QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-30-08
By John Judy
ADAM STRANGE ARCHIVES, VOL. 3 HC by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, Murphy Anderson, and Others. Strange Adventures and Mysteries in Space from 1963-1967! Appropriate for all ages! Jet-packs and zap guns galore! Recommended.
BLACK SUMMER #6 by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp. If you wish to promote your comic and are given a choice between posting info on Avatar Press’s website or standing on a crowded subway platform and shouting yourself hoarse, make sure you purchase a monthly pass. Recommended. Not for kids.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER OMNIBUS, VOL. 4 SC by Various Creators. It’s 368 pages of serious slayage by the likes of Eric Powell, Christopher Golden, Ryan Sook, and “Buffy” TV scribe Doug Petrie! C’mon, that bookshelf looks sturdy!
THE COMPLETE CHESTER GOULD’S DICK TRACY, VOL. 4 HC by Chester Gould, plus an intro by Max Alan Collins and article by Mike Price. Collecting 500 strips from July 1936 through January 1938. This is what they were reading before Superman came along, kids. Recommended.
THE COMPLETE GREEN LAMA FEATURING THE ART OF MAC RABOY HC by Mac Raboy and Others. “Om Mani Padme Hum!” It’s the first four issues of the Tibetan Buddhist super-hero from World War Two! GL seems to be enjoying a revival lately courtesy of Dark Horse, Alex Ross, and trademark expiration. Why not see what started it all? Good for all ages. Recommended for fans of Raboy’s more famous work on CAPTAIN MARVEL JUNIOR. (He was Elvis’s favorite! Seriously!)
DAREDEVIL: BLOOD OF THE TARANTULA #1 by Ed Brubaker, Ande Barks, and Chris Samnee. The barely reformed Black Tarantula wants to clean up Hell’s Kitchen but that’s even harder than it sounds. It’s Brubaker so ya gotta look.
DC: UNIVERSE ZERO by Tons o’ People including Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, George Perez and more! Billions of supes for only fifty cents! What a bargain!
EX MACHINA #36 by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. The Republican National Convention is coming to New York and Mayor Hundred must deal with a new female super-hero who has a problem with that. “Oh, Hillary…!”
GIANT SIZE AVENGERS/INVADERS #1 by Roy Thomas and Many, Many Artists. It’s a huge slab of re-print material but lots of fun, almost certainly more so than the 12-issue maxi-series from Alex Ross and Friends is likely to be.
GREEN LANTERN #30 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. The secret origin of Hal Jordan continues!
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #14 by Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, and David Aja. Wrapping up all the convoluted story-lines with a huge kung-fu fight. Cue the Carl Douglas!
NEW AVENGERS #40 by Brian Michael Bendis and Jim Cheung. It’s Skrully!
THOREAU AT WALDEN HC by John Porcellino. A graphic adaptation of Thoreau’s writings by the creator of KING-CAT COMICS AND STORIES, published by the always inspirational Center for Cartoon Studies. This one’s already getting good reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal. Teens and up. Recommended.
ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 of 4 by Warren Ellis and Cary Nord. Ultimate Hulk and Iron Man punch the guy with the big head. Excelsior!
And don’t forget Free Comic Book Day next Saturday May 3rd!
www.johnjudy.net
Friday, April 25, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Jim Toomey at NOAA in Silver Spring
Jim Toomey's been running comic strips this week about finning sharks - see "Cartoonist draws on fame to help plight of sharks: ‘Sherman’s Lagoon’ creator meets with experts at NOAA for awareness campaign," by Agnes Jasinski | Staff Writer, Montgomery Gazette April 23 2008.
OT: April 27: Meet Author & Illustrator Tedd Arnold
Meet Author & Illustrator Tedd Arnold
Sunday, April 27 at 1:30 p.m.
Attention early readers! Tedd Arnold, author and illustrator of the humorous, award-winning and easy-to-read Fly Guy series, will read and talk about his newest book, Fly Guy #5: Fly High, Fly Guy! Other titles in the series include There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Fly Guy; Shoo, Fly Guy!; Super Fly Guy; and Hi! Fly Guy. Mr. Arnold also is author of Parts; More Parts; Even More Parts; Five Ugly Monsters; No Jumping On the Bed!; and No More Water in the Tub!
Ages 4-7. Please call to register.
Alina Gawlik
Aladdin's Lamp Children's Books and Other Treasures
2499 N. Harrison St.
Arlington, VA 22207
Tel 703-241-8281
Fax 703-241-8283
Email: aladlamp@speakeasy.net
STORE HOURS: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, & Saturday 10 am to 6 pm, Tuesday & Thursday 10 am to 8 pm, Sunday 11 am to 5 pm
Sunday, April 27 at 1:30 p.m.
Attention early readers! Tedd Arnold, author and illustrator of the humorous, award-winning and easy-to-read Fly Guy series, will read and talk about his newest book, Fly Guy #5: Fly High, Fly Guy! Other titles in the series include There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Fly Guy; Shoo, Fly Guy!; Super Fly Guy; and Hi! Fly Guy. Mr. Arnold also is author of Parts; More Parts; Even More Parts; Five Ugly Monsters; No Jumping On the Bed!; and No More Water in the Tub!
Ages 4-7. Please call to register.
Alina Gawlik
Aladdin's Lamp Children's Books and Other Treasures
2499 N. Harrison St.
Arlington, VA 22207
Tel 703-241-8281
Fax 703-241-8283
Email: aladlamp@speakeasy.net
STORE HOURS: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, & Saturday 10 am to 6 pm, Tuesday & Thursday 10 am to 8 pm, Sunday 11 am to 5 pm
Zadzooks video of New York ComicCon
You can see video of Stan Lee and Mike Mignola on Zadzook's Washington Times website.
May 8: KAL at National Archives
Thursday, May 8, at 7 p.m.
William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives, 9th and Pennsylvania Ave, NW
An Evening with Kevin "KAL" Kallaugher: Moving Political Cartoons from Page to Screen
Tonight, Berryman Award–winning editorial cartoonist Kevin "KAL" Kallaugher will present an illustrated lecture tracing the evolution of political cartoons from two-dimensional print to 3D animation. Kallaugher's work for the Baltimore Sun and the Economist has appeared in more than 100 publications worldwide. In 2007 he launched Kaltoons LLC, which pioneered the development of animated, 3D digital caricatures. Kaltoons' first video, Dancin' Dubya, was released on the web in August 2007. A signing of his latest collection of cartoons, KAL Draws Criticism, published in June 2006, will follow the program.
William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives, 9th and Pennsylvania Ave, NW
An Evening with Kevin "KAL" Kallaugher: Moving Political Cartoons from Page to Screen
Tonight, Berryman Award–winning editorial cartoonist Kevin "KAL" Kallaugher will present an illustrated lecture tracing the evolution of political cartoons from two-dimensional print to 3D animation. Kallaugher's work for the Baltimore Sun and the Economist has appeared in more than 100 publications worldwide. In 2007 he launched Kaltoons LLC, which pioneered the development of animated, 3D digital caricatures. Kaltoons' first video, Dancin' Dubya, was released on the web in August 2007. A signing of his latest collection of cartoons, KAL Draws Criticism, published in June 2006, will follow the program.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Amazing Fantasy #15 original Spider-Man artwork given to Library of Congress
The first appearance of Spider-Man, an 11-page story which includes his origin, now belongs to the American people. According to curator Sara Duke, an anonymous donor has given the 24 pages of original interior artwork from Amazing Fantasy #15 to the Library of Congress' Prints and Photographs division. The artwork, drawn by Steve Ditko and written by Stan Lee, first appeared in print in 1962, and is in good shape. The art has some whiteout where features of the women were modified, apparently not by Ditko, as well as pasteup word balloons. According to Sara, who called it a "lovely and generous gift," the donor checked with Ditko before donating it, and was told that since the story was a gift to him (although not from Ditko), he could do what he liked with it. The donor declined to have it appraised when giving it to the Library so the actual value of the gift is unknown, although certainly in the six figures range. Three other non-superhero stories were in the book - "The Bell-Ringer", "Man in the Mummy Case", "There are Martians among us!" - and were also donated.
Sara hopes that the Library's collection of comic book art will continue to grow with similar donations since they can't afford to buy them.
The donation has been given the accession number 2008.043. All unprocessed collections require an access to unprocessed collections request form to be filled out prior to making an appointment to see art: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/info/022_unpr.html
Members of the press should contact Donna Urschel in the Public Affairs Office, 202-707-1639.
This post has been corrected from an earlier version.
Evanier on Kirby reviewed by Rosenberg
See "Other Worlds: 'Kirby: King of Comics'," by Scott Rosenberg, online at Express April 23, 2008.
Another article on KAL's new tour
See "Cartoonist, troupe join forces for political satire," by Matt Ehlers, Staff Writer, News and Observer April 23 2008
Newspaper Guild Herbert Block Freedom Award
Dave Astor in "Another Award for Reporters Who Exposed Walter Reed Scandal," E&P Online, April 22, 2008, notes
"BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston will receive the Newspaper Guild Herbert Block Freedom Award. That honor is named after renowned Washington Post editorial cartoonist Herblock (1909-2001)."
"BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston will receive the Newspaper Guild Herbert Block Freedom Award. That honor is named after renowned Washington Post editorial cartoonist Herblock (1909-2001)."
A rare Mike non-acquistion
In the "Who buys these things?" arena, Second Story Books on Dupont Circle has the following:
"What are they?" you might ask. I did. They're Les Daniels' Batman and Superman histories with Alex Ross covers, bound in leather and unsigned, and costing $150 each at Second Story Books. I imagine they're still there, no matter when you read this.
"What are they?" you might ask. I did. They're Les Daniels' Batman and Superman histories with Alex Ross covers, bound in leather and unsigned, and costing $150 each at Second Story Books. I imagine they're still there, no matter when you read this.
Pekar book status update
The page proofs came yesterday so now I've got a pile of reading and Randy Scott's got a lot of indexing to do for the book. We've got 3 weeks to get things turned around.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Beaty on Hajdu's 10-Cents
Bart Beaty's written the first of three responses to David Hajdu's 10-Cent Plague. Bart did much of his research for his book on Wertham at the Library of Congress while living off Dupont Circle one summer, and I was able to provide him one article on Psychology of Comics that he hadn't previously seen.
Dilbert's new website covered in Post
See "Dilbert Cartoonist Challenges Readers To Outdo Punch Lines," by Mike Musgrove, Washington Post Staff Writer, Tuesday, April 22, 2008; Page D02.
PR: Cartoonist Jen Sorensen Releases New Book
Cartoonist Jen Sorensen Releases New Book
Source: Ig Publishing Press Release
For Immediate Release
April 20, 2008
Contact:
Robert Lasner
robert (at) igpub.com
(718) 797-0676
Interview requests:
Nettie Hartsock
Nettie (at) nettiehartsock.com
"Sly, quick and smart, Jen Sorensen's comic strip is nothing like its name. So don't be deceived -- Slowpoke is going places."
— Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau
Jen Sorensen, creator of the award-winning comic "Slowpoke" which appears in the Village Voice and other newsweeklies around the country, has released a new collection of her cartoons entitled Slowpoke: One Nation, Oh My God!
She kicks off her book tour on the West Coast this week with cartoon slideshows in Berkeley, Portland, and Seattle, followed by East Coast dates in New York City and Philadelphia.
The collection includes 150 of Sorensen's provocative strips and an introduction by "Tom the Dancing Bug" creator Ruben Bolling. Deploying the trademark Slowpoke brand of absurdist humor, One Nation, Oh My God! covers everything from the Antique Ideology Roadshow to the rise of virtual donuts.
"This is not just another quirky cartoon book," says Sorensen. "One Nation, Oh My God! is packed with commentary for every strip and chock full of devastatingly sophisticated and accurate political analysis. It also answers all your questions about tube socks and teledildonics."
Sorensen adds, "This book will make you wonder what a complete tool like Bill Kristol is doing on the New York Times op-ed pages instead of, well, me."
Jen's cartoons and blog can be found online at www.slowpokecomics.com
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
"Jen Sorensen is a maniacal genius, gleefully exposing the mendacity which lurks behind conventional wisdom, glib newscasters, celebrity culture, Republican doublespeak, and other ills of our age. I can't recommend her work highly enough."
— Tom Tomorrow, creator of This Modern World
"In a world that seems to get murkier by the minute, Slowpoke is a freakin' beacon of lucidity."
— Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home
"Boot-stompingly funny and progressively pointed. It skewers the bastards!"
—Jim Hightower, best-selling author and radio commentator
ABOUT JEN SORENSEN
Sorensen is one of the most widely-published female political cartoonists working today. In addition to the Village Voice, her comics and illustrations have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Ms. Magazine, The American Prospect, Legal Affairs, Funny Times, Cagle's Cartoon Index, CampusProgress.org, Nickelodeon Magazine, and dozens of alt-weeklies. She has given presentations at the first annual ACLU convention, the Center for American Progress, the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. Her work has won a Xeric Grant and first place in the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies Awards.
Jen has been drawing Slowpoke for nearly ten years. She currently lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.
BOOK TOUR
Sorensen will present her cartoons, sign books, and draw funny pictures at the following locations. Other top alt-weekly cartoonists are joining her at various stops.
4/22 – BERKELEY: Cody's Books with "Troubletown" creator Lloyd Dangle, 7pm
4/25 – PORTLAND: Powell’s on Burnside with "Idiot Box" creator Matt Bors, 7:30pm
4/26 & 4/27 – PORTLAND: Stumptown Comics Fest (at table, no presentation)
4/29 – SEATTLE: University Bookstore, U District, 7pm
5/14 – NYC: The Tank with "Tom the Dancing Bug" creator Ruben Bolling, 8pm
6/4 – PHILADELPHIA: Robin's Bookstore, 6pm
PUBLICATION INFO
Based in Brooklyn, NY, Ig Publishing is an independent press dedicated to publishing original literary fiction, and progressive political and cultural nonfiction.
Slowpoke: One Nation, Oh My God! by Jen Sorensen
Trade Paperback • $13.95 • 168 pages • 8”x 9.5”
ISBN 978-0978843168 • April 10, 2008
Published by Ig Publishing, Brooklyn, NY • www.igpub.com
Source: Ig Publishing Press Release
For Immediate Release
April 20, 2008
Contact:
Robert Lasner
robert (at) igpub.com
(718) 797-0676
Interview requests:
Nettie Hartsock
Nettie (at) nettiehartsock.com
"Sly, quick and smart, Jen Sorensen's comic strip is nothing like its name. So don't be deceived -- Slowpoke is going places."
— Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau
Jen Sorensen, creator of the award-winning comic "Slowpoke" which appears in the Village Voice and other newsweeklies around the country, has released a new collection of her cartoons entitled Slowpoke: One Nation, Oh My God!
She kicks off her book tour on the West Coast this week with cartoon slideshows in Berkeley, Portland, and Seattle, followed by East Coast dates in New York City and Philadelphia.
The collection includes 150 of Sorensen's provocative strips and an introduction by "Tom the Dancing Bug" creator Ruben Bolling. Deploying the trademark Slowpoke brand of absurdist humor, One Nation, Oh My God! covers everything from the Antique Ideology Roadshow to the rise of virtual donuts.
"This is not just another quirky cartoon book," says Sorensen. "One Nation, Oh My God! is packed with commentary for every strip and chock full of devastatingly sophisticated and accurate political analysis. It also answers all your questions about tube socks and teledildonics."
Sorensen adds, "This book will make you wonder what a complete tool like Bill Kristol is doing on the New York Times op-ed pages instead of, well, me."
Jen's cartoons and blog can be found online at www.slowpokecomics.com
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
"Jen Sorensen is a maniacal genius, gleefully exposing the mendacity which lurks behind conventional wisdom, glib newscasters, celebrity culture, Republican doublespeak, and other ills of our age. I can't recommend her work highly enough."
— Tom Tomorrow, creator of This Modern World
"In a world that seems to get murkier by the minute, Slowpoke is a freakin' beacon of lucidity."
— Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home
"Boot-stompingly funny and progressively pointed. It skewers the bastards!"
—Jim Hightower, best-selling author and radio commentator
ABOUT JEN SORENSEN
Sorensen is one of the most widely-published female political cartoonists working today. In addition to the Village Voice, her comics and illustrations have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Ms. Magazine, The American Prospect, Legal Affairs, Funny Times, Cagle's Cartoon Index, CampusProgress.org, Nickelodeon Magazine, and dozens of alt-weeklies. She has given presentations at the first annual ACLU convention, the Center for American Progress, the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. Her work has won a Xeric Grant and first place in the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies Awards.
Jen has been drawing Slowpoke for nearly ten years. She currently lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.
BOOK TOUR
Sorensen will present her cartoons, sign books, and draw funny pictures at the following locations. Other top alt-weekly cartoonists are joining her at various stops.
4/22 – BERKELEY: Cody's Books with "Troubletown" creator Lloyd Dangle, 7pm
4/25 – PORTLAND: Powell’s on Burnside with "Idiot Box" creator Matt Bors, 7:30pm
4/26 & 4/27 – PORTLAND: Stumptown Comics Fest (at table, no presentation)
4/29 – SEATTLE: University Bookstore, U District, 7pm
5/14 – NYC: The Tank with "Tom the Dancing Bug" creator Ruben Bolling, 8pm
6/4 – PHILADELPHIA: Robin's Bookstore, 6pm
PUBLICATION INFO
Based in Brooklyn, NY, Ig Publishing is an independent press dedicated to publishing original literary fiction, and progressive political and cultural nonfiction.
Slowpoke: One Nation, Oh My God! by Jen Sorensen
Trade Paperback • $13.95 • 168 pages • 8”x 9.5”
ISBN 978-0978843168 • April 10, 2008
Published by Ig Publishing, Brooklyn, NY • www.igpub.com
Comic book creator Jim Dougan writes in
Jim Dougan's allowed me to reprint his email to me, because he's done a lot of work and provided links for it.
"I thought you might be interested to know that there's another comics creator in Washington, DC.
In 2006, I self-published the DC-based comedy graphic novella CRAZY PAPERS, drawn by Danielle (GIRLS WITH SLINGSHOTS) Corsetto, which you can buy at Big Planet, Fantom
Comics which carries the book at both the Tenleytown and Union Station locations (Matt Klokel has been a strong supporter of CP) or Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Papers-Jim-Dougan/dp/097778780X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208183405&sr=8-1
It was reviewed fairly well in a variety of places, and even Tom Spurgeon didn't hate it. I was also interviewed by Arion Berger in the Washington Post Express in October 2006, but that's only available as a PDF, so I'll spare you.
Reviews, updates and other things can be found at my LiveJournal:
http://chatterbox-dc.livejournal.com
I was also one of the founding members of the comics collective THE CHEMISTRY SET (http://www.chemsetcomics.com).
At the Chemistry Set, you can see my stories, most of which have appeared in Desperado Publishing's NEGATIVE BURN anthology.
VULTURE GULCH: A LITTLE FRIENDLY ADVICE
Drawn by Eric Kim
Appeared in NEGATIVE BURN #7
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/vulture-gulch/vulture-gulch-a-little-friendly-advice/
COME THE DAWN
Drawn by Hyeondo Park
Appeared in NEGATIVE BURN #8
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/other-stories/come-the-dawn/
REST STOP
Co-written with Dean Haspiel, Drawn by Michel Fiffe
Appeared in NEGATIVE BURN #9
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/other-stories/rest-stop/
THE GENTLEMAN
Drawn by Umberto Torricelli
Appeared in NEGATIVE BURN #16
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/other-stories/the-gentleman/
OSCAR CHAVEZ, MACHISMO MONITOR
Drawn by Roger Langridge (yes, THAT Roger Langridge)
Appeared in NEGATIVE BURN #18
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/other-stories/machismo-monitor/
THE BIG FAT NOON
Drawn by Michel Fiffe
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/vulture-gulch/vulture-gulch-the-big-fat-noon/
HOW I LOST MY S#?! AT THE APPLE STORE
Drawn by Molly Lawless (from Northern VA!)
Currently continuing, in process…
Page 1:
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/2008/04/15/how-i-lost-my-s-at-the-apple-store-page-one/
Page 2:
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/2008/04/22/how-i-lost-my-sh-at-the-apple-store-page-two/
I'm the editor of the first volume of the print collection from the site, entitled NO FORMULA, which will be published by Desperado Publishing, and will be in the June Previews for release in August of this year. Keep an eye out!
Oh, and last and certainly not least, my comic SAM & LILAH, (a romance/adventure set in DC) drawn by Hyeondo Park, was in the March 2008 Zuda competition, and can be seen here:
http://www.zudacomics.com/node/320
We came in 4th, but announced immediately thereafter we would be taking S&L to ACT-I-VATE, the webcomics site started by Dean Haspiel and others, in May:
http://www.activatecomix.com
This weekend at NYCC, I was at the Zuda panel, did signings at the DC booth, etc. I may even submit something else down the road.
Whew! There's more in the works, but this is all for now."
I'll be picking up his book at Big Planet tomorrow. Support your local inkslinger!
"I thought you might be interested to know that there's another comics creator in Washington, DC.
In 2006, I self-published the DC-based comedy graphic novella CRAZY PAPERS, drawn by Danielle (GIRLS WITH SLINGSHOTS) Corsetto, which you can buy at Big Planet, Fantom
Comics which carries the book at both the Tenleytown and Union Station locations (Matt Klokel has been a strong supporter of CP) or Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Papers-Jim-Dougan/dp/097778780X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208183405&sr=8-1
It was reviewed fairly well in a variety of places, and even Tom Spurgeon didn't hate it. I was also interviewed by Arion Berger in the Washington Post Express in October 2006, but that's only available as a PDF, so I'll spare you.
Reviews, updates and other things can be found at my LiveJournal:
http://chatterbox-dc.livejournal.com
I was also one of the founding members of the comics collective THE CHEMISTRY SET (http://www.chemsetcomics.com).
At the Chemistry Set, you can see my stories, most of which have appeared in Desperado Publishing's NEGATIVE BURN anthology.
VULTURE GULCH: A LITTLE FRIENDLY ADVICE
Drawn by Eric Kim
Appeared in NEGATIVE BURN #7
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/vulture-gulch/vulture-gulch-a-little-friendly-advice/
COME THE DAWN
Drawn by Hyeondo Park
Appeared in NEGATIVE BURN #8
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/other-stories/come-the-dawn/
REST STOP
Co-written with Dean Haspiel, Drawn by Michel Fiffe
Appeared in NEGATIVE BURN #9
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/other-stories/rest-stop/
THE GENTLEMAN
Drawn by Umberto Torricelli
Appeared in NEGATIVE BURN #16
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/other-stories/the-gentleman/
OSCAR CHAVEZ, MACHISMO MONITOR
Drawn by Roger Langridge (yes, THAT Roger Langridge)
Appeared in NEGATIVE BURN #18
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/other-stories/machismo-monitor/
THE BIG FAT NOON
Drawn by Michel Fiffe
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/vulture-gulch-other-stories/vulture-gulch/vulture-gulch-the-big-fat-noon/
HOW I LOST MY S#?! AT THE APPLE STORE
Drawn by Molly Lawless (from Northern VA!)
Currently continuing, in process…
Page 1:
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/2008/04/15/how-i-lost-my-s-at-the-apple-store-page-one/
Page 2:
http://www.chemsetcomics.com/2008/04/22/how-i-lost-my-sh-at-the-apple-store-page-two/
I'm the editor of the first volume of the print collection from the site, entitled NO FORMULA, which will be published by Desperado Publishing, and will be in the June Previews for release in August of this year. Keep an eye out!
Oh, and last and certainly not least, my comic SAM & LILAH, (a romance/adventure set in DC) drawn by Hyeondo Park, was in the March 2008 Zuda competition, and can be seen here:
http://www.zudacomics.com/node/320
We came in 4th, but announced immediately thereafter we would be taking S&L to ACT-I-VATE, the webcomics site started by Dean Haspiel and others, in May:
http://www.activatecomix.com
This weekend at NYCC, I was at the Zuda panel, did signings at the DC booth, etc. I may even submit something else down the road.
Whew! There's more in the works, but this is all for now."
I'll be picking up his book at Big Planet tomorrow. Support your local inkslinger!
Herblock exhibit - National Portrait Gallery press release
"Herblock's Presidents: 'Puncturing Pomposity'" Opens at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery May 2
As the nation moves toward electing its 44th president, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery is opening an exhibition of the political cartoons of Herbert Lawrence Block (1909-2001), known by the pen name "Herblock." In "Herblock's Presidents: 'Puncturing Pomposity,'" 40 political cartoons demonstrate the witty, biting humor of the cartoonist who appeared in American newspapers for more than seven decades.
(Media-Newswire.com) - As the nation moves toward electing its 44th president, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery is opening an exhibition of the political cartoons of Herbert Lawrence Block ( 1909–2001 ), known by the pen name "Herblock." In "Herblock's Presidents: 'Puncturing Pomposity,'" 40 political cartoons demonstrate the witty, biting humor of the cartoonist who appeared in American newspapers for more than seven decades. The cartoons featured in the exhibition were selected from the collections of the Library of Congress. The exhibition demonstrates that none of the 11 presidents who held office during his career escaped his criticism. "Herblock's Presidents: Puncturing Pomposity" will be on view through Nov. 30.
"There are many talented political cartoonists today, some of whom are included in the National Portrait Gallery's collection," said Carolyn K. Carr, acting director of the National Portrait Gallery. "However, Herblock remains unmatched in his ability to craft a subtle visual metaphor."
Herblock's cartoons were never ambivalent or balanced but always expressive of a distinct political point of view; they were always clear in meaning and direct in expression. Herblock's first political cartoon appeared in the Chicago Daily News in1929. He was an editorial cartoonist with the Newspaper Enterprise Association from 1933 to 1943 and, after serving in the army, joined The Washington Post in 1946. Maintaining editorial independence for most of his newspaper career, Herblock won three Pulitzer Prizes in 1942, 1954 and 1979 and shared one more with the Washington Post in 1973 for its coverage of Watergate. Also, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994. Besides the cartoons, Herblock's awards—including his first Pulitzer Prize—and his drawing tools also will be exhibited.
The exhibition includes his depictions of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. While Herblock was generally unsympathetic to Republican presidents, Democrats such as Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton did not escape his wrath. He consistently attacked any president he felt was insensitive to the "underdog." The show offers a rare opportunity for visitors to see how one of America's greatest political cartoonists viewed the American presidency for much of the 20th century.
An additional element of the exhibition is a computer touch screen that will allow visitors to further explore Herblock's presidents. These virtual digital images are organized along such topics as presidential scandals, domestic policy and war.
The exhibition was organized by Sidney Hart, historian at the National Portrait Gallery.
This exhibition has been made possible by a generous grant from The Herb Block Foundation.
The National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery tells the stories of America through the individuals who have shaped its culture. Through the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists who speak American history.
The National Portrait Gallery opened to the public in 1968. The museum's collection of nearly 20,000 works includes paintings, sculpture, photographs, drawings and new media. Located at Eighth and F streets N.W., Washington, D.C., it is open every day, except Dec. 25, from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Smithsonian information: ( 202 ) 633-1000; ( 202 ) 633-5285 ( TTY ). Web site: www.npg.si.edu.
As the nation moves toward electing its 44th president, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery is opening an exhibition of the political cartoons of Herbert Lawrence Block (1909-2001), known by the pen name "Herblock." In "Herblock's Presidents: 'Puncturing Pomposity,'" 40 political cartoons demonstrate the witty, biting humor of the cartoonist who appeared in American newspapers for more than seven decades.
(Media-Newswire.com) - As the nation moves toward electing its 44th president, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery is opening an exhibition of the political cartoons of Herbert Lawrence Block ( 1909–2001 ), known by the pen name "Herblock." In "Herblock's Presidents: 'Puncturing Pomposity,'" 40 political cartoons demonstrate the witty, biting humor of the cartoonist who appeared in American newspapers for more than seven decades. The cartoons featured in the exhibition were selected from the collections of the Library of Congress. The exhibition demonstrates that none of the 11 presidents who held office during his career escaped his criticism. "Herblock's Presidents: Puncturing Pomposity" will be on view through Nov. 30.
"There are many talented political cartoonists today, some of whom are included in the National Portrait Gallery's collection," said Carolyn K. Carr, acting director of the National Portrait Gallery. "However, Herblock remains unmatched in his ability to craft a subtle visual metaphor."
Herblock's cartoons were never ambivalent or balanced but always expressive of a distinct political point of view; they were always clear in meaning and direct in expression. Herblock's first political cartoon appeared in the Chicago Daily News in1929. He was an editorial cartoonist with the Newspaper Enterprise Association from 1933 to 1943 and, after serving in the army, joined The Washington Post in 1946. Maintaining editorial independence for most of his newspaper career, Herblock won three Pulitzer Prizes in 1942, 1954 and 1979 and shared one more with the Washington Post in 1973 for its coverage of Watergate. Also, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994. Besides the cartoons, Herblock's awards—including his first Pulitzer Prize—and his drawing tools also will be exhibited.
The exhibition includes his depictions of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. While Herblock was generally unsympathetic to Republican presidents, Democrats such as Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton did not escape his wrath. He consistently attacked any president he felt was insensitive to the "underdog." The show offers a rare opportunity for visitors to see how one of America's greatest political cartoonists viewed the American presidency for much of the 20th century.
An additional element of the exhibition is a computer touch screen that will allow visitors to further explore Herblock's presidents. These virtual digital images are organized along such topics as presidential scandals, domestic policy and war.
The exhibition was organized by Sidney Hart, historian at the National Portrait Gallery.
This exhibition has been made possible by a generous grant from The Herb Block Foundation.
The National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery tells the stories of America through the individuals who have shaped its culture. Through the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists who speak American history.
The National Portrait Gallery opened to the public in 1968. The museum's collection of nearly 20,000 works includes paintings, sculpture, photographs, drawings and new media. Located at Eighth and F streets N.W., Washington, D.C., it is open every day, except Dec. 25, from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Smithsonian information: ( 202 ) 633-1000; ( 202 ) 633-5285 ( TTY ). Web site: www.npg.si.edu.
New Flugennock cartoon!
DC's own anarchist cartoonist is at it again - see "Mike Flugennock Presents Another Damn' Election Cartoon," by Mike Flugennock, Monday Apr 21st, 2008 4:36 PM. I just love his stuff - and unfortunately this one is right on target.
Hatfield and Fischer - Siskel and Ebert? Nah.
My buddies Charles Hatfield and Craig Fischer are interviewed by Chris Mautner in "Everyone's A Critic: An interview with the Thought Balloonist guys," Sunday April 20, 2008.
Earth Day in the comic strips
King Features Syndicate cartoonists did Earth Day strips today. Dave Astor's got the story.
In the Washington Post, one can see Mutts (themed strips all week since last Sunday), On the Fastrack, Curtis, Hagar the Horrible, Amazing Spider-Man (just a blurb), Blondie, Mark Trail, Dennis the Menace, The Family Circus, Frazz, Mother Goose and Grimmm, Sally Forth, Beetle Bailey, Zits, Prickly city, Judge Parker, Baby Blues and Zippy the Pinhead.
In the Washington Times, one can see Crock, Mallard Fillmore and Bizarro. Funky Winkerbean just had a sign on the school's notice board for its Earth Day strip.
In the Washington Post, one can see Mutts (themed strips all week since last Sunday), On the Fastrack, Curtis, Hagar the Horrible, Amazing Spider-Man (just a blurb), Blondie, Mark Trail, Dennis the Menace, The Family Circus, Frazz, Mother Goose and Grimmm, Sally Forth, Beetle Bailey, Zits, Prickly city, Judge Parker, Baby Blues and Zippy the Pinhead.
In the Washington Times, one can see Crock, Mallard Fillmore and Bizarro. Funky Winkerbean just had a sign on the school's notice board for its Earth Day strip.
Monday, April 21, 2008
April 26: Big Planet Comics Iron Man Movie Party
Joel Pollack writes in about a...
Big Planet Comics Iron Man Movie Party
Join us Saturday April 26th at 3:00 pm in our Bethesda store for an Iron Man Movie party. We will be giving away many prizes to celebrate what looks to be an awesome movie. We will be holding a homemade Iron Man Costume Contest, and an Iron Man Trivia Contest. Prizes will be awarded to every participant who enters the contests, and a Grand Prize will be awarded to the overall winner. Actually making an Iron Man costume will count heavily towards winning the Grand Prize. Children are especially encouraged to make costumes. And everyone who shows up to the party will get something. Test your Iron Man knowledge in our trivia contest, or just come hang out and watch everyone have a great time.
Prizes will include Iron Man Movie Posters, Iron Man Toys, Iron Man comics, Big Planet Gift Certificates, and an Iron Man Statue.
The Grand Prize will be:
· A VIP Row for the winner and 10 friends to the Washington DC advance screening of IRON MAN on Tuesday, April 29, and the official IRON MAN video game for XBOX 360.
Saturday April 26th 3:00 pm
Big Planet Bethesda
4908 Fairmont Ave.
301.654.6856
www.bigplanetcomics.com
Kevin Rechin's latest work
Kevin did the maps for the Newseum (which I haven't seen, but they aren't cartoons), and he's now doing cartoons ads for Lottery for the subway station at the new Nationals ballpark. Hopefully he'll let me know when they're up because I won't be at that station for any other reason.
Washington Times on Hajdu's Ten-Cent Plague
See "When nation fought its war against comic books," By Stephen Goode, Washington Times April 20, 2008.
June 28: Crafty Bastards fair in Silver Spring
The Washington City Paper's crafts fair has gone bi-annual. There's usually cartoonists selling material of one sort or another.
Examiner covers New York Comic-Con
See "Costumed crusaders hit Big Apple," by Jeremy Monken, The Examiner Apr 21, 2008. It's on page 22 of the print edition. There's also a sidebar "Comic cinema."
So, who's Monken? A new comics columnist for the Examiner, replacing Rosenberg and Truitt of years gone by?
So, who's Monken? A new comics columnist for the Examiner, replacing Rosenberg and Truitt of years gone by?
Stan Lee interview on Express website
See "Still a Marvel: Stan Lee," posted by Scott Rosenberg at 7:14 AM on April 21, 2008/
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Zadzooks on Scholastic's Pickles
See "Great Pickle's food fight with evil vegetable cabal," By Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times April 19, 2008. This is a comic by Scott Morse. He also reviews The Twelve from Marvel.
KAL and Second City taking it on the road
Alan at the Daily Cartoonist has posted a story that Baltimore's KAL and Second City comedy troupe are taking the Art of Satire on the road as a live variety show.
KAL, let go by the Baltimore Sun several years ago in a move of stunning ignorance, continues to reinvent himself and the definition of cartoonist. Let's hope this comes to the DC area. You can sign up on the website to be notified of where KAL's appearing.
KAL, let go by the Baltimore Sun several years ago in a move of stunning ignorance, continues to reinvent himself and the definition of cartoonist. Let's hope this comes to the DC area. You can sign up on the website to be notified of where KAL's appearing.
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-23-08
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-23-08
By John Judy
AVENGERS: KREE-SKRULL WAR SC by Roy Thomas, Neal Adams, and the Buscema Bros. (John & Sal). A new printing of a timeless classic coinciding with the current Marvel “Secret Invasion” storyline. Remember: If you don’t know who the Skrull is in the room, it’s YOU!
BATMAN #675 by Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel. Warming up for “Batman: R.I.P.” in which Bucky becomes Batman.
COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS #1 by Various Short-Straw Holders. Our long national nightmare is over.
DAREDEVIL, VOL.2: HELL TO PAY SC by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. Collecting DD #100-105 in which Matt Murdock’s life falls apart again and again. Honestly, he envies Spider-Man, the tsuris is that bad…
DEATH OF THE NEW GODS #8 of 8 by Jim Starlin and Jim Starlin. It’s the Starlinest!
HULK #3 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. It’s the Hulk vs. the Abomination even though one’s red and the other’s dead! Hey, if it made sense it wouldn’t be Marvel! You tell the Hulk he’s not an “Autumn!” I dare ya!
HULK VS. HERCULES: WHEN TITANS COLLIDE #1 by Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, and Leonard Kirk. A monograph on grain production quotas as they may affect fuel prices in former Soviet Bloc nations next quarter. Don’t let the title fool ya, True Believer!
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #20 by Dwayne McDuffie and Ethan Van Sciver. The Flash and Wonder Woman are trapped in a giant bee hive with honey being poured all over them. Years of therapy begin here!!!
MIGHTY AVENGERS #12 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. So what does Nick Fury think about all this Skrull “Secret Invasion” to-do? And what about the whole “Hasselhoff/Samuel L. Jackson” controversy? And if Bucky gets a bionic arm why can’t Nick Fury get a bionic eye? Or at least a good razor and some nicotine gum? Okay, I think I’ve given away enough…
NORTHLANDERS #5 by Brian Wood and David Gianfelice. It’s the secret origin of Prince Sven the Uber-Viking! Highly recommended!
PREVIEWS from Diamond and Marvel Comics.
SHE-HULK #28 by Peter David and Val Semeiks. Worth it just for the Eisner “Spirit” tribute cover by Mike Deodato. Honest.
SPIRIT #16 by Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragones, and Paul Smith. It’s murder at the movie studio and contract talks have barely begun!
THOR #8 by J. Michael Straczynski and Marco Djurdjevic. Thor-Sleepy Time is over and it’s back to work: Ruling New Asgard and bringing the hammer down on anyone who thinks looking like an eighties hair-rocker makes you a sissy! Recommended!
UNCANNY X-MEN #497 by Ed Brubaker and Michael Choi. Archangel, Cyclops, and the White Queen battle the menace of San Francisco retro clothing! Another trippy cover from the House of Ideas.
Okay, honestly while there us certainly some quality stuff out this week it’s still a little thin. Why not fill the gap by picking up the first and second paperbacks of either SCALPED by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera and/or CRIMINAL by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips?
You’ll be glad you did.
And don’t forget: Free Comic Book Day next Saturday May 3rd!
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
AVENGERS: KREE-SKRULL WAR SC by Roy Thomas, Neal Adams, and the Buscema Bros. (John & Sal). A new printing of a timeless classic coinciding with the current Marvel “Secret Invasion” storyline. Remember: If you don’t know who the Skrull is in the room, it’s YOU!
BATMAN #675 by Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel. Warming up for “Batman: R.I.P.” in which Bucky becomes Batman.
COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS #1 by Various Short-Straw Holders. Our long national nightmare is over.
DAREDEVIL, VOL.2: HELL TO PAY SC by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. Collecting DD #100-105 in which Matt Murdock’s life falls apart again and again. Honestly, he envies Spider-Man, the tsuris is that bad…
DEATH OF THE NEW GODS #8 of 8 by Jim Starlin and Jim Starlin. It’s the Starlinest!
HULK #3 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. It’s the Hulk vs. the Abomination even though one’s red and the other’s dead! Hey, if it made sense it wouldn’t be Marvel! You tell the Hulk he’s not an “Autumn!” I dare ya!
HULK VS. HERCULES: WHEN TITANS COLLIDE #1 by Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, and Leonard Kirk. A monograph on grain production quotas as they may affect fuel prices in former Soviet Bloc nations next quarter. Don’t let the title fool ya, True Believer!
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #20 by Dwayne McDuffie and Ethan Van Sciver. The Flash and Wonder Woman are trapped in a giant bee hive with honey being poured all over them. Years of therapy begin here!!!
MIGHTY AVENGERS #12 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. So what does Nick Fury think about all this Skrull “Secret Invasion” to-do? And what about the whole “Hasselhoff/Samuel L. Jackson” controversy? And if Bucky gets a bionic arm why can’t Nick Fury get a bionic eye? Or at least a good razor and some nicotine gum? Okay, I think I’ve given away enough…
NORTHLANDERS #5 by Brian Wood and David Gianfelice. It’s the secret origin of Prince Sven the Uber-Viking! Highly recommended!
PREVIEWS from Diamond and Marvel Comics.
SHE-HULK #28 by Peter David and Val Semeiks. Worth it just for the Eisner “Spirit” tribute cover by Mike Deodato. Honest.
SPIRIT #16 by Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragones, and Paul Smith. It’s murder at the movie studio and contract talks have barely begun!
THOR #8 by J. Michael Straczynski and Marco Djurdjevic. Thor-Sleepy Time is over and it’s back to work: Ruling New Asgard and bringing the hammer down on anyone who thinks looking like an eighties hair-rocker makes you a sissy! Recommended!
UNCANNY X-MEN #497 by Ed Brubaker and Michael Choi. Archangel, Cyclops, and the White Queen battle the menace of San Francisco retro clothing! Another trippy cover from the House of Ideas.
Okay, honestly while there us certainly some quality stuff out this week it’s still a little thin. Why not fill the gap by picking up the first and second paperbacks of either SCALPED by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera and/or CRIMINAL by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips?
You’ll be glad you did.
And don’t forget: Free Comic Book Day next Saturday May 3rd!
www.johnjudy.net
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Telnaes on what a Pulitzer Prize meant to her
See "Past Pulitzer Winners Describe What It Meant to Them," by Dave Astor, Editor and Publisher, April 18, 2008.
Should we switch to stalking Ms. Telnaes as opposed to Richard "Cul de Sac" Thompson? After all, he may be a dead-end! Hahahahahahha!
Sorry, not enough sleep. Rest assured, we're sticking with Our Man Richard.
Should we switch to stalking Ms. Telnaes as opposed to Richard "Cul de Sac" Thompson? After all, he may be a dead-end! Hahahahahahha!
Sorry, not enough sleep. Rest assured, we're sticking with Our Man Richard.
Staake comic strip contest in Style Invitational
Today's Post has a contest based on three comic strips drawn by Bob Staake - Week 761: Strip Mining, Saturday, April 19, 2008; Page C02. Remember, you don't have to live in DC to enter the contest.
Ann Telnaes spoke in NYC this week
Dave Astor has the story at Editor and Publisher. Remember her editorial cartoon animations are appearing twice weekly in the Post.
And Trina Robbins will be reviewing the Sex and Sensibility exhibit that Telnaes appears in for the next issue of the International Journal of Comic Art, which has a new issue available now in spite of the website's datedness.
And Trina Robbins will be reviewing the Sex and Sensibility exhibit that Telnaes appears in for the next issue of the International Journal of Comic Art, which has a new issue available now in spite of the website's datedness.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Post chat transcripts of Rubino and Martinbrough online
You can read the hour-long q&a's at
Comics: Drawing 'Noir' and New York Comic Con
Gangsters, Superheros and Other Creatures of the Underworld
Shawn Martinbrough
Illustrator and Author, 'How to Draw Noir Comics'
Friday, April 18, 2008; 12:00 PM
and
Meet the Comics Pages: Tony Rubino, Cartoonist -- "Daddy's Home"
Friday, April 18, 2008; 1:00 PM.
I sent a couple of questions in to the Rubino chat early as ComicsDC that he answered.
Comics: Drawing 'Noir' and New York Comic Con
Gangsters, Superheros and Other Creatures of the Underworld
Shawn Martinbrough
Illustrator and Author, 'How to Draw Noir Comics'
Friday, April 18, 2008; 12:00 PM
and
Meet the Comics Pages: Tony Rubino, Cartoonist -- "Daddy's Home"
Friday, April 18, 2008; 1:00 PM.
I sent a couple of questions in to the Rubino chat early as ComicsDC that he answered.
Wash Post on Simpsons
One great thing about the Post, and sadly few other American newspapers, is that they're still staffing foreign bureaus. Yesterday they ran their own original reporting on the Simpsons evolving foreign policy crisis - "D'oh! 'Simpsons' Again Angers South Americans," By Monte Reel, Washington Post Foreign Service, Thursday, April 17, 2008; A18.
Later in the day, they ran this wire service report on their website -
"`The Simpsons' return on Venezuela television," The Associated Press, Thursday, April 17, 2008.
Later in the day, they ran this wire service report on their website -
"`The Simpsons' return on Venezuela television," The Associated Press, Thursday, April 17, 2008.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Best of DC 2008 - Richard Thompson is Best Cartoonist!
From Washington City Paper's 2008 Best of DC (April 18, 2008)...
Best Cartoonist - Richard Thompson!
...and the crowd goes wild!
Mark Athitakis has a nice writeup of Richard's virtues. The WCP also selected this site as...
Best (Comic) Art Blogger - ComicsDC
Thank you very much! That's very kind, especially after I beat up on the WCP so much this past year about their comics losses. I now feel a very teensy bit guilty. Teensy though.
Both of these were spotted by my friend and houseguest Nick "The System of Comics" Nguyen.
Best Cartoonist - Richard Thompson!
...and the crowd goes wild!
Mark Athitakis has a nice writeup of Richard's virtues. The WCP also selected this site as...
Best (Comic) Art Blogger - ComicsDC
Thank you very much! That's very kind, especially after I beat up on the WCP so much this past year about their comics losses. I now feel a very teensy bit guilty. Teensy though.
Both of these were spotted by my friend and houseguest Nick "The System of Comics" Nguyen.
Eisner's PS Magazine scanned and online at VCU Library
Virginia Commonwealth University of Richmond has scanned and posted 162 issues of PS Magazine, Will Eisner's military training comic book.
Bob Andelman will be interviewing the librarian in charge of the project Cindy Jackson, as well as the author of the upcoming book, Will Eisner & PS Magazine, Paul Fitzgerald, on FRIDAY, APRIL 18 at 1 p.m. The URL is: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mrmedia/2008/04/18/Cindy-Jackson-and-Paul-Fitzgerald-WILL-EISNER-PS-MAGAZINE-VCU-librarian-and-author-Mr-Media and you can participate in a simultaneous web chat or call in and ask the experts your own questions at (646) 595-3135.
VCU's library is also the home of Tom Inge's comic book collection.
Bob Andelman will be interviewing the librarian in charge of the project Cindy Jackson, as well as the author of the upcoming book, Will Eisner & PS Magazine, Paul Fitzgerald, on FRIDAY, APRIL 18 at 1 p.m. The URL is: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mrmedia/2008/04/18/Cindy-Jackson-and-Paul-Fitzgerald-WILL-EISNER-PS-MAGAZINE-VCU-librarian-and-author-Mr-Media and you can participate in a simultaneous web chat or call in and ask the experts your own questions at (646) 595-3135.
VCU's library is also the home of Tom Inge's comic book collection.
April 25: Tony Rubino on Washington Post chat
Join Washington Post Comics page editor Suzanne Tobin on Friday, April 18 at 1 p.m. ET for a discussion with "Daddy's Home" creator Tony Rubino at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/04/15/DI2008041502007.html.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/04/15/DI2008041502007.html.
Comic by D.C. natives launches at NYC Comic Con
Arthur Delaney writes in "myself and three other D.C. natives are launching our DIY comic NANOMAN: THE POST - HUMAN PROMETHEUS at the NYC Comic Con this weekend. What we've got right now is a 52 page "beta" book. Check out our website: www.NewAmericanGraphicNovels.com."
Best of luck with your new comic book, Arthur, and we look forward to hearing more about it.
Best of luck with your new comic book, Arthur, and we look forward to hearing more about it.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Ex-Express reporter Rosenberg on NYC comic events
Scott Rosenberg's got a couple of articles in his new paper AM NY - see his Ten-Cent Plague review at "Curse of the comics," by Scott A. Rosenberg, April 15, 2008 and "An iFanboy guide to Surviving Comic Con," by Scott A. Rosenberg, April 15, 2008.
Oliphant exhibit coverage from television
There's a video here too -- "Political Cartoonist, Presidential Candidates Appear In D.C.," NBC 4 April 15, 2008.
The exhibit is excellent by the way. More details to follow.
The exhibit is excellent by the way. More details to follow.
Wuerker cartoon offends Californians
See "Perspectives on Heston and heaven," Readers' Representative Journal (April 15 2008) in which the article starts, "Bob Smith of Glendale calls him Chuck Heston -- he knew the man for 20 years and spent time with him at the L.A. Tennis Club -- and was horrified to see the Matt Wuerker cartoon in The Times' opinion pages on April 8."
Matt, Matt, Matt...
Matt, Matt, Matt...
Washington writer reviews new gag comics book on Nazis
See "Is It Kosher To Laugh At Swastikas?," by Menachem Wecker, Jewish Press April 9, 2008 for his review of We Have Ways of Making You Laugh: 120 Funny Swastika Cartoons by Sam Gross.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Oliphant exhibit opening photos
Here's a link - at some point, I'll put the best up here with labels.
April Previews, or What does Mike order?
I don't know if anybody cares, but I always appreciated it when Bart Beaty did his satirical lists, Send Info, from Previews, and then Rodrigo Baeza does his serious ones. So here's what I'm ordering this month.
Herbie Archive, p. 31
Kyle Baker's Nat Turner sc
Joe Kubert biography - Man of Rock, p. 287
Matt Madden and Jessica Able's Drawing Words and Pictures, p. 291
Donald Duck Family - Dan Jippes
Comics Comics 4, p. 328
Gary Giani on Prince Valiant, p. 398
Dark Knight novel (I've got a childhood fondness for superhero novels, for no good reason),
Superheroes! Capes and Crusaders in Comics and Films book by Roz Kaveney, p. 401
Neil Gaiman's The Dangerous Alphabet, p. 405
If I missed anything, let me know!
Herbie Archive, p. 31
Kyle Baker's Nat Turner sc
Joe Kubert biography - Man of Rock, p. 287
Matt Madden and Jessica Able's Drawing Words and Pictures, p. 291
Donald Duck Family - Dan Jippes
Comics Comics 4, p. 328
Gary Giani on Prince Valiant, p. 398
Dark Knight novel (I've got a childhood fondness for superhero novels, for no good reason),
Superheroes! Capes and Crusaders in Comics and Films book by Roz Kaveney, p. 401
Neil Gaiman's The Dangerous Alphabet, p. 405
If I missed anything, let me know!
Oliphant Exhibit in Washington, DC press release
Oliphant Exhibit in Washington, DC
Kansas City, MO (04/08/2008) Editorial cartoonist Pat Oliphant’s exhibit, "Leadership: Oliphant Cartoons and Sculpture from the Bush Years" will be on display April 15 through July 15, 2008 at the Stanford University Washington Center Art Gallery in Washington, DC.
The exhibit is based on a collection of Oliphant’s work in his recently released book, "Leadership: Political Cartoons – The Bush Years" from Andrews McMeel Publishing.
A review of the book on Comicsreporter.com called Oliphant a "...legend who still rushes at his targets knives out, no apologies. He also draws extremely well. After reading so many newspaper cartoons where it seems the reader is expected to compensate for odd stylistic choices and a lack of craft, reading a bunch of Oliphant is like moving mid-bite from vanilla wafers to rum-laced chocolate cheesecake. He's one of the few cartoonists in that field who can communicate -- and punish -- with the quality of his art alone."
The Stanford University Washington Center Art Gallery is located in the Sant Building at 2655 Connecticut Ave., NW in Washington, DC. For questions about the museum or the exhibit, please call 202.332.6235.
For more of Pat Oliphant’s work, visit: http://www.gocomics.com.
Kansas City, MO (04/08/2008) Editorial cartoonist Pat Oliphant’s exhibit, "Leadership: Oliphant Cartoons and Sculpture from the Bush Years" will be on display April 15 through July 15, 2008 at the Stanford University Washington Center Art Gallery in Washington, DC.
The exhibit is based on a collection of Oliphant’s work in his recently released book, "Leadership: Political Cartoons – The Bush Years" from Andrews McMeel Publishing.
A review of the book on Comicsreporter.com called Oliphant a "...legend who still rushes at his targets knives out, no apologies. He also draws extremely well. After reading so many newspaper cartoons where it seems the reader is expected to compensate for odd stylistic choices and a lack of craft, reading a bunch of Oliphant is like moving mid-bite from vanilla wafers to rum-laced chocolate cheesecake. He's one of the few cartoonists in that field who can communicate -- and punish -- with the quality of his art alone."
The Stanford University Washington Center Art Gallery is located in the Sant Building at 2655 Connecticut Ave., NW in Washington, DC. For questions about the museum or the exhibit, please call 202.332.6235.
For more of Pat Oliphant’s work, visit: http://www.gocomics.com.
Jeff Kinney podcast
Continuing our coverage of the ex-University of Maryland cartoonist, the Free Library of Philadelphia has a downloadable mp3 of his talk to them from April 12th.
Persepolis editors from Alexandria
See "Anjali Singh: Rooting for good books—graphic or prose," by Calvin Reid, Publishers Weekly, 4/14/2008, and she's got a couple of other comics titles that she acquired too.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Animator Lisa Henson profiled in Sunday's Post
On the kid's page - "Familiar Name, Different View," Washington Post Sunday, April 13, 2008; Page M16. The article by Brenna Maloney starts, "It took two years of huffing and puffing, but Lisa Henson, one of the producers of the animated comedy "Unstable Fables: 3 Pigs and a Baby," finally blew the house down."
Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose
This Feiffer cartoon dropped out of a book I was buying. I was amazed at its timeliness - he's still got it!
Keep reading...
A little further...
Actually, below is the real unmodified cartoon - from the New Republic of October 15, 1972. Sad, isn't it? You can make almost a one-for-one switch of wartime scandals.
But at least we've still got Jules Feiffer to kick around! And my apologies to him for the liberties I took with his cartoon to make a point that should be obvious. And I apologize to everyone for misspelling Guantanamo, but I'm even sorrier that the whole world is familiar with how to spell an obscure American naval base's name.
Keep reading...
A little further...
Actually, below is the real unmodified cartoon - from the New Republic of October 15, 1972. Sad, isn't it? You can make almost a one-for-one switch of wartime scandals.
But at least we've still got Jules Feiffer to kick around! And my apologies to him for the liberties I took with his cartoon to make a point that should be obvious. And I apologize to everyone for misspelling Guantanamo, but I'm even sorrier that the whole world is familiar with how to spell an obscure American naval base's name.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
A little bit of New York(er) in DC
While waiting for the American Empire talk, I noticed this rack of New Yorker cartoon cards in Politics and Prose. Bob Mankoff has done an amazing job at making money for both cartoonists and the magazine, hasn't he?
Mike Konopacki at Politics and Prose
Labor cartoonist Mike Konopacki was at Politics and Prose this afternoon to discuss his new book A People's History of American Empire. Howard Zinn who wrote the original that this graphic history (Konopacki kept stumbling over what to call it since it isn't a novel) was based on called in sick, disappointing some in the crowd, but not me, as Konopacki talked comics for 45 minutes instead.
Since the early 1970s, Konopacki and his partner Gary Huck have been doing labor editorial cartoons, with a detour into doing a comic book on the World Bank for a labor union in the 1990s. This was Konopacki's first longform work though. You can order a cd of the talk from Politics and Prose. He worked with pen and ink, and tracing paper and then scanned in the art and reworked it in Photoshop. To add verisimilitude, he used many photographs including famous AP ones like the girl burned by napalm in Vietnam.
Konopacki did a promo video for the book too which can be seen on youtube -
A People's History of American Empire by Howard Zinn
And here's some more shots:
Saturday, April 12, 2008
So, how do you find these new acquisitions?
Book sales, among other places.
This is three days worth of book-sale hauls, from two sales. Most of it is going to Michigan State University's Comic Art collection. The nice thing about being in DC is the international culture - almost 100 of these books are manga in Japanese, and there's even a Jacques Tardi album that MSU doesn't have yet.
And sometimes your family provides, like this nifty light-up Superman bust. Oddly enough, my wife wouldn't let me keep the whole cake.
This is three days worth of book-sale hauls, from two sales. Most of it is going to Michigan State University's Comic Art collection. The nice thing about being in DC is the international culture - almost 100 of these books are manga in Japanese, and there's even a Jacques Tardi album that MSU doesn't have yet.
And sometimes your family provides, like this nifty light-up Superman bust. Oddly enough, my wife wouldn't let me keep the whole cake.
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-16-08
Click for some visual links (covers)
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-16-08
By John Judy
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #11 by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli. “Killed in Action” wraps up here with Camp Hammond giving Camp Crystal Lake a run for its blood money! Recommended.
BRAVE AND BOLD #12 by Mark Waid and George Perez. All twelve issues have led up to this grand finale: A big fight with an evil wizard. Those are always great!
CAPTAIN AMERICA #37 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. Cap still “dead.” Red Skull still evil. This comic still awesome anyway. Recommended.
DC WILDSTORM DREAMWAR #1 of 6 by Keith Giffen, Lee Garbett, and Trevor Scott. A cross-over between the big guns of the DCU and all those Wildstorm guys you’re not reading.
DMZ #30 by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli. Intrepid indy journalist Matty Roth gets his story rejected by all major news outlets. That’ll teach him to write about John McCain’s lobbyist girlfriend! Look! Kitty-cats with string!
GHOST RIDER #22 by Jason Aaron and Roland Boschi. The story is called “Deathrace on Ghost Cannibal Highway” and it’s written by the guy who created SCALPED. If you don’t read this you’re crazier than the guys who greenlit the “Ghost Rider” screenplay. Highly recommended for teens on up.
GRENDEL: BEHOLD THE DEVIL #6 of 8 written and drawn by Matt Wagner. If you’re being pursued by a mystical super-predator sometimes it feels really good to take out all your frustrations on the Korean mob. At least that’s what Grandma always said. Recommended.
HELLBLAZER #243 by Andy Diggle and Giuseppe Camuncoli. Bad doings at the Vatican, even worse than usual. So who ya gonna call? The start of a blasphemously fun two-parter. Recommended.
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC by Stan Lee, Don Heck, Gene Colan, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Others. Collecting TALES OF SUSPENSE #39-83 and TALES TO ASTONISH #82, this volume has the earliest IM adventures from the bad old days of the Cold War, plus lots of extras. Great for all ages, highly recommended.
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: CAPTAIN MARVEL VOL. 3 HC by Jim Starlin and Others. Okay, if you buy one Captain Mar-Vell book in your life this should probably be it. This one collects issues #22-33 in which Mar-Vell went cosmic and Starlin started channeling Steve Ditko through an LSD filter. This is the stuff that defined the character and made us all kind of happy when Starlin killed him off so nobody else could screw him up. At least not for 20 years or so… Highly Recommended.
NIXON’S PALS GN by Joe Casey and Chris Burnham. The story of an LA parole officer on the super-villain beat. “Elmore Leonard meets Jack Kirby!” Not for kids but otherwise recommended!
PIGEONS FROM HELL #1 by Joe R. Lansdale and Nathan Fox. A modern-day adaptation of a classic Robert E. Howard tale about… well, y’know… pigeons. From Hell. It’s really pretty cool. Take a look.
SHOWCASE PRESENTS LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES VOL.2 SC by Jerry Siegel, Jim Shooter, Curt Swan, Jim Mooney, and Others. Classic tales from the Silver-Age of super sci-fi. Great stuff for all ages. Recommended.
SUPERMAN #675 by Kurt Busiek and Renato Guedes. Busiek’s final issue! Alex Ross cover! Galactic Golem! And Supes fights everybody! This week’s “Gotta-look!”
WAR IS HELL: FIRST FLIGHT OF THE PHANTOM EAGLE #2 of 5 by Garth Ennis and Howard Chaykin. World War I flying ace Karl Kaufman must prove his worth as a fighter before his fellow fliers discover that maybe he ain’t supposed to be there… Ennis/Chaykin level mature themes so this is recommended only for older teens and up. But highly so.
X-FACTOR #30 by Peter David and Valentine DeLandro. It’s the return of Arcade, the villain who builds giant pinball machines to kill superheroes with! How come they never do that in the movies, huh? Classic stuff.
X-MEN: DIVIDED WE STAND #1 of 2 by Lotsa People. This has mutants.
And don’t forget Free Comic Book Day coming up Saturday May 3rd at respectable comic stores everywhere!
www.johnjudy.net
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-16-08
By John Judy
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #11 by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli. “Killed in Action” wraps up here with Camp Hammond giving Camp Crystal Lake a run for its blood money! Recommended.
BRAVE AND BOLD #12 by Mark Waid and George Perez. All twelve issues have led up to this grand finale: A big fight with an evil wizard. Those are always great!
CAPTAIN AMERICA #37 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. Cap still “dead.” Red Skull still evil. This comic still awesome anyway. Recommended.
DC WILDSTORM DREAMWAR #1 of 6 by Keith Giffen, Lee Garbett, and Trevor Scott. A cross-over between the big guns of the DCU and all those Wildstorm guys you’re not reading.
DMZ #30 by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli. Intrepid indy journalist Matty Roth gets his story rejected by all major news outlets. That’ll teach him to write about John McCain’s lobbyist girlfriend! Look! Kitty-cats with string!
GHOST RIDER #22 by Jason Aaron and Roland Boschi. The story is called “Deathrace on Ghost Cannibal Highway” and it’s written by the guy who created SCALPED. If you don’t read this you’re crazier than the guys who greenlit the “Ghost Rider” screenplay. Highly recommended for teens on up.
GRENDEL: BEHOLD THE DEVIL #6 of 8 written and drawn by Matt Wagner. If you’re being pursued by a mystical super-predator sometimes it feels really good to take out all your frustrations on the Korean mob. At least that’s what Grandma always said. Recommended.
HELLBLAZER #243 by Andy Diggle and Giuseppe Camuncoli. Bad doings at the Vatican, even worse than usual. So who ya gonna call? The start of a blasphemously fun two-parter. Recommended.
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC by Stan Lee, Don Heck, Gene Colan, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Others. Collecting TALES OF SUSPENSE #39-83 and TALES TO ASTONISH #82, this volume has the earliest IM adventures from the bad old days of the Cold War, plus lots of extras. Great for all ages, highly recommended.
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: CAPTAIN MARVEL VOL. 3 HC by Jim Starlin and Others. Okay, if you buy one Captain Mar-Vell book in your life this should probably be it. This one collects issues #22-33 in which Mar-Vell went cosmic and Starlin started channeling Steve Ditko through an LSD filter. This is the stuff that defined the character and made us all kind of happy when Starlin killed him off so nobody else could screw him up. At least not for 20 years or so… Highly Recommended.
NIXON’S PALS GN by Joe Casey and Chris Burnham. The story of an LA parole officer on the super-villain beat. “Elmore Leonard meets Jack Kirby!” Not for kids but otherwise recommended!
PIGEONS FROM HELL #1 by Joe R. Lansdale and Nathan Fox. A modern-day adaptation of a classic Robert E. Howard tale about… well, y’know… pigeons. From Hell. It’s really pretty cool. Take a look.
SHOWCASE PRESENTS LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES VOL.2 SC by Jerry Siegel, Jim Shooter, Curt Swan, Jim Mooney, and Others. Classic tales from the Silver-Age of super sci-fi. Great stuff for all ages. Recommended.
SUPERMAN #675 by Kurt Busiek and Renato Guedes. Busiek’s final issue! Alex Ross cover! Galactic Golem! And Supes fights everybody! This week’s “Gotta-look!”
WAR IS HELL: FIRST FLIGHT OF THE PHANTOM EAGLE #2 of 5 by Garth Ennis and Howard Chaykin. World War I flying ace Karl Kaufman must prove his worth as a fighter before his fellow fliers discover that maybe he ain’t supposed to be there… Ennis/Chaykin level mature themes so this is recommended only for older teens and up. But highly so.
X-FACTOR #30 by Peter David and Valentine DeLandro. It’s the return of Arcade, the villain who builds giant pinball machines to kill superheroes with! How come they never do that in the movies, huh? Classic stuff.
X-MEN: DIVIDED WE STAND #1 of 2 by Lotsa People. This has mutants.
And don’t forget Free Comic Book Day coming up Saturday May 3rd at respectable comic stores everywhere!
www.johnjudy.net
That darn Toles
This time he's making fun of dementia!
Dementia Is Not a Prop
Washington Post April 12 2008
Tom Toles's March 28 cartoon based on the report linking being overweight with dementia was in extremely poor taste. It is incomprehensible that you would allow a political cartoon to make fun of dementia.
Dementia is a serious condition affecting our aging population and is the leading reason for placing elderly people in institutions such as nursing homes. Surely you could use something benign to make your political points without making a medical condition a prop.
-- John Fuller
Fairfax
The writer is the diversity and equal employment opportunity officer for Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and a consultant for the National Council for Support of Disability Issues.
OT: Emett of Punch
Here's another new acquisition from a library sale. I'd never heard of Emett before, but his book Far Twittering was in the expensive section so I took a look. The book is all reprint drawings from Punch.
And there was the reason - this lovely sketch by Pietro Lazzari (see Chris Brown's comment below).
Punch imploded for the 2nd time in 2002, but you can still find collections of their cartoons easily.
Baltimore Comic-Con news: Mike Mignola Joins the Baltimore Comic-Con
Mike Mignola Joins the Baltimore Comic-Con
Hellboy creator and Disney Atlantis artist Mike Mignola, last year’s Guest of Honor t the Baltimore Comic-Con, is returning to the Baltimore Convention Center on September 27-28, 2008 for this year’s edition of the convention. This summer will see the release of the second Hellboy feature film and the popularity of both creator and character couldn’t be higher.
“We’re extremely happy to welcome back Mike Mignola to Baltimore. Our fans were thrilled to see him last year, and we know they’ll be even happier to have him return this year,” said Marc Nathan, the show’s promoter.
Swamp Thing co-creator and Frankenstein artist Bernie Wrightson will be the Guest of Honor at this year’s show.
Mignola and Wrightson are among the headliners that also include , in alphabetical order, Kyle Baker (The Bakers), Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, New Avengers), Jim Califiore (Exiles, Captain Marvel), Howard Chaykin (American Flagg), Cliff Chiang (Green Arrow & Black Canary), Frank Cho (Liberty Meadows, Mighty Avengers), Steve Conley (Star Trek, The Escapist), Amanda Conner (JSA Classified, Terra), Darwyn Cooke (The Sprit, New Frontier), Todd Dezago (Tellos), David Finch (World War Hulk, New Avengers), Ramona Fradon (Aquaman), John Gallagher (Buzzboy, Roboy Red), Ron Garney (Wolverine), Michael Golden (Micronauts, The ’Nam), Cully Hamner (Blue Beetle, Black Lightning), Adam Hughes (Catwoman), Geoff Johns (Green Lantern, Action Comics), J.G. Jones (52, Wonder Woman), Dean Haspiel (Brawl), Stuart Immonen (Ultimate Spider-Man), Robert Kirkman (Invincible, Ultimate X-Men), Barry Kitson (Empire, The Order), Jim Lee (Batman: Hush, Wildcats), David Mack (Kabuki, Daredevil), Phil Noto (Danger Girl, Jonah Hex), Michael Avon Oeming (Mice Templar, Powers), Jimmy Palmiotti (Painkiller Jane, Jonah Hex), Brandon Peterson (Ultimate X-Men, Strange), Eric Powell (The Goon), Tom Raney (Ultimate X-Men), John Romita, Sr. (Amazing Spider-Man), Craig Rousseau (Perhapanauts, Ruule), Andy Runton (Owly), Tim Sale (Batman: The Long Halloween, Heroes), Alex Saviuk (Web of Spider-Man, Feast of the Seven Fishes), Jim Shooter (Legion of Super-Heroes), Vincent Spencer (Zombie-Proof), Robert Tinnell (EZ Street), Herb Trimpe (Incredible Hulk), J.C. Vaughn (Zombie-Proof, 24), Neil Vokes (The Black Forest, The Wicked West), Mike Vosburg (Lori Lovecraft), Matt Wagner (Zorro, Grendel), Mark Waid (Flash, Boom! Studios), and Mark Wheatley (Frankenstein Mobster).
The Harvey Awards will return to the Baltimore Comic-Con for the third consecutive year. The awards dinner and ceremony will be held Saturday night, September 27, 2008, following the convention’s normal hours. As in 2007, the first 300 paid attendees and honorees at the 2008 Harvey Awards Ceremonies will receive a Hollywood-style bag of swag. Last year’s bag included The EC Archives: Two-Fisted Tales - Volume 1 from Gemstone Publishing, a complete base set of the soon-to-be-released Jericho Season One trading cards from Inkworks, an exclusive pin from AdHouse Books, a Comic-Con exclusive edition of 30 Days of Night: Red Snow 1 from IDW Publishing, a Toon Tumbler from Popfun Merchandising, and an exclusive Harvey Awards keychain from LaserMach. Nominating ballots are presently online at www.harveyawards.org. Kyle Baker will return as Master of Ceremonies for the evening’s events.
For more information about the Baltimore Comic-Con, e-mail cardscomicscollectilbes@yahoo.com or call (410) 526-7410. The guest list and other information can be found on the convention’s website or on its MySpace page.
For more information about the Harvey Awards, including sponsorship opportunities, e-mail baltimorecomiccon@yahoo.com.
Hellboy creator and Disney Atlantis artist Mike Mignola, last year’s Guest of Honor t the Baltimore Comic-Con, is returning to the Baltimore Convention Center on September 27-28, 2008 for this year’s edition of the convention. This summer will see the release of the second Hellboy feature film and the popularity of both creator and character couldn’t be higher.
“We’re extremely happy to welcome back Mike Mignola to Baltimore. Our fans were thrilled to see him last year, and we know they’ll be even happier to have him return this year,” said Marc Nathan, the show’s promoter.
Swamp Thing co-creator and Frankenstein artist Bernie Wrightson will be the Guest of Honor at this year’s show.
Mignola and Wrightson are among the headliners that also include , in alphabetical order, Kyle Baker (The Bakers), Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, New Avengers), Jim Califiore (Exiles, Captain Marvel), Howard Chaykin (American Flagg), Cliff Chiang (Green Arrow & Black Canary), Frank Cho (Liberty Meadows, Mighty Avengers), Steve Conley (Star Trek, The Escapist), Amanda Conner (JSA Classified, Terra), Darwyn Cooke (The Sprit, New Frontier), Todd Dezago (Tellos), David Finch (World War Hulk, New Avengers), Ramona Fradon (Aquaman), John Gallagher (Buzzboy, Roboy Red), Ron Garney (Wolverine), Michael Golden (Micronauts, The ’Nam), Cully Hamner (Blue Beetle, Black Lightning), Adam Hughes (Catwoman), Geoff Johns (Green Lantern, Action Comics), J.G. Jones (52, Wonder Woman), Dean Haspiel (Brawl), Stuart Immonen (Ultimate Spider-Man), Robert Kirkman (Invincible, Ultimate X-Men), Barry Kitson (Empire, The Order), Jim Lee (Batman: Hush, Wildcats), David Mack (Kabuki, Daredevil), Phil Noto (Danger Girl, Jonah Hex), Michael Avon Oeming (Mice Templar, Powers), Jimmy Palmiotti (Painkiller Jane, Jonah Hex), Brandon Peterson (Ultimate X-Men, Strange), Eric Powell (The Goon), Tom Raney (Ultimate X-Men), John Romita, Sr. (Amazing Spider-Man), Craig Rousseau (Perhapanauts, Ruule), Andy Runton (Owly), Tim Sale (Batman: The Long Halloween, Heroes), Alex Saviuk (Web of Spider-Man, Feast of the Seven Fishes), Jim Shooter (Legion of Super-Heroes), Vincent Spencer (Zombie-Proof), Robert Tinnell (EZ Street), Herb Trimpe (Incredible Hulk), J.C. Vaughn (Zombie-Proof, 24), Neil Vokes (The Black Forest, The Wicked West), Mike Vosburg (Lori Lovecraft), Matt Wagner (Zorro, Grendel), Mark Waid (Flash, Boom! Studios), and Mark Wheatley (Frankenstein Mobster).
The Harvey Awards will return to the Baltimore Comic-Con for the third consecutive year. The awards dinner and ceremony will be held Saturday night, September 27, 2008, following the convention’s normal hours. As in 2007, the first 300 paid attendees and honorees at the 2008 Harvey Awards Ceremonies will receive a Hollywood-style bag of swag. Last year’s bag included The EC Archives: Two-Fisted Tales - Volume 1 from Gemstone Publishing, a complete base set of the soon-to-be-released Jericho Season One trading cards from Inkworks, an exclusive pin from AdHouse Books, a Comic-Con exclusive edition of 30 Days of Night: Red Snow 1 from IDW Publishing, a Toon Tumbler from Popfun Merchandising, and an exclusive Harvey Awards keychain from LaserMach. Nominating ballots are presently online at www.harveyawards.org. Kyle Baker will return as Master of Ceremonies for the evening’s events.
For more information about the Baltimore Comic-Con, e-mail cardscomicscollectilbes@yahoo.com or call (410) 526-7410. The guest list and other information can be found on the convention’s website or on its MySpace page.
For more information about the Harvey Awards, including sponsorship opportunities, e-mail baltimorecomiccon@yahoo.com.
OT: Underground comics mag find part two - A Secret History of Comics Special
As you can see in the comments for part one, Steve Rowe notes that these were an attempt to sponge off National Lampoon's readership and were definitely ground-level, available in newsstands. However, due to the cartoonists involved, I'll keep calling them underground. Here's the 2nd issue with cartoonists I have, Apple Pie July 1975. The two issues from 1976 didn't have cartoonists in them. All four are going to Michigan State University's Comic Art Collection this spring, should one need to see them for research. Or a laugh.
Another Terry Austin editorial cartoon.
An ad for the mag by Howard Chaykin using some of his usual tropes of the time.
Two one-pages by Justin Green.
Michael Kaluta draws Buster Brown!
Two pages of pirate violence from S. Clay Wilson.
Four pages of vegetarian activism from Kim Deitch.
Another Terry Austin editorial cartoon.
An ad for the mag by Howard Chaykin using some of his usual tropes of the time.
Two one-pages by Justin Green.
Michael Kaluta draws Buster Brown!
Two pages of pirate violence from S. Clay Wilson.
Four pages of vegetarian activism from Kim Deitch.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Charlottesville's Jen Sorenson interviewed about new book
See "SORENSEN'S SLOWPOKE A QUICK HIT," by Jennifer M. Contino, Comicon's The Pulse 04-10-2008 and then order the book, or plan to buy it at the Small Press Expo.
April 12: Howard Zinn and Mike Konopacki
Saturday, April 12, 1 p.m at Politics and Prose - HOWARD ZINN & MIKE KONOPACKI's A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF AMERICAN EMPIRE: A GRAPHIC ADAPTATION (Metropolitan, $17).
The people’s historian has teamed up with labor cartoonist Mike Konopacki for a graphic presentation of American imperialism. Zinn’s primary-source accounts are illuminated by the artist’s pen, making for a dramatic and bracing retelling of the darker side of our national story.
I'm going to try to attend in spite of this less-than-stellar review from Dave Carter.
The people’s historian has teamed up with labor cartoonist Mike Konopacki for a graphic presentation of American imperialism. Zinn’s primary-source accounts are illuminated by the artist’s pen, making for a dramatic and bracing retelling of the darker side of our national story.
I'm going to try to attend in spite of this less-than-stellar review from Dave Carter.
Kelts on anime showing at the Smithsonian
See "SOFT POWER, HARD TRUTHS / Anime enthrall from sea to shining sea," by Roland Kelts, The Daily Yomiuri (Apr. 11, 2008) for his thoughts on the recent anime fest at the Sackler Gallery of Art.
OT: Underground comics mag find part one - A Secret History of Comics Special
I picked up a couple of underground magazines - well they were probably ground-level for the time - that are going to be passed along to MSU's Comic Art Collection soon. Before I do that, here's some of the more famous underground cartoonists from Apple Pie May 1975.
Neal Adams art on this.
Terry Austin, the great inker, apparently did editorial cartoons too.
A couple of one-pagers by Justin Green.
Paul Kirchner did the surrealist strip The Bus for alternative weekly newspapers, until I seem to remember that he came into money - Ninja Turtle money maybe?
And a three-page strip by Kirchner:
Neal Adams art on this.
Terry Austin, the great inker, apparently did editorial cartoons too.
A couple of one-pagers by Justin Green.
Paul Kirchner did the surrealist strip The Bus for alternative weekly newspapers, until I seem to remember that he came into money - Ninja Turtle money maybe?
And a three-page strip by Kirchner:
THE BETHESDA WRITER’S CENTER PRESENTS “WRITING FOR COMICS”
THE BETHESDA WRITER’S CENTER PRESENTS “WRITING FOR COMICS”
Panel 1
We’re at the Bethesda Writer’s Center (http://www.writer.org), America ’s premier independent literary center. It’s 7:30PM on Tuesday, April 15th. Four panelists are sitting in front of a crowded auditorium. This is a promotional event for the Writer’s Center’s upcoming Writing for Comics 12-week course.
Panel 2
Tight on Matt Dembicki. He’s the artist and writer behind the Day Prize-nominated Mr. Big. He’s talking a bit about self-publishing your comic.
MATT: When you self-publish, you find you have the freedom to do your comic the way you want to do it. You’re your own editor.
Panel 3
Cut to political cartoonist Carlton Stoiber. He’s talking about balancing a day job while making comics.
CARLTON : I maintain a consulting practice on nuclear security and safety issues by day and create comics by night.
Panel 4
Chris Piers is standing up now. He’s talking about the challenges writers face when collaborating with artists.
CHRIS: If you’re trying to find an artist with a full script in hand, you’re probably too late.
Panel 5
It’s comic editor Jason Rodriguez’s turn to talk. He’s discussing the business of comics and how someone publishes their work in the current market.
JASON: There’re a lot of publishers out there looking for comics. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of people looking for publishers.
Panel 6
Writer’s Center Executive Director and panel moderator Greg Robison’s giving his closing remarks.
GREG: We’d like to thank the generous grant from the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation. It’s paying for this panel and will also sponsor three high-school students looking to take this course. Contact the Writer’s Center for more information (postmaster@writer.org, 301-654-8664).
Panel 1
We’re at the Bethesda Writer’s Center (http://www.writer.org), America ’s premier independent literary center. It’s 7:30PM on Tuesday, April 15th. Four panelists are sitting in front of a crowded auditorium. This is a promotional event for the Writer’s Center’s upcoming Writing for Comics 12-week course.
Panel 2
Tight on Matt Dembicki. He’s the artist and writer behind the Day Prize-nominated Mr. Big. He’s talking a bit about self-publishing your comic.
MATT: When you self-publish, you find you have the freedom to do your comic the way you want to do it. You’re your own editor.
Panel 3
Cut to political cartoonist Carlton Stoiber. He’s talking about balancing a day job while making comics.
CARLTON : I maintain a consulting practice on nuclear security and safety issues by day and create comics by night.
Panel 4
Chris Piers is standing up now. He’s talking about the challenges writers face when collaborating with artists.
CHRIS: If you’re trying to find an artist with a full script in hand, you’re probably too late.
Panel 5
It’s comic editor Jason Rodriguez’s turn to talk. He’s discussing the business of comics and how someone publishes their work in the current market.
JASON: There’re a lot of publishers out there looking for comics. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of people looking for publishers.
Panel 6
Writer’s Center Executive Director and panel moderator Greg Robison’s giving his closing remarks.
GREG: We’d like to thank the generous grant from the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation. It’s paying for this panel and will also sponsor three high-school students looking to take this course. Contact the Writer’s Center for more information (postmaster@writer.org, 301-654-8664).
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Willie and Joe: The War Years by Mauldin out
This is the project that I went down to the Library of Congress a couple of times to try to make scans for. I don't think anything I got was ever used as the volumes were bound and a hand-scanner didn't work. K Stocker came with me and took photographs of some pages too, and we're both thanked in the acknowledgments as is Martha Kennedy of the Library who found the final image Fantagraphics needed. See Tom Spurgeon's review for more details and my buddy Charles Hatfield blogged about Mauldin and DePastino's biography of him today as well.
Apparently Mike Luckovich was in DC this week getting an award
This says he was at the Four Season's a couple of days ago - "THE WEEK Magazine Announces Winners for Fifth Annual Opinion Awards: The Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Mike Luckovich, and Talking Points Memo’s Josh Marshall Honored in Washington, DC," April 9 2008. My invitation must have gotten lost.
Carla Speed McNeil hooked by X-Men
Maryland cartoonist Carla Speed McNeil, who does Finder, was interviewed by Entertainment Weekly's website about her first comic book, along with 15 other cartoonists. Her choice makes me feel old...
I don't have a clue about what my first comic was anymore, but Joel Pollack, founder of Big Planet Comics, wrote "My first comic was Adventure Comics #237, featuring "The Robot War of Smallville.""
I don't have a clue about what my first comic was anymore, but Joel Pollack, founder of Big Planet Comics, wrote "My first comic was Adventure Comics #237, featuring "The Robot War of Smallville.""
Jason Rodriguez mentioned in NY Times
In the New York Times April 10, 2008, "Names That Match Forge a Bond on the Internet," by STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM we find this mention of Jason:
Jason Rodriguez, 30, an editor of comic and graphic novels in Arlington, Va., feels connected to another Jason Rodriguez, a stuntman who has worked on films (some inspired by graphic novels) including sequels to “Spider-Man” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
“He’s a really good stuntman,” Mr. Rodriguez said with a hint of pride. He likens himself and the stuntman — whom he has never met — to the physically incongruous brothers in the comedy “Twins” played by Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“We both sort of have this connection,” said Mr. Rodriguez, who casts himself in the Danny DeVito role. “We both support this nerd world.”
Jason Rodriguez, 30, an editor of comic and graphic novels in Arlington, Va., feels connected to another Jason Rodriguez, a stuntman who has worked on films (some inspired by graphic novels) including sequels to “Spider-Man” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
“He’s a really good stuntman,” Mr. Rodriguez said with a hint of pride. He likens himself and the stuntman — whom he has never met — to the physically incongruous brothers in the comedy “Twins” played by Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“We both sort of have this connection,” said Mr. Rodriguez, who casts himself in the Danny DeVito role. “We both support this nerd world.”
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Scott Rosenberg reviews That Salty Air
See "Young Man & the Sea: 'That Salty Air'," by Scott Rosenberg, ReadExpress.com April 9, 2008. That's two articles in two weeks for Scott; maybe he's not completely left us for the big city.
OT: New webcomic edited by Dean Haspiel
My buddy Dean's joined his old friend Josh Neufeld at Smith magazine to edit a webcomic. The first appears to be by Nick Bertozzi and features, yes, you guessed it - nudity.*
See "NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR - True Life Webcomix Anthology, edited by Dean Haspiel, Launches on SMITH Magazine 04.08.08,"
*Bertozzi's depiction of a naked Picasso in Salon has rubbed a bluenose prosecutor the wrong way. He indicted a comic book store owner and this has run up bills for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
See "NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR - True Life Webcomix Anthology, edited by Dean Haspiel, Launches on SMITH Magazine 04.08.08,"
*Bertozzi's depiction of a naked Picasso in Salon has rubbed a bluenose prosecutor the wrong way. He indicted a comic book store owner and this has run up bills for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
Another Jeff Kinney profile
Didn't succeed; tried again: Jeff Kinney was a failure as a cartoonist, but his million-selling "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books are being compared to "Harry Potter." By David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer April 9 2008. There's a bit more about his University of Maryland strip in here.
Oliphant exhibit in April mentioned in E&P
Dave Astor had a brief story today - "Oliphant Exhibit Comes to D.C. Starting Next Week." The Stanford gallery mentioned is actually in Woodley Park on Connecticut Ave.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
2008 QUARTERLY COMICS REPORT guest column by John Judy of Quick Reviews
John sent this in a couple of days ago, but it slid down my email list. Fortunately, it's still current! Enjoy.
2008 QUARTERLY COMICS REPORT
(What’s good so far this year)
By John Judy
Everything below is recommended as among the best stuff I’ve found on the stands so far this year. Some of it may have appeared earlier, but I only lucked onto it in 2008.
Where some material is better suited to specific age groups I mention it. Other times I don’t.
My object is to identify material that could be handed to an average reader with reasonable assurance it would be enjoyed.
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. This comic won the 2007 Eisner Award for “Best Continuing Series.” It comes out slowly, but one can still enjoy each issue by itself. You really have no choice at least until the whole thing’s collected in trade. There is a larger story being told but it’s not essential to getting a good read whenever the next issue hits the stands. Good for all ages.
ALL WE EVER DO IS TALK ABOUT WOOD GN written and illustrated by Tom Horacek. A collection of Horacek’s morbidly funny single panel cartoons. Definitely for fans of Charles Addams, Edward Gorey, and Ivan Brunetti. Recommended for teens and up.
AMERICAN SPLENDOR SEASON TWO. A four-issue mini-series by Harvey Pekar and Assorted Talents. The J. Alfred Prufrock of comics returns with his autobiographical shorts illustrated by Chris Weston, David Lapham, and other gifted collaborators. Recommended for teens and up.
ANGEL: AFTER THE FALL by Joss Whedon, Brian Lynch, and Franco Urru. The art here honestly isn’t great, but the story is essential for us fans of the show who always wondered what happened after the suits decided network TV might be getting too good.
ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard. The further adventures of the most conflicted lycanthrope hero on the stands today. Good stuff, somewhat graphic violence, appropriate for teens and up.
AVENGERS: INITIATIVE by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli. A series about young heroes in boot camp. Pretty heavily tied in with Marvel Universe continuity but with mostly original characters making it easy to enjoy without being an uber-fan.
THE BAKERS: BABIES AND KITTENS HC written and illustrated by Kyle Baker, the Greatest Cartoonist of All Time. Two cats are adopted into Kyle’s home against his wishes. Hijinks ensue. Beautifully drawn hijinks. Recommended by me, my wife, and four year-old kid.
BAT LASH by Sergio Aragones, Peter Brandvold, and John Severin. Mostly for western fans but a great example of a classic cowboy story. Beautiful art by industry legend John Severin.
BLACK SUMMER by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp. An ultra-violent, post-Iraq, anti-hero adventure featuring the assassination of an un-named U.S. President and his cabinet. Chaos ensues. Teens and up.
BONE COLOR EDITION VOL.7: GHOST CIRCLES HC & SC written and illustrated by Jeff Smith. Great stuff for all ages, hugely popular among kids according to my school librarian aunt. Seriously.
BOOSTER GOLD by Geoff Johns and Dan Jurgens. Time travel stories that don’t suck from Johns and great super-hero art from Jurgens.
THE BOYS by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The continuing adventures of a black-ops squad charged with keeping super-heroes in line. So extreme that DC Comics actually cut the title loose to a new publisher. Older teens and adults only. You’ve been warned.
BRAVE AND BOLD by Mark Waid and George Perez. Classic Silver-Age style fun from an author who lives and breathes it. Best enjoyed by long-time fans but accessible for all ages.
CAPTAIN AMERICA by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. The continuing story of Captain America’s old side-kick Bucky filling in for Cap while he’s “dead.” Probably not for the non-initiated but if you know the characters it’s great stuff.
CRIME BIBLE: FIVE LESSONS OF BLOOD by Greg Rucka and Diego Olmos. Recently collected in trade, this is the first solo series of the new Question, relentlessly seeking out a mysterious Holy Book for criminals.
DAN DARE by Garth Ennis and Gary Erskine. Space opera, zap-gun fights, a war comic in sci-fi clothing. All done up Ennis style. Good for young teens and up.
DAREDEVIL by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. Like Captain America it helps to know the back-story here, but basically it’s Marvel’s most “realistic” super-hero trying to cope with the kinds of crises that would come up when too many people know your secret identity.
DMZ by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli. A dystopian fantasy about a reporter navigating New York City after the U.S. has been torn apart by civil war. There are now four paperback collections available for anyone wishing to get up to speed. It’s worth doing.
DOKTOR SLEEPLESS by Warren Ellis and Ivan Rodriguez. A weird sci-fi misadventure about a politically subversive scientist in corruption-riddled city.
DOOM PATROL VOL. 6: PLANET LOVE SC by Grant Morrison, Richard Case, and Friends. The final volume of Morrison’s legendary run on the junkyard dogs of DC’s super-teams. Collecting DP #58-63 and DOOM FORCE SPECIAL #1. Mid-eighties weirdness from the beginnings of Morrison’s career.
EC ARCHIVES: CRIME SUSPENSTORIES, VOL. 1 HC by Feldstein, Wood, Craig, Ingels, Kurtzman, Kamen, David, and Roussos. The EC Gods of 1950-51 have willed us these 24 twisted masterpieces. The first six issues of this series are all here. Hold onto your wallets because you’ll end up wanting a complete run of these beautiful hardcover editions.
EX MACHINA by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. The continuing story of a super-hero turned New York City Mayor who can talk to machines. Teens and up. Lots of trade collections available for starting at the beginning.
FELL by Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith. The stand-alone stories of Detective Richard Fell, a cop banished from his home city for some yet-unknown breach of conduct. Teens and up.
GHOST RIDER by Jason Aaron and Roland Boschi. Pure, out of control motorcycle madness from the author/creator of SCALPED. Highly recommended, even though you hated the movie.
GREEN LANTERN by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. Simply the best version of this character yet done. An epic police procedural drama set across the universe. Helps if you know your GL history but not essential. The future’s more interesting anyway.
GRENDEL: BEHOLD THE DEVIL written and illustrated by Matt Wagner. The return of Wagner’s masterpiece character, a novelist by day and super-crimelord by night, the baddest of the bad. Except now he’s got a stalker who may be even worse. Older teens and up.
GRAVEL by Warren Ellis Mike Wolfer, and Raulo Caceres. The adventures of a “Combat Magician” out to reclaim his territory after being written off for dead. It’s John Constantine on steroids without any delusions of higher morality. Older teens and up.
HARVEY COMICS CLASSICS VOL. 3: HOT STUFF SC by Various Creators. Collecting over 100 tales of comics’ original Little Devil, the Demon in a Diaper: HOT STUFF! A perfect gateway for all age groups into hardcore Satanism! A great follow-up to the earlier Harvey collections of CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST and RICHIE RICH. All ages.
HELLBLAZER by Andy Diggle and Leonardo Manco. Speaking of John Constantine, the Diggle/Manco run is universally acclaimed for bringing coherence and edge back to the original punk magician. Older teens, etc.
HOLMES GN written and illustrated by Omaha Perez. Author Perez explains it best: “What if Sherlock Holmes is constantly out of his head and Watson’s not much better off, the Dr. Gonzo to Holmes’s Raoul Duke?” This was great fun. Older teens, etc.
I SHALL DESTROY ALL CIVILIZED PLANETS: THE COMICS OF FLETCHER HANKS by Fletcher Hanks and Paul Karasik. A collection of the weirdly brilliant Golden-Age comics of Hanks, followed by the sad epilogue in which Karasik tracks down the artist’s only surviving relative to learn of his ultimate fate. Disturbing but moving stuff.
IMMORTAL IRON FIST by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, and David Aja. A martial arts epic set in the Marvel Universe. The story wanders all over the place but if you can keep track of all the flash-backs and intrigue it’s a good ride. Helps to be familiar with the characters.
INCOGNEGRO HC by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece. Part-Mystery, Part-History describes this story of a light-skinned Northern black man passing for white (“going incognegro”) to investigate his brother’s arrest in the virulently racist Mississippi of early 20th century America. Powerful stuff, deserving wider notice.
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA by Geoff Johns, Alex Ross, and Dale Eaglesham. Best enjoyed by long-time fans, probably confusing to newbies. Still a great series of stories building on the legends of the original super-team of the Golden-Age.
KICK-ASS by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. A new series exploring the hideous results of a normal person trying to be a super-hero. Graphic violence, older teens and up.
KIRBY: KING OF COMICS HC by Mark Evanier. Years in the making, this is Evanier’s tribute to his former boss and long-time friend, Jack Kirby, the guy who co-created the foundations of the Marvel Universe and a lot more. Already going back to press, this book is a must for all subjects of The King. Highly Recommended.
LOGAN by Brian K. Vaughan and Eduardo Risso. A thrilling three-parter about Wolverine’s early adventures in a little city called Hiroshima.
NORTHLANDERS by Brian Wood and Davide Gianfelice. A new Vertigo series set a thousand years ago in the bleak world of a Viking village. Prince Sven, a prodigal son, returns from the Holy Land to claim his inheritance. That’s where the story begins. This is a bloody, fascinating adventure that draws the reader in with its depictions of how desolate and empty the Vikings’ world was back then and how one determined outsider could change the entire order of such a place. Not for kids.
PUNISHER by Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov. The final series of Ennis stories in which the Punisher is stripped down to the grim core of his character. Perfectly complimented by Gorlav’s outlandish style. Easily the best run ever of a guy who started out as an occasional foil to Spider-Man.
RUNAWAYS by Joss Whedon and Michael Ryan. My admiration of the creative team notwithstanding this book was last seen in October of 2007 so it’s kind of hard to recall who’s doing what to whom. Fun stuff if you like “Back to the Future Meets Gangs of New York Meets X-Men.” And I kinda do…. Still, I’d like my own time machine so I could travel into the future to see how this all wraps up.
SATCHEL PAIGE: STRIKING OUT JIM CROW HC and SC by James Sturm and Rich Tommaso. A fictionalized account of the legendary ball-player’s life, from his early days to the peak of his career in the Negro Leagues. Highly recommended, as are all of Mr. Sturm’s other works. A preview is available online at www.cartoonstudies.org
SCALPED by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. The story of F.B.I. Special Agent Dash Bad Horse’s return to the Indian reservation he thought he’d escaped forever. This is a dark crime series that quickly becomes addictive as Bad Horse stares deeper and deeper into his personal abyss. Grown-ups only. Two trades out for those needing to catch up.
SERENITY: BETTER DAYS by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, and Will Conrad. A story from the pre-Big Screen days of Captain Mal Reynolds and his crew. Y’know, back when everyone was still alive. Previews available at Dark Horse’s website.
THE SPIRIT by Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragones, and Mike Ploog. Following Darwyn Cooke’s run on Will Eisner’s most famous masked gumshoe, this is a series most enjoyable to fans of Eisner and pulp-era detectives. Pure fun, good for older kids on up.
STREETS OF GLORY by Garth Ennis and Mike Wolfer. A mini-series told in flashback about the closing days of the Wild West. Extreme graphic violence, but good for fans of Garth Ennis and Clint Eastwood. Not for kids.
STUDENTS FOR A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY GN by Harvey Pekar, Gary Dumm, and historian Paul Buhle. A non-fiction account of the rise and fall of one of the most ambitious and controversial activist groups of the 1960s. For grown-ups and interested parties. Very well-timed publication.
THOR by J. Michael Straczynski and Marko Djurdjevic. An impressive revamping of the classic Marvel thunder god, exploring the meanings in myth and the question of what happens after ragnorok.
THUNDERBOLTS by Warren Ellis, Mike Deodato, and Others. Ellis’ take on a team of government sanctioned super-villains, wrapping up this year. Dark stuff, teens and up.
TRANSHUMAN by Jonathan Hickman and Jm Ringuet. A four-issue mockumentary-style comic about the creation and marketing of the world’s first superhumans by the creator of NIGHTLY NEWS, PAX ROMANA, and RED MASS FOR MARS. “Spinal Tap” Meets Supers! Very promising debut issue.
THE TWELVE by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston. A 12-issue series about golden-age super-heroes awaking in the 21st century and all the culture shock it would entail. Gorgeously rendered by Weston. Great for older kids and up. Already a contender for Best Book of the Year.
ULTIMATE HUMAN by Warren Ellis and Cary Nord. A four-issue mini-series where Ultimate Hulk fights Ultimate Iron Man. Hey, sometimes you just need an easy read amidst the heavy stuff.
WALKING DEAD by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard. The ongoing stories of the last humans alive after a zombie plague wipes out civilization. Imagine if the Romero movies never ended. Incredible suspense and continuous surprises derived from the systematic breaking of formula. You never know who might die (or worse) next. A guaranteed gut-punch per issue. Too intense for kids, but engrossing for older readers.
WAR IS HELL: THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE PHANTOM EAGLE by Garth Ennis and Howard Chaykin. A foppish allied aviator meets World War I in “graphic” style. Not for kids.
WOLVERINE by Jason Aaron and Ron Garney. Aaron and Garney open their run on this title with a wild chase across the globe after Wolverine is tasked with the assassination of a long-time X-Men foe. Between this and LOGAN, Wolverine may be having his best creative year in a long while.
Y THE LAST MAN by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra. The series ended recently but is now available in trade paperback form. The saga of the last man on an Earth excelled past its cheesy sci-fi premise with issue one and never looked back. A real masterpiece worthy of sitting beside WATCHMEN and SANDMAN on bookshelves everywhere.
Great stuff so far and it’s only April. J
www.johnjudy.net
2008 QUARTERLY COMICS REPORT
(What’s good so far this year)
By John Judy
Everything below is recommended as among the best stuff I’ve found on the stands so far this year. Some of it may have appeared earlier, but I only lucked onto it in 2008.
Where some material is better suited to specific age groups I mention it. Other times I don’t.
My object is to identify material that could be handed to an average reader with reasonable assurance it would be enjoyed.
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. This comic won the 2007 Eisner Award for “Best Continuing Series.” It comes out slowly, but one can still enjoy each issue by itself. You really have no choice at least until the whole thing’s collected in trade. There is a larger story being told but it’s not essential to getting a good read whenever the next issue hits the stands. Good for all ages.
ALL WE EVER DO IS TALK ABOUT WOOD GN written and illustrated by Tom Horacek. A collection of Horacek’s morbidly funny single panel cartoons. Definitely for fans of Charles Addams, Edward Gorey, and Ivan Brunetti. Recommended for teens and up.
AMERICAN SPLENDOR SEASON TWO. A four-issue mini-series by Harvey Pekar and Assorted Talents. The J. Alfred Prufrock of comics returns with his autobiographical shorts illustrated by Chris Weston, David Lapham, and other gifted collaborators. Recommended for teens and up.
ANGEL: AFTER THE FALL by Joss Whedon, Brian Lynch, and Franco Urru. The art here honestly isn’t great, but the story is essential for us fans of the show who always wondered what happened after the suits decided network TV might be getting too good.
ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard. The further adventures of the most conflicted lycanthrope hero on the stands today. Good stuff, somewhat graphic violence, appropriate for teens and up.
AVENGERS: INITIATIVE by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli. A series about young heroes in boot camp. Pretty heavily tied in with Marvel Universe continuity but with mostly original characters making it easy to enjoy without being an uber-fan.
THE BAKERS: BABIES AND KITTENS HC written and illustrated by Kyle Baker, the Greatest Cartoonist of All Time. Two cats are adopted into Kyle’s home against his wishes. Hijinks ensue. Beautifully drawn hijinks. Recommended by me, my wife, and four year-old kid.
BAT LASH by Sergio Aragones, Peter Brandvold, and John Severin. Mostly for western fans but a great example of a classic cowboy story. Beautiful art by industry legend John Severin.
BLACK SUMMER by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp. An ultra-violent, post-Iraq, anti-hero adventure featuring the assassination of an un-named U.S. President and his cabinet. Chaos ensues. Teens and up.
BONE COLOR EDITION VOL.7: GHOST CIRCLES HC & SC written and illustrated by Jeff Smith. Great stuff for all ages, hugely popular among kids according to my school librarian aunt. Seriously.
BOOSTER GOLD by Geoff Johns and Dan Jurgens. Time travel stories that don’t suck from Johns and great super-hero art from Jurgens.
THE BOYS by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The continuing adventures of a black-ops squad charged with keeping super-heroes in line. So extreme that DC Comics actually cut the title loose to a new publisher. Older teens and adults only. You’ve been warned.
BRAVE AND BOLD by Mark Waid and George Perez. Classic Silver-Age style fun from an author who lives and breathes it. Best enjoyed by long-time fans but accessible for all ages.
CAPTAIN AMERICA by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. The continuing story of Captain America’s old side-kick Bucky filling in for Cap while he’s “dead.” Probably not for the non-initiated but if you know the characters it’s great stuff.
CRIME BIBLE: FIVE LESSONS OF BLOOD by Greg Rucka and Diego Olmos. Recently collected in trade, this is the first solo series of the new Question, relentlessly seeking out a mysterious Holy Book for criminals.
DAN DARE by Garth Ennis and Gary Erskine. Space opera, zap-gun fights, a war comic in sci-fi clothing. All done up Ennis style. Good for young teens and up.
DAREDEVIL by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. Like Captain America it helps to know the back-story here, but basically it’s Marvel’s most “realistic” super-hero trying to cope with the kinds of crises that would come up when too many people know your secret identity.
DMZ by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli. A dystopian fantasy about a reporter navigating New York City after the U.S. has been torn apart by civil war. There are now four paperback collections available for anyone wishing to get up to speed. It’s worth doing.
DOKTOR SLEEPLESS by Warren Ellis and Ivan Rodriguez. A weird sci-fi misadventure about a politically subversive scientist in corruption-riddled city.
DOOM PATROL VOL. 6: PLANET LOVE SC by Grant Morrison, Richard Case, and Friends. The final volume of Morrison’s legendary run on the junkyard dogs of DC’s super-teams. Collecting DP #58-63 and DOOM FORCE SPECIAL #1. Mid-eighties weirdness from the beginnings of Morrison’s career.
EC ARCHIVES: CRIME SUSPENSTORIES, VOL. 1 HC by Feldstein, Wood, Craig, Ingels, Kurtzman, Kamen, David, and Roussos. The EC Gods of 1950-51 have willed us these 24 twisted masterpieces. The first six issues of this series are all here. Hold onto your wallets because you’ll end up wanting a complete run of these beautiful hardcover editions.
EX MACHINA by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. The continuing story of a super-hero turned New York City Mayor who can talk to machines. Teens and up. Lots of trade collections available for starting at the beginning.
FELL by Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith. The stand-alone stories of Detective Richard Fell, a cop banished from his home city for some yet-unknown breach of conduct. Teens and up.
GHOST RIDER by Jason Aaron and Roland Boschi. Pure, out of control motorcycle madness from the author/creator of SCALPED. Highly recommended, even though you hated the movie.
GREEN LANTERN by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. Simply the best version of this character yet done. An epic police procedural drama set across the universe. Helps if you know your GL history but not essential. The future’s more interesting anyway.
GRENDEL: BEHOLD THE DEVIL written and illustrated by Matt Wagner. The return of Wagner’s masterpiece character, a novelist by day and super-crimelord by night, the baddest of the bad. Except now he’s got a stalker who may be even worse. Older teens and up.
GRAVEL by Warren Ellis Mike Wolfer, and Raulo Caceres. The adventures of a “Combat Magician” out to reclaim his territory after being written off for dead. It’s John Constantine on steroids without any delusions of higher morality. Older teens and up.
HARVEY COMICS CLASSICS VOL. 3: HOT STUFF SC by Various Creators. Collecting over 100 tales of comics’ original Little Devil, the Demon in a Diaper: HOT STUFF! A perfect gateway for all age groups into hardcore Satanism! A great follow-up to the earlier Harvey collections of CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST and RICHIE RICH. All ages.
HELLBLAZER by Andy Diggle and Leonardo Manco. Speaking of John Constantine, the Diggle/Manco run is universally acclaimed for bringing coherence and edge back to the original punk magician. Older teens, etc.
HOLMES GN written and illustrated by Omaha Perez. Author Perez explains it best: “What if Sherlock Holmes is constantly out of his head and Watson’s not much better off, the Dr. Gonzo to Holmes’s Raoul Duke?” This was great fun. Older teens, etc.
I SHALL DESTROY ALL CIVILIZED PLANETS: THE COMICS OF FLETCHER HANKS by Fletcher Hanks and Paul Karasik. A collection of the weirdly brilliant Golden-Age comics of Hanks, followed by the sad epilogue in which Karasik tracks down the artist’s only surviving relative to learn of his ultimate fate. Disturbing but moving stuff.
IMMORTAL IRON FIST by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, and David Aja. A martial arts epic set in the Marvel Universe. The story wanders all over the place but if you can keep track of all the flash-backs and intrigue it’s a good ride. Helps to be familiar with the characters.
INCOGNEGRO HC by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece. Part-Mystery, Part-History describes this story of a light-skinned Northern black man passing for white (“going incognegro”) to investigate his brother’s arrest in the virulently racist Mississippi of early 20th century America. Powerful stuff, deserving wider notice.
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA by Geoff Johns, Alex Ross, and Dale Eaglesham. Best enjoyed by long-time fans, probably confusing to newbies. Still a great series of stories building on the legends of the original super-team of the Golden-Age.
KICK-ASS by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. A new series exploring the hideous results of a normal person trying to be a super-hero. Graphic violence, older teens and up.
KIRBY: KING OF COMICS HC by Mark Evanier. Years in the making, this is Evanier’s tribute to his former boss and long-time friend, Jack Kirby, the guy who co-created the foundations of the Marvel Universe and a lot more. Already going back to press, this book is a must for all subjects of The King. Highly Recommended.
LOGAN by Brian K. Vaughan and Eduardo Risso. A thrilling three-parter about Wolverine’s early adventures in a little city called Hiroshima.
NORTHLANDERS by Brian Wood and Davide Gianfelice. A new Vertigo series set a thousand years ago in the bleak world of a Viking village. Prince Sven, a prodigal son, returns from the Holy Land to claim his inheritance. That’s where the story begins. This is a bloody, fascinating adventure that draws the reader in with its depictions of how desolate and empty the Vikings’ world was back then and how one determined outsider could change the entire order of such a place. Not for kids.
PUNISHER by Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov. The final series of Ennis stories in which the Punisher is stripped down to the grim core of his character. Perfectly complimented by Gorlav’s outlandish style. Easily the best run ever of a guy who started out as an occasional foil to Spider-Man.
RUNAWAYS by Joss Whedon and Michael Ryan. My admiration of the creative team notwithstanding this book was last seen in October of 2007 so it’s kind of hard to recall who’s doing what to whom. Fun stuff if you like “Back to the Future Meets Gangs of New York Meets X-Men.” And I kinda do…. Still, I’d like my own time machine so I could travel into the future to see how this all wraps up.
SATCHEL PAIGE: STRIKING OUT JIM CROW HC and SC by James Sturm and Rich Tommaso. A fictionalized account of the legendary ball-player’s life, from his early days to the peak of his career in the Negro Leagues. Highly recommended, as are all of Mr. Sturm’s other works. A preview is available online at www.cartoonstudies.org
SCALPED by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. The story of F.B.I. Special Agent Dash Bad Horse’s return to the Indian reservation he thought he’d escaped forever. This is a dark crime series that quickly becomes addictive as Bad Horse stares deeper and deeper into his personal abyss. Grown-ups only. Two trades out for those needing to catch up.
SERENITY: BETTER DAYS by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, and Will Conrad. A story from the pre-Big Screen days of Captain Mal Reynolds and his crew. Y’know, back when everyone was still alive. Previews available at Dark Horse’s website.
THE SPIRIT by Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragones, and Mike Ploog. Following Darwyn Cooke’s run on Will Eisner’s most famous masked gumshoe, this is a series most enjoyable to fans of Eisner and pulp-era detectives. Pure fun, good for older kids on up.
STREETS OF GLORY by Garth Ennis and Mike Wolfer. A mini-series told in flashback about the closing days of the Wild West. Extreme graphic violence, but good for fans of Garth Ennis and Clint Eastwood. Not for kids.
STUDENTS FOR A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY GN by Harvey Pekar, Gary Dumm, and historian Paul Buhle. A non-fiction account of the rise and fall of one of the most ambitious and controversial activist groups of the 1960s. For grown-ups and interested parties. Very well-timed publication.
THOR by J. Michael Straczynski and Marko Djurdjevic. An impressive revamping of the classic Marvel thunder god, exploring the meanings in myth and the question of what happens after ragnorok.
THUNDERBOLTS by Warren Ellis, Mike Deodato, and Others. Ellis’ take on a team of government sanctioned super-villains, wrapping up this year. Dark stuff, teens and up.
TRANSHUMAN by Jonathan Hickman and Jm Ringuet. A four-issue mockumentary-style comic about the creation and marketing of the world’s first superhumans by the creator of NIGHTLY NEWS, PAX ROMANA, and RED MASS FOR MARS. “Spinal Tap” Meets Supers! Very promising debut issue.
THE TWELVE by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston. A 12-issue series about golden-age super-heroes awaking in the 21st century and all the culture shock it would entail. Gorgeously rendered by Weston. Great for older kids and up. Already a contender for Best Book of the Year.
ULTIMATE HUMAN by Warren Ellis and Cary Nord. A four-issue mini-series where Ultimate Hulk fights Ultimate Iron Man. Hey, sometimes you just need an easy read amidst the heavy stuff.
WALKING DEAD by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard. The ongoing stories of the last humans alive after a zombie plague wipes out civilization. Imagine if the Romero movies never ended. Incredible suspense and continuous surprises derived from the systematic breaking of formula. You never know who might die (or worse) next. A guaranteed gut-punch per issue. Too intense for kids, but engrossing for older readers.
WAR IS HELL: THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE PHANTOM EAGLE by Garth Ennis and Howard Chaykin. A foppish allied aviator meets World War I in “graphic” style. Not for kids.
WOLVERINE by Jason Aaron and Ron Garney. Aaron and Garney open their run on this title with a wild chase across the globe after Wolverine is tasked with the assassination of a long-time X-Men foe. Between this and LOGAN, Wolverine may be having his best creative year in a long while.
Y THE LAST MAN by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra. The series ended recently but is now available in trade paperback form. The saga of the last man on an Earth excelled past its cheesy sci-fi premise with issue one and never looked back. A real masterpiece worthy of sitting beside WATCHMEN and SANDMAN on bookshelves everywhere.
Great stuff so far and it’s only April. J
www.johnjudy.net
Whoops - Jeff Kinney went to the U of Maryland and did a comic strip for them
Boy, have I missed linking to a lot of Diary of a Wimpy Kid articles as I didn't realize that Jeff Kinney did a comic strip for the University of Maryland's Diamondback (as did Frank "Liberty Meadows" Cho and Corey "Watch Your Head" Thomas). If there's any interest, let me know in the comments and I'll cull my Comics Research Bibliography holding file for links. In the meantime, see "Story of the weak: Jeff Kinney's 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' draws on relatable school experiences," by David Mehegan, Boston Globe Staff, April 7, 2008.
Owen, not Stephen, King on comics
In "The Kings of Fiction: Stephen, Tabitha and Owen Offer A Family-Style Look at the Literary Life," by Bob Thompson (who's lately been at a few comics events including the Folger), Washington Post Staff Writer, Monday, April 7, 2008; C01, we find the following quotes about Owen King's interest in comic books.
At some point in his childhood, the 31-year-old King explains to his young listeners -- gathered this day as part of the PEN/Faulkner Writers in Schools program -- he was reading a Fantastic Four comic and the question of superhero sex occurred to him. "I was looking at Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman and I was thinking, well, how does this, you know, how do they do it?"
This draws a bit of nervous laughter.
"Dirty-minded as I am," he says the question never left him. And when the Fantastic Four movie came out, with Jessica Alba, "it was even more on my mind."
He goes on a bit after that to talk about how that idea became a short story about a superhero meerkat.
At some point in his childhood, the 31-year-old King explains to his young listeners -- gathered this day as part of the PEN/Faulkner Writers in Schools program -- he was reading a Fantastic Four comic and the question of superhero sex occurred to him. "I was looking at Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman and I was thinking, well, how does this, you know, how do they do it?"
This draws a bit of nervous laughter.
"Dirty-minded as I am," he says the question never left him. And when the Fantastic Four movie came out, with Jessica Alba, "it was even more on my mind."
He goes on a bit after that to talk about how that idea became a short story about a superhero meerkat.
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