Marie Severin
Comics A.M. | Tom Tomorrow wins Herblock Prize
This Modern World
Awards | Dan Perkins, better known to his readers as Tom Tomorrow, is the winner of this year’s Herblock Prize for excellence in editorial cartooning. Panelist Matt Bors cited his “consistently hilarious takedowns of women-bashers, gun culture and the president’s abuse of executive power.” The finalist was Sacramento Bee editorial cartoonist Jack Ohman. The award includes cash prizes of $15,000 (after taxes!) for the winner and $5,000 for the finalist. [The Daily Cartoonist]
Publishing | Dark Horse founder Mike Richardson explains how the company develops licensed properties, specifically “expanded universes” that build on the world of a movie or video game: “So we came up with the idea that we could approach these licensed properties as sequels, particularly in the early days when we focused primarily on film. We’d sit down like fanboys and say ‘Okay, that was great, what can we do next?’” [Forbes]
Marie Severin versus the Marvel Universe
The Giant-Size Marvel blog found this awesome print from 1996, drawn and hand-colored by Marvel artist Marie Severin and featuring herself taking on the publisher’s toughest heroes and villains. The color version was limited to 50 copies, but there were also 400 black-and-white prints, which you can see in the link.
I’m guessing Severin sold these at conventions, and I love that she included herself in the drawing.
Comics A.M. | Update on Cerebus negatives; rise of ‘foodie comics’
Cerebus #26
Comics | Last week a building fire destroyed the negatives for Dave Sim’s Cerebus: High Society, but George Peter Gatsis reports that more than half the 500 pages already had been scanned for the audio/visual digital edition (covering issues 26-50). For the other pages, Sim will be getting the best possible printed material and, hopefully, high-res scans. [Bleeding Cool]
Comics | Food writer Jon Watson addresses “the rise of foodie comics,” singling out Chew by John Layman and Rob Guillory: “It helps that the book is extremely well written, but I’m interested in a well-executed crossover of foodie culture into pop culture. It’s not often that happens when it doesn’t elicit a groan or feel forced. I think that, as food culture has grown of the last few decades, it is organically inspiring other art forms rather than feeling like an attempt at commercialization.” [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
Talking Comics with Tim | Stephanie Buscema
The Little Tales of Otto & Olive
In January, illustrator/cartoonist/artist Stephanie Buscema launched The Little Tales of Otto & Olive, a new all-ages webcomic as part of the Saturday Morning Webtoons site. Infused with her love of cats as well as a healthy appreciation of carnival sideshows (and carny kids), the quirky adventures of a young girl and a sophisticated talking feline caught my attention immediately. Buscema was kind enough to recently entertain a series of questions about this new project, as well as an upcoming collaboration with author Carolyn Crimi on Pugs in a Bug (Dial Books [set for release on March 15]) and a cover assignment for KaBOOM! Studios Adventure Time comics. I loved getting to gain some insight on Buscema’s approach to her craft–particularly the lessons learned from working with industry great Marie Severin.
Tim O’Shea: How did you come to be involved with Saturday Morning Webtoons?
Stephanie Buscema: I was approached by J. Torres about contributing to Saturday Morning Webtoons back in September. I loved idea, the work of everyone involved and jumped at the chance to play around with a new all ages comic.