Big Time Attic: The Comic

Fan Club: Austin English

Seemingly beyond all reason I'm a big Austin English fan. I first saw his work in Project: Romantic, and since then I occasionally stumble across his work on the net. Not hard to pick out of the crowd, as you can see below from the image I've culled from his blog.

I'm not smart enough to know what English's motivations are for making drawings that are so blatantly juvenile, I just know that I enjoy what I see.

Click on the image (above) to go to English's blog.
Click on the image (below) to read Tom Spurgeon's interview with English.

Todd Klein "Bone Sharps" Review

Here's a recent review of "Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards" by the industry's best letterer.

A Plea for Pre-Orders (Friday 8/24 only)

UPDATE:
Holy cow, we had an amazing response today -- so many of your pre-ordered your books (from as far away as Germany!) that we now have the budget to give these books the binding and cover coating they deserve, as well as print enough books to really take a bite out of the Lappegard's medical costs.

Now the big step is to tell your friends to come to the event on September 8th. Ride some bikes, look at some art, listen to some bands ... and if you're feeling generous you can buy some raffle tickets and bid on original comic art!

once again.... THANKS TO TODAY'S PRE-ORDERERS!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the pre-order plea bonanza. If you ordered a book, make sure I have your mailing address (kevin at bigtimeattic.com).

September 8th is the big event. Stay tuned for more details.

Schmapples Tribute September 8th

[Note: This is a re-posting of the Cartoonist Conspiracy site. Go there to get more information on the September 8th Eric Lappegard event.]


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SCHMAPPLES TRIBUTE
SEPTEMBER 8... MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Benefit to Honor Comic Artist & Bicycle Advocate Eric Lappegard

What: Benefit to Honor Comic Artist & Bicycle Advocate Eric Lappegard

When: Saturday, September 8th, 2007. 2pm-2am

Where:

Alley Cat Race to begin at Behind Bars Bicycle Shop, 208 13th Ave NE, Minneapolis 2pm-5pm

Comic Art Show & Silent Auction at Altered Esthetics, 1224 Quincy St. NE, Minneapolis 5pm-8pm

Music Event/Raffle/Vegan Bake Sale to follow at La Candleabra, 1517 Central Ave NE Minneapolis9pm-2am

Minneapolis / St. Paul: Beloved local comic artist and bicycle advocate Eric Lappegard passed away on July 23rd from complications following an automobile accident. Eric was in the process of moving from Minneapolis to Portland, Oregon, when the accident occurred. Originally from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Eric had spent the last number of years in Minneapolis, where he worked as a bicycle messenger and coffee shop java-slinger, artist, community organizer and bicycle advocate.

Eric (a.k.a. Schmapples, a.k.a. Vegan Ninja) was an active member of the local comics collective The International Cartoonist Conspiracy, as well as a founding member of The Minneapolis Bicycle Federation, a group that advocates for a better cycling environment. Eric was a friendly face around town, a vegan who championed animal rights and environmental sustainability, and a friend to many people across the community. He will be greatly missed.

On Saturday, September 8th, friends of Eric are partnering with local businesses and arts organizations to pay tribute to a dear friend and important member of the art, music, and bicycling communities. All proceeds from the event will go to Eric's family to aid them with expenses incurred as a result of this tragic accident.

The Schmapples Tribute event will include a messenger-style alley cat bike race beginning at Behind Bars Bicycle Shop in Northeast Minneapolis.

Eric's artwork, as well as donated artwork from local artists & members of the Cartoonist Conspiracy (cartoonistconspiracy.com), will be on display at Altered Esthetics (alteredesthetics.com) all day Saturday, with a silent auction and reception to begin at 5:00pm. Two original publications have been created specifically for this event & will be on sale; a collection of Eric's Schmapples comics, and a huge anthology by over 40 cartoonists. Additional items for auction will be included, including gift certificates and highly-desirable items from local bicycle, comic and other businesses. Live music will be provided by the Roe Family Singers.

The evening will conclude with a rock show at a venue TBD featuring local favorites Surface Hoar, Jesus Chrysler, Kill the Runt, Tremble & Shake and Faggot. Entrance to the show is $5 and includes a raffle ticket. Additional raffle tickets can be purchased for $5. Prizes include artwork, comics, gift certificates and custom bicycle parts and products. A vegan bake sale will also help to raise funds for the Lappegard family.

For a complete schedule of events visit:
http://myspace.com/ericlappegardtribute

Yo Gabba Gabba! Premieres Monday at 10:30 am on Nick Jr.

Our sister company Puny is doing animation for Yo Gabba Gabba!, the craziest, awesomest-looking kids show in television history. So if you have cable, and you're awake at 10:30 in the morning (is that Pacific time?) give The View a rest and check out Nick Jr.

Here's a screenshot from our first animation for the show (You can get a lot more detail about this show and other animation projects at www.punyblog.com).


Tony, Julia and Tim working onsite in YGG headquarters in LA.

A Week Off

It wouldn't be summer without time off. Here are a few photos from some recent time away from the office.

Here's me bombing around in a canoe. The night I went out was perfectly still and quiet. This was a while ago -- before all the rain -- and water levels were the lowest I've ever seen them.


My brother and sister "texting" or something.


Went to the Minnesota History Center to check out an exhibit called "Polar Norway." I just wrapped up Huntford's book "The Last Place on Earth" about one of Norway's great polar explorers, Roald Amundson, and was hoping to see some artifacts from his trips on Fram and Gjoa.


Roald Amundson spent several years in the arctic on Gjoa (which resulted in him discovering the Northwest Passage). During the frozen winters he learned as much about polar living as he could from the Netsilik Inuit population. The knowledge he gained about warm, breathable reindeer outfits (like the one below) helped him win the race for the south pole in 1911.

Wizard World Highlights

Zander and I are on day two of the Chicago "Wizard World" Convention*. Highlights so far include dinner at Old Warsaw with the Ha brothers and Zander's friend Matt on Thursday, and our inaugural trip to the very classy and very packed Hyatt bar last night, where we schmoozed, etc.

Two strikes against the Con, however. 1) There's no internet access, so our laptop payment machine is useless, and 2) last night the janitors threw away two boxes that we were storing under our table. Aside from the books and equipment that was thrown away, Zander no longer has his huge bag of Red Vines, which he had been meticulously letting air out so that they'd be at the peak of staleness during the con. Tears were shed by all.

I forgot my camera in the boat on my camping trip on Monday, so you're going to have to make do with drawings, like these:

Zander's doing gads of cool sketches, including this one which I managed to sneak back to the hotel room and scan before the buyer came back:


So far the best find of the con is Jeffrey Brown's "Incredible Change-Bots," which inspired at least part of this page of random drawings:


*As of Saturday afternoon I have seen zero wizards.

Happy Third Birthday, BTA!

Eglinton Island mini-comic

Here's a new Shanks mini on my website:


Click the image.

Kevin and Zander Cannon are going to Wizard World Chicago!

Come on by and say hello! We'll be in the Artists Alley, booth 3014, selling comics, minicomics, originals, and sketches. So right after you get your chest signed by Tricia Helfer, you can come by and show it to us. See you there.

Brittney Sabo Illustration in City Pages!

Just wanted to point out that our former employee Brittney Sabo had an illustration featured in this past week's City Pages. Congratulations, Britt!

*Click on the photo for a larger view*

The weekly paper also wrote a nice article about our friends at Game Informer, for whom we did this drawing.

Big Time Attic: The Comic

Photos from Max's Albert Lea Art Show

Max Konrardy is one of the coolest guys I know. Not only is he an amazing Flash animator and graphic novelist, he recently took a break from the corporate world to help a friend restore and rehabilitate Albert Lea's famous old theatre, which has fallen into disrepair.

On top of all that he has curated his first gallery show, "Panel, Line and Letter: Black and White Selections from Modern Midwest Comics," which opened tonight. It was a great excuse to travel the 1 1/2 hours to Albert Lea from Minneapolis to see Max in his new environs, look at some great original comics, and check out this spooky old theatre I've been hearing about for months.

The gallery show -- which is held in the same building as the historic theatre -- runs through August 30th, so you still have time to check it out if you missed the opening. Also, the theatre restoration and rehabilitation Max is working on has passion, creativity, and motivation -- but is hurting for funds. You can check out the renovation site here and, if you want, throw some cash Max's way.

Click on photos to go to the FLICKR set.






* descriptions and witty captions can be found at the Flickr site.

Russia Conquers North Pole

Dear Russia,

Congratulations on successfully completing the first expedition ever to reach the bottom of the Arctic Ocean at the geographic North Pole. You are truly an inspiration.

Also, thanks for this:

"I am proud our country remains the leader in conquering the Arctic."
-- Boris Gryzlov

Quotes like these ensure that I will have no trouble in coming up with plot lines -- or bad guys -- for future Shanks stories.

Fram,
Kevin Cannon

BTA and PUNY Employees Safe!

I-35 Bridge Collapses in Minneapolis

The Interstate 35W bridge that crosses the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis collapsed yesterday at about 6:05 pm, dropping 50 cars into the river. Four people are confirmed dead. All members of our two studios are safe and sound.

My wife and I coincidentally happened to be 3 blocks away when it happened, eating dinner before going to a play at the Guthrie Theatre, which is 2 blocks away.

Here are some resources if you'd like to help the victims.