Monthly Archives: May 2011

Roger Lootine’s Artwork Ripped Off by XLARGE

Apparently, XLARGE, a company that makes poorly-designed t-shirts and other fashion atrocities for the dim-witted and/or aesthetically-challenged, recently made a good looking t-shirt by ripping off artwork by Minneapolis’ own Roger Lootine. You can read about it here.

You can contact the perpetrators here if you are inclined to tell them what you think about this. Or maybe you’ll want to just check out their site and see if they have decided to use some of your artwork without your permission! Spreading the word that these people are blatant plagiarists by passing this story around seems like a good idea.

Minneapolis Jam: May 2011


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.

Just Add Ink Deadline Reminder Graphic by Kevin Cannon (June 15th!)

Kevin Cannon recently made some “reminder images” for the Just Add Ink deadline for people to post to their blogs, websites, social networking sites, or to relay via tin cans attached with taut string. Please link them to: cartoonistconspiracy.com/justaddink

If you are not inclined to upload the image yourself, here is embed code for the 200 pixel wide version:

<a href="http://cartoonistconspiracy.com/justaddink"><img src="http://cartoonistconspiracy.com/justaddink/images/justaddink_subad_200.jpg"></a>

They are also available in 150, 300, 400, 600 and 800 pixel wide sizes. You can embed any of these sizes by replacing the 200 in the embed code with the appropriate number.

Click here to download Just Add Ink Submission Reminder images like the one above in all sizes.

Please do help spread the word!

Please Consider Demanding Matt Dean Publicly Apologize to Neil Gaiman

I just sent the below email to Minnesota House Majority Leader Matt Dean, regarding his attack yesterday on author Neil Gaiman. I encourage you all to do the same. You can contact Dean here: rep.matt.dean@house.mn

Mr. Dean:

I’m a Minnesota resident. Your attack on author Neil Gaiman is utterly inappropriate, immature and reprehensible. Publicly saying you hate any private citizen, and calling them names, is completely out of line. That you are doing it to one who has so greatly contributed to the state’s renown as a hotbed for the arts is particularly unfortunate.

Please note that ALL of the money Gaiman made from the speaking engagement in question was donated to charity. Gaiman regularly speaks for free around the state. The prices he is paid for speaking engagements is high because he is in such great demand that he prices them high to avoid getting a lot of them. This would be an example of free market economics in action, which is a concept you presumably believe in. It is not an example of “theft” as you disingenuously claim.

You can and should read more of Gaiman’s thoughts on the speaking engagement in question here:

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2010/05/political-football-in-teacup.html

and

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2011/05/opinions-of-pencil-necked-weasel-thief.html

You should be ashamed of yourself. Grow up and stop acting like a playground bully. Be a man, and give the man a public apology.

Sincerely,

Steven Stwalley
Webmaster, The International Cartoonist Conspiracy, cartoonistconspiracy.com

UPDATE: Gaiman has also responded in City Pages.

UPDATE 2: Dean has apologized for the name-calling (thanks for passing that on in the comments, Charles), but not for completely misrepresenting the situation. So, he still needs to be hassled. My email bounced (hopefully because his email box is filled up with angry letters about this), but I will try and send it again later.

May 7000 BC Meeting in Santa Fe

7000 BC · independent comics from new mexico


May 7000 BC Meeting | Saturday, May 14 | 1:30-3:30 | Collected Works Bookstore | 202 Galisteo Street | Santa Fe, NM

7000 BC will hold its monthly meeting at Collected Works Bookstore, a landmark independent bookshop and coffeehouse in Santa Fe. Connect with 7000 BC and discover the local resource for comics creators.

All interested in independent comics are welcome; send an email with any questions. Parking and directions here.

We’ll move on to Flying Star at the Railyard for food and visiting after.

Come to the Art? Show at Altered Esthetics This Friday and Read the Minneapolis Mini-Comics Day Mini-Comics

If you’re curious what people made locally for Mini-Comics Day, you can read the comics this month at Altered Esthetics as part of their Art? show. The show opens this Friday, May 6th.

Above: Carlos Merino’s Mini-Comics Day mini-comic. Click to visit his site for the full Spanish version… the English version will be available to read this Friday at Altered Esthetics.

The featured Mini-Comics Day comics are by:

Alex Bodine
Talia Carlton aka Talonman
Douglas Cox
Susan Cox
Athena Currier
Ryan Dow
Earl Luckes
Lupi McGinty
Carlos Merino
Dan Murphy
Erik Nelson
Pedal
Jamison Penny
Bill Prendergast
David Steinlicht
Steven Stwalley
Mike Toft
Lance Ward

More info about the Art? show can be found here.

Buy a Fez for Springcon… Get a Free Cartoonist Conspiracy Patch!

The Conspiracy is trying a different tactic this year for Springcon (May 21-22), our wonderful local comics convention. Rather than having a centralized presence at one table, we are hoping to have our presence felt throughout the convention. To this end, please consider helping our cause by purchasing a fez!

This site sells high-quality fezzes CHEAP in a wide variety of colors and styles.

Anyone purchasing a fez to wear at Springcon will receive a free Cartoonist Conspiracy patch to sew onto it! To get your patch, just hassle me whenever you see me at or before the convention… or email me if you don’t know who the hell I am (webmaster(at)cartoonistconspiracy.com).

Please pass on the word about this. Thanks much to all of you choosing to participate in this!