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Glyphs kicking off ECBACC

Glyphs kicking off ECBACC

This weekend Temple University in Philadelphia, PA is hosting the annual East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention, but itf you look at the poster you’ll note that the first event, the Glyph Comic Awards recognizing "the best in comics made by, for, and about people of color from the preceding calendar year," is actually taking place at the African American Museum on 701 Arch Street.

While ECBACC is still fairly new, their online presence could use a bit of beefing up — nowhere in the website is there a schedule of events or panels, even though there are some intriguing teasers about workshops.  Nor does the AAMP even have the Glyphs listed on their calendar of events; I only found out the start time (7PM) from Mikhaela Reid’s blog (her fiance Makesha Wood is up for the Rising Star award). 

But from what I’ve heard of ECBACC, they more than make up for the lack of online detail with their in-person organizational presence.  ComicMix looks forward to hearing about all the details from our intrepid correspondents!

 

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New film festival set for Abu Dhabi

New film festival set for Abu Dhabi

Hot on the heels of announcements that Marvel and Nickelodeon will develop theme parks in Dubai, Variety reports that Abu Dhabi, another member of the United Arab Emirates, will host a film festival in October this year.  The announcement was made by several officials, including Sheik Sultan bin Tahnoon al Nahyan, a member of the royal family.  The crown prince, Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, approved the event.

Dubai already has Dubai Studio City, set up as a filmmaking hub.  The first soundstages are scheduled to open in December when, coincidentally, the Dubai Film Festival takes place.

Ben Turpin gawks at Hillbilly Loves Slaves

Ben Turpin gawks at Hillbilly Loves Slaves

If you’ve been wondering what happened to the visage of late comedian Ben Turpin, who briefly graced our Big ComicMix Broadcast announcements, well, it turns out he’s got a new job.

ComicMix columnist (and writer of the forthcoming horror graphic novel Fishhead) Michael H. Price has sent along what has got to be the greatest record album cover since the Mothers of Invention’s Weasels Ripped My Flesh.  Michael says:

Saltlick, Texas’ most notorious bluegrass band strikes again. Yes, and I knew I must have a good reason for hanging on to all those he-man adventure magazines my Dad had accumulated." Hillbilly Love Slaves of the Fourth Reich is a followup to the band’s big debut, Face Only A Mother Could Love.

Queenie for a day

Queenie for a day

Del Rey has just announced the newest addition to its growing lineup of original graphic novels, as it has acquired the rights to publish comic book stories featuring Dean Koontz’ popular Odd Thomas character ("I see dead people. But then, by God, I do something about it.").

Wisely, Del Rey has enlisted the services of manga superstar-to-be Queenie Chan (that’s her self-portrait at right) to take on the writing and art chores for this project.  Chan is no stranger to supernatural mystery, the genre of her book The Dreaming (not to be confused with the Neil Gaiman work of the same name), of which two volumes have already come out with a third on the way this autumn.

The as-yet-unnamed graphic novel "will follow Odd’s race to solve the murder of a young boy whose killer appears to be stalking a second child. It is set in the time before Odd Thomas [Koontz’ first OT book in his series] and takes place in Pico Mundo."  It’s slated to come out in the summer of ’08.

MICHAEL DAVIS: Ask Michael! Because I know.

MICHAEL DAVIS: Ask Michael! Because I know.

Last week’s article on privilege and other ranting produced quite a few responses – so many, in fact, I feel it’s my duty to respond and elaborate on my views. So with that in mind, welcome to the first installment of Ask Michael! Because I know. 

The "What about me? What about my needs?" article garnered these important comments.

Terry at 7:58 AM on Fri May 11, 2007 writes:

“I hate that show more than slavery,” is the best sentence I will read this month.

Yes Terry, yes it is.

But let’s look deeper; let’s look to why? Do I really hate the show Sweet 16 more than slavery? Well, if given the choice to be a slave or to watch that show, it would be a tough decision but I will most likely have to go with watching that show. Yeah I think by a 51 to 49 vote I would have to go with the show. Unless we are talking about a MTV Marathon. Then it’s “take me to the cotton fields, because a marathon would be worst than Adam West thinking he can still play Bat-man.” Yes, that show is that horrible.

Mike Baron at 8:11 AM on Fri May 11, 2007 writes:

Ditto.

"Ditto?" This from one of the greatest writers in the history of comics? Ditto? Well, Let’s look deeper; let’s look to why. Maybe, Mike, you are realizing that the world is an eternal flame of duplication where nothing is left to say. With a simple Ditto. You can say to the world “There’s no originality left. Woe is me.” Or maybe you just agreed with Terry. Both would be right.

Rob at 9:22 AM on Fri May 11, 2007 writes:

Hey Michael!
I am new to this site. I thoroughly enjoyed your column and look forward to many more. I agree with you on Paris. The letter for leniency to the governor, made it seem like she thought she had been given a death sentence. Perhaps she should read up on people who spent time in prisons for things they were later exonerated for (then maybe doing time for something she did would make sense).

Yes, Rob. But Let’s look deeper; let’s look to why. You did enjoy my column and I will write many more. You know why you enjoyed my column? You know why you are looking forward to many more? Because you are a smart guy, Rob! I like you, Rob. Not in a Brokeback way but in a kind of “Hey that Rob is a smart guy who knows a good writer when he sees one” way.

Josh at 5:23 PM on Fri May 11, 2007 writes:

Agreed. 
The degrees of elitism and entitlement you see around these days is nothing short of disgusting. I’m really hoping the judge reneges on giving her a more private cell for her own security. Let her get some common sense the old-fashioned way – by having it beaten into her. And seeing some rich, white, no-sense punk get smacked feels great; DOING the smacking feels SOOOOO much better.

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It’s Rex Morgan vs Doonesbury in Virginia

It’s Rex Morgan vs Doonesbury in Virginia

The world has come to this: The Hampton Roads, Virginia Virginian-Pilot is in the mood to drop some comic strips; Mutts is already on probation. Now they’re asking their readers to choose between Rex Morgan MD and Doonesbury.

I’ll run that by you again: kill one – Rex Morgan MD, by Woody Wilson and Graham Nolan, or Doonesbury, by Garry Trudeau. Vote now.

O.K. Now I can understand choosing between any number of mindless talking animal strips (note how I just exempted Mutts). Or any of those mindless "my wife’s a bitch" strips. Or any of those strips that think running a golf gag four times a week is the height of humor. But if you don’t think Rex Morgan MD and Doonesbury is apples and oranges, then I’m not letting you anywhere near my cherry orchard.

Rex Morgan MD copyright 2007 King Features Syndicate. Inc. All Rights Reserved. Doonesbury copyright 2007 G.B. Trudeau. All RIghts Reserved.

 

Second Life much like the first

Second Life much like the first

Found by our Spin Queen, and because conspicuous consumers just don’t have enough guilt.:

Author Nicholas Carr (that’s his new book at right) knows a bit about evolving technology.  So he decided to answer the question about whether the massively popular mutliplayer game Second Life was ecologically sustainable by doing the math and presenting his theoretical analysis.

And what he found was, "your average Second Life avatar consumes about as much electricity as your average Brazilian. Which means, in turn, that avatars aren’t quite as intangible as they seem. They don’t have bodies, but they do leave footprints."  One of Carr’s commenters adds his findings about how this in turn affects CO2 emissions.

I’d suggest just reading a book instead, but of course that all starts with killing trees…

Heroes – right or wrong?

Heroes – right or wrong?

The middle of the week finds The Big ComicMix Broadcast smack in the middle of TV Trauma -– which shows are going and what is coming in the summer and fall? Plus a truly rare variant comic, a new Jungle Girl debuts and MTV gets into comics. We lay out our theory on the Heroes finale, and show you best example we can find of the power of pop culture!

And if you Press The Button, LOST will finally start making sense!

Kool komputer komics from the 80s

Kool komputer komics from the 80s

Wil Wheaton found a bunch of comics that Radio Shack/Tandy put out two decades ago to teach kids about computers, written by Paul Kupperberg with art by Dick Ayers and Chic Stone.  Wil samples some of Kupperberg’s dialogue, which in hindsight seems very reminiscent of Bob Haney’s "so hip it’s instantly dated" flair.  (‘S okay, Paul, we still love ya!)

Here’s the whole lot of them, online.  Say, did you know you can use your computers to communicate with information services that will store old PSA comics?  It’s true!

NYPD watches Rall

NYPD watches Rall

They say Iraq War II is nothing like the Vietnam War. I say bull.

Cartoonist / columnist Ted Rall reports the New York City police had been monitoring his website during the Republican National Convention in 2004, siting reports in The New York Times. He notes a "reason they can’t find bin Laden: they’re so worried about the ‘traitors’ in their midst that they’ve lost sight of America’s real enemies.’" 

Well-known for his left-wing views, Ted’s editorial cartoons and newspaper columns are distributed by Universal Press Syndicate, distributor of other radical thinkers as Garfield, Ziggy, Judge Dredd, and, oh yes, Ann Coulter.

Artwork copyright Ted Rall. All Rights Reserved.

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