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

LIFE WITH CATS #2,462

This Saturday, July 13, from 4-9 PM, I'll be hanging out with some other artists in Kenosha, Wisconsin, at a Pop-Up Gallery, on the first floor of the unnamed building at 5715 6th Avenue.  Come one, come all!

Facebook Event

AMERICAN GROUNDHOGGERS

Photos by SD