Comics Workbook

An online magazine for comics makers

Posted in NewsTagged caleb orecchio, eclipse, Eleanor Davis, Gary Panter, Leslie Stein, sally ingraham

Caleb Orecchio

Posted on August 20, 2017August 21, 2017

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09/07/2017

Sally IngrahamSeptember 7, 2017NewsSally here with a look at the work of Mogorosi Motshumi, and a comic by Kyle Baker, plus the final list of entries for the 2017 Comics Workbook Composition Competition. ————————————————————————————————— The page above is from part 1 of the 360 Degrees Trilogy by Mogorosi Motshumi. He is the first black South African to make a long form comic. The first part of the trilogy is The Initiation, which came out last year. Mogorosi Motshumi has led an eventful and difficult life, and comics have always been a part of how he survived. Now in his 60s and fighting failing eyesight and other illnesses, he is trying to finish as much work as he can. There’s a recent article in The New Yorker about him, providing an overview of his life and work to date. “It was around this time (the age of 9) that he started reading comic books that his older brother brought home from high school. Though some were local comics written in the colonial language of Afrikaans, he preferred American superhero comics, like “Spider-Man.” “These comics, they always had solutions,” he told me. In a comic book, evil exists, but justice prevails. Villains rise up, but heroes rise to meet them. “That is the light that you’re looking for,” he said. When policemen persecuted the Hulk, he felt vindicated in his hatred of authority. “He’d run and run and run until he could run no more, and he’d start to fight back,” Motshumi told me. “That was my kind of world.” He taught himself to draw in his grandmother’s backyard, tracing characters in the sand with his fingers.“ Read the rest of the article HERE. I’m looking for some of Motshumi’s Sloppy strips, a monthly four page comic about township life that he is best known for in South Africa, but meanwhile here’s an interesting article from 2012 about someone’s week-long trip through South Africa’s underground comics scene. The author meets Motshumi, but mostly pals around with N.D. Mazin (who also goes by Andy Mason) who is one of the cornerstones of the underground comics scene in that country. Mazin actually co-created Sloppy with Mitshumi, and it appeared in the Learn and Teach magazine…and THERE, I’ve found a strip: See the rest of the comic HERE. This comic appeared in the Learn and Teach magazine in 1986, and for context here on this blog are a number of other entries that come from the magazine at that time. ————————————————————————————————— I pulled this comic by Kyle Baker out of a dollar longbox the other day and was delighted to peruse it. Bummer that the cassette tape it once came with wasn’t around to listen to! The comic came out in 1994 and was a collaboration between Kyle Baker, hip-hop legend KRS-One, and Marshall Chess. The cassette was a live performance of the story, and included some original tracks as well. The comic itself is about a rapper named Big Joe Krash, and his younger friends Malcolm and Minasha, who are struggling with school on a number of levels. The message of the comic is about “breaking the chains” – using education and knowledge of culture and history to free the mind. I love Kyle Baker’s artwork – his lines and coloring always grabs me – so the real pleasure in this comic comes from that of course! You’re supposed to turn the page whenever you see/hear the word “WORD!” down in the corner. Fun. I found this Modern Masters Volume 20 preview on Issuu which is all about Kyle Baker and includes a lengthy interview with him. They call it a “preview” but you can pretty much read the whole thing online if your vision is good enough! Check it out HERE. ————————————————————————————————— The Comics Workbook Composition Competition 2017 has ended. HERE is a complete list of the comics entered into the competition – 43 entries in total this year! Thanks to all the folks who entered – the winners will be announced soon. Stay tuned! ————————————————————————————————— Suzy and Cecil – 9-7-2017 – by Gabriella Tito ————————————————————————————————— Joanie and Jordie – 9-7-2017 – by Caleb Orecchio Share this page: [...]

A Studio Visit with Steven Weissman

Chris Anthony DiazJune 6, 2016The Diaz ArchiveBe on the lookout for Steven’s upcoming book LOOKING FOR AMERICA’S DOG from FANTAGRAPHICS this September, and the awesome BUTTER AND BLOOD from RETROFIT is out now. And you can purchase original art and merch directly from Steven. Photos taken in Little Armenia, Los Angeles, Thursday, May 19 2016 and color by Graham Willcox. Thanks Steven! Share this page: [...]

12/17/2018

Caleb OrecchioDecember 17, 2018NewsCaleb Orecchio here with another gorgeous book by Alyssa Berg ————————————————————————————————— Alyssa Berg’s Soft Fascinations is yet another worthy addition to her steadily growing repertoire of comics and pictures. Her hybrid technique of manually engineering paintings to riso printed books is something I am astonished by. The results speak for themselves. I have no hesitation calling Alyssa’s work “poetry comics.” She is among the few worthy of such designation (maybe “art comics” is more apt, but I like to think that the art comics “movement” went out when PictureBox closed its doors). Alyssa’s work is rhythmic, seldom straying from a gridded structure that gives her sequencing meter, and at the service of portraying beautiful things. I think I can count on one hand the number of cartoonists who attempt and succeed at portraying true beauty in pictures through comics. The rest of us are just cartoonists and humorists (nothing wrong with that obviously, I’m just trying to make some sort of delineation). Looking at Alyssa’s comics is like looking at waves in the ocean or a campfire. There is a lullaby and/or meditation inherent in the work that brings relief from life’s turmoil. The figures and landscapes seem to omit sounds of color and bring an exhalation to my eyes and lungs. Alyssa’s work is simply pleasing to look at. . ————————————————————————————————— *If you’ve been following along, you know I, Caleb, can’t find my comic-making materials since I’ve been moving around. Why don’t I buy new materials you ask? Because I’m cheap. That’s why. There will be more daily strips coming your way from me and others. Maybe we can get Niall Breen’s strip up on the Daily News again, and not just on Insta. Anyway, happy trails. Share this page: [...]

11/21/2017

Aaron CockleNovember 20, 2017NewsAaron Cockle here today with Amy Lockhart at Anthology Film Archives; Jerry Saltz on Bill Taylor; Austin English on ‘Feininger’s Grandkids’; Spearfishing Explained (in comics format) ————————————————————————————————— SHOW & TELL: AMY LOCKHART At Anthology Film Archives, Thursday, December 7, 7:30pm An animator with a style and sensibility entirely her own, Amy Lockhart has been drawing pictures of creepy ladies since she was seven years old. Utilizing everything from paper cutouts and puppets to digital tools, Lockhart’s films exude a handcrafted, rough-edged surrealism. Populated primarily by female figures whose body types are as distinctive and transgressive as those of R. Crumb, as well as by a cavalcade of anthropomorphized animals, objects, and shapes, her universe evokes kids-show animation seen through a distinctly demented lens, while also displaying a genuinely childlike, pre-socialized preoccupation with bodily functions. Profoundly intuitive and endlessly surprising, Lockhart’s mysterious and delirious world behaves according to a logic that’s as astonishing as it is inscrutable. “Amy Lockhart works across a range of mediums including zines, sculptures, paintings, drawings, and animations. Her work exudes an imperfection and oddness that feels very human, at once unpredictable, heartfelt, funny, and disturbing. Many of her works feature an array of stumbling, distorted cartoon characters whose misshapen bodies limp, bend, and bulge, often while smoking, licking, drooling, or crying. Also recurring in her work are disembodied facial features, hands, and limbs, as well as various joyfully rendered muscly women, frequently missing their arms. Such characters drive her work, but there is as much pleasure and interest to be taken in the way they are drawn, animated or constructed as in what they do or who they are. The form of her work has its own rich, non-verbal meaning and content.” – Edwin Rostron, EDGE OF FRAME SYLVA LINING (1998, 1 min, 16mm) THE DEVIL LIVES IN HOLLYWOOD (1999, 6 min, 16mm) MISS EDMONTON TEENBURGER 1983 IN, IT’S PARTY TIME! (2001, 17 min, digital) MISS EDMONTON TEENBURGER 1983 IN, YOU’RE ETERNAL… (2002, 6 min, digital) WALK FOR WALK (2005, 10 min, 16mm) THE COLLAGIST (2009, 2 min, digital) LANDSCAPE (2012, 8 min, digital) JESSICA (2014, 5 min, digital) Total running time: ca. 60 min. ————————————————————————————————— Jerry Saltz on Instagram ————————————————————————————————— Austin English at TCJ I have a personal theory as to why Doucet abandoned comics, one that relates to the context of this column but might not bear out factually. Anyone who wants to correct me should do so. But bear with me: Doucet, being a extremely sophisticated artist, continued to sharpen and evolve. Her mature comics work, My New York Diary, is as sharp a piece of traditional cartooning as one can find in the alternative era. But after that story, Doucet leaves comics. My theory is that Doucet looks at what people define “real” comics as, pushes her work in that direction, and thinks, “Well… why bother with all this if this is what people want?” Her early and later work are, to me, without flaw. But I’d argue that the comics community’s view of what a serious artist must apply themselves to is a pressure that doesn’t need to be grafted on to every artist. And yet the view is so dominant that it’s hard to avoid. Someone like Doucet can master the ins and outs of traditional cartoon integrity but probably notices quicker than most what a closed system it is, how much feeling it excludes and how much one gives up to offer one’s entire art up to it. ————————————————————————————————— ‘Instead of opening a sketchy attachment on your computer, upload it to Google Drive and look at it in your web browser.’ ————————————————————————————————— Vision Box – 11-21-2017 – by Cameron Arthur ————————————————————————————————— Suzy and Cecil – 11-21-2017 – by Sally Ingraham ————————————————————————————————— Caleb Orecchio – 11-21-2017 – by Caleb Orecchio Share this page: [...]

Staple! Austin 2016 Report

Sally IngrahamMarch 11, 2016Festivals and ShowsSally Ingraham here! I went to Staple! this past weekend as part of the 7000 B.C. team – my local New Mexico comics group – and on partial assignment for Comics Workbook. It was my first large comics expo, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. “This show will ruin you for other ones,” I was told repeatedly. Staple! is now 12 years old, and is still pretty unique for being devoted to small press and independent comics. There were no mainstream comics publishers casting deep dark shadows across tables of handmade zines, and no cos-players or Hollywood faces. The entire expo was set up to be a place for independent cartoonists to find support and appreciation for their work – right down to the workshops, which were about crowdfunding through Patreon, publishing web comics, and dealing with legal issues, among other things. There was a panel on diversity in comics, and a mixer on Sunday morning for LGBTQA, POC, and female creators (hosted by Joon Comics). The folks who attended knew what to expect and I had great conversations with many of the people who stopped by the 7000 B.C. table. My own comics got a lot of love, and my fellow exhibitors were incredibly welcoming. I met rad folks like Red Angus and Sara Goetter and Jeanne Thornton (follow the links to check out their work!) and of course Chris “Uncle Staple” Nicholas himself. On Saturday night after a long (hot…) day at the expo, the exhibitors got to enjoy a catered BBQ dinner at Dragon’s Lair. I ended up sitting across from Uncle Staple – in one of the brief periods when he actually sat still… I asked him how much of his life was devoted to Staple!, and as I suspected, he said “150% of it.” Then he shared his two spirit animals – Omar Sharif, in Lawrence of Arabia (”I am a river to my people!”) and Harry Dean Stanton as Carl in Fire Walk With Me (”It’s just, like, more shit I gotta do now.”) No one who heard him shouting encouragement through that megaphone all day could doubt that Uncle Staple is still happy to be running the expo, however, and I couldn’t have been more delighted when he made his final rounds on Sunday and picked up one of my own comics. It was cool to chat with Sophie Goldstein and Carl Antonowicz (above), and harass Ben Marra into drawing something for Comics Workbook (below). I also enjoyed meeting Inés Estrada and Edwin Sandoval. They had a whole table full of comics by Mexican cartoonists, most of which were published by Inés’ label Gatosaurio. I got to step away from the 7000 B.C. table long enough to check out the zine-making workshop that Inés ran on Saturday, which was awesome! I could go on – and I will, when I finish reading all the new comics and zines I collected… – but for now I’ll wrap this up by saying Staple! is fantastic and if ever you needed an excuse to go somewhere warm in the winter, this is it! Head to Austin, support and be supported by the independent comics community, and maybe I’ll see you there next year. 🙂 – Sally Ingraham Share this page: [...]

08/21/2017

Posted on August 20, 2017August 21, 2017 by Caleb Orecchio

Caleb Orecchio here with your Monday edition of the Daily News with some thoughts on drawing sparked by Eleanor Davis and the reputable discipline of Leslie Stein and Gary Panter–and remember not to go blind looking at the eclipse

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Recently, a friend of mine lent me Eleanor Davis’ recent Koyama Press release, You & A Bike & A Road. I read it on Tumblr when she was serializing it live (I think) as she embarked on her cross-country bike adventure which the book illustrates; but I never really took the time to notice how immediate the drawing is.

from YOU & A BIKE & A ROAD by Eleanor Davis

From what I understand, these pages were drawn first take as she was making her way through her journey, like a diary, which is really impressive. The drawings are sparse and noodley, yet feel perfectly complete–and they teem with a pertinent energy.

Last time I was in Pittsburgh, Frank Santoro talked a lot about Gary Panter and how he draws constantly. Even while you’re having a conversation, he’s just drawing away, “He’s just someone who draws all the time no matter what.” On the most recent episode of Greg Hunter’s “Comics Decalogue,” Katie Skelly talks about going to a bar with Leslie Stein and Gary Panter and, basically confirming Frank’s story, that both Stein and Panter drew while conversing the entire time they were hanging out.

me trying to be the guy that “draws all the time.” Select drawings from 08/19/17, hanging out with friends

same drawings as above, but flipped and traced on a lightbox

I think this idea of being a “drawer” is often lost on most cartoonists. I mean, we all draw, right? But how many of us REALLY draw all the time–and how many of us can draw in any other way than our “style?” Now, I’m not throwing shade to style, but I think it’s worth thinking about. When I was going to school for graphic design, the designer Timothy Goodman came to talk to us and one of his big statements I took away from his lecture was, “Don’t have a style.” His reasoning mostly pertained to the idea that having a style will basically hinder your creativity. Now, most cartoonists are not being asked to create an ad in 3 hours for Time Magazine like a highly in-demand designer like Goodman, BUT can anyone really argue that style often does limit the kind of stories a cartoonist can make? In fact, most styles can even limit a cartoonist to a demographic–speaking strictly, and generally, in marketing terms.

different variations on original drawings from memory

What am I getting at? I’m not trying to preach or sound like I have THE answers, but what I like about Davis’ recent book is the fact that it is drawn. It’s not inked with a brush with every stroke carefully crafted and feathered. It’s just drawn. Ever seen a Brian Chippendale comic? He just draws them (mostly). Crumb? Moebius? (Conflict of interest warning:) Frank Santoro? Just drawn. I like “professionally” inked comics and comics where traditional craft is essential, but there is an immediacy that is stripped at every step of the process. It’s like going acoustic, once you add a drum kit, you have to turn up the volume on everything else and the intimacy gradually is drowned out. I’m working out these thoughts as I go–thanks for reading. Next week–Kirby’s 100th birthday:)

select drawings from hanging with friend on 08/20/17 right before I wrote all this–trying to draw with one line more or less

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yikes! I’ve been so pumped about drawing and Kirby’s 100th that I almost forgot other comics existed in the world. Here are some links I found after I came back to our reality. Don’t miss that eclipse.

Here, everyone is going to be talking about this so get your info about the eclipse. If you want more info, try a google search.
Yo, today is Marie Severin’s birthday. You know who Marie Severin is right? Get acquainted.
Heroes punching Nazis has becoming a particularly pertinent topic lately.
Speaking of Kirby, I’m suspicious of the new highly hyped-up Mister Miracle comic, but maybe it’s good–who knows.

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Suzy and Cecil – 8-21-2017 – by Sally Ingraham

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Joanie and Jordie – 8-21-2017 – by Caleb Orecchio

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5 thoughts on “08/21/2017”

Juan Fernández says:

August 21, 2017 at 10:39 am

Caleb, I like thinking about graphomania and how it relates to this drawing space that folks like Leslie and Gary occupy – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphomania – when the drawing is no longer about finished, polished drawings, it’s really interesting how it becomes visual listening. My friend, dw (https://www.instagram.com/kidclampdown/) has latched onto this concept megahardcore and treats the drawing as having a radio antenna of sorts to channel mental states onto the page. If you check his page out you can see there are 2 dominant modes, hammer and scalpel that he switches from.

I have some thoughts on this drawing as a social thing – Regarding etiquette while being around other people: Do you ever run into issues of people not understanding why you’re drawing as your default, resting state? Like seeing it as manic energy?

Something I like is that unlike having a tape recorder on, you get the essence of things. Not the cumbersome entirety.

Reply
1. Caleb Orecchio says:
  
  August 21, 2017 at 11:04 am
  
  Interesting thoughts, Juan. I suppose I think of it in a simpler, more practical way. I draw therefore, I should draw all the time. It’s a practice. Also, from what I understand, drawing while listening to someone speak can enhance your comprehension–I’m sure results vary.
  
  Socially, people don’t seem to mind. Though it’s annoying when people go, “let me see what you’re drawing.” Then seem slightly offended if I don’t let them, or seem confused when they see the weird stuff I’ve drawn. I think they assume you are “taking down notes” so to speak. Unless you’re drawing them or your surroundings they assume you’re not actually paying attention.
  
  Reply
  1. Caleb Orecchio says:
    
    August 21, 2017 at 11:05 am
    
    Results may vary
    
    Reply
Jim Rugg says:

August 29, 2017 at 2:47 pm

Caleb, here’s a TEDtalk with Sunni Brown about the positive impact doodling can have on comprehension while listening to lectures, meetings, school, etc. https://www.ted.com/talks/sunni_brown

Reply
1. Caleb Orecchio says:
  
  August 29, 2017 at 3:07 pm
  
  Thanks Jim–now I have facts to back up my excuses at work!
  
  Reply

Comics Workbook

An online magazine for comics makers

Posted in NewsTagged caleb orecchio, eclipse, Eleanor Davis, Gary Panter, Leslie Stein, sally ingraham

Caleb Orecchio

Posted on August 20, 2017August 21, 2017

Explore

07/30/2018

Caleb OrecchioJuly 30, 2018NewsCaleb Orecchio here, as usual, with your Monday edition of the news! ————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————— if you don’t know, now you know Paul Kirchner is the latest guest on Inkstuds. Rob Clough reviews Benji Nate’s Catboy as well as some issue of Jepcomix by Jep Sometimes, as a cartoonist, I wish I was French. Also on TCJ.com, one new Ditko piece by Tegan O’Neill, and one not new by Ken Parille. ————————————————————————————————— Suzy and Cecil – 7-30-18 – by Sally Ingraham Share this page: [...]

The Comics Workbook Rowhouse Residency

Comics WorkbookJune 13, 2016School UpdatesThe Rowhouse doors are open! We are accepting applications for 2018 and 2019 Residencies! The Comics Workbook Rowhouse Residency was founded by Frank Santoro in the spring of 2016, thanks to the incredible support of the comics community and a successful Indiegogo campaign in 2015. Check out the Indiegogo campaign video HERE! Now in it’s 3rd year, the Rowhouse is a busy place, as we run residencies for aspiring and experienced comics makers alike, and host certain master cartoonists who are making a point of coming through Pittsburgh to spar in the Comics Workbook dojo. Facilitated by Sally Ingraham, with the assistance of Frank Santoro, Juan Fernandez, and other members of the Comics Workbook crew, the Rowhouse Residency is a transformative place of discipline, study, and creative energy. __________________________________________________________ Email santoroschool@gmail.com for more info about how to apply for a residency and find more details about the program below! Check out our School Updates and News – Read the Residency Reports Follow our Instagram (@rowhouseresidency) – Visit the School Store __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Application details are below – visit Pittsburgh and make comics in 2018 or 2019! Please email santoroschool@gmail.com to apply. The application process is more like a conversation – please kick it off by telling us a little bit about yourself, sharing some of your comics or art work, and detailing what your goals might be for your time at the Rowhouse. Folks have enjoyed residencies that were a weekend to a month long, and we provide different fee structures for the various lengths of stay. You are guaranteed a private room in our comfortably furnished Rowhouse, space and time to work, instruction and mentoring from Frank Santoro and other members of the Comics Workbook team, plus access to Frank’s extensive comics library and the resources of the greater Pittsburgh comics community. We are currently accepting Residents for a minimum of a week and longer. Email santoroschool@gmail.com for more details! __________________________________________________________ So what exactly is the Rowhouse Residency? And who the hell are we, anyways? The Comics Workbook Rowhouse Residency is facilitated by Sally Ingraham, with the assistance of Juan Fernandez and local members of the Comics Workbook team. However, it all begins with Frank Santoro. In his words: “I’ve been making and writing about comics since 1988. My work has been exhibited at the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York and the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh. Allegedly, I’m a good egg and one of the most passionate proselytizers for comic books and visual literacy that you will ever meet. I’m from Pittsburgh, PA and I want to make this city the best place in the world to learn comic book making. Beyond that and closer to home I want to improve the neighborhood I am from. I grew up in this neighborhood in Pittsburgh called Swissvale – and my family has been on this tiny little street since 1933. This was a booming steel town hamlet and then it went into decline. Now, the city and the neighborhood are on the upswing. I want to be a part of that change and now my schoolhouse residency is anchor on this street and in this neighborhood. I’ve traveled all over the world and there is something special about Pittsburgh besides my own nostalgia or hometown pride. The Rowhouse Residency is now a part of the incredible ecosystem of learning institutions here in Pittsburgh. We are such an interesting city, I think, because we have this combination of a hard working blue collar mentality and a broad appreciation of the arts. I know it’s because of the ecosystem of museums, libraries, universities and independent learning institutions we have in Pittsburgh. Everyone from here has been to the Carnegie Museum and a Steeler game. City of Champions in more ways than one. Even if you know very little about comic books please consider that comics are where many kids learn to read. Comics are words and pictures. And words and pictures are the internet. So the artform of comics promotes “visual literacy”. Learning comics is like learning music or learning how to communicate with more than just words. And that’s the world we live in today. We are creating a dojo for students much like a martial arts academy. The beginner student will learn from more experienced students. We run the school like a sports clinic. What’s wrong with your swing? We can fix it. The dojo sparring sessions (so to speak) are recorded and broadcast. We have a “broadcast booth” and a radio show. We interview veterans and rookies and make room for friendly competition in order to push the boundaries of what is possible in the art form. This is not your regular comic book academy. This is a ninja academy, a samurai school, a Jedi academy. I do a really good Yoda impression. The student can live for a day, a weekend, a week or a month at a time in the same space. That way, the student-resident can have a total immersion in the process. Most cartoonists work out of their home, so why have an expensive school building and make the student live in a crappy dorm or apartment off campus? Why not just give them a desk and their own bedroom? The residents take classes with me in the living room of the house. And my mom lives up the street and makes great spaghetti sauce and lasagna. So it’s a family affair. We broadcast lessons and publish the work of residents through the local powerhouse, Copacetic Comics. Bill Boichel, the proprietor of Copacetic Comics in the Polish Hill section of Pittsburgh, is my Yoda. I want to pass on the lessons he taught me to a new generation of Jedis. The circle is now complete.” __________________________________________________________ Email santoroschool@gmail.com for more info about how to apply for a residency Check out our School Updates and News – Read the Residency Reports Follow our Instagram (@rowhouseresidency) – Visit the School Store __________________________________________________________ Share this page: [...]

12/08/2017

Sally IngrahamDecember 7, 2017NewsSally here with comics by Nicole Claveloux, thoughts from Jackie Kirby, and lists from Abraham Riesman, among other things! ————————————————————————————————— Tis the season for “Best of” lists, with every news source you can think of publishing their 10 favorite “whatevers”. I’ve already seen a dozen “best of comics” lists, but I’m just linking to Abraham Riesman’s over on Vulture, since his list is 6 out of 10 female creators, and the rest are comics I also really liked. Riesman’s got writeups on Eleanor Davis‘s You & a Bike & a Road, Sophia Foster-Dimino’s Sex Fantasy, Jillian Tamaki’s Boundless, Thi Bui‘s The Best We Could Do, Poppies of Iraq by Brigitte Findakly (co-written and illustrated by her husband, Lewis Trondheim), and of course Emil Ferris’s My Favorite Thing Is Monsters. Connor Willumsen’s Anti-Gone and Gary Panter’s Songy of Paradise are also on the list, plus a few others. Look no further for your holiday gift-giving list, and if you haven’t already, add these comics to your own TBR lists ASAP. Check out the full list HERE. ————————————————————————————————— I am eager to get my hands on Nicole Claveloux‘s The Green Hand and Other Stories, which came out in English from New York Review Comics recently. Matthias Wivel reviews it over on The Comics Journal, making me only more excited to see it myself. Nicole Claveloux made comics for about a decade in France in the 70’s/80’s, but as her work went largely unnoticed she turned to other forms of artistic expression. “For a few brief years, Claveloux…contributed short comics to the legendary magazine Métal Hurlant – several of which were published in English in its counterpart Heavy Metal – as well as its offshoot Ah! Nana (1976–’78), which featured women creators exclusively. For the longer of these stories, she collaborated with the writer Edith Zha. The Green Hand collects most of this meager output between nifty hard covers, sensitively translated by Donald Nicholson-Smith and hand-lettered in imitation of the original by Dustin Harbin. It will hopefully be followed by a new edition of their feature-length comics album Morte-saison (1979). The title story, signed Claveloux and Zha, is the main draw here. Published in five installments in Métal Hurlant in 1977, and in Heavy Metal the following year, it is a technicolor dreamscape drawn from life clocking in at just over forty pages. An almost elegiac portrait of the unbearableness of being. There is no great crisis detailed in its vivid narrative of attempted escape from things as they are, just crushing inevitability as the couple at its center finally submerge themselves in an inky ocean under a neon sunset.“ Read the rest of the review HERE. Also, you can check out the comic strip she drew – “Grabote, which ran in the popular children’s magazine Okapi between 1973–’82″ – in French HERE. Here’s a page from it: I plan to see if I can track down some issues of Ah! Nana, which the Women in Comics Wiki describes: “Ah! Nana was a French comics magazine published from October 1976 to September 1978, running nine issues. It was published by Humanoïdes Associés, best known as the publishers of Métal Hurlant, or Heavy Metal. It was the first French publication featuring work almost entirely by women (though it occasionally featured male contributors) at a time when comics were still almost exclusively male environments. It included work by such French cartoonists as Chantal Montellier, Florence Cestac, and Nicole Claveloux, as well as Americans such as Trina Robbins. It sold 15,000 copies on a print run of 30,000, before the ban on sales to minors proved fatal, due to its frequent taboo and controversial material.“ Read more about the magazine HERE and HERE, in an article on Comics Forum. ————————————————————————————————— I was totally blown away by the article Jackie Kirby wrote for Comics Workbook earlier this week, which dug into the work of Lyn Hejinian as a way to talk about open comics. At one point she breaks down two panels from the comic by Lynda Barry pictured above, just as she had broken down the opening sentences of a short story, showing how each creator opened up their text/image to achieve a multitude of meanings. She goes on to say: “Barry’s formal style requires a more simplistic, linear execution, but even in two relatively unassuming panels, we see the process of anticipation and retrospection used in a variety of ways. It is also worth noting that because I am equating the prosodic sentence with the comic panel, a degree of slippage occurs. Each of the panels above includes multiple sentences, and were I to parse them one by one it would reveal even more subtle layers of activity within the text. Most notably, though, in dissecting these panels, the notion of juxtaposition becomes increasingly complex, and the reader is required to do much more work in producing meaning from juxtaposed images and words (e.g. identifying Freddie and Marlys, locating them at a kitchen table together). Spatial placement and juxtaposition are among the most essential elements of comic making. Fortunately for my purpose, they are also critical to Hejinian’s theories of openness.“ Read the whole article HERE. ————————————————————————————————— Cookie Crumbs There is a comics journalism roundtable composed of Sophie Yanow, Iona Fox, and Joe Sacco over on Process Party – listen to episode 60 HERE. There’s a great interview with Stephanie Zuppo, publisher of The Ladybroad Ledger in Vermont, on the business of making comics and art – HERE on Seven Days. Emily Flake has a new comic up on The New Yorker – read it HERE. Traditionally in December Rob Clough reviews a huge stack of mini comics made by CCS grads on his blog High-Low – here’s the first set of reviews, featuring work by Sophie Goldstein, Colleen Frakes, and Amelia Onorato. He’s continued with work by Laura Terry, Tillie Walden, Joyana McDiarmid, Daryl Seitchik, and Mary Shyne, among others. ————————————————————————————————— The Winter Semester of thee Santoro Correspondence Course for Comic Book Makers starts January 18th 2018! 8 weeks – 500 bux – coaching for as long as you need. The course is hard, but Frank will push your comics making practice to a new level, getting you to think about timing and color in new ways. Makes a great holiday gift for yourself – or for a loved one who is interested in comics. Apply by midnight (EST) on Dec. 25th and get $100 off the course price. Full details and how to apply can be found HERE! ————————————————————————————————— Suzy and Cecil – 12-8-2017 – by Gabriella Tito ————————————————————————————————— Joanie and Jordie – 12-8-2017 – by Caleb Orecchio Share this page: [...]

01/21/2016

Juan FernándezJanuary 21, 2016NewsHello world, Frank’s got your coverage of what has been going on with the Rowhouse so far over at the Comics Journal. Big things happening come February 1st… Bill expounds on the glory that is Kevin Huizenga’s Gloriana on camera in Bill’s Remedial Comics #1. Watch and and see what all the fuss is about. oh and did you hear the news? You can catch Deforge, Drnaso, Chippendale on the East Coast for their Winter tour! Holy shit is right. Chippendale will be on tour promoting Puke Force, DeForge will be on tour promoting Big Kids, and Drnaso will be on tour for his debut of Beverly. Check out all the details here. Paper Jam – the Bushwick zine/comics hang out is just around the corner and they’ve started announcing exhibitors. Loads of new work to check out there if you want go hang out and talk comics/ pick up some new comics and zines. Stay abreast of their tumblr to get the low-down on who’ll be setting up shop. Kevin Czap is first up to bat. Oh and last but not least, we heard it through the grapevine that Lenny the pug has been getting pretty down what with the dark days spent indoors in Pittsburgh. Maybe you could help cheer Lenny up with some love over at the Lenny Fan Club Mailbox? Share this page: [...]

11/06/2018

Aaron CockleNovember 6, 2018NewsVote Aquí; Art of Native America; Comic Arts Brooklyn Panels ————————————————————————————————— A Brief History of Bilingual Voting José -Luis Olivares at Popula. ————————————————————————————————— Art of Native America At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, October 4, 2018-October 6, 2019. This landmark exhibition in the Museum’s American Wing showcases 116 masterworks representing the achievements of artists from more than fifty cultures across North America. Ranging in date from the second to the early twentieth century, the diverse works are promised gifts, donations, and loans to The Met from the pioneering collectors Charles and Valerie Diker. Long considered to be the most significant holdings of historical Native American art in private hands, the Diker Collection has particular strengths in sculpture from British Columbia and Alaska, California baskets, pottery from southwestern pueblos, Plains drawings and regalia, and rare accessories from the eastern Woodlands. ————————————————————————————————— Comic Arts Brooklyn 2018 The CAB show is this Sundayn November 11, here is some info about the panels and additional events: ————————————————————————————————— Share this page: [...]

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