to hope I could do any work in comics. However, I've always loved comics, and since I consider myself more of a storyteller then a writer, I jumped at the chance when Izar suggested we tell some stories together in comic book form. I truly believe comics are one of the best storytelling mediums. The possibilities here are endless.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

I try to adapt to the process of the illustrator. If he needs a panel by panel script, I try to write it that way, but I prefer the process to be more loose. I tell the illustrator the broad story and then I let his visual ideas guide and shape the script. With Izar, the process was just incredible. When we did Animal Noir we spent a couple of months just world-building. We really went into the foundation of the world those animals created. Then we created the long arc of the story (which has yet to be told and I guarantee is really epic) and only then all the small arcs, the first of which came out last year from IDW.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

I was born in 1982. Slovenia was a part of Yugoslavia and a socialist country. Yugoslavia dissolved when I was 8 years old and I grew up watching a lot of American television.

Where do you live now?

I live in Ljubljana, our nation's capital.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I always got the worst marks in drawing. But I also always got the worst mark in music and now I make ends meet by writing comic scripts and running a semi-popular swing band. As for formal education, I finished law school.

Who are your influences?

René Goscinny, Allan Moore, Joan Sfar, Christophe Blain.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

I don't think I'd change anything. I kinda take it like this: it takes around 20 years to become a good storyteller. So that's a really long journey. And the more you meander, the more you get lost and side-tracked, the more walls you hit, all that should - by this theory - just add to your journey. That's why I'm trying to cherish all the wrong turns I take.


What work are you best-known for?

In comics, it's Animal Noir. However, in Slovenia I'm more known as a musician. This is my band, Počeni Škafi, if you want to check us out. I write all the lyrics and most of the music. In English, it means The Cracking Buckets. Our original singer's surname was Škafar, which means the bucket maker.We have an album on Spotify and all the other streaming sites, but a good sample is here: https://youtu.be/WM5yLKnJwl0

What work are you most proud of?

You'd make me choose among my children? Okay, check this video out. It's the first thing Izar and I did together. Dive is a short comic that was done as a music video for Fed Horses, a band I also write lyrics for. I'm really happy the way it turned out but I don't think the Youtube algorithm likes it too much.

What would you like to do  or work on in the future?

Izar and I are working on a comic called Thursday Girl that I think will be great. We're hoping to find a publisher soon so we can get our claws into it. I'm also preparing a collection of short stories that's going to get released next year.


What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

I stop and let my brain solve it on it's own. I have a constant writer's block and usually resolves it self around deadlines. Or I find that a long walk or a long shower really helps.

What do you think will be the future of your field?

Who knows? But stories will always be important. And if by some chance the world gets overrun by amazing storytellers and will have no use for me, I'll just go back into law.

What conventions do you attend?

I usually go to the Angouleme festival in France. It's super nice.

Have you visited DC before?

Yes. I visited in 98. I was an international student at the Governor's school of South Carolina and we make a field trip.

If so, favorite thing? Least favorite? If not, what do you want to do?

I remember putting my finger into Einstein's nose.

If you've visited, what monument or museum do you like?

I guess the answer is again Einstein. I'm not into the big phallic monuments. I did enjoy the Air & Space Museum.

What can you tell us about your book that you're signing at Big Planet Comics?

One of Goodreads reviewers called it: so intensely overthought that it's hard to tell if it's good or just totally insane. I guess that's my work.

Did Animal Noir when we appear in the United States, or did it appear in your country first? How did you guys bring it to the attention of IDW? Did you do the English script yourselves?

Animal Noir came out in the US first. Some publishing houses in Slovenia liked it, but none wanted to risk the investment. The Slovenian comics market is very small. Our original plan was to find a publisher in France and the first few pages were drawn in a little larger format. When IDW showed interest, we adapted it to the floppy format and we re-wrote the script to fit it into 20-page episodes.

Izar met Ted Adams at the comics festival in Barcelona, pitched him the story and showed him a few pages. Ted liked it so much, he also took on the editing duties. It was surreal for us.

Yeah, we wrote Animal Noir in English. When in came out in Slovenia 6 months later, we needed to translate it into our mother tongue. Moreover, when we did the world-building we named everything in English with some reckless abandon, so we put ourselves in some tight spots when we needed to translate those names into Slovenian.

Do you have a website or blog?

No. But you can follow me on Instagram.

As Izar Lunaček noted on our blog last week:

The first days of November will see a double hit of Slovenian comics descend on Washington DC. On Thursday November 1st at 7PM, Nejc Juren and Izar Lunaček will swing by Big Planet Comics on U St., NW to talk about and sign their book Animal Noir, a comic thriller about a giraffe detective in a world of lion politicians and hippo mobsters that came out with IDW last year, and on the 2nd the same guys will open an exhibition on the vivid history of their own country's comics scene at the Slovenian embassy on California Street. Admission to both events is free and food and drinks might be served. Come on, come all, it'll be wonderfully fun! 

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "It's Da' Bomb!"

From Washington's anarchist cartoonist Mike Flugennock:

"It's Da' Bomb!"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=2623

So, this is how it ends – not with a whimper, but with a bang.

All year, we've heard all manner of cocky smack talk out of the Democrats about a "Blue Wave" and how they're going to sweep back into a majority on the Hill... but here we are less than two weeks out, and suddenly they're getting all jittery and revising expectations downward, it seems. In the past couple of weeks or so, the cocky talk has been replaced by increased amounts of desperate scolding, hectoring, pleading, shaming, browbeating, practically screaming at us

to vote.

Mind you, the Democrats haven't given us anyone or anything to vote for since about 1972, and nowhere was this fact more glaring than in the past twenty-odd years since Bill'n'Hillary showed up and sucked all the oxygen out of the place.

So, here they are now, with no real record of progressive achievement in the past thirty years to point to, no real vision of a better future, pretty much nothing except to run against Russia and constantly scream at us to vote all friggin' day and night.

...and, while inspired by the Post headline, here's the song that was stuck in my head as I drew this; everybody has sappy old tunes they  love in spite of themselves, and this is one of mine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPOy7TPjfkE