Cartoonists

Sitting behind a desk drawing (or blogging) all day is the surefire way to an unhealthy lifestyle, as we know all too well, but FLASH artist Francis Manapul is fighting back as profiled in the Globe and Mail:

A few years ago we pointed you at a 1950 Life Magazine spread that included various NCS cartoonists happily scribbling on swimwear covered models. Well, in the spirit of that shoot, but also to show how times have changed in 61 years, the Sequential Arts Workshop has updated these images with Ball Point Boxers which finds cartoonists Sara Varon, Leela Corman, Joan Reilly, Emily Flake, Hilary Allison and Jungyeon Roh recreating the stunt, this time with male boxers from Gleason's Gym.

Gerry Giovinco's blog is always worth reading, but here's a telling piece setting the two titans' accounts of the origins of Marvel side by side and coming to a conclusion:

The notorious 1990 Comics Journal interview with Jack Kirby is now online in its entirety, and you can see what made it notorious. The 71-year-old Kirby was not shy about asserting his place in the creation of comics' best known characters and at the expense of his collaborators.

For several years, those who feel that the San Diego Comic-Con has lost the comics part of the equation (even though it isn't true at all ) have been wondering if an alternative event -- a "Slamdance*" to CCI:SD's Sundance -- would spring up. And artist/animators Scott Morse and Ted Mathot (who both have Pixar as a day job) are making this "Slamcomic" come true with TR!CKSTER, an alternative venue for comics events that will be open to the public and located right across the tracks from the SD Convention Center.

It's a busy week for cartooning events here in NYC, with so many you can't even get to them all. One we didn't want to miss took place last night, DRAWING THE LINE at the Society of Illustrators, a group chat about the cartooning craft by Joe Quesada, Walt Simonson and Jim Steranko. The panel was organized and moderated by artist Dennis Calero (X-MEN NOIR) as part of a move for the SI to get more involved in covering the graphic literature world. In the regard it was a total success, allowing three important artists talk about their work and approaches devoid of the promotional efforts that color most convention and bookstore appearances. Calero did a great job moderating as well, keeping the talk circling various aspects of the cartoonist's life, including dealing with "shortcuts", deadlines and the rewards of artwork, and showing a great knowledge of the trio's careers.

A bit of an interesting experiment going on over at the Drawing Words Writing Pictures blog, as two young cartoonists are learning how to make their way in the world -- without even drawing cartoons:

When you think of sports cartoons -- if you ever do -- you probably think of something by Bill Gallo -- he was the best known -- and probably one of the last -- practitioners of the art. The legendary NY Daily News sports cartoonist passed away yesterday in White Plains at the age of 88 after a 70 year career at the Newss.

Before he designed the Thunder God whose movie opens tomorrow, Jack Kirby had designed two previous characters named Thor, and over at the Kirby Museum they look back at the Sandman version and the Tales of the Unexpected version. We've seen THOR btw and will have a full review tomorrow. Short version: entertaining but 3D sucks.

One more for the weekend -- meet the future superstars of comics at FRESH MEAT, SVA's annual comics fair for graduating students. More info on participants in the link, but this is one place where you are sure to find some future superstar in the making.

The PEN World Literary Festival is a pretty big deal, bringing authors and audiences from around the world together for over a week of readings, talks and other events. They've had several cartoon-related events over the years (including a complete day of comics a few years back.) This year they are presenting a single event but it's pretty sweet: Get Super Lit: Comic Books Come Alive on Stage

Illustrator/animator/visual storyteller Shaun Tan gets profiled in the Sunday NY Times Magazine, the traditional anointing of a major creative figure.