All posts by Kevin Cannon

About Kevin Cannon

Kevin's debut graphic novel, "Far Arden," is available to read for free online: www.kevincannon.org/288hour. He co-runs Big Time Attic with Zander Cannon, and they have books coming out from Hill & Wang and Simon & Schuster over next few years.

Reminder: CITY PAGES COMIX ISSUE submissions due July 25


Don’t forget that your City Pages Comix Issue submissions are due next week on July 25! Full details can be found on CP’s website:
blogs.citypages.com

I’ve seen a few submissions and works-in-progress, and they look fantastic! Keep ’em coming, and let’s load up Mike’s inbox with great material!

And as with all of these events, please spread the word to anyone you think might be interested! The CP Comix Issue is the one of the best tools we have to show people what a thriving indie cartooning scene we have here in the Twin Cities.

-Kevin

Minneapolis Jam: May 2012


NORDEAST COMICS SUMMIT
Summary: Digital cartoonist Gordon McAlpin gave us a great tour of the mystery that is Adobe Illustrator, showing off some tricks that even the Illustrator veterans in the audience had never seen before. If you want to see Gordon’s comics in action, check out his excellent webcomic Multiplex, or better yet purchase the book!

Coming up next!:
JUNE 7: Jon Sloan, “A Brief History of Comics” – An historical look at the medium we all love so well.
UPDATE: Currently all future slots are closed as the Nordeast Comics Summit goes into indefinite hibernation.

Follow us on Twitter! handle: NORDEASTCOMICS

INTERNATIONAL CARTOONIST CONSPIRACY
Get your trowels out, kiddies, because it’s time for:

MANUFACTURE DESIRE: The Best Plants for the Gardener

Hello, Friend.
Click image for pdf — an evergreen 2 mb!

Please enjoy.

Writer Seeking Illustrator

Writer Chris Pederson sent me a note saying he’s looking for an illustrator for a project. If you’re interested, contact Chris at the email below. He says:

Looking for six B&W illustrations similar to the ones found in early Doctor Who Target novels.

The translated story was originally written in 1906 and heavily influenced by Jules Verne’s “Master of The World.”

It is a 6 chapter novella length book that could very nicely showcase an artist’s work.

Please contact Chris if interested:

chris.pederson@yahoo.com

Minneapolis Jam: April 2012


NORDEAST COMICS SUMMIT
Summary: Our good friend Jamie Schumacher paid us a visit and gave us some pointers on how to organize successful groups. For me the key takeaway was being comfortable with branding yourself and your projects — it seems like a creepy corporate-y thing to do, but at the end of the day good branding helps the people around you get a sense of what you’re trying to accomplish. Thanks, Jamie!

Coming up next!:
MAY 3: Gordon McAlpin, “Illustrator Boot Camp” – Making digital comics & using digital lettering.
JUNE 7: Jon Sloan, “A Brief History of Comics” – An historical look at the medium we all love so well.
If there’s a topic you’d like to see or even lead yourself, contact me at nordeastcomics [at] gmail.com. UPDATE: Currently all future slots are closed as we transition into a new format in Summer 2012.

Follow us on Twitter! handle: NORDEASTCOMICS

INTERNATIONAL CARTOONIST CONSPIRACY
Joel from Twin Cities Public Television filmed this month’s Jam for an upcoming MN Originals web series. So keep an eye out for that! In the meantime please lower your caps as we remember a comics legend:

MOBEIUS [sic] IS DEAD

Hello, Friend.
Click image for pdf — an everlasting 3.6 mb!

Please enjoy.

Minneapolis Jam: March 2012


NORDEAST COMICS SUMMIT
Summary: Adrean Clark pulled the curtain back on how to create an ebook and distribute it through SmashWords — and hopefully become the next self-made millionaire! Whether you’re gunning to be a millionaire or a dollaraire, you should consider reading Adrean’s own ebook on creating ebooks (how meta!), available here.

Coming up next!:
APR. 5: Jamie Schumacher, “Tips for Organizing Groups, from Comic Book Clubs to the Next Marvel”
MAY 3: Gordon McAlpin, “Illustrator Boot Camp” – Making digital comics & using digital lettering.
JUNE 7: Jon Sloan, “A Brief History of Comics” – An historical look at the medium we all love so well.
If there’s a topic you’d like to see or even lead yourself, contact me at nordeastcomics [at] gmail.com. The next available date is June 7, 2012.

Follow us on Twitter! handle: NORDEASTCOMICS

INTERNATIONAL CARTOONIST CONSPIRACY
I’m going to assume that this topic is in some way inspired by the upcoming Russian Presidential elections coming up on Sunday. Or maybe not:

The Were Kings for a Moment…and Success Starts Here

Hello, Friend.
Click image for pdf — a royal 4 mb!

Please enjoy.

Minneapolis Jam: February 2012


NORDEAST COMICS SUMMIT
Summary: Last night we took a quick tour of InDesign, the second in our tour of the big three Adobe programs that we’ll be covering this winter. InDesign is great for making books, large and small, from press-ready documents to web-viewable pdfs. If you missed last night’s Summit, you can watch the whole thing here:

InDesign Boot Camp:


And here is the pdf we produced during the Summit:


Coming up next!:
MAR. 1: Adrean Clark, “Getting Rich in the Ebook Gold Rush: A Mining Kit for Comic Artists”
APR. 5: Jamie Schumacher, “Tips for Organizing Groups, from Comic Book Clubs to the Next Marvel”
MAY 3: Gordon McAlpin, “Illustrator Boot Camp” – Making digital comics & using digital lettering.
If there’s a topic you’d like to see or even lead yourself, contact me at nordeastcomics [at] gmail.com. The next available date is June 7, 2012.

Follow us on Twitter! handle: NORDEASTCOMICS

INTERNATIONAL CARTOONIST CONSPIRACY
I’m not sure where this particular subject came from, but it’s making me extremely sleepy. So while I take a snooze, you should check out:

Relaxation Comfort Home

Hello, Friend.
Click image for pdf — a sleepy 3 mb!

Please enjoy.

Minneapolis Jam: January 2012


NORDEAST COMICS SUMMIT
Summary: Last night we discussed some of the fundamentals of Photoshop, a program that all cartoonists — even if they don’t own a copy — should have a working knowledge of. We talked about basic tools, basic functionality, how to clean up your scan, what the difference is between “alias” and “anti-alias” … and more! But instead of me trying to sum up the whole thing, why don’t you just watch it:

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three:

Coming up next!:
FEB. 2: Nick Straight & Kevin Cannon, “InDesign Boot Camp” – ID basics with an emphasis on making print-ready comics and exporting pdfs.
MAR. 1: Adrean Clark, “Getting Rich in the Ebook Gold Rush: A Mining Kit for Comic Artists”
APR. 5: Jamie Schumacher, “Tips for Organizing Groups, from Comic Book Clubs to the Next Marvel”
MAY 3: Gordon McAlpin, “Illustrator Boot Camp” – Making digital comics & using digital lettering.
If there’s a topic you’d like to see or even lead yourself, contact me at nordeastcomics [at] gmail.com. The next available date is June 7, 2012.

Follow us on Twitter! handle: NORDEASTCOMICS

INTERNATIONAL CARTOONIST CONSPIRACY
Politics, politics, politics. Hence:

Raucous Cactus Caucus Will Rock You!!

Hello, Friend.
Click image for pdf — a prickly 6.7 mb!

Please enjoy.

Minneapolis Jam: December 2011


NORDEAST COMICS SUMMIT
Summary: Steven Stwalley and I put together what we believe was the FIRST EVER comics-themed game show. Contestants were picked out of a hat a la “The Price is Right” and questions — which ranged from general knowledge about local creators to high level thinking about whether this character from the forties could beat up that other character from the forties — were structured like Jeopardy. But the highlight of the night was the DRAW! section where our six contestants were given thirty seconds in which to draw the likeness of a random cartoon character. The audience was tasked with choosing the winner, and believe me, they had talons out in full force last night. The three winners walked home with gift cards to The Source, and the losers received a consolation prize of gift cards to Diamond’s Coffee Shoppe, which they hopefully spent during the post-game jam.


Photo: Rob Stenzinger via Twitter

Coming up next!:
JAN. 5: Kevin Cannon, “Photoshop Boot Camp” – PS basics with an emphasis on scanning & coloring for comics.
FEB. 2: Nick Straight & Kevin Cannon, “InDesign Boot Camp” – ID basics with an emphasis on making print-ready comics and exporting pdfs.
MAR. 1: Adrean Clark, “Getting Rich in the Ebook Gold Rush: A Mining Kit for Comic Artists”
APR. 5: Jamie Schumacher, “Tips for Organizing Groups, from Comic Book Clubs to the Next Marvel”
MAY 3: Gordon McAlpin, “Illustrator Boot Camp” – Making digital comics & using digital lettering.
If there’s a topic you’d like to see or even lead yourself, contact me at nordeastcomics [at] gmail.com. The next available date is June 7, 2012.

Follow us on Twitter! handle: NORDEASTCOMICS

INTERNATIONAL CARTOONIST CONSPIRACY
Nine. That’s how many years ago a small band of cartoonists braved the Minnesota winter to draw jam comics at a corner table in the Spyhouse in South Minneapolis. Oh far we’ve come. Actually, not really. It’s still a big group of (mostly) guys who show up and draw with their heads down for several hours. But tack onto that a series of gallery and museum shows in collaboration with Creative Electric, Altered Esthetics, and the MN Museum of American Art, and appearances at shows like Fallcon, Springcon, and the Rain Taxi Book Festival, and it’s been a helluva near-decade. So to commemorate the birthday, the ICC presents:

9

Hello, Friend.
Click image for pdf — a nearly decades-old 8.6 mb!

Please enjoy.

Ben Katchor at Book Fest on Saturday!

Swing by the Rain Taxi Book Fest this Saturday at 2:30 pm to hear the great Ben Katchor speak about his life and career (presumably — I’m not sure exactly what he’ll talk about, but I’m sure it will be awesome).

Click for all the pertinent details:

…and show up a little early, because I’ll be on a panel from 12:30-1:30, and then will be signing copies of Little Dickens at the Nodin Press table from 2-3pm.

See you there!

Submissions open for $500 comic art prize!

Arts in Harmony, the largest international juried arts show in Minnesota, is once again calling for submissions, and once again there is a huge cash prize (courtesy of the Midwest Comic Book Association)!

There is a separate comics art category, so no, your entry won’t be duking it out with oil paintings or marble sculptures. To be honest, there weren’t a ton of entries in last year’s show, which was too bad, but if the trend continues then your odds of winning are that much better — so submit something! Check out this list of last year’s winners, including our very own Brittch.

Full details can be found on these handy pdfs:

Info about “Arts in Harmony”
Info about the comic art category specifically

Thanks to Britt Aamodt for the heads-up!