May Started off with a bang!  Or maybe a crunchy, squishy sound would be more appropriate as we began the first day of the month creating our annual steamroller print for the Wayzgoose Hand Press Festival hosted by King’s Books on St. Helens in downtown Tacoma!  As part of the yearly 2-day street party honoring and demonstrating the skills and wares of many local small press artists, like our friends at Beautiful Angle, for example, the CLAW is one of the teams selected to produce a giant-sized (4′ x4′) print created by inking the large square of linoleum into which our design was intricately carved reversed out and backwards, and then placing it in the parking lot next to the building where a piece of dampened paper is laid over it and cushions are added over the top and it is then SQUASHED by a massively heavy steamroller!  It’s always an amazing spectacle to witness and the various designs this year followed a theme of literary classics and creators!  The CLAW’s design honored Tacoma-born author Frank Herbert, the science fiction master behind the DUNE series!  I was especially excited about this year’s print because my design was chosen for the event!  (It should be noted, of course, that the actual carving was done by several diligent members of CLAW!  Mark Monlux, our VP James Stowe, Anique Zimmer, R.R. Anderson–and his son Max–and myself, Mark Brill, were the main CLAW Talons responsible for transferring the art to the large linoleum block!)  Jennevieve Schlemmer and Larry Erhardt were on hand to help the a fore mentioned members with the inking and printing!

Everything came off without a hitch–even my silly idea for a special effect to add a second color to the piece to give Mr. Herbert the blue eyes of his Spice addicted characters in his most famous work!  Our print was very favorably received and everyone had a blast creating it!  And our thanks to Destiny City Comics, right next to King’s and part of the festivities for finding a place for the CLAW table, where we handed out zines and showed the kids how to make mini-comics of their own!

Not too much other news, except that out usual 4th Wednesday Open Swim event, which we are now referring to as the “CLAW Community Art Project” is happening on the 25th of the month at King’s Books and everyone is invited to come down at 7:30 and draw and hang out with the wacky folks of The Cartoonist League of Absurd Washingtonians!

One last item–Crypticon, an amazing horror convention will be held over the last weekend of May, from the 27th to the 29th at the Hilton Convention Center in SeaTac and 2 of the CLAW’s Talons will be on hand to keep the Creepy CLAW flag flying!  Travis Bundy will be there with his partners promoting his Creator’s Edge horror titles!  And Mark Brill will be there in his Brillustrator guise creating monstrous caricatures!  (Hopefully meaning caricatures of people as monsters, and not just really horrible drawings!)  See you in June!!  **Watch for the June notice of “Captain Picard Day!” **

On Leap Day, February 29th, the Cartoonist’s League of Absurd Washingtonians held it’s annual GREAT YEARLY CEREMONY, wherein the Talons of the CLAW gather to celebrate another year of existence, recognize our friends and initiate new Council members and have cake.  As always, the GYC was held in the Commencement Hall of the Pythian Temple on Broadway in downtown Tacoma, and we extend our gratitude to the Knights of Pythias for the use of their beautiful facility!  In other aspects, however, this year was a slight break with tradition.

First and foremost, there was no cake!  Secondly, instead of the usual painfully elaborate, poorly executed ceremony with swords and lime green robes, performed before a gathering of friends and loved ones, this year’s meeting was a REVIVAL!  It was a closed meeting among the Talons and Official Friends of CLAW, during which Brother Stowe, (Member #4) played Master of Ceremonies and delivered a spirited address about the loss of our goals and direction, and encouraging the membership to think of ways in which the CLAW can be more driven and effective!

The new Council of the Four Eyes was announced for the coming year:  Mark Brill (#9) as President, James Stowe (#4) as Vice President, Steve Garvin (#25) as Treasurer and Larry Erhardt (#8) as Secretary.  In a final bit of business, a new Official Friend of CLAW was announced, being Christina Wheeler, formerly of the Nearsighted Narwhal, for her support of the CLAW in the precious year.  The company was then removed, after the closing ritual was performed solemnly by the President and Keeper of the Semi-Sacred Box of Things and Props, to the dining room upstairs for sandwiches and veggie platters where we discussed the sharpening of the CLAW!  More will be discussed on that point later!

In other business, Brooks Dental Studio will be having an art show reception for artwalk onMarch 17th, 5-7 pm.  “Brooks Dental Studio presents the Art of CLAW”  Come down and see what the Talons have been creating in their secret studios!

On Saturday, March 19th, Destiny City Comics (right next door to King’s Books) Will be hosting an event called Local Artist Bazaar!  It will feature a number of CLAW members hawking their wares and doing sketches!  You don’t want to miss that!

The Open Swim for March will be on Wednesday the 23rd at 7:30pm at King’s Books on St. Helens in Tacoma.  The theme will be “CLAW ex Machina” and it will be a team-based event where everyone will be drawing up a Rube Goldberg-esqe machines.  Unlike most OS events in recent times, no voting or prizes will be offered.  We’re just going to have some fun!!  So come be a part of it!

Finally, Brandon Pierce (#17) would like you to know about his webcomic called “Pet Projects”!  He will be among the CLAW members at the Local Artist Bazaar, selling bookmarks that feature characters from his strip, such as Notle the Witch.

Happy March…ing everyone!