This upcoming weekend I will be at MICE Expo 2016 in Cambridge, Massachusetts just outside of Boston. On Oct. 29 and 30th, you can find me at table C99. Admission is free. Hours for MICE are Saturday 10 am-6 pm, Sunday 11 am-5 pm.
Poster for MICE Expo 2016. Artwork by Raul The Third.
As stated on the Facebook invite: MICE is back on Halloween weekend with independent comics for the masses! Join us for our 7th (and spookiest) annual FREE show featuring over 150 comic creators and special guests from the Boston area beyond. There’s cartooning workshops, panels, and activities for readers and artists of all ages! MICE 2016 is held in University Hall mere steps away from the Porter Square Red line T stop.
I’ll be traveling from NYC to Boston just for this convention. So if you’re in the area, stop on by.
My favorite holiday is Halloween. No surprise there. There’s many reasons why I love Samhain. In this post I’m going to focus on the nostalgic part.
It’s cliche to say this, but really. Children today have absolutely no clue how lucky they are today. The selection of Halloween costumes in today’s age are way more better than the ones I got stuck with growing up. Luckily my mother was creative enough to put together the more homegrown costumes, such as gypsy or witch.
One year she really thought it was cute to dress me up like a street urchin. In short, a bum. Out of all the costumes from my childhood, the bum look was one I truly hated. However, nothing disappointed me more the plastic Ben Cooper costumes brought at the local drugstore.
If you were a kid growing up during the ’70s and ’80s, surely you must remember that budget atrocity known as the Ben Cooper costume. Usually it retailed real cheap, came in a box, and consisted of a flimsy mask along with a one piece that felt as if you were wearing a printed plastic garbage bag. The pro was Ben Cooper had its pulse of pop culture. No matter what hot television show, film or comic book character, etc., Ben Cooper was on it. The Con – both the mask and plastic bag, ripped too easily. There goes your $3.99.
Yet it’s funny how something that annoyed us in our youth now brings a nostalgic smile upon our faces. Even if it’s just a smirk. It’s almost comforting in a way.
With that, here’s your Psycho Bunny sketch of the week. Up until today I’ve called the Psycho Bunny pic of the week. In reality the pics are sketches, and sketch sounds like a better word to use anyway.
Psycho Bunny not so fond of the Ben Cooper Halloween costumes. Based on the comic Psycho Bunny. Oct. 2016.
So enjoy your Halloween. Definitely enjoy your improved mass produced costumes. You may get off my lawn now.
Now for the usual plugs. This weekend, I will be at MICE Expo selling my comics. If you’re in the Boston or Cambridge area, drop by. Free admission. My table is C99. Don’t forget to click “like” on both my Psycho Bunny and WitchesBrewPress Facebook pages. The Psycho Bunny page tends to be more updated. Bye for now.
It won’t be long now, until the 2016 presidential election will be finally over with. Just like the year 2016 itself, this entire election has been deplorable.
With that, here’s the Psycho Bunny Pic of The Week.
Even Psycho Bunny can’t handle the presidential election anymore. Based on the comic written and drawn by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016.
End of this month, I will be at MICE Expo, selling my comics at table C99. So come on down if you’re in the area. Also click ‘like’ on the two Facebook pages. One for Psycho Bunny, and one for WitchesBrewPress.
One final plug. I’ve set up a Patreon account (which no-one contributed to yet, but hey). Haven’t really promoted the site until today. Oh, and this will be my third Inktober sketch for this month. Till next time…
The Made In Ridgewood exhibit has done so well, the showing has been extended through Oct. 24th, instead of Oct. 15th. So if you’re in the area, check out OUTPOST Artist Resources. I have a new piece in this group art show. The exhibit was originally put together by OUTPOST and Ridgewood Artists Coalition for Bushwick Open Studios 2016.
We all know what happened this weekend. Let’s just say it was about someone saying something about ‘grabbing pussy.’
Anyway…here’s the Psycho Bunny pic of the week. Also my late start for INKtober.
Psycho Bunny. Beer Vs. Pussy. Based on the comic by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016.
I’m going to be at MICE Expo this month, where you can buy my comics, greeting cards and whatnot. Also there’s my Psycho Bunny Facebook page, and my WitchesBrewPress page. Till next time, and don’t grab any pussy till then.
The next day after the opening reception of the Made In Ridgewood exhibit at OUTPOST Artists Resources, decided to spend Sunday checking out the rest of Bushwick Open Studios 2016. After all, BOS is in my backyard.
This year, 2016, Bushwick Open Studios was moved from summer to fall. Rumor had it that BOS was attracting too much of the “frat party” crowd. Therefore it was moved to late September. In a way, can’t say I blame them. Although the tourists have already discovered part of Bushwick. Which means the clock is ticking. At this point it’s just a matter of time. Gentrification really does suck.
My first stop was this tiny flea market on Wyckoff Avenue between Dekalb and Jefferson. I was greeted by this sight:
What is Floraissance anyway? Whatever it is, there’s already haters. Floraissance resistance? Bushwick, Brooklyn Oct. 1st, 2016. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.
Didn’t stay too long in this flea market. Having always been a fan of thrift shop curios, there were some things that caught my eye. Didn’t buy anything basically because I have too many items in my home already. Met this lady who has this neat shop on Etsy called Neocronomicharm. The jewelry is right up my alley.
Continuing along Wyckoff. Here was my first official sighting of a BOS showing. Inside a parked car. Nearby that overpriced gourmet market Hana Natural. Hana’s is the only place in Bushwick where its mark-up is more pricey than anything in Manhattan.
Art exhibit inside a parked car during Bushwick Open Studios 2016. Oct. 1st, 2016. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.
Due to being busy, I didn’t bother looking up any BOS guides online. My first stop was the popular Cobra Club. Used to spend a lot of time there, meeting the usual dysfunctional characters. One time me and a friend heckled this host doing some lame trivia night. Turns out we knew all the correct answers, but what was the point? So we said “peanut butter” to every question asked. At one point the host requested not to answer anymore questions with “peanut butter” but that only prompted us even more. This was nothing compared to one night in early November 2014. The host doing trivia that night presented a question about The Sex Pistols. Sex Pistols!?! How corny can you get? I was already in a foul mood, so I yelled from the back of the place “WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SEX PISTOLS!?!” The millennial host stood there in silence for about a minute, then dropped the question completely, moving onto a different subject. While it wasn’t fair to assume he didn’t know what he was talking about, it was still a cheesy trivia question regardless.
Despite trivia nights, I still like Cobra a lot. This year Cobra has a music photography exhibit in the back room. This is where Cobra usually has bands perform, karaoke (another thing I hate), burlesque and yoga. The photographer was Jeanette D. Moses.
Photography by Jeanette D. Moses. Cobra Club, Bushwick Brooklyn at Cobra Club during Bushwick Open Studios 2016. Oct. 1st, 2016.
Having only stayed in Cobra Club for a few minutes, I moved on to the next few sightings. Such as the street art and wall murals. Just as I snapped the below photo, someone approached me claiming to be a talent scout. She complemented me on my hair, said I had a “good vibe”, then took a few photos of me. This doesn’t matter as I’m not photogenic anyway. Was this a scam? Regardless, I suspect she was turned off once I revealed my true age.
Bushwick street art. Wyckoff Avenue. Oct. 1st, 2016. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.
Continuing onward. Checking out more street art and wall murals.
Then I saw this:
A tour guide giving tourists a lecture about street art in Bushwick, Brooklyn during Bushwick Open Studios 2016. Oct. 1st, 2016. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.
A tour guide giving guided walks discussing street art to tourists. A fricken’ tour guide. In Bushwick, Brooklyn. Hey, guess everyone has to make a living. Still prompted me to post this on Facebook from my smartphone:
Saw some more street mural art.
Street art mural in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Oct. 1st, 2016. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.
Mextasis Se Habla Arte Mexicano gallery during Bushwick Open Studios 2016. Oct. 1st, 2016.
Once arriving at 1717 Troutman, it was kinda like BOS jackpot. Every studio was buzzing with activity. Exhaustion was starting to come down, so I only stayed on the third floor.
Bushwick Open Studios 2016 at 1717 Troutman. Oct. 1st, 2016. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.
Bushwick Open Studios 2016 at 1717 Troutman. Oct. 1st, 2016. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Artist: Allison Demyanovich.
Bushwick Open Studios 2016 at 1717 Troutman. Oct. 1st, 2016. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Artist: Derek Weisberg
Artist Jaclyn Brown uses dogs and cats in her paintings.
Artist Jaclyn Brown at 1717 Troutman during Bushwick Open Studios 2016.
Artist Jaclyn Brown at 1717 Troutman during Bushwick Open Studios 2016.
Artist Jaclyn Brown at 1717 Troutman during Bushwick Open Studios 2016.
It was time to head back home, passing by the empty PBR cans as if they were hipster crumb trails (as my friend kindly stated). Despite my snarky commentary, this year’s BOS was a good one. Definitely way too many things to see for two days. Till next year, unless I get priced out thanks to the glory of gentrification.
This past weekend was the opening reception for the Made In Ridgewood exhibit, held at OUTPOST Artists Resources for Bushwick Open Studios 2016. There was a large turn out for the opening night. OUTPOST and Ridgewood Artists Coalition got together, gathering local artists from the Ridgewood,Queens area of NYC.
Reverend Mother by Michele Witchipoo as seen in the Made In Ridgewood (Ridgewood Artists Coalition) group art exhibit at OUTPOST Artists Resources for Bushwick Open Studios 2016. Pen and ink on illustration board.
My work was part of this group art show, debuting this new piece. There were various mediums and styles ranging from painting, sculpture, video, photography and interactive. Of course it helped that open bar was courtesy of Finback brewery, another local Ridgewood establishment. It should be noted that Finback makes some very good beers. So if craft beers are your thing, definitely check it out.
Artist: Michele Witchipoo
Artists: Kyle Andrew Phillips, Stephen Lewis, George Rosa, Allison Wade, Joshua Pelletier, Beata Zalewski, Isabelle Schneider
Artists: Vared Snear, Ethan Boisvert, Christina Massey Gabriela Rassi, Emily Heniz, Yasmeen Abdallah, Bill Bartholomew, James Valdez Osaku, Ida Gavois, Campy Dicks, Rebecca Rubenstein, Deanna Lee, Mengwen Cao, Sandra Koponen
Artists: Christina Massey Gabriela Rassi, Yasmeen Abdallah, Bill Bartholomew, James Valdez Osaku,
Artist: Danielle Draik
Artist: Tim Gowan
Artist: Allison Wade
Checking out a video at Art from the OUTPOST Artists Resources / Made In Ridgewood exhibit for Bushwick Open Studios 2016
Crowd at OUTPOST Artists Resources opening night for Made In Ridgewood exhibit for Bushwick Open Studios 2016
Artist: Sandra Koponen
Art from the OUTPOST Artists Resources / Made In Ridgewood exhibit for Bushwick Open Studios 2016
Artist: Pablo Garcia
Art from the OUTPOST Artists Resources / Made In Ridgewood exhibit for Bushwick Open Studios 2016
Artist: Campy Dicks
Crowd at OUTPOST Artists Resources opening night for Made In Ridgewood exhibit for Bushwick Open Studios 2016
Art from the OUTPOST Artists Resources / Made In Ridgewood exhibit for Bushwick Open Studios 2016
Artist: Stephen Lewis
Artist: Christina Massey
Artists were: Yasmeen Abdullah, Kate Bae, Bill Bartholomew, Ethan Boisvert, Michele Borg (Michele Witchipoo), Daniel Boventer, Mengwen Cao, Campy Dicks, Liliana Dirks-Goodman, Nathalie Di Sciascia, Elizabeth Donsky, Rachel Dove , Danielle Draik, Pablo García, Ida Gavois, Tim Gowan, Huisi He, Georgia Hinaris, Ji Hoon Kim , An Hu, Daniel Iliescu , Liz Johnson (Spadiode), Sandra Koponen, Molly Lambe , Connor Lawson, Deanna Lee, Stephen Lewis, Christina Massey, Varvara Mikushkina, David Nakabayashi, Sharilyn Neidhardt, James Peay, Joshua Pelletier, Kyle Andrew Phillips, Gabriela Rassi , Elizabeth Riley, George Rosa, Christopher Rose , Rebecca Rubinstein, Isabelle Schneider, Sara Schraeter, Farshid Shafiey, Vered Snear, Jeanette Spicer, Kelli Thompson, Jimmy Valdez Osaku, Allison Wade, Tyson Washburn, Chenli Ye, Beata Zalewski, Alex Drewchin, Greg Fox, Winslow Laroche, Jonah Rosenberg, Andrew Sutherland, Caterina Verde, David Wightman, Magin Schantz, and Libby Mislan.
If you missed the opening reception, you can still check the exhibit until October 15th.
Thanks to OUTPOST Artist Resources and Emily Heinz for putting this together.
This time there’s not just one, but two Psycho Bunny pics of the week.
The first one is about Bushwick Open Studios 2016. For those who don’t know, Bushwick Open Studios, otherwise known as BOS is an annual event where artists from the Bushwick, Brooklyn area open their studios to the public. There were a lot of good work seen this year. Such as the Made In Ridgewood exhibit. Although I had plenty of snark for tourists who wouldn’t been caught dead in the same area fifteen – twenty years ago, there was amazing work in all mediums by various artists. Despite seeing some guy give walking tours about Bushwick street murals.
Psycho Bunny came by to check out some art – but he was really there for the open bar.
Psycho Bunny checking out art while looking for the open bar. Based on the comic by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 3rd, 2016.
The second one is about the upcoming New York Comic Con. Whatever few friends he had, one of them was nice enough to get a little something. Only Psycho Bunny being the drunk that he is, is not amused.
Psycho Bunny gets a gift from someone who attended NYCC. Only being a drunk rabbit, he’s not amused. Based on the comic by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 3rd, 2016.
Now for some promotional chatter. I’ll be at MICE in a few weeks. So if you’re in the area, come by to buy a comic. I’ll be table C99. Also check out the Facebook pages for both Psycho Bunny and WitchesBrewPress.