Tag: Jason Negen

Dinner Dates, Dracula Bites, Zine Swap, Monsters And More- MSCA Fall Events

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Hey, gang-

Well, it’s been a busy year for the MSCA, and the last quarter is gonne get even busier. But first here’s what’s happened so far in September…

First up was the Record Swap & Zine Fest at Crosstown Concourse over Labor Day weekend.

The two day event on Saturday and Sunday had numerous record vendors/dealers on the first floor.

Upstairs on the second floor he artists & zine creators were set up.

…and there even was an area where attendees could create their own zines.

I also saw  some familiar faces on the second floor, including local artists Tony Parker, Dale Martin, and Jason Negen.

Dale Martin was set up there both days. Dale had lots of his own original art, prints, comics, and zines for sale.

He was also debuting the new issue of the MSCA zine “The Good, The Bad, and The Sketchy” gaming issue with cover art by Devin Hodges (who was set up on Sunday only).

I purchased several items and enjoyed talking to all the creators and vendors while I was there. I hope to set up there next year with zines and trading cards, and sketchcards, and would love to see an MSCA group table/presence there.

This last Tuesday we got together again at Garibialdi’s Pizza near the U of M. We had another great turnout for this month’s dinner meet-up. We get together the first Tuesday of each month at Garibaldi’s from 6-8pm. Our next one will be October 3rd.

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The main topic of business this month was putting together more issues of the MSCA zine and divying up the issues to participating members and bundles to take to local comic shops around town.

Those zines, along with several comics by local creators, are now available at 901 Comics East (Macon Rd.), and will soon be at all 4 comic shops locations around town- 901 Comics (Cooper/Young), Comics & Collectibles (Poplar Ave.), and The Cellar (Bartlett, Blvd.).

Members at the dinner meeting also worked on their own art or checkec out the new gaming themed zine.

Plus some more work was done on the Vampire/Halloween jam piece which will be on display at the upcoming “Drawing Blood” art show.

We also had some freebies available including some blank sketchcards, which Ron Hicks drew on for the first time.

Sketchcards (or “art cards”) are the size of normal trading cards like baseball cards, but have a surface made for drawing or painting on. The only limits to working on sketchcards are your imagination. You can create your own blanks, buy them at art stores like the Art Center (Union Ave. ), or become an official sketchcard artist for trading card companies.

I ususally have some MSCA blanks available at our Sat-Art-Days and Drink-N-Draw events. I also have some free 3 Stooges, Ultraman, and Halloween/Trick-Or-Treat blanks from RRParks Cards available now, too. Hit me up at one of our events if you’d like some.

I recently sent back 15 sketchcards to Gabe’s Cave (El Dorado, AR), and they recently sent me this sweet banner.

Those cards will be given away on their YouTube channel. This is the second set/series I’ve done for Gabe’s Cave.

After people ask what a sketchcard is, the next question asked is almost always, “What do you do with them when you’re finished..?” Anything you want- trade, gift, donate, sell, hoard, etc. I sell most of mine (at shows online, or retail stores), or have been hired by card companies to be a part of a trading card set.

I’ve got several horror sketchcards that will be a part of theupcoming RRParks Cards Halloween Trick-Or-Treat card set this fall. The Kickstarter for it will be dropping soon.

This is the third Halloween set I’ve done for Richard Parks, andI’ll have some bat base cards and lenticular (or should I say “LINticular” motion cards as part of the set. He was kind enough to send me a bunch of sketchcard blanks and trading card packs to hand out at our MSCA events.

Currently I have several of my official artist returns and personal sketchcards for sale at 901 Comics East in Cordova…

…and more along with a couple sketchcovers at The Cellar in Bartlett. More to come, and I plan on releasing a trading card set with sketchcards next year- “stay tooned!”

For those participating in our Dracula themed art show, “Drawing Blood” here’s some info and dates for you.

The Mid-South Cartoonists Association’s “Drawing Blood” art show begins with an opening reception Friday, October 13, from 5:30 – 8 pm, with a full run from October 27 – November 12, 2023, from noon – 4pm and during shows of “Dracula: The Bloody Truth” at Germantown Community Theater.  We will close out with an MSCA Fest from Noon – 4 pm on Saturday November 18, 2023.

The deadline to turn in your art is the October 3rd dinnier meeting at Garibaldi’s. This art show will run inconjunction with Gremantown Community Theatre’s run of “Dracula: The Bloody Truth” from October 27 – November 12.. The closing reception for the art show and 1 day MSCA mini-con will be in the building behind the theater.

OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, October 13, 2023, from 5:30 – 8pm.SHOW RUN:  October 17 – November 12, 2023, Noon-4pm and during shows at GCT.CLOSING RECEPTION/MSCA FEST!: Saturday November 18, 2023, Noon – 4pm behind GCT (this is also art pick-up day, too).

We’ll have another Drink-N-Draw in October at 901 Comics East.

We’ll also be a part of 901 Comics East’s Halloween Comic Fest the Saturday before Halloween. This is a free event much like Free Comic Book Day. If you’d like to set up with us let me (Lin) or Kevin know. Table space is limited.

And if you get a chance, stop by the Monster Market. It’s back in-person but for one week only!

Bluff City Life In The 901

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On Thursday, March 9th the MSCA’s Greg Cravens and myself (Lin Workman) stopped by the WMC TV5 studios to record a couple segments for thier show “Bluff City Life” with host Gina Neely.

MSCA president Kevin L. Willams was on “Bluff City Life“ back during the pandemic (3/29/22) to discuss the MSCA’s 35 anniversary with then host Andy Mannis. (You can watch the interview by clicking here.)

We were there to talk about our upcoming events, like our monthly dinner meeting in April at Garibaldi’s Pizza, and our Drink-N-Draw and Sat-Art-Day at 901 Comics East.

I dropped off a promo pizza box press kit to the station the week before on my way out to the “Spamalittle” art show reception at GCT.

We got to the station a bit after noon, and waited up front with Jamie from the Memphis Public Libraries. We met Gina in the lobby, then hung out in the “green room” for a few minutes with the other guest on the show, designer David Quarles IV and his Chasing Paper Wallpaper associates.

It was strange to be in the studio…there were no camera operators on the news floor. The cameras were all operated remotely in the contol room, and Gina and her assistant were in contact with the director via ear buds.

And the studio was a lot greener than the actual green room! This was the big green screen for doing the Action News 5 weather.

While waiting out front Greg did a quick sketch of Jamie who was there to talk about the Memphis Public Libraries‘ “5 Fridays Of Jazz” events.

Greg warmed up a bit before our segment by doing a quick caricature of Gina while sitting off camera.

Greg got his start as a caricature artist at Opryland in Nashville, TN back in the ’80s.

Notice that Greg lettered this comic strip first before drawing in the figure.

Greg did this comic strip of Gina while off camera after our segment so it didn’t make it on the show.

Thanks to Gina and her crew at TV5. We had a lot of fun in the two or so hours we were there. Hope to get to be back on again later.

The show aired on Tuesday the 14th at noon on Channel 5 here in Memphis, and uou can watch on their site by clicking the links below..

Part 1:
https://www.actionnews5.com/video/2023/03/14/bluff-city-life-tuesday-14-march-pt-4-8/

Part 2:
https://www.actionnews5.com/video/2023/03/14/bluff-city-life-tuesday-14-march-pt-5-8/

The following night we had our latest Drink-N-Draw where as you may suspect, we drink and we draw.

The gang were hanging out in the back gallery room at 901 Comics East out on Macon Road.

We had a great turnout again for this event, and the weather outside was nice and were able to draw with the lights on inside this time.

Jake did some more sketchcard mash-ups…

And I did another Muppets sketcard.

First time attendee Jose’ handed out some great promo business cards.

Our next Drink-N-Draw will be on Wednesday, April 26th from 6-8pm. It’s free and open to the public, but bring a few bucks if you’d like something to drink and/or eat.

Our next MSCA monthly dinner meet-up at Garibaldi’s Pizza on Tuesday, April 4th from 6-8pm. Same as the Drink-N-Draw, it’s free to attend but bring your wallet if you’d like to order off the menu.

Our next Sat-Art-Day at 901 Comics East is this Saturday, March 25th from 10-2.

You never know who’s gonna show up at our events!

Lin

“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

“I’m Going To Midtown!” – Midtown Comic Con at Black Lodge and “Memphis Quarantine” at Crosstown Arts

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This weekend Nicki Workman and I headed over to midtown to do some running around and just get out of the house. It was just too pretty to stay indoors!

Our first stop Saturday was The Art Center over on Union Avenue. It’s been a while since I’ve been by the shop.

I had to check out their stock of Copic markers. I saw online that they had them, and I’m always looking for another source.

I was also happy to see they still sell sketchcard blanks and physical comic pages for creating comic books, manga, and comic strips…sweet!

I dropped off some swag for their customers, and I bought a few of their stickers and some other art supplies. (You can see more about my shopping experience here on my Lin Workman site.)

Our next stop was the MidTown Con at Black Lodge over on Cleveland. It’s was their inaugural mini-con.

When we first walked in it was obvious that many others had this event on their list of things to do on Saturday. The place was much bigger on the inside than I had expected, and definitely much more attended than I had expected as well.

The first folks we recognized were Gabriel DeRanzo and MSCA’s Greg Cravens with “Stoned Ninja” comics.

Apparently due to hunger Greg got one of his prints confused with the Stoned Ninja gummies!

I also ran into fellow MSCA member Jason Negan. Due to work and the pandemic it’s been too long since we’ve talked in person.

I also got to run into some other local artists at the show, such as Devin Hodges/DIAST Cartoons and The Common Days of Cade comics.

Billups Allen and Cramhole zine.

And artist/cosplayer Nora Childers, who is part of the Indie Artists Market (just around the corner from Black Lodge). She’ll be a part of the 901 Heroes Fantasy Wars cosplay fashion show at Black Lodge on Sunday, April 24th from 5-10pm.

I saw a lot of toys, comics, art, apparel and more. They even had a concession stand- and restrooms which I really appreciated.

Nicki brought along her new mirrorless Sony to play with at the show. Thankfully she only wanted to shoot me with her camera, and not what she’s usually packin’ when we go around Memphis..!

We ran into local cosplayer supreme Kelldar…

…as well as a couple other cosplayers like this Mando and Harley. We had to cut out just as their costume contest got underway.

More and more folks were arriving and we felt the need to create a bit of space for them. Really glad the MidTown Con was such a success. I don’t know if the vendors did well, but I did see a lot of folks buying and selling. Overall it seems like folks are ready to get back to attending conventions and events.

Since we had parked at the Crosstown Concourse and Nicki had her camera, we decided to visit it next. It’s on Cleveland just half a block up from Black Lodge. Again, the weather was extremely nice out so we enjoyed the short walk.

We grabbed a few drinks at Farm Burger and walked around the Concourse.

We enjoyed checking out all the artwork hanging around on the walls.

We headed up the stairs to walk around the Crosstown Arts section on the second floor.

We noticed that there was an photography exhibit going on. It was “Memphis Quarantine” by photographer Jamie Harmon, who photographed 800 plus dwellings and over two thousand people between March 13th and May 31st of 2020- averaging 13 photoshoots a day lasting between 15-30 minutes..! Each home/person/family received a private web link with edited images they could download and have at no charge. (You can read more about the photo shoot here.)

There were photos everywhere we looked- all around the foyer area and in the large galleries. Two things I didn’t realize until last night. One- the show ended the next day, Sunday April 10th (today). And two- Jamie was actually hanging out in one of the areas. Had no idea what he looked like, and he was talking with folks so we tried not to bother them. Wish I had known both then!

If you missed the show, check out the website where they are doing preorders for the Memphis Quarantine book at www.memphisquarantine.com ($70ea).

When we were at Farm Burger earlier I noticed the guy behind the register was wearing a Memphis Listening Lab tee on. I asked him what that was and he said it was upstairs.

Yep, it wasn’t here the last time I had stopped in at the Concourse. Here’s the scoop on MLL–

Memphis Listening Lab is a curated collection of music and music history, a forum for music-related talks and performances, and a music education, appreciation, and experimentation space located in Crosstown Concourse. The MLL mission is to provide the community with opportunities to study, research, and enjoy popular music by way of a steadily expanding catalog of resources that represent the rich musical heritage of Memphis.
You can find out more about MLL here and buy some merch here.

We headed back downstairs to turn in Nicki’s photo pass. This was the first time I’d seen someone behind the boards at the radio station. Usually I’m there a bit later, and I’m not sure if they were in the studio during the pandemic or not.

After we left Crosstown, we headed over to The Cellar in Bartlett, and then over to Comics & Collectibles off Poplar. It’s been about a month since we’d been to either shop.

I’ve got sketchcovers and sketchcards for sale at The Cellar – each hand drawn and done in markers. MSCA member Lonnie Easterling has some sketchcovers for sale there, and I noticed another artist had added their sketchcards as well.

I saw some copies of The Dragon Templar by Brad Starnes and MSCA’s Dale Martin, sitting next to a Fathom comic with a Skoot Starnes cover, and just above some of our MSCA The Good, The Bad, and the Sketchy zine on the shelf at The Cellar. Later at Comics & Collectibles we saw copies of Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa by Martheus Antone Wade, Janet Wade, and Kevin L. Williams .

If you need acrylic stands for your collectibles be sure to check out Charles Ettinger‘s at The Cellar, or on his Etsy shop- www.etsy.com/shop/LaserheadStudios.

You can always find freebie MSCA and Drawing Funny podcast swag at Comics & Collectibles, The Cellar, and 901 Comics in the Copper/Young neighborhood.

Hope you’ve all had a great weekend. If you were set up at the MidTown Con I hope it was a success for ya!

Lin

 

Black Lodge Video
405 N Cleveland St.
Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 424-1514
blacklodgememphis.com

 

Crosstown Arts
Crosstown Concourse
1350 Concourse Ave #280
Memphis, TN 38104
crosstownarts.org

The Art Center
1636 Union Ave.
Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 276-6321
The Cellar: Tabletop Games & Comics
2737 Bartlett Blvd
Bartlett, TN 38134
(901) 382-8623

901 Comics (Cooper/Young)
2162 Young Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 421-8819
901-comics.business.site

Comics & Collectibles
4730 POPLAR AVENUE #2
MEMPHIS, TN 38117
901-683-7171
memphiscomics.com

“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

Our 2nd Zoom Meeting Was Out Of This World!

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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.