A Song Called City

Saturday October 20th, starting at 10AM, until 10AM the next day, Sunday October 21st, we’ll be at Nucleo in Ghent, partaking in the local edition of the worldwide phenomenon that is 24-Hour Comics Day.  Last year we were present as well. We actually used last year’s edition as an opportunity to test-drive A Song Called City. Over the course of those 24 hours, we c̶r̶e̶a̶t̶e̶d̶ spent 80% of the time discussing and 20% producing what would become the first actual A Song Called City episode. At the time, we’d spent almost an entire year discussing the plot, characters and themes of this huge project we were undertaking–and we felt it was about time to put our creations to the test. We had to discover how these characters we had created, would hold up within an actual narrative setting beyond macro-scale storycrafting.

The end result was a 24-page story featuring a bunch of characters we’ve yet to introduce in this current incarnation of  the comic. (One of them, a personal favorite, you’ll get to know very soon.) The 24 Hour Comic’s story, however, is entirely canonical and sheds some very interesting light on the past of one of our main characters. In all probability, it will be available as bonus content in one of the future collected editions of A Song Called City.

Four days later, on Thursday October  25th, from 8PM ’til (at least) 11PM, you’ll find us at Bar Samedi in Antwerp for the monthly Sketch Thursday. We’ll be busy basking in the delightful company of (as always) a veritable who’s-who of the Flemish (and especially the Antwerp) illustration and comicbook scene, trying our best to match the imposing chops of our esteemed friends and colleagues. In case you’re unfamiliar, the Sketch concept itself is quite simple:

“Artists are invited to draw in a public space. A great way to meet artists and the ideal opportunity to buy your favorite art directly from the artists at very affordable prices! And those who feel like it, are more than welcome to join in on the fun and draw as well!”

Provided my memory isn’t playing tricks on me, the very first sketches for the very first (later discarded) attempt at a story set within the #ASCC universe came into being at a Sketch night (still at Bar Nadar at the time).

Neither event has an admission fee, audiences are more than welcomed, in fact, they’re most cordially invited. It goes, then, without saying that, if you’re in the neighborhood for either one of these, you shouldn’t hesitate to drop by and say hi.

We’d love to meet you!