Grahamstown Fest Packed with Cartoon Events

This Year's National Arts Festival in Grahamstown (30 June - 10 July) is filled with events that will be of interest to cartoon and comic art fans.

Amongst those featured are guerilla publisher Moray Rhoda, who will be launching an SA/Australian comic book collaboration, Andy Mason, who will be discussing his epic book "What's So Funny?' and hosting a panel discussion and series of workshops on comic art, and perennial favourite Zapiro, who will deliver a lecture on 'Freedom of Expression'. Read on for details...

Co/MIX WALKABOUT: Main / Art Walkabout

Friday July 1 (& Friday 8 July?) , 11:30pm 

Duration: 60 minutes |  price: FREE | @ Ntsikana Gallery

Take a stroll around this stimulating and unusual exhibition with Jaques de Loustal (France), Ephameron (Belgium) and SA CO/MIX artists. CO/MIX 2011 is an innovative group exhibition featuring 26 South Africans and four international artists, each involved in some aspect of comic art and sculpture. CO/MIX is concerned with comic art as an aesthetic form and a narrative platform. It leapfrogs over the barricades that once defended fine art from pop culture, bringing cartoon images onto canvas and fine art works onto usable, wearable surfaces. Drawing inspiration from the Beautiful Losers DIY street art movement, CO/MIX conjoins expressionist comic art with political and underground cartooning and the contemporary visual subcultures of skate, surf, street, hip hop, indie craft and graffiti, overlaying it all with a passionate concern for aesthetic integrity in the creation of unique art objects. Age restrictions: 13.

 

COMICS ACROSS THE OCEANS: Main / Think!Fest

Friday July 1, 3:00pm 

Duration: 90 minutes |  price: FREE | @ Ntsikana Gallery

A panel discussion between renowned international comic artists Jacques de Loustal (France), Ephameron (Belgium) and South African comic artists, facilitated by Andy Mason. Loustal is famous for his richly illustrated travel journals, while Ephameron has created a series of drawings which construct a comparative visual iconography of everyday life in Belgium and South Africa. All ages.

 

VELOCITY: Main / Lecture

Saturday July 2, 4:00pm 

Duration: 60 minutes |  price: FREE | @ Ntsikana Gallery

Velocity Main / Lecture Guerilla publisher Moray Rhoda and his cartooning cohorts launch their innovative ‘Steam-punk’ comic book, a collaboration between South African and Australian comic artists. All ages.

 

TOONLAB 1: Main / Workshop

Sunday July 3, 10:30am 

Duration: 150 minutes |  price: R40,00 | @ Ntsikana Gallery

Create your own cartoons at this interactive immersion into the world of comic art, facilitated by local and international artists. The best participants will be selected to proceed to the more advanced Co/Mix Master Classes (see below). In ToonLab 1, participants get to draw with Ephameron (Belgium) and South African Co/Mix artists. In ToonLab 2 (details below), participants get to draw with Erik Kriek (Netherlands), JP Kalonji (Switzerland) and South African Co/Mix artists. All ages.

 

MASTERCLASS 1- Cartooning and the Graphic Novel: Main / Workshop

Sunday July 3, 2:00pm 

Duration: 180 minutes |  price: R50,00 | @ Ntsikana Gallery

Masterclass Cartooning and the Graphic Novel Main / Workshop Bring some examples of your own work for a crit and create your own comic under the watchful eyes of renowned local and international comic artists. Drawing materials provided or bring your own favourite pens and brushes. Master Class 1 is with Ephameron (Belgium) and South African Co/Mix artists. Master Class 2 (on July 9) is with Erik Kriek (Netherlands), JP Kalonji (Switzerland) and South African Co/Mix artists. Age restrictions: 13.

ZAPIRO - ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN SA & CHINA: Fringe / Wordfest

Tuesday July 5, 11:00am

Duration: 60 minutes |  price: R10.00 | @ Seminar Room 3

Renowned South African editorial cartoonist Zapiro delivers the DALRO lecture on freedom of expression in South Africa and China, with reference to his cartoons. This event ironically replaces a cancelled event which was to focuss on Censorship in those two countries.

 

CANNIBAL OGRES, MOCK EUROPEANS, FAUX TINTINS: Main / Think!fest

Friday July 8, 2:00pm 

Duration: 60 minutes |  price: FREE | @ Ntsikana Gallery

An illustrated lecture by Andy Mason, author of What’s So Funny? Under the Skin of South African Cartooning. He examines the visual stereotypes, symbols and icons that populate the history of South African cartooning and satirical art, from the colonial period to the present, culminating in the epic confrontation between Zapiro and Jacob Zuma. All ages.

 

TOONLAB 2: Main / Workshop

Saturday July 9, 10:30am 

Duration: 150 minutes |  price: R40,00 | @ Ntsikana Gallery

ToonLab (Cartoon Laboratory) invites you to create your own cartoons and immerse yourself into an interactive world of comic art facilitated by local and international artists. This event follows on from Toonlab1 (on July 3), however participants are welcome to attend either or both. In ToonLab 2 you get to draw with Erik Kriek (Netherlands), JP Kalonji (Switzerland) and South African Co/Mix artists. All ages.

 

PLEASE NOTE: The above details were extracted from the National Arts Festival website and the best was made of a small number of ambiguities. Please double check the above program against event literature in good time before the events to avoid dissappointment.