kids read comics – Comicsgirl https://www.comicsgirl.com Tue, 06 May 2014 01:32:58 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 https://www.comicsgirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/cropped-EdenMiller2017-1-32x32.jpg kids read comics – Comicsgirl https://www.comicsgirl.com 32 32 59683043 33 for 2013 https://www.comicsgirl.com/2014/01/06/33-for-2013/ Mon, 06 Jan 2014 23:17:21 +0000 http://www.comicsgirl.com/?p=4042 This is my list of the 33 things that happened in the comics world in 2013 that made me happy. They’re in alphabetical order.

Blue is the Warmest Color

 

]]> 4042 The D.C. Area Comics Scene for June 18 https://www.comicsgirl.com/2013/06/18/the-d-c-area-comics-scene-for-june-18/ Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:30:21 +0000 http://www.comicsgirl.com/?p=3838 News/reviews/interviews:

Publications:

New releases:

  • Emotional Distance #2, Zach Mason (Purchase)
  • Cartoon Picayune Summer 2013: The Hard Work Issue, edited by Josh Kramer (Purchase)

Events:

Have comic news or events related to the D.C. area to share? Email me by 4 p.m. Tuesday. More information is here.

]]> 3838 The D.C. Area Comics Scene for July 12 https://www.comicsgirl.com/2012/07/12/the-d-c-area-comics-scene-for-july-12/ Thu, 12 Jul 2012 12:00:25 +0000 http://www.comicsgirl.com/?p=3280
Rusty Rowley and Joe Mochove of Full Sanction at Kids Read Comics! in Ann Arbor, Mich.

 

News/interviews/etc.

Event/con reports:

Announcements:

Upcoming releases:

Events:

Housekeeping:

  • Starting next week, The D.C. Area Comics Scene will switch to Tuesdays.

Have comic news or events related to the D.C. area to share? Email me! Submit no later than Monday at 9 p.m. for inclusion each Tuesday, but the earlier, the better! More information is here.

]]> 3280 Kids Read Comics! 2012 https://www.comicsgirl.com/2012/07/10/kids-read-comics-201/ https://www.comicsgirl.com/2012/07/10/kids-read-comics-201/#comments Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:48:22 +0000 http://www.comicsgirl.com/?p=3264 Even when you love comics, it’s often hard to not feel discouraged. The focus is so firmly on Marvel and DC that when anything else gets attention, it feels like an afterthought. So much of the discussion seems to be based around anger and negativity, that even I have to remind myself why I love and want to celebrate comics.

But I also know I’m bringing my adult baggage into this — that comics are somehow separate and special from everything else and that I need to defend them to the world. When I’ve gone to events like Kazu Kibuishi at the National Book Festival or Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman at One More Page Books, the children in attendance don’t see comics as something that’s “other” — they just see them as things they love.

That’s why at Kids Read Comics Celebration, it was impossible for me to not feel hopeful. This event breathed passion and love. It was full of people — creators, parents, children, bloggers, friends — who were there to be excited about comics and to share their excitement.

Kids Read Comics! took over a couple of floors of the Ann Arbor District Library, which was a great, family-friendly space for it. It provided a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere — more like hanging out with friends than being at a con. (The fact that it was inside was also a welcome relief from Saturday’s 100+ degree heat, but at least it was cooler on Sunday.)

Chris Houghton during Comics QuickfireAnd maybe because of that, while the artist alley was often quite busy (it was easy for the space to fill up) I did hear from a few that they weren’t selling too many things. Still, making money didn’t so much seem like the motivation in participating. Rather, here were creators of a diversity of ages and backgrounds just desiring to share their work with kids and their families. If they sold a few books, that was probably a bonus more than anything.

Truly, though, the focus of Kids Read Comics! was on the programming, which was extensive and almost all interactive. There were only a few straightforward panels listed. Instead, most were short classes, workshops or events attendees could participate in. I attended Saturday morning’s Comics Quickfire with my family, which took suggestions from the audience to make a 1-page, 4-panel comic. It was fast, silly fun but also showed how easy it is to make a comic, no matter how ridiculous. Host Dave Roman was a delight and knew how to engage the audience. My (older, I must point out) brother offered two suggestions — that the foot belonged to Shaq (you can kind of see that in the photo — and look, it made sense) and then a “puppy wearing sunglasses” as one of the 10 things the artist needed to draw in the final round.

I also attended Raina Telgemeier’s Turn Your Life into a Comic! workshop. While it was mostly aimed at children (the aim was to make a comic based on the grossest thing that happened to you, and if that doesn’t appeal to kids, I don’t know what does), the way she broke it down was insightful and beneficial even to me. I think too often just knowing where to start is the challenge and she made it easy.

Raina Telegmeier explains allI then went to the live Comics Are Great! talkshow/podcast taping. I enjoyed that Jerzy Drozd figured out who I was based on a few details (mostly that I mentioned Big Planet Comics — Drozd and I do follow each other on Twitter but we hadn’t met until then). I think he thought I was kidding when I said Comics Are Great! is one of the two podcasts I listen to, but it is! I always love listening to it and I always learn something.

It was a fun, casual discussion and definitely what I expected from it — I think Comics Are Great! is always smart and enlightening and I liked the way the discussion grew organically. It was approaching the end of the day, though, and I think everyone was getting tired (Roman tried to get me to go to mic to ask a question and I said I wasn’t going to be able to think of anything). Still, it could’ve continued on much longer than it did and it only ended because there was another event following it.

I didn’t get to go back on Sunday (when the weather was actually nice!), but I’m happy I got to see the people I got to see (especially Roman and Telgemeier, since they won’t be at Small Press Expo this year).

When I got back to my brother’s, I read Sally Carson‘s “Skids” mini and I realized what I loved about comics — it makes me feel like I have friends everywhere, even if it’s just through the connection we have through something that’s printed on a page or posted online. It made me remember that none of that other negative stuff matters. That’s the power of comics — the sense of community and the unabashed joy of creation. I loved seeing people of all ages being excited by this and wanting to share it and be apart of it.

Saturday was my birthday and I can’t think of a better way to have spent it.

]]> https://www.comicsgirl.com/2012/07/10/kids-read-comics-201/feed/ 1 3264 The D.C. Area Comics Scene for June 28 https://www.comicsgirl.com/2012/06/28/the-d-c-area-comics-scene-for-june-28/ Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:00:26 +0000 http://www.comicsgirl.com/?p=3247
Plastic Farm table at Heroes Convention. Photo by Rafer Roberts.

News/interviews/etc.

Con reports/photos:

New releases:

  • Not exactly a new release, but Big Planet Comics is serializing Matt Dembicki’s Xoc Pup on Wednesdays and Fridays

Upcoming releases:

Events:

  • Ongoing through June Mark Burrier: Rare Words Exhibition, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, Md.
  • Through July 8: The History of Invulnerability , Theater J, Jewish Community Center, Washington, D.C. Tickets and showtime information at the link.Theater J offers $10 off tickets to readers of this blog using “DCCOMICS” either online at the Theater J website or by phone at 800-494-8497. The theater also offers a discount to those 35 and younger, which makes $15 during the week and $25 on the weekends. No discount code is needed.
  • Through Sept. 2: “Graphic Details: Confessional Comics by Jewish Women” at the Ann Loeb Bronfman Gallery, Jewish Community Center, Washington, D.C.
  • Various dates beginning June 17: Create a Comic Book with Matt Dembicki, 7 p.m. at Fairfax County Libraries.
  • June 30: Landry Quinn Walker and Eric Jones, creators of Danger Club, signing, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Third Eye Comics, Annapolis, Md. First 15 people in line get a special gift.
  • July 1: Why Comics Matter: The Social Relevance of Comic Books, panel discussion featuring Matt Dembicki, Andy Hershberger, Esther Kim, Jared Smith and Patrick Michael Strange. Moderated by Stephen Spotswood. 5:15 p.m. at Theater J, Washington DC Jewish Community Center
  • July 7-8: Full Sanction at Kids Read Comics Celebration, Ann Arbor, Mich. (I’ll also be there, just hanging out!)
  • July 7: Southern Maryland Comic-Con, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Waldorf, Md.
  • July 8: Comics in the District: A Discussion with Local Creators panel discussion featuring Carolyn Belefski, Steve Conley, Evan Keeling, Andrew Cohen and Matt Dembicki. Moderated by Mike Rhode. 5:15 p.m. at Theater J, Washington DC Jewish Community Center
  • July 28: Matt Dembicki signs copies of Xoc, Big Planet Comics College park (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and Big Planet Comics Vienna (3 to 5 p.m.)

Have comic news or events related to the D.C. area to share? Email me! Submit no later than Wednesday at 9 p.m. for inclusion each Thursday, but the earlier, the better! More information is here.

]]> 3247 The D.C. Area Comics Scene for June 21 https://www.comicsgirl.com/2012/06/21/the-d-c-area-comics-scene-for-june-21/ Thu, 21 Jun 2012 12:00:50 +0000 http://www.comicsgirl.com/?p=3228
Georgia Higley, Head of the Library of Congress Newspaper Section and her assistant Megan Halsband show off some of the cool mini-comics Dean Haspiel donated to the collection.

News/interviews/etc.

Debuts and new issues/releases:

  • Kindling, illustrated by Deanna Echanique, began June 19.

Upcoming releases:

Events:

Have comic news or events related to the D.C. area to share? Email me! Submit no later than Wednesday at 9 p.m. for inclusion each Thursday, but the earlier, the better! More information is here.

]]> 3228 The D.C. Area Comics Scene for June 14 https://www.comicsgirl.com/2012/06/14/the-d-c-area-comics-scene-for-june-14/ Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:00:37 +0000 http://www.comicsgirl.com/?p=3218
Nick Abadzis at Big Planet Comics Bethesda

News/interviews/etc.

Con/event reports:

Kickstarter/Indiegogo:

  • Magic Bullet #5 – D.C. area’s comic newspaper. While the campaign has met its goal, there’s still 8 days left.

Debuts and new issues/releases:

  • Kindling, illustrated by Deanna Echanique, begins June 19.

Upcoming releases:

Events:

Have comic news or events related to the D.C. area to share? Email me! Submit no later than Wednesday at 9 p.m. for inclusion each Thursday, but the earlier, the better! More information is here.

]]> 3218 A lazy year-in-review for 2011 https://www.comicsgirl.com/2011/12/12/a-lazy-year-in-review-for-2011/ https://www.comicsgirl.com/2011/12/12/a-lazy-year-in-review-for-2011/#comments Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:00:37 +0000 http://www.comicsgirl.com/?p=2879 My real life has kept me preoccupied for the past couple of months. There are comics I want to review (and to those of you who sent me stuff a couple of months ago up until now — I’m going to get to it! I promise I promise I promise!) and other things, but the end-of-the-yearness has set in. Unless something really exciting happens, this is likely it for me until 2012.

This year is already kind of blurry. It was certainly dominated by Small Press Expo for me but I’m OK with that. It was an incredible amount of fun and I’m already looking forward to next year (we’re already working on it!).

I also read a tremendous amount of comics. There were plenty I loved — many I didn’t expect to — and I still get a thrill picking up new comics. Yes, there was certainly some silliness with regard to the DC reboot, but Wonder Woman has me hooked (in a lazy way — I read it when I remember). It was also an amazing year for indie comics — I am awed by all the talent that’s out there.

I didn’t get to travel to shows as much as I would’ve liked to — most of that was a money issue, but I was feeling pretty burned out on the usual ones. I didn’t attempt to go to the MoCCA Festival or New York Comic Con; KingCon III was postponed and as much as I would’ve loved to have gone to Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival, the timing just didn’t work out. SPACE was fun but I don’t know if I’d go back. I always love the Baltimore Comic-Con, but that was more of just a hanging out opportunity for me this year.

(I will totally take sponsorships if people want to send me to Stumptown or Alternative Press Expo next year. Kids Read Comics Celebration is taking place in Ann Arbor on my birthday weekend and that’s a definite possibility. It may end up being mandatory.)

For some reason, in 2011, I expanded my “media” “empire.” I started up a Tumblr account (or started using it?) and a Facebook page. I also appeared on local show Fantastic Forum and Rusty and Joe interviewed me during SPX (I need to learn to speak into the microphone better. Also? No real idea what I said).

I was also greatly honored to be a part of Big Planet Comics Podcast #17 and I do hope they invite me back at some point because it was a great deal of fun (you should always listen to the podcast — even when I’m not on it).

And the photo on this post? Well, that’s me sorting through Dean Haspiel’s minicomics. Now, everything is going to the Library of Congress (I believe all are in the LoC’s possession now), but Warren Bernard just wanted to do an initial sort/inventory before we sent them off to see what was there. And certainly, it’s fresh in my mind, but when I think about all the things I’ve been privileged to be able to do this year, this felt like one of the bright spots. It was thrilling seeing all these incredible comics, even if I didn’t get to keep any of them.

I am lucky to know such amazing people who let me do so many cool things. I hope that continues in 2012.

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