Trees & Hills meet again!

After a brief period that the historians will refer to as "The Age of Isolation," members of Trees & Hills gathered gonzo-style in the food court of the Colony Mill Market in Keene, N.H. Saturday for the (new) monthly drawing parties.

Colin Tedford drew at least one comic and lectured on how his hair grows. Bill Couture skipped lunch, but did bring a new comic. Zachary Stephens brought his first comic and some weird, brown liquid in a jar. He also brought a family member. Blake Parker brought a copy of "Crisis on Infinite Earths." I brought a camera and ordered the vegetarian chili.

Tim Hulsizer was there too. But he left early with a dark and mysterious woman. He has not been heard from since.

Steve Bissette talks comics

Vermonter Steve Bissette (SWAMP THING, TABOO, TYRANT) will be giving a talk on manga and graphic novels Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Brownell Library in Essex Junction, Vt. Afterwards, he will conduct a short drawing session.

Directions: Take I-89 North to the Route 15 East exit (VT-15 E / GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC HWY via EXIT 15), turn LEFT onto VT-2A / LINCOLN ST., continue to the 'five corners' where Brownell Library will be on your left (6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT 05452).

Robyn Chapman's 4-Eyes tour

Cartoonist Happy Hour at Cafe Racer
5828 Roosevelt Way NE Seattle, Washington
7pm, August 9th
Join Seattle's finest at the cartoonist hang-out, Cafe Racer. Hey, 4-Eyes! will be making a special appearance at Jim Woodring's weekly cartoonist shin-dig. Cafe Racer is a biker bar, so be prepared to rub shoulders with Vespa gangs and Evil Kinevel fans. Not to be missed!

Release Party at Reading Frenzy
921 SW Oak Street, Portland OR
7pm, August 10th
Come celebrate the second issue of Hey, 4-Eyes! at Portland's famed small press emporium, Reading Frenzy! Editor and proprietress Robyn Chapman will be traveling from Vermont for a rare appearance. See Miss Specs Appeal herself, DIY diva Nicole J. Georges. Other surprise guests in store.

Portland Zine Symposium
Portland State University
August 11-13th
Hey, 4-Eyes! will be tabling at The Portland Zine Symposium, a three-day conference and zine social. Stop by and say hello.

San Diego news: Rick Veitch Vertigo on-going

Fresh off releasing a 300-plus page original graphic novel, Rick Veitch announced he will be writing and drawing a new on-going series for DC Vertigo, according to an announcement at the San Diego comic convention Friday.

ARMY@LOVE

A New Monthly Get-Together

I would like to invite any & all cartoonists in VT, NH and western MA (and beyond, if inclined) to a gathering of cartoonists on Saturday, July 29 from 12-5pm. We will meet in the sunny, well-tabled food court of the Colony Mill Marketplace in Keene, NH. The food court is near the Gilbo Ave. entrance. NOTE: this event is not sponsored by the venue; the venue is a convenient public place. We'll probably meet elsewhere in the future, but it's a nice enough space to work and socialize in. Bring your comic-making supplies and prepare for creation and camaraderie - and if you have "product" (comics - mini or otherwise, t-shirts, etc.) feel free to bring some to sell or trade! I run a mini comics distro and will be buying comics. For more info or to RSVP, post a comment or email colin at artforest dot org. Check the comments section here for post-gathering entertainment options - mainly local pro wrestling. Yeah.

Brian Wood (CHANNEL ZERO, DEMO, DMZ) signing

This is a bit out of the way for most Trees & Hills fans, but an opportunity to meet indie comics star Brian Wood is too good to pass up.

http://www.newenglandcomics.com/cgi-bin/stores/search.cgi?user_id=id&database=stores.csv&template=stores.htm&0_option=1&0=ALLSTON

BRIAN WOOD
Creator of Demo, Channel Zero, & Supermarket
Appearing at New England Comics Allston
SATURDAY JULY 8TH
2:00 - 5:00 P.M.
www.brianwood.com

Let Marek Bennet talk at you

A Free Workshop on Creating Comics

A free two-hour workshop on creating comic strip action and dialogue will be facilitated by Marek Bennet on Monday, July 10 from 7-9p.m. at The Commons office, 139 Main Street, 2nd floor, Brattleboro. Marek runs "Comics Camps" and workshops that are geared to be fun, participatory and experimental. No prior drawing experience is necessary. Materials will be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring their imaginations! For ages 8-88. No reservations necessary.

The workshop is part of an ongoing series sponsored by the Media Mentoring Project, which seeks to assist area residents in improving their journalism and media literacy skills. No previous participation is required. The Media Mentoring Project is a program of the non-profit Vermont Independent Media, Inc. To arrange a workshop in your town or neighborhood or for further information please contact (802) 348-7701 or info@commonsnews.org.

CAN'T GET NO is out

Rick Veitch, a legend in the comic industry to say the least, is a southern Vermont resident. His new book is out. At the link, you can get it $3 bucks cheaper than cover and it comes with a full color tip-in signed and numbered by Rick.:

CAN'T GET NO at Panel-To-Panel.net*

From Publisher's Weekly: "Within this oddly shaped book lies one of the most remarkable achievements in recent comics history. Veitch (Maximortal; Swamp Thing) has given the graphic novel medium what may just be its first long-form poem. The drawings tell the story of corporate drone Chad Roe, who is given a new outlook when a weekend bender leaves him tattooed on every inch of his body. His life is further upended when the World Trade Center, where his office is located, is destroyed. This book's distinct style shines through with the narrative captions that accompany Veitch's remarkable art. They don't contain the main character's inner monologue or a narrator's comments on the actions. Instead they present a satirical yet lyrical commentary on the modern American life Roe was very much a part of, but is suddenly removed from now that he is a walking piece of abstract art. It's a biting evisceration of the comfortable place many Americans convinced themselves they had, a conviction that was challenged on 9/11. The words and pictures move in and out of synch with each other, sometimes exemplifying the power and possibilities of comics. When they seem to be telling two different stories, it goes even further to show how several ideas can be communicated at once. Fortunately, Veitch's ideas are strong enough to justify the treatment."


Edited: to add the local link with the goodies. Colin rocks as usual.

4-Eyes #2 release party

Robyn Chapman sez:

7/11/06 Hey, 4-Eyes! 2 Release Party, White River Jct. VT

Be there and be square! Join us at the Main Street Museum on July 11th to celebrate the second issue of Hey, 4-Eyes! - the world's most popular zine about eyeglasses. This hand-crafted issue weighs in at 88 pages, and showcases artists from all over the country (including a few talented Upper Valley residents.) Hosting the event will be comedian extraordinaire Liam McEneaney (as seen on Comedy Central's Premium Blend and on VH1's Best Week Ever.) Performing will be Mr. Specs Appeal himself, Uncle Grandpa, and DIY indy rocker Jacob Berendes. Other super surprise guests in store! Doors open at 7pm, don't miss it!$5 suggested donation all money goes to the performers.