Jun 13 2007

Heroes Khaaaaaaan!

Yep, it’s that time of year again, when comics goons of the Southland rise from their murky humid summer caves, cease “lookin’ at TV” for a bit, and head out to Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC!

First off, the props: to Philip Looney for the banner ad that I swiped from his blog, and also to Adam Casey, from whom I swiped the title of this post…

So, what’s the deal? I’ll be there hawking my wares all weekend Friday through Sunday at Indie Island table ii706:

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So, that’s me there in the green table. Also, note nearby notables (in pink):

J Chris Campbell at ii708

Rob Ullman at ii704

That block there in the upper right hand corner will be home to… Chris Staros & Top Shelf, including Owly cartoonist and frequent Heroes guest Andy Runton. Also, Chris Pitzer & Adhouse Books at ii724… and3 Boys Productions at ii823 closing the CIRCLE OF DOOM!!!! (Ok, it’s a square actually)

I don’t know exactly where they’re gonna be on the floor, but you should also run–don’t walk–to go see Duane and Justin of Wide Awake Press, and of course the folks from Cute Girl Demographics, Josh “Rashy Rabbit” Latta and Brad “Pieway to Hell” McGinty.

Local illustrator Kyle Webster will be at sp-09 (not pictured in the above map, but easy to find in the back leftmost corner of the hall). He’ll be promoting his upcoming project Light Children.

Also, Saturday at 4:00 in room 211 several of the above-mentioned folks, myself included, will be discussing minicomics in a panel moderated by Heroes Con “wayward son” Dustin Harbin:

The Cartoonist: Minicomics–Did You For Real Make That Yourself?
Room 211

Minicomics are almost their own side thing, separate from regular old comics. But if you’ve been thinking of dipping your toe into the world of cartooning, there’s no better way to get some work out there without a lot of money, or a pesky old publisher. And who better to show you! A somewhat snaggle-toothed member of our staff sits down with J. Chris Campbell, Jim Mahfood, Ben Towle, and Rob Ullman–and almost certainly some surprise guests–for a discussion of how cool these little art objects are, and how you can make your own!

I’ll be bringing my usual crate o’ minicomics for folks to check out as well both at the panel and for anyone attending the panel that wants to stop by my table later to peruse at his or her leisure.

Drop them pork rinds and get yer ass to Heroes Con in Charlotte!

Jun 12 2007

In Defense of Lio

Various local bluenoses here in Winston-Salem got worked into a froth a while back when our local paper, The Winston-Salem Journal, rearranged the comics page, dropping Peanuts reruns and adding Lio to that prime spot on the front page of the comics section. Relentless griping ensued, and as a result Beyond the Hedge was dropped, Peanuts returned, and Lio moved into the interior of the comics section.

That hasn’t appeased these grousers, however, and there’s been a steady stream of complaining about the continued presence of Lio. My favorite letter, is the following, which was a response to Lio cartoonist Mark Tatulli’s spot-on parody of the inexplicably well-loved strip For Better or For Worse:

The March 25 comic strip For Better or Worse was a blessing to me as a subscriber to the Journal and an avid reader of the Sunday comics.

Lynn Johnston, its creator, is to be commended for putting forth a family-friendly feature. I was especially touched by its final frame, in which John and Elly Patterson pledge, after visiting her elderly parents, to keep falling in love with each other if one or the other of them loses his or her memory.

Unhappily, I was not blessed to read Mark Tatulli’s Lio, in which John and Elly’s family was spoofed. The family-friendly behavior of Lynn Johnston’s creation was reversed to portray the very opposite, all in the name of entertainment. Fie, for shame!

WILLIAM K. ACH

Here’s the strip in question:

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So, you think I was just being a jerk when I used the term “bluenoses” now? You gotta love that last line: “Fie, for shame!”

WON’T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!?!

Anyway, given that people apparently like to write to papers to bitch about this kind of stuff, and that comics editors are notorious for responding to said bitching by dropping the strips in question (a situation which obviously leads to a comics page noteable mainly for being bland, innocuous and insipid) I thought I’d further my newfound role as a letter-writing crank, by writing the editorials page in support of Lio:

It’s well known that folks are quick to complain, yet slow to complement, and certainly this propensity has been in clear evidence since The Journal had initially dropped “Peanuts” and added Mark Tatulli’s “Lio” to the comics page. I’d like to buck this trend, however, and voice my wholehearted support for your addition of “Lio.” Tatulli’s strip is visually challenging, innovative and quite funny. Aside from “Mutts,” it’s just about the last bastion of quality cartooning evident among current offered newspaper strips. As for those folks who have complained that the strip is “morbid,” they need look no further than a strip or two to one side of “Lio” to witness true morbidity: strips like “Blondie” and “Dennis the Menace” which continue to shamble on lifelessly, decades after their creators have shuffled off this mortal coil.

Jun 06 2007

First Second Creators Page

I was trying to find the proper spelling of “Trondheim” last night, so I checked First Second Books creators page and noted some interesting folks listed on the page, but unlinked and unpictured as yet.  Does this mean these folks have upcoming projects?  A few of note:

Brian Ralph

Richard Sala (Usually published by Fantagraphics)

Christophe Blain (Something new? If reprint/translation, no longer with NBM?)

Paul Pope (I think Adhouse had something in the works with him as well)

Jim Ottaviani

James Sturm (Whither  D&Q?)

Andrew Arnold (Former Time Magazine comics critic.  A comics crit book, maybe?)

Jun 06 2007

Sketchbook 6/6

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Jun 01 2007

Tonight: Alternative Champs at The Garage

Like it says, Charlotte’s (and kinda Wintson’s I guess, since ex-Husbians Rick Randall is based in Winston) Alternative Champs are in town tonight playing at The Garage. The Champs also feature my former band-mate, ex-Come on Thunderchild vocalist/guitarist/keys player John Morris… and of course “Big Mike” of Jolene and The Hardsoul Poets as well. Here’s the blurb on them from the Garage newsletter:

Part performance art, stand up comedy, satirical theatre, and gigantic stadium rock band, The Alt Champs are like a musical Monty Python emphasizing the bizarre and hilarious while thoroughly rocking you along the way. Although they’re spawned from such critically acclaimed, regional favorites as Jolene, Rebar, and The Husbians, these guys are as unique to their past endeavors as they are to the rest of the music world.

Also in the lineup for the evening are The Westside Daredevils, Andy Freakin’ Mabe, and The Saving Graces–a band fronted by Michael Slawter of the fabulous local music history site www.ncmusichistory.com.