Jarvus Innovations is hosting the Jarvus Digital Media Gallery during this year’s Philly Tech Week. Taking place on Monday, April 23rd from 7pm to 10pm, this event will feature local digital art on a series of TVs, monitors, and projectors around the studio.
Do you like supporting the local arts? Do you like free food and drinks? Do you LOVE pixels? Then this event is for you.
And if you’re a local digital artist, you can have your artwork featured! Visit the Philly Tech Week website to find out how you can submit your work.
Jarvus Digital Media Gallery @ Philly Tech Week
Monday, April 23 from 7pm to 10pm
908A N. 3rd St, Philadelphia, PA 1912 www.facebook.com/events/277485352317164
If you read any manga at all during the boom years of the medium then you have no doubt heard of M. Alice LeGrow. A writer and artist living in Philadelphia, in 2003 she came in second in Tokyopop’s Rising Stars of Manga competition and then when on to create Bizenghast, one of manga’s biggest hits of 2004.
Tell everyone a little about yourself. Have you lived in Philly a long time?
I’ve lived in Philadelphia since just after I finished college in 2003. I moved down here to be closer to my friends in the city, and I really love it here. Philadelphia is my favorite city in the world, which is why I set my new comic series in it! I feel like Philly should get more representation in comics, because it’s often overlooked as a setting, in favor of the usual New York/Los Angeles locations.
Most fans know you from your successful world manga series Bizenghast. What was it like to finish the series in 2011?
It was very rewarding to know that seven years of work was finally wrapping up and all the plotlines would be resolved, but it was also a little sad. I’ve spent the better part of a decade on that one storyline and it was tough to know that I wouldn’t be working with those characters anymore. It’s like finishing up shooting for a movie and having to say goodbye to a great cast of actors that you’ve come to know.
With Tokyopop going under, what’s the status of the series? Will you ever be able to get it back in print?
I’m not sure about that… I’ve been talking with Stu Levy, the owner of Tokyopop, and he’s considering digital releases for some currently owned titles, including Bizenghast. I’m excited to see what may come of that! Book eight, the final volume, is also finally being printed up on-demand and will be available online this month, and I’m very happy about that. (more…)
The lecture will “focus on the world of collectable toy making, a growing sub-culture taking hold in many of world’s urban centers.” For more information, visit Drexel’s website.
Emilio Garcia, Public Lecture
Monday, April 16, 2012
Free and Open to the Public
Stein Auditorium
111 Nesbitt Hall (3215 Market St)
Guests can look forward to food, drinks, music, art, technology, and of course, an awesome first glance at the new space. The NextFab community will have exhibits and demonstrations of works of art and technology from their group, and guests will get to tour the building, meet the founders and staff of NextFab, and a lot more.
Hosted by Gallery 309 and presented by the Coalition Ingenu self-taught artist’s collective, the event presents imagery that seem to draw influences from sources as disparate as Hieronymus Bosch, Yoshitomo Nara, Henry Darger and Philly’s own Isaiah Zagar. In other words, count on seeing some truly unique outsider art. In conjunction with the show, Gallery 309 will be hosting special screenings of Resurrect Dead on April 13th and 27th. Like Duerr, the film is enlightening.
The bottom line? If you are want insights into one of the most compelling figures in Philly’s art scene, check this show out.
Justin Duerr, Stranger Things Have Never Happened
April 6th-30th @ Gallery 309
309 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
A group of the most fascinating people I have never met are currently scaling the remote crevices of the Copper Canyons on foot, as they have for nearly a thousand years.
The Tarahumara people are considered to be the greatest long-distance runners in the world. They humbly refer to themselves as “Rarámuri”– the Uto-Aztecan term for “foot runner”– and running has been their primary mode of transportation through their home, the Sierra Madre mountain range, for generations pre-dating the conquistadors invasions.
The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is bringing a rare glimpse into the lives of these reclusive super-athletes to Philadelphia through their newest exhibition, Run! Super-Athletes of the Sierra Madre. The folks at Penn have curated an excellent combination of visual and tactile displays, including a full gallery by photo-journalist Diana Molina, and a collection of ancient artifacts by Dr. Carl Lumholtz, a Norwegian ethnologist who lived among the Rarámuri in the 1890s.
Geekadelphia was fortunate to have a quick chat with Christopher McDougall about his experiences with the Tarahumara people. Learn more and see event details. (more…)
You geeks are lucky First Friday didn’t fall on April Fools’ this year– as I would have had you running all over the City of Brotherly Love, looking for non-existent galleries and installations. Celebrate the first full week of the Spring equinox with local art.
First Friday: April 6, 2012
Stranger Things Have Never Happened @ Gallery 309: The art of Justin Duerr (‘zine author/ Resurrect Dead movie) will be shown via the Coalition Ingenu Self-taught Artists’ Collective. Public reception on April 6, 6-9pm. Two screenings of Jon Foy’s documentary, ‘Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles, will be shown on following Fridays, April 13th and 27th @7pm. Free.
The Art of Beekeeping @ Art in the Age: While there won’t be a formal reception for this until April 26th, this exhibit *technically* open in the AITA space on Friday the 6th, and it sounds fascinating… “During the month of April, The Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild will showcase the ancient tradition of beekeeping, highlighting a variety of modern hives types and beekeeping techniques within the Art in the Age gallery space.” Just don’t take anyone who may require an epipen.
Gallery ML Body Art: Apparently Philadelphia is home to the world’s first and only collective body art gallery (!)– Gallery ML (NSFW). They have a new space on 111 Arch Street and are having a public First Friday reception.
“Runoff” @ Part Time Studios: Opening reception for artist Brian Payne on Friday, April 6th, 6-9pm, at Part Time Studios in Fishtown.
Arguably one of the biggest comics event of 2012, Marvel pits two of its most popular teams against one another to save the world. Avengers vs X-Men is a 12 issue series that written and drawn by some of the most popular artists today.
While you might be able to pick up the first issue on Wednesday, April 4th, why not get it a day earlier and not risk having someone on twitter or ruin the surprises of the story? Many comic shops will be selling the first issue of Avengers Vs X-Men April 3rd at 8pm. Captain Blue Hen in Newark, DE and The Comic Book Shop in Wilmington, DE are two such shops.
Captain Blue Hen Comics and The Comic Book Shop will each host a party based around the team they hope will come out on top. More information below:
The world’s greatest super heroes enter an unforgettable battle. Avengers—Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Spider-Man, and more go up against X-Men—Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Magneto and others. Avengers are the big public heroes of the Marvel Universe while the X-Men are underground, outcast mutant heroes. Only one side can emerge victorious!
Captain Blue Hen Comics on Main Street in Newark is on the side of the Avengers. The Comic Book Shop on Marsh Road in Wilmington is on the side of the X-Men. It’s a rivalry for the ages as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes go up against Marvel’s Mutant Misfits.
“The Avengers and the X-men are the two premiere superhero teams of modern mythology- they even have competing movie franchises” says Captain Blue Hen Comics owner Joe Murray. “It’s an emotionally-charged rivalry that ranks up there with Eagles vs. Cowboys, Yankees vs. Red Sox, Mac vs. PC or Chocolate vs. Vanilla. Fan speculation on the outcome of individual battles will be heated. Obviously the Avengers will win, but it should still be an exciting face-off. Our parties will celebrate the excitement and fun of comics with the atmosphere of the big playoff game.”
For more information on Avengers Vs X-men, you can visit marvel’s website for the event here. For more information, check out the Captain Blue Hen website.
Philadelphia is rife with comic book talent, thanks to creators such as our newest Geek of the Week, Bryan Glass. Glass is most notably known as co-creator of the indie hit Mice Templar, an epic comic where mice are as a brave as men and cats are the enemy. But he has also lent his talent to Marvel, most recently reworking the origin story in Thor: The First Thunder.
In 2009, Glass won comic’s prestigious Harvey Award for “Best New Talent.” The best part? Glass calls Philly his hometown and still lives here! Geekadelphia has the chance to ask him a few questions.
Tell me about Mice Templar.
THE MICE TEMPLAR is a series I co-created with [Marvel creator] Mike Oeming back in 2003. As its title suggests it is an anthropomorphic medieval fantasy. It’s of the high fantasy/dark fantasy genre, so it deals with magic, legends, prophecies, ancient evil and destiny.
Along the course of the story our hero, the young mouse Karic, is trying to find his own place in the larger scheme of things, he’s coming to understand the complexities, both good and bad, of politics, of religion, of the impact of both on his culture. It’s also a coming of age adventure wherein Karic is coming to terms with childish perceptions of the world clashing with adult realities.
So the series has been around since 2003? What’s next for the series?
Well, together, we’ve been producing regular issues of MICE TEMPLAR since 2007, and are currently developing the climactic fourth volume of our saga to begin sometime in 2012!
What do you geek out to?
I love all forms of storytelling, most notably books and movies. Little by little, I’m seeking to replicate the theater experience to the best of my ability (and budget) within my own home — you, yourself, were a participant in our Halloween Fright Fest of Films! Hopefully I can keep improving on the experience.
And what a movie night it was! And what books are you into right now?
I’ve always been a fan of Stephen King, and I’ve been so for so long that I can now see how his popularity has ebbed and flowed in waves. I’m really enjoying the uptick he’s experienced of late.
In comics, I’m digging DC’s “New 52.” The DC Universe has always been a bit impenetrable for me, so this endeavor is the right thing for a potential new reader to come aboard. Highlights for me thus far have been ALL-STAR WESTERN, ANIMAL MAN, AQUAMAN, BATMAN, GREEN LANTERN, I, VAMPIRE, SWAMP THING.
Glad to hear you’re enjoying DC’s newest endeavor. But now let’s talk about Philly! What are your usual haunts in our fair city?
Have always been a big fan of our Philly museums: Art, Franklin Institute, Academy of Natural Sciences, Mutter…I love the various art galleries that are scattered from South Street to the suburbs. One of my favorite bars is the Grey Lodge Pub in Northeast Philly: great food, great atmosphere!
Lastly, what projects do you have coming up?
I’m currently developing a slate of different comic miniseries in varied genres. The challenge at this stage of my career is to break the expectation of fantasy guy, so my new tales are a little bit of everything between Supernatural Horror to Sci-Fi to Superheroes, as well as crossing genres in a few unexpected mash-ups. I got a lot to get to before the end of the world!
At the (free!) event, hackers will show off projects they are building, and hopefully, you’ll get inspired to start tinkering yourself.
If you’ve got a project you’d like to showcase at the Hacktory’s event, drop them a line so they can reserve the table space for you. According to a press release from the Hacktory, there will be prizes fro the most impressive (and irreverent!) entries.
From plants collected by Lewis and Clark to fossils excavated for Thomas Jefferson, the Academy has amassed more than 18 million cataloged plants and animals, many of which are the first ever studies. And you’ll get to see ‘em.
These special tours kick off on Sunday, April 15th, and will run through March of 2013. Different collections will be highlighted each month, with mini 20 minute guided tours on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, all at 11am.
Tickets can only be purchased at the Academy on the day of the tour, and tours are limited to 10 people. So get there early! Tickets are only $5 for Academy members, $7.50 for nonmembers.
Brat Productions is a Philadelphia based theater company known for their unconventional and thrilling performances. Their latest series is entitled Rock & Awe, an epic collision of theater, cabaret and rock. Spearheaded by resident Jess Conda (who also ran a successful kickstarter), Rock & Awe began with a tribute to David Bowie and glam rock entitled Eternal Glamnation and continues this month with Let’s Start a War.
This play in the series will feature punk legends The Dead Kennedys in addition to music by Fear, Iggy Pop, Billy Bragg and Tom Waits. Directed by John Greenbaum and starring Conda, Let’s Start A War will delight the eyes and ears!
Geekadelphia had the chance to chat with Barrymore-nominated Jess Conda about Let’s Start A War and more!
Tell me about Let’s Start a War, this month’s installment of Rock & Awe? Dead Kennedy’s inspired theater sounds awesome!
Jess Conda: The whole Rock and Awe series is an exploration of a narrative style of cabaret–that is using the cabaret genre to tell a theatrical story. I’m interested in mixing the storytelling of the theater world with the energy of the rock and roll world.
I’m super excited about this Let’s Start a War! I really like the raw intensity of the DK’s music, and also their use of punk as political satire. They are such a smart and kick ass band. I set this show as a fictional-government sponsored cocktail party–the party that you hear in the lounged-out beginning of the DK tune “California Uber Alles”.
I see a whole world in that song and want to flesh it out and put it on stage. I’m looking at combining lounge music with traditional punk styles for this show. I also want the show to be an immersive experience for the audience– maybe not just a show where they sit and watch, but where the audience becomes a part of the story.
What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to someone starting their own Kickstarter campaign?
Jess Conda: Silk City and Honeys are my SPOTS, especially since they are in the neighborhood of the RUBA Club, the venue where my cabaret series is being performed. I also love Quigs Pub on top of Plays and Players Theater, which is a social club whose niche members are mostly members of the theater community (so I can network AND drink– artists always have to MULTITASK!). My shift drink at Fergie’s Pub is always a good one too–I love working there, and a beer after a long, busy night can be a beautiful thing.
Agreed on all of the above! Besides tweaking the ideas of normal theater, what else do you geek out to?
Jess Conda: I’m kind of a cooking geek, specifically a homemade soup geek. I’ll set up shop for a weekend in my house, make a bunch of batches, then freeze them for on the go eating the rest of the month. My speciality: curried cauliflower and coconut milk soup!!!!
Rock & Awe: Let’s Start A War will be at the Ruba Club in Northern Liberties March 29th – 31st and is for a 21+ audience. You can get your tickets here.
