Rich Kreiner on IJOCA 12-1

Rich Kreiner’s Yearlong Best of the Year: International Journal of Comic Art Vol.12 #1. TCJ.com (March 27 2010) is a nice look at the current issue.

IJOCA 12-1 is out

537 pages of comic scholarship from around the world for $15 ($45/year for 3 issues)

Alan Moore Magus Conference - The University of Northampton 28th-29th May

Registration is now open for the Magus:  Transdisciplinary Approaches to the Work of Alan Moore conference.  It will take place on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th May 2010 at the University of Northampton, UK.  Paul Gravett will be providing the keynote speech and a full programme will be available from the website over the next week. 

For more information go to the conference website at:

 

http://www2.northampton.ac.uk/arts/home/AlanMoore 

 

or email me at

 

nathan.wiseman-trowse@northampton.ac.uk.

 

All the best

Nathan Wiseman-Trowse

 

PR: Festival Image (French Comics and Animation Festival)- Alliance Francaise de Washington

Franco-American comics in Washington.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

The Alliance Française de Washington, MICA's Illustration and Experimental Animation Departments present

 

From April 16 to 24, 2010

 

Festival Imagé

French Comics and Animation Festival

Baltimore-Washington DC (USA)

The Alliance Française de Washington and The Maryland Institute College of Arts (MICA) are inaugurating their partnership with the Festival Imagé, first festival in the USA, which promotes the new generation of French artists working in comics and animated films.

 

From April 16 to 24, meetings, author-led workshops, and screenings of animated films will stress the similarities and differences which exist in "bande dessinée" and animated film between both sides of the Atlantic.

 

Five comics artists, four comic book publishers from both France and the US, as well as various comics connoisseurs and a series of events prepared by DC-based comics artists and students of MICA – America's oldest art school– will help animate this exceptional 10-day festival dedicated to sequential art.

 

The festival will engage a wide audience of amateurs, children, art students, Francophiles, and comic's aficionados of the "9ème Art" through the creativity and vitality of this made-in-France artistic format where more than 5000 titles are published each year.

 

Having been involved in the Festival Imagé since its inception, MICA's animation students will also have the chance to introduce their view of French culture through their own animated shorts, to be shown at two successive screenings.

During these two consecutive days, animated films from both MICA students and students from one of the most famous French schools, SUPINFOCOM, will be showcased in Baltimore and Washington.

 

A French author will also be visiting one of DC's underprivileged elementary schools through the Alliance Française's Outreach Program to share his passion with children.

 

On their side, students from MICA and local illustrators will meet French and US publishers and present their work through exhibitions during the professional forum.

This forum will offer a chance to create artistic ties and professional opportunities to be published in the USA but also in France.

 

Last but not least, French and American illustrators will launch a creative dialogue during the entire Festival Imagé with an interactive and collective production to be revealed during the festival's closing party.

 

Prepare to be overwhelmed by a new generation of talented and productive artists who interpret the daily complexities of modern society through an incredible variety of styles and artistic universes.

 

"Strike your imagination!"

 

Festival Imagé Program

 

 -Friday April 16 at MICA:

 

7:30 pm: Opening reception

8 pm: Panel discussion with Nicolas Nemiri, Antoine Dodé, Alain Corbel, and Laurence Arcadias. Moderated by José Villarrubia.

Beginning of the contest

At MICA/ Free

 

-Saturday April 17 at AFDC, 2 pm

Workshop with Antoine Dodé

http://www.antoinedode.com/

At the Alliance Française/ Free

 

 

-Monday April 19 at MICA, 8 pm

 

Lecture by José Villarrubia: "Colors in Comics"

 At MICA/ Free

 

 

-Tuesday April 20 at AFDC, 6:30 pm

 

Opening reception of the exhibition Les Trois Ombres by Cyril Pedrosa

Workshop with Domitille Collardey

http://www.domitille-collardey.com/ink.html

 At the Alliance Française/ Free for MICA students and AF members - General Admission $8

 

-Wednesday April 21st at MICA, 7 pm

Presentation: Laurence Arcadias

Short Films from SUPINFOCOM and MICA students

 At MICA/ Free

 

 

-Thursday April 22nd at Letelier Theater, 7 pm

Short Films from SUPINFOCOM and MICA students

At Letelier Theater 3251 Prospect Street, NW, Upper Courtyard, Washington DC

Free for MICA students and AF members - General Admission $8

 

-Friday April 23rd at AFDC, 6:30 pm

Lecture by Pascal Fioretto: "Humor in comics"

 At the Alliance Française/ free for MICA students and AF members - General admission: $8

 

-Saturday April 24th at MICA:

2:00 Alain Corbel presents his students work:

Exhibition "Gargantua"

2:30 pm: Workshop with Cyril Pedrosa http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/threeShadows.html

4 pm: Professional Forum with publishers from France and the US

Contest Results

6:30 pm: Closing Party

At MICA/ Free

 

 

---

Artists and speakers 

 

 

Antoine Dodé was born in Amiens and lived there until he moved to Belgium to study illustration at the Saint Luc School of Art. He is best known in the French and Belgian market for his character Armelle, who has been featured in two graphic novels published under Carabas Revolution (Semic): "Armelle and the Bird" and "Armelle and My Uncle."

 http://www.antoinedode.com/

 

José Villarrubia was born in Madrid, Spain, but is a long time Baltimore resident. A professor of the Illustration Department at MICA, José is best known for his coloring work in comics for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and other companies and for his collaborations with author Alan Moore.

Domitille Collardey (born 1981) is best known for founding the Chicou-Chicou comics collective with Aude Picault. She currently lives in Paris and Brooklyn, NY. Domitille graduated from les Arts Decoratifs de Paris in 2004.  

She is currently working on an adaptation of Jean Teulé's novel "The Suicide Shop" for French publisher Delcourt, with Olivier Ka.

She also works for various press publications, such as Technikart, Beaux Arts Magazine, and Double.

 http://www.domitille-collardey.com/ink.html

 Pascal Fioretto Although he was a math whiz early on, having majored in chemistry at the Ecole normale supérieure of Chemistry, he also displayed a strong interest in literature and writing, which he finally gave in to. Catching the attention of cartoonist Marcel Gotlib, Fioretto then lent his wit to Fluide Glacial, a French monthly publication appealing to any and all lovers of truly tasteless jokes and irreverent humor.

Cyril Pedrosa began his career in animation, working on the Disney films "Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Hercules." He has since become a rising star in a new kind of graphic storytelling, combining the influences of animation and the literary traditions of Borges, Garcia Marquez, and Tolkien to create a unique visual signature. 

http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/threeShadows.html

Nicolas Nemiri is a French comics author and illustrator who has always been very much inspired by Japanese manga. His artistic style is unique in that it blends manga with French esthetics. Nicolas is actually working on the 3rd album of his series "Je suis morte" created with writer Jean-David Morvan, a sci-fi story where teenagers are dealing with life, death and eternity.

http://www.nemiri.com/

 

Alain Corbel. With comic creator Eric Lambe, he produced Mokka and Pelure Amere, two modern comic strip magazines that influenced many authors and publishers in France and Belgium like Amok, Freon and La Cinquieme Couche. He works as an illustrator, comic strip artist, and storywriter. He is also teacher at MICA, Illustration Department. He did many books published in France and Portugal. He has a passion for Africa where he organizes regularly with the Portuguese NGO ACEP  illustration/writing workshops.   http://www.alaincorbel.in-netz.com/  http://obaraleixo.blogspot.com/

 Laurence Arcadias teaches animation at MICA and is the Co- chair of the Animation department.

She started her career in Paris as an illustrator and animator. She directed a TV show: "Alex", best animated TV series in Annecy festival and spent 3 years as Animator in Residence at Apple. She also worked for several companies such as hotwired, Kodak, Leapfrog…Her films have been screened internationally.

http://www.arcadias.tv

Located in the north of France, SUPINFOCOM is a unique school, made of passionate people for passionate students, armed with an educational experience and managed by a united team, a demanding school, which innovates, supports the students towards their professional future by developing their artistic sensitivity, and opens unclear ways. After 20 years of existence and 1246 graduates, SUPINFOCOM is still filled with the enthusiasm of pioneers and enriched with collective experience. http://www.supinfocom.org/

 

With the support of the Maryland Institute College of Art's Office of Academic Services, the office of Research and the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Faculty.             

 

 

Please include Festival Imagé, from April 16 to 24 in your cultural events listing. Do not hesitate to contact me directly if you want to attend or cover this event.

 

WHAT: Festival Imagé  French Comics and Animation Festival

 

WHEN: From April 16 to 24, 2010

 

WHERE: At the Alliance Française 2142 Wyoming Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20008

                 MICA 1300 W. Mount Royal Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21217

And Letelier Theater 3251 Prospect Street, NW Upper Courtyard Washington DC 20007

 

 COST: All of the events are free for MICA students and Alliance Française members 

Events at the Alliance Française and Letelier Theater: free for MICA students and AF members - General Admission $8

 

 Information/reservation:  Alliance Française 202-234-7911 - MICA 410-225-2300

 

 

The Alliance Française is the largest network of French language and cultural centers in the world. Founded in 1949, the Alliance Française de Washington offers French classes for all levels, numerous cultural events throughout the year, and a multi-media library open to all members.  For more information visit www.francedc.org

You can download our press kit here: http://www.francedc.org/en/Article.aspx?id=460

 

L'Alliance Française de Washington is on Facebook! Join our group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4811854756

 

We are also on Twitter! http://twitter.com/FranceDC

 

 

 

 

 

Sonia Lahcene
Cultural Assistant
_______________________________________
Alliance Française de Washington
2142 Wyoming Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
tel: (202) 234-7911 ext 16
fax: (202) 234-0125
www.francedc.org
 
To subscribe to our email list and receive our messages on cultural activities, please go to  www.francedc.org then "sign up for our e-newsletter".

You can also join our Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4811854756
 

 

 

PR: Japan Society Announces Manga Artist-in-Residence for Kuniyoshi Exhibit

If anyone's interested in reviewing the exhibit, let me know.

For Immediate Release

Japan Society Employs First-Ever Mangaka-in-Residence

Artist/Illustrator Hiroki Otsuka to Create an Original Japanese-style Comic Book Based on the Spring 2010 Kuniyoshi Exhibition

New York, NY – Japan Society taps internationally acclaimed visual artist and professional illustrator Hiroki Otsuka as mangaka (comic book illustrator) artist-in-residence in conjunction with the Society's spring exhibition Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters: Japanese Prints by Utagawa Kuniyoshi from the Arthur R. Miller Collection, March 12-June 13, 2010.

The first residency of its kind in the U.S. in terms of content, scale and breadth of public engagement, Hiroki Otsuka will create an original full-length manga (comic book) inspired by the work of Kuniyoshi—often working onsite visible to visitors. In addition, Otsuka lends his talents to an array of related activities, including illustration workshops for the general public and New York City high school students, devising and judging an international manga competition, blogging about his work and experience at Japan Society, and creating original Kuniyoshi-inspired artwork to be made available to the public. Otsuka will also participate in Japan Society's food-themed all-day festival j-CATION (April 10), and the Society's second annual cosplay event, Cosplay Play 2.0 (May 15), for which he will create promotional artwork.

"Kuniyoshi's love of complex narrative, his busy, frenetic style, his powerful characterization, his inventive use of space, and his mass-market appeal all mark him as a grandfather of contemporary manga," says Joe Earle, Director of Japan Society Gallery and organizer of Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters. "We are underlining the parallels between Kuniyoshi’s work and contemporary manga by asking Hiroki Otsuka—an outstanding manga artist living in New York—to serve as our mangaka-in-residence, inspiring visitors by creating his own meta-narrative about Kuniyoshi and his work."

 

Otsuka's yet-to-be titled original manga, which begins production on the March 12 opening of Graphic Heroes Magic Monsters, centers on a teenager who comes to Japan Society's exhibition as part of a school group. The student literally gets drawn into the artwork as a Kuniyoshi-inspired warrior and is called on to save New York City from the multitude of monsters marauding throughout Kuniyoshi's prints.

 

Earle notes, "What we particularly liked about Otsuka was his sympathy for Kuniyoshi's skillful circumventions of official rules and regulations—for example the 1843 Earth Spider triptych which viewers of the time interpreted as a satire on Japan’s weak ruler and his ministers, with the demons representing those who suffered under the oppressive reforms. In the same way, Otsuka's work will incorporate commentary on contemporary America."

 

A new episode of Otsuka's manga will be made available weekly online. Visitors to Japan Society Gallery will have the opportunity to observe Otsuka working onsite on Friday evenings 5-9, and Saturdays and Sundays 11 am-5 pm.

 

In conjunction with the residency, Japan Society offers the public manga workshop Brutes, Beauties & Beasts: Drawing Inspiration from Kuniyoshi with Hiroki Otsuka. With Otsuka as a guide, participants bring their art to life choosing from one or more of the five themes from Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters: Warriors, Theater, Beautiful Women, Landscapes, and Humor. The 2-hour workshops take place amidst bamboo gardens and an indoor waterfall in Japan Society’s Murase Room. [For ages 16 and up, single sessions take place Saturdays, March 13, March 20, March 27, April 24, May 22, May 29, June 5, June 12, 11 am–1 pm. Tickets are $30 per person including materials and free admission to the gallery. Parental permission slips required for children under 18. For more information and to register call 212-715-1224.]

 

Otsuka will visit The High School of Art and Design and The Brooklyn Friends School as part of the Japan Society Education Program's Responding to… student outreach series, which pairs high school groups to participate in a multi-part, intensive study of Japan Society exhibitions. In Responding to Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters: Japanese Prints by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (April-June), students explore exhibition themes and make connections to contemporary culture in a manga project led by Otsuka. The program culminates in a special exhibition of the students' artwork at Japan Society and a reception for students, teachers, and parents. [For more information call 212-715-1224.]

 

To further celebrate Kuniyoshi's impact on contemporary manga, Otsuka will serve as guest judge for Japan Society's first annual manga competition, MANGA MADNESS! (March 19-May 1). Participants are asked to submit previously unpublished manga artwork, and the top three winners’ will be displayed at Japan Society. [Beginning March 19, send complete applications to submissions@japansociety.org. Digital scans are preferred but photocopies may be mailed to Japan Society, 333 East 47^th Street, New York, NY 10017, ATTN: MANGA MADNESS! Please DO NOT mail original art as hardcopy submissions will be discarded after the competition. Entries must be emailed or postmarked by May 1, 2010. Full contest information and rules will be posted at www.japansociety.org in March.]

 

Finally, each week Otsuka will select a print from Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters and create a work of art inspired by the print on paper or canvas. The completed artworks will be made available for sale after the exhibition closes. [For sales-related inquiries call 212-715-1252.]

 

About Hiroki Otsuka

 

A professional comic book illustrator since 1994, Brooklyn based Japanese artist/illustrator Hiroki Otsuka honed his craft drafting and inking comic book cells for a variety of projects, and illustrated for a number of major Japanese publications through 2004. "I grew up reading manga like all youngsters in Japan, although I was completely obsessed with submerging myself in their realm of imagination," says Otsuka. "Since then, I have devoted a great deal of time studying manga. Through drawing manga, I like to open doors for readers to share my imaginative world. I use personal experiences, or experiences and stories from my friends to inspire my work. I create drawings, paintings, and manga whose underlying themes are entertaining and convey something of the essence of living freely, easily and vividly."

 

In 2005, Otsuka's focus shifted from graphic to fine arts, working predominantly with traditional sumi ink used in Japanese calligraphy. Otsuka's debut solo show at Brooklyn's Stay Gold Gallery in 2005 prompted The New Yorker to write that his works "push the populist youth quotient through the roof." Since then, his work has appeared in galleries throughout the United States and Japan, and has been featured in international art fairs in New York, Tokyo and Basel, Switzerland. He's been exhibited at major art institutions such as The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (Nothing Moments, 2007) and in academic settings such as Pittsburgh University Art Gallery (Making Faces: Depiction of Women in Japan from Edo to Today, 2009). In 2007, Otsuka was featured in Japan Society’s centennial exhibition Making a Home, curated by Eric C. Shiner, that highlighted 33 Japanese contemporary artists living and working in New York. Berlin's Kunstraum Richard Sorge held a major exhibition of Otsuka's paintings and murals in 2009 entitled Everything to More. Most recently, Otsuka provided the integrated illustrations for choreographer Jeremy Wade's critically acclaimed multimedia dance there is no end to more, a Japan Society commission which had its world premiere in New York in December 2009.

 

Discussing his process, Otsuka says, "I always begin by drawing the pictures on a sketchbook just using a black pen, which is a basic manga technique. As simple as this sounds, so much information can be conveyed with just one line. The spontaneity of lines is my identity. It shows how I have been inspired and mirrors my state of mind and energy flow. Lines are the most significant aspect of my works, even more important than what I draw."

 

Related Japan Society Events

 

Japan Society's spring 2010 exhibition Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters: Japanese prints by Utagawa Kuniyoshi from the Arthur R. Miller Collection (March 12–June 13, 2010) examines the career of print artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–1861), whose vivid scenes from history and legend, wildly popular 150 years ago, feature giant spiders, skeletons, and sea creatures; Chinese ruffians; women warriors; haggard ghosts, and ferocious samurai. His prints include familiar themes such as landscape, kabuki theater, beautiful women, as well as less well-known subjects like religion and folklore of Japan, China and other Asian countries, and exotic experiments with foreign subject-matter and European techniques. In Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters, Japan Society presents 130 dramatic images by a graphic genius whose work is a major influence on today’s manga and anime artists. Organized by the Royal Academy of Arts in collaboration with Arthur R. Miller and The British Museum. [$12/ $10 students and seniors/FREE Japan Society members and children under 16; Admission is free to all on Friday nights, 6-9 pm. Japan Society Gallery hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 11 am-6 pm; Friday, 11 am-9 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 11 am-5 pm; the Gallery is closed on Mondays and major holidays. Docent tours are available free with admission Tuesday-Sunday at 12:30 pm.]

 

Japan Society offers a taste of everything Japan with j-CATION (Saturday, April 10, 1 pm-1 am), a one-day open house festival taking over the Society’s theater, gallery, lounge and classrooms. The first-annual j-CATION centers on the theme of Japanese food. Participants are invited to feast their eyes on films with culinary themes in an afternoon of Edible Cinema, drool over innovative bento box creations and "how-to" demonstrations, savor tastings and dig in to talks given by star speakers. While authentic and unusual drinks and bites satisfy curious cravings throughout the day, the evening explodes into a smorgasbord of music with the delicious sounds of Brooklyn-based dream-pop band Asobi Seksu and a guest DJ’s sweet beats rocking into the night. [$5 suggested donation.]

 

Following the massive success of Japan Society's KRAZY! Cosplay Party in 2009, the Society hosts its second annual cosplay event, Cosplay Party 2.0 (Saturday, May 15), in conjunction with the exhibition Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters. Fans are invited to create and showoff costumes of their favorite characters, and share their enthusiasm for anime, manga, and video games. Cosplay Party 2.0 includes an anime film premiere in Japan's Society's big screen theater; a costume competition with special appearances from Uncle Yo, World Cosplay Summit Team USA girls, and manga artist Hiroki Otsuka; prizes from Kinokuniya Bookstore; musical entertainment; a photo booth; free admission to Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters; and more. [Time and ticket price TBA. Only costumed individuals are eligible for the competition.]

 

About Japan Society

 

Established in 1907, Japan Society has evolved into North America's major producer of high-quality content on Japan for an English-speaking audience. Presenting over 100 events annually through well established Corporate, Education, Film, Gallery, Language, Lectures, Performing Arts and Innovators Network programs, the Society is an internationally recognized nonprofit, nonpolitical organization that provides access to information on Japan, offers opportunities to experience Japanese culture, and fosters sustained and open dialogue on issues important to the U.S., Japan, and East Asia.

 

Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street between First and Second Avenues (accessible by the 4/5/6 and 7 subway at Grand Central or the E and V subway at Lexington Avenue).  The public may call 212-832-1155 or visit www.japansociety.org for more information.

 

#  #  #

 

 

_____

Shannon Jowett, Director of Communications

(p) 212-715-1205  (f) 212-715-1262  (e)  sjowett@japansociety.org

Japan Society |  333 E. 47th St. | New York, NY  10017 | www.japansociety.org

 

View Japan Society's full Calendar of Events

Join Japan Society on Facebook

Follow Japan Society on Twitter

Visit the U.S.-Japan Innovators Network

Visit About Japan: A Teacher's Resource

 

 

 

IJOCA - reviewer wanted for Paul Gravett's Moomin exhibit in Belgium

UPDATED - I've got a reviewer for this, thanks.

On the Comix-Scholars listsever, Paul wrote:

 I have just curated an exhibition at the Belgian Comics Centre in Brussels, Moomin: Tove Jansson's Dreamworld. Over 70 originals, including 12 sets of "synopsis" drawings for her comics restored and shown for the very first time to the public. On till Aug 29. More info on my site www.paulgravett.com and here:

http://www.comicscenter.net/en/news/158-moomin

If anyone's interested in reviewing it for IJOCA, let me know.

Mike Rhode
exhibits editor

Comic Art, 2005-2009: A Global Bibliography available now

IJOCA 11-3 is actually Comic Art, 2005-2009: A Global Bibliography, 626 pages of citations on comics compiled by John Lent and Mike Rhode. And it's got a special cover drawing done for us by Richard Thompson. You can buy it as a stand alone issue by sending $15 to John Lent. This is an addendum to John's previous 10-volume series of comics citations, and is a bargain because a set of those will cost you well over $1000.

Here's a sample from the 2010 version I'm working on now - the new citations for 2010 are marked with *:

Comic Book Sales
Flage, Karon. 2001. Ranking and List Position [comic book sales]. Sequential Tart 4 (2: February): http://www.sequentialtart.com/
Gustines, George Gene. 2009. Graphic Books Best Seller List: May 9. New York Times Art Beat blog (May 15): http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/15/graphic-books-best-seller-list-may-9/
Gustines, George Gene. 2009. Graphic Books Best Seller List: June 6. New York Times Arts Beat blog (June 12): http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/graphic-books-best-seller-list-june-6/
*Hibbs, Brian. 2010. Looking At Bookscan: 2009. Comic Book Resources' Tilting at Windmills (February 12): http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=24818
Miller, John Jackson. 2007. Comic Sales Analysis: January 2007 – Snows, fifth week spur big month. Comics and Games Retailer (182; May): 26-27
Reid, Calvin. 2009. February Comics Bestsellers. Publishers Weekly’s PW Comics Week (February 3): http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6634161.html
Reid, Calvin. 2009. June Comics Bestsellers. Publishers Weekly (June 15): http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6665433.html
Sheriff, Amanda. 2008. Comic Sales Figures Circulate. Scoop (December 5):
http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/public/default.asp?t=1&m=1&c=34&s=268&ai=77604
*Unknown. 2010. Graphic Books. New York Times (February 4): http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/books/bestseller/bestgraphicbooks.html