some new links and quotes from the world of Canadian comics:
(I’m also intrigued by Andrews’ view of the line between comics as “10 cent disposable newsprints” and comics as “a legitimate art form”. But he makes a good point about animation workers having a better standard of living. Say, do comics artists need a union or what?)
Item! TCAF has some new additions to announce. The big news is Konami Kanata, the bestselling manga creator of Chi’s Sweet Home. A huge name in Japanese comics and a major “get” for the festival. Elsewhere, dj and graphic novel creator Kid Koala will be returning to the festival and will be putting on a couple of live shows based around his comics, including the recently released Space Cadet.
Item! The National Cartoonist Society Divisional Awards have been announced. These are the awards sometimes referred to as “The Reubens” but only one of the awards is actually called that (the award for cartoonist of the year) and the rest are just called the NCS Awards. Anyway, Canadians Bruce McCall (magazine illustration), Darwyn Cooke (comic books), and Chester Brown (graphic novels) received nominations. The actual nominees for the coveted Reuben Award are U.S. cartoonists Brian Crane, Stephan Pastis, and Tom Richmond.
Item! A new French-language edition of Louis Riel comes out this week from Quebec’s La Pasteque.
Item! Every week or so some work of art or promotional product comes along that tempts me to drop my own personal Marvel Boycott. Usually it’s something that appeals to my sweater-wearing, senior citizen oldschool comics fan side. Ladies and gentlemen, isn’t this an interesting-looking, Steve Ditko style Dr. Strange syrocco figurine? Legitimate art, or what? (And it’s being offered by Dark Horse, not Marvel, for what it’s worth. I wonder if Steve Ditko gets royalties?)
Item! I don’t usually link to new webcomics on the C-List, partly because Max covers alot of that in his Hey Kids, Comix posts, and partly because I’m a senior citizen who can barely use the internet. However, I received an actual email alerting me to a new comic that combines several of my favourite things, including Golden Age comics, Marshal McLuhan, and detournement. The strip is Legacy System by Steve Wilcox, a Phd student in Waterloo, ON. It’s pretty smart stuff, sort of an academic take on internet censorship, video games, and the place where politics and new technology meet. Some times it makes me realize how many brain cells I’ve lost since university but mostly it’s just funny.
Item! At the Globe and Mail, cartoonist Lynn Johnston weighs in on the controversy that is shaking the nation. No, not robocalls, poutine, the NDP leadership campaign, Alberta oilsands, or Afganistan. Not even, “What makes Kaare Andrews such an expert on hacks?” No, the big issue of our day is the increase in size of the Tim Hortons coffee cups!
Item! Finally, Chris Dart and Dean Bradley report on last week’s grand opening of the Comic Book Lounge and Gallery for Torontoist. Great photos. (There is also a Facebook photoset from Guerilla Printing who share the same space and also had their grand opening as well.)
2012-03-27
C.B. was in town on the March 3rd weekend for an invite-only symposium in Toronto hosted by Autodesk to promote their Sketchbook Pro application and it featured a number of speakers from a variety of backgrounds on the nature of creating and the artistic process.
Thanks Kevin!