A picture is worth a thousand memes
Pulitzer-winning cartoonist Matt Wuerker responds to Farhad Manjoo
By Matt Wuerker
Columbia Journalism Review's Behind the News blog April 23 2012
http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/pulitzer_prize_winner_matt_wue.php
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Meet Two Local Cartoonists: Mike Isenberg and Oliver Mertz, writers of "First Law Of Mad Science"
Mike Isenberg and Oliver Mertz, co-writers of "First Law Of Mad Science" were at the fall Intervention con and answered my usual questions. I took the liberty of merging their separate e-mail responses into one since this comic is the first for both of them, and their answers overlapped as a result.
Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
Mike Isenberg & Oliver Mertz: I am the co-writer of the comic series "First Law Of Mad Science." It is a print comic that we are self publishing, and it will be available in comic shops nationwide this November.*
MI: In addition to the writing, I'm also responsible for lettering the book.
MR: How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
MI: Oliver and I write together using Skype and GoogleDocs, which allows us to see what the other is typing in real time, from hundreds of miles away. He lives in DC, and I'm in NYC, so being able to collaborate so directly over the internet is really essential for us. Once we finish a script for one of the issues, we send it to our artist Daniel Lapham, who draws using traditional pencils and inks, which he then scans and sends back to us. At that point we send the inked pages along to another artist, Jeff McComsey, who adds the grayscales digitally. And finally, I use Photoshop to digitally letter the comic, and then InDesign to put everything together for the printer.
OM: I live in DC and Mike lives in NY, so face to face writing isn't possible. We then work with several other artists, who bring our scripts to life. Daniel Lapham does our pencils and inks. Jeff McComsey does our grayscale. Jamie Noguchi, who is also from the DC area, does our cover art. All three of them are incredible artists.
MR: When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
MI: I was born in DC in 1982.
OM: I was born in 1982 in Silver Spring.
MR: Why are or aren't you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
MI: Right now I live in New York City, in a neighborhood of West Harlem known as "Hamilton Heights." I grew up just outside DC, though, in Bethesda, and then later spent a year living with some friends in College Park.
OM: Washington is a great city. I live in Cleveland Park, right by the Uptown. By the way, living by the Uptown was kind of a childhood dream of mine. It was always an event going to the Uptown. Movies always seemed better.
MR: What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
MI: I studied Creative Writing in college, and took a couple of comic-book history classes while I was there as well. As a writer I often wish I had cartooning talent; it'd make things a lot easier if I could draw our story on my own. There's something to be said for collaboration, though; a good collaboration can become much more than the sum of its parts, and it's been really exciting seeing all the amazing talent that other people are bringing to our story.
OM: I studied film at American University. This may be why most of our early comic scripts resembled film scripts. It's not that I didn't love comics. I always have. It's just that I learned to write in film script form. That took some time to adapt. After months and months of reading any and every comic script I could get my hands on, I felt confident writing in that form.
MR: Who are your influences?
MI: Yukito Kishiro, Alan Moore, Jeff Smith, Warren Ellis, Will Eisner, and Jason are all comics storytellers that I really admire. And of course H.P. Lovecraft gets a few direct homages in our book.
OM: I don't think you can approach one art form and expect to create something without being influenced by other art forms. I grew up devouring stories in any form I could get them; I read tons of comics, watched every movie ever made, and read any book I could get my hands on. I love early Ridley Scott films, I'm somewhat of a Hemingway nerd, and owe my life to Rob Schrab's Scud: The Disposable Assassin.
Also, if I can ever find a way to work Robert Altman-style overlapping dialogue into a comic, I will.
MR: If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
MI: It's still a bit early for that, I think; we've only really just gotten started in comics. I'm sure we've made plenty of mistakes, but thankfully they all seem to be small ones so far.
OM: Being that "First Law of Mad Science" is our first comic, I'm looking forward to making mistakes that we will one day look back on and lament.
MR: What work are you best-known for?
MI & OM: First Law Of Mad Science.
MR: What work are you most proud of?
MI & OM: First Law Of Mad Science.
MR: What would you like to do or work on in the future?
MI: "First Law" is really only just getting started, and we've got a lot planned for it, so I'd love to be able to keep that going for a while. We had a side project recently, writing two short comic scripts for the upcoming WWII zombie anthology "FUBAR 2", and that was a lot of fun, so we may look into doing some other side projects while we're working on "First Law."
OM: I would love to continue writing "First Law" and to continue to tell (hopefully) satisfying stories.
MR: What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
MI: The great thing about working as a team is that usually if one of us has writer's block, the other will still have some fun ideas to kick around, which tends to clear up the writers' block pretty quickly. In the off chance that we're both in a rut at the same time, we'll just shoot the shit over Skype or maybe play some video-games together online. Taking a small break like that seems to help a lot; usually by the next time we meet we'll be ready to get back to work without any trouble.
OM: There are points when either Mike or I have writer's block. Working as a team allows for one teammate to snap the other out of it. If one of us is excited by an idea, it's usually not long before the other is rejuvenated.
MR: What do you think will be the future of your field?
MI: Well of course right now everyone's buzzing about digital comics, and I think we're clearly heading somewhere in that direction, but I think it's much to early to really say where we'll end up. Will the "e-book" model that DC and Comixology are using really hold up for comics in the long run? Or are we going to see more and more creators swing towards a webcomics-style model? I really don't know, but I'm excited to see how things progress.
OM: The way I look at it, stories are stories. I don't write to make money. I write to tell stories that I want to read. Hopefully, others will also want to read them too. People will be reading comics for a long time. It may be that one delivery method for stories and art will be no more. That's fine. It just means that people will get their comics in another format. It doesn't mean that the demand for high quality content has changed.
MR: What local cons do you attend ? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?
MI: This year in the DC area, we attended Intervention and Baltimore Comics Con. We would have loved to exhibit at SPX, but we were wait-listed for a table and didn't get one this year. SPX has always been a big deal for me; back in high school I used to bike down to the show in Bethesda every year. It would have been great to come back to my home town and attend my home convention again, but on the other side of the table and with a comic to show. Next year I'm going to be watching the SPX website like a hawk so I can submit our exhibitor application the minute they start taking them.
OM: Mike and I exhibited at Intervention and the Baltimore Comic Con this year. Both were great shows. I did really enjoy getting to Intervention by Metro. Big points for that.
MR: What's your favorite thing about DC?
MI: All the great friends I still have in the area.
OM: Big Planet Comics. I love comics and they are nice enough to sell them to me.
MR: Least favorite?
MI: Probably a tie between the humidity and the traffic.
OM: The lack of hover-cars. This is probably due to the fact that hover-cars don't exist. But come DC! Get some hover-cars!
MR: What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?
MI: Air & Space! Maybe I'm just a giant nerd, but I still geek out over touching moon rocks and hanging out under the Spirit Of St. Louis.
OM: I love the third floor of the National Portrait Gallery. I suppose, that or the Hirshhorn.
MR: How about a favorite local restaurant?
MI: Uncle Julio's Rio Grande Cafe, in Bethesda. When I was a kid, they were located across the street from Big Planet Comics. As soon as we'd place our dinner orders, my folks would give me a couple of bucks and I'd run out to Big Planet to check out the new comics. I think a few of my older comics still have salsa stains on them from trying to read them at the table when I'd get back.
OM: Filomena in Georgetown is really great. I've had the privilege of sitting the kitchen table in the back of the restaurant. It was the best meal I've ever had.
MR: Do you have a website or blog?
MI & OM: http://FirstLawOfMadScience.com
*November 2011, shortly after this interview was conducted.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Truitt on Aquaman
Aquaman's sea world expands with introduction of the Others
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY April 23 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-23/Aquaman-comic-book-series/54487090/1
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY April 23 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-23/Aquaman-comic-book-series/54487090/1
Small Press Expo Spring Update and Guy Delisle Book Signing
 |
SPX 2012 Spring Update and Guy Delisle Book Signing |
Small Press Expo P.O. Box 17123 Arlington, Virginia 22216Copyright (C) 2012 Small Press Expo All rights reserved |
Today's news - Finder wins, Arlington's child Batman and FCBD at Third Eye Comics
My co-blogger has sent in some stories:
The Seven Year Old Batman Of Arlington
Finder: Voice wins the LA Times Book Prize for Graphic Novel - congratulations to Carla Speed McNeil!
The Road To Free Comic Book Day: Third Eye Comics Of Annapolis, Maryland
Meet a Semi-Local Cartoonist: Chris Otto
Chris Otto on the left and writer Ben Taylor at Intervention con.
Webcartoonist Chris Otto wrote a nice introduction for the Intervention con site last fall, which I'll quote here rather than rewrite it: "I started "A Dog's Life" last September after years of being a webcomics fan and wanted to try to make people as happy as I am when reading them. I just had to wait for inspiration to strike, and one day I started seeing my dog Hunter in my head in comic strip form, and there it was. I may have been a little hasty from conception to the time I started posting comics; I wrote and drew up 30 strips in 3 weeks and started posting. Am I insane for deciding to start up a comic with no artistic history and pushing 40? Perhaps. Have I had more fun than should be legal since I started drawing? You bet. Dogs rule, cats drool." He was kind enough to answer my usual questions.
Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
Chris Otto: I am the creator of the comic “A Dog's Life” on the web. I write, draw, color...I do it all!
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
I draw the strip on Bristol board with pen and ink, then scan it into the computer for coloring and lettering.
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
July, 1971.
Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
I'm actually in Richmond, but I travel to DC often for comic events and visits with friends.
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
Unless doodling Bloom County characters in my notebooks in high school counts, none... I just picked up a pen and started to draw.
Who are your influences?
Dave Kellett and Berke Breathed are the biggest ones.
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
I would have waited until my drawing was more refined before launching the comic. The early strips are pretty scary, art-wise.
What work are you best-known for?
A Dog's Life. It's my first comic.
What work are you most proud of?
The 10th strip of the current story line, “Bark To The Future” is probably the best thing I've drawn; it's on my wall now.
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
I plan on doing the comic for a long time, and I'd like to take the book I nearly finished
writing and turn that into a second comic.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
I'll take a shower; my best ideas pop into my head in the shower. I take a lot of showers!
What do you think will be the future of your field?
Comics on the web have been around a long time, and more and more arrive every day. As
traditional print media dwindles, people will go to the internet for their comics.
What local cons do you attend ? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?
I was at Intervention for the first time this year, and hope to attend again next year. The DC Comicon is another of my favorites, run by Brett Carreras of the VA Con and MarcNathan of the Baltimore Comicon... it's a fantastic show.
I was at Intervention for the first time this year, and hope to attend again next year. The DC Comicon is another of my favorites, run by Brett Carreras of the VA Con and MarcNathan of the Baltimore Comicon... it's a fantastic show.
What's your favorite thing about DC?
People from DC come from all over but inevitably become die-hard fans of the local teams, especially the Caps and the Nats...the sports fans here are great!
Least favorite?
Driving.
What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?
I'm a big fan of the Spy Museum.
How about a favorite local restaurant?
Ted's Bulletin. Best. Milkshakes. Ever.
Do you have a website or blog?
You can read “A Dog's Life” at http://adogslifecomic.com/
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Truitt's recent USA Today comics stories
Graphic novel tells the tragic love story of 'fifth Beatle'
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY 4/10/2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-10/Fifth-Beatle-Stuart-Sutcliffe-remembered-in-graphic-novel/54149978/1
'Shooters' graphic novel hits home for Washington writers
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY April 17 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-17/Shooters-graphic-novel/54351622/1
Batman, 'Smallville' lead DC Comics' digital charge
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY 4/13/2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-13/Batman-Smallville-lead-DC-Comics-digital-slate/54250030/1
Mark Waid makes a bold digital move with Thrillbent website
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY April 13 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-13/Mark-Waid-Thrillbent-digital-comics-initiative/54265370/1
First look: 'TRON' gets animated with 'Uprising'
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY 4/15/2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-15/First-look-TRON-Uprising-animated-series/54292982/1
Batman's latest trial: The Court of Owls
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY April 17 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-17/Batman-comic-book-series-Night-of-the-Owls/54321156/1
Ales Kot plots youthful rebellion in 'Wild Children'
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY April 17 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-17/Wild-Children-graphic-novel/54346844/1
'Dragon's Lair' comic app expands Don Bluth's '80s quest
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY April 18 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-18/Dragons-Lair-digital-comics-app/54371498/1
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY 4/10/2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-10/Fifth-Beatle-Stuart-Sutcliffe-remembered-in-graphic-novel/54149978/1
Morgan Spurlock geeks out for his Comic-Con documentary
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY April 21 2012
'Shooters' graphic novel hits home for Washington writers
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY April 17 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-17/Shooters-graphic-novel/54351622/1
Batman, 'Smallville' lead DC Comics' digital charge
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY 4/13/2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-13/Batman-Smallville-lead-DC-Comics-digital-slate/54250030/1
Mark Waid makes a bold digital move with Thrillbent website
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY April 13 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-13/Mark-Waid-Thrillbent-digital-comics-initiative/54265370/1
First look: 'TRON' gets animated with 'Uprising'
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY 4/15/2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-15/First-look-TRON-Uprising-animated-series/54292982/1
Batman's latest trial: The Court of Owls
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY April 17 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-17/Batman-comic-book-series-Night-of-the-Owls/54321156/1
Ales Kot plots youthful rebellion in 'Wild Children'
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY April 17 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-17/Wild-Children-graphic-novel/54346844/1
'Dragon's Lair' comic app expands Don Bluth's '80s quest
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY April 18 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-04-18/Dragons-Lair-digital-comics-app/54371498/1
Some surprising local publications
I went to a couple of booksales this weekend and found some cartoon publications with local ties that surprised me.
The New Yorker isn't based here of course, but they do specialty books on demand. Here's a local one that was probably a fund-raising premium for the local public radio and tv station:
The New Yorker Book Of WETA Cartoons
New Yorker Magazine
New York: Cartoon Bank, 2004
The University of Maryland's Terrapin Anime Society (TAS) produced at least 10 issues of this Tsunami fanzine:
This Fandom Directory out of Springfield, VA was a complete surprise to me. The online version lives at FANDATA:
Fandom Directory Number 19 2000-2001 Edition
Hopkins, Harry and Mariane S.
Springfield, VA: FANDATA Publications, 2000
When I finally get all of my local books and comics arranged in one place, it will probably be at least a bookshelf and not the Six Feet of Local Comics I had expected. I bought about eight signed Herblock books this weekend too which will take up most of a shelf by themselves.
The New Yorker isn't based here of course, but they do specialty books on demand. Here's a local one that was probably a fund-raising premium for the local public radio and tv station:
The New Yorker Book Of WETA Cartoons
New Yorker Magazine
New York: Cartoon Bank, 2004
The University of Maryland's Terrapin Anime Society (TAS) produced at least 10 issues of this Tsunami fanzine:
This Fandom Directory out of Springfield, VA was a complete surprise to me. The online version lives at FANDATA:
Fandom Directory Number 19 2000-2001 Edition
Hopkins, Harry and Mariane S.
Springfield, VA: FANDATA Publications, 2000
When I finally get all of my local books and comics arranged in one place, it will probably be at least a bookshelf and not the Six Feet of Local Comics I had expected. I bought about eight signed Herblock books this weekend too which will take up most of a shelf by themselves.
Meet a Formerly Local Cartoonist: T Campbell
Webcomic writer T Campbell was at the Intervention con last fall. I bought his collections of the Penny & Aggie webcomic when I saw artist Gisele Lagace's artwork, and enjoyed them immensely.He answers our usual questions, although refusing to tell what the 'T' stands for.
Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
T Campbell: Most of my comics are on the Web, one way or another, though many are also in print. I've done a very little work for major print publishers like Marvel, Archie and Tokyopop.
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
I'm a writer, but many of the artists I work with have switched to a computer-based system since I started working with them. In some cases I honestly don't know. The look of computer work is more and more difficult to distinguish.
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
I was born in Virginia Beach in the 1970s.
Why aren't you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area did you live in?
Why aren't you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area did you live in?
I bounced around several apartments in the DC area for a few years, trying to get enough freelance work to justify my continued residence there, then got a comics job which took me to Oxford. After that was over, I came back to the Virginia Beach area, where I was more comfortable.
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
I did a little study at the Savannah College of Art and Design, but as more of a writerly sort, I had to apply my English degree and self-educate from there. Still, the scriptwriting course at UCLA probably helped.
Who are your influences?
Who are your influences?
Alan Moore, Peter David and Scott McCloud were the ones most in my mind when I started my career. I try to find a new one every few months, these days.
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
Start earlier-- I have a running fantasy of getting in on the ground floor of the Web, when some well-chosen investments could've changed a whole lot of things! Failing that, not do my History of Webcomics book, which was a lot of work for too little money, too much politics and a lingering sense of dissatisfaction.
What work are you best-known for?
What work are you best-known for?
Almost certainly Penny and Aggie, my just-concluded seven-year story about teenage girlhood, followed by the epic fantasy Guilded Age.
What work are you most proud of?
What work are you most proud of?
That's a toughie. The aforementioned pieces are pretty good, but I also have to throw a little love to Fans, my longest-running and most inventive series, about science-fiction fans in science-fictional adventures.
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
I'm just starting a series called Quiltbag, about sexuality, college and finding your identity.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
It helps to change things up. I'm someone who can get very focused-- one might say fixated-- on one thing for an extended period, so I find that shifting that focus usually gives me time to recharge my interest in everything else.
What do you think will be the future of your field?
What local cons do you attend ? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?
What do you think will be the future of your field?
What local cons do you attend ? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?
I've attended both. They're good shows, full of people who seem to have very good attitudes about comics and generally commercially healthy.
What's your favorite thing about DC?
What's your favorite thing about DC?
There's so much here-- so much history, so many remarkable things going on.
Least favorite?
Least favorite?Traffic.
What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?
What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?
I'm fond of the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum. All those giant aircraft and spacecraft in one hangar. Really inspiring.
How about a favorite local restaurant?
How about a favorite local restaurant?
I'm a simple sort: a Friendly's is as good for me as anyplace more exotic.
Do you have a website or blog?
Lots of websites, but you can check me out at http://tcampbell.net to get started.
Joel Pollack on moving Big Planet Comics' Bethesda store
Big Planet Comics Bethesda just moved for the second time in 25 years, once again staying within two blocks of its previous location. In fact, it's within fifty feet of its original 1986 location now. Chain founder Joel Pollack showed me the store yesterday, and answered a few questions by email.
Mike Rhode: How come you moved the store?
Joel Pollack: My cute answer is we either had to clean or move. The real answer is we've known for several years that our landlord intended to raze our building to build a 14- (or 17-) story condo. When we were given notice (subsequently rescinded) to vacate at year 2011's end, we realized it was time to go.
Why did you want to stay in the Woodmont triangle?
We briefly considered "North Bethesda" (really south Rockville) near White Flint Metro, but we always preferred the Woodmont Triangle, and were lucky to find a space 100 feet from our original second story location. I couldn't be happier.
What are the advantages of the new store?
Immediately, larger space, cheaper rent. Also, with Fairmont Ave. likely to be a construction mess for the foreseeable future, Cordell Ave.now becomes the per-eminent shopping/dining street in the Triangle.
How was the move?
How many times have you moved the store?
The old location with the proposed condos sign.
This will be the second time - we previously moved from Cordell Ave. in March of 1991.
Will you be participating in Free Comic Book Day on May 5th?
But of course - it's our favorite comics-related event of the year.
What can people expect?
Anything else you'd like to mention?
Everything about the move has been positive, and I'm re-energized for another ten years of comic book sales.
Mike Rhode: How come you moved the store?
Joel Pollack: My cute answer is we either had to clean or move. The real answer is we've known for several years that our landlord intended to raze our building to build a 14- (or 17-) story condo. When we were given notice (subsequently rescinded) to vacate at year 2011's end, we realized it was time to go.
Why did you want to stay in the Woodmont triangle?
We briefly considered "North Bethesda" (really south Rockville) near White Flint Metro, but we always preferred the Woodmont Triangle, and were lucky to find a space 100 feet from our original second story location. I couldn't be happier.
What are the advantages of the new store?
How was the move?
Couldn't have gone better. Agent Tyke Papanicolas greased the wheels, every contractors' promise was fulfilled (special shout-out to Carlos Sanchez who did our build-out), the landlord granted us numerous concessions, and Carlos (not a mover by trade) got us moved with minimal problems. We did the entire move in three days, packing with the help of volunteers and employees on Sunday, moving on Monday, unpacking on Tuesday, and re-opening on Wednesday. Store monkey (his choice of words), Jef Thompson, did at least 70% of the unpacking. I'm convinced I used up any accrued good karma I had.
How many times have you moved the store?
The old location with the proposed condos sign.Will you be participating in Free Comic Book Day on May 5th?
What can people expect?
We will again have our kid's packs - a pre-pack of at least ten comics. Also, a nice variety of freebies for the so-called grown-ups. And another specially imprinted DC Comics sampler, with a terrific coupon, guaranteed to save customers money.
Anything else you'd like to mention?
Everything about the move has been positive, and I'm re-energized for another ten years of comic book sales.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Fall 2011 Con photos
Roger Langridge at Small Press ExpoContinuing to play catchup on some undone tasks, here's pictures of 2011's Small Press Expo and Intervention cons. There's a few unlabeled images in the Intervention pics that I'd appreciate help with identifying. I'll be posting some more interviews from Intervention in this coming week.
Garth Graham at Intervention
Meet a Local Children's Book Creator: K. Michael Crawford
K. Michael Crawford is another illustrator who regularly sets up at the Capicons show in Tysons Corner / Dunn Loring. She answered my usual questions last fall.
Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
K. Michael Crawford: I create first-of-their-kind Adventure Drawing Books to get kids to use their imaginations in hopes of creating future comic book artists. In the Bazel Lark Series, “The Mystery of Journey Crowne” and “The Island of Zadu,” the reader/artist has to answer clues to know what to draw on the page. The reader/artist decides what the answer will be for half the clues in the book, which gets them to make choices. This is a five-book series and I need to create the remaining three books. It takes me 2 years to create one book to make sure all the clues work and to complete all the drawing work so that everything comes together. I will be starting the next book soon.
With “Batty Malgoony’s Mystic Carnivale” Drawing Book, the reader/artist has to draw in all the carnivale characters. This book gets kids to use their imagination and make choices of what they want the characters to look like on each page.
In “Professor Horton Hogwash’s Museum of Ridiculous” Book, the reader/artist has to draw in all the Museum collection for each themed room or not, because, after all, it is the Museum of Ridiculous. A long as the child is using their imagination they can draw in anything driving the alien spaceships. They can even have dinosaurs driving the ships. I think there is a story there somewhere. Past meets the future. There are also true interesting facts on each page, but be warned, some of them are gross. Not for the faint hearted.
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
I still do all my art by hand. I pull out the paintbrush, load it with paint and slap it all over the paper, which sometimes it lands on me. I have a good day creating when I look down and see that I am covered in paint from head to toe. I also throw in the kitchen sink when I do my art, so to speak. To get the look I want, I start with the watercolor painting layers of it. Then I add color pencil for texture and definition. After that, I throw in some acrylic and pastels for special effects.
In some of my paintings, I have even used sea salt, plastic wrap and tissue paper to create some cool effects in my art.
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
I was born in Pennsylvania in a time when we where taught how to use our imaginations. My parents thought I might have trouble spelling the state name, so they moved us to Maryland when I was three with the cows and the chickens. Not much cows and chickens left any more, but we do have lots of deer, groundhogs, squirrels, birds and raccoons that stop by my place to tell good tail or I should say tale.
We had no computer games, video games or microwave ovens when I grew up, (Oh, the horror of it all!) so if you wanted to make a concoction, you had to build it from scratch or the ground up. You had to think up an idea, let it brew, run around the house finding the parts and throw in some elbow grease to get the job done. Some of the creations scared my mother so out in the trash they went. That also explained the funny looks we got from the garbage collectors on trash day. We had to create our own entertainment and we did that by using our imaginations. We didn’t wait to be entertained, we made our own.
Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
I moved from Los Angeles to D.C. for a new adventure. I live my life by adventures. I have lived in a number of different places and look forward to living in a few more. There are just too many good places to live in the world. I also wouldn’t mind trying out a few planets in other universes as well. I am just waiting for them to build that spaceship that will get me there at the speed of light. It would be very cool If they found a “Stargate” on this planet so that we could travel to other worlds.
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
The funny thing is that I graduated from the University of Maryland in Advertising Design, but my college paper was on writing and illustrating children’s books. I only lasted 8 years in Advertising Design and then I switched to Children’s Book illustration and I have been on quite a fairy tale journey since I switched. Four years ago, I noticed that kids weren’t using their imagination so that’s when I created my drawing books. I realized and experienced that if kids don’t use their imaginations they have trouble making good choices and I want them to pick a good nursing home for me.
What makes all this so funny is that I needed that training as a graphic designer, so that I could start my own publishing company, years later, to publish my drawing books. That early career taught how to promoted and market my books and as well as give me the knowledge of printing and publishing them. You always get what you need in life if you just allow yourself to be open-minded about what comes down the road. Sometimes I get things and I scratch my head wondering why I got this at this time, and sure enough some time later or another I will need what I got. It can happen in a few weeks or even take years to see that I got what I needed.
Who are your influences?
I take in everything and then discard the stuff that doesn’t work for my art. I never know when I will get a great idea for my work from some of the things I see and experience.
I always make sure that I have lots of adventures and experiences in my life and all of that goes into my art. It makes my art have layers to it. You can always look at my art and know where I have been lately or what things have had a great influence on me.
Once a famous artist told me that to order to create 3-D art (art with lots of depth to it) you must live a 3-D life, which means fill your life with lots of experiences. The more experiences you have the better your art will be.
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
I wouldn’t change a thing. Everything I have done or experienced in my career and life has lead me to something else great and to a very magical life. Has it all been a wonderful fairy tale? Very much so, yes! For everyone knows, you can’t have good without the evil and visa versa. So just when it looks like the villain will win, happily ever after comes along.
What work are you best-known for?
I have always wanted to put something good into the world, make it a little more colorful, silly, ridiculous, quirky, whimsical, waggish, absurd then when I found it. So far so good with my drawing books. I do want to be best known for doing that and I am working towards that goal. I am not the type of artist who measures where they are at any given time. I just keep moving forward to see what I can do. People will walk towards my booth at comic cons with a stern look on their faces and as soon as they see my art a big smile pops up on their face. That makes me happy.
What work are you most proud of?
I am proud that I can still laugh at my work when I do something totally outrageous and other people get it. I am proud that I have the mind of a five year old and never plan to grow up, so that I can keep creating magical art and books.
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
I believe that creating these drawing books has opened the door to what I can create in the future. I have only begun to see what I can create. (Cue the mad scientist laugh in the background. “It’s alive.”) I try to push myself to get new perspectives all the time to see what I can come up with in my art and books. They say we only use 10% of our brain, but I plan to use 110% if I can figure out how to do it. No telling what I can create if given the chance. The brain weighs 3.5 pounds, the skull another 3.5 pounds and I am going to put it to work. No dead weight on my shoulders.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
I play and act silly. I create art that I throw away, because it doesn’t make sense. I also build something that has nothing to do with what I am working on at the time. For example, I got this idea last winter for a musical instrument and the idea drove me crazy until I started building it. I am still working on it and will be for a while because the idea is very complicated with moving parts and such. This musical contraption gives me a new perspective on creating. No idea what I will do with it when I am done, but it will make a great conversation piece.
What do you think will be the future of your field?
My crystal ball won’t tell me the answer to that, but I keep producing my books and art because I think they are very much needed in the world. Besides, doing my work keeps me out of trouble. I would be out tipping cows otherwise.
What local cons do you attend ? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?
I exhibit at Comic Cons all over the country. Every year, I apply for Comic Con International in San Diego. I have been in that Con for two years. That’s a fun Comic Con, even though it’s more Pop Cultural. I also do Baltimore Comic Con and next year, because it moved to Los Angeles, I am exhibiting at Wonder Con. Each Comic Con has it’s own favor to it. Some cons are more traditional; like Baltimore, MegaCon, Allentown, Then there are some that are more pop cultural like Comic Con International, Garden State, and Steel City Con. There is one thing they all have in common; comic book artists are some of the best people you can ever meet. I have made some really good friends along the way.
What's your favorite thing about DC?
The Art Cultural Places and Museums are my favorite things. I loved the Spy Museum and if I ever need to change careers and I can’t rule England, I found out that I would make a great spy. Talk about a great adventure. Where do I sign up?
Least favorite?
Traffic, but lucky for me I only have to commute to my studio in my house. A few foot steps away.
What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?
The Museums on the Mall. Most people want to go to the Air and Space Museum when they visit.
How about a favorite local restaurant?
Too many good ones to have a favorite.
Do you have a website or blog?
www.happilyeverart.com
http://www.facebook.com/happilyeverart
Friday, April 20, 2012
Meet a Local Cartoonist: Michael Munshaw
I met Michael Munshaw a few months back at one of the Capicon comic shows. He was kind enough to answer my standard interview questions...
Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
Michael Munshaw: Right now I am doing a lot of commission work, including some sketch cards. I am also starting a new book with writer Chris McCay, called Clan Wars. This will get me back to doing full page pencils and inks again. I have also been doing sketch cards for 5finity and some character designs for a role playing game by Melior Via.
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
It all depends on what is needed. I always start out in pencil and paper. I will use traditional inking tools when inks are needed. If one of my commission pieces is to be colored, I will use Prismacolor or Copic markers. Which of course I use on my sketch cards also. I will scan in and color some pieces in Photoshop. I did a book for Visionary Comics, The Offspring, and that was all colored in Photoshop.
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
1964 in Omaha, NE.
Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
I have been living in St. Mary’s County in Southern Maryland for over 11 years now. I originally moved here for a job at a local Printing Company. I have been working full-time in DC for almost 3 years now.
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
I have a BA in Graphic Design, with a minor in Illustration.
Who are your influences?
There are way too many to list them all. At the top would be Neal Adams, Adam Hughes, John Byrne, Joe Rubinstein, and Ed Benes.
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
There are days that I wonder what would have happened if I went to NYC right out of college and tried to make it full-time in the comic book business. Would I have succeeded or been a complete failure? We will never know.
What work are you best-known for?
I guess my sketch card work. I get a lot of inquiries on doing commissioned cards, and have some regular buyers on my ebay account.
What work are you most proud of?
The comic book I inked and colored for Visionary Comics, The Offspring. My first published comic book!
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
I wish I could tell you. I would love to one day be the artist on Superman, but that will probably never happen. So I am just content to plug away here on projects that interest me and can help me better my skills as an artist.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
I usually run to my bookshelf and grab one of my George Bridgman anatomy books. I will then do some quick body part sketches in my sketch book and that will usually get me going.
What do you think will be the future of your field?
I really think comics have a future. I think it will be a combination of print and digital distribution. But people are still going to want to read and see stories. The combination of words and pictures will always be a part of our culture.
What's your favorite thing about DC?
Walking around the Mall and just taking it all in. I think too often we take for granted what a wonderful city we live and work in. There’s nothing like walking around the monuments on a clear, sunny day.
Least favorite?
The commute!
What monument or museum do you take most out-of-town guests to?
I will hit the obvious ones. The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, The Capital, the Library of Congress, etc.
Do you have a website or blog?
My website is www.artofm2.com and I have a deviant art website at http://mmunshaw.deviantart.com.
Local cartoonist interviews
I'm very far behind with publishing a group of interviews that I did with local cartoonists going back to last fall's Intervention con. Rather than continue to let them hang, waiting for me to format them for the City Paper's website, I'm going to try to put one a day up here for the next week until they're all finished.
I apologize to everyone who's been waiting to see their words appear - the real world of work intervened sharply during this time period as I switched jobs for the first time in 22 years.
I apologize to everyone who's been waiting to see their words appear - the real world of work intervened sharply during this time period as I switched jobs for the first time in 22 years.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Big Planet Comics Orbit Newsletter - April 19, 2012
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Jerry Gaylord, artist of the new Boom Entertainment comic Fanboys vs. Zombies, will be appearing at our College Park store on Saturday, May 26. Fanboys vs. Zombies is written by Sam Humphries and tells the tale of a group of estranged friends who reunite at San Diego Comicon just as a zombie apocalypse begins! Can fan knowledge help you survive zombies longer?
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