Tag: Greg Cravens

Happy 4/20 Day…Read ’em If Ya Got ’em- Download “Stoned Ninja Comics” For A Buck If Ya Don’t!

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STONEDNINJA.COM 4/20 SALE NOW THRU SATURDAY 4/22!
Any purchase of $10 or more will automatically receive 10% off their purchase.

 

All DIGITAL COPIES of STONED NINJA: A NEW STRAIN OF HERO are ONLY $1 all month long.* http://stoned.ninja/
*while supplies last

 

Stoned Ninja was created by writer Gabriel DeRanzo and artist Greg Cravens. Originally Stoned Ninja was an after hours bar story that Gabe would tell friends, about a ninja who discovers a mystical strain of weed that gives him super human abilities. When they met, Greg brought the character to life by putting a cannabis twist on the classic ninja look. Stay tuned for more exciting stories!

Kazunori Takagi (Kazu) uses a secret mystical strain of cannabis to enhance his ninja skills and become the ninjalante hero known as Stoned Ninja!

If you happen to stop by either 901 Comics locations (Cooper-Young/Midtown or Macon Rd./Cordova) you can pick up physical copies of Stoned Ninja, along with many other locally produced comics.

www.stoned.ninja/

“Spamalittle and Drawalot” – Our Latest MSCA Art Show and Sat-Art-Day Events

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It been a very busy (and wet) couple of weeks here for our merry band of cartoonists, but overall it was a lot of fun.

First up was our “Spamalittle: Knights Of The Drawing Table” art show reception at Germantown Community Theatre on Friday night.

This is the second art show that the MSCA has exhibited in the lobby of GCT, and apparently we’ll be back for another next season.

GCT will be announcing their next season on March 9th, and we’ll be announcing that show shortly after.

This art show featured “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” inspired artwork on display (and for sale) by our members.

Lots of great takes on that epic Monty Python movie! You can see more pics by heading on over to the MSCA Facebook page.

We also got to enjoy a live performance of “Find Your Grail” by Sir Muley and Annie Freres who performs as ‘The Lady Of The Lake“). This video can also be seen on our Facebook page.

I really enjoyed catching up with A.G. Howard. We talked about many of our misdaventures togeher back in our airbrush days, and some of our recent health scares and brushes with death..! Yeah, it’s been a scary few years for many of us, but always great to still be able to get together for events like this.

The cold rain and scary weather around the midsouth kept the attendance down a bit, but definitely not the sales! Several of the show’s pieces were sold that night, and two were sold before we even got set up for the reception. Heck, the show hasn’t even officially opened yet and it’s been one of our most successful ones yet.

Thanks to Kevin Williams and DaMarco Randle for hanging the art show and setting up the refreshments table for the reception. And thanks to everyone who participated in the show, braved the bad weather, and bought art. Big thanks to the staff and volunteers at GCT for having us back out again, and again.

You can check out the show for yourself at the theater during their normal box office business hours and during Spamalot performances.

The Spamalittle art show runs in conjunction with their production of “Spamalot The Musical” March 3-19 at GCT – 3037 Forest Hill Irene Rd.👑

9014537447:Box Office    9014537444:Main  Box Office:office@gctcomeplay.org

The next morning many of us were drawn together for our latest Sat-Art-Day at 901 Comics East out on Macon Road.

It was another full house for our latest sketchy Saturday in the back gallery room at 901 Comics’ Cordova location. We were surrounded by a lot of comic art on the walls – including some original comic book pages from”The Walking Dead“.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had some of our regular attendees, as well as some new faces there. Was great to have Izzy and Timothy join us this time, and I hope they can make it back for future Sat-Art-Days and other MSCA  events.

Many folks brought their own stuff to draw with/on, but we also provided extra art supplies such as markers, pencils, pens, paper, and sketchcards for anyone who needed them.

And they were put to good use.

Like the night before at the art show reception, it was cold and wet outside, but warm, dry, and a lot of fun inside. We only heard the occasional bit of rain hitting the roof while we sketched.

The only rules we have other than have fun and be respectful of your felllow artists is that if you’re not old enough to drive yourself to the comic shop, you need to have a parent or guardian come with you.

They’re welcome to sit and draw as well, play a game in the gaming area, or hang out and watch some TV at the bar.

The shop serves beer on tap and in cans, but you don’t have to just drink beer. 901’s “Bar With No Name” also serves sodas, bottled water, snacks, and personal sized pizzas.

We’ll be back out at 901 for another Sat-Art-Day on March 25th, as well as another Drink-N-Draw event on March 15th, the Wednesday before St. Patrick’s Day.

901 Comics (both locations) also sells many locally created comics including several comics series made by MSCA members.

One of those Memphis made comics is “Stoned Ninja“.

It (and others) are published by 901’s Shannon Merritt and his own Bad Dog Comics Publishing.

And speaking of  Stoned Ninja, the creative team behind it will teach you what they know about making comics all while enjoying a beer at Crosstown Brewery (1264 Concourse Avenue, Crosstown Concourse) on March 23rd from 6-8pm.

Join writer Gabe DeRanzo and the MSCA’s own Greg Cravens (The Buckets, Hubris, Shoney Bear) as they teach the next class in Crosstown’s Creative Juices sereies- which are instuctional classes for the creative 901.

They’ll be throwing out lots of comic knowlege, and knowing Greg- probably a lot of ninja star stickers as well.

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Everyone in the class will get:

  • A written breakdown of The Process, spelling out the steps and the order in which they have to be taken
  • A full size comic book practice page that you classroom creators will pencil your own dialogue, characters, and action into.
  • One beer will be included in ticket price for those of legal drinking age. Must present ID at the bar to get your beer. Minimum age for this class is 13 years old.

TIckets are $30.00ea and can be purchased through eventbrite by cliking here.

Our next upcoming MSCA event is the monthly dinner meet-up at Garibaldi’s Pizza on Walker Ave. near the U of M on Tuesday, March 7th from 6-8pm.✏️🍕

The meeting is casual, free, and open to the public. Do feel free to bring your sketchbook, tablet, or other drawing supplies if you like, as well as any promo items you might want to share with the group. Plus bring a few bucks to order off the menu if you’d like anything to eat or drink. Like the Sat-Art-Days, any age or skill level is welcome to join us, just bring a parent with you if you can’t drive yourself there. We meet on the 1st Tuesday of the month (except for the 4th of July this summer).

And be sure to “Stay Tooned” for the next episode of the Drawing Funny Podcast which will be dropping later this week….which reminds me- I need to record it!

Later,

Lin

Art Classes, Art Entries, and Art Shows – What’s Coming Up!

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Hey, gang-

Hope you’re all warm, dry, and not sitting in the dark. It’s been a couple crazy days here in the mid-south with all the ice blowing through the area over Ground Hog’s Day this week, but the sun has finally returned and the weather is warming back up…for now. Lots of art stuff coming up, so let’s not waste any time getting to it…

Up first, do you have, or know, a child who would be interested in learning all the ins-and-outs of creating comics?
Martheus Antone Wade (Shinobi: Ninja Princess; Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa) leads masterclasses for kids in just that topic !
The Comic Studio are classes that teach the art of comic book and manga illustration and storytelling. Prices are right for your kids, or for kids you know if you want to create a scholarship for them!  Click the link below and check it out…
https://outschool.com/classes/93f2f472-7e1b-4080-9407-92eab9b442b7?usid=UxLChPgg&utm_source=qr&utm_campaign=2021-oct
 
From MSCA member and NCS Membership Chairman, Greg Cravens:

The National Cartoonists Society has begun its annual call for entries for consideration for the NCS Divisional Reuben Awards recognizing excellence in professional cartooning for work published in 2022.

● The Divisional Reuben Awards recognize individuals for their artistic excellence in cartoon arts.
● You do not have to be a member of the NCS to enter.
● There is no fee for submissions.
● All submissions must complete the online entry form and comply with division requirements. If you are unable to submit via the online form, please email us at ncs@nationalcartoonists.com
● Only work FIRST published between the dates of January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022 can be considered. Submitted work must be accompanied by verification of the date of first publication or it will be disqualified–see detailed instructions below.
● Entries should represent professional cartooning, as demonstrated by publication, syndication, production, or distribution through a professional organization via a platform or manner widely available and consumed by the general public such as Amazon. For example, art created solely for a card mailed to family or self-published for a school assignment or posted on social media for fun or done as a hobby should not be submitted.
● The NCS always encourages the exploration of new ways technology enables our members to create their work. We do, however, oppose the commercial use of AI-generated images that have been trained on copyrighted works, and will not allow any artificially-generated art to be submitted for any category of our awards.

Your submissions must completed by February 15, 2023 for consideration for one or more of the following Division Awards:
-Comic Book
-Book Illustration
-Online Comics: Long Form
-On-line Comics: Short Form
-Gag Cartoon
-Newspaper Strip
-Greeting Card
-Newspaper Panel
-Advertising/ Product Illustration
-Graphic Novel
-Variety Entertainment
-Magazine/Newspaper Illustration
-Editorial Cartoon
-Art for Animated Media

In the interest of ensuring that the NCS Divisional Reuben Awards are representative of the very best work produced in each category, entries are juried by members of our regional chapters or by specialty juries. The results of nominations from jurors are compiled and the top 3 nominees in each division will be posted for online voting by the entire NCS voting membership. Winners will be announced at the Reuben Awards, Fall 2023.

You  can find more info at:
www.nationalcartoonists.com/awards/guidelines/

Our MSCA art show, “Spamalittle: Knights Of The Drawing Table” next month at Germantown Community Theatre. The deadline for art will be at the next MSCA monthly dinner meet-up this coming Tuesday, February 7th from 6-8pm at Garibaldi’s Pizza in the U of M area. The art show will be in conjunction with GCT’s production of “Spamalot“, and we will have an opening reception on Friday, February 24th from 5:30-8:00pm in the lobby area of the theater.

Here are some of MSCA member Dale Martin‘s art for the show.

If you mised our latest drawing event, we’ll be doing more Sketchy Saturdays at 901 Comics East. The next one is Saturday, February 25th, and the following will be on March 25th. Both Sat-Art-Days will be from 10am-2pm and free/open to the public. They aren’t art classes, but a chance for local artists to get together and draw with others. You can either work on your own project, or experiment with some of the art materials on-hand.

We will also be doing more MSCA Drink-N-Draw nights on March 15th and May 17th from 6-8pm at 901 Comics East.

The comic shop has a bar, gaming area, and gallery room where we can drink and draw.

At the last Drink-N-Draw in January we had to deal with thunderstorms and a power outage, but that didn’t stop the artsits there from drawing- even in the dark! The events are free to attend, but if you’d like to order from the bar (local and domestic beer on tap and in cans- plus sodas, water, pizza or snacks) then bring a few bucks with ya.

One of the artists who participated in our Sketchy Saturday was Katie Jones. She shared her recent Mitsui Lecture Series online lecture with us and I hope you get an opportunity to see it and enjoy!

I wanted to share this with you and the group from the recent lecture I did with the Japan Society of TN if anyone wants to watch it. It’s about bringing Japanese culture in the classroom and I am the only artist and art teacher in the entire lecture and I talk about comics and anime if anyone is interested.

https://youtu.be/T7-boyZUmAs

The 2nd Midtown Con is coming up this April 8th at Black Lodge Video (near Crosstown Concourse).

Here’s some info on the first Memphis Libraries Comic Con on the first Saturday in May (Free Comic Book Day) at the main library on Poplar Avenue.

Hello, and I, hope all is well. 

My  name is Jody Callahan, and I’m a librarian at the Central Library here in Memphis. We have formed a committee to put on the first Memphis Libraries Comic Con, planned for May 6, 2023. We hope to make it a quality con, and to that end, we’ve gotten backing from our foundation. The plan right now is to offer tables to local artists and sellers to sell their wares. We expect to use the main library foyer as well as the meeting rooms. The tables would be free to artists and vendors. Those selling would have to donate 10 percent of the day’s proceeds to the Friends of The Library nonprofit charity (It’s a condition the library has set for commercial activity on the site).

We are hoping the Mid-South Cartoonists would be interested in joining us!

The event is free and open to the public. We already have members signed up to set up at the show, and I’ve heard the comic legend John Ostrander (writer- Suicide Squad, The Specter, Star Wars: Legacy, Grim Jack)…

…and comic creator and former MSCA member Mike Norton (Gravity, Spider-Man, Battlepug, The Rock Gods Of Jackson, Tennessee) will be there as guests. If you’re interested give Jody Callahan a yell at Jody(dot)Callahan(at)memphistn(dot)gov. Table space is limited and available on a  first come basis.

All the local comic shops in Memphis participate in FCBD and each have different ways they celebrate it including in-store guests, cosplayers, sales, contrests, free merch, and more. To find them or a comic retailer nearest to you check out the FCBD site’s Store Locator page- www.freecomicbookday.com/StoreLocator.

Hope you can make it out to join us at the dinner meet-up or any of the other upcoming events, like our next dinner meeting this Tuesday, February 7th from 6-8pm at Garibaldi’s Pizza on Walker Ave, near the U of M and Highland Strip- rignt across the street from Tiger Bookstore. Dinner meet-ups are free and open to the public, but like the Drink-N-Draw events, be sure to bring something to draw with and/or a few bucks to order off the menu. We meet in the big dining room on the right on the first Tuesday of each month.

Lin

“There once was a man named John Lotshaw.” – NCS Member And Friend Of The MSCA Has Passed Away

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Hey, gang-

Unfortunately this time I have some very sad news to pass along….MSCA prez Kevin Williams has informed me that longtime National Cartoonists Society member and friend of the MSCA , John Lotshaw, has passed away while visiting family in South Carolina for Thanksgiving.

John was a familiar face at the NCS events I got to attend, including the NCS’s Annual Rueben’s Awards meeting her at St. Jude, the Southeast Chapter of The National Cartoonists Society‘s meeting here at the U of M, and their meetings in Gainesville and Nashville. He could be seen working the A/V equipment and/or recording the events, and was a champion of cartooning and other cartoonists. His cartooning  collogues and friends in Atlanta had just given him a Bon Voyage sendoff party only days before his passing.

While looking at his Facebook page today, I realized John was 6 days younger than me. These days I may feel old and my grey hair makes me look old, but 56 is way too young to die.


The MSCA and SEC/NCS having dinner at The Rendezvous in Memphis, 2005.

 

From MSCA President, Kevin L. Williams–

I will always have a fond memory of John Lotshaw. He was fun and funny, and I enjoyed talking Peanuts with him. Not news I expected to see today, but I’m thankful to have made his acquaintance. 

 

From NCS Membership Chairman and former MSCA President, Greg Cravens–

John Lotshaw.
There once was a man who was diligent, educated, fun, silly, scattered, and knew about how to do the kinds of things that tied up the loose ends that cartoonists usually leave hanging.  His name was John.  His initials were JPL and that was good, since he wore a jacket that sported more NASA patches than you knew existed, and he could tell you all about all the missions they represented.  He gleefully created cartoons, and video, and printed books, and internet content- mostly for other cartoonists, and he rarely charged us enough for the value he created.  He also chased several projects ‘round and ‘round that cost him time and energy… just like most of us do, I guess.  But on top of that, he coded computers- lots of them.  He had a collection of computers that stretched back to Texas Instrument equipment his father insisted that John learn to code for before he’d be allowed to “play with it”.  John made other cartoonists’ projects sing and dance, and left himself very little time to make his own projects sing and dance.  A lot of us owe him a lot.

John built a career, which included plenty of television production early on- and he owned his own production company at one point.  He freelanced all kinds of projects to do with video and audio. He created a webcomic called ‘Accidental Centaurs’.  He published books under the business name ‘Moonbase Press’, and would happily help you to do the same if he thought you didn’t need him doing it all for you.  He was generous to a fault like that.

He lived in Atlanta (or at least in the insane sprawl that’s centered on Atlanta) and he knew more trivia about Star Trek, Science Fiction in general, and Television at large than people could keep up with.  He had just started (finally) dabbling in a stand-up comedy career, and that’s good.  His weight was the subject of some of his humor, and that’s to be expected.  His weight was also the subject of a lot of his friends’ concern about him.  But lately, we were worried because one of his beloved Shelty dogs had passed away, then his mother passed away, and then of course he had to deal with selling her house and getting all that in order.  On the other hand, he’d landed a regular job that played to his strengths, and even though he said it’d still leave him time to pursue all the projects his friends and clients needed him to pursue, we knew it’d give him a chance to let some of the more irritating small jobs slip past him now.  So things were looking up.  He was moving to a new town to do the kind of work he was trained to do best for a good yearly pay that was probably half of what he would be worth to the company- which is AT&T, in case you’re wondering.  

Yep.  There once was that man.  And now, just before he moved, and just before he began his new job, and just before he did a little more stand-up, and just before he volunteered to run AV for the National Cartoonists Society or it’s Southeastern Chapter again… he’s gone.  My friend has gone to where deadlines, and the vagaries of the business climate, and the Sisyphean uphill struggle of the cartooning industry are not an issue.  

He was John Lotshaw, and he made the world a better place for those of us who knew him. It would have been better still for us if he could have stayed longer.
Greg

 

From his sister, Ana–

Many of you have heard but others not of the unexpectedly passing of my brother John yesterday as he was spending the Thanksgiving holiday with me in Greenville SC. Thanks to everyone for your kind messages and calls during this very painful time, your thoughts, prayers and wonderful memories are comforting. Time can be cruel to end friendships deepening as we grew older and all the new chapters and experiences waiting for him just around the corner but, I know he is at peace in heaven and once gain reunited with our parents and family who have gone on before.

There are no specific arrangements as of yet but I will update this page when we work out a way to honor the life of my brother until then…

When NASA does something spectacular.. think of John
When you hear Star Trek trivia… think of John
When you pass the Varsity or your favorite BBQ.. think of John
When you see your favorite cartoon strip.. think of John
When you hear a wacky joke… think of John

John. I love and miss you more than you will ever know. Give Mom and Dad a big hug for me and don’t worry I will love and take good care of your Jessie.
Love ya- Ana

Accidental Centaurs’

On the worst Thursday ever, an experimental teleporter under development by Alex and Sam explodes, opening a wormhole that propels them into an alternate dimension and transforming them into creatures of legend. Then, things really start to get weird…

www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/accidental-centaurs/

www.amazon.com/John-Lotshaw/

 

John videoing cartoonist Mike Peters at the NSC dinner at St. Jude in Memphis, 2016.

John Lotshaw (back center) at the SEC/NCS fall meeting in Nashville, 2012.

Roy Doty (L) and John Lotshaw (R) in Memphis, 2005.

Godspeed, John.

 

 

www.nationalcartoonists.com

Another Dinner Meeting Is In The Bag- A Trick ‘r Treat Bag!

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Hey, gang-

We had another successful turnout for our November 1st MSCA dinner meeting at Garibaldi’s Pizza.

We were back in the big room on the right again.

Members brought sketchbooks and portfolios of their work to show (those are Courtney’s and Devin’s).

And Greg came with his new Con Cards game. He had some sample packs to share with everyone.

He taught folks how to play the card game. It was pretty quick to pick up. He’s looking to take the game on the road to cons around the country.

Thanks to Greg for my birthday present of a Con Cards collector tin and button. Keep an eye out here for upcoming news on his upcoming Kickstarter.

I normally try to bring some free MSCA swag and comics to share with the group. This time I had some MSCA magnets, some Halloween ComicFest comics from 901 Comics East, 3 Stooges and MST3K trading cards from RRParks Cards, candy, ConK flyers, and since we were celebrating my birthday I brought along some cookies, too.

Speaking of cookies, I share a birthday (today) with our special guest…

Cookie Monster stopped by to wish me a happy birthday, and eat some cookies!

Was glad my wife Nicki was able to come along. She actually ran into our friend Traci and got to hang with her for a bit. They haven’t been able to see each other much lately because of work and school.

Dale Martin popped in for a second, but had to leave. He did drop off some postcards for his current “Beyond The Emerald City” art show at Playhouse On The Square.

From Dale:

Made up of a selection of comic pages from my story, along with other Oz-inspired artwork, my “Beyond the Emerald City” show will be on display from October 14-December 28, 2022, in conjunction with Playhouse’s staging of “The Wizard of Oz”. That fortuitous timing (pointed out to me by someone else, since I had totally missed the opportunity it presented) was just too good to pass up, even if it meant completing work for the show on a tighter schedule than I’d have liked. Pushing deadlines can work when it comes to publishing comics online, but my paintings need time to cure before varnishing! Still, it all came together, and has made for what I think is a really satisfying show.

“Beyond the Emerald City” is an exhibition of OZ-themed comics & artwork, on display Oct. 14-Dec. 28, 2022 at Playhouse on the Square, 66 South Cooper St., Memphis.

  • Please join Dale for an artist reception on Nov. 11, 5-7pm!
  • He’s sharing a popup shop with artist Martha Kelly on Dec. 10, 10am-1:30pm!
  • To read “Watusi in Oz”, start here. You can read the newest Watusi comic here.

On stage: “The Wizard of Oz” (Nov. 11 – Dec. 22) – get tickets here.

Other art on exhibit at Playhouse on the Square is by Priscilla Cunningham, Gerecho Delaney, Suzanne Evans, and Martha Kelly.

You can find lots of words (& some pictures) on Dale’s blog. You can find lots of pictures (& some words) on his Art and Illustration page. Comics, of course, have both…

The Monster Market closed up shop on Halloween night. Dale and I both had art for sale in the online storefront. Don’t know how well it (and we did), but the kickoff party on October 1st was slammed!

After our month long MSCA display in September at the Hernando Library Kevin and I put up a Ghostubsters one in it’s place for October.

The library has 3 glass display cases in their west lobby entrance- one small and two larger.

We put a mix of the Ghostbusters movies, animation, and more form our collections, including some Memphis Ghostbusters and signed items.

Unfortunately we recently had to take it all back down to make way for their next displays. We hope to more displays and events with them in the future.

After the last Drawing Funny podcast episode, I realized we that I just reached the two year anniversary, and am now moving into season 3!

I started the podcast during the pandemic to help keep the MSCA members updated, record/save some of our zoom calls, talk toons with guests, and get the word out about our group and local happenings. Hopefully listeners have enjoyed it. If you haven’t checked it out yest there are close to 50 episodes available to download. Just go to www.drawingfunny.com or anywhere you like to listen to podcasts.

Before I get out of here our next dinner meeting will be Tuesday, December 6th, from 6-8pm. Hope you can make it out, and if you got any Con Cards be sure to bring them along to play. We’ll also be ding an art swap- more info to come on that.

Lin

Garibaldi’s Pizza
3530 Walker Ave
Memphis, TN 38111

(901) 327-6111
www.garibaldispizza.com

Dinner And Drawing – Our Latest MSCA Get Together At Garibaldi’s

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Hey, gang- we recently got together for our monthly dinner meet-up at Garibaldi’s Pizza over in the U of M area off Walker and Highland near Southern.

We had a good turnout again this month, and had a good time discussing what everyone has been u to lately and sharing some art.

 

 

More freebies were available for folks who attended. Kevin brought some more MSCA postcards, Jack Chapman brought some art books to give away, and I brought along some Free Comic Book Day comics from my day job at 901 Comics East, more MSCA sketchcard blanks, and a few of the promo trading cards (featuring my art) from the upcoming Nosferatu Series Two card set produced by 4 different publishers: RRParksCARDS, Attic Cards, Leg Day Cards, and RJF.

I’ll bring a few more freebies to the next meeting in October including the Nosferatu promo cards, and some new MANOS trading cards I just received in the mail.

Oh, don’t forget that  if you stop by any of our local Memphis area comic shops- Comics & Collectibles, The Cellar, and 901 Comics, or The Art Center you can snag some free MSCA and Drawing Funny podcast swag.

We discussed a lot of the recent events like the Zine Fest, and upcoming events like Monster Market, Memphis Comic Expo/DonnieCon, MidTownCon, annual NCS Fest/Reuben Awards, and the ongoing MSCA display at the Hernando Public Library.

annual

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.

The Memphis Comic Expo (AKA “DonnieCon“) is back in the M-Town with over 70,000 square feet of expo space featuring comics, artists & writers, a cosplay contest, panels, vendors, voice actors, food, drinks, and more!

Agricenter International
(Entrance in Wing C)
7777 Walnut Grove Road (near Germantown Pkwy.)
Memphis, TN 38120
FREE PARKING on premise.

Expo Hours:
Saturday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
VIP Ticket holders will have early entry privileges at 9:30am both days.

Tickets are now on-sale, but VIP tickets have sold out.

Our own Greg Cravens is the Membership Chairman for the National Cartoonists Society and will be in attendance for the NCS’s annual meeting and awards. This year it’s being held in Kansas City, MO. If you’d like to find out more about becoming an NCS member, be sure to ask Greg about it, or check out the NCS website at www.nationalcartoonists.com.

When I got home from the MSCA dinner I had some NCS Icons pins waiting for me in my mailbox. You can order some here. I also recommend checking out the NCSFest online. Lots of great interview, panels, and other cartooning videos to check out.

And speaking of checking out some cartooning, the Hernando Library display cases are full of original art, printed comics and zines, newsletters, promotional materials. art show invitations, and more from the club’s 35 year existence in the Memphis area.

 

We showcased some production art and tools of the trade from back when art was literally cut and paste, like some examples of  our early logo and original promo flyer.

 

We tried to include some original art and notes next to the finished printed materials to show a peek of the  process of creating the art.

It was fun to be art archaeologists and MSCA historians as we dug though the club’s archive box and history scrapbooks. There was so much we had forgotten about or didn’t know about. Definitely a learning experience for Kevin and me. Soooooo much more we wanted to display, but just ran out of room.

 

We’ll see about adding in other items next time. We’d love to do a future  one  featuring original comic art and final printed pages/covers by MSCA members.

If you get a chance to stop by the library it will be up for the rest of September, and will be followed by a Ghostbusters display by the Memphis Ghostbusters. Oh, and for the holidays a LEGO display by Kevin Thorn is coming up in December..!If you can’t make it by, you can see more pics on the MSCA Facebook page, and a few more will be added as soon as I get the pics Kevin took while we were there.

First Regional Library (Hernando Public Library – established 1950)
370 W Commerce St
Hernando, MS 38632
www.firstregional.org

HOURS:
MONDAY  9:30-7:00
TUESDAY 9:30-7:00
WEDNESDAY 9:30-7:00
THURSDAY 9:30-7:00
FRIDAY 9:30-5:30
SATURDAY 9:30-5:00
SUNDAY CLOSED

The dinner meetings are casual and open to the public. 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- and any art questions you may need answers to.

Please be sure to introduce yourself and let us know you’re there to hang out with the MSCA.

The room is reserved, but occasionally some folks don’t realize it and unintentionally join us.

 

 

This month there was some drawing done during dinner…go figure! There has been talk about trying to get back together to do more zines, and we will have another art show at the Germantown Community Theatre in spring 2033.

Dinner gatherings are always the first Tuesday of the month  starting at 6:30pm (or a bit earlier if you’d like) at Garibaldi’s Pizza, 3530 Walker Ave..Our next one is Tuesday, October 4th.

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- lots of great pasta, sandwiches, and pizza to choose from!

Hope you can make it out and join us for dinner…and some cartooning conversation.

Lin

Garibaldi’s Pizza

3530 Walker Ave
Memphis, TN 38111
(901) 327-6111
www.garibaldispizza.com

^Additional photos by Kevin L. Williams.

“CONnnnnnnnnn…!!!” – News On Upcoming Cons And Events

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Well, the San Diego Comic Con may be over, but that doesn’t mean that con season is over. Lots of events still to come…and a big one is returning to our own backyard!

That’s right- the Memphis Comic Expo (AKA “DonnieCon“) is back in the M-Town with over 70,000 square feet of expo space featuring comics, artists & writers, a cosplay contest, panels, vendors, voice actors, food, drinks, and more!

Agricenter International
(Entrance in Wing C)
7777 Walnut Grove Road (near Germantown Pkwy.)
Memphis, TN 38120
FREE PARKING on premise.

Expo Hours:
Saturday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
VIP Ticket holders will have early entry privileges at 9:30am both days.

Tickets are now on-sale, but VIP tickets have sold out.

2 DAY GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET

  • $45 if purchased by August 31, 2022
  • $50 if purchased on or after September 1, 2022

SATURDAY GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET

  • $35 if purchased by August 31, 2022
  • $40 if purchased on or after September 1, 2022

SUNDAY GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET 

  • $30 if purchased by August 31, 2022
  • $35 if purchased on or after September 1, 2022

CHILD TICKET – age 12 and under – FREE

  • Kids 12 and under get in FREE when supervised by a paying adult.  Unaccompanied children will not be admitted.

This year’s MCX has a HUGE guest list including SCOTT SNYDER, GREG CAPULLO, JIM STARLIN, MARK WAID, JAMES O’BARR, DENYS COWAN, MARC BERNARDIN, KEVIN NOWLAN, RON MARZ, DAN BRERETON, DEXTER VINES, and of course it wouldn’t be a DonnieCon without MIKE NORTON drawin’ dogs at the AggiCenter!!!

Plus there will be lots and lots of local creators including many of our own MSCA members. I’ll post a blog here featuring all of them soon- MEMPHIS REPRESENT!

Speaking of MSCA members, “Sour Grapes” creator Tim Jones will be a featured guest in the Artists Alley at Fan X up in Boston this coming weekend!

AUGUST 12-14 2022
BOSTON CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTER
www.fanexpohq.com/fanexpoboston

 

Also, here are a few other events that will be coming up in the Mid-South area…

Memphis Comic and Fantasy Convention
November 18/19/20, 2022
Memphis Marriot East
5795 Poplar Ave.
Memphis, TN 38111

Coming up on November 5th at the Dyersburg Comic Con– Marvel/DC/Archie comic artist Steven Butler, local comic artist Larry Cathey, wrasslin’ historian Mark James, and special guest, Jackson “SHAZAM!” Bostwick. The show is at the The Lannom Center, 2000 Commerce Ave, Dyersburg TN. 38024. Admission is $10, and they offer a $15 early bird special. Find out more at dyersburgcomiccon.comor check out their Facebook page.


Monster Market is an online pop-up shop stocked with this year’s curated collection of maker-made goods open October 3rd – 31st!

The Monster Market 2022 Kick-Off Party will be Saturday October 1st at Marshall Arts Gallery in Memphis, TN (near Sun Studios). They will be selling a small selection of the inventory (not everything!) at this event, as a sort-of exclusive preview night for their Memphis customers.

Dale Martin and I (Lin Workman) will both have art for sale at the Monster Market.

MONSTER MARKET
memphismonstermarket.com
instagram.com/monster.market

DeSoto Arts Council– Hernando, MS.

Special Halloween edition of Midtown Con Sat Oct 29th at Black Lodge!

Vendors interested in selling comics, toys and records please DM them on Facebook for info.

Black Lodge
405 N. Cleveland Ave, Memphis, TN
www.blacklodgememphis.com/

Not Memphis, but within driving distance to Hunstville, AL– home of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

Rocket City Toy and Comic Expo 2022
October 1st 10-5
Jaycee Building at John Hunt Park
2180 Airport Rd SW
Huntsville, AL 35801

Find toys from all your childhood favorites and comics from golden age to modern. There will be over 50 vendor booths with a great mix of toys and comics.
Admission is $5 and kids 12 and under are FREE.

For vendor information email: ROCKETCITYTOYCOMICEXPO@GMAIL.COM

Watertower Festival – Court Square in Hernando, MS (Free admission)

Arkansas Comic Con
September 10, 2022 | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
September 11, 2022 | 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Statehouse Convention Center
Little Rock, AR

Covington Comic Con
August 20-21, 2022
Covington Civic Center
100 W Washington Ave.
Covington, TN 38019

Elvis Week
August 11-17, 2022
Memphis, TN

Lots to see and do around Memphis and down in Tupelo, MS. Check out the Memphis Tourism  and Graceland/EPE websites for more info.

901 Comics presents Comic Book Trivia at Flip Side on the last Wednesday of each month.
Pool, Pinball & A Pint.. Located across the street from Crosstown Concourse, 16 pinball machines, one foosball table, dart board and pool table.

Flip Side
1349 Autumn Ave, Memphis, TN 38104
#SeeYouOnTheFlipSide

Oh, and don’t forget that this September we will have a month long MSCA 35th Anniversary display in the lobby of the Hernando Public Library in Hernando, MS.

They have one large 2-sided display case and another smaller single case on the opposite wall.

Nicki and I have done several lobby displays for them in the past including Batman ’66, Star Wars, Harry Potter, hockey, comics, and an animation one.

Kevin and I will also be doing a “Ghostbusters” display there in October.

Hope you get to check out these events. If you know of any others happening around our area, or if you’re a member and are going to be a guest and/or setting up at a show please shoot us the info on it and I’ll be happy to share it here, on our MSCA Facebook page, and Drawing Funny podcast.

Lin

MSCA – Graphic Novel Opportunity And Meeting Update

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From MSCA President Kevin L. Williams:

Hi, team,

Tom Graves, author of one of my favorite Robert Johnson books, is ready to create a graphic novel based on the team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.  He came to this week’s meeting, and I think this can be a very good opportunity for someone in the MSCA!

I’ve included his novel and contact information below.  Please reach out to him for conversation and meeting about the book.  I feel certain he is open to ideas as well as work with the ideas he currently has.

Your very own, personal MSCA Prez, 

Kev

FromTom:

I read the book Dean and Me by Jerry Lewis and found it very, very compelling.  In the past I read Nick Tosches book on Dean Martin (excellent book!) and I was very aware that the Martin & Lewis comedy team was the biggest act in entertainment from the late 40s until their break-up in the late 50s.  It tells a great story that I think would be perfect for a graphic novel.

I’m a lifelong writer, author of 8 books and I’ve written for many prominent magazines and newspapers such as Rolling Stone, NY Times, and Washington Post.  I think I could take on a graphic novel with the right artist and partner.

I would ultimately want someone who draws in a style far away from the modern Marvel style.  I would want someone like Marjane Sartrapi of Persepolis, Art Spiegelman of Maus, Daniel Clowes of Ghost World, etc.

I would like to find someone who already has entre into the world of graphic novels who could navigate the right publishers for such a project.

I know this is a tall order, but my hope is the right person finds a way to me to do it.  As I said last night, I’ve done almost every type of writing there is.  Also I was a writer and producer for the Emmy winning film Best of Enemies about the 1968 debates between Gore Vidal and William Buckley.  In fact, the film was my idea.

Let me know what you can do and come up with.  I hope maybe to meet again at one of your meetings.

Best,
Tom Graves
pullers2015(at)gmail(dot)com

We had a great time at the meeting talking with Tom about his writing and about all things Memphis, including our favorite shops and shows we enjoyed as kids, including the legendary local horror host SIVAD!

We also had a lot of fun talking toons, eating food, and picking up some copies of Devin Hodges‘ comic book “The Common Days Of Cade“.

Garibaldi’s Pizza is going to be closed the week of our next scheduled dinner meeting, and since it’s the day after the fourth of July we’re gonna hold off getting together anywhere in July and just wait for our next meeting the first Tuesday of August. Will have more details on the upcoming MSCA display at the Hernando Library, and hope everyone can contribute an item for it- either a sketch, published book, or other item to celebrate our association’s 35th anniversary of drawing funny in the mid-south!

“STAY TOONED!”

Lin

“Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel!”- MSCA Dinner Meeting And FCBD This Week

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Attention, Citizens..!

Lots of comic action happening this week in Memphis, so gas up your batmobile and dry clean your capes.

First up is our MSCA monthly dinner meeting at the U of M Garibaldi’s Pizza on Tuesday, May 3rd. We meet up  the 1st Tuesday of each month at 7pm in the big room.

I’d like to get a few member interviews so if you’d like to be on an upcoming “Drawing Funny” podcast episode I’ll be there a bit early so hit me up. Would love to talk toon with ya.

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! The meeting/meet-up is casual and open to the public. I’ll have some MSCA freebies with me, too.

Speaking of freebies…this weekend, it’s BACK! Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) 2022 is on Saturday, May 7 at local comic shops across the country and around the world. Check with your local comic shop to see ig/how they are participating, and if there are any requirements/restrictions. Here in the M-town all our local comic shops are participating- Comics & Collectibles, The Cellar, both locations of 901 Comics, and Jupiter Comics out near Moscow, TN.

The midtown/Cooper-Young 901 Comics location will be having a special in store signing appearance by legendary Ghost Rider artist Javier Saltares. Doors open at 9am! First personalized signature is free and $5 for every signature after. CGC witnessed signatures are $10 each. Sketch pricing depends on size and content.

That same day out east in their Cordova location (8551 Macon Rd, Cordova, TN 38018), 901 Comics will be having several local creators in-store which includes some of our MSCA members. Slide by from 10 AM – 7 PM and say hi to Jetta/Shinobi creators Martheus & Janet Wade, the Stoned Ninja team Gabriel DeRanzo and Greg Cravens, Matt Bowers the creator of the Memphis comic, artist and inker extraordinaire John Martin, and Richard Fields creator of Lucy! They will also have a 20% off sale that day.

Don’t forget that the  “Stoned Ninja” Kickstarter still has a few days left. It has lots of great tiers and incentives, and you can back this current comics campaign for as little as a dollar!

If you go out to 901 Comics East or to the MSCA dinner meeting see about getting Gabe or Greg to do a sketchcover for you.

ADJ Design’s Antonio and Tamika Johnson, the creators of the novic Bluff City Blues will be at Bookstock Memphis Area Authors’ Festival on Saturday, May 7th from 11 am to 3 PM at Benjamin L Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave.

It’s free and family friendly- live music, food trucks and more!

Over the weekend I finished up the Star Wars display at the Hernando library. It’s been a while since Nicki and I have done a display in their west lobby. This one is to celebrate May The Fourth and Revenge Of The Fifth (or Sixth) and features some of our personal collection.

I found some stuff I was looking for, but there’s at least a few boxes of stuff I can’t find- mostly my original Star Wars action figures (blue and red Snaggletooth figure and original dozen) and some of the large dolls… I mostly just found Power Of The Force figures. They’re here somewhere either in my closet or Nicki’s. I’m sure I’ll run across them when I’m not looking.
If you’re in the Hernando, MS area and dig Star Wars and/or collecting stuffs please slide by and check the display out. It will be up for the month of May, and they are open Monday-Saturday. I tried to do a little from each trilogy, cartoons, games, novels and comics, and even added a Darth Vader sketchcard I did from my first Star Wars gig I did for Topps.
Nicki and I got together because of Star Wars and having mutual friends who dug it, too. It’s the first movie I not only remember seeing in the theater (the opening crawl/space battle🤯), but is also the only trilogy (OT) I know exactly where I originally saw them in Memphis. Unfortunately all three theaters no longer exist.
Oh, you can see (and buy) more of my sketchcards at The Cellar out in Bartlett, Tn. Check them out if you’re there for Free Comic Book Day. Lots of freebie MSCA swag to be had as well.
Hope to see you this weekend around the M-Town!
Lin

Stoned Ninja Has Kicked Off Another Kickstarter- Stoned Ninja #1 SAP

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Gabriel DeRanzo and MSCA member Greg Cravens have kicked off another “Stoned Ninja” Kickstarter, and are hoping you’ll get their back by being a backer for this current comics campaign.

Stoned Ninja #1 SAP! This comics fundraiser is for The Second Advanced Printing of Stoned Ninja: A New Strain of Hero #1. It features remastered cover art by Greg Cravens and Gene Fayne.

Stoned Ninja is the story of Kazunori Takagi, a ninja who finds a mystical strain of weed that gives him super human abilities! This New Strain of Hero uses his skills to defend Reef City from evil!!

Pledges start at just $1.00, and go as high as up to $420.00. For local backers in the M-town, they also offer a no shipping fees option– just pick up your Stoned Ninja stash at  901 Comics once the copies are back from being printed.

Several stretch goals are included- and we all know how important stretching can be!

In addition to the new remastered cover art by Greg Cravens., there are also a couple variant covers being offered.

“Action Figure” variant cover by Greg Cravens.

“Bloody Ninja” variant cover by Dusty Jonakin.

You can get a taste of the comic (and some Stoned Ninja edibles) around town at places like 901 Comics and Whatever or by going to their websites www.stoned.ninja (if you’re 21 or older) or at www.stonedninja.com.

Lots of comics and merch to be harvested including variant covers and blank sketchcovers.

If you’re in the Memphis area be sure to say, “Hi!” (or “High..!”) and have Greg draw all over your comics at one of our monthly MSCA dinner meet-ups at Garibaldi’s (a great place to have the munchies), or at the upcoming Memphis Comic Expo(DonnieCon).

The campaign is currently at just over $2K and has already smoked its $1,000 funding goal (so to speak) which means this project will become a reality and not just a pipe dream for the Stoned Ninja team and their readers.

But the guys are looking to go even higher to unlock those stretch goals for their backers. They’ve got 26 days to go on Kickstarter and could still use a hand with this campaign.


Kickstarter profile: Stoned Ninja Comics
Websites: stonedninja.com or stoned.ninja

 

901 Comics
2162 Young Ave.
Memphis, TN 38104