BeatRoute Magazine [AB] print e-edition - [March 2018]

VISIONS OF COMICS
Artistic interpretations of comic themes
30 | MARCH 2018 • BEATROUTE
BY CAROLINE REYNOLDS
Honouring late art critic with comically inclined interpretations.
Stationed on cozy reading couches in the to the long lasting nature of comics.”
sunny Happy Harbor Comics, BeatRoute sat Using modernization as an example he clarifies,
down with storeowner Jay Bardyla and general
“it goes from Peter Parker looking in little
manager Corinne Simpson to chat about their tiny microscopes, to Peter Parker using high
upcoming Visions of Comics art show kicking tech computers to analyze things in a lab.”
off March 2. The art show is in its seventh rendition
Just one archetype shift to keep up with new
since the launch in 2009 and is in memorial audiences.
to Gilbert Bouchard, a friend and inspirational As Bardyla and Simpson reminisce about
CBC arts critic. After many contributions to installations from previous shows (which can be
Edmonton’s art community, he passed away in viewed on the shop’s web page) it seems obvious
2008. Along with the art installations, the opening
that challenging comic based artists to step
night will feature guest speaker Emily Chu, outside the walls of graphic novel illustration
an instructor at Edmonton Digital Arts College. can lead to engaging concepts.
Tactful yet welcoming, Bardyla dove right into “There are people who do the very straight
his passion and inspiration for putting on the forward conventional approach, but then there
show.
are people that like to look for other ways that
“The point of it is not to just do a standard tool can be utilized,” Bardyla says. “We see a
art show but to challenge artists who love comics
range in mediums; some might do sculptures or
to think about the various aspect of comics,” interactive pieces or even immersive pieces as
he explains. “We want them to interpret things we are going to do this year.”
in different ways and then translate that into an Immersive referring to the live, made on the
art piece.”
spot piece Simpson will be part of at the opening
Each year the show is themed around
night event. The piece will be “the live birth
comic book tropes. This year’s theme transpired of a hero.” As Simpson moonlights as a makeup
through integrating the motif from their 2016 artist, she’ll be doing a full body paint on a live
edition, dubbed In Conclusion. The organizers model. It’s family friendly, of course.
agreed it was a natural to follow it up with a “It will be like watching a live action origin
good origin story and have focused the 2018 story unfold before you,” Simpson explains,
rendition on the topic.
beaming.
“This years theme revolves around origin Visions of Comics takes place at Happy
stories, which is a very strong conventional tool Harbor on March 2 at 7 p.m. (Edmonton). The
in comics,” says Bardyla. “Not only do comics event installation runs until March 15 and is free
constantly use an origin story, it is constantly to attend. Donations will be accepted to benefit
being updated and shifted, which is a testament the Bruce Peel Special Collections Library.
GRIZZLY TRAIL
blinded by friendship; punks carry on
Apparently farts are still funny. That may
be the main take-away from an interview
with northern Alberta based punks Grizzly
Trail. It’s been at least two and half years since
we last spoke with the four piece that have
experienced literal trial by fire in the years
following the release of their debut EP Dead
Standing Sessions.
Their hometown of Fort McMurray went
up in flames in May 2016, scorching nearly
6000 square kilometers of land and displacing
over 80,000 in the costliest disaster in
Canadian history. Drummer Stephen Payne’s
apartment then caught on fire in Edmonton.
Eventually, they had to find a new guitar
player and it took a few tries to put their new
album Chesterfield together. Despite the
obvious tribulations, going on tour last year
was the straw that nearly broke the proverbial
camel’s back.
“We were almost done as a band,” says
guitarist Dave Millar, with a hint of exasperation
in his voice.
“The stress of tour, guitar player problems,
this label we were supposedly part of… Everything
came to a head. We called an emergency
meeting and talked stuff out that hadn’t
been talked about. Payne quit the band a few
times that day, but we all calmed down and
he stayed.”
The emergency band meeting seems to
have worked. Tour went forward as planned
and they even managed to weird out their
touring bands by cracking jokes about
farts. While line-up changes are not entirely
exciting to discuss within any band ever,
Grizzly Trail ditched what may have been a
potentially toxic member for someone who
most of them have loved for years, guitarist
Andy Alfred. Alfred formerly played in A
New Rhetoric as well as hardcore bands with
New album brings punk dudes closer together.
BY BRITTANY RUDYCK
bassist Robbie Egan.
“He was actually going to sell merch for us
on that tour,” Millar says, laughing.
“My favourite part of Andy being in the
band is that he told us he would be in our
band a long time ago. Years ago when we first
started he came up and told us, ‘I’m gunna
be in your band.’ We just laughed at him. But
look at him now. He’s even wearing a Grizzly
Trail t-shirt.”
Laughter goes hand-in-hand with Grizzly
Trail, which is why it was a tad surprising
to hear a subdued maturity on the new
tracks. They didn’t go full Blink-182 on their
self-titled album serious, but the sentiment
is there. Songs like “Marble Mouth,” a tribute
to fallen friend Joey-D, is justifiably somber
and gloomy, but for the remainder of the
tracks, Grizzly Trail does not lose their fast
paced pop-punk sound. It’s likely due to the
situation surrounding the recording: the
pre-production was conducted in Alfred’s
sweaty apartment last summer mainly without
shirts because (and we’ll paraphrase) it’s
hot in August and drinking inspires people to
get naked.
“We did all the real production sober,” says
Egan with a laugh.
“The new album has more of a hardcore
feel I would say,” says Millar.
“It’s really all over the map.”
As Millar finished his thought he noticed a
renegade eyelash on Alfred’s face and gently
brushed it away.
The world needs more punk bands that
care about each other.
Join Grizzly Trail for their album release party
at the Starlite Room on March 24 [Edmonton].
They will perform alongside Belvedere, Downway
and the Nielsens.
photo: Kali Jahelka
ROCKPILE