Free!Issue 6

Serving The Creative Communities From Chicago To Milwaukee

“Don’t Take Life Too Serious. It Ain’t Nohow Permanent.” – Walt Kelly

Comics! Comics! Comics!lEFT OF THE lAKE pRESENTS tHE cOMICS ISSUE!

A Re-Visioning: New Works in Polymer

Over the past thirty years, artists all over the world discovered the almost unlimited capacity polymer holds for mimicking any surface, material or surface effect. As a result, we are witnessing the birth of a new fine craft and art medium recognized by museums such as the Racine Art Museum and The Boston Museum of Fine Arts. This exhibit highlights new works by master artists and innovators who inspire others to re-vision the possibilities in this medium.

Featuring: Judy Belcher, Leslie Blackford, Jana Roberts Benzon, Heather Campbell, Rachel Carren, Dan Cormier, Jeffrey Lloyd Dever, Meredith Dittmar, Kathleen Dustin, Elissa Farrow- Savos, Rachel Gourley, Alev Gozonar, Lindly Haunani, Tory Hughes, Emily Squires Levine, Maggie Maggio, Wendy Wallin Malinow, Laurie Mika, Sarah Shriver, Laura Tabakman, Cynthia Tinapple, Cynthia Toops, Melanie West, Phil Whitman and Elise Winters

This exhibit is a collaborative event with the Racine Art Museum’ s Polymer 2.0: The Field in the 21st Century, RAM's Polymer Symposium at Johnson Foundation at Wingspread in Racine, Wisconsin from Friday, October 17 - Sunday, October 19, 2014. Many of the artists will be present at the opening reception.

Opening Reception:September 18th, 4:30- 7:30 pm

For more information on upcoming events, visit www.carthage.edu/art gallery

Exhibit Runs:September 9 to October 25, 2014

Gallery Hours:Tuesday - Friday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.Thursday Evening 6 - 8 p.m.Saturday 1 - 4 p.m.

Jeffrey Lloyd Dever Botanist's Illusion

Special RAM Polymer Symposium Reception: October 18th, 4- 6 pmFree and open to the public.

Kathleen Dustin Erzerum Purse

4 A Message From Anne Hambrock / Left of The Lake

The Kenosha Festival of Cartooning kicks off its fourth year this fall, running from Thursday, September 25th through Saturday, September 27th!

Please plan to join us in welcoming our roster of internationally recognized cartoonists as they come to Kenosha to give presentations, participate in outreach to area schools, chat with Greg Berg on the WGTD Morning Show, teach kids classes in cartooning, draw at the comic jam sponsored by Left of the Lake and much more! Our 2014 Kenosha Festival of Cartooning guests are:

You don’t have to wait until September to see the outstanding gallery shows of original comic art sponsored by the festival!

“More Than Funny Too” runs all summer long ( June 7 – Sept 27) at the Kenosha Public Museum (5500 1st Ave Kenosha). This amazing show features art by all the festival guest speakers as well as art from the history of MAD Magazine, comic books, and historic newspaper strips. Artists include Frank Frazetta, Joe Kubert, Sergio Aragones, Wally Wood, Walt Kelly, George Herriman, and many others. Over 100 pieces of art spanning 100 years of cartooning history!

“The Oddly Compelling Art of Denis Kitchen” runs from August 1 – October 10 at the University of Wisconsin Parkside’s new Fine Arts Gallery. This outstanding show features work by Denis Kitchen, Robert Crumb, and other underground comic artists. Kenosha writer Michael Schumacher has written biographies of Al Capp (Li’l Abner) and Will Eisner (The Spirit) and their work is featured in this show as well.

Included this year is a partnership with Left of The Lake for a comic jam which culminates at Villa D’Carlo Friday night.

Saturday evening, at the Kenosha Public Museum, we will once again be auctioning off comic art and ephemera to benefit The Children’s Hospitals of Wisconsin’s Kenosha Clinic and the Open Wings Learning Community.

Space does not allow us to list every event here – please visit kenoshacartoonfest.com for the festival schedule and ticket information. All events are free and open to the public so tickets are free but seating is limited.

The festival is directed by Anne Morse Hambrock and sponsored by the National Cartoon-ists Society Foundation.

• Jeff Keane (Family Circus) • Lincoln Peirce (Big Nate) • Scott Stantis (Chicago Tribune Staff   Editorial Cartoonist)

• Denis Kitchen (Kitchen Sink Press) • Todd Clark (Lola) • Rick Stromoski (Soup To Nutz) • Terri Libenson (The Pajama Diaries)

A Message From The PublisherAnne Hambrock

Publis

her:

Che

t G

riffith

Gra

phic

Desig

ner:

Josh

ua F

raze

rEd

itor:

Lisa

Adam

owic

z Kl

ess

Edito

r: Pe

g R

ous

ar-

Thom

pso

nMana

ging E

dito

r: Jo

hn B

lone

r, Jr

.C

onta

ct U

s At

: edito

r@le

ftofthe

lake

.com

10 Behind the Scenes of Edison Lee ByJohn Hambrock

15 Starving Artist ByJerry Belland

17 Just A Dream ByDennis Bayuzick

18 4 Square ByDenis Kitchen

20 A Game of Pastries ByJoshua Frazer

21 Squint! ATinyComicByVarious Local Artists!

24 Legacy ByScott Stantis

24 Soup to Nuts! ByRick Stromoski

27 Orbis Mortalis ByMichael Schwartz

28 A Crooked Man ByJanette Louden

30 Eat Me! ByRichard Bell & John Bloner Jr.

34 Super Heroes ByJustin Grimbol

34 Mr. Evil ByJason Covelli

35 2FL: Chester Commodore ByJohn Bloner Jr.

37 Habitat ByMatthew Gonya

37 A Comic ByMatthew Hansel

38 Racine Horlick Cartoon AComicByDenis Kitchen

39 Left of The Lake Submission Info

Left

of t

he L

ake

Issu

e 6

Cover: John Hambrock“John in the Lab with Edison”

Left Of The Lake

Available at Artworks!

ColoringBook

Brandon Minga / Nash 7

HARBORPARKWALKSCULPTURE

ExperienceKenosha’s HarborPark

Sculpture Walk14 world-class sculptures along

Kenosha’s beautiful lakefront.

­is larger than life exhibit will run through September 2015.New sculptures will be exhibited for 2015-2017.

www.kenoshaartsfund.org

S

Fresh Produce, Cheese, Meats, Pastry, Mushrooms, Chips, Chocolate, Unique Arts & Crafts, Soaps,

Prepared Foods, Live Music, and More

Every Saturday — 9–2

A E-S M V S

2nd Ave. between 54th & 56th St. & Place de DouaiHarborPark • Kenosha, Wisconsin

Visit Our Web Site: kenoshaharbormarket.com

Like Us on FacebookFollow Us on Twitter

O. ,

A M I W

�e Happiest Market in America!

10 Behind The Scenes / Left of The Lake

The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee launched with King Features in the fall of 2006, which means I’ve created over 2500 daily and Sunday comic strips.

When I compare the early strips with those I’m creating now, I see a vast improvement, both in the drawing and the writing. The draw-ing has gotten looser and the writing has got-ten tighter. However, while the strip may have improved, and the style evolved, the process I go through to create each and every strip has remained essentially the same. I’ll usually start off by acknowledging I have deadline, followed by major panicking. After the dust has settled, it’s on to writing, followed by making coffee, panicking some more, baking cookies, purging the boiler (during the summer I’ll vacuum the air conditioners), then more writing. Some-how or another I’ve managed to make it work.

Following is a step by step breakdown of how I generate 7 strips a week, 52 weeks a year.

Some cartoonists pick specific times to write. This has never worked for me. I’ve found that I can’t just flip on the writing switch and jot down what comes to mind. Some days I can write a week’s worth of material in a few hours. On others I may come up with absolutely nothing. And it’s not as though certain days are “magic” days for writing. I may come up with my best material on a Tuesday, or a Fri-day, although I’ve discovered that I write some of my best stuff when I have that deadline breathing down my neck.

My wife Anne contributes ideas and scripts as well, and I frequently ask her to read what I’ve written. I trust her judgment and, if she has any reservations about a particular strip or

A behind the

scenes look at:

By: John Hambrock

Left of The Lake / Behind The Scenes 11

strips, I’ll almost always put them aside for a rework at a later date. Plus if she doesn’t laugh at the jokes at this stage it’s unlikely adding visuals will change that. Tickling her to get a laugh only makes matters worse. I have found that a great visual can generate a bigger laugh than the script alone but no visual will save a joke that isn’t working.

Comic artists tend to either write first, and then draw, or else they draw first – maybe just doodles – and then turn those doodles into comics. I write first.

Generally, I write scripts on my laptop, although there are times when I’ l l use anything that’s available – the back of an old bank deposit slip, a gum wrapper, cardboard tubes, the bottom of my foot (I still have an idea for January 4th written in laundry marker on my big toe). I used to write everything on stacks of printer paper attached to a clipboard, but my horrible penmanship and my habit of going through numerous edits made most of my writings undecipherable. I also lost the clipboard. When I’m writing, I storyboard the strip in my head, and I write visual cues into the script to use during the penciling stage.

I usually wait until I have all of my ideas written before I start drawing them up. I do this because I like to have the order set. Some strips are more appropriate for a Saturday, oth-

ers for a Wednesday. Sometimes I’ll ink up a week’s worth of material in a specific order, and then completely rearrange them. Paying attention to the order of my material is some-what important to me, sort of like the order of songs on an album.

My tools are pretty old school. Here is a list of everything I use to create my strip:

• Bienfang 2 ply Strathmore – which I buy in pads of 20 (“11”x 17” sheets, cut in half )

• #2 pencils (My accountant informs me that I can NOT depreciate these!)

• Lots of cap erasers (My dogs love ‘em)

• Speedball Super Black Waterproof India Ink (This stuff is drawn to white carpet like Orville to a Twinkie)

• Winsor & Newton Scepter Gold ll #2 sable brush for inking

• Micron #8 pen for lettering

• Dr Martins Bleed Proof White for clean ups

I start each strip by lettering the words in light pencil, then working up quick character sketches for position.

After I have everything where I want it, I start tightening up the pencil drawings. I discovered that if I get too tight at this stage I lose some of the energy and spontaneity.

I finalize the art by inking over the pencils with my brush and ink. When the ink is dry, I erase the pencils, touch up any bobbles with the bleed proof white, and the art is ready to scan.

12 Behind The Scenes / Left of The Lake

I can usually pencil and ink 6 daily strips in 8-10 hours. Sunday strips can take 4-6, depending on the complexity.

Using Photoshop, I scan the strips in grayscale at 600 dpi. I need to save one file as a black and white bitmap for newspapers that print their daily comics in black and white, and a second, layered CYMK file for the papers that run theirs in color. The colored version is also needed for the various outlets that publish it online. We do not handle the CYMK to RGB conversion for online use.

Then, at 11:30 pm on the night before they’re due, I hand off the layered files to my wife

Anne (I’m exaggerating, although there have been times when I’ve done this), who col-ors them using a Wacom tablet and her own special set of colors created specifically for the strip.

At the end of each week, I need to have 6 daily and 1 Sunday strip inked, colored, and ready to send to Reed Brennan Media Associates, the company that handles the final editing and distribution for King Features.

That’s it in a nutshell!

If you have any questions, shoot me an email at john@edisonlee.net.

Left of The Lake / Behind The Scenes 13

Jerry Belland / Starving Artist 15

Discover America’s Largest Craft Collection Learn more about current RAM art exhibitions and events at ramart.org

Racine Art Museum441 Main Street, Downtown Racine 262.638.8300

Photography: Jon Bolton

Dennis Bayuzick / Just A Dream 17

18 Denis Kitchen / 4 Square

20 Joshua Frazer / Throne of Pastries

squintLotl Presents

(A Tiny Comic)

$%&!#!!@Ouch!

www.kenoshasymphony.org • (262) 654-9080

Friday, September 5, 2014 • 6:00 - 9:30 pmPennoyer Park, 7th Ave & 35th Street

Friday, August 22, 2014 • 6:00 pmKenosha Country Club, 500 13th Avenue, Somers, WI

KSO 75th Anniversary Diamond Gala

KSO 1st Annual Shindig On The Shore

Saturday, October 18, 2014 • 7:30 pmReuther Auditorium, 913 57th Street

Ode To Joy

Sunday, December 14th, 2014 • 3:00 pmReuther Auditorium, 913 57th Street

Symphonic Sweets

Saturday, April 18, 2015 • 7:30 pmReuther Auditorium, 913 57th Street

Our Town, Your KSO

Saturday, February 14, 2015 • Time and Location: TBAPizzicato Promenade • Valentine’s Celebration

Honoring our sponsors and donors

Free concert of pops and movie music

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony

An afternoon �lled with Christmas joy

Dance the night away with the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra

A celebration of our cultural history

Saturday, June 13, 2015 • 7:30 pmUW-Parkside Bedford Hall, 900 Wood Road

Summertime and the Livin’ is Easy

Gershwin tunes and hit movie music

Melissa Cardamone, Soprano • Allison Hull, Alto • Alan Taylor, Tenor • Philip Kraus, BaritoneVOX 3 Collective, Guest Choir • Guest artists sponsored, in part, by the Kenosha Community Foundation and Carthage College

Featuring music from Pirates of the Caribbean and Jurassic Park

Featuring the music of the iconic American composer, Aaron Copland

Choirs from the community join KSO in a glorious “Hallelujah!” Special guest: Santa Claus

Sway along to a Strauss Waltz and step to a light-hearted polka

Featuring vendors, concessions, KSO shirt sales and KSO musicians, bringing the party to the park

Eat , drink and be merry at our gala event. Heavy hors d’eouvres served.

Guest artists: Tremper Chorale, directed by Mrs. Polly Amborn

www.kenoshasymphony.org • (262) 654-9080

Friday, September 5, 2014 • 6:00 - 9:30 pmPennoyer Park, 7th Ave & 35th Street

Friday, August 22, 2014 • 6:00 pmKenosha Country Club, 500 13th Avenue, Somers, WI

KSO 75th Anniversary Diamond Gala

KSO 1st Annual Shindig On The Shore

Saturday, October 18, 2014 • 7:30 pmReuther Auditorium, 913 57th Street

Ode To Joy

Sunday, December 14th, 2014 • 3:00 pmReuther Auditorium, 913 57th Street

Symphonic Sweets

Saturday, April 18, 2015 • 7:30 pmReuther Auditorium, 913 57th Street

Our Town, Your KSO

Saturday, February 14, 2015 • Time and Location: TBAPizzicato Promenade • Valentine’s Celebration

Honoring our sponsors and donors

Free concert of pops and movie music

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony

An afternoon �lled with Christmas joy

Dance the night away with the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra

A celebration of our cultural history

Saturday, June 13, 2015 • 7:30 pmUW-Parkside Bedford Hall, 900 Wood Road

Summertime and the Livin’ is Easy

Gershwin tunes and hit movie music

Melissa Cardamone, Soprano • Allison Hull, Alto • Alan Taylor, Tenor • Philip Kraus, BaritoneVOX 3 Collective, Guest Choir • Guest artists sponsored, in part, by the Kenosha Community Foundation and Carthage College

Featuring music from Pirates of the Caribbean and Jurassic Park

Featuring the music of the iconic American composer, Aaron Copland

Choirs from the community join KSO in a glorious “Hallelujah!” Special guest: Santa Claus

Sway along to a Strauss Waltz and step to a light-hearted polka

Featuring vendors, concessions, KSO shirt sales and KSO musicians, bringing the party to the park

Eat , drink and be merry at our gala event. Heavy hors d’eouvres served.

Guest artists: Tremper Chorale, directed by Mrs. Polly Amborn

Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities

900 Wood RoadKenosha, WI 53141

•Fine Arts Gallery•E.H. Mathis Gallery•Foundation Gallery

Like us on Facebook @ UW-Parkside Galleries

Scott Stantis / Legacy

Rick Stromoski / Soup to Nuts

THE FINE ART GALLERY PRESENTS:

THE FINE ART GALLERY, LLCThe Marshall BuildingSuite 210Milwaukee, WI 53202Thefineartgallery.com414 • 688 • 2787

WATERMARKSJuly 25th to October 11th

rebecca.venn@gmail.com

ARTIST TALK“Watermarks: Going with the Flow, the Human

Form and Water, an Inseparable Duet” September 19th, 2014, 7-8pm

310 6th St. | 262-635-8888 | lornacopia.com |

Today's savvy shopper wants to recycle their mint condition quality apparel and purchase the same. Visit our boutique and enjoy shopping in a warm and friendly

environment. We buy handbags, clothing (sizes 0 to 3x) and shoes (sizes 7.5 M TO 11 M)

outright by appointment only.

Lornacopia

New and Like New Clothing, Shoes and Accessories at Bargain Prices

Michael Schwartz / Orbis Mortalis 27

In the Beginning the Eternal created all worlds. One was set apart to

never be inhabited. It was the dark lonely world of Orbis Mortalis. You may ask yourself “Why?” Why create a world that no one should enter? It was this question that caused the first corruption and the reason Orbis Mortalis is filled with a blind and lonely people. Can those that have fallen into corruption ever be redeemed? Can order be restored?

mortalcoilproductions.com

28 Janette Louden / A Crooked Man

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Artworks Ad 2014.pdf 1 7/9/14 2:45 PM

Adapted and Illustrated by John Bloner, Jr.

Meanwhile, high above, a crow awaited its next meal.

by Richard Bell

THE END

One afternoon as they were resting in the shade a big turtle whizzed by. Our two caterpillars were very impressed. “Wow!” Kyle cried, “Did you see that?” “Barely,” Kenny replied. “If it comes back, let’s jump on and go for a ride.” So they climbed to a low hanging branch, hung on by their crochets, and waited.

After what seemed like hours the turtle After what seemed like hours the turtle returned from where it had been and the caterpillars let go as it passed underneath. They bounced and rolled but hung on for dear life.

Before they knew it they were speeding like mad across speeding like mad across the field. The caterpillars wereterrified. They shouted for theturtle to stop but it didn’t hear them.

Two caterpillars, Kenny and Kyle, were best friends, and thought they were the fastest runners in

their troop. Everywhere they went they ran as rapidly as possible and didn’t care who got in the way. They were always first in line for bingo

or table tennis or when the wading pool was open. Kenny and Kyle even had special running shoes that were custom-made from the finest

grass clippings. They especially liked to run circles around the slugs andgrass clippings. They especially liked to run circles around the slugs and

Not so long ago there was a group of caterpillars that lived in the forest and had all the food, water and shelter that they needed. Each morning it took them an hour to put their shoes on and each evening, an hour to take them off again.

laugh and call them names.

A half hour later the turtle came to rest beside a peaceful pond and the caterpillars slid off. They had

no idea where they were.

I CAN HARDLYBREATHE!

THIS ISAMAZING!

THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT,

FUZZ-BRAIN! NOW HOW DO WE GET BACK HOME?

You’RE THE ONE WHO AGREED TO IT.

Adapted and Illustrated by John Bloner, Jr.

Meanwhile, high above, a crow awaited its next meal.

by Richard Bell

THE END

One afternoon as they were resting in the shade a big turtle whizzed by. Our two caterpillars were very impressed. “Wow!” Kyle cried, “Did you see that?” “Barely,” Kenny replied. “If it comes back, let’s jump on and go for a ride.” So they climbed to a low hanging branch, hung on by their crochets, and waited.

After what seemed like hours the turtle After what seemed like hours the turtle returned from where it had been and the caterpillars let go as it passed underneath. They bounced and rolled but hung on for dear life.

Before they knew it they were speeding like mad across speeding like mad across the field. The caterpillars wereterrified. They shouted for theturtle to stop but it didn’t hear them.

Two caterpillars, Kenny and Kyle, were best friends, and thought they were the fastest runners in

their troop. Everywhere they went they ran as rapidly as possible and didn’t care who got in the way. They were always first in line for bingo

or table tennis or when the wading pool was open. Kenny and Kyle even had special running shoes that were custom-made from the finest

grass clippings. They especially liked to run circles around the slugs andgrass clippings. They especially liked to run circles around the slugs and

Not so long ago there was a group of caterpillars that lived in the forest and had all the food, water and shelter that they needed. Each morning it took them an hour to put their shoes on and each evening, an hour to take them off again.

laugh and call them names.

A half hour later the turtle came to rest beside a peaceful pond and the caterpillars slid off. They had

no idea where they were.

I CAN HARDLYBREATHE!

THIS ISAMAZING!

THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT,

FUZZ-BRAIN! NOW HOW DO WE GET BACK HOME?

You’RE THE ONE WHO AGREED TO IT.

32 John Hambrock / Studio

www.leftofthelake.com

34 Jason Covelli / Mr. Evil

Super Heroes of the 90s had the best mulletsI had a mullet tooBut I called it a fox tail.

I also had mustacheWhen I was only eight years old andI wore fish net stockings on my arms

And I could drink ten cans of sodaIn an hour.I showered dailyBut still managed to stink

Girls didn’t like meBut we played spin the bottleAnd I was sure that if I triedHard enough, I could control the bottleWith my mind

As they say“With great powercomes great responsibility.”

Justin G

rimbo

l

Matthew Gonya / Habitat Matthew Hansel

www.leftofthelake.comImage by: Ashley Nigl

38 Denis Kitchen / Horlick High School Reunion

Left of The Lake / Submissions Information 39

Submit Your Work To Left Of The Lake

Left of the Lake Magazine is published quarterly and accepts work continuously. We welcome submissions from both new and established artists and writers, nationally and internationally, but first consideration is offered to the creative people in our region of Southeast Wisconsin and Northeast Illinois.

General Guidelines:• All work must be original and not previously published• No simultaneous submissions

Submissions Welcome:• Poetry (maximum of three pieces)• Fiction or Non-Fiction (400 words or less)• Visual Art, Photography, or Comics (maximum of two pieces)

How-To Submit:• We prefer electronic submissions, either as an attachment or in the body of an email. Send work to editor@leftofthelake.com and please include your name, address, and a short bio of 30 words or less.

Questions? Contact us!editor@leftofthelake.com

Left of the Lake Magazine is Printed in The USA. © 2014 Left of the Lake.

Find us on Facebook! Like us on Facebook!scoopskenosha.com