The Sunday Spotlight: The ‘He’s From Another World’ Edition
by Richard Bruton
Oh yes, it’s Sunday, so it’s obviously time for a little rundown of a few bits of comics news – yep, it’s The Sunday Spotlight…
YOUR KIDS WILL THANK YOU FOR GETTING TICKETS – JAMIE SMART COMIC MASTERCLASS – 22 NOVEMBER…
In the world of comics, the kids comic market is huge. And aside Dav Pilkey and Raina Telgemeier, it’s been a real pleasure to see Jamie Smart‘s work get the attention and the love it deserves. He’s a multi-million copy bestseller now, with Bunny Vs Monkey turning millions of kids on to comics.
If you happen to know one of those kids who simply adore his work – and frankly, who can blame them, I love what he does as well – then you need to sign them up for the new Phoenix Comics online masterclass with Jamie, taking place on 22nd November, from 10:00 am online.
It’s going to be an hour of monkey mayhem and bonkers bunny, and you can, and you should, be grabbing your tickets here – one £5.99 ticket per device. Seriously, why not set up a projector and have a Jamie Smart Bunny Vs Monkey party that day?
NWMOCA OPENS – AMERICA’S NEWEST CARTOON ARTS MUSEUM…
Always great to be able to tell you that another cartoon and comics art museum is opening. This time it’s The Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts (NWMOCA), opening in Portland, Oregon, on 3rd December 2025.
They had their soft opening on 5 November, and they’re going to spend November opening limited hours to iron out all the kinks, and there are always kinks. But the proper opening on 3 December will mean the launch of its first major exhibit – The Pacific Northwest in Comics, featuring ‘iconic Pacific Northwest-based cartooning legends, publishers, and studios.’ Expect cartooning classes and community events in the 5000 square foot space, located in the heart of Portland’s museum district.
You can find out more at nwmoca.org.
MOVE TO NAME JACK KIRBY STREET IN NYC MAKING PROGRESS…
There’s a campaign running right now to rename part of Essex Street in Lower East Side NY as Jack Kirby Street. Right now, it’s building, with the latest news being a vote in favour by the community board of co-naming Essex Street between Stanton and Irvington – which is the block where legendary artist Jack Kirby was born and grew up in – in honour of one of the greatest American comic artists.
Gothamist has the story, where historian and critic Roy Schwartz is spearheading the campaign. It’s absolutely fitting that Kirby’s name should be there on the streets this comic legend grew up on – he was born at 147 Essex Street – celebrating the imagination and vision of one of the all-time greats of American comics. Right now, with the Lower East Side community board voting in favour of the co-naming, things are looking positive. But there’s a long way to go before it becomes a reality.
Kirby’s already had a street named after him – as Yancy Street/Jack Kirby Way – on 9th July this year. But the renaming of the intersection of Delancey and Essex Streets on New York’s Lower East Side was only for a day. It’s quite right and proper that something more permanent be there for generations to come.
NOVEMBER’S ESSENTIAL GN PICKS FROM THE COMIX EXPERIENCE GN CLUB…
As I keep saying, Brian Hibbs‘ Comix Experience is one of the great comic shops out there, and has been for many years. Hence, why I always take note (and share) what their GN Club picks are each month.
So, November’s Adult Club Pick is from the Ignatz and Eisner Award-winning cartoonist Ben Passmore:
Black Arms To Hold You Up: “A whirlwind graphic history of Black life, dictating his own context through the lens of the contemporary.”
“It’s the summer of 2020, and downtown Philly is up in flames. “You’re not out in the streets with everyone else?” Ronnie asks his ambivalent son, Ben, shambling in with arms full of used books: the works of Malcom X, Robert F. Williams, Assata and Sanyika Shakur, among others. “Black liberation is your fight, too.” So begins Black Arms to Hold You Up, a boisterous, darkly funny, and sobering march through Black militant history by political cartoonist Ben Passmore. From Robert Charles’s shootout with the police in 1900, to the Black Power movement in the 1960s, to the Los Angeles and George Floyd uprisings of the 1990s and 2020, readers will tumble through more than a century of armed resistance against the racist state alongside Ben—and meet first hand the mothers and fathers of the movement, whose stories were as tragic as they were heroic. What, after so many decades lost to state violence, is there left to fight for? Deeply researched, vibrantly drawn, and bracingly introspective, Black Arms To Hold You Up dares to find the answer.”
As for the Kids Club pick, it’s David Pepose and Ornella Greco‘s Ten Ton Titan Terrier, where mankind’s last hope is an 11-inch talle terrier called Holly. Looks a load of fun. But hey, dogs, what’s not to love?
“When an asteroid unleashes a horde of alien monsters known as Bio-Titans, Earth must turn to a suit of extraterrestrial battle armor to save the day — but there’s just one catch. The only creature on the planet capable of turning it on… is an 11-inch-tall terrier named Holly. With the Bio-Titan threat escalating by the second, Holly and her scientist owner, Sam, will find their unique bond tested, as he trains his mischievous pup to become not just man’s best friend, but humanity’s only hope. Ringo Award-winning writer David Pepose and acclaimed artist Ornella Greco deliver a heart-warming sci-fi adventure about a boy and his dog… with ten tons of over-the-top, monster-battling action.”
As with most of their picks, Comix Experience will be talking to the authors of both books later in the month, with the results posted up on the Comix Experience socials and YouTube channel.
LAST CALL FOR THE A1 DEADLINE KICKSTARTER… ENDING 12 NOVEMBER…
Seriously, the A1/Deadline Kickstarter was never going to have a problem getting funded, and, as I’m typing this, it’s blasted through its goal of £9,000 and is headed for £25k. But, with just a few days to go before the end of 12 November, just a reminder for you to jump on pledge for the return of not one but two iconic series of the late 80s and early 90s.
Deadline, created by Steve Dillon and Brett Ewins, and A1, created by Garry Leach and Dave Elliott (sadly, we’ve lost Steve, Brett, and Garry), burned bright for a glorious period in comics. But former editor Dave Elliott’s at the helm once more, bringing us the same attitude and the same great comics in one new A1/Deadline package.
So much in there, Tank Girl by Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin; Carp Diem by WH Rauf & Rhoald Marcellius; The Beard by Alison Sampson and Fred Van Lente; Image Duplicator by Rian Hughes, with David Leach, Steve Cook, Dave Gibbons, and more; Cap’n Dinosaur by Shaky Kane and Kek-W; and Bandits by Mark A Nelson. Plus loads more to be announced, and even a few surprises you’ll only find when you crack open the book.
So, head over, pledge, and enjoy the return of classic counterculture comics, A1 & Deadline style.
