thingNY’s Call for Comic Artists

By John Freeman on March 3, 2010

We don’t normally circulate much non-British news, but this US-based music project posted their international appeal for artists on our events page, so we thought we’d repost the information here.

A New York-based xxperimental music ensemble, thingNY is looking for comic book artists, illustrators, designers and other imagicians to illustrate the comic book libretto (liner notes) of their soon to be released album, ADDDDDDDDD: an opera by thingNY.

The New Yorker‘s Alex Ross called new music uber-group thingNY part of the city’s burgeoning avant-garde classical music scene ‘striking an attitude of resistance to mainstream culture’. The not-for-profit collective comprises composer-performers from the New York city metro area and revels in creating and performing unrelenting experimental new works with passion and enthusiasm, oscillating between the ‘sweeter sounds’ and the ‘punishingly loud’.

Debuting in October 2006 at Jersey City’s landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre, thingNY has gone on to produce three seasons of experimental music including a radio play by Beckett, a collaborative opera and over two dozen premieres.

Paul Pinto tells downthetubes he is hoping the show may be brought to the UK at some point.

• More info: http://www.thingNY.com

• The next performance is on Saturday 20th March at 8.00pm at the Issue Project Room @ the Old American Can Factory – 232 3rd St. Brooklyn, New York. Tickets at https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pe/7950605

• To read more about the project and to download guidelines and audio here: http://www.thingny.com/opera/call

• Selected artists will be contacted by 22nd March and final drafts will be due 1st April 2010. The company says it regrets it cannot pay volunteer artists but selected artists will receive a copy of the finished product, credit and two tickets to the thingNY show of their choice.

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.