Tag Archives: ronald wimberly

Small Press Expo 2022 Announces Additional Special Guests

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Small Press Expo has announced additional Special Guests for SPX 2022. It’s the first in-person show in three years taking place on Saturday September 17 and Sunday September 18 with programming and workshops about the amazing world of independent comics, along with over 500 creators on the exhibitor floor.

SPX 2022 is honored to have the following creators as Special Guests to this year’s show:

Maia Kobabe is the author of Gender Queer: A Memoir, winner of an Alex Award, Stonewall Honor, and the most banned book in the US in 2021. It is being released in a deluxe hardcover edition that features a brand-new cover, exclusive art and sketches, a forward by ND Stevenson (Lumberjanes, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) and an afterward by creator Maia Kobabe. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.

Ronald Wimberly (born 28 April 1979) is an American artist (a cartoonist and filmmaker). He has published several graphic novels, as well as shorter works for The New Yorker, DC/Vertigo, Nike, Marvel, Hill and Wang, and Dark Horse Comics. Wimberly was the 2016 Columbus Museum of Art comics resident, and was a two-time resident cartoonist at Angoulême‘s Maison des Auteurs. He is the recipient of the 2008 Glyph Comics Award, and has been nominated for two Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards.

Rumi Hara was born in Kyoto, Japan, and started printing her comics on a tiny home printer while working as a translator in Tokyo in 2010. After receiving an MFA in illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design, Rumi moved to New York in 2014, where she now lives and works as an illustrator and comics artist. Her comics series Nori was first self-published as minicomics and was nominated for an Ignatz Award in 2018.

Gabrielle Bell’s work has been selected several times for Best American Comics and the Yale Anthology of Graphic Fiction, and has been  featured in The Believer, McSweeney’s and Vice magazines. Her story, “Cecil and Jordan In New York,” was turned into a film by Michel Gondry. The Voyeurs was named one of the best Graphic Novels of the year by Publishers Weekly. Inappropriate, her most recent collection of absurd short comics, garnered two Ignatz Award nominations and was named “One of the Best GNs of the Year” by The Library Journal. Gabrielle Bell lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Bianca Xunise is a cartoonist based out of Chicago, Illinois and will debut at SPX a brand new zine, Midnite Crawling, which is a collection of short stories about music and the punk subculture. In 2017 Xunise earned an Ignatz for Promising New Talent for their comic Say Her Name, an autobiographical story of police brutality and social justice. In 2020 Xunise earned their second Ignatz for their contribution to Be Gay, Do Comics published by IDW. Xunise has collaborated with Vogue, The Washington Post, The Nib, and Believer Magazine. They are also a contributor to the book How We Fight Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance along with Ta-Nehisi Coates, Tarana Burk, and Harry Belafonte. Bianca became the first nationally syndicated non-binary cartoonist when they joined the comic strip Six Chix in 2020 as their first black creator.

“The Artist’s Experience: from Brotherman to Batman” shares insights into the creative process of top African-American comic book artists

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The Society of Illustrators has announced a dynamic new installation coming to the museum that delves between the pages of comic books and explores the artists’ process. “The Artist’s Experience: From Brotherman to Batman” on display from June 15 through October 29, 2022. The exhibit celebrates some of the top African-American artists in the comic book industry, and was co-curated by renowned culture journalist and writer Karama Horne and Eisner Award-nominated artist and writer Shawn Martinbrough, whose work will be featured along with over sixteen other talented artists. 

This special exhibition showcases the works of independent and mainstream creators, such as Dawud Anyabwile, founder of the landmark Brotherman Comics, the longest running, independently published American Black comic book and Eisner Award-winning, DC Comics and Marvel artist Denys Cowan, co-founder of Milestone Media.

Also featured are Eisner Award-winning artists Afua Richardson, Alitha Martinez and John Jennings, as well as veteran artists Larry Stroman and Darryl Banks.

Artwork from award-winning artist Ronald Wimberly, founder of the experimental art magazine THE LAAB (whose Prince of Cats graphic novel is currently being adapted to film by Spike Lee), Khary Randolph, Jamal Igle, Micheline Hess, Sanford Greene, Eric Battle, Marcus Williams, Chuck Collins, Damion Scott and Robyn Smith will all be on display, as well.

“The Artist’s Experience: From Brotherman to Batman” runs from June 15, 2022 to October 29, 2022, with a Juneteenth Opening Night Celebration on June 16th from 6pm-9pm at the Society of Illustrators located at 128 East 63rd Street New York, NY.

Preview: 12 Reasons to Die

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12 Reasons to Die

Created by: Ghostface Killah / Executive Produced by: RZA
Written by: Matthew Rosenberg & Patrick Kindlon
Illustrated by: Ronald Wimberly, Breno Tamura, Gus Storms, Kyle Strahm, Joe Infurnari, Christopher Mitten, Jim Mahfood, Tim Seeley, Nate Powell, Ben Templesmith, Tyler Crook, Toby Cypress, Juan Doe, Joelle Jones, Edwin Huang, Johnnie Christmas, Russel Roehling, Ryan Kelly, Michael Walsh, Chris Hunt, Riley Rossmo, David Murdoch, Garry Brown, Johnny Ryan, Shaky Kane, Benjamin Marra, and Brian Level
Colored by: Jean-Paul Csuka
Lettered by: Jim Campbell, Nic J. Shaw
Mature / $24.99 / 180 pages

Guns. Sex. Vinyl. Revenge. Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah and RZA teamed with then young-gun writers Matthew Rosenberg (Uncanny X-Men, 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank) & Patrick Kindlon (Survival Fetish, Nobody Is In Control) for this brutal tale of a dangerous crime lord’s rise and fall.

Collects issues 1-6.

12 Reasons to Die

Spike Lee to Direct Ron Wimberly’s Prince of Cats

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Prince of Cats

The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop that iconic director Spike Lee will be directing Prince of Cats. The film is based on the graphic novel by Ron Wimberly and is a riff on Romeo & Juliet set in the 1980s hip-hop scene.

Lee will rewrite the script working with Wimberly and writer Selwyn Seyfu Hinds. Hinds wrote the initial script for the adaptation.

In August 2018 the film landed with Legendary and was being developed as a vehicle for Lakeith Stanfield. It’s unknown if Stanfield is still attached to the movie.

The story’s spin on the classic tale by the Bard is that it’s seen through the eyes of Tybalt, Juliet’s angry and duel-loving cousin. The film follows Tybalt and his Capulet brothers who live in Da People’s Republic of Brooklyn, a world of sword dueling, DJing, emceeing, breakdancing, and graffiti.

The graphic novel was originally released through DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint and was recently re-released through Image Comics.

The story is a return to Brooklyn for Lee, a favorite setting of his films and has been featured in his She’s Gotta Have It, Do the Right Thing, Jungle Fever, Crooklyn, Clockers, He Got Game and Red Hook Summer.

Review: Black History In Its Own Words

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In a world which identity and assimilation are often cornerstones of intersectionality, somehow it feels as though they are threatened every day. Every day the world looks to discredit a person of color or someone of a different sexual orientation, just because they don’t understand their struggles. This becomes even more problematic, on the national stage.  As the recent mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida, has sparked nationwide outrage.

This has lead to marches not only nationwide but worldwide, as the arguments over the availability of assault rifles and lack of action by the sitting legislators has created an incendiary conversation, which leads many places but the one place, it rarely leads often to is intersectionality. The mere fact that how many inner city schools faces gun violence on a daily basis, is what is lost or rarely heard in these conversations  but it is not lost on people of color who have seen this happen over and over again, in fact, in LL Cool J’s song back in 2000 called “Homicide”, where he references instances of  gun violence in inner city schools. This is the history that usually gets ignored and one Ronald Wimberly champions in his work, Black History In its Own Words.

Each page highlights someone who embodies the black experience in all its glory, through sheer brazenness, bravery, and individuality. One of my favorites is James Baldwin’s quote on being Black In America, as to being conscious and be mad at the current state of race relations. Then there is Ice Cube’s quote on president Obama’s apparent isolation from his counterpart and subordinates. One of the most important highlights in this book, is Octavia Butler’s purpose for writing science fiction and the importance of seeing one’s self in their work, one that she pushed towards until the end of her days.

Overall, an excellent resource of Black History. One that each of its subjects eloquently expresses in the discussion of being Black in the world. The quotes and research that Wimberly pulls from are each brilliant and carefully selected for this work. The art by Wimberly is striking, vivacious, and visceral. Altogether, an essential book that deserves to be on everyone’s bookshelf, regardless of the month.

Art: Ronald Wimberly
Art:10 Overall:10 Recommendation: Buy

Manga Monday: Attack on Titan Anthology

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aot_anthology_nycc-450x675The manga megahit Attack on Titan, reinterpreted by some of comics’ top talent! Featuring original stories by a long roster of comic superstars such as Scott Snyder, Gail Simone, Faith Erin Hicks, Michael Avon Oeming, Paolo Rivera, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr!

This unprecedented, full-colour collaboration between East and West will be released first in English, making it indispensable for Attack on Titan fans and curious comic fans.

When it comes to Attack on Titan my only real exposure to the series was watching the horrendous live action film that came out. I haven’t watched the anime and I haven’t read the manga, but when I heard the Attack on Titan Anthology was coming out, I made sure to grab a copy during New York Comic Con. If I was going to buy it, might as well go with the limited edition cover.

While this anthology isn’t a traditional way to be introduced, it was an interesting one as a who’s who of Western creators tackle this manga phenomenon. And what’s nicer is that each creator gave it their own spin sticking to their style of storytelling and moving the settings of the stories around for different situations and locations.

This is an eclectic mix in a good way with stories that seem to stick to a setting and story that you’d see in the manga series while other creators went with a complete break. There’s horror. There’s humor. There’s action. There’s a little of everything and it’s all enjoyable in its own way.

What’s really interesting to me is recognizing the creators based on their entries. I read the entire graphic novel in one sitting and played guess the creator as I went along creating a fun little game and each creator really does bring their own style. So, if you’re a fan of the folks’ work, you’re probably going to enjoy this.

I knew so little about the world and what to expect going in other than the creative talent lined up, but coming out of it, I want to check out more. If you’re interested in finding out a bit about Attack on Titan, but don’t want to take the chance on manga, this is a solid way to go to find out a bit more about what it’s all about.

Story and Art: Ray Fawkes, Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque, John Rauch, Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, Bill Murdon, Afua Richardson, Genevieve Valentine, David Lopez, Faith Erin Hicks, Cris Peter, Michael Avon Oeming, Taki Soma, Paolo Rivera, Gail Simone, Phil Jimenez, Alonso Nunez, Elmer Santos, Sam Humphries, Damion Scott, Sigmund Torre, Rhianna Pratchett, Jorge Corona, Jen Hickman, Ben Applegate, Ronald Wimberly, Kevin Wada, Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, Babs Tarr, Jiji Knight, Si Spurrier, Kate Brown, Paul Duffield, Dee Cunniffe, Asaf Hanuka, Tomer Hanuka, Kate Leth, Jeremy Lambert
Story: 8.35 Art: 8.35 Overall: 8.35 Recommendation: Buy

Black History in Its Own Words this February from Image and Ronald Wimberly

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Image Comics has announced Black History in Its Own Words by Ronald Wimberly which will hit stores this February 2017—just in time to celebrate Black History Month.

A look at Black History framed by those who made it, Black History in Its Own Words presents quotes of dozens of black luminaries with portraits & illustrations by Ronald Wimberly. Featuring the memorable words and depictions of Angela Davis, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kanye West, Zadie Smith, Ice Cube, Dave Chappelle, James Baldwin, Spike Lee, and more.

The book has been a long time coming with Wimberly’s mission for the project aimed at shining a light on black people’s stories and their woeful underrepresentation.

Wimberly took a unique approach to the project and opted for people based not only on historical precedence but on their punk spirit and existential bravery; people whose words and lives spoke to him personally.

Black History in Its Own Words, 8 x 8 inch trim size hardcover for $16.99 hits stores on Wednesday, February 8th.

black-history-month-in-its-own-words

Graphic Policy Radio with Guest Ronald Wimberly, LIVE this Monday

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GP Radio pic MondayThis Monday is a brand new episode of Graphic Policy Radio, the show that mixes comics and politics. This Monday we’re joined by comic creator Ronald Wimberly. The show airs LIVE at 10pm ET.

Wimberly has a long career working on numerous series and with publishers such as Marvel, Vertigo, IDW and more! His work has been seen in many comics such as IDW’s Black Dynamite, Marvel’s She-Hulk, BOOM!’s Dead Letters, and so much more. His 2012 Vertigo release Prince of Cats, which he wrote and provided art, is a hip-hop retelling of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

We’ll be discussing all of the above, and more!

We of course want to hear from you. You can call in with your questions at (619) 768-2952, or Tweet them to us @graphicpolicy.

Creators Come Together to Occupy Comics

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Inspired by the Occupy protests taking place not just in the U.S. but worldwide, a group of comic book creators have banded together to create Occupy Comics.  The project is the latest use of Kickstarter but with a twist.  The project will see it’s proceeds going directly to purchase items to support the Occupy movement.

All of the writers, artists, business executives, and the publisher are being paid to produce this book… and they ALL are donating 100% of their revenue (not profits, but ALL monies they receive) to the occupiers. They want to support the movement through the winter by providing warm clothes, heaters and bathrooms if possible, and other amenities. For a more detailed breakdown on how the money will flow from pledges to production of the book to the protesters, visit www.occupycomics.com and check out the blueprint.

The list of creators participating is impressive.  There’s some hot talent, great vets and numerous comic book creators heavily involved in the Occupy movement.  Here’s the beginning list of participants:

Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead)
Marc Andreyko (Manhunter)
Susie Cagle (Notes on Conflict, arrested at Occupy Oakland)
Kevin Colden (I Rule the Night, Grimm’s Fairy Tales)
Molly Crabapple (Dr. Sketchy’s)
Tyler Crook (Petrograd, B.P.R.D.)
J.M. DeMatteis (Justice League, Spider-Man, Imaginalis)
Joshua Dysart (Swamp Thing, The Unknown Soldier)
Zoetica Ebb (Biorequiem.com)
Joshua Hale Fialkov (I Vampire, Tumor)
Brea Grant (We Will Bury You, Suicide Girls)
Zane Grant (We Will Bury You, Suicide Girls)
Joe Keatinge (Hell Yeah, Glory, Brutal)
Ales Kot (upcoming projects w/ Image Comics & DC Ent)
George Krstic (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Megas XLR)
Joseph Michael Linsner (Dawn)
Patrick Meaney (Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods)
Mark L. Miller (Luna, Nanny & Hank)
Caleb Monroe (Batman: Fearless, Hunter’s Fortune)
B. Clay Moore (Hawaiian Dick, Superman Confidential)
Jerem Morrow (Drive-In Horrorshow, Kingdom Suicide)
Amancay Nahuelpan-Bustamante (Hijos de P)
Steve Niles (30 Days of Night, Batman: Gotham County Line)
Laurie Penny (Penny Red)
Matt Pizzolo (Godkiller)
Steve Rolston (Ghost Projekt, Queen & Country)
Riley Rossmo (Proof, Cowboy Ninja Viking)
Douglas Rushkoff (Testament, media theorist)
Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash, Witchblade)
Simon Spurrier (2000 AD, X-Men: Curse of the Mutants)
Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night, Fell)
Ronald Wimberly (MF GRIMM: Sentences)

As I said, an impressive list.

The project seems to get the heart of the Occupy movement by using crowdsourcing to fund it but also it’s use of social media in a way speaks to the movement.  The Occupy movement is leaderless without structure, and Occupy Comics instead of having a “mouth piece” Twitter account, links to a search for their name to show the numerous others speaking about the project.

The project won’t see release until 2012, but the donations will occur this Fall.  The gifts are great and for me I’m at least doing the $10 for a digital copy of every comic they release.

Head to Kickstarter now to kick in some cash.

Neal Adams To Attend Big Apple Comic Con

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Official Press Release

Eisner Award Hall Of Famer Neal Adams To Attend Wizard World Big Apple Comic Con, May 21-22

Veteran Of More Than 50 Years In Comics Joins Nearly 150 Top Creators, 13 Other Eisner Award Winners At Manhattan’s Penn Plaza Pavilion

NEW YORK, May 16, 2011 – Neal Adams, who was inducted into the Eisner Award’s Will Eisner Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Harvey Awards’ Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1999, has been added to the field of nearly 150 comic creators already scheduled to attend Wizard World Big Apple Comic Con, part of North America’s largest pop-culture tour, Saturday and Sunday at Penn Plaza Pavilion.

Adams has had legendary ‘runs’ on “Batman,” “X-Men,” “Green Lantern-Green Arrow” and “Deadman.”  He transformed the Batman character into his present “Avenger of the Night”; the “modern Batman,” refers to Neal Adams’ Batman. His run directly led to the realistic incarnation seen in “Batman Returns,” and the “Dark Knight” movies.

He godfathered a generation of new talent, brought down the comics code by introducing “relevant comics” and gave America its first black comic book superhero.

While fighting for creator’s rights, he convinced publishers to return original art to its creators, improved standards of comic book production, forced publishers to pay royalties…and crusaded against work-made-for-hire in the copyright law.

In addition, Neal has launched Continuity Studios, a successful production company which produced the popular Nasonex Bee Campaign and introduced us to the concept of Motion Comics. He designed the popular Terminator, T2 4-D ride, and the Spiderman Rides at Universal Studios.

Adams joins 13 other Eisner winners or nominees among the stellar list of attendees.  Nick Abadzis, who won the Eisner for his 2007 graphic novel “Laika,” will be on hand along with nominees Kaare Andrews (“Astonishing X-Men,’ “Iron Man”), Matt Kindt (“Revolver,” “Pistolwhip; Two Sisters”), Percy Carey (“Sentences: The Life Of MF Grimm,” “You Only Live Twice: The Audio Graphic Novel”), Kevin Colden (“Fishtown,” “I Rule the Night”), Jared K. Fletcher (“Batman,” “Captain America), Michael Kupperman (“Deadpool,” “Tales Designed To Thrizzle”), Jason Little (“Bee,” “Jack’s Luck Runs Out”), Mark Morales (“Secret Warriors,” “Avengers”), Laurie Sandell (“The Imposter’s Daughter”), Yuko Shimizu (“The Unwritten,” “The Sandman: The Dream Hunters”), Ronald Wimberly (“Hellblazer,” “Lucifer”) and Brian Wood (“DMZ; The New York Five,” “Northlanders”).

The creators will be on hand to meet fans, sign autographs and sketch.  Many Metro New York-based artists will be in attendance as well.

Other superstar artists scheduled to attend include Arthur Suydam (“Marvel Zombies,” “Army of Darkness”), Jerry Robinson (“The Joker,” “Robin”), Luke Ross (“Captain America,” “Amazing Spider-Man”), Greg Horn (“Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark,” “Hero for Hire”), Christos Gage (“X-Men,” “Spider-Man”), Ryan Otley (“Invincible,” “The Walking Dead”) and Alex Saviuk (Spider-Man Newspaper Strip,” “Phantom Generations”).

Big Apple Comic Con will bring together thousands of fans of all ages and dozens of celebrities and industry professionals to celebrate the best in pop culture, movies, comics, toys, video gaming, television, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.  Among the celebrities scheduled to attend are Tom Felton, Morena Baccarin, James Marsters and Kristanna Loken.

The Penn Plaza Pavilion is located at 401 Seventh Avenue at 33rd St., in the historic Hotel Pennsylvania.  Big Apple Comic Con Spring Edition is the fifth stop on Wizard World’s 12-city 2011 North American tour.  Hours are Saturday, May 21, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; and Sunday, May 22, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Tickets are available in advance online at http://www.wizardworld.com/newyorkcity.html at up to a 15% savings over tickets purchased at the door.  Advance adult single-day tickets are $20; two-day weekend tickets are $35, and tickets are free for children age 10 and under when accompanied by a paid adult (limit two children per adult).  VIP packages with special entry and exclusive items are also available.

About Wizard World:
Wizard World, Inc. produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests. Wizard World, Inc. also produces Wizard World Digital, an online publication covering new and upcoming products and talents in the pop culture world, is distributed on a weekly basis to online and iPad users worldwide.

The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.

***** SAVE THE 2011/12 DATES *****
May 21-22 – Big Apple Comic Con
June 17-19 – Philadelphia Comic Con
August 11-14 – Chicago Comic Con
September 17-18  – New England Comic Con
September 24-25 – Los Angeles Comic Con
October 22-23 – Mid-Ohio Comic Con
October 28-30 – Central Canada Comic Con (C4)
November 11-13 – Austin Comic Con
January 28-29, 2012 – New Orleans Comic Con
March 23-25, 2012 – Toronto Comic Con
April 27-29, 2012 – Anaheim Comic Con
December 8-9, 2012 – Miami Comic Con

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