stonesoup

A Few Events...

I just learned that Stone Soup will be begin appearing next Monday in the Springfield, Illinois, State Journal Register. Wooooohoooooo and hello to all my new Midwestern readers. I'll try not to disappoint!

For those of you in the Northwest, I have an event coming up in Eugene, Oregon...

On October 3rd I'll be introducing David Hajdu, author of "The Ten Cent Plague", at the Eugene Public Library. The subtitle of this book is "The Great Comic Book Scare and How it Changed America", and David will be addressing censorship issues.

From David Hadju's Website...
When we picture the 1950s, we hear the sound of early rock and roll. The Ten-Cent Plague shows how-years before music-comics brought on a clash between children and their parents, between prewar and postwar standards. Created by outsiders from the tenements, garish, shameless, and often shocking, comics spoke to young people and provided the guardians of mainstream culture with a big target. Parents, teachers, and complicit kids burned comics in public bonfires. Cities passed laws to outlaw comics. Congress took action with televised hearings that nearly destroyed the careers of hundreds of artists and writers.

Books will be signed by both David and I, and a good time will be had by all.

Between now and then, on September 19th and 20th, I'll be appearing in Marceline, Mo. at "Toonfest". I'll be sharing the stage with fellow cartoonists Dave Coverly, Greg Evans, and Michael Jantze. There'll be a parade! Come on down.

Bechdel Rule

I was listening to NPR yesterday afternoon, very surprised and delighted to hear a story about the "Bechdel Rule". Alison Bechdel, longtime feminist cartoonist and creator of the recent award-winning graphic novel "Fun Home", was interviewed about a principle she put forth in a cartoon in 1985.

The Bechdel Rule is a 3-part standard for movie viewing. In order to pass, the movie has to 1) have at least two female characters 2) who talk to each other 3) about something other than a man.

What struck me was this... Alison put this in a cartoon in 1985. 23 years ago. But 23 years later, I'm hearing about it in the mainstream media. Now, that might seem discouraging, but actually, I found it kind of hopeful. Even though some concepts in a cartoon may be ahead of their time, putting it OUT THERE means that eventually it works its way into the public conscientious.

Many cartoonists want to create something that comments on the social structure, political structure, state of the world. We are privileged to have a "soapbox" from which to do this. We try to be careful not to preach, not to tire out our already beleaguered readers with more politics and woe. But still... my characters live in a feminist world, with men who see women as equals, with women who head the household, or hold down the household, with men who are bit sweet and like to cook and spend time with children. I just put it out there, the way I think the world should be.

With luck, 23 years from now, someone will be commenting on it. And yes, I still consider myself a feminist. How could I not? Just because Rush Limbaugh tainted the word, doesn't mean the principle isn't valuable and necessary.

Oops, I'm preaching! Back to work...