David, a new assistant at Comics Grinder marched right into the offices of CG. He had a rather sheepish grin on his face. I wasn’t sure what to make of his quick familiarity. Like past friends of CG, he had a treat for us to consider. But he wasn’t going to give it up until he gave me a little grief. “Alright then,” David said, “you have a thing for feet, don’t you?”
Yeah, it’s true. Nobody cares about your band. Check out other pithy greeting cards from Greenwich Letterpress here. They know style, with the discerning eye of a true New Yorker.
Filed under Cards, Design, Greeting Cards, Illustration, New York City, Style
Howard Chaykin is an American original. It was his groundbreaking “American Flagg,” a 50-issue series created in 1983, that paved the way for Frank Miller’s “Dark Knight” and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’s “Watchmen” three years later. You can buy it at Amazon here.
Howard Chaykin has taken the American comics medium in new directions, including erotic adventures, and comics is the better for it. Micahel Dooley caught up with Chaykin for Print Magazine’s Imprint blog about the recent problems with his “Black Kiss II” being considered too lewd for distribution. You can buy it at ComiXology here.
Much lies ahead for this master cartoonist, including his new series for Image Comics, with Matt Fraction, “Satelite Sam.” The first issue is on sale July 3, 2013 and you can check it out here.
You can read Michael Dooley’s interview with Howard Chaykin here.
“COMIC BOOK ART HISTORY: THE FIRST 25 YEARS!” is the latest in Arlen Schumer’s impressive VisuaLecture series on the comics medium. It is a not-to-be-missed presentation. If you happen to be in the area, see it in person at Stepping Stones Museum in Connecticut this Sunday, May 5. Or, you can view it as a live-streaming video. Details are below.
Arlen Schumer is one of the leading historians of comic book art. His presentations are lively, highly informative, and, of course, very visual!
Details follow:
THIS SUNDAY MAY 5th, 2013 @ 3:00pm! In an incredible multimedia gallery space, part of Stepping Stones Museum’s YES2 Youth Program’s 1st Comic Book Mini-Convention! A screen the size of a small IMAX to project on! Comic book images like you’ve never seen ’em before!
I’ll be going though not only “The First 25 Years” of my comic book history works (since my instigating the Fall ’88 PRINT mag special comics issue), but “the first 25 years” of my childhood and young adult years, from being the art director of BATMANIA mag in high school to working for Batman’s greatest artist, Neal Adams, after art school (like getting paid to go to graduate school), and then creating a career illustrating in a comic book style, and parlaying comic book history to audiences around the country!
And hey, adults–it ain’t just for kids! There’ll be plenty of adults/parents, and ALL ages are invited!
And if you CAN’T make it in person…
LIVE-STREAMING VIDEO ON USTREAM! Go here at 4:00pm EST: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/stepping-stones-museum-forchildren
Stepping Stones Museum
Mathews Park, 303 West Avenue
Norwalk, CT 06850
203 899 0606
http://www.steppingstonesmuseum.org
http://www.arlenschumer.com/home/272-comic-book-history-first-25-years
Filed under Arlen Schumer, Art, Art History, Batman, Comic Book Art, comic books, Comics, Graphic Design, Illustration, Superheroes, Superman
Mike Dooley of Print Magazine’s Imprint blog has posted an overview of a recent collection of Anarchy Comics, a legendary underground battle cry in comix. We have had (still have?) the Occupy Movement. The call to rebellion has been fueled in various ways over the years. For a punk look at the world, you can turn to Anarchy Comics. Here is Mr. Dooley’s post for your consideration.
Filed under Art, Art books, Comics, Comix, Design, Michael Dooley, Print Magazine
“Make it Pop!” is a much too often used phrase that has been rendered almost meaningless. But designers realize it is meant to be a request to “get your game on,” which, of course, is another overused term demanding some kind of improvement. Enjoy this inspired rant from the design firm, Killer Infographics after the jump:
Filed under Brands, Design, Horror, pop culture
A Night at the Sorrento and Other Stories
Interview: FAR OUT ISN’T FAR ENOUGH: THE TOMI UNGERER STORY: Brad Bernstein, director and writer; Rick Cikowski, lead editor and lead animator
“Doctor Strangelove” Movie Poster. Artwork by Tomi Ungerer.
FAR OUT ISN’T FAR ENOUGH: THE TOMI UNGERER STORY is a masterfully created documentary that will hit you on many levels. It is eligible for an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary and deserves that level of recognition for being so careful to detail with its subject, artist Tomi Ungerer.
I had the honor of speaking with both Brad Bernstein, the film’s director and writer, and Rick Cikowski, the film’s lead editor and lead animator. Both men expressed their love for Tomi Ungerer and provide insight into the making of this impressive documentary, distributed by First Run Features.
For me, I can appreciate what happened to Tomi Ungerer when I look at the iconic poster he created for “Doctor Strangelove.” That poster, much like his “Black Power, White Power” poster are forever part of one’s psyche. And yet, in America, Ungerer’s work in children’s books is not widely known today. That work is just as powerful and was just as well known in its day, as anything else he has created. Thanks to Phaidon, we have many of his great works being reprinted in the United States. But, for decades, it was as if he’d been wiped out of memory in America. How could that be? That is a big part of the fascinating story that unfolds in this documentary.
Tomi Ungerer is a great talent and, for a man who has had a lifelong battle with fear, he is a most courageous man. For someone who grew up under the horror of the Nazis, and went on to conquer the world of illustration in its heydey in New York City, that alone is remarkable. But going that far out, wasn’t far enough for Ungerer.
“Far Out Isn’t Far Enough” brings together a seamless narrative boiling down numerous hours of interviews with Tomi Ungerer, Jules Feiffer, the late great Maurice Sendak, as well as other notable figures like art director and critic Steven Heller. Throughout the film you are treated to very deftly purposed animation that strikes the right cord, whether humorous or somber.
As Brad Bernstein explains, the initial attraction to Tomi Ungerer was his spirited expressions like, “Far Out Isn’t Far Enough.” That really says it all. Ungerer is a man who speaks his mind and does it quite well. His life and work are a testament to a strong will and this documentary honors that spirit very well.
You can listen to the interview with Brad Bernstein and Rick Cikowski by clicking the link below:
And, as the say, tell your friends and spread the word about this documentary. You can visit the official site here and also follow on Facebook and Twitter.
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Filed under Art, Art books, Children's Books, Design, Documentaries, Erotica, Illustration, movies, pop culture, Protest, Social Commentary, Tomi Ungerer
Tagged as 1960s, academy award nominations, Art, arts, Children's Books, Design, Documentaries, Entertainment, Erotica, Illustration, Movies, nazi germany, New York City, Pop Culture, Posters, Protest, Publishing, Tomi Ungerer