Ninj-a-rama

The San Francisco Cartoonist Conspiracy met, with verve, last week, in memoriam of a fallen comrade.





Minnesota Conspirator Eric Lappegard died last week from injuries sustained in a car accident. Sadder still, but great if you believe in an afterlife, I guess, his cat was killed in the accident as well.

To honor the fallen dead we convened with
a wonderful focus and produced some rather
beautiful work; four pages of ninjas, beer,
bikes, and vegans?

You can check out Eric's site and online comic, as well as get more information about him here:
www.ericlappegard.com

We wish Eric well, his cat too.

What to read

There is a great Conan Series being reprinted by Dark Horse Comics, and I believe the series may yet be running.

I'm sure some people may find this to be old news. So-frikkin'-what! It's what I'm reading right now and it is THE shit.

Historical epics with loads of action have long held my interest: From Lawrence of Arabia to Rob Roy and Master and Commander; From Schwarzenegger's Conan to Walking with Dinosaurs, (I know that's a leap, sfw,) to Highlander; Elseworlds like Gotham by Gaslight and Master of the Future and Metropolis; Barry Windsor-Smith. It's all can do to keep searching for that stronger dose.

Conan was a natural step. I've half a mind to read the original pulps, and I just might. But comics have always intrigued me, obviously, so I tried them first. Once I read the first volume, The Frost Giant's Daughter...it was over, Conan for life. Kurt Busiek's writing is human, engaging, superb. Cary Nord's uninked Pencils, complimented by the beautiful colors of Dave Stewart, are fluid and masterful; he has a true sense of the man. Together these two veteran creators craft a tangible, fantastically believable time long past-- a time that seems, through their eyes, could truly have been.

Testimonial concluded.

Barbarians at the gate?

The San Francisco Cartoonist Conspiracy met this week, and despite a light turn out, managed to turn out the beginnings of a nice little mini comic.

I was charged with drawing the first page, and thus, sewing the seeds for the whole story. Having spent the week reading Conan, I thought I would be sabotaging my cohorts by using that fantastic genre as my backdrop...but...as history has shown, it is never wise to underestimate a pack of rabid cartoonists...they'll surprise ya.

Heralds of a new age

I attended the spring show at the Academy of Art student gallery last night. My mind is officially blown. The building, a new space at 610 Brannan, just down the street from the Concourse Exhibition center, is phenominal and looks rather fetching filled with all manor of vibrant creations. The show this year is about eight times bigger than last, as that is the proportionate difference in size between the old gallery at 79 New Montgomery and the new digs.

I go to school with a lot of talented folks. Makes me want to really up the ante on my stuff. (I thought the pieces I submitted were pretty good, but they looked like some kid's crayon drawing on a placemate at a corporate restaurant by comparison to the work that made the cut. I can't wait to learn from these people.)

If you're in the area, the show, which opened last night, runs for a month. Check it out.

Conspire...I do.

Twice a month I meet with a group of very talented individuals to take over the world one comic panel at a time. In exquisite corpse fashion we jam out, drawing panel after panel until we have full comics, then we print them. Each person starts a page, drawing the first panel, then hands it off to the next free artist who continues the story in their own unique fashion. Occasionally we do full pages each, ending up with a sequence of pages that turns into comic book, of loosely connected crack-pot hilarity. The results are astoundingly bizarre and quite often extremely entertaining.

For anyone in San Francisco interested in jamming, we are currently meeting at Muddy Waters on Church and 15th street in the Castro/ Dolores area. Come play with a swell crowd.

Robo-a-go-go

APE, or the Alternative Press Expo, was last month here in windy San Francisco and, oh, what a convention it was. This year marked the publication of my first mini-comic. It rolled out with a bang and left a stain on the red carpet. I printed about 100 copies for the con, and sold nearly all of 'em, (don't tell the IRS.)

The two day event was a sea of interesting people with only a few, (I won't say unwelcome out loud,) Star Wars costumes, heralded by fellow artist Jeffry asking, "What's that smell?" To which I responded, "Jedi." Even as a bartender I don't think I've ever talked (or laughed) so much. An experience rewarded at the end of each day with a welcome cocktail.

APE is the premiere comic convention for talent and innovation. Never was so much talent, in fact, packed into one room. Each year it seems to get better. So many artists, and not just the kind who make comics put out a great show this year. It was so driven by amazing art that instead of being exhausted by the rough week of inking and photoshopping and kinkoing (yes I made it up,) I left the building wanting to make more and more comics.

And so I do.

A home for pen and ink

Welcome to the edge of the world where all manner of wonders reside. All manner hand drawn and rendered in thick, black ink that is.

As my porfolio increases and the events I participate in multiply, I find I need a place like this to get it all out there for minds to chew on.

Bon Appetit.