Strip Search with London + Chianca

The inaugural chair of the Master of Fine Arts in Visual Narrative at Boston University, Joel Christian Gill recently talked to Strip Search about the exhibit he curated there, “ Comics Is A Medium, Not a Genre ,” running through March 24, 2023. It’s a free exhibit that covers a century and a half of American comic books, comic strips, graphic novels and more, in an attempt to show how comics can tell any kind of story to any age group or demographic. (Not just kids, in other words.) “It becomes this really pure art form,” Gill says, explaining that comics, with their unique blend of words and visuals, have a way of reaching readers that other media might not. “It teaches you things because it talks to you on this subconscious level,” he says. Gill talked about curating the exhibit, about his own work — including the great graphic novel series "Strange Fruit" — and about why comics sometimes scare people to death. Plus, learn about his new project with Ibram Kendi, " St...

Christopher Weyant (Photo by Helen McGuire) Christopher Weyant has not just one, but two of the best jobs in cartooning. First off, he’s a New Yorker cartoonist, where he’s spent 25 years making light of, well, anything and everything. He’s also an editorial cartoonist, often for the Boston Globe, skewering the powerful and pointing out the absurdity that seems to run more and more rampant in the halls of power these days. And that's just how he likes it! “So the New Yorker cartoons that we do for  The Daily  are very, very funny, often incredibly witty, they can be sharp. But they're not as pugilistic as a political cartoon,” he told us about his New Yorker work. “And I love being able to have that other venue. You’re there really to make fun of the king, to go after someone who's abusing power, and to make them look immoral or silly or ridiculous … I love that aspect of it.” Watch or listen below for our far-ranging discussion about Chris's dual career, how he got int...

It's not every day that Steve Martin calls looking for a new writing (or drawing) partner. And it's not every day we get to interview someone who got that call! But that's what happened with Harry Bliss. Bliss is a longtime New Yorker cartoonist with thousands of gag panels and several dozen covers under his belt, and — more recently — he's the collaborator with the aforementioned comedy legend on a series of books: 2020’s “A Wealth of Pigeons,” and this year’s bestselling “Number One is Walking,” a series of comic book-style illustrated anecdotes about Martin’s film career.  Harry sat down with us to talk about how that partnership came about and what Steve is like to work with, along with a deep dive into his cartooning style, his favorite cartoons and cartoonists, and his early days in the cartooning biz. (BTW, Harry contacted us later to identify the cartoonist behind one of his favorite gags, whose name escaped him when he mentioned it around the 35-minute mark — i...

Kellen Paul draws "Spider-Kell" at the Community Arts Center in Cambridge, Mass. You may not have heard of the comic book “Kellen the Kid.” Yet. But odds are pretty good that someday you will. It’s one of several comic books and strips created by Kellen Paul, a 9-year-old cartoonist and illustrator who’s been plying his trade at the Community Art Center in his hometown of Cambridge, and whose work has taken the center by storm. Kellen — accompanied by the center’s director of programs, Sarah Winter, and Jada Alleyne, the center’s school-age program manager — joins us on Strip Search: The Comic Strip Podcast to talk about cartooning and what the center is doing to help hundreds of kids get in touch with their creativity every year. (And also to give us a few cartooning tips.) Also, in the intro: A discussion of #Schulz100 , the 100th birthday tribute to "Peanuts" creator Charles M. Schulz. Check out the podcast or, if you're the visual type, the video below, and...

  Zach Clemente, IN SPACE! Boston-area comics fans will find this one especially interesting: Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo Outreach Co-Director Zach Clemente — also the founder of the Boston-based comics publisher Bulgilhan Press — joins us to talk about how MICE plans to come roaring back this year bigger and better than ever. (But still with plenty of holdovers that people are sure to recognize at their new location at Boston University, like yellow balloons at the kid-friendly tables.)  One key change to keep in mind, though: “The cheese might be different — we potentially secured a [new] cheese sponsor. So we will see how that goes for us.” No worries, Zach, to us cheeses are cheeses! Listen or watch below to find out everything you need to know about the 30+ free events and workshops planned for this year's MICE, coming to 808 Gallery at Boston University's Fuller Building Oct. 22-23 (with some additional events on Oct. 20 and online). You can find the ful...

Ruben Bolling, a.k.a. Ken Fisher. Ruben Bolling — the nom de plume of “Tom the Dancing Bug” cartoonist Ken Fisher — seems to be doing pretty well for himself. The Tufts and Harvard Law grad’s strip is nationally syndicated via Andrews McMeel ; Clover Press is in the midst of publishing a beautiful set of full-color paperbacks collecting his complete works; and he was just given a coveted Reuben Award by the National Cartoonists Society. Oh, and he was a 2021 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Cartooning. But one gets the sense he might give it all up to live in a world without Trump.  “I don't take Trump lightly. I don't I don't think he's necessarily funny or a clown,” Bolling told us about the former president. “I think he's unbelievably dangerous, and the movement behind him is an existential threat. So my job is to make fun of that — sort of whistling in the dark.” Bolling sat down with two of his fellow Tufts grads — yes, that would be us — to talk...

The one, the only Bob Eckstein. You know we love return guests here on Strip Search, which is why we were excited to welcome back acclaimed cartoonist and author Bob Eckstein to talk to Dave & Pete about his new book, " The Complete Book of Cat Names (That Your Cat Won't Answer To, Anyway) ." And that's not all: We also cover the return of local bookstores, refining the perfect cartoon idea, making the most out of the least lines, and much more. Actually, much MUCH more — this is a special, super-sized 75-minute episode, so strap in! In case you somehow missed it, Bob Eckstein is an award-winning writer, New Yorker cartoonist and author of The New York Times best-selling "Footnotes From the World’s Greatest Bookstores." His cartoons have appeared in Barron’s, MAD, McSweeny’s, National Lampoon, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and many others, and has been nominated twice for the National Cartoonist Society’s Gag Cartoonist of the Year. He is the edit...