My name is Ted Anderson, and I’m looking for an artist to collaborate with on a pitch, and potentially the full project if it’s picked up. The book is a young adult graphic novel–maybe a one-off, maybe a multi-book series–relatively mature (i.e. drugs, alcohol, talking about sex but probably not showing it). It’ll have a dark, realistic tone with very small elements of fantasy/sci-fi. Main characters will be three teenage girls with very different body types, and side characters will include a wide variety of body types, styles, facial features, etc. I’ll pay standard page rate for character sketches, and maybe a few sample pages. Contact me at ted [dawt] anderson [ate] gmail [dawt] com with samples of your work.

Underground Cartooning Great and Zap Comics contributor S. Clay Wilson (renowned for such creations as The Checkered Demon and Captain Pissgums and His Pervert Pirates) suffered a traumatic brain injury a couple years ago (the details of which you can read here). He is severely brain damaged and can no longer draw. Being an underground cartoonist, he obviously has no retirement plan. He recently underwent surgery to help with a build up of spinal fluid in his brain. Few cartoonists have blown so many minds or melted so many eyeballs. It is a testament to the power of his work that things he created 40 years ago remain some of the most wildly offensive art ever created to this day… and some of the funniest and most outrageous comics ever created. He could really use help… go here to donate to his trust.

This months poster by Jajeev Nithiananda

It’s month three of BAD CARTOONIST NIGHT at THE BAD WAITRESS!!! We all survived St Pattys, so drawing and trivia is still go! So come on down at 8pm for food and drink specials, table and countertop drawing, and some comic and pop culture-themed trivia (which starts at 9pm)! Awesome prizes to be won! Awesome drawings to be made! The word awesome to be used in this sentence!

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/162781563843330/

More info here.

Zak Sally and Dale Flattum discuss their new graphic art collections with artist Andy Sturdevant
The conversation will be animated when Zak Sally and Dale Flattum discuss their new graphic novel collections with artist Andy Sturdevant.

—-

Sammy the Mouse: Volume 1 is a collection of the first three issues of Eisner Award Nominee Zak Sally’s comic Sammy the Mouse (previously serialized as part the international Ignatz line of comics published simultaneously by Fantagraphics Books in the United States and Coconino Press in Italy). For this collection, Sally printed each copy on his own AB Dick 9810 offset press and is releasing it under his La Mano publishing house. Sally is personally responsible for every step in the bookmaking process; from conception to execution to reproduction to delivery, making each hand-signed copy the product of one artist’s unique vision.

“A grimy, metaphysical malaise drips from every line of Sally’s lush yet unwholesome artwork, especially when he’s plundering the iconography of innocence and youth in the service of disorienting discomfort.”–The Onion AV Club

Meticulously drawn and printed using a sophisticated two-color process, Sammy the Mouse: Volume 1 is an extremely funny, weird and intense introduction to what will be a truly unique series.

Zak Sally’s work has appeared all over the place. He owns and operates La Mano, an award-winning “micro-publishing” house who has published work by John Porcellino, William Schaff, Nate Denver, Jason Miles, and Kim Deitch. He spent 12 years in the band Low, and was in that Shopgirl movie.

—-

Showcasing 25 years of graphic art from Dale Flattum, Tooth is a 250-page volume that mixes posters, illustrations & pointless propaganda into a semi autobiographical history, as told through a Xerox machine. (It also includes a CD of music pulled from the author’s shady musical past.)

“Tooth’s exquisite work looks so effortless. He can do in a moment what I have to STRUGGLE to do. I’m jealous!”–Art Chantry

When not watching Law & Order re-runs, Dale Flattum spends his time creating posters, art forgeries, and other screen printed propaganda under the alias: TOOTH. Before all of this, he pursued a career in music, touring the world for over nine years with the noisy San Francisco rock bands Steel Pole Bath Tub and Milk Cult.

—-

Andy Sturdevant is an artist, writer and arts administrator living in South Minneapolis. He writes a weekly column on art and visual culture in the Twin Cities for MinnPost called “The Stroll.” He’s also the host of the monthly live arts and culture revue Salon Saloon at Bryant-Lake Bowl.

Magers & Quinn
3038 Hennepin Ave. South
Minneapolis, MN 55408

More info about the Big Table event March 17th here.

March 17, 7:00 pm–10:00 pm

Add this event
to your calendar
Big Table Studio
375 Wabasha Street North
St Paul, MN 55102

http://www.cartoonistconspiracy.com/sushipodcast/2012/03/lutefisk-sushi-podcast-episode-18-michael-drivas/

In the eighteenth episode host DANNO KLONOWSKI talks with MICHAEL DRIVAS, owner and operator of BIG BRAIN COMICS, about the life of a comic book retailer in these modern times, why a psychology degree is either the best or most irrelevant thing to have when running a comic shop, and why he is a both a cartoonists dealer and pimp.  Also, my cat attempts to molest his face.

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.

(Above image by Dan Murphy)

May 26th, 2012 is the date for the second annual Mini-Comics Day, celebrating the art of cartooning and creating hand-made comic books (the first event was held April 9th, 2011).

On Mini-Comics Day, participating cartoonists from around the world will write, draw, and print copies of a mini-comic, completing the entire process from start to finish in a day or less. Anyone in the world can participate.

Mini-comics have been democratizing the art of making comic books since the 70’s or earlier… with the popularization of photocopiers, it became apparent that anyone with an inclination and some spare change could print a little comic book. Wildly varying in both form and content, mini-comics are a wonderful synthesis of cartooning and hand-made art objects.

Guidelines: To participate, create a mini-comic from start to finish on May 26th, 2012 (including writing, drawing and printing it). You can make your mini-comic by yourself or with other artists.

Format: Your mini-comic can be any size, length and format you desire. A standard mini-comics size would be eight 4.25″x5.5″ pages (which can be made from one 8.5×11 sheet of paper printed on both sides).

Help: For more information on how to make a mini-comic, see the Cartoonist Conspiracy’s mini-comic tutorial How to Make Mini-Comics. More resources can be found here.

Submit: Optionally, you can post information and/or images from your comic on this blog. Contact for an account to post here.

Bonus points: If you are working with a group of cartoonists, you may want to consider collecting your mini-comics together to distribute as a set. Bags, rubber bands, or boxes all work great for this purpose.

Also, you may want to consider trading copies by submitting some to the Mini-comix Co-op.

Events: Mini-Comics Day events will be organized at different locations around the world. You can read more about how to organize an event in our FAQ. The purpose of Mini-Comics Day events is to provide a place for cartoonists to draw and/or print their comics, and possibly to trade or sell their minis if they choose to. In 2011, we had 17 event locations participate internationally.

If you would like to organize an event, contact us at so we can promote your event and add it to our event listing.

About The International Cartoonist Conspiracy: Founded in Minneapolis in 2002, The International Cartoonist Conspiracy is a loosely organized group of cartoonists with cells all over the world. The Conspiracy has been responsible for many collaborative projects, including anthologies, gallery shows, and numerous jams every month. Any cartoonist anywhere can start a cell, and anyone with a desire to draw comics is encouraged to participate.

Join the St. Paul Cartoonist Conspiracy Cell and create a jam comic at Cahoots Coffee! This locale provides us with not only a spacious room in the back of the shop, but also they have tasty mediterranean food for sale!

The jamming is easy and it’s a fun time! Just bring some drawing utensils, an idea for the jam, and a few bucks to get a tasty beverage or some chow — don’t forget to tip, the baristas really do appreciate that!

The jam will start promptly at 6:30 and run until 10:30 at the latest. Come earlier to reserve your space! Seating can be limited at times!

The meetings are open to anyone who wants to draw with us, and the results will be posted here at some date yet to be determined.

To join us come to:
Cahoots Coffee
1562 Selby Ave
St Paul, MN 55104
(Southeast corner of Snelling and Selby)

More not than often we head on over to grab a brew at:
O’Gara’s Bar and Grill
164 Snelling Ave N
St. Paul, MN 55104
(Right next to Cahoots!)

Bus info here.

I have a writer friend who is looking for an artist to work on one of two graphic novel projects.  Below is a synopsis for each project.

Guru of the Mind
Synopsis: A story of introspection and emotional healing. There are
mysterious people called selnas, who enter the dreams of others from afar
and talk to them while they sleep. Selnas act as counselors and guides,
explaining their pupils the inner workings of the mind and heart. With the
help of selnas, various people learn to conquer their fears, doubts,
illusions and everyday worries.

Baka Desnay
Synopsis: A crazy-fun way of learning Japanese. Baka Desnay is the story of
an American man who accidentally travels to Japan in a suitcase while
pursuing a banana. He’s a loveably adventurous idiot, and he soons starts
having adventures with ninjas and robots and pirates and zombies, all while
slowly learning the Japanese language. His counterpart is mild-mannered
Takeshi, a college student assigned to be his Japanese tutor, who routinely
gets dragged along in zany adventures.

If interested, please contact sonicsuns [at] gmail [dot] com

Drawing and talking. No agenda. Meet a few of your fellow cartoonists at Minnesota Center for Book Arts. We’ll be at the low tables, just a little past the MCBA store.

There’s a coffee shop in the building for sandwiches, snacks and beverages. There are handy outlets nearby for your devices. Plus free, slow (but free!) coffee-shop wi-fi.

Saturday, March 10, from noon until 4 p.m., Flexi-space (low 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:
April 14 — Flexi space (low tables)
May 26 — Mini-comic day