Just read sweet tooth. 40 issues. It's not perfect but a quick, entertaining read. Fans of black hammer should read it.
^ Had a look at that one last year. Good assessment. What comic strips used to be like: Thanks to Bubbles for bringing the above to my attention. Music From Nancy 1979 Premier
The sad news of 2020 continues, with the passing of Dennis 'Denny' O'neil yesterday. https://nypost.com/2020/06/12/denny-oneil-batman-writer-and-comic-book-legend-dead-at-81/ Well known for his incredible work on Batman, Mr. O'neil also penned some amazing stories at Marvel, too. But he had so many wonderful storied under his belt across big titles from both houses, it is just not possible to highlight one. I really liked this quote from Paul Dini: A great name of the industry, one whose words influenced more than a few generations of comic readers. May he RIP. May 3, 1939 – June 11, 2020
Two hours to go... Jim Rugg's Octobriana 1976 Kickstarter. EDIT: All done... Check the number of backers!
Tease o' the Day: View this post on Instagram Also... Spoiler: Shill o' the Day: View this post on Instagram Affordable riso fun. Ziritt Space Riders
Back in love with @COOP: From comics to kaiju and a world of process in between. Some solid philosophies in there, too. Impressed.
Do I even want to keep posting these anymore? 2020 has been awful. Famed Marvel Comics Inker Joe Sinnott Dies at 93 He obviously led a very full and accomplished life, it is just sad to hear of the passing of yet another legend in the field of comic arts. His incredible work on all of the principal titles from Marvel in the Silver Age helped define that era's look (and all comics to come). Of course I have to highlight his unbelievable inking work in collaboration with Jack Kirby. So many iconic scenes were emphasized and brought to life at the end of his pen. Interesting, despite tales of the 'Marvel Bullpen,' Sinnott actually revealed in a past interview that due to each of these artists working out of their own homes frequently, he rarely met Jack but for a couple passing occurrences. I could easily pick from dozens of iconic covers or splash pages to showcase his work, but I think the feelings on this one sum it up pretty good right now.
I had the good fortune of meeting Joe a couple of times and he was a real gent. One of the greats for sure.
His stuff is awesome. A pal of mine is writing the new Space Riders. I kinda lost track of the release schedule due to Covid.
The joy of the risograph: Spoiler ^ Some selections from Walker Mettling, his old friends and his young students. Shopping encouraged.
Some interesting work there, D. I need to pick up my zine game, but it is hard until you can do it at a local, as shipping these days is a real pain - even more than the usual fortune for international shipping rates. So many good ones to chase too, with so little monies. I appreciate the heads up on these.
Spied in the feed of the great Eric Reynolds: View this post on Instagram Commodified, recently... View this post on Instagram ...and rightly so! Click through for deets. #orangeskull
I just learned this today, which is sort of interesting news. Gary Larson has come out of relative 'hiding' to start producing new The Far Side comic strips. Was always a big fan, and I think they are as poignant (and enjoyable) today as ever. While the online website actually debuted late in 2019, this marks the first occasion of any new material in 25 years. https://www.theverge.com/21317458/far-side-new-comics-creator-gary-larson-25-years-digital-tablet Strips themselves can be found on The Far Side website, under 'new material.'
Sweet, im a big fan. Thanks for the heads up. The one panel strip can be a joy. I also love Charles Addams' Addams Family. Even Marmaduke still raises a smile ...
Marmaduke? You've lost all credibility here, bud! Only thing it ever raised around here was my blood pressure.
The one other time Marmaduke has been mentioned in the last couple of decades. Actually, others kept the 'Duke alive for a while there... Perhaps Marmaduke Explained would help you out, Viv.
Sorry, I am with @hellscrape here. Marmaduke falls squarely into the 'Family Circus' category of single panel comics I can happily continue to ignore. That is some Ziggy level of depth. Addams Family, on the other hand, I could not hold up either. One of the best things I ever did in much earlier ebay hunting years ago was to track down some vintage copies of Mr. Addams' incredible chronicles. These are not mine, but in the same vein. Not sure what they run now, but I'd imagine it's only gone up. I'd love to see someone take on a really nice collection of these.
Yes, Addams rules and Anderson drools, but leave ol' Mr. Keane out of it! Bil Keane: An Appreciation BY BILL GRIFFITH NOV 14, 2011 My first contact with The Family Circus creator Bil Keane was at the Reuben Awards dinner in San Francisco in 1990. This was when the National Cartoonists Society was still largely dominated by "old guard" cartoonists like Mort Walker and Bil and had the feel of a "Raccoon Lodge" convention out of a 1956 Honeymooners TV sitcom. I distinctly remember some sort of inebriated pissing contest going on in the hotel men's room. I also remember Bil Keane's talk to the assembled crowd. It was flavored by what his generation would call "pretty salty language." For the creator of such a family-friendly strip, his comments were a surprise--and a pleasant one. I began to realize these "old-timers" were not at all like the characters in their G-rated comics; they were people like me. Well, sort of. On the comics page of any big city daily newspaper, my Zippy strip tends to look like a fish out of water amid all the middle class families and talking animals, but in the context of a large ballroom full of working cartoonists, I felt a professional kinship. I was surprised when Bil told me he read Zippy in his local Arizona paper and liked it. He didn't even qualify his opinion with the usual, "Of course, I don't always get it." Until then, I hadn't paid much attention to The Family Circus, but I slowly began to see that you could read more into it than what appeared on the surface. This was before internet wise guys began mashing up random Friedrich Nietzsche lines for Billy and Jeffy's and riffing on the strip as unconscious surrealism. But The Family Circus didn't need hipsters to substitute incongruous dialogue to make the case that it was unconscious surrealism. It was unconscious surrealism on its own. Somewhat in the vein of Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy, there was a reductionism going on in The Family Circus that engendered an odd detachment from reality. The seemingly innocuous humor could be read on more than one level. Viewed from a certain angle, Billy's dotted line jaunts around his suburban neighborhood took on a zany, Dada-esque quality. And then, in 1994, I decided to do a series of strips in which Zippy enters the Family Circus reality, looking for enlightenment. Or at least a few random dotted lines to follow. I remembered Bil's affection for Zippy, so I decided to bite the bullet and call him to ask if, instead of me parodying his strip, he'd agree to jam with me, drawing and writing Billy and Jeffy's lines as they conversed with Zippy. And, much to my surprise and delight, he said yes. The only thing was, he said, he'd draw and letter the strips, but he'd let me do all the writing . So there they are, in all their crazy strangeness--Zippy and the family from The Family Circus, cavorting in Zippyland (the dates are 12/14-17 1994). To this day, people ask me if those strips are "real." But it gets better. In 1995, Bil returned the favor and asked me to draw Zippy into a Family Circus panel. That collision of worlds took place on March 7, 1995 and featured Billy being awakened from a dream of Zippy and asking, "Why did you turn it off, Mommy? I was watchin' Zippy the Pinhead." Again, people who see this strip often ask me if it's "real." Ah, but perhaps that question lies at the heart of all Zippy strips---and all of The Family Circus as well--what is real? Maybe Jeffy knows. Feel free to dish on Scott Adams all you like.
FYI: Is 2020 the Year Without a Comic-Con? Well, not quite! While we are extremely bummed not to be seeing you all in person down in San Diego this year, we’re rolling with the punches and working to bring the best of our would-have-been Comic-Con programming, new releases, announcements and exclusives directly to your screen! Plus, we’re pumping up our annual web sale to give you better deals than ever before. So check it out, treat yourself to some new comics, and we’ll hopefully see you next year for the real thing! Panels & Programming: Thursday, July 7/23, 4:00pm — Teaching and Making Comics Ebony Flowers (Hot Comb), Roman Muradov (Vanishing Act), Trina Robbins (Flapper Girls), and Sophie Yanow (The Contradictions) are four vital cartoonists who have taught classes on comics themselves. They speak with James Sturm (Off Season) about their teaching philosophy, and how teaching has transformed their perspectives on the comics canon and their own work. YouTube Friday, July 7/24, 11:00am — TragiComics Tom Gauld (Department of Mind-Blowing Theories), Simon Hanselmann (Bad Gateway), John Pham (J & K), Walter Scott (Wendy, Master of Art), and Rikke Villadsen (Cowboy) tackle complex subjects–and they are funny doing it! These five cartoonists speak to Graeme McMillan (The Hollywood Reporter) about how they use humor to process and respond to the difficulties and oddities of life. YouTube Friday, July 7/24, 2:00pm — I Am Not Okay With This: From the Page to the Screen! Cartoonist Charles Forsman (I Am Not Okay With This, The End of the F***ing World), director Jonathan Entwistle (I Am Not Okay With This, The End of the F***ing World), and actor Wyatt Oleff (It, I Am Not Okay With This) trace the evolution of the critically-acclaimed Netflix series I Am Not Okay With This back to its beginnings as an original graphic novel! Moderated by the book’s editor and Fantagraphics associate publisher, Eric Reynolds. YouTube Saturday, July 7/25, 12:00pm — Spotlight on The Cloven: With Garth Stein and Matthew Southworth This panel will spotlight the debut sci-fi graphic novel collaboration by author Garth Stein (The Art of Racing in the Rain) and cartoonist Matthew Southworth (Stumptown). These two pacific northwestern creators have teamed up to create a one-of-a-kind story steeped in its Seattle roots. The Cloven: Book One is the first installment of this dynamic, atmospheric, and wryly funny graphic novel trilogy by two bestselling and critically acclaimed storytellers. Moderated by the book’s editor and Fantagraphics associate publisher, Eric Reynolds. YouTube Saturday, July 7/25, 6:00pm — Fantagraphics and IDW: Classic Comics Reprints Classic comic reprints give readers of all ages a chance to read comic classics in new and exciting ways. Join moderator Karen Green (curator for comics and cartoons, Columbia University’s Rare Book & Manuscript Library) and panelists Dean Mullaney (The Library of American Comics creative director), Peter Maresca (founder and publisher of Sunday Press), and Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics associate publisher) for a celebration of comic classics. YouTube Sunday, July 7/26, 6:00pm — Masters of Style: Woodring, Fleener, Muradov and Hernandez The diverse but instantly recognizable styles of master cartoonists Jim Woodring (The Frank Book, Poochytown), Mary Fleener (Life of the Party, Billie the Bee), Roman Muradov (Vanishing Act), and Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets) inspire many admirers and imitators. Join them for a discussion of line, color, abstraction, and the choice to hone (or not to hone) a single visual style of the course of a comics career. Moderated by Fantagraphics publisher Gary Groth. YouTube As ever, fantagraphics.com has what you need.