Friday, October 31, 2014

Comic Riffs on Wytches and Halloween reading recommendations

HALLOWEEN READING: Bewitching 'Wytches' summons some of Scott Snyder's deepest real-life fears

By David Betancourt

Washington Post Comic Riffs blog October 31 2014

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/10/31/halloween-reading-bewitching-wytches-summons-some-of-scott-snyders-deepest-real-life-fears/

 

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND READING: Wanna good (graphic) scare? Here are 10 Dark and Spooky Picks for hiding between their covers

By Michael Cavna

Washington Post Comic Riffs blog October 31 2014

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/10/31/halloween-weekend-reading-wanna-good-scare-here-are-12-dark-and-spooky-picks-for-hiding-between-their-covers/

The Post reviews ‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’

Not a Disney princess story

[in print in the Express as "A fairy tale made for grown ups"; 'The Tale of the Princess Kaguya' movie review]

By Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post October 31, 2014, p. EZ 34 and Express, p. 22
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/the-tale-of-the-princess-kaguya-movie-review/2014/10/29/bd63986c-5e1d-11e4-8b9e-2ccdac31a031_story.html


Chloƫ Grace Moretz gives voice to the title character in the dubbed version of the animated "The Tale of Princess Kaguya." (Hatake Jimusho/GKids)

Daumier, in passing, at the Phillips

Schlump in the Night: An invasion of bald everymen lights up the Phillips ["NO/Escape" At the Phillips Collection to March 8, 2015]

By Kriston Capps
Washington City Paper October 31, 2014, p. 31
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/46485/bernardi-roigs-noescape-at-the-phillips-collection-reviewed/

Those darn corporate animators

For families of color, diversity is a fantasy [online as In the land of make-believe, racial diversity is a fantasy]


Thursday, October 30, 2014

Swann Foundation Announces Awards for 2014-2015






NEWS from the LIBRARY of CONGRESS
October 30, 2014

Public contact: Martha Kennedy (202) 707-9115, mkenn@loc.gov

Swann Foundation Announces Awards for 2014-2015
The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, administered by the Library of Congress, is awarding fellowships to three applicants for the academic year 2014-2015.  Recipients are affiliated with McGill University, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Northwestern University.
Andrew Benjamin Bricker, a postdoctoral fellow in English at McGill University, recently completed his doctorate in English at Stanford University.  He will expand on part of his dissertation "Producing and Litigating Satire, 1670-1792," as he investigates a shift in satire in the second half of the 18th century, when changes in British libel laws made printed political and personal satire legally precarious.  Bricker contends that, at mid-century, satire began to migrate from print to visual media, especially caricature and visual satire, and plans to study the wealth of examples held at the Library of Congress.  These visual works were executed by key British satirical artists who offered personalized, nasty and popular critiques of their often well-known human targets.
Paul Hirsch is an instructor in the Department of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he also completed his doctorate in American history. Building on his dissertation "Pulp Empire: Comic Books, Cartoons, and U.S. Foreign Policy, 1941-1955," he will examine the dissemination of and impact made by millions of American comic books and cartoon booklets from the early 1940s to the mid-1950s.  Hirsch contends that these popular publications, whether uncensored commercial ones or government-sanctioned, worked to define, for a global audience, what it meant to be American—presenting American policymakers with both an opportunity and a challenge. The American government, he contends, met this challenge through a combination of repression and co-optation.
Maureen Warren, a doctoral candidate in art history at Northwestern University, analyzes works of art about domestic political disputes in the Northern Netherlands during the 17th century in her dissertation "Politics, Punishment, and Prestige: Images of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and the States Party in the Dutch Republic, 1618-1672."  The artists creating such work used caricature and satire to mock politicians and religious leaders in Dutch and German news prints and illustrated broadsides.  These include the Hauslab Album, a rare collection of prints that depicts European armed conflicts from 1566-1711. Study of the Hauslab imagery and Dutch prints in the Library's collections will contribute to Warren's goal of contextualizing later examples of Dutch political art.
During the coming academic year, the three recipients will collectively conduct research at the Library, in the General Collections and in the Prints and Photographs, Serial and Government Publications, and Rare Book and Special Collections divisions.
New York advertising executive Erwin Swann (1906-1973) established the Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon in 1967.  An avid collector, Swann assembled a large group of original drawings by over 500 artists, spanning two centuries, which his estate bequeathed to the Library of Congress in the 1970s.  Swann's original purpose was to build a collection of original drawings by significant creators of humorous and satiric art and to encourage the study of original cartoon and caricature drawings as works of art.  The foundation's support of research and academic publication is carried out, in part, through a program of fellowships.
The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division holds more than 15 million photographs, drawings and prints from the 15th century to the present day.  International in scope, these visual collections represent a uniquely rich array of human experience, knowledge, creativity and achievement, touching on almost every realm of endeavor: science, art, invention, government and political struggle, and the recording of history.  For more information, visit www.loc.gov/rr/print/.
The Library of Congress, the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, holds more than 158 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats.  The Library serves the U.S. Congress and the nation both on-site in its reading rooms on Capitol Hill and through its award-winning website at www.loc.gov.
# # #
PR14-193
10/30/14
ISSN: 0731-3527


Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/librarycongress | Blogs blogs.loc.gov | News loc.gov/today
Library of Congress | 101 Independence Ave SE | Washington DC 20540-1610 USA  | 202.707.2905


Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Oct. 30: 'Wolf Children' at JICC


Wolf Children’ will show Oct. 30 at the Japanese Information and Cultural Center (1150 18th St. NW) at 6:30 pm.
                                                          Click on image to see trailer

Why not watch Gahan Wilson for Halloween?


Steven-Charles Jaffe sent me a copy of his movie this summer to review, and I still haven't gotten around to it, even though Gahan Wilson is one of my favorite gag cartoonists. So I'm passing along his notification that "Gahan Wilson: Born Dead, Still Weird is now available on DVD in time for Halloween with some bonus interviews at http://amzn.to/1nO31Cp.It's still available on iTunes, X-Box, Amazon Prime." And, because I prefer to own the object and support projects like this, I'm going to buy a copy too.





Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Inkstuds at SPX

Zoey talks to Kazu

Comic Riffs on Batgirl

'BATGIRL': New creative team gives Barbara Gordon a 'sincerely' hip makeover

By David Betancourt

Washington Post Comic Riffs blog October 28 2014

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/10/28/batgirl-new-creative-team-gives-barbara-gordon-a-sincerely-hip-makeover/

Colonial Comics press release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Melanie Roth, Marketing Manager, Fulcrum Publishing

Named a 2014 BEA Comic Buzz Book by School Library Journal and Comic Book Resources!
"This book is smart, surprising, fun and educational. Each story has its own visual and verbal style but all will delight, intrigue, and enlighten both novice and expert alike."                           — James David Moran, Director of Outreach,              American Antiquarian Society
"These engaging tales are beautifully illustrated and grounded in the latest scholarship. Highly recommended for kids of all ages!"                                       — Dr. Frank Cogliano, Professor of American History, University of Edinburgh
"The nature of the stories and the non-fiction grounding make the style differences not only palatable but enjoyable." Eccentric Librarian blog 

Golden, CO (10/28/14) - Fulcrum Publishing is pleased to announce the release of Colonial Comics: New England, 1620 - 1750
Colonial Comics is a graphic trilogy featuring unconventional stories of Colonial New England from an eclectic collection of comics writers and artists, fiction and nonfiction authors, university professors, and renowned historians. This first graphic volume is a collection of 20 stories focusing on the colonial period from 1620 through 1750 in New England. Bringing to life the stories not found in history books, including tales of Puritans and free thinkers, Pequots and Jewish settlers, female business owners and dedicated school teachers, whales and livestock, slavery and frontiers, and many other untold aspects of colonial life.
Jason Rodriguez says of Colonial Comics: New England, 1620 – 1750, in his interview with the Comics DC blog:
"I want to create a book that functions as both entertainment and education. The main idea is to tell stories that you often don't find in school history books that can, in turn, lead into larger discussions about colonial American history […] What I want to do is fill in those gaps and tell stories about the Native Americans and women and free-thinkers and slaves and business owners who came to the Colonies and give a better understanding of what life was like over our first 150+ years, the good and the bad."
Read more about Colonial Comics and all of Fulcrum's nonfiction graphic novels in our recent Publisher's Weekly feature!


Meet the Author: 
Jason Rodriguez is a writer and editor, whose books have been nominated for an Eisner Award and 8 Harvey Awards.Colonial Comics
 represents Jason's most ambitious project to date. He lives in Arlington, VA with his wife and their three dogs, two cats, and a parrot. You can usually find him on a street corner, staring out into the future. For more on Jason's current and future projects, visit his website at jasonrodriguez.com or the Colonial Comics website at colonialcomics.com. Connect with him on his TwitterFacebook, and Tumblr page. 

Book Information:
October 2014 | Trade Paperback | US $25.95 | print ISBN: 978-1-938486-30-2 | ebook ISBN: 978-1-938486-81-4 | 8 x 8 | 256 pages COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS | ANTHOLOGIES | Young Adult Readers
 
For ordering information:
Fulcrum Publishing | 4690 Table Mountain Dr., Ste. 100 | Golden, CO 80403
Toll-free 800-992-290 | fax 800-726-7112 | orders@fulcrumbooks.com
 
Marketing contact for review copies, author interviews, or events:
Melanie Roth, Marketing Manager
Fulcrum Publishing
4690 Table Mountain Dr., Ste. 100
Golden, CO 80403
303-928-8213

Wash Times reviews new book on Puck

BOOK REVIEW: 'What Fools These Mortals Be!'

By Michael Taube - Special to The Washington Times - - Monday, October 27, 2014

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/oct/27/book-review-political-cartoons-of-a-puckish-nature/?page=all#pagebreak


WHAT FOOLS THESE MORTALS BE!: THE STORY OF PUCK, AMERICA'S FIRST AND MOST INFLUENTIAL MAGAZINE OF COLOR POLITICAL CARTOONS

By Michael Alexander Kahn and Richard Samuel West

Library of American Comics/IDW Publishing, $59.99, 328 pages

Monday, October 27, 2014

Barbara Dale's studio and cartoon collection


 Besides being a stunningly successful cartoonist, Barbara Dale also has great collections of comics and cartoon history.  Things like Thomas Nast's business card. She's known everyone, and gotten cartoons from many of them. Barbara opened her house and studio for a ComicsDC tour recently and has agreed to let me show some of her excellent collection.

More pictures are here.

A stack of KAL's art
The Maus in the bathroom




 

Some of Barbara's merchandise
One of three life-size Cathy dolls in existence and a Rube Goldberg original

Steve "Captain America" Rogers' "Dear John" letter

Steve "Captain America" Rogers' "Dear John" letter has been spotted on Old Dominion Beer's Candi cartons (thanks to ComicsDC reader Chris Ingram)


Cartoons and Cocktails 2014 photographs

Cartoons and Cocktails 2014 photographs are online here. The annual auction is a fundraiser for Young DC journalists. This year's guest of honor was Pulitzer Prize winner Kevin Siers (pronounced Sigh-ers).

Local cartoonists in attendance were Teresa Logan, Steve Artley, David Hagen, Mike Jenkins (not pictured - sorry Mike), Chip Beck, Kevin KAL Kallagher (also not photographed), Rajan (also missed), Rose Jaffee (missed her too) and Joe Sutliff.

I ended up winning 3 Siers cartoons and 1 old John Darling comic strip - notable because Batiuk and Armstrong murdered their character on page (but not on the one I bought).

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Nov. 22-Dec. 28: ‘The Gift of Nothing’ musical

In this Kennedy Center world premiere musical starring characters from the comic strip MUTTS by Patrick McDonnell, a charming cat searches for a special gift for his best friend, a lovable pup. The one-hour show ($20) runs Nov. 22-Dec. 28.


Friday, October 24, 2014

The Post reviews Constantine tv show premiering tonight

NBC's 'Constantine': The devil you know a little too well [in print as On NBC, a grim 'Constantine' joins the returning 'Grimm']

By Hank Stuever TV critic
Washington Post October 24 2014

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/nbcs-constantine-the-devil-you-know-a-little-too-well/2014/10/23/d35aaaec-5adb-11e4-b812-38518ae74c67_story.html


Matt Ryan as John Constantine in "Constantine." (Quantrell Colbert/NBC)

The Post reviews Rocks in My Pockets animation

'Rocks in My Pockets' movie review: An animated dive into a legacy of depression [in print as Facing a legacy of depression]

By Stephanie Merry
Washington Post October 24 2014

http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/rocks-in-my-pockets-movie-review-an-animated-dive-into-a-legacy-of-depression/2014/10/23/c1845428-585e-11e4-8264-deed989ae9a2_story.html


Signe Baumane's first full-length film, "Rocks in My Pockets," uses animation to tell the story of her battle with depression. (Zeitgeist Films)

Fulcrum Publishing, featuring local editors Dembicki and Rodriguez

Fulcrum Publishing Adds Nonfiction Graphic Novels

By Brigid Alverson

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Bookplates at the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress' Prints and Photos division just put up a small selection of their bookplates collection including one from the British cartoonist Phil May.

3 comics-related articles in today's Express

The superhero bubble is destined to burst. Is Warner Bros. making a mistake?
By Stephanie Merry 
Washington Post Style blog October 21 2014 
[reprinted in Express as When Spandex stretches too far, October 23, 2014, p. 47]


'Disney on Ice Presents Frozen' comes to the Patriot Center [in print as 'She has Anna down cold].
By Kristen Page-Kirby 
Express October 23, 2014, p. 24

and on a Duamier-related show

Bernardi Roig's sculptures lurk in surprising spots in 'NO/Escape' at the Phillips Collection [in print as 'Intersections in the most unusual places']
By Elena Goukassian October 23 2014, p. 22-23

Cartoonist Daniel Boris has a new blog

Cavna's moving tribute to The Post's Ben Bradlee

RIP, BEN BRADLEE: Drawing on my favorite conversation with The Post legend

Washington Post Comic Riffs blog October 22 2014

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Tomorrow night: Cartoons & Cocktails

The annual editorial cartoon auction fundraiser is tomorrow.


About this event

date
Thursday, October 23, 2014 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM (EDT)
dateNational Press Club, Ballroom and Holeman Lounge
529 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20045

Ryan Holmberg's latest manga column

 

Proto-Gekiga: Matsumoto Masahiko's Komaga

BY Ryan Holmberg Oct 22, 2014

http://www.tcj.com/proto-gekiga-matsumoto-masahikos-komaga/

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Clifford Berryman Cartoon Collection at the DC Public Library (UPDATED)


The Clifford Berryman Cartoon Collection at the DC Public Library has been digitized. Their website claims 132 images are available, including the above 1908 cartoon about the President not attending to his duties.

The collection description reads:

About this collection


The Clifford Berryman Cartoon Collection contains 108 political cartoons of the Pulitzer Prize winning D.C. editorial cartoonist donated to the library by the artist's daughter. Most of the cartoons are original drawings created by Berryman for publication in the Washington Evening Star from approximately 1900 to 1948.

The cartoons address D.C. community issues, congressional appropriation and District finances, holidays and events, national politics, District political representation, weather and nature, and World Wars I and II. Many of these works include Berryman's most famous creation, the "Berryman Bear," a small, fuzzy bear cub often paired with President Theodore Roosevelt that was the inspiration for the toy teddy bear. The collection also contains a handful of miscellaneous Berryman drawings, cards, and caricatures.

The entire Berryman collection has been digitized and is available here.

Most Berryman images are in the public domain, but the rights status of each item is noted.

11/12/2019: Updated with new links.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Is Dick Gephardt…Batman?

Former House Leader Dick Gephardt was at a conference I attended last week. He said people often remember his face but can't quite place it. He related a story that one woman thought he was "in the latest Batman movie." Not sure if she was referring to Michael Caine as Alfred or perhaps she meant what Adam West looks like today. Either way, it was funny.




Max Brooks promoting comics on local radio - somewhere and at some time