PR: Fantom Comics Holiday Recommendations

We're just abouta week from Christmas and there's still plenty of time to do right by your favorite comics fan. So, put down The Chia Pet 'cause Fantom Comics is here to help with a handy-dandy list of recommendations for the comics fan or anyone looking for something new and exciting!   If you're a fan of The Walking Dead comic and TV series (Image Comics), you may like:   Chew Vol. 1 through 3 (Image Comics):   Vice cop Tony Chu lives in a world where, after a global epidemic of avian flu, all poultry is illegal. Chu also has a secret; he's a "cibopath," a person who gets psychic impressions from the things he eats. While investigating an illegal chicken smuggling operation, he tastes a bowl of chicken soup, finding himself on the trail of a serial killer.   If you're a fan of the current Batman series of movies, you may like:   Batman: Year One (DC Comics)   The skill of leaping from rooftop to rooftop while dodging bullets isn't something you learn overnight. No, there's a definite learning curve. This book explores the forging of a man into a hero. Batman: Year One is what many believe to be Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Sin City writer/artist Frank Miller's stronger Batman work.   If you're a fan of Breaking Bad, you may like:   Scalped Vol. 1 through 6 (Vertigo):   Bearing nunchucks and an attitude, Dashiell Bad Horse returns to the Prairie Rose Reservation he left fifteen years ago. A lot's changed in the years, he's been gone, meth labs litter the area adding more misery to the already crushing poverty. Soon, a 97 million dollar casino will open on this land, headed up by Lincoln Red Crow, a man from Dash's past who'll also play a major hand in his future. With brilliant characterization and sharp dialogue, Scalped is simply of the best books being printed today. If you're a fan of TV's Mad Men, you may like:   Richard Stark's Parker series by Darwyn Cooke (IDW Publishing):   Parker is neither hero nor villain. He knows exactly who he is. He's a thief, simply out for his next dollar. What makes him the character so interesting is that when it's all said and done, you'll respect the character's honesty. Adapting author Richard Stark's singular character is master storyteller Darwyn Cooke of DC: The New Frontier fame. Art-wise, Cooke builds a world reminiscent of the time in which Mad Men is set while maintaining the stylistic flourishes comics fans have come to appreciate within his work. Look for both The Hunter and the newly released, The Outfit.   If you're a fan of James Bond and The Jason Bourne series of books and movies, you may like:   Queen and Country Definitive Editions One through Four (Oni Press):   Tara Chace is an operative within The British Secret Service. The work is rarely glamorous and rarely involves traveling to exotic locations, sipping martinis. When the assignment does come, it usually involves being sent to some far off place with the express knowledge that you may be being sent off to die and knowing that if you live, you may need to drink to forget the things you've done. You'll never see the espionage thriller in the same way after reading this.   If you're a fan of Calvin and Hobbes, you may like:   Tiny Titans (DC Comics):   Full of good, simple fun and drawn in an art style accessible to young and old, The Tiny Titans are the child sidekicks of some of superherodom's most famous heroes. Robin, Superboy, a couple of Wonder Girls, a Kid Flash and few super-pets, among others, hang out in a clubhouse while keeping the world safe for whimsy.   If you're a fan of the Iron Man movie and comics series, you may like:   Secret Avengers (Marvel Comics):     Following the events of the Siege mini-series, Steve Rogers, the former Captain America, realizes a need for a more pro-active team of Avengers; one that takes the fight directly to any potential threat. Featuring Avengers mainstays such as Black Widow while utilizing mission specific and insanely clever additions such as Shang Chi, The Master of Kung Fu, Secret Avengers is what happens when childhood fave G.I. Joe meets the storied Avengers franchise.   If you like True Blood book and TV series, you may like:   American Vampire Volume One, co-written by Stephen King (Vertigo Comics):   Skinner Sweet is sick. Sick of aristocratic vampires trying to run the world. Sick of the romanticizing of what he is. Sick of vampires who seek the light. Skinner Sweet is an outlaw and vampire turned during the height of The Wild West. Skinner Sweet does not sparkle. Under the stellar writing of Stephen King and Scott Snyder, he shines.   If you're a fan of political thrillers, you may like:   Ex Machina Vol. 1 through 10 (DC/Wildstorm)   Following his actions during a pivotal moment in American history, Mitchell Hundred has become the first superhero ever to be elected Mayor of New York. Operating in real time, Ex Machina follows this man through his four years in office. One of comics' best series, Ex Machina opens with a first chapter that will leave you absolutely stunned and a final chapter that will leave you speechless If you're a fan of the Harry Potter series of books, you may like:   The Books Of Magic (DC/Vertigo)   Tim Hunter, a bespectacled, young British orphan is taken on a tutorial through The Books of Magic by some of the world's greatest magicians. Will he reject or embrace his destiny to become the world's greatest magician? Released in 1990, a full seven years before the first Harry Potter novel, The Books Of Magic is written by Sandman and American Gods author Neil Gaiman.   If you're a fan of the recent Green Lantern trailer, you may like:   Green Lantern (DC Comics)   Hal Jordan is a test pilot, ne'er do well and possessor of the most powerful weapon in the universe, the Green Lantern Power Ring, a ring fueled by the only thing he has in spades: willpower. The only thing that can stop Hal Jordan is the one thing he's never known: fear. When the two meet, a battle of truly universal importance will take place and a legend will be born. To get your best look at just who Hal Jordan is; the trade paperback collections of Green Lantern: Secret Origin and Green Lantern: Rebirth are both highly recommended.   These and many other fine titles are in stock and ready to make a day. As always, feel free to come down and see us and we'll be more than happy to help out.   Best! Union Station - 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE | Washington, DC 20002 | 202-216-9478 www.fantomcomics.com

Xavier Xerexes pulls together a webcomics roundtable

Arlington's Xaviar has an all-star lineup talking about webcomics here -

The ComixTalk 2010 Roundtable
 by Xaviar Xerexes on December 16, 2010
http://comixtalk.com/comixtalk_2010_roundtable

Cartoonists Rights Network on Malaysia's Zunar

The Cartoonists Rights Network, based in suburban Northern Virginia, has issued a letter on Malaysia's Zunar and his problems with censorship.

Comic Riffs on Bob Mankoff and the New Yorker

'Riffs Best Books of 2010: THE NEW YORKER's Bob Mankoff offers a comic window into the year
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog December 16 2010
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2010/12/the_new_yorker.html#more

New Disney animator Jocelyn Cofer is from PG County

A fairy-tale job: Prince George's native draws for Disney movie
By Liz Skalski
The Gazette Thursday, December 16, 2010; T15
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/14/AR2010121407277.html

Dec 29: Politics and Prose bookgroup meeting

Wednesday, December 29, 7:30 p.m.
Graphic Novel Bookgroup
The group is meeting the fifth Wednesday due to the holiday.
Black Hole, by Charles Burns

Wednesday, January 26 selection: City of Glass, by Paul Auster; adapted by Paul Karasik and David Mazzucchelli

Politico blog on Sarah Palin comic book

There's not much too it, but for the record, here's Politico's Click blog on the second Sarah Palin comic book - because one was not enough.

Warren Bernard on the International Manga Museum in Kyoto

One of the nice things about going overseas is seeing how much more other countries respect comics than we do in the United States. Though indeed we invented many elements of the medium, we still are far behind our international counterparts in giving comics and cartooning their due in a museum environment.



I was in Kyoto, and decided to take a half day off from seeing amazing Japanese gardens and Zen Buddhist temples to go through the International Manga Museum that was conveniently a six-block walk form my hotel. A true happy accident of planning.



The museum is housed in the Tatsuike Primary School that was built in the late 1860s, when downtown Kyoto began to see a population explosion that required a number of schools be built to handle all the new students. Like America's classic central-city population migration to the suburbs, by the 1990's the school, along with many others, was closed. After having the property lie dormant and vacant, a partnership between the City of Kyoto and the Kyoto Seika University had the school renovated and made into a museum. They have kept two rooms as a museum to the school itself. One had portraits of all the principals that ran the school from inception -- a hard looking bunch if there ever was one.



This museum is in many ways very different from the Tintin Museum in Brussels or the Cartoon Museum in London. One of the main draws of the IMM is the availability of a library of over 50,000 volumes of manga that one can read there, although not take home as in a traditional library. I saw many people there who paid the admission of 500 yen (about $6.25) just to come and read. They were camped out, reading away, in the hallways of the old school or on the main floor at large picnic tables near the main entrance.


The Museum had a very small section of translated material from France, Germany and the United States, which you could also sit and read. But my Japanese is not that good (OK, it's non-existent...) and I already owned all the translated American material so I went to look around.







The manga volumes were stacked in floor to ceiling book cases, some of these reaching over 12 feet high. Computer kiosks were throughout the museum to help you locate a specific book in the densely-packed shelves. The manga were mainly grouped by styles, but in one section that appeared to be in the old gymnasium, they were grouped by decade.





Also in this old gymnasium was the main series of displays that showed the evolution of manga. It is a nice showcase as to the tools and techniques used by the manga artists. I had no idea that Japanese versions of Puck, the American political humor magazine from the 19th-early 20th century, had copycat versions in Tokyo, Yokahama and Osaka. That being said, this museum's view of history was about the development of manga, especially the explosion of it after World War Two. No Little Nemo, Superman or Marvel Superheroes are in this place.



There were three other exhibition areas, of one which had a great exhibit about French cartoonists doing stories about The Louvre. This was apparently the first exhibit they have hosted at the IMM from France and was looked at as introducing French "bande dessinee" to Japanese manga fans. These main exhibition areas were all in both English and Japanese, as were all exhibits I saw there.



But the best part of the trip there? I got the last Astro Boy mug they had in stock.

The next time you're in Kyoto, stop into the International Manga Museum and take a look around. You'll think, just as you wonder about the Japanese shinkensen (bullet train) and their mass transportation system in general, "hey, why don't we have one of these?"

Kal Draws Bill Clinton

Kevin Kallaugher of Baltimore writes in

I have just posted a video and sketches from the recent "World in 2011 Festival" in NYC where I was the official artist. Guests included  Bill Clinton, Commander of the US Navy Admiral Roughead, Celebrity Chef Jose Andres  and Grammy award winning artist Loudon Wainwright III.

You can view them here: http://www.kaltoons.com/wordpress/2010/12/sketches-from-the-world-in-2011-festival/


Kal
Kevin Kallaugher
kal@kaltoons.com
www.Kaltoons.com
The KAL iPhone App is now available at the iTunes store.


and to bring it all back home, while Clinton was a famous person in Washington, Jose Andres (pictured above) lives here and started his restaurant empire with the excellent Jaleos, featuring Spanish tapas.

Weldon's Christmas book recommendations

$683 of great reading!

The Nerds' Noel: Ten Great Gifts for the Picky Comics Lovers on Your List

by Glen Weldon

December 15, 2010

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2010/12/15/132050957/the-nerds-noel-ten-great-gifts-for-the-picky-comics-lovers-on-your-list

Party Crashers artist interviews on the web

Here's a couple of new interviews with people featured in the Party Crashers exhibit in Arlington -

 

Jamar Nicholas -

 

Local artist brings graphic life to Canada's history of violence
By ASHLEY HUBER
Philadelphia Daily News December 14 2010
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/features/20101214_Local_artist_brings_graphic_life_to_Canada_s_history_of_violence.html

-and-

Comics 'n Things: An interview with Gabrielle Bell
by Ariel Schrag
December 13, 2010
http://www.afterellen.com/column/comics-n-things-2?page=0,0

Comic Riffs tracks down Yogi animator

The 'Riffs Interview: Animator surprised by virality of his 'BOO BOO KILLS YOGI' video
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog December 14 2010
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2010/12/yogi_1.html

More pictures from modelmaker David Wilson

Here's some more pictures from David Wilson that didn't fit into the City Paper interview - Meet a Local Model Maker: A Chat with David Wilson

Annie's Annie profiled in today's Post UPDATED

The Kid's Post page is on Annie's Annie, Caitlin Deerin in today's Post. Thanks to Suze Eaton, check here and here.

Meet a Local Model Maker: David Wilson now at City Paper

Meet a Local Model Maker: A Chat with David Wilson
Posted by Mike Rhode
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/visual-arts/2010/12/14/meet-a-local-model-maker-a-chat-with-david-wilson/

I ran into Mr. Wilson at the Capicon comic book show a couple of weeks
ago and was struck by the amount of work he puts into making his
superhero models.

Dylan Horrocks on the real meaning of copyright

It's not quite as seasonal as the real meaning of Christmas, but ace New Zealand cartoonist Dylan Horrocks has an excellent article on the real meaning (and dangers) of copyright online now.

Jan 6: Political Cartoons of the Civil War and Their Role in Shaping History

Here's a tip from Warren Bernard. This is apparently a National Archives event and hopefully will be free, but it's not on their calendar yet. Thursday, January 6, at 7 p.m. Presented at the Newseum's Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater 555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. Political Cartoons of the Civil War and Their Role in Shaping History How do political cartoons from the Civil War era reveal what Americans thought about the war and how they participated in the politics of the day? Join us for an illustrated discussion focusing on political cartoons—whether humorous, clever, or scathing—and their role in providing insight into the economic, political and moral issues surrounding the Civil War. Featured will be both Union and Confederate political cartoons. Moderated by Harold Holzer, co-author of The Lincoln Image: Abraham Lincoln and Popular Print, panelists include Joshua Brown, author of Beyond the Lines: Pictorial Reporting, Everyday Life, and the Crisis of Gilded Age America, John Adler, who compiled for the online resource HarpWeek, Illustrated Civil War Newspapers and Magazines, and Richard West, co-author of William Newman: A Victorian Cartoonist in London and New York. The National Archives Experience is pleased to present tonight's program in partnership with the Newseum.

Comic Riffs interviews Ward Sutton

PARODY OF THE DAY: The story behind 'How WikiLeaks Stole Christmas'
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog December 13 2010

Sutton's one of my favorite cartoonists - we need a collection of his work. He's done strips for TV Guide, and cartoon book reviews for Barnes and Noble's website...

Dec 14: Richard Thompson signing at Big Planet Comics

Richard Thompson will be at Big Planet Comics Bethesda on December 14th. That's tomorrow! He'll also be in Northern Virginia at a new bookstore on December 20th at 7 pm.

Yogi Bear wirestory in today's Express

There's Yogi Bear wirestory in today's Express, interviewing Dan Ackroyd about voicing Yogi.

Local Comic Book Writer Rob Anderson interview online at City Paper

Meet a Local Comic Book Writer: A Chat with Rob Anderson

Posted by Mike Rhode on Dec. 13, 2010

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/books/2010/12/13/meet-a-local-comic-book-writer-a-chat-with-rob-anderson/

Local writer reviews new Eisner biography

Book review: 'Will Eisner: A Dreamer's Life in Comics,' by Michael Schumacher
By Chris Klimek / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News December 12, 2010.

In which it says, "Chris Klimek is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C. Follow him on Twitter at @ctklimek."

Party Crashers exhibit opening photos

Bruce Guthrie has photographs of the Party Crashers exhibit opening on Saturday at Artisphere in Rosslyn on his website. I couldn't make the opening, but I previewed it at the City Paper site. I hope to see the exhibit over the holidays.

See an online preview of SL Gallant's GI Joe

See an online preview of SL Gallant's GI Joe, done with Larry Hama as a return to the classic era of the character.

G4's pick of the week is Luna Brother's The Sword

CAPES/NO CAPES: G4TV and Hero Complex pick the comics
LA Times Hero Complex Blog Dec. 10, 2010

"this ends with a gutpunch that will ... make you cherish your family just a little bit more..." says Blair Butler

Truitt on Batman incorporated

Batsuit up: The Dark Knight goes 'Incorporated'
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY December 10 2010
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/2010-12-10-batman-incorporated_N.htm

That darn Weingarten

In today's Post's print edition, letter to the editor writer Leonard Greenberg takes Gene Weingarten (specifically) of Barney and Clyde to task for a poop joke. The paper hasn't put the letter online though. Dave Clarke and Dan Weingarten are apparently considered non compos mentos and not named in the letter. Here's the cartoon, because the Post doesn't let you link to a specific day's cartoon.

Post editorializes in favor of cartoon dog mural

Arlington County's hounding of a dog-care business makes no sense
December 10, 2010
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/10/AR2010121006104.html

and in the print paper today. One of the website commentors notes that there is a back door to the store in the mural, with the name of the store painted over the door.

Elena Steier, friend of ComicsDC, profiled

How a Local Cartoonist Found Her True Calling
Popular West Hartford Art League teacher Elena Steier tells her story.
By Ronni Newton  | December 10, 2010
http://westhartford.patch.com/articles/how-a-local-cartoonist-found-her-true-calling

Truitt on Reconcilers

'The Reconcilers' mines old-school heroism, real-life drama
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY December 10 2010
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/2010-12-10-TheReconcilers_N.htm

Comics>Cartooning says Caro

Caroline Small, our local comics litcrit* type, begins building a Comics is greater than Cartooning equation at the Hooded Utilitarian.

*Evidence = "Or, to return to the jargon, how can we expect the dialectic to work without antithesis?"

PR: Beyond Comics Artist Signing Tomorrow - FUBAR

Graphic Novel Release Event Saturday December 11th 11:00am to 4:00pm Beyond Comics Frederick FUBAR is just another old fashioned zombie anthology featuring 15 stories by a large army of small-press creators. This zombie Nazi smashing epic spans the entire European Theater from Sussex to Stalingrad as the Allies come face to face with the walking dead. JEFF McCOMSEY BLOODY PULP, FUBAR, AMERICAN TERROR Confession of a Human Smart Bomb.] is a freelance artist carving out a living illustrating funny books and anything else that comes within arm's reach. When Jeff isn't chained to his drawing board, he enjoys spending quality time with his all too understanding bombshell girlfriend, Samantha, in their swanky Lancaster City pad. STEVE BECKER In the past Steve has worked with White Wolf for the 6th edition of Gamma World, inked Tim Truman's pencils on a Grimjack miniseries for IDW, and worked a freelance gig with Rockstar Games NYC on the Grand Theft Auto IV add on "The Ballad of Gay Tony". Most recently Steve has contributed two stories and the back cover art as well as designed the zombie shooting target line of merchandise for Jeff McComsey's World War II zombie comic anthology FUBAR. Steve is also lead background designer on the Atomic Robo: Last Stop animated film currently in production with The Fictory. MIKE IMBODEN FIST OF JUSTICE, WARMAGEDDON, Beyond Comics own store icon and creator/writer of Fist of Justice. Mike has become one of the top small press super-hero writers of the last several years and has written for divers comics throughout the indy arena. His latest work gets him back to one of his favorite subjects....zombies. Beyond Comics Frederick Location 5632 Buckeystown Pike Frederick, MD 21704 (301) 668-8202

Richard Thompson has an artistic temperament and he's a sweetheart, says advice columnist

Carolyn Hax held Richard Thompson up as an exemplar of artistic temperament in her Tell Me About It column on November 29th. Funny, he didn't mention it. Me, I'd have t-shirts quoting her made for my family.

Artisphere’s Half of “Party Crashers” Exhibit Opens Tomorrow

Artisphere's Half of "Party Crashers" Exhibit Opens Tomorrow
Posted by Mike Rhode on Dec. 10, 2010

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/general/2010/12/10/artisphere%e2%80%99s-half-of-party-crashers-exhibit-opens-tomorrow/

Comic Riffs on the end of Brenda Starr (which the Post didn't run)

After 70 years, Brenda Starr will soon face final deadline
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post December 10, 2010; C05
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/09/AR2010120907040.html

 

Neal (Conan) on Neil (Gaiman) on NPR

Neal Conan, who's in Washington, according to this story's dateline, although that never occurred to me before, interviewed Neil Gaiman today -

Best Of 2010: Gaiman On The 'Golden Age' Of Comics
National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation December 9, 2010
http://www.npr.org/2010/12/09/131937258/neil-gaiman-selects-top-american-comics-of-2010
http://public.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/totn/2010/12/20101209_totn_03.mp3
http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=131937258

- do you readers want me to link to more NPR stories since it's based here in DC? I can.

Politics and Prose's recommendations - (Almost) Wordless Books

December Graphic Novel Recommendations - (Almost) Wordless Books http://www.politics-prose.com/graphic-novels

Every month Adam Waterreus reviews graphic novels for our newsletter.

If you like this genre, consider participating in the Graphic Novel Bookgroup which meets the fourth Wednesday of every month.

Long-awaited Richard Thompson interview online now

Now posted to the City Paper -

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Richard Thompson

Posted by Mike Rhode on Dec. 9, 2010

 

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/books/2010/12/09/meet-a-local-cartoonist-a-chat-with-richard-thompson/

John Kelly on Arlington cartoon dog mural

Whether Arlington mural is a sign or art, compromise could help resolve dispute [print title, 'Time to play nice over illegal dog mural', December 9]

By John Kelly
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 8, 2010; 7:41 PM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/08/AR2010120804163.html

Truitt on DC's Brightest Day

'Brightest Day' shines light on new DC Universe life By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY December 8 2010

SL Gallant's GI Joe comic book shipped today

Shannon "SL" Gallant, our Dupont Circle-area action hero artist, had the first issue of the GI Joe comic book reboot he's illustrating for 1980s fan favorite writer Larry Hama ship today - G.I. Joe #161 (IDW, $3.99) should be available at local comic stores.

McElhatton on Little

Greg McElhatton has a review up for Jason Little's new book Motel Art Improvement Service - I love Little's stuff. If only this had been out when his wife Myla Goldberg was in town last month signing her new book.

New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly was in DC yesterday

According to the Daily Cartoonist, New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly was in DC yesterday. Noted for history (although you can give TED $100 if you want to watch a recording of her talk).

Weldon explains the Green hero

A Spandex-Set Field Guide: Get To Know Your Greens (Hornet, Lantern, Arrow)

by Glen Weldon

National Public Radio's Monkey See blog (December 8, 2010)

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2010/12/08/131899207/a-spandex-set-field-guide-get-to-know-your-greens-hornet-lantern-arrow?sc=nl&cc=msb-20101208

- and he's got a suprising amount of comments from women.

A Chat With editorial cartoonist Steve Artley is up at City Paper

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat With Steve Artley

by Mike Rhode on Dec. 8, 2010

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/books/2010/12/08/meet-a-local-cartoonist-a-chat-with-steve-artley/

 

Arlington cartoonish dog mural, continued.

A few days ago, I mentioned a mural of dogs in Arlington, and the battle over whether it's advertising a business or brightening up the adjacent dog park. Today's Washington Examiner reveals that the artist is Mark Gutierrez. The story says "The mural looks just like her logo," [Zoning administrator] Artman explained. "If you consider that the Mercedes Benz or Lexis logo is not advertising, then I suppose Ms. Houghton is correct."

So let's check that out:

Here's the top of Wag More Dogs website:

Here's a shot of the mural, from Courthouse News Services' good story on the lawsuit:

Looks like the same artist to me. Whether or not the mural is advertising for the business around the corner? I have no opinion, except that even if it is, I'd rather look at a piece of art than a blank wall. Gutierrez's painting is at least fun.

Jan 13: Brad Meltzer at Politics and Prose

January 13 at 7 pm, Brad Meltzer will be at Politics and Prose.

http://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/brad-meltzer-inner-circle

 

 

PR: New Kaltoons Store is Open

The new redesigned and refurbished Kaltoons store is now up and operational. Please stop by and browse for Kal books and the new fully illustrated Economist 2011 Wall Kalendar.  Here's the link:

http://shop.kaltoons.com

Best wishes

Kal

Kevin Kallaugher

kal@kaltoons.com

www.Kaltoons.com

The KAL iPhone App is now available at the iTunes store.

Send a holiday e-card from Donna Lewis' forthcoming Reply All comic strip

You too can send a holiday e-card from Donna Lewis' forthcoming Reply All comic strip - click here.

Dec 20: Cul de Sac booksigning

Richard Thompson will be at a new bookstore on December 20th at 7 pm. As previously noted, he'll be at Big Planet Comics Bethesda on December 14th. Lucky these are bookstores so he can get his Christmas shopping done.

Comic Riffs on Charlie Brown Christmas

Cavna gets quotes from Mike Peters and Michael Chabon too-

Tonight's 'A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS': Show's Emmy-winning producer reflects on its enduring appeal
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog (December 7 2010)

Comic art book reviews now at City Paper

International Ink: Think Holiday Thoughts

Posted by Mike Rhode on Dec. 7, 2010

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/books/2010/12/07/international-ink-think-holiday-thoughts/

 

I'd be interested in hearing anyone's opinions about these, or any other books they'd recommend at the tail end of 2010.

PR: Fantom Comics Hardcover Holiday Sale

They called us crazy the first time we did. People looked at us with skepticism, "How can you sell these beautiful, pristine Marvel hardcovers at such low, low prices?"   The answer is simple; at Fantom Comics, we make the impossibe, happen.   And we're about to do it again. Over 50 select Marvel hardcovers will be on sale while supplies last.   These aren't damaged books or remainder copies. No, these are a special purchase and absolute things of beauty.   And a perfect opportunity to pick that perfect Christmas gift.   Let me give you the names of a few of the books included within this sale:   ASTONISHING X-MEN HC VOLUME ONE (Written by Buffy The Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon)   HULK VOLUME ONE: RED   ONSLAUGHT REBORN HC   ETERNALS BY NEIL GAIMAN HC   Hardcovers previously retailing $35, now priced at or below $12!   Are we crazy? Not at all. Just people who know a good bargain when we see one and more importantly, know how to pass it on to our awesome Fantom Comics customer.   Sale starts Wednesday, December 12th! Union Station - 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE | Washington, DC 20002 | 202-216-9478 www.fantomcomics.com

Arlington's dog mural

I hadn't paid much attention to the controversy over a Shirlington dog mural, but am being asked about it, so here's a couple of pieces on it -

 

http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/virginia/2010/12/arlington-doggie-mural-heart-federal-lawsuit

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/crime-scene/spencer-s-hsu/lawsuit-over-arlington-dog-mur.html

 

Anybody know who the artist is?

Richmond's AdHouse Books' Duncan the Wonder Dog featured as NY Times holiday book

Chris Pitzer, publisher of Richmond's AdHouse Books' has been putting out some high quality books, and now Duncan the Wonder Dog is featured as NY Times holiday book -

 

Holiday Books: Graphic Novels

By DAN KOIS
December 5, 2010

Nick Galifianakis #1 on local booksales list

Nick Galifianakis' new book is #1 on the Post's local booksales list -

1. If You Loved Me, You'd Think This Was Cute: Uncomfortably True Cartoons About You

(Andrews McMeel, $12.99). By Nick Galifianakis (1)

Gallant's GI Joe 'pick of the week' by G4 on LA Times site

Shannon Gallant and Larry Hama's GI Joe is 'pick of the week' by G4's Blair Butler on the LA Times Hero Complex site. 

In Between the Panels: DC's Emergence on the Graphic Novel Scene - parts 1 thru 6 on YouTube

In Between the Panels: DC's Emergence on the Graphic Novel Scene - parts 1 thru 6
Filmed by Astray Productions Joe Carabeo
Astray Productions (December 3 2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x26ZBYIl5Oc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft8mAYB_Yyc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pejmI3Q8Upo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwFoBZxVTPY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPp4Uc5WNqk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOoTnaoi1c4

In Between the Panels: DC's Emergence on the Graphic Novel Scene
Wednesday, November 17.
Busboys and Poets, 5th & K Streets, Washington, DC

The Women's National Book Association, DC Chapter  sponsored a panel discussion on the DC graphic novel scene. The panel for the event, was held at Busboys & Poets in Mount Vernon and included Carolyn Belefski, Molly Lawless, Matt Dembicki, and Mike Rhode.

Carolyn Belefski is the mastermind behind the web comic Curls. She is also one of the creators of several other comic books: Kid Roxy, Black Magic Tales, and The Legettes, and an indefatigable (nightly) poster to her blog, Sketch Before Sleep. Her work has appeared in USA WEEKEND Magazine, The Commonwealth Times, Virginia Living Magazine, Magic Bullet, CROQ Zine, and The Pulse on COMICON.com. Ms. Belefski is a nominee for the Kim Yale Award for Most Talented Newcomer for 2010.

Matt Dembicki is a DC-based cartoonist whose work includes the award-winning nature parable Mr. Big, The Great White Shark Story, Xoc, and The Brewmaster's Castle, about legendary DC brewer Christian Heurich. His latest anthology, Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection, has received rave reviews from Booklist, Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal and has been nominated as one of the Young Adult Library Services Association's 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens. In addition to his own work, Dembicki also hosts kids' workshops in the DC area and beyond on making comic books.

Molly Lawless, a Boston native, moved to the DC area in 2005. She has self-published mini comics as well as a compilation, Infandum! Ad Infinitum. She is currently working on a full-length graphic novel for McFarland Publishing titled Hit by Pitch. She is an avid blogger and includes stories about her family in her daily posts.

Mike Rhode, panel moderator, is co-author of the comics research bibliography, editor of Exhibition and Media Reviews for the International Journal of Comic Art, and a contributing writer for Hogan's Alley. In 2008, he was named Best (Comics) Art Blogger by the Washington City Paper for his Comics DC blog. Rhodes edited Harvey Pekar: Conversations, a book of interviews with the late underground comic book writer and author of American Splendor published by the University Press of Mississippi. He has written for the Comics Journal and was selected as an RFK Journalism Awards judge for the editorial cartoon division of Comics Journal in 2009 and 2010. Rhodes currently writes about comics for the City Paper.

Matt Dembicki's Cartoon Cult exhibit photos

Matt Dembicki has put up some photographs of the opening of the Cartoon Cult exhibit at The Soundry in Vienna, VA.

Today: Capicon comics show at Tyson's Corner

Capicons Comic Book & Pop Culture Con
Sun, Dec. 5, 2010

10 am - 3 pm

Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Hall, 

2148 Gallows Rd, Dunn Loring, Virginia

Admission $3 - Kids FREE!

Open to the public from 10 am - 3 pm. Buy, sell & trade: Gold, Silver, Bronze Age comics; Indie & Modern comics, Publishers & Creators, TV & Movie Collectibles. Non-sport cards; Videos & DVDs; Horror/Sci-Fi; figures, toys; Star Wars & Star Trek memorabilia; original artwork, posters and other comic-related collectibles.

FEATURING:
John Gallagher of Sky-Dog Comics (Buzzboy, Roboy Red)


Steve Conley (Star Trek, Astounding Space Thrills, Bloop, Kid Knight)


Andre Campbell and Tyran Eades of Heritage Comics HSQ


Dan Nokes, 21st Century Sandshark


Chris Flick, Capes & Babes


Rob Anderson, Panda Dog Press


Tim Dzon

Directions to DLVFRD: 
Take I-495 (DC/Capital Beltway) to Exit 47A (Rt. 7 West). Go 1/2 Mile, Left on Gallows Rd. 1 mile to 2148 Gallows Rd

"In Between the Panels: DC’s Emergence on the Graphic Novel Scene" video online now

Carolyn 'Curls' Belefski has posted a link to "In Between the Panels: DC's Emergence on the Graphic Novel Scene" video which is online now. Carolyn, Matt Dembicki and Molly Lawless talked comics while I read questions at them. Carolyn's SO Joe Carabeo kindly recorded the event for posterity. Carolyn also mentioned another website - Jada Bradley's DC Cultural Examiner blog - that covered the event.

Arlington Art Center cartoon classes in January

January COMIC ART Mini Semester
The FUNdaMentals!

Saturdays, January 8 & 15
12:30- 2 pm
Grades 6-8
Instructor: Eric Piccione
$37

Have fun with wacky characters in this cartooning course. In single panel and multi-panel exercises, develop a humorous main character. You will build important sketching, drawing, and inking skills while you review methods cartoonist devised to create a dynamic main character in your story. Visit the Jenkins Gallery to see work by students who took classes with Eric Piccione this summer. Click here for more information and to register.

KAPOW! Comic Explosion

Sundays, January 9, 16 & 23

12:30- 3:30 pm

For adults and mature high school juniors & seniors

Instructor: Jacqueline Levine

$90

BAM! You try to look the other way, but there it is too... COMICS! It's in advertisements, on sneakers, CD covers, clothes, and on your uncle's bookshelf. It's everywhere and everybody loves it. Come to Arlington Arts Center where ZAPP! you'll land into the classroom to learn the basics about creating comic art imagery. Explore inking, character development, narrative, and composition. You will then have the opportunity to use experimental mediums and forms to create your art piece in the format you envision. By the end of this class, POOF!, you are a creative superhero.

Please click here for more information and to register.

thanks to Herschel K for the tip!

Maira Kalman and Walking Dead featured in Post

'And the Pursuit of Happiness,' illustrator Maira Kalman's quirky take on American history
By Monica Hesse
Washington Post December 4, 2010

This event was filmed so hopefully will show up on the Library of Congress website. The Hirschhorn director introduced Kalman by saying she does illuminated manuscripts.

Q&A: 'The Walking Dead's' Andrew Lincoln
By Liz Kelly
Washington Post's Celebritology 2.0 blog December 3, 2010

Tonight: Cartoon Cult exhibit opens in Vienna

“Cartoon Cult” is an art show celebrating contemporary art forms of cartoons, comics, digital animation, illustration, anime, and videogames (emphasis on original characters).

OPENING RECEPTION! SATURDAY DEC. 4TH 7-11PM
The Soundry, 316 Dominion Road, Vienna, VA 22180


ARTISTS:
Ivan Collich
Matt Somma
Matt Dembicki
Jeannette Herrera
Heather Moore
Joseph Galletta
Kristen Fritch
Xenia Latii
Chris Day
Bobby Moore
Jeff Block
Ralph Paine
Matthew Mehmel
Cavan Fleming
Annie Lunsford
Steve Loya
Christiann MacAuley

Dark Horse editor loves Finder

Dark Horse editor Rachel Edidin loves Carla Speed McNeil's Finder.

Rob Ullman's Capital's fangirl

Check out Rob Ullman's Washington Capital's fangirl.

Washington Times positive about local 'Annie'

'Annie' gets Olney in the holiday mood
by Terry Ponick
Washington Times' Curtain Up! blog December 1, 2010

Frank Cho on cover of DC magazine

Blog co-author Randy T reports "Frank Cho is on cover of DC magazine -  while his article is pretty terse, he did get the blurb and illustration on the cover: http://media.modernluxury.com/digital.php?e=WASH

 Up, Up and Away! Local comic book artist Frank Cho goes intergalactic and proves he’s a superhero in his own right
By Tiffany Jow
DC (December 2010): 48

  You can also download a pdf of the issue.

Oddly enough, the cover is Michelle Obama, getting the Cho superheroine treatment.

Monkey See blog on Tangled

Holmes, Linda.  2010.

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Disney Princesses And People We're Pulling For.

National Public Radio's Monkey See blog (December 3): http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2010/12/03/131779569/pop-culture-happy-hour-disney-princesses-and-people-we-re-pulling-for and http://public.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/blog/2010/12/20101202_blog_pchh.mp3

International Journal of Comic Art 12:2/3 is out

The latest issue of the International Journal of Comic Art #12:2/3 is out. 712 pages in this issue. It's time to renew for 2012 at $45 / year.

George Washington University's Philip Troutman has a piece in the current issue, and the exhibit review section has work by me on local shows.

Table of Contents:
John A. Lent 1 Editor’s Note

Fabrice Leroy 2 Yves Chaland and Lue Cornillon’s Rewriting of Classical Belgian Comics in Captivant: From Graphic Homage to Implicit Criticism

Giancarla Unser-Schutz 25 Exploring the Role of Language in Manga: Text Types, Their Usages, and Their Distributions

Rick Marschall 44 Nurturing the Butterfly: My Life in Comic Art Studies

Derik A. Badman 91 Talking, Thinking, and Seeing in Pictures: Narration, Focalization, and Ocularization in Comics Narratives

Enrique Garcia 112 Coon Imagery in Will Eisner’s The Spirit and Yolanda Vargas Dulché’s Memín Pinguín and Its Legacy in the Contemporary United States and Mexican Comic Book Industries

Kerry Soper 125 From Jive Crows in “Dumbo” to Bumbazine and “Pogo”: Walt Kelly and the Conflicted Politics Reracinating African American Types in Mid-20th Century Comics

Robert Furlong and Christophe Cassiau-Haurie 150 Comic Books, Politics, and Manipulation: The Case of Repiblik Zanimo, the First Comic Strip and Book in Creole

Grazyna Gajewsk 159 Between History and Memory – Marzi: Children Should Be Seen and Not Heard Marzena Sowa and Sylvain Savoia

Matthew M. Chew and Lu Chen 171 Media Institutional Contexts of the Emergence and Development of Xinmanhua in China

Jörn Ahrens 192 The Father’s Art of Crime: Igort’s 5 Is the Perfect Number

Marco Pellitteri 209 Comics Reading and Attitudes of Openness toward the Other: The Italian-Speaking Teenagers’ Case in South Tyrol

Iren Ozgur 248 Have You Heard the One about the Islamist Humor Magazine?

Weidan Cao 251 The Mountains and the Moon, the Willows and the Swallows: A Hybrid Semiotic Analysis of Feng Zikai’s “New Paintings for Old Poems”

Candida Rifkind 268 A Stranger in an Strange Land? Guy Delisle Redraws the Travelogue

Daniel Stein 291 The Long Shadow of Wilhelm Busch: “Max & Moritz” and German Comics

Hannah Miodrag 309 Fragmented Text: The Spatial Arrangement of Words in Comics

Christopher Eklund 328 Toward an Ethicoaesthetics of Comics: A Critical Manifesto

Muliyadi Mahamood 336 The Malaysian Humor Magazine Gila-Gila: An Appreciation

Roy Bearden-White 354 Inheriting Trauma in Chris Ware’s Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth

Philippe Gauthier 367 On “Institutionalization”: From Cinema to Comics

Marc A. Londo 376 Mr. Tap and His African-American Cartoons of the 1940s/1950s

Marcia R. Ristaino 395 Two Linked by Another, Ding Cong: Interviews with Betty McIntosh and Shen Jun

Shelley Drake Hawks 402 Ding Cong’s “True Story of Ah Q” in Art and Life

John A. Lent and Xu Ying 425 Fengjing – The Town That Claimed Ding Cong

Phillip Troutman 432 The Discourse of Comics Scholarship: A Rhetorical Analysis of Research Article Introductions

Ross Murray 445 Referencing Comics: A Comprehensive Citation Guide

Sylvain Rheault 459 Curvy Alterations in “Gaston” by Franquin

Miriam Peña-Pimentel 469 Baroque Features in Japanese Hentai

Yuko Nakamura 487 What Does the “Sky” Say? – Distinctive Characteristics of Manga and What the Sky Represents in It

B.S. Jamuna 509 Strategic Positioning and Re-presentations of Women in Indian Comics

Meena Ahmed 525 Exploring the Dimensions of Political Cartoons: A Case Study of Pakistan

Camila Figueiredo 543 Tunes Across Media: The Intermedial Transposition of Music in Watchmen

Rania M. R. Saleh 552 Making History Come Alive Through Political Cartoons

Bill Kartalopoulos 565 Taking and Making Liberties: Narratives of Comics History

Toni Masdiono 577 An Indonesian Bid for the First Graphic Novel

John A. Lent 581 In Remembrance of Five Major Comic Art Personalities

Perucho Mejia Garcia 588 Ismael Roldan Torres (1964-2009) of Colombia: A Memorial Tribute

Zheng Huagai 598 Tributes to Two Famous, Anti-Japanese War Cartoonists: Zhang Ding and Te Wei

John A. Lent 614 The Printed Word

620 Book Reviews

644 Exhibition and Media Reviews

696 Correction

697 Portfolio

Dec 4: Cartoon Cult exhibit opens in Vienna

“Cartoon Cult” is an art show celebrating contemporary art forms of cartoons, comics, digital animation, illustration, anime, and videogames (emphasis on original characters).

OPENING RECEPTION! SATURDAY DEC. 4TH 7-11PM
The Soundry, 316 Dominion Road, Vienna, VA 22180


ARTISTS:
Ivan Collich
Matt Somma
Matt Dembicki
Jeannette Herrera
Heather Moore
Joseph Galletta
Kristen Fritch
Xenia Latii
Chris Day
Bobby Moore
Jeff Block
Ralph Paine
Matthew Mehmel
Cavan Fleming
Annie Lunsford
Steve Loya
Christiann MacAuley

Ketcham and Hotchkiss' Navy cartoon posters from World War 2

Courtesy of the US Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, the National Museum of Health and Medicine has scans of these Navy posters from World War 2.

One is by Dennis the Menace creator Hank Ketcham -



The rest are by Hotchkiss -

Cavna interviews Maureen Dowd comic book creator

Brenda Starr meets Batgirl: Artist gives MAUREEN DOWD her own bio-comic book (UPDATED)
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog December 2 2010.

He also got a few quotes including one by Stan Lee, on the passing of an Archie artist -

RIP, Archie Comics & Marvel artist John 'Jon' D'Agostino
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog December 1 2010

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat With Kevin Ward

Now online at the City Paper - Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat With Kevin Ward, by Mike Rhode on Dec. 2, 2010.

Brad Meltzer, former local comics writer, interviewed on his new tv show Decoded

Brad Meltzer, a former local comics writer, answered some of my questions on his new tv show Decoded. First, here's some information about him from the press release for the show.

 

Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Fate and six other novels. His first non-fiction work Heroes For My Son, a collection of historical heroes, recently hit the New York Times bestseller list. Meltzer is also author of the critically acclaimed comic books Identity Crisis and Justice League of America and is the first author to ever reach the #1 spot on both the New York Times and the Diamond comic book bestseller lists simultaneously. Meltzer's books have spent over eleven months on bestseller lists, and have been translated into over 25 languages.

  
Best-selling author Brad Meltzer loves a good mystery. A history enthusiast known for his immaculate research, he has studied and written about some of America's most revered institutions and documents. But sometimes he uncovers unverifiable stories that keep him awake at night. Is there another hidden message buried in the Statue of Liberty? What happened to the White House cornerstone that's been missing for two centuries?  Could it be true that John Wilkes Booth lived for 40 years after his presumed death under an assumed identity? 

In the new 10-part series BRAD MELTZER'S DECODED, premiering on Thursday, December 2 at 10 p.m. on HISTORY®, Meltzer scours secret clues, symbols and conspiracy theories to unravel some of society's most provocative enigmas. And the deeper he digs into the past, the more we learn about our future. 
 
Together with a team of experts – Buddy Levy, a professor and journalist who assumes there is always more than meets the eye; Christine McKinley, a mechanical engineer who believes only what she can prove; and Scott Rolle, a trial lawyer who is skeptical by nature – Meltzer hunts for answers to questions that have perplexed us for centuries yet have never been fully investigated.
 
The premiere episode rolls out with "The White House" as the team gets to the bottom – literally – of a mystery concerning the cornerstones of our democracy.  Laid by the ultra secretive Freemasons, this landmark piece of stone vanished. The search for the cornerstone has been on for over 200 years, everyone from Harry Truman to Barbara Bush have looked for it. Is it a coincidence…or is there a secret conspiracy tied to these stones and the buildings they were meant to support?

 

ComicsDC: Brad, to provide a figleaf of cover for this appearing on ComicsDC - you used to live in suburban Maryland, and you still write comics, correct?

 

Brad Meltzer: Of course.

 

 ComicsDC: How did the idea for the tv show come about?

 

Brad Meltzer: One of the heads of HISTORY read my novel The Book of Fate, which dealt with Freemasons and the secret codes that Thomas Jefferson used when he was President -- and then said, "We should do a show like this."  And y'know what that is?  That's dumb luck by me.

 

 ComicsDC: How did the topics get picked?

 

Brad Meltzer: I keep a book (now books) of every idea I've had over the years -- some stupid and dumb and not fleshed out -- and some that'll feed characters and comic books and anything else.  And there were just tons of historical details that I'd love to know the answers to, but just couldn't use in the books.  So really, I'm stealing from my future novels.

 

ComicsDC: How much research do you personally do or supervise?

 

Brad Meltzer: For the novels, I do all the research myself.  But for the show, HISTORY said, you give us the mysteries and we'll give you the research team to solve it.  The problem is, I still couldn't help myself and sometimes found myself digging as well.

 

ComicsDC: Which is your favorite show?

 

Brad Meltzer: Of Decoded?  I love this first one airing tonight -- about the first piece of the White House.  That was the very first idea I suggested, and it really set up a good model for the show.  Sure, we're not digging it up from below the White House -- but we do answer questions like, is it hollow?  And what's inside?  As for surprises, the John Wilkes Booth one is the one that kept me awake.

 

ComicsDC: Navy medical historian Jan Herman is a friend of mine - I've known him for 20 years - and he hasn't convinced me yet that Lincoln's murderer John Wilkes Booth may have escaped, as one of your shows examines. Did any of the shows change your mind about an historical 'truth'?

 

Brad Meltzer: I hear you.  And I started the Booth show thinking the exact same thing.  But wait till you see Booth's family telling their side of the story.  It's like "Who is Donna Troy?"  Will mess you up good.

 

ComicsDC: Is the show going to continue? If so, do you know what other topics you'd like to look into?

 

Brad Meltzer: It depends if we get more viewers than my last try at television -- Jack & Bobby.  There, our ratings were 14.  Not a 14 share.  Fourteen people.  Total.

 

ComicsDC: Is it really possible to solve a mystery for a tv show?

 

Brad Meltzer: Especially with historical shows, the biggest barrier is simply that so much of the physical evidence is gone or unavailable.  When Lee Harvey Oswald was dead, theories started that it wasn't him in the grave.  So they dug him up and proved it was.  If you want to solve the Booth mystery, dig up the grave.  For now, the government still won't allow it.  But when you watch our Lewis episode, the ballistic evidence and the other details we find definitely add a huge piece to the puzzle.  

 

ComicsDC: Your next book is about secrets in a museum or archives - can you tell us anything about that?

 

Brad Meltzer: The Inner Circle comes out 1/11/11 and for that one, I got help with the research from a former President of the United States.  So I'm now gearing up that release.

 

ComicsDC: What is your favorite museum or archives? 

 

Brad Meltzer: The National Archives.  No question.  It's the attic of the US Government.  Library of Congress is a close second.

 

ComicsDC: And bringing it all back home, do you have any plans to write another comic book? How about adapting your existing works to graphic novels?

  

Brad Meltzer: Love to write more comics.  Without question, comics still have had the biggest influence on my writing.  More than film.  More than novels.  More than anything.  They're still the best.

 

PR: Brad Meltzer's Decoded premieres on the History Channel tonight at 10pm/9c

Former local comics writer new tv show, Brad Meltzer's Decoded, is on the History Channel tonight.
http://www.history.com/shows/brad-meltzers-decoded/videos/behind-the-scenes-brad-meltzers-decoded#brad-meltzers-decoded-preview

Ian Sattler's come a long way from Big Planet Comics

DC Comics promotes Eddie Berganza and Ian Sattler
December 1, 2010 by Kevin Melrose

Ian was a clerk at the Bethesda store, years ago.

Dec 14 LIVE cartoonist/illustrator Richard Thompson at Big Planet Comics

As Mad used to say - Accept no imitations!

On Tuesday, December 14 from 7-9 PM, cartoonist/illustrator Richard Thompson will sign his newest Cul de Sac collection, Shapes and Colors, at Big Planet Comics, 4908 Fairmont Ave, Bethesda, MD. 301-654-6856.

--

Joel Pollack

Big Planet Comics
Bethesda
4908 Fairmont Ave
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
301-654-6856

Nick Galifianakis pics

Here's a few shots of Nick Galifianakis signing his new cartoon collection book. Buy it now... or the Newfie may visit. My City Paper interview with Nick is here.

Matt Dembicki posts photos of Party Crashers exhibit

Right here.

I still haven't made it back to the exhibit.

Drew Sheneman, latest editorial cartoonist casualty, interviewed on Comic Riffs

Exit Interview: Buyout in hand, Star-Ledger cartoonist DREW SHENEMAN plans a career 'reinvention'
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs December 1, 2010
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2010/12/exit_interview_star-ledgers_dr.html

Weldon reviews 'Special Exits'

It's a nice, touching review -

 

Going Gentle Into That Good Night Goes Awry: The Graphic Memoir 'Special Exits'

by Glen Weldon

National Public Radio's Monkey See blog December 1, 2010

  http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2010/11/30/131699453/going-gentle-into-that-good-night-goes-awry-the-graphic-memoir-special-exits