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Clay Jones posts bet-losing-ditty to YouTube

by Alan Gardner 4 comments January 15, 2008

Last week Free Lance-Star editorial cartoonist Clay Jones made a bet with Seattle Times editorial cartoonist Eric Devericks over the outcome of a Seahawks, Redskin’s game. Clay lost. He had to write a song praising the Seahawks.Song is posted.

Comic page gains and losses (UPDATED)

by Alan Gardner 9 comments January 14, 2008

A few things of interest when looking at the comic page changes reported this week. Firstly, The Colorado Springs Gazette has announced the results of their latest comic poll. After 6000 votes cast, For Better or For Worse, B.C., and Peanuts will stay. Wizard of Id and Frank & Earnest were dropped and in their […]

For Better or For Worse to end hybrid

by Alan Gardner 71 comments January 13, 2008

According to Vertura County Star, Lynn Johnston will be ending the hybrid experiment and re-run her feature, For Better or For Worse, when the current story-lines are complete. Universal Press will continue to sell the repeats. Johnston hasn’t set a specific end date but did start a slow phaseout of the comic in September with […]

Animated editorial cartoons heading for tipping point?

by Alan Gardner 25 comments January 11, 2008

Readers of this blog know that I’ve been somewhat reluctant to embrace animated editorial cartooning as the next generation of the profession, but I can’t help but think we’re heading for a tipping point (“the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable”). Over two years ago The Washington Post ran a contest to […]

Bob Zahn has passed away

by Alan Gardner 0 comments January 11, 2008

Carroll Robert (Bob) Zahn Jr. has passed away at the age of 73. According to E&P, Bob did the Bigg’s Business syndicated comic panel from the years 1972 to 1979 but is mostly known for his magazine cartoons, greeting cards and cartoon books.Tom Spurgeon has the best write-up.

Bennett, Davies, Oliphant, Telnaes to speak at D.C. cartoon forum

by Alan Gardner 0 comments January 11, 2008

The National Archives will be hosting a special panel discussing a new exhibit featuring Clifford Berryman (1869-1949), a staff cartoonist at the Washington Post and Washington Evening Star. Invited discussion participants include Pulitzer prize winning editorial cartoonists Clay Bennett, Matt Davies, Pat Oliphant, and Ann Telnaes. The panel discussion is scheduled for February 7th and […]

Pooch Cafe optioned for movie with Sony Animation

by Alan Gardner 10 comments January 11, 2008

From Paul Gilligan’s blog comes news that his feature, Pooch Cafe has been optioned by Sony Animation to be made into a CG feature film. He notes that Sony’s two previous forays into computer-animated movies include Open Season (which Steve Moore, creator of In the Bleachers was an executive producer and co-creator) and last year’s […]

Thad Ogburn for President

by Alan Gardner 4 comments January 10, 2008

I second that. The key lesson here is that the editors in Raleigh got past believing that comics take away space from the “great issues of the day.” A well-balanced comics page deals with the “great issues” better than any other page of the paper. That’s right, even better than the front page, which is […]

The history of African-American cartoonists in papers

by Alan Gardner 7 comments January 10, 2008

Dave Astor has written another article regarding the February 10 “action” of several African-American cartoonists in which they will all draw the same cartoon (using their own characters) to hopefully draw attention to a tendency for editors to lump all of their features in as a “black” genre instead of merely the content of their […]

George Zeleski retires at age 87

by Alan Gardner 5 comments January 9, 2008

George Zeleski has announced that he’s retiring. He’s 86. He’s been the cartoonist for the Sun Post (San Clement, CA) for the last 20 years. Most of his career was spent in the meat industry, but after retiring he approached the editor of the Sun Post with some of his cartoons and was offered a […]

Dan Piraro to do stand up; moves blog

by Alan Gardner 3 comments January 9, 2008

Dan Piraro, creator of Bizarro, will be doing standup comedy on February 22 along with Johnny Steele at San Francisco’s Purple Onion. Their performance is called “Two Guys With Hats.”In other Piraro news, he’s evacuated his myspace blog and opened up a new over on blogger/blogspot.

Ed Fischer to have own exhibit

by Alan Gardner 0 comments January 9, 2008

Ed Fischer, who retired as the editorial cartoonist for the Post-Bulletin (Rochester, MN) after 25 years will have an exhibit in his honor at the History Center of Olmsted County. The exhibit will showcase 50 of his favorite cartoons he did while at the Post-Bulletin. Previous to the Post-Bulletin Ed has worked at the Omaha […]

New Yorker creates blog for cartoonists

by Alan Gardner 1 comments January 9, 2008

The New Yorker has launched a blog for its cartoonists. I don’t know how many of its cartoonists will be writing for it. It has two posts so far by Mick Stevens.The inaugural post: When The New Yorker asked me to launch its new cartoonistsâ?? blog, I was at first reluctant. I already have a […]

Cartoon “sit-in” scheduled for February 10

by Alan Gardner 100 comments January 9, 2008

Dave Astor writes that on February 10, at least eight African-American cartoonists plan to publish a similar cartoon to draw attention to the tendency of newspapers to run only one or two comics by African-Americans regardless of the size of the rest of the comic page making it more difficult for African-American creators to compete […]

Martha Arguello passes at age 90

by Alan Gardner 0 comments January 9, 2008

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 […]

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