Zombies Invade Seattle (~again) for ZomBcon the world’s premier Zombie Culture Convention returns to Seattle October 21 – 23 at the Seatac Hilton.

A few bites about of how the infection will spread:

• Thom Carnell ensures that No Flesh Shall Be Spared
• Carnell vs Popham Round 2: Who will survive and what will be left of them??
• The Makings of Super Hero Panel Featuring Phoenix Jones and Vampy Bitme

• Zombie Tools: Blade Runners for the Apocalypse
• The Last Stand: Party at Survivor City
• Getting to the heart of the infection with Zombie Autopsies
• Zombies are People too!

Are you prepared for the zombie apocalypse?

Even Playboy is talking about it:

Saturday September 10th, 5:00-10:00pm

This is a FREE event.

This year the festival has changed locations and is presented in the lovely Dottie Harper Park, 421 SW 146th, ‘a magical evening in the forest.’

It will be a breathtaking walk in nature with lanterns created by many talented artists, those you create on-site, or lanterns you bring to join in the interactive procession (MAP).

This event will include lantern making , performers, face painting, tea leaf reading and treats for everyone to sample.

A special performance by Lucia Neare’s Theatrical Wonders is also planned.

Don’t miss it!

The Aki Matsuri festival will be on Bellevue College’s main campus this weekend

Saturday, September 10th (10:00am-6:00pm) and

Sunday September 11 (10:00am-4:30pm.)

Admission & parking are FREE!

The festival features several special events such as a leather artist, Kimono presentation, Mikoshi Gishiki (full scale Omikoshi from Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America) and Taiko drum presentations.  Bonsai, Taiko, and Japanese garden presentations as well as puppet shows.

Be sure to catch the West Cascade Puppet Brigade’s ‘The Inch-High Samurai’ a tale of a tiny young man who sets off in the world to find his fortune.  He proves to be braver and more clever than the largest and scariest of foes.

See ‘The Inch-High Samurai’ on

Saturday September 10th in the Carlson Theater at 12:30pm & 2:45pm

& Sunday September 11th in Room E129 at 1:45pm & 4:00pm.

Please note that the times and venues are not the same for each day.

ENMA (Eastside Nihon Matsuri Association) is a non-profit organization of volunteers who want to preserve and further the arts and crafts of Japan for the enjoyment of the greater Seattle community.

Now in the 41st year,  Bumbershoot is world renowned for showcasing musical talent.  And while there are a myriad of music choices, Bumbershoot by it’s very name is an umbrella of the arts (from the slang: bum•ber•shoot —n. informal An umbrella.)

So be sure not to miss:

The Magic Show at the Center Pavilion everyday from 11am-8pm, a multimedia exhibit that explores illusion, conjuring, levitation, and transformation.

Get your guns up with 2010 Stranger Genius Award winner Marya Sea Kaminski’s Bonnie and the Robberi, a collection of rock covers, original songs, and monologues that explore societal themes of women with firearms, love, and violence and is backed by the musical talents of Landlords Daughter.

Bumber by Number a fully interactive color by number show featuring some of Seattle’s favorite visual art talents and is curated by the beloved Marlow Harris & Jo David.  Pick up a veggie and join in the communal art creation.

Movies at SIFF Cinema and McCaw Hall feature projects: Films4Families, 48 Hour Film Project, Nerds Unite, and Animation for Adults, just to name a few.

Just in case you spend all your Bumbershoot days watching movies, seeing visual art shows, eating and shopping the vendor booths.  You can still catch a fabulous line up of musicians at Bumbershoot After Dark, a collaboration with Decibel, One Reel,  Seattle Center, & Kaos Theory.  This late night (10pm-4am) celebration at Exhibition Hall, features some of the most acclaimed electronic music performers and deejays.  Saturday brings the musical stylings of Craze, Claude Van Stroke, Jokers of the Scene, and The Dowlz. Sunday’s line-up is Z-Trip, Four Tet, and Dam Funk. Bumbershoot After Dark is boasting this collaboration “to be the most adventurous stage configuration that any of the organizations have ever produced throughout their 100+ years of collective experience.”

Be warned if you go to Bumbershoot expecting to get a glimpse of John Oates fabulous mustache, you will be disappointed.  It has only been seen once in the last 25 years: last year’s National Moustache Convention where he was a special guest.  

For a breakdown of all the Bumbershoot events & happenings check the official SCHEDULE. Hall & Oates take the Bumbershoot main stage on Monday.

For all you procrastinating shoppers, Fantagraphics Bookstore is open this week 11:30 to 8:00 PM and on Christmas Eve until 5:00 PM. Avoid the mall nuts and parking hassles. Perfect presents for everyone on your list. – many priced under $20.

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale Street (at Airport way S.) just minutes south of downtown Seattle. Phone 206.658.0110. See you all soon.

Start with the candlelight procession, which begins and ends at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave N.  The procession will depart at 6:30 p.m. and return at 7:00pm.  Where you can participate in the community altar, enjoy poetry,  live music, hot chocolate, craft activities, and more.

The Phinney Center Dia de los Muertos art show will be on view through the month of November and features works by Dreama Blankenbeckler, Pedro De Valdivia, Amaranta Ibarra-Sandys, Reagan Jackson, Jena Marks, Debbie McGibbon, Elisha Miller, and Lincoln Skrypeck.

Costumed participants at the Phinney Center's Dia de los Muertos Celebration

In Mexico, El Día de los Muertos is a festive and family-centered event, traditionally held on Nov. 1st (Day of the Little Angels) and 2nd (Day of the Dead or all Soul’s Day in Christian tradition).  Día de los Muertos celebrations emphasize life and death as part of the same cycle and regard death on friendly and intimate terms.  According to beliefs rooted in pre-Columbian traditions, on Dia de los Muertos, the veil between life and death is at its thinnest and the dead can be lured back to us through the scent of marigolds and the temptation of offerings of favorite food and drink.

In certain parts of Mexico, an important facet of this celebration is the ofrenda, or personal altar, built both in family homes and/or over the graves of loved ones. Traditionally, photographs of the dead at are the altar center, around which are placed offerings of food, drink, candles, flowers, sugar skulls, and personal mementoes. All these items are presented in beautiful displays to honor the returning souls.

Call (206) 783-2244 for more information.

For a detail of the evenings events go to: http://www.phinneycenter.org/events/dayodead.shtm

EN ESPAÑOL:

Venga y acompañe la celebración tradicional mexicana de la vida y la muerte con el Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA) en una procesión y festival el viernes 6 de noviembre 2009. Los festejos empezarán con una procesión a la luz de las velas, que partirá a las 6:30 pm, y terminará de regreso a las 7pm en el PNA, que se localiza en el 6532 Phinney Ave N. Todos son bienvenidos a participar en el altar comunitario y a disfrutar de música en vivo, chocolate caliente, actividades de arte y más.

En México el día de los muertos es un evento alegre y enfocado en la familia. Tradicionalmente, el 1 de Noviembre es el Día de los pequeños ángeles y el 2 de Noviembre es el Día de los muertos o Día de todas las almas en la tradición cristiana.

La celebración del día de los muertos enfatiza que la vida y la muerte son parte del mismo ciclo y contempla la muerte en condiciones amables e íntimas. Según creencias, con principios en tradiciones pre-Colombinas, en el día de los muertos, el velo entre la vida y la muerte es tan delgado que los muertos pueden ser atraídos de nuevo a los vivos por los aromas de incienso y la tentación de ofrendas de comidas y bebidas favoritas.

En algunas partes de México, una parte muy importante de esta celebración es la ofrenda o altar personal construido en casas familiares y/o sobre sepultura del muerto amado. Tradicionalmente, se colocan fotografías de los muertos en el centro del altar, rodeadas por ofrendas de comida, bebida, velas, flores, calaveras de azúcar y recuerdos personales. Todas estas cosas son presentadas de una forma muy vistosa y colorida para honrar las almas visitantes.

Damos la gracias al City of Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs y el Washington State Arts Commission por su apoyo, ya que han hecho posible la continuación de la celebración de este importante evento tradicional.

Llame al (206) 783-2244 para mayor información.

September 3, 2009 – SEATTLE, WA. The Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack continues to present provocative visual, performing and applied arts throughout Seattle’s most colorful creative community on September 12. The monthly Art Attack promotion is intended to raise regional awareness of the historic Georgetown industrial/arts district with the purpose of generating public sentiment toward preserving this valued civic asset. Aside from all that, it’s a heckuva lotta fun!

Among the highlights of the September 12 installment: An exhibition of underwater photography by Tom Radio and a musical performance by the Abiders at Calamity Jane’s; A punk rock Elvis tribute featuring The Kings at the MIX; An exhibition of mixed media art by Kim McCarthy together with new work inspired by 6os mod and Japanese street fashions by designer Lady Konnyaka at FRIDA/Georgetown Tile Works; “Comics Savants,” an exhibition of 13 Seattle-based alternative cartoonists featuring a one day storewide “Back to Skool” sale at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery; A group exhibition of members of the Twilight Artists Collective at the Stables; An outdoor performance by Georgetown’s resident reggae ruffians Dubcar; and the general joviality associated with this lively and diverse cultural event.

The Georgetown Art Attack is a monthly production of the Georgetown Merchants’ Association. For a map of participants and related information please visit: www.georgetownartattack.com.

July 29, 2009 – SEATTLE, WA. Since relocating to Seattle from Southern California 20 years ago, Fantagraphics Books has remained committed to nurturing and promoting the diverse practitioners of alternative comics in the Northwest. The country’s most successful purveyor of challenging comics routinely employs local cartoonists and publishes the work of regional artists which has contributed to Seattle’s international reputation as the unrivaled center of alternative comics. To celebrate this association, Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery presents “Comics Savants: A Survey of Seattle Alternative Cartoonists” opening Saturday, August 8.

This exhibition will feature over a dozen emerging and established artists, including many of the most accomplished cartoonists in the alternative movement. Among them: Peter Bagge, who coined the term “alternative comics” in 1990 and as the highly-regarded creator of the phenomenal HATE comic book series attracted dozens of young cartoonists to the city during the 90s decade; Seattle native Charles Burns, whose teen years are fictionalized in his amazing graphic novel BLACK HOLE, soon to be a motion picture directed by David Fincher; Visionary artist Jim Woodring, one of only a handful of cartoonists to be embraced by the fine art world, having been awarded the United States Artist Fellowship in 2007 and a 2009 Art Trust Washington State Artists Fellowship, who will exhibit work from his forthcoming graphic novel WEATHERCRAFT; Ellen Forney, whose collaboration with local author Sherman Alexie won the prestigious 2008 National Book Award; David Lasky who will exhibit pages from his collaboration with Seattle writer Chris Estey “The Last Testament” from HOTWIRE #2; Second wave Seattle alternative cartoonist Megan Kelso; emerging artist Eroyn Franklin, who will exhibit hand cut pages from her Xeric award winning graphic novel ANOTHER GLORIOUS DAY AT THE NOTHING FACTORY; current and former Fantagraphics Books staffers Jim Blanchard, Roberta Gregory, Patrick Moriarity; Ted Jouflas; Jason T. Miles and Eric Reynolds.

In addition to the display of original artworks, an eclectic array of comics and graphic novels by exhibiting artists will be available. Many featured artists will attend the opening reception of Saturday, August 8 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale St. (at Airport Way S.) only minutes south of downtown. This event coincides with the colorful Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack featuring exciting visual and performing arts presentations in close proximity throughout the historic artists’ enclave.

Folks have asked me what prompted my interest in Google and I have to think it was looking at the Space Needle most every day outside my window. We’re living here with the largest known monument to Googe Architecture right in our backyard. What’s not to love?

Googie Architecture is most closely associated with the popular architecture and culture of 1950′s and 60′s Southern California, but the Seattle area had it share as well. Though quicky disappearing, there are still some remnants of this modern and space-age look around Seattle, and this Ballard Mannings building is one of them, and that’s why it’s so important to try to preserve this building.

Googie Architecture features bold angles, sweeping cantilevered roofs and pop-culture design. It was a way to grab and hold the attention of a budding car-culture, as we sped by on the freeways. It was a glimpse of the future, Today.

Knute Berger has a great series of articles about the controversy at Crosscut, our local online magazine of news from the Great Nearby.

Denny’s fans hunger for a historic grand slam in Seattle (Los Angeles Times)

Seattle real estate agent Sarina McDonald aka “Ravenna Black” stars in this week’s episode of the ABC reality show “Wife Swap”. The show takes two women — whose families have vastly different values — and asks them to switch places for two weeks. Each episode documents the drama that results when the husband and the kids are forced to adjust to a new matriarch in the family.

For this show, Sarina went to upstate New York to live with the Robarge family. They are involved in lumberjack competitions, and their family’s activities revolve around husband Wally’s professional lumberjack competitions, where the McDonalds’ lives revolve around Sarina’s trips around the country to burlesque events.

Sarina saw this as a great opportunity to highlight some of the charity work she does with The Pin-Up Angels.

Do you love this girl or what?

Wife Swap – Wednesday, January 30th at 8pm PST on ABC.

Agent fired for extra-curricular activities

Ravenna Speaks!

Real Estate and Sexual Politics