Charlie Parr – “Peaceful Valley”
“Peaceful Valley,” from Charlie Parr’s album Dog is a fantasy of closing the door, drinking coffee, listening to records and becoming a good recluse.
Animation by Jake Huffcutt.
“Peaceful Valley,” from Charlie Parr’s album Dog is a fantasy of closing the door, drinking coffee, listening to records and becoming a good recluse.
Animation by Jake Huffcutt.
This past weekend was Chapel Con, a comics and pop culture convention in Albert Lea, Minn. Two Duluthians were guests — two of our favorite comics creators.
It was New Year’s Day of 2007 when the first of a series of Gil Thorp comics that referenced Duluth was published. According to a Duluth News Tribune story that week, writer Neal Rubin typically uses the names of actual high school teams in the comic, and simply liked the team name Denfeld Hunters. Frank McLaughlin is the artist who drew the strip.
This week’s Selective Focus subject is … me. You may be thinking, gee whiz, PDD must have run out of Selective Focus subject ideas. Far from it. We still have a long list of artists we want to include, but we’re also open to more suggestions. If you know someone doing interesting work in the visual arts, or if you would like to be featured, send us a note. [email protected] I’ve jammed myself in the schedule here because I’ve got a show of new work opening at Beaner’s next Thursday.
B.B.: Graphic Artist is probably the best way to describe what I do. I work as an illustrator, designer, animator, and videographer. In college I studied pretty equal parts design, illustration and photography, so I guess this mix of work makes sense, and I feel lucky to have the variety every day. I’ve done children’s books, logos, brochures, TV ads, training videos, package design, interactive design, character design, prints for sale, music videos, and more.
This week, we profile the multi-talented Dave Kirwan, an illustrator, animator, designer and film buff. Dave talks about how he got to the point where people pay him to draw silly pictures and the changing industry.
DK: I am today what I have been for the past forty-nine years, a commercial illustrator. People pay me to draw pictures that tell a story.
My first professional gig began on my sixteenth birthday when I was asked to augment my main duties as a cut and paste keyliner on a small weekly shopper with original cartoons and illustrations. Later on I worked at television stations, printers, publishers, was even a partner in an prominent Twin Ports ad agency for eighteen years. Yet despite official job titles of graphic designer or creative director, I have always pursued my primary avocation… I’m the guy who draws little men with big noses. Print ads, animation, even a couple of stints at national syndicated cartooning, I’ve always had a pencil in hand ready to sketch out the next idea.
This week’s selective focus subject has appeared on PDD before; doing the Robot on every street corner in Duluth. He even made the Best Videos of 2014 list. Even more impressive than his dance moves are his paintings. He’s also an animator and filmmaker. Jonathan Thunder tells about his diverse work.
Local artist and design teacher Darren Houser presents on his work, among other presentations at the Martin Library at UMD, organized by Pat Maus.
A recent event at UMD spotlighted comics as a scholarly and artistic pursuit.
Ten year’s ago, Duluth musician Alan Sparhawk had his name dropped in this little comic (specifically panel three):
Questionable Content is an internet comic strip by Jeph Jacques of Halifax, Nova Scotia. It started in August 2003 and is still in production. The publish date of the comic above is not known, but it was first posted to PDD on Feb. 9, 2006.
Exhausted. Weeks of nerdery behind and ahead.
Last Thursday, I went out to dinner with authors who grew up on the range — Roy C. Booth and Cynthia Booth. Roy will be at CONvergence in a few weeks celebrating his new book, Orphans.
Sunday, I went out to dinner with Tim, a central fixture in Minnesota comics life, at the Buffet at the Bear. OMG, I love that buffet — and on Sunday, Lutefisk.
Monday night was game night — we met first for dinner at 7 West Taphouse. It’s a diverse, fun crowd, including one of the back stage masterminds from Game Show at the Underground and the owner of 8 Bit Classic Collection. See this play. Shop this shop.
Saturday was a full day for pop culture nerds.
About Free Comic Book Day:
Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book specialty shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops. Free Comic Book Day is held the first Saturday in May each year.
What is Free Comic Book Day?
Free Comic Book Day is a single day – the first Saturday in May each year – when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free* to anyone who comes into their stores. *Check with your local shop for its participation and rules.
Dragon Port Games & Comics
3 South Fourth Ave. W., Duluth | (218) 260-2646
Collector’s Connection
Village Mall; 2322 Mountain Shadow Drive, Duluth
Fun and Games in the Greater Ashland Area
212 West Main, Ashland
I hope that the stores involved will post descriptions of the activities for the day — special sales, special games, special events.
–David Beard
The Homegrown video for the Black-Eyed Snakes got picked up by the Channel Frederator Cartoon Podcast. It’s a weekly collection of animation from around the world. You can watch it on their site, or subscribe through the iTunes store.
Saturday, May 2, is Free Comic Book Day!
Stop by these Duluth locations for free comics!
COLLECTOR’S CONNECTION
MILLER HILL MALL
1600 MILLER TRUNK HWY
DULUTH, MN
(218) 726-1360
DRAGON PORT GAMES AND COMICS
3 SOUTH 4TH AVENUE WEST
DULUTH, MN
(218) 720-4669
Dear Duluth News Tribune,
Any time I find a stray newspaper at a coffee shop, or waiting room, my initial course of action is to go straight to The Family Circus so that I may gawk at the daily track-wreck of comedy it provides. The philosophical beating I take by trying to riddle out just what is it that Bil & Jeffy Keane think I should be laughing at has somehow become a masochist treat for my brain as the years go by.
In recent months though, this pleasure seems to be unhinged by the horrible way your layout editors treat this sacred circle. Attached is the comic as it appears from the syndication source, immediately followed by the beaten and bloodied corpse that gets spat onto your printed comics page.
The Family Oval shall not suffice. I’m sure Bil & Jeffy Keane would be aghast by the treatment you give their comic. Without a doubt, the Keane’s go to great lengths to make sure that Billy, Dolly, and little PJ’s heads perfectly resemble testicles in each and every one of their daily discs of unfunny. To unprofessionally scale them in the way that you repeatably do, should be taken as nothing less then an open handed slap to the face of both Bil & Jeffy Keane as you disgrace their little works of art.
Please, give the editor back his shift key so he can resize his images while constraining proportions. It will make us all happier at the end of the day.
Sincerely,
K. Praslowicz
