Little Lulu and League of Extraordinary Gentleman are "Bennett's Best for the week of May 3," Zadzooks blog May 7, 2009. No argument there.
There's a video "Zadzooks: Wolverine evolution from comic to movie," By JOE SZADKOWSKI on Zadzook's blog May 9, 2009 and an uncritical enjoyment of comic book movies at "Rube’s Reaction to X-Men Origins: Wolverine," By Heidi Haynes, May 6, 2009 also at Zadzooks blog.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Weingarten tips his hat to old comic strip
The Katzenjammer Kids are called out in "Out With the Old: Gene becomes cool hip rad awesome sick," By Gene Weingarten, Washington Post Magazine Sunday, May 10, 2009.
Washington Times reviews Pearls Before Swine collection
You don't see this type of review very often, but check it out at "BOOKS: 'The Saturday Evening Pearls: A Pearls Before Swine Collection': Scandals and mayhem collected, By Jeremy Lott, Washington Times Sunday, May 10, 2009.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
OT: Roger Langridge interview
Friend of ComicsDC Roger Langridge is interviewed at "Panel Borders: Muppets, giant cuboid roosters and other weird creatures!" by Alex Fitch, May 7, 2009. Roger's a great cartoonist who's latest Marvel Fing Fang Foom comic came out this week. He'll be at Heroes Con this year with ridiculously underpriced original art - I've got mine!
Reason reviews Little Orphan Annie
See "Yesterday Is Tomorrow: Revisiting Annie as a new New Deal dawns," by Brian Doherty, Reason May 2009. IDW is doing an excellent job reprinting the strips. Gray's strip was one of the great adventure strips, but appeals particularly to Reason because, "The comic’s early days hold a winningly libertarian disdain for the uplifters and professional licensing and child labor laws that stymie Annie’s attempts to support herself and others who fall under her care."
As far as I know, the Reason guys are still hanging out on Dupont Circle.
As far as I know, the Reason guys are still hanging out on Dupont Circle.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
May 8, 9: Animated shorts in Baltimore
See "2009 Maryland Film Festival - Animated Shorts," Brett D. Rogers, May 7, 2009 for Rogers' picks. There's 3 films by Bill Plympton whom I always enjoy.
The official website is a bit confusing, but here's the relevant data and you can click through to buy tickets:
SHORTS: Animated Shorts
Running Time: 79 mins.
Screenings:
May 8, 11:30 AM Charles Theater 3
May 9, 10:00 PM Charles Theater 4
Animated American - James Baker, USA, 15 minutes
The future is about to collide with the past in this live-action/animation hybrid short. While shopping for a new mansion, Eric, a digital-loving studio executive, finds himself crossing swords with his realtor, Max, an out of work toon rabbit. Like it or not, Max will make Eric see things through the eyes of an “Animated American.”
The Cave: An adaptation of Plato's Allegory in Clay - Michael Ramsey, USA, 4 minutes
An excerpt from Plato's Republic, the 'Allegory of the Cave' is a classic commentary on the human condition – here adapted and brought to life using over 4,000 still photographs of John Grigsby's clay animation, lit by candlelight.
Dandelion Will Make You Wise - Jack Ofield, USA, 5 minutes
Life never truly ends, though only creatures and plants experience that unknowing wholeness of perpetual rebirth from season to season. To think holistically presumes the continuity of existence, presumes an appreciation of the 'la grace des grandes choses,' and presumes a child-like faith that the omega will presage a new alpha. This is the great mystery of the natural world. This is why the dandelion can make us wise.
Forestry – Woodpecker, Japan, 4 minutes
A tale of a man and woman who get in trouble with the mischief of smoke blown out of a tree’s hole in the woods.
Fruitless Efforts - Fruit of the Womb - Andrew Chesworth & Aaron Quist, USA, 5 minutes
Apple is trying to lead a normal life, but is being held back by his friends.
Horn Dog – Bill Plympton, USA, 6 minutes
This latest adventure of Plympton's plucky canine hero from Guard Dog, Guide Dog, and Hot Dog finds the beast putting the moves on an Afghan in the park.
I Am So Proud Of You – Don Hertzfeldt, USA, 22 minutes
Dark family secrets cast a shadow over Bill’s recovery in this, the second chapter to the prize-winning short Everything Will Be OK (MFF 2007).
Mexican Standoff – Bill Plympton, USA, 4 minutes
This music video for the Dutch band Parson Brown follows a three-sided love affair that goes absolutely wrong and the hearts that break along the way. Made using pencil on paper, scanned and digitally composited.
The Realm of Possibility - Gerald Guthrie, USA, 7 minutes
A digital animation based at the intersection of absurdity and logic. Deductive reasoning, as found in the syllogistic form (A is B, B is C, therefore A is C), becomes a vehicle to validate concepts that might not necessarily be true. The structure of the narrative is meant to parallel the premise of a syllogism. Many men use libraries; many libraries reference aviation; therefore, many men are pilots. In the end, navigation to another planet becomes a curious byproduct of flawed logic.
Santa: The Fascist Years – Bill Plympton, USA, 3.5 minutes
In this animated newsreel, we learn that jolly ol’ St. Nick has a dark, hidden past rooted in greed and politics. One of three new shorts from Academy Award© nominee Bill Plympton, this one featuring narration by Matthew Modine.
The View from Cleopatra's Knee - Jack Ofield, USA, 4 minutes
Across millennia, the genius of human creativity and freedom is chronically threatened by the ultimate solution to all problems: a standing army.
The official website is a bit confusing, but here's the relevant data and you can click through to buy tickets:
SHORTS: Animated Shorts
Running Time: 79 mins.
Screenings:
May 8, 11:30 AM Charles Theater 3
May 9, 10:00 PM Charles Theater 4
Animated American - James Baker, USA, 15 minutes
The future is about to collide with the past in this live-action/animation hybrid short. While shopping for a new mansion, Eric, a digital-loving studio executive, finds himself crossing swords with his realtor, Max, an out of work toon rabbit. Like it or not, Max will make Eric see things through the eyes of an “Animated American.”
The Cave: An adaptation of Plato's Allegory in Clay - Michael Ramsey, USA, 4 minutes
An excerpt from Plato's Republic, the 'Allegory of the Cave' is a classic commentary on the human condition – here adapted and brought to life using over 4,000 still photographs of John Grigsby's clay animation, lit by candlelight.
Dandelion Will Make You Wise - Jack Ofield, USA, 5 minutes
Life never truly ends, though only creatures and plants experience that unknowing wholeness of perpetual rebirth from season to season. To think holistically presumes the continuity of existence, presumes an appreciation of the 'la grace des grandes choses,' and presumes a child-like faith that the omega will presage a new alpha. This is the great mystery of the natural world. This is why the dandelion can make us wise.
Forestry – Woodpecker, Japan, 4 minutes
A tale of a man and woman who get in trouble with the mischief of smoke blown out of a tree’s hole in the woods.
Fruitless Efforts - Fruit of the Womb - Andrew Chesworth & Aaron Quist, USA, 5 minutes
Apple is trying to lead a normal life, but is being held back by his friends.
Horn Dog – Bill Plympton, USA, 6 minutes
This latest adventure of Plympton's plucky canine hero from Guard Dog, Guide Dog, and Hot Dog finds the beast putting the moves on an Afghan in the park.
I Am So Proud Of You – Don Hertzfeldt, USA, 22 minutes
Dark family secrets cast a shadow over Bill’s recovery in this, the second chapter to the prize-winning short Everything Will Be OK (MFF 2007).
Mexican Standoff – Bill Plympton, USA, 4 minutes
This music video for the Dutch band Parson Brown follows a three-sided love affair that goes absolutely wrong and the hearts that break along the way. Made using pencil on paper, scanned and digitally composited.
The Realm of Possibility - Gerald Guthrie, USA, 7 minutes
A digital animation based at the intersection of absurdity and logic. Deductive reasoning, as found in the syllogistic form (A is B, B is C, therefore A is C), becomes a vehicle to validate concepts that might not necessarily be true. The structure of the narrative is meant to parallel the premise of a syllogism. Many men use libraries; many libraries reference aviation; therefore, many men are pilots. In the end, navigation to another planet becomes a curious byproduct of flawed logic.
Santa: The Fascist Years – Bill Plympton, USA, 3.5 minutes
In this animated newsreel, we learn that jolly ol’ St. Nick has a dark, hidden past rooted in greed and politics. One of three new shorts from Academy Award© nominee Bill Plympton, this one featuring narration by Matthew Modine.
The View from Cleopatra's Knee - Jack Ofield, USA, 4 minutes
Across millennia, the genius of human creativity and freedom is chronically threatened by the ultimate solution to all problems: a standing army.
My David Hagen painting
Earlier this week, I picked up my painting from David Hagen's successful show, where he sold 3/4 of the art he had up. David will be selling more of his art at Art-O-Matic later this month.
Supes, David Hagen, 2009
Of which, he explained, "I used acrylic paint. Black outlines are painted with acrylic paint pens or with brushes. About three coats of paint to get the even solid color look. Then a gloss spray varnish to protect the painting."
This was the only one he did of this type of subject, but you can see more of his work on his blog and Zazzle site. He's painting a lot of baseball players lately.
The wife and I are in negotiations over where to hang it.
Supes, David Hagen, 2009
Of which, he explained, "I used acrylic paint. Black outlines are painted with acrylic paint pens or with brushes. About three coats of paint to get the even solid color look. Then a gloss spray varnish to protect the painting."
This was the only one he did of this type of subject, but you can see more of his work on his blog and Zazzle site. He's painting a lot of baseball players lately.
The wife and I are in negotiations over where to hang it.
AcaciaO reports on Spiegelman at Corcoran
See "Art Spiegelman: Comics From Mickey Mouse to Manga," By AcaciaO, We Love DC blog May 6th, 2009 for her report on his Corcoran lecture.
The unanswered question - did he smoke?
The unanswered question - did he smoke?
Maryland cartoonist Carla Speed McNeil lost in Canada
Fortunately, she's retained her wit for this interview - "Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2009: Q&A with Carla Speed McNeil," Posted: May 06, 2009, 9:15 PM by Mark Medley.
At the end, Carla's pick for a cartoonist she'd like to draw like was a real surprise to me. I didn't see that one coming.
And for the real cartooning geeks, she actually answers this question:
What do you draw with?
Pentel mechanical pencil stocked with 2B lead, Zebra 303 brush pens, Pigma Microns for lettering and crosshatching. I do all my pencilling on sheets of legal-size typing paper. My image size is a good bit smaller than the standard 10" X 15" to fit into that size paper. I arrived at this size over years of experimentation, and found that it really clicked-- my line weight and my lettering just looked the right proportions at that size. So I do all my drawing on the cheap stuff, then use the lightbox to ink directly onto thin Bristol.
At the end, Carla's pick for a cartoonist she'd like to draw like was a real surprise to me. I didn't see that one coming.
And for the real cartooning geeks, she actually answers this question:
What do you draw with?
Pentel mechanical pencil stocked with 2B lead, Zebra 303 brush pens, Pigma Microns for lettering and crosshatching. I do all my pencilling on sheets of legal-size typing paper. My image size is a good bit smaller than the standard 10" X 15" to fit into that size paper. I arrived at this size over years of experimentation, and found that it really clicked-- my line weight and my lettering just looked the right proportions at that size. So I do all my drawing on the cheap stuff, then use the lightbox to ink directly onto thin Bristol.
Dustin Harbin, friend of ComicsDC, interviewed
See "Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2009: Q&A with Dustin Harbin," Posted: May 07, 2009, 8:10 PM by Mark Medley as Medley continues his astonishing interview series.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Jim Ottaviani, friend of ComicsDC, interviewed
See "Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2009: Q&A with Jim Ottaviani," Posted: May 06, 2009, 5:55 PM by Mark Medley. Medley's put a fantastic amount of interviews up on the National Post's Afterwords blog this week.
John Dimes gets animated
You can see The Rites of Pretending Tribes online now.
Featuring the Illustrations of: Erin Wells, Rick Hnat
& JOHN DIMES!!!! (he tells me).
He's also on paper, but I've been carrying those around for weeks and still owe him a review of the two minis he's sent me. Mea culpa.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Michigan State U's Comic Art Collection's April 2009 additions
We're in the home stretch and April started with Zapiro and Gorey - poles apart on the comics spectrum.
Bushwhacked : Cartoons from Sowetan, Mail & Guardian, and
Sunday Times / Zapiro. -- Cape Town, South Africa : Double
Storey, 2002. -- 160 p. : ill. ; 20 x 24 cm. -- Editorial
cartoons about South African politics and George W. Bush.
-- Call no.: DT1975.Z365 2002
-----------------------------------------------------
Ettie Lou Stooper Does a Tinsel Dance at a Tree-Trimming Party
in Gumsville, Nebraska, Christmas Eve, 1923. -- Printed by
William Ferguson for Albondocani Press, 1981. -- 1 folded
sheet (4 p.) : ill. ; 18 cm. -- "Copyright 1981 by Edward
Gorey." -- " Published in December 1981, this card is
limited to four hundred and fifty copies to be used as a
holiday greeting by the artist publisher. None are for
sale." -- Call no.: PS3513 .O614E8 1981
-----------------------------------------------------
Pirates of Polokwane : Cartoons from Mail & Guardian, Sunday
Times and Independent Newspapers / Zapiro. -- Auckland
Park, South Africa : Jacana Media, 2008. -- 134 p. : ill. ;
20 x 25 cm. -- Editorial cartoons. -- Call no.:
DT1975.Z37P5 2008
-----------------------------------------------------
The Eleventh Episode / by Raddory Gewe, drawings by Om. -- New
York Fantod Press, 1971. -- By Edward Gorey. -- 32 p. :
ill. ; 13 x 16 cm. -- Call no.: PS3513 .O614E4 1971
-----------------------------------------------------
The Eclectic Abecedarium / by Edward Gorey. -- Boston : Anne &
David Bromer, 1983. -- 61 p. : ill. ; 28 x 33 mm. -- Call
no.: PS3513 .O614E2 1983
-----------------------------------------------------
The Chinese Obelisks : Fourth Alphabet / Edward Gorey. -- New
York : Fantod Press, 1970. -- 56 p. : ill. ; 13 x 16 cm. --
(Fantod ; 2) -- Call no.: PS3513 .O614C4 1970
-----------------------------------------------------
Categor y : Fifty Drawings / by Edward Gorey. -- New York :
Gotham Book Mart, 1973. -- Title might also be: Category or
Categorey or Cat Gorey (a cat may be moving the letter 'E'
from early in the word, to the blank space before the 'Y').
-- 54 leaves : ill. ; 14 cm. -- Call no.: PS3513 .O614C3
-----------------------------------------------------
The Fatal Lozenge : an Alphabet / by Edward Gorey. -- New York
: Astor-Honor, 1960. -- 30 leaves : ill. ; 15 cm. -- Verse.
-- Call no.: PS3513 .O614F3 1960
Here's something I sent in - France's Lucky Luke in Vietnamese...
Ngoai Vong Phap Luat / kich ban & ve tranh, Morris ; dich loi,
Tu Hoa ; viet chu, Phan Le. -- Ho Chi Minh City : Nha Xuat
Ban Tre, 1999? -- 46 p. : col. ill. ; 29 cm. -- (Lucky Luke
; 33) -- Translation of: Hors la Loi. -- Western genre. --
Call no.: PN6747.M64 L80619 1999
I missed this next one completely. Is this a series? Are these really erotic comics artists (except for Gilbert, that is)?
Best Erotic Comics 2008 / edited by Greta Christina; with work
by Daniel Clowes, Phoebe Gloeckner, Gilbert Hernandez, &
more. -- San Francisco, Calif. : Last Gasp, 2007. -- 203 p.
: ill. ; 28 cm. -- Call no.: PN6726.B343 2007
The collection of syndicate proofs is being catalogued - here's one example of a strip by Blondie's Young...
"Extreme Table Tennis"* (Colonel Potterby and the Duchess,
Jan. 17, 1937) / by Chic Young. -- Silent strip. -- Call
no.: oversize PN6726.K52A22 1972
...actually it looks like April is mostly syndicate proofs and Treasure Chest. Oh well...
"The Largest Flock of Wild Flamingos in the Bahamas"* (Chuck
White and His Friends) / by Max Pine and Fran Matera. p.
18-23 in Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact, v. 20, no. 13
(Feb. 25, 1965). -- "To be continued." -- Call no.:
PN6728.1.P43T7v.20no.13
...if you need stories like that, now you can find them. Let's see if May, not even half over yet, brings any surprises tomorrow.
Bushwhacked : Cartoons from Sowetan, Mail & Guardian, and
Sunday Times / Zapiro. -- Cape Town, South Africa : Double
Storey, 2002. -- 160 p. : ill. ; 20 x 24 cm. -- Editorial
cartoons about South African politics and George W. Bush.
-- Call no.: DT1975.Z365 2002
-----------------------------------------------------
Ettie Lou Stooper Does a Tinsel Dance at a Tree-Trimming Party
in Gumsville, Nebraska, Christmas Eve, 1923. -- Printed by
William Ferguson for Albondocani Press, 1981. -- 1 folded
sheet (4 p.) : ill. ; 18 cm. -- "Copyright 1981 by Edward
Gorey." -- " Published in December 1981, this card is
limited to four hundred and fifty copies to be used as a
holiday greeting by the artist publisher. None are for
sale." -- Call no.: PS3513 .O614E8 1981
-----------------------------------------------------
Pirates of Polokwane : Cartoons from Mail & Guardian, Sunday
Times and Independent Newspapers / Zapiro. -- Auckland
Park, South Africa : Jacana Media, 2008. -- 134 p. : ill. ;
20 x 25 cm. -- Editorial cartoons. -- Call no.:
DT1975.Z37P5 2008
-----------------------------------------------------
The Eleventh Episode / by Raddory Gewe, drawings by Om. -- New
York Fantod Press, 1971. -- By Edward Gorey. -- 32 p. :
ill. ; 13 x 16 cm. -- Call no.: PS3513 .O614E4 1971
-----------------------------------------------------
The Eclectic Abecedarium / by Edward Gorey. -- Boston : Anne &
David Bromer, 1983. -- 61 p. : ill. ; 28 x 33 mm. -- Call
no.: PS3513 .O614E2 1983
-----------------------------------------------------
The Chinese Obelisks : Fourth Alphabet / Edward Gorey. -- New
York : Fantod Press, 1970. -- 56 p. : ill. ; 13 x 16 cm. --
(Fantod ; 2) -- Call no.: PS3513 .O614C4 1970
-----------------------------------------------------
Categor y : Fifty Drawings / by Edward Gorey. -- New York :
Gotham Book Mart, 1973. -- Title might also be: Category or
Categorey or Cat Gorey (a cat may be moving the letter 'E'
from early in the word, to the blank space before the 'Y').
-- 54 leaves : ill. ; 14 cm. -- Call no.: PS3513 .O614C3
-----------------------------------------------------
The Fatal Lozenge : an Alphabet / by Edward Gorey. -- New York
: Astor-Honor, 1960. -- 30 leaves : ill. ; 15 cm. -- Verse.
-- Call no.: PS3513 .O614F3 1960
Here's something I sent in - France's Lucky Luke in Vietnamese...
Ngoai Vong Phap Luat / kich ban & ve tranh, Morris ; dich loi,
Tu Hoa ; viet chu, Phan Le. -- Ho Chi Minh City : Nha Xuat
Ban Tre, 1999? -- 46 p. : col. ill. ; 29 cm. -- (Lucky Luke
; 33) -- Translation of: Hors la Loi. -- Western genre. --
Call no.: PN6747.M64 L80619 1999
I missed this next one completely. Is this a series? Are these really erotic comics artists (except for Gilbert, that is)?
Best Erotic Comics 2008 / edited by Greta Christina; with work
by Daniel Clowes, Phoebe Gloeckner, Gilbert Hernandez, &
more. -- San Francisco, Calif. : Last Gasp, 2007. -- 203 p.
: ill. ; 28 cm. -- Call no.: PN6726.B343 2007
The collection of syndicate proofs is being catalogued - here's one example of a strip by Blondie's Young...
"Extreme Table Tennis"* (Colonel Potterby and the Duchess,
Jan. 17, 1937) / by Chic Young. -- Silent strip. -- Call
no.: oversize PN6726.K52A22 1972
...actually it looks like April is mostly syndicate proofs and Treasure Chest. Oh well...
"The Largest Flock of Wild Flamingos in the Bahamas"* (Chuck
White and His Friends) / by Max Pine and Fran Matera. p.
18-23 in Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact, v. 20, no. 13
(Feb. 25, 1965). -- "To be continued." -- Call no.:
PN6728.1.P43T7v.20no.13
...if you need stories like that, now you can find them. Let's see if May, not even half over yet, brings any surprises tomorrow.
Comic Riffs talks to Spiegelman too, and he too likes Cul de Sac
Completing the Trifecta, Comic Riffs has "Mr. Spiegelman Goes to Washington," Michael Cavna, May 4, 2009 and "The Interview: "Maus's" Art Spiegelman" By Michael Cavna, May 5, 2009 in which he says, I like Richard Thompson's work ["Cul de Sac"]. They're good gags, and graphically it's on a very high level. ... It really seems like the inheritor to the "Calvin and Hobbes" [mantle]. It's amazing when any strip can electrify and bring life to a form [the comic strip] that is on life support.
OT: Toronto Comic Arts Festival academic panels
My friends Barbara and Bart are presenting papers.
Another New Narrative: Comics in Literature, Film, and Art
An interdisciplinary conference 9-10 May 2009
Sponsored by the Department of English at the University of Toronto and in association with the Toronto Comic Arts Festival
Saturday 9 May
All panels will take place within the Metro Central Reference Library, in the “learning centre.” There will be signage!
9:00 onward: pick-up your name tag and a program
Need help? Andrew Lesk andrew.lesk@utoronto.ca 416-841-8985
Panel 1 Contextual Shifts 9:15 – 10:30
Chair: Andrew Lesk (Toronto)
Beaty, Bart (Calgary)
“Comics Off the Page: Towards a Theory of Performance in the Comics World”
Shaviro, Steven (Wayne State)
“Iron Man as Corporate Fantasy”
Willmott, Glenn (Queen’s)
“Comics, Economy, Ecology: Winsor McCay and Junko Mizuno.”
Panel 2 The Media is the Message 10:30 – 12:15
Chair: Marni Stanley (Vancouver Island)
Coppin, Peter (Toronto)
“What Comics and Geometric Proofs have in Common”
Hains, David (Toronto)
“Fractal Literature: What Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home has in Common with Broccoli and Stock Charts”
O’Flynn, Siobhan (Toronto)
“Interactive Graphic Novels: Redefining the Form (again!)”
Postema, Barbara (Michigan State)
“Mind the Gap: Absence as Narrative Function in Comics”
Panel 3 Closer Looks 12:15 – 1:30
Chair: Glenn Willmott (Queen’s)
Hornick, Edward (Kenyon – New Orleans)
“Little Otter Lost: Understanding Achewood through its Kid”
Stanley, Marni (Vancouver Island)
“Out of Line: Closets and Consequences in Cruse's Stuck Rubber Baby”
Ziegler, Kevin (Waterloo)
“‘Piece It All Together and It’s Barely a Quarter of the Puzzle’: Seth’s It’s a Good Life, If You Don’t Weaken and Alternative Autobiographical Comics”
Panel 4 Presenting…. 1:30 – 2:30
An informal hour with authors and their works.
Jeet Heer & Ken Worcester on A Comics Studies Reader
and
David Collier & Robert Hamilton on David Collier
Panel 5 Confluence and Confusion 2:30 – 3:45
Chair: Siobahan O’Flynn (Toronto)
Cedeira Serantes, Lucia (Western)
“‘I am only really looking for a story’: Selection Practices of Four Comic Book Readers”
Rogers, Sean (York)
“‘Out of the Wild Blue Yellow Yonder’: Comic Books and Confusion in Artists and Models”
Sinervo, Kalervo (Simon Fraser)
“Gods with Teeth: Grant Morrison and the God/Author/Author/God Complex
Panel 6 Creative Bursts 3:45 – 5
Chair: Steven Shaviro (Wayne State)
Jeffries, Dru (Concordia)
“Things Ain’t Gonna Be De Same From Now On”: Dime Novels, Dick Tracy and the Emergence of the Avenger Detective.”
Sakkos, Vasileios (London)
“Transubstantiation on The Comic Book Page: Image made Flesh, Sanctified and Defiled in Ink and Pulp.”
Yao, Christine (Dalhousie)
“Ethical Questions and Literary Merit: Reverse Discourses in Fredric Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent”
Another New Narrative: Comics in Literature, Film, and Art
An interdisciplinary conference 9-10 May 2009
Sponsored by the Department of English at the University of Toronto and in association with the Toronto Comic Arts Festival
Saturday 9 May
All panels will take place within the Metro Central Reference Library, in the “learning centre.” There will be signage!
9:00 onward: pick-up your name tag and a program
Need help? Andrew Lesk andrew.lesk@utoronto.ca 416-841-8985
Panel 1 Contextual Shifts 9:15 – 10:30
Chair: Andrew Lesk (Toronto)
Beaty, Bart (Calgary)
“Comics Off the Page: Towards a Theory of Performance in the Comics World”
Shaviro, Steven (Wayne State)
“Iron Man as Corporate Fantasy”
Willmott, Glenn (Queen’s)
“Comics, Economy, Ecology: Winsor McCay and Junko Mizuno.”
Panel 2 The Media is the Message 10:30 – 12:15
Chair: Marni Stanley (Vancouver Island)
Coppin, Peter (Toronto)
“What Comics and Geometric Proofs have in Common”
Hains, David (Toronto)
“Fractal Literature: What Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home has in Common with Broccoli and Stock Charts”
O’Flynn, Siobhan (Toronto)
“Interactive Graphic Novels: Redefining the Form (again!)”
Postema, Barbara (Michigan State)
“Mind the Gap: Absence as Narrative Function in Comics”
Panel 3 Closer Looks 12:15 – 1:30
Chair: Glenn Willmott (Queen’s)
Hornick, Edward (Kenyon – New Orleans)
“Little Otter Lost: Understanding Achewood through its Kid”
Stanley, Marni (Vancouver Island)
“Out of Line: Closets and Consequences in Cruse's Stuck Rubber Baby”
Ziegler, Kevin (Waterloo)
“‘Piece It All Together and It’s Barely a Quarter of the Puzzle’: Seth’s It’s a Good Life, If You Don’t Weaken and Alternative Autobiographical Comics”
Panel 4 Presenting…. 1:30 – 2:30
An informal hour with authors and their works.
Jeet Heer & Ken Worcester on A Comics Studies Reader
and
David Collier & Robert Hamilton on David Collier
Panel 5 Confluence and Confusion 2:30 – 3:45
Chair: Siobahan O’Flynn (Toronto)
Cedeira Serantes, Lucia (Western)
“‘I am only really looking for a story’: Selection Practices of Four Comic Book Readers”
Rogers, Sean (York)
“‘Out of the Wild Blue Yellow Yonder’: Comic Books and Confusion in Artists and Models”
Sinervo, Kalervo (Simon Fraser)
“Gods with Teeth: Grant Morrison and the God/Author/Author/God Complex
Panel 6 Creative Bursts 3:45 – 5
Chair: Steven Shaviro (Wayne State)
Jeffries, Dru (Concordia)
“Things Ain’t Gonna Be De Same From Now On”: Dime Novels, Dick Tracy and the Emergence of the Avenger Detective.”
Sakkos, Vasileios (London)
“Transubstantiation on The Comic Book Page: Image made Flesh, Sanctified and Defiled in Ink and Pulp.”
Yao, Christine (Dalhousie)
“Ethical Questions and Literary Merit: Reverse Discourses in Fredric Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent”
OT: new Finnish fantasy novel by my friend Kate
Fledgling comic book author and buddy Kate Laity has a new novel out. Here's the PR:
Unikirja: Dream Book
By K. A. Laity
ISBN 978-0-9821725-0-6
169 pages, 6” x 9” paperback, $16.00
Published April 2009 by Aino Press
The schemes of witches and sages and giants.
Doomed marriages and supernatural bargains.
The magic of music, of the sauna, of family.
A fish who’s a girl, a girl who’s a wolf.
The creation of the world.
K. A. Laity weaves timeless magic in UNIKIRJA: DREAM BOOK. Tales from the Kalevala and Kanteletar, the ancient myths and folktales of Finland, receive new life and meaning in these imaginative retellings. Mixing the realistic with the fantastic, the mythic with the modern, the dream-tales of UNIKIRJA reinterpret the beauty of the original, time-honored Finnish stories for contemporary readers.
Laity’s work on this collection won her the 2005 Eureka Short Story Fellowship and a grant from the Finlandia Foundation in 2006. Some of these stories have previously appeared in New World Finn, Mythic Passages, Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Sword and Sorceress XXI, The Beltane Papers, and Kippis! Literary Journal. UNIKIRJA also includes four never-before published pieces, including “Lumottu,” an innovative and deeply moving new play.
About the Author:
K. A. Laity is the award-winning author of PELZMANTEL: A MEDIEVAL TALE (nominated for the Aesop Award and the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award) as well as many short stories, plays, and essays. As Assistant Professor of English at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, she specializes in medieval literature and also teaches popular culture, film, and New Media. Visit her website at kalaity.com
For more information, including author interview requests, contact:
Gene Kannenberg, Jr.
Publisher, Aino Press
ainopress@gmail.com
518-268-8041
http://www.aino-press.com
OT: The Book of Marvels (no, not those Marvels)
(Not those Marvels either)
This week, Barnes & Noble is featuring The Book of Marvels by Mark Collins Jenkins.
This is Mark's 4th book on the history of exploring and National Geographic and they're all worth checking out.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/bn-review/spotlight.asp?PID=28231&cds2Pid=22560&linkid=1389261
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/bn-review/spotlight.asp?PID=28231&cds2Pid=22560&linkid=1389261
Monday, May 04, 2009
Michigan State U's Comic Art Collection's March 2009 additions
The first book indexed in March that I find is...
Oliver Twist / by Charles Dickens ; adapted by Marian Leighton
; illustrations by Ric Estrada. -- New York : Playmore,
Publishers under arrangement with I. Waldman & Son, 1979.
-- 238 p. : ill. ; 14 cm. -- (Illustrated Classic Editions
; 4517) -- (Moby Books) -- Summary (from OCLC): Deals with
the adventures of a young orphan boy trying to survive amid
greed and poverty in 19th-century London. -- Call no.:
PR4574.L45 1979
...and Ric Estrada just died this week.
Well, moving on...
Love & Dating and Other Natural Disasters! / Ron Wheeler. --
Kansas City, Mo. : Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1993.
-- 1 v. : ill. ; 14 x 21 cm. -- At head of title: Jeremiah.
-- Collects the Christian comic strip The Adventures of
Jeremiah. -- Romance and teen humor genres. -- Call no.:
PN6727.W435L6 1993
...I think this could have used a 'religion' tag...
...there can't be too many copies of this in America...
Insubstantial Pageant / by George Molnar. -- Sydney : Angus
and Robertson, 1959. -- 1 v. : ill. ; 26 cm. -- Australian
cartoons. -- Call no.: NC1759.M6 I5 1959
Molnar, George, 1910-
Somebody needs to donate some Iron Man...
The Invincible Iron Man. -- New York : Marvel Publishing,
2005- . -- col. ill. ; 26 cm. -- Began with no. 1 (Jan.
2005), cf. Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. --
Superhero genre. -- LIBRARY HAS: no. 26 (2008). -- Call
no.: PN6728.7.M3 I56
Has anyone read this yet? I still haven't picked up a copy in spite of my best intentions...
Jackie Ormes : the First African American Woman Cartoonist /
Nancy Goldstein. -- Ann Arbor : University of Michigan
Press, 2008. -- 225 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 29 cm. --
Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-213) and index.
-- Call no.: PN6727 .O74G65 2008
Anybody remember Flint Henry's work on Grimjack? Great stuff...
Todd Toys presents No Rest for the Wicked : the Clown / story,
Eldon Asp ; pencils, Flint Henry ; inks, Flint Henry, Troy
Hubbs ; letters, Lois Buhalis ; color, Todd Broeker. --
Livonia, Mich. : Todd Toys, 1994. -- 16 p. : col. ill. ; 26
cm. -- Cover title: Todd McFarlane's Spawn. -- "The Clown
figure #1". -- "Item # 10105". -- Comic book intended to
accompany a toy. -- Superhero genre. -- Call no.:
PN6728.25.T6N6 1994
I think we can safely assume that the only time these three items will ever appear together is in this Log entry...
Little Caesar's Pizza! Pizza! Flip Book. Little Caesar's
Cheeser! Cheeser! Flip Book. -- Little Caesar's, 1994. --
80 p. : all ill. ; 64 mm. -- Flip animation beginning from
each cover. -- Advertising genre. -- Call no.:
PN6728.25.L55F55 1994
-----------------------------------------------------
Hanna-Barbera's Hong Kong Phooey and the Bird Nest Snatchers /
by Jean Lewis ; illustrated by Phil Ostapczuk. -- Chicago :
Rand McNally & Company, 1976. -- 21 p. : col. ill. ; 21 cm.
-- Funny animal fiction. -- Call no.: PN1992.77.H63L4 1976
-----------------------------------------------------
Froissart's Modern Chronicles / told & pictured by F.
Carruthers Gould. -- London : T. F. Unwin, 1902. -- 108 p.
: ill. ; 22 cm. -- Cartoons about 18th century British
history. -- Call no.: DA561.G7 1902
Gould, F. Carruthers (Francis Carruthers), 1844-1925.
Whoops, missed this one whilst doing the Pekar book...
"Splendid Misery : an Interview with Robert Pulcini and Shari
Springer Berman" / by Dennis West and Joan M. West with
Anne Gilbert. p. 40-43 in Cineaste, v. 28, no. 4 (Sept.
2003). -- Topic is making the film American Splendor. --
Call no.: PN6710.S35 2003
There's a bunch of citations from the Advocate of which this is a typical example...
"Groening Against the Grain : Maverick Cartoonist Matt
Groening Draws in Readers with Gay Characters Akbar and
Jeff" / by Doug Sadownick. p. 30-35 in The Advocate, no.
571 (Feb. 26, 1991). -- Includes sample cartoons and
photograph of Groening. -- Cover title: "A Life in Hell
Valentine: Cartoonist Matt Groening Outs Akbar and Jeff."
-- Call no.: PN6710.S35 1991
RECLASS
I've got a review copy of this waiting around (sorry, Rob!)...
Captain America and the Struggle of the Superhero : Critical
Essays / edited by Robert G. Weiner ; foreword by John
Shelton Lawrence ; afterword by J.M. DeMatteis. --
Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Co., 2009. -- 255 p. : ill. ;
26 cm. -- Includes bibliographical references and index. --
Includes filmography: p. 218-226. -- "The topics discussed
include the ways Nazi Germany was represented in Captain
America Comics from the 1940s to the 1960s; the creation of
Captain America in the Jewish American experience; the
relationship between Captain America and Captain Britain;
the partnership between Captain America and The Falcon; and
various attempts to kill Captain America before his "real"
death"--Provided by publisher. -- Call no.: PN6725.W427C3
2009
...and this is Out of Print due to Candyland's objections (it's damned funny though)...
The Trial of Colonel Sweeto and Other Stories : a Collection
of the Comic Strips of the Perry Bible Fellowship / by
Nicholas Gurewitch. -- Milwaukie, Or. : Dark Horse Books,
2007. -- 96 p. : col. ill. ; 21 cm. -- Alternative genre.
-- Call no.: PN6728.P437G97 2007
Superhero and funny animal fiction ... you don't get that in just any publication... although you can in Garfield's Pet Force...
Daring Dog and Captain Cat / by Arnold Adoff ; illustrated by
Joe Cepeda. -- New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young
Readers, 2001. -- 1 v. : col. ill. ; 28 cm. -- Summary
(from OCLC): Although they are normal and obedient pets
during the day, at night Irving Dog and Ermine Cat rise and
shake and roam as Daring Dog and Captain Cat, twirling
capes and flashing swords and chasing crooks. -- Superhero
and funny animal fiction. -- Call no.: folio PS3551.D66D3
2001
I just bought a bunch of these comics at Fantom's 50% off sale - they seem to have hired some of the stalwarts of the 1980s to work on them...
Robin Hood : Outlaw of Sherwood Forest : an English Legend /
story by Paul D. Storrie ; pencils and inks by Thomas
Yeates. -- Minneapolis, MN : Graphic Universe, 2007. -- 48
p. : col. ill. ; 25 cm. -- (Graphic Myths and Legends) --
Summary (from OCLC): In comics format, recounts the life
and adventures of Robin Hood, who, with his band of
followers, lived in Sherwood Forest as an outlaw dedicated
to fighting tyranny. -- Includes bibliographical references
(p. 47) and index. -- Call no.: PN6727.Y37R6 2007
Tomorrow - April means Zapiro!
Oliver Twist / by Charles Dickens ; adapted by Marian Leighton
; illustrations by Ric Estrada. -- New York : Playmore,
Publishers under arrangement with I. Waldman & Son, 1979.
-- 238 p. : ill. ; 14 cm. -- (Illustrated Classic Editions
; 4517) -- (Moby Books) -- Summary (from OCLC): Deals with
the adventures of a young orphan boy trying to survive amid
greed and poverty in 19th-century London. -- Call no.:
PR4574.L45 1979
...and Ric Estrada just died this week.
Well, moving on...
Love & Dating and Other Natural Disasters! / Ron Wheeler. --
Kansas City, Mo. : Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1993.
-- 1 v. : ill. ; 14 x 21 cm. -- At head of title: Jeremiah.
-- Collects the Christian comic strip The Adventures of
Jeremiah. -- Romance and teen humor genres. -- Call no.:
PN6727.W435L6 1993
...I think this could have used a 'religion' tag...
...there can't be too many copies of this in America...
Insubstantial Pageant / by George Molnar. -- Sydney : Angus
and Robertson, 1959. -- 1 v. : ill. ; 26 cm. -- Australian
cartoons. -- Call no.: NC1759.M6 I5 1959
Molnar, George, 1910-
Somebody needs to donate some Iron Man...
The Invincible Iron Man. -- New York : Marvel Publishing,
2005- . -- col. ill. ; 26 cm. -- Began with no. 1 (Jan.
2005), cf. Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. --
Superhero genre. -- LIBRARY HAS: no. 26 (2008). -- Call
no.: PN6728.7.M3 I56
Has anyone read this yet? I still haven't picked up a copy in spite of my best intentions...
Jackie Ormes : the First African American Woman Cartoonist /
Nancy Goldstein. -- Ann Arbor : University of Michigan
Press, 2008. -- 225 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 29 cm. --
Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-213) and index.
-- Call no.: PN6727 .O74G65 2008
Anybody remember Flint Henry's work on Grimjack? Great stuff...
Todd Toys presents No Rest for the Wicked : the Clown / story,
Eldon Asp ; pencils, Flint Henry ; inks, Flint Henry, Troy
Hubbs ; letters, Lois Buhalis ; color, Todd Broeker. --
Livonia, Mich. : Todd Toys, 1994. -- 16 p. : col. ill. ; 26
cm. -- Cover title: Todd McFarlane's Spawn. -- "The Clown
figure #1". -- "Item # 10105". -- Comic book intended to
accompany a toy. -- Superhero genre. -- Call no.:
PN6728.25.T6N6 1994
I think we can safely assume that the only time these three items will ever appear together is in this Log entry...
Little Caesar's Pizza! Pizza! Flip Book. Little Caesar's
Cheeser! Cheeser! Flip Book. -- Little Caesar's, 1994. --
80 p. : all ill. ; 64 mm. -- Flip animation beginning from
each cover. -- Advertising genre. -- Call no.:
PN6728.25.L55F55 1994
-----------------------------------------------------
Hanna-Barbera's Hong Kong Phooey and the Bird Nest Snatchers /
by Jean Lewis ; illustrated by Phil Ostapczuk. -- Chicago :
Rand McNally & Company, 1976. -- 21 p. : col. ill. ; 21 cm.
-- Funny animal fiction. -- Call no.: PN1992.77.H63L4 1976
-----------------------------------------------------
Froissart's Modern Chronicles / told & pictured by F.
Carruthers Gould. -- London : T. F. Unwin, 1902. -- 108 p.
: ill. ; 22 cm. -- Cartoons about 18th century British
history. -- Call no.: DA561.G7 1902
Gould, F. Carruthers (Francis Carruthers), 1844-1925.
Whoops, missed this one whilst doing the Pekar book...
"Splendid Misery : an Interview with Robert Pulcini and Shari
Springer Berman" / by Dennis West and Joan M. West with
Anne Gilbert. p. 40-43 in Cineaste, v. 28, no. 4 (Sept.
2003). -- Topic is making the film American Splendor. --
Call no.: PN6710.S35 2003
There's a bunch of citations from the Advocate of which this is a typical example...
"Groening Against the Grain : Maverick Cartoonist Matt
Groening Draws in Readers with Gay Characters Akbar and
Jeff" / by Doug Sadownick. p. 30-35 in The Advocate, no.
571 (Feb. 26, 1991). -- Includes sample cartoons and
photograph of Groening. -- Cover title: "A Life in Hell
Valentine: Cartoonist Matt Groening Outs Akbar and Jeff."
-- Call no.: PN6710.S35 1991
RECLASS
I've got a review copy of this waiting around (sorry, Rob!)...
Captain America and the Struggle of the Superhero : Critical
Essays / edited by Robert G. Weiner ; foreword by John
Shelton Lawrence ; afterword by J.M. DeMatteis. --
Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Co., 2009. -- 255 p. : ill. ;
26 cm. -- Includes bibliographical references and index. --
Includes filmography: p. 218-226. -- "The topics discussed
include the ways Nazi Germany was represented in Captain
America Comics from the 1940s to the 1960s; the creation of
Captain America in the Jewish American experience; the
relationship between Captain America and Captain Britain;
the partnership between Captain America and The Falcon; and
various attempts to kill Captain America before his "real"
death"--Provided by publisher. -- Call no.: PN6725.W427C3
2009
...and this is Out of Print due to Candyland's objections (it's damned funny though)...
The Trial of Colonel Sweeto and Other Stories : a Collection
of the Comic Strips of the Perry Bible Fellowship / by
Nicholas Gurewitch. -- Milwaukie, Or. : Dark Horse Books,
2007. -- 96 p. : col. ill. ; 21 cm. -- Alternative genre.
-- Call no.: PN6728.P437G97 2007
Superhero and funny animal fiction ... you don't get that in just any publication... although you can in Garfield's Pet Force...
Daring Dog and Captain Cat / by Arnold Adoff ; illustrated by
Joe Cepeda. -- New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young
Readers, 2001. -- 1 v. : col. ill. ; 28 cm. -- Summary
(from OCLC): Although they are normal and obedient pets
during the day, at night Irving Dog and Ermine Cat rise and
shake and roam as Daring Dog and Captain Cat, twirling
capes and flashing swords and chasing crooks. -- Superhero
and funny animal fiction. -- Call no.: folio PS3551.D66D3
2001
I just bought a bunch of these comics at Fantom's 50% off sale - they seem to have hired some of the stalwarts of the 1980s to work on them...
Robin Hood : Outlaw of Sherwood Forest : an English Legend /
story by Paul D. Storrie ; pencils and inks by Thomas
Yeates. -- Minneapolis, MN : Graphic Universe, 2007. -- 48
p. : col. ill. ; 25 cm. -- (Graphic Myths and Legends) --
Summary (from OCLC): In comics format, recounts the life
and adventures of Robin Hood, who, with his band of
followers, lived in Sherwood Forest as an outlaw dedicated
to fighting tyranny. -- Includes bibliographical references
(p. 47) and index. -- Call no.: PN6727.Y37R6 2007
Tomorrow - April means Zapiro!
Dougan and Lawless on SMITH Magazine and beyond
I'm poking around SMITH Magazines webcomics after being friended by Jeff Newelt and just ran across Next Door Neighbor: Return to Sender by Jim Dougan and Molly Lawless, seen earlier this evening in the Free Comic Book Day post.
And heck, at the end of the story, which is quite entertaining mind you, we can steal this biographical information to post here:
Jim Dougan is a comic writer hailing from the Hudson Valley hamlet of Millbrook, NY, and currently living in Washington, DC. His debut work in comics was the comedy graphic novella CRAZY PAPERS, drawn by Danielle Corsetto. Jim is a founding member of the comics collective The Chemistry Set, and the editor of the first ChemSet anthology collection NO FORMULA, available from Desperado Publishing. SAM & LILAH, his romance-adventure collaboration with Hyeondo Park, was featured in the March 2008 Zuda competition and has continued at ACT-I-VATE since May 2008.
Molly Lawless is a native Bostonian and current Arlington, VA-based comic artist, illustrator, wannabe-marathoner and deadball-era baseball enthusiast. Her first four mini-comics -- including the ongoing series "Great Moments in Baseball", "Rules of Romance", "My Health Regimen" and "The Turning of the Worm" have been collected in Infandum!...Ad Infinitum, now available via her website, http://tyrnyx.wordpress.com/.
Deadball? Really?
And heck, at the end of the story, which is quite entertaining mind you, we can steal this biographical information to post here:
Jim Dougan is a comic writer hailing from the Hudson Valley hamlet of Millbrook, NY, and currently living in Washington, DC. His debut work in comics was the comedy graphic novella CRAZY PAPERS, drawn by Danielle Corsetto. Jim is a founding member of the comics collective The Chemistry Set, and the editor of the first ChemSet anthology collection NO FORMULA, available from Desperado Publishing. SAM & LILAH, his romance-adventure collaboration with Hyeondo Park, was featured in the March 2008 Zuda competition and has continued at ACT-I-VATE since May 2008.
Molly Lawless is a native Bostonian and current Arlington, VA-based comic artist, illustrator, wannabe-marathoner and deadball-era baseball enthusiast. Her first four mini-comics -- including the ongoing series "Great Moments in Baseball", "Rules of Romance", "My Health Regimen" and "The Turning of the Worm" have been collected in Infandum!...Ad Infinitum, now available via her website, http://tyrnyx.wordpress.com/.
Deadball? Really?
Free Comic Book Day in Washington
The crowd at Big Planet Comics Bethesda.
FCBD seemed to be a success in the area. I went to three stores, along with my daughter, a neighbor, and his daughter.
Big Planet Comics Bethsda, with Lee screaming behind the counter (I guess someone started changing without using the phone booth).
We began with Big Planet Comics Bethesda which was as crowded as I'd ever seen it. Already by 11:30 they had run out of adult packs of comics, even though they only opened at 11. Many of the people coming in had children with them and appeared to be coming in solely due to FCBD.
Jim Dougan and Molly Lawless and their comics.
We next went to Fantom Comics in Tenleytown which had three cartoonists appearing - writer Jim Dougan (see his new strip on Act-I-Vate), Molly Lawless and Arvid "Rex Mundi" Nelson. Molly had 3 comics books for sale, 2 of which were minis. I bought a complete set (and one for Michigan State's Comic Art Collection). Jim had 4 comics, all of which I had already. You should buy them though, right Jim? Arvid Nelson had a stack of his 5 Rex Mundi collections so I bought one of each and hope to start reading them this week (along with the preview comic Jim gave me). I wasn't wearing my reporter hat, so all I can report is that Hollywood's interested in a Rex Mundi movie (duh) and he's happy with his publisher, Dark Horse. Actually I cut in front of a guy with dozens of comics he was having signed (with his permission) and then some other people were buying trades so I didn't linger at the table.
Unfortunately, Fantom is having a 50%-off moving sale so I also bought a stack of comics 3 feet high so... However, my friend Chris has already started on his stack of five AND has been able to tell a co-worker that he saw her spouse's favorite comic book writer while he had to stay home to try to sell his house - a ridiculous excuse (my wife has been harping on seeing Stan Lee when I didn't for over 20 years now).
Arvid Nelson and Rex Mundi.
We ended up checking in with Big Planet Comics Georgetown where they said they'd had steady foot traffic, although not as crazy as Bethesda. They still had a few packs of children's comics and gladly contributed one set for the Library of Congress (although Sara Duke may have gotten her own set in which case another library will get them).
Discerning consumers.
There are more pictures in this photo set on Flickr.
The band at Fantom Comics.
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