Showing posts with label obituary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obituary. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 01, 2023

Mike Violante, RIP

Mike Violante died last week. Edward Michael "Mike" Violante won't be a name familiar to anybody as some one in the comics field. But for me, he's a major figure. Along with my parents, he aided and abetted my love of comics. He also started my love of science fiction and fantasy novels. To use a space shuttle analogy from my youth, if my parents were the solid rocket boosters, with copies of Richie Rich, Archie, Superman, Mad, Disney digests, and Peanuts paperbacks around the house, Mike was the liquid fuel tank that fed the engines to push the shuttle into orbit. 

Mike was the person who got me started on Marvel. When he married my cousin Emma around 1970, I was 5 years old. A few years later than that (I would guess I was about 8), he gave me a stack of his comics. This was before speculator booms and they were only 10-15 years old at that point anyway, but it was still a generous gift. There were a lot of DC Silver Age science fiction and early Marvels. I grew hooked on Carmine Infantino's Adam Strange with its sleek futuristic lines, Space Cabbie, and the Challengers of the Unknown. Meanwhile Marvel's interlinked universe was a tantalizing mystery, as I read single issues of the Avengers and Spider-Man, including the ones that introduced Kang (Avengers 8) and the Green Goblin (Amazing Spider-Man 14; I have those numbers memorized). I still read Curt Swan, Elliot S! Maggin and Cary Bates' clever stories in DC's superhero line, as they tried to deal with a Superman who could move planets, or a Flash who could run faster than light. But when I started earning a bit of paper-delivering money, I bought Marvel and got thoroughly invested in their soap opera super heroics. Fortunately, my parent's ecumenical tastes carried me along, and even though superheroes have palled for me to this day, I read all types of comics. I have gotten to know a wide range of creators too, something the 8-year-old me would never have imagined.

Mike also gave me his Science Fiction Book Club collection after introducing me to fantasy books by giving me a copy of the Richard Corben-covered Llana of Gathol and John Carter Warlord of Mars combined edition. After a long physical and mental decline, Mike passed away last week in Arizona, thousands of miles and a lifetime away from growing up in northern New Jersey. As far as I know he never returned to comic books, although I think he still read science fiction at times. My last email from him was in January 2017, but it's safe to say that without Mike Violante, I would not be the person that I am today and I remain very grateful to him. I read those comics to death, and they have no value at all now to anyone but me, but boy, do they mean a lot to me. Thanks for everything, Mike. 

Sunday, October 16, 2022

Bono Mitchell's obituary and service

The service is tomorrow, October 17th. Details are in the obituary which suggests donations to Team Cul de Sac.

AUDREA MITCHELL OBITUARY


AUDREA Bono MITCHELL

Bono Mitchell, 75, of Arlington, VA passed away peacefully at her home on Sunday, October 2, 2022. She was a gifted artist, successful business owner in DC and Virginia, generous benefactor of the arts and mentor to many young artists and designers. She had a long and successful life as a magazine designer and graphic artist in the Washington, DC, and Arlington area. She graduated from George Washington University in 1969 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Over the years she worked in the graphic design department at ABC News; graphic design at NAHB; art director of Bono Mitchell Graphics in DC and Arlington; Co-owner with Tom Specht, and Art Director of BonoTom Studio in Arlington. Bono retired in 2017 and enjoyed a life full of friends and family. She traveled widely, painting watercolor landscapes at every destination. She enjoyed weekends at her Chesapeake Bay house on Kent Island and couldn't wait to get back there to view the beautiful bay. Bono was preceded in death by her loving mother and father Autrey B. Mitchell and Margaret L. Mitchell of Stevensville Md, niece Audrey Simpson and brother-in-law Milton T. Calhoun. She is survived by her two loving sisters, Gaye Calhoun of Mclean Va and Sissie Simpson and husband Keggs Simpson of Ocean Isle, NC, nieces and nephews Melody Newton, Brett and his wife, Jennifer Calhoun, Tara Calhoun, Pete Calhoun, as well as a host of great nieces and nephews and other family members. In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to your favorite charity or to fundraiser.michaeljfox.org in behalf of her beloved friend Richard Thompson. Gravesite funeral is planned for Monday, October 17, 2022, 1 p.m. at the Remington Cemetery in Remington, VA.

Published by The Washington Post on Oct. 13, 2022.

Friday, August 12, 2022

Baltimore's Ron Barlow obituary - EC fan and publisher (updated)

Photo: Ron Barlow & Bernie Wrightson c. 1974

by Joel Pollack

R.I.P. Ron Barlow (1949-2022).

Ron commissioned and published Bernie Wrightson's Badtime Stories, the first deluxe comic fanzine devoted to a single artist.

Ron worked as an editor at Woody Gelman's Nostalgia Press, where he edited hardcover reprints of classic comic strips including the finest Alex Raymond Flash Gordon strips. It was at Nostalgia Press that Ron edited EC: Horror Comics of the 1950s.

Ron and his partner, Bruce Hershenson, published the earliest full-color EC reprints, under the East Coast Comix imprint.

In 1972 , Ron and Bruce staged the first and only EC Comics convention, attended by most of the EC staff. For that convention, they published EC Lives, a collection of articles about EC Comics written by EC creators.

Ron was active in Star Trek fandom, and owned and operated the Federation Trading Post in Manhattan c. 1973.

Joel's contacted other friends of Barlow's on Facebook for their reminiscences. Here's Bruce Hershenson's:

RIP Ron Barlow January 1, 1949 - August 9, 2022

When I was 15 I spent four days over the 1968 July 4th weekend buying and selling comic books. Not so strange nowadays, but beyond bizarre back then. I left my home with 6 boxes of comic books and $20, and after 4 frantic days of wheeling and dealing I went home with 20 boxes of comics and $100, and I knew I had found my life's calling!
 
I also met two 18 year olds who would have a massive impact on my life. One was a Californian named Barry Bauman (a story for another day), and the other was from Baltimore, named Ron Barlow, and both were very good looking guys with very long hair (well before that was mainstream) and for the life of me I could not see what either of them saw in me, but their friendships sure helped this pathetically nerdy and shy 15 year old immeasurably!
 
Flash forward to the end of 1971. I was in college and hating it, and spending most of my time buying and selling comics, completely supporting myself doing so. It was at this point Ron Barlow re-entered my life in a big way. He had gone to work for Woody Gelman, the visionary who first saw a market for deluxe hardcover reprints of classic comic books.
 
One of those books was devoted to EC Comics, and through editing it, Ron caught the eye of Bill Gaines, and they became great friends, despite being decades apart in age. Ron had grown up with Berni Wrightson and Jeff Jones, and he had the idea of a new publication that would be a tribute to EC Comics, but with all new stories by modern artists, and instead of a lowly comic book, a "graphic novel," printed on the finest paper.
 
Ron was able to persuade Berni to draw one entire book called "Badtime Stories", and he gave him an astronomical page rate, AND returned the art, something never done in those days! I came into the picture in early 1972, because Ron and I were both living in Great Neck, New York, and thanks to my successful mail-order business in comics, I had put together some savings from it, even though I was now only 18.
 
Ron had run out of money, and he proposed that I put up the printing bill, and that I handle the distribution of the book, and that once we each got our investment back, we would split whatever profits that were made 50/50.
 
I agreed, because I felt then that Berni was the young artist who most could have been an EC artist had he been 20 years older, and I thought his work on Badtime Stories was especially wonderful. So that's how I became the 18 year old "publisher" of Badtime Stories, and what started my longtime partnership with Ron Barlow.
 
It took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, but I got us all the money back on Badtime Stories, and Ron told me he admired my business acumen and wanted us to together organize a convention solely for fans of EC Comics, a "theme" convention no one had done before.
 
I had zero knowledge about running a convention (although I had attended many), but it sounded like "fun", so I agreed. I was now 19, and Ron was 23, and somehow we were able to rent the giant McAlpin Hotel in New York City for four days (with no money!).
 
What made the convention a major success (except we made no money, but that was not important to us) was that Bill Gaines was able to convince just about every EC artist and writer to attend, and there has never been another convention like it. Ron next suggested we approach Bill with the "crazy" idea of reprinting the original EC comics as full-color comic books (the very first time fans ever did that for ANY comic book company), and to our amazement Bill agreed!
 
That led to my dropping out of college, and Ron and I co-publishing 12 issues of full-color reprints of EC comics over the next two years, under our "East Coast Comix" label (we were given the catchy name by longtime Ron friend, Joel Pollack!). Sadly, there just weren't enough comic book collectors back them to fully support the project, and we folded it after 12 glorious issues! 
 
After that I was partners with Ron in a vintage clothing business in Baltimore. He discovered the Internet in the late 1980s and wanted us to move our business online, but it sounded "sketchy" to me, and I talked him out of it, to my eternal regret, because WE might have become early Internet moguls, bringing collectibles to the Net, as eBay did years later!
 
Ron had also discovered vintage movie posters, and he wanted to do a mail order business of those as well as the vintage clothing. But as so often happened with Ron, he grew tired of the posters, and offered to trade me his half of that poster business for my half of his vintage clothing store and I reluctantly agreed.
 
But I took that tiny poster business and it evolved into my current business, eMoviePoster.com, with $107 million in total sales, so in a way I owe that success to Ron Barlow as well!
 
In the late 1980s Ron moved to Santa Fe and started selling antiquities, with a very successful gallery there. He later moved back to Baltimore (where he started out) and pursued a career as a painter, something I wish he had more vigorously pursued far earlier.
 
Ron was the most gifted, talented, and "ahead of his time" person I have ever met! I have just barely scratched the surface of the many business ideas he had over the years. He launched a free "adzine" for comic book collectors, years before The Buyer's Guide copied his idea. He owned a store entirely devoted to Star Trek memorabilia, in the days when it was a cult favorite, but long before it became a beloved franchise.
 
Ron was incredible at "spotting talent" and upcoming "trends". It was he who told me in 1976 about the forthcoming Star Wars movie, and he told me it was sure to be a giant hit, and that he had been able to buy the rights to some merchandising, with the little money he had, and he had a real "score" from that.
There was so much more to Ron's incredible life! If only he had been able to stay focused longer on each individual project, he likely would be a household name today, but that was just not his way. Once a project took fruit, his mind was on to his next idea!
 
So rest in peace my old friend. You surely have earned some time off. But knowing Ron, I bet he is at St. Peter's shoulder, giving him endless ideas on how Heaven could be run better!

 

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Ray Rose of Barbarian Comics (formerly Books) has died (UPDATED)

 
We are saddened to receive the news that Ray passed away yesterday. Numerous folks have known Ray throughout the many years he was at the shop. He was always kind, helpful, and in good spirit to everyone he met. He will be missed greatly.
Some additional information here:
 
Joel Pollack of Big Planet Comics Bethesda told me about this, noting, "Ray was Carl's very capable assistant. His knowledge of older comics was nearly equal to Carl's, and his knowledge of newer comics far surpassed Carl's. He was always fun to converse with."

------------

Raymond A. Rose

UPCOMING SERVICE
Shiva
May, 26 2022
7:00p.m.
at the home of Sharon Cohen
Send Flowers
ROSE

RAYMOND A. ROSE

Raymond Rose, formerly of Silver Spring, residing in Columbia passed away on May 23, 2022. He is survived by his sister Sharon, brother in-law Jeff; his beloved niece, Mallery, nephews, Corey and Kyle; Great nieces, Arianna and Lyric, and great nephews Isaiah, Jude and Blaze. Also very loyal cousins and friends. Enjoyed his comic books and hero movies as well as his varied feline pets through the years. Grave side service will be held at King David Memorial, VA on Wednesday, May 25 at 3 p.m. Shiva will follow at the home of Sharon Cohen at 7 p.m. on May 25 and May 26, 2022. Donations please send to Childrens Hospital Washington, DC or your favorite animal rescue.


Saturday, January 23, 2021

Maryland cartoonist Steve Hauk (1954-2021) R.I.P. (UPDATED)

from Facebook
by Mike Rhode

Maryland cartoonist Steve Hauk (pronounced Hawk) passed away sometime this week in Silver Spring. The discovery of his death was on the morning of Friday, January 22nd, but he had not been seen in public since Tuesday, January 19th. He apparently was out of his room some time on Wednesday, so most likely passed away on the 20th or 21st.  His death is considered to be of natural causes, and won't be further investigated. Hauk identified himself on his Facebook page as a type-2 diabetic who needed to self-inject insulin on a daily basis. Hauk was born on August 4, 1954 according to the Grand Comics Database. For a short time in the early 1990s, he broke into drawing for mainstream comic books, but was unable to make a career of it. On his Linkedin page, Hauk wrote of himself, "Successful retail manager for such companies as Rosetta Stone, Brookstone and The Sharper Image. My life experiences have been varied including being an FM Disc jockey, gag writer for comedians, editorial and comic book cartoonist."

Joel Pollack, founder of the local Big Planet Comics chain said, "I believe Steve first moved to the DC area (from Cumberland, MD) in 1973 to attend University of Maryland. I met him through the UMD Comic Art Society where he also met his best friend, Gary Sommer. Gary and Steve hosted a radio show on WMUC for several years. Steve worked at Big Planet Comics circa 1990-1992, and was there when we moved from Cordell Ave. to Fairmont Ave. At that time, Steve relocated from Adams-Morgan to Triangle Towers where he resided for 20+ years. I know he drew Fish Shticks for Steve Moncuse, and "Emperor of Da Universe" for Comic Buyers Guide. He was living in a group house in Silver Spring at the time of his passing." Debbie Kozak said, "He was a beloved housemate of our group house in Silver Spring since May of 2015. Steve was a good friend. He always made me laugh. I miss him terribly."


Hauk and his painting of Lobo (after Bisley) for Big Planet Comics store on Fairmont Ave.

Fish Shticks #3

Gary Sommer recalled his time with his friend today for this obituary. The two met at UMD in the early 1970s as part of the Comic Arts Society and both worked on MetroCon. Gary Groth of Fantagraphics was a also member as was Joel Pollack. Steve was trying to break into comics at the time and did minicomics. Sommers and Hauk did eight years of college radio together on their show Sub-Ether Waveband, where they played a mix of up-tempo new wave, electronica, comedy and some original comedy. Steve did a segment called "Cooking with the Emp" with the self-proclaimed Emperor of the Universe, Andy Looney (who now does game designs for his company Looney Labs). This led to a series of minicomics about the Emperor's adventures. His minicomics were done in small runs and given away to his friends. 

As noted, from 1992-1993, he drew Fish Shticks (Apple Comics) for Steve Moncuse's Fish Police series. Eighteen pages of his original art for issue 3 can be seen online. Sommer says Hauk also inked an issue of Barbie for Marvel. Hauk's GCD credits also list a story in Vamperotica #10. The last of his comic book work appears to have been in the late 1990s in John Gallagher's Buzzboy comic.

Sommer notes that Steve kept drawing up to the very end, and his most recent minicomic was What We Do in the Pandemic, a parody of the tv show What We Do in the Shadows. He also drew his own Christmas cards, including a coronavirus-themed one for this past year's card as well - they were always funny or topical cartoons.

from Linkedin

 I personally knew Steve when he clerked for the Bethesda branch of Big Planet Comics. I can't believe that was 30 years ago. I enjoyed seeing Steve on a weekly basis back then and hearing his sardonic comments on life. It's a shame that he wasn't able to continue creating comic books, but it's always been a hard field to make a living in. Steve remained a Big Planet Comics Bethesda customer until his death.

  This obituary will be updated in italics as more information or images are sent to me.


2019 Christmas card

2020 Christmas card cover and interior


Steve with our youngest cat, Violet, from June of 2019

Steve wearing a Svengoolie T-shirt, August 2015.

From Gary Sommer, January 31st - "I ran across 3 pieces from the 1980s..."

 

After Max Headroom

Budgie Hunter

Dash Headon

 

2/13/21 UPDATE

Courtesy of Randy Scott, librarian of Michigan State University's Comic Art Collection, Steve wrote a mini-biography for:

Entry (p. 90) in Comic-Book 
Superstars, by Don & Maggie 
Thompson (Iola, Wis. : Krause
Publications, 1993). -- 
Call no.: PN6707.C65 1993

Steve Hauk. 4853 Cordell Avenue, Unit 1501, Bethesda, Maryland 20814.
Born: August 4, 1954, in Washington, D.C.
College or other education: Self-taught.
Biggest creative influences: Will Eisner, Vaughn Bode, Mike Ploog, Mike Hinge, George Carlin, Monty Python, Douglas Adams, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and Robert Sheckley.

1993 projects: Developing a title for Parody Press, full art and story. Emperor of Da Universe back-up story in Team Danger #0 from Obsidian Publishing, inks on Marvel Comics' Barbie Fashion #29.

Past comics tides and related projects:
Since issue #677 in November 1986 contributed editorial and other cartoons to Comics Buyer's Guide. Multiple logos for the Arrow/Caliber book Deadworld. Two contributions to the Apple Press book 101 Other Uses for a Condom (mine were "Frog Partyhat" and "Emergency Airsickness Bag"). A Fish Police mini-series from Apple Press, Fish Shticks, six issues, all interior art, pencils, inks, and tones. Recently my inks over Dan Parent's cool pencils on Barbie Fashion #29 for Marvel (and on my first work for Marvel, my first work to see color, Michelle Wrightson does the coloring. Wow.). I've written gags for Don Martin and Larry "Bud" Melman.

Favorite comics not worked on: Any Ambush Bug comic, 2000 AD, Epic Comics' The Sleeze Bros. and Lance Barnes, Post Nuke Dick, and Ostrander's Grimjack.

Dream comic-book project: Realistically, to ink a Keith Giffen pencilled Ambush Bug special (or any Giffen pencils; I especially like his silly side). Total fantasy, to have worked with Vaughn Bode.

And his friend and housemate Debbie wrote in to note, "We have converted Steve's room into a den and have affixed this memorial plaque to the doorframe so that anyone entering the den will see that our den is dedicated to Steve's memory."

 


 

Friday, January 01, 2021

Deaths in the comic arts field in 2020

 by Mike Rhode

 COVID-19 has killed over 1,834,356 people in the world, and at least 303,823 in the U.S. as of December 31, 2020. We normally list the people who have passed in the comic book and strip, animation, editorial & political cartoon fields. This year, the list is probably the longest we've ever run. This list is excerpted from the Comics Research Bibliography (available here) which is updated daily on Facebook 1/8/21: Additions marked with *.

Deaths in 2020 (with thanks to Randy Tischler of the Baltimore Comic Con, D.D. Degg of the Daily Cartoonist, Cartoon Brew’s animation list by Alex Dudok de Wit, and Animation Magazine’s list) included voice actress Patricia Alice Albrecht, comics journalist Bob “Mr. Media” Andelman, “Thomas & Friends” narrator Michael Angelis, comic strip artist and animator Román Arámbula, animator Kelly Asbury, Golden Age artist Allen Bellman, Vagrancy Comics’ Justin Benedict, voice actress Julie Bennett, assistant animator Dorris Bergstrom, Belgian cartoonist Arthur “Berck“ Berckmans, "Comics I Don't Understand" blogger Bill Bickel, cartoonist and comics historian Ed Black, animation matte painter Denise Blakely Fuller, “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman, Frank Bolle, Claire Bretécher, “Norse by Norsewest” strip writer John Brinkerhoff, “Dear Basketball” star Kobe Bryant, animation background artist Alfred Budnick, editorial & sports cartoonist Bil Canfield, “Snow White” model Marge Champion, French cartoonist André Chéret, animation character designer and story artist Curtis Cim, Ron Cobb, comics collector & publisher Russ Cochran, 102-year-old “Buck Rogers” fan Jim Coffeen, Richard Corben, animator Doug Crane, Croatian cartoonist Alem Ćurin, Nick Cuti, animation & gag cartoonist Dan Danglo, animator Bill Davis, voice actor Jason Davis, British illustrator Jon Davis, Marvel television art director Matteo De Cosmo, animator Gene Deitch, French comic book creator François Dermaut, Mort Drucker, voice actor William Dufris, Ralph Dunagin, animator Tony Eastman, comic book artist Hy Fleishman, “PS Magazine” editor Paul Fitzgerald, Latin America specialist scholar David William Foster, German historian and translator Wolfgang J. Fuchs, Bob Fujitani, Carl Gafford, gag cartoon and fumetti writer Gerald Gardner,  illustrator Hector Garrido, underground comix cartoonist David Geiser, Thomas Gianni, Pixar’s Rob Gibbs, Argentine comic book artist Juan Giménez Lopez, animator Mark Glamack, DC Comics logo designer Milton Glaser, Peanuts correspondent Harriet Glickman, Swedish cartoonist Rolf Gohs, voice actor Danny Goldman, homeless cartoonist Ronnie Goodman, Archie Comics editor-in-chief Victor Gorelick, amateur cartoonist Carl Granath, X-Men cartoon’s Magneto voice actor David Hemblen, animator & Astrodome scoreboard cartoonist Ed Henderson, “Bill and Sue” comic strip illustrator Dorothy Henry, animator Harry “Bud” Hester, Grand Comics Database indexer and editor Jerry Hilligas, cartoon editor & gag writer Phil Hirsch, Marvel vice president Mike Hobson, voice actor Sir Ian Holm, animation director Cullen Blaine Houghtaling, political cartoonist Sandy Huffaker, gag writer Choc Hutcheson, Jim Janes, comic book & strip cartoonist Frank Johnson, African-American editorial cartoonist Samuel Joyner, French cartoonist Edmond Kiraz, Canadian animator Blair Kitchen, animator Bill Knoll, animator Helen Komar, Canadian animator/director Hana Kukal, SpongeBob ‘Sweet Victory’ songwriter Bob Kulick, Jiro Kuwata, voice actor David Lander, animation artist Nancy Lane, *Golden Age collector Lamont Larson, *Congressman and ‘March’ writer John Lewis, Belgium’s Ronald “Bing” Libin, editorial cartoonist Robert "RWL" Light, British small press cartoonist Marleen Starksfield Lowe, illustrator Annie Lunsford, Richard A. “Dick” Lupoff, Disney animation artist Sue Nichols Maciorowski, British pocket cartoonist Ken Mahood, Viz anime production assistant Peer Makepeace, comic book store owner Tommy Maletta, Belgian comic book author Malik (aka William Tai), Italian animator and cartoonist Ro Marcenaro, gag cartoonist Henry Martin, “Doc and Raider” webcartoonist Sean Stephane Martin, Izumi Matsumoto, amateur cartoonist Duane McKenna, comic book artist Frank McLaughlin, animation concept artist Syd Mead, Mexican voice actor Luis Alfonso Mendoza,  Croatian animator Vatroslav Mimica, indy cartoonist Kurt Mitchell, animation timer Maureen Mlynarczyk, animation cel servicer Francisca Moralde, voice actor Kirby Morrow, British amateur cartoonist Rose Mortleman, Minnesota comics and animation fan & historian David Mruz, “The Climax” comic panel cartoonist Ted Mullings, color flatter Garth Murphy, comic book artist Daniel Nakrosis, “Funny Fizzles” cartoonist Bill Nellor, Japanese voice actress Kumiko Okae (aka Kumiko Owada), sports cartoonist Murray Olderman, Denny O’Neill, animation storyboard artist Dominic Orlando, animation ink & paint supervisor Joan Orloff, Cuban animator Juan Padrón, Martin Pasko, animation checker Lisa Poitevint, illustrator Jason Polan, political cartoonist Stu Pomeroy, Wall Street Journal cartoon editor Charles Preston, Russian animator Anatoly Prokhorov, Malibu Times editorial cartoonist Fred Purucker, Canadian amateur cartoonist Qinni Qing, Quino, visual effects producer Rebecca Ramsey, “Pete’s Dragon” actress Helen Reddy, Grand Comics Database member Gene Reed, Canadian animator Nick Rijgersberg, gag and editorial cartoonist Marty Riskin, African-American political cartoonist Ron Rogers, Italian comic book artist Giovanni Romanini, stop-motion costumer and puppet maker Cesar Romero, executive director of Toronto Animation Arts Festival International John Rooney, Savannah political cartoonist and animator Jim Rose, Jumbo Pictures production manager Pamela Ross, animator Joe Ruby, Richard Sala, “Bev Hills” cartoonist Janet Salter, Russian animator Boris Savin, animation songwriter Adam Schlesinger, advertising artist Don Schnably, effects animator and teacher Gary Schumer, editorial cartoonist Tip Sempliner, Joe Sinnott, Sesame Street animation sound designer Jerry Slick, New York animator Ed Smith, animator Ken Spears, Canadian voice actor Norm Spencer, German cartoonist Uli Stein, underground cartoonist Steve Stiles, animation layout and background artist and art director Herbert Stott, animation designer and background and layout artist Marty Strudler, Disney animator Ann Sullivan, animation checker Rudy Tomaselli, animator Tuck Tucker, Asterix creator Albert Uderzo, Belgian animation designer and director Pino Van Lamsweerde, comic book inker Juan Vlasco, minicomics cartoonist Morgan Vogel, Alex Raymond background artist Mary Frances “Mae” Von Egidy, Wonder Woman TV show’s Lyle Waggoner, British cartoonist Brian Walker, animatio writer Phillip Walsh, Tom Ward, comics collector and Grand Comics Database member Gary Watson, Bob Weber Sr., voice actor Fred Willard, TV animation writer David Wise, animation director William “Bill” Wolf, No Huddle comic strip writer Sam Wyche, sports and editorial cartoonist Joe Yeninas, voice actress Hikari Yono, editor and translator of Tintin albums in Spain Conchita Zendrera, “B.C.” and “Wizard of Id” gag writer Elmer Zinner, Belgian comic artist Ward Zwart. Cartoon Brew listed the following people as “other members of the animation community” - Patricia Blackburn, Maureen Crane, James P. Finch, Hubert Gagnon, Michèle Pauzé, Al Sens, Craig Welch, and Catherine Zar - without any additional information as to their roles in the field. 


Saturday, June 13, 2020

Mark Wheatley remembers Denny O'Neil

[Mark Wheatley wrote this in a private email on June 12th, and agreed to let me post it here]

Mark Wheatley remembers Denny O'Neil

I did this portrait of Denny O'Neil today. It shows him exactly as I remember him looking the first time we met. I met Denny O'Neil at about 4pm on July 2, 1970. I couldn't tell you such a specific time for when I met most of my heroes, but I remember this. I was a kid and my parents had arranged for a family trip to New York, partially so I could attend the July 4th Seuling Con. And I convinced them to take me to tour DC Comics. When we got there, we almost slammed right into Denny and Steve Skeates. Denny was writing Green Lantern/Green Arrow and setting the world on fire. I was a huge fan. He and Steve hung out and talked with me, making jokes, being fun. And later, at the con, they would say Hi!every time they spotted me in the crowd. That was cool. Years later after I started working in the industry, I would see Denny in the halls at DC or over at Marvel and chat for a little while. I remember one San Diego Con at the DC Booth where Denny and I stood together for a couple hours cracking each other up (and a few other creators also pitched in.) That was the time I came up with the Underwater Keyboard – to be used writing scripts while in the shower! Denny thought that was the perfect use of technology, since he always got his best ideas in the shower. About two years ago, Denny and I were part of a signing together. That was the last time I saw him. But he will never be forgotten.

  -- Mark Wheatley

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Annie Lunsford, Arlington illustrator, has passed away

Joe Sutliff is reporting on Facebook that Annie Lunsford passed away on Sunday, February 9, 2020. Annie was a professional illustrator for many years, and collaborated with her sister Linda, who survives her. The two exhibited at many local shows including Artomatic. In recent years, Annie's work including science fiction and cats. Her website is https://www.annielunsford.com/SetFrames.html

Linda and Annie Lunsford at Washington-Lee High School, December 2015.

Her contribution to the Team Cul de Sac book for Richard Thompson.

Annie Lunsford Hang in There Nemo Illustration Original Art (2012). Annie Lunsford, illustrator (page 79): "I met Richard years ago, before he was world-famous; just amazing and brilliant! He's got the winning combination -- wit, and he can draw! Richard's the best, and I hope all the money raised can really help." This wonderful ink and watercolor on paper homage to Winsor McCay's Little Nemo strip.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Underground cartoonist Steve Stiles has passed away


Steve Stiles, Falls Church, Virginia, Spring 1979. Kodachrome 25 by Jeff Schalles (from Wikipedia)

Facebook is reporting that cartoonist Steve Stiles died on January 12th from cancer. Stiles worked in the underground, but according to Wikipedia also did children's books and other types of cartooning. He also worked in Baltimore and Laurel's Daedalus Books.

Thursday, January 09, 2020

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Tom Spurgeon, RIP

Photo by Bruce Guthrie at the 2019 Baltimore Comic Con.
Tom Spurgeon died yesterday, presumably in his adopted city of Columbus, Ohio where he was recruited by Jeff Smith to be the organizer of the Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) festival. He was literally one of the giants of the field of comics journalism (as he stood well over 6 feet tall), and his passing is a major loss to everyone who knew him, or appreciated his work. I think his editorship of The Comics Journal was its golden age. I followed his Comics Reporter religiously and I'll miss his knowledge of and love for the field.


Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Comics lawyer and editor Mitch Berger has passed away

Mitch Berger's Facebook page is full of people noting that he passed away on November 12, 2019. Comments from Jackie Estrada, Steve Bissette, Ed Hall, Karen Green, Michael Gilbert, Craig Yoe, and Ted Rall in particular attest to his influence in the comics world.

Last month, we ran a notice that Mitch was in hospice, and tried to begin to get a handle on his career. 

We at ComicsDC share our condolences to Mitch's wife and friends.



Monday, March 18, 2019

A Remembrance of Ellen Vartanoff

Walt Whitman High School
Bethesda, MD
1969

by Stu McIntire

I don't remember exactly when or where I met Ellen Vartanoff, but there's a good chance it was October 4th or 5th, 1975 at a small comic convention (my first) at the Howard John's Motor Lodge in Wheaton, Maryland. Gene Carpenter made the introductions as I recall. That makes Ellen my third oldest acquaintance in the local comic community.


Of course, I got to see my new friend on a regular basis at convention after convention. It was sometime around 1978 when I, with one of her former art students, discussed an idea to publish a portfolio of comic art by Ellen's then-current art students, but that never came to fruition. It would be nearly four years until I again ran into Ellen at local comic shows, but that came to an end when I stopped attending comic conventions altogether by 1984. I did see her at a tiny show in Gaithersburg, Maryland (date unknown, possibly early 1990s). I missed her at an exhibit at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland that featured comic art in her and her sister's personal collection - as well as a small show in Rockville where Jerry Robinson appeared - and several of the SPXs. Finally, by 2012 or 2013 I started going to the Baltimore Comic Con every year and ran into Ellen a couple of times.

The last time I saw Ellen Vartanoff was Friday September 22, 2017 at approximately 5:00pm, at the (18th Annual) Baltimore Comic Con. We were standing at booth #813.

Ellen & Irene Vartanoff at SPX 2007, photographer unknown

OK. How can I remember such minute detail with clarity? It's easy. I have only attended the Baltimore show on a Friday (less crazy than Saturday or Sunday). I typically wind up my day at the show standing in front of Gene Carpenter's tables, which seems to be a gathering place at that time for old friends, some of whom I've known since my earliest days of collecting in the mid-1970s. When I pull my copy of the convention souvenir program, it shows booth # 813 as being All-American Comics (Gene Carpenter). Last year I was not at Gene's tables late on Friday. I don't know if Ellen was around, but I did miss Johnny Knight.


Ellen Vartanoff at Comic Art Convention Luncheon, July 5, 1969 
at the Statler Hilton Hotel in New York City
Ellen was, as usual, all grins and was genuinely excited to see me. I was proud to introduce her to my son-in-law. Our conversation was the typical cocktail of sharing the day's adventures on the  convention floor, catching up on current life events and other goings-on, and remembrances of past shared moments. I remember telling her about a project I have in the works that focuses on Mark Feldman, someone Ellen knew. Mark ran the Maryland Funnybook Festival between 1973 and 1978. My research revealed that Mark had made up pinback buttons that were given as freebies to those attending his first show. I remarked about the unexpected discovery of such detail and wondered rhetorically about the chances that such a throwaway item might still exist nearly 45 years later. Ellen said she wouldn't be surprised if she had one and encouraged me to follow up with her about it on the off-chance she might uncover the button. I also told Ellen that I had made it a daily routine to post on Facebook the recognition of birthdates of comic and animation creators past and present as well as comic strip creators, gag panelists, illustrators and so on. I am not at all alone in recognizing these events and certainly not the first or last. I do prefer to commemorate birthdates as opposed to anniversaries of deaths and told her so. Ellen looked at me smiling ear-to-ear. "That is really NEAT!" she exclaimed. Despite how trivial compared to The Important Things In Life, Ellen made me feel in that place at that moment that my obsession was the coolest thing ever.

Star Trek fan art
In the time since, I did attempt to call Ellen on one or more occasions, without success. I did learn that she had taught art classes at the Black Rock Center for the Arts in Germantown, Maryland and was frequently on the schedule for Wednesday afternoon sessions. Since that's about a ten-minute drive, I made a mental note to pay a before or after class visit one day so we could catch up. Rather than dropping by unannounced, I decided to call her, so she'd know to expect me. It was about a week to ten days ago when I finally got around to it. A gentleman answered the phone and said he'd put her on. In a few moments Ellen came on the line. It was obviously difficult for her to communicate but I shortly learned she was "...in Stage 4...". Not wanting to exacerbate her discomfort, I said I'd reach out to her shortly. We hung up and I dropped what I was doing to write Ellen a letter which I put in the mailbox that day.

Two days ago, I got a call from Ellen's sister Irene. She shared the very difficult news that Ellen was in hospice care. Irene said she was trying to track down a mutual friend so she could let him know. She'd gotten my number from another longtime friend. Though Irene and I had never met, she recognized my name from the letter I'd written to Ellen. I'm not skilled at the type of conversation I had with Irene. I stumbled through my attempt to express my regrets for what she was going through  and my appreciation for Ellen's friendship but promised I'd pass her message along as quickly as possible. Yesterday morning I learned that Ellen lost her valiant battle.

The thing is, I have this false idea that I'm still young and have all the time in the world to refresh old friendships, even when faced with evidence to the contrary.

Ellen Vartanoff was a fan, a collector, creator, artist, teacher, mentor and so much more to countless friends and admirers. Condolences to Irene, Scott, and all of Ellen's family. I will always carry with me the last time I saw Ellen.

Farewell, Ellen. You are missed already but always with us.

Stu McIntire
March 18, 2019

[editor's note: A 1997 Washington Post review of one of Ellen's exhibits, but not the one Stu refers to above.]