Tag Archives: library of congress

Around the Tubes

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Negaduck #1

It’s a new week and we have a lot coming at you! We’re kicking it off with some comic news and reviews you might have missed from the weekend from around the web.

The Beat – French Critics Association ACBD give Prix Comics 2023 to Williams & Blackman’s ECHOLANDS – Congrats!

DCist – ‘I Really Am An Evil Witch:’ Scenes From The Library Of Congress’s First Literary Costume Ball – Awe. We’d have gone…

Kotaku – Nexus Mods Fine With Bigots Leaving Over Removed Starfield ‘Pronoun’ Mod – Bravo.

Kotaku – Spider-Man 2 Will Have Ray Tracing Across All Visual Modes – Ok.

Reviews

CBR – Alligator Loki #1
CBR – Daredevil #1
The Beat – Funny Things
CBR – Negaduck #1
CBR – Werewolf by Night #1

SDCC 2023: Cong. Robert Garcia officially kicks off the Congressional Popular Arts Caucus

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Announced at the end of June, Congressman Robert Garcia headed to San Diego Comic-Con 2023 to officially launch the bipartisan Congressional Arts Caucus. A caucus is a group of members of Congress that meet around a certain topic, interest, party, and more. Rules govern them including their name, statement of purpose, officers, the employee designated to work on the issue, and more.

Garcia is a fan of comics and was sworn in on a copy of Superman #1. At San Diego Comic-Con, the Congressman was featured on a panel that included Megan Halsband of the Library of Congress comics collection, writer and creator Josh Trujillo, and Jeff Trexler of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The Library of Congress holds a massive collection of comics and regularly holds event tied into the local convention Small Press Expo.

The goal of the caucus is to focus on everything from piracy to AI and what the government can do to champion the rights of creators and workers.

What’s more interesting is that Garcia stated that Free Comic Book Day would be held at the Capitol. The goal would go beyond getting comics into the hands of kids but into the hands of policy makers. Free Comic Book Day is held the first Saturday in May and will occur May 4, 2024. Congress is generally out of session on weekends. Members of Congress are bombarded with piles of magazines and books that are sent to their office. Comics would not be a stretch. During the convention Cong. Garcia also met with DC President/CCO Jim Lee and Marvel Comics’ editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski.

Iron Man is inducted into the National Film Registry

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Iron Man

The Library of Congress has announced the latest round of films to enter the National Film Registry and Marvel Studios‘ Iron Man is one of them. Iron Man officially launched Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe spawning a box office juggernaut.

25 total films were announced including The Little Mermaid, Hairspray, When Harry Met Sally, Carrie, House Party, and Cyrano de Bergerac.

The public submitted 6,865 titles for consideration this year. The public can submit nominations throughout the year on the Library’s web site Nominations for next year will be accepted until Aug. 15, 2023.

Under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, each year the Librarian of Congress names to the National Film Registry 25 motion pictures that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant. The films must be at least 10 years old.

Films Selected for the 2022 National Film Registry

(chronological order)

  • Mardi Gras Carnival (1898)
  • Cab Calloway Home Movies (1948-1951)
  • Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)
  • Charade (1963)       
  • Scorpio Rising (1963)
  • Behind Every Good Man (1967)
  • Titicut Follies (1967)
  • Mingus (1968) 
  • Manzanar (1971)
  • Betty Tells Her Story (1972)
  • Super Fly (1972)
  • Attica (1974)
  • Carrie (1976)
  • Union Maids (1976)
  • Word is Out: Stories of Our Lives (1977)
  • Bush Mama (1979)
  • The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982)
  • Itam Hakim, Hopiit (1984)
  • Hairspray (1988)
  • The Little Mermaid (1989)
  • Tongues Untied (1989)
  • When Harry Met Sally (1989)
  • House Party (1990)
  • Iron Man (2008)
  • Pariah (2011)    

Gems of Comic Art Collection Featured in New Library of Congress Exhibition

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Library of Congress

A new exhibition at the Library of Congress explores how comic books have permeated popular entertainment and influenced U.S. culture, highlighting selections from the Stephen A. Geppi Collection that was generously donated to the national library in 2018.

“Geppi Gems” is now open in the Library’s Graphic Arts Gallery through mid-March 2022. A second rotation with items is planned planned for spring 2022. The exhibition now features 33 items from the collection of more than 3,000 cartoons, comic books and related items in the Geppi Collection.

The wide range of rare comics on view span genres including Walt Disney’s iconic characters, westerns, superheroes, science fiction, horror, sports, music and entertainment.

The exhibition explores the role of early newspapers in the development of comic books and characters. As a nod to the collection’s founder, the exhibition also represents the major themes of the former Geppi Entertainment Museum in Baltimore, which operated between 2006 and 2018.

Highlights of the exhibition include:

  • Popeye in an early syndicated newspaper comic strip from 1931 when the character’s popularity was exploding.
  • Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck during their rise in popularity as animated characters. Walt Disney understoond the role of marketing his characters so that they would be instantly recognizable.
  • AnnieOakley,WyattEarp and SteveMcQueenas characters from America’s Wild West translated from Western novels to radio, comics, film and television.
  • Superman’s history with Action Comics and the birth of the comic book superhero from DC Comics, along with examples from the history of Batman and Robin, and Wonder Woman.
  • Black Panther’s self-titled debut from Marvel Comics in 1977 and the story of Captain America in The Avengers before he became one of the most popular comic book characters today.
  • Science fiction’s history in comics with examples of dramatic visual expression, including Weird Science and Science and Invention.
  • Terrifying creatures of horror that were brought to visual life through comics in magazines like Creepy.
  • Sports as represented through comic books and cartoon art, including Babe Ruth Sports.
  • Pop culture represented in posters, magazines and collectibles promoting musicians through graphic art, including Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, TheJackson5and more.

Free timed entry tickets are available for visitors to the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. To plan a visit and reserve tickets, go to loc.gov/visit. Tickets will be released on a rolling 30-day basis. For online versions of the Library’s exhibitions, visit loc.gov/exhibits.

The 2021 Library of Congress National Book Festival Features Two Comic Panels

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The National Book Festival is always an event to look forward to each year. It features an amazing mix of authors and usually a solid focus on comics. Taking place September 17 to 26 this year, the 2021 festival features live author conversations ever day. On September 17, 35 video-on-demand programs will become available to watch anytime.

This year’s festival features two panels comic fans will want to check out.

With Great Responsibility: The Spider-Man Origin Story in Art and Comic Books

Thursday September 23, 2021
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT

Let’s share a virtual moment with the Spider-Man origin story — which includes Stan Lee’s story and Steve Ditko’s art — from “Amazing Fantasy” #15 (1962). Look at selected images from the drawings and hear experts’ insights into the collaboration that led to the development of the teen superhero.More information at zoomgov.com External.

Genre: Your Library of Congress

Live Q&A with Trung Le Nguyen

Saturday September 25, 2021
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm EDT

Trung Le Nguyen, author of “The Magic Fish” (Random House), answers your questions. Don’t forget to check out Trung Le Nguyen’s video where he discusses his book.

Genre: Teens

National Book Festival 2021

Raina Telgemeier, Ngozi Ukazu, Jim Ottaviani head to the National Book Festival courtesy of the Small Press Expo

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Small Press Expo 2019

Small Press Expo (SPX) has announced it is again a sponsor of the Library of Congress National Book Festival. As a part of this sponsorship, SPX is supporting both Ngozi Ukazu and Jim Ottaviani in their appearances at the Library of Congress National Book Festival.

Long-time SPX creator Raina Telgemeier will present on the prestigious Main Stage, where she will be introduced by SPX Executive Director Warren Bernard.

Raina will also be a Special Guest at SPX 2019, to be held September 14 & 15 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.

The National Book Festival, the largest book festival in the United States, takes place Saturday, August 31, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.

There will be 145 authors across all genres giving talks and signing their books at the festival.

Raina Telgemeier

1:30-2:30PM – Book Signing
6:00-7:30PM – Poetry Slam
4:00-5:00 PM – Main Stage Presentation – “Share Your Smile: Raina’s Guide to Telling Your Own Story” (Graphix/Scholastic)

Raina Telgemeier

Ngozi Ukazu

2:15-2:50PM – Presentation – “Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey” (First Second)
3:30-4:30PM – Book signing

Ngozi Ukazu

Jim Ottaviani

11:00AM-11:45AM – Presentation – “Hawking” (First Second)
12:30-1:30PM – Book Signing

Jim Ottaviani

Otakon Teams with the Library of Congress for a Special Event

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“Anime for All,” a celebration of East Asian culture, mythology, pop culture and inspiration, will be held Thursday, July 25 through Friday, July 26, in the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C. The film screening — along with a collection display of rare Japanese graphic art, a panel discussion on the emergence of Japanese hip-hop and a live Studio Ghibli performance — will showcase the evolution of Japanese storytelling traditions that have been transformed into modern forms of expressions and overall pop-culture fandom. 

The events are free and open to the public. Tickets are available for some of the “Anime for All” activities, but are not required. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit this event-ticketing site for more information and to secure your ticket. Entry is not guaranteed. 

Fans of anime, manga and Japanese pop culture have much to explore in the Library’s collections. The Prints and Photographs Division contains over 2,500 Japanese woodblock prints from the Edo Period through the 21st century. The Asian Division’s collection is the largest repository of Japanese-language materials outside of Japan, totaling 1.2 million monograph volumes with a rare book collection exceeding 5,900 items dating as far back as the 8th century. The Serials and Government Publications Division houses over 140,000 comic books, including treasures such as the rare early English-language editions of “Astro Boy,” “Macross” and “Ultraman.”

Emergence of the Comic Strip in the 19th Century, April 9 at the Library of Congress

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Library of Congress

Swann Foundation Fellow Joshua Abraham Kopin will give an illustrated lecture at the Library of Congress discussing the cultural and technological contexts surrounding the rise of the comic strip in late nineteenth century America.  

Kopin will present “Comics in Nineteenth Century Time and Space” at noon on Tuesday, April 9, West Dining Room on the sixth floor of the Library’s James Madison Building, 101 Independence Avenue  S.E., Washington, D.C. The lecture is free and open to the public. Tickets are not needed. 

To better understand comics of the present, it is necessary to better understand its nineteenth-century form. As it split off from caricature and cartoon, the late nineteenth-century comic strip joined many new technologies of time and space. These changes included advances in printing, early attempts to capture motion in film, and early sound recording, all developments that were rapidly accelerating society and culture. As part of this cultural environment, the comic strip thus represents an insight into the period’s changing temporal and spatial theories of knowledge. 

By reframing the comic strip in terms of the cultural and technological history of the nineteenth-century United States, Kopin contends that the art form is a uniquely nineteenth-century object that has retained many of the artifacts of its development as it has evolved. The talk will focus on one particular example from R.F. Outcault’s Hogan’s Alley,placing this 19th century comic strip in a technological lineage, aligned with caricature, cinema, color printing and the gramophone, among others.

Joshua Kopin is a PhD candidate in American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He has works published or forthcoming in American Literature and Inks, as well as an entry in the upcoming Keywords for Comics Studies volume. He is a member at large on the board of the International Comic Arts Forum and the president of the Graduate Student Caucus of the Comic Studies Society.

This presentation, sponsored by the Swann Foundation and the Library’s Prints and Photographs Division, is part of the foundation’s continuing activities to support the study, interpretation, preservation and appreciation of original works of humorous and satiric art by graphic artists from around the world.

The Library of Congress Previews their new Stephen A. Geppi Collection of Comics and Graphic Arts

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The Library of Congress will open a new display of select items from the Stephen A. Geppi Collection of Comics and Graphic Arts from Nov. 6, 2018, through Feb. 11, 2019, in the Great Hall of the historic Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St., SE, Washington, DC.

On May 30, 2018, Stephen A. Geppi donated more than 3,000 items from his vast personal collection of comic books and popular art, the largest donation of its kind in the Library’s history.  The multimillion-dollar gift includes comic books, original art, photos, posters, newspapers, buttons, pins, badges and related materials. It includes a wide range of rare comics and represents the Golden, Silver, and Bronze ages of comic books.  The mint-condition collection is also noted for its racially and socially diverse content as well as the distinctive creative styles of each era.

Today, the Library of Congress invited media to check out the items on display, just a small fraction of the total collection. You can see what’s on display with images provided by the library.

Agile Case #1:

Patriotism

Stephen A. Geppi generously donated his collection of comics and entertainment art to the Library of Congress in 2018. A portion of the collection, once housed in the Geppi Entertainment Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, supported the American military through products aimed at children and adults including coloring books, Big Little Books, comic books and action figures. Most of these items were created during wartime. Of particular note in this case are Joe Simon’s concept drawing for the superhero Captain America, created in 1940 in reaction to World War II raging in Europe, and the prototype for the first action figure, G. I. Joe, developed by Hasbro Creative Director Don Levine during the Vietnam War in 1964.

Joe Simon (1913–2011). Captain America, 1940. Ink and watercolor over graphite drawing. Prints and Photographs Division (A)

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Captain America, (Marvel) no. 100, 1968. Serial and Government Publications Division (B)

Fredric C. Madan. Spot the Planes Coloring Book. Chicago: The Merrill Publishing Co., 1944. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (C)

Fredric C. Madan. Rangers and commandos coloring book. Chicago: The Merrill Publishing Co., 1943. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (D)

Erwin L. Hess (1913–1999). Captain Midnight and the Secret Squadron. Wisconsin: Whitman Publishing, 1941. Big Little Book no. 1488. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (E)

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, (Marvel) no. 1, June 1982. Serial and Government Publications Division (F)

Don Levine (1928–2014). GI Joe original prototype, 1964. Hand-shaped and shaved plastic, and hand-sewn fabric. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (G)

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Agile Case #2:

Early Comic Materials and Marketing

Early comics appeared in newspapers, periodicals, pamphlets, and other publications, like the American Comic Almanac, as single panels (non-sequential illustrations) rather than comic strips. Rodolphe Töpffer is considered the innovator of the sequential comic image, as seen here in his second publication The Veritable History of Mr. Bachelor Butterfly. One of the earliest comic strip characters to appear in newspapers was the Yellow Kid, created by RF Outcault. The use of comic characters to market consumer goods originated with the Yellow Kid strip. The Geppi Collection includes many excellent examples of the intersections between popular culture and popular goods.

The Idiot, or, Invisible Rambler, vol. 1, no. Boston: Samuel Simpleton, March 28, 1818. Serial and Government Publications Division (A)

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Rodolphe Töpffer (1799–1846). The Veritable History of Mr. Bachelor Butterfly. London: D. Bogue, 1845. Serial and Government Publications Division (B)

The American Comic Almanac, vol.1, no. 3. Boston: Charles Elms, 1833. Serial and Government Publications Division (C)

Charlie Baker, composer. Yellow Kid Schottische. Sheet music. New York: Union Mutual Music Co., 1897. Prints and Photographs Division (D)

Printing Block for the Yellow Kid. Hand cut wood engraving block. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (E)

Quick Mother’s Oats. Quaker Oats Company, 1950. Photomechanical printed box. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (F)

Popeye Daily Dime Bank. King Features Syndicate, Inc., 1956. Machine painted metal. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (G)

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies. Michigan: Kellogg Company, [ca. 1940s]. Photomechanical printed box. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (H)

Chic Young. Blondie’s Soups, Salads, Sandwiches Cook Book. Philadelphia: David McKay, 1947. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (I)

Agile Case #3:

Mickey Mouse

In 2018 Mickey Mouse turned ninety, and while he looks somewhat different than he did in his youth of the 1920s and 1930s, he remains one of the most recognizable images in the world. Starring in comics, cartoons, and feature films, Mickey has become an indelible part of popular culture. Recognizing the character’s cultural importance, Stephen A. Geppi collected representative pieces of Mickey produced over the decades.

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Ub Iwerks. Plane Crazy. Walt Disney Studios, 1928. Graphite drawing. Animation storyboard, the first appearance of Mickey Mouse. Prints and Photographs Division (A)

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller. © Disney

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

A Handful of Fun. Eisendrath Glove Company, ca. 1935. 12-page booklet, given as a premium with purchase, features mazes, games and puzzles. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (B)

Mickey Mouse Club Snap-on Mouseketeer Ears. Kohner Bros., ca. 1950s. Registered as No. 303. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (C)

Mickey Mouse Sails for Treasure Island. Racine, Wisconsin: Whitman Publishing Company, 1935. Big Little Book, No. 750. First of seven Mickey Mouse books in the Big Little Book series. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (D)

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Mickey Mouse, the Mail Pilot. Racine, Wisconsin: Whitman Publishing Company, 1933. Big Little Book, No. 731. One of the first true Big Little Books. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (E)

Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories. K.K. Publications Inc., no. 46, July 1944. Serial and Government Publications Division (F)

Mickey Mouse UK Annual no. 2. Dean and Son Ltd., 1931. Serial and Government Publications Division (G)

Agile Case #4:

Exploration

Exploration of new technologies and new worlds has long been an exciting topic for popular culture materials. H.G. Well’s Time Machine, first published in 1895, along with such early pulp magazines and comic strips as Flash Gordon, catered to the public’s fascination with these subjects. Later comic books, such as Weird Fantasy, continued to present new fantastical possibilities well before science caught up.

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Hugo Gernsback, ed. Amazing Stories, vol. 3, no. 5 (August 1928). Experimenter Publishing Co. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (A)

Hugo Gernsback, ed. Practical Electrics, vol. 1, no. 10, September 1922. Serial and Government Publications Division (B)

H.G. Wells. The Time Machine. London: The Readers Library Publishing Company Ltd., n.d.  Rare Book and Special Collections Division (C)

“Flash Gordon Goes to Mars,” Look Magazine, March 15, 1938. Des Moines, Iowa: Cowles Communications. (Featuring actor Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon). Serial and Government Publications Division (D)

“Superman Krypto-Raygun.” Daisy Manufacturing Company, 1940. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (E)

Jim Jones and Paul Virdone. Capt. Quick’s Flying Saucers and Rocket Ships. Crown Publishers, 1953. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (F)

Weird Fantasy (EC Comics), no. 15 (September-October 1950). Serial and Government Publications Division (G)

Agile Case #5:

About the Geppi Entertainment Museum

After nearly thirty years of publishing and collecting comics, Stephen A. Geppi opened the Geppi Entertainment Museum in 2006 having expanded his collecting scope to include toys, films, books, games, and much more. In 2018, Geppi donated this extensive collection of twentieth-century popular culture to the Library of Congress. With this donation he has made it possible for generations of Americans to revisit their past, and future historians to explore the past century’s material culture.

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Captain Marvel Club. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett Publications, ca. 1940. Welcome letter and envelope written in code, with code key included at bottom. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (A)

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Secret Code of Junior Justice Society of America. DC Comics, ca. 1942–1944. Cardboard code wheel: Front features Secret Code and has owner’s name and address in ink on provided lines. Reverse has instructions and small die-cut window where JSA members’ names are visible. With accompanying cardboard instructions. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (B)

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Meet Sugar Hill and her Zombie Hit Men! American International Pictures, 1974. Publicity brochure featuring motion picture advertisements and posters. Prints and Photographs Division (C)

Three Day Ticket. August 15–17, 1969. Ticket sheet for the “Woodstock Music and Art Fair,” #11966. The reverse side reads: “No refunds for any reason including lost or stolen tickets.”  Rare Book and Special Collections Division (D)

Beatles New Sound Guitar. Selcol Products Limited Made in England under License, 1964. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (E)

Items from the Steve Geppi Collection are displayed for a media preview prior to the collection going on display, October 30, 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Pac-Man Cereal. General Mills, between 1983 and 1988. Rare Book and Special Collections Division (F)

McDonald’s Corporation. McDonald’s Start Trek Meal, 1979. First McDonald’s Happy Meal movie tie-in. Prints and Photographs Division (G)

Small Press Expo Announces Tillie Walden and Ed Piskor at the National Book Festival

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Small Press Expo (SPX) is proud to announce it is again a sponsor of the Library of Congress National Book Festival. As a part of this sponsorship, SPX is supporting both Tillie Walden and Ed Piskor in their appearances at the Library of Congress National Book Festival.

The National Book Festival, the largest book festival in the United States, takes placeSaturday, September 1, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C. There will be over 100 authors across all genres giving talks and signing books at the festival.

Tillie and Ed will be part of the Graphic Novel portion of the Genre Fiction Pavilion, along with Roxanne Gay, Patrick McDonnell, and Pénélope Bagieu.

Tillie Walden

  • Onstage at Genre Fiction withPénélope Bagieu 3:10- 3:40PM
  • Signing at 5:30-6:30PM

Ed Piskor

  • Onstage at Genre Fiction 3:40-4:10PM
  • Signing at 5:30-6:30PM

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