Utopia Moment sketches and writing by Jack Ruttan and friends

…Was better attended than you would think, considering the icy weather.

Still, stacks of comics have been drawn, but people (yours truly included) haven’t gotten it together to scan them, or try to print them in a zine.

I bet that that zine would have some sort of currency, since we’re a fixture at L’Escalier bar, once every month.

Here’s a shot of the gang. Our numbers only got greater as the night drew on:

I drew a surreptitious picture of one of the jamsters, and she seemed pretty happy with it.

Going to miss Lhasa de Sela. Not that I played her music a lot around here, but I always paused when La Lorona or one of her other haunting numbers came on the radio, or played at a friend’s place. Kind of a female version of Leonard Cohen, at least in the sultry romantic aspect of her music. She was the only person I met and chatted with in Montreal who later became famous. Trying to remember now, but we had drinks in the Cheval Blanc, and maybe one other place. She was a friend of a friend’s girlfriend, and had interesting stories to tell.

Her family was with “the circus,” maybe something to do with the military also, so her early life was spent travelling from place to place. She was an American/Mexican, so was worried about being able to stay in Montreal. She went to school in California with Alice Walker’s daughter, who, it seemed was a little snooty. We talked about books and things. She really didn’t talk about her singing.

I’d see her around town sometimes, because she was like me, one of those rootless Montreal artsy types. Then she got well-known. I’d still see her once in a while, when she popped into Welch’s, the used bookstore where I worked for 5 years in the early 90s. She’d say “hi,” don’t know if she really remembered me. Very shy and soft spoken.

When I had met her, she had shaved her head. I don’t think that had anything to do with the cancer that killed her, so early in life with such a great career. She just had a new album out this season, so I was thinking about her again. Now she joins that pantheon, in one’s memory. The good thing about being an artist is that you affect a lot of people, and can leave something behind. Though it’s a shame she didn’t have many years in which to sing and record more of her music.

I used to write for art journals, and about art, in newspapers. I’ve been out of that world for a while. It seems a little different when you’ve been on the outside, though I still feel at home in a gallery or museum. Not everyone feels that way!

Maybe I’m getting a little back into writing about art through these blog postings, and by visiting events. Even the comic convention. They’re all artists, striving, creating stuff that doesn’t have practical utility, and doing it for reasons they might not always understand. You can talk about the kind of art, whether it’s pleasing or not, and how much money it sells for, but all of it’s similar in some ways. Though the artists would never be able to agree on that.

Anyhow, here’s a yard I walk by often, on my way to the metro. It’s on my street, rue de Rouen, between Iberville and Frontenac streets in Montreal. There’s sometimes an angry dog barking at me from behind the fence, but also some funny things to see, made out of bits of welded junk, and other scraps.

It’s more pretty in the summer, when there’s a fountain running out of the rocking horse’s nose. Sometimes there are Christmas lights around, even during the summer. The gentleman who built the place was in the back, and I got him to pose for a picture.

Here’s a news flash. He tells me he’s turning this shed next door, which used to be a rehearsal space for some heavy metal bands, into a café, next year. I’ll keep you posted on how that turns out! The Café Touski was a bit of a run-down place when it started, and now it’s quite popular. The neighbourhood continues to change.

Speaking of changes, when I moved into the neighbourhood, this building used to be a “Value Explosion” kind of dollar store. Now it’s apartments, with big display windows. That’s where I found this chair, and window cat.

And then finally, speaking of art in the wild, here’s a great painting on the wall inside the Frontenac Metro!

Didn’t I just do one of these in September? And then there was Expozine last month. So, many of these artist seemed like old friends. It was fun brandishing around my little Lumix DMC-FS3 and talking to artists. Sound was a little off (and some interviews are in French), but I think things are audible if you turn up the volume.

I think I’ve managed to upload a playlist of 10, count ‘em 10 short videos. First up, two of the organizers talking about the Montreal Comic Con:

I also took still shots. I’m just making these into a slide show, because I’m lazy. However, if you click on one of the photos, you might get website information where you can see that person’s work. (not for the cosplayers, sorry!)

So, that was fun. Again, I didn’t do any sketches, but bought a few comics. Nothing special. I don’t know why I’m doing this, but I kind of like amassing a gallery of Montreal-based comic artists. Maybe next year I’ll have editing software. Yay!

Off to the Monthly Montreal Comic Jam the other night. But first there was a big event happening across the street. I took some video with my little camera:

Got one of the volunteers in the information booth to explain what was going on. Nice siren in the background, which fits with the name of the festival.
Unfortunately, I held the camera sideways, thinking, I guess, that this was like a still photo you could “rotate” right side up. No such luck, so you’re going to have to turn your monitor on its side, or have a very flexible neck:

Off then to the jam, which was upstairs at a bar called L’Utopik. Nice crowd at the table.

That’s Éric Theriault, centre, Richard Gagnon, right, and I’ll get the name of the guy on the left, I promise.

Sirkowski, far left, Nicolas Plamondon, centre, and that guy again.

Marr, and Jeff Leblanc.

Éric had found, under the bed, or something, a pile of finished cartoons no one had seen for years. I’m hoping that these get published in a book soon, with the rest of the cartoons we do at the jam. Maybe someone can scan them, and put them up for all to enjoy.

I drew a bunch of little things. Wish I’d made a record of them, somehow. Well, still fun to hobnob with one’s fellow cartoonists.

There were a number of art-related events happening right under my nose here in Centre Sud Montreal. So I snapped a few pictures, dutiful type that I am. It’s a chance to see what one’s arty neighbours are doing.

Just a few steps from my front door, I happened on the sign above.

(As usual, more shots are available, if you click on the picture)

It was a temporary show by a Quebec artist, Julien Froment. At least it got me into this building, the Carrefour St-Eusébe. I’ve wondered what goes on in it, besides a day-care, but rarely get an excuse to step inside. Not quite my scene, but great that such things are going on.

Then, off down the street to rue Parthenais, and the open house at Le Chat Des Artistes, a former industrial building converted into low-cost artists’ and artisan’s studios. Saw this potato masher made in the form of our Prime Minister’s face:

Not sure about the political statement being made, but it was funny. Another studio had objects made from recycled umbrella handles, and other wooden objects.

(please click on the photos to find out contact info for the artists)

He gets his raw material out of stuff thrown out by the various manufacturers. Often, he’s amazed at the stuff he finds.

It’s nice to be able to prowl around studios, like this one of artist Julie Desmarais. Rather reminds me of my days as a visual arts journalist. I get to ask silly questions, too!

These hat maker’s forms remind me of asian lingams:

The studio doors were painted to be used as chalkboards:

Then I went down the street to the nearby Grover Building, which was also having kind of an open studio day. Took fewer pictures here, but had some interesting chats. Ran into Pink Pam, whom I had also seen at the recent Expozine:

This was also a cool display, from Marlène Ferrari: an artist who works with typography and graphics:

Had some more conversations, with artist David Edwards, and a glass artist I didn’t get the name of.

(Also just realised this is in English. But that’s not unusual.)

Below: sketch of a skater in the “Kiss and Cry:”

This pic seems to encapsulate for me the oddness and fun of Expozine. I get totally overstimulated by the art and whackiness of it all.

Anyhow, this year, exhausted by taking pictures of all the people and their stuff in previous years, I tried something different. My little camera took good videos, so I tried a few of them. It’s just as exhausting! Plus, I don’t have editing software yet to put things together in a slick video. But here are some of the artists, not necessarily the famous ones, explaining their work, in French and English.

Please click on the videos themselves to get more info, names and links to websites.

Kurt Beaulieu — warning for NSFW content, and also my swearing a little at the end, dropping my camera case.

Guy Boutin:

Kim Hoang (right) and colleague kim@evilsmile.net http://evilsmile.net/

Dead Head Comicks:

Mtl Underground Icon Rick Trembles:

http://www.theworkhorsery.ca (“then things get really weird…”)

Eric Theriault in French and English:

Martin Balcer, in French:

My terrible French, with Jeanne St-Onge and friend:

Puppet in a Suitcase:

Made it to Expozine Saturday. Pretty overwhelming. Didn’t do my usual thing of snapping and talking to a lot of the people there, but the place was packed with artists and writers. Did a little video you can see below of turning in a circle with my camera:

Took some shots of comic artists I hadn’t snapped before:

Julie Doucet

Marc Bell

Kate Beaton, who also appears fleetingly in the video above:

Think I’ll come back tomorrow, this time with my sketchbook, to draw some of the people. [Monday note: So sorry, was so busy videotaping people, I got too tired to do this!]

One of the things I do, since writing gives me such a loose schedule, and I’ve been involved in movies and such, is play an extra, or “background performer” in local shoots.

It’s kind of fun, if you don’t take it seriously, and you get a bit of money, and sometimes hobnob with stars, or at least the people who like to be with stars. I’ve collected stories, sometime, for some projects, which are in the air at the moment.

Anyhow, a few weeks ago, I was in a costume as above, playing a train passenger in the 1970’s for a film of the Mordecai Richler novel, Barney’s Version.

I was only there for a day, so don’t expect to see me much in the movie. Mainly I’ll be walking in the background by the train, in my Salmon pink leisure suit. I also get a fun thing to do in the train window as it pulls away, which is arranging luggage for my daughter. Something like “Mr. Bean.” Again, I doubt if anyone’s seen this.

My mailman once saw me make a fool of myself in a disco nightclub, in a French Language TV series. I also spent a summer besieging a castle, and my own peasant village, in the movie Timeline.

Sprinkled in this post are 2 pages of sketches I did. Not much time to do sketches. Note the old gentleman in hat and trenchcoat. A ringer for Morgan Freeman.

Remember my note about the Laundromat on my street that closed? Well, the windows got whited out, and renovations have been going on. As I was going by on my bike a couple of weeks ago, I noticed a sign on the front door underneath the usual work permit:

It reads: “Opening Soon: Restaurant – Sexy Servers!” And gives some names.

That’s daring. Usually the word is “Serveuses” – female gender. There are actually a few strip clubs near the busier streets, and a “Sexy Serveuse” restaurant as well. Even at one time, an “Erotic Carwash” east of here (since closed).

I was amused enough to take a picture with my ever-ready little camera, but decided pretty quickly that this was a practical joke, probably among the renovators. After all, “coming soon” signs don’t often name the employees.

Anyhow, I got e-mail from a fellow local blogger (check out his site!) saying that people in the neighbourhood had seen the sign, and were sincerely worried. After all, they didn’t want quiet Rouen street to become part of the Red Light district. (it sort of has been, at least around the area. I can still sometimes see crack hookers hanging out on rue Dufresne, near busier Ontario street, right out my window.

In years earlier, you could also be picking up syringes and condoms on the street, and sometimes unconscious people. But this neighbourhood is changing now, becoming more gentrified. Lots of kids with parents of all kinds of ethnicities. Even English can be heard spoken around here now, in this once solidly French area.)

At my advice, my friend did the sleuth work, competent internet journalist that he is. He passed by when the door was open, and asked what they were building. Turns out the laundromat is becoming a private residence. How boring. And the “Serveurs” sign has been taken down.

I’m of two minds. I don’t miss the junkies in the bus shelters, the scary punks, and the crime. But nothing’s wrong with a hint of spice amidst the blandness. It was kind of fun to point to the “erotic carwash.”

Having an awful time lately with people I like and have worked with, passing away. First Sonja Skarstedt, then Renee Wathelet. Now it’s Stuart Robertson.

Soft-spoken gardening expert on CBC radio, and columnist in the Gazette, he was also Chair of our Electronic Rights Defense Committee for a time. He sometimes had a bit of a temper, but I admired his style, his commitment and the handle he had on the issues.

This is the Montreal Gazette obituary: [link]

Here’s a blog post by friend and co-erdc-er Mary Soderstrom, explaining some of Stuart’s gardening chops: [link]

Needed a day to recover, but I’m finally doing a post with images from our street session on Tuesday for the Metropolitan Transport Agency (AMT) to honour Car Free Day. Slide show of pictures is below. Click on one for information, or visit the flickr site to see the names of people, credits, etc. Remember, the artwork is copyright by the people who produced it!

This is our gang of four:

Bruno Rouyere, Siris, Eric Theriault, and me, Jack Ruttan

It rained most of the morning, dampening our paper, but not our spirits:

Here’s Bruno’s finished page (click for my English translation):

Siris’ page (ditto on the translation):

Eric’s page (he didn’t get so far in his story, but had the right idea: this was more of a demonstration than a race to produce finished art. He actually attracted some interest and business cards from lovers of vintage cars):

And finally mine. I did two pages, and ended up racing to the finish, as the street was being packed up around me. Think 2/3 of the second page was done in about 20 minutes, with my Chinese brush and ink. I also kind of jumped between English and French words, at times.

Page 1

Page 2

Then, if all that drawing wasn’t enough, Siris and I, plus artist Kurt Beaulieu (who showed up at the end), retired to the pub for a beer. Siris drew me the portrait below of one of the bar’s rough denizens.

All in all, it was a tough (we were all drawing standing up), but rewarding day.

Here’s a nifty article on the event, by Denis Giguere (sorry for leaving out everyone’s accents) from a French-language comics website: [link]

Today I’m going to be cartooning at the Eaton Centre in Downtown Montreal, part of the events surrounding Car Free Day in that part of the city. Please visit, if you can make it!

Meantime, I bought a new little sketchbook (only 4″x6″), and drew a bunch of things. Mainly animal-related.