I feel like I should do a PSA any time I mention the opera: FOLKS, IF YOU ARE A COMIC ARTIST OR BLOGGER IN THE TWIN CITIES, YOU CAN TOTALLY SEE OPERAS FOR FREE.

It’s this awesome bit of cross-promotion the Minnesota Opera does where they let you sit in on a dress rehearsal of their latest show under the agreement that you will sketch through the show and later post your sketches and thoughts about the show to your website/blog and let them use your sketches as promotional material online. If you’re a blogger but not an artist, you post a review to your blog. Before the show, they generally feed you and have a cast member give you a bit of background information on the opera. 

It is pretty fucking cool, and my comic collective is always looking for more artists to join us at the opera and in general, so feel free to hit me up if you’re local and want more info. Or if you have a friend who makes comics (even if they’re just starting out), pass on the word.

The opera in Portland, Oregon does this as well (we unapologetically stole the idea from them), though I don’t know who you’d need to contact to get in on that.