Archive for April, 2009

Media Madness: Words & Pictures, Enemies & Allies

In Media Madness, Matt. Murray reviews, revisits and rambles about comics, cartoons and their interactions in and with related media.

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In Media Madness (on Mondays and other days) I’ve focused much of my attention on adaptations of comics into movies, television shows and other temporally sequential art forms. Largely, that’s probably what one thinks of when one mentions the adaptation of the comic medium into another.  However, there is a whole other strain of adaptation that has been around basically since the birth of the comic itself: the translation of comics and their characters into other print media that lack pictures… short stories and books.

Historically,  Stan “The Man” Lee’s first job at Timely comics was writing “Captain America Foils the Traitor’s Revenge” a text-only filler story that ran in Captain America #3.  Pieces like this were a necessity for comics in the Golden Age, so that a comic could be considered a proper “magazine” making it eligible for a mailing certificate with USPS.  To this day, there still exists a school of thought that comics are in some way a lesser form than text-only fiction, simply because they have pictures.

I actually witnessed an institutionalized version of this “thought” first hand a couple of years back  at a conference of Nassau County Public Librarians.  I was invited to their annual breakfast to speak on a panel in favor of the comic book as a form of adult literature, and although I applaud the organizer for even trying to posit this thought into the head of her colleagues, the feeling of the room was essentially summed up in the closing comment of an attendee who stood up thanked the panel for coming and then shook her bee-hived head and said “…but these ‘books’ are still for children.”

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Die By the Pen: I May Have Discovered the Home of a Mythical Creature

In Die By the Pen, Jared Gniewek discusses what feeds his fires as an author of comics, screenplays and radio dramas.

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Well gang, I took a few weeks to explore my old home town of Rochester, New York.  Often overshadowed by the titans of Buffalo and Syracuse it resides between, Rochester has a charm all its own, which, if left unchecked could eclipse the whole of upstate. While here I have enjoyed reading men’s adventure novels of the eighties bought at Goodwill stores at rock bottom prices, enjoyed the highest quality of heavy metal, and have imbibed a few drinks.

I have not been writing as much as I should be. Not even close. I spastically shot out a thousand or so words on a short story I’ve been wrestling for months. I have been away from the internet. Away from video games. Away from my regular routine.

I have enjoyed the company of friends and have had a few conversations about comics. Maybe I’m sheltered but I always thought Rochester to be a culturally advanced city. For a city of its size the commitment the people of Rochester show towards the arts is immense. The Eastman House has created a generation of film buffs who can chat for days at the very highest level. The Eastman School of Music is an amazing resource and a highly regarded school for musicians. The Strong Museum of Play has a huge collection of toys and ephemera that would dwarf any man’s basement.

In this culture how can it be that people speak of their passion for sequential art in whispers?

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Sequential Art Collective NY Drawing Event Announced

Hey Reader(s),

If you’re a member of our group or cause on facebook, then you have received the news that we will be having our first open Group Draw next month at the American Museum of Natural History.

If you haven’t joined up at either of those pages, we recommend that you get on facebook and do so ASAP.  Until then here are the details:

On the last Sunday of every month at 12pm, join the Sequential Art Collective for group drawing in and around New York City. The meeting will last between 2 to 4 hours (approx). Bring your own drawing pads, pens , pencils, eraser etc. Each month we will be venturing to different locations ranging from zoos to museums, baseball games, parks, etc.

The object is to have fun with fellow artists and like minded individuals — and to take your drawing to the next level by sharing and critiquing your art with your peers. There will be no charge to attend other than whatever fee the locations charge. If we are aware of enough attendees ahead of time, all attempts will be made to book special group admission rates as applicable.

The next meeting will be on Sunday May 31st. We will be heading over the Museum of Natural History. The main focus will be the Mammal Room and the Sea Life Room. We will meet outside of the museum in front of the equestrian statue of Teddy Roosevelt at 12:00PM.

Date: Sunday, May 31, 2009
Time: 12:00pm – 4:00pm
Location: American Museum of Natural History
Street: Central Park West at 79th Street
City/Town: New York, NY

If you have any questions or comments please email Allan at tellmemore@sacart.org

See You There!

-The Sequential Art Collective

The Doctor is In: I Have Issues, but My Money’s on the Trade

In The Doctor is In, Allan “Doc” Dorison operates on a specific part of popular culture.

I recently walked into a comic book store in Brooklyn Heights and picked up the newest issue of Kick Ass.

The guy behind counter asked me: “Would you like a bag and board with that?”

“No I’m just going to roll it up, throw it in my back pocket and chuck it when I’m done,” I replied without thinking. The look on the clerk’s face was priceless.  I continued:  “It’s going to come out in trade paperback  in about six months  anyway.”

He gasped, then gave me a scowl and an unspoken “F&@% YOU!” as I walked out of the store.

As I strolled down the street with a rolled up comic in my pocket, I started to feel a little guilty. Only ten years ago, I would have torn someone’s head off if they treated a comic that way.  Not anymore, though.   Had I grown away from my obsessive fanboy tendencies?

Well, I still make weekly trips to the comic shop…  I read Wizard regularly… I sneak new “exclusive” and “limited edition” Mighty Muggs onto the shelves of my bookcases even though, as my fiancee reminds me, the tchotchke quota of our apartment has exceeded critical mass… So… Nope.  I’m still pretty nerdy.

As I dug deeper into my collector’s soul, I got down to the truth of the matter.  Basically, I feel the single issue is dead.

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Strip Search: Non Sequitur

In Strip Search, Jennifer M. Babcock reviews and recommends comic strips available in print and on the web.

It seems that Wiley Miller is stirring the pot again.

The following comic was published this past Monday (4/20/09) and brings up the old print vs. web argument.

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Some of you might remember the very heated and passionate debate that Wiley of Non Sequitur had with Scott Kurtz of PvP a few years ago.  (I believe it was during the time that Kurtz was attempting to distribute his comic to newspapers for free, an unsuccessful venture.)  For those who don’t remember, you can google Wiley and Scott Kurtz together and see traces of the ongoing debate between these two creators.

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