Comic Riffs - From cartoons to comics, Michael Cavna gets his geek on.

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Posted at 01:27 AM ET, 06/01/2012

RIP JIM UNGER: Cartoonists remember the trailblazing talent of ‘Herman’s’ brilliant creator

By Michael Cavna

Remembering one of the comics pages’ key practitioners of producing the offbeat single-panel, ”Herman” creator Jim Unger.

By Michael Cavna | 01:27 AM ET, 06/01/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: jim unger, herman comic, lee salem, dave coverly, jerry van amerongen.

Posted at 12:33 PM ET, 05/30/2012

PETER CARL FABERGE DOODLE: Why are those eggs so royally expensive?

By Michael Cavna

Today’s bejeweled Google Doodle to celebrate Peter Carl Fabergé prompts the question: Just why are Imperial Fabergé eggs so royally expensive, anyway?

By Michael Cavna | 12:33 PM ET, 05/30/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: peter carl Fabergé, google doodles

Posted at 12:33 AM ET, 05/30/2012

PETER CARL FABERGE: Google hatches preciously artful Doodle to honor the famed Russian jeweler

By Michael Cavna

Wednesday’s Google Doodle features Faberge eggs to celebrate the 166th anniversary of the birth of famed Russian jeweler Peter Carl Faberge.

By Michael Cavna | 12:33 AM ET, 05/30/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Peter Carl Fabergé, Fabergé eggs, Google Doodles

Posted at 10:34 AM ET, 05/29/2012

2012 REUBEN AWARDS: MAD’s Richmond, Post’s Galifianakis react to big wins

By Michael Cavna and Tom Racine

MAD magazine’s Tom Richmond, Post cartoonist Nick Galifianakis react to winning big awards over the holiday weekend at the 2012 NCS Reuben Awards.

By Michael Cavna and Tom Racine | 10:34 AM ET, 05/29/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: national cartoonist society, reuben awards, tom richmond, brian crane, stephan pastis, nick galifianakis, mark parisi, glenn mccoy, erik wiese, bob rich, mark mccreery, zach kanin, ed sorel, john rocco, j.h. williams, ben katchor, jon rosenberg, michael ramirez

Posted at 12:09 AM ET, 05/25/2012

SKETCHBOOK QUOTE OF THE MONTH: Neil Gaiman’s compelling and wise advice to artists

By Michael Cavna

Neil Gaiman’s advice to artists, as told through these sketchbook illustrations: The 14 Faces of Gaiman.

By Michael Cavna | 12:09 AM ET, 05/25/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: neil gaiman, university of the arts philadelphia

Posted at 09:50 PM ET, 05/24/2012

THE CLASSIEST OF 2012: Neil Gaiman and Mike Peters talk about wowing the commencement crowd

By Michael Cavna

The Classiest of 2012: Neil Gaiman and Mike Peters deliver two of the season’s most inspiring commencement speeches — perhaps bolstering the graduation lectern market for creators of comics.

By Michael Cavna | 09:50 PM ET, 05/24/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: mike peters, neil gaiman, university of the arts philadelphia, washington university st. louis

Posted at 02:58 PM ET, 05/23/2012

BOB MOOG GOOGLE DOODLE: Playable synthesizer lets you create an otherworldly ‘happy birthday’ tune to Dr. Moog

By Michael Cavna

Google celebrates pioneering Moog Synthesizer inventor Robert “Bob” Moog with an elegant playable (and recordable!) synthesizer-and-tape-recorder Doodle. The late music man would have been 78 today.

By Michael Cavna | 02:58 PM ET, 05/23/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: google doodles, bob moog, moog synthesizer

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 05/23/2012

By Michael Cavna

By Michael Cavna | 07:00 AM ET, 05/23/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: google doodle, robert moog

Posted at 01:23 PM ET, 05/22/2012

MARVEL ANNOUNCES ‘X-MEN’s’ GAY WEDDING: Does this mean mainstream comics are ‘evolving’?

By Michael Cavna

COMIC RIFFS | Marvel has announced an upcoming gay wedding in “Astonishing X-Men.”

By Michael Cavna | 01:23 PM ET, 05/22/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: marvel comics, dc comics, northstar, astonishing x-men, funky winkerbean, tom batiuk, archie comics, jon goldwater, paige braddock, jane's world

Posted at 01:49 PM ET, 05/21/2012

AN IMMODEST PROPOSAL: From ‘Avengers’ riches, Disney should smartly gift Kirby heirs with a cool million

By Michael Cavna

Disney could show grand goodwill by giving an “Avengers”-windfall gift of $1-million to the heirs of co-creator Jack Kirby.

By Michael Cavna | 01:49 PM ET, 05/21/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: jack kirby, the avengers, disney/marvel

Posted at 10:04 PM ET, 05/20/2012

Pakistan’s Twitter shutdown linked to ‘Everybody Draw Muhammad Day’ content

By Michael Cavna

Pakistan shuts down Twitter on Sunday, apparently in response to “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day content

By Michael Cavna | 10:04 PM ET, 05/20/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: pakistan, raza gilani, south park, molly norris, matt stone, trey parker, zachary chesser, anwar al-awlaki

Posted at 01:25 PM ET, 05/20/2012

‘THE AVENGERS’ WINS 3rd WEEKEND: Highest-grossing Disney film ever sinks ‘Battleship,’ chases history

By Michael Cavna

Marvel’s “The Avengers” wins 3rd straight weekend; becomes Disney's biggest film ever.

By Michael Cavna | 01:25 PM ET, 05/20/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: marvel's the avengers, the dark knight

Posted at 12:45 AM ET, 05/19/2012

CREATORS’ RIGHTS: How the Jack Kirby case caused acclaimed ROGER LANGRIDGE to quit DC and Marvel

By Michael Cavna

Acclaimed cartoonist explains how he decided to stop working with Marvel and DC — and why the Jack Kirby case propelled him.

By Michael Cavna | 12:45 AM ET, 05/19/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: roger langridge, marvel comics, dc comics, jack kirby

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 05/18/2012

DOODLE 4 GOOGLE: Avast! As contest’s national winner, second-grader gets a day in the sun

By Michael Cavna

Wisconsin second-grader featured on Google’s home-page after winning national Doodle contest for youth.

By Michael Cavna | 06:00 AM ET, 05/18/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: google doodles, pirate dreams, ryan hoffman

Posted at 11:49 PM ET, 05/17/2012

ROMNEY IN ‘DOONESBURY’: Reader Preview: Next week’s strips based on Post article

By Michael Cavna

By Michael Cavna | 11:49 PM ET, 05/17/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: doonesbury, garry trudeau, mitt romney

Posted at 11:22 PM ET, 05/17/2012

ASSEMBLING A SUPREME HULK: ‘Avengers’ artists reveal how they fleshed out Ruffalo’s character

By Winyan Soo Hoo

ILM artists reveal secrets behind building the “Avengers’ “ Hulk — and how they literally used Mark Ruffalo’s body to help flesh out the character.

By Winyan Soo Hoo | 11:22 PM ET, 05/17/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: hulk, john doublestein, jeff white, marvel's the avengers, mark ruffalo, joss whedon

Posted at 05:22 PM ET, 05/15/2012

What would Draw Something’s creator draw? A Q&A with Dan Porter

By Haley Crum

If you’ve ever played Draw Something, then you probably already know that not every drawing is a work of art. If you think you’re alone in drawing stick figure Justin Biebers and cows that look like balloon animals, then think again.

By Haley Crum | 05:22 PM ET, 05/15/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:12 PM ET, 05/15/2012

OBAMA on GAY MARRIAGE: The 8 Most Eye-Catching Cartoons

By Michael Cavna

By Michael Cavna | 02:12 PM ET, 05/15/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: michael ramirez, mike luckovich, clay bennett, john cole, steve kelley, alex falco, steve benson, next media animation

Posted at 03:45 PM ET, 05/14/2012

VIDEO OF THE DAY: Matt Bors’ humorous Herblock Prize speech

By Michael Cavna

Matt Bors accepts his Herblock Prize at the Library of Congress event.

By Michael Cavna | 03:45 PM ET, 05/14/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: herblock prize, matt bors, garry trudeau, jen sorensen

Posted at 12:14 PM ET, 05/13/2012

‘AVENGERS’ WINS 2nd RECORD WEEKEND: Marvel film tops $1B globally

By Michael Cavna

The Disney/Marvel blockbuster sets record by grossing $103.2-million domestically in second weekend, breaking “Avatar’s mark. The superhero film also tops $1-billion globally Sunday.

By Michael Cavna | 12:14 PM ET, 05/13/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: marvel's the avengers, avatar, dark shadows

Posted at 07:06 AM ET, 05/13/2012

MOTHER’S DAY GOOGLE DOODLE: Embraceable animation salutes mom’s day (*even if holiday’s founder didn’t)

By Michael Cavna

Tech titan’s salutes moms on Sunday with a warm home-page animation. Here’s our favorite Google animations — and here’s the history behind the why its founder who rather have forgot the holiday

By Michael Cavna | 07:06 AM ET, 05/13/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: mother's day 2012, google doodles

Posted at 01:57 AM ET, 05/12/2012

PROFILES IN CARTOONING COURAGE: How artists in Syria, Iran and India wield their free-speech pens against powerful forces

By Michael Cavna

How artists in Syria, Iran and India wield free-speech pens against powerful government forces.

By Michael Cavna | 01:57 AM ET, 05/12/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Mahmoud Shokraiyeh, Ali Ferzat, Assem Trivedi, Cartoonists Rights Network International, Garry Trudeau, Matt Bors, Matt Wuerker

Posted at 01:49 AM ET, 05/12/2012

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Maurice Sendak leaves us enriched

By Michael Cavna

By Michael Cavna | 01:49 AM ET, 05/12/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: maurice sendak, comic riffs quote of the week

Posted at 12:47 PM ET, 05/11/2012

HERBLOCK PRIZE CEREMONY: Garry Trudeau and Matt Bors, masters of poignant comic timing

By Michael Cavna

Garry Trudeau and Matt Bors prove to be masters of poignant comic timing.

By Michael Cavna | 12:47 PM ET, 05/11/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: matt bors, garry trudeau, herblock prize

Posted at 03:34 PM ET, 05/10/2012

WHITHER POLITICAL CARTOONING? A Conversation with tonight’s Herblock Prize winner, MATT BORS

By Michael Cavna

A truth-telling conversation with tonight’s Herblock Prize recipient, young alt-cartoonist Matt Bors.

By Michael Cavna | 03:34 PM ET, 05/10/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: matt bors, library of congress, herblock prize

Posted at 06:05 PM ET, 05/09/2012

‘THE AVENGERS’ SEQUEL IS OFFICIAL: Disney’s Iger boasts 207-million reasons for the follow-up

By Michael Cavna

By Michael Cavna | 06:05 PM ET, 05/09/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: the avengers, avengers sequel, marvel studios, avengers iger

Posted at 05:37 PM ET, 05/09/2012

STEPHANIE McMILLAN wins RFK Journalism Award for social-justice cartoons

By Michael Cavna

Stephanie McMillan wins RFK Journalism Award for Occupy reporting and environmental political cartoons.

By Michael Cavna | 05:37 PM ET, 05/09/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: stephanie mcmillan, RFK awards

Posted at 03:15 PM ET, 05/09/2012

YOU PLAY THE EDITOR: The Post didn’t run this ‘ZITS’ strip — would you?

By Michael Cavna

By Michael Cavna | 03:15 PM ET, 05/09/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: zits, king features, jerry scott, jim borgman

Posted at 01:23 PM ET, 05/09/2012

SALUTING MAURICE SENDAK: A visual tribute to a rumpus-loving legend

By Michael Cavna

An illustrated tribute to a rumpus-loving legend, who died Tuesday at age 83.

By Michael Cavna | 01:23 PM ET, 05/09/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: maurice sendak, where the wild things are

Posted at 06:48 AM ET, 05/09/2012

HOWARD CARTER GOOGLE DOODLE: Gilded logo celebrates discoverer of King Tutankhamun’s tomb

By Michael Cavna

By Michael Cavna | 06:48 AM ET, 05/09/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:02 AM ET, 05/08/2012

RIP, MAURICE SENDAK: Appreciating the man behind the creative rumpus

By Michael Cavna

Beloved children’s author/illustrator Maurice Sendak dies at 83.

By Michael Cavna | 09:02 AM ET, 05/08/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: maurice sendak, in the night kitchen, where the wild things are

Posted at 12:06 PM ET, 05/06/2012

‘THE AVENGERS’ SMASH RECORD: Marvel reports staggering $207M opening weekend to top ‘Potter’

By Michael Cavna

Marvel film “The Avengers” grossed $200.3-million in domestic debut, according to studio estimates, smashing the record of $169-million by last year’s “Harry Potter” finale.

By Michael Cavna | 12:06 PM ET, 05/06/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: the avengers, marvel studios, box office records

Posted at 10:32 AM ET, 05/06/2012

‘AVENGERS’ chat: Q&A with Marvel editors Axel Alonso & Tom Brevoort

By Jon DeNunzio

Readers, assemble: Top Marvel Entertainment editors take ‘Avengers’ take questions n a live discussion with washingtonpost.com viewers.

By Jon DeNunzio | 10:32 AM ET, 05/06/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: the avengers, marvel entertainment, axel alonso, tom brevoort, joss whedon

Posted at 06:20 PM ET, 05/05/2012

KEITH HARING GOOGLE DOODLE: Iconically kinetic characters celebrate late Pop artist and ‘grandmaster of doodling’

By Michael Cavna

Tech titan’s Friday homepage celebrates 54th birthday of the late Pop Artist, whose iconically kinetic characters danced across the decade of the ‘80s.

By Michael Cavna | 06:20 PM ET, 05/05/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: keith haring, google doodles, pop art, andy warhol, walt disney

Posted at 12:03 AM ET, 05/05/2012

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: What comics are you picking up today for #FCBD?

By Michael Cavna

What books will you pick up Saturday, May 5? Feel free to tweet us @comicriffs (#FCBD) or email (comicriffs@washpost.com) with your best gets today.

By Michael Cavna | 12:03 AM ET, 05/05/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: free comic book day, bpick

Posted at 10:13 AM ET, 05/04/2012

‘THE AVENGERS’: 5 Predictions About the Film (*From Record Box Office to Star Twitter Wars)

By Michael Cavna

By Michael Cavna | 10:13 AM ET, 05/04/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: the avengers, marvel studios

Posted at 12:51 PM ET, 05/03/2012

‘The Avengers’ to ‘Spider-Man’: Nearing 90, Marvel mastermind STAN LEE shoots from the still-hip (about Whedon, Kirby and RDJ)

By Michael Cavna

As he nears 90, STAN LEE isn’t slowing down: He revels in “Avengers” film, Spider-Man’s 50th birthday and new documentary and feature-film projects. A Q&A with the Marvel mastermind.

By Michael Cavna | 12:51 PM ET, 05/03/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: stan lee, marvel comics, jack kirby, joss whedon, morgan spurlock, the avengers, spider man, epix, with great power, san diego comic-con

Posted at 10:16 AM ET, 05/02/2012

‘THE AVENGERS’: Assembling 7 Reasons why it’s the Best Marvel Movie Yet

By David Betancourt and Michael Cavna

Comic Riffs declares “Avengers” the best Marvel movie yet. Why? We assemble our top reasons why Joss Whedon’s film reigns — and rocks.

By David Betancourt and Michael Cavna | 10:16 AM ET, 05/02/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: the avengers, joss whedon, iron man, robert downey jr., thor, chris hemsworth, incredible hulk, mark ruffalo, scarlett johansson, black widow, jeremy renner, hawkeye, chris evans, captain america

Posted at 11:08 AM ET, 05/01/2012

MAY DAY GOOGLE DOODLE: Google constructs logo to mark International Workers’ Day (*offer not available in U.S.)

By Michael Cavna

Much of the world over — although not in the U.S. — Google celebrates International Workers’ Day with an industrial “working woman” logo.

By Michael Cavna | 11:08 AM ET, 05/01/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: may day, international workers day, google doodle

Posted at 10:45 AM ET, 05/01/2012

2012 TONY AWARDS: The ‘other’ Spider-Man gets the big nomination

By Michael Cavna

The new big-screen Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield, gets an acting nod today (for “Death of a Salesman”), while “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” scores only two technical noms.

By Michael Cavna | 10:45 AM ET, 05/01/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: 2012 tony awards, spider-man turn off the dark, andrew garfield, amazing spider-man

Posted at 11:57 PM ET, 04/30/2012

‘THE DARK KNIGHT RISES’ TRAILER LANDS: Clue by clue, intense new footage fans the fire of expectation

By Michael Cavna

By Michael Cavna | 11:57 PM ET, 04/30/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: the dark knight rises trailer, chris nolan, christian bale, anne hathaway, michael caine, morgan freeman, joseph gordon-levitt, tom hardy, gary oldman, marion cotillard

Comic Riffs: June, 2012