The San Francisco Chronicle has written that Martha Arguello has passed away at the age of 90. Martha was the creator of a comic strip called Bobby Sox and another one called Emmy Lou that ran in the Chronicle for 35 years. Bob Sox was syndicated to about 100 papers and Emmy Lou inspired a […]
The Growing old with BC – A 50 Year Celebration book that I reported to be out this fall has already sold out from the manufacturer. The first run contained 10,000 copies. The publisher, Checker Book Publshing Group, says they will be doing another run soon. Some copies are still available at retain and online […]
E&P reports that Sunday’s Prince Valiant was the 3,700th installment. The feature is currently being created by Gary Gianni and Mark Schultz. Prince Valiant debuted in 1937 by Hal Foster and then was taken over by John Cullen Murphy.
Allan Holtz from the Strippers Guide blog has posted a video preview of the new software release of the Strippers Guide Index to U.S. Comic Strips and Cartoon panels. Allan has taken on the monumental task of documenting every comic strip and panel that has run in U.S. newspapers and instead of publishing the results […]
Back in July I told you about Fantagraphic Books’ plans to release a collection of Bill Mauldin’s Willie and Joe cartoons from the World War II years. The book is now available for pre-order. You can pre-order it at Amazon for only $40.95 (regularly $65) and has a price guarantee that if they ever drop […]
American Heritage has a great article on the original The Katzenjammer Kids – which turns 110 years old today. The original Katzenjammer Kids was a pioneer in cartooning – establishing the basic visual language used in comics today. Around the turn of the twentieth century, two popular art forms began parallel transformations. Up until that […]
After reading Kiel Fleming’s high praise for Bill Wattersons’s Calvin and Hobbes as the best strip ever, Noah Berlatsky felt compelled to drop the praise-o-meter a few notches:He writes: Fair enough — but in fact this take on C & H actually does sum up my own attitude towards the strip. Not the part about […]
An original Charles M. Schulz Peanuts Sunday strip, dated April 10, 1955, recently sold for $113,525. The auction, held by Heritage Auction Galleries, took place on November 15-16. “This particular piece is the first Peanuts original ever to sell in the six-figure range,” said Ed Jaster, vice president for Heritage. “The demand for Schulz’s Peanuts […]
There is an interesting article in the L.A. Times regarding editorial cartooning during the Civil War era in U.S. history. A new book is coming out entitled “Lines of Contention” by J.G. Lewin and P.J. Huff. One of the most difficult preconceived beliefs to abandon is of Abraham Lincoln as a revered, even sacrosanct figure. […]
Slate has posted a slideshow essay about Peanuts creator Charles Schulz. The slideshow is based on information found in David Michaelis’ book “Schulz and Peanuts.”
Robert “Bob” Bindig, the artist for the comic strip Big Boy from 1985 to 1995 passed away on Tuesday at the age of 87. Bob was drafted into World War II where he served in the Pacific theater from 1943 to 1946. According to the Veterans History Project, he was assigned to the Psychological Warfare […]
Fanatgraphics books is opening an exhibit in their bookstore called the “Unseen Peanuts“ a small collection of little known works by Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz. The features are deemed “unseen” because they were one of thousands that were left out of published collections until the Complete Peanuts Project. The exhibition will showcase nine of […]
Paul Norris has passed away at the age of 93. Paul began his career with the Dayton Daily News and then later co-created Aquaman and Brick Bradford, a comic strip that he worked on for its 35 year run (1952-1987). Tom Spurgeon has the most detailed obituary on his career and accomplishments.UPDATE: A video tribute […]
If you’re near Boston this Sunday, go listen to Harry Katz lecture on the history of cartooning in America. Harry is the former head curator of the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress and author of “Cartoon America: Comic Art at the Library of Congress.” He’ll speak at Cary Memorial Library at […]
Mike Cope writes in to alert us that Charles M. Schulz biographer David Michaelis will be interviewed on CBC’s radio probram “Q” today at 2 p.m. EST to talk about his new book Schulz and Peanuts. Those wanting to listen in can listen to the live stream or wait for the program to be archived […]