COOL DRAWING, DUDE: COMIX AND SKETCHES FROM THE STREETS OF OTTAWA [by Colin White]

Combining portraits of Ottawa neighbourhoods with comics of encounters with people passing by while he was drawing, Colin White has created a unique document of the nation's capital.  In fact, since its publication in 2006/7, it has already become an archive of how Ottawa used to look like.  For example, he has an image of Bank Street and Laurier before the massive condo was built on that corner.  It is weird to note how quickly the city can change. 

When I worked at Octopus Books, I hand-sold Colin's zine like mad.  Any tourist who came through the doors was guaranteed to leave with his or her copy of Colin's zine by the time he or she left.  The zine shows a more intimate and gentle side of Ottawa than the typical tourist merchandise of the city, and I always felt happy knowing that Colin's portraits of my hometown were being sent out into the world for strangers to show their friends and family.

To admire more of Colin's work or to order your own copies of Cool Drawing, Dude, go to his website.  Alternately, you can visit the Ravenswing Craft and Zine DIY Fair this coming Sunday at Minto Park between 11am and 4pm.  He will be there with his zines and I am confident that he would be happy to sell you signed copies.