Words about Pictures
The online newsletter of Words & Pictures Virtual Museum

Hi there and welcome to all our new members and friends,

It is our goal with this newsletter to keep you up to speed on a few of the latest fun developments around the web and in the "bricks and mortar" world, that spotlight comics. We have added dozens of new sites to our directories recently and invite you to check them out.

Let's begin with a couple of updates. We mentioned last month that our virtual visitorship is on the rise and we are delighted to announce that over this past month alone we've seen a further 40% increase in traffic. Must be all that terrific press we told you about in August. The Museum site is being utilized as a resource by an increasingly diverse group. Our established relationships with a broad spec! trum of comics/entertainment related organizations are attracting a broad level of interest. In the past few days we've responded to information requests about the fabulous illustrator, Reed Crandall, buying Pogo artwork by Walt Kelly, Belgian comic authors, Italian comic artist Tanino Liberatore and whether Jerry Seinfelds house is open to the public. That person didn't quite have the gist of the type of comics we claim to know anything about.

From our Museums Directory

Here's a timely exhibit you might like to visit in the next few weeks.

Politics is a funny business, especially in an election year. This fall, the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, California explores the electoral process through the eyes of cartoonists with "Ridiculing the Rhetoric: Cartoons from the Campaign Trail," a new exhibition running from now until November 12. Highlig! hts from the display include a William Hogarth work from the eighteenth century, Pogo strips by Walt Kelly, Doonesbury strips by Garry Trudeau, Bone comic pages by Jeff Smith and editorial cartoons by Pulitzer -winners Mike Luckovich and Walt Handelsman.

From our Libraries Directory

The Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, administered by the Library of Congress is currently accepting applications for its 2001-2002 graduate fellowship. Annually one fellowship is awarded (with a stipend of $15,000) to assist ongoing scholarly research and writing projects in the field of caricature and cartoon. Details of the Swann Foundation Fellowship and an application are available online. The Swann Foundation was established in 1967. An avid collector, a! dvertising executive Erwin Swann assembled a large group of original drawings by 400 artists spanning two centuries. His intent was to acquire originals by significant humorous and satiric artists and to encourage the study of these as works of art. This collection was bequeathed to the Library of Congress in 1974 and 1977 and today the Foundation is overseen by an advisory board composed of scholars, collectors, cartoonists and Library of Congress staff members. Its activities support the study, interpretation, preservation and appreciation of original works of humorous and satiric art by graphic artists from around the world.

One of the latest additions to our Industry Directory is a website promoting a terrific new comic book for kids. Move over Archie and Veronica. In the boy-dominated world of comics Jane Smith Fisher has created a comic book for girls and boys, called WJ! HC, published by Long Island based Wilson Place Comics. A hip, funny, look at the misadventures of an unlikely group of kids starting a radio station. Though only two issues are currently available Jane is in the process of getting the third accuse to the printers and has recently launched her web site which includes a store where you can preview and order the books. This is an energetic, playful new comic and we encourage those of you with youngsters to check it out.

Attention aspiring artists. We are delighted to announce the 10th Annual Editorial Humor Cartoon Contest. Open to anyone except those who are already syndicated cartoonists all finalists will have their work sent to the major syndicates for review and possible acceptance. Finalists will also receive an invite to the gala awards ceremony in November, and will have their work featured in Editorial Humor's Cartoon Contest Edition. Among the past finalists who are now syndicated cartoonists: Ann Telnaes (LA Times Syndicate), Matt Davies (LA Times Syndicate), Scott Bateman (North Atlantic), Mike Ritter (North Atlantic), Dave Coverly (Speedbumps, Creators Syndicate), and Lennie Peterson (The Big Picture). Full details of eligibility requirements are available online.

Amongst the seventeen judges this year are Bill Griffith (Zippy the Pinhead), Hillary Price (Rhymes with Oranges) and Dave Coverly (Speedbumps). There are seven categories including, Editorial Cartoons, Panels, Comic Strips, Caricatures, Young Cartoonists (under 12) Young Cartoonists (12-18) and Creative Ad Design. There is a small entry fee and in combination with the associated Charity Auction of Original Art the contest will benefit the National Braile Press. The deadline f! or entries is fast approaching but you can always e-mail your submission - Best of luck to all of you who enter!

From our Chat Rooms Directory

Do you like to collect original artwork? Have you ever wondered who in the world owns the art to Fantastic Four # 1 or how generic the term Bristol Board may or may not be? - then you should visit Comicart-L , a discussion group specifically about original comic book art. On the original comicbook art mailing list, dealers, collectors, artists and fans discuss comic book original art - including provenance, the original art market and favorite pieces. The group has over 700 members and includes a number of today's top artists and writers. The mailing list is currently hosted by eGroups who host a multitude of mailing lists, dedicated to hundreds of different topi! cs. Signing up is free and you can easily select how to receive the postings including as daily digests so you don't choke your E-mail box.

Ongoing Original Art Auctions

Don't forget to check our Announcements Directory for up to the minute listings of our ongoing ebay auctions. The Museum currently has eleven auctions underway that vary in content from a portrait of President Clinton by artist Bill Sienkiewicz to a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cover painting and a classic Star Spangled War Stories page. All purchases of original artwork benefit the Museums ongoing programming. We accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover/Novus. If you are looking for original artwork that we can't offer we are happy to recommend several original artwork dealers and collectors who specialize in comic book, comic strip, illust! ration, animation, pinup artwork, ...you name it. We are here to help so please don't hesitate to ask.

If you have suggestions and additions in the way of additional web listings for us to include at the museum site, please submit them to us for consideration or if you host a web site and would like to create a link to the Museum, visit our own Logo Central.

If you received this newsletter in error or you wish to be removed from our lists please send us your name and e-mail address at Newsletter@wordsandpictures.org
We'll remove your name promptly.

We hope you've found some interesting new links in our Directories recently and continue to enjoy visiting us.

Check us out at http://www.wordsandpictures.org