Monday, November 17, 2008

Comic Riffs interviews latest fired editorial cartoonist

Unfortunately this seems to have been the year when many papers who had editorial cartoonists decided they could probably do without one. Michael Cavna interviews the latest victim in "The Interview: Steve Greenberg: Life as a Pink-Slipped Political Cartoonist" on the Comic Riffs blog.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Nate Beeler's Berryman award featured in Sunday's Examiner

This is a bit late, but you can probably still find copies in your neighbor's driveway. This article "Examiner editorial cartoonist wins prominent national award," By Bill Myers, Examiner Staff Writer 11/14/08, appears in print today along with a gallery of five of Nate's cartoons that allegedly precipitated the winning of the Berryman award. Nate's regular cartoon, still reduced to barely legible at 3x4 inches, also appeared today, along with the large caricature on the front of the tabloid. Nate's now drawing 3 Sunday caricatures for the DC, Baltimore and a California, possibly LA, issues.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Mr. IS, the realtor advertisement webcomic, continues

Episode 4: "Restoration" continues the free entertainment by the Washington-based MRIS.

Nov 19: Free educator tour at Geppi's Entertainment Museum

Arnold Blumberg's column has the information including, "We’re inviting teachers and educators to join us at Geppi’s Entertainment Museum on Wednesday, November 19, 2008, for an evening of pop culture, refreshments, and an exclusive introduction to our Educational Tour Program. Join us here at GEM from 4:00 to 6:30 PM and meet me as well as our Educational and Special Programming Associate, Bailey Ball, and Director of Sales and Marketing, Julie Meddows. We’ll be taking everyone on a private tour of the museum’s collection and providing educator’s kits containing information on our education program, related teacher resources, and more."

I love this Museum and recommend this if you qualify to go.

Friday, November 14, 2008

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 11-19-08

From the US Virgin Islands! Enjoy!

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 11-19-08
By John Judy


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #578 by Mark Waid and Marcos Martin. The start of a two-part adventure featuring one of President-Elect Obama’s two favorite heroes! That’s right! “That One” is a comics geek! “One of us! One of us!” Also Waid and Martin are swell. Recommended.

AVENGERS/INVADERS #6 of 12 by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Steve Sadowski. At the half-way mark as Toro learns he’s dead and the Torch decides to liberate his Life-Model Decoy brethren from… GAH! I mean, robots and androids, Ross! How can you be a comics professional and not know the difference? GAH!

CONAN THE CIMMERIAN #5 by Timothy Truman, Tomas Giorello and Richard Corben.. Another thrilling adventure from President-Elect Obama’s other favorite hero! Featuring tough chicks with swords! Yes!

EX MACHINA #39 by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. Wrapping up the “Dirty Tricks” storyline with a call-back to issue #1. Yeah, that BK Vaughan knows how to pay it off. Recommended!

FANTASTIC FOUR #561 by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch. The Invisible Woman dies. Oops! I mean, “Spoiler Alert!” (Come on, the story’s called “The Death of the Invisible Woman” so just save your hate-mail for when Millar gets to write the next Superman movie.)

GHOST RIDER #29 by Jason Aaron and Tan Eng Huat. Johnny Blaze vs. Danny Ketch is a Ghost Rider/Ghost Rider smack-down. I kinda want this to wrap up quick so Aaron can get out of having to make sense of the hopelessly insane Ghost Rider continuity and just start telling stories like “Zombie Highway.” Still, Big Fight! My money’s on the guy they made the movie about.

GOON #30 written and drawn by Eric Powell. The gorgeous cartoon noir fun continues. “The only reason you ain’t dead is that he’d never forgive me.” Highly recommended.

GREATEST HITS #3 of 6 by David Tischman, Glenn Fabry and Gary Erskine. A great-looking riff on the super-hero as Rock Star, guaranteed to pluck the heartstrings of any Beatlemaniac comics fans out there. You know who you are…

HELLBLAZER #249 by Andy Diggle and Leonardo Manco. Wrapping up Diggle’s run as Constantine returns to Ravenscar Mental Hospital for the big showdown.

JACK KIRBY’S THE DEMON OMNIBUS HC written and drawn by Da King. Even though DC seems to be killing off every one of its Kirby characters lately, they took the time to collect all 16 issues of the last survivor of Camelot, the demon Etrigan and his mortal host Jason Blood. Bizarre seventies horror adventure for them that likes it!

JSA KINGDOM COME SPECIAL MAGOG #1 by Peter J. Tomasi and Fernando Pasarin. The latest doings with resurrected Marine and Franklin Roosevelt descendant David Reid and the being he has become. Can Magog be a hero in spite of the creepy name and awkward headgear? Here’s all the stuff that won’t fit into the regular JSA book!

PUNISHER MAX #64 by Gregg Hurwitz and Laurence Campbell. Frank’s still pretty annoyed by those drug dealers making him think he killed a little girl so this one’s bound to be a little bumpy. Not cool, drug-dealers. Not for kids.

SCALPED #23 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. “The Gravel in Your Guts” continues in this stark, hypnotic crime comic that just happens to be set on an Indian reservation. Can the murderous Chief Lincoln Red Crow ever redeem himself? Will Dino Poor Bear follow the same dead end path? This is the comic you should read first then hide from your family. Highly recommended.

STAN’S SOAPBOX: THE COLLECTION SC by Da Man. Collecting every one of Smilin’ Stan Lee’s interstitial manifestos from 1967 to 1980. These were the monthly asides that made a generation of fans feel like Stan Lee was standing right behind us, whispering in our ears even when he usually wasn’t. A true geek “Must-Have!”

SUPERGIRL #35 by Sterling gates and Jamal Igle. For you “New Krypton” completists who can’t wait for the trade.

THUNDERBOLTS #126 by Andy Diggle and Roberto De La Torre. A new creative team asks the musical question “What happens when a team of criminal nut-jobs who hate each other are left unsupervised by the criminal nut-job who’s supposed to be in charge of them?” It’s kind of like that time Dick Cheney got locked in the bathroom and the economy collapsed…

UNCANNY X-MEN #504 by Matt Fraction and Terry & Rachel Dodson. A new creative team is clearly chomping at the bit to get started with FOUR distinct storylines starting in one issue! Which ones will be resolved and which ones will trail off into Claremontian nothingness? Place yer bets, bub!

X-MEN LEGACY #218 by Mike Carey and Scot Eaton. Professor X tries to help Wolver-Boy, y’know the one whose healing factor can’t quite manage to take care of his tattoos and stupid haircut. Definitely NOT one of President-Elect Obama’s favorite heroes! Nuff said!

www.johnjudy.net

Nate Beeler of the Washington Examiner Receives Berryman Award for Editorial Cartooning

Good news for my buddy Nate!

Nate Beeler of the Washington Examiner Receives Berryman Award for Editorial Cartooning


Washington, D.C. – Cartoonist Nate Beeler of the Washington Examiner has been awarded the 2008 Clifford K. Berryman and James T. Berryman Award for Editorial Cartooning, the National Press Foundation has announced.

The Berryman judges said they were “taken with Nate Beeler's technical skill and wry sense of humor. His grasp of politics is excellent, which is particularly important when you're drawing for an audience of Washington insiders. Beeler is a new talent in one of the most popular forms of journalism.”

The Berryman award – and six other major prizes – will be presented at the National Press Foundation’s 26th Annual Awards Dinner, on February 10, 2009, at the Hilton Washington Hotel. Announcement of other winners will be made shortly. The awards include the Benjamin C. Bradlee Editor of the Year, the Sol Taishoff Broadcaster of the Year, the W.M. Kiplinger Award for Distinguished Contributions to Journalism, the Dirksen Awards for Print and Broadcast Coverage of Congress and the NPF Award for Online Journalism.

Beeler will comment on a dozen or more of his cartoons, which take clear delight in skewering the powerful and bursting the bubbles of the self-absorbed. Beeler follows in a distinguished line of Berryman winners, including Jim Morin of The Miami Herald, Chan Lowe of the Sun-Sentinel in South Florida, and Jimmy Margulies of The Record in New Jersey.

The Berryman judges this year were NPF board members Sandra K. Johnson, an independent journalist and former Washington bureau chief for the Associated Press; Deborah Howell, the ombudsman of The Washington Post; and Peter Copeland, Washington bureau chief for Scripps Howard News Service. Also serving as a judge was Ann Telnaes, a syndicated cartoonist with Women’s eNews and the 2003 Berryman winner.

Beeler is a 2002 graduate of American University, in Washington. His drawings can be found on the Examiner’s website, http://www.dcexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/NateBeelerToons/

A selection of cartoons from other Berryman winners can be found on the NPF website,
http://www.nationalpress.org/info-url3520/info-url_list.htm?cat_id=635

For information about the NPF Annual Awards Dinner contact Kerry Buker, kerry@nationalpress.org, or call 202-663-7282.

Bruce Campbell tonight!

Unfortunately, it's sold out:

Washington, D.C.: E Street Cinema
Film Opens Fri, Nov 14
Bruce Campbell In Person Sat, Nov 15 at 7:45 & 10:15pm.
Please note that both performances are now SOLD OUT.

Bruce Campbell has written The Hire and Man with the Screaming Brain for Dark Horse and Obergeist for Top Cow (Image).

But hey, just because it's sold out doesn't mean you can't show up and try to get a scalped ticket. Or just stalk the side entrance looking for an autograph. (Just don't try to get your Army of Darkness from Dynamite Entertainment signed!)

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Elena Steier's new book

Fringe: A Cartoon History of the George Dubya Bush Administration is Elena Steier's new book of political cartoons. I was Elena's guest at the only Cartoons & Cocktails that I've been to (as she's a friend of my friends Gene and Kate), and these are cartoons about the Administration, so there's two DC links. This press release gives the details on the book and how to order it.

Zadzooks reviews

"ZADZOOKS: Comic book reviews of Dear Dracula and The Joker; Boy seeks Dracula's assistance," Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times Thursday, November 13, 2008.

OT: Harvey Pekar opera?

In a forlorn hope of seeing some reviews for Harvey Pekar: Conversations, I have a Google alert for Pekar. Today's alert noted, in addition to the University of San Diego Libraries buying a copy of the book (thanks!), the blog LIBeral ARTs: News from the Clarence Ward Art Library is reporting that Harvey Pekar will write and appear in an opera at Oberlin. There's no word if this is another American Splendor adaptation, but it seems like it might be. Here's the official information from Oberlin's website:

LEAVE ME ALONE!: A Jazz Opera

Director & Sponsor: Jonathon Field, Bibbins 131, x58206

Full Credit - Group Project

Category: Academic Study

On Campus: Finney Chapel

Limit: 15 - Fee: None

Oberlin Opera Theater, in association with Real Time Opera, is presenting a world premiere of the jazz opera LEAVE ME ALONE!, with music by Dan Plonsey and libretto by Harvey Pekar. This opera will feature Oberlin students as performers, both vocal and from the jazz department. Due to the nature of the writing, vocal soloists do not necessarily have to be classically trained singers, and the Jazz Department has expressed their willingness to help out as well. There are also opportunities for designers, technicians, performers and stage management students to participate.

The opera will feature Mr. Plonsey and Mr. Pekar onstage playing themselves, both as characters and as individuals having a dialogue about creating an opera. Often times the singers will take over from the authors themselves, giving an atmosphere of "reality opera", where the creators and the interpreters are one and the same. This opera will be presented in Finney Chapel on January 31, and will have a live web-stream version that will open up the world of an international audience to this event. A kind of "Lost Highway" meets Dave Brubeck.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

First Second reads Cul de Sac

Mark Siegel who's doing a generally excellent job picking books at First Second brings some high praise to Cul de Sac on his blog. Regarding First Second, check out Bourbon Island 1730 by Apollo and Trondheim - it's my favorite comic of the fall so far.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Ira Schnapp, the genius that most inspired Joel Pollack's interests in comics

Big Planet Comics founder and owner Joel Pollack sent me a note which he said I could reprint here:

Just found on Wikipedia, an article on Ira Schnapp, the genius that most inspired my interests in comics. Ira was a friend of my Aunt Kitty Goldberg, and hosted me to two long visits to DC Comics offices when I was 15.

Ira's career before comics was amazing. His comic work was unsung, but he helped define the look of DC Comics covers from 1938-68. To what should be DC's great shame, Ira was left out of "The 50 That Made DC Great" commemorative publication.

The ultimate Ira Schnapp article.

The Wikipedia article is interesting, but also of note is the kindness shown to a 15-year-old who ended up making comics his career. I've had a few people do the same for me - my Mom and Dad bought comics we read to death; Mike Violante who married my cousin and shared his collection of Silver-Age DC and Marvel with me; Frank Grembowiec the owner of Collectors Comic Shop formerly in the Bergen Mall in Paramus NJ who sold me comics in my teens, Joel who picked that role up, John Lent who asked me out of the blue to be a part of the International Journal of Comic Art... there's a lot of people I could list and you just never know how things will work out.

OT: Stan Lee's Soapbox raising money for cartoonist's charity

Hero Initiative is receiving money from reprints of Stan Lee's Soapbox columns from Marvel Comics in the 1970s. Here's a video message from Stan - and a review of the book - "Comics: Stan's Soapbox: The Collection," By Chris Landers, Baltimore City Paper November 10 2008. I've already ordered mine from Previews. Nostalgia and charity - two great tastes that taste great together!

Nov 12: Billy Tucci and WWII veterans in Reistertown


Billy Tucci and WWII veterans are signing Sgt Rock comics tomorrow in Reisterstown at:

Cards, Comics & Collectibles
100 Chartley Drive
Reisterstown, Maryland 21136
(410) 526-7410
Special Guests: 442nd RCT veterans Kelly Kuwayama and Terry Shima, and Merrill's Marauders' Grant Hirabayashi

I'm not sure of the time, but give them a call. More information on Sgt Rock's mixing with real-life units is at Tour of Duty 11 - Some Will Say "It's Just A Comic Book" By Billy Tucci, Newsarama 2008-11-03.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Brian Wood interview

This one's online only. See "'Local' Matters: Brian Wood," by Express contributor Scott A. Rosenberg, November 10, 2008

Deepak Chopra appearance

11/12/08, 7:30 P.M. - Deepak Chopra, a teacher of Eastern philosophy and spirituality, discusses and signs his new book, Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment, at the National Cathedral, Wisconsin & Massachusetts Ave. NW. Tickets are $22, $16 for students and seniors; call 877-537-2228 or visit http://www.cathedral.org.
Deepak Chopra has written Buddha - A Story of Enlightenment and Beyond for Shakti (Virgin Comics).

Animator Seth McFarlane interview in Express

Today's Express has an Associated Press interview with animator Seth McFarlane who created Family Guy and American Dad and has just been signed to a $100 million production deal.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

KAL at Duke this week

Charm City's editorial cartoonist Kal sent in this note:

From November 10-14, Editorial Cartoonist for The Economist Kevin "KAL" Kallaugher will be an Artist-in-Residence at Duke University's Sanford Institute for Public Policy. During his time on campus, he will be creating a clay sculpture to commemorate the 2008 Presidential campaign.

The Sanford Institute will also be holding a forum titled “Laughing at Power: Satire in American Politics” on Tuesday November 11. It will feature Kal and North Carolina cartoonist Dwane Powell as well two staff members of the “Daily Show” with Jon Stewart. The forum is Free and open to the public.

For more information visit the Sanford Institute's website: http://www.pubpol.duke.edu/news/features/panel_nr102208.php

Irwin Caplan 1951 gag cartoon



This has nothing to do with ComicsDC, but I saw this Irwin Caplan gag cartoon on the back of a clipping from the International Herald Tribune, March 18, 1951 so I tossed it on the scanner. Enjoy.

Comics in the World photographs - National Museum of Natural History

The new Oceans exhibit in the National Museum of Natural History in Washington has some cartoons scattered through it. According to one of the exhibit designers, Jill Johnson (in a comment below), they're "by local artist Jim Haynes, Graphics Plus, Silver Spring, MD." The exhibit is very good, and big, so there's probably more than these three that I caught:

100_6500

100_6498

100_6497