Welcome To My Nightmare June 2013

Welcome To My Nighmare VIII. I’ll be here showing my work and selling my comics. Don’t miss it.

Welcome To My Nghtmare Flyer. Spring 2013.

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Psycho Bunny and Babalon Babes Blog Mention

My two self-published comics/zines were featured in the Art & Exchange blog. Check it out:

http://artexchangeprogram.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/axp-submission-babalon-babes-and-psycho-bunny-by-michelle-witchipoo/

You can always order your own copies of either the last Psycho Bunny mini issue #3.25 for $3.00 ($2.00 plus $1.00 S&H) or Babalon Babes issue 4, the astrology theme $4.00 ($3.00 + $1.00 for S&H). If ordering one or more issue shipping will be combined. You can order from the website:

http://witchesbrewpress.com/

I also accept PayPal with the email: witchipoo@witchesbrewpress.net. Just specify which issue you would like when ordering.

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Inkwell Awards – Your Vote Is Needed

We interrupt this blog for an important announcement.

Starting from April 15 to April 30th, 2013 you can vote in the Inkwell Awards.

http://www.inkwellawards.com/

The Inkwell Awards is a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and promotion of the art of inking. Inking is a much over-looked but crucial element to the comic book process. Everyone is encouraged to vote, whether you’re a fan or professional. The only difference this year is that the public is not allowed to vote in the The Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement category. The winners will be announced live at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC June 7-9 2013. For more information, please click on the above Inkwell Awards link.

My previous post about the Inkwells: http://witchesbrewpress.wordpress.com/2013/02/02/inkwell-awards/

Also please feel free to click on the below link:

http://www.firstcomicsnews.com/?p=71158

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Quick Mocca Fest 2013 Wrap Up

Last weekend I did the Mocca Fest 2013. Might’ve mentioned this before, but originally I wasn’t planning to do the weekend event. Due to school and doing projects for other people, I hadn’t done any of my own stuff. In other words I didn’t have any new self-published comics of my own. Then a month before Mocca happened, someone offered me table space.

Overall I’m glad I took up on the offer. It had been over a year since I did any sort of comic book convention, so there was some rustiness. Through trial and error I discovered some facts. Also to my surprise I learned that people were still interested in my self-published comic Psycho Bunny. It’s this little zine/comic that I’ve been doing on and off for about ten years now.

What also took me by surprise was people were most interested in Psycho Bunny than my esoteric pin-up sketch book Babalon Babes. In the past, the interest in both comics/zines were sort of equal. This year, readers went more or less for Psycho Bunny, an ongoing tale about an alcoholic rabbit who dwells in urban chaos. It was also interesting because I had been thinking of dropping Psycho Bunny altogether. I’ve wondering about heading in a different direction. After all, I’ve been meaning to do this cat webcomic. Then came the Mocca show, and was proven contrary.

It also felt good to be back. Again, despite no new material of my own, there was still some interest in my work. I was trying to downgrade so I didn’t bring everything I had done within the past year/two years and a half. That would’ve been impossible to lug back and forth to the show. So this time around it was back to the basics. Besides, I kinda wanted to sell off some old material before setting forth on the new. A spring cleaning of sorts.

As for the weekend itself, the convention was packed. In the age of Nooks, Kindles and webcomics, people were still into buying indie hard copies. So in the end maybe it’s better to have a balance of everything. Perhaps readers are more interested in paper for the indie work, and digital for the more established. Time will tell.

Speaking of the more established, one of the guests of honor was none other than Ziggy the Pinhead creator Bill Griffith. Bob Fingerman was also there. Fingerman is known for various work, especially Minimum Wage  and Skinheads In Love comic series. I was a huge fan of the one off comic book he did with Lydia Lunch. Too bad my copy is not only tattered, but it seems to be m.i.a. Here’s a link: http://mediachrist.blogspot.com/2011/09/lydia-lunch-bloodsucker-comic.html?zx=a37d470fcdbcac3a

One of the original Punk rock cartoonists was also there, John Holmstrom. Alas, I didn’t go meet neither Fingerman or Holmstrom. There was my own table to tend to, and not a lot of room to move around if you wanted to leave your space for a bit. Holmstrom was there promoting his new book The Best of Punk Magazine.

The vibe was completely different at Mocca since merging with The Society of Illustrators. For starters, the fest was a lot more organized. I remember Mocca when it used to be at the Puck building, but the fest outgrew that venue a long time ago. For now Mocca still calls The 69th Regiment Armory its annual home.

Now I don’t know if it was me, but the crowd itself seemed to be a bit more conservative…? Not sure how to put it quite in words. Again, maybe it’s a sign of the times. Who knows. With Mocca there were always parents bringing their children, but this year there seemed to be more families there. I could be wrong but that was just my observation. Again, I think it’s a reflection of what’s been happening in New York City itself, as it slowly develops into a more suburban mindset. Much to my chagrin.

The highlight of the event was when someone asked me for a quick commission. I’ve grown to love these sort of commissions because it presents a challenge. It’s a combination of executing a replica of a someone else’s character, but throwing in your own interpretation as well. So this guy asks for a sketch of this comic book character called Beauty Blaze. I hadn’t heard of Beauty Blaze until that show. She’s a DC character from Legion of Superheroes. Initially I wasn’t too thrilled with the results due to nervousness, but he was. Here’s a link to the sketch:

http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1000952&gsub=90046

Maybe I’ll do another post about Mocca Fest 2013. I’m still processing the event somewhat. In the meantime, here’s some photos courtesy of Paul Curtis, one of the publishers who complied the book on cartoonist Luisa Felix.

To be continued…?

Photo taken by Paul Curtis. Mocca Fest 2013.

Photo taken by Paul Curtis. Mocca Fest 2013.

Photo taken by Paul Curtis. Mocca Fest 2013.

Photo taken by Paul Curtis. Mocca Fest 2013.

Photo taken by Paul Curtis. Mocca Fest 2013.

Photos by Paul Curtis, who was nice enough to let me use his pics for this blog post.

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Just Released! An Invitation To The World Luisa Felix Cartoonist. (Tribute Book)

The tribute book for cartoonist Luisa Felix has just been released. (Refer to a previous blog post: http://witchesbrewpress.wordpress.com/2013/03/06/cartoonist-and-friend-luisa-felix-1952-2013/)

You can be one of the first to get your own copy at the MoCCA Fest this weekend at table C91.

An Invitation To The World Of Luisa Felix, Cartoonist. The 100-page book has been printed in a limited edition of 250 hand-numbered copies, and each copy will contain a small sample of original Luisa Felix art. Nine artists (also contributed to the book. The art incorporates some of the many characters Ms. Felix created over her forty-year career. The book is a joint publication of Drowned Town Press and Micro-Comics.

An Invitation To The World Of Luisa Felix, Cartoonist. The 100-page book has been printed in a limited edition of 250 hand-numbered copies, and each copy will contain a small sample of original Luisa Felix art. Nine artists – Keith O’Brien, Michele Witchipoo, Steve Peters, Larry Blake, Natalie Ewert, Frank Humphris, Eric Jensen, Paul and myself – have also contributed tribute art incorporating some of the many characters Ms. Felix created over her forty-year career. The book is a joint publication of Drowned Town Press and Micro-Comics.

If there are any copies left after the Mocca show, you might be able to order either through this website, or contact Paul Curtis. At the moment, your best bet is to purchase the book at the Mocca Fest. Any further updates will be posted.

http://drownedtownpress.com/home.html

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Where I’ll Be @ Mocca Fest

Hi everyone. Just a brief mention about this upcoming weekend. Yes, that’s right. Promotion, promotion, promotion.

You can find both this Saturday and Sunday at the 2013 annual Mocca Fest, table C91. I’ll be sharing the table with two other cartoonists. So come by and buy some stuff from me. My comics will be available. Maybe some prints of my artwork. So come by and say hello. Unless you hate me. If that’s the case, fine by me. I don’t need to see your face.

Later.

 

 

 

 

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Weekend of April 6-7 2013

Looks like the weekend of April 6 and 7 2013 will be a busy one. Already posted about one of these events I’m about to mention, but it bears mentioning again. There’s also another wonderful event put on by two long time promoters in the NYC Goth scene.

On both April 6th and 7th during the day, I will be at the MoCCA Art Fest 2013 sharing a table with two other talented cartoonists, E.J. Barnes and Paul Curtis.

April 6th, Saturday night I’ll be at Cleopatra’s Ball at Through The Mirror. Through The Mirror is a bi-monthly event put on by Absolution NYC. It’s run by two long time promoters in the NYC Goth scene, Xtene and Jason. Both are established DJs spinning the best in classic and current Goth along with its various sub-genres.

Cleopatra’s Ball Flyer by Absolution NYC.

For more information about either MoCCA or Absolution, be sure to click on these links:

http://www.moccafest.org/

http://absolutionnyc.com/

*Gratitude goes out to E.J. Barnes, Paul Curtis, Xtene Johnes and Jason Ledyard .

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Guess Who’ll Be At MOCCA This Year? (MoCCA Art Fest 2013)

Last minute…I’ll be at the MoCCA Art Fest 2013, sharing a table with two other cartoonists.

MoCCA, which stand for Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art has joined forces with The Society of Illustrators, bringing you Mocca Arts Festival 2013. Just like what the poster says, it’ll take place the weekend of April 6 and 7th, 2013 at The 69th Regiment Armory (located at 68 Lexington Ave between E. 25th and 26th streets.)

I missed the Mocca Art Fest last year, due to previous plans. Yet 2013 is a another year. At the last minute I got offered table space. I’ll be sharing a table with two other cartoonists, E.J. Barnes and Paul Curtis. Looking forward to the fest, and if you’re planning to buy my work, drop by or just say hi.

Mocca Fest 2013 Poster by Michael DeForge

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The Children’s Voice Now Available

Received my copy of “The Children’s Voice: A Definitive Collection of Welsh Nursery Rhymes” today. Published by A Raven Above Press and written by Peter Anthony Freeman, the book features over 27 different artists from the U.S. and Wales. I’m proud to have contributed to this project.

The book debuted on March 3rd, 2013 at the Los Angeles St. David’s Day Festival – National Day of Wales (Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant, Los Angeles – Diwrnod Cenedlaethol Cymru,) taking place at the Barnsdall Art Park in Los Angeles, California.

At the moment you can order the book through this link:

http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qsort=p&isbn=098504473X&siteID=GwEz7vxblVU-JTnW3HV.KGKZ9qLqfmC53g&_ptid=GwEz7vxblVU-JTnW3HV.KGKZ9qLqfmC53g&cm_mmc=affiliates-_-na-_-GwEz7vxblVU-_-na

Book cover for “The Children’s Voice: The Definitive Collection of Welsh Nursery Rhymes.” Published by A Raven Above Press

A big thank you goes to Lorin Morgan-Richards for making this possible.

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Cartoonist and Friend Luisa Felix (1952 – 2013)

Just found out about the news of Luisa Felix’s passing.

Luisa Felix was a cartoonist, writer, peer and friend based in Hoboken, New Jersey. I don’t know the entire details. She died in January 2013.

According to this blog entry by cartoonist and publisher Paul Curtis, Luisa died of a stomach virus. It was complicated further by the power outages following Hurricane Sandy:

http://paulcurtis.livejournal.com/431990.html?view=1984630#t1984630

Luisa Felix had a love of films from the 1920′s and 1930s era. Inspired by actress Jean Harlow, Luisa created her character Candy Blondell.

Comic book character Candy Blondell created by Luisa Felix.

I had first met Luisa during the MoCCA Art Festival back in 2005 or 2006. She was a sweet lady who formed her own fantastic world through her comics. Here’s two of her front covers:

“Bury Me Not” comic by Luisa Felix.

“The Evil Cat” by cartoonist Luisa Felix. Featuring her main character Candy Blondell.

Luisa was a kind creative who was a regular fixture at the annual Indie comic con MoCCA Art Fest. It was there I first came in contact with her. A very sweet woman. When I first started taking my own comics and artwork seriously, she was one of the first comic creators who I befriended. Due to this, she kinda holds a special place in my memories. In addition, she was a wonderful artist.

Cartoonist Luisa Felix (1952 – 2013) at the MoCCA Art Festival. Photographer unknown.

Plans for a tribute in honor of this delightful female cartoonist is in the works.

Rest in peace Luisa.

Additional links:

http://comiccreatorsunited.blogspot.com/2010/03/luisa-felix-presents-candy-blondell.html

http://francisbonnet.com/archive/sft/?p=1136

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