A live reading by the "renowned" Matthew Brown! Check out this fun article promoting the launch this coming Thursday!

Thanks Claudio Ghirardo!

Full story at https://www.modernmississauga.com/main/2018/1/11/6-reasons-to-check-out-comics-the-road-to-independence-at-the-living-arts-centre ...

6 Reasons to check out Comics: The Road To Independence at The Living Arts Centre

January 11, 2018/ Modern Mississauga

Did you know that many have debated whether or not comics are an art-form? Some say yes, some say no but the Living Arts Centre is putting together its first ever exhibition on comics by four artists: Claudio Ghirardo, Matthew Brown, Katie Shanahan, and Caeleigh Boara, who have taken the medium and its use of visual narrative to tell stories of everyday life, funny situations, dreamlike drama, and more. Here are six very good reasons you should visit “Comics: The Road to Independence”

Drawings done on windows

 

Matthew Brown

Besides pages of amazing comic book art, you will also be see drawings done on the windows! The artists have used the windows at the Living Arts Centre as panels, each artist drew on a window or two and began telling a story and started a comic strip panel. More will be done during the opening reception Thursday January 18, from 7-9pm.

A live reading by the renowned Matthew Brown

During the opening reception, artist Matthew Brown will be doing, for the first time ever in Mississauga, a live performance reading of his graphic novel “The Cliff”. Live music will be played, actors will provide the voices of the characters from the comic, and video images from the graphic novel will be displayed on the wall of the gallery. During the exhibition, the public can watch a video of the comic book performance reading at their own leisure.

There'll be a reading room to relax in

A reading room will be installed allowing the public to read various comics while in the gallery. Whether you are into comics or not (you will be after this exhibition), you can sit down, relax, and enjoy being a kid again while reading innovative comics.

Every artist is an independent one

 

Katie Shanahan

All the artists are independents! Meaning that the artworks are written, drawn (some painted), and published by the artists themselves. Their own personal work from their own personal perspectives, you will not see superheroes, fantasy or sci-fi adventure. You will see how artists have used comics to tell stories about real life situations, romance, drama, meditation, and humour.

This a first of its kind event in Mississauga

This is the first time the Living Arts Centre, or any gallery in Mississauga, has ever done an exhibition on comics. Independent, sometimes known as alternative, comics are not as well known as DC and Marvel but have for the past 25 years grown into close a billion dollar market.

It's half of $0.00 to attend!

It’s FREE!! All you need to do is enter the Living Arts Centre, walk through the gallery doors on the second floor, and enjoy the show and comics.

The opening reception at the Living Arts Centre is on Thursday, January 18 from 7-pm and there will be munchies and drinks (no alcohol) and it is FREE to attend.
Free admission, free drinks, free snacks, free entertainment, free enjoyment.
Best of all? You'll be supporting our local arts community!

 

Claudio Ghirardo

Lunch with Chester Brown - ROTHKO gets the thumbs up!

Chester depicting the life of Jesus (from "YUMMY FUR")

Chester Brown is a Toronto cartoonist and in my humble opinion, one of the greatest in the world!  We had lunch yesterday... I was floored when he reviewed pages of my next project after WHAT IS MEDITATION, and actually liked it!  I'm super grateful.  You can read about it directly on his web page!  Or excerpted below.  Thanks Chester!

"Matthew Brown and I got together for lunch yesterday. We agreed to meet at BMV first. (BMV is a chain of used bookstores in Toronto.) There was a locked glass case there with presumably valuable books. I noticed that there was a signed hardcover copy of Louis Riel behind the glass for $60! Then I noticed that beside it there was a signed copy of The Little Man for $30. And beside that were signed copies of The Playboy and I Never Liked You; those are only $20 each. (Does it make sense to put books that are only $20 in a locked case?)

Matthew was late. He apparently went to the wrong location of BMV. When I’d suggested that we meet at BMV, I'd assumed it would be obvious that I was talking about the location next to the restaurant we were going to. Instead, Mathew went to a different BMV, then realized his mistake, and rushed over to the right location.

He’s been working on a comic-strip biography of Mark Rothko and showed me his progress. He’s come up with a clever approach for the project."

A panel from my next project: ROTHKO

What is Meditation? PAGES 46-48 ... plus "Road to Independent Comics" at Mississauga Living Arts Centre

"WHAT IS MEDITATION? And Why Should I do it?" is now complete!  I am super-excited that Editions TRIP Comix of Montreal is scheduled to release it at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) in May, 2018 in both English and French.

This comic tracing what meditation is and interviewing two great living teachers in comics form is posted panel-by-panel every day on Instagram and Facebook... full pages 46-48 are posted below!

And coming up soon, the "Road to Independent Comics" show at MLAC -- the Mississauga Living Arts Centre Gallery! I`ll have numerous framed original pages on the wall along with 4 other artists--Caeleigh Boara, Claudio Ghirardo, Joy San and Katie Shanahan! 
Live Reading Opening on THURS. JAN. 18 from 7-9pm... pleeeease come!  Actors will be there, such as Morgan Phillips, Liyat Benchetrit, Jacob Pendergrast, Sarah Goodman, Colin Matthews and possibly more... musicians like Mikhial Gurarie, Paul Swoger-Ruston, Adam Reich and yours truly... drawings on the windows... snacks!

The show runs Jan.13 - Mar. 18, for those who can`t make it to the launch!

Okay... stay warm... hope to see you all there!
Way to the gallery: http://www.livingartscentre.ca/galleryInfo on the exhibition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjEkYKCUi-I

What is Meditation?

(page 46)

What is Meditation?

(page 47)

What is Meditation?

(page 48)

What is Meditation? PAGES 43-45 + ROTHKO & Mississauga

"WHAT IS MEDITATION? And Why Should I do it?" is now complete!  I am super-excited that Editions TRIP Comix of Montreal is scheduled to release it at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) in May, 2018 in both English and French.

I've already started work on my next book--ROTHKO--a cartoon biography of my favourite artist, Mark Rothko.  Here is me, eating some Rothko-esque pastry to celebrate.

 

 Eating Rothko-like pastry

Here is Mark Rothko.

 

Mark Rothko with "Number 7," 1960

Here are some paintings by Mark Rothko.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, I'll keep posting "WHAT IS MEDITATION?" panel by panel on Instagram and Facebook... Here are pages 42-45!

Finally, I hope you can make it to the Independent Comic Artists Exhibition at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre from January 13 to March 18, 2018.

 

What is Meditation?

(page 43)

 

What is Meditation?

(page 44)

 

 

What is Meditation?

(page 45)



What is Meditation? (work in progress) PAGES 40-42

“What is Meditation? And Why Should I Do It?” is an ongoing confessional slapstick autobiography docu-comic about meditation—daily panels can be found on Instagram under Poopsiepenguin... and Facebook.

Last night I finally completed finished a first draft--including comic book interviews with living teachers Ed Muzika and Fred Prack, a "Notes" section with tips on How to Meditate and Comics Masters who influenced this project, plus the complete typed transcripts of Ed and Fred's original interviews--it came in at 107 pages.  EXCITED!

  I am open to any questions, comments or good anecdotes.

Email:    teacherintherye@hotmail.com

What is Meditation?

(page 40)

What is Meditation?

(page 41)

What is Meditation?

(page 42)

Independent Comic Artists Exhibition at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre! (Jan. 13 - Mar. 18, 2018)

Featuring original artwork pages from the artists; a reading space for the public; artists drawing on the gallery windows; video loops of actors reading comics and a live reading with improvised soundtrack at the opening night reception!

Participating artists: Caeleigh Boara, Claudio Ghirardo, Joy Sans, Katie Shanahan, Matthew Brown
We do still need $600.00 to cover the rent. Please consider having a look at the Indiegogo fundraising site for the MLAC Independent Comic Artists Exhibition and dropping a few dollars!

https://igg.me/at/ComicsExhibition/x/5372526

What is Meditation? (work in progress) PAGES 37-39

“What is Meditation? And Why Do It?” is an ongoing confessional slapstick autobiography docu-comic about meditation—daily panels can be found on Instagram under Poopsiepenguin... and Facebook.

These pages continue the live comics interview with spiritual teacher Frederick "Korim" Prack--explaining how the individual builds their "mental map" of the world in early life, the emergence of "should's" which form a key part of our mental map and cause conflicts with the world, and the key role of awareness.

I've finished all the pages with artwork, and am now working on lettering the final sections about "How to Meditate" and "Comics Masters whose Work has Influenced this Project!"  Then I've got to scan and photoshop them.

Hopefully the book will be ready to launch by May, 2018.  There may even be a simultaneously released French translation... Peut-être même une traduction en français diffusée simultanément!

  Get in touch if you like what you see!

Email:    teacherintherye@hotmail.com

What is Meditation?

(page 37)

What is Meditation?

(page 38)

What is Meditation?

(page 39)