Jonesin'

Come check out Keith Jones' work at his upcoming art show at Fuse Gallery in New York City. Here's the info:

"where are the macrobes?," artwork by Keith Jones runs September 20 through October 18, 2008, at Fuse Gallery, 93 2nd Ave (between 5th & 6th Sts, 2nd Ave stop on the F), NYC, NY. The opening reception, on Saturday September 20th, from 7 to 10 pm, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Fuse Gallery at 212.777.7988 or fusegall@fusegallerynyc.com.

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Hey Seattle!

Don't forget this Sunday to go to Bumbershoot Festival to see Ivan Brunetti moderate a discussion with Adrian Tomine and Dan Clowes! It all goes down at 3:45 - 5:00 PM at the Leo K. Theater

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ojingogo-a-gogo

Check out our 211 blog for party pics of Matt's launch for Ojingogo, above is the awesome window display Matt did.

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Genius! Sheer Genius!

Tom went and beat me to the punch about the news of Sammy's genius, and Spurge posted a long in-depth interview with the said genius, but I get to post two panels from Kramers Ergot 7! HA!

From Adrian's story My Porno Doppelganger

From Seth's story Thoreau MacDonald.

Other D+Q artists include Gabrielle Bell,Martin Cendreda, Sammy "Genius" Harkham, Kevin Huizenga, Anders Nilsen, Ron Rege, Jr., Seth, Adrian Tomine, Chris Ware, and Dan Zettwoch.

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Cult of Marlys

Pics from Lynda's one-woman-inspirational-book-tour at the St Louis Public Library last night:
Gotta love the fans.

Special shout-out to Star Clipper Comics.

Squint and you can see Kevin Huizenga and Dan Zettwoch waiting their turns.

Where do I begin? The shirt? The posterboard comic? Love it all.

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Speaking of kids

Here's a photo of Julie Morstad (apple, stunned) and Chris Von Sombathy (coffee flask, smile) from last weekend's Comix and Stories show in "The Couv". Special thanks to our intern-on-the-road Andrew Wilmot for sending this in.

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It would appear that Sammy Harkham is a genius

So says Paul Buhle. It's hard to argue with the evidence. Okay, so it's bit hyperbolic but it's a nice profile of one of our fave cartooning kids.

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WaPo Covers Comics

And boy, does former-comic-newbie Bob Thompson do his homework and it shows. While most comics industry articles in mainstream publications are suspect, usually drafting curious conclusions on a limited amount of research written an hour before deadline, not only does the article interview Adrian Tomine, Francoise Mouly, Chip Kidd and others, there is a 4-part comic by Jonathan Bennett.

OK, I'm not going to lie, it's hard not like a journalist who says the following: I'm captivated nonetheless. Tomine is published by a small but highly regarded Canadian outfit called Drawn & Quarterly, and I soon find myself binging on some of their other authors. And sings the praises of Pyongyang, The Fixer, Louis Riel, Exit Wounds, and Shortcomings.

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Good Bye in Stores Now.

It may be too early to make such a declaration, but it seems from various press reports that Tatsumi's third collection, Good-Bye, is striking a chord and is many people's favorite volume of the three.

Popmatters weighs in with a review, as did the smartest critic in comics who said [Good Bye] is a stunning crystallization of positive elements from the previous reprints into powerful, seamless comics.

Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review and said Tatsumi's art is masterful: he switches art styles from cartoony manga to stark realism with ease and is equally adept at depicting graceful motion, grisly suffering and complicated emotion.

Japan's leading English-language newspaper Daily Yomiuri states: and frustration are major preoccupations. Not only do his characters suffer loneliness and physical hardship, but they are usually bereft of purpose and have their pride trampled into the dirt before their stories are over. There's no point in reading such depressing stuff unless it is done very well. And Tatsumi does it excellently.

What's next for Tatsumi? Oh, just an 840-page autobiographical hardcover titled A Drifting Life due out next Spring. More on that later....

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Life goes on

for our Eisner winners. Israel's oldest daily newspaper Haaretz, checks in with a profile of Best Graphic Novel (technically Best Graphic Album-New) winner, New York Times Magazine contributor, Exit Wounds and Jamilti author Rutu Modan. It is one of the most in-depth profiles of Rutu to date. It's a must-read.

When asked about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Rutu answers: "It's very Israeli, the way we treat the situation in which we live," she explains. "We've become accustomed to living in catastrophe but to ignore the danger. I remember that while I was writing the book, I was late picking up my daughter from kindergarten. At the traffic light on Rothschild Boulevard I ran into a friend who told me that terrorists had taken over the Central Bus Station and were shooting. I told him that what he was saying was very interesting, but I had to run to the kindergarten because my daughter was waiting. That was of greater concern to me. And that's crazy. But that's how we live here, in a kind of lunatic divorce from our surroundings."

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Burma in stores this October!

Can you tell it is almost the Fall book season? Two industry watchers checked in this week with Guy Delisle's new book Burma. New York Magazine posts an excerpt online and the Daily Crosshatch posts a review.

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Berlin in stores this October!

After not hearing about Jason Lutes and Berlin for a long time, this is just a fair warning, D+Q blog readers, this is the first of many posts to come this season about Jason and the second collection of his long running comic book series, the new volume is titled Berlin; City of Smoke. The news today? The Wall Street Journal has a spotlight on Jason and an excerpt of the series stating: "The drawings are deceptively simple, and are paired with a narrative that is sweeping and complex."

What the Wall Street Journal excerpting comics? Well, maybe Mr. Murdoch is not so bad after all.

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Seth interview in the Walrus

A week or so back, The Walrus (print and web iterations) featured a Seth sketchbook comic and brief essay about cartooning. Well, today the web only interview appears. There are some very interesting bits about time and memory and their specific relation to comics making.

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Waiting It Out

I caught up on some New Yorkers that arrived while I was on vacation last night, and came across this wonderful full-page illustration by Adrian in the 11-18th issue. It made me nostalgic for living in NYC, and being in awe that just a few inches of rain always managed to incapacitate one of the largest cities in the world.

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Feel the Lynda Love!

As previously mentioned, Lynda heads to St. Louis on Monday for a 7:00PM event at the Central branch of the St. Louis Public Library, the Dispatch feels the love twice in a profile and a review, as does the Riverfront Times.

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Matthew Forsythe: Cover Model

We launch our newest petit livre at 211 next Wednesday the 27th--Matthew Forsythe's Ojingogo-- and the Montreal Mirror not only profiles the local artist but gives the twice-Eisner-nominated and Expozine winner the cover. And how awesome is this cover? Writer Rupert Bottenberg describes the new book as: "extended fugue full of surreal creatures of shifting size and disposition, with a strong-willed girl and her squid sidekick at the heart of it all." Not familiar with Matthew? Check out his website or the website he co-edits.

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Did someone slip them a Mickey Finn?

Yippee! Brad McKay of the Doug Wright Awards sent me his flickr photos of the evening and all the luminaries in attendance, and this photo of Seth and Jeet Heer gives me two more appropriate reasons to sing my Annie (best comic to movie adaptation, I repeat!) showtunes... So, Senator, So, Janitor, So long for a while, Remember, You're never fully dressed, Without a smile!

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Moomin moment for the day

That's right--pasta. And, yes, it's shaped like Moomin characters.

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Events! Events! Events!

Attn. All St Louisans! Lynda! Barry! is in St. Louis on Monday, August 25th at 7 PM! Yes, that's right! She is at the Central branch of the St Louis Public Library and the signing is in coordination with Star Clipper! Best of both worlds!

Attn. All Montrealers! Matt Forsythe is debuting his new petite livre with D+Q, Ojingogo, at the D+Q store 211 Bernard Ouest on Wednesday, August 27th at 7:30 PM. For more information check out the 211 blog.

Attn. All Seattlites! Adrian Tomine will be conversing in public with Dan Clowes and Ivan Brunetti at the Bumbershoot Festival on Sunday, August 31st at 3:45 PM. I don't think this needs anymore explaining, much less a hard sell.

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My Favorite Day of the Week

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Beach Reading!

Just a reminder that the eighth chapter of Best Graphic Album Eisner Award-winning author Rutu's The Murder of a Terminal Patient is up at the New York Times Magazine and this week, Dima is starting to put together the clues that indicate foul play at the hospital. Reminder: Jamilti hits stores in September.

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Moomin moment for the day

Miss Eva Louise Goldfinger Scalzo presents her "life-size" Snufkin blow-up toy.

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Hello Showcase Book Five! Goodbye Jess!

Departing D&Q intern Jess shares a chuckle with a freshly arrived advance copy of The Drawn & Quarterly Showcase: Book Five. The fifth book in our Showcase series features stories by Anneli Furmark (Sweden), Amanda Vähämäki (Finland), and T. Edward Bak (United States), with an amazing cover courtesy of Vähämäki! Look for it in stores and on our website at the end of October.

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More from Gabrielle (future Oscar nominee, you heard it here first)

Gabrielle Bell continues her four-part interview with Brian Heater at The Daily Crosshatch. Does she talk about being a famous movie-within-a-movie director or her time on the road or her upcoming short story collection, Cecil and Jordan in New York: Stories by Gabrielle Bell?

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Hey Hobo Man, Hey Dapper Dan...

Your clothes may be Beau Brummelly, they stand out a mile -- But Brother,
You're never fully dressed without a smile Or, a Pigskin Peter Derby designed by Seth. How do you get one of these you may ask?


Well you can start by being one of (Umm, Err, English) Canada's most gifted artists, such as Milk Teeth's Julie Morstad who recently won the first ever Pigskin Peter Award at the DWA in Toronto.


Now back to regressing to my 9-year-old self (and my vote for best comic to film adaptation EVER!) Who cares what they're wearing on Main Street, or Saville Row, it's what you wear from ear to ear, And not from head to toe...

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Down the Stairs

Seth has a nice little piece in the latest issue of The Walrus

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Lynda Barry in the Arctic!!

(photo courtesy of Candace Ross)

I just returned to Montreal from Pangnirtung, Nunavut, where I was doing a program through the University of Manitoba. The program coordinator, Christine Hadekel, just happened to bring What It Is with her as reading material, so I got a photo of myself holding it on the tundra. Lynda Barry is taking over the world!

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RON REGE's cups!

Ron's blog features more of these delightful little guys.

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Doug Wright, Chester Brown (and others!)

Art show in Toronto

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Happy Birthday, Jamie Salomon!

Today was our beloved controller, Jamie Salomon's, birthday. In honour of his birthday, he decided to regale us with the annual telling of the infamous "Mike Diana story," which is what I believe he is doing here. All I know is that, when crossing the border, Mike Diana comics act as a coupon for strip searches.

Actually, wait, unfortunately I know more... you'll have to ask Jamie yourself.

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Doug Wright Awards

Come out to the 2008 Doug Wright Awards this Friday night in Toronto. D+Q nominees include Julie Doucet (365 Days), Joe Matt (Spent), Laurence Hyde (Southern Cross), Julie Morstad (Milk Teeth) and Chris Von Szombathy (Fire Away).

Doug Wright Awards
August 8, 7:00 pm (doors @ 6:30)
Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St

PS- Also, please note that the poster for this event is a Lynn Johnston/Chester Brown collaboration. That is all.

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Vancouverites! Comix & Stories

Check out D+Q's own Chris Von Szombathy and Julie Morstad at the upcoming "Comix & Stories" event/convention at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

August 24th
11 am to 5 pm
Vancouver Art Gallery
750 Hornby St

You can read more about it on this dawn-of-the-internet style website or on theInkstuds site. For those of you west coasters coming down off of the high of San Diego, this might be a gentle way of getting back to your regular life, though you should leave your costumes at home.

... Unless you're a "Furry," because, who knows, you just might get a job as an Olympic games mascot. You never know.

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Congratulations, Pascal Blanchet!

The Advertising and Design Club of Canada has chosen Pascal Blanchet's beautifully designed White Rapids to be included in their award show, DIRECTIONS 2008. The show takes place on November 12th, 2008, at the MacMillan Theatre in Toronto, with an after party at the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum). This will definitely be worth checking out for any design-minded Torontonians.

For those of you not in Toronto, have a look at this review on the awesome book review site, Book By Its Cover, run by super designer/artist Julia Rothman.

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Gabrielle Bell on the allure of the internet

Check out part 2 of the Daily Cross Hatch's interview with Gabrielle Bell. Heck, check out part 1, for that matter.

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Have you seen...

the amazing cover for Anders Nilsen's upcoming Big Questions 11?

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Lynda Barry was Comic-Con's most inspirational moment

According to MSNBC, Lynda's "one-woman panel presentation, based on her latest book, What It Is, was Comic-Con's single most inspirational moment... An exuberant, no-nonsense cheerleader for life's outcasts, she led her smallish room's capacity crowd in a sermon-like call to creativity without fear of failure, to engage in what she called "deep play" or suffer going slowly insane. Of all the convention's "professional" badge wearers, she was the coolest. She finished her panel by singing, "You Are My Sunshine" without moving her lips and got a standing ovation."

And here I was thinking that there was a Steampunk panel. Let your dreams soar like a dirigible, sweet steam angels, like a dirigible...

...sniff... I miss Lynda...

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Adrian Tomine Strand Bag!!!!

Check out Adrian Tomine's awesome new tote bag for The Strand. Their website posits that it is perhaps the coolest bag they've ever done, which, considering how many hipsters I see with their bags in Montreal, is a pretty hefty statement.

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