Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Game On! Comics: Avengers vs. X-Men Launch Party!


ChildTime Magic
Avengers vs. X-Men Launch Party
Where:
Game On! Comics
310 Dominion RD NE
Vienna, VA 22180

Driving Directions

When:
Tuesday April 3, 2012 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Add to my calendar
 
Dear Mike,

This is the huge event that everyone has been talking about!  It's only 2 weeks away now!
 
A vs X
 
Game On! Comics is having its first Launch Party and you are invited to this free event!  On Tuesday, April 3rd at 8pm we are selling the first issue to the Avengers vs. X-Men series, one day BEFORE everyone else!

Come join us for a night of fun!  Here is what we will be doing:

  • Lots of free giveaways!  We will have free posters, buttons, coasters, etc!
  • Many raffles going on.  We will be giving away a varient cover for this issue in addition to all kinds of other items!  You must be present to win.
  • We will be having a casino night!  Play our casino games to increase your chances for more prizes!

The party will go on till 10pm. 

We would love to start to get a "head count" to see how many people will be attending.  So, please click on the "REGISTER NOW" button below to RSVP.  Also, feel free to bring your friends too!

 

Register Now!
I can't make it
If you have any questions please call the store or email us!
 
Finally, thank you for your attention and response, and we look forward to seeing you at the event.
 
Sincerely,
 
Louis Meyer
Game On! Comics

ChildTime Magic | 310 Dominion RD NE | Vienna | VA | 22180

Fantom Comics newsletter

From: Fantom Comics <FantomHQ@fantomcomics.com>
Date: Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 7:52 PM
Subject: Subculture for the Cultured - Last Call for March 2012 Reservations


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Our weary commentator suffers through the 2nd half of season two. Read his recap of each episode.




ORDER UP!!!
Wednesday 3/21 Deadline for March Reservations
 
We're going straight to newsletter this month, while the SubcultureForTheCultured.com site gets its final tune-up before the official launch. And we're focusing on Graphic Novels only , so without further delay, please peruse the best non-superhero fare arriving in your comic shop beginning in May 2012...

 TRADE PAPERBACK (TPBs) - 1ST VOLUMES
House of Night HC - It's "vampire finishing school", adapted for comics by the mother half of the mother/daughter writing team of P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast. Artwork is by Joëlle Jones. Collects issues #1-#5 of the series.  Follow Zoey, and her group of devoted friends, as they turn to The Fledgling Handbook, a historical vampyre tome, in hopes of better understanding their big, new world of vampyrism.  [12.99]
Caligula Vol. 1 HC or Caligula Vol. 1 TP- Writer David Lapham (Crossed Vol. 2: Family Values, Stray Bullets), joins talented painter German Nobile in a descent into the darkest corners of Rome's history.  Available in three editions:  as a TPB [19.99] or Hardcover [27.99] with covers by artist Jacen Burrows, and also a Signed Hardcover signed by writer David Lapham and limited to just 1000 copies!
Comic Book History of Comics - The Evil Twin Comics genius team of writer Fred Van Lente and artist Ryan Dunlavey (Action Philosophers) collect their six-issue "Comic Book Comics" series into a single trade paperback. For the first time ever, the inspiring, infuriating, and utterly insane story of comics, graphic novels, and manga is presented in comic book form! [21.99]
Joe Hill's The Cape HC - Critically acclaimed and Eisner-nominated. Written by Jason Ciaramella, and based on the short story by Joe Hill (Locke & Key). Artwork by Zach Howard | Every little boy dreams about putting on a cape and soaring up, up, and away... but what if one day that dream were to come true?  Eric was like every other eight-year-old boy, until a tragic accident changed his life forever. The Cape explores the dark side of power, as the adult Eric - a confused and broken man - takes to the skies... and sets out to exact a terrible vengeance on everyone who ever disappointed him. [24.99]
Orchid Vol. 1 TP - (W) Tom Morello (A) Scott Hepburn | Set in a future world generations after the seas rose and genetic codes were smashed. Human settlements are ringed by a dense wilderness from which ferocious new animal species prey on the helpless. The high ground belongs to the rich and powerful that overlook swampland shantytowns from their fortress-like cities. Iron-fisted rule ensures order and allows the wealthy to harvest the poor as slaves.  Orchid is the tale of a teenage prostitute who learns that she is more than the role society has imposed upon her. [17.99]
Xenoholics Vol. 1 TP (MR) - (W) Joshua Williamson (A) Seth Damoose (CA) Seth Damoose, Dan Duncan | The critically acclaimed series is collected in trade paperback! Are you addicted to aliens? Late night encounters? Abductions? Probes? Then become a member of Xenoholics Anonymous! Members of a support group that claim to be victims of alien abductions try to solve the mysterious disappearance of the Doctor who led their group but find themselves involved in a larger conspiracy. X-files and Fire in the Sky meet Chew in this exploration of the xenoholic subculture.   Collects XENOHOLICS #1-5 [14.99]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTABLE REPRINTS & ONGOING TPBs
Locke & Key Vol. 4: Keys To the Kingdom TP - (W) Joe Hill (A/CA) Gabriel Rodriguez | Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez's Locke & Key unwinds into its fourth volume in 'Keys To The Kingdom.' With more keys making themselves known, and the depths of the Locke's family's mysteries ever expanding, Dodge's desperation to end his shadowy quest drives the habitants of Keyhouse ever closer to a revealing conclusion. [19.99]
Blacksad Silent Hell HC - (W) Juan Díaz Canales (A/CA) Juanjo Guarnido | Detective John Blacksad returns, with a new case that takes him to a 1950s New Orleans filled with hot jazz and cold-blooded murder! Hired to discover the fate of a celebrated pianist, Blacksad finds his most dangerous mystery yet in the midst of drugs, voodoo, the rollicking atmosphere of Mardi Gras, and the dark underbelly that it hides! [19.99]
God and Science: Return of the Ti Girls HC - (W/A/CA) Jaime Hernandez | Jaime Hernandez's God And Science manages to be both a rollickingly creative superhero joyride that ranges to the other side of the universe and a genuinely dramatic fable about madness, grief, and motherhood. It has now been expanded from its original 100 pages to include 30 new pages including four new full-color faux Ti-Girls covers, several expansions of scenes and an epilogue. [19.99]
Neil Gaiman's Midnight Days HC Deluxe Edition - (W) Neil Gaiman, Matt Wagner (A) Dave McKean & Various (CA) Dave McKean | The classic collection of Vertigo tales from New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman is collected in hardcover for the first time! Providing tantalizing glimpses into the fantastical worlds he would create and nurture, NEIL GAIMAN'S MIDNIGHT DAYS collects some of the accomplished author's earliest work. These tales star the Golden Age Sandman, Morpheus, Swamp Thing and John Constantine, from SWAMP THING ANNUAL #5, SANDMAN MIDNIGHT THEATRE, HELLBLAZER #27, WELCOME BACK TO THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY #1 and more! [24.99]

 
 
 
GRAPHIC NOVEL PICKS
The Lovely Horrible Stuff HC - (W/A/CA) Eddie Campbell | Money makes the world go round, as they say... but how, exactly? Award-winning graphic novelist Eddie Campbell (From Hell, Alec) presents a fascinating journey into the wilderness of personal finance. With his trademark blend of research, anecdote, autobiography, and fantasy, Campbell explores how money underwrites human relationships, flowing all around us like the air we breathe - or the water we drown in. The result is a whimsical graphic essay, deeply grounded in Eddie's personal experiences with 'the lovely horrible stuff,' ranging from the imaginary wealth of Ponzi schemes and television pilots to the all-too-tangible stone currency of the Micronesian island of Yap. [14.95]
Baby's In Black HC - (W/A/CA) Arne Bellstorf | Meet The Beatles... right at the beginning of their careers. This high-energy graphic novel provides an intimate peek into the early years of the world's greatest rock band. The 'fifth Beatle,' Stuart Sutcliffe, falls in love with the beautiful Astrid Kirchherr when she recruits the Beatles for a sensational (and famous) photography session during their time in Hamburg. When the band returns to Liverpool, Sutcliffe stays in Hamburg and becomes engaged to Kirchherr. A year later, his career as a modern artist is cut short when he dies unexpectedly. The book ends as it begins, with Astrid, alone and adrift; but with a note of hope: her life is incomparably richer and more directed thanks to her friendship with the Beatles and her love affair with Sutcliffe. [24.99]
Best of Enemies: History of US & Middle East Relations Vol. 1: 1783-1953 HC - (W) Jean-Pierre Filiu (A/CA) David B. | David B. and Filiu draw striking parallels between ancient and contemporary political history in this look at the US-Middle East conflict. The reader is transported to the pirate-choked Mediterranean sea, where Christians and Muslims continue the Crusades, only this time on water. As the centuries pass, the traditional victims of the Muslim pirates - the British, French, and Spanish - all become empire-building powers whose sights lie beyond the Mediterranean. [24.95]
Dal Tokyo HC - (W/A/CA) Gary Panter | Collected into one giant volume for the first time, Fantagraphics proudly presents Gary Panter's sci-fi/punk mash-up masterpiece Dal Tokyo. Panter imagines a Mars where Japanese and Texan culture have collided and the result is a dizzying and absorbing mix of more or less intelligible jokes, non-sequiturs and surreal eruptions that can engulf the entire panel in scribbles. Most of these strips were only published in Japan and are being published in the US for the first time! [35.00]
Mastering Comics - (W) Jessica Abel (A/CA) Matt Madden | The companion text to the First Second 2008 publication, Drawing Words & Writing Pictures! Want to be a cartoonist?  Mastering Comics will show you how - with step-by-step lessons (accompanied by exercises, tips, and illustrated examples from the work of great cartoonists) providing instruction in writing, developing your own style, book production, and the publication process. [34.99]
Sharaz De HC - (W/A/CA) Sergio Toppi | A set of tales inspired by the Arabian Nights by European comics master Sergio Toppi, exploring a barbaric society where the supernatural is the only remedy to injustice, as Sharaz-de, captive to a cruel and despotic king, must each night spin tales to entertain her master and save her head from the executioner. Tales filled with evil spirits, treasures, risk, and danger, but with ever at their center the passions of gods and men. Translated from the original French publication. [29.95]
The Influencing Machine - (W) Brooke Gladstone (A/CA) Josh Neufeld | Nearly 1 million weekly listeners trust NPR's Brooke Gladstone to guide them through the distortions and complexities of the modern media. This is a visionary and opinionated work of graphic nonfiction on the media and it discontent. [16.95]
Trinity Graphic History of First Atomic Bomb - (W) Michael Gallagher (A/CA) Jonathan Fetter-Vorm | In Trinity, illustrator Jonathan Fetter-Vorm tells the history of the race to build - and the decision to drop - the first atomic bomb, and the ethical debates that followed. He begins with early research in Europe, which accelerated rapidly as World War II approached. The action shifts to Los Alamos, and Fetter-Vorm showcases the strong personalities of the physicists under the supervision of 'Manhattan Project' leader, J. Robert Oppenheimer. When the first bomb finally went off at a test site code-named 'Trinity', the world was irreversibly thrust into a new and far more dangerous age. Richly illustrated and deeply researched, Trinity is dramatic, informative, and thought-provoking. [22.00]
Xoc Journey of A Great White HC - (W/A/CA) Matt Dembicki | Xoc explores the ocean's wonders through the eyes of a great white as it treks from the Farallon Islands off the coast of California to the warm waters of Hawaii some 2,300 miles away. Along its journey, the 17-foot shark encounters natural prey and predators - from skittish seals to brazen orcas-as well as man-made impediments that threaten not only the giant fish, but the balance of ocean's ecology. [19.99]

 
 

Union Station - 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE | Washington, DC 20002 | 202-216-9478
www.fantomcomics.com


Rizzoli responds to Big Planet's Corto Maltese complaints

Unfortunately nothing in her explains the rasterizing of the artwork, even if Pratt did approve the layout changes.

Date: Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 6:17 PM
Subject: Fwd: Response to "Complaints about your edition of Corto Maltese: The Ballad of the Salt Sea‏"

Jessica Fuller, editor of Corto Maltese: The Ballad of the Salt Sea,
at Rizzoli, replied to our open letter and asked us to forward on the
following message.

She also pointed out that they have corrected their inaccurate sales
copy, that this is actually the first time that an English translation
from the original Italian has been published.

She hoped that we would post the information below so others might
also learn the back story without running the risk of perpetuating
mistaken or misconstrued assumptions about their efforts or their
company.

Jared Smith
Peter Casazza
Greg Bennett
Joel Pollack
--
Co-Owners
Big Planet Comics
Washington, DC
Bethesda, Maryland
College Park, Maryland
Vienna, Virginia
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 2012/3/20
Subject: Response to "Complaints about your edition of Corto Maltese:
The Ballad of the Salt Sea‏"

Rizzoli and our Universe imprint have a history of republishing
classic works that have long been out of print. Occasionally these
books need to be updated or reworked, such as with our M. Sasek This
Is… series where facts need to be changed, but we as a publisher always
strive to remain true to the artist's original work.

Recently, Rizzoli was thrilled to retain the rights to republish Hugo
Pratt's Corto Maltese: The Ballad of the Salt Sea. To ready this new
edition, Rizzoli worked closely with Patrizia Zanotti, Pratt's
longtime colorist and collaborator from 1978 until his death in 1995.
Zanotti is now executor of the Hugo Pratt estate.

Our edition of Corto Maltese: The Ballad of the Salt Sea contains only
changes that were made by Hugo Pratt himself or under the direction of
the Pratt estate.

Corto Maltese: The Ballad of the Salt Sea was originally printed in
the Italian comics magazine Sgt. Kirk, in 1967, and later in the
French magazine Pif gadget in the early 1970s. Hugo Pratt collected
the strips, had them colored, and published them in an oversized
volume in 1978. In 1985, the colors were revamped in collaboration
with Patrizia Zanotti.  In 1994, Hugo Pratt reworked the size of the
strip to three rows of panels per page.  This new, smaller, more
manageable graphic novel format was done to appeal to new Corto fans
in the Italian market.

Universe/Rizzoli took the changes that Pratt himself made in the 1994
edition and reprinted this reworked format. We made no changes to Hugo
Pratt's 1994 version.

There have been other English editions of Corto Maltese: The Ballad of
the Salt Sea, but the Pratt estate wanted a fresh translation from
Pratt's original Italian text. Harvill Press published an edition of
Ballad of the Salt Sea in the oversized format and in the original
black and white. The translation for that edition was made from a
French translation of the original Italian text. The NBM edition of
Ballad of the Salt Sea also contained a translation twice removed from
the original Italian.

We worked directly with Patrizia Zanotti and the Hugo Pratt estate on
this project. They were fully involved, and we had their support and
approval during every step of the process: from the much-improved
direct translation from the original Italian; to using art that came
from the Hugo Pratt estate via their European publisher; to reviewing
multiple rounds of color proofs.
Chris from the art/design collective Meathaus addresses his
involvement and contributions here:
http://meathaus.com/2012/03/08/corto-maltese-in-english/

We hope that this explains the process and choices behind this new
edition of Corto Maltese: The Ballad of the Salt Sea. If anything, we
are happy that there are Hugo Pratt fans still reading his work. We
hope to introduce his stories to an entirely new generation of readers
and, with our edition, hope they will enjoy Pratt's reworking of his
classic Corto story.


--

March 29: Early Comics and the Nature of the Child Lecture

Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave. SE
Washington DC   20540

March 6, 2012

Public contact:  Martha Kennedy (202) 707-9115, mkenn@loc.gov

 Swann Foundation Fellow Lara Saguisag to Discuss
How Early American Comic Strips Shed Light on the Nature of the Child

Swann Foundation Fellow Lara Saguisag, in a lecture at the Library of Congress, will examine how early 20th-century comic strips that featured child protagonists revealed the nature of the child during that era.

Saguisag will present "Sketching the 'Secret Tracts' of the Child's Mind: Theorizing Childhood in Early American Fantasy Strips, 1905-1914," at noon on Thursday, March 29, in Dining Room A on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Avenue S.E., Washington, D.C.  The lecture is free and open to the public.  No tickets are needed.

Saguisag will focus specifically on fantasy strips such as Winsor McCay's "Little Nemo in Slumberland" and Lyonel Feininger's "Wee Willie Winkie's World."  These strips featured child characters who inhabited dream worlds and transformed their environments through their imaginations.  According to Saguisag, central to these works is the idea that a child's perception and experience of the world was shaped by his/her proclivity for fantasy.  This natural connection with fantasy, moreover, made the child a complex, sometimes inscrutable figure, one who was essentially different from an adult.

Comic strips that linked childhood and fantasy drew from and built on themes of late-19th and early-20th-century children's books such as Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," Robert Louis Stevenson's "A Child's Garden of Verses" and Frank L. Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."  Such literature portrayed and celebrated the child as a highly imaginative being who enters and sometimes creates fantasy worlds that an adult could not readily access.

According to Saguisag, during the same period, psychologists and practitioners associated with the Child Study Movement were also intrigued by what G. Stanley Hall termed the "secret tracts" of the child's mind.  Many psychologists concluded that imaginative play and reverie were healthful childhood activities and advised parents to take an active role in cultivating the child's imagination.  The intersection of children's literature and psychology encountered in early American "kid strips" helped perpetuate and naturalize the image of the imaginative child.

Born and raised in the Philippines, Saguisag completed an M.A. in Children's literature at Hollins University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing at The New School. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Childhood Studies at Rutgers University-Camden, where she held a University Presidential Fellowship from 2007-2009. 

This presentation is sponsored by the Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon of the Library of Congress and the Library's Prints & Photographs Division.  The lecture is part of the foundation's continuing activities to support the study, interpretation, preservation and appreciation of original works of humorous and satiric art by graphic artists from around the world.  The foundation strives to award one fellowship annually to assist scholarly research and writing projects in the field of caricature and cartoon.  Applications for the 2013-2014 academic year are due Feb. 15, 2013.  More information about the fellowship is available through the Swann Foundation's website: www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/ or by e-mailing swann@loc.gov.

# # #

PR12-48
3/6/12
ISSN: 0731-3527

Big Planet goes public with disappointment over Corto Maltese continued


I've just finished an article on our website showing some examples of the problems we mentioned in our open letter.

http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/how-to-destroy-a-comics-classic

Jared Smith

Monday, March 19, 2012

Comic Riffs talks to Secret of Kells animator

ST. PATRICK'S DAY: Filmmaker illuminates the lure of 'Kells'
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog March 17 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/st-patricks-day-filmmaker-illuminates-the-lure-of-kells/2012/03/17/gIQADBIxIS_blog.html#pagebreak

Truitt on pulp heroes, Mighty 7 and Red Hood

Stan Lee debuts 'Mighty 7' as part of his new comic brand
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY March 19 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-03-19/Stan-Lee-Mighty-7-comic-book-series/53654486/1

'Outlaws' nation: Lobdell pens adventures of unlikely trio
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY March 19 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-03-19/Red-Hood-and-the-Outlaws-comic-book-series/53649286/1

Old-time radio and comics heroes burst back onto the scene
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY March 19 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-03-20/Radio-stars-and-pulp-heroes-return-to-pop-culture/53659158/1

Big Planet goes public with disappointment over Corto Maltese

Oh, this is too bad. Corto Maltese is some great cartooning. I was planning on buying this new edition, even though I already have 2 versions of "Salt Sea."

 
From: Big Planet Comics Vienna
Open letter to Rizzoli Press complaining about their new edition of Corto Maltese
 
All of us at Big Planet Comics were pretty astounded by the low quality of the new Rizzoli edition of Corto Maltese: The Ballad of the Salt Sea, a book we had all been looking forward to. This is the open letter we sent to Rizzoli, complaining about their edition.

Jared Smith
Peter Casazza
Greg Bennett
Joel Pollack
--
Co-Owners
Big Planet Comics




Subject: Complaints about your edition of Corto Maltese: The Ballad of the Salt Sea‏

To Whom It May Concern,

This is an open letter we are writing to express our extreme
displeasure with the terrible edition of Corto Maltese: The Ballad of
the Salt Sea you have just released. We are the co-owners of Big
Planet Comics, a group of comic book stores in the Washington, DC
area. Hugo Pratt is one of our favorite artists and we have read,
collected and sold numerous works by him, including earlier editions
of The Ballad of the Salt Sea.

The art has been scanned at a low resolution, leading to pixelization
that obscures or erases the smoothness of the fine and precise art of
Hugo Pratt. In some cases, it seems to have been printed at an even
worse quality, the most egregious example being the middle panel on
page 136, where the thin lines denoting the rays of light look like
they were drawn with a skittering giant marker.

The reformatting of the panels of each page so that only about
two-thirds of each original page is on each page of your edition
jumbles the intention of Hugo Pratt, so that the flow of story from
panel to panel is interrupted or changed, and the natural break point,
or pause, at the end of each original page is now mixed haphazardly
through your layout.

Most offensively, the original panels of Hugo Pratt's art have been
resized, cut, and cropped to fit this amateurish new layout scheme, in
some cases removing over a third of each panel, or splitting a panel
into two new panels. Some panels appear to have been zoomed in,
resulting in further loss of quality and removing more of Hugo Pratt's art.

These terrible mutilations of Hugo Pratt's art are insulting enough,
but there are numerous panels where someone has taken upon themselves
the hubris to fill out the gaping holes in the modified panels by
adding to the art itself.

Also, your description of the book on your webpage at
http://www.rizzoliusa.com/book.php?isbn=9780789324986 incorrectly
claims this is the first time Ballad of the Salt Sea has been
available in English. In fact, it has been released in English at
least twice: once by The Harvill Press in 1996, and once by NBM
Publishing in 1997.

This book is the first encounter we have had with any division of your
publishing house. Your edition cannot claim in honesty to represent an
unadulterated replication of Hugo Pratt's work. Whoever approved such
a hatchet job on this classic piece of art should be ashamed of
themselves. We would appreciate an apology and explanation.

We, and many of the employees at our stores, were very excited to sell
Corto Maltese to our customers. We are disappointed we will not be
able to recommend that any customer buy your edition.

Disappointedly,

Jared Smith
Peter Casazza
Greg Bennett
Joel Pollack
--
Co-Owners
Big Planet Comics
Washington, DC
Bethesda, Maryland
College Park, Maryland
Vienna, Virginia
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com

Cartoonists atypically in the local papers

 
In today's Politico on p. 6, local cartoonist Kevin Rechin has an uncredited ad cartoon of "Current Restrictions on Credit Union Capital," with a drawing of people walking down the road to economic recovery while donkey and elephant push a boulder with the Restrictions title onto the road.


Also in today's Politico, Matt Wuerker has a drawing of Catherine the Great, illustrating a story about her.

“Herblock Looks at 1962” Exhibition Opens March 20

February 7, 2012

"Herblock Looks at 1962" Exhibition Opens March 20

John F. Kennedy in 1962, the second year of his U.S. presidency, attempted to implement new policies that met with partisan opposition: assisting the unemployed, passing a jobs bill and creating Medicare. Abroad, he increased military presence in Vietnam and faced the Soviet Union in a nuclear showdown known as the "Cuban Missile Crisis."

These issues provided rich material for Washington Post editorial cartoonist Herbert L. Block—better known as "Herblock." By 1962, Herblock, who could artfully and effectively wield his pen, had won two Pulitzer Prizes.

His drawings will be on view in the exhibition "Herblock Looks at 1962: Fifty Years Ago Today in Editorial Cartoons," opening March 20 at the Library of Congress in the Graphic Arts Galleries on the ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C.

The exhibition, which runs through Sept. 5, 2012, is free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It will be held in the Herblock Gallery, part of the Graphic Arts Galleries, which celebrates the work of Herblock with an ongoing display of 10 original drawings. The display changes every six months.

In 1945, Herblock developed his character "Mr. Atom" to personify the threat of nuclear annihilation that was ever-present during the Cold War (1945-1990). In 1962, Herblock used Mr. Atom repeatedly, when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev challenged Kennedy. The confrontation played out over the placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba and Turkey. At the same time, disarmament talks in Geneva, Switzerland, did not go well and the "Doomsday Clock" ticked closer to midnight, signaling the increased likelihood of nuclear war.

Ten cartoons will be on view, including "Tick—Tock—Tick," "Once More unto the Brink, Once More," "I May Still Have to Rely on Reckless Inaction" and "Hello—ORwell 1984?"

Herblock was a four-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize. He spent more than 55 years at the Washington Post, taking on political corruption wherever he saw it and championing the rights of "the little guy."

The Herb Block Foundation donated a collection of more than 14,000 original cartoon drawings and 50,000 rough sketches, as well as manuscripts, to the Library of Congress in 2002, and has generously continued to provide funds to support ongoing programming.

The Library has been collecting original cartoon art for more than 140 years. It is a major center for cartoon research with holdings of more than 100,000 original cartoon drawings and prints. These works, housed in the Prints and Photographs Division, span five centuries and range from 17th-century Dutch political prints to 21st-century contemporary comic strips.

The Prints and Photographs Division holds the largest-known collection of American political prints, the finest assemblage of British satirical prints outside Great Britain and holdings of original drawings by generations of America's best cartoonists and illustrators that are unequaled in breadth and depth. Extensive runs of rare satirical and comic journals from Europe and the United States represent another distinguishing facet. The Library acquired these materials through a variety of sources including artists' gifts, donations by private collectors, selective purchases and copyright registration.

For sample images from "Herblock Looks at 1962," contact Donna Urschel at (202) 707-1639.

# # #

PR 12-033
02/07/12
ISSN 0731-3527

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Adam Warrock on Fanboy Radio

Fanboy Radio #622 – Adam Warrock LIVE
March 15th, 2012
http://www.fanboyradio.com/fanboy-radio-622-adam-warrock-live/
http://traffic.libsyn.com/fanboyradio/fbr622.mp3

Scott, David Degrand and Luke Hawkins are joined by geek rapper, Adam Warrock and his DJ Julian as they all discuss the inspirations and multitude of references of his tracks. They play two tracks from his CD as well as a newer creation and get to some Sub/Flub action.

New Frank Cho's Liberty Meadows Sunday strip reprints

Broken Frontier has the story.

Nick Galifianakis interview

Bar talk: Happily-divorced relationship cartoonist tells all
By Lisa Provence | lisa@readthehook.com
Mar 14th, 2012, and in print issue #1111 dated Thursday Mar 15th, 2012
http://www.readthehook.com/102984/tell-him-about-it-nick-galifianakis-and-relationship-cartoon

Big Planet Comics Orbit Newsletter - March 15, 2012




Big Planet Comics

March 15, 2012

Saga #1 is Out!

Brian K. Vaughan (Runaways, Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Pride of Baghdad, Lost) has a new series. Buy it. Review below.

Thanks to everyone who came out to our U Street store to meet Dan Piraro, who was game despite his trip on a redeye flight from the west coast! We had a nice turnout and Dan had a good time before his standup comedy show. We have signed copies of his Bizarro Heroes book if you weren't able to make it.

Feel free to forward on our newsletter, and please send us any comments or mailing list requests to vienna@bigplanetcomics.com

Thanks!
 
- the Big Planet Comics kids


UPCOMING April 3 - Avengers vs. X-Men #1 Early Release Party

Marvel is calling it their biggest event yet, building on the last 10 years of storytelling, but really, who doesn't just want to see the superheroes throw down against each other? We will be having a special release party for Avengers vs. X-Men #1 one day early, on Tuesday April 3! So not only will you be able to buy AVX #1 a day early, but you will have access to some other specials, including limited variant covers, and other limited items, like a pin to show your allegiance to either the X-Men or the Avengers, so start thinking now about which team you support! Poor Wolverine, he's got to fight himself.

8-9 pm
All 4 Big Planet Comics stores!





UPCOMING April 14 - Justin Jordan & Tradd Moore Signing

Justin Jordan and Tradd Moore, creators of the great new series The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, will be appearing at both our Vienna and College Park stores on April 14 to celebrate the release of the collection of the series.

11 am-1 pm
Big Planet Comics of Vienna
426 Maple Ave. East
Vienna, VA 22180
703-242-9412
vienna@bigplanetcomics.com

3 pm-5 pm
Big Planet Comics of College Park
7315 Baltimore Ave.
College Park, MD 20740
301-699-0498
bigplanetcollegepark@yahoo.com

Saga #1

by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

A new ongoing BKV series that he calls something like a cross between Star Wars and Game of Thrones! Two different aliens fall in love and have a halfbreed child, but both of their planets are at war, and they are thrown between them in this intergalactic war! Plus giant monsters, bounty hunters, politics, love, crocodile butlers and awesome art! Oversized issue, regular price. EPIC! Buy now!

The Secret History Of DB Cooper #1

by Brian Churilla

"DB Cooper" is the pseudonym of a real plane hijacker who parachuted out with over $200,000 in 1971 and was never found. Now we can hear the secret history of "DB Cooper" - as a psychic Cold War assassin for the CIA! A strange and surreal adventure through the mind and history.

X-Men: Season One HC

by Dennis Hopeless and Jamie McKelvie

A retelling of the formation of the uncanny X-Men, as Jean Grey is recruited and meets Iceman, Angel, Beast, and Cyclops! A dramatic update that references all their classic early adventures while building on the drama and tension at the heart of the team and their mentor, Charles Xavier. Plus great art by the artist of Phonogram! 

Saucer Country #1

by Paul Cornell and Ryan Kelly

Governor Alvarado wants to run for president of the United States, despite the facts that she is Mexican-American, a divorcee, and her drunk ex-husband may have abused her. But she wants to reform immigration and the budget, and somehow deal with the fact she was abducted by aliens, who might be getting ready to invade! Strange and compelling.

Big Planet Comics Podcast #37

  Kevin, Nick and Jared rant about a terrible edition of Corto and review all the new comics! Download this week's now or subscribe on iTunes! Send us questions to podcast@bigplanetcomics.com

 

4/3 - Avengers vs. X-Men #1 Early Release Party

All stores! 8pm-9pm
 

4/14 - Justin Jordan & Tradd Moore

Signing The Strange Talent of Luther Strode 11am-1pm
426 Maple Ave. East
Vienna, VA 22180

703-242-9412
vienna@bigplanetcomics.com


Signing The Strange Talent of Luther Strode 3pm-5pm
7315 Baltimore Ave.
College Park, MD 20740

301-699-0498
bigplanetcollegepark@yahoo.com

 

5/5 - Free Comic Book Day

All stores!
freecomicbookday.com

 

5/5 - Jeremy Whitley

Avengers Assemble #1
by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley

The team from the movie assembles to take on the Zodiac!

Avengers Prelude: Fury's Big Week #1
by Christopher Yost, Eric Pearson, and Luke Ross

Tying all the Marvel movies together before the Avengers film!

Corto Maltese 1: The Ballad Of The Salt Sea SC
by Hugo Pratt

The classic adventure in the Pacific!

Crossed Badlands #1
by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows

A new bimonthly story, starting in the Scottish highlands.

Nobrow 6: The Double
by everyone

A huge anthology on the theme of doubles, doppelgangers and more!

Queen Crab HC
by Jimmy Palmiotti and Artiz Eiguren

A man tries to murder his wife on their honeymoon.

Uglies: Shay's Story SC
by Scott Westerfield, Devin Grayson and Steven Cummings

A group of teens try to escape being modified in a dark future.
Copyright © 2012 Big Planet Comics, All rights reserved.
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Truitt on Takio,The Darkness and Smoke and Mirrors

'The Darkness' still full of supernatural soul at issue 101
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY March 15 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-03-15/The-Darkness-comic-book-series/53548896/1

IDW's 'Smoke and Mirrors': It's a kind of magic
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY March 16 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-03-16/Smoke-and-Mirrors-comic-book-series/53568730/1

Bendis keeps all-ages 'Takio' all in the family
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY March 16 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-03-16/Takio-comic-book-series/53569836/1

Friday, March 16, 2012

Local papers split on "Chico & Rita" animation

Oscar-nominated jazz cartoon is too hot for kids
Kelly Jane Torrance
Washington Examiner March 16 2012
http://washingtonexaminer.com/entertainment/movies/2012/03/oscar-nominated-jazz-cartoon-too-hot-kids/375321

Full-grown animation
By Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post Mar. 16, 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/movies/chico-and-rita,1215692/critic-review.html

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is near and dear to my heart

Spurgeon, Tom.  2012.
Charles Brownstein On The Lessons Of The Manga Customs Case.
Comics Reporter (March 16): http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/charles_brownstein_on_the_lessons_of_the_manga_customs_case/

Canadian Court Drops Criminal Charges in Manga Customs Case
Brigid Alverson,
Thu, March 15th, 2012
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=37552