OT: Dave Astor on four cartoonists he's known

Long-time Editor and Publisher super cartoonist columnist Dave Astor (who was let go in their last layoffs) has a post on four cartoonists he knew that were all born in the same year. There's a glancing mention of DC, but you should read this because Dave wrote about syndicated comics for 20 years and knows a lot. He's also apparently got a book out - I'm getting more details on it from him. (followup: David reports he's looking for a publisher)

The Complexity of a Fantastic Four

1/19/12 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-astor/the-complexity-of-a-fanta_b_1201574.html

Dave Astor's new column takes on comic strips

Dave just shot me a link to his latest column which stars many familiar names from the comics - "Good Grief! Comic Characters Leave Newspapers for a Day," Huffington Post April 12, 2009.

Award for Dave Astor's 2nd career

Dave writes in that he's "co-won 2nd-place New Jersey Press Association award for my work in the editorial section of The Montclair Times. That's the newspaper for which I write the weekly "Montclairvoyant" topical humor column. Also, that editorial section includes the weekly work of cartoonist M.e. Cohen, whose drawings run on the page opposite to my column." He's at W23 - Packaging the News Product - Editorial Section Layout and Content if anyone wants the exact citation. His daughter Maggie won for a piece on Teenage Drinking in Montclair (see W-19 at the same link).

Dave's latest humor column for the Huffington Post can be found here, but boy I really miss his syndicate coverage for Editor & Publisher. And unfortunately I have the same view of the Yankees that he does.

Dave Astor's idea for jobless editorial cartoonists

It's a doozy.

Dave Astor continues his humor column

His third is up today - and it's funny, but pointed just like his two previous ones.

Dave Astor's new Huffington Post column started today

Dave Astor, the great former E&P syndicate reporter, has started a new humor column at Huffington Post. Check it out - the first one is a good start.

Dave Astor interview

Boy, I miss Dave's work for Editor and Publisher. See "Talking Comics with Tim: Dave Astor," by Tim O'Shea, Comic Book Resources' Robot 6 blog January 5, 2009.

Editor and Publisher on what a great guy Dave Astor is...

...isn't it a shame they had to lay him off? Here's the article - "Astor Hailed on Departure from 'E&P' After 25 Years," By Greg Mitchell, October 29, 2008. No word yet on whether or not they gave him a gold watch along with the push.

Dave Astor laid off at Editor and Publisher

Dave Astor sent a note saying he's been laid off from Editor and Publisher as of the end of this month. Dave's been a friend of this blog, but beyond that he's one of the few in the mainstream media who has covered comics for years. Dave covered the syndicates that distribute comic strips, writing both small blurbs and larger articles as necessary. Dave's voice went beyond the readers of comics-centered specialty magazines or blogs like this one, and our field is poorer for the loss of his column. I hope that another publisher realizes the richness of Dave's knowledge and his ability and quickly snaps him up so we can get back to reading his stories.

As an aside, I can't help but think that newspapers and magazines letting go of the people that know the most about their field, whether in Washington Post buyouts, Baltimore Sun layoffs or Dave's current firing makes any sense at all if "content" is king as the media moguls keep trying to tell us.

I see I used the same 'headline' as Alan Gardner whose Daily Cartoonist site has better coverage of this whole stupid story. Tom Spurgeon has much the same tenor as I do.

Herblock prize news

See "Herblock Prize News Includes Increase in Cash Award from $10,000 to $15,000," By Dave Astor, Editor & Publisher online October 13, 2008. Dave also names the judges for this year.

OT: Dave Astor online on Friday

Dave Astor of Editor and Publisher, who I've swapped a few tips with, and who kindly points people here, will be interviewed online at 8:15 am on Friday at Ray Hanania's site.

Self-referentialism in today's Post comic strips

Three comic strips today benefited from some inside knowledge of reading them regularly perhaps.

Today's Pearls Before Swine builds on a week of Pastis referring to deaths in comic strips - after taking a passing swipe at Family Circus, Pastis killed himself in the strip - today he meets his syndicate rep as a giant floating head in heaven who tells him he can't kill the strip because of the ancillary products making money.

Candorville's been doing a tribute to the late comedian George Carlin all week, but today he got into criticizing obituary editorial cartoons which frequently feature a character at heaven's pearly gates. This almost certainly comes off a discussion at the Associations of American Editorial Cartoonists that Dave Astor covered.

Finally, Agnes (pick the July 12th one) is on the fact that Peanuts is still appearing in reruns years after Schulz's death.

AAEC touches on Washington issues

"At AAEC Confab, Cartoonist and Columnist Debate the Fate of Wrong-on-Iraq Pundits," by Dave Astor, E and P Online June 26, 2008.

I hope Dave won't mind if I repost the Herblock memory from that story, which is about editorial writer David Ignatius who was totally rolled by the Bush White House on Iraq, as I want to make a point off of it:

One of his strongest early Post memories was meeting Herblock and being thrilled that he became one of the people the editorial cartoonist would show his sketches to.

But one day Herblock showed Ignatius a cartoon idea in which King Hussein of Jordan was depicted in a very nasty way. "That's a little rough," said Ignatius -- and Herblock never came to him with a sketch again.

Speaking more generally of editorial cartoonists, Ignatius said he and other columnists are a little jealous of them. "You guys get to be caustic, irreverent, and crusading. We're pundits and, if we're in Washington, we're Beltway insiders. We use layers and layers of words. We wish we could be as quick and clean."

Roger Wilkins, an editorial writer for the Post during Watergate, made the exact same point about an editor at the Post being jealous of Herblock.

Herblock was also mentioned by Harry Katz at another panel - "Animated Discussion of Animation at Cartoon Confab," By Dave Astor, E and P Online June 27, 2008.

Tony Auth mentioned doing this at the Herblock event linked to in an earlier post. Graham was the publisher of the Washington Post - "Editorial Cartoonists Hear LBJ and Kay (Graham) on Tape," By Dave Astor, E and P Online June 27, 2008.

Jimmy Margulies to get award in DC

Jimmy Margulies of the Record, in Northern New Jersey (my Dad's local paper) will be in DC for an award on September 27th. Dave Astor's got the story at "Another Clarion Award for Editorial Cartoonist Jimmy Margulies," E&P June 24, 2008.

Watterson on Cul de Sac

Alan Gardener and Dave Astor noted that Bill Watterson's written an intro to Our Man Thompson's Cul de Sac collection coming out in September. See "Coup for 'Cul de Sac' Book: Reclusive 'Calvin and Hobbes' Creator Writes the Foreword," E&P June 19, 2008.

Richard noted to me that you can read it on Amazon in their look inside the book feature. Personally I'm waiting until I buy a copy. Anti - ci - pa - tion, as they said in Rocky Horror.

US ships Kal off to Azerbaijan

Dave Astor's got the story in "Cartoonist Kal's News Includes Trips and an Animated John McCain," E&P Online June 13, 2008. Have a good trip, Kevin!

Newspaper Guild Herbert Block Freedom Award

Dave Astor in "Another Award for Reporters Who Exposed Walter Reed Scandal," E&P Online, April 22, 2008, notes

"BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston will receive the Newspaper Guild Herbert Block Freedom Award. That honor is named after renowned Washington Post editorial cartoonist Herblock (1909-2001)."

Telnaes on what a Pulitzer Prize meant to her

See "Past Pulitzer Winners Describe What It Meant to Them," by Dave Astor, Editor and Publisher, April 18, 2008.

Should we switch to stalking Ms. Telnaes as opposed to Richard "Cul de Sac" Thompson? After all, he may be a dead-end! Hahahahahahha!

Sorry, not enough sleep. Rest assured, we're sticking with Our Man Richard.

Ann Telnaes spoke in NYC this week

Dave Astor has the story at Editor and Publisher. Remember her editorial cartoon animations are appearing twice weekly in the Post.

And Trina Robbins will be reviewing the Sex and Sensibility exhibit that Telnaes appears in for the next issue of the International Journal of Comic Art, which has a new issue available now in spite of the website's datedness.

Herblock prize winner John Sherffius interview

See "John Sherffius Discusses the Herblock Prize and the Cartoons That Helped Him Win it," By Dave Astor, Editor and Publisher Online February 21, 2008. The Foundation's announcement can be seen here.

There's a new Herblock exhibit opening at the National Portrait Gallery in May too.