Singapore Writers Festival

This is old news for some of you, but Singapore Writers Festival is starting on 24 October 2009 and I see a few interesting names from the comics industry who will be there. Sonny Liew, Troy Chin, Lat, Rhaimie Wahap and Rizal Wahap, Neil Gaiman and Mark Waid will be giving various talks at The Arts House.

http://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/

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24 Oct 2009, 12:30 pm
Meet the Author: LAT

Price: Free
Venue : Chamber

Moderator: Lim Cheng Tju

Mohd Nor Bin Khalid is familiar to his fans as Lat, the popular Malaysian cartoonist whose earthy humour has brought on smiles and touched many hearts. He will share his inspirations and experiences as a published cartoonist with more than 20 books to his name, as well as his work as the editorial cartoonist for Malaysia’s New Straits Times newspaper.

Supported by G&B Comics

Event end: 1.30pm

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24 Oct 2009, 1:30 pm
Meet the Author: Mark Waid

Price: Free
Venue : Chamber

Moderator: Terence Chua

Fans of comics and graphic novels will be excited to meet Mark Waid, a comic book writer and editor who has produced best-selling titles like Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright. He will speak about his current post as editor-in-chief of independent comic book company BOOM! Studios, and share what he is working on at the moment.

Supported by G&B Comics and the Embassy of the United States of America

Event end: 2.30pm

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24 Oct 2009, 3:00 pm, Arts House
Comics - A Timeless Narrative

Price: Free
Venue : Chamber

Featuring: Lat, Mark Waid, Sonny Liew
Moderator: Terence Chua

From young to old, everybody loves a good comic! Join American comic writer Mark Waid (whose notable works include The Flash, Captain America and Superman), Malaysian-born Singapore-based comic artist Sonny Liew and beloved Malaysian comic artist Lat in a panel that reflects on the challenges of drafting a good narrative and on writing comics from an American or Asian angle.

Event end: 4pm

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25 Oct 2009, 12:30 pm
Mystery Investigators-Five and the Case of the Missing Golden Bird Mask by Rhaimie Wahap and Rizal Wahap

Price: Free
Venue : Earshot

When a priceless artefact goes missing from a museum, five best friends discover that their new classmate from Hawaii turns out to be the unusual suspect. Children between the ages of nine and 13, or adults with the love for sequential art, are welcome to join author Rhaimie Wahap and illustrator Rizal Wahap as they chat about their debut graphic novel introducing the Mystery Investigators-Five.

Event end: 1.30pm

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31 Oct 2009, 4:30 pm
Who Killed Amanda Palmer

Price: Free
Venue : Chamber

Tickets required for entry.
Available at The Arts House Box Office from 26 Sept (Sat), 11am, on a first-come-first-serve basis. Limited to ONE pair per person. Limited seats available.

Featuring: Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman
Moderator: Terence Chua

Amanda Palmer is a performer most noted for being the lead singer, pianist and lyricist/composer of American music duo, The Dresden Dolls, whose musical style she described as “Brechtian punk cabaret”. English author Neil Gaiman accompanies her in a reading of several extracts from their new photo book, Who Killed Amanda Palmer, a macabre collection of Amanda in death poses with texts written by Neil.

Event end: 5.30pm

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01 Nov 2009, 12:00 pm
Our Local Super Heroes

Price: Free
Venue : Earshot

Featuring: Sonny Liew, Troy Chin
Moderator: Gwee Li Sui

Calling all comics devotees and fans of Eisner-nominated comic artist and illustrator, Sonny Liew. You’re in for a treat, as we take a look at creative works that Sonny and emerging Singaporean comic artist Troy Chin have accomplished over the years. Both living and working in Singapore, Sonny and Troy will share their experiences in conceptualising their comics and getting them into print.

Event end: 1pm

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01 Nov 2009, 2:00 pm
Meet the Author: Neil Gaiman on Graphic Novels and Fantasy

Price: Free
Venue : Chamber

Tickets required for entry.
Available at The Arts House Box Office from 26 Sept (Sat), 11am, on a first-come-first-serve basis. Limited to ONE pair per person. Limited seats available.

Moderator: Lim Cheng Tju

English author Neil Gaiman has achieved worldwide fame for coming up with The Sandman comic series and graphic novels like Violent Cases (1987) and Signal to Noise (1992). In his novel, American Gods (2001), he blends Americana, fantasy and modern mythology for a captivating read. At this session, he will share some of his experiences and inspirations behind his many graphic novels and writings in the fantasy genre.

Event end: 3pm

This will be followed by autograph signing outdoors.

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31 Oct 2009, 3:00 pm
Neil Gaiman

Price: Free
Venue : Chamber

Tickets required for entry.
Available at The Arts House Box Office from 26 Sept (Sat), 11am, on a first-come-first-serve basis. Limited to ONE pair per person. Limited seats available.

Moderator: Lim Cheng Tju

You may know Neil Gaiman for his novels and graphic novels in the science fiction and fantasy genres, but he is also an expert in the field of children’s literature, having written The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish (1997), Coraline (2002) and The Graveyard Book (2008) for the younger set. Find out if he writes in a different mindset when positioning his stories for children and teens.

Event end: 4pm

Supported by G&B Comics

Family

Some of the best books I read this year, old and new, are about family relationships.

- Stitches by David Small (Norton)
- The Complete Jack Survives by Jerry Moriarty (Buenaventura Press)
- George Sprott by Seth (D&Q)
- Collected Essex County by Jeff Lemire (Top Shelf)
-- Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli (Pantheon)
- Garage Band by Gipi (First Second, this is old)
- Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (Mariner, this is old)

Here's something about Stitches: (six figure deal!)

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/1070015707.html

Is this the start of a new trend? But family, they are the ones that can build and destroy us. I should put The Resident Tourist Volume 3 by Troy Chin in this category as well.

Others I like this year:

- Queen & Country Definitive Edition Vol 4 by Greg Rucka (Oni Press)
- Mini Marvels Secret Invasion by Chris Giarrusso (Marvel)
- BPRD (Dark Horse, a real lifesaver in relieving work stress)
- Air (Vertigo)
- West Coast Blues by Jacques Tardi and Jean-Patrick Manchette (FB)
- Supermen! The First Wave of Comic Bookheroes 1936-1941 ed. Greg Sadowshi (FB)

The Israeli comic artists are really good too. People like Rutu Modan and a relatively newcomer, In The Flesh by Koren Shadmi (Vilard Books)

Mack Bolan the Executioner

I used to read this series and its spin-offs, Able Team and Phoenix Force, in the early 1980s.

Now I know it inspired The Punisher and The Vigilante.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Executioner_(book_series)

Wonder any connection between Mack and Marc Bolan.

Was Superman A Spy?

The most fun comics related book i've read in a while. Brian Cronin runs through the comic book legends we've come to love and wonder...was Wolverine meant to be an actual wolverine? Which comic book character inspired Elvis Presley's iconic hairdo? Did the inventor of the lie detector test also invent Wonder Woman's lasso of truth? Did Stan Lee feature a gay character in one of Marvel's 1960s war comics? Did the Ghost Rider meet Jesus in the late 1970s? And was Bruce Banner sodomized at the Y in The Hulk #23? (written by Jim Shooter no less)

Up there with Bryan Talbot's The Naked Artist: Comic Book Legends.

Can be found at Kino.

Ultimate Team-Up: Spidey vs. Mickey Mouse

Everyone should know by now that Disney has bought Marvel. Their shares are rising so if you have stocks with both companies, good for you.

Do the rest of us care?

[remember, Disney bought Pixar as well back in 2006.]

Singapore Writers' Fest/Lucky Plazas

They are bringing in Mark Waid and Lat this year. And a certain Mr G as well...

Btw, Sonny is having his second exhibition with Hong Teng at Tanglin SC (Mulan). It's called Lucky Plazas. Should be at LP then.

http://sonnyliew.wordpress.com/2009/08/30/lucky-plazas/

Bestselling Comics at Kino August 2009

1. FABLES VOLUME 12: THE DARK AGES
by BILL WILLINGHAM

2. BATMAN: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER
by NEIL GAIMEN, ANDY KUBERT

3. OISHINBO: FISH, SUSHI AND SASHIMI
by TETSU KARIYA, AKIRA HANASAKI

4. NARUTO VOLUME 45
by MASASHI KISHIMOTO

5. OURAN HIGH HOST CLUB VOLUME 14
by BISCO HATORI

6. MAGISTER NEGI MAGI VOLUME 22
by KEN AKAMATSU

7. FINAL CRISIS
by GRANT MORRISON

8. THE MELANCHOLY OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA VOLUME 4
by NAGARU TANIGAWA

9. WATCHMEN
by ALAN MOORE, DAVE GIBBONS

10. OTOMEN VOLUME 5
by AYA KANNO