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New book: American Newspaper Comics

University of Michigan Press is publishing “American Newspaper Comics, An Encyclopedic Reference Guide” by comic strip historian Allan Holtz. The book will be 624 pages with over 3,100 color and B&W comic strips. The description: From its earliest appearance in the 1890s, the newspaper comic strip has told the story of America, from the Irish [...]

Posted on: Jun 26, 2012,  Section: Comic history, Comic strips, Comments: 4 Comments

Check out: Jack Davis Foundation

After this weekend in Vegas I can now say that I have met the great Jack Davis (and have a signed sketch!). He has an incredible story and career. A foundation has been set up to “facilitate the study and appreciation of Jack Davis’s contribution to 20th-century art through development of databases, archives, education and [...]

Posted on: May 29, 2012,  Section: Comic history, Magazine cartoons, Comments: 2 Comments

This would not go over well today

Interesting historical photos post over at Retronaut. Hard to imagine this being acceptable today. “I’ve been the owner of these swimsuits since 1950. It was a fashion show held by the manufacturer in their showroom in Manhattan to present their new line, entitled “the autograph suit.” It could be drawn on or signed and would [...]

Posted on: May 2, 2012,  Section: Comic history, Comments: 17 Comments

Conservatives getting whipped into a lather over misrepresented historical cartoon

Some in conservatives circles are using an historical propaganda cartoon used in a Iowa classroom as rhetoric to end “the government monopoly on education” because it supports the teaching of communism. The cartoon contrasts capitalism and communism (above) and depicts individuals in capitalism as shackled and their money going to rich, fat bosses while those [...]

Posted on: Feb 6, 2012,  Section: Comic history, Comments: 8 Comments

Bill Gallo named Daily News Sportsman of the Year

The New York Daily News has named one of their own as their News Sportsman of the Year. Bill Gallo has worked for The Daily News sports department since 1960. He passed away this last May. Daily News’ Filip Bondy writes: It isn’t hard, really, to understand why so many people adored Bill Gallo and [...]

Posted on: Jan 3, 2012,  Section: Cartoons, Comic history, Comments: 2 Comments

Ronald Searle passes at age 91

Beloved cartoonist Ronald Searle has passed away at the age of 91 on Saturday after a short illness. From the Guardian: Best known for his spiky comic drawings depicting the outrageous antics of the St Trinian’s girls, and for his illustrations of the Molesworth series, written by Geoffrey Willans and which, as any fule kno, [...]

Posted on: Jan 3, 2012,  Section: Comic history, International, Comments: 2 Comments

Opposition to Nast Hall of Fame nomination grows

Earlier this month an Irish-Catholic fraternal group objected to the nomination of Thomas Nast to the New Jersey Hall of Fame due to Nast’s anti-Catholic cartoons of the era. The opposition has gained a bit of traction with the addition of two State Assemblymen Wayne DeAngelo (D) and David Rible (R). From NewJersey.com: “One cannot [...]

Posted on: Dec 14, 2011,  Section: Comic history, Editorial cartooning, Comments: 0 Comments

Check out: NCS photos of Jerry Robinson

Mike Lynch took the time to scan photos of Jerry Robinson from various NCS events.

Posted on: Dec 12, 2011,  Section: Comic history, Comments: 1 Comment

Winsor McCay screens Gertie to fellow cartoonists

Cool video found by Mike Lynch of Winsor McCay screening his first animation “Gertie the Dinosaur” to his fellow cartoonists. Mike writes: What was it like when Winsor McCay screened his animated film GERTIE THE DINOSAUR for his New York Tribune cartoonist pals? Allan Holtz shares this article from the February 23, 1914 Tribune. The [...]

Posted on: Nov 30, 2011,  Section: Animation, Comic history, Comments: 1 Comment

Cartoonist veterans and their work during military service

Today being Veterans Day, I thought it might be nice to look back at some of the cartoonists who put their talents to use while serving in the military. The National Constitution Center, who created the exhibit Art of the American Soldier, was kind enough to send me a list of cartoonists they featured in [...]

Posted on: Nov 11, 2011,  Section: Comic history, Comments: 2 Comments

Some cartoons about social inequality are timeless

Michael Cavna writes about the cartoon that the Occupy Wall Street ran in their own newspaper. As The Post’s Elizabeth Flock has noted, Freedom Plaza’s Occupy D.C. protestors on Tuesday published their own “official” newspaper, titled The Occupied Washington Post . (No affiliation to our humble news outlet up the street, natch.) And on Page-6 [...]

Posted on: Nov 3, 2011,  Section: Comic history, Comments: 0 Comments

Reviewed: Wille & Joe: Back Home

The Comics Journal reviews Fantagraphics’ soon to be release of “Willie & Joe: Back Home” – the follow up book to the 700 page + “Willie & Joe: The WWII Years” collection. The first year or so of his post WWII strips continue to follow Willie and Joe in civilian life. Willie is back with [...]

Posted on: Jun 21, 2011,  Section: Comic history, Comments: 0 Comments

Rare pre-Peanuts original up for auction

Heritage Auction is auctioning off a rare pre-Peanuts original created by Charles Schulz in the 1940′s. Auction ends May 5 and is expected to go for more than $20,000. Current bidding is just over $2,000.

Posted on: Apr 28, 2011,  Section: Comic history, Comments: 2 Comments

Comics scholar Bill Blackbeard passes at age 84

Bill Blackbeard, founder of the San Francisco Academy of Cartoon Art, has passed away at the age of 84. From Digital Spy: Born in Indiana in 1926, Blackbeard’s fascination with comics began after the discovery of a large collection of old newspapers in a neighbor’s garage. He acquired the bound copies of old newspapers kept [...]

Posted on: Apr 27, 2011,  Section: Comic history, Comments: 0 Comments

Classic! Watch Winsor McCay draw Little Nemo

What a cool video. This is not the first animation of its kind, but it was a pioneering effort by Winsor McCay in 1911. The LA Times gives a bit context to how the animated film was conceived: McCay claimed that he got the idea for an animated film from flip books his son made. [...]

Posted on: Apr 12, 2011,  Section: Comic history, Comments: 3 Comments