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ERT ERT ERT! So awesome. In the spirit of his amazing Nitnit trilogy, Charles Burns sums up the joy of TCAF and comics with a creepy/fun image.

SO there.

§ Actually, Julian Darius wrote the headline used in this KnB title, but it’s the essential comics match up of all times, right? Also, Winsor McCay wasn’t a very good letterer. IN case you’re wondering where I stand, I love them both, but I’ve always been a Krazy Kat girl—there was just more substance to it.

§ Speaking of great early 20th century comic strips, here’s a write up of Peter Maresca’s recent talk on this topic, which I really wanted to go to, but couldn’t, luckily…here’s a write up by Monica Johnson.

§ In Malaysia, they are introducing the ‘Kampung Boy Award’ to recognize local talent.

Malaysian Cartoonist Club executive council member Ahmad Hilmy Abdullah said the idea to introduce the award was mooted by Malaysian cartoonist icon Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid or Lat, together with other cartoonists in the country. He said with the involvement of many cartoonists and animators in the country’s arts industry now, it was time for such an award to be introduced.

§ This Janelle Asselin interview with Archie Comics Publicity VP Alex Segura is a must read, just because Alex is one of the nicest guys in comics and one of the very, very best at his job. HOW DOES HE DO IT?

CA: What sort of responsibilities are at the top of the list for someone in your career?

AS: You have to be a good communicator, writer and people person. I’ve met people who are very organized, detail-oriented and know a lot about comics, but they can’t have a conversation. That’s fine, but you’re probably not going to be a publicist. Like I said before, you can have all the contacts in the world, but if you don’t know how to talk to them – as honestly as possible – then it’s pointless. Writing skills are key – you have to be able to craft convincing text, whether it’s an email to a reporter, a pitch letter with a review copy or a presentation to your internal staff – you have to know how to string sentences together that are clear, easy to understand and that have a point of view. We’re on a 24-hour news cycle now. I know that’s a tired term, but it’s true. If that email you send to a reporter is long-winded, doesn’t get to the crux of your pitch right away or is confusing, you’ve lost that moment and you may have lost that reporter. Also, if you make a mistake, own up to it. We’re all people, we all have bad days – I think being human in a situation where your job is all about interacting with people inside and outside your office is really important. I’m not perfect at this, but I try to be as understanding as possible. You have to be a social creature. You have to know how to have a conversation with a complete stranger without too many awkward pauses. You should be a good listener, because publicity isn’t just about telling, it’s a conversation. You should go into a pitch knowing that the detailed thing you’re offering isn’t going to come out exactly the way you planned it because it’s going through the filter of someone else. But, knowing that, you should let the people who are also waiting on the story from your side know the chance of this.

§ Graeme McMillan is back at Newsarama? Here he takes down Tim Burton and Grant Morrison for recent pooh-poohing of things they did themselves in the past:

In its way, it’s oddly disheartening to see both men — who, to different degrees, owe much success to the very things they’re campaigning against — make these comments. Part of it is the uncomfortable feeling of gratefulness that ensues, sure, as well as that awkward sense that maybe all creators eventually become curmudgeonly and begrudge that which they’re no longer a part of (See also: Alan Moore, Frank Miller). But even moreso, there’s the fact that, really..? Both men are wrong.

§ Future Wonder Woman director Michelle McLaren is interviewed at Vultere and let’s slip that Wonder Woman hasn’t actually been green lit yet. Ok.

§ Zainab Akhtar looks at The Speed Abater by the great Cristolphe Blain:

I have two favourite books set on ships (it’s a rather specific thing)-  Ian Edginton and D’Israeli’s Leviathan, and this. Both manage to convey the monumental size of the engines, the scale of pipes and machines, the heat and grime, the noise, the knots of metal, the atmosphere. Much like spacecraft in sci-fi films like Alien, the ship here is a character in itself, and these are the innards; the belly of the beast which set the tone of what’s to come as the men become lost and confused, delving further into their psyches. Blain’s gone hatching happy in this panel: it’s the first time the men are seeing below deck and the combination of impressive grandeur and realistic depiction is on point- all twisty, bronze pipes, looming space, steam and shade.

I also have a soft spot for comic books set at sea where people slowly go nuts or have horrible, horrible things happen to them, including both of these. Among the others: Mattotti’s Fires, Drew Weing’s Set to Sea (just rereleased), Sammy Harkham’s Poor Sailor, and Tony Millionaire’s Maakies much of the time. There’s also Chris Wright’s Blacklung, which I didn’t enjoy as much because his character designs seemed inexpressive to me. I know that’s part of his style, but it just didn’t work for me.

§ BEST OFS! •Hugh Armitage at Digital Spy has a pretty good list.
• The Vancouver Sun
• Abraham Riesman at Vulture

• And Sean T. Collins who has the most PARTICULAR list I’ve read. That’s a panel from Koch’s Configurations above.

Sex Fantasy, Sophia Foster-Dimino
911 Police State, Mr. Freibert
Baby Bjornstrand, Renee French
Palm Ash, Julia Gfrörer
Configurations, Aidan Koch

§ And for those ready to move on to 2015 (and who isn’t?) the Comics Reporter’s Five For Friday has a bunch of lists of stuff coming out next year people are looking forward to.

§ First second twofer! Gina Gagliano addresses Should You Quit Your Day Job When You Get a Book Deal? and also I interviewed senior Editor Callista Brill for Publisher’s Weekly More to Comic podcast. She talks about the making of The Wrenchies, Andrew the Giant, and Jay Hosler’s upcoming Last of the Sandwalkers, which is all about beetles.

§ I would imagine many folks would be interested in Tips for getting ‘Staff Pick’ on Kickstarter.

§ Cosplay from the The 36 best cosplay from Mumbai Comic Con 2014. Spoiler: it’s good.

§ Peter Jackson is quoted saying he never read a comic book in his life so he can’t direct a comic book movie. Except he’s supposed to direct the next Tintin, isn’t he? I haven’t seen much talk about that in the Hobbit pr tour. Also, I think it is safe to say that Jackson has read Tintin, so…something is amiss.

§ I guess this could be construed as concern trolling, but Bleeding Cool’s makeover is actually a text only “makeunder” that goes back to the good old days of Geocities. YUCK. I mention this so I can quote the Outhouse headline: North Korean Hackers Strike Again, Deface Bleeding Cool’s Website. In protest, I made the image on the Beat’s front page BIGGER.

§ I tend to take the Good E-reader site with a grain of salt but here’s ae-Reader Industry Year in Review

§ TWO from Bob Temuka. A long interview with Dylan Horrocks and a review of the beautiful disgust of Charles Burns: X’ed Out, The Hive and Sugar Skull. The finish of Burns’ “Nitnit trilogy” as I like to call it, was one of the most perfect and amazing books of the year.

§ Finally, Norwegian cartoonist Jason reviews Lethal Weapon.

No one is better than Charles Burns, and his unnamed trilogy—X’ed Out, The Hive and the new Sugar Skull—may be an even greater achievement in horror than his masterful Black Hole. The horror is on the page—talking maggots, ruined faces, a grim grey land of cannibals and humanoid insects—but the true terror is the most fearful thing of all: learning to love and understand another human being.

Tim Hodler interviews Burns at the Comics Journal in a piece called “I’m Not on This Planet Forever”: that talks about the autobiographical roots of his work—although experienced first hand, Burn’s imagination transforms them into the universal.

That particular character, that was a conversation with my girlfriend’s roommates. I just never heard — we knew a lot of bands and I just remember her saying like, “Huh, we could do a band, but everybody’s doing a band.” It was like, “Everyone’s doing that. I’m going to do something different.” So it really was from that. When I went to school, I studied fine arts. I didn’t go to comics school or learn graphics or anything like that. Anything useful.

But I really did have a chance to kind of explore a lot of different mediums. I did painting, and sculpture, and I did a lot of photography. That part comes out in the book a little bit — that aspect of being a photographer. I felt like I was able to kind of allow different things into my work. But also it did come down to me just liking the accessibility of comics and wanting to tell stories. I think early on I never really kind of settled down enough to tell real stories. There were little fragments of things, or a page of something, or it might be some kind of more visual narrative. But I hadn’t really sat down and worked through the whole storytelling part of it. Which is a hard thing. Something I had to teach myself.

Festival poster by Tim Lane

As we noted a few days ago, Comic Arts Brooklyn, the final comics related event on the NYC calendar, will expand to two days this year, with exhibits on Saturday, November 8, and programming on Sunday November 9th, at a new venue, the Wythe Hotel. Programming director Paul Karasik has just released the lineup, and the news that, just like at NYCC, the panel room will be cleared between panels! Line up now for your Raymond Pettibon wristband!

The line-up is pretty damned solid, with em emphasis on acknowledged art stars. I imagine the marquis event will be the Chast/Spiegelman conversation, but while camping out is not allowed it would be appropriate because it’s all belly meat here.

All programming will occur on November 9, 2014 at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg.

PLEASE NOTE: Each presentation is free to the public on a first come, first served basis.  In order to accommodate interest in each panel, the audience must clear the room at the conclusion of each talk.  Please plan accordingly.

Al Jaffee Unfolded 11:00

Al Jaffee has drawn hundreds of features for the MAD Magazine but he is undoubtedly best known as the creator of the Mad Fold-In that he has drawn monthly since 1964. His originals will be on display concurrently at the Scott Eder Gallery in Brooklyn.

 Charles Burns: Down the Black Hole 12:00

A retrospective of Burns’ work as an illustrator (Sub Pop, The Believer, The New Yorker) and as a cartoonist (Black Hole, Big Baby, RAW), with a focus on the recently released third book of his graphic novel trilogy, X’ed Out. (Burns will be interviewed by Paul Karasik.)

 Tim Lane, Ben Marra, & Jim Rugg: Neo Noir 1:00

These three cartoonists love tough yeggs, mean streets, and femme fetales. All three have recent work evoking smoky, double-crossing noir. Each creator will present and discuss his own Gods of Noir. (Lane, Marra, and Rugg will be interviewed by Karen Green.)

 Roz Chast and Art Spielgeman Talk About Something More Pleasant 2:00

Roz Chast’s cartoons are synonymous with the New Yorker. Her recent work, “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant”, surprised her readers as a frank memoir about her parents’ final years. Art Spiegelman is best known for his masterwork, “MAUS”, but has recently surprised his readers with a musical, “Wordless”. Together they will surprise the audience by asking each other questions.

 Aisha Franz, Lisa Hanawalt, and Jillian Tamaki: Cutting Edges 3:00

These three young artists represent three different approaches to comics-making and all are focused on making comics unlike anything you have seen before. Their deeply individualized approaches toward work and working will be discussed. (Franz, Hanawalt, & Tamaki will be interviewed by Alexandra Zsigmond.)

 Richard McGuire is Here 4:00

Fans of cartoonist / children’s book author / illustrator / musician, Richard McGuire, have been waiting years for the publication of the book-length “Here”, which originally ran in RAW. The wait is over. (McGuire will be interviewed by Paul Karasik.)

 Raymond Pettibon and the Comics 5:00

Pettibon came to prominence in the early 1980s in the southern California punk rock scene, creating posters and album art for Black Flag and other groups on SST Records. He has since gone on to international acclaim, earning several awards and exhibiting in major galleries and museums. (Pettibon will be interviewed by Josh Bayer.)

Gabe Fowler, the main man behind Comic Arts Brooklyn, the late fall comics arts fest that traditionally caps off New Yorks comics year, will expand to days in 2014. Taking place November 8-9, the show will see exhibits at the usual place at the Mt Carmel Church on Saturday and on Sunday a complete track of programming at the Wythe Hotel, which is also located in Williamsburg.

Announced guests this year include Roz Chast, Richard McGuire, Raymond Pettibon and Art Spiegelman, but as you can see from the above poster,more guests have been added including Michael DeForge, Lisa Hanawalt, Julie Doucet (!!!!), Josh Bayer, Charles Burns, Aisha Franz, Al Jaffee, Tim Lane, Benjamin Marra, Jim Rugg and Olivier Schwauwen.

“We want to give more artists and exhibitors the opportunity to come to the presentations,” said Fowler in a statement, “Often the very people who want most to see creators speak are unable to attend. CAB wants to change that equation.”

Paul Karasik is curating the panels again this year. “We have some cool surprises about the specific panels to be announced in the coming weeks,” Karasik said in his own statement. “But, let’s just say for now, that if you are a Charles Burns fan, you might want to circle Sunday, November 9.”

I think the addition of a day of panels is a fine idea, somewhere between the Brooklyn Book Festival and olden days of SPX when Sunday was just panels and softball. The community of small press comics, so evident at SPX and TCAF, likes to hang out and enjoy one another’s company and a day of programming will act as a fine nexus for this.

Also, programming at CAB and it’s predecessor, BCGF, has always been a problem, as the programs are consistently  packed. I missed last year’s CAB, but I understand people had to line up far in advance for the talk on City of Glass held at The Knitting Factory. A few years before the panels were held in the back room at a bar and NO ONE could get in. I realize this is yet another whole weekend given over to comics, but given the calibre of the comics and programming offered at CAB, it seems like a worthy sacrifice.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which opens today, tells of how the enhanced apes, led by Caesar, strive with humans for supremacy in a disease ravaged world. Apparently there is one scene where a human youth bonds with an orangutan over…

Black Hole

??? Charles Burns’ sinister, haunting graphic novel about a disfiguring plague that affects 70s teens. The story would seem so have a few allusions to the Apes storyline, and it’s the kind of big thick book you might carry around with you in a monkey apocalypse s it all seems plausible. You can actually watch the scene above and read about Burns’ reaction here.

RotPotA director Matt Reeves is NOT one of the many helmers over the years rumored to be directing an actual Black Hole movie—among them David Fincher—but he must have a fondness for the book, which is along the top 25 graphic novels of all times, in my humble opinion.

At any rate, the scene in the much-liked revamped Apes franchise is also a nice homage to the older Apes movies, including the scene in the original where Taylor and Nova laugh over a page of Snuffy Smith; the mutants in Beneath the PLanet of the Apes being obsessed with Fletcher Hanks’ Stardust; and of course the famous scene in Battle for the Planet of the Apes where Caesar travels to the Archives of the Forbidden Zone to learn about what destroyed human civilization and finds a copy of Spider-Man: More More Day.

The third volume of Charles Burns’ great Nitnit trilogy is finally coming out in December! It’s called Sugar Skull and it completes the story from The Hive and X’ed out about the varying levels of reality among a man who has overdosed, a weird world of worms where a reverse Tintin named Nitnit is finding his way, and angsty drama that will be familiar to readers of Black Hole.

Burns has been producing this work at a slow rate of 64 pages every two years so it hasn’t exactly been a quick ride but who cares. This is one of my favorite comics of recent years—despite the low page count, every panel is filled with allusions, color-coded mystery and a complete world that it takes many readings to unpack. And of course, perfect cartooning. I can’t wait to see how it ends.

Here’s another page of promo art I found floating around.

This round of Required Reading is dedicated to the place we at Powell's Books call home: the great Pacific Northwest. Whether you're from the area or you simply appreciate the region for its beauty, history, temperament, or legendary bookstore, these titles will give you a more nuanced understanding of this peculiar corner of the U.S. [...]

This round of Required Reading is dedicated to the place we at Powell's Books call home: the great Pacific Northwest. Whether you're from the area or you simply appreciate the region for its beauty, history, temperament, or legendary bookstore, these titles will give you a more nuanced understanding of this peculiar corner of the U.S. [...]