Maybes: APE in San Francisco this year; new LGBT cartoon collection
Labels: appearances, cwa, events, LGBT
Labels: appearances, cwa, events, LGBT
Mark your calendars: Masheka and I will be at this year's MOCCA Art Festival sharing a table with our Cartoonists With Attitude pal Brian McFadden and the talented Melissa J. Gibson (Made by Melissa). We will have mini-comics, books and possibly dolls and T-shirts.
Where?
69th Regiment Armory
68 Lexington Avenue, between 25th and 26th StreetsWhen?
June 6th and 7th, 11am-6pmCost?
$10 per day
$15 per weekend
MoCCA Members: $10 per weekend
Labels: appearances, cwa, events, mocca, nyc
Labels: appearances, events, feminism
This weekend I'll be sharing an exhibitor table with CWA cartoonists Ted Rall, Jen Sorensen, Keith Knight, Masheka Wood, Stephanie McMillan, August J. Pollak, and Brian McFadden. So go there and buy our books 'n stuff! Also check out the SPX exhibitor list and floor plan here. Use it to stalk your favorite 'toonist.
SPX will be open to the public from 2 - 8pm on Fri., Oct. 12 and 10am - 7pm Sat., Oct. 13. Admission is $8 for a single day and $15 for both days.
Labels: appearances, cwa, events
Your RSVP would be ever so kindly appreciated. And please feel free to steal this image/text/links and help us promote this event! Please!)
"Mikhaela Reid's cartoons are right *$%@ing on."
-- Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home
"Masheka Wood has powers way beyond mortal cartoonists. Get on his bandwagon now before there's no room left!"
-- Keith Knight, creator of The K Chronicles and th(ink)
Bushies are bum-rushing Cheney's secret bunker! "Ex-gays" are quaking in their closets! Abstinence educators are shivering in their shiny silver purity rings! Greedy CEOs are heading for the hills! Brooklyn-based cartoonists Mikhaela Reid and Masheka Wood are on a rampage—and no hypocrite is safe! Slideshow, discussion & signing.
Labels: appearances, cwa, events
Labels: appearances, cwa, media, publicity
The Cartoonists With Attitude gang storms the capital on July 7 with an edgy satirical cartoon slideshow and book signing!
And in case you weren't aware, you should really read our group blog (also available as an RSS feed if you want to get all our blogs and most of our cartoons in one convenient place. We also have a not-so-frequently updated Cartoonists With Attitude MySpace page if you want to be our friend.
Labels: appearances, cwa, events
Last year, the Museum of Comics and Cartoon Art's Art Festival was a low point for many of us alternative political cartoonists--we felt so alienated, disconnected and unloved and sold so few books that we decided to form the group Cartoonists With Attitude to help get more attention at conventions.
Apparently it worked. I'm happy to report that MOCCA this year was a whole other comics convention beast. All kinds of great comics readers, cool sales, and awe-inspiring cartoonists to hang out with, plus some cool comics discoveries. The tough part was keeping any of the money we earned and not immediately spending it on other comics.
The convention was also packed with alums from the Attitudeseries of books Ted edited for NBM: myself, Brian, Alison Bechdel, Barry Deutsch, Neil Swaab, R Stevens, Scott Bateman and others. Clearly, it's all about the Attitude.
If you scroll through my whole MOCCA photoset, you'll see I also got to chat with Hilary Price of "Rhymes With Orange" fame, who was attending her first comics convention to promote her book Reigning Cats and Dogs. Hilary is syndicated and popular for good reason.
More later on some of the cool comics I picked up at the event!
Labels: appearances, conventions, cwa, events, mocca, photos
The signing at Think Coffee with Feministing's Jessica Valenti (Full Frontal Feminism) and Amber Madison (Hooking Up) was fantastic. There were plenty of seats but it was standing room only, and the hysterical laughter I got in response to my slideshow made me feel like a stand-up comedian on a good night.
Poor Amber's bus broke down on her way to the signing, but we held off the crowd with an extended Q&A until a very long cab ride from Connecticut finally got her to the signing.
Note: I apologize for blurring out the close-up photos of naked women's crotches that we did the reading in front of--I like to consider this blog safe for school and work, or I'd have left them! I am such a censor, it's embarassing.
Labels: appearances, cwa, events, feminism, photos
The Cartoonists With Attitude DC event on 7/7/07 will be my last book event for a while, as Masheka and I are planning our wedding. The tour will restart in Boston in September.
Note: I'll be doing a mini cartoon slideshow for this one, focused on the cartoons I've done about sexuality and reproductive rights.Let's Talk About Sex! (If You're Into that Sort of Thing)
- Location: Think Coffee, 248 Mercer Street New York, NY (212) 228-6226
- Date: 6/22/2007 from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
- Hosted By: Planned Parenthood, choicevoice@ppnyc.org
- RSVP by: June 21, 2007 at 2:00 pm
A bold and brazen discussion with three writers who know their stuff:
Jessica Valenti, 28, is the founder and Executive Editor of Feministing.com and the author of Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman’s Guide to Why Feminism Matters.
Amber Madison, 23, is currently touring colleges throughout the country giving sex talks, and has made a number of television and radio appearances in support of her book, Hooking Up: A Girls All-out Guide to Sex and Sexuality, most recently on NBC's Today Show. www.ambermadisononline.com
Mikhaela Reid, 27, recently published her first book, Attack of the 50-Foot Mikhaela, available June 4th, 2007. She graduated from Harvard University in 2003, where she studied social anthropology and photography and drew weekly political cartoons for the Harvard Crimson. www.mikhaela.net
Join us for a conversation about what's good, what's bad, and what's just plain weird about being young and sexual in today's America.
Labels: appearances, events, feminism, sexuality
The Cartoonists With Attitude gang storms the capital on July 7 with an edgy satirical cartoon slideshow and book signing!
And in case you weren't aware, you should really read our group blog (also available as an RSS feed if you want to get all our blogs and most of our cartoons in one convenient place. We also have a not-so-frequently updated Cartoonists With Attitude MySpace page if you want to be our friend.
Labels: appearances, events
Labels: appearances, events, nyc
I have to admit I was nervous. The Village Voice and Time Out New York mysteriously lost our listings info, and a half hour before the signing the skies opened up in an intense downpour. But the signing was fantastic--I sold out of all the books I brought, and all kinds of friends and cool cartooning fans came out. Not to mention genius cartoonist Dan Piraro ("Bizarro"), Vanessa Valenti (of Feministing fame), Melody Berger (The F-Word Zine), Gwynn Cassidy (of the Real Hot 100), animator Dan Meth and cartoonist Ayo. Thanks to my best friend Márta for taking the photos!
Bluestockings is just a fantastic space, and you must go there ALL THE TIME. You can buy both our books there, too.
Labels: appearances, events, nyc, photos
The Cartoonists With Attitude gang storms the capital on July 7 with an edgy satirical cartoon slideshow and book signing!
And in case you weren't aware, you should really read our group blog (also available as an RSS feed if you want to get all our blogs and most of our cartoons in one convenient place. We also have a not-so-frequently updated Cartoonists With Attitude MySpace page if you want to be our friend.
Labels: appearances, DC, events
Anyway, the signing ROCKED. We put it together on really short notice, and a beautiful sunny June Saturday is hardly a good day for a comics signing, but we got a great and enthusiastic turnout. (I was so worried it wouldn't happen at all due to me being so ill, but I pulled it together and despite having almost no voice, coughed and sniffled my way through my portion of the slideshow!)
We also got to hang out and talk shop with notorious "Fetus-X" creator Eric Millikin, "Jape" cartoonist Sean Bieri (who also wrote a really cool piece about me for the Metro Times, "Drawing Ire"), and the famous Cynicalman himself, Matt Feazell. We even did a comics jam on a piece of pita!
If you are ever in even the vague general Detroit/Dearborn area, run and do not walk to Green Brain Comics, and tell Dan and Katie we sent you! What a great store!
Labels: appearances, events, photos
Your RSVP would be ever so kindly appreciated. And please feel free to steal this image/text/links and help us promote this event! Please!)
"Mikhaela Reid's cartoons are right *$%@ing on."
-- Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home
"Masheka Wood has powers way beyond mortal cartoonists. Get on his bandwagon now before there's no room left!"
-- Keith Knight, creator of The K Chronicles and th(ink)
Bushies are bum-rushing Cheney's secret bunker! "Ex-gays" are quaking in their closets! Abstinence educators are shivering in their shiny silver purity rings! Greedy CEOs are heading for the hills! Brooklyn-based cartoonists Mikhaela Reid and Masheka Wood are on a rampage—and no hypocrite is safe! Slideshow, discussion, signing & party. Tasty treats available for purchase from the Bluestockings Cafe!
Non-NYCers, here are the other dates/locales planned: June 22: NYC @ 7 pm, Think Coffee (w/ Jessica Valenti and Amber Madison); July 7: DC @ 2 p.m. (w/Ted Rall, Keith Knight, Ruben Bolling, Stephanie McMillan & more!); Sept. 28: Boston (Details TBA)
Labels: appearances, events
Please feel free to steal this image/text/links and help us promote this event!
"Mikhaela Reid's cartoons are right *$%@ing on."
-- Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home
"Masheka Wood has powers way beyond mortal cartoonists. Get on his bandwagon now before there's no room left!"
-- Keith Knight, creator of The K Chronicles and th(ink)
Bushies are bum-rushing Cheney's secret bunker! "Ex-gays" are quaking in their closets! Abstinence educators are shivering in their shiny silver purity rings! Greedy CEOs are heading for the hills! Brooklyn-based cartoonists Mikhaela Reid and Masheka Wood are on a rampage—and no hypocrite is safe! Slideshow, discussion & signing.
Labels: appearances, events
Moderator Stephanie Brandford and Cheryl Lynn Eaton; Rashida Lewis "Sand Storm") talks about the cover of her book
In February of this year, comics writer Cheryl Lynn Eaton founded The Ormes Society to celebrate and promote the work of black women comics creators and professionals and to reach out to black women comics readers. The Society is named for pioneer Zelda "Jackie" Ormes, currently considered to be the first syndicated African-American woman cartoonist. The Society started with about 13 members but is now 20 strong and growing. As Cheryl Lynn explained in her blog:
Black women are out there creating, but unlike our peers, we have the tendency to create in a vacuum... . How can I have the nerve to be irritated by how sites devoted to black creators are dominated by men and books with superhero themes (and on occasion, "hot" black model threads) if I never add my own contributions? How can I be irked by the fact that none of the members of the sites devoted to women in comics commented on the dearth of brown-skinned girls as characters in the MINX line if I never registered on those boards to make a post about that topic in the first place?The Ormes Society would be a bit of a stepping stone or gateway. It'd be a place where black female comic creators and fans could (1) find each other (2) share our creations (3) talk about topics that are important to us and (4) gain the courage needed to bring those thoughts and creations to the larger comic reading/creating audience. It would also be a place for editors, fans and fellow creators to find us and share their thoughts about our work and about topics that pertain to black women in comics (both in the pages and behind the scenes).
The above photos are from a May 19 panel at the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention in Philly, "Having Our Say: Black Women Discuss Imagery." The discussion was steered by the fantastic Stephanie Brandford, who also moderates the Dwayne McDuffie VHive comics forum under the name mutate20. (Also note Stephanie's awesome "Invisible Universe" T-shirt). The below are some key quotes from my hand-scribbled notes on the panel:
1. So what's the problem?
Stephanie Brandford began the panel by showing a 8-minute series of video clips she had compiled of depictions of black women characters in speculative fiction movies, including Storm (X-Men), Gail (Sin City), Joy (Children of Men), Niobe (Matrix movies), Akasha (Queen of the Damned) and various others. Most of the characters were in minor or supporting roles, with a few exceptions.
Brandford then prefaced her first question by explaining that as someone with an engineering background, she would take a problem-solving approach in her role as moderator. She then asked the panelists to describe what they saw as the problem (with both the relative lack of substantial roles given to black women in both film and comics.):
2. Solutions?
3. Root Cause?
She added that when a small attempt at adding characters of color failed to have huge success, publishers often used that as an excuse not to try again. ("Oh, we already tried that.") What was really needed was "characters of all races, all backgrounds. They really have to make the effort and the commitment."
4. What would an ideal state look like?
5. Question from the audience: "What can you do as an artist to reverse stereotypes of black women as either video hos or asexual "mama" or "mammy" caricatures?"
5. Question from the audience: "Who is your favorite character and why?"
6. Question from the audience from a white man who wanted to know if there were any special rules or guidelines for a white person depicting characters of color.
7. Question from the audience from a librarian who works with a lot of young black women in the Bronx and wanted to know if there were any particular books she should try to acquire for her library.
That's all, folks. Don't forget to visit The Ormes Society and Digital Femme for more on this topic.
See "East Coast Black Age of Comics, Part 1: The Glyph Awards" and "ECBACC Photo Outtake" and Part 2: The Conventionfor more extensive commentary, photos and notes on ECBACC.
P.S. You know you want to buy Masheka's book. And mine. And see us on tour! Right? Thought so.
Labels: african-american, appearances, black, cartoons, comics, conventions, events, feminism, race and racism, women
Please feel free to steal this image/text/links and help us promote this event!
"Mikhaela Reid's cartoons are right *$%@ing on."
-- Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home
"Masheka Wood has powers way beyond mortal cartoonists. Get on his bandwagon now before there's no room left!"
-- Keith Knight, creator of The K Chronicles and th(ink)
Bushies are bum-rushing Cheney's secret bunker! "Ex-gays" are quaking in their closets! Abstinence educators are shivering in their shiny silver purity rings! Greedy CEOs are heading for the hills! Brooklyn-based cartoonists Mikhaela Reid and Masheka Wood are on a rampage—and no hypocrite is safe! Slideshow, discussion & signing.
Non-Detroit folks, here are the other dates/locales planned: June 12, 7 p.m.: NYC @ Bluestockings (both Mikhaela and Masheka); June 22, 7 p.m.: NYC @ Think Coffee (Planned Parenthood book event with Mikhaela, Jessica Valenti and Amber Madison). Soon to come: Boston, DC, Brooklyn and more!
Labels: appearances, books, events
Mikhaela and Masheka's Books:
Attack of the 50-Foot Mikhaela! Cartoons by Mikhaela Reid (Foreword by Ted Rall).
Bushies are bum-rushing Cheney’s secret bunker! Ex-gays are quaking in their closets! Abstinence educators are shivering in their shiny silver purity rings! Greedy CEOs are heading for the hills and Minutemen are bolting for the border! Cartoonist Mikhaela Reid is on the rampage—and no hypocrite is safe! Attack features 150 of Reid's greatest cartoon hits, plus rarities, odds, ends and behind-the-scenes commentary! Available June 4 at Lulu.com!
Deep Doodle: Cartoons by Masheka Wood.
Masheka Wood takes you deep into the warped, candy-colored recesses of his brain as he tackles a variety of social, political and just plain grody targets. Here are Wood’s “Not Just Knee Deep” cartoons, assorted illustrations and a delicious dose of old-school comics. Prepare to lose your mind—or your lunch! Wood's work has appeared on MTV, The New Standard and Jackson State University’s art exhibit, “Other Heroes: African American comics creators, characters, and archetypes.” He is a 2007 Glyph Comics Award nominee for ‘Rising Star.' Available now at Lulu.com!
Mikhaela and Masheka's Book Tour:
Click on any of these events for more details or view the calendar here.
Labels: appearances, books, events, merchandise
Photos from "Having Our Say: Black Women Discuss Imagery": Cheryl Lynn Eaton (Digital Femme, The Ormes Society), L.A. Banks (Vampire Huntress) and Rashida Lewis ("Sand Storm")
Joseph Wheeler III ("New Art Order"); Masheka Wood with underground comics pioneer Larry Fuller (Larry had just purchased Masheka's awesome new book, Deep Doodle); the cover of the excellent book "How to Draw Afrakan Superheroes"
On May 19, Masheka and I made our second comics-fun-filled trip to the annual East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention. Above are some more of the photos (click on any one for caption info and a slideshow). I'm embarrassed to say that Keith was the only one of us to remember his Cartoonists With Attitude T-shirt. Oops!
I already name-checked and reminisced about most of the fantastic cartoonists we got to hang out with, but I'd like to take a moment to spotlight one you're probably not familiar with, our table buddy, Brooklyn-based cartoonist Ayo (see top photo), who draws the mini-comic "Little Garden." I could try to describe his beautiful linework and wonderfully drawn characters (who tend to be adorable girls with lizard tails and extra eyes and Medusa snake hair) and excellent use of mood and setting and blah de blah, but instead I'm just going to show you:
Please check out Ayo's awesome art and leave some praise.
See "East Coast Black Age of Comics, Part 1: The Glyph Awards" and "ECBACC Photo Outtake" for more extensive commentary and notes on attendees. Also see: Part 3, photos and commentary from the panel "Having Our Say: Black Women Discuss Imagery."
Labels: appearances, black, cartoonists, cartoons, events, photos, race and racism
Labels: appearances, cartoonists, comics, ecbacc, events, humor, photos, rances
(Click any of the above images or view the whole set for my coverage and commentary).
Photos from the Glyph Comics Award Ceremony on May 18, 2007 at Philadelphia's African-American Museum, the kickoff for the 6th Annual East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention. Check out Glyph Awards founder Rich Watson's blog for a full list of nominees and winners and extensive Glyphs coverage. Keith Knight, Kyle Baker and Larry Fuller accepted their awards in person, but one of the highlights was Stagger Lee writer Derek McCulloch accepting one of several awards via speakerphone cellphone (with the help of Prof. William Foster). McCulloch gave a moving speech and joked that he was speaking to us from a bathroom.
My fiancé Masheka Wood was a nominee for Rising Star, and although he didn't win, it "was an honor to be nominated" (and the award went to the amazing Spike, for her strip Templar, Arizona, so hard to be too bummed about it).
Plus we got to present the award for Best Comic Strip to amazing fellow Cartoonist With Attitude Keith Knight, for his strip The K Chronicles (a second-time winner!). Keith took photos of his own butt on the way up to the podium and remarked that it was nice to be at a convention where no one mistook him for Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder. He also later noted that the food at ECBACC (BBQ, meatballs, rice, jerk chicken, fried chicken, and other delights) was far superior to the usual comics convention concessions (typically suspiciously gray hot dogs and burgers).
Masheka and I also got to meet and/or hang out with:
What do women want from comics?That sums up a large part of ECBACC's mission, as does the work of...The answer isn't important. Here's all you need to know:
No reader wants to be made to feel that he or she is inherently less than a member of another group when he or she picks up a book to enjoy.
Blacks were deliberately left out of comics and American society for many years,” Foster noted. “On those rare occasions when we were included, we were misrepresented as savages, cannibals, simpletons, and worse. My research documents this important history both fair and foul, for all time, while there are still traces of it left.”
For more ECBACC coverage, see The Heroic Times (which has some Larry Fuller images), Eye Trauma, Cheryl Lynn's Publishers Weekly report, Keith Knight's blog and Glyphs. Also, Joseph Wheeler III has some great photos (including one of me & Masheka up at the podium presenting).
Coming up: photos from the convention itself (including one of me asleep with a Keith-Knight-penned "please buy my comics" sign pinned to me), and photos and coverage of the panel "Having Our Say: Black Women Discuss Imagery."
Update: See "Part 2: Convention Photos."
P.S. Buy Masheka's book, Deep Doodle!
Labels: appearances, awards, black, cwa, ecbacc, events, glyph awards, philadelphia, photos, race and racism