Comics Are Great! 38 – Ideas are Crap

Wed, 11/23/2011 - 2:56pm by andrewjmac

This week we address the time-honored topic of ideas and how a storyteller turns them into something useful. If ideas are a dime a dozen, then how do you know a good one from a bad one? If execution is everything, how do you execute? We’re joined by Norwegian cartoonist Kim Holm and local artist Jono Balliett, who share some insights on how they’ve combined non-trivial time restraints and a spirit of play to take crummy ideas and turn them into gold.

We’re joined once again by Eli Neiburger of the Ann Arbor District Library, who shares some closing thoughts and great book recommendations!

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

• Kim Holm’s free digital illustration textures library
• Diary of a Space Monkey
• Lean Into Art – a learning network
• Jerzy’s Front re-imaginings
• Make the Comics Drink & Draw – First session begins December 8!
• Husky House Restaurant
• Jackson Pollock
• The Picture of Everything
• Dating in the Dark
• We Live in Public
• Gamification
• Kim Holm’s Free Art Friday
• WTF Podcast
• Pixar films
• H.P. Lovecraft
• Moleskine Sketchbook Pocket
• All babies look like Winston Churchill
• Dark Mischief: a Spooky Anthology
• JLA/Avengers: Collector’s Edition

This week’s book recommendations:

• Achewood Volume 2: Worst Song, Played On Ugliest Guitar
• Stop Forgetting to Remember: The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz
• Mid-Life
• Cat and Girl

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Comics Are Great! 37 – Adobe Illustrating

Wed, 11/16/2011 - 2:39pm by andrewjmac

We’ve got two super cartoonists in the studio this week for a discussion on digital vs analog tools, with a demonstration on how to draw with what might be the program that perplexes the most cartoonists–Adobe Illustrator!

And who better to demo than Jannie Ho, children’s book illustrator and comics artist, widely known for her work on The Great Reindeer Rebellion, Light the Menorah, and Lily’s Lucky Leotard.

Also in studio we have Ryan Estrada, author of Aki Alliance, The Kind You Don’t Take Home to Mother, and Chillin’ Like Villains (or you can just download the Complete Ryan Estrada Collection to get them all–for free!). Ryan was recently included in the next Machine of Death collection as well.

Together we talk a bit about Ryan’s recent adventures in South America and finding out he was a Google Plus star upon his return home. After revisiting some talk on social networking we started in Comics Are Great! episode 17, we move on to some drawing demos from Ryan and Jannie.

We’re joined once again by Eli Neiburger of the Ann Arbor District Library, who shares some closing thoughts and great book recommendations!

This week’s book recommendations:

• French Milk
• Tonoharu: Part One
• Burma Chronicles
• Mister Wonderful: A Love Story

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Comics Are Great! 36 – Inking Foo

Wed, 11/16/2011 - 1:39pm by dubaym

If you’ve ever wondered about “analog” inking techniques and tools, this is the episode for you! I’m joined this week by Michigan cartoonists Joe Foo and Mike Roll for a talk on why and how they use the brush to ink their comics. You might want to watch the video of this week’s episode, as Joe and Mike lead some really terrific demos of how they do what they do so well.

We’re joined once again by Eli Neiburger of the Ann Arbor District Library, who shares some closing thoughts and great book recommendations!

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

• CAG Producer Matt Dubay’s Twitter
• The College For Creative Studies
• Apooka
• Desmond’s Comic
• Fast vs Slow Zombies
• Paranormal Activity
• Manga Studio
• SkyNet
• C.H.U.D.s
• Crow Quill pens
• Reed Gunther
• Guy Davis
• Jay Fosgitt
• Niles Crane
• Wassup?
• Willow
• Michael Cho
• Dang Argyle
• Todd McFarlane
• Chucky
• Chucky Finster
• Leo Laporte
• Dick Cavett

This week’s book recommendations:

• The 120 Days Of Simon
• Cecil and Jordan in New York
• Union Station
• Cinder and Ashe
• The Complete Ryan Estrada Collection

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Comics Are Great! 35 – Gender Identity

Wed, 11/16/2011 - 12:39pm by dubaym

It’s a discussion on the positive power of fantasy stories on this week’s Comics Are Great! podcast, as I’m joined by Joamette Gil and Brian Denham for a discussion on their new comic, Exile. Gil and Denham’s story features a transgender protagonist who faces cosmic challenges while also dealing with her own gender identity. But this raises a question–why deal with these issues in a fantasy tale, rather than a memoir or slice-of-life story? How does a fantasy story change one’s approach in dealing with these issues?

We’re joined at the end by Sharon Iverson of the Ann Arbor District Library, who shares some terrific book recommendations with us.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Womanthology: Heroic
• The Olympia Cartoonists Collective
• Katie Shanahan
• Project Chance
• Brian Denham’s Adobe Illustrator tutorials
• Homestuck
• Antarctic Press
• PPV: Pay-Per-View

This week’s book recommendations:

• The Knights of the Lunch Table #2: The Dragon Players
• Calamity Jack
• Showcase Presents Aquaman 1
• Diary of a Zombie Kid GN
• Wandering Son: Book One (Wandering Son)

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Comics Are Great! 34 – Did Somebody Say Topic?

Wed, 11/16/2011 - 11:39am by dubaym

It’s a bit of a silly episode with a special surprise topic at the end. I’m joined by Paul Storrie, Alice Hunt, and Tracy Williams for a discussion on the physical hazards of making comics, the Captain America movie, My Little Pony, and finally some talk on writing. Thankfully Eli Neiburger joins us at the end to tie some of our randomness into some kind of usable thoughts, along with some more great book recommendations.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

• Goodbye Chains and the Historical Notes
• The Green Hornet Casefiles
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
• Choose Your Own Adventure books
• My Boyfriend Is a Monster 2: Made for Each Other
• Festivus
• Manga Studio
• The Captain America movie
• The Godfather
• Peanuts Minus the Last Panel
• My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
• Bronies
• Interview with a Bronie
• She-Ra, Princess of Power
• Hockytown
• Harvey
• Seth MacFarlane
• Futurama
• Firefly

This Week’s Book Recommendations:

• Waiting for Food: Restaurant Placemat Drawings
• The Beats: A Graphic History
• Studs Terkel’s Working: A Graphic Adaptation

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AADL Talks To Josie Parker

Tue, 11/08/2011 - 11:10am by amy

In June, Ann Arbor District Library director, Josie Parker, attended the second UNESCO World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries, whose "Focus 2011" was "The Book Tomorrow: The Future of the Written Word". In our conversation, Josie discusses what she brought back from her experience in this international arena, as well as her views - and those of fellow librarians, publishers, and authors around the world - on the future of digital publishing.

AADL Talks To Heritage Business Owners Charles Schlanderer Jr. and Charles Schlanderer Sr.

Thu, 10/20/2011 - 8:52am by muffy

Schlanderer & Sons, Jewelers and Silversmiths has occupied the same prime location on Main Street for over seven decades. It is one of the few local businesses that survived and thrived continuously in the hands of the same family through cycles of boom-and-bust. Recently we sat down with Charles Schlanderer, Sr. (Charlie) and Charles Schlanderer, Jr. (Chuck) – the third and fourth generation of store owners, for a conversation about history of the family business.

In 1933 C. Henry Schlanderer and his two sons Paul and Arthur opened the store in a historic building at 208 South Main. We learned why, at the height of the Depression, Henry chose to open a store for “luxury goods”; how each successive generation came into the business and the improvements they have made; their decision to stay “downtown” against the gradual exodus of others to the malls; and more importantly, their vision of the retail landscape in the near future.

The Schlanderers also reminisced with us about their most memorable sales over the years, the friendships formed; and loyalty of their clients.

Apart from the discussion about the business, we talked about families; growing up in Ann Arbor, Hillsdale College and Michigan Hockey (Want to know why? Listen to the podcast). You can read articles about Schlanderer & Sons in Old News.

AADL Talks To Political Pollster Tom Jensen

Wed, 09/21/2011 - 1:41pm by Debbie G.

Tom Jensen, Ann Arbor native and the Director of Public Policy Polling, one of the most accurate polling sources on key political races across the country, talked with AADL about the 2012 elections, voter sentiment, political trends and the art and science of polling.

As Director, Tom Jensen oversees Public Policy Polling's day to day operations. During his time at PPP he has been a frequent guest for television and radio stations across the region, and has been called on for expert analysis by publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, and US News and World Report.

AADL Talks to Ed Surovell

Mon, 07/25/2011 - 3:56pm by amy

The Michigan Library Association recently announced that long-time Trustee of the Ann Arbor District Library, Ed Surovell, will receive this year's MLA Trustee Citation of Merit, the highest award bestowed by the Association for a Library Board Trustee. In this episode, Ed talks with us about the origins of his successful real estate company, Edward Surovell Realtors; his long history with libraries and the book industry; and his personal collections and interests. He also discusses the responsibilities of an elected Trustee and recollects some of the challenges he faced while serving on the inaugural AADL Board of 1996.

AADL Talks To Local Author Karen Simpson

Thu, 07/14/2011 - 2:33pm by sherlonya

Back in 1996, Karen Simpson learned of a Klan rally that had taken place in her home town. During the course of the event, when violence threatened a white man wearing a confederate t-shirt, a young African-American woman protected him by placing herself between the man and the mob. This story haunted Karen and inspired her to write her debut novel Act of Grace. Here, Karen shares with us her process, her influences and what it’s like being a published author after spending ten years working on a novel.