This is the Election Year, the time when politicians are becoming wild and ready to kill for a couple of votes. This is the time when normal people (like cartoonists) should stop the villains and show their tricks to the public.

 This is actually the goal of the “We are electing” Cartoon Contest organized by the International Cartoonists’ Club CARTUNION.

 Here you can find the exact rules of the competition:

Third CARTUNION International Cartoon Contest
The International Cartoonists Club CARTUNION invites cartoonists from around the world to take part in the contest “We are electing.”

The election is not only a formal democratic procedure, it is also a great chance to explore the human nature.
Here, at the polling station, you have a chance to watch the clash of amazing characters, to
observe the cowardice and desperate insolence on one side and the civic courage of the other.

In other words, the election is the perfect reason for artists-satirists to roll up their sleeves and take up a pencil or a computer mouse.

The rules of the contest:

1. Works should be sent electronically to the following address: cartoongallery@gmail.com
2. Picture format: A3, jpg or gif. The resolution should be
sufficient for high quality printing (at least 300 dpi).
3. Deadline for sending: February 15, 2012
4. The authors of the three best works will be awarded with the Honorary Diploma of the International Cartoonists Club.
5. The organizers reserve the right to publish the submitted drawings
without monetary compensation. The artist will keep the copyright.
6. Selected works will be presented on the CARTUNION site:
http://www.cartoon-expo.com/. We are also planning the traveling exhibition of the best works.

 http://www.cartoonblues.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=9837

 I should probably mention that the Diplomas are the original drawings by the great artists (I wish I could get one). Also, there is a nice cartoon album waiting on my bookshelf only for Conspirators.

We hope that you will be able to participate in the show.

 Thank you!

Andrey Feldshteyn
The International Cartoonists Club CARTUNION

Hey Everyone!

Just to let you know, I am going to be starting to post Guest strips/pin-ups starting this Friday, January 20. You can still get in on the action! If you need a little more time than today (January 15), that’s just fine!

I have seen the submissions so far, and I am blown away by how awesome they look, and I’m really excited to put them up on my website for everyone to see!

If you’d like to get in on the action, send your submission to jsloan28@hotmail.com I will accept JPEG files. Along with the submission, write down a few words regarding your previous and current projects so that I can plug your work.

EXTENDED DEADLINE : January 31st.

Thanks, and hope to see all of you at the jams!

The whole metro area is buzzing about the Red Bull Crashed Ice Ultimate Ice-Cross Downhill Racing Event to be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, January 14 at the St Paul Cathedral.* And you can go to that for sure. If you want to experience extreme thrills, that is. But before you go there, stop by the Saturday Open Studio and do some drawing and socializing. You’ll get out in plenty of time to make it to the 7 p.m. start of the exciting Red Bull Crashed Ice whatchamacallit.

Join your fellow cartoonists at Minnesota Center for Book Arts. We’ll be at the high tables, just a little past the store. There’s a coffee shop in the building for sandwiches, snacks and beverages. Plus free, sorta slow (but free!) coffee-shop wi-fi.

Saturday, Jan. 14, from noon until 4 p.m., MCBA Bindery (high tables)

This is an open studio — all are welcome.

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

Future Sat. Open Studios:
February 18 — Flexi space (low tables)
March 10 — Flexi space (low tables)
April 14 — Flexi space (low tables)

*Actually, the whole metro area is buzzing about Downton Abbey or Portlandia or maybe the area is buzzing about climate change. Frankly, I can’t keep up with of all the things the area is buzzing about.

Hi Folks!

Hope everyone had a great New Year’s, and that 2012 is starting off on a good note! Just a reminder…I am still looking for guest strips for my webcomic, www.sa-bomjimcomic.com

If you would like to do a guest strip, please send your submission to me at jsloan28@hotmail.com. I would like to get jpegs, a rough size guideline is that many of my strips are roughly 8.5 inches by 11 inches. Along with your submission, I would like you to send a small writeup of your work so I can plug your site and other projects you have been working on.

I would like to get these on or after Jan. 15.

What I am looking for:

I am just looking for others to do a strip with my characters that doesn’t have to tie in with any of my regular story lines. It can be just a pin-up if you’d like. Just a small word on content…my stuff is generally regarded as “G” to “PG” rated, so if you could please work within that framework, it would be greatly appreciated!

If you have any questions, please reach me at the above email address.

Thanks to whomever can submit a strip. Again, hope 2012 is treating you all very well!

Jon Sloan

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!!

Click image for pdf — a prickly 6.7 mb!

Please enjoy.

In the fourteenth episode host DANNO KLONOWSKI talks with MN cartoonist STEVEN STWALLEY about the ever-present power of jam comics in his life, why kids drawing dinosaurs is the coolest, and an oral history of The International Cartoonist Conspiracy (the thing Steve created that he refuses to take any credit for, but he totally did).

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.

http://www.nordeastcomics.com/

TOPIC: Photoshop Boot Camp
MODERATOR: Kevin Cannon
DATE: Thursday, January 5, 2012

TIME: 6 – 6:30 pm (right before the Cartoonist Conspiracy Jam)
LOCATION: 1618 Central Ave NE, Ste. 216, Nordeast MPLS

To kick off 2012 we’ll be hosting a series of Boot Camps to get you familiar with three digital tools that all cartoonists should know & love: Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.

For these Boot Camps we’re going to assume that you’ve never opened the programs before, so technology-phobes are encouraged to attend. Bring lots of questions because we’ll have lots of answers for you.

First up is … PHOTOSHOP, where we’ll cover topics such as:

• How is Photoshop different than Illustrator?
• When should I use Photoshop?
• Photoshop is expensive — what are some alternatives?
• What are layers?
• What’s a pixel?
• What does DPI mean?
• How do I scan stuff and bring it into Photoshop?
• How do I resize a picture?
• How do I make a jpeg/gif/png?
• How do I color my comic after I’ve scanned it in?
• … etc.

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

Bus info here.

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.