This is an event Cass co-organized for the The Infringement Festival this year. I documented it for her and the following is a short overview of the event.

The Automaton Tea Module PRESENTS: Poetic Tea & Jam. Featuring poets: Cassandra Witteman, Izzy Insane, Virgil Addison, and James IrwinAuthentic Automatic Tea Ceremony followed the performance with hot tea and treats for all and a musical jam late into the night.


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Labels: av, events, video

Hey all, I'll be attending the New York Comic Con this upcoming 18th, 19th and 20th, to promote Therefore Repent! and other stuff in Manhattan.

I will be appearing; *pop*, imp like; on Saturday from 3 to 4 pm with 'Man of Action' Joe Kelly at the Image booth to do some sketches and stuff.

& Sunday I'll be hanging out with my friends at Indy Spinner Rack from 1 to 4pm along with Alec Longstreth in podcast ally.

And finally on Monday the 21st from 6 to 8 pm at Jim Hanley's Universe [4 West 33rd St.] I'll be joining pirate captain RICK REMENDER (Fear Agent), TONY MOORE (The Exterminator), & GREG THOMPSON (Sinbad: Rogue of Mars) for the JHU's "NYCC HANGOVER CURE".



So see you in Manhattan!

Labels: appearances, comic conventions, events, News, Therefore Repent

Hey, so I'm going to be giving a projected dramatic presentation of the book at the next Geek OUT! Here in Montreal.

I'll have copies of the book for sale as well, and theres other stuff going on, check this site for the details.

Location: MUCS Dining Coop, 2000 Northcliffe, suite 218 (corner De Maisoneuve, near Vendome metro)

Labels: events, montreal, News, Therefore Repent

Taking a few days to ink, then back to Top Secret project.

Blocky thing takes forever to ink, I'm telling you, Boyo.

Having some interesting conversations with a few writers right now, considering illustration a sort of philosophical picture book, been approached about a couple of comic book ideas that if not too big I might end up doing, and maybe even seeing if I cant think of an interesting animation idea - had a studio contact me about the possibility of talking about developing an idea with them, pretty exciting the more I think about it. Pondering what concepts i've been kicking around might make the leap well, or if I have any new notions that might be worth pitching....hmmm.

Also making small steps towards writing a new Sea of Red project, that i've pretty much decided I'd like to do sooner than I can draw it, so looking into other artists for that maybe.

Been making plans

to tour for Therefore Repent!

It's looking very good for me going to the NYCC, and Paradise, and by hock or crook my first visit to the San Diego Comic Con. Also Windsor/Detroit as well in the next 6 months! Maybe more yet, haven't got a confirmation but might be giving a presentation here in Montreal at the end of the month as well in NDG, hosted by geekmontreal.com

Jim's going to hit the road as well a little bit, stay tuned and i'll have dates and places for all that.

Labels: "Dream Life", "finger string", Art, events, News, Sea of Red, Therefore Repent

from http://www.montrealmirror.com/2007/120607/books2.html


Local illustrator Salgood Sam and author Jim Munroe create a post-Rapture work in Therefore Repent!

by VINCENT TINGUELY

When prolific indie author, quick and dirty filmmaker and DIY organizer Jim Munroe got a grant to create Therefore Repent!, a full-length "post-Rapture" graphic novel, Montreal-based, long-time Munroe fan and sometime collaborator Salgood Sam jumped at the chance to render it. "I'd read an early Munroe novella at a zine fair when I was 19 or 20 and I really liked it," says Sam. "I've been following his stuff ever since. When you really identify with a writer's vision, they've tapped the voice you hear inside yourself, they're appealing to you on that level." Sam spent more than a year meticulously bringing Munroe's ideas to life, drawing on skills honed in both the indie comics realm and through years of grunt work for the likes of Marvel. "Jim's a good writer to collaborate with because he was into gearing it into what I was into doing," Sam says. "I didn't have to do any contortions to visualize the script as I was reading it." Munroe agrees. "He's perfect, because he can do the hipsters and the hellspawn," says Munroe. "He can do urban settings very well and true to life, but also fascinating fantastical things."

Therefore Repent! begins with the arrival of the fascinating and fantastical Raven and Mummy in a near-future Chicago. Munroe, who's based in Toronto, set the story in an American city because, as he quips, "They go together like peanut butter and jelly, America and the Rapture." 144,000 Christians have floated up to heaven, Jesus has joined George W. in the White House, and heavily armed angels from on high are descending to do the Lord's dirty work on Earth. Things would seem quite hopeless for the rest of us godless (i.e. not fundamentalist) sorts, except that magic is afoot...everything from Eastern cosmic insights to transubstantiation actually works. Soon enough, a grassroots magical insurgency starts to form.

"I was inspired by this idea that the most powerful people in America purport to literally believe in Christians floating into the air, into heaven, which is what George W. Bush says he believes in," says Munroe. "That's pretty mind blowing, that in their own mythology they'd have something that wild-especially when the conservatives have problems with Harry Potter."

After a more ambiguous approach to the idea of evil in An Opening Act of Unspeakable Evil, Munroe decided to go for a dark fantasy scenario in which, if miracles, angels and such were to be given free play, then other forms of magic would be just as valid. "Well, if people are going to float into the air, how about less top-down magical manifestations?" Munroe says. "Religion is very top-down, it's God or who God specifically anoints. But if there is magic from on high, then it is going to emerge from below as well, if people are willing to explore it and not kowtow to the powers that be. I like the idea of it being nascent in all of us, but only if we embrace it-individual power, rather than waiting for other people to anoint us. The whole DIY, coming from the grassroots thing."

Labels: Comics, events, launch, montreal, News, press, repent press, Therefore Repent

Been trying to get stuff ready for Expozine, but ended up being up late working on mixing down ISR #99, messed up my plans for today. Got to get on it. Got some books to print and was thinking buttons....

Right, so in case you missed it the big Zine fest, the monster of Indy Montreal, EXPOZINE is coming up. Two days this year, by popular demand. Being run by da' man, Billy Mavreas.

We has high hopes.

Going to go in a double capacity, along with my new Graphic Novel, I'll be taking a list of people I want to put a mic in front of for a quick 5 questions routine to post on Sequential and maybe include in a podcast or two to come.

I will be there with Therefore Repent! of course, and think I'm going to plan for a signing shortly after Expozine, want to book it so i can make fliers for the show to have at EXPO. So come to the show and get your hands on a copy of a book people keep telling me they can't seem to put down.

In other TR news, as well as still being available for a steeply discounted pre-order on Amazon, the IDW edition is listed in this months Previews! Will try to find out the order code asap!

You can still order the book now from NMK, but soon it will be hitting the comic shops all over - January 15 2008 is the date!

I have to take some time to spread the word on that in the next few days. But please, anyone reading this feeling like pitching in, it will be much appreciated! :) Bug your comic shop clerk to check it out.

And don't forget, there's the massive 60pg peek at the book here to have a look at, and you can win a free copy too!

In other news; Keep and ear out for a Radio spot i did this weekend for Therefore Repent! during Indie Spinner Rack Issue #99, with help from Cass and Bernie Mireault! Going to post it here probably in a few days too. Just a last min swing at the thing for ISR #99. Will be taking some time to refine it and maybe do some others as well in the next while so i can send it out to a few other shows too.

And about the references to ISR #99, the show is a fun comix podcast I've been listening to for a while, and recently offered to pitch in and edit a few episodes for while tec and host Charlito is busy with an off Broadway play! Doing it for fun, love working in sound. But it also gives me a great excuse to do some reporting on Expozine and of course i get to promote my baby too, nice deal all round for me i have to say. ~B-) sweet. completed the first of my episodes this morning, it will go up Wednesday here.

Labels: Comics, contest, events, News, podcasts, Therefore Repent

Probably should have posted about this sooner, been a bit slow on the up take last few weeks - broken ankle is almost 100% but I got into a slow groove waiting for it to heal.

So a bit of news, Jim is in busy with his new kid [congrats to Jim] so I'll be jumping on a buss to Toronto this weekend to man our table at Canzine 2007.

So if you missed us at TCAF this summer you can get a copy of Therefore Repent! From me Sunday, or bring in yours to have it signed - I'll Do sketches as well, and I might have a few other goodies with me too, including free sample copies of the first chapter of Therefore Repent! care of the folks at IDW, even broke you can walk away with something.

It's a big event too, one of Canada's largest Zine Fairs with hundreds of exhibitors, so your sure to see a lot of cool stuff! Hope you can make it to the show!

Also in other news, Therefore Repent! Has reviews/features coming up: In the November issues of Quill & Quire, and the 73rd issue of RUE MORGUE in December!

And for my American and Direct market readers, you can already pre order your IDW edition of Therefore Repent! From Amazon.com now, discounted to $10.19 [deal!] & eligible for free Shipping with orders over $25.

And if you can't wait till January 15, 2008, NMK will take your orders now here.

See you all at the show
Toronto: Hotel Canzine
Sunday, October 28, 2007
The Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen St. West
(Queen just East of Dufferin)
1pm - 7pm

Labels: events, News, press, reviews, Therefore Repent

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

Should have posted this sooner, if your in the area check this out, Cassandra and Co have been working on this for a while, it's going to be quite a show. I'll take some pictures! Here's the goods...

Hey all,
Your invited to join us for the Andalunda Vernissage, Friday May 25th.

We have 40 people participating in our extravaganza: bands, performance art, spoken word, film, visual art, sculpture, installation and cheep beer to boot!

We're chilling out and having a little vernissage at 6:30, snacks and some wine with live solo performers providing music.

Then at 9 there's going to be more music which is mostly folky/jazzy/indie and then experimental beatboxing dancers, performance art and an open mic!

I'm pretty excited about the whole shindig (especially the 3D projected snow fall on the stage).

If you would like to drop on by, the address is 3997 St. Laurent (the Mainline Theatre).

Hope to see you there,
Cassandra

Labels: "finger string", events, News