Before I left Seattle to attend SCAD for graduate school, I hung around some of the funniest, geekiest, and most talented people I've ever met. At that time, we were called the Friends of the Nib, but since then the group has been modified a bit and they now go by The Bureau of Drawers.
The idea is the same, they still get together weekly and joke and drink and draw. Recently they published a second volume of their comics, which is available for digital download here:
http://thebureauofdrawers.blogspot.com/2012/06/bureau-of-drawers-quarterly-volume-b.html
I haven't looked through the whole book yet, but I am excited and I know I will find amazing work inside.
Also recently, our meeting spot, Cafe Racer, was struck by tragedy when a shooter entered last Wednesday morning and shot five people, all of whom were good friends to the Racer family.
Many of my friends are still very upset by this unexpected event, and I am still stunned. Of all of the places I've lived and visited, I never expected violence of this kind would occur in the town that I miss and love so dearly. But what I could have predicted was the overwhelming flood of support and love towards the Racer and the victims' families that occurred immediately after the incident.
There are ongoing benefits, memorials, and events happening, and here is a link to some of them:
http://blog.kexp.org/2012/06/01/live-around-town-cafe-racer-benefit-shows/
The last time I visited Seattle was almost two years ago, and I was happy to catch up with the FOTN at the Racer during my visit. I plan to visit again this summer or fall, and I hope that the Racer has reopened (they are temporarily closed) so I can pay my respects and have a drink with old friends while we sketch.
