Cartoonists

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.

As promised, here are more photos of Stumptown: the comics festival and the parties that just won't quit!

What is the greatest convention moment of all time? It might just be described in this post!

BY JEN VAUGHN - This past weekend, The Beat left the wet and mountainous regions of the East Coast for the wet and mountainous regions of the West Coast to revel in the majestic small press show that is Stumptown Comics Festival. Having recently moved from the Doubletree Hotel to the Oregon Convention Center, more artists and cartoonists would be to showcase their work for eager audiences.

The Comics Journal's new cartoonist diary features Pascal Girard's MoCCA journal and we're already severely flattered. In case anyone is wondering, Pascal, you're #1!

As if to prove my thesis of comics supremacy, in what other than a golden age could a summit of great minds like Randall Munroe and Larry Gonick have previously escaped almost all notice? Gonick explained the history of almost everything with cartoons in his History of the Universe book seres, and Munroe is the cubicle-wall hero behind the defining webcomic XKCD. The event took place at Princeton U, and the Daily Princetonian offers a report: