Prolific artist Bryan Christopher Moss is a well-known Columbus figure, having been interviewed by every major Columbus publication, as well as appearing on Good Morning Columbus, and WOSU’s art centric program Broad & High. He is known for working in a variety of mediums including comics, fine arts, and murals and recently completed work on the graphic novel The Eightfold Path published by Abrams Books. Among his other comic credits include Rita’s Adventures, Outer Heaven, and the upcoming The Evangelists. Besides his comic work, Moss has been a teacher for Columbus city schools, the manager for Aminah Robinson’s house, and had his art displayed around the city. Columbus is fortunate to claim him, and we appreciate the time he took to answer our questions.
Continue reading “10 Questions with Bryan Christopher Moss”Dawn of the Comic Book
A brief history on the birth of the comic book and Famous Funnies
By the end of the nineteenth century, every newspaper had a comics section, and the comics featured in that section determined the popularity of the paper. Comics were the driving force in selling newspapers. Since they were popular with readers from every walk of life, it wasn’t long before books of various shapes and sizes began appearing at newsstands and general stores featuring reprintings of comic strips. The comic book we think of today, however, would end up being created out of a need to keep an expensive printing press running. It would be an innovation spawned by two crafty salesmen who would inadvertently create an industry.
Continue reading “Dawn of the Comic Book”The Many Births of the World’s Most Famous Reporter
The Origins of Hergé and Tintin
The platforms on Gore du Nord train station were overcrowded by hundreds of eager faces, all excitedly awaiting the return of a reporter from the “land of the Soviets.” The reporter was a young boy with a cheerful sounding name composed of just two simple syllables, Tintin. His exploits had been appearing in the weekly comic newspaper supplement, Le Petit Vingtième, for a little over a year. As a way to rally readers, the editorial staff dreamed up the welcome home event for their daring fictional foreign correspondent. They hired 15 year old Boy Scout Lucien Pepermans to play the comic strip character. Tintin arrived home in Brussels on May 8, 1930. Nothing could have prepared the young boy for the crowd that awaited him.
Continue reading “The Many Births of the World’s Most Famous Reporter”10 Questions with M.S. Harkness
M.S. Harkness is a graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and a relative newcomer to Columbus, moving here in 2020. She is best known for her black and white autobiographical comics, such as self-published Dope Dealer and Rotten, as well as her first graphic novel Tinderella, originally published by Kilgore Books in 2018 and recently reissued by Uncivilized Books. Sometimes humorous, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes heart-wrenching, Harkness’s comics offer a fearless look into the world of online dating, sex work, selling drugs, and physical fitness. Her second memoir, Desperate Pleasures, (also published by Uncivilized Books), depicts her search for fulfillment and forces her to deal with her own past trauma. Her forthcoming book, Time Under Tension, is due out from Fantagraphic Books in 2023. Besides her comic work, Harkness also works as a personal trainer. Columbus welcomes this fresh voice in the cartooning world.
Continue reading “10 Questions with M.S. Harkness”Blood in the Ink
A brief history of crime comics and Crime Does Not Pay
The night was damp and dreary as two shadowy figures hunched over a table in the Broadway Tavern in New York City. They sipped their drinks and plotted.
Continue reading “Blood in the Ink”10 Questions with Darryl Banks
Darryl Banks is an artist that has been working professionally in comics since the late 1980’s. Born in Columbus, he is best known for his work on Green Lantern, but has completed work for series such as Wild Wild West and Doc Savage. Besides his professional work, he’s helped to shape many artists in our community by teaching Illustration and Comic Book Design at our famed Columbus College of Art & Design.
Continue reading “10 Questions with Darryl Banks”Men of Steel
A brief history of Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, and Superman
June 2nd, 1932, was a typical evening in Cleveland, Ohio. Jerry Siegel was hard at work on the next issue of his science fiction fanzine. Across town, his father, Mitchell, was busy closing up his men’s clothing store when the front bell rang.
Later that evening, a neighboring shop owner noticed the door to Mitchell’s shop was ajar. The light was still on long after closing time, but no sign of the store owner. He poked his head in only to find Mitchell’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood from two bullet holes and an empty cash register on the counter. This is the catalyst that would make young Jerry Siegel dream of a hero that bullets would bounce off of. With the help of his friend, Joe Shuster, and a lot of science fiction stories, their creation would change the face of modern entertainment forever.
Continue reading “Men of Steel”The Mirth of a Nation
A brief history of MLJ Magazines and Archie
It was just another summer day at the beach for the Goldwater and Silberkleit families. The only thing that set it apart was that today John Goldwater, forever the salesman and creative, would convince Louis Silberkleit to go into the comic book business with him. Both men were already in the “pulp” business, dealing in cheap, fiction magazines who got their name from the low quality wood pulp paper they were printed on. Their jump to comics didn’t seem that tremendous, yet it was impossible for either of them to know that what they were discussing would eventually end up changing the face of pop culture and birth characters that would charm readers for the next 80 years.
Continue reading “The Mirth of a Nation”In Memoriam of Tom Spurgeon
Tom Spurgeon, comics journalist, festival organizer, and all-around champion of the comics medium and the people who make them, passed away on November 13, 2019. Spurgeon had made his home in Columbus for nearly six years, moving into town to serve as the Festival Director of Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, the ambitious multi-venue festival celebrating comics in its many different forms.
Continue reading “In Memoriam of Tom Spurgeon”10 Questions with Jeff Smith
As they say on the talk shows, our next guest needs no introduction. If you know just one cartoonist in Columbus, it’s probably Jeff Smith. Jeff is best known for his BONE series, initially released in 1991, the rights of which have recently been purchased by Netflix and will be produced as an animated series. He’s also noted for his books RASL, Tuki Save the Humans, and Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil. Jeff is the winner of eleven Eisner Awards, eleven Harvey Awards and two National Cartoonists Society Comic Book Awards. Jeff is also making a huge impact on Columbus by being a founding member of the Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) event held in our city for the last five years.