Check out this fantastic archive of (free) Government Comic Books–the topics range from space travel to eyepatches to the story of inflation. Some nice reading for a hot summer afternoon. Thanks to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln library for creating this rad resource. Here are a couple other highlights, but definitely check out the whole collection. Enjoy!
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Check out this amazing animation put together by Chris Ware for “This American Life — Live!” The song in this video is “Eugene” by Andrew Bird. Animation by John Kuramoto. It’s been around for awhile, but it’s still worth a watch.
Adjunct Faculty and Illustration Alum R. Sikoryak has new book coming out in September and Time Out NY gave a sneak peak slideshow awhile back. Above and below are a couple of choice visual excerpts and here is the official description of the book:
Masterpiece Comics, a new book that reimagines classic literature in the style of well-known comics (including Shakespeare’s Macbeth in the style of old newspaper strip Mary Worth)
You can see the whole slideshow here–it’s worth it! Additionally, Bob was interviewed on WFMU back in April You can listen to the podcast over in the WFMU Speakeasy archives. He talks about his new book as well as his work with Carousel, a ongoing series of cartoon slide shows & other projected pictures presented by a glittering array of artists, performers, graphic novelists, & other characters.
Congratulations, Mr. Sikoryak–can’t wait for the book!
Illustration Adjunct Faculty Noel Claro was interviewed by Spraygraphic’s Sprayblog last April and I just now found out about it! She talks all about her art, her creative process, and her inspirations. Here’s a portion of the interview:
SG: What mediums do you work with?
NC: When I’m art directing and designing print work, my main medium is software: InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. For my products, I work with fabric, yarn, vintage papers, special waterproof paper, gaffer’s tape and fun fur.
SG: Describe your working process when creating a new work.
NC: I start by researching the subject or the company and determining who my audience is. Then I do sketches in InDesign…I rarely sketch in pencil because I’m not very comfortable drawing. My first round of sketches is usually chockfull of obvious solutions but it’s stuff I need to get off my chest. After that, it becomes more of a challenge to dig more deeply and try and discover a new direction for something.
SG: What kind of things do you do when you get blocked or find it hard to create something?
NC: Some projects are definitely easier to work on than others. If I’m blocked, I usually bake. I’m an avid baker and I’ve been doing it for years. I bake almost every day and it’s a wonderful distraction when I’m having trouble solving something visually. I make up lots of my own recipes so it’s still a creative process but it’s so different from the design work that I do, that it helps transport me away from that whole world sometimes.
Make sure you read the rest of Noel’s interview here, as well as checking out more her work at her official website.
Bill Kartalopoulos & Mark Newgarden Present:
COMIC STRIP SERENADE
Please join us on Sunday, June 7 for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear forgotten songs inspired by unforgettable comic strip characters!
For one night only, the fabulous Jalopy theater will host a live performance of vintage compositions based on Krazy Kat, the
Katzenjammer Kids, Barney Google, Smokey Stover, Li’l Abner, and more, featuring lyrics by Milt Gross, Rube Goldberg, Walt Kelly, and other cartooning and pop music legends.
These songs are lively (and funny) artifacts from the days before television, when comic strips were the dominant form of daily visual entertainment, and from the days before radio, when new songs –published as sheet music — were routinely performed by families and friends in America’s living rooms and parlors. Hundreds of songs based on comic strip characters were published during this fertile period, and co-curators Bill Kartalopoulos and Mark Newgarden will present some of the very best — as well as some of the most wonderfully obscure!
Many of these comic strip songs were never recorded, never filmed, and most have never been publicly performed in the decades since their original publication. The event will also feature some later, post-war songs, including a selection from Broadway’s Li’l Abner and Walt Kelly’s memorable Pogo songs. The archival sheet music used for this special performance was provided courtesy of Mark Newgarden’s longtime collection.
A stunning line-up of celebrated musicians will bring these unearthed gems back to life, including:
Doug Skinner (The Regard of Flight, White Knuckle Sandwich)
Peter Stampfel (The Holy Modal Rounders, the Bottlecaps, the Fugs)
Meg Reichardt (Les Chauds Lapins, The Roulette Sisters) with Kurt
Hoffman (Band of Weeds, Les Chauds Lapins)
Robin Goldwasser & Chris Anderson (The Last Car)
John Keen (Ragtime pianist extraordinaire)
…and many more surprises!
Join us after the MoCCA comics festival ends in a relaxing Brooklyn venue for this very special celebration!
Show starts at 9:00 pm
$10 cover
Jalopy
315 Columbia Street
Brooklyn, NY
http://www.jalopy.biz
Subway Directions: F or G train to Carroll St. (first car if coming
from North/West). Walk 1 block up Smith St to 1st Place. Make left.
Walk down past highway to Columbia St. Make left to 315 Columbia.
Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival 2009
June 6th & 7th
Parsons Illustration will have a strong presence at the Comic and Cartoon Art Festival this weekend–Stop by and talk to Steven Guarnaccia, the chair of the program, or visit with some students and look at their work! Interested in Illustration? We’ll have info about the program and Parsons in general.
The Village Voice calls the MoCCA Festival “”the best small-press nexus (anywhere!)” Now BIGGER than ever! An incredible weekend of comic and cartoon art exhibitors, panels, lectures, sketches, autographs, and more! Thousands come every summer to meet and purchase works from some of the world’s best cartoonists, animators, and graphic novelists.
Where?
69th Regiment Armory
68 Lexington Avenue, between 25th and 26th Streets
When?
June 6th and 7th, 11am-6pm
Cost?
$10 per day
$15 per weekend
MoCCA Members: $10 per weekend
More information available here.
Join full-time faculty member Nora Krug at this year’s MoCCA Comic Festival for the release of her book, Red Riding Hood Redux, published by the Belgian graphic novel publisher Bries (www.bries.be). The story, a retelling of the original Red Riding Hood tale, was published in a set of five books, each representing one of the characters from the original tale.
Where?
69th Regiment Armory
68 Lexington Avenue, between 25th and 26th Streets
When?
June 6th and 7th, 11am-6pm
Cost?
$10 per day
$15 per weekend
MoCCA Members: $10 per weekend
Parsons Illustration will have a table and a half at MoCCA so make sure to come check out Nora’s new book as well as other student work and information about the program!
Congrats to Nora!
Illustration Alum Ed Miller (’86) sent in this email with an update about his work with the Spagheddie Art Group and New York Cares:
The Spagheddie Art Group was at it again recently, this time at PS 111 in Manhattan (53 St. bet. 9 and 10 Aves.)
The Spagheddie Art Group is a group I organized of my artist friends who volunteer their time and talents to paint murals at NY City public schools. Our mission is to help make the schools a more colorful place for learning. Our assignment was to turn a shack in the playground into a barn. I’m very proud of the work this group does.
back row left to right: Judith Moderacki, Kim Chauncy, Carolyn Keating, Jessica Bay, Laare Ross, Todd Evans,
front row: left to right: Fred Forcellati (class of 86), Katie Sue Nicklos, Carla Bellisio, Jaine Schmidt
You can see more project pictures from the mural above–as well as photos from other group undertakings–here. For more of Ed’s work, check out his website. Way to go, Ed (and everyone else involved!)!
Illustration Alum Gretchen van Lente showed up in the NYTimes last month with a write-up about her work with puppets, Kafka, and the Here Arts Center. Here’s a a snippet:
Most of the fun here is in the puppet creations. The bug is a delightful critter concocted from baskets and other odds and ends. A life-size inquisitor (manipulated at times by two puppeteers) has enough body language that you hardly notice his lack of a head. Flexible-necked lamps also come alive, to startling effect.
The puppeteers are fully visible, and the director, Gretchen Van Lente, has a fine time playing with perspective. The humans look like giants. It’s disorienting, and maybe that’s the point.
Read the rest of the write-up here.
Cool work, Gretchen!
You are invited to:
The Birds and the Bees, a group exhibition curated by Andrea Morin at LITM, a gallery/restaurant in downtown Jersey City. Includes work by local artist and Parsons Illustration Alum Bonnie Gloris.
“Springtime is finally here! As the world comes back to life, sap flows, flowers bloom, and thoughts of romance stir. These artists capture those spring feelings of passion, sensuality, love, romance, and friskiness!” -LITM.
Show up until May 31st, 2009
140 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07302
Phone: 201.536.5557
Email: info@litm.com or andrea@litm.com