KING-CAT #74 IS HERE!

Hey all,

King-Cat #74 arrived late last night.  I'll be packing subscribers' copies and pre-orders all afternoon, so look for them to ship out tomorrow.  Shipments to stores will happen after Christmas.

If you're not a subscriber, SINGLE COPIES of the new issue can be purchased from me as follows:

USA: $5.00 cash/check/mo OR $5.45 via PayPal
CANADA/MEXICO: $6.00 USD via PayPal
REST OF WORLD: $7.50 USD via PayPal

NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS (4 Issues) can be purchased at the following rates:

USA: $20.00 cash/check/mo OR $20.88 via PayPal
CANADA/MEXICO: $24.00 USD via PayPal
REST OF WORLD: $30.00 USD via PayPal

Checks/MOs payable to:

John Porcellino
PO Box 142
South Beloit, IL
61080 USA

PayPal: kingcat_paypal AT hotmail DOT com

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King-Cat Comics #74:  Moving Day, Lying in Bed, Bridges of South Beloit, Body Odor Blues, Travel Comics, Bowser, Bat Love, Letters, Top 40, and more.  32 digest pages, b+w.

Thanks!  John P.

YEAR TO DATE

Saturday was the Milwaukee Zine Fest, my last show of what was a very busy year, show-wise.  I told myself I was gonna stay home in 2013 and try to get a bunch of drawing done and just go to shows in the Midwest, no big road trips... but I still was on the road seemingly every other weekend from March to November.  It kind of burned me out, to tell the truth.  Luckily, the Milwaukee Zine Fest may be my favorite show of them all, so it's nice to go out on a positive note.

Spit and a Half table

View from the ledge

MZF is held in the Polish Falcon's Lodge in the Riverwest neighborhood.  It's a classic Midwestern lodge, all wood paneling, linoleum, and beer.  In the basement is the 4th oldest bowling alley in the United States.

It's hard sometimes to describe to people why I love the Midwest so much, but the feeling here in the Falcon Bowl is why.  It's a feeling made up of hard work, laughter, humility, and appreciation.  People are genuine.

Browsing with Ren.

Unknown doggie in backpack

This was my fourth year of attending MZF, and it was the best one yet.  People came through steadily all day, I had some good conversations, bought some cool books, and sold a bunch of comics and zines to cool people.  It doesn't get any better than that...  

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I'm trying desperately to summon up the gumption to print the new King-Cat.  It's been all done, sitting there on my drawing table, for the last two weeks.  I just need to scan it, clean it up, and send it to the printers.  But I'm in one of those conditions where I simply don't care if I ever publish another comic in my life.  This will change though, and the book will come out.  Look for it around the end of the month!

Yours, from Sunny Beloit,

John P.

HOME + AWAY

Hey Kids,

I got back from the Madison Print and Resist Festival last weekend, so that means only one more show of the year -- MKE Zine Fest Nov. 9.  John P. loves tabling, but he's getting old and tired, and he's chomping at the bit to find out whether he still knows how to make comics, so he's looking forward to a nice, long winter of STAYING PUT AND DRAWING.

Good ol' Spit and a Half table

Print and Resist was so good that afterwards I had that kind of shaky, is this real? kind of pure joy that makes me feel inevitably like when's it all going to come crashing down-- but I'll take what I can get.

I love the Midwest, I love zines, I love weirdos, so I loved Print and Resist.  It was held in the Helen C. White Library at UW-- I mean literally in the library -- my table faced the New Magazine Releases ( I read a great Discover article about OCD during down times).  Picked up some nice books and zines, a cool anti-Walker poster, talked to a lot of swell people and got a workout dragging my 100+ pounds of books eight blocks from the closest parking I could find (apparently, overnight, the library had become besieged by construction).  My arms and shoulders still hurt!   And I can feel muscles in my thighs I didn't know I had! But I sold lots of Kool Komix to awesome people, so that's why I was born.

Visit Art Is Dead Productions 

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(Look for King-Cat 74 to go to press next week, if I can shake this depression...)

ON THE ROAD AND OUT OF MY MIND

Well, my fabulous readers, John P. is going to drive to Minneapolis again this weekend, for the Rain Taxi Book Festival.  If you're in the Twin Cities, do us both a favor:  come on down and buy a book or two off your humble Used-Paper Salesman.

Then the next weekend I'll be at the Madison Print and Resist Festival -- but please don't resist your urge to drop by and check out all the cool zines and comix I'll have on hand there!

My last show of 2013 is the Milwaukee Zine Fest, held Nov. 9.  This is one of my favorite shows of the year, and I'm looking forward to going out on a high note.  So all you zine-hungry Milwaukeeans, don't let me down, OK?

Other that that I'm going CRAZY because I never seem to have time to draw anymore.  Right before leaving for PFC/Autoptic in August I had the whole issue of King-Cat #74 drawn, save the cover.  Guess, what?  It's two months later and I'm in the exact same spot.  After all the inspiration I got working with the world's greatest cartoonists at PFC, I have managed to draw exactly nothing.  But this shall change.

Look for #74 to be out maybe late October, with a special Halloweeny cover.  Then I'm going to stay at home all Winter and just draw.  You can't stop me!

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Sat. Oct. 12: Twin Cities Book Fest

Sat. Oct. 19: Madison Print and Resist

Sat. Nov. 9: Milwaukee Zine Fest

A BOX

The other day I went on a quest to locate some old artwork for a show coming up in Sheboygan this November--  I was looking for the oversized original pages for "Suburban Dreams" from King-Cat #59.  I found them in a large flat box that had all sorts of other cool stuff in it that I hadn't seen in a decade, if not more...  Most of these date from the late-Elgin period of 2000-2002, but some are earlier.  I thought I'd post some of it here.

Spread from "Suburban Dreams."  I usually draw at 100%, but this is one of the few cases where I drew oversized (each page is 11.75" x 18").  I drew it in black colored pencil, and had to use the blueprint machine at Kinko's to reduce to King-Cat size.

Julie Doucet silkscreen, printed on the stock pages of the Globe and Mail.

Another Julie Doucet poster.

"Listen Close," my 9/11 comic, reformatted to fit the pages of Chicago's New City newspaper for their annual comics issue.

Another oversized comic that I'd completely forgotten I'd drawn.  Never published.

Original drawing for Comics Journal #241 cover, 2002.

Hand-colored photocopy mosaic of 1923 USGS topographical maps from the Elgin area.

My comic for TCJ's Cartoonists on Music Special.  I guess I was really into drawing oversize at this point!

Photocopy of artwork for cover of Denver's Hooligan magazine, 1994.

Oil pastel drawing of one of the saddest moments of my life, late 80's.

Charcoal drawing of Marshmallow and the Old Man, before she became my cat, 1989. 18" x 24".

Pre-King-Cat comic drawn after discovering Julie D.'s comics, never published.  18" x 24" 

Charcoal and acrylic study for a painting, probably 1987 or 88.

Original art for Newshole #4 cover, ink on photocopy, 1992.

 Non 5 promotional poster by Brian Ralph

Original pages from early King-Cats that were included in a show at Angouleme, 2002.

More Angouleme pages (with Maisie hairs).

18" x 24" painting with collage on paper, circa 1988?  You can see how the charcoal from the Marshmallow drawing (above) transferred to the paint, as they were stored facing each other.

Acrylic on paper study for "Belmont Harbor" (painting, 1988?)

Page from Seattle's The Stranger, 1995, with me and Archer Prewitt.

Baltimore City Paper, 1993.

Wraparound cover for Cake magazine, by Mr. Mike.

Old Virgo Snakes flyer.

Poster for one of the Felt Pilotes' last shows, 1995.

Promo poster for Flywheel's Dirty on the Shovel CD, 1996.

(Artwork by David Nichols)

Promo poster for the Virgo Snakes CD, 1996.

Original art for Virgo Snakes poster.  It's called "paste-up," kids!

AURAL JELLY

Hey all,

Just a quick note here:  as you may know Dan from Kilgore Books is putting the finishing touches on a King-Cat documentary film, due out next year for the KC 25th Anniversary.  And he's looking for contributions from King-Cat readers.  Here's his request:

'Hey King Cat fans, I'm Dan and I've been slowly putting together a video document of John P./King-Cat/Spit and a Half, and I need your help. I'm looking for 15-20 folks to record themselves reading their favorite John P. comic, poem, story, Snornose, Top 40, etc. These audio pieces will play over exciting footage of John driving, eating, walking around Elvis' birth house, standing alone at zine convention tables, and obviously, the images of the comics themselves. 

If you'd like to participate, simply record yourself in some form of digital audio. It can be recorded on your phone or computer in just about any format. Wav, FLAX, MP3, whatever you like, I can work with it. When you record it, please remember to speak slowly and clearly, so that folks can read/listen along, and include as part of the audio + the email sending it the title of what you're reading and where it's from, so that I can track down the images as well.  Please include your name in the filename you send. 

Email your file to me at dan.staff AT gmail DOT com, and I'll get back to you when we're wrapping up the thing. While I feel strongly there is zero money in this venture, and therefore your contribution will be considered a donation, I will make sure you get a nice burned copy of the movie when it's done, assuming DVD is still a legitimate technology then.'

Deadline is September 1, 2013 so time is of the essence!

If you have questions, ask them in the comments and I'll answer right away!

Thanks,

John P.

KEEP ON TRUCKIN'

Hi everyone,

I'm back from PFC/Autoptic -- which was seriously one of the best weeks of my life!  I'm still processing it all and will have a detailed blog post up soon...  BUT I'm heading back out on the road this weekend, to Michigan, for the first annual (?!) Grand Rapids Zine Fest.  I'll start getting pictures etc from PFC up when I get back!

Meanwhile here's my very first animation ever, made with the assistance of the great Lilli Carré (and Eleanor Davis):

AUTOPTIC AND UPDATE

SO...  I'm heading up to Minneapolis in a few days, to participate in PIERRE FEUILLE CISEAUX 4, a France-based collaborative workshop for comics artists.  I'm so excited to be able to attend.  I was invited once before, but because of my ear problems I can't fly, so I had to say no.  Well, this time PFC is being held in good ol' Merka, so I get to join in.

The culmination of PFC is the brand new AUTOPTIC FESTIVAL on Sunday August 18.  Thank goodness Minneapolis has an art-centric comics show again!  I'll be tabling there with lots of Spit and a Half goodness AND, I HOPE, King-Cat #74 in some form or another (probably a special short run edition printed especially for Autoptic).

UPDATE:  I was stressing like crazy trying to come up with a way to get KC 74 out in time for Autoptic, and I'm getting too old for that.  So, no, it won't be available there.  But it will be out shortly thereafter -- late August/Early September!  Thanks and sorry!

Which means -- KC 74 should be out in its regular edition very soon. I'll finish inking the pages this week and put it together next week in time for the Fest.  SO, if you're a subscriber and your address has changed since last year, now would be a good time to drop me a line and let me know (johnp_kingcat AT hotmail DOT com).

When I get back from Minneapolis I'll get the files to the printer, and then the following weekend I'm off to Grand Rapids, Michigan for the first ever GRAND RAPIDS ZINE FEST (Sat. August 24), for which I drew the poster!

ALSO, I'm now on TWITTER: @The_Real_John_P.  What a dork.

More soon.
LOVE,
John P.

MCA's IN THE HOUSE WHACHA GONNA DO

Hey Chicago Peeps:

This Saturday July 27 from 10 AM to 6 PM I'll be exhibiting at the MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART in Chicago's SATURDAY STRIP, with two tables full of King-Cat Comix and other fine comic book releases from around the world!

Also exhibiting: Quimby's, CAKE, Megan Kirby, and Ezra Clayton Daniels (who'll be repping a buncha local cartoonists too), so come on down!  And don't forget they also have their DAN CLOWES retrospective up!).

Thanks.  BTW I was hoping to have the new King-Cat out for Autoptic in MPLS, but that is seeming dicey at this time.  I should still have it out by the end of August tho.  Look for it soon!

John P.

MCA Events page

Facebook Events page

POP-UP KENOSHA

The other day I was invited to come out to Kenosha, Wisconsin to participate in a "pop-up gallery" event.  Kenosha is a city of about 100,000 people, right on the Illinois border along Lake Michigan.  Like many small to medium-size towns in the Midwest (and America) its downtown area has seen happier days.  In an effort to bring art to the residents, the Kenosha Art Association has been having pop-up events in several of the vacant storefronts downtown.

For my part, they exhibited oversized prints of every page from my Thoreau at Walden book.  It was pretty exciting to see them all up, lining one entire wall of the venue.

I really didn't know what to expect, but there was a nice crowd coming in throughout the night, everyone was friendly, and I sold a bunch of stuff!  The audience was truly interested, and willing to engage with the art and the artists, which was refreshing.

At the end of the evening I spoke to Francisco Loyola, the main force behind the pop-ups, about the amount of work he's done to bring these arts events to downtown Kenosha.  It hadn't been easy, with years of effort just beginning to bear fruit.  I was really impressed with how devoted these folks were to improving the quality of life in their town.  It was inspiring.

Chalk drawing on the sidewalk outside.

John P. and cool upholstered bicycles.

Thoreau at Walden

Dean Tawwater

Bess Yontz

Comics by Ryan Pagelow.

John Hambrock

Children's drawings

Mary Pat Andrea and friend.

All photos courtesy Francisco Loyola