Macon Man Arrives in....Macon

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Fri Aug 27

This day in history: (1953) Roman Holiday opens, featuring Hepburn’s first starring role.

“The Hundred Dresses” at Georgia Children’s Museum. Friday & Saturday, 7 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, 2 p.m. Tickets $5 - $8, includes Museum admission. 478.755.9539. GeorgiaChildrensMuseum.com. 370 Cherry St.

College Hill’s Big Screen Movie Nights at Tattnall Park. Showing The Neverending Story. Co-presented by Macon Film Festival. Outdoor movie screenings. 8 p.m. Free. 478.301.2008. CollegeHillMacon.com.

Macon Architecture: a Story of Structures opens at the Museum of Arts & Sciences. New exhibit featuring Macon’s architectural gems. Hands-on components teach science, technology & artistry. Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, 1 – 5 p.m. $4 - $8. Free for students & Bibb Co. residents the last Friday of each month, 5 – 8 p.m. 478.477.3232. MASMacon.com. 4182 Forsyth Rd.

Sat Aug 28
This day in history: (1917) President Woodrow Wilson is picketed by woman suffragists who demand that he support an amendment to the Constitution that would guarantee women the right to vote.

City Market on Poplar Street Green Weekly market offers seasonal fresh and organic produce, skillfully created arts and crafts, free-style arts, baked goods, plants and herbs, handmade soaps, jewelry and more. 9am - 1pm.

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit in Concert Friends of Mike Weaver Foundation, Inc. present Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and Tron Jackson – Live In Concert. Doors Open at 8:15 p.m., Concert at 9:00 p.m. Admission: $20.

Fall for the Arts Festival at the Grand Opera House. Family friendly arts fair with live performances & info about arts seasons and classes of multiple arts & cultural orgs. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Free. 478.743.6940. MaconArts.org. 651 Mulberry St.

Wed Sept 1
This day in history: (1864) Union Army General William Tecumseh Sherman lays siege to Atlanta, Georgia.

Dinner & a Classic Movie at Cox Capitol Theatre. “I Want to Live" (1958) 6:30 pm. Call or check website for menus & films. $5 or $17.50 with dinner. 478.257.6381 CoxCapitolTheatre.com.

Thur Sept 2
This day in history: (1969) America's first ATM makes its public debut in New York.

Robert McDuffie Festival for Strings at Mercer University. Sept. 2, Distinguished Artists Concert. 6 p.m. Free. Fickling Hall, McCorkle Music Bldg. 478.301.5751. 1400 Coleman Ave.

Fri Sept 3
This day in history: (1990) President George Bush meets with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The theme of the meeting was cooperation between the two superpowers in dealing with the Iraqi crisis.

“Honky Tonk Angels” at Macon Little Theatre. “Dreamgirls” meets the “Dixie Chicks”…Country music revue. Join us on a hilarious, rollicking and touching journey that celebrates the voices of women in country music. Experience Stand by Your Man, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Delta Dawn, 9 to 5, Harper Valley PTA, I Will Always Love You and many other great songs through the voices of the three country gals who meet on a bus on their way to NashvilleWednesday – Saturday, 8 p.m. Sunday matinees, 2:30 p.m. $10 - $18. September 3 – 12. 478.471.PLAY. MaconLittleTheatre.org. 4220 Forsyth Rd.

The Electric Social at the SoChi Gallery. The best in electronic music featuring: Dark Shadow, Element, and Old Flame. 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. $5 - $7. 478.238.6630. TheSoChiGallery.com. 534 Second St.

First Friday Alzheimer’s Benefit & art exhibit at Joycine’s. Ceramics by Rheetah! Flanagan, paintings by Martha Adams Thompson. 5:30 – 9 p.m. Free. 478.743.3144. 333 Cotton Ave.

Sat Sept 4
This day in history: (2002) Kelly Clarkson, a 20-year-old cocktail waitress from Texas, wins Season One of American Idol.

Battle of the Baddest Bands
Insurrection Sound, in conjunction with Storey Communications presents the second annual Battle of the Baddest Bands at 7:00 PM, September 4th, at the Cox Capitol Theatre.
This event is the grand finale of a five-week competition where the preliminary rounds were held at Wild Wing Cafe. Four of Middle Georgia's best up and coming bands will battle it out for prizes from exclusive music retail sponsor Music Masters in Byron, GA, recording time at Insurrection Sound, a live DVD of the event from Storey Communications and other prizes. Show starts at 7p.m. and tickets are $10.

Urban Hike Series: Walk and Learn in the Corridor 7pm Trees of the Corridor: Learn how to identify common trees found in the corridor with plant ecologist Dr. Heather Bowman Cutway of Mercer University. Meet at the corner of Coleman Ave. and College St.

Mon Sept 6
This day in history: (2002) Kelly Clarkson, a 20-year-old cocktail waitress from Texas.

Vineville Neighborhood Association Wine & Music Festival
Featuring five local bands and wine tastings by Michael’s on Mulberry. 3-9p.m. at the Big House, 2321 Vineville Ave. Ticket prices are $20 for adults, $10 for students, $5 for kids under 6.

Wed Sept 8
This day in history: (1986) Oprah goes national.

Dinner & a Classic Movie at Cox Capitol Theatre. “The Bridges at Toko-Ri" (1954) 6:30 pm. Call or check website for menus & films. $5 or $17.50 with dinner. 478.257.6381 382 Second St.

Thur Sept 9
This day in history: (1939) Audiences are treated to surprise preview of Gone with the Wind at Fox Theatre in California. Gone with the Wind debuted in Atlanta on December 15, 1939, and became an instant hit, breaking all box office records.

Lord T & Eloise in concert at the Cox Capitol Theatre This duo are know as Crunk artists and performers based out of Memphis, TN. The two self-proclaimed ‘intergalactic time travelers’ and ‘forebearers of the Rapocalypse” have spent the last three years touring the United States, sharing the stage with some of the industry’s most important modern performers, and bombarding the American media with their own sense of style, bravado and showmanship.
“No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t hate it…as good, if not better than most of the rap I hear these days…polished, unique, and catchy as hell...funny, relevant, and original.”
- THE SAN FRANSISCO BAY GUARDIAN
Show presented by Adam Smith Productions. Concert starts at 9pm. Tickets are $9 in advance, $11 at the door.

Steve Penley exhibit at Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Preview Party – Sept. 9. Ribbon cutting, meet Penley, hors d’oeuvres & drinks. $10 Members, $25 general admission. Macon native artist’s portraits of Macon-related artists. Opens to public Sept. 10. Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, 1 – 4 p.m. $3 - $8. 478.751.3334. GeorgiaMusic.org. 200 M.L. King, Jr. Blvd.

Arts
New Macon Co-Ed Book Club:
Looking for a hobby? Love to read? Want to make new friends? Possess intellectual conversation? The new macon co-ed book club is just what you are looking for. For more information please call 912-227-4212.

Macon Arts Gallery September 3 – 25 – “Postcards to Macon” at Macon Arts Alliance. Photographs by Maryann Bates, ceramics by Michael DeBerry. First Friday opening, Sept. 3, 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday – Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free. 478.743.6940. MaconArts.org. 486 First St.

“Harriet Tubman: A Moses to Her People” at the Tubman African American Museum. Weekdays, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, Noon – 4 p.m. $4 - $6. 478.743.8544. TubmanMuseum.com. 340 Walnut St.

Steve Penley exhibit at Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Macon native artist’s portraits of Macon-related artists. September 9 – July 11 Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, 1 – 4 p.m. $3 - $8. 478.751.3334. 200 M.L. King, Jr. Blvd.

Joycine's Art, Attitude & Accessory Gallery Costume jewelry, art and so much more!
333 Cotton Ave. For schedule and information contact Barbara at 478-743-3144.

Through Aug. 13 – “By Land, Sea or Air” at Middle Georgia Art Association. Tuesday – Friday, Noon – 5 p.m. Saturday, Noon – 3 p.m. Free. 478.744.9557. MiddleGeorgiaArt.org. 2330 Ingleside Ave.

“Images of Monroe” and “Fascinating Food” at Monroe Arts Alliance Gallery September 8 – 24. Wednesday – Friday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Free admission. 478.994.8668. MonroeArts.blogspot.com. 54 N. Jackson St., Forsyth.

family
“Sky Over Macon”, Fridays at 8p.m. Mark Smith Planetarium 4182 Forsyth Rd. Weekly, live star talk explore the constellations and far away celestial objectsvisible from Middle Georgia. Admission by donation. 477-3232.

Live music for kids every First Saturday at
Georgia Music Hall of Fame Every first Saturday from noon until 2 p.m., Included with museum admission, $3.50 ages 4-17. Featuring Pilar Wilder and Hayiya Dance Theatre.

Through October 10 – The World of Giant Insects at the Museum of Arts & Sciences. “Buggy Saturdays.” Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, 1 – 5 p.m. $4 - $8. 478.477.3232. 4182 Forsyth Rd.

ongoing - movies

Macon Film Guild: Every second Sunday of the month. Show times are 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Douglass Theatre, 355 M.L.K., Jr. Blvd. For more information visit www.douglasstheatre.org.

Sunday Supper at the Cox Capitol Theatre Doors open at 5pm, movie begins at 6. $12.50 admission includes dinner. $6 child’s plate available.

Dinner and a Classic at the Cox Capitol Theatre: Doors open at 5:30 p.m, movie at 6:30p.m. $17.50 includes dinner. Reservations are GREATLY appreciated by calling (478)257-6391, ext. 6.

museum - gallery hours

The Musuem of Arts & Sciences
Monday - Saturday, 10 - 5 p.m., Sunday, 1 - 5 p.m. Last Friday of Each Month, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Admission - Adults $8, Students 12-17 $5, Children 2-11 $4, Museum Members Free

Georgia Music Hall of Fame 9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 1pm-5pm Sun. 1-888-GA-ROCKS. $8/$3.50.

Georgia Sports Hall of Fame 9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 1pm-5pm Sun. Admission $8, children 4-16 $3.50.

The Hay House, 934 Georgia Ave. Open Tuesdays-Saturdays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Tours are on the hour with the last tour at 3 p.m. $8 adults, $4 students. Children under 6 free.

Tubman African American Museum
Monday-Saturday 9a.m.-5p.m. Admission $5
for adults $3 for Children 4-17. 340 Walnut Street.

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Macon Man Arrives in....Macon

Written by Eric Brown

Thursday, June 03 2010 19:28

If You'd Like to see the actual Pages of Macon Man, click Here

Fans of superhero comics should take notice. Debuting in this issue of the 11th Hour is the first installment of the Macon-centric superhero tale Macon Man. Created by writer/artist Craig Hamilton and producer Terrell Sandefur, the series plans to explore the lives and adventures of several teenage heroes, the strip’s eponymous hero, and the city of Macon itself throughout its run with the 11th Hour.

The first thing anyone will notice when looking at the comic is the sheer level of craft and detail present in the art. The series’ first installment opens up with an aerial shot of Cherry Street right above the Cox Capital Theatre. The gorgeously rendered panel takes in every detail of Macon’s downtown, reproducing it in a crisp, clean and stunning portrait of the city. Of course, this opening shot isn’t just for effect; it’s symbolic of Macon Man’s entire focus as a series.

“My favorite thing about working on the comic is that it’s a vehicle to promote the city of Macon in a new and exciting way. The comic starts off as a downtown entity, but as the comic goes on, it grows through the whole city. This is something that’s never been done before, to engage the whole city in a comic,” said Sandefur, who is also the owner of Macon’s SoChi Companies.

Unlike most comic books, with Macon Man, the hero’s city isn’t just a backdrop for the action. In this book, Macon itself is a character, and the comic seeks to explore the town’s unique strengths. Hamilton plans for the comic to explore not only Macon’s present, but also its history, as it ties the characters into historical Macon happenings.
The book begins its investigation of Macon by following the lives of four third-generation Macon teens, the rebellious Ryan, bookish Sherry, and twins Jim and Jana, Macon Man dives into their lives and talents after they receive superpowers based on their personalities.

Just as Hamilton’s art vividly captures the heart of downtown Macon in a realistic yet stylized manner, the characters are drawn in a similar fashion as well. The character designs for the strip are reminiscent of Archie comics, cleanly drawn and expressive of each character’s personality.

Indeed, Hamilton describes his art style on this project as a synthesis of Archie’s distinctive style and Will Eisner’s work on the influential adventure comic The Spirit. Not coincidentally, The Spirit is another comic that famously focuses on the hero’s city. The difference is that where Eisner’s Central City was fictional, Macon Man is concretely tied to the real world. To explore this real-world playground, Hamilton crafted the teenage characters to reflect Macon’s heritage and future. Because the four are third generation Macon residents, the comic has decades of family history to explore, with the intent of fluidly tying the fictional characters into the real world.

At first, the friends don’t realize that they’ve developed these powers; their superpowers are that closely ingrained into their natural talents and skills. Soon though, guided by the mysterious hero Macon Man, the four begin to explore their powers. For instance, Ryan Reese starts out the comic as a rebellious guitarist, fronting the punk rock band Nu-Waves. As he gradually uncovers his powers, he dons a colorful costume, becoming Rockin Rolla, the city’s protector of arts and music. Similarly, the quiet Sherry Shines eventually evolves into Cherry Blossom, who represents the city’s entertainment industry. Every character’s power grows out of their established character traits.

Macon Man focuses on the teens’ superpowers acting as expressions of their natural talent and personality, symbolic of Hamilton’s creed that “If you’re not using your talents for the good of the community, you’re wasting them.”

Though the teens are revealed right off the bat as they discover their powers, Macon Man’s origin will come in its own time. The first storyline will explore the mystery of Macon Man’s identity. And of course, no superhero is any good without a memorable villain. Not much has been revealed about the mysterious D-K, but readers can expect to see hints to his motives and methods dropped across the first five episodes. Hamilton plans to include several mysteries of this nature throughout the series, always dropping clues that will turn out to be relevant in later storylines.

The series takes place in over various storylines, each one serialized in individual episodes, with one episode per each issue of the 11th Hour. A typical story will be told throughout five episodes. Ultimately, creators Sandefur and Hamilton hope to keep the series continuing indefinitely while expanding into other markets as well. The two plan to publish the comic in a standalone book format and see it published in several other publications, including distribution through other media.

“Part of the plan is after so many episodes printed in the 11th Hour, we’ll have it printed into an actual book. I’ve already been talking to the AJC about it being in their paper. We want this thing syndicated. We’d like to get into the gaming industry, because that’s very now, very youth oriented. I’ve been talking to people in San Francisco about it being turned into a video game. I see it as more than just a superficial comic book, but as something that will represent the city of Macon to people across the world,” said Sandefur.

Writer and artist Craig Hamilton has over 25 years of experience illustrating comic books, most notably with DC comics, where he worked on a character defining Aquaman miniseries. From there, he moved on to working with numerous other series, including Green Lantern and the critically-acclaimed Fables. Though he’s satisfied with the work he put in at the nation’s second largest comics publisher, he hopes Macon Man will be an even better fit for his talents.

“I don’t own any of my work from DC. Macon Man is different. I own the characters, and I have a great team working with me,” Hamilton said.

Because the series draws so heavily on Macon’s cultural history and place in the world, many readers may be wondering if characters in the strip are based on real-life Macon residents. While Hamilton took inspiration from numerous people and places throughout Macon, none of his characters are based on a single Macon citizen, though small details can often come from people he knows in real life.

“The characters just exploded into my head over the past six weeks. I’d just think to my life or a friend’s life, asking questions about how those experiences would fit into a comic, and I find the most Macon-centric answer possible,” said Hamilton.

Ultimately, Macon Man aims to represent the city of Macon to the world at large. Its creators have a rich cultural history to draw on, and the two hope to illuminate Macon’s talents, its people, and its hidden treasures with the comic.

“I hear a lot of people call Macon boring, and I think to myself ‘Are we even living in the same city?’ There’s beauty everywhere and I want people to appreciate it. I’ve always said that if you saw Macon through my eyes you’d love it. This is my way of trying to do that,” said Hamilton.

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written by Josh, June 06, 2010

Excellent... I can't wait to see more of this strip! Also, Eric Brown has a captivating writing style.

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Venue	WED	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Bottoms Up	2-4-1 Wells	College Night, DJ Slim	7/16: Villanova 7/23: Pistoltown	DJ Shawty Slim
20's Pub	Karaoke, 8p	Karaoke, 8p	7/16: Project 77 7/23: Sugar Creek	Karaoke, Happy Hour til 7pm
Loco's Bar & Grill	Trivia night, big payouts!	7/15: Exit 172 7/22: tba	Happy Hour $2.50 wells	Happy Hour $2.50 wells
The Rookery	Trivia, 8pm	Dueling pianos, only place in town!	Happy Hour 3-7, 241 wells	Happy Hour 3-7, 241 wells
BJ's	Karaoke with Mitch, 9pm	Happy Hour 2-7pm, $2 wells & domestics	Happy Hour 2-7pm, $2 wells & domestics	$1 shots during happy hour!
CJ's	2-4-1 wells and $2 Domestics until 8pm	Cornhole, 241 wells & jagerbombs	DJs Brad & Julie	7/17: B Keith Williams
Friends		Nightly Poker	Karaoke 7:30	Bud Bingo
Billy's Clubhouse	Happy hour everyday 11-7	Poker, 7pm	7/16: Dale Walker 7/23: Caleb Grimes 7/30: Matt & Lewis	7/17: Chapter 13 7/24: Randy Wesson & Co 7/31: Loose Skrews
Macon Mellow	Ladies Night: $1.50 house wine, $4.50 jagerbombs	College Night: 10% off with ID, $2.25 PBR tall boys, $3 wells, $3 ritas	7/16: Jeremy Johnson 7/23: K-Mo	7/17: Matt Moncrief 7/24: Caleb Grimes
The Bird	Ladies Night free wells for the gals after 8pm, Team Trivia	7/22: Drag Queen Bingo, $10 admission, free drinks for gals	7/16: Josh Roberts & the Hinges 7/23: Capt Midnight Band	7/17: Big Mike & Booty Papas 7/24: Tokyo Spa
Wild Wing Cafe	Gone country with Matt Pippen	Thirsty Thursdays, live local music	7/16: Soulshine 7/23: Gary Ray & the Heartwells	7/17: John Stanley Band 7/24: Radio Cult
Rivalry's		Skirts $2 drinks	7/16: Avery Dylan 7/23: Brian Smith	7/17: Exit 172 7/24: The Sit-Downs
Shamrock		Trivia 9p	7/16: Josh Carson 7/23: Stribling	7/17: Planet Retro 7/24: 2nd Wind
Asylum	543 Plum Street	DJ Dance Party	7/23: Uncrowned with Greedy White Citizens	DJ Extreme Doors open at 10:12