Seattle Animator Drew Christie Opens Studio and Shop on Whidbey Island
Lucky Langley gets a DIY animation mercantile
By Talia Gottlieb March 3, 2014
This article originally appeared in the March 2014 issue of Seattle magazine.
!–paging_filter–pGiven Seattle’s current love affair with all things artisanal and old-fashioned, the arrival of the Kalakala Co. Animation and Mercantile should perhaps come as no surprise—but it’s a nice one. The brainchild of local animator Drew Christie (best known for his painstakingly drawn old-timey cartoons, featured regularly on a href=”http://www.nytimes.com” target=”_blank”NYTimes.com/a) and his longtime romantic and creative partner Amanda Moore, the shop/animation studio serves as a fount of inspiration for wannabe animators and fans of all things drawn by hand. Located in quaint Langley on Whidbey Island and named after the iconic ferry, Kalakala Co. offers animation workshops ($300; scholarships available) and endearing animation kits, crafted by Christie and Moore, which include a story sketchbook, a cutout puppet and a pen (BYO camera; $35)./p
piframe src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/Qdcf-pE2-SY?rel=1autoplay=0wmode=opaque” width=”400″ height=”250″ class=”video-filter video-youtube vf-qdcfpe2sy” frameborder=”0″/iframe/p
p“We want to show people that animation is an amazing way to express yourself and your ideas through moving artwork,” Christie says. Or as Moore puts it, “We want Kalakala Co. to be the Johnny Appleseed of animation.” The shop also sells the couple’s colorful, limited-edition, screen-printed tea towels, totes and baby onesies. Catch free in-store screenings of Christie’s films during Langley’s first-Saturday art walks, and mark your calendar for April 13, when a compilation of his work will be screened ($5 to $7) at neighboring Clyde Theatre. Then set pen to paper and bring your own stories to life. Open daily 11 a.m.–5 p.m. 221 Second St., No. 8; 360.221.0161; Facebook, “a href=”https://www.facebook.com/KalakalaCOShop” target=”_blank”Kalakala Co Mercantile/a”nbsp;/p
Follow Us
Studio Sessions: Jo Cosme
The Seattle-based multimedia artist and 2026 Neddy Award winner challenges the postcard version of Puerto Rico and centers the persistence of its people.
Jo Cosme knows how seductive a postcard can be. The Seattle-based Boricua (Puerto Rican) multimedia artist works across photography, installation, video, sound, and interactive elements to examine and pull apart how Puerto Rico is seen, sold, and misunderstood from the outside. Trained in photojournalism, with a BFA in photography from Puerto Rico School of Fine…
Seattle’s Drag Brunch Has History
The city’s Sunday shows started long before the mimosas got bottomless.
There was a time not too long ago, when drag performances—now a mainstay of Seattle’s queer scene—were kept under wraps. And when brunches, complete with singing and dancing queens dressed in dazzling drag as you sipped mimosas, weren’t a Sunday staple. During the 1940s and ‘50s, an era largely shaped by restrictive laws and bias…
Studio Sessions: Sangram Majumdar
Working at the confluence of history, culture, and various painting traditions, UW associate professor Sangram Majumdar is one of this year’s Neddy Artist Award winners.
Discover the art of UW professor Sangram Majumdar, a 2026 Neddy Artist Award winner. Learn about his inspiration and upcoming Seattle exhibition at Cornish.
Rearview Mirror: A Georgian Dinner, Sidewalk Sips, and One-of-a-Kind Clothing
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
A new life for old clothes To celebrate one year in its current studio, the FXRY—a clothing repair service available via in-person appointments, home pickup, or mail-in drop off—is dropping its first collection. A small batch of reworked pieces, Second Mark will feature 13 vintage barn jackets, cropped, chain-stitched, and renewed into a completely unique, one-of-one…