Collabz [ January/February 2003 ]

DLa #017 After the intense quanity of labor required to finish the perhaps overly produced Machine issue, the collective was not too terribly inspired about diving right back in and slaving away for another two months for the next issue. Anything but more blood, sweat and tears. Fortunately for us, there was an easy solution to the problem of producing a high-quality, content-rich issue without all the fuss. Collaborations! If DLa manages to accomplish anything at the informal gatherings lightly referred to as "business meetings", it's passing the sketchbooks around the table and filling them up with inspiring collaborationz — sketches, drawings, and plenty of nonsense. Indeed, over the years, DLa artists have amassed a great wealth of such collaborative effort, and it was suddenly a perfect time to reap the collective harvest. So, rather than work on new art, new assignments, and new projects, the fine men and woman of DLa were simply encouraged to cold dig up some old chunks, ancient collabz, lost relics — anything associated with collaborating or even hanging out over coffee and drawing on napkins and coasters. Additionally, some new collabz work was prepared for the cover, the Tarot card, and the contents page. As the Collabz issue began coming together, the significance of our collective efforts throughout the years became apparent. Although rather twisted and convoluted, our creative roots go deep, and they continue to nourish the collective with continually manifesting harmony, inspiring us to press onward..