Evan Palmer - Cartoonist / Illustrator

Album Cover for High Octane, 2012 Ink and digital media

Evan Palmer

Name: Evan Palmer
City/State: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Email: evan.g.palmer at gmail.com
Website: http://evanpalmercomics.com
Twitter: @evantickles
Etsy Page: http://www.etsy.com/shop/EvanPalmerComics
Tumblr: http://evanpalmercomics.tumblr.com/

Bio

I'm originally from Louisiana, but I've been living in Minneapolis and freezing my butt off for the past 8 years. By day I'm a digital media producer at PUNY (www.punyentertainment.com) working on games, animation, and banner ads, but by night, I transform into a freelance cartoonist and illustrator. I've been making my own, self-published comics ever since graduating from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2008. Before my current position, I spent a year as a ghost artist doing backgrounds for well known cartoonist, Peter Gross (http://www.petergrossart.com/), on the Vertigo titles Fables and The Unwritten. I occasionally participate in group gallery shows and have been featured at the Light Grey Art Lab and the now-closed Pink Hobo gallery.  

To the Witch's Hat, 2012 Ink and digital media

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?

I'm hugely inspired by adventure sci-fi and fantasy from the 70's and 80's and I will probably spend the rest of my life trying to recreate the feeling that some of that stuff leaves me with. My work uses a combination of hand-drawn techniques and blown out, over-the-top digital psychedelia while trying to maintain a sense of clarity and deliberateness that my weirdo scientist brain demands. I'm always working on a few freelance illustrations for rock bands or RPG game designers and a few just for fun. I also have this weird blog where I draw a monster every few days and write a little blurb about it called Sucker Monster Creatures (suckermcs.tumblr.com) which has been really fun inventing a world where all these weird things live together with connected histories while also letting me practice my inking.

My big beautiful baby that I'm in love with right now is my first full-length graphic novel, The Godins, which I've been releasing in chapters as I complete them. I'm currently working on part 4 (of 11) and the final version will be a full, approximately 300-page fantasy adventure with goblins, wizards, knights, talking dogs, and spaceships. It's not a huge departure for me, but I am super proud of it and I can't wait for all the cool kids to be reading it.

Fungus Forest, 2011 Ink wash

How did you decide to become an artist?

As the son of two artists, I was kind of born into it and I'm thankful for that. I can't remember a time where I wasn't drawing and I've just never stopped. I remember sitting next to my dad on the couch while we both drew Ninja Turtles when I was like 5 years old. I have other loves like science and cooking, but it all comes back to creating things and telling stories. I took the long way around to land on comics as a focus, thinking early in my career that I would be more of a painter/fine artist, but I fell back in love with storytelling and world building in college and am comfortable saying that I'll be here all my life.

Since becoming a "professional" I've dabbled in just about everything from paper sculpture to animated gifs. I think it's great to keep looking for new sources of inspiration and keep the artistic spark alive. There's always something relevant to learn in getting out of your bubble that you can bring back to your "home base."

Cover to The Godins, 2011 Ink and digital media

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 

I can't remember exactly who said this, but I've lived by it for so many years: always make the thing you're working on right now the best thing you've ever done. If it's not, then you have to find a way to make it the best. I'm always trying out new techniques and materials and I use each piece as a learning experience and stepping stone for what comes next. I look at art that inspires me and try to reverse-engineer it to try to see how they made it and try to incorporate what I've learned into my own work. It's impossible not to be influenced by other artists and that influence should be embraced, but never stifling to your own vision.

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself?

I'm lucky enough to have a day job so that I don't have to spend a lot of time marketing myself. Of course that also means that I'm not as well-known as I want to be, but at least I can pay rent. For cartoonists it's super important to go to conventions and talk to people face to face and get to know your fellow creators who can then send people your way. I've only met a few jerks in the industry and most people are so excited to chat and talk shop. I usually go to 3 or 4 conventions a year locally and around the country. Each offers a new and unique audience and you run into a lot of creators you admire or should admire. Every convention kind of has its own vibe and its good to know which conventions work with your style. Stumptown in Portland is all about the hand-made and grungy-cool stuff while TCAF in Toronto caters more to the super-produced glossy candy books, both of which I love. I make most of my money from comics at conventions or from people who saw my stuff there and went through to my Etsy shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop/EvanPalmerComics). I sell all of my original drawings since they tend to clutter up my studio and I keep all my work digitally. 

Tumblr has proved to be a huge game-changer in the community and its starting to be my main focus. Its a beast all its own, but there are several rising stars coming out of it and I'm just trying not to be late to the game with my own (evanpalmercomics.tumblr.com). It's a great way to get a following and connect to people doing similar things.

The Page of Pentacles, 2012 Ink and digital media

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

I'm strangely lucky to be friends with all of my favorite local artists. I both love and am intimidated by all of these people in no particular order:

Tim Sievert (http://www.timsievert.com/)

Kevin Cannon (http://kevincannon.org/)

Teagan White (http://www.teaganwhite.com/)

Emma Trithart (http://www.emmatrithart.com/)

Bill Ferenc (http://billferenc.com/)

Allegra Lockstadt (http://cargocollective.com/allegralockstadt)

Erik Krenz (http://erikbkrenz.com)

Francesca Buchko (http://francescabuchko.com/)

Anna Bongiovanni (http://annabongiovanni.com/)

King Mini (http://kingmini.com/)

(I'm forgetting more people than I'm remembering)

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
If we're talking comics, I'd start at Big Brain in downtown. It may be the best comic shop I've ever been to and they carry work by local artists and the guys there really know their stuff. And it's always worth it to stop in next door at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts either for classes or just to see what's on display for some truly unique book-related art.

Heading north a bit, CoExhibitions (http://burlesquedesign.com/temp/coexhibitions/) has had some amazing shows and I try to make it out there whenever there's something going down. Altered Esthetics (http://www.alteredesthetics.com/) in Northeast has been a pretty big supporter of the comics community, so it's always worth a visit.

Going across town, we'd give MCAD some love and see what's going on in the various galleries there. The yearly Jerome Fellowship show is always worth checking out, not to mention the yearly Art Sale for amazing student art overload. Lastly, I'd pop in next door to the Light Grey Art Lab (http://lightgreyartlab.com/) to either hang out with my favorite new group of people or see what cheeky nostalgia- or geek-inspired show is going on now.

Septembeer Poster Illustration, 2012 Ink and digital media

In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.com, where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise? 

My all-time favorite soucrce for weird stuff is Monster Brains (http://monsterbrains.blogspot.com/) This post is my favorite.

Ski-ffy is also another amzing blog of lost treasures (http://ski-ffy.blogspot.com/)

Go look at everything coming out of Study Group Comics (http://studygroupcomics.com/main/). 

Tumblr is a hugely powerful outlet for artists and is the first place I go for inspiration. I get really bummed when an artist I love doesn't have a Tumblr.  Behance is another place I go to drool over new stuff. (http://www.behance.net/)

Cover to Time Jerks, 2012 Ink and digital media

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?
Yes! I have a piece featured in the upcoming show at Light Grey Art Lab, Girls: Fact & Fiction on December 7th. It features over 100 artists depicting they're favorite real-life and fictional ladies. I chose Ellen Ripley from Aliens (here's a preview). All of the pieces will be put together in an awesome book that's available now for pre-order here.

Evan Palmer

Dan Murphy - Illustrator - Painter

Lovecraft

Dan Murphy

Name: Dan Murphy
City/State: Minneapolis, MN
Email:artisaweapon@gmail.com
Website: http://murphycommadan.com
MNartist.org profile: http://www.mnartists.org/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/dan.murphy.39566905
Twitter: @ellecirka

Bio~ Dan Murphy grew up in the Twin Cities and recieved a BFA in Illustration from the College of Visual Arts in 2000. He has done freelance work for Milkweed Editions and The Rake Magazine, and is a contributing artist to CrowdedComics http://crowdedcomics.com.  He has exhibitied at Altered Esthetics, Soap Factory Gallery, FoxTax Gallery, and the Minneapolis Indie Xpo. He also plays guitar in the Irish/folk/bluegrass group The Double Dollars.

Elle Cirka

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
I primarily enjoy working with the figure and portraiture, whether it's within painting, illustration or cartooning. I'm currently working on a series of mini-comics titled "Elle Cirka", a semi-autobiographical story about running away to join a bizarre circus. I'll compile them into a larger graphic novel at some point. It's different from past projects in that it's the largest sustained narrative I've ever worked on, but it's fun to explore that world as I create it.

How did you decide to become an artist?
At age 10 or 11 I started really enjoying art classes in school and would draw all the time. Through middle and high school, there wasn't anything else that made me as happy as making art, which led me to attending to the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul. where I found being around other artists incredibly inspiring, which continues after art school with so many artists around the cities it really drives you to keep making art. It's a supportive community but it keeps you on your toes to keep improving. At this point in my life, I can't imagine not doing art, and wonder what "regular" folks do with themselves.

Mugshot

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?To keep moving forward, to understand your mistakes and keep going, and not be afraid to scrap it and start over. And also knowing when to walk away from a piece, accept that it's finished and you'll only ruin what you were going for if you keep messing with it.

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself?I've mostly been selling my work at places like the Minneapolis Indie Xpo and SpringCon & FallCon, and the occasional commission, but plan to market myself more online as well as at my websitehttp://murphycommadan.com .

Sketchbook

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
Alex Kuno http://www.alexkuno.blogspot.com/

Danno Klonowski http://staplegenius.wordpress.com/
Kevin Cannon http://kevincannon.org/
Britt Hammerberg http://brittch.com/
Lance Ward http://tatertotdiaperman.wordpress.com/
Matt Kriske http://www.matthewkriske.blogspot.com/
Athena Currier http://actionathena.com/
Lupi McGinty http://lupiloops.wordpress.com/
Chris Mars http://www.chrismarspublishing.com/
Sarah Morean http://smorean.com/
Steve Stwalley http://www.stwallskull.com/
Dan Olson http://bewilderedkid.com/
Ryan Dow http://ryandow.com/ic/

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?The Walker and The Minneapolis Institute of Arts of course, but also galleries like Altered Esthetics. But I tend to remember the artists I see more than the venues I see them. Occasionally seeing some small indie films/docs at the Lagoon/Uptown or the Trylon Microcinema.

Paige

In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.com, where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?

These days I tend to find out about new artists via other artists I follow on Twitter/Facebook and podcasts, not really any centralized source any more. But for mostly indie comics stuff I go here:

The Comics Journal http://www.tcj.com
Drawn & Quarterly http://drawnandquarterly.blogspot.com/

The Comics Reporter http://www.comicsreporter.com/
Inkstuds Podcast http://www.inkstuds.org/
Lutefisk Sushi Podcast http://www.cartoonistconspiracy.com/sushipodcast/

Paige / Blue

What can we expect to see from you in the future?
I'm participating in Creative Property at Altered Esthetics In September 2012.The show opens Friday September 7, 2012 from 7-10PM, and there is an artists' discussion on Saturday September 22 from 1-3PM.

Other than that, I'm not sure what one should expect from me, I'd be happy to spend the rest of my life like Lucian Freud or Egon Schiele, in a paint spattered studio with good light, painting portraits of people I find interesting. In any case I'll be out there creating stuff that at least interests me, and if others like it, I'm ok with that.

Dan Murphy

Altered Esthetics

Website

LAI Gallery Profile

Athena Currier - Cartoonist

Athena Currier

Name: Athena Currier
City/State: Minneapolis, MN
Website: http://actionathena.com/
MNartist.org profile: http://www.mnartists.org/
Facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/ actionathena
Twitter: @actionathena
Tumblr: actionathena.tumblr.com

Bio:
Athena Currier grew up in Northfield, MN and is a graduate of Hampshire College.  Her senior thesis project at Hampshire was a comics magazine called Burn Book  , each issue of which was devoted to analyzing a different stereotype or label (Slut, Hick, Hipster, and Geek).  Athena received a DART (Design, Art, and Technology) grant to help fund the first print run of Burn Book.

After graduating from Hampshire, Athena returned to Minnesota, where she has continued to work on comics.  She has exhibited at the Twin Cities Zinefest  and the Minneapolis Indie Expo, and her art has been featured in many places, including Altered Esthetics Gallery,  City Pages’ Annual Comix Issues,  MPLS.TV,  Broken Pencil Magazine, Sunoikisis.org,  and the Sketchbook Project.  

In 2010, Athena was nominated for a Lulu Award (presented annually to honor women in comics) in the category of “Best New Talent.”  Athena has been posting new autobiographical comics to Action Athena every Mon/Wed/Fri for over four years.

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?

I am working on a few different things; I seem to work better when I’ve got a bunch of balls in the air.  I’m making a minicomic for Lutefisk Sushi (I love this project, and have contributed to past editions).  I’m making a short comic to submit to an anthology.  And, as always, I’m making three comics a week for my website, Action Athena.

One thing that’s changing about my work is that I’ve begun to use a font that I made of my own handwriting.  It’s not perfect (it still looks a bit “computer-y”), but it’s okay, and it saves a lot of time, and allows me to focus more on the drawings.  Another change is that I am trying to make myself work larger--on bigger pieces of paper.  This generally makes the art look better, but I am often too lazy (or too stuck in bad habits) to bother with it!  I need to fix that.

How did you decide to become an artist?

I have always liked drawing and writing.  I used to think of myself as more of a writer, but I’ve always liked comics.  I started to really fall in love with comics in high school, and then fell more intensely in college.  In the early days of my webcomic, I didn’t think my drawing skills were very good, but it was still so much fun to draw.  That energy is still there today.  The idea of just writing something often seems too serious and overwhelming.  But drawing a little comic always feels approachable and fun.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 

You don’t have to listen to everyone.  Every person is going to have different things they like and dislike about your work.  Stop worrying about whether someone’s critique is right or wrong, and just listen to the parts that feel right to you.  It’s your art.  Not everybody is going to like it, and that’s fine.

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself?

I make very little money as an artist.  I am paid for my Broken Pencil comics, and the comics I’ve done for City Pages.  I have a store section on my website.  I sell Burn Book through Indy Planet, and my big 340-page Action Athena collection through Lulu.com.  The minicomics I just ship out myself, with personal letters!  I also sell all of my comics at the conventions I go to, and have sold some at local bookstores (Boneshaker Books and Yeti Records).  I mostly market myself through my website (Store Link), and other social media sites.

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

There are about a million cartoonists in the Twin Cities, and I feel incredibly lucky for that.  Nordeast in particular is full of them.  It would be an impossible task to name them all, but I will list off a few: 

Zander Cannon http://www.bigtimeattic.com/ 

Kevin Cannon, http://kevincannon.org/ 

Steve Stwalley, http://www.stwallskull.com/

Danno Klonowski,http://staplegenius.wordpress.

com/ Dan Murphy, http://murphycommadan.com/ 

Dan Olson, http://bewilderedkid.com/ 

Ryan Dow, http://ryandow.com/ic/ 

Britt Hammerberg,http://brittch.com/ 

Britt Sabo, http://www.bsabo.com/ 

Lupi McGinty, http://lupiloops.wordpress.

com/
Ken Avidor.  http://www.roadkillbill.com/


Ken.html  

There are also some other important supporters of comics, chief among them Jamie Schumacher http://www.purenoumena.org/ and Sarah Morean. http://smorean.com/ 

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

We would definitely stop at Altered Esthetics Gallery because that place (and the Q.arma Building as a whole) is always full of wonderful stuff.  All of the buildings in Nordeast that get featured during Art-A-Whirl are great.  I also love the MIA and the Walker.  But since I’m a cartoonist, I have to admit that my biggest art inspirations come from the library--the new Northeast Library, which opened in spring of 2011, is fantastic.  The Minneapolis Public Libraries have a great comic collection.

In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.

com , where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?

I read a lot of webcomics.  Some of my current favorites are Sauceome, http://www.sauceome.com/  Octopus Pie, http://www.octopuspie.com/ and Stop Paying Attention.http://comics.lucyknisley.com/

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

I have received the Dean’s Fellowship to the Sequential Art MFA program at the Savannah College of Art and Design.  So I will be living in Georgia for the next two years!  I can’t wait to see what changes the program will bring about for me and my art.  But I know I will be back in Minnesota eventually.  I love it here, and the community and support among artists in the Twin Cities cannot be beat.

David Steinlicht - Crop Artist - Cartoonist

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2004, 11 x 14 inches, seeds, plant parts, glue on masonite

David Steinlicht

Altered Esthetics Featured Interview

"Level_13: Cheat Codes" 

April 5 to April 26, 2012
Opening reception: Friday, April 6, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Artists’ discussion: Saturday, April 14, 1 p.m.to 3 p.m. 

David Steinlicht

Website: http://www.cornercomic.typepad.com/

MNArtists page

Bio~ 
School: 1975, Rochester Community College, Rochester, Minnesota. 1977, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota. 

Work: 1977 to 1978, ad design, Coulee Gazette, La Crosse, Wisconsin. 1979 to present, Minneapolis and St. Paul, various design and art director jobs including stints at Musician's Insider, Sweet Potato / City Pages, TWA Ambassador, Science Museum of Minnesota, Twin Cities Reader, St. Paul Pioneer Press. 

Art: 1979 to present, Cartoons and illustrations in the above publications. 1994 to present, Crop art in the Minnesota State Fair. 2000 to present, Proprietor of cropart.com. 2002 to present, Minneapolis Cartoonist Conspiracy member. 2009, Collection of "In This Corner" comics published by Nodin Press.



In This Corner comic, 2012, 3.24 x 5.25 inches, Adobe Illustrator document

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?

I'm a graphic designer. I design newspaper pages for a living. I'm also a cartoonist and crop artist. I do a freelance weekly cartoon for the newspaper. My crop art is a once-a-year thing for the Minnesota State Fair. Current projects are: Keeping up with the weekly cartoon and getting ready for crop art. These projects are not different from my past projects -- just variations on a theme.



"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but what do you hope your audience takes away from your art? What statement do you hope to make?

"Art" seems very serious. Deep. I don't think about what art is because I can't think that deeply. I like to draw and I like to make attractive, fun things. I'm not making a statement, I'm just doing stuff. I want my audience to be amused.

Bridgitte Lin, 2003, 14 x 11 inches, seeds, plant parts, glue on masonite

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 

A so-so idea that's completed is better than a great idea that's unfinished. 

Jackie Chan, 2001, 11 x 14 inches, seeds, glue on masonite

Tell me about your work space and your creative process.

For my comics, I work at my computer. For my crop art, I work on my desk next to my computer. I find deadlines to be inspiring.

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

Ken Avidor http://www.roadkillbill.com/Ken.html
Andy Singer http://andysinger.com/
Mark Simonson http://www.marksimonson.com/
Linda Koutsky http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=231817
Roz Stendahl http://rozwoundup.typepad.com/
Lance Ward http://tatertotdiaperman.wordpress.com/
Ryan Dow http://ryandow.com/ic/
Kevin Cannon http://bigtimeattic.blogspot.com/
Zander Cannon http://bigtimeattic.blogspot.com/
Steve Stwalley http://www.stwallskull.com/blog/

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

Minnesota Center for Book Arts http://www.mnbookarts.org/

Typesetting and the manufacture of books by hand. Amazing machinery that's still understandable. Knowing traditional typesetting methods enhances typesetting while using a computer.

Minnesota State Fair http://www.mnstatefair.org/

There's the crop art exhibit, and also the Fine Arts building (where the number and variety of Minnesota artists is inspiring and overwhelming).


Grand Theft Festal, 2008, 14 x 11 inches, seeds, glue on masonite


Where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?

I don't do that.

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future? 

"Level_13: Cheat Codes" 

April 5 to April 26, 2012
Opening reception: Friday, April 6, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Artists’ discussion: Saturday, April 14, 1 p.m.to 3 p.m. 

The fifth biennial installment of Altered Esthetics’ classic video game art exhibit will also highlight the abandoned or obsolete technology of decades past.

Altered Esthetics 
1224 Quincy St NE, Mpls MN 55413
612-378-8888
http://www.alteredesthetics.com/

Image of David Steinlicht in his workspace, 2012, photo by Scott Cohen