Tom Spurgeon's Web site of comics news, reviews, interviews and commentary











December 31, 2014


Go, Look: The Transition From 1914 To 1915 In Editorial Cartoons

image
 
posted 9:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: The CBLDF’s Where The Money Goes Graphic

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Portland, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Roy Krenkel Draws Edgar Rice Burroughs For Ace

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 40th Birthday, Steve Hamaker!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 48th Birthday, Nick Abadzis!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 30, 2014


CR Holiday Interview #1—Jesse Jacobs

image

*****

Jesse Jacobs' Safari Honeymoon was one of the big, pleasurable surprises of the first half of 2014. It was visually impressive, grounded in memorable character work and extremely funny. I wanted to revisit the book at the end of the year because of comics' tendency to pick only a few comics to stay in a year's mental summing-up from spring over summer and into the fall. I also next to nothing about Jacobs, who strikes me as a cartoonist working in a world created by alt-comics expression rather than following a concurrent path to the cartoonists of a generation ago. I was extremely happy he agreed to interview, and look forward to all future works. I edited a tiny bit for flow. -- Tom Spurgeon

*****

TOM SPURGEON: Jesse, I know almost nothing about you. The Koyama Press bio says you were born in Moncton, which strikes me as a regional hub -- a small city, kind of isolated. Is there a lot of that place in your art, in how you approach art?

JESSE JACOBS: I've never really thought of it like that, but I don't think there's much of Moncton in my art. Maybe there is, it's hard for me to say how much of anything has influenced the way I make things. There wasn't a whole lot going on in Moncton, so I drew a lot growing up. As soon I finished high school I moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where I met a lot of interesting artists and was introduced to a lot of the stuff that got me into comics. I should say that Moncton does have some interesting stuff happening, especially in the francophone scene.

SPURGEON: Are there foundational artists for you, or core works that shaped your attitude about reading and making comics? Were there artists or comics that hit you hard? What about outside of comics, in the arts more generally?

JACOBS: Soon after moving to Halifax I started going to a great comics shop called Strange Adventures, which stocked all sorts of interesting books. I remember finding stuff like Archer Prewitt's Sof' Boy and Julie Doucet books and something inside of me kind of changed. They had Chester Brown come and give a talk at the library and I was so into his work. The local arts and culture paper, The Coast, was running Marc Bell's comics around that time. All these comics were introduced to me within a few weeks and I was inspired.

I was discovering all these wonderful comics during my first year of art school, so I was simultaneously being exposed to fine artists that deeply impacted me. A teacher of mine, when they saw what kind of stuff I was drawing, showed me Ray Johnson and I watched the documentary How to Draw a Bunny. That film blew me away. I've always gravitated towards fine artists who make work that reminds me of weird comics... Philip Guston, George Grosz, Tiger Tateishi, Ray Yoshida, Jim Nutt, Pedro Friedeberg.

imageSPURGEON: Were you trained as an artist? Your works seems refined and exact to the point where I'm guessing you received some training -- plus there are elements of art school critique in By This Shall You Know Him. At the same time, you also seem very self-directed. How much of your skill set is due to some formal training and how much have you developed on your own?

JACOBS: I studied fine arts at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. I was immature, and I didn't get as much out of it as I could have. I'm from a middle class family, and the idea of me not undertaking some form of post-secondary education was not even close to a possibility. I just wanted to draw weird doodles and go skateboarding so art school seemed like my best bet. [Spurgeon laughs]

I met a lot of close friends, which is the best thing to come out of the experience. I learned a lot about printmaking and design. I studied a lot of film history, which has directly informed my work. I'm glad I went but in retrospect I probably should have taken a few years after high school to grow a little. Art school, in my experience, has a lot to do with how much you want to put into it. It's kind of easy to coast.

SPURGEON: What was the first impulse to start making self-published comic? What got you from simply making things on paper or in your notebook to publishing them in a way you want others to see them?

JACOBS: Even as a kid I was really into making copies of my drawings. My dad had a Xerox machine at his office and I used to play with it. In high school I made a lot of zines with a friend. In art school I found a group of people who were into making comics and we published our own anthologies. I've always wanted people to see my work, so photocopying drawings was the easiest way to get people to look at them. Ultimately, I make artwork because it's a very enjoyable process to me, but it's nice if others find enjoyment in it as well.

SPURGEON: Do you remember the first time you received feedback on your published work? Was there anything particularly memorable about that, something that might even have surprised you at the time, the way people were reacting?

JACOBS: Not in particular. I think I remember the negative feedback more distinctly. It's always painful when people react negatively to stuff I make. The toughest criticism -- and most helpful -- is when someone points out a flaw that I knew was there, but was too lazy to deal with. I try to focus on the feedback that makes me feel good, but even if a hundred people say nice things the one negative comment is the one that I remember.

SPURGEON: You won a pair of honors for your minis work: the Gene Day prize from the Shusters, followed quickly by recognition at the Doug Wrights. What do you remember about getting those awards now? Do you feel like they were helpful in terms of putting your work in front of more people?

JACOBS: There was a sense of validation. Canada seems to have a very supportive comics community, especially considering how small this country is. I'm sure there were some people who discovered my comics through those awards. The Shusters are great because they gave me money.

SPURGEON: [laughs] That is great. Do you have core fans? Are there people that you feel return to every project you do? Do you think about who's reading your work at all, even?

JACOBS: I've met people at festivals who are really enthusiastic about my work. I'm so happy when people enjoy it. It seems like a lot of the individuals I meet who are "fans" are people who make comics themselves. I'm not sure what the implications of that are.

I don't really think about a large audience when I'm making comics, rather, I think about how a few of my close friends would react to the work. I have some peers who give me feedback while I'm working on a project. I hold their opinion in high regard, and I think they represent a larger audience.

SPURGEON: Why London? What brought you there? I know very little about that place. What's it like to be an artist there?

JACOBS: My girlfriend studies at Western University. She's almost finished her PhD so we've been here for five years and will be leaving soon. I've met some good friends through the art community here. I will be sad to leave them. I've gotten a lot of support here.

SPURGEON: I was trying to figure out what connects your publishers AdHouse and now Koyama Press and one thing that came immediately to mind is that they're willing to work with their cartoonists throughout production. Was that important to you, to have a say in how the works were printed and presented? All three of your books seem very specifically crafted that way.

JACOBS: Initially I was so excited with the idea of having a published book that I wasn't discerning. I would have published with anyone, but was lucky enough to get hooked up with AdHouse.

My friend Ethan Rilly, who makes the book Pope Hats, put me in touch with Chris Pitzer and Annie Koyama. Chris agreed to put out my first book and Annie wanted to do the next one. They're both wonderful people running interesting publishing outfits that allow me a lot of freedom. I'm not sure how other publishers operate, but I seem to have a lot of control with Koyama Press, choosing the paper stocks, printing techniques, etc. Annie has been tremendously supportive of all my decisions.

image

SPURGEON: I don't want to get too deeply into By This Shall You Know Him -- or Even The Giants -- but I do wonder about those books, primarily, in terms of the triggering influence or what you were seeing that made you want to do that comic. Was the location of your interest more in the actual creation myths and folk tales of which those books were reminiscent, or were you more interested in some of the oddball ways those have been interpreted through art?

JACOBS: I'm not sure. It feels like such a long time ago and I have trouble recalling where I was at, mentally, when I made those books. While drawing Even the Giants, and in some sense BTSYKH, I was trying to figure out how to make comics. I guess I'm still doing that.

SPURGEON: You've said in past interviews that the Safarai Honeymoon narrative came out of your desire to find a story that encompassed the drawings you were doing that you found interesting. Do the drawings that become a story like that, are they of a type in a way that suggests a story? Do you ever leave certain drawings out as the story develops because they don't fit anymore?

JACOBS: My process is scattered. With Safari Honeymoon, I got a lot of ideas from sketches. A lot of the scenes were directly informed by doodles I drew. It's kind of like a puzzle, fitting all these elements together, trying to make some kind of narrative out of randomness. As the project progressed, the structure of the story crystallized and the sketching became more directed. I have tons of drawings that were left out of the book.

SPURGEON: Did the characters start as drawings, too? Because I think they're fully-realized in this story, and I'm interested in how you got there. How much work do you on characterization, or is that even a concern distinct from the narrative itself?  Do you worry about things like character arcs and how specific characters move from one place to another?

JACOBS: Thanks. I'm becoming more concerned with character development, and everything that that encompasses. It doesn't come as naturally as drawing, and writing dialogue is the toughest form of writing for me.

image

SPURGEON: All three of the main characters are interesting for how each one is a strong example of a really richly-realized stock character, but they also confound expectations as the story progresses. When you work with characters like the Safari Guide, are you aware that you're dealing with a kind of character we've seen before, and do you purposefully play against that?

JACOBS: I was conscious of it, but the characters kind of grew organically. I wanted them all to become more than the archetypes their personalities are based upon. I didn't want to allow the female character to become merely a focal point for the male gaze. The audience has expectations about how these characters will behave, and I tried to play with that. Everyone has read characters like them before, so certain behaviors are already established. It's interesting to try to turn them around and change the direction of a character while still maintaining their essence.

image

SPURGEON: I know that you have a real love for nature, and while I might be able to take a facile stab at it, I wonder if you could talk for a bit how you want to express the natural world in Safari Honeymoon. There's an exaggeration to the creatures and their danger and the kind of teeming busy-ness of the world you've made that's almost all by itself comedic -- it certainly leads to a heightened awareness of the dangers of that world and where our own is like that. Is there an effect you're hoping for through that depiction in terms of how it comments on our own natural world, or is that something you're willing to let exist on the page without additional comment? Is that how you see the natural world, Jesse?

JACOBS: I believe there are a lot of ways of viewing the natural world, and it's hard for me, who has led a pampered life, to really have any idea of what it's like to actually live in it. I'm so removed from it. It seems pretty rough from watching nature shows, which had a big influence on Safari Honeymoon. In my day job I work with a lot of farmers, who have a close relationship to the environment, and their lives are very difficult. For what it's worth, I think the natural order of the world is simultaneously beautiful and gruesome. I tried to reflect that in my comic.

image

SPURGEON: What do you find funny? This work in particular is really humorous, but I'm not detecting an obvious source, particularly a comics-related one.

JACOBS: That's a difficult question. I don't set out to write a funny comic, but throughout the process of making comics I find I am presented with opportunities to try to make jokes. I gravitate towards things that are subtly funny. I think a lot of writers are funny. Off the top of my head I find David Foster Wallace funny in a unique way, Jonathan Goldstein's books and radio show/podcast Wiretap are fantastic. Personally, I find successful funny comics employ a distinct type of humour, sometimes the drawings make an otherwise ordinary scene hilarious. I find [Michael] Deforge is really funny, Patrick Kyle as well.

SPURGEON: Your use of language is really interesting in all of your book-published work; is that a comfortable area of creation for you? Because it's at once assured but there are also signs that you're still developing a scripting style that you like. How much time do you spend in Safari Honeymoon working out the voice of each character, and pruning conversation to their essentials?

JACOBS: As I said earlier, I have the most trouble writing dialogue. I try to make sure I don't have every character speaking in the same voice. I'm much more comfortable writing as a third person narrator, it comes more natural and seems closer to the way I think. I pay close attention to dialogue in novels and films. Throughout the process of making this comic the dialogue was in a constant state of revision.

imageSPURGEON: All three of your books are very attractive; this one is frequently stop and stare beautiful, just the design of it. Can you talk a little bit about your approach to color, and how that serves the story here? How conscious are you at all of time of design choices working within the narrative?

JACOBS: I color all my comics digitally. Digital coloring is overwhelming; there are so many choices. Settling on a simple palette allows me to focus on other things. Because my colour choices are usually very sparse, I try to make sure they are strong. I try to choose colours that enhance the ambience of the story without distracting from it. I put a lot of work into my drawings, and I strive to make colour choices that enhance the line work.

I take a similar approach to choosing grid layouts. I settle on a few simple grids, and focus my energies on drawing and story.

SPURGEON: Do you feel like you have peers? I know I've seen you clustered together with artists like Jesse Moynihan, for example, and even connected back to the Fort Thunder crew. You mentioned Rilly. Do you feel like you have shared interests with any other cartoonists?

JACOBS: I feel a connection to a lot of cartoonists working now. Jesse Moynihan is one of my favorites, I'm very inspired by his work and how much he does. I think we share a lot of interests. There are so many great artists making comics, and though maybe my work doesn't look like theirs, I think we share a lot of the same sentiments. I really enjoy and feel a connection to artists such as Olivier Schrauwen, Aisha Franz, Patrick Kyle. I think what these creators have in common is the uniqueness of each of their voices, which inspires me to do my own thing.

SPURGEON: Has comics been a difficult place for you to work? Has it been rewarding? You've been around more than five years now... do you see yourself continuing to make comics? What's the challenging part of that for you?

JACOBS: I don't struggle with it too much. I have a lot of fun drawing comics. It's an outlet. There are so many distinct elements to making comics, which is what attracts me to it. The variety of tasks involved allows me to be productive. If I don't feel like drawing I can scan and colour pages, or do some writing. There are some very cerebral elements, and a lot of work that involved shutting of your brain and becoming a machine. It's a good balance.

Creating comics has allowed me to meet a lot of wonderful people all over the world. I've been lucky to connect with so many supportive people. I'm working on some new stories now, but also balancing comics with other types of drawing.

*****

* Jesse Jacobs
* Jesse Jacobs Tumblr
* Safari Honeymoon, Jesse Jacobs, Koyama Press, 9781927668047, 80 pages, softcover, May 2014, $15.

*****

* cover to the latest book (top)
* all interior art from Jacobs' books the cold blue is Even The Giants, the lavender/purple is By This Shall You Know Him and the green is Safari Honeymoon; if I did my job, the individual choices are understandable in context
* one last piece of art from Safari Honeymoon (below)

*****

image

*****
*****
 
posted 8:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: On Optimism

image
 
posted 4:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Sorry For The Delay With The Holiday Interviews

image

I wasn't sure I could do them with my current workload and displayed ability to meet that workload, but I figured it out. I'm pushing for 16 over the next few weeks. There will be one on Friday and then they'll start appearing with regularity on Monday, according to my ability to scramble and get several more in. I'd ask for your patience, but all of my apologies will be in the direction of interview subjects for a little while. I'll apologize to you nice folks more thoroughly when we get out on the other side.
 
posted 3:35 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Ross Andru Draws Annie Oakley

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Paul Gravett Presents Three Top 10 Graphic Novels Lists For 2014

On his site, the writer, curator and all-time well-connected industry individual Paul Gravett has posted three different lists, which collectively serve as his Best-Of thoughts for 2014. Those groupings are British, North American, and European translated to English. As one might expect, they are classy and well-considered. I'm happy to see Gast take one of the three top slots.

*****

image

British

1: Gast, Carol Swain (Fantagraphics)
2: Probably Nothing, Matilda Tristram (Penguin)
3: Supercrash, Darryl Cunningham (Myriad)
4: Hoax: Psychosis Blues, Ravi Thornton & various artists (Ziggy's Wish)
5: Sally Heathcote Suffragette, Mary & Bryan Talbot and Kate Charlesworth (Jonathan Cape)
6: The Motherless Oven, Rob Davis (SelfMadeHero)
7: To End All Wars, The World War One Anthology, Brick And Jonathan Clode (Soaring Penguin)
8: Just So Happens, Fumio Obata (Jonathan Cape)
9: The Bad Doctor, Ian Williams (Myriad)
10: Art Schooled, Jamie Coe (Nobrow)

*****

image

North American

1: Here, Richard McGuire (Pantheon)
2: Fatherland, Nina Bunjevac (Jonathan Cape)
3: The Love Bunglers, Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
4: This One Summer, Mariko & Jillian Tamaki (First Second)
5: Sugar Skull, Charles Burns (Pantheon/)
6: Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, Roz Chast (Bloomsbury)
7: Bumf, Joe Sacco (Fantagraphics)
8: Ant Colony, Michael Deforge (Drawn & Quarterly)
9: Seconds, Bryan Lee O'Malley (Ballantine)
10: Through The Woods, Emily Carroll (Margaret K. McElderry)

*****

image

European (Translated Into English

1: Beautiful Darkness Kerascoet And Fabien Vehlmann (Drawn & Quarterly)
2: How The World Was, Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)
3: Vapor, Max (Fantagraphics)
4: The Leaning Girl, Schuiten & Peeters (Alaxis Press)
5: Beauty, Kerascoet & Hubert (NBM)
6: The Boxer, Reinhard Kleist (SelfMadeHero)
7: Adventures On A Desert Island, Maciej Sienczyk (Centrala)
8: Arsene Schrauwen, Olivier Schrauwen (Fantagraphics)
9: Polina, Bastien Vivès (Jonathan Cape)
10: The Last Days Of Stefan Zweig, Laurent Seksik & Guillaume Sorel (Salammbo Press)

*****
*****
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Not Comics: Frank Frazetta Drawing ERB For Ace Paperbacks

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Various Power Of Warlock Splash Pages

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

* last chance this year to donate to SAW. That money will be well-spent.

image* Sean Gaffney on Sword Art Online Volume Three: Fairy Dance. David Berry on a few different comics.

* Patton Oswalt speaks highly of Lisa Hanawalt.

* Brigid Alverson notes that Digital Manga was successful with the modest Tezuka crowd-funder they did following a train wreck of a massively ambitious one covering multiple series. Some of the same quesions remain with this one if you see it as the first of many, but there were some changes to make sure that people that want books will get them at an affordable level and the smaller size overall might seem less objectionable to some folks.

* here's a 23-day sea traveling residency for you art types.

* Peter Stanbury talks to Isabel Greenberg. Zack Smith talks to Jonathan Hickman.

* I would buy this Avengers comic from Darryl Cunningham. While I think many of these characters are non-Avengers characters, I say conscript them.

* finally, Michael Aushenker announced he'll be moving on from his position at Comic Book Creator.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 49th Birthday, Julie Doucet!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 52nd Birthday, Fabian Nicieza!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 58th Birthday, Steve Rude!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 58th Birthday, Lela Dowling!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 47th Birthday, Joe Gordon!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Billy Ireland Cartoon Library And Museum Announces They Will Receive The Jeff MacNelly Collection

image

The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum has announced that they will receive the Jeff MacNelly collection in a series of shipments of original cartoons and papers from MacNelly's widow Susie MacNelly. MacNelly was a beloved figure in editorial cartooning, strip cartooning, and just kind of basic journalism circles, winning the Pulitzer three times and becoming one of the rare editorial cartoonists to win the Rueben for Outstanding Cartoonist Of The Year. He passed away in 2000.
 
posted 4:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
December 29, 2014


Go, Look: Roman Muradov’s 2014 Illustrations Post

image
accompanying commentary post here
 
posted 8:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
The Science Fiction Site io9’s Best Comics/GNs And Webcomics Lists

The site io9 has two lists of best comics up as I'm writing this: Rob Bricken's "Absolute Best Comics And Graphics Novels Of 2014!" and Lauren Barnett's "The Best New Webcomics Of 2014."

image

Comics/Graphic Novels

* Andre The Giant: Life And Legend, Box Brown (First Second)
* Batgirl, Cameron Stewart And Brenden Fletcher And Babs Tarr (DC Comics)
* Beautiful Darkness, Fabien Vehlmann And Kerascoet (D+Q)
* Black Science, Rick Remender And Dean White And Matteo Scarlera (Image)
* Hip Hop Family Tree Volume Two: 1981-83, Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics)
* Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream, Various (Locust Moon)
* Lumberjanes, Noelle Stevenson And Brooke Allen And Grace Ellis (BOOM!)
* Ms. Marvel, G. Willow Wilson And Adrian Alphona (Marvel)
* Multiversity, Grant Morrison And Rotating Artists (DC)
* Rat Queens, Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch (Image)
* Seconds, Bryan Lee O'Malley (Ballantine)
* The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa And Robert Hack (Archie)
* The Love Bunglers, Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
* The Wicked and the Divine, Kieron Gillen And Jamie McKelvie (Image)
* Through the Woods, Emily Carroll (Margaret K. McEldery Books)

*****

image

Webcomics

* 30 Minutes to Live, Greg Thelen and Various Artists
* Back, KC Green and Anthony Clark
* Blindsprings, Kadi Fedoruk
* Demon, Jason Shiga (NSFW)
* Harpy Gee, Brianne Drouhard
* Kingdoms Lost, Boulet
* One Way, Christopher Baldwin
* Stand Still. Stay Silent, Minna Sundberg
* The Hole The Fox Did Make, Emily Carroll
* Watching, Winston Rowntree
* We Go Forward, Shenanigansen

*****
*****
 
posted 3:55 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Not Comics: BBC’s “You Draw The News” For 2014

image
 
posted 3:50 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Bleeding Cool Posts Their Best GNs Of 2014

image

The list was put together by Rich Johnston and Hannah Means-Shannon. There's an 11-book countdown and extensive honorable mentions list. They also explain a bit of their selections process in post.

Top 11

11. The Love Bunglers, Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
10. To End All Wars, John Clark and Jonathan Clode (Soaring Penguin Press)
9. Mind MGMT Volume Four: The Magician, Matt Kindt with Sharlene Kindt (Dark Horse Comics)
8. The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kaddath, I.N.J. Culbard from H.P. Lovecraft (SelfMadeHero)
7. The Graveyard Book Volumes One And Two , from Neil Gaiman, by P. Craig Russell, Kevin Nowlan, Tony Harris, Scott Hampton, Galen Showman, Jill Thompson, Stephen B. Scott, David Lafuente, with Lovern Kindziersky, and Rick Parker (Harper)
6. Grandville: Noel, Bryan Talbot (Jonathan Cape)
5. The Wrenchies, Farel Dalrymple (First Second)
4. The Bunker Volume One, Joshua Hale Fialkov and illustrated, colored, and lettered by Joe Infurnari (Oni)
3. The Woods Volume One: The Arrow, written by James Tynion IV , illustrated by Michael Dialynas, with colors by Josan Gonzales, and letters by Ed Dukeshire (Boom!)
2. Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir, Roz Chast (Bloomsbury)
1. Here, Richard McGuire (Pantheon)

*****

Honorable Mentions

* Aama, Frederik Peeters (SelfMadeHero)
* Beautiful Darkness, Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoet (D+Q)
* Bumperhead, Gilbert Hernandez (D+Q)
* Harlem Hellfighters, Max Brooks and Caanan White (Avatar Press)
* Hellboy in Hell Volume One: The Descent, Mike Mignola and Dave Stewart (Dark Horse)
* Hip Hop Family Tree Book Two (1981-1983), Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics)
* How To Be Happy, Eleanor Davis (Fantagraphics)
* Legends of the Tour, Jan Cleijne (Head Of Zeus)
* Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream, Various (Locust Moon Press)
* Polina, Bastien Vives (Jonathan Cape)
* Robert Moses: The Master Builder of New York City, Pierre Christin and Olivier Balez (Nobrow)
* Saga Deluxe Edition: Volume One, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image)
* Seconds, Bryan Lee O'Malley (Ballantine)
* Showa 1939-1944: A History Of Japan, Shigeru Mizuki (D+Q)
* Sugar Skull, Charles Burns (Pantheon)
* This One Summer, Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (First Second)
* Verity Fair: Custard Creams And Pink Elephants, Terry Wiley (Borderline)

*****
*****
 
posted 3:45 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Not Comics: The Fantastic Isles Portfolio

image
 
posted 3:40 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Festivals Extra: Marriott, Starwood Join Free Wireless World, But Only For Points Members

One small, broader-than-conventions travel story over the last few months was Marrioitt and now Starwood somewhat joining modern times by offering free Wi-Fi to people that are memembers of the points programs. I know between those two hotel chains and the Hilton -- which was doing this pretty regularly if not across the board starting a year ago -- that covers all of the places I'm likely to stay when I'm doing a hotel at a comics show.

I've always encouraged people to join hotel priority memberships anyway because it's an easy way for the hotels to reward you if something goes wrong. Consider this an additional inducement. Airbnb people, keep scrolling down the page.
 
posted 3:35 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Not Comics: James Bama’s Doc Savage Paperback Covers

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Three Potential Charitable Strategies As The Year Winds Down

While there are the usual funding requests out there for dream projects or as workarounds from artists and publishers on finding or borrowing or providing capital -- all of which I support -- there are three other things you might do with your money in a generous mood that were brought to our attention this holiday season.

1) The family of the artist Norm Breyfogle -- who enjoyed significant runs at DC Comics and with Archie -- put up this funding request when the artist suffered a debilitating stroke of the side of the body he uses to draw. They have gone past $50K, and I'm sure could put to use any small amount sent their way.

2) The established comics charities CBLDF and Hero Initiative I'm sure have multiple uses to which they could put necessary funding. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund in particular likely has some nice, end-of-year, tie-in offerings.

3) Kate Beaton reminded us in a post this week that there are a lot of artists out there like her that don't have formal campaigns to generate donations -- it might be something they're hesitant to do, or haven't done yet -- but that could use a kind word and a few dollars just the same.
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Tokyo, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Great Action Comics

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

image* Henry Chamberlain on Magpie, Magpie. Tim O'Neil on Kill My Mother.

* Tony Millionaire draws Sock Monkey and Friends.

* don't forget that warehouse sale at Sunday Press Books. Some of those books are stunners, all-time comics objects.

* another reminder: time is running out when it comes to entering the Fumetto competition.

* finally, I was said to hear that Tim O'Shea will be ending his Talking Comics With Tim, but happy to hear he'll still be doing interview and that this is a positive choice he's making.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 33rd Birthday, TJ Kirsch!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Everything I Still Remember About Comic Arts Los Angeles (CALA) 2014

image

*****

These are my notes and observations from the weekend of Comic Arts Lost Angeles (CALA) 2014. They are very late.

A couple of months before attending this show I accepted a position as Festival Director of Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, a show starting in 2016 with a launch event in 2015. Please read the following in the light of that knowledge, and come to whatever conclusion you like.

*****

* this won't be as long as some of the other reports. I'll explain why at the end.

* it seems nuts after an exhausting year that I'd want to do one more comics show, but I've wanted there to be a small press and alt-comics show in Los Angeles for a very long time now. I remember going to a show on the UCLA campus a bunch of years ago. Supermarket? I met Patrick Rosenkranz and Deni Loubert there but mostly I remember thinking how far the middle of the UCLA campus seemed from the rest of the world. Meltdown Comics for a while had some small shows that featured the kind of younger creators you find at such shows. I've heard that some of LA's handcraft shows have had a comics element to them at times. There are mainstream shows in the region out the wazoo. What I wanted was an old-fashioned small press show.

* it looks like we have one. Congratulations to Jen Wang, Angie Wang, Iris Jong and Jake Mumm and everyone else involved on what seemed like a successful first show.

* one of the reasons I've wanted a small-press show in LA is selfish: my brother lives there, and this gives me a reason to visit and the both of us something to do. That's not totally selfish in that Los Angeles is a huge city, so I'm sure there are other people in the same boat. Those of us that enjoy the expression of the medium that a show like Comic Arts Los Angeles serves, they deserve a reason to visit on a built-around-comics weekend.

image

* another reason is that Los Angeles has a great comics community, at least as much as Los Angeles has communities (I think they do, they're just confusing because of the prominent and necessary opt-in, opt-out component). There are significant numbers of young cartoonists and comics-makers in the area, Many comics-makers work for animation studios or in film more generally. BOOM! is there. DC Comics is partly there and will soon be there in full. There are several comics shops in LA worth seeking out: both destination-style retailers and kick-ass neighborhood stores. Several writers that include comics as part of what they do live there or spend a lot of time there. It is the home region of Los Bros Hernandez, the living, breathing ground zero of post-underground expressive comics in North America.

image* so I think this was necessary, and I thought going into CALA that this set of organizers had a smart, achievable plan. A one-day show is the best way to start. Downtown strikes me as the place to do a Los Angeles right now (it wouldn't have been five years ago, I don't think). Visiting LA in December -- what used to be the BCGF weekend -- is a pleasure, mostly, and provides the show with a bit of calendar oomph this first year they wouldn't have seen if they had squeezed themselves into the already-busy April or October. They were offering up only two special guests (Mimi Pond and Sam Alden), and had nothing planned outside of the core show beyond a modest panel slate. This allowed them to focus on executing the tasks at hand and also communicated in a subtle way that the star of the show as the fact that LA now had a show.

* I enjoyed myself, and more importantly I think there were people there having way more fun than I was.

* by early December of this year I was no longer as burnt out and tired as I had been before Thanksgiving, but with a move looming I was now slightly overworked. I looked forward to the trip as something of a four-day vacation, which means I would only work half-days if possible and take clear mental breaks each day and plunge into something Los Angeles-like. I also had no responsibilities to the show, so I could go and enjoy myself and look around and stay five hours or 45 minutes, depending on capricious whim. So no hassles there. I still had to drive to Tucson and back -- six hours of my life I'll never get back, but I was flying into Burbank rather than LAX which cut an hour of travel time once I got there. Also this was my last show until late March, having once again failed to secure a slot on the Good Ship Free Lodging In Angouleme. I was looking forward to the time off the road. I think I even smiled at the airport, and I can't remember the last time I did that.

* so of course we were delayed three hours in Tucson and five hours in Phoenix. I could have driven there and arrived four hours before I did. So much for seeing Mr. Turner on a big screen as we had planned.

image

* really, though, it wasn't so bad. I sort of have this weird affection for airport restaurants, although one can only ever eat in them once or twice a year. There's something very appealing about drinking a giant beer at 9 AM, too, and at the smaller airports it's no differnt than drinking at a hotel or in New York. One of the nicest things about travel when you're dependent on freelance work for most of what you do is that travel deadlines are far and few between. If you have to be somewhere not your office to get something done, you're probably being flown there, and that's on someone else.

* plus I was going to Burbank, which reduces everyone's blood pressure.

* getting LA travel tips from me are even dumber than New York ones, but no one ever made it clear to me until this year how much better it is to fly into Burbank or, really, any of the regional airports, than it is to fly into LAX. In fact, it's worth $150 extra to fly into Burbank if you're spending your time in Burbank or North Hollywood. As I recall, Burbank is easy from Seattle and Phoenix... and that's about it. Still, if it's an option for you, consider the holy hell out of that option. If nothing else, you get to see an airport where the luggage is returned to you outside. Plus it's named after a real-life comic book character.

image

* I worked during most of my time in Los Angeles. I wanted to get a couple of interviews done. Jonah Weiland never returned my e-mail, so the hell with that guy. Scott and Ivy McCloud came over and interviewed with me at my brother's tiny place. That was... that was really fun, of course. Just kidding. I love talking to Scott, and I think he's very proud of this book The Sculptor and wants as many people to read it as possible. I think that wil be a good piece when I figure out what to do with -- sorry, Scott. Imminent, I promise. We went out to eat afterwards and had a good time there, too. It'll be nice to have Scott around all year, immersed in comics again. He's like a favorite uncle on you Mom's side. I regret not introducing my brother Whit in an informal setting like that, as all three of those folks are 1980s Syracuse University attendees.

* I chickened out on videotaping the three of us while I asked question after question about New Adventures Of Abraham Lincoln.

* downtown Burbank is the fakest place in America I still like. People on the streets tell you stories that don't make any sense but you know they're true.

* one nice thing for CALA moving forward is that there are plenty of places for people to have satellite events, all over the city. It's a city that expects you to drive, so there should be little pressure to have everything in one general area. I don't know how many took place this time out, but I attended one at Meltdown Comics in their backroom gallery space the Friday night before the Saturday show. I tried to do a little comics shopping, but that wasn't working out; I only buy superhero comics and minis a the comics stores. Couldn't find the latter, couldn't understand the former. That's a freakishly nice shop, though, with stock on hand to satisfy a full decade's worth of reading.

image
image
image

* there were about 25 people back there at the evening's peak, and maybe another 10 or so in and out over the hours I spent there. That's probably generous. I ran into Ed Brubaker -- very happy for him starting a new and desirable non-comics gig the Monday next. It's always nice to see Ed, who is same-age peer in comics with the same regional scene provenance. Through Brubaker I met Gerry Duggan. A comic book he wrote recently made me laugh, but I impressed no one in the room by not remembering specifics. Jaime Hernandez walked in, which is good, because Jaime is older than me. As older men of serious intent we talked about Internet-related comics gossip. Jaime is very perceptive, everyone. You're not fooling him at all. Steve Weissman explained to me the basis of the show, a kind of organically-developing sticker illustration sideline for himself and some of the other cartoonists in town, which sounds great to me. I also saw Sam Alden. I tried to convince Alden that he needed an opposite-coast enemy, but he rejected all of my suggestions. "No," he'd say politely. "That person is my ally." Sammy Harkham showed up right before we left. He seems well, and promised me he's been working on comics this whole time. I hope so.

* we rocketed out of the neighborhood and back to North Hollywood before the getting out of there traffic got bad. We had a good time, and a lot of that art is really cool-loooking. Oh, and I got to meet Mats!?, which was cool.

* the next day was the show proper.

image

* my brother and I ate lunch downtown at Cole's, one of two establishments in Los Angeles that lays claim to inventing the French dip sandwich, the kind of deeply troubling question that can only be solved by eating a lot and declaring a tie so you can do it again in six months. I found that whole general area of downtown in which the show was held to be majorly interesting. It's maybe the most visually compelling neighborhood in which a show is held since the old San Diego cons. The gentrification seems like it's taking place in 100-foot increments. There were some lost souls sleeping on the street and you'd walk a block and see that someone had opened a pet shampooing salon. Like many streets around there, the street on which the hosting gallery was located was bursting with mercantile-type set-ups and small shops pouring out into the street. People were everywhere, walking at different rates of speed, talking at least three different languages and dressed in a closet's worth worth of clothing choices. Howard the Duck could have walked out from behind a tree, and I wouldn't have blinked.

* seriously, though, it was a cool neighborhood to do a show like that. There was a lot of energy outside the show to match the energy inside, which was a huge bonus. Later when waiting for my brother to bring the car from wherever he parked it so we could leave, I noted the people in show t-shirts outside of the building weren't just answering questions as to where the show was. They were actually soliciting passers-by to go up and take a look. I think I remember an early MoCCA doing that, but it's sure rare.

image

* so I hit the stairs. The show was packed. Like packed. Apologize-to-others-constantly packed. It stayed pretty busy for my entire stay.

* The space itself was simple in its layout: kind of a reverse #4. The eastern wall separated the programming space from the rest of the show.

* and that's about it. But it worked! Excited people everywhere. People seemed to be selling pretty well to really well -- I talked to exactly one person that didn't think they'd make back costs, although that's always a rough way to measure things and I don't always trust comics to accurately report any perceived dip in sales, even expected sales.

image

* I knew about 1/3 of the exhibitors. Farel Dalrymple was there. Hope Larson. Ryan Sands. Lisa Hanawalt. Steve Weissman (with a mini!). Jordan Crane (another mini!). Alden. Hellen Jo. Team The Humans. Mimi Pond and Vanessa Davis were there. Katherine Wirick -- she and her husband had just moved out there from Ohio, so best of luck to them. Ron Regé Jr. I thought the quality of work seemed generally high across the board, particularly for a first show. It wasn't like SPX in the sheer number of quality exhibitors, or CAB in terms of how it was curated, but it was solid. I took home a Matt Sheean comic that looked interesting, and was lucky enough to score minis from Weissman and Crane. The last thing in the world I need or want right now with a move coming up is extra comics that I might be able to get once I'm settled, but I couldn't help myself with those few items. Some people were nice enough to talk to me about the site and give me a few more comics, too.

image

* the Crane mini, he finished that the day of the show, which is either impressive or silly in its straight-up recall of the all-nighters now 20 years in the past. I vote impressive. I want Crane to make as many comics as he can.

image

* I'm told that the programming itself was solid panel to panel; I saw snatches here and there. Like I've mentioned a couple of times in these reports, just about everyone in comics has become a lot more proficient in presenting their work or presenting their thoughts on an idea in a professional manner. Show like this one benefit from that. Sound quality was not good once you stepped back a bit and towards the information desk area. That's something that can be figured out, though. I'd say the programming was about half-full for most of the presentation, with panel-watching spread out front to back.

image

* there were a few comics-makers on the customer side of the table. I believe I saw Shannon Watters. Was Allison Baker there, briefly? I feel like she was there. Charles Hatfield was there with his wife, taking in a panel when I saw them. Ditting on the indoor stair just outside the gallery I watched Matt Groening leave, with the Locus Moon Little Nemo under one arm. About 45 seconds later Scott and Ivy McCloud returned from lunch; Scott soon bought his own copy of the Nemo book. I like the idea of shows/shops exhibiting, even if it's only with their publishing hats on.

* I enjoyed watching McCloud work the room. Ivy explained to me that Scott makes a specific point of being present and encouraging for every cartoonist, which is a nice way of doing it. I try not to pass out or accidentally buy something I can't afford, which right now is everything.

* I met Henry Chamberlain for the first time. I want to meet all the writers about comics. I'm haunted whenever we lose a writer about comics and there's barely a trace they existed and I can't always recall which one they were.

image

* third show in a row I was there and MariNaomi was there and I never saw her or said a word to her.

* got to catch up with Vanessa Davis and see Mimi Pond for one more time in 2014. I was hiding by the door again, while my brother finished up a cycle of photos. I hope Vanessa has a chance to return to comics in some significant way if that's in her plans -- she had a run going there for a while were her work was as consistent and as good as anything being published. Mimi seems significantly along on the second book, although I was tired enough by then that I could be remembering that totally wrong.

* we left at a reasonable hour, having exhausted every conversation and photo opportunity. I had a train to catch to Claremont. The highlight of Claremont -- I did hit their fine comic shop -- was an elderly man stopping by the table I shared with CR co-publisher Jordan Raphael during Sunday morning breakfast. The man declared we needed to protect the children (Jordan's kids were with us) and intimated that his now long-deceased wife was once the victim of a crime he learned about too late to see to a private reprisal Bates-on-Downton-Abbey style. This is a lot of weight to drop on strangers over eggs at 9 AM on a Sunday. Just saying.

* on my way back to the train station, Jordan and I ran across Claremont's semi-monthly old comics show in a local, tiny indoor mall. It was everything that CALA was not in terms of focus and type of material displayed and general buoyancy of mood. Listless, maybe. Torpid. It was still comics, though, and maybe an expression with which I'm more comfortable at heart than all those young faces and all those minis. I didn't buy anything, but Jordan bought about $20 of trades for his kids.

* that was about it. Had dinner Sunday night back in LA with Lisa Hanawalt and Adam Conover. It was fine, I guess. Hanawalt insisted on trying to pay for everything with some sort of orange currency she'd hand-drawn at the office, which was super-uncomfortable. I found Conover's hair soothing. I learned there are two kinds of Los Angeles people that end up there from New York: those that are convincing when they talk about missing the City, and those named Adam and Lisa.

* I'm grateful they took the time, and it was lovely. They were even dressed nicely, for a Christmas party right after.

* I left on Monday. Twenty minutes from my brother's driveway to the airport. 75 minutes in the air. 195 minutes from Tucson airport to my driveway.

* last time I should have to make that kind of drive, though.

image

* so the show... what about the show?

* thinking back on it during the second half of that weekend and talking to peopel about it since, it's like I said up top. I thought that was a super-solid first show. Great energy. Solid guest and exhibitors list. Cool location. Good weekend for it, right on the cusp of people younger than 30 getting Christmas present buying fever. You could feel the delight that some people had just from exhibiting. I'm told a couple of people just attending the show had a hard time parking, but Whit tells me he had no trouble at all. CALA 2014 was so unadorned as a show that it becomes challenging to write about at length. The exhibitors were young, and they were local, and so were the people there to buy things. That can always get better, but the first time out makes me think it will and some shows have a tremendously difficult time kickstarting that part of what they do. I'm told most of the PR was word of mouth with some supplemental press coverage, which makes the showing even more impressive.

* what I hope for CALA is that in the next couple of years it solidifies its place on the calendar as an option for late-in-the-year comics selling and for a trip to LA. I think that's a good place for them, and the exhibitors will benefit from being a show during the Christmas buying season. Some of the slight problems like the noise levels are easily fixable. Where they might get challenged is in how quickly to grow. There will definitely be more interest as people hear good things. I'm not sure what bigger spaces are available of if they'll think about that kind of thing right away, but they did an interesting enough job with where they put and how they scheduled this one I'm happy to let them tell me what they're going to do rather than the other way around.

* I had a good time on all of these trips, and I'm so very privileged to have a chance to interact with art and artists that way. I'm also grateful for the extra time I get to spend with family and friends as a result. Thanks, everyone. Let's do it again in 2015. We kind of have to.

*****

* the first floor sign to the second floor show
* Nathan Bulmer
* the beer I had in Tucson at 8:45 AM
* from The Sculptor
* three photos from the Friday night event at the mighty Meltdown Comics: Ed Brubaker, a wall of sticker art, my all-time favorite cartoonist Jaime Hernandez
* a view of a local merchant's wares
* egad: this was the crowd when I walked in
* busy cartoonists, with Farel Dalrymple in the immediate foreground
* Jordan Crane
* the panels room
* that Little Nemo book, purchased by both Groening and McCloud
* MariNaomi, avoiding me
* so many young comics-makers!
* Groening contributes to the drawing wall (below)

*****

image

*****
*****
 
posted 4:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
December 28, 2014


Go, Bookmark: Noah Van Sciver’s New Serial My Hot Date

image
 
posted 11:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Assembled Extra: Congratulations To Danielle Corsetto On Ending Her Girls With Slingshots

image

Full announcement here; you don't need me to repeat chunks of that information just to fill out a post, but it sounds like an organic move based on where the strip is creatively. Early strips will reappear in color.

I'm always delighted when a creator ends a long-running project on their own terms. You should see a significant display of affection and real sadness from the feature's legion of fans, most likely starting in the comments section of that linked-to post. Girls With Slingshots started in 2004, and was a major work of the webcomic as classically-formated comic strip era.

Congratulations to the cartoonist.

an early strip
 
posted 11:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Tokyo, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 11:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: World-Wide Weirdies

image
 
posted 11:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

image* Johanna Draper Carlson on Food Wars Vol. 3.

* I'm not sure why I did an image google search on Hideaki Kawashima, let alone bookmarked it, but it's sure one pleasing-to-look-at page.

* Steve Morris talks to Matt Kindt. Laura Barnett profiles Raymond Briggs in an article I really should have linked to before December 25.

* John Porcellino has another list of books up at Spit And A Half and announces that he'll have a fully-functional ordering site up and running in early 2015.

* go, look: Mary Fleener draws some jazz cats.

* Sean T. Collins notes that this profile of Danny Fields contains a Mike Diana's artwork cameo. Just a mention, not the actual imagery.

* finally, Batman on a horse!
 
posted 11:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 54th Birthday, Jay Geldhof!

image
 
posted 11:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 32nd Birthday, Julia Wertz!

image
 
posted 11:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 51st Birthday, Dave McKean!

image
 
posted 11:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look/Buy: Big Warehouse Sale At Sunday Press Books

image

sale information through the link in the image; these are some of the most beautiful book published in comics history and every last one is desirable
 
posted 10:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
Everything I Still Remember About CAB 2014 And ICAF 2014

image
image

*****

These are my notes and observations from the weekend of Comic Arts Brooklyn (CAB) 2014 and the International Comic Arts Forum (ICAF) 2014. They are very late.

A couple of months before attending this show I accepted a position as Festival Director of Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, a show starting in 2016 with a launch event in 2015. Please read the following in the light of that knowledge, and come to whatever conclusion you like.

*****

* I did two of our best shows, Comic Arts Brooklyn and the International Comic Arts Forum, on back to back weekends in early November. It's the only such two-fer I've ever done for comics shows, or at least the only one I can remember. It might be that I've gone back to back during that ridiculous early April cluster of past years; I couldn't say. This was a really fun trip, though, with deep and meaningful contrasts. I think presenting them together will be fun. I also didn't take a significant number of photos at either one -- I just sort of gave up on this -- so the nature of this report will be much different for not having photos and captions to carry the last 1500-2000 words.

* as far as my own personal travel odyssey goes, if the SPX show marked the first one this year in which I started bone tired and stayed this way, this was the first one where I actually misjudged when my meetings were going to be and had to buy a supplementary ticket and just east the cost of one of the previously-planned travel segments.

* I took the overnight from Alburquerque to JFK (it's since been cut back), which means driving five hours as opposed to the three I drive to El Paso (most points east) or Tucson (most points west). I was actually glad to do the Alburquerque trip one more time because it meant driving on Highway 152, which is the beautiful mid-state highway that cuts right across a small bunch of mountains in terrifying switchback fashion for about 45 miles. So beautiful. So, so, so beautiful. My brother e-mailed me the first day I was in New York to say that I shouldn't have been driving on the road at all because it wasn't open until the day after I took it. It had been closed for recent flood. In fact, the highway became a dirt road about 20 times where mud had tumbled onto the highway itself. I was lucky to make it to the airport on time and was glad to let that beautiful stretch of country settle into my eyeballs one last time.

* so just like SPX, I rolled off the Jet Blue red-eye and into CAB week tired and exhausted. I worked on the site at the airport a bit and on my way to the city stopped and had coffee with the cartoonist, photographer and occasional essayist Julia Wertz. I like Julia very much but I don't know her all that well. Therefore I'm very, very grateful she did that. I'm grateful in general when people in towns where conventions are take on that kind of extra social responsibility, although hopefully Julia wouldn't conceive of it like that. That's got to be a weird thing people showing up in your hometown a few days before and a few days after some random show springs from the soil. Anyway, we talked about comics stuff, including SPX. We had overlapping but not identical concerns. She has a new book she repped back at SPX and at CAB that next Saturday, and she's doing new work on-line. I'm happy that among her many continuing interests is making comics.

* we also gossiped a bit. About you, mostly.

image* I don't know if there are any good travel tips for New York. You should spend a decade or so making yourself super-rich before you travel there, and even then you should still see if someone is willing to put you up in their home before you look into checking into a hotel. I'm at the age where I'll stay in the scariest dive except for the guest rooms about seven people in the world whom I love and trust. My two nearby pals that qualify, one lives in New Jersey and the other by considered family decision no longer take house guests of any kind. I've had good luck in New York with the Empire Hotel Group in terms of hotels that are routinely cheap (in NYC that means "less than $200 a night") and that satisfy my not-exactly-stringent hotel requirements (reasonably quiet, reasonably competent and nice staff, reasonably comfortable, and a not-scary neighborhood). The one that's worked the best for me on a few trips is The Hotel Newton, which is way up by Columbia University but right by a major, easy-to-access subway station. Plus there is a bunch of stuff to eat up there, and it's a generally okay-to-nice neighborhood. Your mileage may vary to a significant degree.

* another couple of travel tips that pop to mind right this instant are extremely basic. One is I do the European thing where I take a business card at the front desk of the hotel in case I got out until 4 AM and am not quite myself and need a cab ride back to where I'm sleeping. Another sounds like I'm Gomer Pyle, but I'm at an age where this stuff works. I scout likely major subway rides and take a single sheet of paper where you put in sentence form what you'll be doing: "take the ____ train towards _____ getting off in _______ stops at ______."

* I know, I know, but it works for me.

* one tip I usually use for New York that I totally ignored this time is to make exactly one morning plan, one afternoon plan, one evening plan. I think that's a good way to make sure you have time to do things and also keeps you from getting to stressed out. The reason I ignored it for the most part is I did even fewer things on this trip to NYC than any I've ever done. For instance, I actually caught up on sleep while I was there, collapsing for 17 hours of sleep with a 90-minute dinner breaking things up between hour eight or nine. I did miss a lot of CAB satellite events because of this schedule choice, which I regret. The satellite events are a big part of the nature of that show; I can say that having attending in past year, talking to people about their overall weekend and eventually getting to a couple such events Friday. And I missed out on seeing friends, which I regret even more. But I kept my sanity. Long year.

* you should never, ever do this, though, and if nothing else on every single trip to New York you should visit that city's great comics retailing backbone because any one of the city's top dozen stores i likely to have works you're not going to see anywhere else.

* one day I left my room to walk around and ran into Connie Sun, going out to lunch with a work colleague. Everybody likes Connie Sun.

* I did get to have a couple of drinks with Anne Ishii, who appeared at the Fantagraphics table during CAB a few days later in support of the book she produced with Chip Kidd and Graham Kolbeins: Massive. We talked about the why of art, about how the community of artists represented by Massive pursues its art with very little hope for remuneration or even a place in that country's comics culture. I hope she's afforded the opportunity to put together any other comics she might want to do.

* it is sort of odd how New York City and Las Vegas can be two of the best cities in which to be alone for a half-day here and there, despite offering up a constant stream of people seemingly up in your business. I needed such a week and was extremely grateful for it.

* had dinner and drinks with a small group of CAB-exhibiting comics-makers, where we talked about everything except comics. Sean Collins was there and took a photo I can't find now that made me look like Lou Grant, all white button down and wrinkles and rolled shoulders.

* I'm older than Mary Tyler Moore Show era Lou Grant now. Don't ever get in the habit of comparing your age to the age of adult characters on shows you watched as a kid.

* moved over Brooklyn due to the unavailability of a room at the Newton straight through. There's probably something to be said for getting over to Brooklyn for the days of the show proper, and I will probably even consider the fancy hotel where the panels are when I attend CAB in future years. For what it's worth I've most frequently stayed at The Condor Hotel when I'm in Brooklyn. Since that was also full-up, time stayed at this Best Western, which was more than fine and made for easy travel to different parts of the city.

* had lunch with Meghan Turbitt on Friday before CAB. She teaches comics in addition to making them. Turbitt told me that she had her students working on the production end of her CAB mini-comic, and I'm completely uncertain if she was kidding or not.

image* I took a look at the satellite events going on that evenign and decided I should go out -- the way that Brooklyn is able to accommodate a bunch of different comics-related things will have a significant impact on how CAB is perceived moving forward. I decided I wanted to see the Al Jaffee art hanging over at Scott Eder Gallery. I ran into Marc Arsenault and Sam Henderson on the subway -- two same-age peers I've known in some friendly comics-context since 1995 or so. My father was actually friends with Henderson's grandparents, and one of the things that we gave away to a family friend when Dad passed away was some a homey, wooden, happy-house greeting that Sam's grandparents had gifted him at some point.

* my last time to Scott Eder was the Jack Davis show, and it seemed like there was a 40 percent gentrification upgrade in that section of Dumbo just in those two years. Just amazing. There was some sort of event going on, and it took us about nine minutes to simply get off of the subway. Never had that happen before.

image

* I liked the Jaffee show. It was almost all newer art, but it was very well presented and Jaffee's career is interesting in its entirety. That was a nice crowd -- as was the case with the Davis show I basically knew no one. I gifted the gallery my knit hat. Outside I ran into Chris Pitzer, Jim Rugg and Paul Karasik. Karasik was on an extended look-at-art jaunt that was continuing with the Jaffee, while publisher Pitzer and artist Rugg were on the major portion of their night out.

* I left when the departure of Henderson and Arsenault gave me an excuse to let the incoming cartoonists work their way upstairs and away from my chatty ass. As the subway was now closed, I convinced the guys to walk a couple of blocks and catch a cab rather than line-up outside the station. We had a C+ time finding a cab. Then it got a little weird. We decided to go to the Hic and Hoc party at a Brooklyn neighborhood drinking establishment. We noticed about five minutes into the trip that the cab driver was stopping in the middle of the road for no particular reason. Like he had fallen asleep. We quickly worked into a pattern where he'd go about 400 yards, slow to a stop, and I would wait about 20 seconds as people drove around us and then I would knock on the window and say, "Hey, buddy! Can we keep going?" And then there would be a pause of about five seconds and he would go again, stopping another 400 yards up the road. After about 30 of these, and several bemused glances between the three of us for the very specific oddity of it all, we got close enough to get the hell out of the car. One of us thought they saw some sort of prayer beads, which could be an alternate explanation. It's funnier for the weird, singular nature of it, though.

* we still tipped, San Diego attendees.

* the party was nice. Very young. I like the Hic and Hoc books collectively, and always wish them well: I think they publish a number of promising cartoonists and they seemd to have carved a unique space or themselves in the context of their alt-/art peers. It was also nice of them to step up and provide a place for people to come and hang out: again, the hosting impulse I was talking about. Heidi MacDonald and I talked about... the James Sturm cartoon, maybe? I've written a bunch about that already, but basically I had a hard time understanding the controversy, which is like my mantra now and like doesn't speak well of how I'm processing the advantages of my perspective. I spent a long time talking to Leon Avellino and Theo Ellsworth, and then a longer time hanging out and talking with Barry Matthews, still understandably a tiny bit wobbly on his feet after a recent surgical episode from which he's been recovering brilliantly. We talked about New Orleans. I had recently visited (my brother's birthday dinner) and Matthews semi-frequently visits. That's an amazing town, and if any crazy rich person out there wants to do a vanity festival or wants to bring back ProCon or whatever, please do it in New Orleans.

* the party was also the first of many occasions I had that weekend to not meet Olivier Schrauwen.

* I walked the three miles (I'm guessing) back to the hotel. Late night. That's a really fascinating way to see a city, if you ever get a chance, how things gentrify in relation to one another, what neighborhoods have some life to them and which ones don't. Conventions can be such a restrictred experience I recommend everyone get out and walk some part of those weekends: Charlotte, for example, is an exceedingly nice city to walk.

* that night is the first place I encountered something which would become a major thing at the show. Many of the people at the Hic and Hoc party thought that the exhibition element of CAB 2014 was going to be two days, Saturday and Sunday. Another group had just figured out this wasn't true. What was reality is that the show in the wider sense had gone two days. The exhibition element was going to take place on Saturday while a new day, Sunday, was added, which would host a full day of panels and programming at a nearby boutique hotel. CAB Red and CAB Blue. What I'm guessing happened is that a lot of people just caught the information that CAB was two days and figured that meant CAB as they knew it -- a big comics show at a church with nearby programming -- was thus going to be happening both of those days. It's an understandable mistake for attendees in particular to make, and while you can make cutting remarks (certainly a lot of folks did) that maybe CAB should have thought that through and communicated that more effectively, there was certainly no one before this well-known, widely discussed show tossing this misperception out as a possiblity. At least not that I remember. I certainly didn't catch it.

* it was definitely a thing. Most exhibitors to whom I spoke thought they lost a portion of the sales to this fact -- citing customers who said they were going to come back tomorrow and buy things. Some people thought the Saturday expo part of the show was lighter than in past years. I would go along with that -- it certainly didn't get to the "oh my god" crazy periods of years past -- although I'm not sure how things like the show's desire to better space its exhibitors might have an effect there. I don't think it was a difference maker for anyone, even with comics' tight margins. It wasn't for anyone I talked to. My theory is that people freaked out a bit about it because CAB is a really high-functioning show and so this kind of mistake stands out.

* an it is a high-functioning show. CAB is one of the shows I'll always try to do because it has significant structural advantages and I think their basic formula works. It's great that small press and alt-comics cartoonists have a second devoted show to attend. New York City is a great comics city, maybe the greatest. Although my Mom doesn't know what to think of the beards and hats and thrift-store clothing when she sees photographs, Brooklyn is an affluent, arts-conscious community and CAB tends to be a show where people buy things. There's also a solid home-grown cartooning community there, so there's a lot of depth at the tables no matter which special guests are flown out.

* this is where my memories start to become indistinct. I mostly remember having a really good time, visiting tables and talking to a lengthy list of smart, talent people either making comics or buying them. Sometimes both. I bought a new John Pham Epoxy. Breakdown Press was busy busy busy. I seem to remember Ben Marra wearing a hat. Lisa Hanawalt had a bunch of original art for sale. I saw at least one former Fantagraphics employee I hadn't seen in 15 years, which was nice. We're all hurtling towards our deaths, of course, but it's still nice. I talked to Dan Nadel for about 20 minutes about his incredible year -- he may end up being the Jimmy Carter of alt-comics publishers -- and his book distribution job, which he likes quite a bit. I was wondering if Nadel was so unpopular that I was getting stinkeye just talking to him, but I worked it out later that I was actually standing where I would be looking right into the women's restroom, so I think people were glaring at me just because I appeared to be a creep. Sorry about that.

* what else...? David Mazzucchelli showed up in disguise, which again, I mostly remember as a hat. Because he was there in full view doing a signing, I had a couple of conversations about one of Chip Kidd's next comics-related projects: another Peanuts art book but this time working with the original art at the Museum. Jog had the most interesting bag of comics, naturally. Julie Doucet had a consistent line for the entirety of her signing. Or signings, if there was a break I didn't catch. Doucet just being there was the most lauded of all of show director Gabe Fowler's moves for 2014, or at least it was in conversations I had. Doucet was also the only one I saw other cartoonists craning their necks to get a glimpse of. I ran into Robert Boyd, who came all the way up from Texas just to buy comics and hang out. I was happy to see him. We need more alt-comics super-customers.

* I'm not sure there was a book of the show, but a lot of people I spoke to were dying to buy Arsene Schrauwen. Katie Skelly's Agent 8 mini-comic sold out despite the cartoonist not being there because of a death in the family. I heard a rumor that the John Hankiewicz book was there, but only a rumor. The Emily Carroll issue of Frontier was on hand. Mostly there was just a lot of stuff there of interest, which is a sign of how strong that's show's exhibitor base is. Like there was new work from Anya Davidson and Jonny Negron and Conor Stechschulte and so on and so forth. Drawn and Quarterly even had books from the far-flung future of 2015.

* one thing I heard later on from two different people is that to them CAB felt more male-oriented than past versions. I didn't see that on my own; and in fact my memory of the exhibitors is how many women were working the show as cartoonists by themselves, which doesn't strike me as a significant percentage at most shows.

* I left mid to late afternoon having had a great time, back to New Jersey with my pal Gil Roth. We passed by Tim Hodler who apologized for not being around to talk because of a potty break. I'm pretty sure he meant the kid.

* it's a great show and I want to go to it for the next ten years. I love New York. It's our most interesting city when it's toughest for the people I know to live there.

* I was unable to hit day two, the panels and presentation day. They were announced after I had made plans to leave the city. I sent the aforementioned Robert Boyd in my stead. Okay, actually he was already going and I begged him to write something in exchange for the site making a charitable donation somewhere. Boyd's an excellent writer about all kinds of art, including comics. He worked for a range of comics companies (Fantagraphics, Dark Horse, Roger Corman's Cosmic Comics, Kitchen Sink, CrossGen, ADV) before finally moving over to the business world. I was eager to read what he had to say.

******

Comic Arts Brooklyn Day 2 Report
By Robert Boyd

On Sunday, Comic Arts Brooklyn closed down the dealers' room and was all about artists panels. The panels were in a basement meeting room of the Wythe Hotel. Attendance was strictly controlled by a system of advance reservations. With stadium-style seating, it was an excellent space to hear speakers and see their slides. Paul Karasik was the master of ceremonies, introducing each panel. I missed the first two panels, Al Jaffee and Charles Burns, due to a prior engagement (I was in jail, sort of) and then missed Art Spiegelman in conversation with Roz Chast because I broke for lunch. I'm just not the untiring long distance comic convention sled dog I used to be. So with apologies for having nothing for three of seven panels, here are my impressions of the panels at Comic Arts Brooklyn.

image

NEO NOIR

The first panel, Neo Noir, featured Ben Marra (Night Business), Jim Rugg (Street Angel) and Tim Lane (The Lonesome Go). Karen Green from Columbia University moderated, and she asked each of the panelists to provide her with four images that spoke to their own noir influences. First they each spoke to what noir meant to them; Marra defined it as an emotional response to reality, in which a condition of hopelessness or despair could lead to a kind of freedom. Marra's noir touchstones were the movies Detour, Kiss Me Deadly and Touch of Evil, but he brought it back to comics by specifically mentioning the influence of Jim Steranko -- while showing a shadowy Nick Fury page.

Rugg started his slides with the great panel from the end of the first part of David Boring by Daniel Clowes, where the reader sees from David Boring's point of view a bullet heading straight for him, shot by a shadowy figure in the fog. Rugg related to the satirical elements that Clowes brought to noir. Next he showed a panel from Frank Miller's Daredevil run showing dark New York roofs, which lead to a discussion of LA. Noir versus noir from elsewhere. Rugg's next image, showing book covers of novels by Chester Himes, Charles Willeford and Jim Thompson spoke to that, at least as far as the very place-centered stories of Himes and Willeford go. He closed it out with Taxi Driver, where he spoke of the combination of harsh artificial light and constant rain on the look of the classic '70s thriller.

Lane deviated from Karen Green's request and threw up a collage of influences from every genre -- Paul Newman, Bob Dylan, Ernest Hemingway, Jim Thompson, Bruce Springsteen, Walt Whitman, etc. Subsequent slides showed photos by Robert Frank, a boxing painting by George Bellows and some E.C. Crime comics. His influences pointed him in the direction of what he described as grandiose, epic and operatic American stories.

image
image

CUTTING EDGES

New York Times Op-Ed art director Alexandra Zsigmond was the moderator on this panel with three cartoonists, Aisha Franz (Earthling), Lisa Hanawalt (My Dumb Dirty Eyes), and Jillian Tamaki (This One Summer). What struck me about each of these artists was that they were quite successful outside of comics. For them, the difficulty was finding time to do comics. This was especially true for Lisa Hanawalt, whose work as the designer for the Netflix animated series Bojack Horseman is a full-time job for her. Her comics work can only be done on weekends. It was slightly ironic that Zsigmond was the moderator, because she is one of the art directors who hands out paying gigs that prevent artists from working on their relatively unremunerative comics. For talented artists -- and all of these artists are excellent -- comics pays the least.

Franz is a German artist who, based on what was said here, seems to occupy a similar space in Germany and Tamaki and Hanawalt do in the U.S. She loves to do comics, but paying illustration gigs also occupy a lot of her time. She portrayed this as a struggle between two poles of expression. Her favorite thing, she said, was to work in comics anthologies because those stories were where she had the greatest possible freedom -- but the price is that she does that work for free.

Tamaki spoke of the problem of illustration as being that it reduces you to one thing. Once art directors get used to you doing that one thing, it's the only thing they call you for. You had to force them to look at your other work and styles. For each of the artists, comics represented freedom, even when the work was collaborative (Tamaki's work with her cousin, playwright Mariko Tamaki, for example, and Aisha's work with a theatrical company adapting plays into comics). What struck me is that economically, none of these artists needs comics. They do comics out of a love for the work. (Even if the work can attract the attention of some very strange fans -- Hanawalt's anthropomorphic reptile people have apparently become subjects in slash fiction by "scaleys".)

image
image

HERE AND NOW

In 1989, Richard McGuire published a short black and white story in Raw called "Here." Twenty-five years later, Here is now appearing as a full-length book and an interactive ebook. Paul Karasik was the moderator. Karasik originally commissioned "Here" for the anthology he and Mark Newgarden co-edited, Bad News. McGuire related how a lecture by Art Spiegelman provided the initial kernel for "Here," and that was followed by the assignments in Newgarden and Karasik's experimental comics class at the School of Visual Arts. Around that time, McGuire saw his first Windows computer, which made him think about overlapping panels. Thus "Here" was born, a comics story where the viewer is fixed in space but not in time, and overlapping panels depicting the same point of view show the past, present and future. It was scheduled for Bad News, but once Spiegelman saw it, he knew he wanted it for Raw.

"Here" is widely considered a masterpiece and has been highly influential. The original version of "Here" was black and white, drawn in a deadpan, generic style in order to provide clarity for the reader. But with the new expanded version of Here, where the reader will have some leisure to get into the flow of the work, he has allowed his style to vary depending on what is being depicted. The book is in color, and many of the colors are inspired by the way that old photos fade.

The location of Here is McGuire's childhood home in Perth Amboy, although he has tried to make it generic. Still, he mines his own family history for images (as well as old photos he has found). For most of the book, the viewer will see the corner of a room with a fireplace. Some images predate the building of the house (and some predate the evolution of humanity), and some show a flooded future.

The ebook version will not be a mere duplicate of the paper book. Readers will be able to flip through sequences that are joined in time without turning the virtual page. In some panels, there will be small movements -- not the kind of animation that depicts an event, but the kind of movement that evokes memory. McGuire used the example of lace curtains that billow whenever the thermostat kicks on.

Art Spiegelman was in the audience and when McGuire demonstrated this limited use of movement, he declared, "There actually is a future on the other side of paper." As an old fuddy-duddy who clings to paper publications, that struck me as a frank admission. I know I'll be getting both the paper and electronic versions of Here.

image
image

HIGH AND LOW

The strangest panel was Josh Bayer talking art and comics with contemporary artist Raymond Pettibon. Pettibon got his start drawing flyers and album covers for his brother Greg Ginn's record label SST. He had no art education (he studied economics at UCLA), but he parlayed his youthful punk drawings into a career as a blue-chip artist whose drawings regularly sell for six figures. His work, which combines vigorous chiaroscuro ink drawings with words, has a formal relationship to comics without being comics.

He showed us some early comics he did, but then said he left comics and cartoonists behind. "I'm making more money than they are so they can suck on this." This set the tone for the talk to come, in which Pettibon was profane, rambling, unfocused and sometimes incoherent, with occasional revelatory moments shining through. I kept wondering if he was drunk. Bayer was less a moderator than a wild-bull rider, trying and mostly failing to steer the conversation in a particular direction.

Given this, I think it's best to let the maestro speak for himself:

"I'm the only motherfucker in the world who uses a dip pen." (Maybe the only one in the art world, but the audience for his talk was full of cartoonists who still use them.)

Pettibon came from LA but now lives in New York. "In LA, I did a drive-by just to clear my fucking head in the morning."

"One drawing can also have its own narrative, its past, present and future embedded in it." This says something that I've long believed about comics -- that panel-to-panel storytelling is not the only way to depict narrative time. Comics and visual art in general prior to the invention of cinema often employed different means for this.

On not doing commissions: "My own work is freely expressed without some motherfucker looking over my shoulder."

He spoke of cartoonists who influenced his drawing. He praised Mike Kaluta's early Shadow comics, where one could see Kaluta learning as he went, which is something he admired. For him, that struggle to improve was the opposite of hackwork. He praised Milton Caniff, but declared that he liked Frank Robbins better. The name seemed to draw a blank from the mostly 20-something crowd. He saw that people weren't responding to the name and asked, "Frank Robbins drew Detective Comics, right?" I spoke up from the audience and said yes, he did, as well as drawing Johnny Hazard. Pettibon praised Robbins' pulpy brush style, and once can certainly see the influence. He also name-checked J.M.W. Turner, John Constable, Goya, William Blake, Honoré Daumier and Reginald Marsh as influences.

He ended his talk with a live drawing demonstration. I had to cut out before he finished -- prior engagements. Pettibon is one of my favorite artists, and while I wish he had been completely lucid and clear (like Richard McGuire was), his shambolic presentation was in the end perfectly Pettibonish.

*****

* I'm so happy that Robert was able to write up those panels, and urge all of you to follow his Houston arts blog, perhaps starting with his recent post on favorite 2014 comics. Thanks, Robert.

* the Chast/Spiegelman presentation during which Boyd opted for lunch was well-liked by those who chose to contact this site. That's two of comics' all-time talkers, so I can't imagine any cirumstance how that one might be a dog. I heard that they had significant attendance, so that's something that seems as if it will continue in that rough form in the future, likely with a bit more run-up to the show in terms of that split nature.

* so that was CAB. I thought Gabe Fowler did a nice job with a show in a kind of necessary period of transition, tweaking the formula a bit and trying to make it someting slightly more than a large flea market. The date thing was what it was; hardly a show-killer and something that we should all remembe when putting together our posters and show information. Making a show that's not just people selling things will always be difficult for shows that have as some element of what they do in that for many in attendance, and nearly all of the pros, there's a bottom-line make-or-break way of judging the success of a festival. As much as we pay lip service to other factors, and as much as they make a good show great, that's the part that has to work to keep most shows viable. So I think the first year a show makes a change in the way they're doing something, it's important that we cut them a tiny bit of slack in terms of their finding a new level with the new version of the show put in place. The only thing that might worry me about CAB is the strength of the convention aspect of it, that the one-day expo remains a place where people want to go and spend some money. Now that they're in November rather than the early December used by predecessor BCGF, that's a really quick turnaround for cartoonists that first got something completed for SPX six or seven weeks earlier. I like the model as it exists right now, though, and hope that it's refined next year rather than abandoned.

image

* Monday I had the chance to accompany Gil Roth as he went out to Long Island to interview Jules Feiffer. That was a treat. Feiffer famouly became a full-time resident out there after selling his NYC residence. His house was open and airy, like a summer home sturdy enough for year-round living. It feels surrounded by nature although neighbors are reasonably close. He had a smattering of comics sitting around such as Asterios Polyp next to a reading chair. After Gil's interview I got to ask him a few dopey questions about Sick, Sick, Sick (a longtime obsession of mine) and he told a very sweet story about Robin Williams calling his daughter as a make-up for Feiffer forgetting his kid wanted to be around when they interviewed for Civilization. He was also very laudatory when it came to the late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. That was just a great visit for me; Feiffer is a big-time cartooning and playwriting idol and I can't believe I got a chance to look at his drawing table.

image* thanks to a short flight at a ridiculously early hour, I got to Columbus a couple of days early for meetings related to CXC. They went very well. Bill Kartalopoulos sat in on one of the meetings and was extremely nice and helpful. He was in town for ICAF to coordinate and host a Hanneriina Moisseinen presentation and appearance, as well as assist/run the outside programming more generally. Watching him sweat through a travel delay for Moisseinen was really interesting to me in terms of just how seriously he -- representing a lot of comics people -- takes these assignments and responsibilities in a way that doesn't always match up to comics' history of being lacksadaisical and laid-back to a fault.

* ICAF is a meeting of comics scholars that floats between campuses and is currently being held every 18 months. It provides a chance for comics scholars to present papers to their peers, receive feedback, attend programming designed for them combining local, national and international guests of interest, and generally interact with one another.

* the bulk of the show this year was mostly in the Ohio State student union just south of the Billy Ireland, with plenty of meetings and events and general hanging out done at the Museum when appropriate. I know they ran some backstage tours for scholars and visiting guests all weekend, and the people that took advantage were rightly wowed. The student union was nice and I have never been called sir so many times per hour in my entire life.

* I had a great time at the event, which I hadn't attended since 1997 or 1998 or so. I was asked to be at the show to moderate a short talk with Columbus comics resident and international cartooning heavy-hitter Jeff Smith, which is not the demanding assignment you'd think it might be considering how many times we've talked and Smith's willingness to talk about whatever I want. So for me it was mostly just sitting back and taking in the event as a visitor. I know enough people from that world that I feel comfortable visiting it, and met maybe a dozen more that weekend. These are all super-smart people whose job is in part digging into comics and the presenting what they've learned to their students and the wider academic community. What's not to enjoy? I wrote about this during the special conference that opened up the Billy Ireland museum last year, but I have so much fun just treating ICAF and similar shows as idea factories where I just stand there staring at the conveyor belt and getting five to six things I've never thought of per hour. It has a different tone and pace to it than a regular comics show, mostly because the commerce aspect is all but neutralized and isn't in your face at all times. It's not for everyone, but if one comes near you might try to attend some of it. My understanding is that most of the programming is made free by the hosting universities; that was at least the case this year, and I saw some Columbus regulars in attendance like James Moore, Christian Hoffer and Tom Williams.

image

* I was particularly touched at this year's show how much some of my same-age peers, particularly Bart Beaty and Charles Hatfield, who wrote for TCJ when I was there, are big players in that world. Bart Beaty gave the keynote, and it was this semi-confrontational speech encouraging scholars to get outside their academic and administrative comfort zones so that more could be accomplished on behalf of that field of study. Bart, who just finished a book on Archie of all things (Twelve-Cent Archie), far away from his comfort zone of modern European comics, is also a former department head at his school, I'm told the first comics scholar to do so at a general university. He was therefore a very good person to deliever this two-pronged message, and you could hear echoes of its argumentation through the weekend.

* as if taking up the gauntlet Bart threw down (although that would be impossible timing-wise), Charles Hatfield had a first meeting and initial interim-officer voting for the Comics Studies Society, a group he and the other officers and interested members hope will add to the development of this field of study by providing all the advantages of a professional organization. That was fascinating to stand in the back of the room and watch. The idea of all the comics people in the 40s recognizing their likely lifetime commitment to comics and the opportunity to organize and trying things and maybe make things better, that's very exciting to me. At any rate, I was happy to see those guys, even though the beer I bought them later on was in the worst bar in the world.

* I also wanted to be on hand to see how Columbus serves as a home for conventions, an item of professional interest for me now.

image* without cheating by looking, the presentations I remember standing out -- and this is no doubt as much about my taste in comics as it is the quality of each presentation -- were Robert Loss on The 'Nam, Jeremy Stoll on the culture supporting the making of comics in India, a roundtable about the realities of institutional support for comics (which included the gem that the best way to get people to give you money is to show up with money on your own and make it a request for more money), Brian Cremins on Grass Green (please somebody hire him to do a book), Marc Singer on Persepolis and Susan Kirtley on elements and flourishes coming out of Lynn Johnston's initial impulse to re-tell the For Better Or For Worse stories from the beginning after she ended the primary narrative several years ago.

* all of the professional presentations were good, too. Cartoonists and comics people are getting much better at that across the board. I had a great time talking to Jeff and I think that went at least reasonably well. A lot of laughing. Justin Green and Carol Tyler were great; I'd never met Justin Green let alone seen him speak, and I feel about meeting the underground greats the way I used to feel about meeting the all-time top 50 NBA players. Dash Shaw was funny and interesting; he's become a really good presenter of his own material. Phoebe Gloeckner is always wonderful; she's always very engaged with her material. She talked in straight-forward fashion about her struggle with making art about the situation in Juarez that's presented itself to her. There was a work she showed on screen where she recontextualized all these shots of dead people that she had as "people sleeping" that was a gut punch.

* the best moment for a lot of us there to see it came during the Hanneriina Moisseinen presentation of the documentary Laulu at the Schulz Auditorium at one of the night events. She had already presented her comics in a more traditional sense, but she was there with the documentary as well. The documentary is about her seeking out training in a specific tradition of nearly-gone folk singing, and her relationship with a surviving master. I thought it was good. During the Q&Q afterwards, Phoebe Gloeckner requested -- I still don't know if they had planned this in advance or not, I've been told both things -- that Moisseinen sing. She sang a song a capella. That was quite remarkable. The room was slightly in awe; most people had their eyes closed.

* I learned someting new about Jeff Smith despite having talked to him and having interviewed him countless times. He said during oour talk that he considers the heart of Bone, the key series of scenes in the narrative, the resolution of the plotline where Phoney Bone turns the villagers into a paranoid group of dragon-fearful clowns. That this is his choice of central moment really changes the way I look at Bone, and I didn't think that was possible at this late date. Fascinating.

image

the show ended with a re-scheduled appearance (there were ISIS concerns the first time they tried it) on OSU's campus by Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and a very sick Nate Powell, all in support of the March series. Lewis was a forceful presence and Powell was charming, but the surprise was writer Andrew Aydin, who gave a very fiery speech about politics and his hopes for the March book in potentially helping to restore non-violent activism to a place of honor when it comes to the sort of tool sets that people look to adopt when becoming politically active. That may be the most ambitious, specific mission for any comic ever. That show was extremely well-attended by locals and students, and the line for the signing was the length (see above) and width of the auditorium. Both Caitlin McGurk and Jenny Robb were on-hand for that part of the show as they had also hosted the Congressman at the library to see their Civil Rights exhibit. The Congressman personally and enthusiastically thanked Bill Kartalopoulos for his the inclusion of March material in Best American Comics and Bill was over the moon.

image* one of my favorite memories from the entire year in comics was having lunch the first day of ICAF 2014 with Moore, Hoffer and Bruce Chrislip. Bruce came up from Cincinnati where he lives now. I knew Bruce in Seattle, where he was best known for being the first cartoonist to move to the Seattle area and for being the cover model on Peter Bagge's 'zine I Like Comics. Chrislip is the kind of man who will mention an article about a comics show in Youngstown in 1973 and then pull out a manila folder and present Xeroxes of the article. That's my kind of guy.

* it was freezing cold all weekend, so the thought they're going below the Mason-Dixon line for the next show in Spring 2016 is good news on that front, at least.

* so that was a meaty show, the actual show part of it. Just a lot of ideas to consider, a lot of smart people talking comics and hoping to make a bigger place for comics in what they do. I don't know that I can talk about that's week's social activity without sounding ridiculous. Most of were hosued downtown about a 45 minute walk away from the campus -- I know I and Moisseinen and Don Simpson (oh, yeah, the cartoonist Don Simpson was there, I'll come back to him) walked it one direction or the other, but most people took a bus or cab or caught a ride. We were thus stuck for late-night entertainment in a pretty active part of northern downtown, but one which we didn't know. Because of the rotating nature of the event, ICAF seemed to have a slight problem figuring out who was hosting the part and who was there to enjoy the party, if that makes any sense. It seemed less of a problem as the weekend went on. Without a lot of structure -- and you don't want too much structure at one of these things -- you rediscover that most comics people aren't seize the moment kind of people. That's to their credit, but on a wekeend like that what it means is that sometimes things get left hanging in the air.

* eventually, as in all things comics, the academics found a suitable dive-y bar near the Hampton Inn & Suites. Many went there multiiple nights and enjoyed various giddy, intense conversations about comics and life and careers. Scholars have something in common with artists in that right now the boom in each field hasn't found its way into a whole lot of their pockets, which I think at least in conversation highly sympathetic to issues of exploitation as they still exist in various comics fields.

* I got to ride in a cab with Charles Hatfield one of those nights -- Simpson and another late-arriving academic took our places in Robert Loss' car -- and we talked about 1990s ICAFs, and what a heady experience that was for him at that time. Hatfield was so nice he called the dispatcher for the cab we phoned to get to cancel it once we jumped in another one. That's not something that would even occur to me.

image* I thought most people in attendance had a decent, laid-back time. I had a really fun time breaking bread with Dash Shaw for the first time in two full years, for instance, with Jeff Smith and Vijaya Iyer, just off campus. I had a good time throughout. You forget when you go and work at comics shows how much fun it is to go to comics shows, even one as off-beat as ICAF.

* Don Simpson has a PhD now, and seemed taken with elements of the show -- a very different con experience than going to one of the old guard as a professional cartoonist, I figure. I greatly enjoyed talking to him, and that he enjoyed himself at a very different comics show reminded of May and mainstream industry vet Scott Dunbier sighing happily and telling me that he tought TCAF was his favorite show. I hadn't seen Don since we were both on the infamous SDCC "Get Larry Marder" panel after Image went with Diamond and everyone thought that meant that Capital would go under owing enough money to capsize a couple dozen publishers. The good old days. Things turned out okay. It looks like they turned out well for Don Simpson, too. I hope to see Simpson again once I'm settled in the Midwest.

* I only had to e-mail one comics pro after the show due to a drunken promise I made at 1 AM, so my thanks to Jeff Lemire.

* I only lost all of my important papers and computer stuff once, but it was only lost in the front of James Moore's car so I dodged a bullet there. My thanks to him for returning them as opposed to scanning and tweeting the contents of the bag.

* Jeff Smith and I also soft-announced CXC there, which was interesting primarily for me in what people asked after. I'm really grateful people stopped and talked to me about it the rest of that evening. There will be an academic portion to the four-day version of the show starting in 2016, so we thought it would be nice to let that community be the first to know. We'll get better about talking about our plans in public, and we look forward to 2015 and beyond.

* the last night in Columbus about a dozen of us still standing found a completely different and mostly empty for a Saturday night downtown brewery/restaurant in which to talk nonsense and nurse very cheap beers. By the way, the contrast between going to New York and then to Columbus where for the cost of a beer in the former can net you a round for a whole table at the latter, this was never lost on me. Midwest 4-ever. There's a better world out there with an Eagles Lodge-type bar and meeting place organized around cartoonists. I look forward to making Columbus my new home. Also at one point watching members of our group of comics people gingerly wonder what table they might be allowed to sit, I decided that maybe functioning in a bar should be a programming track at cons or at least taught at CCS.

image* Bill Kartalopoulos fell asleep at the table, shaming the rest of us. He left it all on the field. Go Buckeyes.

* so that was ICAF: a blur of fun ideas ("when and under what circumstances does what we know about cartoonists in terms of personal history and gossip become relevant to our study of them?"), significant artistry and community advocacy. I remember great big messy pieces of it, and I can't wait to see by the next one a) how many people take Bart's challenging keynote advice to heart, b) how many ever admit to it. I also have a bunch of reading to do. Everyone should try to attend one. It's classes, but they're fun classes, and the scholars are only a little annoyed at you if you keep falling asleep in the back row.

* I didn't go to sleep that last night. I went back to the hotel at 1:30 AM and watched SportsCenter for an hour before calling a cab. At 3:17 AM, the bus started up in its bay in downtown Columbus. Thanks to the newly resurgent modern miracle that is regional bus transportation, three hours later I was in my hometown, eating an omelette, having walked from the station to two blocks south of the YMCA. I was sitting across the table from a pal I've known since 1979. Comics didn't come up once.

*****

* all art used should be recognizable in context, or I did it wrong. I guess the difficult one to figure out might the Bringing Up Father panel, which was simply a depiction of New York I've always liked. My thanks to all of my various dining and drinking companion and the generous organizers of these shows.

*****

image
image

*****
*****
 
posted 9:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
By Request Extra: We Should All Think About Sending A Small Tip To The Cartoonist Kate Beaton

image

Kate Beaton put up a reminder that she has a tip button built into one of her on-line homes. It takes you here. As we get near the end of this year's iteration of her well-regarded Christmas cartoons, it might be nice to consider sending a few dollars in appreciation. It might be nice to do that for a lot of the sites who still use that system, but I hope you'll start with Beaton.
 
posted 4:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
December 27, 2014


Go, Look: Swinespritzen

image
 
posted 9:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Shelves From The Home Of The Golden Age Site

image
 
posted 7:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Lipstick

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Russ Cochran’s Comic Art Auction

image
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
OTBP: Caaats!

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Tokyo, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 33rd Birthday, Richard Short!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 47th Birthday, Chris Ware!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 92nd Birthday, Stan Lee!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Katie Parrish

image
 
posted 6:30 am PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: New Funnies #155

image
 
posted 6:10 am PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Grateful Dead Song Adaptations

image
 
posted 6:05 am PST | Permalink
 

 
The Comics Reporter Video Parade One-Shot


Stan Lee Interviewed At WonderCon, 1988
 
posted 6:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
Not Comics: Late ‘50s Semi-Naughty Magazine Illustrations

image
 
posted 6:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
December 26, 2014


CR Week In Review

imageThe top comics-related news stories from December 20 to December 26, 2014:

1. Pushback against newspaper apologizing for people having a strong reaction to a cartoon, even though one might think this is a desired outcome for newspapers with their editorial cartoons, barring a complete breach of sense and rational public conduct.

2. The Norm Breyfogle stroke fund raises almost $50K with four weeks left to donate.

3. Heidi MacDonald caught this one right at the end of the week: Detroit Fanfare shuts down.

Winners Of The Week
Your Broken Frontier winners.

Loser Of The Week
This site, for waiting until December to do this year's convention reports. What can I say? Things got weird.

Quote Of The Week
"We are fortunate that Michael Ramirez is only a cartoonist, and lacks the power to commit any sin more grievous than the sin of tasteless exploitation." -- Tom Junod
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 48th Birthday, Joan Hilty!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 40th Birthday, Keith Pille!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 59th Birthday, MD Bright!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 41st Birthday, Nina Bunjevac!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 25, 2014


Go, Look: Matt Sheean

image
 
posted 10:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Everything I Still Remember About Small Press Expo 2014

image
image

*****

These are my notes and observations from the weekend of Small Press Expo (SPX) 2014. They are very late.

A couple of months before attending this show I accepted a position as Festival Director of Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, a show starting in 2016 with a launch event in 2015. Please read the following in the light of that knowledge, and come to whatever conclusion you like.

*****

* like this year's Comic-Con International, I thought SPX 2014 was a fine show with a few surpassing, memorable elements as opposed to it being a comics festival for the ages. Having said that, I fully realize there are those that had the most amazing weekend of their lives last September and those that made the decision they will never come back. And so it goes.

* that does make SPX 2014 a fine show to kind of take the temperature of that whole scene, though, as much as one is ever able to do that.

* here's how the memory goes: while I can remember several things about the Small Press Expo weekend, I don't remember what exactly I was doing in Columbus, Ohio the week before Small Press Expo. Sorry, Columbus.

* I do remember that this was the trip where all the traveling I've been doing began to take its toll. I got really, really exhausted in the second half of 2014; frequently so. It could not have helped for me to keep taking trips of 7-10 days with multiple stops. I've written about this a bunch, but when I moved to New Mexico the travel expectations for the comics part of my life is that I'd probably go to San Diego Con -- I could even drive -- and then every other year I'd maybe do SPX or another show somewhere. This is 2002. The idea that I'd have any desire at all to travel to 7-10 shows a year or that I'd be able to use them professionally or that they might become a requirement for figuring out comics, never occurred to me.

* so getting picked up at Jeff Smith's house by Caitlin McGurk to make a morning flight, a whole 15 minute drive to the airport, as an isolated part of my travel? Easy as pie. McGurk was heading to the show as well only from a different (better) terminal, and she'd be spending the first part of that weekend returning art to that lovely man Richard Thompson from the Billy Ireland show earlier this year. That was one of the great things of comics this year, that Billy Ireland Watterson/Thompson show.

image

* travel tip one: for SPX I fly into Reagan National Airport when at all possible. It's a smaller airport, it doesn't seem to cost any more than BWI or Dulles (both Delta and America run frequent short flights from JFK), and the train that runs 100 yards out the door is the same one, with a single transfer, that drops you off 200 yards from the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center where SPX takes place.. I've known people to come in to the other airports and they either have a semi-laborious time hopping trains and buses to get to the SPX hotel or they say "screw it" and take a reasonably expensive cab. I generally like public transportation for comics show when it's convenient for its sort of relentless ordinariiness -- I feel like I'll get to my destination because of all these people looking certain they'll get to theirs.

* I had an easy time in. I had an easy time out after the show, too, fewer than three people ahead of me in the security line. In 2013 I discovered that I had a bunch of bottle beer in my baggage and drank two in the men's bathroom across from security, leaving another three for whoever cleaned up. So that airport and I, we're pals.

* drinking in the airport bathroom: totally SPX.

* travel tip two: sign up for Marriott points and orient yourself to SPX as your reward weekend. If you go to Toronto and maybe one or two other shows and stick to the Marriotts, it's pretty easy to earn one or two nights of your stay for free every year. With access to the site for points members, you can also snag a room early on within a few bucks of the convention rate.

* there was actually a really tight clamp-down on rooms this year, which still makes little sense to me considering that two years ago the Expo shared the place with the University of West Virginia band (on their way to Maryland for a football game) and people still got rooms. I don't think the show is that much bigger in terms of overnight stays, but I guess it could be. But this time out, rooms were actually sold out about three weeks away from the show. A few of my pals took what I'm going to assume will be the spillover hotel moving forward: the Hilton one train stop up, a very similarly-sized hotel with similar conveniences, just not in the heart of it all.

* the first person I saw Thursday night was Simon Hanselmann, who communicated travel horrors including a skipped day where he was initially without a hotel room. He introduced himself to me, but I had recognized him from the Brooklyn show he attended in 2013: he has very intense eyes. Haneselmann would go on to have a big weekend, and I think he knew what was coming. One thing that strikes me about Hanselmann that I'm not sure I all the way understood before SPX weekend is that both there and in Brooklyn he seemed to know everyone and their work -- the way a true believer would, someone who's invested in the world of alt-comics. It sounds dumb, because why wouldn't you know about comics or about your professional peer group, but not everyone approaches it that way.

image

* almost no one shows up to SPX an evening early. Everyone who does show up is pretty cool, though, mostly the older special guests and those with friends and family in the area. It's a good night to do your "visit DC friends" activities.

* Thursday night dinner with Chip Mosher from comiXology, who -- let's be honest, Chip -- wasn't really up to the technology in the car he rented. Buttons and light displays, and poor Chip is looking for the mechanical gauge that tells him where the key goes.

* Mosher was there promoting their Submit program and to my eyes kind of figuring out what that big digital company might be able to do at shows other than SPX. I had fun talking to people all weekend about using that option. Most seemed amenable, and were just slow coming around to trying it. The general feeling in the room seemed to be that Amazon-owned either didn't matter, was actually another positive, or was something that the cartoonists were wary of but resigned to just as they're wary of and resigned to working with gigantic media companies in a lot of other ways. My general take is you should try to get your comics into as many places as possible barring horrific creators rights abuses, so the opinions expressed by most of the cartoonists make sense to me.

* there is literally nothing better in comics than sitting at that big, lit-up lobby table on Friday morning and watch the special guests assemble for Warren Bernard's field trip to the Library of Congress. They really do look like a bunch of kids off to the zoo. That's a great trip, though, if you ever get a chance to take it.

image

* all hail that table, generally, come to think of it.

* hunt out, lifted, worked and said hi to people as they rolled into the lobby. Had a long conversation with Brigid Alverson, which was a super-pleasure. She and I have northern Indiana in common: me Lake Wawasee, her the general Notre Dame area.

* the gym was less used, it seemed, this time out than the two years before. We may have reached peak health. I have no idea why that might be the case. I did see people come into the room just for the fruit, which can't be what the Marriott intends. I'm told this is the biggest weekend of the year from them, though, so it's not likely we'll hear many complaints. In fact, I thought the general policing was a bit more relaxed this year, both people eating in the lobby and people drinking a private drink or two within the orbit of the hotel's bar. I'm told checking around this wasn't an observation shared by a lot of my pals, but there you go.

* one funny incident -- at least to me -- was very early on walking with a couple of cartoonists and one housecleaner looking to another housecleaner inquisitively. The other lady looks up and says "SPX," and the first lady nodded.

image

* it was a weird show in that it has become just big enough you might miss people or basically miss a few people for the entire weekend, which isn't something I think of as an SPX experience. For instance, I saw Julia Wertz -- who had returned to SPX after a year away that likely felt like 10, and has a new book out and everything -- for like five seconds as the doors of an elevator closed. Some of this is younger cartoonists replacing older ones, and older ones having more rigorous sleep schedules, but it really did seem to move just 10 percent from "everyone" to "everyone plus one." A small college to a small division one university.

* I shared a room with the great Frankie Santoro -- who showed up with a cold/flu he very generously shared -- and my brother Whit, who had never been. Whit turned 50 this year, so we planned to meet up at SPX and then head to New Orleans for a couple of days and a birthday dinner or three. (It was a great time.) Also, I needed photos.

* having Whit around at shows is great because his presence reminds me of things about shows that I'd forgotten. For instance, Whit told me a couple of months afterwards that SPX felt colder to him than shows he'd be to like San Diego and Charlotte, and you know what? Of course it does: SPX is ridiculously friendly, but it's also a hardcore cartoonists' show as opposed to the broader convention experience you find at some of the more mainstream cons. When Whit and I go out to dinner in San Diego, there are usually significant others and friends of comics-people at the table; at SPX, it's all cartoonists and comics-people all the time. This is a strength. But you tend to forget how that might look to someone not in that circle where you're burrowed in with four or five of your pals, talking about people only 75 other people in the world may know.

image

* Friday is SPX Reacquaintance Day, fun for its sometime-awkwardness. Afternoon drinks; people clustered around the lobby. Trips to the package store. Anger about the bed situation. Ritual-Friday drinks and appetizers at Chili's. It was great to see everyone. Here Josh Cotter, Chris Pitzer and Andrew Neal ease themselves into the weekend. Someone in comics should find something for Andrew Neal to do; I get the feeling he'd like to stay in the comics space in some way less wholly involved than running a well-regarded shop, and he did that very well which indicates a lot of talent.

* speaking of beer, they really need to start putting beer prices on the 12-packs and cases at that little store in the shopping mall past McDonald's. Travel tip three: remember to buy a bottle opener if you don't have one; and if you buy one don't count on bringing it back with you on the plane.

* one person in particular I hadn't seen in a while is the aforementioned Josh Cotter, right in the middle of making a gigantic comic which we'll hopefully see sooner rather than later. He strikes me as way more grounded than the very young man I met in Chicago some years ago. Only in comics is that surprising; we have a lot of Peter Pans.

* the day moved on. For some reason I had two conversations about Quakerism.

image

* picked up my badges. I had a press badge, which had a joke on it and art from Shannon Wheeler. I can't remember if the joke was that press peoople are leeches whose response is disproportionate to the art or if it's that they're disdainful but secretly fanboys. It was something like that, though. Sorry, Shannon. Some of my press peers rolled their eyes at this because it seems weird to give some of your people a badge that insults them, but it wasn't a big deal, just an odd one; I think it came up in conversation twice.

image

* there was a mostly informal reception after registration, with a small amount of food served. This was actually fairly hopping, and seemed to skew older -- I'm thinking of younger cartoonists getting together in rooms and for dinner out as the older folks and con regulars took advantage of Warren's hospitality. It could be that people were getting things ready with the show, too, I'm not certain.

* the alpha in that room was Lynda Barry.

image

* I had a slight fanboy freakout when I realized that Bill Kartalopoulos had worked with the show in a way that Yvan Alagbé was in attendance. I think that guy's one of the top 15 active cartoonists in the world. He had actually attended a couple of shows over here, bu this was before I'd made a mission of reading Negres Jaunes. The other guest from the French-language market was Dominique Goblet, another really accomplished artist with whose work I'm less familiar. The European cartoonist tie for SPX goes back to the old days of SPX/ICAF crossover and actual embassy engagments, believe it or not. What a great thing for a show to feature, though. I don't know how popular their material was -- I think they sold ahead of expectations -- but there was not a better exhibitor at that show book to book to book.

* we lost James Sturm to some quality Lynda Barry time -- they were having an intense conversation about teaching -- so I wandered out to dinner with a bunch of comics-people and my brother: a 20 minute walk away. Travel tip four: spend ten minutes finding a restaurant. Although its reputation is the opposite, that area does actually have a few places that are just fine eating, double that if you want to short hop in car, and an infinite amount if you're willing to drive a little further or hop on the train. Work within your bouandaries, but don't just give up and start tromping around the neighborhood. Make a choice and go for it.

* late Friday night the Marriott starts to come together. Some people have signings -- the Atomic Books one being the regular occasion -- so the bulk of young cartoonists don't gather into one place until midnight or so Friday into Saturday.

* Saturday morning is also fun to hang out. You see who goes out for local coffee together. You see who works out -- even the one or two people that run. You see people carrying oddly-shaped things. You see the bemused look on the faces of other people staying there.

image

* I did this interview with Renee French that morning. And then I didn't see her again for the entire weekend. We had breakfast in her room like two old acquaintances, which is of course what we are. There was cackling.

* I also made her late to her first signing. Sorry, Annie. By the way, Renee French had as good a 2014 as any working cartoonist between her books at Yam Books and Koyama Press, and she is ignored way too frequently.

* the show was pretty hopping the entire weekend, crowds-wise; it was definitely 2013 levels of audience engagement rather than the crazed atmosphere of the slightly smaller and star-studded 2012, but all that means is that instead of nearly everybody doing well a significant proportion did well, with many do extremely well. It seemed there was a definite advantage to having good-looking new work out, another advantage if you're the kind of personality that makes selling material easier, and I think maybe an advantage being of an age somewhere between being old enough to have been to a few Expos but young enough you're still within the relative mean of that big room. The first sell-outs I heard of were from Lynda Barry, although by the end of the weekend it seemed a lot of people had moved a lot of material to near or actual sell-outs. The first line for signing where someone came up to me and said, "Hey did you see the line for -- " was Hanselmann.

* one thing that seemed true this year that I hadn't noticed before is that there was a definite advantage to certain locations claimed by some cartoonists, particularly Saturday, and some people complaining about their location within the room itself. That seems like it would be a thing every year, but this is the first time I recalled hearing it directly since the old Holiday Inn.

image

* the programming was once again excellent. That's a real advantage for them. Bill Kartalopoulos is the best person in North America and maybe the world when it comes to putting together sophisticated, high-quality programming within any parameters he's given. He's a really good moderater himself, maybe the best at that, too. James Sturm did a nice job keeping the impossibly stuffed alt-newspaper cartoonists panel hopping and giving everyone a chance to be funny and insightful. Katie Skelly moderated a panel with Meghan Turbitt, Julia Gfrörer and Eleanor Davis that was super-fascinating in terms of providing insight into each cartoonist's work (Davis in particular seems to approach those panels as open and as raw as anyone I've ever seen do them; every single thing she said on a panel that whole weekend was interesting). I jumped in an out of panels all day. They were all well-attended; I asked after but did not hear about a stinker, although some people commented on the looseness of the Inkstuds panel compared to a lot of the more focused presentations throughout the day. Because of Kartalopoulos, I think, SPX is the only show where I've heard those in attendance describe doing them aspirationally, like it's really exciting to be on a panel or to moderate one. I think the culture of the panels, the seriousness with which they're taken, drives a lot about what makes them good across the board.

* a couple of people suggested to me that maybe the big panels could go on a little longer, but I think SPX already has its hands full in terms of providing a panel opportunity for all the major guests in attendance; it seems to me it would be extraordinarily difficult to do a two-hour programming track in addition to everything else and still keep the quality across the board, but I guess there's a chance they might play with the basic formula a bit in the next few years. It should also be interesting to see how those panels develop as the show's big names change over time.

image

* I thought RAV 1st Collection by Mickey Zachilli was the book of the show. I might get pushback on that one, but I'm right, they're wrong.

image

* I thought "Bon-Bon From Katie Skelly" (from SEIBEI) was the t-shirt of the show. Not even close. I got a Humans t-shirt that was as cool as can be, and I'm sure there were other great shirts there. But I saw 10 people wearing this shirt at the show, which I don't know I've ever seen before.

* there was more than a bit of talk on the show floor still about Fantagraphics publishing Fukitor, the Jason Karns book, as the first effort in its non-bookstore, limited run oriented FU Press. I believe the book had just been announced. I didn't have a whole lot to offer those conversations, for a range of reasons including the fact my astonishingly high level of privilege almost certainly occludes my reasoning. I need to write a full essay about it, which will likely disappoint a lot of different people for a lot of different reasons. Basically, though, I have hard time seeing art as having qualities of its own, and I have an even harder time seeing art as as an endorsement of something separate from what its author intends -- not because I think it's impossible for art to exist in that space, but because I think it's rare. Also, while I grant that every reaction to art has its own validity, I'm interested in the more considered ones due to my own biases as a critic. The end result is I don't know that I can think of art as violent, but I can think of art as pro-violence, and I can get at that notion in a variety of ways.

* most art that falls into the realm of promoting the aberrant is usually so shit-stupid that that is what becomes the dominant characteristic, and the way I feel I best understand it. That makes me more likely to see something that upsets me in art that's crafted using awfulness as a inducement, or art, usually made for commercial means, that has little personal expression involved in its existence and thus very little point at all in relation to what it depicts. I'm also a bit of a monster in that I'll frequently find value in art that embraces awful ideas, like the Jack T. Chick Crusaders comics and their deranged, feverish anti-Catholicism or some of the off-the-hook depravities depicted in a few underground comics and successors like the Mike Diana books. I don't mean I find in them just enough value -- perhaps in the abstract -- that they should be protected, but enough that it holds my interest and becomes something from which I learn, just like art that directly affirms some of my hard-won values and beliefs. I know that my ability to go there with some works of art is almost certainly a privilege of my birth, background, position, education and orientation, and I don't insist anyone else go anywhere I can the same way I'll ask folks to understand if I can't be in the room for other kinds of art. Art's complicated.

image* for what it's worth, I also don't really sense that Fantagraphics thinks it's being rascally and transgressive; I don't detect a gauntlet being thrown that way except by people arguing about this, or people stammering to articulate someone's else motivations, or maybe in the general sense that every published book is a gauntlet thrown somewhere. I imagine that a few people there -- and it's a big company -- like the energy and the fuck-it qualities of the work and are willing to extend to the cartoonist the idea he does not intend to demean individuals in the way people might very logically feel demeaned by elements of the material. I also imagine that this material was ready to go, and while I don't think Fantagraphics picks fights because they're too busy to think that way that's not a company that tends to finesse things, either, same reason.

* I do hope there's an opportunity to re-examine the choice to publish Fukitor when we have three to four years worth of work in that line for context. Context could radically change how we see that choice, one direction or the other.

* so there's that. My apologies for every way that was poorly expressed.

* I did think it was interesting that a lot of the argumentation I heard about Fukitor treated Fantagraphics as a monolithic voice and as kind of cabal of clueless old men. It was a big weekend for young Fantagraphics, and they've been pretty good since at least the mid-1990s about letting people there have a run at stuff that's personally meaningful to them and manifests some of the things they believe in or would like to see publish, whether that's editors at the company, author/editors with whom they work, and even TCJ editors.

* they had a real strong middle- to late-summer, by the way, the bulk of what they kickstarted to get themselves back and humming again. Their CCI table was loaded; most of that stuff was here as well and then the con debuts. There are retailers that are going to kill me for this, because they fight to sell comics book to book, but I do think it's an overall good when publishers have material at shows that aren't available in the stores yet. I get the downside. I do think it should either be generally known or specifically known what sales plans are, though.

image* so Saturday night my friend Gil Roth and I drove Kartalopoulos, Goblet and Alagbé up the road for dinner. Gil and I were going to slip into a Persian restaurant up there for dinner, but as it was busy and we had more people than our reservation claimed, we ended up in a rowdy, family-oriented Tex-Mex place next door at the request of our guests. I think the America-ness of the place was greatly appreciated by the cartoonists: the drink glasses in the shape of cactii, the giant portions, sour cream everywhere. That was really fun, and I got a rough idea of their lives as artists. To be honest, with five tired people over 35 replacing necessary blood sugars the level of conversation was more goofy than erudite. I was still freaked out by chatting with Alagbé.

* one of the stories Gil tells about that weekend was the surprise the artists exhibited that he was there for a little bit of podcasting but mostly as a fan, a reader of comics, instead of a maker of them.

* That's Gil in the photo at left. Gil did at least the Porcellino podcast this weekend -- I think he also did a follow-up with the Friedmans. This is the weekend I realized Gil has better reach into certain corners of comics than I have, and I'm all for it.

* while we ate, back at the hotel Gary Groth kissed Simon Hanselmann and a fun Ignatz time was had by all. That was something to see, something all those in the same room will be happy they were ten years from now. I had a couple of people ask me straight up why SPX gave that time over to Fantagraphics, but it was a really good promotional move (they were smart to include folks outside the company) and people will remember that as the thing from this year. I think that's a funny, super-interesting book.

image
image

* the Ignatz winners were really young. They always are. Congratulations to them and to the nominees. That so many cartoonists are actively pining for that specific recognition speaks well to the potential longevity of that program. The conventional wisdom for this year's nominees and winners is that it was a strong group across the board, although one prominent cartoonist -- not known for a negative outlook -- told me the next day she thought they nominees weren't close to the best the art form has to offer, even the art form as represented by the cartoonists that tend to exhibit at SPX. Something I've been hearing all year long, from cartoonists old and very, very young, is some confusion as to why more young cartoonists haven't distinguished themselves from the very good the way it happened in the past generation. That's a gigantic can of worms even if you agree with the premise. But it's definitely on some folks' minds, that we're beginning to see a generation taking shape with an astonishing number of very good cartoonists but with very few great ones.

* one reason I like SPX is that it's lighthearted and happy and everything's awesome and then BOOM! you get people wondering after entire generations of comics-makers or asking out loud if they or any of their friends can continue doing comics into their 30s.

* I didn't go to the prom.

* I like dancing, I swear to God -- invite me to your wedding, you'll see. Here's me in high school. It's just never occurred to me that's something I'd want to do at a comics show. But that's great; everything doesn't have to be about me, and there's a very, very good argument most things shouldn't. Doubly so at SPX. I'm told a lot of people enjoyed themselves, and that R. Sikoryak and Kriota Willberg are our representatives if aliens land in front of the hotel and challenge our champion dancers for the fate of the planet.

* any time you have a planned social activity you're going to have some pushback, so I admire SPX for going full-bore in the direction suggested by the youth of their exhibitor and attendee base. To be honest, I didn't hear a lot of anger or resentment about that planned activity. There was some confusion. "Are they really doing this?" But little disagreement, even from the grumpiest of the devoted sit-at-a-table-and-drink crowd.

image

* two things I think the prom did do. The first is it changed the physical state of the late-night Saturday night from a core location with some satellite activities to at least two "central" locations (the hotel bar, the dance space), the satellite locations of people hanging out in rooms either to give up or to throw small parties (I'm talking early evening only), and then this kind of spread of people from one end of the hotel to another. Those are enough places where people were hanging and doing things to make wherver you were feel like it was maybe not the exact place to be, or at least everyone wasn't there with you. I imagine that idea that everyone in the entire show hangs out together was always a myth, but prom night you just couldn't sustain it.

* the second thing the prom did, and this is way more delicate and complicated, was provided just enough of a step-back moment to throw the spotlight on a lot of the simmering issues underlying that community right now. A lot of people kept asking me about the "weird mood" at the show or "the dark cloud." And I agree with these folks there was something going on. But it wasn't really specific to SPX, and has little to do with anything they did. Pestering about three to four dozen people about this over the weekend, another dozen since, and thinking over their answers, what I heard from people about SPX and the general mood came back to a few, definite things, as follows.

1) Burnout. There was an idea expressed that SPX 2014 was another show -- a good show -- in a long line of shows, a part of this sort of mad dash of quality shows people have been doing four to five times a year for three or four years now. If you're trying to come out with new material at every appearance you make, that is a tremendous time commitment -- doubly so for the lack of a permanent sales infrastructure for a lot of that work which might make gettings something into another feeder system a goal. In other words, I don't know anyone that gets something out at SPX in order to also hit back to school at comics shops, or Christmas catalogs, or whatever. As I mentioned above, there used to be 1.5 shows that anyone I knew would do, and even that schedule could be exhausting. Most of the good shows are heady, peak experiences now, which makes them settle into the calendar year with force and impact outside of the actual days they're held.

2) Cycles. As good as the last two Small Press Expos have been -- as good as most shows generally have been -- there was a run of shows including the 2012 SPX that included a lot of the current generation's art heroes and provided an emotional release after the passing of Dylan Williams in 2011. Williams was the first major figure in the first SPX generation to pass away. There were some pretty giddy shows there for a while, and I imagine this latest run of them might feel different for that, particularly if you allow the usual qualifiers about what was likely dozens of people have the greatest weekend of their lives.

3) Generational Shift. There were not a lot of people my age, there. In fact, my old and dear comics pal Chris Oarr, a founder of the show, was on hand, and he recognized almost no one from his time running the event (Oarr looked remarkably the same). I mention that to underline that the core SPX crowd the last few years has been this significant group of 26 to 33 year-olds, many of whom went to school together, many of whom entered comics at a promising time in terms of some potential commerical avenues (that haven't all the way worked out) and certainly with an apparatus for public recognition in place (which may make the lack of reward that much more difficult to explain). That's a group of cartoonists and comics-people that are starting to bring work into established publishers, that are starting their own imprints, that are getting great jobs and seeing their comics on end-of-year lists. It's also a generation that as it's their time at bat are struggling with some of the realities of comics in terms of the ruthlessly low pay or meager similar reward for backbreaking, life-altering work. Most people just look at themselves differently on either side of 30 than they did at 23. The potential you carry around with you when you're 23 years old is a lot more difficult to envision as a real thing when you're 32. You become a person who did this or that; you're no longer just a person who will do this or that. A peak experience like an SPX is an amazing thing, but what I heard from a lot of pros on hand, particularly pros in that age group, is that they're more and more worried about the day to day aspects of how they're choosing to live life and pursue art than they are delighted that they get to blow out the doors every couple of months.

* so my hunch is the prom just made a certain subset of people feel for a few seconds that they might not belong, or force them to confront how they belong. That's not how things usually proceed at a giddy experience like SPX. This pause caused a few folks within that subset to stop and brood about a few things over which many were already thinking about, if only at the back of their minds. Basically: "What's the point?" and "Is this for me?" and "How do I do this?" So it was different. But I think an SPX is a appropriate place to have those thoughts. If nothing else, we do kind of have to figure out why cons like SPX work so well and maybe use that information to figure out why the time between the cons works much, much less effectively.

* anyone that feels more like dancing should continue to dance, of course. There is never anything wrong with dancing.

image

* Sunday? Pretty blurry. Some of Sunday at SPX is "More Saturday." I know that I had brunch with MK Reed, that nice lady from Brooklyn Book Fair, my brother, Robin McConnell and Brandon Graham. It was good to see Brandon operating in the art-comics space for a weekend, and I think there's a chance he could be a pivotal figure in developing markets for cartoonist that share some degree of his skills. I processed that there were so many people there eating breakfast as a significant positive for how people did money-wise the day before. I also had an epic conversation at the lit table with a bunch of different artists, none of whom I could imagine naturally hanging out in another space.

image

* I got to do the Eleanor Davis panel. She's an artist I admire very much, and I also came to feel very strongly about how open and raw and present she was on her panels, both in San Diego and in Bethesda. My understanding of Davis is she's not particularly comfortable -- or hasn't been particularly comfortable -- with the public aspects of the work she does, so to be really unflinching in terms of how she engages with questions and inquiries and just people coming up to her is awesome. I've done a few panels where I could tell the audience was super-taken with the artist and their work, and that was top three. I hope she has a long career and does whatever the hell she wants to maximum happiness.

* if you get a chance to see Davis do that particular presentation -- if she's ever doing it again -- please do.

* I assured John Porcellino that the Bears were going to beat the 49ers that evening. I was right.

* I'm not sure that I got a consensus in terms of material on the floor. Paul Karasik sent me over to buy a mini-comic he liked called Maleficium, but I don't remember anyone else being that specific. The Alagbé/Goblet table was full of great books and even stapled comics work, which you almost never get to see. I was happy to see David Plunkert had a new Heroical out. Some people told me they headed straight for the new Noah Van Sciver. The comics from El Globoscopio, a Colombian collective, were amazing-looking and probably the most asked-after track-down item in my direct peer group. I believe I got Lose #6 there; that was good. I remember wanting to find but not being able to find the James Romberger/Josh Simmons team-up Daddy. Romberger apparently got one to me personally -- something I don't remember -- so it's all good. A bunch of folks were agog over the comics of Kate Lacour. That show's strength isn't on the top end but more of its extended quality offerings of interest across the board, so I'm sure I missed out onlike 745 good comics, and the one that I noticed would be a completely different group for another, just as interested con-goer.

image

* here's Paul Karasik telling a long story about being overseas teaching comics and biking around having adventures. That's one of my favorite things about SPX, too, that it attracts a lot of cartoonists with interesting ins and side-jobs related to books. They're all broke, or at least the comics part doesn't pay really well, but the stories are great.

image

* I mentioned earlier that Lynda Barry was the show's biggest players in terms of the force of her presence there, and I think that's true: you could feel the room change when she walked into one. People collected encounters with her like precious gems, which of course they are. Jules Feiffer -- that's him signing -- was the show's elder statesman, and those of us in my generation and older spent the whole weekend just staring at him, watching him. We were just as intense as any fan base at the show, we were just a smaller, older group. Someone -- I don't remember who -- reported back to me they watched him read the Sunday newspaper comics and realized that was a really cool experience to have, as Feiffer is of course a gigantic figure in the regard and study of comics as well as a key maker.

* I tagged along with Gil Roth when he interviewed Feiffer a couple of months later, and he seemed really taken by his SPX experience -- even noting the difference between the level of enthusiasm and number of comics-makers now and when he had attended one of the early versions.

image

* Sunday wound down pretty spectacularly -- a lot of tired souls at SPX this year. A lot more people than usual seemed to be taking to the bar mid-day, taking longer-than-usual breaks. I had a nice talk with Sean T. Collins and got to catch up with Meghan Turbitt. I think that was when I had a longish chat with Chris Ross and a bunch of other folks, but that might have been in the morning. I talked to three different cartoonists who had "that weekend" -- they made more money than they had ever made at a con before and the attention struck them in a way that was powerful and affecting. One of them teared up. We sometimes forget in all of the incremental random bullshit that goes with an arts culture that the desire to make something and have people react to it drives a lot of us to do a lot of things that we might not otherwise do with our lives. I'm glad for everyone that makes comics work for them.

* I'm always grateful to the people that stop me on the floor to talk. I'm thank this year for every single reader.

* had dinner that night with Team Koyama Press, and it was as lovely as it sounds. My brother kiled at the table by going through all of his photos and assigning random, weird, George W. Bush-style nicknames to each person as they came up. We talked about the business, traded old stories. They seemd to be doing pretty well. One thing I like about working with Annie and Ed in particular as a press person is that they don't make any of the same missteps twice. There's really no manual for comics, particularly not anymore, so some sort of inner discipline to kind of hold things together is ten time more necessary than it was a generation ago.

image

* ran into Shannon Wheeler and Keith Knight, who are same-age peers, sitting at a table inside near the bar. Once you're around for multiple decades you have this thing where you make the time to talk to your fellow-travelers whenever you can, even if that wasn't a part of what you did 20 years ago. Both of those cartoonists have a lot to teach younger cartoonists about making opportunities and managing a career in comics. I like them both personally, too. We traded Ed Brubaker stories. Knight's was by far the best; mine was the lamest. At one point, Wheeler threw out the notion in the telling of anecdote the idea that as a young man he was basically treating comics shops in towns he wasn't from as a combination embassy/frequent fliers lounge -- he spoke as if he was pretty certain as a young man that he could leave his suitcases at a store and make some phone calls to find lodging. This is, of course, the greatest idea in the history of comics, and if we could somehow build on this, nothing would make me happier.

* surreal experience on the front porch late at night. I started at one end, with familiar faces, and ended up walking the entire expanse. It pretty quickly ended up being a bunch of people I have yet to meet: it's the majority of that show now. Frank Santoro and I spent twenty minutes in the hotel room earlier that evening looking at my brother's photos and between us we knew maybe 30 percent. It's humbling and exciting.

* I found a seat next to Dustin Harbin, who just turned 40. He had this look on his face of people that just turned 40: "Everything about just turning 40 seems to be all right except the fact that I just turned 40." It was probably gas, but I like to make up stories. We sat and talked. It was that moment that comes at every SPX, and comes at Comic-Con and Emerald City, and all the really good shows, where you just think you could sit right there in that spot, surrounded by those people, having those conversations, for a thousand years. That's when you know it's time to go to bed.

* the next day I was in New Orleans.

* hey, let's look some extra photos:

image
image
There's a story I tell about comics' changing guard where in 2012 I asked someone to go to Sunday night dinner with us and they said, "We're going with Fanta." So I turn around and expect to see Kim and Gary and instead I see Jen Vaughn and Jacq Cohen. They are Fantagraphics now. This is the Drawn and Quarterly version right here, Tracy Hurren and Julia Pohl-Miranda representing D+Q at SPX right after repping them at Comic-Con and there's no difference, just different people. This probably sounds incredibly trite, but you get used to the same people, particularly with these younger entities (as opposed to like DC Comics), but people making their presence known at the companies is a great thing and SPX is a perfect place for it. Also kudos to Hurren for sporting that Seth-drawn rollerderby t-shirt.

image
SPX is still a very deep show, talent-wise. The three cartoonist to whom I talked that made more than they ever have at a comics show? Only of them is mentioned by name or work in this report. A bunch of people aren't going to get named here that were the center of a lot of things. That's just the way it is. It's still great to wander the show and routinely run into fun comics-makers like Andrea Tsurumi or Nick Abadzis or Colleen Frakes or Nate Powell or Sophia Wiedeman, pictured above.

image
image
image
image
Here's a nice foursome to show SPX's range. I just like that Ben Katchor picture, and it was nice to get to speak to him a few times. Maybe our most consistently under-appreciated great (and prolific!) cartoonists, and that's a hell of a strong category for the comics medium. That's Kevin Kalluagher aka KAL in picture #2. He's reasonably local to the show, and a very enthusiastic, friendly presence when he comes out. I like that he attended in the same way I used to love it when Richard Thompson attended -- the DC sign is a fascinating and vital one in terms of the medium's development. The Economist cartoons are where to start with KAL, although if you see him in person just talk about whatever -- he's fun to talk to. The young folks are Spike Trotman and Ryan Cecil Smith; those are also just great pictures. Trotman I'd love to interview some day; she's had a really interesting career. Anyway, that's a show's worth of talent right there, from four different worlds.

image
image
image
Finally, it was great to see a bunch of photo of friends and peers, hanging out. I'm happy that Tom Scioli and Ed Piskor had strong professional years; they're nice men and devoted comics makers. I don't even know if Ben Katchor and Drew Friedman are close, but I enjoyed see Drew at the show and hadn't run a picture of him yet. I like to think of these two reminiscing about being younger than young cartoonists together at an imaginary SPX from 1978. It's also pretty extraordinary what SPX does with the thoroughness of their guest list. The Josh Neufeld and Dean Haspiel one, that one makes me happy. My first comics show back in the '90s as a representative of TCJ was their first comics show as a pair of cartoonists sharing a comic book, and we took a photo of them there. That one is lost to the TCJ vaults, unfortunately, but I like both of these guys and I'm glad they're both still around making comics. Not everyone is.

*****

all photos by Whit Spurgeon. Thanks, Whit. Everything should be in context or pretty self-explanatory.

*****

image

*****
*****
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Various Willie Doodle Sundays

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Night-Drive

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Swoop Storm

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

image* here's a link to past years' Octopus Pie Christmas specials that Meredith Gran put up yesterday. Here's an old Laura Park Christmas comic, although I don't remember seeing it before now. Yet another thing I don't recall seeing before now that went up yesterday on a couple of tumblr feeds is Mark Ryden's Grinch.

* Steve Morris talks to Matt Kindt.

* not comics: a new poster from Jessica Abel.

* finally, they're still moving along with the SAW fundraiser. They're about halfway through both the time they've afforded this effort and the money they hope to raise.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 44th Birthday, Ray Cornwall!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 57th Birthday, Kenny Penman!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 58th Birthday, Steve Saffel!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 24, 2014


May God Bless Us Every One

image
card by noah van sciver; thanks, noah
 
posted 5:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: And All Through The House

image
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Bucky Ruckus

image
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read: A Visit From St. Nicholas (To The Moon)

image
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: 1970s Christmas Comic Books Cover Gallery

image
 
posted 3:04 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Santa Claus Funnies

image
 
posted 3:03 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Christmas At The Bristol Board

image
 
posted 3:02 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Holiday-Themed Betsy & Me Strips

image
 
posted 3:01 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 56th Birthday, Rick Stromoski!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 23, 2014


Go, Look: The Night Before Christmas

image
 
posted 3:40 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: RC Baker’s Top Graphic Novels List At Village Voice

image

The Village Voice comics list is usually a top three list in terms of idiosyncratic choices, and this year's group of 13 works selected by RC Baker is no exception. Baker's choices are:

* 75 Years Of Marvel, Roy Thomas (Taschen)
* A Night Of Gatecrashing Book One, Zachary Mortensen and Sutu (Ghost Robot)
* Climate Changed, Philippe Squarzoni (Abrams)
* John Carpenter's Asylum, John Carpenter And Thomas Ian Griffith And Bruce Jones And Sandy King And Leonard Manco (Storm King)
* Pirates In The Heartland: The Mythology Of S. Clay Wilson Vol. 1, Patrick Rosenkranz (Fantagraphics)
* Second Avenue Caper, Joyce Brabner And Mark Zingarelli (Hill And Wang)
* Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey, Nick Bertozzi (First Second)
* Sing No Evil, JP Ahonen And KP Alare (Abrams)
* Skies Of Fire, Vincenzo Ferriero And Ray Chou And Pablo Peppino And Bryan Valenza (Mythopoeia)
* The Harlem Hellfighters, Max Brooks And Caanan White (Broadway Books)
* The Love Bunglers, Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
* The Man Who Laughs, David Hine And Mark Stafford (SelfMadeHero)
* The Motherless Oven, Rob Davis (SelfMadeHero)

Pictured is the Hine/Stafford. I agree with RC Baker that it'd be nice to see Jaime Hernandez receive some giant grant with a fancy name on it.
 
posted 3:35 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Christmas-Related Comic Book Covers

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
By Request Extra: The Norm Breyfogle Stroke Fund

image

There has been $35,000 raised so far. Please consider giving: this sounds like a major, major life event for the artist, and the side of his body most affected is the side with his drawing hand.
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Various Christmas Imagery

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Green Llama #7

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

image* this is a handsome page the Guardian's put together on behalf of Martin Rowson. I'm not sure I can think of a whole lot of North American cartoonists whose newspaper presence I like, except maybe Tom Toles'.

* and now for something completely different.

* RJ Casey on The Gigantic Beard The Was Evil.

* not comics: here's an essay that's part of the growing criticism of Twitter's seemingly blithe attitude towards what seems like intentional harassment.

* Hulk is lonley.

* Jason Latour and other creators tweet about overwork in the light of Norm Breyfogle's recent stroke.

* finally, Nick Gazin talks to Patrick Kyle.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 66th Birthday, Joost Swarte!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 22, 2014


Go, Look: Matt Bors’ Self-Selected Best Of 2014

image
 
posted 11:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Everything I Still Remember About Comic-Con International 2014

image

These are my notes and observations from the four-day weekend of Comic-Con International 2014. They are very late.

Right before attending this show I accepted a position as Festival Director of Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, a show starting in 2016 with a launch event in 2015. Please read the following in the light of that knowledge, and come to whatever conclusion you like.

******

image* I thought Comic-Con International 2014 was a good show. I didn't feel it was a great show or even a particularly memorable show, but it was solid. I'm sure it was the best show ever for a bunch of people, and the worst show in a while for another subset, but for the bulk of people with whom I spoke and in my own experience, it was a standard, quality, conventioneering weekend.

* I still think Comic-Con works. Not all shows do. To their credit, that's a show that's continued to work despite years of changes, almost across the board. It's not just bigger and different; Comic-Con is actually different now in terms of the experience one has there. There's a lot of give and take. What the show has lost in terms of being an alt-comics showcase, for example -- too many publishers are gone now for it to really fill that role anymore -- it's gained in terms of being a place to do some business: touch base, conduct interviews, plot out the remainder of the year.



* I think it does that business thing extremely well. I'm nobody, and I take more meetings at one day of Comic-Con than I do at all the other shows combined. These meetings are hugely useful. Comics people have become oriented at Comic-Con to talk the business of the art form, and it's now the anchor show for all sorts of us in terms of setting up how we're going to do what we do for the next six to 12 months. I bet New York works this way, too, but they have no arts-comics elements at all -- or just a tiny hint of one -- and is thus useless to most of us that value that expression of the medium. Not everyone chooses to play under the big tent in San Diego, but it's still a big tent, and there are still publishers and artists and comics entities that I want to see 

there that are difficult to see anywhere else.

* it's nice, too, to do business where it's sunny and there's a lot going on. Comics fans love to mix business with pleasure in this exact way.

* so.

* so the big change for me this year was to go for only part of it. I felt I could afford about half the show, so I attended from Thursday early AM to Saturday late PM. I missed some very good programming on Sunday and the general sense of settling in and enduring that comes with going for the whole magilla, but it still felt like I was there for a whole show's worth of paneling and conversations on the floor and the like. I was also less exhausted, a big deal for me this year.

* I've always joked that once you start going for part of the show, you never go back, and I don't know if that will be true of me or not. I imagine my attending the whole thing again will depend on my financial situation and whether or not there's a significant advantage to staying the extra days. I don't buy all that much there, so Wednesdays are kind of lost on me (I am of the less than one percent that wishes Preview Night would go away). Sunday nights stopped being something I would I do when I realized I was never going to be invited to a Dead Dog party. Saturday nights -- formerly the night for a big alt-comics party, or at least people standing around on a beach -- is now basically half people from alt-comics attending film or animated TV show parties, and half exhausted alt-comics regulars going to bed early.

* like I said, a different show.

* I regret missing the summer's Image Expo, which I think was smart for them to do on the Wednesday before the weekend in one of the nearby hotels. I do wonder if they can maintain a twice-a-year pace without that getting pretty ordinary pretty quickly (one thing they'll do to spice things up is variants), but they certainly own the daily news cycle when they do one of these mini-shows. I remember more name artists than usual as part of the announcements, which is a big deal for Image because an artist's commitments are more important for their ability to make only a certain number of pages a month. I don't think the resurgent Image story is over yet; I think there are a lot of creators that given a chance to step away from some of the peculiarities of working for the Big Two companies or for the companies modeled like them are going to do so. I think if we do get a surge of writers and other comics-makers with a footprint in wider media -- and I heard rumors of three such deals Comic-Con weekend -- this will likely be the way they choose to work in comics.

* I had representatives from four different publishers tell me that a specific mention in Eric Stephenson's keynote address at Image Expo was aimed at them. I thought that was funny. Maybe it was meant for more than one person.

* one big thing I thought in play this year with the Expo and with a lot of other publishers was a slight but important shift in PR strategies regarding how to use Comic-Con to encompass more of a "narrative" strategy than a "news splash" strategy. A narrative strategy gives you the news up front or leading into an event so that your work at the event can be explaining what was announced to those already intrigued by the pre-show announcement. It's a really strong partner to the news splash announcement, which counts on the force of the news being announced at the show to carry enough weight to be noticed. I love both, but Comic-Con has been oriented for so many years towards news splash strategies -- I can remember just seven or eight years ago having to leave panels to call people so they could get some item of news up on a web site -- that I get why the top five publishers in particular might want to do a bit more of the former. BOOM! announcing stuff every day of the month leading up to the show is a variation on that same idea.

* one way Comic-Con works is as a publishing news clearinghouse -- the time of the year and the focus on comics drives news stories. Restricting myself to what I can remember two months later -- after which I'll code -- here is a sampler of that wall of publishing news, both from the show itself and from publishers taking advantage of the show's place on the calendar. Let's focus on what I do most strongly: alt- and art comics. Katie Skelly announced her follow-up to Operation Margarine; Koyama Press is collecting A. Degen; AdHouse will have a one-book Fall season featuring Eric Haven; Geoff Grogan is doing Plastic Babyheads material through Andrews McMeel, Jeff Smith will do a new Bone-related poem comic for a special release of Bone Vol. 1 to celebrated the 10th anniversary of Scholastic's Graphix imprint. Retrofit named its 2015 creators line-up; Hic & Hoc announced its SPX debut; Fantagraphics is doing a big line of Vaughn Bodé books; Lucy Knisley released a cover to her second Fantagraphics-published travelogue; Scholastic made official their plans for a new volume one of their Bone series to commemorate the tenth anniversary of their Graphix imprint; Conundrum Press will be working with Dakota McFadzean and Drawn and Quarterly released a cover and announced details on a 25th anniversary book and a slew of their 2015-2016 releases including things like SuperMutant Magic Academy.

* I mean, good gravy, that's a lot of encouraging and fun and important publishing news. I never understand why people aren't sky-high comics wise coming out of that show, and how a big chunk of stories like this isn't 10X the news of whoever showed up to promote whatever movie -- or, this year, who didn't. (No big Star Wars movie stuff was a recurring complaint.)

* so a lot going on. We should probably get my brother and I down to the show. Thursday. My brother Whit and I had a freaking blast shooting down the highway from LA for Thursday at the show, driving 5:30 AM until mid-morning. It was dark and dramatic and we stopped for breakfast at some little coast town and talked about things we wanted to maybe buy. It was a great way to get excited about attending the show. We felt like we were on a mission. A nerd mission. During the last 25 miles, traffic slowed, and we noticed people in other cars in half- or full-costume.

* my big new travel tip was that I dropped my brother and our luggage off at the hotel -- it's wonderful to take real luggage to a show rather than airplane-sized bags! -- and I parked at the airport long-term parking. I saved about $95 for the time I was there, hotel parking being very expensive. This is probably not allowed, but I figured it was worth a shot. I was able to get away from and later back to my car with a short transit train hop and a six-minute walk. When I picked up the car after our time at con, I drove back to the hotel to pick up Whit and the luggage. It worked out extremely well -- in fact, given how long it's taken the Westin to find my car in their garage at past shows, it was probably less time for me to go up north and grab the car out of the lot.

image

* I stayed at the Westin Gaslamp, formerly known as the Westin Horton Plaza, formerly known as the Doubletree. It was my first San Diego Con hotel -- there was a brief time it was the alt/art hub -- and thus the one of which I am most fond. This was a redesign about two-three years ago, now. It's an expensive place to set up shop, but there were always people in the lobby doing business and having drinks. One thing that is very much the same about the hotel is that the pool, hot tub and exercise room were completely empty every time I used them this year and every time I used them in 1996. This was the first year I heard people disparaging the hot tub room, and I could not argue that it's a handsome one. I'm all for an approach to attending Comic-Con where we all start demanding nicer hot tubs.

* and yes, it's time all of these hotels stopped charging paying guests for Internet access. The Westin's was I think $12.95 a day. That seems really weird at this point, and it's certainly something I take into account as a room cost when I'm looking at rooms. If rooms are becoming more difficult to offer at a convention rate, maybe this can be thrown in as part of those negotiations.

* the first people I saw on the street were Chris Butcher -- who immediately asked me for a ride to the convention center -- and Shelton Drum. If I saw Warren Bernard, I was going to shout "Yahtzee!"

* I did take one cab that weekend, very early on, on a surprise errand. The driver was really nice, and only I after I browbeat him a bit right at the end did he admit that I was the first comic-con customer he had that even tried to tip him. He said that a lot of these con-goers had giant amounts of luggage, too. We could all stand to lean in the other direction on tipping at these shows. There's really no easier way to have a city welcome you than to be gracious visitors to that city. I have a lot of affection for San Diego having visited there so frequently, and I hope other folks do, too. If you can afford to be at a convention for a few days buying stuff, you can afford to throw a cab driver $5 and tip a waitress 20 percent.

* registration in the press/pro line was, according to my notes, 14 minutes. I don't always understand the updates for which we're asked during the year, but the result on the ground is far superior to what it used to be that I find myself nostalgic for all the jokes about standing in line and hearing bigger-name professionals gripe.

* I forget what the "big bag" of the show was, but my brother always wants the Supernatural one so whatever the latest bag of choice might be gets lost on us. There's a Comic-Con success story, by the way, the solid-but-never-a-breakaway-hit TV show Supernatural, and its legions of involved, intense fans who have almost ritualistic habits at San Diego now. There are so many worlds upon worlds now. This isn't a comics room and then some people off playing role-playing games anymore, this is I bet two to three hundred micro-communities now. Somewhere at San Diego there is a group of 40 people with a specific film industry job you've never heard of that have more than one panel and I'm sure a recurring cast of major players and drama and romantic entanglements.

* the outside of the show is now its own ridiculous thing, a bunch of temp agency carnies taking advantage of the crowds to get eyeballs on any one of about three dozen competing properties, ideas, experiences. The spread of show business parties and meetings and lunches and dinners into the immediate neighborhood also continue at about the same rate as last year.

image

* the most impressive meeting I had Thursday/Friday was with Ted Adams at IDW, whose presentation to me covered everything from how they're participating in film versions of certain projects (by securing the funding themselves, and then selling the end results, as opposed to finding someone to fund what they're doing) to successful sales models we don't consider (how bundles can bring in as much if not more than a super-successful con without the up-front costs, how some of their packaging of licensed properties has caught on) to their book about Puck, the great-great-great grandfather of western satirical expression.

* although there are plenty of people at Comic-Con that gripe about the "where's the comics" aspects -- and if they're paying that much to be there, I say let them complain -- I think the panels for comics people are clearly better attended, with more knowledgeable and more respectful fans, than they were in the 1990s. That's true at least from the alt- and art- comics end of things. It's hard for me to imagine the CBLDF packing them in for their presentations back in 1996 the way they are now. I bet a Dave Lasky panel I moderated would have had five instead of 60 people. And I mean people there for that panel. Comic-Con still does that thing where they let people come in before panels are done, which in some cases can be extremely disruptive if not disrespectful to the pros in attendance. I wish they'd change that.

image

* by the way, the most important lesson of that Dave Lasky panel was how many pages of interesting comics that guy has done almost entirely off the alt-comics radar over the last 15 years -- maybe 150 pages that could go into a solo omnibus? Someone please get on him and publish this. Also, Dave is really funny.

* Comic-Con did a fine job this year with what I'd call mid-level guests that added a lot of substance to the show for those of us with intense comics interests: Lasky, Eleanor Davis, Faith Erin Hicks, Lucy Knisley, Jim Rugg -- a lot of really solid, years-in comics makers were in attendance and participating in programming. The attendence for the back to back panels featuring Francois Schuiten and Benoit Peeters may not have been exploding at the seams attendance-wise, but those were excellent panels, and about a half-dozen comics people ran up to me during the show to show the lovely dedications they received in those books.

* the CBLDF presentation I saw was Carol Tilley's, which was quite good. (It was nice to meet her, too.) Everyone's getting better at that aspect of the shows now, and I hope there's a day a half-decade away where we no longer have people making grumpy, saracastic remarks at audience questions in lieu of an actual presentation and legitimate, respectful Q&A.

* someone from my hometown ran up to me after the CBLDF panel, having simply recognized me as a friend of a friend. We traded notes. He was having fun taking his kid around; the kid sounded like more of a general geek, but this included comics so they felt right at home.

* one of the more interesting panels I saw was the comiXology one. This was mostly for the fact they gave away hardware prizes -- that didn't happen in 1995 -- but it was intriguing to me that a lot their Submit creators showed up at the panel and gave testimony as to how much that service meant to them. I guess I had blown their PR announcement of new publishers by a few minutes and received some grief. I had tried to find publishers so critical of the the Amazon deal they were willing to make pointed criticism, but didn't come up with many -- everyone remained concerned, but that was about it.

* I did enjoy a meeting later that weekend in the little space Comixology carved for itself out of its exhibition space. Someone really needs to do a photo essay of all those hidden rooms at the con.

* I thought the floor traffic was the lightest at the comics end I'd ever seen, particularly Thursday and Friday. No one reported abominable sales or traffic to me, but I think it was slower in the build across the weekend than in any recent-past year.

* I had my usual nice Friday pre-Eisners dinner with close comics pals. It's funny how San Diego provides so many opportunities for ritual. It also seems to me that the hotel restaurants are starting to become that much more important to people as the show gets more difficult to traverse, and the hours extend so that the leisure moments become shorter and less stable. No one I know wanted to even walk five blocks for dinner, and it used to feel like SDCC settled into that entire downtown. Now it feels like it's right up next to the convention center and everything else is slightly less desirable. This won't change my own habits, but I bet people attending now see the town differently.

* this seems like a place to finally mention this: The Comics Reporter recused itself from the Eisners this year, and will every year from now on. I don't mean co-publisher Jordan Raphael and I just didn't submit, because you can get nominated without submitting. What I mean is we actually reached out to Jackie Estrada and each individual judge and asked to no longer participate. They were very kind to respect our wishes.

* we really appreciate the awards and the acknowledgements we've received over the years, particularly the three Eisners, but we're not comics-makers and we're frankly not operating on the same level in our chosen discipline of writing about and covering the art form as the great comics-makers are in theirs when it comes to making the art form. Our blog should not be winning the same award that a book by Chris Ware wins. We also need to occasionally stand apart from comics, if only a little bit, to better facilitate our mission, and this is one way we can do that.

* both Jordan and I are happy to see other people take our place in those years we might have secured a nomination or lucked our way into a win.

* my younger brother pointed out that this means the next time I appear at the Eisners is as either a judge or when I die. Brothers are good for reminders like that.

* so without a nomination, my brother and I declined all invitations to the tables up front and found seats way, way, way in the back. I snuck in a six pack of beer. We laughed and talked a lot and really enjoyed the show.

* the one surprising thing I remember at this late date was that March was shut out. I thought it would take at least one. I heard later that Team March left the hotel after the show's conclusion and quickly found themselves at a private function featuring heavy metal luminaries, which is the way we should all get to end every awards program we ever attend.

image* I remember thinking the book Black Comics: Politics Of Race And Representation had the nicest, classiest people accepting of all the people accepting awards that night. It's weird, but the academics category has been really strong in terms of people making good speeches.

* it was nice to see Brigid Alverson in the group that accepted for CBR. And congrats to CBR; that's not an easy mission they've adopted and they do it with honor and class.

* it was wonderful to see the Hernandez Brothers pick up their first Eisner Awards, which of course was also slightly odd and a tinge embarrassing. They were both sincerely taken with the wins, I think. Jaime was very sweetly nervous and Gilbert's first declaration was that the awards were rigged: both reactions being perfect. They are great art heroes and I'm glad that they have returned to the fore of comics consciousness as the sublime cartoonists they've become. Long live Los Bros.

* Heidi MacDonald has pages from the next issue of L&R here. It was a different San Diego for not having a great new issue out, but those guys can work however the hell they want and I am grateful for every single page.

* I had a more fun than usual time at the reception following the Eisners, creeping around the room, trying to get Eric Reynolds into trouble. The one conversation on which I was dying to eavesdrop was Joe Ferrara holding forth at a table to the Secret Headquarters guys, one dulcet-toned generation of North American retail expounding to another.

* Joe sang, which was nice.

* the show went lickety-split, by the way, and maintained its audience pretty well from where I sat, which was where I could see the entire crowd. That's rare. But it's good. I think people treat the Eisners a bit more respectfully than they used to: people try to attend if they're nominated, most people put on at least a jacket, and there were a lot of nice dresses on stage. That doesn't mean you have to fully endorse them, or any of the comics institutions, but kind of passively rebelling while in attendance got to be a tired pose there for a while. I like it better now.

* oh, I had a really interesting conversation with Zander Cannon, whom I met at a San Diego block party (literally a party in an abandoned lot with enough homeless around it looked like a Walking Dead sequence before we knew what that was) about 17 years ago. He pointed out something about his experience that I think has been everyone's at one point: he's now old enough that when he goes to cons he doesn't have a lot same-age peers that are just routinely going to cons to break in and get jobs, but he's also young enough that his same-age peers aren't routinely guests of shows, not quite yet. I think that happens to a lot of folks in comics. You get to a year and you look around and think, "Where are all my people?" And if you're lucky, you hang around long enough to see them start to come back.

* his next book is from Oni Press. I think it's all-ages and very monster-centric. Cannon is a greatly underappreciated creature designer.

* Saturday doesn't really stand out in memory. Lots of people, again. Most people feel that day is exponentially busier and crowded, but that wasn't my experience this time out. I wandered around quite a bit and had conversations about a wide range of things.

* the people to whom I spoke seemed mostly bullish on comics' business possibilities. Or they're resigned -- it's hard to tell. There was a lot of worrying after the size of the crowd on the comics-end of things, although many of the indy/genre publishers seem to do very well there.

* in that light, I wish that Comic-Con would do a bit more to recognize the special experience that comics people have at that show, and compress that part of the show so that it's easier for people to make it through that experience and get some of the down time for informal meetings and the like which are equally important. I've talked to reps of that show about this a few times, and these always turn into grumpy arguments, but I'd love to see them think of the comics part as a Show Within A Show because the needs are so different. I think they could restrict/orient things accordingly: no late panels (or very few), a real focus on getting comics people those close-by hotel rooms when available, continuity in programming rooms so that a small press spotlight presentation isn't filled with cosplayers or video game fans rolling their eyes and looking confused and bored, a program to specifically facilitate putting comics stories under the nose of all that press on hand.

* everyone in comics takes things so personally that I always hope that people don't take these suggestions as declarations of huge dissatisfaction -- and I'm sure that now I'm working a show of my own I'll see how hard it is to negotiate some of these things. But I do think the comics part of it can be made more special, particularly as Comic-Con is already oriented to doing what it can to keep its comics soul.

* that said, I think there are entities that do a better job of rolling with the punches and keeping up with the changes in terms of where cons function in the overall landscape, and there are entities that don't and just it want to be 1992 again because they prefer to do business in 1992. Some of the retailer rhetoric I heard on the floor put this in my mind.

* I left town after a nice dinner with the Drawn and Quarterly people at a not-fancy restaurant a short hop away from downtown; the kind of neighborhood where locals wait in long lines to get into the better reviewed places and everyone parks alongside a highway or takes a cab. The best part was sitting down in one restaurant that sold us drinks and then closed the kitchen without warning us they were about to do so. That was an odd decision on their part. But it was nice to end the weekend that way, around smart, nice, comics people, in a setting that didn't involve the constant, driving beat of the show floor.



* my brother and I drove up the berserk California late-night highway and we were asleep at his North Hollywood place by early Sunday AM. We both had a really good time.



* reading about the show over the next few days revealed a couple of really distressing and bullet-dodging stories where outside events and activities led to a person being struck by a car during a "zombie walk" that isn't an official con event, and a young woman who was in attendance at the show experiencing a late-night injury, with an older companion at one point suspected of doing some of that harm. There was also at least one instance of someone being assaulted -- let's call that kind of thing what it is -- on the floor in terms of the costume they were wearing. I'm probably forgetting one or two others, and there were likely some never reported.

* all of these things get dumped on Comic-Con no matter if they much in the way of participation in those elements of the show where these things take place or not. Right in the hall? Comic-Con. Three miles away from the hall in the streets with people that aren't even in attendance at Comic-Con but it's vaguely geeky? Comic-Con. Comic-Con seemed pretty determined this year -- both officially and in behind-the-scenes advocacy from longtime attendees -- that we know the show does more than any other in terms of having a lot of professional secruity on hand. And they do, I think -- I think the level of security hired individual to individual has improved over the years. (It was partly the lack of crowds, but I wasn't asked to clear an aisle one time in 2014.) In the case of a couple of those reported-on experiences, it seems like the con worked pretty well with the local authorities and the active press to figure out what happened and how the show was involved.

* Comic-Con has also reiterated that their complaints system favors a kind of privacy that makes public scrutiny difficult to impossible -- almost no information comes out about what gets reported by whom or to what eventual effect. While we were told that line policies were reviewed a few years back after a traffic-related death preceding Comic-Con, we've never been told what that entailed. That policy does shape how we react to Comic-Con and how it's viewed. I'm both encouraged when I hear from the show they cut ties with the volunteer that post-Ferguson was abusive and threatening, and frustrated they would not respond to a question I sent as to whether or not this person would be banned from the show outright.

* let me be clear, though: I also get distressed when people choose someone's choice of a different strategy for dealing with important issues as them "not being serious" about the issue. That always strikes me as wanting to win an argument on-line in convincing, punishing fashion more than it does wanting to make the situation better or even convince someone their way could be improved. I do think Comic-Con is serious about the way they approach issues of harassment and violence at their show. I just think they're old-school and kind of automatically defensive in the way a lot of old-school fans can be about everything under the sun. It's always possible to just be wrong, or partly wrong, without that being a sign of disdain or moral failing.

* what I hope for Comic-Con is that they'll abandon this defensive crouch a bit to look into each and every way they can be proactive from a culture-changing aspect like some of the other shows are doing, and then, and this will be key, go public with what they might try or what they've decided not to try and why. This should include but not be limited to things like fliers and bringing fan input into volunteer sensititivity training. I'd rather see every kind of solution tried out and potentially used than a limited set of solutions favored because that's the way things have always been done. If there are structural barriers to something being implemented, I'd rather Comic-Con just say so publicly rather than privately. If Comic-Con remains adamant that their solutions are the only ones, with all of these solutions hidden away from view, they may start to lose the support of key elements of the comics culture.

 They may already have.



* one thing I think some of us can do that go to this show in particular is file complaints about behavior that we're a witness to even if we're not a direct witness. I have been told those complaints are more than accepted, they're encouraged. I know that in the New Year I want to spend a couple of evenings and watch a lot more of those "guy talking to ladies in costumes" videos -- from the Kimmel show on downwards -- and see if I want to complain about any of them.

* and as always with such issues, I think we can all do what we can to engage in a higher level of professionalism our own selves, whether this is curtailing how much we drink, or asking people out in a professional setting, or stop calling professional peers by inappropriate terms of endearment (I'm the worst at this: I get tired, I turn into Kojak), or just being present and available to younger comics-makers and fans in a way you wanted those people to be present and available to you once upon a time. These are definitely things I can work on, and thus there's a great chance this might improve. I can do this and call people on their bad behavior and be supportive of people when they're pursuing justice to resolve some of the more dire circumstances. You can be scorched earth towards the worst of it, and rehab the soil on the rest. There should be no limit to the things we try and the energy with which we try them.



* I'm likely wrong about big chunks of that. It's a work in progress. Let's keep working, for sure.

* touching on a slightly more ludicrous fan-culture story, I didn't have any sense of people in costumes at Comic-Con running around in a way that cost anyone in comics customers. In fact, it seemed like 25 percent fewer costumes than the year before. Lot of anecdotal affirmation on that point.

* so that's it on the impressions. I look forward to attending Comic-Con International for several more years, no matter how many days I can afford to attend year to year. I think it's one of the shows that makes the most amount of sense on my calendar in terms of the role it plays and the thing it can do for professionals and fans and press. I plan to take advantage for as long as I'm able.

* Hey, let's look at some more pictures:

image
image
* as mentioned, one of the big issues of the 2014 show is that traffic flow and getting from one place to another has to be further worked on, or drastically reconsidered, or something. I did not make a single meeting or panel on time when I had less than a quarter-hour to get there -- and I know how much time it takes to walk place, that would have been enough in the old days. I never saw the beginning of any panel I wasn't moderating. One panelist with whom I worked told me that it took them 45 minutes to get from their panel back to their hotel room... at the Omni right across the street. It was routinely awful, and after never hearing such complaints for years and years I began hearing them last year with some regularity and this year it was a major item of discussion.

* the space above is a great example of how things have become severely crowded at certain chokepoints. That is one of the major corner streets heading into the con. One afternoon I got stuck behind people taking a photo of pretty goddamn ordinary-looking Batman for about six minutes near the Gaslamp. This steamrolled into about a 20 minute delay just due to bad timing: I hit a crowd surge, and then a train, and then a long wait for traffic on the street in front of the convention center. I can't remember ever waiting that long to go that short of a distance.

* the end result I think is that a lot of people were just made weary by the show, much more than the typical exhaustion of years past, which could usually be chalked up to late-night socializing and the ramped-up energy of the show floor. Given the creep of programming into the evening hours and the need to do semi-formal business meetings not during show hours, and I knew several people that you wouldn't typically think of as busy at all pulling 14 to 16 hour days in the push and pull of a super-crowded convention. There was almost a comedic industry collapse after the show in terms of the energy to do much of anything worthwhile, and not everyone goes.

image
* as I mentioned, they do a really good job with registration now, particularly the on-site execution of professionals and press badge dispersal. I think it's because they use this weird module set-up (more like airport self-service machines than they are like airport ticket windows), and because they separate the problem people -- someone who forgot their scanned document, for example -- into their own section. Kudos to them.

* the people in that pro/press line are also the only security out in front of the building that always had the right answer for what was asked them. That said, I still get confusing answers and confused security people about who is allowed to enter where and when. All of my encounters with security this year were pleasant, far more pleasant than they used to be.

image
* this is a mid-afternoon Thursday shot from up above. That doesn't look like jampacked traffic, although the flow of it looks fantastic. Only two cartoonists expressed concern about their sales level. Most were satisfied. There weere pockets where things excelled: Miriam Libicki told me she sold out of her bigger items Saturday morning.

* one thing that was different for me this year is that for whatever reason my show was very focused. The number of people I typically see there that were there without me seeing them at all is epic. Tom Scioli was there; he's hard to miss. Never saw him. I still don't know if Joe Casey was in attendance. Didn't see any of the First Second people at all, even away from their booth. I saw Kelly Sue DeConnick at a distance, twice, and that was it. Never saw Trina Robbins. Nick Abadzis I saw later in a photo printed on this page, but never in person. Chris Roberson and Allison Baker I saw not at all. Mark Waid and Christina Blanch I never saw. Ditto Eric Stephenson. If Justin Norman was there, that's the first time we didn't see each other at Comic-Con, well, ever. It's a show that lacks a central defining presence for comics, which is weird in that there are definite candidates for this: the CBLDF party, the Hyatt and Bayside Hilton bars, the Eisners. I sort of like it in that San Diego is in part about comics in context and the context of comics is sprawl now, but it does add to the isolation and hassle aspects of it a bit. If you want to be surrounded by the comics community, San Diego is a long night spent fussing with a blanket that never quite covers as much of your body as you'd hope.

image
* there were plenty of people I did see. Van Jensen and I talked a bit about his various comics, and how working in the warehouse of Top Shelf is a hard-to-argue springboard to a writing career. Also, I just think this is sort of a fun picture.

image
* I love running into Zander Cannon, and as mentioned did so at this show -- that's not always a guarantee, as I learned in years past. This is my brother Whit seeing him later on that weekend. My brother was excited to see Cannon and take his photo because two years ago he ran into his empty table four times.

image
* here's the photo of the CBLDF party, Thursday night. While you don't see everybody there, it was nice for seeing a lot of people in one place that I never saw again. This is a rooftop party, very old-school comics, all for that agreed-upon cause. I ran into Gary Groth charging away as I made my way up to the event. I sat at a table with my brother, Team Drawn and Quarterly, and Jaime Hernandez. Eric Reynolds visited. I've been going to shows long enough to know when Eric's about to bolt a party, and at one point I talked him out of it before he said anything out loud. The writer about comics Kiel Phegley came up and said hi. He's out of Chicago now and over in Ann Arbor and he and his wife are expecting their first child. He's teaching, and I think he would be a very good teacher. I don't always find myself in alignment with the coverage choices of Comic Book Resources but I respect their writers because they do the job. Not everyone does. I hope Phegley can fit in some writing about comics in the years ahead, as much as suits him.

* I ran into Lasky that evening. Lasky provided me with the original art to his Comic-Con advertisement as a thank-you gift. I was floored. It's really sharp-looking.

* another important fact learned that first evening is that Julia Pohl-Miranda can't order wine.

image
* I had a few interesting conversations about Top Shelf over the course of the weekend. I'm not sure how much everyone has been paying attention, but they've obviously shifted priorities over the last few years to become less of an old-school alt-comics publishing house with a lot of ballast in the backlist in favor of becoming more of a boutique publisher: fewer books, long-term relationships with their talent. Chris Staros confirmed this general move to me in a conversation we had in the hallway outside the show before the security made us move. He pointed out something even more interesting: they're basically shutting down production for part of the year to give themselves some time off from the grind of working their way through books. They had Kevin O'Neill and Jeffrey Brown for big chunks of the weekend. O'Neill in particular had a number of fans on-hand. I talked to a couple who were so sweetly grateful for a chance to get him to sign their books and to shake his hand, that wonderful happiness that comics fans can exude.

image
* I ate well at this year's show. A trend I've noticed in recent years and written about on the site is that restaurants with $15 to $30 entrees are pretty empty compared to restaurants that are cheaper and restaurants that are more expensive. That seems to be holding true. Nowhere I ate in that price range was ever over-busy and I remember 10 years ago not being able to find a restaurant of that type that could even seat me and my friends if we hadn't made a reservation. Most of my friends fall into this general vicinity of restaurant-goer now, and I heard almost no complaints. People even stopped into restaurants for snacks a few times, and drinks, and the restaurants were happy to accommodate them. A few were closed for private parties, but those that weren't were more like public space than ever before. I don't know if this will change as more chain restaurants enter the gaslamp.

image
* this again may be an age thing, but I heard less about uproarious binge drinking and saw more people drinking all of the time. The last couple of years seemed pretty alcohol-soaked in retrospect, actually, although last year's cathartic show after Kim Thompson's passing may have been part of things in 2013. Still, I saw more people drinking on the floor of the convention than ever. Don't know what that means. I had a beer myself.

image
* here's what I wrote the Tuesday after the show about Guardians Of The Galaxy: "lot of Rocket Raccoon at the show; lot of talk about how that movie was going to do. Some folks had seen it and liked it. I heard from a source that Marvel used Disney PR in at least an unofficial, advisory capacity on this one, a story that was told to me in the context of their being worried about how it will do. I think it will do extremely well, but I've been way wrong about movies recently. I know they've been allowed to float a pretty low opening weekend guesstimate, which always helps negotiate that first weekend. I think people have found the commercial campaign appealing, but the danger is they may find it appealing as something they'll catch up to on cable or via streaming six months from now." I needn't have worried.

image
* there's a whole two-thirds of the show I basically ignore now. I used to trudge at least once up and down the entire show, working from some kind of nostalgia and misplaced sense of duty that the entire show was important to what I do, but I don't even do that walk anymore. It looked very comfortable, very busy. I know that people on the comics part of the floor routinely make jokes about that end being crass and overly commercial. Like if someone uses a microphone in the comics publishing area, someone will say that's taking the other end of the show and bringing it down here.

image
* Faith Erin Hicks seemed to have a really good show, or at least the show she was having that intersected with mine looked fun. Hers was one of three candidates for most affecting moments at the Eisner Awards. She cried a bit, and talked about as straight up validation for the hard work she puts in. I liked her part of the Words and Pictures panels that I saw. She was also in the audience for the Jeff Smith panel, and admitted to not liking thumbnails even as Smith declared he liked the entire process, period. Hicks is a lifer in terms of talent and disposition; I hope that the structural part of the industry is able to support her ambitions and reward her hard work.

image
* nearly forgot: I had a lot of fun moderating the humor panel; it was Drew Friedman, Mimi Pond and Lisa Hanawalt. I asked Johnny Ryan and Tony Millionaire if they'd consider crashing, but both were busy and demurred. I don't always know what to do with humor panels, because talking about humor is boring to a lot of people, but at the same time I just don't want to put funny comics on the screen. Drew Friedman talked about the influences of his father and extended family, his multi-million dollar lawsuit filed by Joe Franklin and what part of the portrait he did of Bob Dylan that Dylan hated (his knees). Mimi Pond talked about both of her career transitions into doing comic, the generation of cartoonists and humorists of which she's a part and her difficulties in returning to comics in the 1990s. Lisa Hanawalt talked her experience with caricature in contrast to Drew's and the communities in which she's found herself during her career. She also drew the whole time, and shared some of that with the audience when they asked a process question. It was really nice. Maybe the best part was when a young woman asked Hanawalt and Pond about the idea of women not being able to be funny, which drew a very sharp and emphatic answer from both. I had a good time and that was a fine Friday panel, in one of the convention rooms just this side of the Mexican border.

image
* that new Drew Friedman book was very popular and I met three or four people whose brains were just melting that they had a chance to meet him and get their books signed. I was talking to a peer and we both agreed that one thing Friedman does very well at public events is focus in on you for a conversation that makes you feel like your presence is important to him. We both wondered if that had something to do with the way he's negotiated the world of old-time comedians. At any rate, that is quite the skill at a visually distracting con, and I admire him for it.

image
* I love seeing Larry Marder at Comic-Con and at conventions more generally, just for how he seems perfectly happy to be doing the grunt work of introducing people to his comics people via one-to-one interaction. He said business was pretty good Thursday/Friday; I'm not sure I saw him after that. Bye, Larry!

image
* Another shot of the crowds. I know this sounds like hyperbole, but my biggest space memory of this year's show is crossing the street over by the Omni. It's usually the area around the D+Q booths or a panel room I see a bunch of panels in, but not this year. Comic-Con 2014 is me trying to walk around someone and not twist my ankle on a sidewalk.

image
* this is a pretty good representation of my seat at the Eisner Awards, way in the back. I had fun. As mentioned, my brother and I drank some beers and took in the whole show, talking back and forth in a way maybe we couldn't up at one of the tables. You can see what I meant when I said they kept an audience this year, I bet partly because it was shorter time-wise. One thing Whit and I regretted being back that far is that we couldn't get a better look at Orlando Jones' wristwatch, which looks like it cost a billion dollars.

image
* this was my brother's favorite picture he took at the show. That's Drew Friedman engaging with a fan, Don Rosa hard at work signing a book and Tony Millionaire drinking a beer. Whit called the photo "three approaches to art."

image
* Pete Sickman-Garner was there! The cartoonist, once an anchor talent at Top Shelf, hadn't made a comic before this year in more than a decade. We reminisced about a few specific Comic-Con memories, and talked about the difference between working then and now, particularly the way a cartoonist can lose an audience in just a few years unless work is regularly released. The reason for the absence, Sickman-Garner says, is partly that he ran out of stories for the three original Hey, Mister! characters. He added, "So I added this fourth guy and I also became obsessed with making comics about Jesus." That would mean a lot different coming out of someone else's mouth. The still-irreverent cartoonist lives full-time in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and swears that he'll be doing more comics sooner rather than later.

image
* the very talented Jim Rugg was there. Jim Rugg has comics out all the freaking time, and I think may get taken for granted as a result. I was glad to see both of them on the floor. Rugg I saw only briefly charging back to his table.

image
* I don't really have anything to say about Rob Liefled, but I enjoyed this picture when it popped up in my inbox. I haven't even spoken to Liefeld in person since 1999 or so... a time during which he seems not to have aged.

image
* I had fun asking Jeff Smith questions at an upstairs spotlight panel on Saturday. We discussed the new Bone work he's doing for a forthcoming anniversary edition of the Scholastic-published Bone Vol. 1 -- it's a Walt Kelly-like poem. It has since come out. He thought about doing an actual comic, but he didn't think he could into that headspace again. He told me that "Stupid, Stupid Rat Creatures" page, a really memorable one that distinguished the book for a lot of us reading it at the time, came about because of trying to find a page rhythm for material he had at one point prepared for newspaper syndication. He talked about feeling his way through research, about his enjoyment of working with grand themes, about the similarities between an early human's pack of tools and a cartoonist's favorite drawing implements, about the surprise he felt when RASL won an Eisner the previous evening. He talked about the surge of energy he felt when he realized that self-publishing was an option, and he didn't have to ask anyone's permission to create. It's always fun talking to Jeff Smith. We had a few questions from the audience of at type I love, about people having the desire to work on a big piece like Bone but finding the task daunting.

* in demeanor and approach and in practical terms like providing a slideshow, I consider Jeff Smith kind of the driving force behind the way we do creator spotlights now. Certainly no one seemed to do them like his 15 years ago, and everyone seems to do them that way now. I may be the only person who thinks about these things, though.

image
* this was one of the "go see this" things I heard about from about a half-dozen people. The person with the pages Jack Kirby contributed to an operation designed to free hostages in Iran, as dramatized in the movie Argo. I think this person has been there in previous years, but I hadn't seen the pages. Still haven't! I don't even know here the Heavy Metal booth was.

image
* Ed Chavez of Vertical was one of the exhibitors I talked to that seemed to be having one of those years that was slightly off -- at least in the Thursday/Friday phase -- because of something not working in the overall alchemy of their floor position. You see these folks all the freaking time: booths that are rarely visited even when they're in-between other, more successful booths, or people that killed it the year before not being able to sell a thing. Chavez says Vertical is doing pretty well. I'm a great fan of their book that's now a little older, Helter Skelter.

image
* one of the people I didn't see until 10 seconds before I left was Paul Hornschemeier. He was talking to Johnny Ryan about his new homebase of London. I congratulated him on a recent crowd-funder.

image
* last photo. Traffic seemed about usual to me in the comics retailing section. I'll miss Mile High if they can't make Comic-Con work, but I'll continue to miss Comic Relief more. I always buy comics from someone at Comic-Con, but I also realize that people have all sorts of ways to buy comics right now they didn't have a generation ago, and those ways have become normalized in a way that has a drastic impact on convention sales. I also think what we're seeing is natural development in that convention's audience away from people looking to buy old comics and discounted trades. There's rarely a magic bullet to these things. We have entire festivals now that never had a comics retailing presence. We have festivals, including Comic-Con, where entire other facets of the industry aren't strongly represented. Again, I love buying comics there, but if it stopped being a thing I could do there I'm sure there would be something I could find to fill that 120 minutes.

* so that's what I remember about 2014 at Comic-Con International. It's settled into a really workable space as a big business show in addition to the usual pomp and spectacle of a comics convention. I think the comics part of it could use some special attention, and the violence and harassment issues could use a thorough looking-at, publicly reported, in terms of adding culture-changing elements to the security measures. There may be a problem with a few more publishers reaching that decision-point as to whether to they should keep exhibiting; I bet some of them would be gone already if it weren't for the thought of losing their place in line. The Eisners were fun. Long live Los Bros. It's a changing comics world, including the parts that interact with wider geek culture, and I welcome those changes. Let's hurry them along.

* see you next year! Well, Thursday to Saturday at least.

******

* all photos by Whit Spurgeon. Thanks, bro. My favorite times at San Diego all involve my brother now, and I'm grateful that everyone treats him so well. It's a comics thing: Whit never knows who's mad at me because when he meets those people on the floor they're as nice to him as the people with whom I'm getting along.

******

image

******
******
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Deck Us All With Boston Charlie

image
 
posted 4:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
By Request Extra: The Norm Breyfogle Stroke Fund

image

Those close to the longtime DC Comics and Archie artist Norm Breyfogle are hoping to raise an impressive amount of money on his behalf. I'm sure every last dollar will help. Please consider giving -- that is a tough way to spend the holidays, with those kinds of doubts and questions.
 
posted 4:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Your 2014 Broken Frontier Awards Winners, Nominees

image

The site Broken Frontier has released its yearly awards winners, this time for the year 2014. The post says it's the site's 11th annual list.

The analysis from Frederik Hautain notes the dominance of female creators and the continuing appeal of Image Comics as a publisher.

Winners in bold.

*****

imageBEST WRITER -- MAINSTREAM

* Jason Aaron (Men Of Wrath, Original Sin, Thor)
* Warren Ellis (Moon Knight)
* Grant Morrison (The Multiversity)
* Scott Snyder (Batman, Superman, The Wake)
* G. Willow Wilson (Ms. Marvel)

*****

BEST WRITER -- INDEPENDENT/CREATOR-OWNED

* Darryl Cunningham (Supercrash: How To Hijack The Global Economy, Uncle Bob Adventures Vol. 2)
* Ray Fawkes (Intersect, The People Inside)
* Kieron Gillen (The Wicked + The Divine, Uber)
* Liz Prince (Tomboy)
* James Tynion IV (The Woods, Memetic)

*****

BEST ARTIST -- MAINSTREAM

* Michael Allred (Silver Surfer)
* Russell Dauterman (Cyclops, Thor)
* Robbi Rodriguez (FBP, Edge of Spider-Verse)
* Declan Shalvey (Moon Knight)
* Andrea Sorrentino (Green Arrow)

*****

BEST ARTIST -- INDEPENDENT/CREATOR-OWNED

* Box Brown (Andre The Giant)
* Wes Craig (Deadly Class)
* INJ Culbard (Brass Sun, Celeste, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath)
* Farel Dalrymple (The Wrenchies)
* Rob Davis (The Motherless Oven)

*****

imageBEST COLORIST

* Jordie Bellaire (Magneto, Moon Knight, The Massive, Tooth & Claw)
* Elizabeth Breitweiser (Fatale, The Fade Out, Outcast, Velvet)
* Matt Hollingsworth (Hawkeye, The Wake, Wytches)
* Lee Loughridge (All-New X-Factor, Captain Marvel, Bodies, Deadly Class)
* Matthew Wilson (Secret Avengers, The Wicked + The Divine)

*****

BREAKOUT TALENT

* Michael Cho (Shoplifter)
* Jamie Coe (Art Schooled)
* Leila del Duca (Shutter)
* EdieOP (Dangerfun, Maleficium)
* Tula Lotay (Bodies, Supreme: Blue Rose)

*****

BEST NEW SERIES

* Deadly Class (Rick Remender & Wes Craig, Image)
* Ms. Marvel (G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona & Jake Wyatt, Marvel)
* Princess Ugg (Ted Naifeh, Oni)
* Southern Bastards (Jason Aaron & Jason Latour, Image)
* The Wicked + The Divine (Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie, Image)

*****

BEST ONGOING SERIES

* Lazarus (Greg Rucka & Michael Lark, Image)
* Moon Knight (Warren Ellis & Declan Shalvey/Brian Wood & Greg Smallwood, Marvel)
* Saga (Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples, Image)
* Stray Bullets (David Lapham, Image)
* The Bunker (Joshua Hale Fialkov & Joe Infurnari, Oni)

*****

imageBEST LIMITED SERIES: BODIES

* Bodies (Si Spencer, Tula Lotay, Phil Winslade, Meghan Hetrick & Dean Ormston, DC/Vertigo)
* Brass Sun (Ian Edginton & INJ Culbard, 2000 AD)
* Ordinary (Rob Williams & D’Israeli, Titan Comics)
* POP! (Curt Pires & Jason Copland, Dark Horse)
* The White Suits (Frank J. Barbiere & Toby Cypress, Dark Horse)

*****

BEST ONE-SHOT

* Genesis (Nathan Edmondson & Alison Sampson, Image)
* Moose Kid Comics (Jamie Smart et al, self-published)
* Over Under Sideways Down (Karrie Fransman, Red Cross)
* The Lizard Laughed (Noah Van Sciver, Oily)
* Wicked Chicken Queen (Sam Alden, Retrofit)

*****

BEST ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL

* Beautiful Darkness (Fabien Vehlmann & Kerascoët, Drawn & Quarterly)
* Gast (Carol Swain, Fantagraphics)
* HOAX: Psychosis Blues (Ravi Thornton, Mark Stafford, Bryan Talbot et al, Ziggy’s Wish)
* Sugar Skull (Charles Burns, Pantheon)
* This One Summer (Jillian Tamaki & Mariko Tamaki, First Second)

*****

BEST BOOK ON COMICS

* American Comics, Literary Theory, and Religion: The Superhero Afterlife (A. David Lewis, Palgrave Macmillan)
* Comics Unmasked (Paul Gravett & John Harris Dunning, British Library)
* Graphic Details: Jewish Women's Confessional Comics in Essays and Interviews (edited by Sarah Lightman, McFarland)
* Hellboy: The First 20 Years (Mike Mignola, Dark Horse)
* Masterful Marks: Cartoonists Who Changed the World (Monte Beauchamp et al, Simon & Schuster)

*****

BEST PUBLISHER

* Avery Hill Publishing
* BOOM! Studios/Archaia
* First Second
* Image Comics
* SelfMadeHero

*****

Congratulations to all nominees and winners.

*****

image

*****
*****
 
posted 3:45 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: George Perez Fantastic Four Splash Pages

image
 
posted 3:40 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Festivals Extra: ComicsPRO Plans Meeting For Portland In February

The retaielr group ComicsPRO has set next year's annual meeting for February 19-21 in Portland, Oregon -- one of the crucial hubs for comic book making in North America and also a city with a variety of well-run direct market retail locations. I'll just run the bulk of the press release here for an idea of what's in store.
ComicsPRO Annual Meeting Set for Portland, Oregon
Retailers, Publishers and Suppliers to meet February 19-21 2015

ComicsPRO, the retailer trade association, brings its 9th Annual Meeting to Portland, Oregon February 19-21, 2015, bringing together comic book retailers and vendors to discuss major industry issues and to develop ways to improve the comic book specialty market. The venue for this year’s event is the Portland Hilton and Executive Tower.

"We're very excited to be headed to the Pacific Northwest for the next ComicsPRO Membership Meeting. Not only is Portland the base of operations for Dark Horse and Oni -- two very supportive ComicsPRO sponsors -- it is a city with an enormous breadth of creative talent and solid retail stores," said Thomas Gaul, President of the Board of ComicsPRO.

All comic book retailers with storefront locations are invited to the conference. Every attending retailer will be presented with a gift bag including graphic novels, toys, promotional items and comics. Publishers will create exclusive comics for ComicsPRO, many with very low print runs. To register as a retailer, please visit www.comicspro.org/register15.

Thursday, February 19th, retailers will meet with Platinum sponsors Dark Horse Comics and DC Entertainment. In the morning, Dark Horse Comics will present major creators including Mike Mignola, Brian Wood, Geof Darrow, Chuck Palahniuk, Eric Powell, and Matt Kindt, featuring highlights in their 2015 releases. In the afternoon and evening, retailers will shift to discussions with DC Entertainment's top brass, including segments about DC Collectibles, DC Digital and Sales and Marketing.

Another two dozen other comic industry vendors will join the meeting on Friday, February 20th and Saturday, February 21st for presentations, roundtables, and workshops. Roundtable sessions give each of the participating vendors face-to-face time with each attending retailer in a small group setting.

Meeting highlights include:

* An opening reception sponsored by Dark Horse Comics on Wednesday, February 18, 8-10 PM.
* Comic Book Legal Defense Fund reception and benefit auction, Friday February 20.
* Things From Another World store visit and lunch, sponsored by Dark Horse, Saturday, February 21.
* Comic book store tour sponsored by Oni Press, Saturday, February 21.
* Closing reception sponsored by Oni Press and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Saturday, February 21, 8:00 PM.
* Workshops with Q&A sessions led by industry professionals.
* Visits from comic artists and writers to discuss their upcoming work.

The ComicsPRO Annual Membership Meeting is the only annual retailer-driven event in the industry, often cited as the most important business-focused event of the year. ComicsPRO's current projects and plans will also be discussed.

For more information on attending the conference as a retailer or sponsoring the conference as a publisher or vendor, please contact Marco Davanzo, Executive Director of ComicsPRO at marco@comicspro.org. Information can also be found at www.comicspro.org/meet15.

ComicsPRO is a non-profit trade association dedicated to the health and progress of direct market comic book retailers. ComicsPRO allows retailers to speak with a unified voice on important industry issues, provides educational and mentoring opportunities to current and future retailers, and provides ways for members to reduce fixed costs.
There are not a lot of focused shows like this one, so I hope those of you eligible to attend this one are doing so.
 
posted 3:35 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Galaxy Christmas-Related Covers

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Listen: Some Idiot Appears On Inkstuds

imageIt's me. My energy was really off that day, so hopefully I didn't say anything too stridently stupid.

I hoped to make the distinction between a kind of Internet discourse that I feel is there to win the argument of something as opposed to a kind of dialogue that's there to improve the reality of something. I'm afraid I made that point in a way that will lead to that entire view of things being defeated in an Internet argument. Basically, I'm really positive about comics' possibilities right now, particularly the chance for comics to become a place where comics-makers can be better and more routinely rewarded for wanting to make art. My hunch is that one thing keeping us from getting there more quickly and more thoroughly is that we're not doing enough to be self-critical, which is important in that within one's self and within one's direct sphere of influence is a place where we can all affect significant change.

I also remember I tried to unpack a point of view about how amazing it is to live in a time for comics when quality work can hit you from multiple points of origin up to and including work showing up you've never seen before from 1931 or whatever, but I probably didn't do a great job with that, either. So please just read Bungle Family and that second Barnaby volume in addition to Bad Machinery and Beautiful Darkness and Palm Ash. Let work find its way to you. Enjoy.

I appreciate Robin McConnell and Brandon Graham wanting to talk to me. Thanks, fellas.
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: The Vault Of Horror #35

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Gahan Wilson Holiday Imagery

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

image* Heidi MacDonald on The Amateurs. Richard Pachter on a bunch of different comics. Thad Komorowski on Funnybooks: The Improbable Glories of the Best American Comic Books. Tim Hanley on Wonder Woman: The Complete Newspaper Strip. Brigid Alverson on Bad Machinery: The Case Of The Simple Soul.

* Ulli Lust in Colombia.

* superior link-blogger Kevin Melrose has a fine post up here about Nate Simpson returning to his promising Nonplayer series after some time off, and the various reasons as to why that time off was taken. That's a few days old; it was going to run in "Bundled," but I decided to push that column back to the beginning of 2015.

* Monica Johnson went to the Peter Maresca presenation at the NY Comics Symposium, and we all benefit from her report.

* Ashleigh Manning talks to Dylan Horrocks. Steve Morris talks to Matt Kindt.

* congratulations to the owners of this new comics shop.

* not comics: look at all these cute Eleanor Davis animations.

* Matt Madden suggests a shopping location for all you North Americans headed to Angouleme.

* finally, here's another that would have gone into "Bundled": one of the editorial cartoon collection series is ending. I think there's more than one now, certainly if you included gatherings of work on-line that's true.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 57th Birthday, Tony Caputo!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
By Request Extra: The Norm Breyfogle Stroke Fund

image
this is pretty self-explanatory; please give if you can
 
posted 8:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
December 21, 2014


Go, Look: Buster Brown Comics #33

image
 
posted 9:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
By Request Extra: Nicholas Gurewitch’s Book Crowd-Funder

Here. Of course it made its initial goal -- a sturdy on-line artist of great import like Nicholas Gurewitch not making an initial goal of that size would have been hugely noteworthy. You still might want to participate, though.

There have been new Perry Bible Fellowship strips recently.
 
posted 9:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Sing With King At Christmas

image
 
posted 3:40 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read: Ivan Brunetti On Trying To Draw Nancy

Here. Brunetti's an excellent writer about comics, with carloads of insight both considered and personal. Ernie Bushmiller's growth in reputation amongst alt-comics makers is one of the more interesting ideas developed during the 1980s and 1990s, and I'm not sure it would have happened with a lot of different practitioners weighing in.
 
posted 3:35 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: The Return Of A Christmas Carol

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Daily Cartoonist: Newspaper Apologizes For Chris Britt Cartoon

Alan Gardner at Daily Cartoonist caught that a newspaper apologized for a cartoon after a complaint and demand for apology by a local policeman's union.

The idea that editorial cartoons are provocative actions for which one apologizes as opposed to free speech with which one might disagree seems asinine to me, doubly so after this weekend. I'm frustrated by what I see as these kind of pride-saving diversionary tactics in our national struggle to deal with very real and scary and humbling and delicate issues, and I'm sad that a newspaper wouldn't take a stronger stand just on general principle as well in their role as a community standard-bearer.

I hope that no other paper apologizes for a cartoon that is anything less than an obvious and near-demented personal attack. This wasn't that. If you see yourself apologizing for a cartoon's primary message, it's time to work with your editorial cartoonist to run a more suitable-to-you cartoon.
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Christmas Covers On Old Comic Books

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Spirit Of Christmas

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

* nothing better on-line during the Christmas season than Kate Beaton's twitter feed coming alive with comics starring her family.

image* Keith Silva on Operation Margarine. Bob Levin on S. Clay Wilson's ABC. Matt Seneca on Here. Jake Austen on Hospital Suite. Brian NIcholson on Janus. Tim O'Shea on Dr. Mirage.

* not comics: Pat Lewis writes about record-keeping for an illustrator.

* Sean T. Collins talks to Leah Wishnia. Patrick Rosenkranz talks to Victor Moscoso. Josie Campbell talks to Mark Doyle. Elise Granata talks to Dave Kloc.

* not comics: so I guess the entire run of Starlog is available on-line. That's a magazine that was a lot of young geeks' lives, particularly in the first half of its publishing run.

* we should have about two more years where various limited edition alternative covers are going to be a novelty worth noting. After that? I'm betting not so much.

* I am very much enjoying these columns.

* finally, this goofily lascivious Jack Davis cartoon made me laugh.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 54th Birthday, Phoebe Gloeckner!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 63rd Birthday, Tony Isabella!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 58th Birthday, Bill Willingham!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 20, 2014


For No Particular Reason, Here’s A Few Random, Left-Over Photos From Comic Arts Los Angeles 2014

I'm working through some backstocked photos this morning, including 150 my brother Whit Spurgeon took at Comic Arts Los Angeles earlier this month. Here are some of the last I sorted.

In short: 1) it was very crowded, in a good way. 2) it was very young, in a good way. 3) I had a good time. 4) Really interesting neighborhood. 5) Great energy overall. 6) They should be able to do this every year for as long as they want to, although I hope it stays small and focused and energetic before it gets ambitious.

image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image

*****
*****
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Mumbai, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
FFF Results Post #405—Next Year’s Comics

On Friday, CR reader were asked to "Name Five Specific Comics Publications You Look Forward To Seeing In 2015." This is how they responded.

*****

image

Sean Rogers

1. Stroppy, Marc Bell (Drawn & Quarterly)
2. Qviet, Andy Burkholder (2D Cloud)
3. Confetti, Ginette Lapalme (Koyama Press)
4. Selected works, Sasaki Maki (Breakdown Press)
5. The Eternonaut, Héctor German Oesterheld and Francisco Solano Lopez (Fantagraphics)

*****

image

Matthew Gazda

1. Showa 1953-1989: A History of Japan, Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn and Quarterly)
2. Exquisite Corpse, Pénélope Bagieu (First Second)
3. The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Vol. 14, Eiji Otsuka and Housui Yamazaki (Dark Horse)
4. Casanova: Acedia #1, Matt Fraction, Michael Chabon, Fabio Moon, and Gabriel Ba (Image)
5. All-New Hawkeye #1, Jeff Lemire and Ramon Perez (Marvel)

*****

image

Benjamin L. Russell

1. Finder: Third World Part 2, Carla Speed McNeil (Dark Horse)
2. Bad Machinery: Vol. 5 The Case of the Fire Inside, John Allison (Oni Press)
3. The Wicked and the Divine: Vol. 2 Fandemonium, Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson (Image)
4. Bureau of Infernal Affairs, Lee Black, Brian Clevinger, and Erica Henderson (Breadpig)
5. The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer, Sydney Padua (Pantheon)

*****

image

Sean Kleefeld

1. Green Lantern Corps, David Gallaher and Steve Ellis (DC)
2. Unflattening, Nick Sousanis (Harvard University Press)
3. Corto Maltese, Hugo Pratt (IDW)
4. Dinomania: The Lost Art of Winsor McCay, Ulrich Merkl (Fantagraphics)
5. The Summit of the Gods Vol. 5, Yumemakura Baku and Jiro Taniguchi (Ponent Mon)

*****



Philippe Leblanc

1- For as long as it rains, Zviane (Pow Pow Press)
2- Melody, Sylvie Rancourt (Drawn & Quarterly)
3- Infinite Bowman, Pat Aulisio, (Yeah Dude Comics)
4- Sunny #5, Taiyo Matsumoto (Viz)
5- Cyber Realm, Wren MacDonald (Nobrow)

*****

image

Tom Spurgeon

1. Love And Rockets: New Stories #7, Los Bros Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
2. SuperMutant Magic Academy, Jillian Tamaki (Drawn And Quarterly)
3. Pope Hats #4, Ethan Rilly (AdHouse)
4. Thickness, Various (Youth In Decline)
5. Bandette Vol. 2, Paul Tobin And Colleen Coover (Dark Horse)

*****

image

Chad Nevett

1. Project Superpowers: Blackcross, Warren Ellis and Colton Worley (Dynamite)
2. Miami Vice: Remix, Joe Casey and Jim Mahfood (IDW)
3. Thanos: The Infinity Relativity, Jim Starlin (Marvel)
4. Nameless, Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham (Image Comics)
5. Nemo: River of Ghosts, Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill (Top Shelf)

*****

image

Danny Ceballos

1. King-Cat Comics & Stories #75, John Porcellino (self published)
2. July 2015 Diary, Gabrielle Bell (Lucky website)
3. Sky In Stereo #3, Mardou (Yam Books)
4. Rosalie Lightning, Tom Hart
5. New Ditko #22, Steve Ditko (Robin Snyder and Steve Ditko)

*****

image

John Vest

1. Mineshaft #31, Jay Lynch Robert Crumb, Kim Deitch, Art Spiegelman, Bill Griffith, Christoph Mueller, Justin Green, Nina Bunjevac, Rika Deryckere, Aleksandar Todorovic, David Collier, Pat Moriarity, Tony O'Neill, Aaron Lange (Everett Rand & Gioia Palmieri)
2. Miracleman Book 3: Olympus, The Original Writer and John Totleben (Marvel)
3. The Complete Peanuts 1995-1996, Charles M. Schulz (Fantagraphics)
4. Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy Vol. 18, Chester Gould (IDW)
5. Knight Takes Queen, Keith Knight (Top Shelf)

*****

image

Oliver Ristau

1. Frontier #8, Anna Deflorian (Youth In Decline)
2. LOTDK: Venom HC, Denny O'Neil/Trevor Howard Von Eeden/Russel Baun/José Luis Garcia-Lopez (Panini)
3. L'Eté Diabolik, Alexandre Clérisse/Thierry Smolderen (Dargaud)
4. 3 Books, Blaise Larmee (2D Cloud)
5. Wet Moon, Atsushi Kaneko (Carlsen)

*****

image

Marc Arsenault

1. Puke Force, Brian Chippendale (Drawn & Quarterly)
2. Saint Cole, Noah Van Sciver (Fantagraphics)
3. Cyber Realm, Wren McDonald (NoBrow)
4. Marvel Masterworks: Not Brand Echh, Marie Severin & Co. (Marvel)
5. Borb, Jason Little (Uncivilized)

*****

image

Marc-Oliver Frisch

1: Pope Hats #4, Ethan Rilly (AdHouse)
2: Optic Nerve #14, Adrian Tomine (Drawn & Quarterly)
3: Frank's Adventures in the Third Dimension, Jim Woodring (Fantagraphics)
4: Casanova: Acedia, Matt Fraction and Fábio Moon with Michael Chabon and Gabriel Bá (Image)
5: Das UPgrade 4, Ulf S. Graupner und Sascha Wüstefeld (Graufeld/Cross Cult)

*****

image

Mike Baehr

1. Eel Mansions, Derek Van Gieson (Uncivilized)
2. The Weight Vol. 1, Melissa Mendes (Oily, presumably?)
3. The Kurdles, Robert Goodin (Fantagraphics)
4. Prophet: Earth War Brandon Graham and various (Image)
5. Usagi Yojimbo: Senso, Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)

*****

image

Michael Dooley

1. Here Comes Kitty: A Comic Opera, Richard Kraft (Siglio Press)
2. Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created Mad and Revolutionized Humor in America, Bill Schelly (Fantagraphics)
3. Louise Brooks: Detective, Rick Geary (NBM)
4. Polly and Her Pals: Complete Sunday Comics 1928-1930, Cliff Sterrett (IDW Publishing)
5. Drawn & Quarterly: Twenty-Five Years of Contemporary Cartooning, Comics, and Graphic Novels, edited by Tom Devlin (Drawn & Quarterly)

*****
*****
 
posted 2:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Emily Carroll’s All Along The Wall

image
 
posted 2:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
The Comics Reporter Video Parade


Visualize Ballard By The Action Suits


Late '80s Mid Ohio Con Footage


A 1963 Interview With Jimmy Swinnerton


David Pakman Interviewing Ted Rall In 2010


The Closed Caption Comics Legacy Panel From SPX 2014


The Roots Of Frémok Panel From SPX 2014


How To Get Reviewed Panel From SPX 2014
 
posted 1:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
CR Week In Review

imageThe top comics-related news stories from December 13 to December 19, 2014:

1. The great Jack Davis has retired.

2. Wow Cool robbed.

3. The Sony hacking incident spirals into one of those weird super-stories that feels like it's just sitting on your couch, staring straight ahead and not saying anything. There was a comics-related outcome, though, in that the very nice and highly-accomplished cartoonist Guy Delisle saw a rapidly-coming-together film adaptation of his Pyongyang fall apart.

Winners Of The Week
Aspiring comics-makers in New Zealand.

Losers Of The Week
Thieves stealing art comics.

Quote Of The Week
"I consulted with my editor at the time, L'Association, where I had published my first albums. Jean-Christophe Menu the director of this small publishing house really liked the idea and the first pages of the book. We looked for the confidentiality clause and couldn’t find it. Finally he told me: too bad if we end up in court, it’s a book we have to do." -- Guy Delisle
 
posted 12:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
December 19, 2014


Go, Look: One Defector Draws North Korean Atrocities

image
 
posted 5:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Seattle, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Toronto, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Mumbai, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Lloyd Alexander Private Correspondence Art

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Boulet Holiday Drawings

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 47th Birthday, Rantz Hoseley!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 62nd Birthday, Mack White!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 65th Birthday, James Van Hise!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 29th Birthday, Ed Kanerva!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 18, 2014


Go, Look: Den Of The Spider

image
 
posted 10:40 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Artists & Public Thinkers Including Several Comics-Makers Wish Chelsea Manning A Happy 27th Birthday

image
Here.

It's always nice to see Terry Gilliam draw something.
 
posted 10:35 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Laura Kenins

image
 
posted 10:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
2015 Eisner Awards Judges Slate Named

The Eisner Awards have named their judges slate for the 2015 version, which will honor books published in 2014. The judges provide the nominations sheet on which industry professional then vote for the winters, so it can be a massive and demanding volunteer job.

This year's judges are: retailer, editor and writer Carr D'Angelo; librarian, writer and academic Richard Graham; writer Sean Howe; academic and writer Susan Kirtley; CCI volunteer and animation producer Ron McFee; and historian/journalist Maggie Thompson. Kirtley and Howe at the very least are recent winners of Eisners, Howe for his book on Marvel and Kirtley for her book on Lynda Barry. I asked administrator Jackie Estrada if this was Thompson's first time as a judge and she said yes, noting that she has been eligible for an award most years for her work at the now-defunct Comics Buyer's Guide.

You can read full bios here. Congrats to those named and best of luck on the journey ahead. The Eisner Awards themselves take place in July on the Friday of Comic-Con International weekend. I'll be there, sitting way, way, way in the back.
 
posted 10:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: That Alex Toth Conan Gallery

image
 
posted 10:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
New Zealand Society Of Authors Releases Details On Graphic Novel Component Of Its Mentorship Program

Here. This formal mentoring program was announced earlier, I think a few months back, but this post provides more details. I hope it is a good experience for some aspiring comics-makers and a worthwhile one for the nice people volunteering their time. I'm not sure something like this would work in North America without the structure and limitations of an educational program in place, but I fully expect a few groups to try over the next five years.
 
posted 10:15 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Not Comics: The Boy Who Knew What The Birds Said

image
 
posted 10:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Publishers Weekly Releases Second Part Of Its Year-End Comics Appraisals: The Critics’ Poll

image

Whether you use it to find a bunch of new books or to go "Oh my God, on what planet does that book gets any votes at all, let alone than this clearly superior book here?" asking critics to name favorite books and then compiling the works into a list usually provides a few moments of fun of the discovery, the grumpy, or the grumpy-discovery kind. PW does us that solid here.

For whatever it is worth, I think the book I liked the most with only one vote here is Hospital Suite, although there's also the Sock Monkey collection and I'm not even sure how to process The Complete Zap as being the same thing as some of these new books. (If that's on the table, though, yes, the complete run of Zap is better than any one-off effort to come out this year; as is the entire run of Cul-De-Sac.) Off the top of my head I also really liked three less year-spanning books that weren't represented at all: the new John Hankiewicz, the AdHouse collection of Katie Skelly's Operation Margarine and the Bungle Family reprint from IDW. I'll go to bat for the freaking Bungle Family every damn time. "Pontoon Bungle."

image
 
posted 10:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: The Shadow #3

image
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read: Stan Lee Excelsior, Excelsior Junior Awards Short Lists

image

Kevin Melrose has one of his usual succinct and thorough posts up here about an awards program designed to promote the reading of comics for teens (Excelsior) and younger children (Excelsior Junior) in the UK. They were started by a librarian named Paul Register. The Junior category is a new one this year. Both sets of winners -- ranked winners; 1, 2, 3 -- will be named next summer.

*****

Stan Lee Excelsior Award

* All-New Ghost Rider: Engines of Vengeance, Felipe Smith And Tradd Moore (Marvel)
* Barakamon, Satsuki Yoshino (Yen Press)
* Rocket Girl Vol. 1, Brandon Montclare And Amy Reeder (Image Comics)
* Red Baron: The Machine Gunners' Ball, Pierre Veys And Carlos Puerta (Cinebook)
* Superman/Wonder Woman: Power Couple, Charles Soule And Tony S. Daniel (DC Comics)
* Moonhead And The Music Machine, Andrew Rae (Nobrow)
* Alone: The Vanishing, Bruno Gazzotti And Fabien Vehlmann (Cinebook)
* Ms. Marvel: No Normal, G. Willow Wilson And Adrian Alphona (Marvel)

*****

Stan Lee Excelsior Junior Award

* Itty Bitty Hellboy, Art Baltazar And Franco (Dark Horse)
* Melusine: Tales of the Full Moon, Clarke And Gilson (Cinebook)
* Long Gone Don, The Etherington Brothers (David Fickling Books)
* Hilda and the Black Hound, Luke Pearson (Flying Eye Books)
* Bunny Vs. Monkey, Jamie Smart (David Fickling Books)

*****
*****
 
posted 9:55 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Some Black Terror Comics Pages

image
 
posted 9:50 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Not Comics: Bojack Horseman Christmas Special Slips On-Line

One more chance to look at those designs by famed deplorable person Lisa Hanawalt. It's fun to see how big media companies approach various releases in that world, along with traditional new-media quandaries like how to negotiate the expectations of a fervent fan base.
 
posted 9:45 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look/Bookmark: Carlos Collodi’s Pinocchio

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Assembled, Zipped, Transferred And Downloaded: News From Digital

By Tom Spurgeon

* slight redesign at 2D Cloud. New -- or at least newish -- comics features, too.

* in case you missed it, the permanent google doodles page has those that you may have missed, like yesterday's Kate Beaton effort on behalf of Henrietta Edwards.

* we're still in the midst of comiXology's fine "12 Days Of Free Comics!" promotion. Top Shelf has an aggressive bundle-type thing going as their holiday sale; worth checking out, for sure.

* Gary Tyrrell walks his webcomics-oriented audience through the Society Of Illustrator juried awards process, which includes a digital media category.

* finally, I love this new Gilbert Hernandez cartoon feature at Vice.
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Charlotte, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Brussels, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Portland, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Mumbai, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Ivan’s-Woe

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

* hey, new costume on Marvel's Spider-Woman character, created by the late Archie Goodwin and the legendary Marie Severin. That character had that first costume that was essentially skin tight silk underwear for decades. Seems like a nice costume.

image* Bob Temuka talks to Dylan Horrocks. Michael Cavna talks to Matt Bors.

* hard to imagine something in comics much more pleasurable than reading primetime Milton Caniff Sundays. Note what he does with both silent panels and with moving the "camera" on static scenes to give the comics some forward momentum.

* Sean Gaffney on Assassination Classroom Vol. 1. Johanna Draper Carlson on My Love Story!! Vol. 2. Richmond Clements on Zenith Phases I & II. Richard Bruton on Calculus Cat.

* here's a series of articles on Jewish women in comics, inspired by the high-profile traveling exhibition of same.

* finaly, Greg Burgas contrasts two interesting same-period Frank Miller comics: Fanboy #5 and The Dark Knight Strikes Again #3. I think Dark Knight Strikes Again is bonkers and lovely and really fun, and feel that most of the objections come from people who wish the non-bonkers parts of Dark Knight Returns had been the parts upon which Miller and Varley expanded instead of their expanding on the elements they did. The two Batman works are so, so, so dissimilar in terms of the main thrust of each series. I had totally forgotten about Fanboy.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 62nd Birthday, Peter Gillis!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 63rd Birthday, David Scroggy!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 47th Birthday, Dan Taylor!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Guy Delisle Makes Statement About Pyongyang Movie Development Ending Post-Sony Hack

imageThere's a really great statement by Guy Delisle here about his Pyongyang having his development deal ended in the wake of the Sony hack and the subsequent terrorist threats against the North Korean-set The Interview.

It sounds like Delisle was really far along -- they had a shooting-start date, and he had been contacted by the director after not hearing from anyone for a couple of years after the deal had been made. His regret seems real, and he claims to have liked what he heard about the direction of the project.

Delisle also tells a great story about the original publication of the book, a phantom clause in his work contract, and a wonderful statement of support at the time from L'Association and JC Menu where they basically decided the work was worth getting sued if that's what happened. Not a lot of publishers like that.
 
posted 5:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
December 17, 2014


Go, Look: Fernando Calvi Mini-Gallery

image
 
posted 10:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read: Article On French Changes In Author/Publisher Law With A Potential Effect On Cartoonists

Articles like this one are difficult for me to read in French even going back and forth with a computer-assisted translation because of the looping tone and some of the language choices involved, but a meeting of French authors more generally, publishers and Ministry Of Culture representatives seems to have had an effect that may be felt by cartoonist in terms of clear expectations for contracts including worldwide right and digital platforms, and an opportunity for French authors to get out of contracts when information isn't provided or these arrangements aren't followed. It also looks like no serious discussion of what to do about the income levels of authors long-term given their commitment to contributing to their own retirement.

I don't know how much any French solution could provide a model for North American cartoonists, but I like the idea of these issues being discussed in serious fashion and another comics culture taking a crack at solving some of them.
 
posted 10:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Kentaro Miura’s Berserk Images

image
 
posted 10:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Two Prominent Cartoons In My Inbox/On My Facebook Feed

imageHere are a couple of cartoons I noticed were being discussed by people I don't necessarily think of as comics people, for whatever that's worth.

* Jen Sorensen's cartoon about torture is the one I'm seeing touted as the slam-dunk, done-in-one response. That's not everything political cartoons do, but it's one of the more effective roles they play. The scary thing is I think unlike a generation ago, a lot of folks will confess to being perfectly happy with two standards.

* Kate Beaton has the Google Doodle today, which I guess is its own feature now, and tied into regional representations of the site -- I'm sure everyone knew that but me. Hers is on Henrietta Edwards. (The art pictured is an alternative design.)
 
posted 10:15 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Falling For Beginners

image
 
posted 10:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Your Shit Comics Best Of Comics List For 2014

image

It's here, and well worth reading in full for the commentary involved and for the alternative choices. I think it's a very intereresting, very good list. The choices are:

* 911 Police State, Noel Freibert
* Arsene Schrauwen, Olivier Schrauwen (Fantagraphics)
* Cities And Spaces And, Rebekka Dunlap
* Dear Amanda, Cathy G. Johnson
* Ebbits, Michael Litven
* Elsa, Sarah Ferrick
* Future Shock 7, Lala Albert
* Hypermaze, Brian Blomerth
* Kill My Mother, Jules Feiffer (Liveright)
* Li'l Debbie In The Favor, Dane Martin
* Megg Mogg And Owl (This One Specifically)
* Missy 2, Daryl Seitchik
* Mould Map 3, CF (Landfill Editions And Famicon)
* On Hiatus, Pete Toms
* Pretty Smart, Andy Burkholder
* QCHQ, Jordan Speer
* Rudy, Mark Connery
* Sex Fantasy 4, Sophia Foster-Dimino
* Spark, Emely Barroso
* The Philosopher, Alex Degen
* Transdimensional Brain Chip, Thorsby
* Weapons Of Mass Diplomacy, Christophe Blain and Abel Lanzac (Abrams)
* Well Come, Erik Nebel (Yeti Press)

I've changed the order because I have low-level anxieties that make me alphabetize things. I suspect the order might be important, so you really should make use of that original list.
 
posted 10:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Strange Adventures #53-54

image
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
All Best Wishes To The Artist Norm Breyfogle

imageRich Johnston over at Bleeding Cool has caught a Facebook post that says the longtime artist Norm Breyfogle has suffered a stroke. He expects a full recovery. Breyfogle's in his mid-fifties, and is still probably best known for an affiliation with the Batman character, particularly those he did in partnership with the writer Alan Grant.

My memory -- I can't get comics.org to load right this minute -- is that most of higher-profile work recently has been with Archie, but I'm not sure how much total work that means.

We wish the artist the best in his rest and in any therapy that might be required. If there's any need or desire the family and friends have to reach out to Breyfogle's fans in the months ahead, I'm sure all of the comics industry-cognizant sites would be willing to help in some way.
 
posted 9:55 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look/Bookmark: Pool Problems

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Shows And Events

image

By Tom Spurgeon

* you can a decent idea of the year ahead by looking at this site's forthcoming attractions page -- it's not perfect, but it has the skeleton in place. We are starting to see a lot of overlap on certain dates, and it's only going to get uglier in the years ahead. Also, the sheer number of shows is astonishing. It's not even all mainstream/pop culture shows, there are a number of comics art shows now.

* Zainab Akhtar provides a semi-lengthy write-up on the forthcoming Black Comix Art Festival in San Francisco. That one takes place next month.

* this is the first time I've seen a show bill itself as a 24-hour event. That could be interesting. I don't have any grasp on some of the wider fan cultures that feed through comic-con frameworks to know if there are a bunch of people looking for that kind of space on a con weekend. I also have very limited experience with the idea of going to a show to socialize, as opposed to the expectation that I'll work-socialize (well, I think they're different things).

* here's the exhibits line-up for Angouleme. There are four-five real crowd-pleasers in that crew.

* finally, I guess the poster below is the final poster for CAKE 2015, which is confusing in that I thought I'd already run the final poster. I guess that one was just special guests; this one includes comics characters and the like. That should be a fun show, and I hope to attend.

image
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Seattle, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: One Person’s Favorite Batman Covers

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Typhoon 99 Chapter 9

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

* Chris Ware doesn't do a ton of writing about comics, so it's worth noting when he does something like this piece on Here.

image* Percy Brown, Jr. talks to Jimmy Swinnerton. Andy Yates talks to Josh Cotter.

* Sean Gaffney on SHOWA 1944-1953: A History Of Japan. Henry Chamberlain on The Valiant #1. Johanna Draper Carlson on Spell Of Desire Vol. 2. J. Caleb Mozzocco on Secret Six #1. Jerry Smith on Fantastic Four Epic Collection Vol. 1.

* not comics: even well-liked sites may have something screwed up in their rights and rewards DNA.

* Kurt Busiek has some ideas on how he'd like to write Wonder Woman.

* Sonia Harris in praise of the new geeks.

* finally, it's hard not to love this photo of Seth, from TCAF 2014.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 61st Birthday, Richard Krauss!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 16, 2014


Go, Look: Ville Kallio

image
 
posted 10:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Not Comics: Threats Related To Sony Hacking Incident Lead To Development Killed On Pyongyang Movie

image

This isn't my world or even anything in which I'm terribly, terribly interested, but the recent Sony hacking flap and its massive overtones of potential North Korean government involvement because of the movie The Interview has led to a threat being made against theaters showing the Seth Rogen/James Franco movie (which was due to open Christmas Day), which led to theater chains saying "no thank you" to running the movie, which lead to Sony cancelling the movie's release. There's all sorts of points at which the story could be running on a fuel of pure bullshit, but even if everything were fully legitimate that would still be a depressing story. Still, one might remember that nearly ever major media company failed to either run or otherwise seek to make available in a responsible way the Jylland-Posten editorial cartoons despite the absolute newsworthiness and necessity of the public knowing what those cartoons looked like once the controversy kicked into high gear. This kind of straight-up push-shove commercial decision seem almost a slam dunk if you're willing to kick first principles to the curb.

One piece of intriguing fallout: a conception of the Pyongyang graphic novel attached to Steve Carell is apparently not going to be developed now, due to what the article claims is its sensitive subject matter. That's a bunch of horseshit, too. I imagine people will focus on the description which makes Pyongyang sound like a spy movie, but 1) I'm not sure if that's an accurate description of what was to be a loose adaptation featuring such elements or if it was simply entertainment media shorthand for a project that might be more difficult to describe otherwise, 2) even if they were going to do a version that concentrated on the North Korean city's S&M scene, the decision to defund art because of political persuasion one through a calculator would still be a horrible, depressing outcome.

You should read the book, if you haven't. It's really good. If nothing else, it might help when it comes to understanding our new Hays board.
 
posted 10:19 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
OTBP: A Is For Zebra

image
 
posted 10:18 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read: Discussion About Malaise By Working Alt-Comics Pros

It's a companion piece to the Mike Dawson essay from a couple of months ago. Participating are T. Edward Bak, Molly Kiely, Roberta Gregory and Ted Stearn, among others. 2015 could be a big year in terms of people working out some really basic issues in terms of how much they want to give to the comics medium and the culture that surrounds that medium.
 
posted 10:15 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
OTBP: Tiny Masters

image
 
posted 10:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
This Isn’t A Library: New And Notable Releases Into Comics’ Direct Market

image

*****

Here are the books that make an impression on me staring at this week's no-doubt largely accurate list of books shipping from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. to comic book and hobby shops across North America.

I might not buy all of the works listed here. I might not buy any. You never know. I'd sure look at the following, though.

*****

OCT141431 ANNA & FROGA THRILLS SPILLS & GOOSEBERRIES HC $14.95
OCT141432 PIPPI WONT GROW UP HC $14.95
SEP141386 EARTHLING GN (MR) $19.95
There's not a bunch that falls into my natural area of interest this week, which is good because I've been buying everyone local butcher gift certificates this year and meat is freaking expensive. It's a big week for Drawn and Quarterly, though, which is a pleasant surprise. I love this Anouk Ricard comics, both this series and the stand-alone office book Benson's Cuckoos. I'll read anything that she has published. The Pippi material has been much strong than I feared, and the Earthling book will hit my desk highly recommended by those who caught an earlier-release -- or at least hung out with the cartoonist -- at this Fall's shows.

imageOCT140580 RUMBLE #1 (MR) $3.50
SEP140883 MS MARVEL #10 $2.99
OCT140011 BPRD HELL ON EARTH #126 $3.50
OCT140779 WYTCHES #3 (MR) $2.99
OCT141007 AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE MAGAZINE #3 $4.99
This strikes me as an odd week for serial genre comics, too. The Rumble book is James Harren, one of the bets of younger talents to work on the Mignola-verse material, so I'm happy to at least look up anything he does. The Ms. Marvel book looks like it may stick around for a while, a rarer fate than you'd hope for off-beat, well-crafted mainstream material. There's this week's Mignola-related title; I buy them all, but I'm not quite caught up. The Wytches and the Archie books are two that have a significant number of self-proclaimed savvy buyers of the kind that make their opinions known on-line, but that should stop anyone from wanting to keep track of those efforts and those talents.

AUG140082 TRILOGY USA HC $19.99
This is a short anthology of works featuring the great artist Hermann working with the writer Yves H. These are connected by their setting: America.

SEP140505 COMPLETE JUNIOR & SUNNY BY AL FELDSTEIN HC $49.99
This is a bunch of Al Feldstein work for Fox that they're promoting on the basis of Feldstein's significant influence to the field entire and for the salacious aspects as a kind of overheated Archie set-up. Either one would get me to look, and so I shall.

AUG140094 LOBSTER JOHNSON TP VOL 04 GET THE LOBSTER $19.99
OCT140644 SAGA TP VOL 04 (MR) $14.99
SEP140933 DAREDEVIL BY MARK WAID TP VOL 07 $19.99
Not a lot in the way of stand-along graphic novel works in the alt-/art realm, but these strike me as solid players in terms of genre series. I think for a lot of people, trades are purchased and collected like serial comics used to be, so I can imagine stores that have that kind of customer will also have book sections that are fairly lively.

AUG140029 DREAM LOGIC HC $34.99
Here's a perfect comic book thing: a bunch of different projects by the artist David Mack, emphasizing his visual imagination, all things individually I either barely remember or never heard of. This is why comic shops are the best.

*****

The full list of this week's releases, including some titles with multiple cover variations and a long, impressive list of toys and other stuff that isn't comics, can be found here. Despite this official list there's no guarantee a comic will show up in the stores as promised, or in all of the stores as opposed to just a few. Also, stores choose what they carry and don't carry so your shop may not carry a specific publication. There are a lot of comics out there.

To find your local comic book store, check this list; and for one I can personally recommend because I've shopped there, albeit a while back, try this.

The above titles are listed with their Diamond order code in the first field, which may assist you in finding comics at your shop or having them order something for you they don't have in-stock. Ordering through a direct market shop can be a frustrating experience, so if you have a direct line to something -- you know another shop has it, you know a bookstore has it -- I'd urge you to consider all of your options.

If I failed to list your comic, that's because I hate you.

*****

image

*****
*****
 
posted 10:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Not Comics: John Bauer

image
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read: Whit Taylor’s Favorite 20 Graphic Novels For 2014

image

Whit Taylor, a cartoonist and frequent writer about comics, has posted a list of favorite comics this year at her site. She emphasizes the favorites part of this kind of exercise, in a way familiar to anyone who reads a lot of writers-about-comics at the end of a calendar year. I always think these lists are more interesting when writers just go ahead and seize on the opportunity to put together an outright best list, but that's just me. I realize the conversation has moved past that specific element of things.

And I shouldn't be grumpy here! This is a fun list, well-selected, with plenty to argue and discuss. Sorry, Whit! It is:

1) Your Illustrated Guide to Becoming One With The Universe, Yumi Sakugawa (Adams Media)
2) Distance Mover, Patrick Kyle (Koyama Press)
3) Ant Colony, Michael DeForge (Drawn & Quarterly)
4) Megahex, Simon Hanselmann (Fantagraphics)
5) Through the Woods, Emily Carroll (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
6) White Cube, Brecht Vandenbroucke (Drawn & Quarterly)
7) Get Over It!, Corinne Mucha (Secret Acres)
8) The Amateurs, Conor Stechshulte (Fantagraphics)
9) Unlovable Vol. 3, Esther Pearl Watson (Fantagraphics)
10) The Love Bunglers, Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
11) Petty Theft, Pascal Girard (Drawn & Quarterly)
12) Everywhere Antennas, Julie Delporte (Drawn & Quarterly)
13) Safari Honeymoon, Jesse Jacobs (Koyama Press)
14) Facility Integrity, Nick Maandag (Pigeon Press)
15) How To Be Happy, Eleanor Davis (Fantagraphics)
16) Shattered With Curve Of Horn, Max Miller Dowdle (self-published)
17) Basewood, Alec Longstreth (self-published)
18) The Hospital Suite, John Porcellino (Drawn & Quarterly)
19) Tomboy, Liz Prince (Zest Books)
20) Dragon's Breath and Other True Stories, MariNaomi (2D Cloud)

*****
*****
 
posted 9:55 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read/Bookmark: Cavities And Crevices

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Festivals Extra: CAKE 2015 Extends Exhibitor Application Deadline Until December 20

Here. Welcome news if you wanted to exhibit but couldn't pull it together during the hardcore holiday shopping and preparation season. I plan on attending that show, and I've heard nothing but good things.
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Portland, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: A Charles Nicholas Miss America Story

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

* here's the tag for Mike Sterling's blog posts about his new store.

image* Sean Gaffney on Yukarism Vol. 1. Todd Klein on GI Zombie #3. J. Caleb Mozzocco on Wolf Moon #1. Richard Bruton on Double Dare Ya. Greg Burgas on Elektra Lives Again.

* here's a fascinating notion to which I'll try my best to return with full professional attention in 2015: creator-owned comics partnerships that favor the writer over the artist, both structurally and by culture.

* the writer and cartoonist Rob Kirby talks to Max Clotfelter. Someone at Anon profiles Derek M. Ballard. Ashleigh Manning profiles Dylan Horrocks.

* Gary Tyrrell says that it's over: The Sculptor is the best book of 2015.

* does Doyle vs. Borneo count?

* not comics: love this Jaime Hernandez illustration of Jeff Lynne.

* finally, Sean Kleefeld may have found the most perfect convention bag.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 62nd Birthday, Ronn Sutton!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 60th Birthday, Beau Smith!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 46th Birthday, Matt Hollingsworth!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 60th Birthday, Michael Cherkas!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 51st Birthday, Bart Sears!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 15, 2014


Go, Bookmark/Follow: Bande Dessinée

image
 
posted 10:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Wired: Jack Davis Calls It Quits At Age 90

image

Wired has a short, independently-sourced piece up here that the great Jack Davis, one of the five greatest living cartoonists, has decided to stop working because of his feeling that the work he's creating in the second half of his eighth decade in professional comics isn't up to snuff.

Davis is one of the all-time great cartoonists, almost sneakily so, with astonishing runs at EC, with MAD, with the Kurtzman magazine efforts more generally, with humor comics more generally, with book and magazine illustration, and with film poster illustration. He shares with many of the all-time talents the ability to make humorous illustration and compelling picture-narratives, and stands alone by the sheer quality he brought to a number of classic skill-sets: he was a strong caricaturist and a top-notch designer; he could even do convincing sports comics and illustration without relying on a kind of grim-faced, hyper-realistic rendering -- something I'm not sure anyone else ever did.

Davis is with Marie Severin the last surviving contributor to the art of the EC horror books. He is also, if his last few years of retrospectives and show honors was an accurate representation, a great gentleman of cartooning. I wish him luck in however he spends each and every hour from this time forward, and am grateful to have lived an entire lifetime during a significant portion of his amazing career. Thank you, Mr. Davis.
 
posted 10:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Manddy Wyckens

image
 
posted 10:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Not Comics: Xanthe Bouma

image
 
posted 10:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read/Bookmark: Easter Island

image
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
OTBP: The Middle Nowhere

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Bundled, Tossed, Untied And Stacked: Publishing News

image

By Tom Spurgeon

* the biggest news of the week publishing news-wise comes via word that the writer Mark Waid and the artist Fiona Staples have been tapped to relaunch the Archie comics into a more modern setting and tone with Archie #1. Those are both fine choices, very skilled creators with devoted followings. And it seems like they could find a lot of value in doing a modern-era comic, although I don't always get the branding exercises they're performing with those licenses.

image* Gerry Conway, who back in the 1970s was by my math the only major writer for Spider-Man to write the character when he was a same-age peer of Peter Parker, is going to write a few more comics starring the character at a point in time when this observation will no longer apply. If I can figure out which comics are Conway's when I'm in a store next year -- never guaranteed! -- I'll buy one and check it out. In the meantime I'll re-read some of those 1970s classics, some of them most traditionally accomplished comics Marvel ever published.

* Ibrahim R. Ineke is offering a subscription deal on the forthcoming Blackbook Vol. 2.

* Rat Queens has a new artist: the talented, veteran creator Stjepan Sejic. The original artist and co-creator of the hit fantasy series, Roc Upchurch, was let out of art duties after domestic violence charges. He's not mentioned in the new release at all. The best information I have is that Upchurch still has an interest in the comic, although at this point any number of arrangements could have been made or could have been in place. The title returns with a special in January featuring a guest artist, Tess Fowler.

* Don Rosa snares an Artist's Edition.

* Joe Casey and Jim Mahfood on a Miami Vice comic is enough to get me to pick it up.

* the cartoonist Ed Piskor has an active Facebook account where he provides status updates on projects in a variety of accessible settings; one of them recently said he was about eight pages away from finishing the third volume of his Hip-Hop Family Tree series, so that should continue to be a high-profile project. As much as Piskor seems to travel in support of the series, that's an additionally impressive accomplishment.

* this is how long it's been since we've had work of varying types from Jessical Abel. I look forward to this being corrected in 2015.

* I can't find a flat jpeg of the cover to make an OTBP out of it, but this looks like a kids' comic to which Kevin Cannon contributed.

* finally, Daryl Toh and Edward Gan have a comics-driven horror 'zine out later this month. It's only a few days away, but I rarely get to cover publishing news from that realm of comics-making, and I like the cover.

image
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Seattle, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In LA, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Green Lama #7

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

image* Rob Clough profiles Sophie Goldstein. Dan Berry talks to Kevin Huizenga.

* Todd Klein on Aquaman #35. John Kane on a bunch of different comics. J. Caleb Mozzocco on The Little World Of Liz Climo. Richard Bruton on Porcelain: Bone China. James Romberger on a bunch of different comics. Jason Sacks on Foolbert Funnies.

* not comics: a reminder from Jerry Smith about all of the decent folks who made mistakes that need our attention during their prison service.

* that's a cute poster.

* there will be over one million brand-new Star Wars #1 comics sold, using a variety of means -- a super-aggressive variant covers program and some on-line packaging deals among them. I think that some shops will do very well with this store, but some stores will get burned. I don't care about the one million figure if it comes at the expense of the general system's health.

* vintage David Lasky.

* finally, Tony Cliff answers your questions.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 46th Birthday, Ariel Bordeaux!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 35th Birthday, Mike Bertino!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 82nd Birthday, Quentin Blake!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
What It’s Like Turning 46

image
 
posted 2:59 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 14, 2014


Go, Look: Shivana Sookdeo

image
 
posted 10:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Wow Cool Retail Location In Silicon Valley Robbed

image

I hope that Marc Arsenault's own humor in that direction will allow the owner/operator of Alternative Comics and the Wow Cool retail space in Cupertino, California to forgive me for noting on the occasion of what must be an unsettling and upsetting robbery that the books taken were probably not what you'll find in any similar crime this holiday season. In addition to some high-end art volumes taken from the location on a smash-and-grab, comics missing include works from Noah Van Sciver, Derf Backderf, Devin Flynn, Henriette Valium and Keith Knight.

You can see the ugly physical damage caused by the breaking glass through the link presented above. My local police department has noted a rise in "opportunistic" robberies this season, enough that it made the front page of the local paper about a week ago. I also know that comic stores of the kind that aren't the lovely alt-focused variety Marc runs tend to get hit in part because of the perception -- legitimate or not -- that there's treasure to be had in old issues.

I hope that clean-up goes well, that Arsenault is able to process what happened without too much spiritual scarring and that he's back to work with an open storefront sooner rather than later. I'll gladly participate in any campaign to replace material or the cash behind that material in a crowd-funded sense should that prove necessary. I hope that some of you might take a chance to shop at Arsenault's store with any extra holiday cash that might be circulated. I'm not even sure I remembered that the comic depicted above was out; there's a lot of work of rare quality like that available at Wow Cool.
 
posted 10:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Early Al Williamson Western Comics Art

image
 
posted 10:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
What If There Were Financial Problems With Comics In A Country Where People Talked About Money?

We don't have to speculate, because it exists. The country is France, the problem is believed to be a combination of massive overproduction without a growth in the audience and changes in the retirement payment requirements by cartoonists (currently deferred). Whether or not you can hammer away at one or more of the arguments being made doesn't seem to me to kill the utility of paying attention to an arts community that talks about this openly and soberly. There are even semi-prominent people quitting their comics gigs because they can't figure a way to make them work.

With all issues of comics' legitimacy as a medium of worth now out of the way except for stance-taking cretins, the next compelling issue for the comics art community is maximizing the opportunities and rewards that come to comics-makers.
 
posted 10:15 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Cookstrips Profiled

image
 
posted 10:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Not Comics/OTBP: Limited Edition Patton Oswalt Tour Poster By Ivan Brunetti At Yeti Press Comics

image

RJ Casey wrote in to say that Ivan Brunetti printed fewer than 250 of the Patton Oswalt posters that he did, and that they'll be available for sale at the Yeti Press store. I do like those Ivan Posters.
 
posted 10:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Jack Davis Draws The Monkees

image
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Batgirl Team Responds To Criticism Of Dagger Type Plotline With A Heavily Circulated Apology

image

A lot more comics-related stories than used to be are generated by the Internet culture surrounding the comics. My guess is that this is due to a lot of things: the kind of intense and instant and intimate feedback allowed readers and professionals that participate, the thin margins and on-line triggers that separate best-selling comics from poor-selling ones, and the access that these news stories have to the apparatus that reports on the various comics industries. It also gives a really welcome platforms to groups and individual expressions that were not as empowered under the former, more gate-kept construction.

I think those are all in play in what led to this apology from the Batgirl creators. This is about events in the third issue of the relaunched Batgirl, where the now-in-Gotham's-Brooklyn Barbara Gordon tussles with a more fame-interested impersonator that turns out to be a male artist with the name Dagger Type. I think the two things at issue are the Gordon's character reaction in the above sequence when the reveal is made, which critics found transphobic -- here's an article that was sent to me multiple times that explicates that position -- and the general idea of a cross-dressing and/or (I think it's "and/or," apologies if I'm wrong) transgendered person more generally being presented as unstable to deranged, as well as show business/performance obsessed.

I imagine someone out there will make this a part of free speech issue: that the creators should be able to tell whatever story they want with the restrictions imposed on them by those that adhere to a certain political construction. I could care less about that, that seems like an argument straight out of 1987. What's way more intriguing to me is that that's a very interesting space in which to work. It's interesting when the creators are buoyed for certain constructions of identity regarding characters, and just as fascinating -- maybe more so -- when they're criticized.

I think on one level these issues are kind of easy to process: people can complain about whatever they want and people can respond however they want, the end. It's not something that requires anyone else's vote. It's nice when people apologize well, but from the perspective of those who feel wronged they're probably less impressed with the shape and tone of an apology than they remain frustrated and maybe even pissed off for the thing that spurred the apology. I'm maybe a bit different than most in that I see all of this as something art does, as opposed to a breakdown in what art should do. What I can't tell and I wish I could because it's super-interesting is whether or not the identity issues are so specifically potent in works like these that it drives past being dissatisfied to making these complaints, or if that's generational, both the feeling of that specific wrong and the assumption that this is something upon which one may act. I wish I knew, and I wish I'd been as forthright about the stuff that upset me about these kinds of comics when they made up a greater percentage of my world.
 
posted 9:55 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read/Bookmark: Concupiscence

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Comics By Request: People, Projects In Need Of Funding

By Tom Spurgeon

image* no more important crowd-funding effort to comics than this one from SAW, for as long as it runs. I hope you'll consider giving.

* Melissa Mendes recently put up a very direct plea on her Facebook site about her ongoing Patreon campaign. It was marked as friends-specific, but it's a reminder that Mendes' campaign is here, and finding a way to make comics is very near and dear to her heart. Contributing to someone's support like that might be an interesting thing for some folks to try in the new year, if it's never been something you've done.

* the CBLDF has launched different campaigns every week this month. There's no comics-related charity I know of with their solid track record of putting money to use behind important causes.

* the Hero Initiative doesn't seem particularly oriented to holiday-period fundraising, but that group has a store here, where purchases go to help that organization's work with comics professionals facing unfortunate economic circumstances. I am grateful for all of the good they do in that area. I don't know that I'd ever read that $700K figure before.

* I spent some time just randomly looking at entries related to comics on GoFundMe.com -- that's a site that's better known for straight up charitable contribution than the kind of hybrid of "help me out" / "invest in this thing" that you get from Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, say. One thing that's slightly different there is you seem to see more retailers seeking assistance. That's established retailers and people that hope to be shop owners. Mostly, though, the range of requests seems approximately the same.

* this Kedzie Avenue journalism-in-comics-form effort is getting down to its last, most important days.

* finally, this column usually tries to limit the number of project-based request links during the holiday season, but the previous entry is one of those, plus a pair of CR readers suggested this Ellen Lindner crowd-funder for its modesty and pedigree.
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: The Famous Long Count Knockdown

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Holy Nightmare

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

image* Todd Klein on 75 Years Of Marvel. Paul O'Brien on Amazing X-Men #14. J. Caleb Mozzocco on Tales Of The TMNT #11. Michael Buntag on Today Is The Last Day Of The Rest Of Your Life. James Bacon on Wrinkles. Joe Gordon on Batwoman: Elegy. Alex Hoffman on Remember This?.

* Brian Nicholson in praise of a 2006 best-of-comics list.

* go, read: a potential crisis in autobiographical comics profiled.

* not comics: Johanna Draper Carlson notes the release of a Studio Ghibli documentary.

* MariNaomi gives and assembles advice on how to write characters of color when you're not that color.

* Sean Kleefeld suggests that laughing at furries automatically and in a derisive way is wrong.

* finally, check out this amazing AB Frost cartoon unearthed by Matt Bors.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 47th Birthday, Zep!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 54th Birthday, Philippe Dupuy!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 61st Birthday, JM DeMatteis!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 49th Birthday, Ted Slampyak!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 44th Birthday, Matthew Southworth!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: The Great Jack Cole Would Have Been 100 Today

image

* Art Spiegelman's New Yorker Essay
* Cole's Comics
* High Quality Jack Cole Scans At The Golden Age
* Lambiek Entry
* The Jack Cole Stories Posted At Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogline
* The Lost Comics Of Jack Cole Part 1
* The Lost Comics Of Jack Cole Part 2
* The Lost Comics Of Jack Cole Part 3
* Wikipedia Entry
 
posted 1:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
December 13, 2014


Go, Look: Hermann Images Mini-Gallery

image
 
posted 5:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Austin, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 55th Birthday, David Quinn!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 36th Birthday, Brendan Burford!

image
I have 37 via the site, but his facebook says 36 so 36 it is; hopefully, he's not getting even younger
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
FFF Results Post #404—A Year In Comics

On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Five Specific Comics Publications You Enjoyed That Came Out In 2014." This is how they responded.

*****

image

Ryan Sands

1. Lose #6, Michael DeForge (Koyama Press)
2. Sunny #3, Taiyo Matsuomoto (Viz)
3. Through The Woods, Emily Carroll (McElderry Books)
4. Megahex, Simon Hanselmann (Fantagraphics)
5. Janus, Lala Albert (Breakdown Press)

*****

image

Danny Ceballos

1. Diana, Ron Regé, Jr. (self published)
2. The Hospital Suite, John Porcellino (Drawn & Quarterly)
3. Drawings You Want, Josh Bayer (self published)
4. July Diary 2014, Gabrielle Bell (LUCKY website)
5. SuperMutant Magic Academy #3, Jillian Tamaki (self published)

*****

image

Tim Hayes

1. witzend, various (Fantagraphics)
2. Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #14, Gilbert Hernandez (DC Comics)
3. Woody Guthrie And the Dust Bowl Ballads, Nick Hayes (Jonathan Cape)
4. Sex Criminals: One Weird Trick, Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky (Image Comics)
5. Barbarella, Jean-Claude Forest and Kelly Sue DeConnick (Humanoids)

*****

image

RJ Casey

1. Reich #12, Elijah Brubaker (Sparkplug Comics)
2. She-Hulk, Charles Soule, Javier Pulido, Ron Wimberly (Marvel)
3. The Granville Syndrome, Dawson Walker (Self-published)
4. Facility Integrity, Nick Maandag (Pigeon Press)
5. Stranger Than Life, MK Brown (Fantagraphics)

*****

image

Tom Spurgeon

1. How To Be Happy, Eleanor Davis (Fantagraphics)
2. Bumperhead, Gilbert Hernandez (Drawn And Quarterly)
3. Frontier #5, Sam Alden (Youth In Decline)
4. Operation Margarine, Katie Skelly (AdHouse Books)
5. Safari Honeymoon, Jesse Jacobs (Koyama Press)

*****

image

Jamie S. Rich

1. Afterlife with Archie: Escape from Riverdale, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa & Francesco Francavilla (Archie Comics)
2. The Shadow: Year One, Matt Wagner & Wilfredo Torres (Dynamite)
3. This One Summer, Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki (First Second)
4. The People Inside, Ray Fawkes (Oni Press)
5. Three, Kieron Gillen & Ryan Kelly (Image Comics)

*****

image

Gil Roth

* Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, Roz Chast (Bloomsbury)
* Kill My Mother, Jules Feiffer (Norton/Liveright)
* The Hospital Suite, John Porcellino (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Vapor, Max (Fantagraphics)
* HERE, Richard McGuire (Pantheon)

*****

image

Scott Dunbier

* The Fifth Beatle, Andrew Robinson (Dark Horse)
* Saga, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image)
* Hawkeye, Matt Fraction and David Aja (Marvel)
* Cinder and Ashe, Gerry Conway and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (DC)
* Walter Simonson Manhunter and Other Stories Artist's Edition, Walter Simonson (IDW)

*****

image

Philippe Leblanc

1- Copra #14, Michel Fiffe
2- Everywhere Antennas, Julie Delporte, (Drawn & Quarterly)
3- Wicked Chicken Queen, Sam Alden, (Retrofit comics)
4- New Physics, Box Brown, (Yeah Dude Comics)
5- Hellberta #3, Michael Comeau

*****

image

Marc Mason

1. The Wicked and the Divine #1, Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie (Image Comics)
2. The Shadow Hero, Gene Luen Yang & Sonny Liew (First Second)
3. Phantoms of the Louvre, Enki Bilal (NBM)
4. Seconds, Bryan Lee O'Malley (Ballantine)
5. Captain Marvel #6, Kelly Sue DeConnick & David Lopez (Marvel)

*****

image

Trevor Ashfield

1. Wicked Chicken Queen, Sam Alden (Retrofit Comics)
2. Truth is Fragmentary: Travelogues and Diaries, Gabrielle Bell (Uncivilized)
3. The Love Bunglers, Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
4. Ebb Flow Float, Mimi Chrzanowski (self-published)
5. Steve Rude 2014 Sketchbook, Steve Rude (Steve Rude Art llc)

*****

image

Douglas Mullins

1. RAV 10, Mickey Zacchilli (Self-published)
2. SFVPN, Ryan Cecil Smith (Self-published)
3. Band for Life, Anya Davidson (Vice and Self-published)
4. Morgan, Frank Santoro (Self-published)
5. Transformers Vs. G.I. Joe #1, Tom Scioli / John Barber (IDW)

*****

image

Roger Langridge

* The Motherless Oven, Rob Davis (Self-Made Hero)
* (In A Sense) Lost and Found, Roman Muradov (NoBrow)
* The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil, Stephen Collins (Picador)
* Jim, Jim Woodring (Fantagraphics)
* Basewood, Alec Longstreth (Phase Seven)

*****

image

John Platt

1. Through the Woods, Emily Carroll (McElderry Books)
2. C.O.W.L. Vol. 1, Kyle Higgins, Alec Siegel, Rod Reis (Image Comics)
3. Irene 4, Andy Warner and Dakota McFadzean (editors) (Irene Comics)
4. A is for Antichrist: Obama's Conspiracy Alphabet, Rick Geary (Home Town Press)
5. Ant Colony, Michael DeForge (Drawn and Quarterly)

*****

image

Michael Dooley

1. Beauty, Kerascoet and Hubert (NBM)
2. You Who Read Me with Passion Now Must Forever Be My Friends, Dorothy Iannone (Siglio)
3. What Fools These Mortals Be! The Story of Puck, America's First and Most Influential Magazine of Color Political Caroons, Michael Alexandre Kahn and Richard Samuel West (IDW)
4. The Graphic Canon of Children's Literature: The World's Great Kids' Lit as Comics and Visuals, Russ Kick, editor (Seven Stories)
5. The Art of Richard Thompson, David Apatoff, Nick Galifianakis, Mike Rhode, Chris Sparks, and Bill Watterson (Andrews McMeel)

*****

image

Matt Emery

1. Awkwood, Jase Harper (Milk Shadow Books)
2. Modesty Blaise -- The Young Mistress, Peter O'Donnell, Enric Badia Romero (Titan Books)
3. I Don't Hate Your Guts, Noah Van Sciver (2D Cloud)
4. Very Quiet, Very Still, Chris Gooch (Optic Pop Press)
5. Study Group Magazine No. 3D, various (Study Group Comic Books)


*****

image

Colin Panetta

* Future Shock 7, Josh Burggraf et al (Astro Plus Press)
* The Hideous Dropping Off Of The Veil, Sean T. Collins and Julia Gfrörer (self published)
* Shaolin Cowboy #4, Geoff Darrow (Dark Horse)
* Traducciones, Inés Estrada (Gatosaurio)
* Weird5, Mr. Freibert et al (Cut-Cross)

*****

image

Oliver Ristau

1. The futurewarded smile of Mould Map 3 (Landfill Editions) tried to be a competitive exhibition of artistically challenging comics and is already a thing of the past. By creating an ephemeral moment in fanzine idealism with virulent colors and a trippy layout the book design elevated its glossy pornographic ideology into an arthouse of ill repute. Artists like Lando or Blaise Larmee's Ice Cream Kisses remained, the latter was presented in excerpts and still continues to mutate along. Its unofficial advanced edition by 2D Cloud is already history again by now, next year we'll hopefully see a final version of something that appears to be a sexting drama staged through a heatseeking missile's impressions. Until then we read Larmee's ironic artistic statement Comets Comets and smile on undeterred.

2. While basically doing an artist's biography, a subgenre said to be possible of reaching far beyond its usual target group by smart-ass marketing professionals, Souvenirs de l'empire de l'atome by Thierry Smolderen and Alexandre Clérisse (Dargaud/Carlsen) plays with what has become a full-fleged rural plague: the referencing of popular icons and topics. For sure the main intention of the artists wasn't to seduce readers of Cordwainer Smith to purchase comics, because even among science-fiction readers his nom de plum isn't very familiar. And if a work is relating to works which relate to other works themselves that furthermore have been forgotten for decades, then you'll probably get an idea of comics scholar Thierry Smolderen's writing: a good story based on a truly absorbing biography. Not to mention the retro-style this is drawn in, additionally punctuated by a state-of-the-art coloring without much comparison. This way of expression depicts the future almost single-handedly, with its cradle rooting in past times. Or the other way round. And so it doesn't matter very much, if you're able to deduce from A.E. van Vogt to L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics and later on to Scientology, or from Edmond Hamilton of Captain Future fame to Anthony Hope's Prisoner Of Zenda...or if you might recognize André Franquin's cameo appearance -- all this works very well without any knowledge about those cross-references mentioned, this comic's just about opening up new ways of approaching one's biography.

3. When reality and romance collide, upright walking from out of the primordial soup gets torturous. Anne Simon's La geste d'Aglaé (éd. Misma/Rotopolpress), is about a young nereid, who learns about the hard side of life after an unexpected pregnancy which brings her father, ruler of the Oceanides, to expel her from his realm. The bitter truth, pointedly embedded in speech balloons and combined with historical citations, define the route out of the patriarchal tyranny, therefore ranging from Aesop to the Beatles and back. You have nothing to lose, except your scruples. A coming of age fable that puts Heinz Edelmann and Mr. Kite in educative action by creating caricatures of chimeras and hybrids, drawn cross hatched and with spare lines. In the end there's not much opposition left against a more and more resolute Aglaé or her son, who adds a further note of tyranny to his mother's autocratic regime -- a pessimistic life's journey with impaled masculine images along the way.

4. Junior Detective Files by Alex Degen (Sonatina Comics) ain't a comic. It's rather 'Paper Jazz', at least in Alex Degen's view, who doesn't have much love for the usual labelings of narration supported by pictures. But maybe it's just posing, with Mister Degen you never know because within his public self-staging as ADactivity, tomfoolery appears to be his daily bread. As in the present case, there are no words to be found at all, with a latin blindtext (Lorem Ipsum etc) being the only exception, and every single page showing a different setting but with recurring protagonists. One can favourably categorize this after Scott McCloud in different manners, but an ongoing tale it's rather not. You can read the single pictures as complete stories instead, and rarely have I spent more time with such a small publication before. It's a proof of great virtuosity to stack as many layers as these while staying consolidated simultaneously. Associations range from tragic/lost to mysterious/abysmal and that's how it should be if you're going to lead the annoying snoop brats genre AD absurdum. Best release of the year.

5. The German translation of Ursula K. LeGuin's The Word For World Is Forest, Das Wort für Welt ist Wald, implies an elegance that can hardly be found in its original title because of its alliterative and phonetically conciseness. It would also make an ideal motif for Safari Honeymoon by Jesse Jacobs (Koyama Press), whose thematic catalogue runs from creation to how best to care for it. If you think this sounds similar to the old testament, I'd recommend a close reading of By This You Shall Know Him. Jacob's protagonists bear certain similarities to the sculptured works of Niki de Saint Phalle and are always reliable in not staying on top of things, which in this case is the dense woodwork of the jungle (its ornamental sophistication reminds one of overzealous construction plans for a maze) and lose one's bearings like no other, with Francis Macomber in Kenya being the only exception from that rule. Man versus nature ain't a brand new topic though, but Jacobs' skills in telling a convincing tale have increased once more, as the abstruse phantoms haunting his mindscape show in some of his experimental visual compositions. In this, the gender hierarchy once established by Ernest Hemingway is faced with a breath of fresh air.

Thanks to Shawn Starr for glancing over this.

This slightly modified list can also be found in German language.

*****

image

Charles Brownstein

1) Cyanide Milkshake #6, Liz Suburbia (self)
2) Teen Dog #1, Jake Lawrence (Boom!)
3) Vinland Saga Vol. 4, Makoto Yukimura (Kodansha)
4) Miniature Jesus, Ted McKeever (Image)
5) Gast, Carol Swain (Fantagraphics)

*****

image

Douglas Wolk

1. Never Forgets, Yumi Sakugawa (self-published)
2. 100th Anniversary Special: Avengers #1, James Stokoe (Marvel)
3. Star Cat: Book 01, James Turner (David Fickling Books)
4. Through the Woods, Emily Carroll (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
5. Shutter Vol. 1, Joe Keatinge & Leila Del Duca (Image)

*****

image

Sean Kleefeld

1. Billy Johnson and His Duck Are Explorers #1, Mathew New (self-published)
2. New Gods Artist's Edition, Jack Kirby (IDW)
3. Shackleton, Nick Bertozzi (First Second)
4. Spaceman Jax #1, Kirstie Shepherd and Cesare Asaro (Curio & Co)
5. Bird Witch, Kat Leyh (Yeti Press)

*****

image

Terry Eisele

* Museum of Mistakes, Julia Wertz (Atomic Book Company)
* Through the Wood, Emily Carroll (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
* The Boxer: The True Story of Holocaust Survivor Harry Haft, Reinhard Kleist (SelfMadeHero)
* Hidden: A Child's Story of the Holocaust, Loic Dauvillier, Marc Lizano, Greg Salsedo (First Second)
* The Bad Doctor: The Troubled Life and Times of Dr. Iwan James, Ian Williams (Myriad Editions)

*****

image

Johnny Bacardi

1. Daredevil (Marvel)
2. The Wicked and the Divine, Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie (Image)
3. Princess Ugg, Ted Naifeh (Oni Press)
4. Battling Boy: The Rise of Aurora West, Paul Pope, JT Petty, David Rubin (First Second)
5. The Legend of Bold Riley, Leia Wethington, Zack Giallongo (Northwest)

*****

image

Andrew Mansell

1. Puck: What Fools These Mortals Be, Samuel West (IDW)
2. Walt Before Skeezix, Frank King (Drawn And Quarterly)
3. Perfect Nonsense: The Chaotic Comics and Goofy Games of George Carlson (Fantagraphics)
4. Behold the Dinosaur, Dustin Harbin (Nobrow)
5. Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir, Roz Chast (Bloomsbury)

*****

image

Bonny

1. Recidivist IV, Zak Sally (La Mano Press)
2. Hip Hop Family Tree Two-In-One, Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics Books)
3. Stray Bullets: The Killers #1, David Lapham (Image Comics)
4. The Eltingville Club #1, Evan Dorkin & Sarah Dyer (Dark Horse Press)
5. Demon #1, Jason Shiga (Shiga Books)

*****

image

Michael Buntag

1. Ms. Marvel #1, Adrian Alphona (Marvel)
2. This One Summer, Jillian Tamaki (First Second)
3. Cosplayers 2: Tezukon, Dash Shaw (Fantagraphics)
4. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #1, Robert Hack (Archie)
5. Shoplifter, Michael Cho (Pantheon)

*****

image

Mike Baehr

1. Diana, Ron Regé Jr. (self-published)
2. Wicked Chicken Queen, Sam Alden (Retrofit/Big Planet)
3. The Wrenchies, Farel Dalrymple (First Second)
4. BPRD Hell on Earth: The Reign of the Black Flame, Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, James Harren, & Dave Stewart (Dark Horse)
5. Kroger Kromix #1-3, M. Moseley Smith and various artists (self-published)

*****

image

Sean T. Collins

* Configurations, Aidan Koch (self-published/Comics Workbook)
* 9/11 Police State, Noel Freibert (self-published)
* Sex Fantasy, Sophia Foster-Dimino (self-published)
* Palm Ash, Julia Gfrörer (self-published)
* Baby Bjornstrand, Renee French (Koyama Press)

*****

image

Bernard Crowsheet

1. Rav First Collection, mickey zacchilli (youth in decline)
2. Seconds, bryan lee o'malley (ballantine books)
3. Prophet, bunch of dudez & brandon graham (image)
4. Smoke Signal, various (desert island)
5. Wonton Soup collected edition, james stokoe (oni press)

*****

image

Dave Knott

* Mould Map 3, Various Creators (Landfill Editions & Famicon Express)
* Twelve Gems, Lane Milburn (Fantagraphics)
* War Of Streets And Houses, Sophie Yanow (Uncivilized Books)
* Shoplifter, Michael Cho (Pantheon)
* The Humans #0, Keenan Marshall Keller & Tom Neely (I Will Destroy You)

*****

image

Scott Cederlund

1. This One Summer, Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (First Second)
2. The Sock Monkey Treasury, Tony Millionaire (Fantagraphics)
3. Wicked Chicken Queen, Sam Alden (Retrofit)
4. The Hospital Suite, John Porcellino (Drawn and Quarterly)
5. Satellite Sam Vol. 2, Matt Fraction and Howard Chaykin (Image Comics)

*****

image

Tom Bondurant

1. Justice League United #0, Jeff Smith & Mike McKone (DC Comics)
2. Ms. Marvel #8, G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona (Marvel Comics)
3. Afterlife With Archie #5, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa & Francesco Francavilla (Archie Comics)
4. Transformers vs. GI Joe #0, Tom Scioli & John Barber(IDW Publishing)
5. Sex Criminals #5, Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky (Image Comics)

*****
*****
 
posted 2:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
The Comics Reporter Video Parade


Joe Field Interviews Mark Gruenwald, 1988


Old Masters: Art Spiegelman, Jules Feiifer, Alex Melamid


This Year's SAW Fundraiser Video


An Artist, Perhaps Named Zig, Inking Monkeys


Commercial For Daily Texan Comic Book


Cartoonists Meeting At Cafe Racer In Seattle


Keiler Roberts Reading Powdered Milk

*****

this feature will return January 10

*****
*****
 
posted 6:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
CR Week In Review

imageThe top comics-related news stories from December 6 to December 12, 2014:

1. International cartooning community comes out in support of Zunar's latest struggles with Malaysian police authorities.

2. Laughing Ogre in Columbus -- a foundational North American comics shop -- sends out statement that they'll be just fine even as a sister store in Virginia plans to close next week. Owner Gary Dills was recently publicly accused of misappropriating funds during a run in a trusted position at the ComicsPRO organizaiton, leading him to resign that position.

3. A lengthy, involved conventions and festivals year ends -- for all intents and purposes -- for most of North America with a small-press show in Los Angeles. The next festivals year stands directly ahead.

Winner Of The Week
Lizz Hickey. People flip out anymore when someone disagrees with them -- this kind of hyperbolic, obliterate the enemy approach is a dominant element in comics on-line discourse -- but I think doing a comic about your unpopular position and putting out there is a far cry better than the usual behind the scenes grumbling that takes place. I don't even agree with the cartoon, but I understand the nature of that point of view.

Losers Of The Week
Zunar-harassing police authorities in Malaysia.

Quote Of The Week
"Shout to @kellysue's Bitch Planet. Looking forward to seeing more. My first venture into indy-land. Highly recommend." -- Ta-Nehisi Coates
 
posted 12:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
December 12, 2014


Go, Look: Cavern Of The Brain-Eaters

image
 
posted 5:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Columbus, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Seattle, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Vancouver, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Ann Arbor, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Seattle, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Columbus, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 46th Birthday, Joseph Michael Linsner!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 49th Birthday, Kyle Baker!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 53rd Birthday, Philippe Francq!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 11, 2014


Go, Look: Four Christmases

image
 
posted 10:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Statement From Laughing Ogre In Columbus, Ohio About Any Impact From Sister-Store Closedown

imageWith Gary Dills resigning from the board of the retailer organization ComicsPRO for what is believed to be potential financial improprieties, a bunch of CR's readers perked up when news came that the mini-chain's Landsdowne store would be closing a week from today.

Of particular interest is if the closure migh have a ripple effect into the Fairfax location or all the way up into Ohio with the famed Laughing Ogre store on High Street. Jeff Stang of the Columbus location would like to assure his customers and comics more widely that they're not going anywhere. "This store is just fine," he said in a statement he e-mailed to CR and put up on the store's social media presence. "We're currently in a transition phase and there will be a few bumps along the way. We expect new books to be here on time this week and the following weeks. There will be no changes in staffing. Stang, Gib and the rest of the motley crew aren't going anywhere. The closure of the Lansdowne location will not effect how business is run at the store here in Columbus. This store is here to stay and will still provide you with the service and product that you have come to expect from us."

There had been a bit of on-line chatter about shipping difficulties at multiple locations, the kind of thing that gets customers worried. It's good to know that for now, at least, those involved with the Columbus location are confident moving forward. That is one of the great stores of its era and remains a foundational comics shop today.
 
posted 10:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: MW Kaluta Draws The Shadow

image
 
posted 10:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read: Two Twenty-Year-Old Seth Tobocman Comics About Police Violence Re-Run By Ethan Heitner

image

* Why I Went And Got Arrested On Wall Street
* Comics About Police Violence

These may inform some of the political discussions going on out there right now, and provide historical corrective to anyone that believes any era was a safe and happy time.
 
posted 10:15 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read: A Dance With Death Part Two

image
 
posted 10:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read: Patrick Rosenkranz Talks To Gilbert Shelton

image

With multiple pieces of writing in books that will be in libraries for the next 75 years a primary resources on an amazing generation of cartoonists, Patrick Rosenkranz is having an all-time year for writers-about-comics. I enjoyed this Gilbert Shelton interview, in part because Shelton doesn't seem to be in the mood for the kind of expansive answers that these talks provide. We have almost no time left to honor the underground generation, and I hope everyone will be open to anything that crosses their path that does so. They reclaimed personal expression in comics on a much, much wider scale than 1960s America encouraged and allowed. Plus many of them -- like Shelton -- were terrific cartoonists.
 
posted 10:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: John Romita Jr.‘s Daredevil Portfolio

image
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Collective Memory: CALA 2014

image
this article has now been archived
 
posted 9:55 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Massive Ronald Searle Images Gallery

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Festivals Extra: WonderCon Anaheim Announces First Round Of Special Guests For Spring 2015 Show

Here. It's Neal Adams, Becky Cloonan, Aaron Kuder, Kevin Maguire and Dustin Nguyen. That seems like a pretty traditional list -- you can explore their bios through that first link. Kuder is a up-and-coming mainstream major player, I think, depending on how things break for him over the next three to four years. He's already highly valued by DC Comics.

It should be really interesting to see how the Anaheim show goes seeing as it seems to be locked into that space now after a couple of years of "Well, we couldn't work out something with San Francisco" negotiations. Also, that group is out of the Bay Area entirely, having returned APE to Dan Vado, so there may be more resources to marshal in the direction of the Spring show.

I hope to attend this con.
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: The Talk Of The Town

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: The City That Cried Wolf

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

image* Chris Sims on Bitch Planet #1. Noah Berlatsky on Massive. Joe Gordon on Brass Sun. Greg McElhatton on Sex Criminals #9.

* Alex Cox writes here on the changes in his life and his orientation towards writing about comics in the years since he stopped writing about comics and started working in comics more directly. I think that's a pretty standard boilerplate in terms of observations from a lot of people that move from that part of comics to the other. That writing about comics isn't as much about the reality of comics I tend to see as a failure of that writing, including my own.

* love for Rerun Van Pelt.

* Martin Schneider profiles Fletcher Hanks. Michael C. Lorah talks to Richard McGuire. RC Harvey profiles Clifford McBride. Some of the cartooning reprinted there is really lovely. Brigid Alverson talks to Eric Orchard. Chris Mautner talks to Zak Sally.

* not comics: here's a post on one of those machines that dispenses stickers called stinckers that was the subject of the show a bunch of folks attended at Meltdown before CALA.

* not comics: journalism is growing impatient with the white knight syndrome, which makes total sense in that the white knight recruitment pool is exactly the same as the not-quite-as-white knights that assumed control over media properties the last three decades. It's just a new someone, not someone new.

* I totally missed word of this Ralph Steadman retrospective.

* finally, Colleen Doran won't be doing commissions in 2015.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 61st Birthday, Mark Landman!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Brooklyn, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 39th Birthday, Pat Lewis!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 10, 2014


Go, Look: Comics History

image
 
posted 10:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go Read Patrick Lohier’s Profile Of Richard McGuire, Then Go See Him At Desert Island In Brooklyn

The Lohier profile is here. The nature of the signing is explained here. That event should be fun.

"Here" and Here are significant works, each well ahead of the the times in which they exist, if only in terms of the ideas being espoused.

I hope there's more coverage of McGuire's work in the next few months. I'm not sure that as a whole the comics inudstry values these great works that come out every year.
 
posted 10:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: French Fries And Waffles

image
 
posted 10:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Oni Press Seeking Director Of Publicity

image

Oni Press is looking for a director of publicity. Jobs in comics are nearly as rare as jobs in Portland, Oregon. I would definitely apply, except that I already have multiple jobs.

If you had this job, you could tell me if the logo I used above was the right one or not. Imagine the possibilities.
 
posted 10:15 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: All Star Western #108

image
 
posted 10:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Graham Crackers Comics Fraction/DeConnick Joke Backfires

Here. Nice catch by Janelle Asselin. That makes me never want to shop in those stores. It looks like that it was a joke to switch both of the couple's names, which makes it much less baffling but kind of a roll-your-eyes moment given the floating criticism Kelly Sue DeConnick has received. I tell my fair share of super-dumb jokes, and this is a reminder we all have to be more careful about that these days given how enmeshed elements of the business and prominent individuals are via social media.

Graham Crackers has nine stores in the mighty Chicago comics market.
 
posted 10:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Not Comics: Himmapaan

image
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Lady’s Favor

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Shows And Events

image

By Tom Spurgeon

* slowing down a bit for the holidays and thank God. There's a really nice event in Columbus, Ohio this weekend, and we still have a couple of small shows coming up, but hopefully we're done for a while. Enough with the shows for a bit.

* I totally missed this Andy Brown take on Expozine. Sorry, Andy. I also missed this article on Genghis Con.

* I'm not sure that I realized the CO-MIX exhibit had new home for the holidays and into 2015.

* finally, Everett Rand wrote in a bit back to drive my attention to Zine Machine, a one-day show (on a Friday, which is interesting) in Durham, North Carolina to be held February 20. He was refreshingly candid about not knowing how it was going to go, but he mentioned that the exhibitor tables are super-cheap. What are you holding back for? Grab a bite to eat at Only Burger.

image
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In London, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In NYC, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Eddie Extra

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

image* Ivan Brunetti discusses his recent New Yorker cover. I enjoy this feature.

* those nice people at The Nib would like your help in figuring out their best.

* good to see the SAW fundraiser reach its first $1000. I hope you'll consider giving. Every little bit will be well spent.

* Andrew Webster on the best science fiction comics going. Jason Sacks on Cold Crew.

* more on the idea that superheroes could be used as a counter-narrative for heroic stories used by terrorism recruiters.

* Gilbert Gottfried and Frank Santopadre talk to Drew Friedman.

* a visit to Jessica Abel's studio, en francais.

* finally, my professors never assigned Archie.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 57th Birthday, Peter Bagge!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 50th Birthday, Lewis Trondheim!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 9, 2014


Go, Look: Verónica Morales G

image
 
posted 10:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
AV Club Presents Its Two Best-Of Comics Lists For 2014

The AV Club has their two posts up for the year in comics, best-ofs sub-division. It's an expansive, positive list that reflect the time of its publication very well: there are a number of pretty good to really good comics out there right now. AV Club splits theirs into ongoing/special vs. gns/archival. Their choices this year are as follows. Follow through to the original link for critical-survey details on each choice.

*****

image

Ongoing And Special Series

* Action Comics, Greg Pak And Aaron Kuder (DC)
* Adventure Time, Ryan North And I'm Guessing An Army Of Collaborators (Boom)
* Alex + Ada, Jonathan Luna And Sarah Vaughn (Image)
* Astro City, Kurt Busiek And Brent Anderson And Alex Ross (Vertigo)
* Bad Machinery, John Allison (Online/collected by Oni Press)
* Copra, Michel Fiffe (Bergen Street)
* D4VE, Ryan Ferrier And Valentin Ramon (Monkeybrain)
* Flash Gordon, Jeff Parker And Doc Shaner And Jordie Bellaire (Dynamite)
* Hip Hop Family Tree, Ed Piskor (Online/collected by Fantagraphics)
* Manifest Destiny, Chris Dingess And Matthew Roberts And Owen Gieni (Image)
* Megg, Mogg, & Owl, Simon Hanselmann (Online/Fantagraphics)
* Mind MGMT, Matt Kindt (Dark Horse)
* Moon Knight, Warren Ellis And Declan Shalvey And Jordie Bellaire (Marvel)
* Ms. Marvel, G. Willow Wilson And Adrian Alphona (Marvel)
* The Multiversity, Grant Morrison And Various Esteemed Artists (DC)
* Saga, Brian K. Vaughan And Fiona Staples (Image)
* Savage Dragon, Erik Larsen (Image)
* Sex Criminals, Matt Fraction And Chip Zdarsky (Image)
* She-Hulk, Charles Soule And Various, Particularly Javier Pulido And Muntsa Vicente (Marvel)
* Shutter, Joe Keatinge And Leila De Duca And Owen Gieni (Image)
* Southern Bastards, Jason Aaron And Jason Latour (Image)
* Swamp Thing, Charles Soule and Various (DC)
* Transformers Vs. G.I. Joe, Tom Scioli (IDW)
* The Wicked + The Divine, Kieron Gillen And Jamie McKelvie (Image)
* Zero, Ales Kot And Tom Muller And Jordie Bellaire (Image)

*****

image

Graphic Novels And Archival Editions

* aama, Frederik Peeters (SelfMadeHero)
* Ant Colony, Michael DeForge (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Beautiful Darkness, Fabien Vehlmann And Kerascoet (Drawn And Quarterly)
* Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, Roz Chast (Bloomsbury USA)
* Forming II, Jesse Moynihan (Nobrow)
* The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil, Stephen Collins (Picador)
* Hey, Mister: Come Hell Or Highwater Pants, Pete Sickman-Garner (Top Shelf)
* How To Be Happy, Eleanor Davis (Fantagraphics)
* Jim, Jim Woodring (Fantagraphics)
* Kill My Mother, Jules Feiffer (Liveright)
* Lena Finkle's Magic Barrel, Anya Ulinich (Penguin)
* Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream, Winsor McCay (Locust Moon Press)
* Nijigahara Holograph, Inio Asana (Drawn & Quarterly)
* RAV, Mickey Z (Youth In Decline)
* Safari Honeymoon, Jesse Jacobs (Koyama)
* Seconds, Bryan Lee O'Malley (Ballantine)
* SHOWA 1939-1944: A History Of Japan, Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Sugar Skull, Charles Burns (Pantheon)
* Syllabus, Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
* The Hospital Suite, John Porcellino (Drawn & Quarterly)
* The Love Bunglers, Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
* The Wrenchies, Farel Dalrymple (First Second)
* This One Summer, Jillian Tamaki And Mariko Tamaki (First Second)
* Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge And Donald Duck: The Don Rosa Library, Don Rosa (Fantagraphics)
* Wicked Chicken Queen, Sam Alden (Retrofit)

*****
*****
 
posted 10:15 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Gene Colan/Tom Palmer Daredevil Splashes

image
 
posted 10:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read: Lizz Hickey On Donation Sites

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
This Isn’t A Library: New And Notable Releases Into Comics’ Direct Market

image

*****

Here are the books that make an impression on me staring at this week's no-doubt largely accurate list of books shipping from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. to comic book and hobby shops across North America.

I might not buy all of the works listed here. I might not buy any. You never know. I'd sure look at the following, though.

*****

OCT141594 HERE HC $35.00
This is one of the four or five books for all of 2014, and one for the permanent bookshelf even if you only have one bookshelf. This is the first comic about which I ever wrote, or at least, it's based on the short story that was the first comic about which I ever wrote. It's personally and nostagically important to me. I also think it's one of the better collections of comics ideas in action from the last four decades. To be honest, I haven't caught up with this new one hoping I might get a free copy. That it's out and I don't have it is killing me.

imageSEP141496 DUNGEON EARLY YEARS GN VOL 01 NIGHT SHIRT NEW PTG $14.99
SEP141495 DUNGEON TWILIGHT GN VOL 04 $14.99
A repeat and a newly translated pair of works from the Dungeon, which I recently heard described as the French-language market's Adventure Time in terms of employing quality comics-makers on a commercial project in a way that's artistically satisfying to both artist and consumer. I don't know if I believe there's a direct relationship, but it made me laugh. I like all of these books, although the mythology of the later-years work is a little less interesting to me than the primetime material and even the side-adventure material that takes place in that same, original time period.

SEP140347 ROYALS MASTERS OF WAR TP (MR) $14.99
This is a collection of a Vertigo comic whose concept was a world where royalty has superpowers but hides them until a British royal employs his to defend Great Britain during German bombing raids in World War 2. It reminded me a bit of 1990s satirical takes on superhero comics in that the perceived nobility of engaging problems with super-strength and eyebeams is almost always immediately diverted into awful outcomes. Anyway, this is the kind of book that comes out a lot in comics these days, and I thought this one should be pulled out for my having remembered reading it. That's not always the case with those kinds of books.

SEP140515 DITKOS SHORTS HC $24.99
JUL140338 JOHN BUSCEMA SILVER SURFER ARTIST ED HC PI
SEP140508 LIL ABNER HC VOL 07 $49.99
A solid week for IDW, showing off three of their half-dozen or so strengths in the reprints/colleciton depaertment. I'd love to see the Buscema, in particular. No one in mainstream comics ever drew more consistent, excellent figures or was more generally talented, and that was his best-looking work overall.

AUG141585 BAD MACHINERY GN VOL 03 CASE OF THE SIMPLE SOUL $19.99
I'm a latecomer to the John Allison work but I'm greatly enjoying it. I'm reading it on-line, but I imagine it would work extremely well in length, collected form as well. That's just a quality offering from Oni.

OCT141430 FAIRY TALES I JUST MADE UP HC $18.95
This was a kickstarted project with a bunch of cartoonists involved that I enjoy, such as Roger Langridge. I have no idea as to its quality or consistency, but that's what a sharp eye in a comics shop picking up and a holding it in one's hands does, makes thos e kinds of appraisals.

SEP141625 LITTLE NEMO IN SLUMBERLAND SO MANY SPLENDID SUNDAYS NEW PTG $125.00
MAY141589 WINDSOR MCCAY COMPLETE LITTLE NEMO XL HC $200.00
Hard not to place these two together. The first you'll recall as the Sunday Press Books jaw-dropper from a few years back, a foundational item for any comics collection and a major throw-down across comics publishing, period. The second is a Taschen book that I'd have to scope out -- no idea as to the size or to the quality of the printing, and that "d" is interesting -- but promises all 500+ comics. Not like Taschen would crank this out for the sake of cranking this out.

SEP141879 INSIDER HISTORIES OF CARTOONING SC $35.00
This is from the great comics historian RC Harvey, and looks like a survey-style work of a bunch of different, "lesser known" comics and cartooning subjects drawing on his vast appetite for forgotten corners and neglected masters. I'm dying to see a copy, I didn't even know it was out.

JUL141649 WORLD ACCORDING TO BATMAN HC $24.95
This was the most gifty item I saw on this week's list. It's close enough to Christmas now just about anything else to come out in this category was probably a late project on some level.

OCT140578 BITCH PLANET #1 (MR) $3.50
AUG140677 SEX CRIMINALS #9 (MR) $3.50
SEP140754 SOUTHERN BASTARDS #6 (MR) $3.50
OCT140385 ASTRO CITY #18 $3.99
OCT140298 BATGIRL #37 $2.99
I wanted to end one of these with the serial comics at some point, and due to the relative size of images I was able to find for Bitch Planet and for the Dungeon book, this seemed like a good week to do that. Bitch Planet should be fun. That's the new series from Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro. That seems like a potential hit from the early get-go. Sex Criminals has a new issue out, so I imagine that's a big, big day for the what I'm guessing is a subset of 200-250 DM stores that do extremely well with that one. I've been enjoying the languid pacing of Southern Bastards, plus right now it's about football. Astro City is up to its 18th issue in this current iteration. DC left some sales on the table by not renumbering Batgirl in a way that would let me tell how many they've done with this new take, but I don't think anyone's going to complain about any title keeping its numbering. That seems like a fun comic, though, and I can imagine it being the only comic some people might be in any given week. It sort of rewards that kind of buying: it's very stand-alone in terms of its plots (thus far) and provides a dense, involved narrative each time out.

*****

The full list of this week's releases, including some titles with multiple cover variations and a long, impressive list of toys and other stuff that isn't comics, can be found here. Despite this official list there's no guarantee a comic will show up in the stores as promised, or in all of the stores as opposed to just a few. Also, stores choose what they carry and don't carry so your shop may not carry a specific publication. There are a lot of comics out there.

To find your local comic book store, check this list; and for one I can personally recommend because I've shopped there, albeit a while back, try this.

The above titles are listed with their Diamond order code in the first field, which may assist you in finding comics at your shop or having them order something for you they don't have in-stock. Ordering through a direct market shop can be a frustrating experience, so if you have a direct line to something -- you know another shop has it, you know a bookstore has it -- I'd urge you to consider all of your options.

If I failed to list your comic, that's because I hate you.

*****

image

*****
*****
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In NYC, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: From The Haney/Calnan Metamorpho Revival

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

* here's a list of significant queer and trans women creators, all of whom could use more readers and greater support.

image* meet Charles Biro.

* this WizardWorld schedule is something to behold. I don't like those kinds of shows in general -- they're not for me -- although I recognize that a lot of people do. There are also random Wizard shows that have favorably benefited local comics people in attendance. Still, I've been to enough great shows and enough Wizard shows to know I wouldn't mind at all if that very specific conception of comics shows simply went away.

* Maria Popova on Syllabus.

* not comics: Sleepy Kitty poster art. (Evan Sult's a former art director at Fantagraphics and Devil's Due.)

* Steve Sunu talks to John Allison. Robin McConnell talks to Bill Kartalopoulos.

* finally, here's something I totally missed: a favorable review of the stageplay version of Usagi Yojimbo.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 94th Birthday, Dan Spiegle!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 36th Birthday, Jason Leivian!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 55th Birthday, Chaz Troug!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 8, 2014


Go, Bookmark: Gilbert Hernandez On Vice.com

image
 
posted 10:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read: Observer Comics And Graphic Novels Of The Year 2014

imageThis is from Rachel Cooke:

* Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, Roz Chast (Bloomsbury)
* Even More Bad Parenting Advice, Guy Delisle (D+Q)
* Fatherland, Nina Bunjevac (Jonathan Cape)
* Grandville Noel, Bryan Talbot (Jonathan Cape)
* Just So Happens, Fumio Obata (Jonathan Cape)
* Legends Of The Tour, Jan Cleijne (Head Of Zeus)
* Moomin, Tove Jansson (D+Q)
* Over Easy, Mimi Pond (D+Q)
* Plumdog, Emma Chichester (Jonathan Cape)
* Polina Bastien Vivès (Jonathan Cape)
* Probably Nothing, Matilda Tristram (Viking)
* Rembrandt, Typex (SelfMadeHero)
* Sugar Skull, Charles Burns (Jonathan Cape)
* WWI, Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)

There were also some not-quite-comics named, and some of the comics were ranked against others in sub-groups. You'll have to read the original column for those distinctions, and I hope you will.
 
posted 10:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Siobhan Chiffon

image
 
posted 10:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read: Rob Kirby’s Top Mini-Comics And Top Not Mini-Comics, 2014

Here. Rob Kirby is a cartoonist, editor and writer-about-comics. You can read his notes and criteria through that initial link.

*****

imageTop 10 Minicomics

* Heart Farts, Cara Bean, Rebecca Viola and Jason Viola
* Domestic Times, Tessa Brunton
* Hungry Summer, Asher Z. Craw
* My Body is a Lemon And Nasty Day, Kelly Froh
* Mathematical Solutions for a Global Crisis, Jesse Jacobs
* Cats in Service, Megan Kelso
* Covers, Jason Martin
* #FoodPorn, Meghan Turbitt
* Limp Wrist, Scout Wolfcave & Penina Gal
* Cut-Away Comics #2, Dan Zettwoch

Honorable Mentions: Flower Grow, Kevin Budnik; Little Hilma, Jyrki Heikkinen; The Lizard Laughed, Noah Van Sciver

Three Mini Series To Watch Out For: Luv Sucker, Charles Forsman; You Don’t Get There From Here, Carrie McNinch; Mr. Wolf, Aron Nels Steinke

*****

imageTop 10 Books

* Graphic Novel (long form): Angie Bongiolatti, Mike Dawson
* Graphic Novel (short form): Safari Honeymoon, Jesse Jacobs
* Memoir: Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, Roz Chast
* Autobio: The Hospital Suite, John Porcellino
* Archival Collection: Rudy, Mark Connery
* Short Story Collection: Dragon's Breath and Other Stories, MariNaomi
* Anthology: Massive: Erotic Gay Manga and the Men Who Make It, Anne Ishii & Graham Kolbeins & Chip Kidd
* Book for Young Readers: Lowriders in Space, Cathy Camper and Raul the Third
* Debut Book: Wendy, Walter Scott
* Comeback book: Over Easy, Mimi Pond

3 Honorable Mentions: Megahex, Simon Hanselmann; Snackies, Nick Sumida; War of Streets and Houses, Sophie Yanow

*****

Extra Categories

3 Memorable Short Stories: "Anime" by Sam Alden, (from It Never Happened Again); "White Girl Dreams" by MK Brown (reprinted in Stranger than Life); "Untitled" from Puppyteeth #4, Jess Wheelock

Fave Webcomic: G.W. Duncanson's "weird little art comics."

*****
*****
 
posted 10:15 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Jurassic Park: The Loser World

image
 
posted 10:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Festivals Extra: CAKE Announces Its Special Guest List

image

Via the poster for show designed by Windy City cartooning legend Ivan Brunetti, the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo has announced its entire special guest list for 2015. The show has become a major stopping point for alt- and arts- comics makers, and still holds a high degree of curiosity for those that haven't yet attended. This year's show is June 6-7.

The 2015 Special Guests for CAKE in Chicago are:

* Eleanor Davis
* Gilbert Hernandez
* Jaime Hernandez
* Keiler Roberts
* Zak Sally
* Wilfred Santiago
* Dash Shaw
* Jillian Tamaki
* Lale Westvind

That's a super-solid list. I'm planning on attending the show. Chicago's a great city for comics.

They would also like to remind you that only six days remain for exhbitor applications.
 
posted 10:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Underwood Ghostways

image
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Herbie Ephemera

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Bundled, Tossed, Untied And Stacked: Publishing News

image

By Tom Spurgeon

* Gary Spencer Millidge sent along this notice that the new serialization of his Strangehaven in a publication called Meanwhile... is now available for pre-order through a variety of distributor-level ways. I look forward to reading it. I don't usually run ads in lieu of actual material, but I think that image is attractive enough I'll pretend like it's a cover.

image* a cartoonist named Charles Brubaker wrote in to announce the publication of Smallbug Comics #1. I prefer my publishing news with a little distance between announcement and publication, but this column was always meant to cover small press and minis, too -- I just never hear from those folks. Please consider making CR part of your announcements and publishing news process.

* IDW will be working with Walt Simonson on a complete, over-sized version of his Star Slammers work. That should be a lot of fun, in addition to being very attractive.

* here's an article tracking the various DC Convergence series. "Convergence" is the blanket title for the big group of two-fers that DC is doing to fill the gap as they move offices from New York to Los Angeles. There should be scattered entertaining reads in there; Doc Shaner drawing the Marvel Family should be fun.

* Andrews McMeel is going to do a paperback version of its Complete Far Side collection, the great Gary Larson panel feature. The original hardcover is one of the most important comics publications of the last 25 years, anticipating a bunch of higher-end book aimed at something other than the widest possible audience, a big psychological block for mainstream newspaper strips.

* for some reason, word of this project totally based me by.

* finally, the new š! is out. That's always an occasion to celebrate. You may recognize many of the cartoonists because of my routine thievery of those lists for "go, look" posts.

image
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In NYC, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were Near A Computer, I’d Think About Live-Streaming This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Gang Busters #3

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

image* Steven Thompson on The Sculptor. Andrew Dubber on Hicksville. Rob McMonigal on Screwjob Anthology #1. Etelka Lehoczky on Shutter.

* Diane Nelson? Never heard of her.

* Amy Dempsey talks to Bart Beaty. Steve Strout talks to Matthew Southworth. Arlen Schumer profiles Gene Colan. Some nice person profiles Isabel Greenberg.

* finally, I imagine that by now this feature article on a comics effort in India featuring a rape survivor protagonist and tied into current events reshaping the culture there will be everywhere.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 56th Birthday, Jack Ruttan!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 36th Birthday, Nate Neal!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 56th Birthday, Kelly Alder!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 7, 2014


Go, Look: Desk With Integrated Storage Comic

image
 
posted 10:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Bundled Extra: First Second Announces Omaha Beach On D-Day

image

First Second Books announced earlier today the publication of Omaha Beach On D-Day, the first book in a new series hoping to explore "iconic moments in World War II history" (from the PR). The initial work was written by Jean-David Morvan and Séverine Tréfouel, with art from Domnique Bertail. The photograph to be explored in this book is from Robert Capa's famous series taken during the initial stages of the Allied Invasion.

Above is the cover. Omaha Beach On D-Day is scheduled for Fall 2015.
 
posted 10:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Goethe Institute

image
 
posted 10:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Slate Announces 2014 Cartoonist Studio Prize Details

Here's the article where Slate announces how you put in for consideration for the Cartoonist Studio Prize for this year. The highlights:

* it's for work done at any point during the calendar year 2014.

* deadline is 12/31.

* there are separate links for the two categories, print and on-line.

* the jury is that fine gentleman of comics Paul Karasik, Slate's Dan Kois and the students fro the Center For Cartoon Studies (represented by Fellow Sophie Yanow).

* finalists will be announced March 2 and the two winners on April 1.

That's about it. I like this award. It provides money to the winners, and has a clear organizing principles content-wise and date-of-publication wise. I look forward to seeing what wins.
 
posted 10:15 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Missed It: Horrific Sex Toy Mistakes

image
 
posted 10:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Bundled Extra: City Of Glass With Extras Up At PEN Auction

It's hard for me to imagine a more interesting one-of-a-kind item going up for auction this year, and this one's for charity: an extras-loaded copy of City Of Glass. You can read a bit more about it here.

Both artists are passionate enough about the artist and the cause to have shot me multiple e-mails reminding me this is being done. If you're closer to the one percent than you are the average cartoonist-percent, you might look into it.

Update: D'oh, this took place last week in full -- $2000 was raised by the auction, contributing to a seven-figure total. My apologies in reporting this so late. I was honestly confused by the information I came across.
 
posted 10:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Not Comics: Sulamith Wulfing

image
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Tubby And His Clubhouse Pals

image
 
posted 9:50 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Thank You, Los Angeles; Congrats CALA; Sorry, Everyone

image

I'm grateful to the good comics (and other arts industry) people of Los Angeles for being such gracious hosts and interesting people on my last trip of the year. I'm particularly indebted to my brother, Whit. I think CALA was an excellent first show and shimmers with promise; my report will appear December 19th. My apologies to all my LA friends I didn't get to see on this trip. I planned it about a month ago but had canceled it in my head before deciding last minute to take it. I barely saw anyone out of my direct sphere of brother-driving-me-around influence, and hope you'll forgive me the social faux pas of my neglect.

I was particularly happy to head to Los Angeles on the cusp of 2015. The continuing number of opportunities in animation, the progression of several comics-makers into people of interest for film and TV development, and the move of DC Comics east to west may mark 2015 as the year when LA becomes the biggest city in North American comics.
 
posted 9:45 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: The Will Eisner 75 Years Of Graphic Storytelling Exhibit At Billy Ireland, Photographed

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Comics By Request: People, Places In Need Of Funding

image

By Tom Spurgeon

* it's hard for me to think of a cartoonist better suited for or better able to realize positive results from a crowd-funding mechanism like Patreon than Michael DeForge. DeForge is relentlessly prolific but as he moves through his twenties I have to imagine securing greater reward for the work he's putting out there is becoming more and more of a priority. He's one of the more interesting cartoonists of any age project to project, so it's not like he's going to use any extra reward that comes his way to indulge himself -- his work is his work. If you've been waiting to support someone this way, I hope you'll consider it with DeForge. We need to find as many ways as possible to support and sustain the best young creators in the making of comics.

* there's an indiegogo campaign here for a film about Mr. Fish. I think that's a story that could be told very well through a documentary. Here's a press release about the conclusion of principal photography.

* here's a kickstarter from IllusPress that will fund an anthology of true stories elicited from a single street: Chicago's Kedzie Avenue.

* the crowd-funded movie She Makes Comics should be out in nearly every way it's going to be out by the end of business tomorrow. It's always great to see these projects complete.

* finally, Dan Vado posted last Tuesday an update at his GoFundMe account that indicates he's shut down the Patreon element of trying to raise money to resuscitate SLG. So if you want to help, go to that link.
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Pearlescent Gray Part 2

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way Chapter Illustrations, From John Buscema

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

* Handsome Dick Manitoba picks his favorite New Yorker, living or dead -- and it's comics-related.

image* reader Randall Kirby thought this Clay Bennett piece a pretty good cartoon about Ferguson. I've been asking the readers to send in halfway decent to outright good cartoons on the whole, awful circumstance that's developed there because of how few I was seeing when I first started looking.

* not comics: Slate regulars debate whether or not they should kill their comments sections. I killed mine before I started the site, having learned a lot of lessons in the days of the Comics Journal message board. I've given up a ton of traffic that way, and probably some useful content generated by readers, but it suits me. I'm not even saying it's the right thing to do for everyone; at this point, I just don't have any connection to this discussion.

* a comics sale similar to one I need to have soon.

* Rob Clough continues with his CCS-related profiles: Max Mose And Dakota McFadzean; Romey Bensen.

* Bob Temuka on The Dharma Punks. Paul O'Brien on Wolverine And The X-Men Vol. 2. John Kane on a bunch of different comics.

* finally, Sean Kleefeld is surprised by the range of cartoons he finds in a random sampling, even though they sort of also all overlap when looked at in another way.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 52nd Birthday, Erik Larsen!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 47th Birthday, Dave Lasky!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 6, 2014


So I Took Another Comics-Related Job

Hi, I wanted to say a few things about the announcement two weeks ago that I'll be Festival Director at Cartoon Crossroads Columbus. CXC starts in 2016 with a two-day launch event scheduled for October 2-3 2015.

image* I'm very excited, and a heartfelt thank you to everyone that wrote in or otherwise congratulated me on the opportunity. I hope I got back to you individually.

* a double thank-you to everyone that expressed an interest to attend and/or exhibit. We want you there, and look forward to working with you as best we can to make this happen.

* even though in one sense the last thing comics needs is yet another comics show, I hope that there will be room for at least one more. If I didn't think there was, I wouldn't be doing this. I really admire a lot of things about several of the existing shows, and feel like we have a dozen or so that are working, vital entities. When people have asked me, "How will this show be different?" I do have some answers to that -- answers that will make themselves known as the show reveals itself in the months and years ahead -- but I also think that, at least initially, if we can within shouting distance of the amazing accomplishments of the best shows I won't care that much about making a strong break with what came before.

* further, I realize that comics shows are supremely difficult to pull off in a variety of ways. I might fail. I believe that the last and most difficult task is encouraging and growing an audience that will attend an Expo and is there to buy from those exhibiting. The most amazing and largely untold story of conventions and festivals over the last stratospheric decade for such events is the story of the fans that support them. I believe in the Midwest as a great place for comics, and Columbus as a potentially Best Place For Comics. I look forward to developing a show that works for as many folks on all sides of every table.

* I should be in Columbus early in 2015, and look forward to seeing many of you when you visit. I hope to be a host to anyone in comics that wants to enjoy what Columbus has to offer comics-makers in-between CXCs, particularly one of the five nicest places for comics in the history of the world: the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

* I can't announce the basic structure of what we have planned for the full version which starts in 2016 until CXC does so as a group in early 2015, but it will be four days and it will be every year. Our ambition is for a city-wide festival, with multiple venues, in the manner of some of the best European shows. We're very encouraged by the institutional support we've seen so far, and we'll talk about our partners in CXC's next round of releases.

* CXC sort of but does not really "replace" the amazing Cartoon Art Festival that was run by the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum every three years, the most recent being 2013. That show -- a great, great show and for years and years comics' most wonderful near-secret event -- was a product of a certain era, both in comics and in the development of Billy Ireland as an institution. We live in a different time, where sponsors from the strip and editorial cartoon worlds are slightly more difficult to come by and the love for comics has continued with hardcore fans but also spread to a much wider group of people. So while we'll be involved with the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum and their great comics people from the start -- they'll host a big chunk of every show and participate in all sorts of ways -- CXC is the festival that rises to take the old festival's place; we're not a new name on the old festival. That one was coming to an end no matter what we did. I hope we'll have every chance to do some of the things that that festival did, particularly in terms of its overall programming excellence, its eclectic guest list and the friendliness of the encounters between professionals and attendees.

* okay, now about CR.

* I'm keeping CR. The position I'm taking with CXC isn't at this point a salaried one. I realize that holding two comics jobs may not be ideal for any publication and holding this one may generate specific challenges in that conventions are a coverage area for all the comics magazines, but I'm working that out as best I can. While I'm not 100 percent sure what the shape of that will be, I suspect that after this year I won't be writing giant reports about shows -- I'll likely be farming that out entirely. I'm also hoping to have an ombudsman in place by 2016.

* because of the secrecy involved in my taking this position, I haven't written any reports on anything after Comic-Con International. I thought it was unfair to not have a qualifier up top as to my new gig. I've worked on all five show reports, though, and hope to run them starting a week from Monday, one a day, for a week: CCI, SPX, CAB, ICAF, CALA. All of those shows were super-fascinating in their way, and I want to have my say.

* I don't want to give up The Comics Reporter. I don't feel I've done near a good enough job with CR to be satisfied with winding it down. I still love doing it every day. The main reason I'm taking the Columbus job is because I hope it will allow me to give back, to do some good. I hope to improve CR so that it more effectively serves the community and industry in much that same spirit. I have another helpful idea or two for comics, unrelated to either magazine or festival, that I hope to institute down the line.

* it's not going to be easy to continue CR.

* CR, completely independent of my taking the gig in Columbus, has been experiencing trouble for quite some time. I'll be announcing several changes in the way I do CR, changes that are long overdue and may help me to continue doing it and make for a better publication/source in the next few weeks. The model we started in 2004 and still use today doesn't really work anymore. I hope you'll bear with me and I hope you'll be open to me pitching a few things at you at an appropriate time. Watch this space.

* one thing I hope the next 20 years of my life will be about -- if I'm given 20, which would be amazing -- is making for a better industry and art form with as much significant impact as I can muster. I'm a comics person. I'm here; I'm not going anywhere, not if I can help it. I think a lot of you feel the same way. Further, I don't think that those of us in the non-creative positions in comics have done nearly enough to support and aid this tremendous flowering of expressive talent over the last two decades. I hope that with the festival and with CR I can be a part of building on this creative energy so that comics stays the best art form for years to come.

* I'm looking forward to 2015 and the years beyond, both here on-line and in Columbus. Thank you again for the part you played in me having these opportunities. I hope I can make good.

*****
*****
 
posted 7:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Terrible

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were Near São Paulo, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 51st Birthday, Katsuya Terada!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 47th Birthday, Jason Lutes!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
FFF Results Post #403—Comics News Of The Year

On Friday, CR readers were asked to "Name Three Specific Comics News Events, One Non-Comics Story With An Impact On Comics And One Broader Trend-Type Story For Comics In 2014." This is how they responded.

*****

image

Michael Buntag

1. Marvel Comics' ongoing moves to be more diverse and inclusive.
2. The dramatic rise of NYCC attendance.
3. The Jack Kirby family settlement.
4. Time-Warner's DC cinematic universe announcements, including Wonder Woman movie.
5. Amazon vs publishers.

*****

image

Sean Kleefeld

1. Creation of the Comics Studies Society, largely thanks to Charles Hatfield
2. John Campbell's "meltdown" (an ugly word, but I don't know that I have another one that even remotely fits) surrounding his Sad Pictures for Children Kickstarter
3. Editorial juggling at Marvel and DC, due to DC moving out to California
4. Production on the next Fantastic Four film began, and Marvel seemed to spitefully react by removing the characters from all of their publications, including the cancellation of the main FF title.
5. Increased attention given to cosplayers, collectively from creators and vendors who don't like them at conventions and individually from sleezeballs who don't know what "consent" means

*****

image

Oliver Ristau

1. Eurocomics -- Network of European comic festivals founded
2. John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies at the Free University of Berlin officially opens its comics collection
3. Malaysia censors Ultraman comic for "irresponsible use of the word Allah"
4. DC Comics v. Valencia CF: The Legal Battle Over the Use of the Bat Logo
5. Meaningless click-bait type of stories with a main focus on movies made after comics.

*****

image

Tom Spurgeon

1. Star Wars Comics License Officially Announced Back To Marvel
2. Roz Chast Nominated For Non-Fiction National Book Award
3. Amazon Acquires Comixology
4. Marvel Has Top Two Box Office Films Of 2014
5. Significant Attention Given To Issues Of Gender, Bias And Abuse In Comic Book Industry And Comics Culture

*****

image

Matt Emery

1. Three Words anthology announced, spotlighting dozens of female New Zealand cartoonists, until now often absent or marginalised in comics retrospectives and histories.
2. Simon Hanselmann's Megahex, marriages, and everything else Simon really.
3. 2000AD announcing a collection of Dan Dare strips from their early publication history. I devoured these as a kid and it fills me with hope the Wagner/Mills written Dare from '80's era Eagle might one day be collected.
4. We might get another Howard the Duck movie?!
5. The New Zealand comics community have dispensed with 'Simple Team Comics Boosterism' (™Tom Spurgeon) on facebook and started some real talk about issues of gender/bullying/representation and a few cases of outright nastiness.

*****

image

Rob Salkowitz

1. Amazon Buys comiXology
2. Kirby estate receives money and formal recognition in settlement with Marvel
3. Image solidifies double-digit market share with diverse, creator-owned lineup
4. North American fandom convention market sized at ~$600B in ticket sales, potential multi-billion dollar economic impact
5. Marvel and DC announce over 40 comic-based movie releases through 2020

*****

image

Danny Ceballos

1. Marvel avoids possible Supreme Court action on creator's rights with last minute settlement with Jack Kirby's heirs
2. self-publishing giant John Porcellino celebrates King-Cat Comics & Stories 25th anniversary
3. Alison Bechdel receives a MacArthur Grant
4. Hayao Miyazaki announces (sort of) semi-retirement
5. comics as higher education or scholarly research keeps gaining more and more momentum (i.e. Professor Lynda Barry, Billy Ireland Museum, plethora of published collections, scholarly works and biographies on comics)

*****

image

Marc Arsenault

1. Kirby Estate accepts settlement before US Supreme Court consideration
2. Marvel's Star Wars #1 ships a million copies
3. Bill Watterson created at least three pieces of new comic art for public consumption
4. Marquis printing acquired Lebonfon
5. Small press comics publishing sees more artists, releases and events than can be kept up with.

*****
*****
 
posted 2:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
The Comics Reporter Video Parade


Peyo, Franquin, Morris, Roba


Ed Piskor At Meltdown's Performance Space


Jaime Hernandez At National Book Festival, 2013


Keith Knight Patreon Mini-Documentary


I Was A Teenage Christian Cartoonist


Gilbert Hernandez 2013 Presentation
 
posted 6:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
CR Week In Review

imageThe top comics-related news stories from November 29 to December 5, 2014:

1. Zunzi among several Occupy protestors to surrender in Hong Kong. They were released without charge. Zunzi's involvement indicates a deeper current of resistance to China's dominion over Hong Kong than I originally thought.

2. Word of an embezzlement episode at ComicsPRO hits the Internet, membership inboxes.

3. Mainstream newspaper editorial cartoonists continue to deal in various ways with the delicacy and intensity of current issues regarding such matters as race and police conduct. Here are a couple of readers' selections of ones they liked.

Winner Of The Week
TCAF.

Losers Of The Week
These dopes.

Quote Of The Week
"Cartooning is the hardest craft I ever did, because it's no-shit-everything-has-to-work. With a painting, you can fudge things. Everything in a cartoon has to work, like a car, or it won't run. I learned a lot about craft and discipline from cartooning, way more than from painting." -- Wayne White
 
posted 12:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
December 5, 2014


Go, Bookmark: FPI Blog’s Best Of The Year Series

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Seattle, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were Near Brownsville, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In The Bay Area, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were Near São Paulo, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In NYC, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In LA, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 53rd Birthday, Robin Riggs!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 48th Birthday, Leonard Kirk!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 49th Birthday, Paul Jenkins!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 47th Birthday, Claire Wendling!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Five For Friday #403—The Year In Comics News

image

Five For Friday #403 -- Name Three Specific Comics News Events, One Non-Comics Story With An Impact On Comics And One Broader Trend-Type Story For Comics In 2014

1. Star Wars Comics License Officially Announced Back To Marvel
2. Roz Chast Nominated For Non-Fiction National Book Award
3. Amazon Acquires Comixology
4. Marvel Has Top Two Box Office Films Of 2014
5. Significant Attention Given To Issues Of Gender, Bias And Abuse In Comic Book Industry And Comics Culture

*****

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

please note that submissions will not be accepted after 12 midnight ET following this post

also, I may not get the results up until Tuesday/Wednesday

*****
*****
 
posted 5:00 am PST | Permalink
 

 
December 4, 2014


Go, Look: René Rogge

image
 
posted 10:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Missed It: Co-Founder Gary Dills Believed To Be At Center Of Embezzlement Investigation By ComicsPRO

I missed the big news that flashed across screens yesterday that a former major figure at the Direct Market retailing advocacy group ComicsPRO has resigned his position because of suspected misappropriation of funds.

You can read ICv2.com's treatment of the story here, and Heidi MacDonald's version at The Beat here. I also received a pair of e-mails naming Gary Dills, a longtime major figure at ComicsPRO, as the person being targeted. He has apparently resigned his position on the Board of Directors and as the group's treasurer after confessing to as-yet-unknown financial improprieties. He was serving a term that began in 2013.

Dills owns The Laughing Ogre in Columbus, Ohio and a store in Virginia, Phoenix Comics And Toys -- I believe it's the Herndon store that's Dill's, although I'm not 100 percent sure about that. The site given at the ComicsPro biography has moved to placeholder status.

Dills was a significant architect of the retailing group, particularly it's parliamentary and rules elements, which I want to say geared up officially in very early 2005. Laughing Ogre in particular is a foundational Direct Market comics shop in an increasingly vital community for the comics industry -- it will soon be my local comics shop. I don't have any sense of how the membership will react, although I know there's been some significant discussion in terms of direction and goals and tone for the group going back to at least 2013.
 
posted 10:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: MW Kaluta Shadow-Era Color Guides

image
 
posted 10:24 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Bundled Extra: Conundrum Announces Blackbird For Fall 2015

image

Conundrum Press announced today its acquisition of Pierrre Maurel's Blackbird for translation into English and a Fall 2015 release. The original was published in French in mini-comics form, and then was collected by L'Employé du Moi for release in 2011.

Blackbird involves a group of independent-minded comics creators who seek self-publishing options in a world that has legislated against their existence.

Helge Dascher will provide the translation for the book, which will be the sixth in Conundrum's International Imprint line. You can see interior-page art through that initial link.


 
posted 10:23 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Because You Demanded It!

image
 
posted 10:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Columbia RBML Acquires Dennis Ryan Editorial Cartoon Collection

imageHere's the PR.

This is actually a good read -- it's an exemplary one for a PR release. The Columbia University Libraries/Information Services' Rare Book & Manuscript Library announced on Wednesday its acquisition of a 2100-piece collection of original editorial cartoon art from Dennis Ryan. It looks like that collection, which includes pieces up until the late 1990s, may be particularly strong through the 1920s.

Anyway, I thought it fun to read, and maybe at one point I'll find myself utilizing some of this material in some research.
 
posted 10:15 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Bookmark: Skew Part Two

image
 
posted 10:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read: NYT On The Passing Of Brumsic Brandon, Jr.

imagePaul Vitello has a smart, respectful obituary up at the New York Times on the late Brumsic Brandon Jr., the cartoonist behind Luther. It relies heavily on the information provided the Times by Barbara Brandon-Croft, the cartoonist's daughter and a nationally syndicated cartoonist of historical importance herself. Luther was one of a trio of early comic strips by black cartoonists to find their way into newspapers and national syndication. As I recall, there has always been some sort of dissonance about who among Brandon Jr., Morrie Turner and maybe Ted Shearer about who was exactly first doing what, although there's plenty to have been accomplished at that moment in time and each man enjoyed significant achievement. Luther ran on Long Island for a couple of years before national syndication, which ended in the late 1980s.
 
posted 10:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Not Comics: The Last Bookstores

image
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Festivals Extra: MoCCA Festival Applications End Today

Here. I mention it because that's a key show and sometimes December deadlines blow past without enough people noticing. They're in a new location this year.
 
posted 9:55 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: A Primetime John Stanley/Irv Tripp Holiday Comic

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Assembled, Zipped, Transferred And Downloaded: News From Digital

By Tom Spurgeon

* Shaenon Garrity profiles the webcomics devoted to self-help and inspiration, like Zen Pencils. I don't know anything about Zen Pencils other than I've made several jokes about one of the comics that talked about a "Creators Vs. Haters" war, in which I'm guessing I'm a general on the wrong side. It is enormously popular, though, so I should know more about it and am looking forward to reading the piece.

* this Nicholas Gurewitch kickstarter for a Gorey-reminiscent project has blown past its initial $25K goal, as one might expect from a project by one of the major figures in webcomics culture over the last 15 years.

* finally, nice catch by Heidi MacDonald that iVerse updating their app with use of images from DC Comics probably means something. She notes here that DC's participation fits into their wider policy of being as widely available as possible. Although I'm sure some folks disagree with me, it's hard for me to think of someone that's significantly benefited by limiting their buy options on purpose, although one supposes you could build a case based on percentage/cut or one based on resource allotment.
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In LA, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were Near São Paulo, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Early Bill Sienkiewicz Superhero Cover Gallery

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

* I like a lot of Darrin Bell's comics, so I'm looking forward to reading this interview with Michael Cavna about creating work in these socio-political times.

image* Kevin Huizenga profiles Jerry Moriarty.

* not comics: Jeet Heer dug up an article on why Walt Disney didn't hire female animators, which is as goofy and as depressing as you'd expect. It's a refined set of standards, in a way: he's fine with using female artists, just not animators.

* Tom Bondurant looks back at Crisis On Infinite Earths now 30 years in the rearview mirror. I have almost no affection for superhero universes as their own thing, but I have to admit that was a fairly fascinating enterprise and one that's echoed down through the ages as an almost primary defining element of what those companies do.

* Brian Nicholson on Janus. Luke Geddes on Sex. Jog on Recidivist Vol. IV. Richard Bruton on 100 Words (Or Less). Chris Sims on Hellboy And The BPRD: 1952. J. Caleb Mozzocco on a bunch of different comics.

* I've enjoyed these Simon Hanselmann diaries.

* there are still shows being added like mad.

* finally, Frank Santoro went to the one-day Genghis Con in Cleveland and sold some comics.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 90th Birthday, Sam Glanzman!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 39th Birthday, Bill Mudron!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 44th Birthday, Chris Mautner!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 45th Birthday, Ron Regé Jr.!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 3, 2014


OTBP: When The Dust Settles

image
 
posted 10:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look/Read: Representations Of Ferguson, Missouri

image

Qiana Whitted has a short piece up at Hooded Utilitarian about representations of Ferguson, Missouri in comics form that's well worth reading. I thought her choice of a mainstream newspaper editorial cartoon with understated complexity -- Patrick Chappatte's, above -- was an excellent one. That's a solid cartoon.

I had a pair of readers write in with their own choices for cartoons about the ongoing affair.

One was anonymous. They recommended:

* Bill Day
* MAD Magazine
* Jack Ohman
* Revivals Of The Jon Kudelka Palestine Cartoon
* Matt Wuerker

Another was Jens Robinson, of CartoonArts International, who recommend the following from the NY Times Syndicate/CartoonArts International site.

* Gary Clement (National Post, Toronto)
* Jeff Danziger (New York)
* Brian Gable (Globe and Mail, Toronto)
* Roar Hagen (Verdens Gang, Oslo)
* Heng Kim Song (Lianhe Zaobao, Singapore)
* Paresh Nath (Khaleej Times, Dubai, UAE)
* Joel Pett (Herald-Leader, Lexington)
* Oliver Schopf (Der Standard, Vienna)

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
 
posted 10:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Mos Eisley My Favorite

image
 
posted 10:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
By Request Extra: Color Artist Tom Mason Could Use A Hand

Here. A couple of readers sent this along about the colorist Tom Mason. This makes me think that another site or someone prominent on Twitter had it first; if people feel proprietary about charitable requests, my apologies to that person.

This strikes me as an achievable good thing for this person, and something that would be of particular interest to those familiar with his work or to those that have worked with the artist.
 
posted 10:15 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Joe Kubert On Viking Prince

image
 
posted 10:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Missed It: Free Comic Book Day Set For May 2, 2015

Kevin Melrose caught yet another thing I did not, this time that the 2015 version of Free Comic Book Day will be held May 2. The reason this isn't really news is because the man bites dog moment would have been if any weekend other than the opening of the second Avengers movie had been the selected date.

I don't have a whole lot of opinions on Free Comic Book Day. There are ways I wish it worked differently, but they're really just free-floating ideas. It seems to work well enough for a high enough number of professionals and companies and shops to keep it going for a very long time.
 
posted 10:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Kousaka Tomoko Imagery

image
via
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Read: John Cuneo On The Art Of Richard Thompson

It's sweet and funny and insightful.
 
posted 9:55 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Can’t Stop Thinking About Comics

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Shows And Events

image

By Tom Spurgeon

image* the Society Of Illustrators has named its jury for the prize they give out during the MoCCA Festival, which includes a show at the Society shortly thereafter. It's a strong group: Charles Burns, Andrea Tsurumi (pictured), David Plunkert, Alexandra Zsigmond and Annie Koyama. I'm glad to see Plunkert involved; I've really enjoyed his two big, recent comics. Heidi MacDonald has the PR and the bios at that initial link.

* speaking of that show, they're ending exhibitor applications tomorrow. They're in a new space and New York exhibiting is very desirable. Although I've heard from a few potential (and past) exhibitors worried about table costs that I've been told top out at $460 (there are levels related to SOI membership and the like that reduce this), I can't imagine they won't sell out.

* Wizard's 2015 con schedule. That's a lot of shows.

* I like the looks of this show taking place in São Paulo this weekend; it's their first one, and I wish them luck. It's a pop-culture show with a mostly mainstream comics contingent, which isn't exactly where my head's at, but that comics contingent looks very well-selected. We are close to just having a regular international circuit for these events, which I hope will encourage further development of the industry and art form in those places between events. We'll see. I bet those in attendance have a fun weekend.

* still had a link to a report from the Wizard show in Reno.

* speaking of big-tent shows, here's an article about a new pop-culture convention scheduled for the Philippines in 2015. I do wonder how much those shows leverage their local tourism resources.

* a bunch of people attended the Miami Book Fair with comics projects this year. It was dumb of me not to list it. Here's a report from James Kochalka that made me laugh.

* finally: John Porcellino, road warrior.
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Portland, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were Near São Paulo, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Kevin Nowlan Lady Superhero Pin-Up Gallery

image
this was a thing that was done
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

image* Pádraig Ó Méalóid talks to Darryl Cunningham. Alex Dueben talks to Hillary Chute and Patrick Jagoda.

* not comics: Mike Ploog's Fellowship Of The Ring drawing. I don't know if I've ever seen this specific piece of art, as the movie-poster version seems different design-wise.

* Rob Clough on the comics of Laurel Holden, Andy Warner and Wade Simpson. Todd Klein on Green Lantern: New Guardians #35. Johanna Draper Carlson on Reframed. J. Caleb Mozzocco on Star Wars: The Crimson Empire Saga and the coloring on recent TMNT collections.

* not comics: I haven't read this article on Doraremon, but it was recommended to me three times so I want to put a reminder here.

* finally, Sean T. Collins compares the franchise manager JJ Abrams to modern mainstream comics talent in an unflattering way. I actually don't have any problem with George Lucas doing whatever he wants to with his creation, and actually think he's buying a weirdly specific kind of immortality this way. I think I may be fully out of the game of anticipation/disappointment/cathartic joy now. It took a while.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 54th Birthday, Geof Isherwood!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 50th Birthday, R. Sikoryak!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 63rd Birthday, Régis Loisel!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 41st Birthday, Scott Morse!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 44th Birthday, Joel Priddy!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 2, 2014


Go, Look: MagiCat

image
 
posted 10:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Hong Kong Political Cartoonist Zunzi Among Group That Surrendered; Released

Here's something I hadn't realized even reading the work of the longtime Hong Kong political cartoonist Zunzi on Medium about the Occupy Central movement: Zunzi's involved at the heart of the protest to the point he was among two dozen figures that surrendered to police authorities and were subsequently released early December 4.

That's incredibly brave and it's hard to imagine a North American political cartoonist so directly and crucially involved since maybe Bill Mauldin's battles with the Daley Family back in the 1960s. It totally fits in with years and years of ideas expressed through the cartoonist's work, for sure.
 
posted 10:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Hex!

image
 
posted 10:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Bundled Extra: D+Q Releases Spring/Winter 2015 Lists

image

Here. They sneak-previewed most of what's here in July during Comic-Con International, and have confirmed on a lot of it in bits and pieces since then, but now it's official. Those look like strong seasons; we are in a rare time period for consistent, quality work from our established publishers.
 
posted 10:15 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: A Chris Ware Thanksgiving Short Story

image
apologies if this is just an illegal scan outright as opposed to a later generation legal one being passed around
 
posted 10:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
So Have Any Of The Mainstream Editorial Cartoonists Distinguished Themselves On Ferguson?

I've read a a few things here and there cartoon-wise on Ferguson from folks like Matt Bors that have stuck with me, but does anyone know of a daily newspaper editorial cartoonist that has done good work there? I also liked the New Yorker cover just fine, but mostly because it was elegantly executed; that's a pretty rudimentary concept driving that one. I have yet to go back through the Cagle indexes on the decision and its aftermath, but that's usually better for getting a general sense of the room than finding the outliers.

If you've been reading someone that's been smart and to the point, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
 
posted 10:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Shit And Piss

image
1, 2, 3, 4
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Bundled Extra/Missed It: Nobrow Announces 10-Book Flying Eye Season For Early 2015

While I remembered to run a piece on the announced Nobrow titles for Spring 2015, I forgot to do the companion piece over the Flying Eye line-up from the same publisher, for the same period. That's their children's literature imprint, and is at the very least comics adjacent when not comics outright.

The ten-book season includes about half recurring Nobrow authors and half newbies. I know they've worked with Dahlov Ipcar before, for instance, now an astonishing 97.

What follows are the books planned, the basic publishings specs and the publisher's description of the work in question.

*****

image

* Black and White, Dahlov Ipcar, April 2015, 40 pages, Hardcover, full color

Publisher's Description: "Flying Eye continues to reintroduce the works of the beloved American illustrator and author Dahlov Ipcar to a new generation of readers with Black and White, an unheralded civil rights allegory from the early '60s. Two little dogs, one black and one white, play together and dream together about wild adventures with animals from all over the world. Dahlov's timeless illustrations and fresh, original verse celebrate the unity, wonder, and beauty of the world around us, and Flying Eye is proud to make her work available once again to both newcomers and long-time admirers."

*****

image

* Danny, Yann Le Bec and Gwendal Le Bec, April 2015, 40 pages, Hardcover, full color

Publisher's Description: "Yann and Gwendal Le Bec bring us this funny little story about one pot-bellied hippopotamus and the shiny new braces that make him the talk of the jungle. Danny, our titular hippopotamus, overhears a worrying conversation that has him rushing off to seek a dentist in the city. When he returns, all the animals love his new look, but one reptile with a particularly sharp set of pearly whites takes on a special interest that leads to disaster for the city dentist. An offbeat story with cheery illustrations, Danny is sure to leave you laughing with its unexpected twists."


*****

image

* Her Idea, Rilla Alexander, April 2015, 40 pages, Hardcover, full color

Publisher's Description: "Rilla Alexander brings back Sozi, the star of The Best Book in the World, in this story about pursuing an idea and making it happen. Less a stroll through the park and more a declaration of “Full steam ahead!” it's easy to get caught up in Sozi's tenacious enthusiasm as she experiences the elation, struggle, and triumph of having an idea and seeing it through to the end. Rilla's lovable protagonist, immersive illustrations and bold colors are sure to inspire and encourage readers of all ages."

*****

image

* This is My Rock, David Lucas, May 2015, 32 pages, Hardcover, full color


Publisher's Description: "David Lucas tackles the story of a selfish young goat that takes a stand on a rock that he's claimed as his own. The young goat shouts at the other animals to keep them away from his rock, but he soon learns that standing on a mountaintop all day and all night is lonely work, especially when no one's around to play with. David's beautiful and detailed illustrations work perfectly to present this touching tale about friendship and sharing."

*****

image

* Hungry Roscoe, David J Plant, June 2015, 40 pages, Hardcover, full color

Publisher's Description: "Roscoe the raccoon is tired of eating the local garbage. All he wants is the fresh food at the zoo, but the grumpy zookeeper only wants to keep Roscoe OUT. Roscoe's a clever one, though, and he's come up with a plan and a disguise that's absolutely foolproof! David J. Plant's hilarious illustrations keep the story fun and unpredictable, and kids of all ages will enjoy rooting for our crafty under-dograccoon."

*****

image

* Professor Brownstone's Mythical Collection, Joe Todd Stanton, June 2015, 40 pages, Hardcover, full color

Publisher's Description: "Take a look into Professor Brownstone's collection and you'll be sure to find incredible souvenirs and relics from the ancient, mythical worlds we only hear about in stories. Each item tells an unbelievable story that will excite imaginations and thrill kids of all ages. Joe Todd Stanton's bright illustrations and detailed cross sections will light the way as he reveals the story behind the very first item in Professor Brownstone's collection, The Urn of Uruk."

*****

image

* One Day On Our Blue Planet... in the Savannah, Ella Bailey, July 2015, 32 pages, Hardcover, full color

Publisher's Description: "Ella Bailey begins a new series of children's books all about the amazing creatures on our planet with One Day On Our Blue Planet… in the Savannah, which features the daily adventures of a curious young lion cub chasing trouble and fun in his little corner of the world we share. Kids will easily identify with our playful cub, and Ella's breathtaking illustrations will help teach them about the savannah, and all the fascinating animals that call it their home."

*****

image

* The Little Gardener, Emily Hughes, August 2015, 40 pages, Hardcover, full color

Publisher's Description: "Emily Hughes, a Hawaiian artist living in the United Kingdom, is back with Flying Eye books for her latest book, The Little Gardener. The author of the popular standout Wild switches gears in this one, a story about a little gardener who wants only to tend to his garden, despite his littler-than-life size. It’s a gentle story about never giving up and Emily's beautiful illustrations welcome you to this wonderful world just out of sight of our own."

*****

image

* Mad About Monkeys, Owen Davey, August 2015, 40 pages, Hardcover, full color

Publisher's Description: "Owen Davey's beautiful and light-hearted illustrations will guide readers through a non-fiction look at the many different types of monkeys swinging through our planet. Where do they live? What do they do with their time? Are they friendly? Are they mean? You'll learn all this and many more fascinating facts about our animal cousins that will get you... wait for it... Mad About Monkeys!"

*****

image

* Toby and the Ice Giants Joe Lillington, August 2015, 32 pages, Hardcover, full color

Publisher's Description: "Toby the Bison is a young, inquisitive bison living among the legendary creatures of the Ice Age. (Have you ever met a child who won't stop asking "why?" Then you've met a Toby before!) Readers will follow along with their little bison friend as he explores the Ice Age tundra and meets the neighborly (and some not-so-neighborly) giants travelling along its icy surface. Joe Lillington impressively illustrates the massive inhabitants of this harsh landscape in this heart-warming and fact-filled story that kids will want to read again and again."

*****

Nobrow is I believe distributed by Consortium, which means these should be available through regular bookstore channels as well as being something for which to keep an eye out at shows and in elite comic book stores.

*****
*****
 
posted 9:55 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: A Selection Of Chon Day Cartoons

image
love love love Chon Day
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
This Isn’t A Library: New And Notable Releases Into Comics’ Direct Market

image

*****

Here are the books that make an impression on me staring at this week's no-doubt largely accurate list of books shipping from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. to comic book and hobby shops across North America.

I might not buy all of the works listed here. I might not buy any. You never know. I'd sure look at the following, though.

*****

OCT141478 VAPOR HC (MR) $24.99
OCT141479 COCHLEA & EUSTACHIA GN (MR) $19.99
AUG141480 COMPLETE PEANUTS HC BOX SET 1959-1962 $59.95
SEP141450 COMPLETE ZAP COMIX HC BOX SET (MR) $500.00
OCT141484 MASSIVE GN GAY MANGA & MEN WHO MAKE IT (MR) $35.00
OCT141482 BLACK LIGHT SC WORLD OF LB COLE $39.99
OCT141481 COMICS JOURNAL LIBRARY TP VOL 09 ZAP INTERVIEWS (MR) $35.00
SEP141428 LATE CHILD AND OTHER ANIMALS HC $29.99
That is just an astonishing bunch of books to arrive from one publisher in one week at the comics shops. In this case the publisher is Fantagraphics. The jewel here is the hardcover box set of Zap Comix, a top five comic book series in terms of historical importance and a top 10 comic book series in terms of artistic significance. It's supplemented by the latest volume in the TCJ Library series. I've been looking forward to the LB Cole book for a while now; that's one of the great visual imaginations of that era in mainstream work. The Massive book is a follow-up to last year's (was it only last year?) Gengoroh Tagame release from PictureBox. Oh, and there's a Peanuts, and a new Hans Rickheit collection, and the James Romberger/Marguerite collaboration and a new one from Max. Man.

imageAUG140080 TIGER LUNG HC $15.99
I liked this book and didn't know anything about it before I picked it up off of a pile of unread comics. It's early-man comics, which is a reasonably well-established sub-genre in comic books. Simon Roy's work is what drove me to it, but I liked the whole thing: stark, ugly tales with dollops of unpleasant mysticism.

AUG140114 ESSENTIAL KURTZMAN HC VOL 01 JUNGLE BOOK $24.99
If you don't have one, you want one.

AUG140360 PRIDE OF BAGHDAD DELUXE ED HC (MR) $24.99
SEP140590 JUST THE TIPS HC (MR) $12.99
OCT140698 WALKING DEAD 2015 CALENDAR (MR) $14.99
Three obvious holiday gifts; that should stop about now except for the ones that are late. Three different approaches, too: a prestige re-release (Pride), a hardcover gift book spinning off of a successful series (Tips) and a calendar, always a fine gift idea. I'd like it if that calendar listed no holidays except "Trying To Survive Day."

OCT140744 HUMANS #2 (MR) $2.99
OCT140969 MAGIC WHISTLE #15 (MR) $4.99
OCT140009 HELLBOY AND THE BPRD #1 $3.50
Light day for comic books. Humans #2 is the Image book that jumped out at me; there are a lot of Image series this week, but I didn't see any heavy-hitters on a first pass. I'm probaby wrong about that. Sam Henderson is well suited to the comic book form which gives him enoughj pages to entertain without wearing out his welcome. And there's always a Hellboy-related book. Seems like it, anyway.

OCT141520 MONSIEUR JEAN FROM BACHELOR TO FATHER HC $34.95
Dupuy and Berberians's signature work, back in North American in lovingly presented form. It's Humanoids rather than D+Q this time. I really enjoy these comics; they're visually sumptuous and narratively gassy.

OCT141619 ZENITH HC PHASE TWO $25.00
I don't think I ever saw a single review of Phase One, but in general I like this series so I'm thinking one day I'll own this collectdion of it.

JUL141647 75 YEARS OF MARVEL GOLDEN AGE TO SILVER SCREEN HC $200.00
This is a big Taschen book featuring loads of comics art and a very sunny history of the company, whose product now dominates Hollywood big-budget movie-making in a way that was inconceivable 25 years ago. I'll definitely take a look at it as an art book when it starts to be discounted.

SEP141606 MAMMOTH BOOK OF CULT COMICS SC (MR) $17.95
The Mammoth books have been super, super hit and miss for me, but the price is right and I'll always check them out. An anthology of little seen works is a great idea given the sheer amount of material like that's out there now. We'll see how it's executed.

SEP140283 BATMAN THE JIRO KUWATA BATMANGA TP VOL 01 $14.99
This is DC's collection of I believe a recent digital serial offering of the Jiro Kuwata Batman comics. They're a lot of fun, very kinetic and sleekly designed. I'm glad to see his name in his title, too, DC doesn't do a ton of that. What a journey it's been for that gentleman.

AUG141555 STREET VIEW HC $27.99
This one looks cool: a Pascal Rabate flip-over accordion comic, with little stories happening on a street scene over a night and a day. It's very handsome, but I've only had the briefest of readings. Still, it's very gifty, too.

*****

The full list of this week's releases, including some titles with multiple cover variations and a long, impressive list of toys and other stuff that isn't comics, can be found here. Despite this official list there's no guarantee a comic will show up in the stores as promised, or in all of the stores as opposed to just a few. Also, stores choose what they carry and don't carry so your shop may not carry a specific publication. There are a lot of comics out there.

To find your local comic book store, check this list; and for one I can personally recommend because I've shopped there, albeit a while back, try this.

The above titles are listed with their Diamond order code in the first field, which may assist you in finding comics at your shop or having them order something for you they don't have in-stock. Ordering through a direct market shop can be a frustrating experience, so if you have a direct line to something -- you know another shop has it, you know a bookstore has it -- I'd urge you to consider all of your options.

If I failed to list your comic, that's because I hate you. Actually, I probably missed a few people I really like this time around. It's been that kind of year. Sorry about that.

*****

image

*****
*****
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were Near Niles, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Pittsburgh, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Toronto, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Bruce Barlow, Conqueror Of Planets

image
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

* go, look: a photocomic from Seth Kushner and Dean Haspiel.

image* Dan Greenfield talks to Ron Marz. Zoe Taylor talks to Seiichi Hayashi. Alex Dueben talks to Bobby London.

* N. Emmett on Haunted Horror Vol. 2.

* I want to separate this one out because I can't play it on my tiny road computer, so I can't provide the usual details, but this link should take you to a Roz Chast interview done at the Miami Book Fair. All hail Roz Chast, and thanks to Richard Pachter.

* Alex Abad-Santos suggests these five series for the person in your life that doesn't read comics. They're very similar in tone and approach, but I think lists like this are very sweet.

* finally, all hail Betty Bates, Lady-At-Law.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 53rd Birthday, Don Simpson!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 55th Birthday, Mike Saenz!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 62nd Birthday, John Warner!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 43rd Birthday, Grant Goggans!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
December 1, 2014


Go, Look: Charlotte Dumortier

image
 
posted 10:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
By Request Extra: CBLDF Makes Case On #GivingTuesday; Offers Special Anthology Through Midnight PT

imageThe Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has put its annual report on its site in conjunction with the charitable giving movement #GivingTuesday. They've also put together a special, 54-page #GivingTuesday edition of Defend Comics featuring a variety of established talents ranging from Neil Gaiman to Shannon Wheeler to Evan Dorking to Moritat to Amy Chu to Mark Waid to Frank Miller.

In his note this morning, CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein described the Fund's year this way: "2014 was a busy year for CBLDF. We addressed more than two dozen challenges to comics and other books, including a national outbreak of summer reading bans. We defused several legal crises before they could rise to the level of prosecutions. We took a leadership role in Banned Books Week‘s 2014 comics focus. We also added to our expansive education mission, with several new publications, more than 40 public presentations, a new monthly podcast, our weekly newsletter, and daily news and resource content on cbldf.org. CBLDF does all of this work, and more, with a small dedicated staff."

They also provided a PDF, which you can read here. The Annual report, which is the first link above, will continue much of this information as well.

I'm a big fan of the Fund, I think it performs its work admirably, and I will get on here and make a donation at some point today when I figure out my December giving budget. I hope you'll consider joining me.
 
posted 10:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: A Bunch Of Basil Wolverton

image
 
posted 10:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Festivals Extra: TCAF Opens A Pop-Up Shop Tomorrow At The Toronto Reference Library

imageThis is an interesting development for TCAF and potentially these strong arts shows in general: TCAF is opening up a pop-up shop in the Toronto Reference Library -- that's the venue where TCAF is held in May each year. It's near the coffee shop. They'll be opening up with a launch party for the Just The Tips book derived from Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky's Sex Criminals comic. Zdarsky will be in attendance.

The opening will be Wednesday at 6 PM, with regular hours starting Thursday. Regular hours will be Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 9 PM. Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM and Sunday Noon to 5 PM. The primary sponsor of the Festival is The Beguiling and Festival Director Chris Butcher is a longtime comics retail veteran, so this should be within their power to pull off with some aplomb.

The same e-mail sent out also mentioned that they're pushing back responses to potential TCAF 2015 exhibitors to December 8. They were expected to go out sometime yesterday. This is worth watching because of TCAF's express desire to tie exhibitors into a specific reason for exhibiting at the show like a new book out. I'm not sure how that's going to play out, but I think it's something we're going to see more of in the future, this kind of selectivity as opposed to the same exhibitors having a yearly stranglehold on any one event. We wish them luck and are intrigued as to how it might work out.
 
posted 10:15 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Anthony Holden

image
 
posted 10:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Do Yourself A Favor And Check Around For Christmas Deals

I have a holiday gift guide that I hope goes up as soon as possible, but one thing it's going to be unable to do is track every single discounted sale launched in the last few days. I have my own picks, but the number of options has accelerated this year in really strong fashion. I just counted in my inbox, and I don't get everyone's PR, and there were 53 e-mails from individuals and publishers about material they were offering.

imageSo do yourself a favor in advance of me getting that up. Go seek out on-line the following:

1. your half-dozen or so favorite publishers.
2. your dozen or so creators if they maintain a web presence that's more substantial than a twitter account and something on Facebook.
3. the same dozen or so creators in a google search with "etsy.com" to see if they're offering up something there; I know some creators who just have made use of that platform.
4. the comiXology platform, if that's something you do.
5. your local comic store's site.

Just check in to be safe, to make sure you're not missing something you'll regret.

This strikes me as one of those times where companies and individuals have roared to life to greet Christmas gift-buying demand so relatively quickly last couple of years to this that the informational infrastructure isn't quite there to match it. That's on us, but there's no reason the shortcomings of this site should keep you from double-checking for bargains that may or may not be running out as we speak.
 
posted 10:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Herbie #7

image
 
posted 10:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Your 2014 Salon.com Best Comics Of 2014

image

Laura Miller from Salon presents the venerable on-line magazine's best graphic novels of 2014 list, organized in slideshow form. It's a reasonably idiosyncratic group, about half books that I expect to see on a lot of lists and half books I may not seen on any other lists. A lot of the New York book publishers are represented, as well as two smaller imprints with a definite New York presence. Drawn and Quarterly gets two works on the list.

Miller's choices are:

* Beautiful Darkness, Fabien Vehlmann & Kerascoët (D+Q)
* Climate Changed: A Personal Journey Through The Science, Philippe Squarzoni (Abrams)
* Here, Richard McGuire (Pantheon)
* Kill My Mother, Jules Feiffer (Liveright)
* Nobrow 9: It's Oh So Quiet, Various; Edited By Alex Spiro And Sam Arthur (Nobrow Press)
* Over Easy, Mimi Pond (D+Q)
* Shoplifter, Michael Cho (Pantheon)
* The Motherless Oven, Rob Davis (SelfMadeHero)
* The Shadow Hero, Gene Luen Yang And Sonny Liew (First Second)
* Through The Woods, Emily Carroll (Margaret K. McElderry Books)

*****
*****
 
posted 9:55 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Not Comics: The Fairy Circus

image
 
posted 9:50 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Use Of UK Political Cartoon As Party X-Mas Card Being Worked Out

This is a fascinating little story for the idea that cartoons are for many people just random acts of creativity that are able to be used however one would like. I don't know where that line exists -- although my feeling is that use should always favor the artist's wishes, even when use might be allowable -- but my guess is use by a political entity in a way that members talk about it in public would be on just about anyone's other side of acceptable.

It looks like it may work itself out, though, as the cartoonist whose cartoon was about to be used suggests it's likely just a misunderstanding.
 
posted 9:45 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Beautiful Bunch Of John Stanley Pantomime Comics

image
 
posted 3:30 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Bundled, Tossed, Untied And Stacked: Publishing News

image

By Tom Spurgeon

* Dover's Puma Blues collection, probably the most anticipated of their re-releases in my circle of comics pals, has an amazon listing that says mid-September.

image* this is ridiculously old news if you're a comber of the comics sites but perhaps new to some of you that only intersect with that world here. The artist Ross Campbell, possessed of a fine visual imagination, has redesigned the Jem characters for a forthcoming licensed comics project at IDW. I'm sure there's something wrong with that sentence technically -- it's news that's been picked to death, but it's fine-looking image. I think this is much newer: Kelly Thompson will write the comic book.

* not comics: Sean Howe's next book will be about Tom Forcade. What a great choice.

* Sean Kleefeld notes that Cafe con Leche ended about three weeks ago in a pair of pieces (1, 2). I'm glad he caught that because I sure didn't. He also notes the diminished number of mixed-race couples on the newspaper comics page. All best wishes moving forward to Charlos Gary.

* Isabel Greenberg describes her next project as a sort-of sequel to The Encylcopedia Of Early Earth.

* Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber will be doing a series at Image. That pair worked on Superior Foes Of Spider-Man together; that was a very well-liked comic. Lieber's participation interests me because unlike writers who straddle the fence between work at Image and work with other publishers, the speed with which artists work means their commitments tend to be very definitive in terms of how their time will be organized for the foreseeable future.

* this is a nice-looking Wu-Tang Clan drawing Ben Marr will be providing Hip Hop Family Tree Vol. 3.

* hey, look at the Noah Van Sciver cover.

* finally, March Book 2 is at the printers.

image
 
posted 3:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In Philadelphia, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
If I Were In NYC, I’d Go To This

image
 
posted 3:20 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: Mr. Terrific In Sensation Comics

image
I don't think I've ever read one of that character's comics before
 
posted 3:10 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Random Comics News Story Round-Up

* Dan Nadel expresses his frustration with fellow writer-about-comics George Gene Gustines.

image* Cameron Crump on Moon Knight #9. Sean Rogers on a variety of comics. Dana Jennings on 75 Years Of Marvel. Jeet Heer on The Secret History Of Wonder Woman.

* this is either cool or terrifying.

* Heidi MacDonald enthuses over the Direct Market of old. It's true that a lot of non-superhero comics did better in the 1980s than the same kinds of comics do now. If you talk to a lot of creators in that 45-55 age range, at least a few will tell you of sales they had on random projects in the mid- to late-1980s they would kill a (distant) family member for now. It was still superhero-dominant, though, and even the comics that did well that way tended to be in related genres as opposed to the wider range of expression one might find in literary or kids comics now. What happened was a system-disrupting black and white boom and bust followed by actions taken directly by superhero comics makers to gain as much direct market share as they could manage -- in some ways almost store to store fighting for rack space. It wasn't just the collapse that followed in the mid-1990s, it was the heave and toss that preceded it, too. But that system hummed for a few years for a few titles, for sure.

* hey, a new Charles Burns print.

* finally, Bill Everett draws Lucille Ball.
 
posted 3:05 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 43rd Birthday, John Hankiewicz!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 28th Birthday, RJ Casey!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 90th Birthday, Jack Davis!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Happy 48th Birthday, Andy Mangels!

image
 
posted 3:00 pm PST | Permalink
 

 
Go, Look: I, Rocket

image
 
posted 10:20 am PST | Permalink
 

 
Daily Blog Archives
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
 
Full Archives