The exhibition features 3 generations of cartoonists from the city that gave birth and momentum to the alternative comix movement. More than 250 artworks and artifacts are on display, with a comix reading lounge, a continuous screening of David Moore’s seminal Hooked on Comix documentary, and cartooning demonstrations by Friends of the Nib and Bureau of Drawers. All Bumbershoot visual art shows are free on Friday, and hizzoner the mayor will tour the exhibitions in the afternoon.

Bumbershoot, Seattle’s annual Labor Day weekend arts festival, looks promising this year. In addition to the comix exhibition, there’s the daily Flatstock poster show, a special preview of the anxiously-awaited Jesse Bernstein documentary “I Am Secretly an Important Man” on Saturday, a concert by Hole, featuring the lovely and talented Courtney Love on Sunday, and the equally lovely and talented Tony Millionaire on Monday.

BREAKTHROUGH: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle, by Thea Cooper and Arthur Ainsberg is the dramatic true story of one of the most significant medical breakthroughs of the 20th century: insulin. Told with the suspense and drama of a thriller, BREAKTHROUGH chronicles the discovery through the fragile life of young girl.

The book was written by Thea Cooper and Arthur Ainsberg and together, they embarked on an exploratory research effort that would ultimately take them to medical centers, universities, libraries, archives, and other sites of significance located in twenty-five cities and towns in eight states and four countries over the course of five years.

Seattle resident Thea Cooper will be talking about Breakthrough and signing copies of the book at Elliott Bay Books in Seattle on September 18 and at Third Place Books in Seattle on November 16, and more events will be posted on the book’s website and on Thea’s Amazon author page.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Breakthrough will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Life for a Child Program of the International Diabetes Federation.

Enter the dark world of creepy cute ghouls and girls with new paintings by Xavier Lopez Jr. and soft sculpted dolls by Sara Lanzillotta at Gargoyles Statuary.

The artists have worked on a couple of fun collaboration pieces plus Sara has created a new collection of spooky dolls outfitted in lush Victorian style costumes titled Monsters Among Us.

Opening reception
Friday, August 20th, 5-9 pm at Gargoyles Statuary
4550 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105
(206)632-4940
http://www.gargoylestatuary.com
http://www.DevoutDolls.com

Elvis died on August 16, 1977 in the bathroom at Graceland.

Re-live the glory, the agony and the ecstasy on Monday, August 16th 2010 at Cafe Racer and the Official Bad Art Museum of Art at Elvis Tribute Night, starting at 7pm.

Meet Elvis book author Gillian G. Gaar, author of “Return of the King” Elvis Presley’s Great Comeback. Gillian will be on hand to read from her book and sign copies.

Come and sing Elvis Karaoke or enjoy fabulous ETA’s (Elvis Tribute Artists) perform Elvis favorites.

Elvis Music
Elvis Favorite Food!
Elvis Favorite Drinks!

Come see the Mighty Elvis Mobile and Traveling Elvis Museum. Take a tour of Graceland and renew your wedding vows at the Elvis Chapel of Love.

Party at the Official Bad Art Museum of Art and Cafe Racer at 5828 Roosevelt Way NE in Seattle, August 16th, starting at 7pm.

Come on down to the Tractor Tavern, August 20 for Sweetpea’s Birthday Shindig! Bring $6 to get in, some money for your favorite beverage, and a buck or two to put in my donation jar for www.purrfectpals.org if you can’t make it but want to donate anyway, please feel free to go to the purrfectpals.org site, or any other animal rescue site of your choice. Hope to see you there!

Roq La Rue Gallery is very pleased to present a series of new paintings by Edward Walton Wilcox. In addition, we will also be hosting a small “mini-show” of new watercolors by Liz McGrath. August 13 – September 4.  

The opening reception is Friday August 13th from 6-9pm. 

Prepare to be regaled, titillated, and made slightly squeamish by the earthbound stumblings of the mute boy, Frankenocchio, as he seeks to rejoin his nimble head with the rest of his body, wending his way through the dark bellows and performances of a third rate traveling circus.

This is a  story of a stringed puppet made by God, who in a fit of boredom cuts his strings.   The poor puppet plummets to earth, where his head and body pop apart. Searching for its body, Frankenocchio’s head arrives in a dark and rundown circus.   While mad barkers and accident prone clowns attempt to use  his headless body to fulfill their own dreams, Frankenocchio searches for a way to be made whole again and return to his former life as God’s favorite plaything.

Conceived and Created by Brian Kooser, with script by Stephanie Timm, and touted as a “nightmarish world that might have been dreamt by Tim Burton after listening to Tom Waits while dosed up on codeine cough syrup”, this bizarrely delightful story, set aglow with gaudily gorgeous bunraku puppets and scenery, will leave you strangely inspired.

Accompanied by the live, kaleidoscopic, musical barkings of God’s Favorite Beefcake http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vLycseGX5k,

Kooser and his cadre of deft puppeteers bring this sweet, nightmarish saga to life for Seattle audiences.

8pm Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays
August 12th – September 4th
Tickets $18 at the door or BrownPaperTickets.com
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/120745

Lee Center for the Arts, 901 12th Ave, on Seattle University campus:

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/lee_center_for_the_arts/Location?oid=33949

For a sneak peak: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dERwHAQTZeQ

Please note: this puppet show is not suitable for children.

- more info and tickets -

Facebook Page for Hootenanny For A Healthy Gulf

- More info here – South Lake Union Block Party -

-  The Seattle Founders Day Festival website  -