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. 
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Have a favorite cartoonist video? Show us your links
More and more, Comic Riffs is sent video. Or rather, video links. Here's a cartoonist peddling a book. Here's a cartoonist inking a panel. And oh look, here's a cartoonist inking a panel at a comic-con while telling amusing...
By Michael Cavna | November 3, 2009; 11:05 AM 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)
'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)
The 'Riffs Interview: 'SNL's' Bill Hader Embraces His Inner Nerd for 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs'
(Sony Pictures Animation) Bill Hader say his voice was "nerdy enough" to be cast as the lead voice in "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs." [ NOTE: Updated Sunday with new video.] I've got two things to declare upfront...
By The Reliable Source | September 20, 2009; 06:20 PM ET | Comments (4)
Love 'Em to Death: Which of These New Films Tops Your Wish List?
After viewing footage of so many vampires and zombies and wounded surrogates (oh my) -- much of it at San Diego Comic-Con -- only two words come to mind when surveying the upcoming slate of fanboy-courting flicks: Bloody hell....
By Michael Cavna | September 15, 2009; 09:10 AM ET | Comments (6)
The Riffs Interview: Tim Burton & Jennifer Connelly Were Deeply Drawn to the Beguiling '9'
As a brilliant animator himself for the better part of three decades, off and on, TIM BURTON is not easily impressed by new talent. So when he decided to back turning Shane Acker's Oscar-nominated student short into a feature...
By Michael Cavna | September 9, 2009; 09:09 AM ET | Comments (1)
The Riffs Interview: Mila Kunis ('Extract' & 'Family Guy') Succeeds Through Genre-Hopping
Before getting to the Q&A portion of this post, there are Twelve Things you should know in advance about starlet/actress/voice actor MILA MARKOVNA KUNIS. In no particular order: 1. She is quick. A verbal Federer, she often anticipates with...
By Michael Cavna | September 4, 2009; 02:20 PM ET | Comments (10)
The Super-8 List: The Coolest Marvel-Disney Mashup Cartoons
If Disney can tap even half the creativity that went into creating Disney/Marvel mashup art the whole wide world (web) over, then the House of Mouse studios will be a magical place indeed. PhotoShop, Google Images and comic-book collections...
By Michael Cavna | September 2, 2009; 08:05 AM ET | Comments (3)
The 'Riffs Interview: Stan Lee Sizes Up the Disney-Marvel Deal
Stan Lee (AP)Enlarge Comic The phone rang at about 6 a.m., West Coast time. It's not every morning that the chairman of Walt Disney Studios calls you so close to dawn, even if you're Stan Lee. The executive, Richard...
By Michael Cavna | September 1, 2009; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
The Six Disney/Marvel Projects We Most Fear...
My, but there's panic in the streets of Fanville. Disney lovers fear that Cinderella will run off with Iron Man. And Marvel lovers worry that Winnie-the-Pooh's new glum sidekick will be "Ee-Thor," and that Doctor "Doc" Who will be...
By Michael Cavna | August 31, 2009; 05:00 PM ET | Comments (4)
Handicapping: Just How Well With 'District 9' Do This Weekend?
Incredible buzz at San Diego Comic-Con. Mostly glowing reviews since Comic-Con. And the serious-clout imprint of Peter Jackson as producer. It would be hard for the sci-fi social satire "District 9" to have much more going for it, as...
By Michael Cavna | August 14, 2009; 11:05 AM ET | Comments (0)
Lasseter Celebrates 'Ponyo' Creator Hayao Miyazaki
The Great Hayao Miyazaki-san & the men of Disney/Pixar. Immediately to the right of Miyazaki is Pixar founder John Lasseter. (Michael Cavna/The Washington Post) When the legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki took the stage last month at cavernous "Fanboy...
By Michael Cavna | August 14, 2009; 08:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
'Family Guy': Scenes From an Off-Color 'Table Read'
'Family Guy': Peter, Lois (with Stewie), Meg (on ground), Chris & Brian. (AP Photo/FOX) Wednesday night in Hollywood, the much-ballyhooed event was the "table read" of a "Family Guy" episode -- which shall remain unaired -- that deals with...
By Michael Cavna | August 14, 2009; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Will Hollywood Players Get Addicted to the 'Year of the Toy'?
This is more than a tin-soldiered skirmish. Hollywood has committed a bold and clear act of regression. "Transformers." "G.I. Joe." And now, this week, perhaps, the wee and humble LEGO. The producers who bankroll many of our blockbusters have...
By Michael Cavna | August 13, 2009; 12:05 PM ET | Comments (2)
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)
Coming Online: Free Tickets to 'Avatar's' IMAX Trailer
GEEK BUZZING... News from across the transom of comics culture... At San Diego Comic-Con, James Cameron excitedly shouted to the 6,000-some fanboys in cavernous Hall H that Aug. 21 would be an "Avatar" Day -- on which footage from his...
By Michael Cavna | August 13, 2009; 07:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
'District 9' to 'Ponyo': What New Film Will You Catch First?
Apartheid extraterrestrials? Shape-shifting goldfish? Suddenly, the notion of a mere time-travelin' hubby sounds relatively plausible given the other mind-bending film offerings this Friday -- one of the year's more crowded weekends for fans of fantasy. The South African-set "DISTRICT...
By Michael Cavna | August 12, 2009; 10:05 AM ET | Comments (10)
Quick Hit: 'Iron Man 2's' Sam Rockwell Discusses His Call to Arms
This time around, Jon Favreau had just a wee bit bigger role to offer Sam Rockwell. Eight years ago, Rockwell played an uncredited hotel clerk in the Favreau-directed "Made." This time out, though, Favreau called on the actor to...
By Michael Cavna | August 8, 2009; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Quick Q&A: 'Iron Man 2's' Scarlett Johansson Totally Understands Fanboy Skepticism
THE HOLLY WORD: "Iron Man 2" Week continues here at Comic Riffs, during which we've rolled out some of our favorite quotes from cast members who spoke at San Diego Comic-Con. In terms of conquering-hero popularity, Robert Downey Jr....
By Michael Cavna | August 6, 2009; 10:05 AM ET | Comments (2)
Quick Hit: 'Iron Man 2's' Don Cheadle Revs Up the War Machine
THE HOLLY WORD: Comic Riffs does A Week-Long Look at "Iron-Man 2"... It's a shame for Terrence Howard that he got bounced from the "Iron Man" franchise, because by the looks of early footage, the super-suited War Machine could...
By Michael Cavna | August 5, 2009; 01:05 PM ET | Comments (0)
Geek Buzz: See Heath Ledger's Final Project; but There's No Seeing 'G.I. Joe'
GEEK BUZZ: Random news and names now crossing the transom of comics culture... "The Dark Knight," it turns out, wasn't Heath Ledger's last act of art. The late Aussie actor -- who won a posthumous Oscar this year for...
By Michael Cavna | August 5, 2009; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Quick Hit: Robert Downey Jr. Talks 'Iron Man 2'
THE HOLLY WORD: Today's featured quote from the Hollywood vine... In San Diego, I got the chance to ask ROBERT DOWNEY Jr. what his working relationship with director Jon Favreau was like on the set of the recently wrapped...
By Michael Cavna | August 4, 2009; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Geek Buzz: 'Wimpy Kid' Casting; Wolverine's Sharp Notes
GEEK BUZZING: Random names and news crossing the transom of comics culture... Enlarge Image "Sarah Silverman" veteran, meet your co-star: an alum from "Saving Silverman." As casting moves full speed ahead on the film "Diary of a Wimpy Kid,"...
By Michael Cavna | August 4, 2009; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Jon Favreau: How the 'Iron Man 2' Director Uses Twitter
I'm not as fascinated by Twitter as much as I am by how artists use Twitter. Many stars, "personalities" and demi-celebs prove themselves clueless at micro-blogging. Then there are those creators, though, who use it to great and smart...
By Michael Cavna | August 3, 2009; 01:05 PM ET | Comments (0)
