On Monday, Sept. 20, the Portland Opera invited me -- and nearly 20 other, better cartoonists -- to watch a dress rehearsal of the Opera’s production of "Pagliacci" and "Carmina Burana."
I drew another “live comics adaptation” during the performance, mostly from my theater seat. The pictures were speed-sketched in a spiral-bound sketchbook during the show. The comic strip was assembled the next day from the drawings.
You can also download a PDF version of this comic right here. (It contains two bonus panels of "Carmina Burana Funnies.")
Before the show, the Portland Opera plied us with complimentary food and wine at Morton’s, then gave us a backstage tour at the Keller Auditorium. The evening was dubbed “Comic Artist Night @ The Opera.” (Here's the official press release.) I hope it’s the first of many — because it was an absolute gas.
The "Comic Artist Night" sketches will be on display in the Keller Auditiorium during the Friday, Sept. 24, 2010 performance of "Pagliacci" and "Carmina Burana," with a few of the cartoonists (including yrs. truly) in attendance. Come on by and pick up a free print version of this comic and maybe even my "live comics adaptations" of "Rigoletto" and "The Barber of Seville," while supplies last.
Click here to check the Portland Opera's collection of dozens of sketches from the other artists who attended — some of Portland’s finest cartoonists, no joke — working in media ranging from pen and ink to finger and iPad screen. You can also find more work by the individual artists online at these links:
- Steve Lieber: [ blog post ] [ a photo I took over his shoulder ]
- Indigo Kelleigh: [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]
- Matt Wagner
- Erika Moen
- Trixie Biltmore: [ draft art ] [ finished sketches ]
- Terri Nelson
- Natalie Nourigat
- Cat Farris
- Ron Chan
- Colleen Coover: [ 1 ] [ 2 ] (also: YouTube video of Coover drawing on her iPad during rehearsal)
- Jesse Hamm
- Aaron McConnell
- The #pdxoperacomics feed on Twitter
- Barry Johnson's reflection on the evening at ArtsDispatch
- The Portland Mercury's Alison Hallett weighs in on "Comic Artist Night"
- Laura Hudson's ComicsAlliance summary of the night, w/ art roundup
- OPB: "Comics Drawing At The Opera"
Thanks to the Portland Opera for letting me participate in yet another of their barmy/cool PR experiments. The Opera’s ridiculously open-minded marketing team (which includes Jim Fullan, Julia Sheridan and Claudie Fisher) cooked up "Comic Artist Night" as a fun/inclusive way to expand on the "live comics adaptations" I’d done previously for their productions of “Rigoletto” and “The Barber of Seville.”
Thanks to all the remarkable performing artists involved for letting us scribble while they worked. You can learn more about the show and buy tickets here. It's a great show.
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'Pagliacci: The Live Comics Adaptation' (CulturePulp @ WebcomicsNation)
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