Lora Innes' The Dreamer

“I usually describe it as Gilmore Girls meets Pirates of the Caribbean... It’s half high school dramedy (with) fast-talking interaction. The other half of it is adventure in a historical time period.”

“When I figured out I wanted to do a dreamer/time-travel piece, I started looking into the Revolutionary War... I fell in love with the crazy guys who started the war. They were so idealistic, and actually believed that their ideas were right and had the power to change the world.”

Lora Innes

Bone to WB

I don't think live-action is out of the question. How hard can it be to render the Bones in CGI?

Zits' Jim Borgman

"...Here in Cincinnati, everyone said I was a flaming liberal, which means I'm probably in the middle of the spectrum for most of the rest of the country. But I grew up as the son of a working-class, blue-collar family. That dirt under my fingernails is my conservative streak, my cautious streak, but I'm sure I was always pushing the envelope. In this town, it's always important to challenge the prevailing winds."

Jim Borgman

Jeff Smith @ Heroes Con

CBR has the story on Jeff Smith (with Alec Longstreth) on a panel at Heroes Con in Charlotte.

This Is A Comic Book (Gallery Exhibit)

I found this on the Wexner Center for the Arts WexBlog.

During the month of August, the Mahan Gallery will holding an exhibit, “This is a Comic Book,” which focuses on the art stylings of some of the most independent, individualistic and far-reaching comics being published (or self-published) today. The exhibit will be featuring artists such as Ron Rege Jr. (Los Angeles), Lauren Weinstein (Mass.), Anders Nilsen (Chicago), and Columbus’s own Phonzie Davis.

There will be an opening reception, Sat, August 1, 6-10pm (during the Gallery Hop, of course)

<-- image credit:
Panayiotis Terzis
King Top: Bluetooth, 2009
17 x 23.5 inches, watercolor on paper

Green Brain Comics Celebrates 10 Years

In celebration of their 10th Anniversary, Detroit's comic shop supreme Green Brain Comics kicks off a summer full of events with the inaugural exhibition in their new art gallery space.

Entitled "The Best of the Green Brain Comic Jams" this exhibition features some of the most unique, humorous and downright baffling pieces of comic art created by a host of local and visiting cartoonists. These works have been culled from a huge library of collaborative works created over the last several years at monthly Comic Jams.

"We have been inviting local cartoonists to collaborate on comic jams on the second Wednesday of the month for years." says Dan Merritt, co-owner of Green Brain Comics "And we thought it would be great to open our gallery space by showing off some of the gems that were created right here by some of our good friends and talented cartoonists."

The opening reception runs from 7pm to 10pm on Saturday, June 20, 2009.

And just six days later, author James Danky will present a slideshow and be signing his book, Underground Classics on Friday June 26th from 5pm to 7pm. Mr. Danky is both co-author (along with Denis Kitchen) and co-curator (same) of the art exhibit Underground Classics: The Transformation of Comics Into Comix (running May 2 through July 12, 2009 at the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison, WI).

Underground Classics provides the first serious survey of underground comix as art, turning the spotlight on these influential and largely underappreciated artists. Essays from the book’s co-writers and co-curators James Danky and Denis Kitchen, alongside essays by Paul Buhle, Patrick Rosenkranz, Jay Lynch, and Trina Robbins, offer a thorough reflection and appraisal of the underground movement. Over 125 original drawings, paintings, sculptures, and artifacts are featured, loaned from private collections and the artists themselves, making Underground Classics indispensable for the serious-minded comics fan and for the casual reader alike.

So, if you're in the neighborhood, visit Green Brain Comics at 13210 Michigan Avenue in East Downtown Dearborn and see what Jams they've got on the walls! More information can be found at www.greenbrain.biz or by calling 313-582-9444.

GEEKFEST THIS WEEKEND

The Wild Goose Creative is hosting a weekend of Geek-related awesomeness. "Geekfest" runs from Thursday until Saturday at the Wild Goose Creative homebase (2491 Summit Street, Columbus.) There will be plays, movies, games, comic book readings and stand-up comedy.

Of particular note is on Thursday (that's TONIGHT!), the first act of Michael Neno's superhero play-in-progress, Octo's Helmet, will be performed along with three other geekishly-themed plays. Members of WGC will be bravely tackling the roles of Rabbit Lass, Metal Elbow, and other forlorn misfits from Mr. Neno's vast Universe of misfits.

Geekfest is open to any and all geeks - from movie buffs to comic fanatics, Whedonites to Tolkienites--you’ll find something to feed your obsession! Each event is a suggested donation of $5, but don’t let that stop you. Pay what you can, or just stop by to have some fun!

Want more information? Email Jessie.

Carol Tyler, father, signing in Cincy 6/13

When:	06.13.2009 | 17:00 - 19:00
Event Title:	You'll Never Know - Dad & Daughter Book Signing
Where:	Shake It Records - Cincinnati
Category:	Book Signing
Event description:
"You'll Never Know" Dad & Daughter Book Signing Saturday, June 13, 2009 5 - 7 PM Shake It Records will be hosting a book signing with local artist C. Tyler for her new graphic memoir You'll Never Know, Book One: A Good and Decent Man. And, as an added rare bonus, her father, 90 year old World War II veteran Chuck Tyler -- subject of the book -- will also be there to sign copies. A Cincinnati Exclusive!!!! You'll Never Know Book One: A Good and Decent Man is published by Fantagraphics of Seattle. It tells the story of the 50-something author's relationship with her World War II veteran father, and how his war experience shaped her childhood and affected her relationships in adulthood. "You'll Never Know" refers not only to the title of her parents' courtship song from that era, but also to the many challenges the author encountered in uncovering the difficult and painful truths about her Dad's service. You'll Never Know makes full use of Tyler's virtuosity as a cartoonist: stunningly rendered in detailed inks and subtle watercolors, it plunges the reader headlong into the diverse locales: her father's wartime experiences and courtship, her own childhood and adolescence, and contemporary life.

Join the Schulz Challenge!

The OSU Cartoon Library and Museum needs your support to raise funds for the renovation of Sullivant Hall, the future home of the library. Donate to the Schulz Challenge & Cartoon Library and Museum Fund and your contribution will be matched dollar for dollar by Jean Schulz.

Jean Schulz, the widow of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, issued a challenge: in addition to her initial gift of $1 million, she will provide an additional matching gift of $2.5 million if Ohio State raises the same amount from other sources.

"We are very grateful to Jean Schulz for her generous gift and for her challenge which will encourage everyone who cares about cartoon art to become involved in our project," said Lucy Shelton Caswell, Professor and Curator of the library. "The new Cartoon Library and Museum will be a place of learning and enjoyment for the public and scholars alike."

Located at a highly visible location along High Street and adjacent to the Wexner Center for the Arts, the historic Sullivant Hall is in dire need of repair. The planned renovation will provide 40,000 gross square feet of space for the new Cartoon Library and Museum that will include a spacious reading room for researchers, three museum-quality galleries, and expanded storage with state-of-the-art environmental and security controls. A dedicated ground-level entry will allow for easy access to the new facility. The addition of exhibition galleries dedicated to cartoon art will facilitate public display of the Library's extraordinary collection. Total renovation costs are estimated at $20.6 million.

More Upcoming OSU Library and Museum Events

Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 7:00-9:00 pm, 162 Hopkins Hall, 128 North Oval Mall

"A Whirlwind History of American Comics" by Dr. Jared Gardner, Dept. of English, followed by a gallery talk by Lucy Shelton Caswell, curator of From the Yellow Kid to Conan: American Cartoons from the International Museum of Cartoon Art. Free and open to the public.

Sunday, July 19, 2009, Free Family Programs

12:30-4:30 pm From the Yellow Kid to Conan: American Cartoons from the International Museum of Cartoon Art at the Hopkins Hall Gallery + Corridor,

1:00 pm The Secret of N.I.M.H. (1982), Wexner Center for the Arts Film/Video Theater

2:30-4:30 pm Special events at the Hopkins Hall Gallery + Corridor: enjoy lemonade and cookies, print a comic strip with Bob Tauber, Logan Elm Press and Book Arts Program, and make an authentic newspaper printer's hat

Co-Sponsors: The Ohio State University Cartoon Library & Museum, Wexner Center for the Arts, the Department of Art Hopkins Hall Gallery + Corridor, University Libraries, and Logan Elm Press and Book Arts Program