A collage of the eclectic comic-book titles in the archives of the SDSU Comics Art Collection.

You might not know that San Diego State University’s Love Library has an amazing comics and graphic novel collection. Yes, you read that right, dear reader.

Deep in the belly of Love Library with its countless bookshelves and numerous study rooms, these mild-mannered librarians form a not-so-secret society of devout comic-book advocates who are gradually building an inner sanctum devoted to an impressive range of comic books – including the entire run of “Word Balloons” edited by artist Neil Shigley and myself – in its archives. And this impressive SDSU Comics Art Collection is the focus of a short video providing a quick tour of what the archive has to offer.

Think of this roughly three-minute video as a sneak preview of the larger mission driving these everyday champions of comics as a peak in the rise of sequential art. The avengers working behind the scenes in the SDSU Comics Art Collection are cognizant of the rich legacy of the medium. Like all art, comic books are artifacts reflecting the times in which they were made and, therefore, they are worthy of serious study and research.

But enough from yours truly. Click the links below to find out more about the motherlode of comic-book gold found in the SDSU Comics Art Collection!

SDSU NewsCenter’s video on SDSU Comics Arts Collection:

http://newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsu_newscenter/news_story.aspx?sid=75666       

SDSU Library Comics Arts Committee:

http://library.sdsu.edu/guides/tutorial.php?id=25

- Neil Kendricks

Photograph by Neil Kendricks/ Artist and SDSU alum Hugo Crosthwaite paints the finishing touches at the opening reception for "Word Balloons: Comics at San Diego State University" on display at the SDSU Downtown Gallery (located at 725 West Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101) through July 27. The gallery is hosting a free live-drawing event complete with an artist's model in costume on Thursday, July 16 from 6 pm to 9 pm.

Comic-Con 2015 was a slam-dunk success for artists and attendees alike. Now that the booths are gone and the panel discussions and book signings with your favorite artists and writers are a pleasant memory, you might still be craving more comic-book mayhem. You don’t have to look any further than the free live-drawing event hosted by the SDSU Downtown Gallery’s exhibition, “Word Balloons: Comics at San Diego State University” on Thursday, July 16 from 6 pm to 9 pm. The event is scheduled to coincide in with the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s Thursday Night Thing (TNT) event, just one block away.

On display through July 27, “Word Balloons” celebrates the student artworks created for the comic-book anthology of the same name that is edited by my artist friend Neil Shigley and myself. The exhibition also features murals created by SDSU alumni Hugo Crosthwaite and Richard Tackett especially for this fun and creative, comic-book-themed exhibition located at 725 West Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101.

On Monday, July 13, KPBS invited yours truly to participate in the station’s post-Comic-Con coverage with back-to-back radio and TV segments.

Here is a link to KPBS’ Web site: http://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/jul/13/highlights-2015-san-diego-comic-con-international/ 

You might be asking yourself what can one expect at this Thursday’s free live-drawing soiree?

Artist’s model Christa Maier will be in costume, striking a dramatic series of timed poses for artists to draw. Local artists and aspiring creators are invited to bring sketchbooks, pencils, and pens to jump start their own creativity with Maier as inspiration. So, even if your wallet was drained at Comic-Con, you can still get into the groove and push your muse into action for free at the July 16 event.

No excuses! Come and make some art!

This live-drawing event, however, is a strictly BYOAS event. That stands for Bring Your Own Art Supplies! Since this free event has limited seating, early arrival is encouraged. A word to rthe wise (art) guy and gal out there!

Let the live-drawing games begin!

- Neil Kendricks

The "Word Balloons" postcard features artwork by SDSU art student Kristian Riveria.

It’s that time of year when the prayers of legions of comic-book readers and pop-culture enthusiasts are finally answered. Of course, I’m referring to the supernova of pop-culture bliss that is Comic-Con International, which gets underway with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 8 before the convention officially opens Thursday, July 9 through Sunday, July 12. This week, Comic-Con transforms the San Diego Convention Center into a thriving hive of comics and playful genre mayhem and fun at ground zero where graphic novels merge with film, science fiction, fantasy and horror and all points in between.

The infectious spirit of this pop-culture extravaganza isn’t restricted to the San Diego Convention Center or the Gaslamp District’s Mardi-Gras-like atmosphere during the height of Comic-Con mania. Gallery-goers can get their comic-book fix at the exhibition “Word Balloons: Comics at San Diego State University,” co-curated by my artist-friend Neil Shigley and myself. “Word Balloons” is on display at the SDSU Downtown Gallery, located at 725 West Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101. The group art exhibition showcases the comic-book-inspired artworks created by SDSU students who took Shigley’s Drawing & Illustration class and my Graphic Novel course, along with artworks created by SDSU alumni, among others.

Here is a link to San Diego Jumble’s recent podcast broadcast featuring an interview with Shigley discussing the origin of “Word Balloons”: http://www.sandiegojumble.com/podcast/

You can also read about “Word Balloons” in this short article by Mark Murphy:

http://murphydesign1.blogspot.com/2015/06/comic-con-and-sdsu-word-balloons.html

The San Diego Reader posted a small notice: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/events/2015/jul/09/word-balloons-opening-reception/#

During the exhibition’s opening reception from 6 pm to 9 pm on July 9, SDSU alum and respected artist Hugo Crosthwaite will put the finishing touches on his comics-fuelled, monochromatic mural that is one of the centerpieces of this fun and creative art show. When gallery-goers enter the exhibition space, they will be greeted by SDSU alum and artist Richard Tackett’s colorful and dynamic mural “The Moving Hand,” featuring a bald, scrawny character bursting from a comic-book panel.

Photograph by Neil Kendricks/ Ricard Tackett's mural "The Moving Hand' is among the numerous artworks on display in the exhibition "Word Balloons" on display at the SDSU Downtown Gallery through July 27, 2015.

What started out as an experimental, interdisciplinary art project between Shigley’s class and my course in 2009 has morphed and expanded into the comic-book anthology series “Word Balloons” that we edit and publish through Blurb.com.

Here are links to select issues of Word Balloons:

http://www.blurb.com/b/2939734-word-balloons

http://www.blurb.com/b/1114465-word-balloons

http://www.blurb.com/b/2243032-word-balloons-volume-iv

The process behind our collaboration starts with my Graphic Novel students developing and writing short, original scripts. Following the mantra that “less is more,” I encourage these budding writers to express themselves by writing visually. The scripts place a strong emphasis on visual storytelling and compressing information into as few panels as possible. Then, the completed scripts are distributed to Shigley’s class, and many of his students also draw their own comics based on their ideas generated in his class.

Without question, this multi-faceted, interdisciplinary art project in DIY comics involves an enormous amount of time, energy and effort to pull off. Although my Graphic Novel course is rarely offered through SDSU’s Department of English & Comparative Literature, the project has taken on a momentum of its own. Shigley and I continue to publish a new issue each semester to keep the project moving forward as a forum for artists and writers alike to see their work in print. Fortunately, our collective efforts have found an audience. SDSU’s Love Library has purchased all of the issues of Word Balloons and included these self-published comics in its Special Collection. And now select comics from the various issues of Word Balloons grace the walls of the SDSU Downtown Gallery’s exhibition space through July 27. At the time of this writing, we are publishing Volume 12 of Word Balloons and counting!

But the “Word Balloons” exhibition’s fun and interactive art activities go beyond Comic-Con weekend.

On Thursday, July 16, the gallery is hosting a live-drawing event from 6 pm to 9 pm featuring the outstanding artist’s model Christa Maier whom I’ve often hired when I taught life-drawing courses at Platt College. Maier, who is an active participant in San Diego’s cosplay community, will be wearing her hand-made, comics-inspired costumes and gallery-goers are encouraged to bring sketchbooks to brush up on their drawing skills during the free event on 7/16.

From large-scale murals and exciting pages of comic-book art to a free live-drawing event, what more could a comic-book fan want?

So, take a break from Comic-Con’s Exhibit Hall and the long lines waiting outside of Hall H to check out what “Word Balloons: Comics at San Diego University” has to offer for comic-book veterans and curious gallery-goers alike. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

- Neil Kendricks

Old-school storyboard art shared exhibition space with concept art from state-of-the-art video games courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment at the Southwestern Art Gallery's Fall 2014 art exhibition Pencils & Pixels, co-curated by artists Vallo Riberto and Neil Kendricks.

SWC arts editor Gabriel Sandoval’s smart and well-written article is one of the most in-depth pieces on the documentary to hit newsstands and the Internet in recent memory. And the timing of Sandoval’s article couldn’t have been more perfect since it was released in tandem with the exhibition Pencils & Pixels, a group exhibition that I co-curated with my SWC colleague and artist friend Vallo Riberto, the gallery director of the campus art gallery.

Here’s a link to the piece: http://www.theswcsun.com/comics-are-everywhere-brilliant-swc-filmmaker-documents-the-ever-expanding-world-of-comic-books/

JJV's animated brainchild King Star King runs wonderfully amok on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup, but you have to catch the bizarre KSK mayhem on the late night and early, crack-of-dawn programming on Adult Swim.

Back in June 2014, JJ Villard’s original, animated TV series King Star King debuted as the Cartoon Network’s first online animated series. Working diligently behind the viewfinder of my new Canon C-100 camera, I filmed the show’s premiere party at Titmouse Animation Studio where JJV held court donning a wicked Micky Mouse mask complete with a ghetto-fabulous grill. Somewhere, the ghost of Walt Disney is spinning in his grave at the spectacle of this brilliant Cal Arts alum who is making rowdy waves in the animation world. As the director of Comics Are Everywhere! I was ecstatic to see JJV’s passion project come to fruition.

Here is a link to KSK‘s roughly 11-minute, pilot episode, bursting at the seams with JJV’s signature, art-damaged surrealism laced with raunchy  humor for your viewing pleasure (or displeasure) depending on your point of view. Squeamish viewers might want to think twice. However, if you are an open-minded soul who is eager to get an intimate glimpse into the mind’s eye of a skilled animator weaned on comics and crazed ideas, this mind-bending dreamscape where the id reigns supreme, King Star King is for you!

You have been warned:

With some much-needed luck, I am hoping to get JJV on camera again in the near future.

Danni Shinya Luo's elegant self-portrait Ego was among the numerous, stunning artworks featured in the talented artist's last solo art exhibition at La Luz De Jesus Art Gallery.

Congratulations to artist extraordinaire Danni Shinya Luo – who shares the spotlight with JJV as the doc’s main female character – who is getting married to her wonderful beau, Randy Niu, next Saturday, November 8. Talk about an amazing, new chapter in the life of an amazing artist who is one of the most genuinely kind and considerate people I’ve been blessed to meet and call a friend. The creators of Comics Are Everywhere! want to wish only the greatest happiness and prosperity for Shinya and Randy on their new, shared adventure as husband and wife bravely moving forward into the future, their great passion and enduring love for one another as the perfect compass! Next weekend, I will be making the trek to Santa Cruz to see these wonderful folks tie the knot in style!

In the coming months, I hope to make more updates with more frequency. At least, that’s the plan!

During the past year, I’ve been extremely busy writing grants in my ongoing search to secure the necessary funds for editing, animation and other post-production costs. In addition to the marathon grant-writing sessions, I am simultaneously juggling teaching commitments and developing a new, experimental video project titled Memory Lines: The Wailing Wall, which is being commissioned by ArtPower! at UC San Diego. This October, I applied for Cal Humanities’ California Documentary Project’s much-coveted production grant and I am plan to throw my hat back into the grant-writing fray again for ITVS’ open call for independent producers and other grant opportunities as they present themselves. I’ll keep all of you posted as the production phase of this ambitious indie documentary that follows the beat of a different drummer slowly inches toward completion with animation work and more editing to follow.

Thanks for your ongoing patience and understanding.

Peace out, my loyal peeps, both on and off of the Web! The indie filmmaking adventure that is Comics Are Everywhere! continues!

Stay tuned tuned for more news from headquarters at Comics Are Everywhere! to come in the near future!

- Neil Kendricks

The deluxe edition of Junot Diaz's short-story collection This is How You Lose Her hits bookshelves on Halloween.

This Halloween, readers of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Diaz and Love and Rockets comic creator Jaime Hernandez ‘s respective fan bases can look forward to enjoying their collaboration in the deluxe edition of This is How You Lose Her. There is no question that Hernandez’s monochromatic drawings in this slipcase edition of Diaz’s short-story anthology will add a new layer of specificity to the writer’s fictional landscape. The artist’s illustrations of the female characters populating Diaz’s emotional raw tales of infidelity and heartbreak are rendered with his signature drawing chops, delivering select, revealing, visual details that will inevitably impact the reader’s interpretations of the text.

The artful mashup of Diaz’s lively, energetic prose and Hernandez’s black-and-white artwork is a perfect marriage of the artists’ postmodern sensibilities. The pairing is apropos since Diaz mines his Dominican heritage with a fervor that echoes the consistent fashion Hernandez’s comics explore his personal connection to the Latino-American milleu and California punk aesthetic expressed by his comic-book characters Hopey and Maggie.

Through these overlapping, artistic ambitions, both artists have distinguished themselves in their heartfelt efforts to create a space where stories chronicling slices of Latino-American experiences are allowed much-needed breathing space. Their respective stories are not only engaging and entertaining in how they relish language and imagery, but they simultaneously expand our understanding of these communities that are often ignored. In the process, these artists demolish stereotypes by providing counter narratives embracing self-representation and what it means to be of Hispanic origins in our times.

One of Jaime Hernandez's black-and-white drawings gracing the pages of the deluxe edition of This is How You Lose Her.

As an artist of color (who is half Puerto Rican), I am an avid reader of both storytellers. The ambition and scope of their creativity gives a voice and presence to these underrepresented communities are inspiring as these artists simultaneously break down barriers and stay true to their roots and their multi-faceted identities.

Anyone familiar with Diaz’s book Drown and his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The 

Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao will recognize his recurrent character Yunior who is a frequent protagonist in this collection of short fiction. The text-only version of This is How You Lose Her was originally released last year and it was a finalist for the 2013 National Book Award.

In many ways, Yunior’s first-person misadventures in the trenches of love and betrayal are grounded in the fertile territory of realism that is home to the equally complex emotional entanglements swimming through Hernandez’s comic-book stories. Both Diaz’s fiction and Hernandez’s comic-book tales in Love and Rockets are mapping the emotional terrain of human interpersonal relationships seen through a distinctly Latino-American lens.

In respects to Comics Are Everywhere!, Hernandez is among the numerous cartoonists whom I’ve interviewed about their sequential art and visual storytelling. And I am hoping that an opportunity will arise when I can convince Diaz to appear on camera to share his observations and insights into how and why comics are impacting artists both in and outside of comic-book circles.

If you are curious to read more about the deluxe edition of This is How You Lose Her, be sure to check out writer-cartoonist Michael Cavna’s interview with both Diaz and Hernandez in his “Comic Riffs” blog for The Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/best-books-of-2013-junot-diaz-and-jaime-hernandez-team-up-deftly-on-deluxe-illustrated-this-is-how-you-lose-her/2013/10/24/b374ffa2-3cd7-11e3-a94f-b58017bfee6c_blog.html

Here is another notable discussion about Diaz’s darkly funny and moving short stories that are been enthusiastically embraced by critics and adventurous readers alike.

http://bookpage.com/interview/broken-hearts-that-span-time-and-borders

Jaime Hernandez is a master cartoonist and his powerful images are ideal for the candor and emotionally raw prose of Junot Diaz's short stories.

You can stay up to speed on all things pertaining to Jaime Hernandez and his groundbreaking work in Love and Rockets at Fantagraphic Books’ Web site:

http://www.fantagraphics.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&category=Jaime+Hernandez&Itemid=113

You can find the latest news from Diaz including his upcoming appearances on the writer’s Web site:

http://www.junotdiaz.com/

Needless to say, I look forward to adding the deluxe edition of This is How You Lose Her to my home library where fiction and comics share the same bookshelves in equal measure of importance as sources of reading pleasure.

- Neil Kendricks

This is not a failure in our eyes. Rather, we embrace our project’s first crowd-funding effort as an incredible learning experience, and we thank all of you for your support. We are both grateful and humbled that 91 extraordinary backers like yourselves rallied around our cause with heartfelt affection. We couldn’t have come this far without your kindness and generosity of spirit.

As with many Kickstarter campaigns, the majority of our backers came from our personal circles of friends and family. We also reached out to strangers who share our love of comics, film and the arts in general. And these strangers responded by joining the ranks of our newfound friends and allies who believe in our cause.

Make no mistake – our resolve and enthusiasm are undiminished and remain as strong and focused as ever. Throughout this process, we continue to move forward and Comics Are Everywhere! will persevere and blossom. The film is building momentum and we are living proof that perseverance and hard work will eventually pay off with quality, creative work that we can be proud of.

We will complete this cinematic labor of love by any means necessary.

Down the road, you will hear from us again. We will launch another crowd-funding effort once we get closer to the film’s post-production phase. We’re confident that we are creating a unique documentary that promises to both illuminate and celebrate comics as a subject intimately linked to the mysterious nature of creativity in contemporary life.

We are proud to say that our project’s tenacious spirit of adventure and our willingness to leap into the unknown mirrors the fearless creativity and risk-taking visions of our subjects. In the coming year, we will gather new footage and dig deeper into why comics remain a resilient and relevant art form in the 21st century.

If you haven’t already done so, we hope you will email us with your contact information, and that you “like” the Facebook fan page for Comics Are Everywhere! in order to stay connected. https://www.facebook.com/ComicsAreEverywhere

After all, the intent of our campaign was as much about developing a grass-roots community built around our mutual passion for comics as it was about raising funds.

Thank you for answering our call to become backers who were willing to show your support with an abundance of positive thoughts, good will and optimism!

Stay tuned because our adventure in indie filmmaking continues!

Much love and thanks,

Neil Kendricks and Natalia Quintana

The Kickstarter campaign for Comics Are Everywhere! has nine days to go!

The clock is ticking. We only have nine days to reach the Kickstarter goal for Comics Are Everywhere!

But we can’t do it alone. My collaborators and I need your donations, and there is still a chance to beat the odds and raise the necessary funds through our crowdfunding campaign by the August 17 deadline.

Here is a link to our Kickstarter page: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/692401579/comics-are-everywhere

This is the critical juncture where your decision to donate can make or break our crowdfunding efforts. And your generous help is greatly needed.

Recently, Pac-Arts Movement was kind enough to share its enthusiasm for Comics Are Everywhere! through a blog entry about yours truly being selected as one of the 10 artists for the 2013 Creative Catalyst Fund/ Individual Artist’s Fellowship. Pac-Arts founder and director Lee Ann Kim’s blog entry about the documentary-in-progress perfectly sums up the significance of the CCF as a game changer for innovative San Diego artists working in a range of artistic disciplines and media.

We hope you will donate whatever you can to our worthy cause to make the best film possible. Our commitment to excellence is unwavering for this documentary that has been in production since July 2013.

Here is a link to Pac-Arts’ blog entry: http://pac-arts.org/the-buzz/2809/

We look forward to adding more backers in our quest for funding to complete the production phase of this feature-length documentary that promises to break new ground in its central question “What does it take to create?” Throughout the doc’s evolving narrative, Comics Are Everywhere explores the pop-savvy intersection where alternative comics, animation and the Art World collide as seen through the eyes of select comic creators and artists working in other media who are inspired by comics.

Join us on this grand adventure! All donations to our Kickstarter campaign are greatly appreciated!

- Neil Kendricks

Laura Heit's new book Animation Sketchbooks features the artwork of JJ Villard and other avant-garde animators working today.

Did you ever wonder what makes an avant-garde animator really tick?

Author Laura Heit’s new book promises to answer that question by cracking open the door behind the frenzied creativity driving some of the most innovative animators working today. Published by Chronicle Books, the epic, 320-page tome is appropriately titled Animation Sketchbooks offering an insider’s perspective on the animation process at its most humble beginnings.

Each of the book’s chapters is devoted to a unique voice of independent animated filmmaking. As you flip through the book, you can vicariously experience the inner sanctums of inspired, artistic minds conjuring up all sorts of bizarre imagery on paper. The twisted visions writhing on the pages of sketchbooks were ultimately destined to blossom in the artists’ personal, idiosyncratic animations that are a far cry from Pixar’s assembly line of family-friendly, cinematic products.

No wonder Heit launched her own blog to get readers pumped up for the release of her coffee-table-sized art book showcasing the likes of such avant-garde animators as Martha Colburn, Brent Green and Oscar-nominated animator Don Hertzfeldt, among others.

http://www.animationsketchbooks.com/search?updated-max=2013-05-17T11:35:00-07:00&max-results=6

Fortunately, I picked up an advance copy of Animation Sketchbooks at Chronicle Books’ booth at this year’s Comic-Con and you’ll be able to find copies on Amazon or at your local book stores.

Chaotic images run rampant in the pages from one of JJ Villard's multitude of sketchbooks.

Of course, no book graced with the comprehensive title Animation Sketchbooks would be complete without prominently featuring an image-rich selection of pages ripped from the crazed sketchbooks of JJ Villard. The book also includes artwork from the artist’s animated short-film collection Son of Satan inspired by the late Charles Bukowski’s wine-soaked, autobiographical short stories. Frequent readers of my blog are already cognizant of Villard’s role as one of the principal characters in the daring documentary-in-progress, Comics Are Everywhere!

Once again, Comics Are Everywhere is ahead of the curve when it comes to exploring the creative and offbeat artworks by adventurous artists who delight in throwing caution to the wind as they thrive on the cutting edge of the popular arts.

We hope you will become a backer for the Kickstarter campaign for Comics Are Everywhere! as our August 17 deadline fast approaches!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/692401579/comics-are-everywhere

Join us on a comic-book-inspired Magical Mystery Tour of pop-savvy artists, skilled writers, and crazed animators run amok like Villard as the creative team behind Comics Are Everywhere! continue to seek the necessary funds to complete this ambitious film project!

Join us to help bring this dream project to fruition!

- Neil Kendricks 

Legendary underground artist Robert Williams signs a DVD copy of his new documentary as a reward for one lucky and generous supporter of Comics Are Everywhere.

The 2013 Comic-Con International was a pop-savvy magnet for artists, writers, and pop-culture fans alike. While throngs of people flocked to the massive lines for Hall H to catch a glimpse of their favorite celebrity, many others rushed the Exhibit Hall in search of cool comics and other cool artifacts to add to their collection.

Sometimes, however, a great artist can walk among us without being immediately recognized. Such is the case with legendary artist Robert Williams who is a compatriot of Robert Crumb from Zap comix during the 1960s. Like Crumb, Williams’ name is synonymous with underground comix. More recently, he founded Juxtapoz magazine that prides itself on celebrating lowbrow art and culture.

Williams’ stunning artwork is closer to surrealism than the once rampant, psychedelic eye candy of ‘60s counter culture. Like the namesake of the publication, his personal art teases the eye with jarring and bizarre juxtapositions ricocheting from the ridiculous to the sublime. Williams’ paintings are often populated with sexually charged figures flirting on hot rods and machines; mayhem and beauty often co-existing in the same compositions.

You can find a signed copy of Robert Williams Mr. Bitchin' among the collection of cool rewards on the Kickstarter campaign for Comics Are Everywhere.

So, it is only natural that Williams would be a fascinating subject for Mary C. Reese’s documentary Robert Williams Mr. Bitchin,’ which won the “Best Documentary” award at this year’s Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival.

Here’s the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EhPY3z3MXY 

Williams was kind enough sign one of his DVDs in support of the Kickstarter campaign for Comics Are Everywhere. We are offering the DVD as a reward for one of the larger donations.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/692401579/comics-are-everywhere

Years ago, I interviewed Williams and his artist wife Suzanne for an article on one of his appearances at Comic-Con. And I am looking forward to doing an on-camera interview with Williams for Comics Are Everywhere in the coming months.

Log onto our Kickstarter page to learn more about the cool rewards and please give what you can to help us achieve our goal!

- Neil Kendricks

The documentary explores the pop-cultural intersection where alternative comics, animation and the art world collide, as seen through the eyes of emerging artists JJ Villard (creator of next year’s animated TV show King Star King on Adult Swim) and Danni Shinya Luo (artist of the book Soft Candy: The Girls of Danni Shinya Luo). Featuring interviews with such established and highly respected comic creators as Daniel Clowes (Ghost World), Jaime Hernandez (Love and Rockets), David Lloyd (V for Vendetta), and others, the film examines the reasons why comics remain a resilient and relevant art form in the high-tech world of the early 21^st century.

In production since 2010 and filmed against the backdrop of various comic conventions such as the 2010 and 2011 Comic-Con, San Francisco’s Alternative Press Expo (APE), and artists’ studios, the film looks at select comic creators’ respective creative processes – in and out of comics – and asks, what does it take to create? This year, the documentary’s production is set to go out of state as the filmmakers plan to interview eclectic artists around the country.

Comics Are Everywhere has recently gained fiscal sponsorship from San Diego’s Pacific-Arts Movement and the film’s writer-director Neil Kendricks was awarded the 2013-2014 Creative Catalyst Fund/ Individual Artist’s Fellowship.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Neil Kendricks, the writer-director of Comics Are Everywhere, is a San Diego- based filmmaker, artist, photographer, writer, educator and Film Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD). Kendricks has been writing about comics since the early 1990′s and he has taught upper-division courses on comics and graphic narrative at San Diego State University. His award-winning short films have been screened at such international film festivals as the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films, the Havana Film Festival, Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival and a special short-film screening at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival’s American Pavilion.

KICKSTARTER LINK

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/692401579/comics-are-everywhere

 RECENT PRESS

Here is a link to the June 30^th edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Arts cover story.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jun/29/san-diego-foundation-creative-catalyst/

You can find more information about the documentary on the film’s Web site: www.comicsareeverywhere.com.