That darn Loose Parts

Letters to the Editor

Misnaming a rhombus is no laughing matter

Jennifer Shields, Takoma Park

Washington Post October 24 2015
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/misnaming-a-rhombus-is-no-laughing-matter/2015/10/23/0d9ac286-736e-11e5-ba14-318f8e87a2fc_story.html

Today: Mike Jenkins lunchbag art exhibit reception at 6 pm

Reception, Sat., Oct 24, 6-8 pm
Art to Lunch: Thinking Outside the Bag with Cartoonist Mike Jenkins After a 25 year career as an Editorial Cartoonist, Mike Jenkins left the newspaper business but is still recovering (though he occasionally falls off the wagon). He lives in Arlington, Virginia with his wife Tish and daughter Maggy and works primarily as a caricaturist. He started his company Capital Artworks to provide caricaturists for events around the DC area as well as custom artwork for corporate, government and private clients.

When his two older children left for college, he started doodling on Maggy's school lunch bags. When she mentioned one night during dinner that all the kids in cafeteria would run to see her lunch bag every day, they knew they were onto something. Mike's wife posted the next bag on Facebook, and they were stunned by the positive reaction. That's when Mike knew the pressure was on, and he was back to facing a daily deadline!



PLUS! Art to Lunch: Thinking Outside the Bag, a Handmade Storybook with 17 of Mike's Lunch Bag art which will be available for sale at the reception.

Mike's work can be seen daily on Instagram and Twitter @CapitalArtworks and on his website at www.CapitalArtworks.com

Unshelved reviews Alex and Ada

The webcomic reviews the Jonathan Luna comic book.

The Post on Supergirl

The real key to 'Supergirl's' success? Millennial wish-fulfillment.

By Hank Stuever
Washington Post October 23 2015
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/the-real-key-to-supergirls-success-millennial-wish-fulfillment/2015/10/23/b292a054-777b-11e5-bc80-9091021aeb69_story.html

The Post on Edgar Allen Poe animation

Two programs of animated films are treats for grown-up fans of the genre [online as The tell-tale art of animated shorts].

By Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post October 23 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/two-programs-of-animated-films-are-treats-for-grown-up-fans-of-the-genre/2015/10/23/37931870-773f-11e5-a958-d889faf561dc_story.html

and here's the Times:

Review: 'Extraordinary Tales,' Short Films Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe

By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

A version of this review appears in print on October 23, 2015, on page C6 of the New York edition with the headline: Review: 'Extraordinary Tales,' Short Films Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/23/movies/review-extraordinary-tales-short-films-inspired-by-edgar-allan-poe.html

A scene from "The Fall of the House of Usher," one of five animated short films that make up "Extraordinary Tales," inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. Credit Gkids

The Express review of Jem and the Holograms

The new live-action movie is based on an animated tv series.

Review: The dumb-but-fun 'Jem and the Holograms' wisely plays it straight [in print as There's still magic in those earrings].

By Kristen Page-Kirby
Express October 23 2015
https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2015/10/23/review-the-dumb-but-fun-jem-and-the-holograms-wisely-plays-it-straight/

The Post didn't review it, but did blog on it:

‘Jem and the Holograms’ and a lesson in botched nostalgia

By Emily Yahr
Washington Post Style Blog October 23 2015
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style-blog/wp/2015/10/23/jem-and-the-holograms-and-a-lesson-in-botched-nostalgia/

Here's the NY Times on it:

Review: 'Jem and the Holograms' Are Shadows of Their Former Selves

By NEIL GENZLINGER

A version of this review appears in print on October 23, 2015, on page C9 of the New York edition with the headline: Mere Shadows of the Holograms They Used to Be.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/23/movies/review-jem-and-the-holograms-are-shadows-of-their-former-selves.html

Jem (Aubrey Peeples) and Erica (Juliette Lewis) regret that tanning session. (Universal Pictures)

Comic Riffs talks to the Peanuts movie animators

'The Peanuts Movie': Here's how the new animated film stays true to a beloved comic strip

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs October 22 2015

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/10/22/the-peanuts-movie-heres-how-the-new-animated-film-stays-true-to-a-beloved-comic-strip/

(CAVNA'S CANVAS 2015 / The Washington Post)

Oct 31: Cartoonists Draw Blood donation drive

The Washington, DC chapter of the National Cartoonists Society is organizing an upcoming blood drive in Washington, DC featuring several local cartoonists drawing for American Red Cross blood donors this Halloween -- "Cartoonists Draw Blood" on Saturday, October 31, 2015 from 10AM to 3:30PM at Seekers Church near Takoma Metro at 276 Carroll Street, NW.

Blood donors are encouraged sign up for appointments scheduled in 15-minute intervals between 10AM to 3:30PM and walk-ins are also welcome. To make an appointment, email CartoonistsDrawBlood@gmail.com.

On the day of donation, donors are asked to drink plenty of fluids, include iron-rich foods in their diet, and bring a list of medications they are taking and a photo ID. All donors will be able to meet the cartoonists and receive a complimentary cartoon sketch.

This year the event will feature cartoonists Steve Artley, Carolyn Belefski, Bill Brown, Chris Flick, Eric Gordon, Art Hondros, Kerry G. Johnson, Mal Jones, T.R. Logan, Liz Reed, and Joe Sutliff.

"Cartoonists Draw Blood" is a great opportunity for cartoonists to perform community service, showcase our talents, and save lives. We've done two previous blood drives, which have already saved the lives of up to 120 people. In past years, the cartoonists have drawn original spooky illustrations, family pets, caricatures, and more. Since this year's blood drive is on Halloween, we encourage attendees to come in costume, however it's not required to give blood. Wear clothing with sleeves that can easily be rolled up above the elbow.

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1502045900106928

Organizers: Carolyn Belefski, Troy-Jeffrey Allen

Auger illos for 'Dump Trump'

Local illustrator/cartoonist Michael Auger has done some work-for-hire for "Dump Trump" merchandise, including T-shirts, posters and stickers.

Oct. 24: UMBC's Comic Con

COM (Comics and Other Media) is a student-run organization at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, that is hosting a mini comic con Saturday, Oct. 24, at the college's Retriever Activity Center. It runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free for UMBC students and $5 for the general public. According to its website, there will be comics vendors, panels, drawing workshops, cosplay and a video gaming tournament.

Don't steal this book - The Art of Richard Thompson

I'm very fond of Michigan State University's Comic Art Collection. So much so, that I made sure they got a copy of The Art of Richard Thompson signed by most of the authors. Including Bill Watterson. It's just shown up in their catalog.

Buy a copy for yourself now. You may get lucky and run into Bill one day. Or maybe even Chris Sparks.

Pictures from Warren Bernard's "Cartoons for Victory" talk posted

Bruce Guthrie tells us, "Pictures from Warren Bernard's "Cartoons for Victory" talk at the Takoma Busboys and Poets Monday night are up.  The direct link is"

http://www.bguthriephotos.com/graphlib.nsf/keys/2015_10_19G1_Bernard

I enjoyed the slide show quite a bit, and am looking forward to dipping into the book.

Oct 24: Skottie Young at Third Eye Comics

Meet superstar comic artist, SKOTTIE YOUNG (Marvel Baby Variants, Wonderful Wizard of Oz) this Saturday at our I HATE FAIRYLAND Signing!

We are totally pumped to be hosting a true modern comics legend this weekend with the one and only SKOTTIE YOUNG signing at Third Eye Annapolis this Saturday! 

Skottie has wowed you guys with his work on those awesome Marvel Baby variants, as well as the Marvel OZ series, and ROCKET RACCOON, and now, we're bringing him in for his most ambitious project yet: I HATE FAIRYLAND!

Click here to read all about the signing!

Tonight: Warren Bernard's new book on WWII cartoons

"...the book is called Cartoons for Victory, which is about the home front in the United States during WW2, you know, blackouts, war bond drives, rationing, all the privations we civilians did not go through for any war since then. 90% of the cartoons have not been seen since the war and that same percentage of cartoons you cannot find on any of The Internets."

DATE: October 19

TIME: 6:30-8:30PM

PLACE: Busboys and Poets

             234 Carroll St NW

             Washington, DC

METRO STOP: Takoma Park

Oct 20: Kuper at Library of Congress

October 8, 2015

Graphic Novelist Peter Kuper to Discuss and Sign New Work

Book Weaves Path of Its Characters with That of Monarch Butterfly

http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2015/15-181.html

"Ruins" ((Self-Made Hero, 2015), by Peter Kuper, follows the story of Samantha and George, a couple on sabbatical in the Mexican town of Oaxaca. For Samantha, it is an opportunity to revisit her past while writing her book. For George, it is an anxious step into the unknown. Woven into the story is the remarkable and arduous journey that a monarch butterfly makes on its annual migration from Canada to Mexico. This juxtaposition creates a parallel picture of the challenges of survival in an ever-changing world.

Kuper will discuss and sign his book on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at noon in the Montpelier Room, located on the sixth floor of the Library of Congress James Madison Memorial Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. This Books & beyond event is co-sponsored by the Library's Center for the Book and the Prints and Photographs Division. It is free and open to the public; no tickets are required.

"Ruins" explores Mexico through its past and present as encountered by an array of characters. The real and surreal intermingle in this novel.

Peter Kuper is a cartoonist, illustrator, editor and educator. He is co-founder of the political graphics magazine "World War 3 Illustrated" and has written and drawn Mad Magazine's "Spy vs. Spy" comic for more than 18 years. Kuper has created more than a dozen graphic novels, including "The System," "Sticks and Stones" and an adaptation of Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis." He has been teaching comics courses for more than 25 years in New York City and is a visiting professor at Harvard University.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation's first-established federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs, publications and exhibitions. Many of the Library's rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov.

The Library's Center for the Book, established by Congress in 1977 to "stimulate public interest in books and reading," is a national force for reading and literacy promotion. A public-private partnership, it sponsors educational programs that reach readers of all ages through its affiliated state centers, collaborations with nonprofit reading-promotion partners and through the Library's Young Readers Center and the Poetry and Literature Center. For more information, visit www.Read.gov.

# # #

PR 15-181
10/08/15
ISSN 0731-3527

SL Gallant wants to draw The Micronauts

As you can see here.

Heck, I'd buy it if Shannon was drawing it, and I haven't bought that comic since Michael Golden left it.

Sometimes-Silver Spring resident Holmberg on Tezuka

Gottfredson's Illegitimate Heirs: Tezuka Osamu and the Great Wall of 1945

BY Ryan Holmberg Oct 19, 2015
http://www.tcj.com/gottfredsons-illegitimate-heirs-tezuka-osamu-and-the-great-wall-of-1945/

Ha's 'Cook Korean!' teasers

Local cartoonist/illustrator Robin Ha has posted online a few illustrations for the comic cook book she's working on called Cook Korean! (Ten Speed Press). It's scheduled to come out next summer.

According to Ha, "This book teaches you how to make everyday Korean recipes through comics and illustrations, including the recipes from my blog, Banchan in Two Pages!" The book also was mentioned in a New York Times article last week.

Visit Ha's Tumblr for more yummy watercolors. Here's a Q&A with Ha by Mike Rhode for the Washington City Paper last year.

Images posted with permission

Comics & Beer - Two Great Tastes That Taste Great Together

A guest review by Chris Ingram

The Comic Book Story of Beer: The World's Favorite Beverage from 7000 BC to Today's Craft Brewing Revolution, by Jonathan Hennesey and Mike Smith, and illustrated by Aaron McConnell (Ten Speed Press 2015, $19), is a 174-page volume that tells the story of ‘the world’s favorite beverage.’ This non-fiction 'graphic novel' covers a broad sweep, ranging from what is known about the history of beer in the ancient world to the craft beer explosion of the early 21st century.

The book opens and closes with a few pages of framing telling the story of a typical guy making a beer run for a get-together, and his bewilderment at the many different styles of beer that are available today. An encounter with a friendly (and very knowledgeable about beer!) store clerk provides the jumping-off point for the history of beer.

The book is split into eight chapters, but I would split it into three parts: a brief history of brewing in the ancient world (roughly from prehistory to the era of the Roman Empire), a short but thorough description of the brewing process, and a longer section which covers the history of beer brewing and consumption from the Dark Ages to the present.

McConnell’s illustrations are well suited to the demands of this book, varying interestingly in style from chapter to chapter, although not so much as to be jarring. Some scenes are drawn in a realistic, open style, such as those in the modern day setting or recent history, while scenes from antiquity or medieval periods seem to have thicker lines and an overall darker palette. 

Interspersed with the chapters of the book are page-sized “Meet The Beer” illustrations, each covering a different popular style of beer (Lambic, Bock, Pilsner, etc.). These combine a handsome illustration showing that type of beer and placing it on three different scales - corresponding to color, bitterness, and alcoholic strength - together with a few paragraphs of text describing the history of that style. Examples of that beer style are also named in the illustration, which provides a reference for less beer-savvy readers.

The authors discuss the ancient origins of beer recounting particular examples that are known from documentary and archaeological sources ranging from Scotland to Sumeria to ancient China. A more speculative theory - the ‘beer theory’ of agriculture - is also presented.  The gist of this theory is the idea that the back-breaking labor of early agriculture was motivated in part or in whole by the desire to obtain a steady source of grain - in order to brew beer! Regardless of whether that theory is true, many examples of beer or beer-like beverages from the ancient world are included (some of which have had modern reinterpretations, such as Chateau Jihau by Dogfish Head Brewery).

The brewing process is presented in some detail, with cartoonish illustrations that help to offset the technical complexity of the topic. As a layperson who knows far more about consuming beer than brewing it, I found this chapter especially illuminating. 

The balance of the book covers the history of beer from the Dark Ages up to the present. Episodes in the history of beer are presented as short vignettes that do a good job of setting the broader historical context. The shift in beer production from literally a cottage industry to mass production (and the concurrent shutting out of women, the traditional brewers of beer in the home), the discovery of yeast and the effects of the scientific revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries on brewing are all presented in an engaging way. Finally, the book concludes with a chapter on the origins of today’s vigorous craft beer scene, both in the US and Europe (driven primarily by the UK, but also informed by brewing traditions in Belgium and elsewhere). As someone who has benefited from that craft beer revolution personally, I gained a new appreciation for the origins of beer from this book. 

 The authors will be appearing in the area this week.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Thursday, October 22, 2015: Book Sales, Signing; Beer. Free and open to the 21+ public.
ATLAS BREW WORKS
2052 West Virginia Avenue NE, Suite 102, District of Columbia 20002
Time TBD

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
Saturday, October 24, 2015: Book Reading & Signing. Free and open to the public.
ATOMIC BOOKS
3620 Falls Rd, Baltimore, MD 21211
Local craft brews will be available at Atomic Books' smashing in-store bar!
Time 7:00 PM

Liniers today at Politics and Prose at 10:30 am

If you can get away this morning, you should go to this.

I saw Argentine cartoonist Ricardo Liniers last night. He was really entertaining and a sweet guy. He did a painting on stage, Michael Cavna interviewed him, he did some more painting and then signed books. His comic strip Macanudo is a big success in Latin America, and is now appearing in books in English. He's also done 2 books for younger readers with Toon Books. All three should be available at the bookstore today. He does a nice drawing in each book.

You can see more see pictures at https://www.flickr.com/photos/42072348@N00/albums/72157659990511236

He's done 3 New Yorker magazine covers:

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/cover-story-obamas-elephant-problem
http://www.newyorker.com/uncategorized/cover-story-straphangers-by-liniers
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/cover-story-2015-03-16\

He also did one very crazy thing with one of his books. He printed Macanudo #6 (only in Spanish now) with a blank cover and drew an individual cover for each of the 5,000 in the first print run.

Here's one he did for me last night.