If you read The New Yorker for the cartoons, then you will want to mark your calendar for the screening of Very Semi-Serious at the Animix International Animation, Comics and Caricature Festival 2015. Directed by Leah Wolchok, the documentary looks behind the scenes at the making of those quirky single-panel cartoons, with Bob Mankoff, New Yorker cartoon editor leading pitch meetings, as well as quick tour of the department’s history since 1925, its legends – James Thurber, William Steig, Charles Addams; and ample cartoons. As Bob Mankoff says in the film (link to the trailer here): “The New Yorker… is the Everest…the cartoons… made it what it was.” Very Semi-Serious will be shown on Wednesday, August 5th at 18:30, introduced by Richard McGuire.
Yes, multi-faceted artist, illustrator, musician and children’s book author Richard McGuire will be a guest of the festival! A founding member and bassist of the band Liquid Liquid, his illustrations have appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, and Le Monde among other publications. Most recently, Here, appearing first as a six page comic in RAW (vol. 2 #1 in 1989) was developed into a full length graphic novel, published by Pantheon in 2014, as well as a digital version with expanded options. Here is a fluid, visual journey through time, moving forward and back, within a single place. One corner of a room is seen in a multitude of different times, the various events and eras often co-existing on the same page, like several windows open at once on a computer screen. Enjoy some of McGuire’s New Yorker covers on this link. Richard McGuire will discuss his work on Thursday, August 6th at 20:30, Hall 2. The event will take place in English.
The 15th edition of Animix, the International Animation, Comics and Caricature Festival, will take place from August 4 – 8, 2015 at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque. Four days of films, workshops, lectures, and workshops. Oh yes, there’s lots for children too.
The full program is available (in Hebrew) on the Animix website. Ticket prices range from 30 – 50 NIS, depending on the program. Order tickets online, or call: 03-6060800. Animix is produced in cooperation with the Tel Aviv Municipality Department of Performances, Tel Aviv Cinematheque and the Ministry of Culture – Israeli Cinema Council. Artistic director: Nissim Hezkiyahu, Animation curator: Dudu Shalita, Producer: Galit Bersky.
