Weekend Quick Hits – Cartoonists

Beloved cartoonist Nicole Hollander reflects on a life after ‘Sylvia’ in a 30 minute radio interview.

above Nicole Hollander and Justin Kaufmann

Groundbreaking syndicated cartoonist and writer Nicole Hollander (“Sylvia”) joins Justin [Kaufmann] to discuss her new illustrated memoir, “We Ate Wonder Bread.” Nicole talks about her illustrious career, why she decided to write a graphic memoir, how her family was an inspiration for “Sylvia,” the role humor played in her life, bringing feminism to a comic strip, how she dealt with criticism from readers, who she was writing “Sylvia” for, what newspapers meant to people, her thoughts on why “Sylvia” lasted 33 years, why she decided to retire the character of Sylvia and her [June 9] appearance at Printers Row Lit Fest.

 

 

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and Kids Right to Read Project Defend Fun Home.

Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic has come under attack.

“We understand that the book – which was recently added to your 12th grade curriculum after a two-year review – contains illustrations that some parents have objected to, prompting a review per Watchung Hills District Policy 2240.

We write to offer our support as you perform this review. We urge you to base your decisions on pedagogical motives, rather than yielding to ideologically motivated pressures from some groups or parents.”

 

 

The Documentary ‘Mr. Fish: Cartooning From the Deep End‘ shines a light on controversial cartoonist Dwayne Booth.

Pasadena Weekly interviews with the documentary’s cartoonist subject and the film’s director prior to the film’s Los Angeles debut.
Director Pablo Bryant:

“I found him to be funny, sweet, smart, and heartbroken and it spoke to me,” Bryant continues. “I got his first book ‘Go Fish,’ which was a mix of his essays and cartoons, and the cartoons spoke to me in the same way, communicating what is difficult to face in modern life: dysfunction, exploitation, and the imbalance of power. They were funny but also dark, so you can laugh and cringe at the same time. I found that to be a unique experience, and yet they were truthful to me.”

Cartoonist Dwayne Booth (aka Mr. Fish):

“Real satire is supposed to stoke anger and give you something besides really good belly laughs.”
“[At that time the L. A. Times was] trying to figure out what the editorial page should look like, so there was a little push and pull with them in terms of the content of what I was doing, but it wasn’t impossible,” he continues. “It did involve more conflicts than anywhere else. At LA Weekly I never even got suggestions for editing. I just said this is what I do and they took it.”

 

 

‘Is There Something in This?’ – The Quest of two Aussies to get a Cartoon in the New Yorker.

Walkley Magazine, an Australian journalism periodical, joins two comedians, idea man/gag man Scott Dooley and idea man/gag man/cartoonist Jason Chatfield, as they partner up to sell cartoons to the New Yorker and MAD magazine.
They have successfully sold to both:

“The New Yorker appear to have done away with their standards,” quips Chatfield, who at 23 was Australia’s most-syndicated cartoonist. “We’ve also sold a half dozen to MAD magazine, but of course, they never had standards to begin with.”

hat tip: Michael Maslin

 

 

For the Old Farts – Robert Crumb by way of Joel Pett:


Truckin’, got my chips cashed in
Keep truckin’, like the do-dah man
Together, more or less in line
Just keep truckin’ on

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