Labels: international, political cartooning

Labels: awards, international

China's Flame of Shame

Forget boycotts – human rights activists say they welcome the upcoming Beijing Olympics as an opportunity to get under China's skin.

"As an organization, we believe the Olympics are an opportunity for different movements to voice their opposition to the Chinese government; that's been clear since China was awarded the Olympics back in 2001," said Kyla Mendoza, an Ottawa organizer for the New York-based Students for a Free Tibet.

With only four months until the start of the summer games - whose slogan is "One World, One Dream," – groups like SFT have accepted the reality that participating countries are not likely to boycott China for its poor human rights record or support for countries like Sudan and Myanmar.

Instead, they've begun ratcheting up the PR pressure on Beijing, using the various photo ops and symbols that make the Olympics so memorable as leverage in their campaigns. (See photos)

Even before the violent protests and subsequent police crackdown in Tibet took centre stage in the media, Mendoza said, the Canadian branch of SFT was organizing campaigns inside China, unveiling "Free Tibet" banners at high-profile locations like the Great Wall of China and the base camp of Mount Everest.

"Basically, Beijing wants to try and to open themselves up to the world as much as possible but control their image to the world, too," he explained. "We want to show that if you open yourself up for the Olympics, you have to air your dirty laundry."

Arguably the most enduring symbol of the games, the Olympic torch has also become an important instrument for expressing dissent.

Last week, the torch was lit at its traditional starting point of Olympia, Greece and transported to Beijing, marking the start of the relay that will see it travel to all five continents before returning return to China in time for the opening ceremonies on August 8th, according the official relay website.

It's also supposed to travel to Mt. Everest and the Tibetan capital of Lhasa sometime in June, raising fears of further violence and prompting calls to the IOC to have it bypass the area. "If you bring the Olympic torch through these Tibetan villages, you're basically inciting further violence and giving China another excuse to crack down," claims Tsering Lama, National Organizer for SFT.

In order to draw attention to what Tsering calls a "humanitarian crisis" in Tibet, clever SFT artists converted Beijing's torch relay logo into a graphic of a silhouetted police officer beating a protester.

Logos aside, the torch hand-off ceremony at the Acropolis in Athens was an embarrassing symbol for China, as three members of the international group Reporters Without Borders stormed the field with a banner depicting the Olympic rings as handcuffs.

Three members of the group, including Secretary-General Robert Ménard, were arrested by Greek authorities and are currently out on bail.

World leaders decried the interruption of what was supposed to be a sporting ceremony, by supporters insisted the move had greater purpose. "The Olympic flame may be sacred but human rights are even more so," Reporters Without Borders stated in a press release following the arrests.

"We could not let the Chinese government take the Olympic flame, a symbol of peace, without denouncing the dramatic human rights situation in China with less than five months to go to the start of the Olympic games."

The organization, which has national offices in Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, says it was protesting the imprisonment of Chinese cyber-dissidents and the continuing ban on reporting inside Tibet.

Even the market-oriented Olympic mascots haven't escaped controversy. At a faux news conference this week, SFT announced that one the five mascots of the Beijing Oympics, an endangered Tibetan antelope named Yingying, had "defected" in response to China's development in the region, which environmentalist claim is degrading the antelope's habitat atop the Tibetan plateau.

"I've defected from the Olympic team because I can no longer stand being used as a puppet to cover up China's destruction of my homeland," the cartoon character said in a press release sent out by SFT.

Instead, the yellow critter has apparently changed her name to Yingsel and now operates a blog, part of her efforts to "use the Olympics to turn the tables on China."

Labels: international, mascots

• For The Guardian, Regina's Jeet Heer writes on the recent Siegel/Superman decision, with a history of the case and some thoughts ton capitalism and morality. Sample quote: "The battle between the cartoonists and their publisher was a cultural clash as much as an economic one. Bookish boys from the lower-middle class, Siegel and Shuster simply weren't prepared to deal with wise guys like Donenfeld."

• On a related note, new court dates have been scheduled for the case, as noted by newsarama's new legal expert, Jeff Trexler.

• Speaking of newsarama, one of my favourite features at the newsarama blog is the weekly "Quote/Unquote", with a round-up of the choicest utterances from the comics blogosphere.

• Writing for The Montreal Gazette, John Kalbfleisch provides a look back at JW Bengough, the 19th Century cartoonist and member of the Giants of the North. Like many of his inky-fingered breed (Little Nemo's Windsor McKay, for one), Bengough had a side career as a sort of vaudeville humourist, giving "chalk talks" involving quick caricatures and jokey picture stories delivered on the lecture circuit.

• The best cartoonists in Montreal? The Montreal Mirror thinks so.

• Tintin becomes a target in an exhibit of hockey-themed art at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

• Chris Butcher looks back at his 2006 comics industry predictions for 2007 and sees how his oracular powers worked out.

• Photos from the Michel Rabagliati exhibit Paul vu par le Fanzine Bidon at the Galerie Morgan Bridge in Quebec City (see sample photo above; link via bdq)

• Canada's Udon Entertainment is the new distributor of Apple, an anthology of Korean art & comics: APPLE stands for "A Place for People who Love Entertainment", and features original stories and illustrations from the best creative talent Korea has to offer. Over 40 artists from the video game world are represented in APPLE Volume 1, including the artists behind the mega-hit Lineage MMORPG series, superstar Hyung-Tae Kim (Magna Carta, War of Genesis), and dozens of other pro illustrators, animators and graphic artists.

Labels: blogosphere, comics history, copyright, graphic novels, international, links, manga

Says Johnston, "[There's] a lot of sentiment. I've lived with this strip for a long time, along with my own -- sort of in and out of reality. But I know that it's time to make the story come full circle, where the children of the original story are adults with children of their own."

Besides an affinity for the characters of the strip, Johnston long friendship with Schulz makes her doubly qualified to continue his legacy: "We were really, really close -- to the point where we would have a really good scrap. Very few people would argue with him because he was "Charles Schulz," but I would. There were times when he wouldn't speak to me, but I was the one he called when he got cancer [in 1999] and I was the one who went and sat next to his bed when he was dying. We had long philosophical talks.

"We were rivals as well. When I told him that I was in 2,000 papers, he said "I'll see you in the Louvre." He was very competitive -- and he was right! He was the only one of us in the Louvre, and I'll never get there."

Johnston plans on balancing Schulz's classic approach with the "real life" approach she popularized in For Better or For Worse. "I always followed Sparky's advice -- "Do the best you can do, every single day" -- and I've had a wonderful time.

Possible storylines Johnston envisions for the strip's first year include adultery, testicular cancer, and the war in Iraq.

For his part, Seth is thrilled to be continuing PEANUTS, feeling that he can improve on and add to the work of his idol, especially now that the strip will deal with more mature themes and is no longer limited to "dumb little kids telling lame jokes."

"It's a genuine honor to be drawing this strip," said Seth, who went on to describe the premise underlying his design for the new series: "I want to emphasize the sophistication of Schulz's work by creating a strip that is both austere and direct. I would like to try to reflect the quiet and melancholy of the classic strip in a package that hopefully, shows the proper amount of respect for Mr. Schulz. Undoubtedly, PEANUTS is a great newspaper strip and I am humbled and gratified to help steward this strip into the world."

Seth has been regarded as one of North America's finest cartoonists for over 10 years. His comic book series Palookaville and graphic novel It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken are regarded as modern classics of the form. Born Gregory Gallant on September 16th, 1962 in Clinton, a small town in south Ontario, Seth is an emotional observer, deeply moved by the forgotten details of everyday life. A fan of PEANUTS since childhood, Seth attended the Ontario College of Art in Toronto in the early 1980s. While at school he discovered the provocative work of the underground comix generation and the cool, wry wit of the great mid-century New Yorker cartoonists. Drawing deeply from this disparate group of inspirations Seth has distilled one of the most distinctive and recognizable illustrating styles of the past decade and his sophisticated style has been sought by The Washington Post, Details, National Post, Spin, The New York Times, Saturday Night, and the New Yorker. His books have been translated and published in German, Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian.

"Schulz was my most formative influence. No artist made me want to be a cartoonist more than Schulz (well, maybe [Jack] Kirby). I loved him as a child and his work spoke to me deeply even then. But, honestly, it was in my early 20's that I came to reappraise Schulz and look at him with the eyes of an adult. That's when I really began to collect all of his books and really study what he had done (and was doing). Later, when Joe Matt moved to Toronto (another Schulz fanatic) we talked about him incessantly. We knew the strips so well that we would often play a game with each other on the telephone: one of us would read the first panel of any strip and the other would have to recall what the remaining 3 panels were. We both did very well."

"Schulz's drawing was a real beacon to me. His simplicity of design and composition taught me a great deal. Combined with other influences like Herge, [Peter] Arno, [Charles] Addams, John Stanley etc. really made the core of what I wanted my artwork to be like. It was Schulz's profound honesty that made the most impression on me as a young cartoonist ([R.] Crumb also). I'm still deeply moved by much of what made up Peanuts."

Labels: comic strips, international

Labels: copyright, international, U.S. superhero franchises

• The Comic Book Bin's Christopher Moshier takes a page from the Overstreet Price Guide and probes the early "Platinum Age" history of DC Comics.

• Winnipeg bouncer creates superhero to protect children, Canadian Shield. (bonus: video)

• International: in a move sure to be reflected on Canadian bestseller lists, VIZ has announced the publication of a new Naruto series, following the adventures of the titular ninja student as a teenager: the launch of the long-awaited new NARUTO manga story arc begins with Volume 28, "which is the first to feature Naruto as a teenager. The volume is expected to hit stores nationwide on March 4 with an estimated retail price of $7.95"

• Free speech and Alberta Human Rights Commission to become election issue after cartoon controversy?

• Robin Bougie and co-conspirators are interviewed on the Inkstuds podcast about the recent launch of Cinema Sewer and Sleazy Slice.

• Lisa Fortuner at the Newsarama blog offers up some compelling reasons for not reading Dave Sim's Glamourama.

Labels: censorship, comics history, floppies, international, manga

Labels: awards, graphic novels, international

Labels: can-con, cartoon reportage, comics on tv, conventions, events, international, Montreal, pod casts, video

Labels: bd, comics on film, international, links

Labels: exhibits, international, links

Labels: fanexpo 2007, international, links, misc

An exclusive program dedicated to animation influenced by the New Yorker Magazine illustrator Saul Steinberg. Best known for his "View of the World from 9th Avenue,". Steinberg's elevated self-consciousness, reduced design to its essentials; freely melded the naive with the modern, and more than any other 20 century artist obliterated the wall between media and art. Animators as varied as Stefan Schabenbeck, Candy Kugel, Mo Williams and the "modernistic" designs from UPA and Zagreb owe much to Steinberg. The influence goes beyond the surface to include an abstract view of space, identity, and language. Curated by New York animator George Griffin.

Labels: blogosphere, comics on film, international, links, Lynn Johnston, misc, zines

Bell had discovered the comics while searching an estate sale for antiques and collectibles suitable for his shop, Affordable 2nd Thoughts. Bell believes that the deceased owner of the items had once owned a bookstore, but he wouldn't give any other information about the man.

When he opened the box of comic books, he was so amazed by their pristine condition he thought they might be reproductions. When he realized the comic books were originals - they had been meticulously stored between newspapers and left untouched since 1955 - he felt his heart race.

"I made them an offer and that was only after seeing the first few books on the stack," says Bell. "I was beside myself because you don't normally see this type of quality materialize. ... I made an offer of whatever I had on me, which was just over $3,000. [The sellers] were absolutely ecstatic, and pretty much thinking I was insane, because that is still a lot of money for a box of comic books."

Labels: auctions, comics retailers, international

SUPER AMIGOS (Canada/Mexico) This absorbing documentary also employs some comic-book-style animation to tell the story of several Mexican activists who assume superhero personas, in the tradition of lucha libre wrestlers, to fight for social causes. Super Barrio helps residents fight evictions, Super Animal fights to save bulls from being tortured in bullfights, Super Ecologista combats environmental pollution, Super Gay battles homophobia, and Fray Tormenta stands up for the poor. It becomes clear these super amigos cannot surmount all the obstacles they face, but their resilience, accomplishments, and effort remain inspirational. Cinemark Tinseltown, August 17 (5 p.m.), and Vancity Theatre, August 23 (9:45 p.m.)

Labels: comics on film, international

In the coming weeks she'll find out whether a Cartoon Network show she's created will get the green light.

Meanwhile, plans are in the works to give manga-drawing workshops at Max the Mutt Animation School (maxthemutt.com), in Toronto, for teens and adults.

Not bad for someone who was tired of animation after college and didn't know exactly what she was going to do.

Chmakova freelanced here and there after graduation, and fed her manga passion in her spare time.

Bitten by the comic bug while a youngster in Russia, Chmakova fell in love with any cartoon book she could get her hands on. But it was the Russian translation of a Japanimation book called ElfQuest, which she read in 1993, that set her mind on fire.

Labels: comics on tv, international, manga

Professor Manuela Costantino is one prof who's teaching it in her English Lit course at UBC this summer. And she's not alone. The book is on reading lists in over 100 colleges in the U.S. and is on the approved curriculum for elementary schools in France.

But when Costantino explains the book's success to her students, it's with a sense of incredulity. "She's touring the U.S. reading in public libraries," she says, eyebrows raised, disbelief in her voice. "It's just a comic book."

Labels: comics in school, international

Gaudin had a hunch the troops would appreciate it. Taking a seat on stacks of comic catalogues, two years worth of his own comic covers peeking out from the rack behind him, Gaudin tries to recall how many subscribers he gets in his shop. He figures it's 200 overall. More than a quarter of those, he says, are in the army and navy.

He half-jokes that a few of them will pass through the shop in the next 10 minutes. Many, he hasn't seen in months. "The people who've mysteriously gone missing are probably still there (in Afghanistan)," he says.

"Knowing these guys who are all happy-go-lucky, cool guys that come in the store, and these are friends of mine. And it's hard to think they're in the desert bored out of their minds. That's a job I don’t envy. What I can do is send some comics," he says.

About a month ago, he started asking his military customers if they thought it was a good idea.

Leading seaman Jason Aucoin was one of those guys. His emphatic response: "Oh, yeah."

Aucoin regularly brings a stack of comics with him when at sea, including Gaudin's titles. "You don't get a lot of time to yourself. If you can climb in with a book and escape from everything else, it's a nice little vacation, even if it's only for 20 or 30 minutes," he said.

Gaudin's printer, South Island Print Services in Sidney, B.C. was also impressed by the idea. They agreed to make up the order, gratis.

Labels: comic strips, comics retailers, international

Stephens drove home that day feeling like he had a target on his back.

"But since then I've heard dozens of stories of Canadian professionals who have travelled for years without a problem then (were) suddenly harassed in the same manner before being turned away."

The immigration lawyer told him Homeland Security answers to no one.

"He said a flag on your passport from Homeland Security is permanent. The guards are told to be extra, extra careful. I wonder if I caught the border guard on a bad day."

He says it didn't bother him that much, but it upset his family.

"My kids told all their friends that we'd be moving to L.A. for the summer and I had to say, 'Sorry kids, daddy's illegal now so we're not going anymore.' Although, this show is making thousands of Americans rich, it hardly seems fair that I can't even go into the U.S."

Porchlight Entertainment and the Cartoon Network were expecting him to be there and he said it was pretty humiliating when he couldn't go.

Labels: international, real world

The real question is whether the convention, in its current format is beneficial for the comic books as an art form? The comic book is at the cornerstone of this yearly event. In a sense, it's easy to make comic books more acceptable by colluding them with related media and activities, like games, action figures and films. In the greater scheme of things, it's all the same some would say.

I can't help but feel sorry for the artists sitting in Artist Alley. They are like old dinosaurs that cannot be ignored.

Labels: events, international

Guy Delisle's panel had about 50 people, which is twice up what I've ever seen for a cartoonist of that type in that particular time set. The questions from the audience were mostly about the political implication of his Pyongyang book, translated in the US by Drawn and Quarterly. I thought the most fascinating thing he said was how he was dedicated to his publisher despite their rejecting a new book he then took elsewhere. I can't imagine a North American publisher having the same attitude. Also that he masked or did not portray a lot of confidence between himself and some of the North Koreans with which he interacted.

Labels: events, graphic novels, international

Labels: events, graphic novels, international

The cartoon currently appears in 36 newspapers in Canada, including the Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, Victoria Times Colonist, Regina Leader Post, Calgary Herald, and Edmonton Journal.

Chuckle Bros is the collaborative work of Brian Boychuk, a violinist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, his brother Ron Boychuk, originally from Regina, and illustrator Ronnie Martin, also from Ottawa.

"With Torstar Syndication Services covering the Canadian market and now Creators Syndicate on board for both U.S. and worldwide distribution, the stage is set for one heck of a ride," said Brian Boychuk. "The Chuckle Bros are as ready as we'll ever be."

"The fabulous success of the Chuckle Bros launch was a great beginning, as editors found out what we already knew: this is a terrific little comic that people will love because it consistently delivers a solid punch line and outstanding art," said Robin Graham, Managing Director, Torstar Syndication Services. "Eight months later, we are still adding a steady stream of new customers."

"Chuckle Bros will make a great addition to our line-up and we're so excited to have them on board with their zany humour," said Margo Sugrue, National Sales Director, Creators Syndicate. "I first saw the panel in an editor's office at the Ottawa Citizen, and knew immediately that I'd love to have it."

Labels: comic strips, international

Labels: events, international, links

Next, in November, a new take on a timeless classic will surprise and enchant you in the action/fantasy Dorothy of Oz Vol.1: "When Mara Shin's dog Toto gets lost one fateful day, she follows his trail along some yellow brick road and ends up in the wonderful land of Oz! Everyone instantly starts calling her Dorothy, but these aren't the cowardly lion, brainless scarecrow and heartless tin man adventures you remember. This fantastic fairy tale features familiar character ... but with a definite action/animated twist!"

Then in December, Magical JxR Vol.1 tells the story of two teenage wizards and the young girl they befriend: "Jay and Aru are two of the most popular students in wizardry school. However, before they can graduate, they must venture out into the REAL world and fulfill a one year magic contract with a human girl named Cho-Ah. Is Cho-Ah ready for a whole year with two enthusiastic wizards-to-be at her beck and call?"

With more titles planned for 2008, these three new ongoing series are just the beginning of UDON's Korean Manhwa line.

Labels: international, manga, publishing

Wolk has a contrarian streak: He likes to tweak the masters and champion the half-forgotten. Strikingly, he has some harsh words for Spiegelman and Ware, while being tenderly protective toward Gene Colan, the journeyman hack who drew the Tomb of Dracula. These curious judgments (which I find thoroughly unconvincing) are perhaps a legacy of Wolk's fannish roots. They also call to mind Wolk's intellectual hero, the late film critic Pauline Kael, who liked to put in a good word for trashy pleasures. Kael loved starting critical fights, a habit Wolk has inherited.

Labels: comics history, international, reviews

Labels: comics on tv, international, real world, U.S. superhero franchises

...cultural theorists have turned their gaze to the world of good and evil and subversion that some comics represent. Like Jeet Heer, he is an Indian born Canadian and learned to speak English by reading comics.

From that early interest he developed a lifelong passion for this type of storytelling and has written about it for the Boston Globe and the Literary Review of Canada.

Jeet Heer's writing about comics is described as ingenious and imaginative...

Labels: comic strips, comics history, international, pod casts

Labels: graphic novels, international, publishing

Labels: blogosphere, events, international

The decision to raise prices on the newsstands wasn't made in a vacuum. Marvel has made these pricing changes as a result of feedback from the people they sell comic books too: the comic book store retailers and newsstand buyers. These are the people that buy the comic books from Marvel to sell to the comic book fans. While lower prices benefit the readers, they don't benefit the retailers. Retailers get a percentage of the cover price. The higher the cover price, the more profitable the item is for the retailer. Comic books are competing for space on the newsstands with magazines that typically cost about twice as much. While comic book prices may seem high to readers, they may seem low to the newsstand buyers. This puts publishers like Marvel in a difficult position in which they have to balance the needs of the retailers and the end consumers. Experimenting with the cover price on selected titles and measuring the results may be unpopular, but it isn't bad business.

Labels: comics retailers, international, links, publishing, U.S. superhero franchises

for the almost three years now, Toronto-based comic book retailer Silver Snail has bypassed the issue by selling new comics and books from Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Image comics publishers at the American cover prices.

While the American comic book prices are adjusted from month to month, those companies haven't been paying attention to the rising Canadian dollar, said Silver Snail buyer Michael Dillon.

"Their Canadian prices were always ridiculously, three or four dollars above what the American price is. We thought it just made more sense money-wise to just sell at the American (price)."

There may be alternate solutions to the book and comic book pricing differential, but industry-wide discussions and agreements would have to take place to change the system.

Labels: comics retailers, international, publishing

Onstage in his tight white T-shirt, mini-backpack, and very short shorts, Goldenboy looks like a fat cartoon of a six-year-old Japanese schoolboy. Which is appropriate since he's sexually attracted to them. "Who likes boys and shota together?" he asks. (Shota refers to sexualized boys and youths.) A young man in a rhinestone tiara and a middle-aged guy holding a huge pink satin cushion gleefully put up their hands along with the rest of the 100-strong, overwhelmingly male audience. "Who likes boys and men together?" Goldenboy asks next. This time, there is a displeased murmur. A group of drunk shirt-and-tied businessmen at the front lower their hands. So do the tiara guy, the cushion guy, and about half the crowd. "I thought so." Tonight, grown men aren’t hot. The packed house is much more interested in little boys and, astoundingly, proud of it.

Labels: international, manga

Labels: cultural imperialism, floppies, international, links, U.S. superhero franchises