Art Hounds: Comic book art and bluegrass music

Listen as the hounds wax poetically on a local comic book convention in a box, a Pakistani "Sex in the City" at the Fringe, and the premier Minnesota bluegrass event of the year.

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It makes sense that St. Louis Park illustrator Chris Lyons stopped by Altered Esthetics Gallery in Minneapolis to check out "Lutefisk Sushi Vol. D." It's a mini comic book convention featuring bento boxes of comics from more than 60 local artists. It also includes a display of comic art on the walls which Chris was very impressed with. "Lutefisk Sushi Vol. D" is at Altered Esthetics through Aug. 26.

Mizna board member Nahid Khan likes shoes, wears a headscarf, and is an American whose parents emigrated from

Pakistan, which is partly why she's drawn to the Minnesota Fringe Festival production of "That Sara Aziz!" It's about four modern Pakistani-American women who want to embrace the bounty of American life while maintaining their their globally dispersed family relationships. You can see "That Sara Aziz!" Aug. 12, 14, and 15 at the Playwrights Center in Minneapolis.

It's one of Marv Menzel's favorite times of the year, when pluckers and pickers converge on the campground El Rancho Mañana in Richmond, Minnesota for the annual Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Festival. Marv, who's proprietor of the Homestead Pickin' Parlor in Richfield, is especially looking forward to hearing national headliners Blue Highway and local heroes The High 48s on the main stage during the four-day celebration, which begins Aug 12.

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