IJOCA SEEKS CLOSURE
Gene Kannenberg, Jr. sounds a last call for submissions to the International Journal of Comic Art's "Critical Closures" section. "Brief announcements / descriptions of upcoming conferences, journals, seminars, and other scholarly resources are welcome," writes Kannenberg. Items no longer than 150 words should be submitted via e-mail to Kannenberg at genekjr@earthlink.net. The next issue of the semiannual Journal is expected in time for September's International Comic Arts Festival at Georgetown University.
LINK: International Journal of Comic Art
posted by Egon on Friday, May 23, 2003

COMICA TAKE TWO
A press release from the Institute of Contemporary Arts' John Dunning reveals further details about the Comica comics festival beyond information currently available on the Institute's website. The festival will open "Friday June 27th in the ICA bar with comic artists Charles Burns..., John Bagnall, Marc Baines, Ed Pinsent and Woodrow Phoenix DJing in the bar." Chris Ware will appear in conversation with writer Alex Garland on July 1; Joe Sacco will speak with Tariq Ali on July 2; Sophie Crumb "will talk about her work and demonstrate her love of tattooing on a willing member of the audience" July 4; Frederic Boilet will speak that evening. July 4 will also see an "alternative Independence Day celebration" with live music by Daniel Johnston and "support DJing by Everett True of Careless Talk Costs Lives and Savage Pencil." The Comica comics festival runs June 25 through July 6 (and not through July 5 as previously reported).
LINK: Institute of Contemporary Arts
posted by Egon on Friday, May 23, 2003

COMICA IS COMING
London's Institute of Contemporary Arts announces "Comica," a festival of exhibits and events taking place June 25 through July 6. Two exhibits of interactive comics will run through the dates of the festival. "WebComica" will showcase digital comics by Demian 5, Patrick Farley, Cat Garza, Scott McCloud and others. "OuBaPo," an interactive exhibit emphasizing formal experimentation, will mark the launch of a British OuBaPo organization and website. Festival events so far announced include "DIY Comics: Online vs Offline," a panel discussion with Lorna Miller and others; "Alan Moore: An Extraordinary Gentleman" with Melinda Gebbie, David Lloyd and Oscar Zarate; and "The Great Escape," reuniting Paul Gravett with John Bagnall, Glenn Dakin, Woodrow Phoenix, Ed Pinsent, Chris Reynolds and Carol Swain. On June 30 Charles Burns will give an illustrated talk about his work. Detailed event information can be found on the Institute's website; further events may be announced as festival dates approach. (Correction: Previously posted festival dates have been updated for accuracy.)
INFO: Institute of Contemporary Arts
posted by Egon on Friday, May 23, 2003

RADIO RADIO
Leela Corman, Jason Little and Lance Tooks will appear on the Friday, May 23 episode of "The Brian Lehrer Show" on WNYC public radio. WNYC radio broadcasts are available online as streaming audio files.
INFO: WNYC
posted by Egon on Thursday, May 22, 2003

STRIPS RUN LIKE BLOOD, WEEKLY
Jordan Crane's Reddingk website debuts a new weekly strip by Jason T. Miles. Miles' "Aberdeen" will appear on Crane's site every Wednesday, with Crane's weekly "Vodvil" strip continuing to run Thursdays on both Reddingk and on Highwater Books' website.
INFO: Reddingk
LINK: Highwater Books
posted by Egon on Wednesday, May 21, 2003

PERSEPOLIS AND PALESTINE
A feature article on Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis dominates the front page of today's New York Times "Arts" section. Writer Tara Bahrampour spoke with Satrapi during her recent visit to New York; the cartoonist recounts her difficulties travelling to the United States on an Iranian passport and discusses the impact her book might have in Iran. Meanwhile, Lebanon's Daily Star reviews Joe Sacco's Palestine, newly available in that country.
INFO: The New York Times
INFO: The Daily Star
posted by Egon on Wednesday, May 21, 2003

BURNS AND PANTER SEE ST. LOUIS
Charles Burns and Gary Panter will appear at the St. Louis Comic Art Show on September 27. The event, to be held at the City Museum, will comprise a small press area with tables available for interested exhibitors and a dedicated gallery space showing work by Burns and Panter. The pair will participate in a moderated discussion at Washington University's Steinberg Auditorium later that evening.
INFO: St. Louis Comic Art Show
posted by Egon on Tuesday, May 20, 2003

LEO BACHLE MOURNED
Flat Earth's Steven Wintle eulogizes Canadian cartoonist Leo Bachle, who is reported to have recently passed away. Wintle offers a brief history of the Canadian comics industry, anomalously born of war rationing in the 1940s, and highlights Bachle's career in comics. Bachle is best remembered as creator and artist of the popular heroic character "Johnny Canuck."
INFO: Flat Earth
posted by Egon on Tuesday, May 20, 2003

SACCO GETS FIXED
Publishers Weekly surveys the state of Canada's book industry, including Drawn and Quarterly among profiled publishers. D&Q's Chris Oliveros notes forthcoming books, commenting most specifically on the Acme Novelty Datebook, due in August, and on Joe Sacco's The Fixer, planned for fall release. "The 120-page hardcover is a character study of Sacco's Bosnian contact, so-nicknamed because he set up all the interviews between journalists and locals." A hardcover collection of Chester Brown's Louis Riel is also due this fall.
INFO: Publishers Weekly
posted by Egon on Tuesday, May 20, 2003

COMICS, THEATER AND ART
Theater Magazine talks with Art Spiegelman and his theatrical collaborators Phillip Johnston, Alice Moore and Jean Randlich in a feature article about "Drawn to Death," the group's long in-progress operetta about the American comic book industry. The piece is titled "The Ephemeral Page Meets the Ephemeral Stage: Comix in Performance" and runs in the current, Winter 2003-dated issue of the magazine. Ancillary material includes excerpts from two versions of the Comics Magazine Association of America's Comics Code and excerpted writing by Fredric Wertham.
INFO: Theater
posted by Egon on Sunday, May 18, 2003

GALLIC SPLENDOR
The Associated Press files a report on Harvey Pekar's trip to the Cannes Film Festival in support of the "American Splendor" feature film, screening in anticipation of an August 2003 American release. "Pekar said he hopes the movie will draw more attention to his comic books and possibly land him more work as a freelance jazz critic."
INFO: Yahoo! Movies
posted by Egon on Sunday, May 18, 2003