Comic Riffs' Cavna on Pekar

Michael Cavna's got a nice post on Harvey Pekar online based on getting an advance copy of my Harvey Pekar: Conversations book. He found some words of wisdom in an interview with Harvey done by Jim Ottaviani and Steve Leiber for Hogan's Alley that Jim let me reprint in my book that's appearing soon. This is the first mention in 'print' of the book so I'm happy.

History and Politics in French-Language Comics and Graphic Novels press release

Here's some PR from my, uh-hmm, publisher. I know Mark and a lot of the authors in this book and I'm sure it's a good one. I'll be buying a copy when it's in paper.

History and Politics in French-Language Comics and Graphic Novels
Edited by Mark McKinney
University Press of Mississippi
ISBN 978-1-60473-004-3, hardback, $50

Book News for Immediate Release

French, Belgian comics have long been outlets of historical, political expression

Cartoonists have long created graphic narratives that provide engaging perspectives on the world’s historical and political events. In France and Belgium in particular, many well-known comics artists have focused their attention–explicitly and implicitly–on events that have affected these countries.

History and Politics in French-Language Comics and Graphic Novels (University Press of Mississippi) collects new essays that address French-language comics from a variety of theoretical perspectives. This anthology edited by Mark McKinney establishes the French comics tradition as one rich with historical and political inquiry and is one of the first English-language collections to explore this subject

In works ranging from comic books and graphic novels to newspaper strips and editorial cartoons, French-language cartoonists have addressed such controversial topics as French and Belgian collaboration and resistance during World War II; European colonialism and U.S. imperialism; anti-Semitism in France; the integration of African immigrant groups in Europe; May 1968 in France; and the ecology and feminist movements.

The essays range from discussion of the canonical (Hergé’s Tintin series, Rodolphe Töpffer’s picture-stories) to the contemporary (Jean-Philippe Stassen’s Déogratias, about the 1994 Rwandan genocide).

Several essays are close readings of specific comics series and graphic novels, such as Cécile Danehy’s examination of Cosey’s Saigon-Hanoi, about French involvement in Vietnam during the 1950s.

With essays by Baru, Bart Beaty, Cécile Vernier, Danehy, Hugo Frey, Pascal LefPvre, Fabrice Leroy, Amanda Macdonald, Mark McKinney, Ann Miller, and Clare Tufts.

History and Politics in French-Language Comics and Graphic Novels is one of the first English-language works to address history and politics in French-language comics and graphic novels and features over 60 illustrations of the works being discussed

Mark McKinney is associate professor of French at Miami University, Ohio. With Alec G. Hargreaves, he edited Post-Colonial Cultures in France.

–30–

For more information contact Clint Kimberling, Publicist, ckimberling@mississippi.edu

Read more about History and Politics in French-Language Comics and Graphic Novels at http://www.upress.state.ms.us/books/1111

Local food fluffer Lisa Cherkasky on meeting a star

My neighbor Lisa does a lot of food styling for the Washington Post and I always look forward to seeing the Food section on Wednesday. Here's her blog post about running into another local Post celebrity - Our Man Thompson.
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Boy, this is incestuous, isn't it?

Cavna's interview two-fer - Thompson and BK Vaughan

Sure, Cavna and Betancourt have got the Washington Post behind them so they can interview big names like Richard Thompson and Brian K Vaughan...

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 08-20-08

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 08-20-08
By John Judy

AIR #1 by G. Willow Wilson and M.K. Perker. Something about air travel, terrorism and countries that don’t exist. Okay. Sure looks pretty though. Not for kids.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #568 by Dan Slott and John Romita R with a back-up by Mark Waid and Adi Granov. Ominous doings with the Osborn boys and the man once known as Venom gets reflective. Pretty darn good issue.

BRAVE AND THE BOLD #16 by Mark Waid and Scott Kolins. Superman and Catwoman! They’re just trying to make Batman jealous…

CAPTAIN AMERICA #41 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. Cap may be “dead” but his villains have never been more interesting. Sucks to be Sharon Carter though…

FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #1 of 5 by Geoff Johns and George Perez. Time-Trapper, Superboy-Prime, Huge Fights! It’s Perez so you know it’ll look great and Johns so you know it’ll make sense! Recommended!

GHOST RIDER #26 by Jason Aaron and Tan Eng Huat. Danny Ketch is back, no doubt to get his flaming skull handed to him by the real Ghost Rider. From the author of SCALPED! Recommended!

HERBIE ARCHIVES VOL.1 HC by Shane O’Shea (Richard Hughes) and Ogden Whitney. Collecting the earliest adventures of The Fat Fury and his magic lollipops. Hey, it was the sixties and he went after Castro! Did you ever go after Castro? Weird stuff for them that likes it. Go Herbie!

IRON FIST: ORIGIN OF DANNY RAND by Lotsa People including Matt Fraction and Kano. He knows kung-fu!

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #24 by Dwayne McDuffie and Ed Benes. Okay, normally I wouldn’t care who had control of the Tantu Totem but this story has actually maintained my interest. Fun stuff! Tantus all around!

PUNISHER #61 by Greg Hurwitz and Laurence Campbell. The post-Ennis era starts here and it ain’t half-bad. Let’s give these plucky lads their fair shake, eh? Recommended.

SANDMAN PRESENTS: DEAD BOY DETECTIVES SC by Ed Brubaker, Bryan Talbot and Steve Leialoha. Collecting the first bunch of stories from back before everyone knew how awesome Brubaker was. Gotta look!

SCALPED #20 by Jason Aaron and Davide Furno. More revelations from the twisted past of Dash’s crackhead significant other, Carol. Everyone should be reading this series, except for kids. Highly recommended.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: THE ATOM VOL. 2 SC by Gardner Fox, Dennis O’Neil, Gil Kane, Murphy Anderson and Others. Collecting the Silver-Age adventures of the Mighty Mite from ATOM #18-38 and ATOM AND HAWKMAN #39-45. Expensive comics found cheaply here!

UNCANNY X-MEN #501 by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction and Greg Land. I tried reading this but was blinded by the rows of white teeth Greg Land traced from fashion magazines and various soft-core websites. The new drinking game is: Every time you recognize a starlet Land traced for an Emma Frost pose you have to drink. Hide your car keys before playing.

X-FACTOR #34 by Peter David and Larry Stroman. She-Hulk! Long-Shot! Skrulls! Hijinks galore!

X-FACTOR SPECIAL: LAYLA MILLER #1 by Peter David and Valentine DeLandro. A one-shot based upon a character who is clearly one of PAD’s favorites. Really good stuff even though I usually hate dystopian alternate future stories. Worth a read.

www.johnjudy.net

Small Press Expo Announces Bryan Lee O’Malley and Hope Larson as Guests for SPX 2008

Small Press Expo Announces Bryan Lee O’Malley and Hope Larson as Guests for SPX 2008

For Immediate Release
Contact: Warren Bernard
Phone: 301-537-4615 E-Mail:webernard@mindspring.com

Bethesda, Maryland; August 19, 2008 - The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comic books, graphic novels and alternative political cartoons, is proud to announce Bryan Lee O’Malley and Hope Larson as guests for SPX 2008.

Bryan Lee O’Malley is the creator of the Scott Pilgrim (http://www.scottpilgrim.com) series of books issued by Oni Press. Scott Pilgrim was named Best Indy Comic of the Year by Entertainment Weekly and was recently optioned as a motion picture by Universal Studios. Bryan has been nominated for both the Eisner and Harvey Awards and is a past recipient of the Joe Schuster Award for Best Canadian Cartoonist and the Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging Talent. Bryan’s web site is http://www.radiomaru.com/.

Hope Larson is the creator of the recently released book, Chiggers, published by the Atheneum imprint of Simon & Schuster. She was the recipient of the 2006 Ignatz Award in the category Promising New Talent and the Eisner Award for Special Recognition in 2007. Her previous works include Gray Horses published by Oni Press and Salamander Dreams, her web comic subsequently published by Adhouse Books. Hope’s web site is
http://www.hopelarson.com/.

Hope and Bryan are in addition to the previously announced Joost Swarte, who will be making a rare American appearance at this year's SPX.

Additional guests will be added over the next few weeks, please stay tuned for those announcements.

This year, SPX will be held Saturday, October 4 from 11AM to 7PM and Sunday, October 5 noon-6PM at The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Admission is $8 for a single day and $15 for both days.

For further information on the artists or to request an interview, please contact Warren Bernard at webernard@spxpo.com.

SPX, a non-profit organization, brings together more than 300 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers and distributors each year. Graphic novels, political cartoon books and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. A series of panel discussions will also be held of interest to readers, academicians and creators of graphic novels and political cartoons.

SPX culminates with the presentation of the 12th Annual Ignatz Awards for outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning that will occur Saturday night, October 4. The Ignatz is the first Festival Prize in the US comic book industry, with winners chosen by balloting during the SPX.

As in previous years, all profits from the SPX will go to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), protecting the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals. For more information on the CBLDF, go to their website at
http://www.cbldf.org/.

Founded in 1994, SPX is North America's premier alternative comic-book and graphic novel festival. This annual event brings together comic creators, publishers and fans together to celebrate the art of visual storytelling.

Couple of comic art things in NY Times

One story on the Family Guy animator "Serving 3 Brands: Burger King, Google and Seth MacFarlane," By BROOKS BARNES, New York Times August 18, 2008 and that bastard mix of art and commerce to quote Mr. Spiegelman.

Another story is on some Watchmen movie nonsense - "Judge Backs Fox on Rights to Superhero Movie," By MICHAEL CIEPLY, New York Times August 19, 2008.

Honorary Washingtonian Von Allan has a comic

Here's his press release:

Canadian artist Von Allan publishes his first graphic novel

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (August 17, 2008) – Comic books and graphic novels have, over the past twenty years, become a widely embraced medium in book publishing. Initially dismissed as children’s entertainment, comics have now developed a maturity and range of vision that rivals other forms of art and literature. Graphic novels are read by people from all walks of life and have reached a level of critical acceptance that was unheard of decades ago. This resurgence has been led by a number of young artists who bring unique voices to the medium. Von Allan, an Ottawa-based artist and graphic novelist, joins this group with his recently published graphic novel “Li’l Kids: road to god knows… adventures!”

“Graphic novels offer a combination of words and images that speak to us on a very fundamental level,” says Allan. “In a way I think it’s storytelling at its most primal form. It allows an author to engage with a reader in a way that’s similar to literature and yet very, very different. Comics, when you come right down to it, are just ink marks on a piece of paper. That a reader can interpret that into a fully formed story is really quite remarkable. On top of it, so much of what makes sequential art come alive is defined by what’s not there. The gutter space between each panel of art is very important. This is where the reader’s imagination and personality comes into play. It’s a beautiful medium and one I love exploring. Hopefully that sense of exploration comes across in ‘Li’l Kids.’”

Another unique aspect of the graphic novel is its availability in multiple channels. “Li’l Kids” is downloadable as a free PDF eBook on the artist’s website. In addition, a free torrent version is available via LegalTorrents.com. The graphic novel is distributed under a Creative Commons Canada licence that grants readers the ability to distribute the online versions of the book for free. “I believe in both print publishing and bookstores and I always have,” says Allan. “But I also believe that obscurity is one of the hardest things for young artists to avoid. By using a variety of online distribution tools as well as more traditional print publishing, I’m hoping more people will get to know both myself and my work. I believe that this helps build a platform for my continued development as an artist and helps grow my audience at the same time. I’m also very pleased to see that the book is already available through a number of channels, notably online at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble.”

“Li’l Kids” is a collection of three interlocked short stories that focus on elements from a young girl’s life. We see Marie, the main character in each story, develop and grow; from meeting a new friend to her burgeoning awareness of both her family’s poverty and her mom’s mental illness. This later theme is more fully explored in the graphic novel “the road to god knows…;” Marie is only eight years old at the time of these three stories. As a result, she is only just beginning to be aware of the world around her and her place in it. Each story stands on its own but, when taken together, they demonstrate that childhood, like most aspects of life, can have its ups and downs. Being a child can be fun, scary, and magical; but sometimes the things that seem very little at the time can have a profound effect on you later on in life. That’s certainly true for Marie and her experiences in these stories help to bear that out. Later, in “the road to god knows…,” we see just how significant some of those events can be.

In addition to the three stories, this collection includes a large amount of supporting material. Concept and thumbnail art illustrate how each story was put together. Allan also discusses where each story’s inspiration came from and how each story’s initial idea formed. Lastly, he shows each step from story outline to completed script.

“Li’l Kids: road to god knows… adventures!” is an 88 page graphic novel and has an ISBN of 978-0-9781237-1-0. The suggested retail price is $13.95 US.

About Von Allan: Von Allan was born red-headed and freckled in Arnprior, Ontario, just in time for “Star Wars: A New Hope.” He managed Perfect Books, an independent bookstore in Ottawa, for many years while working on story ideas in his spare time; eventually, he decided to make the leap to a creative life, and “the road to god knows…” was the result. Additional information about the graphic novel can be found at vonallan.com.

--
Von Allan

My first graphic novel, Li'l Kids (ISBN: 978-0-9781237-1-0) is now available! Links for a free PDF Ebook and to online retailers for a physical copy are at http://www.vonallan.com/shop.html

And my original graphic novel the road to god knows... (ISBN: 978-0-9781237-0-3) can be now read entirely online at http://www.girlamatic.com/comics/godknows.php

Von Allan Studio
P.O. Box 20520, 390 Rideau Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. K1N 1A3
Phone: 613-236-9957
Email: von@vonallan.com
Web: http://www.vonallan.com
Blog: http://vonandmoggy.livejournal.com

August 29: Death Note showing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Chris Wanamaker, (202) 262 2083 president@dcanimeclub.org

DC Anime Club and Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan Present:

DeathNote

The DC Anime Club and the Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC), Embassy of Japan Present the DeathNote on Friday August 29, 2008 at 6:30pm as part of the Anime Summer Series. A live action film based on the extremely popular manga, starring Tatsuya Fujiwara from the Battle Royale films. The Death Note is a notebook of the gods of death. Anyone whose name is written in it will die. The screening will be held at the Japanese Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan located at Lafayette Center III, 1155 21st Street, NW Washington, DC 20036-3308. Seating for the screening of DeathNote is limited and attendees are encouraged to rsvp by sending an e-mail to jiccrsvpspring08@embjapan.org.

This program is free and open to the public. For more information please visit the Japanese Information and Culture Center website at http://www.us.embjapan.go.jp/jicc/ or visit the DC Anime Club website at http://dcanimeclub.org.

About DC Anime Club:
DCAC was established in 2003 to introduce and educate people in the Washington,DC area about East Asian culture, through viewing and discussion of Japanese animation (also known as anime) and Japanese comics (manga). DCAC is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization, contributions to DC Anime Club are taxed deductible to the extent allowable under the law.

The club also works to provide a positive, alternative activity to the youth in the area by exposing them to foreign culture, encouraging artistic expression and creativity, and providing opportunities for participation in community activities and leadership.

In addition to our weekly meetings, the club holds an Annual Art Show, an Annual Costume fundraising event, and visits local schools to do presentations on anime. The club also works with the Smithsonian Freer Gallery and DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival on their anime screenings, and has helped locally promote performances for Japanese bands such as Puffy Ami Yumi and Pine am. DC Anime Club was founded by Chris Wanamaker (President), Jules Chang (Vice President) and Craig Vaughn (Sgt in ARMS) on Saturday June 5, 2003. We have a strong membership that continues to grow -- most of which are teenagers.

About Japan Information and Culture Center:
The Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC) is the cultural and public affairs section of the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C. Our primary role is to promote better understanding of Japan and Japanese culture by providing a wide range of
information, educational services and programs to the public. The JICC is located on the lower level of the glass-enclosed Galleria at Lafayette Centre III in downtown Washington, D.C. Its facilities include a research library, a 152-seat auditorium, and a 1,500-square-foot exhibition gallery where a wide variety of events sponsored by the JICC are hosted throughout the year.


--
Christopher Wanamaker
DC Anime Club President
http://www.dcanimeclub.org
202 262 2083

Another Harvey Pekar article

Here's another one that was struck from the book. It's another on Pekar's relationship with Letterman, this time after he had cancer and just before Our Cancer Year about to come out.

Harvey Pekar / Letterman
By Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner / 1994

From alt.fan.letterman, June 3, 1994. Reprinted with permission of Harvey Pekar.

As promised: Harvey wrote the following article for the Boston Herald. I'm posting my own notes, too. -- Joyce

On the Late Show With David Letterman
by Harvey Pekar

Yeah, that was me you saw on David Letterman's May 16 show, announcing to a guy I work with that he owed me ten bucks for mentioning his name on national TV, telling Dave I was getting twenty five more for wearing a T-shirt with a Cleveland Free Times logo on it. Nickel and diming, but it adds up.

I've made a cottage industry out of Dave's program-- appearing on it eight times, six during a two year period, then writing about my experiences for various newspapers. For this I've received, by my standards, decent money. My standards are those of someone who has been a file clerk for the Cleveland VA hospital since 1966.

Steve O'Donnell, once Letterman's head writer and another Clevelander, got me on Late Night in October 1986, because he liked my autobiographical comic book series American Splendor.

I did a self-parody of a working stiff on the show and Dave was so impressed that he had me on again in January, March, July and November of 1987, and, after a six month's writers' strike, August of 1988. However, our relationship soured.

Dave was happy to have me come on like a rust belt "dese an' doser" but I tired of it and brought politics into the act by talking about the conflict of interest involved in the chronically corrupt and extremely powerful General Electric corporation's ownership of NBC, Letterman's employer at the time. GE has been convicted numerous times of violating anti-trust laws. They get caught, pay the fine and do it again, a profitable policy.

They are also a huge arms manufacturer and, by owning NBC, are in a position to influence public opinion regarding weapons sales. Obviously, they shouldn't be allowed to own a major TV news source.

When GE was being sued for over a billion dollars in 1987 by three Ohio utility companies for selling them a nuclear reactor GE's own engineers and scientists considered defective, NBC didn't mention the story for months, and then only under pressure, and they didn't pursue it.

Meanwhile, I saw Dave making personal cracks about Robert Wright, the GE-installed NBC president, and thought he'd dig it if I joined in the fun by bringing up GE's long criminal record. Was I ever wrong.

The first time I mentioned the issue Dave switched to a commercial, after which he brought someone else on. When I wouldn't stop ragging on GE during a July '87 show, we got into a spirited on the air argument, which, however, the audience enjoyed.

As far as I'm concerned that should be enough for Dave. He considers Late Night/Late Show (the CBS version) a comedy program in a talk show format. We got laughs while we were squabbling about GE, but he still wasn't satisfied. He only wants light weight comedy and avoids serious political or social issues like the plague (AIDS, for example, is never mentioned).

Dave is bright and talented, but seriously interested in nothing but beating Jay Leno in the ratings. He deserves a kick in the butt for his anti-intellectualism. Make anything but a quick reference to a heavy issue and he's nervous. "This isn't Meet the Press," Letterman staffers tell you. "Don't stay on any subject too long, don't get serious about anything."

Dave is so contradictory. He makes all this money but lives modestly and could get along with far less. Money is just a success symbol to him. He despises show biz phoniness and stupidity, but interviews vacuous movie and TV stars night after night so that he can appear on Time Magazine covers. It's hard to believe he doesn't realize that having the most popular late night talk show means nothing if it stinks. Does he really believe he's doing anything creative by interviewing talentless celebrities, being increasingly nice to people he doesn't respect so he can please his closer-to-prime time audience?

Disgusted with the scene, I decided to end my TV career by goading Dave into a nasty argument during his August, '88 show. It was so ugly I figured I would never be asked back. Amazingly, a year later, his people invited me to return. I refused. The next year they asked again, but that's when I was a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments. I couldn't have gone back if I'd wanted.

In early 1993, in remission for some time, I was offered another invitation. They were paying $600, covering airfare for two, a limo and our hotel costs. This was too good to be ignored so I made an appearance, got some laughs and went home.

The show is still nowhere. Occasionally, I've seen Letterman do fine satire, but that's pretty much behind him now that he's trying to impress Peoria.

Dave raps with giddy stars and starlets five nights a week, gets in his car and races home, dodging fans. But, I'll take his money. What else is he good for?

Here's Joyce's version of the same event...

We don't watch Letterman unless Harvey's on the show. Someone usually tapes it for us at home. We sometimes stay up to watch Harvey when we're in New York and the show is aired later that same night. Doing LS/DL is a lot like being 11 years old and visiting relatives you don't care to know once or twice each year. One meets vaguely familiar people who ask the same questions and say the same things. You have nothing in common but, on the way over, you've been drilled in what/what not to talk about.

You show up because they always hand out money and terrible gifts that can be brought back to the store. For some reason, there is also a pumped and primed audience-- we always hear them practice laughing—but it's all over in only a few minutes and you don't have to swallow meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

Instead of exchanging ugly shirts and sweaters for department store refunds, Harvey collects bags full of whatever books and CDs people send Letterman and unloads them at used book and record stores for extra cash.

Sometimes Joyce trades DL merchandise, weird souvenirs, backstage passes or tickets for computer supplies and materials needed by the kids she's writing her own comic books with, usually by chatting up alt.fan.letterman readers on Usenet. Harvey writes about Letterman in his own autobiographical comic book series American Splendor, so he always has something to promote on the show-- a comic book about the last show. I forget what you call that kind of self-contained economic system. Maybe it's just plain television.

We used to think the Letterman show was a talk show, until its various producers explained "It's a comedy show that looks like a talk show. No one talks." We're not supposed to tell you which casual throwaway lines, lightning quick put downs, leading questions, canny insights and spontaneous discussions were mapped out ahead of time on those blue index cards Dave holds. Afterwards, the cards are carefully collected and unused banter gets stored by writers for later use.

Every so often Harvey and Dave say something unexpected to each other. That's called "a real moment" and often excites sophisticated people with lots of excuses for watching the show, as in "I only turned it on because Harvey..." After the show, everyone's a critic, evenly divided between those certain Harvey missed some wonderful opportunity to talk about comics as an adult art form-- or his chance to promote tourism in and around the city of Cleveland (where we live)-- and those who see Harvey as ugly little David up against smugly mugging Goliath. Or Mammon.

It's nothing more than meatloaf and potatos, served up by someone we think really does read Harvey's comics, since they made such a big deal about it last time: "Dave wants his own copy. He's decided to hold the comic book on camera." There's not much they can talk (not talk) about. Letterman knows Harvey's been sidelined by cancer and reconstructive surgery but that's not to be mentioned at the table.

"It bums people out," we're told. "Not when people tell the truth," we argue, convinced there's at least one guy out there going through chemotherapy with a really bad attitude, scared he won't get well because he hasn't turned his non-Hodgkins lymphoma into an opportunity for personal growth. On TV we're shown serene "before" pictures of Jackie O.

Harvey's scowling face is what "after" that same cancer sometimes looks like-- ragged hairline, bushy eyebrows and all. It grows back, you see. Not everyone dies.

Who's scamming who? LS/DL wanted Harvey to be red-faced and rude, to add a touch of color to beige and blonde Heather Locklear. If she didn't show, Harvey expected to be bumped. I'm Harvey's entourage. His wife.

So, they sat me next to 5 women, all wearing the same perfectly bleached and bell shaped hairdo and anxiously watching HL on the monitor backstage. One turned and trilled to the rest "Her makeup looks so good!" Then, all the Heathers sighed.

Being Heather is their job, just like being Dave is a job. Being Harvey Pekar, a very minor cult figure who writes himself into comics and sometimes turns up on TV is, well... Easy on the meatloaf. Who knows what that stuff is made of?

Educational editorial cartoons

My, that title sounded boring, didn't it? Actually I wanted to mention the American Association of Editorial Cartoonist's Cartoons for the Classroom site. Every week or so, they pick an editorial cartoon, write some explanatory text about it and put up a downloadable version that teachers can use. I like this a lot - in fact, we used one in the museum I work in last year. They've got 127 that you can download as of today, by a wide variety of cartoonists.

Otakon followup article

See "Otakon convention: 'Halloween gone mad' ensues as animation fans hit Baltimore," Sarah Moses, Cumberland Times-News August 15 2008 and there's photos too.

Fiction House artwork on display at Geppi's museum

In his Scoop newsletter column, Curator Arnold Blumberg says they've put on display original art from "an installment in an ongoing strip, “Simba, King of the Beasts,” published by Fiction House in Jungle Comics... with art by William Allison."

August 16: Berryman exhibit closes

Tomorrow's the last day of the Clifford Berryman political cartoon exhibit at the National Archives on 9th and Pennsylvania Ave, NW. It's a good show.

NY Times notices Ditko

Boy, the world has gotten to be a strange, yet better, place - "From Spider-Man to Ayn Rand," By DOUGLAS WOLK, New York Times August 17, 2008 reviews the book STRANGE AND STRANGER: The World of Steve Ditko, By Blake Bell, Illustrated. 216 pp. Fantagraphics Books. $39.99.

Cul de Sac collection - I got a sneak peak

I just saw Our Man Thompson and got a sneak peek at the Cul de Sac book collection that Andrews McMeel is doing. It looks great - there's a ton of the Sunday strips that had only appeared in the Post, and they're still in color. You're going to want this one, even if there isn't a Petey temporary tattoo enclosed (I'd been hoping...).

Richard will be making appearances to sign them in the DC region this fall - he's still working out when and where. Buy 5 and give them for holiday gifts. I'm going to.

The Family Circus is in DC, and didn't even call

I've been looking at these all week and didn't even think to do a post on them until Thursday's Washington Times ran a photograph by Barbara Salisbury (which isn't online) showing two Congressman holding a copy of one of the panels and inviting Bil Keane to visit the Capitol.

Anyway, the strips can be seen here - Monday 8/11, Tuesday 8/12, Wednesday 8/13, Thursday 8/14, Friday 8/15, Saturday 8/16. You can tell they're in Washington because our obelisk is taller than anyone else's.

Zadzooks on Hellboy videogame

"ZADZOOKS: Hellboy players on the attack," Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times Thursday, August 14, 2008.

Quick Reviews comment

John Judy would like to make a priority claim for his Quick Reviews:

Did I call this one first?

Yes.

Yes I did.

Okay, it's Colbert rather than Fox.

Give 'em time.

Sherrilynn Kenyon and Brad Meltzer Book Signings

I almost didn't even notice this, but The Onion has a tiny notation for Monday, August 18th in their Calendar section that Sherrilynn Kenyon, writer of Marvel's Lords of Avalon: Sword of Darkness series, will be at Barnes and Noble in Clarendon at 6pm!

She is, in fact, an author of novels (under her own name and also Kinley MacGregor), and is promoting her latest book, Acheron.

While checking to see if this store had anything else interesting coming up, I found that Brad Meltzer, ex-DC resident, is coming back to the Barnes and Noble in Bethesda on September 3rd at 7:30pm to promote his latest, The Book of Lies. Schedule permitting, I'll definitely see you there!

(Mike here - Big Planet Comics owner Joel Pollack wrote in to say that Brad will also be at Politics and Prose in DC on Thursday September 4th at 7 pm.)

(Mike here again - Brad will also be ... in a grocery store? ... at Sterling, VA, Saturday, September 20 - 1:00 pm, Wegman's, 45131 Columbia Place)