I was digging around in iPhoto for something and I found a few pics from the closing party to the Sweat Stains, Beer, And Cigarettes show from a few weeks back. I promptly uploaded them to Flickr. My big discovery of the show was the art of Bill Hauser. He works primarily as an illustrator and creates a ton of cover art for a variety of bands. I really like his old school, cartoony take on horror… and he has the chops to pull it off very well. I also really like his hand-made typography. Again, it’s cartoony, but the type is always tight, well arranged, with interesting letter forms. More Pics here.
Category: Events
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TCAF
I’m about to hop in a car with Zak Sally and drive to Toronto for TCAF. Please come to check out some new mini-comics from me, Gabrielle Bell, Jon Lewis and Dan Wieken (Me & Zak will be camped out at table 116).
On Sunday I’m also going to be participating in a panel on Print Culture (1:15 – 2:00). The panel will be moderated by Zak and will also include John Porcellino and Dylan Williams! See you in Toronto!
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Sweat Stains, Beer, And Cigarettes
Some of my sketches from concerts are on display at the SSCA Gallery over the next few weeks. I’m in good company, surrounded by a stellar group of artists including Dan Wieken and Mr. Mike.
Check out the work and come to the closing party April 16th:
CLOSING NIGHT RECEPTION and PARTY on SATURDAY APRIL 16 (from 7-11 pm), featuring free live music by THE BLIND SHAKE, THE KNOTWELLS, and DJ’d by [kramerica industries].
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Blood Folke at Kitty Cat Club

Dan Wieken‘s metal band, Blood Folke (pictured above), played at the Kitty Cat Klub in Minneapolis last night. Their epic folky doom-laden sound was the perfect antidote to the madness known as St. Patrick’s day.
The Night (pictured below) opened. I feel bad for opening bands I draw. The drawings I make of them tend be my warm ups… and result in a couple of awkward images.

A couple more drawings of the Kitty Cat Klub:

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Guttural Visions: The Pictures
The Guttural Visions show was pretty fun. A few pictures were taken. Take a look.
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Guttural Visions

Uncivilized Books presents a new pamphlet by Dan Wieken: Booke of Logos. The new book is a 24 page collection of new logos created for some of today’s best known celebrities (from Oprah to Maury Povich)
and politicians(lets face it politicians are celebrities too). Think of it as a kind of psychic re-branding… the results are sometimes ridiculous, sometimes incomprehensible, but always spot on. The book will debut tonight at the Black Dog in St. Paul during the opening event for Guttural Visions: Extreme Metal, A Visual Interpretation. it will be available on the Uncivilized Books site a couple of days later. More info here. -
Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival 2010

I’ll be at the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival today, so if you’re in New York, stop by! Loads of new mini-comics debuting from my micro-publishing ‘venture’ Uncivilized Books:
DIARY by Gabrielle Bell
Diary is the follow up to Gabrielle Bell’s acclaimed L.A. Diary. This pamphlet continues Gabrielle’s autobiographical project with stories set in Minneapolis, New York and California. The star of the book is ‘Manifestation’, Gabrielle’s ‘adaptation’ of the notorious Scum Manifesto. Tom Kaczynski contributes a one-page introductory comic.
KLAGEN: A HORROR by Jon Lewis
KLAGEN: A HORROR briefly considers the movements and practices of the death cult which has silently infiltrated every level of society throughout our world. Drawn in dirty gray and black, it sheds no more light than is prudent and gives no false hope. One closes this small book feeling that although we live in God’s house, God has not been home for a long, long time.
TRANS-UTOPIA by me
The long awaited fourth part of the well received Trans series of books (which includes Trans-Alaska, Trans-Siberia and Trans-Atlantis). The cartoon journey through philosophy, pop-culture, politics and the occult arrives at its destination: Utopia…
Also available for the first time in New York:
THE PETRIFIED CATALOGUE by Dan Wieken
The Petrified Catalogue is a collection of macabre illustrations rendered in obsessive detail. It’s an imaginary bestiary depicting the remains of creatures excavated from remote prehistory and the depths of the unconscious.
All of the above will be available on the Uncivilized Books site a few days after the show.
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SPX 2010
SPX is upon us again. I missed it last year, so I’m very excited to be there this weekend. Here’s what’s in store for the show:
On Saturday, Sept 11, from 5-6 p.m. I’ll be at the Fantagraphics table signing Mome’s and various mini-comics contraband. I’ll be signing alongside fellow Mome contributor Derek Van Gieson.
On Sunday I’ll be part of a panel titled Developing Iconographies. Here’s the brief from SPX programming:
Sunday, Sept 12, 2:30 | White Flint Amphitheater
Distinct from drawing as an art discipline with its own self-ratifying purpose, artists in comics create pictures as part of a visual language. Moderator Ken Parille will investigate the ways in which comics artists develop visual iconographies in individual works and throughout bodies of work. Cartoonists Eamon Espey, Kevin Huizenga, and Tom Kaczynski will participate in this discussion, illustrated with slides of the artists’ work.
The discussion should spirited, I hope all of you out there come and ask some problematic questions!
But what would SPX be without the comics. I’m happy to announce that my micro-publishing venture, Uncivilized Books, has once again teamed up with Gabrielle Bell to produce another mini-collection of her acclaimed diary comics:

The book includes her diaries set in Minneapolis, California & New York. The star of the book is Manifestation, Gabrielle’s ‘adaptation’ of the notorious Scum Manifesto. I also contributed a short comic-intro. We’ll have copies of L.A. Diary as well.
Another recent Uncivilized Books production will be on hand: The Petrified Catalogue by Dan Wieken. The book debuted at MIX last month, and this is the first time it’ll be available outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Last, but not least, I’ll have my usual assortment of comics along with Structures 1-11, a collection of architectural drawings that are part of my research for a future story:

We’ll be sharing a table with Julia Wertz, Jessie Reklaw, Andrice Arp, Jon Lewis & Karen Sneider. Stop by and say hello!
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Minneapolis Indie eXpo
I’ll be at the Minneapolis Indie eXpo tomorrow (Saturday, August 21, 9-5). I’m camped out at table 50 with St. Paul artist Dan Wieken and a couple of out of town guests Jon Lewis and Karen Sneider.
Uncivilized Books will debuting two new books during the show. First up is Dan Wieken’s The Petrified Catalogue (pictured above). Dan’s extremely detailed images of decayed and petrified remains of real and imaginary creatures has to be seen to be believed. Here are a few pictures that fail do justice to his drawings. This books needs to experienced in person:


The other book debuting is Structures 1-11. It’s a book of drawings (by me) of imaginary structures. Regulars on this blog may be familiar with some of the imagery. Just check out the ‘structure’ tags on this blog:

We’ll also have the usual Uncivilized catalogue, including Gabrielle Bell’s L.A. Diary.
In other MIX related news, I will have a 4 page Ransom Strange story in The Good Minnesotan #4:

and on top of that I’m moderating a panel on comics education. See the program for details.
See you at the Soapfactory!




