Utopia Moment sketches and writing by Jack Ruttan and friends

Some women and a horse. Just what I was drawing today.

Sounds kind of bluesy, and I am out of sorts. But I put the living-room “tree” outside to rinse off the dust in the rain. Sure, like I want it to get bigger, and overwhelm the apartment, like Washington at the end of Logan’s Run.

Don’t worry, the cats don’t nibble on it.

Thought I hadn’t done sketches this weekend, but I had. I don’t know what the clenched fists are about, except I like to draw clenched fists, plus cross-hatching. The first one is big-ish (9″x12″) and drawn with blue ballpoint.

The second is tiny (about 3″x5″) and done with crowquill and roller pens. (if anyone cares out there. I’m not too choosy about my media, but not as sloppy as some artists I know).

Shots from last night’s Monthly Montreal Comic Jam. This time at a new location: the L’Escalier bar (actually, former site of l’Utopik, where there had been a few jams before).

R. Gagnon (in saffron here, like the walls) did a great job of setting it up. Thanks, Rick!

I didn’t get everyone’s name, so I’m not going to bother identifying.

Also, there was another table, but I mainly took pictures of this one:

Even though I didn’t stay that long, it was a very pleasant evening, with a lot of comics done by interesting and fun people. Sorry, none of those to post. Maybe they’ll make a book of them someday.

UPDATE: More photos here, from Rockin’ Rick Gagnon (on facebook)! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2537498&id=662345842&ref=nf

For Saint Jean’s this year, I went out to Mile End. It’s a more English neighbourhood in Montreal than where I live, but that’s where my friends were. In past years there was this big party on rue Saint Viateur, but that’s a thing of the past now. There was just a little pocket of party left, on this veranda beside a health food store, on Esplanade.

With my friend Patti, I visited my old friend Martin, who’s an actor and writer (check him in the commercial for the VW (ironically-named) Routan) and has a great balcony overlooking the Church on Saint Viateur.

Martin’s View:

Me and Martin:

Later, after supper with Patti (she had to turn in because of a big work day coming up), I took a spin around to see what I could see, and came upon this block party on rue Jeanne-Mance:

Went back to the other site, and Martin and I took gag photos of each other with the bike lite:

Had a great time. Martin thinks I shouldn’t put up the videos, because they’ll make everyone want to move here.

(This is Martin’s personal site, which I will make no comment on, except to say, for Pete’s sake, NSFW!) http://martinstone.ca/

People go by, things go by…

Ugly dog who is well-loved by someone.

My fat guys weren’t fat enough.

Another Mad Men-inspired drawing. I don’t know what the background is. I started drawng the character’s Japanese screens, but now it looks more like the inside of a space ship.

Next, junk-y old sewing machine a friend left me, and I had in the back shed. Another friend thinks I can make big bucks if I polish it up (and replace the cord). I’m not so sure, but it might be worth doing.

I think it’s a 19th-century treadle machine made in Montreal, but “upgraded” in the 1930s by White Sewing machine in Ontario to take the electric motor. Kind of an interesting “blade-runner” style retro-fit, but it lowers the value. Not that I think it’s worth a ton of money, but it might be fun to see what a working old machine like this will fetch on e-bay.

Kind of a dull day. So, kind of a dull sketch and post.

I should be doing comics today, or fixing some directories on a blog. But my back brain wanted to do watercolours. At least I learned something with these.

Not easy to explain, but it’s mainly about when I can use dark lines to outline something, and not. Like on the lady below, it’s better if you use lines the same colour (but a little darker) as the general tone you’re trying to convey:

Don’t think that’s very clear. But there you are…

Have this flickr uploader gadget in the blog. Haven’t gotten it to work yet. This is my first real post on the new system on the blog. Pretty spiffy. Plus I feel proud of myself for following the 18 or so steps to upgrade, with backups and passwords and all.

Anyhow (feeling wordy, a switch from twitter!), this is a ballpoint pen sketch done on the balcony this morning. It points me towards drawing or painting a complicated fan’s den, filled with gadgets and tchotchkes.

Inspired by the movie Paprika, which was above-average anime. Intelligent speculation about what would happen if someone invented a machine that let others share or record your dreams. Had a lot of the usual tropes of giant things smashing stuff up, colossal toys, tentacles, and kinky imagery, plus that crowding of things I was mentioning, but also a plot I could follow, and almost human characters.

Even though it’s a Monday (lots happening on the weekend, so this post got pushed back), I’m very happy that R. Gagnon and I had a chance last Friday afternoon to meet at a bar again, for drinks and drawing. He did very serious, illustrator-y treatments of my drawings, as with the above.

The drawing below is a little deceptive. First of all, we weren’t at the Cock and Bull pub, but rather a new place, east of downtown. Whether it becomes a regular place will be seen, but it has a good stock of strange characters. Secondly, no one really yells “Hey, Tony!” at the Cock N’ Bull pub. He just appears behind you, when you’re not expecting him, to take away your empty glass.

Another picture by me, vividly inked by Rick:

They had set up right on the street below my place, so after a little trepidation, and listening to the noise, I came down and joined in. You can see more photos if you click on one:

Nice stance. Cardboard couture was in, but I don’t think it would last in the rain.

Polar Bear made out of plastic bags:

More cardboard: an entire town this time:

She gave “Poetic Consultations.” Wrote me a prescription out of Monty Python: “Always Look at the Bright Side of Life.” (That’s Lucy from Peanuts in the lower right corner)

Two videos: first, the band:

Next, Micro Impro games. In French (that’s the language of the ‘hood!):

Interesting stuff happening down the street. Last night I wandered into a block party/art show called L’Écho d’un Fleuve (“The Echo of a River”). Took some photos:

Please click on one and check the whole set to learn more. I also shot hand-held you-are-there video of a performance:

This blog has more on the event, which continues all weekend. See the website, too: [link]

Okay. There’s going to be a lot of blogging today. Thought I’d start with this sketch of an esteemed conservative pundit I drew while listening to P.J. O’Rourke on the radio. I don’t think P.J. O’Rourke actually looks like this, so I’m giving him the title above.

In the morning I get this view often of Nora, the black and white cat, and her adorable white foots.