Tuesday, May 05, 2020

Satire Can Save Us All #6 [Cartoonists Rights Network International]

Cooking Korean, Robin Ha, and Bulgogi

Cooking Korean, Robin Ha, and Bulgogi
I'll catch up with Robin Ha, author of Cook Korean! A Comic Book with Recipes, while making bulgogi.

Editorial Cartoon by Steve Artley

Recent Cartoon in mixed media (click on Image for larger view)

"Dystopia at the Piggly Wiggly"


Wash Post's coronavirus art call - a chance to appear in the Post

We'd like to see the artwork you're creating during the coronavirus crisis

May 5 at 7:00 AM

... The Washington Post would like to see the visual art you're making while sheltering in place. What are you drawing or painting, sculpting or constructing, weaving or photographing?...

Thursday, April 30, 2020

May 7: Terri Libenson online at Politics and Prose

Erin Entrada Kelly and Terri Libenson, "We Dream of Space" and "Becoming Brianna" in conversation with Karen MacPherson

By Politics and Prose

https://www.crowdcast.io/e/erin-entrada-kelly-terri-libenson/

Ages 8-12

Join us for an afternoon with two award-winning middle grade authors as they discuss their authentic and compulsively readable new books. In We Dream of Space, the latest release from the Newbery Medal-winning author of Hello, Universe, three siblings navigate a chaotic household and the trials of seventh grade as they await the launch of the Challenger space shuttle. In Becoming Brianna, the fourth book in the Emmie & Friends graphic novel series, Brianna Davis prepares for her bat mitzvah while pressure builds from her mother's expectations and a fight with her best friend. Readers will find comfort and company in these refreshingly honest portrayals of family, friendship, and middle school angst. 

In Conversation with Karen MacPherson, Children and Teens Librarian, Takoma Park, MD Library.



"We Dream of Space" - https://www.politics-prose.com/book/9780062747303

"Becoming Brianna" - https://www.politics-prose.com/book/9780062894533

Terry Flippo on Blockhead podcast

Terry Flippo

Geoff Grogan

  Blockhead podcast 2020-04-08

Small-press cartoonist (and former mailman) Terry Flippo has made a big splash with hit webcomic, "Deliver Me!" about life carrying the mailbag for the U.S. Postal Service! Terry and Geoff talk about "Deliver Me!", small press, the early days of SPX and some of the challenges faced by mail carriers in the days of Covid-19.

Latest Liz at Large posted

Liz At Large: "Accomplishment"

How sweet it is.

Liz Montague
Apr 30, 2020

Cavna and cartoonists on Pence, unmasked

How cartoonists are ridiculing Pence's Mayo Clinic visit without a mask

Catching up with the Lily's coronavirus comics


Here's a day in my self-quarantined life, hour-by-hour. We think you might relate.

Is it week six or week 60?

Here are anxiety coping mechanisms that could help you during social distancing

I learned these helpful techniques in therapy

At first, self-quarantine pushed my marriage to its limits. Then, something amazing happened.

It all changed when we started having deep, honest conversations

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "America Sends Death"

From Mike Flugennock, DC's anarchist cartoonist -

"America Sends Death"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=2981

Despite oppressive blockades and sanctions, Cuba has managed to dispatch brigades of doctors to coronavirus hotspots to help fight the pandemic — in keeping with a long-standing tradition of solidarity and mutual aid. Cuba is also reported to have produced promising results 
with interferon and other experimental drugs against COVID-19, despite the punishing economic warfare Cuba is suffering at the hands of the United States.

The US, in the meantime — still the epicenter of the pandemic — escalates its brutal program of sanctions against Cuba, Venezuela and Iran, commits acts of piracy against other nations and its own States, continues to crank up xenophobic and racist hysteria against China,  deprives citizens and healthcare workers of vitally-needed PPE and other equipment, tries to whip its working class back to work under dangerous conditions for substandard wages, and its President goes on national TV to suggest that citizens combat the virus by injecting or drinking bleach.

I'll leave it to you to judge which nation is conducting itself better on the world stage.

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Annapolis' Jim Toomey and Sherman's Lagoon on Northwest fishing issue

'Sherman's Lagoon' wades into Columbia River debate

Comic strip author uses humor, science to shed light on salmon-sea lion controversy

By Scott Hewitt, Columbian Arts & Features Reporter
Published: April 28, 2020,

'Sherman's Lagoon' Brings Salmon-Eating Sea Lions In The Columbia River To A World-wide Audience

April 21, 2020

Thanks to DD Degg of the Daily Cartoonist for highlighting these links.

Fantom Presents: Bites of Terror Q&A with Cuddles and Rage!

Fantom Presents: Bites of Terror Q&A with Cuddles and Rage!
We're keeping our social distance talking to local creators Liz and Jimmy Reed about their new book, BITES OF TERROR. Jam-packed with some disturbingly delicious short stories, we'll discuss process, inspiration, and all things sweet, cute, and creepy. BITES OF TERROR is available for purchase at Fantomcomics.com now!

Coronavirus Catch-up Conversation with Caricaturist Mike Jenkins

Rhode by Jenkins
by Mike Rhode

I've talked with Arlington's Mike Jenkins several times here, iirc, and recently we were Zoom judges together for the Robert F. Kennedy cartoon award that will be announced on May 1. I checked in with Mike recently about the state of his business, which is normally dependent on going to places and parties and drawing the happy people there. As I suspected, his company, Capital Artworks, has taken a sharp hit from the pandemic. I commissioned a post-birthday caricature, and I encourage other readers with regular incomes to do the same (not drawings of me though).

How has the coronavirus pandemic affected your business of drawing caricatures?


Most of the work my coworkers and I do is caricatures for special events like high school graduation, family celebrations and company parties. We have sideline illustration and caricature commission work as well, but that is the bulk of it. The coronavirus hit in March, which is usually the tail end of our slow quarter. A great deal of the work we do is corporate and private events, which usually concentrates around graduation/summer and the holiday seasons. There’s a lull after the holidays, and the business picks up again around April. So when the coronavirus social distancing hit it didn’t affect our regular business cycle, but everything in the pipeline vanished. Even if the restrictions lift sometime before summer, there’s a strong likelihood the economy will have taken such a hit that there will be cutbacks in special events where caricaturists are hired.

But that void is a possible opportunity. There are many families who are upset that their high school graduates are missing out on all the fun and celebration of their kids’ milestone achievement, and want to commemorate it in some way. And other special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries and awards are going without the traditional gatherings and celebrations. Drawings were a popular part of those celebrations, and they are affordable and still available. The only work we have coming in right now is commission work of that sort, and we're hoping that will go some way towards refilling the pipeline. Even if the full blown event caricature business never comes back, we have the skills we developed there and commission work could be the next step.
 
How much of your business has dried up during this epidemic? 

I would say all of the business. Commission illustration and caricature work has been a sideline to the main special event caricature business. Now that’s all we see coming in. We’ll see if that holds.
 

Can people still get drawings from you? How should people contact you? 

What type of information do you need to do a 'virtual' cartoon (i.e. a real drawing, but not with the sitter in front of you)?

Two or three photos of the person to be drawn are what I usually go by,  including at least one high resolution one if possible, but one decent photo will do. If it’s a color caricature I may need details such as eye and hair color. They often don’t come through in photos quite right. And I ask people to suggest a personalized background detail or two if they want more than a head and shoulder portrait style. If they have a list of details, I ask that they make it in descending order of importance. If I can’t work it all in, I cut from the bottom of the list to make sure the most important suggestions are included in the finished drawing.

As a small business owner, are you applying for some loans from the government?

I was considering taking a loan to upgrade my website before the pandemic hit, then I was glad I hadn’t. I’m uncomfortable taking on debt when there’s no guarantee the work I’ve been doing will come back. If not, I need to rethink my marketing, and at that point may apply for a loan. When I hire other artists it’s on a subcontracting basis, so the paycheck protection aspect of government small business loans doesn’t seem to apply to people like me.

Mike's website for Capital Artworks is https://www.capitalartworks.com/ if you want to see more of his work. He has a strong following on Facebook for his lunchbag artwork and I'm sure he'd be glad to do some of these on commission too, if you've got someone still leaving the house each day. And you can read Mike's older attempt to creating a comic strip around his life.

The coronavirus is obviously affecting a lot of local artists, stores, and companies. If you'd like to be interviewed here at ComicsDC about your comic art job, drop me a line.

Ralph Steadman Zoom backgrounds from Flying Dog Brewery

They are available here - https://flyingdog.com/zoom-backgrounds/

Steadman's had a long-time relationship with the Frederick, MD brewery and has probably done about 30 labels for them.

Noon today - WATCH LIVE | Cartoon Workshop with Pulitzer Prize Winning Matt Wuerker



15 minutes until Cartoon Workshop with Pulitzer Prize Winning Matt Wuerker
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WATCH VIRTUAL INTERVIEW HERE

Watch live in 15 minutes as Politico's Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, Matt Wuerker, gives us an online lesson in the basics of cartooning. We'll play with the magic of the drawn line and explore the secrets to drawing cartoons. Have your pens and paper ready for 20 minutes of inky fun followed by Q&A with Matt.

Have a question for Matt Wuerker during the briefing? Tweet the question using #AskPOLITICO.

#AskPOLITICO

Today: Cuddles and Rage at Fantom Comics on Zoom


APR 29 2020

Fantom Comics presents: Bites of Terror by Cuddles and Rage



· Hosted by Fantom Comics and 2 others


  • Today at 6 PM – 7:30 PM
    Starts in about 8 hours


  • Fantom Comics
    2010 P St NW, 3rd Floor, Washington D.C. 20036

Details
So we originally intended for this to be an in person event, but we're doing a work around and hosting it virtually! Fantom Manager Leah will be doing a Q&A with local Fantom friends Liz and Jimmy Reed of Cuddles and Rage via Zoom! We will be streaming, so stay tuned for details!

BITES OF TERROR is a collection of 10 creepy-cute short stories starring Cuddles and Rage's signature high quality diorama photographs of their hand-sculpted creations which are always delicious and sometimes diabolical. Follow The Cake Creeper through this macabre anthology of cautionary tales!

BITES OF TERROR is available now at Fantom Comics. Check out our website, fantomcomics.com! https://www.fantomcomics.com/products/bites-of-terror-graphic-novel

If you'd like to make a mail order request please contact us at fantomhq@fantomcomics.com or call us at 202-241-6498!