News, Views and Oddities, where we link to various bits and bobs which have grabbed our attention, encompassing comics, books, illustration, design and film. Clicking fingers at the ready.
Starting with something I loved this week: Kyle Platt’s illustrated biography of Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama. You can view the whole thing here, and while you’re there, also check out his recent collaboration with Rajeev Basu, entitled Drones of New York, a work produced in response to the news that domestic drones will come into effect in 2015.
The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum have debuted a new resource/guide collating the works of African American, Asian American and Latino American comic creators. The guide was compiled by Joe Miller and doesn’t incude international or foreign language works, but it’s certainly a positive and useful thing.
The X-Files makes a return to comics: I always loved them, so I’m pretty chuffed about this. IDW are teaming up with Twentieth Century Fox to publish some new material and bring back Mulder and Scully to the panelled page.
I love stuff like this: Colleen AF Venables on the importance of book spine design.
You’ve all been keeping up with the amazing tutorials Lynda Barry’s been drawing up for her class and then sharing, right:
First Second go from strength to strength in terms of the books they put out: they’ve announced a new Gene Luen Yang project, a ‘slipcased edition will contain two volumes that explore the stories of two peasants during the Boxer Rebellion in China who struggle with issues of identity during a time in Chinese history when many were asked to choose between their country and their faith. While Boxers tells the story of a peasant who joins the Rebellion, Saints follows the spiritual journey of a Chinese woman who converts to Catholicism.’ You can read a 10 page excerpt and more here.
Eddie Capmbell on comics as literature.
Batman fighting a shark in ice sculpture form.
Cartoonists talk about their experiences of doing book dedications at Angouleme: this is very frustrating I would imagine.
Good press for comics is always a positive thing, regardless if it may seem obvious to those who have long been involved in the making and reading of them : a new study shows that comics help people learn
More eXcellent hourly comics from Sarah Olekysk and Geneva Hodgson:
Thu, Feb 7, 2013
Comics and cartoons, News