Comics and Zines Come out to Play
The Artists of Fluke Show Their Stuff
originally published April 9, 2008
There’s a strong and steady community of artists in Athens creating mini-comics - the handmade, sometimes crudely but efficiently assembled illustrated works often focusing on autobiographical tales. But mini-comics are unassuming and seemingly modest pieces of art, often created by unassuming and seemingly modest artists. Fluke, the annual local mini-comics and zine festival now in its seventh year, brings what’s often kept between friends and like-minded artists out for public display, consumption and appreciation.
“The thing is, every year it’s a bunch of nerds in a room talking about comic books,” says Robert Newsome, one of the festival’s organizers. “We seem to have stumbled upon a good formula, so we’re going to keep that up.” Fluke, started in 2002 by former Athens resident and illustrator T. Edward Bak, also offers attendees a chance to view the indie underbelly of comics, the stuff that doesn’t fit neatly into the mainstream presentation of chiseled testosterone-fueled superheroes in tights beating up on one another. (Though a reliable number of artists at Fluke lean towards genre fiction stuff as well - you may find vampires, robots and monsters alongside weepy bedroom dramas or existentially evocative pieces). All of it’s on display and much of it’s for sale. A small festival like Fluke, where most of the attendees are local or regional, offers an accessibility to the artist that’s comparable to the legacy of ‘90s indie rock and roll. A lot of the artists there exhibit a “Hey, if I did this so can you!” enthusiasm for creating comics.
As for specific artists who’ll attend Fluke to display, sell and share their artwork, Newsome says he doesn’t have many details yet, as artists can arrive the day of the festival to take part.
“It’s weird, because every year I show up at Tasty World an hour or so before it starts to set up, thinking, ‘Oh man, nobody’s going to come this year,' and it’s always the opposite. People show up!” he says. “It’s a lot easier to start a blog now than it is to start publishing a zine, but even though that online aspect of publishing is taking over, the community itself is still pretty close-knit. I think there’s this magical wave of art that somehow gets out that I don’t even know about. I hope to God that this year’s isn’t the one that proves me wrong,” he says, laughing. Fluke sponsors Wide Awake Press and Top Shelf Comics will have displays at the festival, and local festival regulars like Patrick Dean, Missy Kulik and Eleanor Davis can be counted on to show up, says Newsome.
“I think it’s a testament to how tight the community is,” he says. “It’s weird, because [these comics] are not the sort of thing you see all the time, but these people exist in Athens and are active, and these artists continue to support something like Fluke every year. It’s surprising, but in a really good way.”
Fluke also produces an anthology comic every year, featuring short works by a number of the artists involved in the festival. This year, as in 2007, the book should be published in late summer or early fall.
“The anthology will be coming out later in the year, as it did last year,” says Newsome. “I think it worked best to put out the anthology mid-year, because it kept the name of the event out there year-round.”
Past years have seen Fluke augment the comics portion of the festival with sets from live bands, or even with performances by local trapeze artists. This year, however, as in the few most recent years, the organizers have pared back on the spectacle to keep the attention on the comics themselves.
“We decided to focus a little more on just the printed material,” says Newsome, “not because we don’t love trapeze, or bands or that kind of thing, but it became a weird split thing to have an all-day deal. If we’re going to do something with music, we’d rather do something that’s specifically music-oriented, rather than trying to split the day in half. Plus, everyone gets really, really tired,” he says, and laughs.
The event starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Apr. 12, and costs $5 both for artists wishing to display works and for attendees curious to browse. Artists interested in displaying their comics at Fluke need only to show up early to secure a table - space is doled out on a first-come, first-served basis. Everything’s packed up around 5 or 6 p.m., says Newsome. “That’s about when everyone’s leaving and we all start to get too hungry anyway.”
For more information and details on Fluke, including details on displaying work there, please visit www.flukeathens.com.
WHAT: Fluke Mini-Comics Festival
WHERE: Tasty World Upstairs
WHEN: Saturday, Apr. 12, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
HOW MUCH: $5
Local Color Fades
Paul Thomas’ X-Ray Café Closes
originally published April 9, 2008
The end of March marked the end of a kind of era in Athens, a small hallmark of the changing character of downtown. Paul Thomas’ X-Ray Café has shut its doors(owing somewhat to rent increases) and will be forever relegated to Athens’ history. The lively, quirky, eclectic mishmash of a business was thoroughly enjoyed by many people over its 20-year lifespan and will be dearly missed. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Paul isn’t going anywhere, and will continue to make art and music and sell memorabilia online, and generally “keep on keeping on” in his unique way.
Pete McCommons
Paul Thomas
Thomas first ran his own business in 1987, when he and then partner, Joey Tatum, started their first vintage store on Hull Street called the Swap Club Carnival. Locals remember it as a place where you could find vintage clothes, books, records and interesting bric-a-brac at reasonable prices. This original incarnation evolved over the years as Thomas moved to four different downtown locations, and reworked his focus. More than simply running a store, Thomas was always interested in providing a kind of meeting place for the avant-garde. His bands practiced there, and tourists often sought it out. Even Thomas’ thrift shopping excursions to various country junk stores were open to anyone interested in rummaging side-by-side with him and stopping to eat questionable roadside food.
Most townie hipsters eventually wandered into Thomas’ store, like moths to a psychedelic flame. Initially captivated by his eye-catching artistic window displays (perhaps a four foot Easter bunny surrounded by Japanese lanterns, art books and vintage postcards), the crazy vinyl he played, or the video images he projected on the back walls, they were inevitably taken in by Thomas’ open and charismatic personality. He engaged his customers in a way that may have been off-putting for some, but for others was inspirational. Motivated by a desire to meet and associate with like-minded people, Thomas’ love of art and music, his intelligent curiosity and offbeat sense of humor made him like the cool uncle everyone wished they had.
“The place was definitely a focal point for thousands of people over the years,” Thomas says. “It was specifically geared to exposing people to the most up-to-date experimental pop music and film, and that was very popular. There were people from all over the world playing there. In 2004, we even got a grant to put a record out - an enhanced CD with some of my video art and about 12 tracks from groups who played there,” he adds.
These days, Thomas has been more focused on his artwork - now carried by the prestigious Fay Gold Gallery in Atlanta and garnering some serious attention. His series of collages, "Portraits of the American Subconscious: Presidents, Clowns and Indians Chiefs," is on the gallery’s website. Three by four feet tall, some of Thomas’ images consist of textbook-looking color prints of American presidents who have been given a slightly demure overhaul. The "headshots" of Abe Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson and Lyndon Johnson look typical enough, except for the addition of a kind of Dippity-Do flip pasted to their austere heads. Thomas has revealed the feminine side of some of our founding fathers, giving the patriarchal hierarchy a little twist.
“I’m really busy with my art career. I’m working on a wonderful series of video portraits and have formatted around 12 so far,” Thomas says. Sublime and surreal, Thomas’ latest work, entitled "Portraits of the New Subconscious," expands the creative potential of the portrait, mining the nuances of the psyche as revealed in experimental video photography. These shapeshifting images are extremely compelling, and eerily similar to the masterworks of Francis Bacon.
Even though it appears that Thomas’ plate will continue to be full with his art and music, it does seem that downtown Athens will be a bit less colorful with his absence. He admits that he has seen Athens change a lot over the years: “When I came to Athens it had this spooky Southern gothic quality - it was a strange and beautiful Southern college town and because of that, it drew more outside people - but as more money came in, it didn’t necessarily make it more charming or give it more of a sense of community,” Thomas says. “You end up with a place that’s more homogenized and alienating for the community, instead of a place that draws a community together.”
With our small downtown and limited amount of commercial real estate, it seems only the really heavy-hitting moneymakers can stay in the game. The little coffee shops, galleries and stores that add to our local color are the first to fall as rents escalate. Sometimes referred to as "third places," these public buildings/businesses act as social meeting spaces separate from the environments of work and home. In his influential book, The Great, Good Place, Ray Oldenburg argues that "third places" are important for civil society and the establishment of a "sense of place." And when our “third place” meeting spaces disappear - or only consist of bars - will there be a lasting effect on the community? Thomas thinks so.
“Athens used to be filled with really genius interesting characters, artists, musicians record collectors… What is it that makes a community go from vibrant to blah?... It used to be really charming downtown and drew a big mix of people, but who wants to sit between a bunch of sports bars?” Thomas asks. “It’s kind of like a beach town. It's seasonal and these people don’t have a vested interest in the community. They just want to use their credit cards. They’re not bad people, just boring,” he adds.
Having said that, Thomas is still hopeful concerning the local art/music community - he merely wishes there were more places for those interested to meet and exchange ideas - a return to the café culture of old. “I think there are still interesting people out there. I think the local galleries like Athica are great. We need more places like that," he muses. "I still have that 'pop' sensibility - the whole idea is about liking things - it’s good to be positive.”
Paul Thomas will continue to sell books at the Jittery Joe’s on the Eastside, and vintage paraphernalia at Agora and online at http://stores.ebay.com/online-books-and-curios.
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