New campaign: A Buck for Jack
Earlier today we noted Stan Lee's penchant for pacting. Sadly, his partner in the Marvel Age, Jack Kirby, did not live to see the era where his creations and influence dominate pop culture. In fact, his family is right now engaged in a bitter dispute with Marvel Comics over the rights to the characters he created. Some have called, passionately, for a boycott of Marvel over this. and they would have the high ground. But if a boycott isn't your style. Nat Gertler has started his own way to remember The King, a program called A Buck for Jack, which suggests you donate a dollar every time you go see a movie based on Kirby's creations.
Continue ReadingCartoonist talks about getting teargassed in Oakland
From reading her comments here and elsewhere, we knew that cartoonist Susie Cagle was tough as nails, but interviewed about her experiences at Occupy Oakland on Tuesday night when police teargassed and shot beanbags and rubber bullets at Cagle and hundreds of other protesters in Oakland, you'll see how tough.
Continue ReadingJim Woodring has a new website!
To cleanse our palate from the previous Stan Lee story, happy news that Jim Woodring's website has been relaunched. Mary Woodring tells us "Be advised that Mr. Woodring has a brand new web site (designed by Plexipixel of Seattle) that is loaded with such features as an extensive gallery, ecards, wallpaper and links to various relevant media as well as other eye-tingling and spine-watering delights."
Continue ReadingLearn Comics At Home the Frank Way!
If you've longed to attend one of those life-defining cartooning schools like CCS, SCAD or SVA but can't travel, why not take Frank Santoro's 8-week Correspondence Course. If you've longed to attend one of those life-defining cartooning schools like CCS, SCAD or SVA but can't travel, why not take Frank Santoro's 8-week Correspondence Course.
Continue ReadingMust read: Local Comics Scenes across the US
While news of great corporate conglomerates headlines the comics world news of late, it must always be remembered this is an industry of people and art, and the vibrancy of the the two coming together. Frank Santoro has been running an awesome series of "Local comics scene" reports at TCJ, and they are welcome reminders that the indie spirit of like-minded souls sitting in diners and sketching and talking over coffee and Strathmore is alive and well. We'd love to visit each and every one of these scenes. It's also of note that in these economic hard times, sometimes creativity thrives where money is scarce.
Continue ReadingLegal Right & Ethical Mights (To Do Friday)
BY JEN VAUGHN - This Friday, 'Marvel' will face the ghost of Jack Kirby when professor and attorney Oliver Goodenough squares off against creator rights advocate and cartoonist Steve Bissette.
Continue ReadingJack Kirby might be getting a real museum
The Jack Kirby Museum and Research Center has long existed as a website and a table at conventions; but a real museum would be much nicer. Now the organizers have announced they will be setting up a temporary "pop-up" museum this wimter -- November '11-January '12 -- to showcase what they hope will eventually be a permanent brick-and-mortar museum. How cool would that be? They'll be set up at NYCc to talk about the project -- and are accepting donations. The Summer of 2011 should have witnessed an eruption of interest in legendary American
Continue ReadingInternational Comic Arts Forum 2011 underway in White River Junction
BY JEN VAUGHN - From all over the globe, scholars, professors, panelists and attendees are swooping into White River Junction as this weekend The Center for Cartoon Studies hosts the International Comic Arts Forum. Past incarnations of ICAF have been hosted at SPX (they used to plan programming too!), the Library of Congress and the School for the Art Institute of Chicago.
Continue ReadingCraig Thompson: On tour with Habibi
BY JEN VAUGHN - "Eat your meat." Words accidentally lifted from the comic Blutch that made their way into a similar dinner scene of Craig Thompson's seminal graphic novel, Blankets. This week marks the beginning of Thompson's two month Habibi tour. His new graphic novel in forty words or less is the story of love (many kinds) by two orphans in an Islamic culture touched by the industrial part of the world; it is epic, sprawling and will take you more than one night and a pizza to finish. Thompson started his tour by signing one-hundred copies sold by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund for $100 at the annual SPX this last weekend. Alex Cox of CBLDF happily stated that Thompson, Roz Chast, Sara Varon and an auction raised $12,500 for the organization. And since I'm currently in the midst of the 672 pages of Habibi, terrified of a broken nose (remember falling asleep reading Harry Potter in bed?), I can tell you Habibi is all meat.
Continue ReadingWe Can’t All Be ‘Funny’
BY JEN VAUGHN - Cartoonist James Sturm wrote an insightful piece on submitting cartoons to the New Yorker posted on The Slate. As a cartoonist or unfortunately termed 'graphic novelist,' Sturm is used to drawing stories in the long term, stretching a few hundred pages, panel upon panel upon panel upon YES, panel. How Sturm spent his summer vacation was a cartoon a day to build up a keeper-portfolio for The New Yorker. Sturm relearned to let go of the beats you find in a long-form comic to sketch loosely and effectively situations right after that something funny, something intangible occurred. He includes many of his cartoons in the article including this close-to-home joke and one of my favorites, when the caption is recycled for a different situation.
Continue ReadingQuick hits: retailers, Morrison v. Ware, Kirby
New developments in the Atomic bankruptcy and Grant Morrison vs Chris Ware, and a new take on Kirby/Lee.
Continue ReadingNilsen, Harbin, others cover Fantastic Four #9
Now this is a great way to spend your money! Cartoonist Jason Young has spent the last three years slowly commissioning an array of great indie artists to redraw FANTASTIC FOUR #9, the issue co-starring the Sub-Mariner. It's a Coober Skeeber/Strange Tales mash-up that proves the talents of all involved. Young writes:
Continue ReadingCrumb explains why he won’t go to Sydney
Last week legendary cartoonist R. Crumb disappointed Australian fans who were looking forward to a rare public appearance, when he withdrew, The cause was incendiary comments in a Sunday Telegraph piece called Smutty show a comic outrage which branded him a pervert. In a letter to the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, Crumb explains himself a length, and to those who have branded him a woman-hating creep, it's mostly to make his wife happy -- she feared for his safety:
Continue ReadingHappy Birthday, Jimmy Palmiotti
A special birthday shout-out to Jimmy Palmiotti, the best friend and advisor of almost everyone in comics--The Beat included--and creator or co-creator of comics from The Pro, Monolith, 21 Down, Painkiller Jane, Back to Brooklyn, and of course a long, acclaimed run on Jonah Hex.
Continue ReadingMeredith Gran on paying freelancers
Over on Google+, Meredith Gran, creator of OCTOPUS PIE, somewhat reluctantly weighs in on the women in comics thing: So that said, here it is. My sincere thoughts on how to promote the presence of women in comics: Pay them. No, seriously. Pay them with money.
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