Max and Lucia come in for a safe landing at Seattle’s Art-obsessed Hotel Max after a visit to Popland.
During the “Pop Departures” exhibition at Seattle Art Museum, Hotel Max is displaying its own Pop Up Pop Art Show featuring Pop Art masters from the show at SAM. To book your own Pop Art Getaway, visit our friends at Hotel Max right here.
Filed under Andy Warhol, Henry Chamberlain, Hotel Max, Hotels, Max at Hotel Max Comics, Pop Art, SAM, SEA/PDX, Seattle, Seattle Art Museum, Travel
Filed under Comics, Comix, Henry Chamberlain, Hotel Max, Max at Hotel Max Comics, Portland, SEA/PDX, Seattle, Webcomics
Someone in the front row just asked, “Is this ‘SEA/PDX: MAX AT HOTEL MAX: Getting to Know Max, Part 1?'” The answer is, “Yes. Please sit down.” I just trimmed back the title a bit for brevity and style sense. Anyway, everyone is welcome. You’re in the right place. Have a seat. Remain seated, it will be better that way.
You will now see what my 24HCD activity last week has set in motion.
As I had mentioned last week, we are rolling out a new webcomic here at Comics Grinder. You can find it right here and we’ll try to keep to a weekly schedule, like posting Sunday into Monday, for the foreseeable future.
So, welcome to SEA/PDX. In this comic, you will get to know Max. He attaches himself to various interesting places and things. He finds himself attached to Hotel Max, a unique hotel in Seattle, a one-of-kind venue that showcases original art. Of course, this appeals to the artistic Max. He loves art and he loves adventure. That has brought him to Hotel Max.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll settle in and see what makes Max tick. There’s a mystery woman in his life, Lucia, and so we’ll see a lot of her too.
For now, I hope you enjoy this nice helping of comics directly linked to my 24HCD and under the subtitle, “Max at Hotel Max.”
Filed under 24 Hour Comics, Comics, Henry Chamberlain, Hotel Max, Max at Hotel Max Comics, SEA/PDX, Seattle
I share with you here some of what I’ve accomplished during my 24-hour comics sojourn. I also want to take the opportunity to provide a proper review of Hotel Max.
Filed under Comics, Henry Chamberlain, Hotel Max, Max at Hotel Max Comics, Seattle, Travel
Lucy Knisley snatches from the ether bits of ephemeral conversation and other momentary pleasures to present to us, “An Age of License,” her latest travelogue graphic novel. We are swept up by a whirlwind European adventure as we follow Knisley on an all-expenses paid trip of a lifetime in September of 2011. As opportunities arise, one must try to choose wisely. And so we see how Knisley fares, after some pre-travel jitters (it happens to the best of us) and she is off and running. Knisley has a clean line in the service of a direct and crisp narrative. It is a pleasure to see her continue to evolve as an autobiographical artist.
Filed under Comics, Fantagraphics Books, Food, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, Lucy Knisley, Travel
I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. Well, no rest for the wicked. September is going to be a very busy month and I see it as flying by faster than almost I can keep up with it. But keep up with it I will. We have a number of new book releases and exciting new comic book titles rolling out. I also have my own little tempest in a teacup, my 24-Hour Comics Day drawing marathon. I will be at Hotel Max in Seattle that first Sunday-Monday of October. I need to make that distinction since the official observance of the annual 24-Hour Comics Day is the first weekend in October. However, due to scheduling matters, we’re going with October 5-6 and that still works out just fine. Cool? Cool!
Filed under Comics, Henry Chamberlain, Scott McCloud, Seattle
Bilal’s Marpada (Wonder Woman?) from “Phantoms of the Louvre”
Bilal is a legendary sci-fi and fantasy artist. He has an uncanny ability to evoke a vast world of suspense and mystery. His villains are utterly macabre. His women are utlra-cool sexy. For his contribution to the NBM ComicsLit Louvre collection, Bilal provides us with twenty-two ghost stories in his graphic novel, “Phantoms of the Louvre.” He focuses on a particular work in the Louvre, photographs it, and then works his magic with acrylic, pastel, and prose. For example, we have the story of Marpada who, it would not be a stretch to say brings to mind Wonder Woman. If you ever wondered what a Bilal Wonder Woman would be like, this has got to be it. Note to DC Comics: Entice Bilal to do a Wonder Woman story!
Filed under Bande Dessinée, Bilal, Comics, ComicsLit, France, French Comics, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, NBM, Paris, The Louvre, Wonder Woman
Christian Durieux states that he sought to create comic book poetry with his graphic novel, “An Enchantment.” He definitely succeeds in doing just that. The collaboration between the Louvre and NBM ComicsLit to co-edit books inspired by the Louvre results in such wonderful works of comics. This one is pure magic. It’s like watching a dance sequence with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The comic flows so well that it glides. It could easily have been wordless but the dialogue is so charming.
Filed under Bande Dessinée, Comics, ComicsLit, France, French Comics, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, NBM
Lucy Knisley is a wonderfully observant cartoonist. There wasn’t anything quite like her comics journal, “French Milk,” when it was first published in 2007, and it has grown in stature ever since. It’s a fun read, first of all. It’s also a gentle push forward in what the comics medium is capable of. Knisley has created a number of other works with that same personal quality. Her more recent notable work is “Relish,” published by First Second in 2013. In this work, the narrative is tighter and the drawing more refined in keeping with the book’s structured theme. For this interview, there is some comparison of these two works and some thoughts on what lies ahead for comics.
We begin with thoughts on M.F. Fisher, a master at storytelling that made a fine mix of memoir and writing on food. Fisher’s first published book was “Serve it Forth,” in 1937. And, like the title implies, the pages within contain words that express an uncanny zest for life, and food. Nowadays, it seems like we’re all foodies. But only a few can claim to be standard-bearers to Fisher to any degree. I started thinking about that in terms of what Knisley is doing and that is where our conversation takes off.
You can find out more about Lucy Knisley by visiting her site here as well as visiting our friends at First Second Books right here.
Filed under Comic-Con, Comic-Con 2014, Comics, First Second, graphic novels, Lucy Knisley
“A Night at the Sorrento and Other Stories” collects the work of a longtime cartoonist of the Seattle School, yours truly, Henry Chamberlain. We cartoonists grew up in the Generation X ethos of DIY, small press, and a pride for a certain alternative comics aesthetic. Make no mistake, just like alternative rock from the 1990s, there is something specific that is meant by alternative comics. To the point, these are comics that favor the offbeat and idiosyncratic. This spirit rings true today as it embraces an independent vision. Stay tuned. This collection will rock your world, very alternatively, in 2014.
