Noir Punk Gamblers

I've got some pieces up in a show over at Vision Gallery on E.156th street in Collinwood. It's over where TRUE Gallery used to be, across the street from Cafe Marika on the corner of 156th and Waterloo. It's a 25/25 show, so 25 artists with works for $25.

Here's three of the six pieces I contributed. These are from a little intermediary booklet that I'm making for this series of comics set in CLEVELYN, a fictional version of Cleveland. The first story was "ON DOWN THE TIMELINE" which was published in SHINER Number One. The second story will be in SHINER Number Two, which we hope will be out in August. It's still in the works.

Hank:


Julia:


Molly:


I'll probably redraw at least that last one, and then maybe the second one too. I dunno, still playing with the format of the booklet itself. I'll post the other three pieces and some additional work as soon as I get it done and a chance to bust it out.

My second semester back at school is winding down and it's kind of underwhelming. It should be totally kicking my ass, and I think it actually is, but maybe I'm just not acknowledging it. Been watching a shload of movies still. Mostly NOIR lately. Just a huge amount of NOIR.

Nefarious Post-Apocalyptic Guru

I've been working on this piece for a while, kind of a ridiculous process. Though I'm not entirely 100% happy with the illustration it's still what it is. HOLY INSANITY.



Though I still got my qualms with the illustration, I am super duper proud as punch about how this whole shabangalang turned out. The image was always every supposed to be texture under the text anyway, so... the text is the thing. 144 people are playing a show. These are they. So, yeah, hand lettering that shit was treacherous.



These inks are where I think I hurt the most. This took so long to draw and then because the clock was ticking, I busted my ass to get these inks down pronto. Wish I had started earlier and given myself the time to take making them flawless. Anyway, even with that fact, this piece is the probably the most retarded thing I've done in a long time. More retarded than going back to school. More retarded than watching ALL of LOST Seasons 1 through 3 in the span of like, a week.



If you're an illustratador and it hasn't crossed your mind to try drawing something like this yet. I highly recommend it. It's like putting together a puzzle with nothing on the pieces and no reference for what it's supposed to look like until it's done. About half way through I was adding Buddhist monks and Spider-Man and shit. By the time I was done I just couldn't believe it.

SO: Yes, the Cleveland Lottery League 2008, go to the blog for more info here: Lottery League. The gist of the thing is that a shitload of musicians here registered for a draft, then got together and by way of a lottery assembles 33 new bands all at once. Ten weeks later all the bands are playing together at the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern.

Here's another new poster. See, I told you: Grizzly. From what I understand ETTRICK is really fucking awesome. Also awesome? Self Destruct Button is playing a goddamn show!



I have a couple other things to announce for April 19th, the following Saturday. One I'll hold off on until it's in the bag, but the events in Collinwood that night are shaping up to be a lot of fun. MUSIC SAVES is going to be throwing a Record Store Day event which includes a coloring contest. I'll be one of the judges along with Mikey from Little Jacket, John Dudas of Carol & John's Comic Shop, and Jon Hicks.

Here's the image: