Why I Love Minneapolis: Part Three

The Museum of Russian Art! This former church (and one-time funeral home!) built in the Spanish Mission style in the 1930s, now houses a remarkable art museum. Currently on view is a one-man show devoted to the works of Geli Korzhev. The exhibition has taken over the entire three floors of the building and includes pieces from private collections in the US and many on loan from Russian museums. This 50 year retrospective of this still-active artist is an absolute "must see" event. Korzhev's massive canvases painted in the "severe style" of "social realism" are melancholy masterpieces reflecting his life in communist Russia. The one sample shown here is from a series of Don Quixote paintings that bring to mind comparisons with certain American illustrators. The show runs through Jan 5 of 2008. There is no book devoted to the show -- yet. I'm told it should arrive near the end of the month. I'll be returning to see this again before it is gone. For more information see: www.tmora.org

Why I Love Minneapolis: Part Two

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts! Located on the same block as MCAD, if I could just live in this museum, I would. Here are just a few of the treasures found within (Parrish, Barye, Van Gogh, Wyeth...!) For more info and hundreds of scans of art from the collection (see the "collections" portion of the website) have a look here: http://www.artsmia.org/ Currently on view is an exhibition of Anders Zorn etchings -- and a Degas sculpture show starts soon. If you are ever in the Minneapolis area -- you owe it to yourself to make a visit to the MIA.

John P at MCAD

"King-Cat" cartoonist John Porcellino stopped by MCAD yesterday to speak to a group of comics students. He's on tour, promoting a hardcover collection of the best of the early years of his comics zine, "King-Cat." Check it out at www.king-cat.net.

Here's a shot of John and his tribute to the Kirby/Ayers giant monster comics -- which, surprisingly enough, he says were a big influence on him and his work!

MS. TREE headed to TV, too!

Hot on the heels of the JOHNNY DYNAMITE announcement comes the news that MS. TREE is headed for the small screen as well. In development at the Oxygen network is a TV movie/pilot based on the long-running private eye comic book series created by Max Allan Collins and me. More info here: http://www.comics2film.com/index.php?a=story&b=29293

FallCon '07

Here are a few pics from this year's comic book show, here in the Twin Cities. -- a few of the (many) guests and some of the displays.

Christopher Jones -- penciller on "The Batman Strikes."


The "Comic Heads" crew from MCAD


Hey -- I had that Beverly Hillbillies truck when i was a kid....!

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A great collection of George Petty pin-ups!


A collection of Green Lantern artwork.


Another of the many displays of comic art at the show.


A great C. C Beck Capt. Marvel color piece.


Batmobile!


This deco building next door to the convention looks straight out of a '30s Superman cartoon....



Steve Rude.


Zander Cannon and Chris Jones.


Joe Rubinstein and Xeric Grant winner Tyler Page


My tablemate (and neighbor) Tom Allison with his "Plasma Cannon."

JOHNNY DYNAMITE TV show in the works

The mini-series/graphic novel by Max Collins and me is now in pre-production as a TV pilot! You can read more about it here: Variety article

And yes, they did manage to leave any mention of me out of the article -- but rest assured that Max and I are both involved in the project. Hey -- my book cover illo is there.... (and here, too).

Who will play Johnny? Your guess is as good as mine!