Heeb Storytelling: The Live Comics Edition at Joe's Pub

Over the past week, CulturePOP was brought out of the virtual world and into the real one with two live readings. First, last week my piece on writer Rachel Kramer Bussel was read by Rachel, with the images projected behind her, at the last of her In The Flesh reading series events at Happy Ending in NYC- http://www.edenfantasys.com/sexis/sex-and-society/rachel-kramer-bussel-in-the-flesh-ends-1222102/

This past Tuesday, Rachel again read the piece at the Heeb Storytelling: The Live Comics Edition at Joe's Pub. This time she was helped out by Katelan Foisy, who read the story within the story. It was an honor to have shared the bill with legendary MAD artist Al Jaffee, Paul Pope, Molly Crabapple, Dean Haspiel, Sarah Glidden, Josh Neufeld, Cynthia Von Buhler, Jeff Newelt & Miss Lasko Gross. A full roundup will be coming soon (with my photos) to Heebmagazine.com.

Talking CulturePOP Photocomix with Tim

A very in-depth interview with me on making Photocomix went up live yesterday at Tim O'Shea's Talking With Tim-
http://talkingwithtim.com/wordpress/2010/12/22/seth-kushner-on-culturepop/

I ramble on (maybe too much!) about how the series came about, how subjects are chosen, and I give some behind-the-scenes info on individual installments.


http://talkingwithtim.com/wordpress/2010/12/22/seth-kushner-on-culturepop/

Live CulturePOP Reading at Heeb Storytelling: Live Comics Edition

I'm very excited to be a part of a very cool event this Tuesday where my CulturePOP subject, Rachel Kramer Bussel will read my Photocomix profile on here. Also, I'm honored to share the bill with the likes of Al Jaffee, Paul Pope, Dean Haspiel, etc.
Details below-

Heeb Storytelling: Live Comics Edition a night of irreverent entertainment—graphic novel-style—curated by Heeb’s comics editor Jeff Newelt.
get tix: http://bit.ly/HeebJoesComix

Eight extraordinary comics creators project their smart, funny and sexy comics on a big screen, accompanied by a soundtrack and shenanigans. Featuring legendary MAD artist Al Jaffee + Paul Pope, Molly Crabapple, Dean Haspiel, Sarah Glidden, Josh Neufeld, Cynthia Von Buhler, Jeff Newelt, Rachel Kramer Bussel, and Seth Kushner.

Early bird prize! First 10 people in the door get free copies of the rare Heeb "Love" issue with cover by Robert & Aline Crumb!

**FREE** raffle tickets! 5 winners get *supersets* of graphic novels (each set includes Sarah Glidden's How To Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less; Bill Ayers "To Teach"; Josh Neufeld's A.D. New Orleans After The Deluge; Royal Flush Magazine 7; AL JAFFEE's MAD LIFE, and TRIBES: The Dog Years (http://tribesthecomic.com/) **

“Comics aren’t just for schmendricks anymore,” said Jeff Newelt

Tuesday, December 21, 7p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Doors 6pm)
Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, NYC
$15 (reservations required for table seating)
Call theater: (212) 539-8778 or buy tickets at http://bit.ly/HeebJoesComix (Telecharge: 212-239-6200)
http://www.heebmagazine.com/events-2/?event_id=7

Storytellers include:
MOLLY CRABAPPLE www.mollycrabapple.com international artstress / impressaria (Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, Puppet Makers)

AL JAFFEE www.facebook.com/AlJaffee - legendary creator of the MAD Magazine “Fold-in” and “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions;”

PAUL POPE comics destroyer, designer for DKNY, Diesel screenprints www.pulphope.blogspot.com (Batman Year100, THB)

DEAN HASPIEL www.deanhaspiel.com (artist, American Splendor; Emmy Award-winning cartoonist on HBO’s BORED TO DEATH)

SARAH GLIDDEN www.smallnoises.com (How To Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less)

CYNTHIA VON BUHLER www.cynthiavonbuhler.com award-winning artist / children's book illustrator (EVELYN EVELYN),

JOSH NEUFELD www.joshcomix.com (artist, American Splendor; creator of “Best American Comics”-winning graphic novel documentary A.D.: New Orleans After The Deluge (www.smithmag.net/afterthedeluge)

JEFF NEWELT AKA JAHFURRY www.twitter.com/jahfurry (The Pekar Project www.smithmag.net/pekarproject);

RACHEL KRAMER BUSSEL www.rachelkramerbussel.com erotic book editor/cupcake connoisseur

SETH KUSHNER www.sethkushner.com creator of CulturePOP photocomix www.activatecomix.com/104-16-1.comic

MISS LASKO-GROSS www.misslaskogross.com/ creator off the graphic novels ESCAPE FROM SPECIAL and A MESS OF EVERYTHING

CulturePOP Photocomix: Reggie Watts

CulturePOP" Photocomix Profiles of Real-Life Characters is back today with an all new installment on comedian/musician Reggie Watts.

I recently spent an interesting day with Reggie Watts trolling around Williamsburg, Brooklyn and seeing first-hand how he comes up with his patented improvisational material. Seeing how Reggie operates off-stage gave me even more appreciation for Reggie the performer, and hopefully this piece will help to give viewers some insight into the mind of this unique talent.

See it here - http://activatecomix.com/104-18-1.comic

This particular piece was somewhat experimental for me, in that I needed to come up with a way to merge Reggie's words and my photos in a way which would somehow portray his abilities, which is something clearly evident in video and much more difficult in still imagery. Dean Haspiel edited the piece with me, as always, and chimed in with some good suggestions. To finalize it though, I turned to Jeff Newelt, whose familiarity with Reggie made him the perfect person to push me to really "activate the energy" (his words!) of the piece and move in a very psychedelic direction. Jeff and Dean provided the one/two editing punch I needed to make this one fire on all cylinders!

Reggie was recently named by GQ Magazine as one of their Men of the Year, and in the accompanying tribute written by Conan O'Brien, Conan writes, "You couldn't invent a Reggie Watts if you wanted to." You know Conan means it because when he embarked on his comedy tour last spring, it was Reggie who he picked as his opening act.

Comments welcome and appreciated, as always. Hope you enjoy it!

Live CulturePOP Reading at In The Flesh Reading Series

After 5+ years, over 200 readers, countless cupcakes and sexy moments, In The Flesh Reading Series is ending. Join us for a free, festive, sexy, cupcake-filled last hurrah, with erotica, memoir, burlesque and 500 free cupcakes to celebrate! Featuring erotic writer Laura Antoniou (The Marketplace series), memoirists Nancy Balbirer (Take Your Shirt Off and Cry), and Michele Carlo (Fish Out of Agua), burlesque performers GiGi La Femme (Revealed, Wassabasco) and Stormy Leather (Webster Hall, The Box), photographer and photocomic CulutrePOP creator Seth Kushner, memoirist Stephen Markley (Publish This Book), In The Flesh alum and famed letter writer Samara O'Shea (Note to Self, For the Love of Letters), Lambda Literary Award winner Rakesh Satyal (Blue Boy) and romance novelist Kama Spice (Sehra's Honor). Hosted and curated by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Best Bondage Erotica 2011, Passion, Orgasmic, Fast Girls). Giveaways include copies of SexIs Magazine and 500 cupcakes by Baked by Melissa.
FREE, 21+
Happy Ending Lounge, 302 Broome Street, NYC (F/V 2nd Avenue, look for pink awning)

My Appearance on Comic Book Club

Jeff Newelt, Seth Kushner and Mike Geszel apear at Comic Book Club, A Live Pop Culture Talk Show
w/Pete LePage, Justin Tyler, and Alex Zalben

***FOURTH ANNIVERSARY SPECTACULAR***
With Prizes, Free Food, and Drinks!

NOTE: This is out LAST SHOW EVER at the current PIT location! After that, we’ll be taking a short break while the theater moves, and then will come back with ALL NEW shows in 2011!

Tuesday, December 14th @ 8:00pm
@ The Peoples Improv Theater
154 West 29th Street, 2nd Fl.
[Between 6th and 7th Aves.]

Special Guests:

- Jeff Newelt aka JahFurry (comics editor SMITH, Heeb, Royal Flush; editor Pekar Project – Mike Geszel (SoulCraft Comics) writer, TRIBES: The Dog Years

- Seth Kushner, creator of CulturePOP photocomix, photographer, and editor

Also?

You could win a $25 Gift card to Midtown Comics!

PLUS

FREE COMICS!

Tickets: $5
Online: ThePIT-NYC.com
Phone: 1-800-838-3006
Questions? 212-563-7488

AND AS ALWAYS…
The show is sponsored in part by Midtown Comics

CulturePOP Season 2 continues Tuesday 12/14

Graphic NYC site update - Frank Miller

Frank Miller Part 1: Dames, Dark Knights, Devils, and Heroes

It was about two months ago when our Graphic NYC project finally took Christopher and I to Hell's Kitchen to meet Frank Miller. Back when I was nine, and first developing my weekly comics habit, Miller and Stan Lee were the first names I knew in comics.

I had met and photographed Frank before, on the same day I got dumped by a girlfriend, back in 2002. It was a memorable day.
Arranging this recent session took some doing. Over the past two years, Frank's been busy directing movies (The Spirit) and commercials (Gucci Guilt) and who knows what else, so he's been difficult to nail down. But, we're making a book on the history of American comics, so giving up on Frank was never an option.

Our day at Frank Miller's place was a great one for the project. Christopher had an epic interview with the creator in his studio, while I was serenaded by Frank's girlfriend, Kim while she played the piano in the living room.

There were two parts to my shoot. The first was in Frank's studio, and the second were on his balcony, overlooking Hell's Kitchen. The same Hell's Kitchen Frank had his Daredevil bounding over water towers and through alleys during his legendary run one the character. It was perfect.

Frank Miller Part 2: On Pastiche, Directing and the Future

Frank was a great subject, as he was for me back in '02. I like to think my photos of him are revealing. He gave me a mixture of patented Miller mugging, and some real vulnerability.

A note about my photos used in the profile: In attempting to keep Graphic NYC fresh, I decided, starting with this profile, to create an "opening piece," utilizing my portrait, Chris's title and a piece of the creator's art. I want it to feel more like a magazine profile and less like a blog. I've also began running pull quotes over the additional photos. It's an experiment which I think works, and will continue in the future.

See part 1 of the profile here - http://www.nycgraphicnovelists.com/2010/12/frank-miller-
part-1-dames-dark-knights.html

See part 2 of the profile here - http://www.nycgraphicnovelists.com/2010/12/frank-miller-part-2-on-pastiche.html