In the final excerpt from the second chapter, Rhoda Draws talks about drawing what you see.

Jean Giraud, one of France's leading comics artists, has died in Paris at the age of 73.

For some time now I have been promising myself a return to organic art. In my case this means line drawing. I love how line fluctuates, swings, cuts, curls, twists, envelopes, stubs, caresses, how it becomes a natural extension of an artist, how its creator can funnel into it the inner thoughts, passions, desires, frustrations or dreams.

Museum Event on Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 1pm to 3pm is free and open to the public.

IMAGE COMICS

20TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBIT

Image Expo is the premier Northern California comics convention in 2012. The three-day event takes place at the Oakland Convention Center February 24, 25 and 26. Celebrating the creative spirit of independence, Image Expo commemorates the twentieth anniversary of the formation of Image Comics. But more than just looking to the past, the event showcases the evolving the comic market by spotlighting the future of independent publishing.

The Cartoon Art Museum’s exhibition Image Comics: A 20th Anniversary Celebration features over 40 pieces of original artwork spanning 20 years, including works from all seven Image founders, Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon), Jim Lee (WildC.A.T.s), Rob Liefeld (Youngblood), Todd McFarlane (Spawn), Whilce Portacio (Wetworks), Marc Silvestri (Cyberforce), and Jim Valentino (Shadowhawk).  Works from Image partner Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead) will also be included in this historic exhibition.

The opening reception for Image Comics: A 20th Anniversary Celebration will be held on Thursday, February 23, 2012 from 7:00-9:00pm.  Special guests include Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead, Invincible), Fiona Staples (Saga), Ryan Ottley (Invincible) and many more to be announced, as well as a few last-minute surprises.  Please visit the Cartoon Art Museum’s website, cartoonart.org <http://cartoonart.org> for updates.  Admission to this party will be $5-$50, with tickets sold on a sliding scale.  This party kicks off the three-day Image Expo which will be held at the Oakland Convention Center from Friday, February 24 through Sunday, February 26.  Please visit imagecomicexpo.com <http://www.imagecomicexpo.com/> for details.

The Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention will be held on March 4, 2012, with special guests Tom Felton, Eric Walker, Gabriel Hardman, Corinna Sara Bechko, Mike Kazelah and Vernon Wells.

The Society of Illustrators Presents Comics Out Loud on January 28 in New York City.

The Cartoon Art Museum welcomes Keith Knight, creator of "The Knight Life," and Stephan Pastis, creator of "Pearls Before Swine," for a discussion of their comics and careers in celebration of CAM’s latest exhibition, "Black and White and Read All Over: Comics of the New Millennium."

Marvel has prevailed in the lawsuit against it over the copyright to GHOST RIDER, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

As I reflected in my previous blog, Japanese are true perfectionists, in all they do. Thus, when it comes to political correctness, over centuries, and elected isolation from the external world, they turned it into an art form, a nature, but at what cost? Bowing projects a wonderfully charming sense of politeness and respect, but it does not end on just one bow, it goes on, and on. It is very carefully and skillfully choreographed and, as such, not spontaneous.