Lily Renée Wilheim was a teenager when the Nazis invaded Vienna, which meant she was old enough to recall the events clearly, but also young enough to be shipped out as part of Kindertransport, which means the bulk of the biography focuses on events that aren’t often talked about in the greater narrative of Jewish oppression and the Holocaust. We follow Lily’s struggles as a Jewish refugee in England, being classified as an “enemy alien,” and finally her immigrant experience in America, which leads her to her ultimate status as a pioneer in women’s comics.

The book focuses on smaller details and anecdotes in Lily’s journey, like eating too much food on a train or working as a mother’s helper. This makes it easier for younger readers to relate to Lily, but it also leaves the book feeling a bit shallow since it barely touches upon the larger war narrative going on. Lily herself may not have been too concerned with the bigger picture, as she was doing her best to survive, but the book is very much written toward an educational bent, so more historical context would have been helpful in imparting a history lesson to its readers. Most of the heavy-lifting is left to the appendix in the back, which explains some of the finer historical details. In this manner, it reminds me of the American Girl books, except that those novels are definitely intended to focus on their storytelling first and foremost, better to relate to their audience of 10-year-old girls (and sell more dolls). They aren’t sold as educational materials.

The copy on the front and back covers of Lily Renée, Escape Artist seems to be aimed toward promoting a strong female role model, except that the aspect of her they promote—her comics work—is barely touched upon in the book. She doesn’t reach that point until the last few pages of the last chapter, and it really feels like they’re name-checking the titles she worked on. I would have liked to see sample pages from her work, or maybe more audience reactions, or some further indications of how this work changed her life, beyond that it paid for her mother’s operation and that one of the characters “was a fantasy” for her. If her work in comics is being used as a hook to get people to read this book, it should have gotten a lot of more page time. While I enjoyed the book, it ultimately felt unsatisfying.

Lily Renée, Escape Artist
story by Trina Robbins
pencils by Anne Timmons
inks by Mo Oh
published by Graphic Universe (New York, 2011)
ISBN 978-0-7613-8114-3

Today, in response to a request from Neil Gaiman, the New Yorker has unlocked a comic by Art Spiegelman, recounting a conversation Maurice and Art had, way back in 1993. It’s quite lovely and funny, and you can check it out over at their website.

(via Neil Gaiman)

The collaboration is looking to embrace the artistic nature of Occupy in order to get its message out there in a cohesive and straightforward manner. Tim Seeley, J.M. DeMatteis, B. Clay Moore, Ben Templesmith, Steve Niles, Molly Crabapple, and Marc Andreyko are just a few of the artists and writers involved. Heck, even Douglas Rushkoff is listed as a contributor. Each and every cent donated via Kickstarter will go towards paying the talent involved and to produce the book. The creators will then be able to donate whatever they receive straight to the movement so that it can continue on. As of typing this, $2,116 out of the $10,000 needed has been pledged.

The Kickstarter campaign will be available until December 9th with multiple rewards available for different tiers of donation, including a paper copy of Occupy Comics for $20, a copy of the Occupy Comics Documentary by Patrick Meaney, director of Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods and Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts for a $25 donation, and a signed and numbered anthology for $50. Or, if you’d like, $1 gets you a thanks on their website. Hopefully this will get a unified Occupy message out there to those still looking to hear one.

(via Bleeding Cool)

The sixth annual New York Comic Con is upon us! With it comes a fourth day of panels, screenings, back-issue browsing and celebrity sightseeing. I will once again be set up in Podcast Arena with all of my recording gear for my podcast, Comic Timing. Be sure to stop on by booth D14 in the Artist Alley to say hello, talk comics and maybe even buy some of the comics I’m getting rid of.

Before Thursday hits and we all get lost and overwhelmed, here are a few choice panels that should not be overlooked if you are looking to learn more about the nonfiction side of this here industry. I’m also including a few panels that might not be strictly nonfiction but could very well have some elements of nonfiction to them.

THURSDAY

RWP 2.0 – The Future of Comics in the Classroom
Date: Thursday, October 13
12:15 pm – 1:15 pm

Location: 1A02

Speakers: Charlie LaGreca, Dr. Michael Bitz, Jessica Abel, Josh Elder, Matt Madden

Description:
Find out how YOU can help get comics into schools and get schools into comics in this informational seminar hosted by some of the biggest names in the world of comics and education. Join Josh Elder of Reading With Pictures, Dr. Michael Bitz of the Comic Book Project, Charlie LaGreca of Comic Book Classroom and Jessica Abel and Matt Madden of Drawing Words and Writing Pictures as they unveil their plans for 2012 and beyond.

I’m including this one for any comic book professionals or teachers out there that might be interested. This is only available to those with Professional badges; Thursday general hours begin at 4pm.

FRIDAY

It Gets Better (With Comics!)
Date: Friday, October 14
11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Location: 1B03

Speakers: Charles “Zan” Christiansen, Chris Shoemaker, Daniel Ketchum, Ivan Velez Jr., Jackson Martin, Rica Takashima

Description:
This panel will shed greater light on a topic that dominated last year’s general LGBT discussion panel at NYCC: How can comics help at-risk LGBT teens? Comics and queer teens are made for each other, but what comics have connected with young adult readers most effectively? What kinds of comics are still needed? How can libraries and outreach groups best utilize comics to reach teens? What difficulties do they face when trying to put a queer-positive comic book into the hands of someone who needs a hero? These questions and more will be discussed in an exciting panel featuring: Charles “Zan” Christiansen, founder of Prism Comics and writer of “The Power Within” Daniel Ketchum, editor of “X-Men: Legacy” and “X-Factor” Ivan Velez Jr., prolific comics writer and creator of “Tales of the Closet” Rica Takashima, avant-garde street artist and creator of “Rica ‘tte Kanji!?” Jackson Martin, NYPL Associate and organizer of Anti-Prom, the largest LGBT teen event in NYC Moderator: Chris Shoemaker, New York Public Library Young Adult Programming Specialist

This is worth it for the inclusion of Rica Takashima on the panel; Rica ‘tte Kanji!? is a semi-autobiographical manga about her dealing with her feelings and whether or not to come out about being a lesbian.

Be Your Own Publisher: Making Comics with Kickstarter
Date: Friday, October 14
11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Location: 1A15

Speakers: Cindy Au, Jeremy Bastian, Jimmy Palmiotti, Joey Esposito, Renae DeLiz, Thomas Negovan

Description:
Have an awesome graphic novel or comic book but not sure how to get it published? Don’t wait for a big publisher to decide your fate! There’s never been a better time to self-publish, and tools like Kickstarter can be a great way to connect with fans, handle pre-orders, and cover the costs of publishing and distributing your comic book masterpiece. Kickstarter is the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world, and collectively, users have pledged over $90 million to projects in creative fields like comics, games, film, music, art, and more. We’ve gathered together a group of seasoned pros and new faces in the comic book industry to talk about how to run successful Kickstarter campaigns, from putting together an awesome pitch video, to creating tantalizing rewards and communicating with fans. This session will be moderated by Cindy Au (Community Director at Kickstarter) with special guests Jeremy Bastian and Thomas Negovan (Cursed Pirate Girl), Jimmy Palmiotti (Jonah Hex, Deadpool, Painkiller Jane, Queen Crab), Renae De Liz (The Last Unicorn, Womanthology), and Joey Esposito (Footprints, comics editor at IGN).

For anyone looking to go the Kickstarter route for your comic work, this might help you find the right direction.

Reading With Pictures
Date: Friday, October 14
12:15 pm – 1:15 pm

Location: Hasbro Stage

Speakers: Gabriel Bautisa, Trevor Mueller

Description:
Come learn about how getting comics in the classroom can be fun and educational. There will be live read-alongs of our favorite stories from the Harvey-Award nominated anthology, sessions teaching kids how to draw their favorite characters, and much more! Hosted by Reading with Pictures Marketing Director Trevor Mueller, and Eisner-Award winning contributor Gabriel Bautisa. Come join us for this engaging panel that’s fun for all ages!

Fun for kids and adults. I can dig it.

The Comics History of the World
Date: Friday, October 14
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Location: 1A02

Speakers: Ben McCool, Francesco Francavilla, Fred Van Lente

Description:
Views of world history in comics run from the imaginary to the tightly researched. They can inform and shed light on little known heroes and villains. Join Ben McCool (Nevsky), Fred Van Lente (Action Philosophers), Francesco Francavilla (The Black Coat) and more as they discuss the ins and out of making real life characters come alive on the comics page — and having a blast while doing it. The panel will include a sneak peak at next year’s Nevsky graphic novel with never before seen artwork.

Can’t go wrong with history; this is personally one I’m looking forward to a lot.

Legal Panel – The Comic Book Publishing Agreement
Date: Friday, October 14
2:45 pm – 3:45 pm

Location: 1B03

Speakers: Alan Robert, Sheafe B. Walker, Esq., Thomas A. Crowell, Esq.

Description:
Sure you’ve created a great comic book, but how do you get it published (other than on your own website)? Join attorneys Thomas A. Crowell and Sheafe B. Walker, and popular published comic book writer/artist Alan Robert (“Wire Hangers,” “Crawl to Me,” IDW Publishing) as they discuss how to hook and land a publisher, what to look for in a comic book publishing agreement, and how to get your comic from your computer and into the comic book store’s racks.

Food and Comics Panel with Wylie Dufresne
Date: Friday, October 14
2:45 pm – 3:45 pm

Location: 1A15

Speakers: Brian Azzarello, CB Cebulski, Wylie Dufresne

Description:
C.B. Cebulski, Marvel’s SVP of Creator and Content Development (and writer of the food blog Eataku.com), and Wylie Dufresne, molecular gastronomic chef and owner of restaurant wd~50, and more special guests share the stage for an hour talking about the new horizons in foodie culture and comics culture and where they often (and appetizingly) interconnect.

These are both at the same time, so take your pick between publishing and food porn.

The Never-Ending Battle (A PBS Documentary) Exclusive Preview Episode
Date: Friday, October 14
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Location: 1B01

Speaker:

Description:
Be among the first to screen the first episode of “A Never-Ending Battle: 1938-54″, a new documentary on the history of comic book superheroes produced by the filmmakers behind the award-winning Make ‘Em Laugh and Broadway: The American Musical, scheduled for the 2012-2013 PBS season. This insightful, entertaining documentary includes new interviews with legends such as Joe Simon, Stan Lee, Jim Steranko, Michael Chabon, Jules Feiffer and many more, along with rare footage. Bonfire Agency’s Steve Rotterdam will introduce the episode and also lead a discussion with filmmakers Michael Kantor and Laurence Maslon. Note: A select group of attendees will also be invited to participate in a focus group immediately to follow. Details to follow.

While not a comic book, it is a documentary about comics that won’t actually air until sometime next year. Get a jump on it.

The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators
Date: Friday, October 14
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Location: 1B03

Speakers: Carolyn Belefski, David Gallaher, Joe Carabeo, Raina Telgemeier, Reilly Brown

Description:
Creating your product is only half the work it takes to succeed in the comics industry. What about the other half that we don’t see as clearly after the product is released to the world? This panel will explore what it is like to be on the other side of the table, as a creator. We will discuss what it takes to exhibit at conventions, promote yourself, and gain a loyal audience – from the POV of professionals already behind the table. Join creators Raina Telgemeier (Smile, The Baby-Sitters Club), Reilly Brown (Amazing Spider-Man, Power Play), David Gallaher (High Moon, Box 13), and Carolyn Belefski (Curls, The Legettes) in this conversation, moderated by Joe Carabeo.

And finally, we wrap Friday up with some familiar faced and stories about getting your work from concept to the page.

SATURDAY

Comics Studies Conference 2: The Auteur Theory of Comics
Date: Saturday, October 15
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Location: 1B03

Speakers: Arlen Schumer, J. David Spurlock, John Morrow, Michael Bonsteel, Randolph Hoppe

Description:
Comic book historian Arlen Schumer (The Silver Age of Comic Book Art) and Randolph Hoppe (Director of the online Jack Kirby Museum) present their theory that, just like a film’s director, not its screenwriter, is considered its true author (auteur in French), so should a comic book artist be considered the auteur of any comic book work done in collaboration with a writer (or a script in any verbal form), and is therefore a de facto co-creator and co-author, with the credited writer, of that work. Joining them on the panel discussion that follows will be Michael Bonsteel (School the Art Institute of Chicago), editor/publisher John Morrow (TwoMorrows Publications), publisher J. David Spurlock (Vanguard Publishing), and other comic book industry luminaries to be announced.

More history coming your way on Saturday from a a historian and creators who know what they’re talking about.

Womanthology
Date: Saturday, October 15
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Location: 1A23

Speakers: Bonnie Burton, Camilla d’Errico, Laura Morley, Mariah Huehner, Nicole Falk, Renae DeLiz, Suzannah Rowntree

Description:
Sometimes a simple idea hits at just the right time and place. Renae de Liz’s desire to give back to the comics community and give women creators of all abilities a chance to be published turned into one of the most successful and anticipated Kickstarter projects ever. Panelists discuss the development and drive to create Womanthology, the creators and contributors, social media support, and the future of this project.

A hotly anticipated anthology project that shows just what people look for out of a Kickstarter as well.

Comics Studies Conference 7: Surviving Reality in the Absence of Superheroes: Social Realism in the Spanish Comic
Date: Saturday, October 15
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

Location: 1B03

Speakers: Brittany Tullis, Pablo Rodriguez Balbontin, Tania Perez-Cano

Description:
Pablo Rodriguez Balbontin (University of Iowa) analyzes how Juan “Jan” López Los cabecicubos (The Cubeheads) works as a satire of the Spanish “Transition” to democracy and its strategy of oblivion and the conection with the contemporary recovery of historical memory that is central to political debate in Spain today. Brittany Tullis (University of Iowa) compares an early Bruguera comic, La Rue del Percebe, with Paco Roca’s award-winning graphic novel Arrugas to illustrate the continuity of social realism in Spanish comics. Tania Perez-Cano (University of Iowa) uses Max’s Gustavo to trace the contribution of the underground comic in Spain to ongoing antinuclear and ecological discourse.

I know next to nothing about the industry in Spain; perhaps this panel will open people’s minds a bit.

CBLDF: Defending Manga
Date: Saturday, October 15
7:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Location: 1A23

Speaker:

Description:
Right now a manga fan is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in prison and registering a sex offender because Canada Customs agent alleged that horror and fantasy manga on his laptop were child pornography. The threat to manga has been growing in recent years, as North American authorities misunderstanding of the material leaves innocent readers in the crossfire. Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is fighting these cases, with a need to raise $150,000 to defend the Canada Customs case. Come listen to a discussion on the issues facing manga and what you can do to help.

Closing out Saturday with a panel that is important to the comic book industry, even if it is not necessarily about nonfiction comics.

SUNDAY

MoCCA Presents: Michael Uslan, The Boy Who Loved Batman
Date: Sunday, October 16
10:45 am – 11:45 am

Location: 1A15

Speaker: Michael Uslan

Description:
Presenting the true story of Michael Uslan, and how a middle class boy from New Jersey grew up to be an executive producer of one of the most successful film franchises of all time. Uslan has been the executive producer, along with his partner Benjamin Melnicker, of the Batman series of films, starting with 1989’s landmark Batman to the most recent installment, the second highest grossing film of all time, The Dark Knight. He has written comic books, comic strips, a children’s book, a book on Rock and Roll with Dick Clark, graphic novels and most recently, his critically-acclaimed autobiography, The Boy Who Loved Batman. Signing to immediately follow at MoCCA Booth #2631

Michael Uslan has lived a life most of us can only dream about. Some of his comic works also happen to be nonfiction; go figure.

CBLDF: Censorship Then & Now
Date: Sunday, October 16
2:45 pm – 3:45 pm

Location: 1A02

Speaker: Charles Brownstein

Description:
Earlier this year the Comics Code Authority closed its doors forever, ending an era of self-censorship where comics were stigmatized in the general culture. Though the threats that brought about the Comics Code are the stuff of history books, real threats to comics are still present in the courts in the United States and abroad. CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein delivers a gripping history of comics censorship from the 50s to today, and talks about life after the Code.

This one looks extra interesting to me, especially since I finished The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

These are just some examples of the panels going on this weekend. For a complete look at New York Comic Con’s schedule, visit their website — a printable PDF grid is also available.

Everything from the water preference of a table to whether or not crumbs need to be cleared can all be said through signals. When it is time to clear a plate, a gesture towards the chair of a guest will do it. Each and every member of the staff at Eleven Madison Park must be proficient at the unspoken language or else mishaps are bound to occur. They even have a set direction to walk the room (clockwise) and a specific side of a guest they should veer towards at all times (the right). Considering the place is one of the most successful and expensive restaurants in the city, I would expect the best possible service with my meal. Maybe other establishments could learn a thing or two from this method in order to improve the efficiency of their dinner hour?

You can view the full list of signs, signals and directions here. And if you do decide to check out Eleven Madison Park, come on an empty stomach; they only do four-course meals or tasting menus.

Forbes is releasing the graphic novel along with the help of JESS3, a creative design company based out of Washington, D.C. The book looks to give fans of Apple, and even casual onlookers, a further view into what makes one of the most important men in the history of computers tick. Caleb Melby states that he put mounds of research and reporting into the graphic novel to try and get it as close to historically accurate as possible while still maintaining a narrative flow. It also informs us all that Buddhist monks enjoy Denny’s.

A release date for the book has yet to be finalized, but Melby says it will be out sometime in the fall. For now, there are five pages released; one here and four more here.

(via The Beat)

I found 3 inch yellow pads of Post-its to be perfect little sketchbooks and I could swipe hundreds of them at a time from the supply closet without anyone noticing. Eventually I started reading these work stories in public — at bars, bookstores and art galleries. To accompany my performances I projected a slideshow of my Post-it Note drawings behind me. It was a little like narrating a comic one panel at a time or presenting a hand drawn lecture.

To promote the project’s upcoming release, the chapter written by The Daily Show’s John Hodgman has been put online in its entirety. It weaves a tale about the New York City subway system’s price increase from $2 to $2.25. Like all Hodgman pieces, it goes in a direction no one would expect it to go. Be sure to read it all the way to the end to truly understand why this tale needed to be told.

In addition, for those living in the New York area, there will be a book release party and reading this Tuesday, September 27th at Little Field in Brooklyn. Entry is free and doors open at 7pm. Hodgman will not be in attendance but a bunch of the other authors will be, so it is probably worth a look for anyone interested in the book.

It should be noted that the Brooklyn Book Festival is going on right now over at Brooklyn Borough Hall. The event runs through 6pm, with vendors, panels, and performances. Vendors include Drawn & Quarterly, McSweeney’s, and Keith Knight.

If you missed the “Sequential Non-fiction” or “Building a Book” panels at MoCCA Fest this past spring,  both Dean Haspiel and Lauren Redniss will be on a panel later today titled “Drawing a Life” with GB Tran. The panel starts at 4pm, so there’s still plenty of time to head over there and check it out.

4:00 P.M. Drawing a Life. How do you draw someone else’s memories? Eisner nominated Dean Haspiel (Cuba: My Revolution) illustrated the memoir of revolutionary turned refugee Inverna Lockpez. Pulitzer nominee Lauren Redniss (Radioactive: A Tale of Love and Fallout) blends research and imagination in a haunting portrait of Marie Curie and rising star artist GB Tran (Vietnamerica: A Family’s Journey) turns to his own family’s history to portray a war-torn, transnational generation. Moderated by Hillary Chute, author of Graphic Women: Life Narrative and Contemporary Comics.

Everything from microcontrollers to switchers, sensors, voltage, and the ever-important Ohm’s Law are defined and explained. Links to both Windows and Mac Arduino software and user guides are also included once you are ready to learn more about the project. What lends itself nicely to this step-by-step tutorial is the incredibly descriptive art; everything looks the way it does in the real world including shots of MacOS, circuit boards and the solderless breadboard. The comic can be found in PDF format here. You can read it in a browser or download the file and put it on a portable device if you’re looking to program on the go.

(via Boing Boing)

Throughout the summer, Saveur turned to a bunch of artists to share food stories and the recipes that go along with them under the Recipe Comix banner. The talent involved includes Eli Valley of The Forward and EV Comics who decided to share his mother’s recipe for a simple spaghetti and tuna dish that proved that even though she was a single mother, she could compete with the other Jewish moms in the neighborhood culinary-wise. Other contributors were Nedroid‘s Anthony Clark, Farley Katz of The New Yorker and yes, even Ryan North of Dinosaur Comics. North’s chili recipe not only sounds delicious but it is told to us by dinosaurs. Which immediately increases the deliciousness and credibility of any recipe.

A complete archive of Recipe Comix can be found here. Hopefully there will be more recipes to come in Summer 2012 as I’m sure there are plenty of creators with food to share out there. In the meantime, I think I’m going to try and make Emily Horne’s Black Mischief cocktail once I get me some gin, stout beer and espresso.

Greene goes over his experiences post-riot as stores began boarding up or cleaning up even as the children that looted them look on. Drawings related to the cleanup can also be found on artist Tom Humberstone’s blog where he stresses nothing was “simple” or “straightforward” about what went down and that the poor were not exclusive to the destruction. Finally, Sally Jane Thompson drew up some hopeful images both during and after the event.

A week later the recovery process continues and it will continue for weeks and months to come. My best goes out to anyone who was affected by the rioting. All we can hope is that people look at what went down as a deterrent towards future transgressions.

(via Robot 6)

A user’s about page on Google+ has a space to put up some pictures, presumably pictures of themselves, but instead Scott McCloud and Stephen Hitchen have used the slots as comic panels, telling (very) short stories.

Aside from being really informative about what they do (pictures really do speak louder than words), it just looks cool. Now I’m just staring at that empty slot on my own Google+ page, and pondering the possibilities.

(via The Ephemerist)

Filmmakers often get in touch, wondering whether there might be a way of presenting a version with a more positive spin to it. Well, of course there is, but then you’d be changing history, or at least blunting the truth of what took place that day in 1957, and unfortunately, you can’t change history, not one line.

Though history can’t be changed and the book will stay true to events, Abadzis is willing to play a game of “what if?” with Laika, honoring the 25th anniversary of Big Planet Comics in Washington, DC with a series of alternate endings dubbed “The Alternate Endings to Laika Show.”

So far two strips have been put up, both presenting stories that aren’t entirely implausible, but still vary widely from the truth in ensuring that little Laika survives.

(via The Beat)

I have no plans to get married any time soon, but the trials and travails chronicled in Adrian Tomine’s Scenes from an Impending Marriage make me think that simply eloping is a good idea. Guest lists, music, food, registries, party favors—all the little details that go into planning a “proper” wedding are detailed here in short comic vignettes starring Adrian and his fianceé as they attempt to plan their own real-life wedding.

The book is cute with simple and lively illustrations, arranged in a nine-panel configuration on most pages with the occasional Family Circus one-panel homage. It’s easy to sympathize with the couple—weddings can be a complicated minefield of familial politics, for one thing—but the book doesn’t go into any of these issues in detail, and is over so quickly. But we should be grateful to even have the opportunity to read this graphic memoir at all, as the book was originally created as a party favor for the wedding guests—a fact that is chronicled in the book, and the Drawn & Quarterly version of it includes an epilogue chronicling the aftermath of the reception, in all its tired and awestruck glory.

Scenes from an Impending Marriage
by Adrian Tomine
published by Drawn & Quarterly (Montreal, 2011)
ISBN 978-770460-34-8

NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt said that they felt Wonder Woman wasn’t the right “fit” for their lineup, which is an interesting choice of words when you consider all the online hubbub surrounding her costume, which downplayed her patriotic (American) side and was ridiculously shiny and uncoordinated. The costume was later tweaked, but that didn’t stop people from tittering at unflattering photos of Adrienne Palicki in action.

Wonder Woman may not be saving the day now, but Empowered still came to her rescue after those photos were released, following up her comments on the script with new commentary about the trials and travails of being an attractive costumed heroine, as well as which female cast member of Friday Night Lights was hotter: Adrienne Palicki or Minka Kelly?

(via Bleeding Cool)

In this madcap adventure (as if Donald has any other kind) a lot of the main attractions are name-checked as Donald runs through them, all in search for an autograph from the most famous film star in the world…Mickey Mouse! As strange as it is to have a world where Mickey is famous but Donald is not, what really got me were the moments of recognition from my visits in 1993 and 2010. Of course, there are things that have changed since the park opened in 1989—I wonder how Donald would feel about the giant Sorcerer’s Hat, complete with Mickey ears?

You can read the entirety of “Starstruck Duck” over at Comics Alliance.

Today’s the last day to donate to the Kickstarter campaign for The Power Within, an anti-bullying and anti-suicide comic by Charles “Zan” Christensen and Mark Brill, with new additional pages by Gail Simone, Phil Jiminez, Carla Speed McNeil, Dan Parent, Donna Barr and Andy Mangels. The comic was originally created for 24-Hour Comics Day last year, then self-published and sold at a few conventions, and now they’re looking to fund a much larger print run to spread the message. As of this writing, they’ve reached their goal of $3000, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t donate.

• Pledge $10 for a copy of the book
• Pledge $25 to receive an 11×17 print of the cover art
• Pledge $125 for a complete collection of Northwest Press books
• Pledge $500 or more for all of the above, plus a ticket to the 23rd Annual Lambda Literary Awards, including the cocktail reception and VIP afterparty

No one’s taken them up on the ticket offer (tickets for the awards + party are normally $150), but there’s still 3 hours left on the project and it is going to a good cause.

(via Bleeding Cool)

Alison Bechdel is arguably the most famous lesbian in the comics industry, as the creator of the seminal comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, but for all the criticism and commentary she included in the strip over its twenty-five-year history, it wasn’t as personal as her graphic memoir Fun Home, which chronicled her own childhood, sexual orientation, and her complex relationship with her father.

That relationship certainly was complex; as we’re told early on, shortly before his death but after Alison had come out to her parents, she found out that her father had had relationships with other men. With so little time to talk to him before she died, Alison is left to figure out his sexuality on her own, examining old memories and re-contextualizing them with this new information.

The whole book is about context and subtext, looking at incidents and bits of dialog and asking, “What does this mean?” It’s almost similar to the kind of literary analysis that takes place in classrooms and book clubs, which makes it appropriate that the book is heavy in literary references. Bruce Bechdel was an English teacher and a voracious reader, so Alison is constantly comparing his life to the books he loved, from the works of Fitzgerald and Camus to James Joyce’s Ulysses and Homer’s Odyssey. But while an English student will be asked how the events of an author’s life will influence their work, Alison is asking how their work influenced her father’s life.

The memoir is very dense in allusions and references, but not to the point of incomprehensibility to the average reader. I still found myself looking up the occasional word or fact, more out of curiosity than confusion. Fun Home is definitely a book that could benefit from an annotated edition.

As a narrative the book is not straightforward or chronological. Instead, it takes the format of human memory, Alison remembering certain incidents and laying out the circumstances surrounding them, then taking the future knowledge of his queer identity and his death and factoring that into each situation. This happens almost every chapter, with memories repeated and reiterated to the point where it feels like Bruce Bechdel dies not once, but again and again, brought back to life at the start of every chapter so a new incident can be re-examined. Knowing what will happen just feels like we’re circling a drain, going around and around until we finally fall in.

Fun Home is full of detail and heart, and it’s never boring. Alison Bechdel has a good mind for detail (as we learn, she’s been keeping a daily diary since she was 10) and each scene is loaded with nostalgia, inspiring me to think back on the shadows of my own childhood. But at the same time, her childhood is much darker and enigmatic, an emotional drain mitigated only by the choice of making the last chapter more positive. This is where Alison talks about those few incidents where her and her father found common ground, most notably through literature. While drawing on facts presented earlier in the book, it still feels off-kilter as we reach the conclusion, a hurried attempt to find meaning before the last page is turned. Perhaps this is how we should feel, to better reflect real life: unsatisfied and confused, but hopeful.

Fun Home
by Alison Bechdel
published by Mariner Books (New York, 2007)
ISBN 978-0-618-87171-1

Check out the trailer:

Looking good so far.

Also causing a stir, but for far different reasons, is Lawrence Colonnier’s new graphic biography of Tintin’s creator Georges Prosper Remi, pen name Hergé. Even if you don’t speak French, the title is certainly revealing: Georges & Tchang: Une histoire d’amour au XXème siècle. It details the romantic relationship between Hergé and Chang Chong-jen, who was the basis for the character of Chang Chong-Chen who first appeared in The Blue Lotus. Suddenly the story of Tintin in Tibet, where Tintin scours the Himalayas looking for Chang after a fatal plane crash, gains a whole new subtext.

But that shouldn’t be enough to give potential publishers pause, so much as the fact that it also depicts Hergé as being a communist spy. Hergé is a beloved cultural figure—he even has his own museum—and the Francophone comics scene might not take too kindly to anything that depicts the man in anything but the most positive light. But man, does that totally add new subtext to the boy reporter’s adventures.

(via Bleeding Cool)

(Click image for full size)

Why aren’t these women’s husbands serving in the military? Were they rated 4-F? Why would the excuse “I’m too tired” fly with a woman who builds bombers all day? Why is it okay to gossip about someone, but not okay to eavesdrop? Why isn’t Ruthie sitting next to her friends anyway? And if everyone’s “working and perspiring more than ever,” maybe someone should drop a note to Ruthie’s husband, because I doubt he smells like a “sweetheart.”

(via Boing Boing and Vintage Ads)