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Indy Magazine, the online quarterly about the comics medium, returns with an issue covering the career of Art Spiegelman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist whose body of work includes Maus and In the Shadow of No Towers, and who, with his wife Françoise Mouly, co-edited RAW, the seminal international comics anthology.

Features include an analysis of Spiegelman's first book, Breakdowns, a 1977 hardcover anthology of his strongest short-form underground comix (including "Prisoner on the Hell Planet," "Ace Hole: Midget Detective," and the original three-page version of "Maus").

A two-part feature provides an exhaustive oral and visual history of RAW Magazine:

In Part One, Françoise Mouly shares her recollections of moving to New York from France in 1974, meeting and marrying Spiegelman, exploring international comics, and opening up shop as a small-press publisher/printer under the RAW name.

Part Two surveys RAW Magazine's 1980-1991 lifespan, featuring commentary from Mouly and Spiegelman, as well as RAW contributors Charles Burns, Kim Deitch, Paul Karasik, Kaz, Jerry Moriarty, Gary Panter, R. Sikoryak, and Chris Ware. Both parts of the RAW history are heavily illustrated with dozens of rare images from the RAW archives, including a full visual bibliography, cover sketches, mock-ups, notes, color separations and photographs.

An essay by Hillary Chute offers a close examination of eight graphic narrative structures that reveal Spiegelman's sophisticated use of the comics page to communicate meaning in Maus.

Martha Kuhlman interviews Dr. Marianne Hirsch, author of the seminal essay "Family Pictures: Maus, Mourning and Post-Memory," on the academic response to Maus.

Kartalopoulos considers themes, strategies and recurring imagery in Spiegelman's total body of work in light of the artist's candid autobiographical statements.

Spiegelman also appears briefly in cartoonist Phoebe Gloeckner's eight-page photocomics report of her recent visit to the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée in Angoulême, France. The piece further includes a glimpse at Robert Crumb's current graphic novel-in-progress, a literal comics adaptation of the book of Genesis.

The issue runs reviews of Gary Panter's Jimbo in Purgatory, Arn Saba's Neil the Horse, and Posy Simmonds' Literary Life.

Indy Magazine is published online by Jeff Mason and is edited by Bill Kartalopoulos. Indy began as a print journal edited and published by Mason between 1993 and 1998, and subsequently ran as an online magazine through 2001. In late 2002 Mason invited Kartalopoulos to revive and edit the publication. Redesigned and reinvented as an analytical quarterly, Indy Magazine relaunched in January 2004.

Previous issues in Indy Magazine's current volume have included: textual and graphic contributions from cartoonists including Art Spiegelman, Joe Sacco, Jerry Moriarty, Megan Kelso, Willem, Tom Hart, and Jason Little; features on subjects including Gustave Dore, R.O. Blechman, Ben Katchor, Peter Bagge, Honore Daumier, Milt Gross, and Caran d'Ache; interviews with Jules Feiffer, Françoise Mouly, Paul Karasik, and David Mazzucchelli; and previews and reviews of new and recently published work by Dan Clowes, Charles Schulz, Alan Moore, A.B. Frost, Craig Thompson, James Sturm, and Dave Sim & Gerhard, among others.

Previous issues are archived online alongside the current edition: http://www.indyworld.com/indy/

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HEROES AND VILLAINS: THE WILLIAM MESSNER-LOEBS BENEFIT SKETCHBOOK

Inkpot Award-winning artist/writer Wm. Messner-Loebs (Journey, The Flash, Wonder Woman) has fallen into financial ruin, landing the beloved comics creator in a Salvation Army shelter. To make matters worse, his wife is chronically ill and there’s no medical insurance and no work or funds coming in. In response, leading comics creators have joined forces with TwoMorrows Publishing to produce Heroes And Villains (96 pages, $24.95), a gorgeous sketchbook and tribute, the proceeds of which will directly benefit Messner-Loebs. Edited by Clifford Meth, the book will include art from Mike Allred, Brent Anderson, Chris Bachalo, Mark Bagley, John Cassaday, Travis Charest, Dave & Paty Cockrum, Gene Colan, Alan Davis, Mike Deodato, Cully Hamner, Dean Haspiel, Greg Horn, Rafael Kayanan, Andy Kubert, Steve Lieber, Steve McNiven, Tom Palmer, Joe Quesada, Darick Robertson, Walt Simonson, Herb Trimpe, Billy Tucci, Sal Velluto and a host of other top pros! PLUS: Written contributions from Neil Gaiman, Peter David, and Beau Smith, and a new cover by Neal Adams!

Don’t miss your chance to help a worthy comics veteran; with more names being added daily, this powerhouse collection of talent will be unparalleled!

The 96 page (plus cover), squarebound, 8-1/2" x 11" trade paperback with a full color cover and black-and-white interiors retails for $24.95 in the U.S. and ships 13 July 2005.

TwoMorrows Publishing

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• Fans of Delaine Derry Green's Not My Small Diary anthology will be pleased to know that a new issue, #12, will be out soon.

• A few Johnny Ryan tidbits: Johnny does Ernest Borgnine at retroCrush, a new interview at the Shuffle Brothers site, and his take on the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers [not work safe]

• The STAPLE! comics/art show in Austin needs a name for its mascot. Lend your vote, won't you?

• A new issue, #16, of zine reviewzine Xerography Debt has just been released. $3.00 from Davida Gypsy Breier / PO Box 963 / Havre de Grace, MD / 21078 USA or check it out online here.

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• Information on the boycott against indie distributor Desert Moon

• Piggybacked onto Free Comic Book Day this year is Free Zine Day. Details here.

• Here are some pictures from this year's UK Web & Mini Comix Thing, held this past weekend in London.

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Because you demanded it, the SPX Anthology is returning to its roots by doing away with themed issues and reclaiming its role as the nation's finest showcase for an uninhibited range of today's best alternative and art comics. In addition to doing away with the theme the anthology will be assembled under the guidance of Guest Editor Brian Ralph, author of the acclaimed books Cave In and Climbing Out.

"After three years of themed editions, we decided it was time to get the book back in line with the spirit of the convention and once again make it a showcase for what today's alternative comics scene is all about," says the book's co-editor Chris Pitzer.

"We were thrilled when Brian Ralph stepped up to act as guest editor for this year's book," says Charles Brownstein, Executive Director of the CBLDF which publishes the benefit book. "Brian's part of the group that established SPX as a haven for quality small press and hand made comics, having been through Fort Thunder, and the late nineties small press revolution that brought companies like Top Shelf, Highwater, and ReddingK in with a passion for reinvigorating the indy comics scene. We're thrilled to have his eye selecting the comics that define the small press comics scene of 2005."

Brian Ralph says, "This book will showcase the best work of the underground and the alternative, whether the artists are self published or unpublished. I really look forward to seeing what people send in. I'm going to be looking for a great variety, from the high gloss to comics that push the envelope a little more. Even stuff that makes you ask, 'is that a comic?' This is a fantastic opportunity for up-and-coming cartoonists to appear in print alongside the more established artists."

Chris Pitzer adds, "This is what everyone in the indy comics scene has been asking the anthology to be, and now that it's back we want the best stuff everyone has to offer. Tell the story you have to tell, show the world what your comics are all about, and make the 2005 SPX Anthology the definitive almanac of the indy comics scene."

The Details:

Length: As long as it takes for great comics. Please do not include title pages, fake covers, or any other sort of lead-in. Dive right into that comic.

Deadline: Submissions must be received no later than June 30, 2005.

Please plan accordingly as overnight delivery can be very expensive.

Format: Please send your submissions, if at all possible, in an electronic format. Art should be scanned in at 800dpi bitmap tiffs (unless your art has tones, then grayscale). If you do not personally own a scanner, many copy centers such as Kinko's now have scanning facilities. The dimensions of your artwork should be as follows:

Page (trim) size: 6.625" x 9"
Live image area: 5.375" x 8"
Bleed image area: 7.125" x 9.5"

Delivery: Please do not send original art. Submission packages will not be returned. CD-ROMs are preferred over ZIP disks. You must also include a print-out of your submission with the package. Please send your labeled discs and hardcopy printouts to:

SPX 2003 Anthology Submission
c/o Big Planet Comics
426 Maple Avenue East
Vienna, VA 22180
703-242-9412

Please include the following information with both your hardcopy and electronic submission:
Name, address, email, title of story, page count of story

FedEx, UPS, and the United States Postal Service all have package tracking abilities. Please do not call to check on the status of your mailing. (Stay tuned for FTP or e-mail delivery methods.)

SPX

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• Creative Skin is a new literary and visual arts site that features work by Rina Ayuyang, Dave Kiersh, Warren Craghead and Mark McMurray, among others.

• Scene Missing digs deep to find the real Bwana Spoons. Browse around the rest of the site and you'll find more interviews with interesting people.

• David Collier reports in from Iceland. [ thanks to Alvin Buenaventura ]

• On the alt-weekly front, check out Danny Hellman's cover to this week's Portland Mercury. And Scott Teplin's got a page in The Stranger (Seattle).

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John Porcellino will be reading from his ongoing work King-Cat Comics & Stories, and signing copies of his new book collection, Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man.

Sunday, March 20th, 3:00 PM.
Valencia Street Books, 569 Valencia St.,
in San Francisco (between 16th & 17th Streets)

For more information call 415-552-7200

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• Have you checked out Jesse Reklaw's "Slow Wave" strips lately? You really should.

• Ian Carney and Jonathan Edwards talk to the Pulse about their new comic, A Bag of Anteaters, from Slave Labor (where you can find a preview in their "Peepshows" section).

• Paul Benjamin reports at Newsarama on Austin's STAPLE! show.

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• Brian Maruca and Jim Rugg (Street Angel) are just part of the talent lined up for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival Free Comic Book Day entry, Comics Festival!. Here's a sneak preview.

• Although you won't find any info on the front page of their site, word is that indie distributor Desert Moon is "dissolving" its business and being taken over by a new owner. Apparently, past debts are not being honored.

• Here's an interview with Zig Zag's J. Chris Campbell over at scifidimensions.

• Toby Craig has posted photos from the STAPLE! show in Austin this past weekend. And, hey, so has Uncle Staple himself, Chris Nicholas.

• 5 Questions for James Kochalka

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• If you're one of the people waiting for the second printing of the Soft Skull anthology Scheherazade because the first one was botched (but still distributed), well, it's out. But word is it's also messed up.

• Hey, Josh Simmons has a new website!

• R. Crumb drew the cover to the April issue of Mineshaft. [ thanks to Matt Silvie ]

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British small-press comix best kept secret is out by an Art-brut Portuguese publisher!

Malus
Christopher Webster

“An original cocktail of European, American and Japanese comics. In the letters column the readers compare it to almost everything: Ted Mckeever, Akira, Jack Kirby, David Mazzuchelli, David Lynch’s Eraserhead, Paul Pope, Bladerunner...” – Mesinha de Cabeceira

“One of the best superhero stories ever!” – Comics International

Fact is that Malus has no simple classification in the comics field; it’s too weird and underground to be mainstream and yet too mainstream and pleasant to be underground. To read it is an experiment for the open-minded.

Christopher Webster (1961; Cleethorpes) took night classes in comic-making with David Lloyd (of V for Vendetta fame) and has worked for some American and English as well Japanese publisher Kodansha. His most personal work has been developed through self-published comic/zines like Malus and Wormwood which won third prize in the Brighton Comics Festival. Since the nineties Webster works in the Filming Office of Tate Gallery. Bibliography: It's Dark in London [anthology edited by Oscar Zarate and published by Serpent's Tail, UK; 1996]; Mutate & Survive [international comics and illustration anthology edited by the International Fanzine Front and published by Associação Chili Com Carne, Portugal; 2001]

Comic-book format
108 black and white pages
2-colour hardcover
1000 copies for the global market
edition brought to you by MMMNNNRRRG label
in English [and Portuguese translation]
€12 in Portugal; €15 worldwide
payable to Associação Chili Com Carne
address: Apartado 215, 2751-903 Cascais, Portugal
www.chilicomcarne.com

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• News from Marc Calvary: (1) A new cherrypepper collection is out. (2) He's published a new collection by an artist called The Translucent Amoebae Consortium. Check out the preview. (3) The 2005 Art Exchange Program Grant has begun. [ thanks to Alan Rankin ]

• Here's a Q&A with Jim Mahfood at The Footnote.

• Peter Bagge's got a new comic at Reason.

• End Times - Tiempos Finales creator Sam Hiti has just signed a contract to option the story for film with producer Kevin Misher and Focus Films.

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• Have you heard about the Daily Grind Iron Man Challenge? Basically, web cartoonists stick to a daily posting schedule as long as they can. The person who lasts the longest wins over a thousand bucks. I'm not familiar with all of the cartoonists involved, but a few names that stand out for me include Robin Bougie, Jason Turner and Lonnie Allen.

• Those in NYC may be interested to know that a solo show for Paper Rad's Ben Jones opened today at Foxy Production. It runs through April 2nd. [ thanks to Little Cakes ]

• Is that Tony Millionaire showing up in "Blecky Yuckerella"?

• Bwana Spoons says he may have some new toys out this summer. Stay tuned.

• A new eight-page comic by Joe Sacco detailing his travels in Iraq during January is available on The Guardian's (UK) website (the link is in the banner near the top).

• If you've been wondering what artist JR Williams has been up to and you happen to be in Hollywood this month, you might wander over to the Harmony Gallery and check out his recent work in the "Divine Messages" show that opens March 5th.

• Gary Panter is interviewed at Suicide Girls.

• Hey, there's a new Cinema Sewer out! Among the usual movie-related content you'll find comics and artwork by Danny Hellman, Colin Upton, Kim Deitch and, of course, editor Robin Bougie. More info here.

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Premiere Canadian comic book retailer The Beguiling is proud to present the 2005 Toronto Comic Arts Festival, occurring on Saturday, May 28th and Sunday, May 29th 2005 in Toronto, Canada. This will be the second gathering of International independent cartoonists, comic artists and graphic novelists under the TCAF banner, and it's bigger and better than before!

Featuring a diverse array of Canadian cartoonists and graphic novelists from around the world, The Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) will showcase these talents through gallery presentations, lectures and discussions, readings, and direct interaction with the artists themselves through the sale of their comics and original artwork. With a 'boom' for graphic novels that has seen coverage and acclaim for many participating graphic novelists from the likes of The New Yorker, The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, Time Magazine, and many many more, TCAF has expanded its festival to include over 6,000 feet of floor space, more than 100 cartoonists, and two full days of programming and events right in the heart of Toronto's "Mirvish Village" shopping district!

Plans for the Festival were begun after seeing the remarkable interaction between the creative community and the public through comics festivals such as the MoCCA (Museum of Cartoon and Comic Art) Festival in New York, and the more artist-oriented European festivals Barcelona International Comic Festival (FICOMIC) or the Stripdagen festival in Haarlem, NL. There are many Canadian cartoonists recognized as among the best in the world, particularly in the field of alternative comics. TCAF is Canada's chance not only to promote its homegrown talent to visiting guests but bring many talents from the US and abroad to Toronto for the first time.

GUESTS
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival is proud to welcome the following guests of honour:

Jeff Smith: Smith is the star creator of the immensely popular comic book series BONE, originally published by his creator-owned imprint Cartoon Books. 2005 saw the publishing rights to BONE acquired by Scholastic Books, who have made BONE the flagship of their new young-readers graphic novel line GRAPHIX. Jeff Smith appears at The Toronto Comic Arts Festival courtesy of Scholastic Books, who are proud sponsors of the "Scholastic Children's Reading Tent" at the Festival.

Chester Brown: Chester Brown's graphic retelling of the life of historical Canadian anti-hero Louis Riel in the series LOUIS RIEL has drawn critical acclaim from the international comics press, matched only by the controversy surrounding the pending re-release of his surreal graphic novel ED THE HAPPY CLOWN [currently in development for the screen by Bruce MacDonald].

Darwyn Cooke: Internationally acclaimed storyboard artist for numerous Warner Brothers animation projects (including BATMAN ADVENTURES and BATMAN: BEYOND), Cooke broke new ground with his illustration-influenced graphic novels CATWOMAN: SELINA'S BIG SCORE and DC: THE NEW FRONTIER. Darwyn will be presenting his new Children's graphic novel, as yet untitled, at TCAF.

James Jean: Although still in his mid 20's, this School of Visual Arts, New York graduate has received comics' most prestigious award, an Eisner as well as the Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators LA. His groundbreaking illustration and design work for numerous comics projects for DC Comics and Marvel Enterprises belie his start as an alternative comics creator with New York's prestigious Meathaus collective. Jean will be debuting his first-ever illustration collection, PROCESS RECESS at TCAF.

Gary Panter: Oklahoma-born illustrator, painter, designer and part-time musician, Gary Panter's fame began as the Emmy Award-wining head set designer for the successful kid/adult TV show Pee Wee's Playhouse, but his career as an underground cartoonist began much earlier. Gary Panter will be on hand at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival to officially launch his newest book, SATIROPLASTIC (Drawn & Quarterly), the first in a three-volume series of Gary Panter's sketchbooks (previewed in 2004's KRAMERS ERGOT 5).

Seth: With his recent graphic novel CLYDE FANS being considered one of the ten best comics of 2004 by Time Magazine, Seth will be promoting the release of his new graphic novel WIMBLEDON GREEN at TCAF. In addition to his graphic novel work, Seth is an in-demand illustrator whose work regularly appears in The New Yorker and The Wall Street Journal.

Some of the other cartoonists of note at the festival include:

- Several other young graphic novelists picked as producing the best comics of 2004 by Time Magazine, including Jeffrey Brown (BIGHEAD), Sammy Harkham (KRAMERS ERGOT), and Paul Hornschemeier (MOTHER, COME HOME).
- Noted cartoonist Paige Braddock, creator of the syndicated comic strip JANE'S WORLD.
- Ho Che Anderson, author of the comics biography of Martin Luther King Jr., KING.
- Contributors to MCSWEENEY'S #13: The Graphic Novel Issue including David Heatley (DEADPAN) and Julie Doucet (DIRTY PLOTTE).
- Numerous contributors to Image's FLIGHT anthology, including co-editors Kazu Kibuishi (DAISY KUTTER) and Kean Soo (SECRET FRIENDS SOCIETY), and contributors Vera Brosgol, Hope Larson, Amy Kim Ganter, and Johanne Matte.

Complete guest list, as of this writing:

Adjournay, Atilla - Altergott, Rick - Anderson, Ho Che - Arora, Neelam - Aylard, Adam - Bell, Gabrielle - Bell, Marc - Blackett, Matthew - Bone, J - Bordeaux, Ariel - Braddock, Paige - Brosgol, Vera - Brown, Chester - Brown, Jeffrey - Castree, Genevieve - Chantler, Scott - Cloonan, Becky - Clugston, Chynna - Comeau, Michael - Cooke, Darwyn - Dawson, Willow - Dela Cruz, Arthur - Devlin, Tom - Doucet, Julie - Douglas, Max / Salgood Sam - Fawkes, Ray - Fish, Tim - Ganter, Amy Kim - Guldemonde, Marcel - Harkham, Sammy - Heatley, David - Hiti, Sam - Hornschemeier, Paul - Hutsul, Chris - Jean, James - Kibuishi, Kazu - Kim, Eric - Larson, Hope - Lewis, Corey - Lex, Jason - Lutes, Jason - Mahfood, Jim - Manale, Steve - Matte, Johane - McKenney, Craig - McLeod, Kagan - McNeil, Carla Speed - McPherson, Tara - McTigue, Maureen - Mejias, John - Ngui, Marc - Nilsen, Anders - Noonan, Michael - Oliveros, Chris - O'Malley, Bryan - Panter, Gary - PARTYKA-USA - Perez, Ramon - Perro, Florentine - Pitzer, Chris - Pohl-Weary, Emily - Pultz, Jason - Reynolds, Eric - Roman, Dave - Rugg, Jim - Runton, Andy - Seth - Shannon, Ben - Shaw, Dash - Smith, Jeff - Soo, Kean - Soto, Zack - Stall, Vincent - Stein, Leslie - Stewart, Cameron - Tamblyn, Diana - Telgemeier, Raina - Torres, J - Vellekoop, Maurice - Yount, Ryan - Zdarsky, Chip

For more information: www.torontocomics.com/tcaf

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