June 22, 2009
Welcome to King-Cat.net
HOORAY!! TWENTY YEARS OF KING-CAT COMIX -- 1989-2009! (John P. gets his first tattoo, on his 21st birthday, 9/18/89; Photo by Laura Mars)
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Hi everyone! And welcome to the King-Cat Comics website… here’s how to get around:
-This HOMEPAGE (please scroll down...) lists News, Notes, Old News and so on about King-Cat related stuff. It’s updated regularly, at the beginning of each month, so check back often!
-The CATALOG lists all items currently for sale. The KING-CAT COMICS sub-page lists subscription rates and available back issues of the King-Cat Comics zine. The OTHER PUBLICATIONS sub-page is for non-KC comics, Book Collections, and other printed merchandise. BUTTONS and T-SHIRTS lists, well… Buttons and T-Shirts... but also a selection of musical releases and original artwork.
-For complete ordering instructions, click on the HOW TO ORDER sub-page heading on the CATALOG pages
-For stores that carry King-Cat stuff, and other cool links, check the LINKS page
-Click MISC for King-Cat Interviews, Reviews, Podcasts etc, plus an archive of Zine World news
-The rest of the pages are hopefully self-explanatory!
-If you have any questions, want to be added to the mailing list, or simply want to say hello, find out how to get in touch by clicking CONTACT
That’s it! Thank you for visiting, and ROCK ON! --John P.
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"I got so much trouble on my mind... refuse to lose..." --Chuck D.
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KING-CAT NEWS NOSE:
Sniffing out King-Cat related news since June 2005
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JUNE UPDATE:
(John P., Jason Shiga, and Noah Van Sciver at Time Warp Boulder's Free Comic Book Day event, 5/2/09; photo ripped from Noah's blog; he ripped it from somebody's Facebook site)
(Some old troll draws a picture at FCBD; photo by Leila Del Duca)
(Noah Van Sciver and John P. at Denver Comicfest, 4/19/09; Photo by the guy who was checking wristbands at the entrance.)
Well, it's been a long, strange trip, but last month officially marked the 20th Anniversary of Good Ol' King-Cat Comix... so, hooray!
Right now I'm finishing up putting together the raw materials for my next book collection, Map of My Heart, which will be published in September 2009 by D+Q, and will contain most of the work that originally appeared in King-Cats #51-61, from 1996-2002; plus: notes, unpublished comics and otherwise "bonus" material.
In September I'll embark on a long booksigning tour in support of the new book, which will debut at SPX... After that I hope to make it out to most major cities in the Northeast and Midwest.
Once MAP is wrapped up I'll begin drawing the next King-Cat, which will be a long (72 page or so) comic about my darling cat, Maisie Kukoc. At this point I hope to have it out in Late Summer.
I also hope to have the KC CLASSIC TEE-SHIRTs back in stock within a few months.
Thanks to Dan and Luke, and everyone who came out to the KILGORE BOOKS 1st Anniversary party last Saturday! O Ho: turn your computer sideways!
Also here in Denver, I'm organizing the First Annual (?) COWTOWN ALTERNATIVE COMIX FEST, to be held Sat. June 27th at the Tattered Cover bookstore in LoDo. Click the link for details!
(Flyer design by Noah Van Sciver)
Anyhow, thanks to everyone for supporting me through these last 20 years of King-Cat... I couldn't have done it without you all-- and I really mean that! Thank you!
LOVE John P.
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MORE NEWS:
NEWS FLASH!: John P. will be on Boulder's Radio 1190 this Wednesday June 24 from 11AM - 1 PM (Mountain Time) chatting about comix and spinning quality tunes! Listen online at http://www.radio1190.org/netcast.html
THE "SOCIAL NETWORKING" TREND: Hey kids, this old fart is getting with the program, and now I'm not only on Facebook, but there's a King-Cat Facebook Group and a MySpace page too! Check it out if u want and thx for the add u rock!!!!!
NEW KING-CAT PODCAST (1): John P. discusses Punk Rock, Thoreau, and the Smiths at WATSON AND THE SHARK (click on "This time..." text).
NEW KING-CAT PODCAST (2): Interview with Noah Van Sciver and John Porcellino up at INDIE SPINNER RACK.
JOHN P. DEFIES GRAVITY AND SINGS! YouTube video.
KING-CAT ART AT GRNY: If you're in NYC, drop by GIANT ROBOT, from 6/6 -6/24 to see the new PANELISTS V exhibit of art by cartoonists! Opening reception is Saturday June 6, from 6:30 to 10 PM.!
JULIE DOUCET COMIC AND INTERVIEW IN THE WALRUS: Comic / Interview
THOREAU AT WALDEN NEWS: First off, my latest book, Thoreau at Walden, won first prize at the recent New York Book Fair (in the Children's Graphic Novel category)! Wow! Also: I picked up a few remaindered copies of the first edition, and am selling them at a $5 discount... so if you don't mind a unobtrusive mark on the side of the book (NOT the spine), and a sticker over the barcode, you can get yourself a deal... More info here.
SHIGA VISITS AND WE HAVE A GOOD LAUGH: cartoonist Jason Shiga stopped in Denver on his way to the Toronto Comics Arts Fest last weekend, and told me about his "blog." Ha! It hasn't been updated since 2003, but it's damn funny!
IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO TODAY (GIVE OR TAKE):
My old band T.A.C. live at the Eagle's Club in DeKalb, 3/7/89; L-R Donal, John P., Jenke. Photo by Greg Dunlap.
I found this photo of my old band King Archie, circa 1989, on my friend Laura's blog
L-R: Donal, John P., Steve, Laura. Those were different days...
MISFITS: on his blog, Good Ol' Zak Sally posted this commissioned drawing I did for a KC reader in Toronto. Check it out here.
FLIPPER: Hey, many of you have heard me go on and on about how great the old SF punk band Flipper was. They were the band that CHANGED MY LIFE, and their album ALBUM is still one of the greatest things to come out of Punk Rock TM ever. After a loooong sad period where their records were in legal limbo, I am happy to report that Water Records in San Francisco has re-released all four of the classic Flipper records on CD! Now available once again are: ALBUM GENERIC, GONE FISHIN', SEX BOMB BABY (singles collection), and PUBLIC FLIPPER LIMITED (Live 1980-85). I'm not claiming that these records are for everyone. But they show a world where rules are made to be broken, and where out of absolute shit and madness a greater beauty can emerge. Really. I just bought these again, because right now I can't think of anyone from my formative years who deserves to actually, finally, make a buck off their art more than Flipper. ("Flipper Suffered for Their Art-- Now It's Your Turn!")
NEW JOHN P. COMIC AVAILABLE ONLINE: A comic I did about my fabled trip to Vancouver in 1994, is up on the Walrus Magazine website. Check it out, it's even got color!
A SWAN AT SMILEY'S: This amazing album by my good pal Patrick Porter has just been released in a DeLuxe Edition by Greyday Records of Portland. It features 16 whopping tales of Queen City madness, and I wrote the liner notes! Beautiful, sad, funny, one-man Colfax rock n roll. Do yourself a favor and buy this record! You won't be disappointed. Comes with an amazing full color fold-out booklet, PLUS the 12 song "Cry Me A River, Sing Me A Raft" LP is included in mp3 format at no additional charge!
Hear music samples at Patrick's Myspace page.
And More.
A Few Cool Links:
Pascal Girard
Oliver Grajewski
Electro Comics
Kioskerman
Dunja Jankovic
Mario Zoots
Kristy Foom
Drippy Bone Books
Dull Tool Dim Bulb
YOUTUBE DELITE: We JUST got a high-speed connection, so now, after years of making fun of YouTube, I'm addicted. Here are some recommendations:
June List:
Quimby The Mouse
Hot Cars
Charlie Rich sings "Feel Like Goin' Home"
Soul Asylum Medley (1987)- Judge/"Comedy" Routine/Sun Don't Shine
Sid Hemphill & Lucius Smith -"Come On Boys, Let's Go to the Ball"
George The Animal Steele Falls in Love
Rosa Lee Hill - Bullyin' Well
May List:
Best Music Video Ever
2nd Best Music Video Ever
Goodnight, rockers
Lynda Barry - Boys & Girls!
Misc. Patrick Porter
NOAH VAN SCIVER IS THE BEST: Check out Noah's blog, which is Well Worth Reading (TM).
KING-CAT #69: This brand new issue features a nice mix of funny and sad stories: The Skweezil Cat Chronicles, Moon, Clouds, Heavy Metal Memories, and a poem; Ghetto Palms; plus-- Top-40, letters, and lots more! 32 digest pages. More info.
Also available: NOW WE ARE FORTY is a little illustrated zine I made to commemorate my recent 40th birthday. Navel gazing at its finest! 8 Mini pages; black ink on brown cardstock. More info.
THOREAU AT WALDEN: A long time in the making, my new book, Thoreau at Walden, is available NOW through your local bookstore, comics shop, or online. It's also available direct from me! Please click here for info. Thank you for your support!
Thoreau at Walden reviews:
School Library Journal
Shelf Awareness
Storm the Barricade
Watermark Books
Madinkbeard
Latest reviews:
Literary Safari
Thoreau Today
School Library Journal (interview)
Online essay by John about the process of making this book.
Please also visit the website of the Center for Cartoon Studies.
FACEBOOK FUN: A couple King-Cat fans (including my wife) have created a King-Cat Comics Facebook page. I don't really know too much about this sort of thing, but if you wanna check it out, or become a "King-Cat Facebook Friend," here's the link.
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KING-CAT EVENTS: March - June 2009
ABOVE: John P. at Boulder, Colo. signing; (photo by Delaine Derry Green).
SAT. MAY 2, 2009 - BOULDER, CO: I'll be participating in the annual Free Comic Book Day festivities held at Time Warp Comics in Boulder, along with lots of other local cartoonists! Check it out from 10 AM to 6 PM.
SAT. MAY 30, 2009 - DENVER, CO: Kilgore Books celebrates their One Year Anniversary all afternoon!
Schedule:
3:00- Married in Berdichev! (Music)
3:45- Milton Melvin Croissant III (Music)
4:30- John Porcellino & Noah Van Sciver (Comix Mayhem)
5:00- Stan Yan/Squidworks (24 Hour Comic release)
SAT. JUNE 27, 2009 - DENVER, CO: Cowtown Alternative Comix Festival, to be held 1-5 PM at the Tattered Cover bookstore, LoDo. Visit the CACF website for details!
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NOSTALGIA FOR SALE: I've added a listing for all the old Spit and a Half Records (from the Golden Age of the 90's) that are still available, on the CATALOG page of this website. Click here and scroll down to check it out!
DADDY NEEDS A NEW PAIR OF SHOES: As per the usual, we're goin' broke over here. So I thought I'd point out that I do commissioned artwork for people who are interested in such a thing. I've done work anywhere from 5x7 to really big, and I'd be happy to do some for you if you're interested. Prices generally start around $35 for something small and black & white and go up from there (to around $100-$150), depending on the size and complexity. I'm happy to do something random or really specific, depending on what you're looking for. I also commonly make hand-drawn reproductions of people's favorite King-Cat pages. If anyone out there is interested in getting some artwork drawn for them, please get in touch, and we'll go from there! Thanks!
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COMICS ANTHOLOGIES: King-Cat material can be found in the following "recent" comic anthologies: Kramer's Ergot #6 (Buenaventura Press) (all new comic); What'Cha Mean, What's a Zine (Houghton Mifflin, ed. Mark Todd & E.P. Watson) (all new comic); Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons and True Stories (Vols. 1 & 2) (Yale University Press, edited by Ivan Brunetti) (reprints selections from King-Cat #63, etc); Best American Comics 2006 & 2007 (Houghton Mifflin) (reprints "Chemical Plant / Another World" from the Mosquito Abatement Man book and "Country Roads - Brighton from King-Cat 65).
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COMING SOON-- Map of My Heart (Fall 2009, D+Q), King-Cat 70 (self-published), The Hospital Suite (all new graphic novel; Fall 2010?, D+Q) ... etc etc.
