Onion newspaper not printed in DC anymore

The DCist reports that the Onion has ended its paper in the city after five years. The print version was still carrying 1 comic strip - Red Meat, and possibly Ward Sutton's fake editorial cartoon, as well as interviews with cartoonists.

Wes Anderson on Fantastic Mr. Fox in Onion

Wes Anderson's been interviewed all over the place for his new animated movie The Fantastic Mr. Fox, and one appears in the print Onion as well as a longer version online.

Onion on terra-cotta mousketeers find

Today's Onion has an article about a new archeological discovery -
Legion of Terra-cotta Mouseketeers Found Beneath Disney World, Onion (August 6 2009): 1, 6.

National Geographic is opening an exhibit of the Chinese warriors in the fall - perhaps some of the Mouseketeers will sneak in.

Annual Comics Issue of A.V. Club in The Onion

This year's edition of A.V. Club's Comics Issue in The Onion contains three features: Reinventing the Pencil: 4 Artists Who Changed Mainstream Comics (For Better or Worse); Interview with Michael Kupperman; and an Interview with Grant Morrison. The website's contents are more thorough, and additionally have features worth checking out like Seth on Classic Cartoonists and Illustrators, an Interview with Steve Bissette, Gateway to Geekery: Love and Rockets, and Recommended First Comics.

The 4 Artists feature is arguably accurate as well as insightful. It provides background on each of the creators and why they're worth mentioning. The Kupperman interview is interesting, though doesn't tickle the funny bone the way Tales Designed to Thrizzle does (if you have not read this, do yourself the favor). The Morrison interview does a good job of providing insight into some of the more controversial issues surrounding his work, his approach to working, and where he'd like to go next creatively.

Last year, they featured Bendis. This year, Morrison. Perhaps next year, Brian K. Vaughn?

Ariel Schrag in the Onion?

This should be in the new Decider feature section towards the back of the paper - "Interview: Ariel Schrag. The L Word(s): love, literature, and lesbianism in Likewise" by Shauna Miller May 29, 2009.

Groening and Simpsons in the Onion

Groening and Simpsons are in the paper Onion, but the online versions are longer - see "In a way, they're all winners: 10 Simpsons episodes from the past 5 seasons that stand among the series' best." by Genevieve Koski, Kyle Ryan, and Steve Heisler, Onion AV Club March 23, 2009 and an excellent interview, "Matt Groening," by Kyle Ryan, Onion AV Club March 25, 2009.

In the Examiner, Comic Art Indigene was selected as the Best Gallery Show of the weekend.

Obama takes lessons from Conan; Washington establishment slow to follow

Pick up the Onion that came out today or see "Obama Disappointed Cabinet Failed To Understand His Reference To 'Savage Sword Of Conan' #24," Onion January 27, 2009. It's better in print of course.

Wondermark and Frisky Dingos in today's papers

The January 8th Onion has another special Wondermark strip by David Malki in it - a strip about the Onion dropping its comics. This one's probably not going online either so get your copy of the Onion now, or send me a pitiful begging note asking me to clip one for you.

Also, in the Express, Stephen Deusner explains what a Frisky Dingo is - a cartoon on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim that made it into a couple of DVDs, but isn't being renewed.

More on Wondermark and Onion comic strips

David Malki has a blog post confirming that Wondermark is leaving the Onion. He writes:

In late 2006, the satirical newspaper The Onion launched a comics page in its print edition (currently available free on newsstands in 10 metropolitan areas). I was thrilled to feature Wondermark on that page in every market, and for about two and a half years, the comic ran in 700,000 papers every week.

Now, however, the Onion comics page is going away. The issue appearing on newsstands in a few days will be the last to feature a Wondermark strip.*

The asterix is because he did a special strip for the Onion this week which isn't on the website. I'm not going to reproduce it here, because heck, if he wanted you to see it, he would have put it on HIS website.

Look at those numbers though - 700,000 papers per week. And they can't afford to keep in some syndicated strips? Hopefully Malki's resulting move to the MCT Syndicate will pay off for him though.

Onion dropping comic strips?

In the January 1 issue of the Onion, Wondermark by David Malki has a strip that says "In three weeks, The Onion will cease printing a comics page." Malki suggests visiting his website and signing up for having the strip emailed, but that's just not the same as reading the paper, is it? DC is one of the two or three places to have a print copy of the paper - it's in New York City, and possibly still in Madison, WI.

Other strips on the next-to-last page are Shannon Wheeler's Postage Stamp Funnies (recently collected by Dark Horse Comics, as was Wondermark), Red Meat by Max Cannon (fugitive from the City Paper and soon homeless again apparently), The Spats, Ziggy (in Spanish... what a waste) and P.S. Mueller's panel.

Earlier in the paper is Ward Sutton's fake editorial cartoon, nominally by 'Kelly.'

Louts on Onion AV Club comment board attempt to tear down Cul de Sac

Noel Murray reviewed Our Man Thompson's first collection in "Comics Panel: October 27, 2008," concluding "Once Thompson gets into a groove, he produces one of the few strips around where nearly every individual panel is standalone delight… A-"

The first comments bash the strip around, but then more literate defenders come on strong. Although really, who cares? Besides Richard, that is. Don't read the first comments, Richard!

Current Onion is comic book issue

The Onion that appeared on the stands last Thursday is the annual comic book issue.

The cover features "Al Gore Places Infant Son In Rocket To Escape Dying Planet" a story you won't want to miss!

"Drawing-board confessional: 22 unflattering moments from autobiographical comics," by Jason Heller, Noel Murray, Leonard Pierce, Tasha Robinson, Onion July 28th, 2008. This is the extended version - in the July 31 paper it's 6 moments.

"Random Roles: Adam West," By Noel Murray, Onion July 31 (online July 29th,) 2008 reviews his Batman and animation work. This is the longer online version, of course.

"Comics Panel: August 1, 2008," Reviewed by Noel Murray, Keith Phipps, Tasha Robinson, August 1st, 2008, is online only, but reviews one of my favorite comics, Tom Beland's True Story Swear to God.

Also the Mignola and Feiffer articles previously linked to here are published in the physical paper.

Friday's newspapers - Ed Arno, Wall-E and Wanted

In the local papers on Friday, one could find a lot of comics articles:

"Ed Arno, Cartoonist of New Yorker Whimsy, Is Dead at 92," By WILLIAM GRIMES, New York Times June 27, 2008 namechecks and quotes two bloggers, Michael Maslin and Mike Lynch. This is the first obituary I've seen that's taken information from blogs, I think.

Wall-E's all over the place:

"In a World Left Silent, One Heart Beeps," By A. O. SCOTT, New York Times June 27, 2008.

"From Pixar, A Droid Piece of Filmmaking," By John Anderson, Washington Post Friday, June 27, 2008; C01.

"'Wall•E's' world Strong visuals, comic brilliance can't save environmental fable," by Christian Toto, Washington Times Friday, June 27, 2008.

[this is longer than the print version...]
"Wall-E director Andrew Stanton," Interviewed by Tasha Robinson, Onion June 26th, 2008.

Millar and Jones' Wanted, based a comic that I hadn't read, was widely reviewed:

"'Wanted': This Angelina Jolie Is Not One for the Kiddies," By Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
Friday, June 27, 2008; C01.

"You Talkin' to Me, Boys? (Bang-Bang, My Pretties)," By MANOHLA DARGIS, New York Times June 27, 2008.

"Wanting more: A brotherhood of assassins fails to discover any deeper meaning," by Sonny Bunch, Washington Times Friday, June 27, 2008.

...a new tv cartoon - 'Three Delivery' - that I'll probably never see -

"With 3 You Get Egg Roll and a Side of Adventure," By MIKE HALE, New York Times June 27, 2008

...an animation voice was interviewed - the online version is much, much longer than the July 26th print one...

"Random Roles: Billy West," by David Wolinsky, June 18th, 2008.

Finally, it's online only this month, but the Onion also reviewed comic books...

"Comics Panel: June 27, 2008," Reviewed by Noel Murray, Keith Phipps, Tasha Robinson, Onion June 27th, 2008,

...and published this guide to Pixar...

"Primer: Pixar,"
by Donna Bowman, Noel Murray, Onion June 27th, 2008.

Whew! No wonder I'm two days late with this.

Hellman and the Hulk

The Washington City Paper has a cover by Danny Hellman, who's also still doing regular illos for the Sunday Source in the Post. It's also got a review of the Incredible Hulk movie, which I guess opens tomorrow. See "The latest Hulk is smartly big and stupid, while Savage Grace keeps its horrors pretty," By Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper June 12, 2008.

Meanwhile, Keith Phipps in The Onion also reviewed the Hulk fairly positively. Donna Bowman has a good review of The Pixar Touch book by David Price.

2 articles on comics in Onion

Here's the longer online versions -

"Where do they get those wonderful toys?: 18 obscenely wealthy comic-book and cartoon characters," By Jason Heller, Noel Murray, Keith Phipps, Tasha Robinson, Onion June 2nd, 2008 (shorter version in print, June 5).

and "Robert Smigel," Interviewed by Nathan Rabin, Onion June 3rd, 2008 (shorter version in print June 5)

South Park interview in this week's Onion

And an expanded version online. I like having the printed copy too though.

There's a brief review of Chip Kidd's new book in there too.

Onion swings at Marmaduke

This article's in the paper edition that's out now too - Some Old Man Still Churning Out Marmaduke, Onion March 14, 2008 | Issue 44•11.

In this week's free papers

The City Paper has a surprise review of Frederik Peeters' Blue Pill, in which he discusses having AIDS. The online version is shaky now, but pick up the paper or try the link later.

Also, the Onion has its best comics list - six in the newspaper and more online. See "The Best Comics Of 2007," by Noel Murray, Keith Phipps, Tasha Robinson, Onion January 3, 2008.

Onion recommends Cul de Sac

See "Strip-Off: Girls & Sports vs. Cul De Sac," posted by: Noel Murray on the Onion's blog December 3, 2007.

Go Richard!
Sling that ink!
Go for 100 papers!
So financially you'll be in the pink!

Schulz bio cartoon in The Onion

"Kelly" (aka Ward Sutton) has a cartoon in the Onion on the stands now, "Happiness is a warm dose of truth (at last)" about the Michaelis biography of Schulz. Couldn't find it online though...

...so I'll describe it. People are throwing copies of Peanuts books in the trash can while Charlie Brown says "Suddenly I don't feel like such a LOSER after all," while holding up a newspaper headlined, "New Schulz Bio exposes cartoonist to be a lonely, pathetic philanderer" while 'Kelly' says, "Mr. Success, the original blockhead," in the lower right corner.