Guest Sketchbook: Gabrielle Bell

In Miami last weekend I got to hang out with Gabrielle Bell and poke through her sketchbook. She doesn't normally post stuff from her sketchbooks, so I'm taking the liberty here, with her permission. You should go read more of her stuff here. We also started a strip together in my journal, which hopefully I'll be able to post sometime soon, once it's done. Gabrielle also prompted some group collaborative drawing with Julia Gfrörer, Leanne Shapton and Craig Thompson, who were also all in town. I'll hopefully be able to post some of that, as well.

Best American Comics on PBS in Miami

This made the rounds via Facebook, but here's a direct link. It's a twelve minute video interview with Bill Kartalopoulos, Julia Gfrorer, Gabrielle Bell and myself on PBS at the Miami Book Fair last weekend. I just re-watched it and was pleased to be reminded that so much of the discussion was about the importance of comics being uncategorizeable, and distinct from literature. As comics grows and accumulates mainstream acceptance it still can, hopefully, stay deeply idiosyncratic. Kudos to Bill and Jonathan for assembling such a diverse group of cartoonists in the most 'mainstream' of anthologies.

The Car Engine Invitational Drawing Show (and a flood)

I just posted some info about the new show at Lula at the Lula's Walls blog and thought I'd put some of the images and the story of THE FLOOD here as well (see below). Following are installation shots of the show and then some of the individual pieces. I suggest clicking on Chi-hoi's drawing below (the textured cube) the text is good.













Shown above are pieces by Marc Bell, Dan Zettwoch, Jeffrey Brown, Chi-Hoi Lee, Jay Ryan, Gabrielle Bell, Esther Pearl Watson and Andrea Bruno. Also in the show are Marijpol, Tommi Musturi, Jordan Crane, Sammy Harkham, Mark Todd, Anders Nilsen, Peter Thompson, Luke Ramsey, Doublenaut, Michelangelo Setola, Sonnenzimmer, Nick Petersen, Doug Shaeffer and Ron Rege.

THE FLOOD


So, it's been a rainy summer in Chicago. Two trees on my street have been blown down over the last month or so, and the strange colors of the sky and the lightning shows have been frequent topics of conversation this year. Last weekend it rained and stormed for a solid eight or nine hours, all night long, very unusual for Chicago, who's storms generally come and go fairly quickly. And the basement of Lula flooded. Like, 3 1/2 feet, with freezers picked up and dumped out, computers and files and wine bottles floating around in an apocalyptic mess. Among the casualties were a number of pieces of art--from past shows and a few pieces waiting to be hung for the opening reception. Of these, most have proved more or less salvageable, a number have spent several days pressed between layers of newsprint and under stacks of heavy art books in my living room, and early indications are that they might make it. But two pieces in particular, by Marijpol and Tommi Musturi (shown above) having been stored in rolls which collapsed, were torn in places in addition to being swamped. Prints by Jay Ryan and Jordan Crane were also affected. My intention is to hold a silent auction at the opening, or perhaps online to benefit Marijpol and Tommi, possibly for a private commissioned drawing from them or something. More on that as details are ironed out in the next few days.

There is also a concurrent exhibition of small pencil drawings at Lula right now, by Amanda Vahamaki and Michelangelo Setola. More on that show, including images, soon...