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Charlie James

GSM 01.22 Sniff!

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Look at that! No T&A! I’m all high-class like that.

So last Friday I posted stuff that I drew at the Thurs. night Drink and Draw Social Club meeting in Belleville. I think I might make that a regular thing, or at least post something from my sketchbook on Fridays.

Also, I’m desperately trying to finish up my own submission for the Comic Book Challenge. I submitted a couple ideas last year (including the Sin Police), but I’ve got something else this time around. Came up with the idea last fall, worked on plot outlines, character designs, that kind of thing, but then got distracted by other stuff until the Challenge came along this Spring and reminded me of the idea. Wish me luck.

Art on the Square

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Like always, the #1 ranked art fair in the nation had lots of art and lots of food.  Big variety of media, genres, and food.  I got a gyro and some ice cream, but didn’t buy any art.  One of the crumby things about being an art teacher is that I can’t afford to actually buy any original art.

Last year, one artist really stood out, and I was happy to see him there again this year.  Cbabi Bayoc is a painter/illustrator and his work is so much fun to look at.  If you get a chance to see his work in person, you should–the pics on his website don’t do justice to the color intensity in the original paintings.

There was also a lot of food.

Third Degree Glass Factory

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Last night I went to the Third Degree Glass Factory on Delmar in St. Louis for the open house thing they do the 3rd Friday of every month.  My wife, Sarah, went last month, but this was my first time there.  Very cool stuff–live band, glassblowing, fire juggling, beer, and one of the neatest men’s rooms I’ve ever seen.  They have a glassblowing program at SIUE, but I never got a chance to take a class while I was there.  Anyhow, if you’re near St. Louis on June 20, go check out Third Degree.

Oh, by the way–Belleville’s Art on the Square (ranked # 1 art fair in the nation!) is this weekend.  Lots of art and really good food (the line for the gyros is usually long but always worth it).  I think we’re headed there tomorrow.

Drink and Draw, Belleville Chapter

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Well, the Belleville, Illinois Chapter of the Drink and Draw Social Club had it’s first meeting last night, and my results for the hour and a half I spent there are posted above. In attendance were myself, my mother-in-law Marsha, and Gene, who works in the kitchen at Mosaics on Main (the place that hosted the meeting). In spite of the low attendance, it was a good time. Gene and Marsha are both super-talented, and I would link to examples of their work, but I don’t know if either one of them has anything online.

Mosaics was hosting an open-mic night as well, and the dude in the hat up there was one of the performers. Good times. I’m hoping for a bigger turn-out next week (I’m going to try again to talk my friend Chris into going), but I’m guessing that the Dr. Sketchy’s thing they have planned for next month will put more butts in the seats.

Drink and Draw TONIGHT!

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So if you know about the Drink and Draw Social Club, then you know it sounds pretty sweet.  Well, there’s this place in Belleville, Illinois, just minutes east of St. Louis, called Mosaics on Main, and they’re trying to start up a local chapter TONIGHT.  I’ma go check it out and encourage you to do the same if you are in the area.  I’ll try to post something about it tomorrow.

The Comic Book Challenge…

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…is advertising HERE!  Check that stuff out, man!  I was pretty excited to see that D.J. Coffman’s Hero by Night bid on advertising here, but now the contest that turned D.J. from a comics curmudgeon into a giddy comics superstar has also chosen to use my humble site to promote itself.  Very cool.  So check them out (last years’s winner, Jorge Vega’s Gunplay, is super-cool, too), and enter your own comic–before the end of the month!

GSM 01.21 Shave and a Haircut

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TWO BITS! I toyed with the caption here for a long time. My wife finally helped me out with this one. She’s awesome. Although she did say she’s never seen anyone cut hair in a shirt like that. I decided to just trust in the whole suspension of disbelief thing and leave it as is–you people aren’t here for the realistic portrayal of hairstylists, are you?

The Felice Brothers

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Have you heard these guys? Check out the song “Frankie’s Gun” and tell me if it isn’t the awesomest. I’ve been listening to it almost constantly for several weeks now. It makes me think of Eric Powell’s The Goon, and I don’t think that’s just because of the name “Frankie.” Although maybe it is.

GSM 01.19 The Aftermath of Bowling

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Sorry about the eXtreme! perspective on this one, but my reasons were three-fold:

  1. I felt like I was in a rut w/ the whole profile thing.
  2. It was way too tempting to just re-use this one with a few small tweaks and a new caption.
  3. Cleavage.

Anyhow, this one builds on last week’s and brings up that all-important issue in both bowling and pick-up lines: follow-through. Will probably stay away from the bowling alley for a bit now, but I won’t make any promises. Later.