Well, they ran my letter in today's paper, but didn't put Rall back in.
Rall in This Together
Washington City Paper (April 6, 2007): 6
I'm a regular reader of the Washington City Paper, especially for your arts coverage and the comics. I'm sorry to see that you appear to have dropped Ted Rall who is one of the hardest-hitting editorial cartoonists around these days. Please reconsider this decision and bring him back - you could easily drop the two new strips, neither of which is competent nor interesting.
Mike Rhode
Arlington, VA
The bit about the two new strips was a bit harsh and I told them they could drop it when they wrote to me to confirm I was me, but obviously they decided to go with it. They did drop one of them in this week's redesign of the paper, but have kept Thingpart by Joe Sayers.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Onion arrives in DC - new strips for us
The satirical weekly newspaper The Onion arrived in their green boxes in DC today. The paper seems to run regular reviews of comic books although there weren't any in today's issue. However, we do get some more comic strips in town, some of which I haven't seen before.
*Red Meat by Max Cannon - already running in the City Paper;
*Cathy - no longer in the Post, and this version is in Spanish;
*Postage Stamp Funnies by Shannon Wheeler - small panel by the Too Much Coffee Man creator;
*The Leftersons by Colin T. Hayes - seems to be political;
*Wondermark by David Malki - clip art, but of a higher level than Rees' Get Your War On. Online at http://wondermark.com;
*The Spats by Pickering - a King Features syndicated gag strip.
Also there's a political cartoon by Kelly, credited to the Onion Syndicate.
*Red Meat by Max Cannon - already running in the City Paper;
*Cathy - no longer in the Post, and this version is in Spanish;
*Postage Stamp Funnies by Shannon Wheeler - small panel by the Too Much Coffee Man creator;
*The Leftersons by Colin T. Hayes - seems to be political;
*Wondermark by David Malki - clip art, but of a higher level than Rees' Get Your War On. Online at http://wondermark.com;
*The Spats by Pickering - a King Features syndicated gag strip.
Also there's a political cartoon by Kelly, credited to the Onion Syndicate.
April 6-8, Reistertown, MD: Cards, Comics, & Collectibles sale
The postcard I received says Gold & Silver 30% off, Modern Back issues 70%, Toys and statues 50%, new comics 20%, hardcovers and trades 50% and on Sunday, 80% off Modern Back issues. Tempting.
They're at 100 A Chartley Drive, Reisterstown, MD 410-526-7410
They're at 100 A Chartley Drive, Reisterstown, MD 410-526-7410
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Coming Soon: Geppi's Entertainment Museum, Gib Crockett tumblers and the Herblock award ceremony
As well as the Interplanetary Journal of Comic Art's debut, and more on Steinberg's short tenure at the Smithsonian. But they'll have to wait a day as I'm too tired to post due to the 4 am thunderstorm wakeup call.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Homeland security out of control in Baldo? UPDATED
(Originally posted on 4/2/07)
Was anyone else suprised by yesterday's strip in which Homeland Security's ICE thugs busted in and dragged off Tia Carmen? I was waiting to see what happened today, but the strip's continuing its storyline of Carmen meeting a nice gentleman. Interestingly, the artist morphed from the usual cartoony style to a more realistic style for these strips.
But back to the deportation - so did the strips run out of order? Obviously this Sunday strip isn't a humorous parody.
--UPDATE Dave Astor points out that this was an April Fool's joke. Well, they got me, as Master Ibid pointed in the comments (that I'm just seeing now after completing this post. Sigh). Here's the cartoonists' explanation from their website at Baldocomics.com (on their blog, there's a lot of comments, pro and con after their post):
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
A message from Hector & Carlos
WOW!! What an incredible reaction! There are way too many letters to post, but below are some of the more interesting responses we've gotten to Sunday's strip showing Tía Carmen being deported. Here's the deal. Our April 1 strip was an April Fool's strip (duh). Considering how much people love Tía Carmen, we thought it would be interesting to have her "deported" in dramatic fashion -- something we would never do in the strip, but something that makes a powerful statement. Admittedly, we took lots of creative license for dramatic effect (it is a comic strip after all). But that's all we did. Now, obviously, the strip hit a nerve with LOTS of people, both pro and anti immigrant. The issue itself is no joke and we don't take it lightly. It's a serious matter and we hope we got people to thinking about it. Some readers even see Carmen as a symbol of the immigration issue and demanded a T-shirt. We're happy to oblige and have set up a little store here.
Free Tia Carmen!
But we're gonna move on now. We think our point has been made -- even if it was unconventially delivered. Our familia played out their skit and we now return to our regularly scheduled programming. Bueno? Bueno!
Was anyone else suprised by yesterday's strip in which Homeland Security's ICE thugs busted in and dragged off Tia Carmen? I was waiting to see what happened today, but the strip's continuing its storyline of Carmen meeting a nice gentleman. Interestingly, the artist morphed from the usual cartoony style to a more realistic style for these strips.
But back to the deportation - so did the strips run out of order? Obviously this Sunday strip isn't a humorous parody.
--UPDATE Dave Astor points out that this was an April Fool's joke. Well, they got me, as Master Ibid pointed in the comments (that I'm just seeing now after completing this post. Sigh). Here's the cartoonists' explanation from their website at Baldocomics.com (on their blog, there's a lot of comments, pro and con after their post):
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
A message from Hector & Carlos
WOW!! What an incredible reaction! There are way too many letters to post, but below are some of the more interesting responses we've gotten to Sunday's strip showing Tía Carmen being deported. Here's the deal. Our April 1 strip was an April Fool's strip (duh). Considering how much people love Tía Carmen, we thought it would be interesting to have her "deported" in dramatic fashion -- something we would never do in the strip, but something that makes a powerful statement. Admittedly, we took lots of creative license for dramatic effect (it is a comic strip after all). But that's all we did. Now, obviously, the strip hit a nerve with LOTS of people, both pro and anti immigrant. The issue itself is no joke and we don't take it lightly. It's a serious matter and we hope we got people to thinking about it. Some readers even see Carmen as a symbol of the immigration issue and demanded a T-shirt. We're happy to oblige and have set up a little store here.
Free Tia Carmen!
But we're gonna move on now. We think our point has been made -- even if it was unconventially delivered. Our familia played out their skit and we now return to our regularly scheduled programming. Bueno? Bueno!
Saul Steinberg: Illuminations quick review
This exhibit is great. Go see it at the Smithsonian American Art Museum when it opens.
Too quick? Yeah, I think so too. In the newly-renovated and renamed SAAM, three large galleries are devoted to the exhibit which was curated by Joel Smith for Vassar College. The exhibit has over 100 drawings, paintings, sketches, masks, and wooden sculpture-type objects, as well as some sketches unique to the Smithsonian. The exhibit follows Steinberg's career from the 1930s until the 1990s. As you can see below, he was capable of a variety of styles of illustration and cartooning.
"Techniques at a Party (1953) copyright the Saul Steinberg Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.
By being arranged chronologically, Smith and SAAM curator Joann Moser let us see the development of Steinberg as a cartoonist and an artist as he moves from style to style and experiments with techniques. Steinberg, born in Romania in 1914 trained as an architect in Italy in the 1930s, but also became known as a cartoonist there. He moved to the US in 1942, and became part of the New York art scene as well as a professional cartoonist. His anti-Axis cartoons for PM magazine, although not in the show, were particularly good.
During this time, he developed his graceful and playful line that one thinks of as particularly 'Steinbergian,' assuming one thinks that way. To the left, a good example is "Underground," (1946) copyright the Saul Steinberg Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.
Steinberg also did a lot of commercial illustration and advertising work at this time, doing Christmas cards for MOMA and then Hallmark as well as magazine ads. He also became firmly part of the New Yorker stable..jpg)
Eventually his 1975 "View of the World from 9th Avenue" would probably become the most widely known cover the magazine ever had. Copyright the Saul Steinberg Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.
One thing that becomes obvious in this exhibit is Steinberg's sense of experimentation. As well as cartooning, he tried photography drawing the famous image of a woman on a bath tub and then shooting it, but also drawing directly on photographs. He did collages, and odd things, like the "Female Mask" below..jpg)
"Female Mask" (1959-1965) copyright the Saul Steinberg Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
Out of context, the Mask series seems strange and odd. When you see them after years of his experimentation with paper and collage and lines, they make a perfect playful sense. In the 1980s, he moved into making illusions and illustrations with wood. The exhibit opens with "Library," a fake desk with fake books. I didn't really appreciate Steinberg going into this exhibit, but I left with a great fondness for his work.
Pieces like "Wyoming" (1969) above demonstrated his love of graphic imagery and whimsical sense of humor. Those of us who only knew his later work, which was sketchier and more stylized, especially the posthumous publishing the New Yorker is doing now, owe it to themselves to see the livelier artworks. Copyright the Saul Steinberg Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.
The exhibit is on April 6-June 24th, from 11:30-7 daily. Additional events include:
April 7 - On stage with 21st Century Consort, 4 pm lecture, 5 pm concert - there's a charge.
April 15 - Curator Joel Smith at 3 pm.
May 12 - Cartoonist Matt Diffee at 3 pm (he's a good speaker.)
June 2 - Improv Troupe Now This! at 3 pm.
June 3 - New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff at 3 pm (get that Complete New Yorker Cartoons signed).
June 9 - Improv Troupe Now This! at 3 pm.
And there's a big honking catalogue for $65 that I haven't cracked yet.
Go see this show. Let me know what you think.
Too quick? Yeah, I think so too. In the newly-renovated and renamed SAAM, three large galleries are devoted to the exhibit which was curated by Joel Smith for Vassar College. The exhibit has over 100 drawings, paintings, sketches, masks, and wooden sculpture-type objects, as well as some sketches unique to the Smithsonian. The exhibit follows Steinberg's career from the 1930s until the 1990s. As you can see below, he was capable of a variety of styles of illustration and cartooning.
"Techniques at a Party (1953) copyright the Saul Steinberg Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.By being arranged chronologically, Smith and SAAM curator Joann Moser let us see the development of Steinberg as a cartoonist and an artist as he moves from style to style and experiments with techniques. Steinberg, born in Romania in 1914 trained as an architect in Italy in the 1930s, but also became known as a cartoonist there. He moved to the US in 1942, and became part of the New York art scene as well as a professional cartoonist. His anti-Axis cartoons for PM magazine, although not in the show, were particularly good.
During this time, he developed his graceful and playful line that one thinks of as particularly 'Steinbergian,' assuming one thinks that way. To the left, a good example is "Underground," (1946) copyright the Saul Steinberg Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.Steinberg also did a lot of commercial illustration and advertising work at this time, doing Christmas cards for MOMA and then Hallmark as well as magazine ads. He also became firmly part of the New Yorker stable.
.jpg)
Eventually his 1975 "View of the World from 9th Avenue" would probably become the most widely known cover the magazine ever had. Copyright the Saul Steinberg Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. One thing that becomes obvious in this exhibit is Steinberg's sense of experimentation. As well as cartooning, he tried photography drawing the famous image of a woman on a bath tub and then shooting it, but also drawing directly on photographs. He did collages, and odd things, like the "Female Mask" below.
.jpg)
"Female Mask" (1959-1965) copyright the Saul Steinberg Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
Out of context, the Mask series seems strange and odd. When you see them after years of his experimentation with paper and collage and lines, they make a perfect playful sense. In the 1980s, he moved into making illusions and illustrations with wood. The exhibit opens with "Library," a fake desk with fake books. I didn't really appreciate Steinberg going into this exhibit, but I left with a great fondness for his work.
Pieces like "Wyoming" (1969) above demonstrated his love of graphic imagery and whimsical sense of humor. Those of us who only knew his later work, which was sketchier and more stylized, especially the posthumous publishing the New Yorker is doing now, owe it to themselves to see the livelier artworks. Copyright the Saul Steinberg Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.The exhibit is on April 6-June 24th, from 11:30-7 daily. Additional events include:
April 7 - On stage with 21st Century Consort, 4 pm lecture, 5 pm concert - there's a charge.
April 15 - Curator Joel Smith at 3 pm.
May 12 - Cartoonist Matt Diffee at 3 pm (he's a good speaker.)
June 2 - Improv Troupe Now This! at 3 pm.
June 3 - New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff at 3 pm (get that Complete New Yorker Cartoons signed).
June 9 - Improv Troupe Now This! at 3 pm.
And there's a big honking catalogue for $65 that I haven't cracked yet.
Go see this show. Let me know what you think.
Express on Rick Veitch
Local comics journalist Scott Rosenberg's got an online-only article about Rich Veitch's new series Army@Love.
The April 2nd Politico on Jib-Jab
The Politico is DC's newest free paper, at least for two more days when the Onion appears. I picked up a copy today, and enjoyed Matt Wuerker's political cartoon and column-heading caricatures. "A Jab at JibJab: YouTube has stolen satirical video site's thunder" by Ryan Grim argues that JibJab isn't as funny as it used to be. I loved This Land is Your Land and some of their other works, but not the animation that preceeded that short run of brilliance, so I'd say give 'em some time.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Read today's Mallard Fillmore
A headline I never thought I'd write. However, today's Mallard Fillmore by Bruce Tinsley, run locally on page 2 of the Washington Times, is a touching tribute to Jay Kennedy, the recently deceased King Features editor.
Stagger Lee graphic novel signing report
I'm late with this report , and I apologize. The signing for the Stagger Lee graphic novel was at Big Planet Comics in Bethesda on Wednesday, April 28, 2007. It started at 2:00 pm, unfortunately after the lunchtime new comics rush. Writer Derek McCulloch (the guy with the hat) and artist Shepherd Hendrix (the guy without the hat) were making an East Coast tour on their own dime, and had appeared on XM radio the day before, and were due at Barnes and Nobles in NYC the day after, followed by a college appearance before returning to California. More details can be found on McCulloch's blog.
Things were slow when I arrived so I talked to them for a bit, and found out a few points of interest. McCulloch had the idea for the book, and showed the script to his old friend Hendrix at a party and Hendrix agreed to illustrate it. The book was about half-drawn when they pitched it to Image. They had been planning on self-publishing, but went with Image for its larger reach and abilities.
The book's been out for about a year and is a bit of a cross-over title, bringing out more music fans than superhero fans. I can attest to this because the 2nd customer had heard the radio show and drove down from Baltimore to buy 3 copies.
McCulloch wrote a full script and Hendrix drew from that. Hendrix had a couple of pieces of the original artwork with him as well as pieces from a couple of fantasy series that he's working on - some very nice stuff. The comic was a bit of a hobby for both of them until Image accepted it and then it became a job and had to be done much faster.
Well, that's all I can recall at the moment - I'll add anything I think of in later. I bought my copy and I encourage you all to give it a try. I imagine Joel's got extra signed copies at Big Planet because Image doubled the shipment he had requested. For more information, don't forget Scott Rosenberg's article - Cruel Old Stagolee Gets Graphic: The legendary tale of Stagger Lee gets a graphic treatment.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Bryan Talbot's Alice in Sunderland
Bryan Talbot will be at Big Planet Comics soon - late afternoon on April 11th. We've met once or twice at SPX, and shared a meal with Paul Gravett at Greg Bennett's a few years back, and I've got to say that his Tale of One Bad Rat is an excellent look at the Beatrix Potter mystique. Now Bryan's turned his attention to Alice in Wonderland - read "He were a right bonny lad, that Mad Hatter; Lewis Carroll's debt to the north east is writ large in the wise and witty graphic book, Alice in Sunderland" by Rachel Cooke in the Sunday April 1, 2007 Observer.
April 5, Fredericksburg: The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life
The Post's Book World reports that Steven Watts will lecture on Disney at the University of Mary Washington, George Washington Hall, Dodd Auditorium, 1301 College Ave, Fredericksburg, VA on April 5 at 7:30 pm. No cost is listed, but the phone number is 540-654-1055.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Ted Rall definitely dropped by City Paper
It's been three weeks, and Ted Rall hasn't been in the City Paper. It's time to start a letter-writing campaign. Their email is mail@washingtoncitypaper.com or webmeister@washingtoncitypaper.com . I'm sending a stiff note to both right now.
BTW, Louis Bayard gave Meet the Robinsons the best review I've seen so far in the March 30th issue.
BTW, Louis Bayard gave Meet the Robinsons the best review I've seen so far in the March 30th issue.
Mister Ron greeted by Bud Grace
Mister Ron Evry, the Springfield comics historian and collector who's been mentioned here before, has posted a video greeting on his blog from Piranha Club cartoonist Bud Grace.
April 6: Saul Steinberg: Illuminations
The Washingtonian reports on Saul Steinberg: Illuminations
Date(s): 06. Apr 2007 - 24. Jun 2007
Cost: Free
Phone: (202) 633-1000
URL: http://americanart.si.edu/press/press_kits.cfm#steinberg
Saul Steinberg, born in Romania in 1914, began drawing cartoons while studying architecture in Milan. After moving to New York in 1942, he worked as an illustrator, muralist, and designer of fabrics, greeting cards, and stage scenery—but it was his whimsical cartoons and covers for the New Yorker that brought him fame. Most memorable was his cover depicting a New Yorker’s view of the world—with not much beyond the Hudson River.
“Saul Steinberg: Illuminations,” an exhibit of drawings, collages, and sculpture, is on view April 6 to June 24. It was a hit earlier this year at New York’s Morgan Library, but that version did not include doodles the cartoonist made when he was artist in residence at the Smithsonian in 1967.
Curator Joel Smith will speak on “Steinberg’s Century: Art, Humor, and the Middlebrow Avant-Garde” on April 15 at 3 p.m.
Date(s): 06. Apr 2007 - 24. Jun 2007
Cost: Free
Phone: (202) 633-1000
URL: http://americanart.si.edu/press/press_kits.cfm#steinberg
Saul Steinberg, born in Romania in 1914, began drawing cartoons while studying architecture in Milan. After moving to New York in 1942, he worked as an illustrator, muralist, and designer of fabrics, greeting cards, and stage scenery—but it was his whimsical cartoons and covers for the New Yorker that brought him fame. Most memorable was his cover depicting a New Yorker’s view of the world—with not much beyond the Hudson River.
“Saul Steinberg: Illuminations,” an exhibit of drawings, collages, and sculpture, is on view April 6 to June 24. It was a hit earlier this year at New York’s Morgan Library, but that version did not include doodles the cartoonist made when he was artist in residence at the Smithsonian in 1967.
Curator Joel Smith will speak on “Steinberg’s Century: Art, Humor, and the Middlebrow Avant-Garde” on April 15 at 3 p.m.
3/31-4/1: Washington International Print Fair - Free
The Print Fair is at the Holiday Inn Rosslyn at 1900 N. Fort Myer Dr in Arlington, today from 10-6 and tomorrow from 11-5. It's free due to their silver anniversary. I'm sure there's comics material here, and I'll be there about 2.
Bits from the Post
Richard Thompson creates a few new cherry tree myths to try out on tourists in his "Poor Almanack" panel in Style.
In "The High and Low Of the Art Scene," Jessica Dawson reviews the exhibit "Tug of War" at Hemphill Fine Arts gallery on 14th street. This is the exhibit with Gary Baseman and Shag paintings in it as well as a few others who have been influenced by cartoons.
In the Metro section, but not online, is a photo of protesters 'Agitating for the First Amendment' whilst wearing V for Vendetta masks.
In "The High and Low Of the Art Scene," Jessica Dawson reviews the exhibit "Tug of War" at Hemphill Fine Arts gallery on 14th street. This is the exhibit with Gary Baseman and Shag paintings in it as well as a few others who have been influenced by cartoons.
In the Metro section, but not online, is a photo of protesters 'Agitating for the First Amendment' whilst wearing V for Vendetta masks.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Gobbledygook appears in DC apparently
Shocking headline, I know.
Actually the story is "Rare Gobbledygook Issues Change Hands,"Scoop, Friday, March 30, 2007. If you haven't signed up for Diamond's Scoop email, go do it now - there's a lot of fun stuff in it.
Anyway Scoop reports, "Copies of the first and second issues of the rare fanzine Gobbledygook, featuring the first appearance of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, changed hands at February's New York Comic Con. The deal was brokered between Charles Costas, a collector from the Washington, DC area, and Brian Tatge, a long-time Turtles collector from Michigan..."
Actually the story is "Rare Gobbledygook Issues Change Hands,"Scoop, Friday, March 30, 2007. If you haven't signed up for Diamond's Scoop email, go do it now - there's a lot of fun stuff in it.
Anyway Scoop reports, "Copies of the first and second issues of the rare fanzine Gobbledygook, featuring the first appearance of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, changed hands at February's New York Comic Con. The deal was brokered between Charles Costas, a collector from the Washington, DC area, and Brian Tatge, a long-time Turtles collector from Michigan..."
April 4: Herblock prize awarded
This isn't open to the public, but the Herblock prize will be awarded to political cartoonist Jim Morin at the Jefferson building of the Library of Congress at 7 pm. Perhaps one could stalk a cartoonist or two under the portico...
March 29-May 13: Finnish duck artist exhibit
Carl Barks or Don Rosa aren't the only duck artists around. I wasn't planning on posting much tonight, but I checked the Express and they posted this article from yesterday - "Still Life With Duck: Painter Kaj Stenvall's enigmatic artwork is definitely for the birds" by Express contributor Glenn Dixon, Express (March 29): E7. I am definitely going to see this show. More pictures and an interview are at http://www.kajstenvall.com too; click the English link on top. And click the link to see the Slaves of Sex painting mentioned in the Express.
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