The Bureau of Drawers - Seattle

ECONOMY OF LINE 2! at Urbanlight Studios, Friday January 13 6-10pm

2012-01-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

The BUREAU OF DRAWERS will be reprising their popular ECONOMY OF LINE show on Friday, January 13 between 6pm - 10pm at URBANLIGHT STUDIOS (8537 Greenwood Ave. N. Suite 1
Seattle, WA 98103 - 206.708.7281).

Join more than a dozen artists from the Bureau of Drawers as we create a gallery show before your very eyes - when we begin the night, all the walls will be bare. By the end of the evening, we aim to cover every square inch with piping hot ART fresh from the creative oven.

Meet and mingle with the artists, watch us as we work, contribute ideas to the collection as we surge forward towards building a gallery show completely from scratch - Plus: All art will be for sale at reasonable prices!

So please join us on Friday January 13 for a fun and full ECONOMY OF LINE evening during the Greenwood-Phinney Art Walk at UrbanLight Studios!

The Bureau at Short Run!

2011-11-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

The first annual Short Run small press fest just graced Seattle with its presence, and the Bureau was there. Several of us had our own tables, and the intrepid and gregarious Stevie VanBronkhorst spread the Bureau name far and wide - while selling a lot of great comics from our members.

You can see more pictures at the Short Run Flickr page.

Right now, the only place you can get a copy of Bloor, our hilarious, insightful, and commanding take on the Dictator of Uranus, is the Elliott Bay Book Company, right on their well-stocked and well-curated zine shelf. They also described us as one of many Short Run showstoppers on their blog, so we like them just fine.

Bad Omens: the Bureau's annual Halloween show

2011-10-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hi faithful listeners,

We are just ten days away from the debut of our Halloween show. Bad Omens will have a spooktacular (yes, I went there) variety of scary art, including divination-themed pieces, monsters, ghouls, and scary stuff ranging from kitschy to clever to gorgeous. Or all at once. You know.

As always, our annual Halloween show will be at Cafe Racer. There'll be creepy drink specials, and you'll be able to get your fortune told in a variety of ways. Madame Ruby will reveal your future by consulting the spectre of Charles Bukowski, and Abraham Lincoln will bring the wisdom of the other side to you by consulting the Handsomest Men of 1981.

Costumes are encouraged, art-buying even more so. This artful look at the other side starts at 6 p.m. on October 27th and shows through late November.

Come see the Bureau at Jet City!

2011-09-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

We'll be at the Jet City Comics Show today, so if you've been wanting to pick up a copy of Bloor or a Combo box (of which there are precious few left), today would be a stellar day to do it.

What, you wanted to eat up some of the last sunshine of the year? Oh, fairweather friend. Come now.

Uranus has a Dictator.

2011-09-12T23:28:00.000-07:00

And you can learn the terrifying truth in our new anthology, Bloor: Uranus Is the Greatest Thing.

Yes, for a mere five bucks, you too can learn why Uranus is a slave-based economy, what occupations a dictator might moonlight in, and - FINALLY - why in god's name he feels so compelled to press that button.

Weep before its majesty. In fact, buy two, because you're just going to get your little tear-marks all over it.

A Bureaucrat in a Charitable Auction!

2011-07-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

Art & Book Auction to Support PTSD Awareness

Cartoonists, fine artists, and authors from around the country have donated items for an auction to bring awareness to the public about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The auction will benefit Fearless Nation PTSD Support, a 501c3 Non-Profit Public Charity dedicated to raising awareness and education about PTSD and to banishing the stigma associated with it.

"Art is such an important way to explore our thoughts and reflect on our society," said writer, cartoonist, and Fearless Nation board member John Platt, who has organized the auction and donated three of his own drawings. "The artists we contacted were extremely excited to support this cause, and we are very proud to have their backing."

Artists and authors whose work appears in the auction include:

Matt Aucoin, creator of the webcomic Percy & Grimm, http://www.mischiefcomics.com
Cartoonist and art teacher Cara Bean, http://beandoodling.blogspot.com/
Cartoonist, writer, zine creator, and Bureau of Drawers member Breanne Boland, http://breanneboland.com/
Shikhar Dixit, whose artwork and short stories have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies over the last 15 years
Artist, photographer and educator Nancy Husari
Cartoonist and illustrator Meredith Randazzo, http://www.meredithrandazzo.com/
Janice Shaprio, author of the acclaimed new short story collection Bummer and Other Stories, http://www.janiceshapiro.com

The auction began today, July 18 and will run through Sunday, July 24. It can be found at http://shop.ebay.com/jplatt/m.html.

This will be the first of several art and book actions to benefit Fearless Nation. "Quite a few authors have already promised signed books for our second auction, which we hope to hold in late August," said Platt.

"We are thrilled to have so many great artists step up and offer their work to support our efforts," said Colleen Crary, M.A., founder and Executive Director of Fearless Nation PTSD Support. "Donations like this are what make it possible for us to continue to help trauma victims worldwide and to break down the stigmas that people with PTSD face in their daily lives."

About Fearless Nation PTSD Support:

Fearless Nation PTSD Support is a 501c3 Non Profit Public Charity that provides free community support for all post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) sufferers, their family, friends and therapists through raising awareness and education about PTSD based in proven science in order to banish the stigma and misinformation associated with the condition. The Fearless Nation motto is "Be Fearless!" All are welcome. All are included. Visit http://www.fearless-nation.org.

Big Hits from Economy of Line!

2011-06-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

Our recent Economy of Line show at UrbanLight Studios was a smash hit, big thanks to everyone who made it out to Greenwood-Phinney during the artwalk. Our goal was to fill the walls with original art before the night was through, and we did it (photos forthcoming)!

In the meantime, here's a small selection of the artwork on display from a selection of our artists. Stay tuned for more!

Scott Faulkner:

Nikki Burch:

Sean Closson:

Tom Van Deusen:

Jon Morris:

ECONOMY OF LINE at UrbanLight Studios June 10!

2011-05-31T12:38:00.000-07:00

UrbanLight Studios and The Bureau of Drawers are proud to announce "Economy Of Line", an all-new, live-drawing event and gallery show running one night only during the Greenwood-Phinney ArtWalk, June 10, from 6pm-10pm.

"Economy of Line" will feature twenty artists from the Seattle-based art collective The Bureau of Drawers creating original art on the spot and before the very eyes of visitors to the Greenwood Collective's UrbanLight Studios. All art will be for sale, and the artists will be working out in the open to meet and greet all attendees. Watch us build a gallery show while you watch - the walls will fill as the night carries on.

Artists participating in the evening include Lillian Beaty, Breanne Boland, Nikki Burch, Sean Closson, Sara DeRosier, Tom Dougherty, Scott Faulkner, Nico Feliciano, Tyler Hill, Justin Ison, Jon Morris, Marc Palm, Sean Michael Robinson, Lawrence Ruelos, Mark Stockbridge, Stevie VanBronkhorst, Tom Van Deusen and Adam Watson.

Join Urbanlight Studios and the Bureau of Drawers during the Greenwood-Phinney Artwalk on June 10 for a night of live drawing like no other!

Drink 'n' Draw - Baseball Edition

2011-05-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

Over at the Drink 'n' Draw blog, we've got several original recreations by the Bureau members and associates of the finest faces of Topps' 1981 Major League Baseball series, check 'em out!

Nikki Burch at the SOIL Invitational

2011-04-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

This month Bureaucrat Nikki Burch has been participating in DUG: Soil Invitational 2011, at the Soil Gallery in Seattle. Although the opening has passed, you can check out her work, along with the rest of the show, for the remainder of the month. Don't miss this opportunity to see Nikki's obsessive pen work in person!

More information.

Soil-

112 3rd Ave S
Seattle, WA 98104
Hours: Wed-Sat 12-5pm
(206) 264-8061

New artwork up at the Drink 'n' Draw blog!

2011-03-09T10:22:00.000-08:00

There's new artwork up at the Seattle Drink 'n' Draw blog, including a new set of blobs from last week and art from our Emerald City Comicon D'n'D at Von's Roasthouse. Swing by the blog to check it out and be sure to check in tomorrow for even more!

illustrated lives

2011-03-05T07:54:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

It's been a busy week in the illustration lives of various Bureaucrats. First off, Tom Dougherty had one of his recent excellent Seattle Weekly illustrations selected for use as this week's cover. Here's a peek at the complete illustration, minus cover cropping and text addition-
Second up, Sean Michael Robinson (writing here in the third person- hi!) whipped up a poster for a recent Exohxo/Pillow Army show that had the eye of many an old-timey boxer (and mustache) enthusiast-

Lastly, video slinger, singer and illustrator extraordinaire Marc Palm recently completed this amazing faux-retro poster for Paul Merrill's recent show, Laugh Hole 88. It's a beautiful paean to garish eighties design-
All three are currently available for illustration or design work- you can contact them individually for more information.

Special Emerald City Comicon Drink 'n' Draw this Friday!

2011-03-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

It's short notice but - join us at Von's Roasthouse this Friday starting at 8:30 for a special SEATTLE DRINK-N-DRAW to welcome all our special friends in attendance for the Emerald City Comic Con!

Hosted by The Bureau of Drawers, just mention "Seattle Drink 'n' Draw" at the door!

Don't miss the fun - we'll have a well-lit banquet room all to ourselves and some paper and pens floating around, plus access to one of the best-stocked bars in the city! Spread the word, and hope to see you there!

Friday, March 4 · 8:30pm - 11:30pm

Von's RoastHouse

619 Pine Street
Seattle, WA
(RSVP at the Facebook Event Page)

Breanne Boland publishes Furlough 3

2011-03-01T22:51:00.000-08:00

The Bureau's own Breanne Boland has completed the third issue of her four-issue comic, Furlough. She'll be at table M-27 at the Emerald City Comicon this weekend, March 4-6, which will be the first opportunity to buy it. Which you should do. And should tell your friends to do as well.

Her recent blog post takes a technical view of what went into creating the first page.

Bureaucrat Spotlight- Gina Siciliano

2011-02-27T07:23:00.000-08:00

Friends-

In our single year of existence the Bureau has attracted a wide variety of cartoonists into the group, and a handful of them are genuine Luddites, perhaps owning phones or tin cans with strings, but not yet ready to make the plunge into a full web presence. One such web-invisible Bureaucrat is Gina Siciliano, cartoonist, painter and drummer extraordinaire.

While living in Portland, Gina was perhaps best known for her zine/sometime-comic So What, reviewed here by the Bird's Nest Library.

The Roaming Heart: So What #8
This zine is dark yet beautiful. It's hard to describe it as "good" when it presents such a strikingly honest look at one young woman's life of unfulfilling and destructive sexual relationships. It's definitely one of the most compelling stories in our collection, and an undeniably amazing work of art. Illustrated with sketches and arranged comic-style, this issue has amazing flow and intensity. Author Gina Siciliano reveals parts of herself on a level that we could only dream of receiving from our closest friends. There's an unbelievable depth here. This is an essential, yet extremely difficult read.

Gina is currently well into her debut ballpoint pen graphic novel epic Summer Time. The first chapter made its debut in Combo # 1, the Bureaucrat box set currently available at the Fantagraphics store in Georgetown, or at a Bureau show near you.

How to Create Some Failed Tales

2011-02-17T10:10:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder how the Bureaucrats create their illustrious, eloquent illustrations? Well, Bureaucrat and Explorer in Residence, Tyler Hill, has peeled back his skull-cap to let you have a peak at the process that went into creating his illustration, Failed Tales of Romance. Click this link and come along for the ride...

...and, if you still haven't made it down to Fantagraphic Books to check out the Bureau's "Lovesick" art show then: Shame on you. Shame. Now go!

Drink 'n' Draw lives again!

2011-02-14T11:51:00.000-08:00

The Bureau of Drawers is ecstatic to host Seattle's own weekly Drink 'n' Draw.

Join us at Cafe Racer on Roosevelt Avenue every Wednesday night from 8pm-10pm to socialize, doodle and generally relax with other cartoonists and artists of all varieties. Hope to see you there!

two romantic nights of Bureaucratic Bliss

2011-02-05T11:07:00.000-08:00

Greetings-

This upcoming week marks the opening of two Bureau art shows, one at our delightful home at Cafe Racer, and one at the equally delightful Fantagraphics store in Georgetown.

The first show, Like Like, will open at Cafe Racer on Thursday, February 10th, at 7:00 pm. Deviating from our Valentines shows of the past, we will be presenting a pretty broad selection of artwork, organized under the general theme of "Stuff We Like."

The following Saturday will be the opening night of the second show, entitled LoveSick. Here's what the Fantagraphics website has to say about the show-

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery loves local comix! Saturday, February 12 features the opening of "Lovesick," an exhibition of emerging and established artists from the Bureau of Drawers cartoonist collective. The show includes original art, handmade books and prints by 16 Seattle comix artists and illustrators. Exhibiting artists will be present for a festive reception at Fantagraphics Bookstore on Saturday, February 12 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM — just in time for Valentine's.
The Bureau of Drawers formed in 2010 as an alliance of independent local alternative cartoonists. They meet weekly for an informal salon at Café Racer in Ravenna and have participated in high profile events at the Seattle Art Museum, Bumbershoot, and Urban Light Studios. The group includes accomplished cartoonists like David Lasky, Tom Dougherty and Scott Faulkner as well as promising young talent like Nikki Burch and Marc Palm. Other participating artists include Breanne Boland, Billis Helg, Tyler Hill, Calamity Jon Morris, Sean Robinson, Mark Stockbridge, Ed Trumbule, Adam Watson, Dalton Webb, and Stevie VanBronkhorst. Expect an eclectic mix of topical works on the loose theme of unrequited love.
This event coincides with the 3rd anniversary edition of the colorful Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack featuring adventurous — and amorous — visual and performing arts events throughout the historic neighborhood. For more information and a participant map visit: www.georgetownartattack.com. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale St. (at Airport Way S.) just minutes south of downtown Seattle. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone 206.658.0110.

Hope to see you there!

Third Vaportron Cartoon has gone Live!

2011-02-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

Bureau member Mark Stockbridge has completed his third animated installment of his creative addiction Vaportron. Is it on YouTube? Why yes it is...

Herr Stockbridge's other Vaportron-related deeds can be witnessed at www.vaportron.com.

Paintin' Bowls

2011-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

Several weeks ago, a group of Bureaucrats got together at their favorite watering hole, Cafe Racer, to paint some bowls for the Empty Bowl Project. The Empty Bowl Project is a... well... we'll let the project speak for itself:

Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger and was created by The Imagine Render Group. The basic premise is simple: Potters and other craftspeople, educators and others work with the community to create handcrafted bowls. Guests are invited to a simple meal of soup and bread. In exchange for a cash donation, guests are asked to keep a bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. The money raised is donated to an organization working to end hunger and food insecurity.

EmptyBowls.net

Bureaucrats diligently painting away.

Tom Tom Dougherty's cosmic powered masterpiece.

Gah! Moe Ghorab's menacing bowl just scared me!

...ah, but Dalton Webb's happy sun makes me feel all warm and cozy again.

To check out more bowls, take a look at the album on Empty Bowl Seattle's Facebook page. If you see something you like, you still haven't missed your chance to get get your hands on it. Details on where these bowls and other fabulous creations are being sold here:

Seattle Empty Bowls
Seattle, Washington

Saturday, February 27th, 2010
4:00-8:00

Ballard Community Center
6020 28th Ave. NW
Seattle, Washington 98107

The Bureau by The Bureau

2011-01-27T08:51:00.000-08:00

Sean Robinson by Lillian Beatty.

David Lasky: Cartoonist Laureate?

2011-01-26T14:58:00.000-08:00

The SLOG raises the question "Who should be Washington's Cartoonist Laureate?", and populates its short list with - among other luminaries - our own David Lasky!

Lots of great alternate picks are being mentioned in the comments as well, and this is far from an official ballot, but it's still nice to be nominated!

Carl Nelson and the Many Tales of Cowardice

2011-01-16T08:42:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

Our own Carl Nelson's art was recently featured on the web comics "Manly Tales of Cowardice," for which he produced this stunning pinup/Dark Knight homage. The cartoonist Danno Klonowski also had these kind words about Carl's recent comic, Male-Man- "It’s touching and bittersweet (and f*ing hilarious) homage to HE-MAN. You’ll never look at SKELETOR the same way again after you read it. Genius!" You can read Male-Man, and see some of Carl's new artwork, at his blog, Paper Planes.

another round of Sunday Morning Cartooning

2011-01-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

Greetings Seattle ink enthusiasts-

Bureaucrat Sean Michael Robinson's class, Sunday Morning Cartooning, is back by popular demand for a third round!

Interested in working on a comic, manga or graphic novel, and not sure where to go to take your skills to the next level? Artist and Craftsman Supply is now offering a five-week ten hour Sunday morning course in all things ink.You'll take a short story through every stage of the process of creation- from brainstorming, planning and developing the ideas and visuals, to thinking drawing and developing in pencil, to inking or finishing with a wide variety of tools (brushes, nibs, technical pens, paper towels, etc). The class will culminate with a tutorial on printing in the digital world, the wonder of the photocopier, and the self-publication of your very own comic. Drop-ins are welcome, but most students will benefit from the sequencing of the entire class.

The class will be taught by Seattle cartoonist and teacher Sean Michael Robinson (http://www.topshelfco...)

A workshop-style class for advanced students is also available.

Sunday Morning Cartooning
January 9th through February 6th
10 a.m. to 12 noon
Workshop (advanced) class from noon to 2 p.m.
$50 for all five sessions, or $12 for a single drop-in session

at Artist & Craftsman Supply
4350 8th Avenue NE Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 545-0091
contact seanmichaelrobinson at gmail DOTcom for further information

All the best,

Sean Michael Robinson

Calamity Jon gets happy at ComicsAlliance

2010-12-29T08:18:00.000-08:00

Calamity Jon Morris' recent spate of Happy Half-Pint Hero doodles has gotten him some attention over at comics news site ComicsAlliance.

Follow the link to check out happy, squashed-style versions of Iron Man, Vision and the Scarlet Witch, Iron Fist, Ghost Rider and more!

Dalton Webb is a-MAZING!

2010-12-29T08:13:00.000-08:00

Bureaucrat Dalton Webb is featured today over at CORNERED: The Cover Corner Art Blog, with his rendition of DC's affectionate fantasy slice-of-life comic, 'Mazing Man.

Mr. Square and the Curse of Talent

2010-12-28T11:55:00.001-08:00

Greetings!

Bureaucrat Sean Michael Robinson, who turns thirty one today, has a new post up at the Hooded Utilitarian entitled "Mr. Square and the Curse of Talent," a carefully reasoned exhortation to get off your ass and pursue the things you're interested in! There's plenty of discussion in the comments section, and on twitter, so by all means, join in.

The Bureau By The Bureau

2010-12-27T12:34:00.000-08:00

Calamity Jon's artistic aura, as delineated by Dalton Webb.

The Bureau By The Bureau

2010-12-20T09:04:00.000-08:00

The true essence of Carl Nelson, captured by Tyler Hill.

O.B.A.M.A. Bad Art Show

2010-12-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

The bureau clubhouse, Cafe Racer, features a gallery of incredibly bizarre art, called the Original Bad Art Museum of Art (O.B.A.M.A.) Room. They're having a show of art inspired by pieces in their collection, and a nice selction of Bureaucrats contributed. The opening party is tonight! See this link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=183360765014678

Bureaucrats featured include David Lasky, Mark Stockbridge, Nikki Burch, Carl Nelson, Moe Ghorab, Billis "Derrick" Helg, Stevie VanBronkhorst and Sean Kent.

The Bureau By The Bureau

2010-12-15T07:34:00.000-08:00

Lillian Beaty, with a gleam in her eye, as captured by Stevie Van Bronkhorst.

Nikki Burch interview on Geek Week dot com

2010-12-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

Geek Week dot com currently has up an interview with Bureaucrat Nikki Burch, where she discusses her book These Are My Jokes, humor, and the art of wine tasting. One of these true facts is in fact not actually true. Stop on by and enjoy!

The Bureau By The Bureau

2010-12-13T07:32:00.000-08:00

Portraits of Bureaucrats as drawn by Bureaucrats. Here, David Lasky captures Nikki Burch deep in concentration and hard at work.

Details to follow ...

2010-12-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

Lawrence Ruelos' terrifying Wookie Halloween, and more pop culture madness

2010-12-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

Lawrence Ruelos contributed to the pop culture madness this week by posting his developmental sketches of his massive and intimidating wookie costume that he proudly wore this Halloween. The towering structure was truly stunning, and sent many children and intergalactic bounty hunters fleeing for their lives.
In other intergalactic space fantasy news, Adam Watson's charming Dr. Seuss/Star Wars parodies continue to generate love, blog posts, and ~~cease and desist letters~~ requests for more, more more.Finally, in a vain and ignoble attempt to hop onto the train that has already left the station, Sean Michael Robinson (currently composing this paragraph in the third person) presents for your viewing three images he created in 2009 as promotional materials for a (very funny, legally dubious) Star Wars musical- "Star Wars- the Eighties Strike Back".

Did the Egyptians do this with their heroes? Is Ovid's Metamorphosis essentially a giant Greek God cultural mashup? When will we all end up in jail for our affronts to a certain Film Empire? Stay tuned to find out...

CORNERED blog debuts

2010-12-07T09:17:00.000-08:00

Today marks the debut of Calamity Jon Morris' new blog, CORNERED. From Jon's web site-

Hopefully, you’re already familiar with the excellent re-creation art blogs COVERED and REPANELED. They are, both of them, very simple and elegant and inspired art blogs, the focus of which is recreating in one’s own style existing comic book covers and interior panels (I’ve got two COVERED entries – here and here - and am working on some REPANELED entries as we speak, as a matter of fact).

Along those lines, some of my friends in The Bureau of Drawers and I started recreating – as stand-alone works of art – those little clip-art boxes which used to grace the upper-left hand corners of Marvel comics up through the Nineties, and other companies (DC, Harvey, Charlton, etc) on and off through the decades.

We’ve decided to put these things up on the internet and to invite other folks to come join us, and thus is born CORNERED, the corner cover art blog. The blog is launching today, starting with this Batman I recreated from the 1970s Brave and the Bold series.

Info on the site itself as to how you can contribute to the fun!

Stevie's Pig

2010-12-03T14:45:00.000-08:00

Check this out: The radiant and humble Stevie VanBronkhorst's banjo pig was chosen to appear on Dueling Banjo Pigs blog.

That's some pig. Terrific!

Blob Fever is Sweeping the U.S.A!

2010-12-03T13:31:00.000-08:00

Hop on board with this hot new trend!

Adam Watson's Dr.Suess Star Wars on Neatorama!

2010-12-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

Our own Adam Watson is starting to get some attention for his Dr.Suess/Star Wars mashups. Check out his write-up on Neatorama.

BLOOR. IS. COMING.

2010-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

this weekend- Sunday Morning Cartooning classes return!

2010-11-25T15:00:00.000-08:00

This Sunday, by popular demand, Bureau member Sean Michael Robinson's Sunday Morning Cartooning classes return!

The details-

Interested in working on a comic, manga or graphic novel, and not sure where to go to take your skills to the next level? Artist and Craftsman Supply is now offering a four-week ten hour Sunday morning course in all things ink.You'll take a short story through every stage of the process of creation- from brainstorming, planning and developing the ideas and visuals, to thinking drawing and developing in pencil, to inking or finishing with a wide variety of tools (brushes, nibs, technical pens, paper towels, etc). The class will culminate with a tutorial on printing in the digital world, the wonder of the photocopier, and the self-publication of your very own comic. Drop-ins are welcome, but most students will benefit from the sequencing of the entire class.

The class will be taught by Seattle cartoonist and teacher Sean Michael Robinson (http://www.topshelfcomix.com/ts2.0/much_of_what_we_said/)

Sunday Morning Cartooning
November 28th from 10 to noon December 5th from 10 to 2 pm (extended class) December 12th from 10 to noon December 19th from 10 to noon
$50 for all four sessions, or $12 for a single two hour drop-in session

at Artist & Craftsman Supply
4350 8th Avenue NE Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 545-0091

On a Jolly Holiday- the comics of Stevie VanBronkhorst

2010-11-25T08:13:00.000-08:00

Bureau member Stevie VanBronkhorst recently put up a holiday-themed mini comic on her website for your enjoyment. If you're not yet sick of the snow and the chill and the buses careening down the streets of Seattle, then this foul-mouthed but sweet comic might help put you in the mood.

BLOOR. IS. COMING.

2010-11-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

David Lasky profiled on Seattle University Spectator

2010-11-23T16:11:00.000-08:00

Greetings friends,

Bureaucrat David Lasky was profiled today in the electronic pages of Seattle University's Spectator, where he discusses his career, Seattle's cartooning scene, and his Carter Family book project. Stop on by and take a look!

Sean Michael Robinson @ the Hooded Utilitarian

2010-11-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

Greetings Friends of the Bureau-

Sean Michael Robinson continues his work at the Hooded Utilitarian with a slate of new articles, one of which features photos of the recent 24 Hour Comics experience of several other Bureau members-

Ceasing to Be- Improvisation and the 24 Hour Comic Experience

Illustrating This Article Might Make Me a Crim inal
Many thanks from He-Man!

THESE ARE MY JOKES by Nikki Burch, reviewed at Comics Grinder

2010-11-20T10:57:00.000-08:00

"It is not easy to do what Nikki Burch does. It may look easy to some cartoonists but a lot of them simply are not cut out for this particular dance with death, mayhem and destruction."

Click the quote for a lovely and quite in-depth review of a minicomic full of questionable humor and tiny lines. Nikki's portfolio here. Ok, see ya!

2010-11-19T14:54:00.000-08:00

So here we have some blobs from a while back. That beaver's mine. Enjoy it!

BLOOR. IS. COMING.

2010-11-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Adam does Dr. Seuss doin' Star Wars

2010-11-11T10:06:00.001-08:00

Hi internet!

I'm going to resist the urge to write about this in 3rd person, which I'm pretty sure means I'm breaking a law somewhere. Caution to the wind and all that!

Just for fun, here're some Star Wars cartoons which I've finally managed to color. I'm posting a couple here, and you can see more at my personal blog. Check them out!

love, Adam

Fremont Abbey's 5 year anniversary

2010-11-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

Fellow Bureaucrat Dalton Webb illustrated and designed an email piece to help celebrate Fremont Abbey's 5 year anniversary.

"Fremont Abbey Arts Center is a vibrant community venue where people of all ages & incomes are supported in their artistic and social development through new collaborative arts experiences."
Fremont Abbey has an art mission the Bureau can endorse!

Landlord's Daughter, Pillow Army and Nikki Burch and Marc Palm

2010-10-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

This Friday, November 5th, the Blue Moon will be hosting Bureacrat Sean Michael Robinson's folk rock band Landlord's Daughter, along with chamber-rock heroes Pillow Army (who Cory Doctorow endorsed as making "some really goddamned great music") and Product of Mexico. Additionally (but wait! there's more!) they will be joined by Bureaucrats Nikki Burch and Marc Palm, who will be engaging in live drawing shenanigans throughout the evening. If you're free for the evening, won't you consider coming out and joining us?

Friday November 5th/ 9:00
Admission: $5.
Age: 21+.

LANDLORD’S DAUGHTER (11:30 ish)
PILLOW ARMY (10:15 ish)
PRODUCT OF MEXICO (9 PM)
NIKKI BURCH and MARC PALM- all the time!

Combo #1: The Commercial

2010-10-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

Bureaucrat and delightful undead Marc "Swellzombie" Palm has created this engrossing commercial for COMBO #1, the Bureau of Drawers' first-ever collaborative minicomic box set:

Stay tuned for more details on how to get your own copy of this very-limited-edition box of wonders and delights!

Helen Parson and Stevie VanBronkhorst are very dramatic.

2010-10-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

Bureaucrats Helen Parson and Stevie VanBronkhorst have finally come clean about what is keeping them from the clubhouse for the last couple months. Turns out it's a bad case of THE THEATRE.

Helen Parson is in Greenstage's Hard Bard Macbeth, taking place in Belltown Thursday-Sunday for the rest of the month, as Donalbain/Fleance/Son of Macduff/Young Siward, as well as playing sound designer. This irreverent, ultra bloody, and otherwise over-the-top production has totally badass steampunk costumes, bitchin' fights, barbershop quartets, and all the insanity you could hope for in Shakespeare's Scottish play. http://www.greenstage.org/2010/macbeth

Stevie VanBronkhorst is not only poster designer for Burien Little Theatre's production of Reefer Madness, but also paints a man as a satyr sex-god for a reefer-fueled orgy scene before every performance. If that doesn't tell you enough about the level of pure camp glory inherent in this musical update of the propaganda-turned-cult-classic about the horrors of weed, you should come and see the gore-spattered finale for yourself. Reefer Madness plays Friday-Sunday until the end of the month. http://www.burienlittletheatre.org

Nikki Burch has done a poster for 90.3 KEXP! That's a radio station.

2010-10-17T18:26:00.000-07:00

Nikki Burch, member of the Bureau, did this hand-illustrated poster for local Seattle radio station KEXP (90.3 on the dial)!

Check out the poster in its native web-habitat here, or if you're a local, see printed copies hanging up around town. Good clean fun!

Sunday Morning Cartooning classes

2010-10-08T15:13:00.001-07:00

Greetings!

Bureau member Sean Michael Robinson will be teaching an upcoming five-week course in cartooning at local art supply store turned studio Artist and Craftsman Supply, in the University district. The details-

Interested in working on a comic, manga or graphic novel, and not sure where to go to take your skills to the next level? Artist and Craftsman Supply is now offering a five-week Sunday morning course in all things ink.You'll take a short story through every stage of the process of creation- from brainstorming, planning and developing the ideas and visuals, to thinking drawing and developing in pencil, to inking or finishing with a wide variety of tools (brushes, nibs, technical pens, paper towels, etc). The class will culminate with a tutorial on printing in the digital world, the wonder of the photocopier, and the self-publication of your very own comic. Drop-ins are welcome, but most students will benefit from the sequencing of the entire class.

The class will be taught by Seattle cartoonist and teacher Sean Michael Robinson (http://www.topshelfcomix.com/ts2.0/much_of_what_we_said/)

Sunday Morning Cartooning
from 10 am to 12 noon October 17th - November 14th
$50 for all five sessions, or $12 for a single drop-in session

at Artist & Craftsman Supply
4350 8th Avenue NE Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 545-0091

You can also contact the instructor at seanmichaelrobinson at gmail dot com.

Meet ... The Cabinet of Cookery

2010-10-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

More than a few of the members of the Bureau of Drawers are also foodies - we've got both amateur and professional cooks, chefs, bakers and other food-oriented fancy-pantses in abundance.

To give ourselves a creative outlet for our occasional kitchen-ological escapades, we've created a sub-group of the Bureau: THE CABINET OF COOKERY!

Swing on by to check out recipes, reviews, tips, tricks, reminiscences and - in the best of all possible worlds - food-related artwork. Hope to see you there!

The Bureau of Drawers Halloween Show THIS FRIDAY

2010-10-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

Don't forget, the official opening of the Bureau of Drawers' inaugural Halloween Show will take place this Friday, October 8, at Cafe Racer on Roosevelt Way. Swing on by and meet the Bureaucrats, check out our original monster-mad art, and enjoy the ambience of our homebase bar (recently covered in glowing terms by none other than The New York Times!)

Be sure to be there, and spread the word!

Cafe Racer
5828 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA (206) 523-5282

"Too Tall" Tom Dougherty in The Seattle Weekly

2010-10-06T09:16:00.001-07:00

Be sure to check out this week's copy of the Seattle Weekly for illustrations by our own Tom Dougherty. Here's a sample to whet your appetite and rev your engines ...

"Swellzombie" at REPANELED

2010-10-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

Shambling horror and Bureaucrat in good standing MARC PALM is featured today over at REPANELED, the blog for recopied comics panels. Swing on by and check out his take on classic Captain America villain MODOK ...

Bureau of Drawers Art Show - October 8 2010

2010-09-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

Greetings Friends and Fiends! Guys and ghouls! Guests and Ghosts! Looking for a great way to kick of the Halloween season? If so, come on down to the Cafe Racer on Friday, Oct. 8th, for the Bureau's Halloween Art Show!

Blobs and marker fumes

2010-09-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Greetings friends,

Last week the Bureau furthered the cause of science with an experiment into the art of making cute/ugly creatures from seemingly random blobs of highly toxic marker. And now we share our creations with you, safe in your home, free from the coma-inducing smells of freshly released marker taint.You can find the whole set of twenty six blobs at our brand new flickr account here- And rest assured, there will be more blob updates in the future- we're not the types to let a good thing go until it's rotted and putrified in our clenched hands.

Love, the Bureau
p.s. images above by Tom Dougherty, Marc Palm, Nikki Burch, and Tyler Hill

Come see Breanne Boland at the Jet City Comic Show!

2010-09-24T17:39:00.001-07:00

Breanne Boland will be at the Jet City Comic Show this Saturday, September 25, at table AA35 (that is, right in the middle of the action).

Breanne will be selling copies of Furlough one and two, Sausage Stew, and copies of the new fourth printing of How to Be More Creative, More Often. She'll also have Combo #1 boxes from the Bureau of Drawers.

Do come say hello and have your monies ready.

Sean Michael Robinson at the Hooded Utilitarian

2010-09-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

Bureau watchers,

It's official! Our own Sean Michael Robinson is writing a monthly column over at the Hooded Utilitarian, a satellite blog of the Comics Journal. You can read his most recent entry, "The Forked Path- Childhood, Death and the Choose Your Own Adventure" here, or take a look at last month's entry "What Do I Do With Those Damned Anime Kids" here.

Combo #1- still tastes great weeks after preparation

2010-09-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

Greetings friends and fellows!

We wanted to cap off the last few very busy weeks by sharing a few more photos from our UrbanLight debut of our minicomic box set, Combo # 1.

Calamity Jon Morris and Nonickname Adam Watson started off the live drawing with special request pies and muppet portraits. Both drew until they passed out from Sharpie fumes and dehydration.

Also in attendance was the mysterious David Lasky and his only slightly-less-mysterious art. David put his 1996 short story "Portrait of Ella" back into print specifically for the box set, and had several color pieces in the show.

Okay, who abandoned the live drawing table and left all our stuff laying out? I spy Mark Stockbridge in the background there, so I'm going to blame him. If your child wanted a pie or a pickle or a muppet or a cat drawing for a dollar and you found the table unmanned, it is officially the fault of Mark Stockbridge.

Carl Nelson draws for neither man nor woman, nor child nor dollar. Carl did however complete two excellent minis this summer, both of which you can read at carlnelsoncomics.com.

If you didn't make the show and still want to pick up a copy of Combo #1, watch this space for an announcement regarding local distribution. As for the night... it was a blast for all of us, and we hope it was for you too. See you at our next event?

THESE ARE MY JOKES by Nikki Burch reviewed at The Sequential Artists Workshop

2010-09-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

Check out this entry from the Sequential Artists Workshop for a nice review of our own Nikki Burch's inaugural book-publishing effort, These Are My Jokes.

Say they of she:

Her voice is original, her style is strange, honest and labor intensive in a way that makes even a simple drawing of a cartoon owl into a record of a tooth and nail struggle to express her vision. Into the breach armed with ink, willing to shed blood . She is the real deal.

Too true! You can check out more of Nikki's work at her site.

Nice Night For An Artwalk

2010-09-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

Phinneywood.com scoops all the top news outlets with the first coverage of our awesome Gallery Show and Release Party for COMBO #1, our collaborative box set of minicomics (soon to be available for sale at finer comic shops in the Seattle area and here in our very own store!). Read about our energetic live drawing event and more terrific art happening during the ArtWalk.

Check out Breanne Boland and Sean Robinson representing the Bureau photojournalistically - does this mean if either of them ever commits a crime, we'll be able to bark at a nearby copyboy "Get down to the morgue and get me a picture of this Robinson-Boland Crime Duo" ? I truly, truly hope so.

David Lasky and Greg Stump Teach The Graphic Novel Crash Course

2010-09-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

Our own David Lasky is co-presenting an invaluable crash course in the ins-and-outs of making your own graphic novel, an invaluable opportunity from an acclaimed talent! Here's the details:

Tuesday, September 14, 2010 - 7PM
HOW TO WRITE AND DRAW A GRAPHIC NOVEL
(THE CRASH COURSE)
with David Lasky and Greg Stump

Graphic novels combine writing and images to tell stories in ways unlike any other medium. In a single evening, two graphic novelists will share many of their secrets and strategies to help you take the first steps toward a graphic novel (or shorter work) of your own. Prior drawing experience is not necessary.

BUY TICKETS AT BROWN PAPER TICKETS

More information and more workshops

Box Production for Combo #1

2010-09-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

Box art production is well under-way for Combo #1, our inaugural mini-comic box set. Check out these photos from the busy basement of our own screenprinting master-chef Adam Watson ...

And don't forget, our release party and gallery show is tonight! We're only doing a limited run of these boxes and this might be your only chance to pick one up! Hope to see you there!

Don't Forget - Tomorrow is COMBO at URBANLIGHT STUDIOS!

2010-09-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow marks the debut of our first collaborative gallery show and release party for our minicomic box set, COMBO #1!

Not only will there be art on the walls and our very limited stock of Combo #1 box-sets for sale, but more than a dozen members of the Bureau of Drawers be in attendance - and several of them will be doing drawings-on-demand ... for a BUCK!

That's right, for this one night only and for a single dollar, Bureaucrats will be breaking out their specialities to treat and tantalize you with the gift of take-home art! Cart away an unusual pie! An historical pickle portrait! Your very own personalized portrait of the Dorian Gray variety!

It's gonna be a blast, so be sure to join us for Artwalk TOMORROW EVENING at URBANLIGHT STUDIOS from 6-10pm, you don't dare miss it!

COMBO #1: Gallery Show and Release Party
Featuring the Bureau of Drawers
Friday, Sept 10
6-10PM
UrbanLight Studios
info@urbanlightstudios.com
8537 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle, WA (206) 913-2834

COMBO #1 is coming together!

2010-09-02T09:02:00.001-07:00

Check out this test printing for the Combo #1 box art (illustrated by "Doodlin'" Dalton Webb and screenprinted by "Inky" Adam Watson)...

It's gonna be sharp!

COMBO #1: Gallery Show and Release Party

2010-08-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

The Bureau of Drawers is excited to announce its first-ever collaborative gallery show!

For one night only during Greenwood Art Walk, the Bureau will represent the forces of good and righteousness at UrbanLight Studios (8537 Greenwood Ave N), Friday September 10, 6-10PM - with its first-ever gallery show, COMBO: Original Artwork by the Bureau of Drawers!

But wait, there's more: This isn't just a gallery show, it's A RELEASE PARTY! That's right, the Bureau of Drawers will be debuting COMBO #1, a box-set crammed with exciting original minicomics from our awesome artists!

We'll have original art from and inspired by our minicomics on display and for sale, plus we'll be making Combo #1 available for purchase for the first time ever - You could be one of the first people in the WHOLE OF HUMANITY to own one of these original, limited edition box sets, featuring excellent cover art by Dalton Webb and each box painstakingly screenprinted by hand!

This is a big to-do - several members of the Bureau of Drawers will be in attendance, we'll have live drawing events with the Bureau, and our own Calamity Jon has once again promised that he will draw pies for a dollar (trust me, it was a big hit last time around).

Our current guest list includes Breanne Boland, Nikki Burch, Tom Dougherty, Scott Faulkner, Billis Helg, Tyler Hill, Sean Kent, David Lasky, Calamity Jon Morris, Marc Palm, Sean Robinson, Gina Siciliano, Mark Stockbridge, Stevie VanBronkhorst, Adam Watson, Dalton Webb and even more!

Be sure to be there!

The Deets:
COMBO #1: Gallery Show and Release Party
Featuring the Bureau of Drawers
Friday, Sept 10
6-10PM
UrbanLight Studios
info@urbanlightstudios.com
8537 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle, WA (206) 913-2834

Dalton Webb on Love+Water

2010-08-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

Bureaucrat Dalton Webb is featured in the artist spotlight at the Love+Water Design Blog, and talks a bit about his work.

Also, check out the other artists - there is some great stuff on here!

The Bureau of Drawers at BUMBERSHOOT 2010

2010-08-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Check it out: Your favorite cuddly cartoon canards - The Bureau of Drawers - have been called in to liven up the proceedings at this year's Bumbershoot, Seattle's top music and arts fest!

Bumbershoot is celebrating its 40th year providing the premiere Pacific Northwest live music, art, comedy and alternative entertainment experience, and so who else would they call? It was us and Bob Dylan, together we're lending the place a little bit of class.

You can find us in the Northwest Rooms under the bright and bountiful banner of the COUNTERCULTURE COMIX: A 30-Year Survey of Seattle Alternative Cartoonists event. Check out the description of the event via the official Bumbershoot page:

This retrospective examines the Northwest's legacy as the birthplace of alternative comics (aka comix). Beginning with the work of Lynda Barry circa 1980, and running through today, the emphasis is on the role of comix in Seattle's youth movement of the '90s that went on to influence global popular culture. Curated by Larry Reid in conjunction with Fantagraphics Books, this exhibit features original artwork on display together with demonstrations by Friends of the Nib and Bureau of Drawers, as well as screenings of Hooked on Comix. Artists include Lynda Barry, Charles Burns, Peter Bagge, Jim Woodring, Ellen Forney, Patrick Moriarity, Mark Zingarelli, Roberta Gregory, Megan Kelso, Jim Blanchard, David Lasky, Justin Hampton, Ted Jouflas, and others.

You'll find the Bureau of Drawers there all three days, inviting passers-by to contribute to an enormous collaborative comic/mural, so please stop on by and add your art to an exciting, living piece of art! Meet the Bureaucrats! Feed them oyster shells and coffee grounds in the manner to which they're accustomed, which is to say "...hurled over a wall from a bucket". Adopt one of us and take us home, let us live under your porch and teach us to respond to simple commands! It'll be fun for all!

We'll be there from 1:00PM-2:30PM, and again between 4:00PM-5:30PM, all three days (we'll be spotted between those sessions by our chums and pals in The Friends of the Nib, so you owe it to yourself to swing by and say "hey ho" to them, as well!).

This is TOP-NOTCH stuff, and like Billy Red Lyons used to say, don't you dare miss it! We'll see you there!

Photos from the SAM Remix event!

2010-08-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

The Bureau of Drawers was pleased as punch to be part of the recent SAM Remix event on August 27th at the Olympic Sculpture Park. It was a total blast, and if you were one of the folks who was lucky enough to make it in - despite lines that literally wrapped around the block - then you might've gotten to participate in our open-air cartoon jam.

Dozens upon dozens of attendees joined members of the Bureau in illustrating a collaborative comic-mural on an uninterrupted piece of paper. The end result is pictured below, and as you can see, it's a monster!

Nikki Burch, Mark Stockbridge and Tyler Hill do their best to display the banner...

Success! Now they just have to stay like that forever...

A close-up of the damage done. If you recognize any of the people whose likenesses
are captured in these illustrations, please do not approach without a police escort
and a flamethrower.

If you'd like to join up with the Bureau for an upcoming collaborative comic jam project, be sure to keep an eye out for us at Bumbershoot this weekend (see the next post for details)! The SAM Remix comic/mural will be on display, and we'll be inviting folks to continue drawing with us on all three days.

Big ups to Bureaucrats Tom Dougherty, Mark Stockbridge, Stevie VanBronkhorst, Billis Helg, Marc Palm, Nikki Burch, Adam Watson, Tyler Hill, Scott Faulkner, Dalton Webb, Kaia Chessen, Calamity Jon Morris, several special guests and probably a half dozen more I'm forgetting, plus our undying thanks to everyone who hung out, chatted, participated and observed. We're looking forward to seeing you all at Bumbershoot!

Tom Dougherty, the man with the big tube.

Bureaucrat Breanne Boland @ the 10th Annual Portland Zine Symposium

2010-08-26T20:31:00.001-07:00

Breanne Boland will be tabling at the 10th Annual Portland Zine Symposium this weekend. The symposium is open August 28 from 10 AM to 5 PM and August 29 from 10 AM to 4 PM and is being held at the Peter W. Stott Main Gym on the Portland State University Campus. In addition to a full roster of workshops and panels, more than 180 local and further-flung zine makers and comic artists will be exhibiting their work.

Breanne will be selling issues one and two of Furlough as well as her zines, which cover creativity matters, family awkwardness, and talking politics with family on Facebook. Her newest mini, an illustrated story called Sausage Stew, is a tour of the special social conditions that come with going to a gym. You can see more of her work at breanneboland.com

SAM Remix event this Friday August 27th!

2010-08-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings friends and drawing fiends,

The Bureau will be out this Friday night at the Seattle Art Museum's second annual SAM Remix Project. We will be organizing and drawing like mad in a large-scale collaborative comic, and we want you to participate! This large scroll-like jam comic will be developed over the course of the evening as cartoonists of all stripes sling some ink, drink, eat, and then possibly drink some more.

In addition to our marathon participatory stunt drawing comic, there will be a tremendous range of art activities, music, food and drink. The activities will all take place at the Olympic Sculpture Park from 8 PM to midnight, or as long as you can stand the awesome. Prepare for overwhelming artistic destruction.

All the pertinent details and tickets can be found at the SAM website for the event.

If you can't make it out this Friday, please stop by to see us at Bumbershoot the following weekend, where we will be working on a jam comic of similar epic scale.

All the best,

the Bureaucrats

Dalton Webb Solo Art Show

2010-08-18T15:39:00.001-07:00

Exceptionally talented artist and fellow Bureaucrat Dalton Webb is having a solo show at Tart Beauty Studio through the end of September.

The show features sixteen pieces (including seven new illustrations), which you can view at Dalton's site - www.mrmanifesto.com/Illustration

Tart Beauty Studio
2221 Northwest 56th Street
Seattle, WA

http://maps.google.com/places/us/wa/seattle/nw-56th-st/2221/-tart-hair-&-cosmetic-studio?gl=us

Banjo-Pluckin' Pig Pals!

2010-08-10T14:17:00.001-07:00

Several Bureaucrats have been contributing to the Dueling Pig Banjos blog, the brainchild of artists Guy Francis and Stacy Curtis.

So far, you can check out the submitted pigs from Tom Dougherty, Breanne Boland, Dalton Webb, Scott Faulkner and Calamity Jon Morris - go give 'em a looksee!

Sparing your poor little fingers a whole mess of typing!

2010-08-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know, it's now easier to find our blog: you can get here from BureauOfDrawers.net, BureauOfDrawers.org and the classic BureauOfDrawers.com! No need to type in the full blogspot address any longer, hooray!

Outdoor Star Trek: The Naked Time

2010-07-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

Several of our favorite Bureaucrats and many friends will be beating Shakespeare at his own game this and next weekend as they present "Outdoor Star Trek".

The episode up to order in this inaugural outing is the classic first season episode "The Naked Time", recast and performed live in front of your very eyes by Hello Earth Productions. It promises to be a blast - you might recall, if you're a fan of the original series as I am, that the episode in question is particularly over-the-top and awesome - so you have to be there!

Check out more info and photos at the Hello Earth blog!

The deets:
Dr. Blanche Lavizzo Park
2100 S Jackson St
Seattle, WA
Saturday, July 31 and August 7 at 7pm
Sunday, August 1 and 8 at 2 pm.

Meet The Bureau: Calamity Jon Morris

2010-07-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

Bureaucrat Jon Morris has been writing and drawing under the pseudonym “Calamity Jon” for at least twelve years, or since the internet was in short pants. A long-time resident of Tucson, Arizona, he was born in San Jose, California, grew up in the small Hudson Valley town of Mahopac, New York, and now resides outside of Seattle in one of its many tamed suburbs.

Calamity Jon was raised in a house full of comics. His father – a German immigrant – taught himself to read English via comic books (particularly Jack Kirby and Joe Simon’s Challengers of the Unknown). His mother - an artist and English teacher - had been a reader of comics since her childhood. As a fashion artist and science-fiction illustrator, she was particularly drawn towards the strange, beautiful worlds depicted therein.

The family collection included books ranging from Conan and Tarzan to Uncle Wiggly to Whiz Comics to Heavy Metal to Zap, and everything in-between. This encouraged in Jon a love of the medium more than a love of any particular genre, and he (perhaps embarrassingly) possesses a nearly-encyclopedic knowledge of comics, comics creators and comics history across eras, and more importantly, adores comics for their potential and craft as much as for its colorful characters.

Calamity Jon has been a guest on This American Life - owing to his blog focusing on absurd and unlovable comics, Gone&Forgotten - and was nominated in 2001 for an Ignatz Award for his weekly webcomic Jeremy: Just Turned Nine. He’s been a frequent contributor to Topps’ trading cards stable of sketchcard artists (working on Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Lord of the Rings card series), has illustrated for magazines, role-playing games, card games and weekly alternative newspapers, and currently works as a User Experience designer for emerging touchscreen technologies.

In addition to all of that, he’s a contributing writer to - among other sites - the fictional urban blog The City Desk, web-magazines The High Hat and Heavy.com and comedy website Cap’n Wacky’s Boatload of Fun, as well as being a regular feature player on the Wasted Words podcast. Calamity Jon is also a judge at superhero redesign blog Project:Rooftop, in addition to frequently contributing designs himself.

A self-described “internet drunkard, two-fisted king of the hoboes and a blend of thirteen unfortunate herbs and spices”, Calamity Jon currently has about thirteen thousand irons in the fire. His plans include new original comics and a return to his Jeremy: Just Turned Nine series for a 2010/2011 annual. He recently concluded a “Marvel 30-In-One” series of illustrations for the Thirty Days of Creativity Project, and has new, upcoming gallery shows scheduled over the remainder of 2010. He is also overseeing the editing for the Bureau of Drawers first official collaborative comic project (which will debut in the next couple of weeks)!

You can find Calamity Jon on ding-dang near every social networking site there is, all of which are conveniently linked to through his portfolio/blog, Calamity Jon Save Us!

Meet The Bureau: Scott Faulkner

2010-07-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

Scott Faulkner was born in Southwest Washington state and migrated North to Seattle in 1991. Along the way he stopped in Olympia and obtained a bachelor's degree at the Evergreen State College. While there he contributed comic strips to the student newspaper, The Cooper Point Journal, inspired by the earlier example of some of his heroes, Evergreen alumni Matt Groening, Lynda Barry, and Charles Burns. After moving to Seattle he joined the vibrant 90s mini-comics scene and self-published a few works, as well as contributing to various local comics anthologies.

In the present century he has contributed to the SPX comics festival anthology and done comics and illustrations for the Seattle magazines MATTE, BANDOPPLER, and SEATTLE SOUND. He was a founding member of the Seattle cartoonist collective FineComix which in 2002 was in a group show at Seattle's SOIL gallery, "Comics Off the Page". In 2005 he edited and published the FineComix anthology, MOXIE, MY SWEET, and in 2006 became an original member of the group of cartoonists which are now known as "The Bureau".

You can see more of his art and comics at http://www.vinylsaurus.com/

Upcoming Show: Landlord's Daughter

2010-06-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

Our own Sean Michael Robinson - who also created the art for this lovely poster below - will be performing with his band Landlord's Daughter this upcoming July 18th. Great music from a great musician - and cartoonist! If you're in Seattle, check out this no cover/all-ages concert!

Meet The Bureau: Stevie VanBronkhorst

2010-06-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

A Seattle native, Stevie VanBronkhorst was raised by wolves (home-schooled) until college. She gained from the experiment a great curiosity, a mercurial sense of humor, and the ability to smell fear. She graduated in graphic design in 2007, and now makes newspapers, magazines, and occasional small comic books.

The decline of her young mind began at age twelve with the discovery of Elfquest at the library. She began to draw comics instead of learning to count, and soon constructed a consuming and epic personal space-opera. Should she ever actually create this imaginary comic, she may then have the capacity to learn basic arithmetic, but no one has yet dared to hope.

Following college, she enjoyed a brief but formative internship at the illustrious Periscope Studio in Portland, Oregon, under the tutelage of such esteemed working artists as Steve Leiber and Jeff Parker.

She is now 22 and has again taken up drawing for pleasure and profit. Her other hobbies include worrying, scheming, and going on small project-related quests. The results of her larks and misadventures can be seen on her blog.

Meet The Bureau: Tyler Hill

2010-06-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

Tyler Hill is a member of that rarified breed known as a native-born Washingtonian. First appearing in the city of Lakewood (a town known primarily for being wedged between Fort Lewis and Western State Mental Hospital and, well, its lakes), Tyler spent large chunks of his youth in-doors drawing elaborate battlefields, inventing new superheroes, and trying to recreate the scenes from his favorite movies using Crayola markers and cheap reams of printer paper.

Surviving the complete and total collapse of civilization at the turn of the Millennium completely unscathed, Tyler graduated from Western Washington University and (like many newly minted graphic designers of the era) was shunted into the rough-and-tumble world of dotcom web-design where he toiled for many years.

Tyler received his Affected World Traveler™ merit badge, during a 7-month Round the World trip with his wife. And then, returning home, continued to live the Northwest cliché by buying a house and getting a job working for the large philanthropic organization of a local dotcom ka-billionaire.

With the birth of his daughter, Tyler decided to put the 9-to-5 life behind him, and start his own freelance design and illustration company, creatively named Tyler Hill Illustration & Design. He now spends his days changing diapers, sitting in his basement hunched over his computer, scribbling in his sketchbook and still reading comic books. Oh, and making wine.

If you’d like to see more of Tyler’s work, check out his portfolio site: GeneralTheoryOfCreativity.com or its corresponding blog.

Meet The Bureau: Sean Michael Robinson

2010-06-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

Another Florida refugee, Sean Michael Robinson is a cartoonist, musician and former high school art teacher currently living the good life in Seattle, Washington.

For the past two years he’s been hammering away at his debut graphic novel Discards, which he hopes to finish in the spring of 2012. When not slinging ink or molding the minds of the youth of America, Sean plays and sings for the indie chamber-pop sensation Landlord’s Daughter.

Interested in pen pals, or want to commission an illustration? You can reach him at seanmichaelrobinson at gmail dot com. You can also look for some short stories of his to appear on the Top Shelf 2.0 website very soon...

Meet The Bureau: Marc Palm

2010-06-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Marc “Swellzombie” Palm has been cartooning and creating comics as long as he’s had the “gentlemen hairs” on his body.

With Michigan as his starting point, Marc uses comics, toys, cartoons, design, film, TV, music, and current home Seattle to fuel his creative imagination. For years he’s made self-satisfied comics with pencil, ink and watercolors and shares them on-line through Swellzombie’s Lair of the Psychic Creature blog. As well as creating books of his art through Unicycle Productions, his self-publishing company that utilizes print-on-demand resources.

Marc “Swellzombie” Palm can be found all over the internet via: Facebook, Flickr, and Blogger.
e-mail: swellzombie@hotmail.com
Blogs: http://swellzombie.blogspot.com/
http://marcpalm.blogspot.com/

Meet The Bureau: Breanne Boland

2010-06-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Breanne Boland has been drawing and making stories since her brain became able to sustain any level of higher function. However, it was only last year that she began properly making comics, following a transformational summer that included a 24-hour comics event and a weeklong stint at the Center for Cartoon Studies.

After creating several zines (covering cat ownership, awkward family vacations, and fostering creativity in daily life, among other subjects), her primary focus is comics. She recently completed the second issue of a planned four-issue arc of Furlough, which focuses on a workaholic whose life is upended when she finds that her beloved company is going to close. What our heroine finds most galling, though, is that they didn't even plan on telling her until the end – with everyone else. Bad ideas, petty larceny, and hand-wringing ensue.

"I've enjoyed being around other artists because it makes me actually try to be better. Until April, when I quit my job, I was the Office Artist, which is a title anyone can earn as long as they doodle often enough during meetings. Being around other people who draw, where it isn't a novelty, makes me have to step up my game."

"Late last year, when I was planning Furlough and figuring out how I wanted to publish it, I decided to make my learning curve pretty public. I've never written short stories, except under duress at college, so I knew that if I wanted to be able to keep my own attention, I needed to start with something longer. It's my hope that Furlough will be an illustration (hurrhurr) of what I learned and when, and that it'll push me toward the longer, more complicated stories I want to tell."

"I learned to draw while watching The Little Mermaid over and over again. Fortunately, my influences have expanded some since then."

Breanne posts work in progress, sketches, and other art- and comics-related information at http://www.breanneboland.com/

Thirty Days of Creativity.

2010-06-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

Bureaucrat Jon Morris is participating in this month's "Thirty Days of Creativity" at the Thirty Days Project, following through on his frequent threat to draw the hell out of Marvel's roster of 1970s/1980s heroes. And he's doon it!

He's at the halfway mark right now, so check out the Marvel Universe to date at his site, Calamity Jon Save Us!

Upcoming Show: Grandma ZAPP’s Rolling Thunderheart Mountain Variety Show (and Bake Sale) June 15

2010-06-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

Many close pals of the Bureau will be performing and participating in this upcoming event for the Zine Archive and Publishing Project at the Richard Hugo House this upcoming June 15, check it out:

Help ZAPP keep the lights on, the paper slicer sharp and the copier warm!

Come to “Grandma ZAPP’s Rolling Thunderheart Mountain Variety Show (and Bake Sale),” a reading and variety show featuring acclaimed graphic novelists Jim Woodring and Megan Kelso, among many others!

The variety show is a fundraiser to support and sustain ZAPP, Hugo House's zine archive of more than 20,000 original, handmade publications.

Jim Woodring (“The Frank Book” and “Book of Jim”) and Megan Kelso (“The Squirrel Mother”) headline the variety show, which represents a coming together of Seattle’s DIY and comics’ communities and a gathering of friends of ZAPP, past and present. Also appearing will be Stranger artist Greg Stump; Max Clotfelter and Kelly Froh (“Stewbrew”); Zack Mandeville (“Funwater Awesome”); Lucy Morehouse (“Ong Ong”); Julia Lipscomb; Raleigh Briggs (as “Grandma ZAPP”); and music from Helen Parson. The variety show will be hosted by self-publishing star (and former ZAPP intern) Bryan Edenfield and Meg van Huygen.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at here. There will be books, artwork and baked goods forsale. Sales from books and CDs go to benefit the artists. All other proceeds benefit ZAPP. Doors open at 6 p.m.

New Releases: Furlough #2 by Breanne Boland

2010-06-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

The Bureau's own Breanne Boland has just announced the release of Furlough Issue Two, which is now available in her Esty shop.

Kate Strickland is a model employee. She learns everything she can at her job at a small HR company, looking to run the place someday. She's young, but life's so good and so stable she's looking at buying a house. But when she learns that the company will be closing in six months - and that, worse still, no one planned on telling her until the end, with everyone else - all of that energy and diligence shifts toward getting what she can, while she can. Office supply pilfering, creative loafing, and other acts of petty larceny ensue.

In issue two, Kate finds tension rising at work as those around her sense something going awry. Old problems rise again as Kate's lack of a future at the company let her filter fall, making bad ideas look surprisingly alluring.

36 pages, 5.5 x 8.5 inches. Glossy color cover, black and white innards. Issue two of a planned four-issue series.

Visit www.breanneboland.com for more information, updates, and previews of Furlough, Issue Three!

BLOOR COMIX: Nikki Burch

2010-05-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

Nikki Burch ups the weird factor with a gender-bending exploration into the flower of young womanhood that is Bloor...

BLOOR COMIX: Scott Faulkner (Again)

2010-05-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

Bloor is a complicated individual, allow Scott Faulkner to unwrap his many layers ...

BLOOR COMIX: Tyler Hill

2010-05-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

The Bloor, it never ends! Almost literally, thanks to Tyler Hill ...

BLOOR COMIX: Scott Faulkner

2010-05-20T11:13:00.001-07:00

Bloor's love life is complicated. Bureaucrat Scott Faulkner underlines our favorite Uranian's many romantic pitfalls:

BLOOR COMIX: Adam Watson

2010-05-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

Bureaucrats have recently fallen under the spell of the most charismatic Uranian of them all, BLOOR, and his inveterate button pushing habit. Here, Adam Watson extrapolates on young Bloor's early fascination with the button which made him so famous ...

BLOOR COMIX: GET READY

2010-05-20T11:06:00.000-07:00