On Monday December 12th, Digital Alberta sponsored one of the more unique seasonal mixers held in the province this month. Nat Jones and Travis Shewchuk have been showcasing their work (Nat’s comic art and Travis’s sculptures) at Shades of Grey tattoo studio that features some of the most rare collectible toys in city. This only makes sense since Shane Turgeon is the organizer of the Edmonton Collectible Toy and Comic Show and owner of Shades of Grey.
The show featured original work from Nat's incredibly successful '68 series including some works that were not included in the published comic. As well, several Travis Shewchuk creations, including two full sized zombies based on the '68 series. Amongst the most memorable pieces were Nat's zombie-based pop culture pieces that served as very clever and nuanced socio-political commentary on the times. These pieces are must-sees for any comic zombie fan.
The evening was a wonderful mash-up of digital media folks, film & TV folks, comic fans, and at one point I could have sworn I saw a zombie shuffle past the bathroom door. Jay Bardayla of Happy Harbor comics was ranting about growing the indie comic scene in Edmonton. Suzette Chan was on hand to promote a new curated show of the late Gilbert Bouchard’s comic book collection titled “I’m No Superman.” Andrew Foley (one of the writers of the original graphic novel “Cowboys & Aliens”) was on hand to chat about the joys of being a comic book writer and creator. Multiple members of the Guru Digital Arts College faculty and student body checked out the cool space and amazing work of Nat’s and Travis’s.
The evening was a steady stream of folks chatting and enjoying a little “cheer” courtesy of Digital Alberta. More and more it seems that Digital Alberta is present at the intersections between media forms. From the Alberta Book Publishers speed dating with media producers to the amazing Banff weekend co-produced with AMPIA, Digital Alberta is continually seeking unique opportunities to discover synergies between groups that have yet to discover the power of their collaborative potential. 2012 is shaping up to be an exciting year and Digital Alberta will be in the thick of it mashing all the way.
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