Kibbles ‘n’ Bits 3/27/18: Area woman struggles to read 100 graphic novels

§ Nice art: Paul Pope tweeted his designs for a Grateful Dead boxed set including the above.

Grateful Dead boxset art/Complete July 1978 concert series. I designed the box & 6 CD digipak inner sleeves w/ @SteveVanceArt 2/2016 #rhino pic.twitter.com/739zGu1COk

— PULPHOPE (@PULPH0PE) March 26, 2018

§ Here’s a very long very thoughtful piece by Austin English about high art appropriating “low art”, a topic that encompasses everything from Lichtenstein to t-shirt ripoffs.

It’s not just MoMA that is oblivious to Herriman’s art. The Met has neglected to place Herriman’s work on view throughout its history as an institution. The Whitney’s collection holds one Herriman page, but has never placed the work on view and neglected to include him in its major retrospective of American art, ‘America is Hard to See’, in 2015 (Levine was included). Call me naive, but I find that odd, especially for The Whitney, a museum devoted to American art. Herriman, the acknowledged master of an American art form and a living embodiment of the complexity of race within this country, might deserve some viewing time within this particular museum. (Multiple requests to the Whitney to confirm Herriman’s exhibition history were not answered. I visited the museum in person to verify the viewing history of Herriman in their collection, but was redirected to email. Statements made in this article relied on their excellent online database.)

 § SyFy Wire profiles writer Marc Bernardin.

§ Area Women bit off a lot more than she could chew: 100 Graphic Novels in 100 Days

It seemed like a doable goal in December. I had lots of time! I made lists, I placed holds, and I read at my leisure. Now, it’s March 19, little more than a month until my deadline and only 38 graphic novels read and the race is on. Can I do it? Can I read 62 graphic novels by April 26?

 § Meanwhile, elsewhere, in a car, a young girl is reading lots of comics and giving hope to her mother. 

I am sitting in the driver’s seat of my car, listening eagerly to the whispers coming from the back seat as I steer home. A sly smile spreads across my face. I don’t say a word, for fear of disrupting my daughter, who is actually reading, as she sounds out words from a comic book with enthusiasm. This is all new — my kid making an effort to read anything without me pointing to the letters, taking deep breaths to remain patient, or wondering what I’m doing wrong. So I keep driving.

§ Cartoonist Ed Siemienkowicz was a popular figure on the indie figure scene when he died a couple of years ago. Upon is death, it was discovered that he had written a 246 graphic novel that he never illustrated. Now 130 artists have united to draw it, including Jill Thompson and Jonathan Hickman.

“Ed saw the best in people and after working on this book, it’s hard not for me to see that too. It’s been really moving,” said Walilko, who promised Siemienkowicz she would get the book published.

“He felt that ‘F*cking Forty’ was his life’s work – not only to get him recognized but also to be the thing that helps people, so that anybody who’s going through a hell of a year knows someone else has been in the trenches like this. You’re not alone.”

§ Here is a touching tale from The Daily Mining Gazette about a father who honored his Superman-loving son in a very giving way: 

A man whose son died in the U.S. Army has honored him by buying comic books for customers at an Upper Peninsula shop. The Daily Mining Gazette says the man wants to stay anonymous. But he told the newspaper that it was a “good way” to honor his son, who died two days before Christmas and was a big fan of Superman. His grave marker says “Man of Steel.”

§ Weekend Con Wrap-up! The Saudi Comic Con ended in high spirits wit an apperaance by “Floki” from Vikings. And more comics are coming – even manga.

Ali Musallim, a 27-year-old Saudi, is looking forward to opening a store in Jeddah of exclusive Manga that is hard to get at the moment. “We are way more complicated and diverse than the world thinks we are,” he said. “There is a weird stereotype around Saudis that they are not interested, but I have observed in Comic Con that people are interested and excited over the store. We don’t give ourselves enough credit.”   Waad Khimi, one of the attendees, said: “I hope next year there will be another Comic Con because I am already sad that this one is over.”

§ Comicbook.com offers a deep dive on the announcement of Agent Coulson returning in Carptain Marvel. It seems that in Agents of SHIELD, Coulson met the Kree and knew all about them. However in Captain Marvel, which is set in the 90s, the main storyline is the Kree-Skrull War and Coulson may just find out about them.

But if the Kree-Skrull War plays a significant role in Captain Marvel, it’s hard to believe that Coulson would have never heard of either alien race by the time Agents of SHIELD begins, and even harder to believe that he wouldn’t discover their existence when he becomes Director and gains access to all of that previously classified information. Basically, this movie is setting up a major opportunity for Marvel Studios to completely ignore everything that has happened in Marvel Television. This isn’t out of the ordinary, as the dog that is the movie franchise has always wagged the tail that is the TV series. But Captain Marvel provides an opportunity for the films to undermine all of the stories that have been told on Agents of SHIELD.

So yeah, whoosh, no more Marvel TV continuity.

§ Finally, there are a lot of pop culture “brackets” going around to coincide with March Madness, but the only one that maters is Middle-earth March Madness. The winner may surprise you.