Today on the site:
R. Fiore returns with thoughts on Walt Kelly, racial caricatures, M.K. Brown, George Wunder and George Carlson. It's a doozy. Here's where it begins:
It’s my general policy not to comment on the textual front and back matter of comic strip collections, though it often irritates me. In the first place, next to nobody reads it. In the second place, for those few who do read it, it has next to no potential to spoil the book. You’re reading the book for comics. The supplemental material might slightly enhance the experience, but if not it’s merely forgotten. It is at most an appetizer, and most of the time I leave it for last lest it spoil my appetite. However, I found Thomas Andrae’s hors d’oeuvre to Walt Kelly’s Pogo The Complete Dell Comics: Volume One (Hermes Press) went down so poorly that I feel the need for a belch.
And Danica Novgorodoff presents day 4 of her diary.
Elsewhere:
TCJ-contributor Bill Kartalopolous wrote in to remind his forgetful editors to mention a ton of amazing events related to this week's MoCCA fest. Here are his highlights:
Swarte + Speigelman in conversation, first US appearances by Frederic Coche, Brecht Vandenbroucke and Marion Fayolles, a talk on cartoonists' participation in the 1913 Armory Show at the site of the 1913 Armory Show, Robert Williams interviewed by Carlo McCormick, Alison Bechdel, Drew Friedman, and more. Reserved seating for the Spiegelman/Swarte was snapped up in 18 hours, remaining seats are first come first served. Bechdel/Cruse tix went almost as quickly. Plus concurrent exhibits of Friedman, Swarte and Jeffrey Catherine Jones at the Society of Illustrators.
That sounds pretty great to me. Especially the Swarte, Williams and Coche parts. If I still had a social life I'd camp out and gorge myself on all of this. I'm thrilled that MoCCA has roared back to life wonderfully with Bill so engaged in programming and European guests and a very supportive Society of Illustrators. All the info is here and here's photograph proof that Joost Swarte is indeed in NYC. That's just good news, period.
Elsewhere:
The best news of the week for me is that Brian Chippendale has opened his very own print emporium. Go and snap up his work!
On that note, Trinie Dalton wrote a very flattering overview of my company PictureBox.
Tom Spurgeon on new online doings by Jeff Smith.
Maurice Sendak profiled by Stefan Kanfer.
And the great Milton Glaser in conversation with the also great Steve Heller:
