Crimes Against Humanity/Upcoming Events

I starred in a movie. My friends Jerzy Rose and Halle Butler wrote this movie, Jerzy directed it, and more of my friends, like Mike Lopez and Ted Tremper and Buki Bodunrin, also starred in it. The majority of the shooting took place last March. This trailer was only just finished, and I believe the film is waiting to show at some festivals, so if you'd like to see it in a theater near you, I'm sorry but I can't give you any more information - not yet, at least.

As you can see from this trailer, my character cries a lot and gets injured repeatedly. It was a lot of fun to shoot this movie, but I'd also like to take this opportunity to say that crying constantly in a film means you're actually crying constantly for days on end while they shoot multiple takes and set up for different camera angles. For a real cry, it's important to stay miserable and in the 'crying zone' even while you're not on camera. And, the longer you stay in the 'crying zone,' the deeper the wells of angst you must tap. I recommend starring in a movie as a crying character to anyone who is having trouble getting in touch with their dark side.

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Last week, the 119th issue of Lumpen, the long-running counter-culture free quarterly, was released. It's Lumpen's first all-comics issue in over a decade, and a really stunning collection of work by almost 40 artists, most based in Chicago. The issue also includes an interview with me, by Joe Tallarico. You can click on the images above for a larger, legible version of this interview.

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If you've got your calendar out, and you care to mark it with your special Lyra pencil, here are some dates of which to take note:

- TOMORROW, Friday February 1st, I will be reading Go Down as part of the woman-artists/woman-art event Hysteria! Visualizing Female Anxiety. The show includes installations, wall art, sculptures, and performance. Doors at 7:00pm, free admission. Pink champagne toast at 8:00. I perform at 9:00. Located at Temple Head Gallery (formerly known as Reversible Eye) at 1103 N. California Avenue.

- On February 28th the 20th annual Chicago Underground Film Festival's movie poster gallery show opens, which will include last year's CUFF poster as well as the Two Years At Sea poster. Extra prints of both will be on sale at the show.

- March 8th-9th is the Chicago Zine Fest. I'll be tabling with Thomas Comerford and his incredible son Henry.

- On March 9th, Township is hosting one of several CUFF afterparties. In a delightful bit of synchronicity, being as it is the final day of the Zine Fest, I'll be performing my comic Banana Glove Game to open the show.

- Brain Frame 11 is March 23rd.

- On April 12th, I'll be hosting a special-edition Brain Frame/CAKE fundraiser at Peanut Gallery, featuring comix readings from four artists, including Brain Frame alumi Andy Burkholder and an epic set from the incredible Paul Nudd, as well as a live auction. I gotta start practicing my tongue-twisters.

- On April 13th, I'll be reading Night City at the Hideout as part of a special evening put together by Pocket Guide to Hell, an ingenious and informative series of Chicago-based historical reenactments and happenings.

- April 21st is the second annual Brooklyn Zine Fest. I'll be traveling to NYC with Tyson, who will be playing a few Night Terror shows, in Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore. I'm tabling at the fest and will be hosting the first ever Brooklyn Brain Frame, a celebration and afterparty for the Zine Fest as well as a seminal moment in Brain Frame history. I promise to reveal more about this rousing announcement soon.