In an odd coincidence just hours before I learned of the passing of Ismael Roldan, I was reminded of his being instrumental in making it possible for me to visit Colombia last summer when Colombian television reporter and personality Cristina Valencia emailed me a link to the above video. The video features her story on the 15 Salón Internacional de Historietas y Caricaturas Calicomix 2009 (15th Annual International Exhibition of Cartoons and Caricatures Calicomix 2009) where I was a guest speaker back in June. It’s in spanish of course but my interview section is in English with Spanish subtitles at around minute 4:15. There are also interviews with Mexican cartoonist Arturo Kemchs and Chilean cartoon historian/collector Claudia Contreras.

That was a really fascinating trip. I have been invited to attend a similar conference in Valparaiso, Chile about this time next year as a guest speaker. That gives me 12 months to learn Spanish. Debo aprender más rápidamente!!

CaliComix 2009

The Salón Internacional de Historietas y Caricaturas Calicomix is an annual event held in Cali that celebrates humorous illustration, caricatures, cartoons and comic books in South America and the world. This year’s exhibition is the 15th annual, and the driving force and founder of the event is local Colombian cartoonist José Campo. José is a very acccomplished cartoonist who is also very passionate about the art form, and it shows in the scope of CaliComix. José organizes and finds sponsorship for the entire event, which includes multiple guests speakers from various countries, several art shows and exhibits, many demonstrations and live drawing sessions and social events. This year’s conference included artists and speakers from several areas of Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and the United States. The week is a true tour de force of cartooning. Putting on this show is quite an accomplishment and he should be congratulated for his amazing efforts. Thanks, José!!

Tuesday, June 9th

After my morning huevos pericos and buñuelo (oh, and coffee… can’t forget the coffee!) I accompanied a group of cartoonists from the Casona la Merced Hotel over to the Centro Cultural de Cali where the first round of presentations were to take place. That included my presentation, which was first.

The historic La Merced Church, on our way to the Centro Cultural de Cali

There were street vendors on every corner

The Teatro Municipal

The crowd was not overwhelming, which was a real shame. José’s efforts should have sparked more interest from the public, but whether the small crowds were a result of a lack of publicity or a lack of interest, I could not tell. Certainly the people that did attend were very enthusiastic and had a great time.

Boris looks on during my talk, ready to translate!

My presentation went well. I had some neighbors from Argentina help me translate the captions on my PowerPoint show, which included my “Diary of a MAD Job” which I have posted here before. Thanks to Boris, my terrific interpreter, everyone was able to understand my talk and ask me questions.

The next presenter was Arturo Kemchs, a caricaturist and political cartoonist from Mexico. Arturo is also President of the Association of Cartoonists of Mexico. His work was fantastic, ranging from clever and hard hitting political/editorial cartoons to whimsical and hilarious illustrations. One thing I learned is that the sense of humor in South America and particularly Mexico is a lot less prudish than American humor. Sex is a prominent subject for humor there, and Arturo has some very funny cartoons and books that reflected these tastes. Arturo also publishes a humorous magazine called Humoris Causa. Very impressive work.

Arturo talks cartooning in Mexico while Perucho contemplates moderating him

The dynamic Claudia Contreras did a presentation next about the rich history of South American comics. Claudia is a collector and an expert on the comics and cartooning of South America. She has a collection of over 3,000 comics and has put together a DVD database of biographies and work from hundreds of South American cartoonists. She is from Chile, and is the director of her own annual cartooning/comics event in Valparaiso, Chile called Del Festival de Comic de Valparaiso. She spoke about as much English as I did Spanish, so our attempts to communicate kept the other cartoonists laughing hysterically. She declared herself my official translator of “chilinglish”, which the other artists found hilarious. Actually I could understand her much of the time.

mi traductor del chilinglish, Claudia

Unfortunately I lost my translator at noon, so the rest of the day I was in “total immersion” mode. Paco helped a lot, and Claudia’s “chilinglish” of course.

That night we ended up at the Plazoleta Centro Cultural Comfenalco, which is an open air plaza next to a gallery where a great art show was opening that evening. Many of us set up and drew for the public for a few hours before the show’s opening party. I didn’t know what else to do so I brought my live caricature stuff and started drawing people. I don’t think many of the people there had ever seen a live caricaturist work, because I was swamped for the entire time I was there and people were amazed. It was funny because many of the other artists started telling me how tired I must be getting and someone tried to feed me a Coca Cola and snack in the middle of a drawing… of course they did not understand that I can draw caricatures for about 10 to 12 hours before I start to burn out…. 25 years of live caricature work builds some endurance. I did a TV interview (with translator) as well.

Drawing at the Plazoleta

The art show was really unique. It was full of static displays of various cartoon/fine art, but also had “live” spaces where artists were busy doing creating their work right on the spot. Paco did a cool Batman themed piece and other artists were busy working away. Great creativity.

The art show at Centro Cultural Comfenalco

Two young artists working on a cool piece

Paco’s contribution in progress…

Even Claudia got into the act!

The evening were mostly spent back at the Casona la Merced Hotel in the downstairs room eating, drinking wine and drawing. On Tuesday night we had some real homecooked treats. Big trays of Colombian foods were brought out for us to pick and choose from. They included aborrajados, which are ripe banana stuffed with cheese and fried (they were quite good); marranitas, which were crunchy fried spheres a little like fritters filled with bananas and bits of chewy pork (not my favorite but still pretty good) and empanadas, which were corn pastries stuffed with potatoes and meat (they were delicious). With them were various bowls of condiment-like sauces with a tiny spoon. We spooned one of our choice on whatever we were eating and took a bite, then spooned more on for the next bite. I tried the Guacamole sauce, some kind of ranch-like white sauce and then a green sauce made of chilis, cilantro and finely diced scallions… that was it for me, I ate that green one the whole night. Fantastic!

The cartoonists unwind after a long day…

Wednesday, June 1oth

This day was less structured, as we went back to the Centro Cultural de Cali in the morning and had a kind of round table discussion on the state of cartooning in Colombia and around Latin America. A young cartoonist from a different area of Colombia named Julio Naranjo had come seeking advice on his work, and he showed us his portfolio. He got the lesson of his life as Paco, myself and several other artists went over his art giving our opinions. His work was really good, but of course everyone has room for improvement. We’ll be seeing his work somewhere soon.

Cartoonist’s round table discussion

I should mention these presentations and panel discussion were moderated by Perucho Mejía, a Colombian professor and PHD in the arts at a local university. Perucho is also an author and gave me a book he wrote called Semiotica del Comic, about the symbols of comics and their significance. I’m going to read that as soon as I learn Spanish! No, really.

That night we went to the Biblioteca Departamental (the public library) where yet another humorous art show was going to have it’s grand opening that evening. We once again drew for several hours, this time both Paco and Colombian cartoonist, fantastic illustrator and all around funny man Luis Eduardo Leon joined in the live caricature fun. Leon is both a hilarious cartoonist and an incredible illustrator. You need to see his unbelievable photo-realistic digital paintings (click the link on his name) to understand what I am talking about. Superb.

Here we go again!

The art show that evening was more traditional comic type art, with some unusual touches. One of my favorites was (of course) the Batman sculpture, but the place was full of terrific comic art. It was also very well attended.

De Arte Fantástico exhibition

Batman’s sculptor and me

Claudia get’s fresh with Batman

That evening we went to the charming restaurant of another local cartoonist and had a delicious dinner with his family. Candles and rose petals greeted us in the entry. Colombians as a rule are very friendly when greeting friends and guest… lots of hugging, kissing and back slapping. I experienced a bit of language barrier at dinner when I tired a joke out on Claudia, who had told me she worked as a counselor for people with alcohol and addiction problems in Chile. I asked Paco to translate for me:

“I also have a drinking problem”, I said… ” I spill a lot”

She didn’t get it.

The Wednesday night restaurant

What a welcome!

More drawing and wine that evening, although I must say I was surprised that there was not a great deal of alcohol consumed at any of these events. There was always wine, but only a glass or two and then that was it. I guess I expected the same kind of free-flowing drinking that cartoonists in the United States are known for, but that was not the case in Colombia. All the better for my liver.

Tomorrow there will be a special “Sketch o’the Week” of two people who I was very privleged to get to meet while in Colombia, and then I will wrap up my travelogue on Thursday.

¿Habla español?

I received a phone call this winter from my friend and outstanding caricature illustrator Ismael Roldan asking me if I would be interested in traveling to Colombia in early June to be a special guest speaker at a conference celebrating comics, caricature and illustration in South America called the 15 Salón Internacional de Historietas y Caricaturas Calicomix 2009 (15th Annual International Exhibition of Cartoons and Caricatures Calicomix 2009). I’d be doing a presentation of my artwork, a separate demonstration of my illustration techniques and there would be an exhibit of my artwork in a gallery at the Colombo Americano. In between I’d be attending presentations and workshops by the several other guests speakers/artists and participating in some artist “jams” where we sit about and draw for the public.

“Are you kidding?” I said. “When do I leave?”

Ismael is originally from Colombia, having relocated and lived in the United States for over 20 years. Last year he was a guest speaker at the same conference. He had nothing but wonderful things to say about the event, the people involved and the organization that would be sponsoring my participation, the Centro Cultural Colombo Americano. The Colombo would be taking care of my room and board, and providing translators for my presentations and official events. Good thing since my junior high Spanish classes are well behind me. I would not be provided a translator 24/7… most of the time I’d be on my own in that respect, but I would always be looked after by the organizers of the CaliComix event itself. What an incredible opportunity. How could I refuse? I just needed to sell it to the boss.

The Lovely Anna reacted to this invitation in two ways. First, she was proud and thrilled her husband would be asked to be a guest at such an international event. Second, she said “COLOMBIA?!?” followed by a bout of hyperventilating. Let’s face it, deserving or not, Colombia has a rough reputation involving drug cartels and violence.

There was some discussion about these issues, but Colombia is not the ultra-violent place it’s made out to be in the movies. Yes, there are areas of the country and the city of Cali it would be a bad idea to wander into, but that is true of any big city anywhere in the world. It’s largely populated by peaceful and friendly people going about their lives just like everywhere else in the world. The bad elements are just a tiny part of what is a rich, bustling culture and heritage. That said, it is a different world there and certain precautions need to be taken and followed for personal safety. By and large, though, as long as you are educated about these issues and observe the necessary precautions Colombia is safe enough to visit, and safer than many other places.

A Side Street in Cali

It’s not a place for the casual weekend tourist, however… at least not in Cali where I stayed. At the very least you should be able to speak the language and be very familiar with the area you are visiting, or have a local guide to take care of you like I did. Perhaps visiting the more cosmopolitan (and larger) city of Bogotá one might find more languages spoken and more of a catering for tourists. That was not so in Cali, where I saw no other obvious foreign tourists or visitors. In fact I felt a bit like the Jolly Green Giant wandering around the streets of Cali… I was a head taller than most people and my blue eyes and pale complexion caused a lot of turned heads and stares. The local people I met were very nice and helped me as much as they could… they seemed genuinely pleased to see a foreign visitor and wanted me to feel welcome.

The two best parts of my trip were meeting and seeing the work of some fantastic cartoonists and illustrators from South America, and being able to see and experience first-hand a part of the world that is not easy to see and experience for someone from the U.S.

Arriving in Colombia

I arrived in Cali after a long day of travel with stops in Houston and Panama City. However the time zone Cali is the same as U.S. Eastern Standard Time, and due to our current observation of Daylight Savings Time there was no time change between home and Cali… 10 p.m. in Cali was also 10 p.m. in Minnesota. That made for an easy transition. Customs was quick and my meager Spanish was all I needed to get through security. I was picked up by a gentleman named Michael Cedena, who is a director at the Centro Cultural Colombo Americano and was the person who organized my trip and time in Colombia. It was quite late when I landed but he met me personally and briefed me on the trip into the city about some of the things I should be aware of while visiting Colombia. It’s much the same advice you might get visiting New York City… don’t carry a lot of cash, don’t go wandering down any dark alleys, etc. Common sense stuff. Mostly we went over my itinerary.

Some of the opening night group

After a stop at the Centro Colombo I was dropped off and introduced to a big group of attending CaliComix cartoonists… then Michael had to leave and I was standing there amid about 50 South American cartoonists without a translator. Talk about immersion! Fortunately a few there spoke some English, and one or two did so quite well, so they helped me communicate. Everyone was tremendously friendly and I was made to feel very welcome.

CaliComix organizer Jose Campo and myself

In retrospect that might not have been the best choice for a shirt
for me to wear when walking about in Colombia…

I would get to know several of these people much better over the next 4 days, but right then it was a little overwhelming. I got a taste of what it must be like to be a celebrity… I must have gotten my photo taken with various people several dozen times and signed tons of things. Don’t worry, it didn’t go to my head! It was a fun night but it got late and with an early morning coming the next day I eventually made it to my room.

The outside of my hotel

Casona la Merced lobby

The hotel I stayed at, which was also where the other visiting artists were staying, was the charming Hotel Casona la Merced, across the street from the historic church of the same name. It is a family owned place, and what it lacks in five star luxury it more than makes up for in hospitality. I was treated like a family member, including home cooked meals. I think the best way to experience the real culture and lifestyle of a place is through your stomach, and I had that opportunity in abundance. Every morning there was a knock on my door at 7:45 a.m. telling be breakfast had arrived. I got the following (with some variation) each morning:

MMMMMMMM… Breakfast!!

This is very much a typical Colombian breakfast. The scrambled eggs with tomatoes and onions is called huevos pericos. The white, round biscuit looking things are called arepas, which are a sort of bread/buiscuit made from corn. The round, golden ball is a Buñuelo, which is a kind of fritter. In Colombia, it is made with a white cheese mixed with dough and then fried. The red drink is a fruit juice, (likely grape) but I had several different Colombian fruit juices including the local Lulo and Tomate de Arbol fruits. The white rice or arroz is an ever present side dish in almost any Colombian meal.

Tomorrow I’ll describe the Salón Internacional de Historietas y Caricaturas Calicomix itself, plus more about my experiences with the culture of Colombia.

Jiggity Jig. It’s a long travel day today back to Minnesota. It will take me several days to stop saying “si” whenever a question requires the answer “yes”. Again, a full report on my Colombia experience next week.

Yes, you read that right… Cali, Colombia, South America.

I am one of the main guest speakers at the 15 Salón Internacional de Historietas y Caricaturas Calicomix 2009 (15th Annual International Exhibition of Cartoons and Caricatures Calicomix 2009) taking place in Cali, Colombia from June 8th through June 30th. I’ll be participating in several activities along with cartoonists, illustrators and caricaturists from all around the world including Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Colombia. Here’s a little rundown of the portions of the event I will be a part of:

Tuesday, June 9th-

• 9:00 am @ Salon Madera, Centro Cultural de Cali- FORO INTERNACIONAL DE HISTORIETA & HUMOR (International Forum of Comics and Humor)- Presentations by several artists and a panel discussion of comics, illustration and humor with:
  • Claudia Contrera- Director of the Comic Festival in Valparaiso (Chile)
  • Tom Richmond- MAD Magazine Illustrator (United States)
  • Arturo Kemchs- President of the Mexican Association of Cartoons
  • Gil Mauritius- Director of the Comic Club de Guayaquil (Ecuador)
  • Joni Benjumea- Comics (Colombia)
  • Nelson Zuluaga- Sample Comic- Pereira Risaralda
  • Perucho Mejia pdh.- Moderator (Colombia) Calicomix Foundation
• 3:00 pm- Cartoonists Live Drawing Jam @ Centro Cultural Comfenalco (I’ll be doing live caricatures)
• 7:00 pm- Opening Reception @ Centro Cultural Comfenalco

Wednesday, June 10th-

• 9:00 am @ Salon Madera, Centro Cultural de Cali- FORO INTERNACIONAL DE HISTORIETA & HUMOR (International Forum of Comics and Humor)- Further panel discussion and presentations by the remaining artists.
• 3:00 pm- Cartoonists Live Drawing Jam @ Developmental Library (I’ll be doing live caricatures again)
• 7:00 pm- Opening Reception @ Developmental Library

Thursday, June 11th-

• 4:00 pm @ Centro Colombo Americano- Demonstration: Tom Richmond (USA)- I’ll be doing a demo of an illustration job from start to finish (approx. 2 hours)
• 7:00 pm @ Centro Cultural Colombo Americano- The MAD Art of Tom Richmond exhibit- Opening Reception for the exhibition

That last will be an exhibit of my artwork at the Centro Cultural Colombo Americano gallery, which will hang for several weeks (I think). Most of it will be prints of my full color MAD and other illustration jobs (by their request as opposed to originals, and some as large as 2 x 3 meters) but I will bring a couple of originals with me for the show, leaving one for their permanent collection from visiting artists.

I’ve got Friday the 12th free to enjoy the city with some of the other speakers and some guides from the Centro Cultural Colombo Americano. It should be a fun adventure. I will try and do some posting when I am there, but who knows what things like internet connections will be like? Certainly I will post a full account when I get back if I cannot do so when there.

In the meantime there will be the usual hub-bub and clap-trap on The MAD Blog, including a new “old” caricature demo video tomorrow and a “Sketch o’the Week” on Wednesday.