CATCHING UP: WARE, PREWITT
Pop culture magazine Chickfactor chats with Chris Ware and Archer Prewitt in an interview available exclusively on the magazine's website. The piece, which originally ran in a zine called Moxie, finds the pair discussing children's books, color, merchandise, music and collectibles. The third issue of Prewitt's "Sof' Boy" is due "this fall/early winter," according to introductory text. In other news, Dutch publisher Oog & Blik have released the cover image for Chris Ware's upcoming sketchbook volume, "The Acme Novelty Datebook," due early this year and co-produced with Drawn & Quarterly.
INFO: Chickfactor
INFO: Oog & Blik
posted by Egon on Wednesday, February 05, 2003

MCCLOUD CALLS UP
Scott McCloud shares details of his upcoming online graphic novella, "The Right Number," in an interview with Comicon.com's "Pulse" website. "This is a story about a man who believes he's discovered that if you dial a wrong number, but are only off by a digit or two, you won't get the person you're looking for, but you'll get somebody a lot like them. He begins to use this as a means of finding the perfect mate... It will be only online because each panel is imbedded in the previous panel and you have to zoom through the comic. In other words, when you look at panel one, panel one is filling the window, panel two is small in the center of that, you have to dive straight down into the comic." The project is due for online transmission later this year.
INFO: Comicon.com: Pulse
posted by Egon on Wednesday, February 05, 2003

DEITCH, SPIEGELMAN ON THE AIR
Art Spiegelman will introduce Kim Deitch on the Thursday, February 6 edition of the nationally syndicated "Bookworm" radio program. Deitch will discuss "The Boulevard of Broken Dreams" with the program's host, Michael Silverblatt. Bookworm is available as streaming audio on radio station KCRW's website.
INFO: KCRW
posted by Egon on Tuesday, February 04, 2003

ANGOULEME ASCENDANT
Angoulême has formally pacted with representatives of cities from across Europe and Japan to further expand the French city's status as an international center of comic arts, Comicon.com's "Splash" website reveals, based upon a report from an un-named source. "Angoulême's Mayor, Phillipe Mottet, and the guests representing those other cities, [established] many goals, like creating housing for comics professionals travelling between the cities, sharing exhibitions and, more importantly, giving birth to special EU programs for financing initiatives regarding the promotion of European comics." This comes in addition to previously reported financial and institutional commitments from the French government in the wake of the recent 30th annual Festival BD d'Angoulême.
INFO: Comicon.com: Splash
posted by Egon on Tuesday, February 04, 2003

HISTORICAL WILLIAMSBURG
The Williamsburg Art & Historical Center solicits artwork for "Characterism," a juried gallery exhibit planned for April display. The exhibit "emphasizes those arts which incorporate cartoons, comics, Japanime, manga and more, as its main element of expression. The show will examine how those pop cultures in the U.S. and Japan are affecting each other and the influences on the development of the current art market." Submissions are due by March 3, 2003. "Up to three images may be submitted for a non-refundable fee of $30; $5 each for additional image." Entry forms are available on the Center's website.
INFO: Williamsburg Art & Historical Center
posted by Egon on Tuesday, February 04, 2003

WOSS INNER BEANO?
Hunt Emerson has taken over the "Little Plum" comic strip in the Beano, Comicbookresources.com's "Lying in the Gutters" column reports. Little Plum was created for the publication by Leo Baxendale in 1953, and has passed through various hands in the intervening decades.
INFO: Comic Book Resources
INFO: A History of the Beano: Little Plum
LINK: Hunt Emerson
posted by Egon on Monday, February 03, 2003