The following night, December 3, you can hang with Greg Cravens and play some Con Cards at 6pm at 901 Games on Broad Ave, come hang and play with Greg Cravens’ Con Cards.

IMPORTANT DATES:
Art will be taken at our December 2 dinner gathering.
The art show will run Dec. 22, 2025 – Jan. 30, 2026.
There will be an artists’ reception on January 8, 2026, from 5 – 7 pm.

All events will take place at the Jewish Community Center, 6560 Poplar Ave.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/SSJTsRM9PJhTRmPK6

We have a LOT of wall space in the beautiful gallery to fill.  PLEASE REPLY THAT YOU ARE DOING ART and how many pieces you’ll add to the show.  I have also attached the gallery’s contract which you can return to me ASAP, please.

This show includes the art of the late Irvin Serenco which are free-standing pieces, and our art will line the walls.  Games are the theme, so anything from video games, board games, card games – it’s all GAME!  The only rule is nothing adult, political, or religious as this location is home to a lot of different people and children.  Just sticking to games gives us a LOT of options for the art.  If you have 3D art you’d like to show (or collectibles), there are display cases.

Gallery photos and Serenco’s art photos follow:

COPY/PASTE:  The poster art is attached.

Come play with me and the Mid-South Cartoonists Association as we celebrate games in our collaborative art show, “Art of the Game,” with an art presentation in memory of Irvin Serenco.  It promises to be a fun time!  You can see the art during open business hours of the Jewish Community Center at 6560 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN, from December 22, 2025 – January 30, 2026.  We will have an artists’ reception January 8, 2026, from 5 – 7 pm.  You can find more information at www.midsouthcartoonists.org

So far, it’s Dale, DaMarco, Greg, Katie, Lin, and me.  I hope other folks join in, so let me know if you are!  We have a lot of space to fill.  (I’ll also have copies of the contracts with me at the next dinner gathering, but it’s attached to this email.)

New “Drawing Funny” podcast episode:
Episode 86 – “86’ing Spooky Season”

Show notes: In this 86th episode of the Drawing Funny podcast, we say so long to the 2025 spooky season, and look ahead to what’s coming up for that other holiday season. I’ve got news about local holiday markets/events in the mid-south, and the upcoming ⁠⁠Mid-South Cartoonists Association⁠⁠‘s “The Art Of The Game” happening in December/January at the ⁠⁠Memphis Jewish Community Center⁠⁠. I’ll have a few pieces in that show.

We’II also look back at some of the Halloween related events I attended such as ⁠⁠Monster Market⁠⁠ and the Centennial Celebration of the 1925 movie “The Phantom Of The Opera” at the ⁠⁠Beale Street Monster Club⁠⁠. I interviewed the Monster Club’s co-founder, Michael Cox while at ⁠⁠A. Schwab’s on Beale⁠⁠ and found out more about the club’s origins. My wife Nicki and I also checked out author/monster club co-founder Tony Kail‘s ⁠⁠Beale Street Hoodoo Museum⁠⁠ upstairs, and had some hand dipped chocolate shakes downstairs made by Elliot Schwab. You can see pics from my visit to Beale on my ⁠⁠HaveGeekWillTravel.com site.⁠⁠

It was definitely another busy fall schedule, and continues to be as we head into Thanksgiving. The following week after Turkey Day the MSCA will have their monthly Dinner gathering at Garibaldi’s Pizza off Walker Avenue near the U of M. This month is their Annual Holiday Art Swap, and the deadline to turn in pieces for the next art show. ⁠⁠Check out the MSCA website for more info and links HERE.⁠

 ***SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT!!!***

Lin

* It’s been a number of years since I participated in a holiday retail market, but I’m excited to be one of the artists in the 2025 Memphis Arts Collective‘s holiday artist market, located at 4998 Summer Ave. I’ll be working there every Wednesday  from 11-3, so stop in and say hi! In addition to the market’s ample shopping hours (11-7 Mon-Sat, noon-5 on Sun), MAC is hosting an artist reception (with food/without liquor) from 6-8 pm on Friday, November 28. You are invited, of course, as it will be a great chance to kick off your holiday shopping, and meet the local artists involved with the market!

More blahblahblah in my November newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/4a30d1f6356f/ssnews1125

* For those of you on Bluesky, you might like to participate in #artadventcalendar – it’s kind of like Inktober, only there’s no theme, no prompts, no art daily pressure. Just post your art, old or new. Now in its 11th year, Canadian artist Jay Bigam’s Art Advent Calendar project asks participants “to post an original piece of art from Dec 1-24. Paintings, drawings, sculpture, textiles, beading, photography. If it’s art and it beautifies the timeline, you’ll see it. There’s really only a few ‘rules’:

– It must be your own work or posted for a family member with permission.

– No explicit or violent subjects. – Absolutely NO AI. Ever.”

I’m hoping to get my act together enough to post; come see if I manage to do so @smearysoapbox.bsky.social

Congrats to Team Toshigawa for their 25th anniversary of “Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa”..!

We’re getting ready to launch our first chapter of Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa – “Rain”, the motion comic! We have legit voice actors and actual animation edits along with some real music from real musicians!

Here are more wonderfully awesome voice actors who added their talents to project…

Michelle Francine Anderson as Monica MaWadé of the MaWadé Ninja Clan, subsect of the Toshigawa Ninja Clan in Miami, FL. She’s in charge of keeping the tradition of covert crime fighting going in the secret alleyways and streets of Miami. She’s also Kenji’s older sister & worries about his safety.

• Style: Bright digital cartoon — expressive, colorful, and modern (similar in tone to Puffin Peter or The Snail and the Whale).
• Character Design:
  • Arlee the Penguin – male, wears round-frame glasses, occasionally a small sailor’s cap, and carries a tiny satchel or notebook.
  • Personality: Curious, brave, a bit clumsy, and full of heart.
• Palette:
  • Antarctica: cool blues, whites, grays
  • Ocean: navy, turquoise, teal
  • Africa: golden yellows, earthy browns, bright greens, sunset oranges

• 10 full-page illustrations
• 1 front cover and 1 back cover
• Format: 8.5 x 8.5 inch children’s picture book
• Final delivery: 300 DPI print-ready files (JPG/PNG + layered PSD or equivalent)
• Budget: $600 total
• Timeline: Ideally within 6–8 weeks
• I will provide a scene-by-scene visual guide for reference once we begin.

• A few examples of your past work that show your illustration style.
• A quote or confirmation that you can work within the $600 total budget.
• Estimated timeline for completion.
• How many revision rounds you include.
• Confirmation of full commercial rights transfer upon project completion.