Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Target 144: join the conspiracy




 


Target 144 is part of International Literature Conspiracy Week.

You've heard of it, right?

No?

Good.


What you must do:

Monday 9 February, 2009, 12 midday: start making a comic.

Tuesday 10 - Friday 13 (ooooh!): keep making the comic.

Saturday 14 February 2009, 12 midday: finish making the comic.


Simple, eh? There's more, but the above is pretty much it: if you've been looking for an excuse to dive in to comic making for 6 days, whether you're a first-timer, a battle-scarred veteran or somewheres in between, this is the 144 hours (6 x 24 = 144) you've been looking for.

What's 'more':

1.  Your comic needs to be about what is happening during those six days, either what's going on in your head or in the world outside or the space in between (where, after all, so much happens).

2. You need to tear out and include the date from some  'official' print source (newspaper, tram ticket etc) to effectively 'carbon-date' your work.

3.  You are most welcome to kick off the 144 hours by spending the first 6 with me, other comickers and some zinesters down the rabbit hole at Sticky (in the Degraves Street Subway under Flinders Street).  We'll be there from 12 midday to 6pm on Monday 9 February and I'll be buying top notch coffee, tea and donuts for any comicker there until my 'organiser funds' have run out.

4.  You are most welcome to celebrate the end of 'Target 144' by coming down to the aforesaid Sticky on Saturday 14 February (yes, by all means, bring your Valentine) with copies of the comic you have made (which you have photocopied at the photocopier of your choice) and you can --- well, sell 'em, swap 'em, give 'em away for a kiss if you're that way inclined.  The zinesters will be there too, and all of us 'Target 144' folk will be holding hands and singing old 'zine and comic' folk ballads from the 16th century. Or something like that.

5.  Finally, get good copies of your pages to me the following week (Feb 16 - Feb 20).  I have been entrusted with the sacred task of compiling the 'Target 144' publication, collecting all the pieces, zine and comic, produced that week and packing them up into a natty little photocopied A5 book.  Already I think this will be a beaut publication, so make that comic.  Set those evenings aside.  Take one of the days off from work/school/sleep and really hit the target.

Target 144.

6 days of sheer comic (or zine if that's your scene) making pleasure.

Carpe carpem, as Thomas Pynchon says.

Seize the carp.

Contact me bernard@cardigancomics.com if 1) you have any questions, and 2) if you're going to be part of it (and good on you if you are!) so I can book you a place in the 'Target 144' book.

International Literature Conspiracy Week and Target 144 has been whispered about in shuttered rooms by: Sticky, Polyester Books, The City of Melbourne and Cardigan Comics.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Wireless Comics - 2009 begins!

Hello all, welcome to 2009 - year of the ox and year of oz comix! 

(actually I don't really like either of those misspellings but they both seem to go with with 'ox')

There'll be another post tonight letting you know about 'Target 144',  a 6 day frenzy of comics making which will take place in the second week of February, and which you really should get involved in, but right now it's important to let you know that the comic book media circus has pulled into town and they're setting up the Big Top right now.

Tomorrow, Thursday 29 January, will see Melbourne's community radio stations (and this year TV too!)  rev their engines in the transmitting of comic book news via the airwaves:

9.30am: I will be on 3RRR's (102.7 on your FM dial) weekly arts show 'Smartarts', hosted by Remarkable Richard Watts, talking about the international and local comic book scenes and recent publications for 10 - 15 minutes. This segment is called 'Drawn Out' it will be featured on the third Thursday of each month.

5 - 6pm:  Jo Waite,  John Retallick and I take over 3CR's (855 on your AM dial) weekly 'DIY Arts' program to talk exclusively about Australian comic books.  We will be doing this on the last Thursday of every month at this time, so mark it in your diaries.  Jocular John also helpfully podcasts this broadcast.

Yours truly will also be appearing on TV this year, doing spot reviews of local and international comics on Channel 31's arts program, 'Yartz', 10pm Thursdays.  Maybe those will startbeing broadcast tomorrow night too.

(Thursday clearly is talk-about-comics day...)

You know, all of this is the sort of thing that will be great for the 'Sexy Men of Australian Comics* Financial Year Calendar 2009-10' when it gets drawn and launched at 'Comic Book Funny' as part of this year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

You betcha.

And now, in the words of Scott McCloud, and taking our cue from the spirit of this Oxen year, it's time to:

 'Work like hell'. 

So: go! Write! Draw! Publish!

See you in the year.

* as drawn by the women of Australian comics