Comics on the Rack, Quick Picks for Comics Due 04-14-10

COMICS ON THE RACK

Quick Picks for Comics Due 04-14-10

By John Judy

 

ACTION COMICS #888 by Greg Rucka, Eric Trautmann and Pere Perez.  Okay, so the whole Nightwing/Flamebird thing has been the most contrived, least interesting part of the "New Krypton" arc that got buried by BLACKEST NIGHT.  That said, it's wrapping up with a big fight against a Kryptonian god with Wonder Woman and the JSA helping out.  This also has a Captain Atom back-up feature you are not obliged to care about at all.  Enjoy!

 

BODYWORLD HC written and drawn by Dash Shaw.  A psychedelic sci-fi story about a plant that gives you telepathy when you smoke it.  Contains awkwardness.

 

BOOTH GN by CC Colbert and Tanitoc.  A graphic bio of our 16^th President's murderer.  Too soon?

 

BRIGHTEST DAY #0 by Geoff Johns, Peter Tomasi and Fernando Pasarin.  To be sub-titled "Look Who's Back from the Dead and What They Are Doing About It."  Cool.  Gotta look.

 

CHEW #10 by John Layman and Rob Guillory.  Wrapping up the exotic mayhem of "International Flavor!"  Highly recommended.

 

DAREDEVIL #506 by Andy Diggle, Antony Johnston and Marco Checchetto.  DD begins to suspect somebody in the assassins guild he now leads may be untrustworthy. DD = Brains.

 

DAYTRIPPER #5 of 10 by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba.  This time out it looks like Bras is going to die a child.  Highly recommended.

 

DOC SAVAGE #1 by Paul Malmont and Howard Porter.  The Man of Bronze is back in fine pulp-action form!  Also features a JUSTICE, INC. back-up starring The Avenger!

 

EXCALIBUR VISIONARIES: WARREN ELLIS, VOL. 1 SC by Ellis and Various Artists.  The first time that nice Mr. Ellis got his hands on mutant superheroes the results were… well… this.  Reprinting issues #83-90 of that X-book nobody ever read.

 

FLASH # 1 by Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul.  Barry Allen's first job back as the Flash is protecting the lives of his arch-enemies, the Rogues!  No rush.  Recommended.

 

FLASH PROMO RINGS from DC.  Squirty, super-compacted speedster costume not included!  Ask your comic shop clerk for yours today!

 

IRON MAN: LEGACY #1 by Fred Van Lente and Steve Kurth.  Tony Stark hates it when you use his Iron Man tech for bad stuff like war and genocide.  Consequences ensue.

 

IRREDEEMABLE SPECIAL #1 by Mark Waid, Emma Rios, Paul Azaceta and Howard Chaykin.  A special issue focusing on better days with the Plutonian and his old pals the Paradigm.  New insights into how Tony went bad, plus a guest appearance by the pre-heroic Max Damage.  Highly Recommended.

 

KILL SHAKESPEARE #1 by Connor McCreery, Anthony Del Col and Andy Belanger.  What if Shakespeare's greatest heroes and villains all wanted to kill him?  And why wouldn't they?  Gotta look!

 

OTHER LIVES HC written and drawn by Peter Bagge.  An original graphic novel about self-loathing geeks with secrets, from the creator of HATE.  Highly recommended.

 

PUNISHERMAX #6 by Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon.  Two words: "Bullseye.  Max."  Recommended. Not for kids.

 

SECRET SIX #20 by Gail Simone and Jim Calafiore.  With his son missing Catman's got a whole lotta killing to do and no time to be nice about it.  Cool.

 

SIEGE: CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 by Christos Gage and Federico Dallocchio.  Cap and Bucky fight some dudes.

 

ULTIMATE COMICS ENEMY #3 of 4 by Brian Michael Bendis and Rafa Sandoval.  There really is an Ultimate Enemy.  Bendis tells us so.

 

UNWRITTEN #12 by Mike Carey and Various Artists.  A stand-alone issue with a distinct Wonderland vibe to it.  Recommended.

 

WOLFSKIN HUNDREDTH DREAM #1 of 6 by Warren Ellis, Mike Wolfer and Gianluca Pagliarini.  Wolfskin will attempt to leave the blood-soaked savagery of his past behind him and live a peaceful life of helping people.  Not for kids.

 

WOLVERINE WEAPON X, VOL. 1: THE ADAMANTIUM MEN SC by Jason Aaron and Ron Garney.  What if Blackwater mercenaries were given all the powers of Wolverine?  And what if Wolvie felt morally compelled to chop every one of those freaks into cat food?  From the thin collection of Wolverine Stories That Don't Suck.  Recommended.

 

WORLD WAR HULKS: HULKED OUT HEROES #1 by Jeff Parker and Humberto Ramos.  If you've been waiting your whole life to read the adventures of a hulked-out Deadpool then this is the one thing you can't miss!  Unlike kissing a girl…

 

www.johnjudy.net

 

Turkish illustrator Selcuk Demirel's return to Post

Back in the good old days of the '90s, Selcuk Demirel's cartoon illustrations appeared regularly in the Post's Book World. He's got a lovely cartoon in today's Real Estate section. It's not online of course.

Scoop has interview with DC Comicon founder

New Convention in Town: DC Comicon
Scoop April 9 2010

Truitt on Deadpool

Everybody loves Deadpool
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY April 9 2010

OT: Dave Astor award news

David Astor writes in, "my weekly "Montclairvoyant" topical humor column for The Montclair (N.J.) Times just won (on April 8) both first and second place in the New Jersey Press Association's annual contest."

The link is below, with my awards listed in the second part of the "W-8" category.

http://www.njpa.org/njpa/better_newspaper_contest/2009/2009%20Editorial%20Results%20-%20Weekly.pdf

Post doesn't like Addams Family musical

Even with Neuwirth, Lane, 'Addams Family' musical can't live up to original
By Peter Marks
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 9, 2010; C02

and neither does the Times -

April 9, 2010
Theater Review | 'The Addams Family'
Buh-Da-Da-Dum (Snap Snap)
By Ben Brantley

Mark Ruffin interviewed Act-i-vate's Simon Fraser

A conversation with Simon Fraser
April 9, 2010
DC Comic Books Examiner
Mark Ruffin

Steve Geppi's unsold home auctioned by bank

C'mon people - buy MORE COMICS!

Auction today for Geppi mansion
Green Spring Valley estate has outstanding mortgage debt of $3.25 million
By Lorraine Mirabella
Baltimore Sun April 8, 2010

May 15 - Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection Signing

Event: Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection Signing!

Start Time: Saturday, May 15 at 2:00pm
End Time: Saturday, May 15 at 4:00pm
Where: Big Planet Comics Vienna

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=111988172162490&mid=228478fG40206d0eG17ff164G7&n_m=mrhode%40gmail.com

Weldon on comics and literacy (in the big picture)

It Pays To Enrich Your Nerd Power: What Kids Learn From Comics

by Glen Weldon

National Public Radio's Monkey See blog April 7 2010

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2010/04/it_pays_to_enrich_your_nerd_po_1.html

- even more nerdy? His title is a play on Reader's Digest old feature, It Pays To Enrich Your Word Power.

Maryland's Villarrubia works on PBS film

Illustration Professor Contributes to PBS Documentary

Jose Villarrubia was digital artist for 'I.M. Pei: Building China Modern'

Posted 04.06.10 by mica communications

 

 

• WATCH: I.M. Pei: Building China Modern (available online until June 30)

 

Comic Riffs pushes Cul de Sac to sell out

Cavna thinks it should be an animated tv series based on the new RingTales shorts.

The comments quickly turned surly due to the Post's iffy record of running the Sunday strip haphazardly, as well as not updating the e-version. Our Man Thompson also chimed in with his opinion, for what that is worth.

PR: 'Trickster' is now available

I'll be getting mine when it hits Big Planet.

From: Matt Dembicki

'Trickster' is now available at Amazon.com and hits other major and indie bookstores very soon (maybe even this week). It features 20 trickster tales as told by Native American storytellers and illustrated by some wonderfully talented indie comic artists. (It'll be getting a starred review in an upcoming edition of 'Booklist.')

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Trickster+%2B+Dembicki&x=0&y=0

Thanks, again.

Matt Dembicki

OT: Redniss in NY Times recently

Check this out - it's cartoon journalism on gay soldiers in WW2...

Op-Art | Lauren Redniss
Camouflaged in Plain Sight
April 5, 2010

... I really like her work.

That darn Toles, continued even more

Ummmm, doesn't the idea of less guns = less gun crimes ever occur to anyone? On the other hand, I guess if one thinks that editorial cartoons shouldn't be propaganda, one lives in a different world than I do. They're editorializing after all.

Propagandist cartoon draws on the District's gun laws
Washington Post Tuesday, April 6, 2010; A12

The April 1 editorial cartoon by Tom Toles seemed to imply that the 2008 Supreme Court ruling that forced the District to revamp its gun laws led to last week's shootings that left four people dead in Southeast Washington.

The only problem with Mr. Toles's blatant propaganda is that the still-restrictive gun laws make it impossible for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves. Does anyone think the suspects in the shootings owned guns legally?

Tom McAnear, Arlington

The return of Comic Postcards

Found some more comic postcards at a flea market this weekend.


Here's a Walt Munson. Munson was mentioned last time I did this, but with a bit of poking around I discover he was a successful sports cartoonist after he did postcards with collections of originals at Syracuse and Wichita. Also at Wichita are some Clifford Berryman originals as well as other cartoonists.


Dave Breger did a cartoon while in the Army during World War II, just like Bill Mauldin, but his Pvt. Breger was never as popular as Willie and Joe. After the war, his cartoon Dave Breger got out of the service too. Personally I'd like to see a collection of these strips.


When I read this card, I thought it was quite possibly the raunchiest comic postcard ever seen.



I've no idea who Faber was. Asking around, I got several opinions - women say they don't get it. Men say they can't believe this postcard went through the mail. The mild interpretation - the man is basically complaining about seeing something like a repeat on television. The raunchy - he's saying he had nestled in between a pair of those legs last night and left his seed. Oddly enough, both women asked where the upper bodies of the chorus line were.


Poster Coaster postcard #010 by WEG (William Ellis Green) the Australian sports cartoonist who died in 2008. I found 7 of the series of ten, and you can see the rest on my Flckr site.


Poster Coaster postcard #008. The card is a type of blotting paper.

OT: Terry Witek's poetry on Slate, OR, Shilling for my friends

Check out Terry reading her poem, or read it yourself here.

Finally, I address iPad comics

I wasn't all that concerned about them actually, but my editor asked for an article - Shannon Gallant, John Gallagher, Matt Wuerker and Ann Telnaes ventured opinions for me - In D.C. and Industrywide, Will the iPad Save Comics and Kill Print? by Mike Rhode on Apr. 6, 2010.

Said editor, Jon Fischer, drastically cleaned up this article too and made it much more readable.

Small Press Expo tables are going, going, gone

SPX is reporting they are sold out of tables and have started a wait list.

Richard Thompson youtube interviews direct links

From Chris Sparks' ears to yours -

Richard Thompson and before Cul de Sac audio interview part 1
March 31 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q39HC7EtRAA

Richard Thompson & Cul de Sac audio interview Part 2
April 1 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJxH-_a3o7w

jeditrue — April 01, 2010 — Part two explores the early years of Cul de sac, web comics and his editor.

Richard Thompson chats about Bill Watterson and deadlines part 3
jeditrue — April 02, 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_GOTmhlc18

Richard Thompson chats about Bill Watterson writing the foreword to his first Cul de Sac collection and him dealing with deadlines and how easy ideas come to him.

Richard Thompson discusses Alice and Petey audio interview part 4
— April 03, 2010 —
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-4y2xhYU9k

Richard goes into detail about the origins of Alice and Petey from Cul de Sac!

Richard Thompson discussing the Cul de Sac family and friends audio interview part 5
April 3 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtHSrFRafS4

Richard Thompson discussing more of the Cul de Sac gang part 6
April 4 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWKbtWHifEo

Richard Thompson on having Parkinsons disease and the future of Cul deSac ...part 7
From: jeditrue | April 04, 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=903XlJk3yPA

In the last part of this long but entertaining interview Richard is talking about
Parkinsons and his plans for Cul de Sac. I hope you have enjoyed the interview. There will be more art drawing videos and a shorter interview this summer.

Cul de Sac to conquer world soon

Having abandoned his plan to conquer the Washington Post by single-handedly illustrating every section, Our Man Thompson has moved on to greener, or at least moving, pastures. According to his blog, three new Cul de Sac animations are out as is a 7-part interview on Youtube.

No wonder he won't answer my phone calls...

April 6: "Meet the Anime film $9.99 Director Tatia Rosenthal"

I'm unclear on when an Israeli-Australian film became anime, but, hey, it's free and you can ask her yourself.

FILMS     MEET THE FILMMAKER: TATIA ROSENTHAL $9.99  APRIL 6. 7 PM . MEYER Israeli filmmaker Tatia Rosenthal introduces and discusses her ribald animated comedy featuring the voice of actor Geoffrey Rush as a grumpy. (Israel/ Australia/2008/78 min./ English)   This event is cosponsored by the Embassy of Israel.

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Illustrator David Hagen

Online now at the City Paper -

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Illustrator David Hagen

Posted by Mike Rhode on Apr. 5, 2010

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/books/2010/04/05/meet-a-local-cartoonist-a-chat-with-illustrator-david-hagen/

Library of Congress prints and photos website has a new look

The Library of Congress' Prints and Photos Division's website has a new look and address, with a list of media types in alphabetical order, so you can now scoot right to their 5 online cartoon collections which are all grouped under 'cartoon.'

Ann Telnaes interview, but not by me

This one snuck up on David-Wasting-Paper blog a few weeks ago, but I've asked Ann to do my City Paper interview as well. David's got 105 interviews with cartoonists up, and I'm slowly working my way through them. He questions people from all types of cartooning it seems.

Ann Telnaes - Cartoonist Survey #95
March 12, 2010

Bennett's Best? Tardi and Ditko

Bennett's Best: It Was the War of the Trenches and Creeper
By Greg Bennett, Special to Zadzooks
Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Today in the New York Comics Times

The 'A' or front page section of today's NY Times has 3 comics-related articles.

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's Counsel has died -

Burton Joseph, Lawyer in First Amendment Cases, Is Dead at 79.
New York Times (April 2 2020).

Comics great Dick Giordano's obituary appeared in print.

And comics designer Chip Kidd working on revisiting a preppy book.

Comics on the Rack, Quick Picks for Comics Due 04-07-10

COMICS ON THE RACK

Quick Picks for Comics Due 04-07-10

By John Judy

 

AREA 10 HC by Christos N. Gage and Chris Samnee.  A brain-damaged cop has to catch a serial killer!  You had me at "brain-damaged."  Highly recommended.

 

AVENGERS: THE  ORIGIN #1 of 5 by Joe Casey and Phil Noto.  Tales told out of school from the earliest days of Earth's Mightiest Heroes!

 

BATMAN AND ROBIN #11 by Grant Morrison and Andy Clarke.  Dick and Damian, still fighting…  Plus bad guys.

 

THE BOYS #41 by Garh Ennis and Darick Robertson.  Comedies of Error generally don't get too ugly unless everyone involved has incredibly dangerous super-powers and is written by Garth Ennis.  Recommended.  Not for kids.

 

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #34 by Brad Meltzer and Georges Jeanty.  Buffy and Angel are at it again.  Doin' stuff.  Maybe not for the youngsters.  Good fun though.

 

CAPTAIN AMERICA/BLACK PANTHER: FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS #1 by Chris Ungar and Chris Kipiniak.  It's a WWII adventure featuring Cap, Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos and the modern-day Black Panther's dad all gathered together to beat-up Nazis bad!  And that's good.

 

DOOM PATROL #9 by Keith Giffen and Matthew Clark.  Horrors!  The Gentrifiers have invaded!  Could be worse.  At least it's not The Developers or The House Flippers with their McMansions of Doom!

 

ELECTRIC ANT #1 of 5 by David Mack and Pascal Alixe.  An adaptation of a Philip K. Dick story about a normal happy guy who wakes up in a hospital with the doctors telling him he's really a robot.  Must. Have….

 

FLASH SECRET FILES AND ORIGINS 2010 #1 by Geoff Johns and Friends.  Flash facts!  Rogues!  Speed-forcings galore!  Recommended for those wishing to be in the know, Flash-wise!

 

HATE ANNUAL #8 written and drawn by Peter Bagge with extra material by James Whorton Jr.  It's another installment of Buddy Bradley's domestic adventures wrapped up with other miscellaneous Bagge materials and a guest piece by Whorton titled "Confessions of a Hardened Book Festival Attendee."   Highly recommended.

 

INVINCIBLE RETURNS #1 by Robert Kirkman and Various Artists.  Billed as a great jumping on point for first-time readers this one puts the I-Man back in his original threads and sets up "The Viltrumite War."  Call this one self-contained with room to grow.

 

JSA ALL-STARS #5 by Matthew Sturges and Freddie Williams II.  Stargirl gets lucky!  Sort of!  Big fights too!

 

MARKET DAY HC written and drawn by James Sturm.  The story of an Eastern European Jewish businessman in the early 1900s coming to grips with the new realities of the 20^th century.  From the creator of GOLEM'S MIGHTY SWING.   Highly recommended.

 

MARVEL ZOMBIES 5 #1 of 5 by Fred Van Lente and Kano.  You know that guy who's always the last one to leave the party?  The one who just doesn't get that it's four in the friggin' morning and everyone else has gone home, like, a long time ago and no, the couch is not open for business?  He would love this book.  In fact, he probably wrote it.  (Kidding.  It's Fred Van Lente, who's awesome but jeez, come on already…)

 

NEW AVENGERS: LUKE CAGE #1 of 3 by John Arcudi and Eric Canete.  The Hero for Hire ditches his high-flying Avengers scene for South Philly and some vendetta-type head-busting.  Forecast cloudy with a strong chance of Awesome!

 

SHIELD #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Dustin Weaver.  In a gutsy bit of Marvel Yoo retconning SHIELD has been around a long, long time and boasted agents like Galileo, Isaac Newton and Imhotep.  This kind of requires a look.

 

SPARTA USA #2 of 6 by David Lapham and Johnny Timmons.  Godfrey McClaine has returned to Sparta with tales of yetis and an urge to run the joint.  But there's a new football hero who's not running that play.  Hijinks ensue.

 

SPIDER-MAN: FEVER #1 of 3 written and drawn by Brendan McCarthy.  An epic team-up with Doctor Strange featuring the psychedelic insanity that is McCarthy riffing on early Ditko!  Gotta look!

 

STEPHEN KING'S N #2 of 4 by Marc Guggenheim and Alex Maleev. Based on a Stephen King story about a mental patient whose insanity is contagious.  (Insert teabagger joke here.)  Recommended.

 

SUPERMAN: LAST STAND ON NEW KRYPTON #2 of 3 by James Robinson, Sterling Gates and Pete Woods.  Playing Devil's Advocate for a moment, if it's just you versus thousands of people with the power of Superman and you aren't defeated right away?  You deserve to win.  Go, Brainiac, go!

 

SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #5 of 6 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.  Parasite, Metallo and Luthor!  Oh my!  Highly recommended.

 

TURF #1 of 4 by Jonathan Ross and Tommy Lee Edwards.  A wild adventure set in prohibition-era New York involving rum-running gangsters, blood-sucking vamps and a man who fell to Earth.  So who wins in a dust-up between ETs, bootleggers and the un-dead?  You do!

 

ULTMATE COMICS X #2 by Jeph Loeb and Arthur Adams.  This comic was drawn by the great Art Adams.

 

UNCANNY X-MEN #523 by Matt Fraction and Mike Perkins.  Good mutants and bad ones are looking for Hope.  Aren't we all?

 

WOLVERINE WEAPON X #12 by Jason Aaron and Ron Garney.  Wolvie and Captain America mix it up with a whole bunch of Terminatored-out Deathlok cyborgs.  Plus time-travel. Don't try this at home, kids.  Recommended.

 

WORLD WAR HULKS #1 by Many People.  Tied in with FALL OF THE HULKS which has evidently concluded on "Earth-WTF."

 

www.johnjudy.net

 

Cavna's Kells interview

The 'Riffs Interview: 'Secret of Kells' filmmaker TOMM MOORE
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog April 2, 2010

That darn Toles, continued some more

Today - a letter defending Toles from the earlier letters.

Up pastiche wins Washington Post Peeps contest

The story's in tomorrow's Magazine, or online:

For their winning diorama based on the Pixar flick "Up," Michael Chirlin and Veronica Ettle of Arlington constructed a miniature Victorian house from plywood and Popsicle sticks, and placed it atop salvaged mattress springs to give it an airborne quality."

April 6: '$9.99' animation filmmaker in town

The Post Magazine is reporting that Tatia Rosenthal who made the animated movie $9.99 will be at the Freer Gallery at 7 pm for a screening of the stop-action movie.

Former DC area comics writer Meltzer slagged by peers

Lindelof, Oswalt, other celebs gleefully trash author Brad Meltzer, USA Today's Pop Candy blog April 1 2010 - and for his birthday no less!

Brian 'Pickles' Crane visiting DC in April

In this article, "Sparks cartoonist celebrates 20th anniversary of 'Pickles' strip," By Guy Clifton, April 2, 2010, we hear "Later this month, [Brian Crane] and his wife will travel to Washington, D.C., to visit with officials from the Washington Post Syndicate and will travel to New Jersey for the National Cartoonists Society convention."

No word about what his plans are beyond this.

Secret of Kell's opens in DC, Hornaday doesn't like it

Movie review: In 'Secret of Kells,' vivid animation outweighs muddled narrative
By Ann Hornaday
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 2, 2010; WE24

It's at Landmark's E Street Cinema downtown.

That darn Toles, continued

More letters to the editor - click the link to read them -
Editorial cartoon draws ire, gratitude
Washington Post April 1, 2010; A14

Regarding Tom Toles's March 29 editorial cartoon:

Tom Toles is blogging

Matt Wuerker confirms my previous story that Tom Toles is blogging. Matt sent in a link to this excellent Robert Wright interview. You can read Tom's blog at his Washington Post page.

Washington Post's TR Reid on manga

I just finished reading Confucius Lives Next Door: What Living in the East Teaches Us About Living in the West by T. R. Reid (Random House, 2009), and while I love Reid when he is writing for the Post, I've got a few issues with his conclusions in this book. Or maybe even his starting premises.

But that's not the subject of this blog. Reid has 2 paragraphs on his favorite manga, coming after a discussion of Japan's view of America as crime-ridden:

While in Japan, I became a huge fan of mahnga, the ubiquitous comic-book magazines that sell tens of millions of copies every week. It seems to be conventional wisdom in the United States that Japan's "adult comic books" are routinely "adult" in the sense of being filthy, but this is not accurate. There are some filthy mahnga - so bad that stores won't carry them, and you have to buy them at vending machines. But the vast majority of Japanese comics are family fare. Some are funny, and some are serious novels - serial novels, really, like the one-chapter-per-month novels that Dickens and Thackeray used to write for Victorian magazines. I was particularly taken with the enormously popular weekly comic Section Chief Shima, about a junior executive named Shima Kosaku, who works for a giant electronics firm and fights a never-ending battle for truth, profits and the Japanese way.

In one extended episode, Section Chief Shima is dispatched to America to oversee his company's acquisition of a giant Hollywood movie studio (just like the acquisitions Sony and Matsushita had made in real life). One thing that deeply concerns the young executive is the possibility of a U.S. backlash if an Asian company buys a famous American firm (just like the reaction to the Sony and Matsushita purchases in real life). But an American-based executive tells Shima he need not worry: "The government won't be a problem, because we've already put a half-dozen ex-congressmen on the payroll, and they are lobbying for us." This exchange didn't bother me excessively, because it's probably what big companies actually do when they plan an acquisition. But it was disturbing to see what happened to Section Chief Shima personally during his stay in Los Angeles. When he sets out to see the beach, his rented Ford breaks down. When he tries to negotiate his business deal, an employee of the U.S. branch of his company sells corporate secrets to a competitor. When he walks outside his hotel, he's mugged on the sidewalk. Just your typical American business trip.

Our family grew increasingly angry at this depiction of a dirty, dangerous, dishonest America, partly because we found it hard to avoid, anywhere in Asia. (p. 208-209)

So 11 years later, I have no idea if this remains a common occurrence in manga, or views of Japanese, or even if Shima was ever translated. Reid is a good writer and a keen observer though, so I'm sorry the Post lost him as a foreign correspondent. He heads their Rocky Mountain Bureau now.

Weldon on Scott Pilgrim movie

Glen Weldon invests more time than I'm willing to in this - Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Scott Pilgrim Movie Trailer. National Public Radio's Monkey See blog (March 31 2010).

Tom Toles, beyond the cartoon

It looks like Tom Toles began blogging last week about the issues he did his daily cartoon on. I think this is a new development, but I usually read him in the paper edition. I'm not sure what brought it on either, although I think it's a welcome development.

Anime Festival at Freer and Sackler Galleries, Saturday, April 3

Celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival at the Freer and Sackler Galleries, Saturday, April 3 Eighth Annual National Cherry Blossom Festival Anime Marathon Meyer Auditorium, 11 AM - 7 PM Chocolate Underground, 11 AM The 2010 National Cherry Blossom Festival Anime Marathon Cosplay Contest, 1:30 PM Sword of the Stranger, 4 PM Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, 7 PM The Art of the Kimono: Trunk Show and Sale Freer Gallery Shop, 10 PM - 5:30 PM Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony Sackler Gallery, Sublevel 2, 1 & 3 PM "Ideals of Beauty" Text-Message Scavenger Hunt Freer Gallery, 1 - 3 PM Curator-Led Tour of "Cornucopia: Ceramics from Southern Japan" Freer, 1 PM Curbside Cupcakes Delicious cherry-blossom inspired cupcakes will be available for purchase, Freer Courtyard, 1 - 4 PM SAVE THE DATE! Islamic Art for Christian Patrons: The Painted Ceilings of the Cappella Palatina (Palermo, Sicily), circa 1140 Tuesday, April 13, Meyer Auditorium, 7 PM Click here to take our survey! We appreciate your interest in the Freer and Sackler Galleries and hope that you enjoy the exhibitions and programs that we offer. Please take less than five minutes to share more about yourself with us.  find us on flickr                        become a fan                      follow @ FreerSackler

PR: Capicons Show Sun, Apr. 18th

Capicons Comic Book and Pop Culture Con

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Dunn Loring Vol. Fire Dept.
2148 Gallows Road,
Dunn Loring, VA
10 am - 3 pm

Special Guests:
Martin Grams, Jr, Author of The Green Hornet: A History of Radio, Motion Pictures, Comics and Television
http://www.martingrams.com

Dan Nokes, Artist/Publisher--21 Sandshark Studios
http://21sandshark.com/

Also featuring
Artist Tom Arvis, Sureshot Comics
http://sureshotcomics.com

FREE admission! Door prize drawings!

Open to the public from 10 am - 3 pm. Buy, sell & trade: Gold, Silver, Bronze Age comics; Indie & Modern comics, Publishers & Creators, TV & Movie Collectibles. Non-sport cards; Videos & DVDs; Anime; Manga; Horror/Sci-Fi; figures, toys; Star Wars & Star Trek memorabilia; original artwork, posters and other comic-related collectibles.

For more info, visit www.capicons.com

Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dunn-Loring-VA/Capicons-Comic-Book-Pop-Culture-Con/221236176794

Book reviews on Washington City Paper blog

The idea is to do these regularly...

International Ink: Hagar, Nemi, Little Nothings, and Lenore
Posted by Mike Rhode
Washington City Paper Arts Desk blog Mar. 30, 2010

PR: Submissions for The First Annual Small Press Expo Animation Showcase

More on the SPX animation newness.

Requesting Submissions for The First Annual Small Press Expo Animation Showcase   For Immediate Release                          Contact: Warren Bernard                                                                        Phone: 301-537-4615                                                                        E-Mail: warren@spxpo.com Bethesda, Maryland; March 30, 2010 - The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels and alternative political cartoons, announces a call for submissions to the First Annual SPX Animation Showcase. This showcase will be presented at this years Small Press Expo, to be held September 11 and 12 at the North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center, in Bethesda, Maryland. With the proliferation of animation by both traditional animators and comics creators, SPX is providing a venue for SPX attendees  to see a wide variety of examples of this craft. There will be a series of set showings of cartoons throughout the two day SPX festival, which will reflect the myriad of different animation styles now dispersed across the Internet. All submissions will be screened and final selections made by  a volunteer committee led by Angie Ottinger and Paul Nadjmabadi. The committee is comprised of the following members of the film and television community,:                 CATHERINE TABER, Actress             Cat has lent her talents to numerous films, television shows, and video games including Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Padme), Final Fantasy 12 (Penelo), and the              upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (Cecile).             CHAD STRADERMAN, Animator / Graphic Designer             Chad has worked on a variety of television shows as well as his own independent animation. His short, Pass It On, was shown theatrically at Spike & Mike's Sick &     Twisted Festival of Animation.                       MONZUKI, Art Blog Curator             Monzuki is a successful art blog whose mission is to "introduce Art and Design to stimulate your mind and awareness by presenting a platform for creative artists to     publicize  their talented artwork". (http://blog.monzuki.com)             DANIEL STRANGE, Director             Daniel is the director of the viral video "The Ballad of G.I. Joe" and episodes of the web series "Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis." He currently has an     animated show in development with Fox.             ANGIE OTTINGER, Writer / Producer             Angie currently works in short-form and promo for television. Her short film, "The Donut King" screened at a variety of festivals, including the 2002 Sundance Film     Festival.             PAUL NADJMABADI, Editor             Paul has worked in post-production for a variety of television shows and promos. He has also worked on numerous projects as a director and cinematographer.  For entering submissions to the First Annual SPX Animation Showcase, just follow a few easy rules: 1. Fill out a submission for at http://www.spxpo.com/spx-animation-showcase-2010. 2. Please limit submission entries to no more than 10 minutes run time. 3. Submissions are due by June 30, 2010. 4. Selections for the showcase will be announced by August 11, 2010, 1 month prior to SPX. 5. If you are interested in attending SPX or have questions about the SPX Animation Showcase, please send inquiries to spxanimation@spxpo.com. SPX brings together more than 300 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers and distributors each year. Graphic novels, mini-comix, political cartoon books and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. As in previous years, profits from the SPX will go to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), protecting the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals.  For more information on the CBLDF, go to their website at http://www.cbldf.org/.             SPX will be held The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in Bethesda, Maryland, next to the White Flint Metro stop. Admission is $10 for a single day and $15 for both days.

  

ICAF postponed until 2011

30 March 2010

Announcement from The International Comic Arts Forum (ICAF)

The International Comic Arts Forum (ICAF), the foremost gathering for international comics studies and scholarship, has decided to postpone its annual conference for 2010 until 2011.  

The 2011 conference will observe the 15th Anniversary of ICAF, and the Executive Committee has concluded that postponing for the 2010 calendar year will allow the organization to plan for a large and special 2011 event.

Please stay tuned for more details soon.  For interested students and scholars, the CFP will be released later this year, as will more details on the 15th Anniversary Themes, Guests, and Special Events.

Please bookmark our website:
ICAF website: http://internationalcomicartsforum.org

Any inquiries may be directed to Professor Cecile Danehy, Executive Committee Co-Chair, at cdanehy@wheatonma.edu

Tomorrow: Warren Bernard lecture on Herblock at LoC

Independent scholar Warren Bernard returns to the Library of Congress on Wednesday, March 31, to give a talk in conjunction with the Herblock! exhibition, "Declaration of Independence: Herblock: His Foes and His Editors". This event will take place in Dining Room A located on the 6th Floor of the Madison Building at noon.

Comics Riffs on Dick Giordano's death

Giordano was a great penciler and inker for DC Comics, who also became an editor there. Even if you've never read a comic book, you've seen his work because it's used on all kinds of licensed products.

RIP, Dick Giordano: Remembering a comics legend
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog March 29, 2010

Buzzboy’s John Gallagher interview up at City Paper site

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Buzzboy's John Gallagher

Posted by Mike Rhode on Mar. 29, 2010
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/books/2010/03/29/meet-a-local-cartoonist-a-chat-with-buzzboys-john-gallagher/

Comics on the Rack, Quick Picks for Comics Due 03-31-10

COMICS ON THE RACK

Quick Picks for Comics Due 03-31-10

By John Judy

 

ASTRO CITY: THE DARK AGE BOOK FOUR #3 of 4 by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson.  In the last issue before the big wrap-up The Pale Horseman makes his debut.  Imagine if the Ghost Rider were really scary….  Recommended.

 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #627 by Roger Stern and Lee Weeks.  What could possibly pound the bejeebers out of the Juggernaut and why is Spidey sticking around to find out?

 

BLACKEST NIGHT #8 of 8 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis.  The double-sized grand finale in which all the colors come together and Sinestro sports a new look!  Highly recommended.

 

THE CREEPER BY STEVE DITKO SC by Ditko and Associates.  If you like Ditko and one of his wilder creations, it's all here for you!  "Beware the Creeper!"

 

DETECTIVE COMICS #863 by Greg Rucka, Jock and Cully Hamner.  In which "things do not end well."  My kinda comic!  Recommended.

 

FANTASTIC FOUR #567 by Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham.  The FF's on the moon and the Inhumans are… where?

 

INCORRUPTIBLE #4 by Mark Waid and Jean Diaz.  Will newly reformed Max Damage go back to his evil ways if it's for a good cause?  A true head-scratcher.  Highly recommended.

 

IRON MAN: EXTREMIS HC by Warren Ellis and Adi Granov.  Collecting that story where Tony Stark caught a virus from that nice Mr. Ellis.  Recommended.

 

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #43 by James Robinson and Mark Bagley.  When archers go bad…

 

KEVIN SMITH'S GREEN HORNET #2 by Smith and Jonathan Lau.  The old Green Hornet just ain't what he used to be.  Fortunately his kid is waiting in the wings.  This Kevin Smith comic is coming out on time and is thus highly collectible!

 

PREVIEWS by Diamond and Marvel Comics.  See what your Summer vacation holds in store(s)!

 

RASL #7 written and drawn by Jeff Smith.  It is so hard waiting for the trade collections of this book.  That's why I don't even try.  Highly recommended.

 

SHE-HULK: SENSATIONAL #1 by Peter David, Brian Reed , Iban Coello and little John Byrne thrown in for seasoning.  Celebrating 30 years of that character who can lift tractor-trailers easier than she can carry her own book.  Good times!

 

TERMINATOR 2029 #1 by Zack Whedon and Andy MacDonald.  Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Kyle Reese!

 

WONDER WOMAN #42 by Gail Simone and Nicola Scott.  A Big Bad from Diana's past rolls in.  Fortunately the Green Lantern Corps is already there.

 

X-MEN: SECOND COMING #1 by Craig Kyle, Chris Yost and David Finch. Cable returns to the present with little Hope.

 

www.johnjudy.net

 

This week's Zadzooks and Bennett's Best reviews

Zadzooks: Halo Wars: ODST and Construct-A-Buzz reviews
Joseph Szadkowski
Washington Times March 27, 2010

Bennett's Best: Simpsons/Futurama and The Guild
By Greg Bennett, Special to Zadzooks
Washington Times Zadzooks blog March 27, 2010

Bennett's Best: Bronx Kill and American Vampire
By Greg Bennett
Washington Times Zadzooks blog March 21, 2010

Comic Riffs interview for Dragon Trainers in print too

Reprinted from Comic Riffs -

Cavna, Michael. 2010.
'Dragon' directors are flying in the face of fearsome 3-D technology
Washington Post (March 28): E5.

Comic Riffs interviews Dragon Trainers

The 'Riffs Interview: 'TRAIN YOUR DRAGON' directors enter a new dimension
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog March 26, 2010

Small Press Expo adds animation

The Small Press Expo is showing animation for the first time and the application process is online now.

Podcaster Marc Maron roams DC after talking to Bob Fingerman

I haven't listened to this yet, but I doubt if he found the soul of America in DC - just a feeling I have.

Episode 58 - El Chupacabra / Bob Fingerman. Marc Maron, WTF with Marc Maron Podcast (March 25 2010): http://wtfpod.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=596953 and http://media.libsyn.com/media/wtfpod/WTF_-_EPISODE_58.mp3


By popular demand, Marc welcomes El Chupacabra back to WTF. Plus, artist and writer Bob Fingerman takes a unique look at the end of the world (forward by Marc Maron). And Marc searches for the soul of America as he wanders around Washington, DC.

Whither Thingpart, late of the City Paper

Before the City Paper's great (blood-)shedding of comics a couple of years back, they ran a strip called Thingpart close to the front. Here's an interview with the cartoonist - Joey Alison Sayers Interview, Dan Copulsky, Question Riot blog March 25th, 2010.

The cartoon made me do it

I don't really follow sports, but I imagine the cartoon defense in a weapons charge isn't all that common - Arenas’ ‘Character’ Witness Is a Cartoon Character: Gazo the Pranksta, by Rend Smith Washington City Paper City Desk blog Mar. 24, 2010.

Post review of How To Train Your Dragon

Movie review: 'How to Train Your Dragon': 3-D you can sink your teeth intoa
By Mike Clark
Washington Post March 26, 2010; WE26

March 27: Steranko at Geppi's Entertainment Museum REPOST

Colin Solan sends in "GEM hosts Steranko for a retrospective exhibit." Geppi's Museum site is here. As hard as it is to believe, it seems the exhibit is only up for 3 days. Steranko will be there in person for one day.

April 2-4: Cards, Comics & Collectibles Annual Easter Sale

Annual Easter Sale

From the Store that Brings You the Baltimore Comic-Con...

This Friday, April 2nd through Sunday, April 4th, come to the Cards, Comics & Collectibles Annual Easter Sale for amazing savings of 20% to 70% all weekend! Fill in those missing back issues or pick up that paperback, hardcover, or action figure you've been meaning to buy! This is the weekend to shrink that want list!

50% OFF: PAPERBACKS, HARDCOVERS, TOYS, TOON TUMBLERS, AND MORE!
70% OFF: MODERN BACK ISSUES, CARD SINGLES!
30% OFF: GOLD & SILVER AGE COMICS!
PLUS! DISCOUNTS ON CARD PACKS, POSTERS, AND MORE!

SUNDAY ONLY SPECIALS:
80% OFF: MODERN BACK ISSUES!
60% OFF: PAPERBACKS & HARDCOVERS!


Our address: 100 A Chartley Dr., Reisterstown, MD 21136
Our Hours: Friday, 11am-7:30pm; Saturday, 11am-7pm; Sunday, 12am-5pm
For more information, call Cards Comics and Collectibles: 410-526-7410

This annual sale has run for over 20 years, and this year, we're stocked to the gills!

Ask us about Free Comics every Wednesday!

Truitt on The Guild

Felicia Day takes her 'Guild' offline and into comics, By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY March 24 2010.

This is getting to be like the Good Old Days when the Examiner was introduced with 3 pages of comics, and a weekly page of comic book articles by Truitt and Scott Rosenberg...

Free Kick-Ass posters at Big Planet Bethesda

I'm not really looking forward to this movie, but Big Planet Bethesda has a pile of free Kick-Ass movie posters today.

Unexpected editorial cartoons in today's Post

The 'Russia Today' advertising section actually has 4 editorial cartoons or illustrations in it. 2 traditional cartoons are signed V Bogorad. 2 illustrations are by Dimitry Divin. At least 1 cartoon by Bogorad from a previous section can be seen on their website.

 

 

President Obama in Archie comic book

Now up at the Washington City Paper site -

Obama Returns to Comic Books, Tasks Veronica with Powering Economy

Posted by Mike Rhode on Mar. 24, 2010

PR: Baltimore Comic-Con

Publishers and Creators Come to the 2010 Baltimore Comic-Con!

Baltimore, Maryland - March 19, 2010 - The Baltimore Comic-Con is proud to announce our first series of guests for the 2010 convention. Major publishing houses Image Comics, Boom! Studios, and Top Cow Productions are the first announced exhibitors for our 11th annual show. In addition, we are pleased to announce the following guests: Mike and Laura Allred (Madman), Sergio Aragones (Groo), Ivan Brandon (Nemesis: The Imposters), Jim Calafiore (Secret Six), Eric Canete (New Avengers: Luke Cage), Howard Chaykin (Black Kiss), Cliff Chiang (Greendale), Frank Cho (Ultimate Comics New Ultimates), Steve Conley (Star Trek Omnibus: The Original Series), Amanda Conner (Power Girl), Dan DiDio (The Outsiders, Co-Publisher, DC Comics), Al Feldstein (MAD Magazine), Ron Garney (Wolverine: Weapon X), Michael Golden (Marvel 1602: Spider-Man), Cully Hamner (Detective Comics), Dean Haspiel (ACT-I-VATE), Geoff Johns (Blackest Night, Chief Creative Officer, DC Comics), J.G. Jones (DC Universe Legacies), Rich Koslowski (BB Wolf and the 3 LPs), Michael Lark (Spider-Man: Return of the Hunter Saga), Laura Martin (Girl Comics), Mark McKenna (Banana Tail), Terry Moore (Echo, SiP), Phil Noto (Avengers: The Origin), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Jimmy Palmiotti (Jonah Hex), Khoi Pham (Mighty Avengers), Eric Powell (The Goon), James Robinson (Justice League of America), Stephane Roux (Zatanna), Louise Simonson (X-Factor Forever), Walter Simonson (Wednesday Comics), Jim Starlin (Dreadstar), Brian Stelfreeze (The Authority: The Lost Year), Karl Story (Zatanna), Mark Texeira (X-Men: Origins), Billy Tucci (Shi), Doug Wagner (World of Warcraft: Horde), Mark Waid (Irredeemable, Editor-in-Chief, Boom! Studios), Marv Wolfman (New Teen Titans), and John Workman (Heavy Metal).

"We're months away from show-time, and already, we've lined up some of the biggest stars of the industry. We're excited to have the presence and support of Image, Boom!, and Top Cow - we have an excellent relationship with all three publishers, and can sense the fans lining up to see them already!" said Marc Nathan, promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. "We're also very proud to have Dan Didio and Geoff Johns from DC Comics joining us again this year. Both have been great friends for some time now, and they produce some of the most cutting edge comics on the market today. There are so many noteworthy guests coming to the show that represent a cross-section of the comics industry's genres, creative roles, eras, and publishing models, we think 2010 is shaping up to be one of our best yet!"


In coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We are looking forward to highlighting our guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest developments can always be found at our website (http://www.baltimorecomiccon.com/), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/baltimorecomics), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/baltimorecomiccon), MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/baltimorecomics), and ComicSpace (http://www.comicspace.com/baltimorecomicon) pages.

This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 28-29, 2010. Convention hours are Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. The ceremony and banquet for the Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, August 28th.

Contact Information
Please use the following e-mail addresses to contact the Baltimore Comic-Con:

press@baltimorecomiccon.com - for any general press inquiries or to be added to our PR distribution
promoter@baltimorecomiccon.com - for requesting exhibitor, publisher, and Artist Alley applications
registrar@baltimorecomiccon.com - for inquiries about submitted registrations
harveys@baltimorecomiccon.com - for communications regarding the Harvey Awards ceremony and banquet
general@baltimorecomiccon.com - for general Baltimore Comic-Con inquiries

About The Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 11th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 28-29, 2010. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.

About The Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 5 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.