Comics Workbook

An online magazine for comics makers

Posted in NewsTagged caleb orecchio, glynis oliver, marvel john romita jr, Terry Austin, the amazing spider-man

Caleb Orecchio

Posted on September 10, 2018September 10, 2018

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05/23/2016

Juan FernándezMay 23, 2016NewsJuan Fernandez with: Berliac’s Gwai-Lo of the Heart; Jessica Abel on becoming a professional; Sara Lautman and Sophia Foster-Dimino; Matt Furie; Abhay Khosla on Dan DiDio; New comics from Matt Seneca + Cameron Weston Nicholson; Comics in the Globe and Mail. ————————————————————————————————— Gwai-Lo of the Heart We’re happy to feature Gwai-Lo of the Heart by Berliac on the site this week. Made in 2015 for Comics Workbook, Gwai-Lo of the Heart is a clever and mysteriously striking series of 4 panel comics that plays with the associations usually made with the West’s gaze towards manga.These little comics pack a poetic. punch. Can you dig it? Read it all here. ————————————————————————————————— Art and Commerce – Raising the Bastard Jessica Abel has put together an honest look over on her site at why you shouldn’t be disregarding the finances of your comics making practices if you want to be a professional. Jessica Abel: I hear so many aspiring cartoonists, writers, artists, audio producers, and other creatives saying something along the lines of: “I’m hoping to really master this art form so that I can achieve my dream of becoming a professional _____.” But mastering the art form, finishing work that is at a professional level, this counts for maybe 40% of what it means to become a professional…whatever. Mastering your art form is how you become a great artist. It is not how you become a professional. ————————————————————————————————— Sara Lautman and Sophia Foster-Dimino in Conversation Foster-Dimino: Making art, even commercial illustration, is a tricky premise, because you want to distinguish yourself from the crowd, but not so much that you become an aberration, so you look within yourself to try to mine what makes you unique, but you also look out to confirm that your uniqueness is still relatable—it’s a very delicate balance, a struggle between wanting to experiment and make progress versus wanting to play it safe and stay predictable. People want to see growth from themselves and the world, but not too much too quickly. I think many folks have an innate sense for this. But a mood disorder by nature warps your metrics. ————————————————————————————————— Myspace -> Meme -> Mainstream Creator of Boy’s Club, Matt “Big Dog” Furie getting the credit he’s due. It’s about time! Here’s a great look at Furie’s invisibly effective comics technique by George Elkind. L.A. TACO interview (2016). VICE interview (2015) TMSIDK Podcast interview (2012) Boy’s Club is now available from Fantagraphics! ————————————————————————————————— ISSUE, RULE, APPLICATION – Abhay Khosla on Dan DiDio For many years, I know I’ve complained about Dan DiDio, and this has seemed like an especially worthy topic to discuss given recent events. So below is some of my own reasoning that I’ve had in believing that Mr. DiDio should have been removed many years ago from his position at DC, a belief I only feel more urgently given recent events. In an ideal world, he would be promoted higher in a corporate hierarchy to a position of irrelevancy, to a position that actually utilized whatever strengths Mr. Davis and others might see in him, while removing him far from the day-to-day nuts & bolts of the mainstream comics industry, where I will argue below he is unsuited. Read it all in depth over at Savage Critic. ————————————————————————————————— Burgundy Cameron Weston Nicholson’s got a new comic for sale post-TCAF. Visual Poetry, mixing the hue with who. Illustrated Poetry with visual definition, feeling. An 18 Page Poem comic. Will come signed with a doodle by yours truly. Get ’em while you can! Only 22 left 😉 ————————————————————————————————— Frankie Teardrop and 200 Deaf Boys Matt Seneca’s latest comics are now available in his webstore. Frankie Teardrop, a brutal, action packed superhero parody and the 4th and final part of 200 Deaf Boys, a Christian mysticism horror show. ————————————————————————————————— 2016 Igntatz Submissions Deadline – June 7th Since 1997, the Ignatz Awards have been intended to recognize outstanding achievements in comics and cartooning by small press creators or creator-owned projects published by larger publishers. If you would like your recent work to be considered for the Ignatzes, now’s the time to send in your comics. Submission details are available here! ————————————————————————————————— The Globe & Comics Sean Rogers over at The Globe and Mail has reviewed After Nothing Comes by Aidan Koch,, Bird in a Cage by Rebecca Roher and, Kramers Ergot 9. It’s exciting to see quality, independently produced work reviewed online and in print by a publication with such wide range. ————————————————————————————————— Until next time! Juan Share this page: [...]

10/15/2018

Caleb OrecchioOctober 15, 2018NewsCaleb Orecchio here with a story. ————————————————————————————————— I show my comic strip to another syndicate editor. Their smiling face quickly turns to curiosity. Then to confusion. Then to bafflement. They say the usual, “It’s great! But it will never sell. We need something a little more universal. Have you read the new Nancy strip? It’s funny, modern and very universal. Think a little more along those lines and come back with something else.” I stormed out of the building. What do these people know about comic strips! I have a great strip! People will love it! Nancy and Sluggo died with Bushmiller I always say! Later, I am visiting a lifelong friend. We, that is my friend his wife and me, are visiting his in-laws (her parents) for dinner. Somehow, I agree to come along. It’s actually a pleasant evening until: “Caleb makes comic strips,” my friend says at the dinner table. The father-in-law lights up, “Really?! I LOVE comic strips!” My friend takes out a self-published copy of my book collecting my strips from his book bag. “You carry this around with you?” I ask. No not usually. He had brought it to show his father-in-law and thought I would be flattered to witness the father-in-law read my comic. I was not and would continue not to be. The father-in-law opens the book with a smiling face that quickly turns to curiosity. Then confusion. Then to bafflement. “It looks great! I don’t understand what is going on, but I like the way it looks! I like the character’s expressions. Have you ever read Nancy? You know, with Sluggo – that new artist is HI-larious! You should make something like that. You just need a good idea.” I stormed out of the house. ————————————————————————————————— Cement Mixer – 10-15-18 – by Caleb Orecchio ————————————————————————————————— 10-15-18 – by Niall Breen Share this page: [...]

ZONA 01

Juan FernándezJanuary 27, 2016NewsIT’S HERE Zona 01 – January 2016 Frank Santoro Harry Moyer Gabriella Tito Jack Brougham 44 pages of comics – 60 pages total – black and white with color silkscreen covers by Frank Santoro – Edition of 100 – signed and numbered on the covers by FS ===================================== AP Versions available in the School Store ===================================== Zona 01 – twenty bux postaid in the States Zona 01 – forty three bux postpaid outside of the States (sorry – its over 20 bux no matter where it goes outside of US so 43 seems fair) inside cover is silkscreened also – Harry Moyer’s work above Gabriella Tito above Jack Brougham above Frank Santoro above Zona 01 – twenty bux postaid in the States Zona 01 – forty three bux postpaid outside of the States (sorry – its over 20 bux no matter where it goes outside of US so 43 seems fair) ////////////////////////// AP Versions available in the School Store Share this page: [...]

Comics Workbook Composition Competition 2013

Frank SantoroSeptember 12, 2013News / Riff RaffI just wanted to write something the composition competition I ran over at Comics Workbook on Tumblr. Tumblr is an interesting phenomenon. It’s sort of like Facebook, sort of like Twitter, and sort of like Instagram. But it’s different. It feels perfect for sharing short comics. You can “reblog” a post similarly to how on Twitter you can “retweet”. So the post that you reblog shows up on your own Tumblr homepage. Forgive me if you know all this. I’ve been surprised how Tumblr has taken off within indie comics. And I’m surprised how many comics makers I have gotten to know all over the world simply from following different people’s Tumblrs. It’s really widened my eyes to how many different kinds of comics are out there. For example, I became aware of Simon Hanselmann, the Australian cartoonist, because I was seeing some of his comics being reblogged. I think Tumblr has really changed the indie comics landscape for the better. The thing about Tumblr though is that if someone posts something on the other side of the world while I am sleeping I may just miss it entirely. Posts just seem to disappear. There are specific url links of course that you can locate – however when you go back to look through someone’s Tumblr usually they have added so many new posts since the last time you visited their homepage that it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. So, I wanted to share the amazing comics that poured into the Comics Workbook Composition Competition with the TCJ audience who may not be on Tumblr. Now that the Xeric Foundation no longer exists there are very few institutions that offer cash rewards for making comics. The Xeric grants also provided something for makers to aim for on the calendar. Having a deadline is often the thing that really kicks one in the ass to MAKE something; to finish something. I was truly humbled by the response. There were, in the end, over 70 entries. I thought there would be about a dozen. I was surprised when it went over 20. In fact, with only two weeks to go before the deadline there were under 30 entries. Then the floodgates opened. Deadlines work wonders apparently. (Add smiley face icon here) Myself and the other judges (three women and three men) crafted this response when we announced the winners: “The evidence is piling up: comics is THE ascendant art form. The sheer amount of energy and talent that poured into this competition during its relatively brief window provides ample testimony to this. It is our belief that artistic creation is a two way street. An artist, or any other creator, grows in the process of creating; the greater the efforts, the greater the growth. By this measure, comics creators in general – and those who submitted work to this competition in particular – are growing by leaps and bounds, and so, by definition, is the comics form; as in the final analysis, the value of a form is coincident with the work that it contains. It is our hope that all of the makers who participated in this contest have been TRANSFORMED in some way – artistically, personally, spiritually, and/or physically (improved eye-hand coordination? yes!) – by the time and energy dedicated to the creation of their submissions. Everyone who took part in this exercise has completed a hero’s journey.” When I took part in the Eisner Award judging this year, I learned that everyone has different tastes (duh). For some judges on the Eisner Awards, the art in the comic book is the most important factor. For other judges it seemed that the story was the most important thing. Obviously, the combination of great art and great writing makes for great comics. However, I was very surprised for example when a fellow judge didn’t care for a comic that I thought was brilliant. I asked why and the response was,”I just don’t like the art style.” The same thing happened when judging the Comics Workbook contest. Certain comics that I thought were stunning registered a “meh” by some of the other judges. And vice versa. It was a very difficult process. Everyone has different tastes. So, with that in mind I hope that the TCJ audience will sift through these wonderful comics and discuss them in the comments section. Feel free to “vote” for your favorites. However, please refrain from taking the time to bitch about the ones that you don’t like. Cool? Cool! The requirements for the competition were that each entry had to use the same page size and panel arrangement. Each comic had to be 14 pages in length plus a front and back cover. This, of course, creates a 16 page “signature” which can easily be made into a comic book. The requirements, I believe, leveled the playing field and allowed the maker to easily print the comic up when complete. ——————————————————- ——————————————————– COMPLETE LIST OF ENTRIES to the COMPETITION (Triangle Circle Square) by Alexander Tanazefti A Cramped, Well Pressurized Place by Scott Kroll A Kat, A Brick, A Mouse, A Dog or Comics: A Vast Waste Land by Paul A Poorly Edited Ending by Alison Crofts A Tender-Hearted Beheading by Nick Francis Potter Arachnodacks by Rowan Tedge Attempt 101 by MK Stangeland Jr Baba’s Accordion by Jared Cullum Bibo by Lauren Molina Big Wheel (AKA The Curse of Santoro) by Tyler Luetkehans Black Goo by Moonpulse Blue Dusk by Mica Agregado Boxes by Whit Taylor Clangor by Derek Timm-Brock Close One by Nick Alexander Death of Spot by Bill Wehmann Dog Dead Afternoon by Eva Houzard & Tarquin Pons Escape to the Top by Andy Frederick Exile from Cyclops Island by Pat Guppy Freefall by Alexey Sokolin Glory Trolls by Nicky Minus Goldie Over There by Jeremy Sorese Good Night Billy Moon by Ian Chachere and Jesse Dewyer Hacienda by Dave Ortega Hiccup by Mike Centeno House of Bees by Jillian Fleck JAS by Phillip Dokes Joey by Melissa Mendes July 99 by Suny Gao Late Night by Jack Reese Lesbian Sunrise by Rick Manlapig Little Dreamers by Dan Tabata Loner Anger by Mike Olson Meet by Harrison G Prince Molarhead by Mou Moon Festival by Todd Webb Moonling by Lydia Grace Henderson Mouth by Tristan Wright Object Memory Featuring Mother Koala and Mi the Yellow Dolphin by Saicoink Off the Grid by AT Pratt Old Port by Evangelos Androutsopoulos On The Way by Michael Fikaris One Woods by Brad A Post Fallout by Blake R. Sims Problem Child by PR Gamlen ProcrastiNation by Camilo Vieco Prof Lewis by KL Ricks Real Real Deep by Nick Jankowski Red and the Wolf by Michelle LaPlante Redneck Beach by Gabrielle Mulholland Repetition is a Form of Change by RM Rhodes Ringed Planets by Bob Schofield Sea by Rosie Haghighi Searching by Andrew Pannell Shield by Zoe Coughlin Stay Frosty by Ben Duncan Strange Outpost by Pablo Selin Swampy 93 by Bjorn Symbolon by Lucas Teixeira Temple by Jared Morgan The Abridged History of a Moon by Patt Kelley The Bad Unicorn by Yuliya Sobotyuk The Green Fly Theater by James Dale The Grid is the Thing by Derik A Badman The Perfect Human by L. Nichols The Quest by Kalen Knowles The Secret Life of Steven Seagal by Mat Barton and Adam Cooper The Steganographer’s Dream by Miranda The Story So Far by Royce Icon Then They Stand Stationary Again by Derik A Badman They Live by Night by Cole Johnson Thin Virtual Cloud Structure by Shawn Eisenach Tides by Andrew White Transaction by Joseph Lambert Valley Post by Mark Wang Vespers by Alexander Rothman —————————————————— —————————————————— The winners, as chosen by the judges: FIRST PLACE – $500 cash prize Hacienda by Dave Ortega Our decision to award “Hacienda” First Place recognizes Dave Ortega’s creation of an ambitious, multi-layered narrative that cuts through history, class, status and power in a deftly constructed story which takes the reader back and forth in time to reveal the conceit and illusion undergirding dominant paradigms in a way that only comics can. This complex concoction of culture and character made for a winning combination. ————————————————————————————- SECOND PLACE – $250 gift certificate at Copacetic Comics Shield by Zoe Coughlin In Second Place, Zoe Choughlin’s “Shield” puts an inventive twist on the mutant superhero theme, and in so doing gives new meaning to the phrase, “prickly personality.” Here is an adolescent power fantasy right where it’s needed most: the hallways of high school. Bullying takes many forms, some invisible to all but the victim. By recognizing this in a convincing and dramatic fashion, Ms. Coughlin has effectively demonstrated the power of comics to contribute to the eventual remedying of this unfortunate human trait. ———————————————————————————— THIRD PLACE – $100 gift certificate at Copacetic Comics Old Port by Evangelos Androutsopoulos The Comics Workbook Competition’s Third Place, “Old Port”, clearly embodies excellence in both conception and execution. In telling the story of youth’s first forays into independence and how the discovery of a nurturing space and mentorship can lead to creativity’s first flowering, the story provides an apt recapitulation of the very ideals powering this competition; its excellence in execution is plain for all to see. ———————————————————————————— ———————————————————————————- HONORABLE MENTIONS – $50 gift (each) at Big Planet Comics A Cramped, Well Pressurized Place by Scott Kroll Prof. Lewis by K. L. Ricks Goldie Over There by Jeremy Sorese Arachnodacks by Rowan Tedge ———————————————————— ———————————————————- SPECIAL MENTION – $25 gift certificate at PictureBox The Perfect Human by L. Nichols ————————————————- ———————————————— ———————————————– THANK YOU to everyone who participated. The plan is to make it a yearly event. I think it worked out to have the contest deadline so close to SPX. It seems like everyone in the small press community furiously makes comics over the summer to debut at SPX. So for those who can’t make it to SPX this contest and the deadline allowed them to join in that special mania. Many of the comics that were created for the contest will be on display at SPX, so check ’em out! Thanks again. This was a truly humbling experience for myself and the folks involved in making the contest possible. Cheers. Share this page: [...]

10/25/2016

Aaron CockleOctober 25, 2016NewsAaron here today with Jack Brougham on LICAF; Sonia Landy Sheridan; Comic Arts Brooklyn; Magical Realist Videogames; DADA; Chick Dissections ————————————————————————————————— The Hills and Streets – Jack Brougham on LICAF Here on the site we have a reflection from Jack Brougham on his weekend at LICAF in Kendal and the kinds of thoughts it stirred. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about closing the circle between creating and publishing and publishing small and often in cheap little editions, road-testing stories in public, and building larger narratives or works from small individually published units. So far so confused? – excellent. Anyway, arriving at the table with this in the back of my mind it was great to see the organizers had hired Comics Workbook a photocopier so we could run off copies of the zines and comics produced in the CW workshops that took place on Saturday morning. Workshops are great and everything, but when you can demonstrate to people how easy it is to start running off copies of your own stuff to share, that’s something else. ————————————————————————————————— Generative Systems The Networked Performance blog has an overview of Sonia Landy Sheridan’s Generative Systems program, developed at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1970s. This will be of specific interest to people who use copy machines in their work, or technology in their art-making in general, or who work at institutions that would allow one to do so. With the cooperation of scientists, industry, artists and a unique body of graduate students, Sheridan was able to explore the implications of the communications revolution for the arts. As artist-in-residence at 3M’s Color Research and Central Research Labs, she was able to take back to her students up-to-date industrial experiences. Sheridan shaped her art and teaching on the premise that art, science and technology function as intertwining systems of thought. Additional documentation of Sheridan’s work can be found at the Daniel Langlois Foundation for Art, Science, and Technology. ————————————————————————————————— CAB 2016 Comic Arts Brooklyn, arguably the best show of its kind in these United States (and probably in the top 2-3 comics festivals in all of North America), will be held Saturday, November 5, 11am-7pm at Mt. Carmel Gymnasium, 12 Havemeyer St in scenic Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY, USA. As with previous years, this is a showcase of some of the best alternative/indie/art comics, small press, and self-published work that’s available. Admission is free. Satellite events include: Organized by Gabe Fowler and Desert Island. ————————————————————————————————— Triennale Game Collection Some immersive experiences for people who have access to smartphones. Via Allison Meier at the Hyperallergic blog: For me, the most enjoyable game by far, and the one that kept my attention the longest, is “Neighbor” by Jake Elliott, Tamas Kemenczy, and Ben Babbitt of the American Cardboard Computer. You’re a sombrero-sporting wanderer seemingly on a retreat at a desert compound with the sun-washed colors and modernist shapes of a Ricardo Legorreta building. Like Cardboard Computer’s Kentucky Route Zero, which had its fourth act released last month, there are tones of magical realism in your exploration. Interacting with the sandy environment reveals pleasing tasks like harvesting aloe leaves, making salves at a cauldron, reflecting at a pool, and stowing cherished objects for “the far side.” Offerings left at a monolith might be taken with a can of spinach left in return. And then there’s your cowboy neighbor, whose friendship is gradually developed without words in this serene place. ————————————————————————————————— DADA Backissues Princeton University’s Blue Mountain Project has made all 8 issues of the DADA arts journal from 1917-1921 available. Via Josh Jones at the Open Culture blog: Edited by Tzara and including his manifesto in issue 3, the magazine “served to distinguish and define Dada in the many cities it infiltrated,” writes the Art Institute of Chicago, “and allowed its major figures to assert their power and position.” Dada succeeded a previous attempt by Ball at a journal called Cabaret Voltaire—named for his Zurich theater—which survived for one issue in 1917 before folding, along with the first version of the cabaret. That year, Tzara, “an ambitious and skilled promoter… began a relentless campaign to spread the ideas of Dada…. As Dada gained momentum, Tzara took on the role of a prophet by bombarding French and Italian artists and writers with letters about Dada’s activities.” Whatever Dada was, it wasn’t shy about promoting itself. ————————————————————————————————— Jack T. Chick Under the Microscope Jack T. Chick died yesterday at 92. His bizarre and evangelical “chick tracts” – found at the most desperate places in America; bus stops, subways and street corners everywhere – could probably be considered the most widely distributed mini-comics. Hundreds of Millions have been printed and distributed… His death is a significant comics death, in a hard to define way. His hate-filled messages will not be missed. The Enter the Jabberwock blog has taken the time to dissect and/or eviscerate a good deal of Jack T. Chick’s tract work. From the Dark Dungeons Revisited (Epic Tag-Team Gary Gygax Died For Your Sins Edition) post: The idea that “rock music” is somehow “occult paraphernalia” is pretty hilarious. It’s just these arbitrary designations for things that old, conservative-minded people find generally unpleasant. KNEE SOCKS ARE OCCULT PARAPHERNALIA. I DON’T LIKE PEANUT BUTTER. YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO PUT MORE CLOTHES ON. TELEVISION HAS TOO MANY COMMERCIALS. IT’S WAY TOO COLD IN HERE. LET’S BURN IT ALL. Share this page: [...]

09/10/18

Posted on September 10, 2018September 10, 2018 by Caleb Orecchio

Caleb Orecchio here with the cover for The Amazing Spider-Man no.241 by John Romita Jr. and Terry Austin

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The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 no. 241, 1983; cover by JRJR and Terry Austin

Are those Spider-Man’s eyes sitting on The Vulture’s lap? Does this issue take place during winter? Why isn’t The Vulture green? Is this not the greatest cover ever?

The above image is certainly one of the top JRJR Spidey covers. John Romita Jr. is inked by Terry Austin and I can’t tell if the pair are geniuses or one of them made a mistake and just went with it. Spidey’s face is superimposed over The Vuture’s figure as if our hero is shining his bat-signal (from his belt) directly at our villain; but rendered in a way that suggests shadow rather than light.

The colors (probably by Glynis Oliver, the issues’ colorist) are brilliant too. With great contrast comes great dynamism and the orangey/purply reds against the wintery blue/greens do not serve to uncomplicated the image. There is little logic to this cover whatsoever. It is simply interesting to look at.

I can’t stop looking at it. I put it near my door so I can look at it before I leave to walk my dog and after I get back from walking her. Every time I pass it I wonder, “Is this the work of visual maestros or the result of varying professional degrees within a system?” Then I think, “probably a bit of both,” then I go get on with my day.

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Comics Workbook

An online magazine for comics makers

Posted in NewsTagged caleb orecchio, glynis oliver, marvel john romita jr, Terry Austin, the amazing spider-man

Caleb Orecchio

Posted on September 10, 2018September 10, 2018

Explore

San Diego Comic-Con International 2018

Chris Anthony DiazJuly 24, 2018The Diaz ArchiveMy first Comic-Con ever! So my apologies, I tried my best to take as many photos as possible, but this show is overwhelming, yet a lot of fun. Also, I lugged around too much stuff to get signed, which i brought — yes excuses! Anyways, this is all I ended up with despite going in with a more extensive list of cartoonists I wanted to photograph! Oh well, hopefully next year I end up taking more. San Diego Comic-Con International 2018, downtown San Diego Convention Center Exhibit Hall, Thursday, July 19, 2018 Share this page: [...]

06/27/2016

Juan FernándezJune 27, 2016NewsJuan here with: Warren Craghead’s COLONIALISM; Rowhouse Auction June 26-July 2; Simon Hanselmann interviewed; Vanesa Del Rey art available; Mari Naomi shares Sorese’s CURVEBALL; Ethical Sloth #6 submission deadline approaches;John Martz’ BE GOOD; LINE: AN ART STUDY. ————————————————————————————————— Featured Comics: Colonialism – Warren Craghead I’m happy to announce that we are featuring Warren Craghead III’s Colonialism on the site this week. Made in 2013 by Warren Craghead for Comics Workbook, Colonialism is a series of wild little one page comics. Poetic comics that mix observational drawings and notes with reflections, while dancing in a playful blend of digital and analogue drawing. ————————————————————————————————— New Private Rowhouse Auction We have a new private auction up at auction.comicsworkbook.com. email Frank Santoro at santoroschoolATgmail for a password, if you don’t already have one. If you already have a password, it is the same from last week. All funds go to helping keep the lights on and further developing the school. note: Connor Willumsen is offering commission sketches. ————————————————————————————————— Elsewhere: “I’m Love and Rockets-ing this shit” – Simon Hanselmann Alex Dueben interviews Simon Hanselmann over on The Beat. Great questions, great answers. Do yourself a favor and dig in. Dueben: You vary the design of your pages but you always work in a grid. What do you like about working that way? What do you think that enables you to do? Hanselmann: I’m just all about pacing. I want the reader to be able to process the information as fast as possible for a smooth read. This is also why I work in color, I think the color codifies everything and makes it easier for the brain to decipher. I’ve thought about experimenting with “crazy” layouts but I just don’t see the point. It wouldn’t serve the work. ————————————————————————————————— How to Draw Comics: the Vanesa Del Rey Way Cadence Comic Art is selling all of Vanesa Del Rey’s inked pages from available for Spider-Women Alpha (Marvel Comics). Support Vanesa and snatch ’em up while you can! If you’re looking to buy comics pages from a contemporary cartoonist, look no further. Vanesa’s a killer and her art is exquisite. ————————————————————————————————— Curveball: Excerpt Mari Naomi shares an excerpt of Jeremy Sorese‘s queer sci-fi graphic novel, Curveball, over on PEN America. If you have not yet been able to get your hands on Sorese’s work, here’s your chance to see how his narration and poetics intertwine. Sorese’s debut is juicy stuff! ————————————————————————————————— Ethical Sloth #6 3 days left to take part in the next issue of Ethical Sloth. Ethical Sloth is a zine of queer* comic artists for other queer* comic artists and everybody else. Like many other zines, this zine is completely d.i.y., so there‘s no money_reward in for you, but being part of this new rad & fierce comic-zine! And you‘ll get free issues and the master-print, if you want to print‘n‘sell your own copies. Sounds perfect? The deadline for the sixth issue»Breakups And Downs« is July 1, 2016. Specifications are: A5, comic and_or illustration. Language: any. Topic: »Breakups And Downs«. Technical stuff: A5, 300dpi, b/w (please leave a white border) For more info reach out to: Dana »Dossie« Moustache & Yori »Janet« Gagarim: ethical.sloth@gmail.com ————————————————————————————————— Be Good John Martz presents his short story, Be Good, online. It’s a good one. Design, fragile egos and tacos come together for some good old fashioned hyucks. ————————————————————————————————— Thin Line, Thick line, Strong line, Feeble Line Line: An Art Study by Edmund J. Sullivan, originally published in 1922, covers the basics of drawing using only line: drawing materials, types of line, freehand drawing, drawing solid objects in line, perspective, shadows and figure drawing. It’s online at archive.org for you to bury your nose in. Go forth and take what you need! Written by Edmund J. Sullivan Line: An Art Study merges the traditional nineteenth-century style of illustration with elements of Art Nouveau, begins by introducing readers to the freehand drawing of abstract lines and advances to the freehand drawing of natural forms, consisting mainly of plane surfaces or single lines. Subsequent chapters illustrate and discuss representations of the third and fourth dimensions, the picture plane, formal perspective, and the drawing of solid objects, including their depiction in shade and shadow, and their modelling. Additional topics include shadows, reflections, and aerial perspective as well as figure drawing. ————————————————————————————————— ’til next time, Juan Share this page: [...]

03/13/2017

Sally IngrahamMarch 13, 2017NewsGrab your cup of coffee and dig into a new week with us – we have news and comics from Berliac, Sophie Yanow, Jim Rugg, Jaime Hernandez, and more. ————————————————————————————————— The Winter 2017 semester of the Santoro Correspondence Course for Comic Book Makers drew to a close a few weeks ago, and now several of the students have completed their course comics and graduated. November Garcia‘s Cycle can be seen in full HERE – and Drew Lerman‘s Boucher’s House is HERE. The course is hard, but those students who stick with it and create a 16 page, full color comic, usually have the sense that they’ve just finished a hero’s journey. Congratulations to these and every other student who has made it through the woods, over the mountain, down the river – but there is no sunset for you to ride off into just yet – simply more fantastic comics to make! (To apply to the Spring 2017 semester of the course visit this page.) ————————————————————————————————— Berliac‘s new book SADBØI is available now in Norway, and he shared a translation of a review on his site recently – the review appeared in the publication Morgenbladet. “Berliac’s embrace of Gekiga aesthetics falls under what the Americans define – and often condemn – as cultural appropriation, ie a consumerist approach to aesthetics and forms of expression with roots in (minority) cultures which one is not a part of. And in his book SADBØI, this transposition of a traditional Japanese form of expression into a European context plays a central role. … The story of how the protagonist rejects the roles Norwegian society offers to people like him, fits into the artistic tradition in which Art functions as a magical realm where society’s rules and regulations can be redefined. SADBØI is a compressed sociological essay based on Jean-Paul Sartre’s treatise about social outcasts in his tribute to the writer Jean Genet, “Saint Genet” (1952). By disguising these ideas about social integration in a visual language that is based on what may be perceived as an illegitimate use of culturally determined forms of expression, Berliac creates a dynamic that makes the book something far more than just a pastiche.” – Aksel Kielland Read the rest HERE. Berliac is an Argentinean cartoonist who now lives in Berlin. We don’t have specific dates for when SADBØI will appear in the States – but it will hopefully be soon. ————————————————————————————————— R.J. Casey interviewed Sophie Yanow for The Comics Journal last week – they talk about her initial focus on autobio comics and her more recent interest in comics journalism, which has kept her extremely busy over the past year or so. “What are people’s reactions when you tell interview subjects or sources that you will be drawing them for your journalism comics? Do you tell them? I do tell them. Usually I just say something like, “I draw portraits along with quotes” because it’s the quickest way to get an understanding across. Most people who object are more concerned with having a picture taken as reference than the actual drawing. Your autobio work can get fairly abstract or minimal in terms of line work, but your comics for The Guardian and The Nib are much more representational. Is that a conscious shift in style? Sometimes in my journal comics I want to keep things abstract enough that folks won’t be able to identify who the “characters” are, since I’m not always drawing those comics with explicit consent. They are more like a diary. When I’m doing journalism, I either have consent or the legal right to talk about someone doing something in public. The goal is totally different. I don’t make the autobio comics to inform the public about issues.“ Read the rest HERE. Check out Sophie Yanow’s new book What Is A Glacier?, available to pre-order from Retrofit Comics, HERE. ————————————————————————————————— Image Comics has a Spotlight on Jim Rugg and his Street Angel comics, in anticipation of their release in April of Street Angel: After School Kung Fu Special. “IC: STREET ANGEL is remarkable for a number of reasons, with its utter lack of irony and great sense of design being high on the list. STREET ANGEL plays fantastic ideas straight—why was this the right tone for a story that could’ve easily been an ironic riff on pop culture? RUGG: I don’t want to make something that’s “so bad it’s good” or a “guilty pleasure.” I enjoy a lot of “trash” culture like wrestling, exploitation movies, and old comic books. And I don’t apologize for it. Street Angel is a kid with problems. It’s important to me that readers identify with her character. Struggling to fit in or to overcome your situation is universal. I like the juxtaposition of different tones. With STREET ANGEL, there’s a lot of room to bring in different genres and to combine the fantastic with the mundane. Expanding her world by focusing on some of the smaller details of her friendships, alliances, and enemies is something I want to share with readers. To that end, STREET ANGEL is the readers’ guide into this fantastic world. Irony would create a distance between readers and Jesse. I want to create a closeness. I want the reader to cheer for Jesse. She may not be the smartest, cleanest, or friendliest kid, but her heart’s in the right place.“ Read the rest HERE. I am definitely looking forward to more Street Angel – look for this in shops around 4/26! ————————————————————————————————— Panel Patters relives Jaime Hernandez’s The Death of Speedy 30 years later: “So much has happened in Maggie’s life since the death of Speedy. She found Hopey again but their love has become something different, maybe purer but not as bright or burning. Ray has been in and out of her life and had so much change because of Maggie, and not always for the better. Maggie and Ray’s love for each other is just as pure as Maggie and Hopey’s but has a whole different essence to it. Ultimately, Speedy was a moment in Maggie’s life but it’s shaped the character that she’s become over the past 30 years. From mechanic to punk to apartment manager and back to mechanic, the great thing about Jaime Hernandez’s portion of Love and Rockets is that we’ve gotten to see these women and men grow up, make mistakes and learn lessons (some of them the right ones and many of them the wrong ones.) And we, the readers, get to how these moments like the death of Speed alter the trajectory of these characters lives.” – Scott Cederlund Read the rest HERE. ————————————————————————————————— Quilt Scraps In a complex article on The Comics Beat which analyzes the BookScan sales analysis of the graphic novels and comics market for 2016…it becomes clear that comics aimed for a younger audience are doing best (18 out of 20 top sellers are for younger readers) and that Raina Telgemeier is making comic sales history. (“Altogether, Raina’s eight books sell a staggering 1.3 million copies for $14.4 million dollars in sales. To put that in context, that means that nearly 5% of all dollars generated by all graphic novels listed (all 21k of them!) are coming from the pen of one woman: Raina Telgemeier.” Read the whole report HERE. Jacob Khepler writes for The Outline when he’s not working on Mother’s News – last week he gave the world a heads up about planning for the 200th anniversary of Frankenstein, coming March 11th 2018! Read more HERE. Jeff Lemire talks to Paste Magazine about his comic Royal City – the first issue debuted from Image Comics last week – more HERE. Phillipe Leblanc interviewed Maggie Umber for The Comics Beat – they talked about her new book Sound of Snow Falling which follows a pair of great horned owls throughout a winter in the forest – HERE. The Comics Alliance rounds up a gallery of the “weirdest Silver Age flash panels“. ————————————————————————————————— The Spring Semester of the Santoro Correspondence Course for Comic Book Makers has begun! There is a rolling start date for this semester of the course and we are continuing to take applications. Just apply! The course is 8 weeks long – 500 bux – payment plans are available. More details can be found HERE – or email santoroschoolATgmail. Check out a comic by Winter 2017 course grad November Garcia HERE. ————————————————————————————————— Blinkers – 3-13-2017 – by Jack Brougham ————————————————————————————————— Suzy and Cecil – 3-13-2017 – by Gabriella Tito ————————————————————————————————— Joanie and Jordie – 3-13-2017 – by Caleb Orecchio ————————————————————————————————— Cozytown – 3-13-2017 – by Juan Fernandez Share this page: [...]

10/28/2016

Sally IngrahamOctober 28, 2016NewsSally Ingraham here with a whole lot of comics journalism – Sarah Glidden, Katie Fricas, Rachel Dukes, Steph Neary, and the many makers at Drawing the Times share the world according to their pens or brushes – while Aidan Koch and Vanesa R. Del Ray are caught on film, and Pittsburgh is visited by comics master (and another journalist) Rick Geary. ————————————————————————————————— Meg Lemke presents Sarah Glidden‘s new work Rolling Blackouts on PEN America this week – check out Meg’s thoughts HERE, as well as a generous selection from the book. PRI also has a feature on Sarah and Rolling Blackouts – HERE. The book is about a month-long journey she took in 2010 through Turkey, Syria, and Iraq. She was traveling with old friends who were also journalists. ‘ “The goal of the trip was really to show journalism: how it’s made, how difficult it is to do this work, how it’s more than just going in, reporting on a story and getting out of there.” Glidden quickly saw the conflicting pressures the reporters were under. “You know, journalists really care about the stories they’re working on, but they also have to think about marketing, their audience, and how they’re going to get someone to take time out of their day and read their article or watch their documentary. And this is a struggle I think that all journalists have to go through. I just really wanted to show that process.” ‘ – Sarah Glidden via PRI Read the rest of the article HERE. ————————————————————————————————— Katie Fricas has a spooky comic up on Hyperallergic called Doomocracy. It charts her navigation of Mexican artist Pedro Reyes’s politically themed haunted house – a huge installation piece at the Brooklyn Army Terminal that was funded through Kickstarter and features encounters with gun nuts, climate change, weird crops, and the specters haunting the presidential race. Katie finds it quite frightening indeed. Read the rest of the comic HERE. Learn more about Doomocracy HERE. ————————————————————————————————— Rachel Dukes has a comic on The Nib this week about The IUD Obstacle Course – and if after digging into this plus Katie Fricas’s and Sarah Glidden’s weighty works you want still more comics that deals with real world problems – pen nibs blazing – tromp on over to Drawing the Times, a website devoted to graphic journalism. ————————————————————————————————— ??30min digital warm up?? inspired by @shlohmo – Ten Days of Falling ? A video posted by Vanesa R. Del Rey (@vrdelrey) on Oct 27, 2016 at 10:36am PDT Vanesa R. Del Rey often posts videos like these on her Instagram account, offering an amazing glimpse into her working life – follow her at @vrdelrey. ————————————————————————————————— Aidan Koch‘s work is part of a show at the Whitney Museum of American Art – Dreamlands: Immersive Cinema and Art, 1905-2016. It will be on view through Feb. 5th, 2017. Aidan Koch’s work seen at the Whitney Museum of American Art – part of the exhibition Dreamlands: Immersive Cinema and Art, 1905-2016 – on view through Feb. 5th 2017 @aidanalexiskoch – thanks to Katherine Ball for the glimpse @katbusbrawl #aidankoch #whitneymuseum A video posted by Comics Workbook (@comicsworkbook) on Oct 26, 2016 at 2:05pm PDT Katherine Ball got a look at Aidan’s work and shared the video above. ————————————————————————————————— I need to catch up on Lumberjanes this fall, and had a nice reminder recently in the form of the little Booooooooom! Box Halloween Haunt 2016 freebie, which included sections of Lumberjanes, Giant Days, The Backstagers, and Goldie Vance. I was particularly delighted to note that Carey Pietsch drew issues #29-32 of Lumberjanes (see her work above) – Carey is a former student of the Santoro Correspondence Course for Comic Book Makers. Check out Carey Pietsch’s work HERE! ————————————————————————————————— Steph Neary filled in for Nils Balls this week, taking on the Glassblock Pittsburgh City Council comic. This bit of comics journalism has been developed by Nils Balls over the course of the last year, and has gained a large following. It is yet another part of the rich culture of comics and cartooning found in this city! ————————————————————————————————— Speaking of that rich culture, the ToonSeum hosted Rick Geary last night for a wonderful presentation on his career and large, fantastic body of work. He talked about finding focus and direction during his 4 year stint as the art director for The Prairie Journal of Wichita, Kansas, his work for National Lampoon and the New York Review of Books, and his recent experience with self-publishing and utilizing Kickstarter. Here’s a bit of video from the event: It was a true pleasure to meet this master cartoonist – thanks Rick! (Further reading: check out this 2014 interview with Rick Geary over on The Comics Journal.) ————————————————————————————————— The Comics Reporter has a comprehensive list of all Cartoon Crossroads Columbus-related reports – check it out. Here on the site we have our own massive roundup post of CXC-related stories and reports. We also have Frank’s LICAF report along with the thoughts of Aidan Koch and other CW students – HERE. ————————————————————————————————— Even if you didn’t making it to one of the Comics Workbook-hosted workshops at SPX, CXC, or LICAF this year, you can still bring your comics game to a new level via thee Santoro School Handbook for Making Better Comics by Frank Santoro and Kurt Ankeny. Printed offset on cardstock by the professionals at The Prolific Group, Winnipeg, Canada, this is not some cheap color xerox or risograph. Looks great, feels great, and even smells great. Always available at our store HERE – free shipping worldwide! ————————————————————————————————— Have a happy Halloweenie weekend folks! – Sally Share this page: [...]

09/07/2016

Juan FernándezSeptember 7, 2016los Cómics / NewsJuan con tus noticias sobre los cómics en Latinoamérica Y España! Entreviñetas 2016, un preview de Tokio Zombie, de Yusaku Hanakuma;Mireia Pérez reseña Grandes Preguntas de Anders Nilsen;Tetas Tristes – Convocatoria de Septiembre; el nuevo libro de Connor Willumsen, Portraits. ————————————————————————————————— Felicitaciones a TODOS los que crearon y sometieron sus cómics al concurso concurso de composición de este año ! Los Resultados: Primer Lugar– $500 premio en efectivo : Cameron Nicholson – For a Lack of Better Words Segundo Lugar – $250 en crédito a Copacetic Comics: Shee Phon – I Know It’s Not About Me, But I Don’t Want To Die Tercer Lugar – $100 en crédito a Copacetic Comics: Cameron Arthur – Oasis Mención de Honor – $50 en crédito a Big Planet Comics: Lisa Wilkinson – The Last Time I Saw Tate; Janne Marie Dauer – Blame It On the Night Moves; Luke Howard – Extragalactic; Niall Breen – Śūnyatā Premio Especial– $25 en crédito a Copacetic Comics: Lina Madöry – Reflection No Prize Shout Out!: Jillian Fleck – I Got A Job; Phillip Dokes – Falling Felictationes a los ganadores y a todos que compitieron. ————————————————————————————————— Entreviñetas 2016 ¡Pronto comienza la séptima temporada de Entreviñetas en Colombia! El #FestivalEntreviñetas2016 tendrá a Bogotá y Medellín como sedes. Preparate y tomate un paseo visual por los invitados al Festial 2016. Brecht Vandenbroucke (Bélgica), Michael DeForge (Canadá), Olivier Kugler (Alemania), Elenio Pico (Argentina), Aidan Koch (Estados Unidos), Zane Zlemeša (Letonia), Inés Estrada (México), Diana Ojeda (Colombia), Sole Otero (Argentina), Pablo Guerra (Colombia), Marco Tóxico (Bolivia), Hernán Sansone (Argentina), Olea (Chile), Phoebe Gloeckner (Estados Unidos), Benjamin Dix (Reino Unido), ICINORI (Francia), Alexandra Zsigmond (Estados Unidos), Puño (España), Miguel Gallardo (España), Cabizbaja (Colombia), David Avend (Colombia), Jean Paul Zapata (Colombia) Si el cómic es lo que te apasiona y vives en Latinoamérica, no se lo pueden perder! ————————————————————————————————— Tokio Zombie Heta Uma en España! Podeis leer las primeras páginas de Tokio Zombie, de Yusaku Hanakuma, en exclusiva en Canino Mag. Tokyo Zombie es el nuevo lanzamiento de la editorial de tebeos española más asilvestrada e inclasificable del panorama nacional, Autsaider Comics. El principal representante del estilo de manga heta-uma (malo pero bueno), Yusaku Hanakuma, presenta su obra más popular (fue llevada al cine en 2005), rebosante de zombis, sangre y sexo incorrecto. Tenemos el primer capítulo en exclusiva para ti. ————————————————————————————————— Gorriones y Conejos Mireia Pérez nos ofrece su reseña de la obra maestral de Anders Nilsen, Grandes Preguntas (Fulgencio Pimentel, 2011) en forma vlog. Una de las más grandes obras de la literatura universal. “Grandes Preguntas” de Anders Nilsen. También hablo sobre “Watership Down” de Richard Adams. AQUÍ podéis leer un artículo que escribí sobre el tema donde desarrollo un poco más su semenjanzas. ————————————————————————————————— Tetas Tristes – Convocatoria de Septiembre Si alguna vez has deseado crear alguna obra autobiografica, colectivo de cómics feminista, Tetas Tristes les presentan la oportunidad! El póder lo encontramos escribiendo, y dibujando. A dibujar chicas! Hola, la nueva convocatoria para el mes de Septiembre es dibujar un cómic con cosas que te de #vergüenza hacer en la realidad. Muchas veces una/e se limita a “”dejarse ser”“ tal cual es por vergüenza o pena, como le dicen en México. Las invitamos a dibujar esas cosas vergonzosas que hacemos por torpes o no hacemos por parecer finas/elegantes jajaja Rompamos las reglas. Envía tus aportes a tetastristes@gmail.com ————————————————————————————————— Llego la Melancolía La obra más reciente de Simon Hanselmann, Melancolía ya esta disponible en España! Esto es, por supuesta gracias a la editorial, Fulgencio Pimentel. Puedes aprender un poquito mas sobre esta nueva entrada en su serie de antihumor, Megg, Mogg y Buho en http://www.fulgenciopimentel.com/. Melancolía es la última entrega de la serie de antihumor de la década y Simon Hanselmann la estrella del nuevo cómic independiente internacional. Quienes disfrutaron de Hechizo total, Bahía de San Búho o Hail Satan! ya pueden prepararse para una descarga aún mayor de abulia, hastío y desesperación. Porque Melancolía es el “libro negro” de Simon Hanselmann. Lidiar con la depresión sin más aliados que el abuso de estupefacientes, la comida basura, una acuciante frustración sexual y un mando a distancia solo puede convertir la vida en una fiesta. ————————————————————————————————— Portraits – Connor Willumsen. Este libro de 16 páginas bellamente impreso (por WestCan – que también imprimio el Manual de la Escuela Santoro) de retratos del gran Connor Willumsen está disponible para pre-pedido. De momento, sólo ofrecemos pre-pedidos para los Estados Unidos. Ofreceremos pre -pedidos para pedidos fuera de EEUU después de que mandemos el libro a los impresores. Dalé click AQUI para pedir tu pre-order! http://auction.comicsworkbook.com/2016/08/18/portraits-by-connor-willumsen-pre-order/ ————————————————————————————————— hasta la proxima! JF Share this page: [...]

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