Though it was originally planned for release in March, for a lot of different reasons it seemed like a good idea to post-pone the official release of KFG5 until May. The most significant of those reasons being that KFG4 had just come out in late February and – due to the response it was still getting – I thought it was appropriate to give that issue a little more time to shine.
For as long as I can remember the number 5 has been my favorite number. I don't usually get caught up in any particular kind of symbolism, but I do have a sentimental appreciation for symbols and their meanings. Once the newest issue of KFG was finished, and I started lookin' at May for a release date, I then started looking for something in the way of meaning.
May 5th is Cinco de Mayo, the day upon which Mexico won its independence from European dominance. (KFG5 and 5/5 -- get it?!) Tucson is only about 60 miles north of the Mexican border and has a sizable population of folks with Mexican roots. As such, the 5th of May is widely celebrated here by Latinos and gringos alike. (Mas tacos pescado y mas tequila, si. Por favor!) So, I've chosen May 5th to be the official release day for Kung Fu Grip! No. 5.
I'll be in Phoenix on May 6th. My homeboy Darrell D is spinning at an after party that night which follows the Next Movement show at Scottsdale's 5 And 6 Gallery. (Wait, is that a five in that name?!) The actual show will feature collaborative works by Sol Exposure, the photographer for the rap group The Roots, and painter/graffiti artist Dumperfoo.
May 7th marks the 10th annual Free Comic Book Day. Since I'm gonna hangout in PHX for the weekend, I plan to drop off some zines on the freebie table at Atomic Comics. This store was one of my first haunts when I moved to Arizona. If you've seen the movie Kick Ass, the comic book shop in that flick was based on this popular Phoenix-metro chain.
Let's see...what else is going on this month?
Oh, Mother's Day is celebrated on May 8th. My mother – like most people's mothers – has always been a big supporter of her offspring's creations, so I'm lookin' forward to mailing copies of the new zine off with this year's cards.
My younger sister's birthday falls on the 18th of this month, so she'll be getting copies with her cards and gift about a week later. Also on May 18th, my fourth cover production for DJ Mane One's long-running 30 Minute Mix blog hits the web. (And keep your eyes peeled for another Mane One mix related post here later this week!)
On the 3rd of June, the Anno Domini gallery of San Jose opens its newest Art of Zines exhibit. Submissions for the show are due on May 21st. Copies of KFG 1-3 were shown in last year's exhibit, so I'm glad to have issues 4 and 5 to send off for this year's show.
As you can clearly see, May seems like a great time for KFG5. It's a month filled with lots of meaning for me, for people I know and even strangers with whom I share overlapping cultures and interests. It also seems like a good survey point to look at what I've done so far, while plotting out some goals for the second half of the year.
Seldom have I ever been one to pass on the chance to make a bad pun, so before closing this post I'm gonna say that the 5th issue of Kung Fu Grip! may very well be the best zine that I've ever produced. After you've gotten your hands on a copy, you may end up feeling the same. (Sorry.)
Now, I'm gonna end this with a hot lil' ditty from M.I.A's last album. I was thinking of goin' with "Tekila" (in honor of Cinco de Mayo), but XXXO is a much better track, especially the remix version with Jay-Z. By the way, should I also mention that the name of the album these songs are on is... MAYA?
[Nods head]
Yup. I could do this all day.
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