MetaMaus by Art Spiegelman

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It’s been 25 years since Art Spiegelman first introduced “MAUS: A Survivor’s Tale,” the landmark 13-year project that is both a Holocaust story and the memoir of the cartoonist’s own relationship with his survivor father. To mark the anniversary, the 1992 Pulitzer Prize winner is being celebrated with the new “Metamaus” book/DVD package, due out next month. If you’re a fan, the video should intrigue further.

[ART SPIEGELMAN: The Interview]

[GRAND PRIZE: Spiegelman wins big at Angoulême]

Interview with cartoonist Dave Brown of "The Independent"

From The Independent.

Newspaper cartoonists: Quick on the draw

Forget sharp-tongued gossip columnists – when it comes to taking on the great and the not-so-good, the newspaper cartoonist is king, says Gillian Orr

My favourite cartoons (15): Schot

Published in 2006 in Ad Algemeen Dagblad, Netherlands.

I wish I'd drawn...(12)

...this cartoon by Pat Bagley

and for that matter:

Cartoons Against Bloodshed in Mexico

From PRI's The World

by Shannon Young

When a mass movement emerged in Mexico this spring calling for a change of strategy in the drug war, a single image consistently appeared in the protests; the word “no” with a plus sign and a blood stain. It reads No Mas Sangre or No More Blood.

The emblem comes from a graphic campaign launched in January by a group of Mexican political cartoonists.

25 of the Most Influential News Images of All Time

The Great Depression

This image of Florence Thompson from the 1930s came to be associated with the great depression, for years to come. Thompson was a poor migrant mother at the time, like so many others. The expressions of worry and anguish on her face, literally speak of the mood of thousands of others during the same time. The image has been reprinted in various magazines, newspapers and journals over the years. It has become a symbol of sorts, of the great depression.

Troy Davis 1975-2011

From Steve Brodner's blog

Tonight, as I write this Troy Davis is being killed by the State of Georgia and a combined posse of vengeance, ignorance and indifference. May Davis and all the Davises past and future be as a eternal spur to the conscience of this country until the death penalty is permanently erased.

The Symbol of Justice is being redesigned today and here's the updated version.

I wish I'd drawn...(11)

...this wonderful cartoon by Kap in La Vanguardia.

"Freedom in Broad Strokes" Exhibition (Stratford, PEI)

From the Mike Lynch Cartoons blog.

Above: the Stratford Town Centre entrance, Stratford, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

The cartoon highlight of our recent trip to Prince Edward Island was seeing the traveling exhibit of international editorial cartoons titled "Freedom of Expression in Broad Strokes."

"Ziggy" creator Tom Wilson dead at 80

My favourite cartoons (14): Loup

‘Timely and Timeless’ exhibit at the Library of Congress

“Timely and Timeless: New Comic Art Acquisitions” opens at Library of Congress today.

Michael Cavna's article in The Washington Post below:

World Press Cartoon 2011

I received this Tuesday the 2011 catalogue of the Sintra, Portugal World Press Cartoon competition.

The jury this year included Antonio Antunes, creator of the contest and exhibition, Anita Kunz (Canada), Alessandro Gatto (Italy), Ralph Steadman (Great Britain) and Cécile Bertrand (Belgium).

Here is a post about Sintra on Anita's blog.

Here are the drawings I submitted...

Stripped: The Comics Documentary (2)

Dave Kellett (creator of Sheldon and Drive) and cinematographer Fred Schroeder have posted eight rough-cut clips from their documentary. The duo had initially raised their initial goal of $58,000 to finish the production of the film, but quickly exceeded it. They’ve continued their fund-drive to raise more money to pay for enhancements and extra features. Right now they have raised $80,800 and have nine more days to go.

Here are the featured cartoonists in their latest video:
- Jeff Smith (Bone) On the minimalist, essential nature of cartoons
- Scott Kurtz (PvP) On childhood aspirations of being a cartoonist
- Darrin Bell (Candorville) On the lack of inclusive role models in comics
- Scott McCloud (“Understanding Comics”) On inventiveness in the digital age, and the dominance (so far) of strips
- Kate Beaton (Hark! A Vagrant) On being a self-taught cartoonist
- Richard Thompson (Cul de Sac) On getting a late-night e-mail from Bill Watterson
- Greg Evans (Luann) On listening to your characters
- Ryan North (Dinosaur Comics) On how comics fell into three set genres

Stripped: Video Update #2 from Frederick Schroeder on Vimeo.

I wish I'd drawn... (10)

... this wonderful cartoon by Brian Gable in today's Globe and Mail:

Palin bio scooped in "Doonesbury"

Alan Gardner
The Daily Cartoonist

Michael Cavna reports that Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau was given an advance copy of Joe McGinniss’ new biography of Sarah Palin and that the two entered into a partnership allowing Garry the ability to use the material in his comic before the book is released. The first of the Doonesbury series started today.

Trudeau and Lee Salem, president of “Doonesbury” syndicate Universal Uclick, confirm that the excerpts are from the advance edition that the cartoonist received last spring, courtesy of the author. McGinniss did not return requests for comment, but his publicist at Random House/Crown said, “I can confirm that Joe did like the 2010 ‘Doonesbury’ cartoons, and [that's] why his agent reached out to Mr. Trudeau.”

As for Trudeau, he says, “McGinniss’s office first approached me for [the 2010] strip-reprint rights in March, and then subsequently about a possible review.” The cartoonist says he “demurred on the review, but proposed instead an exclusive first serial arrangement.”

Milton Glaser at 82

Photo: Denis Gratton

A colleague of mine at the paper just came back from New York where he interviewed famed designer Milton Glaser.

For those who are not familiar with his work, here are some of his iconic images:

9/11

  Bado, Le Droit, Ottawa, September 12, 2001.

Here is the work of some of my distinguished colleagues:

9/11 New Yorker cover

Great New Yorker cover this week by Ana Juan, similar but more dramatic than something I did a few years ago:

Reprint on the iPolitics website (3)

This cartoon was selected today on the iPolitics website:

Archives: Déjà Vu: 40 Years of Language and Laughter in Political Cartoons

The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, launched on Wednesday, September 9, 2009, at Library and Archives Canada, the exhibition Déjà Vu: 40 Years of Language and Laughter in Political Cartoons marking the 40th anniversary of the Official Languages Act.

Interviews with animator Claude Cloutier

Sunday's "Non Sequitur" sets traffic record

Alan Gardner in The Daily Cartoonist

Last Sunday’s Non Sequitur clearly resonated with many people.

According to the official GoComics blog, Wiley Miller’s strip was viewed over 300,000 times on Sunday – more than 10 times the normal average for a Sunday comic.

Posters from the Khaleej Times (Dubai)

Khaleej Times salutes the supreme sacrifices made by those brave journalists
around the world who stood courageously by their noble mission.
May they inspire us to uphold the truth always.

My favourite Cartoons (13): Frank Cotham

"Everything's so easy for you, Mr. Perfect."

Reprints on the "iPolitics" website (2)

The following cartoons were featured on the "iPolitics" website yesterday:

Bob Rae, interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, is a former NDP Premier of Ontario.

This cartoon was first published on September 11, 2004.

A Primer on Newspaper Cartoons

From The Someday Funnies, edited by Michel Choquette, Abrams, New York, 2011

A very interesting article by Noel Murray published on the A.V. Club website.

Newspaper Comics 101: The Gags
Rarely has an art form experienced as astonishing a rise in popularity and esteem as the newspaper comic strip did in the 20th century, and rarely has an art form fallen out of favor as abruptly and alarmingly. During the “yellow journalism” wars of the late 19th century, publishers relied on cartoons to drive up circulation, and in the decades that followed, newspapers developed large, lavish comics sections, with features meant to appeal to children and adults alike. Intellectuals of the early 20th century wrote essays hailing what was being called an original American art, and the creators of the best-read strips became household names. The boom-times for newspaper comics extended deep into the second half of the 20th century as well, as paperback collections and merchandise turned the biggest strips into cash cows for their syndicates.

My favourite Cartoons (12): Leo Cullum (1942-2010)

"I'm going to be late, dear, It's total craziness here."

My favourite Cartoons (11): Gary Larson

"Well, of course I did it in cold blood, you idiot! ... I'm a reptile!"