Category: MSCA Website

MSCA Members Featured On TV, On-Line, In Print…And In Person!

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Hey, gang-

Lots to talk about- it’s been a busy week or two for several of our MSCA members…and one heck of a milestone for one!

Yep, happy 50th birthday to our president Kevin L. Williams!

Kevin celebrated half a century of being on this rock by hanging with friends last Saturday at First Congregational Church in the Cooper-Young neighborhood.

Muley The Mule And Friends performed for a room fool of party-goers and were joined by a special guest(s)…

Kevin’s friend Zach Haumesser and puppet pal Sebastian T. Frog flew in from Buffalo, NY – and boy were their wings tired..!

Okay, yeah- that joke was pretty bad…

Muley/Kevin and Sebastian/Zach performed with Missy Mule/Janet Wade, Buford Dog/Martheus Antone Wade, and Roy Duck/DaMarco Randle.

 

They did several numbers before we all had cake, and believe me there was plenty of cake, cookies, and other goodies to be had.

 

I really think Sebastian was just there for the cake…never get between a hungry frog with a fork and dessert!

 

 

Out in the hallway as we all made our way in there was a huge sketchbook for everyone to sign in, write birthday messages, and/or draw in which was a lot of fun to add to- and look at!

Before Nicki and I went by the birthday party, we had to stop by Marshall Arts (over near Sun Studio) to drop off my merch for the upcoming Monster Market in October.

The Monster Market is an on-line store which features original art, prints, and other monstrous merch. There will be an in-person open house on October 1st at Marshall Arts.

I’ll have some of my “Scared Silly” prints, canvases, buttons, stickers, magnets, and more available for sale there, as well as some of my hand drawn sketchcards. Dale Martin will also be a part of the artist line-up for this year’s market.

Speaking of sketchcards, I was on Episode 33 of the Penciled In Podcast, with hosts and sketchcard artists Lindsey and Ingrid. You can watch the episode on YouTube here, or listen on Spotify here.

We not only talked about drawing sketchcards, but also my beginnings in art, being a member of the MSCA and DeSoto Arts Council, art techniques, donating art to charities, and some of the times I’ve actually taught art classes like at the DAC and Little Art Hose Project.

My art has been featured on the promo cards for the upcoming Nosferatu Series Two trading card set being published by Attic Cards, RJF, Leg Day Cards and RRParksCARDS (4 publishers teaming up to produce a single card series). I’ll have sketchcards as part of that set, plus if anyone would like one I’ll have a few of the promo cards with me at the next MSCA dinner meet-up at Garibaldi’s Pizza on Tuesday, September 6th. I’ll also have some MSCA sketchcard blanks and other swag with me, too- just ask if you make it out to join us.

A few months back Kevin Williams had been featured on TV5’s “Bluff City Life“. Last week, we had two more MSCA members featured on the show…

.

This time is was Martheus and Janet Wade from MAW Productions at  ToshigawaUniverse.com.

They were on with host Gina Neely to discuss their two creator owned comic series “Shinobi Ninja Princess” and “Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa“, working on comics as a family, and having their comics picked up by Scholastic. You can watch the interview online here.

And in other news- Roy Duck’s right-hand man DaMarco Randle was featured in an online interview with MemphisVoyager.com.

DaMarco discusses being inspired as a kid by watching art programs on TV, later earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Memphis College of Art, recently creating murals around Memphis, and the importance of always having a strong support system around him.

You can read the interview here and see more of his artwork at www.DamarcoArts.com.

If you have any member or industry news be sure to let me or Kevin know by emailing us at midsouthcartoonists(at)gmail(dot)com.

Lin

MSCA News, Updates, Links, and August Dinner Meeting Notes

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Hey, gang- it was great to be back at Garibaldi’s Pizza again for our monthly dinner meet-up.

We had a great turn out and look forward to doing it again next month on September, 6th.

Also- I’ve got a message from the MSCA’s president, Kevin L. Williams…

Tonight’s MSCA dinner gathering was a lot of fun, and thanks everyone for the great resource information! Good to see everyone there, and look forward to next month. Anytime you have good resources to share, please do.

Here are some notes from tonight: 

INTERNET 

First, another call for self-caricatures and bios, including all your social media and websites, for the Members Directory section of the website. You can send that to midsouthcartoonists@gmail.com.

Also, ANYTIME that you have something that is newsworthy (even if you don’t think it is), please share it for the website and MSCA page.  Art shows, publications, articles, performances – it’s all newsworthy! 

Second, please share the attached graphic and link to www.midsouthcartoonists.org on your own websites/social media.  Help us spread the word!

Dinner gatherings are always the first Tuesday of the month at 7pm (or a bit earlier if you’d like) at Garibaldi’s Pizza, 3530 Walker Ave.

Third, if you haven’t been on yet contact Lin Workman about the MSCA’s “DrawingFunny” podcast! It’s a good time and you get to pimp your work to the world for free!

Interviews can be recorded over Zoom or in person. Email midsouthcartoonists@gmail.com or podcast@drawingfunny.com and he’ll get the message.

Fourth, Lin Workman secured display space at the Hernando Public Library to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Mid-South Cartoonists Association. They have a large 2-sided display case and a smaller single case on the other side of the lobby hall. Both have locks and can be viewed during library business hours. Display will be up for the whole month of September. The MSCA display will be a great way to spread the word about our group, its history, members’ work, and show some how-to draw examples.

Some members dropped off items at the last dinner meeting, but if you have any ‘historical’ MSCA stuff- napkin doodles, publications (personal projects/comics, magazine covers, MSCA newsletters, etc.), progression examples of your work (like our “Drawing Inspiration” art show) that you wouldn’t mind loaning us for the display, let me know when/where I can pick it up.

I’ve tried to keep up with a good collection of stuff in a box I consider our “archives” which I’ll dig into as well. 

RESOURCES 

Lastly, as per our discussions, I’ve attached “Wally Woods 22 Panels That Always Work” which is a great reference for drawing comics. 

A few books mentioned tonight: 

Comics and Sequential Art: Principles and Practices from the Legendary Cartoonist (Will Eisner Instructional Books) www.amazon.com/dp/0393331261/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_RQX9FCR3S55SVK52N0A4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 

Framed Ink: Drawing and Composition for Visual Storyteller www.amazon.com/dp/1933492953/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_3PHJ6F2SYP08R5Z8RVYK?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 

Websites: 

Line-of-action.com is great reference for figure drawing.

Oh, and speaking of figure drawing, sign up for the Facebook group Memphis Life Drawing and go visit with some of our members and DRAW!!  (Just a little money due to pay for the models.)www.facebook.com/groups/1169039783154774/

Podcasts: 

www.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/screen-tones-a-webcomic-podcast/id1591620548

www.youtube.com/user/tommyswass

www.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/off-panel-a-comics-interview-podcast/id1006337409

www.drawingfunny.com

Be Safe, Be Happy, Be Well!Your Pals,Kevin L. Williams& Muley the Mule

BTW- don’t forget you can pick up some MSCA and Drawing Funny free swag around town at Comics & Collectibles (East Memphis), The Cellar Table Top Games and Comics (Bartlett), and both locations of 901 Comics (Cooper/Young and Cordova). We always have some at our dinner meet-ups at Garibaldi’s, too.

MSCA Monthly Dinner Meeting This Tuesday- No Foolin’, fools!

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Hey, gang- no April Fools jibber-jabber today. Just a couple MSCA bits of info for you-including the next monthly meeting this Tuesday.

Yep, it’s hard to believe it’s time for another MSCA dinner meet-up at Garibaldi’s Pizza off Walker Ave. and Highland (across from Tiger Bookstore).

It’s been a month since our first time back at Garibaldi’s after a two year pandemic forced hiatus. Yeah, hard to believe it was two years without any in-person get-togethers here.

We had about a dozen members stop in, and as you can tell everyone was super excited to be back together in the same room again..!

We all enjoyed some good grub, great conversation, and traded/snagged some cartoonist freebies. I brought some MSCA and Drawing Funny podcast swag (pins, buttons, stickers, sketchcard blanks), Kevin Williams brought some MSCA postcards, Greg Cravens had some of his stickers, and Lonnie Eastering had some of his Spud Toons stickers. (If you’d like any MSCA and/or Drawing Funny freebie swag be sure to stop by Comics & Collectibles, The Cellar, and 901 Comics around town,)

This month marked the 35th anniversary since the first Memphis Cartoonists Group meeting- March 28, 1987.

The name has changed since that first meeting and so has our roster of usual suspects, but we still have some members from those early days and are always looking to have more folks join our ranks. Young or old, experienced or just starting out, published or just draw for fun- everyone is welcome to come out and talk toons with us.

This last Tuesday, March 29th- the day after our official anniversary, MSCA president Kevin L. Williams appeared on WMC TV5’s “Bluff City Life” to talk about our group’s history with host Andy Mannis.

During the MSCA segment some pics of the group (including a shot from out most recent March dinner meeting) and some member’s art was shown including some from our recent art show at Germantown Community Theatre.

There we a couple of minor technical issues, but Kev did great a great job promoting the association and getting the word out to the mid-south. If you missed Kev’s TV appearance, the episode should be available to watch on their website anytime now.

Hope you can all make it out to meet up with us this Tuesday, April 5th from 7-9pm at the U of M Garibaldi’s Pizza. Bring whatever art you’ve been working on, favorite art book/comic or recent art tool purchase to show, or some promo swag to hand out. Also, feel free to bring a friend or family member, and be sure to bring a few bucks to order off the menu. You and your stomach will be glad you did!

I’m hoping to actually sit down and do a bit of recording for the Drawing Funny podcast during the meeting, so if you’d like to be on the show please let me know.

I pity the fools that miss this next MSCA dinner meet-up!

Lin

Presidential Address: In Person Dinner Meet-Up Cancelled

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MSCA President Kevin L. Williams has sent out some news for our upcoming dinner meet-up and art show at Germantown Community Theater in January.

From Kev:

Hi, all,

JANUARY GATHERING
Garibaldi’s called and verified that due to the increase in Omicron in Shelby County they are not opening the meeting room in the near future.  Instead, let’s just gather on Zoom for January 4, 2022, at 7pm.  (Zoom link here.)

If we still want to meet up starting in February 2022, reply to let me know where you’d like to meet.

ART SHOW ART DROP-OFF/PICK-UP
As we aren’t meeting next week, feel free to drop art work off between 8am – 4pm at my work:Crone Memorials, 811 S Dudley Street, Memphis, TN 38104 (Map attached)

OR – let me know your address and I’ll plan to pick up the art Thursday. Need a reminder about what’s due for the artwork?  (Email Kev at midsouthcartoonists (at) gmail (dot) com.)

*Note: Show will be at Germantown Community Theater in January 2022 and will coincide with the play The Complete History of America (abridged). We’re allowed to sell the pieces keeping 60% and the theater gets 40%.

MSCA WEBSITE details – if anyone wants to be featured please send jpegs- RGB 300dpi at 450 pixels tall (doesn’t matter width). We could use 4-10 from each member.

If you aren’t already listed in the member directory on the site, we need a short bio, caricature jpeg (can resize it after uploading it), and whatever personal art website and/or social media links you’d like to share.

The images and info can be emailed directly to  podcast(at)drawingfunny(dot)com – just put “MSCA website” in the subject line. You can visit the site at www.midsouthcartoonists.org and feel free to share this information with your social media.  An image is attached for good measure.

35th ANNIVERSARY
2022 marks the 35th Anniversary of the Mid-South Cartoonists Association.  Do you have any ideas how you’d like to celebrate?  Message me with ideas! *(That’s a flyer for the very first meeting back in 1987

Be Safe, Be Happy, Be Well!Your Pals,
Kevin L. Williams
& Muley the Mule

If you need more info check out previous posts here on the website, or you can email the MSCA president or webmaster(s) at- midsouthcartoonists(at)gmail(dot)com.

Also, the latest “Drawing Funny” podcast episode is up- Episode 33 – “Priced To Sell- Or Sit..?”

“How much is that art in the window?” In this solo episode I discuss pricing and selling– or not selling my art, what some folks have thought about the prices I charge, and if my work is worth the cost.

If you have any ideas or stories on selling art and/or how you price things, please give me a yell at podcast (at) drawingfunny (dot) com. If you’d like to promote anything you’re selling or doing in 2022 feel free to contact me about it. I’d love to hear from you. Always looking for member news and guests for the show. I’m seriously running out of things to talk about- especially about myself!

Oh, and don’t forget to snag some free MSCA and Drawing Funny swag at local comic shops in Memphis. You can find some at Comics & Collectibles (Poplar), 901 Comics (Cooper/Young), and The Cellar (Bartlett).

Hope you have a Happy New Year!
Lin

A Junk Opera, Murals, Skateboards, and Ghosts…What’s Going On Here..?!!

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Hey, gang-

Nicki and I are doing some maintenance and redesign of the MSCA site, so things will be looking different here. Be sure to share your art/member news and links for future posts.


“What the hell are you doing..?!!”

Here’s what’s been going on and/or coming up in the MSCA…

Shockheaded Peter A Junk Opera

MSCA member Andrew Chandler emcees the play “Shockheaded Peter A Junk Opera” at Theaterworks!  CLICK HERE to learn more.

October 29 – November 14, 2021
Shockheaded Peter

Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00, Sundays at 2:00
ADDED DATES: Thursday Nov. 4 at 7:30, Friday Nov. 5 MIDNIGHT SHOW, 12:00 am
​Please note: Sunday Oct. 31 is sold out.

Created for the stage by Julian Crouch and Phelim McDermott. Original music and lyrics by The Tiger Lillies. Originally conceived and produced by Michael Morris for Cultural Industry, London
Directed by James Kevin Cochran
Musical Director Eileen Kuo
​
SHOCKHEADED PETER is a musical adaptation of the Der Struwwelpeter by Heinrich Hoffman, an 1845 German children’s book of short stories and poems about the disastrous consequences of misbehavior. SHOCKHEADED PETER features a sinister but incompetent master of ceremonies who leads the audience through the tale of a childless couple that has their fondest wish granted in the most delightfully dreadful way imaginable, accompanied by songs, puppetry, and vignettes in which the hilariously horrible fates that befall naughty children everywhere are brought to darkly comedic life.

Cast:
Emcee . . . . . Andrew Chandler
Lead Singer . . . . . Ryan Scott
Ensemble . . . . . Mersadies Burch, Patricia Carreras, Julia Hinson, Franklin Koch, Marianne Orendorff, Amy Rush, Ashley Trevathan, Johnathan Underwood, Jen Wood-Bowien

 

MAW Productions Murals

MSCA member Martheus Wade has been featured in an article about the mural featuring many characters from the MAW Productions Universe!


The mural was painted by the Jetta team- Martheus (top/L) & Janet Wade(bottom/L), Anakin Wade(sitting/C), Damarco Randle(top/R), and Kevin Williams(bottom/R).


CLICK HERE to read it on BLAC®, which is the premier lifestyle magazine for African Americans in and around Memphis.


Recently as part of #paintmemphis 2021, Martheus, Janet Wade, Anakin, Damarco, and Kevin were painting murals again downtown!


The Jetta mural took 17 hours over 3 days to complete.


If you’re in the Memphis area, head down to 660 BB King Blvd (on the Georgia Street side) for that mural and many more- including an awesome Avatar: The Last Airbender one by Damarco Ranldle– which took 40 hours of work!


Do you own a business or know someone who needs branding help..? Don’t forget to check out www.MAWProductionsLLC.com who can take care of all those needs as well.

 

Hernando Skates!


On Saturday, October 16th, Nicki and I went to check out the Hernando Skate Park 6th Anniversary event at Pidgeon Park in Hernando, MS.


The skatepark is just around the corner from us and Nicki had a new mirror-less digital camera she wanted to play with.


There was a great “Hernando Skates” turnout- lots of spectators, many bands performed, and several skaters of all skill levels took to the concrete.


There was even a landshark in the bowl..!


There was some serious defying of gravity going on…


…well, sometimes gravity can be a harsh mistress..!


Trust me, I was reminded the first time I tried going in!


You can read more about that time when Kevin Thorn, Greg Cravens, Mike Womack, their kids and I checked out the skatepark on my Have Geek travel blog.

 

MGB at Malco Olive Branch!


“Who y’all gonna call?”


Saturday, November 20, 2021 AT 12 PM – 2 PM
Malco Olive Branch, 6430 Goodman Rd, Olive Branch, MS 38654


The Memphis Ghostbusters will be in person at the Malco Cinema Grill in Olive Branch, MS to celebrate the release of the new Ghostbusters: Afterlife movie.


The local Memphis Ghostbusters franchise (founded by Kevin Williams and myself/Lin), will be in uniform to meet and do photo-ops with fellow ghostheads.


We’ll be set up outside the entrance to the theater, unless the weather is bad and then we’ll be inside the lobby.


We will be masked and socially distancing per Malco rules and guidelines.

 

2022 MSCA Art Show Scheduled

We have a chance to be part of an art show at Germantown Community Theater in January 2022, to coincide with the play The Complete History of America (abridged) (synopsis is below). We need MSCA members to commit to 12 medium to large size pieces which will work in their space and history of America theme, so if we have 6 – 8 artists commit we can fill it.

We’re allowed to sell the pieces keeping 60% and the theater gets 40%.

Who’s in?? Please let Kevin know VERY soon, and the art will be due by our first in-person meeting the first Tuesday in January 2022. You can email Kev at midsouthcartoonists (at) gmail (dot) com.

The Complete History Of America (abridged)
With a ten year run in the West End at the Criterion Theatre, The Complete History of America (abridged) ought to be funny. And informative. And it’s both. In the short space of ninety minutes, Adam Long, Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor take us through 600 years of History, from Washington to Watergate, from the Bering Straits to Baghdad, from New World to New World Order – The Complete History of America (abridged) is a breakneck rollercoaster ride through the glorious quagmire that is American history. 
Tackling such controversial questions as: Who really discovered America? Why did Abe Lincoln free the slaves? How many Democrats does it take to screw in a light bulb? – absolutely nothing is sacred in the authors’ unique satirical exploration of America’s past.

“History has never been this much fun. Or as delightfully mutilated.” Montreal Gazette
“This History of America should be a required course.” – Boston Herald

Germantown Community Theatre is a non‐profit 501(c)(3) organization set in an intimate 98‐seat theatre located at 3037 Forest Hill‐Irene Rd. GCT provides both theatrical entertainment and educational opportunities for Midsouth families in an environment that nurtures creative expression and artistic growth. Our mission is to entertain, educate, engage, and enrich the community through theatrical programming.

Tickets may be purchased online (click here) or through the box office (901-453-7447). Box office hours are Tuesday through Friday 10:00am–3:00pm. During show days, the box office is open one hour before showtime. GCT accepts all major credit cards including Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express. 


This art show will be a great way for us to start celebrating the MSCA’s 35th anniversary year!

We’ll be discussing it and other plans for 2022 during our next monthly Zoom meeting call on Tuesday, November 2nd starting at 7pm. You can email Kev at midsouthcartoonists (at) gmail (dot) com for the link to join in on the comics conversation.

 


Hope you all have a Happy Halloween!

Lin

News On New “Drawing Funny” Podcast News Episode

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Hey, gang-

We’ve got a new news episode of “Drawing Funny“- Episode 27 – “MSCA News Update”.

Show Notes: This episode is a semi-shorter one, but lots of MSCA news like Greg Cravens‘ “Hubris” Patreon, Kevin “Nuggethead” Thorn‘s new political hat in Hernando, MS, the updated MSCA links page, thoughts on next year’s MSCA 35th anniversary (1987-2022), info on upcoming MSCA monthly meet-ups – plus local events like Free Comic Book Day, The Covington Comic Con, Disney exhibit at Graceland, and Artists’ Link art show at the Memphis Botanic Garden. Also a little bit of discussion of this year’s Superman Celebration and Supergirl Radio podcast interview, “The Suicide Squad” movie, and my recent sketchcards and unemployment situation- yay, fun…

Stay safe, and stay tooned- but mostly stay safe..!

BTW: If you want to be a part of the show, would like to have your comics project, event, or podcast featured on a future episode, or have MSCA member/Memphis art scene news please give me a yell. 30-60sec MP3 commercials are welcome, too.

You can contact me at:

podcast(at)drawingfunny(dot)com

You can hear my “Drawing Funny” promo spot here.

Hope to talk toons with ya!

Lin

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Meetings and Podcasting – What’s Up With The MSCA This Summer

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Here’s the latest meeting news from MSCA’s President Kevin L. Williams:

Dear Ink Slingers, Digital Doodlers, Pencil Pushers, and Word Doctors,
The response to in-person meeting “outdoors” for now was positive, so we’re going to press forward as mentioned below!
JULY ZOOM GATHERING!!

The next MSCA Gathering will be Tuesday, July 6, 2021, at 7 pm on Zoom.

If you’d like to join in on the meeting and didn’t the most recent group email, you can request the link by emailing midsouthcartoonists(at)gmail(dot)com.

IN PERSON GATHERING

The first IN PERSON gathering will be in the Overton Park Formal Gardens, Tuesday, August 3, 2021, at 6:30 pm!!  Bring your own chair, your own food and drink, artwork to share (I plan to have a table for us to put items on).  This area is under some trees and flowers, it’s wide-open so we can spread out.
CLICK HERE for directions. You can park in the road behind the Levitt Shell.

RULES: 

If you are fully vaccinated, masks are optional but not required.
If you are NOT fully vaccinated, masks are required.
We trust you to make the decisions that are safer for you AND our members, so do what is right and don’t be “that guy.”

You might want to bring some mosquito spray just in case…

RAIN OPTION:  If it rains, we’ll use Zoom to gather and visit, but you’ll still be required to provide your own food, drinks, and chairs – J

Keep your eyes open for details about a possible, cooler, new place for outdoor gatherings!

MSCA WEBSITE STUFFS!

Lin Workman is working hard on www.midsouthcartoonists.org and still needs several folks’ caricature, bio, website(s), and preferred contact methods.

Send website info to midsouthcartoonists(at)gmail(dot)com.

Don’t forget to check out www.drawingfunny.com – our official podcast. If you are interested in being a guest on the show and/or want him to pimp your publications and wares, email Lin at podcast(at)drawingfunny(dot)com.

Hope to see you at each of the events above!

Be Safe, Be Happy, Be Well!
Your Pals,
Kevin L. Williams
& Muley the Mule
__________________________________________
Well, since Kevin mentioned the podcast…
A new “Drawing Funny” podcast episode is available- Ep. 23: Winston Gambro.
Winston Gambro is a graphic designer by day, and comic creator by night. He’s created the comedy webtoon “Gumshoe City“, which has detective Meatball Matthews journeying out of his element when his best friend disappears and leaves behind a dead body; his online cyberpunk mystery “Overflow“, that has Ava Lee, a private detective attempting to prove her brother didn’t commit a war crime and possibly stop the end of the world; and his anthology comic series “Rex Radley: Boy Adventurer“, an all ages book that was inspired by every awesome cartoon made to sell toys (and was successfully backed by two Kickstarter campaigns). Winston currently lives in Aurora, IL with his cat, Hazel.
“Overflow” webcomic – www.overflow.thecomicseries.com
“Gumshoe City” webcomic – www.gumshoecitycomic.com
You can purchase Winston’s comics at- www.gumroad.com/winstongambro
Speaking of purchasing comics…be sure to stop by 901 Comics in Cooper/Young.
Our own Greg Cravens has issues of his comic series “Stoned Ninja” available for purchase- only $4.20ea. I picked up a blank sketchcover variant issue. Sketch ’em if ya got ’em!
You can also buy our MSCA Zine, as well as Dale Martin’s “Watusi“. Issues of the MSCA zine are available at Comics and Collectibles (Memphis, TN) and The Cellar Tabletop Games & Comics (Bartlett, TN), too. Be sure to snag some free MSCA and Drawing Funny swag while you’re there.
Before I go, I’d like to say congrats to my wife Nicki Workman. She has officially completed her first year of grad school, and did great this week on her first test of this semester. She’s been attending classes online for the U of M. She has a ways to go before they award her a Masters degree, but she’s doing great- and while holding down a full time job in a pandemic! I’m extremely proud of how hard she’s been working towards this goal, and how amazing her grades are- she is the smart..!
Hope to see you on the Zoom call in July.
Lin

MSCA Meetings And “Drawing Funny”

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Tuesday was our monthly MSCA Zoom meeting.

We discussed what all we’d each been working on, what we’ve been watching and reading, plus the status of upcoming meetings.

Speaking of meetings, we’re keeping an eye on local regulations and recommendations from the health department and City of Memphis, plus waiting to hear back when we can reserve the big room at Garibaldi’s Pizza again.  We have this announcement from MSCA President, Kevin L. Williams regarding the next two monthly meetings:

“Dear Ink Slingers, Digital Doodlers, Pencil Pushers, and Word Doctors,

The next MSCA Gathering will be Tuesday, July 6, 2021, at 7 pm on Zoom. 

Here’s some good news:
The first IN PERSON gathering will be in the Overton Park Formal Gardens, Tuesday, August 3, 2021, at 6:30 pm!!  Bring your own chair, your own food and drink, artwork to share (I plan to have a table for us to put items on).  This area is under some trees and flowers, it’s wide-open so we can spread out.

CLICK HERE for directions.

RULES: 

If you are fully vaccinated, masks are optional but not required.
If you are NOT fully vaccinated, masks are required.
We trust you to make the decisions that are safer for our members, so do what is right and don’t be “that guy.”

You might want to bring some mosquito spray just in case…

RAIN OPTION:  If it rains, we’ll use this Zoom link to gather and visit, but you’ll still be required to provide your own food, drinks, and chairs – J

Hope to see you at each of the events above! “

 

Calling all pod-people..!


There are a couple new episodes of our podcast “Drawing Funny” that are available at www.drawingfunny.com – or wherever you like to download/listen to podcasts like Apple, Google, Spotify, and more.

Since many folks are heading to cons again or are gearing up to, for Ep.21 I thought I’d share some thoughts on setting up at and/or attending conventions. I’ve been doing it off and on since the early ’90s as an attendee, artist guest, volunteer, con staff, organizer- at one time doing a con a month or every other month..! I’ve stopped setting up as an artist/guest or putting on shows, but still love attending cons. There’s lots more I could have put into this episode, but figured this one was long enough at 45min. Plus, I remembered a few extras after I had edited it…D’oh! So, maybe I’ll do a follow up episode after attending a few post-pandemic events. If you’d like more info on conventions and portfolio reviews, or see some of the cons and events I’ve attended be sure to check out my LinWorkman.com art blog and HaveGeekWillTravel.com travel blog (lots of posts in the archives).

 

For Ep. 22 I had Marvin Wynn, writer of “The Edge” comic join me from Pittsburgh via Zoom.

We discussed his origin story, his upcoming show/store appearance schedule, the art scene in Pittsburgh (AKA “Comicsburgh“), plus his involvement with the live action “Herioneburgh” and its upcoming crossover with “The Edge“.  You can find Second Sight Publishing and “The Edge” Comic in Diamond’s PreviewsWorld catalogue.

If you’ve got a comics series you’d like to discuss on the show, have reading recommendations, con survival advice, or just have any questions about the show please shoot me an email- podcast (at) drawingfunny (dot) com. Always enjoy talking toons with comics creators, and would love to have some CONversations with show/event organizers and see what info/advice/stories they can share.

Stay safe, and stay tooned!

Lin

PS: If you have any questions about our meetings, members, being a member, or joining our mailing list email the MSCA at midsouthcartoonists (at) gmail (dot) com.

“Kickstart My Art” – Talkin’ Toons on the Drawing Funny Podcast

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Hey, gang-

I’ve been recording, editing, and uploading more episodes of “Drawing Funny“. Episode 16 will be going up this week- if I can keep from freezing to death! Thankfully the Batcave is actually quite toasty and comfortable.

I’ve been talking with a few of the friends I’ve made over the years through the Comic Geek Speak Podcast. It just worked out that I’ve got back to back interviews with three CGS friends who are all doing Kickstarter campaigns this month! If you’ve been wanting more info on starting a comics crowdfunding campaign of your own, these guests share lots of advice. Here’s a run down of those episodes and their links, as well as some info on those Kickstarter projects…

 

 

Episode 14 – “The Hostage” by Sal Abbinanti (Run time: 1hr 45min)

Show Notes: I talk toons and kickstarting art projects with Sal “Uncle Sal” Abbinanti. We discuss his early work in advertising, self-publishing comics, representing other artists, and his first ever Kickstarter for his first ever graphic novel- “The Hostage“.

WARNING: F-bombs and other colorful language await you in this conversation with Sal.

From his Kickstarter campaign page:

By day, Sal Abbinanti is the art rep for comic book superstars Alex Ross and Bill Sienkiewicz, but by night he, too, is an artist. For more than two decades, the Chicago native has been obsessed with creating a graphic novel inspired by a visit he made to Brazil when he was in his early 20’s. Now, Abbinanti is launching a Kickstarter campaign for his dream project, a 115-page full-color original graphic novel set in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro titled THE HOSTAGE.

“When I was 25, I spent six months living in Rio de Janeiro,” said Abbinanti. “I was a starry eyed, full of shit college kid who went there for a Brazilian vacation of samba, nightlife, and beaches. To see the level of poverty, suffering, and death in Rio de Janeiro was eye opening. I will never forget it. THE HOSTAGE is my tribute to the amazing country and especially to the kids living in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.”

Loosely inspired by the culture and religions of Brazil like the Umbanda and the Candomblé, Abbinanti has been building the world of THE HOSTAGE in his studio for over 10 years—sketching characters, panels, and scripting pages. Abbinanti’s unique art style and vibrant color choices create a spellbinding effect. THE HOSTAGE tells the story of a group of street kids who are abandoned by society. Dying every day from poverty and gang violence, the kids join together and summon a mystical spirit—THE HOSTAGE—who will protect them and avenge the deaths of their friends.

THE HOSTAGE Kickstarter campaign includes limited edition lithographs from Alex Ross, Bill Sienkiewicz, Jeffrey Alan Love, Sanjulián, Geof Darrow, and Eric Powell, as well as tiers with original sketch cards, postcards, and bookmarks by Abbinanti.

The crowdfunding campaign is live now and concludes on February 25th, with pledge tiers ranging from a digital edition available in both English and Portuguese (translated by Kelsey Trotta), to The Complete HOSTAGE Package, which includes an 11×17 original drawing by Sal Abbinanti and a complete set of lithographs by all guest artists.

For updates, follow Sal on social media or on Kickstarter at the links below:

“The Hostage” Kickstarter by Sal Abbinanti – kickstarter.com

Alex Ross Art – www.alexrossart.com

Sal Abbinanti on Twitter – @SalAbbinanti

Sal Abbinanti on Instagram – @salabbinanti

Mercury Comics on Twitter – @comics_mercury.

 

 

Episode 15 – “Party Monster” Dave Dwonch (Run time: 1hr 19min 52sec)

Show Notes: I talk toons, kickstarting art projects, married life, health issues, and “real nerd $#*+” with the man with the golden couch, Party Monster Supreme – Dave Dwonch. We discuss his early work with Action Lab Comics, his upcoming “Jenny Zero” mini-series with Dark Horse Comics, and his current Kickstarter for his graphic novel- “SPORES: The Broken Circle“. Dave has been a man on the move!

WARNING: F-bombs and other colorful language and adult situations await you in this comics conversation with the man with the golden couch, Dave Dwonch.

From his Kickstarter campaign page:

The continuing adventures of private school kids trapped in a VERY different kind of apocalypse. Prom was just the beginning…

From the creators of Mind Palace and Prom of the Dead comes the next installment of the coming-of-age horror series SPORES: THE BROKEN CIRCLE!

When last we saw the surviving students of the Pineview Academy, they had survived the worst night of their lives, aka Prom Night. Now, just one day later, Erika, Travon and Shauna are on the road looking for safety in an ever-increasingly hostile world. Little do they know that the worst is yet to come as the ‘friends’ they abandoned the night before are coming for them.

Dave Dwonch (co-creator of the upcoming Dark Horse series “Jenny Zero“- see below) reunites with Santi Guillen (Mind Palace) to continue the “SPORES” saga with more twists, turns and betrayal than any teen drama has any right to contain!

All or nothing. This project will only be funded if it reaches its goal by Sun, March 7 2021.

JENNY ZERO #1 Sex, Drugs, and Giant Monsters!

Meet Jenny Tetsuo, the hard drinkin’, hard partyin’ daughter of beloved superhero, Mega Commander Zero. After washing out as the military’s top Kaiju-killer, ”Jenny Zero” now lives the celebutante life with her hotel heiress and publicist best friend, Dana Sheraton. But when the massive creatures return, Jenny must decide if she can sober up and save the world!

From Dave Dwonch (Cyrus Perkins and the Haunted Taxi Cab, Mind Palace), Brock McKinney (MAD Magazine, Full Moon Deadly Ten films) and superstar in the making, Magenta King comes a new hero for a new decade!

You can pre-order this miniseries through your local comic shop or online retailers through Diamond Distributers.

Publication Date: April 14, 2021
Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries
Price: $3.99
UPC: 7 61568 00695 7 00111
SPORES: The Broken Circle (Kickstarter campain) – www.kickstarter.com/projects/thebrokencircle/spores-the-broken-circle/
Dark Horse Comics (Jenny Zero miniseries) – www.darkhorse.com/Comics/3007-355/Jenny-Zero-1#prettyPhoto
Dave Dwonch on Facebook – www.facebook.com/dave.dwonch
Dave Dwonch on Twitter – @davedwonch
Dave Dwonch on Twitter – www.instagram.com/davedwonch/
Episode 16 – “Athena Voltaire” By Steve Bryant (airs later this week)
I talked to Steve Bryant yesterday (Sat.2/13), and will have the show up this week. We discuss his latest Kickstarter for “Athena Voltaire and the Terror on the Orient Express” comics and graphic novel.

From his Kickstarter campaign page:

A graphic novel starring globe-trotting, Nazi-punching, monster-killing adventuress Athena Voltaire!

An all-new 120 page graphic novel starring globetrotting aviatrix Athena Voltaire.

“Athena Voltaire and the Terror on the Orient Express” finds the heroine reconnecting with an old friend during a personal trip on the famed train line. When an old foe sets a plan in motion, the voyage turns deadly, as Athena must find the source of horrific slayings that are terrorizing the passengers!

Planned for issues 9–12 of the Action Lab Athena Voltaire ongoing series, the prologue follows Athena on a mad dash to the train station. This sequence serves as a framing sequence to tell tales of the adventuress’ past.

Get “Athena Voltaire and the Terror on the Orient Express” as 4 individual Kickstarter-exclusive comics (ATHENA VOLTAIRE ongoing series issues 9–12), and the variant covers: the retro variant (issue 9), the Mike Norton variant (issue #10), the homage variant (issue 11), and the Bobby Breed variant (issue 12)! Plus the PDF of “Athena Voltaire and the Terror on the Orient Express” and the Kickstarter-exclusive print. Lots of other items, incentives, and combinations available- it’s cray-zee!

You can find out more about Steve and his Kickstarter at:

www.stevebryantcomics.com/

www.kickstarter.com/

 

“Feeling lucky…” Then listen to Episode 13! (Run time: 18min 13sec)

I was going to use a bit of the MSCA Zoom meeting but had some technical difficulties- but Idid  announce the details for our first “Drawing Funny” contest (listen to win a set of MSCA Zines, Samurai tee by me, and some MSCA and Drawing Funny swag). I also give a few art tips, and I discuss some of what I’ve learned from my days of self-publishing comics.

Regrets, yeah- I’ve had a few, and few enough to mention here on this episode.

Oh, and in Episode 12 – “The Dirty Dozen (or so)” I’ve got a few reviews and reading recommendations for you- “WINK” by Rob Harrell, “The Impending Blindness Of Billie Scott” by Zoe Thorogood, and the NCSFEST are my recommendations- but I also review “Hit-Girl In HOLLYWOOD” by Kevin Smith (and don’t really recommend it so much). I also have some MSCA news, say goodbye to some local Memphis talents- George Hunt, Anthony Biggers, and Chris Jarman, and say good riddance to 2020. (Run time: 26min 21sec)

You can find all of the Drawing Funny Podcast episodes at www.drawingfunny.com or most anywhere you like to listen to podcasts. Be sure to like, subscribe, and share!

If you have a project you’d like to discuss on the show and/or have featured here on our website please let us know through our social media accounts or by contacting me or MSCA president Kevin L. Williams at midsouthcartoonists (at) gmail (dot) com.

“Stay tooned!” (and stay warm!)

Lin

“Is this thing on..?” New MSCA ‘Drawing Funny’ Podcast Is Live And New ‘Magic’ Zine Is In Stores

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Hey, gang- as of this month I am a podperson again!

It took a little doing, but the new MSCA podcast Drawing Funny is now available online and I’ve got 3 (and a half) episodes in the can.

Episode 0 is the pilot/introductory episode, Episode 1 was our last meeting Zoom call…

Episode 2 was an interview with the MSCA President, Kevin L. Williams, and Episode 3 was with local Memphis comic creator Matt Bowers.

I’ll be recording more episodes soon. As soon as it is safe enough for us to get together again in person I’ll be taking the show on the road to our dinner meet-ups, to comics shops, conventions, and other events to record.

Please be sure to “like” and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Radio Public, Pocket Casts, and other places you can get podcasts.

You can also follow this show or contact us on social media:

Twitter- @drawingfunny1
Instagram- @drawingfunnypod

I’ll be recording our next monthly Zoom meeting, which is next Tuesday, November 3rd.  If you’d like to attend the virtual MSCA meeting please contact Kevin– midsouthcartoonists (at) gmail (dot) com, and be sure to put “zoom invite request” in the subject line.

Lots to discuss this month, including the latest issues of the MSCA Zine. Issue #3 “Magic” is in stores now, and #4 “Animals” (with a Jim Palmer cover) will be out in mid-November. Copies of issue #1 “Horror” and #2 “Space” are still available at Comics & Collectibles, The Cellar, and 901 Comics. Deadline for entries for the “Winter/Holiday” #5 issue is coming up soon, so be sure to get your art sent over to our editors Dale Martin and Jason Negan.

Speaking of 901 Comics, you can pick up Matt Bowers’ Memphis comic there. Issues #1 & #2 are available for sale there now. He had a singing at the shop last weekend. Matt was also featured in the October 22, 2020 issue of the Memphis Flyer.

Matt Bowers’ Memphis: Superheroes in the Bluff City
It’s Here: Matt Bowers Signs Copies of Memphis No. 2

BTW- if you missed the last MSCA Zoom Meeting, you can listen to it on DrawingFunny.com (Ep1 – “Calling All Cartoonists”)and hear some MSCA history by the man responsible for us all being drawn together- founding member Jack Cassady. I’m hoping to edit some of the video together to use for our new YouTube channel Kevin is putting together. We will be uploading some drawing/painting videos to it soon. Would love to see some of your work on there, as well as in the MSCA website’s Members Gallery I’m currently curating, too.

Kevin and Muley have been very active over on YouTube with their “Muley Reads” videos, where just like the title suggests, Muley reads some fun, entertaining, and educational books. Fond out more info over at MuleyTheMule.com.

 

Stay tooned!

Lin