The news is, by now, all over the place that Girl Genius is becoming a web comic, and abandoning its individual print issues.
There is more than a little celebrating, amongst those who love web comics.
I, on the other hand, am a bit sad, as Girl Genius may be one of the most beautiful comic books ever produced. Phil and Kaja created something truly stunning, both in its artistry but also as far as its physical production values went.
On the plus side (for me, anyway – there are a LOT of plusses in this for Phil and Kaja), the collections will still be printed when enough of the thrice-weekly web comics are done. If anything was able to outshine the Girl genius comic books, it was the Girl Genius collections. The hardcovers in particular are visually stunning.
So there is much rejoicing.
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King Features Syndicate had dropped Scott Bateman’s editorial cartoons from its “Best and Wittiest” package. Or Scott dropped King Features. It all depends on your perspective.
What’s important is that Scott is doing some of the most vital work in editorial cartooning today. It’s pushing the envelope, it’s brave, and I think it’s funny as hell. Not many people really have the guts to go out on a limb, put their professional lives in jeopardy and try something artistically very different, just because they believe in it.The world needs more creators like Scott. And not just so I can get my Crack Panda stickers fix.
If’n you’re feeling like there’s some cash burning a hole in your pockets, you can buy some Bateman Merchandise here.
Seriously.
It’s like totally for a worthy cause, Slappy.
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Get Fuzzy and Pearls Before Swine are two of the few comic strips I follow. I adore them both, and admire them both for breathing fresh life into very stale comics pages around the country. Their quality and consistency are goals I strive for in my own work, and they’ve made me believe in the comic strip as a vibrant form, again.
It should have come as no surprise, then, that the best April Fool’s joke I’ve found so far…is courtesy of Get Fuzzy and Pearls Before Swine.
Not sure if any other syndicated cartoonists have taken part in this. I’m almost hoping not. These comics are something special.
EDIT: Foxtrot, too, is in on the joke, it seems. Strange. For the same gag, I like Pearls’ take best…
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Still have that DESK up for grabs, if anybody in the Madison area wants it.
Approximate dimensions: 24″ x 28″ x 42″. (Measured with my cartooning ruler, which is why they’re approximate).
Several people have suggested I draw on it, and put it on E-bay. However:
(a) I’d like to get rid of it quickly. Like, within a day or two. Not within the length of time of an E-bay Auction. And not within the length of time needed to paint one side white and then do a halfway decent drawing, and color said drawing, to say nothing about worrying about shipping the darn thing.
(b) I’ve still got a Playstation II that I need to finish off some artwork on, as well as a few promised character sketches, plus a certain Pirate Wench sketch (you do NOT want to know what I’m getting for this) as well as some cat caricatures. I’d feel bad putting ANY of these off for a new project, like, say, the World’s Only Dork Tower Desk.
But if you want the desk, speak now. And when you pick it up I’ll Sharpie a quick Igor on it or something for you…
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