Comics exhibition in Minneapolis

Opening at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design on Friday, April 4th, "Off-Kilter Comics" includes work by Dan Zettwoch (D+Q Showcase #4), Ivan Brunetti, Lilli Carre, John Hankiewicz, Onsmith, and Zak Sally. The show features over 70 works including original comics pages, drawings, and prints.

April 4-14, 2008 MCAD Gallery
Artists talk, April 4, 6:00pm
Opening reception April 4, 6:30-8:00pm

2501 Stevens Avenue, Minneapolis, MN

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New Comic-Con Magazine

As they say themselves in the first issue of the redesign of the San Diego Comic-Con International magazine, the new design is a "major upgrade" as anyone who received the old Update pamphlet can attest. Now you can download the magazine, which I highly recommend for the in-depth Rutu Modan Special Guest interview. Here's part of the Q+A we all enjoyed here in the office:

San Diego Comic Con: 2008 will mark your first appearance as a special guest at Comic-Con. How do you feel about appearing at comic conventions and how do they differ from Europe to the U.S.?

Rutu Modan: I am very excited to be a guest at Comic-Con. I never thought it would happen. I heard so much about the convention, of course, and planned to go there many times. I haven't had a chance to attend many comic conventions in the U.S. I have only been at SPX twice, and at conventions in France and Italy a few times. There is some
difference between the American comic fans and artists and the French ones when I think of it. In France, the comic artists are considered very hip and are treated like rock stars, so they dress stylishly and are not very friendly. In America, where comics have been considered a lower art form (or not "art" at all), the artists I've met are much more shy and pleasant, regardless of how much they've achieved, and you can seldom guess how successful they are by looking at their clothes!

The magazine also has a Kirby 101, "What I am Reading" section where Shanon K. Garrity gives a shout-out to Moomin and APE preview. San Diego is in July, and this post officially marks the first of many that will tell you to go.

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Gary Panter, Charles Burns & more

At the Dark Fair this weekend in NYC:

For this special all-dark-all-the-time art fair, PictureBox commissioned nine artists to create new images to print over vintage 1970s blacklight posters. This suite of eight prints will debut on Friday. The artists are: Rebecca Bird & Matthew Thurber, Melissa Brown, Charles Burns, Jim Drain, Gary Panter, Paper Rad, Ara Peterson and Andrew Jeffrey Wright.


Hours:

Opening Friday, March 28th, 6 pm - midnight
Saturday, March 29th, 12 pm - 9pm

Swiss Institute
495 Broadway, 3rd Floor, NYC



About Dark Fair:

This subversive and experimental miniature art fair will take place without the use of natural or electric light. An international selection of galleries and artists will display work custom to these conditions, using candlelight, flashlights, oil lamps, work that glows in the dark, light sculpture, battery powered film and video, and unplugged performances. In this cavernous underworld of exchange, visitors will experience art in completely new ways: featuring shadowy bar booths, dimly lit VIP chill-out zones, peddle-powered film projectors and gramophone DJ's.

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The Donger and Me

NPR's All Things Considered talks to our pals at Giant Robot about the impact of Long Duk Dong and features Adrian's awesome "The Donger and Me" comic on their site.

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Mission Not Yet Accomplished

The war is still going on, and Steve Mumford is still painting, having spent time in the Baghdad ER last year, and heading back to Iraq next month. Benjamin Genocchio shares his latest praise for Steve's "astonishingly revealing and engaging works" in yesterday's NY Times. Steve's art is currently on view in the "Crux of War Depicted in Human Terms" exhibit at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art in New Paltz, NY.

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Happy Purim!

Celebrate Purim with a Vanessa Davis comic on nextbook!!!

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Congratulations, Miriam!

Miriam Katin, Pascal Rabate, Jean-Christophe Ogier et Anne de Cazanove
(c) Laurent Melikian / ACBD

Here is a photo of Miriam Katin onstage at the Salon du Livre de Paris, receiving the "Grand Prix de la Critique 2008," given to her by l'Association des Critiques et journalistes de Bande Dessinee for the French translation of We Are on Our Own, Seul contre tous. You can read more about it here.

Congratulations, Miriam!

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Interview with "Comics Visionary" James Sturm

Also known as "Eye of the Sturm" (I can't take credit for that one!) James Sturm discusses shooting photostats of Maus back in the days before desktop scanners, how to capture the feel and rhythm of baseball in comics form, and inspirational work by women, in a Booklist feature.

"Comics visionary James Sturm gives his work an emotional depth and complexity that allow 'small' stories to capture the significance of entire historical eras. An Eisner Award winner, he is director and co-founder of the Vermont-based Center for Cartoon Studies, a school devoted exclusively to cartooning and sequential storytelling."

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MR. SKINterview

Everything you ever wanted to know about Joe Matt's habits, and way way more, is online here.

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This just in!

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around town in Toronto

Peter Birkemoe of The Beguiling, Michel Rabagliati and Chester Brown catch up after Michel's event last Saturday. Photo courtesy of Zach Worton.

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Guy Delisle original artwork

The Cinematheque Quebecoise is showing Guy Delisle artwork, from his books Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea and Shenzhen: A Travelogue From China. For details en francais click here.

335, Maisonneuve East, Montreal, QC
March 5th to April 30th, in the Norman-McLaren room
free admission

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Paul in the National Post

"It's fitting that Michel Rabagliati's new graphic novel is called Paul Goes Fishing, as the cartoonist's style is slow and relaxing, luring the reader in to take a closer look. The next thing you know, you're hooked.

"The latest entry in his acclaimed series of Paul books is an often funny, sometimes devastating examination of the complexities of midlife. While Rabagliati tackles everyday topics such as family, friendship and work, he still manages to reel you in."

Click here to read more.

Toronto readers, don't forget he's in your town this Saturday at 5:00 PM, Lillian H. Smith Library, 239 College Street!

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Peg's favorite day of the week!

There's a new Ernie Pook up today. You can click on the WEEKLY button on the left or here to see. The last couple of weeks have been true genius Lynda Barry heartbreakers.

Also, when was the last time I told you about Lynda's ebay store called Shop Super Marlys?

Or Ron Rege, Jr.'s rent party?

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Michel on Torontoist

Paul Has a Speaking Engagement. Torontoist declares, "Rabagliati has a true gift for crafting subtle stories that are heartwarming, and often heartbreaking."

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Paul in the Press

Check out an interview with Michel Rabagliati on Newsarama about his new book Paul Goes Fishing. Also, in anticipation of his talk in Toronto this Saturday, the Toronto Star writes a feature.

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New Digs

D+Q's U.S. distributor, the venerable Farrar, Straus & Giroux, is the subject of everyone's favorite New Yorker section The Talk of the Town. The company is moving out of their storied offices in Union Square. I would use the same term I used to describe the McSweeneys office this Fall--"charming mayhem"--only more so for a company who has been in business for 60 years and has published TS Eliot, Tom Wolfe and Madeleine L'Engle. The offices were packed floor to ceiling with books (a strange rarity in publishing actually), crazy houseplants and mazes to various offices. The article interviews Joy Isenberg, who lets out that the company issued handwritten royalty statements until 1998. One word--Awesome.

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John P explains it all

{Link swiped from John's site.}

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If I were in NYC tomorrow or Sunday

I would totally go see Fear(s) of the Dark (or Peur[s] du noir), part of Lincoln Center's French film festival Rendez-Vous 2008. Directed by Blutch, it has interpretations of nightmares from six cartoonists including Charles Burns and Richard McGuire. Official site here featuring excerpts from each cartoonist.


And despite my best googling efforts, the film does not appear to be coming to Montreal, which makes no sense to me! Someone email us if you know differently.

Here are more stills from Charles:

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Full House at Housing Works

Thanks to Tom Burke of Words Without Borders for sending in these pics of last night's Dupuy & Berberian event.

Matt Madden, Philippe, Charles, and a diligent NPR recorder:


Philippe & Charles sign books for their fans:






Also, a nice write-up of the night here.

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Tonight in NYC

Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian do a Q+A and slide show led by Matt Madden at Housing Works Cafe, tonight at 7:00 PM. 126 Crosby Street, NYC. Flavorpill writes up the event, and New York Magazine's culture and entertainment blog excerpts HAUNTED, Philippe Dupuy's new graphic novel that was nominated for the Angouleme Best Comic Award in its original French edition. Haunted launches tonight, with Dupuy and Berberian signing, so don't miss this rare opportunity to meet these Angouleme Grand Prize winning cartoonists in person.

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Adrian on TV!

While in Cambridge, the WGBH television show, Greater Boston sat down with Adrian to discuss Shortcomings. A must see.
Don't miss him in DC on Wednesday! Check out the Washington Post's Read Express article.

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D+Q Events in NYC and DC this Wednesday, March 5th!

Adrian's first-ever event in Washington DC at the stalwart indy bookshop Politics and Prose. The Washington City Paper reviews the book.



And in NYC, Dupuy & Berberian will be making a rare North American appearance at the wonderful Housing Works Bookstore and Cafe, 126 Crosby Street New York, NY (212) 334-3324

Words Without Borders and Housing Works Bookstore present French cartooning superstars Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian, moderated by Matt Madden. Dupuy and Berberian are frequent collaborators and recent recipients of the prestigious Grand Prix at Angouleme. Philippe Dupuy's brand new Haunted has just been published by D+Q and will be available at Housing Works. Have a look at what The Daily Cross Hatch has to say about it.

Both events start at 7:00 PM!

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My Favorite Day of the Week

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