A look at comics.

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Everyone is familiar with the concept of music jams. A number of people who love playing music gather collectively to create and mix sound, improvising on the spot or beating out old classics. Most of us have experienced this in one form or another in, either grandma's kitchen or at a local bar, but what's a comic jam? Paper and pen at first glance don't seem to have the same potential as guitars, drums and flutes, or, do they?

For some artists the creative process is fueled by these simple instruments and the chance to share ideas. Collaborating together, artists use paper, a few inked lines and a handful of words to produce a piece that satisfies the soul as much, or perhaps more, than a heavy bass rhythm or the clonk of a cowbell.

The process of a free style comic jam is simplicity itself: Start with a blank piece of paper, a few writing tools and a handful of people willing to tap into their spontaneous creative powers. One person starts a single panel and passes it around to the next, each person sketching out a panel or writing a bubble of text or two. Ideally the artists respect what's already on the paper and build on what has been presented, adding their own ideas to complement the work in progress with the end result often being a humourous story told through words and pictures.

Locally, Moncton has its own monthly Monkeytown Comix Jam, held at the Laundromat café/bar on St. George and Cameron.

Tim Moerman, artist and co-ordinator for the monthly event had this to say about comic jams, "It is an awesome creative process. Drawing comics for many artists is an isolated affair. These jams offer us a chance to get out and about and to meet like-minded folks. Moncton really only had one jam going on and that was a yearly event held during the Frye festival. I asked myself, why?"

Moerman argued that in a city with artists like Dano Leblanc, Eric Dyck and Jesse Jacobs, a comic jam should be happening more than once a year.

The biggest obstacle for Moerman was finding a reliable venue. Luckily for Moncton's sequential artists, The Laundromat opened. In its relaxed setting, with comfortable chairs and wide tables, Moerman found the perfect location to gather around to sketch and write.

With the venue problem solved, Tim says the rest of it just fell into place, "The Monkeytown Comix Jams have been running strong for a year now."

Tim further goes on to assure people that the jams aren't just for visual artists, all writers are welcome. Pre-drawn strip templates are available featuring characters like Severed Ed the Talking head and Hideous Larry.

"These have been a big hit in past jams and people have done some really clever stuff with them. You don't have to be a professional illustrator or anything, the idea is to hang out, create and have fun," says Moerman.

The Monkeytown Comix Jams are held the last Monday of every month, at 7 p.m. at the Laundromat Café and Bar at the corner of St. George and Cameron. Kids are welcome between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. if accompanied by their legal guardian. To view creations from past jams, please visit http://monkeytowncomixjam.blogspot.com