Cuba Part II: Dedete & Animation
February 3, 2010, filed under: News, Studio, by Lex
The very same day we visted Palante we also went to another Cuban newspaper Juventud Rebelde, the back page of which features editorial cartoons in a feature called Dedete. Originally Dedete (named after the pesticide “DDT”), was a paper of it’s own, but a few years back it was consolidated into the larger paper, Juventud Rebelde. Dedete has been around since 1965 in some form or another and is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Where the humor and art style of Palante was more cartoony and less political, Dedete had a very editorial bent to their comics and humor (they’re caricactures in particular reminded me of David Levine’s). Below is a copy of Humor Rebelde, an anthology which features cartoons from some of Dedete’s top contributors.
Just like our new friends at Palante, the crew of Dedete was warm and inviting and very interested to hear about cartooning in the states and how it was similar (or different) from Cuba. We ended the meeting with some socializing (which for cartoonists means we drew each other), below is Humberto Lazaro’s (Laz) take on yours truly.
One thing I love about these offices is there’s always a mural to take a photo in front of! Here’s the whole Dedete and Snoopy Goes to Cuba crew. Later that week they ran an article about our meeting and used the photo below and I’m sure glad they did–that newspaper helped me get out of US Customs (customs officials are very suspicious of cartoonists).
Finally, before we left for our shores Laz did another piece of commemorative art for us, featuring the entire Snoopy Goes to Cuba crew (Sparky included!).
You’d think it would be difficult to top our first day, after all we toured two different newspapers and met a bevy of terrific and talented cartoonists but our second day was perhaps even better, as we were lucky enough to visit Estudios de Animacio!
Located in Havana, this is one of the few animation studios in Cuba. The studio has been producing films for the past 20 years, though many of its producers have been in Cuban animation and comics since the 1960’s–most notably, Juan Padron, creator of one of Cuba’s most famous films, Vampires in Havana (which you can watch instantly on Netflix!). Juan Padron is also the creator of Elpidio Valdes, another animated legacy, about a Cuban freedom fighter in the 1800’s. Below is another terrific mural featuring the studios most famous characters.
It was a thrill to walk the halls and hear the history of this animation studio. The animators include both men and women of all ages and they work in a variety of formats, from traditional 2D animation, Flash, stop-motion, and most recently trying their hand at CGI. We were lucky enough to watch a reel of their work and I was struck by the diversity of it, not just in the stories, characters and subject matter, but also the quality of the animation, which rivals anything here in the states. Here is the bullpen with some animators hard at work…
The lead animator of this young crew was thrilled to meet us, in particular Jeannie Schulz–apparently he was more than just a casual fan of PEANUTS.
Justin and I had to verify the quality of the tatoo, and his leg is now at the Studio for approval.
Like their newspaper counterparts, it was frustrating to hear how the U.S. embargo affected their work, and to a larger degree for animation, since much of their production relies heavily on computers and cameras (the embargo penalizes any countries that trades or sells with Cuba); any equipment they might need to make their films comes at a much higher cost for them. Similarly the distribution channels for their films are much smaller; outside of Cuba, their films are mostly seen in the occasional animation festival. Despite these impediments, the quality of their work and dedication to their craft could not be questioned–they clearly love what they’re doing.
Storyboards from their upcoming film “Celine.”
Finally, a glimpse at one of the funnier shorts that we saw in their reel. The cartoon below is a precursor to Vampires in Havana, and it’s hilarious!
Cuba Part I: Palante!
January 28, 2010, filed under: News, Studio, by Lex
We hit the ground running on the first day and visited a Cuban humor publication called Palante. Palante has been around for nearly 50 years and is the premier newspaper for comics (its format is similar to Funny Times in the states). We met in a conference room where we learned about the history of the paper and met many of the cartoonists, whose ages range from 25 to 75–generations of cartoonists contribute to Palante!
Palante did a spread on Charles Schulz and Peanuts back in the 80’s
We also introduced ourselves and told them a little about our own work–at the Schulz Studio, but also our individual projects: Viva Kid Beowulf!
Afterward, we were asked to draw some momentos for them…Justin and Hilary, are hard at work!
As per usual, Tom did some terrific caricatures…
One of the artists I had the pleasure to meet was Enrique Lacoste. Enrique does political and editorial cartoons, but is also the creator of a comic book series called Wankarani, about a young Peruvian boy and his pet jaguar. The book seemed like a lot of fun and reminded me of my own work.
Another member of Palante was gentleman cartoonist, Francisco Blanco Hernandez of the well-regarded Cuban comic Ay Vecino.
Francisco had lots of wonderful stories to tell, one of which involved a mural he painted of his characters in the famous Cuban bar, La Bodeguita (one of Hemingway’s favorite spots). The cartoonist genes run strong in the Hernandez family, as Francisco’s son, Jr. is also a cartoonist and member of the Palante squad.
Francisco at La Bodeguita…Ay Vecino is above
The moment we entered the Palante offices, we were greeted by Peanuts artwork, which was done by this fellow, Jose Luis. Here Jeannie gives him a pat on the back for all his hard work!
Jose also has a wicked sense of humor, as displayed by some of his comics below…
We spent a good two hours enjoying the history and people of Palante–it’s an impressive crew of dedicated cartoonists and later that week we rejoined our Cuban cartoonist compatriots for dinner, drinks and drawing. Before we left the offices, we took a group photo in front of wild mural in their office lobby.
Finally, here’s a caricature battle featuring Tom Richmond vs. a Palante cartoonist…damn, these guys are good…and quick!
UPDATE: Mercedes Torres, the managing editor of Palante adds to the discussion with her own blog entry.
Kid B. Goes to Cuba
January 27, 2010, filed under: News, Studio, by Lex“Work for Snoopy–see the world!” That was what my boss told me when I got the incredible job at the Charles Schulz Studio three years ago. At the time I thought it was a joke, but I should have known she was serious; in that time I’ve made trips to Japan and Europe and I just got back from (of all places) Cuba! It’s amazing just how far that Flying Ace flies.
Spearheaded by Jeannie Schulz (Sparky’s widow and all around friend to cartoonists), a rag-tag group of cartoonists headed to Havana, Cuba for a week to meet artists, cartoonists, animators and all around good people from those tropical shores. The side streets of Havana (as well as those of US/Cuban relations) were expertly navigated by Paul Bardwil, who has done a number of trips to Cuba already. The cartoonists in question included myself, Justin (”Mythtickle”) Thompson, Hilary (”Rhymes With Orange”) Price, Brian (does just about everything) Narelle and Tom (MAD Magazine) Richmond. Tom did an excellent recap of the trip on his blog and I urge you to read it if you want the real skinny on the trip.
Rather than repeat what Tom posted, I’m going to focus on the artists we met, so stay tuned for some Cuban cartoonist profiles! (The above image is a parody of Camilo Cienfuegos & Che Guevara bounding through the jungle from the Museum of the Revolution in Havana–click to enlarge).
El Cid: Rough Riding!
January 12, 2010, filed under: El Cid, Sketchbook, by LexBelow is the first sketch of Rodrigo Diaz (aka: El Cid) on the back of his fabled Andalusian horse, Babieca! I’ve been doing lots of reading and researching on book three, Kid Beowulf vs. El Cid, and I’m still knee-deep in that phase, but my drawing hand has been itchy these last couple of weeks and I needed to draw something related to what I’ve been reading.
The scene above is from the first ride that Rodrigo takes on his new horse. There are several competing stories about how Rodrigo came to own Babeica. The one I like is when Rodrigo was given the pick of an Andalusian herd as a coming-of-age gift from his grandfather, Pedro El Grande. Rodrigo inexplicably picks a weak and undistinguished horse (or so his grandfather thinks). Pedro calls Rodrigo, “babeica!” (stupid!) and in a defiant and prideful move, Rodrigo picks the horse anyway and dubs him “Babieca.” Years later, both Rodrigo and his warhorse would be remembered for their great deeds together.
I envision Babieca and Rodrigo as two of a kind and that Babieca wouldn’t be broken so easily; that’s why both he and Rodrigo look a little worse for wear in this picture after their first ride!
Stocking Stuffer
January 5, 2010, filed under: News, Roland, by Lex
Most people take the holidays off, but not Michael Hamersky of the Comic Book Collector’s Blog! On Christmas Eve he posted a nice piece on Kid Beowulf as well as a glowing early review of Kid Beowulf and the Song of Roland. For those of you who may have missed it the first time around, you can read the piece here.
2009 Top Comics (Lex’s Picks)
December 30, 2009, filed under: Epics, by LexI keep coming across “best of lists” on my morning blog patrol, so I thought I would add to the cacophony and throw up my personal favorites from 2009. Bear in mind, some of these books may have had different publication dates (I think one or two are from 2008), but I found and read them this year so that’s what counts. And of all the graphic novels and comics I read this year, these are the ones I remember most fondly, or go back to to see what I can learn from. So, without further ado, I present Lex Picks 2009 (these aren’t in any particular order either)…
First up: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe (vol. 5)
If there is one word to describe Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim series it would be “cool.” It’s a comic about a lazy, twenty-something Canadian named Scott Pilgrim; he’s in a lackluster indie rock band, he’s got a crew of droll and hip friends who tolerate his self-important malaise and he falls for a girl named Ramona Flowers. To win Ramona’s heart however, Scott must battle her 7 evil ex-boyfriends in crazy, video-game inspired duels. O’Malley’s style is a hybrid of comic strips and manga, he uses bold, crisp lines and his writing is smart, funny, and hipster cool. O’Malley’s character design sometimes makes it difficult to tell which characters are which (his casts are sometimes as big as mine), but he’s got a great handle on his key characters and that’s what’s important. The books are available most anywhere, now that a movie based on them is about to come out (with Michael Cera as Scott–which doesn’t quite fit if you ask me). If the movie can capture the same infectious cool that O’Malley writes and draws with then it’ll be worth watching. Read the books first though (and an earlier blog about the series)!
The Hunter, by Richard Stark & Darwyn Cooke
The Hunter is a graphic novel by Darwyn Cooke. It’s based on a crime novel of the same name by Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake). I’ve mentioned on numerous occasions what a big fan I am of Cooke’s work, so when he announced he was tackling the Parker novels–a series I was introduced to by my father years ago–I was excited to see what he’d do with it. The book is set in the 60’s and the tone and themes fit perfectly with Cooke’s retro cartooning style. His drawings of New York City and its sights and sounds makes you feel like you’ve walked into the underbelly of Mad Men. Cooke is a master visual storyteller, so being paired with another one like Stark is a perfect match! You can read another Parker post here.
Thor (vols 1 & 2) by Michael J. Straczynski and Olivier Coipel
I always thought Marvel’s Thor was a little incongruous to the comic book world. It never made sense to me what the Norse gods were doing in the Marvel Universe, so I never read any Thor growing up. I liked what Straczynski did with Spider-man though (at least the work he did with Romita Jr.) so I was curious about his Thor, and the dazzling illustrations by Olivier Coipel didn’t hurt the cause either. JMS does a great job handling the Norse tradition and places it in the Marvel Universe so it actually makes some sense. Coipel’s Thor is one of the best I’ve ever seen and I wish both he and JMS were still on the book.
Northlanders (vol. 1) by Brian Wood and Davide Gianfelice
Northlanders is quite a departure from the glitzy world of Thor. Brian Wood has a grisly, historical take on Vikings that isn’t starchy at all and Gianfelice’s art is top-notch and compliments Wood’s words perfectly. This one is a great pick-up for the cold winter months ahead. The second volume just came out and although Gianfelice is not the artist on that trade (and he’s the real selling point for me), I may pick it up all the same. Wood and Gianfelice will reteam for the third volume!
Crogan’s Vengeance by Chris Schweizer
The first book in a purported 16 book series (Schweizer is crazier than me!), Crogan’s Vengeance is the tale of Catfoot Crogan, an unlucky sailor thrust into the company of pirates on the high seas of the 1700’s! It’s a swashbuckler in the vein of Rafael Sabatini (one of my favorites) but drawn in a wiry, lively, cartoony style that’s reminicent of EC Segar. Schwiezer’s use of B&W is as good as Jeff Smith’s and his linework really pops (though his word balloons are sometimes overpowering). His second book in the Crogan family tree, Crogan’s March, just came out and I look forward to reading it!
Kirby King of Comics by Mark Evanier
An oversize art book/biography, Kirby King of Comics traces Jack Kirby’s career by someone who knew him best, his assistant and comics historian, Mark Evanier. The book is filled with full page illustrations and reproductions, as well as some original comic book pages never before printed (the penciled pages are really interesting to see). Evanier does a terrific job charting Kirby’s work across the changing field of comics (one he spearheaded), depicting his highs and lows. Kirby never stopped working, thinking, creating or drawing–he was incredibly prolific! This is a must read for anyone who loves mainstream American comics and the man who created them.
So do you agree with my picks? If you’ve got your own favorites let me know what they are–I’ve got room on my shelf for more good books!
A Christmas Hama
, filed under: News, by LexI just got back from a trip to the east coast where I spent Xmas with the family. A good time was had by all, especially by my little niece Samantha, who is sporting her first Hama bib (hopefully her twin sister Joanna won’t be too jealous). Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!
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