12/30/07 - Free Graphic Programs

"There are a lot of excellent graphics programs on the market these days, but just because they come with a premium price tag doesn’t mean they are the only option." Are you currently doing at digitally? Interesting in expanding your tool set? Check out these 35 free graphic programs as served up by Mashable.com.

12/28/07 - Interested in print on demand publishing?

If you are thinking about self-publishing your next comic epic, you might want to take a look at Ka-Blam Digital Printing. They are one of two main "print-on-demand" comic producers (the other being ComixPress) and they recently shifted their business model eliminating set-up fees altogether. Admittedly, you have to serve up your pages per their digital specifications, but it's a straightforward way to see your title in print and on sale relatively quickly. Great for the individual comic creator trying to get started.

Get all the details on their killing their fees here and learn more at www.ka-blam.com. Comics printed by Ka-Blam can then be sold/marketed by their sister site IndyPlanet. Check out that site by visiting www.indyplanet.com.

To take a look at ComixPress (comparison shop!) just stop by www.comixpress.com.

12/26/07 - Need a Pen?

Are you an artist in need of a pen?
We may just have a site for you!

If you are interested in pens (both art and standard), I'm pleased to share a blog that takes a fairly thorough look at the subject. Found on the web at pens.h099.com, the blog is (according to their own site description) intended as a useful and practical resource for people who draw a lot.

Motto from the site: "Who Needs Friends … when you have pens."

Well worth a visit.

Get more comic creator targeted stories and site pointers at the Creators Corner and please visit the Lexington Comic Creator's Group forum located here. We'd love to hear from you so please log in, say hello and leave a thought or two!

12/17/07 - Happy Holidays!

There will be no December meeting as everyone is tied up with holiday celebrations and family activities. We'll regroup for a big meeting at the end of January 2008. (Illustration by Frank Daenen)

"Super World" in January '08 PREVIEWS!

"Super World"
by Kenn Minter & Clarence Pruitt
Published by Near Mint Press
24 pages, Black and White

- January 2008 PREVIEWS
- Item code is JAN083809
- Page 319
- Ships in March 2008

"Super World" is a new, one-shot anthology featuring short, snappy, satirical tales of self-absorbed and pathetic superheroes. In "Super World" you'll meet "Incredo-Lad," "the Z-Squad," "the ZZZip," Love Lantern,' plus many more!

From the same creative team that brought you "the Experts!"

Tell your favorite comic book shopkeeper to order hundreds of copies!

Thanks,
Kenn Minter

11/22/07 - Advice For Freelance Artists

This post was on the Drawn blog a couple of days ago and I think is worth reading by anyone who wants to or is making part of the livelihood from freelance illustration or contract comic work. There is good advice here for those just starting out about internships and developing a portfolio (traditional and on-line).

Dave Roman the author of the post linked above is an artist himself and has worked for Nickelodeon Magazine for nine years so he has some credibility on this topic.

This just reiterates what you should already know: people (clients, editors, art directors) like to work with pleasant, professional people that they know can deliver the requested work with a minimum of hand holding. Target your portfolio to your own strengths and interests. Strive to be able to take revisions with good humor - this is a winning ability and will get you more work later down the road.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

11/19/07 - Podcast Gurney Interview and Guide to Interning

These were two items that I thought might be of interest:
First a recent audio interview with Dinotopias's James Gurnery.
Second an enlightening post from James Apples' blog Visual Editors about getting your foot in the door at your local newspaper.

11/17/07 - Illustration Resources

Illustration

Pronunciation: \ˌi-ləs-ˈtrā-shən also i-ˌləs-\

Function: noun

Date:14th century

1 a: the action of illustrating : the condition of being illustrated barchaic : the action of making illustrious or honored or distinguished2: something that serves to illustrate: as a: an example or instance that helps make something clear b: a picture or diagram that helps make something clear or attractive

This post will hopefully be updated by lots of you on a regular basis. If you see something here that you don't agree with or feel is missing leave a comment.

Websites:
Illustration Art - David Apatoff really likes great pictures. Inspriation from some of the best.
Gurney Journey - James Gurney of Dinotopia fame frequently updates this excellent blog. Shares lots of his working methods and techniques.
Visual Editors - a group effort "the classroom of visual journalism". Great for technical illustrations or informative illustration (ala USA Today diagram).
Today's Inspiration - Leif Peng's labor of love and the source for 1940's and 1950's illustration information.

Books:
Illustrator's Bible - Rob Howard shares his tips for a wide variety of traditional media
Rendering in Pen and Ink - the classic by Arthur Guptill.
Digital Character Design and Painting - techniques for using Photoshop CS in digital illustration by Don Seegmiller, the middle of three similar books, the first deals with Painter, the latest with Photoshop CS3

Magazines:
Illustration Magazine - lots of the old masters covered
Illo - contemporary illustrators
ImagineFX - British import (pricey), DVD insert, trial software, artist profiles, tutorials
2DArtist - online PDF (inexpensive), lots of tutorials

Schools:

Traditional Colleges and Universities

Savannah School of Design (SCAD) - with campuses in Savannah, Georgia and Atlanta Georgia:Undergrad and Masters Degrees
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) - Undergrad only for Illustration
American Academy of Art - the school in Chicago that Alex Ross (and his mother) attended
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) - has a Medical Illustration degree (see Gurney Journey blog for his review)
University of Georgia - has a Scientific Illustration undergrad program and a Medical Illustration Masters Program through their Medical College.
Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) - this program is gaining in recognition. Chris Payne heads up the Illustration Department.

Summer Intensives, Online and Hybrid Courses

The Illustration Academy - summer intensives with working illustrators

The Art Department (TAD) - online/hybrid courses from the Illustration Academy and Massive Black/ConceptArt.org
Visual Literacy Program - online video tutorials from the Illustration Academy, ConceptArt.org and TAD instructors- has two options: adults and high school students

11/16/07 - Heading to Mid-Ohio-Con?

Are you planning to head to Mid-Ohio-Con next weekend? Be sure to arrive early enough to take in the pre-convention party Friday night.

"Unmasked," the 2nd annual free pre-convention party sponsored by Ferret Press and the PANEL collective, will take place from 8 p.m. - midnight on Friday, Nov. 23. The venue for this event will once again be Barley's Brewing Co., directly across from the convention center. The party serves as a place where comic book fans can mingle with comic book pros, chat, have a drink, and talk about comics, art, music, and more.

If you are thinking about attending the event, please either post word here, leave a comment following this post or drop an e-mail to Jonathan who is helping coordinate the Lexington KY Comic Creators Group pilgrimage north.

11/14/07 - Recommended Graphic Novel Made Into Animated Movie

Persepolis, a Graphic Novel, by Marjane Satrapi is on the posted list of CCG recommended reading. Sony Pictures released an animated movie adaptation of this book in Europe earlier this year. Satrapi, who has lived in France for a number of years, was heavily involved in the production of this film so it should remain true to it's source. It has won some awards and is scheduled for release here in the US around Christmas.

I am a big fan of the printed version of this work - I feel it really highlights the power of comics to break down cultural and political borders. I learned a lot from reading this - namely that people, even in countries that have governments unfriendly to the US government, have a lot more in common with me and my life than popular belief would suggest.

11/14/07 - Spanish Editorial Cartoonists Fined

Some of you may be following this controversial case about an embarrassing depiction of Spain's Crown Prince and his wife. This cartoon on a news magazine cover seems to be tapping into a ground swell of great dissatisfaction with the royals by the citizenry of Spain. The two men who drew and wrote the caption for the cartoon are being charged with slander and defaming the crown.

Is this a case of freedom of the press or just some uncouth folks trying to sell their paper? - you decide.

Here is a link to the story of the cartoonists legal judgment from BBC News.

11/11/07 - Our New Group Forum

We are pleased to throw open the doors and invite you to visit the new Lexington KY Comic Creators Group Forum! Check it out by following this link.

This is a companion discussion area where messages can be exchanged, projects can be built and members can hang out. This new forum is an added online arena where we can share information and resources.

Currently the forum is divided into Group News, Comic Projects and Discussion. It can expand in any way that you like so feedback is ALWAYS welcome. Please drop by, make yourself comfortable and post away!

You will need a login ID and password, but we're already on the case for you…

Option 1 - If you've been to a recent monthly meeting you should have received an e-mail containing your login and password this afternoon. If you received that e-mail, you are pre-registered and ready to roll. Once logged in, you can change that password and customize the account as you wish.

Option 2 - If you didn't get and e-mail would like us to handle all the mechanics of registration, just e-mail Chuck Moore and he’ll handle everything.

Option 3 - If you would prefer to register on your own, simply click here and follow the steps. It only takes a couple minutes.

We look forward to seeing you in the forum!

11/04/07 - Excellent Autodidactic Posts and Open Source Education

I mentioned Gannon Beck previously in a post concerning his superior online illustration tutorial. Well he has blown me away again with his posts on Learn to be an Illustrator and serial posts on "Open Source Education". This latter subject is going to send a chill down the back of many a college administrator - and I think deservedly so. When did higher education become such a money making proposition?!! Little business colleges boldly charge such exorbitant tuition as to rival the student debt that one would have at an Ivy League School (worse because there probably isn't much in the way of scholarships, work programs, grants, endowments, etc...).

I just have to applaud Gannon's "can do" approach to dealing with the sacred cow of higher ed. This "self-reliant" auto didactic track is a quality that many in our fighting forces have and probably why our military succeeds in so many demanding situations. I find this a refreshing and viable approach to the whole college education challenge - what do you all think?

11/03/07 - UK Law School Hosts Panel Disucssion on KY Kernel Editorial Cartoon

Who says editorial cartoons are no longer influential or relevant?

Not anyone who has been following the events before, during and after the publication of a Kentucky Kernel (University of Kentucky's student run, independent newspaper) editorial cartoon you know that there was quite a lot of fallout to the depiction of UK's Greek System as somehow analogous to a slave auction. Previous to that cartoon running the newspaper had reported on the Jena-6 case, "Taboo Subjects in Race Relations", segregation in the UK Greek system, and covered a meeting of the UK Greeks to discuss the segregation that persists between black and white fraternities/sororities. I strongly encourage any interested to go to www.kykernel.com site and look through the articles and stories preceding the October 5th edition of the newspaper. This really helps to put some of this in perspective. Here is a link to some of the online comments the Kernel received.

I am greatly pleased to see someone has the courage to host an open discussion about the issues that have been raised these past few weeks! Here is the information sent out by the UK Law School about their program: "When Is Race a Laughing Matter?" (A title I take objection to, by the way. Editorial cartoons are serious works and their primary purpose is not to amuse to but to illuminate.)

Colleagues,

The Law School's Diversity Committee, under the leadership of Professor
Melynda Price, has put together a program that arises out of and expands
upon the issues raised by the Kernel cartoon. It is titled "When is Race a
Laughing Matter? A Community Discussion of the Kernel Cartoon Controversy."
Melynda has put together a very interesting group of panelists with varying
thoughts on the topic.

On behalf of the College of Law, I invite you to attend In addition, would
you be willing to arrange for the posting/distribution of the attached
flier.

We have plenty of room for students and faculty as the program is being held
in the Courtroom of the Law Building. It begins at 6:00 p.m. on Monday,
November 5th.

Here is a PDF flier for the event. Here is a link to the campus guide map showing the location of the College of Law Building, where I suppose the "courtroom" is located.

I find great parallels between this and the furor that arose from the Danish Cartoons that many Muslims found offensive last year (see previous post). Lexington Herald Leader Editorial Cartoonist and Pulitzer Prize winner, Joel Pett, is scheduled to be present on the discussion panel that includes Brad Fletcher, the UK Law student who wrote and drew the cartoon.

10/25/07 - October Group Meeting Set

Drum roll please...

Join us for the next meeting of the Lexington Kentucky Comic Creators Group this Sunday, October 28th from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM at the Tates Creek Branch of the Lexington Public Library. The Tates Creek Branch is located at 3628 Walden Drive. Should you need driving directions or additional information, please click here.

We will be meeting in the Josephine Staples Emrath Community Room (their large meeting room). As it's the Halloween season, drinks and treats will be served in honor of the holiday and the meeting!

Bring your creativity, your projects, your skills, your needs and anything you want to share with the group. We look forward to seeing you there!

Nashville Horror and Comic Book Convention

Howdy all.

I just spent the weekend in Nashville, TN. attending and promoting my comic book series at the "Nashville Horror and Comic Book Convention." It was a blast.

I met several nice people and made many new contacts. In regards to where the promoters of the convention placed me and my table, I got really lucky. The other vendors and presenters near me were extremely pleasant and down-to-earth folks. Across from my table was none other than Jackson Bostwick. Who? Bostwick played "Captain Marvel" on the CBS Saturday morning show, "SHAZAM!," in the early 1970s. He was a great guy and I talked to him quite a bit over the two days of the convention. He had his three-year-old daughter with him... who I ended up baby-sitting periodically when Bostwick would disappear to go hob-nob.

The star of the show was B-Movie/TV legend, John Saxon. He still looked just as intimidating as he did in every movie and TV show he appeared in in the 70s. I didn't get a chance to talk with him... but others assured me he was a really nice and charming man.

I ended up selling over 20 copies of "the Experts" and gave several copies and contact info to a marketing guy from Marvel Comics. Who knows? I think I blew about $150 on comic books and action figures.

All in all... it was a very fun and informative time. I'll definitely do more conventions in the near future.

-Kenn

10/11/07 - Process of The Process & 24-Hour Comics

This story is taken from Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog and looks to be an excellent workup of one web comic cartoonists working process.

"The Process" is the work of Joe Infurnari (self portrait at left) whose work is reminiscent of comics legend Will Eisner!

On Joe's blog he details the steps involved in creating his web comic.

PS: The CCG mini 24-Hour Comic Event location has been confirmed. Watch the CCG Calendar link for full details coming soon! All around the world Cartoonists will be creating various 24-Hour Comics on Saturday, October 20th 2007. Here is a link to some of the activities that SCAD Atlanta is up to that day. The idea for this event is the offspring of famous comics theory author Scott McCloud.

Thanks to Stevie Moore for managing this event while I am out of town!

10/07/07 - Two Greats Caught on Video at Baltimore Comic Con

This is a really cool video that I saw over at Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog (one the best blogs for this field along with Lines and Colors by Charley Parker) with John Romita Sr. and Joe Kubert busting out a little spiderman/hawkman pin-up. The footage is during last months Baltimore Comic Con. The cause is The Hero Initiative (see previous posts about this worthwhile charity). The result - a fun video for a good cause that brings together two legends in the field of comics. Enjoy! And thanks to whomever posted this!

10/05/07 - OSU Festival of Cartoon Art Update

Way back in December of 2006 [link] and again in April of 2007 [link], Jonathan updated everyone on the OSU Festival of Cartoon Art. The event is set to take place in a couple weeks (October 26-27th, 2007) in Columbus, Ohio.

If you are planning to attend, there have been some line-up changes. In a recent press release, the OSU Cartoon Libaray announced that Jules Feiffer, Guy Delisle and Mark Siegel have cancelled their appearances. The release goes on to announce that Arnold Roth, David Saylor (creative director for Scholastic) and Paul Pope will be joining the festival.

You can get all the details on the event here.

10/04/07 - Conan Tut, Squidoo and Drawing Board.org

This is a jam packed post as I am going to talk about at least three different entities but they all related: as being great educational resources. Leave a comment if you like this post! Lurkers tolerated but not advocated!! Join in and let your voice be heard!

www.drawingboard.org
This is a great forum based site that deals with comics and illustration. There are a ton of great categories, I especially enjoy the the Superhero Jam discussion moderated by Euan MacTavish out of Scotland. He is a wonderful digital illustrator and great at capturing celebrity likenesses and applying dramatic and novel color schemes to his digital paintings. Check out Euan's blog for some way cool art and a peek into how he digitally creates his work. He appears to have a very efficient work flow - something a lot of digital artists lack (you will see them make major edits halfway through a finished piece - BAD, VERY BAD!!). Here is the link to the drawing boards' page about Squidoo.com.

www.squidoo.com
This site uses a format called LENS to create web pages (follow this link if you want to create a lens!). I guess there is a reward system for building and then having web visitors go to your lens (or single web page) - but they seem to have some good art instruction pages? You get royalties from each visit and can disperse those as you wish. Seems like a creative and benevolent exercise in capitalism! I will update this post once I get a better handle on this technology. IF anyone else can explain it better please post a comment!

Gannon Beck - Illustrator http://gannonbeck.com/
Gannon has a cool Conan Illustration Tutorial (http://www.squidoo.com/conandrawing) using the LENS format on squidoo.com. And I really appreciate his sentiments about sharing knowledge and mentoring - Bravo Gannon! Help make Gannon independently wealthy - send all your friends to his page!! (LOL)

10/04/07 - How does something I draw get into a magazine?

Mike Lynch (caricature pictured left), in addition to being a blogger, is a magazine cartoonist. His clients include Reader's Digest, Playboy, Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, TheLadders.com, the New York Daily News and many others. He's also the National Cartoonists Society National Representative.

In a recent article on his blog, Mike shares the answer to the question "How does something I draw at home, on a board, get into a magazine like Harvard Business Review?" The article is a bit cartoon focused, but many of the points raised would be equally applicable to making a comic pitch. Good reading on either side of the creator fence.

Check out the full article here.

10/02/07 - Self-Publishing Secrets Revealed, A Six Part Series

Over on Comic-Con's Pulse website, Jane Irwin has spent the last few months posting a solid six part series on the art of self publishing. Letting Jane explain...

"When I first started work on my comic, ten years ago, my journey down the road to Self-Publishing received an enormous push-start from several professionals, including Mark "M'Oak" Oakley, Carla Speed McNeil and Jim Ottaviani. I realized what a huge gift of time and firsthand knowledge these creators were giving me, and I vowed that if I were ever in a position to do so, I would return the favor."

She returns the favor in this series. Here are the links to all six parts...
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Jane Irwin is the creator and publisher of the Vögelein series.

9/30/07 - "Back to School Special " Meeting/Workshop Today!

Today we are having our "Back to School Special" Meeting/Workshop at the Beaumont Branch Library here in Lexington. Hopefully everyone knows to watch our CCG Calendar for keeping track of our events and regional comic/illustration/animation events.

This is a special meeting because we are actively recruiting new members who are new or returning to the area for college, high school or middle school. We will have some small door prizes and may have a raffle for some bigger items. All proceeds will go toward operating expenses or for future expenses. So don't wait, come on down and join the fun! This will be a great time for checking us out or joining in!

09/16/07 - College Newspaper Looking for Cartoonists

The student run University of Kentucky newspaper, the Kentucky Kernel, is looking for cartoonists for it's editorial page. Posted is an example from the Friday August 28th edition of this year. They pay the whopping sum of $7 for each piece they accept.

Here is the contact info if you want to submit something :

Chad Reese, Opinions Editor opinions@kykernel.comPublish Post

09/06/07 - Gallery Hop & CCG Sketch

Hey! It's that time of year again, the city-wide gallery hop is coming up Friday September 21, 2007. Several of us enjoyed hanging out at the coffeehouse last June so much we've decided to do it again! Come join us - learn about the CCG and see what we're currently working on. Bring your sketchbook or journal and join in on the merriment!

2nd CCG (Lexington KY Comic Creators Group) Gallery Hop Event

WHY:
In an effort to expose and promote our group while being able to create art in a different, inspirational and hopefully collaborative atmosphere, we have been trying to find a place for some of us to draw comics or just sketch in a public environment. Maybe this will even draw out some of you closet extroverts to come to a CCG event! Please send us feedback on this...

WHAT:
Some of the possibilities....

* Sketching
* Large scale comics
* Interactive comics (leave panels, word balloons, thought balloons, or captions empty and invite participation by visitors)
* Immersive comics (including passersby or actual events in the story)
* Big group jam page (strawberry is really good, oh no not that kind of jam) think jazz music, improvisational and collaborative...
* Big group doodle page (no stress here - just go to town or be laid back - whatever!)

HOW:

* Contact Jonathan (email: lexkyccg@gmail.com, phone 276.5528) or Wolf (cell: 859.749.6430) if you are interested (or just show up if you are a commitment-phobe!) and to get more info.
* Think BIG and BRING your own supplies ...just in case we don't have your favorite marker. You may consider white foam core board if you want to work big on a wall. Sharpies are cheap but bold. If your ideas are more modest sketchbooks are always a good idea!
* PLEASE - nothing TOO MESSY! (We want to be able to keep coming since we like the place!)
* We should have a large table so the regular scale paper and supplies should be OK too.
* Bring photocopies of your work if you want a red line critique.
* Be ready for something different - you can do it the same old way at home!


WHERE: (subject to change call there or the contacts to be sure)

* Common Grounds Coffee House, 343 E High St, Lexington, KY 40507, (859) 233-9761 Upstairs "conference room"


WHEN:(subject to change call there or the contacts to be sure)

* Friday September 21st 2007, 6 - 9p and beyond?

09/05/07 - See You in the Funny Papers?

The attention diverting image on the left will link you to a great blog on comics by Steve Duin of The Oregonian. Nice that they value the medium enough to have a regular columnist assigned to cover it! You can read a review about Craig Voe's mag there as well.

Meanwhile, our local paper, the Lexington Herald-Leader, is running a request on their website for input about the comics they run in the paper. Stop by and enter your votes. This is great that they are asking, but the ballot system they are using seems a little restrictive.

How about we look at the big list of comic strip options? There a lot of great strips that don't get much attention: Liberty Meadows, Spiderman, Little Orphan Annie, you can probably remember some that you thought had gone away or are no longer produced. Here is a link to some of the best comic strips you have never heard of. Below is a partial list (let me know what I have missed) of the offerings from some of the comics syndicates:

• King Features: http://www.kingfeatures.com/features/comics/comics.htm
• United Media: http://www.comics.com/
• Tribune Media Syndicate: http://www.comicspage.com/
• Creators Syndicate: http://www.creators.com/comics.html
• United Features: http://www.unitedfeatures.com/ufsapp/home.do
  

Oh, and while we're at it let's look at Editorial Cartoons - do you think they want our input on that? Here's some links to some of the leaders in that form of cartooning:

• The Washington Post Writers Group: http://www.postwritersgroup.com/edtoons.htm
• Tribune Media Syndicate: http://www.comicspage.com/ed_comics.html

I encourage all readers of this blog to contact your local paper and let them know you are interested in what they run, how they choose to display it (have you noticed the comics page space just keeps shrinking?) and that you want local content as well as the syndicated stuff!

For local area blog visitors, I don't have specific names or emails (yet!) for you all to send your messages to - in the meantime here is a link to the contact us web form for the Herald-Leader. Let them know what you want to read! Start a list here as a comment - we can summarize the suggestions and forward on to the powers that be. Viva La Revolucion!

09/03/07 - Labor Day, What's It Really About?

Well Happy Labor Day! Don't get sunburnt or eat too much at the picnic. But is that why we celebrate this holiday? Who is this celebration for? Why is it important to celebrate the working man and woman? The modern labor movement is responsible for the minimum wage rate, the eight-hour work day, the forty-hour work week, overtime, child labor laws and lot's more we take for granted.

Comic creators and cartoonists are most often freelance artists and writers. Without the confines of the 9 to 5 grind they work their magic in basement or attic studios far from the hum of neon track lighting and carpet covered cubicles. Until sometime in the 1980's many artists were considered "work for hire" and did not get their original art back - even more disturbing is the fact that many pages of original art were shredded or cut up into pieces just so no one could try to republish the work.

Many of the folks who inspired us as readers (if you were born in the sixties as I was) are now approaching retirement age. Most of them have worked for years without benefits (life insurance, health insurance, sick time or vacation days) and now have nothing but the dubious comfort of Social Security. Mark Alessi, the controversial and abrasive former owner of CrossGen Comics did a lot of classy things (in my opinion) while at the wheel of that company. He tried to be on time with his books, he started the Bridges Educational Outreach Program for bringing comics into the classroom and he brought back the studio concept. But one of his most significant actions was to help start an organization now called The HERO Initiative. That organization originally called ACTOR (A Commitment To Our Roots) started around 2000.

Here's the HERO website if you would like to learn more about this charitable organization that offers confidential "monetary assistance to former comic book creators requiring supplemental health, medical, and quality-of-life assistance.."

How To Help: You can help with money, material, and time, or something special.

09/02/07 - Apex Digest Day at Joseph-Beth

Come Spring and Fall we here in the bluegrass are blessed with a bounty of activities: conferences, seminars, festivals and workshops. But with that blessing often comes a burden, the burden of choosing between conflicting events that happen to fall on the same day or close to one another. September (just check the CCG Calendar link), looks to be an interesting month - choose well my friends.



Apex Science Fiction and Horror Digest is a local success story - they have fought and scraped their way to develop a loyal readership while presenting a high standard for writing and graphic design. The CCG is proud to have friends and and active members on staff with this homegrown wonder. Congratulations to them and the local author friendly, independent, bookstore Joseph-Beth on the celebration of the
2nd Annual Apex Digest Day.

• When: Saturday September 22nd 2007, 2-5pm
• Where: Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Lexington Green
• What: Author Signings, artist Signings, Apex Editor Harassment, story Readings, artist demonstrations
• How: Just show up or check this website for more info.

Museum Go Round at the Explorium

Since I, Stevie, work at the Explorium, I wanted to inform all of my fellow comic creators of a dandy little event called the Museum Go Round. The Museum Go Round is a big deal as far as events go at the Explorium and is basically a special event for youngsters (18 and under) to become vendors and sell their art. The Museum admission is free that Saturday SEPTEMBER THE 22nd and there is an application for kids to operate a table and also for a group such as ours to operate a demo table. I already have the application and I would be really excited about operating a workshop on cartooning that day whilst simultaneously promoting our club to tons of kids. Here is a cut and paste of the basic info from the Explorium website, (www.explorium.com), let me know what you think.

Museum GO Round 2007 needs you!

What it is. Museum Go Round (MGR), our most anticipated event, is a street festival - complete with hands-on activities, workshops, food, and entertainment - designed for young artists (18 and under) to show and sell their work. Every year we have over 100 young artists participate with everything from sculpture to hand-made cards; jewelry to paintings; flip flops to photography. Designed to provide a real-world experience, MGR provides our young artists the challenge of overhead, display, customer service and profits (all theirs to keep, by the way!).

What you need to know. It all happens on Saturday, September 22. We’ll close Short Street (from Broadway to Felix Street) for the day. “Booths” are $10.00. Individuals or groups are encouraged to participate. The event runs 11am until 4pm.

What you can do. Join us! You’ll find a MGR Artist Application here. Print it out and send it in. Any art form is acceptable as long as it’s yours. After we receive your application, we’ll follow up with you: confirm your space, give you set-up information and any other details as they develop.

The Kentucky Arts Council, a state agency in the Commerce Cabinet, provides operational support funding for Explorium of Lexington with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

08/26/07 - Woodland Arts Fair, Nice Changes

The 32nd annual Woodland Art Fair (WAF) was held last weekend 8/18- 8/19/07. This is one of the premiere art events each year for Lexington. The new booth layout is a great improvement and really seems so obvious now that you wonder why we had to be crowded together in all those years previous. Bravo to Joe Artz, program director with the Lexington Art League (LAL), organizer of the show, for this much needed change!

I met several local and regional artists and wanted to say hello and thank you to them here:

Saturday I talked with a wonderful watercolor painter named Bruce Allan Neville from Cincinnati. His watercolors were breath of fresh air - very spontaneous without the ubiquitous masking fluid technique that so many watercolorists now use. His paintings remind me of the work of my great aunt, Anne Gieswein Dunn, a life-long artist now in her 80's. She grew up in Covington, Kentucky but has lived most of her life in Connecticut. Mr. Neville, a retired architect had many lovely painting of old Victorian homes that bespoke of his familiarity with their lines. He teaches at the Baker-Hunt Art & Cultural Center in Covington as well as having a studio space in the Pendleton Art Center artist Coop in Cincinnati.

Also on Saturday I met and spoke with Marianna McDonald a pastel and oil artist with vibrant paintings of landscapes that seemed more colorful than real life! She is a long time exhibitor at the WAF and the product of a state school, Murray. Her website has a class link - if she can teach only half of what she knows and does she would be a brilliant teacher. Maybe sometime I will have the pleasure!

Sunday I enjoyed talking to Beau Stahl's wife, oddly he was one of the few figurative artists displaying at the show (come on Lexington, are we really that prudish?). She (I did not get Mrs. Stahl's first name) said the LAL had asked Beau to submit for the Nude 2008 Show (hand delivered entry deadline October 10th 2007) - I hope he does, as I would enjoy seeing his work again and hope to have an opportunity to meet him in person.

Also on Sunday I spoke with one of Lexington's most talented photographers, John Snell, who explained he has worked exclusively in the digital format for the last few years. I hope I didn't bore him with my computer peripheral and hardware advise - turns out he is a former Computing Manager for Transylvania University and doesn't probably need any help in that area. It was kind of hot Sunday and my mouth and brain weren't working in conjunction! He certainly produces some striking landscape work (z falls being one of my favorites) and if you're lucky you can catch him teaching his craft at LAL (hint, hint, education director).

Maybe next year some of us Lexington cartoonists and graphic designers can have a booth; if not at the FAS (a juried event), maybe across the street in the Woodland Church parking lot? Watch for the CCG banner!

PS: If you like outdoor arts and crafts shows check out the Berea Crafts Fair, October 13th & 14th, and the huge Saint James Art Fair in Louisville October 5, 6 and 7. Enjoy!

Art Yard Sale!!!! (This Weekend!!)

!!! Art Yard Sale !!!

This weekend during the "Woodland Arts Fair." Saturday & Sunday, August 18 & 19, 2007.

324 Oldham Ave., Lexington, Ky.
(Oldham Avenue is across the street from Woodland Park's tennis courts)

Affordable art from local Artisans!

- Magnets

- Masks

- Jewelry

- And much much more!

Calendar

Look here for upcoming meeting info or special events. You may find it easier to read in "agenda" view. Email Lexington KY CCG to have your event added.

We are also listed on Zevents.com