Chic Young’s Blondie first debuted in newspapers 80 years ago today. The strip featured Blondie, a hip young flapper and Dagwood, the son of a rich industrial tycoon. Dagwood’s father disapproved of Blondie and marrying her resulted in disinheritance, banishment to suburbia and running into the mailman to catch the car-pool.Chic drew the strip until […]
From Boing Boing comes this little nugget of comic book history: The Library of Congress has just opened up 222 boxes worth of files and papers on Fredric Wertham, the scaremonger whose book Seduction of the Innocent led to widespread bans, burnings and censorship of American comic books. Wertham wasnt just a nutcase pro-censorship crusader: […]
Nevin Martell’s book Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and his Revolutionary Comic Strip is now available in paperback. Nevin tells me that the paperback has a new bonus chapter that includes material about of Bill Watterson’s life that came to light after the hardcover was published. Right now, Amazon […]
Bob Andelman, AKA Mr. Media has an excellent interview with Denis Kitchen. Denis is an underground cartoonist, publisher, and founder of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. This is a rare creative animal who has thrived in roles both creative and corporate, even if he met the latter challenge kicking and screaming all the way […]
The AP has story about Mort Walker’s Beetle Bailey turning 60 this Saturday. Mort Walker, who conjured up Beetle and has been putting him on paper every day for all those decades, says he’ll continue with his creation until he’s no longer able. “I don’t know how I’d be retired,” said Walker, 86. “I wake […]
The Washington Post has posted an extensive profile of Liberty Meadows creator Frank Cho. The profile is the cover story for this Sunday’s Washington Post Magazine. The story goes into his history with the strip, his personal life challenges and his work with Marvel. It also discusses his attempts to penetrate the French market. The […]
A photograph of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz (1922-2000) will be presented to the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in a ceremony for invited guests Oct. 1. The event recognizes the cartoonist’s impact on millions of people worldwide and coincides with commemorations surrounding the 60th anniversary of “Peanuts.” The 1986 photograph, created by acclaimed portraitist Yousuf […]
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is calling Senate Republicans as practicing “Charlie Brown theory of government” for delaying many of the Democratic legislative priorities. He reportedly said, “I’ve been terribly disappointed by the Charlie Brown theory of government around here” during a press conference on the state aid bill. According to The Hill, a GOP […]
The Press Democrat has an excellent report on Craig Schulz, Charles Schulz’ son and his work as president and CEO of Creative Associates – the company that manages licensing for the Peanuts characters. Earlier this year, Craig Schulz found himself in the national news again, when the Schulz family made a $175 million deal with […]
Another piece of news from last weekend’s Comic-Con: Fantagraphics Books announced that it has partnered with Disney and will publish the complete Mickey Mouse comic strips by Floyd Gottfredson in May of 2011.
Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau talks about past, present and future of Doonesbury in this promotional video for his upcoming book “40”. “40” is due out in October of this year. It’s a massive collection on par with The Complete Calvin and Hobbes and The Complete Far Side. almost 700 pages and will cost you $100. […]
A good read from Ted Dawson as he questions the limits of protection, respect, and moral responsibility of copyright. While many countries still permit Work for Hire, which removes a writer or artist’s authorship, other countries enforce what they call Moral Rights. Moral rights protect the creator’s right of attribution to and integrity of her […]
ComicsDC blogger Mike Rhode writes about the recent release of comic-related stamps by the Post Office and how this isn’t a new trend. Check out his column in the Washington City Paper and take the quiz – when was the first instance of a comic on a U.S. stamp? The U.S. Postal Service has just […]
Director Breck Eisner is currently making a Flash Gordon movie based on on the comic strip that began in 1934. Airlock Alpha reports Eisner’s intentions and talks about the business of making remakes. Now, fresh off of “The Crazies,” director Breck Eisner is prepping to revive “Flash Gordon” for a new generation. With the goal […]
Google payed tribute to Rube Goldberg on July 4 on its homepage. Goldberg is famous for creating highly complex machines to perform simple things. It was in that spirit that Google’s logo depicted as a items interacting to raise the American flag. Goldberg is a founding member of The National Cartoonists Society and it is […]