STUFF TO DO and Toe & So Long

Good gosh dang, there’s a metric ton of things you can do in and around Charleston and the Mountain State (and beyond) this weekend! In this week’s edition of STUFF TO DO, we’re going to start off with a very cool comic book that you can Kickstart before we jump into the multitude of cool activities on tap.

Toe & So Long, our Kickstarter recommendation

With a name like “Toe & So Long,” I’d better start off with the creator’s blurb:

“Toe and So Long” is an oddball/nonhuman sci-ish-fantasy buddy comic series that refuses to scream at you (or not be weird) about indecision, trauma, & addiction. Toe is a big gray guy, and So Long is a cat. I think I’ve cleared things up here for everyone. Oh, you want more? Ok, well, this whole thing got started by Jacob Michael Campbell, who wrote, designed, and is coloring (and will do the lettering) for this comic project. He’s been a professional graphic designer since age 16, as well as a general creative guy. Think music, illustration, and general ideasmithing. Well, Jake’s also got tremors! So he went out to find Alexis Vivasllo, the best comic book artist to translate chicken scratch into pure gold. We hope you’ll support this project and join us for a long time on the Plain of Doors with Toe & So Long!

The Kickstarter page goes on to describe the story…

Toe, a hulking gray humanoid, and So Long, a fluffy black kitty, wander (endlessly) a Plain of Doors that lead to an infinite amount of scenarios for them to experience. It’s a routine that’s left this dynamic duo in an accepting haze. They share many memories from their adventures, but there’s a missing piece to every journey that they’ve always just…ignored. Soon, the pair will find a purpose for their searching impulses, starting a new journey along a path they thought they’d already traveled a dozen times before.

Issue #1 of Toe & So Long is a 34-page romp exploring the routine that the two find themselves in. Magnificent displays of interdimensional power and world-wielding entities abound, but a wash of malaise begs more questions with every otherworldly exhibition. Every answer introduces a new query.

To be honest, they had me at “Plain of Doors.” I love that kind of bizarre existential fantasy. Chances are, if you’re a fan of Adventure Time, The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine, Rick and Morty, Doctor Who, The Forbidden Zone or Grumpy Cat you’ll probably find something to love about Toe & So Long. The book is way past being fully-funded with over a week left to go, and you can get in on the action HERE.

There are a variety of reward options, starting at a mere five bucks for a digital edition, and if you go with a physical copy, stretch goals have already been met that include magnets and stickers. If you want more, you can get additional copies of the comic and sticker plus a bookmark as add-ons.

Check out the video…

And now, onto STUFF TO DO…

A special note: ArtWalk happens again in Charleston Thursday from 5 PM to 8 PM. This free event is open to the public as art lovers can walk to all the usual suspects and take in the majesty of the art. Some galleries will have music and/or munchies as well. It’s a really cheap way to support the local scene and get out and mingle a bit…if you are so inclined.

Also, Saturday is Record Store Day, and we have graphics for some of the participating stores below.

Live Music is back at Taylor Books. There is no cover charge, and shows start at 7:30 PM. Friday it’s Sean Richardson & Sea Scout. Saturday Neil Curry entertains the crowd at Charleston’s beloved Bookstore/Coffee Shop/Art Gallery.

The Empty Glass has some great stuff through the week to tell you about. Thursday from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM, Swingstein and Robin play fiddle and piano and sing swing and early jazz standards. Each week they donate their tips to a local nonprofit. Later on Thursday, Kenny Booth hosts “Shred Night” so metallically-inclined peoples can come out and jam and not worry about upsetting the folk singers. Next week they’ll have an open mic Monday night, and Songwriter Showcase on Tuesday. Other shows that have graphics are listed among the images below.

Please remember that the pandemic is not over yet. It’s still a going concern. And now there are seasonal allergies, the flu and other ferocious bugs in the mix. Many people who have very good reasons are still wearing masks, and many of us, understandably, are still nervous about being in crowds, masked or not. Be kind and understanding while you’re out.

If you’re up for going out, here are a few suggestions of art, food, theatre, music and just fun in general for the rest of this week, roughly in order.

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