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Our fine friends with the finest of tastes at Family Bookstore on Fairfax host another incredibly entertaining evening of intellect and good humor as Spike Jonze joins Dave Eggers for some conversating, book launching and signing and a bit of hand shaking. They’ll also be accompanied by the lovely sounds of our lovely friend ASKA as she performs an acoustic set to start the night’s festivities.

From the Fam:

“Family Bookstore is pleased to host the launch of two new books by Mcsweeney’s:

It Is Right to Draw Their Fur is Dave Eggers’s first collection of drawings. Most of these works are of unusual mammals, most often accompanied by slogans with ancient, heroic, or just plain odd overtones. This full-color package will be a combination of 26 large-sized prints and an accompanying booklet.”

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With summer in full swing, our fine friends at Family on Fairfax bring you the Summer Drawing Show featuring Geoff McFetridge, Ben Jones, Meryl Smith, Richard McGuire, Denise Kupferschmidt and C.F.

Also…the special summer night opening party will feature tunes provided by DJ Juan Velasquez (Abe Vigoda) and Katie Byron (Dublab).

From the fam at Family:

“Summer Drawing Show presents a varied group of artists: each utilizing the drawn line in their own highly personal way, each with an aesthetic instantly recognizable as their own.

Ben Jones’ work is fundamentally about form and geometric shapes, but also cranky, bedridden wizard-kings, oven pizza, and the nuclear apocalypse. Meryl Smith’s immaculately rendered zoo animals bear expressions oozing with emotion and pathos, and are very funny looking. Geoff Mcfetridge’s hyper-sensitive line forms images of supreme comedic wit. Denise Kupferschmidt’s still lives and elegant abstracts are so striking, they could be religious icons from a lost culture. Richard McGuire lends a masterly, tension-filled emotion to each pen and brush stroke. C.F. has a clear, seemingly effortless rendering virtuosity without losing a naive joy; whether offering sexy, psychedelic, horrific, or pretty drawings with a distinctive touch.”

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You’ve seen his work in print form at some point, from comics to magazines to newspapers, now’s you’re chance to meet and find out what makes the man draw so damn well as the illustrious Drew Friedman stops by Family on Fairfax for an evening discussion with Ben Schwartz.

From the Fam:

“The “Vermeer of the Borscht Belt”, Drew Friedman, has been blowing our collective minds for years. Getting his start in Art Spiegelman’s Raw Magazine, he has been published in just about every magazine you can imagine, and done some of the most iconoclastic celebrity portraits this side of Hirschfeld. No artist alive brings as much craft, humor, personality and timelessness to portraiture like Drew Friedman.

Friedman is making a rare trip out to LA, and we are psyched to be having him over at Family where author and journalist Ben Schwartz will host a conversation with the artist, followed by a book signing.”

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Family on Fairfax brings the slightly-out-of-focus photography of Brazil’s Marcelo Gomes to their fine family establishment with his first Los Angeles show Exploding, Still. Additional music performance from Eddie Ruscha’s 70’s sounding Secret Circuit.

From the Family:

“Brazilian photographer Marcelo Gomes’ photos tend toward the blearily-focused and askew, his landscapes, nudes, and abstract forms awash with sunlight and saturated color. The work has the foggy nostalgia of a photographed memory, with flashes of blissed-out transcendence. Exploding, Still is Gomes first solo exhibition in Los Angeles.”

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Artist Jamie Hernandez, along with his brothers Gilbert and Mario, helped change the way we look at comic books back in 1981 with their iconic non-superhero punk-fueled indie comic Love and Rockets. Tomorrow Jamie reveals his most personal work with the release of the book The Art of Jamie Hernandez The Secrets of Life and Death. Book signing and discussion with Jamie Hernandez, fellow cartoonist Jordan Crane and author of the book Todd Hignite.

More from Family:

“To celebrate the release of the new art book, The Art of Jaime Hernandez-The Secrets of Life and Death, Family is pleased to be hosting a signing and conversation with the book’s principal creators, Jaime Hernanadez, Todd Hignite, and Jordan Crane.

The notoriously private artist has opened his archives for the first time for acclaimed Editor/Writer Todd Hignite, revealing never-before-seen sketches, childhood drawings, and unpublished work, alongside his most famous Love and Rockets material. Beautifully designed by the award winning cartoonist and designer, Jordan Crane, this new book is the definitive biographical and critical tome on the artist.”

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Curators of contemporary fine goods, books, art, music, film and just about anything else that was created creatively, Family packs up their shop and heads east with their New York pop up shop Thirty Days NY. With an assist from Absolut, Kramer and company open shop with King Kong: Art From Los Angeles featuring California’s finest including Geoff McFetridge, Ed and Deanna Templeton, Ashley Macomber, Cali Dewitt and Hamburger Eyes amongst many more. Also on hand for the inaugural evening will be our lovely friend ASKA with Brian Degraw (Gang Gang Dance) as they perform sets to a light show created by Gary Panter and Joshua White.

More from the Family:

“THIRTY DAYS NY is a celebration of the merger of arts and culture . Our challenge was building out, organizing, managing, and presenting a live gallery space open to the public for one month only in the heart of New York City. The completed Thirty Days Gallery, located at 70 Franklin Street, Tribeca, will feature weekly performances, symposiums, and showcases from contemporary artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers from all over the world.”

Check out photos of the NY setup here and a video of Gary Panter in action here.

For a detailed look at the planned activities and events click here or the image below.

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Family, the friendly provider of keenly curated books, zines, contemporary arts and unique hand made items, hosts an opening party for their latest famously elaborate window displays. Created by William Lemon III and titled Parceval, the display’s unveiling will also be accompanied by a live in-store musical performance by Pharaohs.

Also…for a closer look at Family on Fairfax, check out Lance Bangs and VBS.tv’s mini documentary on the unique Los Angeles bookstore below.

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Quite possibly the best show name of our young new year, Truth-A Soulless Bullshit Happening is what’s happening. The Tim Kerr curated party of art and music features Rich Jacobs, Mike Watt, Marsea Goldberg and No Age among others, it all happens at Family on Fairfax with an assist from Altamont.

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The good folk of Family on Fairfax host an event filled evening of double readings from the new books of Trinie Dalton (Sweet Tomb) and Aimee Bender (The Third Elevator) along with witchy projections by Jim Drain, Matt Greene and Matthew Ronay.

Proceeds to benefit the Theodore Payne Foundation and InsideOUT Writers.

Click here or the flyer below for more info.

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This post is dedicated to my first cousin, Gerard Inigo Callangan Jr., who passed away Monday morning in the Philippines in an untimely death for someone who had so much to offer and so much life left to live. As a “God fearing and God loving dude”, as a nurse, a professor and as the big brother who took it upon himself to look after his family in Manila, Gary took care of people constantly. When I would visit the Philippines I could always count on Gary to look after me, to make sure I would be alright venturing out on my own or to find a good place to eat and to have some fun when we’d all go out for a night on the town.

Always thinking of others, calmly even keeled and loved by many, Gary was one of the most caring people I have ever had the privilege of knowing, I will miss him dearly. May you now find the peace that you so richly deserved in life Kuya Gary.

Happier times with Gary (Dodgers shirt), Grandma and our family in the Philippines, 2005

And as a lover of music, especially 90’s R&B, this video goes out to you Gary. Rest in peace Kuya.

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