Just a barefoot artist in search of the meaning of life.
Here is a follow-up on a 5-page comic that will appear in the first full-length issue of Pop Culture Super-Sleuth, which will debut at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. I will post more as time allows and when it makes sense. In fact, I really should do more of these work-in-progress posts.
Filed under Bill Griffith, Comics, Henry Chamberlain, Zippy the Pinhead
Run, Artist, Run!
I have been having various conversations on the state of comics. At the end of the day, comics are a lot of things but, essentially, it is a sequential art form. Or you can say it’s primarily that since work that falls within the comics radar could possibly not be sequential! I think part of the problem is a human need to categorize and organize things: attempting to combine every kind of work of comics and illustration, as well as any work that includes or references “comics” under one leaky umbrella. We can’t seem to leave well enough alone. And then there is another human need to create some sort of turf war: this work is more worthy than that work; my work is prestigious and rises to the level of art while your work does not.
Dean Haspiel is one of the best cartoonists working today. Get his latest comic via the Kickstarter campaign going on now thru March 28th! This new comic has Dean deep within one of the most fascinating aspects of comics, the creator within his own work. This new project merges the two genres Dean Haspiel is best known for, superhero and memoir.
Filed under Comics, Comics News, Kickstarter
Souls of Black Folk: A Graphic Interpretation
Souls of Black Folk: A Graphic Interpretation. Art & Adaptation by Paul Peart-Smith. Edited by Paul Buhle & Herb Boyd. Rutgers University Press. 2023. 180pp. $22.95
Artist Paul Peart-Smith presents the first graphic novel adaptation of a landmark work, a hybrid of cultural studies and personal essay, W.E.B. Du Bois’s 1903 book, The Souls of Black Folk. The original work is filled with insight into the Black person’s experience after the American Civil War as well as functioning as a prevailing call to action. Peart-Smith masterfully works with Du Bois’s timeless prose: navigating the “vast veil,” observing with a “second-sight,” and absorbing it all with a “double-consciousness.”
Filed under Comics, Graphic Novel Reviews
Nick Cagnetti is a cartoonist based in Arizona and a graduate of Arizona State University with experience doing storyboards and commercial art but he’s been drawing forever thanks to a life-long love for comic books. He’s been making his own regularly since 2012 with books like Infinite Wonders and The Spirit of The Shadows but he’s best known for his work on Pink Lemonade.
PINK LEMONADE #1 by Nick Cagnetti
Nick Cagnetti is one of the cartoonists that inspires me and I’m happy to feature here. Looking back, I found my glowing review of Pink Lemonade #1 from 2019, when it was published by Drew Ford’s IT’S ALIVE. Nick and I talk about the legacy of Drew Ford, one of the great champions of offbeat comics. Pink Lemonade is now published by Oni Press.
“I try to keep pushing myself, to get even better. I try to make stuff I enjoy personally, that makes me smile.”
— Nick Cagnetti on his craft.
Comics can change the world, or we hope so. I’ve earned my stripes over the years championing comics of all types: comics that aspire to be pure art; comics that pursue social justice; comics that emulate literary fiction; comics by everyday amateurs; and comics by the best artists in the business at a professional level. Which comics are truly worthy of attention or best represent the medium? Well, the best comics are the ones worth reading, with something to say, and have a distinct level of authenticity. Cagnetti’s work rises to that level, much in the spirit of Daniel Clowes, Darwyn Cooke and Mike Allred. The professional cartoonist’s career is all about evolution and progress. It’s great to be able to chat with Cagnetti, a young talent who has already achieved a level of excellence he can be proud of.
I am a fan of all sorts of styles, from very simple to hyper-realistic. What matters most is that the comics, and the cartoonist, have that X-factor, that certain quality that gives the final product a compellingly human touch. Often, among all the genres and subcategories, what I truly love is offbeat and eccentric comics. That’s why I made a point of bringing up during our interview that old cult classic Marvel Comics favorite, Howard the Duck. It is not everyone’s cup of tea but that is the whole point. It was the brainchild of writer Steve Gerber. The tagline says it all, “Trapped in a world he never made!” Cagnetti’s own Pink Lemonade main character could definitely say the same thing.
The Spirit of the Shadows
Pink Lemonade is a must-read and needs to be added to your shelf if you don’t already have it. Pink Lemonade is published by Oni Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster. You can also keep up with Nick Cagnetti and his ongoing projects, like The Spirit of the Shadows. Just go to his website, Radical Realm Comics.
The Spirit of The Shadows new ashcan.
I also want to mention Nick’s new work, with Daniel Ziegler, on The Spirit of the Shadows. He will have ashcan samplers available at the upcoming Arizona Comic Book Arts Festival on March 9th and those comics will also be available on Nick’s site. And one more bit of news: keep an eye out for a comics project Nick did with writer Zack Quaintance. It’s an anthology called, Death of Comics Bookcase, presumably about the demise of Zack’s comics blog, and will be launching a campaign soon on Kickstarter.
Here is the video interview. I encourage you to give us a view, LIKE and COMMENT. Every bit helps in order to keep things moving along smoothly. You’ll miss a lot more cool stuff if you don’t visit! Thanks.
Filed under Comics, Interviews, Nick Cagnetti
Join us for a chat with award-winning writer/artist/performer/playwright/comics creator Cynthia von Buhler! The main focus is Cynthia’s Minky Woodcock graphic novel series, published by Titan Comics. And we connect the dots on related subjects too. Cynthia von Buhler is such a versatile creative person with one of the most impressive portfolios of work. Our conversation covers the last three graphic novels: the two recent Minky Woodcock books (read my reviews here and here) and a special treat, The Illuminati Ball, which is also an immersive stage experience.
The Illuminati Ball, immersive stage experience.
As you’ll find, all three of these titles share a lot in common: a fun and pulpy sensuous vibe; a love of quirky and uncanny history; and a relentless passion to solve a mystery.
The ever-expanding universe of Minky Woodcock.
One key factor about Cynthia’s art is its distinctive point of view. I get the feeling that I’m right there with the characters in their various activities. I can feel the rooms and environments; their bodies and sensuality. And there’s good reason for it. As we discuss during our chat, Cynthia goes to great lengths to be authentic whether it requires creating miniatures; having real life models, draped or nude; even living in the actual spaces once inhabited by her subjects. All of this adds up to a lived-in immersive experience, whether on the stage, in paintings or in graphic novels. We discuss this at length regarding Cynthia’s stay in the same room that Nikola Tesla lived in at The New Yorker Hotel for a decade. There’s a distinctive sense of place that is captured here.
Cynthia von Buhler graphic novels
An auteur cartoonist, someone who both writes and draws a work of graphic narrative, especially one with a fair amount of historical data, is going to need to be passionate about their work if they want to succeed. Cynthia von Buhler most certainly succeeds. As a graphic novelist creating work that weaves facts into her fiction, von Buhler revels in bringing to light all sorts of examples of truth being stranger than fiction. We chat about this in all three books we discuss. One perfect example comes from The Illuminati Ball with its history of the actual Illuminati, formed in 1776 by Adam Weishaupt. The goal of this “secret society” of scholars was simply to help “illuminate” common sense and stamp out superstition. This is a far cry from the urban myth that developed around The Illuminati which is steeped in superstition.
America’s Stonehedge no more.
Once a conversation ensues, it’s easy to lose track and, before you know it, you can be left with a few recipes for cocktails and not much else. I do my best to set the bar high. There were certain things I wanted to make sure to include during our talk. I am always struck by how much one can uncover if you’re willing to dig deep. There’s that 3-book rule: once you read three books on any given subject, you can call yourself an expert. Well, only relatively speaking since few people are willing to dig. I find Cynthia to be a kindred spirit when it comes to storytelling: covering the whimsical and the sensual; as well as the intellectual. You will definitely learn a number of things while reading one of her graphic novels, like the story of the Georgia Guidelines, nicknamed “America’s Stonehedge,” found in The Illuminati Ball. These monumental slabs of granite provided a road map to help society but succumbed to a bombing a few years ago and are now no more. At least it survives in Cynthia’s work.
Damsel in search of a gurney.
Lastly, this is a bit of bonus material. When I stumbled upon the fact that Cynthia had appeared on an episode of Oddities, the reality TV show on Discovery, I knew I’d found something worth a closer look. In this episode, circa 2012, Cynthia is putting together a stage show about her investigating the mysterious death of her grandfather.
Evan and Ryan on the search for grandpa’s gurney.
I found the episode, “A Gurney for Grandpa,” (S3 E16), after my interview so I wasn’t able to bring it up to her. That said, it added to my appreciation of her art. Cynthia grew up with the legend, and the trauma, of this death in the family. Her grandfather was a bootlegger in the 1930s in the Bronx, New York. Ironically, it was after Prohibition that he was shot by someone on a Manhattan street. But this tale takes a evener odder twist. Cynthia’s grandmother was pregnant with her mother at the time, and upon hearing the news of the murder she went into labor. Von Buhler’s grandfather’s body was laid out in one room of their small Bronx apartment while her mother was born in the room next to it. This family mystery would ultimately lead to one of Cynthia’s crowning achievements, Speakeasy Dollhouse, a series of immersive plays based on her investigations of mysterious deaths in site-specific historic locations. This project began as a series of dioramas, a favorite subject of mine, thus the name of the stage performance.
A dollhouse can help solve a mystery.
And so that’s why Cynthia appears on that episode of Oddities since, at the time, she was looking for a gurney prop for her show. It’s a perfect behind-the-scenes look at an artist’s lifelong quest to make sense of her world. Video podcast is just below. Your views, comments and Likes are always welcome.
Filed under Comics, Interviews
Page from “Henry Meets Griffy,” original ink on bristol.
Here’s the first page to a comic I did based upon an in-person interview I did with the legendary underground comix artist Bill Griffith. We hear a lot about comics journalism and it got me thinking that I need to share more of my deliberate form of “comics journalism,” when you go that extra mile (many miles, in fact) to document a moment in words and pictures. It’s not easy and it can drive you a little batty. But, if you’re in the right zone, things will bubble up to the surface that you might not have noticed before. You can’t force the process if you want the best results, especially with a more contemplative visual essay. Things will emerge when they’re good and ready to emerge with something that has logged some time and distance. Sure, you can create something quick right on the spot too. There’s a time and place for both approaches.
A full page of comics.
I will post more as this all comes together. It’s a process, as my loyal readers appreciate. The originals are mostly inked and now I’m considering what other tweaks I might do and what may happen when I scan this and add color.
Filed under Bill Griffith, Comics, Henry Chamberlain, Zippy the Pinhead
Eventually Everything Connects: Eight Essays on Uncertainty. Sarah Firth. Allen & Unwin, 2023. 288pp. AUD $34.99 (Graphic Mundi, June 2024 U.S. release.)
Imagine someone in the most uninhibited, vivid and precise way sharing with you what is going on in their mind. We are all capable of such things, given enough trust, and we welcome such primal and articulate sharing. Well, that is what you get in this highly engaging tour de force, a book about everything by an artist at the top of her field. Sarah Firth is an accomplished artist who is known for her work as a graphic recorder. That’s someone who is hired to do a live drawing of any given event or meeting and dissect what is going on, bringing out the essence of ideas and strategies discussed, which results in an info-graphic type of mural. Firth has taken this skill and elevated it to an extended narrative in her new book where she walks and talks the reader through not only her life but what it means to be alive in the first place. Quite an ambitious task that totally delivers on its promise.
Firth’s book was originally published by Allen & Unwin, under the Joan imprint, in Australia and will be published by Graphic Mundi in June of this year in the United States. It’s wonderful to see that Graphic Mundi picked it up in the States as it’s an imprint of Penn State University with a growing reputation for books on health and well being. The book is a collection of eight observational visual essays, each piece is an extended narrative in comics format. In this way, Firth organizes her lines of thoughts by separately covering topics in manageable chunks: the joy of life; sexuality in general; what gets our attention; what makes up a person; and so on. I think each segment is a gem to itself and it all adds up to a satisfying whole that invites rereading.
First and foremost, this book is for everyone and all ages, starting around age 14 but your mileage may vary. While it is not the primary subject, there is nudity and honest discussion of sex, which is in a tasteful and educational manner. On the whole, this book will be of prime interest to young adults, college students and discerning adult readers. Alright, with that said, Firth does a great job with sustaining the concept of the author engaged in a personal essay with the reader. Firth, at times, is literally a symbolic stock character, naked with nothing to hide. She could be you or me. I think it’s a healthy way to address oneself and your audience. In fact, when it makes sense for me, I am happy to include myself naked in my own work. In the end, it’s really the only way to get to the root of the matter: we are all beings, sharing so much in common.
Firth, by profession as a graphic recorder and by nature as an inquisitive person, is a consummate explainer. She knows how to explain. She loves to explain. She will explain anything to you. It is that kind of energy and passion that is like rocket fuel for this marvelous book. I will say that this is just the sort of book that many creatives imagine themselves doing but maybe are daunted as to where to begin. Well, it takes persistence and it definitely takes planning. A careful reading will show you that this is a work built upon a steady amassing of elements.
Take, for instance, the metaphor of the moth that visits Firth at the beginning of her journey and comes back to recap and reconcile at the end. You can imagine that little moth, can’t you? In Australia, it’s the bogongs that are the prominent breed. In fact, the First Nations people of Australia perfected the preparation of this moth as a delicacy. Firth masterfully weaves these moths into her narrative as she does with various other compelling items, some familiar and some uncanny, the very stuff of life. At the end of the book, it is a massive hive of moths, trapped by their unrelenting attraction to bright lights, that provide the satisfying existential grace note.
One of the prime characteristics of an excellent graphic recording is managing to collect as many of the key kernels of wisdom that bubble up during an event. It’s not necessary to capture every insight but the ones that resonate the most in the moment. In the right hands, a capable and confident graphic recorder, the big picture emerges buoyed up by the sum of its parts. And so it is with this book, which is an ideal example of a graphic narrative that adds up to a treasure trove of ideas and thoughts. With just the right sense of storytelling, Sarah Firth assembles and reassembles. Whether it’s a moth, a slug, the perfect quote or a case made for the best way to carve up an orange, eventually everything connects.
Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews, Graphic Mundi, Graphic Recording
Comics and Modernism: History, Form and Culture. Edited by Jonathon Najarian. Oxford: University of Mississippi, 2024. 326pp, $30.
Guest Review by Paul Buhle
Filed under Comics, Paul Buhle
Give Peace a Chance!
Give Peace a Chance. Remember that? The latest Hurricane Nancy art with these comments: “Here’s a cartoon I did in response to our involvement in wars heating up. I prefer making art, poetry, music and things that enhance living, like strawberries and ice cream. We used to be called peaceniks.”
Filed under Art, Comics, Hurricane Nancy
