PR: BAMN COMICS CELEBRATES 2ND ANNIVERSARY WITH ROB THE VIKING 12-WEEK EVENT!

From Bamn Studios: Now approaching its second year as an ongoing online comic series, BAMNcomics.com turns a spectacular new corner just in time for its 2 year anniversary! In an unprecedented move, co-creator and regular artist Jay Payne will temporarily put down his pen and make room for the incoming Matt Rawson (Colonial Comics) as he joins writer Troy-Jeffrey Allen (District Comics) for ROB THE VIKING IN...A CAMPAIGN OF A COURAGE. 

  

Art by Matt Rawson

Beginning May 7th, 2016 at BAMNcomics.com, this 12-part weekly event will be a brief departure for the series as the story focuses on one character instead of its growing cast.  For nearly 100 installments, the title character Bamn -- a washed up pro wrestler -- has been training a crew of downtrodden teenagers on how to defend themselves against the bullies of their high school. Things turn ugly as the kids launch into an all-out war for respect inside their school cafeteria. It's at this point that A CAMPAIGN OF COURAGE picks up to zero in on Rob, the only member of Bamn's trainees still left standing. Followers of the series will recognize Rob as the soft spoken Viking warrior who rounds off BAMN's cast of wannabe wrestlers. True to the series' "anti-bullying" roots, Rob's standalone adventure will delve into how "The Nubian of Newfoundland" overcomes his schoolyard tormentors. The catch: While his friends are preoccupied with their own high school drama in the real world, Rob goes on a fantasy-themed adventure of his very own. In the process, fans will discover what makes the shy seafarer tick and what ticks him off. 

Readers will also get to see how his love of fantasy films, collectible card games, and roleplaying factor into his backstory.

Concept art by Matt Rawson

"Ever since we started BAMN a few years back it's been my intention to focus on each of the teen characters individually and Rob specifically," says Troy-Jeffrey Allen, co-creator of Bamn. "When Jay  and I were conceptualizing the characters he had this Viking with an afro in the mix. I instantly loved the absurdity of the character, which in turn made me want to totally own the idea of it. I started thinking a lot about black cosplayers and how their options for characters are limited. That got me thinking about how that makes it even more important that you commit to the cosplay -- how that in itself could be a point of ridicule from peers. Organically, that connected to the comic's theme of bullying. That's when I knew that that was the story I wanted to tell." "I'm excited to finally get to read the comic as a fan," says artist Jay Payne about Rawson joining the creative team. "I remember Matt doing a BAMN art piece for us at a convention. It was exciting to see someone else's interpretation of the character. That instantly got us thinking of how we can occasionally flip the genre of the comic and bring in new artist to just play with the world of BAMN -- to see another artist's point of view and let them express themselves with our cast."

 

Concept art by Matt Rawson

Artist Matt Rawson, who typically has worked on historically-based comics utilizing a traditional pen and ink style, is eager to jump into the digital world of BAMN. "Coming into an established story that has had a very specific visual style from the beginning proved a challenge in figuring how I was going to approach these characters in my own way. Then, at a certain point, I just stopped worrying about it and started drawing some comics," Rawson laughs. " Jay and Troy are the main men on BAMN. Regardless, I'm definitely having a damn good time getting to play in the universe!" Once A CAMPAIGN OF COURAGE's 12 installments are completed in July, Rob will rejoin the larger cast with a completely new perspective. "You'll definitely see a major transformation in Rob when it is said and done," explains Allen. "Bamn really is about finding strength in the face adversity. Every character in the series has to sort that out, and Rob is the first one. Expect him to 'get gud' on Matt's watch." For updates and more, visit www.bamncomics.com, and look for the first part of ROB THE VIKING IN...A CAMPAIGN OF COURAGE when it debuts on Free Comic Book Day, May 7th, 2016 on the BAMN Comics website!

BamnComics.com

Troy-Jeffrey Allen

Writer|Producer
info@BamnComics.com
www.bamncomics.com

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Glass Ceiling"

From DC's anarchist cartoonist, Mike Flugennock:

"Glass Ceiling"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=1936

When women like Carly Fiorina, Sheryl Sandberg and Hillary Clinton break the "glass ceiling", it's because they're standing on the backs of millions of poor and working-class women who are lucky to see the floor.

Tom Toles LIVE on Facebook right now

https://www.facebook.com/tomtoles/videos/vb.100001256138762/1120627367989124/?type=2&theater#

NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour on 'Bob's Burgers' new cookbook

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Silicon Valley' And 'Bob's Burgers'

Linda Holmes

Pop Culture Happy Hour April 29, 2016

http://www.npr.org/sections/monkeysee/2016/04/29/475949093/pop-culture-happy-hour-silicon-valley-and-bobs-burgers

http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/pchh/2016/04/20160427_pchh_pchh293.mp3

Bob's Burgers.

The Post on DreamWorks Animation sale

Comcast is buying Dreamworks in a $3.8 billion acquisition [in print as Comcast buying DreamWorks in $3.8 billion agreement].

By Brian Fung
Washington Post April 29 2016, p. A15

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/04/28/comcast-is-buying-dreamworks-in-a-3-8-billion-acquisition/

The Post reviews Ratchet & Clank cartoon

'Ratchet & Clank' could use a tuneup [in print as Origin Story falls light-years short]

By Sandie Angulo Chen
Washington Post April 29 2016, Weekend 33
https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/ratchet-and-clank-could-use-a-tuneup/2016/04/28/d9019068-0bd4-11e6-8ab8-9ad050f76d7d_story.html

More "March?"

John Lewis' "March" Optioned For Animated Series

Kevin Melrose 

  Comic Book Resources April 29 2016
http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/john-lewis-march-optioned-animated-series

May 19: @ Busboys and Poets Takoma: Joe Hill - The Fireman

He's written a lot of comic books.

@ Busboys and Poets Takoma: Joe Hill - The Fireman

Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 6:30 p.m.

Hill has sent chills down spines with bestselling novels including Horns, Heart-Shaped Box, and NOS4A2, while he continues to beguile readers with his Locke & Key series. His new horror thriller unfolds during an epidemic of Dragonscale, a bacteria that causes its victims to burst into flames. So far, the only way to control the disease is for the Cremation Squad to eliminate those afflicted with it. But Hunter, a school nurse recently infected, is pregnant and determined to have her child. That seems unlikely until she meets the Fireman and joins a secret refuge—only to find that there are other perils lying in wait.

Busboys and Poets Takoma

235 Carroll St NW

WashingtonDC20012

National Archives Marks Election Season with Free Political Cartoon eBook

National Archives Marks Election Season with Free Political Cartoon eBook

REPRESENTING CONGRESS: Clifford K. Berryman's Political Cartoons

Washington, DC. . . Just in time!  To help make sense of Congress and its complexities, the National Archives Center for Legislative Archives today launched REPRESENTING CONGRESS: Clifford K. Berryman's Political Cartoons, a free eBook.  Representing Congress goes beyond the headlines, using political cartoons to explore what Congress is, how it works, and what it does. The eBook's cartoons and learning resources engage students of all ages and illustrate how elected officials in the House and Senate represent the American people and fulfill the Founders' vision.  

Representing Congress showcases Berryman's ability to use portraits, representative symbols and figures, and iconic personifications to help explain the institutions and issues of civic life.  Each eBook page features a large political cartoon and links to related online materials, enticing visual learners and orienting students to the study of politics and government.  These drawings highlight timeless aspects of Congress.  While faces, personalities and many procedures change, these cartoons show that our representative institutions remain surprisingly consistent.  

Related online resources:

• Companion classroom lesson plan:  Congress Represented in Political Cartoons

• Online exhibit:  Running for Office: Candidates, Campaigns, and the Cartoons of Clifford Berryman

• Congress Creates the Bill of Rights Lesson Plan, eBook and mobile app

• Additional Center for Legislative Archives Educational Resources

Clifford K. Berryman, staff political cartoonist for The Washington Post and the Washington Evening Star during the first half of the 20th century, drew thousands of cartoons commenting on the events, issues, and personalities of his era. Berryman was a Washington institution, and his 53 years of front-page drawings were internationally renowned. He satirized both Democratic and Republican political figures but was able to critique without rancor which won him great respect from many politicians. The original cartoons used in Representing Congress are part of a collection of nearly 2,400 drawings by Berryman from the U.S. Senate Collection housed in the Center for Legislative Archives in Washington, DC.

The Center for Legislative Archives—part of the National Archives—preserves and makes available to researchers the official records of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Educators can use these historical documents to teach about representative democracy, how Congress works, and the important role Congress has played throughout American history. Through its public outreach and educational programs, the Center uses these historical records to promote a better understanding of Congress and the history of American representative government.  Online at www.archives.gov/legislative

The National Archives is an independent Federal agency that serves American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of our Government, ensuring that the people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their government. From the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The agency supports democracy, promote civic education, and facilitate historical understanding of our national experience. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries, and online.

The Express on Dr. Strange movie casting

Watt, Louise / Associated Press.  2016.

In 'Doctor Strange,' casting is a lose-lose.

Express (April 28): 54.

Online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/movie-doctor-strange-turns-tibetan-man-into-european-woman/2016/04/27/9c6f947e-0ce7-11e6-bc53-db634ca94a2a_story.html

Ann Telnaes on designing store windows

FAO Schwarz window display

April 28, 2016 By Ann Telnaes
http://www.anntelnaes.com/2016/04/fao-schwarz-window-display/

May 1: Wordless Picture Books at Politics & Prose bookstore

Fourth Picture Book Panel: No Words Needed—The Value and Many Uses of Wordless Picture Books

Sunday, May 1, 2016 at 5 p.m.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Imagine, then, the value of a story told entirely through images. In the latest installment of our popular panel series exploring topics relating to picture books, gain insight from award-winning author/illustrators Henry Cole, Raúl Colón, Marla Frazee, Stephen Savage, and David Wiesner about the magic of wordless picture books. Allyn Johnston, Vice President and publisher of Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, will moderate what promises to be an engaging discussion. For adults

Moderator Allyn Johnston is Vice President and Publisher of Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. During her twenty-four years working in publishing, she has worked with many award winning authors and illustrators including Marla Frazee, Mem Fox, Lois Ehlert, Cynthia Rylant, Avi and M.T. Anderson.

David Wiesner is one of the world's most celebrated visual storytellers and the creator of many best-selling picture books. Tuesday, The Three Pigs and Flotsam won the Caldecott Medal, the highest honor for illustration. He also received Caldecott Honors for Free Fall, Sector 7 and Mr. Wuffles.

Marla Frazee has received Caldecott Honors for All the World and A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever. The Farmer and the Clown won the Boston Globe Horn Book Award. She has written and/or illustrated many bestsellers including Roller Coaster, The Boss Baby, The Seven Silly Eaters and the Clementine series.

Raul Colón has illustrated over thirty picture books including Draw! as well as Jill Biden's Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops and Susanna Reich's Jose! Born to Dance. Colón's work has been recognized with a Golden Kite Award, a Pura Belpré Award, and both a gold and silver medal in The Original Art show.

Henry Cole has written and illustrated more than fifty books for young readers including And Tango Makes Three, Unspoken and Spot, the Cat. His many books are consistently well reviewed.  His love of nature, fascination with science and sense of humor permeate his evocative picture books and his recent illustrated novels.

Stephen Savage is the acclaimed author and illustrator of Where's Walrus?  named a best book of the year by Kirkus Reviews, Horn Book Magazine, Publishers Weekly and the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. His book, Polar Bear Night was named a New York Times Best Illustrated.

 

($17.99) buy

($17.99) buy

($17.99) buy

($17.99) buy

($16.99) buy

5015 Connecticut Ave NW

WashingtonDC20008

Today: Kevin McCloskey - The Real Poop on Pigeons at Politics and Prose

Kevin McCloskey - The Real Poop on Pigeons

Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 10:30 a.m.

 — at Takoma Park Library (MD)

Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 7 p.m.

McCloskey's lighthearted ode to pigeons begins with two strangers sitting on a bench. As one exclaims that he hates these "rats with wings," a group of people dressed in mascot-like pigeon suits descend upon him to explain why pigeons are, in fact, rather fascinating and helpful creatures. After all, as their human defenders point out, pigeons delivered airmail before planes existed; they belong to the same family as the dodo bird; and they even make milk in their crops in order to feed their young. This graphic novel for early readers mixes fact with humor to tell the story of these oft-maligned birds. Ages 5 - 7

April 30: DC Conspiracy members at new bookstore in DC

Grand Opening Celebration and Independent Bookstore Day!
Saturday at 10 AM - 8 PM

East City Bookshop

645 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, District of Columbia 20003

You're invited to East City Bookshop's Grand Opening Celebration on April 30th from 10am – 8pm. Browse the new shop, get to know your friendly neighborhood booksellers, and enjoy some snacks from local vendors, plus a great lineup of events all day long.

Don't miss out on all the great prize opportunities: The first ten customers will receive a special doorbuster prize at checkout. Giveaways will be drawn at every author reading, culminating in a Grand Prize for one lucky winner—the more readings you attend, the more chances you have to win. Readers who attend three or more activities will receive a special in-store, one-day-only coupon.

April 30th is also Independent Bookstore Day, so make sure you don't miss limited-edition special releases from Neil Gaiman, Ann Patchett, and Kate DiCamillo.

Our authors will be circulating the shop throughout the day—stick around, because you never know when you'll get a chance to play a board game with a bestseller or chat about your favorite books with local creators!

3pm - 3:30pm: Graphic Novel talk by DC Conspiracy authors: Eisner Award nominee Evan Keeling, with Michael Cowgil and Andrew Cohen

Chester Brown live at Politics and Prose speaking with Reason's Elizabeth Brown

Chester Brown is speaking at Politics and Prose with Reason's Elizabeth Brown.

Chester Brown live at Politics and Prose

Brown is reading from his new book Mary Wept at the Feet of Jesus.

Tonight: Chester Brown at Politics and Prose bookstore

Chester Brown - Mary Wept Over the Feet of Jesus

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 7 p.m.
http://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/chester-brown-mary-wept-over-feet-of-jesus

Brown's graphic/comic work has consistently taken the genre in new directions; from his award-winning comic-strip biography of the renegade Louis Riel to his comic memoir about his own adolescence, The Playboy, and on to his adult experiences in the graphic Paying for It: A Comic-strip Memoir of Being a John, Brown has been telling startling stories and creating crisp, evocative artwork—with hand-drawn endnotes. His latest book is an iconoclastic reinterpretation of the Bible; focusing on passages related to Bathsheba, Ruth, Rahab, Tamar, Mary of Bethany, and the Virgin Mother, Brown parses scripture for its views on prostitution, including arguments for decriminalization.

Brown will be in conversation with Elizabeth Nolan Brown, staff editor at Reason magazine, where she covers sex policy, civil liberties, gender issues, and other issues  from a libertarian feminist perspective.

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "He's Late!"

From DC's anarchist, and apparently pothead, cartoonist:

"He's Late!"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=1932

Yesterday, following on the heels of a successful "Smoke-In" protest earlier this month, was DCMJ's historic meeting with White House officials from the Office Of National Drug Control Policy concerning the rescheduling or descheduling of marijuana from its current status at Schedule 1 -- listed alongside heroin and methamphetamine. Along with combat veteran Brandon Wyatt of the group "Weed For Warriors", DCMJ leaders Adam Eidinger and Nikolas Schiller spoke to the ONDCP representatives at length on the need for a political -- rather than scientific -- solution to the current cannabis prohibition situation. Citing the racism of Federal Narcotics Bureau Commissioner Harry Anslinger (responsible for the initial Federal ban on cannabis in the 1930s) and, later, President Nixon in the late '60s and early '70s, Eidinger asserted that because cannabis prohibition was a political act, a solution to end prohibition must also be political.

Eidinger and Schiller called for a followup to this meeting at a higher level, a "bud summit" at the White House with El Presidente himself. "He doesn't even have to say anything," commented Eidinger, "he just needs to listen. Because it's going to take a year of dialogue at the federal level to figure out federal legalization."

Listening to a recording of the ONDCP meeting at a "post-mortem" meeting back at the DCMJ office, conversation turned toward the fact that Obama was late in deciding on how to handle Federal legalization; "late for 4/20" was the joke going around the room, and it inspired a literary analogy "hook" on which to hang a "hashtag point" -- #HesLate -- and this cartoon.

He's late, he's late, for a very important date.

Bruce Guthrie on SAAM exhibit: Finding: Source Material in the Archives of American Art

by Bruce Guthrie

Smithsonian American Art Museum's archives section has a new exhibit (described below).  I volunteer there covering family day events (the Ella Fitzgerald tribute on Saturday with the Dan Dunn speed-painting event was great!) so I check out everything. 

The archives section usually talks about people I've never heard of before but it always includes some interesting spots.  The most interesting part of this exhibit was Ray Yoshida (1930-2009) who meticulously cut out a lot of panels from cartoons for reference work.  One of the open scrapbooks, for example, was a collection of how couples kissing were illustrated in comic strips.  But the Sucrets tins filled with tiny cut out tiny images and word balloons was interesting too.  Some of them were laid out in the exhibit cases in an easier to see fashion and they even reproduced some of them on the wall.   I'm sure folks here will recognize many of them (shown below).

Finding: Source Material in the Archives of American Art

April 22, 2016 – August 21, 2016
In this exhibition, the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art reveals how artists find inspiration. The Archives' collections hold a kaleidoscopic array of source materials; many of these materials are somewhat ordinary: comic- strip panels, newspaper clippings, and snapshots of mundane scenes. Yet the ways in which artists draw on them provides a glimpse into the twists and turns of their creative practices.









There were two source cartoons that Ray Lichtenstein sent to someone too (below).  My pics are up on http://www.bguthriephotos.com/graphlib.nsf/keys/2016_04_25E_SIPG_Source

The exhibit wasn't getting the attention that the Prince In Memoriam photo was getting.

__,_._,___

May 21: call for ARTSHOW_15: COMIX

HITS_15: COMIX — May 21, 2016 — CALL FOR ENTRY

[contact: Mike O'Brien at obrien@redtablepress.com with comments and questions]

---

ARTSHOW_15: COMIX

A showcase of work steeped in and inspired by sequential art and storytelling.

Featuring: Original pieces, concept art, prints, scripts, books, et. al by the independent creators of the DC / DMV region and beyond.

Including: A mega-merch table situation for peeps to sling additional swag.  

Food: Milk Cult

Music: [appropriate vibes TBA]

Where Hole in the Sky — 2110 5th St NE DC (entrance in the alley)

When: Saturday, May 21, 2016

Time: 5-11pm

Cost: $5 donations please

Poster Design Progress:

Sketch - https://www.instagram.com/p/BD2Ed-ao5h0/

Big Sketch - https://www.instagram.com/p/BEcwY6Ko5oG/

Ink Drawing - https://www.instagram.com/p/BEh1ZjFo5sU/

---

IF YOU'D LIKE TO PARTICIPATE – SUBMIT VIA THIS FORM

This is an open call for work steeped in or inspired by sequential art and storytelling. We want to not only showcase finished work and stand-alone pieces, but also provide insights into the process of sequential storytelling. Showing scripts, concept work, finished pages, etc. are all considerable.

Submit via this form to express your interest in participating and give me an idea of what you would like to include in the show. Please share this link with others of the sequential art-leaning disposition. [ HITS15 submission form — http://goo.gl/forms/5cYaCs8XhO ]

*** Work does not need to be complete by the submission deadline, you have until the drop-off date to finish pieces. ***

April 29: Superhero Homicide at Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse

http://backoffice.arlingtondrafthouse.com/default.aspx?page=event&eid=4187

Die Laughing Productions enters the world of Superheroes and Supervillians with Superhero Homicide: Dawn of Deathdealer. This hilarious, interactive murder mystery show transports you to the Superhero hall of fame, the Hall of Heroes. One of the world's greatest Superheroes is about to be inducted into the Hall but unfortunately, things do not go as planned. Superheroes plus Supervillians equals a super sized murder and it's up to you figure out who did it. Superhero Homicide stars 98 Rock's own superhero, Justin Schlegel but most importantly it stars you. Everyone has a little superhero in them and this is your time to prove it. Put on your detective hat and cape and solve this murder. The future of the world depends on it. Real life Superheroes get in free.

Eat. Drink Laugh. Solve a murder.

OT: Seymour Chwast Kickstarter begins today

Ulysses E. Campbell: From TV to radio

Local comic book documentarian/journalist/fan Ulysses E. Campbell (of the comics-focused "Fantastic Forum" program on local public TV) now is part of a new radio program at 96.7 WERA in Arlington. "TMI (Too Much Information)" is not related to comics, but it's great to see (actually, hear) Ulysses taking over another medium and showing us his vast talents.

Ulysses Campbell (left) and Alvin Jones on the air at 96.7 WERA (Photo courtesy of Campbell)

City Paper on Chester Brown's DC appearance

Chester Brown at Politics & Prose Wednesday, April 27

By Dominic Umile • April 22, 2016
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/48104/chester-brown-at-politics-prose-wednesday-april-27/

David Hagen @ Artomatic@Frederick

From: David Hagen

Nothing embellished here!

Artomatic in Frederick, MD, May 7 through June 10.

Everything priced to sell!!!!

http://hagenillustration.blogspot.com/

I personally own several Hagen paintings. No reasonable offer refused.

Galifianakis channels Schulz in today's Post

The topic of death shouldn't be off-limits, even for your toddler

(Nick Galifianakis/The Washington Post)

By Carolyn Hax April 24 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-topc-of-death-shouldnt-be-off-limits-even-for-your-toddler/2016/04/24/fef9ce1a-0342-11e6-b823-707c79ce3504_story.html

Asian comic book exhibit review

For artist, everything about wood [Manhua + Manga exhibit].
By Mark Jenkins

Washington Post April 24 2016

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/in-the-galleries-for-artist-foon-sham-its-all-about-the-wood/2016/04/22/2cf82050-0578-11e6-bdcb-0133da18418d_story.html

That darn Wumo and Flashbacks

Letters to the Editor

Correcting the record on a D.C. 'Flashback' [in print as "Setting the record...].

Mike Bohn, Alexandria

Washington Post April 23 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/correcting-the-record-on-a-dc-flashback/2016/04/22/01796614-0631-11e6-bfed-ef65dff5970d_story.html

There's no humor in this image [in print as Vets aren't laughing].

Jan Gardner, Stafford
Washington Post April 23 2016

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/theres-no-humor-in-this-image/2016/04/22/65cdedec-05dc-11e6-bfed-ef65dff5970d_story.html

OT: Seymour Chwast Kickstarter begins this week

Because of our respect for him and his work, we note that "legendary illustrator Seymour Chwast who (at age 84) is launching a Kickstarter campaign to publish his new book of antiwar illustrations: Seymour Chwast at War with War: An Illustrated Timeline of 5000 Years of Conquests, Invasions, and Terrorist Attacks."

The campaign starts on April 26th on Kickstarter. I'll be backing this.

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Gentlemen Prefer Hillary"

From DC's anarchist cartoonist Mike Flugennock:

"Gentlemen Prefer Hillary"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=1926

Economic justice seems so sentimental,
but Wall Street is a girl's best friend --

15 an hour is so detrimental,
when Wall Street is a girl's best friend...!

Comic Riffs talks to Jack Ohman

Pulitzer-winning cartoonist is inspired by his late friend — whose job he inherited

By

Michael Cavna

Washington Post Comic Riffs blog April 20 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/04/20/pulitzer-winning-cartoonist-draws-strength-from-working-right-where-his-late-friend-did/

Fantastic Forum Episode #57

Fantastic Forum

 Apr 12, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVPlbEzje-Q

Join special correspondent Daphne O''Neal as she tours The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, CA. Producer/host Ulysses E. Campbell talks with ComiXology co-founder John Roberts and V.P. of Marketing Chip Mosher at SPX. And panelist Abigail Pritchard interviews A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) author George R.R. Martin at Capclave.

Two Minutes on Oceans with Jim Toomey: Green Fins for a Blue Planet

James Toomey

 Apr 15, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWtjifMDvUo

Dive tourism is increasing at a rate of nearly one million new divers every year. Great news for the dive industry, but what about potential impacts on coral reefs and marine ecosystems? Watch this video to learn how divers and snorkelers can enhance environmental and economic sustainability through the Green Fins certification program.


The "Two Minutes on Oceans with Jim Toomey" video series uses animation and humor to explain complex scientific issues in simple terms to the general public. The series was produced as a partnership between nationally syndicated cartoonist, Jim Toomey, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Additional videos from the series can be viewed at: www.rona.unep.org/toomey

PR: Kremos: The Lost Art of Niso Ramponi's Eisner nomination

"Kremos: The Lost Art of Niso Ramponi" chosen as one of the year's best books by Eisner judges

We are excited to share our good news with everyone: We've received a Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards nomination in the category for "Best Archival Collection—Strips" for our two-volume set, Kremos: The Lost Art of Niso Ramponi.

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards are considered the "Oscars" of the comics world. Named for the pioneering comics creator and graphic novelist Will Eisner, the awards will be given out this year during a ceremony at Comic-Con International in San Diego on July 22.

We couldn't be more flattered to find ourselves honored in the same category as folks like Fantagraphics Books, IDW, and Sunday Press, all publishers we've admired for years. What a great way for Lost Art Books to continue celebrating our fifth anniversary!

A decade in the making, this two-volume set covers the Italian cartoonist and animator's entire career. Ramponi was at his most prolific from the mid-1940s through the early 1960s, working with everyone from friend and colleague Federico Fellini to creating the official movie posters for Walt Disney's post-war releases in Italy. But it was as a cartoonist and cover artist for some of Italy's more irreverent satirical magazines that Ramponi left his most enduring mark. As contemporary cartoonist Jerry Carr describes in Volume 2's foreword, "Kremos's work reminds us of the layouts of Hank Ketcham, the polish of Bill Ward, the humor of Dan DeCarlo, and the grace of Jack Cole—while exemplifying something entirely original."

Benefiting from careful restoration and translation, Volume 1 collects over 200 of Kremos's bodacious black and white cartoons and illustrations and is fronted by a 6,000-word introduction by Ramponi's friend and current-day animator, Mario Verger. Volume 2 adds 250 curvaceous color comics and covers to the set, with a foreword by contemporary comic artist Jerry Carr. Combined, these volumes offer nearly 500 examples of his work and a comprehensive overview of a maverick artist at the height of his creative powers.

KREMOS: THE LOST ART OF NISO RAMPONI

Vol. 1: Bodacious B&W

Introduction by Mario Verger
Edited by Joseph V. Procopio
$27.95 • 212 pp. • 8½"x11" • paperback

Buy:
LostArtBooks.com

KREMOS: THE LOST ART OF NISO RAMPONI

Vol. 2: Curvaceous Color

Foreword by Jerry Carr
Edited by Joseph V. Procopio
$34.95 • 260 pp. • full color • 8½"x11" paperback

Buy:
LostArtBooks.com

Nils and Ralph

Who knew that Ralph Steadman did two album covers for former Montgomery County resident Nils Lofgren? Not me. Here's a poster of one at Alexandria's Birchmere club.

America's most famous comic strip commentator is a DC resident

Barack Obama on Peanuts: an American treasure

Peanuts was our own daily security blanket, even if Lucy's advice isn't very good

Barack Obama

Friday 15 April 2016

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/15/barack-obama-peanuts-american-treasure-charles-schulz

Our local Eisner nominees (updated with Big Planet Comics entry)

Today we got the nomination list for the Eisner Awards, comicdom's equivalent of the Oscar, but with a real man's name attached to them.

Several local people are nominated, including a ComicsDC contributor. We wish everyone the best of luck, and congratulate them on just being nominated for this prestigious award:

Best Single Issue/One-Shot

• Mowgli’s Mirror, by Olivier Schrauwen (Retrofit/Big Planet)

Best Short Story

• "Black Death in America," by Tom King and John Paul Leon, in Vertigo Quarterly: Black (Vertigo/DC)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)

• Little Robot, by Ben Hatke (First Second)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)

• March: Book Two, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)

Best Reality-Based Work

• March: Book Two, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium

• Captive of Friendly Cove: Based on the Secret Journals of John Jewitt, by Rebecca Goldfield, Mike Short, and Matt Dembicki (Fulcrum)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips

• Cartoons for Victory, by Warren Bernard (Fantagraphics)
• Kremos: The Lost Art of Niso Ramponi, vols. 1 and 2, edited by Joseph P. Procopio (Picture This/Lost Art Books)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

• Comic Riffs blog by Michael Cavna, washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/

CBR talks to Tom King

King's "Vision" Collides with the Marvel Universe, Scarlet Witch

Mon, April 18th, 2016

Comic Book Resources

CBR News Team, Editor
http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/tom-king-vision-marvel-universe-scarlet-witch

(CBR was bought out recently and seems to be doing FAR more movie and TV stories already. Plus they now have four ads interrupting the text instead of one. I fear that they may follow the Pulse and Newsrama down the rabbit hole of irrelevance....)

Comic Riffs on the cartoonist of the year

NCS's 'Cartoonist of the Year' list of finalists continues growing recognition of women

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog April 15 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/04/15/ncss-cartoonist-of-the-year-finalists-continues-growing-recognition-of-pioneering-women-creators/

 

Elizabeth Warren comic book featured in today's Express

Leblanc, Steve / Associated Press.  2016.

To Wall Street, she's a super-villain [Female Force: Elizabeth Warren].

Express (April 19): 21

Comic Riffs talks to Pulitzer Winner Jack Ohman

Cartoonist Jack Ohman stopped thinking about awards. Only then came today's Pulitzer Prize win.

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog April 18  2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/04/18/cartoonist-jack-ohman-stopped-thinking-about-awards-only-then-came-todays-pulitzer-prize-win/

Pokemon songs in the key of Bethesda

This Bethesda Folk Artist is Trying to Write a Song For All 700+ Pokémon

By Dean Essner on April 15, 2016
http://www.washingtonian.com/2016/04/15/jacob-newman-pokemon-songs/