July 1 Bonus Screening: From Up on Poppy Hill

Animezing Series Presented by the Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan Never miss an event! Follow us on Twitter @JapanEmbDC  From Up on Poppy Hill Bonus Screening: Tuesday, July 1, 6:30 p.m. Our Location: JICC, Embassy of Japan 1150 18th St, NW Suite 100 Washington, DC 20036 Driving directions © 2011 Chizuru Takahashi, Tetsuro Sayama, GNDHDDT. All rights reserved | 91 min | Rated PG | In Japanese with English subtitles | Directed by Goro Miyazaki Bonus Screening The setting is Yokohama in 1963, and Studio Ghibli lovingly brings to life the bustling seaside town, with its misty harbor, sun-drenched gardens, shops and markets, and some of the most mouthwatering Japanese home-cooking ever drawn!      The story centers on an innocent romance beginning to bud between Umi and Shun, two high school kids caught up in the changing times. Japan is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the 1964 Olympics - and the mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the young generation struggles to throw off the shackles of a troubled past.     While the children work together to save a dilapidated Meiji-era club house from demolition, their tentative relationship begins to blossom. But - in a twist that parallels what the country itself is facing - a buried secret from their past emerges to cast a shadow on the future and pull them apart. Register Now! This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Please note that seating is limited and registration does not guarantee guests a seat. Registered guests will be seated on a first come, first served basis. Please contact us at jicc@ws.mofa.go.jp in the event of cancellation. Doors open at 6:00 pm. No admission or re-entry after 7:00 pm.   JICC, Embassy of Japan | 1150 18th St., NW | Suite 100 | Washington | DC | 20036

Tim King's Grayson featured on Daily Beast

The CIA Spook Turned Comic Book Scribe: Robin Grabs a Gun in 'Grayson'

Rich Goldstein

06.24.14

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/24/the-cia-spook-turned-comic-book-scribe-robin-grabs-a-gun-in-grayson.html

Watterson's comic art to benefit Parkinsons research in honor of Richard Thompson

Bill Watterson's return to comics: Pearls Before Swine comic art auctioned for Parkinson's research

The reclusive creator's artwork from the recently finished three-day collaboration with Stephen Pastis on Pearls Before Swine will sell Aug. 8, 2014 at Heritage Auctions, proceeds to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

DALLAS – The original artwork for the recent three comic strip collaboration between Bill Watterson, the cartooning genius behind the much-loved Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, and Pearls Before Swine cartoonist Stephen Pastis – taking place in a three day run in June 2014 in Pearls – will be sold at Heritage Auctions on Aug. 8, 2014, with proceeds from the sale benefiting The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

"Anytime original Bill Watterson comic art shows up for auction it's a huge deal," said Todd Hignite, Vice President at Heritage Auctions. "His collaboration with Stephan Pastis was an unexpected treat for his millions of fans. Now, thanks to this auction, fans will get to take the original art home while raising money for a great cause."

The collaboration between the two artists came at the suggestion of Watterson and was immediately embraced by an overwhelmed Pastis, who, like some many modern cartoonists, was greatly influenced by Watterson and Calvin and Hobbes. The trajectory of the three strip arc follows Pastis' comic strip alter-ego as he turns the drawing of the comic over to a precocious second-grader named Libby for three days. The results are both wickedly funny and uniquely Watterson, while remaining true to the sharp humor that defines the Pearls Before Swine strip.

At Watterson's request, the artwork is being sold on behalf of Team Cul de Sac, a non-profit charity established by editor/designer Chris Sparks on behalf of  Cul de Sac cartoonist Richard Thompson, who is battling Parkinson's Disease – a piece of artwork done by Watterson depicting one of Thompson's Cul de Sac characters sold in 2012 as part of a charity auction to benefit Team Cul de Sac – and the profits from the sale of the original art (Heritage is waiving the seller's fee on the artwork and will also contribute half of the Buyer's Premium) will be donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

Heritage Auctions is the largest auction house founded in the United States and the world's third largest, with annual sales of more than $900 million, and 850,000+ online bidder members. For more information about Heritage Auctions, and to join and receive access to a complete record of prices realized, with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HA.com.

Small Press Expo Announces 20th Anniversary Guests Charles Burns, Jen Sorensen, Tom Tomorrow and Ben Katchor

Small Press Expo Announces 20th Anniversary Guests Charles Burns, Jen Sorensen, Tom Tomorrow and Ben Katchor   For Immediate Release           Contact: Warren Bernard                                                                                                  E-Mail: warren@spxpo.com   Bethesda, Maryland; June 26, 2014 – This year is the 20th Anniversary of SPX, which will be held September 13 and 14, 2014 at the North Bethesda Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. For our 20th birthday, we are pleased to announce Charles Burns, Jen Sorensen, Tom Tomorrow and Ben Katchor to join in the celebration of the comic creators of the alt-weekly newspapers. They are in addition to the previously announced alt-weekly guests Jules Feiffer, Lynda Barry and James Sturm, as well as SPX first timers Brandon Graham, Emily Carroll, Drew Friedman and Mimi Pond. Charles Burns completes the final installment of his trilogy that began with The Hive and X'ed Out with the release this September of Sugar Skull. Mr. Burns is renown for his epic graphic novel Black Hole, as well as his work for such periodicals as Raw, The Believer and The New Yorker. Courtesy of Pantheon Books there will be advance copies of Sugar Skull at the show, as well as a special book plate designed just for SPX 2014. Jen Sorensen is the recipient of the this years prestigious Herblock Award, which is given every year for excellence in political cartooning. She also won the 2013 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award in Cartoons as well as the 2013 National Cartoonist Society Award for Best Editorial Cartoons. Her political cartoons can be seen in various alt-weekly newspapers around the United States as well as at The Nib and her own web site, http://www.slowpokecomics.com. In addition to her weekly cartoon, she also does illustration work for such clients as the Kaiser Health News, The Dallas Observer, Ms. Magazine, Politico and her current home paper, The Austin Chronicle. Tom Tomorrow aka Dan Perkins is the creator behind This Modern World, his weekly political cartoon strip that has been running since 1990. He is a two time winner of the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award in Cartoons, as well as the winner of  the James Madison Freedom of Information Award and the 2012 Herblock Award. He is the author of 10 compilations of his cartoon work, as well as a children's book and he created the cover to the Pearl Jam album Backspacer. Ben Katchor started in the alt-weekly's in 1986 and  six compilations out of his award winning work, the latest is the 2013 Hand Drying in America and Other Stories from Pantheon Books. He is an associate professor at Parsons The New School for Design and has taught cartooning all over the world. Mr. Katchor is also works in the theater as a librettist, having won an Obie award for his work on The Carbon Copy Building. About SPX Small Press Expo (SPX) is the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons. SPX is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit that brings together more than 600 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers, and distributors each year. Graphic novels, mini comics, and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. SPX also has a two tracks of of panel discussions and interviews with this year's guests that run through both days of the event. The Ignatz Award is a festival prize held every year at SPX, with the winners chosen by attendees at the show. All works nominated for Ignatz Awards are donated to the Small Press Expo Collection at the Library of Congress, which is the first institutional collection in the United States dedicated to the indie comics field. As in previous years, profits from the SPX will go to support the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program, which funds graphic novel purchases for public and academic libraries, as well as the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), which protects the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals. For more information on the CBLDF, visit their website at http://www.cbldf.org.

Fat Cat cartoons at Politico

Matt Wuerker has a gallery of The Art of the Fat Cat up at Politico.

Big Planet Comics July 4th Sale

20% off everything it says.

Joe Procopio and others featured in Bethesda magazine

Joe is reporting that his Lost Art Books along with other local comics folks are featured in the July/August issue of Bethesda magazine. The article doesn't appear to be online though.

Artleytoons' Magic Bullet #9 promo

artleytoons

Artley Design Inc.

www.artleytoons.com

http://artleytoonsonline.blogspot.com/

http://aphelionarc.com

Comic Riffs talks to John Romita Jr.

John Romita Jr.: Drawing Superman? Artist's new gig surprises even himself

By David Betancourt

Washington Post Comic Riffs blog June 24 2014

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/06/24/john-romita-jr-drawing-superman-artists-new-gig-surprises-even-himself/

Fantom Comics needs subscribers to come in before move

Today's newsletter says,

Also, please note that all subscriber folders MUST be emptied by our move date of July 19th! We reopen in Dupont Circle on July 23rd, at which point pulls will continue as usual. To be clear: we will continue to pull subscriptions per normal up to the move date, we just need to have the folders cleared out on our move date.

Tonight: David Lasky at Big Planet Comics Bethesda

'90s animation returns

Networks are trying to reel in millennials by capitalizing on their '90s nostalgia. Will it work? [in print as Money in the Memories]
BY LORI MCCUE
[Washington Post] Express June 25 2014, p. 22  http://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2014/06/25/networks-are-trying-to-reel-in-millennials-by-capitalizing-on-their-90s-nostalgia-will-it-work/

The Powerpuff Girls, The Magic School Bus and Sailor Moon return, according to this article.

Porcellino documentary to debut at SPX

'Root Hog or Die,' a documentary on influential cartoonist John Porcellino (King-Cat Comics), is expected to debut at the Small Press Expo in September. Click here to see trailer.

More on the Hamanaka elephant gn at LOC

Elephant ivory trade graphic novel discussed at Library of Congress June 24 

Marsha Dubrow

DC Art Travel Examiner

June 10, 2014

http://www.examiner.com/article/elephant-ivory-trade-graphic-novel-discussed-at-library-of-congress-june-24

Retrofit, co-published by Big Planet Comics, announces new book

http://retrofitcomics.com/post/89763671512/theth-retrofits-first-book-with-a-spine-is-an

THETH , Retrofit's first BOOK WITH A SPINE is an 80 page epic story of the naieveté of youth, the struggle to survive the circumstances we are placed in and the ways we are influenced by those around us for better or worse.  "Theth", or Seth (with a lisp) is made fun of by his peers, criticized by his family and hated by the owners of the local comic shop.  In Josh Bayer's unique style we see Theth going to school on the day after John Lennon was shot.  All Theth wants to do is read comics but school bullies, home bullies, teachers and weirdoes keep getting in the way.  Where can Theth turn to escape from this horror?  

80 pages, black and white

Shipping in a few weeks!!

Ben Hatke interview at Sequential Tart

A to Zita: Ben Hatke
By Sheena McNeil
June 16, 2014
http://www.sequentialtart.com/article.php?id=2596

DC's zines, close relatives of minicomics

DC's zinesters prove the art form is alive and well, even in the digital age

ARIELLE MILKMAN | TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2014

HTTP://WWW.ELEVATIONDCMEDIA.COM/FEATURES/DCZINES_062414.ASPX

KAL on creating covers

The Front Page: 35 years and 140 covers for The Economist
Kevin 'Kal' Kallagher
June 24 2014
https://medium.com/the-nib/the-front-page-2f33ab69b59a

New Rafer Roberts comic at East Bay Review

http://theeastbayreview.com/dude/

Sheila Hamanaka's elephant gn featured on National Geographic

The article says she'll be at the Library of Congress next week, but it's not on their website.

A Teenage Girl's Life-Changing 

Encounter With Elephants

Sheila Hamanaka's new graphic novel for young readers issues a call to action to save the elephant.

Sheila Hamanaka's latest book, "A Dangerous Life," is a graphic novel that deals with an American teenager's trip to Africa, where she sees elephants being killed for their tusks
—and discovers her own family's involvement in the ivory trade.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE AND KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE

Simon Worrall

for National Geographic

PUBLISHED JUNE 23, 2014
HTTP://NEWS.NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/NEWS/2014/06/140623-ELEPHANTS-IVORY-KENYA-SAFARI-AFRICA-POACHERS-HAMANAKA/