Gig Recaps

In addition to the North Pole Library gig, and the "Nuggets of Wimsey" show & tell for the Discover Alaska lecture series, the last-day informal workshop for the Flossie & May's "Colony" show was a great little gig. During a quieter moment before the tables filled up with kids and customers at the cafe I spied a kid and their grandfather both reading the panels and pointing out to each other all the characters in the cartoons. That was a magical moment.

Speaking of magic, it never, ever gets old to pull off the drawing voodoo act in front of inquisitive and curious faces watching the lines just appear outta thin air right before their faces. It's a connection that is in competition with the endless stream of sound + fury coming from any number of devices, and it can be a challenge to narrate along with such demonstrations if you're not a natural Bob Ross (or Julia Child). 

In a sorta surreal and humbling full-circle I got to give a talk to this summer's Visual Art Academy cartoon and comics class kids. I turned it over to a long-time former student who is more than qualified to take up the reins. 

Demo Day III downtown at the News-Miner front lobby went absolutely wonderful. Stats: Knocked out around fifty bunnies, averaging 3.5 minutes per pencil/ink + 4 minute color wash, with a couple dogs, and a raven, salmon, bear & beaver by special request. Aside from a few short breaks I drew pretty much straight through for nine solid hours - first time in a long while since my hand started cramping!

Along with reconnecting with some longtime friends & fans, got to meet a lot of new folks & families plus some bonus visitors to the Golden Heart. One thing I recall observing over the past few years now at this event is the handful of actual, legit sourdoughs who shuffle in and out right at opening. Once word went out on social media through some homeschool groups, almost every hour afterwards another minivan would pull up and empty out a buncha excited and engaged youngsters.

Thanks everyone who dropped by for the event, we had steady visitors all day - more than the past two years turnout combined. Supporting independent journalism has never been as important as it is today, and it was great to have a chance to acknowledge all the hardworking folks behind the scenes who produce our local paper. I've said it before many times that it is incumbent on any cartoonist to contribute to the continuance of our profession (and obviously our careers) through literacy, outreach and education.

To be honest I really didn't know I had it in me to give out that much especially after a long week one of the new fall semester. But the above image (courtesy of Brian and his amazing staff) (subscription link here).

Speaking of new semesters, the annual UAF Art Department faculty exhibition is up. One of the quartet on display is the "Mother's Day 2023" 11x17" one-pager, alongside "The Lodge" 18x24" tentpole piece of the year, and a couple of my personal favorite Nuggets panels from last year ("LED" and "Emotional Frontier"). As an aside, I think that this is one of the few, if not the first time I've left on the "Nuggets" header text which I usually strip off on framed prints so as to focus attention on the aesthetic aspects, as opposed to the commercial components. Turns out that's just as important of a going concern for any artist. On a closing note, here's why I'm reminded almost every day not to take myself seriously. I'm now an actual "professor," and also, according to my almost-printed bio for the show, a "proffessor."