CA -- San Diego -- Public Library -- Exhibit: Art of Comic-Con:
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Description of Pictures: There are a lot of duplicates here because I noticed a few times that I had the wrong camera settings and swept through all of the items for a second or third time. I'll resolve that at some point.
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Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.
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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
SDLIBA_150708_007.JPG: The Art of San Diego Comic-Con International
SDLIBA_150708_012.JPG: Since the first convention held in San Diego 45 years ago, Comic Con International has been bringing together comics, movie, and science fiction fans, while creating a lot of great art along the way. Drawing from their institutional archives, The Art of Comic Con celebrates art as an integral tool in promoting the organizations mission of creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms.
Providing unprecedented access to original art by over 60 comic artists, the exhibition showcases some of the finest examples of unique comic art produced for and assembled by the organization over the years. Included are original artworks used in promoting Comic-Con and sister conventions WonderCon, and APE, the Alternative Press Expo.
The artwork on display cannot comprehensively chronicle Comic-Con's history as the longest-running, continuously held comics convention. However, it taps into the pulse and imagination of the industry and in keeping with Comic-Con's mission, celebrates the historic, educational, and ongoing contributions of comics to art and culture.
SDLIBA_150708_015.JPG: A History Through Logos
SDLIBA_150708_023.JPG: Rick Geary, 1984
SDLIBA_150708_030.JPG: Logos used by Comic-Con over the last 45 years tell a story of the events through design. The first logos designed by founder Shel Dorf document a slight name change as well as a foundational focus on comic art, films, and science fiction. Just three years in, the show was dubbed San Diego Comic-Con, and the title, as well as the focus on comic art, films, and science fiction, have remained.
In the early 1980s, Rick Geary came up with the Toucan, which became the hallmark of San Diego Comic-Con for the next decade. Then, in 1995 the show rebranded as Comic-Con International: San Diego and introduced what has become the iconic "eye" logo. While the eye has become the icon, the Toucan emerges from retirement periodically, as seen in the 40th anniversary Souvenir Book and Events Guide, and in more recent art, for the aptly named Toucan Blog.
SDLIBA_150708_039.JPG: Comic-Con International's Inkpot Awards are given to individuals for their contributions to the worlds of comics, science fiction/fantasy, film, television, animation, and fandom services. The award started in the early 1970s and has been given out ever since. Artist Rick Geary designed the award from its original plaque to this character-driven statue in the mid-2000s. Recipients include a veritable who's who of comics creators and science fiction and fantasy authors, along with luminaries from the worlds of film and TV such as Tim Burton, Frank Capra, Terry Gilliam, Matt Groening, Hayao Miyazaki, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rod Serling, and Steven Spielberg.
SDLIBA_150708_051.JPG: Goals & Ethics
by Shel Dorf
(founder)
To develop thru unity, a public appreciation of the creative artists in Cartooning, Films, Science Fiction, and Animation.
To encourage youngsters to form enduring friendships, and to render altruistic service to Fandom.
To maintain the spirit of HIGH IDEALISM, stressing JUSTICE, GOOD WILL< LOYALTY, and FRIENDSHIP toward the creative people we admire.
To promote the application of higher social, business, and professional standards.
To stress the HUMAN values in life, rather than the material.
These are the principles my committee and myself practice as we continue to build THE SAN DIEGO COMIC CONVENTION
SDLIBA_150708_057.JPG: Will Eisner
Comic-Con Souvenir Book Cover
1975
SDLIBA_150708_075.JPG: Will Eisner is a giant in the comics industry with an almost 70-year career. A figure in the Golden Age of Comics (mid 1930s-early 1950s), he went on to coin the term "graphic novel" in 1978 with the publication of "A Contract with God" and is honored as the namesake of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, given each year for creative achievement in American comic books.
For the 1975 Comic-Con Program Book cover, the Spirit has traded his typical big city environment for a more San Diegan poolside retreat. The cover uses the CMYK printing technique that combines the single colors of cyan, magenta, and yellow along with black (the "K" stands for key, a traditional word for the black printing plate), to create four-color comics.
SDLIBA_150708_077.JPG: William Stout
Comic-Con Souvenir Book Cover
2000
SDLIBA_150708_090.JPG: William Stout is an award-winning artist known for his comic art, film design, and fantasy illustrations with a specialization in paleontological art.
With a stylistic nod to E.C. Comics' "Tales from the Crypt," artist William Stout's 2000 Comic-Con Souvenir Book cover featured his fantastic dinosuars [sic], along with well known comic book characters such as Charlie Brown, the Spirit, and the Flash and Green Lantern from the Justice League. Creating a blueline painting under the line art, Stout then dropped the black lines on acetate film over the color art for publication.
SDLIBA_150708_092.JPG: Babs Tarr
WonderCon Program Book Cover
2015
SDLIBA_150708_107.JPG: Barbara (aka Babs) Tarr is currently the artist for DC Comics' Batgirl. Along with Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher, she redesigned Barbara "Babs" Gordon, aka Batgirl, to much fanfare in 2014 and created the exclusive cover for the WonderCon 2015 Program Book.
Babs Tarr works almost entirely digitally. The initial sketches were done on the computer, printed out, and inked on Bristol board. The final inked piece was then scanned back in and colored by the artist in Photoshop.
SDLIBA_150708_118.JPG: Michael Cho
Comic-Con Souvenir Book Cover
2015
SDLIBA_150708_128.JPG: This year's Comic-Con International Souvenir Book cover celebrates the legacy of Will Eisner with the 75th anniversary of The Spirit. Artist Michael Cho used a combination of digital and traditional techniques, beginning with thumbnails on paper and then tightening the pencils for the foreground of the buildings digitally. Cho inked the artwork on paper, but then returned to a computer and colored the entire piece digitally.
Michael Cho is a freelance cartoonist/illustrator based in Toronto. His comics work has included Batman Black and White for DC and X-Men First Class for Marvel. His first graphic novel, Shoplifter, debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List in 2014.
SDLIBA_150708_134.JPG: Sergio Aragones
colored by Tom Luth
Cover Art, Comic-Con: 40 Years of Artists, Writers, Fans & Friends
2009
SDLIBA_150708_140.JPG: Sergio Aragones is a lot of things to the comic community: He is one of comics' most popular creators, one of MAD magazine's longest-running cartoonists, and the creator of "Groo the Wanderer," one of the longest-running creator-owned titles. Aragones has been a regular at Comic-Con since 1976, when he drew the cover of the Souvenir Book and attended as a special guest. This first-person history with the convention informed his cover art for the book "Comic-Con: 40 Years of Artists, Writers, Fans & Friends," as a sea of fans, heroes, and comic book characters parade from the convention's original home at the El Cortez Hotel to the Convention Center.
SDLIBA_150708_174.JPG: Marshall Rogers and Howard Chaykin
Comic-Con Souvenir Book Cover
1984
SDLIBA_150708_179.JPG: In the mid 1980s, Marshall Rogers and Howard Chaykin separately created two popular talking animal characters. Rogers came up with The Foozle, which appeared in a mini-series from Eclipse Comics, and Chaykin created Raul the Cat for his "American Flagg!" series published by First Comics. It is believed that this poolside meeting is their first and only team-up.
SDLIBA_150708_183.JPG: Bill Sienkiewicz
Comic-Con Souvenir Book Cover
1989
SDLIBA_150708_187.JPG: Best know for Marvel Comics' "Moon Knight," "The New Mutants," and "Elektra: Assassin," Bill Sienkiewicz moved beyond traditional line art and employed fine art techniques like oil painting and collage in his work. Comic-Con turned 20 in 1989 and this mixed media Souvenir Book Cover designed and illustrated by Sienkiewicz is a fitting representation of the diversity and growth the Con experienced by the end of the decade.
SDLIBA_150708_189.JPG: Frank Miller, colored by Lynn Varley
Comic-Con Souvenir Book Cover
1993
SDLIBA_150708_194.JPG: Frank Miller's impact on comics is legendary. After a successful run as writer/penciller on Daredevil (where he created Elektra), he reinvented Batman with "The Dark Knight Returns" and "Batman: Year One," which had a huge impact on the Batman we known today. His other creations including "Ronin," "Sin City," and "300." For his 1993 Comic-Con Souvenir Book cover, Miller demonstrates how comics can transport readers to new worlds. In a comment on the variant edition/collector mentality of the mid-1990s, his characters are engrossed in reading comic books, showing that comics are meant to be read and enjoyed.
SDLIBA_150708_196.JPG: Jim Lee, inked by Scott Williams, final cover colored by Alex Sinclair
Comic-Con Souvenir Book Cover
2011
SDLIBA_150708_202.JPG: In 2011, DC Comics embarked on "The New 52," a revamping of its entire line with the publication of 52 new comic series. Instrumental in the program was one of comics' top artists and DC's co-publisher; Jim Lee. The relaunch was initiated with the "Justice League," and the core characters were revealed through Lee's artwork on that year's Comic-Con Souvenir Book, inked by Scott Williams and colored by Alex Sinclair.
SDLIBA_150708_204.JPG: John Romita, Jr., inked by Klaus Janson, final cover colored by Dean White
Comic-Con Souvenir Book Cover
2012
SDLIBA_150708_208.JPG: Comic-Con frequently celebrates anniversaries to showcase contributions to the industry and community. In 2012, the 50th anniversary of Marvel Superheroes was marked with a cover penciled by John Romita, Jr., inked by Klaus Janson, and colored by Dean White, featuring (clockwise from upper left) Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, Hulk, and Spider-Man.
SDLIBA_150708_209.JPG: Dave McKean
Comic-Con Souvenir Souvenir Book Cover
2013
SDLIBA_150708_214.JPG: While the often melancholy and surreal covers for the entire run of Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman" were created by Dave McKean, the methods he used were anything but consistent. Painted, drawn, collaged, and photographically manipulated works graduated to early digital experimentation. For the 25th anniversary of "The Sandman" in 2013, McKean captured the essence of Morpheus in an ethereal mixed media painting for the Comic-Con Souvenir Book cover.
SDLIBA_150708_217.JPG: Jim Lee, inked by Scott Williams, final cover colored by Alex Sinclair
WonderCon Program Book Cover
2013
SDLIBA_150708_221.JPG: Jim Lee's WonderCon Program Book cover heralded a new Superman book with writer Scott Snyder in 2013, "Superman Unchained." The new series was timed to celebrate Superman's 75th anniversary. This exclusive WonderCon cover by Lee captures Clark Kent changing into Superman. It was inked by Scott Williams, and the final cover was colored by Alex Sinclair.
SDLIBA_150708_222.JPG: Cliff Chiang
WonderCon Program Book Cover
2014
SDLIBA_150708_227.JPG: Cliff Chiang was the artist for DC Comics' Wonder Woman series for the first 36 issues of the title's "New 52" reboot in 2011, with writer Brian Azzarello. Designed, penciled, inked, and colored by Chiang, Wonder Woman exploded on the WonderCon Program Book cover in April 2014, six months before the critically acclaimed story arc culminated.
SDLIBA_150708_233.JPG: Winner of the 2013 Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic, Colleen Coover and Paul Tobin's Parisian heroine Bandette scoots past APE's classic purple money on an iconic San Francisco street for the Alternative Press Expo's promotional art. For the cover, Coover digitally penciled the artwork and then printed it using blue ink on bristol bond paper. She then draws with ink wash before scanning and coloring the art.
SDLIBA_150708_243.JPG: Gilbert Hernandez and his brothers Jaime and Mario are the co-creators of "Love and Rockets," one of the leading comics in the alternative comic movement of teh 1980s. It is only appropriate then that Hernandez's version of the iconic ape stomped across the promotional material for the 2012 Alternative Press Exp, marking the 30th anniversary of "Love and Rockets," still as popular now as when it first started.
SDLIBA_150708_472.JPG: Scott Shaw! Crom the Librarian (circa 1970)
SDLIBA_150708_474.JPG: Brad Anderson, Marmaduke I (1973)
SDLIBA_150708_476.JPG: Scott Shaw!, Time Machine (1970)
SDLIBA_150708_478.JPG: Pete Hoffman, Jeff Cobb I (1972)
SDLIBA_150708_480.JPG: John Pound, House (1971)
SDLIBA_150708_482.JPG: Bob Kline, Star Trek (1974)
SDLIBA_150708_484.JPG: Bil Keane, Family Circus I (1974)
SDLIBA_150708_487.JPG: Neg Cochran, Out Our Way (1974)
SDLIBA_150708_491.JPG: Ralph Bakshi, Right On (1974)
SDLIBA_150708_626.JPG: Harvey Kurtzman, San Diego (1981)
SDLIBA_150708_633.JPG: Carl Barks, Ducks (1981)
SDLIBA_150708_636.JPG: Roman Arambula, Disney 2 (1981)
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2015_CA_Ralphs: San Diego Comic-Con International 2015 -- Ralphs prepared for comic-con (5 photos from 2015)
2015_CA_Fandom_150709: San Diego Comic-Con International 2015 -- Pop-up: MTV Fandom Fest 2015 (76 photos from 2015)
2015_CA_SDCC_Assassins: San Diego Comic-Con International 2015 -- Pop-up: Assassins Creed Syndicate (11 photos from 2015)
2015_CA_SDCCP10_150710: San Diego Comic-Con International 2015 -- Panel: World Premiere of Justice League: Gods & Monsters (59 photos from 2015)
2015_CA_SDCCP02_150710: San Diego Comic-Con International 2015 -- Panel: Will Eisner: Champion of the Graphic Novel (28 photos from 2015)
2015_CA_SDCCP09F_150711: San Diego Comic-Con International 2015 -- Panel: Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment: Trapeze act (37 photos from 2015)
2015_CA_SDCCP09B_150711: San Diego Comic-Con International 2015 -- Panel: Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment: The Flash (42 photos from 2015)
2015_CA_SDCCP09E_150711: San Diego Comic-Con International 2015 -- Panel: Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment: Supergirl (73 photos from 2015)
2015_CA_SDCCP09D_150711: San Diego Comic-Con International 2015 -- Panel: Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment: Gotham (59 photos from 2015)
2015_CA_SDCCP09C_150711: San Diego Comic-Con International 2015 -- Panel: Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (50 photos from 2015)
2015 photos: Equipment this year: I mostly used my Fuji XS-1 camera but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000.
I retired from the US Census Bureau in god-forsaken Suitland, Maryland on my 58th birthday in May. Yee ha!
Trips this year:
a quick trip to Florida.
two Civil War Trust conferences (Raleigh, NC and Richmond, VA), and
my 10th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including Los Angeles).
Ego Strokes: Carolyn Cerbin used a Kevin Costner photo in her USA Today article. Miss DC pictures were used a few times in the Washington Post.
Number of photos taken this year: just over 550,000.