Final Transmissionnnn

As some of you may have noticed, typing in 2dcloud.com no longer takes you here, but to the newest bestest indie/alt/art/blah comics site you've ever fucking seen (last night in the old house, who cares what is said!).

Anyway, this site, much like the Good Minnesotan blog that preceded it, will continue to exist as a source of evidence of a time when Raighne and I (Justin) wrote long, heartfelt blog posts, of which we do less and less, for better or worse (?).

Ok, new site, new shop, new articles, new WEBCOMICS, new everything! Over here.

Thanks, and see you in the ether.

An ABYSS opens up over AUTOPTIC

Abyss by Saman Bemel-Benrud ( August 2013 | $8 | comicbook ) recently had it's web-incarnation reviewed over at Vorpalizer:

"[Abyss'] primary power lies in its presentation of these mundane markers of late capitalism into vessels of wonder and terror — abysses that can be fallen into, home to ghosts that open one’s eyes to new states of being enabled by the same device you used to pre-order your burrito." -- Sean T. Collins, Vorpalizer 

Separate from that, ABYSS will be seeing the world print-side as an Autoptic debut in 2+ weeks! Since 2D Cloud is on the board (bored?) / committee for this thing (multi-day / event / medium), you can bet your bottom we'll be there. Saman will be in tow at a neighboring table -- hope to see yah there!

Autoptic Kick-off Parrty

So, as you might know (and if you're reading this, you most likely do), Autoptic is on its way -- in nearly 3 weeks Minneapolis will be overrun by a COMICBOOK/ZINE/POSTER/INDEPENDENT-CULTURE- BLIZZARD -- a week's worth of events.

We'll get to the full spiel soon enough, like the TWO books we're debuting at the show (surprise!). But RIGHT NOW, we're here to give you a heads up about the AUTOPTIC KICK-OFF PARRTY!

On August 17th @ CO exhibitions, starting at 8pm and running late, we 5 different but AMAZING acts set up for YOU:

The Knotwells (live music)
Benoît Tranchand (live music)
Party Food (performance)
Joseph Nixon+Luke Holden (live sculpture and a drum solo??)
Ellen Redshaw (performance/projections/readings/music)

Next week we'll have more news regarding the kick offf parrty, including more images and info about each artist, so check back often!

Oh, and there will be a 2$ suggested cover for non-autoptic-exhibitors. Pretty minimal and TOTALLY worth it. Just coming to the 2dc curated party will grant you a coupon for 2$ off any 2dc purchase of 10$ or more for use at Autoptic or at the NEW 2dc website coming in a matter of weeks. Full details on that coming soon too. OKAY. Gotta jump ship, later!

New Books in the 2dc Shop

New items in the shop include Dueling, 1999, Deep in the Woods, and Every/Body.

Dueling
by Noah van Sciver

1999
by Noah van Sciver

Deep in the Woods
by Noah van Sciver
& Nicholas Breutzman

Every/Body
by various

Spring Con

FRESH from our weekend at TCAF, I'll (Justin) be at the MN State Fair Grounds on Sat. with a limited supply of pre-formal US debut copies of Strong Eye Contact:

...along with the usual 2DC array. You're likely to find portions of 2DC's catalog split between Eric Schuster and Uncivilized Books' respective tables for day 2, so track those two down and check out their books while you're at it!

This is the only other local summer show for 2DC between now and Autopic, so if you just can't wait until August and like to buy from 2DC directly, this is the weekend for it.

Deep in the Woods press release

May 7th, 2013

Minneapolis-based comics micropublisher, 2D Cloud, announces their second release of 2013, Deep in the Woods, a double-feature from Noah Van Sciver and Nicholas Breutzman. Debuting at the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo June 15th & 16th and at finer independent bookstores and comic shops in June 2013.

Deep in the Woods by Nicholas Breutzman and Noah Van Sciver. 30 pages, 11”x17.5”, newsprint, $6.00.

Available now for ADVANCE-ORDER. All orders will ship in June.

Levitating disembodied cow heads, crack witches, mutant children, urban myths, half-remembered folklore: from the minds of Noah Van Sciver and Nic Breutzman comes Deep in the Woods, a double feature that pairs two of 2D Cloud’s favorite cartoonists in one oversized newsprint.

Robin, the dutiful daughter of a drunk runs away from her home, an evil step-family, deeper into the haunted woods. Who knows what she’ll find? Whiskey's solace? A floating cow head's kiss? Find out in Noah Van Sciver’s “The Cow’s Head”.

Heartbroken Sammy must convince her grandfather to crawl out of the well he’s holed himself up in. But first, it’s a walk through the woods with googly eyed mutant brothers and a stop at the crack witches hut for a ssssmoke. Take a toke with Nicholas Breutzman’s “The Mayfly”.

About the Artists:

Nicholas Breutzman

Nic is a Minnesotan native by way of New York who has had a number of comics published both through 2D Cloud as well as in collaboration with other artists, such as Sharon Lintz (Pornhounds 2) and a collection of SVA grads (Jon Vermilyea, Eamon Espey, Raymond Sohn, et al) for the anthology Critical Citadel. He placed at #24 on The Comics Journal’s Top 50 comics of 2009 for his graphic Novella Yearbooks, has been listed as a notable in multiple editions of Best American Comics for work in Motherlover and Yearbooks, and his work with Sharon Lintz on Pornhounds 2 secured him a place on numerous best of 2011 lists.

Noah Van Sciver

Noah Van Sciver was born in 1984 in New Jersey. He first came to readers’ attention with his comic book series Blammo, which earned him an Ignatz award nomination in 2010. His first 2D Cloud release, The Death of Elijah Lovejoy, brought him his second Ignatz nomination in 2012 and a place in the top 10 minicomics of 2011 for The Comics Journal. His work has appeared in the Alternative weekly newspaper Westword, Mad magazine, and multiple graphic anthologies. His first book The Hypo: The Melancholic Young Lincoln from Fantagraphics books is a graphic portrait of Abraham Lincoln’s early years in Springfield, Illinois.

Strong Eye Contact Announcement and Pre-order

April 25th, 2013

Minneapolis based comics micropublisher, 2D Cloud, announces their first release of 2013, Strong Eye Contact, a conceptual meta-fable and funny-book by Christopher Adams. Debuting at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival May 11th & 12th and available at finer independent bookstores and comic shops in early July 2013.

Strong Eye Contact by Christopher Adams. 104 pages, 9”x6.75”, color paperback, $14.95.

Available now for PRE-ORDER. First 25 pre-orders get a copy of Christopher Adams’ last 2D Cloud release, Period, gratis! In addition, all direct orders come with a free interview zine! All pre-orders will ship in July.

Part strip collection, part art book, Strong Eye Contact performs over the course of 104 pages a very obtuse, but careful meditation on what might be seen as the cultural position of the cartoonist by employing a series of narrative contrasts and formal tensions. The use of mediums often associated with childhood mark-making (crayons, colored pens, markers), gives the book a simplistic sheen that belies the formal sophistication operating just beneath the surface.

On this surface, the reader is led by a quixotic, Buster Keaton-like figure through a kaleidoscope of crystalline memory fragments, coalescing into one narrative track. As this unnamed figure tries, with limited success, to be a typical American: using consumer products, failed vacations, fabricated family life, he also attempts to be a successful comic, much like the collection of pages he lives on.

The day to day saga is wet and alive with water colors, crayon, markers, and steady beats of spacious white deluges. Landscapes are populated with mountainous close-ups, cacti, abstracted-patterns, confusion, vast empty spaces, gaps -- cartooning as a potent puzzle where the strangest magic happens inside the reader's mind.

>>For a web preview // downloadable link, click here<<

About the Artist:

Christopher Adams was born in the New York Metropolitan Area. He is between 5' 10" and 5' 11". He does not eat animals. He is an artist and musician. His latest recordings are Baby Hair, Vegetables and Xmas Boogie. His artworks include videos and comic books. His first published comic is Period, released by 2D Cloud in the fall of 2012. TCAF will see the debut of his first full-length book, Strong Eye Contact. He currently lives and works in Baltimore with his girlfriend and plants.
"Death is not an event of life." - Ludwig Wittgenstein

Praise for Strong Eye Contact:

“Rarely have magic markers worked such luminous brilliance.” -- Matt Seneca, comics critic, and cartoonist

"Weird, imaginative, and raw. Adams creates a textural experience leading you through the follies of his character's life." -- Aidan Koch, The Blonde Woman, The Whale

"A bloody Q- tip, the crumbs of a waffle, and an airplane on fire...it all comes together with Christopher's unique drawing system. Is the comedian dreaming or is the comedy a dream?"-- Eamon Espey, Songs of the Abyss, Wormdye

“Like a Mr. Hulot transposed into the America of soft-serve and mini-golf, Adams’ comedian is a normal guy trying to deal with work and relaxation in a landscape of perplexing patterns.”-- Matthew Thurber, 1-800-MICE, Infomaniacs

MARINAOMI and 2DCLOUD announce 'Turning Japanese'

We've been big big fans of Mari's work for some time now and are FUCKING THRILLED to announce to the world that her new graphic memoir, Turning Japanese, will be published under the 2DC banner!! Turning Japanese is the follow-up to 2011’s award-winning Kiss & Tell: A Romantic Resume, Ages 0 to 22.

To read the full press release, click here.

In celebration of this announcement, MariNaomi and Gordon Warnock of Foreword Literary have set up a little contest: you can win a personalized avatar, drawn by Mari! For full details, visit the contest page on their blog.

More to come next year on this book, but we couldn't wait until then to share the news!

Hey EVERY/BODY, Little Heart gets a sequel!....and other 2DC updates.

We've some new NEWS pertaining to Little Heart. Gina Carchedi has become our Little Heart representative and advocate. She will be meeting with MN United and other marriage equality advocacy groups to discuss having them take over the distribution and selling of Little Heart directly, with 100% of the profits going to support these groups!! We're really excited and grateful to Gina for joining the team! We are also hopeful that some real progress is made on these efforts!!

While ownership of Little Heart may be moving into the hands of the groups actively fighting for the cause, there is what we've come to describe as a follow-up or sequel to Little Heart on the way, Every/Body, edited by Greer Lawson, which focuses on people as individuals by examining the topics of body and gender.

This project began as a part of Greer’s internship at 2D Cloud, where it grew rather quickly into something that is 100% Greer’s baby. She's in the process of self-publishing it via a Kickstarter / pre-order program, with 2D Cloud handling distribution upon its release, which is set for TCAF, May 11th-12th.

Contributors include MariNaomi, Annie Mok, Jim Rugg, Rob Kirby, Anna Bongiovanni, and many, many, others. For a better look at the project, please please check out their Kickstarter page, or visit some of the works showcased here.

Interested parties should act fast though, the Kickstarter ends in a handful of days!!


In other 2DC news:

At SPX last year we debuted Will Dinski's latest major work, Ablatio Penis. It's an interesting cocktail of politics, ethics, and how sex can get mixed up in it all in ways the reader can't always guess. This book was launched shortly after all that ugliness in Wisconsin involving governor Scott Walker and his attack on unions. As a nod to that, Dinski chose to have the comic printed at Johnson Litho, a union printer in Wisconsin. The image above is a new postcard we'll be disseminating to continue spreading the word about this great comic throughout the year.

In the future releases camp:

Chris Adams’ debut graphic novel, Strong Eye Contact will be debuting at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival this May. You can catch an extended peep of it and Chris’ work via the TCAF tumblr preview.

Noah Van Sciver & Nic Breutzman’s Deep in the Woods had it’s own Kickstarter pre-order late last year. Due to some production snafu’s, that newsprint broadsheet has been pushed back from spring to early summer. Folks that pre-ordered should be receiving their copies a little deeper into this spring, just prior to CAKE, where attendees will see it's official debut! 

And finally, Anna Bongiovanni, in addition to her painted contributions to Little Heart, turned in one of the lengthier works to Every/Body. Not only will you have a chance to see some new work from her this summer, but 2DC will be debuting her first book, Out of Hollow Water, at the Small Press Expo in September!

Stick with us as these and other projects develop (coughcough2dc2.0cough)

Thanks for reading,

xo!
-Raighne

2D Cloud 2013: headlong into the future.

Now that we're working our way through the last few weeks of winter up here in the great north, it's time for 2DC to stretch beyond our borders once again and show the world what we've been up to.

Raighne is putting the final touches on something that has been in the 'pipeline' for a while now, our first book of 2013, Strong Eye Contact by Christopher Adams! Those of you who've been paying attention saw that we published a mini with Chris for SPX last year, Period, which gave us a glimpse of the distinct vision that Chris brings to comics.

Our first exposure to Chris was by way of the work that became this book, and we couldn't be happier to be the ones helping bring this into the world. Strong Eye Contact will make its international debut this May at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, May 11-12th.

Hot on the heels of our TCAF weekend will be the perennial local favorite, Springcon! We formally don't have our table assignment yet, but we have been doing this show since we started with Good Minnesotan 1 back in 2007, so you can expect to see us there again come May 18-19th.

We'll get a few weeks off before we move down to Chicago for the second year of CAKE, June 15-16th, where we'll not only have our stateside debut of SEC, but also our debut of another comic that's been a long time coming, Deep in the Woods by Noah Van Sciver and Nicholas Breutzman! This will also be going to press in a matter of weeks, with advance copies starting to ship to our Kickstarter backers by hopefully late April. Below is a rough image of a page that didn't make the Kickstarter campaign, from Nic's half of the comic, "The Mayfly"

As I was writing this post, it looks like our intern Greer Lawson's anthology Every/Body made its goal, and in record time! There's still a full three weeks to secure yourself a copy and get in on the rewards offered. Every/Body will also debut at TCAF in May and will be distributed by 2D Cloud following the event.

Last, but definitely not least, we have been working with some of the best and brightest small-press comics publishers and cartoonists Minneapolis has to offer to organize what will act as a sort of follow-up to MIX from a couple years back, but also an expansion on that concept, Autoptic. Applications are open until MARCH 31ST, so if you want to be a part of what we're planning, the time to apply is now! There will be satellite events leading up to the show on August 18th, one of which your own 2DC will be hosting! Check here or our other channels (FB/Tumblr/Twitter) for further details as the date draws near. For those of us who saw SPX sell out in under an hour earlier this morning, this might be the show to be at for a lot of publishers and cartoonists following CAKE in June.

Lots more to show and tell, but this should be enough for now! More to come as always. 

Chris Adams' Period in a Brown Paper Bag review

Sara Barnes reviews Christopher Adams’ “Period” over at Brown Paper Bag. Please check it out!! Alternatively, just go buy it in the shoppe>>

“[Period] opens up with us look­ing at the sea, mak­ing us feel small. We then delve into the lives of a fam­ily, a tele­phone com­pany employee, and guys hang­ing out play­ing with elec­tric toy cars. The details doc­u­mented are minus­cule, jux­ta­posed with moments that remind us just how BIG things, impor­tant things, are hap­pen­ing in our world. But, we’re often so bogged down with rela­tion­ships, work, and our own lives to con­tem­plate what’s really going on out­side of our front door.”

Christopher Adams and Today's Distraction

Self-Portrait of Christopher Adams

As some of you may know, we have some big-big plans with MISTER CHRISTOPHER ADAMS later in the year. We'll have more to announce on that end very soon.

((Our first collaboration with Chris was 2012's 'Period' -- available in the 2dc shoppe!!))

In the interim, our pal recently made it into the current showcase at Eyra, an online exhibition space for contemporary illustration.  Click on his self-portrait above to be transported to the showcase. Chris' piece is titled "Revival Series" and is styled like a short 2 pager comic. All the work in the exhibition is damn solid, so, go waste a fraction of the day for today's internet distraction!

Fall Crop Reviewed at POOPSHEET FOUNDATION

Earlier this year, we snuck the first issue of Meghan Hogan’s Startled Maggie series out into the world at large. It’s a beautiful and quiet little comic. We’ll have some more to announce with this series soon. Check the new reviews -- all positivity from Justin Giampaoli at Poopsheet Foundation!

Startled Maggie

“...it’s hard not to fall prey to the charm of this book; the end shot with the dandelions is a lovely capture of the simple magic of youth.” -- Justin Giampaoli

These last 3 are the latest from our fall 2012 crop at the 2dC comic farm. Ablatio Penis is the first comic we’ve published by Will Dinski -- still pretty-damn excited by that fact. Period is by the young upstart, Christopher Adams. Also a first. We’ve got some mega-schemes with that guy for 2013. MEGA. Lastly, RDCD Fist 1.5 is a new mini by Justin. Very cool and very weird, originally made for Jason T. Miles NO ME. Glad to see Justin’s been working on a whopper for a while now per his RDCD Fist series. Excited for 2.0!

Ablatio Penis

“...proudly printed by union workers and I like the sense that he’s sort of taunting us with the use of the ol’ red, white, and blue cover graphics.”
“...a worthy topic that more people need to be exposed to in any election cycle. Grade A.” -- Justin Giampaoli

Period

“Period is a bold statement on the notion that larger things are happening in the world...” -- Justin Giampaoli

RDCD Fist 1.5

“Inside, it offers a dizzying descent into wavy black and white lines, like an old TV scramble...” -- Justin Giampaoli

Lastly, for anyone interested, we are running a little pre-order for a crinkly newsprint split called Deep in the Woods by Noah Van Sciver and Nic Breutzman via Kickstarter. Vid preview below:

Oop, Missed a Spot: Manly Matters and Re-Minders

Hey! So, I forgot to mention that our pal Will Dinski was interviewed recently over at Stubble Magazine. The talk is mostly focused on his recent release, Ablatio Penis. Check it out!

Tomorrow, TOMORROW! Will Dinski is having his even newer book, the self-published At The End of An Action Movie, debut at the MCBA (details and link below!):

MCBA/Jerome Foundation Book Arts Fellowships Series XI November 2, 2012 through January 13, 2013 Opening reception Friday, November 2; 6-9pm

Hope to see you there!

Will Dinski Double Dip

"...this is such a great comic for the run up to the election. Ablatio Penis raised, for me at least, some interesting questions about politics, men and women, sexuality, stereotypes, and above all, whether or not we, as a country, really want the truth from our politicians." -- Courtney Algeo, Paper Darts

We got our first review of Will Dinski's new book in a few days back over at Paper Darts!

This year Will has 2 books out this fall. The first one, was of course Ablatio Penis, which we published. Will's second book, At The End of An Action Movie, which premiers at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, THIS FRIDAY is self-published with the aid of a MCBA/Jerome Fellowship. It's a very very limited run -- 10 copies or something -- all exquisitely hand-made -- it's huge and letter press printed and comes in it's own freaking box!!! Again, this is all crafted, made, printed, by Will Dinksi -- it is AMAZING!! You will want to check this out!! Click the link for details and hopefully we will see you this FRIDAY!!!

LOCAL KICKSTARTER ARTISTS RECEPTION

Tomorrow night in Minneapolis, the Walker Art Center will host a Local Kickstarter Artists Reception, which will feature yours truly (raighne here). The event runs from 5pm-9pm, and in between, there will a Free Lecture with Kickstarter co-founder, Yancey Strickler. At the event, I will have copies of Motherlover and Little Heart. Of which, the later is on sale -- 50% OFF (now only 10$ a pop!).

photo by Noah or Robin or someone maybe?

The full list of creatives at the event are as follows: Patrick Burke, Ethan Soper, Ariah Fine, Dale Flattum, Ben Harkins, Caitlin Rae Hargatan (+Screen Printing on the Cheap), John Harris, Raighne Hogan (duh), Roxie Lubanovic, Gordon McAlpin, Joshua Nite, John Noltner, Leslie Ostrander, Matt Marka, Leo Padron, Matthew Plumstead, Carl Thompson

Pretty rad right? Hope to see yah there!

also, if youre on fb, here is a link to a little event page i set-up:

http://www.facebook.com/events/292321174212505/

Twin Cities Book Fest this SATURDAY

2dc is returning to the MN State Fairgrounds once again this weekend -- this time with Will Dinski repping / pimping / signing his latest and greatest, Ablatio Penis. Both Justin and I (Raighne) will be milling around the show floor and behind the table this time too. I'll be there when the doors open, and Justin will be there when they close, so if you like one of us more than the other, plan accordingly!

As it’s autumn out, we’ll have our fall colors surrounding AP -- expect to see Christopher Adams' 2dc debut comic Period as well as Justin's newest little inscrutable menace, RDCD Fist 1.5.

As always, the usual 2dc party favors will be on hand too, such as the on sale Little Heart (50% off!! just try and dodge that deal), the quiet beauty Startled Maggie, the wordless fable Things You Carry, the dirty Minnesotan flavors of Motherlover, Noah Van Sciver’s Ignatz nominated The Death of Elijah Lovejoy, and so on. So VISIT US already!! You won’t be disappointed, promise. 

FallCON12: Ablatio Penis, Prizon Food, Little Heart (on SALE), High Score

saturdaySATURDAYSATURDAY

At the State Fair Grounds in Minnesota, Will Dinski will have copies of his lastest comics masterpiece, Ablatio Penis, published by yours truly (2DC!) on hand for FALLCON, Minnesota's Comic Celebration!! SO, stop by his table and snag a copy, chat up the guy, will yah!?

copy of Ablatio Penis

Our pal, Ricky Schuster, of Prizon Food fame, will also be tabling at this weekend event. He'll have his usual 2DC published Prizon Food comics, PLUS some other 2DC titles like Little Heart, and High Score.

As a reminder, if you are new to Prizon Food -- buy 'em both together and you shave 2 bones off the asking price! Twice as nice!

Say, did I mention that Little Heart is 50% off leading up to the November election (also of note, this sale extends to retailers as well!)? Well, it is! It's a long-ish sale and a heck of a lot off the cover price -- we really want to continue the conversation as the elections draw near. In that line of thinking we also got a new web series for the book via our Little Heart tumblr that we are seeking submissions for. Please go check it out and submit something!

Lastly, we got this little antho, High-Score, about video games. Ties into Rusel DeMaria's big book of the same name (was a backer reward per his Kickstarter). Pretty rad!

They'll be plenty of friends and artists we adore at the show (Cannon Bros, Sam Hiti, Hannah Blumenreich, maybe Anna Bongiovanni -- heck, I don't KNOW!), so go there, wander around and see cool ship!

ZINES -- MPLS Z-FEST THIS WEEKEND

Local zine and comics show, ZINE FEST [dot] ORG, is having a party at their place, the Powderhorn Park Recreational Center in MPLS on Saturday. Party starts around noon and goes till 6pm. A bunch of Z-Fest’s bestest homies will be there, such as 2D Cloud (we go waay back), King-Cat/Spit and a Half, Uncivilized Books, Eric Schuster of 'Prizon Food' fame, LadyQuest -- which includes Coleman Gilbert & Greer Lawson (who is of course 2DC’s intern extraordinaire), Anna Bongiovanni, Hedwig Vinson, Brett Von Schlosser -- aww cripes, this is tiring -- I’m not gonna list everyone for yah. Just go! Or check the full exhibitor list on their site.

Representing 2dc will be publisher Justin Skarhus and cartoonist Will Dinski (both of whom will have new works seeing their local debuts at the show -- RDCD Fist 1.5 and Ablatio Penis).

2dc elf-friends, Eric Schuster, Anna Bongiovanni, and Greer Lawson will be swimming around the show floor at their own tables as well. I’m pretty sure the amazing poet and zinester Gabrielle Congrave will be in the house too. And heck, for the last hour even I’ll (R. Hogan)  swing on by.

Hrm. Somewhere here I am repeating mys elf.

Anyhow, you, yes --YOU -- are invited to the party. Bring some friends, hang out. Buy some rad zines and xomics! See yah there!!

ps: there are pre and post party events...

Little Heart review + new tumblrs

Yay! New review for Little Heart!

print for our Little Heart backers by Jeremy Sorese

“I’m happy to say that the variety of styles and point-of-views make that book a good tool to discuss the issue.” This from François Peneaud, writing over at Gay Comics List.

Thanks François!!

Thar he be, Jeremy Sorese!! Pic and Portrait of 'da artist

I say, HWAT -- HWAT else we got? Our mega-rad intern, Greer Lawson has put together a tumblr page for Little Heart. It’s currently linked to our Little Heart FB page (though the linking/re-posting doesn’t seem to be working sadly). On it, we got short and sweet interviews with a variety of Little Heart artists, LIKE the above Jeremy Sorese. Many others on there as well PLUS, press re-postings, AND, later in the month, Greer will begin serializing a NEW web comic there as well. 

Speaking of tumblr, we’ve begun our arduous migration of Itchy Keen over to tumblr. We kicked it off with an interview with Vincent Stall. Butter laight than nuhver. It’s still rather rough around the edges and more of a drawing blog by 2dc peeps -- BUTT -- we do have some plans for it. Oh yes. More on that later in the year.