Yet Another Impulse

I've always wanted to try stand-up comedy and now I am committed. I'm scheduled to do 5 minutes at the Gladstone Hotel Art Bar on Monday, July 11 at 8pm. Admission is free.

Written by Nathaniel Siegler

After Charles Burns

After Robert Crumb

TCAF and new website

I went to TCAF and it proved to be a great experience. I heard some of my favourite comic artists talk, met them and gave them copies of my comic.

Seth, Chester Brown, Chris Ware, and Jillian and Mariko Tamaki were all friendly. It was great to connect to them and see them draw. I was especially impressed with how well they worked their signatures/drawings into what was already in their books:

Also, I have a new website-I'm still working on making some of the images bigger: www.timcomrie.com

Leisure: Issue One Update

I finally finished this 16-page Joe Matt-y comic I keep talking about; I finalized it just over a month ago. I made an online submission to Drawn and Quarterly and I also applied for a Xeric Grant.

The Xeric Foundation was established by Peter Laird, co-creator of the Ninja Turtles, and it gives grants to people to self-publish comic books. I may get the grant and I may not; I find out June 15. If I do get it I'll print about 500 copies as nicely as I can and sell it for $5 or $6. If I don't get it I'll print less copies on less expensive paper and charge $4. Either way you'll be able to buy the comic this summer on this blog or from me in person.

Here's the finished cover:

I met a cartoonist named Jason Bradshaw who happens to live quite close to me and he self-publishes regularly. He's been pretty helpful and inspiring to me. He writes a series called Boredom Pays and for its third issue he wrote and drew 4-panel daily diary strips for several months. He was nominated for a Schuster Award for the second issue.

Here's his blog:

http://boredompays.blogspot.com/

Email from Ryan Ward

Hi Everybody,

One last mass email to let you all know that...

Due to popular demand SON OF THE SUNSHINE has been EXTENDED until APRIL 21st!

So if you didn't get a chance to see it, or if you have friends you want to send out you still have one more week! Thanks so much to all who went and got us a second week in theaters, your support means the world!

Extended April 15 - 21st @ 9PM ONLY at Carlton Cinemas! Please comes see us! Send friends...

*SON OF THE SUNSHINE EXTENDED until APRIL 21st!*...

"...A gem of filmmaking genius"

3 and a half stars out of 4

-Chris Knight, National Post

"...Sublime, heart-wrenching magic"

3 and a half stars out of 4

-Bruce Demara, Toronto Star

A note to let you know that

SON OF THE SUNSHINE

Due to popular demand, has been extended until APRIL 21st!

Please come out and see us! Let's make a home town indy success story!

*Check out our Great Reviews:

Click the links below to read the full National Post and Toronto Star articles :

http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/04/08/film-review-son-of-the-sunshine-3-5-stars/

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/971140--son-of-the-sunshine-the-bend-can-con-cage-match

Heart Shaped Movies in association with Industry Works Pictures

Presents :

SON OF THE SUNSHINE

*Toronto Theatrical Release

APRIL 8 - 21st @ Carlton Cinemas

*Starting Friday, APRIL 15 - 21st

@ 9PM Only!!!

(One Showing Daily)

(Tickets available in person only at Carlton Cinemas - 20 Carlton St.)

Directed by: Ryan Ward

Screenplay by: Matthew Heiti and Ryan Ward

Producer: Paul Fler, Executive Producer: Mike Masters

Director of Photography: Chayse Irvin, Editor: Sam Hall,

Original Music: Matthew Montour,

Production Design: Deirdra Morris, Sound Design: Sean Karp

Casting by Crystal Kramer

Starring: Ryan Ward, Rebecca McMahon, Shantelle Canzanese, Jo Ann Nordstrom,

Craig Porritt, Steven L. Bird, Robert Skeates, Jordan Duarte.

Running now until Thursday, APRIL 21st!

After playing to audiences worldwide SON OF THE SUNSHINE the little indy film that could,

finally touches down in Toronto for one week only APRIL 8 - 21st @ Carlton Cinemas!

WINNER of 13 Awards Internationally including:

*Rising Star Award for Best Actor - Edmonton Int'l Film Fest

*Best Actor & Best Director - Wild Rose Indy Film Fest

*Audience Award for Best Feature - Malibu Int'l Film Fest

*People's Choice Award - Thunder Bay Film Fest

*Best Feature - Film North

What the critics are saying:

"Intense... Superb Performances and haunting images..."
-Liz Braun, Toronto Sun

"A shockingly visceral portrayal..."

-Kiva Reardon, Torontoist

"A gorgeous, ambitious undertaking..."
-Jessica Almon, NY Movies Examiner

“A moving performance... An assured and poetic debut”
-Michael Kissinger, Vancouver Courier

“A filmmaking tour-de-force… Marks the arrival of a distinctive new voice in Canadian cinema”
-Suzanne Ballantyne, Raindance Film Festival

"I was blown off the couch, out the door and down the street"
-John Griffin, Montreal Gazette

Link to Trailer :

http://www.sonofthesunshine.com/trailer.php

Please come see us!

POV: How does politics influence or impact your work in comics (or not)? Has it had a lesser or greater effect over the years?

Seth: I am really not much of a political person. I have political beliefs, but they don't occupy a large part of my daily life. I am so utterly self-obsessed that my main artistic concerns are generally informed more by my inner world than the political realities of the outer world. Clearly I am a typical product of this pampered North American affluence in that I can afford to be complacent and contemplate my own navel. When the end of the world hits (any day now) I am sure I will suddenly find out what a sheltered cry-baby I was. But it will be too late then to have made any effort to prevent what I am currently ignoring.

SOTS Premiere

I went to see Son of the Sunshine's Toronto premiere yesterday and it impressed me. My dad and my girlfriend both enjoyed it too. The editing, cinematography, and acting were all good and I was happy to have contributed to the project.

There's a lot of insecurity in Canada about our ability to produce films on par with American and international films and I've felt it in myself too. This film took away some of that from me.

recent review:

http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/04/08/film-review-son-of-the-sunshine-3-5-stars/

showtimes:

http://www.google.ca/movies?hl=en&dq=son+of+the+sunshine+showtimes&tid=36f834448fef0bd9&sa=X&ei=K7OgTb6yNeyD0QGZnNWYBQ&ved=0CBQQwwMoAA

Son of the Sunshine

Hiyo!

Several years ago, whilst between jobs, I volunteered to work on an independent Canadian

film (with the working title "Sunshine") doing the storyboards, the character sketches and the cover art for a demo DVD to show to a grant committee. I met with Ryan Ward, the director/co-writer/star every week for a few months to work on the drawings based on his ideas. He wanted them to be quite detailed and I would vaguely sketch the placement of the props and characters in each box with him there and then refine them when I got home. I ended up drawing well over a hundred different frames-almost every shot in the movie. Right before the deadline he assembled them in order, scanned them and made a slide show to music he'd written and recorded.

Shortly after his grant committee meeting, Ward was asked to play the role of Ash in the Evil Dead Musical in New York and Toronto. When he was finished with that he managed to get an impressive amount of funding and began production. They finished the film and its been on the film festival circuit since 2009. Anyway I haven't seen the finished film myself but you and I both have the chance now as it is being played in regular theatres beginning Friday, April 8 at the Carlton Cinemas (20 Carlton St.) It runs until the 14th of April.

So once again:

Son of the Sunshine

Carlton Cinemas

April 8-14

Here's the trailer:

http://www.sonofthesunshine.com/trailer.php

I'll try to figure out how to upload the demo dvd slideshow.

Portrait of Simon

I forget/neglect people's birthdays a lot so I try to do penance through the odd labour-intensive gift. I recently made my sister's 3 eldest kids (she has 4 in total) aged 3 to 8 (?) customized sketchbooks. They all really enjoy drawing and we usually draw together when they're in town so I got them some hardbound sketchbooks and painted portraits of them on the inside cover. I liked all three of them but I'm too grumpy to put pictures of smiling children on here so here's my non-smiling favourite.

I've been combining watercolour and felt tip pens of late and have been pleased with the results. More to come...

Smiling Buddha Bar Show Feb. 5 2011

PICK UP THE BONES/ONE LONE ZOMBIE

HE WANTS TO FADE/VOLUPTUOUS HOPES

STUBBED TOE RECORD

DEATH BY ART SCHOOL EXCERPT

P.S. Evan wrote nice things about Cameron and I here:

http://www.deathbyartschool.com/BLOG/#/?m=201102

Finalely

Well the gig I just spent the last month practicing for has finally taken place and I could scarcely be happier with how it turned out. I was utterly elated at the amount of people who weathered the storm to attend and I want to express my heartfelt gratitude.

All the practicing definitely paid off because I felt a level of comfort on stage that was very novel. I used to be so concerned about remembering all my lyrics that there was no energy left for style and delivery, but this time I knew them well enough to literally get busy.

Meanwhile, Cameron completely transformed the space and it wouldn't have been half the experience it was without him.

Lastly, Death by Art School made me smile diabolically as I saw the outer limits of what could be achieved with tempera, paper mache and precious medals.

I'll post some pictures soon.

Death by Art School school

It's been interesting working with Evan and James from Death by Art School-they combine outlandishly ambitious ideas with deceptively casual work. I don't think that it is corny or even latently homosexual to say that they play hard. I was looking at some of their old live shots on Facebook and thought they merited my six readers' attention:

I'm also really thrilled that my friend Cameron Lee has agreed to contribute his installation and materials expertise-he's one of the most informed, articulate and talented artists I know:

So yeah-I think this thing is worth coming to-all signs are pointing to a memorable evening-I hope you can make it friends,

Timothy the Harlequin

Impromptu Performance at the Grapefruit Moon

Jacob told me about an open mic going on at Grapefruit Moon a couple nights ago and I decided on a whim to participate. There was some strange combination of factors that resulted in the most fun I've ever had performing.

Thanks guys; I'll be back.

Butterflies-precious, dainty butterflies

I'm getting really excited about this upcoming performance-more than I had actually

initially anticipated. Firstly, it feels good to pull my mic from its jewel-encrusted holster. Secondly it's inspired me to come up with some new stuff and put some finishing touches on stuff I started in the somewhat-distant-past. And finally, some "ill" cross-pollination has resulted from it involving Death by Art School, Evan Doherty, Cameron Lee, and a musician from the store I work at (Bobby Mathieson).

Everything is yeah.

Rapping at Smiling Buddha Bar

My friend Evan has a band that verges on performance art called Death by Artschool. I will be dusting off my microphone in order to warm the crowd up with a few of my neuroses-documentary- rap verses and beats. The show is scheduled for Saturday, February 5 at the Smiling Buddha bar on College.

Evan and I met at OCAD and have been friends scared to hang out with each other ever since. His assignments were always clever and hilarious and his sketchbooks made a huge impact on me. He blogs too and more frequently:

http://www.groupofevan.ca/BLOG/

Jacob

I'm sad that I haven't written on this much lately; I've actually made a lot but some of it

wasn't scanned properly and I haven't had the means to fix it.

Moving on,

Here are some drawings I did as thank yous for my friend's web help.

Aside from from his web and multimedia skills, he is a tremendous freestyler and active battler. He has robbed other young men of their confidence for cash.

He's been supportive of my work for a long time and been very generous in helping me promote it.

Group Art Show Pending

I've been working diligently on a few things that I'm going to post on here soon but before I forget:

A co-worker and fellow comic book artist I know is putting on an art show next month I'll be involved in. I'll post more details as soon as I can.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

I'm still obsessed with Florence...

Firenze Nightscape, Acrylic and Aerosol on Canvas, 24"x36", 2010

Propeller Show

Well, the Obscured Metropolis show went well and I want to thank everyone who came to see it. Here are some pictures from the opening and a link my painting's featured on on the Propeller website.

My girlfriend made all my frames from scratch and I couldn't be happier with them. That was definitely the best I had ever seen my work presented.

I'm also happy to say that I sold one of the three pieces I was showing.

Impossible Promises

In other news, it was too ambitious for me to say I'd be done my uncle's commission by the end of the month-mainly because my new apartment hasn't worked out and I have to move again October 1st. If you're thinking of moving to Kensington Market or near it I would seriously advise against it.

Art Trip

On a more positive note I took a bus to New York with the Mrs. for a few days to get some inspiration.

We saw most of the big galleries/museums and we also saw the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art which had stuff by a lot big names; I hope the place expands one day because right now there's no space between any of the works nor is there between the floor and the ceiling.

This is by my current favourite painter: Alice Neel.

Installation shot from the Moma

I can fully embrace all of her work. She's great.

Even though I've been a nomad for the last while and haven't had room to paint I've managed to keep up some momentum with my comic. I'm a hair away from finishing the first issue. It will be about 15 pages.