David Parkins, a British-born cartoonist working for the Globe and Mail in Toronto, has captured the mood down here as the Democratic National Convention rounds up. A lot of my favorite overseas cartoonists don’t seem to quite grasp our political system, but I do keep an open mind and, given that Parkins’ political cartoons are […]
Long time 21st Century Ripley’s Believe It or Not artist John Graziano has passed away. John Anthony (Graz) Graziano August 2, 1962 – August 17, 2024 From the obituary: John Anthony Graziano, 62, a remarkably talented artist of Davenport, Florida, passed away at his residence on August 17, 2024. Born on August 2, 1962, in […]
The 78th Annual National Cartoonists Society Conference and Reuben Awards begins today August 22, 2024. The National Cartoonists Society has shared a “quick glance” and detailed schedule and session information. Some highlights include: …charter buses for the short ride to the Comic Con Museum at San Diego’s famous Balboa Park. We will be treated to a delicious […]
This Reality Check (AMS) raises an interesting question: Do you have to be a guitar player to get the joke? My feeling is that you only need a very basic understanding of music to get a chuckle, because the G-Clef tells you it’s about music and you should know there are majors and minors that […]
From Hal Johnson: I want to find the first American graphic novel—I say American simply because I know very little about comics of other countries; so put down your Tintins and your ACK hardbacks, and let’s see where this leads us. Hal first has to define what a “graphic novel” is: Graphic novel is a […]
I don’t often put rerun comic strips in my roundups, but this appreciation of Billy DeBeck by Richard Thompson is just too good to pass. As that link makes clear the piece originally appeared as a forward to the 2010 book Barney Google: Gambling, Horse Races & High-Toned Women, a collection of 1922 Barney Google […]
Can’t deny Scott Stantis’s observation that the Democratic Convention isn’t sticking to a tight schedule, though all reports are that people not only stuck around for Biden’s speech but delayed his speech for four or five minutes more with an ovation. In fact, it may be that part of the scheduling issue is that they […]
Rhea Ripley, a superstar of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), has one of her ring battles being featured in the Gil Thorp comic strip today. Is it a one-time appearance or a multiple day guest role? [next day edit: multiple] Either way the professional wrestling world has taken notice. Today at PW Mania: On August 20, […]
A Leicester man has been arrested for his online connection to the 2015 terrorist attack on the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Majid Novsarka, also known as Majid Freeman, has been charged with “encouraging terrorism over social media posts.” From the BBC: It is alleged that by making posts relating to the deadly 2015 attack […]
The Egyptian state security prosecutor extended the detention of cartoonist Ashraf Omar for another 15 days. Ashraf was taken from his home in a midnight raid on July 22. His detention has been extended once before. He has been charged with “being involved in a terrorist group, disseminating false news and misusing social media tools.” […]
Two months ago we reported that The Antelope Valley Press was among some Horizon newspapers making changes to their comics and puzzle pages. After a hue and cry from their reading public the newspaper has again revised their comics and puzzle pages. This time adding back some comic strips that were cut in the earlier […]
Mannequin on the Moon (AMS) suggests a line that some major newspapers could adopt for the benefit of readers. I find it annoying when they list a headline on their opinion page that promises a challenging, interesting opinion, but doesn’t include the byline, so that you click on it and discover that, indeed, it’s from […]
British Newspaper Strips: A Contextual History by Adam Twycross This book explores the history and development of the British daily newspaper strip. It considers such strips within their political, commercial and societal contexts and fills in a crucial section of publishing history that has been largely overlooked by both comics and newspaper studies to date. […]
Tom Batiuk, creator of the tremendously popular Crankshaft and Funky Winkerbean comic strips, has created a compelling storyline that illuminates the challenges librarians and store owners currently face around book banning. The series will begin August 26 and continue through October [2024]. As a former teacher and writer of the strips for many years, books […]
An exhibit of cartoon art called Cartoon Ey Bidroho (Rebellion in Cartoons) is on display at the Drik Gallery in Dhaka Bangladesh. The exhibit celebrates the cartoons and art that inspired and fueled the revolution that culminated last month with the toppling of the Bangladesh government. During the Sheikh Hasina administration, freedom of expression and criticism of the government […]