Wednesday, July 29, 2020

by Mike Rhode

Like many of us, Michigan State University librarian Randy Scott was sent to work from home when covid-19 began shutting down schools and libraries across the country. To be able to work from home, he had to get creative, since he couldn't take parts of the Comic Art Collection home with him. Scott began clipping comic strips from the Lansing, MI papers that dealt with coronavirus and setting up new subject headings in the collection's Reading Room Index (RRI).

When I checked in with him, and heard that he was doing this, I began sending the daily Washington Post comics pages (I'd been sending the Sundays for years, continuing what crack comics historian Ian Gordon had begun years ago). He's picked coronavirus as his main subject heading, noting "The first mention of the coronavirus (covid 19) pandemic appeared in this collection in the February 13, 2020 episode of Prickly City. Newspaper strips are added here when 5 examples of a title with pandemic-related content are located, clipped and filed in the Library's collection." As of today, he's collected about 600 strips, 400 of which are in the RRI, and 200 waiting to be added.

Strips he's collected include:

Arlo & Janis (starting Mar. 30, 2020)
Baldo (starting Apr. 4, 2020)
Barney and Clyde (starting Mar. 4, 2020)
Blondie (starting May 7, 2020)
Brevity (starting Apr. 7, 2020)
Brewster Rockit: Space Guy! (starting Apr. 6, 2020)
Candorville (starting Mar. 23, 2020)
Curtis (starting Mar. 30, 2020)
Dilbert (starting Apr. 20, 2020)
Family Circus (starting Apr. 15, 2020)
Frank and Ernest (starting Mar. 13, 2020)
Frazz (starting Apr. 18, 2020)
Lio (starting Mar. 30, 2020)
Non Sequitur (starting Mar. 9, 2020)
Off the Mark (starting Apr. 6, 2020)
On the Fastrack (starting Apr. 13, 2020)
Pearls Before Swine (starting Apr. 6, 2020)
Prickly City (starting Feb. 13, 2020)
Reply All Lite (starting Mar. 30, 2020)
Sally Forth (starting Apr. 13, 2020)
Speed Bump (starting Apr. 27, 2020)

New and newly significant related topics include:

A typical entry for a Washington, DC-based cartoonist looks like this:

Social Distancing. 
   "Boo Cat Lives and Breathes Social Distancing" (Reply All
   Lite, Apr. 26, 2020) / by Donna A. Lewis. -- Call no.:
   oversize PN6726.S79 Apr. 26, 2020

Special collections work over the long run and most of this collection probably won't be of interest to users for a few years, and then again after a few decades, most likely for the fiftieth anniversary of the pandemic. But just a cautionary note for those who think they can find everything on the web... this Chris Ware strip from the New York Times from April 26, 2020, has disappeared from the Times' website (and Randy would like a tearsheet if you have it).

Picture from Twitter

Monday, July 27, 2020

NPR, and Andrew Aydin, remember John Lewis

'March' Comic's Creator Remembers Late Rep. John Lewis

July 20, 2020 All Things Considered

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/20/893227095/march-comics-creator-remembers-late-rep-john-lewis

https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2020/07/20200720_atc_march_comics_creator_remembers_late_rep_john_lewis.mp3

'Good Trouble': A New Generation Of Activists On John Lewis' Indelible Legacy

<iframe width="100%" height="124" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://player.wbur.org/onpoint/2020/07/20/good-trouble-lewis-new-gen-activists-legacy"></ifr

Meghna Chakrabarti

Adam Waller

WBUR's On Point

Jul 27, 2020

https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2020/07/20/good-trouble-lewis-new-gen-activists-legacy

Aug 1: Black Excellence Book Club: Fire!! The Zora Neale Hurston Story

AUG 1

Black Excellence Book Club: Fire!! The Zora Neale Hurston Story

Public · Hosted by Fantom Comics

https://www.facebook.com/events/214589706340688/

Saturday at 4 PM – 5:30 PM

We continue our Black Excellence book club series with Fire!! the Zora Neale Hurtson Story by Peter Bagge.

Hurston challenged the norms of what was expected of an African American woman in early 20th century society. The fifth of eight kids from a Baptist family in Alabama, Hurston's writing prowess blossomed at Howard University, and then Barnard College, where she was the sole black student. She arrived in NYC at the height of the Harlem Renaissance and quickly found herself surrounded by peers such as Langston Hughes and Wallace Thurman.

Hurston went on to become a noted folklorist and critically acclaimed novelist, including her most provocative work Their Eyes Were Watching God. Despite these landmark achievements, personal tragedies and shifting political winds in the midcentury rendered her almost forgotten by the end of her life. With admiration and respect, Bagge reconstructs her vivid life in resounding full-color.

This event will be livestreaming on our Facebook!

Please let us know if you would like to order a copy for you!
Phase Two In Store Hours & Requirements:
Mon-Sat 11am-6pm
MUST wear face mask and social distance!

Offering curbside pickup, after hours pickup and shipping services! Inquire by email (FantomHQ@fantomcomics.com) or phone (202-241-6498)!

As always, we at Fantom believe in a space where folks can feel safe and discuss how they feel about the difficult circumstances caused by institutional oppression. We're here. We're listening. We support you. Black Lives Matter.

Mark Wheatley on SDCC panel

Graphic Novel or Illustrated Book: You Make the Call | Comic-Con@Home 2020

•Jul 24, 2020

Comic-Con International

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F_UmIP2Odo

Rick Veitch https://bit.ly/RVeitch A comics artist and writer who has worked in mainstream, underground, and alternative comics, best known for Army@Love, Brat Pack, Swamp Thing, and Tomorrow Stories. He continues to create new works and his books are available published by his own imprint through Amazon.

Armand Baltazar https://timelessarmandbaltazar.com/ Armand Baltazar was born 1967 in Chicago's North Side. He studied at the Art Institute Chicago, then later graduated from Northern Illinois University with a BFA in Advertising & Editorial Art and later earned a second BFA in Illustration at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena Ca. Armand began his film career in feature animation first as a background artist, then as a visual development artist, and art director for DreamWorks Studios, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Image Movers Digital and Pixar Animation Studio. Armand currently resides in Northern California with his family, working full time writing and creating the art for the epic illustrated middle grade novel series . . . Timeless for HarperCollins Publishing. You can visit him online at… Website: https://timelessarmandbaltazar.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArmandBaltaz... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/armand_balt... Email: info@armandbaltazar.com

Karen Green Columbia University Libraries Librarian for Ancient & Medieval History; Graphic Novels Librarian; adjunct curator for Comics.

J. C. Vaughn https://www.gemstonepub.com/en/the-bi... VP-publishing - Gemstone Publishing, creator: Zombie-Proof, Bedtime Stories for Impressionable Children, co-writer: Stargate Atlantis and SGU, original Earper Mark Wheatley https://www.MarkWheatleyGallery.com/

Mark Wheatley, Overstreet Hall of Fame inductee, has been awarded the Eisner, Inkpot, Mucker, Gem, Speakeasy, Golden Lion and nominations for the Harvey and the Ignatz. His work has appeared in Spectrum, the Library of Congress, The Norman Rockwell Museum, and other museums. He has designed for Lady Gaga, The Black Eyed Peas, ABC's Beauty and the Beast, and Square Roots, as well as Super Clyde, The Millers and 2 Broke Girls on CBS. His most recent print projects include The Earliest Ray Bradbury, The Visual History of Science Fiction Fandom, Songs of Giants, Doctor Cthulittle, Tarzan and the Dark Heart of Time, Swords Against the Moon Men, The Philip Jose Farmer Centennial Collection, Mine!, and Wild Stars. Past creations include Breathtaker, Return of The Human, Ez Street, Lone Justice, Mars, Black Hood, Prince Nightmare, Hammer of The Gods, Blood of The Innocent, Frankenstein Mobster, and Skultar as well as Tarzan, Baron Munchausen, Jonny Quest, Dr. Strange, The Flash, Captain Action, Argus, The Spider, Stargate Atlantis, Torchwood and Doctor Who.

*This is a repost of the panel due to an editing mishap on Comic-Con's behalf. This is the correct version of the panel video, made by, and originally provided by Insight Studios intended for Comic-Con@Home. Sorry for the delay.

Malaka Gharib in History Goes Graphic SDCC video

History Goes Graphic | Comic-Con@Home 2020

•Jul 24, 2020

Comic-Con International

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSf-rAJR85Q

Authors behind graphic adaptations of cultural pasttimes, historical figures, social justice movements, and autobiographies discuss their process. How does one adapt "real life" into a comic format? How is it different from fiction? In what way must art stick to (or differ from) "authenticity"? Featuring Fred Van Lente (The Comic Book Story of Basketball), Tom Scioli (Jack Kirby), David F. Walker (The Life of Frederick Douglass), Mikki Kendall (Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists), and Malaka Gharib (I Was Their American Dream), moderated by Ten Speed Press associate editorial director Kaitlin Ketchum.

Saturday, July 25, 2020

Malaka Gharib talks to Adrian Tomine

Adrian Tomine Spotlight Panel | Comic-Con@Home 2020

Jul 25, 2020

Comic-Con International

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUe4d49JaYw

Adrian Tomine is one of the most important voices of the graphic novel age. His new memoir, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist, traces a lifetime of making comics punctuated by chaotic book tours, disastrous interviews, and cringe-inducing interactions with other artists. It is uproariously funny and poignant and sure to be one of the graphic novels of the year. Malaka Gharib (cartoonist of I Was Their American Dream) speaks to Tomine about identity, fame, and the joy of drawing.

Malaka Gharib: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo... Adrian Tomine: https://bookshop.org/books/the-loneli...

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "U.S. Out Of Portland!"

From DC's anarchist cartoonist Mike Flugennock -

"U.S. Out Of Portland!"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=3039

Here's one in solidarity with the Moms and Dads of Portland, hitting the streets against the US invasion of their city and being radicalized in real time.

---

"Portland's Wall of Moms Joined by Dads With Leaf Blowers Against Trump's Police" Truthout, 07.21.2020
https://truthout.org/articles/portlands-wall-of-moms-joined-by-dads-with-leaf-blowers-against-trumps-police/

Mark Wheatley in SDCC panel

Graphic Novel or Illustrated Book: You Make the Call | Comic-Con@Home 2020

•Jul 24, 2020

Comic-Con International

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F_UmIP2Odo

The debate has raged for years, and now the last few year's liveliest panel debate returns for another round: Is a 200-page comic story a graphic novel? Or is it a long comic book? Is a novel that is 100% filled with illustrations a graphic novel? Or is it an elaborate picture book? A new wave of profusely illustrated books has entered the fray, including Super Catchy by Rick Veitch, Timeless by Armand Baltazar, and Doctor Cthulittle by Mark Wheatley and G. D. Falksen, among others. Join the discussion as our all-star panel explores the exciting new developments and the history of this field!* Rick Veitch https://bit.ly/RVeitch A comics artist and writer who has worked in mainstream, underground, and alternative comics, best known for Army@Love, Brat Pack, Swamp Thing, and Tomorrow Stories. He continues to create new works and his books are available published by his own imprint through Amazon. Armand Baltazar https://timelessarmandbaltazar.com/ Armand Baltazar was born 1967 in Chicago's North Side. He studied at the Art Institute Chicago, then later graduated from Northern Illinois University with a BFA in Advertising & Editorial Art and later earned a second BFA in Illustration at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena Ca. Armand began his film career in feature animation first as a background artist, then as a visual development artist, and art director for DreamWorks Studios, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Image Movers Digital and Pixar Animation Studio. Armand currently resides in Northern California with his family, working full time writing and creating the art for the epic illustrated middle grade novel series . . . Timeless for HarperCollins Publishing. You can visit him online at… Website: https://timelessarmandbaltazar.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArmandBaltaz... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/armand_balt... Email: info@armandbaltazar.com Karen Green Columbia University Libraries Librarian for Ancient & Medieval History; Graphic Novels Librarian; adjunct curator for Comics. J. C. Vaughn https://www.gemstonepub.com/en/the-bi... VP-publishing - Gemstone Publishing, creator: Zombie-Proof, Bedtime Stories for Impressionable Children, co-writer: Stargate Atlantis and SGU, original Earper Mark Wheatley https://www.MarkWheatleyGallery.com/ Mark Wheatley, Overstreet Hall of Fame inductee, has been awarded the Eisner, Inkpot, Mucker, Gem, Speakeasy, Golden Lion and nominations for the Harvey and the Ignatz. His work has appeared in Spectrum, the Library of Congress, The Norman Rockwell Museum, and other museums. He has designed for Lady Gaga, The Black Eyed Peas, ABC's Beauty and the Beast, and Square Roots, as well as Super Clyde, The Millers and 2 Broke Girls on CBS. His most recent print projects include The Earliest Ray Bradbury, The Visual History of Science Fiction Fandom, Songs of Giants, Doctor Cthulittle, Tarzan and the Dark Heart of Time, Swords Against the Moon Men, The Philip Jose Farmer Centennial Collection, Mine!, and Wild Stars. Past creations include Breathtaker, Return of The Human, Ez Street, Lone Justice, Mars, Black Hood, Prince Nightmare, Hammer of The Gods, Blood of The Innocent, Frankenstein Mobster, and Skultar as well as Tarzan, Baron Munchausen, Jonny Quest, Dr. Strange, The Flash, Captain Action, Argus, The Spider, Stargate Atlantis, Torchwood and Doctor Who. *This is a repost of the panel due to an editing mishap on Comic-Con's behalf. This is the correct version of the panel video, made by, and originally provided by Insight Studios intended for Comic-Con@Home. Sorry for the delay.

Minor Tom King kerfuffle over new Watchman book cover

Tom King Speaks Out About DC Comics Rorschach #1 Cover (UPDATE x2)

July 24, 2020 | by Rich Johnston

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/tom-king-rorschach-1-cover-jae-lee/

Friday, July 24, 2020

Tom King in DC panel at SDCC

DC@Home Day One | Comic-Con@Home 2020

•Jul 24, 2020

Comic-Con International

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rivX_5taAY

Whether it's Batman's final showdown with The Joker, Wonder Woman taking on new adventures, or the Man of Steel taking facing threats from Metropolis and across the cosmos, DC is the place to be for the best storytellers lending their talents to the World's Greatest Super Heroes! Don't miss your chance to hear first-hand from these comic book legends in the making as they give you the inside scoop on what's in store for Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and other DC heroes and villains!

Calvin Reid's March interviews rerun at PW

PW Comics World: More To Come

More To Come 431: Rep. John Lewis 'March' Memorial Special

Calvin Reid

on 07/24/2020

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/podcasts/index.html?channel=2&podcast=1084

In this special memorial episode to the late Representative John Lewis, we're replaying two interviews between host Calvin Reid and Andrew Aydin, co-author of Lewis's acclaimed graphic memoir, 'March'. In our first interview, recorded back in 2013, about 'March' and the historical impact of the 1957 comic Martin Luther King Jr. and the Montgomery Story, nonviolent disobedience; and a second, recorded in 2016 at Awesome Con, about finishing the third and final volume of the series.

Robin Ha's appearances on San Diego CC videos

Raina and Robin in Conversation | Comic-Con@Home 2020

•Jul 24, 2020

Comic-Con International

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

Two top children's graphic novelists, Raina Telgemeier (author and illustrator, Guts) and Robin Ha (author and illustrator, Almost American Girl), discuss the art of creating graphic novel memoir, draw on camera, and take questions from their fans. The first 100 viewers to purchase a book by Raina Telgemeier at Brain Lair Books will receive a signed bookplate. Click on the link below to learn more and use promo RAINATA at checkout.

New Kids Comics from Eisner Award publishers (CCEL) | Comic-Con@Home 2020

•Jul 22, 2020

Comic-Con International
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0y4sKddiII

Jerry Craft (Class Act, New Kid) and Faith Erin Hicks (One Year at Ellsmere) join exciting comics artists Robin Ha (Almost American Girl), Derick Brooks (Bright Family), and Jonathan Hill (Odessa) in a discussion about new kids graphic novels. Moderated by Candice Mack (YALSA) and sponsored by the CBC Graphic Novel Committe