Comic Riffs is a blog devoted to the comics fan. Come in, sit down and put your feet up as we celebrate, contemplate, eviscerate and pontificate on cartoons. 
RSS FeedArchive: General
UPDATE: A new Congressional app for your iPhone? Artist says Apple finally bites
Kerry, McCain & Pelosi (among others), as you may never see them -- thanks to Apple. (Courtesy of Tom Richmond ) UPDATE: MAD artist Tom Richmond tells Comic Riffs this weekend that Apple has just notified him that --...
By The Reliable Source | November 15, 2009; 11:15 AM ET | Comments (4)
The comic strip that ruined a friendship, rankled a newspaper and landed in court. And that was BEFORE being launched.
NOTE: With some stories, the "full disclosure" clause cannot wait till the end, like some sort of buried, "oh-by-the-way" afterthought. In this case, with this story, I'm obligated to disclose up top that I know or have known most...
By Michael Cavna | November 12, 2009; 02:05 PM ET | Comments (3)
REDSKINS: Ex-'Sports Jerk' Dan Snyder takes a satiric sacking -- again. The cartoonist explains why
NOTE: This post, originally published Sunday, has been updated to include a short Q&A with "Tank McNamara" co-creator Jeff Millar. A safe-for-prime-time "replacement" strip from "Tank" last August. "TANK McNAMARA" Enlarge Comic The path toward becoming a national laughingstock...
By Michael Cavna | November 9, 2009; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (15)
Remembering Comic-Con co-founder Shel Dorf
In this June 29, 2006 picture, Sheldon Dorf holds a Dick Tracy comic book in Ocean Beach, Calif. (AP Photo / San Diego Union Tribune) I met Shel Dorf just once, in the mid-'90s in San Diego, but boy,...
By The Reliable Source | November 7, 2009; 04:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Riffs' Picks: The five scariest Halloween links this minute...
THE FRIDAY LINE: From tee-offs to teed-off, here are today's most frightening cartoon links, culled from across the mighty mighty Web... 5. FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE -- AND BEYOND: On Thursday night's show, Stephen Colbert ran a terrifying --...
By Michael Cavna | October 30, 2009; 01:15 PM ET | Comments (0)
Maurice Sendak Day: From Page to Screen, Appreciating the 'Wild Things' Spirit
Some of the greatest authors ever to write for children have a telling trait in common: They do not sugarcoat childhood. Rather, childhood is a wild thing to be stripped of saccharine sentiment and told plain and straight and...
By Michael Cavna | October 17, 2009; 08:30 AM ET | Comments (8)
Poll: From Sarah Palin to Michelle Obama--Which Female Icon's Story Would You Most Want to Read?
"FEMALE FORCE" salutes four women leaders. (Bluewater Productions ) A new trade-paperback comic lands today, picturing a foursome you might never see so chummily assembled in real life. The "Female Force" bio-comic series has previously featured these four icons,...
By The Reliable Source | October 14, 2009; 11:05 AM ET | Comments (4)
'Family Guy' Satirizes Post Political Cartooning -- But Toles Truly Makes Us Laff
Because we here at Comic Riffs are absolute Pavlovian suckers for anything in pop culture that combines the words "Washington Post" and "cartoon," we laughed at this "Family Guy" aside over the weekend -- even if it bears no...
By Michael Cavna | September 30, 2009; 05:55 PM ET | Comments (0)
'Riffs Picks: Rall to Raina--Highlights From This Year's SPX
Fantagraphics to the left of me! Top Shelf to the right of me! From friends to roamin' fans to cartoonists, the Small Press Expo (SPX) event over the weekend in Bethesda, Md., was thick was enthusiasm and talent --...
By Michael Cavna | September 28, 2009; 04:05 PM ET | Comments (1)
'Cul de Sac' Migrates & Cavna Hits the 'Town'
A meta-post heads-up, since I'd be remiss not to mention it... Comic Riffs has occasionally posted its personal cartoons both fresh and archived on this site, but beginning this weekend, my art will also appear biweekly in the newly...
By Michael Cavna | September 25, 2009; 05:40 PM ET | Comments (15)
New Album Cover Art: Tom Tomorrow (Pearl Jam) Joins Some Select Company
Pearl Jam's "Backspacer." (AP Photo/MonkeyWrench Records) At the recommendation of new Post pop-music critic Chris Richards, I'll get around soon to listening to all of "Backspacer," the Pearl Jam CD that drops/lands/arrives/roars-toward-consumers today (here's Chris's review). Thing is, at...
By Michael Cavna | September 22, 2009; 10:05 AM ET | Comments (4)
The Poll: Whom Should Archie Get Busy With, Conjugally Speaking: Betty or Veronica?
If there's one thing this Riffster learned from allll the feedback to my "Archie's Arch Rivals" piece for The Post, it's that even folks who haven't cared about the Archie comic since the word "jalopy" was still in common...
By Michael Cavna | August 20, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Not Your Everyday Gratuitous 'Twilight' Roundup
'FEMALE FORCE' (Bluewater Productions) As November's release of the "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" draws nigh, expect those Twilight tie-ins to strike as quickly as Edward Cullen's canine teeth. Among the post-Comic-Con announcements is the news that Bluewater Productions...
By Michael Cavna | August 13, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (1)
Iranian Cartoonists Plan to Boycott Famed Biennial
More than 100 Iranian cartoonists have drawn a line. In the sand. According to Nik Kowsar, an exiled Iranian political cartoonist now living near Toronto, many of his colleagues have decided to boycott the Ninth Tehran International Cartoon Biennial,...
By Michael Cavna | August 4, 2009; 01:10 PM ET | Comments (0)
G.I. Joe to Salute the Troops at Andrews Air Base
The new G.I. Joe movie doesn't hit theaters till Aug. 7, but some members of the military will see it a week early. Paramount Pictures is announcing that it will screen "G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra" tomorrow...
By Michael Cavna | July 30, 2009; 10:05 AM ET | Comments (1)
'Cul de Sac's' Richard Thompson Shares Some Personal News
"Cul de Sac's" Richard Thompson (Courtesy of Richard Thompson) If you're a true Richard Thompson fan, as I am, you read his "Cul de Sac" -- with all its warmth and gentleness and keenly observed sense of human nature...
By Michael Cavna | July 16, 2009; 04:30 PM ET | Comments (2)
The Gallery: Sharpest Editorial Cartoons of the Week
We had the continuing Iranian election controversy. We had the continuing Palin/Letterman brouhaha. But for this Riffster's money, these three editorial cartoons had the best aesthetic payoffs in recent days. The Comic Riffs gallery is now open -- links...
By Michael Cavna | June 19, 2009; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Eat Your Heart Out, Wonder Woman. Here Comes OPRAH!
On the heels of creating comic books featuring such women as Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin and Caroline Kennedy, Bluewater Productions' "Female Force" will next spotlight... 'FEMALE FORCE' (Bluewater Prod.) ... OPRAH WINFREY. To which Comic Riffs has just one...
By Michael Cavna | June 13, 2009; 01:15 PM ET | Comments (1)
'Riffs Picks: Best of the Day--and Week
The best and the rest: A rapid roundup of today's cartoons... 'PEARLS' (UPS)Enlarge Image FAVE WORDPLAY O' THE DAY: "Pearls Before Swine" has been having a stellar week, and today's punning is the perfect topper. Thing is, often I --...
By Michael Cavna | June 5, 2009; 02:45 PM ET | Comments (2)
In the Lines of Duty: A Cartoon Tribute for Memorial Day
Sometimes it takes a current war to remind some of us to fully honor and appreciate the fallen Americans from every war. Thankfully, in newspapers 'cross the land, platoons of cartoonists pause to remind us, too, why we pay...
By The Reliable Source | May 25, 2009; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Cartoon Oscars: The Reubens Award Winners for 2009 Are...
THE ENVELOPE, PLEASE: THE WINNERS FOR THE 2009'S REUBENS ARE: 'NON SEQUITUR' (WPWG)Enlarge Image DAVE COVERLY can continue to be grateful that his colleagues "don't read" "Speed Bump" -- because he rode their tongue-in-cheek lack-of-readership all the way to...
By The Reliable Source | May 24, 2009; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Cartooning's Oscars: This Weekend, Lines Will Be Crossed!
(courtesy of NCS)Enlarge Image It's time, once again, to honor the year's best in cartooning by handing out the funkiest-looking trophy in the land -- picture the Blue Man Group having vaguely tawdry relations with an inkwell -- to...
By Michael Cavna | May 22, 2009; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Animated Reactions: A Few of Our Favorite Shorts
The Maryland Film Festival unspooled in Baltimore in recent days, and notably, the lineup included several films by one of my favorite short-form animators, Bill Plympton. I've been an avid fan of Plympton's color-pencil lines since the Oscar nominee's work...
By Michael Cavna | May 12, 2009; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Mr. Spiegelman Goes to Washington
Cartoonist Art Spiegelman in his Soho studio in Manhattan last October. (Helayne Seidman for The Washington Post) Legendary cartoonist ART SPIEGELMAN is coming to Washington D.C.'s Corcoran Gallery of Art tonight for a little talk. The advertised topic of...
By Michael Cavna | May 4, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (2)
Even X-Men Know: Today's Free Comic Book Day
As Homer Simpson once uttered with such sage insight: "Nothin' a month?! I can swing that!" Today, as all the good fanboys and -girls know, is officially Free Comic Book Day -- the one time each year when superheroes, sci-fi...
By Michael Cavna | May 2, 2009; 12:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
Check Out: New Animations From 'Cul de Sac' & 'Pooch'
As the syndicates continues to unveil new animation shorts of their strips, I find myself fascinated with seeing what elements from static comics make a successsful transition -- and what is lost is translation. In the latest "Pooch Cafe" animation,...
By Michael Cavna | April 28, 2009; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
Here Comes the 'Judge'! Strip to Return to Post's Pages
It's official: After an impassioned response from readers -- not to mention thousands of respondents to two poll votes on Comic Riffs -- The Washington Post has decided to bring back "Judge Parker." The serial strip -- which has enjoyed...
By Michael Cavna | April 16, 2009; 05:26 PM ET | Comments (23)
Who Keeps 'Garfield' Alive? Look to America's Youth
As some readers of the Post print comics cast about for what strips they would drop, the question crops up often: WHO wants to keep "Garfield," let alone "Peanuts" reruns? Well, judging by a recent Nickelodeon poll , you can...
By Michael Cavna | April 1, 2009; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (7)
'Candorville' Cartoonist Finds His [Short-Form] Muse
Today, "Candorville" creator DARRIN BELL begins a near-weeklong vampiric adventure that delves into the social wonders -- and woes -- of Twitter. Enlarge Comic So judging by his obvious familiarity with Twitter, does this mean Bell himself has decided to...
By Michael Cavna | March 31, 2009; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
This Just In: Post to Drop 'Brevity'
Tomorrow, a Readers' Note in The Post will announce that a sixth feature, the single-panel "Brevity" by Guy & Rodd, will be dropped from the paper's print comics section come March 30. Comic Riffs has previously reported on the...
By Michael Cavna | March 22, 2009; 09:57 PM ET | Comments (5)
The Winners -- and E-Mails -- Keep Rolling In...
The award announcements are pouring in: MIKE LUCKOVICH, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Pulitzer-winning political cartoonist, has won this year's Scripps Howard Foundation National Journalism Award for editorial cartooning. BY MIKE LUCKOVICHEnlarge Comic The judges cite Luckovich's ability "to incite multiple emotions...
By Michael Cavna | March 17, 2009; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (0)
This Just In: The Post Will Drop 5 Print Comics
On The Washington Post's comic pages, a couple of little dogs will soon be lost. The Post has decided to drop five comics from the print funnies, including "Little Dog Lost" and "Pooch Cafe." The other three features that will...
By Michael Cavna | March 13, 2009; 04:50 PM ET | Comments (104)
Early Peek: Two New Comic Strips Seek Good Homes
Vampires just can't get any hotter in pop culture. We've got the "Twilight" blockbuster/budding franchise. We've got the HBO series "True Blood." We've even got vampires populating "Candorville" in recent days. Now, the digital entertainment site UClick announces that it's...
By Michael Cavna | March 12, 2009; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (7)
'Doonesbury's' Ultimate Flashbacks: The Post to Rerun the Reruns
Last October, when "Doonesbury's" Rick Redfern took a buyout from his Washington Post, Comic Riffs wrote an "Appreciation" of our inkstained hero. Today, the real Washington Post hopes good ol' Rick (now a fellow blogger like ourselves) can appreciate an...
By Michael Cavna | February 26, 2009; 07:44 PM ET | Comments (1)
Self-Deprecating Comics: The Blogger's Worst Nightmare
Morning, Cartoon Nation... We begin today with a supersized, ten-point Miffy Award, suitable for wall mounting. And a large-type plaque that reads simply: "Mark Trail." That's because Everybody's Favorite Stilted Nature Strip has crossed a line we cannot abide. The...
By Michael Cavna | January 23, 2009; 11:05 AM ET | Comments (7)
Obama Talk: 'Boondocks' Creator Disgusted With 'Gutter News'
It's enough to cause Aaron McGruder to consider going silent. At least when he's amid the media. Aaron McGruder (AP/Sony)Enlarge Comic "I don't have much of a stomach for this kind of thing anymore," the creator of "The Boondocks" tells...
By Michael Cavna | January 23, 2009; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
Aaron McGruder Hardly Hopeful About 'Non-Black' Obama
Obama fever may have spread across much of the land, but Aaron McGruder isn't prone to such feel-good political contagion. Aaron McGruderEnlarge Comic On the day before the Inauguration, "The Boondocks" creator gave a Martin Luther King speech at Earlham...
By Michael Cavna | January 21, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
Caroline Kennedy: Running for U.S. Comics...
Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton have previously been chosen to be featured in laudatory bio-comic books that look positively at their lives. Now, Bluewater Productions announces its latest candidate to make the grade: Enlarge Comic Caroline Kennedy. She...
By Michael Cavna | January 16, 2009; 02:55 PM ET | Comments (2)
Obama's Cabinet: Which Characters Would You Nominate?
Stan Lee -- comics legend and quick-wit extraordinaire -- did not miss a beat. I was talking with Mr. Lee this week about "Spider-Man" (look for the full interview with him in this space tomorrow) and he mentioned his reaction...
By Michael Cavna | January 13, 2009; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (7)
Plaudits Still Pour In for "Spider-Man's" Stan Lee
In Comic Riffs yesterday, Marvel Comic's Reg Hudlin ("Black Panther") offered his thoughts on "Spider-Man" co-creator STAN LEE's receiving the national Medal of Honor at the White House on Monday. Today, the testimonials continue to pour in to 'Riffs. Here's...
By Michael Cavna | November 19, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Obama Wins? Yes, 'Doonesbury' Calls the Election!
Networks have long taken flak for calling elections early, but what are newspaper editors to do when a cartoonist "calls" an election several days in advance? That's the controversial question raised by next Wednesday's "Doonesbury," which Pulitzer-winning creator Garry Trudeau...
By Michael Cavna | October 31, 2008; 01:47 PM ET | Comments (27)
Five Webcomics to Keep Your Eye On...
Here in the land of Comic Riffage, whenever the subject of online comics comes up, some passionate readers will take one of two tacks. Either: 1. "You guys at WaPo should really run THIS cool webcomic in print!"; or 2....
By Michael Cavna | October 14, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (20)
YOUR Vote Here: What Should Replace "Opus"?
Opus has packed his bags. Now is your time to yopp. Who will inherit Opus's dandelion-filled real estate? (WPWG) For those of you who remember your Seuss, you instantly recognize the reference to "Horton Hears a Who." Well, like the...
By Michael Cavna | October 10, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (67)
This Just In: OPUS, and Breathed, to Retire Next Month...
Cartoonist Berkeley Breathed is announcing today that not only will he retire his weekly strip "Opus" on Nov. 2 -- right before the election -- but that he himself is also walking away from his 30-year career in cartooning. His...
By Michael Cavna | October 6, 2008; 02:26 PM ET | Comments (57)
Remembering 'Peanuts' Animator Bill Melendez...
"What a sweet, sweet guy!" That is how comics editor Amy Lago remembers BILL MELENDEZ, the sublimely talented animator who collaborated with Charles Schulz on 70 or so "Peanuts" productions. Melendez, who died yesterday at 91, made the warmest...
By Michael Cavna | September 4, 2008; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
"Pearls Before Swine's" Stephan Pastis
If you've ever laughed aloud at Rat and Pig, then it's time to act now -- and be bold, lest the Lionesses not respect you. The man behind those reliably funny animals in "Pearls Before Swine" -- Stephan Pastis --...
By Michael Cavna | July 28, 2008; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (7)
About This Blog
(Illustration by Michael Cavna) Comic Riffs (comicriffs@washpost.com) is devoted to you, the fan of comics, animation, sci-fi film or fanboy culture. Grab a seat and an opinion as we celebrate, contemplate, eviscerate and pontificate on cartoons -- from strips...
By Nancy Kerr | July 20, 2008; 11:04 AM ET | Comments (0)
