springtime inspiration

The wonder never ends on our stretch of Bernard Street. Not only do we now have an extensive collection of books of David Hockney's sun-splashed paintings and portraits (thanks Matt!) but we've also just received two of my favourite art books of the last few years: Friends With You Have Powers and Panic Room.

Everyone who knows me know that I love brightly-coloured art with a relentlessly positive twee sensibilty. Friends With You, an art collective from Miami, Florida, does just that. This amazing monograph includes pictures of toys, graphic design work, installations and artwork featuring their iconic characters The Malfis, The Burger Bunch, The Good Wood Gang, Wish Come True and many others. And just look at that cover! You can't tell from this picture, but the title glitters! How can it not make you smile?


Panic Room is the catalog for an exhibition of works on paper organized last year by the Deste Foundation based in Athens, Greece. It's crammed with full-page, full-colour, life-size reproductions of details from pieces by the likes of Marcel Dzama, David Shrigley, Marc Bell, Brian Chippendale, Devendra Banhart, Assume Vivid Astro Focus and many, many more. Super inspirational and highly recommended. I bought it as my Christmas present to myself last year. Enough said.

Void Magazine Launch, Monday, March 31st 7 pm

Come out to 211 Bernard on Monday, March 31st at 7:00 pm for the Void Magazine's launch of their newest issue. There will also be screenings by Sinbad Richardson, Valerie Boxer and Annie Briard.

Locals section alive!

Yeah! A locals section. Why didn't we think of this earlier? Sure to be a hit with the summertime tourist set and the reapeated cause of refrain: 'He's from here?' Well, we've taken some liberties. But most authors really did live here before they moved to Toronto. And Suburbs of Montreal count as Montreal.

Jacob Wren was in the store the other day to sell us his two books and buy some Camden Joy. (Note to Highwater Publishing aspirants-- this combo works!) I took home a copy of Wren's, Families are Formed Through Copulation, and was pleasantly moved by his often-paranoid, disillusioned and fragmentary rants. It did actually fit nicely with Camden Joy's prose, mixed with, say Walker Percy's Lost in the Cosmos. A confused questioning and burning reaction to whatever it is that controls so much of our lives.

Rick Trembles was in yesterday to drop some copies of his collected Motion Picture Purgatory. The book compiles about 6 years worth of his syndicated weekly Movie reviews, which come in comic form. You've probably seen them in the Montreal Mirror. Included in his book is an intro which outlines his rocky history with said publication and tells a little bit about his painstaking drawing process.

Last but not least is Howard Chackowicz's new Howie Action Comix, published just recently by Conundrum. Howard teaches the Comix and Cartooning workshop for adults so we're proud to have his new book here. Full of lude and often hilarious expulsions that seem like they just couldn't have come from any other city.

New D+Q titles in stock!

BERLIN 15

We've just received the latest instalment of Jason Lutes' Berlin and, as always, it's a captivating mix of human drama, political intrigue and warm-hearted banter told through finely detailed black and white drawings. One of my favourite elements in this series is the way that Lutes uses abbreviated words and apostrophes to recreate the German accent.

Even Better Friday!

Victoria's Immaculate Machine played a great show at the store yesterday afternoon. I'd never seen them live before but now I'm a fan! Thanks Brooke, Kathryn and Luke! 'Twas a very Good Friday indeed.

Immaculate Machine Today, 1pm

Victoria's pride, the Immaculate Machine will be in the store for an afternoon set today at 1pm!

Obom Vernissage and Film Screening tomorrow night at 7pm!

Come on down to the store tomorrow night for a special mid-week event. Local artist, Obom, will be screening her newest short film, and her beautiful plasticine characters will be on display for the next month.

I've just recently discovered Obom's work and I love her deceptively simple storytelling style in Kaspar, a biography of Kaspar Hauser published last year by L'Oie de Cravan. An English version of that tale will be out on D & Q later this year. And that won't be the first of her works we've published. In fact, the first was 16 years ago in D&Q issue no. 7.

Yep, let's get up to date..

See you tomorrow night at 7!

Immaculate Machine In-Store, this Friday, 1pm!!

Victoria's pride, the Immaculate Machine will be in the store for an afternoon set on Friday the 21st (1pm). Seeing as nearly half of mile-end is originally Victorian, this one should be packed.
And these guys are great! Have you heard them?---> www.myspace.com/immaculatemachine.




Fables is their latest pop masterpiece and it'll be on sale at the store. Comes highly recommended by me.

Remember, show starts at 1pm. See you there!

New D+Q titles in stock!

COMIC BOOK EDITION

For all of you comic book collectors, we've received the highly anticipated latest issues of Seth's Palookaville and Sammy Harkham's Crickets!


With a beautiful green and gold cover featuring a four leaf clover and a horseshoe, Palookaville #19 arrives just in time for St. Patrick's Day. The conclusion of Part 3 of Seth's Clyde Fans serial, this issue oozes with nostalgic melancholy, down to the soft blue colour wash. Get it for its graceful beauty; keep it for its sentimental value.


Sammy Harkham's Crickets #2 includes 15 pages of his ongoing story Black Death, as well as a few strips and page-long stories. I really like the issue's bright, psychedelic cover and the inside pages' pink and orange colour scheme. Try to spot the tiny portraits of quiet Chris, snickering Tom and laughing Peggy!

New D+Q titles in stock!

BOOK EDITION

There have been so many events at the store in the last few weeks that we almost forgot to mention all the great new D+Q releases! Let me start with Philippe Dupuy’s Haunted, a contemplative, lyrical account of a man jogging through a park (although it’s really about much more than that, of course).


Fans of Dupuy & Berberian collaborations Get A Life and Maybe Later may not recognize the drawing style at first, but anyone who likes comics with a philosophical slant will definitely get caught up in Dupuy’s insightful allegory.

As an art history student, I love how, in Haunted’s multi-layered universe, existential concepts take the shape of lost children’s drawings, bare museum walls and a contemporary art-collecting duck.

Up next, comic books galore!

Handsome Furs finally!

Always, there is a snowstorm when we have a show!! First, the band couldn't get their van started and then couldn't get a cab. We lugged the equipment over the snowbanks and got started late. Thanks again to Dan and Alexei for playing!

Handsome Furs! (fur real this time)

At last! The Handsome Furs will be playing a free performance at the D&Q store this Sunday, March 9, at 3pm! Better show up early, this one's bound to get very squishy. And don't forget to move your clocks ahead by one hour on that day - that's when daylight saving time starts...

In case you're not in the know, check out their myspace page (www.myspace.com/handsomefurs) where you'll find 2 new music videos featuring prominent Mile-End personalities (is that Sixtoo?).

This show will be great so come on out!

Lisa Wilson book launch Friday

Friday, March 7th, 8:00 PM
Vendredi, le 7 mars, 20:00

LISA WILSON book launch

The Intrusion of Some Things is a book containing one year's worth of 35 mm, medium format and digital photographs taken in and around Montreal. Many of the images are surreal by description and aim to illustrate our human entanglements with nature inside of the urban environment. Lisa Ann Wilson is a 28 year old artist living in Montreal. This is her first book of photographs. She is also part writer, collector, and supernatural enthusiast.

At the launch you will find an exhibit of artifacts from the making of the book, original photo prints, and related artworks. There will also be an on-going slide-show with a selection of quiet accompanying music. Come early for a free drink and snack.


Lancement du livre The Intrusion of Some Things

The Intrusion of Some Things est une collection de photographies en format digital et 35 mm prises au cours d'une année à Montréal et dans ses environs. Plusieurs de ces images ont une aura surréaliste; elles explorent le lien entre l'humain et la nature dans un environnement urbain. Lisa Wilson, une artiste montréalaise de 28 ans, se passionne pourl'écriture, les collections et les phénomènes inexpliqués. The Intrusion of Some Things est son premier recueil de photographies.

Le lancement sera accompagné d'une exposition d'objets ayant servis à la création du livre, de photographies originales et d'oeuvres d'art. Une présentation visuelle et de la musique seront également de la partie. Breuvages et collations seront servis aux premiers arrivés!

Comix and Cartooning for Adults workshop

There are a few spots left in the Comics and Cartooning Workshop beginning tomorrow so if you're interested come on by around 6pm or drop us a note at workshops@drawnandquarterly.com

Snailhouse's Sunday lullabies

Snailhouse made this sunny Sunday afternoon that much brighter with a lovely acoustic in-store performance.

Mike Feuerstack aka Snailhouse.


Mike performs a song with a little help from his friend Angela Desveaux.


The captivated audience (including one of the heirs to the Oliveros dynasty on the far right and Neil Holyoak of Hi, Lonely Oak, front and centre.)