CSotD: Thursday Short Takes
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First, a pair of odd prizes. The first to Joe Heller for an insightful commentary on the Flint water controversy, the oddness of the prize being that he didn't go for the cliche of the week in addressing the problem of poorly maintained infrastructure and its underlying economic inequity.
And, speaking of economic fairness, I'm hearing some chatter nationally that the Flint crisis is causing other cities — or the citizens therein — to look into their own situations, and that's a positive outcome.
I have mentioned that, when I first moved to Glens Falls at the turn of the century, the water in my rented house was undrinkable. The situation was fixed ("remediated") shortly thereafter, and my recollection is that they sleeved the old, crumbling mains by inserting non-toxic pipes inside, though I'm sure that isn't possible everywhere.
It also doesn't solve the problem of old pipes between the street and the tap, though letting the water flow for awhile would help with that to some extent.
As well as horrifying people who probably fear we're drawing down the Great Lakes and they'll be empty, mucky valleys in a few years if we don't stop using up all their water.
As for the cliche, someone suggested I was being snarky the other day for pretending it was mandatory for all cartoonists to draw Jim Crow dual-water-fountains, which, of course, I was.
But mostly I was being ineffectual, since the damn things are still popping up.
Aside from the unsubstantiated accusation of a racial element, it's been done. Often. A lot. Too much.
And I'm not buying "I don't read other people's cartoons for fear it would influence my own."
Before you start drawing, yes. But afterwards?
That's unprofessional bullshit.
Imagine a chef who said, "I never eat at other restaurants for fear it would influence my own cooking."
Would you go to a surgeon who said, "I never read medical journals for fear it would influence my technique"?
Duplicating someone else's idea on the same day is a coincidence. Duplicating it a week later is negligence.
Non, non, c'est a vous, j'insiste …
Here's today's second odd prize.
Well, someone had to win the damn thing, and, as Heidi MacDonald points out, at least Hermann Huppen has the standing to have taken home the
Grand Prix de la BD d'Angoulême 2016 even in a year when it wasn't a complete cluster.
Though they probably should have given it to René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, since it comes avec une astérisque.
Couldn't have said it better
Tom Spurgeon has a way of pointing out things that are going on without necessarily approving of them, but he lavished a particularly apt bit of exasperation on this chap, who is upset because Marvel sent him a cease-and-desist notice instead of a bouquet.
I'm old enough that another stunned young person that a big company doesn't want them making stuff with the things they own starts to grate rather than makes me mad at the company. Give me just one person saying, "Yeah, I knew it probably wasn't going to work, but I thought there'd maybe be a tiny chance of this squeaking through if it was done and they wanted to avoid the bad press of shutting me down. Anyway: please hire me!"
Kids, there are three sets of copyright/trademark attorneys you do not want to mess with: Those working for the International Olympic Committee, those working for Dr. Seuss and those working for Walt Disney.
And if you think Disney only owns Mickey Mouse (and, yes, the Beagle Brothers), you need to do a little homework. Marvel and Star Wars fan fiction may start becoming a bit problematic.
Werkspace
I greatly admire the work of Julia Wertz, but this look at her studio revealed two things: One is that she looks nothing like her autobiographical self, and, the second is that we could never, ever share space.
As you'll see if you follow that link, it isn't the usual "here's a peek inside" photo essay, but is more like what the FBI would turn in if they were doing an investigation of her studio and making a visual record of every nook and cranny and each object, which, you will also see, is a whole lot of objects.
I've seen workspaces where the person lives just as jumble-filled a life as I do, with a place for everything and everything all over the place, and I'm equally used to workspaces that are either "spartan" or "OCD," depending on how you feel about it, but where they own absolutely nothing that isn't relevant to the immediate task at hand.
Wertz, on the other hand, owns a massive amount of oddball, wonderful, fascinating stuff, and apparently keeps it organized like the backshop of a museum.
Though when I went looking for that self-portrait, I also came across this piece, which at least reassures me that, while she does keep her mementoes organized, she apparently did a little picking up before the photographer came over.
And photographed that drawing along with absolutely everything else she owns.
If she ever needs to file a homeowners' claim, she's all set.
Educational Opportunity
The California College of the Arts offers an MFA program in cartooning, but is also offering a free on-line course in cartooning, I assume as a sample but there it is, the whole course, no charge.
I have a cynical view of MFA's, which seem like a chance to hang out with other creative types for two years and to make some valuable contacts, neither of which are bad things.
Still, when I was looking at an MFA in writing after college, a friend said, "I know that MA stands for 'More Academia.' What does MFA stand for?"
Well said.
Anyway, the free course is guaranteed to be worth what you pay for it.
And if you'd rather obtain a check than a sheepskin, check this out.
For my part …
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