Trade Talks by Daniel Boris

 

Jan 16: Swann Fellow Lecture at Library of Congress

Transpacific Encounters: Miguel Covarrubias, Zhang Guangyu and their Indigenous Turn

Swann Fellow, Felicity Yin, PhD candidate in Art History at the University of California, San Diego, examines the 1930s cultural exchange between Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias and Shanghai artist Zhang Guangyu, focusing on Covarrubias' visit to Shanghai during his second trip to Bali. Utilizing materials from the Library of Congress, the research reveals how their dialogues contributed to an indigenous turn in both artists' practices, redefining the integration of their cultural roots in transpacific modern art.

This event will be recorded.

 

Location: Library of Congress, Pickford Theater, 3^rd Floor, Madison building, at noon

 

For those of you outside LC, please be aware that there is perimeter security around the Capitol Hill complex in advance of the Inauguration on January 20.

Capital Art Book Fair 2024 cartoonists in photos

 The event was today and continues tomorrow at the Eastern Market. These are only photographs of the cartoonist-type people with one ringer at the bottom because I really liked his chutzpah.

Lee Strawberry, local cartoonist

The Silver Spring member of Sun Store. Write to me!

NYC's Ferci Cipriani and her animation Learning to Float art book

 

NYC's Maggie Michel of Sun Store

Smogfrogg aka Leeanna Earp, Silver Spring, MD

 

Nami Oshiro, Falls Church, VA

Boxerbun, Washington, DC

 

 

NYC-based cartoonists Casper Manning and Ray Kao

 

 

There's some printed works from mainland China, including the 

Chinese version of the Beijing Underground. I bought 2 copies.

 

and finally the ringer, Bible story painter Sam Robertson. He's selling 300 copies of his illustrated Old Testament door to door, and podcasting about it at http://www.americasbible.com

 

There were several other people who's work I enjoyed including a couple from Brussels where the man, Hugo Bonamin, was working through some trauma issues by obsessively mixing pastel oil chalks in squares and seeing how they merged. He's online at http://bruitartbook.com

Also My Dead Aunt's Books store out of Hyattsville, MD and photographer John T. Allen of Permian Designs

Meet a Fledgling Cartoonist: A Chat with Maggie Shang

by Mike Rhode

I was recently introduced to Maggie Shang as a freelance illustrator who's pitching her first graphic novel "that’s based off my parents meeting in Beijing in 1989." You may run into her at local comics events like I have.  At the beginning of her career, she's agreed to answer our usual questions.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

Honestly I feel like I'm still so new to comics that all I've really worked on is my first YA GN [graphic novel], which I just finished the pitch packet for, but would love to explore something that's more short form.

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

I find that being able to "ctrl Z" is worth the tired eyes that come with creating digitally; overall it feels like you just have more control over your creation. However, nothing really compares to the texture and feel of traditional media. I haven't created any projects traditionally in a very long time, but I have my sketchbook where I get to sketch and play.

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

I was born in 97 in Spirit Lake, IA

Why are you in Washington now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I actually live out in Gaithersburg, MD, but the reason I'm here is simply because my partner is from here. I met them when I was at Ringling College and once we graduated we knew we didn't want to live in Florida. I also grew up in Beijing, and most of my family still lives there, but I wanted to stay in America so I decided to move to his home state of Maryland. It's probably the most beautiful place I've lived.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I'm actually trained in illustration, and the only education I've had for cartooning was with Kid Comics Unite (KCU)'s intensive bootcamp GN course. Which 10/10 would recommend if you can do it.

Who are your influences?

For GN's Jen Wong is definitely a huge influence; her line work is done traditionally and is always so textured and fun. I also think she has a way of creating dynamic, engaging paneling. Although a massive inspiration, just in general, is Sara Kipin. She made me understand and fall in love with color, and it's now my favorite part of any piece.

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

I don't know if I've had enough of a career to have any do-overs, but I do want to try and put my work out there and maybe try and sell some of it. It's been a bit intimidating but something I very much want to try.

Why did you decide to move on from children's books?

I found children's books to be so restrictive from a creator's POV. I really struggled to keep my stories and ideas to 500 words or less and kept being told that I should expand on my plots and worlds, and asked if I'd ever tried GN's. After looking into it I fell in love [with the form]. There's so much more space to work, and draw and develop your characters and plot. I could maybe illustrate a picture book, but I only want to create GN's now.

What work are you best-known for?

I don't know if I have any work that's known at all... But I guess I'm best known for having a cozy, warm style.

What work are you most proud of?

I think the work I did for the pitch packet is probably some of the work I'm most proud of. It was an awkward transition to think in comics rather than illustrations, and seeing these finals vs my first crack at comics is like night and day.

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

I really want to be a part of an anthology :D I also hope someone likes my YA GN enough to maybe publish it, but we'll see!

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

I physically try to move around, whether that'd be exercise, dancing to music, pacing etc. In a way, it feels like I'm shaking up my creative juices.

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

I think AI is changing everything and it's here to stay. So I can see someone creating an AI where artists feed their style into it, and then give it instructions instead of thumbnailing, line arting [i.e. drawing], coloring and finalizing. My wrist would be so grateful.

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, or others? Any comments about attending them?

I've attended SPX twice now and it's been wonderful both times! Although I really want to try and go to Awesome Con and DC Zine Fest as well.

What comic books do you read regularly or recommend? Do you have a local store?

I just finished Roaming by the Tamaki duo, I thought it had a really quiet intense story telling style. It captured the emotions perfectly and the visuals are stunning and unique. Also really love Fantom Comics in DC.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

A tie between the diverse people and yummy food.

Least favorite?

The humidity.

What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?

I always love the National Portrait Gallery.

How about a favorite local restaurant?

I really love A&J restaurant in Rockville, MD.

Do you have a website or blog?

https://maggieshang.com, and I'm @magshang on both Tiktok and Instagram.

How did the COVID-19 outbreak affected you, personally and professionally?

I graduated in 2019 and remember I had no idea what I wanted to do after graduation. But I put together a game plan and was going to really try and start my career in 2020. Then lockdown happened and it felt like all the momentum I had just disappeared. I also just moved to Maryland so being in a completely new state, away from family and friends was a lot.

PSA: Help support Asian comics at Michigan State University's Comic Art Collection

Asian Comics Cataloging at Michigan State University

reprinted from Insight May 2014 - http://img.lib.msu.edu/giving/insight/Insight_May2014.pdf

"I always recommend the MSU Comic Art Collection to fellow comic researchers since it is the world's most comprehensive and internationally oriented collection in the field." Matthias Harbeck, doctoral candidate, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany

Help make our Asian comics accessible!

Comics are truly a global phenomenon, and an important goal of our Comic Art Collection is to document how cultures around the world have adopted and transformed the medium.

That's why our collection ranges from Golden Age adventure strips to South American fotonovelas, and from Japanese manga to a nearly complete run of THE 99 – the world's first comic series with Muslim superheroes.

However, it's not enough to acquire these diverse materials. It's essential to catalog them as well, so users near and far can determine what we have available.

Thanks to recent gifts, we have far more Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese comics waiting to be cataloged than we can handle – even with the broad range of language skills among the cataloging team!

Fortunately, help is available. We can send the work to an outside contractor, Backstage, which performs research-level cataloging in some 70 different languages. Backstage can complete about 150 of the most needed items for $5000 – and we have already have a generous gift of $1000 to start us off.

The Comic Art Collection is heavily used by MSU students and faculty working in the fields of history, literature, and cultural studies. Help us support their research by putting more Asian comics on the shelf!

Meet a Local Comics Writer: A Chat with Davy Shian

I noticed an different-looking comic on the counter of Big Planet Comics Bethesda this fall. When I asked about it, it turns out it was written by a man working in the florist shop around the corner. I made it over there a couple of weeks later and met Davy Shian, the author of Cicada: Exotic Views. He kindly answered my interview questions.

ComicsDC: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do? Or rather, why did you decide to write a comic book?

Davy Shian: I love cicadas. When I learned that so many Americans had misgivings on cicadas, I decided to write something about the cicadas that would help them see the beauty and wonder in the little bugs. I’ve chosen a cartoon format to keep it light and humorous. If I can’t change people’s views, I hope I would at least entertain them. In addition, I would like to use the opportunity to show some differences in cultures, and show that people see things differently.

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

I did not do the drawing because I was not trained for it. I gave the opportunity to an art student in China* and let her show what she could do. I used PowerPoint and email to communicate what I would like to show and the student would draw based on it.  

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

I was born in Taiwan in 1953. 

Why are you in Washington now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I came to the D.C. area in 1967 and lived in Montgomery County since 1968.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I had no training in arts. I majored in Computer Science. I had a strong background in Quality and Project Management. I used my Project Management skill in creating this book.

Who are your influences?

No one in particular influenced me. It was the ordinary people around me that influenced me. I like to watch people around me.

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

I liked my career and there was no thought of changing it.

What work are you best-known for?

My only book so far is “Cicada: Exotic Views.”

What work are you most proud of?

My programming work for the “bubble chart,”  My program instructed the computer to draw a computer network chart based on the network configuration. My other accompishment was my Quality Management duty that got my company to obtain the ISO9001 certification.

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

I am thinking of producing another comic book.  It will not be based on drawing though; it will be based on photos. This time the subject will be more interesting; it is about a baby.  I would love to find a partner to produce this book.

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

I spent most of time doing things my wife asked me to do, like cleaning the house.

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

My wife has a flower shop, and I will do what ever she wants me to do there.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

I like the weather in DC and seeing different cultures in DC.

Least favorite?

I do not like the traffic, and not finding a parking space.

What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?

Every time when friends and relatives visited, I became a tour guide.   I would take them to all monuments and museums so that they could take all the photos they could and said “being there”.

How about a favorite local restaurant?

My wife loves to try on different restaurants, and I just follow her.  I love basic Chinese food and American food.

Do you have a website or blog?

I have a website on my cicada book.  It is www.cicadacomicbook.com

*CORRECTION: The student that did the artwork was previously misidentified as being from Taiwan; she is from China. ComicsDC regrets the error.

Chinese Disneyland leads to landgrabs, according to Post

Disneyland project in Shanghai spotlights forced evictions in China
By Keith B. Richburg
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, June 19, 2010; A08

October 20: Chinese cartoonist and caricaturist Ding Cong at Library of Congress

 

Chinese cartoonist and caricaturist Ding Cong   To comprehend a tumultuous history like that of twentieth century China, we can benefit greatly from the acute observations of a creative artist active during the period. Ding Cong (1916-2009), until recently China’s most famous living cartoonist and artist, offers that perspective. The Library of Congress and George Mason University are sponsoring a one day symposium and exhibition showing Ding Cong’s life and work. The morning conference at the Library of Congress will include speakers intimately familiar with Ding’s life and work. In the afternoon, the Mason Gallery at GMU will display 50 cartoons and artwork and include more commentary. These events will celebrate the life and works of this artist whose cogent insights illuminate China’s volatile century. October 20, 2009 Conference: 8: 30 a.m. - Noon Whittall Pavilion, Thomas Jefferson Bldg. Library of Congress, Washington, DC Exhibition: 1:45 p.m. – 4: 30 p.m. Mason Art Gallery, School of Visual and Performing Arts, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

Marcia Ristaino

Researcher
Kluge Center for Scholars
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20540

Email: mris@loc.gov

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=170618

KAL blogs on China trip

Kal went to China recently as part of a animation and comics festival. He reported on his trip with pictures here.