Comics Workbook

An online magazine for comics makers

Posted in NewsTagged asterios polyp, caleb orecchio, David Mazzucchelli

Caleb Orecchio

Posted on August 30, 2018August 30, 2018

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Gabriella TitoAugust 12, 2016Art Trip / EssaysThe Orlando Museum of Art is located in Loch Haven Park with the Science Center close by. Their biggest exhibition right now is their Contemporary Art exhibit from May 13th to August 28th. When I visited recently I was pleasantly surprised to find that the the exhibition was extremely diverse, with many female and Latino artists. Of the many artists I saw, it was Maria Martinez-Cañas who stood out to me. She is an artist who works WITH photos but does not really use a camera to take photos. My interest was captured as soon as I walked into the exhibition and saw the faded out prints. Her Vestigios Series is my absolute favorite body of work in the museum. She takes images from Gelatin silver prints or printed pages of books and manually “erases” them with sandpaper, creating a vintage look. Her whole Vestigios Series can be found HERE. I feel like she was trying to find a connection to the past in this series. In the same exhibition room, there was a video of Dawn Roe’s Mountain Field Studies being projected onto the wall (pictured above). I almost felt like I was looking at a comic of fleeting observations of a mountain. In this series, she carefully put together details of a mountain into a series of blocked out images, and even some grids thrown in there! I couldn’t help but think about the observations I make when I’m creating a comic based on the environment around me. When I’m making an observational comic, I’ll usually make broader “statements” at first, meaning I don’t go too much into detail with the environment. These drawings will usually be wide shots of the scene, or even quick silhouettes of the subject matter. Then, I’ll start zooming in more and capturing those details in different ways. I like holding the tempo sometimes and lingering on a subject for a panel or two and then moving on. I apply this concept to other works I make as well and it hasn’t failed me yet! Also, on Dawn Roe’s portfolio site I found something in her statement that I completely resonated with – “This earthly presence is distinct from the seemingly stable, reproducible image – one that persists, suggesting that all matter is sound enough to endure the world’s relentless shifts, however benign or catastrophic.“ In her statement, Dawn talks about the spaces that objects in the world make and that she captures the “unique situations” these objects make. This completely applies to comics as well – not just observational, but the way cartoonists capture moments in time, opinions, a romantic scene, and just about everything you can think of really. You can watch Dawn Roe’s Mountain Field Studies HERE. Throwback to Sally, I also ran into a Georgia O’Keefe piece! Red Hills and White Flower was her featured painting there. I really enjoyed my visit to OMART! There were so many galleries and exhibits there, it was a little mind boggling – but these were just some of the pieces I thought more intensely about. I went in there thinking like a cartoonist, but I also kept my mind open to new thoughts and art forms I had never been exposed to. ————————————————————————————————— Art Trip is a series that features reflections on art and comics, and the adventures that transform those who seek it out. ————————————————————————————————— Gabriella Tito is a cartoonist living in Orlando, FL. She is a graduate of Frank Santoro’s Correspondence Course for Comic Book Makers and a member of the Comics Workbook Roller Derby team. You can find more of her work HERE. Share this page: [...]

04/27/2017

Sally IngrahamApril 26, 2017NewsSally here with the Kugali database, work from Adam Griffiths and Lawrence “Raw Dog” Hubbard, and your daily dose of comic strips by Comics Workbook creators! ————————————————————————————————— I recently discovered Kugali, a curated database of African comics, games, and animation. The three Nigerian founders – Ziki Nelson, Tolu Olowofoyeku, and Maculay Alvarez – spoke to Konbini recently about why they started the site and their continuing plans for it. Ziki speaking here: “My relationship with comics was love at first sight. I started with Spiderman and for over two decades it’s been non-stop. However, at some point I realized that the vast majority of comics consistently overlooked or simply ignored the African experience. At first this was disappointing. I felt like this thing that I loved so much didn’t care about me or my culture. I reached out to my co-founders, both of whom had gone through similar experiences, and our goal was simple: find out if there are any African comics and see if they were any good. Not not only did we discover dozens of amazing comics, we also found awesome video games, cartoons and many other cool projects. The only problem I had with this revelation was the whole discovery process. So, we decided to aggregate all of this awesome content so people could discover the best African content.“ The Kugali blog is an excellent place to start exploring – check it out HERE. The official database can be found HERE. The guys also have a YouTube channel and a Podcast, so take some time to really dig into the comics of Africa and the African diaspora with them! ————————————————————————————————— Adam Griffiths has launched a new webcomic called American Cryo – you can read the rest of the first strip (pictured in part above) HERE. He also released the mini-comic he finished drawing in January during his Comics Workbook Rowhouse Residency – The Permanent Night – which you can purchase HERE. ————————————————————————————————— In his weekly roundup of comics-related stuff on VICE, Nick Gazin spoke to Lawrence “Raw Dog” Hubbard, co-creator of the Real Deal comics (with H. P. McElwee, who passed away in 1998). Lawrence has been working on the comic since 1990, and Fantagraphics recently collected the 7 issues. “VICE: What’s it like to have this hardcover collection of your comics after all these decades? Lawrence “Raw Dog” Hubbard: “What’s it like?” It’s a feeling of euphoria, of validation. Thinking of all of the hard work, hours of drawing and creating Real Dealand wondering, Does anybody give a shit about this? All of the times me and H.P. McElwee took Real Deal directly to the people, the fans, they loved it! But at the same time when we went before the gatekeepers of the industry—publishers, distributors, shop owners—they said, “No! Why don’t you come up with a new superhero?” The best way to look at this is to never give up! If you love something and have a passion for it, stick with it! And whatever happens will happen! And thanks to Fantagraphics, the word about Real Deal will get out to gobs of comic fans who never heard of it before.“ Read more HERE. Get a copy of Real Deal from Copacetic Comics! ————————————————————————————————— Extra Innings Keith Knight was featured on Episode 29 of Study Group‘s Process Party. The Comics Journal shares one last review of Krazy: George Herriman, A Life in Black and White by Michael Tisserand – reviewed by Mathias Wivel HERE. David Betancourt, who has joined the Washington Post‘s Comic Riffs blog team, wrote about Tee Franklin‘s Bingo Love earlier this month. James Kaplan reviews Space Riders: Galaxy of Brutality #1 by Alexis Ziritt and Fabian Rangel Jr. on Panel Patter – HERE. ————————————————————————————————— Blinkers – 4-27-2017 – by Jack Brougham ————————————————————————————————— Suzy and Cecil – 4-27-2017 – by Sally Ingraham ————————————————————————————————— Joanie and Jordie – 4-27-2017 – by Caleb Orecchio Share this page: [...]

02/26/2018

Caleb OrecchioFebruary 26, 2018NewsCaleb Orecchio here with more on Barry Windsor-Smith, and other news. ————————————————————————————————— It’s just another Saturday morning in the big city. June 9th, 1973. Eastbound 26th Street is blocked by two refrigerator trucks who stalled at the Lexington intersection. Horns resound in fury. Barry Smith looks up from the desk he’s working at to see the commotion. His mind starts to swirl. The window from the apartment looking over New York City becomes a vision of sublime psychedelia. Cosmic phenomena burst forth displaying a beautiful array of heavenly bodies, he can see lightyears away. Smith feels a nudge to his perceived center. This was the second time in 24-hours Smith had experienced this happening. He will have a much more intense revelation tomorrow. It’s springtime in London, 1966. Barry Smith and a friend are strolling across a field, a couple and their dog walk just ahead. The dog turns and barks. Everyone looks over their shoulder. Above the field hovers a UFO. Smith can just make out the details of the underside’s tubes and ducts, shadowed by the blinding light emitting from the cluster of lights that blazed from the center. The ship rises and eventually disappears to the west. Everyone left the scene without a word. Five years later in 1971, Smith’s aforementioned friend tells our hero about a dream he had recently. He describes the spaceship he and Smith saw in 1966. Our hero is unable to tell him that it wasn’t a dream. Back to 1973. It’s Sunday, or it was Sunday June 10th, 1973. Smith has had his third vision in as many days. In fact, the encounter lasted into the next morning. It’s now Monday, almost 4:00 am. His body is rendered completely and utterly exhausted. He can hardly stand. He stumbles from the studio, down the stairs and into the streets of New York in 1973 on the corner of 26th Street and Lexington Avenue. Two men are fighting just outside the door. A cop car wails past them, making them scarce. Smith heads for home just a couple blocks down. Every ounce of strength the experience left him with sustains his balance as he heaves one foot in front of the other. Just short of a football field from his destination, two men emerge from the shadows. One brandishes a knife. In an act of sheer survival, our hero emits a barbaric and violent scream—charging headlong towards his foe. The would-be assailants step aside, letting our hero pass in peace. In the summer of 1973, Smith was no longer the regular artist on the Marvel comic book series he had started with Roy Thomas, Conan the Barbarian; but he was working on an adaption of “Red Nails,” the last Conan story by Robert E. Howard, for the new Marvel magazine Savage Tales. On top of this, he was adapting, for the same mag, Howard’s poem, “Cimmeria.” Not to mention helping his friend and studio-mate with concepts for advertisements for big-name clients. Stories of June 1973 taken from Opus Volume 1 by Barry Windsor-Smith. UFO story from Streetwise, an anthology of autobio comics; Smith’s story is called “UFO POV.” ————————————————————————————————— if you don’t know, now you know Frank Santoro is blind-auctioning a copy of Fantastic Four #52, first appearance of Black Panther, on this very site. It’s for a good cause, follow the link for details. Bill Boichel, proprietor of Copacetic Comics here in Pittsburgh, is interviewed on local podcast, The Gross Street Podcast. Alex Dueben interviews David Collier at TCJ.com. I’ve been going back to this CBR.com preview of the first volume of Inside Moebius until I come up with the funds to hold it in my hands. ————————————————————————————————— Suzy and Cecil – 2-26-2018 – by Sally Ingraham ————————————————————————————————— Share this page: [...]

12/10/2018

Caleb OrecchioDecember 10, 2018NewsCaleb Orecchio here reporting from Calypso’s island ————————————————————————————————— I’m mad at myself. I am in the middle of moving (geographically I am literally in between my old place and new place) and have been separated from my cartooning tools. At this point I am not sure if I left them at the place I was living or if I left them at the place I am moving into. I currently reside somewhere between those two places in hopes I can get a car at a decent price to continue the journey. Ah the life of a cartoonist. At times I feel like Theseus looking for trouble and overcoming it with valor and grace. At other times, I am Odysseus, plaything of the gods. Stranded for years upon an island I cannot escape. I think a lot of cartoonists, particularly veterans, feel like Odysseus. Slave to the whims of the gods they have offended and the ones they have glorified. Hungry to fill their banquet hall with the blood of those who have trespassed upon them. It feels good to complain. Complaining can be of good use if you can triangulate your gripes and nullify them. Really I feel like Hercules. Hoping my labors can exult me as immortal to the heavens, or at least in the Billy Ireland collection for eternity. I’ll shoot an arrow at the Sun if I have to. ————————————————————————————————— Share this page: [...]

03/02/2017

Sally IngrahamMarch 2, 2017NewsSam Ombiri is here today with thoughts on influences and his recent adventures in comics post-production – plus all the Comics Workbook Daily Strips! ————————————————————————————————— Sam Ombiri here – David O’Reilly said something like “it’s real cool for people to hide their influences and to not admit them“, and that “people who refrain from admitting their influences tend to have the most obvious ones“. I think he’s saying that it’s not so important how well one can hide their influence or not be obvious – it’s just a reflection of a certain attitude prominent in certain people. There is something to be said to not wanting to list influences. I recall both Claire Denis and Stefan Burnett saying “listing them seems boring/contrived” after mentioning 2 or 3 things when asked something akin to what other work has shaped their work? I remember reading about the guy who created Mr. Robot – he was listing all his influences in this way that kind of drove me nuts for some reason. He said something like “Taxi Driver for the narration, Breaking Bad for it’s character arc, Blade Runner for its introspection” and such and such. It makes me understand why Matthew Thurber said “All of these shows make me want to vomit in the face of the indoctrinated fool who invariably speaks of them in rapturous tones. I’d rather spend my time cleaning out a ten-year-old Rapidograph, or picking a scab!” (Maybe I don’t understand why but for a moment I can share his sentiment!) Sammy Harkham was saying something akin to “An influence is a thing that if a solution to a problem wasn’t found, it would be a longer winding road in order to find it.” The problem being, trying to figure out how to execute something that’s not entirely clear. It sounded like a really optimistic thing – that art is made with what is already in someone, and is not exactly dependent on what art a person encounters. It seemed a bit of a mystical idea. Sort of “the man at the end of the search” type of deal. It reminded me of the time in The Dance of Reality where Jodorowsky says “Everything you are is already inside you.” Something like that. I remember it more from the trailer than the movie. I don’t remember the movie too well as I haven’t seen it in a couple years, or at least it feels that way. I remember Jodorowsky’s Dad fighting a bunch of Nazis – and this one anarchist not wanting to live in world where dogs wore clothes. I remember other things. I must disagree with what Nicolas Winding Refn said about Jodorowsky’s movies being about what we don’t see. (What Refn actually said was that Jodorowsky’s movies remind him that all movies aren’t about what you see but what you don’t see. Trailers are to a huge extent how he executes this idea, I think. The movies our minds see when we see his trailers and the movies that we see on screen, and all the ideas floating around in the movie that aren’t fully uttered… I think Sammy Harkham said something like “Plot is like a coat room for one to hang ideas in.“ I think really often Sammy’s ideas of cartooning are almost similar to Robert Bresson. Not that his work is like Bresson’s, or completely like Bresson’s – they at times share similar traits. Or at least traits in what Bresson says. I think what Sammy was saying was about what fascinates him in horror films, which sounded very much like stuff that Bresson would talk about. Or this whole thing he says of demilitarized drama, and everything having the same weight, similar to how in Brian Chippendale’s Ninja things aren’t brought so much attention to. How Sammy was talking about cartooning was similar to how Bresson was talking about a virtuoso playing music and how their faces and composure are completely controlled. Or how Sammy was saying he’d rather people’s sadness not be on display for everyone to see – it echoes how Bresson said, “The sadness on people’s faces when you pass them on the street isn’t readily apparent.” They also share similarly mysterious triumphs strictly in themselves. That’s not to say that their work is, I don’t know, too too similar. Maybe Sammy is hiding Bresson’s influence to be cool, ha ha. I know that’s not the case. I think in a way that’s why I link Michael Haneke with Sammy a lot. I’m very certain Bresson had a ton of influence on Haneke. I always in my mind link Harkham with Haneke, for what are highly shallow reasons – not thinking that there are major connections, but a certain extremely specific similarity I see. – Sam Ombiri ————————————————————————————————— The Comics Workbook Rowhouse Residency is a space where cartoonists from out of town can come for a week or more of comics-making intensive – but it is also a space for Pittsburgh’s local cartoonists to “spar” and train. Sam Ombiri stopped by recently for an afternoon tutorial on final production – layout and printing. Over cups of tea and The Lounge Lizards spinning on the record player, he completed his comic Haunted VHS – debuting at the Pittsburgh Indy Comix Expo this April 9th! There’s always something interesting happening around the Rowhouse – comics to read and make and share. Learn more about the Residency program HERE or email santoroschool@gmail.com. ————————————————————————————————— The Spring Semester of the Santoro Correspondence Course for Comic Book Makers is about to start! Although we have a rolling start date this semester, the course will officially kick off on March 7th. We will continue taking applications past that date – Frank is always willing to make it work for your schedule. Just apply! The course is 8 weeks long – 500 bux – payment plans are available. Check out the comic Connor Willumsen made when he took the course – Calgary: Death Milks a Cow! More details can be found HERE or email santoroschool@gmail.com to apply. ————————————————————————————————— Blinkers – 3-2-2017 – by Jack Brougham ————————————————————————————————— Suzy and Cecil – 3-2-2017 – by Sally Ingraham ————————————————————————————————— Joanie and Jordie – 3-2-2017 – by Caleb Orecchio ————————————————————————————————— Cozytown – 3-2-2017 – by Juan Fernandez Share this page: [...]

08/30/2018

Posted on August 30, 2018August 30, 2018 by Caleb Orecchio

Caleb Orecchio here. I think about Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli all the time and I know you do too.

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from Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli, 2009

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Once I read a comic book
At midnight, 2009, Asterios
Polyp, the name of it,
The Petty Bickering Deities
Strike again (on the Page)
Yes ma’am
life
never
gets
tired
of
resurrecting

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Cement Mixer – 8-30-18 – by Caleb Orecchio

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Comics Workbook

An online magazine for comics makers

Posted in NewsTagged asterios polyp, caleb orecchio, David Mazzucchelli

Caleb Orecchio

Posted on August 30, 2018August 30, 2018

Explore

06/15/2016

Juan FernándezJune 15, 2016NewsJuan Fernandez here with: los Cómics españoles en Bologna;lo nuevo de TIK TOK; las novedades del Club de Dibujo; Juan Diaz Canales’ COMO VIAJA EL AGUA; Santiago García y el arte del guion. ————————————————————————————————— Off the site: Report: Spanish Art Comics Day in Bologne Serena Di Virgilio over at Italian comics criticism hub, Just Indie Comics, has a great report on the Spanish Independent Publishing panels and exhibitions from this May in Bologne. Lots of inspiring photos and a great primer on some of the most exciting contemporary makers of Spanish speaking comics from around the world making comics in Spain. Thursday, May 26 BilBOlbul Spring / Summer 2016 , preview of Bologna balloon festival, a meeting dedicated to Olaf Ladousse, Klari Moreno, Roberto Massó and Martín López Lam, and an exhibition of the latest works of the latter. The four authors, mostly unknown in Italy, living in Spain and selfpublishing their creations. Apart from that, it is a rather heterogeneous group that presents a stimulating variety of imaginary and experiences. ————————————————————————————————— Novedades/New over on TIK TOK Cómics: ¡Click through to read/Dale click para continuar a los comics! ————————————————————————————————— Club de Dibujo – Weekly Drawings from Around Latin America Club de Dibujo es la publicación serial de un grupo de artistas latinoamericanos que envían cada semana un nuevo dibujo. La curadora es Adriana Lozano. Check them out and stay atop the refreshing and raw wave of Latin American illustration and comics! ————————————————————————————————— Rafael Villa con Martín Cáceres: El Sueño de la Máquina Here’s a neat interview of Martín Cáceres in the latest edition of Chilean arts periodical La Panera. The interview starts on page pg. 32 of the PDF, surrounded by lots of interesting contemporary arts and culture from Chile 😉 ————————————————————————————————— Juan Díaz Canales y Como Viaja el Agua Juan Díaz Canales, best known in the states for his work on the Blacksad series with Juanjo Guarnido, sits down and talks with Bilbao 24 horas about his ventures into his first solo graphic novel, Como Viaja el Agua. P.: “Como viaja el agua” es tu primer trabajo como autor completo. ¿Cómo afrontas el reto? R.: Como una experiencia más. Así es como me voy planteando el resto de cosas en la vida. Como apasionado de los tebeos es algo que quería hacer desde hace tiempo. También es cierto que, al no tener un pasado fanzinero tenía algo de miedo. Sin tener ese bagaje, me he enfrentado a un libro de 90 páginas. El riesgo era alto pero ha llegado un momento de madurez profesional y eso me ha dado algo de seguridad para afrontarlo. ————————————————————————————————— Diego Cuevas y Iván Galiano interview guionista Santiago García Over on Jot Down, EL PAIS’ contemporary culture magazine, there’s a solid interview with Spanish comics writing all star, Santiago García. If you’re not familiar with García, take note! He’s one of the most popular writers of comics in Spain. An auteur comics writer if you will. Smash that google translate button if you need to for all the juicy details of García’s creative formation, the nature of his collaborative process with artists and his hopes for the future. P: Estudiaste Periodismo e Historia del Arte. ¿Las hiciste pensando en trabajar en algo relacionado con los cómics? R: No. No sabía lo que iba a hacer. Empecé Filología Inglesa y en mitad de ella me fui a la mili. Cuando volví en vez de retomarla me fui a Periodismo en la Complutense. Fue la carrera que hice con veinte años. Años después, con treinta y cinco, hice Historia del Arte. A mí me gustaban mucho los tebeos. En realidad lo que me ha gustado siempre es el papel impreso, la prensa, los periódicos, las revistas y los libros. Yo lo que quería hacer era papel impreso. Probablemente en orden de preferencia los cómics eran lo primero, pero yo me veía de periodista. Aparte, Peter Parker era periodista, Clark Kent era periodista, era la profesión que lo aunaba todo . ————————————————————————————————— hasta la proxima! (Share the love you have. Nunca sabes que pasara…) JF Share this page: [...]

04/24/2018

Aaron CockleApril 23, 2018NewsAaron here today with Global Art Comics; Frank in Italia; Print Slam #8; Paradise Systems; Cy Twombly; Remote Mind Control ————————————————————————————————— Save the date! April 27th: SPRING GROUP SHOW | GLOBAL ALT COMICS! Featuring work by Trina Robbins, Mary Fleener, Lauren Weinstein, Powerpaola, Gina Wynbrandt, Conxita Herrero, Tommi Parrish, Gabrielle Bell. ————————————————————————————————— Do you have any peculiar habits or routines before starting to draw? I try to do drawing warmups. I like to copy Archie comics. It lets my brain draw without thinking, without inventing. And Archie comics have a type of cartoony realism which I think is perfect to copy. Ideally, I warm up for 30 minutes or so before beginning to work on my own comics. Although as my comic nears completion, I warm up less because I feel confident about my direction. Also, I obsessively make coffee on the stovetop with my Bialetti caffettiera. I have to drive far away to find Lavazza coffee at the Italian grocery in a different neighborhood. American coffee is crap. Frank Santoro is interviewed at Fumettologica, in support of the publication of Pompeii in Italy, and Frank’s trip this week to Naples Comicon. An excerpt from the Italian edition has been posted as well. ————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————— Paradise Systems: Woshibai, Lisk Feng and Jun Cen in conversation April 27, 2018, 6-8 PM Shanghai-based cartoonist Woshibai reads from his new book Migraine, newly released by Paradise Systems. Woshibai will be joined by New York-based cartoonists Jun Cen and Lisk Feng in conversation about Chinese comics and the illustration community. Jun Cen will also have copies of his book Negative Space availanble, which was recently published in China. ————————————————————————————————— Cy Twombly: In Beauty it is finished: Drawings 1951–2008 Through April 25, 2018, 522 West 21st Street, NY Cy Twombly: Coronation of Sesostris Through April 28, 2018, 980 Madison Avenue, NYC ————————————————————————————————— ‘EM stands for electromagnetic.’ Curtis Waltman at Muckrock found some good graphics in a recent Freedom of Information Act request: As part of my ongoing project looking at fusion centers’ investigations into Antifa and various white supremacist groups, I filed a request with the WSFC. I got back many standard documents in response, including emails, intelligence briefings and bulletins, reposts from other fusion centers – and then there was one file titled “EM effects on human body.zip.” ————————————————————————————————— Vison Box – 4-24- 2018 – by Cameron Arthur ————————————————————————————————— Joanie and Jordie – 4-24- 2018 – by Caleb Orecchio Share this page: [...]

04/14/2016

HarrisonApril 14, 2016NewsDaily News for Thursday April 13 with poetry, storytelling, and casual. RVA Comics Spotlight: Eric Scott Pfeiffer! Humbly astonishing. Two words that come to mind when thinking of this fine sir. Before we get all gushy on how he great he is just check this out below…. Need I say more? So Eric has been here in Richmond, Va for quite some time. (there’s a whole crew that’s been here just spewing out good shit, but I’ll get to that in later news). He has a remarkable comic under his belt, “Arcadia”. Check that out! Here’s a link to his website, but as your checking that out. Put on some smooth tunes and just be amazed by his marvelous ideas: http://ericscottpfeiffer.com/category/illustration/ Last but certainly not least, follow him on social media because he’s got a couple secret projects worth looking out for! Speaking of tunes, this week will also be very Richmond inspired. I’ve got a joint here for you that no one should pass up. Jefferson Harris (not DJ Harrison, but just as good) and Robilu Gibson. These two do a fusion dance AND form *drum roll* SOLUHHH! (SoLuh). A powerful yet smooth beat-maker and a mesmerizing yet stern poet. Rob has been on television a couple times, so you might know his face. Jefferson has been playing all around Richmond, just killin’ the scene with lovely tunes. Together they create a smooth, striking junction of poem, similes, and beats. But that’s enough yappin’ from me. Check them out below. “Incredible Heat Machines” https://soluh.bandcamp.com/album/incredible-heat-machines As always remember to drink water! Take a break, relax. https://youtu.be/9PcJR5MWrzc Storytelling 202 “But John don’t you think that people make a distinction between a story that is true and a story that is imagined or invented? I’m always struck by the fact that there is a kind of ambiguity in the very notion of storytelling. On the one hand we think of storytelling as a truth telling activity, “Tell me the real story”. We think of stories as bringing information, we think of stories as revealing secrets. But we also think of stories as, “That’s only a story!” or “Don’t tell me stories!”, meaning don’t tell me lies, and don’t you think at the very center of the whole enterprise of storytelling there is the fact that storytelling is an activity that faces in two directions. On the one hand is connected to the idea of truth, on the other hand it’s connected to the idea of invention, imagination, lies. One is thrilled by the story precisely because it describes something that can’t happen, it’s connected with fantasy.” -Susan Sontag. Listening to this discussion twice and still running out of paper for notes, maybe the thoughts can come in handy for other artists as well. Special Announcement: Comics Workbook Rowhouse Residency Fundraiser Auction ebay.com/sch/copaceticcomicscompany/m.html?_trksid=p3692 **PLEASE NOTE: The Copacetic Comics Company is managing this auction on behalf of Comics Workbook.** This is a BENEFIT AUCTION for the Comics Workbook Rowhouse Residency. It is part of the ongoing fundraising campaign to get the Rowhouse Residency up and running and serving students. All proceeds of this auction are going to Comics Workbook to defray the expenses involved in realizing this goal. This auction is a continuation of the now completed Rowhouse Residency IndieGoGo campaign and other fundraising efforts. The eight items donated to The Comics Workbook Rowhouse Residency Fundraising Drive by one Mr. Chris Ware. Each item in this auction has been hand packaged and signed by Mr. Ware and was shipped by him directly to Comics Workbook for the purposes of being auctioned here to raise funds for the Rowhouse Residency. Comics Workbook would like to express our profound gratitude to Chris Ware for his support of the Rowhouse Residency. ebay.com/sch/copaceticcomicscompany/m.html?_trksid=p3692 Featuring Jim Rugg | jimrugg.com/ Video by Michael Pisano | michaelpisano.com Soundtrack | Johann Sebastian Bach // Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen, BWV 43 – 7. Aria: Er ists, der ganz allein // performed by Michel Rondeau John | McCoy | Jimmy | Elvin Share this page: [...]

11/01/2017

Juan FernándezNovember 1, 2017NewsEmpezamos el día con Marcela Trujillo; Isabel Mendez; Berliac, Museo ABC, Daniel Jiménez Quiroz; y los tebeos de Cómics Workbook! ————————————————————————————————— Marcela Trujillo: Siempre Hay una palabra para destruir a la mujer libre que escoge cómo vivir. Denisse Leighton entrevista Marcela Trujillo en Belelu: Marcela “Maliki” Trujillo (48) es una de las más famosas ilustradoras chilenas, una de las pocas mujeres en el Olimpo del dibujo a lápiz y/o tinta china en este país. Sin embargo, para llegar a este lugar de reconocimiento ha debido pasar por muchas situaciones que han forjado su carácter y carrera artística. Porque ser mujer en todas las áreas significa un cuestionamiento, más si tus primeros proyectos hablan de cuánto te gusta el sexo. “Enamorada de mi Clítoris”, publicado en The Clinic, fue el comic que la llevó a convertirse en una de las ilustradoras más irreverentes de Chile a inicios del 2000 cuando aún vivía en New York. Inspirada en las obras de Phoebe Gloeckner, Julie Doucet y Aline Kominsky-Crumb y también los capítulos de Sex And The City serie que veía en VHS mientras vivía en la Gran Manzana. El inicio de su carrera se enfocó en la pintura tras sus estudios de arte en la Universidad de Chile, sin embargo, las experiencias en New York la acercaron al cómic donde hoy es todo un referente en un momento álgido para esta técnica. Asegura que una obra de Phoebe Gloeckner hablando de abuso la impactó al punto de comenzar a indagar en el cómic hecho por mujeres creando así su personaje “Maliki 4 ojos” que relataba al inicio bromas sobre sí misma pero que mutó hacia la sexualidad, a hablar de la masturbación y el deseo femenino en general. Léanlo todo AQUI. ————————————————————————————————— Las ideas ¿Nacen o se hacen? Isabel Méndez nos ofrece un vistazo a nuestras erramientas creativas en Firmado Por: Hoy vengo con un post sobre CREATIVIDAD. No, no te has equivocado de página. Esto es FirmadoPor y ya te adelanto que estamos preparando nueva web. ¡Oh Yeah! Esta semana el post es distinto, aunque no nos alejamos mucho de la propiedad intelectual ya que la creatividad tiene mucho que ver con los derechos de autor ¿No es requisito indispensable para que una obra esté protegida por derechos de autor que la misma sea ORIGINAL? ¿No tiene que ver la originalidad con la CREACIÓN? ¿No es acaso la creatividad la HERRAMIENTA más valiosa de los autores? Voy a dejarme llevar en estos post, investigar y curiosear sobre el proceso creativo. Ver cómo creaban o qué opinaban del arte y la creatividad otros artistas y, por qué no, ponerlo en relación con nuestra Ley de Propiedad Intelectual. Léanlo todo AQUI. ————————————————————————————————— Los cómics y las noticias que me han llamado la atención esta semana: Seis libreros colombianos hablan sobre las ventas del cómic, el nacimiento de autores locales y el Festival Entreviñetas en El Espectador. ¡Queremos tebeos! No os perdáis la exposición HISTORIETAS DEL TEBEO, 1917—1977 en el Museo ABC. Berliac talks Identity Politics in Exberliner magazine Issue 165 on Full article on page 20. En StartUp, Daniel Jiménez Quiroz habló de la importancia de establecer redes de comunicación entre abogados y creadores de cómic. ————————————————————————————————— Suzy and Cecil – 11-1-2017 – by Sally Ingraham ————————————————————————————————— Cozytown – 11-1-2017 – by Juan Fernandez ————————————————————————————————— Joanie and Jordie – 11-1-2017 – by Caleb Orecchio Share this page: [...]

03/31/2017

Sally IngrahamMarch 30, 2017NewsSally here to finish the week with work by Keiler Roberts, Emma Rios, Julie Doucet, Nicole Burton, and more! ————————————————————————————————— Heidi MacDonald of The Comics Beat gives a shout-out to Keiler Roberts on the “Year of Free Comics” feature. Keiler’s Powdered Milk (above) is an ongoing autobiographical web comic that has been winning awards and garnering praise recently. You can read it HERE. Keiler’s book Sunburning will be coming out from Koyama Press this May – keep an eye out for it. ————————————————————————————————— There is a nice write up and interview with Emma Ríos on ComicsVerse. Emma’s recent work includes Mirror with Hwei Lim and Pretty Deadly with Kelly Sue DeConnick . She got her start in Spain self-publishing fanzines and the comic series APB: a prueba de balas (Bulletproof) before debuting in the States with Hexed for Boom! Studios and a few Marvel projects. She says that she learned how to read by reading comics, so this is a life-long passion. Early influences and loves were Roy Thomas and Buscema’s Conan, and New Mutants by Claremont and Sienkiewicz. Then Akira came along and blew her mind. The interview quickly veers toward the discussion of “being a women in comics” and Emma shares her optimism for the scene. “The main challenge is being continuously branded, I think. For better or worse. Talking more about being a woman than about the work you actually produce. Experience has probably made me quite paranoid, but I feel there are continuous attempts at stealing the concept of “feminism” from us, from a marketing point of view. So it is difficult to distinguish when you’re going to be exposed in a zoo, from when your perspective is going to be celebrated in terms of representation and fairness. In any case, I feel the debate got a lot better in the past three years, and yep, I see more celebration of women in comics. Especially regarding sisterhood and collective support. Gathering together makes us stronger and helps a lot in terms of acceptance. In Spain we do have an Association of Women in Comics, a collective I feel very proud to belong to. Aside from trying to recover and promote pioneers, nobody seemed to remember, with an honorific prize every year, and organizing exhibitions and events, it totally feels like a girl gang to me and a safe space.“ Emma also worked on Island with Brandon Graham, hates digital coloring, and was an architect until 2007 when she switched to comics full time. Read the rest of the interview HERE. ————————————————————————————————— I discovered Nicole Marie Burton this week. She is a cartoonist and Publisher at Ad Astra Comix, which specializes in comics that have a social justice theme. The Comics Beat listed her piece Eugenie Shark (above) in their “A Year of Free Comics” feature – you can read about it HERE and see the whole thing (which ran as an exclusive feature on The Mary Sue in 2015) HERE. Nicole is currently re-working and re-coloring a 2nd edition of this work, which Ad Astra will publish soon. Nicole founded Ad Astra Comix in 2013 and has used the platform to promote social justice topics, publish comics, teach workshops, and build community. Learn more HERE and help support her work. ————————————————————————————————— Andalusia Knoll Soloff came into Copacetic Comics, in Pittsburgh, PA, yesterday with a copy of the first chapter of the graphic novel she is making, along with a team of artists (Xavier Corro, Avril Lopez, Anabel Aguirre, and Adriana Ronquillo – with editor Anahi Hernandez). The comic is about the Ayotzinapa 43 – a group of students who were kidnapped on Sept. 26th, 2014 by the Mexican government from a teachers college in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico. The comic shares the story of the parents’ continuing search to find their sons. Andalusia, who lived in Pittsburgh 15 years ago, was back in the city briefly, and gave a presentation on the comic this week. She has been printing and distributing it herself but is now looking for a publisher who can help her broadcast the story further. You can learn more about the project HERE. ————————————————————————————————— I have been doing a little research on Julie Doucet, and spent some time letting Google Translate help me navigate her website. She is one of only a handful of female comics creators from the 80’s who has continued to make work – although she doesn’t call her current work comics. Her first comic (below) was made in 1983 when she was 17. Although Drawn & Quarterly published her Dirty Plotte series and a number of other international publishers have picked up her work, she has always self-published as well and pushed herself to experiment. She started her own publishing house in 2013 – Le Pantalitaire (The Pants) – where she exclusively publishes her own work. She was born in Montreal, and aside from time spent in New York City and Berlin, has lived there for most of her life. See more of her current work HERE. ————————————————————————————————— Apples and Cheese Kristen Gudsnuk talks about her series Henchgirl on Paste Magazine – the interview is HERE. Françoise Mouly has put out the call for submissions for RESIST! Vol. 2 – HERE. The theme is “Grab Back!” and the deadline is Friday, April 21st 2017 at 11:59 pm EST. Check out the Valkyries, a community of women working in comic book stores around the world – here’s a write up about them on SyFyWire. I enjoyed this creator profile of Carol Swain written by Paul Gravett. Carol is one of my favorite cartoonists, whose book Gast is one I come back to all the time and force all my friends to read. I was trying to find out if she is working on anything new these days, but was not successful. I guess I’ll just have to track down old issues of her Way Out Strips (published periodically from 1988 to 1994) to tide myself over… Alison Bechdel will be Vermont’s next Cartoonists Laureate – details here. Torch passes on April 6th 2017! The Comic Book Decalogue speaks to Maggie Umber for Episode 18 – HERE. Check out Pénélope Bagieu‘s Les Culottes HERE – comic portraits of numerous interesting women (be sure to check out her piece on Tove Jansson). Although the webcomic has been released in “album” form, it’s all in French, so the English-speakers among us will have to patient awhile longer… ————————————————————————————————— Gloria Rivera (above right) was just in Pittsburgh for a week for a Comics Workbook Rowhouse Residency. A cartoonist and painter from the Los Angeles area, she managed to bring some of that warm weather – and a whole lot of comics-making energy – to Pittsburgh with her. She finished a project while she was here, helped plot some CW Roller Derby League stuff, and picked Frank’s brain regarding comics history and publication. We’ll hear her own take on her residency next week. Stay tuned! If you’re curious about the Comics Workbook Rowhouse Residency, please email santoroschool@gmail.com and follow @rowhouseresidency on Instagram. ————————————————————————————————— Blinkers – 3-31-2017 – by Jack Brougham ————————————————————————————————— Suzy and Cecil – 3-31-2017 – by Gabriella Tito ————————————————————————————————— Joanie and Jordie – 3-31-2017 – by Caleb Orecchio Share this page: [...]

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