These Are The Damned – This Week’s Links
“Even though the ideal is high, I never give in,” I whisper, switching to Bluesky Social.
Article Archive
The Cartoonist and the Paint Lady
Combing through library archives, newspaper files and his personal collection, Michael O’Connell assembles a beguiling portrait of Milton Caniff, young and hungry, drawing industrial cartoons for a charismatic young editor.
“Boy Am I Glad I’m Not In This Business”: Catching up with Larry Marder
Catching up with the creator of Tales of the Beanworld, extensively travelled through the art and business of comics and several bordering terrains.
DJ Please, Pick Up Your Phone – This Week’s Links
What, I’m at a funeral… no, NOT for my career in writing excerpt text…
The Structure of Expressions in Manga
Natsume tackles the fundamentals of manga composition: the particular qualities of pictures, words and panels that deliver meaning to the reader. With examples from the work of Tiger Tateishi, Tori Miki and Natsume himself!
Arrivals and Departures – October 2023
October brings another batch of tricks and treats (small press and self-published comic books) for RJ Casey to read, and for you to read about.
“Something As Bland As Possible”: The Making of Sunday, with Olivier Schrauwen
One of the standout comics of 2023 is the fourth and final installment of Olivier Schrauwen’s Sunday, a 468-page depiction of one day in the life and mind of a self-centered man. Matt Seneca questions the artist on the making of this proudly unextraordinary epic.
Walk Without Rhythm – This Week’s Links
MMMM, NEWS! I dive in like it’s a money bin of sparkling candy.
Strange Planet and the Instagram Mainstream
Brief musings on the wildly popular yet curiously unambitious Instagram comics ‘mainstream,’ and its difficulties in travelling beyond the particularities of its audience.
Strong Men Also Cry: The Tom Strong Compendium
Revisiting one of the millennial artifacts of writer Alan Moore’s final foray into the superhero mainstream: Tom Strong, now reprinted as a single large softcover.
Scenes from a Marriage: Fujiwara Maki and Tsuge Yoshiharu
An examination of two books documenting roughly the same period in the lives of married artists: Fujiwara Maki’s My Picture Diary and Tsuge Yoshiharu’s The Man Without Talent.
Flashback: Photos from SDCC 2023
Re-live the memories of summer with dozens of photos from San Diego Comic-Con International 2023, courtesy of Chris Anthony Diaz!
“If They Know What To Expect, Then I’m Just A Can Of Campbell’s Soup”: Matt Wagner Reflects on Finishing Mage, Returning to Grendel, and What Comes Next
Zach Rabiroff sits down with the creator of Grendel and Mage, two of the most prominent 1980s indie genre comics still active today, in distinctly different forms.
The King Stay The King – This Week’s Links
Whew, I’m so glad the writer’s strike is over; now I can go back to hiring million-dollar talents to write these post descriptions. We never skimp on quality down here.
Married to Comics: A Powerful Film About the Lives of Justin Green and Carol Tyler
John Kelly reports from the world premiere of Married to Comics, a documentary about the lives of memoir comic masters Justin Green and Carol Tyler.
Remembering Joe Matt
A collection of tributes to the cartoonist Joe Matt, who died earlier this month at the age of 60. Longtime friends mingle with young artists Matt befriended, affording us a variety of new perspectives on one of the standout memoirists of his generation.
Joe Matt Dies at 60
Michael Dean’s obituary for one of the standouts of autobio comics; Joe Matt died on Sunday, September 17, aged 60.
Work and Pleasure: Diana Schutz, Today
The longtime industry editor and newly-minted Eisner Hall of Fame inductee reflects on business, technology, industry politics, and an unyielding passion for comics.
The Artists and Cartoonists Who Designed Pee-wee Herman’s World – Part Two
The second and final part of John Kelly’s two-part look at the cartoonists behind the scenes of Pee-wee’s Playhouse – this time looking at merchandise, and plenty of it!
Keeping MAD Alive: A Look at Claptrap
Inside a new crowdfunded book of movie parodies by MAD magazine veterans Tom Richmond & Desmond Devlin.
The Joe Matt Interview
In this extensive interview from The Comics Journal #183 (January 1996), Christopher Brayshaw speaks with the cartoonist Joe Matt (1963-2023) about his career to date.
Seth on Joe Matt, 1995
From The Comics Journal #183 (January 1996): Christopher Brayshaw followed up his Joe Matt interview with a conversation with the Peepshow cartoonist’s friend and fellow cartoonist, Seth.
“There’s A Different Kind Of Energy Around You And Your Work. And That’s Just Life”: Jillian Tamaki at Mid-Career
As part of her chronicle of comics in Toronto, Kim Jooha sits down for an oeuvre-wide talk with Jillian Tamaki, one of the most prominent practitioners on the scene.
