Greetings fans,
Even though I've been doing these newsletters monthly for awhile now, it seems like I haven't communicated with any of you for quite some time, which just doesn't feel right. Alot of it has to do with my decision to both end Mongoose Monthlies, and not recording any facebook audio agendas since I am taking a summer break from conventions. Nonetheless, I must, as the email header says, "stay the course" now for the sake of bigger things in store for Carter Comics down the road. Before I mention those bigger things however, I will tell you about what I've been doing during the July part of my "con break."
- Damn Tourists issue 5: East Coast California: Alot of progress has been made since last month's newsletter. Pages 11-20 have been both pencilled, inked, and taken into photoshop for digital coloring. Also, the final ten pages (21-30) have the appropriate panels and scene notes set up for my illustrations later. With the consistent work that I've been putting in each day before and after work in the past few weeks, I should still be set to have the comic finished by the end of August and ready for shows in September. My upcoming 30 page comic that takes our four clueless travelers and their superhumanly annoying vacation habits to Florida. Unlike previous issues however, the sunshine state is fully aware of how much unintentional havoc they can wreak (thanks to news footage of what they did in Las Vegas), and have prepared for their arrival. Will their obnoxious tourist reinforcements work? We'll find out together next month.
- Glendale and Reseda Artwalks; Hawaii Convention trip confirmed: Speaking of September shows, I will be returning to the convention/art festival grind in the middle of next month with two of my favorite outdoor art events: The Open Arts and Music Festival in Downtown Glendale on Saturday September 14th from 3-10 pm on Brand Blvd between California and Wilson. The event itself is free to attend, with forty or so artists, crafters live local bands, a beer garden, and discounts at nearby eateries surrounding Brand Blvd, Glendale City Center, and the Glendale Galleria. Bob Blumfield's Reseda Rising, is another fun artwalk in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, happening a week later on Saturday September 21st from 5-10 pm on Sherman Way between Etiwanda and Lindley. Much like Open Arts, Reseda Rising will have all the talented local creators with all different types of art and music that you would expect, plus food trucks and an adjoining zine (hand made book) fest in the nearby Magnolia Science Academy. Also like the Glendale Artwalk, Reseda Rising is FREE ADMISSION! And in an update from my news last month regarding my homecoming trip and appearance next year at Amazing Comic Con Aloha in February, the Honolulu, Hawaii excursion is officially a go! I have booked my flight, hotel, and reserved a rental car for what will be my first show of 2020. It will also be a return to my hometown after a seven year absence from visiting (I was born and raised on the island of Oahu from 1980-2005. my last visit was back in 2012).
Lastly, in between my comic work and my day job, I took some time out to attend a very interesting event: As and avid follower (and 50% user) of public transportation, I went to the Noho to Pasadena BRT transit meeting in Eagle Rock back on Saturday July 13th. The meeting however, resembled more of a football game than a gathering about city infrastructure. This public discussion by LA Metro was one part in a series of talks to inform the public about an proposed bus rapid transit, or BRT system, that is planned to run from North Hollywood (my current residence) to Pasadena, passing through Burbank, Glendale, and Eagle Rock along the way. The project can speed up buses by giving them dedicated lanes on surface streets or freeways, fewer stops (but in major job, retail, or residential areas), traffic signal priority, and bus stop fare payment---which allows for faster boarding through multiple bus doors. While most of the meetings in the affected cities were civil and uneventful, the meeting I was at in Eagle Rock was anything but. A packed house (with attendees such as myself spilling out from the meeting room and into the enclosed mall it took place at), with a clear division of ER residents for and against the project. People against it loudly protested having dedicated bus lanes on their four-lane main surface street, wanting it pushed away to the 134 Freeway instead, where it would do little help for the other half of the room that used and/or depended on transit to get around. In the end nothing was resolved (as the project is still in its design phase), but at least cooler heads prevailed to stop the name-calling to each other and threats to Metro.
So, that's about it for this month. Expect alot more info next month on what will be a completed Damn Tourists #5, table/tent locations for my upcoming artwalks, and maybe an announcement of some more con dates! As always, stay tuned, and see you in September!
Regards,
Allen Carter
Carter Comics