Cartoonist Lineup during Pittsburgh Comic Arts Festival

10:00am-11:00am at Toonseum

Jan Eliot- Stone Soup

Patrick McDonnell- Mutts

Brian Walker- Hi & Lois

11:00am-12:00pm at August Wilson Center

Brian Crane- Pickles

Greg Evans- Luann

John Rose-Barney Google and Snuffy Smith 

John Stevens- Caricatoonist

12:00am-1:00pm at August Wilson Center

Paul Fell- Paul Fell Cartoons

Jeff Keane- Family Circus

Bill Morrison- Simpsons Comics

Laurie Triefeldt- World of Wonder

1:00pm-2:00pm at August Wilson Center

Donna Lewis- Reply All Comic

Mark Tatulli- Lio 

Jerry Van Amoreogen- Ballad Street

Greg Walker- Beetle Bailey

1:15pm-2:00pm at Bricolage Women in Cartooning Panel

* TIX EVENT

*INCLUDED IN VIP

Sandra Bell-Lundy- Between Friends

Cathy Guisewise- Cathy 

Lynn Johnston- For Better or Worse

Terri Libenson- The Pajama Diaries

Hilary Price- Rhymes with Orange

2:00pm-3:00pm at August Wilson Center 

Jason Chatfield- Ginger Meggs

Barbara Dale- Dale Cards

Jeff Knurek- Jumble "That Scrambled Word Game"

Mo Williems- Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus 

3:00pm-4:00m at August Wilson Center

Paul Collins- Scholastic, Highlights and Boys Life

Paul Combs- Drawn by Fire

John Hambrock- The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee- King Features

Bill Hollbrook- On the Fast Track 

Jim Horwitz- Watson

5:00pm-6:00pm- at August Wilson Center 

Andrew Farago- Curator, Cartoon Art Museum

Michael Jantze- The Norm

Mahendra Shah- "I Said it Too"

Rick Stromoski- Soup to Nutz

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First Annual Pittsburgh Comic Arts Festival!

Downtown Pittsburgh Comic Arts Festival hopes to Draw a Crowd!

Pittsburgh, PA-Hundreds of cartoonists are descending on downtown Pittsburgh as the city plays host to the National Cartoonists Society Conference. It is the first time the prestigious organization has been to Pittsburgh in its almost 70 year history.

In conjunction with the conference, The ToonSeum will be hosting the very first Pittsburgh Comic Arts Festival on May 26^th from noon to 5pm.

The festival will feature autograph and sketch sessions with over 60 of the nations top comic artist and cartoonists including such luminaries as: Partrick McDonnell of Mutts, Lynn Johnston of For Better or Worse, Tom Richmond of MAD Magazine, Brian Walker of Beetle Bailey, Dan Piraro of Bizarro and many more.

The 900 Block of Liberty Avenue downtown will become a veritable living funny pages block party with visits from Betty Boop, Popeye, Olive Oyl, Dennis the Menace, and the Care Bears. Fun vendors, art activities, chalk artists and caricaturists and will round out the festivities and help to literally draw a crowd!

Several ticketed panel discussions and lectures will be taking place at Bricolage Theater featuring an exciting panel of women cartoonists presented by Carlow University. The Panel will include Cathy Guisewite, Lynn Johnston, Terri Liebenson, and Hillary Price.

 The ToonSeum will host the first ever exhibition of Reuben Award winners featuring a who’s who of comics and cartooning spanning over 60 years and rarely seen original art.

At the August Wilson Center there will be original art from the classic animated series Fat Albert on display in their gallery.

Admission to the street festival is free.  Five dollar admission gets access to exhibitions at the ToonSeum and artists signing booths.

Books and prints for signings will be available for purchase with all proceeds benefiting the NCS/ToonSeum Fund for Youth Programs.

Panel discussions seating is limited and ticket price is $20.

On Thursday night, there will be Special VIP tickets available including a sneak peek of the exhibit, reserved seating to all panels, and private meet and greet with artists which are available for $150.00

Information on the festival is available at pghcomicartsfest.com

The festival is a partnership between the National Cartoonists Society, the ToonSeum, The August Wilson Center and Bricolage theater with support from the R K Mellon Foundation and Geek Pittsburgh.

Come play trivia at the Toonseum!

Do you think you’re a cartoon art expert? If so, the Toonseum challenges you to test your noggin’s knowledge of characters found within our galleries. It’s the ultimate cartoon quiz for all levels of animation intelligence, from novice to wiz kid!

During your next visit to the Toonseum, use your smartphone to scan the QR code located at our front desk to navigate to our titillating, mind-tingling, brain-bubbling trivia scavenger hunt. You can also tap our Near Field Communication (NFC) tag, or type in the browser link to locate the treacherous trivia challenge. If you do not have a smartphone, ask us for a paper copy of the challenge.

As you stroll through the museum, you will notice various works of art with special numbers associated with them. Each of these numbers has a corresponding question found within the online scavenger hunt. Using your vast wisdom of all things animation, answer as many questions correctly. Upon completion of the scavenger hunt, click submit to automatically transmit your answers to our front desk where your performance will be evaluated by our panel of experts. Return to our gift shop to retrieve your results. If you answer 10 or more correctly, you will win a prize!

All participants will be entered into a monthly drawing for a chance to win our magnificent grand prize valued at $50 or more, including gift certificates, action figures, toys, books, and more!

~Nicole Chynoweth

Jim Shooter: Shooting from the Hip

Next week the Toonseum will bring in legendary writer, artist, editor and publisher Jim Shooter for a special appearance. Shooter, a Pittsburgh, stepped into the comics scene as a teenager after submitting stories and drawings to DC. In 1966, at the age of 13, Shooter began selling stories to DC comics and soon became hired as a regular contributor writing for comics such as Superboy, the Legion of SuperHeroes, Superman and many other titles . In addition to writing for both Action Comics and Adventure Comics, Shooter also created characters specifically for the Legion of Super-Heroes.

After leaving DC, Shooter began working at Marvel comics, rising quickly within the company to become it's ninth editor-in-chief. As editor-in-chief, Shooter brought Marvel great success, through gaining control of the companies lackadaisical approach to deadlines. He made sure things got done, and on time, with a stern approach to business, which led to criticism from colleagues and quite possibly his demise within the company. After he left, Shooter tried to purchase Marvel from it's corporate sponsorship, but was beat out to a higher bidder.

Shooter then created his own publishing house, VALIANT Comics bringing with him top names from Marvel including Barry-Windsor Smith, Don Perlin and Bob Layton. Valiant Comics brought popular new titles into the comic world such as Bloodshot, X-O Man of War, Rai and Ninjak. In 1992, Shooter was relieved from Valiant Comics and not long after in 1994, Accalim Games bought VALIANT Comics.

Shooter went on to create DEFIANT Comics and Broadway Comics. He also returned briefly at Acclaim Comics and Marvel for several stories in addition to his more recent work for Dark Horse Comics in the past few years.

On January 19^th, Jim Shooter is traveling back to his Pittsburgh roots for a one night appearance at the Toonseum. Come for the opening VIP reception and stay for an interview and Q&A session. Tickets purchased in advance at http://jimshooter.eventbrite.com.

The Hippest Tuna Around: Charlie the Tuna

 Sorry, Charlie! 

In the winter of 2011, the ToonSeum partnered with seafood company StarKist to debut an exhibit which spoke to the American consciousness unlike any previous exhibit. “Sorry Charlie: 50 Years of Charlie the Tuna” featured original art and memorabilia of the sunglass-wearing hipster fish and allowed the ToonSeum to tap into a different side of cartoons’ immersion into pop culture: consumerism. 

Charlie the Tuna’s rise to fame started in 1958 when StarKist hired Leo Burnett to design an advertising campaign to make the company stand out as a leading competitor in the shelf-stable seafood industry. Through Burnett's brainstorming and consumer research, it became clear that consumers desire good-tasting tuna, not “fishy” tuna.     Tom Rogers, a copywriter at Burnett’s advertising agency, devised a spokesfish to bring this message to the masses and establish StarKist as the good-tasting tuna brand.

Rogers had total creative control over bringing Charlie to life. He contracted The Pink Panther co-creator Friz Freleng of Depatie Freleng Studios to assist in Charlie’s creation, while director Chuck Jones, famous for his work with Warner Bros., was hired to create the physical character keys and direct some of Charlie’s first television commercials. With so many talented artists behind the scenes, Charlie the Tuna came to be quite the distinguished character.

In 1961, Depatie Freleng Studios started producing Charlie the Tuna television commercials, with actor Herschel Bernardi voicing the charismatic fish. Bernardi melded a Brooklyn accent with Broadway class, creating Charlie’s distinct, lovable personality. Acclaimed voice over artist Danny Dark acted as the narrator, making "Sorry Charlie, StarKist doesn't want tuna with good taste, but tuna that tastes good!" an enduring commercial tagline. 

Each commercial depicted Charlie’s desire to express his high-class taste to others through a variety of efforts, like travelling to the Gobi Desert, sipping natural spring water, gloating about his connections to StarKist, and wooing a female tuna with his knowledge of StarKist tuna scouts. With his red beret and thick-rimmed glasses, Charlie exuded an engaging personality and hipster image Americans could not ignore, giving tuna, a seemingly simple grocery item, an extraordinary mascot. When consumers thought tuna, they thought Charlie. 

Charlie the Tuna’s popularity went beyond the small screen. In 1968, a Charlie the Tuna hand-carved statue was erected as the mascot of the town of Charleston, Oregon. In addition, a broad line of Charlie merchandise appeared throughout the 1970s and 1980s, such as telephones, cufflinks, neckties, plush dolls, scales, and fish-eye cameras. Charlie has also made notable public appearances over the years, like ringing the bell at Wall Street in 1996 and walking down the red carpet at the first annual TV Land Awards in 2003. 

StarKist saw great success with the integration of Charlie the Tuna into their product’s advertisements, catapulting them to the top of the shelf-stable tuna industry. Charlie became more than a product’s character though - he became an iconic cartoon deeply embedded in consumers’ subconscious. Today, he still stands out as an endearing character, appearing on StarKist’s tuna packages and merchandise like “Sorry, Charlie” T-shirts.  He celebrated his 50th birthday with the ToonSeum in 2011, a great honor to the museum.

Now, as the ToonSeum enters a new year packed with exciting exhibits, workshops, lectures, and meet-and-greets, we are proud and thrilled to welcome Charlie the Tuna back to our main gallery as the namesake for our permanent exhibit, Charlie’s Hall of Legends. The collection features iconic characters like Little Lulu, The Pink Panther, Batman, and Calvin and Hobbes. 

The ToonSeum chose Charlie the Tuna as the face of its permanent exhibit because he represents precisely what the exhibit contains: timeless cartoon characters. Remaining a relevant cartoon after 50 years is a pretty incredible accomplishment, and Charlie has done so quite triumphantly. The ToonSeum celebrates and appreciates the place cartoons have in popular culture, and Charlie’s presence succeeds in portraying that aspect of the ToonSeum’s mission. 

Written By:
Nicole Chynoweth

sources:
http://www.starkist.com/charlie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_BPn-xLIt4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGgPg_QxJEY
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/07/AR2005070702136_pf.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_the_Tuna

Pittsburgh Animator, Writer, “Night of the Living Dead” Actor and Filmmaker Dies

Leland “Lee” Hartman, 82, of Castle Shannon, passed away Dec. 24, 2012 at a nursing facility in Glen Hazel, PA.  Lee bravely battled dementia since his diagnosis in 2006, shortly after losing his beloved wife of 50 years, Elizabeth “Betty” Hartman (Quinn), also from Pittsburgh.  “Uncle Lee” was dearly loved by his four nieces for his kind heart and creative spirit.

 An interesting character indeed, Lee, a Navy veteran and animator by trade, returned to Pittsburgh in 1960 after five years as an animator for the Walt Disney Company in California. Having studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh himself - he later shared his knowledge and love of animation working as a teacher at Ivy school of Professional Art. He also continued to work as a freelance animator and as an Animator and Director of Animation at “The Animators” as well as working as animator of countless commercials enjoyed by Pittsburghers growing up during the 1960’s through the 1990s. ”. A special source of pride to his family was a film he wrote, animated, produced and later sold called, “The Story of the Christmas Toys,” a labor of love ten years in the making whose character roles  were inspired by his sister-in-law Ann Malloy’s four daughters. The film also featured a song written by his brother-in-law, Arthur Quinn.  In the 90’s he worked as a Tiny Toons animator for Warner Brothers. 

Lee was featured in the credits of the Cult Classic “Night of the Living Dead,” in which he played both a reporter and a ghoul.  Over the years, Lee often had strangers from the huge cult following of the film knock on his door to get an autograph - which he always happily accommodated.  He can be seen interviewed in the 2009 documentary “Autopsy of the Dead,” about his experience working on the film.  Always the artist, Lee was also known for other unusual creative pursuits, such as designing and building boats from scratch in his backyard – first a paddle boat, then a working replica of the Columbus ship “La Pinta,” a boat Betty and Lee enjoyed for sailing outings that drew astonished stares and photo requests from fellow boaters on nearby lakes. Never too late to pursue his artistic passions, Lee also took up writing in his sixties, self-publishing a work of short stories called “The Darkendown Tales” in 1997.

His family is happy to report that part of his art collection was recently accepted by The Heinz History Center to be added to its archives.  This material sheds light on the work Lee did with Bill Beal, a local filmmaker whose films are also housed at the History Center. Lee worked with Bill on many of the animated commercials that Mr. Beal produced and was among Lee’s closest friends. Most of the collection will be archived at the ToonSeum of Pittsburgh.  A memorial service is being considered at ToonSeum at a later date, where friends can remember the man and his art. A separate announcement will be made later regarding this service.

Lee will be reunited with his cherished late wife Betty and is survived by sister-in-law, Ann Malloy and her daughters Christine, Lauren, Michelle and Kerra as well as by his brother-in-law Arthur Quinn and his wife Lois. The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to his caregivers and especially to Robert “Bud” Eichel, an enduring friend since childhood, who loyally stood by Lee until the end of his life –selflessly assisting with some of the most challenging aspects that Lee’s condition presented when it came to his care.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Toonseum and/or the Heinz History Center to help preserve his legacy.

ToonSeum, 945 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

What's Wrong with Minnie Me?

Are you for or a against a skinny minnie? A controversial campaign created by Barneys' New York and Walt Disney Company combine traditional disney characters with extremely skinny runway models dressed in designer duds. Many have said that the skinnier versions were promoting eating disorders and unrealistic goals, but has anyone asked what Olive Oyl thought?

As the original "skinny" toon poor Olive Oyl's lanky body was put up against curvaceous cartoon characters like Betty Boop, She-Ra, Wonder Woman, Turanga Leela, Princess Fiona, Tinker Bell and don't even get her started on Jessica Rabbit's curves, but Olive couldn't have been that upset considering she had two fellas fighting over her.  So does this mean the Jessica Rabbits of the world are out and the Olive Oyls are in? Olive Oyl certainly wasn't a sex object in her day, so what has changed? 

The majority of female characters are slim, slightly curvy characters like Wilma & Betty, Judy and Jane Jetson, Marge Simpson, Natasha Fatale and Daphne. This type of character has remained a constant in animation for years. They are portrayed as the average woman, but many of us know that the average "TV mom" is far from size of the average woman. 

The more "average" shaped characters like Lois Griffin, Princess Fiona, Rosie the Robot and Velma have given a breath of fresh air to cartoons.  Princess Fiona knocked down traditions by becoming the first  curvaceous princess. Typically the "average" shaped characters in cartoons have only made it second to their slimmer counter parts like Velma is to Daphne, but Princess Fiona is the one of the first "real" woman to star as the lead in her own cartoon. 

Now if you take a look at the average "anthropomorphic" female cartoon character, you can see that many of them are indistinguishable to their male counter parts and only recognized as women by their feminine features such as color, eyelashes, hair or a bows such as Mini Mouse, Babs Bunny and Smurfette (Smurfs are animals, right?).  These characters  are based soley on personality to show their feminine attributes. All taking on body shapes relatively identical to their male counter parts. 

Even the Olive Oyl's ultra slim body type has reemerged into characters like Pepper Ann, Sally and Jane Lane to name a few. 

So, what seems to be apparent is that historically there are many different cartoon characters with many different body shapes just like in real life. So is Barneys & Walt Disney Co. wrong in reimagining these figures?