Monday, June 07, 2010

Kickstarter: Tony Murphy


My friend, cartoonist Tony Murphy, wants to revive the printed newspaper comic strip. He proposes a newspaper broadsheet full of comics, titled COFFEE TALK, at NYC area coffee shops. But he needs help.

Here's Tony:

I'm a daily syndicated cartoonist. Unfortunately, newspapers are dying, and while my strip IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU is in a handful of papers – the Boston Globe, the Tampa Tribune, etc. – I'm looking for a way for comic strips to really thrive.

The Internet is great -- but there's nothing like reading comic strips in a newspaper you can hold in your hand. The project is therefore to create a newspaper of comic strips. Since much of my strip IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU takes place in a cafe or is coffee-related, Coffee Talk could be carried in cafes and coffee shops.

Tony is asking for people to read his proposal at Kickstarter and consider pledging funds to make this a reality.

In addition to Tony's work, COFFEE TALK's cartoon roster includes:


MAX by Marc Bilgrey: Max is a writer who is tortured by a muse with a sick sense of humor – and by pretty much everyone else in his life.


EVE N’ STEVEN by Anne Gibbons: Eve’s a political activist who speaks her mind and doesn’t pull her punches. Steve is down with the cause, but prefers to ROLL with the punches.

STRINGS ATTACHED, by Ali Solomon: If "Friends" was set in college and populated with people you could stand to be around, you’d have Ali’s strip.

POP CULTURE SHOCK THERAPY by Doug Bratton: It’s the Sta-Puf Marshmallow Man meets Peanuts meets Mr. Ed meets Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde meets Godzilla!


BITTER GIRL by Joan Hilty: A dynamic cast of lesbian friends and lovers explore the central themes of shyness and unrequited lust.


Also featured will be other local artists and people whose stuff we just like, like Stephanie Piro, who does the great FAIR GAME.


Sunday, June 06, 2010

Video: Hometown Huntington and Bunny Hoest

Huntington, Long Island gets its hour-long lovesong of a documentary on WLIW Channel 21 tomorrow night. Titled HOMETOWN HUNTINGTON, the public television program premieres Monday, June 7, 2010, at 8pm. The show is hosted by Bernadette Castro, and features Patti LuPone, Ralph Macchio, The Lockhorns’ Bunny Hoest, and other past and present residents.

Here is a preview:



Huntington is also the home of the Long Island National Cartoonists Society chapter, otherwise known as the "Berndt Toast Gang."

Hat tip to BTG chairman Adrian Sinnott for the heads up!

Saturday, June 05, 2010

Tony DiPreta Dies at 88

Above photo from the Connecticut Times: "Tony DiPreta works on his comic strips in a makeshift art studio (formerly a chicken coop) that he converted on his late mother Maria's property on in Stamford in this undated photo. DiPreta, a Greenwich resident who illustrated nationally syndicated comic strips Joe Palooka and Rex Morgan, M.D., died Wednesday. He was 88."

Connecticut Times writer Lisa Chamoff reports that veteran cartoonist Tony DiPreta died on June 2, in Greenwich, CT.

"DiPreta died of respiratory and cardiac arrest, according to his son, Richard DiPreta, a Greenwich attorney.

"In a 2007 interview with Greenwich Time, DiPreta said he got into cartooning after reading in The Advocate of Stamford that a cartoonist named [H.T.] Webster made $50,000 a year.

"'I thought, 'Boy that's a lot,' said DiPreta, who grew up in Stamford during the Great Depression. 'I went down and saw him, and he talked to me. Then I started drawing for my junior high school. It made me feel like I could really draw.'"

He graduated the Stamford Guild Art School (along with Bob Fujitani and Red Wexler), and began work with an advertising agency and McCall's photo engraving. His first comics work was lettering Lyman Young's Tim Tyler's Luck. ("... [W]hile Young went out to play golf.")

Mr. DiPreta worked in comic books in the golden age of the 1940s, producing fillers for Quality, Timely and Hillman. Adopting a more realistic style, he drew Hillman's flagship Airboy title, and produced pages for best selling Gleason comic books like Daredevil and Crime Does No Pay. He assisted Lank Leonard on Mickey Finn from 1945 to 1955, and then performed significant runs on Joe Palooka (1959-84) and Rex Morgan, M.D (1985-2000).

A memorial service is scheduled for Thursday in Stamford, CT.

Related: The DiPreta Brothers – The Fighting DiPretas

Related: The Horrors Of It All blog has some 1950s horror comics by Mr. DiPreta

My thanks to Lambiek for some of the biographical information.

Hat tip to Sean Kelly.

Friday, June 04, 2010

Free Sketch (WIth Purchase)


Just a sample of some of the original sketches that I've been drawing in each and every one of my new CARTOONING BASICS mini now on sale.


Thanks to everyone who's ordered!

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Video: "Engage" with Lynda Barry - Cartoonist Activist



ENGAGE, a Wisconsin based educational TV series showcases the possible health effects of wind turbines. Lynda Barry comes on the scene at about 3:10 of this 12:48 video.

Happy Birthday, Mark Anderson!



Many happy returns to my inky pal Mark Anderson today. Mark loves cartooning and Legos -- although maybe not in that order!

Video: Taylor Jones and Jeff Stahler

Via Daryl Cagle, here are conversations with editorial cartoonist Jeff Stahler and caricaturist Taylor Jones. These were both recorded during this past weekend's Reubens convention.



Wednesday, June 02, 2010

2010 National Cartoonists Society Reubens Weekend


Above: Richard Thompson, Garry Trudeau and some fellow named McMeel!

Here are a few photos from the 2010 National Cartoonists Society Reubens Weekend, which was held in Jersey City, NJ, May 28-30, 2010.



The one and only Mell Lazarus and my pal Leif Peng.

John McMeel and my pal Sean Kelly, with the golden light of the Jersey sunset hitting the New York skyline.


John Nolan (husband to Stephanie Piro) and Don Orehek.



Tom Stiglich and illustrator Paul Combs.



Nominee Tony Carillo, lovely wife Lindsay Carillo and lovely gag cartoonist Ken Krimstein.


Mo Willems, Shaenon Garrity and Andrew Farago.



Brian Moore and Hilary Price.



Mike Lynch, Sandra Boynton, George Booth, Dione Booth and Mo Willems.



Terry and Patty LaBan, who I met for the first time!



Lee Salem and Mike Lynch.



Jyrki Vainio, John Nolan and Don Orehek.



John's caricature by Don.



Two of my favorite people: Juana Medina and Stan Goldberg.



Mike Lynch, NCS Division Award winner Ray Alma and Adrian Sinnott.



That's a real car on Adrian's tie! OK, well I thought it was cool.



Rina Piccolo, Don Orehek and Stan Goldberg.



Daryl Cagle and Taylor Jones.



Susan Camilleri Konar, Richard Thompson, Kristen and Corey Pandolph.


Tony Leonardi, Peter and Debbie Guren.


Sarah and George Booth prep for his presentation.



George's label for his wife's NCS goody bag.



George and Booth dog.



Two men who defined comics: Jerry Robinson and Joe Kubert.



Cutting the rug on Reuben Awards evening: Bunny Hoest and George Booth.


Alex Hallatt and Don Orehek.




3 of the SIX CHIX: Anne Gibbons, Isabella Bannerman and Stephanie Piro.


Tayo, Graham Nolan, Mike Lynch.


Ronnie Del Carmen, who had just won the NCS Division Award for his Pixar's UP storyboarding, and Brian Moore.



Chad Frye and Tom Stemmle.


Post-Reubens night: a bird's eye shot of Alex Hallatt, leaning on a wall, drawing in Anton Emdin's sketchbook.



Rob Rogers, Steve Brodner and Juana Medina.



Jerry and Gro Robinson, Mike Lynch.



A bit o' Sam Viviano, the award winning Tom Richmond, Charlie Kochman and Nick Meglin.



Stan Goldberg, the award winning Debbie Tomassi, Florenz and Hy Eisman.



Cheri and Stephanie Pere.


My pal Richard Thompson and me, Mike Lynch. (EDIT: No it isn't. As Brian Fies points out in the comments below, that is the handsome Mo Willems next to Richard. Mea culpa, Mo! I am so tired from the Reubens I -- GASP! -- don't know WHO I am!)



This was Sunday night's view from the stage during the Gag Cartoon Smackdown.



Matt Diffee, the "Stuckey and Murray Comedy Empire," and Chad Frye.



Shaenon Garrity, Andrew Farago and Mike Lynch getting close.



Tired. Can't smile. Mike Lynch and the irrepressible Sam Viviano.



Midnight or so. The view from the hotel.

More photos at Tom Richmond's blog, and they are popping up on Facebook all over. More anon.

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

2009 National Cartoonists Society Award Winners

Saturday night, May 29, 2010, at a black tie dinner in Jersey City, NJ, the National Cartoonists Society held its 64th Annual Reuben Awards dinner. Below is the Reuben Award winner, the thirteen NCS Division Award winners, as well as the 2 Milton Caniff Award winners and the Gold Key Award recipient. More information at the NCS Web site. More about the awards here.


REUBEN AWARD - CARTOONIST OF THE YEAR
Dan Piraro - "Bizarro"

TELEVISION ANIMATION
Seth McFarlane - “Family Guy”

FEATURE ANIMATION
Ronnie del Carmen - Storyboard Artist - “Up”

NEWSPAPER ILLUSTRATION
Tom Richmond

GAG CARTOONS
Glenn McCoy

GREETING CARDS
Debbie Tomassi

NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS
Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman - “Zits”

NEWSPAPER PANEL CARTOONS
Hilary Price - “Rhymes with Orange”

MAGAZINE FEATURE/MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATION
Ray Alma

BOOK ILLUSTRATION
Dave Whamond - “My Think-A-Ma-Jink”

EDITORIAL CARTOONS
John Sherffius

ADVERTISING ILLUSTRATION
Steve Brodner

COMIC BOOKS
Paul Pope - “Strange Adventures”

GRAPHIC NOVELS
David Mazzucchelli - “Asterios Polyp”

GOLD KEY AWARD
Bill Gallo

MILTON CANIFF LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
George Booth

MILTON CANIFF LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Joe Kubert

Congratulations to all of the winners. I'll be posting some photos soon.

Video: Mike Luckovich Tribute

Upon the occasion of Mr. Luckovich winning Georgia First Amendment Foundation's 2010 Weltner Award. This video if the Foundation's tribute to the Pulitzer Prize winning Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial cartoonist. Produced by Dale Russell of WAGA, edited by Randy Reinhardt of WAGA.


Looney Tunes Backgrounds


Ooh! Lotsa backgrounds from the Looney Tunes cartoons! It's all at the Comicrazys blog!

Hat tip to Comics Reporter!

CARTOONS AND GAGS Magazine


Sam Henderson scans in the first part (with the rest to come) of CARTOONS AND GAGS Magazine, a 1950s and 60s gag cartoon mag produced by Marvel Comics. It features a Joseph Farris cover with interior cartoons by Bo Brown, Sid Harris, Bill Harrison, Kirk, Bob Thaves, Lepper, Leung, O'Brien, Charlie Rodrigues, and others.