Charlie and Dreamer. Or is it Dreamer and Charlie? Sometimes I can't tell.
The Diogenes Club
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
SPACE 2011 Report, pt. 14
Sunday began with Bruce braving the 39 degree morning and taking me to Ohio State University's Cartoon Library, which was of course closed. Apparently the Library will be, or is, moving to Sullivant Hall (pictured).
Included in the Library's holdings is the collection of our late comrade, Jay Kennedy. But this isn't the only home for his comix. Back in the 1980s, Jay donated many comix and rare items to the Washington State University Comix Collection when I was there organizing the holdings.
SPACE 2011 Report, pt. 13
Matt Feazell gave a presentation on his Cynicalman movie. One of the actors was none other than Sean Bieri as Lone Shark! The thing that was most striking to me was how it was obvious the cast was enjoying the task of making a film. You can tell Matt has a large group of devoted friends.
I am looking forward to seeing the final motion picture. In the meantime, Matt gave me a stack of books for the Washington State University Library comix collection.
Above: Carol Tyler's presence at SPACE gave our corner of the room some class at least for Saturday. Here she is contributing to a jam page.
Above: Itamar Reiner lives in Columbus and shared his portfolio. Although it looked like he was engaged in lots of technical drawing, it was his landscapes that really grabbed me.
Above: I got a photo of Colin Upton getting a photo of the one and only Tim Corrigan. In the background you can see Sean Bieri and Max Traffic visiting with John Porcellino.
Tim was every bit as decent and caring as I imagined him to be. His devotion to small press comics impresses me when he relates stories about how our art form helps people find a voice during difficult times in life. He introduced me to Larry Blake and gave me some new Mightyguy comix.
I am looking forward to seeing the final motion picture. In the meantime, Matt gave me a stack of books for the Washington State University Library comix collection.
Above: Carol Tyler's presence at SPACE gave our corner of the room some class at least for Saturday. Here she is contributing to a jam page.
Above: Itamar Reiner lives in Columbus and shared his portfolio. Although it looked like he was engaged in lots of technical drawing, it was his landscapes that really grabbed me.
Above: I got a photo of Colin Upton getting a photo of the one and only Tim Corrigan. In the background you can see Sean Bieri and Max Traffic visiting with John Porcellino.Tim was every bit as decent and caring as I imagined him to be. His devotion to small press comics impresses me when he relates stories about how our art form helps people find a voice during difficult times in life. He introduced me to Larry Blake and gave me some new Mightyguy comix.
SPACE 2011 Report, pt. 12
Bruce Chrislip and Matt Feazell inspect the Outside In foamboard display right before the event where I'm interviewed by Bruce.
Judging by the expression on Bruce's face, I'd say he was using the method actor technique of preparing for his role as interviewer. For you see, about 35 minutes after this was taken, I saw Bruce give the greatest performance of anyone ever on any panel discussion of any type.
In the course of the hour, Bruce read a couple selections from "The Bil Keane Watch." The first one was from City Limits Gazette # meat of the tree (June 1991):
But it was Bruce's rendition of the next one that brought down the house. This was from City Limits Gazzzzzzzette # Pongo (Aug. 1991):
Being every bit as dramatic and somber in his narration as James Earl Jones or John Houseman, Bruce slowly built up his voice until by the time he was yelling out at the top of lungs "DEAD! DEAD!" he was on his feet with his clenched fists in the air. The audience applauded in ope mouthed awe. I was laughing so hard I was crying.This 50 minute Chrislip-interviews-Willis portion has been captured on audio by both D. Blake Werts and Bruce Rosenberger. I have a copy of the Werts version and The Fabulous Sarah is working on a way for us to post it here.
Update, 3/25/2011: Audio by Bruce Rosenberger is available at the SPACE website:
http://www.backporchcomics.com/SPACE2011CrislipandWillis.mp3
Bruce Chrislip's amazing performance is about 30-35 minutes into the program.
SPACE 2011 Report, pt. 11
The much anticipated arrival of Buzz Buzzizyk/Maximum Traffic/Borpo Deets finally came to pass and all was well with the world. Max's arrival made an already extraordinary event become something historic for me. A lot of us sit around thinking creative thoughts, but Max actually has the energy and discipline to give expression to his visions. He is one of my artistic heroes.
Although we didn't really get a chance to talk a great deal, I was thrilled to finally meet him and look forward to giving Max a tour of my corner of the world someday in the near future.
Max brought a stack of the recent White Buffalo Gazette as well as his compilation, Truth Be Known.
In the above photo Max is talking with Colin Upton. In the background Bruce is showing Mike Hill and Hillary Buzzizyk the Outside In portraits on foamboard.
SPACE 2011 Report, pt. 10
Colin Upton wins my award for having the best sign.
In the background is Mike Hill and Hillary Buzzizyk.
In the background is Mike Hill and Hillary Buzzizyk.
SPACE 2011 Report, pt. 9
A sideways halfmoon shot capturing only part of the scene. There were well over 100 tables.
SPACE 2011 Report, pt. 8
John Porcellino was our other table neighbor. I managed to get a couple photos of him during the rare times he wasn't surrounded by fans. It was gratifying to see that his work attracted a lot of well-deserved attention. And unlike my old guy corner, John's table was a magnet for a good mix of generations and gender.
A mob of cartoonists invaded an unsuspecting Vietnamese restaurant that evening. I sat at the end of the table across from John and Buzz Buzzizyk. I enjoyed talking with him and realized later that we hardly mentioned comix at all. We were also in awe of Sean Bieri, who was sitting next to me, creating brilliant off the cuff drawings in spontaneous jams. Matt Feazell sat on my other side but had to move since the chair and floor were conspiring to eat him alive.
SPACE 2011 Report, pt. 7
Dan W. Taylor was another person from the Newave days I was hoping to meet. As it turns out, Dan and his wife Carrie are cranking out little minicomix at such a prolific rate that Dan can be called a minicomic king at this point. Seeing a guy with his long history in self-publishing still being this active really puts me to shame.
Dan is also nudging several old Newavers to return to the drawing board. He seems to have become a professional instigator.
For any student of the Newave, his Time Warp Comix is a must read. Dan gave me some art for my next collage piece, and I promised him some work for his fun series. See how he does this? The guy is insidious. Like I said, a professional instigator.
The Taylors also donated a pile of minis for me to send to the Washington State University Library comix collection.
Above: Colin Upton, Mike Hill, Dan W. Taylor
SPACE 2011 Report, pt. 6
I had Mike Hill here as a guest long ago when he dropped by McCleary. By coincidence, collector/reviewer Lynn Hansen was visiting as well, so we held a mini-convention.
Mike is an important figure in the Newave story, his Worker Poet publication pushing the movement to a more literary edge. His art is distinctive and wonderful. It was a true joy to jam with Mike and Maximum Traffic at the of 1999 for Modernman # 3 ; Maximum Traffic # 210.
On Saturday night Mike put together a quick mini (with Blake's help, I understand), Modernman # 4. I like to call it the quint-Hill-sential Mike comic.
Above: Bruce Chrislip, Colin Upton, Mike Hill
SPACE 2011 Report, pt. 5
Bruce Chrislip is totally at home in this convention environment. I can't think of anyone in our Newaver generation of comix artists who has remained so consistently as enthusiastic about comic art over the span of time as Bruce.
He created several prints to sell at our table, including some old jam material of ours. Bruce also published an 8-page minicomic called Free Space just for SPACE 2011.
There were also a couple formboard displays with selected self-portraits from the Outside In series he originally put together back when he lived in Seattle. That's when I remember seeing them initially.
If you hang around Bruce and Joan for long be prepared to laugh a lot.
In this photo Bruce is gearing up for what will be one of the crowning performances in his comic career later the same day. And I was there to see it, and you will read about it when I reach that point in my report.
SPACE 2011 Report, pt. 4
Kim Scarborough is a fellow with a mission to gather drawings from a list of artists he admires into one sketchbook. Now he can cross off my name. I'm flattered to be in such good company.
That's Kim on the right next to some old guy.
SPACE 2011 Report, pt. 3
Steven Hager and Bruce Rosenberger publish the Dutchy Digest, a comic with regional humor and the kind of thing you'll only find through the small press. More than an entertaining comic title, it is also a cultural document that will no doubt be valuable to future historians on many levels. The duo was lucky to have one of the best locations at the exposition, right next to the entrance.
Michael Neno was one of the CLG subscribers during my editorship and someone I was really hoping to meet at SPACE. He has recently launched an impressive comic series called Signifiers.
This unfortunately fuzzy phone photo captures Steven and Bruce at their table, with Michael paying a visit.
SPACE 2011 Report, pt. 2
One of the big factors in my decision to accept the invitation to attend SPACE 2011 was the opportunity to finally meet so many people who had I known for 1, 2, even 3 decades only through correspondence. The recent passing of several of our comix comrades like Jamie Alder, Mike Roden, Steve Fiorilla, Jay Kennedy hit me hard. These were people I was hoping to meet in person some day, and I figured eventually our paths would cross. I waited too long for "eventually" to happen.
But we are not getting any younger. To put it diplomatically, I knew I needed to do this while so many of us are still above ground. And what better place to see so many comix people from our old Newave/Obscuro network at one time than SPACE?
Bruce Chrislip and I loaded up his car and headed north to Columbus on Saturday morning.
Upon arrival we were issued and assigned a table which we shared with Mike Hill and Maximum Traffic/Buzz B./Borpo Deets.
One of our neighbors, I'm happy to say, was Colin Upton, who came all the way from Vancouver, B.C.. Together we constituted the only Pacific Northwest presence at the expo. He is a good conversationalist with an understated, wry way of observing life's foibles.
Another person I got to meet right off the bat was Morty the Dog regular reader D. Blake Werts, who helped me make an emergency run to the closest available computer so I could print out a script for the next day's reading. I really appreciated his company and it gave us a chance to visit a little.
If there is any down side to events like this, it is that I don't get to really spend a lot of time with any one person. But names do get associated with a face, a voice, a personality in person. A human connection is made. And that's worth a lot.
Colin's new book, The Collected Diabetes Funnies, is a good example of how technology has made it possible for us photocopy comix artists to graduate to a more sophisticated format. I was astounded over and over at what high production values I was seeing in the physical publications. As you can see, Colin has not fallen into the lure of life beyond black and white. "Color," he told me, "Is for the weak"-- a quote I enjoyed so much I asked him to repeat it a couple times.
But we are not getting any younger. To put it diplomatically, I knew I needed to do this while so many of us are still above ground. And what better place to see so many comix people from our old Newave/Obscuro network at one time than SPACE?
Bruce Chrislip and I loaded up his car and headed north to Columbus on Saturday morning.
Above: on the trip to Columbus.
Upon arrival we were issued and assigned a table which we shared with Mike Hill and Maximum Traffic/Buzz B./Borpo Deets.
One of our neighbors, I'm happy to say, was Colin Upton, who came all the way from Vancouver, B.C.. Together we constituted the only Pacific Northwest presence at the expo. He is a good conversationalist with an understated, wry way of observing life's foibles.
Another person I got to meet right off the bat was Morty the Dog regular reader D. Blake Werts, who helped me make an emergency run to the closest available computer so I could print out a script for the next day's reading. I really appreciated his company and it gave us a chance to visit a little.
If there is any down side to events like this, it is that I don't get to really spend a lot of time with any one person. But names do get associated with a face, a voice, a personality in person. A human connection is made. And that's worth a lot.
Above: Bruce, Colin, Blake.
Colin's new book, The Collected Diabetes Funnies, is a good example of how technology has made it possible for us photocopy comix artists to graduate to a more sophisticated format. I was astounded over and over at what high production values I was seeing in the physical publications. As you can see, Colin has not fallen into the lure of life beyond black and white. "Color," he told me, "Is for the weak"-- a quote I enjoyed so much I asked him to repeat it a couple times.
SPACE 2011 Report, pt. 1
Bruce and Joan Chrislip picked me up at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport before the sun rose on Friday. Without wasting any time, we headed for downtown Cincinnati to fuel our bodies for the day of touring ahead.
And Bruce ordered something called "goetta."
Here you can see this concoction in the center of the plate. It's a sausage patty with oats and onion mixed in. That last ingredient prevented me from trying it, but it looked good.
What interested me about goetta (pronounced "getta") was how knowledge of this culinary delight was pretty limited to the Cincinnati area. Informal polling in Columbus revealed that this taste treat was an unknown to the rest of Ohio.
By the time breakfast was over the sun was rising and I got a good look at downtown Cincinnati. Somehow it felt like a much older version of Spokane.
Bruce gave us a tour of City Hall, a huge structure built before Washington became a state. Having worked there for a number of years, Bruce knew the place pretty well. Jerry Springer was once the Mayor of Cincinnati, and knowing I was walking in the very halls where he worked was oddly fun.
Among the things that impressed me about this place was the large display case of awards bestowed upon Cincinnati, especially the 2nd place plaque in the 1941 National Pedestrian Protection Contest. Also the Cincinnati in miniature display, which was gathering dust but did give me a sense of the layout of the city. Here we see Bruce and Joan next to the model, like benign gods hovering over their domain.
As we left City Hall, Bruce introduced me to Mayor Mallory, who asked me if I liked politics. As I replied I enjoyed presidential trivia my cartoonists eye could see the thought balloon above his head forming the woodscrew plus ball symbol.
But hey! I'm in Cincinnati for the first time in my life, and within 90 minutes I'm shaking hands with the Mayor. Is that neato or what?
We also visited the Union Terminal, an enormous example of art deco architecture now serving as a museum. One of the staff members proudly proclaimed the facility has the largest half-dome in the United States.
Bruce and Joan took me across the Ohio River into Kentucky where we walked through a riverside neighborhood where guys like Henry Clay used to hang out. First I walk in the footsteps of Jerry Springer, and now Henry Clay-- two showmen. Here's a nice shot of the Cincinnati skyline taken from Kentucky. The river was apparently subsiding from flood stage.
On the left you can the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, built in the 1860s.
Hobnobbing with mayors and haunting the trails of historical figures is OK, but the real thrill of the day was meeting Justin Green and Carol Tyler, two of Ohio's cartoon treasures. Justin was part of a small group underground cartoonists who created work that had a life-changing influence on my development as a comix artist. The fanboy within of 40 years ago kept trying to surface as I visited with Justin, but hopefully I didn't embarrass myself too much.
Bruce and I visited their studio/home and then went out for lunch. Pictured in this hazy shot are Justin, Carol, daughter Julia, and Bruce at a local cafe called, I think, Sugar and Spice. Prediction: Julia will be an artist to watch.
Bruce and I then spent the rest of the afternoon with David Chrislip. Bruce's brother was a subscriber to City Limits Gazette when I was editor, and at the time supplied me with some images of Bruce's early comic work when I interviewed him (that's what brothers are for). During this visit he produced a box of comix the four Chrislip brothers had drawn in the 1960s. They were the sort of homegrown superhero stories many of us created with ball point pen on typing paper or ledgers before the days of undergrounds and photocopiers as we taught ourselves how to draw comix. It was a fun trip back in time. Pictured: Denise, David, and Bruce.
Ohio has this restaurant chain called Bob Evans, or "Blob Evans" if you listen to Bruce. I remember these cafes from my last visit to Ohio in 1999. Bruce, Joan and I went to dinner at one and they adorned my burger with a flag! I brought the little flag home and now you can see it in this pop culture crammed display with Barney Rubble wearing a Starhead Comix pin in a Bonanza cup being serenaded by the Beatles with an alien and Santa looking on. I know, I know, it's a cliche, you've seen this a million times before, but I couldn't help it.
We wrapped up the day viewing some obscure animation and video, including a local television news bit originally aired in 1973 about a comic convention. One the interviewees included my host, Bruce!
And Bruce ordered something called "goetta."
Here you can see this concoction in the center of the plate. It's a sausage patty with oats and onion mixed in. That last ingredient prevented me from trying it, but it looked good.
What interested me about goetta (pronounced "getta") was how knowledge of this culinary delight was pretty limited to the Cincinnati area. Informal polling in Columbus revealed that this taste treat was an unknown to the rest of Ohio.
By the time breakfast was over the sun was rising and I got a good look at downtown Cincinnati. Somehow it felt like a much older version of Spokane.
Bruce gave us a tour of City Hall, a huge structure built before Washington became a state. Having worked there for a number of years, Bruce knew the place pretty well. Jerry Springer was once the Mayor of Cincinnati, and knowing I was walking in the very halls where he worked was oddly fun.
Among the things that impressed me about this place was the large display case of awards bestowed upon Cincinnati, especially the 2nd place plaque in the 1941 National Pedestrian Protection Contest. Also the Cincinnati in miniature display, which was gathering dust but did give me a sense of the layout of the city. Here we see Bruce and Joan next to the model, like benign gods hovering over their domain.
As we left City Hall, Bruce introduced me to Mayor Mallory, who asked me if I liked politics. As I replied I enjoyed presidential trivia my cartoonists eye could see the thought balloon above his head forming the woodscrew plus ball symbol.
But hey! I'm in Cincinnati for the first time in my life, and within 90 minutes I'm shaking hands with the Mayor. Is that neato or what?
We also visited the Union Terminal, an enormous example of art deco architecture now serving as a museum. One of the staff members proudly proclaimed the facility has the largest half-dome in the United States.
Bruce and Joan took me across the Ohio River into Kentucky where we walked through a riverside neighborhood where guys like Henry Clay used to hang out. First I walk in the footsteps of Jerry Springer, and now Henry Clay-- two showmen. Here's a nice shot of the Cincinnati skyline taken from Kentucky. The river was apparently subsiding from flood stage.
On the left you can the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, built in the 1860s.
Hobnobbing with mayors and haunting the trails of historical figures is OK, but the real thrill of the day was meeting Justin Green and Carol Tyler, two of Ohio's cartoon treasures. Justin was part of a small group underground cartoonists who created work that had a life-changing influence on my development as a comix artist. The fanboy within of 40 years ago kept trying to surface as I visited with Justin, but hopefully I didn't embarrass myself too much.
Bruce and I visited their studio/home and then went out for lunch. Pictured in this hazy shot are Justin, Carol, daughter Julia, and Bruce at a local cafe called, I think, Sugar and Spice. Prediction: Julia will be an artist to watch.
Bruce and I then spent the rest of the afternoon with David Chrislip. Bruce's brother was a subscriber to City Limits Gazette when I was editor, and at the time supplied me with some images of Bruce's early comic work when I interviewed him (that's what brothers are for). During this visit he produced a box of comix the four Chrislip brothers had drawn in the 1960s. They were the sort of homegrown superhero stories many of us created with ball point pen on typing paper or ledgers before the days of undergrounds and photocopiers as we taught ourselves how to draw comix. It was a fun trip back in time. Pictured: Denise, David, and Bruce.
Ohio has this restaurant chain called Bob Evans, or "Blob Evans" if you listen to Bruce. I remember these cafes from my last visit to Ohio in 1999. Bruce, Joan and I went to dinner at one and they adorned my burger with a flag! I brought the little flag home and now you can see it in this pop culture crammed display with Barney Rubble wearing a Starhead Comix pin in a Bonanza cup being serenaded by the Beatles with an alien and Santa looking on. I know, I know, it's a cliche, you've seen this a million times before, but I couldn't help it.
We wrapped up the day viewing some obscure animation and video, including a local television news bit originally aired in 1973 about a comic convention. One the interviewees included my host, Bruce!
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