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Friday, October 12, 2012
Big Planet Comics Orbit Newsletter - 12 October 2012
As our astute readers noticed, I messed up the link to our SPX Special podcast, plus we took last week off, so now you get three podcasts all at once! Enjoy!
The gang behind the smash hit anthology Trickster is back with another great anthology all about the history of Washington, D.C.! Many of the writers and artists of District Comics: An Unconventional History of Washington D.C. will be appearing at both our Washington DC store on Saturday, October 27.
Meet Two Local Cartoonists: Barb Fischer and Chris Impink of Studio Unseen
Barb Fischer and Chris Impink are webcomics creators who have worked on two long-running webcomics strips. On their Studio Unseen website, they describe their respective roles: "Barb Fischer does the writing as well as merchandise assembly and convention spotting; when not plotting out the nuts and bolts of Sledgebunny, she takes care of her nine-year-old son which gives her just enough time in the day to take one or two breaths before plunging back into the fray. At some point, she’s hoping to find the time to use up the boxes and boxes of fabric she owns. Chris Impink does the artwork and web design; he has been featured in Antarctic Press and did much of the graphic work forThe Babylon Project role-playing game. Additionally, his work has been featured at various conventions such as Katsucon, Technicon, and Rising Star. He is also mildly notorious for co-founding Katsucon, though his team of spin doctors has kept that under wraps for many years. In his rare moments of free time, Chris works with the crew from Super Art Fight, running the Wheel of Death and notching up wins on the championship belt." I met them at Intervention con this year and they agreed to answer my usual questions.
ComicsDC: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
Barb: We have a graphic novel-style webcomic based in the world of roller derby called "Sledgebunny".
ComicsDC: How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
Chris: The initial drawings are done in pen and ink, but the backgrounds and coloring are done in Photoshop.
ComicsDC: When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
Barb: 1970 in Roanoke, VA.
Chris: 1971 in Allentown, PA.
ComicsDC: Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
Barb: When I moved here in 1999, it was because my then-husband had gotten a job up here. I currently live in Centreville.
Chris: I grew up in the area, but had moved to Blacksburg for a while. I came back when the job market wasn't great in southwest Virginia for artists. I currently live in Annandale.
ComicsDC: What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
Chris: While I have a degree in graphic design, my training in cartooning is largely self-taught.
ComicsDC: Who are your influences?
Barb: Monty Python, Terry Pratchett, the Marx Brothers, and Joss Whedon.
Chris: Miyazaki, Bill Watterson, Bryan Lee O'Malley
Barb: We'd be a bit more aggressive in marketing ourselves; we tend to be a bit quiet.
ComicsDC: What work are you best-known for?
Barb: Fragile Gravity.
Chris: The work I've done with Super Art Fight.
ComicsDC: What work are you most proud of?
Barb: I've really enjoyed the work I've done on the new comic.
ComicsDC: What would you like to do or work on in the future?
Barb: Animation would be nice; there's also some short stories I've got on a back burner.
Chris: To revisit "The Vince Posthumous Files", which was a story-within-a-story in our last comic.
ComicsDC: What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
Barb: Be very depressed, then back away from the story a while until I can get a clear head again.
Chris: Minecraft.
ComicsDC: What do you think will be the future of your field?
Chris: Content delivery is being changed so much by tablets and smartphones that it's difficult to predict, but clearly comics will drift further away from traditional forms.
ComicsDC: What local cons do you attend ? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?
Barb: Intervention, Katsucon, Otakon, Anime USA, Balticon -- and that's just the ones in the DC metro area. We're very lucky that there are so many choices for fans here.
ComicsDC: . What's your favorite thing about DC?
Barb: The fact that there's so much to try out and do at almost any time of the year.
ComicsDC: Least favorite?
Both: The traffic.
ComicsDC: What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?
Both: The Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum.
ComicsDC: How about a favorite local restaurant?
Barb: Korshi.
Chris: Jaleo.
ComicsDC: Do you have a website or blog?
Barb: Our webcomic can be found at http://www.sledgebunny.com; we're also there on Facebook and Twitter.
Keeping up with Cyborg Richard Thompson's treatment part 3
Nick Galifianakis @ 11:59
Here's a cartoon Richard drew while people were poking his brain with a stick. We'll get a better scan of it soon--this was taken with a cellphone and is pretty blurry.
Keeping up with Cyborg Richard Thompson's treatment part 2
Nick Galifianakis @ 11:25
Another Cartoonist Brain Update:
Surgery started at 9:35. Richard is conscious (yoicks!) and doing great; they're testing as they go, and everything is good so far. They are about to start on the second hemisphere. The next update will probably include comments from the surgeon.
For those of you that have not had this kind of brain surgery: Richard is having a chip implanted in his brain in hopes of greatly alleviating his Parkinson's symptoms. Because everyone is different, his brain must be "listened to" and monitored while they search for just the right spot for maximum impact.
More later...
Surgery started at 9:35. Richard is conscious (yoicks!) and doing great; they're testing as they go, and everything is good so far. They are about to start on the second hemisphere. The next update will probably include comments from the surgeon.
For those of you that have not had this kind of brain surgery: Richard is having a chip implanted in his brain in hopes of greatly alleviating his Parkinson's symptoms. Because everyone is different, his brain must be "listened to" and monitored while they search for just the right spot for maximum impact.
More later...
and Amy, Richard's wife has reported now that he's out of surgery, and "Everything went great!"
Keeping up with Cyborg Richard Thompson's treatment
Cartoonist Nick Galifianakis is one of Richard's best and oldest friends and is with him today during the surgery. Nick's posting updates on Facebook about Richard's treatment today:
I try and keep this a "cartoons only" site. And since my pal, Richard Thompson, one of the giants in my field, is having brain surgery today, I'll stray a tiny bit to periodically update folks on his condition.
As of a few minutes ago:
Head shaved, halo attached, been through MRI, unconscious, surgeon about to scrub in.
The doctor agreed to let him draw a cartoon during surgery while they're testing out the placement of the electrodes. I told Richard to think of something worthy of posterity, as it will certainly be historic.
It will be posted on his blog ASAP, of course.
He has not yet put a hankie on his head and has told the brain specialist that his "brain hurts."
More later....
Fantom Comics' Comics Journeyman interviewed at Wash Examiner
THE 3-MINUTE INTERVIEW: The Comics Journeyman
Abby Hamblin
The Washington Examiner October 11, 2012
"I personally gave up reading regular books years ago." is the pull quote for me.
Fun fact: The last question on the website wasn't published in the paper.
Fun fact: The last question on the website wasn't published in the paper.
PR: PEDESTRIAN update
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Thursday, October 11, 2012
Weldon on Sailor Twain
The Refreshingly Murky, Mysterious, Mist-Shrouded 'Sailor Twain'
by Glen Weldon
October 11, 2012
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2012/10/11/162629786/the-refreshingly-murky-mysterious-mist-shrouded-sailor-twain
Richard Thompson - Cyborg
Richard Thompson's a good friend of mine, and he's undergoing brain surgery tomorrow to control his Parkinson's disease. We at ComicsDC send our besh wishes.
OT: David Wasting Paper 2013 Young Cartoonist Contest
My friend David Paccia has started his David Wasting Paper 2013 Young Cartoonist Contest.
The contest is in honor of his mother (who didn't throw away his comics), and provides art supplies and how-to books for the winning teenage submission.
The contest is in honor of his mother (who didn't throw away his comics), and provides art supplies and how-to books for the winning teenage submission.
Rafer Roberts' Kickstarter campaign
Local bon vivant and cartoonist Rafer Roberts is Kickstarting his next collection of his Plastic Farm comic book. I'm in.
The Post on the National Gallery's Lichtenstein exhibit
Art Preview: "Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective" at the National Gallery of Art
The East Building's new show is a vibrant, thoughtful celebration of the artist's work.
Washington Post's After Hours blog October 11, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
The Post on tonight's Green Arrow tv series
'Arrow' review: A vigilante with good aim
By Hank Stuever,
Washington Post October 10 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/arrow-review-a-vigilante-with-good-aim/2012/09/13/6c973962-fdcf-11e1-a31e-804fccb658f9_story.html
Daumier and Oliphant at the Phillips
DAUMIER AND OLIPHANT, MASTERS OF POLITICAL SATIRE, ON VIEW AT THE PHILLIPS THROUGH INAUGURATION 2013
WHAT: Political Wits, 100 Years Apart: Daumier and Oliphant at the Phillips
Art thumbs its nose at politics in this election-inspired gallery, featuring works by Honoré Daumier (French, 1808–79) and Patrick Oliphant (Australian, b. 1935) from the museum's permanent collection.
A master of caricature and satire, Daumier so lampooned King Louis-Philippe that the artist was charged with sedition and imprisoned for six months in 1832. Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Oliphant—whose work has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery and the Library of Congress and published in the New Yorker, New York Times, and Washington Post—had a deep and longstanding admiration of Daumier. During a Daumier retrospective at the Phillips in 2000, Oliphant produced a lithograph inspired by the exhibition and proclaimed in his Washington Post review, "Monsieur Daumier, you certainly are a humbler."
A master of caricature and satire, Daumier so lampooned King Louis-Philippe that the artist was charged with sedition and imprisoned for six months in 1832. Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Oliphant—whose work has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery and the Library of Congress and published in the New Yorker, New York Times, and Washington Post—had a deep and longstanding admiration of Daumier. During a Daumier retrospective at the Phillips in 2000, Oliphant produced a lithograph inspired by the exhibition and proclaimed in his Washington Post review, "Monsieur Daumier, you certainly are a humbler."
WHEN: On view through the Presidential Inauguration, Jan. 20, 2013
COST: Weekends (Sept. 18–Oct. 5, 2012, and Jan. 7–20, 2013):
$10 for adults, $8 for visitors 62 and over and students, free for members and visitors 18 and under
Weekends (Oct. 6, 2012–Jan. 6, 2013):
$12 for adults, $10 for visitors 62 and over and students, free for members and visitors 18 and under
Weekdays: by donation
$10 for adults, $8 for visitors 62 and over and students, free for members and visitors 18 and under
Weekends (Oct. 6, 2012–Jan. 6, 2013):
$12 for adults, $10 for visitors 62 and over and students, free for members and visitors 18 and under
Weekdays: by donation
WHERE: The Phillips Collection
1600 21st St., NW. Metro: Dupont Circle (Q St. exit)
1600 21st St., NW. Metro: Dupont Circle (Q St. exit)
A flea market miscellany
Here's some of the oddball stuff I picked up last weekend:
Bull of the Woods by J.R. Williams cartoon desk blotter / calendar from Vogt Roller Co, Chicago, IL in March 1953.
Bill Clinton superhero caricature on an Inauguration '93 button.
A counterfeit Bart Simpson saying "I belong to The Johns Hopkins Health Plan. Why In The Hell Don't You!" on an advertising button.
Nutty Awards #4 postcard by Jack Davis. Topps produced 30 of these in 1965.
Bull of the Woods by J.R. Williams cartoon desk blotter / calendar from Vogt Roller Co, Chicago, IL in March 1953.
Bill Clinton superhero caricature on an Inauguration '93 button.
A counterfeit Bart Simpson saying "I belong to The Johns Hopkins Health Plan. Why In The Hell Don't You!" on an advertising button.
Nutty Awards #4 postcard by Jack Davis. Topps produced 30 of these in 1965.
Frank Cho to draw Wolverine... and Shanna
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Rethinking Rascally Roy (Lichtenstein, not Thomas)
Around the time Roy Lichtenstein starting painting his canvases influenced by comic book panels, editor Stan Lee was giving everyone at Marvel Comics a nickname to make the company appear more homey. Since Lichtenstein usually appropriated images from DC Comics, he probably wouldn't have qualified for one, but if he did, he probably should have gotten the 'Rascally' that eventually settled on writer Roy Thomas. Lichtenstein seems to have spent his entire career engaging with other art forms, appropriating them, making sport of them, but also in some odd way, respecting them.
The National Gallery of Art is mounting a large career-spanning retrospective that begins with one of Lichtenstein's first comic-derived images - the Gallery's Look Mickey (1961). At the press preview, curators kept noting that the original image is from Donald Duck Lost and Found, a Little Golden Book from 1960, and not a comic book, but honestly that's a difference that makes no difference. Lichtenstein had come up with a hook, and a look, and together these let him break into the big time. To our eyes, familiar with almost forty years of later works, Look Mickey looks crude. The dots that texture Mickey's head and Donald's eyes are handpainted, and not made by forcing paint through a metal screen with a toothbrush as he would later turn to. The underlying pencil can be seen - something almost inconceivable in his work of just a few years later. Lichtenstein worked by doing a freehand drawing, projecting that piece onto a larger canvas and drawing it there, and then painting that. Examine this painting closely so you're prepared to see his technique evolve and tighten up as he finds his groove.
The Gallery owns 375 pieces of Lichtenstein's art -- one of the largest collections -- and this exhibit has 100 paintings, drawings and sculptures in it. They've borrowed from other museums and the show will travel to England and France after being here in DC. For comics and cartoon fans, after Look Mickey you can skip the rest of the Early Pop Art gallery, and go view the black & white drawing Alka Seltzer (1966) in the next room. To this reviewer, Jack Kirby's influence appears obvious -- and doesn't appear in the rest of the Black and White series. Kirby's Marvel Comics work had settled into its mature phase with the heavy black lines and over the top action that would typify his work. Lichtenstein's drawing of this banal subject produces a glass of Alka Seltzer that would look at home in the hands of Dr. Doom, if he ever stopped trying to conquer the world for a few minutes and looked after himself.
Instead of Marvel Comics, Lichtenstein turned to DC Comics for works in his Romance and War series. 1962's Masterpiece is the first in his Romance series, and he works in a joke about his new status as a darling of the art world. Contrast this work with Ohhh... Alright..., from 1964, and you can see his quoting of the comics medium becoming surer and cleaner, especially after he begins using his technique of painting through metal screens. Unfortunately, looking at the images here produces one of the main problems with Lichtenstein's comic-influenced art. When they are reproduced in a book (or blog) they become the same size as the comic they're taken from and this gives the viewer a false impression. These pieces are big, and the scaling-up while removing extraneous detail, and repositioning graphic elements gives them a... grandeur that insists that you see them in person.
Lichtenstein probably would have been a competent, if uninspiring comic book artist (think Don Heck) -- the original sketch for Ohhh... Alright... is in the exhibit and shows he could have done that, but the path he chose was probably better for all concerned. Bart Beaty's Comics Versus Art (University of Toronto Press, 2012) has a good chapter about the angst that Lichtenstein's work inspires in comic book readers - an angst I share. Lichtenstein was working from then-current comic books like Girls' Romances and Secret Hearts, and titling his works with an attribution such as Whaam! (after Novick) or Whaam! ( All American Men of War #89) rather than simply Whaam! would have been a gesture of respect to other artists who, although working as commercial illustrators in comic books, still considered what they were doing to be art.
His decision not to do this continues to lead to headlines such as 2011's Connecting the Dots Between the Record $43 Million Lichtenstein and the $431 Comic Strip It Was Copied From, and articles that start "Imagine you drew a comic book for a nominal fee and a world-famous artist recreated in paint a panel from that work and sold it for millions of dollars without you receiving any credit or royalties." Deconstructing Roy Lichtenstein is an entire website devoted to tracking the original comic panels that Lichtenstein repurposed / appropriated for his paintings.
His Brushstrokes series began with Brushstrokes (1965), which the exhibit explains came from "The Painting," Strange Suspense Stories #72 (Charlton Comics, October 1964) -- the NGA reproduces the panel, but neglects to mention that the original artwork is by Dick Giordano. This was among his last of this type of work. Instead he began painting large fake brushstrokes over his now trademark dots, or painting the explosions without any intervening war comic scene. The exhibit wall text for Whaam! suggests a reason, quoting him reflecting "If you go through [comic books], you'll find that there are very few frames that... would be useful to you. Most of them are in transition, they don't really sum anything up and it's the ones that sum up the idea that I like best."
Lichenstein then moved completely away from the comics-influenced paintings to do similar paintings with other fine art as the subject, such as a faux woodcut of a Washington by Gilbert Stuart. Picasso and Cezanne and the Laocoon were Lichtensteinized. He painted faux architectural elements and faux mirrors, and did sculptures and paintings quoting art deco. He made landscapes out of dots. All of these can be seen in the show.
But in the 1990s and towards the end of his career, Lichtenstein returned to comic book art and looked back at the romance comic books he had painted from 30 years earlier -- this time, he just left off the clothing for his Nudes series. Without their captions or word balloons, and with a more radical use of dots, these paintings seem further removed from their sources than his earlier works.
A lot has been written on Lichtenstein, and I'm obviously not an expert on his work, but I do think that his 1978 Self-Portrait, in which he depicts himself as a mirror hovering above an empty shirt -- while witty -- may very well also depict a deeper ambivalence about his career.
The exhibit Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective runs from October 14, 2012–January 13, 2013 at the National Gallery of Art. I can honestly recommend it to anyone interested in comic art who is willing to think about art, illustration, comics and where they all crash together. I would have preferred to see more of the original source material in the show -- only two comics panels are reproduced in the exhibit text -- and buying a 1960s DC romance comic or two wouldn't bust anyone's budget. An excellent catalog by curators James Rondeau and Sheena Wagstaff is available, and the Gallery has several events planned including ones at local restaurants Busboys and Poets and Ben's Chili Bowl.
UPDATE: Here's some pages that Lichtenstein used from Charlton and DC Comics (thanks to Prof. Witek)-
The National Gallery of Art is mounting a large career-spanning retrospective that begins with one of Lichtenstein's first comic-derived images - the Gallery's Look Mickey (1961). At the press preview, curators kept noting that the original image is from Donald Duck Lost and Found, a Little Golden Book from 1960, and not a comic book, but honestly that's a difference that makes no difference. Lichtenstein had come up with a hook, and a look, and together these let him break into the big time. To our eyes, familiar with almost forty years of later works, Look Mickey looks crude. The dots that texture Mickey's head and Donald's eyes are handpainted, and not made by forcing paint through a metal screen with a toothbrush as he would later turn to. The underlying pencil can be seen - something almost inconceivable in his work of just a few years later. Lichtenstein worked by doing a freehand drawing, projecting that piece onto a larger canvas and drawing it there, and then painting that. Examine this painting closely so you're prepared to see his technique evolve and tighten up as he finds his groove.
The Gallery owns 375 pieces of Lichtenstein's art -- one of the largest collections -- and this exhibit has 100 paintings, drawings and sculptures in it. They've borrowed from other museums and the show will travel to England and France after being here in DC. For comics and cartoon fans, after Look Mickey you can skip the rest of the Early Pop Art gallery, and go view the black & white drawing Alka Seltzer (1966) in the next room. To this reviewer, Jack Kirby's influence appears obvious -- and doesn't appear in the rest of the Black and White series. Kirby's Marvel Comics work had settled into its mature phase with the heavy black lines and over the top action that would typify his work. Lichtenstein's drawing of this banal subject produces a glass of Alka Seltzer that would look at home in the hands of Dr. Doom, if he ever stopped trying to conquer the world for a few minutes and looked after himself.
His decision not to do this continues to lead to headlines such as 2011's Connecting the Dots Between the Record $43 Million Lichtenstein and the $431 Comic Strip It Was Copied From, and articles that start "Imagine you drew a comic book for a nominal fee and a world-famous artist recreated in paint a panel from that work and sold it for millions of dollars without you receiving any credit or royalties." Deconstructing Roy Lichtenstein is an entire website devoted to tracking the original comic panels that Lichtenstein repurposed / appropriated for his paintings.
But in the 1990s and towards the end of his career, Lichtenstein returned to comic book art and looked back at the romance comic books he had painted from 30 years earlier -- this time, he just left off the clothing for his Nudes series. Without their captions or word balloons, and with a more radical use of dots, these paintings seem further removed from their sources than his earlier works.
A lot has been written on Lichtenstein, and I'm obviously not an expert on his work, but I do think that his 1978 Self-Portrait, in which he depicts himself as a mirror hovering above an empty shirt -- while witty -- may very well also depict a deeper ambivalence about his career.The exhibit Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective runs from October 14, 2012–January 13, 2013 at the National Gallery of Art. I can honestly recommend it to anyone interested in comic art who is willing to think about art, illustration, comics and where they all crash together. I would have preferred to see more of the original source material in the show -- only two comics panels are reproduced in the exhibit text -- and buying a 1960s DC romance comic or two wouldn't bust anyone's budget. An excellent catalog by curators James Rondeau and Sheena Wagstaff is available, and the Gallery has several events planned including ones at local restaurants Busboys and Poets and Ben's Chili Bowl.
UPDATE: Here's some pages that Lichtenstein used from Charlton and DC Comics (thanks to Prof. Witek)-
 |
STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #72 p. 25 |
 |
| Secret Hearts #83, Nov. 1962 |
 |
| All-American Men of War #90 |
 |
| All-American Men of War #89 |
Monday, October 08, 2012
Letterhack and DC comics writer Irene Vartanoff interview from 2010
Irene used to live around here, and talks about writing to the Washington Star in this interview. Her sister Ellen is still in town.
Stroud, Brian D. 2010.
Irene Vartanoff Interview.
Silver Age Sage (May):
http://www.wtv-zone.com/silverager/interviews/vartanoff.shtml
Stroud, Brian D. 2010.
Irene Vartanoff Interview.
Silver Age Sage (May):
http://www.wtv-zone.com/silverager/interviews/vartanoff.shtml
SPX 2012 videos continued
One of the panels:
Sean T. Collins.
SPX 2012 - Gilbert Hernandez: Love From The Shadows
Oct 4, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfpdpz4KKUQ
Gilbert Hernandez and his brothers launched the alternative comics era with their epoch-defining series Love and Rockets. Gilbert first made his mark with his Palomar stories, an intergenerational saga detailing life and love in a fictional Central American town. But a parallel strand of Gilbert's restless oeuvre has since taken center stage in new graphic novels and stories that combine formal play with genre experimentation to open another window into the workings of the human heart. Gilbert will discuss his work with critic Sean T. Collins.
Here's the local cartoonists:
SPX 2012: Warren Bernard
Oct 1, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1scTlk3Viy4&feature=plcp
With the show over, the guys sit down with SPX Executive Director Warren Bernard to talk about how everything went: the challenges, the successes, the surprises, and, most importantly, the exhaustion.
SPX 2012: Ben Claassen III
Oct 1, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuk1SYeDo_g&feature=relmfu
Well after the show ends, Rusty and Joe sit down with Ben Claassen III and reflect on the show. It's SPX After Dark and things get saucy with a quickness as we discuss the future and how to make comics FOREVER.
SPX 2012: Matt Dembicki
Sep 30, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeVXfBCjNvY&feature=plcp
The guys talk to Matt Dembicki and the trio commiserate about a life of hard to pronounce last names. They also talk about Matt's new graphic novel, "XOC", as well as the recently released anthology, "District Comics". Also, learn about stealing!
SPX 2012: Adam Bomb and Rome
Sep 30, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VirRr4gA0TQ&feature=plcp
Joe and Rusty sit down two fantastic young comic makers, brothers Adam Bomb and Rome, sons of Matt Dembicki. This is the second year the guys have talked with Adam and the first with Rome and both are absolutely adorable!
and out-of-town participants:
SPX 2012: Catherine Peach
Sep 30, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtWy5vJSEUM&feature=plcp
Rusty and Joe chat with Catherine Peach, an exhibitor without a table but not without high fives! Learn about nomadic selling, possibly earned badges and dangerous high fives!
SPX 2012: Jeff and Adam Zwirek
Sep 30, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_7qq0_PHHE&feature=plcp
Joe and Rusty sit down with the brothers Zwirek, Jeff and Adam, to talk about one of the big debuts of the show, Burning Building Comix! Learn about the challenge of making really tall books, the danger of a slutty Yoda, free cake at CAKE, and pornographic stick figures!
SPX 2012: Cara Bean and Sally Carson
Sep 30, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuS9g0UfJ7M&feature=plcp
For the second year in a row, Joe and Rusty talk to Cara Bean but mix it up a little bit by adding Sally Carson to this powder keg of small press spectacularity! The topics covered are numerous and, even more harrowing, they answer more than just one Mysterious Question! Change your life and change your heart with this quad-copter of love!
SPX 2012: Michael Bracco
Oct 1, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyJ51Saz3sA&feature=plcp
Joe and Rusty talk to Michael Bracco about his return to SPX after years away. Learn about his new book, "The Creators", how SPX has treated him upon his big return, and the power of creating crap! Also, a very important discussion of Rusty and Joe's idea for Splash 2 (CGI John Candy!).
SPX 2012: Justin Rivers
Oct 1, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nBYZK5aCfQ&feature=plcp
Rusty and Joe chat with SPX sophomore Justin Rivers about his book, "The Wonder City", creeping out Chris Ware, and the pure love of taking a bullet for someone.
Sean T. Collins.
SPX 2012 - Gilbert Hernandez: Love From The Shadows
Oct 4, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfpdpz4KKUQ
Gilbert Hernandez and his brothers launched the alternative comics era with their epoch-defining series Love and Rockets. Gilbert first made his mark with his Palomar stories, an intergenerational saga detailing life and love in a fictional Central American town. But a parallel strand of Gilbert's restless oeuvre has since taken center stage in new graphic novels and stories that combine formal play with genre experimentation to open another window into the workings of the human heart. Gilbert will discuss his work with critic Sean T. Collins.
Here's the local cartoonists:
SPX 2012: Warren Bernard
Oct 1, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1scTlk3Viy4&feature=plcp
With the show over, the guys sit down with SPX Executive Director Warren Bernard to talk about how everything went: the challenges, the successes, the surprises, and, most importantly, the exhaustion.
SPX 2012: Ben Claassen III
Oct 1, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuk1SYeDo_g&feature=relmfu
Well after the show ends, Rusty and Joe sit down with Ben Claassen III and reflect on the show. It's SPX After Dark and things get saucy with a quickness as we discuss the future and how to make comics FOREVER.
SPX 2012: Matt Dembicki
Sep 30, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeVXfBCjNvY&feature=plcp
The guys talk to Matt Dembicki and the trio commiserate about a life of hard to pronounce last names. They also talk about Matt's new graphic novel, "XOC", as well as the recently released anthology, "District Comics". Also, learn about stealing!
SPX 2012: Adam Bomb and Rome
Sep 30, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VirRr4gA0TQ&feature=plcp
Joe and Rusty sit down two fantastic young comic makers, brothers Adam Bomb and Rome, sons of Matt Dembicki. This is the second year the guys have talked with Adam and the first with Rome and both are absolutely adorable!
and out-of-town participants:
SPX 2012: Catherine Peach
Sep 30, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtWy5vJSEUM&feature=plcp
Rusty and Joe chat with Catherine Peach, an exhibitor without a table but not without high fives! Learn about nomadic selling, possibly earned badges and dangerous high fives!
SPX 2012: Jeff and Adam Zwirek
Sep 30, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_7qq0_PHHE&feature=plcp
Joe and Rusty sit down with the brothers Zwirek, Jeff and Adam, to talk about one of the big debuts of the show, Burning Building Comix! Learn about the challenge of making really tall books, the danger of a slutty Yoda, free cake at CAKE, and pornographic stick figures!
SPX 2012: Cara Bean and Sally Carson
Sep 30, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuS9g0UfJ7M&feature=plcp
For the second year in a row, Joe and Rusty talk to Cara Bean but mix it up a little bit by adding Sally Carson to this powder keg of small press spectacularity! The topics covered are numerous and, even more harrowing, they answer more than just one Mysterious Question! Change your life and change your heart with this quad-copter of love!
SPX 2012: Michael Bracco
Oct 1, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyJ51Saz3sA&feature=plcp
Joe and Rusty talk to Michael Bracco about his return to SPX after years away. Learn about his new book, "The Creators", how SPX has treated him upon his big return, and the power of creating crap! Also, a very important discussion of Rusty and Joe's idea for Splash 2 (CGI John Candy!).
SPX 2012: Justin Rivers
Oct 1, 2012 by SmallPressExpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nBYZK5aCfQ&feature=plcp
Rusty and Joe chat with SPX sophomore Justin Rivers about his book, "The Wonder City", creeping out Chris Ware, and the pure love of taking a bullet for someone.
The Post adds Dustin strip, dumps Tank McNamara
Although Michael says only that Tank has moved 'online', we call a spade a spade here at PokerDC...
POST ADDS 'DUSTIN' COMIC: Creators think 'boomerang son' strip reflects 'modern American family'
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog (October 8 2012):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/post-adds-dustin-comic-creators-think-boomerang-son-strip-reflects-modern-american-family/2012/10/08/f1f4318a-0f74-11e2-a310-2363842b7057_blog.html#pagebreak
... and I will not that Tank was not well-served by the most-recent shrinkage of the comics page, which made it too small to actually read.
POST ADDS 'DUSTIN' COMIC: Creators think 'boomerang son' strip reflects 'modern American family'
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog (October 8 2012):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/post-adds-dustin-comic-creators-think-boomerang-son-strip-reflects-modern-american-family/2012/10/08/f1f4318a-0f74-11e2-a310-2363842b7057_blog.html#pagebreak
... and I will not that Tank was not well-served by the most-recent shrinkage of the comics page, which made it too small to actually read.
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Recent Sal Buscema interview
Sal Buscema, the longtime Marvel penciller, lives in Northern Virginia.
Stroud, Brian D. 2012.
Sal Buscema interview.
Silver Age Sage: http://www.wtv-zone.com/silverager/interviews/buscema.shtml
Stroud, Brian D. 2012.
Sal Buscema interview.
Silver Age Sage: http://www.wtv-zone.com/silverager/interviews/buscema.shtml
Saturday, October 06, 2012
The Post on new Marvel history book
Marvel Comics' heroic history
By Mike Musgrove, Washington Post October 7, 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/heroic-history-of-marvel-comics/2012/10/05/d8100a32-f692-11e1-8253-3f495ae70650_story.html
By Mike Musgrove, Washington Post October 7, 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/heroic-history-of-marvel-comics/2012/10/05/d8100a32-f692-11e1-8253-3f495ae70650_story.html
Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "Middle Class First"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=1179
Middle Class First
"We do best when the middle class is doing well."
--Barack Obama, Presidential Debate 10.03.2012
So, I'm seeing a lot of footage of Obama rallies on TV lately showing us lots of raving Dembots waving signs reading "Middle Class First".
Now, on the surface, this sounds really nice and progressive populist and all, until you stop and think of how Obama bailed out the banks and Wall Street and left the foreclosed and unemployed hanging out to dry, and when you think about how the Presidential candidates of both wings of the Party pander to the middle class while totally ignoring the working class and the poor. In fact, at my count, at last Wednesday night's "debate", I heard the phrase "middle class" spoken at least fifteen times in the first half hour -- until I had to stop watching because my eyes were glazing and my brain was dribbling out of my ears.
To be honest, I'm actually becoming really annoyed at the amount of fawning and gushing and pandering directed at the Middle Class™ by politicians at the media, even as they display indifference -- or, in some cases, flat-out hostility -- towards the working class, the poor, and the formerly middle-class who've fallen into poverty owing to extended unemployment or foreclosure.
Let's also not forget that generally, the Middle Class™ is where all the narrow-mindedness, conformity, materialism and selfishness live.They consume the most resources and complain the most about taxes while demanding the best of everything -- roads, schools, public services -- while joining in the villification of the poor and identifying with the rich, even as the rich continue to screw them royally.
So, perhaps a more accurate slogan for the Obama campaign might be "Middle Class First, And Throw The Poor A Bone If There's Any Left".
--
.
"Though I could not caution all, I yet may warn a few:
Don't lend your hand to raise no flag atop no ship of fools!"
--grateful dead.
________________________________________________________________
Mike Flugennock, flugennock at sinkers dot org
Mike's Political Cartoons: dubya dubya dubya dot sinkers dot org
Middle Class First
"We do best when the middle class is doing well."
--Barack Obama, Presidential Debate 10.03.2012
So, I'm seeing a lot of footage of Obama rallies on TV lately showing us lots of raving Dembots waving signs reading "Middle Class First".
Now, on the surface, this sounds really nice and progressive populist and all, until you stop and think of how Obama bailed out the banks and Wall Street and left the foreclosed and unemployed hanging out to dry, and when you think about how the Presidential candidates of both wings of the Party pander to the middle class while totally ignoring the working class and the poor. In fact, at my count, at last Wednesday night's "debate", I heard the phrase "middle class" spoken at least fifteen times in the first half hour -- until I had to stop watching because my eyes were glazing and my brain was dribbling out of my ears.
To be honest, I'm actually becoming really annoyed at the amount of fawning and gushing and pandering directed at the Middle Class™ by politicians at the media, even as they display indifference -- or, in some cases, flat-out hostility -- towards the working class, the poor, and the formerly middle-class who've fallen into poverty owing to extended unemployment or foreclosure.
Let's also not forget that generally, the Middle Class™ is where all the narrow-mindedness, conformity, materialism and selfishness live.They consume the most resources and complain the most about taxes while demanding the best of everything -- roads, schools, public services -- while joining in the villification of the poor and identifying with the rich, even as the rich continue to screw them royally.
So, perhaps a more accurate slogan for the Obama campaign might be "Middle Class First, And Throw The Poor A Bone If There's Any Left".
--
.
"Though I could not caution all, I yet may warn a few:
Don't lend your hand to raise no flag atop no ship of fools!"
--grateful dead.
________________________________________________________________
Mike Flugennock, flugennock at sinkers dot org
Mike's Political Cartoons: dubya dubya dubya dot sinkers dot org
Stephan Pastis at Politics and Prose Bookstore (October 6, 2012)
(October 6, 2012)
Cartoonist Stephan Pastis speaks about his comic strip "Pearls Before Swine" at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, DC.More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/42072348@N00/sets/72157631708410406/with/8061262204/
Audio: http://archive.org/details/StephanPastisAtPoliticsAndProseBookstore
Truitt on Mouse Guard
A mythic hero gets the spotlight in new 'Mouse Guard'
Brian Truitt
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2012/10/05/mouse-guard-the-black-axe-comic-book-series/1615957/
Brian Truitt
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2012/10/05/mouse-guard-the-black-axe-comic-book-series/1615957/
Friday, October 05, 2012
The Post on Frankenweenie cartoon
One deliciously dark tale
By Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post October 5, 2012
Comic Riffs talks to Pearls' Pastis
'PEARLS' BEFORE AN AUDIENCE: 'Pearls Before Swine' creator Stephan Pastis keeps reaching for new readers
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog October 5 2012
Thursday, October 04, 2012
Matt Wuerker on Voice of America
Political Cartoonists Worried About Future
Jerome Socolovsky
Voice of America News October 03, 2012
http://www.voanews.com/content/political-cartoonists-worried-about-future/1519470.html
Matt and other cartoonists were interviewed during their recent convention in DC.
Jerome Socolovsky
Voice of America News October 03, 2012
http://www.voanews.com/content/political-cartoonists-worried-about-future/1519470.html
Matt and other cartoonists were interviewed during their recent convention in DC.
Catoon political ad in the Post today
There's another of those Life without Fossil Fuel cartoon political ads on page A5 of today's Washington Post.
Ann Telnaes new app featured on Comic Riffs
CHOOSING OBAMA OR ROMNEY: Ann Telnaes's new 'POTUS Pick' app puts the interactive choice in your hands
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog October 4 2012
Tuesday, October 02, 2012
October 6: Pastis at Politics and Prose
Stephan Pastis - Pearls Freaks the #*%# out
Oct 6 2012 1:00 pm
Oct 6 2012 2:00 pm
The latest Treasury from the attorney-turned-cartoonist includes all strips from Larry in Wonderland and Because Sometimes You Just Gotta Draw a Cover with Your Left Hand, along with responses from readers and Pastis's own remarks about the sources of particular themes and motifs.
Street:
- 5015 Connecticut Ave NW
- City:
- Washington ,
- Province:
- District Of Columbia
- Postal Code:
- 20008
- Country:
- United States
Library of Congress' Swann Foundation accepting fellowship applications
The Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, administered by the Library of Congress is accepting applications for its graduate fellowship, one of the few in the field, for the 2013-2014 academic year. Deadline for receipt of applications is February 15, 2013. Please email swann@loc.gov or call (202) 707-9115 if you have questions. For criteria, guidelines, and application forms, please see: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/swann-fellow.html
Animator Seth MacFarlane to host Oscars
MacFarlane to host Oscar telecast
By Lisa De Moraes, Washington Post October 2 2012
Monday, October 01, 2012
PR: Announcing our new Fantom Red sale!
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Game On! Comics: All the 411 you need to know about Marvel NOW
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ChildTime Magic | 310 Dominion RD NE | Vienna | VA | 22180
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Captain America movie to be set in DC
The DCist has the story that the next Captain America movie will be filmed here.
Comic Riffs talks to The Oatmeal about preserving Tesla
TESLA MUSEUM: 'The Oatmeal's Matthew Inman on his latest successful Indiegogo campaign
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog October 1 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/tesla-museum-the-oatmeals-matthew-inman-on-his-latest-successful-indiegogo-campaign/2012/09/30/669e3188-0b5c-11e2-bd1a-b868e65d57eb_blog.html
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog October 1 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/tesla-museum-the-oatmeals-matthew-inman-on-his-latest-successful-indiegogo-campaign/2012/09/30/669e3188-0b5c-11e2-bd1a-b868e65d57eb_blog.html
Ryan Holmberg's latest manga article
Manga Finds Pirate Gold: The Case of New Treasure Island
BY Ryan Holmberg Oct 1, 2012
http://www.tcj.com/manga-finds-pirate-gold-the-case-of-new-treasure-island/
I re-met Ryan at SPX this year, and it turns out he's living in suburban Maryland for a while. So for now, he counts for ComicsDC's links - as he writes good history, I'm glad to be able to!
BY Ryan Holmberg Oct 1, 2012
http://www.tcj.com/manga-finds-pirate-gold-the-case-of-new-treasure-island/
I re-met Ryan at SPX this year, and it turns out he's living in suburban Maryland for a while. So for now, he counts for ComicsDC's links - as he writes good history, I'm glad to be able to!
PR: Beetle Bailey Argues for Army Museum
This museum is intended for the Washington area.
For Immediate Release: October 1, 2012
Contact: COL David R. Fabian (USA-Ret.)
(703) 562-4162
Beetle Bailey Character Argues for National Army Museum
ARLINGTON, Va. – After more than 60 years bemoaning the hard work that comes with being a young Soldier in the U.S. Army, Beetle Bailey focused his distress last Sunday on a much more legitimate protest – America has no national museum recognizing the service of all Army Soldiers. While reclining in usual fashion on his barrack's cot, the leading character of Mort Walker's award winning comic strip lists the types of real-life sacrifices made by Soldiers before saying with exasperation, "At least we deserve a National Army Museum or some thanks for what we do." In the end, Bailey is temporarily appeased by another Soldier's handshake as a show of appreciation. However, this star of one of the most widely-read comics in the world, like all Soldiers and Army supporters, is still rallying support to build the actual National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
The Army Historical Foundation is currently leading the campaign to construct the National Army Museum. This facility will be the first museum to tell the complete history of the U.S. Army from 1775 through today. Fourteen generations of Americans – approximately 30 million men and women – have proudly worn the Army uniform. Currently the Army is the country's only military service not represented by its own national museum.
Mort Walker, one of the longest-drawing cartoonists in history, served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II, and was discharged as a First Lieutenant in 1947. In portraying the lighter side of military life, Mort Walker's support of the military has earned him the praise of the highest ranking officials. He was given the Decoration for Distinguished Civilian Service by the United States Army, the highest award the Secretary of the Army can present a civilian. During his distinguished career as a cartoonist, he has earned numerous awards including induction into the Museum of Cartoon Art Hall of Fame. Walker now extends his support of the military to endorsing the National Museum of the United States Army.
The September 30 edition of Beetle Bailey can be found here. Beetle Bailey is syndicated by King Features.
About The Army Historical Foundation
The Army Historical Foundation establishes, assists, and promotes programs and projects which preserve the history of the American Soldier and promote public understanding of and appreciation for the contributions by all components of the U.S. Army and its members. The Foundation serves as the Army's official fundraising entity for the Capital Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army. The Museum will be constructed at Fort Belvoir, Va., to honor the service and sacrifice of all American Soldiers who have served since the Army's inception in 1775. For more information about the Foundation, the National Museum of the United States Army, and the Soldier's Registry, visit www.armyhistory.org.
####
Big Planet Comics recent podcast interviews
I checked in with Kevin and here's a list of the interviews they've
done this year. After successfully experimenting with Skype, they're
planning on doing more interview shows.
Panetta, Kevin, Jared Smith and Nick Liappis. 2012.
Podcast Special! "SPX 2012" [Mike Dawson interview].
Big Planet Comics (September 28):
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcast-special-spx-2012 and
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcasts/Big-Planet-Podcast-SPX-2012.mp3
Panetta, Kevin, Jared Smith and Nick Liappis. 2012.
Podcast #60 "Drama" [Raina Telgemeier interview].
Big Planet Comics (September 27):
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcast-60-drama and
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcasts/Big-Planet-Podcast-060.mp3
Panetta, Kevin, Jared Smith and Nick Liappis. 2012.
Podcast #56 "Interviewasaurus Rex" [Fangbone creator Mike Rex interview].
Big Planet Comics (August 23):
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcast-56-interviewasaurus-rex and
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcasts/Big-Planet-Podcast-056.mp3
Panetta, Kevin, Jared Smith and Nick Liappis. 2012.
Podcast #55 "District Xocmics" [Matt Dembicki interview].
Big Planet Comics (August 9):
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcast-55-district-xocmics and
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcasts/Big-Planet-Podcast-055.mp3
Panetta, Kevin, Jared Smith and Nick Liappis. 2012.
Podcast #41 "The Luther Strode Interview" [Justin Jordan and Tradd Moore].
Big Planet Comics (April 19):
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcast-41-the-one-with-the-luther-strode-interview
and http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcasts/Big-Planet-Podcast-041.mp3
done this year. After successfully experimenting with Skype, they're
planning on doing more interview shows.
Panetta, Kevin, Jared Smith and Nick Liappis. 2012.
Podcast Special! "SPX 2012" [Mike Dawson interview].
Big Planet Comics (September 28):
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcast-special-spx-2012 and
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcasts/Big-Planet-Podcast-SPX-2012.mp3
Panetta, Kevin, Jared Smith and Nick Liappis. 2012.
Podcast #60 "Drama" [Raina Telgemeier interview].
Big Planet Comics (September 27):
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcast-60-drama and
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcasts/Big-Planet-Podcast-060.mp3
Panetta, Kevin, Jared Smith and Nick Liappis. 2012.
Podcast #56 "Interviewasaurus Rex" [Fangbone creator Mike Rex interview].
Big Planet Comics (August 23):
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcast-56-interviewasaurus-rex and
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcasts/Big-Planet-Podcast-056.mp3
Panetta, Kevin, Jared Smith and Nick Liappis. 2012.
Podcast #55 "District Xocmics" [Matt Dembicki interview].
Big Planet Comics (August 9):
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcast-55-district-xocmics and
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcasts/Big-Planet-Podcast-055.mp3
Panetta, Kevin, Jared Smith and Nick Liappis. 2012.
Podcast #41 "The Luther Strode Interview" [Justin Jordan and Tradd Moore].
Big Planet Comics (April 19):
http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcast-41-the-one-with-the-luther-strode-interview
and http://www.bigplanetcomics.com/podcasts/Big-Planet-Podcast-041.mp3
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