Walking Dead TV Show
One of my favorite comics of the last couple of years has been the Walking Dead. It looks as though AMC is going to make it into a TV series.
New Harvey Pekar webcomic at Smith Mag
Smith Magazine Pekar Project
Smith Mag, home of the 6 Word Memoirs and many great webcomics, has a new series called The Pekar Project. It is a serial webcomic written by legendary Harvey Pekar and illustrated by Tara Seibel, Joseph Remnant, Rick Parker, and Sean Pryor.
The first in the series features a conversation between Harvey and Robert Crumb. Harvey is writing a libretto for an opera and is lementing the lack of support for the avante garde in todays music and art.
This should be a great series.
Zinefest in Minneapolis: July 11th and 12th
I missed Zinefest last year and I am very excited to go this year. Homemade publications have so much to offer and I think anyone who goes will be surprised at the diverse topics that are covered. Sure you will find hardcore punk and anarchist journals but you will also see a ton of creative art work, comics and topics such as mental health, alternative culture, eco-culture and plenty of fiction.
Visit the Zinefest website for more information.
Here’s the Event Schedule for Zinefest:
Saturday, July 11th
11am-5pm open to the public
1pm : open mic zine reading (by attendees and exhibitors)
3pm : MPLS Zines (documentary by Monica Anderson)
4pm : Presentation Night (Minneapolis’ own living zine)
Sunday, July 12th
11am-4pm open to the public
12pm : Starting a Distribution Co-op with Likeminded Publications (workshop with Microcosm’s Joe Biel - limit 20 participants)
2pm : If It Ain’t Cheap, It Ain’t Punk: 15 Years of Plan-it X Records (documentary by Joe Biel)
Admission is free.
Location
Stevens Square Center for the Arts
(Where Zinefest is hosted)
1905 3rd. Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Thinking Through Second Thoughts
First time graphic novelist Niklas Asker takes on one of life's eternal questions, 'what to do when you are having doubts about a relationship'. True to all major decisions it gets complicated.
Asker solves this problem by telling two stories of falling out of love. Two interwoven tales of people in difficult relationships. Two people dealing with their partner's possible infidelity. The first relationship is that of Jess and Chloe, an aspiring writer and her unfaithful celebrity partner. The second follows John and Sofia whose relationship is apart more than it is together and Sofia life in a rock band is tough on John.
The black and white artwork with its simple photographic style works in that it is truly showing personal stories. There was no need for vast landscapes or complicated fantasy to tell this story. It almost works like storyboards to a screenplay.
Top Shelf Productions, the publisher, continues to release a great variety of books that will appeal to most anyone. As with most good comics, it is the story that makes it work.
The book reminded me of the movie 'Sliding Doors' with Gwyneth Paltrow. It was a smart movie that goes down two paths to show that all questions of love and heartbreak have complicated outcomes.
Harvey Pekar Makes an Opera
Harvey Pekar is best know for his autobiographical graphic novels entitled American Splendor. Once you've read a few of his comics you find out that he is a jazz fanatic. He has been a long time freelance jazz critic.
Well now Harvey has gotten his chance to put his hobby into the lime-light. He wrote and starred in an opera over the weekend called "Leave Me Alone".
Read more about it at NPR where there is also a conversation between him and R Crumb.
above image under creative commons licensing 2005 Dolan Halbrook
Fantagraphics Art Show at MCAD
Last year MCAD had a show featuring the comic artists from the pages of Kramer's Ergot and now this Spring we will get some more top notch artists from the world of the funny pages. Fantagraphics is one of the finest comics publishers in the world.
This show is made up of artists that have been featured in Fantagraphic's quarterly comics anthology MOME. I highly reccomend this show as it is rare to have the works of so many graphic artists in one place.
When: March 6 - April 19, 2009
Where: MCAD Gallery: Concourse Gallery
Reception: Friday, March 6, 6-8 p.m.
Gallery Talk with Tom Kaczynski and Zak Sally: Thursday, April 9, 6:30 p.m.
Share a little anarchy with those you love
My favorite cudly anarchist comic has a new sticker for sale. Minimum Security is a daily stop for those who wish to crush the state or just hate the materialistic side in ourselves. So there is nothing hypicritical at all about selling stickers, books and t-shirts; as long as you still are against the Man.
2008 – Graphic Novels and Comics
All in all it was a fine year in the comics business. There was never a shortage of titles that I wanted to read. Usually the problem is too little money but luckily the Hennepin County Library has an excellent and up to date graphic novel collection.
Y the Last Man, Vol. 10, Whys and Wherefores by Brian K Vaughan (Author) and Pia Guerra (Illustrator) (Vertigo) - The final volume in the saga of Yorick Brown. It was difficult to avoid everyone who wanted to tell me about the ending. The final monthly comic came out a good 4 months before the final paperback collection and somehow I managed keep from finding the fate of the last man.
Walking Dead, Book 4 (hardcover, Collects issues #37-48) - by Robert Kirkman (Author), Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn (Illustrators) - The zombie story that is somehow able to stay fresh month after month. Kirkman is great at introducing new characters which is good because he kills them off faster than you can learn their names.
Therefore, Repent! Repent by Jim Monroe (Author) and Salgood Sam (Illustrator) (IDW) - In the 3rd of my "End of the World" selections, Jim Monroe's story of the rapture after the true Christians have been taken to heaven and the unworthy are left behind. This is both dark and very funny.
Slow Storm by Danica Novgorodoff (First Second) - Beautiful first book from former mini comic creator. We all know how gorgeous a storm can look and Novgorodoff's wonderful water colors make it completely stunning.
What is It? by Lynda Barry (Fantagraphics) - Wow! A book about inspiration. You have to see it to really get it. You know Lynda from her long time syndicated Ernie Pook's Comeek but now see her in a new light. It is part notebook/diary part instructional guide. Perfect for the whole family.
Local (hardcover) by Brian Wood (Author) and Ryan Kelly (Illustrator) (Oni Press) - Another story that I read in the montly format. The hard cover is so well put together that I will buy it again. This is 12 short storys of Megan, a traveling free spirit. Each issue was a glimse at different points in her life showing the highs and lows of a life of wandering.
Echo, Vol. 1, Moon Lake - Terry Moore (Abstract Studio) - I read this in the monthly comic issues and this story just keeps compounding in goodness. The story of a military weapon experiment gone bad.
The Joker (hardcover) by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo (DC) - I am usually not a big reader of super hero/villan books but this story uses the dark and sadistic version of the Joker that we all loved in the this summers Dark Night movie. Great story and art.
The Burma Chronicles by Guy Delisle (Drawn & Quarterly) - Delisle's third book chronicling his times in Asian countries. His viewpoint is always unique and very funny.
Google’s new browser introduced with a comic book
Google choose to introduce their new Chrome web browser with a comic book. They hired Scott MacLeod to do the images.
City Pages 2008 Comix Issue
The CP's website contains many comics not published in the paper. Quality stuff all around.
Smith Magazines Web-Comic Bonanza
The online magazine Smith has been running a new bi-weekly web-comic series featuring some fine artists and writers.
As an extra perk, Smith has given New York Magazine the new Harvey Pekar comic that will be on the Smith site starting next week. Luckily we get to view it now.
the Rapture Has Come and You Weren’t Invited
Therefore Repent! a post-Rapture graphic novel
by Jim Munroe, drawn by Salgood Sam
What if the religious right... are actually right?
That is the basic premise of this book. The rapture has come, all of the good folks have floated up to be with God and things are getting mighty strange. People dress in costumes as a statement against their abandonment, dogs start speaking, angels attack and everyone starts doing magic.
This is not a hooky "left-behind" book and it is anything but cheesy. The story remains odd without straying into cliche and the artwork is beautiful. Darkly illustrated with thick lines and left uncolored it sets a tone of seriousness and keeps the story from getting out of hand.
Click on Image to view full size
Here is a 60 Page preview. Wow!
Click on Image to view full size
Click on Image to view full size
St. Paul Schools Using Graphic Novel as Teaching Tool
The story is written in graphics format by Doug Belden and Steve Thomas of the Pioneer Press.
The Pioneer Press's comment list lambasted the school and teacher for letting down the kids and the dumbing of the education system. I got just the opposite feeling after reading the article and posted the following response.
It is amazing how uninformed or apologetic everyone commenting here is. It surprises me even further that the author of the piece says that "the genre has it's limitations."
Go to a book store or library and actually look at the graphic novel section. Pick up "Palestine" by Joe Sacco, "Fun Home" by Alison Bechdel, "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi, or "Salamander Dream" by Hope Larson. Any and all of these will change your perspective on the genre.
The list of great graphic novels doesn't stop at these four. There are hundreds of great examples for all ages and tastes.
Does every different medium have to justify itself based on the opinion of people who either don't really know anything about it or don't care for it.