Trying to work on an idea that's not wanting to come up just now.

Laid up still, I've been killing time the last few days with a lot of web surfing. Thought I'd share a few interesting links.

Top of the list, a new Comics Forum, founded to fill the gap being left by the Engine, which goes down tonight. Called Panel and Pixel it's already cooler than the Engine was in my books, so I'm happy about that.

Also I've just discovered the Google Blog Search, and found some cool links there. Designer Jack Schulze really liked Sea of Red and used it as part of a neat presentation about comics at Interesting 2007, you can see/read it here. That's very flattering, I'm glad he enjoyed that

I also found this slightly overwhelmingly good review of my newest work here on the Guild of Outsider Writers site, by Victor Schwartzman. Thanks Victor, sorry about your mother, I'm honoured if our book helped lift your spirits like that even a bit.

Also found another good one here on the SpaceBlog.

ok, now i have to get back to trying to build this story about the Atlas for the chicken brain. [podcast]

Labels: News, press, reviews, Sea of Red, Therefore Repent

Some old photo galleries that have gotten a bit lost in the site, posting here so i can find them easyer later when i do a proper sight overhaul.

Labels: "finger string", Photos

Labels: "Dream Life", Art, Comics, News

did it good, on the stairs to the bathroom. Top and left of left foot and lower calf are sore, very.
ice, rest and stretches are paying off, but it looks damn ugly.
I lurch like a zombie well right now.

Labels: personal, TCAF

Well, I didn't end up taking too many photos at TCAF, planed to but on Saturday I twisted my ankle and it kind of slipped my mind. So I just got a few good ones at the Awards on Friday.

Had a blast at the show, and the launch went well. Not really in the mood to talk more about it all right now but I'll try to find some time to go on latter.

For now, feed the need at Sequential.

Labels: Comics, events, News, personal, Photos, TCAF, Therefore Repent

Hey all

So a quick report from the front. Had a bit of a nasty bus ride, but after a few hours sleep the launch went really well. Met up with Jim, Claudia Dávila, and her husband Michael at the tequila book worm, worked out how to use the space and hung our art. Went to reunite with my lovely lady friend after two weeks apart, then after a bit of a brake it was back to the bookworm and things picked up really fast after 8.

GREAT turn out, my only complaint is that I got kind of trapped in the corner of the room and didn't really get to say hi to a lot of people I'd have liked to. There are a few shots here, taken by my mother so a bit biased in subject but...
http://www.flickr.com/groups/448381@N20/

Jim tells me we moved a very satisfying number of books, and everyone was really enthusiastic about it.

Friday the Doug Wright awards were not the most exciting presentation but more than saved by a hour or so long conversation between Chester Brown, Joe Matt, and Seth. The trio were reunited after not seeing each other for 4 years. Here's where I'd have liked to link you to a recoding of the thing, but unfortunately I had a misshape with my mp3 recorder and so it's lost to the ages. Although not really. The NFB was there, they are doing something involving Seth, and filmed the event. Brad tells me they might be about to provide the TCAF site with an audio copy of the proceedings. Breath baited?

So, then there was an odd after party that seemed, well, kind of high end for our lot. I don't drink but even so, $6 beers and swanky surroundings is not the sort of thing you plop a bunch of cartoonists into and expect them to be laid back.

Day one of TCAF was great till late in the day. Old Victoria Collage is an Incredible space, classic and classy. The Shear number of interesting things to look at is overwhelming. At some point today I'll try to take some photos.

At our table things motored along really well. Lots of copies sold, Jim even had to go home to restock midway through the day!

The caveat of the day was after a very refreshing energy drink full of vitamins and berry juice, I was feeling really energetic, and went down the stairs a bit too fast. Right foot slipped on the last few and my left paid the price. My ankles all swollen now, bit of a nasty sprain. But I can still hobble fairly well, and Im thinking a cheep cain might be just the thing.

So it's off to the show again, if you haven't gone yet I urge you to do so.

Cheers

max

PS: For more Bryan has made a Day One post here on Sequential.

Labels: events, News, Photos, TCAF, Therefore Repent

More press this week, there's a whole lot of stuff in the Eye on TCAF, including an interview with Paul Pope. Right after that, is ours...

Arts Week Hipsters and hell spawn
According to novelist, filmmaker and all-around DIY maven Jim Munroe, the Book of Revelation isn't just for religious wackos. "It's a pretty amazing and wild read," he says. "If you're a fan of science fiction, like I am, or dark fantasy, it's kind of the granddaddy of all that."

Labels: News, TCAF, Therefore Repent

Ack

A long buss ride is long. this one had a lead foot driver, and the knack of vibrating continually - when it wasn't lurching from side to side - at just the right frequency to induce diner revisiting convulsions and nausea. Ug.

But not to complain [too late], after a nap I woke to get this in my inbox!

"...the type of book that will have you flipping through it again and again."

.

Nice.

Labels: ack, News, repent press, Therefore Repent

Think this is working, the 'blocky thing' was giving me some trouble but i think he's starting to shape up well...

I was ranting about methodology today in between fits of working on this, kind of messy, but that's what i was talking about.

Labels: "Dream Life", Art, Comics

Labels: Comics, News, Therefore Repent

A comic book launch featuring two very different visions of the end days, spanning the political spectrum:

Claudia Dávila's spOILed is a peak oil parable about a world without petroleum. A peek at that here.


Salgood Sam and Jim Munroe's THEREFORE REPENT! is a post-Rapture graphic novel about a world without God. preview here on comicspace


The creators will be in attendance, and their original artwork from the comics will be on display. Books, original artwork and silkscreened posters will be on sale. This event kicks off the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, which culminates in the weekend fair of international artists on the U of T campus.

Thursday, August
16th, 8pm-10pm. Free.
Tequila Bookworm (512 Queen St. W., upstairs)

(The Bookworm's new location is ten doors west of their old place, and the upstairs features lots of cozy rooms and an outdoor patio to enjoy their local brews.)

BIOS

Born in Santiago, Chile, Claudia Dávila moved to Canada in 1973 and grew up in the culture-rich cities of Montreal and Toronto. She began drawing and painting at an early age, and was fortunate to attend art-focused public high school Wexford C.I., followed by York University for Visual Arts. She emerged to develop a multi-faceted career of graphic design, art direction, illustration, painting and cartooning. Five years were dedicated to the award-winning children's magazines Chirp, Chickadee and Owl, first as Associate Art Director and subsequently as Art Director. She is presently creating a book-art piece relating to survival in Toronto after the end of petroleum energy, for which she received a Toronto Arts Council grant. Claudia's art is informed by her various interests, such as the environment, social politics, yoga, vegetarian cuisine, ayurveda, and metaphysics, as well as the issue of the end of fossil fuels, and as such is a member of the Toronto Peak Oil Discussion Group.

girloftheknowing.blogspot.com/
me@claudiadavila.com

Salgood Sam is Maxim Douglas backwards: Toronto-born, Montreal-based artist and author. Since the early '90s he's worked professionally for Marvel, DC and other commercial comic publishers as well as in the alternative world of zines and underground comix. In recent years his work has appeared in a variety of comics, such as Terminator 3: Before the Rise (Beckett Comics), the bloody swashbuckling Sea of Red (Image Comics), and Revolution on the Planet of the Apes (Mr Comics). In 2005 he was nominated for the Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging Talent for his self-published book RevolveR, and in 2006 he received a grant from The Canada Council for the Arts to complete another graphic novel currently in the works. He's also worked in animation and as an illustrator, but his first love has always been pictures that talk with balloons.

http://www.salgoodsam.com/
salgood@gmail.com

Jim Munroe had his first novel Flyboy Action Figure Comes With Gasmask published by HarperCollins. Despite their interest in his second book, he was uncomfortable with the corporate ownership and went back to his indie press roots. He founded No Media Kings, named in dishonour of right-wing media magnate Rupert Murdoch, and published his next book in Canada himself - it sold just as well, made him more money, and drew attention to the issues of media consolidation and the alternatives to it. His do-it-yourself publishing resource website created an international network of people through which he was able to found The Perpetual Motion Roadshow - a volunteer-run circuit that sent a hundred people on seven-city tours. He recently released a lo-fi sci-fi no-budget movie he wrote and co-produced called Infest Wisely.

nomediakings.org/therefore_repent/
jim@nomediakings.org

facebook event page
myspcae event page

Labels: "finger string", News, TCAF, Therefore Repent

Labels: "finger string", Horizon

Labels: "Dream Life", Art, Comics

Been taking it easy but for me that still means making art most of the time. Made first dent in the rock that is the next project, feeling pretty good about that. So, This is PG 1 of my next book.

This is full bleed art, the book will be 8.5"x10", i think B&W. It was done with Pebeo encre de chine ink, Pelikan White Gouache, and a cheep #2 brush. Kind of sick of pens for a bit right now - what i used mostly to draw the last 154 pages of art. This is slow, but it's were im at right now so...

I was inspired for the this sequence in the book by two sets of photos, one recent pictures taken of the sun, the other of deep sea life around volcanic vents. The set will run for 4 pages contrasting the two settings then move into a dream sequence.

Labels: Art, Horizon, News

Making flyers is fun when its for your book launch! Jim Claudia and I jammed this out after a rousing series of emails bouncing ideas about.

Labels: Art, Comics, News, Therefore Repent

Labels: Art, Comics, News, Therefore Repent