New Chicago Comics at MCA, Closing Sunday

If you haven't had a chance to get to the Museum of Contemporary Art for the exhibit New Chicago Comics, make haste: the show will be taken down this Monday, January 31st. So this Sunday is the last day to see all the work on display there.

If you can't make it to Chicago (or can't make it by Sunday), I took a panoramic shot of the displays on the walls, so you can scroll across this and imagine yourself in the middle of the room (and given the blurriness of the digital composting my phone did, maybe imagine yourself a little drunk). My apologies for the fact that Jeff's display (which was in cases in the middle of the room, seen below) isn't in that shot.

Below, a picture of the four cartoonists in the show: Anders Nilsen, myself, Lilli Carré, and Jeffrey Brown (a hat tip to Anders, from whose blog I stole that picture).

Dressing the Walls

Here are a few shots from the last couple days of Anders Nilsen, Lilli Carré, curator Michael Green, and me preparing New Chicago Comics at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.

If these shots don't give a clear picture of what's in the show, that's intentional: no spoilers for the opening Friday. But I will divulge that the hanging of my portion has been routinely slowed by my breaks to admire Anders', Lilli's, and Jeff's work. It's a staggering collection from three of the best people around, and it's certainly an honor to be working alongside them to put this together.

New Chicago Comics at MCA Chicago

When Chicago offers up flesh-stripping winds and sub-decency temperatures, you really need a reason to force yourself out the door. On January 7th, the good people of the Museum of Contemporary Art are endeavoring to do just that, by opening a show of four Chicago cartoonists titled New Chicago Comics.

I'm honored to be included in the show alongside Lilli Carré, Jeffrey Brown, and Anders Nilsen. The show will be up for the remainder of January, but the opening (happening concurrently with the always raucous party environment of First Fridays at the museum) is on the 7th... so strap on your stiletto snow shoes and pleather parkas and come see some bleached walls adorned with mopey doodlings.

Here are all the specifics:

January 8 – 30, 2011

Exhibition preview in conjunction with First Fridays
January 7, 6–10 pm
21 and over only—strictly enforced!
$18 general admission, $13 advance tickets, $10 MCA members

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
220 E. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
312.280.2660

Carré's Moving Water Man and Friends

From Lilli Carré's excellent blog, Kettle of Fish. Visit immediately to see her various animated creations and works in progress, including her recent, superb poster for the Chicago Underground Film Festival.

More Creatures, More Carré

A reciprocal tip of the hat to Mike Baehr at Fantagraphics for posting a link to The Oregonian's "Best of Beasts 2" post, featuring, among others, Lilli Carré's contribution to the book. I've been an unabashed fan of Lilli's work since her days interning for me, but this has got to be one of the best drawings I've seen from her. Ever. Absolutely eye-popping.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't say that I received my copy of Beasts! Book 2 and it's easily as impressive as the first. I understand that can be taken as biased since I contributed, but trust me when I say that designer and editor Jacob Covey has done it again. Another tip of the hat to you, sir.

The Most Dangerous Beard

The ever beardless but nonetheless talented Mr. James Kennedy (author of the aforeposted book The Order of Odd-Fish) has a new story published in the Chicago Reader's Pure Fiction issue, entitled The Most Dangerous Beard in Town, which I had the pleasure of reading some time ago and am glad to see it finally in print. As with anything James writes, I recommend an immediate reading. He's a master juggler of words and motion.

And while you're at the site, be sure to stop by and see Lilli Carré's illustration for Jona Meyer's story, The Strong.