Who knew this was going to be such an interesting week for cartooning and comic strip news? Not me. And not when I invited Alan Gardner to be my guest today. Alan is the editor of the wildly popular web site DailyCartoonist.com, which is solely dedicated to news of daily comic strips and cartoons.... Continue Reading →
Bill Mauldin biographer explores Willie and Joe war years! PODCAST INTERVIEW
Today's Guest: Todd DePastino, biographer, Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front, Willie & Joe: The WWII Years If you were a dog soldier in World War II, there were probably days when the only thing you had to look forward to was the latest issue of Stars & Stripes and the single-panel cartoons of Bill... Continue Reading →
Cartoonist Charlos Gary likes his Cafe Con Leche hot! INTERVIEW
The only thing tougher than being a black man trying to hail a cab in Manhattan might be being a black man trying to sell a comic strip into a daily newspaper that already has a strip created by an African-American cartoonist. Charlos Gary knows how tough it is – he’s the man behind... Continue Reading →
Gentleman Gene Colan talks classic comic books! PODCAST INTERVIEW
Anybody who tells you that one comic book looks just like the next doesn’t know what they’re talking about. It doesn’t take much effort to tell Jack Kirby’s blocky drawings from Steve Ditko’s otherworldly stylings, for example, or, in more modern terms, the dark, detailed pencils of Frank Miller from the brighter, livelier sketches... Continue Reading →
Legendary cartoonist Jules Feiffer explains his Explainers! PODCAST INTERVIEW
The word that comes to mind when I think about the comic strips of Jules Feiffer is this: My Microsoft Word dictionary - hey, it's convenient! - defines it as “the act of speaking while alone, especially when used as a theatrical device that allows a character’s thoughts and ideas to be conveyed to... Continue Reading →
Will Eisner and PS Magazine expert roundtable discussion! PODCAST INTERVIEW
In the pantheon of comic book masters, Will Eisner’s name is at or near the top of pretty much everyone’s list. He was there at the birth of the genre in the late 1930s – he famously turned down a submission from Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster of a comic book about a character... Continue Reading →
Pearls Before Swine ratted out by cartoonist Stephan Pastis! PODCAST INTERVIEW
Stephan Pastis is a big fan of Ricky Gervais, creator of "The Office" and "Extras," and Larry David, co-creator of "Seinfeld" and creator of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." He also loves him some Cheryl Hines. As a matter of fact, I think the only reason I landed him on the show today is because I... Continue Reading →
Cartoonist Mort Walker on creating Beetle Bailey, Hi and Lois! PODCAST INTERVIEW
Mort Walker is the dean and -- in some ways -- the curator of American cartoonists. Best known for his long-running strips “Beetle Bailey” and “Hi & Lois,” Walker, 84, is also a bedrock member of the National Cartoonists Society, and he’s the founder and energy behind the National Cartoon Museum. This is the... Continue Reading →
95 Charles Schulz and Peanuts biographer David Michaelis reveals much! PODCAST INTERVIEW
Today's Guest: David Michaelis, author, Schulz and Peanuts Peanuts Treasury was the first hardcover book I remember getting as a kid, somewhere around 1968, 1969. I spent hours reading and re-reading it, losing myself in the comic misadventures of Charlie Brown and Snoopy, wishing I could be like Charles Schulz, the strip’s writer and... Continue Reading →
91 The Adventures of Aaron crack Mr. Media up! INTERVIEW
Today's Guest: Aaron Warner, cartoonist, "The Adventures of Aaron" Originally published in August 1997. Are you as bored by the comic strips as I am? Finding cool new strips in local newspapers is a frustrating pursuit. Change comes more slowly on this page than any other. And when the creators of "Calvin & Hobbes," "The... Continue Reading →