The CLAW had a sponsor for March’s Open Swim. Downtown On The Go also known as DOTG www.downtownonthego.com the transportation advocate for downtown Tacoma provided blank while bike helmets for drawing and decorating. These adorned helmets will  be a traveling exhibit for DOTG to orchestrate via the Tacoma Spaceworks project. They might end up on dignitary’s heads during Downtown to Defiance Event in September. Then in October they will be part of a larger silent auction. The DOTG will split the proceeds and half will go to the CLAW Student Scholarship Fund. If you would like to draw on a helmet too, you can contact DOTG and get a blank helmet for a mere $10. Permanent sharpies work best.

First Place – James Stowe

Stowe’s Tacoma – Back – by James Stowe

Stowe’s Tacoma – Back – by James Stowe

Second Place – Mark Brill

Point Defiance Zoo – Front – by Mark Brill

Point Defiance Zoo – Back – by Mark Brill

Third Place – Mark Monlux

Giant Eye – Front – by Mark Monlux

Giant Eye – Back – by Mark Monlux

Fourth Place – RR Anderson

Dune- Front – by RR Anderson

Dune – Back – by RR Anderson

Fifth Place Tie – Kevin Knodell

Grit City – Back – by Kevin Knodell

Fifth Place Tie – Stan!

Stan!’s Tacoma – Back – by Stan!

Tinkertopia Tacoma – Front – by RR Anderson

Tinkertopia Tacoma – Back – by RR Anderson

Dinosaurs – Front – by Stan!

Dinosaurs – Back – by Stan!

At the last Open Swim, on April, 24^th 2014, The CLAW presented their 2014 Student Scholarship Fund to Kenzy Sorensen.  This was the largest scholarship CLAW has presented to date: $1,223. The Talons of the CLAW were very happy to provide this local art student with the mean to help her afford the art supplies she’ll need for her ongoing art studies.

If you’d like to help the CLAW philanthropic efforts, you can make a donation via our CLAW Student Scholarship page. Or buy one of the CLAW shirts online or on the premises of these CLAW supporters: Tacoma Art Museum, Nerdy Stuffs, King’s Books, and Tacoma Games.

More photos can be found here.

CLAW Your Favorite Secret Society of Cartoonists!

Wed, December 4, 7:00pm – 9:30pm

at Kings Books in Tacoma. 218 Saint Helens Avenue  Tacoma, WA 98402

This is a CLAW Open Swim meeting that is open to the public at large – all ages – and everyone 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.
11. no NAZI books or dead animals

In the event that there are extra gifts, they will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. We take credit cards.