DATE: February 19th, 8-11 pm
LOCATION: Vox Pop Café, 1022 Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn NY
Comictoons: Heartbreak and Chutzpah is the first in a series of evenings at Vox Pop hosted by Rebecca Migdal, showcasing the hottest sequential artists performing excerpts from their graphic novels. The premiere, at 8 PM on Friday, February 19th, features Migdal’s edgy comedy and multimedia, along with fellow World War 3 Illustrated artists Seth Tobocman and Sandy Jimenez’s trenchant and personal social commentaries. Plus, special guest Scott Blakeman will do a set of his astute political comedy. Music by Eric Blitz and Andy Laties.
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“In the dark aftermath of Valentine’s Day, it can be comforting to have a good laugh,” says Migdal. Her set debuts the character of Machiavellian psychiatrist Dr. Rhonda, who will present excerpts from her cartoon self-help book, How To Train Your Lover In Five Easy Steps. Rebecca Migdal was a 1989 recipient of the Franklin Furnace Fund for Performance Emerging Artists Grant, sharing that honor with The Blue Man Group. During the 90’s she fronted the New York avant-pop bands The Rubber Dahls and Clockwork Robin. She created her first graphic novel, Zombie Punk, in 1997, and has been a member of the World War 3 Illustrated collective since 2003.
Comic book artist and writer Sandy Jimenez will read and present images from an extended version of I Was a Lousy Teacher, from his long-running illustrated series of stories about life in New York City. Sandy Jimenez’s first published comic book work appeared in World War 3 Illustrated in 1991. He is the creator behind Marley Davidson: Bronx Exorcist and as a filmmaker and writer, he was a recipient of the ABC/Disney New Talent Development Grant in 2005. His first feature length motion picture, The Likes of Us, was completed in 2009.
Legendary graphic artist Seth Tobocman will perform works from You Don’t Have to Fuck People Over to Survive, a powerhouse assemblage of his most enduring images.
“Seth is an equal-opportunity offender of the powerful—the rich, the complacent winners, the gentrifiers, and especially those whose positions and attainments rest on violence,” writes critic Alan W. Moore in his introduction to the new edition of the 1989 classic, re-issued by AK press. “His characters are driven through misery and despair to the moment of decision when they push back, or stand up.” Tobocman is one of the founding editors of World War 3 Illustrated, an author/illustrator of three collections, and an educator. He has shown his work in streets and galleries across the globe—including Exit Art, The Museum of Modern Art, and the New Museum of Contemporary Art.
Scott Blakeman has made more than thirty national television appearances, including Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, and co-host of several political humor segments on NBC’s “Sunday Today”. Scott was the warmup comedian for the Late Show with David Letterman and the CBS comedy series Welcome To New York. He can be heard regularly on National Public Radio.
Scott co-founded Standup for Peace: The Two Comedian Solution to Middle East Peace with Palestinian-American comedian Dean Obeidallah, performing a highly acclaimed evening of Jewish and Arab-American comedy.
