This morning I was sent a link to an huge quantity of interviews with exhibitors at last month’s delightful MIX convention by Fancy Pants Gangsters. You can check them out here.
That made me realize I don’t believe I have yet posted a link to Tom Spurgeon’s amazing and enormous MIX link roundup at the Comics Reporter. You can check that out here.
Get your mini-comics ready… only 23 months until the next MIX!
Good god, nearly an entire decade of the International Cartoonist Conspiracy!?! I guess. So anyway, you should come celebrate this Thursday, Dec 1st! First up:
http://www.nordeastcomics.com/
TOPIC: GAME SHOW TIME!
MODERATOR: Steven Stwalley and Kevin Cannon
DATE: Thursday, December 1, 2011
TIME: 6 – 6:30 pm (right before the Cartoonist Conspiracy Jam)
LOCATION: 1618 Central Ave NE, Ste. 216, Nordeast MPLS
It’s our last Summit of the year, and to celebrate we thought we’d shake things up a little around the ol’ Attic. So on Thursday, December 1, please join us for what I can only imagine is the world’s only comics-themed game show. The questions will range from arbitrary who-would-win scenarios to fun facts about famous MN cartoonists, and we even let you weigh in on some
cartoonist-themed dating advice. The point of this is to have fun, but if you learn a little something on the side, that ain’t so bad.
Six contestants will be picked randomly at the beginning of the show. If you’d like to be one of them, send your name to nordeastcomics [at] gmail.com by December 1. You can also enter your name in person on Dec. 1 if you arrive by 6pm (but
please come a little early!).
Prizes. Prizes? Yep, everyone who puts their name in the hat will receive some sort of prize. Each of the six contestants will receive a gift card to Wet Paint Art, and the WINNING TEAM (did I mention the contestants will be split into teams?) will walk away with a $150 gift card to The Source (UPDATE: It is actually 3 $50 gift cards to the Source that will be won by different people). And if you don’t want to play, but just want to stand back and watch, well you’re welcome to do that too.
The stick around and take part in the whole damn mess that the Conspiracy was based on to begin with: JAM COMICS!
The Minneapolis Cartoonist Conspiracy meets at 6:30 until 10:00 the first Thursday of every month at Diamond’s Coffee Shoppe in Northeast.
Afterwards, please join us to draw some jam comics, socialize and drink caffeinated beverages. Afterwards, we often have uncaffeinated beverages somewhere else.
The meetings are open to anyone who wants to draw with us, and the results are posted here sooner or later (and sometimes even printed).
Diamond’s Coffee Shoppe
1618 Central Avenue Northeast
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Please spend some money at Diamond’s while you’re there, even if it is just a cuppa coffee… they are excellent hosts, and we wanna stay welcome there.
Dennis Steele asked me to post the following:
I’m helping a friend of mine with a benefit he’s organizing for an employee at his company who’s battling ALS. The benefit is on Dec. 10th in Hopkins, and features martial arts of various forms and disciplines. There will also be a silent auction. Which brings me to the reason I’m emailing you, I was wondering if you knew of anyone that would be willing to donate some art work for the silent auction.
You can contact Dennis at dsteele(at)mntalent.com
Tom K wrote up a “scene report” about the Twin Cities Comics scene for the Comics Journal… you can read it here. He was nice enough to give us a great mention in the article:
The International Cartoonist Conspiracy is an organization of cartoonists structured like a terrorist cell. There are no leaders and yet is seems well organized and manages to put on several comics oriented events every year. The most prominent of these is Lutefisk Sushi. It’s an almost annual series of mini-comic filled ‘bento-boxes.’ Each box is screen printed and designed by a different cartoonist. The box is released in conjunction with an exhibition of the work collected in the box. The ICC also organizes a well attended 24-hour comic day, a monthly comics jam and a number of other projects and events. They are always welcoming to new cartoonists. Their fez covered heads are a prominent staple at all local comics events.
It’s probably going to take a while to get all those big pages scanned, but we should have them on the blog eventually.
As part of their Third Thursday program, we’re having a special Third Thursday jam this month at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts next Thursday, November 17th (note that this is instead of the regular third Thursday St. Paul jam, which is cancelled for this month). It starts at 6PM and goes until 9PM. The cartooning activity will happen in Studios 111-113 on the first floor. Here is a pdf promoting the event.
The theme of the jam will be Warriors and Vixens, which is the name of the Third Thursday event. We won’t be doing the usual numbered pages, we’ll be doing isolated pages. The MIA will be providing paper and materials (although you’ll of course want to bring your preferred tools).
As always, it is open to anyone who wishes to draw. The more the merrier… so please tell your friends.
You’re encouraged to bring some of your print work along to populate a few reading lounges they will have set up, which should be a very good opportunity to get your work seen. The publications you bring are not intended to be a donation… you should take your books with you at the end of the event. The guards will be informed that it is cool for us to carry our publications out with us.
This is a part of a cross-promotion with other stuff going on at the MIA relating to their Edo Pop show of Japanese prints, relating them to our modern culture.
We now have a Google+ page. Will it be useful and fun, or simply a redundant, annoying, and possibly intrusive waste of time? I guess we’ll find out. At least it isn’t in the gated community of Facebook!
Update: In the comments, Doc Pop, who had his account shut down by Google for using the pseudonym everyone calls him, argues that Google+ is more of a gated community than facebook. Dammit, Doc, can’t we just agree to hate them both?
In the eighth episode host DANNO KLONOWSKI hands over the podcast to ANDY STURDEVANT and the SALON SALOON panel from MIX 2011. Danno is a guest along with CORINNE MUCHA, LENA CHANDHOK, and JOHN PORCELLINO with music by ANDREW CONNOR and the ACBs.  Ok, so Lutefisk Sushi’s prime directive is broken since Danno and Andy are the only MN artists in this episode, but I defy you to name another podcast out there that ends with a group of cartoonists singing “OH, YOKOâ€!   Thank you to Salon Saloon, Andy, Corinne, Lena, John and Sarah Morean for such a great time!
Also–Andy will bring up a PowerPoint that was going during the show multiple times, and while I don’t have the complete presentation, you can see the superb opening credits, Danno’s images, and a sample image of Corinne, Lena, and John’s work here:
The Lutefisk Sushi Podcast is sponsored by the INTERNATIONAL CARTOONIST CONSPIRACY, the ALTERED ESTHETICS GALLERY, and the NORDEAST COMICS SUMMIT. The Lutefisk Sushi podcast is a STAPLEGENIUS.COM(cast) production.
As part of their Third Thursday program, we’re having a special Third Thursday jam this month at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts next Thursday, November 17th (note that this is instead of the regular third Thursday St. Paul jam, which is cancelled for this month). It starts at 6PM and goes until 9PM. The cartooning activity will happen in Studios 111-113 on the first floor. Here is a pdf promoting the event.
The theme of the jam will be Warriors and Vixens, which is the name of the Third Thursday event. We won’t be doing the usual numbered pages, we’ll be doing isolated pages. The MIA will be providing paper and materials (although you’ll of course want to bring your preferred tools).
As always, it is open to anyone who wishes to draw. The more the merrier… so please tell your friends.
You’re encouraged to bring some of your print work along to populate a few reading lounges they will have set up, which should be a very good opportunity to get your work seen. The publications you bring are not intended to be a donation… you should take your books with you at the end of the event. The guards will be informed that it is cool for us to carry our publications out with us.
This is a part of a cross-promotion with other stuff going on at the MIA relating to their Edo Pop show of Japanese prints, relating them to our modern culture.
Here are a couple of other related events happening. The first one was forwarded to me by our own Jamison Penny, and is happening November 15th in Hopkins:
A Cross talk about Comic Books, Helmet Girls, and Heros with Camilla d’Errico and Joshua Dysart (moderated by Katherine Milton, Director of Learning and Innovation at the MIA) Tuesday, Nov 15th 6:00-8:00 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins, MN 55343
Come and enjoy a lively dialogue between two highly sought after graphic novel artists, as they discuss their creative process, collaboration in the digital age, the graphic novel business and more. There will also be a question and answer period. The event is free and no reservation is required.
Joshua Dysart is a New York Times bestselling author of 16 graphic novels, most widely known for his monthly comic, Unknown Soldier, which deals with the war in Uganda and the exploitation of child soldiers. Other collaborations include Greendale with musician Neil Young, and Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment with Deepak Chopra. Award-winning graphic novelist and collaborator Dysart integrates world mythologies, art history, social studies, and contemporary politics into his accompanying stories.
Camilla D’Errico is a Canadian comic-book illustrator, painter, and visual artist. Her clients include Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics, Random House, Tokyopop, Hasbro, Disney, Sanrio, Neil Gaiman, and video game companies. Her own characters and properties include the popular Tanpopo and Helmetgirls. Borrowing from Japanese manga, D’Errico illustrates stories with an ethereal lyricism that references Japanese prints, such as those on view in “Edo Pop: The Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints” in the Target Galleries at the MIA.
Special thanks to the MIA for making this presentation possible. Joshua Dysart and Camilla d’Errico are in the Twin Cities to support of the exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Edo Pop: The Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints. Their work with the MIA will largely be in demonstrating the ways in which contemporary pop culture as seen in graphic novels and comic books have deep roots in a Japanese aesthetic and form.re: Joshua’s work:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8221128.stmhttp://joshuadysart.com/unknownsoldier/?p=454
Camilla d’Errico’s work:
http://http://www.camilladerrico.com/http://geek-news.mtv.com/2011/05/09/video-interview-artist-camilla-derrico-helmetgirls-origins/
And, forwarded by Katie Wildfong at the MIA, and is happening November 16th at the MIA:
Free Upcoming Event at the MIA: Joshua Dysart Discusses “Unknown Soldier”
I am writing to let you know about a free event hosted by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts from 3 – 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16.
Acclaimed graphic novelist Joshua Dysart will discuss his experience researching and writing the comic book series “Unknown Soldier,†set in war-torn Northern Uganda. The story’s protagonist is a Ugandan-American doctor who returns home to aid victims of the brutal Lord’s Resistance Army and its leader Joseph Kony. “Unknown Soldier†highlights the ongoing civil unrest in central Africa. This talk is particularly timely in light of the US military deployment to Uganda announced last month.
Joshua Dysart has received numerous accolades for his work, including a Glyph Comics Award in 2011 for best writer of a comic made by, for, or about people of color, and a nomination for a Will Eisner Comic Industry Award, also in 2011. His work on “Unknown Soldier†has been covered by The New York Times, the BBC, and other international media:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/12/books/12unknown.html and http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8221128.stm.This talk will take place on Wednesday, November 16, at 3 p.m. and will be held in the Pillsbury Auditorium. It is open to everyone; no reservations are necessary.
We hope you can come, and please feel free to invite others!