Category: Member News

Our 2nd Zoom Meeting Was Out Of This World!

Posted on October 9, 2020 by Lin Workman

We had our second MSCA virtual dinner meeting on Zoom Tuesday night.

Thanks to Kevin “Nuggethead” Thorn for setting it up for us. He couldn’t stay for the meeting, but turned over the reigns to me (Lin) to let in folks who wanted to join in on the call.

We had a special VIP guest show up for the meeting- MSCA founding member Jack Cassady stopped by to catch up with us.

We got up close and personal with Jack for a minute or so, but as soon as he and Kevin Williams got their web cameras situated we got to talkin’ toons. We talked a lot about how the MSCA came into being, the first meeting, Jack’s other group he started in Florida, his teaching job, the NCS, and him repeatedly jumping out of perfectly good airplanes- over 1000 times…!

We also had a special appearance by Jason Negen’s new puppy! My wife Nicki and Jim Palmer’s wife JoLynn also popped in to say hi. Nicki even brought me chicken wings to eat.

Kevin Williams and Antonio Johnson had cooler backgrounds and spfx than the rest of us.

We spent several minutes at the beginning of the meeting just laughing at Kevin in outer space and the digital pizza party hat or sunglasses he was wearing.

Towards the end of the call Greg Cravens was able to join us for a bit. He was working late on a project and had finished just in time to join in on some of the virtual fun. Was glad to have Cravens join us and get a chance to speak to Jack.

It did feel weird that when we got done with the meeting we couldn’t walk outside Garibaldi’s Pizza and talk for another couple hours like we normally do when we meet in person.

We’re planning on making this a monthly event on the first Tuesday of each month until we can safely meet up in person again. If you’d like to be a part of it shoot Kevin Williams an email for an invite- midsouthcartoonist (at) gmail (dot) com. Just put “MSCA Zoom” in the subject line.

Dale’s At It Again!

Posted on October 7, 2020 by Lin Workman

MSCA member and Zine publisher Dale Martin and his art can be seen around town this month- virtually.

Dale has two paintings included in the new “Nasty Women Memphis : War Paint!” exhibit. Spring D. Lamb has also contributed artwork to this exhibit and says her work is the positive aspect of racial equality. This third “Nasty Women” exhibit, moved to a virtual event due to COVID-19, features over 60 artists at www.nastywomenmemphis.com in a virtual art exhibition & sale benefiting Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi. The show runs from October 1 until after the presidential election, closing on Friday, November 6, 2020. It serves to demonstrate solidarity among artists who identify with being a “Nasty Woman” in the face of threats to roll back women’s rights, individual rights, and reproductive rights.

Get in the Halloween spirit at the first ever virtual Monster Market pop-up! Our own Dale Martin is one of the many artists featured online at www.monstermarket2020.com from October 1-31, 2020. Monster Market is a curated pop-up shop happening in Memphis, TN each October; it has gone virtual for the first time in its history, rather than be yet another cancelled event in 2020! 

You can also follow the adventures of Watusi The Talking Dog on Dale’s website- www.watusithetalkingdog.wordpress.com/.

“Hey- Where Is Everybody..?”

Posted on October 4, 2020 by Lin Workman

Hey, gang- Lin, you’re friendly neighborhood cartoonist and assistant webmaster here. Wanted to introduce you to the new MSCA website and am gonna try and get you caught up with what’s going on with the group these days…

So, as you may remember the MSCA started out 2020 with a lot of momentum. We were having our monthly dinner meet-ups at Garibaldi’s Pizza near the U of M on the first Tuesday of each month, and our MSCA Drawing Nights at Michaels in Olive Branch, MS on the second Tuesday of the month. I was enjoying drawing at The Cellar comic shop each Wednesday night, and occasionally getting together with members at other events, or to just hang out.

We had also produced two issues of the new MSCA Zine, The Good, The Bad, And The Sketchy which were for sale at local comic shops around town. Then a few months later that all came to a screeching halt because of the pandemic- no meetings, no drawing together, and no open comic shops.

Well, things are slowly starting to happen again for this group. One is this new website. It’s still under construction, but more and more of it will be unveiled this month as the content becomes available. We’re working on a members page, comics gallery, helpful links, and more. Thanks to my wife Nicki Workman for helping me bring the MSCA website back online.

The MSCA Zines are still alive and being produced. We actually have enough art in the can for issues #3 (magic themed) and #4 (animals). Luckily our jam piece for issue 3 had already been drawn at the last dinner meeting we had, and we could each submit our art through emails. Thanks to Dale Martin and Jason Negen for spearheading this printy project.

Both of the next two issues are at the printer and we should have them back in hand for assembly and in stores soon. Issue #5 (winter themed) is currently being drawn together. You can still purchase copies of the first two issues (#1 horror, #2 space) at Comics & Collectibles on Poplar Ave. near Colonial, 901 Comics in the Cooper/Young area, and at The Cellar on Bartlett Blvd. near Stage.

Speaking of The Cellar, you can find hand drawn sketchcovers by me, Charles Ettinger, and Lonnie Easterling for sale- as well as several of my sketchcards. Proceeds go to support our comics and art habits- neither of which are cheap these days.

We’re planning to gather again (virtually) on the first Tuesday of the month, which happens to be this Tuesday- October 6, 2020, at 7pm.  You won’t have to have a Zoom account to join- but you will need the link, ID, and passcode to participate. Just contact MSCA president Kevin L. Williams to get the Zoom invite and login info. He can also add you to our mailing list if you’d like. You can email Kev at midsouthcartoonists(at)gmail(dot)com.

We had a lot of fun on our first MSCA Zoom call this summer. It was great to see everyone’s faces and talk toons with each other again. Hope you can join us for this next meeting. BTW, FYI it’s BYOP (bring your own pizza).

 

Speaking of takin’ toons, I’m currently in the process of creating a new MSCA podcast- Drawing Funny. I’m still learning how to record, edit, upload, and distribute a podcast, but I’m slowly becoming a pod-person. I’ve been on a few podcasts over the years, and I listen to several a week, but I have to admit- tech and I aren’t good friends so wish me luck. My plans with this show are to help spotlight some of our MSCA members, our events, learn some tips and tricks, catch up with artists I haven’t talked to in a while, and find out more about folks in the comics industry and fandom who just like to draw funny. I’m also going to try and record our Zoom meetings, and look at doing some video podcasts and time-lapse drawing videos for the new MSCA YouTube channel that Kev is setting up. Will post more soon about it and how members can share their drawing videos, too.

That should catch you up on what’s currently happening with the MSCA. For a group that hasn’t really seen each other in person for over 6 months we are still moving forward- just mostly socially distanced and online right now. I’ll be posting more news here as I get it. Feel free to share any on our Facebook page, or email us at midsouthcartoonists(at)gmail(dot)com. Just be sure to put “news” in the subject line so it will get forwarded to me.

Not sure when we will all see each other again in person, but until then I hope to see you here.

Take care, stay safe, and keep drawing funny!

Lin