Thursday, October 15, 2015
Jan. 4: 'Magic Bullet' #12 deadline
Local collector Mitch Berger donated his sketchbook to Billy Ireland Library

Earlier this summer I decided that it was time for me to donate my most prized possession, my cartoonist sketchbook, to an appropriate institution. I started collecting drawings from cartoonists I liked and admired back in 1972. The book has drawings by many greats who are no longer with us, Hal Foster, Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jeff Jones, Vaughn Bode, Roy G. Krenkel, Roy Crane, Alfredo Alcala, Ernie Chan (aka Chua), Joe Kubert, Joe Orlando, Jerry Robinson, Bill Gallo, Paul Conrad and Spain Rodriguez.
I obtained the final two contributions to the sketchbook from Art Spiegelman and Bill Griffith at Cartoon Crossroads Columbus - CXC, and it was donated soon after, to the Billy Ireland Library and Cartoon Museum at Ohio State, the premier repository and most solid institution dedicated to cartoon art in the US. The picture below is of me and the incomparable Lucy Caswell, the heart and soul of the library/museum, going through the sketchbook one last time. I hope all of the drawings in it will be available online. Thanks to all the cartoonists who, through the last 40+ years, have given me the gift of their art.
You can never really own art, you are lucky if you have the privilege to be its custodian for a while. I have been tremendously lucky. I'm also lucky to have Peggy, as my wife. The sketchbook would easily sell for tens of thousand$, but it would be broken up and sold piecemeal. When it comes to doing the right thing, there's none better than my wife.

Comic Riffs talks to Noelle Stevenson
From idea born at MICA, Noelle Stevenson is the youngest 2015 National Book Award finalist
By Michael CavnaWashington Post Comic Riffs blog October 15 2015
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/10/15/from-idea-born-at-mica-noelle-stevenson-is-now-youngest-national-book-award-finalist-ever/
Cartoonist Josh Kramer covers the City Paper
Fails of Justice Faked evidence, missing witnesses, and shady deals—how one defense attorney went wrong
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/47577/fails-of-justice-faked-evidence-missing-witnesses-and-shady-deals/
OCT 18 Southern Maryland Comic-Con 2015
- at 10:00am - 4:00pm
- Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department24801 Three Notch Rd, Hollywood, Maryland 20636
- Tickets Availablewww.eventbrite.com
Oct 20, 24: Mike Jenkins' LunchBagArt reception

Mike Jenkins' LunchBagArt is on display at Studio Pause during the month of October. Please join us for a reception on Oct 20 6-8pm where Mike will talk about his inspriration, his daily method, and answer questions. Studio Pause owner Sush Mazumdar creates beautifully handmade books, so the much awaited LunchBag Art Books will also be for sale!
Studio Pause is at 2421 26th Rd South, Arlington, VA, just east of S. Glebe Rd. Not lots of parking, so plan on extra time to find a spot.
and
Art to Lunch: Thinking Outside the Bag with Cartoonist Mike Jenkins After a 25 year career as an Editorial Cartoonist, Mike Jenkins left the newspaper business but is still recovering (though he occasionally falls off the wagon). He lives in Arlington, Virginia with his wife Tish and daughter Maggy and works primarily as a caricaturist. He started his company Capital Artworks to provide caricaturists for events around the DC area as well as custom artwork for corporate, government and private clients.
When his two older children left for college, he started doodling on Maggy’s school lunch bags. When she mentioned one night during dinner that all the kids in cafeteria would run to see her lunch bag every day, they knew they were onto something. Mike’s wife posted the next bag on Facebook, and they were stunned by the positive reaction. That’s when Mike knew the pressure was on, and he was back to facing a daily deadline!
PLUS! Art to Lunch: Thinking Outside the Bag, a Handmade Storybook with 17 of Mike’s Lunch Bag art which will be available for sale at the reception.
New DC Conspiracy anthology at DC Author Fest
DCC will also be premiering a new comics anthology published in partnership with the DC Public Library system. DC Conspiracy, 2015: Comics from the Nation's Capital is 76 pages packed with mostly four-page comics by local creators (The cover is by David Ross). Proceeds from the sales of the book will go toward publishing Magic Bullet.
Oct 18: Liniers in Silver Spring with Michael Cavna
Busboys and Poets Takoma: Ricardo Liniers - Written and Drawn by Henrietta and Macanudo #3
Argentine cartoonist Liniers, in conversation with The Washington Post's Comic Riffs columnist Michael Cavna, discusses his two latest books. In Written and Drawn by Henrietta, the titular heroine shows her cat Fellini—and the reader—how to write and illustrate a spellbinding story. Macanudo #3 is a collection of Liniers's popular comic strip, translated from the Spanish, which also features Henrietta and Fellini as well as a host of other characters. All ages
- Liniers will also perform a live painting while attendees mix and mingle and enjoy the evening.
- Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Jazz Combo musicians will perform throughout the evening to add a lively vibe to the event.
Oct 24: DC Conspiracey at DC Author Festival
From Andrew Cohen, via Facebook:
Saturday, October 24, is the D.C. Author Festival at the MLK library. Along with all the other local authors and publishers, the DC Conspiracy will be proudly representing the local comic scene with Magic Bullet, as well as a brand new book printed on the library's own Espresso Book Machine! We'll even be giving a short talk at 2:00 pm, so come on down, say hi, and bask in the wordy pleasure!
Victory Comics owner is running Bernie Sanders' campaign?
Meet the Comic Book King Running Bernie Sanders' Campaign
Jeff Weaver is the Robin to Bernie's Batman.
—By Tim Murphy
Thu Jul. 16, 2015http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/07/bernie-sanders-jeff-weaver-victory-comics
"His is an unconventional campaign, so it was only logical that in May he picked an unconventional operative to run it—the owner of a comic book shop. A longtime Sanders friend and advisor, Jeff Weaver had worked on Sanders' campaigns and in his Washington offices for more than two decades. But before he came on board Bernie 2016, Weaver had retired from politics to launch one of the DC-area's biggest gaming businesses."
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Oct 28: Animezing - Brave Story
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Oct 23-29: Animation in Silver Spring
THE 17TH ANNUAL ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS at AFI/Silver Theater
- Run Time:
- 97 Minutes
- Genre:
- Animation, family
- Rating:
- NOT RATED
- Special Features:
- One week only, Oct. 23-29!
- Opening Date:
- Friday, October 23, 2015
Featuring Janette Goodey and John Lewis' THE STORY OF PERCIVAL PILTS; Geoffrey Godet and Burcu Sankur's TANT DE FORÊTS [SO MANY FORESTS]; Conor Whelan's SNOWFALL; Lynn Tomlinson's BALLAD OF HOLLAND ISLAND HOUSE; Amanda Palmer and Avi Ofer's BEHIND THE TREES; Konstantin Bronzit's WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THE COSMOS; Isabelle Favez's MESSAGES DANS L'AIR [MESSAGES IN THE AIR], Babak Nekooei and Behnoud Nekooei's STRIPY; Thomas Bourdis, Martin de Coudenhove, Caroline Domergue, Colin Laubry and Florian Laubry's ASCENSION; Melissa Johnson and Robertino Zambrano's LOVE IN THE TIME OF MARCH MADNESS; and Don Hertzfeldt's WORLD OF TOMORROW, curated and produced by Ron Diamond.
DIR Janette Goodey, John Lewis, Geoffrey Godet, Burcu Sankur, Conor Whelan, Lynn Tomlinson, Amanda Palmer, Avi Ofer, Konstantin Bronzit, Isabelle Favez, Babak Nekooei, Behnoud Nekooei, Thomas Bourdis, Martin de Coudenhove, Caroline Domergue, Colin Laubry, Florian Laubry, Melissa Johnson, Robertino Zambrano, Don Hertzfeldt. Australia/France/Ireland/Russia/Iran/U.S., 2014/2015, color, 97 min, DCP. NOT RATED
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
PR: Game On Comics is closing.
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The Post on Japanese cartoonist criticism
Japanese cartoonist unapologetic for using migrant girl to criticize 'fake immigrants'
Washington Post Morning Mix blog October 9 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/10/09/japanese-cartoonist-unapologetic-for-using-migrant-girl-to-criticize-fake-immigrants/
Tonight: Cartooning Class this fall at Upshur Books
Upshur Street Books, 827 Upshur St. NW, Washington, D.C.
Every Monday, October 19, 2015 at 7:00 PM through November 9, 2015
Click here to register:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/comics-djinn-drawing-and-storytelling-by-you-led-by-adam-griffiths-cartoonist-tickets-18546345619
Cartoonist Adam Griffiths leads a four-session drawing and storytelling course that covers the cartooning process from style to character development to the nuts and bolts of getting started in the comics profession.
Each course is split into 2 half-hour blocks. One half covers the theme of the day's session. The other half is a studio lesson in comics.
Ages 18-Adult, All Skill Levels Welcome.
Recommended reading:
Drawing Words, Writing Pictures by Jessica Abel
This book will be available to course enrollees at a discount.
Supplies:
8 ½ x 11" sketchbook, 50 pages
2 pencils: 2H & 2B
Alvin White vinyl pencil eraser
Gum eraser
12" ruler or T-square
NOTE: Do not buy inking supplies until we cover this topic in the 2nd session
FINAL PROJECTS: 2 pieces of 11 x 14" vellum Bristol board will be provided
Participants will attain intermediate knowledge of comics literature and the comics profession. Participants will create one fully developed, completed page of comics.
SESSION 1: Genres of the Comics World
What interests you most? Editorial cartooning? Web comics? Daily strips? Graphic novels? Manga? Superheroes? Underground comics? Minicomics? Nobrow comics? Art comics? Zines? Instructor will lead a discussion of various facets of the comics and cartooning world, followed by a lesson in basic to intermediate concepts of the comics narrative language.
BAR HOURS: Every Thursday at 6:30pm during the course, Adam Griffiths will come to Petworth Citizen for SKETCH SHARE, which is open to the general public. Anyone wishing to share sketches made during this time will have them posted online and to the instructor's Instagram account with a special hashtag. Course participants can come to draw, discuss comics with peers or have questions answered by the instructor about their final projects.
SESSION 2: Strength of Character
Character development is a crucial element to the storytelling process. The instructor will present successful examples of character-building, with participants offering insights about the characters they observe. The studio block will explore various inking methods.
SESSION 3: Word, Text, Form, Vision: Maximizing Your Storytelling
Instructor will lead an in-depth lecture on the formal aspects of storytelling, delving into innovative storytelling concepts, themes, and challenges for creators. For the studio block, participants will have the opportunity to work on final projects with one-on-one feedback from the instructor.
SESSION 4: The Comics Profession and Final Critiques
How does a comics creator make it work today? What's in a cartoonist's portfolio? Where should I pitch my comics project? What type of exposure do I want for my work? Where can I meet other comics artists? Participants will be provided with a resource sheet and presented with samples. The instructor will cover expos, conventions, websites, professional journals, and publishers where a creator can find support, followed by a critiques of final projects.
FINAL THURSDAY SKETCH SHARE: Participants' final projects and any other drawings made during the course will be presented in the reading room of Petworth Citizen.
See cartoons, illustrations, and artwork by the instructor: www.adamgriffithsart.com
Monday, October 12, 2015
Titan Comics of early October 2015 and The Bus 2
Dreamworks Home Vol. 1 Hide & Seek & Oh
- Writer Max Davison and Artist Matt Hebb
This is really aimed at a very young reader, as it has a cameo by Where's Waldo in it. I haven't seen the movie, but in the comic, the girl Tip takes the lead of solving the problems that Oh the alien has gotten them into.
Dreamworks Classics Vol.1
Writers
Andy Lanning
Dan Abnett
Tom DeFalco
Artists
Brian Williamson
S L Gallant
From the hit movies to the comic pages, Titan presents classic DreamWorks tales starring Shrek and the Madagascar gang! Shrek faces a bunch of Trolls and then takes part in a pie-eating contest (against Fiona, no less!). Meanwhile over in Madagascar, the gang try to build a new house – with disastrous results – and then they go to a party at Prince Julien’s!
I wasn't paying much attention to this comic collection of Shrek and Madagascar stories, until I saw the artist - our local Dupont Circle denizen Shannon Gallant, who also pencils G.I. Joe.. So everyone should by this collection and wander the Circle until Shannon signs it for you.
- Writers
- Alex Matthews
- Andy Lanning
- Cavan Scott
- Jim Alexander
- Artists
- Andy Lanning
- Egle Bartolini
- Lucas Fereyra
This collection packs together Titan's complete Penguins of Madagascar comic series, presenting hilarious and dangerous hijinks with everyone's favourite flippered friends from the Madagascar movies. It's penguins vs. rats in 'The Great Drain Robbery', the fellas face a cunning new circus performer in 'When In Rome', have an adventure on the red carpet in 'Big Night Out', engage in some clowning around with ferrets in 'Big Top' and finally travel to London to visit the Crown Jewels - with hilarious consequences - in 'Operation: Heist'.
I'm surprised by the variety of styles of art in this collection. DreamWorks obviously did not provide a staid model sheet, and it makes the collection more enjoyable. The characters of the Penguins have been well-established by the movies and tv, and the writers have turned in perfectly acceptable plots for a children's comic. Anyone looking for a comic for the 10-and-under set could consider this, although at $20 it's price point is more like a standard superhero collection.
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives Omnibus: Volume One
by Tony Lee (Author), Dan McDaid (Author), Tim Hamilton (Illustrator), Mark Buckingham (Illustrator), Matthew Dow Smith (Illustrator)
The journey starts here, with the first installment of Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives! Join the Doctor, Amy and Rory as they explore the wonders of time and space - where nothing is ever quite as it seems! Collecting the first three complete story arcs of Doctor Who Series 2, don't miss out on these fantastic adventures!
I'm turning this one over to my daughter for review as she's a fan. Hopefully she'll get back to us with a review. Again, as with the Penguins, I'm struck by the wide variety in artistic styles.
Universal War One Vol.1
Denis Bajram
This is a goodly-priced collection of six French albums. Bajram's art is attractive. European SF rarely engages me, but I'll try to get back with a review.
FLASH GORDON Vol.4
Don Moore
Austin Briggs
Continuing the space-bound adventures of Flash Gordon, the original guardian of the galaxy as he strives to save us all from a slew of super-villainy hell-bent on domination, destruction and devilment; including the ruthless, seductive, Storm Queen of Valkir!
Once upon a time, in our local galaxy, Star Wars didn't exist. Instead, we had Flash Gordon. This is a big meaty reprint book of color Sundays of the comic strip from the 1940s and it's going to be good.
Minions Vol.1 Banana!
- Writer
- Didier Ah-Koon
- Artist
- Renaud Collin
They’re the most loveable evil henchmen ever created… Stuart, Kevin, Bob and the rest of the Minions return for laughs and gags in this hilarious comic collection. Collecting together Minions Comic Issues #1 and #2, laugh along as the Minions unleash their unique brand of mayhem on the world.
I just saw the movie the other day, and liked it. I think this collection, which is mostly wordless as you'd expect, should be a fun read. It's in European hardcover album format and should be a good present for pre-teens.
The Bus 2
Paul Kirchner
Tanibis, 2015, $25.
Here's the publisher's blurb:
During the years 1974 to 1986, after working as an assistant to Wally Wood, Paul Kirchner created several comic strips such as Dope Rider for High Times magazine and the bus for Heavy Metal. In 2012, French publishing house Tanibis published an anthology of the bus strips that was nominated at the Angoulême International comics festival, proving that even a 30-year old public transportation vehicle can take part in a Grand Prix. In 2013, Paul Kirchner surprised commuters when he decided to start working again on the bus. He fixed the old vehicle up, took it out of the garage and called its iconic passenger in the white overcoat back on duty, waiting to be taken on new, exotic adventures. The bus' unpredictable personality causes him to mimic classic pop culture icons such as King-Kong or Steve Martin while in turn analyzing or teleporting his passenger. And that's only when it's not cheating on him with other commuters. Kirchner's new ideas are on par with the original strips, proving that his creativity didn't end with the 80's. The crazy cartoon logic of the original strips is still present, and wackiness is the norm. Some details, such as the so-called « smart » phones or the passengers' looks, root the stories in the 21st century, but Paul Kirchner's universe retains a timeless vintage aesthetic that blends eras, lending these new stories a hint of nostalgia. The Bus 2 will be published in hardcover horizontal format identical to the previous collection published in 2012. Back in that twilight dimension he calls home, it is rumored that Paul Kirchner is at work on new material for his psychedelic western Dope Rider. After all it seems that the bus' passenger is not the only one who gets caught occasionally in strange time warps... Parts of The Bus 2 material have previously been published in magazines in north America and in Europe.
Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "New Turkish Flag"
"New Turkish Flag"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=1799
In memory and solidarity with the victims of the peace march bombing in Ankara, Turkey last week.
At mass solidarity protests all over Turkey this weekend, a common chant has been "We Know The Murderers!" At the moment nobody knows 100% for sure, but between the police blocking ambulances and attacking protesters trying to aid the wounded, and the State suppression of Twitter and Facebook, it's looking like this barbarity has Erdogan's fingerprints all over it.
Mike Flugennock, flugennock at sinkers dot org
Mike's Political Cartoons: dubya dubya dubya dot sinkers dot org
That darn Doonesbury
Alvin Bales, Herndon
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-doonesbury-in-bad-taste/2015/10/09/1d3bcbfc-6c4f-11e5-91eb-27ad15c2b723_story.html
Friday, October 09, 2015
The Post helps you survive The Walking Dead
Where to live if you want to survive a zombie apocalypse: The definitive guide
Washington Post Wonkblog October 9 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/10/09/the-definitive-guide-to-where-to-live-if-you-want-to-survive-a-zombie-apocalypse-the-definitive-guide/
The Post reviews new National Lampoon documentary
'Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead' doesn't cut as sharply as the magazine did
Washington Post October 9 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/drunk-stoned-brilliant-dead-doesnt-cut-as-sharply-as-the-magazine-did/2015/10/08/85978e20-6853-11e5-9223-70cb36460919_story.html


