This is Adam 11, here to bring you the winter CLAW update!

Tinkerer and cartoonist, R. R. Anderson and his wonderful wife (a preschool teacher) are launching an arts and crafts materials rescue/reuse business http://tinkertopia.com/ ! Be sure to check it out.

 Our amazing Michael Daley hosted a 1 hour comic strip day on December 6th at James Sales Elementary where he created a strip an hour with the 2-5 graders.  

 On Saturday, November 30th Mark Brill, Michael Daley and Mark Monlux Represented the CLAW at Nerdy Stuffs Droids for Tots campaign.

 James Stowe has begun play testing development for the Roleplaying Game and Card Game based on his webcomic Sidekick Quests (www.sidekickquests.com). He recently ran a game with six 6 to 9 year olds that was received very well. If you may be interested in joining in the SKQ RPG play test you can contact him at stowe@cartoonistsleague.org

 Talon, Rob Larson, held a book signing at Kings Books on November 27th for his new book “Bleakonomics: A Heartwarming Introduction to Financial Catastrophe, the Jobs Crisis, and Environmental Destruction. Besides being a cartoonists Rob is also a teacher of economics.

Special Events:

Cosplay Drawing with CLAW and the Super Sirens

Join the CLAW aka: The Cartoonists’s League of Absurd Washingtonians as they lead this drawing session with the lovely Super Sirens as the models at the Tacoma Art Museum during the museums winter festival – Sunday, December 9th 2-4. The Super Sirens will be dressing up as some of our favorite comic book characters. You will see Harly Quinn, Cat Woman and fee other femme fatales from the funny pages.

CLAW Droids

The CLAW has two public events this month, and everybody is welcomed!

Harley Quinn by Mark Brill

Cosplay Live Drawing Session with Super Sirens
Sunday, December 9th @ The Tacoma Art Museum, 2-4pm
1701 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, Washington 98402

Free Live Drawing Session! Practice drawing with live models! Supply’s will be provided and both the session and the supplies are free! Join the CLAW aka: The Cartoonists’s League of Absurd Washingtonians as they lead this drawing session with the lovely Super Sirens as the models. The Super Sirens will be dressing up as some of our favorite comic book characters. You will see Harly Quinn, Cat Woman and fee other femme fatale from the funny pages.

The drawing session starts at 2pm be at hosted by the Tacoma Art Museum as part of their Winter Festival. The Tacoma Art Museum will be open free to the public on December 9th from 10am to 4pm. Before the drawing session CLAW merchandise will be on sale as part of the Crafts Fair. Pick up a few creative gifts for Christmas before attending the session.

White Elephant by Mark Monlux

Annual White Elephant Gift Exchange
Wednesday, December 12th @ King’s Books, 7:30-9:30pm
218 St Helens Ave, Tacoma, Washington 98402

This is a CLAW Open Swim meeting and the public at large is invited to attend and participate. I’m happy to say that this will be our fourth year of astonishing each other with truly absurd Christmas gifts. Now is your change to re-gift that present your aunt gave you last year. Or maybe you bought something at a garage sale the wife vetoed. Or maybe you found something that has the perfect “IT” factor for this event

The rules for the White Elephant Gift Exchange:

1. The gift must be “absurd”.
2. If you buy the gift, you must not spend more than $20.
3. You’re gift must be wrapped, or at the very least fully concealed in a festive bag.
4. Those who bring get to participate.
5. Numbers will be drawn from a fez to determine order.
6. You can select a gift from a table or steal a gift from a person who already chose a gift.
7. A gift can only be stolen three times, at which time it becomes locked-in.
8. A gift doesn’t have to be unwrapped until all gifts are selected. (While there is debate about this rule it was part of our original rules in 2008 and I’m going to stick with tradition.)
9. Once all gifts are locked-in, those that have not been unwrapped should be unwrapped.
10. The Trading, purchasing, bartering or auctioning of gifts after the exchange is allowed.

ps. If you like getting Facebook invites to events, please ‘like’ the CLAW Facebook Page.

Saturday October 20th, 2012 A.D. 10:30 AM

to

Sunday October 21st, 2012 A.D. 10:30 AM

Nerdy Stuffs will be hosting, its very first 24 HOUR COMICS DAY event, on October 20th! Starting at 10:30 AM, we challenge you to create a full 24-page comic in 24 consecutive hours!

That means everything: Story, finished art, lettering, color (if applicable), paste-up, everything! You can create your comics traditionally or even digitally, we have outlets for those of you who are tech savy!

Join us for 24 HOUR COMICS DAY! We are now taking sign ups for table space, at the store!

RSVP ON FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

That is the Question that Spanaway, Washington’s NERDY STUFFS is Challenging the Members of C.L.A.W. (the Cartoonists’ League of Absurd Washingtonians), and YOU, to try and accomplish SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20th! Starting at 10:30am THIS Saturday and Continuing ALL DAY ..into THE NIGHT..and Straight on until the NEXT MORNING on Sunday, October 21st at 10:30am…That’s right, 24 HOURS!

“This is our 1st Year issuing the challenge,” said store manager, CARMEN MELENDEZ, “And our Homegrown Heroes, the Members of C.L.A.W., are being dared to Return to the Challenge that FOUR of them COMPLETED last year at Comic Book Ink…and we challenge them to bring even more of their numbers. And when I say, ‘Return to the Callenge’, it means we are hoping for the chance to put them on public display creating comics while continuing to be absurd. Every year, C.L.A.W. uses this event to promote their SCHOLARSHIP FUND and we know they will ARISE to the challenge!”

C.L.A.W. uses this event as an opportunity to seek out Contributors to C.L.A.W.’s Student Scholarship Fund. “One of the reasons we started C.L.A.W. was to establish a Scholarship, however meager, for Art Students interested in Comics and Cartooning,” said MARK MONLUX, one of the founders of C.L.A.W., resident of Fern Hill and Award-Winning Illustrator. “Those of us who draw know just how tight finances can be for someone who is just starting to learn their craft. Besides tuition and books, there is the ever-increasing price of art supplies. Our Goal is to help out with relieving some of the burden, even if its only a few dollars.”

What is 24 HOUR COMICS DAY?

24 HOUR COMICS DAY All Starts with a Challenge!!

The 24 HOUR COMICS CHALLENGE is for a Cartoonist to completely create a 24 Page Comics Story in 24 Straight Hours. A “24 Hour Comic” is any comic story that you make while facing the challenge…even if you take more than 24 consecutively-awake hours to make the comic or if you end after the 24 hours with a story that shorter than 24 pages.

Is this really the best way to make a great comic?

Probably not (although some really cool comics have been made this way), but that is not the real goal. The goal is to have the experience of trying. It’s a creative exercise that can teach you a lot about what you are capable of.

Who came up with the “Concept” of the 24 HOUR COMIC?

A cartoonist named SCOTT McCLOUD. Scott is the leading theoretician in the comics field. A position he achieved with the release of “Understanding Comics” an analysis of the comics form. Head on over to www.ScottMcCloud.com to learn more about Scott and his Insights!

How many 24 HOUR COMICS have been done?

Over 1000 people have taken the challenge so far worldwide. Just last year, Comic Book Ink hosted 19 People for the Challenge. This is the first year Nerdy Stuffs will host the event.

What is 24 HOUR COMICS DAY?

It’s a Celebration of the Creation of Comics. The first event was held in 2004.

Are YOU up to the CHALLENGE? Join us this Saturday at 10:30am or come in and witness the spectacle and cheer on our challengers!!

Who knows…we might have a few late night surprises for you…