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.

Minneapolis Jam: October 2011

Events, Jam Comics, Minneapolis


NORDEAST COMICS SUMMIT
Summary: Adrean Clark gave a lively presentation on the subject of human facial cues & gestures that, if used wisely, can make or break a comic. Best tip: Stay away from the “Uncanny Valley” — that zone inhabited by realistically rendered humans who are just slightly off enough to be creepy — unless, of course, you’re drawing a villain or a zombie.

Coming up next!:
NOV. 3: Maxeem Konrardy, “Theft & Borrowing in Comics” – and the idea of how do you write something new in a world where everything’s already been written.
NOV. 5 & 6: The Nordeast Comics Summit at MIX! Spend some time with watercolor guru Sarah Glidden and digital maestro Gordon McAlpin as they demonstrate their unique artistic processes. Both events are at 1pm, see MIX program page for full details.
DEC. 1: Steven Stwalley & Kevin Cannon, “First Annual Holiday Comix Game Show!” – Jeopardy-style quiz show with comics-themed trivia. THERE WILL BE PRIZES!

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 January 5, 2012.

Follow us on Twitter! handle: NORDEASTCOMICS

INTERNATIONAL CARTOONIST CONSPIRACY
Two big names in American culture recently dropped out of the limelight — one, an American who built one of the most successful brands in world with products that enrich millions of peoples’ lives, and the other, an American who shoots animals from a helicopter. We focus on the latter:

Sarah Palin’s Retirement and People Helping People

Hello, Friend.
Click image for pdf — a iRresistible 10.3 mb!

Please enjoy.

Minneapolis Jam: September 2011

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NORDEAST COMICS SUMMIT
Summary: Danno Klonowski gave the audience some good practical tips on how to collaborate successfully in the comics world as either an artist and/or writer. Best tip: if someone wants you to draw their comic and promises lots of money on the back end, run far, far away. As always, we videotaped the Summit, and those videos will be posted online eventually. Thanks to Danno for bringing this month’s refreshing cold beverages. That is not a requirement of Summit hosts, but if it becomes a trend I won’t be upset.

Coming up next!:
OCT. 6: Adrean Clark, “The Secret Language of People” – a look at body language & more in comics.
NOV. 3: Maxeem Konrardy, “Theft & Borrowing in Comics” – and the idea of how do you write something new in a world where everything’s already been written.
DEC. 1: Steven Stwalley & Kevin Cannon, “First Annual Holiday Comix Game Show!” – Jeopardy-style quiz show with comics-themed trivia. THERE WILL BE PRIZES!

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 January 5, 2012.

Follow us on Twitter! handle: NORDEASTCOMICS

INTERNATIONAL CARTOONIST CONSPIRACY
As someone who recently visited the Minnesota State Fair for the first time in decades, I can honestly say that the following document is firmly rooted in reality:

State Fair and the Horror Double Feature!

Hello, Friend.
Click image for pdf — a deep-fried 10.3 mb!

Please enjoy.

Minneapolis Jam: August 2011

Jam Comics, Minneapolis


NORDEAST COMICS SUMMIT
Summary: Rob Stenzinger discussed how to take your comics and turn them into games, and highlighted the architectural similarities between successful games and successful comics. As always, we videotaped the Summit, and those videos will be posted online eventually.

BONUS: Rob’s entire presentation is available to view through prezi.com!

Next month the Nordeast Comics Summit is excited to welcome Danno Klonowski to the stage for a discussion about collaboration in comics — the joys, the pitfalls, the triumph, and the heartache. Bring a friend! And after that look for Adrean Clark to discuss body language and visual iconography in comics (Oct. 6), Maxeem Konrardy on artistic theft (Nov. 3) and then a special non-denominational holiday GAME SHOW episode of NCS complete with prizes and so forth (Dec. 1).

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 January 5, 2012.

Follow us on Twitter! handle: NORDEASTCOMICS

INTERNATIONAL CARTOONIST CONSPIRACY
We don’t like to be political here at the Cartoonist Conspiracy, in fact we try to maintain a level G-Rating as much as possible, but after the past few weeks of Washington bickering we thought it only fair to pay homage to the unruly Capitol Hill bunch with:

Hostage Crisis on Capitol Hill

Hello, Friend.
Click image for pdf — a fiscally sound 5.4 mb!

Please enjoy.

Minneapolis Jam: July 2011

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NORDEAST COMICS SUMMIT
Summary: Act I: Zander Cannon introduces himself and sets the tone for the discussion. Act II: Zander dives into his talk, deftly describing how he structures a three act story, emphasizing how to weave in characters, theme, and flow. Act III: In a final heroic push, Zander answers questions and wraps up this month’s Summit. As always, we videotaped the Summit, and those videos will be posted online eventually.

Next month (August 4) the Nordeast Comics Summit is pleased to welcome Rob Stenzinger to the stage for a talk that’s tentatively titled, “Using your comics characters as a basis for a videogame.” We’ll have more detailed info on nordeastcomics.com later in the month. Rob tells me there’re a lot of different directions his talk can take, so come with questions! And on September 1 Danno Klonowski will take the stage. Details on that are forthcoming as 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 October 6, 2011.

Follow us on Twitter! handle: NORDEASTCOMICS

INTERNATIONAL CARTOONIST CONSPIRACY
We have some sad news to report. Two of our favorite local cartoonists — Lars Martinson and Red Tenderson* — are leaving our fair state to pursue greener pastures. A few of us had a going away BBQ for Lars last weekend, and for Red Tenderson we decided to devote this month’s Cartoonist Conspiracy jam to his favorite topic:

Friendship is Magic

Hello, Friend.
Click image for pdf — a syndicated 7 mb!

Please enjoy, and godspeed Lars and Red.

*In the interest of him not losing his new job, Red’s real name is hidden from this google searchable blog post.

Minneapolis Jam: June 2011

Jam Comics, Minneapolis


NORDEAST COMICS SUMMIT
Summary: Ryan Dow led a spirited discussion about self-promotion. Before we knew what was happening we had all purchased copies of his book, “Failing Buddhism.” As always, we videotaped the Summit, and those videos will be posted online eventually.

Next month the Nordeast Comics Summit is pleased to welcome Zander Cannon to the stage for a talk entitled, “Conceiving, Plotting, and Structuring a 3-Act Story.” Get your clipboards ready for that one. And after that look for Rob Stenzinger to discuss bringing your comic book characters into a video game context (Aug. 4) and then Staplegenius himself, Danno Klonowski, will be taking the floor on September 1 (details forthcoming).

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 October 6, 2011.

Follow us on Twitter! handle: NORDEASTCOMICS

INTERNATIONAL CARTOONIST CONSPIRACY
Since you’re reading this you’ve probably figured out that the world didn’t end as predicted. As such, self-proclaimed prophets get a right proper skewering in:

The Prophet Speaks: AIDS and Toast

Hello, Friend.
Click image for pdf — a butter side down 3.5 mb!

Please enjoy.

Minneapolis Jam: May 2011

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NORDEAST COMICS SUMMIT
Summary: Dan Olson led a prop-heavy discussion on how to have a successful convention season, focusing on how to make your table attractive to patrons, dos & don’ts of interacting with potential buyers, how to deal with a blowhard table neighbor, and much, much more. As always, we videotaped the Summit, and those videos will be posted online eventually.

The topic of the next Nordeast Comics Summit will be announced toward the end of the month. If there’s a topic you’d like to see or even lead yourself, contact me at nordeastcomics [at] gmail.com.

Follow us on Twitter! handle: NORDEASTCOMICS

INTERNATIONAL CARTOONIST CONSPIRACY
This month’s “ripped from the headlines” theme is a no-brainer, considering the monster who just lost his epic game of hide & seek:

Monsters from the ID!

Hello, Friend.
Click image for pdf — a water-logged 5.8 mb!

Please enjoy.

Nordeast Comics Summit No. 2: CONVENTION ETIQUETTE & TABLE SET-UP

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TOPIC: Convention Etiquette & Table Set-Up
MODERATOR: Dan Olson
DATE: Thursday, May 5, 2011
TIME: 6 – 6:30 pm (right before the Cartoonist Conspiracy Jam)
LOCATION: 1618 Central Ave NE, Ste. 216, Nordeast MPLS

SpringCon is just weeks away, so it’s the perfect time to discuss how to have a successful convention. Dan Olson will tackle everything from “How can I set up my table to attract more customers?” to “What do I do if the guy sitting next to me is a complete blow-hard?”

Come with questions, come with ideas, or just come to listen. As always, we’ll have Nordeast beer on hand, and you can grab a bite downstairs at Diamonds. The Summit starts right at 6pm, so come a little early if you want to grab a seat on what’s been called “The most comfortable couch in Nordeast.” Then, after the Summit, wander downstairs and draw your heart out at the Cartoonist Conspiracy Jam (6:30-10pm)!

We will be filming the Summit, but no word on when those videos will be posted. And if you have an idea for a future Summit, or would like to lead a particular discussion, let me know in the comments!

BONUS: Follow us on THE TWITTER for updates on future Summits!

Minneapolis Jam: April 2011

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This month we started up a (hopefully) regular feature called the Pre-Jam Summit, where cartoonists can come hang out in the Big Time Attic studio a half hour before the regular jam starts and have a sort of round-table discussion about a particular topic. For the inaugural event we picked LETTERING and had a pretty lively discussion amongst the 20+ cartoonists who showed up. Of course there’s a TON of information we didn’t touch on, so we’ll aim to have more lettering discussions in the future, as well as a variety of other topics that affect the lives of we humble cartoonists.

Oh, and if you missed the Pre-Jam Summit, a video of the event will find its way online at some point, and I’ll post a link here on the Conspiracy blog. Thanks to everyone who came and made it such a fun event!

And of course once the shenanigans up in Big Time Attic were over, people made their way downstairs into Diamonds Coffee Shoppe and produced another gem:

Bunnies and Jesus and Working on Your Lettering

Hello, Friend.
Click image for pdf — a bold & italic 10.5 mb!

Please enjoy.

Pre-Conspiracy Lettering Summit Tomorrow!

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Hey Twin Cities cartoonists — interested in the ins & outs of lettering a comic? I’ll be holding a VERY informal summit on Thursday up in the Big Time Attic studio from 6-6:30pm (right before the jam). This will be less of a lecture and more of a roundtable where we can all share our best practices regarding process & materials. If you feel like it, bring samples of your own lettering that you want to have critiqued, or bring samples of lettering that you think is spot on.

If this is popular, I wouldn’t mind doing pre-conspiracy sessions like this before every jam, on different topics like eBooks, inking, freelancing tips, etc. If you’re dying to know about something in particular then tell me about it in the comments section.

PRE-CON SUMMIT No. 1: LETTERING
1618 Central Ave. NE, Ste. 216
6-6:30pm