Here. No huge surprises, although the First Second book is a significant one. I might have guessed three of these plus the Gabrielle Bell and the Thi Bui if I had been forced to make a wager. This should be the start of a dominant run on these lists by Emil Ferris' My Favorite Thing Is Monsters and more power to that book and its author.
They are:
* Boundless, Jillian Tamaki (D+Q)
* My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Vol. 1, Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
* My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness, Nagata Kabi (Seven Seas)
* Sex Fantasy, Sophia Foster-Domino (Koyama)
* The Hunting Accident: A True Story of Crime and Poetry, David Carlson and Landis Blair (First Second)
Expect many more such lists in the days ahead, although maybe not from me. All the books I liked wereweirdreprints -- even more than usual.
This Isn’t A Library: New, Notable Releases Into The Direct Market
*****
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.
*****
AUG172272 CHRIS WARE MONOGRAPH HC (C: 1-1-0) $60.00
I'm reading this Chris Ware art book, autobiographical essay collection and treatise on making right this moment, and I think it's pretty great. I don't have any deeper thoughts than that. It might be worth noting that at full price this is a ridiculous bargain and discounted as these things are it's actually physically cheaper than the hardcover edition of most superhero crossovers. Plus there are things with binding that are seriously ambitious.
JUN170064 GRANDVILLE FORCE MAJEURE HC (C: 1-1-2) $24.99
This is the last of these books, from Bryan Talbot. I greatly enjoy their tone and texture and look forward whether seeing if there is a narrative there with which I can further fall in love.
JUN170552 BERNIE WRIGHTSON ARTIFACT ED HC CVR A $125.00 JUN170553 BERNIE WRIGHTSON ARTIFACT ED HC CVR B $125.00 MAY171877 BOOK OF BALLADS ORIGINAL ART ED HC $75.00
Anything Wrightson in any of the archival forms available to publishers today is going to be special, and I'm glad it's this family of books that this work appears. Wrightson was one all of the all time great drawers in that there were wide swathes of his career where whatever he drew had quality greater than the sum of the ink moved across the paper. These could be really, really great. Ditto books showing off original work by the great Charles Vess.
SEP170081 USAGI YOJIMBO #163 $3.99 AUG170690 LAZARUS X PLUS 66 #4 (OF 6) (MR) $3.99 SEP170794 WALKING DEAD #173 (MR) $2.99 SEP170958 ASTONISHING X-MEN #5 $3.99 SEP170951 BLACK BOLT #7 $3.99 SEP170802 CAPTAIN AMERICA #695 LEG $3.99 SEP171322 GIANT DAYS #32 $3.99
Comic-book comics, for the fussy nostalgist in us all. I will buy every comics Stan Sakai makes. The Lazarus book is an in-between series of one-shot meant to fill out the world inhabited by the corporate champion lead and other characters in this satirical action-adventure. Walking Dead inches towards its series reinvigoration in the new year and I'm sure is a welcome seller at many comic shops. Astonishing X-Men isn't my speed but it seems to give the reader an X-Men story that is familiar with how other series work. Black Bolt is a favorite character of my brother's and this series features very handsome art. Captain America is Mark Waid working with Chris Samnee, and I think that's Marvel's best combination on a character that could use it. And I will always at the very least look at new John Allison.
JUL170661 MAN FROM THE GREAT NORTH HC $24.99
This is Hugo Pratt and Hugo Pratt can enter the comic shops any time it would like, thank you. I will look at you, Hugo Pratt book. It looks like this is a specific story fleshed out a bit and with some add-ins to make it hardcover length.
JUN161996 ALLEN SON OF HELLCOCK HC (C: 0-1-1) $21.99
This was aggressively hyped -- to me -- at least, by the connection of its creators to various high-end television comedies. I"m about halfway through. It's okay, but it strikes me as overly comfortable with itself and exactly on the cutting edge of humor.
SEP171659 JASON SHIGA DEMON SC GN VOL 04 (C: 1-1-0) $19.99
Jason Shiga is sort of a genius and this book is the best thing to come out of First Second in a couple of years. No reading experience is like this one.
SEP171156 MUTTS TREASURY LOVE MUTTS (C: 0-1-0) $19.99
We're about 14 months away from the extended re-appreciation of Patrick McDonnell's work, if you're attention.
JUL172038 OH JOY SEX TOY GN VOL 04 (MR) $29.99
Another I think self-funded (via crowd services) of this popular web feature.
JUL172226 ALTER EGO #149 (C: 0-1-1) $9.95
All respect for 149.
AUG172286 COMPLETE PEANUTS FAMILY ALBUM ULT GDT CLASSIC CHARACTERS HC $40.00
This is Andrew Farago's work and he's done some nice stuff in the pop-culture corner of about-comics. This doesn't interest me a ton, but i'm willing to go and take a nap.
AUG171698 AND THEN THE WORLD BLEW UP SC ESSAYS DRAWINGS (C: 0-1-2) $29.99
At SPX I asked four editorial cartoon makers who had really started to establish themselves which of their peers has done a great job sticking it to crump, and this was reigning Reuben winner Ann Telnaes' choice.
*****
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.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* Alex Dueben talks to Katharine Collins for TCJ, which I guess they're splitting into two parts. Remember that although the Neil The Horse collection debuted back around TCAF time, the American distribution was set for Fall. So that book will be brand new for many US readers.
* don't know that I've ever seen this advertisement before extolling the virtues of Marvel's early 1960s sales surge, although I'm aware of the truth they portray.
* all-timer, not an all-timer, whatever: this one made me laugh.
* Howard Chaykin makes a forceful claim for his American Flagg! as one of those influential works that shapes the course of art's development so thoroughly that it erases the unique nature of the original work.
* finally: a few Seattle cartoonists sketch patients' stories at a big, free, public opportunity for many to receive healthcare.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * RJ Casey on Anti-Gone.
* I'm not sure if I've ever seen this unpublished cover for Omniverse #3. That's Mark Gruenwald's famous 'zine, the one that gave him a name and a calling card that he turned into his stint at Marvel. Not sure I've ever seen Alex Ross' studies of The Shadow, either, although in that case it may just be my not really caring for that character.
* I"m a big Frank Thorne fan, so I want to study these later on. I love the look of a lot of Thorne's comics, although many of them seem to have been drawn very, very, very quickly.
Go, Read: The BBC On The Lack Of Female Representation In UK Political Cartooning Here. It's a pretty dire article. The math may remind of news from Angouleme and that festival's treatment of potential grand prix winners a couple of years ago. While it may be the case that the extreme majority of working professionals in the UK are male -- itself a state of affairs worth dismantling -- it's hard to believe that not one woman did a political cartoon that could crack a yearly top 180.
The better but nowhere near acceptable state of things in the US representation-wise might be due to a separate political cartooning culture that has developed on-line that's more gender-representative, and I don't sense a similar movement in the UK -- although certainly the magazine named in the article may be that movement, if it continues.
It's hard for me to imagine when an industry's expression through a specific medium is under assault that there wouldn't be a greater effort to use new voices, but I also understand the fear that comes and the conservatism that follows when business shrinks. Those notions should be fought.
Comics By Request: People, Places In Need Of Funding By Tom Spurgeon
* Mark Campos' crowd-funder for Casino Boycould use some attention, probably at this point in the form of an angel-level supporter or two.
* Paul Dini is a new name to me in crowd-funding efforts, although a familiar name in comics more generally.
* this project that's already received its initial ask looks interesting for the setting and a chance to kind of expand the scope of some lucky kids' imagination. I know I wish I had read fantasy books and comics from a wider variety of perspectives when I was a high-level consumer of all things fantasy.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Alex Hoffman on I'm Not Here.
* sorry to hear Ed Piskor is having to deal with someone openly bootlegging his stuff in the UK. There have always been bootleggers and counterfeiters and copiers, but the difference now is that more people than ever feel justified in doing so and have convinced more people than ever that they're in the right.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Heidi MacDonald talks to Dan Gearino. Here's a convention conversation between John Workman and Todd Klein in two parts: one, two. Sean Gaffney on Juni Taisen: Zodiac War.
There Is No Bigger Comics Story Year-To-Date Than Changes To Folks’ Health Care Plans
Comics families may be starting to see the effects of the current administration's assault on previous guarantees and final outcomes, even if the skeleton of the program -- never fully healthy at any point -- has thus far survived more direct and comprehensive attack. The ability for families and/or individuals to carve out enough space in their lives that someone has the possibility of pursuing comics as a vocation has been a tremendous boon to comics-making overall, and the combination of people stepping away from their comics or not trying a sustained period of making them at a young age will ultimately keep a lot of work out of folks' hands.
I see this as an outcome-in-place argument more than an ideal-outcome argument, although we may by virtue of the inexorable march of politics have the latter argument in a period made fraught by current circumstance.
The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Shows And Events
By Tom Spurgeon
* ComicsPro sent out a press release last week that indicated they'll be doing their popular annual meeting in Portland two of the next three times they have them, and that they're looking for a floating meeting at another point during the year to hit locations they haven't hit yet. The Portland meetings will be February 22-24, 2018 and February 20-22, 2020. The 2019 and the first of the floaters have yet to be determined.
* NYCC is an odd show from a comics perspective... the only comics company that gets profiled here is one I've never heard of.
* Rob Salkowitz covers ReedPOP's acquisition of the MCM shows over in the UK. They've been aggressive about their move overseas given the traditional glacier-like speed of the conventions business. A lot of people like ReedPOP's spin on the San Diego formula, so I assume any show they'll buy will benefit.
This Isn’t A Library: New, Notable Releases Into The Direct Market
*****
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.
*****
AUG171709 CARTOON CLOUDS GN $22.99
This is the long-awaited first graphic novel from the talented artist Joseph Remnant. The work shows on the page; Remnant is maybe his generation's best drawer. The story is one of youthful artists struggling with post-graduation opportunities or the lack thereof.
AUG172094 FUTCHI PERF GN (MR) $15.95 AUG171707 HOUSE OF WOMEN HC $29.99 AUG172360 NEIL GAIMAN GRAVEYARD BOOK HARPER CLASSIC HC $16.99
Three books I believe all of which are key works for their creators -- Kevin Czap, Sophie Goldstein, Neil Gaiman -- now back in print and available. You should own all three.
MAY170545 ART OF THE PULPS AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY HC $49.99 MAY170583 DISNEY CHRISTMAS COMICS HC $39.99 JUN170542 FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE COMP LIBRARY HC VOL 01 $39.99
Three more books for which it will be important to pull them off the shelves and give them a once-over: execution will be everything. I trust without looking that knowing Dean Mullaney's work the FBOFW material will be well-served.
JUN170507 HASBRO AW YEAH HC $14.99
I like the look of this material, although I'm not the audience for their version of these characters.
JUN170660 GREEN VALLEY HC $29.99
This is one of those comics that feels like a proof-of-concept statement rather than a full realized comic. It doesn't have a whole lot of authority as a story taking place in physical space, although many of the details are really fun.
AUG170725 SAGA #48 (MR) $2.99 AUG171884 KAIJUMAX SEASON 3 #4 (MR) $3.99 AUG171057 STRANGE CEREBUS #1 (OF 1) $4.00
Hey! Comic book comics! I read the first two series. Saga because of its clear call back to late 1970s indy comics, Kaijumax because it reminds me of the idiosyncratically weird comics of my early teens.
AUG170741 STREET ANGEL SUPERHERO FOR A DAY HC $19.99
Jim Rugg is a remarkably talented artist and designer and I will buy everthing he does, period. This is a lovely-looking, oversized hardcover.
AUG172284 CELEBRATING SNOOPY HC $75.00
I'm pro-celebrating Snoopy. I'd have to comic-shop examine it to know if I wanted to buy it, but I'm backing the general idea. Good dog.
AUG171708 EC JACK KAMEN AL FELDSTEIN DADDY LOST HIS HEAD HC $29.99
I've enjoyed this series a lof because it's much easier to keep connection between stories if there's nothing much betwee.
JUL171917 ROBERT CAPA GRAPHIC BIOGRAPHY $19.95 JUL171915 EGON SCHIELE HIS LIFE AND DEATH GN $19.95
These kind of straight-forward, earnest biographies have some semblance in market psi in Europe right now. The subject matter would drive me to pick themup, for sure.
SEP171573 UNQUOTABLE TRUMP GN $19.95
Robert Sikoryak disappears into his work in an admirable way, and I look forward to his take on the Trump media creation.
*****
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.
* finally, a bit of not comics: why do so many of these legal tussles involving superheroes sound like the arguments we used to have in dormitory hallways at 2 AM, high as can be?
Bundled, Tossed, Untied And Stacked: Publishing News By Tom Spurgeon
* a new Kevin Scalzo book is very exciting news! Even/especially an imminent one! It looks more grounded in reality and not as abstractly told as some of his other humor work. I think that link maybe be friends only so you'll have to trust me or befriend Kevin.
* I"m not usually the biggest fan of this kind of genre twist, but Valiant in particular has connected with a lot of fans with a lot of tried and true ideas like this one, and I never second-guess IDW on much of anything.
* finally, John Porcellino reminds us of the forthcoming omnibus of all his non-King-Cat material he's done, Miscellaneous Extraneous (D+Q, 2019).
* congratulations to Heidi MacDonald on finding a new publisher for her The Beat, at Lion Forge through a newly-created division. CR was created in mind with our selling it as soon as we could and like many thing, everyone out there seemed to be more talented at finding a publisher or someone to take over entirely than we did.
* I'm not sure why anyone for a non-depressing reason would want to look at a comic where a character appears in theatrical blackface, but here you go. I suppose since most portrayals of a racist nature in early comics count on deformed figuration it might be worth noting the contrast or novelty.
* Shawn McManus is one among many professionals with some time left on crowd-funders that have already met their initial goal. Dirk Manning is another. Shaenon Garrity is yet another.
* finally, Steve Lafler reminds us of his ongoing kickstarter with this funny post. I always thought by now there'd be a lot more cartoonist living as much time as they could in Mexico, just to save money.
* this was a news story last week, and while this would have been the weirdest story for a whole half-year before 2012 I think we expect a story like this every other month in 2017.
* the political cartoonist and activist Aseem Trivedi talks to ABC (the Australian one) about the state of free speech in his world five years after he ran afoul of some severe legal trouble for making cartoons. It's worse now, he says. I have no doubt. I suspect it's much more complicated as well.
* here's an essay on the concept of magnifique Noir, a spin on the magical girl genre that almost certainly has a strong digital component.
* LINE Webtoon is included in a profile of independent comics publishers that are pushing back against the pitiful percentages that come out of mainstream comics publisher in terms of the participation of women creators. The biggest change that digital comics has had on comics overall is giving a platform to a lot of comics that ran afoul of the established gatekeepers and then continued to change damaging myths about the work created by such creators.
CAB Makes Its Formal “We’re On The Way” Announcement; Big Change In Venue Among Initial Declarations
Comic Arts Brooklyn sent an announcement out today making official their 2017 show and providing as much initial detail as they're able.
The show is November 11, from 11 AM to 7 PM.
The big news is a partnership with Pratt Institute, which will 1) make possible that there are twice as many participants, 2) that live paintings (by Steve Keene) and a video game related installation (by Babycastles) will be a part of the show, 3) make room for seven panel discussions.
"This year CAB will take advantage of Pratt's lecture facilities to host seven panel discussions with esteemed guests and established exhibitors. In addition to interviews with honored guests Chris Ware, Jules Feiffer, and Emil Ferris, CAB will feature panels spotlighting Pratt alumni including Bill Griffith (Zippy the Pinhead) and Peter Kuper (Spy vs Spy), Mark Newgarden and Paul Karasik's How to Read Nancy, "Identity in Comics," and a historical presentation of George Herriman's Krazy Kat by biographer Michael Tisserand.
Founder Gabe Fowler also named Matthew James-Wilson as a co-curator this year. James-Wilson is editor-in-chief at Forge.
Dan Nadel Steps Down As TCJ Co-Editor; Tucker Stone To Work With Tim Hodler Moving Forward Dan Nadel announced today that he'll be leaving his gig at The Comics Journal co-editor. Tim Hodler will go solo for a week, which I'm guessing is the perfect time to prank the site, after which he'll be joined by Tucker Stone, a man created in a mylar test tube for the role of stewarding the long-time magazine in this on-line iteration.
As a continuing fan of the magazine I once edited on behalf of still-the-publisher Gary Groth, I'm grateful for a Nadel run with Hodler that was more in tune with the magazine as I remembered it as a print reader than what it became late in that run. I think Dan and Tim have done a particularly good job in the context of the magazine's overall history of covering the underground generation in winter, including serving as a repository of tributes and direct writing from members of that group of cartoonists when someone of their acquaintance has passed. I've also enjoyed many of their writers: Joe McCulloch is still the best writer about comics in the world, and they've used him well. Katie Skelly has been really interesting over there. Really, there's no one they use I dislike.
As for what Tucker will bring to the magazine, I guess we'll see. Tucker's a smart commentator on comics. He has publishing and podcasting experience that should enable him to provide a unique take on industry issues. His public persona is more performative than Dan's. If Dan Nadel is the guy who owns a car but has to be browbeaten to take you and your friends to a show in a nearby city, Tucker Stone is the guy in the backseat who talks from the moment the key hits the ignition to the second the car is fully parked. Tim Hodler wins the Artemus Gordon prize for all time if the new partnership works as well as the old. I wish them all the luck in the world, and anticipate fun times ahead.
Thanks, Dan, and congratulations on a job well done.
The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Shows And Events
By Tom Spurgeon
* it would be nice if everyone would use this service, at least to see if it's useful, but I don't have a lot of faith in that happening in a time where people don't do much outreach beyond posting something on facebook and maybe twitter.
* over 200,000 tickets sold in NYCC. Congratulations to them. I'm not into the dick-measuring aspect of this vis-a-vis other shows, but with NYCC the best thing about it from an outsider's perspective is their enthusiastic and jam-packed audience, which does mean greater attendance at a lot of panels that aren't TV shows or whatever. There's a similar effect at other well-attended shows. And to think that at one time NYC seemed a risky place to have a show.
* I think this tweet means that there will be an Emmanuel Guibert exhibit at this year's Angouleme Festival, but I wouldn't go by me.
* the great Kevin Huizenga suggested that some of you smarties out there might read this piece and then tell us what it means for comics. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
* one of the nice Smash Pages people talks to Liniers. Priya Sridhar talks to Kat Leyh. Astrig Agopian talks to Patrick Gathara.
Austin English writes very passionately here about Domino Books' publishing project with EA Bethea, Book Of Daze. In a letter to CR, Austin reminded that Domino doesn't do crowd-funding and thus doesn't get that extra publicity boost that comes with making public the process of getting a book into print. Further, Austin depends on sales at the eclectic Domino Books on-line shop here. Lot of interesting stuff in there to enjoy.
* here's a bunch of journalists talking about what it's like to cartoon in the age of Trump. It's funny to me in that I hated a lot of the responses, but liked the ones from Blitt, Telnaes and especially Bors.
* I always like to see these color guides, and I'm not sure why. I have no desire to see the comics that result from this group, but I'm happy to look at the little notes everywhere.
* Charlie Hebdocomes to America. Even leaving the issue of what a magazine like that feels its role is and what its potential audience might wish to see a magazine approach its mission, what little I've seen of the magazine lately hasn't been all that inspiring in terms of quality relative to some of the artists and writers that have worked there in the past, so it's hard for me to find a significant element of interest in an American version.
* here's a nice mini-profile of the lovely-looking Librarie D+Q in Montreal. Everything I know about it strikes me as it being one of the world's two to three dozen destination shops, and it seems to play a bigger role in its wider arts community than many of the other shops making that list.
* Rebecca Schuh talks to Eli Valley. Sloane and Leslie talk to Tucker.
Missed It: Zunar Book Banned By Malaysian Government Here. I'm encouraged by Zunar's willingness to keep fighting by my goodness this situation doesn't seem like it will ever get better and this is before we get to things like the actual jail time that might be served for existing sedition charges.
There was a moment where I thought Zunar might have come out on top and get past the bulk of this, but it seemed to me at the time there was some law enforcement resentment that kept the pressure on the cartoonist. It doesn't seem that way now, it seems an entire system is leaning into him and at some point I fear Zunar's indomitable will to keep expressing himself won't be enough to avoid more dire outcomes than the already-horrifying harassment and travel bans and publishing obstructions he's faced thus far. There is no limit to the attention that can be paid to his plight.
* finally, Steve Lafler has a project up. It's a modest ask, but I wanted to spotlight it 1) because I like Steve Lafler's work and 2) I think of him as someone slightly out of step with kickstarter culture which I suspect means his audience going directly to his ask.
* festivals extra: Nick Mullins wrote about APE 2017 and I'm not certain I ever linked to it. He reached out to me personally to drive my attention to the article so I feel like doubling up is less of a sin than risking I skipped it.
* Dan Gearino profiles Jim Hanley, with photos to die for.
* finally: Darryl Cunningham dissects his own Graphic Science.
Stephan Pastis Updates His Situation Concerning The California Fires Here.
As far as I can figure out, the state of cartoonist Stephan Pastis' current home -- as of now it has survived -- was the only immediate dangling thread from news posted about the homes of Jean Schulz, Craig Schulz and Brian Fies earlier this week, as well as earlier, welcome word that no one in the comics community had lost their life and that the Schulz Museum has as of yet suffered no direct fire damage.
There is much in this story yet to come specific to what was lost and what might be replaced, and where people go from here.
Every sympathy to the horrifying losses for all that have suffered.
Assembled, Zipped, Transferred And Downloaded: News From Digital By Tom Spurgeon
* I haven't processed the particulars of this article, but it makes sense that there will be opportunities for comics and comics-style interfacing as corporate initiatives aimed at children proliferate.
* I like how they're still playing around with how to drive the market to one kind of sale or to another, although I do wonder if the digital comics market might better stabilize without the frequent employment of free.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up
* Katie Skelly's personal reminiscence about being the subject of harassment and the necessity for supportive harassment policy is today's must-read above all other things. All respect to the writing and publishing of that piece.
A Quick Word Directly From Brian Fies About His And Others Situations Re: The California Fires
Received this quick word from the graphic novelist (Mom's Cancer) and very nice man Brian Fies several moments ago, an update on the Santa Rosa cartooning scene ravaged by fire:
Just taking a few minutes to catch up on things and noticed your mention of me re: the Santa Rosa fire. Thanks for that. Here's the best I know about comics-related people:
My wife and I escaped from our home around 1:30 Monday morning with about 15 minutes warning. I lost virtually all my original art from Mom's Cancer, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow, two new graphic novels I've been working on, and everything else I've ever drawn or painted in my life. However, I grabbed my computer backup so should have digital files. Haven't had the time or courage to check yet. Much of my little collection of other people's original comics art is destroyed; however, I saved my Winsor McCay "Gertie the Dinosaur" (my Grail Piece), a couple of Schulz sketches and a Pogo.
Jeannie and Craig Schulz both lost their respective homes but escaped. The Schulz Museum, Studio, and Ice Arena complex is fine, though it was very close. Paige Braddock says the Schulz Studio staff is all safe and accounted for.
Stephan Pastis was out of town; fire surrounded and swept past his home but he tells me it and his family are all right for now.
Tom Beland is OK. Brent Anderson is OK.
That's all that comes to mind. There's a lot of cartooning talent around here; I'm sure we'll be commiserating for a long time.
Thanks, Brian.
My heart and I'm sure many of yours goes out to Fies and his family and others in that community for all they've lost. Let's all hope for those backup files.
Lakes Festival Battered By Criticism + Handling Of Same; Apologizes; Apology Accepted; Fallout
Two issues have raged through the comics Internet over the last two days: a return to issues of sexual harassment and violation ignited by Harvey Weinstein being outed as a serial rapist, and this weekend's LiCAF in England suffering through a period of criticism, further criticism, guest departures, open letters and apologies in what has been a tumultuous lead-up to this weekend's show.
The former is still best accessed in its raw form as I think there are still permutations to come, but I liked this Bleeding Cool write-up of the LiCAF material as a starting point for working outside in on what happened.
I hope that the focus there will remain less on rhetorical tactics than on the ongoing need to listen and adjust and really push for diverse representation at comics shows, an area in which constant evaluation and ongoing, marked improvement are necessary.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * Rob Salkowitz on Comic Shop. I did the foreword for that book, but I don't really remember doing so so I think I'm good recommending it here.
* finally, recent Robert Crumb on Kurtzman and Hefner. I like how older cartoonists a lot of times prefer to talk about their foundational figures more than anything that's come to the forefront over the course of their career. He's not respectful when it comes to Hefner.
Festivals Extra: CXC Participates In Local Charity Campaign
The comics festival for which I work, Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, is participating in a local/regional charity campaign called The Big Give. The Columbus Foundation has set up a way to give to charities of one's choice while they eat the credit card and provide bonuses. It's a classy, community-minded way to feed local events and organizations of value.
We're still a new show, and we're going to try everything we can to raise money for what we hope will one day be a premier comics event. In the meantime, we still insist on relatively low table costs, honoraria for those that help us with programming preparation (moderators and presenters) and free attendance to everything possible for us to keep free. If you're inclined to give money this way, we'd sure put it to good use. Thanks.
Also, this is a great excuse for me to post photos from the show, now nine days in the rearview mirror.
above: derf. we want to make all cartoonists as happy as derf is here
Various Sources: Schulz Homes, Fies Home Reported Destroyed In California Fires; All Families Safe
The best information I have at 5:30 AM ET on Tuesday, October 10:
Here was the initial report I saw on the Jean Schulz home, a post questioned by some for its particulars but then reinforced by word from those close to the Schulz-related community via various postings on Facebook. This was since expanded to include the home of Charles Schulz's son Craig Schulz.
My best information as of this time says the Museum and its holdings have not been touched by the fires in any way.
As for Brian Fies, one direct source and this tweet indicate the Mom's Cancer author and his family are safe but that they lost their home and all possessions, including original art.
All of this information could be exchanged for better information, as well as supplanted by additional information as time progresses.
I don't really have anything to add except another low whistle of "how awful," relief for the families' safety and the general reported safety of the entire Schulz Museum crew, and a resolve I'm sure many share to help if there is anything to be done. All sympathy to everyone losing homes and the memory-filled items within, in addition to those affected by lives lost.
* I enjoyed reading Adam Griffith's notes on various aspects of the show I help organize, Cartoon Crossroads Columbus.
* this longish article about Frederic Wertham seems to stuff all of the various takes on him into one place rather than sorting through them for a lean, exacting portrait, but I like reading articles like this one.
* I'm not sure what this is, but it has Neal Adams in it so it has to be good.
* finally: most of the NYCC panels don't sound interesting to me, but I bet this was fun.
* not comics: I was not aware of this particular film, derived from the work of the late, great Ronald Searle. There are a lot of things of which I'm unaware. Comics has the lowest threshold of works you have to read to be consider a wide-ranging reader. There are so many efforts in the cartoon arts yet to be explored.
Festivals Extra: Big Names In Vermont, Brighton
* David Shrigley has been named guest director of the 2018 Brighton Festival. I'm sure something similar to this has happened before now -- a cartoonist or visual artist who works in comparable visual art being named to such a position at a general arts show -- but I'm not sure another example springs to mind.
* not sure exactly how this happened, but NYCC is pretty much the publishing announcements show of the moment. It makes sense that 2018 would line up with a previous year's October in terms of what's ready to be publicized, and you're Christmas-adjacent there for remaining 2017 hype, but I'm sure there other factors in play. I wish there were fewer books being announced right now, and more support for existing ones, but that's just me.
CARTOON CROSSROADS COLUMBUS CELEBRATES THIRD YEAR IN STYLE; ONE HUNDRED THIRTY ARTISTS DESCENDED UPON COLUMBUS FOR WEEKEND OF PANELS, PROGRAMS, BOOK DEBUTS AND FILM PRESENTATIONS; CXC AWARDS A MASTER ARTIST, TRANSFORMATIVE WORK AND EMERGING TALENT AWARD; FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES DATES FOR 2018.
COLUMBUS, OHIO (October 5, 2018) -- Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC), a nonprofit arts organization in Columbus, Ohio, marked the conclusion of its third annual festival, held September 28 to October 1, with a brief report on attendance, awards and forthcoming show events.
"Attendance for CXC surged in most categories in 2017," said Executive Director Tom Spurgeon. "Our biggest gains were in programming, where we met attendance goals in 80 percent of our panels, up from just under half in 2016.
"Our Chris Ware keynote interview moderated by Caitlin McGurk in support of Ware's new book Monograph and the preview screening of My Friend Dahmer with artist Derf in attendance answering questions filled our venue -- with tremendous demand for the screening leading to hundreds of people on the waitlist. We were also Standing Room Only for our Cartooning in the Time of Trump panel on Saturday with Ann Telnaes, Signe Wilkinson and Nate Beeler, and our new Kids programming bloc on Sunday exceeded expectations.
"Our Expo overall gained significantly attendance-wise on Saturday and held on Sunday last year to this one, and it was a buying crowd," continued Spurgeon. "Our tracked half-dozen model exhibitors marked out at about 20 percent gains over last year; some veterans of the convention scene had best-ever days."
The 2018 festival featured three awards.
CXC's Master Cartoonist Award was given out on Friday to Kyle Baker. Joining Baker onstage during a break in the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum's 40th anniversary reception was Howard Cruse, awarded the CXC Transformative Work Award for his groundbreaking, autobiographically-informed 1995 graphic novel Stuck Rubber Baby. On Saturday, on the Expo Floor, the CXC Emerging Talent Award was given to Kat Fajardo. The Emerging Talent winner receives a $7500 cash prize provided by Jeff Smith and Vijaya Iyer.
Kyle Baker is one of the most facile drawing and writing talents to every work in cartooning. his early work Why I Hate Saturn was named to The Comics Journal's Top 100 list of 20th Century Comics. Baker's graphic novels and serialized independent work such as Saturn, The Cowboy Wally Show, You Are Here, King David, and The Bakers have made him a leading light in art comics. He has also enjoyed a parallel career as a mainstream craftsman working at the highest level, creating memorable runs and contributing to the mythos of characters such as Captain America, The Shadow, Hawkman, Plastic Man and Deadpool.
"Baker's ability to effortlessly slip between serious and silly with equal facility makes him a unique talent in the history of comics, one whose work deserves far greater scrutiny and study," says critic Robert Clough.
Howard Cruse is an underground comix legend known for his groundbreaking work on series such as Barefootz and Wendel. Stuck Rubber Baby is his first and only major graphic novel. Its sobering yet hopeful take on a gay man's struggle with personal identity against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement made it one of the most honored books of the 1990s. It further served as a clarion call that any artist at any stage in their career could complete a major work and that the underground generation in particular had many stories left to tell. Stuck Rubber Baby remains current with today's creators as a key autobiographically informed work and as a testament to Cruse's herculean efforts to see the book to completion.
Kat Fajardo is a Brooklyn-based cartoonist who received an education in comics and cartoon-making at SVA, where she worked with teachers and working cartoonists including most memorably for her Jessica Abel. Fajardo has split her recent professional time between expression and editorial advocacy related to lifting up her Latinx heritage while at the same time finding professional illustration and commercial kids comics work. Fajardo is a former CBLDF volunteer who has since worked with the Fund, and is described by her peers as both "giving" and "relentless." She received a rousing ovation from the comics-makers in attendance. Ms. Fajardo was a special guest at this year's show of CXC sister show SOL-CON, working with the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.
All three artists received an award crafted by Columbus artist Nichole Vitchner, with an assist by Tom Gaadt.
CXC has also announced firm dates for its 2018 show and a pair of tentative dates for intitial steps in the pre-show process.
CXC 2018 will be held September 27-30.
The 2018 festival is set to continue the basic format of the 2016 and 2017 CXCs. This means an array of events up on OSU campus Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th, and then a curated comics Expo featuring 100 tables in the downtown branch of CML with satellite events on the weekend days, the 29th and 30th.
The announcement of the first six guests for CXC 2018 is currently planned for December 1 and exhibitor applications should open February 1st, 2018.
For more information on this year's show and confirmations of the above, keep an eye on www.cartooncrossroadscolumbus.org or follow @cxcfestival on Twitter.
*****
For more information, high-res images or to speak to anyone involved, contact Tom Spurgeon or Melody Reed at info@cartooncrossroadscolumbus.org.
*****
* CXC 2017 graphic by Katie Skelly with design by Sonia Harris and Katie Skelly. Photos by Ray LaVoie.
* here's Michael Cavna on Hugh Hefner. I think Hefner's reputation as a cartoonist's best friend has a lot to which careful histories might reject, but I certainly see how influential he was in both American culture and comics culture.
Your Young People’s Comic Awards Short List The Thought Bubble Young People's Comic Awards shortlist has been released. The program has in the past run in conjunction with the British Comic Awards, but those will not take place in 2017.
The shortlist is:
* The Legend Of La Mariposa, James Lawrence (self-published);
* Hilda And The Stone Forest, Luke Pearson (Nobrow Press);
* Good Dog, Bad Dog, Dave Shelton (David Fickling Books);
* Bunny Vs. Monkey Book 4, Jamie Smart (David Fickling Books);
* Arthur And The Golden Rope, Joe Todd-Stanton (Nobrow Press)
Judges were Abby Bulmer, Nadia Shireen, David Monteith, Tom Oldham and Woodrow Phoenix.
The nominated books are sent to schools and reading groups where they are processed and voted for by actual young people. The PR notes that most of the participating groups are in and around Leeds.
Random Comics News Story Round-Up * I keep forgetting to wish the great kus! collective a happy tenth anniversary. Unless I'm incorrectly reading all the posts I've been seeing, in which case I haven't forgotten anything but it is still nice to say hello.
The guest editor this time around is Ben Katchor, and both lists strike me as a melding of those two smart guys' sensibility. I don't envy them the task. The comics world is big enough that even a focused list these days will be seen as a personal betrayal by someone.
Kartalopoulos is in tune with a number of comics' hidden nooks and crannies publishing-wise in addition to beating the bushes for submissions, so his lists may tend to have a lot of work with which there's not a ton of widespread knowledge.
By Request Extra: Horror At Home Plate
Shawn McManus is about two-thirds towards an initial request on his baseball card-related Horror At Home Plate project. It's been suggested to me that the project is a key one for the well-liked artist.
* here's a fascinating interview with Stan Lee right when the cycle of modern Marvel movies was about to start. He had a very different position in pop culture at the time, a very different relationship with Marvel.
JUN170064 GRANDVILLE FORCE MAJEURE HC (C: 1-1-2) $24.99
* Caleb Orecchio on 
* RJ Casey on 
* Mark Campos' crowd-funder for Casino Boy 
* Alex Hoffman on 
* Heidi MacDonald talks to 
* Douglas Wolk 
AUG172094 FUTCHI PERF GN (MR) $15.95
* Robyn Chapman digs into 
* 
* Alexander Jones on 
* if you don't know Larry Shell's name from his decades of employment in and around the comics industry, 
* John Seven on 
* 
* Annie Mok on 
Dan Nadel 
* Robert Kirby on 
* Joe McCulloch on 
* Anders Nilsen 
* Greg Hunter on 
By Tom Spurgeon
* Dominic Umile on 
* Xavier Guilbert talks to 
* Rob Salkowitz on 
* Todd Klein on 
* at some point, somehow, 
* Tom Baker on 
* Cesar Bustamante on 
The Thought Bubble Young People's Comic Awards shortlist has been released. The program has in the past run in conjunction with the British Comic Awards, but those will not take place in 2017. 
* I keep forgetting to 
Best American Comics series editor Bill Kartalopoulos 
* Sean Gaffney on 
* Wim Lockefeer 
