I'm a cartoonist and illustrator raised here in Sacramento. While attending Sac State I was the staff cartoonist for the school newspaper, The State Hornet, when I was approached by John Gladding and asked to post my comics to his web site, Sactosaurus.com, which also happened to be the Hornet's primary competition. At the time it struck me as a terrible moral quandary: I wanted to increase the readership of my comics, but wouldn't I be violating the paper’s trust in me? In the end my greed won out and I agreed to contribute to Sactosaurus.com. Fortunately, no one at the Hornet cared enough to notice, and I learned an important lesson: no one loves you more than John Gladding.
So I've been an infrequent contributor to Gladding's family of web sites ever since. For our latest collaboration, John asked if I would contribute to the blog here at MySacramento.me. Since I already blog at my own web site, hardpressdink.com, and at my myspace page, myspace.com/hardpressedjess, I figured this wouldn't be too much of a problem. My blog posts will be the same at each site, or "simulbloggedä", as I like to call it, but from time to time there may be slight variations from blog to blog to keep (for instance, this post appears at the other two sites in a slightly different format). In the future, I may even create site-specific posts to encourage cross-pollination.
As you will see, I tend to blog on a variety of subjects, such as music and politics, usually from a personal, egocentric perspective. For instance, in a post about Girls Gone Wild, rather than focusing on the brand’s sexism and its seemingly negative effects on our sisters and daughters, I focused instead on how annoying I find its ubiquitousness. You can read it here. In the coming weeks I may repost some of my greatest hits for your reading pleasure. Oh, you're in for a treat! When I'm not posting long, naval gazing entries, I post my latest art or comics, silly drawings from my past, or interesting quotes I read in a book.
I'll also be involved in two upcoming events that you, the reader, may find interesting. First, the Alternative Press Expo (APE) is this weekend in San Francisco. I'll be attending for the third year in a row, but this will be my first with trusty ward Clave and wonderful girlfriend Audrey in tow. Clave, a high school student I've mentored for the last year, is debuting his first ever comic book, "The Intern", and I'll have my comic books and merchandise for sale, including some new items (watch this space for details). Audrey and I will be dressing up as Mario and Princess Peach for the Halloween Party Friday night, and then at the convention proper we'll all be sharing a table with Argel Brown and Michael Galande of Blood and Inc. Argel came up with the great idea of drawing ourselves as the monsters from Rampage for a banner and advertisement for our table. I just picked up the banner today and it looks awesome:
Alternative comics heavyweights such as Jessica Alba and Chris Ware will be in attendance, as will Sacramento homies Skinner, Sandor and Aaron Winters. Even if you’re not into comics, APE is a great place to score one-of-a kind books, apparel, dolls, posters, merchandise and original art. Sometimes celebrities like Matt Groening and Davy Havoc make appearances, but even when they don’t APE is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. For directions and more info, click here.
Second, I’ll be in my first midtown Second Saturday show November 8th at SaraJane&Co. Entitled "The Four Corners," the show features "Four distinctive styles by four very different artists who have never met, showcasing the creative diversity of our region's finest." Gosh, they're talking about me! Oh, and Chris Baxter, Chad Lenzi and Andrew Taggert. The aforementioned Skinner is coordinating the show and Aaron Winters designed the spiffy flyers:
SaraJane&Co is actually having a three-night opening, but if you want to rub elbows with the artist I’ll be there Saturday night for the Beer Garden and music by Electric Dude. And we probably would rub elbows if you go: the space is kind of small and sure to be packed!
Joe Sacramento walks around town and asks residents how Fargo and the city are doing. 1/20 ain't bad! Includes some interviews with homeless kids who complain that nobody gives them change because of their piercings. ...and the problem is...?
While we may be worried about the lack of water in the last few years, one of the few upsides is that underwater treasures start to emerge. In nearby Folsom Lake, the gold rush era town of Mormon Island is starting to emerge; Lake Oroville has discovered 15 cars and a boat, and Lake Shasta apparently left behind a massive tower from building the dam, and several old bridges.
The Bee is reporting there will finally be some news about the proposed Cal Expo arena. According to the NBA's John Moag, "Within 90 days we're going to know whether Cal Expo and the NBA have a deal, and what the plan looks like. We'd pull the plug in a heartbeat if we didn't think it was going anywhere, because it is very expensive."
I found a cool rendering of a new project being planned for Sacramento - it includes several hi-rises (up to 30 stories), parks, and retail. Who pays for it is anybody's guess, but it's a cool concept.
Sacramento building new green heating and cooling plant
California officials announced that the steelwork is complete on the state's new green central plant. State and Consumer Services Agency (SCSA) Secretary Rosario Marin and Department of General Services (DGS) Director Will Bush were on hand at a "topping out" ceremony where the last piece of steel was put into place.
The Sacramento Bee unveiled its new web presence today. Is it me, or does this site look oddly familiar to, oh, I dunno... a million other news sites? Nothing even looks remotely "Sacramento" anymore. It seems they have succumbed to the cookie-cutter syndrome that corporate America is embracing with open arms. The new site is different, I guess... did they change just for the sake of change?
The elections are officially 3 weeks away... which means there's a lot at stake in Sacramento. Heather Fargo is fighting for re-election and if Kevin Johnson is able to continue his momentum, we may have a new mayor in town. My million dollar question - who can sway the public favor for a new arena? It's been 5 months since we've heard anything on that front.
Hometown product Jesse Baggs used to do comics at the State Hornet and now Bloggs (get it?) regularly, showcasing new stuff, old stuff, and even stuff from a kid he mentors. Check it out!
Inside Arco Arena
We get an insider-pass at Arco Arena and find some parts of the
place few ever even knew existed.
Second
Saturday & The Citizen
Midtown's "Mardi Gras 12 times a year" and Downtown's plush new
digs at the Citizen Hotel promise for a fun night on the town.
Twitterific
All you Twitter tweeps out there, we're on board this crazy
ride. Follow us until another social media app distracts us.
We Need a Few
Good Bloggers!
Interested in blogging for MySacramento? As long as it's
somewhat Sacramento related, we're looking for writers!
Dorm Survival at Sac State
Take a
few tips from some seasoned veterans - from rooms to food to
partying (and not getting caught), we'll give you the 411.
10 Things to Pack for
College
Packing for College? Jen Davies takes a look at 10... er... 11
things you can't forget when getting ready for that first year
of college.
Sacramento Forums
See what's up in Sacramento... feel free to join the discussion,
or just lurk until you find something worth saying.
Sacramento Bars & Restaurants
Been to a new restaurant or just looking to spread the word?
We're always looking for new places to eat.
Sac State Survival
The origins of this site started at Sac State (a long, long time
ago!). However some things stay the same. See what college life
is life at Sacramento State.
Sacramento Scene
Looking for fun things to do? So are we! We'll provide some fun
diversions her in and out of Sacramento.
