If you haven’t heard of ComicSpace, it looks like you probably will soon… it is a rapidly expanding myspace clone aimed at cartoonists and comics enthusiasts. The Conspiracy now has a home there, so won’t you be our friend?

Chapter three of Far Arden, Kevin Cannon’s 288 Hour cliffhanger serial of a comic featuring Armitage Shanks, Arctic Pirate (which you can read more about here) has been posted! You can start at the beginning here, or click on the image below to start at chapter three if you already read the first two.

I recommend starting at the beginning even if you’ve already read it, as even in its incomplete state (currently one fourth completed), the story is complex and layered, and already greatly rewards rereading.

Make sure to leave comments and encouragement for Kevin on the Big Time Attic blog here!

(virtual)show of hands who want’s to or would be willing to attend this event in mpls? after enough serious responses i’ll post more specific details. but the idea is basicly a jam in mpls including at least one delegate from each of the existing/future conspiracy cells. i think it’d be super cool if we could make this an annual thing… move it from city to city each year? what d’ya’ll think. let me know.

The San Francisco cell of the Cartoonist Conspiracy will meet this Thursday (Dec 14, 2006) at Cafe International on Height St. So come on by with your favorite drawing material and join us for some cartooning fun.

ALSO any one interested in being part of the cell’s table at APE should contact Doc Popular TODAY! TODAY is the last day to do so.

Saturday Open Studio — Christmas-in-December edition.

Put off that holiday shopping and draw some cartoons.

Sat., Dec. 16, noon-4 p.m.
Minnesota Center for Book Arts

We’ll be somewhere in the Center for Book Arts. If you don’t see us right away, ask the friendly person working in the bookstore.

This is open studio time for all cartoonists, so come and hang out and draw. There’s plenty of room for everyone.

The Minnesota Center for Book Arts
(Just down the street from Big Brain Comics)
1011 Washington Ave S, Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone: 612-215-2520

I’ve been having some fun recently building a holiday site called NOSLO.com for the company I work for as a flash developer/animator (OLSON)… NOSLO is the holiday of the future where you send “Sacks of Joy” to your friends and loved ones to spread the joy. Here are the “Sacks of Joy” I’ve animated so far.. send ’em to your friends and spread the joy, if you’re inclined:

Sack of Joy #1: Joyous NOSLO Song

Come spread the spirit and sacks of Joyous NOSLO, the holiday of the future, with this rousing NOSLO carol.

Sack of Joy #2: The Soul Seal

No one can resist the charms of The Soul Seal. Joyous NOSLO!

Sack of Joy #3: Snowcat

The flying feline of the frozen frontier. Joyous NOSLO!

Sack of Joy #4: Come Take a Trip in My Airship

An animated plea for aerial romance from a more innocent era. Joyous NOSLO!

Sack of Joy #5: The Mustache Game

Are you man enough (or facial-hair-challenged woman enough) to triumph over the challenges of the mustache game? Only one way to find out. Joyous NOSLO!

Sack of Joy #6: Fuzzy Love

An animated fuzzball expresses affection in a manner congruous to his deeply damaged fur-lined psyche. Joyous NOSLO!

Sack of Joy #7: In Space No One Can Hear You

An animated astronaut explores the aural possibilities of deep space exploration. Joyous NOSLO!

Sack of Joy #8: The Magical Unicorn

Magic! Sparkles! Fancy! The delirious joy that can only be expressed through a unicorn and a rainbow, or through inhaling fumes of magic glitter glue in a confined space. Joyous NOSLO!

Sack of Joy #9: The Fractal Weasel Tree

Traditions! No Joyous NOSLO holiday would be complete without summoning and chopping down a Fractal Weasel Tree. Joyous joy! Joyous NOSLO!

Sack of Joy #10: The Marshmallow-Loving Chihuahua Vs. The Teacup

Whether you lean towards oolong, jasmine or mint you’ll feel compelled beyond your own will to help this marshmallow-loving chihuahua defeat the sinister teacup. Joyous NOSLO!

Sack of Joy #11: The Little Blue Bird of Joy

Sometimes it takes a little blue bird to remind you that, in spite of life’s hardships, joy can be found regardless of circumstance. Joyous NOSLO!

in addition to subscribing to this blog via your favorite newsreader, you can now subscribe to the blog via email here. If you have been subscribing to our email bulletin, you may want to do this, since the bulletin has been discontinued (although event reminders will still be sent out to that list for the time being).

Cartoonists Chris Ware, Jim Woodring and Joe Sacco have all just been awarded $50,000 each (along with a number of other folks in the arts) by the newly formed "United States Artists." Read more about it here.

This is encouraging. Cartooning is no easy way to make a living, and unlike most other arts there are few grants or fellowships. The Xeric is the best known one (the only other one I can recall hearing about was specifically for caricature or political cartooning). It’s nice (and probably unprecedented) to see some excellent cartoonists get appreciated by an arts fellowship. Woodring I know has cut down greatly on his cartooning output in recent years, and turned more to painting… cartooning paid him so little it’s hard for him to afford to do it. Seeing as he is, in my view, one of the greatest cartoonists of all time, I hope this money will give him the luxury to draw a whole lot of comics.

Things are changing… comics are no longer read exclusively by people who frequent comic book stores. Things have changed immensely in the last few years. Chris Ware and other comic book cartoonists are doing comics for the New Yorker and New York Times, graphic novels are one of the fastest growing sections in most American libraries, some comics are making the best-seller lists, and now this.
Hopefully cartooning will become a viable way to make a living for more and more people.

If you enjoy truly warped cartoony art, be sure to visit us at the Rice Print Shop. This month’s exhibit features Kelly Meyer and Brandy Wolf. I watched them putting up the exhibit and I am truly thrilled, because this one is a must see! The opening of “Excuse Me, You Have Some String Hanging” happens on Friday, December 8th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm. The exhibit will run through the month of December. If you can’t make it to the opening be sure to stop by for the preview during the Cartoonist Consipracy meeting this Wednesday, starting at 7:00 pm, or at any other time. We hope to see a few of you there! 😉

The World Wide Sketch Crawl will be on December 9th. I hear the San Francisco group will be meeting at the zoo. Here is the flyer to gaze at, taken from the site:

Print at will and disperse in the bay area … art schools, art supplies stores … anywhere you want! So … remember, for those of you around here, December 9th 11 am at the Zoo’s entrance! More details in the forums here.

For all the rest of the world, come to the forums! There’s a lot of cities all around the globe getting ready!

No comments