"Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth" Book Signing & Party

Zander and I will be signing copies of our newest nonfiction graphic novel, Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth at Big Brain Comics in Minneapolis on Saturday, February 12, 2011, from 4-6pm. Full details below.


[ CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE ]

Written by Jay Hosler, Evolution is an engaging and often humorous look at how life evolved (and continues to evolve) on this planet, as seen through the eyes of an alien narrator. This book is aimed at a high school and college level reader, but can really be enjoyed by anyone. Evolution was released in January to much critical fanfare, including Pharyngula celebrity blogger PZ Myers who wrote:

"Jay Hosler has a new book out . . . and I'm afraid it's going to be required reading for everyone, and you're also all probably going to end up buying multiple copies for gifts. Really, it's that good."

I like the "multiple copies" bit. Anyway, for more information about the book, including where to find two free chapters to read online, click the "Evolution" tab above or just click here.

FULL DETAILS
WHAT: Book signing & party
WHO: Kevin Cannon and Zander Cannon will be signing Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth
DATE: February 12, 2011 (Darwin's 202nd birthday!)
TIME: 4-6pm
WHERE: Big Brain Comics, 1027 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN
WILL THERE BE SNACKS & BOOZE: Yes

Top 20 Wildstorm Comics, featuring Zander Cannon

Comic Book Resources, in memory of the now-defunct (though continuing as part of DC) Wildstorm line of comics, has ranked the top 20 books released through the imprint. Not surprisingly, Alan Moore is well-represented, but as it happens, so am I! No fewer than 3 titles (Smax, Top 10, and Tom Strong*) that I worked on appear in this list.

15. "Smax," by Alan Moore and Zander Cannon

The stoic Jeff Smax from "Top 10" turns out to come from a fairytale world and Moore and Cannon are brave enough to show it. Completely different in look and tone from "Top 10," this series is a lot of fun, kind of an Alan Moore-doing-"Shrek" story, though with more humanity than that might imply. It's apparently been compared to "Fables," and it does bear some superficial resemblances, but then this is "Fables" done with more wit and charm. It reads smarter and doesn't get in its own way as it tells its story.

10. "Tom Strong," by Alan Moore and Chris Sprouse

There's a coldness to this series that it never quite shakes, and Alan Moore doesn't write all the issues - though his tend to be the best, of course. But that doesn't make this comic any less impressive as a high-wire adventure comic full of super-science and family and dimension-hopping and worlds of wonder. Tom Strong is Doc Savage mixed with Tom Swift mixed with whatever else is on Alan Moore's mind. Out of all the comics on this list, I think this is the one that will most grow in esteem as the years march on.

4. "Top 10," by Alan Moore and Gene Ha

Though this series was promoted as a simple "what would cops be like in a world in which everyone had super-powers," it immediately established itself as a strong ensemble series about a group of well-defined characters. That they were visually interesting only helped. That Gene Ha hid panel after panel of Easter eggs featuring characters from every era and genre only made it more interesting. That Alan Moore takes all this and then uses it to comment on comic book absurdities while still making the characters feel real - that makes it astonishing.

* I did layouts for Tom Strong #7. And Kevin worked on Smax #1 as my intern in 2001!

Thanks to the also-well-represented Gene Ha for the tip!

Neon Tommy Interview at Comic-Con

Holly Butcher over at Neon Tommy asked Dan Olson and me to chat about our convention experiences. We had the damnedest time trying to find a quiet place to talk, and finally found a patch of concrete nestled between some locked doors and a giant air conditioner. Here's how it all went down:






Thanks, Holly! And thanks to Kristin at Altered Esthetics for hooking us up.

ITCHY KEEN Interview

If you'd like to listen in on a chat between myself and 2D Cloud's Raighne and Meghan, go have a peek over at their new blog, Itchy Keen Art Fiends. Better yet, check out their other interviews, like this one with Lupi!

Far Arden Mentioned on Comics Reporter

A day after the Habs said goodbye to the Stanley Cup, and two days after Jack said goodbye to the Black Smoke Monster (I haven't actually seen the finale yet), Tom Spurgeon lists some of his favorite goodbyes in comics, and I'm flattered that Far Arden is among them:

Read the "goodbye" list here.

Thanks to Tim for the heads-up!

Big Time Attic: The Mini Doc

A few months ago local filmmaker Joanna Kohler stopped by to hang out in the studio and ask a few questions. The result is below, and it's outstanding!



The film is in support of Britt Aamodt's upcoming book, "Superheroes, Strip Artists, & Talking Animals: Minnesota's Contemporary Cartoonists," which is due out in October from the Minnesota Historical Society Press.

One aspect of the film we enjoyed are the frequent nods to cartoonists we love, like:

Tim Sievert


Danno Klonowski


Sam Hiti


Julia Vickerman



Bryan Lee O'Malley



... and of course, Matthew Kriske



Now, if you're like me and need to view this film on a huge screen -- or possibly projected against a wall -- have no fear. Joanna will be presenting the film during this summer's Lutefisk Sushi show (details TBA).


FUN FACT!
Zander Cannon also starred in
another recent documentary.
Can you name which one?

ANSWER

Kevin Cannon's Far Arden nominated for an Eisner Award

That's right--our own Kevin Cannon has gotten an Eisner nod for his James-Bond-meets-Jack-London arctic tour de force Far Arden!

Revel in the glory and check out the formidable competition on the Eisner nominations page!

Congratulations, Kevin!

Early Review of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Ghosts #1

The first issue of Star Trek: TNG: Ghosts came out this Wednesday, and there's an early review up on TrekMovie.com!

TrekMovie's Ghosts Review

I'm pleased that Mark Martinez (the reviewer) feels that the story hews closer to the more detailed and serious Next Generation stories rather than the action-focused recent movie, and states that "...those of you who grew up with the Enterprise-D will feel right at home." High praise, indeed. I hope readers will feel like this comic comes close to capturing the spirit of the 24th century.

UPDATE: Another review has popped up on TrekWeb. It's less positive, but I do like that it posits that there are more words in this comic than any other Star Trek comic. Why thank you very much! It also has this comment:

...The remainder you can write yourself if you're vaguely familiar with The Next Gen: Riker is impatient (Page 2), Picard is diplomatic (Page 2), Troi feels overpowering emotion (Page 5--but not addressed until Page 16!), and Geordi solves a problem with 24th century science (Page 19). All that was missing was Data commenting on humanity and Worf jumping over his console.

Well, all I have to say is don't count us out yet! We'll make this a drinking game if it kills us.

TrekWeb's Ghosts Review

Ex Astris Scientia!

Far Arden on Graphic Novel Reporter

I recently did an interview with John Hogan over at Graphic Novel Reporter. Check it out!



Also check out their main page -- there are some great interviews with Junot Diaz, Emmanuel Guibert, and local physics hero James Kakalios.

T-Minus reviewed by Todd Klein!

Todd Klein, comics superstar and letterer of (among many, many other things) Top Ten, has reviewed T-Minus: the Race to the Moon on his blog! Thanks Todd! A quotation:

Ottaviani and the Cannons make excellent use of the comics format to tell this complex story in interesting ways. (...) Parts of the story are told simultaneously through the clever use of large panels and small panels on the same pages, each telling a different narrative.

You can check it out, as well as his other reviews, tips, observations, and dissections of the finer points of comics lettering at kleinletters.com.

2 DAYS UNTIL BIG FUNNY

Some links for today, in preparation for this Friday's opening reception:

Danno presents more photos from the hanging party:


Click on Steve for the link

Jamie presents a [hopefully] false news story, inspired (I imagine) by the very real flood that nearly destroyed all 2,000 copies of Big Funny a few days ago:

Click on Guy for the link


BIG FUNNY in the media (updated!):

• City Pages
  
• Optical Sloth
  
• Little Hokum Rag
  
• Twin Cities Daily Planet
  
• The Onion AV Club
  
• Poopsheet Foundation
  
• Newsarama
  

4 DAYS UNTIL BIG FUNNY

Hard to believe that it was well over a year ago when a few of the Lutefisk Sushi C curators sat down to ask the all-important question: "What's next?"

Well, what's next is BIG FUNNY -- the hybrid gallery show and 48 page comics section. The printed newspapers have been sitting quietly in a secret location on Quincy Street, with only a handful having been released to the media. The paper will be released to the public (for a measly $5) at the opening reception this FRIDAY, AUGUST 7.

So come down to the opening this Friday and join over forty artists and their friends and family, as well as the Roe Family Singers. In addition to the long-awaited newspaper, you'll be able to check out original artwork from the paper, century-old newspaper strips (thanks to Steve Stwalley!), and never-before-seen original work from cartoonist William Ede.

Plus, the first 70 people to buy a copy of Big Funny at the opening get THIS.

BIG FUNNY in the media:

• The Onion AV Club
  
• Poopsheet Foundation
  
• Newsarama
  

Far Arden on MPR's Art Hounds

Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hounds is a weekly series where local artists talk about something they're enjoying in a medium other than their own. This morning Britt Aamodt -- journalist, local radio personality, and author of an upcoming book on Minnesota cartoonists -- talked about Far Arden. Thanks, Britt!

You can hear Art Hounds archived on mprnewsq.com, or listen in today at 4:45pm to 91.1 FM for a rebroadcast.

My Science Cartoon Needs Your Vote!

The Union of Concerned Scientists is back again with Science Idol, a cartoon contest that is ostensibly named after a popular American children's television program. For the second year in a row one of my cartoons is a top twelve finalist, and I need your vote to make it to that coveted #1 spot.

You can click here to read about the contest and click here to vote.

Fun fact: After I drew the above cartoon, I learned that the oval office desk pictured is actually built from the famous ship HMS Resolute, which was stranded in the arctic on its way to rescue Franklin in the 1850s. The ship was eventually rescued by James Buddington and sent back to England. The Queen then turned around and made a desk out of it as a gift for President Rutherford B. Hayes.

However, Wikipedia tells me that if you've seen the film National Treasure: Book of Secrets, then you already know all this.

Recent Book Reviews

T-Minus: The Race to the Moon on Marty Devine's MAD WORLD, The X-Librarian, Savannah Morning News, and Telegraph-Journal.

Far Arden on Bookforum and School Library Journal.

Stuff of Life on The Johnandjanaverse.

Big Funny on Newsarama

Zander Cannon and Kevin Cannon will both be at Comic-Con International 2009!

Hi folks, I hope you're all as excited as we are to be going to Comic-Con in sunny San Diego this coming Thursday. Kevin and I will be there to chat you up, tell jokes, draw sketches, and, in a departure from our usual inwardly-focused convention personas, give panels!

First of all, where to find us:

Here are our two locations in the context of the whole place. Zander will be on the left, in Artists Alley, Kevin will (primarily) be on the right, at the Top Shelf booth.

Zander will be at CC-01, which you can remember by thinking "CC=Comic-Con, and 01=Zander is Numero Uno". Easy!

Kevin will be flogging his new hot book Far Arden at the Top Shelf booth, number 1721, which you can remember by thinking "R-rated movies, alcohol".

And for completeness' sake, here is the:

Comic-Con Floor Plan

We will also be doing panels. As mentioned in a previous post, Kevin will be contributing to a Top Shelf panel at the same time that I will be giving a talk on how to do comics in the small, medium and big press.

Thursday, July 23

4:00-5:00 How-To Session: Zander Cannon— Zander Cannon has been working in comics since 1993 and has done both writing and art duties on comics about knights, robots, spacemen, cops, superheroes, ghosts, and mythical creatures. His presentation will cover how to produce comics and other books as an independent publisher. With Kevin Cannon (no relation) he runs the studio Big Time Attic, which focuses on educational comics for book publishers. Room 18
Categories: Art and Illustration | Comic Books | Seminars & Workshops

4:00-5:00 Top Shelf in 2009— With League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Vol. III) and the new edition of Lost Girls, plus The Surrogates movie starring Bruce Willis hitting theaters on September 25, and literary titles such as Essex County, Alec, and Far Arden being released, it's going to be an amazing year at Top Shelf. Come talk with publisher Chris Staros and creators Robert Venditti (The Surrogates), Jeff Lemire(Essex County), Kevin Cannon (Far Arden), and Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole) to find out all the details. Room 10
Categories: Comic Books | Movies

On Friday, Zander will be part of Douglas Wolk's panel:

Friday, July 24

Sun, Jul 19, 09:49AM

1:30-2:30 After the First 1,000 Pages— It takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at something. Art teachers say that you have to make 100,000 bad drawings before you can make a good one. Becky Cloonan (Demo), Zander Cannon (Top 10), Roger Langridge(The Muppet Show Comic Book), and Matt Kindt (Super Spy) will discuss how they've developed as artists since their early work and the creative breakthroughs that took them a while to reach. Moderated by Douglas Wolk(Reading Comics). Room 10
Categories: Art and Illustration | Comic Books | Comic-Con Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances

And on Saturday, I'll be here with Andy Schmidt talking about Art Portfolios:

Saturday, July 25

4:00-5:00 Building Your Art Portfolio— Moderated by Comics Experience founderAndy Schmidt (X-Men, Annihilation) and featuring the expert advice of comic creatorsChris Bachalo (X-Men, Generation X), Todd Nauck (Spider-Man, Young Justice), Robert Atkins (G.I. Joe), C. B. Cebulski (Marvel Talent Coordinator), and Zander Cannon (Top 10), this panel covers everything an aspiring comics artist needs to know about building a portfolio and getting his or her first gig. Join the discussion and ask your questions at the end! Room 30CDE
Categories: Art and Illustration | Cartooning and Comic Strips | Comic Books |Seminars & Workshops | Webcomics

I'll also be signing at the Wildstorm Booth (part of the DC pavilion, you can't miss it) at these times:

Friday 3-4 pm

Saturday 3-4 pm

Sunday 11:30 am-12:30 pm

Looking forward to seeing you all there, amigos!

Tim McNiff is Touching Our Book!

Check out this fun interview with KARE11's Tim McNiff and local Head Hacker Bruce Stasch. This past winter Zander and I worked with Bruce to create the Hacker character & identity, and eventually produced the cover design and some spot illustrations for Hacker's Guide.

Click the image below to watch Bruce explain why 80% of all Minnesota golfers should have this book sitting in the back seat of their car:



Just a few weeks ago I was stumbling around Barnes & Noble and saw a big golf-themed table display with Hacker's Guide sitting front and center! Ego boosts are fun.

hackersguides.com

Big Funny: Poopsheet & Pre-order

Big Funny's first review is online at Poopsheet Foundation! Click logo to read it:


Can't make it to the gallery opening at Altered Esthetics on August 7th but want to grab a copy of Big Funny? You can now pre-order a copy (limit one per customer at this point) on the Big Funny website.

Just click here and then scroll down until you see the purchase button:


If you don't have a paypal account, you can use a credit card.

The massive, 48 page Big Funny newspaper is $5. If you're pre-ordering one we tack on $5.95 for shipping & handling.

T-Minus in the New York Times Book Review

Zander and Jim and I were thrilled to learn that our latest graphic novel, T-Minus: The Race to the Moon, is featured in today's New York Times Book Review. This is a huge honor and not one we would have ever expected!

Jack Shafer's review is available to read online at NYTimes.com.

Game Informer Braid 2 joke makes it to the official Braid blog!

As everyone who reads this blog surely knows, once a year we draw an illustration for Game Informer's April Fools edition, "Game Infarcer". This year, as luck would have it, the topic was Braid, a game that I absolutely loved, and I was thrilled to draw a parody of it. Better yet, the guys over at GI just let me know that Jonathan Blow, the creator of Braid, put up the image to joke about a sequel to Braid. Nice! Here it is on the official Braid blog, and here is the image without all that dang copy.