About: Good Dog marks the welcome return of alternative cartoonist Graham Chaffee, who, after his successful 1995 collection of short stories, The Most Important Thing and Other Stories, and his acclaimed1997 graphic novel The Big Wheels, took a detour to devote himself to the art of tattooing, before charging back with his new, beautifully conceived graphic novel.
Ivan, who is plagued by terrible nightmares about chickens and rabbits, is a good dog — if only someone would notice. Readers accompany the stray as he navigates dog society, weathers pack politics, and surveys canine-human interactions.
Good Dog‘s story and pen-and-ink art are deceptively simple, but Chaffee uses the approachability of the subject matter as a device to explore topics such as independence, security, assimilation, loyalty, and violence. Preteen-and-up dog fanciers, especially, will warm to the well-meaning Ivan and his exploits with a motley assortment of Scotties, Bulldogs, and mutts. Chaffee combines illustrative gravitas with cartooning verve and creates a richly textured, dog’s-eye view of the world. The story is a rousing Jack London-esque adventure as well as a moral parable.
About: Graham Chaffee, graduated from Art Center College in 1988 and worked for a few years as a freelance illustrator for various magazines. Also taught illustration for a time and wrote a couple of graphic novels for Fantagraphics Books.
In the summer of 1994, did his first handpoke tattoo, graduating to electric machines later that year. Moved back to Los Angeles and got a job in a tattoo parlor, and has been working professionally since then.
Works at Purple Panther Tattoos in Hollywood, and is very happy there. More about Graham
Hey all, we’ve got a bunch of stuff going on all day long. From Shia Labeouf signing at 10 am, Devastators take overFree Indie Comic Book Day, plus Sales! 20% off all TPB’s, Back Issues by the Pound!, and back by popular deman ” Let’s Make a Deal on Statues”,Super secret Jim Mahfood FCBD 2013 Commemorative T-shirtprinted on-demand only. And if you’re worried there won’t be any tunes to bop your head to while at Meltdown, fear not DJ OLD BOY will be spinning tunes throughout the day. Fun times begin at 10am! See you here!!! Free Comic Book Day is Saturday May 4th, 2013 Meltdown Comics opens at 10am 7522 Sunset Blvd. LA, CALIF 90046 (map)
MOUCHE GALLERY AND THE CRESCENT HOTEL IN BEVERLY HILLS PRESENTS THE WORLD OF ROGER BALLEN/DIE ANTWOORD WITH THE “I FINK U FREEKY” INSTALLATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR PRESS CONTACT:
Liv Niles
310.858.8114
liv@mouchegallery.com
OPENING RECEPTION WITH ROGER BALLEN: APRIL 26, 2013 7-9pm BY INVITE ONLY, THIS IS A PRIVATE EVENT MORENO BHLV CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION: 7-9pm PELIGROSO TEQUILA TASTING: 7-9pm
EXHIBITION INSTALLATION : (OPEN TO THE PUBLIC) APRIL 27 – May 10
Beverly Hills, April 2013
Keiko Noah Maestro at Mouche Gallery along with Michael Florian, creative director of Mouche Gallery, invite you to get sucked into the vortex of the award winning viral video sensation “I Fink U Freeky” world of Roger Ballen and Die Antwoord at Mouche Gallery. Installation opens on April 26, 2013 during theParis Photo LA 2013. The primitive, provocative paintings and drawings at the core of the composition of these exquisite photographs pose center stage and take on a life of their own at this installation at Mouche Gallery.
MASTERS OF REALITY - “If someone punches you in the face fokken hard, it makes you stop thinking about everything except, ‘What the fok just happened?’” – ¥o-landi (Die Antwoord) “Suddenly we stopped liking all the music and art we had made up till this point and decided to throw it all away. This new dark comic book world was the fokken answer! We wanted to move into this world and leave our old reality behind. This new world was so alien but also so strangely familiar. So mysterious comforting and exciting.“ – A letter from Die Antwoord, to Roger Ballen.
Ballen is one of the most important photographers of his generation. Over the past thirty years hisdistinctive style of photography has evolved using a simple square format in stark and beautiful black and white. Ballen has long approached unexpected realities with an unflinching and empathetic style, using dark imagery and taking a psychological approach to his craft. Ballen considers black and white photography as a minimalist art form, which provides an abstract way to interpret and transform what one may refer to as reality or disturbing psychodramas.
Roger BALLEN’s photographs have been shown in, and collected by some of the most prestigious institutions including the Tate, Smithsonian, Centre Georges Pompidou, Victoria & Albert Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Creative Director at Mouche, Michael Florian will be helping Keiko transform the gallery to create a very special welcome for Roger Ballen, and Ballen/Die Antwoord Collectors. Florian brings years of experience, having worked with some of the world’s most prominent photographers including, Pierre and Gilles, Mario Testino, Ellen Von Unverth, David LaChappelle, to name a few.
About Mouche Gallery
“The Aritist is the Muse at Mouche! The artist is our inspiration,” says Maestro (Owner) Keiko Noah. Keiko conducts the gallery as a space for creativity & collaboration for inspiring minds to launch, celebrate and embrace art in its ever expanding form. It always starts with the vision, the artist, the eye behind the lens and brush. Discovering the eyes, voids, voice of the artist, has taken the gallery on a magical adventure with every exhibition. This is at the core of Mouche Culture. Vive la Mouche!
About Die Antwoord
This high energy, rave rap outfit from South Africa caused the Internet to explode when, “I Fink You Freeky” and “Zef Side” hit YouTube and spread like tuberculosis, with over 26 Million Views each. Thevirus analogies can’t stop there, as everything about Die Antwoord is totally infectious, be it the music, the tattoos, the hair, the Zef style, or theAfrikaans slang. Given that Die Antwoord translates from Afrikaans to the Answer, it begs one to ask: What’s the question? Probably something along the lines of, “Are these two for fokken real?
Come celebrate the release of the new ALL AGES graphic novel from the New York Times best selling author of A WRINKLE IN TIME: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL, CHIGGERS AND MERCURY
WHO IS AC? by Hope Larson & Tintin Pantoja
Friday, April 19th from 7 – 10pm Meltdown Comics 7522 Sunset Bl, Los Angeles, CA 90046 (map)
Hope Larson will be on hand to sign your copy of WHO IS AC? and any of her other books, Plus: Wine! Cheese! Decorate your own superhero mask cookies!
You are invited to attend “Silva the Genie” Comic Book Reading held at Meltdown Comics on April 28, 2013. Best-selling Self-Help Author Silva Mirzoian released her first Comic Book “Silva the Genie” and welcomes you to join in the reading of her first issue to.
“Silva the Genie” is the newest animated SHERO advocating Anti-Bullying.
Please join us for an educational and fun reading for kids!
All children welcome!
About Silva:
Silva Mirzoian is an Australian native, best-selling author, producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She released her first self-help book “Jump-Start Your Life ” in 2002, offering advice on how individuals can jump start their personal and professional goals. Silva is the CEO, author, and producer of Passions & Dreams For Success Institute and the Founder of the non-profit organization Gang of Hope (www.gangofhope.com), in which she is on a mission to break the cycle of violence, dropout rates and bullying within our nation’s education system. Entrepreneur Magazine has nicknamed her “The Dream Weaver“for her unique ability to inspire others to pursue their life’s dreams. Silva’s most recent project is “Silva the Genie”;the newest Shero to the comic book world advocating Anti-Bullying.
Silva the Genie READING AND SIGNING Meltdown Comics 7522 Sunset Bl. LA, CA 90046 323.851.7223
(map)
About: Good Dog marks the welcome return of alternative cartoonist Graham Chaffee, who, after his successful 1995 collection of short stories, The Most Important Thing and Other Stories, and his acclaimed1997 graphic novel The Big Wheels, took a detour to devote himself to the art of tattooing, before charging back with his new, beautifully conceived graphic novel.
